AN: Okay….let's clear things up a bit. "Negative feedback" does not
necessarily "flames". I did not take anything as a flame, and I won't
unless the reviewer actually says somewhere in the review that "this is
a flame" or something to that nature.So no worries. Alrighty, new
things in my life
1) I started school August 9th. I've had a crapload of work since then. TCFW is going to suffer from school work in the future, but don't worry. I WILL NOT ABANDON THE STORY. Also, I won't leave you hanging for a month without an advance warning.
2) My mother broke her wrist on August 10th. Life has been like living in Hell's janitor closet. I have to do everything because I'm the eldest daughter in this family so I'm on constant "mom-duty" now cooking and cleaning and lecturing my younger sister.
3) Hurricane Frances just came by and we're getting ready for Ivan (I live in FL). I lost power for over 30 hours, got it back for about 12 hours, had it go out again for another 24 hours, and basically burned alive in the terrible heat. But I'm better now.
Enough depressing shit about my life, on with the story! That's what you're all here for, no?
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Sanosuke vomited, yet again, burning his throat with the foul bile. Coughing, he resumed his position at the toilet, leaning his head against the cold porcelain figure. He panted, closing his eyes as the heat almost became unbearable.
Two weeks without drugs, and he was not exactly getting along smoothly.
Kenshin knocked on the door, and Sano groaned as permission to enter. Kenshin did so, bringing fresh towels. Kenshin normally was not queasy, but when other people were retching, he always got the urge to do the same.
"These will be here when you need them." He sighed, stepping back out of the bathroom and closing the door.
"I've got to piss!" Soujiro whined.
"Too bad. Go over to Misao's dorm or something." Aoshi shrugged, fixing himself a sandwich in the kitchen. Kenshin was completely appalled.
"How can you eat when you can hear him gagging?" Kenshin asked, mortified.
"Well, to tell you the truth, I wasn't thinking about it. And now that I am, I might as well take my lunch outside, thank you very much, Kenshin." Aoshi replied.
Soujiro hopped around a bit before giving into the idea of borrowing someone else's bathroom. He had no desire to see Misao, however, so he went to the dorm closer down the hall: Professor Saitou's.
Pleeeeeease let Magdaria answer the door. Soujiro winced as he knocked. The door opened, and Soujiro dared to open his eyes. Magdaria stood there, still in her pajamas.
"Magdaria! Listen, would you mind if I borrowed your bathroom?"
"Go ahead. Is something wrong with yours?"
"Yeah it's going to occupied for quite a bit."
"Ah…" Magdaria nodded, not really wanting to know.
"Sano's puking up everything he's ever eaten, so-"
"Sano? Is he sick?" Worry immediately crossed her face. Soujiro hopped from foot to foot again.
"Can I please use the bathroom now?" Soujiro winced.
"Yes, go, go!" Magdaria stepped out of the way as Soujiro sprinted down the hall and slammed the bathroom door. Concerned for Sano, Magdaria slipped into their dorm and began quietly sneaking down the hall where she heard him coughing and groaning.
"Magdaria?" Kenshin squeaked, almost hysterically as he bumped into her. "What are you doing here?"
"Sou asked to borrow my bathroom, and he told me Sano was sick…"
"Umm….he's fine…." Kenshin nodded nervously.
"KENSHIN, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Sano bellowed.
"Please, Kenshin, I'll help him," Magdaria begged. Kenshin sighed.
"If there is anything in this world that a man absolutely hates, it's being seen when he's sick as shit. I'd really think he wouldn't want you to be here right now."
"Please Kenshin. Give me the towels and the shirt."
Kenshin hesitated, then relented. Magdaria slowly opened the door to the bathroom, where a very sick Sanosuke was trembling in front of the toilet.
"Sano…" Magdaria sat on the edge of the bathtub and put the towels down. Sano didn't look up.
"Please tell me I'm hallucinating." Sanosuke grumbled.
"Shhh…you're going to be okay."
"Magdaria…please…go away…" Sano was trying desperately to hold his bile down while in front of his girlfriend, but he wasn't winning.
"It's all right. Nothing you can do will ever repulse me. I'm here to take care of you." Magdaria pressed her hand against his forehead. "You've definitely got a fever. Take your shirt off…Kenshin gave me a new one but I think you should cool off first."
Sano obeyed. Magdaria took one of the towels and rubbed his back with it, wiping away all the cold sweat. Sano could hold it in no longer, and he retched again. Magdaria combed her fingers through his hair, keeping it out of his face, as she whispered reassurances to him. Sanosuke ached, his muscles were quivering, and he didn't know how much longer he could handle all the vomiting. Another hour later, Sanosuke lay exhausted on the bathroom floor, panting and close to tears. Magdaria was still there, still calm, still gentle and loving.
"I think you're done…are you feeling better?" Magdaria asked.
"Yeah…" Sano whispered hoarsely. He felt like his esophagus had been eaten away by all the bile that had burned it's way up his throat.
