Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Heaven In Your Arms ❯ Obsession ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter 4: Obsession

Sano had no idea how long he held Kenshin in his arms for, but when his brain decided to return to reality, he found his little redhead tucked under his chin, arms wrapped around him, eyes blissfully closed. Sano was sure Kenshin must be able to hear his heart beating through his chest considering he could hear it ringing in his own ears.

What a kiss!

Sano raised one hand and placed it at the back of Kenshin's head, slowly stroking down his silky hair, desperately wanting to take out that hair tie and see his hair flowing about him just like he had that night at the club. Sano sighed softly, he was so cute, he didn't want to let him go.

“I'm sorry.” Came the voice from his chest. He felt Kenshin release his arms from around him and found those violet eyes looking up at him once again. “I am not usually this direct at all, that I am not.” He smiled timidly.

“Oh…heh, I don't mind.” Believe me, I definitelydon't mind!!

Kenshin's timid smile turned into a true one. For a minute there he thought Sano might walk away. He'd practically just thrown himself at him, and he was afraid he might have scared him off. But seeing him just walking in with those flowers, that innocent bumbling speech just about asking him if he could be with him, Kenshin couldn't help himself. The very same person he wished could have been there last night was standing right in front of him, that naïve look on his face showing nothing but embarrassment, but determined to give him these flowers despite the laughing students outside. He had to kiss him, and when he did, Kenshin felt like crying. After what happened last night, he just wanted to get lost in someone who would love him, and it looked as those heaven had come knocking on his door, literally.

Do you believe in love in first sight?

Kenshin stared up at the young man that after only a day of knowing had grown so attached too, and smiled. Love at first sight?

Maybe.

“So err…does that mean it's a yes?” asked a shy sounding Sano, wanting to either walk away from the embarrassment or take Kenshin in his arms again and kiss him. Either one, he didn't mind right now, he just couldn't look him in the eyes anymore. Kenshin had been standing there doing nothing but staring at him since he pulled away, and Sano felt really awkward with out knowing for sure what was going on between them.

Kenshin closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them slowly, now his turn for a shy smile, “If that's what you'd like?”

“…Really!?” Sano exclaimed wide-eyed, after the momentary shock of those words sinking in.

Kenshin chuckled cutely at the surprised reaction, “Yes.”

Wow! He'd actually said yes!! Sano didn't know what to do, he just stood there, almost gawping at the pretty redhead smiling up at him, before a thought suddenly managed to make its way forward.

“How about we go on a date tonight?” he asked, “Cos I think we've skipped a few chapters forward.” He said anxiously. He'd known him a day and they'd already kissed twice! Not that he was complaining or anything.

“Alright. But I'm afraid I'm a little busy this evening, that I am.”

“How about tomorrow?” Sano said excitedly, wanting this as soon as possible.

Kenshin tried not to laugh. “Ok. Where would you like to go?”

Sanosuke opened his mouth to suggest that really nice western restaurant that had opened up in town, but suddenly realised that that really nice western restaurant happened to also be one of the most expensive ones around, and of course…he was a student.

“Errrrr…” he began, racking his brains to try and think of somewhere else that was nice but also conveniently cheep.

Kenshin could see he looked a little stumped, and smiled, “Why don't we go back to the bar where we first met?”

Sano blinked down at him, “Yea- oh, no wait, I'm working there tomorrow.” Sano slumped slightly.

“I don't mind.” Kenshin said, picking up the books he'd placed on his desk, “I'll just sit at the bar with you, that I will.” He smiled warmly.

“Really?” Sano asked, surely that wouldn't be much fun for Kenshin, after all he'd just be sitting there while Sano served the customers, and if Kamatari was there he'd most likely bug the hell out of him all night too.

“Really.” Kenshin smiled, “What are your working times?”

“Er… it's 9.30 to 1.30.” Sano said, as he watched Kenshin searched around on his desk for second before picking up a small pile of papers, and then turning back to him.

“I'll give you a lift back afterwards if you like. I'd feel bad leaving in my car while you walk off alone. I'll go in at about 10 o'clock and stay with you until your shift is over, that ok?”

Sano stared at him. He was really going to stay with him? Till 1.30? And give him a lift home too? In the middle of the night…dark…alone…together……

Oh my.

Sano gulped in anticipation, “Yeah, that's great!”

Kenshin had finished collecting the things he needed to his first lesson of the day, and stood back in front of Sano. There was suddenly an awkward silence between them, and Kenshin kept peering up at him through his eyelashes, then looking away.

