RuroKenshin 1

Sano grins. "Hey now, you have to be nice to her now. Kenshin said so."

"Not explicitly, and I'm going to exploit that for as long as I can." Saitou says dryly, making Sano grin. Saitou stretches his legs out as he finishes his cigarette, flicking the end out the window before pulling his cap down over his eyes. They're still visible, watching the door to the carriage. The slight change in Saitou's position wakes Kenshin briefly, who waits until Saitou's still again to get comfortable.

Sano snorts. "That's not sleeping, wolf."

"Yes, thank you for pointing that out. It's almost like I didn't know that." Kenshin thumps Saitou lightly on the chest. "What?"

"That was not nice."

"Then Sano needs to stop setting himself up. I can't help it, I have to make fun of him."

"Gee. Thanks."

Kenshin actually cracks a smile at that. "He's not used to your particular brand of humor, that he's not. You should give him time to acclimate."

"Why? This is much more fun."

That earns Saitou an arched eyebrow, which in turn makes the wolf chuckle. "Okay, fine. I'll lay off for the night." He puts his arm around the smaller man's shoulders. "Now go back to sleep, moron."

"Definitely a term of endearment." Kenshin murmurs before doing just that.

Sano almost chokes again at the look of utter defeat that crosses Saitou's face. "What's the problem, wolf?"

"Not exactly the image I was aiming for."

"It's Kenshin. What do you expect?"

"Point."

Luckily for Sano, the train ride ends a few days later, with everyone disembarking. Yahiko drags Luka out of the carriage, the smaller boy letting himself be pulled along with a small grin. Sano is right behind them, glad to be off the train.

"I'm glad that's over." he mutters sourly, stretching and sighing when his back cracks audibly. "That's way better."

"It sounds like you broke something." Kaoru says, poking him in the side. "Aren't you a little young to be making that kind of noise?"

"Well, that's what happens when I'm forced to sit for four days!" Sano stretches his arms and legs. "I think I've withered to nothing!"

Kenshin grins as Saitou joins them, strapping his sword back onto his hip. "I do not believe that's the case, Sano. It would take much longer than four days, that it would." he turns to look over at Saitou. "What are your plans now?"

"I have to report to the chief and let him know Shishiou's been taken care of."

Kenshin nods. "Would it help if I came with and gave my report as well?"

"Not really." Saitou shrugs and digs in his pocket for a cigarette. "It's just a formality at this point. I don't expect it to take too long."

Kenshin nods understanding. Sano glances over at the two. "And after that?" he asks.

Saitou glances at him and smirks. "After that, I'll have to find a place to stay for a while." he says, a slight tease in his voice.

Kaoru rolls her eyes. "Oh, stop being so dramatic. You can stay at the dojo for a while, until you know what's happening next. At least you're not a freeloader." With that she turns and heads towards the dojo, Yahiko, Luka, and Megumi following her.

Kenshin watches her go with a small smile. "She is surprising sometimes, that she is."

"Well, I would hope Saitou grew on her at least a little." Sano grins. "Hurry up your official business, wolf. Maybe we can talk the missy into going out to the Akebeko to eat."

Saitou glances at Kenshin, his smirk turning sharp. "Of course."

Kenshin's grin turns a little sharp as well. "Slowly, Saitou." he murmurs.

"I know." Saitou turns and heads out. "I'll be back in a bit. Try not to burn the dojo down in the meantime."

"I resent that, that I do." Kenshin laughs. Saitou merely waves as he walks away.

Sano grins. "You two are not as subtle as you might think. The missy's gonna catch on at this rate."

Kenshin smiles. "That is not what we were talking about, that it isn't. Now then, let us catch up otherwise they'll make us walk back."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea to me - I need to stretch out." Sano grins.

"Then you can walk, I'll wave at you from the carriage as we pass you." Kenshin laughs.

"Aw, Kenshin! You wouldn't walk with your fourth friend? I'm wounded!" Sano makes a show of grasping his chest like he's been stabbed. Kenshin laughs and shoves him.

Kaoru frowns as she watches them continue to shove each other as they follow behind the girls. Megumi glances at her. "What's wrong?" she asks.

"Nothing. Just thinking about what Kenshin said in Kyoto." Suddenly she shakes her head. "But that's impossible."

Megumi glances back over her shoulder. She chokes, trying to hide her laughter.

Behind her, Luka grins. "Well, she's only half wrong." he whispers to Yahiko.

Saitou hadn't gone far when a carriage pulls up next to him, a lieutenant driving it. "Haijime, you're back in town now, huh?"

Saitou nods. "Yes. Are you headed to the station as well?"

"Yep. I was just making the rounds. If you want, I can give you a lift in."

"That would be deeply appreciated." Saitou hoists himself up, and settles next to the lieutenant. "How've things been here in Tokyo?"

