D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

Hi! Thank you all for review! I'm really glad you liked my last chappie, coz I was afraid you might find it kinda lame, so…thanks! Anyway, I don't feel like babbling today so I'll let you get on with the story. Enjoy!

CHAPTER 6:

'Sano, thank you…'

Megumi took a quick glance at the man sitting next to her, before looking down at her hands, which were clasped tightly in her lap. They had left the restaurant a few minutes ago, and Sano was now driving them back in her car to her office.

Sano grinned at her. 'Megumi, you've been saying that for the last five minutes, I swear I got the hint,' he teased her.

'No, I'm serious,' she replied, looking at him intently. 'If it weren't for you, I would've never gathered up the courage to stand up to that bastard…so, thank you.'

'You're welcome,' he replied.

Megumi looked away from him. 'Besides, that's not the only reason for my thanks,' she whispered, blushing. The memory of their kiss had engulfed her completely. She could still feel his lips on hers, and feel that sweet kiss he gave her, and it was great. 'You know what I'm talking about, don't you?'

'Of course I do, you're thanking me for introducing you to the world of fast food!' he exclaimed, and Megumi stared at him. Sano laughed at her reaction, and he reached out and gently rubbed her cheek. 'Kidding…I know what you're talking about, and I thank you as well…it meant a lot to me when you didn't pull back.'

Megumi smiled. Sano removed his hand and focused back on his driving, but the spot were he touched her was still warm and tingling. She leaned comfortably against her door and watched the passer-bys. Things simply couldn't have been better.

They finally reached the building where Megumi's office was, and Sano pulled up before it. Megumi reached for the door's handle, but Sano stopped her.

'Sano, what?' she demanded.

'Are you absolutely sure you need to return to work?' he asked.

'Yes, Sano, I need to go to work,' she answered. 'Some patients have appointments with me today, I can't simply cancel them!'

'Oh, well…I guess you're right; work comes before play,' he mumbled. 'But you'll be home in time for dinner, won't you?'

Megumi laughed. 'Sano, is food all what you think about?' she demanded.

'No, I occasionally think about you,' he whispered, looking shyly at her.

Megumi smiled at him. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. 'Yes, Sano, I'll be back in time for dinner,' she told him.

-

Megumi pulled up into the garage of her house. She turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. She locked the car and walked towards the house. She took out her keys and unlocked the door. She stepped inside.

'Sano?' she called into the house, as she shut the door behind her.

She shrugged off her coat and was just hanging it up on the wooden peg by the door when Sano came in through the living room's door. He was wearing an elegant white suit, and he looked amazing in it.

'Megumi…hi,' he said, smiling warmly at her. He took her hand and planted a soft kiss on it. 'Welcome home.'

'H-hi,' she replied. She frowned slightly; something felt wrong. 'Er…what were you doing?'

'Oh, you'll see in a moment,' he assured her. He offered her his arm. 'Shall we go now?'

'Oh…okay,' she agreed, linking arms with him.

He frowned at her for a moment. 'I knew something was wrong,' he said, and clicked his fingers. Megumi's business suit was immediately replaced with a beautiful, flowing, white gown. She gaped openly at it. 'There…that's better.'

Feeling more bewildered than ever, Megumi allowed him to stir her through the door and into her living room…or at least, what she thought was her living room…because it didn't look remotely like it.

It looked like a picture taken from the finest restaurants in the world. All her furniture was gone, and instead a single round table stood in the middle of the room, on which a chandelier and a vase of beautiful red roses were placed. There were two chairs at the table, and at each chair stood a waiter dressed in a black suit.

The room was dimly lit and soft music was playing from invisible speakers. Rose petals graced the floor and marvelous bouquets of roses decorated the walls, and a faint smell of musk hovered in the air.

Megumi stared at all this. 'Sano…this…this is beautiful!' she whispered. She looked around and smiled at him. 'Thank you!'

'Glad you liked it,' he replied.

He led her over to the table, and pulled out a chair for her, even though the waiters were there to do that job. She sat down, and went and took the other chair. The waiters immediately bent down and handed them both a leather-bound menu.

'We'll call you when we're ready to order,' Sano said quietly.

The waiters nodded, and retreated a few steps away from the table, before vanishing completely. Megumi stared at the spot were they had been standing before turning around to stare at Sano.

'Sano, what's all this about?' she demanded. 'When you said dinner, I didn't expect something this fancy!'

Sano frowned. 'I thought you liked fancy restaurants?' he said, sounding a bit worried.

'What? Oh, yeah, I do! But you don't!' she pointed out.

'We're talking about what you like here, not about what I like,' he replied.

'Sano, is something wrong? Why are you being extremely sweet and nice all of a sudden?' she demanded.

Sano smiled reassuringly at her. 'Don't worry, Megumi, everything's fine, I just realized I wasn't appreciating you well enough,' he told her.

