A/N: This fic was inspired by a certain scene in "Top Gun" and by Susan's suggestion that this song would be perfect in a songfic for Sano and Megumi. While this is not a songfic, it is the closest I could get. OOCness abounds. A/U. Hope you enjoy!

Rating: PG

~*You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'*~

"Order me another one, Kenshin."

A slender hand reached into Sanosuke Sagara's line of vision and pried the empty beer bottle out of his sweaty fist. "I think you've had enough, Sano."

Lifting his head from the cool table top, Sano peered over at his best friend with narrowed eyes. The small man's fiery hair was starting to blur around the edges and for the tiniest fraction of a moment, it almost appeared as if his twin was sitting at the table beside him. Of course that was impossible...Kenshin didn't have a twin.

"It's not enough," Sano muttered blearily, blinking as Kenshin's image wavered. "It will never be enough. I'll get it myself." Standing, he searched the expansive bar for their waitress and waved at her frantically. "Bring us another round!"

As Sano dropped back into his seat, Kenshin cast a worried glance at their two companions. Aoshi was seated to his right, sipping at a glass of ginger ale with a passive expression gracing his pale features. Yahiko was seated beside Sano, smirking as the tall man ran his fingers though his wild, brown hair and cursed under his breath.

It had been a little over a week since Sanosuke's disastrous breakup with his girlfriend, who was also the most well-respected doctor on the Army base at which they were stationed. Their rocky relationship had lasted for nearly two years before Megumi had broken it off suddenly, listing Sano's irresponsibility and constant drinking and gambling as her reasons.

Kenshin, who was several ranks higher than the brunette, had taken him under his wing when the unruly teenager had first enlisted. Now Sano was twenty-five, two years younger than his ex-girlfriend, and had made it to the rank of Second Lieutenant with relatively few problems. If there was anything Sano lacked, it was not dedication. He was a hard worker and always got the job done, no matter what the cost to himself. For that, Kenshin admired the man, but Sano had never been able to shed the several vices he brought with him from his misguided youth. That fact had led to many failed relationships, the one which had struck him the worst being the most recent.

Both Kenshin and Aoshi were currently at the rank of Colonel. They had enlisted at the same time and become good friends, even through the rigorous competition they had suffered through to achieve their respective goals. Something in Aoshi's calm, cold demeanor had called out to Kenshin's overall amiability, even if most people wondered what they could possibly have in common to maintain their long-time friendship.

Yahiko, at twenty-two, was the most recent addition to their small group. He was moving up rapidly, already having had achieved the rank of Sergeant. He got along most with Sanosuke, in which he had found a kindred spirit. He looked up to Kenshin and Aoshi with something akin to awe, even if Aoshi's cool reservation often tended to annoy him to no end.

Tonight was a "boy's night out", as Sano called it. Sensing his almost severe depression since his catastrophic breakup, the trio had decided to attempt to distract him by spending the evening drinking and playing pool in a nearby billiard hall. The attempt was backfiring, however, as Sano continued to toss back beer after beer, quickly driving himself into a drunken stupor.

"Perhaps we should leave after this round," Kenshin suggested mildly.

Aoshi nodded immediately. He was a not a huge fan of the bar scene and would much prefer to seek out a quiet spot to read and reflect. On top of that, he had no tolerance for alcohol and was often forced to be the designated driver as his cohorts turned into bumbling idiots. Babysitting fully grown men was not, by any means, his idea of a good time.

"Why?" Sano asked, leaning back as the waitress placed three bottles onto the table and began to clear up some of the emptied glasses littering the top.

"It's getting late," Kenshin replied, smiling at the waitress and ignoring her obvious attempt to call his attention to the cleavage that was practically bursting from her fitted blouse.

"It's only nine o'clock," Yahiko pointed out, lifting his bottle to his lips and drinking deeply.

Kenshin glared at him, glancing significantly at Sanosuke, whose eyes were roving the bar.

The younger man choked on his beer, swallowing hastily. "But, you're right, it is kind of late," he amended.

"We're not going anywhere," Sano said slowly, his voice suddenly lacking its previous slur. "Look who just walked in."

Three sets of eyes followed his gaze to the bar and Kenshin restrained a wince as he spotted a head of straight, ebony hair. Megumi was seating herself on a bar stool, tossing her head prettily, and easily commanding the attention of nearly all the men surrounding her.

