Story Five: I'd Do Anything For You!
Warnings: Rated for violence
THOKK.
Despite the thick snow upon the ground, claws of iron agony gripped Sanosuke's head as it was viciously slammed into the icy turf. The snow flew aside as his entire body followed, the white powder died red as the blood from his wounds flowed in a sickening fashion.
His head hurt like heck. The insistent throbbing posing behind the screams of his nerves sent shivers up Sano's back as the bitter cold tore at his skin, seeping through his thin clothing. Bruises and bleeding cuts were resting haphazardly like drops of spilt ink across Sanosuke's body, each injury gnawing away at his freezing skin.
Right when Sanosuke began to think that maybe his opponents had conceded victory and left, a terribly well-aimed kick struck him viciously in the side, grazing the reopened wound that Saitou had given to him months ago. Howling, Sanosuke's spine twitched into a defensive position, blood gagging him as his attacker struck him again in the stomach.
"Ughn—" Sanosuke took the relentless beatings, only praying that he might be able to come out alright in the end. Every fiber in his steely muscles cried out as Sano was forced to sit up, rough fingers grasping his hair and compelling the poor boy to sit on his knees. Snickers resounded in his ears, like the cackling of demons.
"Stop…" Sano gasped, squeezing his eyes shut. He couldn't see; his forehead was matted with blood and the slick, wet, scarlet fluid restrained him from opening his eyes. "Stop it… don't… AAAH!"
A thunderous blow to the abdomen met Sanosuke's senses, causing him to cry out as his brain was again assaulted by waves of white, hot anguish. He was sure he heard and felt something crack; Sanosuke was sure he felt something inside of him snap in two, rending the flesh it was usually encased by, but he forgot about it once a flood of his own blood burst from his lips.
A punch caught Sanosuke's left cheek, causing the kid to see white and red flashes before his eyes. As the gangsters grasped Sano's spiky hair with agonizing violence, Sano howled when another yakuza thrust Sano face-first into the ground.
Snickering, growling voices hissed in Sanosuke's ears, mocking him for his weakness. "The great Kenkaya Zanza," came a deriding hoot from Sanosuke's left, or was it his right? Sano couldn't tell; and he couldn't care too much at the moment, either.
The words were slurred and distracting in Sano's mind, but he quickly assumed attention when another man's hands—which unnervingly felt like sandpaper—gripped the back of his neck and squeezed the pressure point there with strength that transformed into electrifying pain.
Sanosuke writhed, his own scream deafening him. The man let him go, swearing, and amid the shivers and gasps echoing from Sanosuke's lips, Sano overheard the other thugs snickering.
Sano yelped when someone stomped on his spine; right onto the character of 'wicked,' causing his cry to turn into gasps. Every fiber of his body ached, but his pride and heart hurt worse. "So much for him," snickered a whiny voice nearby.
Sano shivered, cursing himself in his drained thoughts that he had insisted on fighting that jerk in the bar… that man, who offended his pride and soul, trashing the most important person in his life. Shivering again, listening to the same man, his drunken pals, and their footsteps walking away; Sano regretted his boisterous and outspoken attitude in which he had addressed the man with. Why didn't he handle the situation calmly? Like… like Kenshin would? Unusual and unlikely as it normally would be, Sanosuke momentarily envied the wanderer's smooth cunning.
"Uhn…" Sanosuke's breathing quickened slightly, the coppery taste of blood ravaging his tongue as he attempted to swallow. Why did that…? Why did they have to be that strong? When I was fighting for her…?
Not that it really mattered anymore. Sanosuke didn't want to move, cry for help, or anything of the sort that required the movement of any part of him. Shuddering, Sanosuke watched with sick fascination as his blood snaked out through the feathery snow.
His right hand twitched. Sanosuke's dim eyes glided up to peer at it, wondering if his hand had caught frostbite and was dying, dying just like he was. The bloodstained bandages hung off his hand like a scarlet layer of stretched skin; lying limply in the snow.
