It was not so much that it was a huge pile, or even a questionably sized pile, but that she was tired. Bone deep tired. There had been four patients to tend to that day, one that had required many hours of tense waiting and round the clock medicine administration. Thankfully, all four patients were on their way to recovery, but her efforts had completely worn her out. She had hoped that, once home, she could rest for the remainder of the day. Just kick back and spend a quiet afternoon at the Kamiya Dojo.

Sighing, Megumi rested her palms against the edge of the sink, eyeing the stack full of dirty dishes waiting for somebody to clean them while Kaoru was busy preparing the bangohan. Behind her, she could hear the younger girl as she sliced the vegetables, dividing them into neat little piles with her cutting knife. She was humming underneath her breath, a carefree smile on her lips as she put the vegetables to boil. Turning, she made as if to reach for a bag of rice, but stopped in mid motion as she saw Megumi's face.

"Megumi san," she said, her voice full of worry, "you look so tired."

The young doctor merely smiled, waving away Kaoru's concern. She might have been tired, but she was certainly not giving Kaoru the pleasure of knowing so. Rolling up her sleeves, she assured her that she was just fine, perfectly fine, and bent to pull up the handle for the water pump. She gritted her teeth as the handle became stuck, hoping that Kaoru wouldn't notice. Thinking savage curses at it, she tugged with all her might, grunting in frustration as the darn thing refused to budge. The effort was winding her. Leaning back, she took in a deep breath, placing one hand over her chest. It was too hot in that kitchen. Setting her lips into a thin line, she reached for the handle again, but Kaoru's hand over her own stopped her.

Kaoru smiled kindly, squeezing Megumi's hand. "You are tired," she said. "As your hostess at the dojo, I shouldn't make you do this work when you're so tired."

She could see that Megumi was going to protest. She could see it in the way her eyebrows were beginning to knit together, her carefully painted lips thinning with determination. Kaoru shook her head and squeezed her hand tighter.

"Now, now, Megumi. I know we don't always see eye to eye, but you're my friend. You must have had a really rough day. You should lie down and take a soothing rest before bangohan. And I won't hear any 'buts' about it."

Looking down at Kaoru's thin hand over her own, Megumi made as if to open her mouth to protest. But then she saw the younger girl's eyes. There was genuine worry reflected in them, mingled with an acute, almost endearing guilt for having asked her to work when she had been so tired in the first place. Megumi couldn't help but smile. Sagging in relief against the water pump, she patted Kaoru's hand.

"Very well, Kaoru, I'll rest. But who will do the dishes for you? We'd usually target dear old Kenshin for this, but he's out with the Ojiisan."

"That's right. We need..."

Going to the kitchen's one, tiny window, Kaoru looked out, taking in the whole expanse of the dojo's outer courtyard. There was nobody out there but Yahiko, whom she had set to clear away the autumn leaves that morning. She could hear the slow scrape of the broom as he worked his way over the stairs. Taking in a deep breath, she called out to him. There was no answer. She called again, this time louder and with a colourful adjective thrown in to make her point. A rough voice answered her, making her jump. In her attempts at steadying herself, she bumped her head into the window sill.

"Oi, onna," came a low, growling voice from the doorway, "you're making enough noise to wake the dead."

Rubbing at her head, Kaoru turned to glower at Sanosuke, who stood at the doorway, his impressive height filling it as he fixed her with a decidedly nasty stare. She took one step towards him, her teeth gritting together as several curses ran through her mind, just waiting to come out. She could see that he was just as ready to hit her back with a full barrage of his own curses. He rolled up the left sleeve of his loose, white shirt, lips stretching into a grin of anticipation. Before either of them could say a single word, though, Megumi had stepped in the way, facing Kaoru and holding up a dish. Her smile was brilliant.

Seeing that smile, Kaoru stopped in her tracks. She blinked once, then her lips stretched out into a brilliant smile of her own. She pointed at the dish as if it were the answer to some deep, puzzling secret of existence. Looking from one woman to the other, Sanosuke could feel an uncomfortable something climbing over his back. Their smiles were too wide, too conspirational. Taking a few, careful steps backwards, he edged away from the doorway. He had not got far, though, before both Megumi and Kaoru had reached out to grab both of his hands. They both smiled brilliantly as they led him to the centre of the kitchen.

