A/N: Hello my fellow cretins! – I mean readers:);
You wouldn't believe how many people have reviewed and offered prayers for Shannon and her family! And me as well! That really means so much to me.
As my best friend, Shannon's probably kicking me in the butt saying 'Git Goin' on those stories and RK stuff: You can't keep RK waiting!' XD –laughs- So many people have called as well. I've gotten so many compliments about how strong I am and stuff but it's probably not gonna be until a month from now that I really notice she's gone.
Anyway, the way Shannon is, she's most likely dancing around with Sou-chan or something and laughing at my suffering. Blast you, Shannon! –shakes fist at sky- We were gonna dance together ..
Shannon: -points and laughs from sky-
ANYWAY I've been doing a lot better
Her funeral was on Wednesday two weeks ago so that's over. I'll be visiting her gave a lot, mostly on holidays and birthdays and stuff.
AND FOR THOSE WHO KEEP ASKING, AOSHI IS GOING TO BE IN THIS FIC. OKAY? SO REST EASY, WILL YUH?
Well enough about death of best friends and stuff and onward to my next chapter!
Be patient with me just another second as I say somethin' more, however.
I…just pulled another all nighter. It's now 6:18 am on…um. Monday morning I got on the computer at 5:00 when I confirmed that I wasn't gonna get any sleep.
I swear Shannon spend the night last night. We always stay up all night when we have sleep overs. Anyway, NOW WE CAN PROCEED!
Disclaimer – Sadly, I do not own Kenshin and his overly-unbearable sweetness. –depression-
Shannon: I DO NOW:D
Lendra: BLAST YOU SHANNON! –shakes fist-
Shannon: -points and laughs-
Kenshin: Oro:(
Warnings – Lots and Lots of Rain!
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Dear Diary
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Chapter 5 – A Familiar Stranger
Two weeks.
It had been two weeks since Kaoru's job interview.
And it had been two weeks of unease for Kenshin. He hadn't had a good nights rest in days.
Unwillingly he let a yawn escape his lips as he splashed around in the sink, rinsing the dishes thoroughly before placing them neatly in a wet stack on the counter top; there to await his drying session.
Despite their desperate need for a new chief secretary, they hadn't given the job to anyone yet. It was making Kenshin very nervous; for Kaoru's sake, of course. The girl's hopes had risen each day when she heard the news that they had turned down yet another offer, knowing hers was still up for their consideration.
He didn't question Kaoru's ability to stay on task, keep things organized and pass on information. However, to be the secretary for the boss of the best music department of the region didn't just involve those things.
His worries ran deep with the stress levels his little roommate would receive if she actually got the job.
She could be up all night with the things she could receive as work requirements.
That could lead to overworking herself and getting sick with a fever or a bad cough. And that could lead to much worse scenarios and complications they had no time or money to deal with.
Kenshin sighed and shook his head, attempting to clear his mind of all his anxiety. His thoughts were buzzing like a mad hive in his head and thinking about it would only result in a bad head ache.
Finishing up his personal bonding time with dining instruments and soap suds, Kenshin pulled his soapy hands from the sink and flicked them until waterless, outside of the tub area; then wiped them distractedly with the dry dish towel that he proceeded to dry the dishes with.
He stared into the reflection of the dishes as he wiped them with skilled hands; a result of day to day work with the porcelain plates. The purple rings under his eyes were apparent after the chain of insomnia attacks. His eyes were also heavy from his lack of sleep.
His mind once again drifted to Kaoru and the job she so desperately sought. Worry had seeped into his nerves and marinated with his anxiety making it even harder to take his mind off the bothersome subject. No matter how hard he tried, his mind would always drift back to Kaoru and ITLOM's unpredictable connection. It was as uncontrollable as the tide.
His mind was so hazy from everything going on, he failed to notice he had finished with the drying and was now onto his next chore…
Problem was, he was out of chores.
He had finished with the laundry earlier that afternoon and the vacuuming was done the day before. Also, the counters were wiped clean after breakfast that morning and weren't due for another scrub until after dinner.
…What was he to do? His life revolved around the tasks Kaoru had him achieve day in and day out. It's how he made a living and it was also how he preoccupied himself from that nagging feeling of impending doom overtaking their lives.