"Let's get you to bed." Magdaria smiled, "Kenshin? Can you help me get Sano to his bed?" she called. Kenshin popped his head into the bathroom, looking around. Magdaria had kept it tidy enough, but he was going to suffer the fate of cleaning it.
"Come on, Sano." Kenshin helped him up, and put Sanosuke's arm around his shoulders. Slowly, they made their way to the living room.
"He…he sleeps on the couch?" Magdaria asked.
"There isn't another bedroom." Kenshin shrugged, apologetically.
"He can have mine." Aoshi walked in from work, completely surprising the trio.
"I…don't need…your fucking….room…." Sano wheezed. Aoshi grunted, dropped his uniform on the couch, and headed toward Kenshin and Sanosuke,
"What…what are you doing?" Sano asked, trying to back away. Kenshin kept a firm hold on him. With little more than a grunt of effort, Aoshi grabbed Sano and carried him down the hallway at a swift pace.
"Let me go!" Sano tried to scream, but his throat couldn't make the sound. Magdaria happily followed the two, and Aoshi dumped Sanosuke on the bed. In shock, he could do nothing but lie there and stare at the ceiling.
"Stay." Aoshi commanded, leaving the room. Magdaria watched him close the door, and sat down on the bed next to Sanosuke.
"He didn't have to do that." Sano grumbled.
"I know. But it was nice of him." Magdaria nodded. "You should go to sleep now." She added. They sat for a moment in silence, Magdaria smoothing his hair out across the pillows.
"Are you going to stay with me?"
"Yes."
"How long?"
"I don't know. Probably until you fall asleep."
"Will you stay longer, please?" Sano looked over at her. He stared at her for a long time, lost in how beautiful she was. "You're in your pajamas still anyway." Sano grinned.
"I see you're feeling better." Magdaria smirked, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "I'll stay a little longer then." She lay down next to him, watching him shiver and stare at the ceiling. Hesitantly, she put her arm over him. Sano stopped breathing for a minute, looking over at Magdaria. She gave his arm a squeeze and closed her eyes. Sano's ribcage began its gradual rise and fall again, and he decided to do the same as Magdaria, and he closed his eyes with a small smile of bliss.
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Two days without Enishi, and life was good.
Kaoru was walking around the mall with Misao, happily sifting through the martial arts section of the bookstore. Misao was hanging around in the area, but she was starting to drift off to the sheet music section. There wasn't a lot in the martial arts section about the style her grandfather had taught her, back when he was still up and about. She had mostly mastered it anyway. Kaoru shook her head. She was starting to miss her father and his dojo. While she still held a grudge against her parents for sending her to Eldewater High against her wishes, it had gotten her away from Enishi for a while, hadn't it? The truth was, her father had his good days, whereas her mother was a vile serpent come rain or shine. Neither were the best of people, but she still retained a small amount of respect for her father after he had put up with her mother for so long.
"Hey…is that Kenshin?" Misao asked. He looked different somehow.
Kaoru looked up, squinting toward the entrance of the bookstore. Kenshin was a small boy inside a large crowd, being shuffled around like a playing card.
"I think so…why does he look so…" Kaoru stopped, her mouth agape.
Lipstick.
Black lipstick.
"He's wearing the lipstick again!" Misao cried. "Dude, you must have really pissed him off…"
"Pissed him off? He pissed me off? What am I supposed to do wear neon colors in front of him?!" Kaoru huffed.
"Oh, we're going to get back at him all right…" Misao grinned. Kaoru did not like the look on her friend's face.
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Magdaria opened her eyes. It was getting darker outside. Sano still breathed peacefully next to her, and his fever seemed to have gone down. He no longer shivered under her arm as he had before when they first laid down. Sanosuke, still quite asleep, rolled over. Magdaria held her breath as his arm was flung over her shoulder and his legs pressed up against hers. She exhaled slowly, hoping not to wake him. She tried lifting her head, but his arm was draped heavily over her.
Sano moved again, slightly curling his body. He grunted as he shifted again, this time snuggling closer to Magdaria, and resting his head on her chest.
Great. Now I'm not going to be able to breathe. Magdaria rolled her eyes. She imagined it would be uncomfortable for Sano to lay on her breasts, but he wasn't shifting again….yet…
Magdaria sighed and stared at the ceiling. She had been hoping to get up, but Sano had dashed all those hopes. He was slightly snoring, and his breath was warm on her skin. Magdaria tried pulling up her tank top a little higher, but all that moving around had pulled it down under Sano's head.
At least I wore a freaking bra…
Magdaria gasped. She rose her hand, ready to swat whatever had been tickling her breast, but when she looked down, a mischievous grin greeted her.
"You didn't think I was really asleep, did you?" Sano murmured, flicking his tongue out again to taste her skin. He laughed when Magdaria smacked him, and rolled away from her.
