NOTE: This story picks up directly after the "Promises,
Promises" story with Kenshin and Kaoru. Please read that story first
if you want to know what happened. Author's notes at the end of this
work. Domo! ^_^
Utsukushii yoru na. . .What a beautiful night it was, Megumi
thought, glancing up at the sky as she walked toward the town limits,
with the intention of returning to the clinic. The vastness of the dark
sky with its stars beaming brightly made her realize just how much her
life remained in that abyss. A short distance behind her, Sanosuke walked
casually, also looking up at the heavens. She glanced back at him in
the corner of her eye. Perhaps he didn't even notice the uncomfortable
atmosphere they were in while they were at the Dojo. Kenshin and Kaoru
were getting married. Things were different now. It was a quiet reminder
that her life was hollow. Although her work at the clinic was of utmost
importance, even she knew that life didn't revolve around the job. But
what would Sanosuke know about that. . .all he does all day is gamble,
she thought sarcastically.
Sanosuke rubbed his bruised right ear, smirking slightly behind Megumi's
back. Did she ALWAYS have to do that?, he thought. The fox seemed to
be in a rush to return home, by the way she was walking. When they left
the Dojo, he couldn't help but note the somber look on Megumi's face.
What was she thinking about?, he wondered. He would have thought that
she'd be happy about the news of Kenshin and Kaoru's engagement, but
that didn't seem to be the case.
As they came around a turn, Sanosuke realized that Megumi intended
on returning to the clinic. He scratched his head, questioning her strange
actions. She hadn't said a word to him since they left, but he decided
to go along with it. He heard her release a lengthy sigh, then watched
as she ran both hands through her hair. Moments later, they stopped
in front of the clinic. As expected, there were no lights on inside.
In fact, there was no illumination of any kind throughout most of the
main street. Sanosuke figured it was time to find out what she was doing.
"Megumi, what are we doing here?" he approached her, standing on her
right side. "Dr. Genzai went home long time ago with the kids."
Megumi said nothing for a moment. She needed to think about what she
was doing with her life. Like Ken-san told her two years previous, if
she lived her life to help others, she would be atoning for all the
wrong things she had done. That was what she did, day in and day out
for two years. She unknowingly followed Kenshin's footsteps. Every effort
he made to help others, she tried to do the same in what she was good
at: medicine. But now, Kenshin was helping himself, living for himself.
How could she follow that?
"I need time alone right now, Sanosuke," she said softly, clenching
her fists at her side. "I'm staying here tonight."
"Megumi. . ." he put a hand on her shoulder, "you don't look like you
should be alone right now. You've been quiet ever since we left the
Dojo. What's going on?"
She shrugged off his hand, taking a step onto the portico. Megumi
turned to face Sanosuke, eye to eye. She was surprised to see deep concern
in his brown eyes, but the last thing she wanted was to talk. . .wasn't
it? Megumi lowered her eyes, turning to the entrance.
"Go home, Sanosuke. Go. . ." she said, shaking her head. Megumi opened
the door to the clinic, then quietly closed it behind her, leaving a
stunned Sanosuke outside.
"I'm not going home just yet. . ." he muttered, determined to find
out what her problem was. Disappearing around the side of the building,
he watched Megumi from a distance as she lit two candles.
Megumi, too emotionally spent to think of calming her mind, slumped
against one of the walls, slipping slowly to the floor. The sudden sensation
of flowing tears made her realize what she was doing.
"What are you DOING?!" she muttered to herself, covering her face with
her hands. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself!"
Sanosuke stood in shock at the sight of Megumi's tears. Why was she
crying?, he wondered. Something inside him wavered at the fragile picture
she portrayed. He had never seen her so emotionally distraught and certainly
not so suddenly. Something was definitely wrong here. . .
Megumi's face lifted toward the ceiling, dried tear spots evident
on her pearl-like skin. She was breathing heavily, her hand covering
her heart. Love, she thought. She had no love in her life. It was so
simple, yet so complicated. For as long as she'd known Kenshin and Kaoru,
love had been a part of their lives. It was what kept Kenshin alive
time and time again. The kind of love she had with the others was familial
love, and she was happy with that. . .until now.
