Part 10: Pillow Fight and Talks

In spite of the events of the night, Megumi couldn't sleep. Pursing her lips, she lifted her right hand to push the buttons on her remote control, changing the TV stations. From her position in bed, she could hear the sounds of running water coming from her bathroom. Sanosuke was currently washing off the soot and smell of fire off of his skin. Megumi's eyes trailed to the door of her bathroom before staring at the TV again. The sounds of water were very distracting - she couldn't help but imagine which parts of him the water was hitting. Bad Megumi, she scolded herself. Considering what happened today...

Megumi sunk deeper in the bed, her eyes watching the various infomercials.

The bathroom door opened, and even as soft footsteps made their way towards her, she continued to watch the television.

"Thanks," Sano said quietly.

Megumi pushed the mute button and turned to face him. "You're welcome. You all right?" As he sat on the king-sized bed, she tried to keep her eyes on his profile, and not on his back. Or arms. Or legs.

She scowled briefly. The man wore boxers to bed.

"Yeah...I'm more worried about the kids," he admitted before lounging back.

Panic began to set in her, and she studied him carefully, keeping her emotions in check. "What are you doing?"

He craned his neck to look at the nightstand clock. "It's late. I should sleep."

"Not here," Megumi retorted.

Sano lifted his brows. "I'm not sleeping on the pullout sofa. I've never trusted those things."

Megumi crossed her arms. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning who knows the last time those sheets were cleaned."

She gasped. "This is a classy hotel. There-"

"That's my argument, and I'm sticking with it," Sano responded, moving some of her blankets aside so he could scoot in.

"This is my bed!" Megumi exclaimed, ignoring the little thrill that danced up her spine. He had to be kidding... "You're not sleeping in here with me!"

"Then sleep on the couch."

She glared at him, as he casually turned his back to sleep on his left side. "You're not being a gentleman..."

At that, he rolled onto his back, grinning at her indignant expression. "I never said I was." At her continued death look, he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "I'm not going to do anything, all right? I just want to sleep on a nice bed until eight." He grabbed one of her long pillows and placed it between the two of them. "Good night."

Megumi slowly sank down to sleep after turning off her lamp and TV. Sanosuke was lying on his back, his breathing slow and even. Assuming he was asleep, Megumi hugged to her side of the bed.

This had to be the strangest situation she found herself in. She'd always imagined that she'd eventually share a bed with a man, but she imagined he'd be someone important to her. Someone she was personally involved with.

Then again...she was involved with him. Somewhat.

"Will you relax?" Sanosuke's voice cut through the darkness. "I'm not going to jump you. Unless you want me to. But even then...I'm too tired..."

She reached for a throw pillow to swat at him. "You are such a pig! Is sex all you think about?"

"That's funny coming from someone who moans just when I give her massages."

Gasping in surprise at his comment, she continued to hit him.

"Okay, that's it." Sano snatched her pillow and began to retaliate.

Laughing, Megumi ducked her head to avoid getting hit and sat up to reach for another throw pillow until Sano tackled her. She couldn't stop laughing as he tickled every inch of her exposed skin.

But it wasn't a game anymore once he began to kiss her exposed throat and jaw. Megumi closed her eyes, her hands grasping at his shoulders. She shifted to accommodate him, letting his hips settle against hers, as her fingertips glided over the smooth muscles of his back, just stopping short of the elastic hem of his boxers.

This couldn't be happening. But...in spite of everything that had occurred that night, a part of her wanted this so much. The man lost a portion of the place he had grown up in. All of his thoughts had been on the children and his childhood friend. And yet...

Sanosuke pulled back slightly, rolling onto his back and taking her with him. Megumi felt her cheeks heat up at their intimate position.

She shivered as he trailed his fingertips over her hair, down her back, rubbing against the soft cotton of her sleepshirt before touching the back of her thigh.

And then his voice said softly in her ear, "As much as I want to right now…you and I both know this isn't the place or the time."

So with that said, he gently eased her off him and back onto her side of the bed before turning to sleep.

VVV

"What's on your mind?" Tsunan looked up from his calligraphy as Sano entered his room after work.

Sanosuke took off his navy blue baseball cap before sitting on the couch adjacent to his friend.

"Meaning what?" He'd had a long day. And all day, he'd thought of no one else but Megumi. Last night, she had been within arms' reach, but he'd kept to his side of the bed. She had woken up early, supposedly to have breakfast with her aunts...while he'd gone to the harbor for supposedly a four-hour shift that turned into seven.

Sanosuke reached up to unbutton the top of his blue uniform work shirt. All the while, he'd been conscious of Megumi sleeping next to him in the early morning hours. It had taken a lot of self-control for him last night to stay on his side and not touch her. Although his body wanted nothing more than to make love to her until they both couldn't form a conscious thought, he had held himself back. When the time was right, they'd have their moments together. Megumi had made it clear that she had wanted him, too. But he wasn't about to take a woman after his home had been on fire. While comfort sex was great, he didn't want that from her.

"Something's bothering you," Tsunan declared, interrupting his thoughts.

His features twisting in a grimace, Sano merely studied his friend's work before looking out the window towards the Pacific Ocean.

Man…Where to start?

"I slept with Megumi last night," he said quietly.

Tsunan immediately set his brush down. "Sano…I don't need to-"

"No sex," Sanosuke explained, shaking his head. "Just…sleeping."

Tsunan sat back, crossing his arms. "That's a first."

"It was the best sleep I've had in years," Sanosuke continued. His brown eyes took on a serious look at his friend's stare. He knew his friend. Tsunan was thinking. Thinking about something serious. "What?"

"Look…however you want to live your life is up to you. But Dr. Takani's a nice lady. If you get involved with a woman like her…she'll only end up getting hurt."

Sanosuke frowned. "Now you're starting to sound like someone else I know."

Tsunan looked away. "She's smart and she's beautiful. It's hard for any man to resist her. But she isn't looking for something temporary."

"Why does everyone think that I am?" Sanosuke countered. It was really starting to get on his nerves. Was he that bad?

"Because you've never had anything else but that," Tsunan responded.

Abruptly, Sanosuke stood up and walked towards the window. He knew his friend was right. He hadn't had any serious relationships at all. "Maybe…it's different this time…"

Tsunan gave him a puzzled look. "You really think so?"

He shrugged and then smiled. "I've known her this long and nothing's happened yet." Nothing too major, anyway.

"I find that hard to believe," Tsunan muttered. Shaking his head, he pointed to a folder perched on top of the television. "Do me a favor…we need to go over the plans for reconstruction…"

A/N: I apologize for the delay in RK fanfics from me. School has had me REALLY busy with no inspiration. Now I know some of you are waiting for the GOOD part. I haven't really decided how the two are going to get there – mainly because that'll be a big change in their lives and I'm nooooot quite sure I'm ready to write it yet…