Chapter 15.a

Misao watched Remy closely with narrowed eyes.  He in turn stared at her in an innocently blank expression.  The raven haired woman frowned and bit her lip.  The moment was drawn out to seem longer.  The sound of the clock’s ticking was echoing in their ears.  Finally, it happened.

“Four of a kind – all kings!” Misao cried out in triumph as she set her set of cards down.  “Try to beat that, kiddo.”

Remy blinked his blue eyes at his cards and cocked his head, then looked up at Misao.  He smiled at her and she lost the proud look she had.  “Royal flush,” he stated and put down his set, leaving him with only one card left.  There it was – a ten, jack, queen, king and ace all in a row… and all diamonds – the highest cards of the deck.  Misao’s jaw dropped.

“You did not just beat me for the third time,” she said in disbelief as she watched him lay down the last card he had – a lame three of spades.  “That’s crazy.  Shinji rarenai!  Again, Remy; you were cheating!  Here, let me shuffle the cards!”

The boy just giggled and handed over the pile he was fixing up.  Ever since Misao stopped being a maid and returned to being his aunt, she had become liberal with her time and spent a lot of it playing with Remy or helping Chloe with her studies (“We Shinomori’s are a lot smarter than the average Americans our age since we finish schooling – all three levels – when we’re twenty or twenty-one at the most,” the raven-haired spunky woman had boasted just a few days before.).  It was a lot more fun, Remy thought.  Even Lex made it a point to take some time out of his schedule to goof off with the child.

Chloe suddenly stumbled into the room causing Remy to start.  “Oh my; gosh, oh crap,” she groaned, hopping on one foot and trying to put on her shoe.  “I’m going to be so late!  My teachers are going to kill me!  Damn it, where are my notes?!”

“There,” Misao said, pointing at the table top.  The papers were scattered across it in a disorderly fashion.  She scampered towards it and shuffled them together, not caring that they weren’t organized.  “What time’s your class?”

“Nine!  And it’s already eight-fifteen!  I’m so screwed!  And I haven’t had my coffee yet!” the blonde let out a scream of exasperation.  “Look what you did!  You delayed me!  Now I have less than forty five minutes left!  Don’t talk to me!  I need to go!  Bye Remy!  See you later!”  Before anyone could say anything in return she rushed out of the bedroom.  The two could hear her heavy steps down the stairs.

On the first floor, Chloe rummaged through her bag before she remembered she didn’t have her car anymore.  Feeling even more panicked than ever, she stopped and screamed, “Lex!”

She waited impatiently for him to answer her call.  The man, in an annoyingly leisurely manner, came around the corner with his suitcase in his grasp from the direction of his office with a curious, yet amused look on his face.  “What’s the matter, Chloe?”

“I need to get to class and I’ll be late but I don’t have a car!” she cried out, biting her lip and looking at him worriedly.  She knew it was uncharacteristic of her to be complaining in such a way, but she was beyond caring at that point.

“Well, I have time to spare before my business meeting,” he replied, glancing down at his watch.  “I could bring you to Met U.  It is on the way, so I might as well drop you off.”

She let out a squeal of joy and threw her arms around him, impulsively giving him a smacking kiss on the cheek.  “Thank you, thank you!” she cried before she let go of him and ran towards the door checking the time as she did.  “Given your usual speeding habits, I think I’ll actually make it in time and not get in trouble!”

Lex was slightly stunned (but more pleased) by her reaction to his offer and walked in the direction that she went, an arrogant smirk on his face.  Chloe was later delighted by his choice of transportation: the sleek Ferrari, shiny and black.  As he drove, he noted she kept glancing at her watch and nodding to herself as way of assuring that she would make it.  Once they stopped at the front of Met U, Chloe jumped out, glancing back and waving with a big smile on her face, before she proceeded into the building.  Lex waited until she was inside before he drove off.

It was only later when Chloe was in the middle of the lesson that she realized LuthorCorp was on the other side of the city.

~~ o0o ~~

She was done with her classes and had just spoken with Pete.  She didn’t tell him about the previous few days, knowing exactly how he would react and she didn’t need someone breathing down her back.  She was at least comforted by the fact that she still had the entire Shinomori family to help her.  They had called the morning after the incident to see how they were all holding up and almost naturally, they all began to converse with her – taking turns on the phone until finally Aoshi got back on the line (Kaoru and Yahiko were busy at the time bickering and from the sound of it, things were getting physical) and asked for Misao.

Most of all, however, she was comforted by the presence of Remy and Lex alike.  Remy made it a point to try to keep her mind off of that night and all the fears she was harbouring inside her by always engaging her in some kind of childish game.  It wasn’t a surprise that the boy would do such a thing since he, too, was shocked by the events that came to pass in the Shinomori household.  It was Lex’s role in her feeling assured that was unexpected.  She always thought that they would stay in a state of dislike towards each other, but during those few weeks, she found herself drawn more and more to him.  After that night in the kitchen, she found herself asking more and more for his opinions of things, finding reasons to bother him when she wasn’t busy doing something.

