Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Cabana Boy ❯ Chapter 1

 

I realized that this story is somewhere, but I'm not really sure where. As ff.net expunged all record of me on their site, I was taking stock and realized that there's a lot of stuff that disappeared. So as I struggle with the ending to `Fate', I will systematically try and get these chapters up for everyone to see again.

 

This story actually came from a daydream and manifested into what it became. The memories I associate with this story are interesting, but I'm you sure you're not here for that. Anyways, enjoys and as always, I do not own any of the characters below.

 

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The large brick house came into view as she rounded the last corner. Kaoru came to a stop and heaved a relieved sigh of relief. “It's about time.” She muttered to herself as she pulled the brake and climbed out of the car. She tossed her dark ponytail over her shoulder and glanced up at the large house that was home.

 

It was set in the depths of a wealthy suburb of the city. She always felt grateful she had never wanted for anything, though her father had long since taught her the value of money. She had been required to have a job at the age of sixteen and had to pay for half of both cars she had owned in the last six years. Still, she had not struggled to pay for books in school like some of her other friends and she was always respectful of those with less money than she. She never hesitated in being generous. For that, she had never been seen as a snob; she had despised nearly everyone she had attended high school with for that exact reason. Her house sprawled before her on the five acres that belonged to her father. She bounded up the steps and opened the door.

 

“I'm home!” She called. No one answered and she shrugged. She hurried up the large staircase, two steps at a time. She dashed to her room and threw open the door. With a loud flourish she threw herself onto the bed. “I'm finally home!” She cried and giggled to herself. Sitting up, her blue eyes caught sight of a note on her mirror and she rose to read it.

 

 

**Welcome home!

I'm sorry I am not there to greet you, but something came up and I had to depart for the office. I shall most definitely be home for dinner. There are some things we must discuss. Keep an eye out. I finally hired a new young man to take care of the house. He will be staying in the guesthouse. Be nice!

Much love,

Your father**

 

 

She hugged the letter to her chest and sighed. As much as she regretted his absence in this moment she understood. He was a powerful man, a prominent man in the advertising world and it was to him she was forever indebted for the lifestyle she had been brought up in. Briefly she wondered at the new maintenance man.

 

Be nice indeed, she scoffed. She had often been accused of allowing people to walk all over her she was so nice, mostly by her closest friends. She rolled her eyes and trudged downstairs.

 

“Nothing to do but unpack.” She muttered and reluctantly headed towards her car.

 

Kaoru had recently graduated from a prestigious university and she prided herself on having gotten through it mostly on her own. She had worked hard and had received a partial scholarship for her academics. One of her best friends had not been so fortunate. She had no clue how Sanosuke had managed to get into the same university as she, though he wasn't stupid by any means. He just never applied himself. She still wasn't sure how he had even graduated on time, considering what his major was. The amount of time he spent drinking and chasing after women left hardly time to study, let alone fulfill the two internships he had attained over the course of the last year. But they had been good friends since she was ten and had somehow survived high school together. She had welcomed his presence in her life during college. He had been with her through so much. She wasn't sure she could exist if he wasn't in her life.

 

Reaching her car she wondered how long after she left it had taken for her roommate to slap him upside the head. He constantly was hitting on Megumi though she speculated at the possibility of the man wanting more. The two had an interesting relationship, one she couldn't even begin to comprehend. What he and the woman could want from each other beyond sex was something she didn't care to understand. Their constant squabbling made her head spin. However, they had always been there for her and that, Kaoru trusted more than anything. The tall man had even helped load her car that morning and she recalled why the moment she opened the trunk. In it rested the huge steamer trunk filled with half her clothes and another box full of books.

 

Gnawing on her full bottom lip, she contemplated how she was going to remove the heavy contents. Not to mention the computer, the other large suitcase of clothing and three other boxes filled with other miscellaneous stuff. She was glad there wasn't any furniture along with the haul. She had gladly given it to her roommate, Megumi. She would store it until they moved into their new apartment at the end of the summer. She would be down later in the week, bringing along any thing else she might have forgotten. Then they had four glorious months of freedom before Megumi started med school and Kaoru began her internship.

