Scars
Chapter One
Everything isn't, always, as it seems. Sometimes we see things that no one was ever meant to see. Sometimes we fight losing battles. A journey has a beginning and an ending, yet the adventure is all that is in-between.
Sanosuke Sagara had begun his adventure and because of it, had been exposed too much more than he ever could have imagined. He had a job, not a normal, but that job was the adventure in itself.
The room was thick with cigarette smoke. The television was on but so low that only one with a trained ear could hear it. The newsmen were talking about the latest happenings. Sanosuke was sitting on the chair that was perpendicular to the television, smoking one cigarette after another. There was an ashtray on the arm of the chair in which Sanosuke was sitting on, overflowing with ashes. The man continued to look at the television and he inhaled deeply, burning the cigarette down to the butt. He smashed it into the overflowing trey causing ash to fly up into the air.
In another room a clock chimed 12 o'clock and like clockwork, the glass was heard crashing onto the ground. It was the only sound that broke that practically silent air.
Sanosuke turned the volume of the television up.
'Mr. Omaka Shinzutu was killed tonight in a freak accident. He was caught up in a building fire. As to how the fire was started, it is still unclear.'
"Bull shit." Sanosuke turned the television off and the room went dark and silent.
Flick . . . flick
Sanosuke lit another cigarette and the room was illuminated as the lighter came to life. He got up out of his chair and walked to the back of the room. He leaned against the wall, his hands behind his head, with the cigarette in the corner of his mouth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin slowly opened his eyes, his mass of red hair falling into his face as a few pieces of glass fell to the ground from it. He calmly brushed his hands through his hair and looked at the wall where the mirror used to be. He then sat up in the couch, looking down at himself.
'I'm sure that I went to bed in my raccoon pajamas last night . . . where did these things come from?'
He smiled to himself. 'Oh well.' He thought, his smile never wavering.
As he was lazily rolling off of the leather couch, a knock came from the door, and it opened.
"Good morning Kenshin. You look quite flabbergasted this morning, is something wrong?"
Kenshin was smiling still, even after the somewhat rude intrusion, and comment of his friend. "Well, I guess I broke another mirror. Again."
Sanosuke shook his head. "How many years of bad luck does it add up to now?"
"Beats me. I lost count after 343." Kenshin laughed as he walked into his kitchen. He hurried right over the sword that was lying in the midst of the broken glass, right under the whole in the wall. Kenshin seemed to totally overlook the whole mess, walking right over the glass, in his slippers. He especially disregarded the sword.
Sanosuke walked towards the sword, sheathed it and hung it in its proper place in the main room. He smiled almost bitterly, as he looked at the sword. His gaze fell to the floor. "Kenshin, don't worry about the mirror. I'll take care of it." He yelled.
There was some rustling from the bedroom and then a loud, "Ya I know.", from Kenshin.
'It's like he doesn't want to know.' Sanosuke thought.
A drawer slammed in the other room, and Sanosuke moved closer to the front door, knowing that Kenshin would be walking out of his room any moment. He pulled an object out of his jacket pocket. It was a cell phone; he opened it, and pushed a button then spoke 'mirror' into it. It dialed a number. The whole act was done, as if it had been done a hundred times before.
"Hello. This is Sagara. The usual please."
Then he hung up the phone. It was like ordering at a restaurant where the waiter knew you by mane and knew what you would order when you sat down and said, 'the usual please'. By the time he had hung up the phone Kenshin was walking out of the bedroom, wearing the usual bright fuchsia turtle neck, jeans, and a navy blue jacket.
"Sano, so where do you want to go for breakfast?" Kenshin asked politely.
"The usual." Sano said as he opened the door for Kenshin. Kenshin exited first with a smile, like that of a small child who was going to get candy. Sano got the urge to bang his head against the wall, but he refrained.
