Disclaimer: Watsuki owns.

o^///^o

Sano awoke to the dim sunshine that filtered through his dusty window. He brought an arm up to cover his eyes and lay still for a few lazy minutes. He let his mind wander, and suddenly his eyes snapped open upon remembering yesterday's events. He sat up with a jolt and jumped out of his futon, a wide grin spread out on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror which hung on the wall inside his makeshift closet and surveyed his appearance. Bed head, sleeping lines, chapped lips, it simply won't do! On a regular day, Sano would consider his current state acceptable, but today was special, and hygiene was on his agenda.

It was fairly early, not even close to noon. Sano knew that at this time Kaoru would be teaching and Kenshin would be at the dojo doing chores. He grabbed his white blazer and went outside to head for his first destination.

o^///^o

Scrub, scrub, scrub. Scrub, scrub, scrub. The sound of laundry. It was all Kenshin could listen to this early in the morning. Grateful for it, he was, for it kept his mind from wandering and unearthing unwanted thoughts. Tap, tap, tap, tap. The shadow of a tall figure gradually neared and blocked the sun from hitting one of Kenshin's cheeks. He knew who it was before he looked up. He pasted a smile on his face. "Good morning, Sano." he said as he lifted his face to greet the spiky-haired brunette.

Sano answered by flashing him a toothy grin. For once his signature fish bone was missing from his mouth. He stood there for some time, not really focusing on Kenshin but still smiling. Likewise, Kenshin had momentarily stopped with the laundry and kept on his pretense of a smile while looking at Sano, who wondered how how he could easily convey to Kenshin what he wanted to do. Just when both of their cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling too much, Sano snapped his fingers in front of Kenshin's face to get his attention. Kenshin blinked. "What is it, Sano? he asked.

Sano gestured to himself then nodded to the direction of the bath house. Kenshin blinked again. He decided that Sano probably wanted a bath. "Make it quick, please." he said to Sano, giving him permission. He didn't want Kaoru to walk in on Sano in the bath and have her throw a fit at both of them. Sano, still smiling, nodded and turned to walk briskly to the bath house.

He stepped in once he opened the door and slid it shut behind him. Upon seeing Kaoru's bathtub, he wrinkled his nose. Fortunately he got his timing right and it was only Kenshin who was present, otherwise he was sure Kaoru would have never let him use the bath.

He stripped down quickly and got into the cold water. His body shivered, slowly his limbs became more alert and his mind more awake. He focused his mind on his goal: to win that bet. He scrubbed his body with soap and quickly washed his face and hair, which when wet, hung limply over and on the sides of his face. His likeness to a rooster vanished. Until his hair dried completely and returned back to normal, he would temporarily have the semblance of a normal human being.

After he was done, he drained the bath water, dried off real quick and put on his pants and his blazer, purposely forgetting to wrap his bandages around his torso. He picked the bandages up and threw them in a pile of leaves that he passed by as he headed over to Kenshin once more.

Kenshin was hanging the clothes as Sano approached. Sano punched Kenshin lightly on the shoulder to get his attention again. When Kenshin looked over, Sano pointed to his foot and started writing on the dirt with the toe of his shoe.

Kitsune made a bet with me. ^_^ If I don't utter a single sound until the clinic closes tonight, I score a spot on her bed!

Sano grinned at the image his mind conjured up. "Ha ha." Kenshin laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't need Sano to tell him what he planned on doing if he won, but he was really doubtful that Sano would win. After all, Megumi was just as witty as Sano. "No offense, but you're hardly the most patient person I know."

I haven't said a word since I woke up this morning. He wrote, a smug look appeared on his face.

"And how exactly do you plan on winning?" asked Kenshin.

Sano shrugged. He didn't feel the need to have a plan because he thought that it was a fairly easy task to keep his mouth shut. He was excited to see Megumi and officially set the bet in motion. He rubbed his hands together, a happy glint in his eyes. Kenshin took this as an end to their conversation and continued hanging the laundry. He listened as Sano's suddenly giddy steps faded away and the gates of the dojo close before he let out a chuckle.

o^///^o

"NEXT!" came Megumi's voice as she emerged from the inside of the clinic.

