(Author's Note: For anyone who might have read this story before… I'm sorry it's been two years. TT)

(un-edited, excuse typos or weird sentences please. XD;;)

Everything Dearest

Chapter Four: Bento

Kenshin stood next to the bleachers of the gym, scanning the other kids in the class. Sadly, it seemed as though it was a jock-dominated sport: everyone here was large, muscular, and heavy.

He sighed and leaned back against the wooden wall. Maybe he should've just let his leg be broken.

Suddenly, he saw a flash a movement on his left. It was aimed straight down at him. Kenshin raised an arm to block it…

A hand landed heartily on his shoulder. "Hey, kid."

Kenshin looked up and used all his willpower to restrain a squeak. It was that thug kid who ran around, who even the jocks were afraid of. He had no problem dealing with the abuse of football idiots, but a real gangster? He gulped – even in his misery, he'd have liked to live until legal adulthood so he could legally give his ashes to someone other than his father, who'd probably just use his remains as the ash in his ashtray.

The other must have noticed Kenshin's fear because he cracked a grin. "Don't listen to all those rumors, I actually didn't shoot a guy. Well not really."

Kenshin forced out a grin, trying to hide the deepening pit in his stomach. He looked like a gangster, but it turns out that he acts more like a mobster or a hitman?

"I'm Sagara Sanosuke. Nice to meet you." He grinned, running a hand through his spiky hair. Kenshin was reminded of stroking a rooster's tail. "Don't worry… hose times, I only fought back to protect myself."

Kenshin blew a sigh of relief. "I'm Himura Kenshin. It's nice to meet you, Sagara-san."

Immediately, Kenshin was enveloped in a big bear hug. "Aww, little Kenken, no need to be so polite. Ya know, I kinda like your attitude – better than that Yahiko classmate of yours. No need for formalities – Sano will be your senpai now!"

Kenshin lightly untangled himself from Sano's arms. "Senpai, you're a senior?"

Sano laughed loudly. "Haha, I look it, don't I? But no, I'm just a sophomore."

"I'm a sophomore too…"

Sano laughed again. "Stop joking, man!" When it became clear that Kenshin wasn't, Sano's eyes widened. "But you're so short! When's your birthday?"

"June."

"Ah, I'm a February kid! I guess I'm still older!"

"…of the year before you were born."

"…damn."

Before the two could exchange more words, however, a tall and blocky guy walked in. Suddenly, the gym quieted.

"Sano," Kenshin whispered, "who is he?"

"Akutagawa Akira," Sano said loudly, not bothering to soften his voice. "He's the captain of the Hiten kendo team, which got second in the county last year. I think he tied with the Japanese national champion last year."

Kenshin gulped. Why did he look so familiar?

"I am Akutagawa, the captain. Unfortunately, coach isn't here today. I will be supervising the class today." He abruptly stopped speaking, and stared blankly ahead. Kenshin knew that he was trying to think – his own brothers often stopped in the middle of a sentence and had to think like that too.

"Oh and though you are probably all beginners, you are welcome to try out to be a Kendo regular." He waved to the bleachers, where a small group clad in dark blue hakamas sat, set apart from everyone else wearing Hiten High's garish neon blue sweatpants. "Though we're pretty much full, so you might as well not try."

"Also…" Akutagawa was speaking smoothly now. Kenshin got a chill up his spine. If this person was anything like his brothers, smooth and mostly coherent speech meant something bad was going to happen.

"I'd like to demonstrate kendo to you beginners. Who'd like to try?" He looked past the sea of hands that were eagerly raised, and instead stared menacingly into Kenshin's eyes.

This is why Kenshin would never hunt. He always had too much in common with prey.

"Himura Kenshin, come on up."

Kenshin stood still, wishing, hoping, willing himself to dissipate into thin air. Maybe combust. Anything. But Sano pushed him forward cheerily. "Go on, shorty!"

Akutagawa threw a bokken straight at Kenshin. "Fight me now."

Kenshin had a sudden epiphany. Akutagawa was one of the jocks who had ganged up on him the other day. He was, in fact, the one who had thrown the first punch.

Damn.

Before he knew it, he was in the ring, bokken in hand. Akutagawa stood across the ring, smilling evilly with the aura of a hungry wolf.

Kenshin felt like a rabbit with no protection.

"Since this is just a small demonstration with a beginner," Akutagawa yelled to the others, who had now seated themselves on the bleacher, "there will be no need for protective equipment, since we'll just faux-hit." Turning back to Kenshin, he narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't able to beat you up last time. There's no one to protect you now."

