"speech"

'thoughts'

THE ONLY ONES LEFT

Chapter Three

The night was getting deeper and deeper and the wind was already blowing hard when Sanosuke carried Megumi to her home. It was a good thing he knew how to go to her house. With his frequent hand injuries to be cured and with the gang leaving them together all the time, he has already gone to the doctor's house for about five times now.

While he was walking, he began to think about the Kenshin-gumi.

'I wonder when Kenshin will profess his undying love for Jo-chan.. Hmm.. Now that I think about it... They actually look good together.. Kenshin is probably the one who can ever handle the ways of that girl..'

'Aoshi.. That cold guy!! Cold at first until Misao came to put life in the ice-cold guy.. Misao is so childish and could be a weasel sometimes but I think that's really what Aoshi needs to be happy..'

'Yahiko.. He's a lot like me.. Stubborn, always looking for food.. Hmmm.. Even he has Tsubame now.. They're so innocent but when you look at them, it's like they could really go through a lot more when they're together..'

'Me?? sigh Not a fighter-for-hire anymore but still a freeloader.. I wonder what I should do to make my life a bit spicier.. I'm getting bored and bored by the minute.. I wonder if I'll have a family like our neighbors.. Che! I can't imagine myself having a family..!! I don't even have a stable girlfriend! Who will like an ex-gangster like me?? sigh'

His thoughts were distracted when the weight in his arms stirred a bit and moved closer to him. Sano blushed at this.

'It's a good thing no one's here to see this.. ugh.. scene.. Me carrying the fox doctor in my arms like a knight in shining armor.. It just doesn't suit me!!'

After a while, he arrived in front of the house and kicked the gate open.

He entered the house..

'Clean and orderly as always, huh..'

And headed straight to the bedroom to rid himself of the heavy weight he's been carrying.

Before he laid her on the futon, he looked at her face and pushed aside a stray strand of hair on her face.

'She does look like an angel, though..'

When he had laid her down, Sano wrapped a blanket around her.

He was about to leave when her eyes flattered open and looked at him, observing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Megumi woke up and was blinded by the light at first.. When she regained her eyesight, she saw none other than Sanosuke Sagara looking at her.

She immediately sat up straight and said, "Where am I?"

"I thought you knew better.. This is, obviously, your bedroom, in your house." Sano said incredulously.

"Oh.." Megumi said, still feeling a bit sleepy. Then what happened just registered in her mind and she asked, "So, where are the others?"

"They're in the dojo." Sano said.

"And why are we the only ones here?" Megumi asked again.

"Because when the fireworks ended, you girls feel asleep and we guys were obliged to carry you home." Sano replied again.

"Oh, I see.. And you carried me home?" Megumi asked again.

"Obviously, I carried you home." Sano said, now getting a bit irritated.

Seeing no point at why Sano should be irritated, the fox said, "Well.. How should I know?? What if somebody else carried me home and you just dropped by?? Actually, I wish it was somebody else more patient than you.. Like Ken-san..!"

Sano doesn't like it when he's being compared to somebody. Plus he didn't like being interrogated so he answered completely now.

"Well, Megitsune, I'm just the unlucky one ordered by Kenshin himself to bring you home. Obviously, he has Jo-chan to carry to the dojo. After all.."

"After all what?"

"After all.."

"What?"

"After all, he loves Kaoru.. You're happy now?"

Megumi knew Kenshin loves Kaoru and she'd just a friend to him but.. "You don't have to rub it in my face you know!!"

Sano was getting angrier, too.

"I was just answering your question!"

"Yah. And being the stupid freeloader, ex-gangster, good-for-nothing fighter for hire that you are, you can't think of an answer that won't hurt me, right?"

Sanosuke thought a bit about the frank statement about him and thought of something to hurt Megumi just as much as she hurt him.

"At least I'm not a boring doctor who's just covering up for her past mistakes, That is – killing lots of people by producing opium and being used by her boss in the process!!"

That was when time stopped. What Sano said hit a nerve. It really hurt Megumi but because she's a girl, she can't just return the insult like what Sano did..

She just looked at Sano, not believing what she heard and a tear rolled down her cheeks, followed by lots of tears.. Until she pulled a blanket and buried her face in it.

She thought, 'I didn't expect that.. Of all people, I thought Sano knew that I don't want being reminded by my haunting past.. And.. And.. I'm trying to repent for my sins by being a doctor just like Kenshin said..'

Realization hit the once proud Sano.. 'Kami-sama.. I didn't mean to.... How stupid can I get??!!'

He approached Megumi and wiped her tears away. Well, he tried to.. But his hand was just swatted away by the crying lady..

"Look, Megitsune.." Sano tried...

Megumi just pulled the blanket more to cover her body and just laid on the futon – her back blocking him.

'This isn't working.. I should get serious now..'

"Megumi.." And tried.

But it won't work.

"Just .. go.." Megumi said in between sobs.

"But Megumi... Please.. Listen.." Sano said. Again.

But Megumi had enough already.

"Just go, okay?!!! GO!! Leave me alone!"

Sano knew better than to stay so he got up and headed for the door.

Before he closed the shoji, he took one last look at his angel. Yes. His angel.

'I'm sorry Megumi.. I didn't mean to cut you deep..'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

With that, he left and headed for the dojo.

His walk seemed so long, like a hundred miles away for him.. He didn't even look at where he's going. It was like his feet carried him as he tramped his way home.

When he arrived at the dojo, it was already three in the morning. In an hour or two, Kenshin would be awake to prepare breakfast.

He continued dragging his feet to his room, where he immediately laid on his back, trying to get some sleep.

