Story One: From That Moment On

"What an idiot."

Takani Megumi glowered down at the sleeping Rooster on the Kamiya Dojo's porch. He had crawled outside just after lunch, settling down in the pools of sunlight to take a nap.

Sanosuke now lay on his back, his hands lazily strewn over his bandaged stomach, his head reclined against the veranda and his lips parted slightly as his doze continued. Sanosuke's russet hair fell against the wooden porch, glowing honey-brown in the sunlight, three of his stringy coffee-colored bangs falling smoothly over one closed eye.

Megumi ignored the unusually endearing scene, and jadedly examined Sano's bound right hand. Of course; the wrappings looked like a dog had slobbered on them and ground a bit of hairy fur into it for good measure, and passed them onto a cat. It appeared as though the feline happily introduced the cloth to its litter box and hacked a good few hairballs upon it, before returning the binds to Sanosuke. Megumi's hard work, gone to the dogs…and cats.

"Sanosuke no baka," Megumi murmured, gritting her teeth. "Sanosuke no ahou."

It was like a little song she made up, and Megumi chanted it as she considered waking the fighter up. "King of morons, imperial highness of royal stupidity, immature Rooster prince of thoughtlessness…" Her nicknames for Sano grew more and more elaborate, until at last Megumi couldn't stand it anymore, and gave the Rooster a good poke in the belly.

"HEY!" Sanosuke woke with a start, chocolate eyes wide as the hands over his stomach tightened in defense. No one appreciated being poked in the navel; and Sano was no exception.

His shocked and angered expression was replaced by a sardonically unsurprised look when Sanosuke found Megumi towering over him. "If it isn't the Fox-Lady," he muttered, almost amused. "What do y'want this time, huh?"

Megumi pointed sagely to Sano's right hand. "That thing that you claim to be your hand," she announced, "looks like it's going to fall off and wither like a dead weed."

"Thanks for noticing," Sano replied dryly, glancing down at his right fist. It stared back with a rather accusing notion. How unnerving.

Seizing Sanosuke's wrist, Megumi didn't dare touch the wraps in fear of contracting some terrible disease. "Ugh, it's disgusting," she muttered, inspecting the grubby frays of Sanosuke's dressings.

Sano flexed his fingers uncertainly. "But I haven't fought all week," he muttered.

Megumi gave him a daunting stare.

"Er, I mean," Sanosuke grinned sheepishly. "Unless ya count that one time where I cracked heads with that guy in Ruffian Row two days ago…and that jerk who wouldn't pay off his loss when gambling on Monday… or that one guy who attempted to best me at Mercy and cheated when he dislocated his fingers…"

Becoming more infuriated with her roughhousing patient, Megumi voluntarily gave Sano a slap upside the head. Ignoring his yowling insults, Megumi snapped, "You are coming with me to get those wrappings redone…right now."

"Yes, Kitsune-sama," Sanosuke drawled sarcastically, getting up after the foxy doctor as she stiffly marched into the dojo.

-

"Oi," voiced Sano loudly. "Where'd everybody go?"

Megumi placed a cool palm against her forehead in exasperation. "Kaoru-chan and Ken-san said they'd be visiting the Maekawa dojo today, with Yahiko-kun to train and speculate. I didn't realize they meant they'd leave so soon."

Sanosuke nodded silently, staring sheepishly at the back of the doctor's sleek raven mane. It swirled and brushed slightly against the back of his hand when Megumi turned to look at him, and Sanosuke snapped out of his reverie and glanced up innocently.

"Your hand isn't going to bind itself," Megumi said, quirking an eyebrow. With that, she strode across the room and knelt down in front of her medicine box, which she had placed like so earlier.

Sano self-consciously followed her, hiding his nerves with laid-back steps and slackened shoulders. Sitting down silently, Sanosuke rested his hand in his lap in the familiar way that he always did, awaiting Megumi's treatment.

Watching her as Megumi prepared the items and medicines, those clippers she used to sever bandages and the thick white roll of cloth… her hands worked swiftly and smoothly, without hesitation or delay; to Sano's disappointment, signifying she wasn't the least bit nervous around him at all.

Kidding yourself again, Sagara… Sano thought wearily. It's beginning to get really old…

Minutes passed, as Megumi treated Sanosuke's mangled right hand, removing the gnarled bandages with a grimace, and sheathing his fingers in crisp, snow-white cloth once more soon after applying disinfectant and such. They were unusually quiet.

There's nothing to argue about, Megumi thought with apprehension, though it didn't bleed through to her face. Why? Why can't I bring myself to speak? Why don't I just make a random remark about his idiocy and instigate his irritation…why is it suddenly so difficult?

Megumi looked up, rather crossly, at Sanosuke. Stupid Tori-Atama! What's he doing to fool me like this?

But Sano wasn't doing anything at all. He didn't even look at her for quite some time, until he realized she was glowering at him. "What'd I do now?" Sanosuke growled, trying to sound indifferent.

"…Nothing." Megumi went back to work, moments later finishing her therapy with a tug of the bandages.