The snowflakes swirled down like the kisses of angels, brushing every surface of everything, whirling and churning and swooping and diving; but the feathery caress of the snow turned to the fires of misery when they dissolved into Sanosuke's broken skin. He shivered, squeezing his eyes shut and wondering exactly when this torment was to stop.
To make it go away…what, what could end this? Sano inhaled slowly, his shuddering breath rushing past his lips and melting the snow around them. Shuddering, he wondered that if…maybe, if he could move; if he could get someplace warm and waterless, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much…
But to where? He had followed that freak, that giant man and his pals halfway across Tokyo until Sano had dared to reveal himself; all the way into the nice little neighborhoods over near the Kamiya Dojo. But no, Kaoru's place was too far…a mile at least. So…where to? Sano's head spun, and his fingers flexed uncertainly; his bones aching with the cold. An animal-like will to survive pestered Sano's brain; urging him to fight for his life tooth and nail; or at the very least, find someplace drier and a bit more comfortable than this so he could die without as much ache…
Luckily, thank Kami, Sano was born a fighter. Dying alone, in the snow, and not in battle was not an option for Sagara Sanosuke of the Sekihoutai. "Sagara-Taichou…" he meant to groan, as Sanosuke forced his muscles and bones to cooperate, getting onto his hands and knees.
But instead, instead it was not Sagara Souzou's name that gave him the will; it was someone else's. The pure realization that he had unconsciously spoken the name nearly caused Sano to fall to the snow again. "Megumi."
Sano took in a shuddering breath, still on his hands and knees. He couldn't move just yet, no; his arms would give way. The possible fall loomed like a poising serpent in Sano's mind; he felt that if he dropped to the earth, the sheer fall would kill him. But he couldn't die...he just couldn't. Sure, he was bleeding to death, lying in the middle of a rare Tokyo blizzard that worsened by the minute; not to mention Sano suspected more than one broken rib, which would explain his hurling of blood.
The simple thought of it caused Sano to retch scarlet into the snow, sending spirals of dizzy pain dancing up his veins. "Megumi…" he groaned again, the cry finally registering in his mind. Megumi… he blinked, blood weighing down his eyelashes. The beautiful, smart, coy doctor that Sano loved to pester, loved to bicker, and loved to…love? It was for her Sano couldn't let himself die. Not yet.
Sano gasped as the hurt came anew in his body, but his mind resolutely stuck to the Fox Lady. She had once declared her ability to heal anything, anything at all; unless her patient came to her with a case of lovesickness. My luck, Sano thought, taking a shaky half-crawl towards the direction of the Clinic, is running out.
No one was outside, of course. It was snowing like someone in Heaven had spilt a rather large container of sugar upon the town of Tokyo, the sweet contents burying the earth in milky layers. Sano was all alone; even if he received the strength to cry out, no one would hear him except the mute snowflakes.
"Megumi…" Sano whispered again, dragging himself stubbornly down the frosted road. He couldn't avoid the drifts forming; the thick, wave-like drifts that Sanosuke had to conquer, leaving a trail of red in his path.
"Megu…" Sano's prayer was cut off as his elbows trembled and gave way; causing him to fall face-first into the deep snow. It was suffocating, and Sanosuke desperately tried to free himself from the icy bounds.
He managed, by some Heavenly hand. Tears came in throws down Sano's face, his stamina weeping along with him as the snow ground against his aching blue skin, like grains of rough sand…
Sanosuke couldn't stand crawling anymore; whether or not it saved him strength, Sano didn't give a care anymore because it darn well hurt too much. Grasping the uneven bricks of a nearby wall, Sano gasped as he forced himself with what power he had to stand. His knees ached; every inch of Sagara Sanosuke was bruised and battered like a child's training sword.
He blindly felt his way down the wall, making it a good twenty feet in roughly fifteen minutes. Sano's worn-out, black shoes trudged through the snow, slowly and carefully so not to trip.