"Sano," Kaoru said, "Megumi is very tired, see?"

As if to prove her point, Kaoru pointed at Megumi, who, almost on cue, leaned against the water pump, looking particularly beat. Sanosuke raised one eyebrow at the doctor's display of life threatening pain and fixed Kaoru with a doubting look. None of the earlier craftiness had gone out of the woman's eyes. If anything, she looked all the more determined.

"She is very, very tired," she went on, "and Kenshin's out with the Ojiisan, so we obviously can't ask him..."

This was beginning to sound ugly, whatever it was she was going to ask. "Just let go of my hand, and tell me what the hell you want," he mumbled.

"We want you to do the dishes for us," Megumi said.

The request hit him like a splash of ice-cold water. Eyes wide with indignation, Sanosuke spun around to face Megumi. He was about to curse her to very depths of Hell when he saw the look on her face. Her eyes seemed a little bit more deep set than they usually did, her normally becoming pale skin a bit too white. He could see dark circles under her eyes, lines creasing the sides of her mouth. Drawing back, he scratched at his head.

"You look really tired, onna," he said, his voice deeper than it usually was. "You should get some rest."

Before Kaoru had time to say anything, he had taken a firm hold of Megumi's shoulders, physically guiding her out of the kitchen and to a place where she could rest. He made little soothing noises every step of the way, fully aware that Kaoru was trailing behind him, grasping a dish firmly in her hand. She would open her mouth every minute or so, holding up the dish and pointing at it fiercely. But for every time she tried to say something, Sanosuke would say something else. Did Megumi need an extra cover... Should he roll the door open a bit further... Perhaps roll it close... Did she want any soup... A bit of ocha...? He could see that Kaoru was beginning to lose her patience with him. Megumi looked at him with an expression between thanking him for his trouble and a prayer for his safety from the looming Kaoru. He could hear her seething over his shoulder, and he could have sworn flames were emanating from her. Whistling under his breath, he tried his best to ignore her. Maybe she would just go away.

Placing a blanket over Megumi he secured it around the sleeping mat he had pulled out of storage for her, all of the extra pillows, bars of soap, and bottles Kaoru kept in the closet along with it forming a stream of clutter that he tried to kick away. Once done he leaned back on his heels, smiling. Megumi couldn't help but smile back. Watching him fuss over her was almost funny, and she tried her hardest to battle down the laughter rising in her throat. He looked so sweet, somehow, as he fumbled with the blankets and strove to keep her head from striking the wooden pillow he was arranging for her.

Straightening, he dug his hands deep into the pockets of his loose, white pants, flashing Megumi a crooked smile before he flicked two fingers in salute and turned to slide open the dojo's back door. Lowering her head, Megumi pretended to smooth out a few non existing creases on her blanket. No sooner had the sound of the sliding door drifted out into the silence that it was countered by the thin sounds of a plate breaking over a head. These were soon answered by Sanosuke's voice, rising in volume as Kaoru's joined it. Megumi sighed, feeling the dojo's supports tremble as Kaoru battled to remove Sanosuke from the doorway, which he held onto as if for dear life. For every tug Kaoru gave, he flung back an insult at her, till the room rang with their struggled.

After what seemed like the longest time, Kaoru managed to pry Sanosuke away from the door. In the end, he lay at her feet, rubbing at the back of his head and fuming. Seething, she stood over him, demanding and fiery. Looking up at her, he crossed his arms and refused to relent.

"Why don't you ask Yahiko to do the fucking dishes?! What's he for, anyway?"

 Pulling out a loose string from her sleeve, Megumi sighed again, then jumped as a broom was slammed down with considerable force beside her. Looking up its bamboo handle, she saw Yahiko's face, a look of fierce indignation coming over his features. As she darted a look to the side, she could see that Sanosuke and Kaoru had been equally surprised by his sudden entrance. They stood as they had before, frozen in place and shocked into needle thin silence.

"Sano," Yahiko boomed, "Kaoru has me sweeping the yard! I will not do the dishes, too. It's enough that I have to do such degrading work as sweeping!"

