Rurouni Kenshin
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Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin:
Table: table-1


Title: .061 Chance
Characters: Kenshin/Kaoru/Sano
Prompt: .061 Chance
Word Count: 1746
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Roommate series
Author's Notes: Random drabble



When he finally let her up for air, his breath ghosting harshly across her cheeks and down her neck, all she could do was stare at him with wide, startled eyes. Of all the things she had expected of her teasing this wasn’t one of them. This was Sano’s friend. Sano’s friends didn’t see her as female, except when they did, much less friends who always seemed slightly lost.

Except when he wasn’t.

Right now, Kaoru had to admit to herself that he knew exactly what he was doing. His eyes were half-lidded and satisfied, lazy as they watched her collect her thoughts and try mentally connect the dots. The process would have been endlessly easier if her lips weren’t burning with the remembrance of his mouth, if her knees weren’t wobbling so she had to clutch at his shoulders to stand, and it would really help if he would stop watching her with those knowing eyes.



The day had started out normally. She had double-checked her registration for the coming semester, gone to financial aid to wrangle out why she wasn’t getting the same money as the semester before, gotten her work permit for her on-campus job that paid hardly enough to cover rent and her chocolate needs, and broke the heel on her shoe. The heel hadn’t been on the agenda, and sadly, it had been her last good pair of shoes, which meant she was going to stay at her summer job an extra few weeks to afford to buy a new pair. Sano had laughed at her which, led her to chasing him up the stairs brandishing her broken shoe and threatening to shove it places so pump should never go.

Somehow, in the commotion, Kenshin had arrived. He had inadvertently saved Sano’s sex life, for which the tall rooster headed man had had no appreciation. He even had the gall to lock her out of the apartment.

Glaring at the door, Kaoru whacked it with her shoe.

“So you two really are always like this.”

Twisting around, she brandished her shoe at him. “Short, small, helpless redheads are not above being beaten to death by a shoe.”

The edge of his mouth kicked up. She decided to ignore it in favor of turning to glare at the door balefully. When she got back inside that apartment, she was going to make dinner and then force-feed it to Sano.

“Do you have a hairpin?” Cutting her eyes to the startled man’s face, she lifted a brow expectantly.

“No.”

“With all that hair?”

“No.”

Rolling her eyes, really, what was he good for, she stared at the doorknob. She supposed she could demand a credit card or something (assuming he had any), but that would be admitting defeat.

“So,” Kaoru said loudly, leaning away from the door and watching it. Sano was the type of person who gloated. He would be standing close enough to listen to her threats and shouts. Smug that she was outside when he was inside. Except she had no intention of making herself look like an idiot. Well, she wasn’t going to make herself look like an idiot alone when she could bring Sano down with her.

“So?”

Kaoru made a cutting motion with her hand, clearly telling him to keep quiet. Surely he understood the more subtle motions of communication. Even Sano understood that one, and a man who had an engineering degree had to have some brains. She nodded in satisfaction when a shadowed moved under the door. Smug grin firmly in place, Kaoru raised her voice again.

“When Sano was in third grade…” the sentence was cut off as the sound of the locks clicking quickly caught her attention. Shifting her weight back, she waited until the door opened enough for Sano’s face to appear before hurling her shoe with accuracy. The thud as the broken heel connected with his sternum, clearing the path of the door as he stumbled backwards brought a satisfied smile to her face before her eyes narrowed.

“You might want to stay out here for a moment,” Kaoru told Kenshin, as she flexed her fingers and went into the apartment. When they finally opened the door again, Kenshin had been wearing a bemused expression and Sano and Kaoru both were sporting carpet burns from the wrestling matching. He chose wisely not to ask any questions.

Sano certainly wasn’t talking and Kaoru was feeling much better after a good stress reliving exercise and humming as she dug through the fridge for something to drink.

