A/N:
Leila – I'm not making things difficult. It's Aoshi and Megumi I can have trouble with. And I'll be wrapping up After All in June. I promised myself that. As for what I'm doing…I'm having fun. Good to have you back. =P
Terms:
Keiki – Hawaiian for 'kid' or 'child'
Part 1: Sanosuke
"So how'd the fundraiser go?" Sanosuke Sagara picked up a pen and began to manipulate it between his fingers, the movement rhythmic and hypnotic.
"It went well," Tsunan Tsuikioka, his oldest friend responded, watching him carefully. "The kids enjoyed it." He held out his hand. "My pen."
But Sanosuke ignored him, continuing to sit across from Tsunan's desk. The walls were lined with several drawings and photographs that had been collected over the years – drawings from children expressing love and gratitude. One of the drawings had been made by Tsunan some twenty odd years ago, featuring himself and Sanosuke.
Sanosuke had a lot of memories of this very place. The Sagara Foundation had been where he grew up. Its founder had converted the multi-office building into a shelter for abandoned or abused children. Sanosuke would always be grateful to the man who took him in. He never knew who his family was…so the founder had been like a father to him. Sanosuke even took his last name, as a way to honor him and separate himself from his past.
"Sano, my pen."
"Sorry." Sanosuke placed the special drawing pen back on the desk.
Tsunan was a very talented artist. The man could draw with brushes and pens, never having to use a pencil. Sanosuke examined a jar filled with different colored sand as Tsunan talked about the latest art project he had in mind for the children to do after school. The orphanage only had about a dozen children of various ages. Luckily, there were two schools – an elementary and high school within seven miles from the orphanage.
"You really like it here, don't you?" Sanosuke asked abruptly.
Tsunan blinked. "Meaning what?"
Sanosuke shrugged. "Just…well…when Sagara died, I didn't think you'd want to take over from where he left off. I knew I wasn't planning on doing it."
"This is where I belong," Tsunan answered after several moments. "You belong in the Navy. He knew that you'd leave when the time came." He frowned. "You aren't feeling guilty, are you?"
"Nope," Sanosuke shook his head.
"Good. You shouldn't be." Tsunan sat back and grinned slightly. "By the way…Jen wants you to meet her friend."
Sanosuke sighed. "Didn't I tell your girlfriend that I don't want to be set up on blind dates? I can get women just fine on my own."
"I know. But she thinks you need a girlfriend. Especially when I told her that you've never really had a serious relationship."
"Military life does that to you," Sanosuke argued.
"She doesn't believe that," Tsunan responded. "She'd like you to at least meet her friend."
"This is why I'm not in relationships…" Sanosuke shook his head. "You are whipped. You're putting your oldest friend through a blind date."
Tsunan shrugged. "It's worth trying…"
"Being with Jen has made you forgetful," Sanosuke retorted mildly. "You forgot I hate blind dates."
"All right, all right…I'll tell her you said no." The other man glanced at his watch. "It's time for Lani's ukulele lesson…" He rose to his feet. "Sano…thanks for doing this. The kids really like having you here. Ever since you came back to Hawaii…I'm glad you're able to volunteer out here…"
"It's the least I could do," Sanosuke responded. "Besides, they're good kids."
"Considering all the other things you could be doing on a Saturday…" Tsunan shrugged.
"I usually save the partying for Fridays," Sanosuke responded easily, picking up the small case he had placed on the chair facing Tsunan's desk before getting to his feet.
Sanosuke made his way outside into the backyard, where a lush green grassy area complete with playground set greeted him. Lani, the eight-year-old girl whom he would be teaching today, sat on a blanket with whales printed on it, fairly close to the building and away from the six boys playing touch football on the grass.
He had come to Honolulu, Hawaii almost a year ago. He considered himself lucky that the US Navy had put him there. He was born and raised in Hawaii. But when he became eighteen, he signed up and hadn't been back until recently. He had made some new friends and met old ones, but it seemed as if he had never left in the first place. He'd adjusted to living back on the islands very quickly.
Lani looked up as he settled down next to her.
"How you doin', keiki?" he asked, earning a small grin from her.
"I'm fine." Her cheeky grin and swift movement to cover up the piece of paper she was doodling on made him immediately suspicious.
"Really? What are you doing?"
"Something," she giggled.
"Something, huh?" Sanosuke smiled back. "I won't ask. Just make sure I won't get in trouble…"
"It's not about you, Sanosuke…"
"You're not going to get someone else in trouble, are you?" he frowned, trying to keep a straight face.
"No!" Then she leaned forward and whispered, "Promise not to tell?"
Even though no one could hear them, he whispered back, "I promise."
"I'm writing a love letter," the girl announced proudly, her dark eyes shining.
At her age? Wasn't Lani too young for that? When he was a kid, girls started having crushes at age eleven. Jeez. Kids these days. Matured faster than adults could keep up.
"Can I guess who it's for?"
"No. I'm not telling." Lani crossed her arms defensively.
He laughed. "All right. Then I won't ask." He opened his carrying case and pulled out the small instrument. "Have you been practicing?"
"Every day," she said, smiling.
"Good. Show me what you've been practicing." Sanosuke leaned back as Lani picked up her ukulele and after she tested the tension on the instrument, began to play.
