I smiled flirtatiously at the bartender as I received my drink. As everyone was still underage, the only drinks I could get were sodas. However with a wink and flashing my fake I.D., I got my Coke spiked with rum. I was on my third, and the world was gaining a pleasant buzz and I was feeling slightly lightheaded.

The bartender gave me an assessing gaze and gave me a charming smile in return. He was well built, but I could not make out any other defining features in the strobe lights of the club. Whoever Misao and Kenshin's father was, he was rich to rent out a whole club just for an eighteenth party.

My eyes roved the crowd, taking in the grinding bodies and the smell of spilled alcohol. However my gaze always returned to the two main people-the small birthday girl and her brooding brother in the corner.

Misao was truly the life of the party. She flitted from person to person, a broad grin on her childish, almost pixie face. Her emotions were freely broadcasted on her expressive face, changing from joy to disgust to mischievous in minutes. Her bright green eyes were wide and naive, but there was an intelligence and quick wit in them too. Her long hair was in a braid that swished as she danced, her boyish figure swaying sinuously to the music.

Kenshin was the opposite. He stood on the outskirts of the party, his violet eyes scanning the room constantly. Sometimes he would divert his attention from the roiling crowd to talk to a stately looking woman at his elbow-his girlfriend, I assume-or share a joke with the man standing to the woman's right.

Kenshin was handsome in his own right, with his flame red hair and intense violet eyes. His features were delicate, like a woman's, but his sharp cheekbones and strong chin were manly. His tight magenta top suggested at a fine physique, and his youthful face made him seem younger than the twenty-three years he really was. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was my age.

The woman at his elbow had an emotionless face, but no-one can deny her ethereal beauty. Her long, black hair flowed freely down her back and she stood with the poise of a dancer. She barely touched or talked to Kenshin. To me, it seemed as if she was silently suffering with him. As if someone close to them had died. Or if a part of them had died.

No matter how attractive Kenshin was, however, the man with the shock of white, spiky hair and dark eyes held my attention. He lounged against the wall with a bored look on his face but yet the way he stood and how his eyes flicked over the crowd said that his bored look was just an act. He constantly looked at the beautiful woman with a look akin to envy on his face, and open hostility when he looked at Kenshin, but neither of them noticed these looks.

It was apparent that these three had a story, and I couldn't wait to find out what it was.

Megumi sighed loudly next to me. She was dressed brazenly in a short, red dress that caught everyone's eye and her bright red lipstick stood out on her pale face. Her hair was elegantly pulled away from her face and her bright heels tapped out the rhythm of the song. I was dressed in a tight, strapless black top and skin tight jeans and my feet hurt like a bitch in my heels. My hair was put into its customary high ponytail and a little eyeshadow and lipgloss was all the makeup I wore.

"I'm bored." She whined, rolling her head and looking at the ceiling.

I took a sip of my drink, my blue eyes going from Misao, to Kenshin, to the woman, to the white-haired man and finally back to Misao. I winced slightly as the alcohol burned down my throat. "You're the one who wanted to come to an eighteen year old's party." I shot back.

"I thought it would be more interesting." The whine was still evident in her voice.

I just took another sip of my drink, my eyes on the dance floor. "Who are the people by Kenshin?"

Megumi pointed to the woman, not caring if the woman realized we were talking about her or not. "That is Tomoe Yukishiro, Kenshin's riveting girlfriend. She looks like she wants to commit suicide." I nodded, agreeing. Megumi pointed to the man next to her. "That is her younger brother, Enishi. I think he's your age."

I raised my eyes at this; in his all black attire and lean frame, I assumed he was Tomoe's age or even older. I smiled into my drink. Bored with my lack of conversation, she turned to the ever-present Aoshi. He was dressed in black jeans and a light blue shirt, the first three buttons undone to show off his toned and tanned chest. I thought that look was so retro, but it worked for him. Megumi grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the dance floor, mischief in her eyes. Aoshi sent me a look that just shouted 'help' and I grinned at him, wriggling my fingers. He groaned in despair as Megumi pulled him even deeper into the mass of drunk, underage teenagers.

I scanned the crowd again, a cursory glance, and saw that birthday girl was missing. Curious about her whereabouts, I put down my glass and wandered off to the bathroom. Sure enough, Misao was there.

I gave her a smile and she looked at me as if I were crazy. "Who are you?"

I cringed. "Um, I'm friends with Megumi."

She still had a quizzical look on her face, and I saw the suspiciousness creep into her deep green eyes. Then a spark of recognition lit on her face and she laughed. "The woman with the really tall, really hot guy?"

