Resoultions: Chapter 5
 By Tokimaru
 tokimaru@excite.com
 http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Harbor/6466/rk.html


 Sanosuke arose reluctantly from the steaming tub; rivulets of water
 lovingly caressed sleek muscles as he reached behind his neck and
 squeezed the excess water from his hair.   A good hot soak had given him
 time to get over the sudden embarrassment and he felt much calmer - but
 he still dreaded returning to Saitou's knowing amber eyes.

 Shit, what the hell was I thinking?!

 He couldn't help a small, embarrassed grin.

 I guess I wasn't /thinking/ much at all.  Heh.  Okay, so he caught me
 almost...  yeah, well it's not like he knows it was him I was thinking
 about.  And what he saw wasn't too bad... nothing that any normal guy
 doesn't do...

 He encouraged himself in this fashion as he rubbed his body dry, then
 wrapped the towel 'round his wet hair before twitching the yukata from
 it's hanging peg.   The yukata was quite well-made as befitted the style
 of inn, but obviously made exclusively for the journey to and from the
 bathing rooms, not to be worn downstairs.  He threaded his arms through
 each sleeve, frowning.

 Damn, clothes.  Can't wear my jacket and trousers downstairs, they're
 pretty much worn to shreds.  He shied away from the equally blatant fact
 that they were socially unsuitable too.  I wonder if Saitou has
 something he could lend me?

 Sano shrugged as he pulled open the door and headed back.  Saitou was a
 bit taller than him, but maybe not so much that his clothes would look
 too strange...

 He paused in front of the doorway.

 Alright, if he even /sniggers/, then I'm gonna slug him in the mouth so
 hard he won't be able ta smoke for the next six weeks.

 Girding himself up for possible battle, he narrowed his eyes and opened
 the door with resolution. Saitou was kneeling quietly in the middle of
 the room, rummaging for something in his carrybag, and he didn't even
 look up at the sound of the door opening.  He had changed while Sanosuke
 had been bathing, and was wearing civilian clothes rather than his usual
 policeman's uniform.   Sano clutched at the front of his yukata,
 completely forgetting to come in and sit down and act normal.  The
 civilian clothes made the wolf look so different -  more like a man and
 less like a part of the police machinery.  How was it that his outer
 surface could appear so much milder, more approachable, yet inversely
 deepen the undercurrents of uncertainty and danger?  One thing Sano had
 noticed about Saitou, was that the milder and more inoffensive he
 appeared to the outside world, the more dangerous he truly was.  Except
 maybe in heated battle.

 "Have you decided whether to come in or not, ahou?"

 Sano gulped and discovered that his mouth had parted - he closed it with
 a mental curse.

 C'mon - calm, adult, unconcerned; remember?

 With this principle in mind he strolled in, wishing the yukata had
 pockets he could hook his thumbs into - he couldn't think of where to
 put his hands.  "I was just wondering what you were doing."   He
 silently congratulated himself on the careless tone achieved.

 Saitou finally straightened up, a comb the object of his search.  He was
 still holding it when he beckoned Sanosuke over with a casual motion of
 his wrist.  "We have just enough time to get you presentable before
 dinner."  He indicated the space in front of him.  "Sit."

 Sanosuke stared at him in dumbstruck consternation.  "What!?"

 Saitou closed his eyes, his expelled breath signalling weariness and
 irritation.  "Don't make me have to explain."

 Antagonism swiftly flared into its proper place.  "You ain't combing my
 hair!"

 "It needs combing.  Further, I said to you in the beginning this - once
 you become my student, you will obey me."  The cold ring of finality
 that ended the simple statement held an authority he had used often as a
 captain of the Shinsengumi; Sano felt the implacability of the order as
 keenly as his subordinates had in the past.  The fact that he had
 promised to obey him also pricked his conscience.  He made a show of
 rolling his eyes as he turned around and settled comfortably into place.