“Right, well I guess, I better go…..umm…” Sano said awkwardly, just as he caught Kenshin peering up at him again, and before the sane side of him could stop him, Sano quickly leant down a little a gave him a quick kiss on the lips, not giving him enough time to react, and quickly opened the office door, running into the seemingly hundreds of students that had gathered outside.

As the shouting and excited squeals from the students was blocked out a little by Kenshin's office door that had swung back shut, Kenshin stared at that door with a blush on his cheeks, and ashy smile to his lips.

-------

With Kenshin's popularity amongst the female students, the rumour of him and Sano being together had spread quickly, those students who had been outside his office at the time being tackled for information. Luckily for Sano, the only thing they had seen was him bringing flowers, he'd shut the door in their faces before they saw anything `else'.

It was a mixed reaction with the female students. Half of them had always suspected that their little History teacher was gay (the ones who loved Aoshi), and was hoping with all their hearts that it was true, although without absolute confirmation no one could be sure. The other half (the ones who loved Kenshin), had spent the rest of the morning either crying or putting on denial that their little cutie could ever like any other guys, pushing the confirmed memory of Sano bringing him flowers out of their mind, after all, no one had actually seen him accept the flowers from him.

Sano however, was the only one walking around with a small secret smirk planted on his lips. No one had seen Kenshin kiss him, no one had seen them arranging their night out together, and he was damn well gonna keep it that way! Seeing the distressed looks on some of these girls faces was just too funny! No matter how much people bugged him, Sano just smiled mysteriously, punching the guys who'd suddenly decided that because he was `gay' he obviously couldn't put up a fight if they picked on him.

They were soon proved wrong.

So, after a morning of constant questions, Sano sat down in the lunch hall with his tray of college culinary delights…only to be bombarded with more questions. To his right sat Yahiko, edged to his seat away from Sano unbelieving his luck in life! First his best friend is a girl, and now he seemed to have picked up a gay guy as well! To Yahiko's right sat Kaoru, one of the many, many girls who had moped around the whole morning crying, and seeing Sano in the flesh had made a fresh batch of tears come wailing down her face.

Sano sat there leaning one elbow on the table, picking at his food, with a very fed up glare on his face ignoring all the students that had turned around to look at him asking those non-stop questions. Or rather, question.

“Well?! Are you and Kenshin going out or what?!”

This same question was asked in a variety of ways, including the fairly innocent one of: “Did he accept the flowers?” to the very straightforward one of: “You went home in Kenshin's car yesterday, did you two get it on?”

Sano had made sure to punch the guy who had asked him that one.

So, after going to and from Nurse Takani's office to apologise for the black eyes he'd given out this morning, Sano sat trying to ignore all the faces staring at him and whispering.

“Look err…” Yahiko started, as Sano continued to glare at a girl who was intent on glaring back, before she burst into giggles and turned to her friend, “Do me two favours okay?” Sano looked over to him. “Ok, one, don't get any ideas with me—“

“--Don't have to worry about that.” Sano quickly interjected.

Yahiko let a small growl of annoyance escape at the interruption, but resisted from any comment, “And two, don't end up like Mr Hajime.”

For some reason, this caught Sano's attention, “…who's Mr Hajime?”

“He's part of the CBC: College Board Council,” said Kaoru, sniffing slightly and wiping away her tears with her sleeve, “He comes round once or twice a week to make sure everything's running smoothly, and he has a huge crush on Kenshin.”

“Yeah, but he's really creepy and Kenshin really doesn't like him,” Yahiko finished off, “…at least, he doesn't seem too. He always goes really quiet after he sees him.”

Sano found the anger boiling up inside him, this guy was sounding familiar. “The guys first name doesn't happen to be Saito does it?” he said through clenched teeth, as he glared down at his food.

Yahiko blinked up at him, “Yeah…have you met him already? Some say he used to work for the Yukusa, but I don't see how anyone would employ someo-”

The students around them yelped in surprise as Sano brought his fists down hard and hit the table, making the trays on it rattle. They all went quiet as Sano sat there fuming, and the stupid thing was, he still didn't know why!! He still had no idea what Saito was doing, but whatever it was, just the thought of it making Kenshin sad was driving him mad! He didn't want Kenshin to be sad, he wanted to see him smile!

“Oh, hey, speak of the devil.”

