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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
- 8
- 9
- 10
CONCESSIONS
by Lawless

...You left...And I moved on...

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

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Chapter 8: Confrontations

Well, this is awkward, Sano thought as McKay, oblivious to his friend's discomfort, made the introductions. Megumi was looking at anywhere but him while David, as oblivious as his brother (it must run in the family) was smiling and holding out his hand for Sano to shake.
Sano recognized him almost immediately as the man from yesterday with Megumi in his arms outside the dojo. He was somewhere in his thirties but his boyish features made him look younger. Looking at him now, Sano felt an insane urge to place a fist in his face. Insane because the man was pleasant enough, his manner unoffending. And insane because he shouldn't be feeling this way anyway.
"We've heard much about you, Mr. Yang." David's voice cut through Sano's reveries and he snapped back to attention, realizing that he had been staring at Megumi the whole time.
"Mac has the tendency to exaggerate. I'm sure you know that," Sano said, forcing himself to relax enough to issue a mischievous grin at the older McKay. The captain of the Sunny Breeze only chuckled, not bothering to deny it.
From the corners of his eyes, Sano continued to watch Megumi. She was fidgeting. She never fidgeted. He thought it was rather amusing, if not for the simple annoying fact that she was still trying her damnest not to meet his eyes.
She was not dressed in her usual kimono and blue doctor's smock today. Instead, she was dressed more carefully in a cream-colored Edo komon, adorned with tiny dots forming dense, large circular patterns. Her midnight black hair was arranged in the traditional coiffure held in place by a delicate seashell kanzashi and topped with a single, grayish mother of pearl.
She looked...lovely. Breathtakingly so. And Sano found it extremely difficult not to stare.
He always thought the kitsune-onna to be an unusually attractive woman. In fact, that was what first drew him to her (not discounting the one detail that she had a hand in the death of his friend, of course). Today, however - today, she was different. Sano believed that she was no more beautiful than she was today. Or no more untouchable.
Chikoshou, fiancee to this - this fop of a man! Sano clenched his jaws in an effort to bite back his anger. Jealousy, it seemed, did not sit too well on his already volatile personality.
"...present my betrothed, Takani Megumi," David was saying.
Still refusing to meet his eyes, Megumi performed a little bow and murmured something inconsequential.
Sano felt his temper rise, even as his lips curved in a quiet snicker. Oh, she means to ignore me then and pretend not to know me, he thought with some resentment. Well, two can play this game. Sano tilted his head, making a great act of remembering something. "Takani?" He began. "Takani-sensei of the Sanada Hospital?"
Megumi raised her head then and Sano was rewarded with the fire in her eyes. A warning. He would not heed it, of course. He never did.
"Oh, you two know each other?" David asked innocently, looking in askance first at his fiancee and then at the tall Japanese man.
"A common acquaintance perhaps?" McKay volunteered, also wondering. "Yang Liu did tell me about this woman from Aizu with whom he harbored some feelings. Perhaps, you know her, Ms. Megumi?"
Sano felt like banging his head against the wall. Or better yet, banging McKay's head against the wall and then banging his own head against the wall. Sometimes, he wished he could just strangle the American captain. For all he was worth, he just didn't know when to keep his mouth shut.
Realizing his consternation, Megumi was quick to take advantage of the situation. A saucy smile began to take form as she slanted a fiery gaze at Sano. "He did, did he?" She tapped a finger against her mouth, pursing her lips and pretending to think. "No, I don't believe I know her, Captain McKay. However, I do seem to find Mr. Yang's face unusually familiar," Megumi said.
"His real name isn't really Yang Liu," McKay offered helpfully.
Megumi's mouth formed an 'O' of surprise.
For the love of god, Mckay, shut up! Sano wanted to scream, but kept the casual grin on his face and the challenging look in his dark eyes. He was not about to admit defeat to the kitsune-onna. "I'm sure you remember me, Takani-sensei," he said with just a hint of a patronizing tone in his voice. "I was good friends with your friend, Himura Kenshin." He said 'friend' as though there was more to the relationship than there actually was.
