Author's Note: Yes, yet another story from my recently very active imagination. From the summary and the title, I'm assuming you guys all know where this'll be headed. Still, I couldn't help but want to write it since I want to have a fun story to enjoy writing.
I hope you all like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin nor any of its characters
The Bargain
A Hard Day's Night
It's been a hard day's night
I should be sleeping like a log
November
"Seriously, Kenshin. You're starting to make me sick here with all of the moping you're doing. Man up, will 'ya?" Sano growled in frustration as he watched his best friend drink yet another bottle of beer.
It was a cold winter's night and it's been two months since he's had to live with a mostly silent and morose Kenshin Himura—his redheaded friend of two years who was recently dumped by his girlfriend, Tomoe Yukishiro. It was pathetic, really, to see someone so messed up after being in a relationship with someone else for a measly two years. Well, in Sano's eyes, it was. He was never really one for melodramatics and other pansy ass antics. It was just his luck that the man beside him is such a person and that he felt like it was his responsibility to knock some sense into the guy.
"I'm not asking you to stay, Sanosuke. You can go home anytime you want." Kenshin replied calmly.
Sano scoffed. "And what? Leave you here to get all smashed up before some stranger brings you to your apartment? Are you stupid?"
The redhead didn't deem his interrogation important enough to reply, instead opting to take a large gulp of his cold beer. He'd really rather be drinking scotch, but he felt like a change of taste would do him some good.
He didn't—couldn't—understand what happened between him and Tomoe. They had a perfect relationship, and they were both very much in love ever since their fifth date two years ago. He knew she wasn't the type to cheat and she's always been very honest with her feelings towards him. The break-up was completely out of the blue, and despite his relentless pursuit to get her to talk to him again, she had not bothered to reply.
Their separation left him feeling lost and mightily confused. Every day, he replayed their relationship again and again in his head but he still couldn't understand where things started to go wrong between them. She never acted like anything was out of place, and as far as he knew, they weren't even experiencing a rocky patch in their relationship.
Tomoe Yukishiro is one of the most perfect women he had ever met in his twenty-three years of living. She was refined, kind, gentle, and unbelievably loving towards everyone around her—even the ones who weren't deserving of her affections. Her angelic beauty was what attracted him to her, but it was her personality that made him want to stay. It was true that their relationship was going so well that other people—his best friend, mostly—found it predictable, but he didn't care. Yes, they weren't very much into surprises and spontaneity like the other couples he knew, but to him, it didn't matter. They were stable and in love and he was sure that not a lot of college students could claim to have that.
As the captain of their university's kendo team, he wasn't half-bad himself. He has his fair share of admirers, but he only had eyes for one person. Still, he was gentle and kind whenever he would have to turn down a particularly persistent woman. It just wasn't in his nature to be callous and arrogant despite what Sano keeps telling him to be. Besides, he didn't understand what his female colleagues found so fascinating about him. He didn't think it was his appearance that drew them to him. After all, his long red hair wasn't really something that he thought people would find attractive. His violet eyes were strange, but not enough to get girls to go to such lengths to try to attract him. His tanned skin gave him a healthy glow, but the cross-shaped scar that marred his left cheek should've ruined any fantasies that they must've held. Although Tomoe did say that it made him look handsome and roguish.
He sighed when he remembered his ex-girlfriend again and took another swig of his beer. He was in such a funk and he felt it was reasonable for him to be feeling this way. After all, he really, truly, believed that Tomoe was the one for him; and the fact that she didn't think so crushed him so badly that he was left spiraling down in his own world of misery and memories of the good days.
"Don't tell me you're thinking about that bitch again." Sano said harshly.
Kenshin glared at his companion and fought the urge to hit him. Aggression and violence would not solve anything, and Tomoe would frown upon him if she finds out that he hurt somebody else. "Don't call her that."
"What?" Sano shrugged. "It's true. I mean, who breaks up with someone with 'it's not you it's me' these days? Lying skanks, that's who."
"She is not a liar, Sanosuke. Nor is she a skank. Stop talking about her like that."
"Fine. Whatever." The tall co-captain scoffed. "I just don't really see what you saw in her. She was cold as ice and way too perfect—the type that has a load of issues loaded up in that head'a hers."
"We all have issues we have to deal with, and we all have secrets we'd like to keep. She's not any different than the rest of us."
