Disclaimer: How many times have I done this? I can only wish I owned Rurouni Kenshin.
Notes: So… the last chapter didn't suck? That's good. I'm leery of parts of this one, but it isn't nearly so predictable. We learn a little more about Okita. Um… yeah, I think that's it.
Warnings: No major shonen ai content, although there's a bit of innuendo. Mentions of the Cold War, shorter chapter than usual… and tasteless clothing. I think that's it. Shall we move on?
Kenshin: Wow. That was a really short opening, Fitz-dono.
Kaoru: I'm impressed.
Fitz: I don't know if I should be pleased or insulted.
Life's a Dance
Central High School's track team had never seen a better year. They won all but one of their meets that spring, the team's star member taking them straight through State competitions. Kenshin was elated, having never been part of such a group before. His friends went to every meet they could, cheering him on and taking him out after a big win.
After one such competition, Aoshi and Okita met the boy in the locker rooms, the latter holding up an overnight bag. Kenshin smiled blankly at them, still scrubbing at his wet hair with a towel as he waited for an explanation.
"We're going to the pool tonight, Himura," Okita announced.
"The pool?" Kenshin echoed, tossing the towel into the dirty cloth bin. "I don't have a swim suit."
"We discovered that," Aoshi shrugged. "Hiko gave us some money to purchase you one."
"Black trunks with..." Okita yanked the suit out and held it up triumphantly. Kenshin stared at it incredulously. "--a big lip print on the butt!"
"That's awful," Kenshin decided, glaring at the bold red kiss mark on the left side of the back of the shorts. "You expect me to wear that in public?"
"Wear it and show off that fine ass of yours," Okita winked.
"Don't you have girls to chase?" Kenshin snatched the swim trunks out of the other boy's hands and stuffed them back into the overnight bag.
"You're the one who started it by kissing me," Okita pointed out.
"Only because you kept bugging me about it!" Kenshin protested, blushing and yanking on a sweatshirt to avoid the amused glances that were being thrown their way by the other boys in the room.
"Kaoru, Misao, and Sanosuke are waiting out in the car," Aoshi interjected mildly.
"I'm hurrying," Kenshin grumbled, stooping to tie his shoes.
"Am I going to get another kiss tonight?" Okita lifted his eyebrow suggestively.
"When they call and tell us our appointment is on for ice skating in hell," Kenshin murmured, grinning as he tied his other shoe. "For now, you'll just have to admire that print on the seat of my swim suit and pretend you were the one who put it there."
Loud wolf whistles and catcalls rose through the locker room. Although flushing a bit in mild embarrassment, Kenshin just smiled, took his bag, and led the way into the hall. Aoshi smirked and shoved Okita, who had an idiotic grin on his face, out the door after him.
Aoshi was driving, even though his little Escort was not really intended to carry more than four passengers. Manual transmission meant no middle seat in the front. So, Kenshin got the pleasure of joining Misao, Kaoru, and Sano in the back seat while Okita got the front. Of course, the bags that would not fit in the trunk were piled by Okita's feet and on his lap.
"I'm feeling a bit stifled," Okita's voice came from behind Kenshin's duffel bag, muffled by the cloth.
"No complaints allowed from the front seat!" Misao retorted.
"Sano gets to have Himura sit on his lap!"
"You could have sat back here," Sano grinned ferally. Kenshin's sudden yelp made everyone--minus Aoshi, who was still driving--turn their heads, only to see the redhead blushing and twisting to glare at the lanky brunette. Sano just smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Sorry."
"What'd he do?" Kaoru wondered.
"Nothing," Kenshin muttered, turning to face the front again, grumbling as Sano urged him to lean back once more.
"Methinks it was more than nothing if you're blushing like that," Okita teased.
"Methinks you should shut up," Kenshin squirmed out of Sano's lap, displacing Misao despite her loud protests.
"Hey! Hey, Kenshin!" Misao complained. "What's this?! I was comfy the way I was!"
In the end, she ended up squished between Kenshin's legs and the middle partition that separated the front seats from the back. She leaned back against the short boy's chest with an irritated sigh, then grinned and nudged at Okita with her toe.
"I bet you're jealous now!" she declared.
"The day I get between Himura's legs--"
"I don't think you're going to finish that, Okita," Kenshin broke in.
"You're no fun."