"Love. . . who could. . ." she muttered to herself, thinking hard of
any male she'd had any interest in aside from Kenshin. Her eyes grew
wide at the name that came to her mind, then at her lips. "Sanosuke.
. ."
She stood slowly, in search of a glass of water for her sore throat.
Dr. Genzai had left water from the well on the table in the far corner
of the room. At the window, Sanosuke hid from sight as she moved.
"What'd she say. . ?" he grumbled, rubbing his chin.
Once her throat was soothed by the tepid well water, she sat in a
chair near the table contemplating Sanosuke. She regretted telling Sanosuke
to go home. That wasn't how she wanted to come across to him, but she
just didn't want to take any questioning from him that night. She would
have to apologize to him the next time she saw him. What was it about
Sanosuke that she liked? Truthfully, there was so much a woman like
her would DISLIKE about him. First off, he had no job. You couldn't
even call him a professional gambler. Professional gamblers actually
WON. Sanosuke, on the other hand. . .
Megumi often wondered what Sanosuke did all day. No one could gamble
from dawn till dusk every day. It was impossible! However, she had to
give Sanosuke credit for all the good things he'd done, especially whenever
he and Kenshin got together. They made a great team. No one could come
close to the deeds those two had done.
Sanosuke sighed. Was she going to sit in that chair all night long?
Maybe it was time for him to head home, he thought, but was stopped
in his tracks when Megumi stood, walking toward a small chest on the
floor.
"What is it now. . .?" he asked himself curiously, and was quickly
answered when she pulled out a change of clothes. She was going to change
for sleep, Sanosuke thought soberly. Wait. . . .CHANGE?
He watched impatiently as she started to undress. There was something
a bit wicked about what he was doing, but he didn't care. She untied
her indigo-colored top from the front, slipping out of its looseness
easily. What she was wearing, Sanosuke had never seen before. The long
rose-colored inner kimono was perfectly made to her, tapering softly
at her waist and extending down past her calves. He could easily see
the curves of her body through the light-colored material, enough to
bring him even closer to the window to see more clearly.
Allowing her remaining garments to fall to the floor, Megumi looked
down at well-proportioned body. Her body had been through so much as
she grew up, having the scars to prove it. She had a cross scar just
above her left breast from when she was in Aizu. It was a constant reminder
of her lost parents. She ran a fingertip over the faint scars, remembering.
Meanwhile, Sanosuke took in the opposite view, Megumi's delectable
rear. He was speechless at what he was seeing, totally consumed with
Megumi's visage. She was beautiful, he thought. Her straight, proud
back stood tall, its smooth expanse flowing delicately toward the small
of her back. Her small waist gently flared into ample hips. He couldn't
keep his eyes off her buttocks, wanting to reach out and touch her himself.
This was a side of Megumi he never expected to see that night. Sanosuke
smiled softly, watching her don her night clothes. Obviously it wasn't
the first time she'd spent the night alone at the clinic. He turned
away from the window, urging his aroused body to calm.
"Megumi. . ." he whispered to himself, shaking his head. It was time
to go home. Any more views like that, and he'd have to go inside and
take care of Megumi himself. Sanosuke walked past the first window,
returning to the main street.
As he did that, Megumi had turned around just in time to see someone
passing the window. She gasped, wondering who could be watching her.
It seemed like the person was gone, but who could it have been? She
closed her eyes, replayed the moment in her mind.
"Sanosuke?" she slowly realized, remembering the spiky hair and bandanna.
"He was. . . .watching. . . ."
The next day brought an abominable downpour of rain, leaving the streets
of Tokyo at half capacity. Dr. Genzai arrived at the clinic early after
dropping Ayame and Suzume off at the Dojo with Kenshin. Despite the
dreary weather, he seemed in good spirits that morning, smiling broadly
as he assembled his tools for the day.
"Ahh, Megumi! Good morning!" Dr. Genzai greeted the groggy Megumi.
