A/N: Ok, here's my very first Kenshin fic. It isn't finished, so don't worry. If you like it, there will be more. Also, if you go and tell me that the plot isn't plausible, I'll find a way to call you up and laugh at you. This is based on actual events. I guess you could say it's a type of therapy. Anyway, I'll issue a slight OOC warning, mostly for Sano. I give him a little more brains in this fic than he seems to have in the manga and the anime. This is an obvious AU, modern day, high-school thing. We've got some content warning for this chapter: sexual harassment is present, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Legal Stuffiness: I don't own Kenshin or any of the characters therein. The plot of this fic is based upon actual events, and I DO own that.

Dodging Enishi

Chapter 1: Hallway Harassment

She couldn't explain why she did it. It simply hadn't occurred to her that anything bad would have happened.

One afternoon in the music hall, Kamiya Kaoru had just finished the at times physically demanding task of setting up her music stand, stool and instrument for practice. There were close to seventy people in the concert competition wind ensemble that her high school was famous for. At the beginning of the season, she'd taken up the daunting task of changing instruments, simply so that she wouldn't have to sit next to Takani Megumi. For six years, she'd played the clarinet, having a rather ridiculous rivalry with Megumi. Now, the monstrous contra-bass clarinet she set in its stand was her sole concern.

Nearly five feet tall, the unwieldy instrument had a low and brooding tone, which appealed to her current state of mind: angst. When she looked to the stand where she'd place her folder of sheet music, she found it missing. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for the culprit. As she did so, she barely saw a tall boy exiting the hall, holding her music folder. This just happened to be the second most arrogant individual in the entire school, first-chair of the trombone section, Yukishiro Enishi.

Scrubbing her fingers through her unkempt black hair, she growled a curse. Still muttering to herself, she wove in and out of the chairs in the setup, to the door. The director, Hiko-sensei, lifted an eyebrow questioningly at her. Smiling sweetly, she said, "I'll be right back, sensei. I just have to take care of something."

As she entered the now-darkened hallway, she saw the boy with oddly purplish hair disappear around the corner. Rolling her eyes, she ran after him. I don't have time for this…When she turned the corner, she nearly plowed over Enishi. His smile, as he looked down on her, was to say the least, disconcerting. "Well, Kaoru-chan," He didn't continue, because she cut him off.

"Give it back, Yukishiro."

"Oh, now, Kaoru-chan, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Enishi?"

Trying her best not to snarl at the idiotically arrogant boy before her, she said, "At least a hundred." She reached for the folder, and he quickly jerked it out of Kaoru's reach, dark eyes glittering as he positioned it over his shoulder. He was truly frustrating.

"I have an idea, Kaoru-chan…why don't you go out with me on Saturday?" This wasn't the first time he'd cornered her and tried to get her to go out with him. He'd done this in the cafeteria, on the street, and even at the mall. She was starting to get the feeling that he had been stalking her. That is, until she starting hanging around with Sano. He was enough to deter most people from even talking to her if she didn't want them to. And, to say the truth, she really didn't want to talk to Enishi any more than was necessary.

Her voice came out in a mocking tone, "I have a better idea, yaro. Why don't you give me back my folder so that we can start practice, and you leave me alone?" She jumped for the folder. Not only did he not let her have it back, but he also snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, both of them falling back against the wall. She squirmed, trying to get away and reach her precious music at the same time. All the while, Enishi's lips curved in a smile that promised he wasn't going to let her go. Kaoru's fingers closed on the leather of the folder, and she made a small noise of triumph as she yanked it from his grip.

Her celebration was short-lived, however, because now Enishi's other hand was free, and he used it to his advantage. An indignant squawk echoed in the hallway as he put his hand up the back of her skirt. At the unwanted contact, Kaoru's eyes widenened, and then narrowed to thin slits. Suddenly, white-hot anger was boiling up from somewhere in her head, and she pushed away from him. "Yukishiro, I know you didn't just do that." Voice low, she was poised on the balls of her feet, ready to do one of two things. If he tried anything else, she'd do exactly what she wanted to do, which was deliver a swift kick to his groin and then another to his face once he was on the floor. On the other hand, if he didn't do anything else, she'd just run as fast as she could back to the music hall.