He hadn't noticed how his life functioned up until his nights of sleepless pondering. Recently he discovered just how limited his life was in action. He woke up, cleaned up a little, laundered whatever clothes and washed whatever dishes there were and then moseyed about the place in search of something else to do. It was almost frightening how strict this lather-rinse-repeat way of living was and how it was starting to develop. Like a growing vicious cycle.
Or perhaps it was just his sanity eating away at him.
He couldn't quite tell. Everything was such a blur to him now. He didn't realize just how large of a toll this job had taken on him and his nerves; and he wasn't even the one who had the possibility in receiving the job.
His mind shift suddenly activated as those thoughts ceased to progress and delve into his nervous system. Instead, he solemnly turned his attention to the windows; spattered and streaking with an ongoing onslaught of water.
They were on their third day of rain.
After a week of scorching humidity and temperatures that pushed the degree amount into a three digit number, the rain was to be expected. It was a small price to pay against the drought they were forced to deal with three days prior. In fact, Kenshin preferred the rain to the inescapable inferno of humidity that made you sweat liquid fire. New York City was a bustle of madness when the heat raged. Accidents occurred on every block due to the impatience that was caused by the inexplicable temperature.
However, even though the temperatures soared beyond all reason, Kenshin refused to have the humidity purge him of his rationality and proceeded through the day without letting the waves of heat and horns from below their residence disturb him too much.
In fact, his patience was solid steel compared to those on the streets. Irony had tested that rare trait of his to the extreme that one week.
With the sudden blast of temperature coming their way, the apartment's general assembly of air conditioners had malfunctioned. Though roughly half of the AC's within the building was still in working order, it was barely enough to cool every room to everyone's content. Lady luck would have delivered a sugary kiss to those who managed to get their room to 85 or a few degrees higher.
However, Kenshin and Kaoru had been bypassed on Miss. L.L's regular running schedule and were forced to manage with a minimum of 90 degrees in their complex.
That was one of the minor problems Kenshin was forced to deal with. The malfunction of machines that week had been mutual for some other occupants in the building and Kenshin just so happened to be one. However, the gossip of the belongings that had perished was among those unnecessary 'necessities.'
Kenshin caught drift of microwaves, ovens, dryers and coffee machines expiring. Perhaps the building was having electrical troubles as well. Microwaves were something dependable, but not essential. Ovens were a bit more useful, but one could survive with cold food. Dryers weren't invented until the mid 1900's so those could be easily countered and replaced with the old fashioned drying.
Kenshin didn't even spare a thought to the coffee machines. One could survive without the surge of caffeine. It was an enjoyable boost of energy in the morning, but the addiction to it was only imaginary. It was no trouble at all to take a walk to one of the many coffee shops in the city anyway. Truly, too many people were attached to the drink.
Including Kaoru. Kenshin actually started to question whether or not it was healthy to separate the girl from her 'life support'. She was a different matter when it came to coffee. He was starting to wonder if the imaginary addiction was starting to progress into something more or perhaps, worse to be blunt.
The gossiped bit of those 'lamentable' losses has yet to compare with his, however. He had lost the dishwasher, something easily replaceable with hand washing. And he could relate to the loss of the dryer for he too, had experienced the death of the great device. But Kenshin deduced that the mechanism's tie to its inanimate sibling was strong and too great was its loss for its brother to bear. So together, two machines were claimed by the hand of the underworld; the washing machine and dryer. Till death do they part.
Perhaps he was being a little too dramatic concerning the loss of the machines. However, their wardrobe was lacking and with the heat, only a select few were fitting for the weather and needed to be washed on a day to day basis. Abrupt trips to the Laundromat were immediately in order.
And so came the test of Kenshin's patience. He had to find the nearest Laundromat and make due with traveling there day by day with the same load each time. He didn't quite mind the distance. It was a good, relative amount of exercise that he deemed a good change from the regular routine of scurrying about the apartment. Fresh air was a good thing for his system at the moment.
However, Kenshin hardly deemed the air fresh with all the exhaust and gases in the air. Half of the walk he spent, nose buried into his opposite shoulder as he balanced a plastic laundry basket curled into his palms; his fingers gripping the curved handles easily.
However, Kenshin's complaints were little. He had received the up ends of the irony as well.
