Notes: Ha... well, it's almost been over a year since I last worked on this fic... But I'm actually very happy... happy enough with MC's resurrection, and Erin and I are better now... so I thought that it would be good to work on finishing the fic... lol Short part, I know. I need a little bit of help to get back into my groove.
Warnings: Sano/Saitou, angst sap
Crying Roses
By: Emmy
Part Eight
--------------------
Sanosuke slowly walked back to his home, tired and exhausted. He had been living with Saitou for a while, but right now he needed to be alone, in his own home that had yet to be sold. Today was a day that he wouldn't have thought twice about forgetting. He had met Aya's father. He wasn't a bad guy, but he wasn't the guy that she SHOULD be with. Any father that waits years upon years to finally say their ready for their child isn't someone that child should be with. Especially if they had a loving home to grow up in.
"Sanosuke."
The young man peered up to the doorway where Saitou was displayed, hands placed on his hips with a scowl on his face.
What a welcome home.
But why was Saitou here? Did he know that Sanosuke was going to be coming home here?
Sanosuke languidly crawled up to the steps and took a moment to look at the man, "Yeah?"
"You shouldn't have been there. You shouldn't have done that. It was stupid, and you could have given the father something to use against you in court. He should have just remained a nameless entity that wanted to take Aya away from you." Saitou's voice was low and cold, the ice on the edges nipping at Sanosuke's skin.
"Sorry. Had to."
"Is that your only excuse?"
"I don't think you should be critiquing my behavior." Sanosuke spat out, not ever bothering to think about what he was saying. He loved Saitou, but once in a while his emotions ran away with him.
"I'm not. I'm just telling you exactly what you're doing wrong, shit that you're pulling that could take your daughter away from you! You'll loose Aya, because of something stupid you can't 'help.' What the fuck do you want me to say? I'm telling you the truth, learn to deal with it, Sanosuke!"
It was the first time that Saitou had raised his voice at Sanosuke. The boy was relieved with that thought as well. He never wanted to see Saitou upset with him again. The bastard... even if all this was hard for him, he wasn't going to give Saitou the benefit of the doubt. He never would...
"Just leave me the fuck alone. You wouldn't understand! Aya's my life, she's my--"
"I would understand. I have two sons and a daughter. I would never let anything happen to them, even if it meant holding my tongue."
Sanosuke froze. He paused, trying to think if he heard the man right. That couldn't be right... Saitou had...?
"You're married." That was the only phrase that Sanosuke could manage to get out. His mind was numb.
"Divorced."
"You have kids."
"Yes. I visit them once a month." Saitou's voice was kind. Sanosuke could tell that he felt fondly towards his own children.
"You have kids and you didn't fucking tell me!? Hajime... what the fuck, I mean this isn't exactly something that I would never find out about... this means something! How could you NOT tell me?!" The younger man's voice cracked as he shook his head, clenching his balled fists.
Saitou took a step closer to him and ran a hand along Sanosuke's cheek. "Shh. Aya's sleeping upstairs."
So he had brought Aya home here too? At least it was a good thing that Saitou was still watching her...
Sanosuke's eyes narrowed once more, and slapped away Saitou's hand.
"Don't touch me..." He trailed off and turned to walk up the staircase. "I need to think... this is too much."
Saitou watched the man's back with a sour expression on his face. What could he do? He hadn't lied directly to the boy, but he might as well have. He brought something so serious at the worst possible time. How could he have even thought about doing something like this? He had no fucking idea.
Saitou took in a deep breath and turned to walk out the door. Sanosuke had firmly stated that he needed some alone time, and alone time was just what he was going to give him.
------------------
Aya peered around her door frame and looked out into the hallway right across to her daddy's room. All the commotion had woken her from a deep sleep and she wanted to know just what was going on. She crept out into the hall, holding the stuffed animal that Saitou had bought her, and reached up for the doorknob.
She frowned. It was too high up!
"Daddy!!" Aya found herself shouting. "Daddy!! Open door!!"
Aya took the remaining time to jump up and down before Sanosuke did exactly what she had asked. He looked out into the hall, and his eyes landed upon Aya.
