Standard disclaimers apply.
A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed…They are simply so heart-warming and encouraging! –BIG HUG- And since you guys all enjoy Sanosuke/Megumi fics, you can actually check out my other fic, All that we lived for! There are lots of SM goodness inside! LOL I wouldn't be surprised if some of you haven't noticed that story before…I really am not gifted with summaries. (ToT) Do pop by and read if you have time!
Ok, enough of talking about the other fic…This one's all about our beloved rooster and fox! As for those who are really revolted by the idea of Takeda Kanryuu and Megumi, LOL trust me, he is hardly going to appear in this fic. Takeda is vile, gross, not much of a looker…OK, he's totally hideous, and mean. I just need someone to fit the role of a heartless man! LOL and tada! He was given a role. So please read on, and review! Many thanks!
Chapter 2: Under one roof
Sanosuke hummed softly to the tune of EXILE's "Hero", one of his absolute favourite songs. It never failed to lighten his spirits and bring a smile onto his face.
saa ryoute hirogete sora ni kazasou
nakushita mono wo tori modosetara
negai wa kanarazu kanau hazu sa!
itsu ka wa kanarazu waraeru hazu sa!
(Song translation:
Well, spreading out your hands, hold them high up in the sky
If you can reclaim lost things
Your wishes should definitely come true!
One day you should definitely be able to laugh!)
No matter how shitty things are going, Sanosuke firmly believes that optimism can overcome all difficulties. Perhaps that is how he has been able to survive alone in Tokyo since he left home at 16…It has been a long time since he even thought of his family. How about them? Did they still think of him occasionally like this?
Smiling wistfully, he gave a mental sigh of relief when he saw his apartment lights still on. Great, Katsu that idiot is still up. Sanosuke wouldn't dare imagine his own reaction if Katsu had went to bed, leaving him stranded outside with no keys. Especially when Megumi had fallen asleep along the walk back to his apartment, her head leaning comfortably against his shoulder.
I didn't tell her about another guy putting up at my place..I wonder if she minded? Sanosuke thought. Katsu was temporarily staying with him after a major tiff with his girlfriend Sekihara Tae, who kicked him out of their shared apartment. Such incidences happened so often that Katsu simply nicknamed such happenings "holidays", hence you can just imagine how often Sanosuke's place became a Katsu's "holiday hotspot". Especially when Katsu's apartment is just next door to his.
Sanosuke did not know what made him feel obliged to help this weird total stranger with an exceptionally unbelievable streak of bad luck, a stranger from Fukushima that he found sobbing like there's no tomorrow on the steps of hamamatsu-cho train station. Of course, as a man, it would be totally inhumane to leave a poor woman out on the streets on a cold winter night when you could do something about it. However, Sanosuke let out a chuckle when a tiny voice at the back of his mind said cheekily, "Come on, Sagara. You helped partly because you find her hot."
That was true to some extent…Sanosuke did find her hot. Tall, slim, with sharp features and beautiful complexion. Blessed with a sensual voice. Sure, she was really quite feisty along the way to his apartment, calling him names like rooster, laughing at his so-called stupidity, outwitting him and even correcting his Japanese. Not to mention whacking him on the head with her handbag every time he called her fox or commented about her weight.
Maybe she's just tired…Hell, she looked cute even when she was hobbling in her boots because of that broken heel. At this thought, he made a mental note to get some decent footwear for her. I wonder what she's doing in Tokyo…She did mention something about a boyfriend…
This random thought brought about a tiny tinge in Sanosuke's heart. Oh well, for a girl like her, I'll be more surprised if she has no boyfriend. Nonetheless, he can't help but feel a bit disappointed…she'd make a hot date, and Sanosuke, having not gone on a date in what seemed like eons, will be more than happy to show off a pretty face to his pals like Katsu and Chou. Provided that she holds her tongue when she sees them. He can't imagine how embarrassing it would be if she just started calling him rooster and smacking him on the head when they stroll along the streets of Shinjuku. Or maybe when they have dinner by the roadside ramen stall and she decided to correct his Japanese in front of the old stall keeper, whose Japanese grammar cannot possibly be that good either-
Wait a moment. You're thinking as if you're dating this woman for sure! Sanosuke smacked himself mentally. Alright. Bring yourself back to earth, baka. This woman is attached! She's most probably going to spend one night with you before her hotshot boyfriend comes along on his white horse and whisks the princess away. From there, it is gonna be "Arigatou ne, Sanosuke!" and "Mata ne!". That's probably what I am getting tomorrow and after that I'll never see this Fukushima fox woman again. Yea. What were you expecting, baka? Falling in love? Begging "Megumi, please don't leave me! I fell for you overnight! Stay here with me in Tokyo forever! Maybe we'll go to Hokkaido and live a secluded life!"? Oh. PLEASE.