To make his point, he brought his broom down with a crack on top of Sanosuke's head. Then, turning, he stormed out of the room, the wind chime tied to the porch outside swinging violently to and fro as he passed underneath it. The sound of his broom rose again a few seconds later, the forceful strokes giving a further voice to his indignation.

Rubbing his head, Sanosuke cast the yard a menacing look. He grumbled for a while, occasionally snarling out at Kaoru as she reminded him of the favour at hand. With a grunt, he stood up, towering over Kaoru and fixing her with a vicious stare.

"All right," he growled. "I'll do the damned dishes. But only because Megumi's so tired. Next time dishes need to be washed, you'll have to get somebody else, got it?"

Ten minutes and one more broom slam from Yahiko later Sanosuke stood before the sink. The water pump dripped to itself by a corner, Kaoru's cooking bubbling at his back. He could almost hear the winds of rotten luck whistling across the empty space. Heaving a hearty sigh, he drew his hand under his nose, cursing beneath his breath. Nothing he could do now, though. Rolling up his sleeves, he looked around him. He wondered what Kaoru usually used to scrub the dishes clean with. His eyes fell upon a worn out bar of soap by the kitchen's only window, and he took that up. He worked up a fine lather with it, and was even beginning to enjoy himself, when he realized that he couldn't very well scrub the dishes with his own hands. At a loss, he went to the door.

"Hey, Megumi, where does Kaoru keep her wash cloths?"

Without lowering the hand she had placed over her eyes to shield out the light, she called out that it was under the sink, hanging from a small hook. She heard him bump his way across the lower half of the sink, then his voice drifted out in a plain domo. A couple of minutes later, his voice rose again as he began to hum to himself, the sound of the splashing water and the dishes being set to dry accompanying his plaintive tune. Megumi lay in her mat silently, eyes closed under her arm, listening to the sounds of the house around her. She could feel the autumn cold rising from the boards where she lay, even through the tatami Kaoru had laid out that spring. Yahiko's broom had settled into a more relaxed, even pattern outside, and, from the kitchen, Sanosuke's song mingled with the soft tinkles of the wind chime.

Turning on her side, she gazed for a while at what she could see of the kitchen from her sleeping mat. Sanosuke's back was to her, his bare feet barely making a sound as he moved from the sink to the place where Kaoru usually stacked her dishes. The red ribbon he always wore tied around his forehead fluttered slightly with his movements. As he turned to reach for his cloth again, though, one of the dishes he had placed to dry tittered over the edge of the sink and fell. Its crash startled Megumi, even though she had seen it fall. Cursing silently, Sanosuke bent to pick it up, and Megumi caught a look at his face.

He looked almost comical as he gathered up the broken pieces, pilling them into a corner and covering them up with an overturned bucket. Straightening, he picked up his cloth again, resuming his song as if nothing had happened. He ran a hand through his spiky hair, shaking his head as soap lather sprinkled into his eyes. Watching him, Megumi could feel a strange sort of peace beginning to rise in her heart. Smiling, she closed her eyes, turning towards the ceiling again.

"Sano," she called. "Where did you learn that song you've been humming...?"

She heard him chuckle as he set another dish to dry. "I'm a bad singer, right? Yeah, I know. But Sagara Taishio used to sing that. I just sort'a picked it up, you know? Hard not to when you heard it every night."

Wiping his hands free of wash lather on the sleeve of his shirt, he walked up to lean against the frames of the kitchen door. His smile was wistful, as it always was when he spoke about his old captain. He turned his head to look outside the doors at the falling night. From her place, Megumi looked up at his face. It seemed strange for her to realize that she had never really looked at Sanosuke before. Kenshin had always been there, with his brilliant red hair and gentle blue eyes. Sano had only been a background figure, his voice rising over the bustle of assembled friends as he argued with Kaoru and Yahiko. He always seemed so crude to her. Now, standing by the doorway, framed by the fire from Kaoru's cooking, he seemed a completely different man.

Blushing slightly, Megumi turned her back to him. It would do her no good to entertain foolish notions just because he looked so handsome for one moment. "It's a very good song," she said. "Sagara must have been a good man."

