Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Heaven In Your Arms ❯ A Proper Thank You ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: StarRose
Sano's just slightly shocked at the fact Kenshin's his new teacher, but he's in for even more of shock later when Kenshin gives him a 'proper thank' you for the other night...

Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.18.2005 | Updated On: 02.18.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.8K | Visits: 353 | Status: Completed

Chapter 2: A Proper Thank You
Oh boy. Sano stared back at the beauty he never thought he'd see again and gulped. Of all the people and all the circumstances, why did he have to meet this guy again only when he'd got into trouble? He watched the recognition in Kenshin's eyes and felt kind of honored that he remembered him.
The stunned face of his new teacher faded a little and turned into a kind smile, “So you're Sanosuke Sagara, it's nice to meet you again.” He said, bowing polity.
“Yeah...heh, small world isn't it?” Sano grinned nervously.
He was still in shock himself at seeing him here. So Kenshin Himura was going to be his class form teacher for the year huh? Weird, he doesn't seem old enough to be a teacher, maybe he's a gifted 18 year old or something? That made him older than him, which felt even weirder to be calling him teacher, although it was a nice idea, in a cute kinda way. He was all smiles again though, just like he was that night. Sano had never though he'd get another chance to see him again, and now this! It really was a small world…not that he was complaining.
“That it is, I had no idea that you were a student the other night though.” He said, as he turned and walked back to his desk.
Sano watched him walk, his once flowing hair now tied back in loose ponytail. “Well, no offence, but I gotta say I'm surprised you're a teacher.” He said, before the pause in his reply became too obvious, “I kinda thought you were student.” he replied, taking his movements as a hint and followed him, sitting down in the wooden chair opposite his own.
Kenshin smiled at him as he sat down, “I actually get that quite a lot.” Sano smiled back at him, you could do nothing else but smile at that cute face. This was a nice little conversation beginning.
“So you must be the one that was expelled from your last college?” came the innocent question.
Sano almost fell off his chair. Or perhaps not. “Ah, haha, yeah, that was-“ he paused when he saw Kenshin remove a file from one of his draws and open the front page, skimming through the words, “Constantly fighting with other students, breaking property, inappropriate language in front of teachers and…” Kenshin stopped, brought the file closer to his face as if reading it when it was bigger would make a difference, raised his eyebrows and looked up at him, “…letting a greyhound loose in a teachers house for giving you a low grade?”
Sano looked up at him guiltily. Every point he had picked out had Sano sunk further and further into his chair. “Heh…err, yeah, I did that a while back.” He couldn't look him in the eyes any longer and looked away. For such an un-intimidating person, Kenshin sure knew how to make you feel guilty. Maybe it was because you didn't want to see a look of disappointment across that pretty face.
Sano risked an ashamed look at youthful redhead, and saw a slight smile on his lips as he continued reading all the things that had piled up that resulted in his expulsion from his last college. After a short silence, he looked up from the file, “Certainly creative aren't you?” he smiled at him.
Sano smiled back nervously, not quite sure what to make of him as a teacher yet, he seemed too smiley, too gorgeous and too happy to take him seriously. Sano found his heart beating fast just sitting here, knowing they were alone. This was ridiculous! He didn't even the know the guy and he'd been sitting with him for only a few minutes and he felt like a high school kid with his first crush!
After a moment, Kenshin put the file back down on his desk and looked across at him. “I'd rather not have to give you one of those boring lectures I'm sure you've heard before, I expect you already know what I would say anyway, but just for the record as I am supposed to do something, I'll just say one thing that I will.”
Sano looked at him sheepishly, noticing those little extra few words he put at the end of his sentence which was seriously cute, but tried to push that thought to the back of his mind for the moment as he was technically here to be told off, not enjoying the `view'.
Kenshin looked at him softly, “You know not to do it again right?” His eyes had narrowed a little, but he was still smiling gently, and Sano's sheepish face smiled back.
“No problem.”
Funny, out of all the lectures he'd had in the past, this was the first one where he truly felt like he would listen and try and loosen up a bit on the fights. For Kenshin Himura, he'd become a monk if he had too!…..that could be quite comical. Sano blinked out of his thoughts when he noticed Kenshin looking at him strangely, before he suddenly looked away shyly when he noticed him.
