Sano sighed glumly as he retied the obi
 around his slim waist.   So close.  It had
 been so close – Saitou’s strong, warm body
 had covered his own and he’d felt cocooned
 in those capable arms, secure in the
 knowledge that he was free to explore his
 fantasies, to experiment with erotic
 sensations with a man – oh god, a man who
 could meet them, appreciate them, and
 then…

 He could have screamed with frustration.

 Why?

 Why? Why? Why?

 Why had that shithead informant come at
 just that time?   It must be a cruel taunt
 by the universe in general.  Someone
 didn’t want him to have any fun.  God,
 Enma, whatever.

 He touched his fingers gently to his lips
 where Saitou’s had touched but a moment
 before and ran his fingers gently down his
 throat to his collar bone, but the
 sensations were a pale mockery of the
 caresses still remembered by his hungry
 skin, so they failed to stir him.

 With a sudden groan he flipped over onto
 his stomach and buried his face into the
 futon.

 Damnit, I’m young and virile.  I want a
 lover.  I should be with Saitou now.  And
 he wanted me.  He wanted me.

 This last thought crept into his mind,
 still a little uncertain, but tentatively
 pleased.  It warmed him, even though he
 still wasn’t quite through churning over
 his resentment. To be wanted by Saitou
 Hajime was a definate honour which he
 hugged to his heart like a child with a
 glorious secret.

 The quality moment of smug delight was
 suddenly interrupted when Sano surprised
 himself with a prodigious yawn.  He hadn’t
 felt the least bit tired when he’d been in
 Saitou’s arms, but it seemed that the
 day’s events were finally catching up with
 him.  Upon reflection, it had really been
 a most remarkable one.   He yawned again
 and crawled underneath the the top
 blanket, pulling it up around his
 shoulders.  The blanket was deliciously
 cool against his hot skin, but would warm
 up nicely when the night became colder.
 And hopefully, some time during the night,
 the wolf would arrive back and share it
 with him.   Sano snuggled into the covers,
 contemplating the thought with
 considerable pleasure.

 His lashes were just drifting towards his
 cheek when he heard the sound of footsteps
 outside in the hallway.  For a second, his
 heart leaped crazily in his chest at the
 assumption that they heralded the return
 of his would-be lover, but the next moment
 plunged right back down again in
 disappointment.  The footsteps were heavy,
 and not at all the same pattern of
 Saitou’s light, firm tread.

 When the footsteps stopped outside his
 door, Sano stared at the unoffending door
 in surprise, and  became aware of a slight
 sense of unreality when the expected light
 knock at the frame came a moment later.
 Why would anyone be coming to visit?

 “Gomen kudasai.”

 Sano made a face.  Yoshinaga.  What the
 hell did /he/ want?

 “Hai hai,” he called as he heaved himself
 to his feet.  He quickly lit the lamp and
 then, with a quick tug at his kimono to
 make sure it was all sitting properly, he
 paced over to the door and gently slid it
 open.

 Yoshinaga was standing politely outside
 the room, still dressed in his evening
 clothes and smiling with a warmth that
 twinkled in his eyes.  Sano was
 half-conscious of a fleeting curiosity as
 to the fuel of the man’s good humour as he
 made a polite bow.

 “Yoshinaga san, what brings you here?”
 He allowed the sentence to trail off,
 hoping the listener would be conscious of
 the remaining ‘this late’ that had been
 unsaid.

 Either the insinuation had bounced off the
 man’s thick skin or he had chosen to
 sublimely ignore it, because he returned
 the bow with grace, not a whit
 discomfited.

 “I just couldn’t resist coming to see you
 again.”  Yoshinaga’s voice held all the
 self-deprecating humour that was
 calculated to endear, yet the charm was
 totally wasted on Sano who merely seethed
 with inward indignation when the man
 prefixed his remark by deftly manoeuvering
 his way into the room unasked.

 “And I knew you were alone tonight…”  The
 quick smile which accompanied this
 impudence was similarly designed to disarm
 offense. “I saw Saitou-kun leave not too
 long ago.  I must admit that I was
 desolated that so undeserving a man should
 have a lover such as yourself, but I’m
 certainly glad to be mistaken.”

 Sano stared at him in uneasy
 consternation, misliking the self
 satisfied, mock sympathetic and too
 knowing quality to Yoshinaga’s attitude.

 “Why would you think we’re lovers?” he
 returned defensivly.

 Two refined eyebrows rose in polite
 surprise.  “Why, the fact that he brought
 you here speaks for itself, does it not?”

