Disclaimer: I tried to buy the rights to Rurouni Kenshin but I was short a bazillion dollars. Sadness. That being said, all rights belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shueisha and all that goodness.
Reviews are always welcome. In fact do it, review! Please? Alright, now that I am done begging for reviews I would like to apologize for the fluff. Apparently it's the only thing I can write but it's also what I like. For that I am sorry.
This "A Meet Cute. Well, Maybe Not so Cute." is really just going to be a dump for one-shots and shorts. They do not relate to one another unless expressly stated.
Also, I changed my name. Check out my profile if you want to know what it used to be.
So on to the story! Tally-ho! I watched Austenland . . . Oh! If you read to the very end (past my author notes) there's a bonus that I couldn't help but write.
Tokio jabbed at the screen, her eyebrows drawing in together as it failed to respond. When did they start using machines to check people in at the airport? Not that she'd really know, she rarely flew.
The throng of people surrounding and waiting to use the touch-screen did little to ease her agitated state. It amplified it. Especially since she could hear some of the irritated comments behind her. It was a touchscreen and it was failing to respond to her touch, what could she do? Obviously it was defective.
Tokio let out a frustrated groan giving the screen another vicious jab, "Stupid screen! Work!"
"There's nothing wrong with the screen. It's you."
Tokio whirled around prepared for battle. Unfortunately her opponent was much taller than the petite woman. That however did little to quell her annoyance. "Excuse me?"
Saitou smirked at the woman's frosty tone, causing her eye to twitch. "It's a touchscreen –"
"Obviously." Tokio interrupted him, bad temperedly. The man's sardonic tone was making it impossible for her to react in a calm and rational manner. It wasn't her day. Shoot, it wasn't even her week.
Saitou, completely unfazed, continued on. "It responds to touch. Stabbing it with your fingernail won't do anything."
Tokio glared and bit her lip to keep from kicking the stranger. If Tokio had been herself she would have listened and seen his point, even through the attitude, but Tokio was not herself. So she failed to see the logic in his statement.
Saitou was an observant man and he had noticed the dark circles under exhausted eyes, even now he saw how she tried to reign in her emotions. In the interest of time he reached around the woman and lightly tapped the screen. It responded immediately.
Tokio looked from the screen to the man, he in turn raised an eyebrow. After a few seconds of tense silence Tokio sighed, "Thank you." Ass she mentally added. Yes, he had helped her but he was awfully smug about it and that made him an ass in her book.
Saitou rolled his shoulders back mentally going over his itinerary for the next few days. He originally planned to fly out later in the day, but there had been a change of plans. So here he was, on standby, waiting to order his cup of coffee. He frowned as the man up the line took his sweet time ordering.
Saitou's thoughts would have remained on business, except for the sudden ill will directed at him. Turning he saw the woman from earlier, digging through her purse with more concentration than it required. He smirked. He wanted to laugh as she began to count out her money, purposely avoiding him. The woman clearly didn't care for him. It didn't bother him.
"Didn't your mother tell you that it's rude to stare?" Tokio gave up trying to ignore the man.
Saitou chuckled; he knew he tended to rub people the wrong way and it was obvious he was adding to her bad day.
Tokio glared at the man and coldly asked, "And?"
Saitou's grin was nothing short of wolfish. "You haven't met my mother." Still grinning he turned around that didn't stop him from hearing her mutter, "Rude."
Even with his back to the annoyed woman, he could hear her count her money and feel the occasional glare thrown his way.
Tokio jingled the money in her hand and studied the baked goods behind the glass, frowning slightly. There were only two brownies left and three people standing in line before her. Scratch that, there was exactly one brownie left now. She had exactly enough for a cup of coffee and a brownie. It would have to hold her off until she landed. If she were lucky there would be actual decent food on the plane. At the very least she could count on being able to stomach the bread or dessert they served on the plane.
She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. Only the tall man before her was keeping her from her coffee and brownie. Tokio would have been lost in her thoughts if the man hadn't asked for a brownie. Her brownie. And maybe because Tokio had been yanked out of her thoughts she didn't have time to think before she grabbed the man's arm.
"No!"
Saitou, who had been about to pull out his wallet to pay, turned, slightly startled, not that it showed, towards the woman holding onto his arm. People usually respected Saitou's space and kept their distance. "No what?"
Tokio gave the arm she was holding a squeeze before saying in a bewildered tone, "You work out." At the man's gaze, Tokio quickly let go of his arm, feeling a blush creep up her face, "I'm sorry . . ."
Then emboldened said, "You don't want a brownie. Think of the calories."
The girl, her nametag read Misao, behind the cash register looked from man to woman and back to the man. It wasn't everyday that someone took Saitou on. Then grinning wide she said, "Who gets the brownie?"
