het_reccers | AU challenge rec: Frozen Moonlight by JaneDrew

Fandom Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: Kaoru Kamiya/Himura Kenshin (...I hope. I had to google to find out his full name)
Fic Title: Frozen Moonlight
Author: JaneDrew
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2247580/1/
Rating/Warning(s): T
Genre: Supernatural/Romance
WIP?: Looks to be abandoned, unfortunately.

Why This Must Be Read: I haven't seen the source material PLUS it's a high school AU, so take this with a pinch of salt since I can't vouch for characterization, but this fic is delightful. Yes, it's a shame it's not complete, but at 200,000+ words, there's a lot here to enjoy.

I just love the fact that Kaoru is so capable and resourceful- she's not a damsel in distress; when she's put in danger, she uses her brain and fights back. And even though she's attracted to Kenshin, the fact she witnesses him having (apparently?) killed a whole bunch of students is a major problem for her. None of this wishy-washy 'but he's hot, so it's okay' business, she's constantly scheming to try and thwart him (even as she finds him annoyingly charming, the jerk).

It's everything I've ever wanted from an ordinary girl/dangerous supernatural dude pairing; so many of them pay lip service to the fact that the guy is bad news and has the girl handwave whatever crimes he commits around her, and it makes me keel over with joy that Kaoru stubbornly refuses to justify away his actions because he's flirting with her. While she does warm up to him gradually, it's reluctantly and while keeping in mind what she knows of him.

Also, the story is HILARIOUS. I'm frequently laughing out loud at her snarky comments and witty perspective on things, it's just so much fun to read!

The fact that she was able to sit calmly grading exams and half-watching a movie while Kenshin was in the room was something else that made Kaoru scowl. Shouldn't the hairs on the back of her neck be standing up, or something like that? The atmosphere of the room, with Sano and Kenshin and Chinese food and a movie was oddly like hanging out with friends in college.

Momentarily distracted by the heroine's long, involved speechifying, Kaoru looked up and gave a disapproving snort, "Brainless dingbat. Gets herself all geared up to kill the villain who's responsible for all the evils plaguing her ancestral, blah, blah, blah, and now she's spending so long cataloging every wrong ever done to her that he's going to be able to grab the –see, see; I told you! If she's going to stab him, she shouldn't TELL him about it, she should just get it over with and kill him and not waste...er..."

Suddenly remembering who half of her audience was, Kaoru trailed off into a horribly uncomfortable silence.

At least it was horribly uncomfortable for her. Sano, of course, was clueless, and Kenshin... well, she really didn't want to turn around to see Kenshin's expression. She would rather have faced theft, slander, and hats made out of assorted dead animals.

"That," Kenshin remarked after a few seconds where Kaoru was hoping the floor would swallow her, preferably along with the exams so that she would have something amusing to read while she languished in Hell, "is remarkably clear-headed and practical advice. It's exactly the sort of situation where people often waste time talking too much instead of acting."

The strangled noise Kaoru managed to get her throat to produce in response was vaguely affirmative. Well, at least she thought it was.

She really needed a glass of water. Either to drink or to throw at herself; she hadn't decided just yet.

Out in the kitchen, Kaoru settled on drinking the water. And trying to figure out a way to unravel the tangle her thoughts seemed to be in.

On the one hand, she really didn't regret what she'd done, given the circumstances and... and the other circumstances. On the other hand, making comments about spontaneously stabbing people in front of someone she'd...well, not spontaneously, but definitely without announcing it in advance or giving him any kind of warning, which was good, because if he'd had warning, well, that wouldn't have worked out well, now would it?..but referring to it that way made it seem...

She realized suddenly that she had the same uncomfortable feeling she'd always gotten when she was visiting her grandparents for one of their formal holiday dinners and found herself using the wrong fork. Like there was some kind of obscure etiquette about talking about certain subjects with demons you'd caused to inconveniently die, even if they seemed to have gotten over it in the meantime.

All at once, she was incredibly annoyed with herself. 'This... of all the ridiculous... I'm worrying about etiquette? That insufferable, annoying, probably fanged, nuisance is out there making himself comfortable on my couch after making himself comfortable bothering me all week, and I'm worried that Miss Manners is going to send the Politeness Police after me? I really do need to throw a glass of water in my face...'