Sano got up from his seat in the waiting line and bounded towards Megumi. He grinned, Megumi smirked in return. "Nice hair." she commented. Sano lowered his face to level with hers and wiggled his eyebrows as if to say he was ready. Megumi moved her face closer to his so that the tips of their noses were touching. "Alright, you know what to do right? No sound. Not one. Or else you lose the bet... and that spot in my bed." She smirked again. Sano nodded to show he understood.

Megumi scrunched up her nose and rubbed it against Sano's in a playful manner before pulling her face away from his. "Better put your game face on, rooster head. Now, let's take a look at that hand of yours."

She turned her back and led the way inside, Sano following at her heel. Upon walking in he saw Ayame and Suzume standing by the cushioned patient's seat, he passed by them and ruffled each of their hair before sitting down. The normally comfortable chair felt awkward, but he dared not make a comment. He didn't want to loose the bet so early over something so trivial. He leaned back against the chair as he waited for Megumi to get back with the medicine and bandages. His unfastened blazer fell back from his chest and torso, revealing his hardened pecs and chiseled abs. He spotted a spray bottle on the table in front of him and grabbed it, spraying his chest and abdomen to emphasize the muscles and make them sparkle against the light. I truly am god's gift to women. he mused, patting his abs fondly. He decided a few more sprays should do it and so continued with his task.

"What are you doing?" Megumi inquired, looking at Sano with one eyebrow raised. She didn't look impressed in the least. Sano's arm twitched in surprise at the sound of her voice. He smiled at Megumi and raised the hand that held the spray bottle to scratch his back, dropping the bottle behind his chair to hide it. He smiled again and shrugged.

Megumi dropped the stuff she was carrying on Sano's lap and walked behind his chair, she picked up the spray bottle and held it in front of him. "Spray bottle? Ha ha ha! What were you trying to do? Make yourself look sweaty like you had a good work out to look sexy?"

Well this is embarrassing. Sano thought, deliberately keeping his head turned to the side so as not to face Megumi's mocking expression.

"Honestly, Sano. You have no idea how many of my patients have done that, you're gonna have to be more creative."

He heard Megumi move towards him, to get the things he was certain, so he kept his head still turned to the side.

Megumi bent down and let her fingers flutter over Sano's chest and abs, eliciting a shiver from Sano. She tucked her hands under the bandages and dug her knuckles lightly on Sano's thighs, where she knew it would tickle.

Sano tensed his legs. He almost let out a gasp when he felt a laugh about to come out. He faced her with a neutral look on his face and swatted her arm away. Megumi just smiled innocently.

She sat down in front of him and took his hand, rubbing ointment on the red and blue bruises, making 'tut tut' noised while doing so. Sano just sat there and watched. Seconds have passed and Sano felt something moving under his butt. The wiggling sensation continued until whatever it was accidentally came in contact with his balls outside the cloth of his pants, sending him on the edge of his seat. He slapped his face with the hand Megumi wasn't tending to and scrunched his face with it. He had almost let out a yelp, and a complementary, "What the hell was that?!" but managed to stop himself in time.

"Anything wrong Sano?" Megumi asked softly, although her eyes glinted with mischief.

Sano squinted his eyes at her and shook his head. He placed his elbow on his knee and supported his chin with his hand. He let his eyes wander around the room. Megumi looked past Sano and at the two children laughing quietly behind his chair. They made high-five motions to Megumi before they scuttled off into the bathroom to wash their hands.

Megumi continued treating his hand before moving to the other and in a few minutes time she finished up and started bandaging them while humming a happy tune. Sano was bored. He didn't like not talking, and right now he would have loved to start a conversation with Megumi. Stupid bet. Wait, no, he took that thought back, remembering the prize if he won. Come to think of it, Megumi got nothing out of the bet if he lost.

"There." she said, she secured the bandage and patted his hand. You can manage to wrap this around yourself. She placed the remaining bandages on his hands.

Sano looked at the white strips of cloth and pulled a face, he decided a look of pain would do it.

"What?" Megumi said, crossing her arms. "How are you gonna pull the things I have ready for you if you can't even do that?"