As she walked down the hallway to the main entrance, her mind drifted back to the night before.  She had just finished with her work and didn’t find the need to sleep as of yet.  Remy was already deep in slumber and Misao had gone to meet with Aoshi.  She had the urge to talk to someone so she had made her way to the library – where Lex usually was late in the evening – and poked her head inside the room.  Just as she suspected, he was seated in the comfort of one of the plush couches, looking over a few files.

He had looked at her and given her a little smile, a silent invitation for her to take a book and sit down in his company.  And she did exactly that, going over to on of the shelves and taking a book that looked interesting and went over to sit in the seat across from him.  They had stayed in each other’s presence, immersed in whatever they were doing, yet acutely aware of each other.  Even if he didn’t know it, she was glad of his constant, often silent companionship.  At times, she had found herself yearning to be in his embrace just for the feeling of consolation that she had found the two prior times she had been in his arms.

Chloe almost sighed out loud in that empty corridor in Met. U had she not seen the average-height man with striking red tresses that was tied up in a high ponytail.  His sudden appearance had her stopping in her tracks.  When he looked at her she was caught off-guard by the shocking purple colour of his kind eyes.

“Konnichiwa, Sullivan-san,” he greeted warmly, strolling towards her happily.

The blonde woman frowned and stepped away from him.  “How do you know my name?  Who are you?  What do you want?”  With each question she became more fearful.  The man may have looked pleasant but Chloe knew better than to trust merely appearances.

The man chuckled amusedly.  “It’s okay,” he assured her, stopping just a few feet away from her.  “My name is Himura Kenshin.  I’m Shinomori Aoshi’s business partner and close friend.”

Chloe blinked.  “You are?”

“Yeah…” he trailed off and looked down at himself.  He was would have been a monochrome figure – what with the sleek black trench coat over his black slacks and shirt had it not been for his hair and eyes.  “I don’t really fit the part of your usual businessman, ne?”

It was true.  He did look quite harmless and puny – he didn’t look like he was built for anything that was physically strenuous or capable of being a corporate monster like Aoshi.  He was a lot shorter than Aoshi and he didn’t look as formidable – what with that open expression on his face that made him look so… adorable.  She had a sudden urge to go over and pinch his cheeks.  She shook her head, remembering that this was a grown man – over twenty – she was looking at not a ten-year-old.

“Well, you look too nice is all; what with all your cheerfulness.  It’s uncharacteristic of your role,” she replied.  “I mean, Aoshi always looks so straight-faced, even when he’s amused.”

“Yes, I understand what you’re talking about.”  The red-haired man took a step closer with a chuckle, feeling it was safe to do so without scaring her off.  “I hope I didn’t startle you much.”

She shrugged.  “I’ve had the case of the creeps for while now.  I’m sure you’ve heard what happened when Remy and I went over to his house.”  A nod in came in reply.  “Yeah, so… that aside, may I ask what you’re doing around here?  Given that you’re a partner of Aoshi, I doubt this is a favourite hang-out of yours.”

“I just wanted to know who the woman Aoshi’s been talking about is and so I came over to see.”  The smile on Kenshin’s face grew.  “I can see why he is so infatuated with you.”

Chloe blushed profusely and Kenshin laughed.  “Anyway, I was also told that he wanted you to be safe.  I’ve basically been looking out for you when you have been out of the Luthor household.”

She raised a brow.  “You know, I should feel weirded out by that since I’ve been coming here for the past few days… you’re quite the stealthy person.  I never would have guessed you had it in you.”

“That’s always a good thing; looking inconspicuous or incapable.”

Chloe was going to ask to what extent he followed her when someone’s annoyed voice cut in.

“Oy, Kenshin!” someone yelled rudely from behind him.

She focused her eyes at the one who barged in and felt her mouth go dry.  How could there be so many hot men that she hadn’t met yet in Metropolis?  The man was tall and tan and young and handsome.  There was something devilishly charming about him even with the irritated look on his face as he hurried closer.  “Let’s go already!  What the hell’s – oh, hello there, Miss,” he drawled, with a sudden change in his demeanour.  He slowed down and practically sauntered the rest of the way there with a lopsided smile on his face.

Up close he looked even more dashing.  His brown hair was spiked up and he wore a red bandana around his forehead.  His eyes a deep chocolate brown were so sigh-worthy she almost succumbed to doing it then.  The thing that made her want to just melt was his broad shoulders and wondrous height – maybe just a bit taller than Aoshi himself.  She felt like she could be enveloped by him completely and the way that he was looking at her at that moment, it seemed he was thinking something similar to her.

“Hi,” she greeted, smiling broadly as she tipped her head back to look straight at him.

“Chloe Sullivan, meet another friend of mine, Sagara Sanosuke.”  Kenshin had an admonishing look on his face as he glanced at his companion.