It was for her that Sano had risked this. It was for her, he thought, gritting his teeth as Sano opened his eyes to see of where he was. The Oguni Clinic was within sight; if Sano could just cross the street…
"Uhmph!" Sano fell flat on his face, causing bolts of paralyzing misery to gnaw through his body, like starving wolves through the meat of a caribou. His skinny form racked with shivers, and Sano squished his hazy chocolate eyes shut. "Nn…mmn…" Sano's tears streamed down his blue face, the warmth making him ache and whimper all the more; this was hard…
He gulped, resuming the crawling tactic. Praying he would make it, Sano took deep, gasping breaths of the wintry air as he crept across the snowy path. White smoke billowed from his burning throat as Sano struggled through the snow; feeling utterly pride-less and worthless; empty and cold as he finally reached the long-awaited Clinic…
Sano collapsed on the porch; free of snow and free of the biting wind. The veranda was clean, dry, and a small overhang above prevented more snow of assaulting Sano's cowering self. He took a deep breath, unable to yell. Sano wanted to sleep now, but he knew if he did he would never wake up.
"Megumi…" Sano sobbed, unable to do anything else but wait.
-
Megumi smiled tiredly as she finally finished the documents of the day; files and such boring crap that Megumi only cared about because she cared about her patients. Securely putting away the file, Megumi yawned.
The Rooster-Head didn't come for his checkup today, came a random thought, causing Megumi to frown with puzzlement. He's usually late, but never misses a date. Bushing, Megumi nearly smacked herself for calling it that. An appointment, I mean—he never misses an appointment. Kami, Megumi; you need to stop that…
Rubbing her left cheek as though to slay the scarlet flush there; Megumi sighed, and leaned back in her stool. Closing her eyes, Megumi sighed again and simply sat there, enjoying the silence; free of squealing Ayames or shouting Suzumes, or giggling Doctor Gensais.
Then, she heard her name. Softly, it came; just outside the door. It wasn't loud enough to awake neither a sleeping baby, nor anything else quite easy to rouse; but having the beautiful silence and the hearing of a fox, Megumi heard the cry.
Getting up rather nervously, Megumi stepped to the door in her cotton socks. Perplexed, she braced herself against the cold as she curiously opened the Oguni Clinic door.
It took all of her willpower not to scream.
-
When Sano opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was this: he was warm. Unbearably warm—his skin was on fire. Gasping, Sano squeezed his eyes shut with a tremor; feeling hot, sticky sweat clinging to his body like the webs of a spider.
"Megumi…" he moaned into the darkness behind the lids of his eyes, and somewhere in the void outside them, Sano heard something move. The swish of clothing, and the soft wind of feathery hair rushed over Sano's senses as she came near; the smell of serene, yet simple lavender assailing his nose.
Megumi's long fingers gently took hold of his burning face, keeping him as still as can be as she wiped away the bitter sting of Sano's temperature with a wet cloth. The water was not cold, and it wasn't warm; but it soothed Sanosuke's flaming skin anyhow. Shifting slightly, Sano realized that his left hand was immersed in warm water next to the futon, in a bowl.
He blinked, his vision sharpening by the moment, until he could see decently. Blinking again, Sano looked up into the grim face of Takani Megumi, the Foxy Lady he loved to tease. Gulping, his scatterbrained thoughts grouping together as he took hold of the situation. She's never held me like this before…Sano thought, swallowing. His throat was so dry… Never so gently, like I might break into pieces… she's never looked so concerned about me.
"How are you feeling?" came Megumi's soft, sleek voice.
"Like I've died, gone to Hell, came back again, and gotten stepped on by an elephant." That was what Sano WOULD have said, had he not truly felt just as described above; so instead, Sano shortened his explanation by whispering hoarsely, "Like Hell."
Megumi nodded, sliding the cloth down Sano's neck with caring precision. "It's to be expected," she whispered. "Can you move your left hand?"
Wanting to please the doctor, Sano attempted to flex his fingers. A dull ache suckled them with prickling fangs, ceasing Sano's movement altogether. "Yeah…" he murmured.
"Whenever you can, try to move them," advised Megumi, dabbing Sano's face with the damp towel once more. Sano licked his lips, waiting for Megumi to speak again. "After a while, once you've exercised your fingers….they're frostbitten… I can give you a drink."
