Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Japanese band EXILE's song, "Hero"!
A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for reviewing chapter 10! Sanosuke's really remorseful, at least, I think he is. Here's chapter 11, and sad to say, it is also the second last chapter of this story! I am feeling a bit sad that it is coming to an end. I am trying to make things as good as I can to make up for the fact that it will soon be finishing, so please read and review! The entire chapter will be SM moments, so get yourself ready!
Chapter 11: Tokyo Tower
Sanosuke ran and ran, the blood pounding in his ears as he mentally pleaded with Kami-sama to let his instincts be right. He was never a devout Buddhist, but for now, he was praying more to Buddha than he ever did in his whole life. Sanosuke believed in himself, being the free spirit he was, but this was Megumi at stake, and he knew it was too big a risk to take.
Kami-sama…please, please let me find her. I beg of you…please help me.
Urging his body forward and hearing the rhythmic thud of his sneakers as they came in contact with the ground, he paused in his running and looked up in disbelief as a snowflake danced it way through the wintery air to land on his hand.
Yuki ga…sora kara mai orita.
Watching in fascination, he put out his hands to catch more of the snow, his mind involuntarily going back to the time in Yebisu Garden Place where Megumi had said,
"Tokyo doesn't snow every year, does it? Maybe its kami-sama's way of telling us that something good is coming along."
He hoped she was right; something good was coming their way.
Grinning up at the skies, Sanosuke didn't bother if he looked like a lunatic, and said, "Kami-sama…you sure are fast in sending signs. Thank you!"
With his confidence boosted by the signal from the heavens, Sanosuke resumed running, his eyes kept ahead as he saw his destination come into view.
Tokyo Tower.
Call it some weird, crazy instinct, but Sanosuke had a hunch he'd find Megumi there. After all, he recalled hearing mention something like meeting Takeda Kanryuu at Tokyo Tower on New Year's Day. Takeda Kanryuu may be out of the picture now, but given Megumi, Sanosuke was almost a hundred percent positive that he'd find her there.
Yes, she has to be there, He assured himself. Even Kami-sama said so.
With that, he ran on and on.
Takani Megumi sat on the steps at the foot of Tokyo Tower, her arms wrapped around her knees, lost in her own thoughts.
New Year's Eve should be spent with friends and family members, instead of sitting alone outside feeling sorry for herself. Not that she could help it either; ever since that night at the Pachinko arcade, she had been deliberately avoiding Sanosuke. He obviously did not wish to see her either, after the scene she created in public.
But it's alright…nothing really matters anymore. She was going back to where she came from, and leaving this mess behind for good. She was going back to her grandfather, most probably the only living person who truly cared for her.
Since when did you become a quitter, Megumi? She asked herself bitterly. Since-
Her mobile phone starting ringing; its merry tone snapping her out of her depressing thoughts. Reaching into her handbag and pulling the phone out, Megumi was surprised to see the name flashing on the screen. His grinning face, set as the caller ID for his number, brought a mixture of fear and excitement at the same time.
Fear of hearing him say that he didn't want anything to do with her, and excitement at seeing that the call was from him.
Should I? Or should I not?
Her trembling thumb alternated between pressing "accept" and "reject", as the phone continued singing merrily in her hand. Finally, just as the pad of her thumb rested on the "accept" button, getting ready to just add that little bit more of pressure to answer the call, the ringing ceased.
As abruptly as it had began, the ringing ceased, while the surroundings returned to its cold and quiet atmosphere. The phone lay dead silent in her hand, as Sanosuke's face disappeared from the screen only to be replaced by the words "NTT Docomo" and "One missed call" underneath it.
(A/N: NTT Docomo's Japan's telecommunication network.)
Maybe they were just not fated to be. If they really were meant for each other, she would have been able to answer the call.