He found her still asleep on the small futon in the corner. She turned
over, running a hand across her eyes.
"Oh, Dr. Genzai! Morning. . ." she said quietly, suddenly realizing
where she was and what she was wearing. "Oh! Dr. Genzai. . ? I'm so
sorry. . ."
Megumi jumped up from her bed, starting to roll away the futon. Dr.
Genzai put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her a bit.
"Don't worry. It's still early. We're not open for another hour yet,"
he reassured. He heard her sigh softly in relief, closing her eyes.
"Did you hear the news?"
"News?" she opened her eyes, questioning silently.
"About Kaoru and Kenshin. . .." he paused. Megumi held up her hand
to stop Dr. Genzai.
"I know about them already. I found out last night. I'm happy for them,"
she smiled slightly, but anyone could tell it was forced. "Please excuse
me, Doctor."
Carrying her clothes from the night before, she entered another room,
quickly putting on her clothes. She had enough time to go home, clean
up, and return to the clinic before things started getting busy. Megumi
had a rough night of sleep. Between her dream about breaking down at
Kenshin and Kaoru's wedding and the illicit dream of her and Sanosuke,
she didn't know what to think anymore. Could she just continue to do
things the way she had for so long? No, it wasn't that simple anymore.
"Dr. Genzai! I'm going to head home for a little bit --" she started
to say, but when she entered the room where Dr. Genzai was supposed
to be, she was surprised to see Sanosuke there, leaning against the
far wall. His wet clothes were completely plastered to his body. "Sanosuke.
. ."
"Morning. . ."
"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously. After last night, she
would have thought she wouldn't see him all day.
Sanosuke slowly approached the shocked Megumi. He couldn't get her
out of his mind all night long. His dreams were filled with licentious
fantasies about him and Megumi. Seeing her now put his body back into
a state of perpetual arousal.
"I wanted to see how you slept last night, especially after you leaving
the way you did," he stood a few paces from her, safe enough that he
wouldn't pull her into his arms. The temptation was great. . .why did
he even come here?, he questioned.
I'm fine, Megumi wanted to say, but for some reason, the lie wouldn't
come out of her mouth.
"I. . ." she started, but stopped when she saw Dr. Genzai return. "Dr.
Genzai!" She distracted herself by turning to the original message she
wanted to say. "I'm going to go home for a short while. I'll be back
in about an hour. Is that okay?"
The older man smiled generously at Megumi. He was obviously in such
a good mood, he didn't even notice the tension in the room that was
thick enough to cut.
"Ahh, Sanosuke! Morning. . " he turned to greet Sano, then turned to
Megumi. "Oh, take your time, Megumi! Today should be a slow day. Besides,
you worked so hard yesterday. . ."
"Thank you," she said, bowing gracefully. "I'm leaving. . "
"Wait, Megumi. . ." Sanosuke smirked, following her out the door. She
stopped momentarily to cover her head from the rain, then continued
walking quickly home. He kept pace with her easily. "You didn't answer
my question. . ."
"And just what WAS that question, Sanosuke? I didn't hear a question,"
she stated matter-of-factly.
"I asked you how you slept last night," he repeated, pausing slightly
before continuing. She didn't answer him. Before Sanosuke could continue
talking, they stood in front of Megumi's home. She turned around, facing
Sanosuke, the look on her face confused.
"Look, Sanosuke. I have a long day ahead of me. I just want to get
clean and change my clothes. I don't want to talk about last night.
. ." she confessed. She opened the door to the house, but gasped when
Sanosuke stepped ahead of her, holding open the door.
"Inside."
The two entered the house, the door closing quickly behind them. By
now, both of them were drenched, dripping on the floor. They relieved
themselves of their shoes, then made a step inside. His tone of voice
left no room for argument. She may not want to talk, but Sanosuke wanted
to tell her how he was feeling. It made no sense to hold it inside any
longer, especially after last night's events. They fought each other
constantly, but there was something more to it. They both knew that.
"Well, if YOU don't want to talk, then you'll listen to what I have
to say," he declared.