Sano's parched mouth threatened to beg aloud for a beverage, but his chapped lips were too busy panting for breath. Megumi sighed, looking down at the injured fighter. He was still perspiring like crazy; his bronze skin dotted with beads of sweat. His temperature had risen at a frightening rate not too long ago; Megumi had removed Sano's bandanna, jacket, chest, ankle, and wrist wraps, and of course his shoes.
Giving the poor boy another look, Megumi crouched down near to him and gave in to his begging stare. She filled a small cup of water, allowing Sano to down it with the help of Megumi's hands. It wasn't enough to satisfy him, but it wet his throat enough so he could speak. "What happened, may I ask?" Megumi whispered. "Not many can do this number on you…"
Sano would have smiled, had he not been so tired; for the Fox had just paid him a compliment of sorts. "Some guys were dissin' ya…" he croaked softly, giving Megumi a sentimental look he rarely gave anyone at all. "…tried t'beat him, but…ambush…"
Megumi looked down at Sano with a sort of flattered horror. It was because of her that Sano went through this? "What?" she couldn't help but mutter. This can't be!
"They said…" Sano continued stubbornly, unwilling to fabricate. "…you were a witch, and all… used evil arts t'heal people… that you were a woman and women can't be… real doctors, and then they said… stuff about your body…" He wouldn't tell Megumi of the obscenities the drunks had snickered, but it was in truth those words that had really inflamed Sano's anger. She was his fox to ogle, and not theirs.
"Sano, shh." Megumi sighed, giving him another sip of water. He attempted to drink the whole glass, eagerly downing it and attempting to reclaim the cup when Megumi tried to pull away. She ignored Sano's protests and set the cup aside. "People often spread rumors about me and my career, Sano… it's nothing new. You really didn't have to go through all of that…"
Megumi was surprised to find the hurt look upon Sanosuke's face when she met his eyes. "But, Fox…" he whispered, gulping. "I'd do anything for you."
He what Megumi stared open-mouthed in shock, in disbelief that Sagara Sanosuke had just said that to her. Sano looked back with just as much surprise, absolutely mortified that he had actually told the doctor such a thing.
If his fever had not already flushed his face, Sano would have turned utter scarlet. "Uh…" Let me pass out, he begged inside, the ache of his muscles considering the option. Let me pass out! Please!
But he didn't. He continued staring up at the astonished Fox Lady, like he had been turned to stone. Megumi gazed back in a similar fashion, until she broke the pause by turning about to look away, murmuring if Sano could move his fingers.
He flexed them again, finding they did not hurt as badly as before. The rest of him, he could tell, was bandaged up and sweating like heck; but to Sanosuke's sudden pleasure, he found that his pain was steadily lessening.
"Yeah," Sano murmured, blinking. "It's…not as bad."
Megumi's heart was hammering, so loudly she was sure Sano could hear it as well, despite his oblivious expression. She gulped, finding her voice once more and wiping a patch of clammy skin near Sano's collar bone, making him shiver. "Good," she said, "keep moving them, or else."
Sano silently agreed. He did not feel like arguing; simply doing as he was told was a lot easier and less painful than bickering about being ordered around. He was still quite embarrassed, but hurt that Megumi did not appreciate what he went through to get to her, and to defend her honor.
Megumi noticed his unnatural silence; even as a wounded man, Sano was always a rowdy one. She looked up, catching the fleeting look of distress glide across Sanosuke's face; and it hit her like a slap across the face: he had meant what he said. No lie, for sure; Sano had earnestly admitted he would go through anything for Megumi.
"Sano…" Something inside Megumi—she couldn't exactly explain what—compelled her to speak. The boy snapped to attention, or at least, to an extent through the distracting injuries everyplace on his body. Megumi sighed, feeling rather guilty. "I'm sorry… th… thank you. I appreciate your concern."
He knew she tried, but Sano couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that Megumi addressed him with such a standoffish apology and thanks. 'I appreciate your concern' wasn't really the 'Thank you for risking your life for me, and throwing your honor away for my reputation,' Sano had wanted.
Heaving a tired puff of breath, Sano closed his eyes without reply. Megumi immediately panicked, flustered. What have I done wrong? she wondered frantically, blinking at Sano's unresponsive face. Why doesn't he just smile and make some comment? Is he upset with me?
