Chapter 11

Recap from Chapter 10

Sano was left wondering about what could have been.

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The next day Sakura went in to check on Sanosuke. When she entered the room she saw him standing up, staring out the window. Sakura calmly picked up a muffin from the plate she was carrying and pegged Sano in the back of the head with it. She hit him hard enough to knock him off his feet and there was a loud thud as the muffin hit the floor. Sanosuke looked dazed for a moment then he became angry…

Sanosuke: What's the big idea! Don't you know I'm hurt- (suddenly the muffin he had been hit with caught his eye and he picked it up.) Did Kaoru…?

Sakura: Yep, Kaoru decided to make breakfast today.

Sano cringed and looked as though he was going to faint.

Sanosuke: (still looking at the muffin in his hand) I…I…can't eat that…

Sakura: Well, if you get back in bed I just might have something that will save you from Kaoru's cooking.

Sanosuke: (looking at the muffin a moment longer.) Deal. (he crawls back into bed and notices that besides the plate of muffins, Sakura is carrying a small brown cardboard box tied with white string.) What's that?

Sakura: (handing him the box) Here, consider this…um…well…an apology for giving you that bruise.

The bruise on Sano's cheek was now achieving that horrid yellow tint, which all bruises get just before they heal. Sano took the box and when he opened it he discovered the rice cakes inside.

Sakura: (smiling shyly) Don't worry, I didn't beat anyone up to get these.

They both had a good laugh and enjoyed the rice cakes together.

After they finished eating Sakura sat by the window and noticed Yahiko practicing out on the lawn.

Sakura: Hey Sano, I just thought of a way to get rid of these muffins. Wanna have some fun?

Sano: What did you have in mind?

Sakura: Watch… (She threw a muffin at Yahiko and nailed him right in the head! She ducked under the window so as not to be seen, but Sano was a little slow to catch on and just looked at Yahiko with a bemused expression on his face.)

Yahiko: (rubbing the spot on his head that the muffin had hit.) Hey! What's the big idea! (calling up to Sano)

Sakura started giggling softly. She tried to cover her mouth with her hands, so as not to be too obvious. But then Sano started laughing and Sakura couldn't help herself. She laughed so hard tears came to her eyes. Then she laughed even more. The two of them were in stitches when the door opened. Yahiko was standing in the doorway; wooden sword in hand, about to reprimand the laughing fools when a muffin came whizzing by his head. The muffin, so rock like in demeanor, crashed through the wooden floor and became stuck there. Fresh bursts of laughter erupted from Sanosuke's room. Yahiko was growing very upset.

Yahiko: Alright you jerks! That's it!

But before Yahiko could set one foot inside the room he was being pelted with muffins. Sakura had grabbed the plate and was now using Yahiko for target practice. Yahiko, realizing that he was no match for Sakura started to run.

Kaoru was in Kenshin's room when she heard rambunctious laugher coming from somewhere inside the house. Wanting to discover what was going on she walked down the hall when right outside of Sano's room she noticed something stuck IN the floor.

Kaoru: What the… (As she bent down to pick it up she realized it was one of her muffins and her tone changed) WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (she screamed)

Sano, not wanting to get into trouble, crawled to the open door, closed it, and pretended to be asleep. Kaoru apparently took no notice of this. Her attention was immediately drawn to the scene outside. Sakura was chasing Yahiko around the yard while every now and then pelting him with muffins.

Kaoru: (face glowing red with rage) MY MUFFINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (she takes the muffin that she picked out of the floor and slowly walks outside)

In the meantime Yahiko trips and Sakura proceeds to pummel him with the rock-like muffins.

Sakura: (still giggling) ha ha, take that!

Yahiko: Ow!!!!!! Quit it!!!!! What did I do?

Kaoru seeing her chance for revenge chucks the muffin she had been holding straight at Sakura. However, being the skilled martial artist that she is Sakura easily dodged the muffin and it hit Yahiko instead, rendering him temporarily unconscious.

Kaoru: What are you doing?! I'd expect this from Yahiko, but Sakura, you should know better!

Sakura: (standing up as straight as she possibly could with her hands clasped behind her back and a smug smile on her face she replied…) Sorry sis, just having some fun! (then she stuck her tongue out and ran)

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Back inside Sano woke up from a long nap. As it turns out he really did fall asleep. He could tell that he had been asleep for most of that day because the sun was just about to set. As his eyes adjusted to the light he thought to himself [what a beautiful sunset] then something in the corner of the room caught his eye. It was Sakura. She was asleep with her back against the wall. Suddenly the sunset paled in comparison to Sakura's beauty. Sano was captivated, he could not take his eyes off her. Then…

Sakura: (blinking her eyes open from a deep sleep) huh? What are you staring at?

Sanosuke: (quickly turning away in embarrassment) uh, nothing, umm….. (turning slowly back toward her)

Their eyes met, it was as if a force had brought them together. All rational thought had left their minds and once again they leaned in toward each other.

CRASH!

The screen door had slid open with a crash and a thud.

Kaoru: Dinner!

Kaoru entered carrying two bowls of soup on a tray. It seems she clumsily used her foot to open the door. When she looked around she found Sano sitting in one corner of the room staring out the window and Sakura sitting in the other with her head down. Kaoru put the bowls on the table and left silently. As she left she wondered why those two haven't gotten together yet, they were obviously perfect for each other.

THE END

(or is it?)