A/N: Enjoy!

Standard disclaimers apply.


Chapter Eight

Kenshin

"Okay, thanks, g'bye." I closed my cell phone and took a few breaths.

I had just scheduled my haircut appointment. I decided last night while I was trying to sleep that it would be best to donate all my hair before the surgery, and to do it the day after the function.

I ran a hand through my hair. For my entire life, I had gotten made fun of for my hair, but I still loved it. Did it make me selfish that a big reason why I didn't want the surgery was just because I would lose my hair?

My cell phone buzzed in my hand, and I saw it was Enishi.

"Hey."

"Hey. Get over here – you need your suit tailored." And he hung up, leaving no room for debate or discussion.

So I got my jacket and left.

On the way to Enishi's apartment, I went into a store that sold outdoor clothing and bought two more black ski masks. I decided to treat myself to a nicer brand this time around since I figured that I should leave "with style."

I left with forty dollars less in my pocket, which would normally make me wince.

The apartment that Enishi lived in was insane. There were cameras in the entrance, and I had to go through multiple people to even reach the elevator. And even when I made it to Enishi's floor, I had to go through another guy that I recognized to be Enishi's main bodyguard.

I knocked on his door, waiting for Mr. Gensai to answer.

"Kenshin! How are you?" Mr. Gensai greeted me, and I could tell he was upset about my recent…accident.

"I'm alright. How are you?"

"I'm well. Come, the tailor is here and she's just finished Enishi."

I followed Mr. Gensai through the spacious apartment past the saltwater fish tank, past the expensive artworks, and past a kitchen, two sitting rooms, and two bathrooms (why did he even need two bathrooms?) to where Enishi was talking with the tailor in Japanese.

"Kenshin!" Enishi said, standing up and walking toward me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. He looked down at my plastic bag and asked, "What did you just buy?"

I looked over at the tailor and read her mind before answering. She didn't know a word of English besides "Thank you!" and "Hello!" and the numbers one through one hundred.

"Masks."

"How much did they cost?"

I sighed. "No, Enishi. You're not going to –"

He handed me a crisp bill with Ben Franklin on it. "I insist."

"I don't need it."

"Just take the goddamn money. Are we going to have to go through this every time?"

He sounded a little upset, probably still high strung over the upcoming function and my surgery. So I took it and pocketed it.

"Good man!" He then spoke in Japanese to the tailor, and she got up with a notepad and pen, ready. "Okay just stand straight and let her move your arms and legs so she can measure."

I obeyed him and she demanded me to spread my arms out. She whipped out a measuring tape and began working.

"So have you come up with a story yet?" I asked.

"Yeah. You're an old friend that I've recently bumped into, reunited after years of separation. I'm now helping you and your family out with financial stuff blah, blah, blah, the press will just eat it up," Enishi explained. "It has enough truth in it to be completely believable.

I smiled. "Right. A charity case is definitely believable."

He sighed apologetically. "It is the only believable explanation. Unless you want to explain some questionable things."

"Wouldn't it be so much easier if I just pretended that I was part of your company?" I asked a bit desperately. I didn't like the idea of being in the spotlight like that.

"Has your hair miraculously changed color?"

I scowled. "No."

"I thought so."

We stood in silence, and after the tailor was done recording my measurements, she bowed to Enishi before leaving us alone.

"I could've just rented a tux. Don't do this because you feel sorry for me."

He looked down at his nice leather shoes before meeting my eyes. "It's not just that." He then smirks, that confident one that everyone saw all the time on his face. "You have to look good in my company." He slapped me on the back. "The suit will be sent to your apartment at the end of the week."

I nodded and told him that I would see him later, given that there were no crimes before the function. And as I left his apartment and began walking back to my living quarters, I thought about Kaoru and how shocked she'd be seeing me in clothing worth more than twenty bucks in total.


Enishi

About two days after getting Kenshin's suit, there was a man attempting to rob and murder a family. Kenshin and I got there and I took him down, but Kenshin had collapsed as soon as it had ended, unable to move, his head was in so much pain. So I flew him back to his apartment before coming back to mine.

Just in time to see a restricted number trying to call me.

"Hello?"

"What the hell are you going to do about this Shishio problem?"

Oh. Him again? Honestly, having that one call was bad enough. "What do you mean?"

"It's beginning to effect other cities. Other members of the League are beginning to deal with Shishio's petty followers."

I wouldn't have known – I never kept in contact with any of my fellow heroes. Besides, we would be seeing each other in the late spring. But I didn't think this Shishio person would be appealing to so many people.

"I've got a plan in the works, don't worry."

"Besides hosting functions?"

