*strikes a dramatic pose* I own nothing! *slinks away, complaining about the fact that I own nothing*
*blink* I am astounded at the number of people who want to see Kenshin and Kaoru get it on. You people are perverts. But, uh… keep an eye out.
Subtle jokes, mentions of unpleasant female bodily functions, brief moments of sap, and slight shounen ai.

Onward!
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My Life: Chapter 25 - Fun and Farewells


by Fitz


The Friday before school started, I found myself tracking down a bus to campus. Omasu was the only one at the apartment when I left, so I told her I might not get back until late or the following morning. No need to get the group worried if I didn’t show up that night.

I tracked Chou down, finally locating him in the dorm cafeteria. It took some creative persuasion, but the woman taking money let me run down there to search for him without having to cough up $5.75. I found him eating his breakfast, sitting with a small group of unfamiliar people.

“You were supposed to be upstairs,” I informed him as I walked up to their table.

“Don’t be a nag, kid,” Chou smirked and held up a plate with a cinnamon roll on it. “Want some?”

I shook my head and glanced at the clock. We still had some time, and it was difficult to get too mad at Chou. He was irritating, to be sure, but there was something the guy that just made me want to shrug and wave off his worst actions.

“Have a seat,” Chou offered. “Meet my roommate. His name is Kevin.”

“Yo,” Kevin, a tall guy with black hair and dark brown eyes, mumbled around his cereal.

“Hi,” I greeted in turn. I reached for a chair next to Chou and pulled it out. Never did I expect anyone to come up behind me, let alone wrap their arms around my waist.

“Long time no see, Kenshin.”

I nearly leapt out of my skin at the hand sliding over my stomach, instinctively jerking away from the contact. That, of course, meant that I slammed back into the taller person behind me, who took the impact rather well since neither of us fell in the process.

“The hell--!” I twisted to look at who had been so bold to touch me, then gaped at the blue-eyed man smirking down at me. “Katsu!”

“You’re looking good, Kenshin,” he stepped back, holding his hands out to prove he meant no harm. “I like what you’re doing with your hair. You a friend of Chou?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I frowned. “When did you get back?”

“Two weeks ago,” he pulled out the chair next to the one I still had my hand on and slouched down into it. He glanced up and, seeing my irritated scowl, flung his hands out in mild exasperation. “I know, I know! I haven’t talked to Sano yet.”

“He’s going to be pissed when he finds out,” I muttered, dropping into the chair between him and Chou.

“Don’t tell him yet,” Katsu grabbed my wrist, actually making me wince with how hard he yanked on it. His other hand was on my knee, which I liked even less.

“Fine, okay,” I caught the wrist of that hand on my leg and pushed him away. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

Chou’s roommate was snickering, but he cut off rather abruptly. I assumed Chou had done something to shut him up. It made sense, being that Kamatari was his best friend. Chou always had been a bit sensitive to that stuff.

“You’re mad at me,” Katsu murmured.

“It’s none of my business,” I retorted. “I don’t care what you do with your time, but no one’s seen or heard anything from you since January. We were all beginning to think you’d dropped off the face of the earth.” Not to mention his extended lack of correspondence had Sano really depressed, even if the guy didn’t show it. That was what ticked me off.

“I couldn’t--”

“Like I said,” I cut him off, frowning at his attempt to make an excuse. “I don’t care. You’re Sano’s friend.” I opted not to add, I’m just the guy you like to flirt with on occasion, although he probably knew I was thinking it. He sighed, more than likely regretting he had ever greeted me. Not that Katsu should have expected a warm reception with how he treated me. It was not like I couldn’t stand the guy, but there was something about him that rubbed me wrong, and I wasn’t talking about that hand on my knee. If he wanted to be an ass of a friend--and Sano was willing to take it--then it really was not any of my business. Considering I was not always the model friend, I would be a hypocrite to say anything.

“Spitfire...” I heard Kevin mutter. It was all I could do not to growl at him, although I did glare at him, willing him to hear: Fuck off!

“Shut up, Kevin,” Chou grunted, lumbering to his feet. He offered a lazy smirk. “Let’s go pick up the little lawyer.”

Thank god.

^_^

Due to the heightened security at the airports, we had to wait by the luggage claim for Kamatari. The plane was right on time, though, so we did not have to stand there very long.

“He said he’d be wearing a green shirt and blue jeans,” Chou said, bracing his hand on my shoulder and standing on tiptoe to see over the heads of the people in front of us. I did not even attempt it. If Chou wasn’t tall enough, I certainly wasn’t. He waved suddenly, grinning broadly. A few seconds later, a dark-haired man shoved through the people and jumped on Chou, flinging his arms around the taller guy’s neck with a happy squeal.

Chou!” he laughed. “God, I missed you!”

Chou smirked and carefully pried Kamatari’s arms from around his neck. He laughed and picked up the overnight bag Kamatari had dropped upon seeing his friend. I stood awkwardly to the side, not sure what to do with myself. It was not until just a few days earlier that I had been certain I would be going with to pick up Kamatari, and I had never told him. I was not sure if he would mind or not.

“Sweetheart?” Kamatari gasped, finally seeing me. I smiled nervously.