"Daddy... wass wrong?" Aya slurred, latched onto the older man's leg. "You look sad..."
"Nah, Aya. I'm fine, don't worry about it..." Sanosuke tried to convince the girl.
She just shook her head, a pout on her face, "Daddy shoun'n lie to Aya!"
"I just don't want you to get upset, sweetie." Sanosuke knelt down to the girl's side and picked her up, stroking her raven hair tenderly. "Do you wanna sleep with me tonight?"
Aya's eyes widened and she began to nod fiercely. "A'course!"
The man nodded and shut the door to his room, walking through the darkness to reach his bed. Her carefully hugged the little girl in his arms and quickly laid down on the bed. Aya curled up, wrapping her little arms around Sanosuke's neck with a content smile on her face. She hesitated for a moment, and then asked something loudly.
"Daddy?"
"What's up, baby?"
"Where's Jime?"
Her question was just a simple, innocent one. And yet, at he same time, it brought uncontrolled tears to him eyes. Sanosuke choked down a sob and took in a deep breath, clenching the pillow tightly to make sure he wasn't strangling Aya. She just had to notice that? She just had to ask that?
"He's... not here right now, sweetie. He's... " Sanosuke broke off the sentence, taking a deep breath in. He couldn't think about it. He couldn't think about Saitou right now... he couldn't think about him at all... it would just hurt too much...
"Let's just get to sleep." Sanosuke suggested, squeezing his eyes shut tight. This wasn't going to work... this was too much.
All of it.
Sanosuke just needed to get away from it, and right now the only escape he was offered was sleep.
--------------------
Sanosuke took a moment to stagger out of bed, and even when he did, he felt like collapsing back onto the lonely bed. He hesitated for a moment, not seeing Aya anywhere in site. What happened to his daughter?
His eyes looked around the room desperately until he saw a note left on the night stand next to his bed.
His heart fell.
It was in Saitou's handwriting...
He snatched it up quickly and read it ever quicker.
Sanosuke -
I know that you are upset with me right now, and there isn't a thing that I can do about it. I told you the truth, even if it was at an inopportune time, and I want you to know that I love you. I took Aya for the morning because there's something I need to investigate. You know you can trust me with her, but if you want more of a justification, go ahead and call my cell phone. You know the number.
--Saitou
Sanosuke's eyes narrowed and he threw back the covers. He raced downstairs to the nearest phone. It took him a total of 2.42 seconds to dial in Saitou's cell phone number.
However, it was only on the fifth ring that he received word from the other end.
"Hello--"
"Hajime, what the fuck do you--!?"
"I'm not available at the moment, but if you wish to contact me, leave a message."
Beep.
Sanosuke glared and slammed down the phone back onto the receiver.
"Fucking asshole!" He screamed into the house, gripping his head with both of his hands. "You have no right... you have no fucking right, you fucking jackass!"
----------------
In the next hour, Sanosuke tried Saitou's cell phone a total of thirty-seven times. None of which made contact.
He was frustrated, irritated and anxious.
Every other word out of his mouth was 'fuck,' it was a good thing that Aya hadn't been there to get another colorful word to her young vocabulary. What a great thing to teach the kindergarten class for show and tell.
Sanosuke snatched up the phone and dialed in the number one more time. He decided that if this one didn't go through he was just going to take a shower in-between tired.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three rings.
Four rings.
Sanosuke shook his head.
He was just going to get the fucking answering machine again...
"Hello?"
Sanosuke froze.
It was a questioning hello... not a statement.
Had he gotten through?!
What the fuck!?
"Saitou!?"
"I see you received my note."
"Why the fuck was your goddamn phone off?! I was trying to fucking call you!" Sanosuke exploded.
"I didn't think you were going to be up so early and I had things to do."
"Where is my fucking daughter?!"
"Sanosuke, there's something that we need to talk about."
"Talk about, my ass! I need to see Aya! I don't want you to have my fucking daughter! I want her back!"
"Come home and I'll give her back to you."
Home?
Sanosuke's heart nearly skipped a beat.
Saitou still wanted him to come 'home?'
To their home?
"I'm coming to get her right now. Don't move, you bastard."
