STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: All rights of Rurouni Kenshin reserved to… well, simply put, not me!
Quick little message from author: Okay, initially I planned for this chapter to be longer. I have a feeling though, that it would just be too long. So… as I did with the "party" sequence, I'll split this into two parts as well. I meant to update sooner, but I got stuck. That's it; there is no other perfectly valid excuse. I know where the characters are going (more or less), taking them there is the hard part. Who knew playing God could be so complicated? @_@ Anyway, my apologies to all of you for taking my sweet time on this, I hope you all aren't too disappointed in me. Another thing: if any of you happen to have the song "Dream a little Dream of me" around, pop it into your player to set the mood for the first scene. Last, but not least: I have to warn that there's a little sexual innuendo thing going on in this chapter, so don't say I didn't warn you!
Chapter 6: The thing that should Not be.
Groan, stretch, yawn. Fall off bed, groan some more, drool on wood flooring, do- wait a minute… Wood flooring? Well, this was new…
Cracking one eye open Kaoru let out a soft whimper of a moan, seemingly reintroduced to the light of the living after experiencing neutral pitch darkness for…she really wasn't equipped to give time estimates; mathematical calculations of any kind really were not her thing!
Tentatively re-squinting both eyes open, she discovered a new world rotating vertiginously upon itself in a delirious flurry of vibrant colors and burning brightness.
Muttering hoarsely under her breath and aware of the strain she was causing her every sore muscle and a verily groggy brain turned to mush, she forced herself to climb back atop the tepid mattress.
It was during this particularly messy and painful process of rejoining safety beneath warm blankets that she let her vision wander off to the side… and 'eeped'.
With a loud gasp- her knees giving way- she landed headfirst on the bed, her face smothered and suffocated by a fluffy pillow: so much for taking care not to worsen her headache!
Peeling her shell-shocked gaze off the fleecy cushiony buttress, Kaoru locked eyes on the source of her surprise, perplexity and mystification: mirrors didn't lie, right?
If so, then why was she currently staring at a very disheveled image of herself spread stragglingly across a bed draped in an extremely unfeminine black cotton bedspread, clothed in nothing but a large, loose, awfully skimpy, and obviously male, button-down shirt?!!
"Okay Kamiya, don't panic! Relax; start breathing and think of any logical explanation for this…this…bizarre…development? Would that be the right word for waking up in a strange room, on a strange bed with no recollection whatsoever of having changed into borrowed- impromptu- pajamas the other night?! Is that the proper word to use when one does not remember a thing about the night's dealings and wakes up in an unfamiliar environment, trying to shake off the perfect amnesiac state?!! IS IT?!!
Oh, okay Kaoru: take deep breaths! Don't think about that right now; focus on trying to deduce where you are instead. Don't give it much thought; after all, there has to be a reasonable explanation for all of this.
You know who you are; you know you wouldn't just jump into bed with some stranger… would you? Oh great! Just had to pick the perfect moment to start doubting myself and putting my entire life and upbringing into question, didn't I?!!
Oh, it's okay, don't freak out: clear your head and breathe in…breathe out… That's it: deep breaths, deep breaths; think of this as Lamaze… which you could be practicing soon enough if you didn't use protection! Oh no… I just had to get into thinking about childbirth methods right about now, didn't I?!!
Oh stop it! Stop it! This train of thought isn't going to get you anywhere so buck up and face the music- never mind that your brain is giving you a re-run of every crappy soap-opera you have ever seen where young teens suffer of date rape, alcohol induced insanity and unwanted pregnancies. Let alone STDs and…SHUSH! Now is not the time for paranoia or acrid cynicism!
Just relax, keep breathing and start looking for answers! Who knows? Maybe nothing happened and you are worrying yourself needlessly. Yes, that's it: nothing happened!"
Still shaking in her metaphorical boots, Kaoru scrambled off the bed and, standing unsteadily on the balls of her feet, decided to take a look around: snooping a bit could turn out to be useful, given the circumstances…
One: there was no bedside companion present, all in all, an extraordinarily good thing.
Two: there was a gigantic drawing table to the left of the room with stacks of books and large sheets of paper piled on its surface. Oversized rulers, set squares and protractors, plus pens, markers and tubes of crazy glue added to the untidy mix, indicating that, whoever owned the place, had artistic tendencies or was some type of geeky math whiz/crackpot inventor.