“Hi.”

I was promptly squished against his chest. Judging from the way I could barely breathe, Kamatari had gotten stronger over the summer. That, coupled with the fact that my face was pressed into his shoulder, made certain I was breathless when he finally loosened his grip enough for me to pull back an inch. He giggled, his face in my hair, his chin scratching along my cheek. I shuddered, squirming away from that feeling.

“Ugh!” I pushed his face away, staggering back when he released me. “Don’t tell me you’re growing a beard!”

“No,” he laughed. “I just haven’t shaved since yesterday.”

“Good,” I said without thinking, then pinched my lips together, embarrassed by the assertion. “Um... you got any bags?”

“They’ll be loaded onto the next plane,” Kamatari shook his head.

“Good,” Chou declared, hooking an arm around Kamatari’s neck. “Let’s blow this Popsicle stand.”

Kamatari giggled again, grabbing my wrist and yanking me under his arm, hugging me to his side as we walked. It was awkward with the three of us crunched together like that, but somehow we all fit through the doors, and we made it to Chou’s car without falling.

^_^

Kamatari was far too amused at my living situation.

“You and Sparrow?” he snickered, flopping down on Chou’s bed and stretching out on his stomach, feet kicking the air slowly. “You’ve been living together for a week, and she’s still alive?”

“I can handle Misao,” I sighed. “It’s weird, but not that bad. They’re quieter at night.”

“Quieter than this lawnmower?” Kamatari poked at Chou’s side lightly and smirked when his friend glared at him.

“You snore,” I reminded him.

“I do not!”

“Not bad, but you snore,” I shrugged and leaned back against the wall, eyeing the beanbag chair a few feet away from me. “How was the flight?”

“Boring,” Kamatari shrugged. “I had to sit next to this little old lady who told me I reminded her of her granddaughter.”

Chou snorted and claimed that beanbag chair for himself. Oh well. ‘He who hesitates’ and all that. I sat on the floor.

“I want to see this apartment of yours,” Kamatari announced. “Call the girls and tell them we’re coming over.”

“Maybe we should give them an hour,” I rolled my eyes, thinking of how they would be frantically cleaning the place. Rules or not, they were still messy. At least they were considerate enough to push it all off to the side though. Most of their dirty clothes landed somewhere within five feet of a laundry hamper--a lot of it in mine.

“I don’t mind if it’s not clean,” Kamatari picked up on that one easily. “Call them.”

“Sure,” I sighed but picked up Chou’s phone. A few seconds later, Misao picked up the line.

“‘lo?” she mumbled.

“What, you’re awake?” I glanced at the clock. Friday morning she had nowhere to be, so she declared she would sleep until noon. It was only eleven-thirty.

“Kenshin?”

“You guys mind if I bring a couple guys over to see the apartment?” It would have been pretty rude not to ask.

“...Who?” Well, she did sound pretty tired.

“Kamatari and Chou.”

“Sure...” It sounded like she was going to fall asleep on the phone.

“We’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I offered.

“...‘kay...” Deep, even breathing followed that. Yes, she fell asleep. I hoped the others would get the message.

“Okay,” I glanced at Chou and Kamatari doubtfully. “Let’s go.”

^_^

My suspicions were valid. The half-awake Misao failed to tell anyone about our visit, although she was up and about by the time we got there--sort of. Omasu was the person to greet us when we arrived. Like Misao, she could be a late riser, although once she was awake, she was as bright and cheery as anything. Cheerfulness aside, she was shocked when she walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped turban-style around her head to see me and two unexpected guests in the doorway. Fortunately, she was fully dressed.

“Kenshin!”

“Omasu!”

We were both somewhat alarmed, it seemed. Kamatari and Chou were snickering quietly behind me.

“You brought friends!” Omasu blurted. She was starting to blush by that point.

“I told Misao,” I murmured weakly. She scowled, her blush still growing.

MISAO!” she roared, stomping away to the beds. I stared after her, startled by the typically quiet girl’s reaction.

“Ummmm...” was all I could think to say for the moment.

“This is it?” Kamatari leaned forward, bracing his hand on my shoulder to peer around the cupboards into the kitchen. “This is... you got a studio!”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Want anything to drink?”

“Beer?” Chou wondered. I glared at him.

“Try again,” I suggested.

“Soda?”

“Sprite, Pepsi, or Mountain Dew?”

“Dew,” Chou smirked.

“Pepsi!” Kamatari added.

“Mountain Dew!”

I glanced up, lifting my eyebrows at the additional request, then pulled extra glasses out for Misao and Omasu. They joined us in the kitchen, one in pajamas, the other with her hair up in a sloppy wet ponytail.

“Just get up, Sparrow?” Kamatari teased, taking the pop I offered. Chou was too impatient to wait, so he poured his own glass of ‘Dew.’ Of course, he failed to recall--or just did not care--that Misao wanted the same, and he set the bottle down when he had finished the one glass. Misao pouted a bit, then grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it. Ick.