"All done?" Sanosuke asked, awaiting the usual reply of: 'Yes, all done. Now shoo," or something of the like. Truth be told, Sano didn't like being shooed. Maybe he wanted to stay, hang around for a bit. But no, Sanosuke always let himself be shooed away like a rooster caught inside the house; and thus he always left without a squawk of complaint or a grumble of disappointment. It would be too obvious if he did…

"No," Megumi said, to Sano's surprise. "Let me look at your other hand. It looks quite messy as well."

Indeed. In effort not to completely waste Megumi's treatments, Sano had been using his left fist a lot. Bruises kissed his knuckles and soreness painted his palms; his fingernails ragged and dirty. Megumi eyed it with distaste, causing Sano to flush slightly with embarrassment.

"O…Okay," Sano muttered, and cursed himself for stammering. He held out his left hand, exposing the red wrap concealing his wrist. Sanosuke's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of it, but ignored it as Megumi's white digits extended to feel his hand for any abnormalities.

She did so, and to be sure of good condition, Megumi's hands slipped down Sanosuke's wrist. Obviously she planned to remove the scarlet wrist wrap, but Sanosuke's arm suddenly jerked away in what seemed to be fright.

"Did I hurt you?" Megumi asked, unable to help herself as she gave Sano a concerned look.

"N-No," Sano grimaced. "No, I'm fine. Just don't try that again."

The unusual seriousness and the trace of nerves in Sanosuke's bass voice aroused curiosity and worry in Megumi. "Why not?" she pestered, "If you're hurt, you need to tell me. Waiting until the wound is infected and worse than it should be won't help."

Sanosuke's features twitched in what appeared to be heartache. Megumi's eyes widened, trying to understand what Sano was suddenly so apprehensive about. "Let me see," she begged, letting her voice become soft so to let Sano know he was safe from being teased. "Please, let me see."

"I…I don't want you to," Sanosuke shook his head.

Megumi was silent for a moment, before saying, "Please show me. I promise, if it makes you feel better, to keep whatever you're hiding a secret as long as it doesn't… harm anyone."

Sano shifted uneasily, trapped. "I…I …" Stammering pitifully, Sanosuke's face began to shade a light red as he admitted inside that he was being a weakling. Show her already, a voice told him. Geez, if she judges you, ya can flip her off and storm out like you'd want to. Stop being a pansy.

Hands shaking, Sanosuke's freshly wrapped right hand drifted over to his right wrist. Loosening the crimson strap, Sanosuke slowly unwound the item to reveal a wound he had not looked at for many moons.

A huge, ugly scar ground itself into the bronze wrist of Sanosuke's left arm, the slash of a blade. It chewed open Sanosuke's skin, glaring angrily out at Megumi in its pale brown color, declaring the horrifying reality of Sanosuke's broken soul.

The realization hit Megumi like a wave of blinding light. Sanosuke, at one point, had tried to kill himself. Slitting his wrist, just as Megumi had tried desperately to do not too long ago; back in Kanryuu's mansion. The seductive, glittering knife that Megumi had pressed bitterly to her wrist, an emblem of her will to die for her sin. Though, a shocked cry escaped her lips when her mission was destroyed by the bleeding hand of Sanosuke himself. The utter rage that had reflected in his dark brown orbs had shaken Megumi's soul like thunder….

"Sano…" Megumi breathed, slowly taking his scarred hand into her two. Sanosuke was deathly silent, refusing to meet the doctor's eyes, or look at her point blank. Megumi traced the old cut with her slender forefinger, shocked to find emotion broiling up inside of her stomach, wriggling its way up her throat and to her eyes.

Sanosuke, on the other hand, was filled with bitter resentment. Megumi was sympathizing with him. Pitying him…Megumi was pitying him. He didn't need anyone's pity. Sanosuke didn't want anyone's pity, especially Megumi's.

Pulling his hand out of Megumi's grasp, Sano stiffly wrapped up his wrist again in the scarlet bandages, the ones that reminded him of the ribbons of blood that had pooled from his arm ten years ago…

"When?" Megumi asked softly. "Please tell me. Not lately?"

"Ten years," Sano said gruffly, really not wanting to answer in the first place.

Megumi nodded, biting her lip. Ten years ago…Sano had been nine then, a junior cadet in the Sekihoutai. No, the Sekihoutai had been disbanded, slaughtered…Sano's captain mercilessly executed before Sanosuke's young eyes. Then…?

"Over Sagara-taichou," Megumi murmured.

Sanosuke blinked, and nodded awkwardly. He didn't want to say yes. He didn't want to speak at all. Talking about this made him feel like a delinquent and a mental case. Sanosuke growled softly, huffing. "Aa…thanks for the treatment. Gotta go."

About to stand, Sanosuke was surprised when Megumi suddenly seized his arm. He looked into her desperate eyes, unsure of what this meant. "Then," Megumi asked, "Why did you save me? Back at Kanryuu's mansion, I mean… if you knew how I felt, why did you stop me from… from killing myself?"

