The Cost of Protection: Chapter Three -- A Rurouni Kenshin Story
The Cost of Protection
Chapter Title: The Things People Think
Anime: Rurouni Kenshin
Rating: PG13(So far, for Sano's naughty mouth.)
Summary: An old woman offers an unbelievable gift to Kenshin; perfect health and immunity to injury. But such a gift comes at high cost, how much can Sanosuke afford to pay?
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship
Pairings: None
Characters: Sanosuke, Kenshin, Megumi, Kaoru, Yahiko
Status: Incomplete
Chapter One || Chapter Two
The Cost of Protection
A Rurouni Kenshin Story
Chapter Three: The Things People Think
Kenshin sat with his sakabatou resting across his crossed knees. He sat on the porch, watching the sunrise. The rurouni was often an early riser, but in this case he simply had not slept during the night. He had discovered that a part of this so called 'gift' was in that he needed less sleep, if any at all. He also did not need to eat as he normally would have to remain healthy. It was disturbing to Kenshin who had spent so many years familiarizing himself with the needs of his own body.
But then, eating and sleeping where small changes compared to this inability to experience pain.
It had been nearly three weeks since Shizuka-dono had granted him flesh impervious to injury and ill health. Kenshin was an honest man, and honestly there was something about this gift that set his nerves on edge. It had been Shizuka-dono's constant badgering of his friends that evening concerning what price they would pay for him. He found his days on edge and his evenings spent keeping watch over the dojo. He was waiting for the consequences of this 'gift' to turn up.
Secretly, he was finding good use for his less required sleep. It gave Kenshin the time and energy to watch over the dojo as he had never been able to do before. And his eating less allowed for the others of their group to eat more, namely Yahiko and Sanosuke.
The lack of sensing pain, though, Kenshin feared that was making him clumsy. It was hard to know if you had burned yourself on the hot kettle or not when he could not feel the pain of the burn. Certainly, he was well aware of the heat, but it did not cause the discomfort it should have. If he stepped wrong while carrying a full laundry basket he could feel the bones of his ankle slide the wrong direction, but felt no pain in the action. A moment later, he would suffer no ill effects from the twist at all. If he cut his finger chopping radishes, he could feel the knife's blade scoring his flesh, but there was no pain associated with it. No blood, the wound simply closed once the knife blade was removed.
Caution was difficult when no consequences for lack of it were felt. Actually, basic actions were more difficult with out the perception of pain. Kenshin had been given the opportunity to realize how much he relied on discomfort to mark his limits. However, with Shizuka-dono's gift, those limits should no longer exist. It begged another question though, if he were to live the rest of his days pain free, how would he relate to those who suffered?
Kenshin squeezed the scabbard of his sword with both hands, his eyebrows drawn close together. He did not like this gift. He did not like how it made him feel so very cut off. He did not like that he felt as though he were left waiting for the other sandal to drop.
The worst though, was the sensation in his gut that told him in its own way that his friends would be involved in this, and Kenshin knew the end results could not be good.
The rurouni had no one to truly express that feeling to, however. Kaoru-dono and Yahiko were both too enamored of the idea that he was truly invincible. They had in some ways thought it of him before, this reinforcement made it difficult to try to tell them any thing might be bad about this 'gift.' Megumi-dono had been quite interested in the first couple of days, only to very suddenly abandon any curiosity on the subject at all. When any of them brought it up before her now, she would sniff and say the whole business was nonsense.
And then there was Sano. The younger man seemed to be all for this gift. Not in the same fashion as Kaoru-dono and Yahiko, Sano seemed to genuinely like it for what it was. However, Kenshin was hard pressed to say for certain as he himself chose not to talk on the subject and Sano always helped him deflect it with the others. The younger man was as cheerful and affable as ever, but he didn't quite make the eye contact with Kenshin that he had before. And that hurt as much as Kaoru-dono putting him higher on his pedestal.
Kenshin blew out a small sigh, loosening the grip on his sword and swiftly standing. Perhaps he was just thinking too much on the matter. He had been made different, it only made sense that the others might treat him different.
The sun now bright on the eastern horizon, Kenshin stood and slid is sakabatou into the cloth at his side. Worries or no, there were daily chores to begin. And he certainly had plenty of time to work on breakfast before Yahiko and Kaoru-dono awoke.