But he just couldn't sleep. He just laid there, thinking.

'Really!! How stupid can I get?? Now Megitsune is angry at me..!! Aggghh!! How can I get her to forgive my.. my.. rudeness??'

'But she was the one who started the fight!! She kept on asking me questions like a spoiled brat.. sigh Well, she was just asking.. I should have just answered her in the right way.. Gosh, Sano!! When will you retire from picking up fights here and there??'

'Now how will I make it up with her?? If I don't, she won't come anymore with the Kenshin-gumi on our outings.. If that happens, I would be left all alone. If I'm alone, it's.. lonely..'

This train of thoughts continued for and hour or so until..

'Hmm.. maybe I should ask Kenshin for some advice tomorrow.. Well, later.. Yeah! That's right!!'

Just when he was about to get some sleep, he heard footsteps from outside and his fighter instincts took over. He stood up immediately and headed outside.

There, he saw a sleepy Kenshin still on his pajamas, rubbing his eyes.

'Oh!! It's already morning??! And I haven't seven slept yet!! What else could go wrong??' Sano thought.

'But this is the right moment to ask for advice.. No one else is awake at this hour..

So he approached his best friend and greeted him immediately.

"Ohayo, Kenshin!!"

"Ohayo, Sanosuke!!" Kenshin replied, still a bit sleepy.. But when he realized who he has just greeted, he immediately reacted. "Sanosuke??"

"Yup! In the flesh!" Sano said rather excitedly.

"And why are you up this early???" Kenshin asked, still wondering if he was just dreaming. Usually, Sano wakes up at noon. Just in time for lunch.

"Well, you see.." Sano said, twirling his fingers like a child.

"You didn't get much sleep?" Kenshin asked.

"Actually, I haven't slept yet. How did you know??" Now it was Sano's turn to ask.

Kenshin pointed at his clothes and said, "By the looks of it."

Sure enough, Sano was still wearing the clothes he wore in the festival.

Kenshin added, "Plus, you've grown a year older from the past night. You have bags under your eyes and you look really troubled, that you do."

Sano breathed in and said, "Actually, I do have a problem."

Seeing that his best friend really needed help this time, Kenshin told Sano, "Let's talk this over a cup of tea, shall we?"

With that, they headed to the dining area.

Kenshin served the tea, as always, before he asked.

"So, what trouble has been troubling you enough not to make you, the sleepyhead, awake the whole night?"

Sano sipped the tea Kenshin handed to him before starting his story. He told Kenshin what happened. Every tiny detail of their argument. He remembered exactly what happened. He can't possibly forget.

Kenshin just nodded once in a while or said some Oh's and Oro's while Sano was telling him what happened.

When Sano's tale was through, Kenshin had his say on the situation.

"It's easy, Sano."

Sano was a bit irked at what Kenshin thought of the situation.

"How can you just say it's easy?? It's easier said than done you know!!"

"Look Sano. If you had a fight with Kaoru-dono, what do you think you would do? You say sorry to her. Usually, you just let things pass until both of you have already forgotten about it. You just wait until things go back to normal. Right?"

Sano took in the information his friend has said and said, "Right."

But his statement didn't just end there.

"But this isn't just about Jo-chan!! This is about Megumi!!"

Kenshin smiled at this and said, "And?"

"I can't just wait until things go back to normal!!"

"And?"

"It might take a frighteningly long time!!"

"And?"

"If things don't go back to normal, I'll be left out in the group with all of you going with your own partners!!"

"And?"

"I have actually grown to l—"

"To what, Sano?" Kenshin asked, now leaning closer to his friend.

Still doubtful on what to say, Sano just replied, "To.. like her.."

"Oh, is that all?? I mean, there could be a lot of people you like.. I like Megumi-dono for being a caring doctor. I like you for being a humorous friend. I like Yahiko-chan for being a dedicated child. You can like Kaoru-dono for giving you a free meal and shelter, too. But since you just like Kaoru, you can let things pass by. But with Miss Megumi, you told me you can't just let things pass by. Do you get my point? Is that really the way you feel for Miss Megumi?"

Kenshin leaned on his chair when he ended his short speech.

Sano was convinced.

"Okay.. okay!! I.. have grown to.. uhm.. l.. love her.. Are you happy now?"

"What?" Kenshin asked, seeing a little bit of doubt still in Sano's voice.

Sano sighed at his friend's stubbornness and said, "I love her."

Kenshin's eyes lit up and he said, "Exactly!!"

"Exactly what, Kenshin??" Sano said, now a bit irritated.

"You see, when I get into a fight with Kaoru-dono, I say sorry to her immediately."

Kenshin said.

"So? Does it make a difference?" Sano said.

"Geez, Sano. Don't you get my point? I love Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said.

Sano can't believe his ears. He has actually heard his friend admit that he loves the little missy. So he gasped.

Kenshin knew his friend would be startled but he just continued. "So.. When we get into a fight, I say sorry to her and I find ways to comfort her. Since you love Megumi-dono, you might as well do the same thing.."

Sano just managed to say a muffled, "Oh.."

"See? I told you it's easy..!! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to prepare breakfast." With that, Kenshin stood up and headed for the door.

But Sano called to him and said,

"Thanks, pal!"

Just when Kenshin was about to exit, Sano called to him again.

"Tell her."

Kenshin knew what his friend meant so he just nodded at him and smiled.

When Sano was all alone, he thought..

'I hope she'd forgive her.. I'll say sorry to her.. I'd beg her if I should.. That is, after I get some rest. I can't just face her in this state!!'

When he finished his cup of tea, he stood up and went to his room to get at least a few hours of sleep.