Story Thirteen: Into the West
She held him tight; his wet, sopping figure drenched by the rain. Four years had passed like singularly dropping grains of sand, slowly and painfully in the heart and soul of Megumi's being without her missed love. But that night, accompanied by the rolling peals of thunder and the talons of lightening illuminating the sky; he had returned to her.
Just as she had been securing the door to her home in Aizu, to call it a night; she had heard a faint knock from the other side. Hesitantly, frightened, Megumi braced herself and slowly slid open the front door. Seconds later, it was thrown open with disbelief as a tall, familiar figure basically lunged to her and seized her in embrace.
He was so wet. The rain outside and years of travel had definitely taken a toll on Sanosuke's health; scars anew ran like strokes of ink beneath Megumi's questing fingers, and his usually smooth chin pricked against her hair with a short, auburn stubble. Sano's hair had grown amazingly, Megumi noted as her fingers found an unruly lock of brown hair that lay limply over Sanosuke's right shoulder.
"Ah, Meg…I'm home," he breathed, holding Megumi tighter than before. Not that she minded. Despite the fact her Rooster was travel-worn, sopping wet, and in serious need of proper grooming; he was still as gorgeous and intriguing as he had been as a freeloading, scruffy, whining, rogue teenager.
Megumi removed her arms from his waist and shoulder, raising her trembling fingers to hold his face, looking into the one familiar thing about this man besides the trademark bandanna and shoes. His eyes. His bright, mischievous chocolate orbs that grinned down at her with a familiar feel. "I missed you so much," she whispered, before gently kissing his lips.
"I missed you more," he bickered softly, smiling wide and kissing her again before she could reply. Megumi let her flame of protest wither as she reached up to pull him closer; years of loneliness, fear, and worry melting away as she assuaged into his arms.
Lay down
Your sweet and weary head…
Night is falling;
You've come to journey's end.
Sleep now,
And dream of the ones who came before…
They are calling,
From across the distant shore.
He thought she'd be angry. He thought she'd scream at him. Sanosuke never imagined Megumi would accept his return so…easily, so happily and without complaint! It was quite something…no, she was quite something. Years of loneliness had not aged her appearance at all, but Megumi's eyes…they were so much calmer, and less enthusiastic than what he remembered…
And then it hit him of why, and relief seeped through Sanosuke as he whispered into her ear, "You're tired." He felt her shift against him sleepily, her soft cheek rubbing against his collarbone. He smiled at the feel, letting his head recline on Megumi's with a sigh. "C'mon, Kitsune…I'll take ya."
His arms, twice as thick with muscle as Megumi remembered, came to sweep her off her feet with almost ridiculous ease so that he could carry her down the hall. Megumi didn't argue, she was happy and content with anything; her Rooster was home.
Time had a funny affect upon their relationship. Instead of hatred, and the bitter feel of betrayal, the four years of independence had dawned upon their horizon of just how much they could miss someone they loved.
Megumi remembered the night that Sano had admitted to her that he had to leave soon, and that he could not take Megumi to where he was going. How upset she became; she had screamed at him, crying in frustration; everyone she truly loved had always ended up leaving her. It hurt, hurt like no pain Megumi had dared to feel before…it made her feel ignored, and angry.
But he left. He had to. Amid Megumi's sobbing that one night, four years ago, he had stood silently, shamefaced for causing his love so much heartache. "I'm sorry, Megumi…" he had whispered. "I'm sorry…"
That is it, Megumi thought as Sanosuke's arms lowered her to the futon. He himself joined her moments later, wriggling out of his sopping jacket, shoes, and bandages only to toss them upon the floor. I don't need to worry about that…he's back, isn't he… "Sano," she murmured, as the equally exhausted man made himself comfortable next to her, pulling Megumi gently against him.
"…Aa," he whispered softly, and Megumi paused when she heard his voice crack. Concerned, she looked up into his face and blinked in shock at what she saw there.
"Sanosuke?" she breathed, reaching up to cradle his cheek. His tears raced down his face, slipping under and over Megumi's fingers like fleeing, silver fireflies. There were very few occasions to which Megumi had seen Sanosuke cry, most of which were out of joy…but he seemed so very sad, so very tired now.
