Title: A New Beginning
Rated: PG-13 (Violence & Language)
Author: charismatic angel
Email: charismatic_angel@msn.com
Chapter Date: June 22, 2003
All the stuff you do not want to read but I have to say:
* sighs * I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Someone else owns the rights and characters to this series. You know the rest…(Please don't sue me)
Chapter 7:
Kaoru spent the next morning cleaning the rest of her apartment. She got an early start since she was rudely awakened by Sanosuke's thunderous snores. At first she thought it was an earthquake, but quickly disregarded the thought, since earthquakes don't happen in New York. The wall between her bedroom and Sano's apartment seemed to be where it was originating.
Kaoru laughed to herself
No wonder he couldn't keep this place rented! With loud snoring like that, it'd drive anyone bonkers!
Sano stopped by late in afternoon. He seemed to have quite a hangover. Kaoru found out that he had taken his newly found rent money and gambled it. She was more than sure he lost some of it, because he looked less than cheerful when her greeted her. It also could have been the fact that he drunk himself into a stupor, which was quite apparent in his heavily lidded eyes and foul smelling breath.
After Kaoru gave Sano a stern lecture on the consequences of gambling and stopped calling him an imbecile, they finally left for the Akabeko. To Kaoru's liking, Sano didn't walk in his usual long strides. He rather stumbled along roving back and forth, in which Kaoru gave him a gentle nudge every now and then to stop swaying so much.
After a scenic walk, thanks to Sano, they arrived at the Akabeko. The Akabeko wasn't what Kaoru had imagined. The building was fairly modern and it was located in a clean looking part of town. The inside was mostly dark except for a few spotlights here and there.
A woman with shoulder length brown hair stepped out from behind the bar and greeted them. The woman was Tae. Tae teased Sanosuke about his hangover and asked why she hadn't seen him around lately. Sano gave vague excuse and Tae gave him a hard slap across the back.
"Now, Now Sano, I don't want to hear your excuses you rotten gangster." She said as she gave him a wink.
Sanosuke introduced Kaoru and Tae. He explained Kaoru was in need of job and asked Tae to give her shot.
Tae eyed Kaoru up and down and said, "I'm not sure she will fit in. No offense dear." As she directed the last sentence to Kaoru.
"Oh come on Tae! We go back…give the kid a chance." Sano pleaded.
"Well" she said with a pause, "As a favor to you, I will give her a chance, but nothing more." She turned to Kaoru, "Have you have any experience?"
Kaoru's face flushed "I…Well I actually never worked in a bar or…a club for that fact."
Tae frowned "Hmm, I see…come back on Friday at 8:00 and we will see what you can do.
Kaoru was elated, even though it was only a chance it had to be something.
On the way back home, Kaoru asked Sano if he would go shopping with her the next day. He was reluctant, more than anything he hated shopping. After much persistence and an offer of a free meal, Sano hesitantly agreed.
The next few days went by in a breeze. As promised, Sano accompanied Kaoru shopping, but instantly regretted his decision. She pulled him into every store imaginable. He couldn't remember feeling so bored or out of place in his entire life.
Kaoru would ask him things like "Oh, how do you think this looks?, Do These match?, Ooh, Have you ever seen anything like this? Or "Which one do you like?"
Never! Ever! Again! Would he go shopping, especially with her! Not even a free meal was worth the torture he was going through. He was more than happy when the day ended.
"Sano" Kaoru said in a sweet voice, "I was wondering…I was wondering if maybe you could.."
She was immediately cut off with a loud "No"
"I am not going to go shopping with you ever again! Not even if you offered me free meals for the rest of your life! It's not worth it!" Sano said shaking his hands in front of him.
Kaoru pouted and made a "Hmph" kind of noise
"You don't have to be such a jerk about it" she shot back, "Besides I wasn't going to ask you to go shopping. I wanted to ask if you could help me Friday afternoon when the furniture comes. I need help putting my bed together."
"Oh" Sano said, followed by a sigh of relief.
"Do you think you can? I promise never ever to ask you to go shopping again." She pleaded.
"Well…I guess so…but I better get something out of it! He said.
Kaoru smiled, "You don't have to help me arrange the furniture. I just need help with the bed. And for being so nice I will cook you dinner this time."
"I'll see you tomorrow then" he sighed, and waived to her as he left.
Early next morning, the sound of Sano's heavy snoring awaked Kaoru. She rolled over and put a pillow over her head.
