Rurouni Kenshin is created by and the legal property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, so please don't sue me...I have NO money ;-;

" And when were movin' sets across the stage...do us all a favor and move you ass's out of the wings!!"

Stage Manager Sarah CCHS Production of "OKLAHOMA!" 2001-2002 Drama Dinner Improv "The Actor and the Techi should be Friends.

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Chapter 2: Getting to know you

Kenshin had lingered outside on the porch after he left Kaoru's apartment. It was still raining, but not as hard. Lighting illuminated the area and thunder shook in the sky. Kenshin was about to head inside when he heard the sound of someone being throw to the floor. He looked to Kaoru's door to see her boyfriend emerge. Kenshin's eyes settled in a glare. What exactly was this guy up to? The man turned around and lock the door to Kaoru's apartment. He brushed past Kenshin toward the stairs. He looked back at Kenshin for a brief second before descending the stairs. "See what I mean?" Kenshin looked behind him to see Sanosuke leaning against the guardrail. Kenshin nodded. "Sano...are you still friends with Katsu by any chance?" Sano arched a brow up in confusion. "Yeah, he comes over every Tuesday...why..?" Kenshin met his eyes. "Can he still gather information as well as he used too..?" Sano nodded. "Sure...but why?" "I want him to gather information on Miss. Kaoru's little boyfriend...ask him that favor for me..." Before Sanosuke could reply Kenshin walked back into his apartment and shut the door.

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The next morning Kenshin was up early cooking breakfast and looking through the want ads. "Hmm...my computer skills are still pretty sharp...huh? What's this?" Kenshin's eye caught a particular ad in the paper.

"WANTED - Part time Kendo instructor who works well with kids. Good pay. Please call 449-6786 for more information."

Kenshin smiled. "This might be a good opportunity...I haven't trained in a while...lets see." Getting up he walked over to his phone and dialed the number. After two rings a women picked up. "Hello...?" Kenshin cleared his throat. "Um, yes, I'm calling in response to your ad in the paper." "Oh! Yes...well I'll need to gather some information about you, your name?" "Kenshin, Kenshin Himura" The line went quiet for a second "Um...Miss? Are you still there?" Kenshin then heard a small giggle. "Y-Yes...I'm still here Mr. Himura, why don't you meet me for breakfast...?" Kenshin looked down at his now cold breakfast. "Sure...but, I'm new here and I don't exactly know where to go..." She giggled again. "Here...go to this address 1237 Court Lane. There's a restaurant there. Meet me in 20 minutes alright." Kenshin smiled. "Alright...Miss..?" Before he knew it she had already hung up. 'Oh well..' he thought. 'I'll meet her soon...'

Kenshin arrived at his destination right on time. Walking in, he immediately found the atmosphere quiet calming. Suddenly, a women approached him. "Hello sir, and welcome to the Akabeko. I'm Tae, the owner. How may I help you?" Kenshin nodded. "I'm meeting someone here." Tae nodded. "Yes, right this way..." Tae led him to a booth toward the back. He could see someone already sitting there with their back toward him. "Here you are Sir..." Kenshin nodded as Tae walked away. After sitting down he looked up at his meeting partner, only to have his eyes widen. "K-Kaoru!?" Kaoru laughed. "Hello Kenshin, I bet your rather surprised..." All he could do was nod. "Y-You put that ad in the paper? I didn't know you instructed a kendo class." Kaoru looked down. "I wasn't planning on it, but, I didn't have enough money for college, and I had learned Kendo from my father, and well things just took there course. Well, lets get to the point shall we...?" Kenshin nodded.

After eating a small breakfast, Kaoru started business. "I'm usually the head instructor at the school, but..." Kaoru looked down at her sling. "Due to recent events, I can't physically teach, all I can do is yell instructions to my students, that's why I put in the ad. I need someone to physical instruct them for me..."

Kenshin leaned his head back. "Miss. Kaoru, I'll gladly take the job, I need the money for the time being, and I have some experience in kendo...but, what style exactly do you teach?" "Kaymia Kasshin Ryu...my fathers style..." Kenshin eyes widened. "I had no idea your family had its own kendo style!" Kaoru smiled slightly and sipped her tea. "There's a lot of things people don't bother to learn about me..." "Say, Kaoru...how long have you lived in your apartment building?" Kaoru looked up and met his eyes. "About 3 years, the first 2 I was alone, then, my boyfriend started visiting..." "What about your parents...? Don't they visit?" Kaoru smiled sadly. "My mother pasted away when I was 4 and my father died 4 and a half years ago..." "How do you get by?" Kenshin asked. "Well...the kendo money, and...my boyfriend helps...a little...well enough about that...Kenshin.."

He tilted his head. "Yes...?" She smiled, a beautiful smile. "When can you start...?" Kenshin smiled. "I soon as I can..." Kaoru blushed under his violet gaze, and began to stand. "Would you like to see the school...? That way you can become familiar on how to get there." Kenshin stood up. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea, of, but I have to be back around lunch. I promised Sano we'd do some catching up this afternoon." Kenshin helped Kaoru out of her seat. "No problem, the dojo actually isn't that far." Kaoru dug through her purse for the breakfast payment, only to look down and see Kenshin placed the payment down on the table.