~/~
Megumi's red painted lips turned up into a bright smile as she let herself into the dojo grounds and spied Ken-san up to his elbows in laundry. The smile turned decidedly foxy as she noted young Kaoru-chan watching him somewhat dreamily from the engawa. Never one to miss an open opportunity, Megumi flipped her long hair and marched with purpose past Kaoru with out so much as a word in the girl's direction. With an easy grace she stepped behind Kenshin, who she knew was well aware of her presence, and glided her fingers across his back. With a near purr, she leaned close to his ear but spoke clearly for Kaoru's sake.
“Well hello Ken-san. How terrible for you to be forced to work so early in the day. Shall I slip my hands in the water and help you?”
A blush danced across the swordsman's cheeks. “Mah, mah, Megumi-dono, this one enjoys doing laundry! But it really is a one man task, the wash basin is not very large.”
Kaoru was all ready on her feet, eyes narrowed and making her way toward the two. Megumi felt near foxy ears appear on her head. “I would find it no problem to rub arms with you Ken-san. Perhaps we might also each grab the others hand. Purely on accident of course!”
The lady doctor was sure to announce this with a foxy laugh. Ken-san's eyes went ridiculously wide even as Kaoru got to the two of them. With deft hands the girl reached into the laundry basin and gripped a sopping wet article of clothing. Her aim was good as she tossed it at Megumi's head, but Megumi easily stepped out of the way. “You are,” Kaoru hissed, “a positively dirty adult!”
Kenshin squawked an 'Oro!' even as Megumi covered her mouth and chortled in delight. “Good morning to you too, Kaoru-chan. I have no idea what your talking about, I was merely offering to help Ken-san with the laundry.”
The girl sputtered, her ponytail bouncing behind her. “You.. arg! You foxy adult!”
The lady doctor pointedly ignored the repeated comment, instead turning her noes to the air. “I smell something burning, are you by chance cooking lunch, Kaoru-chan?”
“Hey, my cooking isn't so bad that you... Oh no, the stew!”
Kaoru bolted for the house and Megumi heard Ken-san sigh in amusement. “You should be kinder to her, Megumi-dono, that you should.”
“And what would she learn of the cruelty of adults if I were kind, Ken-san? I'm just teaching. Perhaps I could teach you something as well?”
The last was said with a sly smile and a suggestive waggle of well sculpted eyebrows. Kenshin smiled, eyes closed in that rurouni way of his and both wet hands held out before him in truce. “Mah, Megumi-dono, this one must decline.”
“Ah,” the woman sighed. “Mores' the pity. Has the freeloading rooster shown up yet?”
The doctor slid this in as casually as she could. Her pride would not allow her to ask outright after the rooster-brained idiot, but the constant concern for him burning in her belly made her want to know where he was at all times. Not easy to do with a bum who seemed to wander the streets as often as he stayed in his own apartment.
There was something of a defeated slouch that entered Kenshin's shoulders as he turned to grab shirt Kaoru had thrown. Megumi had only managed to distract him briefly with her antics. “Sano has not been here yet today, that he has not.”
For a man who was by all rights experiencing no pains, no exhaustion, and no injuries, he was certainly bouncing between tense and depressed in rapid succession these days. As much as she worried for Sanosuke's physical health, she worried as much for Kenshin's mental health. This “good thing” Sanosuke had talked her into going along with three weeks ago was putting Kenshin very much on edge.
And yet, he was otherwise healthy. Megumi felt herself trapped between a boulder and a brick wall on the topic.
“Is he well?”
The question caught her momentarily off guard. “Who?”
“Sano. His mood is good, but he has been looking... tired, that he has.”
The lady doctor quickly backtracked her thoughts, wondered quickly if she had misspoken to alert Kenshin. No, she decided, the man had had three weeks to watch Sanosuke himself, and Kenshin was, despite his rurouni act, not a stupid man. She would have to warn the rooster to cover himself better if he intended to keep the reality of the situation from Kenshin. “Stupid rooster doesn't know that even young men can't spend all night up drinking and gambling and expect to get up the next morning in prime condition for weeks on end. From what I've seen of him, its nothing a few extra hours of rest might cure. Of course, knowing that hard head, he'll have to collapse before he gets that.”