"Damn…that was priceless. I'm going to have to remember to do that again. You actually let me put my face in your-"
"Your face was not in my chest….your head was turned." Magdaria huffed, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
"You're not leaving, are you?" Sano pouted. Magdaria whirled around. She was about to respond when she actually took in the sight of a shirtless Sanosuke lying in bed. She tried to keep her wits about her, but the image was absolutely hypnotizing. Sano seemed to understand this.
"Come closer, you know you wanna." Sano grinned, patting the empty space next to him. He supported his head in his hand, then seductively ran his free hand down his leg.
"I don't. Besides, you're sick."
"Oh. Oh yeah…" Sano scowled. "At least let me see you to the door, then."
"Nope. You're staying in bed." Magdaria adjusted her tank top, and ran her fingers through her hair to try and smooth it out.
"A goodbye kiss, then?" Sano asked, pouting.
Magdaria smiled. She came forward. Sano moved around and got comfortable in the bed. Magdaria pulled the sheets up to his chin.
"Tucking me in, Mommy?"
"Goodbye, Sano." Magdaria leaned forward, kissing him deeply.
Sano's arms, with lightning reflexes, grabbed her and pulled her back onto the bed.
Magdaria screamed and quickly burst out into laughter as she found herself lying on the bed with Sano sitting on top of her.
"I don't think Aoshi would appreciate us getting frisky on his bed."
"God dammit, why did you have to think about that? Curse you, Aoshi!" Sano shook his fist in the air. Magdaria shot up, knocking him off of her, and rolled off the bed.
"All right, I'm seriously leaving now." She grinned, heading for the bedroom door.
"What about the goodbye kiss?"
"I'm not falling for that again. Besides, you already had one."
"Pleeeeeeeease? A goodbye-goodbye kiss?"
"Muah!" Magdaria blew a kiss to a very disappointed Sano, and promptly left the room with a victorious laugh.
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Soujiro tried to steady his shaking hands. It was for the best. Everyone would be relieved. No one would be upset. It was for the best, the very best. Running one of the aforementioned shaky hands through his aqua hair, Soujiro checked the mirror.
"Damn…my roots are starting to show…" Soujiro held out a strand of his hair. He debated whether or not he should actually dye it again. Maybe he should just let the "punk" thing fade. Besides, everyone was doing it. It had never made him an individual. As a matter of fact, life in the alternatives styles were a lot more complicated than the "normal" styles. You had to worry more about what you wore and said and did. Mainstream was evil, but then again, everything was turning mainstream. He had ended up right back where he started : wanting to be original.
"Let's face it, Sou. Punk is dead." Soujiro told his reflection. The boy in the mirror smiled knowingly, then slid out of view as Soujiro turned toward the opening door.
"Soujiro!" Misao cried happily, slapping him on the back. "How go things?"
"Great," Soujiro winced. Not so much from the pain, but from the sudden guilt he felt for what he was about to do.
"What are we going to cover in today's meeting?" Misao asked, setting down her cluttered folder and worn violin case.
"Well, not much really. But I do have a big announcement." Soujiro turned his back, trying to hide his bitterness. Misao took no notice, instead excitedly hopping up and down.
"We got a gig, didn't we? Holy fucking shit! I can't believe it!"
"I'm going to wait until everyone is here before I make my announcement. You might be surprised." Soujiro smiled, once again in control of his feelings.
I had to force them to join. They won't mind breaking up now. It's for the best. Aoshi and Misao will have more time for each other. And I can just…forget everything.
Soujiro's smile remained on his face as Kenshin and Aoshi came in, followed by Sanosuke.. Soujiro could feel himself cracking inside, like ice ready to shatter into a thousand pieces. He was determined, however, not to break.
I will make it through this. It doesn't matter. All I need…is a smile on my face.
"Good afternoon, everyone." Soujiro announced formally. Everyone had taken their seats around the tiny living room of the dorm, and some were already tuning instruments and checking sheet music.
"I have an announcement to make." Soujiro continued. Misao squealed, biting her finger in anticipation. The other boys looked up, hopefully and suspiciously. It would be nice to have a show, but none of them had ever been in the spotlight before. Performance was a big deal, and they weren't sure they could handle it.
"You mean….we…you actually got us…" Sano breathed. Soujrio closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, they were clear and full of merriment, much like his easy smile he had learned to fool people with so long ago.
"I am resigning from the band."
Silence followed this declaration. Slowly, but surely, his band members burst into laughter.
"Good one, Sou. So what are we going to practice on-"
"He's serious." Aoshi quipped, not looking away from Soujiro's face. The others fell silent again. Misao's eyes began shining with tears.
"You're serious?" she asked quietly. Soujrio still smiled. He almost felt psychotic, but he was still in control. He would always be in control.
"Yes. I am serious."
"But WHY?" Sanosuke bellowed. Anger did not phase Soujiro either.
"It is in all of our best interests. I realize now, that, I pushed you all into doing this for my mere fantasy of touching the world with my music. I'm flattered that you're so attached to our little group, but I'm afraid that I am resigning, and you may do so as well. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't." Soujiro turned and headed for the door.