The rest of the evening had been relaxed, and she had written off the thoughtful looks Kenshin kept shooting her as a reaction to her display of temper. The innocent was probably traumatized by her violent nature. Such a shame he was so cute. She had a lot of fun traumatizing Sano’s other friends, Katsu for instance, she just wasn’t sure if red was going to live up to strain. Sighing to herself, she decided it was probably for the best if she never involved him in her more… complex plots for revenge. Making a mental note to discuss it with Sano, he had no shame really, she had settled into the couch and settled into the normal routine of mocking whatever show it was that Sano decided to watch. Sano, in return, attempted to point out all the reason that he appreciated said show. Kaoru won on the grounds that cleavage was not reason enough to watch a ridiculous show involving monkeys and ticks.

“Hey Kenshin,” Sano said suddenly as he flickered through the channels, “I thought you had bar duty tonight.”

“Katsu has a friend who need extra cash.”

Kaoru blinked at him. “I still can’t imagine you working at the bar. Are you sure it doesn’t interfere with your bedtime?”

Sano snorted into his drink, coughing hard. Kaoru gleefully assisted him clearing his lungs.

Those soft violet eyes had a particular look to them when she looked back up. When she blinked, it was gone and the expression she had come to associate with him was back into place.

“Kaoru,” Sano finally croaked his face a ruddy color. Before he could finish his statement, the phone rang. His eyes jerked to hers and she held out a hand. Swearing, he moved into position. One round of rock, paper, scissors later and he was answering the phone. Glancing over at Kenshin, she grinned.

“Pansy,” she mouthed with an eye roll. “Always plays scissors first.” Settling back, and high jacking the remote, she flipped through the channels. Apparently, it was Megumi who called, and if the stuttering, half-formed sentences that Sano was attempting to get out said anything, she wasn’t happy about something. It never ceased to amaze Kaoru that her friend refused to actually date the man, but she would call him with every problem she had.

“When you going to be back?”

“I think she does these things on purpose!” Sano growled as he stomped over to get his jacket. It didn’t matter how big of a crush he had on her, Kaoru thought in amusement. She will always annoy him. It was just a matter of time before one of them snapped and they ended up in bed.

“Of course she does.”

The tall man paused as he opened the door. “I forgot. John called you today.”

“I hope you explained things.”

“I did.”

“Then why are we having this conversation.”

“Thought you should know!”

Kaoru rolled her eyes and turned the TV down a few notches, setting the remote within easy grabbing distance for Kenshin. Reaching over, she started to gather cans and plates. Best to clean when Sano wasn’t there to get in her way.

“John?” Instead of grabbing the remote, he reached for trash as well.

“Oh, one of Sano’s friends who thinks I have a nice ass. Decided to ask me out.”

“Oh?”

“Except, I don’t date Sano’s friends.”

There was a bit of pause and she looked over at him concern. He had the most… she wasn’t even sure what to call that expression.

“Is there a particular reason?”

“You mean besides the fact that they are Sano’s friends?”

The slight lift of a brow had her sighing as she tossed things into the garbage. Waving one hand around, she tried to explain her theory to the baffled man.

“Well, think about it. Sano looks for friends who have characteristics that are similar to his own to have as friends. I love Sano to death, he is pure big brother, and thus, undateable. Besides, I wouldn’t want to date anyone like Sano.”

His expression didn’t change so she moved on to the next reason.

“Besides, most of them want to date me because I’m not a boy.”

His expression finally changed, and she laughed.

“So that’s it?” His brows had lifted, his arms crossed against his chest, and those eyes of his had lost that soft almost dreamy quality.

“Would you date one of Sano’s friends?”

“Yes.”

She lifted a brow, leaning her hip against the counter. “Really? The only one I can think of short enough for you would be Misao. I don’t suggest Misao. Aoshi is territorial and caveman-ish. Besides, I don’t know if you have the energy levels to compete with her. In fact, I’m not sure Aoshi does…”

“I’m not interested in Misao.”

“You choose wisely.”

Shaking his head, he moved several steps closer. “You know, Kaoru, there are clearly some misconceptions between us that need to be cleared up.”