Completely intrigued now, David was looking from one to the other. When they continued to glare at each other without saying anything, the gaijin finally said, "Please, you met Megumi in Aizu, Mr. Yang?"
"Oh no," Megumi said in reply, keeping her eye on Sano. "I think I recognize you now, Mr. Yang. And I think I met you right here in Tokyo."
"His real name is Sagara Sanosuke. You might know him as 'Zanza', Ms. Megumi." Like his brother, McKay was also staring at both of them, wheels turning inside his head.
"Of course!" Megumi said, faking delight to color her voice. "I remember now! Sagara Sanosuke, how could I forget you? You were always hanging around the dojo looking for free food."
There was a moment of silence...
...And then, Pete McKay, captain of the steamship Sunny Breeze, roared in deep laughter. He thumped Sano's back (he seemed to like doing that when he laughed), saying, "Yeah, that sounds like Yang Liu alright!" Then, he added, still chuckling, "I'm telling you, Ms. Megumi, when it comes to food, this man's brain actually decreases in size!"
"Exactly," Megumi said, still smirking at Sano.
"Oh, thanks a lot, Mac," Sano said to his friend sarcastically. Then, meeting Megumi's brown eyes, he made a little nod with his head, taking a graceful way out of the verbal trap he created for himself. The soft look that they exchanged then did not go unnoticed by David who had remained silent all this time.
A few minutes later, Sano walked alongside Megumi in the winding streets of Tokyo. They were alone. They parted ways with the McKays earlier. Saying that he needed to go back to the harbor, Pete McKay was the first to leave the Akabeko. He was sailing the Sunny Breeze to Hong Kong that night at the request of Mr. Wu and should be back in less than two weeks. David, on the other hand, had a different agenda. He received a summon - "from one of my clients," he said. And then, with a quiet murmur of apology to his fiancee, he left on his carriage, leaving Megumi alone with Sano.
Having nothing else to do (and yes, being the gentleman that he was), Sano decided to walk her back to the dojo. He did not even have to ask or to offer. They just fell into each other's steps, the soft clip-clopping of Megumi's geta mixing with the general noise of the street. Every so often, Megumi would pause to return a greeting from a former patient or an acquaintance and then, she would resume her quiet walk with him.
Slipping his hands in his pockets, Sano let out a sigh which caused Megumi to look at him sharply.
"Bored, toriatama?" She asked before returning her gaze back to the street. He was walking so close to her she could feel the brush of his coat as it swirled in mid-air. Taking a step to the side to distance herself, she eyed him once more. "I'm sure you're missed at the gambling house. Don't let me hold you back." She meant the words to be teasing, but as always, they came out scathing.
Sano's upper lip lifted in a sneer but he didn't say anything. Another moment passed and Megumi's clip-clopping provided the only sound between them. After a while, she began to relax, allowing her mind free reign. She pondered briefly on how easily she and Sano settled into their old selves and how natural it was to be walking with him again. She inhaled deeply, delighting in the sweet scent of fallen leaves steadily gathering on the ground. Autumn had always been her favorite season. It reminded her of her childhood days in Aizu in the company of her family. A family who was no more.
Shaking her head mentally, Megumi did not notice a rather large stone in her path. She stepped on it and would have fallen if not for Sano's strong arm which shot out immediately, preventing her fall. Their eyes met but discomfort made them look away. Murmuring a quiet thank-you, Megumi carefully extricated her hands from his. They continued walking. The situation was really quite funny and if it were someone else other than Sano, Megumi would have laughed in ridicule.
But something was different. Even the most unfeeling block of wood could sense it. They were nearing the dojo now. One more turn and they should be able to glimpse the familiar welcoming sight. Suddenly, Sano said, "So when were you planning to tell us about your engagement, Megitsune?" The tone was casual but Megumi's hypersensitive ear detected a note of accusation in his simple words.
"When I see fit," she replied stonily. Her answer seemed to arouse Sano's temper and he cursed under his breath. Megumi stopped and whirled to face him. "Why are you angry all of a sudden?"
"Why am I angry?" He seemed to find the question extremely amusing and he laughed harshly. After a moment, his laughter subsided and the brown gaze that he gaver her was so intense Megumi turned her face away to avoid it. She resumed walking. "Why do you think?" Sano asked, falling into step behind her.