With his eyes still on Tokio he raised his hand to the girl, signaling for her to hang on a moment. "Is that so. Now are you actually concerned about my health or are there ulterior motives at hand. It is a very good brownie." To Saitou it was such an exaggerated response for a brownie and despite his earlier encounter with the woman exaggeration did not seem to be part of her character.
He was mocking her. Tokio could tell despite his serious expression. She cursed the amusement in the man's eyes. Tokio leveled her best no-nonsense look on the man, "Don't be an ass. I've had enough of asses, ok? Just do me this favour."
The girl behind the counter sniggered. "You wouldn't say that if you'd seen his."
Saitou sent Misao a withering glare. Misao responded with an innocent smile. And Tokio rolled her eyes.
Saitou turned his attention back to the woman, and said, "Order something else." As soon as he said it, he saw that the poor woman finally had enough.
"Look here mister." Tokio slammed her hand and money down onto the counter. "I have exactly enough for coffee and that stupid brownie. AND I am not using my card. You order something else."
Misao watched as they glared at each other, each willing the other to back down. Just when she was starting to wonder if she should intervene Saitou growled out to her, "Weasel, I am getting the brownie."
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Misao jumped onto the counter and tried to hit Saitou. At the same time her actions sent Tokio's money flying off the counter.
The three stopped and watched as the money spun out in all directions. Misao said, "Oops . . ."
Tokio felt all the fight go out of her as she watched her money scatter, suddenly tired.
"Weasel, the brownie." Saitou smirked in triumph when he saw the fire spring back into the woman's eyes.
Tokio glared and mumbled under her breath, "Another jerk in my life. Just my luck." She was too busy fuming as she dug through her purse for her wallet to notice when the man left. When she looked up, she met Misao's mischievous eyes. Tokio followed Misao's eyes downward.
And there on the counter was a cup of coffee and the stupid brownie.
"W-what?" Tokio stared, unwilling to believe it.
"He's not so bad, you know. He can be mean and he has a terrible sense of humour but he's not so bad."
Tokio smiled a little indulgently at the girl. "Thank you." Taking her coffee and brownie with her, wondering about the strange man.
Tokio flipped her phone open and noticed that it was nearly dead. Bringing the phone up to her lips she looked around for an outlet.
"Ah, there's one." Tokio made her way to the outlet but she was still a good bit away when a familiar figure made it to the outlet and then proceeded to plug in his own phone.
"Nope." Tokio casually changed her direction and went in search of another outlet. She felt silly avoiding the man and she really ought to thank him but she was far too embarrassed to face him.
Saitou smirked. He had seen the woman as she purposely walked away from him. She was becoming quite an interesting subject and he wondered if he would see her again. Normally he wouldn't have cared but he wondered what had her so out of sorts.
Saitou wasn't a man that believed in luck. That being said he had been lucky to get onto this particular flight, as booked as it was. However, he wasn't able to get a seat in first class or even in the emergency exit row. Saitou was a tall man and he needed the extra legroom if he was going to fly with any semblance of comfort.
Saitou frowned as he passed the emergency exit row. It was comforting to see that in case of emergency their lives were in the hands of a three-year-old and his mother. A mother that was showing far more interest in her phone.
Tokio watched as passengers walked by, watched as they stopped in the aisles to places their bags in the overhead compartments, and watched as a now familiar figure came through from first class. Tokio groaned, glancing at the empty seat next to her. Please don't sit here. Please not here. She thought manically as she hid her head in the airline magazine.
His sardonic voice broke through her mantra and Tokio cursed her bad luck.
"Getting some shopping done?"
Tokio bit her lip, still hidden behind her magazine. Deciding that it was far too childish to remain hidden, she sighed and put the magazine back in the pocket of the seat before her. "I was looking at the portable spa for my brother, what do you think?"
"Just what every man needs." Saitou drawled out. More than half of the items found in those airline magazines were a complete waste of money.
"Hm. Better that than a necklace that holds your wine glass for you." Tokio watched as the man placed his bag in the overhead compartment across from her. Maybe her luck was changing.
Saitou snorted as he said, "There's something of actual use."
Tokio laughed despite herself and she would have kept on with the conversation if a man hadn't plopped down into the seat next to her. She smiled politely at the man now seated next to her.
The new man leered and winked at Tokio. Her smile fell; nope her luck was still bad. Tokio cursed her earlier mantra and she sent Saitou a pleading look.
The man sitting next to Tokio said, "Lucky me I get – " He was interrupted when Saitou cleared his throat.
"You're in my seat."
"Nu-uh, this is my seat. Look." He shoved his ticket in Saitou's face. Saitou batted the man's arm away and refused to even look.
More than silently glad at this sudden development Tokio said, "Would you mind trading? We just got married." All the while smiling sweetly.
Just then one of the flight attendants appeared, a pretty young woman with blue eyes and hair pulled up into a ponytail. "Is everything okay? You should be in your seat, we're about to taxi."