"Sanosuke," she whispered, causing the man to reopen his chocolaty orbs with only slight annoyance. "Sano, I'm sorry…" What am I apologizing for, dimwit?
He didn't look the slightest bit phased. Instead, with a bitter twist of his lips, he muttered, "I am, too." And he closed his eyes.
"Sano!" Megumi nearly cried, causing the man to start. Sanosuke opened his eyes for the second time, in confusion. "What do you want me to say, then! Stop ignoring me and being such an idiot, it's not going to help!"
Gazing up with fascination of just how close Megumi leaned towards his face, though it was in anger; Sanosuke found his breathing had sped up a bit. "I want…" You. "I want, um…" You. "Er…" Your heart, mind, soul—I want you, Takani Megumi.
Instead, Sano whispered in reply, "I want you to promise me the same thing…"
All moisture left Megumi's throat as she looked down at her ashamed patient, who had averted his gaze. Sano openly declared, honestly, from the lips of his heart he had told her he would to anything for her…could she return the honesty? Did she really feel the same way, or were Megumi's constant thoughts about him only of worry and annoyance?
"I… I don't know, Sano." The utter shame and hurt that crossed the teenager's face was enough to break Megumi's own heart, as well. She continued, her hands shaking, "I don't know if I can say that to you."
"Mm." Sanosuke's eyes went back into their dead, emotionless state. He didn't want to look at her. He didn't want to see her, hear her, or recognize the fact that all that Sagara Sanosuke had done for Takani Megumi was for nothing, for she didn't care a bit. He had held his heart out to her in the only way he knew how, and thus in the doctor's gentle hands, she had snapped it in two.
Why does it hurt so much to tell him this? Megumi thought, panicking inside. Why—why does it feel wrong, when moments ago it seemed so frightening to say yes…? Sano's a brawling mooch, and I am a doctor! How can I swear myself to him? There's no way we could work it out!
But you do love him, came a defiant voice. You love and care about Sano like you do yourself, and maybe even more. Admit it, Megumi—it'll only hurt you more when you come to realize it later, and find that Sano is no longer around or willing to listen to you.
"Sanosuke…" Megumi gasped, her voice shaking. "I… I don't know what to say… I… I want to tell you…"
Sano snapped his confused, hurt gaze towards her. "Uh?"
"I want to tell you that I would do anything to make you happy," Megumi said, her voice box threatening to rebel. Tears of fear and self-hatred welled up in her eyes, and Megumi found herself clutching at his blankets. "I would, Sano… but I'm afraid it'll be a lie, if I can't… I'd never be able to make Sanosuke happy like he makes me happy."
A strong right hand that smelled of cotton and blood floated up to cup Megumi's wet left cheek. Megumi protested the gesture when she heard Sano utter a soft groan of discomfort, since his muscles and bones ground together still like sand and stone. Sano was unwilling to remove his arm, caressing her face with his thumb as delicately as he could through his pestered concentration.
"Megumi always makes Sanosuke happy," he murmured in return, "except when she is not happy, because then Sano is sad, too. Because Sano would do anything for Megumi; he'd do anything to make her happy."
With a soft sob, Megumi couldn't help but cry. "But you went through…snow, and beatings, and…and…the wind, the fever, and frostbite…broken bones…"
Sano smiled. "They don't hurt as bad when Sano's Fox Lady smiles at him, when she's happy."
"I'm sorry," Megumi sniffled, trying to cease her tears. They slowed a bit, to her relief. It was such warmth that stepped inside her soul when Sano smiled so cheerfully, when she knew he was really aching all over. To know her happiness did really matter to Sano.
He looked at her with such a sweet sense of worry Megumi couldn't help but smile and laugh shakily. "I'll make it work," he said softly. "Megumi… you know I won't leave ya hangin'… I promise I'll get a job, and quit…" Making a slightly unwilling face, Sano continued, "I'll quit gambling, and I'll do whatever as long as I can stay with you… only if you want to, of course…"
Megumi snatched up the opportunity with a soft chuckle. "Will you give up sake, too? And fighting?"
