Chapter 2: the fox

Kenshin arrived at the clinic and Megumi welcomed him inside. "Thank you for coming, Ken-san," she said sweetly. "Please sit down." Kenshin pulled his sakabatou from his belt and placed it on the floor beside him as he obediently sat. Megumi poured some tea and handed it to him.

"Thank you," Kenshin said, and was slightly bothered by her twittering giggle in reply. "Now then… why did you want to see me? Are you going to ask me not to go to Kyoto?"

Megumi shook her head. "Of course you shouldn't go, but I'm sure you'll make up your mind about that by yourself no matter what anyone says. I called you here today because I realized that if you do decide to leave, I needed to see you in private about something first. If I missed my chance and you went away, well, I'd never forgive myself."

Kenshin looked puzzled. "It seems pretty serious de gozaru. But what is it?"

"Ken-san, I'm concerned for your health," Megumi said matter-of-factly, folding her hands primly in her lap.

"I'm fine de gozaru!" Kenshin said, smiling.

"Quite frankly," Megumi said a little too quickly, "I'm worried that you're neglecting your basic needs."

"uh…." Kenshin said, blinking. "No, that's not the case…Kaoru-dono takes care of me, that she does..."

"Oh does she? That little girl? Be serious. It's obvious you've never touched her."

A drop of sweat appeared on the side of Kenshin's face. "T- touched her? You mean –sessha--"

Megumi reached out and put her hand on Kenshin's knee. "Don't deny it," she said, her tone a little gentler. "You're only a man after all, a normal man with needs that a woman can fulfill. I'll get right to the point. You don't have much of a sex life, do you, Ken-san?"

Kenshin swallowed, his eyes wide and terrified. "Sh- should you really be asking such a question, Megumi-dono?" he managed to squeak. Megumi canted her head to one side almost snobbishly.

"Like I said, I'm concerned for your health. There's something I've wanted to do to you for a while now, for your own good."

"Gyaaaa!" Kenshin squawked, scrambling backwards.

Megumi smirked. "By now you must be feeling the effects of what I put in your tea. I can tell by your increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and dilated eyes."

"Sa- sasuge yuumei na onna issha de gozaru naaa," Kenshin panted, feeling slightly delirious and suddenly incredibly turned on.

"Kawaiisou Ken-san," Megumi said sweetly. "By now your body wants me, although your heart and mind are protesting. As a doctor, I feel it is my duty to help you with your physical problem, although to cure your heart and mind you'll have to consult someone else. Kaoru-chan, perhaps."

"It's your 'duty' to do this to me, or your desire?" Kenshin asked, panting.

"Well…. Both, after all!" she replied, giggling. Then with mock seriousness she said: "My, you're looking feverish! We should get you out of your clothes at once to help you cool off!" With that she reached for Kenshin with both hands. He flinched when she touched him, shutting his eyes tightly for an instant. The feel of her gentle, knowing hands on his skin was unbearable.

"Megumi-dono," he muttered, reaching for her uncertainly. Megumi responded eagerly, sighing happily as he raised a trembling hand to her cheek and then ran his fingers through her hair.

"You poor thing," she said softly, cupping his face in her hands. "Don't worry, you can just lay back and I'll do all the work for you." She was already quickly removing all their clothes. Kenshin was practically shivering from excitement and everything seemed blurry and unreal in his mind, but Megumi's words conjured up unpleasant images of being trapped beneath Saitou in the dojo only a few days earlier.

"No," Kenshin said decisively. "I want-- I'll be on top."

"If you insist," Megumi replied, delighted.

X

Kenshin's consciousness drifted to the surface in a beautifully hazy world. He didn't know -and he didn't care- whether he was awake or asleep, alive or dead. All he knew was that he felt wonderful. He felt more content and more peaceful than he could ever remember feeling before. And then he realized that he could feel someone else's skin pressed against his own. And it dawned on him why he felt like he was in heaven. So that's what this is…

"Kaoru-dono," he mumbled, burying his face in her hair.

She laughed. "I've been expecting that," she said cheerfully, in a voice that was not Kaoru's. Some of the haze dissipated and Kenshin realized his mistake. He sat up in shock. "Really I'm surprised you didn't say it sooner," Megumi went on. "I guess you haven't fantasized about Kaoru much."

"Um," gulped Kenshin, ignoring her comments. "Megumi-dono, I am incredibly sorry about this, I can't imagine what came over me but if-"

Megumi sighed and pressed a finger to his lips.

"I drugged you, ok?" she said. "You didn't do anything wrong, it was my own devious scheme. And I must say, it worked exceptionally well."

Kenshin shook the rest of the fog out of his brain. Twice already in the past week, against his will… what was going on?

"You look so awfully confused," Megumi noticed.

"Megumi-dono, you said you expected me to call you Kaoru-dono just now, so you must know my feelings towards her… and if that's the case, then how could you…"

"…Do this?" Megumi asked, and she stared up at the ceiling. "I know you love Kaoru-chan. And you know that I love you. But surely it's obvious to you that this had nothing to do with love."

"… so it was lust de gozaru ka?" Kenshin squeaked.

Megumi sighed again, and then smiled up at the rurouni with overflowing fondness. "Yes, Ken-san. Lust. And the reason for it is in the tone of voice you just used. The fact that you even had to ask whether it was lust or not…" she shook her head.

"What?" Kenshin asked. "What is that fact?"

"You're too pure, Ken-san."