Oh, damn, Kenshin thought dimly, glancing at Aoshi, whose expression was displaying a similar sentiment.

"I have to get her back," Sano went on after a moment. "She has to know...I can't do this without her."

As the tall man got to his feet, Kenshin reached out with long fingers to halt his forward moment. "Perhaps you should wait until you are sober, Sano. Give yourself time to cool off and then try to talk to---"

Shrugging his hold off, Sano turned toward the karaoke stage in the corner. "I'm not going to talk to her," he said, glancing at them with a hopeful expression. "I'm going to serenade her."

"Serenade her?" Kenshin repeated, blinking. "But you can't sing, Sano. You embarrassed yourself the last time."

"That's why you're coming with me!" Sano declared, reaching out to grab Kenshin with one hand and hoisting Yahiko out of his seat by his collar with the other.

"Oro!" the redhead said dazedly, using the word he often unconsciously muttered when he was confused or chagrined.

"Come on, Aoshi!"

"You don't honestly expect me to go up there with you, do you?" Aoshi questioned quietly, his expression frosty.

"Don't be an ass, Aoshi! Just come on!"

"I don't remember agreeing to this," Yahiko said dryly, halting his attempts to pull out of Sano's iron grip.

"I'll come with you," a voice announced confidently from behind them.

Kenshin's eyes widened impossibly in his delicate face as he peered over his shoulder to see his long-time mentor, sometime friend, Major-General Hiko Seijurou. The man had his arms crossed over his muscled chest and was grinning cockily down at them.

"Oro!" he squeaked once more. "What do you mean, sir? I'm sure that you wouldn't actually want to---"

"Of course I want to!" Hiko said with a conceited chuckle. "A true genius like myself can accomplish anything, after all, and my singing voice is quite superb."

"I'm sure it is," Kenshin muttered, eyes narrowing. That man was almost perfect and did nothing if he could not do it well. In fact, he doubted that there was anything in existence his mentor couldn't do well, if he set his mind to it.

Sighing, Kenshin transferred his glare to Aoshi. "You're not letting me go up there by myself," he said under his breath.

Aoshi shook his head calmly.

"Do it to help Sano," Kenshin pleaded, smiling his most convincing grin.

"No."

"Oh, shit, look who else is here," Yahiko said suddenly.

Feeling his stomach clench as he felt inexplicably certain of just who would be out with Megumi on a Friday night, Kenshin turned his gaze in the direction of the bar and caught his breath, swallowing thickly.

There she was, his girlfriend of only one month, about to witness himself making a total and utter fool of himself.

She wasn't alone, though, he noticed with glee. A certain someone Aoshi had been keeping his eye on had entered the bar next to her, bouncing giddily, along with an overly shy, mousy girl who cringed whenever she was in his presence. She was the youngest of the group, the girl who had instantly captured Yahiko's attention.

Smiling wickedly, he turned back to his seated companion. "Aoshi, I do believe someone you know is with Megumi tonight. What better way to show her that you're not a block of ice than to help a friend who is truly in need?"

Aoshi blinked at him for a moment, doubting his words, before glancing behind him to see that the young Corporal to which he had been recently introduced was indeed seated beside Megumi at the bar, chatting happily.

He pondered the situation for a moment, jaw ticking. The girl was undeniably cheerful and upbeat, two things which he lacked in substantial amounts. She was friendly enough to him and often graced him with her stunning smile, but it was evident that she was slightly daunted by his presence. Was Kenshin correct? If he allowed himself to be talked into this ridiculous affair, would she see him as more human?

Sighing deeply, he came to his feet with easy grace. "Let's go."

With that, the five men started for the stage, Sano and Yahiko leading the way and Aoshi bringing up the rear, appearing more as a man walking towards his execution than a simple karaoke machine.

They filed onto the stage as Sano requested a song. The group was mostly unnoticed until Sano sauntered onto stage, cheeks flushed, and grabbed the mic, causing an almost unholy ring to sound throughout the billiard hall.

As the crowd winced and turned in the direction of the sound, Sano began to speak loudly, the mic held inches from his mouth.

"Hello, everyone!" he nearly yelled, causing Kenshin to flame with embarrassment. "I'm here tonight...because the love of my life said that we can't be together anymore...but I need to tell her...I need her to know...that I still love her...and I want her back...I can't live without her...so, this song goes out to her...the foxy doctor who stole my heart." Turning back to the group of men behind him, he grinned. "Hit it, boys!"

