Beginning Note: So, this was actually written a while ago, but I've been lazy about typing… Soooorrryyyy. I apologize for the slight lemon at the end of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the RuroKen characters… I just screwed them up for my own sick purposes. They belong to Watsuki Nobahiro.

You Know That I Need You

The messy haired fighter eyed the lithe girl with a hungry brown gaze. He wanted her so badly; it hurt deep inside his chest. He clenched his fists, wincing as pain shot through his arm. He had forgotten how swollen his hands were.

"Hey, great fight tonight, Sano!" Kenshin said, coming from behind and clapping the taller man on a thickly muscled shoulder. "You definitely have a great chance for the title this year!"

"Yeah, maybe," Sanosuke muttered, glancing at his small-boned friend.

Relax, he thought to himself as his already battered hands protested more abuse by being clenched tightly.

"Kaoru and I are taking you out to celebrate, so go into the locker room, shower, change, and we'll get going," the red-head said, flipping open his cell phone to make a reservation.

Sanosuke glanced at the raven-haired girl sitting on the wooden bench in the hallway with a book and a highlighter before slipping into the locker room.

Under the stream of almost scalding water, the fighter thought about what he had passed up. Kaoru had always been in his life since their days at the orphanage, all the way past their college years. He had promised her adoptive parents that he would take care of her when they moved to the city together. But while Sanosuke had promised them that, she also took care of him, nursing his bar fight wounds and rubbing his back when he had a hangover. He figured it was only a matter of time before it developed into something more permanent.

The big man swore under his breath as he turned off the burning water and wrapped a towel around his trim, well-muscled waist. His relationship with Kaoru had been well on its way until Kenshin had come into the picture. Sanosuke liked the small man and they had become fast friends, but he knew that the redhead had skeletons hidden deep within. He recognized the hallow look in the older man's violet eyes. It used to mirror his own.

Sanosuke thought about all the reasons why Kaoru and Kenshin shouldn't be dating and came up short. The man had a dark past, but so did he and Kaoru after the abuses they faced on the street. As he threw his fighting gear into his gym bag, he remembered his best friend and her state two weeks ago. Kaoru and Kenshin had been dating for about a year and a half and they didn't fight often, but when they did, it was ugly.

While she technically didn't live with him anymore, Kaoru still had a room at Sanosuke's apartment with a few of her things. She had called him hysterically crying at 1:45am, saying that she was at the door, but couldn't find her key. The older man had opened the door and she collapsed into his arms, sobbing. What he got from Kaoru was that she was sick and tired of Kenshin being haunted by his past and not dealing with the present. His inability to let go and open up to her was driving her beyond mad.

"I can't do this anymore, Sanosuke," she said, voice muffled by his chest. "I'm invisible half the time. Relationships are hard most of the time, but Kenshin's issues make it harder!"

He hugged her tighter against him.

"I know, Jouchan, I know," he said into her hair. "He's hiding something from you. You shouldn't have to deal with that. It's unfair to you. I know the look he has. I used to be like him, you know that."

"You had a reason to let go," the girl said, looking up at her tall friend. "Why am I not enough for him? What am I doing wrong, Sano?"

"Oh, babe," he muttered. "You're not doing anything wrong. He's an idiot to not recognize how amazing you are. Kaoru, you deserve so much more than that. You really do."

He hesitated, unsure if he should say more.

Fuck it, he thought.

"Kaoru, I know you think that professional fighting is the reason I let my past go," he said, blushing lightly. "But it's not the whole reason. I was able to let go of who I used to be and the things I had done because I realized I had someone else to live for. You."

"Me?" the raven-haired girl echoed in shock, leaning against the well-toned fighter.

"Well, yeah," Sanosuke said, very much embarrassed. "I realize how much my gang lifestyle was hurting you. I couldn't continue to watch you spill any more tears over my stupidity. And if that red-headed idiot had any sense, he would realize how lucky he is to have you."

"Oh, Sano," Kaoru said, hugging him tightly. "You're so good to me."

They sat down on the faded leather couch, thighs touching.

"I only treat you the way you deserve to be treated," he told his friend, softly tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled at him shyly.

"It's more than I deserve," she whispered, resting her milky white forehead against Sanosuke's tan shoulder. "I think this is it between Kenshin and me…"

Sanosuke gripped the girl's chin gently between his fingers.

"Look at me, Kaoru. You deserve better than what he's giving and more."

Kaoru flushed a deep red and the spiky-haired ex-gang member leaned down slowly and placed a soft kiss on her full lips, falling even more in love with her. He pulled back apologetically, seeing the surprise register on her face.

"I'm sorry," he muttered quickly, desperately wanting to take back what he did, but at the same time… he didn't.

Kaoru gripped him by his shirt collar and pulled him to eye level.

"Who said to stop?" she asked, and surged forward, capturing his lips with her own.