Thinking along the way really helped time pass quickly. Sanosuke found himself at his apartment's door, kicking it impatiently for he had obviously no free hands to do so. It wasn't easy kicking when there's someone sleeping on your back, but somehow he managed to deliver a few kicks to the poor old door at a very odd beat.
"Coming! One of these days the door is going to go!" He smirked; he could hear Katsu bellowing at him from inside.
The poor door flew open to reveal a pissed-off Katsu, his hair dishevelled for obviously having been lying on the sofa watching TV, a bag of half-eaten potato chips in his hand. "Why do you have to reach home just when I was reaching the good part…" Katsu started when his irritated tone took a total change for a teasing one. "My, my…what do we have here? A sleeping chick on your back! Hell, Sanosuke, I've gotta bow to you and call you master someday. Picking chicks off the street! Sleeping to replenish her energy for what is about to come later in the night-"
"Shut up, Katsu." Sanosuke strode past him into the warm interior of the apartment, careful to ensure that Megumi's legs, which were on either side of him, did not bang against the door.
"She's got great legs-"
"Shut up," Sanosuke muttered before his attention turned towards the TV screen, from which moans and screams were emitted constantly, coupled with the er-hem very graphic details. Typical of Katsu. Late night porn pay-per-views to Katsu is equivalent to Sunday morning pokemon shows to a child. "You're sick, twisted and psycho…How many times have I told you not to watch such trash at my place? There's a girl with us!"
"Matte yo! You're making all these noise because you are the one paying. I never saw you complaining when we were watching it at my place! Remember, the episode with Igarashi Reino? You were so enthusiastic. And how the hell would I know that you just decided to pick up some random chick off the streets?"
Sanosuke muttered a "whatever", for he knew Katsu was right. "Come help me with her."
"Now Sanosuke…you're definitely the one with the twisted mind…I don't engage in such activities…"
"I don't mean helping in THAT way, baka!" Sanosuke amost screamed, his face turning a shade of red at the idea of Katsu…him and…GOSH. That was just too weird for thoughts. "Help as in put her onto my bed. You know, I can't possibly throw her over like a sack of rice."
"What if she regrets it in the morning? What if she cries rape? I'll be implicated!" Katsu asked.
"Katsu. I have no intentions to sleep with her." For now, Sanosuke thought. "Help me put her on my bed so she can sleep in peace. You know, really sleep? Then we can get out of the room." Sanosuke tried explaining with limited patience to Katsu.
"Chotto matte. You are not taking my sofa, right?" Katsu asked warily. "Tell me you're not."
"Kuso. That sofa is mine to begin with!" Sanosuke retorted. "Fine. Whatever. I'll take the bathtub. I swear, if I wasn't holding Megumi, I'd have pounced on you and gave a punch in your middle."
"So her name's Megumi?" Katsu once again asked, his attention channelled onto Megumi since the sofa issue was settled for now. "Kami! I thought you were always interest in those with names like Ai-chan, Rina-chan, Yui-chan…with those trademark bleached hair and elaborate eye makeup…Plus that annoyingly cute voice. Since when did you go for an anomaly? A one with a prissy name too."
"Shut up, Katsu." Sanosuke muttered. "Just make yourself useful. Oh, and you're going back next door tomorrow."
With that, the two managed to remove Megumi from Sanosuke's back and place her down gently onto the messy bed, with shirts strewn around and even a pair of boxers, which Sanosuke hurriedly removed from the bed and shoved under it. Slowly and painstakingly, Sanosuke managed to remove her boots, though his mind was more on her legs than the boots.
"See? This is why I was carrying her on my back!" Sanosuke shoved the boot with the broken heel in Katsu's face. "Go over tomorrow morning and borrow a pair of shoes from Tae."
"No way! She's still pissed at me."
"Yeah right, if she's that pissed, she wouldn't be making breakfast for you everyday and getting me to pass it to you. I feel like a catering service sometimes."
"Whatever. Go get it yourself."
"Fine."
"Alright, my job's done…I'll go continue my programme." With that, Katsu exited the room, leaving behind a tired Sanosuke and a soundly sleeping Megumi, her handbag sitting on the bedside table, and a life-size poster of Igarashi Reino, Sano's favourite AV actress, in a very skimpy bunny suit directly above the bed on the ceiling. Brushing away a strand of stray hair from Megumi's face, Sanosuke pulled the covers over her and checked the heater, ensuring that temperature will not be too much for her to bear.
Phew. Job done. Before he switched off the lights and entered the bathroom (which was his bedroom for that particular night), he whispered, "Oyasumi, Reino-chan. Oyasumi, Kitsune."
