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

Hello, folks! I'm sorry for the long wait, but my computer's been totally screwed and I couldn't write a thing. Besides, I was so busy with school work; senior year is really and truly tough! But I'm back now, and with my eighth chappie too!

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 8:

Megumi wrapped the bathrobe tightly around her body as she stepped out of the bathroom. Her face was flushed pink from the steam in the bathroom, and her eyes were as red…from crying, of course.

Three days had passed ever since Sano had left her, and she was a complete mess. She had stayed home on her living room couch, flipping between TV channels. She wasn't eating anything and she hadn't even bothered to go to work…or even take a simple shower. She had been feeling really stressed and frustrated and upset, and she finally decided that nothing could calm her better than a warm bath.

She was wrong. When she had immersed her body into the hot water, everything started coming back to her. Her first meeting with Sano, his arrival at her place, the lunches they had together, the dinner he had prepared for her, his kiss…and she had started crying all over again.

She had become dependant on him without even knowing it. Only five or six days passed she had known him, and yet she felt unbelievably attached to him. She felt that her life was bare and empty without Sanosuke in it.

Megumi sighed and went to her room. She looked into her closet for something to wear; she might as well go to work today, maybe that will take her mind of Sano for a while.

Her hands fell on the navy blue silk which was the dress Sano had bewitched her into. A sharp tingle went through her body and she shuddered as images of that memory came flashing into her mind, and she bit down on her lip.

Almost hesitantly, she took the dress out of the closet. She held it gingerly in her hands as she made her way to the full-length mirror she had.

She took off her robe and pulled the dress on, struggling to pull the zipper up; it had been so much easier when Sano had put it on her with one snap of his fingers. She studied her image in the mirror; something was missing. The hair…and the necklace of pearls. She quickly headed to her dresser and combed her hair, before fixing it the best she could; she had never really been an expert in such stuff. Then she reached for her jewelry box and pulled out a string of white pearls.

She pulled it around her neck and bent her head down as she tried to buckle it. She gasped when she suddenly felt a hand on hers. She looked up into the mirror and her jaw nearly dropped. She stared in awe as Sano took the necklace's buckle from her fingers. Her hands dropped to her side as she watched him buckling the necklace. When he was done, he bent down and kissed the back of her neck.

Megumi shivered slightly at his touch, and she slowly turned around to face him. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up into his face. 'You shouldn't be here,' she croaked.

'No?' he said softly, his eyes wandering over her.

'No,' she choked, shaking her head. 'You're not allowed…you'll be punished, you'll be put on pro…'

And then, without any warning, Sano cupped her face between his hands and kissed her. Megumi's eyes widened in shock as she felt his lips on hers. For a moment, she remained frozen. It was as if will was torn away from her, and all she could do was just stand there and get kissed by Sano. But then she came back to her senses and she pulled away from him. She backed away from him until she bumped into the wooden edge of her dresser.

Sano looked hurt. 'Megumi, what…?' he said.

'Sano, I don't want you to get punished because of me, I really don't,' she whispered, and tears leaked out of her eyes. 'I think you'd better leave now.'

'But I don't want to leave,' Sano replied, sounding as stubborn as a five-year old.

'Sano, don't make this any more difficult for me, I'm asking you to leave right now,' she said. Much as she wanted to throw her arms around his neck and hug him, much as she wanted him to stay, she knew he had to leave. 'Please.'

'How do you know I'll be punished?' he asked, sounding playful.

'That's what Amakusa told me,' Megumi said, exasperated. 'He said that if you ever came to see me again, you'll be put on probation.' She looked up at him and was surprised to see that he was smiling. 'What?'

'Okay, I'm really happy you care about me not being punished, but you really don't have to worry about me, Megumi,' he insisted. 'I won't be punished.'

'You're not?' she said, blinking. 'So Amakusa was lying to me?'

'No, Amakusa wasn't lying,' Sano replied. 'The guy's as straight as an arrow; he would never lie.'

