Title:    A New Beginning

Rated: PG-13 (Violence & Language)

Author: charismatic angel

Email: charismatic_angel@msn.com

Chapter Date: June 24, 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 8:

All morning, Kaoru was unable to get the memory of a certain "red head" out of her mind. She remembered how warm his breath felt upon her cheek. The way soft tendrils of hair fell over his face. How gentle, yet firm his grasp was, when he wielded her back to safety. Of course, who could forget those yielding violet eyes? She found herself lost every time she looked into them.

Try as she might, Kaoru couldn't concentrate on anything. She scolded herself on rejecting his invitation to breakfast. More than anything she wanted to go, but her mind said "no." Realistically, dating was not on the agenda. Her heart had suffered enough and she was not willing to give it up so easily again. He made it difficult for her to keep it that way. She had fallen for him, but refused to admit it.

Later in the afternoon, her furniture arrived. Everything seemed to come at once that she didn't know exactly what to do or where to put it. Eventually, the commotion passed and she found herself standing behind a slew of boxes.

Kaoru spent $5,000.00 since she came to America. She only had $7,000 left. Most of the money went on furniture and rent. She made it a point to impress Tae, because she didn't know how long it would take her to find another job. The money came from the sale of her father's dojo. It had been in her family for many years.

At first she was reluctant to sell it, but Misao convinced her it was best.

Your father would have wanted you to sell it. You need the money. If you sell the dojo, you will have enough money to get out of here. Your father would have understood…trust me…

She could still hear Misao's voice echoing through her head. Before she left, she made Misao a promise to contact her, once it was safe. Kaoru told her it might be awhile but she would let her know somehow, when the time was right. It was too risky to contact her right away. Misao was the first person Enishi would go to. A nervous thought fluttered through her head, she hoped Misao was all right.

Kaoru was unable to continue the thought when she heard someone knocking at her door. She opened it up to find Sanosuke standing with a toothpick tucked in the corner of his mouth.

Kaoru greeted him, "You are here early Sano."

Sano walked in and looked at the boxes piled around the small apartment.

"Good thing too, looks like you are going to need some help."

Sanosuke helped Kaoru arrange her furniture and pile the boxes so they were out of the way, even though it wasn't part of the deal. He remembered her saying that he'd only be putting her bed together.

Women, always changing their minds. – He thought to himself

Sometime later, Sano finally got to the task he originally came there to do. He had to get some tools back at his place, because Kaoru forgot to buy some on her little shopping spree.

What would women do without men?

Kaoru left Sanosuke to put her bed together and she went to prepare dinner. She wasn't sure what to cook. Sano seemed to like just about anything, so it really wouldn't matter. She finally decided to make hamburgers and macaroni and cheese.

Kaoru knew she wasn't the greatest cook but didn't think she could go wrong with that combination. She flipped the box of mac and cheese over to read the directions.

2 cups of water…

½ cup milk…

Bring water and milk to a boil…add seasoning packet and noodles…cook for 10 minutes…

How hard is that? This will be a piece of cake!

She decided to make the mac and cheese first. Kaoru poured the ingredients into a pot and set it on the stove and turned on the heat. Next she got a frying pan out and sprayed it with cooking oil. She turned on another burner and set the pan on top, so it could heat up.

Kaoru took the hamburger out of the fridge and removed all the plastic it was wrapped in. She took clumps of hamburger and formed them into odd shapes. The hamburgers didn't look pretty but she knew Sano wouldn't care what they looked like. He would be too busy eating, to notice something as trivial as that, she laughed to herself.

Back in the bedroom Sano struggled putting her bed together. It was a lot more complicated than he expected. He blamed his confused state on, hunger deprivation.

When is she going to be done?! I am starving! How does she expect me to finish when my stomach is so empty!

Sano was having a hard time fitting a couple of the pieces together. He decided not to fool around with them anymore and took out his hammer.

When you can't fix it…beat it until does what you want.

His hammer made a clanging sound as he pounded on the metal pieces forcing them together. Sano stopped his banging when he heard a shrill whistle like noise coming from the kitchen. Immediately, he got up and yelled towards Kaoru.

"Is everything alright in there?"

Meanwhile, Kaoru was in the kitchen trying to wave a magazine in front of the smoke detector so it'd stop beeping. She heard Sano yell from the bedroom asking if everything was all right.

"Uh…Uh…Yes everything is fine. This smoke detector is a little sensitive…that's all. Don't worry about it…happens all the time. She stammered

She didn't want Sano to come out and see how much she was struggling. Kaoru couldn't understand why she was having such a hard time. It was only hamburgers for Christ's sake!

Kaoru put a towel over the smoke detector and it finally quit beeping. Hearing the detector stop, Sano resumed working on the bed.

