Disclaimer: I do NOT own Rurouni Kenshin, their likeness, or any part of it.

I should be in bed, but I've been feeling the urge to write lately and so I dug out something I had started working on a long time ago. Also, stress is a great motivator. I hope you like this. This is actually something that will be multi-chaptered. Crazy right? I am actually promising you more chapters!

Side note, fall has come to Japan and it's gorgeous.

Another side note, and it's VERY IMPORTANT! Eeni has updated her doujinshi of The Courtship of Lady Tokio! Find it on my Tumblr, her Tumblr (links should be in my profile), or message me and I'll tell you where to go.

Anyways here we go:

Saitou cleared his throat and ground his teeth together. Okita had never seen his friend so embarrassed before, not in the 15 years they had known each other. He wished he had his camera to record the moment, and that Hajime would spit out what he wanted.

As fun as it was to watch Hajime at a loss for words Okita decided to give his friend a push, patience was never really his thing after all. "I can't read minds Hajime. Well I can try." Okita put his fingers to his temple and started humming.

Saitou reached out and smacked his friend upside the head, throwing him a resentful glare while he was at it.

"Ow!"

"You should have seen that coming," he ground out.

Okita rubbed the side of his head, screwing his eyes shut to keep tears from falling, "Bast -"

"Would you - may I - " Saitou sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand and started again, "Tokio and I -"

Okita blinked and stared at his friend, completely forgetting about his throbbing head, "You and Tokio?" His mouth hung open when he finally realized what Hajime wanted to ask, "You want to date my girlfriend?"

Saitou once more glared at Okita, "Ex." He corrected.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Okita threw his head back and laughed. "The Saitou Hajime is asking me for permission!"

"Well?" He growled, this was not how he imagined this going and he definitely did not like being laughed at.

Okita wrapped his arms around his stomach and let his forehead touch the table as he continued to laugh.

"OY!" Saitou snapped.

"I am sorry. . . " A few snickers managed to escape Okita as he tried to calm himself down. "It's okay by me, but you really should ask her." Then after a moment's thought he became serious and met his friend's eyes, "If you hurt her, I'll be forced to take her back. Understood?"

Saitou scoffed and should anyone have passed by they would have been surprised to see a faint blush on the stoic man's face. "It won't come to that."

Okita beamed at his friend, "It better not."

Saitou knocked back his drink, and ordered himself another one. Despite Okita's approval and his smiles, Saitou saw the tinge of sadness in his eyes. He wasn't surprised after all the three of them had been friends since they were very young, and Tokio and Okita had been friends before he had come along. He understood what Okita was feeling. After all he had felt the same when Okita and Tokio had started dating.

- Fifteen Years Ago -

"Souji! Wait for me!"

Okita stopped and turned around to see his 11 year-old-neighbor and friend run up to him. "Tokio-chan," he said warmly.

"You're going home early." Tokio swung her schoolbag onto her shoulder as she came to walk beside him.

Okita nodded, "We ended practice early. Are you coming to the tournament tomorrow?"

Takagi Tokio gave him a flat look that clearly said, "of course." Which caused Okita to laugh, despite his amiable and approachable personality few would have known that it was actually quite difficult to get Okita to laugh.

"Stupid question." He said through his laughter.

"And to think you're three years older than me, but you're still so –"

"Let me help you out," Okita interrupted his friend. Striking a pose, with his hands on his hips, he declared, "I, Okita Souji, am brilliant! And swordsman extraordinaire!"

Tokio rolled her eyes. "No."

"NO?!" Then in an almost whine he said, "That's just cruel."

"You'll live. So are you ready for the tournament?" Tokio said, walking ahead and forcing Okita to jog just to catch up.

"You're ruthless you know! You attack my ego, walk off, and then change the subject like that?"

Tokio shrugged and started skipping beside her long time friend. "And?"

Okita stuck his tongue out, "Do you think that guy will be there?"

"You mean the one that gave you a run for your money?"

Okita clutched his heart and bent over. "Ouch! And where were you looking?! There was no one that fit that description!"

"All I know is that there was a tall kid with amber eyes," Tokio stood on her toes and stretched out her arms to indicate just how tall, "and he seemed to be giving you some trouble."

"There'll be trouble the next time I see him! You wait and see!" Okita nodded, and crossed his arms. He really hoped the tall boy would be there. It was the most fun he had had at a tournament in a long time.

"Just don't let him beat you."

Okita blew air out his mouth and pursed his lips. "I won't ever lose anything to that guy!"

Tokio laughed, "We'll just wait and see."

TBC

Please review! Off to bed . . .