"Where the hell are you going?" Kenshin asked, standing up from the couch.
"Oh, I don't know. But I'll be back in time for dinner."
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Kenshin found himself aimlessly roaming the hallways during his lunch period. Everyone had been distant, confused, and pissed of since Soujiro's resignation from the band. He didn't feel like sitting outside with a raving mad Sanosuke and silently incensed Aoshi. Kaoru was probably off in the cafeteria consoling a bewildered Misao, and Soujiro was probably staying late in his sculpture class again. The boy sucked at sculpture, there was no denying it, but normally he didn't care about staying after unless it was a major portion of his grade.
Another irritating thing was that Kenshin had an annoying song stuck in his head. He found himself humming it at all hours of the day, and even realized that he had been singing it in the middle of a Trig test last period. Angrily, he tried to force it out of his head, but the words slipped from his mouth once again.
"The world is full of beautiful things, butterfly wings, fairy tale kings. And each new day undoubtedly brings still more beautiful things…"
"ARGH!" Kenshin stopped in the hallway to shake his head. He pushed open the door to the men's room, letting his book bag fall off his shoulder to the floor. Kenshin rifled through the front pockets for a moment before pulling out his make up kit. He bought all his cosmetics online from gothic beauty supply sites. It wasn't that he was gay, or that he wanted to be a girl. Make up, when applied correctly, could make him feel demonic, mysterious, or even impish. Hell, men wore body paint back in tribal days. The decoration of the body is an art.
"Hey, fag, aren't you looking for the girl's room?" Someone asked. Kenshin looked up from drawing a smoky line away from his eye, giving it a cat-like appearance. He decided not to answer, hoping the guy would just take a piss and leave. However, this would not be the case.
"Did you hear me?" A tall, burly senior sauntered over and knocked the eye shadow case to the ground, causing the compact powder to break and dust the floor. Kenshin stared at the floor where the $20 case had fallen to its demise. He debated on whether or not to get on his knees and brush the shadow back into the compact or punch the guy in the stomach.
"That shit was expensive." Kenshin merely nodded. Carefully, he stooped to pick up the now useless cosmetic, but the guy knocked him over onto his back. Kenshin had anticipated this.
"YAAAAAA!!!" Kenshin screamed as he rocked forward to bring his boot crashing into the senior's -ahem- 'manly area'. The boy, in complete shock, fell back and lay still. Kenshin didn't stop to wonder if he had killed the poor dude.
"Take that you bastard!" Kenshin hopped up, standing on the boy's chest. "There's no shame in body art!" And with that, Kenshin picked up his book bag and walked out of the bathroom with a very masculine saunter.
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Misao and Kaoru exited the cafeteria, heading their separate ways from lunch. Kaoru was shocked that the band had been…well…disbanded. Soujiro had seemed so excited to finally have his dream come true. But that happens sometimes with people.
Their priorities change.
Misao walked down the hallway toward her English class, not noticing Soujiro who was watching her from his locker. He thought about going up to her offering to walk her to her class…but Aoshi beat him to it. Aoshi quickly came up beside Misao, and he watched them exchange their hellos. Hefting his book bag on his shoulders, he followed the two. They talked and laughed, and Misao pulled something out of her book bag.
A…belt?
A studded belt…
Aoshi chuckled and slipped it on. Soujiro took a moment to process the scene. It suddenly clicked that he recognized the belt as Aoshi's. Had Misao been….borrowing it? What a concept. But the thought irked Soujiro even more. They were getting closer. And he was being pushed further and further away. Aoshi opened a classroom door, and Misao walked in as she thanked him. Aoshi then let the door close and headed up the stairs to the second floor. Soujiro stared at a neutral space between the two places, and listened as the final bell rang. He was late for class, across the campus.
Soujiro slid to the ground, still staring at the gray-painted wall. Slowly, he put his hands up to his head, entangling his fingers in his fading aqua hair.
This isn't happening
Soujiro could hear his voice screaming, screaming as loud as it could inside his head. But the silence in the hallway was drowning him out; was making him fade away as if he were nothing but a shadow.
Everything…is falling apart…
"Why is everything….falling…apart?" Soujiro whispered. He thought he would cry, but no familiar sensation of prickling hot tears or burning of the throat came to him.
Did it mean that he didn't care?
Did it mean that he had finally achieved the emotionless perfection he had been trying to achieve for so long?
Somehow, his goal didn't seem so appealing as it did, way back when.
"I don't want it anymore." Soujiro whispered. He stood, taking his hands away from his hair and clenching them to his sides.
"I don't want it anymore!" He shouted.
And he ran down the hall at breakneck speed, not really knowing - or caring - where he was going.
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Sorry it was only 10 pages this time....and screwed up my format yet again and won't let me do italics and stuff...it's the best I can come up with what with all that's happening. REVIEWWWWW!