 

She sighed. Elena was out. She was a brilliant cook, but she was shorter than Kaoru and extremely frail. Besides, she doubted she could get the woman out of the kitchen. She could leave it until her father came home, but she didn't know when that would be. What of the new lawn boy? Hadn't the note mentioned he was staying on the premises? She clapped her hands together gleefully and quickly dashed back inside. She didn't see the small woman as she passed through the kitchen and she pushed open the back door to the patio. She paused, her eyes surveying the landscape. There was a figure down by the pool and Kaoru smiled to herself. She hurried down the steps and then hesitated when she reached the bottom.

 

The first thing that struck her about the figure was the long red hair. It was a bright coppery red, catching the sunlight with brilliant clarity, making it almost look on fire. She wondered if was real and decided it must be. That color just couldn't be found in a bottle.

 

Her next thought bordered along whether this was a good idea. The man's stature bordered on petite for a man. Kaoru was on the short side and the person sweeping the bottom of the pool couldn't be much more than a few inches taller than her. She knew appearances could be deceiving, the figure wearing jeans and a tee shirt. Feeling indecisive for a moment she hopped from one foot to the other. Deciding she would just wait for her father to get home to unpack her car after all, she turned to return inside.

 

“Can I help you?”

 

She turned at the sound of the low voice. “Um, hi!” She called, facing the person on the other end of the pool. “I'm Kaoru. You must be…” She paused.

 

“I'm Kenshin.”

 

Kaoru cocked her head to the side. She approached him, her eyes sweeping up his form. He was too striking for a man, for a pool boy even. The only thing marring his perfection was a large cross-shaped scar adorning his left cheek. She reached out her hand and he glanced at her outstretched palm before shaking it. His hands were cool, his hands rough. His eyes were an exquisite shade of lavender, his face finely sculpted. If only he was a bit taller, Kaoru thought to herself and then shook her head. It would not do her well to lust after the cabana boy. She would be moving in the fall. “It's nice to meet you.”

 

“Likewise. I have heard quite a bit about you, that I have.”

 

She colored slightly. “Really?”

 

He nodded. “Elena has many stories to share.”

 

Her color deepened. She could only imagine the stories the small Italian woman could share. She had been cooking for her father since her mother had passed on and Kaoru almost looked at her as a mother. She knew more about Kaoru than her own father did, for example, exactly whom she had lost her virginity to. “Don't believe anything she says.”

 

“But you appear to be the ravishing young woman she described. I can only imagine there might be some truth to what she says.” A hint of a smile touched his lips with his words and she was instantly drawn to his mouth.

 

She blinked after a second and smiled brightly at him. She couldn't recall ever being so instantly attracted to a man before. Even her ex-boyfriend had taken some time before she had felt the fascination. But then, Kenshin was handsome, beautiful even, and it had been just over a year since her last relationship had ended harshly. “Um, I guess I'll unpack.”

 

“Do you need any help, Kaoru-dono?”

 

She hesitated, eyeing his small frame. He seemed so small. What had her father been thinking hiring him on? He didn't look equipped to handle hard labor. He seemed wiry and she wondered what he looked like underneath those clothes. Her thought brought a slight curve to her lips and she shrugged. She had never been a sex-crazed fiend and here she was already envisioning him naked in her bed. She hit herself on the head and shook the thought away. Get a grip!

 

He might not appear extremely strong, but maybe between the two of them they could lug the heavy trunk to her room. “If you like.” She answered. At least he was polite.

 

He smiled at her. “Lead the way.”

 

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Kenshin couldn't help but admire her lithe figure as he followed her back through the house. He had accepted the job nearly a month ago, realizing he needed money, his finances from his last job finally running out. Somehow Hiko had contacted him and given him the heads up. He had been fortunate to find an employer who was willing to offer lodging at no additional charge. He liked the work; the constant use of his hands keeping his mind focused and most times his nights were his own. Then he could practice his sword, something he had long ago given up yet could not quite abandon. He hadn't fought an opponent in so long, but it kept his body strong and his mind sharp. One never knew. So when the job had been offered, he had immediately accepted. However, the one thing Kamiya Koshijirou had not really mentioned was his daughter.

 

The woman had been away at school the last four weeks. Kenshin had been aware she would be returning home and Kamiya had mentioned she and her friends might be around a lot for one last summer of freedom before his one and only child started an internship in the fall. The redhead hadn't minded, and had expected a high maintenance elitist to belittle him all summer. In truth he hadn't really believed the stories Elena had told him. The Italian had raved about a young woman with a fierce spirit and a beautiful heart. A part of him wondered if the cook had ulterior motives for trying to sell the woman in his eyes and for that he couldn't understand. Why would Kaoru ever have any romantic interest in him? When she had come to the pool, in search of what, he couldn't quite guess, all his preconceived notions flew out of his head and he began to recall some of the short woman's descriptions.