Very much unlike the odds that were against him, the Laundromat was only relatively full. People were dispersed about the great room, some immobile and waiting for their load to finish washing or drying; others moving about with a lively nature about them. He found it particularly pleasurable to be in the silent company of strangers.
Two days into his Laundromat excursion, however, a familiar face among the strangers appeared at the washer next to him.
"Well, well, well! It if isn't Red!"
His procedure of gathering the wet laundry to load into the dryer had ceased. The nick-name wasn't familiar but the voice rang a diminutive bell in the back of his mind. It held a rather familiar southern accent that was suppressed from years of its absence in appropriate scenery.
Curiosity overtaking his judgment, Kenshin lifted violet eyes to the owner of the voice and paused. His gaze was locked with cinnamon eyes that reflected a familiar friendliness about them.
"Excuse me…Do I know you?"
Kenshin tried to sound as polite as could be with the question. The tall fellow had a tattered laundry basket tucked under his arm as he leaned absent mindedly against a dryer. He wore a lazy grin as he gave a laugh and placed the basket atop the dryer and opened the clear lid to the machine.
"You don't remember me, Red? I'm a little disappointed! It's only been…what, three weeks?"
Kenshin squinted his eyes, rather confused by the fellow's attitude. Who had he met three weeks ago…?
Suddenly, the image of a tall young man helping him up off of the pavement entered his mind and a smile crept at the corner of his lips.
"Ah! You remember me now?"
Kenshin gave a small laugh as he continued to load the dryer.
"I do. However, expecting me to remember you was a little too expectant for someone like me. You acted so familiar it confused me a little."
The boy gave a large grin as he snickered and cocked his chin upward, his hair flicking slightly at the jerk of his head.
"Usually I'm a hard person to forget. But I do have to admit, we didn't have much of the formal meeting."
As he loaded the last of his load of faded jeans and small varieties of T-shirts, he closed the seal to the dryer and started it easily; an obvious result of practice.
Kenshin watched him a moment before smiling and straightening his posture. Brushing his hands on his pants first, Kenshin proceeded to hold out his hand in an amiable greeting to make up for three weeks prior.
"Let's fix that. Kenshin Himura."
The brunette glanced at his hand a moment before snuffing boyishly and bending his shoulders to clasp his hand in a firm yet friendly grip.
"Sanosuke Sagara. I go by Sano, however. Long names irritate me."
Kenshin gave his hand one last squeeze before letting go and returning to his work.
"You're dressed so casually I didn't recognize you."
Kenshin's voice was soft as he loaded the last of the clothing into the dryer and started it up. Sano made a small snort, tilting his jaw again and running a hand through his mussed brown locks. He flicked the few strands in his eye before he gave a deep blow of laughter.
"Yeah, well, I'm not really a business suit kinda guy; too itchy and stiflin'." He tugged at the loose collar of his shirt and made a face. Kenshin gave a chuckle at the younger man's actions, finding him a good break from the regular days of silence. Sano's eyes beamed with lively ness as he looked at Kenshin's dryer.
"You had quite a bit of clothes for only y'self…You gotta roommate or somethin'?"
Kenshin was slightly surprised. Sano's observation skills were rather impressive to notice the articles of clothing. He gave a surprised smile as he cupped the back of his head and stood straight up; even though standing straight did next to nothing to fill the gap of height difference between them.
"Well, yes, actually."
He smirked and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
"So, he got you doin' the dirty work, eh?"
Kenshin felt a small slip of laughter at Sano's mistake. Sano gave a small grin at the redhead's delight but was taken aback by the shake of his head.
"No, no. I do it because it's my day to day chore; to pay her back."
Sano rolled his head, his lips forming an O shaped as he realized the difference in his assumptions. However, he paused for a moment and turned his head to the redhead and gaped with a small grin.
"Pay her back? So you're living with a little miss?"
Kenshin laughed slightly and tugged at his shirt nervously. Some people did find it rather unusual that he was rooming with a female. It usually ended up in a bushel of questions when the topic came up. The grin was back on Sano's face as he nudged the redhead, his smile stretching from ear to ear.
"What'd she do to have you pay her back so valiantly? She must have been pretty wild."