 “And this is significant because…?”  Sano
 was finding it difficult to keep the edge
 out of his voice.  The playboy obviously
 knew something he didn’t, and his
 oh-so-charming mannerisms were already
 becoming cloying.

 “Oh, my dear,”  Yoshinaga was patently
 delighted.  “This is, after all, the inn
 where the Shinsengumi traditionally bring
 their male lovers.  You didn’t know?”

 At that moment Sano hated the man
 violently for his poorly concealed relish
 in delivering what he clearly knew to be
 unexpected news.  But trying to repress
 his anger served to distract his mind away
 from avenues he wasn’t ready to deal with
 at the moment.  Time enough to ponder the
 implications of this revelation later when
 he was alone.  For now, he had to put up a
 controlled mask in front of this man.

 (Displaying anger, losing temper in front
 of an enemy is an unforgivable sign of
 poor self-discipline. )

 Like a litany the words flitted across his
 mind:  he had given cause to hear them
 often during the past week.   He could
 hear those words again now, the cool deep
 velvet voice speaking in his mind,
 berating him even during his own absence.
 The thought made him grin inwardly;
 thinking of Saitou made it easier to
 assume some of his attitude.  He wasn’t
 used to restraining his temper, but he
 could see how more effective deadly
 coolness was compared to hot bluster.

 “He didn’t mention it,” he replied in a
 careless tone.  “But I guess it didn’t
 really matter to him.”

 “That’s a shame,”  Yoshinaga moved forward
 to Sanosuke’s side, laying a comiserating
 hand on the young man’s arm.  “A charming
 young man such as yourself should be with
 a man who appreciates your company.  He’s
 such a cold man, indifferent to the finer
 emotions, indifferent to passion.”

 “You misunderstand,”  Sano moved his arm
 away, faintly disgusted by the unwelcome
 familiarity.  “I just meant that our
 relations have nothing to do with what
 hotel we stay at.”   It was on the tip of
 his tongue to also contradict the man’s
 assumptions about Saitou’s passion, but
 discovered within himself a heretofor
 unknown fastidiousness which made him
 reluctant to discuss Saitou with the
 creep.

 Yoshinaga’s smile slipped just a little.

 “Don’t be shy, my dear, it’s hardly your
 fault that he left.  I need hardly point
 out that there is no lack in yourself,
 merely a lack in him.  In any case, it’s a
 lovely night for company, and I would be
 honoured if you’d share yours with me.”

 Such flattering words should have swayed
 him, but there was something so obnoxious
 and calculating in the man’s
 self-confidence that Sano felt his skin
 crawl.  Time to give the man a
 well-deserved set down.

 “No thanks,” he said bluntly.  “Saitou
 hasn’t left, and I wouldn’t go to you
 anyway.  You could never match up to him
 in a million years.”

 It was telling of the man’s true nature
 how quickly the façade of charm fell away,
 revealing the ugly expression beneath.  He
 began turning red with fury as gathered
 his invective and hissed back.

 “You ignorant clod, you coarse peasant.
 Our prostitutes are a better class than
 you, and yet you haven’t even the wit to
 appreciate good fortune when it’s offered
 to you.”  Each word was spat out sharp and
 vipertuous, intense with a vindinctive
 desire to wound.  “I was merely
 condescending myself in order to get that
 map from you, but since you’re too
 backward to understand the art of
 seduction, I’ll have to resort to
 violence.  I expect it’s the only language
 a dolt like you can understand.

 With a swift, practiced motion he
 unscabbered the sword at his waist and
 fell into a traditional attacking stance.

 For a second Sano fell back, momentarily
 startled.  He hadn’t given the reason for
 their journey a whole lot of heed lately,
 and he never would have thought of this
 man having connection to the whole map
 thing, but now that Yoshinaga had admitted
 as much himself, it made sense.   This man
 must be a friend of that Ritsumaki guy or
 something, using more subtle attempts to
 get it when direct attack had failed.

 Then it abruptly hit Sano with immense
 chagrin that these men must have thought
 him easy prey to charm into complacency
 and steal the map.   It royaly pissed him
 off.

 “Temee, I’ll never fall to you.”  He
 assumed a basic defensive stance.
 Although Saitou had told him that there
 were ways to dodge swords if one had
 speed, his training hadn’t got that far
 yet.  But he was damned if he was going to
 run.  He fatalistically decided to trust
 on inspiration – things usually came to
 him at the critical moments.  “And you’ll
 never get the map – you’re no match for
 us.”

 This drew an arrogant sneer.