“Misao!” Not that I much cared. I rarely drank that. And as far as I knew, she did not drink from the bottle usually. Still, it was almost worth witnessing the disgusting habit just to see Chou’s reaction. He looked like he could not decide if he should swallow the pop already in his mouth or spit it back into his glass. A moment later, he did choke it down, his glass ending up on the table, where it would remain until I washed it. Of course we did not have a dishwasher, and rarely did any of the girls do the chore in a timely fashion.

“That’s disgusting, girl,” Chou smacked Misao’s back, making her choke on her own pop. She coughed and staggered away, scowling at him momentarily before stumbling into the bathroom, the shut door muffling the sounds of her hacking.

“Nice,” Kamatari snickered. “Does she always do that?”

“Not as far as I’m aware,” I sighed.

“Misao’s annoyed,” Omasu murmured anxiously. “Aoshi called and said he couldn’t go out tonight.”

Snubbed girlfriend. Got it.

“Ohhhh, dumb darling,” Kamatari clucked his tongue. I felt his hand on my shoulder, and I looked at him, thinking he wanted a refill on his pop already. He just smirked at me. His glass was still mostly full. “Could be worse, I suppose.”

Could be... what? I scowled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing,” he patted my shoulder and turned to walk into the apartment. “Nice. Sweetheart, is this yours?”

Grumbling about his innuendo, I followed him out of the kitchen. Chou was checking out the bathroom (that is, utilizing it), so I was spared from his inappropriate comments for the moment. He certainly would have said something about the magazine on the futon.

Kamatari picked it up, reading the front cover.

“‘Find your ideal partner,’” he proclaimed. “‘Are you in a relationship that’s right for you?’ Gee, Kenshin... I hope Kaoru doesn’t see this.”

“It’s Kaoru’s magazine,” I muttered. He lifted his eyebrows at me, and I scowled. “Don’t say it.”

He was trying not to smile and failing. I had the urge to jump him and beat that smile right off his face. Insulting me would make me cranky, but attempting to undermine my relationship pissed me off. He knew perfectly well what my reaction would be. He must have because the smile did fade away then, and he dropped the magazine back onto the futon.

“Sorry.”

“My bed’s the one in the corner,” I said, wary of any argument that might occur over that one. Kamatari took the hint and pasted on a big smile, immediately rushing over to the beds.

“I should have known,” he laughed forcefully. “The only one that’s made.”

I tried not to groan. At least there were no clothes strewn about the place. I suspected those had been stuffed under the beds while we were in the kitchen. But... was it so difficult to pull the covers up on their beds?

“What kind of movies you got over here?”

Chou had emerged, and of course he had gone straight for the entertainment systems.

“Is this... Super Nintendo?!” Like a kid in a candy shop. “I haven’t seen one of these in years!”

“Want to play a game?” I offered. Kamatari wandered back to my side, looking curious. I was looking for a way to ease the tension in the room. “It’s Omasu’s, but she said we could use it whenever.”

Chou glanced over his shoulder, grinning boldly.

“Hell yeah!”

^_^

They ended up staying later than I originally intended. Kaoru’s day at work ended at four, and we were still playing Super Mario World by the time she got back. Chou was still playing, anyway, Misao sitting right beside him, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth in concentration. I was getting bored, playing solitaire on the floor. It wasn’t like Kamatari was very good company, as he was dozing on the futon. Earlier, he had admitted to getting very little sleep the previous night. New school jitters, I supposed. Hell, if I was going to an Ivy League college, I’d be nervous too. I’d been edgy enough just coming to the U of M.

YES!” Misao’s voice rang out in sudden triumph. Kamatari jerked, gasping into full consciousness. The cards I had been shuffling went spraying out of my hands, into Chou, who yelped in protest as they thwacked into his side, face, hair, and fluttered down into his lap. Misao was completely oblivious. “Eat THAT, Bowser!

“Damn!” Chou groaned. “Girl, you took every shortcut and skipped all the secret levels!”

“So?” Misao beamed at him, insufferably pleased with herself. “I still won the game, didn’t I?”

“That’s not the point!” Chou protested. “The game’s got depth, specific nuances that make it what it is!”

“But I won!” Misao said again, scowling.

“But you didn’t earn the right to win!” Chou shot back.

“Who cares if I took the most direct route?!” Misao demanded, the happy scene of Mario Brothers characters marching across the television screen forgotten. “I beat Bowser!”

“Winning isn’t the important part!” Chou growled. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you the journey is more important?!”

I glanced at Kamatari, confused by the fanatical argument. He sighed, looking tired but amused, and shook his head.

“There is no reasoning with a video game junkie,” he murmured.

I had the feeling the fight could last for hours if no one stepped in soon.

“I’m ba-aaaaaack!”

Right on time. Misao and Chou stopped their arguing in favor of turning to see that Kaoru had just come through the door. She went straight to the kitchen and into the freezer. It was Kaoru’s typical response to a rough day at work. Crazy kids equaled a bowl with two heaping scoops of ice cream. Crazy kids and rotten coworkers meant a spoon, the carton, and a night of complaining. Kaoru was eating straight from the carton, so it must have been a tough day.