“Sorry I…” he began, before smiling timidly and looking back, “I just wanted to say thank you for the other night.”
So, things weren't alright that night after all, but jeez, this was going to be a weird situation if he found out he only did that because he `liked' him, “Sure thing,” Sano replied, waving it off with his hand, “Do it all the time.”
“Oh.”
Was that a disappointed tone in that `oh'? Indeed, Kenshin did look a little taken-a-back. Great, now he upset the guy, but why would he have upset him by saying he did that for everyone? Not that he did, but he couldn't let him find that out.
The atmosphere suddenly became very heavy when neither of them knew what to say next, and were sitting in an uncomfortable silence. Sanosuke wanted to ask him what was going on that night, but it wasn't his business to pry into. Still, as he looked at that pretty face, he wanted to know more about him. He wanted to know how he got that scar on his cheek, what he liked to have for breakfast in the mornings, what address that guy he was with in club lived at so he could go and beat him up, what side of the bed he liked to sleep…on—WHOA!
“Um, well I've got to get things organised for my class, would you mind rounding them all up from the common room and getting them to class for me?” he smiled a little ineptly.
“Sure thing.” Sano said, getting up from the chair before he got carried away in his day dreams.
As he walked to the door however, he glanced back. He watched his beautiful teacher for a moment, looking busy with papers, a slight frown to his eyes as he tried to remember where he had put the new assignment for his next lecture. The warm, early autumn breeze softly floated through the open window, ruffling the ends of his tied back hair, making him brush a strand of it out his eyes. The way he was sitting directly in front the window made the golden sunlight filtering through leave rays of light around his frame, Kenshin completely unaware that he looked like someone that had come out of a dream.
God he looked gorgeous.
“Is something the matter Sanosuke?” came the question from a curiously blinking Kenshin, as Sano realised he was suddenly staring straight back at him.
“Ohhherr…” he stuttered, suddenly blushing at beginning caught out, “Yeah…how old are you?”
Kenshin's eyes went wide for a moment at the abrupt form of the question, but he soon smiled again. Sanosuke was obviously just a very straightforward and direct person. “I'm 25.”
“25?!” Sano exclaimed loudly, causing a small “Oro!” to escape the sudden surprised Kenshin. Sano stared at him with wide eyes, “Really?” he said, a little gob smacked. So much for his gifted 18 year old theory.
Kenshin smiled again, “I get that a lot too.”
------
And so, the first day of Sanosuke's strange new college life began. Most of the students stayed on campus, but he lived in a tiny flat on the outskirts of town. His parents divorced when he was a kid and in exchange for his mother raising him, his father was to pay any bills needed for his education, which included accommodation. He needed to work to live though, which is why he had the part time evening job at Heaven. That always sounded so strange saying that. “Where do you work?” “I work in Heaven.” That always left people with a bewildered expression on their faces telling them that.
Sano wandered into the lunch hall at 12pm after spending the whole morning being introduced to various people, filling in forms, getting lost around the massive building, and eventually joining in for half a lesson at 11.15. He was looking forward to the lesson after lunch however, because that would be his first Ancient Japanese History lesson with his favourite redhead, and had decided then and there he was very lucky to have chosen that subject as one of his college subjects, form teacher and a class teacher, he'd get to see as much of him as he could. As Sano stood in the lunch line, his left hand shoved in his pocket, the other holding a tray at his side, he smirked to himself.
Man, he'd really gotten smitten over this guy.
“Oh great, you're not still here are you?”
Sano turned to his right to see a boy standing next to him with a familiar spiky haired head glaring up at him, “Oh it's you,” Sano said calmly, “Yahiko wasn't it? Sorry about the punch earlier.”
“Don't act so casual with me!!” the younger boy shouted angrily, a nice purple bruise having formed around his left cheek, “And that punch was nothing! I barely even felt it!”
“Yahiko stop showing off, you were out cold for two hours!”
Yahiko flinched and swiftly turned his glare to face his best friend, although sometimes he wondered why he put the word `best' in front of it.
“Whose side are you on Kaoru?!”