Just my luck to get sexually harassed, and with no witnesses! As he took a step toward her, Kaoru readied herself. He was looking at her in a way that made her mouth go dry. No one had ever looked at her like that. No one. It was the kind of face you saw in movies when some psycho was about to…oh, hell! He better not be doing what I think he's doing!

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Just as Enishi was about to reach for her again, her best friend rounded the corner, perhaps having been alerted to her predicament by her un-ladylike cry a moment earlier. "Kaoru-dono? There you are!" The short red-haired boy said, smiling when he saw her. "Hiko-sensei wants you back in the hall. He says you still haven't tuned 'that behemoth.'"

"Kenshin!" Kaoru latched herself onto her friend's arm, and cast one last glance at Enishi. Cold hatred smoldered in her eyes toward a still smirking Enishi as she turned the corner. "Thanks, Kenshin. I owe you."

"Oro?" His usual oddly confused reply was reassuring. There were few people she actually felt safe around, and he was one of them, even if he was completely clueless most of the time. At the moment, though, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was away from the hentai, Enishi. Kaoru surreptitiously smoothed her uniform skirt. Why were those things so short, anyway?

"I'll tell you later. Can you and Sano come over to my place after practice?" She was still a little rattled, and it must have come through in the way she was speaking, because Kenshin agreed immediately. Though they'd been friends for a very long time, he still felt odd coming over to her house without her parents' express permission. It was just one of those little things that made him Kenshin. So, her mother had issued a standing invitation to him when they were ten, just so that he wouldn't blush and stammer when Kaoru dragged him in the door of their house.

"Hai. I'll talk to him. But I'll warn you, Kaoru-dono, Sano may have to bring his little brother with him." Kaoru usually didn't want Yahiko around her. The cocky young trumpeter was constantly saying that she looked like a pig with her slightly upturned nose. But, just then, he could call her a demon pig from hell and she wouldn't care.

"Right now, I couldn't care if you brought Aoshi with you." Kenshin's eyes widened as they entered the music hall. Shinomori Aoshi was not exactly their favorite person in the world. If Enishi was the second most arrogant person in school, he was number one, hands down. The year before, he'd transferred in from another school and performed a hostile takeover of the delicate student power structure of New Edo High School. He and his group of cronies were masters of the brand of psychological torture that high school bullies employed; the kind that made them not even need to lift a finger, yet still have freshmen shaking in fear.

So, Kenshin nodded with some hesitation and not a little concern, as he went to the back of the room to the percussion section to talk to Sano before taking his place as first-chair of the tenor saxophone section. A few minutes later, a calm and collected Yukishiro Enishi strolled into the room, adjusting the sunglasses he now had placed on top of his head, holding his long bangs out of his eyes. He smirked as he sat, glancing over at Kaoru, a look in his eyes that said he wasn't finished with her by far. Kaoru tuned 'the behemoth,' all the while glaring daggers across the room at Enishi.

After the initial group tuning, practice went by smoothly and quickly. Soon after, Kaoru found herself walking home, the enormous case for her instrument slung over her back, Sanosuke and Kenshin walking on either side of her, with Sano's half-brother Yahiko trailing behind, muttering curses about having to go to "that ugly piggy-girl's house."

Once they all settled onto the couch, chairs, and floor in the living room, with Sano munching on pilfered chips, Kenshin said, "What's going on, Kaoru-dono? You said you'd explain."

"Yeah. You looked like someone killed your cat." Sano shook the bag, peering inside. His eyes narrowed. "You looked like you were plotting vengeance all through practice."

"One thing, before I tell you. You shut up, and I talk. No interruptions, Sano." He had a habit of asking questions at inopportune times while she was trying to talk, and she hated that about him. Once she had him agree to that, she told them exactly what happened.

Sano's face had turned into a thunderhead. He was nothing if not overly protective of anyone that he cared about, or who cared in the least for him. "That…that bastard! Taking advantage of someone like that…wait until I get my hands on his stupid neck." He cracked his knuckles, smiling vindictively. Oddly, Kenshin had been silent. He seemed to be thinking. Then, he spoke.

