Sano has made his best efforts, but he is trembling like a baby when he stumbles out of the river, the water at his knees. He trips on the rocks and barely manages to find his balance, cursing weakly: then he resumes his way to the *beloved* dry ground. When he finally kneels himself with a tired thud, just remains of his strength let him not drop the unconscious wet bundle to the grass. He indulges himself with a second of panting and gasping, his forehead sinking in the soft soaked chest of the woman in his arms, as he tries to catch his breath. She is so soft... If she could stay quiet in this way for a moment...I have to throw her to the river more frequently. "Hey, Fox" he asks, sighing in her breasts. "Megumi?" Nothing. Sano raise his head, looking to her face, pale and vulnerable. That red lascivious lips offering themselves, half-parted. That eyes, always defiant, now closed, long curled lashes softly contrasting with her pale cheeks, the hair messed like in lovemaking... Sano claims her mouth, kissing and biting, letting the feeling make him warm again. And very aroused, yeah. So edible and delicious. So... ... she isn't breathing. SHE ISN'T BREATHING!! Sano take the woman in his arms, yelling and shaking her hysterically. Megumi's body limps like something ... dead. DEAD. HOW CAN I TELL THEM THIS?? Sano frantically tries to remember what Kenshin did make in these cases. Yes, he revived a boy in the beach long time ago... how? Megumi, don't you dare to die ON ME!! I love you, dammit!! He remembers: Kenshin has took the boy by the waist, and hugging him has pressed strongly his stomach... he hugs Megumi with all his will and starts pushing her against his own body, with strong thrusts. He is yelling furiously to her, tears in his eyes rolling free in panic when she throws up a lot of water and starts coughing weakly. Sano kneels with her against his body, feeling her cough and then breath hard, trembling. " ... Megumi...?" he whisper, sobs still in his throat." Daijobu ka?" She was coughing and... crying? Sano hugs her again against him, feeling his own tears fall free as he sobbed again, his face buried in her wet hair. Her smell... With trembling hands, Sano turned her to him. Megumi's face was hiding under her messed hair, but Sano apart it tenderly. When she looked at him, still half sit between his legs, Sano tilted his head and hugging her strongly kisses her, devouring and searching with a possessive, vindictive wild passion. For Megumi's lost rational mind, she was surprised of her own reaction. She holds to him as she had hold to the life in the river, urging him to cover her body with his, ripping cloth in the process without a thought. His body was so hot against her cold flesh that she almost was afraid to burns. " You...you..." Megumi's voice was a hoarse whisper. " Hai...?"Sano hold her closer, his mouth hungry in hers. " Nani ka, Fox...?" " you JERK! ECHII! SONOFA..." Megumi interrupter her fit to cough more water " You... was trying to take advantage of a helpless woman, PERVERT!!" "But you're not helpless..." Sano touches his face side which she has just slapped. " And I really think you had just make me deaf from this side for all my life...Oi Megumi!!" he almost loose her when she tripped and then lunged behind " Megumi, dajiobu ka?" " Of course I'm not...BAKAYAROU!" she growled, but stopped when her pupils start trembling. " Aw good... I have a concussion too... Greeeeat! Just what I need ... I have to...STOP PICKING ME, CHICKEN-HEAD!" " I'm NOT picking you. You are the one stumbling around like an drunken cow." "COW?!" "Hai. Stop fooling around, I will take you to the clinic." "Is closed, genius. I don't want to disturb Genzai-sensei. So I'll go to my home" " Is so far. My home is very much closer." "Forget it, chicken-head. I'm not so groggy to forget you was trying to rape me!!" " RAPE YOU? Was me the one clinging like a hot fox? " " Go to hell. I wasn't conscious" Megumi started to walk with unsecure steps, in her way to the road. Just a step and her vision begins to blur, but she tightens her fist and tried to keep walking... ... hey, why the world looks like the inside of a pooooooot... " Enough is enough. " "Sano!..."she freaked out when something makes her o a whole loop, ending in his shoulder, looking th world upside down. "You can hit me later. You are falling apart. So shut up and relax, because I don't have any inhibitions to undress you and tie you with it... and then walk all the way to home singing. I'm clear or I have to draw you a little pic?" he started walking, growling, with Megumi over her shoulder like a bag. Scared of her biting from her position, he peek to her face, but was hide for the waves of dark hair. " Sano..." "NANDA?" he growled, tired of quarrel. "Domo arigatou..." "WHAT?" With the heart in a blade, Sano turns his head trying to see at her expression. A sigh of adoration and exasperation escapes him when he sees Megumi peacefully unconscious in his arms. he shift her to a most easy position against his shoulder, remembering Yumi's comments, and he starts walking to the city with slow steps. Is not that he isn't cold, dead tired and hungry. Is just the sight of her nudging at his shoulder like a pet fox what makes all worthwhile... Megumi awakes in a warm futon, feeling all her body voicing her displeasure loudly. Was middle night, and just one candle lit the room. With his back to her, Sano was trying to bandage his hand with the roll between the teeth, cursing softly the hard work. Megumi watches him with a tender and jut a bit sarcastic smile. When she sits in the bed, she finds herself enveloped in one of the "aku" Sano's jackets. - Megumi.