Title: A World of my Own

Author: DreamEater (Echopraxia and Silent Tears of Agony)

Author's Email:

Authors Website(s): http:get-me.to/anywherebuthere , http:devoted.to/escapefromreality

Rating: PG

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance, A/U

Summary: Kaoru responds to an ad in the paper, and winds up meeting an eccentric man who hasn't left his house in years. She finds her self strangely drawn to him...but what will happen when Sano, Meg, Soujiro and Misao start scheming to get the two together?

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned by NobuhiroWatsuki. Not us.

Wow. Look at us, we're actually writing a serious story. Joy. :-)

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Chapter 1- A Series of Unfortunate Events

Kaoru looked up at the old Victorian home.

Frankly, the place looked like it had been abandoned for years. A vast majority of the paint was gone; the roof was beginning to cave in places; some of the windows had broken, only to be patched up with newspaper, tin foil and duct tape. There was no sign of human life anywhere. There weren't even any neighbors nearby; the house was set in a small grove of ancient Oak trees way back in the middle of a field.

It gave Kaoru the creeps. But this was the address that she had been given.

Kaoru walked up to the door and knocked hesitantly. Maybe nobody would hear and she could just leave.

She heard the handle turn.

Or not.

She sighed and glanced around nervously. The wind rustled through the trees and scattered dead leaves across the porch and past her feet. She looked over her shoulder at her car and began considering making a run for it.

"May I help you?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!" Kaoru screamed and jumped back, making the small red-haired man standing in the doorway do the same.

"How DARE you scare me like that!" Kaoru punctuated each word with a hit from her purse on the hapless man.

The man grabbed both of her wrists to keep her from hitting him again. "Who are you to come up to my house and attack me like this?" His voice was surprisingly calm.

Kaoru blinked. Well...she attacked him because she was scared. But she certainly wasn't going to tell

-him- that. She tried thinking up a decent excuse.

"Um...I...I was given this address...um, I called about an ad in the paper...uh, someone wanted someone who could run errands..."

"Oh." The red-haired man looked her up and down. She definitely wasn't what he expected. "Yes, I spoke with you on the phone..."

"Oh." This was worse than she thought; she just attacked her prospective employer.

"Yes. I'm Kenshin Himura. And you must be Kaoru."

Kaoru thought she might have heard traces of disappointment in his voice as he said the last part. "Yes, I am. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, no, not at all." He said calmly. "From now on I don't expect you to knock..." particularly if she was going to hit him each time. "...I will leave a list for you on the door, you may leave the packages on the mat." He gestured to the tattered welcome mat she was standing on. "That is all I require of you. Is that understood?"

Kaoru nodded. Man, this guy was -weird-.

"Once a month, I will leave your pay in an envelope on the door with the list. I expect you to come every Wednesday. I don't care what time. Will there be a problem with this?"

Kaoru shook her head.

"Good." He handed her a slip of paper. "Here is today's list."

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Kaoru sat in her car in front of the store, studying the list. This wasn't exactly her dream job, but it was certainly better than nothing. Everything had been a downward spiral for her ever since her parents died. She lost her job, her apartment, her boyfriend...now she was living with her sister and brother-in-law, Misao and Soujiro, and the only thing left that she hadn't lost was her car.

Well, apparently the guy liked milk. Four gallons?? He must guzzle the stuff down. She shook her head. Her brother-in-law did that too. Misao and Kaoru loved to tease him about it. Of course, he'd tease them about how they were going to get osteoporosis if they didn't start drinking more milk.

She sighed and got out of her car. Slamming the door behind her, she started to walk away.

Or tried to.

Instead she found out that her jacket was caught in the door. 'Oh yeah, you're doing real good today Kaoru.'

She sighed and started digging through her purse for her keys. Panic started to well up in her when she couldn't find them anywhere. 'Oh no Kaoru, you didn't.' She quickly looked through the window and groaned. Sure enough, she had locked her keys in the car...again. 'Great, now Misao is going to have to come down and open the door for me; which means another lecture from her.' Sighing she shrugged out of her jacket. Today was just not her day.

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Daikon

Jicama

Wakame

Sardines

Turtle feet

Wait a minute, turtle feet?!?!? Kaoru blanched at the thought. 'This guy sure has some exotic tastes. Do they even carry turtle feet at this store?' Kaoru glanced around for the nearest stock boy. Who, of course, was no where to be found.

She sighed and began filling the cart with some of the other items while making her way to the deli.

Seaweed

White Rice

Wasabi

Sake

So apparently this guy liked Asian foods. Once at the deli, she looked around for a real person. Not a ticket machine. A real person. Who, just like the stock boys, was no where to be found, despite repeated rings of the 'ring for service' bell. With a sigh she began to study the labels on some of the food choices on display. Frogs Legs...Pig Feet...no Turtle Feet.

"May I help you?"

Kaoru glanced up in relief. "Hi...yes...um, do you carry...um...t-turtle feet?"

The man blinked and said nothing.

"Well, do you?"

The man blinked again, his blank stare being replaced by an incredulous one. "Turtle Feet? No...sorry."

"Do you know where I can find them?"

The man only shook his head. Kaoru sighed and murmured a 'thank you' before walking off toward the checkout counters.

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"Jeez Kaoru...again?"

Kaoru sighed and rolled her eyes as Misao fished an extra key out of her purse.

"I'm sorry." Kaoru mumbled.

Misao opened the door, making Kaoru's jacket, which was still hanging in the closed door, fall into a puddle of engine oil.

"Eeeww!" She bent down and picked up her now stained jacket. "And this was my favorite one too."

"Well if you hadn't locked your keys in the car, again, then maybe that wouldn't have happened."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Careful Misao, wouldn't want anyone to think you'd gone soft. Sheesh. People would think you're the older sister since you're always lecturing me."

"Its not my fault you're always act so immature!"

Kaoru threw her hands up in the air. "I don't have time for this, I still have stuff to get for this guy. Thanks for helping me."

Misao looked as if she had been slapped. Kaoru sighed and hugged her sister. "I wasn't being sarcastic. I really meant it. You and Sou have really helped me out these past few months, without complaining. I-I just want you to know I appreciate it."

Misao smiled and nodded. "I'll see you at dinner."

"Umm....Misao?" Kaoru began hesitantly. Her sister was probably going to laugh at her for asking this question. "Do you...umm...Have you-have you ever seen a store sell turtle feet?"

Misao looked at her sister as if she had screw loose. "Noooo." She hesitated then asked, "Do I want to know why?"

Kaoru shook her head. "I'm really not sure."

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Kaoru set the packages down on the porch and stopped to watch the trees swaying in the wind. They looked so graceful, as if they were dancing to a tune only nature could hear. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes. She had always loved the wind. But something about this place made her feel so lonely. Maybe it was the way the wind howled through the archway over the porch or maybe it was the fact that this house was the only one around for miles and miles. Whatever it was, Kaoru decided it was time to leave for the warm comfort of her sister and brother-in-law's apartment. As she headed to the car, she couldn't quite push a nagging question out of her mind. If she was that lonely just standing on his porch for a few minutes, what must it be like for the man that lived here?

She stood at her car door and turned to take one last look at the dilapidated home.

'Poor Mister Himura.'

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Note from Echopraxia: PLEASE REVIEW!!! lol This was my first idea for a K/K fic, and my dear Sobrina graciously agreed to co-author it.