Disclaimer: Nope. Don't try to sue me either, I have nothing to give.

Author's Notes: Whoopee. Another chapter. And it features Sanosuke the cab driver * snicker *. I won't repeat all the notes from the first one and bore the people who have already read it to death, just go read the story. Oh, one thing, I was flushed and jittery when I wrote the first paragraph of this, I hated writing it, and this WILL NOT turn out lime/lemon. I don't write them. I was just making a point of how they feel about each other, and I didn't go into detail because I hate writing that type of thing. Oh, if you already didn't see the PG-13 rating and you don't want to read it, turn back NOW.

Dedication: Queen of Koorime. Your one-shot cured my writer's block! Also, the support that you have given me throughout ALL my stories deserves thanks!

The Message to Her Heart - Chapter Two - My Bloody Valentine

Kaoru pressed her lips to Kenshin's, and he slightly pulled back in sweet surprise. He smirked, his eyes fiery amber, and kissed her with a passion, invading her mouth. She pulled herself onto his lap, and Kenshin untied her ponytail, caressing the sea of midnight silk. And then he... and then he...

And then he woke up.

"ORORORORORORORORORORORORO!!!!!!!"

Kenshin bolted off his futon, filled his sink with icy water, and dunked his face in. He scrubbed the blood from his nose and his cheeks, and smacked himself hard as he dried his face and bangs.

'I didn't even KNOW I could have dreams like that...Damn the other half of me in all his glory, and damn this blood. No more chocolate and peanuts before bedtime until this stops (explanation at bottom if needed).'

He pulled the bloody pillowcase off his pillow, and scrubbed it in cold water. He hung it over the side of the bathtub, realizing he would soon be late for his job. He changed into a dark red shirt that had "Yuki's Japanese Grill: We Deliver!" on both sides in white. He threw on a ratty old jacket, picked up his bike, and rode to the restaurant.

---------

Kaoru woke up, ran to the bathroom sink, and scrubbed at her face.

'Curse my drams! And I'm gonna be late for the job interview!'

Kaoru applied some lipstick and blush; nothing extreme; and put on a mulberry sweater and blue jeans. She ran out the door, unlocked the passenger side of her car, and started it up. Or, should I say, TRIED to start it up.

"C'mon, baby, don't DO this to me today!"

Kaoru finally summed it up that her car wasn't going to start for her, so, she jumped out and hailed a taxi. She opened the back door, and saw the driver looking over the driver's seat at her. He was tall. VERY tall. So tall his head reached the ceiling. Then again, his spiky light brown hair made him look about five inches taller than he really was.

"Where to, ma'am?"

"Yuki's Japanese Grill, get me there as fast as possible without breaking the law!"

The driver looked up at the inside mirror, getting a glimpse of Kaoru's face, and started a conversation."

"Y'know, you look a lot like that female singer who croaked last year, but I can't remember her name... 'S' something..."

"Nice pick-up line, dork."

"Naw, I'm taken."

"Really?"

"Yup. By Megumi Takani. And I'm even considering proposing."

"Isn't Megumi Takani the famous award-winning pediatrician?"

"The one and only. I'm Sanosuke Sagara, who might you be, lil' missy?"

"Kaoru Kamiya."

Sanosuke looked slightly surprised.

"Did you run into my best buddy Kenshin at some time by any chance? Red hair, gross old jacket, cross scar, gross old pink backpack, small frame, short, purple eyes? He kept on rambling about a girl named Kaoru with black hair and indigo eyes on the phone last night."

Kaoru blushed at the fact that Kenshin was actually talking about her to someone else...wait a second, ANOTHER person related to Kenshin. Kaoru put her hand to her head, and started banging it on the headrest of the driver's seat. Sanosuke caught a red light and looked behind him.

"It's a small world, isn't it Sano?"

"Hey, you guessed my nickname! Well, one of them. And, ya, it is a small world, lil' missy. So.....you know Kenshin?"

"Yes. If I see or hear anything else to do with him today, I will begin to think that he is stalking me. Therefore, I will hunt him down and cause his severe pain. Hey, green means go moron, DRIVE THE DAMN CAB!"

Kaoru yanked on a piece of Sanosuke's hair, and he pushed the gas pedal immediately after. She leaned back against the back seat, and took deep, even breaths as they approached the restaurant. Her heart started punching the walls of her chest, and sweatdrops poured down her temples.

"Alright, Sano, what's your price?"

"I'll cut down a little for the good chat, three and a tip."

Kaoru scowled at the remark, and fished three dollars out of her bag. She threw five pennies at his forehead, content with the "ow!" that came after each one hit. He drove away, massaging his face between the eyes with one hand and waving Kaoru goodbye with the other first. She looked at the restaurant and swallowed the lump in her throat, and walked in. She looked at the restaurant, which was deserted except for the man at the front.

"Ah, are you a customer?"

"No, I'm here for the job interview."

"Ah, so you're Kaoru-chan! I'll lead you to the boss's room!"

Kaoru followed this ....... man ....... who seemed more like a loony fruitcake. For one thing, Kaoru could have bet money that the outfit he had on was for females, and his hairstyle was very girlish. The nametag said "Kamatari" in fancy cursive that men usually didn't dare go near...

"We're at boss's room! I hope you get a job here, buh-bye!"

Kaoru felt the twitch in her left eye, and sighed. She looked up to the door to see "Head Office" engraved in a gold plate with engravings of sushi around it. She hesitantly lifted up her fist, and knocked twice.