Megumi smiled bitterly as she shoved the phone back into her handbag, wrapping her arms around herself as she recalled how happy she had been just a mere two weeks ago, full of dreams about marrying and settling down. For now, the bubble had burst, and all was left was a sticky emotional mess and a first true love that never made it to being a relationship. There was nothing more to do, and neither was there anything worth her doing something for. Perhaps this was how nomads felt when they discovered that the oasis they sighted was a mirage.
Megumi took a deep breath of the frosty air, and exhaled, watching her breath form white little clouds in front of her face. At this moment, snow fell gently from above. Megumi smiled contentedly at the beautiful sight, her thoughts going back to her first date six days ago.
Just six days ago, she had been with Sanosuke, counting down to Christmas at Yebisu Garden Place when snow danced from the inky heavens above. Today, there was snow as well, but a stark difference was the fact that there was no Sanosuke. It made the beautiful scene meaningless, made New Year's Eve meaningless when the very one person she wished to share it with wasn't around.
Kami-sama…when I saw the snow, I thought it was your way of telling me something good is coming my way…Why do things have to turn out this way? Why must you play such a prank on me?
Megumi drew a shuddering breath as her lower lip trembled with the urge to burst into tears.
I'll not cry…I'll not cry. How can you cry over a man, Megumi?
As she looked up to stop the unshed tears from making their way down, she heard a voice that left her frozen on the concrete steps.
No words could possibly describe Sanosuke's feelings the instant he saw her. Maybe Kami-sama really existed, and he happened to hear Sanosuke's desperate pleas earlier on.
"Megumi!" Sanosuke called out, panting lightly as he ran over to where the familiar figure was.
His instincts were right, and his efforts paid off. There she was, huddled up in a ball, sitting on the steps at the foot of the majestically-lighted Tokyo Tower.
He stopped in his steps when he was right behind her, looking down at her slender frame.
"Megumi…" She did not respond verbally, but at least, she turned around to look up into his face and acknowledged his presence with a small smile that didn't reach her pretty cinnamon eyes.
Giving a small smile in return, he walked over to stand by her side before lowering himself down onto the cold concrete steps to sit beside her. Glancing at her side profile, he couldn't help but notice the droplets of moisture clinging to her long, thick eyelashes, while mentally cursing himself at the same time.
They sat in silence, but unlike the usual comfortable silence it always had been, this one was dreary and tense, suffocating the two of them agonizingly.
She chose to break the silence first. "I guess you haven't forgiven me, have you?"
He opened his mouth to reply, but before a word could leave his mouth, she continued. "I shouldn't be expecting it…Not after what I did." Turning her head to meet his gaze, she gave a weak smile. "You don't have to feel bad or obliged to accept my apology…I will be leaving soon."
His eyes widened, as he asked quietly. "Where?"
"Back to Fukushima, of course. I contacted my grandfather and told him about it…he wants me to go back." She ended her sentence on a finalizing tone, telling him that she was neither pinning any hope on receiving his forgiveness, nor hoping that he would ask her to stay. "Thanks for helping me…I have caused you inconvenience. I'll be mailing you money soon."
Sanosuke bit his lower lip, Megumi's words hitting him one after another like solid bricks. The usual Sanosuke would have just nodded dumbly, only to regret after it was all too late. But not this time round.
"Never let go only to regret later, Sanosuke."
He had come so far…if he gave up now, he would never forgive himself.
"Megumi!" He called out abruptly. Such actions from Sanosuke were mostly acted out on impulse, and now that he was in his impulsive mode, he wasn't about to give up.
She turned her head back again to look at him in surprise, her expression questioning as she tried to read his eyes for any hints of what was to come.
"Sanosuke?"
"Don't go, Megumi." He said softly, his left hand reaching out to take her right. "Please don't go."
She gasped, her left hand stiffening in his hold as she now regarded him a look that spoke of her disbelief at his words.
"Wh-What did you say?"
"Don't go. Please don't leave me." Sanosuke repeated himself, his hand squeezing hers more tightly in a bid to emphasize his words, as if the mere action of him holding on to her hand would prevent her from leaving him.
