Disclaimer: Just using the characters for my mere entertainment. And hopefully yours.

Over the Sky
Chapter Seven

His first idea was sneaking out, but logic caught up with him before he made that mistake and told him that Kaoru would have eventually have found out anyway and the result of learning of his escapade through some different source aside from himself would hurt him more then do good. His second plan, an even worse arrangement now that he mulled it over, was taking her along with him.

It was best, he concluded, that he left her there under the protection of Yahiko who he knew was sufficient enough to look after her in his absence. In the end, he had decided to leave the dojo late in afternoon a good deal after lunch so he was well fed and rested, and, if his persuasive skills were good enough, with her approval that he was going on the trip he was.

Though now as he stood before her, her face pressed into a thin line between anger and sorrow, he didn't know how he was going to make the encouraging, audacious speech that was supposed to win her support and turn that uncanny frown on her face...well, not into a frown anymore.

Damn. She's so frustrating sometimes.

He sighed and she peered at him closer.

"Jou-chan, you're invading my breathing space."

She poked him square in the chest with a finger, staring at him and just waiting for him to crack and show signs of deceit because the idea that his departure was some sort of joke was set in her mind.

But Sano was a man highly skilled when it came to stoic faces (mastered after all the poker games he played back in America) and his expression was completely unreadable. In the end, as a result of several staring contests, she backed down and let out a long, sad breath of air. The rage was completely void now, overcome by her grief instead. And when she looked up and he read the words behind her eyes, he knew why she was so relentless on not letting him go.

"Kaoru," it had been one of the rare times he had ever used her name and the fact of the matter did not slip her attention, "I'm not going to die and pull another Kenshin Situation on you."

It had been an attempt at a joke and she smiled perhaps because she saw this, but he knew just as well that she had not really found this amusing but only more heavy-heartening.

Idiot, he called himself, you just made it worse!

He gripped her shoulders and stared at her with what he hoped was a comforting grin, "Don't worry so much, 'kay? I'm only going to go and check up on Megumi. That plague's been going around her town and I'm worried about her."

It seemed logical enough, but she still found reason to analyze it. "I'm not lying."

She looked down, feeling guilty of accusing him and he could sense the tears building up in the corner of her eyes. "Hey now, don't cry."

She sniffed and then punched him in the arm, desperately trying to clean up her tears that threatened to spill. "I'm not crying, you big dope—at least, not yet anyway."

He chuckled and then she laughed too and soon they stood there, distressed but oddly happy at the same time. Birds stopped singing to observe the disarray of emotions that hung in the courtyard.

As he savored these last few minutes, his eyes idly fell to the sky where thin clouds brushed a blue canvas and inched towards the horizon at a snail-like pace, urging him, at the same time, to start on obvious path that lay ahead of him. He furtively glared at the sky for its persistence, yet inevitably—far too soon for Sano—the moment ended and there were no more laughs left.

But she was smiling brilliantly now and he felt relieved. Before long, she began to dust him off, straightening his shirt and smoothing out his collar. "Well then—"

But the sentence was left hanging because speaking was irrelevant so she simply wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close instead. He hugged her back and absorbed her warmth and scent so he could remember it whenever his journey got rough because he secretly knew it would. He touched the ring in his pocket; it was a constant reminder.

"Stay alive and take care of Megumi." She whispered.

Then, all of a sudden, they were no longer together and he was walking away towards the gates, headed in the direction of the exit that separated him from his perfect home and the inadequate world outside. There was an unfamiliar, unyielding tug on his heart and he wondered if this was what Kenshin had felt like when he had been walking away.

Except he knew it had been much worse for him because they had been in love and, as he recently learned, Kenshin had been planning to propose to her for some time.

Had the war never come and had Kenshin never left, there was no doubt in Sano's mind that they would have been happily married with a son by now.

Except the war had come and Kenshin had left...and now there was him, Soujiro, standing there smiling as if it was the only thing the muscles in his face were created to do even though the expression always never looked sane enough to be considered human.

He shot him a glare and when their eyes met for the fleeting moment their paths crossed, Soujiro only smiled wider and Sano only grew that much more perturbed.

The last person in line he was left to meet was Yahiko who stood near the way out, his kendo stick rested comfortably against his shoulder and a firm, determined look on his face. They shook hands briefly but no words were exchanged because none were needed.

They had discussed everything already.

And then, as the dust from the breeze settled down and the clouds disappeared, he was gone.

Over the span of years she had known him, she had discovered that Sano had this unchanging habit of moving around. It was impossible of him to stay in one place for so long unless he couldn't help it—which was why she never felt bad when he often left the dojo because she knew he would always come back before hopping off somewhere else.

Back then, she was never afraid of any one of her friends dying when they went anywhere because it never crossed her mind.

But now, it always haunted her.

She was standing, rooted in her spot when, for a split second as Sano departed, his broad built melted into a smaller stature and his short hair turned a fiery red as it lengthened. For that split second, Kaoru couldn't breathe because Sano had merged into Kenshin and that little fear that was persistent in her heart grew.

But it only lasted for a second because then Sano no longer remained and someone else had come to stand right next to her.

"There's no reason to be depressed," Soujiro said softly.

She turned to him and began to fiddle with the sleeves of her kimono. "Sano and Yahiko are all I left here."

"But that's not true." When she looked up at him quizzically, he laughed before gently tapping her on the nose, "You also have me."

At first, she was baffled and it took her awhile to fully digest what he said but once his statement sunk in she couldn't help but nod happily. And then she beamed even brighter as she squeezed his hand in thanks for the sense of stability he suddenly gave her. "That's right."

Yet during her delight, not everyone was happy with this new information and she had failed to catch the serious stare Yahiko sent Soujiro and the mysterious smile Soujiro gave almost instantaneously back.

nani ni akogarete
dare wo omou no ka
inochi kakeru sugata
sukitooru utsukushisa ni
kotoba wo nonda

What do you desire?
Who is on your mind?
The silhouette risking life.
Seeing its transparent beauty,
I was lost for words.

To Be Continued . . .

A/n: To anyone who found the slight hint of Sano/Kaoru in this chapter offending: I'm sorry, I couldn't help it! I'm a big Sano/Kaoru fan and was going to originally make Over the Sky a Sano/Kaoru/Soujiro triangle but in the middle of writing the last chapter, I decided not to. Hence Sano's departure because I knew if I kept him in the dojo the triangle would be unavoidable and his stay also conflicts with my plot.

Anyway, my internet has been dead for awhile, so lack of update can be blamed on my dad who delayed the repair longer almost every time I asked him to fix it (apparently, it's his idea of a joke). So feel free to chuck pitchforks at him, please.

Of course the plus side of having no internet is writing more. I'm almost done with the next chapter and I have a good idea of the following few.

In the meanwhile, much thanks for the ever-encouraging reviews!