“Jimmy was a brat again today!” she announced, digging through the cupboard for a glass. “Wouldn’t give me a minute to recover before he was antagonizing someone smaller than him! And then Sandra was bitching at me because I asked Josephine to go into the pool with the kids today. It’s not like I don’t go every other time, and I didn’t tell her to do it, I asked her!”

Whoa. It must have been a really bad day. She did not even notice the guests yet. Her back was to us, one hand occupied with getting herself a glass of water while the other was attempting to guide another spoonful of ice cream to her mouth.

“It didn’t help that I was cranky and sore,” she whined loudly--very loudly because we could hear her across the apartment when she was facing the other way. “I forgot to bring my Advil with me!” She turned then, water and ice cream in hand, and stalked over to the futon. “And it’s the first day of my...” she trailed off, staring uncertainly at the four of us by the television. I knew what she was about to say, and quite frankly, I was glad she stopped. Chou was already snickering, and we did not need any snide remarks. “Hi.”

“Hi there, Kaoru,” Kamatari greeted. Chou snorted, trying not to burst out laughing.

“Hi, Kaoru!” Misao grinned and pointed at the screen of dancing video game characters. “I won!”

“Uh... that’s great,” Kaoru’s smile twitched a bit. “Kenshin?”

“Yes, Kaoru?” It was difficult to make that sound innocent, but I thought I did a pretty good job of it. She made a face at me.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Oooooooh,” Chou and Kamatari looked at each other in knowing mischief.

“Shut up,” I growled, climbing to my feet and trailing behind Kaoru as she walked back out the door. She put the ice cream and water glass on the counter, and I hoped it did not make a mess. Kaoru sounded irritated, which meant I would be the one cleaning it up.

The bad thing about a studio was that there really was no privacy in it. At least, there wasn’t with the way we had it set up. We had to go out into the hall to have a moment alone.

“Why didn’t you stop me?” Kaoru hissed, shutting the door and turning to scowl at me.

I stared at her. She hated it when I interrupted her during her sessions of venting. It was easier just to let her finish and then offer to go to the gym with her afterwards to work off that excess energy. I was tempted to bring that punching bag from home to the apartment, but I really preferred going to the gym.

Kaoru sighed and shook her head.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I guess that’s not fair of me, is it?”

That was a rhetorical question. Common sense told me not to answer her. It was always easier just to keep my mouth shut in such situations. Kaoru could get angry quickly, but she also cooled off just as rapidly if left to herself.

“I’m just crabby today,” she decided, and I was inclined to agree with her. “Seven hours of being cheerful for a bunch of seven-year-olds is tiring when all I want to do is curl up with a hot water bottle and a book.”

Still, I kept quiet. Inside, I was praying, chanting: Don’t tell me about your period. Don’t tell me about your period. Pleeeeeease don’t tell me about your period!

“I’m going to go ask Misao if she’s got any Midol,” Kaoru announced quietly. “I’ll feel better in an hour or so.”

“You want some pizza?” I offered warily. “We were going to order out.”

“Actually... I bought some hamburger last night. Would you...?” she blinked at me hopefully. As if I could possibly refuse that face.

“Sure,” I nodded, smiling weakly.

“There should be enough for everyone,” Kaoru added. She hesitated, her hand on the doorknob to go back inside. “Is Omasu here?”

“She went to work,” I shook my head. “She said she’ll be back after eight.”

“She’s got some nasty hours,” Kaoru mused, then shrugged. “I’m going to take a bath.” She pushed the door open, lifting her voice slightly. “Misao!”

Yes, I am!” Misao announced, standing proudly on the futon with one arm held high in the air. God only knew what she had been doing. Kamatari and Chou were holding their sides, laughing their asses off.

“Painkillers! Asap!”

“A sap?” Kamatari blinked. “Where?”

Chou was pointing at me, but I was too confused to be irritated. I blinked a few times, then settled for shaking my head. Picking up the discarded ice cream carton, I walked into the kitchen.

“Who wants hamburgers?”

“No pizza?” Chou complained immediately.

“Only if you pay for it,” I replied, opening the freezer and shoving the ice cream in. “Kamatari?”

“Got ketchup?”

“And mustard, pickles, and cheese,” I nodded.

“Sounds good,” he leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. “Medium well!”

“Do I look like a waiter?” I snapped. “You get raw or cooked. There is no in-between.”

He laughed, tousling with Chou when the blond reached back to ruffle his hair. The hair-mussing did not work well when Kamatari had it in a ponytail, but it they were having fun. I smiled, shaking my head again, and went to defrost the hamburger.

^_^

Somehow, it was decided that Chou and Kamatari would spend the night. After dinner, Chou took a half hour to run back to his dorm and get Kamatari’s bag and an overnight sack for himself. Kaoru was feeling much better by the time he returned, dressed in a baggy tee shirt that looked suspiciously like one of mine and a pair of pants that... also looked like they were mine.

“I never knew you wore K-Mart brands, Kaoru,” I commented after I got a good look at her. She smiled brightly, never saying anything as she dug through the cupboard. A moment later, she produced a box of microwave popcorn. I tried again, this time being blunt. “I’m glad my clothes fit you so well.”

“Eh,” she shrugged. “Pants are a little loose.”

“Yeah,” I glanced at her feet, where she was stepping on the back hem of the pants. “They’re loose on me too. That’s the design.”