I couldn't answer that, but I did say, "I'm going to get him. He hasn't come out in a while. But the next time he does, he's finished."

I didn't hear anything, so I checked my phone to see that he had hung up on me. Asshole.

Wanting to talk with someone I actually liked, I dialed Natsumi since I hadn't talked to her in a few days.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Natsumi."

"Enishi. Long time no speak. How are you?"

"I've been better," I sighed, running a hand through my sweaty hair. "What about you?" I began peeling off my costume.

"I've been okay. I'm pretty excited for your function – I just bought the prettiest dress. You'll love it."

I smiled. I bet I would. "Do you want to be picked up, or would you rather just meet there?"

"Meet there – I might be an hour late since I'll be coming back from Florida that day."

I nodded as I pulled on a shirt and stripped the rest of my costume off.

"So I thought I should tell you now that my old friend Kenshin is going to be there."

"Kenshin? You've never mentioned him before."

"Oh, he was this kid that I was best friends with when I was eight…you know when I first lived here. I had just bumped into him recently. I'm sort of taking care of him now."

She sighed. "Why do I feel like you're lying to me half the time?"

Rendered speechless twice in a row.

"I…may not telling you everything…but…I love you. So…don't doubt that." And that was my first love confession.

I heard her sigh again and I knew that it wasn't good. "I don't know if I can continue this anymore. I'll go to this last function with you…and then that's it. I'll see you then."

She hung up on me.


Kaoru

Katamari insisted on going shopping with me for a new dress. Because apparently my clothes weren't okay enough for the function. Sorry that I was supporting myself with food, hot water, and shelter, and that I didn't have the frivolous money to waste buying a dress I was only going to wear once.

But he offered to pay for it because he was still upset about the crazy fireman fiasco. When would he let it go?

Although I wasn't going to deny that shopping for a new, expensive dress was extremely appealing.

"So…Kaoru…" he started as he searched through the racks, blowing off nearly every single one. "How's that boy toy of yours?"

I first thought he was talking about the sidekick, but then I figured he meant Kenshin.

"I really like him," I admitted, looking over the dresses he blew off. I pulled a plain strapless one off and showed it to him. "What's wrong with this?"

He scoffed. "Kaoru, you're way too stunning for that. You need something sexy and stunning. That's so…blah. You deserve better."

I sighed as I put it back.

"So…you like him?" he prodded, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah…but…it's weird. I don't know. We're kind of like…too close for friends. If that makes any sense. Physically I think we broke some 'friend' boundaries. And not in the dirty way, so get your head out of the gutter!"

He snorts. "Okay, okay. So what does that mean?"

"I don't know. I haven't dealt with anything like this before. It's…" I couldn't find a word for it because everything else was just so cliché and not fitting.

Katamari suddenly became serious as he watched me struggle to find the right words. "Oh…you actually…really like him."

I merely nodded.

"Well what do you think he feels?"

"See, that's the thing. I know that he knows there's something going on…but he has this barrier. I can't see it, but I know it's there. His life…it's all shrouded in mystery. He gets random calls all the time. And it's the same person. It's kind of…suspicious."

"Is he a drug dealer or something?"

"The only drugs I've seen him take are painkillers, which he needs. Apparently his headaches are just God-awful. And I'm not sure if he drinks, but if he's popping these pills like candy, then I'm pretty sure he doesn't."

"That sucks. Headaches suck. Maybe he gets these pills on the side?"

"No, he gets them all from the pharmacy. His doctor prescribes it." I then get teary-eyed thinking about his upcoming surgery.

"What's wrong?" he asked, completely abandoning his search to give me his full attention.

"He's…his brain is messed up. He's going to have to go under…and I don't know if he's going to be the same after that." I wiped the tears from under my eyes, careful not to smudge my mascara.

He frowned. "Okay. I…can't imagine how this must be for this guy…but if I were he I'd probably want to be with all my friends and stuff…or at least the ones that really mattered. I mean you have two options here. You can either stick by him until the very end…or you just let him go, which may be less painful."

I couldn't believe Katamari even said that. There was no way I was dumping Kenshin like that! I would never forgive myself! Kenshin had become a very dear person to me, and I wasn't going to abandon him.

"I'm sticking by him," I said simply, walking past him to continue the search for a dress.

One caught my eye, and when I showed it to him, he grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Now that's more like it."


Kenshin

I put on the pants, I put on the shirt, I put on the overcoat, and I put on the shoes, and when I looked in the mirror, I didn't recognize myself.

Enishi always looked so comfortable in these clothes, almost like how the average person is comfortable wearing a pair of jeans.