Next: setting the jumble on the drawing table aside, the person that usually inhabited the room was neater and far more organized than Kaoru could ever hope to be. Sure his workspace could be more orderly but, apart from that, nothing else in the room was out of place. Where were the heaps of clothes adorning the floor in a diversely unique quilt of colors and textures? Where were the dirty plates and glasses or cartons of take-out left strewn about the local of her anguish and awkward-to say the least- awakening? Kaoru did a double-take and furrowed her brow in confusion: this was a guy's room, right?
Dashing off to a closet and tugging its doors ajar, she poked her head in and gave the contents a look-see: yep, he was a guy alright!
Gently closing the doors to the private property that she had slightly invaded, an extensive list of do's and don'ts reeled off inside her weathered cerebrum:
· Do ask for things; don't tell people things.
· Do wear perfume; don't freaking macerate in it!
· Do brush your teeth after every meal; don't give your toothbrush a holiday.
· Do drink with measure; don't get yourself silly drunk.
· The ultimate do: make love for the first time, and always, with someone you love and trust.
· The thing that should NOT be, the don't that you will forever regret adding to your list of do's: loosing your virginity to a stranger and having no subsequent remembrance of the once in a lifetime event!
Groaning in defeat and praying to any god that might listen that that was not the case, the petite Kamiya Kasshin Ryu practitioner squared her shoulders, smoothed the creases on her/his shirt and, putting on a straight face, prepped herself to face the exterior world and the truth, however unbearable it might prove to be…
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An incredibly spacious loft greeted her as she abandoned the relative safety of not knowing and dived into the murky waters of 'soon to find out'.
Large leather couch, two comfortable and imposing lay-z boy recliners, modern coffee table, the latest in sound systems, a humongous T.V. set whose screen she knew she could ogle at in awe for days on end; if it weren't for the house plant in the corner and the spotlessly clean state the apartment was in, not once would she put into question that this was a guy's pad.
However, the decoration clearly lacked feminine warmth and the fact that a man stood hunched over a stove in a kitchen smartly integrated to the living area set all and any of her doubts at ease- not that that eased her up any…
From where she stood all she could see was his long red mane, soaked and wildly streaming about him. He was shorter than she had expected, but then again, last night was just an immense blank. Considering the condition anyone would have to have been in to awaken with severe hypomnesia, it probably wouldn't take that large a man to… whatever happened to the benefit of the doubt?
Sigh. Okay, maybe she could try the unassuming approach, maybe she could allow herself to hope for a world where the strong did not instinctively prey on the weak or wounded. The heavens knew: if there had been a time when she had been most compelled to be idealistic and believe in the best of humankind, it was now!
Hearing the light shuffling of feet, Kenshin stopped his stirring in the benefit of lunch and turned to the benefit of the mysterious sleeper, apparently finally up and about. What his eyes landed upon was more than he had bargained for.
Standing before him was a frightened slip of a girl, ebony strands of tousled hair shimmering every which way in the evening sun filtering through the skylight, deep blue eyes intensely boring into his own. The fact that she was wearing his shirt served as useful visual enhancement to the endearing moment when possessiveness unknown to him swelled up inside his chest: what was wrong with him? He didn't even know the first thing about this strange creature- let alone her name- and already he welcomed the sight of her in his clothes, as his own. Perhaps he should start making calls; see if he could find himself a decent psychologist…
As for Kaoru… well, struck speechless couldn't even come close to describing the state she found herself in when her eyes came into contact with the soft amethyst gaze of a handsome stranger clad in… nothing, except for a white towel loosely wrapped round his waist.
Thoughts and emotions ran unchecked through her in remarkable abundance. The pressing issue of just what exactly she was doing there lost all relevance. Suddenly, she became another painting on the wall, another ashtray on the table, another spoon in his hand. She was as wisely integrated to his world as was the aforementioned kitchen to the living room. She was befuddled, frightened, dumfounded, enlightened. She was… "what is this feeling?"
"I see you're finally awake! I hope you aren't feeling too bad; your head probably hurts a little though, doesn't it? I'll get you some aspirin right away!"
Kenshin once again spun on his heel and rummaged through some cabinets until he found the infamous acetylsalicylic acid tablets.
Quietly, he opened the fridge, poured a glass of water, handed it all over and watched in fascination as the obviously stunned girl downed the feel-good medicine in silence.
Setting the empty glass back on the counter, Kaoru found herself with no delicate, subtle way of broaching the subject of her mental wretchedness. Thus, muteness followed his brief initial monologue as she tried to digest the possible implications of his words and set her thoughts straight.
