Genre

Rating

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The Art of Seduction

by Fitz ::: 21.Jul.2002

It was a typical day at the Kamiya dojo. Yahiko was inside, practicing for his next session with Kaoru. Kaoru was outside, sweeping the front step. She waved at Sanosuke as the tall man walked through the front gate. He waved back casually. And Kenshin, as usual, was in the back, washing the laundry and hanging it out on the lines to dry.

Not long after he arrived, Sanosuke meandered out back and over to Kenshin.

“Oi, Kenshin!”

The redhead looked up from his cleaning and smiled brightly.

“Hello, Sano,” he greeted.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Kenshin blinked and looked down at his hands in the soapy water.

“Well, I guess so,” he said uncertainly. “I never thought about it. I’m just doing laundry, Sano.”

Sanosuke just grinned and knelt down next to Kenshin. Then, he surprised the other man by reaching into the water and grasping for a sheet that was soaking. Kenshin just stared at him as he began scrubbing at it like washing clothes was second nature to him. Then, Kenshin smiled in mixed amusement and astonishment.

“I never knew you were one to do laundry,” he murmured.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Sanosuke smirked at him. “Hey... Kenshin?”

Pausing in his scrubbing, which he had just begun again, Kenshin looked up. Sanosuke’s dark eyes were serious, his face unsmiling now. Kenshin frowned.

“Is something wrong?” he asked worriedly.

“No,” Sanosuke shook his head. “I just... can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Kenshin smiled. “You know you can.”

“Well,” Sanosuke frowned and turned his eyes down. “I’m rather new at this, and so I don’t really know...”

“What is it, Sano?” Kenshin looked at him with wide, curious violet eyes.

“There’s a person I really like...” Sanosuke trailed off, cleared his throat, and continued, “and I want to tell this person, but I’m not sure how.”

Kenshin stared at him blankly for a minute. Suddenly, a light flush crept across his cheeks, and he smiled in understanding. A soft chuckle escaped him.

“I’d say you just do what you did to me,” he said.

Sanosuke looked at him quizzically.

“Be honest,” Kenshin said, lifting one hand out from the soapy water to pat Sanosuke’s arm lightly. “You’re best at that anyway.”

Sanosuke nodded and looked down into the water. Kenshin tilted his head, concern again flickering in his eyes.

“Is that it, Sano?” he asked gently. “Is there something else?”

Slowly, Sanosuke nodded.

“Well, there’s one other thing,” he said.

Kenshin waited patiently. Sanosuke looked up abruptly, meeting Kenshin’s soft, violet eyes with his intense, brown ones. Without warning, he reached out with a wet, soapy hand and caught Kenshin’s chin between his fingers as he leaned forward. Kenshin’s eyes widened in shock as Sanosuke pressed his lips against his. The sheet he had been washing fell from limp fingers, and he gripped the side of the wash basin for support.

A long while later, Sanosuke pulled away and grinned at his bewildered friend. Kenshin stuttered for several seconds, the astonishment still evident in his slack jaw and wide eyes.

“S-S-Sano!” he burst out finally. “I-I didn’t-”

Sanosuke’s grin broadened, and he clapped a wet hand down on Kenshin’s shoulder, startling the man.

“Thanks, Kenshin,” he said, his eyes glimmering with amusement and satisfaction. “That was perfect.”

He stood, wiping his damp hands on his pants to dry them. Kenshin just stared at him, still in shock. Sanosuke made a face at his still-damp hands and now his pants.

“I don’t know what you like about doing the laundry,” he grumbled, sauntering away. “I’d just as soon have someone else do mine. I’ll see you later, Kenshin,” he tossed over his shoulder, “I hope you’re planning to cook tonight. I don’t think my stomach could handle another bout of Jou-chan’s cooking!”

Laughing at his own comment, he disappeared into the dojo, leaving behind a very dumbfounded and confused Kenshin to puzzle over his actions.

Sanosuke walked into the kitchen, where he was immediately smacked over the head with Kaoru’s bokken. He scowled.

“Hey!” he grumbled, “What was that for?!”

“For that last comment you made!” she snapped. Then, her anger dissolved away as she considered Kenshin through the window. He was still gaping dazedly toward the door through which Sanosuke had disappeared. Sanosuke grinned suddenly.

“See?” he smirked at her. “Nothing to it! That is the art of seducing a man like Kenshin.”