Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Heaven In Your Arms ❯ Ex-Boyfriend ( Chapter 10 )

AN: Well, it took long enough, but I’m back up and running with a brand new computer so it’s back to my fic! Sorry for the long wait, but here’s the next chapter for you. :) Chapter 10: Ex- Boyfriend

Sano sat leaning against the pillows propped up against the metal bars at the back of Kenshin’s bed, Kenshin sitting between his legs leaning back on his chest, snuggled up together under the bedcovers. It certainly hadn’t taken a lot of convincing from Sano for Kenshin to stay home today, and as Sano had his arms wrapped around him, eyes closed resting his chin on top of Kenshin’s head, Sano had no intention of going anywhere today.

“What are you going to do about your apartment?” Kenshin asked into the quiet air.

“Not much I can do.” Sano replied, “My dad pays the money for that place straight into my bank account, so he doesn’t have to know what happened. I can use that money to find somewhere else I guess.” He sighed deliberately heavily, opening one eye and peering down at Kenshin hoping he would get the hint.

Kenshin smiled, having taken the hint, and turned round slightly to kiss him gently, “Yes, you can stay here if you want.” He said, Sano’s returning grin making Kenshin laugh.

It was then the doorbell rang throughout the apartment, so prying Sano’s arms from around him and standing up, quickly throwing on a spare pair of jeans and loose t-shirt, Kenshin made his way to the front door.

Unlocking it, Kenshin opened it to find an old greying haired man standing the other side, a bright smile lighting up his wrinkled features.

“Ah, would you be Kenshin Himura?”

Kenshin blinked, “Err, yes?”

“Would you have a young man named Sanosuke Sagara here with you at the moment?”

“……yes?” Kenshin replied, wondering where this was going.

“Ah excellent!” the man cheered, reaching into his pocket, “Detective Okina!” he said, bringing out his badge to prove his identity, “Just wondering if I could have a word with the young man about the fire last night? Just the usual questioning, nothing more.”

“Oh! Of course.” Kenshin said, opening the door offering him to come inside.

“Thank you very much!” Okina grinned, taking a step inside.

Kenshin was about to close the door behind him, when it felt like there was someone pressing against it from the outside. Frowning and opening it again to see if something had perhaps got stuck underneath the door, he felt his blood run cold when he saw a certain someone standing there, holding up another badge with the name ‘Detective Seta’ written underneath.

“Hello Kenshin.” The young man said softly, as Kenshin seemed frozen to the ground, looking back into a pair of deep blue eyes he hadn’t looked upon for seven years.

Something very weird was going on. This old man seemed ok, asking him questions, where were you, did you see anything suspicious etc etc, but this other guy, the younger one…why did he keep looking at Kenshin?

Sano sat on the two-seater sofa next to Detective Okina, while Kenshin sat in the small arm chair to his left, all facing inwards towards the low glass table. This Detective Seta was being a little too close for comfort, very casually sitting one of the arm rests next to Kenshin, but Kenshin didn’t look too impressed, trying to press closer to the other side towards Sano. Every now and then Okina would ask Kenshin something, and the thought suddenly crossed Sano’s mind as to how they knew that he was staying here.

Sano tried to pay attention to the aging Detective, but keeping an eye on the seemingly distressed look on Kenshin’s face was beginning to take precedence. The young detective suddenly moved his hand to Kenshin’s shoulder, and before Sano even had a chance to say anything, Kenshin suddenly shot up out of his chair.

“W-would anyone like some tea?” he offered, a forced smile on his lips, and a slight nervousness to his voice.

“Oh yes thank you that would be lovely!” Okina chirped happily, scribbling down some notes in his notebook as he turned back to Sano.

Sano watched Kenshin walk to the kitchen, a frown on his face at this strange behaviour. He was about to turn back to Okina when he did a double take at Seta. Was this guy glaring at him? No…it wasn’t a glare but…it was an inquiring look, as if he was trying to work something out.

Suddenly the young detective stood up, “I’ll just continue the questioning with Mr Himura.” He said as he motioned towards the kitchen.

“Yes yes.” Okina said, waving him off.

Sano watched him walk through the kitchen door, closing it behind him, as Okina continued talking. Sano didn’t like that guy, something was going on, and he didn’t like how Kenshin was reacting.

Kenshin stood with his back to Soujirou at a counter, setting up a tray of tea cups, knowing full well that he was standing behind him. Now they were alone, Soujirou wasn’t entirely sure what to say.

“You look well.” He started, smiling, Kenshin ignoring him and placing the now water filled kettle back down to boil. Soujirou looked at the floor for a moment, biting his bottom lip in thought, before looking back up, “I see you kept the apartment then. I wasn’t sure if you’d still be here. One of the ambulance men said he saw Sanosuke Sagara head off with you, so I thought I’d try here first.”