Sanosuke responded with fevered passion, setting his nerves aflame. This is how it was supposed to be. It was always supposed to be him and Kaoru, from day one. This is what he had been waiting for since they were ten years old.

He slid his hands up under her shirt and stroked her back with careful movements. He felt the girl shiver under his touch. Her pale skin was flushed as they broke apart for air and the fighter's tan skin was tinged pink. Sanosuke realized belatedly that Kaoru had shifted and was sitting in his lap, well-toned legs wrapped around his waist. He raised a dark eyebrow at his friend and she threw her head back and laughed at his look. He joined in, holding her close to prevent the lithe girl from falling off his lap.

"Didn't know you bent that way," Sanosuke commented nonchalantly.

"You'd be surprised," Kaoru said with sly innocence. "Care for a demonstration?"

"Think I'd be impressed?" he inquired, standing up while keeping a firm grip on the girl's behind.

Kaoru cocked her head cutely to the side, raven hair falling sideways.

"Most definitely."

With that, the former Sekihoutai gang member carried his best friend into his bedroom.

The slam of a locker brought Sanosuke back into the present. He had really thought that night would seal forever with Kaoru, but instead, it did the opposite.

When he had woken up the next morning, the bed was empty, but the smell of coffee floated from the kitchen to his nose. Emerging from the bedroom, he found Kaoru sitting on the balcony in one of his t-shirts, knees up, and her delicate hands wrapped around a mug of black coffee. Pouring himself a cup, Sanosuke slid open the door and placed a soft kiss on the top of his best friend's head.

"Hey, babe. How'd ya sleep?" he asked, taking a sip of the steaming liquid.

"Fine. It's been awhile since I've slept in the apartment."

There was a pause. She hadn't looked at him yet.

"Ah… Yeah, well. You know," Sanosuke half stuttered, unsure of what to say to the girl. "Kaoru-"

Her cell phone ringing interrupted the messy haired fighter.

"Hello? Hi, Kenshin."

Wincing, Sanosuke went back inside the apartment and sat at the dining room table, slowly sipping his coffee and watching Kaoru talk to Kenshin on the phone.

Shit, that can't be good, he thought as he watched her laugh and smile at something the other man had said.

"So?" the big man asked when she got off the phone and stepped back into the apartment.

"So what?"

"What's the deal? Did you guys break up?"

Kaoru looked away guiltily.

"He wants to talk and try to fix things," she said quietly. "I said yes."

Sanosuke stiffened.

"What about us? Last night?" he asked, his fists white-knuckled around his mug.

"There is no us," the young woman said flatly.

"Bullshit," he snapped. "You were the one who straddled me last night!"

Kaoru's eyes flashed.

"Oh, really?" she asked, her notorious temper flaring into life. "Who was the one who kissed me in the first place? Don't place the blame on me!"

"Hey, girlie, I apologized and you said 'Don't stop'! It's your fault as much as mine, Jouchan."

Last night shouldn't have happened. It was a moment of desperation on both of our parts," Kaoru quipped.

"Fuck you, Kaoru. I can't believe you," the older man spat. "You know damn well that it wasn't a moment of desperation."

"So it was destiny?" she asked with a bitter laugh. "Grow the hell up, Sanosuke. This isn't a fairytale or a movie. The hero doesn't always get the girl. End of story."

Kaoru flew around the apartment, gathering her clothes and pulling on her jeans. She headed towards the front door.

"Why aren't I good enough?" Sanosuke asked, throwing the dark-haired girl's words back at her. "Or am I just not enough?"

Her pretty face crumpled.

"You're better than good enough," she whispered, voice thick with emotion. "You're perfect."

"Then why? Why him and not me?"

Kaoru's azure eyes were sad before she turned to leave.

"Because you never asked, Sanosuke," she said sorrowfully.

"Kaoru-"

"I have to go," she said. "I still love him despite of everything. It's hard because I love you the same way."

She slipped out the door before he could say anything more.

Throwing on clothes and running a hand through his perpetually messy hair, Sanosuke remerged from the locker room, met by an exuberant Kenshin.

"Let's go, buddy!" he said, clapping the much larger man's shoulder. "We can try and pry Kaoru from her research."

"Books don't write themselves, Kenshin" Kaoru said, not even looking up.

After that one night, it had become awkward between the two. They barely talked to each other in the past two weeks. Sanosuke hadn't told the redhead about sleeping with Kaoru and from the blush that stained her cheeks when she looked at him, he was pretty sure that she hadn't told him yet either.

Later, as he hovered over the naked waitress from the restaurant they had eaten at, he knew all he had to do was bide his time. Kaoru would get sick of Kenshin's treatment of her and she would come back to him. As he ran a tongue over the blonde girl's nipple, he remembered Kaoru from that night and the sound of her cries and moans.

All he had to do was wait and Kaoru would be his and he would hear those sounds all the time. He growled in pleasure at the thought as he thrust himself forward, making the waitress cry out. Kaoru would come to him and he could stop sleeping with nameless, faceless women. She would be his.