She heard Sanosuke move away from the door, and she found herself letting out a sigh of relief. He began talking to himself in the kitchen, his voice mingling with the hiss of Kaoru's fire. He was telling the pots and pans and cooking fire about his old captain, his voice full of pride and a carefully guarded melancholy. Megumi heard him without even being aware that she was hanging on to his every word. Near the end of his soliloquy, she heard him unplug the sink, the water gushing down slowly at first, then rapidly with a throaty groan. He came to the door again then, wiping his hands dry. Megumi heard the soft pad of his bare feet across the boards, then felt him drape something over her. Looking up, a bit perplexed, she saw that it was his shirt. Standing above her, hands once again dug into his pant pockets, he smiled down at her. She felt a diminutive blush spread over her cheeks and she looked down at the white fabric of his shirt, battling it down.

"It's getting colder," he said.

Megumi sighed, her thoughts dispersing for a while and sitting up in her makeshift bed. "Silly," she said, "what about you? Aren't you going to be cold without this?"

Without giving an answer, he sat down beside her, back against the wall and legs drawn up to his chest. "Nah. I've suffered worse colds than this."

Frowning in mock anger, she threw the shirt over his head. "So have I, baka. I spent many cold days after I lost my family, and I'm pretty used to it myself."

Blustering, he wrestled to push the shirt off his head. He looked at her after he had done so, and Megumi could see that she had hurt his pride. Turning away, he flung the shirt far from where he sat, then tucked his head into his chest, gazing down at the dojo's wooden floor. He sat like that, silent, for what seemed like the longest time. Megumi sighed and settled back down into her mat, giving her back to him. She could hear every intake of breath he made. The sound made her uncomfortable. Closing her eyes, she battled to regain the earlier peace she had felt as he had washed the dishes.

"You know, Megumi, there's nobody here but the two of us."

Rising, Megumi turned to face Sanosuke, her brows knitting together sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He didn't answer immediately, merely remained as he was, head bowed and knees drawn up close to his chest. When he spoke, his voice was low, barely above a whisper. But Megumi didn't have to strain to hear him. He was speaking only for her.

"You don't have to put up a strong front here. It's cold. I was merely worried."

Megumi sighed, sitting up in her mat again. She pushed her bangs away from her face, gazing at the far wall. The flames from Kaoru's abandoned cooking flickered there, sending shadows dancing and spinning amongst themselves. "Sano," she said, "I... I'm sorry. I guess I'm just too used to being by myself. I've never had anybody do things for me before."

"I think it's something you should grow used to if you're going to consciously call a few people your friends."

Saying that, he stood up, his long frame swaying slightly with the sudden motion. He padded over to where his shirt had fallen and bent to pick it up. He held it for a while in his hands, gazing at it. Megumi couldn't tell what was going through his mind. He simply stood there, thumb finger running slowly over the visible strokes of the kanji sown into the back of the shirt. Evil, it read. At most instances, it was even a laughable joke. Standing tall over almost everybody in their street, Sanosuke would be the first to trail off in lofty, personified speeches about the need for family and friends. He would swear till he called down every single saint in the heavens, and he would flare with an uncontrollable temper at times, but Sanosuke had never been, perhaps could never be, truly evil. At length, he turned towards her.

"Here," he said, holding out the shirt to her.

She looked up into his eyes for a moment, hoping to read something there. She hadn't really meant to insult him, but Sanosuke seemed determined to let the silliest things get to him. Sighing, she made as if to say something, but he merely motioned with the hand that held the shirt for her to take it. Looking down, Megumi bit her lip.

"Idiot. It's not as if our whole friendship depends on taking the damn shirt."

Before she had said anything else, he had draped the shirt around her again. She heard him turn on his heel and go to the kitchen. Soon, she could hear him blowing out Kaoru's fire. He coughed as the smokes began to rise, laden with the smells of boiling tofu and vegetables. He left the pan to rest above the cooling embers, sanctifying the food by cursing at the fire. When he emerged, he was sucking at his thumb, his brows knitted in annoyance.

At her place, Megumi bowed her head, drawing Sanosuke's shirt closer about her shoulders. She didn't want to look up at him, and that made her angry. She couldn't blame him for taking offence at everything and do the same herself. But there was something, something about the way he moved, carelessly, with an impetuous bravado, something about the sound of his voice as he cursed the fire and his burned finger with one breath that made her uneasy. She tightened her hold on the shirt, her fingers digging into her skin even over the fabric of his shirt and her kimono.

