Tadaima! It's been a minute, yes?

Forgive my tardiness.

I loved how you guys responded to the last arc (Yahiko's) and I just want to keep beating the limits, you know?

Happy reading y'all~!

A Holotower rang at 6 pm and Sanosuke let out a long sigh as he made his way back to the bus station that would take him to the residential district where Kaoru and Yahiko lived. He'd probably take up his earlier offer and invite Kaoru for drinks and a night in town.

He ought to have known by now, really. He could never catch her.

Not stop her. certainly not hold on to her.

Ah, but what it wouldn't take to try anyway.

'Well damn it.' He cursed as he reached into his pocket for a cigarette. Kenshin would have his hide for smelling like nicotine later, probably. But it'd keep him from prying about his non-existent escapades of the day. As he lit the stick and looked up, he noticed that the pedestrian roads to the bus station were all crowded. He sighed, a small puff of smoke escaping his lips.

Walking through a crowd of people he was nearly a foot taller than while smoking was poor form. And while he usually didn't care about being an ass, his heart wouldn't be in it, and what fun was assholery if he couldn't get a kick from it?

He took a turn into the next alleyway. Most people would check a map to make sure they knew they would still end up on their path home or to make sure their detour routes were safe. Sanosuke did no such thing. In his twenty-four years of living, his legs had never truly strayed from the path to wherever home was for him at the moment.

Sanosuke threw his hands behind his head to rest the back of his head in as he looked up. Alleys were interesting like that, lined with laundry ropes and antennas and some balconies holding old-school bluetooth radios and dial-in music channel speakers. The sounds of commentary on a wrestling match from the radio coincided nicely with the low-frequency quality of the jazz music from the holo-tv in the way that background sound usually does. A mother could be heard loudly yelling at her kids from the kitchen window that faced the alley, presumably to eat dinner, and from another window, an apartment echoed the sounds of slow dancing soul music like a couple of girls giggled loudly and in a way that suggested amorous activities to come. Sanosuke smirked, knowing that a much younger him would try to stay and hear the end of it. He wondered if Yahiko indulged in stupid acts of privacy invasion while he was on the streets.

The bounty hunter took another turn, this time on his left. The lights in that alley were low, and it was mostly the sounds of the living room television and the low murmurs of conversations from bedroom windows that sifted down to his ears. The ambiance was the same though, as the soft rays of green and blue filtered through curtains and blinders to dimly light his path. He crushed his stub in his palm and got out another stick.

He would take Kaoru to a pub, probably. She seemed like the kind to appreciate a mellow kind of nightlife and he wasn't in quite a mood for any other kind of nightlife either. Besides, he had a distinct impression that his partner would be less than pleased at that kind of development, though Kenshin would have deserved it for choosing self-punishment when it came to her anyway. He chuckled as he entertained the idea of him and Kaoru getting it on. It would be very convenient and comfortable, seeing as they had a good enough rapport, and he had enough on her to bring some excitement to her life. But it could be just that, convenient for him, that is. And imagine him choosing comfort over whatever the hell it is he was getting himself into.

Or supposed to be getting himself into anyway.

Sanosuke was thinking too much, clearly. He didn't like it. He liked the blank that came with focusing on hunting a bounty, or hanging with friends, or being blown out by-

'Goddamnit you down bad bastard,' he cursed himself out loud as he kicked at a trash can, upsetting an alleycat somewhere inside and eliciting a harsh meowl of disapproval.

'Keep it down you bastard!' someone called from a window with a grovel, slurry voice. 'Miwa-chan tell the bastard to keep it down!'

'Sit your ass down Oizaka!' someone yelled after, and then directed an apology at him. 'Sumimasen, onii-san!'

There was a harumph as the voices faded back into their apartment, and before Sanosuke could yell an apology or perhaps a curse, the window was promptly shut. Sanosuke shrugged and kept walking, getting out his third cigarette. One would think that by now he would be prompted to at least make sure he wasn't lost. But Sanosuke never really got lost.

'You're going to burn your lungs to toast at that rate.'

He froze in his tracks.

And then over slowly he tilted his head from watching a sky obstructed by balconies and laundry ropes strewn across the alleyway. He tried to speak.

He couldn't. Like a startled fox, she would run away. Again.

So he didn't speak.

He charged at her at a force that belied his lean frame and would frighten anybody else and seized her in his arms. The lighting in this alley was of soft pinks and blues, but he could see her small pert lips curl into the smaller, slyest of smirks even in the shadow. She had been playing with him, hadn't she?

