**Sorry! I had to change a few things that didn't match… this is just a repost, but thank you very much for the supportive reviews so far!
I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
A/N: Well, I started another story. I'm sorry for not updating 'Fragmented Dreams,' but I'm kinda stuck… I've written the ending, but there's not really any transition from where I left it and where I began the ending. Anyways, I hope you all like this story; it's my first try at an alternate universe… Enjoy!
Midnight Racers
Chapter 1Aoshi woke up slowly, blinking his eyes several times to focus the blurry images in his room. His small, two-room apartment was messy and unkempt, which was extremely unusual for him—he was normally very neat and orderly. He rubbed his eyes as he headed towards the bathroom to take a quick, cold shower and prepare for the long day ahead.
~*~
Sunlight streamed through the windows of an expansive bedroom and warmed it considerably, shining directly on the matching furniture that decorated the room. Misao lay in bed for several more minutes, savoring the warmth emanating from the down cover and flannel sheets. Despite the fact that it was winter, the sun was shining and she could tell that today would be warm and windy.
She groaned as she flipped the covers off and swung her legs over the side of her large, queen-sized bed, her feet not quite reaching the ground. Misao stumbled towards the bathroom, which adjoined her own room, sparing a brief glance at her alarm clock set on her mahogany nightstand.
The black marble tiles of the bathroom gleamed brightly in the sunlight beams that shone down from the skylight overhead. Misao bent over one of the two sinks on the long counter, reaching over to turn a crystal knob that sent icy water splashing out of the chrome faucet. She quickly washed up and headed towards the shower, wondering what she would do that day.
~*~
The Aoiya, a prominent restaurant in Malibu, California, was a first-class place for Japanese fine dining that overlooked the Pacific Ocean and was frequented by the local celebrities in the area. Its only owner, Kashiwazaki Nenji, or Okina as most people knew him by, was a doting grandfather of the only family he had left—Makimachi Misao. She wasn't exactly spoiled, but she didn't need anything. Ever.
Misao was 21 years old and completely finished with college. She had started early and graduated the prior year, but was still unsure what to do with a Bachelor in Business. The only thing that seemed logical was to take over the Aoiya once she inherited it, but that definitely would not be for a while.
Aside from training, the greatest joy Misao found in life was the only thing she had bought herself. The sole purpose of her getting a job—her bright yellow BMW M3 that purred like a kitten and raced like a demon. She had purchased it herself and refused to allow anyone else to work on it. Misao worked hard at keeping the Aoiya's files and records in order—which wasn't as difficult as it sounded—which left her with plenty of time to do what she wanted.
That night, there was a race going in L.A., which Misao was going to be a part of. She didn't race for the money, obviously, but for the adrenaline drive and the rush of excitement that always left her breathless.
~*~
Aoshi was exhausted. He had had a tiring day at work, which always left him feeling empty and drained, mentally and physically. The pride and joy of Aoshi's life was his only love—his smooth-running, completely clean, black Skyline with a blue and black interior. Aoshi had worked many days, long and hard, in order to import his car and keep it beautiful.
Despite the taxing day at work, he was always up for a good race, which was going down later that night. He had been hearing some rumors lately about a yellow Silvia that had been winning the races as of late. It seemed that every race he didn't go to, it appeared. He was quite intrigued by a possible challenge; there had been very few recently that actually got him excited anymore.
~*~
Aoshi pulled up the designated street in downtown Los Angeles, fixed up cars almost everywhere one looked. He slowly cruised down the boulevard as the crowds parted, making way for the almost legendary undefeated driver. Aoshi eased his ebony car to a slow stop, the blue underlight vanishing as he cut the engine. Aoshi stepped out dressed in a tight black shirt and blue jeans, shutting the door behind him, looking around at the competition. Scantily clad women eyed him desirously, but he ignored their blatant stares, checking out the other cars.
A yellow car caught his eye immediately. Or perhaps it was the woman leaning casually on the hood, looking coolly about. Their eyes met, jade green clashing with steely blue, and Aoshi was stunned. He felt electricity running through his body just looking at the woman in black and continued to stare at her.
She completely stood up slowly, never breaking eye contact with Aoshi. The corners of her ruby lips turned up and a sultry smile appeared as she stretched her arms slowly. The palms of Aoshi's hands began to sweat, which was odd because a woman had never made him this nervous. Aoshi continued to watch her as she stopped stretching and rotated her shoulders once and got into her car.
Almost immediately after, Aoshi got into his own car, starting it up. The girl has already started her car up, revving the engine slowly but loudly, almost purposely directed at him. Aoshi raced after her as she sped out of the crowds, suddenly losing any interest in the race.
A/N: How was it? I hope everyone liked it… I'm just experimenting with ideas and stuff, so please review!