The bed was coming along nicely, after he got those two pieces to come together. The only thing he had left was to put the top mattress on. He hoisted it up in on swoop and threw it onto the bed.

He brushed his hands together

Not bad, if I do say so myself

Sano smiled, as he looked upon his handiwork. His smile soon turned to a frown when a whiff of smoke caught his nose. He sniffed the air again.

Something's burning!

He ran out of the bedroom so he could find the source of the fire. The smoke was coming from the other room. Thick clouds billowed in the air making it hard to breathe. Sano choked and began to cough. The smoke filled his lungs as he called out for Kaoru. It was hard to see anything the smoke was too thick.

Sano adjusted his burning eyes to see a figure moving in the smoke.

Kaoru raced to the window and quickly opened it. As soon as she did this, the smoke poured out the open window.

She saw Sano coughing and rubbing his eyes.

"SANO! What are you doing out here?!" she asked in a panicked voice

"What happened?! What did you burn?!" he said coughing

"Uh…Uhh…the frying pan got a little hot. Umm….it's okay now…New pans…they do that all the time…you know…"

"Sure they do." he said waiving the smoke out of his eyes.

I think I'm going to regret this. – Sano thought to himself

"Why don't you sit down Sano? I think it's done?" she told him

"Are you sure…I mean…we can always…."

"What are you saying??! You don't trust my cooking? Let me tell you one thing…"

Sano quickly interrupted her

"No, No, that is not what I was saying –He waived his hands in front of him-it's getting late and you have to get to work." He said pointing towards the clock.

Kaoru turned around and saw it was already 6:45.

"Oh my god! I didn't realize what time it was! I am going to be late." She said in a panicked voice.

"You're going to have to eat without me." She said as she ran towards the kitchen.

Kaoru served his plate and brought it back to him.

"Here eat this. I need to hop in the shower." She jabbed the plate in the chest and ran towards her bedroom.

Sano looked down at the plate. For the first time in his life, he wasn't hungry. The hamburgers looked like bits of charcoal and the mac and cheese looked a bit runny and undercooked. He didn't want to hurt Kaoru's feelings, most of all hear her lecture him, and so he decided to be daring.

After gagging and gulping down several glasses of water, Sano ate the last bite. He had a heavy feeling in his stomach and felt like being sick. He wasn't sure what was worse, Kaoru's lecturing or her cooking? He held his stomach as it began to do flip-flops. He's had better hangovers that were less painful.

Kaoru came out of her bedroom ready to go. She wasn't sure what to wear, since Tae never said anything about how she should dress. She decided to go semi-casual, choosing to wear a loose blouse and sleek black pants. A bright blue ribbon hung from her usual ponytail, which complimented her outfit quite well.

Kaoru eyed Sano laying on the couch

"What are you doing just laying there?! Come on we need to go!"

Sano laid there still clutching his stomach in agony.

"I am not sure I can go…Uhhh don't feel well…." He grunted.

Kaoru gave him a smack over the head

"Quit playing around! I am serious!" she shouted at him

Sano reluctantly got up and walked with her out the door.

When the arrived at the Akabeko, Kaoru saw it was packed. There was a long line waiting outside to get in. Loud music could be heard from outside. Kaoru gulped, wondering what she got herself into.

Sano led her in the back way and was immediately greeted by a very frustrated looking Tae. Tae was going on about how three of the girls quit without any notice and how busy they were. Tae grabbed onto Kaoru's arm and pulled her inside.

She led her into a backroom where another girl was just walking out.

"Tsbambe! Tae called out, "This Kaoru…err?"

"Kamiya" Kaoru filled in.

"Tonight is her first night. I need you to fill her in." Tae dictated.

Tsubambe nodded her head and Tae left in a hurry.

"If you're going to be alright kid, I am going to go out front and sit." Sano said as clutched his stomach.

Tsubambe was a nice girl. She was about Kaoru's age, if not a little younger. Kaoru eyed Tsubambe's uniform, wondering if she would have to wear something like it?

Tsubambe brought Kaoru a uniform and told her to come out when she was ready. Kaoru put the uniform on and looked into the long mirror in front of her. Her uniform looked exactly like Tsubambe's. The outfit consisted of black stockings, satin shorts, a buttoned up white shit, and a black vest. She had never dressed so provocatively in her life.

How did I let Sano talk me into this?

Kaoru finished the outfit by putting on her bow tie and black high heels. She opened the door and met Tsubambe. Tsubambe filled Kaoru in on what she was supposed to do before they went out front. She especially emphasized Tae's rule on, no flirting with customers. She was supposed to act friendly, but not too friendly.

The night seemed to go by so fast. At first Kaoru was intimidated by the large crowds but soon got over it. Kaoru's job for the night was to run the register. She watched the other girls weave in and out of the crowds with trays in their hands. Kaoru wondered if she would have to do that?

