Disclaimer: We don't own Rurouni Kenshin!

A/N: Sorry it took so long but a certain someone kept on forgetting to email me the chapter. We will definitely try to keep it from taking this long to update from now on. We're gonna try to update the next chapter within the next two weeks but it might take a little longer since two of us are going to be typing it. R&R!

Forever In A Moment

Reminder

Kaoru's cell phone was ringing.

Where was it coming from? Grabbing her bag, she threw everything out; notebooks, a calculator, a hair brush, a... toothbrush? She'd worry about that later.

Where was her phone?

Cursing silently, she threw the empty bag aside as the ringing subsided. Walking over to her closet, she wrenched her jacket out and found the cell in the left pocket. Flipping it open, she found that she had a message from a number she'd never seen before. She listened to the message that had been left.

It was from Kenshin. When had she given him her number?

"Hey, Kaoru, it's Kenshin. I guess you're not there, but Sano, Megumi and I are going back to the arcade, We'll probably be there 'till around six-ish?" -here Kaoru heard some background noise- "oh, um, ah. Sorry. More like around eight-ish?" -here Kaoru heard even more background noise- "Hey, Kaoru, it's Sano. Kenshin doesn't know how to leave a message. What he meant to say was that we won't leave 'till a while after eight, and that would be for dinner. Come over if ya get the message." Smiling slightly, Kaoru saved the message and put on her coat.

-O-

"Oy, Kenshin! You think she'll come?"

"If she gets the message, probably, and if not, unless by some miraculous chance, no..." the red-head answered.

"How long are you boys gonna stand there chatting?" Megumi asked, sounding annoyed. "They're having three hours of DDR for free!"

"WHAT?" Sano was gone, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

"Free DDR is always good bait." Kenshin laughed.

"But it's true." Megumi responded.

Kenshin blinked. "Let's go, then."

-O-

Sano was famous.

Megumi was slightly annoyed.

The girls were cheering.

Kenshin didn't really care.

The guys were sulking, staring daggers into Sano.

Sano laughed. He had cleared a pretty hard song on Heavy. No one was going to break his winning streak.

"Put him in his place, Kenshin," Megumi said, elbowing Kenshin. "If he gets too bloated a head, he might float away."

"Ano..."

Too late. Megumi had pushed him onto the stage. Kenshin couldn't exactly back off, either. The girls were crowding the exit, and there was no way he'd get out without landing on someone. He sighed.

"Choose a song, Sano..."

"There's NO way you're gonna beat me this time, Kenshin." Sano smiled, all his teeth sparkling green in the lighting.

-O-

Kaoru ran down the steps. Hopefully, they hadn't had too much fun without her.

She arrived in time to see Sano sitting on the stage, sulking, along with Kenshin on the other dance pad, scratching his head, looking embarrassed and the crowd going wild. Looking at the screen, Kaoru gasped.

Kenshin had gotten AAA. All perfects. It was a challenge song, too.

"ONE MORE TIME, KENSHIN!" Sanosuke yelled, spit flying out of his mouth. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BEAT ME AT THI-- OOOWWWWWWWW!"

Megumi had grabbed him by the ear, and was dragging him off.

Kaoru ran up to the stage. "Hey, Kenshin! Let me try!" She waved.

Kenshin's eyes widened slightly, showing some surprise, then said, "Sure, pick a song."

"Butterfly's my favorite." she said, smiling.

Kenshin's eyes seemed to cloud slightly at this, but became clear again right away. Had it been her imagination, or did his eyes seem to tear for a second? But he was smiling now, and said cheerfully, "this song means a lot to me, too." He started the song.

Kaoru was impressed. He really was good. All his steps were exactly on target. "You're really good, Kenshin. I really admire you." Kaoru, said to him. It was near the end of the song.

Kenshin's eyes widened, and he missed a step.

"Booo!" went the machine.

The song ended, and Kenshin tore off the stage, in the direction of the bathrooms, if she remembered correctly. What had happened? She made to follow him, but was stopped by Megumi's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't." her friend's eyes were stern, and Kaoru could only look on as Sano tore after him.

-O-

"Yo, Kenshin!" Sano yelled, banging the bathroom door open. "Yo..."

His friend's back was turned against him, facing the wall. He made no response.

"That's what she said, isn't it... and on Butterfly, too..."

Kenshin turned around to face him. His eyes wavered slightly, but he smiled. "I'm okay. There's nothing wrong." He smiled widely.

But it didn't fool Sano. "Why do you have to pretend...?"

Kenshin blinked, pretending to be confused. "What do you me-"

He was cut off, as Sano grabbed his shirt and slammed his back into the wall. "You know what I mean. Stop pretending it doesn't bother you and let us help!"

Kenshin looked up at him, eyes blank. "There's nothing wrong, Sano." There was warning in his voice that told Sano to lay off.

-O-

"Kenshin! Are you okay?" Kaoru asked, running up to him upon seeing him come out of the bathroom.

"Completely." he responded, smiling widely at her. "But I'm a little tired. It takes a lot of concentration to get all those perfects. I think I'll head home now."

"What...?" Kaoru was confused. Was it something she said? He'd seemed fine when she saw him win that one against Sano. It was when she came and proposed to play that he'd gotten strange. "Wait! Kenshi--"

She was stopped by Megumi once again. "Don't..."

"But why? He's not acting normal..."

Megumi stared after their friend with a faraway look in her eyes. "Tomoe."

"Tomoe? Who's that...?"

But Megumi shook her head and walked away, leaving Kaoru behind, confused and unsure.

A/N (NinjaKage): Sorry this is so late. I am extremely lazy and forgetful and cannot be trusted to have things on time. I would never make my deadlines if I was a writer. Gomen nasai.