Saito smiled, an insincere smile, "This man was just about to switch seats with me."
"Everything's fine." Tokio added. "This kind man offered to switch with my husband."
Saitou winced and the attendant's eyes widened. She looked a bit shell shock to be honest.
The man sensing that it was a losing battle, plus the taller man didn't seem like someone he should cross, wisely got up and changed seats. Muttering, "Fine. I don't care."
The man tried to clip Saitou with his shoulder but was thrown back instead.
As soon as the man was at his seat, Kaoru turned on Saitou, "You're married?!"
Tokio finally took the chance to look at the flight attendant and noticed her thunderstruck expression and Saitou's tense shoulders.
"Kamiya." Saitou snarled. "Don't you have a job to do?"
The young woman named Kamiya turned to Tokio and said, "You must be Buddha to put up with this man." Then turning back to Saitou, "You should sit down, we'll be taking off soon." She then walked off closing overhead compartments as she went.
Tokio laughed, "Just more of my bad luck."
Saitou sat down next to Tokio, shoulders still stiff. Tokio watched as he tried to get comfortable, with one knee out in the aisle the other in her space. These seats couldn't be very comfortable for a man as tall as him.
And because her mother did teach her manners she said, "Thank you for the brownie and coffee." Then quietly, "And for saving me."
"Hm." He dismissed her thanks and frowned as someone bumped into his knee. This was why he paid extra for the legroom.
"I suppose I should know my husband's name. You should know your wife's name too, Takagi Tokio."
Saitou turned to the woman and saw her expectant, if slightly mischievous, gaze. He sighed, "Saitou Hajime. I should have left you to your fate."
Tokio rolled her eyes. "You know, this is all ridiculous. If this were a story I'd call it bad writing."
Saitou leaned back into his seat and said, "That's life."
"Well someone is playing a bad joke on me. I can't decide if you're my bad luck or good."
Saitou smirked, "Let's call it good."
Tokio felt her face heat up and turned to look out the window, she didn't know why she told him but she did. "This was supposed to be my honeymoon and it would have been my husband sitting there. Not you."
Saitou turned to Tokio but she continued on, still looking out the window. "Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that he left me stranded. I mean I still found myself a husband."
"Tsch."
Tokio turned towards Saitou and gave him a peaceful smile, at ease for the first time in days.
Maybe he really did have good luck. At least that's what Saitou thought.
Author's Notes:
Okay. So a three-year-old and his mother would not be sitting in the emergency room. There are regulations against that but I didn't feel like changing it after I found out. Sorry.
This story came about while I myself was up in the air. I was listening to music, trying to tune out the man snoring right behind me, and daydreaming. I am 5'2" and I don't have a problem with legroom when flying but my brother who is 6'1" does. I started to wonder about my favourite couple on a plane.
Originally the whole thing was supposed to take place on the actual plane but it didn't turn out that way. The whole brownie incident went through several revisions. Something random, Saitou says Hugh Grant's line from Notting Hill.
Bonus (as promised):
Saitou watched as Tokio's head tilted slightly to the right and then to left, her breathing even. He was surprised how fast she fell asleep. He himself rarely slept on the plane and when he did it wasn't more than an hour of light sleep. Not Tokio.
Saitou had teased her as she tried to read the safety manual and follow the flight attendant's demonstration. When she couldn't hear the attendant's instructions she had lightly whacked him on the arm saying, "I am not going to help you if something happens."
To which Saitou had responded with, "After I saved you?"
"You only have yourself to blame." Then shrugging she said, "Life's not fair."
After that Tokio had taken her pillow, and his, and made herself comfortable against the window. At some point she had moved the pillows onto her lap, letting her head fall back against the chair.
Saitou breathed out from his nose, stretched his neck to one side and then another, and decided he should try and get some sleep. He had barely dozed off when a weight settled against him.
Saitou opened his eyes and turned to see Tokio, still asleep, make herself comfortable against him. Seemingly content to use him as a pillow. Both pillows now on the floor.
Saitou raised an eyebrow at the unconscious woman. You better not drool.
Takani Megumi made her way up the aisle to the back of the plane. Scanning the passengers should anyone need anything. She unintentionally stopped, stunned, when she saw Saitou Hajime with a woman snuggled against his side. He was reading a book and using one hand so not to disturb the sleeping woman.
Megumi would have continued to stare if Saitou hadn't looked up and sent her warning glare. Daring her to say something.
Just as she made it to the back she grabbed Kaoru, "Who is that woman with Saitou?"
Kaoru eager to share, whispered conspiratorially, "That's his wife!"
"WHAT!"
Several passengers turned towards the direction of the noise, others protested in their sleep, Saitou sneezed, but Tokio kept on sleeping.
It is now 4 am and I still have laundry to put away. I should probably have gone through this once more and edited it but I really wanted to post this.