The lie rolled easily from Megumi's lips. It was not the first she had told since agreeing to Sanosuke's deal in his defense. A cut on a finger written off to another fight. A burn on his palm blamed on a clumsy moment. In truth, Megumi knew that Sanosuke had been going to bed quite early of the last week. He slept in late as well. She checked on him most mornings at his apartment. It was somewhat compulsive, but since Kaoru had confided to her that Kenshin was no longer going to bed at night, Megumi knew it would tax Sanosuke. Her check this morning had revealed that the rooster was either all ready up and gone or had slept someplace else the night before.
“Ah,” Kenshin spoke softly, but kept eye contact with Megumi for an uncomfortably long moment. “Sano can be stubborn, that he can.”
Finally released from the man's gaze, Megumi rolled her own eyes and heaved a sigh. “You have no idea.”
“Are you and Sano dating?”
Megumi nearly choked, her eyes popping and her tongue sticking in her throat. “Ex-excuse me?”
Kenshin hung the last of the laundry and looked at her with his head cocked to the side. “You have been spending a great deal of time together, and when ever you are here and Sano is not, you ask after him. Are you a couple?”
A flush burned hard and bright up her cheeks and down her neck. Sanosuke? Ken-san thought she might have a relationship with that rooster-brained idiot? Didn't he think she had better taste, higher standards in choosing a partner? Certainly the boy was pretty, but he was equally stupid. “I should say not! He... he is repaying me. For all of the medical attention I have given him, he comes by the clinic and helps with chores.”
It was not entirely a lie. Since Kaoru had also quietly told Megumi of her concern for Kenshin because he seemed to be eating very little, Megumi had been encouraging Sanosuke to come to the clinic and eat at least one meal a day. The rooster had eyed her skeptically at first, but he was a freeloader by nature and had soon agreed. She had later applied the condition that he had to help with the firewood and carrying water buckets in order to earn his meals. Despite the effort, she was aware that the young man was slowly loosing weight. It wasn't entirely noticeable in looking at him, but if ever he ate like a horse before he ate as though he were positively starving now. He was, Megumi realized, he was in some strange fashion being starved. Because Kenshin was being generous and eating less so that Sano might eat more.
It was ludicrous, really.
Again, Kenshin's eyes lingered on her a little too long. Finally he nodded. “Ah, this one understands.”
Those purple eyes turned away from her and for a moment looked off into space. “Sano is coming now.”
“Oh?”
Despite herself, Megumi instantly turned to spy the young man coming up the path to the back gate. Hands in the cloth of his pants and a fish spine between his teeth, he looked completely natural. If one were to ignore the dark bags under his eyes.
Kenshin smiled at her briefly as though he knew something she didn't before raising a hand in greeting toward the rooster. “Hello Sano! Your timing is good as usual, lunch should be done soon.”
Sanosuke waved in return even as he let himself through the wooden gate. “Hey Kenshin, lady doctor. You sound surprised, but you ought to know by now my timing is always good when it comes to food.”
Kenshin laughed softly at this and Megumi sighed. “You don't lie about that, now do you, rooster? There's no helping it, I suppose. Where were you this morning?”
Kenshin's eyes twitched between the two of them, his eyebrows climbing into his red bangs. Megumi realized a moment too late that after her previous conversation with the rurouni, she should not have asked that question in front of him. Sanosuke apparently thought nothing of it. She wondered sometimes if he thought at all. “I needed a bath. I stunk pretty bad and there's no getting in the public bath house after the nine o' clock canon. Why?”
Megumi felt the blush on her cheeks as she looked away from both men. “I needed you to carry my shopping for me, remember?”
Sanosuke blinked at her owlishly from tired eyes. “Uh, no, I don't remember that at all. When'd you tell me about that?”
Megumi blustered, wishing the idiot would get the hint and go with it. Being tired was no excuse for this level of unawareness. “Last night over supper!”
If possible, Kenshin's eyebrows rose even further, a tiny smile quirking its way onto his lips. Megumi mentally berated herself, wondering if the rooster's stupidity was contagious. If so, she had indeed been spending far too much time with him. “Nah, you were off n' talking about some new medicine comin' out of Germany. You never said anything about shopping.”
Megumi fairly growled, “You idiot rooster....”
It was then that Kenshin asked all too innocently, “Are you sure you two are not dating?”
And Megumi could see that Sanosuke had finally caught up with what she was hinting at as he gaped openly at Kenshin. “What the hell?!”
And for the moment, they all forgot about this terrible gift that seemed to be such a mood killer lately.
