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Concessions	By : lawless Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 3636 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
CONCESSIONS
by Lawless

...With one hand, he tucked a stray midnight strand...His eyes showed surprise at discovering how natural the gesture was...

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DISCLAIMER: This is a fanfic. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or its characters.

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Chapter 5: Moments

"Thank you very much for letting me stay here on such short notice, Tsubame-chan," Megumi said to the smiling, brown-haired young woman carrying a tea tray into the room.
"It's no problem at all, Megumi-sensei," Tsubame replied as she knelt and placed the tray on the low table in front of the onna-sensei. She deftly poured her visitor a cup, handing it to grateful hands before pouring one for herself. "Yahiko-kun received your note early this morning. That gave us enough time to prepare your old room," she said pleasantly.
Megumi smiled in gratitude at the younger woman as she took a dainty sip of the jade green liquid in her cup. The slightly bitter tea was a welcome taste after the dust and grime of travel. Still smiling, she settled back as she let the old sounds and familiar smells of the dojo engulf her, quietly enjoying the fond memories they evoke.
From somewhere in the dojo, the faint excited voices of Yutaro's pupils practicing their kata lessons rose while sharp peals of laughter joined by the deep answering rumble of a certain rooster head could be heard from the engawa. As soon as Yasuo had spotted him, the two-year-old had immediately taken it upon himself to use the tall former fighter-for-hire-turned-adventurer as a prop in one of his games. And now, Sano was probably crawling on hands and knees while Yasuo happily bounced on his back and tugged at his hair. Some things never change, Megumi thought to herself. Her thoughts drifted to the old days when the only children in the dojo were Genzai-sensei's grandchildren, Ayame and Suzume, and Yahiko who was now of course the current man of the house. At the thought of the old doctor, a slight frown marred Megumi's smooth brow.
Genzai-sensei, or rather, his clinic was the more pressing reason for her coming here. A few weeks ago in Aizu, she had received a letter from a colleague who expressed an interest in continuing the Genzai practice, which had come under her care after the old doctor passed away. Megumi had thought it a wise move to let someone else capable run the clinic since most of her time was occupied with her work at the Sanada Hospital and her own practice. It was certainly better than allowing the Genzai Clinic to completely deteriorate. And it was the least she could do for the late doctor who had done everything short of adopting her to help her regain her footing during those turbulent Tokyo years.
Sighing, Megumi placed her cup down. The thought of more work always wearied her even though she rather took unusual delight when it was time for her to bury herself in countless medical files. She only hoped that she could get away for a few hours of her stay to spend them with her friends and acquaintance. And David, Megumi thought, surprised that she felt a need to remind herself that she had a fiance now. She ran a hand restlessly through her hair and the movement caught Tsubame's attention.
The younger woman smiled at her serenely, utterly unaware of the inner turmoil that Megumi was going through. "Would you like another?" She asked, gesturing towards the onna-sensei's empty cup.
"No, thank -"
"Okaa-san! Okaa-san!" The sound of tiny running feet diverted both women's attention. They looked towards the shoji which slid open to admit the speeding form of little Yasuo, followed closely by a grinning Sano.
"Look Sanke gave me!" The childish voice exclaimed.
"Ano...it's not polite to call anyone other than their names, Yasuo-chan," Tsubame softly admonished. Her son merely ignored her as his chubby hands opened to reveal a small rounded object tied with a piece of string.
"A yo-yo! How wonderful!" Tsubame said, her own voice matching the excitement found in that of her son's.
"Not just any yo-yo," Sano informed from where he stood. "Go ahead, monkey" - he was very clearly not a role model for young boys in terms of politeness - "Show your okaa-san what it does."
The boy obediently urged his mother to follow, tugging impatiently at her hands. Smiling apologetically at Megumi, she stood and left the room to follow the little spiky-haired figure of her son. Yasuo's excited chattering - explaining to his mother in his two-year-old speech the mechanics of Sano's yo-yo - could be heard as they walked down the corridor.
"A souvenir from your travels, toriatama?" Megumi asked a moment later, a slight mockery in her voice.
Sano answered with his usual grin. "One of many, Megitsune." He plopped down beside her and began peeling off his long coat. Sweat glistened on the skin around his neck and the corners of his face as he rolled the sleeves of his shirt to reveal lean arms browned by years under the sun. He then loosened a few buttons, showing a v-shaped piece of skin just below his collarbone.