"Exactly!" Sano exclaimed, finally happy to have something that he could use to reason with his morose friend. "You put her so high up on that pedestal a'yours 'ya don't even notice her bad side. I'm tellin' 'ya Kenshin, she ain't that sweet and friendly. That's just what she wants 'ya to think."
"If marring her image in my head is all you're going to do tonight, Sanosuke, then I suggest you just go home and leave me be."
"'Ya wanna know what I think?"
"No."
Sano continued, ignoring the half-hearted response of the redhead beside him. "I think she broke up with 'ya when 'ya told her 'ya wanted to shift majors. 'Ya were all fine and dandy when 'ya were in the business program—all set to take over your uncle's company and all that. I saw her flinch when 'ya told her 'ya wanted to shift to medicine. I swear I did!"
Kenshin scoffed. "How could you have seen her flinch? You weren't even there."
"Yeah, well I felt it. Didn't 'ya notice how cold she's been ever since 'ya made that announcement 'a yours?"
"She's not that shallow, Sanosuke. She wouldn't do anything like that. She's in the medical program herself, so how can you think she'll be biased against me wanting to become a doctor too?"
"Whatever. There's just no reasoning with 'ya when you're in one of your funks."
Since the redhead didn't bother to reply and since the tall business major was getting frustrated with trying to get his friend to see things from an outsider's point of view, the two fell silent as they drank their own bottles of beer. Despite the temperature of that night, they both believed that there was nothing better than a bottle of Corona to get their nerves to calm down and warm their otherwise freezing bodies.
The bar was quite lively that night, mostly because their midterm exams just finished and there were a lot of students who were dying to celebrate surviving yet another round of the deadly tests. There was an array of cliques present in the dim establishment, and the tall bar stools that they occupied by the bar gave them the perfect view of the entrance door—a position that Sano scrambled to get in the hopes of finding another unsuspecting young student that he could charm his way into bringing her to his own apartment in the same building as Kenshin's.
He was surprised to find that even the students from the performing arts department of the university were also taking part in the celebrations. Usually, they were too busy practicing or doing whatever it is that they were doing in those studios of theirs to actually leave their art-filled holes and act like normal people. He had to admit that they seemed like an interesting bunch of people. Despite the rambunctious behavior going on around them, the way they were all acting screamed of grace and poise—and that made Sano grimace since he was a firm believer of physical strength and none of those ninny moves that he had once witnessed when he tried watching a holiday recital that he was forced to attend because the woman he was dating at the time was friends with the violinist who was part of the orchestra that was playing for the event.
'Speaking of… I wouldn't mind going back to that fox. She was pretty hot.' He thought excitedly.
Besides, in the brief three months that he dated the usually stiff Megumi Takani, he found that he had grown rather fond of her friends—even though they couldn't be classified as the type of people that would hang around with his usual crowd. He remembered the highly energetic ballerina dancer—Misao, he thinks her name was, and how despite her petite size, she almost always bubbled away with energy and a lot of words that didn't permit them a moment of solitude from the countless stories that she told. It was really ironic how that girl would choose to pine over the stoic pianist who acted like he had a huge pole up in his ass. They've only interacted for a total of three times and gods be damned but the man didn't even bother to speak a word to him except for a measly "Can you pass me the salt please?"
He chuckled at the memory and thought more of the strange company that the girl he used to date kept. Suddenly, his head was filled with the clear vision of Kaoru Kamiya—the violinist whom he had met after the blasted holiday recital that they attended. The woman was beautiful, but she didn't possess the type of beauty that would make heads turn if you saw her walking down the street. Her raven black hair contrasted nicely with her milky skin, and she had the bluest eyes that he'd ever seen before.
He didn't mind hanging out with her because of her wit and warmth—two things that the redhead's ex-girlfriend didn't possess. Even the silences he found himself engulfed in whenever Megumi would have to leave the two of them alone weren't awkward. The woman was gentle, but at the same time, she was a no-bullshit type of person—a fact that was proven by the number of bumps that she had given him whenever he would take his teasing a bit too far. She was smart, and she just had this weird ability to emit a certain feeling of homeliness that even he enjoyed very much. On top of all that, god that woman was talented with the instrument that she played. Once, after his relentless teasing of her being nothing but a back-up instrument when it came to playing with the orchestra, she took up his challenge and played a beautiful rendition of Pachelbel's Canon in D Major. He wasn't really a fan of classical music and he blatantly refuses to admit that he enjoyed her performance greatly—but by gods he was impressed with the way she played those strings. It went far beyond what he usually heard, and sometimes he'd replay the performance in his head to help him go to sleep—again, not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. He had a reputation to keep, after all.