"No, Sano. Let me handle it." Both Kaoru and Sano leaned away from the red-head who was seated on the floor. There had been very few times in all the years they'd known each other that his voice took on that tone, but Kaoru knew it well. The three times she'd heard it were when someone had threatened her. He was her best friend, and had been since they were three and four years old, and he was extremely protective. His protectiveness was not as openly aggressive as Sano's, but Sano was mostly all bark, no bite.

Yahiko piped up from the recliner, where he was looking at a magazine, "What are you gonna do, shorty?" He smiled evilly, regardless of Kenshin's death-glare. He was only fourteen, and a freshman, but he knew full well that he was taller than the copper-haired senior, and hadn't let him forget it yet. However, they all knew exactly what Kenshin was going to do. He was not only in the wind ensemble, but he shared the captainship of the Kendo club with Shinomori Aoshi. Enishi was in the club, as well. More than likely, Enishi would be Kenshin's "demonstration" partner in their next practice session.

Kenshin's tone still dangerous, he said, "Nothing that concerns you, kid." When he was in this sort of mood, you simply didn't mess with him, or you'd find yourself in what Sano liked to call "a world of hurt." Yahiko's bravado faded, and he looked to his half-brother, who merely shrugged and shook his bag of chips again. Now rather stiff, Kenshin stood. "I have to go." Turning to Kaoru, he gave her a short bow. Oddly, when he was like this, he'd badmouth everyone, except her. To her, he was stiffly formal. "Kaoru-dono," After that abbreviated exit, Sano whistled lowly.

Yahiko shivered. "I don't envy Enishi. He's gonna take a beating tomorrow at practice." After his initial shock, he smiled widely. "Want me to get it on tape for you, Kaoru-chan?"

"Aww. That's the first nice thing you've ever said to me, Yahiko-kun!" Kaoru squealed in mock delight. She leaned back on the couch. "As much as I'd like that, I'm sure Kenshin wouldn't appreciate it. But be my guest and laugh your head off at him getting the stuffing beat out of him, ok?" The freshman nodded. He'd oblige happily.

Just then, Kaoru's mother came into the living room, wearing an apron and wiping her hands. "Ah. Would your friends like to stay for dinner, Kaoru?"

Yahiko and Sanosuke both said loudly, "Yes!" Kaoru rolled her eyes.

"You two are moochers."

Sano smiled a cat-like grin. "And proud of it, babe." That earned him a smack on the side of his spiky-haired head.

Yahiko's nose wrinkled. There was an odd smell in the locker room. It was like gym socks mixed with whiskey. He walked around the nearest bank of lockers to see Enishi doing exactly what he'd always suspected him of. He was taking a long swig of something in a flask. He silently sighed and kept walking, moving to his own locker in the next row. As he changed into his Kendo uniform, he thought about what Kaoru-chan had said the day before, and consequently, the look on Kenshin's face when he said he would handle Enishi.

He withdrew his shinai from his locker, then proceeded to the dojo. Yahiko found that Kenshin was meditating at the front of the room, and decided not to disturb him. He seemed like he could use the calm. After placing his shinai on the rack to the left side of the room, he bowed to the front of the room and then stepped up onto the mat. Kenshin had told him he needed to work on his flexibility, and had given him some yoga exercises to do before every practice. To his surprise, Yahiko found that they were working.

Just as he was settling into his first cobra pose, he heard Enishi come in. Keeping his breathing steady, he ignored him, even as the guy made derisive comments directed toward him. Focus, Yahiko. Don't let him get to you. Kenshin will take care of him soon enough, anyway. Closing his eyes to gain better focus, he moved through his poses, then settled into lotus position for a little bit of meditation before he strapped his padding on for practice. He'd done a good job of ignoring Enishi, but during his meditation, he felt another presence enter the room, and it felt like there was a rather cold draft.