Sano perked up. What things? Things for tonight? Mmmm... things. He wrapped the bandages around his torso and secured it with a knot. Remembering his earlier thought, he went to a nearby desk and grabbed a pen and a paper. He handed the note to Megumi once he finished writing.

"What am I gonna get out of this bet? I don't need to get anything out of it, well, actually, I do, and that's where your hands come in handy, Ha ha, get it? Handy? Although I don't think they're well enough to do such physical tasks. Oh well... handy. Pfft." And with that Megumi started laughing.

Sano smiled. Lame. Although he did feel his body tingle with excitement when Megumi mentioned his hands. But for what? Physical. He thought, repeating what she said in his mind. And she doesn't think I'm up for it. I'll show her... tonight. He felt so strongly about it that he was overcome with excitement and so he started laughing with Megumi. When their laughter died down, they looked at each other, both smiling.

"YOU JUST LOST THE BET!" Megumi screeched, she jabbed his chest with her finger and started laughing again. Sano's face fell. "Oh, come on, rooster head," she said, sliding up to him and leaning against his chest. "You didn't think I would really let you win that bet did you? Oh ho ho ho ho ho!"

"You got me, didn't cross my mind at all, Kitsune." he answered. Megumi stopped teasing him and looked at his face, Sano stood there awkwardly before turning and waving in the air. "See ya later." he said, before disappearing through the door.

"Hmmm, what was that?" asked doctor Genzai, who passed by Sano on his way into Megumi's office. "Sano looked awfully dejected."

"Oh my! Oh my!" said Ayame, who was later echoed by her sister.

"Uh, it was nothing." Megumi said, although the guilt she felt weighed heavily in her chest.

o^///^o

Sano made his way to the dojo, kicking stones he encountered along his way angrily. "What the hell did she mean when she said she wasn't gonna let me win? What, she doesn't wanna have me in her bed?" He scoffed. "Like I wanted to be there!" he fumed. People on the street gave him curious and slightly alarmed looks, but he paid them no attention. "S'not like I like her. Bitch, please."

A mother who happened to pass by covered her young daughter's ears and ushered her forward and out of Sano's way.

Sano understood. Megumi was a very classy woman. Sano was a ruffian of all sorts. What would an amazing woman like her want with a free-loader who used to beat up random thugs for a living?

Sano reached the dojo and banged on the gate. "Kenshin!"

The gate opened. "Oh, hi Sano!" chirped Kaoru. She took in Sano's angry face and felt concern. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, just hungry." he answered. His mouth was set in a thin line.

"Oh, well by all means, join us!" Kaoru said sarcastically, all feelings of concern for him vanished. She let Sano in before closing the gate. "Kenshin! Sano's here... again." she muttered that last part.

"Hi Sano." Kenshin greeted, he was cooking the food while Kaoru walked past Sano and helped by setting the table.

"Hn." he grunted. He sat down on the floor and watched Kenshin cook. Kaoru took a seat beside him once she was done.

"What happened?" Kenshin asked, not looking away from the pot of soup he was cooking.

"Exactly what she wanted to happen."

"Huh?" Kaoru faced Sano? "What's going on? Why are you so mad?"

"Ugh, I really don't want to relive it jou-chan. But I'm sure Kenshin knows, he has my permission to repeat it to you once I'm outta here."

Kenshin nodded. As soon as he heard Sano talk he knew he lost the bet. He wasn't worried though. Knowing that under Megumi's aloof stance was a pure heart, he was sure Sano would get over it soon enough.

They talked about little things while eating, Sano's head slowly cooled down, and when he was full, he thanked them for the meal before heading out to his own flat. It was still early, about two in the afternoon, he decided to go fishing by the river.

He got to the river, and he was aware that he didn't have a fishing pole. He looked around and saw a fairly long stick lying around and picked it up. His eyes caught glimmer under the sunlight and saw that it was a kite. Looking around to make sure no kid was around to claim the kite, he went over to it and broke the string from the kite and tied it to his stick. He just sat there by the river bank. For hours he didn't catch a single fish. Eventually... he fell asleep.

o^///^o

"Sano, Sano! Sano, Sano!"

Sano blinked, confused at why he was looking up at the sky. He realized that he was lying spread eagled on the grass and sat up. Suzume and Ayame were dancing around him in circles.

"You're up, Sano."