He tugged her close again, his breathing snagging in his throat amid his soft sobs. "Meg…" Lifting one arm, he enveloped Megumi's shoulders and the back of her head, weaving his long fingers in her raven hair. "Megumi…. I…I'm so sorry…"
"Why?" she whispered, her hands uncertainly slipping over his drying torso.
Swallowing softly, Sanosuke whispered, "…I was so…scared that I was makin' the wrong decision by leaving Japan…by leaving you… I was afraid I'd die, and leave you alone… I was scared you'd think I had died, and moved on with another man… b-but most of all…"
"I was scared…" he finished softly, his wet auburn eyes gliding down to meet Megumi's, "that I was being selfish, still wanting to love you like I do… when in fact now more than ever, I don't deserve you…"
Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see,
All of your fears will pass away,
Safe in my arms.
You're only sleeping…
She held his hand, as he clasped her smaller one in his. The sharp noises of hooves slapped upon the ground outside the carriage traveling through downtown Tokyo, and both Sanosuke and Megumi waited anxiously to arrive at their destination.
Peeking at the contemplating lady beside him, Sanosuke allowed a mischievous smirk to slide over his lips. Reaching over, stealthily slipping her hand free of his, Sano bit his lip lightly as he snuck his fingers to rub Megumi's inner leg.
A smarting slap on his wrist was the startled reply, causing the Rooster to snicker while his Fox barked lectures of etiquette and proper manners; whether or not they were alone they were still in a public place.
"Whatever you say, Foxy," Sanosuke chuckled, casually leaning back against the hard wood of the carriage seat as he put his hands behind his head, stretching his long legs out before him. He no longer had his beloved shoulder-length hair; Megumi herself had insisted on cutting it. To Sano's surprise, Megumi trimmed it only so it could easily flip back into its Rooster-ish style.
"I like my Rooster to look like a Rooster," she had teased upon his inquiry. On top of his haircut, Sanosuke was also beseeched to shave; Megumi didn't recall seeing any local Roosters with beards—despite the fact Sanosuke sourly insisted it was only a stubble and a rather sexy one, too.
Slowly, the carriage came to a halt. Sanosuke looked up, tensing with anticipation as he got up and opened the door, only to turn about and let Megumi out first. Collecting their luggage, Sanosuke jumped out, signaling for the driver to go about his merry way.
Stepping up beside his love, Sanosuke let his eyes glide up to settle on a familiar sight, that in which his homesick heart had not set sight on in a very long time.
What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea,
A pale moon rises…
The ships have come to carry you home.
The noisy screeching of seabirds echoed in Sanosuke's mind, the smell of bittersweet salt wafting to his nose, the rhythmic crashing of waves against the shore… and the image of that looming ship that Sanosuke had voluntarily escaped his deeds upon, fleeing the country and his future…
He was jerked back to the present when Sanosuke felt warm fingers wrap around his own, leading him eagerly through the Kamiya Gates. Sanosuke let his eyes wander, drinking in every familiar sight of the Dojo as Megumi escorted him down the path to the porch.
Before they could even reach it, the door slid open to reveal a grinning young man that Sanosuke vaguely remembered; his appearance had changed so—Sanosuke gasped and laughed when the boy excitedly raced off the veranda to embrace him.
"Sanosuke!" yelled Yahiko; his voice had matured, too. "Sanosuke is back!"
Chuckling, Sano couldn't help but grin at the older version of the twerp he had left his apartment to, years ago. "Hey, Kenshin!" Sanosuke shouted at the Dojo, "Get out here; I'm being attacked by some freak who's pretending to be Yahiko-chan!"
A sound slug reverberated across Sanosuke's shoulder, widening his grin at the infuriation upon Yahiko's face at been called little. The doors to the Kamiya Dojo slid open to reveal a surprised Kaoru, and a smiling Kenshin. The two stepped out onto the porch, taken by the initial shock of Sanosuke's return, which seemed as sudden as his exit.