That, he mused to himself, would be Aoshi. Once again, he cleared his thoughts. It wouldn't do to get himself worked up over how arrogant the guy was. Even though he had little to no respect for the guy's personality, his respect for the co-captain's skill bordered on fear. He wasn't about to provoke him. It was probably Aoshi's presence that shut Enishi up, and for that, Yahiko was grateful. Ten minutes later, the rest of the club (all fifteen of them) were seated around him, and he opened his eyes, looking directly at Kenshin.

There was a tightness at the corners of Kenshin's oddly violet eyes that Yahiko had not seen in a long time. He was steeling himself for something. The freshman rose and moved to retrieve his padding. "Yahiko," Kenshin's voice came drifting over to him. He turned back to the front of the room and then walked over to the other. He seated himself in front of Kenshin, bowing. Kenshin returned the gesture, then said quietly, "You won't need the padding today. You'll be practicing a new form that I'm going to demonstrate. Everyone will." The violet eyes darted over to where Yahiko knew Enishi was sitting.

"Hai." Bowing again, he rose and moved back to his position in the center of the floor.

Kenshin cleared his throat. Yahiko could tell he was forcing himself to sound normal. "Ok. Now, today, I'm going to show you something a little more advanced. Please seat yourselves in the usual observation positions." The rest complied, and Kenshin stood. "Yukishiro-san, please assist me." The purple-haired boy stood lazily. He retrieved two shinai from the rack, and handed one, smirking, to his captain.

Both of them bowed, though Kenshin's seemed, to Yahiko, to be more respectful. As Kenshin moved forward, it was obvious that he was not going to go slowly for the first demonstration as he usually did. With a grace that was as frightening as it was beautiful, he pushed Enishi back a couple of steps after their shinai met with a crack, and as the other began to recover and push back, he suddenly sidestepped him. Enishi's momentum was used to Kenshin's advantage, and the red haired captain's knee came into contact with the back of Enishi's knee, and he fell. One downward swipe caught the collar of the junior's protective helmet.

It looked simple enough. Yahiko found out differently at a later time, when he was practicing it, though. When Enishi got up off of the floor, he was growling something from behind his helmet. "What was that, Yukishiro-san?" Aoshi's frigid glare fixed on the younger boy. That look made it clear that he would tolerate no disrespect in "his" dojo.

"Nothing, Aoshi-senpai." Enishi resumed his ready stance for another demonstration, and Kenshin bested him again, in spite of Enishi's attempt to perform the steps of the form on him. Yahiko silently laughed in his own head. Kaoru-chan would have liked seeing Enishi getting his butt kicked. Then, during the final demonstration, Enishi did something unexpected. He pushed very hard against Kenshin, and used his foot to trip him. Instead of falling back, however, the captain used his other foot to push himself forward onto Enishi, knocking him effectively backward and producing an indignant grunt.

Kenshin's face gave a small twitch. "That's enough, Yukishiro-san." He turned to the rest of the club. "Please, forgive me. The rest of the meeting is dismissed." At Aoshi's questioning look, Kenshin held up a hand, stalling him. As the rest of them moved to leave, Kenshin took hold of Enishi's arm. When Enishi removed his helmet to glare at him, he said, "Sit down." Unlike earlier, the tone of his voice held none of his normal gentle and upbeat manner. Yahiko watched secretly from the door to the locker room as Enishi sat before Aoshi and Kenshin.

Without waiting for Enishi to ask what it was about, Kenshin said, "Turn in your uniform and your shinai, Yukishiro."

"Senpai, what the he—"

"Shut your mouth, Yukishiro." Aoshi's eyes flashed an ice-cold warning at the younger boy. Then, he turned to his co-captain. "What is your reason, Himura?"

"Smell his breath, Shinomori-san. He's been drinking." At Aoshi's raised brow, Kenshin said, "Under no circumstances is consumption of alcohol allowed on school grounds. You know that, Enishi. Get dressed, and then we're going to the administration office.

"But I'll be suspended!" Enishi's voice rose as he shouted indignantly at Kenshin.