Grunting, he sat beside her again, head resting back against the wall. He gave one last suck to his finger, then folded his arms behind his head. Megumi sat still, not knowing what to say. She raised her head, blinking, as he began to hum his song again. She saw him give her a look through the corner of his eye, the look of a child caught at something he has been told not to do, and the song died on his lips. He coughed, mumbling a rough gomen.

"Prob'bly botherin' you."

Megumi found herself smiling. "No. Not at all. Go on."

He gave her a doubting look, one eyebrow arching upwards. "You sure? I mean, don't you wanna sleep or som'thing?"

Looking at him straight in the eye, she fixed him with her best indignated frown. "Who can sleep? What with this great cold of yours."

He blinked, a puzzled expression on his face. Once the malice of her remark dawned on him, though, he opened his mouth to protest. She laughed as he adamantly defended his position, listing all the illnesses she could catch simply by overexposure. She settled back comfortably into her sleeping mat again, chuckling as he folded his arms and humped out his indignation. She knew that this time his anger was more show than anything else. It wasn't long before he had stopped hmphing and simply sat there quietly.

Gazing up at the ceiling, she watched as the shadows moved and grew above her. Sanosuke had begun to hum again, softly, under his breath, almost as if he were afraid of anybody overhearing him. Closing her eyes, she let herself become lost in his plaintive tune again. The sounds of the deepening night drifted in from outside, the wind chime whispering to itself by the doorway. She could feel the peace from before stealing over her again.

"Nights like this," she heard Sanosuke murmur, his voice hushed in the growing darkness, "Sagara Taishio used to say that they were good for one's soul. You know? But I was a silly kid... I always thought maybe they meant that something bad was going to happen. As if it were the last time I would ever see people..."

"You should listen to your captain."

Sanosuke smiled, the corners of his mouth merely twitching upwards. "I did. But it was hard to shut out my dumb head. I was wrong, anyway, never lost anyone after one of those nights... It's almost like... Like a joke. You loose people after the dumbest things."

Sighing, he stretched out his legs. He closed his eyes for a moment, battling against the memories that were threatening to come through. That was the one problem with quiet nights like that, they always made him melancholic. He was dangerous when melancholic. Turning his head, he gazed down at Megumi. Her eyes were closed, arms folded calmly over her waist. Some colour had returned to her face, and she certainly looked healthier than she had that afternoon. For a moment it crossed his mind that maybe the whole tired business had been a scam to dump the dishes on him, but he dispelled the thoughts quickly. He knew Megumi well enough to tell a scam from the truth. Smiling to himself, he closed his eyes again.

"Megumi... Are you happy?"

Without opening her eyes, Megumi shifted in her makeshift bed. It was a few moments before she spoke. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. Nothing, really. Seemed like the right thin' to ask, I guess."

Megumi cracked open one eye, giving Sanosuke a wry smile before she settled back down again. "Yes," she murmured. "I'm happy. I have a home, a family... I have all that I could ever ask for.

And you?"

Sanosuke looked down at the wooden boards. His feet seemed much too long and bony in the half light of the early evening. "Yeah," he said at length. "You know that. Got food, wine, friends, and a damn good dice house all on the same street. Can't get better'an this, I suppose."

His words died away quietly. A cricket called out a quick tune from outside, the boards groaning as if in response. Megumi looked up at him in silence, her eyes thoughtful. She had expected his answer to be loftier, somehow. But his head was bowed again, and she couldn't see his eyes. She saw him shrug once, then raise his head. His eyes found hers and held them. For a moment, Megumi couldn't say a word. His eyes looked strangely liquid for that one moment, the light from outside and from the dying embers mingling with the clear brown of his gaze. An unspoken feeling was present there, in those eyes, a feeling that made Megumi blush with the force of its intensity.

Shaking her head, she turned her face away. She felt him place a hand on her shoulder, sending shivers down her spine. Her mind was in turmoil. Every sense was telling her to snap out of it, to shake off the strange, warm feeling coursing through her body. It was ridiculous. He had simply looked handsome for that one moment by the door. It was nothing she should even bother to feel, to consider. Kenshin. I love Kenshin. It has always been Kenshin. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to shrug off Sanosuke's hand.