"S-S-Sanosuke…" Kaoru stammered, clenching her fists over her chest as tears filled her wide crystal eyes. She looked fairly the same, despite the fact her hair was now tied up in a bun instead of the tomboyish ponytail Sano remembered. "I…I…I…Sano, I…m…missed you, you ass!"
Instead of the teary-eyed embrace Sanosuke had half expected, he was met with a ferocious right hook right across the face. It didn't really hurt—none of her attacks did much but sting or ache; but to Sanosuke's shock he found that she had actually improved some. Obviously becoming a mother hadn't softened Kaoru's temper, no sir.
"Oi, Jou-chan," Sanosuke snickered, grinning and holding his face. Due to the excessive greetings, Sano had dropped all of the baggage he had been carrying, but Yahiko was already picking them up and bringing them inside the Dojo, whistling.
Kaoru turned to Megumi, grasping the amused doctor in a hug. "Megumi-san! Konnichiwa…" Looking up and smiling wide, Kaoru cocked her head curiously and raised her eyebrows in question. When Megumi nodded, Kaoru whooped, letting go of her friend and awarding Sanosuke with the hug he had first presumed. "Aah! Sanosuke, you lucky mutt!"
Rolling his eyes and teasingly patting the sobbing swords instructor upon the head, Sano grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, lucky…but really, a mutt, Jou-chan? Couldn't you call me something else?"
"Bird!"
There was a pause as the new, childish voice was acknowledged, all eyes drifting over inquisitively to the entryway into the building. A small child stood proudly there, hands upon his narrow hips. A fiery mop of hair was tied back into a short ponytail, contrasting pleasantly to the forest green gi that clothed the babyish body. A pair of sea-blue eyes smirked at the attention their owner received.
Sanosuke could have sworn a miniature Kenshin stood in the doorway, insulting him and his hair. "Bird!" cried the child in an almost accusing manner, complete with the pointing of his tiny finger.
Kenshin, smiling in amusement, bent down and picked up the pointing child. "This is Kenji, this one's son," Kenshin said his soft voice, looking at his missed friend happily.
Despite the newness of the content expression on Kenshin's face, Sanosuke was overcome by the irony and hilarity of both the resemblance between Kenshin and Kenji, and that the young boy seemed to have acquired Kaoru's eyes and tanuki personality.
Sanosuke laughed. While many things had stayed wonderfully the same; so much, indeed, had changed.
And all will turn
To silver glass…
A light on the water;
All souls pass…
He lay awake, staring up at the ceiling solemnly. Sanosuke knew he should have been asleep hours ago, but his mind was busy thinking so much that it hurt his head. He couldn't possibly fall asleep, not now… shifting slightly, Sanosuke looked down and over at Megumi, who lay asleep on his chest. She was so perfectly happy with him; how could that be? He had left her so rudely…everyone knew Megumi deserved better.
Then why? Sanosuke looked up at the ceiling again, sighing tiredly. It's not fair, not to her…so why, then? Why does Megumi have to live with someone who's…me?
After much thinking and questioning, Sanosuke finally came up with a satisfactory answer. Because, life isn't fair, and in this case Megumi is glad of that fact, because she wants to be with you. She wants to live with you and your faults, because where you fail she succeeds, and where she lacks you flourish. As pieces of a puzzle link, you complete one another and are happy doing so. That is love.
Blinking in exhaustion, Sanosuke rolled over a bit. He cradled Megumi's sleeping figure against him, as he relaxed into his napping position upon his side, his left arm tucked beneath his head so Megumi could fit just underneath his jaw. Even the way they slept, was like the pieces of the puzzle Sanosuke had theorized about.
"It's good to be home, Megumi," he whispered into her hair, kissing her brow in contentment before closing his eyes to rest at last.
Hope fades
Into the world of night.
Through shadows falling,
Out of memory and time.
Don't say, "We have come now to the end;"
White shores are calling,
You and I will meet again…
His heart had ached, on that dreadful night four years ago. Megumi had sobbed hysterically into his chest, unwilling to let Sanosuke free as though he might disintegrate into a billion grains of sand if she dared to let go.
"Please, don't leave me… don't leave me alone…" she kept begging, until Sano had felt bitter tears of his own rise in his lashes.
