Inkblot: I'm sooo sorry for the delay! I know I said I'd try to update once a week, but I've been having trouble in wording this chapter. And then the holidays rolled around and I didn't feel like doing anything! Gomen nasai!

Thanks to

Shadow61x for her continued support.

Half-breed-demon-fox I realize that I may have made it sound as if Kenshin doesn't like Kaoru, but in the anime, Ken-san doesn't like her as anything more than a friend until later. I'm trying to stay relatively true to the series, even the circumstances are completely screwed.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. If I did, the world would fear me.

Dare You to Jump

Chapter Three:

The main population of Tokyo Metropolitan Senior High School was generally normal. Sure, there were the oddballs; Sagara Sanosuke, the street brawler, Shinomori Aoshi, the ice prick, Makimachi Misao, the ever hyper, ever genki raccoon-girl, and Himura Kenshin, the junior with closet MPD problems. But generally speaking TMHS was your average, teen-infested school.

Okita found it pleasantly boring. Though he was sometimes violent in nature, the junior was perfectly happy to blend right in with the crowd. He wanted his last few years to be happy and content. He wanted to die knowing that he had done everything worth doing.

Okita Soushi had contracted a rather deadly case of tuberculosis. No one knew how he had gotten it and no one knew of his condition but his doctors, his parents, and whoever managed to get a hold of his records.

Readers of said documents would have been amazed to find that despite the impending end of his life, he was an excellent swordsman and very active. He played on the school's soccer team, joined school clubs, and went about his life as if nothing were the matter. He helped people who needed help and was good with kids, was liked by his classmates, and got good grades. His life seemed enchanted.

At least, on the surface.

No one would ever know that Tokyo Metropolitan High's golden boy was actually screaming inside.

No one would ever know that he was dying.

No one would ever know how he felt about that.

And in that, he was alone.

Poke. "Hey, Sano." Poke, poke.

Sanosuke grunted, cracking an eye open to glance at the attentive red head beside him. "Wut?" he grumbled, unhappy at being roused from his nap. He swiped the bangs from his eyes lazily, sitting up with a muffled groan. Kenshin watched with a tiny spark of amusement in his purple eyes. Sleeping in Speech and Debate. Again.

"Who's the guy speaking?" Kenshin asked, nodding towards the boy standing in the front of the room. A large, colorful sign emblazoned with "Podiums are for Losers" had been tacked on the support, courtesy of a certain tall boy in the back. Sanosuke squinted at him, then turned his gaze on the speaker. It took moment for his sleep hazed eyes to recognize the messy black hair and blue eyes and whom they belonged.

"Tha's Okita. Wonder boy," the ex-gang member said, watching said person gesture eloquently. The rest of the class laughed as the junior said something that was apparently quite witty. If Sano had been awake, he would have appreciated the remark.

Kenshin nodded, storing the information away. "He's funny," the red head commented. His friend grunted. Five minutes later, Kenshin looked down to see Sanosuke snoozing again and shook his head in undisguised amusement. He'll never grow up, Shinta said, grinning affectionately. Kenshin snorted. Look who's talking.

His purple eyes focused on the black haired speaker, noting the quick flash of intelligence in Okita's blue eyes and the graceful, movements of his body. Battousai chuckled darkly as he watched through his host's eyes. He's clever this one. Kenshin cocked his head in confusion, lifting an eyebrow eloquently. His ki is like a fire, brilliant, bright, and soon to burn out. He'll die before he gets to college.

Kenshin's eyes widened imperceptibly and he absorbed this new information. He's sick, Rurouni interjected neutrally, tossing an unreadable glance at Battousai. Their host watched as the teen took at bow, smiling amidst he whistles and cheers of his fellow students.

How short life is, that the choices we make define our futures. How sweet, that we choose at all. And how bitter, when we have taken our last, burning breath, Battousai whispered harshly.

Kaoru smiled when Kenshin met her at her locker. He smiled in return, kindly shutting the locker door when the books piled in her arms refused to let her move about. Deftly, the red head plucked half of the texts and added them to his pile. He was always such the gentleman, Kaoru thought fondly.

