"Megumi?"

Hiko walked into his office to find Megumi surfing the Internet on his computer. "Hey what happened to you? I didn't see you at the after party."

"Does that mean everyone's gone now?" she asked turning to him.

"Yes they've gone."

"Good!" Megumi sighed with relief. "I just got a little exhausted with all those people around."

Hiko smiled and walked over and gave her a squeeze around her shoulders. "Feeling a little out of your element?"

She nodded.

"Don't worry, it'll come with time. Now come on, we're going shopping."

"Shopping? Aren't you the least bit tired?" she questioned.

"Well," Hiko began nonchalantly. "I figured since you're going to be coming with me to Italy for my next show, you might need some clothes."

For a moment Megumi was sure she heard him wrong. She sat there in awe staring at him until a smile crossed his pleasant features.

"You're not joking are you!"

Hiko shook his head, a sparkle in his eyes.

"I…I can't believe this," Megumi whispered. "This is all too unreal."

Hiko then took her by the hand and pulled her up to her feet, then kissed it. "Oh, I'll think you'll be believing it when we're taking tours of Rome, having fantastic dinners in little bistro under the moon, and all that jazz."

Megumi laughed and instantly jumped him, pressing her lips against his. Hiko pulled her closer to him and then swung her around, savoring the moment. This was almost too good to be real, like a wonderful most extraordinary dream only it wasn't. This was definitely real, as real as the kiss they were sharing and not one out of place thought was there to ruin it.

That morning Sano awoke to a knocking at his door. Still half asleep, he squinted at the alarm clock next to the bed, Megumi's side of the bed. She was the only one with a real need for an alarm. In red digital letters it read 8:47. Spitefully Sano threw his legs over the side of bed, careful not to hit his ever growing collection of empty liquor bottles on the floor. The knocking at the door persisted and Sano took his precious time in answering it.

"Yeah, what the hell do you want this early?" he yawned, stretching his arm.

Megumi, dressed in the same clothes from the night at the pub, looked up to him, forcing a kind of awkward smile. "Good morning Sano."

There he was leaning against the door in only his black and white polka dot boxers she'd bought him for his last birthday.

Sano looked down at her, now fully awake. "Megumi…"

She could smell his revolting breathe even though they were standing a fair distance apart. It smelt like throw up and a liberal amount of alcohol. "I've come to get my stuff, Sano," she said trying to sound neutral. "I'm moving out."

Sano bit his tongue as he let her in. He watched her bring in a couple of boxes waiting to be folded together under her arm and head for the bedroom for her clothes. She opened the closet and silently, aware of Sano's eye still upon her as she took out her suitcase and started packing.

"You mean moving in with him."

Megumi glanced up at him leaning on the bedroom doorframe. "What?"

Sano ran his fingers through his unruly hair, "You're not really moving out, you're moving in with that Hiko guy."

"It doesn't really make a difference does it?" she said as first packed her dearest possessions.

Sano laughed derisively trying to withhold his will to scream and rage at her. "Well I think it makes all the difference Megumi."

"Well it's not really your problem now is it!" Megumi said raising her voice to dangerous levels. "I'm not your problem…"

"Megumi you barely know this guy," Sano reasoned. "You can't move in with him."

Megumi paused with her packing and shot a fiery stare at him, "Don't tell me what I can and can't do Sanosuke."

"I'm not telling you what to do!" he bellowed. "I'm telling you what's the best for you!"

"You'd like to think that wouldn't you," Megumi snorted under her breath. "Look can't I just pack my stuff in peace?" she pleaded

Sano studied her for a moment. She didn't seem the same; something was definitely different about her whole demeanor.

"You didn't sleep with that asshole did you!"

Megumi looked at him like he belonged in the nuthouse. "What the fuck what was that? You're woman's intuition, Sano?"

"Oh, come on Megumi!" he yelled, now pacing across the bedroom. "How the hell could you do that to me? To us!"

"News flash asshole," she snapped. "I'm single now; I could sleep with whoever I chose. So stop acting like I'm yours and just get on with yourself."

Sano opened his mouth to counter when the bathroom door creaked open.

"Sano? What's going on out here? Oh, whose your friend?"

Megumi's jaw dropped. There standing in what used to be her bathroom was gorgeous young blonde with a tooth brush in hand wearing nothing but one of Sano's white button shirts, the one she bought him for their first anniversary.

There was a long painful silence between the three for a long time until Megumi started laughing hysterically.

"You really are a piece of work Sagara Sanosuke!" she chuckled and gathered up whatever clothes were still hanging in her closet and threw them hangers and all into her suitcase and slammed it shut. "You really are something."

She marched out of the room and opened the door to the hall when Sano caught her suitcase. "Megumi!"

"Let go you patronizing bastard! You fucking hypocrite!" Megumi screamed at the top of her lungs trying to tug the suitcase free. She caught sight of the blonde standing at the bedroom door. "Hey honey nice fucking shirt!"

"Megumi please calm down!" begged Sano. "The neighbours can hear you!"

She smiled disdainfully and raised her voice piercingly scream, "Go ahead, let them hear me! That way they'll all know what a slut I am for being with Hiko! Let Megumi be lectured on morals but let's let Sano off the hook because he's got some high school bimbo in his bathroom!"

"Well fuck, Megumi what did you expect after what you did to me yesterday!"

Megumi stood there at the doorway, quite for a moment. "Nothing…I expected nothing from you Sano. As usual."

With that she slammed the door shut and practically ran down the hall and flung herself, suitcase and all, into the elevator and pressed the lobby button. She was out of breath and feeling quite fragile. So collecting her things proved to be more stressful then anticipated. It didn't matter she wouldn't cry, couldn't cry. That life was over, she just kept telling herself that. There was no need to cry anymore. Now was a time to happy. In few days she'd be drinking fabulous red wine under the Italian stars with the perfect man. That would be her life from now on. All she had to do was let go. Let him go…

A/N: I updated everyone! Except I'm not liking the decrease in reviews per chapter. I know its probably my fault for updating so fast at first then slowing down, but please people tell your friends who are interested in RK to review my story. I think after this fic I might start writing Naruto. I saw the first episodes on tv last night and it seemed quite good (please don't comment about that in your reviews.) Okay everyone, manners and read & review.