P.S. YES I AM STILL PAINFULLY AWARE OF THE FACT THAT "BATTOUSAI" DOES NOT MEAN "MANSLAYER". THANK YOU TO THOSE OF YOU WHO JUST HAD TO KEEP REMINDING ME.
1) I started school August 9th. I've had a crapload of work since then. TCFW is going to suffer from school work in the future, but don't worry. I WILL NOT ABANDON THE STORY. Also, I won't leave you hanging for a month without an advance warning.
2) My mother broke her wrist on August 10th. Life has been like living in Hell's janitor closet. I have to do everything because I'm the eldest daughter in this family so I'm on constant "mom-duty" now cooking and cleaning and lecturing my younger sister.
3) Hurricane Frances just came by and we're getting ready for Ivan (I live in FL). I lost power for over 30 hours, got it back for about 12 hours, had it go out again for another 24 hours, and basically burned alive in the terrible heat. But I'm better now.
Enough depressing shit about my life, on with the story! That's what you're all here for, no?
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Sanosuke vomited, yet again, burning his throat with the foul bile. Coughing, he resumed his position at the toilet, leaning his head against the cold porcelain figure. He panted, closing his eyes as the heat almost became unbearable.
Two weeks without drugs, and he was not exactly getting along smoothly.
Kenshin knocked on the door, and Sano groaned as permission to enter. Kenshin did so, bringing fresh towels. Kenshin normally was not queasy, but when other people were retching, he always got the urge to do the same.
"These will be here when you need them." He sighed, stepping back out of the bathroom and closing the door.
"I've got to piss!" Soujiro whined.
"Too bad. Go over to Misao's dorm or something." Aoshi shrugged, fixing himself a sandwich in the kitchen. Kenshin was completely appalled.
"How can you eat when you can hear him gagging?" Kenshin asked, mortified.
"Well, to tell you the truth, I wasn't thinking about it. And now that I am, I might as well take my lunch outside, thank you very much, Kenshin." Aoshi replied.
Soujiro hopped around a bit before giving into the idea of borrowing someone else's bathroom. He had no desire to see Misao, however, so he went to the dorm closer down the hall: Professor Saitou's.
Pleeeeeease let Magdaria answer the door. Soujiro winced as he knocked. The door opened, and Soujiro dared to open his eyes. Magdaria stood there, still in her pajamas.
"Magdaria! Listen, would you mind if I borrowed your bathroom?"
"Go ahead. Is something wrong with yours?"
"Yeah it's going to occupied for quite a bit."
"Ah…" Magdaria nodded, not really wanting to know.
"Sano's puking up everything he's ever eaten, so-"
"Sano? Is he sick?" Worry immediately crossed her face. Soujiro hopped from foot to foot again.
"Can I please use the bathroom now?" Soujiro winced.
"Yes, go, go!" Magdaria stepped out of the way as Soujiro sprinted down the hall and slammed the bathroom door. Concerned for Sano, Magdaria slipped into their dorm and began quietly sneaking down the hall where she heard him coughing and groaning.
"Magdaria?" Kenshin squeaked, almost hysterically as he bumped into her. "What are you doing here?"
"Sou asked to borrow my bathroom, and he told me Sano was sick…"
"Umm….he's fine…." Kenshin nodded nervously.
"KENSHIN, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Sano bellowed.
"Please, Kenshin, I'll help him," Magdaria begged. Kenshin sighed.
"If there is anything in this world that a man absolutely hates, it's being seen when he's sick as shit. I'd really think he wouldn't want you to be here right now."
"Please Kenshin. Give me the towels and the shirt."
Kenshin hesitated, then relented. Magdaria slowly opened the door to the bathroom, where a very sick Sanosuke was trembling in front of the toilet.
"Sano…" Magdaria sat on the edge of the bathtub and put the towels down. Sano didn't look up.
"Please tell me I'm hallucinating." Sanosuke grumbled.
"Shhh…you're going to be okay."
"Magdaria…please…go away…" Sano was trying desperately to hold his bile down while in front of his girlfriend, but he wasn't winning.
"It's all right. Nothing you can do will ever repulse me. I'm here to take care of you." Magdaria pressed her hand against his forehead. "You've definitely got a fever. Take your shirt off…Kenshin gave me a new one but I think you should cool off first."
Sano obeyed. Magdaria took one of the towels and rubbed his back with it, wiping away all the cold sweat. Sano could hold it in no longer, and he retched again. Magdaria combed her fingers through his hair, keeping it out of his face, as she whispered reassurances to him. Sanosuke ached, his muscles were quivering, and he didn't know how much longer he could handle all the vomiting. Another hour later, Sanosuke lay exhausted on the bathroom floor, panting and close to tears. Magdaria was still there, still calm, still gentle and loving.
"I think you're done…are you feeling better?" Magdaria asked.
"Yeah…" Sano whispered hoarsely. He felt like his esophagus had been eaten away by all the bile that had burned it's way up his throat.
"Let's get you to bed." Magdaria smiled, "Kenshin? Can you help me get Sano to his bed?" she called. Kenshin popped his head into the bathroom, looking around. Magdaria had kept it tidy enough, but he was going to suffer the fate of cleaning it.