Takani Megumi stirred, rolling over on the bed and hugged the pillow to herself. Hmmm…such a masculine smell, She thought, as she inhaled. Not at all like the powdery fragrance of my room…WAIT! Where the hell am I?
At that thought, Megumi's eyes flew fully opened, before she bolted straight up in the bed and squinted to scrutinize her surroundings in the dark. And then it all came back to her.
Fukushima…Tokyo…Tamachi-station…Hamamatsu-cho station…Luggage bag…Boots…Policeman…Vending machine…Takeda Kanryuu…Hot stranger…and now, hot stranger's bed.
Sighing in an exaggerated manner, and once again cursing her luck, Megumi felt the sudden urge to pee. It must have been the cup of tea she took before she fell asleep…on Sagara Sanosuke's back. This is so embarrassing! I can't believe I actually fell asleep! Pressing her palms against her burning cheeks, she pushed the covers off to the end of the single bed, before clambering off it and stepping on to the freezing cold floor. Wincing at the sudden cold, Megumi shivered and tried to feel her way around the room. The only light available was the weak neon green light of the bedside alarm clock, which read 4.28am.
As she shuffled along, she lost count of the number of things she stepped on, nearly tripped over and kicked…Gosh, does this man know the meaning of neat and tidy? Putting her arms outstretched in front of her, Megumi finally came to a door, which she slid open slowly. Keeping one hand on the door for balance, she felt around the side wall for the switch with her palm.
Great, there it is! Megumi smiled to herself before she flicked the switch, bringing the bathroom lights on after a couple of flickers. Stepping into the bathroom, Megumi proceeded to relieve herself when she suddenly heard faint snoring. Deep but soft snores. She stood frozen to the spot, her legs still bent midway as she hovered above the toilet seat. Where is that sound coming from? It sounded like it was coming from the bathtub…just behind the shower curtains…
Standing up straight, Megumi approached the bathtub cautiously, looking around for a weapon to arm herself against any weird intruder. Grabbing a toilet brush from the side of the bathroom, she held it in front of her, ready to scrub the face off any suspicious characters and beat the daylights out of his person.
Grabbing the shower curtains by the side, Megumi silently counted to three and yanked it open in one swift move, thrusting out her trusty toilet brush at the same time.
SANOSUKE! Megumi realised to her surprise, pulling the toilet brush back before it could hit home, very fortunately for Sanosuke. Phew. After she regained her composure, Megumi found herself looking at this newly-acquainted stranger with an odd fascination. He looks really cute; curled up in a bathtub with a towel draped over himself, sleeping soundly, his spiky hair slightly flattened at the point where he was leaning his head against the tiled wall of the bathroom. Kawaii…kodomo mitai.
Megumi felt a tinge of guilt when she saw him sleeping in the bathtub…it was because of her that he didn't have a warm bed to sleep in, and had to make do with the bathtub on a cold winter night. But it was also because of this that she had a newfound respect for this man; at least she knew that she didn't trust the wrong person, he's an honourable man. Any man less honourable would have jumped at the chance to take advantage of a stranded girl seeking refuge under his roof. Smiling, Megumi drew the curtains back, before making her way softly to the toilet, where she proceeded to relieve herself as softly as she could, grimacing when the sounds of her pee hitting the water became too loud in the quiet bathroom. Once she was done, she hurriedly pulled her skirt back up, hoping that the loud flushing wouldn't wake Sanosuke up. As she stepped out the bathroom, she almost jumped at the first contact her feet made with the floor. It was so cold! Pressing the balls of her feet to the floor to get herself accustomed to the cold, Megumi suddenly thought of the sleeping rooster in the bathtub.
Will he catch a cold? That towel draped over him looks hardly warm enough.
With these thoughts in mind, Megumi took off her coat, shivering when her skin made contact with the chilly air. Stepping back into the bathroom, she softly pulled the shower curtains to the side, and lay her coat over the towel covering Sanosuke's tall frame. Physically, she definitely felt colder without her towel, but at the same time, she felt warmer inside knowing that he wouldn't catch a cold. Pulling the shower curtains back, Megumi exited the bathroom before switching the lights off.
"Oyasumi ne, toriatama.", she whispered, before going back to the bed to revisit the land of dreams.
To be continued…
A/N: There! Hope this chapter gave you guys an insight into Sanosuke's daily life and his social circle! Also, it was the first time our characters wished each other goodnight)) Pls look out for updates and review! I updated so soon because of the wonderful reviews from you guys!
Baka – Fool, idiot
Arigatou ne – Thank you
Mata ne – See you again!
Matte yo – Wait!
Chotto matte – wait a minute
Kuso –damn it
Kitsune – Fox
Oyasumi – Good night
Kawaii...kodomo mitai – So cute...Just like a child
Toriatama – chicken head