The music started without warning and Kenshin's eyes desperately sought out the monitors. Soon he realized that they were unnecessary, however, as he already had the song nearly memorized. He turned back to Sano as the tall man began to sing off-key.

"You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips," he sang loudly. "And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips...You're trying hard not to show it..." Trailing off, he glanced back at them, his expression spurring Kenshin to say the word almost unconsciously, "Baby."

Nodding in approval, Sano turned back to the mic, "But, baby, baby I know it..."

This time, the group needed no encouragement. They began to sing the chorus, Hiko's deep baritone nearly drowning out the voices of the others, "You've lost that lovin' feelin'...Whoa, that lovin' feelin'...You've lost that lovin' feelin'...Now it's gone...gone...gone...whoooooaaa..."

Kenshin glanced out at the audience, his violet gaze clashing with a pair of pretty sapphire orbs. His girlfriend, Kaoru, was grinning at him in pleased surprise. Beside her, Megumi was watching them, expression mildly condescending. Misao was giggling, her eyes focused to Kenshin's left, where Aoshi was standing, his lips barely moving. Tsubame was blushing deeply, unable to tear her eyes from Yahiko, upon which she had developed an intense crush.

"Now there's no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you," Sano continued scratchily, swaying slightly. "And now you're starting to criticize little things I do...It makes me just feel like crying..."

"Baby."

"...'Cause baby, something beautiful's dying!"

"You've lost that lovin' feelin'," the foursome of backup singers went on. "Whoa, that lovin' feelin'...You've lost that lovin' feelin'...Now it's gone.....gone...gone...whooooaaaa..."

Removing the mic from the stand, Sano descended the steps into the audience once more.

Kenshin watched him in alarm as Hiko automatically stepped onto center stage, taking Sano's previous position.

Sano wove though the crowd easily and paused before Megumi's stool. She sniffed in disdain, tilting her head up huffily.

"Baby, baby, I get down on my knees for you," Sano sang on, dropping to his knees before her and reaching for one of her perfectly manicured hands. "If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah." Raising chocolate eyes to her face, he pleaded with both his gaze and his words. "We had a love...a love...a love you don't find everyday...So don't...don't...don't...don't let it slip away!"

With Hiko as the lead vocal, the foursome on stage continued singing along to catcalls and applause from the audience, who were all getting more into the song as the verses continued. Hiko sang, gesturing with impassioned motions of his arms, while Kenshin and Yahiko swayed in time, almost unconsciously, and Aoshi stood stock-still, his low voice almost monotone.

"Baby--baby, baby--baby,

I beg of you please-please...please-please,

I need your love--I need your love, I need your love--I need your love, Yeah, bring it on back--so bring it on back, bring it on back--so bring it on back!"

"Isn't Aoshi wonderful?!" Misao gushed from beside Kaoru, who only had eyes for the small redhead who was nearly dwarfed by the heights of his onstage companions. "I wouldn't have guessed he was into karaoke!"

Kaoru snorted slightly. The expression on the pale man's face looked nearly pained, but she had to admit that she was impressed he had gotten on stage with the others.

"Kenshin looks adorable," she murmured after a moment, noticing the awed way Misao was watching Aoshi as he sang quietly. Giggling softly, she turned her gaze back to her boyfriend, who grinned at her with a small wink.

The song continued, this time the five men singing together, Sano still kneeling before Megumi, whose expression had softened slightly. The people surrounding them were cheering him on and urging her to take him back.

"Bring back that lovin' feelin'...whoa, that lovin' feelin'...bring back that lovin' feelin'..."Trailing off, Sano drew her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the palm before laying it against his chest. "...'Cause it's gone...gone...gone...and I can't go on...whoooaaa..."

As the music began to fade, Sano peered up at his ex-girlfriend, eyes begging silently, allowing her to feel his frantic heartbeat beneath her palm. He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone and he had tried to prevent himself from ruining their relationship. Somehow, he had failed, but if she would just give him another opportunity to prove his commitment, he would never let himself slip again.

"Give me one more chance," he whispered, as his makeshift backup singers continued the song's conclusion. "Just one. I promise you that you won't regret it."

"Bring back that lovin' feelin'," Hiko, Kenshin, Aoshi, and Yahiko sang on. "Whoa, that lovin' feelin'...bring back that lovin' feelin'...'cause it's gone...gone..."