He embraced her, pressing her face into his shoulder gently with the palm of his hand as his nose nuzzled the side of Megumi's teary face. "I'm sorry, Megumi… I'm only doing this because I love you, and—"
"If you loved me, you wouldn't leave me like this!" she shouted into his shoulder, giving his chest a halfhearted thump.
Sanosuke felt no physical pain, but his heart was tearing itself apart. "Megumi, I have to leave, for you. If I don't, the cops will find me, and I don't know what they will do to you. It's best that I leave awhile, so my case can cool off before I come back. I promise, I'll come back… I promise, this isn't the end…"
"Why, Sanosuke…" Megumi kept crying, tugging pleadingly at the hem of his jacket. "Sano… Sanosuke, I'm scared… I don't want you to…"
"I don't want me to, either," Sanosuke purred softly, hugging her shaking frame against his own. He gulped; he was going to cry if he didn't do something soon. "But I know I'll come back, you know…you know I'll come back, and I'll never leave again… you know that…"
Do I? Megumi had thought, and she had fallen asleep in her lover's arms, just as those tears had begun to fall from his grieving eyes.
And you'll be here in my arms,
Just sleeping…
When Megumi awoke on her futon, covered in warm, thick blankets; she had never felt more alone when she realized that he was gone. His place upon the bed, his warmth, the sound of his breathing, and the scent of musk and the forest was missing… like a hole in Megumi's soul; Sanosuke was gone.
She had gotten up, fleeing through her home in search of her lover, hoping to find him to realize with joy that he had changed his mind. It was only then, when but an empty and silent house greeted Megumi, that she truly realized that he had left.
What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea,
A pale moon rises…
The ships have come to carry you home.
The waves crashed against the shore, on that morning, four years ago. They crashed against the rocky coast of Japan, white foam leaping onto the gritty beach. The pale morning sun gleamed down on the water, reflecting back up into Sanosuke's face as he leaned over the side of that ship he had fled upon, that ship that had stolen him away that day, four years ago.
"I promise I'll come back," he had muttered softly, "I promise, I will…"
A horn blew, startling the tall man out of his thoughts as he looked up. His hands sweated, and Sanosuke's heart hammered in his chest, seeming to crawl up into his throat and strangle him as the ship began leaving dock. He couldn't cry, not here.
I'll cry, he had decided, when I get back. Only then… when I come back… Looking up, as he began drifting away, into the West on that ship, four years ago; Sanosuke watched Japan slip out of sight, hidden by the oceanic waves crested silver.
And all will turn
To silver glass…
A light on the water;
Grey ships pass
Into the West.
OWARI.
MadiSano: Well, I hope I did that songfic to a well enough extent! I tried to make it a little dramatic, but intially I wanted it to be happy. I failed. LOL I reread it and it's actually sad! Oops. Also, I hope I got the right idea in Sano going westward in his seafaring journey? Since he went to China and Mongolia and whatnot...but then again he could have went East and made his way around, but I just decided to play it my way and pretend he went West. I thought it was kind of new of how I went backwards in time; going from Sano's return, to Sano reuniting with the rest of the Kenshingumi, and then back four years to Sano telling Megumi goodbye, to Sano finally leaving Japan. Weeeeiiird...oh well. :D It was fun. Reviews, please?
Well, onto the upcoming whatnot! To Lauz; thank you very much for the recommendation for "An Unexpected Love Story;" I liked it a lot! XD If anyone else is interested, you should most definitely read the fic! Anyways, I'm still a little unsure about what precisely I'm going to post next on this oneshot series...I'm thinking maybe I'll do Lara's request about how Megumi is forced to marry Sano against her will, for she believes she hates him! Don't worry, though. I'm sure our little fox will change her mind once she gets to know our baby chicken better! ;D Thanks Lara, I'll miss you! Have fun traveling, but don't be like our baka Roosterhead and stay away for four years! LOL!
I am going to post a new SanoMeg story soon! Yay! LOL! It's an AU. Check out my profile to read of what it is about, if you want to. :) Thank you very much, to all of my readers; your words warm my heart and make me smile! Love ya, ja!