"Thanks for tagging along, guys," Sanosuke said as he slowly eased his Toyota Camry out of the navy exchange parking lot.
"That's all right. It's good to go out on a day like this," Kenshin Himura commented from the passenger's seat.
A year ago, when Sanosuke first came to Pearl Harbor, he and Kenshin had worked side by side at the harbor. They quickly became friends, and Sanosuke had even served as Kenshin's best man at his wedding several months ago. Now, though, Kenshin was thinking of retiring. He had spent too many hours at sea, away from his young wife. Sanosuke had been surprised about his plans, but he understood. The work hours could drive someone crazy.
"I needed to go to the exchange, anyway," Kaoru spoke up from the backseat.
"Don't you ever get tired of shopping?" Sanosuke teased.
"Not really," Kaoru admitted with a smile. "Especially-"
"Sano!" Kenshin yelled.
Sanosuke immediately stomped on the brake, but not in time to avoid hitting a white Lexus as it pulled out of a parking space.
"Shit!" Sanosuke swore, shoving the gear in park. He settled back and stared at the car roof for a moment. Then he turned his head slightly to look at Kaoru in the back, whose hand was over her heart. "You all right?"
The young woman nodded, her black ponytail bobbing with the movement of her head. "Yeah. Just adrenaline kicking in."
Sanosuke turned off the engine. "I'll be right back…" He opened his car door and made his way to the front of his car, bending over slightly to see a slight dent accompanied with a thick streak of black paint on the Lexus' rear bumper. He grimaced. Great…
When he straightened, the driver's side door opened, and a pair of long, shapely legs emerged. He couldn't help but look. Call it the typical male reaction. He was having it. And the reaction continued when the driver emerged, rising to her full height, just a couple inches shorter than him.
The woman was tall and slender, with lightly muscled arms and legs. She was probably a dancer. Or a regular at the gym. Her long black hair reached the small of her back, with several long feathery bangs in the front, barely falling into her dark brown eyes. Her creamy complexion was fair and smooth, complemented by the sleeveless peach cotton dress she wore that ended a couple inches above her knees. And when she crossed her arms over her chest, hitching one nicely rounded hip higher than the other as she shifted weight, a delicate eyebrow arched slightly, her eyes narrowing.
"Why don't you watch where you're going?"
"I was watching," he argued, unsure of what to say, even though he knew deep down that he had only been half-paying attention.
She jabbed at the air near her rear bumper with her index finger. "Then explain that."
Sanosuke gritted his teeth. As nice-looking as she was, she had looked much nicer when she didn't sound like a nagging witch. But he couldn't really blame her…he did hit her car. "Fine. I'll give you my insurance info…" As he turned away, he spotted Kaoru emerging from the backseat.
"Megumi?" she called out.
The woman immediately looked in her direction. "Kaoru?"
"You two know each other?" Sanosuke asked, surprised.
The woman named Megumi ignored his comment and came forward as Kaoru stepped away from the car. The same time Kenshin emerged from the car and went to join his wife. How did his two friends know this woman?
"What a coincidence," Kaoru exclaimed. "How have you been?"
"Busy," Megumi answered truthfully.
"It's been a while…Dr. Megumi?" Kenshin prompted with a smile.
"Not yet," the young woman laughed good-naturedly. "Still working on it…and getting much closer."
Doctor? Sanosuke thought as he fished through his glove compartment. Wasn't she a little young? She didn't look that much older than him. When he came out, envelope in hand, Megumi was talking with Kaoru about cooking recipes.
"Did you want to write some of this down?" Sanosuke asked, holding out his insurance card.
The woman pursed her lips slightly.
"Here…" Kaoru held out a piece of paper and pen.
"Thank you…"
Sanosuke shoved his hands in his pockets and with a gesture of his chin, addressed the woman, "Nice car."
Pausing in her writing, Megumi blinked. "Thank you."
"For an advanced Toyota."
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "A what?"
"An advanced Toyota," Sanosuke said frankly. "That's all a Lexus is. A Toyota in five years with executive leather seats."
"Sano is a mechanic," Kenshin explained. "When one works with machines-"
"You're a car mechanic?" Megumi asked.
Was he imagining the stuck-up sound of her voice?
"Actually, I work on Navy ships," he corrected.
She said nothing and continued to write.
"So what are your plans?" Kaoru asked Megumi.
"Spend time with my aunts, do some research for my presentation…" Megumi shrugged. "I was supposed to take the car for an oil change, but the shop's closed. My only free time is next week."
Kaoru poked Sanosuke's arm. "He can change your car's oil."
Sanosuke blinked. "What? Jo-chan-"
"You hit her car," Kaoru chided, propping her fists on her hips. "It's the least you could do."
Sanosuke examined the faces before him – Kaoru's indignant expression, Kenshin's with that 'I'm staying out of the whole drama' smile, and Megumi's guarded eyes. Kenshin. Spineless piece of…
"Fine." He looked away.
"If it's too much trouble for you," Megumi began.
"It's nothing," he interrupted swiftly.
Kaoru beamed. "There. You saved time and money, Megumi…"
A/N: In this fic, Sano is 24, and Megumi 26. If my math is correct....