Told you I wanted to get this out there. It's nearly complete and I don't see much point in waiting to post. IN the past, I've had my reasons, but there's no time like the present!

I do not own the characters below.

"It's just coffee, it's just coffee." Sanosuke muttered to himself as he pressed the button for the elevator. He had been putting it off, but after the other night, he had made the decision to go for it. He knew based on what he had learned that he couldn't come as strong as he usually did.

The doors closed and it seemed to take forever to reach the floor where Kaoru had told him the woman's office resided. "I thought I'd stop by and ask if you wanted to get a cup of coffee." He said again to himself. It was a simple phrase. In all his years, he had never struggled to say them before. But listening to her come to his defense, he wanted to do right by Megumi. He wasn't fully sure what the nature of her disastrous marriage had been but knew based on is experiences with her he would need to proceed slowly.

At long last, the elevator doors opened and Aoshi looked up front the folder in his hands. The dark eyes blinked. He stepped out of the way allowing Sanosuke to step out. "Shinomori." He greeted.

"Sagara." He expected the tall man to enter the elevator he had just vacated. Instead, he stood, the doors closing. "An unexpected visit from you."

Seeing the man threw a wrench into his plans. He knew that Megumi and he had history, that she had turned to Aoshi in her time of need. "I was in the area."

One dark eyebrow rose. "And you thought you would pop by the Palladium?"

"I wanted to check in."

"With Kenshin?"

Sanosuke surveyed the room. A large desk with a cute blonde was across the space. She was on the phone, her eyes watching the interaction intently. "Uh, sure."

"After Wednesday night, I can't imagine that you would have anything to say to the man."

"He and I are friends." He stated defensively.

"The kind of friend that you would impulsively stop by his office in the middle of the day?"

When the man put it that way, it did sound a bit odd. A door opened and they both looked up. Megumi was crossing towards the large double doors. She flickered a glance up and did a double take as he registered the pair watching her. She stopped in her tracks.

Sanosuke had to admire her grace. The pencil skirt showcased her long legs, the blouse doing little to hide her curves. He felt his face light up at seeing her.

The woman's brown eyes widened slightly before she lowered her face in a blush. She glanced at the blonde and the doors before she changed course and crossed the space towards them. "Sanosuke, what brings you by?"

"He claims to be here to speak with Kenshin." Aoshi supplied.

The brunette looked at him and Sanosuke saw her gait falter slightly. "He's been going over the numbers for the month all morning so I'm sure he could use a distraction." Her tone had dropped slightly, and he could sense her disappointment. She turned to go.

"Kitsune…" She turned back to him, and he lost all thought as he stared at her. "I was thinking, um…"

"Perhaps Sagara isn't here to see Kenshin after all." Aoshi mused aloud.

Confused, Megumi's gazed darted between the two men. "What are you talking about?"

"Wanna get some coffee?" He blurted.

"What?"

Sanosuke shook his. "Coffee, do you drink it?"

Megumi recoiled slightly, seeming unsure of what was happening. "I do."

He licked his lips. He was mucking this all up. For the first time with a woman, he felt so unsure of what to do. Normally, he came in hard, and women lapped it up. But he knew he needed to proceed differently with her. "Would you allow me to buy you a cup of coffee?"

The woman relaxed and flickered a glance at the doors. "I need to check in with Kenshin."

"Oh."

"it's just that, Fridays we have our afternoon briefing. Especially with everything going on and coming up on the end of the month. We're in the stages of a big real estate deal."

"No coffee. Got it." He struggled to keep the dejection out of his voice.

"No! It's just that I have to speak with him first."

"You need his permission to get a cup of coffee?" He asked.

"No."

"No to needing his permission, or no to coffee?"

Megumi let out a nervous giggle. Both men looked at her, the sound so unlike her character. "I don't need permission. I would love to have coffee. I just need to let him know that I'll be stepping out."

Next to him, a phone buzzed. Aoshi, reached into his jacket pocket and frowned at whatever he read on the screen. He looked up at them. "As amusing as this exchange is, I must take this. I can alert Kenshin to your afternoon plans." He stepped way, taking the call.

Megumi looked at him and they both let out a nervous chuckle. "So, coffee?"

She nodded. "Let me grab my coat."

"So how has your day been?" He asked as they stepped out into the afternoon.

