The Middle Man - Chapter 1 -

[Red Ninja]

Standard Disclaimers Apply, waiting giddily for my tax refund, please don't sue.

**Author's Note: This is the revamped version of this story. After much debating I decided I didn't like this setup at all. I have changed it so it alternates between Kenith's (Kenshin) and Karou's (Kari) points of view. I've really never liked stories that do that because I find it highly confusing and sometimes pointless but I can see no other way to do this story so it turns out like I want it. So enjoy!

Denotes /Song Lyrics/

~The Middle Man~
Chapter 1: Padrino

It was move in day at Homer University of Arts and Sciences and here I stand, scared shitless. My name is Kenith Harrison I'm standing outside my future home away from home here at Homer U. I transferred here from this small community art college I went to back home. I had requested a single, but instead I'm in this mess. An apartment with four guys, who I have never met. The university people said I would "mesh" with this group, but I don't feel like "meshing," I feel like peeing my pants. So I'm standing here outside these school owned apartments attempting to haul my shit out of my little Toyota SUV.

Any normal human being would try to find something positive about this situation, but not me. I loathed shit like this. Men and me don't mix for several reasons, which I will now relate to you. A) I am a ballet dancer by profession, a career which makes most men squeamish. B) Most men think I am gay for aforementioned profession, therefore girls want to be my friend and men don't want to touch me with a ten foot pole. C) I am not gay in the slightest and due to previously mentioned items I can't pick up chicks. D) I look gay, I have violet eyes and long red hair, I wear little silver wire rimmed glasses most the time; and I dress cleanly (and stylishly) another "supposed" gay telltale sign. With all this against me anyone can see why I'm so scared I could piss my pants right now.

I'm still outside attempting to haul out my computer box that is much heavier than I recall. I see from the corner of my eye two men about a head taller than me walking towards me.

"Kenith I presume?"

The man speaking is the taller of the two with short brown hair that's flopping and sticking randomly around his head.

"Y-yes but Ken's fine"

"Right-o, I'll get that for ya chief"

He grabs the box with a great amount of ease and starts for the apartment. The man left has shaggy black hair, and piercing green eyes. He takes another large box, with god knows in it and follows the brown haired fellow inside. I grab my duffel bag and some clothes on hangers and hurry up after them. I follow both of them up two flights of stairs to a rather spacious apartment. There's a living room area connected to the kitchen and off of that 4 bedrooms at 2 bathrooms. My two roommates walk into the 2nd room on the left and drop my boxes down in the room.

"This okay Kenny?"

"It's great, thanks....."

"Oh Sam, well actually Samuel but Sam's cool."

I look to the black haired man for his answer as well. He looks at me for a second and then quickly responded.

"Aaron"

"Ed is off in...France?"

"Italy"

"Right Italy, he won't be back 'til next semester, that okay with you Kenny?"

"Just swell"

"Good good, c'mon Aaron, let's get the rest of Kenny's shit."

Over the next half hour or so Aaron, Sam, and I carried boxes and unloaded most the of them into my room. We did this in silence until Sam decided to make conversation.

"So, Kenny you're a ballet dancer, eh?"

"Right"

"Not many men in you're profession, eh?"

"That's a rude question Samuel"

"No it's not Aaron, I was just wonderin"

"There are plenty of men really, just mostly gay men"

"Oh, gay men, you one of them?"

"Samuel, again I believe you're believe you're being rude."

"I'm not man! I'm just wondering!"

"I'm straight."

"See Aaron, he didn't mind did ya Kenny?"

"Not really, no. So what about you two?"

"Me and Aaron aren't gay, we're straighter than..."

"I meant your majors"

"Right Kenny, I knew that, just making a joke is all."

"A bad one"

"Shut-up Aaron, not like you're the life of the party either."

"We're both engineers, Samuel is a Mechanical and I'm Electrical."

"Ahhh"

Oh great, they're really manly men. Just my luck.

"What about Ed?"

"International business, hence the little trip to France."

"Italy"

"Right, Italy"

There was silence once again, much to my joy. I was afraid of the next questions Sam would pull out of his hat. The air remained a tad tense, which Sam immediately noticed, and fixed

"Dinner dudes?"

Aaron merely nodded at the question.

