A/N: Okay. This little snippet has been bugging me all day! For the most part I ignored it, but when I actually went to get some sleep, this popped up again and wouldn't let me sleep.Which is somewhat annoying as I have exams starting tuesday.So, I apologise to all of you who are expecting updates on my other fanfic's only to find yet another unfinished one.

waves a tiny white flag After my exams, I really hope to be adding more chapters on ALL of my fanfic's! Although this one looks like it's going to be a relatively short one. Fingers crossed!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. - You know, I always forget to put these things in...

She learned the hard way that people didn't always like her. Throughout her high school career, she thought that she had escaped her primary school fears. Of despair, unhappiness and down right cruelty. To have it all sneak up on her in her final year was the last straw.

She had been everything they hadn't. Compassionate, caring, listening when people had problems, and most of all respect. She couldn't understand how people were unable to respect each other. The tricks they played was almost heart shattering. No one deserved what they gave out.

She thought that she had found the guy of her dreams – well, the guy that every girl looked for when in high school. Enshi had been everything they weren't. He was kind and he didn't judge her. He held her hand when she needed it, and she held his.

Tomoe had been her best friend since junior high, and that was a friendship not to be messed with. Giving up Enshi was the hardest thing she had to deal with, knowing that Tomoe was there by her side was enough comfort to deal with the situation.

Only she wasn't. The minute she gave up Enshi for friendship, her friend had given up friendship for Enshi.

So now she stood alone, glaring at the huge sandstone structure that was now her college. Oh the irony that the beauty was loved by all, but hated by her. She had recently found out that 'they' had also been accepted here. Staring up at the sky she wished she could forgive them. Forgive the way that they flaunted their relationship in front of her, forgive the way they made her life hell in her senior year and most of all forgive them for the betrayal.

Focusing on placing one foot in front of the other, she cleansed her mind of all the negative thoughts and focused on the one thing that could get her through the day - her psych lecture.

Walking to the building where her psych lecture was going to take place, she stood around waiting outside because she was early. Walking up to a group of people who smiled at her approach, she smiled daintily back. She had met them through someone who she had met by stepping on his feet in senior year. Sano was tall and it was justifiable that his feet were large enough to trip on.

"Hey, Jou-chan. Care to join us for lunch today? We're going for thai." He looked down at her smiling, chewing on a piece of gum. Not being able to come up with a quick enough reply she was pounced upon and it was settled she was eating with the group for lunch. They turned to watch as a sea of students poured out of the previous lecture, Sano yelled out among the throng as it passed by.

"Our usual! Be there this time!" As the rest of the group walked up the steps to get into the lecture hall, a hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving forward.

"Kaoru, it's ok that you're joining us for lunch? Isn't it? If it's too uncomfortable for you, I'm giving you an out right now…" His brown eyes stared caringly into her own. He had spent the last couple of months of senior year with her, and knew how tough things really were for her. She smiled back up at him.

"There's always a time for a new beginning." She felt butterflies rippling in her stomach, but trampled them with her new mindset. She was not going to let them forever ruin her life. Sano flung an arm around her shoulder, guiding her into the hall.

"Atta' girl!" Rolling her eyes, she punched him lightly in the stomach.

The lecture went by quickly, her lecture notes were lines of hastily written notes, attempting to get all the information that the lecturer seemed to be pouring out of his mouth. Sano looked slightly star struck afterwards and continued to stay that way until they were seated in the restaurant (with an empty seat beside her) and then blinked.

"I knew it! Professor Flitwick in Harry Potter… You know, the movie?"

"That's what you were thinking about when he was talking about the occipital lobe?" The rest of the table groaned and brought their heads to the table, making the cutlery rattle. She looked around the modest setting and decided she liked it. It was small and homey and was starting to drift off to a land of pink dancing fairies when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Err… Jou-chan? Are you alright there? It's just that you've been staring at that painting for a while now…" Sano was staring at her curiously but smiled at someone behind her.

"Sorry I'm late. It seems I'm technologically challenged." A voice replied before settling close behind her turned back. She sat back properly in her chair and then turned her head slightly to observe who had sat next to her. Before she knew what was happening, her had was entrapped by his and a warm voice was introducing himself.