 "Alright, alright," he grumbled as a sop to submission,  "I promised..."
 he allowed the grudging tone to justify the sudden compliance, "... but I
 bet all this student obedience doesn't really go as far as combing
 hair."

 "You're mistaken," Saitou replied coolly.  "A student obeys his master
 in every way."

 Sanosuke's eyes shot open and a responsive blush swept to his face along
 with a sensual shiver up his spine.  In every way.  Oh god.  He shook
 his head to dispel the erotic interpretation his mind had leapt to - let
 Saitou think he was shaking his head in denial - and breathed in
 deeply.  Get a grip.  "I could have just combed my hair myself, y'
 know."   His voice sounded a little breathless to his own ears but at
 least he was facing away so the blush couldn't be seen.

 By the same token he could not see the black smile on Saitou's face as
 the man began to run the comb through the long strands of damp hair.
 "But the effect wouldn't be as good.  For someone whose idea of
 hairstyle is to make it defy gravity with whatever ridiculous concoction
 you use, it's doubtful you've given it a proper comb in years."  He
 embellished his point by tugging painfully at a knot.

 Sano batted ineffectually at the painful hand with an annoyed growl.
 "Look who's talking, antenna-face.  My hairstyle is original."

 "Original as it may be for a 16 year old kenkaya, it is hardly
 appropriate for an adult.  Sit still."

 Sanosuke couldn't think of a quick reply to this, or a reason to keep
 protesting, so he subsided with a short sigh and waited.  The comb ran
 slowly through his hair, gently massaging his scalp with every stroke;
 each knot was deftly, yet gently teased away by capable hands until none
 remained.  With no more painful interruptions, Sano found this
 ministration to be relaxing and rather pleasurable.  When Saitou's
 ungloved hand reached under his chin and gently tilted up, he felt no
 desire to resist but allowed his eyelids to fall half shut as his head
 was guided.  His bangs were smoothly combed back from his forehead, and
 they fell softly back into new arrangement.

 Sano hoped uneasily that his body wouldn't betray how good these
 sensations were. When the comb made another long, slow run through from
 forehead to nape, he found himself wanting to arch his back and purr.
 Was he arching already?!  Sano quickly hugged his knees into his chest
 to remedy it and glanced up behind him.  As though a signal, Saitou put
 down the comb and with subtle, but insistent pressure from his
 fingertips, turned Sano's head around to face him.  Sano had to shift to
 compensate and returned Saitou's scrutiny with tongue-tied silence.

 "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

 The smile that accompanied the lifted eyebrows was not a safe one, only
 that could Sano understand since he was unable to interpret the depths
 of it.

 "F... fine.  It was fine."  Sano could barely stutter out the husky reply,
 then winced, unhappily conscious of awareness having been exposed.  He
 avoided eye contact and counteracted the reply with a disinterested
 shrug.

 He heard a soft "Hn.." and felt rather than saw the man stand up and
 walk past him.  The next thing he knew, a bundle of material was tossed
 neatly into his lap.

 "Get dressed."

 Sano blinked, stood, and shook out the folds of material.  It was a
 kimono and hakama.  The kimono portion was a simple design of rich deep
 green and the hakama was a uniform black.  Simple and subdued, yet
 extremely well made.  Sano ran his fingers over the soft material,
 sucking in an impressed breath.  "This is for me?" he murmured in
 disbelief.  He'd never worn anything so classy in his life.

 "Of course, ahou.  You have worn one before, haven't you?"

 Sano threw him a distracted, half-hearted glare.  All the events of the
 afternoon were combining to throw him a little off-kilter.

 "Of course."  Like hell.

 Sanosuke realized with slight surprise that the older man must have
 gotten these clothes when he had gone out before.  They were exactly his
 own size, and new - not one of Saitou's.  He felt equal amounts touched,
 embarrassed and faintly resentful of the high-handedness of it.  He also
 didn't like feeling grateful to this man.