"What could you possibly have to tell me?" she asked curiously. Megumi
continued to walk around, gathering her things, while Sanosuke stood
outside her bedroom door. Before he caught cold, he took off his gi
top, revealing a regularly bandaged chest.
"Will you stop a minute, woman?" Sanosuke grabbed her arm as she entered
another room, turning her to face him. His touch was hot, she thought.
Like he was on fire. . . "Last night. . ."
"What?"
"You were beautiful last night. . ." he said softly, releasing his
strong hold on her arm.
Megumi couldn't respond to his heartfelt comment. Was he going to
openly confess that he was watching her as she changed clothes last
night? As if on cue, her mind began to recall the dream about herself
and Sanosuke. Erotic scenes flashed before her eyes, her mind floating
away from what Sanosuke was saying just then. Sano was so strong, so
virile. Her dream told her that any experience with Sanosuke Sagara
would be heavenly. But it was a dream. . .
"Megumi?" his fingertips held her chin up. When did Sanosuke's face
get so close to hers?!
"Sanosuke!" she turned away from him, returning to her search. "Is
there anything else you want to say to me? If not, then. . ." She left
the comment unsaid, but he knew it was an order to go.
"Doesn't what I said mean anything to you, Megumi? I know you can be
cold, but I didn't realize you were THAT cold," his voice hardening,
disappointed at her reaction to his confession.
At that, she turned to look at him. She still wore her wet clothes,
hesitating to take them off while Sanosuke was still in the house. Her
dry things were on a nearby table, ready to be worn. What was he talking
about? So, he saw her naked from behind, fine, she thought. The fact
that it happened couldn't be changed. Now, he was just getting ridiculous!
He almost looked like he was getting angry.
"I know you saw me last night. I saw you walking away. .. " she lowered
her eyes, showing some modicum of shame for the whole event in that
motion. However, she raised her eyes and boldly faced him. "Still, what's
done is done. Don't make more of it than what it really is."
Sanosuke, not caring about propriety, sauntered into her room, closing
the screen door behind him. She stood her ground, refusing to move.
"I'm not as unobservant as you think, Megumi." His deep voice was caring
and gentle. "I saw the way you looked at Jou-chan and Kenshin last night.
You want something like that too, don't you?"
Her eyes grew wide, slightly shocked. She grabbed the edges of the
table she stood next to with both hands, afraid of what Sanosuke was
going to say. Megumi knew what was going on in her head, but she desperately
didn't want to hear it from someone else. If Sanosuke noticed it, no
doubt, everyone else would soon notice it too. That her heart was lonely.
. .
"I know you live for atonement. But there's more to life than that,"
he grabbed the table's edge, both arms locking in place around her.
His eyes looked deep into hers, hoping that she would open up to him
and finally understand what he had said. "There's friends. . .family.
. .and there's love, Megumi."
"I don't know where you get the idea that I don't feel happy, Sanosuke,"
she said, closing her eyes to avoid his piercing stare. "All of you
are like my family --" she began, but was hushed into silence when Sanosuke
grasped her chin, boldly lowered his lips to Megumi's. Her eyes flew
open, her heart pounding ferociously.
His kiss didn't force Megumi to respond. Rather, it wanted to ease
away the feeling of loneliness, to make her realize that someone did
care. She was in such shock that she didn't know what to do. For all
the times she told Kaoru what to expect if Kenshin and she ever did
anything intimate, Megumi was at a loss for guidance. There was something
unduly disturbing about Sanosuke's blatantly male presence so close
to her. She could feel herself relaxing as he continued to tease her
lips with his. Sensing her gradual concession, Sanosuke raised his head
to look at her.
"I know you're not as happy as you can be," he said adamantly, raising
his hand to caress her cheek. "For as long as I've known you, you've
put up fronts to hide your emotions. Sometimes you slip, but those times
are few and far between." Sanosuke pulled her deep into his embrace.
Megumi found her head resting against his hard chest, her hands falling
loosely to the sides. "You don't have to put up a front with me, Megumi.
If you want to cry, then cry. Don't hold it back. I'll be there for
you. . ."