"I'm Kenshin." A welcoming smile with lilac coloured eyes was her undoing. Something about the tenseness of her back must have told Sano it was his time to step in.

"Kaoru, this is Kenshin, Kenshin, this is Kaoru." Something akin to understanding flickered in Kenshin's eye before he had released his hands and brought the menu up to his face to study. She felt Sano's arm snake around her waist to give her a quick hug that no one else at the table saw before he spoke again.

"So, who's hungry?"

She had spent the rest of the day running away, emotionally and literally. She had excused herself politely from lunch before going home to hide in her bedroom. She knew Sano would come home later to check on her and she hated how she had to rely on him. She would change – dammit! – Or her name wasn't Kaoru Kamiya! Stalking around her bedroom, she ripped the sheets of her bed, she took down the old photos and placed them in an old diary.

Old mementos where then chucked in a box (neatly) and then placed in the hallway cupboard so that she wouldn't have to deal with them, at least not in the near future. Her now stripped bare room was staring starkly back at her and she smiled. Scribbling a quick note to Sano, she then grabbed her bag from the kitchen bench and went out to do the only thing a girl could do at this time – which was, to shop.

Saving her way through school was something she was notoriously good at. She had baby sat, helped out family friends with cleaning and had had a paying job each summer holiday while her friends had been partying on beaches in skimpy bikini's. It had all been saved up for rainy days. Although it wasn't raining, she constituted that today was as good as.

Returning home triumphantly hours later she expected to find an empty cold shell. Instead the aroma of cooking something or other was permeating through her apartment. The knowledge that neither she nor Sano could cook made her pause in the open doorway before she called out.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Damn her voice for sounding weak and damsel-in-distress-like! A familiar red head popped into the hallway from the kitchen.

"Hi. Sorry, Sano won't be long, said he had an errand to run." The head popped back into the kitchen. Walking back to her room, she expected it to still be empty and stark but was surprised when her eyes met the many colours that now made up her room. The bags in her hands hit the ground with a heavy clunck and a flurry of plastic-y bag noises.

"Oh…" She walked into her now furnished room, and stood in the middle, trying to savour the moment. She didn't realise how long she had stood there but was soon interrupted by a soft voice from the hallway

"Do you like it?" She spun to face him with a smile so brilliant, it made her feel vibrant and full of life. She ran at him, jumping into his arms for an embrace.

"I love it, Sano! You didn't have to you know… I was going to use the spare sheets..."

"I wanted to get you new ones. And Kenshin thought it was a good idea." He set her down on her two feet and winked at her.

Dinner was a precursor to a question that Sano wanted to ask. He knew that one of his friends needed a place to stay. She had asked to meet him first to which Sano replied she was sitting across from him. Kenshin, as it turned out, was soon to be taking up residence in the study. She didn't mind, as long as she didn't have to cook.

A month later she stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and daintily skipped her way to her bedroom to get changed. At least, that was the plan. Bumping into someone, she felt herself fall after impact. Shutting her eyes to the inevitable meeting with the floor, she found herself cushioned from the hard floor.

"Are you alright?" The voice asked from the vicinity near her ear.

"Mou! That was unexpected." She grumbled, attempting to un-sprawl herself from the man-made rug that was Kenshin. Pulling herself back she forgot the towel before she felt someone pull something across her. Looking down, she saw that her towel had loosened considerably with the fall and her face reddened.

Scrambling to her feet she thanked Kenshin and hurried to her room, but not quick enough to miss the golden glint that appeared in his eyes. Coming out moments later fully dressed, she took her seat at the table, having grabbed a slice of toast that had pinged out as she walked past the bench.

"Hey! That was mine!" Sano called out.

"Tmoo lwayt!" was the triumphant reply. Now sitting across from Kenshin, she felt somewhat awkward. As if sensing the unease, he looked up from the paper.

"Kaoru, about before-" He started off before he was rudely interrupted.

"Oh, yeah. Enjoy your little trip jou-chan?" Winking, Sano sat down beside her. She threw a serviette at him, which he dodged with ease. Damn serviettes and their lightness!

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed this first installment!

Please review, let me know what you think!