To be Continued.
You can also find this story on FF.net: here.
Chapter Title: The Things People Think
Anime: Rurouni Kenshin
Rating: PG13(So far, for Sano's naughty mouth.)
Summary: An old woman offers an unbelievable gift to Kenshin; perfect health and immunity to injury. But such a gift comes at high cost, how much can Sanosuke afford to pay?
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship
Pairings: None
Characters: Sanosuke, Kenshin, Megumi, Kaoru, Yahiko
Status: Incomplete
Chapter One || Chapter Two
The Cost of Protection
A Rurouni Kenshin Story
Chapter Three: The Things People Think
Kenshin sat with his sakabatou resting across his crossed knees. He sat on the porch, watching the sunrise. The rurouni was often an early riser, but in this case he simply had not slept during the night. He had discovered that a part of this so called 'gift' was in that he needed less sleep, if any at all. He also did not need to eat as he normally would have to remain healthy. It was disturbing to Kenshin who had spent so many years familiarizing himself with the needs of his own body.
But then, eating and sleeping where small changes compared to this inability to experience pain.
It had been nearly three weeks since Shizuka-dono had granted him flesh impervious to injury and ill health. Kenshin was an honest man, and honestly there was something about this gift that set his nerves on edge. It had been Shizuka-dono's constant badgering of his friends that evening concerning what price they would pay for him. He found his days on edge and his evenings spent keeping watch over the dojo. He was waiting for the consequences of this 'gift' to turn up.
Secretly, he was finding good use for his less required sleep. It gave Kenshin the time and energy to watch over the dojo as he had never been able to do before. And his eating less allowed for the others of their group to eat more, namely Yahiko and Sanosuke.
The lack of sensing pain, though, Kenshin feared that was making him clumsy. It was hard to know if you had burned yourself on the hot kettle or not when he could not feel the pain of the burn. Certainly, he was well aware of the heat, but it did not cause the discomfort it should have. If he stepped wrong while carrying a full laundry basket he could feel the bones of his ankle slide the wrong direction, but felt no pain in the action. A moment later, he would suffer no ill effects from the twist at all. If he cut his finger chopping radishes, he could feel the knife's blade scoring his flesh, but there was no pain associated with it. No blood, the wound simply closed once the knife blade was removed.
Caution was difficult when no consequences for lack of it were felt. Actually, basic actions were more difficult with out the perception of pain. Kenshin had been given the opportunity to realize how much he relied on discomfort to mark his limits. However, with Shizuka-dono's gift, those limits should no longer exist. It begged another question though, if he were to live the rest of his days pain free, how would he relate to those who suffered?
Kenshin squeezed the scabbard of his sword with both hands, his eyebrows drawn close together. He did not like this gift. He did not like how it made him feel so very cut off. He did not like that he felt as though he were left waiting for the other sandal to drop.
The worst though, was the sensation in his gut that told him in its own way that his friends would be involved in this, and Kenshin knew the end results could not be good.
The rurouni had no one to truly express that feeling to, however. Kaoru-dono and Yahiko were both too enamored of the idea that he was truly invincible. They had in some ways thought it of him before, this reinforcement made it difficult to try to tell them any thing might be bad about this 'gift.' Megumi-dono had been quite interested in the first couple of days, only to very suddenly abandon any curiosity on the subject at all. When any of them brought it up before her now, she would sniff and say the whole business was nonsense.
And then there was Sano. The younger man seemed to be all for this gift. Not in the same fashion as Kaoru-dono and Yahiko, Sano seemed to genuinely like it for what it was. However, Kenshin was hard pressed to say for certain as he himself chose not to talk on the subject and Sano always helped him deflect it with the others. The younger man was as cheerful and affable as ever, but he didn't quite make the eye contact with Kenshin that he had before. And that hurt as much as Kaoru-dono putting him higher on his pedestal.
Kenshin blew out a small sigh, loosening the grip on his sword and swiftly standing. Perhaps he was just thinking too much on the matter. He had been made different, it only made sense that the others might treat him different.
The sun now bright on the eastern horizon, Kenshin stood and slid is sakabatou into the cloth at his side. Worries or no, there were daily chores to begin. And he certainly had plenty of time to work on breakfast before Yahiko and Kaoru-dono awoke.