I chuckled and nodded my head. "Yup, that's the one."

"Is she his girlfriend?" I could see base curiosity in her gaze, and the starting of an infatuation. With Aoshi? Well yeah, he's hot, I guess, but still. He's so...serious.

"Nope, they're just best friends."

"So I can take him if I want?" A mischievous glint was in her eyes, one I recognized from Megumi. I silently groaned, and immediately started to feel sorry for Aoshi.

"You can try." I replied guardedly. She gave me a bright smile, but before she left I stopped her with a hand on her wrist. "Wait, your brother...how long has he been going out with Tomoe?"

Misao snorted. "For-freaking-ever. I hate her, she's always so prim and proper and a stick in the mud. Ugh." She rolled her eyes. "Why, you interested in him? I can hook you up, you seem much nicer than Tomoe."

A blush covered my face. "No, no, I…" How do I explain this? She shrugged me off, not concerned whether I wanted to hook up with her brother or not.

"I'll drop your name sometime, and maybe organize a time for the two of you to meet. Secretly, of course."

"Of course." I mumbled under my breath.

She whipped out her phone-watch and looked at me expectantly. I quickly recited my number and she gave me hers. It was only when she left that I realized I had made a friend. A wide grin broke out on my face.

I returned to my spot and my drink, and saw Megumi still trying to make Aoshi dance. I was so preoccupied with Megumi's failed attempts to make Aoshi dance that I didn't realize he was next to me until his hot breath tickled my ear. "I don't think we have had the pleasure to meet."

I inhaled sharply and spun to face Enishi, a charming and sarcastic smile playing on his lips. I smiled in response, and lowered my gaze so I was looking at him through my eyelashes. "Kaoru."

He leaned against the bar and his assessing gaze made heat rush to my face. Satisfied with my embarrassment, or looks, or both, a slow smile spread across his face. His dark eyes locked with mine and his smile grew wider. "Enishi."

Heat of another kind rose from my lower belly and sent shivers up my spine. I had always been attracted to the dangerous types, and from the way he rolled the sleeves of his black shirt, to his distressed jeans and boots and leather bracelet and the black diamond in his ear made him attractive to me physically. The way he was looking at me now, with that look in his dark eyes that told me that he was attracted to me and would do almost anything to act on his attraction made me melt. A large part of my brain-the rational side, the one that got me out of these situations-told me to walk away and forget about Enishi and his smoldering eyes. But the smaller part, the part that was being urged on by my rebelliousness and, in a small way, the alcohol, urged me to get closer. To play this flirting game, throw caution to the wind and just...live.

So guess which one I chose?

I took a step closer to him so that our breath mingled, and trailed my finger from his collarbone, down his well formed abs and towards the hem of his jeans, keeping my eyes locked on his the entire time. His hand rested on my hip and I saw his eyes darken. He lowered his face to mine and his breath was warm on my cheek. "Want to get out of here?"

He took a step away from me and extended his hand. Last chance; did I really want to do this?

Hell yes.

I reached out for his hand and took it in mine. As soon as my hand was engulfed in his, he pulled me closer towards him and covered my mouth with his. Heat rose in my lower stomach again, and I gasped against his mouth. His tongue slipped into my mouth and started exploring it… And my hands trailed through his hair…. His hands slipped around my waist and pulled me closer to him… And I allowed myself to give into the invitation he offered.

Ok, so I was never truly honest with Sano. I wasn't exactly a virgin...in fact, I haven't been since I was fourteen. It wasn't like the guy seduced me or if it was some big romantic thing that has ever happened to me, that I thought he was my soulmate or any of that shit. Basically it started off with us just talking about how everyone our age was doing it, and how we were sick and tired of being the only two who didn't. So we decided to just...do it. The two of us. Just to get it over and done with, so when someone would mockingly ask, "Got some yet?", we can answer, "Yes I did. Now go screw yourself."

This was before I was pushed up a few grades. Before people started looking at me with a mixture of awe, jealousy and downright hate. When I was a normal fourteen year old girl.

Shogo was gentle with me. I remember pain, but I knew to expect it. I also remember pleasure. I remember lying in his arms, and saying, "Well now I see what all the fuss is about." I remember him chuckling and kissing my hair.

After that, I was found out to be a genius and put in the fast track. Shogo watched me from the sidelines, giving me an encouraging word whenever we could. He was my best friend, my first time, and I forgot about him. After finishing high school, I forgot about him. How strange was it, then for me to wake up in another man's bed and think about him again, when I haven't done so in years?

Any thoughts? Comments? Criticisms? Like it? Hate it? Love it?

R.e.v.i.e.w

Please?

;]