Sanosuke swallowed loudly, staring back into Megumi's magenta eyes. "I…" Sano stammered again, and then looked away. "I guess I… just thought… that if I got a second chance to live, even when I tried to… y'know… I thought you deserved one even more."

"Why?" Megumi pestered.

Sano snorted in humorless laughter. "Because I'm a good-for-nothing, gambling, procrastinatin' drunk," he replied, "and you're a classy, smart…" The word left him before he could stop it. "…beautiful woman."

An awkward, shocked silence crept upon the two. Sanosuke averted his eyes to the floor, turning scarlet. "Urk… I m-mean… well…" Sagara! He thought to himself. You idiot! You're finally stupid enough in your life to let that one slip, so take advantage of yourself and tell her whatcha think. "I mean…well, uh, you're very pretty n'all… so yeah…"

Smooth. Really smooth, Sanosuke no baka, came that deriding voice, and Sano felt himself turn ruby red. Megumi looked at him in utter awe; disbelieving such bashful words could ensue from the usually obnoxious fighter's lips.

And she smiled; really, truly smiled at Sanosuke. The motion completely boggled Sano amid his embarrassment, and he barely registered Megumi's words. "Thank you, Sano," Megumi whispered, feeling herself grow pink, though her voice became solemn soon enough. "But… are you… is that really why you caught that knife?"

"No," Sanosuke felt his hands flood with sweat. Whoever what in charge of the object supposed to be his brain was seriously scaring him. Since when did Sagara Sanosuke become so infuriatingly weak-willed and honest? "I… caught that knife 'cause I really… I wanted to make up for being such an ass to you. I realized I, um… really…"

"Really what?" Megumi asked, though she suddenly knew very well of what Sano was trying to tell her.

"…From that second I caught the knife you tried to slight your wrist," Sanosuke murmured, again slipping off the red tie that concealed his scar. "…the mark on my arm has been fading away slowly. It's been healing, Megumi. I cut myself because I hated myself, not being able to save Sagara-taichou… I held a grudge against myself, and that scar has always been a bright red until I caught that blade of yours. And then, it began to heal."

Finding that it was suddenly a lot easier to speak, Sano continued in a bare, shaking whisper, "Instead of hate, my fights were filled with confidence that I could win, knowin' that I'd get to see you later… I began t'like myself, Meg… I began to forgive myself for being such a lazy moron who couldn't get a real job even if it tied itself down fer me. I began to forgive myself for what happened to the Sekihoutai, it became easier t'tell myself it wasn't my fault…Hell, I was nine years old and couldn't do much even if I had th'chance…"

"All because I caught that blade o'yers, Megumi," Sanosuke sighed, closing his eyes. "…From that second on…I belonged to you."

Megumi gaped in flattered shock at the boy sitting in front of her. Could what Sano was implying be true? Was his rage healing really because of her? Did Sanosuke really belong to Megumi, like the fighter truly believed?

"Sanosuke…" Megumi whispered, putting her hand overtop his. Sano tensed, waiting for the inevitable rejection he expected to hear from the scarlet lips he had longed to kiss. "I think you misunderstand."

Sanosuke's heart gave a dejected thud. Kidding myself… he thought, blinking miserably and looking down into his lap.

"From the moment you caught that knife, Sano," Megumi said, a smile shattering her lips. "I belonged to you."

His eyes flicked up in disbelief. She what? "Uhm…" he stuttered, unsure of how to reply. Talk about a twist of fate! "You… you… y-yeah?" His voice cracked again in his last word, and Sanosuke gave Megumi an awkward little grin.

Megumi laughed, causing Sanosuke's heart to jump with delight. "Yes, Sano," she smiled on, unable to stop herself from laughing again as her body gave in to her longings, and she abruptly raised herself on her knees, near to tackling the surprised man in embrace.

Sanosuke savored the feeling of Megumi's closeness and undeniable realness as he enfolded her in his arms. Megumi buried her face into the juncture between Sanosuke's neck and shoulder, feeling utterly safe and at home in the insanely strong man's arms.

From the moment you caught that knife, Sano…I belonged to you. Her words echoed and swirled in Sano's mind, as a smile spread his lips. He slid open his honey brown eyes to look down at Megumi, to find she had closed hers. Lifting his left hand to entangle his fingers in Megumi's hair, Sanosuke caught sight of the grudge-bearing scar on his wrist. The scar, the mark that had irritated and caused hatred inside of him for ten years; the cut that had been steadily healing due to Megumi's companionable friendship, and now her newborn affection.

It was gone.

OWARI.

MadiSano: Hey there, I'm back! LOL actually I'm still working on Revolution & Restoration (check it out if you haven't already!), but I've been pining to write some SanoMeg-only fics. So I decided, what better to do than make a fic containing random SM one-shots? This is my first one so far in this series, so please review to tell me how I did. I had a great time writing this first fic, though it was sad at points. I tried writing it in a different style than what I usually do, so review and tell me if you like it!

Future one-shot ideas for this will be considered...so if you have any suggestions, I will absolutely love you and give you special thanks for it if you notify me in a review! SM forever, and I hope to see you all soon. Ja!