This is the right fic, now guys. Sorry. I posted the wrong fic this morning.

1. The Person at the Broken Door

Zenjirou pulled his car to a stop, feeling it creak and sputter its way up the dirt driveway. He mussed up his mass of brown hair with a sigh. He would have to go to the car shop at some point this week. He gave the hood an affectionate pat as he closed its door behind him. "Just a little longer," he told the old thing, going to his trunk and opening it. "I'll take you to rest when I can afford a new one." Three hundred years from now, but he wouldn't tell the car that.

He smiled to himself as he looked up at the rickety house. It looked worse than it was, but then, that didn't take much. The outside door creaked in the wind and he pulled it tight behind him as he went inside. More repairs to ask for help on, more to occupy him. Ah well, it was a summer routine.

Zenjirou sneezed at the dust. "Sheesh!" He laughed. "Least Okajima-san could have done was aired it out." He supposed this was another first day spent cleaning and airing out his bedroom. It was time to try and remember where all the cleaning supplies were from the last time. He sneezed again and went onward, opening doors and kicking up more dust.

This was a lot better than wallowing in summer homework. He had three weeks before he could start that.

He threw another window open and coughed. It would be a few hours before he could use anything this far in. He leaned out to breathe and blinked at the sight of a small car going up on the dirt road. A new person out here? He went downstairs to see it pull up near his own. Zenjirou tried not to frown. A chill had gone up his spine. He didn't get gut feelings that much, not since his accident.

He licked his lips as the driver's door opened, ready to risk his legs and run to his own car.

His first thought was that there had been a child at the wheel. The driver looked cherubic, smiling and small, a tough stockiness to the limbs and tanned skin. The scars on his face and arms seemed more like nicks to porcelain than injuries against skin.

"Hullo there," he said, and Zenjirou felt his mouth dry. Well, at least that proved a child wasn't the one driving. "Are you Tsurugi Zenjirou-san?"

"Y-yes, I mean," He fumbled and let out a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, not used to company all the way out here." The other smiled, one of those polite expressions that meant the user was trying not to laugh. "I'm Zenjirou, and this is my summer project." He paused. "Well, my many summer project. It's always a work in progress."

The other chuckled. "It doesn't look that bad…" His eyes wandered the well-worn porch. "You've done a lot..."

"Speak for yourself."

Another laugh. A person with an easy smile and a friendly face. It wasn't like the people up here were nasty or something, but this was almost unnatural. "I'm Taiki," he said, eyes bright and holding out his hand to shake. "Someone named Okajima asked me to come help out up here so I don't spend my summer asleep."

"Have you done it before?" This guy screamed the opposite of lazy.

"No, but we don't want to start a trend."

Zenjirou laughed again. "Well, you don't have to worry, I'll definitely keep you busy. Want to take a look around?"

Taiki smiled again and nodded, going to open the backseat of the car.

When a dog leaped from the backseat, Zenjirou smiled all the wider.

This person would fit in just fine.

A/N: Hello! Another challenge fill. Mostly fluffy, somewhat adventurous. Let's see where destiny takes us! This will take place about five years after the series, and Zenjirou has changed a bit from the hyperactive, somewhat dramatic kid of canon. Of course, that kid still exists. He just has to come out and show himself.

Challenges: Tale in fragments, list 35, prompt- trashy, Pairing Diversity prompt 28: another way, and what-if: What if Zenjirou had not pursued Taiki for a kendo rematch?

Please review if you've made it this far. Whether you liked it or not is just fine! :D