Megumi breathed in the fresh air and glanced at him sideways. He had his hands in his pockets, as though he was trying to make himself appear smaller. "It's been okay. Kenshin has been all worked up about making this deal go through. I think he's just trying to get one more investor before he makes his offer."

The brunette nodded. "And then what happens?"

"In regard to what?" She indicated a coffee shop and he hurried to open the door for her. She hid her grin at the gesture and allowed him to usher her inside.

"This whole thing?"

"With Kaoru and Kenshin?"

HE offered a shrug and pulled at a chair for her at a small table by the window. "Isn't that his need for this whole charade? He wanted to put forth a stable relationship so that he could convince these investors to give him money?"

A frown marred her brow as she mulled over his words. She opened her mouth to answer when a young man appeared at the table. "Hello! Can I interest you in our fall pumpkin cappuccino?"

Sanosuke glanced up. "I'll just have a regular latte."

She grimaced at the suggestion. "I'll have the same, with almond milk, please."

"Perhaps some biscotti to go along with that?"

The brunette rolled his eyes. "Sure."

The server disappeared. "She reached over and slapped Sanosuke on the arm. "He's just doing his job."

"I'm glad I work someplace where I'm not expected to be constantly upselling."

She raised an eyebrow and shrugged out of her coat. Silence settled between them, and she shifted in her seat. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

He sat back and studied her. Slowly he grinned. "I wanted to see you."

Megumi brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, ducking her head so that he wouldn't see her flush. "You saw me the other night."

"Yeah, that was entertaining."

"To say the least."

After Tomoe had put Aya in her place, the rest of the dinner had settled into superficial, if somewhat awkward conversation. Once the dessert plates had cleared, both women and their husbands had left quickly. She had attempted to try and speak to Kenshin, but his attention had been on bidding his former lover and brother farewell. She had had watched Kaoru as she said good night to the woman. "We should meet for lunch before I leave town." Tomoe had told the woman. Megumi didn't think Kaoru would take her up on the offer, but the tension had been dispelled.

"I just don't know what Kenshin was thinking when he invited her."

"For someone as reserved as he, I wouldn't think he'd want to invite that kind of drama into his own home."

"What exactly do you think he's done by even being a part of this arrangement between him and Kaoru? Not exactly something that isn't going to end without heartache and tears."

The server returned with heir lattes and biscotti. "Can I get you anything else at this time?"

Sanosuke glanced up at him. "We're set."

She watched him go and picked up her mug. Taking a sip, she watched Sanosuke over the rim. "And what of you? How long do you think this secret will last?"

Sanosuke grew quiet. "What secret?"

Megumi stared at him in exasperation. "The secret of their engagement isn't real! That they are allegedly in love?"

He leaned forward and sipped his latte. "Those are now two separate things."

She stared at him. "How are they different?"

He shrugged. "The engagement? Sure, that's a bit of a stretch now. But the in-love part? I'm not so sure."

Blinking, she stared at him. "Explain yourself."

He offered her another shrug. "I would think it would be obvious."

"You're telling me that Kenshin and Kaoru are actually in love with each other?"

Yet another shrug. "It's just a secret."

"A secret to whom?"

"To each other."

She stared at him for a moment before she laughed. "Kenshin has not been showing signs that he's in love."

"Hasn't he?"

"Other than him attending these galas as of late, he's been business as usual around the office?"

"I'm not talking about around the office."

"Then when?"

"I wasn't sure until I saw them the other night. But it became clear."

She sat back. "Explain."

'This whole thing started with Aya. I still don't understand the dynamic between her and Jou-chan. She's a successful in her career, top of her field, well respected in this city…. Why feel the need to revert to stooping to that floozy's level? Who cares if she isn't married? And yet Jou-chan lied to her.

"And then to make it worse, she somehow crosses paths with one of the most powerful hoteliers in the country and they make a pact? If it was just a few charity events, that would be one thing. But he's let her move in with him, host a dinner party, have photos taken for a national magazine? He's much more invested in this to perpetuate the charade than just for appearance's sake."

Megumi absorbed his reasoning and tilted her head to the side, thinking. "I've been against this from the start."

"I wasn't exactly on board either." He stated, sipping his latte. "And then this whole thing with his ex-girlfriend. You didn't see her the other day. I have never seen Jou-chan like that."