~/~
Megumi's red painted lips turned up into a bright smile as she let herself into the dojo grounds and spied Ken-san up to his elbows in laundry. The smile turned decidedly foxy as she noted young Kaoru-chan watching him somewhat dreamily from the engawa. Never one to miss an open opportunity, Megumi flipped her long hair and marched with purpose past Kaoru with out so much as a word in the girl's direction. With an easy grace she stepped behind Kenshin, who she knew was well aware of her presence, and glided her fingers across his back. With a near purr, she leaned close to his ear but spoke clearly for Kaoru's sake.
“Well hello Ken-san. How terrible for you to be forced to work so early in the day. Shall I slip my hands in the water and help you?”
A blush danced across the swordsman's cheeks. “Mah, mah, Megumi-dono, this one enjoys doing laundry! But it really is a one man task, the wash basin is not very large.”
Kaoru was all ready on her feet, eyes narrowed and making her way toward the two. Megumi felt near foxy ears appear on her head. “I would find it no problem to rub arms with you Ken-san. Perhaps we might also each grab the others hand. Purely on accident of course!”
The lady doctor was sure to announce this with a foxy laugh. Ken-san's eyes went ridiculously wide even as Kaoru got to the two of them. With deft hands the girl reached into the laundry basin and gripped a sopping wet article of clothing. Her aim was good as she tossed it at Megumi's head, but Megumi easily stepped out of the way. “You are,” Kaoru hissed, “a positively dirty adult!”
Kenshin squawked an 'Oro!' even as Megumi covered her mouth and chortled in delight. “Good morning to you too, Kaoru-chan. I have no idea what your talking about, I was merely offering to help Ken-san with the laundry.”
The girl sputtered, her ponytail bouncing behind her. “You.. arg! You foxy adult!”
The lady doctor pointedly ignored the repeated comment, instead turning her noes to the air. “I smell something burning, are you by chance cooking lunch, Kaoru-chan?”
“Hey, my cooking isn't so bad that you... Oh no, the stew!”
Kaoru bolted for the house and Megumi heard Ken-san sigh in amusement. “You should be kinder to her, Megumi-dono, that you should.”
“And what would she learn of the cruelty of adults if I were kind, Ken-san? I'm just teaching. Perhaps I could teach you something as well?”
The last was said with a sly smile and a suggestive waggle of well sculpted eyebrows. Kenshin smiled, eyes closed in that rurouni way of his and both wet hands held out before him in truce. “Mah, Megumi-dono, this one must decline.”
“Ah,” the woman sighed. “Mores' the pity. Has the freeloading rooster shown up yet?”
The doctor slid this in as casually as she could. Her pride would not allow her to ask outright after the rooster-brained idiot, but the constant concern for him burning in her belly made her want to know where he was at all times. Not easy to do with a bum who seemed to wander the streets as often as he stayed in his own apartment.
There was something of a defeated slouch that entered Kenshin's shoulders as he turned to grab shirt Kaoru had thrown. Megumi had only managed to distract him briefly with her antics. “Sano has not been here yet today, that he has not.”
For a man who was by all rights experiencing no pains, no exhaustion, and no injuries, he was certainly bouncing between tense and depressed in rapid succession these days. As much as she worried for Sanosuke's physical health, she worried as much for Kenshin's mental health. This “good thing” Sanosuke had talked her into going along with three weeks ago was putting Kenshin very much on edge.
And yet, he was otherwise healthy. Megumi felt herself trapped between a boulder and a brick wall on the topic.
“Is he well?”
The question caught her momentarily off guard. “Who?”
“Sano. His mood is good, but he has been looking... tired, that he has.”
The lady doctor quickly backtracked her thoughts, wondered quickly if she had misspoken to alert Kenshin. No, she decided, the man had had three weeks to watch Sanosuke himself, and Kenshin was, despite his rurouni act, not a stupid man. She would have to warn the rooster to cover himself better if he intended to keep the reality of the situation from Kenshin. “Stupid rooster doesn't know that even young men can't spend all night up drinking and gambling and expect to get up the next morning in prime condition for weeks on end. From what I've seen of him, its nothing a few extra hours of rest might cure. Of course, knowing that hard head, he'll have to collapse before he gets that.”
