Declaimer: I am not the most beloved pop singer the world has ever known, nor do I own Rurouni Kenshin, however much I wish I do.
Author's Note: I wrote this impulsively on Xmas eve, so much fun. Originally this was supposed to just be a fun one-shot, but I think I'll have some fun with this and close it off in 2 or 3 chapters in the next couple of days.
Just a Duet!
The Most Beloved the World has EVER Known!
The countless spotlights on top of the massive stage of all colors rotated and flashed endlessly. The crowd was restless; anticipation clogged the thick air like warm honey. The winter air pressed down on the whole scene mercilessly. If you stood amongst the thousands of fans who showed up, you would most likely find it hard to breath. The noise grew as more people filed into the gallery. A small breeze passed over the heads of the crowd, and it was a welcomed relief for the long wait ahead.
At 28 minutes past 9, the blazing lights of the massive stage suddenly shut off, and the crowd went completely silent for a moment, you could hear a pin drop. And then, it erupted, a sea of cheers and claps voiced the crowd's harbored enthusiasm.
"LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN." Said a half electronic, half human voice through the speakers around the concert forum. "AND NOW, IT'S SHOW TIME!!!" The spot lights flashed on simultaneously to a bright orange color, the crowd went wild. Kaoru Kamiya appeared on stage, and for a moment, it was as if the noise from the audience blotted out the noise of all the concert speakers…
Himura Kenshin briskly pressed the off button on his TV remote and his 60-inch Plasma TV showing the opening of Kaoru Kamiya's first song of her Christmas special tour went dark. He leaned back in his leather couch and sighed heavily. He stood up and pulled on the leather strap holding his hair, letting his thick red locks fall down the back of his shoulders. He strode into the bathroom and shut the door. Turning around to face the meticulously clean mirrors, he saw the expression he'd banned himself from making ever since the day that he was first rejected by a girl. THAT girl.
Kaoru Kamiya.
"Grr…"
"Kenshin? Are you alright?" The red head snapped to attention and spun around. Sitting on his electric, fully automatic toilet was his best friend and lead guitarist, Sanosuke Sagara, an entertainment magazine was dangling easily between his fingers as he eyed Kenshin suspiciously.
"Sanosuke, how many times do I have to tell you to not come into my house like that, my bodyguards.."
"Ah, it's okay, Kenshin, they're cool." Sanosuke brushed him off easily, "so why were you so angry? Scowling at yourself in the mirror."
"It's nothing…" Kenshin said suspiciously, "and TURN ON THE FAN for god's sakes!" He said quickly and left the bathroom in a hurry.
"It's Missy again isn't it?!" He heard Sanosuke yell from his seat on the toilet as the door closed behind him.
"Grrrrr…."
Sanosuke was lounging on the couch, munching on a bag of potatoe chips and watching TV when Kenshin's cell phone rung. The chocolate haired guitar player casually reached over and read the flashing screen while taking a sip from his coke.
He almost spat the coke into Kenshin's Italian leather sofa a moment later. Holding the impulse to spew soda all over the place after reading THAT name on the call display would be a feat he would one day recall to his children with pride.
"Ken… Kenshin!!" He yelled as the phone rung for the third time, "KENSHIN, GET YOUR FATASS OVER HERE!!!"
A moment later, the red head emerged from the French kitchen, looking annoyed while wiping his hands off on the apron he was wearing.
"What?"
"You better, take a look at this." Sano held up the vibrating phone with shaky hands. Kenshin walked over and snatched the small device from his hand and read the screen.
Kamiya 'Koala' Kaoru
For a moment, Kenshin blushed. "Don't ever read my call display, again." Sanosuke sniggered and went back to watching TV as Kenshin took the phone and padded into his room.
Click
"Hello"
"Hi, um, this is Kenshin right?"
"Yes"
"Well, are you busy right now? I'd like to talk to you about something."
"I'm not busy, go ahead."
"Well, uh, World Station asked us to do a duet on their Hey Hey Hey Christmas Eve special and…"
"Wait, What?!"
"Yeah.. I wasn't sure if they asked you about it yet."
"No one asked me, I won't go."
"Wa… wait, are you sure no one called you and asked about it? My agent said you had already agreed."
"There can be no such thing, except…" Kenshin briefly cringed as the memory; blurry memory of last night came back to him. He was enjoying a perfectly done medium rare steak after getting drunk. He hated a well-done steak as if it was the devil. He distinctly remembers answering the phone, and a business like person asking him something about singing. Through his drunken haze and contentment offered by the chewing meat, he had laughed easily and agreed to everything, mistaking the girl beside him as his agent. "Shit…"
"Have you been drinking again?"
"That's none of your business."
"Fine, I just wanted to tell you that you can't pull out of the performance now, or you'll answer to me! Oh, and thanks for asking how my concert went." The line went dead before he could formulate a proper and sarcastic remark. "At least I'm not dumb enough to pick her personal trainer over me" is what he wanted to say, but that would have to wait till another day.
It would just be a duet performance, he gets invited to one every Christmas. People want to see Kenshin, the most beloved male pop singer the world has ever seen, perform for them on the day before Christmas, or the world would fall into chaos and destruction. Usually, the girl who sings with him is just a pretty distraction to help push the idea of gender equality. This time, though, it's different. This time, Kenshin has a worthy opponent; someone whose singing skills and vocal power perhaps overpowers even his own; whose resistance to his charm is so strong that she may be the only girl in the world who can stand up to Kenshin and not fall completely in love with him within 30 seconds; not only that, but Kaoru Kamiya is so popular that she is, in fact, the most beloved female singer the world has ever seen! It will truly be a duet of the forever.
Kenshin stood up from his bed and shut his phone. He shook his head, letting the red locks swirl from side to side, and went out of the room, heading back towards the kitchen.
"So how'd it go?" He ignored the casual inquiry from the couch as he walked back into the kitchen to discover the forgotten steak he had been frying burn happily on the bottom side into well-done land.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"
Author's Note: Haha, I totally had the Darth Vader NOOO! In mind when I wrote the last line, it's cracking me up. Anyhow, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone, look forward to the conclusion to this epic tale by tomorrow… or the day AFTER tomorrow! DUN DUN DUN!!!!