 

Kaoru was exquisite, her white shirt clinging to her in all the right places, the red striped sports pants hanging low on her hips. Her large indigo eyes shone with intelligence and a warm light. Her dark hair was pulled from her face, revealing her high cheekbones and her full lips. She had seemed shy, for what reason he didn't understand and once more her warm candor disproved anything he might have thought of her. So surprised by her he had offered to help her unpack and now found him following her to her car.

 

She glanced back at him, her bottom lips caught between her teeth. He followed her gaze and saw the large steamer trunk in the back. “If you could just get it out of the car, I'll have my father take it upstairs later.”

 

“I might as well take it straight to your room. It won't do you any good sitting in the foyer, that it won't.” He told her and went to grasp it. It was a bit awkward and she helped him shift it to get it out of the trunk of her car. Then easily he picked it up and carried it inside. He smirked to himself, wondering if she stood gaping at him. Kenshin knew he was small in stature and also knew he made up for it other ways. In the past he had used it to his advantage, enemies realizing only too late they had underestimated him.

 

Reaching the top of the stairs he paused. He glanced over his shoulder and blinked in surprise to see Kaoru was coming through the door, her computer in her arms. “Which one is your room?” He thought she would make him unload the vehicle while she sat back and watched. Then he had decided not to judge her on past experiences.

 

“To your right, second door on your left.” Kenshin led the way, only because she couldn't move past him. When he reached the open door, he stepped inside and looked around. The room was very feminine, painted a pale shade of lilac. Pale yellow drapes framed the windows overlooking the pool and lawn. A large wrought iron four-poster bed stood on one side, chiffon in another shade of pale yellow hanging from the canopy. The desk by the bay window was empty, her closet only half full of fancy dresses and other random clothes. Next to the small room, that was her closet, the door to the bathroom was slightly ajar. He could just see the lip of a large garden tub within.

 

“You can put the trunk by the window for now.” She told him.

 

He snapped back to reality and placed the trunk down where she had indicated. She put her computer on her desk and his eyes were drawn to a frame still on the bedside table. Unable to stop himself he picked up the frame, something about the picture seeming eerily familiar and not in a good way.

 

The photo was of Kaoru and a young man. His hair was nearly platinum blonde, his grey eyes cool and confident. There was an air to the woman in the photograph, Kenshin didn't like. Though Kaoru wore a smile for the camera, she didn't appear happy. “Boyfriend?” He asked.

 

Kaoru came up next to him and he felt her stiffen. “He was.” She said, her voice containing an edge of distaste. “I must have missed it.” She muttered and strode to the French doors. Without another thought, she flung them open and hurled the frame into the yard below. Distantly, they heard it shatter. He was startled by her actions and he hesitated in coming behind her. The woman hugged her arms to herself, her eyes closed.

 

“Kaoru-dono? Are you alright?”

 

She turned and smiled brightly. “Sure.” Then realization hit her and she covered her mouth in horror. “I'm so sorry.”

 

“Oro?” He couldn't comprehend why she would apologize.

 

“You have to collect the broken pieces. When I get my car unloaded, I'll clean it up.”

 

“That's really not……”

 

“Better yet, I'll go clean it now.”

 

She ran off, her hair trailing after her. He watched her disappear around the door and wondered what he should do. Should he help her? Figuring she was bound to have some boxes that were heavy in addition to her trunk, he decided to unload it for her, forgetting his earlier disgust at the thought of having to do just that. She was turning out to be nothing like he thought and he had felt something for her in the brief moment she had let her demeanor slip. Kenshin had spotted the flash of pain and wondered how much time had passed since her breakup and if it had been hard. If the man in the picture had hurt her………

 

“Where did that come from?” He murmured, coming down the stairs. She had disappeared and he heard a far off squeal of delight coming from the kitchen. A hint of a smile graced his mouth before he centered his attention to unload Kaoru's car. He decided he would get to know her before making any more assumptions, at least as much as she was willing to allow him. He knew people from her world didn't fraternize with the help, but maybe they could at least become friends.