Sano looked up to see doctor Genzai smiling down at him.

"Uh-huh." he answered.

"I suppose Megumi would be looking for you now. The clinic is closed for today."

Sano huffed. "No. I don't think she is."

Doctor Genzai made a non-commital noise. "Hmmmm." he mused.

"She said she was gonna look for me?" Sano asked, unable to retain his curiousity.

"No."

"Then why...?"

"Just a feeling." He smiled. "Suzume, Ayame, let's go home. Bye, Sano." He took the kids in his hands and led them back to his clinic. It was dusk, and quickly the light was fading so Sano got up and made his way back to his flat. He was walking down the street when he saw the all-too-familiar figure of Megumi standing in the middle of the street where Sano's flat was located. He tried to walk quietly, but Megumi picked up on the sound of footsteps and turned around to see him walking towards her.

"Sano," she breathed.

Sano pretended like he didn't care. "Whaddya want, Kitsune?"

"To apologize." she said, grabbing his arm as he passed her. He shrugged her hand off as he slid the door open. "Sano, please." she begged. She followed him inside.

"Look, I get it alright? You don't want me, so what are you still doing here?" he said. He was miffed that she even came into his room uninvited.

"I told you, I wanted to apologize. Will you please look at me when I'm talking to you?"

Sano grudgingly turned his face to hers and briefly looked her in the eye before sighing and patting a space on his bed. "Sit." he said as he sat down himself.

Megumi eyed the bed and was about to decline, but she decided that doing so might not make things any better. She sat. "I think I led you on."

"Ya think?" he repeated, bitingly sarcastic.

"Sorry." she whispered. "I should'nt have come up with that bet in the first place. You were just so loud, you were distracting me at work. I knew you like me... so I came up with it anyway. I didn't think I would end up hurting your feelings. Sorry."

"Whatever. I still like you." he said gruffly, embarrassed by all these lame talk. He wasn't too keen on heart-to-heart conversations.

"Huh. Don't, I can't make you happy." Megumi said sadly. The truth was that her heart fluttered at those words, but she didn't want to admit it. Why would she want Sano to tie himself down with her? At nineteen, he still had his whole life ahead of him. She had her passion for medicine. She didn't need anything else.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" Sano whispered. He felt his heart breaking. This conversation was killing him.

"I just.. I can't okay? Sorry." she repeated for the third time.

Sano had never hated that word more than he did now. "Give me one good reason why you can't make me happy? Why don't you want me to be with you?"

"Look at us." she said, gesturing at the obvious. "I'm older than you, doesn't that bother you?"

"What? Your age doesn't bother me at all. Two years is nothing. And what difference does it make if you're older? I'd like you even if you were thirty." Sano knew he wasn't just saying that, Megumi was Megumi, and he was smitten.

Megumi was getting emotional, back when she took care of Sano she knew a part of her liked him, the way she liked Kenshin, but she refused to let it grow. Now she had no choice. This guy was making her feel happy, even in this situation. The honesty in his eyes was enough to make her melt. Despite her earlier statement about not wanting him to win, she flung herself on him and hugged him for all he was worth. Sano toppled over on his futon from the force of her hug, Megumi didn't pull her arms away.

"What.. does this mean?" Sano was confused. He guarded his feelings, getting rejected a third time this day wasn't one of his goals.

"It means... that I like you too." she said. Her breath tickled Sano's chest pleasantly, and given the situation they were in, with Megumi on top of Sano and no one else in the room, he would have very much liked to make love to her then and there, but he knew that it was not the right time, so he settled for just laying there. He brought up his arms to hug her, but Megumi stopped him. "Don't move." she said. "I just want to stay like this for tonight."

"Uh, sure." Sano complied. He kept his arms at his sides. His heartbeat sped up because he felt very happy. All the anger and dejection he felt earlier in the day were completely erased by Megumi's confession. If Megumi heard his heart, she didn't say anything, because her heart was beating very fast as well. She would sleep here tonight, she decided. It would be her most sincere apology.

In a way, Sano won the bet. It didn't go the way he planned it, and he wasn't in Megumi's bed, but he felt pretty damn good, and Megumi was here with him. That night, that was all that mattered.

- W A K A S -