Were those little specks of gold in his eyes?

“Oh?” She frowned, her brows tucking together. “What about?”


Those next few moments had been very confusing. When she had time to think at all. The sensations had mingled together – warm body, soft mouth, hot skin against her back, something soft between her fingers, his tongue- until there was nothing but those sensations. Then she was breathing heavily and starring at those eyes that were not soft, dreamy violet.

Kaoru licked her bottom lip. Her heart was beating frantically, pounding in hear ears so it was hard to think. Watching the slow, male smile that curve along the mouth that had just robbed her of rational, her throat ran dry.

“Now,” he drawled in a voice that was somehow rougher and baritone as he adjusted his hold on her still figure, pulling her a little firmer against his body, “about this silly rule of yours…”



Title: .062 Appear
Characters: Kenshin/Kaoru/Kamatari
Prompt: .062 Appear
Word Count: 1224
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Ski Resort Drabble
Author's Notes: Random drabble



Kaoru licked her chapped lips.

Every day he arrived around two in the afternoon, his body swaying between a pair of crutches. He had to have strong wrists. Crutches wore you down on so many levels, but he didn’t appear to even notice them. After working three winters at the ski resort on White Mountain, she had learned to read men by a glance, and yet she still didn’t know which category to put him in.

He wore his hair long enough that the ends brushed against his shoulder blades and a unusual shade of red. She thought his eyes might have been blue, but she hadn’t been close enough to know for sure. He wasn’t very tall. The rare time she had seen him standing straight instead of slightly with the crutches, he couldn’t have stood more than two or three inches taller than her. His lean build suggested he was athletic, and she was putting her money on the fact that he had been showing off when he broke his ankle.

So, every day at two he crutched his way into the parlor and sat next to the fire when most of the resorts occupants were out skiing. He carried with him a single strap backpack and he always brought a book. Today he wore a dark blue turtle neck and a pair of jeans, a single white sneaker on his left foot. Occasionally, closer to dinner, a few of his friends would arrive, warm up, and then usher him off to their evening meal.

But honestly, what did a man with a broken ankle do on a ski resort?

To say she was curious was an understatement. It didn’t help her curiosity that the man was so damn good looking. Kaoru fished into her pocket for some chapstick and watched as he smiled as Tae took in his normal pot of hot tea and snack. She didn’t know the owner of the café that well, but the fact that Tae was bringing him his afternoon snacks either spoke of friendship or money. Odds were that he was some spoiled rich kid with too much time on his hands, running his company from a cell phone. She had had her fill of rich boys, but then again, none of them had ever browsed through Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly as the redhead seemed to be doing today.

The last few days she had been fighting the urge to walk over and ask him questions. Even if he was a rich boy, there was calmness coming off him that she appreciated. The one day she had worked up the courage to at least crash his space to read, even going as far as bringing her book to the little café, there had been someone sitting on the other side of his couch. The woman had been graceful with dark hair and eyes. She had been dressed in one of those outfits that would never actually do them any good on the slopes, but flattered her figure. The expression on the redheads face had been tense.

“When are you going to stop starring and actually do something?” Kamatari questioned, sprawling out across the counter to stare through the glass windows that separated the lounge from the small, intimate coffee bar.

“You just want another reason to stare.” Kaoru pointed out.

“That is one fine man, and I bet his bank account is just as nice.” Kamatari replied.

“He is probably used to women lying back and thinking of green hills.” Kaoru returned. “Men like that have sex handed to them on a platter, and it’s not always about the women.”

Kamatari snorted. “You won’t know unless you find out. It’s okay if you don’t have the balls to go talk to him. I will be more than happy to go over there and make eyes.”

Kaoru scowled at him. “Having balls might not be to his taste.”

“With that face, it’s possible!” Kamatari said dreamily. “Go find out for me. Consider it a mission of charity for your dearest friend.”

“Like hell.”

“I’ll throw in one of those ice cappuccinos you love and half a dozen fresh baked cookies.”

“… one of those cream cheese pastries for breakfast tomorrow.”