Sano sat at the end of the bar miserable as ever. He made several trips to the bathroom, none of which were enjoyable. Tae came over noticing his condition.

"What's wrong Sano? You haven't had a drink all night? It looks as though you have a hangover?"

"No…not a hangover…food…poisoning!" he yelped out as he rushed towards the bathroom.

The night was almost over and Kaoru collected over $100 in tips. Tae asked her to start serving drinks in the front, so she could get some practice. Kaoru was doing better than expected and Tae was pleased.

As the night came to a close, Kaoru gave a sigh of relief. Tae walked behind her and gave her a pat on the back.

"Nice job kid. Never expected it out of you. I am really impressed."

Kaoru faced Tae and said "Thank You."

Kaoru noticed that Sano wasn't sitting at the end of the bar anymore. She looked through out the club but couldn't see him anywhere. Everyone had filed out long ago, so only the servers and bartenders were left. Tsubambe saw Kaoru's expression and walked up to her.

"Tae told Sano to go home awhile ago. He kept complaining about not feeling good. He didn't want to leave without you, but I told him I'd give you a ride."

"Oh, I guess he really was sick?" she said in a worried tone.

"Ah, don't worry about him. Tae's had to kick him out of here for being drunk and he looked ten times as worse. He's a big boy." Tsubambe chuckled.

Kaoru laughed along with her. She liked Tsubambe.

A little while later Tae told the two they could go home. Kaoru gave a sigh of relief as she picked up the clothes and purse. Tsubambe grabbed her stuff as well and lead Kaoru to her car.

The drive home was a pleasant one. Tsubambe was really nice. She didn't think her personality fit in at the club, but neither did hers. Tsubambe neared Kaoru's apartment and stopped at the curb in front of her steps.

"Thank you for the ride" she smiled

"No problem" Tsubambe smiled back "See you tomorrow night" she waived and then drove off.

Kaoru was happy her first day at work went so well. Tae said the job was as good as hers.

She looked at her watch and realized it was 1:00am. It didn't seem like it, she wasn't tired at all. Happily, Kaoru ran up the stairs but slipped and fell on the third step.

"Ouch!" she cried out.

Why didn't I learn my lesson from this morning? Damn heels!

She looked down at her torn stockings and noticed a deep cut. Blood was beginning to surface and seep out. She touched the tender spot and winced as she pulled her hand back.

"Miss Kaoru?" a familiar voice called out from behind her

Kaoru turned around to see whom it was and was relieved when she saw Kenshin.

Kenshin instantly brought his eyes down towards the cut on her leg and frowned.

"Miss Kaoru, you are hurt." He said with worry in his voice

"Yes, I guess I didn't learn my lesson from this morning." She said, trying to smile.

Kenshin walked towards her and kneeled beside her.

"That is a deep cut. You should take care of that before it gets infected, that you should do." He said with a nod, "Do you have anything to put on it?"

"Uhh..no I don't have anything at the moment. Maybe I should go to that store on the corner and see if I can find something."

Kenshin looked towards the store, "The store is closed, you will not be able to get anything until tomorrow morning. I have some that you could use, if you would like?"

He gazed at her with those violet eyes. How was she to say no, when he looked at her so?

"I don't want to bug you for something at this time of night. You are probably tired. I should be fine."

"No, I am not tired. I don't go to bed until late. Really, it would be no problem." He said, giving her a smile.

"Alright…as long as I am not keeping you up. She smiled back at him.

Kenshin helped her up and they walked into the building. He held her hand as they went up the stairs and held the door open for her as well. They made their way to the second floor and Kenshin held the door to his floor open. They walked down the hall until they came to the door of his apartment.

Kenshin fumbled with his keys until he found the right one and unlocked the door. He stepped inside and flicked on the light. He put his hand behind Kaoru's back and led her inside.

Kaoru was amazed at how different Kenshin's apartment was from hers or even Sanosuke's for that matter. His apartment was decorated in an "old world" style. Rugs covered the polished hard wood floor. Bookshelves covered one side of the wall while the kitchen occupied the opposite. He had new appliances, from what she could tell. They were made of stainless steel, while his cupboards were made of wood. His living room was between the kitchen and the door to his bedroom. A giant leather couch and matching chairs sat in the center of his apartment with a long cherry wood end table in front. Hanging on one wall she noticed a large, very antique looking sword. A thought crossed her mind why he would have such thing but quickly brushed it aside.

He gestured for her to sit on one of the chairs. Kaoru sat down and immediately sank into its comfort.

"I'll be a minute. I need to get come stuff so we can clean that cut." He smiled, and walked into his bedroom.

Kaoru waited patiently as he returned with an armful of items. He set them on the ground beside her and went to the kitchen to fill the bowl he had with water. When he came back he set the bowl down and knelt on the floor beside Kaoru.