"Come on, Sano." Kenshin helped him up, and put Sanosuke's arm around his shoulders. Slowly, they made their way to the living room.
"He…he sleeps on the couch?" Magdaria asked.
"There isn't another bedroom." Kenshin shrugged, apologetically.
"He can have mine." Aoshi walked in from work, completely surprising the trio.
"I…don't need…your fucking….room…." Sano wheezed. Aoshi grunted, dropped his uniform on the couch, and headed toward Kenshin and Sanosuke,
"What…what are you doing?" Sano asked, trying to back away. Kenshin kept a firm hold on him. With little more than a grunt of effort, Aoshi grabbed Sano and carried him down the hallway at a swift pace.
"Let me go!" Sano tried to scream, but his throat couldn't make the sound. Magdaria happily followed the two, and Aoshi dumped Sanosuke on the bed. In shock, he could do nothing but lie there and stare at the ceiling.
"Stay." Aoshi commanded, leaving the room. Magdaria watched him close the door, and sat down on the bed next to Sanosuke.
"He didn't have to do that." Sano grumbled.
"I know. But it was nice of him." Magdaria nodded. "You should go to sleep now." She added. They sat for a moment in silence, Magdaria smoothing his hair out across the pillows.
"Are you going to stay with me?"
"Yes."
"How long?"
"I don't know. Probably until you fall asleep."
"Will you stay longer, please?" Sano looked over at her. He stared at her for a long time, lost in how beautiful she was. "You're in your pajamas still anyway." Sano grinned.
"I see you're feeling better." Magdaria smirked, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "I'll stay a little longer then." She lay down next to him, watching him shiver and stare at the ceiling. Hesitantly, she put her arm over him. Sano stopped breathing for a minute, looking over at Magdaria. She gave his arm a squeeze and closed her eyes. Sano's ribcage began its gradual rise and fall again, and he decided to do the same as Magdaria, and he closed his eyes with a small smile of bliss.
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Two days without Enishi, and life was good.
Kaoru was walking around the mall with Misao, happily sifting through the martial arts section of the bookstore. Misao was hanging around in the area, but she was starting to drift off to the sheet music section. There wasn't a lot in the martial arts section about the style her grandfather had taught her, back when he was still up and about. She had mostly mastered it anyway. Kaoru shook her head. She was starting to miss her father and his dojo. While she still held a grudge against her parents for sending her to Eldewater High against her wishes, it had gotten her away from Enishi for a while, hadn't it? The truth was, her father had his good days, whereas her mother was a vile serpent come rain or shine. Neither were the best of people, but she still retained a small amount of respect for her father after he had put up with her mother for so long.
"Hey…is that Kenshin?" Misao asked. He looked different somehow.
Kaoru looked up, squinting toward the entrance of the bookstore. Kenshin was a small boy inside a large crowd, being shuffled around like a playing card.
"I think so…why does he look so…" Kaoru stopped, her mouth agape.
Lipstick.
Black lipstick.
"He's wearing the lipstick again!" Misao cried. "Dude, you must have really pissed him off…"
"Pissed him off? He pissed me off? What am I supposed to do wear neon colors in front of him?!" Kaoru huffed.
"Oh, we're going to get back at him all right…" Misao grinned. Kaoru did not like the look on her friend's face.
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Magdaria opened her eyes. It was getting darker outside. Sano still breathed peacefully next to her, and his fever seemed to have gone down. He no longer shivered under her arm as he had before when they first laid down. Sanosuke, still quite asleep, rolled over. Magdaria held her breath as his arm was flung over her shoulder and his legs pressed up against hers. She exhaled slowly, hoping not to wake him. She tried lifting her head, but his arm was draped heavily over her.
Sano moved again, slightly curling his body. He grunted as he shifted again, this time snuggling closer to Magdaria, and resting his head on her chest.
Great. Now I'm not going to be able to breathe. Magdaria rolled her eyes. She imagined it would be uncomfortable for Sano to lay on her breasts, but he wasn't shifting again….yet…
Magdaria sighed and stared at the ceiling. She had been hoping to get up, but Sano had dashed all those hopes. He was slightly snoring, and his breath was warm on her skin. Magdaria tried pulling up her tank top a little higher, but all that moving around had pulled it down under Sano's head.
At least I wore a freaking bra…
Magdaria gasped. She rose her hand, ready to swat whatever had been tickling her breast, but when she looked down, a mischievous grin greeted her.
"You didn't think I was really asleep, did you?" Sano murmured, flicking his tongue out again to taste her skin. He laughed when Magdaria smacked him, and rolled away from her.
"Damn…that was priceless. I'm going to have to remember to do that again. You actually let me put my face in your-"
"Your face was not in my chest….your head was turned." Magdaria huffed, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
"You're not leaving, are you?" Sano pouted. Magdaria whirled around. She was about to respond when she actually took in the sight of a shirtless Sanosuke lying in bed. She tried to keep her wits about her, but the image was absolutely hypnotizing. Sano seemed to understand this.