"Pretty quiet all things considered." The lieutenant replies as they start moving again. "Everyone was keeping an eye on things out in Kyoto, though. There are rumors that you took down Shishiou."

Saitou shakes his head. "Not me. I merely helped the one who did."

"Anyone I know?"

"I doubt it."

In the end, Kenshin does walk back to the dojo with Sano. The others take the carriage, Yahiko and Luka too wrapped up in their own conversation to be too much disappointed at splitting up. Kenshin stretches. "This does feel better, that it does." he murmurs.

"Told you." Sano smirks. "At least here the police don't look at you weird for carrying a sword."

Kenshin chuckles at that. "This is very true. I have to admit, it's easier to relax without all the eyes on me."

"Yeah, that would get annoying."

Luckily, the dojo isn't far from the train station. The others beat them there, but not by much. Sano heads inside the gate, calling dibs on the bath. Kenshin pauses, staring back behind him at the road.

Luka appears beside him. "He's coming back, right?"

Kenshin smiles. "Of course he is."

Saitou finishes giving his report, and salutes the chief. "Was that all, sir?"

"No, I've got one more question. I heard you'd like to be stationed here in Tokyo, correct?"

"Yes, sir. I'd like to have a home base. That said, I'll still be travelling wherever you need me to, but I'd like to have this as my home base."

"Agreed. We'll get the paperwork in place." The chief gives Saitou a small grin. "Go and tell Himura I said hello."

Saitou blinks once, then nods. "Sir." he turns on his heel and walks out of the station. He digs in his pocket for a cigarette, and lights it, exhaling quietly before starting down the road.

By the time Saitou makes it back to the dojo, things have fallen back into a routine. Kaoru is cooking, if only because she won't allow Kenshin to do it. So instead, the red-head is doing the laundry. Saitou shakes his head as he enters the courtyard. "Already back to doing chores?"

"Miss Kaoru won't let me cook." Kenshin says with a small smile.

Saitou blinks. "I have heard things about her cooking."

"She's getting better, that she is."

"Still not as good as Kenshin." Sano says, taking a seat on the porch steps beside Kenshin. "She's just worried he's gonna hurt himself if he picks up anything heavier than a towel."

"I keep explaining to her that I'm healed, but she won't listen, that she won't." There's a small hint of annoyance in Kenshin's voice, and it makes Sano and Saitou grin.

Saitou joins Sano on the porch, and sighs as he gets off his feet. Kenshin looks over. "Are you all right, Saitou?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've been doing a lot of walking today." A shadow falls over him, and he looks up to see Luka behind him. "Yes?"

"Are you going to be staying here with us?" Luka asks, moving from behind Saitou to sit next to him.

"Only for a little while until I find a place of my own." Saitou glances over at Sano when he snickers. "What?"

"Didn't peg you as a kid person, wolf."

"I can be. As long as the child isn't annoying. Luka isn't." Saitou lights a cigarette, and leans back on his free hand.

Kaoru pokes her head out of the dojo. "Saitou, can you please get Kenshin to sit down? He's been moving around all day!"

"You are aware he's completely healed, correct?" Saitou calls back. "Far be it from me to stop him, he might stab me." Sano and Luka start laughing as Kenshin shakes his head.

"I won't stab you, Saitou." he chides gently. "That would get blood all over these clean towels."

This time, Saitou starts laughing. "Nice to know that would be the only thing saving me from a bloody death." he taunts.

Kenshin grins. "Hey, you clean towels every day. It takes work to get them clean, that it does." he retorts.

Kaoru just stands there, watching the two of them as they snipe back and forth at each other. Luka grins and leans over to Sano. "Think she'll figure it out?"

Sano smirks. "Maybe. They're not being subtle at all."

Kaoru sets down the spoon she's holding and joins them on the porch. Her head tilts to the side as she studies Sano and Kenshin.

"Kenshin?"

"Yes, Kaoru?"

Kaoru pauses for a moment before shrugging to herself, and taking the plunge. "Are you and Sanosuke dating?" She glances around, and nearly bursts into laughter at the reactions of everyone around.

Saitou, who'd just taken a drag off his cigarette chokes on the smoke, Kenshin drops a towel he'd been hanging up to stare at her in shock, and Sano leaps to his feet and backs about twenty feet away from Kenshin, hands in the air.

Not the response she'd been expecting.

Luka busts out laughing as Saitou struggles to catch his breath. "The answer to that question is no. Good to know." he says absently.

Kaoru just grins. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking." She grins at Saitou. "Can you breathe yet?"

"Shut up." He glares over at her, but he's starting to laugh as well. "Where did you get that idea?"

Kaoru shrugs. "Guessed? So I'm curious!"

Sano grins. "Well, you're wrong." He glances over at Kenshin. "Think you might wanna come clean now, though, before she embarrasses the hell out of anyone else."

"Hey!"

Kenshin glances at Saitou, who merely shrugs and takes another (careful) puff on his cigarette. Kenshin nods and picks up the towel, returning it to the washbin.