"Some people would consider this sexual harassment," Kenshin pointed out.
"It is sexual harassment," Aoshi added.
"Therefore he has every right to tell you to shut up," Kaoru concluded.
"Misao started it."
"I did not!"
"You're the one who--"
"Okita, you great big ball of--!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake."
"Give it up, Jou-chan. Let them have their fun."
"Morons."
Kenshin leaned back and smiled. He was not bothered through the rest of the trip to the pool.
^_^
Sano and Misao ran straight for the pool, making the lifeguards yell out warnings when they both splashed into the water. Okita and Kaoru followed at a slower pace, then also upset the guards when Okita picked up Kaoru and dropped her into the deep end. The boy stood by the side, laughing and hopping back when she surfaced and splashed him indignantly. Aoshi and Kenshin took up the tail, the latter wearing the ridiculous suit Okita had picked out. Aoshi headed straight for the swimming lanes where he dove in and started doing laps. Kenshin paused near Okita, who had yet to get in either, then sat by the edge, not putting his feet in--just sitting near the side. He looked at Okita curiously.
"I'm allergic to the chlorine," the other boy explained without being asked. He crouched down next to Kenshin, grinning at the others in the water. "I can be in the water for about ten minutes before I start into a sneezing fit that lasts for hours."
"You don't have that excuse, Kenshin," Sano appeared at the side, grinning madly. His thick brown hair was soaked and flattened on his head. Misao swam up next to him and reached out for Kenshin's ankle, tugging him toward the water.
"Come on, Kenshin!" she urged. "The water's fine."
"I'm sure it is," Kenshin tugged on her fingers, freeing his foot. "No thanks."
"Don't be a spoilsport, Kenshin," Sano lunged forward suddenly, strong hand closing around Kenshin's wrist. Violet eyes went wide with surprise as Sano pulled Kenshin toward him roughly.
Then, Okita released a yelp that turned the heads of the two lifeguards. Upon seeing the scuffle, one guard nodded at the other, who then climbed off his chair and walked around the pool to investigate. After all, it was not safe for someone to pull another person into the pool--especially while that person had a death grip on someone else.
"Sanosuke!" Okita lifted his voice again, sharp warning in his tone. "Let him go!"
Sano fell back into the water, releasing Kenshin's wrist. The redhead lost his grip on Okita's tee shirt and instead scrambled away from the pool side, only to hit the lifeguard. The lifeguard automatically caught the petite boy before he could collapse to the tiles.
"What's going on over here?!" the man demanded, glaring at the boy in the water. But Sano was not worried about the lifeguard's irritation. He, along with Okita, was focused on Kenshin.
The boy was gasping for breath, not thinking he was getting enough when, in actuality, he was getting too much.
"He's hyperventilating!" Okita said anxiously, glancing up as the second lifeguard started jogging their way.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried anxiously, she and Misao climbing out of the pool to prance around the sides worriedly.
The guard already there lowered Kenshin to the floor, gently forcing the boy to double over, placing his head between his knees. Kenshin shook his hands off, slowly bringing his breathing under control. The second guard arrived and held out a bag, which Okita took and brought to Kenshin's face. The smaller boy got the idea and held the bag over his mouth. A few minutes later, he was shaking and weak, but he was breathing normally. He leaned against Okita, nodding that he was okay and even managing a tiny smile for Sano, who hovered around, looking like he felt very guilty.
"It's okay," he finally had the breath to say. "I'm okay."
"Kenshin, I'm sorry," Sano chewed on his lip anxiously. "I had no idea you would... um..."
"Sano, it's fine," Kenshin smiled wearily. "It's just a little phobia of mine. I should have told you guys before we got here."
"What's done is done," Okita waved the guards away. "Just don't do that to us again, Himura. You probably took ten years off my life when you panicked like that. You want to move to the shallow end?"
"Depth doesn't matter," Kenshin shook his head. "I can't even take a bath and showers still make me jumpy. I'll be fine as long as I stay out here. You guys just have fun. I can sit out with Okita."
"No kiddy pool?" Misao teased softly.
"And I walk around large puddles," Kenshin tossed back with a hint of his good-natured grin. "Come on. I don't want to ruin the night."
