Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Someone To Watch Over Me ❯ Chapter 15

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Title: Someone to Watch Over Me

Chap: 15

A strange thought occurred to me the other day. My little brother and I are the same age as Sano and Megumi, respectively. It's a good thing we don't share the same attitudes because we fight enough as it is. :)

I know the wedding ceremony is very sketchy, but I only had one of my brother's books to base it on. So please forgive me if I didn't do it justice. :(

-

Megumi couldn't believe how nervous she was. There was nothing to be nervous about, she was only getting married. People were married every day. If she thought about it, marriage was really a very routine matter. So why did she feel as if she was going to throw up last night's supper?

"Megumi-san, you're paler than the powder," Kaoru chastised. "Now calm down!"

Misao peered at Megumi's face and pursed her lips. "Her face looks more green than white to me."

"No more than yours does," the bride retorted.

When she next spoke, Misao's smile was mysterious and superior. Megumi would have been proud of her had she known the girl better. "I have a good reason," she claimed as she set a hand to her stomach.

"Misao-chan are you trying to tell us you're pregnant?"

Misao nodded in answer to Kaoru's question. "I can't believe it!" she squealed in excitement, "you and Aoshi-san have only been married a few months!" Kaoru went back to applying makeup on her friend's face. "And now that Megumi-san is getting married, we can probably expect another playmate for the children soon."

To Megumi's chagrin, she actually started to blush.

"Oh, that brought some color back into her cheeks!" Kaoru teased.

"Yeah, she ripened from a green tomato to a red one."

The doctor rolled her eyes at Misao's comment. "That is the lamest thing I have ever heard!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sano fidgeted with the collar of his new gi. "Where is that woman?" he grumbled. "Doesn't she know how hot it is out here?"

"Now, now Sano," Kenshin tried to relax his friend's nerves. "It's actually a very pleasant day." The glare Sano sent his friend was enough to make the older man reconsider his opinion of the temperature. "I'm sure Megumi-dono is just as nervous as you are."

"She better be. Right now that's the only satisfaction I'm deriving from this situation."

Kenshin sincerely hoped his friend wouldn't say such things when Megumi arrived. He didn't think she would tolerate it very well.

As the nervous groom continued to fidget, he caught sight of a carriage coming down the road. "Finally," his voice was cross. "It's about time."

"I don't need your attitude," Megumi snapped. "I'm very nervous right now."

Sano stopped complaining long enough to realize she really did look nervous. He squeezed her hand in lieu of an apology. "You look beautiful."

Megumi smiled in thanks.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," was her reply.

Sano followed the shrine maiden into the temple; Megumi trailed behind them. Next in line were Kenshin and Kaoru, representing Sano's parents. Megumi had asked Aoshi and Gensai-sensei to follow in place of her parents. The bride and groom kneeled across from each other as the priest consecrated the union. Then everyone stood and bowed before Sano and Megumi drank the ritual sips of sake.

Next the two lighted the sacred cherry tree branch and repeated their wedding vows. After the representatives of the parents took the required sips of sake, the ceremony was over and everyone left the temple.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"They're here!" Yahiko announced from his post at the gate.

"It's about time," Tae replied. "This food will spoil if it stays out much longer." She gathered everyone into a group that faced the gate and everyone cheered as the newly married couple entered.

"I'm happy for you," Katsu clapped his friend on the back. "I'm a little jealous too."

Sano grinned, "I'm glad you came. Oh, and we like that wedding gift you gave us." He directed his attention to his wife. "He's the one who made that painting we put on the wall."

"Oh," she smiled in acknowledgement. "Yes, that is a beautiful painting," she agreed. "Thank you." The couple continued to talk with other friends who had come to wish them well. Megumi was starting to feel dizzy from all the attention. When Kaoru noticed, she decided to take pity and rescue her.

"I need to check on Kenji. Would you like to come with me?" When the older woman only gave Kaoru a curious glance, she laughed. "I thought you might like an excuse for a break. I remember what it was like at my wedding."