The elder boy looked blankly over at him. "You should have thought about that before you brought liquor into school. Now go get dressed." When Enishi pushed himself to his feet, he made as if to go to the locker room, then rushed at Kenshin. Faster than Yahiko was able to see, Aoshi had risen and delivered a mean right hook to Enishi's jaw, causing him to tumble to the floor.

Aoshi's voice grated out, "Never mind about changing. We're going now." As Enishi stood, Aoshi took hold of his arm and twisted it behind his back, hustling him out the side door. He might be arrogant, and he might be a bully, but there were certain things that Aoshi couldn't stand. Disrespect to one's betters, especially in a formal dojo setting, appeared to be one of those things.

Yahiko came out from his hiding place. "Kenshin?"

"Go get dressed, Yahiko." His quiet voice was gentle once again, and Yahiko breathed a sigh of relief. He did as he was instructed, and then re-entered the dojo, to find Kenshin still sitting where he had been. The captain looked up at him, smiling.

"You sure you're ok, Kenshin?"

"I'm fine. Really. Now, we get to go and tell Kaoru-dono the good news." Something like grim satisfaction crossed over the Himura's face before it was quickly dismissed, replaced by his usual placid calm.

Shouldering his bag, he waited for Kenshin to slip on his sandals and then they started walking to Kaoru's house. On the way, Yahiko tried to ask him about why he'd been so angry, but he didn't get a straight answer out of him. Not like I expected one out of him. He's better than Sano-niisan at avoiding a question he doesn't want to answer.

Kaoru ran to the door, leaving Sanosuke sitting on the couch. He'd come over to tell her about how he'd confronted Enishi in the hallway at school. Apparently, he'd grabbed him around the neck and lifted him, pushing him up the wall. That had left Kaoru blinking in surprise. He'd said something to the effect of "If you ever touch her again, you're a dead man." Her head was still reeling from his account of the confrontation when she opened the door to find Kenshin and Yahiko.

"Kaoru-dono, can we come in?" Kenshin seemed much more calm now, for which she was glad. She ushered them in, and they left their bags and shoes at the door. Once they'd sat down, she asked if they needed anything do drink. Kenshin said he'd like a glass of water, and Yahiko said the same. Sano asked for a soda.

Rolling her eyes, she asked, "Do you want fries with that, Sagara?"

Cocking his head to one side, he said lazily, "If you've got some handy…" She grabbed a pillow off of a nearby chair and chucked it at his head before growling a curse and leaving the room. A few minutes later, she came back with a tray that held four glasses, a pitcher of water, and a can of soda. Kenshin stood to help her.

"Kaoru-dono, I suppose you're wondering why we're here."

She sighed. "Just spit it out, Kenshin. Did you kick Enishi's butt or didn't you?"

Yahiko spoke before Kenshin could. "Yeah, he 'demonstrated' on him real good. But then he got him suspended, too!" When Kaoru's eyes widened and flickered toward Kenshin, he simply shrugged, and allowed Yahiko to tell the story in order. "I saw him take a swig from the flask he keeps in his locker, if evidence is needed, too. So, what do you think?"

Tapping her finger against her lips, she thought for a minute. "Well, I don't like the thought of feeling grateful to Aoshi, but I'm glad I won't have to deal with Enishi for a little while. How long do you think they'll suspend him for?"

"Alcohol infractions are a week, Kaoru-chan," Sano said, scratching his head. He'd been in and out of the administration office often enough to know the penalties for everything from gum-chewing to serious fighting (both of which he'd been in trouble for), so they trusted his judgement. Kenshin nodded, as well.

Yahiko shook his head. "I really didn't think that Aoshi would punch him out like that…" Shock apparent on his face, the boy sighed and took a sip of his water. Then, he said, "One good thing, though. I don't think he'll be flapping his jaw quite so much now. I think Aoshi might have broken it."

Snorting laughter, Sanosuke slapped his half-brother on the back. "Ah, you're turning into a true wise-ass, kid." Then he straightened, putting a hand over his heart and said in mock seriousness, "It makes me proud." They all groaned. Sano made no secret of the fact that he took pride in "corrupting the minds of the young and impressionable," as he liked to say.

"Hey, I have an idea. How about we go for pizza?" Kaoru was much more cheerful, now that Enishi was not going to be at school for a week.