So they returned to their games, much subdued and somewhat less cheerful. Okita and Kenshin sat by the wall, some distance away from the pool. They watched Sano chase the girls around the pool. Twenty minutes into the games, Okita's barbed commentary brought Aoshi away from his laps. He and Kenshin laughed merrily at the sight of the tall boy getting attacked by Sano, Kaoru, and Misao, wiping tears from their eyes when the three managed to rope the imperturbable senior into a game of Marco Polo--at which, Aoshi seemed to excel.
"He was on the swim team back in middle school and into his sophomore year," Okita informed Kenshin lightly. "Then, he and Kaoru got into a car accident. Aoshi missed most of that last year of swimming and decided not to go back after that."
"What happened?" Kenshin wondered. "Was he injured badly?"
"A couple cracked ribs and a broken leg," Okita shrugged. "The car was totaled. Kaoru got out without a scratch. And I guess Aoshi decided he had better things to do with his time than swim."
"That's too bad," Kenshin smiled when Misao flailed her arms about frantically. Aoshi smirked and let the girl drop back into the water. She was It. "What about you, Okita? I never hear about your life other than what happens in school."
"It's not all that interesting, I'm afraid," Okita shook his head.
"That bad?"
Okita hesitated, glancing at the boy beside him with a strange, uncertain expression on his face. He smiled.
"You're perceptive, Himura. I'll give you that," he looked down at his legs, one bent up while the other was stretched out before him. His arm was draped casually over the knee of his bent leg, and he reached with his left hand to curl his fingers around Kenshin's hand. Kenshin blinked and looked at Okita worriedly, but the dark-eyed boy just smiled again. "It's not so bad as some people would have you think. I just spend a lot of time with my friends rather than at home."
"I'm sorry, Okita," Kenshin glanced down at their clasped hands and folded his other hand around them. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"Not at all, Himura," Okita shrugged one shoulder awkwardly, smiling a bit as he stared down at his hand in Kenshin's. "Actually, it's kind of nice to talk about it."
"Do you live with your parents?"
"My mother," the dark-haired boy nodded. "And her lover of the month. This month's beau isn't too bad. He doesn't even get drunk every weekend. And he doesn't try to treat me like I'm his son."
"And your Dad?"
"Ah..." Okita snorted disdainfully. "Off in a federal prison. Two lifetime sentences for murder and then treason."
"Is that legal?" Kenshin frowned. "That kind of sentencing, I mean."
"How should I know?" Okita laughed, a slightly bitter sound. "Just because I've got his genes doesn't mean I have to have anything to do with him. The bastard actually sends me a card on my birthday. Can you believe that? A card and his love." The words rolled off his tongue, thick with contempt. He rolled his eyes heavenward, missing the sympathetic glance Kenshin gave him.
"I don't think that's such a laughable concept," Kenshin said softly.
"The guy was selling secrets to the Russians back during the Cold War," Okita scowled. "And he killed a security guard who happened to hear him talking on a pay phone to one of those bastards." With a loud sigh, Okita leaned against Kenshin's shoulder. Not all that much smaller than Okita, Kenshin took the boy's weight easily and squeezed his hand in encouragement. "I find it difficult to believe that a man who could kill in cold blood could love a son he's never seen. He only knows about me because Mom pushed the paperwork through to force him to provide child support. Since he's in prison, the state pays for it now. So it's one card a year and a letter every Christmas."
Kenshin sighed softly and shook his head.
"I think you're not giving him a chance," he declared. "You have never even spoken with him. Granted, he may actually be the coldhearted bastard of which you speak. But before you meet him, you really don't have the right to decide that, do you?"
They fell into a contemplative silence, neither boy particularly inclined to break it. Okita stared across the tiles to the water, where Aoshi, Sano, Kaoru, and Misao's game of Marco Polo had dissolved into a game of water tag. He glanced at the clock, startled to find that it was well after eight, and the pool would soon be closing for the night. Kenshin's soft, regular breathing beside him brought him back to the present, and he looked down at the other senior in surprise. Head fallen to rest on Okita's shoulder, Kenshin had fallen fast asleep. Smiling broadly, Okita glanced up as the others approached them.
"Done already?" he questioned mildly.
"The pool is closing," Kaoru explained, smiling warmly when she saw Kenshin's state of wakefulness--or lack thereof. "We're going to dry off. We'll meet you guys in the lobby in about fifteen minutes."