Gently, he put his hand behind Kaoru's knee and brought her leg towards him. His touch made Kaoru's insides flutter and gulped as she realized he was going to take care of her cut.

"Forgive me Miss Kaoru." He said, as he looked into her eyes.

Kenshin ripped the rest of her stocking so he could better treat her cut. He dipped the washcloth into the water and slowly brought it to her skin. Kaoru shuttered.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, his voice full of worry.

"No…you did not hurt me at all. I am a little jumpy." She softly said.

"I would never do anything to hurt you Miss Kaoru." He said, giving her a heartfelt smile.

She let her gaze drift from his smile and settled on the side of his cheek. A long cross-shaped scar was gouged into his soft flesh. Kaoru wondered why she never noticed it before? She wondered how he got it? Must have been something very sharp to make a mark like that? More than anything, she wanted to reach out and caresses the scar upon his cheek. She smiled as she thought about it.

Kenshin returned his attention to her cut and finished cleaning it with the cloth. He reached for a can of antiseptic and removed the lid.

"This may sting a little, Miss Kaoru." He softly said, gazing at her with his round violet orbs.

Kaoru felt her whole body go weak, as she looked his eyes. She was lost to the world, and did not want this moment to end.

Kenshin sprayed the area and Kaoru winced as she felt it sting her skin. Kenshin looked up noticing her reaction and immediately felt sorry for what he had done. He hated the look of pain that flashed upon her face.

Tenderly, Kenshin began to blow upon the cut. Kaoru felt a cool calming sensation move its way upwards though her body. She wondered what it could be when she saw Kenshins lips pursed together blowing gently against her leg. Kaoru's heart began to beat fast as she realized how intimate the gesture was.

Kaoru felt the cooling sensation stop and looked to see him pulling out a bandage and carefully place it over her cut.

"All finished." He said

"Thank…You" she whispered.

"No problem. I was happy to help." He said, grinning.

At that moment the clock in his apartment chimed, breaking the charm she was under.

"1:30? It's late I had better go." She said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh.." he said, Looking down

"You sure, you wouldn't want to stay for a cup of tea or something?" He asked scratching the back of his head.

"That is very nice of you, but I can't accept." She said, giving him a half-hearted smile.

"Sano's probably expecting you home…" he said in almost a whisper.

"Sano?!" she asked, not quite understanding what he meant.

"He will be happy to have you home, since it's so late." He said

"You mean…No…this is too funny…" she said, trying not to laugh too hard.

"I am sorry, I don't understand? He said, bunching his eyebrows together.

"Sano and I are not going out. We are good friends and only good friends! I don't understand why everybody thinks different?"

"I…just thought…you know…since I saw you together…that you were…" He replied uneasily

"Like I would ever date that silly rooster head!" she giggled

Kenshin smiled, happy to hear she was single

"Well…then…I was wondering…if maybe you would like to…uh…go out sometime? He said nervously

Kaoru's smile dropped when she realized what he was asking.

Come on Kaoru, you already missed your first chance with him. Don't let him slip away again!…No, it's not a good idea! You will only get hurt in the end!…But he was so nice and those eyes. I can't forget about them…

Kenshin noticed her hesitation and wished he didn't ask.

"Thank you for everything." She said as picked up her things and turned to leave.

Brokenheartedly, Kenshin followed her to the door. He didn't understand why she didn't say "yes" or "no." He would have rather her said "no", than to have his question ignored. He didn't know whether she liked him or not? Maybe she was too nice to say no? or maybe she wanted to, but was too shy? Kenshin was disappointed he really liked her.

Kaoru walked out the door and turned once more to smile. Kenshin mustered the best smile he could, trying to hide how he really felt.

Kaoru could see the disappointment in his eyes, which made her do the unthinkable.

Unexpectedly, Kaoru walked back to Kenshin's door as she stood inches away from him. Her head was telling her to stop, turn around and leave, but her heart was telling her different. Tonight, and only tonight she would listen to her heart.

She stood on her tiptoes and brought her lips to his cheek. She kissed the warm flesh and brought her lips away from him. She gave him another smile and walked away without another word.

Kenshin on the other hand was shocked beyond belief. He felt the spot where she had tenderly kissed him. He noticed it was the cheek with the cross-shaped scar, which he has lived with for years. 

He silently hoped that her kiss had cleansed him. Kenshin walked back into his apartment and shut the door. How was he ever going to sleep, not knowing what her kiss meant?

End of Chapter 8!

Whew! That took awhile to write! Sorry if some parts don't make sense. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to say in my head, but the hard part is putting it into words!

Thanks for your reviews! I enjoy reading each and every one of them. Everyone has been really awesome!

Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Look forward to more things happening between Kenshin and Kaoru!