It was that reputation that made him stop dating the interesting woman with the odd crowd. He was known to be a playboy—someone who believed that college relationships had to end after the third month to prevent himself from experiencing the drama that usually came after that. Besides, he reveled in the fact that women were attracted to his aloof nature because all of them believed that they could be the woman who would change him. Not that he wanted to be changed.
Still, though, he was surprised to find that the break-up didn't go as badly as he thought it would. Apparently, the foxy woman knew what she was getting into and her going through with the three-month relationship was a challenge that was issued by her friends. He'd be offended, but he liked the fact that the challenge would mean that they would still be in amiable terms. In fact, there would be days when he'd be invited by the little group to join their Friday nights in Kaoru's rather spacey apartment—a place that emitted the same amount of homeliness that his own "bachelor pad" lacked.
"What the hell are you smiling about?" Kenshin asked darkly, thus interrupting his cheery thoughts.
"Just because you're miserable doesn't mean that I have to be too, you selfish pig." Sano growled. "Are 'ya done wallowing yet? Or do 'ya need more booze to drown yourself in your sorrows?"
Sighing, his friend replied. "Just a couple more and I'll be done. Really though, you can go if you want. I'm not going to get too drunk and I can get home by myself. It's just a few blocks from here."
"Shut up. Just shut up and finish those drinks 'a yours. I could use a couple more myself, and because of my loyalty to your pathetic ass, you're paying for my beers."
"I thought so. I knew there was a reason you keep hanging around me." Kenshin chuckled.
"Yeah, well, we all gotta give and take. I've been giving you my charming company so it's only fair that you give me my drinks."
"Fine. Whatever."
Sano chuckled at his friend's lack of willingness to refuse his demand and went right back to watching the people around him. He saw the entrance door open and his eyes brightened when he recognized a familiar head of raven black hair. She was busy trying to untangle her scarf from her neck, but he could recognize that figure anywhere.
She was wearing a deep green turtleneck sweater and a pair of form-fitting jeans. Currently, she was smiling at the bouncer who was taking her coat while she shook the flakes of snow that manage to get themselves stuck on her outfit.
"Oi! Missy!" he yelled enthusiastically to get her attention.
Kaoru looked around to find the source of the call, but given the number of people in the crowded bar, her brows scrunched together as she struggled to meet the person who called her so loudly.
Kenshin, who was a bit surprised at his friend's sudden enthusiasm, looked at him curiously as he watched his friend's face light up with excitement. Sano raised his hands and waved around to make it easier for the twenty-one year old woman to find him, and waited for her to finally see where he was currently sitting.
Smiling, the violinist made her way towards her friend, having trouble with pushing her way through the rambunctious crowd. Sano met her halfway and pushed some of the more drunken patrons away from her petite body, sometimes even growling at them to play nice. When they finally reached their seats, Sano gallantly offered his own barstool to make her more comfortable, standing behind her and putting his arms on either side of her to shield her from the rowdy crowd.
Kaoru leaned into him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek as a way of greeting. "Hey, Sano. What are you doing here?"
"Playing chess, Missy." He chuckled. "What the hell do 'ya think I'm doing here?"
She laughed. "I see your point. It was stupid of me to ask."
The tall business major gestured for a couple of beers from the bartender and waited for the man to approach them with their requested drinks. "'Ya bet it was." He paused and looked down at her curiously. "The better question here is what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be busy plucking those strings 'a yours?"
"I play the violin, Sano. I don't pluck the strings." She said pointedly. "Besides, is it a crime to want to enjoy a few drinks after midterms? We have to suffer through those painful tests too, you know."
"Tests? You have tests?"
"Of course we do, you stupid man. How do you think we're graded?" She chuckled.
"Hell if I know." He shrugged. "But I can't say I'm too interested in that. So…"
She sighed playfully. "I still have no idea how Megumi managed to put up with you for three months."
"Because of my undeniable charm, of course!" He exclaimed, reaching for the two bottles of Corona that he was handed by the bartender and offering one to Kaoru. With a brief clink of their bottles, they both took a generous gulp of the alcoholic drink and sighed as they enjoyed the warmth that filled their stomachs.