Kenshin looked doubtful. Then, after a moment, he said, "I'll have to change first. Can I use your bathroom?" She nodded enthusiastically. Once he'd gone, she sighed. After having been friends with him for more than ten years, she'd given up on trying not to have him be so polite and formal. She simply got used to it, just as she'd had to get used to Sano's brash manners.

Sano looked over at her, his usual grin smoothed neatly over his face, and she said, "What are you so smug about, baka?"

He grinned wider and in the most falsely innocent voice she'd ever heard come out of his mouth, he said, "Nothing." Her eyes narrowed at him, and Kaoru launched herself across the couch at him, pillow in hand, ready to smother him or beat him to death with it, whichever came first. "Oi! Get off me, you crazy woman! Ow…ah! Itai! Hey, Yahiko, get this chick off me, will ya?" Sano's arms were covering his face in a protective manner, since Kaoru had given up the pillow, and was simply using her small hands to punch and slap him.

"Sorry, bro. You're on your own. She's scary like that, neh?" If Kaoru had looked over at him, rather than concentrating on abusing Sano, she'd have seen him all but doubled over in a fit of silent giggles.

From the bathroom, Kenshin could hear Kaoru beating up on Sano, and he smiled softly. As he pulled his shirt over his head, he thought of what Enishi had done to Kaoru, and it brought back the feeling he'd had when she first told him. Come to think of it, he'd felt something akin to this when he'd found them in the hall together. To say the least, it was not a pleasant feeling. His stomach felt like a pot of boiling water had materialized inside it instantly, and the feeling only spread from there.

She'd looked like a frightened rabbit, ready to bolt. Except, it was Kaoru, and if he knew her at all (which he did), she was ready to beat the stuffing out of him, too. Having known her for fourteen years, he'd been on the receiving end of her verbal and physical beatings more than once. He wasn't the only one who knew martial arts in their little group of friends.

Sighing, he looked at his face in the mirror. The scar on his face never seemed to fade, no matter what the doctors suggested. "Oh, well, Kenshin. Looks like you'll just have to live with it, neh?" It shot a small pain though him every time he looked at himself and saw the cross-shaped area of pinkish skin. That scar was an ever-present reminder of the day, long ago, when his mother died. A muscle near the corner of his eye twitched. He had to calm himself…

After taking a few deep breaths, he swallowed his discomfort and folded his Kendo uniform. Then he buckled his belt and took up his bag on his way out of the bathroom. When he re-entered the living room, he found a Sano-Kaoru pretzel on the couch, and Yahiko not breathing in the recliner. The boy was laughing so hard, he had ceased to take in any oxygen. With a covert rolling of his eyes, Kenshin walked over to the boy and gently tapped him on the shoulder. That didn't seem to get his attention. Neither did him calling the boy's name. Finally, he picked up a magazine from the coffee table and rolled it up. One swift smack on the head had him sputtering for breath, but at least he was breathing, and returning to his normal color.

Next, Kenshin turned to the human pretzel on the couch. "You two look rather silly like that." Kaoru had Sano in a tight head-lock, but he had her leg stretched at an odd angle, and was trying to use his foot to push her head and pry her off of him. Both of them started at Kenshin's comment, and disentangled themselves quickly.

Kaoru, blushing madly at having been caught in such an un-ladylike position said, "Ok. Now that everyone's ready, we can go!" Kenshin watched her run to the door, and sighed. There were times that it seemed like only her body grew up at all. Shaking his head, he started to follow, but felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Sano.

"Oro?"

Sano's usual smirk was not there, replaced by something that actually looked half serious for once. "How long have you known her?" It was an odd question, to be sure, and Kenshin didn't know if there wasn't something hidden there.

"Fourteen years, Sano." The taller boy nodded, the overly gelled spikes in his hair wobbling slightly. What was this about?

