Take Me, Keep Me, I'm Yours

A Rurouni Kenshin fic by

Crimson Vixen

Disclaimer: blah blah, we all know who they belong to.. Rurouni Kenshin and all related characters, and other mumbo jumbo you already know (didn't rhyme on purpose) are not mine. The story is all I own....

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A/N: This chapter is only sort of like an introduction. The chapters following this one will be in first person POV. Oh, heh, also, they will be a lot longer, if that means anything for you.

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Groggy.

That's what he felt like.

Groggy.

Groggy, tired, and a little drunk.

In fact, Sagara Sanosuke reaked of alcohol.

Stretching his arms into the air, arching his back like a cat, he yawned. His mouth was dry and his head was hurting, but it wasn't any surprise to him. In fact, he was almost used to it. Drinking and fighting made him forget everything. Everything from his lost captain, to his latest losing streak at gambling. He just hoped he didn't hurt anybody too bad this time. He... couldn't remember.

Chk. Chk.

Boy, was his head pounding.

Chk. Chk.

"Sano?"

His eyes shifted, and his tongue traced his dry lips and dissapeared into his slightly opened mouth. His head spun, confused at the greatly muffled sound from outside his walls. It took him a moment to realize that someone was at his door, and that someone was knocking. With enough dignity and sense still left in him -not to mention his infamous stamina- he managed to drag himself to his feet, clinging onto his sheets to cover his nude frame as he made his way to the sliding door. Leaning against the wall for easier balance, he pushed said door open to find a red-headed rurouni, smiling his usual happy grin.

He would have giving him his trademark grin in return if he didn't feel so shitty.

"Good morning, Sano," he chirped. Hell, the guy had probably been up for hours.

Sanosuke pealed his eyes off of Kenshin and to the sky. The sun was just starting to rise. Returning his gaze to the rurouni, he arched a sleepy brow.

"Uh...Morning," he slurred.

"It is a fine morning, that it is, Sano." He closed his eyes and smiled, cocking his head to one side. "Would you not say so?"

"Not Sure," Sano muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Too tired to tell."

Kenshin's once beaming face became wrinkled in short, surprised disgust as he smelled the sake creeping along Sanosuke's words, littering the space between them. He smiled again with a sigh, although it was dimmer than before.

"Why don't you go back to bed then, Sano," he suggested, shooing him back into his small and cramped room he called a home, sliding the door shut behind them, preventing the others living in the row houses from seeing them.

The young brunette wasted no time collapsing in his futon, his face buried in pillows, and his lanky frame tangled carelessly in twisted sheets.

Ruffling of clothes.

The sheet over Sano temporarily being lifted.

The flash of cold air against his bare skin was soon replaced with a sensational warmth connecting with the length of his side. Kenshin nuzzled his head into the ex-fighter-for-hire's nape and brought his arm over Sano's built chest and let it lay there. While the teen was soon dozing off into slumber, light snoring filling in the silence of the small room, Kenshin took the time to look at his surroundings.

His lover was messy, and the room proved it. Cobwebs filled a few corners, small spiders taking advantage of Sanosuke's hospitality and making themselves at home. The place was covered in a thin layer of dust. A few articles of clothing were scattered on the floor, even though the rurouni had a hard time remembering a time that the young fighter wore anything OTHER than his white gi. Food leftovers were left on the floor to mold or feed the bugs - whichever came first. Even the futon they were currently in was a mess. The only thing that Kenshin could see that was not out of order was a red bandana next to the pillow, neatly folded and carefully placed where it could be reached upon waking. A small smile filled his face.

Sano was messy, indeed. But it was a little quirk that made him even more lovable. Many things attracted the wanderer to the fighter.

He was an impulsive young man with a dark past, but his heart was always in the right place. His determination was something to be greatly admired, and although he usualy resolved to violence over anything else as a first option, he was a good friend and ally. His loyalty and trustworthiness was greater than any dog could ever give to his master, and he was honest. Of course, as much as his ambition, morals, and heart were something that Kenshin though to be - to put mildly - simply beautiful, his actions usualy got him hurt or at least into some kind of trouble. But Kenshin was always there for him, and he would be, till the day he died. Sanosuke was mature - to an extent - and was more than capible of taking care of himself, but when all the matters are taken into account, he was still... just a kid.

Like everyone in this world, he had his secrets and he had his problems. And as open as he was half the time, he never let his problems out to the world. He never did like to bring anyone down, unless of course, it was someone he hated. His reasoning and opinions were always strongly supported, and behind that mask of an all around tough-guy, inside was an innocent youth who was still searching for answers to his own questions, as we all are.

Kenshin seemed to see this right away...

The first to give him a chance, and the first to listen to him, he never expected things to turn out so great. Finding that 'Zanza' was a fighter-for-hire interested the red head, and he felt a strange yet inviting need to see that face more than once. The face that held so much anger and pain, the one that he wanted more than anything to heal.

Next to his personality and all the wonderful things he had to offer, such as protection, security and a piller to lean on when everything else has already crumbled, his looks were not something to go unoticed. That rebellious brown hair that spiked out of its own free will and seemed impossible to control, the tall and well-build body that sprouted muscles and battle scars litteraly everywhere, the sketchy and childish posture (usually invovling his hands being shoved into his pockets), the rough and worn in hands, the stunning smile he flashed every so often, and those intense deep chocolate eyes. Those eyes held such innocence and emotion, Kenshin couldn't help but stare into them endlessly. His face held such and animated feeling in them, it seemed a rare find.

The kids entire aura was filled with... perfection.

He was just...perfect.

Closing his eyes only after he gave a breif scan of his younger lover, Kenshin finally allowed himself to drift off into sleep, smiling only at the thought of waking up to that sweet flawless face later in the day.