"How was Speech and Debate?" she asked, following him into the crowded hall. He shrugged lightly, replying with a noncommittal "Nghhhh." She grinned, and shook her head. "Always so eloquent," she teased. He glanced at her, smiling. "Why, of course, my lady fair," he responded gallantly. "My tongue is nothing compared to the beauty of your eyes, to the blush of your cheek, to the fineness of your skin. You are the North Star in the night sky, constant and shining and unfailing. How can I, a mere mortal, compare to your greatness?" She blushed. He grinned. "How was that?"

"Pretty good for improvision," she mumbled, ducking her head.

"Kaoru-chan! Matte!"

The pair turned to see Misao rushing towards them. Her braid whipped behind her with a life of its own as she dodged and wove through the masses of people. She was breathless by the time she reached them and he bend over, clutching her knees. Kaoru regarded her with exasperated affection as Kenshin stifled the urge to laugh.

"Okita-san said to give you this," she said finally, handing the other girl a piece of paper. Okita again. Kaoru opened it in puzzlement, reading the contents interestedly before grinning happily.

"Kenjutsu today!" she announced loudly. "Practice after school." Misao squealed euphorically before dashing off, shouting a hurried "Ja ne!" over her shoulder.

Kenshin shook his head in open amazement. Misao was something, really something. Kaoru operated mainly on caffeine, but the super genki wannabe ninja had her own, private sugar-producing warehouse in her body. She was always hyper, the only exception being when her Aoshi-sama was about. Then she would turn klutzy, nervous, starry eyed, and blushing. Kaoru thought it was quite adorable. Kenshin didn't know quite what to think.

Aoshi was probably the only reason Misao was going, anyway. The red head didn't think the girl had the discipline needed for kenjutsu; she was deadly by herself.

Kenshin shook the thoughts from his head distractedly, only to look in Kaoru's big, pleading eyes. He felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach; Kaoru was planning one of her wild schemes again. "You should come, Kenshin!" she coaxed. "It'll be fun! Lots of people who are really interested in swords, and food, and you'll fit right in!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Great! I'll meet you in the gym after school!" She grinned at him and entered her classroom. Kenshin sighed. Sucked into another one of her plans, he thought morosely as he continued on his way to Creative Writing.

The teacher of Creative Writing was a relatively nice lady by the name of Ms. Curraugh. She was young, tall woman with a head of dark curls and an astounding amount of energy. She reminded Kenshin a bit of Misao. Only taller, and more mature. She was liked by her students and had interesting ideas about ways to make their curriculum more interesting. The red head adored her for that.

Creative Writing was last period. When the bell rang he jotted down the last of his notes before sticking the pen in his ponytail and heading out the door. Off to the gym he went, shuffling his feet like a man sent to death.

The things he did for Kaoru.

The school gymnasium was loud and already filled with people when Kenshin arrived. He hadn't expected quite so many kenjutsu fans. He wove his way through the mass, dumping his backpack on the bleacher and hefting himself up. He tilted his head back against the cool wall, closing his eyes and letting the noise wash over him.

There's a lot of people, Rurouni commented. Surprising, really. Kenshin smiled slightly, lips quirking up a fraction of an inch. It's good to know that swordsmanship is still very popular, he answered lightly. It would be a pity if it died out. Rurouni grunted in assent.

A brief flare of ki caught his attention before his ears caught the sound of shoe scraping on steel. He cracked an eye open to see Aoshi seat himself beside him, giving the taller boy a small smile before closing his eye again. "Kaoru tells me you're good," the icy teen said, cold blue eyes scanning the crowd. "I assume you're referring to my skill with a sword," the red head said wryly. "I'm proficient enough."

The boy turned to him seriously. "You're better than proficient if you can beat Kaoru in two passes," he said neutrally, watching his friend for a chance of expression. Kenshin's face didn't move. Aoshi turned away and watched the club members mingle with each other. The noise level increased steadily, and the kenjutsu captain frowned. "Most of these people can barely hold a sword correctly. Their fathers have paid for years of training from the masters and they think they can fight," he sneered quietly. "It's no use. They're amateurs."

Kenshin finally opened his eyes and turned his head to gaze at the disgruntled leader. "Well then, Shinomori-san. It's your job to teach them otherwise," he said with a serene smile. Slowly, the other teen smiled. It was brief, but it was there. Misao would swoon, Rurouni remarked wickedly.