"Like what?"

"She was beside herself. She showed up at the apartment wanting nothing more than to be numb. She was drunk and being ridiculous about Kenshin kissing another woman. I didn't fully know what had happened, but I put together the pieces after the other night's theatrics."

"She was a bit neurotic yesterday before the dinner." She mused aloud.

"How neurotic?"

Sighing, she thought back on what she had been told and snippets she had witnessed. "According to Misao she felt as though Kaoru might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

"Really?" He ran a hand through his hair and whistled. "The whole thing with the ex-girlfriend really had her worked up." He leaned forward. "That's not normal behavior if this thing between them is just a business transaction."

Sitting back, she thought back over the past few weeks. Kenshin borrowing a ring from Cartier had been odd, since she didn't think they had really spent any time with each other. His words that afternoon had caught her off-guard. Then there was the Friday when he had left early, which was unlike his character. That had come about with him telling her to return to Kaoru's and plan the move. She flushed as she recalled what else had occurred that fateful afternoon.

"What's on your mind Kitsune?"

She blinked, coming out of her memories of his lips on hers. "Just, um, trying to think back on if Kenshin had actually exhibited some different habits."

He sat back again and watched her. "You know, there is one good thing that has come of this, despite how their story will end."

She looked up at him. "And what is that?"

Sanosuke took a deep breath and leaned forward. After a slight hesitation, he reached out and took her hand in his. "You and I have met."

Her skin tingled where hey connected. She met his dark brown eyes. She offered him a smile. "We have."

In her pocket she heard her phone beep. Reluctantly she pulled her hand from his and pulled it from the pocket of her coat. She saw she had a message from Kenshin. Get back to the office. Now.

"Coffee break is over." She sighed.

He rose from his seat and pulled out two twenties. Before she could stop him, Sanosuke had her coat in his hands. He helped her into it and settled it on her shoulders.

I'll walk you back."

"You don't need to."

"I want to."

Megumi turned to look at him. She was somewhat startled by look she saw in his eyes. The first few times they had met, he had come on strong. And while she wouldn't deny her attraction to him, it left her feeling a touch leery considering her own past. However, something was different with him. AS he led her out of the coffee shop, she wondered if perhaps he would be the one to help her finally move beyond her past.

AS they stepped back into the afternoon, she took a chance. She reached down to where his hands were once again in his pockets. Before he could stop her, she reached in and pulled out one hand and entwined their fingers. The man stumbled slightly and looked down at the hands before looking up to meet her eyes.

Megumi grinned at him and continued forward, enjoying the warmth of his fingers wrapped around her own. Before she realized it, he broke the connection. Her lips parted to protest, but then he had reached across, grasping her hand with his right and placed his arm around her shoulders. "Its' cold." He murmured, tucking her into his tall frame.

After a few seconds she gave into the feeling and snuggled into him. Feeling safe for the first time in a long time, she reveled in the feeling. Too soon, they reached the Palladium. "Back to the grind." He sighed.

Megumi blew her dark hair from her face. "I suppose so." She stepped from under his arm and reluctantly let go of his hand. She turned to face him. "Thank you for the coffee."

"My pleasure." He stood there awkwardly. "We should figure something out between Kenshin and Jou-chan before this goes much further."

She nodded. "We might have to let Misao in on it. She knows him best."

"Might not be the worst idea. Let's think on it some more before we make any rash decisions. Maybe they'll figure it out on their own."

"Well, plans for the rest of the day?"

"Basketball game tonight that I'm shooting. Tomorrow night I'm at the bar."

"Oh." Her phone beeped again, indicating that she was needed. "I got to go."

"Have a good rest of your day Kitsune."

"You too." There was another awkward beat and she turned to leave.

"Wait." He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. Before she could react, one hand slipped behind her neck, and he pulled her to him. His lips were soft and confident as he kissed her. He pulled back and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Thank you for your company." He murmured.

"I want to see you again." She stated.

Sanosuke grinned at her and pressed a kiss to her nose. "Don't worry Kitsune, you will." And with that he turned and walked back onto the sidewalk.

I want to take you to lunch.