But it didn't matter.

'Oh, dear Rooster-head. Do you not eat at all? One day you'll be so thin you'd disappear, and I wouldn't even recognize you as a bag of-'

'Shut it.' He cut her off her and slammed his lips against hers hungrily, his hands just shy of choking her as he pinned her against the wall. She met him with just as much aggression, perfectly painted nails promptly clamping into his shoulder and another fisting his hair to keep him locked in the kiss. He let his lips travel from her lips to her neck and bit down slightly as he kissed her collar bone. He let the hand that was once around her neck cover her mouth to keep her from gasping, trying to lift her up against the wall and bury his form against hers and kiss her all at once.

'Sagara-san wait-' she managed to let out breathlessly. 'Wait ...your keys.'

Sanosuke was only half aware of her hand fishing in the back pocket of his capris as he made his way south of her collarbone.

'Rooster-head~' she let out a half-whine half-moan, too distracted to be annoyed. 'Your place... it's just... just down the alley.' As he pulled up to kiss her into silence again, he realised that his apartment - calling it that was generous, it was a squatter's place really - was in fact close by. Probably not even all the way down. He bit her lower lip as his tongue made its way into her mouth and she sighed against his lips. 'It would... be...' she shuddered when his fingers ghosted around her waist, '...very, very,' a gasp escaped her lips when he started working her neck again, 'incovenient~ to do this...' she gasped again, 'outside, yes?'

And Sanosuke briefly entertained the thought of doing just that and letting this sly, elusive, uptight woman come rightly undone in the middle of the alleyway because of him. So maybe then she'd begin to have the slightest idea of how she managed to make him feel.

But he instead hoisted her by her legs and let them wrap around his waist, and even though she taunted him about his body, he didn't even waver as he hurried to his place. She kissed his stubbled jawline and his ear and the corner behind it that connected it to his neck, and he groaned softly when her hand started to snake under his shirt.

They made it to the fire escape entrance and she unwound her legs and dropped to the floor, kissing him and dragging him up the stairs to the door that led to the kitchen, and through the kitchen that led to a barely furnished living room.

Sanosuke had already removed her kimono by the time they got here, his mouth leaving marks from her left shoulder right up her neck. He let himself press against her back, one arm tightly wrapped around her waist as the other hand worked to undo her buttons. Her breath hitched in her throat and her hands quickly worked the key again to open the bedroom door. They ghosted over a sensor switch to light up the wicker lamps in the room and Sanosuke kicked the door shut behind him before she could pull him to bed. He pulled her along with him and switched places before his back could touch the bed and he allowed himself a wolfish grin at her expense.

Sanosuke never really got lost. His legs had never truly strayed from the path to wherever home was for him at that moment.

...

It took all of twenty minutes of her murmuring sweet nothings about the unruly state of his hair into said hair as she held him from behind before she decided it was time to leave. Sanosuke still failed to hide his disappointment, after all this time.

'Don't look at me like that.'

'I'm not looking at you,' bitterness leaked only slightly into his voice, but if she noticed it, she said nothing of it. 'If I was looking at you, you wouldn't leave.'

'Please~' she let out an airy, slightly condescending laugh as she slipped back on her bra. 'As if you could keep me here.'

He turned from the ceiling to look at her. Really look at her.

Red was a striking color on her, but he decided he liked lavender lace better. He gave her a shit-eating grin, his eyes mirthless as he appreciated her form in red lace.

'I'll damn well try.'

And try he damn well did.

...

It didn't work.

'Red is an ugly color at you.' He murmured into her ear and kissed the back of her head through her hair.

'Please,' she let out a snort that managed to sound as elegant as she, 'resorting to petty attacks on the very lingerie you couldn't enough of minutes ago is not only poor form, but bad sportsmanship.'

He let out a mirthless chuckle at her dry humor but didn't try to stop her as she rolled out of his arms and out of their bed.

The bed.

Sanosuke threw a pillow over his head and groaned.

'Don't feel too bad. I was almost convinced to stay.'

'Don't lie to me, Kitsune.'

She didn't respond, but Sanosuke felt the bed space beside him dip as it gave way under her weight. He dared to hope as the pillow was lifted from his face, but he was met with a furious gaze in her brown doe eyes.

'Do not call me that.'

Sanosuke snorted, disappointed in himself for expecting anything else, even though he found her reply equally as odd.