“You realize I am bribing you so might end up having sex.” Kamatari whined.

“Yes, but I can’t soak in the hot tub with him with that cast,” Kaoru pointed out with a grin. “Besides, I don’t think we will end up in bed together. Men like him have diseases.”

“Get going, or no coffee.”

“Going, going…”

….

Kenshin placed his book marker in his Christmas present from Misao. Reaching over, he poured himself a warm up of tea and closed his eyes in pleasure.

Tae had outdone herself again, supplying him still warm cookies and small sandwiches.

If Sano had realized his set up, there would have been no way that he would have agreed to go on the slopes and leave him in peace. His friend would have been content to sit on the couch and gain five pounds.

His mouth thinned. He had already lost one of his afternoons to dealing with Tomoe. That was an experience he had hoped to avoid, but he had been waiting on her to arrive since Misao had softly told him that she had rented the same condo as the last five years of their rocky relationship. It had been liberating to arrive and realize his time was his. The corners of his mouth curved upwards a little. Who would have thought breaking his ankle would have been so liberating.

A throat cleared almost nervously and he lifted his head in surprise.

“Hi.” A young woman, she couldn’t have been a day older than twenty-four, was standing in front of him. Her dark hair was braided and pulled over one shoulder. Wide blue eyes were set in a heart shaped face lined with nervous lines.

“I was wondering if you would like some company.”

Kenshin blinked in surprise before tilting his head, putting the cup of tea down to watch as she sat in the cushy chair next to the couch. She pursed her mouth, her nose wrinkling with the motion. There was something about the uncertain set to her shoulders that was so at odds with the normal approach for his attention, that he find himself watching her in curiosity.

“Are you gay?”

Kenshin’s eyes widened in surprise and he watched in fascination as a rather spectacular blush worked its way up her throat and settled along her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

“No.”

Slender, scared fingers laced together and then she stood.

“Right. Well, if you ever want free coffee, gay or not, I think you might manage to make someone’s day. Well… that’s all.” She backed away, her blush still firmly in place. She stumbled a little on the rug and turned to flee. He had the sudden urge to follow her, but his crutches were out of immediate reach and he was unable to look away from the way her hips moved.

The edges of his lips curled in amusement.

He wondered how much work he would have to put into tracking her down and getting her name.



Title: .067 Confused
Characters: Kenshin/Kaoru/Sano
Prompt: .067 Confused
Word Count: 1094
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Boy talk with Sano...
Author's Notes: Random drabble



“Please explain to me why you thought this was a good idea?”

Kaoru paused from where she tinkering with the engine of one of the cars he was remodeling for the company. Angling her arm to wipe the sweat off her brow to keep from smearing grease across her face, she frowned at him.

“Did you ask me down here just to pick me for details? I have paperwork I can be doing on the importance of defensive training you know. Stacks of them.”

Sano snorted and handed her a wrench. “Please. You know you miss it down here in parts instead of up there in litigation.”

“I am not in litigation.” Kaoru scolded, waving the wrench under his nose. “I’ve told you this. I’m not even in a management position.”

“You boss around interns, you’re in a management position.”

“Statistics is not management.”

“Why did you agree to the change again?”

“A girl can only handle being covered in grease and having her ass checked out so often without going crazy. We’ve been over this. I like where I am. It gives me the chance to work up to where I want to be.”

“In management.”

“In Defense!”

“Which requires management experience.”

She rolled her eyes. “Have you checked the radiator?”

“Do I look like an idiot?”

Kaoru lifted a brow but turned back to the engine, her lips twitching. Sano huffed.

“That wasn’t even the reason I asked you down here.”

“I know. You want to grill me about him, don’t you?”

“What the hell were you thinking? You accepted a date from someone in Assassination and Crazy!”

Kaoru rolled her eyes. “That is not the name of the department.”

“It damn well should be.”

She shoved a greasy finger in his chest. “It was just a date.”

“Did you say yes to another one?”

“Not yet.”