'So…' Megumi said, and then it dawned on her. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. 'Oh, my God…Sano, you didn't.'

'Did what?' he said softly, as he took a step towards her.

'Your wings…you gave up your wings, didn't you?' she whispered. 'You're not an angel any more, are you?'

Sano snapped his fingers together, but nothing happened. 'No magic,' he murmured. 'So I guess I'm not an angel any more…will that make you love me any less?'

'Why?' she choked. 'Why did you do this, Sano? I thought you loved being an angel, why did you give it up then?'

Sano took another step towards her. 'I found I love you more,' he told her.

Megumi's eyes filled with tears. 'You do?' she said, her voice choking with emotion. 'You gave up your job for me? You stopped being an angel just for me?'

'Guess I did,' he murmured.

He was now so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. Finally, she couldn't herself back anymore, with a dry sob, she threw her arms around his neck and began crying into his shoulder. Sano looked alarmed at first, but then he buried his face in her hair and held her tightly in his arms.

'It's okay, Megumi, there's no reason to cry,' he soothed her. 'Everything's going to be alright from now on…I'll make sure of that.'

'Don't ever leave me again,' Megumi sobbed into his shoulder. 'Don't…I need you.'

'I promise I'll never leave you again,' he assured her. He gently pushed her away from him, and then he bent down on his knees in front of her. Megumi, red-eyed and puffy, stared down at him. She watched him as he reached into his pocket and then…he was holding a ring before her. 'Megumi Takani, will you marry me?'

Megumi stared at him in shock. Her eyes traveled between the ring and his face, unable to believe what they were seeing. Sano was proposing to her…she knew she should be happy about it, but…

She knelt down on the floor in front of him. Sano stared, confused, at her as she held both his hands and lowered them down. Then she raised herself up a bit and kissed his forehead. 'No, Sanosuke,' she choked.

Sano looked positively shocked. 'N-no?' he sputtered. 'B-but why? I thought we both loved each other, I gave up my job so I could be with you…why are you turning me down now?'

'I don't think you know what you're throwing yourself into, Sano,' she told him. 'You don't want to be stuck with me for the rest of your life…it won't be fair for you.'

Sano looked incredulously at her. 'Won't be fair?' he repeated. 'And you think what you're doing now is fair?'

'I…' Megumi started, but Sano cut her off.

'No, Megumi, it's not fair,' he said, the anger obvious in his tone. 'It's not fair that even after I've loved you and done so much to make this work, you still won't accept me.'

'But I do accept you, Sano, and I do love you,' she said earnestly. She put a finger to his lips as he opened them to protest. 'It's just that…I'm really not worth the trouble.'

Sano stared at her in disbelief, before grabbing her firmly by the shoulder. 'What do you mean, you're not worth it?' he demanded angrily. 'I don't want to hear you ever saying that again! I would never have thrown my other life away for you if you weren't worth it!'

'Sano…' she choked.

'I love you, Megumi,' he said, saying each word loudly and clearly, as if she couldn't understand simple English. 'And I'm not planning to leave your side until I get a yes, or a nod, or a blush of affirmation from you, okay? I'm going to sit right here until you finally agree to marry me…you're all I ever wanted, and I'm not giving up on you this easily.'

Megumi stared into his deep, chocolate-brown eyes, lost for words. Yes; she did want to marry him, but she really didn't want to bring down that catastrophe down on him. She never really gave that much esteem to herself, she never considered herself to be special. But Sano was special, and he shouldn't be stuck with someone like her…

'Megumi,' Sano croaked, and held up the ring again. 'Please…'

Megumi looked down at the glittering diamond. What was it going to be? A yes…or a no?

-

A/N: Yes, this chapter is over. I know you all want to kill me for ending it this way, but I have some good news! The next chapter is going to be the last! How does that sound? Are you excited to know what happens in the end? If so, then wait for the chappie…oh, and plz review and tell me what you think! BTW, I'm sorry if the chappie was too short.

-ZEN.