"Sano, I--"

Her words died away, the sound echoing across her mind until it made no more sense. Strong arms had wrapped themselves around her, lifting her in a tight, urgent embrace. She could feel Sanosuke's breath as he rested his head, bowed, against her neck. She felt the soft whisper of his breath move over her skin, sending shivers through her. Closing her eyes, she relaxed into his embrace. She stayed there, silent and still, feeling the beating of his heart mingle with hers, his breast rise and fall with every breath, his fingers cool against her skin. She hoped that he could feel her heart as well. Raising one hand, she placed it over his, fingers running slowly over his.

He released her unwillingly, moving away as if she were made out of spun glass. Looking into her eyes, he could feel a smile begin to play across his lips. Breath caught in his throat, he brushed away the bangs from her forehead.

"No, no Kenshin. That's not the right lyric. It's Ima... Ima wa kirei desu..."

Blushing, Sanosuke pulled back, one hand rising to rub at the back of his neck. Megumi coughed, re-arranging the folds of her kimono. She ran a hand through her hair, praying that her blush would not be too noticeable. She heard the Ojiisan unlocking the gate, the little girls giggling as they ran past, calling out for Kaoru. Kenshin's voice drifted in after theirs, chuckling.

Sa, sa. I've never really been very good at songs de gozaru."

Megumi smiled as she heard that voice. A wistful smile. Sanosuke had turned his back to her, his shoulders stiff, affecting a pose of nonchalance. Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head briefly against his bare back. As she drew back, the doors of the dojo slid open and the little girls rushed in. The youngest ran towards Sanosuke, flinging herself into his arms. He caught her easily, lifting the other with his arm as she too rushed at him. He laughed, the sound warm and carefree, mingling with the children's excited chatter.

"Quite a line at the shops," the Ojiisan said, removing his shoes at the entrance.

Behind him came Yahiko, Kaoru pinching his ear and demanding to know since when was stuffing dry leaves under the carriage gate considered clearing the yard. Kenshin's nervous, carefree chuckle followed them.

"Now, now, Kaoru dono, I'm sure something can be done about it tomorrow. For now, let's worry about eating. What's for dinner?"

Kaoru gasped, rushing towards the kitchen. Sanosuke laughed, calling out as she passed that he had salvaged a bit of it. Setting down the girls, he flashed Kenshin a crooked smile. Watching them, Megumi couldn't help but smile herself.

"Okaeri nasai, Kenshin. Welcome home," she said.

Standing at the doorway, framed by the night, Kenshin smiled gently. He looked at Sanosuke, whose back was turned to him as he teased Kaoru from the kitchen doorway. Seeing the look on his face, Megumi blushed slightly, but that only seemed to make Kenshin happier. Turning, he joined Kaoru in the kitchen, stopping to pat Sanosuke's shoulder as he passed.

Stepping back from the doorway, Sanosuke dug his hands deep into the pockets of his pants. A faint, melancholic smile spread across his lips. Without saying a word, he looked at Megumi, eyes warm and deep in the evening light. Seeing the look in his eyes, Megumi smiled. She knew she didn't have to say anything. Rising from the kitchen, she could hear Kaoru and Kenshin, the Ojiisan and the two little girls, Yahiko. All of them, laughing, the sound like golden bells drifting on the breeze. She knew that Sanosuke could hear them, too, and there was no need to say anything else.
 
 
 

Author's Note

Phew. This is the end. Took me long enough to get here. Ha ha. But nothing that a long Friday at home can't cure. Hope you have all enjoyed reading this, pointless, perhaps, as it is.

Tokoro de, Sanosuke is wrong. He does not sing bad at all. If any of you have heard his "Naked Heart" in the Kenshin Vocal Cast CD, then I hope you'll agree. Heh heh. Many thanks to Rose dono for taping that song for me. Great tune, tomodachi.
 

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© November 1997-January 2nd, 1998 Team Bonet. Rurouni Kenshin and all of its life philosophy inspiring characters is © Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump Comics. Thanks for stopping by and reading this for a while, we're in yer debt, man-- Ora! Ora!