Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Certain Clarity ❯ Chapter 14

Title: A Certain Clarity (14/30)

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.

He winced and shaded his eyes with one hand. Well, he'd gotten what he wanted, a night of oblivion. The throbbing in his temples made it hard to think, but maybe that was what he wanted too. He watched her sweeping the porch for a while. Eventually, she noticed him leaning against the gate.

"Sano!" Relief blossomed on her face.

"I'm sorry… I just couldn't stay."

"No, it's fine. I was just worried when I found that you'd taken him with you."

"What?"

"Well didn't you?" She frowned.

"Hell no! I left to get away from him… You're saying he's gone?"

She nodded, face very white. "I got back about an hour ago. The clinic was empty."

"What the fuck?" He couldn't possibly have… But he was so cold.

"We'll ask the neighbors. Maybe they saw something."

"Yeah…" Trying not to think. If he let the thought in… It would only hurt worse later… He stared at a spot on the clinic wall. Focus. Making everything blank…

"I'll be right back."

He nodded absently as she passed him.

When she returned a few minutes later, she found him still vacantly contemplating the wall.

"Sano…"

He looked up sharply at her tone. "Is something wrong?"

"I just received a lecture from Mrs. Nakamura on the corner about the advisability of entertaining strange gentlemen."

"What?" He'd only just arrived.

"She suggested that if I was going to comport myself in such an unseemly manner, that I could at least have the courtesy of not having my gentlemen friends carriages making noise outside her window at that hour of the night."

Carriage? "What the fuck is going on here?"

"Sano… Did he ever say why he was coming to visit me?"

"I dunno, to ask you questions, I guess. Why?"

She looked uncomfortable. "I'm not entirely sure that my diagnosis was correct. The symptoms were similar to what I'd expect from the poison I mentioned, but not quite right."

"What are you saying?"

"I think whoever he was after might have taken him to prevent me from examining him later."

Fuck! It was that bitch from the herb shop!

"Sano? Where are you going?"

"I've got something to do."

"Sano wait!"

But he was already gone.

"Open up, you bitches!" He pounded on the door. It remained closed. Well, he knew what to do about that. His punch sent the fragments of door flying. He stared at the deserted shop in shock. The shelves held a few stray bottles, but other than that, it was entirely empty. They'd already fled? God damn it! He smashed his hand into the counter. More splitting wood. That felt better. You'll see. You won't escape me that easily. He'd just leave a little calling card for them. He screamed and punched the counter again.

"Sano?"

"Hi Katsu." He wiped self-consciously at the blood trickling down his face, but only succeeded in making it worse. When had his hand gotten like that? He couldn't remember. And his face… Maybe he should have paid a little more attention to the few remaining contents of those shelves… But the sound of breaking glass was so *satisfying*. Was he speaking? He was opening his mouth, but nothing seemed to be coming out.

"Sano, what's wrong? What did he say?" Katsu pulled him into the room.

"Called me ahou a bunch."

"Oh, Sano, I'm sorry."

"He always says it the same way, like everything's funny and none of it touches him at all."

"Oh come on, no one's that invulnerable."

He shook his head. "Fuckin' invincible!" Was he crying? "Bastard didn't even tell me the truth." He dropped to his knees.

"Sano?"

"There isn't any fresh air this time, course there wasn't any that time either. Had to have been lying about that."

"Sano, what happened?"

"Wasn't paying attention. They did it, but I'll get them."

"Where's Saitou?"

"Nowhere."

"Sano…"

He really was crying then, as Katsu held him.

"I can't believe he didn't notice it in those damn flavorless noodles he always eats… ate."

"It's not your fault."

"No? He told me I'd end up getting someone killed… I just never thought… It shouldn't be like this."

Katsu stroked his hair. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I led him right to them… or the other way around."

"He wanted your help."

"Yeah, but I fucked it up. I always fuck up everything with him… Not anymore, I guess."

"Sano."

"I was going to go after them for him, but I fucked that up too. They're gone and he's gone. I was so damn weak I couldn't even keep his body safe, even after… even after…"

"Shh"

"It was our only damn piece of evidence and I fuckin' lost it. And what do you think they'll do? Drop him in some trash pit somewhere, that's what. And we'll never know where…" He couldn't continue.

Katsu just held him until he fell asleep.

Where was he? Everything was so dark and cold and empty. Strange breezes wafted down the deserted corridors. Were they saying something? He was running, but everywhere it was the same. Maybe if he just rounded that final corner… but there were always more. So cold. "Saitou? Where the hell are you, you bastard?!" He ran on. "We've got unfinished business!" The scrape of a match. He whirled.

"What are you babbling about, ahou?"

"You can't just go!"

"Why not? What business could I possibly have with you?"

He didn't know what to say. "I… You always run out on our fight… um…"

The older man looked amused. "So what happened to the basics of defense I told you to learn?" His cigarette had morphed into a broken piece of wood.

Sano shrugged. "Hey!"

Saitou smiled evilly, his hand clenched around a fistful of the youth's shirt.

"Hey, what's the big idea? Let go of me, you psycho. Mph!" Whatever further insults he'd intended to say were cut off by the attack of Saitou's lips.

He drew back. "See? Absolutely defenseless."

Sano's eyes weren't quite focussing properly.

"What? Nothing to say? I guess I win by default then." His lips twisted in his customary annoying smirk.

"Like hell, you bastard!" He pounced. Oops, so much for his sense of balance, he thought as they went over in a tangle of arms and legs.

"Trying to squash me to death, ahou?"

"You won't be laughing like that when *I'm* done with you."

"Oh no?"

"Prepare for payback!" His fingers tangled in the older man's hair, brushing those absurd bangs out of the way as he returned the attack.

Saitou growled low in his throat.

Sano felt the ties of his pants loosen, and then he was just as frantically pulling at the other man's belt. Jackets went flying. "What, you're not going to fold it?"

"Ahou."

The sword callused hands were tugging at his wrappings.

"Don't bother." He pushed the other man back.

"Impatient? Shouldn't you take this a little slower?" The cop sounded amused.

"Shut up!" He lowered himself.

"You don't know your own limits."

"Hah!" He reveled in the tinge of surprise in Saitou's voice.

"Oh very well."

"Ah!" Sano gasped at the sudden thrust.

"Are you all right?"

"Don't sound so damn worried; I'm not finished yet." He moaned as the other man moved within him again. "Faster." He was moving, rolling, and suddenly he found their positions reversed.

"If you insist." Saitou laughed as the young man writhed under him.

Sano raked his fingers down the exposed chest. Funny, he really does howl, just like a wolf.

He sat up. The contours of Katsu's room rearranged themselves into their customary order.

"Sano?"

No no no no no. He buried his face in his hands.