Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Certain Clarity ❯ 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Title: A Certain Clarity (8/30)

Author: Franzi Dickson

E-mail: fdickson@ix.netcom.com

Archive: The SxSAS Archive, fanfiction.net and others (eventually). If you want it on your site, just ask.

Rating: NC-17 for wet dreams, sex, drugs, violence and other badness.

Warnings: m/m sex, lemon, assorted bad things in this part and future ones

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. I'm just doing bad things with them. Don't sue me.

That bastard! He just couldn't believe it had turned out like that. He kicked at a stone, sending it ricocheting off of a nearby building with a satisfying thump. Ok, so he'd screwed up a little and, granted, they hadn't turned out to be the 'mysterious phantom drug dealers' or 'death cult' or whatever it was the psycho cop was looking for, but still… If he hadn't stumbled across them, they would have been distributing the stuff all over Tokyo right now. So 'any idiot' would have thought of it, would they? Yeah, maybe he was an idiot.

And maybe you should just stay away from *him*.

Now there's an idea. Stupid cops! He had better things to do than hang around the damn police station anyway. He could go see if Kenshin was around, but then he'd probably have to explain his various bruises ( they'd gotten awfully purple, hadn't they ) and he'd act all worried and sympathetic and the kitsune would be there and she'd be almost as bad as *he* would. Sano would have gone home, but, well, there probably wasn't a whole lot there right now.

Not that there was much there anyway.

He looked angrily for another rock to kick. The lack of sleep was really starting to get to him. I can't believe he made me sit there, fuckin' repeating my statement til practically dawn. And he didn't even bother to listen to it either! Sano had been stuck talking to some minor police flunky who looked like he'd never even seen the street, let alone busted anyone. He just needed to find somewhere to crash for a while. Maybe he'd think better if only he wasn't so tired. He should be almost in the right neighborhood now. Hopefully he'd gauged the time right. He should be eating his breakfast right about now. Hate's cooking almost as much as I do. Maybe one of the cheaper places along here; somewhere unobtrusive…

"Sano!"

"Hey Katsu, long time no see."

"You're telling me. I didn't think you even knew where I lived." He suddenly looked nervous.

The other youth smiled. "I didn't find out from the cops or anything, if that's what you're wondering. I had to snoop around some of your fellow revolutionaries just to find out the neighborhood. I'd say you're safe."

Katsu laughed. "I suppose you're looking for a place to stay?"

"Well… I wouldn't want to be a burden…" His smile stretched even wider.

"Oh come off it! When have you ever showed up anywhere when you weren't looking for a favor?"

Sano just grinned.

He awoke to find the room suffused with light. The closed screens around him glowed surreally. He supposed it must be late afternoon already.

"He returns to the land of the living."

He sat up. "Wow. I've returned to somewhere at any rate."

"Even if I've given it up professionally, I can't seem to knock the habit."

"I'm surprised the landlord let you." He gazed at the fantastically painted screens.

The other man just shrugged. "She likes my art, and I'll probably be renting the room for a while. It's high enough to have a great view and the light… well, I suppose that's the artist in me talking."

"No. I like it."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"So… What brings you here, anyway? Your landlord finally kick you out?"

"Naw, nothing like that. Some psychos burned down the whole row." He glanced at Katsu. "No big deal, really. I just need to find somewhere new."

"And I suppose you got those bruises running from the fire?"

"Uh… Well…"

"You're mixed up in something again, aren't you?" the tone was mild, amused. "What is it this time; saving the country from another loony band of terrorists?"

Sano grinned. "I sort of caught some drug dealers."

"I'd say it looks more like they caught you."

He looked sheepish. "Well I did have *some* help." Or I wouldn't be here, he thought ruefully. But that still doesn't excuse it!

Katsu must have seen something in his face because his voice became instantly serious. "Sano, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Yeah, I screwed it up. Doesn't matter though; he fixed it all right up." He knew he sounded bitter.

"He?"

"Saitou Hajime; super cop." He snorted.

"That shinsengumi guy, right?" Katsu looked confused. "I thought you said he was a total psychopath."

"Yeah, usually, but he's not a bad cop." Just a rotten human being, he wanted to say. Damn, he was starting to feel depressed again.

"And you're helping him with a case?"

"No, I'm no help whatsoever. I shouldn't have bothered. He could have done it better himself."

"Sano?"

"God Damn! I thought he'd finally see, but now he thinks I'm an even bigger ahou than before." His chest felt tight.

"Sano…" Katsu laid his hand over Sano's clenched fist.

"And it's not like I didn't help! I really did. It isn't my fault they weren't the weirdo cult he's looking for! And it's not my fault if…"

Katsu looked at him in surprise. "He's looking for a cult?" he interrupted.

"Huh? Oh, yeah: That's one possibility anyway. Um… I don't really know too much myself. Why; is there a new cult around?"

"I'm not sure they would have done anything the police would object to, but yes, there is one operating near here. They like to hand out fliers in front of the restaurant where you found me."

"Restaurant…"

Katsu smiled. "Come on. I'll treat you."

He bounded to his feet, mood immeasurably improved. "I never refuse free food!"

Ah, nothing like a good meal to make you feel better, Sano thought as he drained the last traces of broth from the bowl. And even better when it's on someone else's tab. He probably shouldn't be mooching off of Katsu, but oh well. Stick with your strengths and all that. He grinned and picked at his teeth with a fingernail.

"There they are; right on time."

He looked up. Sure enough, a line of figures was arranging itself in front of the restaurant. For a moment he thought they were policemen, but then he realized that the silhouettes were too bulky.

"They always wear those weird cloaks."

Dark blue, and wool too, if he was any judge. "They look like the cops."

Katsu smiled faintly. "Yes, I suppose they do at that. Maybe it's some sort of political statement. Shall we?"

They wandered outside. Four of the cloaked apparitions were standing in a row, pamphlets in their outstretched hands. The shoulders of the cloaks were rather fitted. They really do look like cops, Sano thought with some amusement. He took a pamphlet. 'Redemption through Love' eh? Gee, they didn't sound much like cops. They also didn't sound very dangerous, but then they were doing that creepy silent thing. Oh well, maybe showing the pamphlet to Saitou would be good for a laugh. He could see if the bastard had decided to thank him yet.