Across the Hallway

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin et al is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro. I'm just a Sessha follower that dreams…

A/N: My first try at a fanfic!!! Not really sure if its great… but anyway, just trying… please review... or as its said, R&R... I hope no one throws a tomato… advice welcome. I actually have around 8 chapters already, but just trying this one for size. I've never posted before... If positive, will put the rest up. Oh, and its a KenshinKaoru fic, but others are around as well. A bit OOC but that's expected when its an AU right? Enjoy! =^l^= miaow

PS. Rated for language/topics... ;)

Chapter 1

The Saiyuki Bar

The Saiyuki bar was the busiest Japanese bar and restaurant in working man's district of New York, and tonight was no exception. The Friday crowd was rather rowdy at the moment, and the female populace in the bar cast long sided looks to the tall man with brown hair styled like I-just-got-up-out-of-bed look in designer jeans that framed a great ass and a white shirt that had seen better days, a modern version of the 50's bad boy image. After looking at him, the long red haired shorter man beside him almost got by unnoticed if it wasn't for the gentle lavender eyes contradicting his red hair but somehow making him look good.

"The client was such an idiot, I always wonder how he ever got enough brain power to figure out that his wife was cheating on him!" Sanosuke Segara, the tall one, guffawed at the bar to Kenshin Himura, the red haired man next him. Kenshin just smiled, and said "I feel sorry for him, Sano-san, now he has to try to live every day with the fact. I can relate." He added dryly. The two were partners in a private investigation agency they had set up some years ago, not to mention roomies, and knew almost everything about each other.

A female voice interrupted suddenly. "The trouble with you Kenshin, is that your heart is just soooo compassionate—and THAT'S what I like about in a man!!! Oh-ho-ho-ho!" A beautiful, svelte lady with fox ears dressed in Prada sidled up to Sanosuke's side with a really impish light in her eyes.

"Hello, Megumi-dono." Kenshin smiled in greeting his and Sano's physician-doctor, Megumi Takani, who was also Sano's long time girlfriend. Sano's greeting was less than polite.

"Oi, fox-lady, what took you so long? I almost had to pick up one of the groupies over there..." He flicked his hand toward the high table of college girls in scandalously short skirts looking him over with gusto.


"Is that so? Well go ahead! Let's see if you can last two seconds after they figure out from the first word you utter that you're totally lacking a brain, rooster head!" And from then on, they started bickering and baiting each other, much to the delight of the bartender, who was used to the exchange and would take bets to see who would win each Friday with the other crew.

Kenshin looked at his two best friends in the world, and thought, they're really a beautiful pair. I wish I could be just as carefree as they are. But I screwed up, and this is just Karma. *sigh*

"Ken-san? You look depressed. Have you been getting laid lately?" Megumi asked, cutting off the argument with Sano and breaking Kenshin's reverie.

"Oro?!" Kenshin remarked, turning red.

"Don't you 'oro' me, hello, this is your doctor speaking and I know for a fact that you have healthy parts, you just need to jumpstart your system!" Megumi shot back.

"Maa, maa, Megumi-san, I was just thinking that I should be getting on with the paperwork. The agency is really behind on the filing." Kenshin said. Had he been so transparent? Or was Megumi just being her nosy self?

"Come on, Kenshin, you always have to be so uptight about everything, like some paper work will be the destruction of tomorrow if it doesn't get filed right away" Sano said, referring to the Sekihoutai private investigation agency he and Kenshin poured their life's work in. "I think you just need more beer so you can pick up a one-night stander and so that Miss-I-think-getting-laid-will-solve-everybody's-problem here can shut up." Kenshin blushed even brighter at this remark.

"You lousy, good-for-nothing bum! Just watch and you won't be ever getting some from me!!!" Megumi shrieked.

"Oh yeah?! And just who was it you were begging to last night to hayaku, hayaku?!"

"Baka!"

"Shrew!"

At that, the doctor grabbed one of her shoes and whacked Sano hard. He K.O.'d on the floor, eyes swirling. Silently, the bartender passed five dollars to grinning waiter who came up to the bar to collect his winnings. Never mind, he thought. There's always next Friday.

Kenshin laughed at the two of them. He knew no matter how violent their conversations and arguments got, Megumi would always give TLC to Sano in private, and Sano never took it against her that she became violent, or become physically abusive to her. He always said that her pampering was just what he needed (after ranting about Megumi's behavior for half a day) and Megumi would say that any day wouldn't be complete without the insults flying back and forth between them (out of Sano's hearing, of course).

"Maa, maa, Sessha will find his way home now. Are you going to be able to carry him with you, Megumi-dono? I can bring him to your place if you would like, that I would." Kenshin offered.

"Oh Ken-san, I'm good. I'll just do this." With that, she grabbed the nearest glass of water and splashed Sano with it.

"What the f---" Sano sputtered.

"See? Now you don't have to carry him" Megumi said brightly.

Kenshin laughed some more. "I'll be on my way, Sano-san, Megumi-dono. I'll tell Yahiko not to wait up for you."

"You do that, Himura, and I'll see you tomorrow at the office" was Sano's reply, and promptly went back to getting Megumi pissed again, starting up another round of bets between the crew and the bartender.


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A/N: Pleeeeease review :) I don't live in the States but I am fascinated with New York and how people can just blend in, whatever culture, that why i put them there... just in case anyone wondered... and I decided against the last name first policy, it is after all, in the US and not Japan. The word Saiyuki was borrowed from one of my other fave anime--- Gensomaden Saiyuki. But none of them appear here, I'm not that adventurous yet, hehe. Hopefully I didn't make a mess of the san, chans and what nots :) Til next time then...