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Half an hour later they arrived at her dojo. Kaoru unlocked the door and walked in. "Well this is the place...It's not in the best condition, but until I get more money, it'll be looking like this..." Kaoru bent down to pick up some trash on the ground. Kenshin tried his best not to see how her jean pants became tighter around her lower behind. Kaoru stood back up and looked around. "I really wish I could use a shinai right now...but, I'm no good using my left hand..." Kaoru moved to remove the sling around her right arm. "Miss Kaoru..? What are you doing...?" Kaoru ignored him and removed the sling, letting her arm fall to her side. She then lifted her arm to in front of her face and looked at her wrist, bruised and broken...'He did this on purpose...he knew how miserable I would be....' "Miss Kaoru..?" She looked at Kenshin's face and put her arm back into the sling. "Dr. Gensai said that it would heal if I didn't use it often, it's not a major break..." Kenshin started to move around the dojo while speaking. "Well Miss. Kaoru, it's going to be a great honor working with you, and since were neighbors, maybe you could tell me a little about yourself..." Kaoru smiled.

"Well...I was born here, in Tokyo...and I lived with my parents here for a while, but after they both died...I couldn't stand living here. So I moved to the apartments. About a year and a half later, I met my boyfriend..." She paused, as if debating to tell him something. "There are other little things, but they don't matter...what about you Kenshin?" Kenshin stopped his wandering and looked up. "I don't remember much of my childhood...my parents both died from disease, and I was put into an orphanage. My foster father came and adopted me. I lived in Kyoto with him for a while, and well..." ' She doesn't need to know about Tomoe...' he thought. "I got tired of Kyoto and went to college for a while hoping to go into computers, but I never found a worthy job, so Sano asked me to come move near him, and...here I am" Kaoru nodded. "How did you and Sano meet...? I mean he's 19, and your...?" "Twenty eight..." Kaoru's eye's widen. "Whoa...I though you were only 20...." Kenshin chuckled. "I met Sano in an tournament, he had gotten into the adult division and well...we fought, I beat him, and we just connected, been friends ever since..." Kaoru looked down. "Its nice that you have somebody to go to when your trouble..." Kenshin looked at her confused. "Don't you rely on your boyfriend like her was a normal friend?" Kaoru almost laughed out loud. If only he were in her shoes. "Me and my boyfriend...our relationship isn't your normal one..." She rubbed her wrist unconsciously and tried not to cry and the thought of him. Kaoru straightened up and looked toward the clock on the wall. "You'd better go meet Sano...It's almost around lunch." Kenshin looked to the clock and nodded. "Thank you for inviting me to breakfast Miss. Kaoru." He smiled and she smiled back. Kaoru took a step toward him, but was caught with a sudden feeling of dizziness. Stumbling she fell to the ground. Kenshin turning around quickly he caught her before she could touch the floor. "Kaoru! Are you alright...?" Kaoru's face had broken out in a small sweat, and she nodded slightly. "Its probably a reaction to the pain killers Dr. Gensai gave me...I-I'm fine..." Kenshin nodded and helped her to her feat. "Want me to walk you back since I'm on the way over there anyway?" She shook her head. "I have to stay here and get some stuff finished. Maybe we can have breakfast again sometime Kenshin..." She smiled slightly and he nodded. "That would be wonderful Miss. Kaoru, I'll see you later then." With that he walked out of the dojo. Sighing, Kaoru leaned against the wall, trying to control her breathing. ' I better visit Gensai again tonight....that's every night this week I've gone..." She looked up to the dojo roof while tears blurred her vision. "Why me...?"

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Kenshin walked toward Sano's apartment and saw him waiting outside...arguing with a women. "Damn it Fox! Your breaking my heart here!" "I told you, you baka Tori Amata!!" "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?!?" "Hello there Sano!" Kenshin approached the couple, the women then turned while flipping her long black hair over her shoulder. "Oh...so you must be Kenshin...I'm Megumi" she practically purred into Kenshin's ear. He backed away slightly. "Um...Sano...shouldn't we be going for lunch now...?" Sano nodded, then he turned to Megumi. "I'll see you later Fox..." he winked at her, and Megumi rolled her eyes. Then Sano followed Kenshin down the stairs.

"So...." Kenshin asked. "When's the next time you see Katsu?" Sano adjusted the blade of grass in his mouth before speaking. "I called him last night, he said he'd come over tonight." Kenshin nodded. "I want the both of you to come over to my place, so I can be in on the conversation." Sano arched an eyebrow up. "Why are you so interested in Jou-chan's boyfriend huh?" Kenshin stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "I had breakfast with Miss. Kaoru this morning, she didn't seem to want to talk of him, and last night, I heard some strange things going on, and he walked out about 5 minutes later. I have a bad feeling about him, and I'm going to figure out what he really has with Kaoru. She said herself there relationship wasn't "normal" " Sano chuckled. "Does she now your just recently divorce...? I mean, aren't you going a bit too fast..?" Sano clapped him on the back and walked toward the Akabeko. Kenshin chuckled and shook his head. ' Sano...' he thought. ' no matter what you think...I want to help Kaoru, I'll probably never be worthy of her love..."

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A/N: Once again Kenshin's on his almighty guilt trip. Don't worry, that won't last long ^^. Boyfriend reveals will probably be next chapter when Sano, Katsu, and Kenshin are discussing his past. Also a little more physical hint's onto why Kaoru needs money so badly. I was also some what hinting toward S/M thing, you know, with them fighting and all. I'll probably do just a S/M chapter later. PLEASE EXCUSE ALL SPELLING ERRORS!! Well...Till next time! Ja! =^.^=

~Kawaii Ayame~