“You can just call me Sano,” the man said, folding his arms over his chest.  The shirt he was wearing was white and absolutely unbuttoned, showing off the firm muscles of his abdomen.  Chloe felt her mouth water.  “Nice to meet‎’ya, Chloe.”

He stuck out a hand for her to shake, which, with no hesitation, she took.  Her grin didn’t falter when at the initial touch there was no spark.  Inwardly, she slapped herself.  Hello, major hottie in front of you and not even a little reaction!  What, is he only eye-candy?  He can’t be a knight in shining armour character who will sweep me off my feet?

“Nice to meet you, too, Sano.” Saying his name was awkward, but something she was sure she would get used to saying over time.  She was very sure that she would be seeing a lot more of this guy.

“Well, now that the niceties are over,” Kenshin cut in swiftly with a cheery disposition and a final clap of his hands, “Why don’t we all head out and –”

“Chloe,” another man said.

She knew who’s voice that was as it was tattooed on her mind permanently; the low timbre that played with the syllables of her name making it sound more exotic than common; that wondrously seductive, sexy – “Lex, hey,” she called out, letting go of Sano’s hand and waving at him.

Lex didn’t look pleased.  His face was set in a hard look as he regarded both men in her company.  There was a tight, business-like smirk upon his face, telling Chloe that he was irritated.  For what reasons she wasn’t quite sure but she was hoping that it was for the fact that he was jealous… wishful thinking, Chloe Sullivan, she told herself sighing inaudibly.

“So, are you going to introduce me to your new friends?”  The young Luthor’s grey eyes were steely beneath the aloof cover.

Kenshin could obviously tell exactly what the man was feeling and held out a hand to shake.  “Himura Kenshin, and this is Sagara Sanosuke,” he replied quickly, a smile on his lips.

“Himura… so you’re the silent partner of Shinomori Aoshi,” Lex said, taking the hand in a firm grip.  “I always wondered what you would be like.”

“I don’t look like much, huh?” the red-haired one joked.  “I get that all the time, the whole ‘puny weakling’ side-comments.  Either that or people mistake me for a woman.”

“I think it’s the hair,” Sano pitched in, his lips in a wide grin.  “It’s all long and shit; and it’s shiny too.  It’s no wonder they think you’re female.”

Chloe couldn’t help but snort in amusement at that, although she tried to hide it behind a cough.  The two broke the handshake and Lex’s eyes focused on Chloe as he went over to her side and put an arm around her shoulder as he turned back to the two.  “Well, it was nice to meet your acquaintance.  We really must go now.  Remy’s is getting restless at home and I think he wants to see you.”  Just as swiftly as swiftly as he had come, the Lex and Chloe walked away from the two other men leaving the blonde to shout a good-bye.

“Lex, you can let go of me now,” Chloe muttered once the two were out of their view.  “What’s up with you acting all funky anyway?”

“I don’t trust anyone who is associated with Shinomori,” he answered curtly, not removing his possessive hold on her.

Sure what he said was half a lie, but it was unusual for a Luthor to confess that what he did was an act of jealousy.  When they were finally at his Ferrari and she was safely inside, he let go of her and hurried around to the other side so they could get home – and as far away from the two men as possible.

~~ o0o ~~

“So that’s Chloe Sullivan, eh?” Sano murmured, a mischievous grin on his face as they walked back to the two motorcycles they arrived on.

“I’d say that went pretty well, don’t you?” Kenshin said in his usual upbeat manner.

“Yeah, it did,” his companion agreed, shaking his head.  “I swear, Luthor is so predictable.  No wonder stony-face Aoshi was so sure of himself.  Do you think he’d want an update on the situation?”

“No, he can wait a little longer.  If he really wants to know he’ll call.”  As if on cue, his phone rang and the spiky-haired man glanced down at Kenshin, who answered his cell phone.  “Moshi-moshi?  Aa, Aoshi.  Hai, de gozaru.  Iie, everything went perfectly fine.  Aa… hai, ja ne.”

“So was he happy with the news?”  Sano asked as his companion ended the conversation with the man on the other end.

“Well, you know, he doesn’t really like the fact that Chloe liked Luthor of all people, but he wants her to be happy.  She’s not really supposed to be a concern of his, but you know how that bakayarou gets; always wanting to help people.”

“Yeah, sort of like you, ne?”

“We’re not close friends for nothing,” Kenshin pointed out.

“I swear, shishou playing cupid is just hilarious… oy, Ken-san, wouldn’t it be funny if he wore the whole Cupid get-up? You know, bow, arrow and pamper bottoms or something?”

“Aoshi will beat you to a pulp if he ever heard you talking about that,” the red-haired man reminded, climbing onto his sleek, custom-made Harley-Davidson.  “But… yeah, it would be quite hilarious.”  And the two men laughed before they roared off down the road towards Aoshi’s home to hear what (or who) the next plan would involve.