He sent the text, anxiously awaiting her reply. It occurred to him that he was feeling and acting like a teenager. He wanted to see her, spend time with her. It seemed he rarely saw Kaoru, ironic since they were living together. Two days since their dinner party and they had barely had time to exchange anything more than a hello. Despite they had tentative plans for Sunday, he didn't want to wait that long. After the epiphany with Tomoe, Kenshin had to admit that he no longer wanted the farce to come to an end. He wasn't fully sure when it was no longer a charade and it had become real for him.

His phone buzzed with her reply.

Can't. I have plans already.

He glared at her words. With whom?

He didn't think she'd pick up the demanding tone. However, a sliver of jealousy coursed through him. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"What?"

"Aren't you touchy." Aoshi chided as he walked through the door.

Kenshin barely glanced at him as he looked at the woman's reply. It's a luncheon with a winemaker, work related. I'd much rather have lunch with you.

"I take it then, that you've heard the news."

Kenshin grinned at her response, barely registering what the tall man was saying. "What news?" He typed back his question to her. What time will you get off?

"About the property you're attempting to acquire. Golden Coast?"

I can finagle some things and probably be finished at 9:00.

"What about it?"

Then let's have a late dinner. I want to discuss something with you.

"There's another interested party."

"Oh?"

I'm intrigued. See you at 9.

"Kenshin!" Aoshi slammed his hand down on the desk, finally drawing his attention from his phone.

What?" He snapped, annoyed.

The dark cobalt eyes stared at him. He leaned against the desk. "You honestly don't know?"

Kenshin tossed his cell onto the desk and sat back in his chair. "I'm sure you're about to enlighten me."

Aoshi stood back up. "Shishio Industries have made a counteroffer on Golden Coast Resort. The owner is considering it."

The room echoed as Kenshin swore loudly. He jumped from his chair and strode to the window. "When did this happen?" He demanded coldly.

His mind raced. He and Shishio Makoto did not compete in the same industry, not directly. But the man was a shrewd businessman who desired to take from others, for no reason than because he could. Ten years ago, they had clashed over some property. The fight had gotten ugly and Hiko had been forced to intervene.

"I caught wind of a possible meeting over the weekend. Didn't seem as though it would go anywhere, but then this morning an offer was extended."

"Son of a bitch." He muttered. The whole mess with Tomoe had distracted him, his growing infatuation with Kaoru had clearly clouded his vision. It would have to wait. He had invested too much time and energy in this endeavor to lose it to Shishio now. "Where's Megumi?"

"She's stepped out for the afternoon. I have Clara calling the County Clerk's office attempting to track down the details of the offer."

Kenshin stopped and stared at him. "Megumi is out for the afternoon?" He repeated.

"She had plans."

"Tell her to cancel her plans. I need her here. Her shrewd mind is better at finding the details and the loopholes." The tall man hesitated. "Is that a problem for you?"

"She's on a coffee date."

"A date? And you think that overrides the need for her to be here doing what I pay her to do?" He snapped.

"No."

"Then get her here. Once she returns, I want her searching for a way to block the offer without it getting ugly if possible."

"I'll have her on it immediately upon her return."

"Good." He turned back to face Aoshi. "When she returns have her pull the initial offer. Track down Takagi and let me know when he returns to the city. I thought we could do this without him, but it seems as though that is no longer an option. Set up drinks with Kailas. It's time to apply some pressure and see if we can get more."

"When would you like to have drinks?"

"This evening."

"And if he has plans?"

"I just need thirty minutes."

Aoshi nodded and hesitated. Kenshin, moved back to his desk. "What else?"

"I've never seen you like this; It's not your nature to miss such a pertinent detail."

He sighed. The whole point of agreeing to pretend to be Kaoru's fiancé was to keep the distractions at bay. He had never expected that she would become one. "I'm focused now. Get Clara to make the arrangements. I can't wait for Megumi to return from her date." A thought occurred to him. "Since when does she date?" He muttered. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to her to return to the hotel. "No one leaves tonight until we hammer out a new proposal." His talk with Kaoru would have to wait.

"She isn't just out on some random date."

"I could care less what she's doing. She took the afternoon off to go galivanting in the city when she's needed here. if she had been doing her job then she might have caught this sooner."

Aoshi pressed his lips together. Kenshin looked up at the man. "Just say it."

"It would seem to me she isn't the only one who has been galivanting around the city."