~~~~~~ GOOD FORTUNE RESTAURANT ~~~~~~~
It was still earl and the restaurant wasn't open. Kenshin and Sanosuke got out of the car, each with a bagel in their hands, and walked around to the back door. They went to their work lockers and put on their work clothes. In Sano's locker there was a black apron, and in Ken's, there was a white one, along with a chef's hat.
Sano pulled the apron on and tied it. He looked over to Kenshin, who was working on putting his hair back so that his hat would stay on his head. Sano wanted to laugh every time that he laid eyes on his friend, but he didn't laugh of course. Kenshin really did look ridiculous.
Sano being the bus boy didn't waste time pondering over the sheer queerness of his friend, rather he went off into the back room and retrieved the clean silverware. When he returned, Kenshin had already started cooking.
He was such an eyesore. He was a redhead, wearing a hot pink turtleneck, and faded bootleg jeans with a white apron, which fell past his knees and to top it all off, that stupid hat. Then of course there was that scar. That wasn't ludicrous at least; it was just strange. That was the only reason why people didn't laugh when they saw Ken. That and the fact that it was pointless to laugh at him, he would just laugh along with you.
As Sano passed him by, all that he could see was a smile on the man's face. It could brighten up a pitch-black room- that smile. That was what Kenshin was; he was the personification of light and fluffy. If he were to break a glass, he would laugh and brush it off. If someone were to curse and scream at him, he'd smile and tell them what a lovely day it was. By God he was gay, happy. Simply happy. He was a feather that never fell to the ground.
As Sano went back into the main part of the kitchen to start washing the dishes, he shook his head as he always did, at his friend. He was glad however that he didn't have to constantly worry what would happen around this happy Kenshin. He didn't have to keep his eye on him every single second, when he was like this. It allowed him to breathe, and rest his mind, which was constantly straining, all the rest of the time. He knew that the smiling red head couldn't harm a fly, or cause any trouble whatsoever; the poor guy probably wouldn't even know how to pick a fight. He probably wasn't even capable of getting angry.
Although, it was a shame that he had to enjoy cooking. It sure as hell was embarrassing for Sano to be a bus boy.
'He had to like to cook! Why couldn't he have liked law?' Sano thought. Then Sano tried to picture Ken being a prosecutor, and he started chuckling to himself. No, that didn't fit Kenshin.
'A cook . . .' Sano smiled yet again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They got off at their usual time. It was just about 4:30. Kenshin was smiling as Sanosuke shut his locker, and put on his jacket.
"Kenshin, why are you so happy?" Sano didn't know how, but Kenshin's smile actually grew bigger.
"Because it is a great thing to be alive. I am happy to be here with you, and with everyone else, I am happy just to spend time in this world." Sano nodded his head. He knew the answer. It was the same answer he always received. He rarely asked, but when he did, it was always the same answer.
"Kenshin lets go home."
"Hai." He said with a beaming grin.
There was a brief silence, when they finally got into the car, Kenshin broke out, "What would you like for dinner tonight Sano?"
"Up to you tonight; I've got plans." Kenshin didn't stop smiling. As if he was incapable of such a thing.
Sano dropped Ken off at the apartment building, and sped off.
'Kenshin would be fine for a few more hours yet.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ken locked up as soon as he closed the door. He then made himself dinner. He served himself a bowl of chocolate ice cream after dinner, and went into his room to watch some anime on the television. After he watched some television, he took a shower. It was a fast shower, for him, only about ten minutes. He didn't even sing like he normally would, he was so tired. He got out, wrapped a towel around himself, and headed back to his room. There, he rummaged through his drawers, and picked out his raccoon pajamas and slipped into them. Then, with a yawn, he went to bed.
It was around 7:30, just before sunset, when he finally dozed off, his eyes becoming heavy. He fell into a peaceful slumber, and as his eyes closed, something else awoke.
The front door to his apartment opened quietly, and a Sano walked in and sat on the couch.
End Chapter One