But Megumi didn't feel like everything was fine. There was something broken about Sano now; he wasn't his usual cheerful and funny self. She wondered what could've happened with him while she was away at work.

'Shall we have a look at the meals?' he asked suddenly.

'Um…okay, let's have a look,' she agreed, and she opened her menu.

The list of meals was l-o-n-g. Megumi could almost swear that every single meal in the world was available on the menu. Her eyes traced the names, and kept shooting furtive glances at Sano; what the hell was going on in that mind of his?

'Did you find anything you like?' he asked after a few minutes, setting his menu aside.

'Everything seems really good,' she admitted.

'Okay, then, shall we order everything?' he asked.

'What? No! Of course not!' she exclaimed. 'That would be an extreme wastage of food, because I certainly won't be able to eat everything!'

Sano smiled, and nodded. 'Alright, then, what do you want?' he asked her.

'I don't know, why don't you pick?' she asked.

'Shall we have soup first?' he suggested. She nodded. 'How does vegetable soup sound?'

'Great,' she told him.

'And some salad…and later on, some shrimps and escargots, and some fricassee…' he said, and Megumi looked questioningly at him. 'It's a plate of meat pieces served in a thick sauce…it's very good, I think you'll like it.'

'Okay,' she said.

'We're ready to order now,' Sano said to no one in particular, and the two waiters appeared at his side. 'I assume you know what we want?'

'Vegetable soup, salad, shrimps and escargots, fricassee…' the waiter said in a flat tone. Each plate appeared on the table as he pronounced it. 'Will you have champagne along with it?'

Sano looked around at Megumi, and she nodded in agreement. 'Champagne will be good,' Sano told them.

Immediately, a bottle of champagne and two crystal glasses appeared at the table. 'Call us if you need anything else,' they chorused, and disappeared.

Megumi massaged her temples; this was all extremely weird for her. She looked up at Sano. 'Couldn't you have simply magicked the meals out of thin air yourself?' she asked.

'Nah, I'm a bad cook,' Sano replied.

Megumi didn't even bother to ask how he was a bad cook when no cooking seemed to be involved in the whole process.

'This is all just too bizarre!' she exclaimed. 'I'm not used to having waiters disappear before my eyes!'

'No, they're not like your everyday waiters, are they?' he said, smiling. 'Do you want me to get them back?'

'No! It's fine!' she replied. 'Let's just eat, shall we?'

Sano smiled again and picked up his spoon. He and Megumi started drinking down their soup silently. Megumi wiped her mouth on her napkin when she finished.

'This was really good,' she admitted. 'I don't think I've ever tasted anything like it before.'

'I'm glad you liked it,' he murmured. 'Why don't you start on the rest of the food now? I know you'll like it as well.'

The good food and the good surroundings didn't make Megumi feel any better about this whole dinner deal. Sano was silent all the time, and he wasn't making any of his sarcastic comments at all. He just ate silently and slowly, Megumi found that she was eating faster than him, and being a slow eater herself, she found it quite surprising.

And there was that broken look which clouded Sano's handsome features. Something had happened in those few hours while she was at the office, although she didn't really know what.

Finally, after they were both done, Sano poured them both glasses of champagne. Megumi picked up her glass and was about to take her first sip when Sano raised his own.

'I'd like to propose a toast,' he said quietly, and Megumi, automatically, brought her glass close to his. 'To Megumi Takani, the most beautiful woman to grace the surface of the Earth.'

'Oh…Sanosuke…' she said softly, as they clinked glasses together. 'Thank you.'

Sano smiled and nodded. He, then, brought the glass to his lips and drank to her, finishing his glass fairly quickly. He set it down on the table and stood up. Megumi, who had just taken her first few sips, stared up at him.

'Sano, where are you going?' she asked.

'There's something I need to do,' Sano told her. 'I'm going to be late, so don't wait for me.'

'But…' she started to protest. Didn't he want to talk about what happened today? Doesn't he want to discuss…us?

'I'm really sorry, Megumi, I didn't want to leave…but this is important, you must understand that,' he said gently. Megumi nodded, although she was scowling. 'Oh, and before I go…'

He took the glass from her and set it on the table. He bent down and then he placed a hand gently underneath her chin and pulled her face towards him. He kissed her…deeply and passionately. Megumi could only widen her eyes in surprise.

He pulled away, smiled at her for a moment, and then he straightened up and left the room. He stopped by the door. 'Good bye, Megumi,' he whispered.

'Good…bye,' she replied, still staring at him. Why did his good-bye sound so final?

And then he disappeared.

-

A/N: Okay, that's it! Now, aren't you all curious to know what was up with Sano in this chapter? I mean, I know he was sweet and everything, but you felt something was wrong, right? Well, to know what was wrong, you'll just have to wait for my seventh chapter, and, of course, review. Remember, I won't update unless I get a decent amount of reviews, people!

-ZEN.