"It's actually Saitou."

Kaoru freezes, looking over at the still coughing Saitou, then back at Kenshin. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Kenshin agrees with a small grin. Kaoru looks back over at Saitou, who's sitting back and merely observing the conversation.

"Huh."

"I think we broke her, Himura." Saitou says dryly, grinning when Kaoru gives him a mild glare.

"I am not broken. Very surprised, maybe, but not broken. Am I allowed to ask when this happened?"

Saitou and Kenshin both pause to think about it, and Kaoru sighs. "If you two have to think that hard, it's been a while." She grins. "It's nice to know that I never really stood a chance, though."

Kenshin grins. "I would apologize - "

"But you're totally not sorry, got it." Kaoru grins right back. "But hey, at least Megumi is out of luck, too! That means I can hold it over her head!"

Saitou bursts out laughing as Kenshin hangs his head. "I know, no nice friends, right?"

"He's nice enough for all of us." Sano laughs.

Saitou snorts quietly, earning him a curious look from Kaoru and Sano while Kenshin gives him a mild glare. Saitou raises an eyebrow at Kenshin.

"What?"

"What was that snort for?"

"Because I know better than to fall for that act." Saitou grins. "And that's all that is."

"Is not."

"Is too, and I'm not arguing with you about it. The last time we did that, we went back and forth for an hour. I'm pretty sure the people we passed thought we were married."

Kenshin laughs. "We do tend to bicker like an old couple, that is true."

"No, you like to see if I'll join you in your little arguments, and I can't let you win. You get smug." Saitou leans back on one hand. "I'm not doing that this time."

"Spoilsport."

"I just don't want to spend an hour going 'is too, is not'. I have other things I could be doing." Saitou grins.

"What other things?" Kaoru asks, blinking when Saitou slides a dry look her way before jerking his head in Kenshin's general direction. "Oh. Yeah, I guess I asked for that."

Kenshin ducks his head, but Sano catches the smirk on his face. He busts out laughing. "Oh, so that's how you play it! You're slick, Kenshin, I'll give you that!"

Saitou arches an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

Before Sano can reply, Kenshin says, "Say a word, and you will not be able to run fast enough."

"I am totally not scared of you!"

Kaoru raises her hand. "Um, he kicked your ass last time you fought? Remember that?"

"I try very hard not to, thanks." Sano says with a grin. "Aren't you supposed to be cooking?"

"OH!" Kaoru runs back into the house, presumably to keep anything from burning. Saitou watches her go.

"Should I go and pick some take-out up?" he asks no one in particular.

Kenshin smiles. "No. You would hurt her feelings."

"Well, I'd rather hurt her feelings than get killed trying to eat whatever she's making." Saitou murmurs. "I quite like living."

"She's getting better at it, that she is."

Sano snorts as he takes a seat on Saitou's other side. "If you say so, Kenshin. There's a reason either you or Megumi cook."

"We are teaching her, that we are."

"That's really not something you should have to teach someone." Saitou comments dryly. Sano laughs.

"Ha! Nothing's burned!" Kaoru cheers from the kitchen. Kenshin chuckles at that.

Before Saitou can retort, the red-head turns abruptly serious. Saitou's hand automatically drops to his sword. "Problems?"

"Maybe. There is very aggressive ki coming this way."

Sano groans. "Seriously? We just got home from the fight from hell. Let someone else handle it."

Kenshin considers, and then shrugs before returning to the laundry. "It doesn't feel very strong, that it doesn't. It shouldn't be a problem."

((We need some plot!))

((I have no idea where you're going with this, so Imma keep it brief! *laughs*))

Saitou stands and puts his cap back on. "I'll patrol the immediate area to be on the safe side. Himura, keep everyone here until I give the all clear."

Kenshin's eyes narrow dangerously. "Are you planning to take someone with you?"

"No. I merely intend to make a round around the block. Is this going to be a problem?"

"Not if you take either myself or Sano with you." Kenshin crosses his arms, raising an eyebrow at Saitou.

"You said yourself that it was not a particularly strong ki. I can and will handle myself." Saitou says, raising an eyebrow right back. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

Kenshin opens his mouth to argue, but Sano cuts him off. "I'll go with the wolf, Kenshin. That way he has backup."

Saitou sighs in exasperation. "I don't need it!"

"But you're getting it. C'mon, before this becomes a field trip for the whole group." Sano heads out the gate, shooting Kenshin a wink over his shoulder. "We'll be back!"

Kenshin merely nods with a sigh. Kaoru steps out of the kitchen and watches the two leave. "What's going on?" she asks.

"Hopefully nothing." Kenshin says. "Someone is coming this way. Saitou and Sano are making sure he doesn't get any ideas."

"Oh. Should we be worried?"

That makes Kenshin snort. "Only that they might have too good a time."

Kaoru laughs.

((it's crappy, but it's up!))