Nervously diminished to discomfort, Himura Kenshin decided to take the establishment of communication into his own hands, as he had proceeded to do the night before:
"Well, in any case, I'm glad that you are at long last conscious: you had me worried there for a second. Umh… I should apologize about your clothes but, they were so… rumpled and umh…
Anyway, I took the liberty of dropping them off at the dry cleaner's and, not to worry, Megumi left some other clothes you could wear here after I called her.
I would have washed them myself but I don't think they would have taken too well to a regular washing machine. Besides, even if you had wanted to, you wouldn't have been able to get back into those.
Also, I made lunch for us; I doubt that you're hungry, but you should eat something all the same. Last night probably took a lot out of you and well, I wouldn't want you to get dehydrated…"
Kaoru's eyes widened and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. What could she have possibly done the other night with this… boy, that would leave her worn out, let alone dehydrated?!
After being in an unusual state of big calm, terror, alarm, anxiety, consternation and dread were here to stay.
"I… I don't… I don't even know your name…" she stuttered and stammered, trailing off into a hushed whisper.
"Oh, we can fix that! Himura Kenshin, at your service!" he replied to her disconcerting inquiry extending his hand, at the ready to wrap her own in a polite handshake.
When she made no sudden moves to acknowledge him or take the opportunity to introduce herself, he flew into another bout of skittish ramblings:
"I presume that… well… meeting me like this must not be that pleasant but, I used my roommate's shower to avoid disturbing your sleep and, my clothes are in the room you were resting in so-"
"You presume that it must be unpleasant? You presume??? What do you think?!! How would you react if you were the one in my situation?!! How could you?!! Who gave you the right to 'get my clothes all rumpled up' last night?!! Is that what they're calling it these days?!! Have those words suddenly become substitutes for 'taking advantage of a young girl'!?? HAVE THEY?!!" she cried out in an explosive, dark and menacing blowup.
"Wait a minute I didn't-"
"You don't get to talk!!! You don't get to explain yourself!!! You don't get to tell me anything because you don't have the faintest clues as to what you have done! You probably don't even have a conscience, so there's no way you can ever feel guilty about any of this!!! What kind of a man are you?!!"
"Just hold on, you think-"
"You don't get to tell me what I think!!! I am disgusted at the moment and nothing you say or do is going to change the fact that, up until a few seconds ago, I didn't even know your name!!! I can't believe this is happening to me!!! I can't believe that a person I had never before seen in my life is the one person that I- actually, I do know you, don't I?
Of course! How could I ever forget someone as unique-looking as you?!! You're that guy that helped me out on the street the other day!!! And to think I actually caught myself wondering if I would ever get the chance to see you again! This is unbelievable!!!"
"Sorry to intrude upon your little tantrum here but, don't I at least get a chance to explain myself?!!"
Kenshin was abashed and visibly irked by the direction her unknowing unfounded conclusions were taking. He too was picking at straws, considering that his sorry attempts at clarification and her blind frustration would both lead them nowhere.
"NO!!!" she bellowed, eyeing the object nearest to her within throwing range.
Thankfully, a loud booming voice coming from the loft's entrance was wafting in and in its usual blunt fashion, would likely save the day:
"Hello kiddies! Oh, so sleeping beauty finally woke up! How's that hang-over working out for you missy? Kenshin, lunch had better be ready because, I gotta tell ya, I'm starving! So, did you finally probe your charity case's name outta her? Well, are you just going to stand there or are you gonna help me with the groceries?"
"Sagara Sanosuke…" Kaoru breathed out in shock, thoughts of turning any object within her grasp into a deadly weapon long forgotten at the sudden turn of events.
The tall man loaded with brown paper bags turned his short attention span her way and, likewise, widened his eyes in astonishment and recognition.
"Kaoru?!! You're the girl that drank herself into oblivion?!! Well, I gotta admit, I did not see that one coming!"
"You never do…" replied a scowling Kenshin, tearing a can of tuna out of his friend's hand whilst Kaoru continued to stare laconically.
"What crawled up your- oh, will you quit giving me dirty looks already! I know I said I wouldn't take long but you know I only did it to get you off my back! And missy, would you stop standing there like a statue and help out, or are you afraid you'll break your nails or something? One favor calls for another favor and, in my opinion, you should be waiting on us on hand and foot after last night! I'm telling ya, you should be glad you bumped into Kenshin when you did; who knows what any other guy would have done! You really are lucky: it's not every giddy girl that falls asleep in a decent guy's jeep! Which reminds me: did Derek call? My car's still at the shop, but it shouldn't be long before it's cruising on the freeway again, at least not if I get a hold of Derek!"
