Setting: Modern high school, everyone's the same age.

Despite what you might think, this is my story, that I've transferred from one of my old accounts. If you've read it, well good for you, if you haven't, enjoy.

Kanpai!

Italics denote thoughts of the character. It's easy to figure out which thoughts belong to who.

Disclaimer: I dont own Rurouni Kenshin

Kiss and Run!

The sun was bright as Kaoru walked towards the school with her books in hand. She chatted merrily with Misao and Megumi about what they did during summer vacation as they walked into the gates. The timbre chime of the school bells was a welcome sound to Kaoru's ears after two months of absolute boredom. She contented herself with the fact that at least she was able to earn money, unlike her friends who had spent it all on surfing lessons and … ahem… on the surfers themselves.

Kenshin was by the gate listening to Sano gab away until a keen flash of black hair distracted him. He immediately turned around and finally saw the girl whom he dreamed about all summer. She had grown a little and her arms showed the toned muscles that came with her work. Kenshin had never seen her in anything but the school uniform, but he still melted at the sight of her. Her skirt was a little shorter now that she had grown and her chest filled her shirt…

"Himura! Are you listening to me?" Sano waved a hand in front of the Kenshin, waking him from his fantasies. "Kaoru Kamiya? Hey Himura, why are you staring—" Sano wasn't able to finish his question for Kenshin was already marching towards the group of girls.

"Kamiya," he waved confidently. Its now or never, and I've been waiting for a year.

"Himura, how nice to see you again." She nodded at him sweetly, her smile paralyzing him.

She looks so beautiful...

"Is there something wrong?" Kaoru frowned at the slightly pale boy in front of her.

"Not at all," Kenshin said shaking his head to clear his mind. Why is this so hard? I better get it over with before I lose myself. "Kamiya, how was your summer?"

"Great! I worked at the Akabeko, cleaning for Tae, washing dishes and such." Kaoru didn't mention that she can't cook, she didn't think it was necessary since she and Himura were nothing but acquaintances. Kenshin nodded and proceeded to come closer to her, eyeing her face with caring amethyst eyes. "Um Kenshin…" Kaoru backed away, feeling uncomfortable by the sudden proximity of his body.

Misao, Megumi, and Sano stood somewhere to the side watching the development. It was somewhat common knowledge that Himura liked Kamiya. Common to all except for the stupid tanuki herself. All of them shared one thought: He's finally making a move! Dumb mutt took too long. Sano made a silly grin at Megumi and Megumi returned a knowing smirk. Misao just looked on with puppy eyes at the two.

"So romantic!" Misao exclaimed softly.

"Kaoru," Kenshin took her hands, consciously calling her by her first name.

"Will you go out with me?"

Sano, Megumi, and Misao all fell to the ground thinking the same thoughts: Moron! Too sudden!

"………………………………" Kaoru furrowed her brow in deep thought. Tension started to build. "Ah Himura, you're such a joker!" she finally exclaimed after a minute passed.

Sano, Megumi, and Misao sunk further into the ground.

"I'm not joking, Kaoru...I--"

"Ahahahahahah, Jou-chan, excuse Himura over here. I'm afraid I gave him sake for breakfast." Sano went to his friend's rescue, giving him a headlock and dragging him away. But Kenshin wasn't one to give up so easily and struggled free to reclaim Kaoru's hand.

"Kaoru…?" He wanted an answer, and he wanted it now.

"Himura, I… don't know. This is too sudden. I still think it's a joke..." Kaoru shook her head in incredulity. She sized up Himura once again. "Are you on a bet? Don't toy with me Himura, its not funny." Her eyes flashed fury as she pulled her hand away.

"I'm not joking," Kenshin said weakly, his hands shaking from the icy glare that Kaoru regarded him with.

"It's the first day of school!"

"I've liked you since last year…I thought you'd know" He said it so easily Kaoru almost didn't catch the weight of the statement. Kenshin's eyes furrowed, Wasn't it obvious enough?

"WHA—"

"By the time I realized it, school was about to end and you were so busy at the Akabeko. I promised myself I'd ask you out the moment I saw you this year." Kenshin would have gone on babbling had it not for Sano's curious tendency to shove a hand into Kenshin's mouth.