The lie rolled easily from Megumi's lips. It was not the first she had told since agreeing to Sanosuke's deal in his defense. A cut on a finger written off to another fight. A burn on his palm blamed on a clumsy moment. In truth, Megumi knew that Sanosuke had been going to bed quite early of the last week. He slept in late as well. She checked on him most mornings at his apartment. It was somewhat compulsive, but since Kaoru had confided to her that Kenshin was no longer going to bed at night, Megumi knew it would tax Sanosuke. Her check this morning had revealed that the rooster was either all ready up and gone or had slept someplace else the night before.
“Ah,” Kenshin spoke softly, but kept eye contact with Megumi for an uncomfortably long moment. “Sano can be stubborn, that he can.”
Finally released from the man's gaze, Megumi rolled her own eyes and heaved a sigh. “You have no idea.”
“Are you and Sano dating?”
Megumi nearly choked, her eyes popping and her tongue sticking in her throat. “Ex-excuse me?”
Kenshin hung the last of the laundry and looked at her with his head cocked to the side. “You have been spending a great deal of time together, and when ever you are here and Sano is not, you ask after him. Are you a couple?”
A flush burned hard and bright up her cheeks and down her neck. Sanosuke? Ken-san thought she might have a relationship with that rooster-brained idiot? Didn't he think she had better taste, higher standards in choosing a partner? Certainly the boy was pretty, but he was equally stupid. “I should say not! He... he is repaying me. For all of the medical attention I have given him, he comes by the clinic and helps with chores.”
It was not entirely a lie. Since Kaoru had also quietly told Megumi of her concern for Kenshin because he seemed to be eating very little, Megumi had been encouraging Sanosuke to come to the clinic and eat at least one meal a day. The rooster had eyed her skeptically at first, but he was a freeloader by nature and had soon agreed. She had later applied the condition that he had to help with the firewood and carrying water buckets in order to earn his meals. Despite the effort, she was aware that the young man was slowly loosing weight. It wasn't entirely noticeable in looking at him, but if ever he ate like a horse before he ate as though he were positively starving now. He was, Megumi realized, he was in some strange fashion being starved. Because Kenshin was being generous and eating less so that Sano might eat more.
It was ludicrous, really.
Again, Kenshin's eyes lingered on her a little too long. Finally he nodded. “Ah, this one understands.”
Those purple eyes turned away from her and for a moment looked off into space. “Sano is coming now.”
“Oh?”
Despite herself, Megumi instantly turned to spy the young man coming up the path to the back gate. Hands in the cloth of his pants and a fish spine between his teeth, he looked completely natural. If one were to ignore the dark bags under his eyes.
Kenshin smiled at her briefly as though he knew something she didn't before raising a hand in greeting toward the rooster. “Hello Sano! Your timing is good as usual, lunch should be done soon.”
Sanosuke waved in return even as he let himself through the wooden gate. “Hey Kenshin, lady doctor. You sound surprised, but you ought to know by now my timing is always good when it comes to food.”
Kenshin laughed softly at this and Megumi sighed. “You don't lie about that, now do you, rooster? There's no helping it, I suppose. Where were you this morning?”
Kenshin's eyes twitched between the two of them, his eyebrows climbing into his red bangs. Megumi realized a moment too late that after her previous conversation with the rurouni, she should not have asked that question in front of him. Sanosuke apparently thought nothing of it. She wondered sometimes if he thought at all. “I needed a bath. I stunk pretty bad and there's no getting in the public bath house after the nine o' clock canon. Why?”
Megumi felt the blush on her cheeks as she looked away from both men. “I needed you to carry my shopping for me, remember?”
Sanosuke blinked at her owlishly from tired eyes. “Uh, no, I don't remember that at all. When'd you tell me about that?”
Megumi blustered, wishing the idiot would get the hint and go with it. Being tired was no excuse for this level of unawareness. “Last night over supper!”
If possible, Kenshin's eyebrows rose even further, a tiny smile quirking its way onto his lips. Megumi mentally berated herself, wondering if the rooster's stupidity was contagious. If so, she had indeed been spending far too much time with him. “Nah, you were off n' talking about some new medicine comin' out of Germany. You never said anything about shopping.”
Megumi fairly growled, “You idiot rooster....”
It was then that Kenshin asked all too innocently, “Are you sure you two are not dating?”
And Megumi could see that Sanosuke had finally caught up with what she was hinting at as he gaped openly at Kenshin. “What the hell?!”
And for the moment, they all forgot about this terrible gift that seemed to be such a mood killer lately.
To be Continued.
You can also find this story on FF.net: here.