Kenshin glanced quickly to where Sano had been standing. He was gone.

Stupid rooster-head.

"START!" Akutagawa yelled, and charged at Kenshin with his bokken in their air.

Oh great. Kenshin wondered how to position himself as he watched Akutagawa rush at him in almost slow motion. A bokken would undoubtedly hurt more than a fist, but it was better than a stick. Unlike a rope or a belt, though, a bokken was solid, so bone would be bad. Might as well get some muscle or flesh pain. Not the neck muscle. The arm? No, he needed to draw. Maybe the left arm. He'd sacrifice a shoulder too.

Wait a second. Kenshin blinked. This wasn't Keisuke or Koji, or Jiro. It wouldn't matter if he dodged.

Unfortunately, Akutagawa was already nearly on top of him, his bokken swinging down. He had a smirk on his lips and a manic look in his eyes. The bokken was aimed to hit right on the head.

Almost instinctively, Kenshin raised his own bokken to deflect the shot. He was surprised that it not only stopped the blow, it actually knocked the bokken out of Akutagawa's hands.

Akutagawa seemed shocked for a moment, then it was replaced with rage. Looking all but identical to a raging bull, he charged at Kenshin with his bare arms extended, hands clutched into fists.

Without even thinking about it, Kenshin swung the bokken out. It hit Akutagawa squarely in the stomach. With a sickly groan, he crumpled to the floor in a lump.

Kenshin stared at the twitching bulk of muscle now lying before him. What happened?

"Himura, right?" A commanding voice burst out on the right. A tall, well-built man with a garish suit strolled in, a bottle of sake held unabashedly in his hand. He took a sip.

"Coach Hiko!" The entire group of regulars stood and bowed respectfully.

"You're good, kid. Have you ever done kendo before?"

Kenshin, with his mouth open in shock, shook his head slowly.

"Good potential. You're a regular. Akutagawa, you're off."

"Coach," Akutagawa groaned from the floor, "I'm a regular. I'm the captain! Last year, I tied with Morimichi. You can't…"

"Shut up." Hiko gave Akutagawa a piercing look. "You lost to a kid smaller than you with no experience. You're off. I'll decide who the captain is eventually." He looked to the clock and took a swig of sake. "All you runts might as well change out now, class over."

Everyone flocked to the locker rooms, talking. Akutagawa crawled after Hiko, crying and begging shamefully. For a bully, he sure acted immaturely.

It left Kenshin standing in the middle of the gym, still dumbfounded.

"Hey Kenshin, over here!"

Kenshin looked over his shoulder, only to see Sanosuke waving at him energetically from under a shady oak tree with a small group of friends. Kenshin would rather avoid people and sketch during his lunchtime.

Sano continued to wave eagerly. Kenshin's resolve gave in. Just this once…

He walked over, where Sano promptly pulled him down to a sitting position. "Hey, everyone, this is the kid I've been telling you about. Himura Kenshin! Beat Akutagawa in kendo!"

Kenshin nodded politely to the other three people.

"I'm Myoujin Yahiko," the boy who leaned nonchalantly against the tree said.

"Yonai Tsubame," the girl next to him smiled and nodded.

Kenshin was just about to respond when the scent of roses surrounded him. A pair of arms surrounded his neck. "You must be Ken!"

He turned around to face a beautiful, fox-like girl. She smiled coyly. "I'm Takani Megumi, nice to meet you Ken. I hope we get to know each other well…" Her hand wrapped around a lock of his hair. "I love your eyes, Ken… did you know…"

Sano chucked a chunk of his bread, which he was now eating in large bites, at her head. "Shut up, fox. Go seduce someone else."

In an instant, the Megumi who was so warm became as sharp as needles. She rose to her foot and strode over, where she promptly smacked Sano on the head. "No one asked you, rooster head!" She sniffed prudishly and sat herself down next to Tsubame, promptly taking out a bento.

As Sano huffed and fixed his hair, Kenshin felt relieved to know that he wasn't the only one who thought Sano had rooster-like hair.

Then, Sano perked up. "Hey, weasel, little missy!" He waved wildly.

Kenshin turned around to see that cheerleader girl and her cheerleader friend. They look so familiar…

Sano grinned. "This is that guy! Himura…"

"Kenshin!" The girl with the long pony tail grinned. "I never thought I'd see you here!"

This must be a day for shocks. "Ah, Kaoru…"

Sano looked shocked. "What? You guys already met?"

Kaoru smiled. "I'm his art partner!" She grinned at Kenshin. "Oh, and this is Makimachi Misao!"