"We'll expect you in twenty-five," Aoshi deadpanned.
"Oh, shut up! We can move faster than that."
"Who's going to wake Kenshin?" Sano wondered, glancing sidelong at the two sitting by the wall.
"He'll wake up when Okita moves," Aoshi pointed out reasonably.
"I'm awake," Kenshin mumbled, his words barely intelligible.
"We're going to Aoshi's now," Okita said.
"Okay," Kenshin dragged himself to his feet, smiling languidly when Okita looked at him. "Come on, Okita. I'll even sit by you in the car."
Grinning wide enough to show most of his teeth, Okita caught Kenshin's extended hand and climbed to his feet.
^_^
Notes: Okay, so Kenshin made this comment about ice skating in hell. I realized he had said something extraordinarily similar to that in an earlier chapter. Then I remembered that it was Rurouni who had said it as opposed to Kenshin in the first place, reminding me where my mind had been going when I wrote the story originally. Okay? Okay.
Another Random Omake… hey, I was inspired.
Leader robber man: (talking to Kenshin) What's in the box, kid?
Kenshin: It's my collection of naughty magazines.
Suzume's mother: Give me back my daughter!
(Fitz notes that this line reminds me of a movie I watched in a social class. Not Without My Daughter. Not a bad movie. I wouldn't go out and rent it. On with the Omake.)
Sano: Hey, Kenshin! Can I see some?
Kenshin: We're not supposed to know each other! But yes. You can see them later.
Hoooooo boy. That was bad. Anyway, I just can't stay away, so I'll try to keep my responses shorter.
TO THE REVIEWERS!--Thank you for following my story and offering your compliments and criticism. I am ever so grateful. Please continue.
mae: I don't ask questions. I just work with what I'm given… usually.
nemo: I did mention Megumi (in the first chapter). She was the Human Physiology teacher. And actually, I do kind of mention the college thing. But not yet. Later, later, later! But it'll be there.
Jason M. Lee: My, but you're so violent. *hands Sano an ice pack* And yes, I'm under the impression that Ayame was the elder of the two as well.
Chibi Assassin: YAY! *Huggles Chibi Assassin* You reviewed my story! I know you get jealous, and yes, I'm rolling my eyes, but don't think that means I don't love you. Besides, you have a great story posted. I'm now imagining Saitou and Okita at the roller skating rink, singing and doing the motions for the YMCA song. *snicker*
tenshineko: Nah, Kenshin's not the one who'd get in trouble. That'd be Tomoe. Think third-world countries and places not as so-called 'civilized' as the US. Am I a cynic? Nah. And no, I'm not from CA. Try the Midwest. MN. I'm waiting for snow, people! When's it coming? *people yell back to the crazy person that it's not winter yet*
marstanuki: Honestly. No one. At least, nothing serious. They're in high school yet. I think this is acceptable.
Vesca: Ack! I know it was short. Probably seemed even shorter because it was all one scene. This was another short chappie, so I apologize. It fluctuates. And as far as Tomoe… she's going to make random appearances (part of my plan to utterly confuse and frustrate you) so be patient. We'll find out more about her later.
Koneko-chan: I did alter her age. I changed everyone's ages. And yes, I know she's too old for Kenshin. Quite honestly, I think Kenshin (and the other main characters) is too young for that kind of relationship. Call me conservative. And thank you for your opinion on these responses. That did convince me to continue, although I'm trying not to ramble so much.
test: Whoa… my mind is awhirl. Methinks it's not going to happen, mainly because it's not very realistic. If I was writing some sort of outrageous comedy… it's a possibility. For now, I'm attempting to keep things within the realm of 'real'. Whatever that means.
Black Soul (aka Opposite): Thanks for telling me you were the same person. I glanced at your own profile, but I'm afraid I can't check out your works. They would be meaningless to me, and people need someone who knows what's going on to review their works, I think. And I'm evil? Harsh. Anyhoo, I'm still not telling. And what don't they deserve? To be saved? Or to be torn limb from limb? O.o Oooh. Gruesome.
Oryo: Heeheehee! I will drop you a line if I have any German questions, most definitely. And I apologize, but I cannot tell you if it will be K/T because that bet is still on, and I don't want to ruin the surprise for the pairing, although I'm sure everyone will have it figured out by the end.