“Good.”

“Although he was dropping hints about that new Italian place I have been wanting to check out that requires reservations a month in advance.”

“Tell Misao you want a girls night. I haven’t seen a place the weasel can’t get into.”

“It’s more fun if he pays.”

“Kaoru!”

“What?”

“Are you nuts!” Sano waved his arm around. “You cannot date short, crazy redheads who have no compunctions against cheating!”

“Why not?”

“Assassination! You do not what section of the company that is?”

“The one that shares floor space with Defense?”

“Kamiya Kaoru!”

She waved a hand. “Seriously Sano, its not like he asked me to marry him. It’s just a few dates. And you don’t know he is in that department anyway. His file is black tabbed, I checked.”

“You. Did. What?”

“Checked. You really don’t think I am going to go out with a guy from this company without checking to see what sort of clearance I would need to see their file, do you?”

Sano’s mouth was moving but nothing was coming out.

“Besides, when I told him that, he laughed.”

Sano made a strangled noise.

“Besides, it’s not like its interdepartmental dating and its not like the higher ups don’t know about it. I don’t think Himura could be subtle if my life required it. And he seems to do what he wants anyway. Plus, I made it clear I wasn’t jumping into anything serious with him, wasn’t going to risk my job in anyway, and that I required notice if he was interested in anything more than casual dating. He said that was fine. So no worries.”

“You cannot bargain with men like that!”

“Its all about leverage, Sano.”

“They don’t understand simple concepts like that outside of “mine” and “mine”.”

“You act like you know him.”

Sano crossed his arms. “I helped with a few missions.”

“And?”

“He doesn’t understand normal, human concepts of the word ‘no’.”

“According to Megumi, neither do you.”

Sano scowled at her. “That’s not the point. THE POINT is that he is very close to the higher ups and it’s dangerous.”

“I can take care of myself.”

Sano glared at her. “Kaoru…”

She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “Is there something you want to say Sano? We can also go see if the dojo is being used.”

He scowled at her. “Would you reconsider this… this… dating thing even if I win?”

“Hardly. He can afford a few expensive meals and I’m tired of ramen.”

“See! It’s thinking like that that’s going to get you into trouble!”

“Being tired of ramen?”

“Thinking you can get away with a few meals! Men like Himura are after things Kaoru!”

“Well, he’s very pretty. If he is as good in bed as he is in keeping his hair in fabulous shape it might be worth it.”

Sano was spluttered. “I cannot believe you said that!”

“The pretty or hair part?”

“The SEX part!”

“Why?”

“You’re supposed to die a virgin!”

“Sano, I haven’t been a virgin since I was seventeen and decided to join the company.”

“WHAT?”

“You think I was going to get involved with a group like this as a virgin? Are you crazy?”

Sano dropped his head against the roof of the car and moaned. Kaoru shrugged and continued to fiddle with the belts. Eventually he pulled himself together and glared at her.

“You are just going to do what you want, aren’t you?”

“Don’t I always?”

“You’ve clearly been around Misao too long.”

“Misao at least has the dignity to threaten to remove the insides of anyone who breaks my heart. You’ve just been yelling at me for dating.”

“… you better not fall in love with him.”

“Sano! It’s just a few dates. Nothing serious!”

“I still don’t trust him.”

“I still don’t care.”

He huffed. “If I end up with redheaded nieces and nephews I’m going to be pissed.”

“Just. A. Few. Dates.”

Sano shook his head. “You’ll see. Crazy like that never goes away.”

Rolling her eyes she jumped off the front of the car and slammed the hood. “That should solve the problem. I’m going to go wash up and then head back to my real job. You’re buying me dinner tonight.”

“WHY?”

“I can always go see if Himura wants to try out some sushi…”

“Fine! But not sushi!”

“Indian then. You know what to order!”

Sano growled under his breath. That had not gone as smoothly as he had planned. Narrowing his eyes, he wondered exactly how much work it would take to go directly to the source of the problem.

He would think about it over Indian food.