Kenshin cleared his throat quite loudly and mentally gave himself a thwap on the head for forgetting to introduce his two companions. "Right, sorry. Kenshin, this is Kaoru, one of Megumi's friends; and Kaoru, this sad little man here is Kenshin."
The redhead gave his friend an annoyed glance, but gave his new acquaintance a small smile in greeting. "Hey." He said, raising his bottle towards her.
"Nice to meet you." Kaoru smiled back.
The tall man standing behind the woman grinned as what he thought was a brilliant idea popped into his head. "Now that we're all perfectly acquainted, I have a lovely suggestion for the two of 'ya."
Kaoru gave him a curious glance, while Kenshin glared at his friend—already knowing where the conversation was heading and threatening to cause him bodily harm if he continues.
Still, Sano stubbornly ignored the implied threat and grinned, pretending to whisper into Kaoru's ear despite the loudness of his voice. "'Ya see, Missy, the little redhead here is feeling a bit miserable because of his break-up… and it's pretty cold tonight, so would 'ya mind keeping him company and making him feel a bit… warm? If 'ya know what I mean."
Kaoru laughed. "Sano, I think the whole of Japan knows what you mean." She turned towards the redhead and gave him a playful once-over as he sat there looking amusedly at the two friends beside him. "But… I wouldn't mind."
The two men tensed at what she said, surprised at her agreement to the not-so-serious suggestion. Just as Sano was about to whoop in delight and focus on getting his little redheaded friend to agree to do what he suggested, Kaoru continued. "But," she sighed. "I have a prior engagement that I just can't get out of… and I won't be free 'til next year. So, if you wouldn't mind waiting, then I'm sure we can work something out." She winked.
Sano laughed and Kenshin couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled from his lips at her response. "Well, that's sad. I think Kenshin here was hoping you'd be serious about that answer 'a yours."
"Who says I wasn't?" she winked up at him playfully.
A cold breeze went through the bar when the entrance door opened again, and Kaoru turned her head to see who was entering the establishment. Smiling as she recognized the tall, stoic man with a serious disposition, she pushed herself down the bar stool so she could stand and bid her two companions goodbye. "Well, much as I'd love to sit here and wallow with the two of you," she teased as she glanced at Kenshin, "I'd really much rather enjoy the company of my good friend, Aoshi."
"Really?" Sano scoffed. "That man? But Missy, he barely talks." He paused. "Scratch that, he never talks."
"Still, I don't want to wait around to hear your redhead tell me about all his woes and heartaches. It's too nice of a night to do that." She glanced at Sano. "But I'm proud of you for being such a good friend to him."
She waved at Aoshi to get his attention and turned back to the two. "I have to go. I hope you two have a nice night." She smiled and turned to Kenshin. "And I hope you'll feel okay soon. Break-ups are hard, but you'll get through it."
Kenshin nodded at her and went back to his beer.
"But Missyyyyyyy." Sano groaned, holding on to her hand when she moved to walk away from them. "I want you heeeere. 'Ya know you're my favorite Missy!"
She scoffed and pushed his hand off her. "I'm your only Missy. Besides, you have my number. Call me when you want to hang or something. I'll see you around, rooster head."
"Alright, whatever." Sano said. "But if 'ya face any trouble or if any hooligans try hitting on you, 'ya holler at me and I'll come runnin' a'right?"
She laughed and nodded before turrning to walk away again, but suddenly faced the two men and raised her bottle. "And Kenshin? Thanks for the free drink." She said mischievously.
Kenshin nodded at her amusedly and watched her push her way through the crowd. His morose thoughts returning to him again once he lost sight of her.
"Seriously? You're seriously going to go back to being miserable? Missy didn't even cheer you up?" Sano said, frustration highly evident in his voice.
Kenshin ignored him and signaled the bartender for another round of drinks for him and his friend. His thoughts were still stuck on his ex-girlfriend but after he took another generous gulp of his drink, he couldn't help but think of the warm smile that came from the girl he just met.
Author's Note: This is going to be a nice, light-hearted story. Just to give myself a break from the heaviness from Rise and It Is What It Is. Still, I'll be continuing Relevance and Where Light Is Found. I'm just waiting for the right words to hit me so I can go through the plotlines properly.
Thanks for all the support and I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I'm excited to hear what you think of this.
Love and happy holidays!
Cheers!