Saitou chuckled. "All right. Just hurry."
"Damn straight I'm gonna hurry!"
CLICK
--------------------
End of part seven
Warnings: Sano/Saitou, angst sap
Crying Roses
By: Emmy
Part Eight
--------------------
Sanosuke slowly walked back to his home, tired and exhausted. He had been living with Saitou for a while, but right now he needed to be alone, in his own home that had yet to be sold. Today was a day that he wouldn't have thought twice about forgetting. He had met Aya's father. He wasn't a bad guy, but he wasn't the guy that she SHOULD be with. Any father that waits years upon years to finally say their ready for their child isn't someone that child should be with. Especially if they had a loving home to grow up in.
"Sanosuke."
The young man peered up to the doorway where Saitou was displayed, hands placed on his hips with a scowl on his face.
What a welcome home.
But why was Saitou here? Did he know that Sanosuke was going to be coming home here?
Sanosuke languidly crawled up to the steps and took a moment to look at the man, "Yeah?"
"You shouldn't have been there. You shouldn't have done that. It was stupid, and you could have given the father something to use against you in court. He should have just remained a nameless entity that wanted to take Aya away from you." Saitou's voice was low and cold, the ice on the edges nipping at Sanosuke's skin.
"Sorry. Had to."
"Is that your only excuse?"
"I don't think you should be critiquing my behavior." Sanosuke spat out, not ever bothering to think about what he was saying. He loved Saitou, but once in a while his emotions ran away with him.
"I'm not. I'm just telling you exactly what you're doing wrong, shit that you're pulling that could take your daughter away from you! You'll loose Aya, because of something stupid you can't 'help.' What the fuck do you want me to say? I'm telling you the truth, learn to deal with it, Sanosuke!"
It was the first time that Saitou had raised his voice at Sanosuke. The boy was relieved with that thought as well. He never wanted to see Saitou upset with him again. The bastard... even if all this was hard for him, he wasn't going to give Saitou the benefit of the doubt. He never would...
"Just leave me the fuck alone. You wouldn't understand! Aya's my life, she's my--"
"I would understand. I have two sons and a daughter. I would never let anything happen to them, even if it meant holding my tongue."
Sanosuke froze. He paused, trying to think if he heard the man right. That couldn't be right... Saitou had...?
"You're married." That was the only phrase that Sanosuke could manage to get out. His mind was numb.
"Divorced."
"You have kids."
"Yes. I visit them once a month." Saitou's voice was kind. Sanosuke could tell that he felt fondly towards his own children.
"You have kids and you didn't fucking tell me!? Hajime... what the fuck, I mean this isn't exactly something that I would never find out about... this means something! How could you NOT tell me?!" The younger man's voice cracked as he shook his head, clenching his balled fists.
Saitou took a step closer to him and ran a hand along Sanosuke's cheek. "Shh. Aya's sleeping upstairs."
So he had brought Aya home here too? At least it was a good thing that Saitou was still watching her...
Sanosuke's eyes narrowed once more, and slapped away Saitou's hand.
"Don't touch me..." He trailed off and turned to walk up the staircase. "I need to think... this is too much."
Saitou watched the man's back with a sour expression on his face. What could he do? He hadn't lied directly to the boy, but he might as well have. He brought something so serious at the worst possible time. How could he have even thought about doing something like this? He had no fucking idea.
Saitou took in a deep breath and turned to walk out the door. Sanosuke had firmly stated that he needed some alone time, and alone time was just what he was going to give him.
------------------
Aya peered around her door frame and looked out into the hallway right across to her daddy's room. All the commotion had woken her from a deep sleep and she wanted to know just what was going on. She crept out into the hall, holding the stuffed animal that Saitou had bought her, and reached up for the doorknob.
She frowned. It was too high up!
"Daddy!!" Aya found herself shouting. "Daddy!! Open door!!"
Aya took the remaining time to jump up and down before Sanosuke did exactly what she had asked. He looked out into the hall, and his eyes landed upon Aya.
"Daddy... wass wrong?" Aya slurred, latched onto the older man's leg. "You look sad..."
"Nah, Aya. I'm fine, don't worry about it..." Sanosuke tried to convince the girl.
