Chapter 1: Spontaneous Friendship

"Kaoru what are you doing?"

"Stuffing my face full of cheerios in anger. If those cats next door do not stop their custody battle I am seriously going to castrate one of them." She huffed out between mouthfuls. Misao tried to calm her friend down.

"Now now don't get so angry. The guy's moving out anyway. He and his cats will be gone in two days. And we get our new neighbor."

"I guess that's one thing to look forward to." Kaoru put aside her bag of cheerios and sat down next to her friend. "So what are you doing? Chatting with Aoshi again?"

"Can I help it? Oh by the way he apparently knows the guy moving in next door."

"Really?"

"Yep, names Kenshin Himura." Misao answered as she read what Aoshi had just typed. "Now go scat, I like these conversations to be private you know." Kaoru smiled and stood up.

"Then I think I'm going to head out. I might as well stop by Sano's place." With a new goal, this one presumably less violent, Kaoru grabbed her purse and headed out.

It was a nice day, a lovely summer day. Especially since she had vacation, granted it wasn't paid, but at least she had it. Humming a random tune to herself, Kaoru crossed the street and walked the couple blocks to her brother's apartment. When she arrived she knocked on the door and waited for it to open.

"Uh Hello." A confused redhead opened the door. He really wasn't expecting a random girl to show up at the door.

"Is Sano there?" Kaoru noticed the expression on the red head's face and decided to take things into her own hands. She pushed past the man at the door and walked into the apartment. "Sano, who's this guy at your door?" Moments later Sano appeared from his bedroom scowling.

"God Missy don't yell."

"Good morning to you too."

"Say how'd you get in anyway? I don't remember unlocking the door." Sano asked as he scratched the back of his head thoughtfully.

"He let me in." Kaoru pointed to the other person present in the room. "So who is he anyway?"

"Kenshin Himura." The man answered from behind her. The name sounded familiar to her but she brushed the thought aside. She turned and Kenshin held out his hand which Kaoru shook.

"Kaoru Kamiya. May I ask what your relation is to my idiotic rooster head of a brother over there?"

"I was his roommate in Kyoto." Kenshin answered. Wanting to know more about this girl in front of him, he decided to spark a conversation. "So you're a lot different from the stories."

"Stories? What stories?" Kaoru asked as she glared at her brother.

"Oh nothing just stories. Like the one about you dying your hair blond but it going purple. Funny though, it looks black now, did you dye it back?" He could see Kaoru fuming and thoroughly enjoyed it. She was Sano's little sister alright. Meanwhile Sano was desperately trying to fend off his angry sister.

"I was drunk and he took advantage of me." Unfortunately that line could be interpreted two ways.

"Ew Sano. That was a mental picture I did not need of my brother." Kaoru backed away and sat down on her brother's couch. "Can I stay here for a while?"

"Sure, but I have to leave soon so it'll just be you and Kenshin."

"Is that okay with you then?" Kaoru asked turning to Kenshin. "For me to stay here?" Kenshin merely shrugged his shoulders. Who was he to oppose her? After all, since seeing her anger, he decided he would definitely not want to be on the receiving end of it anytime soon.

So here she was pretending to sleep while she waited for Kenshin to do something or wake her up. Instead she was startled when Kenshin spoke up to her.

"How long are you going to fake sleeping?" Deciding to wake up Kaoru opened her eyes.

"As long as I want."

"Well I'm bored and I want to do something. So if you would care to join me rather than be left alone in this thing Sano calls an apartment I suggest getting up." Kaoru sighed before following Kenshin's instructions.

"How about lunch?" Kaoru asked.

"Sure."

"Well then get ready, I know this amazing resteraunt. Let's go." Kenshin smirked. Sano's little sister was really something.

"Okay."

"Are you ready?" Kaoru asked as she got up and headed to the door. Nodding Kenshin came and joined her as Kaoru led the way to the Akabeko. It wasn't the classiest resteraunt in town but it was the one with a homely feel. Kaoru knew the people there and the people there knew her. She walked inside and was greeted by a waiter she recognized.

"Hello Yahiko-chan." Yahiko growled as he led Kaoru and her guest to an empty table.

"I'm not Yahiko-chan busu. Who's this?" he asked noticing her guest.

"Kenshin Himura. He's Sano's friend."

"Wonder how long he'll be able to stay with you."

"What's that supposed to mean Yahiko?" Kaoru growled out as the waiter snickered.

"Anyway, here are the menus. I'll be back soon but first what do you want to drink?"

"A coke for me." Kenshin replied.

"Water." Kaoru answered. Nodding, Yahiko walked away from the table.

"So how do you know him?" Kenshin asked deciding to make small talk.

"Yahiko and I grew up learning Kendo together. So what are you getting?" She figured she should lead the guy into eating the good stuff, and warn him of any bad orders.

"I think the beef pot? You?"

"The same." There was silence for a while before Kaoru asked something. "Do you like cats?"

"What?" Kenshin stared at the lady across from him. In just the few hours that he'd known her she was spouting out spontaneous thoughts at random.

"See my next door neighbor has these cats and they're annoying as hell." She explained. "So I've been tempted all day to call him or bang on his door to get him to shut them up."

"Are they really that annoying?"

"You bet." Yahiko came up again and took their orders making some more snide comments to Kaoru who threatened to teach him a lesson. When he was gone she decided to continue their previous conversation.