 He glanced over at the wolf and muttered awkwardly, "This wasn't too
 expensive for you or anything was it?"

 Saitou half-smiled, sardonically amused as he read the conflicting
 emotions that crossed the younger man's face.  "No.  Don't worry about
 it."

 Sano felt a nebulous dissatisfaction with his own response.  There was
 something missing and when he glanced at Saitou again, he remembered
 what it was and bit his lip.  He didn't want to say it.  He felt
 stupidly, unaccountably shy about one stupid word.  But he'd feel bad if
 he didn't.  Get it over with.

 "Um, hey.  Thanks and everything," he mumbled quickly.

 "Hn."

 Sano flushed and made himself meet the other's eyes.  "No, really," he
 added clumsily.  "Thanks."  And amazed himself with his own sincerity.

 Saitou's reply was as calm as always.  "Don't mention it.  Just get
 dressed."

 Sano made an irked face and clutched the clothes a little defensively in
 front of his chest.  "Well, you can turn around first, can't you?" he
 asked in exasperation.

 This time Saitou gave full vent to his sardonic smile.  "What, shy,
 Hyoko?"

 Sano felt aggravation bristle through him once more, but at least it was
 more familiar footing and he shot back with unthinking anger, "What,
 interested, Psycho Cop?"   And then bit his tongue.  Shit, what a stupid
 thing to say.  But no matter how much he wished it, it couldn't be
 unsaid so he stared at his tormentor with a stiff back and defiant tilt
 to his chin.  He was gonna be shot down but he was damned if he was
 going to show the slightest bit of embarrassment.

 But Mibu's Wolf merely gave one of his demon smiles and inquired, "You
 want me to be interested, Hyoko?"

 Sano glared at him fit to kill.  "You've gotta be joking."  He quickly
 tacked on with inspiration, "...old man."  He put insulting emphasis on
 the last two words before turning his back, and untying the sash of his
 yukata.  He would get dressed and think nothing of it, fuck it.   He
 fumbled a little with the awkward business of getting the yukata off
 while still holding on to the new clothes and felt impatient
 self-consciousness which made him even more angry and once the damn
 thing was finally off, he kicked it to the side.  He was naked.  He
 would not think of that.  Get that kimono on, quickly.  Where were the
 sleeve openings, dammit.  It took all his self-control not to look over
 his shoulder and check whether Saitou was watching.   Sleeve, arm.
 Twist around ... where's the other sleeve, fuck it!  There - he felt a
 little better once the kimono was on and covered him decently.  Now to
 fold it closed.  He noticed a thin cord at the end of the outer side and
 made what he hoped was a discreet search for it's mate.  What the
 hell!?  It wasn't there.  Fuck.

 Sudden awareness of the strangely inevitable presence behind him
 followed by the warm, moist sensation of a sigh against his neck made
 him shiver.

 "They fold the other way."  Two strong arms snaked around from behind,
 under his own, and twitched the fronts of the kimono from nerveless
 fingers.  Saitou corrected their orientation and let one fold hang open
 as he tied the matching cords together.  His knuckles brushed briefly
 against Sano's hip and a quiver escaped the young man before he could
 stop it. But there was no sign that Saitou had noticed the reaction as
 he drew the other side over and tied that one too.  Then he stepped
 back, slipping out of the semi-embrace.  Sano couldn't say anything
 against the constriction in his throat, so he busied himself with
 stepping into the hakama.  At least these are easy to tie.  With a
 slightly savage jerk he pulled the ties into a knot then turned to face
 the man, his face expressionless with the peculiar numbness he felt.
 But Saitou simply brushed his cheek with two fingers like a gentle cuff,
 and handed him a pair of socks.

 "I'll see about a table.  Join me when you're ready."  And with one
 last, long, unreadable look, he abruptly turned and left the room.


Return to Part 4
Go to Part 6

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