The last words drifted into silence and an almost unnatural hush fell over the crowd. The audience seemed to be avidly awaiting Megumi's response. Beside her, Kaoru was smiling encouragingly. Misao was grinning and Tsubame was blushing prettily.

"Forgive me," Sano said quietly.

Megumi stared down at him for a moment, expression unchanged. "What do you think my answer will be after you have embarrassed me and made a fool of yourself in front of all of these people?"

Blinking chocolate eyes in confused disappointment, Sano whispered hesitantly, "No?"

Pulling her hand away from his, Megumi slid off the stool and tossed her hair. For an instant, it almost appeared as if she would leave him kneeling there, but then she giggled suddenly, a mischievous gleam entering her plum gaze. Burying her fingers in his wild, brown hair, she tugged him up gently. "Of course I forgive you. How could I not? If you continue to sing, you might deafen the crowd. As a doctor, I must prevent that at all costs."

Sano grinned up at her.

"Now come here and kiss me."

Sano followed her instructions instantly, sweeping her against his chest and taking her mouth in a ravishing kiss.

Tsubame's blush deepened when they didn't pull apart immediately. "Oh, my..."

Feeling a soft touch on her shoulder, Kaoru turned to the right. Kenshin was standing there, his expression mildly self-conscious.

"You were great up there!" she declared, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to his chin.

"Thank you," Kenshin replied, flushing lightly.

"Aoshi!!" Misao cried suddenly, leaving her stool and flinging herself against the tall man with enough enthusiasm to make him back up a step. "That was wonderful! I didn't know you sang! Have you ever taken lessons? You must have because..."

As the girl continued to ramble on, Kenshin tossed Aoshi a knowing look.

Shaking his head, Aoshi allowed one of the corners of his mouth to quirk up into a tiny smile before taking Misao's arm and leading her in the direction of their abandoned table.

"You were good, too, Yahiko," Tsubame said shyly, blushing at the Sergeant, who blushed back, ducking his head sheepishly.

Looking around, his brows furrowed. "Where did the Major-General go?"

"I don't know," Kenshin responded, glancing around with him.

His mouth dropped open and his eyes widened in shock when he spotted his mentor in a corner, surrounded by a plethora of gushing women. He was accepting all their compliments with a smug grin plastered on his handsome features, nodding cockily when one of them voiced something he particularly agreed with.

"What the hell do they see in him?" Sano asked. He had finally stopped kissing Megumi and was holding her to his side tightly.

Kenshin shook his head in exasperation. "I have no idea."

Leaning down, Sano nibbled on Megumi's earlobe, whispering seductively, "Want to get out of here?"

"What for?" she asked, grinning up at him wickedly.

"I think I need a little more of that lovin' feelin'..."

Rolling her eyes, Megumi shook her head. "Idiot."

"Aw, come on...you know you love me."

"That may be true," the doctor answered, turning to her drink. "But you aren't getting any more "lovin'" from me until I have FULLY forgiven you."

Sano blinked, confused. "But...when will that be?"

"Our wedding night."

Restraining a laugh, Yahiko slapped Sano on the back as the older man blanched. "I think you got more than you bargained for tonight, eh, Sano?"

"I think I need another drink," was the Second Lieutenant's only reply.

As he yelled for the bartender, Kaoru leaned close to Megumi, eyeing the woman's overly innocent expression.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

Megumi winked at her, grinning deviously. "Of course not, but let him suffer for a while...it's good for him."

Chuckling softly, Kaoru shook her head. Same old Megumi. She certainly lived up to her nickname.

Lacing her fingers through Kenshin's, she tugged his hand gently. "Want to take a walk?"

The redhead nodded quickly, smiling at her as they made their way to the exit.

Across the room, Misao leaned close to Aoshi, eyes sparkling. "Did you get up on stage to try to impress me?"

The Colonel gazed down at her, eyes widening the tiniest fraction. "Of course not."

"Really?"

"..."

Giggling, Misao pressed a kiss to his cheek. "That's very sweet, but I must confess something..."

"Yes?"

"I was already impressed."

~*OWARI*~

The song, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" was written and performed by The Righteous Brothers.

This idea was kind of crazy and I don't know if I pulled it off like I wanted to, but I hope you liked it! This is my second non-lemon one-shot for RK. Please review me and let me know what you think! If enough people like it, I might write the story behind and leading up to it someday.

~Midori^_~

Go ahead! Push the button! Keep me inspired!