"Sanosuke…I already bought the ticket-"
"Make it one more." He interrupted quickly. "Just don't leave me. I can go to Fukushima with you."
"Don't do this to me…" Megumi said almost pleadingly. "I have always been alone. I don't need this. Do you even know what you're talking about?"
"I want to be with you, Megumi. We don't have to be alone!"
"Wh-Why are you saying all these now that I have let go?" Megumi asked shakily, trying to pull her hand out of his grasp. "Are you trying to torment me?"
"No, Megumi, no. I just don't want to torment myself any longer." Sanosuke shook his head, trying to meet her eyes with his own. "Megumi…I am sorry."
"But…why the sudden change in attitude? Why are you blowing hot and cold? How do you expect me to believe all of this?" Megumi asked incredulously, her thoughts running back to the night at the Pachinko arcade and Sanosuke's emotionless expression then.
"Megumi, I am not bringing you on any wild emotional roller-coaster ride…"
"Am I…am I that undesirable? Why first Takeda Kanryuu…and then you?" Her heart ached with the mere idea of associating Sanosuke with Takeda Kanryuu, especially when at the very moment when she said that, her heart was still filled with affection for the Roosterhead.
"Megumi, please…listen to me. I regret doing all that I did to spite you…you were right…I was hanging out with them to spite you. I was so angry…so lost…I gave in to temptation. I hated myself; it wasn't fair to you or Natsumi! Can you give me a chance? I-I…I need you!" Sanosuke didn't care if he was groveling; all he wanted to now was to make things right before it was all too late.
"You are not undesirable…Not at all." He added, when she regarded him with stony silence. "In fact, you have no idea how much desirable you are to me…ever since the night in the rain at Ikebukuro. I want you, I need you, and I love you!"
She froze, her eyes staring into the far distance emotionlessly before he drew her into a tight embrace, holding her tightly to his bigger frame as he whispered apologies incoherently in her ear, his warm breath dancing across the shell of her ear as he gently kissed the cold away.
The feeling of having him so close by her side once again melted the wall around her heart, releasing all the fond memories of the time they spent together because of their fated meeting here in Tokyo.
This felt so right, and for the many times since spending time with Sanosuke, she felt she was right where she belonged. She belonged with this man. Who cares about academic and career perfection? Sanosuke didn't have a degree in biomedical life sciences like Takeda Kanryuu did, he wasn't capable of making a speech on genetic engineering techniques and advancements, and neither did he make big bucks as a researcher for a renowned drug company. But Sanosuke had something Kanryuu did not. He had her heart. That was all she needed.
"Sano…" She sighed as she relaxed into his embrace a while later.
"I am sorry…I am so sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean it…I was too rash, Megumi." Sanosuke whispered apologetically, before they pulled apart from each other. "Forgive me?"
"Yes." She whispered.
Raising her hand to his face, she caressed it lovingly, committing the feeling of his skin beneath her fingers to her memory, tracing every outline and feature.
"I am sorry too…Sorry for being so ungrateful. I know you care…but…but…I was too haughty." Megumi admitted softly. "I mean, you were doing it because of me…Can you forgive me?"
"Yes."
"I shouldn't have-"
"Let's stop apologizing…we are quits, Megumi. Can we not keep making things so difficult for ourselves?" Sanosuke gave her a tender smile. "Shall we start anew?"
She looked at him for a moment, before a foxy grin spread across her face, the lights from Tokyo Tower illuminating the twinkle in her eyes as she leaned over to kiss him gently on the lips.
"Only if you promise to bring me on a date again."
"No way," Sanosuke said in a dead-serious tone, watching as Megumi's body stiffened noticeably. Allowing a grin to take its place on his face slowly, he tweaked her nose playfully before adding, "At least a hundred dates."
"You're kidding! We'd wind up washing plates after dinner at the restaurants if we go on so many dates!" She laughed, swatting him on the arm at the thought of the two of them leaning over the sink with soapy water up to their arms. "Don't be ridiculous!"