Sano's jaw dropped with horror, unable to conjure words for several moments. His lips twitched and moved with excessive trauma, unsure of how to reply to this awful imposition. At last, Sano muttered, "You're too damn sly, woman."
She laughed at his touchiness, and Sanosuke's bittersweet expression, that quickly turned to a smile at the sight of Megumi's cheer. "If that is the case," Megumi said, brushing some of Sanosuke's bangs out of his eyes with a feathery caress. He squeezed eyes shut, making a noise like to a purr. Snickering, Megumi continued, "I would gladly do anything to make Sano happy."
"……Sano'll be happy as long as the Fox doesn't stop petting his face."
Laughing again, Megumi felt a surge of determination as she bent over to kiss the purring Rooster on the cheek. She made sure to steer clear of any cuts or bruises, pressing her lips momentarily to an unscathed patch of browned skin. Megumi heard Sanosuke's breath catch in his throat, both in delight and slight pain.
She blinked in amusement at Sanosuke's devilish expression, when Megumi pulled away. Tugging lightly on the sleeve of her kimono, Sano gestured to his lips. "You missed," he explained with a wide grin, despite the twinge of muscles.
"Oops," Megumi smiled foxily. "It's just too bad for you that your mouth smells like dried blood; and probably tastes like it, too."
His face clouding in a rather disappointed and exasperation expression, Sano replied with the tactic he knew best: complaining. His aching condition helped the matter; when in pain Sano found it easier to whine without shame. "So? You said you'd do anything for me, Fox," he hissed, pulling urgently on Megumi's sleeve like a little boy.
Face lit with demonic pleasure, Megumi shook her head. "No way! I'd rather kiss a Rooster, Sanosuke!" she cackled.
"But I…I…" He scowled. No way in heck was he going to admit that he was a Rooster, so that Megumi would kiss him. That'd destroy all his morals, not to mention that he'd never hear the end of it: of how Sanosuke admitted that he was a Rooster.
"Besides," Megumi continued, her grin growing eviler by the second. "I have to continue your treatment…in fact, you know; with your fever it's not good to near anything that'll build up extra heat in your body. Do you know what that means?"
Sano shook his head, unnerved. Megumi leaned over again so that her smirking face was very near to his. "It means, my Koukou-chan," Megumi purred deviously, "that I have to take the rest of your clothes off."
A dawning comprehension lit Sano's expression, a mixture of utter fear and complete enthrallment slapping itself on his features. "Uh…okay, why don't we… wait a minute—I am not a little baby chicken!" Infuriation replaced shock and excitement, as the realization hit that Megumi had called him such a thing.
Outraged as Megumi began to laugh in her peculiar way ("Ohohoho!"), Sanosuke grumbled crossly, until he felt Megumi sliding his blankets down his chest, and fiddling with the bow of his pants. "HEY! You were serious!" he gasped, feeling blood threaten to rise in his throat as he shouted. Luckily, he didn't cough it up.
"Of course!" Megumi said, slipping off the tie."Now, be quiet. Shouting will worsen your state."
"Fox, wait a minute! You can't…um…."
"……"
"………?"
"I'll do anything for you, Sanosuke…you know that, right?"
"Oh, now it's easy to say…"
OWARI.
MadiSano: Hi again! If you're wondering what in the world instigated me to write such detailed Sano-Torture, I am very agitated with the Rooster and needed to realease my anger somehow. LOL:) Won't tell ya why, since the rage is passing on anyways...no more fics so evil, right? Heh, I liked the ending, though. As to Megumi's nickname of "Koukou-chan" or "Little Baby Chicken," that's actually my fond little nickname I use for Sano because I'm downright obsessed, even in the midst of outrage. Lol! This fics idea was suggested by SakuraDancer3, but don't blame her for the excessive Sano-Torture. That was me.
Requests will be considered and answered eventually...next I am writing a AU oneshot of Sano moving in next door to Megumi! And also, Sano's big ol' Chow Chow Notaro, too. Couldn't leave him out...poor Megumi! LOL! Until then!