 “Laughable.  If you think whoring for one
 former shinsengumi means you are a match
 for another, you’re seriously deluded.”
 His eyes trailed over the young man’s body
 with insulting leisure.  “Once I’ve
 disabled you I think I’ll have a turn on
 you myself.  Then you’ll see who the
 better man is.”

 This was said with such spite, that with a
 dawning sense of amazement, Sano realized
 that the barb about not measuring up to
 Saitou had really hit an old nerve.

 (Anger leads to lack of control, which
 leads to carelessness. )

 Well then, I’ll just have to piss him off
 some more.

 “Don’t count on it,” he taunted with
 glee.  “He’s always been superior to you,
 and y’ just can’t take it, can ya?  You’re
 never gonna beat him at anything, because
 he’s of a class way ahead of you, you
 can’t even touch him.  In sworsmanship, in
 brains, in honour, in bed.”  He added with
 a touch of insight, “And I bet he was
 always promoted ahead of you, was
 respected more than you.  That really eats
 up at you, doesn’t it?”

 Yoshinaga’s face paled with barely
 controlled fury.

 “You fucking pathetic upstart.  You think
 you have the skill to be impudent to the
 Shinsengumi?  I’m going to enjoy teaching
 you a lesson, peasant boy.  Slowly, bit by
 bit.”

 With this he sped forward into the
 attack.   And he was shockingly fast.
 Sano made a dodging lunge to the side, and
 brought his arm up into a deflecting
 sweep, intent on knocking the flat of the
 blade away from his body, yet before the
 execution was complete he felt the hot
 sear of the blade over his shoulder, and
 as his mind screamed with sudden pain, he
 was competently knocked to the side.
 Yoshinaga lunged past, then gracefully
 checked his momentum and pivoted with
 ease.

 Yoshinaga’s eyes narrowed in satsifaction
 as he observed Sano staggering to balance
 himself and face him, clutching at his
 shoulder.  Now that things were going more
 his way, he allowed himself to relax a
 little, secure enough to mock his young
 opponent.

 “Feh.  An uncouth peasant like you is the
 only piece of garbage he could ever find
 to spread his legs for him.  Such an
 insect-faced iceberg never could keep a
 lover, and he’ll be lonely in the night
 when he comes back from his little
 investigation and finds you in here
 dead.”

 At Sano’s start of surprise it seemed that
 he took great enjoyment from gibing, “Of
 course I know where he is.  His young
 messenger was easy to bribe, and I told
 him to interrupt your little interlude
 here.  By now he’ll be on the other side
 of town, chasing shadows.”

 Sano’s eyes widened, then he cried
 indignantly, “So it was you who
 interrupted us?”  He tossed his head up
 like an wild colt and fixed him with a
 militant glare.  “Now I’m /really/ gonna
 kill ya!”

 Yoshinaga’s derisive smirk amply
 communicated his opinion, and it was with
 a lazy grace that he lifted his sword into
 another stance.  The resulting attack was
 explosive and produced similar results to
 the first.  This time, it was Sano’s arm
 that was nicked, a sharp slice from from
 wrist to elbow, and yet was still too
 shallow to be of serious concern.

 The man smiled knowingly and tutted in
 mock solicitude.  “Does that hurt,
 child?”

 Sano realized with a sickening lurch that
 this was the man’s way of taunting him,
 playing with him slowly to let him know
 that he wasn’t of enough account to be
 serious with.

 “I wouldn’t want to spoil my fun too soon,
 and I’m waiting in breathless anticipation
 for the time you’ll astound me with your
 abilities.”  And then he laughed, his
 voice ringing out long and sarcastic.

 Sano felt his face go red with humiliation
 and snarled back at him through grit
 teeth, “You really are pretty cocky for
 someone who’s fighting against an unarmed
 man.  Throw away your sword and fight me
 equally, you coward.  Then you’ll see my
 abilities.”

 “Pray don’t suggest such a thing,”  A new
 voice drawled out with dark velvet
 softness from the doorway.  “Have some
 compassion for his fragile ego.”

 Saitou’s lips twist with satirical humour
 as he disengaged himself from the doorway
 and slowly paced forward, naked sword in
 hand, a deadly serious light in his amber
 eyes.

 “Yoshinaga.  You have always been a fool,
 dancing on the edge of corruption and
 swimming in cowardice.   On the other side
 of town, chasing shadows?  Don’t make me
 laugh.  Of course I knew of your plans.
 It opened up a perfect opportunity to
 clear the stage for you to hang
 yourself.”

