I do but I don't
By Akane-tenshi
Author's notes : Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Crewel, anime-diva-40 (thanks for the cupcakes! ), WhiteRabbit5, shysie, Akanke, AngelBabie4u, mushi-azn, sumthinHOT, Sanodevil & Nyako!
Disclaimer : I don't own anything except for Takeshi!
"There must be some kind of mistake," Megumi stuttered, after everyone had screamed their lungs out in shock. She looked around the room for support. Kenshin was muttering an endless string of 'Oros' while Kaoru and Yahiko had a look of pure horror on their faces and were bombarding Takeshi with questions. How she wished Ayame and Suzume were old enough to understand the current situation. Both of them were certainly not helping by the way they jumped up and down in excitement.
She turned to Sanosuke, who had been quiet throughout the commotion. He had an odd glint in his eyes. Could he be upset? Maybe it was just her imagination.
"There is absolutely no mistake," Takeshi finally said. He fished out a piece of old, yellowish paper from his pocket and handed it to his wife-to-be. "I suggest that you read this. It'll explain a lot."
Megumi slowly unfolded it and began reading, with Kaoru's and Yahiko's prying eyes over her shoulders.
"It's a contract signed by our families," informed Takeshi to the samurai. "It said that we both must get married. It was her father's will."
Her eyes dilated in terror as she dropped the paper, "A-An arranged m-marriage?"
"Aa."
"B-But I no longer have a family... so you don't really have to marry me..."
"The contract said-"
"Feh!" Sanosuke promptly stood up and looked at Takeshi directly in the eyes, "Who do you think you are? Coming in here and proposing to kitsune-onna! The contract is just a piece of paper filled with shit. You don't even know her like I do!"
Megumi's heart skipped a beat, "Sano..."
"Kitsune-onna?"
"That's what Sano calls Megumi-dono..." Kenshin filled Takeshi in.
He smirked, "Don't tell me you're in love with her too!"
"I'm not in love with that kitsune!" Sanosuke growled, his face heating up, "She's so violent and undeveloped and not sexy at all and-"
SMACK!
Megumi glared at Sanosuke as tears threatened to fall. To think just a while ago, he was defending her, "Tori-atama! You have no right to say that!" She turned on her heels and marched towards Takeshi. "And you! What makes you think you can marry me huh? I don't even know you! I think I should be going now-"
"Matte!" Takeshi grabbed her wrist just as she was about to storm off.
Sanosuke immediately reacted, "Hanaste!"
"Minna! Listen to this!" Kaoru shouted, getting everyone's attention as she held on the contract. "It's stated here that if both refuses to get married, Takeshi-kun will commit seppuku and Megumi-chan will serve as the kaishakunin in front of both sides of the family."
The room suddenly felt tense. Each held their breath, unaware of what to do or say.
After what seems like eternity, Megumi looked up at Takeshi, her voice barely a whisper, "Honto?"
"Hai," He released her hand from his grip and stepped outside to watched the night sky. "But if you don't wish to marry me, then I have nothing more to say... I'm sure seppuku will not hurt me that much..."
Megumi lowered her head, "I never said I didn't want to marry you..."
All eyes fell on her.
"What are you saying?" Sanosuke demanded. "You're willing to marry a guy you don't even know!"
"So what if I am? Didn't you hear what Kaoru-chan said?" she snapped, daring him to retort back. When he didn't say anything, she continued, "He have to commit seppuku! Besides, I really want to fulfill Otou-san's dying wish."
"Maybe you should think it over," Kenshin advised, offering an encouraging smile. "Give yourself a week before you make your decision."
"You're right Ken-san," Megumi sighed, a rush of relieved washed over her body. She didn't realized that she had been so worked up, "I should give myself more time."
Takeshi agreed, "That way, Megumi can get to know me better."
"Megumi now eh?" Sanosuke spat, hating the guy more every second. "What happened to Takani-san?"
"She's my fiancee. I have the right to call her Megumi," The male doctor boasted. "Or should I call her koibito?"
"Megumi is fine," said the bride-to-be, a sweat-dropped formed on the side of her head as she laughed nervously.
Kaoru saw Suzume and Ayame yawned and decided to call it a night, "Megumi-san, the girls are getting tired. I think you should take them home. We should turn in too... Ah! Takeshi-kun, do you have a place to stay for the night?"
"You were carrying your luggage so I assume that you just arrived here?" Kenshin questioned.
"Aa... maybe you could show me the way to the nearest hotel?" said Takeshi sheepishly.