Kenshin still said nothing, still faced away from him waiting for the water to boil.

Soujirou didn’t know what to say. What was he doing here? What did he expect to happen? For so many years he had stayed away from Kenshin after he told him the truth. He never wanted to see him again, never, not after Kenshin had told him the secret he’d been keeping from him. Yet, a part of him wondered that what Kenshin had told him, if it really was everything? There had to be a reason why he did what he did, and a reason why he stopped as well.

So, Soujirou went through training and applied in the police force, to see if there were any records of what happened. When he was promoted to detective last year, the very first case he was put on was a follow up for a case that was dropped 10 years prior, having no evidence to prove any of the suspected Yakuza to have had any connection with the massacre at Ellisman Mansion. It was brought up again because one of the assassins working for the Kyoto Yakuza, who was known to have been at the mansion that night, had been spotted in Tokyo, an assassin that whenever seen, something was bound to happen, yet every time he would always have an alibi, and once again, no charges could be brought forward.

Saito Hajime was the name of the assassin in question, one of the bodyguards for the Kyoto Boss, but what was a Kyoto assassin doing wandering around Tokyo?

After some research on various people and locations, he’d found a very interesting piece of information about him and the Kyoto Clan…about what they were doing, and had been doing for years, but then….another name cropped up.

Kenshin Himura.

Soujirou remembered when he had found out the ‘real’ truth behind Kenshin. Suddenly, the anger towards him, although still there from hiding this from him, didn’t seem so strong. After years for never wanting to see him again, never wanting to look upon that face full of lies and deceit…Soujirou wanted to apologise.

So, after seven years of being apart, Soujirou stood in Kenshin’s kitchen, wondering what to say, and wondering…

“Is he your boyfriend?”

Kenshin paused for a brief second, before pouring the water out into the cups, steam rising from within.

“What are you doing here Souji?” came Kenshin’s quiet voice, still not turning to face him, and ignoring his question.

A slight spark of happiness shone through on Soujirou’s face at Kenshin’s use of his shortened nickname, the name he always used to call him when they were going out together.

“I…” Then the thought hit him. Kenshin didn’t know that he now knew everything. He thinks he only knows what he told him that night he left. Should he tell him? Or should he stay quiet? “I’m a detective now…I was just put on this case, that’s all.” He tried smiling again, “There was a family that died in that fire, and we…” Should I tell him? “…we think Saito Hajime may have something to do with it.”

Kenshin nearly dropped the kettle he was holding, before stopping himself in time and placing it gently back down. “I don’t know who that is.” Kenshin said, still a quiet voice.

Soujirou thought he might deny knowing him. Kenshin hadn’t told him about Saito, he’s only something he found out about afterwards, so admitting he knew him, would admit his guilt. Not that Soujirou would lock him away now, even if it meant loosing his job, he wouldn’t put Kenshin away for something he couldn’t possibly have done anything about.

There was another awkward silence that echoed between the two of them, and Soujirou could see the tension he was causing Kenshin. Maybe that meant Kenshin still loved him, somewhere inside, and just didn’t want to admit it…or maybe he was just trying to hold back an anger that he didn’t want to release. Perhaps he should start by apologising for that night? The conversation wasn’t going anywhere, so if he just came out and said it, he could see Kenshin’s reaction. Soujirou opened his mouth to start his sentence, when Kenshin got there first.

“Please go…I don’t want to see you.”

Soujirou blinked. That wasn’t angry voice, it was like a lost voice, a voice that held a strain of another emotion, like…like it was difficult for him to speak to him. Was it still love? Or was it because he thought he still hated him? Soujirou sighed. What was he thinking? That if he apologised Kenshin would just fling his arms around him and forgive him? Not a chance. It’s been seven years, seven years Kenshin had thought Soujirou had hated him more than anything else on this planet. There was no way any amount of apologising could make up for that feeling.

Soujirou took another glace at Kenshin, his back covered by his flowing red hair, red hair that Soujirou remembered running his fingers through years ago, a sweet smile on those lips, an adoring gaze in those violet eyes.

“Please go away.”

Kenshin’s voice was almost pleading with him now, and that made Soujirou feel so sad. He’d done this to Kenshin, he’d made him recoil away from him, and there was no way, no way that he would ever be able to feel those arms around him again.

“Alright.” Soujirou said back, almost a whisper, “But…let me just ask you one thing before I go?” Kenshin said nothing. “Have you told him?”

Soujirou waited for the answer, another silence, Kenshin pausing in stirring one of the cups.

“Souji?” Soujirou looked rather surprised when Kenshin started to turn around to face him, but was in for even more of a shock at the look in Kenshin’s eyes. “If you tell him…” Soujirou felt his breath slow, fear at that look, those once wide eyes…narrow….glaring….