Ignoring Yahiko and pushing past him, flickering the large indigo ribbon in her hair in his face, Kaoru stood next to Sano, holding out her hand, “Hi there! Sorry about earlier, Yahiko didn't want to go back to college today and he was trying to escape. I'm Kaoru Kamiya, nice to meet you!” she smiled.
Sano nodded back at her, shaking her hand, “Sanosuke Sagara.”
“What class are you in?”
“Ke- Mr Himura's.”
Kaoru grinned happily, “Oh you're in our class then!” she clasped her hands together and you could almost see the love hearts floating about her head, “Have you meet Kenshin yet? Don't you think he's just wonderful?”
Sano stared at her, “Kenshin? A bit relaxed isn't it?”
“He doesn't like us calling him Mr Himura.” Yahiko joined in, “So everyone just calls him Kenshin. He's a cool teacher, I had him last year in Upper Sixth.”
“Oh.” So he got to call him Kenshin did he? Good, because he was bound to slip up and call him that anyway. Sano suddenly frowned, “Wait a minute, did you say you were in Upper Sixth last year?”
“Yeah that's right.”
“Despite how he might look,” Kaoru said, “Yahiko is actually really bright and was brought up a year, skipping his first year of college.”
“Yeah,” Yahiko smirked, crossing his arms, “so you gotta do what I tell ya cos I'm obviously better than you.”
Before Sano could retort back to that however, a cheerful voice rang out behind them, “Now now Yahiko, didn't Mr Shinomori say something about getting an ego?”
The three of them turned to see Kenshin standing behind them, another smile on his face as he held onto a tray of food. Sano almost felt like laughing, if it wasn't for the fact he knew he was a teacher, Kenshin looked exactly like a regular student, the several-sizes-too-big burgundy coloured jumper he was wearing falling half way over his hands.
“Oh yeah, he did.” Yahiko laughed embarrassingly, rubbing the back of his head.
Kenshin nodded at them politely, but when his eyes fell on Sano, a small smile reached his lips as well. Turning away to head back to his office to eat his lunch, Kaoru suddenly seemed to spring into life.
“Oh Kenshin! Can we sit with you during lunch today again?” shouted Kaoru's hopeful voice after him.
Kenshin stopped and looked over his shoulder, “I'm sorry Miss Kaoru, but I have some work to be doing this lunchtime, that I do.”
Her face fell, “Oh…ok then.”
As he wandered off out of sight through the crowds of other students, Sano turned to Yahiko, “You have lunch with him too?” he asked surprised.
“He usually sits with the students during lunch, I don't think the other teachers like him too much cos he's so laid back with us.”
Kaoru sighed deeply, a love-struck look on her face as she stared into the direction he'd long since disappeared from.
Sano stared down at her, “….well it's obvious who you have a crush on.” he stated blankly, waving a hand in front of her large admiring eyes, admitting to himself though if it wasn't for the fact they were in a crowed lunch hall he would have been doing the exact same thing.
“Her and the other half of the female population.” Yahiko said quietly.
“Why half?” Sano inquired, as a bored looking man the other side of the canteen filled up several bowls of rice for them.
“Cos the girls who don't like Kenshin all go for Aoshi Shinomori. He's the English Language teacher. Oh yeah, and a word of warning,” Yahiko added, taking three apples from one of the fruit bowls, “When you meet a girl called Misao, don't mention him in front of her.”
“Why not?”
“Cos she'll beat you up for mentioning him without her permission. She's scarily obsessed with him. She even failed last year on purpose so she could repeat it again just to be near him, she's completely insane!”
“She also happens to be our friend so stop bad mouthing her!” Kaoru demanded, who had finally snapped out of her day dream of Kenshin and returned to reality.
Sano closed his eyes for a moment to try and remember this, “So lemme get this straight, you were brought up a year, this Misao girl was brought down a year, and youuu…” he said, motioning towards Kaoru, who opened her mouth to answer but Yahiko got there first.
“She's just ugly!”
“WHAT DID YOU SAY!?”
Sano glared at them once again as they began to tear at each other, oblivious to the people around them telling them to be careful, just as they knocked someone food tray out their hands.
What a weird bunch of friends.
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Sanosuke had ended up sitting with these two during lunch, after pouring a glass of water over Yahiko's head to calm him down. He didn't know anyone else here, so he might as well stick with them for now.