Yahiko butted in, glancing sideways at the rooster head, "I have a better idea! Why don't you stay over at our place?"
"You little punk!" Sanosuke growled.
"Or you could stay with Meg-" The pointed-haired boy suddenly felt two hands clamped over his mouth and another two on his head. Sanosuke and Megumi looked up at each other and turned away in a heartbeat.
Kenshin blinked confusedly, "I'll... go get a futon for our guest. Sano, please escort Megumi-dono and the girls home. It's quite dangerous at this time of the night."
"Hmph," The two huffed but said nothing. They knew what Kenshin said was true.
"Oyasumi-nasai Megumi," said Takeshi. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Hai, you too," she responded, but sounded uncertain. She scooped up Suzume and Sano did the same with Ayame. After bidding everyone goodnight, the pair left the Dojo and headed down the street.
The moon lit up their walk and spilled silver over them. They looked like a married couple heading back home, carrying their tired children after a day of family fun at a fair. No outsider would believe them if told that the two were only friends and the girls were granddaughters of Gensai-sensei.
"Congratulations on getting a fiancee," Sanosuke drawled, breaking the silence that hung over them. "I never knew you were the type of woman who actually agrees on arranged marriages. I thought you could do better, but then again, you are a kitsune after all."
Megumi snarled, "Perhaps you're deaf tori-atama! I only agreed because I wanted to fulfill-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know... But weren't you the one who told me that you will only marry the one you love?"
"Who are you to tell me what's love? You don't even know the meaning of the word. You wanna know why? Because you've never experienced it!"
"You're right. It only burdens me."
Sanosuke paused in mid-step when he stopped hearing the footsteps behind him. He turned around and was presented with a breath-taking sight. Megumi's long, black hair and kimono were flowing gently in the night breeze. His eyes were glued in her soft blue orbs, which had a sad look in them.
"You really think that love burdens you?" asked Megumi, as she tore her eyes of him. She couldn't bear to look at him. How could he say such a thing? The air around them became still and she finally realized something that made her heart ached, "It's Sayo isn't it? Because of her you refuse to fall in love again!"
"Teme! Don't you dare blame her for that! She has nothing to do with this!"
His words cut her deeply. Megumi braced herself and looked at him. She had never seen him looked so hurt before. He still cares for her even though she's gone... He even defended her against me... He loved her so much...
Sanosuke calmed himself down and figured that what he had blurted out must have hurt her, "Look kitsune, I-"
"I-It's ok... I understand," Megumi mumbled, her eyes fixed on the ground. "It's painful isn't it? To have the person you love gone from your life... I know how that feels. All those time you spend with them, will only become painful memories."
The morning rays stung her eyes and forced her to wake up. Groaning, Megumi turned to her side and burried herself deeper into her futon to avoid the sun. Last night's incident was still playing in her head. Everything happened so fast. From getting a fiancee to Sanosuke's harsh words. She shut her eyes tightly and stiffled a sob. She thought he had gotten over Sayo but he never did and will never do.
"It's a good thing that she's dead!" said a little voice in her head. No matter how much she denied it, she knew that she agreed with it.
After a few more minutes of denial, she sat up and rubbed her eyes groggily, "Sano will never forgive me after what I've said... I'm such a baka..."
"...It's Sayo isn't it? Because of her you refuse to fall in love again!..."
"Kuso!" Sanosuke punched the innocent tree and it fell to the ground. He walked up to another tree and gave it a good kick. Why won't her voice go away? But he already knew the answer.
"Because everything she said was true!"
Punch.
"I hate that kitsune for always knowing everything about me! Always playing with my mind and getting into me!"
Another punch.
"Always being there for me... treating my wounds!"
Yet another kick.
"I hate her for being everything that I'm not!"
With one dynamic punch and a battle cry, the tree gave up and let gravity pulled it down. Sanosuke breathed heavily and spit on the ground in frustration.
"But there's one thing she's wrong about..."
I've decided to end chapter 2 right here cause... I'm tired! I know it's selfish of me! Hehe! Sorry for the mistakes I've made... Well, what do you think? Don't forget to review! Please and thank you!
F.Y.I
Seppuku is a ritual form of committing suicide in the Japanese society. Behind this gruesome and barbaric act lies the concept in Japanese thinking that a honorable death is more desirable than a life in shame.
Kaishakunin is the one who cuts the head off the person commiting seppuku after they slit their stomachs...
If you don't know any Japanese terms used here, please don't hesitate to ask! I'll answer them in the next chapter.
Akane-tenshi
chachacha