"Not every girl has the luck to go to a restaurant like the one I brought you to!" Sanosuke retorted. "We'll eat at MacDonald's next time."
"Aha! So I was right…that dinner burned a hole in your pocket, right?" Megumi pointed a finger at Sanosuke in mock accusation, her lips curled up in a cheeky smile.
"NO WAY! I had enough money!" Sanosuke argued, placing his hand over the index finger which was now waggling at him. Feigning a hurt puppy look, he was quick to add, "All I wanted was to let you have a good time…"
"Stop making that silly expression!" Megumi laughed aloud, flashing a grinning Sanosuke a look that had amusement thrown into exasperation.
Grinning smugly, he placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "You know you love it."
Rolling her eyes, Megumi settled for leaning into his chest, her head fitting snugly into the crook of his neck.
"What time is it now?" She asked softly after a few peaceful moments. Her heart felt so free and so light, and bursting with love and joy at the same time.
"15 seconds to New Year's Day."
She reached up to cup his cheek with her right hand, bringing his face down so she could meet his gaze. "Sanosuke…shouldn't you be kissing me now like you did at Yebisu?"
Glancing at his watch, Sanosuke gently helped Megumi up into a sitting position, holding both her hands in his as he looked at her in the eyes.
"Ten," He whispered.
"Nine," His eyes trailed down her face,
"Eight," His gaze landed on those ruby lips he wanted to kiss so badly.
"Seven," He smiled as he saw those lips tremble slightly in anticipation…
"Six," She was licking her lips ever so tantalizingly.
"Five," He tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear.
"Four," Closing the distance between them ever so slowly…
"Three," Both hearts were pounding with excitement by now.
"Two," He murmured, gently tilting his head to side, closing his eyes as she did hers.
"One." With that, he lowered his lips to hers, pressing lightly, undemanding and sensual. Whispering against her lips in a manner that sent her spine tingling with the exquisite sensations, he said, "Ake ome."
She broke out of the hold he had on her hands to throw her arms around him, placing her right palm at the back of his head, her fingers interlacing his hair as she pressed him closer to her, deepening the kiss. He was quick to make use of his unoccupied hands to reach up and cup her face, his tongue darting out to drag over the seam of her mouth, coaxing her to part her lips.
Megumi moaned softly, before giving in to Sanosuke's request and drawing his tongue into her mouth, while digit-tickling his jaw the whole time with her left hand. Their tongues met in a gentle caress, softly exploring each other's mouth for the very first time. It was sensual and relaxed, though Megumi felt as if all her senses were heightened and every move Sanosuke's tongue made in her mouth gave her a little jolt of excitement.
He was reveling in the warmth her mouth brought to his soul, kissing her was better than he had ever dreamed of, and for now, all he wished to was to prove his love to her. They kissed passionately, timelessly, and by the time they drew apart for breath, both were panting and wanting more at the same time. It was too good to be true, breathtaking and definitely not long enough.
"Did you really mean what you said just now?" Megumi asked breathlessly, her cheeks flushed, making her look ever more endearing to Sanosuke.
"Said what? About eating at MacDonald's?" He deliberately asked, feigning innocence to get her flustered.
She looked down into her lap in embarrassment as she hurriedly explained, "No…not that…you know…when you said…when you said…"
"When I said 'I want you, I need you, and I love you'?" He asked teasingly in a sweetly innocent tone.
"Say it again." She smiled, looking into his chocolate brown eye and drowning in those depths.
"Aren't you greedy, Megitsune?" He teased, shaking his head in amusement. "Most girls are satisfied with the three words…You've got ten and that's still not enough for you?"
"No. I want to hear to hear it again." She demanded, giving Sanosuke the I-don't-care-I-want-it look.
"Chotto…I am getting embarrassed." Sanosuke muttered, eliciting a laugh from Megumi. "I am not good with verbal declarations…but I'll prove it again."