There was something about what Sanosuke said that made Megumi crack.
In that moment, she felt a tear slip down her face and onto Sanosuke's
bare chest.
"I'll be there for you. . . ." She heard the voice inside her
head. Who had told her that so long ago? Who? Sanosuke's arms tightened
around her a bit, but the embrace was still more than comfortable. He
lowered his head to press a kiss on top of her head. It suddenly came
to Megumi, the voice from years before. "I love you, Megumi. . "
"Father. . . ?" she whispered, so softly that Sanosuke almost didn't
hear her. Almost.
Sanosuke allowed Megumi to stand on her own, taking a step back from
her. He watched her face carefully, seeing how her delicate emotions
were all floating to the surface. She needed to talk to someone and
he was more than willing to listen. Megumi allowed her hair to shadow
her face, leaving nothing but the sight of silent tears falling from
her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sanosuke," she shook her head. "I can't do this. . .please,
just --"
"Just what? And let you stay here all alone again?" he lifted her chin
with his fingertips, forcing her to look at Sanosuke. "You may call
us your family, but you sure don't act like it! A family helps each
other out, listens to each other, and all that! Inside, you still
act like its the day after your father died!"
He knew he was crossing over into dangerous territory when talking
about her father, but the only way that he'd be able to get through
to her is to upset her. Megumi's eyes narrowed at Sanosuke's comment,
slapping away his hand from her face.
"How DARE you talk about my father! He's the ONLY man that ever loved
me! The only one," she screamed, pointing her finger at Sanosuke, then
quickly turning her back to him. "Why are you doing this to me, Sanosuke?
Why?"
The woman of such impeccable composure was breaking down, Sanosuke
thought. He sighed deeply, then stood close behind her, his face draping
over her right shoulder.
"Because. . ." he whispered, his warm breath causing her to shiver
slightly. "I don't want you to believe that no one loves you. That's
a damned lie, Megumi, because I --"
"Sanosuke, no!" Megumi turned to look at him, but was so close to his
lips, to his body, she found her body molded to his, their lips brushing
against each other. "Don't say --"
"I already did, Megumi. You just weren't listening to me. . . ."
"What?" she asked, shocked to her bones, and totally unprepared for
what was about to come out of Sanosuke's mouth.
"I love you. . . ." he whispered, but the words were so adamant and
forceful, she couldn't DARE question his feelings. No longer able to
hold himself back, Sanosuke wrapped his arms around Megumi and proceeded
to give her a thorough kiss.
Natural feminine instinct told her to return his embrace. So she did.
His embrace loosened a bit, allowing his hands to roam freely across
her back and down to her buttocks. She was so wonderfully made, he thought,
mentally smiling. His unrelenting kisses rained across her face and
around her neck. Her hair was damp from the rain outside, which was
falling harder than before now. Sanosuke's head finally raised, satisfied
in that moment with his work. Megumi's lips were full and red from being
kissed, her breath shallow, and her composure flushed. Her eyes widened
a moment, making Sanosuke think she was going to say something, but
she quickly covered her mouth before a sneeze cleared her lips.
"That cold rain is gonna make you sick. You need to change these wet
clothes, Megumi," he instructed, reaching to untie her top.
"Hey, just because you saw me last night, doesn't mean you get an encore
performance, Sanosuke. Out," she pointed to the door.
A grumbling, aroused Sanosuke reluctantly left the room. He was THAT
close. . . He wondered if he was able to get Megumi to talk to him,
tell him what she was feeling. He was running out of time too. She had
to be back at Dr. Genzai's in less than thirty minutes. What was he
going to do?
Meanwhile inside the room, Megumi slipped out of her damp clothes.
Oh! My bath, she remembered. That was outside in the other room! She
hadn't had a bath since the day before, and she was itching to get into
one. Could she coerce Sanosuke into preparing a bath for her? Considering
his confession. . . . he loved her. It sounded like he was telling her
the truth. What did she feel for him though? She honestly didn't know.