Sano looked back at Yahiko, then turned to follow his line of sight. There, standing next to Kenshin who had just walked into the hall, was Saito Hajime. The look on Kenshin's face was different than the one he'd seen yesterday just before he nearly ran into Saito. The one yesterday looked slightly angry, with a mix of worry etched on his features, this one…this one Kenshin looked almost… terrified. He was standing in the lunch line, and was trying to edge away from Saito without being to obvious to the people around him, but Saito would just walk up behind him every time…a little too closely for Sano's liking.

“He's such a pervert.” Yahiko commented, before looking away from them and digging into his food.

Sano wasn't paying attention to him though, he just glared fiercely at Saito, daring him to try anything with Kenshin, so much as a hand on his shoulder and he'd rip him to shreds! If they had been friends, Sano wouldn't have taken any closeness to heart, but it was too damn well obvious Kenshin didn't want him there, so one finger on any part of him and Saito would be spending the next month in recuperation, that Sano promised!

Suddenly though, almost as if he had read his thoughts, Saito's eyes swiftly moved towards him, and the two locked eyes with each other, Kenshin looking to one side desperately trying to ignore the man standing so close behind him. Time seemed to stop for a moment as that strange knowing smirk appeared on Saito's face once again, before breaking eye contact, saying something to Kenshin, and turning around wandering back out the hall.

Sano looked at Kenshin, who seemed to stand there looking lost for a moment, before he looked up, and blinked in surprise as he found Sano's eyes looking at him from those few tables down. Sano tried to make his frowning angry face disappear, he didn't want Kenshin to think he was angry at him, but he just couldn't make it go. Even at this distance, he could see the sadness in Kenshin's eyes. He wanted to run up there and hug him, telling him, whatever it was that made him look so sad, that it would be alright, he'd make it all go away. But before his legs could move, Kenshin smiled at him, a smile trying to cover up that sadness, and turned around, back out the hall.

So, Saito Hajime worked for the college council huh? At least he now knew why he was wandering around here yesterday. Sano was determined to find out what he was doing to Kenshin, but the question was, could he find the heart to come right out and ask Kenshin what was going on?

-------

Sano stepped outside into the graying skies after college and walked over to where Kenshin's car had been parked yesterday. He was hoping he'd get to see him before he went home, as he hadn't had a lesson with him today, but to no avail. The space was empty. Disappointed, Sano slung his rucksack over one shoulder and headed out the gates, back on his 40 minute walk home.

“Sanosuke Sagara, what a coincidence.”

Sano look to his right past the driveway of the house he'd just past to see Saito leaning against a small white stone wall, a trail of smoke rising from the cigarette he held.

Sano looked at him for a moment with quite uninterested eyes, before suddenly, a fearsome glare swept across his features and he lunged at the man, punching out quickly with his right fist. Saito however barely even blinked as he moved seemingly easily out of the way, but Sano wasn't put off. He quickly bounced back and turned around, aiming another punch at Saito who again stepped out of the way.

“Are you going to be doing this all evening or can I say what I came here to tell you?” Saito said bluntly, as Sano snapped around once again ready to attack. Saito took a drag of his cigarette as Sano stood there, arms tense and fists clenched, slightly raised ready to defend himself if this guy tried anything.

“I'm not working now,” Sano said, “I don't have to be polite to you, I can beat the crap outta you any day. What the fuck do you want?”

Saito blew the offending smoke out his nose and dropped the cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out the heal of his shoe. “I simply wanted to meet you.” He said calmly, taking a step towards him making Sano raise his fists a little more in a warning.

“Why?” Sano demanded.

Saito smiled at him casually, “I wanted to meet the young idiot that my Kenshin seems to have grown so attached too so quickly.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Sano said, his voice low and threatening.

Saito continued to smile at him, his thin eyes closed in that smile, “Oh I think you do,” he said, taking another step towards him, “I think you think you're pretty lucky to have found someone like Kenshin. Perhaps score a few lifts home every evening? Someone so willing to just throw themselves at you too, and yes, I wonder what his favourite flowers are after all?”

Sano frowned a little worried, how did he…how did he know all that?

Saito's friendly smile disappeared when he opened his eyes, fixing Sano with a serious glare as he took yet another step towards him, this time Sano not stepping back. “But my friend, as lucky as you think you are…you do not know the real Kenshin. No matter how much you convince yourself that you love him, you'll only be loving a shell without knowing the truth.” Saito stopped and stood directly in front of Sano, who looked at him strangely, wondering who the heck this guy really was…and what truth? “I'm giving you advice, and I'd advise you to take it. Forget about Kenshin. What you see…is not what you get. I'm doing this as a favour, so don't be disrespectful and turn it down.”