'You've never had a problem with it before,' he rolled his eyes. 'What, if I call you Kitsune you'll stay? Ha.' He laughed at himself more than he did her because he had actually hoped for it. He almost missed the hand coming for his cheek, and he stopped laughing to glare at her. She glared right back. And then his lips curled into a cruel grin.

'Kitsune.' And then he pulled her in for a soul-crushing kiss.

...

In the end, she started to leave while he was asleep. Or at least he hoped she thought he was. The woman was nothing else if not perceptive.

Sanosuke was relentless, but not desperate. Not yet anyway.

They ended up staying awake and busy far into the night and fell asleep well into the morning. But she had stirred awake before dawn, and he had been up even an hour earlier.

He had watched her face as she slept and then let his eyes ravish her naked form, which more evidence of his presence all over it. It never really occurred to him to watch his other lovers when he did rendezvous with them. Most of them were pretty enough in their own right, and hence why they were lovers at all. Those not so conventionally beautiful had vivacious personalities to make it worthwhile. But at the end of the day, the fun ended when they were ready to turn in for the night, and there was no compulsion to just lay there and watch their sleeping form. No desire to recall what he had done to them or what he made them do.

Not like with Kitsune.

Sanosuke supposed he wasn't completely gone since he had other partners at all. He'd really start to worry when he no longer found the joys of casual affairs worthwhile anymore. Sanosuke had laid down back to sleep, but not up to ten minutes later she had then stirred awake and then quietly made her way to get ready to leave. Sanosuke was impressed, if he hadn't been awake he'd probably be none the wiser. He had silently watched as she wore her clothes without underwear and realised - not for the first time - that she never wore his clothes like other lovers tended to do. She had rejected his offer during their first few encounters and she never asked even when it would be more convenient to simply wear his clothes. He remembered when he had first offered.

'Please,' she had laughed him into scorn. 'Nothing you own is to my taste.' But even as she said so, her eyes had lingered on his"wicked" haori for almost too long, before she had huffed and left.

She had stared at his haori that night too. But he had closed his eyes before her head could turn to have seen that he had been indeed awake. He had ignored what had felt like someone coming close to him and the need to see who it was.

If he did, he would've found her smiling softly as she contemplated kissing him goodbye.

When he heard the door swing open, he opened his mouth before he could stop himself, but he didn't open his eyes. If he did, he'd have caught the hesitation and conflict on her face. Instead, he heard an exasperated sigh.

'Don't call me that.'

'Tch.' He didn't try to hide his bitterness.

She let out a scoff and then he heard the door swing shut. A sigh escaped him and he opened his eyes to stare into the dark.

'Kitsune...'

...

'Tadaima!'

'You don't live here you hobo!'

'Yahiko! Stop it!' Sanosuke could hear Kaoru reproach him as she used her bokken to wack against the back of his head. The shoji door to the dojo slid open a few minutes later and both student and master bowed to Sanosuke, though the student was not in the least pleased about it, grumbling petulantly. 'Okaerinasai Sanosuke-san!'

'I don't know why we're doing this he's not a guest.'

'I'm teaching you decorum and respect you little shaite. Once you learn that we can stop greeting people who aren't guests and I'll teach you kata combinations!'

'And yet you made me greet Kenshin last week too!'

'Of course I did! Do you not want to learn his fighting style anymore!'

'He said he won't teach it to me you stupid Tanuki!'

'I will whoop your scrawny ass to high heaven you silly ass alley cat!'

'Whoa there Jou-chan. Assault a minor is a serious crime.'

'That's not a minor,' Kaoru grumbled as she let go of Yahiko and shoved him back into the dojo. 'That's as devil spawn.'

'I heard that!'

'COMPLETE YOUR KATAS YOU VILE DEMON!'

Yahiko grumbled and stuck his tongue out at the both of them before heading back in to resume his training. Sanosuke chuckled and ruffled the sensei's hair, and for his trouble, he got a light punch in his arm.

'Shit that's a hell of a punch ma'am,' he whistled as he sat down on the doorstep. Kaoru glared at him for all f three seconds before sighing and joining him

'So you say, I was holding back though,' she shrugged. He whistled again and leaned back against the steps to gaze at the domed sky of the Tokyo sector. 'So what brings you here?' She grinned mischievously. Sanosuke let out a surprised laugh as his hands found the back of his head.