For someone who was accustomed to the low-rise, tight fitting pants, I supposed she would think they were too big. I usually wore them with shoes, too, so they did not get under my heels, and I wouldn’t fray the pant leg hems.

“You look like she borrowed your toothbrush, sweetheart,” Kamatari announced, handing me a clean, wet pan. My face warmed, and I studiously wiped the pan dry with my towel.

“Hm?” Kaoru glanced at me. “I’m sorry, Kenshin. I can change.”

“No, it’s okay,” I lied, but I probably was not convincing with my teeth clenched when I smiled. Kaoru glared at me, and I put the pan in its proper cupboard. Damn it all... “Would you at least roll those up?”

Kaoru looked down, then flushed in realization.

“Whoops,” she crouched, quickly folding the pants up once so she was no longer stepping on them. And to be honest, I was not overly pleased that she was wearing those during her ‘time of the month.’ “Sorry.”

“Sure,” I sighed, taking a plate from Kamatari. “Just... if you wear it, you have to wash it.”

She giggled and kissed my cheek.

“Sure thing, Kenshin.”

When she went back to the microwave, I turned my glare on Kamatari. He caught my irritation as he handed me another plate and blinked in wide-eyed innocence. Yeah right. I scowled.

“What?” he wondered. As if I would dignify that with a response. “What?”

Snorting impatiently, I set the dry plate on the growing pile on the countertop. Kamatari smirked and swirled his hands in the water, searching for silverware.

^_^

Chou and Misao picked up Donkey Kong Country and settled down for another several hours of video game playing. Kaoru, Kamatari, and I picked up that deck of cards I had sent flying over the floor and, after counting to make sure they were all there, started up a game of King’s Corners.

“Take that, sweetheart,” Kamatari smirked, slapping an ace down on a pile. I frowned at the twos and aces across the floor and grumbled to myself, drawing from the deck.

“That’s just being spiteful,” I muttered, reaching over the game for some popcorn from the bowl between Kamatari and Kaoru. “You realize it’ll come back to bite you.”

“Whining not allowed from the guy with only two cards in his hands,” Kaoru ordered. “Save some of that popcorn for us, you pig.”

I made a face at her and retracted my hand from another grab for the food. I picked up my pop instead.

“Kamatari, you dope!” Kaoru whined. “I can’t do anything either!”

“Forgive me,” Kamatari grinned and drew a card. “You guys start next week, right?”

“Yeah,” Kaoru grumbled. “I’m not looking forward to my accounting class.”

“One of those necessary evils,” I glanced at the spot Kamatari had left blank on the floor. He slapped down a five of diamonds and smirked when I sighed. “You still majoring in business?”

“I’ve been taking classes out of Carlson,” Kaoru nodded. “It’s not an official transfer until spring, but they said I could take classes that way so I wouldn’t fall behind. I still think it’s stupid that they have different generals requirements for graduation. It’s all the same school.”

“But it’s Carlson,” Kamatari grinned. “Only IT can compete.”

“What’s the difference?” Kaoru complained.

“Different fields of study,” I muttered, dropping my last card on that five Kamatari had put down. “Better reputations. You can be a business major through CLA, but it’s not as impressive as the school of business.”

“Stupid,” Kaoru pouted. She blinked. “Dang it! Do you have any cards left?”

I held up my hands, proving them to be empty. Kamatari moaned and threw his cards down.

“Come on, Kaoru! We can beat him once!”

“He’s won four times in a row!”

“It’s King’s Corners!” I rolled my eyes. “Hardly a game of great skill.”

“Want to play poker?” Kamatari offered.

“I don’t know how to play,” I protested.

“All the more reason,” Kaoru grinned and shoved the cards over to Kamatari. “Deal ‘em out!”

“Hello!”

We waved at Omasu when she appeared, carrying her black shoes in one hand, her apron over her other shoulder. Kaoru grinned and patted the floor next to her.

“Come help us beat Kenshin in a game of cards, Omasu.”

“What are you playing?” the girl blinked at us.

“Poker,” Kamatari bridged the cards, the paper whispering as he shuffled them together. “Eights are wild.”

“What?” I protested, staring at the cards that appeared in front of me. I had no idea what he was talking about. “But--”

“We’ll teach you,” Kamatari smirked. “The loser has to share a bed with whoever loses the video game.”

“Shouldn’t we consult Misao and Chou before we decide that?” Omasu asked hesitantly.

“Afraid you’ll get stuck sleeping with Chou?” Kaoru teased. “Don’t worry. We’re rooting for Kenshin to lose.”

If I ended up sharing a bed with Misao, I’d hang myself. I saw how that girl slept. She was never in one place for more than ten minutes. Better to sleep on the floor, no matter how hard it was.

Kaoru was looking at me strangely. It took a total of two seconds for me to interpret that look, and I was quick to keep from having the discussion in front of the others. I smirked, picking up my cards as everyone else did.

“Keep hoping,” I murmured. “New player or old, I can still kick your butt in cards.”

She smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Sure, Kenshin,” she then got a very sly shine to her eyes. “Although... if you lose and you don’t want to sleep with Chou or Misao, I would gladly share a bed with you.”

