Across the Hallway
Disclaimer:
Rurouni Kenshin et al is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro. I'm just a Sessha
follower
that dreams…
A/N:
Thanks to Hitokiri miao miao, my first ever reader/reviewer. You
inspired me to put the 2nd-4th chapters so far... That one review
convinced me that it wasn't as horrible as I had thought. My Spanish
isn't all that good, and how I wish I could read Spanish fast and well
so I could understand better your fics... but the english one's nice
too =^ l ^ =
I
love the Sano/Megumi pairing! But I like Kenshin/Kaoru better... and
this is what it's about ;)
PS.
The Meatpacker's district is really a place in New York (actually if
one watches Sex and the City, its where Samantha moved after the
building where she lived couldn't take her anymore and threw her out!),
and I believe that organized criminal gangs have tentacles and
divisions everywhere... There is no where really safe, is it? :)
Hopefully no tomatoes or other various vegetables
for the next ones as well... Please Read and Review!
Chapter
2
The Meatpacker's District
Kenshin Himura walked home, taking shortcuts that were second-nature to him ever since the day his godfather, Hiko Seijurou, brought him to the noisy city of New York after his parents died in Japan.
Don't think about that. That belongs to a past that should remain there. It's not your fault.
"Are you sure?" a sly voice insinuated.
Kenshin put a halt to his thoughts. He really hated that! An alter-ego that just won't shut up. He spent ten years trying to get rid of Battousai, or manslayer--- a nickname his colleagues had given to "his other self" in his 4 years with the secret service, where after 2 years in the marines, he had been the most vicious bodyguard/assassin of the US government until he got sick of it all. He still had the scars, both physical and emotional to prove it, the most prominent being the cross shaped scar on his left cheek.
He started frowning at the pavement. I wonder if Megumi is right. Maybe I should get laid. Buddha knows, its been a while since Tomoe. But then, that was my fault. I pushed her away. At least Akira is a good, decent man. I'm glad they forgave me for almost killing them. I, on the other hand, can't. I'm too unworthy. I'm really a Sessha of the first order, I guess the fact that Buddha keeps me alive is the cosmic way to tell a joke...
With that depressing thought, he turned left to the meatpacker's district and was oblivious to the catcalls and come-ons of the high-end prostitutes, transvestites and transsexuals that prowled the streets at night.
"Hey Red! When are you and me making beautiful magic?" A blue haired transvestite called out.
"Oh no you don't, you little boy in a dress, that hunk of a chest with the lavender eyes belong to me, honey! Mm-um-mm-mm-hmmm..." Another of the colorful people retorted.
Kenshin smiled his trademark smile, used to the banter, knowing it was harmless. He used to be apprehensive to Sanosuke's decision a year before to move to this area, knowing its "artistic" reputation and the fact that it had one of the highest rental rates in Manhattan, but gave in since Sanosuke said that he wanted Yahiko Miyojin, his younger half-brother whom he saved from the Yakuza (after discovering the fact that he had a brother) 5 years ago, to be near the high school he was going to. For all Sano's roughness and bluster, Kenshin knew that he cared about his brother and tried to be a parent, brother and friend rolled into one, and the kid adapted quite well. Sometimes too well, but then that was Sano's doing. Right now the 16 year old was probably vegging out on the couch with his playstation, he thought, as he cranked up the creaky elevator to their floor.
He opened the industrial door to their spacious apartment, a big transition from the factory like surroundings that their building emanated. It was the giveaway that they were really Japanese (although he was told that he had Irish lineage, referring to the fact of his red hair and lavender-amber eyes) at heart, evident in the clean wood planks, simple linear furniture, futons and shoji doors/screens. But it also had modern conveniences, like the Sub-zero refrigerator, huge entertainment set-up that Sanosuke insisted upon, and at Kenshin's insistence, the kitchen and laundry gadgets with plenty of work space. The resident redhead felt that both cooking and laundry were therapeutic, much to Sano's disbelief and side comments of 'if I didn't know better, I'd think you're a fag' which he pretty much ignored because he knew that hell would freeze over before he got attracted to a man. He had gotten used to hiding his emotions pretty well, but he was still a man's man when it got to THAT department. Besides, they would all starve or eat take-out everyday if they left Sano in charge of acquiring food.
After taking a look around, Yahiko was nowhere to be found. Getting a little worried, because he remembered a time during the adjustment period between Sano and Yahiko wherein the younger boy would always pack-up and leave whenever he felt threatened, ending up in Sano and him scouring the streets until they found him. However, it had already been three years since Yahiko last did that. Maybe he left a note, Kenshin thought, going into kitchen. Sure enough, he found a post-it stuck on the refrigerator. It read "Helping out next door. Be back later." He was struck dumb by the note. "Oro?!"
Helping out next door? Did pigs fly and I didn't notice?
Shame on you, Kenshin Himura. I thought you thought good of everybody else, Battousai commented, laughing in his subconscious.
That did it. Kenshin mentally shook himself said aloud "Glad to see he's learning to help out. A major improvement." Then he felt stupid saying it to an empty apartment.
He started towards the washing machine with the intent of doing the laundry, since both Yahiko and Sano would go through all of their clothes down to the last pair of clean underwear before they would even think to do the laundry. However, the note nagged and gnawed at his thoughts. Of course he was happy that Yahiko was improving, but what or more specifically, who was adding extra pressure on him to do good. Kenshin was at a dilemma. He felt guilty over not spending as much time with the youngster lately, since he knew that Yahiko looked up to him just as much as he did Sano. Maybe we really should go watch that horror movie he wants, sort of a bachelor bonding day with just him, Sano and Yahiko, he thought.
Finally, curiosity got the better of him, and after debating with himself whether he should go over and also help out, or let Yahiko work out his breakthrough in manners alone, he decided to go over.
Little did he know that
life as he knew it was going to
change.
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A/N: I think there should be translations for their thoughts, because i
believe that Kenshin is still a guy, after all. He just has a lot of
thoughts going on under that major control issue of his emotions
and politeness.
I'm not sure if this is really classified as a cliffhanger, but
if it is... well wow, I'm learning! hehehe Please don't forget to
R&R, thanks!