I sighed as I pulled down the cuffs on my shirt. It wasn't that I looked terrible…it just wasn't me. I didn't wear clothes like this. I wore jeans everyday and wrinkled shirts and canvas shoes.

At least it was only for one night. One last night to look relatively normal. I swung my ponytail in front of my shoulder and ran a hand through it, feeling the need to cry despite how trivial appearances are in comparison to my health and life.

But my lack of future was getting more and more obvious by the day.

I sighed as I left the bathroom to leave for the function. Thankfully the landlord wasn't waiting by the door to yell at me; I had just taken a few pills and my headache was the most bearable it had been in a while.

I had planned on walking there; it wasn't too far from where I lived surprisingly enough. But outside my apartment building there was a limo and Mr. Gensai had just stepped out of it.

"Kenshin? What are you doing? Didn't Enishi tell you that I was going to give you a ride?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No. I was just going to walk."

Mr. Gensai sighed. "Enishi said you would do that." He jerked his head to the limo. "Get in."

I followed Mr. Gensai into the limo, getting a whiff of new-leather smell. I never really liked that smell; I never understood why people found it so pleasing.

"I'm really sorry," Mr. Gensai said as soon as the limo smoothly lurched forward.

I shrugged. "It's okay – we had a good run."

We sat in silence for the rest of the car ride. I watched the flash of city lights through the tinted window, trying to put off the dread of having to be around hundreds of people I didn't know, that were of a completely different level than me.

At least Kaoru would be there.

"Please tell Enishi, if you can, that I can't read too much into people's minds – I can't let my eyes change color," I told Mr. Gensai as we slowed to a stop.

"I will." Mr. Gensai opened the door and got out. "Get ready."

I grinned a little before getting out myself, already bombarded with photographers and flashing lights and tape recorders. Why was this like, a celebrity awards show?

But thankfully Mr. Gensai grabbed my arm tightly and led me through the swarm of people into the safe confinements of the club where this function was being held.

We entered a large room with many tables, two bars, and a band playing on a stage. There were people there that I vaguely recognized from the newspaper, even a few celebrities.

But then I spotted Enishi, laughing and looking absolutely comfortable. He was so in his element; I felt like a fish dying out of water.

He saw me and walked over to where Mr. Gensai and I stood.

"Kenshin!" he exclaimed, bringing me into a hug, and I heard a few clicks of a camera. "Keep an eye out," he mutters in my ear so no one could hear.

"Or a mind out," I replied quietly.

He pulled away and slapped me on the shoulder, laughing. "You crack me up." He vaguely gestured out around him. "Go have fun." And he left me to fend for myself.

It was kind of like going to family member's bat mitzvah where you didn't know any of the kids your age, but you couldn't hang out with your parents because they knew all the adults and were talking about boring things that you didn't care to know about.

I sighed and ran a hand through my bangs. This was going to suck.

I walked to the bar and ordered a club soda, having to stop the bartender from pouring anything alcoholic into it. As I took a sip, I turned and leaned back against the bar counter.

And that was when I saw her.


Kaoru

These shoes were really uncomfortable and hard to walk in, so I latched onto Kamatari's arm for the time being. I was going to kill him for convincing me to get these shoes.

It still continued to surprise me that someone could know that many people and be in business with all of them. Enishi Yukishiro was clearly a person to behold.

He strode around the room and talked with everyone so smoothly. He was the ultimate businessman.

I looked toward the bar, hoping to get some sort of drink, and I nearly gaped. Kenshin.

And he was looking so casual and handsome and I think I was gripping Kamatari's arm too tightly because he followed where my eyes were stuck and whistled lowly.

"Good pick, Miss Kamiya," he murmured in my ear.

"That's Kenshin!" I hissed as we made our way inside. I was hesitant; I was drawn to go over to him.

"No!" he gasped. "Did you know he was coming?"

"No! He didn't say! I mean I knew he was friends with Enishi Yukishiro –"

"Wait, he's what?"

I sighed. "They just met up recently."

"Huh." I looked over at him, wondering why that was so interesting to him. But then glanced sideways at me. "So, he's straight?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure." No, he definitely had to be.

"Then go get him!" He nudged me in his general direction, nearly making me trip. I glared at him before walking over to Kenshin.

I never thought Kenshin could clean up, as horrible as that may seem. He was just the person that never left a pair of jeans. But the real question was…why didn't he tell me that he was going to be at this function?

His eyes drifted over to me, and he smiled before placing his drink back on the counter.

"Hey," he said. He looked at me from head to toe, but it wasn't creepy; he was just being observant. "You look stunning," he said with such sincerity that I blushed profusely.

"Thanks. You look good too."