"………" Kaoru digested this piece of news. Flattering? Yes. Practical? No. She intended to spend most of her time on studies and clubs. "I'm sorry Hi—" But Misao had headlocked Kaoru before she delivered the blow.

"Ehehehe…she'll think about it Himura-kun." Megumi winked at the two as she ran after Misao dragging away a struggling Kaoru to class.

"Ouch…" Sano playfully elbowed the redhead by him, who had his hands in his pockets and his face downcast.

Mathematics. Homeroom was quiet as death. Everybody had been watching the exchange between the raven-haired girl and the amber-swathed boy. Everybody knew the boy liked the girl. He would stare at her in class during second semester of last year, while all the other girls stared at him—except for the raven-haired girl. The girls sighed. Even if they wanted to cut in on Kenshin, they respected Kaoru enough to leave him be. Plus, he was way cuter when he was in love.

"Himura?" The teacher tapped his feet on the ground. Kenshin jerked up at the sound of his name.

"Ha—hai!?"

"Please focus. Solve this problem on the board." Kenshin stood up and started writing with a small piece of chalk. He finished and looked expectantly at the teacher.

"You haven't been practicing Himura, or you haven't been listening. There's an error." The teacher waved Kenshin aside. Professor Seijuro would always give him particularly hard problems that involved conjugates and on-the-side calculations. "Would anyone like to help Himura out? Ah, yes, Kamiya. Up and center please."

"Oh no sir, I just needed to go to the bathroom." Kamiya said, as she stood up. She liked this teacher and the teacher liked her. She was a good mathematician and a girl. Hiko liked smart girls.

"But who will rescue Himura? He's going to have to stay there until he gets it right."

"Sir, I'm a little desperate!" She whispered a little urgenly and looked up at Hiko with pleading eyes.

"Eh.. if you insist. Come back quickly so Himura won't faint," The teacher said as she walked out. Moments passed and no one dared to even move for they all saw the determined grim frown that settled on the redhead's mouth. The teacher smirked, as if daring the pupil to try what he was thinking. Finally Kaoru walked in, which released a fit of relieved sighing from the whole class room.

"Ok, I'm ready." She took the chalk from Kenshin's fingers and started writing down as she told the class her thought-process. As she was talking, the teacher had a discrete visitor and left the room. As she taught the class single-handedly, Kenshin looked at her admiringly, keeping his face straight and attentive. That was until he looked down at her skirt.

A piece of tissue was hanging from the inside of her skirt, barely long enough to see but it was apparent enough. He started to blush. "Um, Kaoru?"

"You know I don't really appreciate the liberty you're taking with my name Himura." She was still a little upset about that morning. She was informed of his true feelings of her again by Misao and Megumi (with none of the politeness that Himura had with her). She had half a mind to dump him again, but she wasn't heartless enough to do it in front of class.

"But Kamiya there's…uh" Kenshin pointed down trying not to look. Kaoru looked down on the floor.

"That's the floor Himura." Kaoru rolled her eyes as she completed the last step.

"No, Kamiya, there"

"Whatever, Himura," she went back a step to look at her work and started at another problem on the board. Misao, who sat somewhere in front, looked down at what Kenshin was silently pointing at. Her sharp eyes caught the flicker of tissue.

"Ah, Kaoru-chan!" Misao exclaimed trying to beckon Kaoru over to her. Kaoru looked over her shoulder, her eyes daring. She was about to turn around and give Misao a piece of her mind when she accidentally dropped the chalk. With her back to the class, she bent over to pick it up.

A fit of giggling commenced.

Resurfacing from the floor, Kaoru looked around, with dagger eyes. "What's so funny?" The giggling escalated. She looked at Misao and walked over to her, "What is is it Misao??? Just tell me." Misao was bright red from trying not to laugh, the tissue paper was so obvious now that she had bent over, she looked like she had a tail. Kaoru bent over to level eyes with Misao, her back towards the blackboard--giving Kenshin the chance to...

Kenshin had two fingers up her skirt, ready to take hold of the piece of paper that hanged down...

But Misao couldn't take it anymore and suddenly laughed in Kaoru's face--causing Kaoru to step back.

Kenshin pinched.