'Oh, Jou-chan you have no idea.' He laughed. 'You still up for drinks later? To prove you're grown up enough for grown-up things?' He offered, half teasing. She glared at him and rolled her eyes, ignoring the way her ears burned from slight embarrassment.

'Go die in a ditch Sanosuke,' she huffed. 'I'd love to go honestly, but who's gonna watch Kitsune-chan while I'm gone, 'cause I can't trust my unruly, undisciplined student to do it.' She raised her voice and head towards the dojo at the last part and Yahiko could be faintly heard as he mimicked her mockingly. But Sanosuke paused for a moment, taken aback.

'Kitsune?'

'Huh?' Kaoru turned back to him. 'Yeah, the fox you decided to make my problem, remember?'

'Oh...' Sanosuke said quietly, more to himself than her. Then he chuckled quickly before she noticed anything was wrong. 'Heh, but you like picking up strays don't ya?'

'Yeah well, my strays are my strays! And yours are yours!'

'Did you hear that Yahiko? Jou-chan called you a stray!'

'Sanosuk-!'

Yahiko had a great deal to say about her supposed comment, and none of them were fitting to leave the mouth of a ten-year-old. The two young adults snickered. As they did, said belyayev fox found its way into the compound and then made itself comfortable in Sanosuke's lap, yapping excitedly.

'Yes yes you little critter, you were missed.' He stroked the former stray's fur absently, his mind far away, and then turned to look at Kaoru.

'So you really can't come through later tonight huh.'

'I honestly wish I could, but today's Yahiko's day off. He'd stay if he thought it mattered, but he's not sacrificing his happiness for mine any time soon,' she gave him an apologetic grin. 'But if you want we can stay and talk about it.'

'Ha.' Sanosuke snorted and stood up, draping the fox on his head. 'No, I don't think I will.'

Kaoru gave him a dubious look.

'You sure you don't need to talk about it?'

He mimicked her with a sneer and she punched his arm again.

'Shit woman watch it with that right hook!' He let out a pained laugh and winced. 'Freaking killing machine.'

'Oh you wish,' she laughed at him and then pat his back reassuringly. 'You'll be fine.' She glanced up at Kitsune-chan, who was peering at her lazily from atop Sanosuke's head. 'Is she going with you?'

'Well obviously. She's not prehistoric or exotic, she can handle it.' He patted said fox's head patronizingly again and then smirked. 'It's about time for me to take my leave then. The hunt awaits!' Kaoru rolled her eyes, but a smile managed its way to her face as Sanosuke climbed up the dojo's steps to bid Yahiko goodbye. 'Oi, damn garbage cat! Give Jou-chan any trouble and I'll call my bodies in the force to have you serve time for your life as a gangsta!'

'Go to hell Sano!'

'That's a good boy!'

Kaoru couldn't help but snicker at the bickering, which brought a genuine smile to Sanosuke's face. He waved her goodbye and then made his way out of the compound and to the district hangar.

...

'Okaerinasai!'

'I see you're in a housewife mood this evening,' the younger bounty hunter commented dryly as he shut the door behind him and let Kitsune-chan n the ground. 'I take it you decided not to infuse ice cream into our dinner tonight.'

'Sanosuke I've never-'

'-could've fooled me.'

'I'll give all your portions to delightful Kitsune-chan over here, you just see.'

'I'll throw away your dango.'

'SANO NO!'

The brunette chuckled as he made his way to the fridge for a beer. Kitsune was no longer haunting the back of his mind.

Yoohoo! Big summer blowout!

FINALLY (hopefully) DONE WITH COLLEGE.

...but imagine that meaning anything for my writing commitments, lol. Anyways, I'll be seeing you~

As per usual, I need a reader of beta criteria. So please. I'm begging. Because beta readers for this community? Hard AF to find.

..I did have one prospect, but my inability to commit may have fucked with that. I feel bad. My apologies.

I hope you all didn't feel Kenshin's absence too much? He'll be back soon enough, but I really enjoyed writing this dynamic. It was fun and very interesting writing Sanosuke this way. I want to be able to capture his empathetic sensitive side that gets obscured by his abrasive, rugged nature.

Criticisms are always welcome! And as per usual, reviews, in general, are also always welcome. And I'd like to know what we all think of our not so mysterious Kitsune-chan (not the fox guys)! If you couldn't guess, it's her arc next! Can you guess how I'm gonna approach it?

I hope you all enjoy this, and I'll be seeing y'all in a minute!

=UwU=