Nana Mae - -shrinking- Yes... This isn't 'Touch'... b-but, don't kill me! I got soooo busy, then lost my track and couldn't type up anything, then darned SCHOOL APPLICATIONS!... -huff-... I'm really sorry for not updating for so long... And even more sorry for not giving you the chapter that all of you had been waiting for... But please don't hate me... Because you'll just end up confusing yourself when your love for me returns with the next chapter! 'Touch' is on it's way, folks, so... Be ready!
Disclaimer- I do not own any of the lovely characters of Rurouni Kenshin... I would never be able to piece together something so historical and heart-breakingly beautiful! -starry eyes-
Rating- Rated T for rough language, adult situations and demented humor.
Onto the slightly boring chapter... But enjoy, nonetheless!
Love At First Sense
Chapter 9
Hesitation
"That's because you just woke up, you baby... I'm completely loveable any other time of day..." Kenshin said cheerily.
He was finishing up a conversation with a grumpy morning Sano at the moment.
"Yeah, yeah, just flippin' hang up the frickin' phone so I can freakin' work, damn friggin' moron..."
"Good day to you, too!" Kenshin said, then hung up.
And he let out a heavy sigh, letting his head fall to the counter.
His happy mask completely melting away as he groaned unhappily, "... Why am I freaking out?... I only need to feel her skin... SKIN!" He hit his head against the counter again.
And again... and again...
But he was interupted when there was a knock at his apartment door.
"Yeah?..." Kenshin opened his door.
Then blinked, "Wha-?"
Misao stood there, her hands folded in front of her.
"Hi, Kenshin! Can I come in? Thanks! You know, I'm really glad we're such close friends because I seriously-" Misao kept on talking as she walked into Kenshin's apartment.
"Misao... What are you talking about?..."
Misao turned with a big, bright smile that caught Kenshin off-gaurd.
"I like my assignment! He's so cool and sleek... And he can out-wit me!" She said with a faked surprise gasp.
Kenshin blinked, "... I can out-wit you..."
"Yeah, but you're old..." Misao said simply, walking into his kitchen.
'Old?' Kenshin thought with a heavy sigh as he closed his door and followed the girl into his kitchen.
xXoloXx
Kenshin nearly spit out his coffee, "Twenty-seven?" He almost squeaked.
"Yeah. Only eight years..."
"No, it's not that... I'm twenty-eight and you're calling me old! Hello, kiddo, there's only a one year difference!" He tossed a balled up napkin at her.
Misao swatted it away effortlessly, "Yeah, but he seems younger, too... You're an old man 'cause you worry too much..."
"... So I'm guessing you got laid?..." Kenshin said boredly.
Misao sighed, lowering her head, "Nope... Not yet... I don't know if he's a virgin or not..." She muttered, fingering the napkin on the counter boredly.
"... Does he seem like he is?..." Kenshin asked, sipping from his coffee.
"No... But it seems like he's hiding something..." Misao said.
"... The fact that he sleeps with every woman he meets with an exception for shorties?..."
"... I hate you, Kenshin..."
"Don't I know it..." Kenshin smiled, then patted her head, "Now, get out of my apartment, I need to get to work..."
Misao sighed, then nodded, getting up and following Kenshin to the door.
Once she was standing outside of the door, she turned around, "Thanks for inviting me over!"
"You invited yourself..." Kenshin said dully.
Misao blinked, then smiled, "Oh yeah!"
She quickly kissed his cheek, "Thanks anyway..." She giggled as she scurried down the hall.
Kenshin heaved a sigh as he rubbed his cheek, "Damn teenagers these days..."
xXoloXx
Kenshin parked his jet black, slick-looking car in the driveway of the rather large office building.
"Himura..."
"Heya, Saito..." Kenshin climbed out of his car, pulling his heavy brief case out of the passanger's seat.
He closed the door, locked it and set the alarm just before the tall, dark-haired man reached him.
The cigarette hanging from his lips only added to the mysterious aura he had...
"Y'know, you're gonna die, and I'm gonna be happy about it..." Kenshin said as he brushed past the taller man.
"I could say the exact same thing to you..." Saito said with a shrug.
They both knew Kenshin had been talking about Saito's nicotine addiction, but both also knew Saito was good at twisting things around.
"Asshole..."
"Again, same to you..."
Kenshin grimaced as he held the door open for his annoying business partner.
Saito smirked as he walked in with not so much as a 'thank you'.
Kenshin followed the man in, holding back a dangerous hiss.
"Ah, Saito, Himura! My best partnered detectives!" A tall man with waist length, thin brown hair that was tied into a low ponytail hurried to them.
Kenshin forced a happy smile, "Hey, boss!"
"Yo..." Saito muttered, crushing out his cig in the ashtray at the side of the entrance.
"Jeez, didn't I tell you to call me Shigure?" Shigure walked over to Kenshin and patted his head.
Kenshin flinched away, but kept smiling, "Sorry, Shigure, getting used to it..."
"So, how's the wedding planning going?..." Saito asked.
"Oh, Toki's inviting nearly the entire world!... Oh, by the way, you two are invited!" Shigure said happily.
That brought an actual smile to Kenshin's face.
The man was getting married and seemed so happy about it.
... Too bad he was one of the one's scheduled to be killed...
Kenshin almost felt sorry.
But the man was guilty, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Having stolen from multiple drug stores and one jewelry storewhen he was younger, Shigure was near the top of the list... Just below those senseless murderers who piled in at the tip-top.
Kenshin smirked to himself.
If he didn't think the SekihoWabanGumi Manslayers were doing it for righteousness, he'd be considering killing his own gang mates...
