Megumi awoke the next day with a yawn, once again lifting her eyes to see the bright sunlight streaming through the window of her room. Megumi was happy to see the bright sunlight and hoped that it signaled another beautiful day. Megumi never liked the rain since she was a child, though she never found a reason why. Turning over, Megumi found Kenshin fast asleep, his long crimson red hair fanned out around his pillow. Megumi smiled softly, admiring how peaceful and cute Kenshin was in his sleep. After a few moments the fox woke up as well, and with a mischievous grin Megumi silently slide out of her bed and into Kenshin's, curling up beside him. She caressed his cheekbone gently and lovingly played with his hair, causing him to murmur slightly and cling to her. Megumi's heart beat quickly as he held her, and she slid her hands around his waist and pulled him to her as well. Her lips brushed his, their bodies pressed tightly together, and Megumi's thin gown parted to expose her supple bust. She was always proud of her feminine charms, and her bust was larger than many women she knew. Larger than Kaoru's bust most importantly. Kenshin clung to Megumi tightly and she clung back, his warm breath on her neck, driving her crazy. Her soft hands caressed Kenshin's side, and as she felt heavenly in his arms, his eyes slowly fluttered open. Megumi beamed at him as he awoke, letting out a soft 'oro?' before he pulled away, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment
"M…Megumi-san? This one is sorry! This one did not know… This one did not mean to…."
Megumi purred happily, giving Kenshin a stern look.
"Kenshin-kun! After all that talk about it being wrong for us to sleep in one bed, you just crawl right in and snuggle up to me as if we were lovers? Can you not resist me, Kenshin-kun? Why, at this rate we mind as well just share one bed if you're going to just keep wandering into my bed at night!"
Megumi smiled, catching Kenshin's blush deepen, and his soft and kind blue eyes drifting to her chest and cleavage. She was poised and calm as ever, despite all her manipulation and lies. She leaned back to show off more of her smooth legs in her gown, pouting and looking sternly at Kenshin.
"…Yes, This one thinks that would be best in the end, Megumi-san."
Megumi blinked, not sure she heard Kenshin correctly. Did he just agree to sleep in one bed together? Was he really fooled by her lies, or was he, like she, just using it as an excuse to snuggle up together? For a moment, Megumi didn't feel like the cunning one in the room, but she never let that show on her face. No, Kenshin had made such a big deal about not sleeping in the same bed, the cunning fox must have fooled him. She was almost proud of herself, but she didn't care about pride, she cared about Kenshin
"Well, I am glad you agree. It is still early, come back to bed Kenshin-kun."
Megumi opened her arms to him, but he kindly shook his head with a smile
"This one needs a nice warm bath and something to eat, and then we must be going, Megumi-san."
Megumi pouted, but only for a moment. He was right, and she would now have all the time she wanted to cuddle with Kenshin, so she smiled and nodded as he left her alone. She washed and dressed with a smile, and left once Kenshin had eaten his breakfast.
As they set out, it wasn't long before they happened upon a small family owned tea shop. Megumi was hungry, as was Kenshin, so they went in and ordered some tea and steamed meat dumplings. They were served by a pretty young girl, around the age of 10, in a pale orange kimono, her long black hair flowing past her shoulders. She had soft hazel eyes, and seemed polite and very sweet. Megumi was delighted with her and couldn't stop smiling at the girl, who couldn't stop smiling in return. After they had finished their meal, the little girl took Kenshin's hand in hers, and Megumi's hand in her other hand, and begged them to go play with her. Unable to resist, both Kenshin and Megumi followed her outside into the side of her home and tea shop. Megumi looked to the kind Kenshin with a smile, knowing he had a way with children, and Megumi often enjoyed watching Kenshin play with the local boys and girls. This time, however, there was a curious look on Kenshin's face, and it made Megumi feel uneasy. She looked to the girl with a gasp, seeing her holding a dagger to Kenshin's chest that glistened in the sunlight.
"Give me all your money, all of it, and don't try anything funny with your sword there or I will cut your heart out!"
Megumi stared at the girl in disbelief. The sweet, kind little angel that had served them tea was now holding a knife to Kenshin's heart and trying to rob him of all his money by threatening his life. How was it possible the girl could have done this? Megumi looked to Kenshin, gasping softly, as she found a look of sadness in Kenshin's eyes. Kenshin shook his head sadly, and cupped the girl's cheek in his soft, gentle hand
"Why are you doing this, young lady? That knife is a weapon, and weapons are used to kill people. Are you going to kill me if I refuse? Why must your stain your innocent young hands with blood? You can't afford to get blood on your hands, nor should anyone as sweet as you ever need or have the desire to kill."