She was telling the truth about her father though. He really was the
only man that ever loved her. There was no time to fall in love with
other men, and even when there was time, the men weren't "suitable for
a girl like my Megumi", her father constantly said. Megumi had to admit
that her father probably would have liked Sanosuke. He and her father
were of the same temperament.
"Sanosuke?" she asked through the door. "Could you do me a favor please?"
The door started to open, when she held it in place before he could
open it any further.
"I didn't say COME IN, Sanosuke!" she smirked. "Can you get some water
for a bath for me?"
"A bath?!" he muttered something about acting like Kenshin, but did
Megumi's bidding. "Fine. Where's your bath tub?"
Giving him the instructions, she heard his footsteps disappear down
the hall. Megumi dressed in a yukata, then opened her door, carrying
her dry clothes in one arm and the wet in the other. Her mind was overflowing
with Sanosuke's words. . . "I love you. . ." in particular, playing
havoc with her emotions. What was she going to do? How did she truly
feel about him? She set her dry clothes on a nearby stool, turning to
hang the wet clothes up in another room. The constant sound of falling
rain gave Megumi a nostalgic feeling. She remembered her father's words
about when she finally fell in love. . .
"You'll be surprised that you're even in love, Megumi. I guarantee
you'll fall for someone you don't get along with. At least at first,
then things will change. That's how I met your mother. . ."
Was that it? Was she afraid to fall in love? Afraid to succumb to
all the things her father had told her about it? Some hypocrite she
was when she told Kaoru about all the wonderful things about being in
love. She should have taken her own advice.
"Sanosuke. . ." Megumi whispered, the darkened room invoking a misty
image of Sanosuke. "I don't know. . "
Returning to the other room, Sanosuke noticed the clothing lying undisturbed
on the stool. Taking it into his arms, he looked around briefly.
"Where'd she go. .?" he wondered, shrugging his shoulders.
Sanosuke's eyes caught the blurry figure of a body in the next room.
It must be Megumi, he thought. He approached the door, slowly sliding
it open.
"Time for that bath, Megumi. . ." he announced softly, his deep voice
insinuating something more.
"Sanosuke . . ." she whispered, watching her misty image transform
into the real thing.
"Come," he beckoned, holding out his free hand to her.
Should I?, Megumi asked herself. Should I let Sanosuke take care of
me, if only for this small patch of time? Megumi wondered what was going
through Sanosuke's mind just then. Deciding to allow herself this one
bit of pleasure, she lightly rested her hand in his, allowing him to
guide her down the hall to the awaiting bath.
Once inside, her fresh clothes were cast to the side. Megumi dipped
a finger into the water, savoring its warmth. Her back was to him, bring
back the sensation of dèja vû to Sanosuke.
"Thank you for doing this. I didn't really expect that you would,"
she said, smiling to herself.
"Yeah, I'm just full of surprises today, right?" he arched an eyebrow,
creeping behind Megumi. His fingers slipped into the top edge of her
yukata, posing the silent question.
Her head nodded forward, sighing softly. In a sudden motion, she untied
the sash holding her remaining clothing closed. Both hearts were beating
fiercely, trembling hands relieving them both of their clothing.
"Shall I bathe you, Megumi?" he whispered into her ear, his tongue
wickedly tantalizing the skin just below her ear.
He knew her eyes slipped closed when she nodded with her approval.
Sanosuke began his meticulous care of Megumi, starting from her face
and extending to her toes. Not a single section of Megumi's body was
left unclean or untouched. A steady blush covered her body as he approached
the more intimate areas of her body, but she allowed him to do his duty.
When all was done, he looked upon his work and saw that it was good.
To finish, he poured clean hot water over her body, washing away the
soapy residue.
"Sanosuke. . . you. . ."
A fingertip brushed her lips, ushering her to silence. The sound of
her moans as he was cleaning Megumi had him completely aroused. There
was something extraordinary about touching her, feeling every crevice
of her body. But now, he realized what she wanted to do. Return the
favor.
They switched places smoothly, preparing to reverse the tempting machinations.