"So anyway, you haven't answered my question." Kenshin though about it for a while before replying.

"I don't particularly but if someone I know has them I do like playing with them I guess. And kittens are much better."

"I completely agree."

"Now I have a question for you." Kenshin stated.

"Shoot."

"Are you always this spontaneous?"

"Not really. Just when I'm bored."

"That hurts you know."

"What?"

"The part where you said I was boring company."

"I never said that."

"Yes you did."

"Prove it."

"You answered that you were only spontaneous when you were bored."

"Yes but I was bored when we were waiting for our orders so I had to be spontaneous. You're not boring, silences are."

"I see. I'll try being more talkative from now on whenever in your presence."

"And I shall hold you to the word."

"Deal." Kenshin smiled and held out his hand which Kaoru shook.

"Deal." Yahiko came back then with the two orders.

"Enjoy your meal." Then turning to Kenshin he added, "While you can." Yahiko quickly disappeared before Kaoru could say anything about his snide remark. After a while she broke the silence that had settled over the table when they were eating.

"So how do you know Sano?"

"Other than being his roommate?" Kaoru nodded her head as she eagerly helped herself to her lunch. "Sano and I met through Soujiro. He informed me that Sano needed a roommate and I was too poor to get a full apartment to myself so we ended up moving together."

"You know Soujiro?"

"He's my cousin." Kaoru formulated an Oh in response.

"So are you living with Sano again?"

"Sort of. I found an apartment but the owner's moving out in two days. Until then I'm stuck with Sano."

"Oh. What brings you here?"

"My Uncle. He apparently feels that his son isn't fit to take over his business so I'm forced to."

"Business?"

"Ever heard of Seijuro corporations?"

"You're going to take over that?" Kaoru asked shocked. That was one of the biggest companies in all of Japan. "But I thought his daughter was?"

"She was supposed to after her brother but she's already married and has daughters of her own to take care of."

"So you're the next option." Kaoru concluded as she laid her chopsticks down.

"What about you?" Kenshin inquired.

"I'm a teacher at Seiju High School."

"Teacher?"

"Yes I teach animal castration to kindergartners." Kenshin choked on his lunch and downed his coke to stop the coughing.

"Excuse me?"

"You know I teach biology to ninth graders." It took Kenshin a moment but he laughed as he got it.

"Nice."

"Why thank you. Say how old are you?"

"Thirty three."

"No way that makes you an entire seven years older than me. And-" Kaoru swallowed the bite she had taken, "are you lying to me?"

"Nope. Born on June 2nd 1975. Here" Kenshin pulled out his wallet and showed Kaoru his driver's license. "Say's so right there."

"You are thirty three!"

"Told you." Kaoru huffed and noticed that their lunches were finished.

"Shall we pay?"

"Why not, But Kaoru-" Kaoru looked back up at her tablemate, "I'll pay."

"Why? Don't go all chivalrous on me now. I've always hated it when guys do that."

"No, I'm merely returning a favor."

"What favor?"

"Bringing me here and giving me some of the best company I've had in a while."

"That's good to know." Kaoru replied, "You're quite enjoyable company too." Kenshin placed the money for their meal on the table and stood up.

"Coming?" Kaoru grabbed her things and followed Kenshin as he left the resteraunt. They were walking in a companionable silence until Kenshin began speaking. "No spontaneous thoughts right now?"

"No, I surprisingly like this silence." Kaoru admitted truthfully. "Say Kenshin," Kaoru stopped as she said his name, it had a wonderful ring to it. "What do you want to do now?"

"I was going to go back to the apartment. This is the right way isn't it?"

"Yeah, here I'll take you there. If Sano's there I'd like to talk with him." They continued walking as her head was filled with thoughts. Finally, she voiced out one of them. "Have I met you before?" Kenshin, taken aback by the question, turned to Kaoru.

"No."

"Funny, it seems as if I've known you all my life. I know that sounds cliché and whatnot but it does. It's weird in a way but I don't know how else to say it." They had reached the apartment now and Kenshin opened the unlocked door. That sight that greeted his and Kaoru's eyes was amusing to say the least. A frustrated Sano was begging for something from an angry Megumi. Kaoru had met Megumi two years ago. She had been and still was Sano's neighbor.

"Apologize Rooster head."

"I'm sorry Megumi, please give it back."

"That won't work." Megumi stated. It was then that she noticed the two bystanders. "Oh hello Kaoru, Ken-san. How are you two?"

"Fine," Kaoru answered for the both of them, too busy trying not to laugh that she ignord Megumi's familiarity with Kenshin. "What did he do now?"

"Took me to lunch and embarrassed me when he had no money to pay. But," Megumi held up the picture she had in her hands, "I found this and decided to use it for my own purposes." There was an evil glint in Megumi's eyes as she held up the picture. It was the picture of Sano cross-dressing last year when he'd lost a bet to Yahiko.

"Hmm, potential blackmail. Good idea Megumi." Kenshin stated speaking up for the first time. Sano glared but Kenshin just grinned at him. "Serves you right." He then turned to Kaoru, "How about we go and leave these two? I think Megumi will take good care of Sano."

"I will." Megumi replied as Kenshin led Kaoru away. When they were on the street Kenshin looked at his companion.

"Where do you want to go now Kaoru?"

"My apartment. I want you to meet Misao."

So what do you guys think? Please review!