“I’ll bet,” Kamatari muttered, and I stared down at my cards, trying in vain not to blush. Kaoru and Omasu giggled, and we started the game.

^_^

Kaoru lost. Call it beginner’s luck, but I did fairly well, even if Omasu did beat me by a long shot. Chou threw such a fit over being forced to share a bed with someone that we ended up aborting the bet. Since he seemed to be so picky, I let him take my bed, although he did not appreciate my remarks as I offered. And no, I did not share a bed with Kaoru.

By one, almost everyone was asleep. Even Chou was out cold, his snoring being the thing that kept me awake. Kaoru and Omasu had been the first to fall asleep, so they had no trouble with the lawnmower in our apartment, and Misao could sleep through the apocalypse. Kamatari was sprawled out on the futon, asleep as far as I could tell.

I sat on the fire escape, absently braiding the ends of my hair and contemplating smothering Chou with the stuffed gorilla he seemed to find so amusing. He had declared it his mascot earlier, hoping it would bring him luck in the game. Misao still beat him, hands down. Stuffed animals never were the best good-luck charms.

It was easy to say it was all Chou’s fault, but he was not why I was still awake. He was part of the problem, true, but when exhaustion hit, it really did not matter who was doing what in the background. I could have slept. But when my mind was swirling with various thoughts, it did not matter how quiet it was.

Kamatari’s behavior bothered me. I could not recall a time when he had been so antagonistic. That night, however, it seemed like he was constantly trying to bait me. A glance, a word, or a heavily veiled insult, everything he said to me was intended to provoke some sort of specific response. Some of it worked. Some of it didn’t. All of it irritated the hell out of me.

“Kaoru,” I startled myself when I said it aloud. Glancing over my shoulder into the darkened apartment, I doubted anyone had heard me. The window was open. I never would have been able to get back in otherwise. Even so, the beds were pushed back against the opposite wall, and with Chou’s snoring to block out all other sounds, I was not overly concerned.

Staring down at the alley below, I considered the thought. Kamatari had been perfectly friendly until Kaoru got back. Granted, he had made that one comment that set me on edge, and sure enough, that was also about Kaoru.

“You sit out here a lot?”

Speak of the devil. I sighed and dropped the latest braid I had been working on, staring down into my lap when Kamatari crawled out the window and sat next to me on the grated landing. The fire escape was one of those things that had been built in later, part of the remodeling that made the place inhabitable. They had to meet city codes or something. It did make for a nice place to sit though.

“Only at night,” I replied.

“Why?”

“Too dark in the apartment.”

“Ah,” Kamatari was quiet for a few minutes, studying our surroundings. It was not much brighter than inside, but there were dim sodium lights on the upper corners of the building, casting an orange glow over the alley. The lighting created deep shadows on the ground, but higher up--like where we were sitting--it was not so bad.

The silence grew rather uncomfortable, but I was not about to break it. Kamatari would not have left his bed if he did not have something he wanted to say. As much as was on my mind, I did not dare start a conversation that would alter his words.

“I miss being young,” he stated, abruptly ending the quiet stretch. I looked at him, wondering at the odd statement. He stared at his fingers, pale things intertwined in front of him. “Life is so complicated now.”

I did not know what to say to that, so I found myself again playing the part of the silent companion. Kamatari continued, oblivious to my struggle for words.

“Do you think we might have gotten along better?” he asked quietly. “If I really was a girl? Not just someone who likes to pretend?”

It was one of those questions I should have expected. Perhaps it had even come to mind, but I never wanted to consider it. Honestly, it was not fair of him to ask me such a question.

“I can’t answer that,” I murmured. “You know I can’t.”

“Yeah...” he sighed. Glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, he smiled faintly. “Then let me ask this: is it because I’m a guy? You’re open to everyone around you, but you’re so hell-bent on maintaining your own heterosexuality.”

I stared at him, startled by the question. It was something that most people would never consider saying, and certainly no man would ask another, but Kamatari had always been a bit different--in every way.

“I...” He was waiting for an answer. I had the feeling he would not retract that question, and I could not brush it off without damaging his opinion of me. The friendship was already on the rocks lately. “I... yes.” I could not believe I had actually said that. “Yes, that’s part of it, probably.”

“So you’re not even open to the possibility...” He seemed saddened by it.

“It’s not that,” I mumbled. “It’s... I mean, I guess it might have been possible... at one point...”

He was looking at me with an expression I would have expected to see on a man approaching the lion’s cage. It was unfair that he would look at me like that. What did he expect? I was telling him more than I willingly told most people. What else did he want to hear? How could I explain it? It was too complicated, really.

“I-I...” I was coming off sounding like some stuttering fool. “I was sixteen.” Dear god. That had not just come out of my mouth. Kamatari frowned, waiting for me to continue. I wracked my brain, trying to come up with some way to talk my way out of the situation. My mouth moved, trying to produce words that would not come. My throat was thick to the point where I could hardly breathe.

I coughed and tore my gaze away, focusing on the grating below us.

“Kenshin...”