Kenshin smiled at the alter ego's thought and waved at Kaoru as she caught sight of him. The black haired girl grinned knowingly, winking lavishly at the red head. He blushed profusely.

Aoshi rose silently, swinging off the bleachers and turning to look up at Kenshin. "You should try one of us," he said, nodding to the crowd of people. "Test your skills. We'll see how good you really are." The red head nodded at the veiled challenge, recognizing the offer. "Maybe," was all he said.

A half hour passed, the strange, fiery haired boy in the bleachers with a cross-shaped scar on his cheek observing the mini-competitions with a critical eye. Most people ignored him, pegging him for a groupie of some sort. Kaoru glanced at him every once and again, rolling her eyes at his obvious reluctance to participate.

Misao noticed it too, finally dragging the poor boy out into the crowd. Kaoru and some of Kenshin's classmates cheered, curious to see his reaction. To the blue-eyed girl's amazement, Kenshin took it well enough, smiling tolerantly and rubbing his head in bemusement. "I'm not one for wooden swords," he commented wryly, repeating the words he had once told Kaoru. Someone promptly tossed him a blunted katana.

To the continuing wonderment of the onlookers, he caught it deftly, snatching it out of the air with cat-like ease. Aoshi, on the fringe of the watchers, smiled at the skill the red head was unconsciously revealing. One of Kaoru's friends pushed a boy to the forefront and egged him on.

"C'mon, Okita-kun, you can take him on!"

Kaoru laughed to herself.

Aoshi raised an eyebrow in anticipation.

Soon enough, an area was cleared for the two opponents. Kenshin smiled, waving the ring of watchers a bit further back. He then proceeded to take in the height of ceiling and exactly how much room he had to work with, mentally measuring the distance. The gym boasted a good, high ceiling, and his mysterious smile deepened.

Okita watched him thoughtfully, his dark blue eyes noting the grace of the smaller boy's movements and the obvious familiarity he held the katana. He glanced at Aoshi, hidden in the crowd, and the two exchanged a silent look. This would be Kenshin's first test. Okita smiled suddenly, lips pulling into a roguish grin.

He was quite looking forward to this.

He bowed traditionally to the red head Kaoru had called Kenshin. His opponent bowed in return, and the black haired teen was amused to see that the other's bow was just slightly lower than his own. Interesting.

Okita launched into his attack, moving easily despite lack of movement due to class. The red head blocked it easily in a shower of electric shocks and he dodged away, reveling in the freedom of his movement. He returned for another strike. Judging by the ease and deftness of Kenshin's block, the black haired teen discovered that his "enemy" was no novice at all. He wasn't even good, Okita thought distantly. His form was perfect.

As the high school's sweetheart fell back into the rhythm of swords clashing and sparks flying, his strikes and thrusts smoothed out, moving with a fluid grace. Not that his attacks weren't solid before, now they were beautifully performed. But it didn't make a difference. Kenshin blocked every pass, and Okita smiled. He loved a challenge.

There was a break in the fighting for the two swordsmen to actually breathe. Both were only slightly sweaty and breathing quite easily, and Okita nodded in appreciation at the other boy. Then he made up his mind.

When the two picked up where they left off, Okita lay off the attacks, preferring to analyze Kenshin's attacks. They were quick, as was everything the boy did, and precise to the point of perfection. Okita envied him his speed and was surprised to notice that he blocked each attack with more and more difficulty.

For the first time since the match had begun, his smile faltered. Abruptly, he paused, and Kenshin checked his swing barely in time. The edge of the red head's katana glimmered faintly from, an edge not even an inch from Okita's throat. The faint smile returned. The blue-eyed teen bowed gracefully, ignoring the proximity of the blade.

"I concede, Himura-san. You're too strong for the likes of me," he admitted. There was an indrawn breath of disbelief. And before the audience's eyes, Okita Soushi, lord of Tokyo Metropolitan High School, turned and walked away, his smile just a little more cutting than usual.

Kenshin watched him go, speculation in his purple eyes.

"Well?"

"What I said was true. I cannot beat him, and I doubt you will be able to either. You can try if you like, but Himura Kenshin is far beyond the likes of us."

Finis

Inkblot: There you go, chapter Three! Yay! Who thought I'd make it this far? Considering that I wrote the beginning of this story in exactly five minutes, not me!

As always, please R&R!