- he stays a second there, not knowing what to do, the roll of cloth still between teeth. Then he comes closer, his eyes shy and a bit tense. - How do you feel?.- - I have one resented knee and I don't think it was for the river.- she grunted, lifting her long leg and examining it closely.- Sano you baka, you are a real animal!.- - Demo...- Sano falters, and then his face turns red in anger.-"Animal?" I almost drown myself in that river saving one clumsy Fox and this is what I get?!- - I almost drown for your fault, bakayarou, and if you still remember, the man who attacked me sure had run away in this hours!!- - K'sou.- curses Sano.- I've forgotten him.- - Of course!.-growl Megumi, adding maliciously.- You was so busy taking advantage of me...- - Taking advantage?!.- Sano jumps and throw hands in the air- Don't you dare to say that!!. I wasn't the one panting and pleading!! - - Oh, you have a really hyperactive imagination, do you know?.- Laughed Megumi, foxishly. - TEMEE, Fox!!.- Growled Sano, his fury making him almost explode, ready to punch that grin. Megumi laughed, and he falters. To see her laughing in * his * futon s almost too much for him... " I had kissed her, in the river... " he thought, looking that red lips so close." That feeling..." - Bakayarou I'm thirsty. And hungry. And I really need one hairbrush.- Megumi whines with a strange smile, the smile of You-took -me-here, now -I'll -tyrannize you. Bitch. - I have water and some to eat in that straw box.- he says placidly, attending his other hand as good as he can . Megumi snorts and then rise to find the items. Sano takes a peek, with a big grin. And with a small yeep! Megumi jumps back to the futon, blushing furiously when she realized the "aku" jacket is the * one * thing she is wearing. - DAMN YOU, SAGARA!!WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES!!??- - You threw up.- - Oh.- Sano was back to his bandaging without more comments. Silence. Was three minutes of peace. - Sano.- - Mm?- - If I take care of your hand... will you give some water and food?- Sano grin. - If I give you water and food, you let me sleep with you, FoOACK!-*CLUUNG* - HENTAI!!- - ... you're really good with pots...- Sano sighs touching the lump in his head.- And you're the echii one. I'm not thinking in touching you, I'm damn tired. It just I don't feel like going anywhere and MY FUTON is big enough. And you're already in it, so you're reputation is already messed... if that is possiblEEACK *Cluung* STOP THAT!!You're going to upset the neighborhood!" " Hey you, Sagara, SHUT UP!!" "...you see?" Megumi looks exhausted and ate the food with real hunger .As she eats suddenly lifts her head to see Sano looking at her with strange eyes. - WHAT?.- - Nothing.- he apart some threads of hair from her mouth.- You're eating your own hair.- She blushed with no reason. Maybe was so much gentleness in his voice. Or so much warmness in his hand. Or just maybe the way his hot chocolate eyes looked at her. She apart her face, concentrating just in eat, but when she takes a peek in him again she was surprised, his face was just inches from her. Less than an inch. So close.He is going to kiss her... His firm, hot mouth... - Do you want me to kiss you, Fox-Lady?- he suddenly smile. Megumi open her eyes, and looking to his hated grin she slap him away screaming. -Of course NOT!! Get away from ME!- Sanosuke was laughing has he sit in the futon besides his outraged Fox, who was trying her best to stay as far as she could of him. He just smile, and fall asleep fast, dead tired. Megumi have a harder time trying to sleep, debt to all the bruised, to the way Sano was pressing the blankets with his weight and maybe the way he is snoring. Taking a little peek in his face without the badanna, that rebel hair now messed for all the water, she smile. Like a child... ... he is trembling. The night is a chilly one, and he just have pants and bandages on... I'm a doctor, neeh? And my reputation has looong ago gone to hell... Megumi snatches the blanket from behind him and going closer she extends it over the both. When Sano growled in pleasure and enjoying the new warm open his arms and legs like an sprawled wings eagle, Megumi accommodates against him with an happy sigh. He was so comfortable like if they were accustomed to sleep together...As she pressed her back against his chest, trying to be closer, she wonders how will be sleep every night in a cocoon of warmth like this... There is a hand in her hair. - I forgot the hairbrush.- Sano whispers, as a gentle hand starts caressing her hair, clumsily trying to undo the knots and the mess.- I love your hair, Fox.- She isn't able to move for nothing in the world. Then, she felt a kiss in her shoulder. One in her nape. One in her neck. One in her temple. - Sa... no...- she sighs, when his hands roam hugging her waist against him, the hands resting over her chest protectively. - I love when you say my name that way...- he continues, kissing her cheek tenderly. - I want...- she sighs, going ever closer to his warm. - I wish...- - Hai, Fox.- he whispers, kissing her nose. -...kiss me...- Sano gave her a kiss that made her head spin. Something in his control, in his soft touch, make her heart ache for more. But in the wonderful feeling her eyes was closing even against her will. So tired... so... happy... - Sleep well, my Fox.- Sano smiles, readjusting his position to cuddle her, seeing in pleasure as she asleep twist to fit better in his embrace.- I don't have intention to let you sleep too much in our future nights...- ******************************************************** Fox says: Uuuh. My best try. Now I truly turned romantic... Let me know if you will like to cut or change it...