"Hm." It wasn't like him to be mysterious. That just wasn't Sano. But then again, it didn't last long. "So, in fourteen years, or rather, in the past four, why haven't you asked her out?" The smirk slid back into place on Sanosuke's face as he watched Kenshin stand there staring at him, blinking and completely dumbfounded. Why would he even ask that kind of question? He cared for her, certainly, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to possibly ruin their friendship because he might want something more. What if it didn't work out? He didn't want to end up being hated by his best friend.

"I…I—"

Sano interrupted him, "Never mind answering me. Answer yourself." Once again speechless, Kenshin found himself being dragged out of the Kamiya house, followed by Sano's half-brother. Answer yourself…What the devil did that mean?

As they walked the six blocks to the pizza parlor, the rest of them talked and laughed, but Kenshin remained silent, thinking over what Sano had said. He had known her for so long, and they had shared so much…but was this really the time to try to become closer? The thought, frankly, scared the wits out of him. She was his best friend in the world, and he didn't want to lose her. For fourteen years, he'd watched over her, kept her safe. There was no way that he could bring himself to ask her on a date! There was too much chance of her getting hurt. Then, a little voice started speaking, unbidden, in the back of his mind.

But you wouldn't hurt her, Kenshin. That's the last thing you'd do.

Was he going crazy? Hearing voices? No, that couldn't be it. It was most likely just an irrational part of his mind trying to convince him to do something he knew he shouldn't. Yep. That had to be it. He shoved the thoughts of the voice and what Sano had said out of his mind, and then just continued to walk with the others, not really thinking about anything at all, and watching them as they laughed and joked.

Kenshin was being very quiet. Sano thought about this as they sat in a booth in Mario's, their favorite place to get pizza. Sipping on his soda, he regarded Kenshin with curiosity. After having been around these people for only six months, he had long since picked up on the almost painful attraction that Kenshin and Kaoru shared, and completely ignored. At least, he'd thought both of them had ignored it. He knew for a fact that the girl was as clueless to her own feelings as Yahiko was about everything that didn't involve music or Kendo. But Kenshin? Oh, he was starting to realize that the red-head's ignorance was an act.

Really, his face when he'd questioned him was rather comical. It was as if someone had hit him with a sack full of bricks. It was hard for him to believe that after knowing Kaoru for as long as he had, Kenshin could ignore what even Sano could see. In fact, everyone else seemed to see it, too, with the exception of Kaoru. That was most likely why no one of the male sex had bothered to come within fifty feet of her with the intention of asking her out. Until Enishi.

The bastard was persistent, he'd give him that much. But he picked the wrong girl. Not only did she have Kenshin and himself to watch out for her, Kaoru was also a third-degree black-belt in Aikido, and not bad at her family's style of Kendo, either. So if Enishi was going to pursue her, he was going to end up either butting his head against the wall, or someone else was going to do it for him. That was pretty simple.

"Oi! Sano! Earth to Sano!" He snapped out of his reverie, realizing he'd been staring at absolutely nothing for the past five minutes. He looked up to see Kaoru waving her hand in front of his face. "Were you even listening?"

"Obviously not, Kaoru-chan. What was the topic of conversation?" As usual, he injected a bit of mocking into his tone, so when he saw a warning flash in her eyes, he decided to avert the coming crisis. "Gomen, gomen! I was off in dreamland. Geez. Now what were you guys talking about?"

"Piggy-chan was talking about going to the beach this weekend, you know, to celebrate." Yahiko smiled broadly as he ducked Kaoru's fist. "Ha! You missed me!" The ensuing ruckus caused the waiter to come over and ask for them to keep quiet. Sano smiled. For once, it had not been him that was causing trouble. Under the circumstances, he was pretty proud of himself that he wasn't the one to cause her to get into such a huff. He usually was.

Ignoring his brother and Kaoru, he glanced stealthily over at Kenshin. As he did at times when he was in deep thought, he was running his fingers along the horizontal part of his scar, and staring at the space between his face and his soda glass. He often ended up getting himself into trouble by doing that. Last week, he'd been walking down the hallway at school in such a distracted state that he'd walked headlong into an opening locker. That had him dazed for a few minutes…

A/N: Ok. I know the whole Kenshin in high school thing is a little old. But, this is something I need to get out of my system. Like I said. It's therapy.