I shuddered, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them despite the warm night. Scowling in frustration, I realized I had no idea how to explain myself. It was more than any one reason.

“It’s so far away.” It was odd, the detachment of that moment. I linked my fingers together and leaned back, staring up at the sky. It was a clear night, but it was nearly impossible to see the stars while in the middle of the city. Only the brightest were visible. “You know what I remember most about that night?”

“What?” Kamatari’s voice was as distant as those stars, faint and wavering.

“The smell.” I couldn’t see the stars anymore, but I didn’t care. It was like someone else was talking. For the moment, at least, I could pretend I wasn’t saying this. It felt right to tell him, but I never knew I would be able to do it. “It was really bad... I thought I would get sick.”

“You didn’t?” Hesitant. Frightened.

“I couldn’t,” I murmured, closing my eyes and recalling that night.

Dark eyes... hands reaching toward me.

It was still so fresh, even years after the fact. I blinked, coming to myself to some extent, a slight smile coming to me as I recalled something.

“I was intimidated by the girls in high school. They talked too much. Guys didn’t like me because of how I looked. But it was okay...” It really was. I still did not care. “I was glad to start over. It was nice to go someplace where I wasn’t that long-haired junkie people whispered about. And I didn’t have to hear about the times they swore I was hung over even though I wasn’t. So nothing reminded me of that night, and no one could tell me how close I was to becoming another name on the list of victims. But...” I was babbling. In the back of my mind, I knew it, and I forced myself to stop. “But it’s okay.”

Kamatari’s breathing was ragged, and I looked at him, surprised at the tears in his eyes. I rarely knew him to cry, but when he did, it always seemed to be my fault. Hoping to stop the tears, I smiled faintly.

“It’s okay,” I said again. It was not okay, I reminded myself. Just because it happened so long ago did not mean there were not people who still remembered. Enishi had yet to call. “I just... I just don’t want to spend my life with a man, Kamatari. I don’t want to be treated like a girl. I shouldn’t have to let people treat me that way. Not my friends, not strangers on the street.”

“I-I’m... I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice thick and barely controlled. “I never knew...”

“That’s not your fault,” I shrugged, leaning forward against my legs wearily. “Aren’t you tired? You’ve got to get up at five.”

“I don’t think I could sleep,” Kamatari shook his head, sniffing and rubbing his nose.

“Sorry,” I winced. “I guess... I never meant to say that much. Only a handful of people know what happened.”

“Who?” he asked.

“Uncle Hiko...” I considered that. “The cops who pulled me out of there, some therapists, Kao--” I cut off too late. Kamatari bit his lip, and I closed my eyes, resting my forehead against my knees. At the moment, I did not want to deal with his smart ass behavior. “And now you.”

“I’m sorry for being a jerk tonight.” His guilt must have been painfully high because he jumped on that apology like there was no tomorrow. “It was selfish and uncalled for.”

“It’s okay,” I sighed, the day finally catching up with me. “Let’s go inside. I’m tired.”

“Do you want the futon?” Kamatari slid through the window first, turning to offer his help. I waved his hand away and stepped through easily.

“I don’t know,” I glanced at him. “You toss and turn much?”

He blinked, then grinned.

^_^

The futon dropped down to fit at least two people, so it was not that much of a stretch to share. Kamatari was not that much bigger than I. Despite that, I had a hard time falling asleep. I had never before--well, since I was about sixteen--willingly shared any sort of bed with another guy. Sometime before he was completely asleep, Kamatari had freed his hand from his blankets and grabbed mine, which he held in a death grip for the rest of the night.

So there I was, laying on a cheap-futon-turned-bed with a gay man who had a thing for me, my hand trapped in his viselike grip. The glowing green numbers on the VCR indicated it was coming up on three o’clock by the time I finally was able to relax enough to close my eyes for more than a few seconds. I hugged my stuffed gorilla to me, it’s large body a physical barrier between me and Kamatari, and squeezed my eyes shut.

My friendship with Kamatari was a constant struggle. A year ago, I would have said it was not worth the effort. At the moment, I considered that possibility. It would have been so easy. He was leaving to go halfway across the country, and long-distance relationships of any sort were difficult to maintain. People drifted apart.

The sound of someone moving around made me open my eyes again. In the night, with the cautious tiptoe of someone trying not to wake the others, I could not tell who it was. I had to shift, rolling half on my back to see who it was, the motion then alerting the person to my state of wakefulness.

“Kenshin? Are you awake?” Kaoru kept her voice so low I could barely hear her.

“Yeah...” I sighed and, seeing her arm not far from my face, reached up with my free hand and caught her wrist. She crouched down next to me, and I quickly closed my eyes as her fingers touched my face, looming in my vision. “Can’t sleep.”

“You haven’t been to sleep yet?” she murmured in dismay. “It’s three-thirty.”

“I know.”

“Are you okay?” She ran her hand into my hair, and I felt her fingers searching for the string holding it back.

“Not really.” I sighed as she tugged the string out. That did feel better, if a little odd, the shift in weight somewhat unexpected. “It’s okay.” I was saying that a lot.

“Can I get you anything?” Kaoru asked anxiously.

“A sedative?”

She swatted at the top of my head, and I smirked. I shook my head.