He snorted, looking down at his expensive-looking suit. "I was going to rent one, but Enishi insisted on custom fitting."

"And Enishi Yukishiro will not be denied."

He grinned. "Exactly."

I sighed a little, looking around at all the people; everyone was going to their respective tables. Dinner was about to start.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were also going to be here?" I asked quickly.

He picked up his drink and said, "I was going to…but then I passed out."

Oh. The restaurant. I looked down at my feet, not wanting to think about that right now.

"I think we're supposed to eat now…but I'll talk to you after dinner. What table are you at?"

"Fourteen."

"One," he said with a hint of amusement.

"Of course. Enishi's table is number one," I mocked.

He grinned. "Of course," he repeated before pushing himself off the counter. He gave me a caring smile that I liked to think he only reserved for me before he walked past me to his table.

I numbly walked over to mine, scrambling to get in the right state of mind for my work, but I was finding difficult with Kenshin's being flashing before me whenever I closed my eyes. He was burned into my retinas.


Kenshin

Dinner was extremely uncomfortable and I barely talked as I picked at my food. It was chicken, and it wasn't bad, I just wasn't in the mood to eat.

Especially since my mind was on overdrive, trying to search through every mind in this goddamn room.

Nobody at the table seemed to know anything, and neither did the four tables around me.

I looked up and caught a feminine looking man staring at me and I recognized him as the man that Kaoru had walked in with. Honjou Katamari, Kaoru's boss.

Kaoru does have good taste, he's very beautiful. But he doesn't do it for me like Shishio.

I just about choked on the piece of chicken that I had been chewing on for the past five minutes.

I took a sip of water and said, "I'm okay," the few people that turned to look at me.

What the hell was that?

I probed Katamari's mind further, and I was shocked by what I found.

He was in love with Shishio. And he didn't care about what Shishio was doing to this city; he just wanted him to be happy.

I thought I was going to upchuck what I had just eaten.

But the scary thing was that Katamari knew that Enishi was Shikku. I tried to find out how he could've figured it out, but everyone was standing up and leaving, going around to mingle again.

I tried to get to Enishi, but some politician was sweeping him up. Subtly, I stared at Enishi, hoping for him to notice me, but he didn't.

I sighed. This was going to hurt.

I closed my eyes briefly and sent him a message: I found him.

And there went my head.

It felt like someone was ripping my head apart in an agonizingly slow way. And the stuffiness of the room and the talking and inner thoughts of everyone around me just made everything a lot worse. I had to get fresh air.

With my eyes down, I quickly made my way to a curtained wall, but I knew there were doors that led to a balcony because I saw a few people disappearing there a few times. When I felt a rush of cool air, my head cleared a little.

I leaned on my elbows on the banister, looking down at the traffic. I was only a few floors up, not too high.

I heard the door open and close, and I knew it was Enishi. I looked over at him and he gasped.

"Your eyes are glowing amber. It's scary," he said, shuddering.

"I found him – he works for the paper. With Kaoru. Katamari. What are we supposed to do?"

He sighed, his fingers raking through her hair. "I'm going to have to…pay him a visit or something. Turn him in." He swallowed and let out another breath. "Thanks, Kenshin." He turned to go back inside but then he stopped. "Stay outside for a few minutes – wait until your eyes change back." And then he was gone.

I sighed loudly as I cradled my head in my hands for a few minutes. And then I remembered that I stuffed two pills in my pocket earlier that night, so I pulled them out and swallowed them dry before putting my head back in its original position.

Someone opened and closed the door again, and I wasn't sure who it was; I didn't really bother to try and read their mind since the pain in my head was slowly dwindling.

"Hey."

Kaoru.

"Hey," I responded, not looking up. I wasn't sure if my eyes were still amber.

I felt her lean against the banister beside me. Her heat radiated into my jacket.

"You know, Enishi is telling people that you and he just met up very recently. Why the lie?" she asked.

I couldn't deal with this right now. In fact, I was done dealing with it all. I hated all the secrets, and I couldn't stand leading two lives with Kaoru.

I lowered my hands and turned my head to look at her and her eyes are immediately drawn to mine.

"You're eyes…" she whispered.

I then did the craziest thing imaginable: I kissed her.

Was it a poorly planned way to distract her from thinking about my eyes, which I was sure were a mixture of gold and violet? Kind of. But when I felt her respond, I knew it was something more than that.

A lot more.

And I was pretty sure that she felt it too, because she took me by the hand and we left the function together and into the romantic intimacy that only a night in a city could bring.


A/N: Please review! I really appreciate them all, even if I don't necessarily respond to your specific review :)

MissGoalie