The girl's hands shook, tears in her eyes at Kenshin's gentle touch
"M..Mommy is sick and needs medicine badly and our little tea shop doesn't make nearly enough money. But mommy will die, she needs money for medicine so I will steal it from her. I.. I don't want to kill you, Mister! Just give me all your money!"
Kenshin shook his head, easing back the side of his yukata, and as he wrapped his hand around the little girls hand, he dug the girls blade into his shoulder. As his shoulder started to bleed, the little girl gave a yelp and dropped the knife, clinging to Kenshin as her eyes filled with tears
"No! Mister! Mister, you're bleeding! What have I done? Are you going to die? I'm sorry!"
Kenshin smiled and pulled the little girl into his arms, holding her close. His soft blue eyes were filled with endless sadness, and he looked for a moment as if he would cry himself. He rested her head against his chest, and his hand atop her head, and spoke softly to her.
"You see? You couldn't even hurt a penniless wanderer. Despite your good intentions, that knife would have done the same to anyone, and could have done far worse. Any weapon big or small is a tool used to hurt and to kill. I don't know your mother, but I would guess she would rather die than see her daughter harm another for her sake. Please promise me you will never pick up a knife again, for any reason. I don't want to see you cry again, and I don't want you to know what it is to harm another. I'm fighting to bring about a world where you, your family and friends, and perhaps this whole country will never again have to wield weapons designed to kill and will never get blood on their hands. "
The little girl sobbed into Kenshin's shoulder and nodded, looking up to him
"I promise! I don't want to hurt anybody! I won't ever do that again! I promise!"
Kenshin nodded to the little girl, and as he held her, he looked to Megumi with a smile, the sadness gone from his eyes
"Megumi-san? Would you be so kind as to go visit this young girls mother? Perhaps there is something you can do for her?"
Megumi laughed, nodding happily. She was speechless the whole time, unaware of what to say, so she simply nodded and followed the girl into the back of the tea shop where she knelt beside the girls sick mother. After some time, and plenty of free tea, Megumi smiled triumphantly as she missed some medicine and gave it to the girl.
"Pour this into your mother's tea twice a day for the next week. This is a very strong medicine, so your mother may be sleepy all week, but it will heal her, and after the medicine is all used up, your mother will be better than she was before!"
Megumi smiled as the little girl leapt into her arms, and she held her for a few moments, nodding softly to all her thanks and praise. This time it was Megumi who has humble, saying it was her duty as a doctor to help the sick, and blushed as they were given plenty of food for the journey ahead.
As they left the tea shop, Megumi sighed happily and looked to the fading horizon. It felt good to help another, and felt even better that she had been challenged and had shown her strength as a good doctor. Megumi walked with Kenshin silently, feeling her resolve grow. Megumi wanted to learn more, to do more, to be the best doctor in all of Japan. She knew she had the ability to be the best, she now had to learn and experience how to be the best. As they approached the Inn they were staying in for the night, however, all those thoughts were put aside. Megumi felt her mouth dry as she watched Kenshin out of the corner of her eye, and asked for a room with one bed. Kenshin said not a word, and soon they were alone together in the room. Megumi slid into bed, her heart racing, and opened her arms to Kenshin. With a soft smile, Kenshin slide into her arms, and they both eased into bed together. Megumi clung to Kenshin, snuggling with him happily.
"Thank you for today, Kenshin-kun. You did well with that little girl, and you were right. Today has a happy ending."
Kenshin smiled to Megumi as he pulled her closer
"I didn't want to see that little girl stain her hands, nor did I want to see her bright eyes and sweet smile dulled because she forced herself to harm others. And I have faith in you, Megumi-san. You are and always will be an excellent doctor."
Megumi purred, nuzzling into Kenshin lovingly. At that moment her life was fulfilled, because Kenshin had faith in her as a doctor. Those simple words were all she had ever wanted to hear, and the fact someone had faith in her was all she had ever wanted. Megumi trailed her lips along Kenshin's neck in slow, heated kisses, her hands caressing his chest as she purred. Kenshin, biting his lip, took her hands in his and shook his head.
"Now now, Megumi-san. We are not a married couple, despite us sleeping in one bed.."
Megumi nodded with a grin. Kenshin had hesitated, letting her lips kiss along his neck and her hands glide across his chest, and they were still there on his beating heart. One small step at a time, the fox thought, one small step at a time…