Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Return of the Rooster ❯ The Meaning of the Word Committment ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Megumi returned to the back engawa, where she'd spent most of her time since she found about Sano's little "excursion". Sano followed her out and approached her cautiously. Megumi could be as bad as Kaoru when she was pissed!

"Hi," said Sano lamely.

Megumi didn't acknowledge Sano's presence. Sano pulled a little closer. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to think of a way to smooth things over between them.

---
Kenshin and Kaoru peeked around the side of the building. Kenshin eavesdropped with his catlike hearing. He had to hold Kaoru back to keep her from leaping on Sano and tearing him to pieces.

---
"So uh... how's it going?" Sano tried again.

"How do you think it's going?" asked Megumi in a dropped voice, not turning to look at Sano.

"It's going good on my end," said Sano.

---
"That idiot," hissed Kaoru when Kenshin told her what he said.

Kenshin continued to hold her back.

"They have to work this out between themselves," he whispered.

---
Megumi jumped up, ready to belt Sano.

"Oh it's 'going good' on your end, is it? Obviously it is, if you have a bag of yen to spend on a prostitute! We only have one week between us and you're tired of me already?" said Megumi.

"It's nothing like that. I was too wasted to know what was goin' on. 'Sides what difference does it make? It's not like we're engaged. I still wanna go out with you. I like spending time with you," said Sano.

"Me and every hooker in the red light district apparently!" roared Megumi.

"Why's that such a big damn deal? I wouldn't say anything if you slept with another guy," said Sano.

"Is that so?" said Megumi, tears filling her blue eyes despite her resolve not to cave in. "Well that's just fine. We're through!"

"Does this mean the picnic's off?" asked Sano.

"Figure it out for yourself since you're so clever," shouted Megumi as she jumped up from the engawa and tore out the back gate. Sano stood there for a second, dazed. Then his rage boiled up.

"DAMMIT!" he roared as he smashed his fist through the wall.

---
"My wall! He put a hole in my wall! I'm gonna put a hole in his head!" roared Kaoru, breaking from Kenshin's grasp and charging Sano down.

WHACK!

Sano lay in a twitching heap at Kaoru's feet. Kenshin approached his wife slowly. Five-and-a-half years of marriage had mellowed her quite a lot, but she wasn't a woman to piss off.

"Oro?" said Kenshin lamely.

"I'm going out! You clean this mess up!" said Kaoru, gesturing at the wall and Sano lying on the ground.

"Orooooo," groaned Kenshin as he headed to the shed to get tools and patching materials.

---
Megumi walked away from the dojo as fast as she could without looking like she was upset. She was going back to the clinic, packing her stuff, getting a ticket and going back to Aizu.

---
Sano became aware again slowly, going up through layers of unconsciousness. He heard the sound of Kenshin repairing the hole he'd smashed in the wall. Finally he opened his eyes and raised his head. The world was pretty spinny, so he lowered it again for a few minutes.

"Ugh... anybody get the number of that carriage?" he groaned.

Kenshin didn't respond. He was angry at Sano like the others were. Of all the stupid, inconsiderate. If Sano had just apologized and sworn never to do it again, maybe this mess could be avoided, but no he had to be a stupid rooster.

Finally Sano was able to sit up, leaning against the post.

"Where'd the women go?" he asked.

"Out," said Kenshin.

"Man, I left a big hole in your wall. Sorry 'bout that," said Sano.

"Not as big as the one in your head," growled Kenshin.

"Huh?" said Sano.

Disgusted by Sano's stupidity, Kenshin put aside the tools and grabbed Sano by his cloak.

"Please tell me that you're acting. Please tell me that you're not really this thickskulled!" he said, trying to contain his anger.

"Aw, not you too," groaned Sano. "Jeez what's the big damn deal? There's nothing formal between me and Megumi. What's the big deal if I sleep with another woman? I wouldn't care if she slept with another man."

"Do you really mean that? I mean REALLY," said Kenshin. "Look me in the eye and tell me you mean that."

Sano forced himself to look his friend in the eyes. "Yeah I mean..." he stopped. Why was this so hard?

"Yeah I..." Did he mean it? Could he honestly tell himself that he wouldn't have been pissed if Megumi had slept with another man?

"Maybe I'd be kinda pissed," he shrugged. Sano pictured it: Megumi sleeping with another man behind his back. The more he thought of it, the more his blood started to boil.

"I'd be... I'd be DAMN pissed!" he roared suddenly, jumping up and knocking Kenshin slightly off balance.

"Oro!"

"Where is the asshole! I'm gonna kill him! She's mine!" roared Sano, eyes blazing.

"Um, Sano. You were the one who was unfaithful, remember?" corrected Kenshin.

"Aw, shit," said Sano, slumping back down on the engawa. "I really did fuck up, didn't I?"

"What do you think?" asked Kenshin, going back to working on the wall.

"Yeah, I did," he admitted. "I, I guess I don't understand what being in a relationship with a woman is."

"It's a partnership, based on love and trust," said Kenshin. "You must love each other more than your own lives. You must be able to trust each other with those same lives. In order for Megumi-dono to be able to trust you and you to be able to trust her, both of you must put all of who you are into your relationship. Otherwise it will be doomed before it starts."

"Damn..." said Sano. "I don't want it to be doomed before it starts. Isn't there anything I can do to make this right?"

"You could try apologizing sincerely to Megumi-dono, ask her forgiveness and swear that nothing like this will happen again," said Kenshin.

"I can do that," said Sano.

"Then why are you still here?" said Kenshin.

"Oh yeah," said Sano. "Thanks buddy." Sano took off like a rocket. The Rooster had to catch his Vixen.

'Those two are definitely meant for each other. Megumi-dono's intellect and self-control balance out Sano's stupidity and impulsiveness. Not to mention they just look good together,' thought Kenshin.