She just shook her head, a pout on her face, "Daddy shoun'n lie to Aya!"
"I just don't want you to get upset, sweetie." Sanosuke knelt down to the girl's side and picked her up, stroking her raven hair tenderly. "Do you wanna sleep with me tonight?"
Aya's eyes widened and she began to nod fiercely. "A'course!"
The man nodded and shut the door to his room, walking through the darkness to reach his bed. Her carefully hugged the little girl in his arms and quickly laid down on the bed. Aya curled up, wrapping her little arms around Sanosuke's neck with a content smile on her face. She hesitated for a moment, and then asked something loudly.
"Daddy?"
"What's up, baby?"
"Where's Jime?"
Her question was just a simple, innocent one. And yet, at he same time, it brought uncontrolled tears to him eyes. Sanosuke choked down a sob and took in a deep breath, clenching the pillow tightly to make sure he wasn't strangling Aya. She just had to notice that? She just had to ask that?
"He's... not here right now, sweetie. He's... " Sanosuke broke off the sentence, taking a deep breath in. He couldn't think about it. He couldn't think about Saitou right now... he couldn't think about him at all... it would just hurt too much...
"Let's just get to sleep." Sanosuke suggested, squeezing his eyes shut tight. This wasn't going to work... this was too much.
All of it.
Sanosuke just needed to get away from it, and right now the only escape he was offered was sleep.
--------------------
Sanosuke took a moment to stagger out of bed, and even when he did, he felt like collapsing back onto the lonely bed. He hesitated for a moment, not seeing Aya anywhere in site. What happened to his daughter?
His eyes looked around the room desperately until he saw a note left on the night stand next to his bed.
His heart fell.
It was in Saitou's handwriting...
He snatched it up quickly and read it ever quicker.
Sanosuke -
I know that you are upset with me right now, and there isn't a thing that I can do about it. I told you the truth, even if it was at an inopportune time, and I want you to know that I love you. I took Aya for the morning because there's something I need to investigate. You know you can trust me with her, but if you want more of a justification, go ahead and call my cell phone. You know the number.
--Saitou
Sanosuke's eyes narrowed and he threw back the covers. He raced downstairs to the nearest phone. It took him a total of 2.42 seconds to dial in Saitou's cell phone number.
However, it was only on the fifth ring that he received word from the other end.
"Hello--"
"Hajime, what the fuck do you--!?"
"I'm not available at the moment, but if you wish to contact me, leave a message."
Beep.
Sanosuke glared and slammed down the phone back onto the receiver.
"Fucking asshole!" He screamed into the house, gripping his head with both of his hands. "You have no right... you have no fucking right, you fucking jackass!"
----------------
In the next hour, Sanosuke tried Saitou's cell phone a total of thirty-seven times. None of which made contact.
He was frustrated, irritated and anxious.
Every other word out of his mouth was 'fuck,' it was a good thing that Aya hadn't been there to get another colorful word to her young vocabulary. What a great thing to teach the kindergarten class for show and tell.
Sanosuke snatched up the phone and dialed in the number one more time. He decided that if this one didn't go through he was just going to take a shower in-between tired.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three rings.
Four rings.
Sanosuke shook his head.
He was just going to get the fucking answering machine again...
"Hello?"
Sanosuke froze.
It was a questioning hello... not a statement.
Had he gotten through?!
What the fuck!?
"Saitou!?"
"I see you received my note."
"Why the fuck was your goddamn phone off?! I was trying to fucking call you!" Sanosuke exploded.
"I didn't think you were going to be up so early and I had things to do."
"Where is my fucking daughter?!"
"Sanosuke, there's something that we need to talk about."
"Talk about, my ass! I need to see Aya! I don't want you to have my fucking daughter! I want her back!"
"Come home and I'll give her back to you."
Home?
Sanosuke's heart nearly skipped a beat.
Saitou still wanted him to come 'home?'
To their home?
"I'm coming to get her right now. Don't move, you bastard."
Saitou chuckled. "All right. Just hurry."
"Damn straight I'm gonna hurry!"
CLICK
--------------------
End of part seven