"This doesn't concern you."
"Oh, so you know me so well you know what does or doesn't concern me," he said, voice laced with sarcasm.
"Kami-sama, what do you want from me?" Megumi exclaimed in exasperation, stopping to face him.
"What I want?" Sano repeated, running his hand through his hair in an unconscious gesture. The movement seemed to catch Megumi's gaze. However, realizing what she was doing and noticing Sano's amusement, she turned away but not before giving him a hateful glare.
"Yes, what you want, toriatama no baka."
"But I thought you knew that already, Megitsune," Sano said, grinning now.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. Too quickly.
Sano's eyes lit up. "You know, for a smart woman, you are quite dense, kitsune." She didn't reply and only the sound of her geta against the hard ground could be heard. "Megitsune..."
Megumi expelled a soft breath. "Datte..." She said.
Suddenly angry, Sano grabbed her arm and forced her to face him. She gasped at the rough treatment but kept her eyes lowered. "Look at me!" He commanded. Her eyes, when she finally lifted them, were blazing like gold fire, proud, defiant. "Listen, Megitsune," Sano began, mesmerized by her gaze. "What Mac said, it's true. All of it. There's something between us. There's always been something between us. The others knew it - Kenshin, Kaoru, even Yahiko. Hell, I guess we were the only ones who didn't see it" - he chuckled at this - "But then, I was young and I was afraid. And you never said anything. And then, you left. Just like that. And I - I..." His voice fell.
"You left, toriatama," Megumi finished for him. "And I moved on."
"You think marrying some random guy that comes along is moving on?"
"David-san is not some random guy."
Sano laughed, the sound he made feeling unpleasant even to his own ears. "Right. McKay is not some random guy," he acquiesced, then added insultingly, "I forgot how obsessed you were with opium. So obsessed you had to marry one who's addicted to it." A sharp gasp. "What, you think I don't know about that?" Sano asked, pretending shocked surprise. He caught her hand before it connected with his right cheek. Then, feeling his own temper threatening to erupt, he did the only thing he could think of at that moment.
He did the unthinkable.
He brought his mouth down hard against hers, bruising her soft lips. She whimpered in pain and clamped her mouth shut. Sano lifted his hands to cup her face, forcing her to keep still even as he forced her lips to part. They didn't. God, she was stubborn.
When his lips first came down on hers, Megumi experienced a jolt, causing a whimper to escape. But she caught herself just in time and clenched her jaws tight. His calloused palms felt rough against her soft cheeks as he held her face in place while he continued to assault her mouth, slowly this time, seductively. His lips were cool and hard, unlike David's which were soft and moist. He was always so anxious, eager to touch, impatient. Sano, on the other hand, was taking his time with her, his passion, like so many things about him, was careless but with an underlying deliberate current.
Against her better judgment, Megumi felt herself relax against him and instantly, Sano's arms tightened around her, wrapping her close to his chest. The brush of his lips were making her dizzy and it was only by sheer force of will that she was even able to keep her lips shut tightly.
Finally, Sano broke their lip-lock and Megumi almost cried out in protest. Instead, she shivered when she felt Sano's hot breath tickling her ear. He was saying, "Megitsune, you will have to kiss better than that if you plan to hold on to your David-san."
The callous words brought reality back into sharp focus and Megumi pushed against his hard chest, struggling to get free. Sano let her go easily, the grin still in place on his handsome brown face. Giving him one last hateful glance, she whirled about and all but ran towards the dojo which was now - thankfully - close in sight.
Had she gazed back at him at that moment, she would have caught sight of the look of anguish and sorrow that came over Sano as soon as she turned her back. As it was, she was left with nothing but the mocking echoes of his carelessly spoken words and his warm taste on her lips.

- oo - TO BE CONTINUED - oo -

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A/N Uhm, too WAFFy?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Gosh, I have the nicest readers around *beams* And thanks for all your input. Rest assured that I have filed them away and let them gather dust in some corner...Kidding! Haha. No, seriously I'm taking all comments into account and keep them in mind for the next chapters.
- 8
- 9
- 10
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Concessions