"Sounds good to me"

"We all in favor of Chinese, cause that's what I'm getting"

Aaron just nodded again.

"You Kenny?"

"Chinese is fine."

"How bout me and Aaron go get it and give you some time to unpack here."

"Sounds good"

They left the room and I heard them putting on their shoes and grabbing their keys.
The door opened and they stopped.

"What you want by the way?"

"Vegetable egg foo young"

"Right-o back in a bit"

They closed the door and were gone. I look around at my mountain of boxes and decided the stereo was the first order of business. After a quick hookup I put in some Alkaline Trio and fought off all urges to bust out dancing.

/I drive this late looking for corpses
Dusting for prints/

I was beginning to put clothes away in my closet and was head banging along to the music. I love when you put a CD in and remember how good it is. That's how I was feeling right now, it's like opening a new present at Christmas.

/Maybe someday I'll find me a suspect
that has no alibi/

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, I just had to keep telling myself that, so far things were alright.

/New Year's Eve was as boring as heaven
I watched flies fuck on channel 11/

Right, 'things were gonna be great,' this was my mantra as I hooked up my iMac. My iMac was my child, hence why I called it "My Baby," the thing meant more to me then....then, I dunno, my car. It just meant a lot, it was always my friend regardless of my looks and hobbies (i.e. dancing). It was at this point I really cranked up the music, which gave me the ability to sing along without actually really hearing myself.

/There was no one to kiss
There was nothing to drink
Expect some old rotten milk someone left in the sink/

I was working on hanging one of my posters when I swore I heard someone walking around the apartment.

/But at the right place
At the right time/

I then swore I heard a female voice belting out the words along with me. I turned to see one of the most beautiful...no THE most beautiful women I had ever seen.

"Alkaline Trio, huh?"

I was lost for words, I had no idea what the hell to say to her, 'God you're beautiful, how about you and I make beautiful love right here on the floor?' NO NO NO! Okay just skip the foreplay....'Let's fucking fuck, right here, right fucking now' SHIT MAN! I'm dead!

/I don't have to quit doing fucked up shit/

"I wish Sam would've told me the new roomie was so cute, I would have cleaned myself up."

Oh God, I'm blushing, NO I'm a damned tomato! And with that I fell backwards off my desk and onto the floor.

/For anyone but me your private eye/



**Wrap-up Notes: Yeah, I made Kenshin horny, so what? He's a 21 year old male, what do you expect? Kenshin is also taller as well and without his trademark scar. Hopefully this isn't too hard to read, the back and forth dialouge may take a bit to get used to.

[TigerQueen]

aww...poor "Kenny"...my cousin's also a straight ballet dancer -- he gets a lot of grief. I feel for the boy...Somehow, though, the profession seems perfect for Kenshin. He's so artistic in his fighting...well, they ALL are in anime...but you get the point.

Yummy! Can't wait for the next chapter! -- TQ

[Gundam Girl]

Hey, great fic! Ballet, awesome!!! (Reminds me of Kirsten Elizabeth's To Dance Beneath A Diamon Sky - 1xR, mind you - and damn, that was great!) I'm so happy to find another ballet-dancing fic -- and RoKen, no less! I look forward to more of this, update soon please!

-GG

[Numena]

Oh bother!
You see, I had sworn to myself that I wouldn't start reading any new anime fanfiction..I would just stick to the one's I'm already addicted to, and not add anymore...which lasted until I sorta kinda stumbled into the RK forum (I love Kenshin!!) and now I've found this perfectly wonderful fic, and I'm addicted! Okay, whining aside..this was great! I agree with everyone else, I love that Kenshin's a dancer! (and that Alkaline Trio was in there!) I can't wait to read more! I'm hooked! Please, oh please update soon!

[Red Ninja]

Ahhh Numena you're such a sweetie!! Thanks for the review, I will update soon!!! I promise!!!

[Stella]

I'm so glad we have an RK forum here - all these new fics ^_^

Seems like this will be fun - poor Kenshin *giggles* What a way to meet the girl O.o

I think I'm all caught up now - I hope you'll update soon (can't have me being caught up and all, it would throw the universe into turmoil)

Stella

[Red Ninja]

Stellaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

I promise to update!!

Thanky for all the lovely reviews they make my poor sucky stuck in bio minimester with dumbass girl day!!!