Having grabbed another toothpick, milling it over between his teeth, Sano headed back towards the common room to hang out in until Kenshin's lesson after lunch. Sano found himself smiling once again at the thought of his little teacher, and almost forgot to stop when a group of students appeared round a corner in front of him. Moving out the way before turning down that same corridor, Sano suddenly choked on his toothpick before bringing his hand to his mouth to take it out quickly, as he stared down at the man he'd just been day dreaming about.
“Kenshin!” he exclaimed, who he'd nearly ran into, “Sorry I didn't see…” Sano trailed off as he looked down at him. His eyes weren't the same happy and innocent eyes they were just now, they were narrow, staring at the floor to one side avoiding eye contact.
“Hello Sanosuke.” He said bluntly, before moving to one side and continuing walking.
Sano turned around and watched him go, holding some books to his chest as he hurriedly headed off down the corridor. “What was that?” he asked himself, concerned for the lack of happiness that usually seemed to follow him.
Frowning but not quite knowing what he could do, he decided he'd see if he could do anything later for him, and turned back around continue to the common room. He had only taken three steps though before he stopped, quickly ducked behind an open door, and peered cautiously round the side.
Out of Kenshin's office, closing the door behind him as he leant back against it, stood a certain man he couldn't believe was actually here. He stood there for a minute, before a sickening smile reached his lips, and he turned down the opposite direction to Kenshin. As he disappeared, Sanosuke found his fists clenching in anger. What was he doing here? What was he doing in Kenshin's office? Kenshin had gone there to work during lunch, he was fine then but just now he looked so upset about something. The sickening smile on that guys face, the distressed one on Kenshin's…..what was he…
…What is Saito doing here?
-----
Sanosuke kept a close eye on Kenshin after that. In his lesson after lunch Kenshin was back smiling again, but these smiles didn't reach his eyes like the ones he'd seen this morning. After that he didn't see him for the rest of the day, but he couldn't pay attention to any other classes. All he could see was Kenshin's smiling face, then the panicked one he had witnessed just before he saw Saito. Who was this guy? And what was he doing wandering around the college? If he found out he was a teacher here, then he prayed for the guys own health he didn't have him in any classes. He was dressed fairly teacherish, a plain black suit, a strict teacher. But after memorising his name he would have thought he would have spotted it in the list of teachers he'd been given this morning on who teaches what and where.
Sano pondered this as he walked towards the main doors heading home at the end of the day. Most other students were heading up to their rooms, while others clambered into their cars to head to their shared houses for the night. Sano was lucky to live alone, he didn't do sharing, he liked his privacy too much. It was hardly a big place, in fact it was more like a bedsit, but it suited him just fine. It was about a 40 minute walk to get back, so walking through the half empty car park, he headed on back home.
“Would you like a lift home?”
Pausing, Sano looked back to his left to the little red Honda Civic he's just passed to see the drivers window rolled down. There looking up at him was Kenshin, yet another smile on his face, but this close up, Sano could see a sadness in his eyes. It was a silent plee for someone to keep him company, and Sano wondered if he had been waiting for him. He hadn't seen him come out in front of him, which meant had he really just been sitting there? The look in his eyes told Sano that something was wrong, but he didn't want to tell him, just that he needed someone for a little while.
“Thanks.” he replied, and to see the true smile that reached Kenshin's eyes at that reply was worth it itself. Sano wandered round the other side of the car, opening the door and sitting down inside. When he actually shut the door however, his hand stayed on the handle as he suddenly realised what kind of situation he'd just put himself in.
He'd just got in Kenshin's car….alone…again…and right next to each other.
Gulping, he turned his head to see Kenshin staring at him with that wistful expression again, and just as before, he quickly looked away, making himself look busy putting the keys in the ignition as if he hadn't been doing anything.
Sano let out a quiet puff of air as he stared out the front windscreen, the engine starting up. Walking it may be 40 minutes, but the 10 minutes in the car would be the longest 10 minutes of his life.
--------
Actually, make that 20 minutes.
Damn traffic….can't they see I'm nervous enough as it is! Sano cursed at the amount of cars on the street that was blocking his way home.