Kenshin choked on his next intake of breath. Sanosuke's assumptions weren't the first of the lot. Kenshin had encountered people before who had supposed the same of him and his roommate. However, it had never ceased to surprise him when the subject was introduced and the blush was never absent from his face when it came time for such a theme.
"No! Nothing of that sort at all!"
Despite their time with each other being limited to a mere twenty minutes so far, Sano's familiarity reflected as if they had been acquainted for years as he swung an arm around the redheads shoulders and nudged him a few times; a cocky grin on his face.
The day had progressed normally after the Laundromat encounter with Sanosuke. Each day Kenshin had made another roundabout to the place of laundry service, Sanosuke would be there as well; preparing another load of dirty clothing. Or sometimes he wouldn't be doing laundry at all and aimed just to have an inning of friendly conversation with the smaller male.
By the time the humidity gave way to rain, Kenshin could deem Sanosuke a friend. They had exchanged stories of their past (Kenshin's, of course, was discreet and only tidbits were told.) while waiting in line for a washer when the Laundromat was packed with people. Kenshin learned that Sanosuke came from down south. He had been born and lived in Knoxville, Tennessee since he was a kid and planned on finishing in the engineering field for college in Dallas, Texas just like his fathers before him. But instead, he pursued his dream of becoming a regular business man and, with only spare change in his pocket and a dirty red backpack slung over his shoulder, he traveled up to New York, finished a three year college and graduated in the field of business.
Kenshin was completely baffled. To have traveled up from Tennessee and actually manage to get a successful job and live in a city like New York was something rare. Of course, Kenshin concluded, he must have had a few helping hands back home that supplied him with a vehicle of some sort, some living necessities and money.
They had somehow drifted off the topic of childhood and moved to age and college. Kenshin learned that Sanosuke was, indeed, quite young. A mere 23 years of age. When he heard that, he suddenly remembered his declaration of age difference to Kaoru and noticed he had made a very simple and yet, quite frankly, stupid mistake.
One year and eighteen days was not his age difference with Kaoru at all and he felt like slapping his forehead. But doing so would have aroused questions from Sano and he didn't feel like explaining everything.
Perhaps the reason for his mistake was the time spent with Kaoru had thrown him off. December of that coming year would be the marker for three years of time spent living together. She had offered her housing quarters to him when he was eighteen years old…his memory must have failed him miserably, for he failed to remember he did not take up her offer until coming up on 21.
Sure, he was in and out. He'd stay a week or so to replenish himself, then head out again to try and fend for himself once more. Of course, after reflecting of those three years on his own, he remembered why he tried to blot out his memory. . .
Before he could delve into the dismal memories, the spattering rain on the window intensified with the changing of the winds and disturbed not only his thoughts, but the girl asleep on the couch as well.
Kaoru stirred lightly and shifted over onto her other side, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Her glossy sapphire gems directed their gaze over to Kenshin who had stilled with the girls sudden consciousness. She offered him a sleepy smile as she yawned lightly and gathered up the couch pillow into her arms and gave one last deep sigh before the rain soothed her to sleep once more.
Kenshin sighed and as he shifted his violet stare to the windows. The heat had kept Kaoru up nearly every night and she was finally catching up on much needed slumber.
He was worried that with the humidity, she wouldn't get any sleep at all and she would end up sick…just as he had predicted. But the rain came quickly and she was sleepy soundly once again…
He really did prefer the rain.
Lendra-chan – I'm so sorry everyone! I'm in a rush at the moment because I'm going to sleep over a friends house tonight and I've been so busy this week what with white water rafting, going out on the pontoon boat onto the lake three times, paddling with my friend Owen and Leah to a random island and—
Oh yes:D I went white water rafting for the first time in my life. XD It's rather sad, really. I've lived in Maine my whole life but I've never been white water rafting. It was so amazing. Shannon would have LOVED white water rafting. xD
OH YES! NOTE THIS: KENSHIN'S MEMORY FAILURE ABOUT KAORU'S AGE DIFFERENCE WAS INTENTIONAL!
I wanted you all to know that there is a reason Kenshin made such a mistake with Kaoru's age difference. He's a genius man, and he has a very active mind, but he doesn't have the best past and he always tries to get rid of memories he doesn't like... I'll explain more in later chapters!
Anyway, Like I said, Aoshi WILL be in this fic. So don't fret. :D
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!