"Come closer, you know you wanna." Sano grinned, patting the empty space next to him. He supported his head in his hand, then seductively ran his free hand down his leg.
"I don't. Besides, you're sick."
"Oh. Oh yeah…" Sano scowled. "At least let me see you to the door, then."
"Nope. You're staying in bed." Magdaria adjusted her tank top, and ran her fingers through her hair to try and smooth it out.
"A goodbye kiss, then?" Sano asked, pouting.
Magdaria smiled. She came forward. Sano moved around and got comfortable in the bed. Magdaria pulled the sheets up to his chin.
"Tucking me in, Mommy?"
"Goodbye, Sano." Magdaria leaned forward, kissing him deeply.
Sano's arms, with lightning reflexes, grabbed her and pulled her back onto the bed.
Magdaria screamed and quickly burst out into laughter as she found herself lying on the bed with Sano sitting on top of her.
"I don't think Aoshi would appreciate us getting frisky on his bed."
"God dammit, why did you have to think about that? Curse you, Aoshi!" Sano shook his fist in the air. Magdaria shot up, knocking him off of her, and rolled off the bed.
"All right, I'm seriously leaving now." She grinned, heading for the bedroom door.
"What about the goodbye kiss?"
"I'm not falling for that again. Besides, you already had one."
"Pleeeeeeeease? A goodbye-goodbye kiss?"
"Muah!" Magdaria blew a kiss to a very disappointed Sano, and promptly left the room with a victorious laugh.
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Soujiro tried to steady his shaking hands. It was for the best. Everyone would be relieved. No one would be upset. It was for the best, the very best. Running one of the aforementioned shaky hands through his aqua hair, Soujiro checked the mirror.
"Damn…my roots are starting to show…" Soujiro held out a strand of his hair. He debated whether or not he should actually dye it again. Maybe he should just let the "punk" thing fade. Besides, everyone was doing it. It had never made him an individual. As a matter of fact, life in the alternatives styles were a lot more complicated than the "normal" styles. You had to worry more about what you wore and said and did. Mainstream was evil, but then again, everything was turning mainstream. He had ended up right back where he started : wanting to be original.
"Let's face it, Sou. Punk is dead." Soujiro told his reflection. The boy in the mirror smiled knowingly, then slid out of view as Soujiro turned toward the opening door.
"Soujiro!" Misao cried happily, slapping him on the back. "How go things?"
"Great," Soujiro winced. Not so much from the pain, but from the sudden guilt he felt for what he was about to do.
"What are we going to cover in today's meeting?" Misao asked, setting down her cluttered folder and worn violin case.
"Well, not much really. But I do have a big announcement." Soujiro turned his back, trying to hide his bitterness. Misao took no notice, instead excitedly hopping up and down.
"We got a gig, didn't we? Holy fucking shit! I can't believe it!"
"I'm going to wait until everyone is here before I make my announcement. You might be surprised." Soujiro smiled, once again in control of his feelings.
I had to force them to join. They won't mind breaking up now. It's for the best. Aoshi and Misao will have more time for each other. And I can just…forget everything.
Soujiro's smile remained on his face as Kenshin and Aoshi came in, followed by Sanosuke.. Soujiro could feel himself cracking inside, like ice ready to shatter into a thousand pieces. He was determined, however, not to break.
I will make it through this. It doesn't matter. All I need…is a smile on my face.
"Good afternoon, everyone." Soujiro announced formally. Everyone had taken their seats around the tiny living room of the dorm, and some were already tuning instruments and checking sheet music.
"I have an announcement to make." Soujiro continued. Misao squealed, biting her finger in anticipation. The other boys looked up, hopefully and suspiciously. It would be nice to have a show, but none of them had ever been in the spotlight before. Performance was a big deal, and they weren't sure they could handle it.
"You mean….we…you actually got us…" Sano breathed. Soujrio closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, they were clear and full of merriment, much like his easy smile he had learned to fool people with so long ago.
"I am resigning from the band."
Silence followed this declaration. Slowly, but surely, his band members burst into laughter.
"Good one, Sou. So what are we going to practice on-"
"He's serious." Aoshi quipped, not looking away from Soujiro's face. The others fell silent again. Misao's eyes began shining with tears.
"You're serious?" she asked quietly. Soujrio still smiled. He almost felt psychotic, but he was still in control. He would always be in control.
"Yes. I am serious."
"But WHY?" Sanosuke bellowed. Anger did not phase Soujiro either.
"It is in all of our best interests. I realize now, that, I pushed you all into doing this for my mere fantasy of touching the world with my music. I'm flattered that you're so attached to our little group, but I'm afraid that I am resigning, and you may do so as well. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't." Soujiro turned and headed for the door.
"Where the hell are you going?" Kenshin asked, standing up from the couch.
"Oh, I don't know. But I'll be back in time for dinner."