Kaoru felt the room's temperature flare up and she knew her cheeks had caught fire. This was too embarrassing to be true: the guy she had so single-mindedly accused of as horrible a deed as taking advantage of a young girl was in fact the very one that had saved her from any such situation!
And so, she had made a fool of herself and insulted his pride and spat on his good intentions.
"Being invisible would feel just dandy right about now!"
Moving mechanically and blushing madly from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes, Kaoru joined the two men and helped them with their task of unpacking goods.
Sanosuke, bored from 'doing the housewife bit' as he put it, walked off to the living area and left them to handle the mess in the kitchen.
Hesitantly, her fingers grazed Kenshin's; he would not look at her and she had to do something about it: how else would she be able to apologize?
Startled by her sudden forwardness and gentleness, Kenshin looked up:
"I just wanted to say that I'm-" she started.
"I should probably go put some clothes on." he interrupted.
At that moment Sano jogged back into the kitchen.
"There's nothing to watch on T.V.; Chinese Checkers anyone?"
Without meeting her eyes Kaoru's hero paced out of the room leaving her crestfallen: wrong things would be said; generally she would be to blame. Story of her life…
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Reviewer Responses:
To Fangirl: Uh… *Iram hides behind giant sweatdrop* I guess I should say I am REALLY sorry because, well… you took the 'coming soon' thing literally and, this update didn't happen as soon as I expected… Again, so sorry, and I hope that doesn't discourage you from keeping up with this story considering how much I enjoyed reading your review! ^_^
To missaw: Thanx for the compliment. Well here is another update, relatively soon…
To kouri: Thanks heaps for the encouragement; I'm glad you liked it!
To Shiomei: I'm on your favorite authors list??? Wow, that is wonderful! Thank you so much!!! *bows low* I am pleased that you found this humble writer's story to your liking and it would make me very happy to see you reviewing often! As you can see, Kenshin did take Kaoru to his apartment and their conscious encounter there was… fairly interesting. I hope you liked this chappie. I certainly felt compelled to write after taking a glimpse of your cheery review! ^_^
To Rhapsody07: Your one on one reviews were truly appreciated. Thank you for the flattery: you really turned me crimson there! As for the dreams, believe me, I am the QUEEN of weird dreams!!! @_@ If you thought your titanic experience was weird, imagine being caught in a dream where a giant wave splashes at you out of nowhere and all the flying contraptions in the world are blocking the sun! I'm glad you like Sano and I hope his participation in this chapter was of your liking: he continues to be the same adorable weirdo, doesn't he? *grins broadly* Once again, immense gratitude goes out from me to you for your uplifting reviews, they help to keep me writing!
To Bunny / Sailor Moon: Thank you for taking the time to review. So… what about now? Still interested? Me hopes so!!! ^_~
To Ocean Fish: *Eyes widen and sparkle* Shiny red sticker!!! Mine!!! Mine!!! 'Display of Passion' that had me blushing and giggling like the silly little schoolgirl that I am! I think, although I don't know much about your story or where you plan to take the characters that it, as far as I can see, can develop into something very interesting. Do not be discouraged by the lack of initial enthusiasm from the reader's part. If you want to write, keep on writing, keep on building up a story: soon enough you will be blown away by the response you will get. Take me for instance: three reviews per chapter as an average and then I uploaded chapter 5 and, suddenly, an amazing amount of reviews piled in. Just believe in yourself and the rest will come…
To A.R. Frederik: Well, the first version of chapter 5 diverges from the one uploaded on the site in many ways. The situations were the same; the way they were told is another story in itself. I wanted to create something of substance, something that I realized upon writing was very hard to accomplish when talking about, of all things, a 'frat party'. I decided that description would have to set the tone for the 'silly plot' to enhance it and, as you said, give it character. I had to balance comedy with seriousness, and that took a while and a lot of trees… Rhyming: yes, it was every bit as intentional as it sounded. Umh… I do that a lot when I talk regularly; it sounds pretty funny and usually people (myself included) end up laughing, but it's just a thing I do. Like for instance, when I use the line 'in a swirling cup': I think I'm one of those persons slightly tuned in to their subconscious 24/7. As always, I am honored by the kindness and sincerity that you display on your reviews. So, what do you think about me now that you're getting to know me? Hehehe. Till next chapter.
Okay kiddies, this is it for chapter 6. I hope you all enjoyed this silly little piece and that reviews will keep piling in from all of you. So, for now, up, up and away I go!