Kenshin remembered the girl who had met his family, and smiled in greeting.

Everyone ate their lunches. Kenshin reached into his backpack and took out the plain rice onigiri he had made. He only had it when there was leftover rice at dinner. Thankfully, Jiro assumed that Kenshin threw everything away, so at least Kenshin could still make a lunch for himself occasionally. Getting lunch money like Koji and Keisuke did was out of the question.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru made a face. "Is that a rice and salt onigiri?"

"…yes."

Kaoru pouted. "That's not a balanced diet! You need essential vitamins and minerals to sustain your energy and fuel your body!"

"We just learned that in bio," Misao explained apologetically.

Kenshin chuckled. "No, it's ok, I've had this for lunch for many years, and I'm still fine."

"Must be why you're so short," Sano chuckled.

Kenshin threw a glare at him. Stupid rooster head. "It's the only thing I can make." Not true, but at least a good excuse.

"No, no, that won't do." Kaoru dug around in her backpack and produced a red bento identical to her blue one. "Thankfully, I made an extra today for my little cousin…" she nodded toward Yahiko. "Of course, he doesn't seem like he wants it."

Yahiko was sharing a bento with Tsubame and looking at Tsubame occasionally with glazed eyes.

"So take this," she said, thrusting the bento out at Kenshin.

"Kaoru, it's…"

"And don't you dare say no!" she admonished before Kenshin could reject. "You must get your essential nutrients!"

Kenshin looked at the fire burning in Kaoru's determined eyes and sighed, smiling in defeat. "Alright, alright."

Just as he was about to open the bento, a loud PA announcement blared. "All Varsity Cheerleaders, to the gym for meeting right now."

Misao jumped up. "Uwa! Something good must have happened!"

Kaoru, too, shut her bento and rose to leave. "Bye guys!" She paused midstep and turned around. "Hey Kenshin… did you say you always have rice onigiri?"

Kenshin nodded.

"UNACCEPTABLE!" Kaoru waved her arms in the shape of an X. "NO NO NO NO NO!"

Hiten High people are rather strange, Kenshin decided.

"Return the bento to me in art. From now on, I will make you a bento every single day, full of vitamins and minerals so you can grow!"

Kenshin sighed. Everyone was picking on his height today, but that didn't matter right now. "Kaoru, that's not necessary…"

"Yes it is! The essential…"

"I don't like to be in anyone's debt," Kenshin said, cutting off further explanation of nutrients.

Kaoru thought for a moment. "I know! In exchange for food, you'll just have to give me the oil painting you make. I've always wanted a painting of myself, anyways." She glared at Kenshin. "You better not say no! I want that painting!"

Kenshin was about to protest, but took another look at Kaoru's burning eyes and decided to give in. Like he could really win against someone like her. "Alright, alright…"

"Okay!" Kaoru ran off to catch up with Misao. "Bye guys!"

That night, Kenshin collapsed into bed exhausted but couldn't fall asleep.

First, algebraic equations sailed through his head… there was, after all, a test tomorrow.

Then, the kendo class… he must remember to tell that coach that he really didn't have intentions to be on the team. Getting beaten up outside of school for that would not be worth it.

And then, the bento…

Kenshin smiled. The chicken and spinach bento was incredibly delicious, as was the little egg roll stuffed neatly next to the rice. Best of all, he'd get one tomorrow too…

Speaking of bento, that Kaoru girl. Kenshin felt himself drifting off. Guess not all cheerleaders are shallow and cruel. Not to mention Sano… and those freshman kids… that Misao…and the fox…

To think of it, this was the first night that Kenshin had slept without dreading the next day. Despite the inevitable five mile run to school tomorrow, or that he'd probably get it for something or the other by the end of the week, or that he'd need to strategically avoid Akutagawa and his gang for the rest of his life, there was no longer the pit in his stomach that usually came at night.

In fact, he rather looked forward to school tomorrow. Especially lunch. He wondered what Kaoru would make tomorrow. She did mention something about needing to go to the grocery store and buy tomatoes.

Kenshin felt himself falling into a peaceful slumber. Is this happiness?

For the first time since he could remember, he slept without nightmares.

: End Chapter :

Yeah… finally continuing this. XD;;;

Hmm to explain… I'm not sure how kendo teams work, so I'm making what would constitute as the team "regulars." Think Prince of Tennis-style clubs, just in a class.

The birthdates thing was probably weird. Just think of Kenshin as being born June of the previous year. How does he know that? Who knows… let's assume Kenshin had psychic powers for that moment and leave it at that.

CC is appreciated. :