"..." color drained from Kaoru's face as Kenshin's face became irrecognizable from his red hair.

Kaoru had to admit that breaking Kenshin's nose was a little too violent to the teacher. "But his fingers were--were--touching me!!! I didn't even have the benefit of my clothes to lessen skin contact!"

The teacher looked at her, his eyes swerving down to her bottom... he saw the piece of tissue. Without further ado, he made Kaoru turn around and he yanked it off himself, without looking of course (unlike Himura). Kaoru made a squeak, turned around with the urge to kill, but her teacher held up the piece of --slightly damp-- tissue. Kaoru had to put two and two together. When realization dawned on her face, the classroom erupted into a fit.

Lunch was torture. First day of school and she was already the subject of all gossip in the school. Her and Himura. Just to make it worse, most had also assumed that they were already dating, since Himura was pretty obvious about his affections for her last year. Last year... she thought to herself. She was so hard-pressed to try and keep up. Moving to a new town and a new high school was not fun. Nor easy. I guess he was a little nice to me towards the end, but how was I supposed to know that he wasn't normally like that? Kaoru walked down the halls trying to hide behind her bangs. Kenshin was still in the clinic and had to remain there for the rest of the day.

Kaoru stayed in class after dismissal to talk to her teacher. Everyone was almost gone.

"Professor Hiko..."

"Yes, Kamiya"

"May I have another copy of all the papers you've given out today," Kaoru tried to look repentant. Hiko raised an eyebrow and nodded, handing her another stack of papers.

"Make sure you tell that baka how much its worth."

"Thank you, sir. And thank you for this morning too. No one else was considerate enough to tell me about the..." here she blushed. Hiko smirked a little at her.

"That baka did, but he always had a problem with words. The moron doesn't think before acting." Kaoru nodded at his words thinking: He sure doesn't. "I think he's waiting for someone outside, go give it to him now. Class is over, Kamiya. Go home."

Kaoru looked outside, and sure enough, there was a mane of red standing underneath the class window. Kenshin was watching her. Kaoru hurried down the stairs, trying to keep all her books and papers in order. By the time she had reached Kenshin, her papers threatened to scatter if Kenshin had not been quick enough. Kaoru handed him his papers without looking at him. Kenshin took them with a small smile and was about to say something but Kaoru had already marched past him.

"Ano, Kao--I mean Kamiya," Kaoru turned around, her eyes still on the ground. "Arigatou, for the papers." Kaoru nodded and started to leave. "Ah wait!" Kaoru stood still, her back to him.

"What!?"

"I was wondering if I could walk with you home..."

Kaoru turned around with full intention of dumping his offer in the most hurtful manner she could think of, but when she looked up at his face she saw the bandage on his nose. A miscellany of emotions passed through her face... pity...regret...embarassment... Her face contorted again and again, finally setting on absolute amusement. Kenshin's nose was all banded up in white, his nostrils blocked up with pieces of tissue. She laughed so hard, she clutched her sides. Kenshin blushed again, his face was a perfect crimson sight in the setting sun, adding to his already red hair.

"Oh alright. You're hopeless." Kaoru agreed and fell in step with him as they walked in silence.

"I'm sorry" they blurted out simultaneously when they reached the corner where they had to part. They looked up at each other and stared, Kenshin was the first to laugh followed shortly by Kaoru.

"It's okay, you had every right to punch me," Kenshin murmured, his hand running through his hair.

That's a cute habit, I wonder why I didn't notice before, Kaoru thought.

"No, you were just trying to get that tissue off me. I stepped back too suddenly." Kaoru replied. "You should have just told me, you know."

"Hai." He looked down at the ground, still very unsure of himself. All that confidence he built up during the summer had quickly drained away after that morning.

"Well, I'm going this way. So I'll see you tomorrow." Kaoru hugged her books closer to her chest and started to walk off.

"Kaoru..."

"I thought I told you not to--"

Kenshin stole a quick fervent kiss from her lips and then ran away, his red hair waving softly in the afternoon sun.

Fingers crawled slowly to her lips, brushing dampness that smelled strongly of ginger.

This is what I call an episode story. That means I will mark it complete later on, but I will keep adding onto it.

Don't hesitate to put on alerts or whatever, and tell me if its any good!