Megumi averted her eyes, saying, "Somehow I never thought you to prefer children's toys but" - she pursed her lips - "I suppose it's...understandable considering." Lips curved in a half-smile, she very calmly poured herself another cup of tea and waited for Sano's reaction to her baiting.
He retorted with his usual swearing. "Che, kitsune." Then, still grinning, he leaned back, resting his frame against the wall as he raised his arms to rest behind his nape. He said casually, "In that case, I suppose I can't interest you with a few medical handbooks I managed to acquire during my travels in America since, according to you, it's children's toys that I prefer considering..." He let his voice drift off, quirking one brow at her in a challenge. He watched the surprised pleasure spark in her eyes at his words, making them turn a golden-brown like burning leaves in autumn.
"Really, toriatama?"
The excitement he detected in her could very well rival that of Yasuo's delight over his wooden yo-yo. It pleased him but he kept his face casually composed. "Well, yes," he said, still keeping his eyes focused in seeming deep interest at a spot in the ceiling. "The latest edition too of a theory formulated by this German about using chemicals and machines to identify -"
"Johann L. Schoenlein, combining the French methods of physical diagnosis with chemical and microscopial examinations," Megumi impatiently interjected. Sano raised an eyebrow at her to which the kitsune-onna returned an embarassed, slightly sheepish grin. "It's all the talk in doctor's circles."
"Okay," Sano said, eyeing her for a second before returning his attention to the ceiling. "So anyway, as I was saying, I absolutely can not interest you in such unimportant things, Megitsune, considering how childish -"
"Oh for Kami's sake," Megumi interrupted again, "do I have to beg?"
Sano chuckled, turning his eyes back to her. "That could work."
He waited.
Megumi's eyes were staring dangerously at him. And just when he thought she would never do it, he heard a single word escape her mouth, too faint for him to completely decipher. "Say what?"
"I said 'please'," Megumi said, glowering. Then, realizing how silly she sounded, she burst out laughing.
"Oi, oi, Megitsune. You beg like a spitting viper," Sano declared. This served only to heighten her amusement even more and grinning, he sat back, content on listening to the lilting sounds she made. From behind dark lashes, he surreptitiously studied her, delighting in how amusement made her eyes twinkle a burnished gold, how her silky hair flowed around her face slightly flushed with laughter, and how her bangs gently brushed her brow. He leanded over and with one hand, tucked a stray midnight strand behind her ear, his eyes showing the surprise he felt at discovering how natural the gesture was.
Megumi was likewise staring at him, eyes round in wonderment as though she was seeing him for the first time.
"Sagara."
The tall figure of Shinomori Aoshi cast a shadow on both of them. Sano glanced at him in mild annoyance, saying, "Aah, Shinomori. You got as much sense of timing as your wife."
The former Okashira remained unperturbed even as his wife, the very volatile Makimachi Misao who followed him in, looked just about ready to pounce on Sano and throttle him right there. "A word, Sagara," Aoshi said, ice blue eyes shifting to the kneeling form of Megumi before settling them back to her companion.
Megumi felt a flush creeping up her cheeks as she wondered whether he had seen the rather odd position she and Sanosuke were in when he stumbled upon them and if he did, what conclusions he was able to draw from it. But, if there ever was anything, extracting information from the silent onmitsu was next to impossible. Megumi mentally berated herself for allowing such a perfectly normal gesture affect her so.... Normal? It was highly inappropriate and hardly natural considering that she was already betrothed to another man. At the thought of the blue-eyed David, Megumi felt guilty and horrified at the same time and fearing that too much of her emotions would show, she hurriedly stood up.
"Ano, Megitsune, where are you off to?" Sano asked, looking at her with a puzzled frown.
Praying that the tinge of pink on her cheeks could be attributed to the midday heat, Megumi raised her brows and gave him a saucy smirk. "I hardly think it's appropriate that you should ask, toriatama." Then making a great act of pondering, she added, "However, if you must know, I have to retire to my room and see to making my day more productive." The implication was that there were far better things for her to do than spend the whole afternoon with him.
"Che," Sano murmured. He then stood up and glancing at the taller man, he shrugged and said, "What's amiss, Shinomori?"

- oo - TO BE CONTINUED - oo -

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A/N Fifth chapter (as if you hadn't figured that out already. Heh). After the angst of their first meeting, I decided to make this one a little lighter. The idea is that even though things between them are far from resolved, they have at least settled back to their old selves before...everything happened.
And I thank my reviewers again. I still probably would post this story even without the reviews but they make it seem more worthwhile. I think I said that already. Whoops. I have a tendency to repeat myself. Sorry.
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- 7
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Concessions