"Come in."

Kaoru opened the door, suddenly bursting with energy, and looked at her possible new boss. His skin looked like it survived quite a few unhealed third degree burns, and he had many bandages in various places. He did not look like the type of guy to run a restaurant.

"So, you're Kaoru Kamiya. I am your new boss, Shishio Makoto."

He threw a dark red T-shirt at Kaoru.

"Go change in the girl's bathrooms. You begin by doing dishes with Himura."

Kaoru wanted to beat this man over the head with her bokken, which was unfortunately left at home, but, she decided against it. He WAS, after all, her new boss. Wait, did he say do dishes with HIMURA!?

Kaoru slumped out of Shishio's office, slumped into the bathrooms, and actually used correct posture when putting on her T-shirt. She decided to leave her sweater tied around her waist, as there was no such thing as locker rooms in this place. She walked through a dark red curtain into the kitchen, and saw the familiar red-head hunched over a huge sink of dirty dishes. Many more were stacked up, she noted.

"K-Kenshin?"

"Kaoru-dono? What are you doing here?"

"I work here now, Makoto-sama told me to start with the dishes."

"Oh, I started here last week. He said don't expect a promotion anytime soon for me to tell you, by the way."

Kaoru sighed, and angrily stormed to the sink. She started furiously scrubbing and rubbing at the dirty dishes, being sure not to drop any into the sink. She had a funny feeling that the minute she dropped one into the sink and it broke, she would get fired. And she needed a day job. It wasn't that she needed the money; she just needed something to help her get through the day. Although scrubbing dishes was not a very fun way to spend a few hours every day.

"Kenshin? Where did all these filthy plates and utensils come from if the business is so slow every morning?"

"Oh, these are from yesterday. The guy who works the night shift is a..."

He whispered the last part in Kaoru's ear in case Shishio heard.

"...lazy ass who needs to learn how to work."

Kaoru muffled a laugh, and spat out the soap that she had gotten in her mouth from her sudsy hands. She scooped up some water and washed the soap off her lips and around her mouth, and resumed scrubbing at an extra- disgusting plate. Kaoru finally got the guts to ask her question to Kenshin.

"So, you work here in the morning, and you're a bike messenger at night?"

"Well, I do much more than that. In the early afternoon, I deliver on my bike in the Downtown region. In the late afternoon, I do work at Central Park, like raking and mowing some areas, watering the plants, cleaning out the trash bins, and washing the statues. And then in the evening, I deliver packages in the Uptown region."

"I see... haven't you ever heard of sleep, eat, and pastimes?"

Kenshin laughed a little.

"Yes. Normally, I eat a quick breakfast before I leave for work or on the way, I'll eat lunch in the hour that I have between the first to jobs and get ready for my next one. Normally I eat dinner at around 9:00 PM, when I come home from work. I just get by, in fact. You see, I came from a poor family with a reputation of being hit-men for the mafia, so I usually can't get a job anywhere in town with my last name. It's only the places that aren't as known about the name Himura or know the truth behind the name that I can work at. I wasn't properly educated either, just home- schooled since my parents couldn't afford to send me to a real school. Then they died of cholera and I was sent to live with my guardian Seijuro Hiko. Well, the people in Central Park trust me since they saw me since I was a kid. I practically grew up riding on Balto's back (explanation at bottom if needed), you know?"

Kaoru looked at him with a sympathetic face. Sure, her family had the occasional financial problem, but it never last more than a few weeks. Kenshin's lasted his whole life, and he had a bad reputation.

He caught her glum expression in the corner of his violet eye. He smiled softly, and stretched her cheeks with his thumbs until she was smiling too.

"You look better like that. Nothing to be sad about, I manage, don't I?"

"Yes, but......."

Kaoru was cut off by Kenshin moving his thumbs from her cheeks to her lips. He surprised even himself by doing that, and Kaoru blushed cherry pink.

'How cute.........wait, I KISSED her yesterday!? Whoo boy, better cough up the apology NOW.'

"I've been managing for six years like this, that I have. Don't worry."

Kenshin sincerely tried to apologize, he really did. It only resulted in him pecking her on the cheek again. They both turned strawberry and continued doing dishes. They reached for the next plate and brushed hands, which set off enough fireworks, but something else would soon light the entire blockbuster.

OWARI (for now)

Okay, I know that the chapter y'all just read wasn't anywhere near my best work. Well, sorry for not updating for a while, the school system in New York is a killer, with all the tests and projects and homework. Well, please review, thanks for your time, here is all the explanations and translations necessary!

Explanation one: Okay, if anyone here besides me has Shonen Jump issue four, go to page 164 and read the little box titled "My Bloody Valentine". If you don't, I shall explain. The Japanese believe that chocolate, peanuts, and "naughty" things such as panty sightings cause nosebleeds.

Explanation two: Anyone besides me know who the great, non-legendary wolf- dog Balto is? SOMEONE else should, because he's so famous, they have a statue of him in Central Park! Yes, anyone who has seen the cartoon movie based on him, that is where that statue in the end is located.

Translations:

oro: how Kenshin says he is surprised, basically means "huh" or "what"

futon: Japanese bed

-chan: 1: a term used for people younger that 15. 2: a term of endearment (used between close friends and family also) (in the case of a younger person saying it to an older person, it is an insult)

-dono: basic translation is "Miss"

-sama: lord, someone of higher respect

owari: end