“I’ll be okay.”

“You sure?”

“I think so,” I pulled her hand toward me, kissing the back of it lightly. “Go get your midnight snack.”

“I wasn’t going to eat!” she hissed. “Mr. Pig yourself.”

“I’m not the one who sneaks meals at four in the morning,” I replied.

“I was going to the bathroom!”

“Bakery opens at five,” I offered.

Kenshin!” It must have been difficult for her to project her annoyance while she was trying to keep her voice down, but she managed quite nicely. I smiled at her.

“I thought we could go get something for everyone before Kamatari leaves,” I clarified. “They don’t serve meals on the planes anymore.”

“Not even peanuts?”

“Maybe that, but at eight in the morning?” I asked skeptically.

“You sure you’re up to it?” Kaoru frowned worriedly.

“Yeah. I went on three hours of sleep a night through most of last fall,” I pushed at her side, urging her away. “I’ll get up at four-thirty, and we can leave before everyone wakes up.”

“Mm,” Kaoru agreed. “Wake me.”

“Of course.”

That settled everything. I turned my eyes to the ceiling and resigned myself to a night without sleep.

^_^

It was another emotional farewell. I was willing to bet I spent a solid two minutes crushed up against Kamatari while he said his good-byes. It was rather uncomfortable, and I tried my hardest not to think about any possible motives behind it. After all, he was leaving and would not likely be back to Minnesota anytime soon. It would not kill me to let him hug me... unless I passed out from lack of oxygen. Fortunately, he released me before it came to that.

That did make me wonder, though, and I asked Chou about it as we headed back to campus.

“You suppose he has any plans to come back here?”

He glanced at me briefly before turning his eyes back to the road. For seven o’clock on a Saturday morning, it was surprisingly busy.

“Dunno,” he muttered. He caught the cigarette pack from the dashboard and tapped one free of the case easily. He held it out to me, and I hesitated before waving it away. Rolling down the window a crack, he lit up and inhaled deeply, tilting his head so most of the smoke went out with the rushing wind. “An hour ago, I would have said no.”

“No?” I lifted my eyebrows at him.

“Hn,” Chou snorted. “Last I talked to him, he said he was going to do something that would make you mad.”

Make me mad? I frowned uneasily. If Chou was talking about all those unwanted comments about Kaoru, then I understood. But if he meant something else, I was lost.

“He told you, didn’t he?” Chou glanced at me again. “I thought he told you.”

“Told me what?” I was really getting nervous. What the hell was he talking about?

“He likes you, kid!”

“Oh.” That. Well, then. “Yeah... We discussed that last spring.”

“That the time your break was screwed up?”

“Yep.” Chou seemed to find that amusing. He grinned.

“Well, he said he wanted to do it again,” he announced abruptly. I coughed, choking on my own breath when his words registered.

“He what?!” I growled.

“But he didn’t,” Chou shrugged. “I thought he was going to kiss you or something, but he just walked off like he’d never told me that. Unless all that hugging got to you.”

“Not really,” I frowned. I was not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, I was grateful he decided against embarrassing the both of us in such a manner. Yet, on the other hand, he was treating me differently--all because of our conversation the previous night, no doubt.

My relief won out, and I decided I was glad he took my words to heart. I sighed and rubbed my eyes wearily.

“I’m going to miss him,” I muttered.

“Yeah,” Chou agreed. “I don’t know if I can handle Kevin.”

“He’s an ass,” I nodded.

“At least he’s male.”

“Shut up.”

^_^

Oooh. Longish chapter. Again, one of those things that seems to be pushing off the real conflict, but it was definitely necessary. *Sob* Good-bye, Kamatari! Anyhoo, here’s a brief explanation of some things:

1. Yes, Kamatari was dressed as a boy in this chapter.

2. Carlson, IT, CLA, etc… all different parts of one university. Each college has its own requirements that they feel best round out and fulfill a specific type of degree. IT is the Institute of Technology, CLA is the College of Liberal Arts, and there are more, such as the College of Agriculture, but I could go on for awhile, and you all get the point.

3. The Katsu thing is kind of minor, and you won’t see a lot about it. Little details now and then, but mostly it’s something Kenshin will avoid.

And now, what’s a chapter without some:



Random Omake: Down, boy.

Kenshin: *Narrating* I had the urge to jump him--

Kamatari: Whoooo, baby! I knew my day would come! *hugs Kenshin*

Kenshin: o.O... Wait! I didn’t mean it like--

Kamatari: I’ll start searching for an appropriate wedding gown... unless, of course, you’d rather... I suppose I could wear a suit.

Kenshin: *fainted*

Kamatari: We’ll be so happy together!... Kenshin?

Kenshin: *out cold*



Random Omake: Literally.

Kenshin: *Narrating* Kamatari and Chou were holding their sides, laughing their asses off.

Kamatari: What the--?! Come back here!

Chou: O.O

Kenshin: o.O Did someone’s ass just run past me?

Chou: Catch it!

Kenshin: The hell I will! Keep it away from me!

Kamatari: I’d love to, sweetheart, but I gotta catch it first!

Kenshin: Ewwwww.
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