“What makes you think I want any favours from you?”

Saito closed his eyes again, and chuckled, “Because, when it comes to Kenshin, and even more so with me…” he leant forward a little towards him, to make sure he got his point across, “You have no idea what you're dealing with kid. Stop seeing Kenshin. If you do, everything will be fine, you won't see me again.”

With that, he stepped back, took another cigarette, and turned to walk away, lighting it as he went.

“Hey!” Sano called out after him, and he stopped, “Is that it?” Sano challenged, “You haven't even given me a proper reason!” he shouted after him, “There not a dog's in hell's chance that I'm giving up on Kenshin, and it's pretty damn obvious that he doesn't like you, so whatever feelings you have for him I'd advise you to go and pin on someone else!” he mimicked, grinning to himself inside that that should ruffle the guys feathers.

Strangely enough though, instead of being angry, Saito started to laugh. Turning around, his laughs fading, he smiled back at him, “You know kid, if we had met under different circumstances, I think I would have liked you.” He stopped smiling and fixed him with a death glare, “But this has nothing to do with whatever pathetic excuse you've come up with about me in your mind. This is basic fact. Keep away from Kenshin, and you won't get hurt. It's quite simple. I'm sure even a knucklehead like you can understand that.” He turned again and started to walk away, “I don't give second chances!” he yelled back, “Have a pleasant walk home Mr Sagara.”

“FUCK OFF!” was Sano's simple answer to that.

Clenching his fists at his side, he whammed one into the stonewall Saito had been leaning on, ignoring the small amount of blood that slid down his fingers. The nerve of that guy!! Who the hell does he think he is!? Stay away from Kenshin? Fat chance!

“Bring on your worst.” Sano said to himself, “I've beaten up so many people in the past I can't even remember how many, so don't think I'm gonna be an easy target for you, whoever the hell you are.”

---“Some say he used to work for the Yukusa”---

Sano thought back to what Yahiko had said, and if that rumour turned out to be true, then that still didn't make a difference. If Saito worked for the Yukusa, then that meant he'd got Kenshin involved in something bad, and if he thought that would make him stay away from him? Ha, no way! If Kenshin's in trouble, the last thing Sano would do is walk away. No, whatever was going on, Sano was determined to make sure he'd be there for Kenshin whenever he needed him.

Stay away?

He was going to get as close as possible.

-----

As Saito arrived back at his own apartment the other side of Tokyo, he threw his jacket across one lone wooden kitchen chair, and walked towards the back of his home. At the end of a corridor leading towards the two bedrooms and the bathroom, he took a key from his pocket to the door at the very end. Placing the key in the lock and turning it, Saito entered into a windowless, dark room, that held no light except the faint glow emanating from the dozens of computer screens dotted around the small room, one chair in the middle with a desk in front. Closing the door behind him and switching on a lamp that was on the desk, Saito sat down in the black leather armchair in the middle and relaxed back, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath.

He wasn't a spiteful man by nature, he gave people one chance, which was more than the other people in his line of work would give to complete strangers. The young idiot would take his advice, or he'd regret the very day he met both himself and Kenshin.

Saito smiled at that name. Kenshin. What a delightful little turn of events. Kenshin was already having trouble paying his mortgage, and had even resorted to using candles in the evening to save on electricity, so getting his `extra special treat' next month would be easy.

How did he know this you ask?

Saito opened one eye to peer across at the computer screen in front of him, to which a bath robed-clad Kenshin was currently standing in his bathroom, the bath tub full of still water, and lighting the last of the six candles giving the white and peach bathroom a warm glow. The rest of the screens showed various others rooms, the kitchen, the lounge, the bedroom, the study, there was one showing the corridor outside his apartment, showing the steps that led down from outside, one in his office at the college, and even one in his car.

Some would call it an obsession, and as Kenshin let his bath robe slip to the floor, his waist length red hair flowing around him licking at his skin, the candle light giving his exposed body an inviting glow amongst the flickering shadows, and completely unaware of the man spying on his naked form, Saito smiled.

He was inclined to agree.

To Be Continued…

AN: Not much happening in that chapter, but there was a lot of stuff I needed to say to get the next bit going, but trust me, the next couple of chapters will include a very very sexy (and at one point very very wet clothes-clinging-to-skin) Kenshin, more kissing, and…………….. a tragedy? (shock horror!!)