Megumi smiled gratefully and followed Kaoru. There was already a woman, whom Megumi vaguely remembered, in the room they entered.

"Hello," the other woman greeted, "I'm not sure if you remember me but I'm Okon. You helped us when everyone was injured in the fight with Shishio."

"That's right," Megumi remembered. "I thought you looked familiar."

Okon smiled, "Whatever you were going to do, don't mind me. I just came in to lay my son down for a nap."

"She needed a little break," Kaoru explained. "So I brought her with me while I checked on Kenji."

"You don't have to announce to everyone that I can't handle my own wedding," Megumi hissed.

"Okon and I understand. There isn't any reason to be ashamed."

Before the still embarrassed woman could respond, the shoji opened and Misao walked in.

"I can't believe the tori-atama wore that filthy headband on his wedding day." She plopped onto the futon and closed her eyes as if she had never made the random statement.

"It took all of my power to convince him to wear formal clothes. I had no strength left to quibble over such a small matter. Besides, it represents something special to him. It didn't hurt me to compromise," Megumi gave an indulgent smile. "Actually I thought it was sweet."

"I remember when I was charmed by all of my husband's silly quirks. Don't you Kaoru-san?"

The young woman nodded in response to Okon's question. "It didn't last very long. Though I still do like some things."

"Like what?" Misao asked curiously.

"I think it's cute how he tilts his head and says 'Oro?' when he can't figure out what is going on." Kaoru tried to think of another example. "You'll probably think this is strange, but I also enjoy watching him wash the laundry."

"That is strange," Misao agreed.

A knock at the shoji interrupted the women's conversation. "May I come in?" asked a polite voice.

"Yes, Kenshin," his wife answered.

"So, you've come to visit too laundry boy?" Misao asked.

"Oro?" Kenshin squeaked in surprise. To his confusion, the women started giggling. "May I ask why everyone is laughing?"

His wife waved a careless hand. "Never mind." She fought to control her giggling. "Did you need something?"

Feeling very much like he was the butt of some joke, Kenshin turned to Megumi and forced a polite smile. "Your husband is looking for you."

Megumi thanked him, put on the geta she had left at the door then stepped into the yard.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

While her eyes adjusted to being back out in the light, Megumi searched closely for Sano. She found him sitting with Katsu under a tree at the far end of the yard.

"Oh there you are!" Sano waved her over. "Come sit with us. You're missing some great food!"

"No thank you," she replied as she sat down. "I'm not hungry."

Her husband smirked. "No need to be so polite. If you still feel like puking your guts out, just say so."

"Sano!" The doctor's voice was exasperated. "Why do you always say such crude things!"

The brunette ran a hand over his face in a frustrated manner. "I wish you would actually ask your questions instead of stating them!"

Megumi gave a puzzled frown. "Excuse me? I don't understand what you mean."

Sano waved his hand to the side as if brushing away her concern. "Foget it. Katsu was just telling me that he and Tae-san have been dating."

Megumi turned her attention to Katsu, grateful that her husband was sensitive enough to change the topic.

"Really? For long has that been happening?"

"Only a few months," Katsu answered her question.

"Apparently jo-chan tried to set him up with some businessman. It seems he was too bossy for her," Sano explained, "so instead she went for the famous Tsukioka Tsunan."

"You know I don't use that psuedoname anymore, old friend."

Sano grinned in response to his friend's chastising. "That may be true, but I'm sure she was delighted when she found out who you were."

"Actually it's never come up."

The other man looked surprised at Katsu's words. "Really?" He frowned. "You should tell her soon. Believe me, she won't appreciate being left in the dark."

A flush of guilt swept through Megumi at Sano's words. At first she thought he might have spoken them in reference to their situation when they first met. However nothing further was said by anyone so she tried not to think about it.

The young doctor was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a brush against her cheek.

Sano moved his hand away from her cheek and set it against her back, "Are you ready to go?"

"Already?"

He laughed at Megumi's question. "'Already?' It's evening now."