Catching her by surprise, he pulled her into his arms abruptly, eliciting a little yelp from her before he silenced her with his lips. Megumi relaxed into his hold when he proceeded to love and worship her mouth in the way only he was capable of, bringing her through a ride of sensations, all enhanced and heightened by passionate love.
When he finally released her, she was in a disheveled state that he had never seen her in before, her cheeks tinged pink and her lips glistening in the majestic lights of Tokyo Tower.
"Sano…" She smiled. "You sneaky rooster."
"Ake ome, Megumi." He grinned, ruffling her hair with his hand.
"It's 'akemashite omedetou gozaimasu', Sanosuke." She corrected like how a teacher corrects a child's mispronounced words, running her hand through her ebony locks in a bid to smooth it out.
"What a mouthful…" He muttered, bringing an amused smile to her lips.
Drawing her close to sit by his side once again, Sanosuke breathed in the gentle fragrance of her hair, sitting in comfortable silence as they enjoyed the magnificent night view of hamamatsu-cho from where they were.
Taking her hand in his and looking at it, he spoke up suddenly.
"Megumi…Isshoni kurasou?"
She smiled a genuine smile of bliss, before nodding happily, tears of joy welling up in her eyes as love overflowed from her heart.
He smiled in return, bringing her face close to his again as he pressed his forehead to hers, kissing her tears away with light kisses.
"Silly girl…why are you crying?" He asked adoringly, drawing away so he could look into her watery eyes. "You're no longer alone."
She smiled in embarrassment at her own crying, before sniffling and nodding in agreement, laughing and sobbing at the same time.
"Now, now…dry those tears…I'll sing you a song." He whispered, cradling her protectively in his arms as he began singing the first few notes of an all-time favorite song of his. "I rarely sing except for the times when I am in the bathroom, so make sure you treasure this!" he added, eliciting another laugh as she leaned into him more.
yasashisa ni fureru koto de sunao ni naretara ii ne.
naitari warattari subete ga "ima" hajimaru.
kawaranai mono wo itsumo sagashitsudzuke aruite yuku
bokura wa itsumademo kimi no mune ni iru kara...
(When we are touched by kindness, wouldn't it be good if we could act honestly?
We cry, we laugh, and from this moment on, it all begins.
We're all searching for things that never change in life
And we'll always be in your heart.)
saa ryoute hirogete sora ni kazasou
nakushita mono wo torimodosetara
negai wa kanarazu kanau hazu sa!
itsuka wa kanarazu waraeru hazu sa!
(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!)
taisetsu na koto wa itsumo atarimae no naka ni aru.
tsumaranai mainichi wo waratte norikoete yukou.
(There'll definitely be important things in life, and let's get through
All the boring days with smiles on our faces.)
fukitsukeru tsuyoi kaze ni kimi ga tobasarenai you ni
shikkari sono ude wo boku ga tsukande ageru.
kizutsuku koto to hikikae ni bokura wa tsuyosa ni kaeru
nan ni mo kowakunai kimi wa hitori ja nai sa...
(I'll hold you hand tight, so the strong, cold wind will not blow you away.
And when you get hurt, I'll turn into your strength.
There's nothing to be afraid of, for you are no longer alone…)
To be continued…
A/N: How was that? Sorry if the translation sounded funny at any point…LOL I translated it on my own! Hope it didn't distort the meaning much! –grins- Anyway, I was positively floating from the fluffiness of it all…How about you?
The next chapter will be the final chapter, the epilogue! It goes 5 years into the future!
Please review!
Kami- sama - God
Yuki ga…sora kara mai orita – Snow is dancing down from the skies
Megitsune – Megumi+Kitsune (Sano's nickname for Megumi!)
Chotto – Wait
Ake ome – Happy New Year, really casual form.
akemashite omedetou gozaimasu – Happy New year (Formal)
Isshoni kurasou – Shall we live together?