He was being torn between two different feelings sitting alone with Kenshin in his car. First of all, he was aa nervous as hell being so close to him. He'd decided he agreed with his earlier thought when he was talking with Kenshin in his office that yes, he did have a crush on him…a very, very…very big crush on him, and being this close was driving him nuts! The second feeling however, was still concentrating on how sad Kenshin had looked earlier, still wondering what was going on. As he peered across at Kenshin, who was sitting there leaning one arm on the crook of the window looking entirely bored as he waited for the traffic to move, Sano wondered if now would be the best time to ask him what was going on in the club that night. They weren't going anywhere with this traffic, so he couldn't escape if he asked.
“Er…Kenshin?”
Kenshin looked up from leaning on the window, “Yes?”
“I know it's…none of my business…” Sano began, not entirely sure how he was going to phrase this, “…but I was just wonderi—“
“Ah it's moving!” Kenshin suddenly exclaimed, as the cars around them seemed to disappear down the road, and they started on the last bit of their journey again.
The moment had come and gone, and Sano resorted back to staring out the window. He was kinda glad they'd got going again, he suddenly felt rude for even thinking of interfering.
It was only a few more minutes, and as Sano directed him down various little streets, they came to the tall row of apartments that housed Sanosuke's home. Kenshin pulled up just outside and switched off the engine, the low rumble coming to a stop and silence filling the air again.
“Which one is yours?” Kenshin asked, leaning forward to get a better look out the windscreen.
“The top one, it's got a good view over Tokyo but…it is kinda small.”
The street itself wasn't that good, piles of rubbish dotted about the pavements, water drains that desperately needed draining, and graffiti on every wall you could possibly see. The large building where Sano's own apartment was in was very dull, gravel grey walls and a broken glass door.
Kenshin looked worried.
Sano noticed this and laughed, “Oh don't worry, it's better than it looks trust me!”
Kenshin looked at him, but the smile on his face said it was alright, so Kenshin smiled back. Sano suddenly felt rooted to his seat. They were facing each other in a very small space, and as the two of them realised how close they were, both looked away at the same time.
“Well, err…thanks for the lift! It's real nice of ya.” Sanosuke said, nervousness obvious on his face.
“You're welcome.”
Grabbing his rucksack he kept his college things in from by his feet and opening the car door, Sano climbed out and turned back around, leaning down slightly so he could see inside the car, “If you follow the road out you shou—“
Sano's eye's went wide and he froze.
Kenshin was kissing him!!
He was too stunned to move a single muscle, let alone kiss him back, but his eyes were wide and staring at the now blurry face so close to his. Kenshin had leant across the passenger seat to get close enough, and now his eyes were closed, a faint blush on his cheeks as he kept his lips pressed against Sanosuke's for just a little bit longer. Sano's heart beat loudly against his chest…Kenshin was…Kenshin was….
He felt faint.
Kenshin's lips were soft and warm against his own, but before his brain could really get in to the situation, Kenshin pulled away, facing back out the windscreen so as not to look at him in the eye. Sano stayed leaned over for a minute in total shock, before moving slowly to stand up straight, eyes just as wide as they had been before.
Kenshin smiled shyly, that blush even redder than it had been just now, “That's a proper thank you for the other night.” He said gently, and without another word, he leant back over to shut the passenger door, started up the engine, and drove down the disheveled street and out of sight.
A few moments later and Sano found he could move his body again, his breath having caught in his throat, and the deepest blush he'd ever had on his cheeks. Breathing in short, sharp breaths as his heart rate began to return to normal, he slowly raised a finger to his lips, wanting to feel more of what he'd just been given, and unbelieving it had just happened. Slowly lowering his arm again, he stared out into the street, eyes not looking at anything but the image of Kenshin's blushing face burned into his mind.
“……I need a cold shower.”
To Be Continued…
AN: This does get darker, honestly! Once you find out what Saito's up too, Kenshin goes through a bit of…R rated stuff ;). We're going through the fluffy stage at the moment as I get their relationship going (slowly as it's turning out), darker bits to come, but a lot of romance!! :) I can't write too much angst, I get too emotional and depressed for days, seriously, but there is Sano and Kenshin R rated stuff to come too….hehe…