 Sano moved back as Saitou paced past him,
 and made for Saitou’s bag in the cupboard
 as he kept an eye on the scene unfolding.
 The dawning look of fear that washed over
 Yoshinaga, bleaching those fine features
 into a palid shadow was just beautiful.
 Then a thought struck him and he grimaced
 as he pulled out the medicine pouch and
 and sat down in order to patch up the cuts
 more conveniently.  So Saitou had left to
 use him as bait.  Wonderful.

 “The hell!  You couldn’t have known----!”
 The man’s eyes widened as Saitou fell into
 his trademark stance, and he hastily
 followed suit.

 “You always have been completely lacking
 in perception.  It’s one of the reasons
 you have never really succeeded in your
 ambitions.  Nevertheless, you’re still an
 irritant bug which must be disposed of.”

 As though someone had dropped a
 handkerchief, the signal for battle had
 been rung.  Both men sprung from muscled
 legs, gliding forward with professional
 speed that resulted in a ringing clash of
 swords as the first pass was made.

 Sano forgot about unrolling the second
 bandage as he waited to observe the
 outcome.  That Saitou would be victorious
 was never in doubt, but he wanted to see
 how it had been done.  Saitou recovered
 out of the attack quickly and turned to
 calmly observe the results.

 Yoshinaga straightened with a glare.  “You
 bastard.”

 Sano stared with amazement for one brief
 second before bursting out into delighted
 laughter.  Yoshinaga had received a wound
 to his shoulder, reciprocal to the one he
 himself had dealt out but a short while
 ago.

 “Slice him up the arm too, eh?” he
 cheered.

 Saitou ignored this sally as he measured
 his opponent up for the next pass.
 Yoshinaga lifted his own sword in response
 and grimly watched his rival over the
 shining blade.  A trickle of sweat traced
 down his neck as he waited for the next
 move, and a long, tense moment passed.

 Yoshinaga’s nerve broke.  He initiated the
 next offensive with the slight
 recklessness born of desperation, and
 again their blades met, again Saitou
 emerged capable and unscathed. Yoshinaga
 was clutching ineffectually at his arm,
 ignoring the slow drip of blood that ran
 down his wrist, rivuleting around his
 finges, and glared at Saitou with impotent
 rage.

 Sano smirked as he dabbed at the blood on
 his own.  It looked as though Saitou was
 gaining revenge for him no matter what he
 might say about it, and it kind of felt
 something like a compliment that he’d do
 something so trivial, when the wolf’s
 usual instincts were for a quick clean
 kill.  Sano pondered teasing him about it,
 but decided it might be wiser to say
 nothing.

 In any case, the time for play was over.
 Sano could tell by the slight, intangible
 change in Saitou’s demeanour from mere
 disgust to outright danger.  Yoshinaga too
 was well aware that his end had come,
 because he went even paler under his sweat
 beaded skin and his eyes were wide with
 bubbling panic.

 “You’ve grown weaker.”

 Sano wondered if it was merely his fancy
 that the condemnation held just a tinge of
 personal satisfaction.

 “You insect-faced bastard,” Yoshinaga
 spat.  His words were low and shaking: the
 last, pathetic, desperate attempts to
 wound from a man who knew he no longer had
 anything left to lose.  “Enjoy your
 miserable existance.  I wouldn’t want to
 live as a sell-out to the new government,
 unable to attract any better than a
 gutter-trash street kid.”

 Neither Saitou or Sanosuke were much moved
 by the insults.  Saitou merely raised his
 sword as he crouched, his eyes coldly
 indifferent.

 It was over pretty fast.

 Sano stared down at Yoshinaga’s corpse
 without much sympathy.

 “I guess we should move him, though,” he
 said, as if in response to some previous
 remark, though Saitou hadn’t said
 anything.  “We don’t want to get too much
 blood on the tatami.”

 Saitou wiped the hilt of his blade.  “I’ll
 speak to the proprietor about this
 incident.  There won’t be any trouble.”
 He gave Sano a once over.  “You have no
 idea how to dress a wound properly, but I
 guess it will do for now.  Get dressed.
 Ritsumaki will learn that his plan has
 failed and will send reinforcements.  We
 need to lead the fight away from here.”

 “Eh?!”  Sano stared at him until he was
 given an unceremonious push towards his
 travel bag.  “Where are we going?”

 “Idiot.  The temple, of course.  I’ll meet
 you downstairs in two minutes.”

 And with that, he was gone again.



Part 7 | Part 9

Fanfictions | Fanstuff Page

Main Page
[1]