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Kenshin found himself aimlessly roaming the hallways during his lunch period. Everyone had been distant, confused, and pissed of since Soujiro's resignation from the band. He didn't feel like sitting outside with a raving mad Sanosuke and silently incensed Aoshi. Kaoru was probably off in the cafeteria consoling a bewildered Misao, and Soujiro was probably staying late in his sculpture class again. The boy sucked at sculpture, there was no denying it, but normally he didn't care about staying after unless it was a major portion of his grade.
Another irritating thing was that Kenshin had an annoying song stuck in his head. He found himself humming it at all hours of the day, and even realized that he had been singing it in the middle of a Trig test last period. Angrily, he tried to force it out of his head, but the words slipped from his mouth once again.
"The world is full of beautiful things, butterfly wings, fairy tale kings. And each new day undoubtedly brings still more beautiful things…"
"ARGH!" Kenshin stopped in the hallway to shake his head. He pushed open the door to the men's room, letting his book bag fall off his shoulder to the floor. Kenshin rifled through the front pockets for a moment before pulling out his make up kit. He bought all his cosmetics online from gothic beauty supply sites. It wasn't that he was gay, or that he wanted to be a girl. Make up, when applied correctly, could make him feel demonic, mysterious, or even impish. Hell, men wore body paint back in tribal days. The decoration of the body is an art.
"Hey, fag, aren't you looking for the girl's room?" Someone asked. Kenshin looked up from drawing a smoky line away from his eye, giving it a cat-like appearance. He decided not to answer, hoping the guy would just take a piss and leave. However, this would not be the case.
"Did you hear me?" A tall, burly senior sauntered over and knocked the eye shadow case to the ground, causing the compact powder to break and dust the floor. Kenshin stared at the floor where the $20 case had fallen to its demise. He debated on whether or not to get on his knees and brush the shadow back into the compact or punch the guy in the stomach.
"That shit was expensive." Kenshin merely nodded. Carefully, he stooped to pick up the now useless cosmetic, but the guy knocked him over onto his back. Kenshin had anticipated this.
"YAAAAAA!!!" Kenshin screamed as he rocked forward to bring his boot crashing into the senior's -ahem- 'manly area'. The boy, in complete shock, fell back and lay still. Kenshin didn't stop to wonder if he had killed the poor dude.
"Take that you bastard!" Kenshin hopped up, standing on the boy's chest. "There's no shame in body art!" And with that, Kenshin picked up his book bag and walked out of the bathroom with a very masculine saunter.
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Misao and Kaoru exited the cafeteria, heading their separate ways from lunch. Kaoru was shocked that the band had been…well…disbanded. Soujiro had seemed so excited to finally have his dream come true. But that happens sometimes with people.
Their priorities change.
Misao walked down the hallway toward her English class, not noticing Soujiro who was watching her from his locker. He thought about going up to her offering to walk her to her class…but Aoshi beat him to it. Aoshi quickly came up beside Misao, and he watched them exchange their hellos. Hefting his book bag on his shoulders, he followed the two. They talked and laughed, and Misao pulled something out of her book bag.
A…belt?
A studded belt…
Aoshi chuckled and slipped it on. Soujiro took a moment to process the scene. It suddenly clicked that he recognized the belt as Aoshi's. Had Misao been….borrowing it? What a concept. But the thought irked Soujiro even more. They were getting closer. And he was being pushed further and further away. Aoshi opened a classroom door, and Misao walked in as she thanked him. Aoshi then let the door close and headed up the stairs to the second floor. Soujiro stared at a neutral space between the two places, and listened as the final bell rang. He was late for class, across the campus.
Soujiro slid to the ground, still staring at the gray-painted wall. Slowly, he put his hands up to his head, entangling his fingers in his fading aqua hair.
This isn't happening
Soujiro could hear his voice screaming, screaming as loud as it could inside his head. But the silence in the hallway was drowning him out; was making him fade away as if he were nothing but a shadow.
Everything…is falling apart…
"Why is everything….falling…apart?" Soujiro whispered. He thought he would cry, but no familiar sensation of prickling hot tears or burning of the throat came to him.
Did it mean that he didn't care?
Did it mean that he had finally achieved the emotionless perfection he had been trying to achieve for so long?
Somehow, his goal didn't seem so appealing as it did, way back when.
"I don't want it anymore." Soujiro whispered. He stood, taking his hands away from his hair and clenching them to his sides.
"I don't want it anymore!" He shouted.
And he ran down the hall at breakneck speed, not really knowing - or caring - where he was going.
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Sorry it was only 10 pages this time....and screwed up my format yet again and won't let me do italics and stuff...it's the best I can come up with what with all that's happening. REVIEWWWWW!
P.S. YES I AM STILL PAINFULLY AWARE OF THE FACT THAT "BATTOUSAI" DOES NOT MEAN "MANSLAYER". THANK YOU TO THOSE OF YOU WHO JUST HAD TO KEEP REMINDING ME.