"Jee, thanks, boss..." Saito said dully, starting off toward his office.
Kenshin smiled, patting Shigure's shoulder, ".. I wish you the best, Shigure..."
The man smiled so excitedly that Kenshin felt his heart constrict.
"Thanks, Himura, try your best to be there!" He patted Kenshin's back and hurried back to his own office.
Kenshin's eyes flickered... Amber flecks sparkling...
"... I would... If it was actually going to happen..." He muttered to himself.
"Himura!" Saito called, waving an impatient hand.
"I'm not going to interrogate for you again..." He brushed his stringy bangs from his eyes irritably.
Kenshin smiled, hurrying to his partner, "Yes, sir..."
xXoloXx
He'd just gotten off of work... Six o'clock PM...
Kenshin walked down the street, his hands in his pockets as he neared the apartment complex.
He was wearing a dark magenta button-up shirt, which was unbuttoned, showing a plain white T-shirt. He also wore nicely fitting dark blue jeans the ended in his comfotable black-streaked white sneakers.
He scowled to himself.
Misao had suggested the color for his top.
"Psht..." He brushed his bangs off his forehead briefly, "At least it's not pink..."
Then he put on a smile and opened the door to the complex, walking in.
Now... How was he going to find Kaoru?...
A young man was approaching...
Kenshin looked around, there were a few other people in the lobby, but this man looked the most approachable.
"Excuse me, sir..." Kenshin called, lifting a hand and walking toward the man to catch his attention.
"Mm?" The man blinked, then looked tp Kenshin, "Oh... May I help you?..."
"Um, do you know what room number and floor level Ms. Kaoru Kamiya lives at?..."
The man thought for a moment, "Oh, Kaoru! Hey, I live right across from her!" He smiled, "Yeah, she lives-" But he stopped himself.
Kenshin blinked as the man eyed him, "... New boyfriend?..." He asked.
"... Has she had old ones?..." Kenshin inquired right back.
The man smiled again, "... Level four room sixty-four..." He patted Kenshin's shoulder, "Treat her good, okay?..."
Kenshin smiled his deceptivly reassuring smile, "You betcha, thanks alot..."
"No prob..."
xXoloXx
Kenshin leaned back against the elevator as the doors closed, sighing tiredly.
His heart was pounding already...
She might not even be home, he told himself...
And why am I freaking out anyway?
His heart pounded one mighty hard pound when the elevator stopped at level four.
".. Just... her cheek or something..." He breathed to himself, stepping out and brushing past a tall woman entering, "Excuse me.." Kenshin said distractedly.
The woman blinked, watching Kenshin as he made his way down the hall...
He looked... Strangely familiar to the woman...
But she shrugged it off.
Surely she'd remember a man that beautiful...
Kenshin counted the even numbered doors on the right side of the hall...
Until he reached one with the shimmering fake gold numbers; '64'.
Kenshin took a deep breath...
Then knocked.
He heard quick-paced footsteps hurrying down the hall, "Coming!" A young boy's voice called.
It immediatly registered.
'That must be Yahiko...' He thought as the door opened.
The boy poked his head out to peer at Kenshin as he looked down to the cute little teen, "Heya, kiddo..."
"Kaoru, did you get a new boyfriend?" Yahiko immediatly called back into the apartment.
Kenshin laughed nervously.
He heard a yelp...
Then Kaoru was suddenly poking her towel-draped head out of the door.
She was wearing a bathrobe... And the scent of lavender was presented to a snickering Kenshin as Kaoru blinked.
"K-Kenshin! I've haven't seen you in a while! HI!" She said excitedly.
Kenshin tried desperatly to stop chuckling, but she was too cute.
Finally, Yahiko cleared his throat and nudged Kaoru's side.
Kaoru looked down to her brother... Causing her to have to catch sight of herself in the process.
"... Ah!" She yelped, fixing her robe and hiding behind the door, "I-I'm sorry, I forgot I wasn't... d-dressed..."
Kenshin was now laughing.
Yahiko sighed and rolled his eyes, "Come on in, Mister... Kaoru's always oblivious to her self-state when a guy other than me and Aoshi is around..."
"No.. They have to be good-looking, too..." Kaoru muttered as sheslowly pulled the door open so Kenshin could walk in.
And Kenshin did... Sneaking a peek at Kaoru again... and earning a deadly scowl and a soft shove into the living room by a furiously blushing Kaoru.
Kenshin laughed as Yahiko led him to the living room, which was connected to the kitchen by a sliding door, and there were little doors in a tiny hallway further back.
"I'm going to get changed, I'll be right out, Kenshin!" Kaoru called, hurrying into her own room.
Kenshin grinned, sitting on the soft, dark brown couch.
"I'm Yahiko Kamiya, Kaoru's adoptivelittle brother, I'm fourteen years old and my best friend is Kaoru's friend Aoshi Shinomori, I like chocolate, practicing kendo fighting and hanging out with Aoshi, Misao and Tsubame. There!" Yahiko was standing in front of Kenshin and talking at the speed of light.
"I told you about me... Now tell me about you..."
Kenshin blinked, getting over the fact that he had to pretend not to care that he'd mentioned a certain weasal's name.
He looked up to the boy... Then smiled, "Wanna see if I'm good enough for your sister?..."
"No... Just wanna see if you're cool or not..." Yahiko said plainly, shrugging.
"Mm-hm..." Kenshin muttered suspiciously.
"I think you're afraid I might just be using her..."
Yahiko faltered, "... Are you?..." He asked, averting his gaze.
Kenshin's smile broke...
But he quickly forced it back on just as Yahiko looked to him.
"No..." He spoke, ".. Of course not..."