Megumi pulled free the red band that encircled Sanosuke's head. She
could tell he didn't really need a bath, the fresh and clean scent of
his masculinity, some distinct blend of sandalwood and smoke, permeated
her senses. Her eyes feasted upon the musculature of his back, then
slowly, hesitating, Megumi's hands floated across the surface of his
skin. It was surprisingly soft and warm, she thought as the pressure
of her hands grew. Her mind flew open at that very moment, releasing
her from all that was keeping her under lock and key. Her emotions flew
high, heart racing with liveliness. It felt like a complete rebirth.
Everything suddenly became clear.
"Sanosuke. . ." she whispered, wrapping her arms around Sanosuke's
waist, pressing her wet, silken skin against him.
Sanosuke's eyes closed for a moment, then reopened to find himself
completely turned around, embracing Megumi tightly. This was all for
her. He wanted her to realize just how much control she really did have.
But, never one for major dialogue, Sanosuke had to resort to what he
knew: feeling.
"Say what you're feeling, Megumi. . ." he demanded softly. "Tell me.
. ."
"I don't -- " she started to say, but was quickly stopped from talking
by Sanosuke's insistent lips. She was slightly confused. How could she
tell him how she was feeling if he interrupted her?
"Not like that. . ." he whispered, the hand at the small of her back
pressing her closer to his body.
Megumi gasped slightly, her eyes growing wide at the sensation of
naked bodies against one another. It was unlike anything she had ever
felt before. His skin was moist, barely clinging to her glistening flesh.
She couldn't quite think straight, especially with the continuously
growing throbbing between her legs. What was happening to her? How did
her body respond to Sanosuke so quickly? It was almost like they were
made for each other. Megumi's fingers snaked through Sanosuke's hair,
finding it soft and luxuriously wild to the touch.
Sanosuke could sense the change in Megumi almost immediately.
"That's right . . ." he encouraged. This is how he wanted her to express
her innermost feelings. She finally realized. Edging his way down her
body, he took advantage of the opportunity to taste her copious bosom.
The compelling feeling was enough to incite insanity in her body. Her
eyes caught a glimpse of Sanosuke's head traveling a circuitous route
down, until his mouth rested at the cleft between her legs. His hands
caressed the back of her thighs, pulling her closer to his mouth. The
moment his tongue grazed her nether lips, Megumi felt her whole body
melt. Tears fell unwittingly from her eyes, her mouth releasing outcries
of joy and passion.
"Sanosuke. . ." she begged huskily, eyes half-closed. The change in
her voice was enough for him to look up at her radiance. "Tell me again
. . ."
The grin that graced Sanosuke's face couldn't have said what he was
feeling better. As he rose to his feet, his left leg slipped between
hers, the fine hairs on his leg teasing her most sensitive of spots.
Megumi gasped at the motion, nearly dropping to her knees because of
her weakened legs, but Sanosuke's strong arms kept her standing, limbs
and whole bodies remaining intertwined.
"Megumi. . ." he whispered, bewitching brown eyes looking deep into
hers, "hold on to me. . ."
With no apparent effort, Sanosuke lifted Megumi by the waist while
she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips. The moment her legs
locked around him, Sanosuke's eyes set for the nearest solid structure,
which happened to be the wall. Once Megumi's back was steadied against
it, with one hand holding one thigh and the other at her waist, he slowly
entered her. She was so incredibly hot and wet, Sanosuke had to deeply
focus to keep control of his swelling desire. Megumi was completely
speechless, her only desire to hear those three words again and experience
Sanosuke's persuasive length.
"Megumi," he whispered against her lips, "do you feel. . . . . that?"
Powerful muscles flexed deep inside Megumi. Her eyes opened wide in
shock, gasping softly. He was completely immersed into her, buried to
the hilt. Sanosuke could believe how tight she was , fitting like a
glove to his erection. It was everything he dreamt of and more.
Slowly, assuredly, he began thrusting smoothly and fully. Suddenly,
Sanosuke wasn't in control anymore. His speed steadily increased, enticing
them both with long, tempting strokes. Megumi could hear her voice begging
for completion, unable to stand the sweet torture any longer.