“…then I’ll kill you.”

In a typical movie fashion, normally someone would have burst in on them at that point, leaving an unstable air between them, a conversation they couldn’t finish, but this time, there was no one. Soujirou stared back with shocked eyes, upon the eyes that bore daggers into his own. Eyes that he had never seen on Kenshin before, but knew where they had come from. His shocked look faded, and a faint smile broke out on his lips. A sad smile, for Kenshin.

“No you won’t…” Kenshin’s glaring eyes softened, “…not any more.”

Whatever Kenshin was feeling then, seemed to subside. He now stood there, staring back at Soujirou, with an almost sad expression on his face. He turned around again and picked up the tray that held the tea cups, walking past Soujirou. He stopped thought just as he walked past him, and said quietly,

“I don’t know what you are really doing here, that I don’t…but I love Sano now, if I want to tell him anything, then I’ll do it by myself. If you say anything to him…” Kenshin paused. He hated given threats, not now, not any more, but if threatening to kill him wasn’t putting him off, what could he possibly say?

“You can’t do it can you?” Soujirou asked softly, “You can’t back up what you say anymore.”

Kenshin didn’t look at him. Apart from glaring at him, Kenshin avoided eye contact. It was too painful to look at him. He frowned sadly to himself, unable to stand being with him any longer, and opened the door, walking back into his Lounge, a bright smile on his face once again as Okina grinned back at him thanking him for the tea.

Soujirou stayed there for a moment as the door swung shut behind him. Kenshin threatening to kill him? He must love this Sano very much.

Sanosuke Sagara hmm? He thought to himself, Until you find out, you’ll never feel more in love.

So treasure it while you can.

“Alright, what was that?” Sano said suspiciously as Kenshin closed the front door.

Okina had finished his questioning, and he and Soujirou had just left, Okina somewhere along the line managing to take home a small packet of biscuits too.

“What was what?” Kenshin asked, almost too innocently.

“That friction between you and him, that…Detective Seta guy, do you know him or something?” Sano frowned, suddenly feeling very overly protective.

Inside Kenshin was smiling at the look on Sano’s face, frowning, arms crossed, almost sulking and jealous, but on the outside, Kenshin looked away, not really wanting to talk about ‘Detective Seta’.

“Er, no it’s…euh…he…um…” Kenshin stuttered along, Sano’s frown becoming more questioning, before Kenshin smiled in defeat. “Yeah…” he finally gave in, “He’s, I guess you could say my ex-boyfriend.”

Sano blinked, “You have an ex?”

Kenshin chuckled lightly, “I’m 26 years old Sano, of course I have an ex.”

“Oh.” Sano blinked again, he hadn’t expected that, but he smiled back, “So that’s why it felt so awkward.” He said relieved.

Kenshin smiled back too, but if only he knew the half of it. “Yes.”

Sano smirked, “Heh, the guy must have been gutted when you dumped him, I sure would be if I lost you.”

“Umm…actually,” Kenshin said rather awkwardly, “It was him who dumped me.”

Sano almost gawped at him, “That was something I wasn’t expecting to hear.” Sano walked around behind him and wrapped his arms around him, pressing his chest to Kenshin’s back, “What could there possible be to hate about you?” he said, nuzzling against his hair.

Kenshin looked away sadly, before turning around and wrapping his arms around Sano, burying his head under his chin, “Hmm.” Kenshin smiled.

That’s something I’m never going to let you find out.

Being right next to the door, when the doorbell went off again, both Sano and Kenshin jumped in surprise at the loudness of the bell, pulling away from each other and laughing.

“What could they possible want now?” Sano said as Kenshin opened the door.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

“ORO?”

Kenshin stared wide eyed back at his brother and sister, Megumi having been the one to shout out happy birthday at him, while Aoshi seemed to be carrying a bag full of…Sake?

“W-what are you doing here?” Kenshin said, his heart rate still through the roof.

“Ken, is that anyway to talk to your older sister? It’s your birthday, and as you didn’t turn up at college today, 1) I want to know why, and 2) Because I know you won’t tell me we brought lots of alcohol to get you drunk so you’ll end up telling me anyway.”

Kenshin glanced across as Aoshi for help, “Don’t look at me,” he said, “This is entirely her idea.” He said tetchily.

“Umm…well I don’t think you’re going to need to get me drunk to find out why I didn’t come in today, that you won’t.” Kenshin said nervously.

“Oh?” Megumi blinked, “Why’s that?”

Kenshin let the door swing open more to reveal Sano standing behind him, and with the mischievous smile that spread across Megumi’s lip’s, Kenshin knew he was in for a night of a lot more questioning.

To Be Continued…

AN: Out of interest, what do you reviewers think of this: Kenshin and Soujirou….who do you think would be the Seme? ;)