Disclaimer: All God's children know that I, Akira Tomohashi, do NOT own Rurouni Kenshin. Please stop putting me through the torture of telling you that over and over again!

Yes, my name really is Akira Tomohashi . Anyway, sorry about the updating thing. I had band camp for 3 weeks and I'm like, in NO mood to be updating right now but yall have suffered long enough. I shall continue.

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I stood in the corner, watching my love wonder her eyes around the place. Those beautiful pools of lucious blue. I was drowning in them, wanting to gasp for air but yet . . . still enjoying the hold the water colored eyes had on me.

I'm not a sappy person. Really, I'm not but if you took a look at Kaoru in that beautiful kimono . . . could you really blame a lowly rurouni like me?

I continued to stare at her as she talked to Tae-dono. I must say, Kaoru is most beautiful. I know, I've said this about one million times but give a guy a break, will ya?

So, after hearing everything I just said, you could imagine that I wasn't to happy about a man coming up to talk to her. My hair on my nape stood on its ends with jealousy as I heard Kaoru laugh at something he had said.

The man was young, about Sano's age. He was, amazingly, my height but with blonde hair and it was spiked. When he wasn't speaking, his face seemed to form in a violent gesture. Something that turned me off immediately. His eyes were a deep brown, almost black.

My own violet eyes were shot with a stroke of heated amber. I blinked, trying to control my rage but, alas, it did not work.

I clutched my sword when Kaoru twirled her hair with her delicate finger. She only does that when she sees something that she's interested in. This time, a firewall of amber coursed through my eyes and everything went negative.

The colors of Kaoru's kimono were now negative and I was enraged. I almost stomped over there but I remembered, if I were to protect Kaoru, it must be without notice!

I walked over casually and smiled at the young man. "Hello there. I'm Himura Kenshin. Who might you be?"

The man looked at me with narrowed eyes but his aura seemed pure at heart. He looked at me and his face appeared suddenly bright. "I'm Ace Tamari. But you can just call me Junior. Everyone else does."

He reached out his hand to shake mine. I took it but although his hand was so small, his grip was almost as strong as Sano's. I pulled it away, swearing in my mind but not before I caught of glimpse of the handle of what seemed to be a short kodachi.

I narrowed my eyes for a split second, fighting the urge to accuse him of breaking the sword banning law. Though I myself was in no place to correct a violation of a law I, too, was violating.

So, naturally I smiled and bowed. Kaoru looked at me then turned back to Junior, smiling. "It's very nice to meet you sir. How do you and Junior-san know each other by the way?" she asked, turning to Tae.

Tae, with her anti-frown face, went red. "Oh, Jr.-chan is relative of my fathers side of the family. I've never met him until last week because he grew up in the young country America."

That was another reason to add on to my list why to not like Junior. He was an American. Now, I'm not being racist. Truly, I'm not, it's just some of the things that the Americans have done, such as betray France after the French had helped them win a war. They were to help them with a war against England but because of their greed, they remained neutral.

Not to mention the American's would not let women vote. That was just beyond rude to me. Now, maybe I have this wrong but from what I heard, I'm dead on.

I knew I wasn't to judge all American's by the acts of a few. However, Japan doesn't exactly have the best running government of these times either. So, I'm really in no position to comment on other countries.

"I am ashamed of my home country," he said, "but thanks to my cousin Tae, I was able to travel here to Japan and stay with her. I've never met such generous people after living in such a sectional country for 18 years. I've only been here for about 2 so I'm still new to this culture."

I frowned in my mind, wanting to show my emotions so badly. Not only was this man good looking, though short, he was also the perfect age for Kaoru! Not to mention the fact that the two got along great.

. . . I began to feel very old and feeble next to Junior.

Kaoru began to giggle at something Junior said and so I returned my attention to the conversation. "You shouldn't pick on Kenshin when he's not listening!" she laughed, playfully smacking him on the arm.

My face began to heat up. Junior laughed. "Ha ha . . . his face is as red as his hair." At this, everyone began to crack up.

I, on the other hand, continued to frown, my face getting hotter by the second. "I find nothing funny about that joke . . ."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "You'll have to excuse Kenshin. He's being a baka at the moment." I smiled on the inside, one of Kaoru's insults making me feel all warm and fuzzy. Yes, warm and fuzzy! And yes, men also have emotions like that to, not just you females! Some people . . .

-

We began our trek home, Junior's insult driving me mad on the inside. That and Kaoru's scent of jasmine filling the air.

Yes, despite what many of you women think, men are VERY romantic. We're just embarrassed to show it sometimes . . .

"Hey, Kenshin," Kaoru's voice broke into my thoughts, "what was wrong at the Akabeko? You seemed . . . a little upset about something . . . What?"

Well, besides the fact that a young, good-looking man, the PERFECT age for you, was finding every chance to make me look like a fool and steal the woman of my dreams! "Nothing really," I lied. Yes, truth be told, I am an EXCELLENT liar!

Kaoru looked at me, worry filling her bright blue eyes. I felt so bad, especially about the ring (Geez, I just can't let that go . . .).

We arrived at the dojo and everyone said their good nights. Well, besides Yahiko. He went straight to the kitchen for a snack, which to him, a snack is 2 rice balls and a bowl of Hijiki Nimono . . .

So, I trotted off to bed, finding amusement in Yahiko stumbling here and there trying to get the food to his room without Kaoru noticing.

But, naturally, it wasn't all that funny. I was just looking for a way to erase the thought of Junior from my mind. And, of course, it failed . . . miserbly might I add . . . The last thought in my mind as I went to sleep was when Kaoru flirtatiously slapped his arm.

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Oh my gosh, I am SO SORRY it took my so long to update! I had marching band for like 3 weeks and if you were gone all day, I don't think you'd wanna be updating either but I am VERY sorry about you having to wait! But, back to the story. Please R&R!