"Sanosuke," she breathed, gripping his waist tightly so he couldn't
move, "TELL ME. . ."
Instead of telling her what she desperately wanted to hear, he tickled
the spot behind her knees enough to relax her hold on him. He looked
directly into her eyes, feeling her shiver with expectation. He paused,
then spoke, his voice lulling.
"Itoshii. . .." he said softly, brushing his lips against hers,
"I. . ."
Proceeding in a simultaneous motion, he thrust deep into her, but
forced her lips to remain locked with his. Sanosuke could almost taste
that quick intake of breath she made.
". . . .love. . . ." he continued methodically slow, his teeth grazing
her neck. Her fingernails dug deep into his shoulder blades, leaving
bloody crescent shaped marks. ". . . .you. . . ."
One last plunge into her body sent him completely over the edge. Sanosuke's
eyes flew closed, indulging in the drowning feeling of orgasm. On cue,
Megumi's body reacted to the vibrations from inside her. Some unknown
force was taking her to another level, another dimension of ecstasy.
She didn't understand how powerful those words had just become to her.
They were able to make her world come alive, allow her to experience
such rapturous feelings.
Sanosuke fell to his knees, taking Megumi with him, but neither cared
about their position. Bodies weakened by their blissful lovemaking,
they laid there for a few moments, still joined. The two lovers glanced
at each other as they awoke from their temporary rest. Something about
the moment deeply affected Megumi. She smiled softly, a thousand things
running through her mind while she watched Sanosuke's head nod toward
the cooling bath.
"I think it can hold both of us. . ." he winked, urging her to stand.
Once they both rose to their feet, barely able to stand after such an
earth-rocking experience, he lifted her into his arms, then slowly lowered
her into the tepid water.
"Ahh. . ." Megumi sighed, waiting impatiently for Sanosuke to get in
behind her. "Come. . ."
"I think I did that already. . ." he chuckled, his laughter making
itself at home inside of Megumi's heart.
"Sanosuke!" she half-complained at his crass response, but wasn't offended.
After all, it was Sanosuke, and he was telling the truth.
For a few minutes, they lounged in the water together, leaning against
each other for warmth against the growing coldness of the water. They
were silent, the only movement made was by Megumi's hand absentmindedly
caressing Sanosuke's knee. Normally, Megumi would hate the silence,
but this time, it was a welcome sound.
"Sanosuke?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. . . ." she smiled, realizing how comfortable she was near
him, how happy she was.
He kissed the top of her head, taking her hand in his. Sanosuke never
felt more at home than he did with Megumi in the confines of that tub.
Most importantly, she felt the same way too.
"No, thank you. . . ." he replied cryptically.
"What for?" she asked curiously.
"Trusting me," he declared decisively, "for trusting me with your body.
. .and hopefully your heart."
Yes, Megumi thought. This is only the beginning, but for now, this
is where I want to be, sharing this time with someone who can banish
my loneliness. . someone who . . . loves me. . .
Author's Notes:
-
I know this story ran a bit long, and for that I apologize. I
got a little wordier toward the end, but at least I got all the
stuff in. . . I hope.
-
Thanks to Yumi-san
for her input on a particular subject regarding the scent of masculinity.
. .that would make for a great discussion one day.
-
Sanosuke's attitude toward Megumi, I hope, wasn't too OOC (out-of-character).
If you feel so, please comment on that.
-
Regarding Megumi's living conditions: I'm not exactly sure WHERE
she lives, or what kind of house it is, so I'm taking a wild guess
since she is a practical sort of woman. I could have done it from
Sano's house, but then that'd defeat the whole purpose of Megumi's
lonely heart.
-
Japanese language notes: "Utsukushii yoru" means beautiful night,
"Itoshii" means lovely ( I can see Sano actually saying this in
that deep, sexy voice of his ^_^), and "yukata" is a thin cloth
(usually cotton) kimono used for home lounging.
Thanks everyone! -O_O- You know what to do if you like this story (or
didn't like it.. . .but I'll be very disappointed. . .)