"Urrghh! I can't take it anymore!" wide-awake Kaoru got up from the couch and stretched.
She looked at the clock, '7:00am' "How am I ever going to get through this day?" she said aloud.
Kaoru walked over to the kitchen and opened a cupboard. Wrinkling her face, she moved from cupboard to cupboard. She gave a loud sigh and moved to the fridge. She opened it up, and let the refrigerator light bathe over her face, as she searched for something to eat.
"Damn, there is nothing in here for breakfast!" she said, and closed the door.
She changed into jogging pants a white t-shirt and a hoodie. Then she put her hair up in an elastic rubber band and tightened her ponytail. Kaoru slipped on a pair of tennis shoes and grabbed her keys.
Since she didn't have anything for breakfast, she decided to go to the corner grocery store to pick some stuff up. The store only had basic things, nothing fancy, but it would do. She picked up a box of cereal and a carton of milk and paid for her purchases.
Kaoru practically skipped all the way home, feeling a little more energetic than normal. She ran up the front steps, sack in hand, without a care in the world. Not paying too much attention, Kaoru failed to notice someone opening the front door and walking out.
She immediately looked up as she hit something solid. Her gaze moved upward as she came in contact with the same soft violet eyes, she had only seen days before. The tips of his red hair grazed the tops of his lashes. Her breath was caught in her throat as she realized how close she was to him. He was mere inches away from her face. She could feel his soft warm breath against her face. A weird tingle moved its way up her spine. Instinct told her to move backward. Missing a step, Kaoru felt her body fall backwards.
She closed her eyes waiting to feel the impact of the ground, but instead felt a gentle hand grasp hers. The hand pulled her forward and prevented her fall. Wide-eyed, Kaoru looked up at the man who saved her. Still grasping her arm, the man took a step back to give her some space. He removed hold of her arm and set it on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" The man asked in a worried tone.
Snapping back into reality, Kaoru answered, "Yes…I'm…I'm alright.", still not believing what happened.
The man then looked behind her and she turned to follow his glance. On the sidewalk below, lay her cereal and broken carton of milk.
"Oh no!" Kaoru said, as she turned and jogged down the stairs.
The man followed her as he watched her pick up the soggy box of cereal and broken carton of milk.
"Urgh, I am such a klutz!" she said.
"I am sorry, I wasn't able to save your sack."
Kaoru turned around; surprised he was still watching her. A heated blush crossed her face.
"It's no big deal. You know what they say…'don't cry over spilled milk.'" She nervously laughed after the last sentence.
She raised herself from the ground and wiped her hands on her clothes.
"I am sorry. I have really been rude." She held out her hand, "My name is Kaoru Tak…Kamiya, Kaoru Kamiya."
He noticed how she slurred the words and quickly recovered. It was like she was…hiding something? He brushed the thoughts out of his head and extended her hand towards hers.
"Kenshin, Kenshin Himura. I believe we have met before but were not properly introduced."
Kaoru thought back to the incident with Sanosuke and immediately became embarrassed.
Kenshin, noticing her embarrassment, broke the silence.
"I was just on my way to breakfast and…maybe…uhh, maybe you would care to join me?"
What are doing Himura? She is clearly Sano's lady friend…but what harm is there in asking her to join you…it's not like it'd be a date…anyways…still I shouldn't be thinking like this…not after…after…
"Thanks for the offer, but the cereal is still good. See?" she pointed to the plastic bag it was in."
Kenshin snapped out of his thoughts
"That it is" he grinned.
"Thank you for saving me." Kaoru said.
She gave him a warm smile that sent butterflies through his stomach.
"Have a nice day Miss Kaoru." He smiled and waived goodbye, then walked in the other direction.
Kaoru watched him leave with disappointment.
Why didn't I go with him?!…I really wanted to…You know very well why…Remember the last man…You don't need another man in your life…Look what the last one did to you…besides, you almost let your real name slip…no one can know what my real name is…it's too dangerous!
End of chapter 7
How do you like it so far? I wanted to write more but it's getting late. I have a little thing called "work" to go to in the morning. * Sighs *
Thanks for your positive feedback! It's nice to know people like the story. I am trying not to make it too predictable, but sometimes it's hard. I hope to have some action scenes in later chapters…but I am not going to spoil it! I have a few ideas, some I am sure you won't expect. You will have to stay tuned in order to find out! ;)
Until Next Time!