She looked around only to find that her husband was correct. "Very well," Megumi stood and dusted bits of grass off her kimono. "We should say good-bye to our hosts first."

Her husband snorted. "Calling them 'hosts,' sounds so impersonal." Sano stood up to follow her. "Jo-chan, at least, would be offended to be thought of as a hotel keeper rather than a friend."

Out of habit, Megumi tossed her head in response to Sano's taunt. "I'm sure she's used to it from you stopping by all the time for food and a room."

"But she knew I was doing that as a friend!" the young man protested.

"I doubt that's how she saw it," Megumi retorted dryly.

Sano grumbled all the way to the front of the yard, where there two friends were now situated.

"We wanted to thank you before we left for home," Megumi explained. "We appreciate you having the reception for us."

"It was our pleasure," Kenshin assured them.

Kaoru gave a sly wink to Megumi. "Megumi-san, if you have any questions you would like to ask before you leave, I'd be happy to answer them."

The older woman's eyes turned red in anger. "That isn't necessary Tanuki-chan. Don't think because I'm only just married you know more than I do."

Kenshin grabbed his wife around the waist just as she lunged for Megumi. "Kaoru, koishii, you don't want to hurt Megumi-dono on her wedding day."

Kaoru disagreed as Sano dragged away a cackling Megumi. "I can't believe that insufferable little girl," the older woman vented, "how dare she insult me that way!"

"Woah, calm down Meg." Sano attempted to pat her comfortingly on the back. "I can practically see steam coming out of your ears!"

Megumi became pensively quiet and they both remained that way the entire walk home.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Megumi performed her customary preparations for bed with stiff movements. Her gaze kept reflecting to Sano's reflection in her mirror. While his movements weren't as anxious as hers, he wasn't moving as casually as he usually did. Megumi watched as he picked a package laying by the wall and walked over to her side. When she looked up, Megumi was surprised to sense a hesitant presence about Sano.

"Yes?" she asked. "What is it?" Megumi set down her hairbrush to accept the package he handed her.

"It's your wedding gift," Sano explained.

"Wedding present?" The young woman stopped inspecting the package to look up at her husband with surprise. "I thought the house was enough. You really did a better job than I expected." She mumbled the last part to herself.

Sano raised an eyebrow and squatted down to her level. "I'll ... just take that as a compliment. This is something I bought before the house. Go on, open it," he encouraged her. Much to Sano's annoyance, Megumi opened the package the same way she did everything else - carefully.

"It's a book." Megumi tilted it, trying to make out the foreign characters.

"Yeah, it's a book of Chinese poems. I picked it up while I was traveling. Do you like it?" he asked eagerly. His brow creased as a new question occured to him. "Can you even read Chinese?"

"Some of the characters are similar to our kanji, so I should be able to stumble my way through. It's very beautiful." Megumi reached a hand up to touch her fingers to his cheek. "I'm touched that you thought about me while you were gone." She lowered her hand as a frown formed on her face. "I'm sorry I don't have a gift for you."

Sano laced his fingers around Megumi's. "You're the best gift you could give me."

Megumi melted,"Oh, Sano, that's so sweet." A mischievious look sparked in her eyes. "Did you get that out of the poetry book?"

Sano looked truly offended by her words. "No."

Megumi strengthened her grip on his hand when he tried to pull away. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," she apologized quickly. "I was only teasing."

Sano stared at her for several minutes then moved his gaze down to their still linked hands. "I guess I overreacted. I just thought ..." he stopped and shook his head. "Never mind what I thought." He tugged her forward so she was sitting on his lap. "I can think of more pleasant ways to spend the evening than arguing," he grinned suggestively.

Megumi whole-heartedly agreed.

-
Obviously, I was very lazy about finishing this. I should be ashamed, but I'm not really. :)

I wanted to add a little peice about their future, maybe someday I'll go back and do that...


I thank anyone who has read this story, espcially the ones who read it all the way to the end. I wouldn't have finished this story if not for you. :)