His fury at the situation, that everything he had been working towards the past few months could be stripped from him so quickly, threatened to boil over. He narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are you implying?"

The man took a step towards him. "You're distracted. I've never seen you this way. But perhaps it's time you deiced just what is important in your life."

"Get Megumi back here so we can fix this." He stated flatly.

Aoshi took one last deep breath before departing. Kenshin flung himself back into his chair. He had to admit the man was right. He had been distracted. Time to focus on why he had set this whole thing in motion.

Megumi felt a little giddy when she stepped back into her office. Placing a finger to her lips, she relived the kiss just a few moments ago. Unlike the first few times they had tangled, this time seemed different with Sanosuke. Previously, it had been about passion and desire. This time seemed to hold promise of something more.

A knock sounded on her door, and she turned to see Aoshi standing there. "Back so soon."

"Not as though if I was given much of a choice." She rolled her eyes and moved to sit down at her desk.

"I wouldn't."

She paused. "Wouldn't?"

"Sit."

"Megumi! You're back so soon." Clara stood awkwardly behind the tall man, a stack of papers in her arms.

"My presence was demanded despite that I was having a pleasant afternoon."

"Coffee went well?"

She glanced once more at Aoshi. She sighed; her bubble of happiness burst. "What happened in the time that I was gone?"

"Shishio made a move on the Gold Coast Resort."

"Shit." Her heart dropped. She immediately came back around her desk and pushed past the pair. "Clara, see what you can find from the County office."

"Already done." She held out the papers in her hands.

Megumi took them and moved across the space towards Kenshin's office. She hesitated. She looked over at Aoshi. "What else do I need to know?" She asked.

"Proceed with caution? He's in a mood."

"Fantastic." She retorted drily. Throwing her shoulders back, she opened the door.

"Where the hell have you been?" The redhead demanded, not looking up from the computer on his desk.

"Forgive me if for once I decided to take an hour."

"There's too much at stake for you to decide to go carousing around the city on a Friday."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow as she came to stand before his desk. "As I recall, it was a few Fridays ago you decided to go find a happy hour."

The fingers that had been flying over the keyboard paused. Slowly the violet eyes shifted in her direction. She had seen the man in many dispositions, but this one was existed on a level she wasn't fully sure she had ever seen. "What did you just say to me?"

Trepidation course through her and she placed the folders on the desk. "Clara has given me the files from the county. I'll comb through them to see what I can find. What else do you need from me?"

The eyes narrowed slightly. "I need you to be focused on his and not whoever you've decided to start sleeping with. I need you to set up drinks for Blanton's at six. Clara is setting up the meeting with Kailas."

His words were like a slap to her psyche. "Forgive me, Kenshin, if I recall, I'm not the one who has been distracted as of late."

"Watch yourself."

"No, you watch yourself. I didn't miss this. You've been distracted by this whole charade with Kaoru. If you hadn't been focused on playing fiancé, you'd have been aware of the potential of Shishio playing dirty."

"Do not bring her into this." He stated, rising to his feet.

"This whole thing has been a mess since you agreed to it."

"Fine!" He came around the desk and moved to the window. "I let her distract me. I won't make that mistake again."

"That's not exactly what I'm saying."

He turned, his violet eyes alight with his temper. "It's gone too far, you're right. Is that what you want to hear?"

"No, not that at all. But perhaps, you need to figure out what your actual priorities are."

"My priority for the past few months is securing this venture." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Go and secure the meeting. Find out what you can."

"Kenshin…"

"Just go." He ordered before sitting back down at this desk. She picked up the files. "If I didn't have enough problems, Hiko also wants to meet."

Megumi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "When?"

"Next week."

She sighed. "I'll set it up." She turned to leave.

"And Megumi." She paused. "You're not wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"How did it go with Sagara?"

Thinking back on their conversation, she wondered if perhaps Sanosuke had been correct. "You should see where it goes." He looked up at her. "With Kaoru. I know this has been your priority these past few months, but perhaps a distraction is what you needed to gain some perspective."

The violet eyes blinked, and he returned his attention to the screen. Knowing a dismissal when she had one, she retreated from his office.

I will admit that the scene between Megumi and Sanosuke was one of the pieces that was missing. And yet after immersing myself back into this world, I found the words came easy. Anyway, until next time!