Kenshin is overprotective of Kaoru. She thinks it's sweet at first but then starts to lose her mind.

Disclaimer: Nothing owned

Yahiko made such a sad face that you would have thought he just witnessed a brutal murder. That face only angered Kaoru more. Kenshin had agreed to let Kaoru do the cooking tonight and she was going to prove she had gotten better, dammit.

She was cussing in her mind again. Very unladly-like. Sanosuke really was a bad influence. Kaoru was chopping a few carrots and putting them into a boiling pot to simmer. She looked around her and realized something, gasping in horror, causing Yahiko to glance at her curiously.

"We don't have tofu," she whispered in terror.

Yahiko rolled his eyes at how dramatic the woman was being.

"We had the rest of it last night, remember? What's the big deal?"

Kaoru glared at the small boy. What a stupid question. Didn't he realize how serious this was?!

"I can't make dinner without it! I'm here to prove to that stupid fox that I can cook! She's coming for dinner tonight and I can't shut her up unless this dish is perfect! And it can't be perfect without tofu!"

Yahiko took a cowardly step back. Of course it would take Megumi to get Kaoru this upset. She was no longer a threat as far as Kenshin was concerned. She and Sanosuke were pretty much official. But the two women were still at their little bickering match.

Kaoru had her mind set on something. She grabbed a basket and rushed out the door. Yahiko followed her.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

"Where do you think? I'm getting tofu."

"Is it that important?"

Kaoru didn't answer, she rushed away. Tofu. Must get tofu. She was so determined that she wasn't paying any attention to where she was going. She literally bumped into someone.

"Oro? Miss Kaoru?"

Kaoru felt her heart stop. That was Kenshin's chest she had bumped into. She had just….She tried not to look flustered. When she felt that her face was no longer red, she looked up toward her crush. Kenshin's face was one of confusion.

"Where are you going in such a hurry if you do not mind me asking? Is something the matter?"

He looked so concerned. God, that was so sweet of him. And the sweeter Kenshin was, the sexier he seemed to Kaoru.

Focus, Kaoru. Focus.

She laughed sheepishly and put a hand over her head.

"Oh. Nothing's wrong. I was just getting tofu."

"Right now?" Kenshin looked up at the sky, "The sun will set shortly."

"Don't worry. They'll still be open," Kaoru said dismissively.

She was a bit unnerved when Kenshin looked at her. He seemed a bit solemn for some reason. What was wrong with him? Kaoru honestly had no idea.

"It is not a good idea for you to go out by yourself, that it is not. And I cannot accompany you. The girls are here."

Kenshin, ever the protective one but Kaoru found him to be almost too protective. The store was just in town. She had been to town by herself plenty of times. Well, maybe not like a very substantial number of times. But plenty of times nonetheless.

"It will be alright, Kenshin. I'll be back before you know it."

Kaoru managed to brush passed him and dart off. Kenshin raised a hand toward her departing figure but otherwise made no move to stop her. Kaoru knew that he could easily stop her if he felt it absolutely necessary. His reluctance must mean that he trusted her to take care of herself.

Kaoru smiled in pride. That was just what she wanted in a man. Protective but not obsessive with her safety. She loved Kenshin dearly. If only he would realize how much she wanted him to ask her out.

She quickly made it to the shop and grabbed enough tofu for dinner. The shop maiden, a friend of Kaoru's by the name of Miyuki, showed concern that she was out by herself during sunset. Kaoru simply smiled and assured her like she did with Kenshin. Megumi was going to flip when she tasted this dish. She was going to think that Kenshin cooked dinner. That was how confident Kaoru was.

She was practically skipping as her daydreaming continued. Megumi wouldn't be the only one impressed. They would all lose their minds. And Kenshin would be so happy that she would be allowed to cook dinner from now on.

Kaoru didn't notice the dark presence following her until it was too late. Suddenly, two strong hands grabbed her, one covering her mouth to keep her from screaming. In terror, she dropped the tofu and had it splatter all over the ground.

"Looky here. A little birdy lost her way. Come here, sweetheart."

Her screams were muffled. The man's voice sounded…No. Surely the man wasn't thinking that? Would she be killed after he was done torturing her?

She knew how to fight, surely she could get rid of this man, she assured herself. However, when Kaoru tried to knee him in his sensitive area, the man shifted so she would miss. Despair rushed through her as quickly as fear did.

A sharp force threw the man off of her. Kaoru landed on her knee painfully but was otherwise okay, she was sure she knew who saved her. As she suspected, she turned around to see Kenshin glaring at the man. The man backed away, clearly seeing that his opponent was not your average man ready to fight. He ran away as fast as his legs could carry him and when Kaoru noted the gold eyes Kenshin had, she knew she had to play peacemaker in order to prevent him from hurting the man too badly. She rushed forward and hugged Kenshin, secretly enjoying how strong his torso felt against hers.

"Thank you for saving me, Kenshin. You're a lifesaver!"

She pulled away with a smile, expecting to see calm purple eyes. But she frowned when she noticed that her thanks did nothing to soothe Kenshin's wrath. The eyes were still the gold color of the manslayer.

"Kenshin?" she began in hesitation.

"Had I not followed you..." Kenshin trailed off there, leaving the rest to Kaoru's imagination. He sounded so upset but with her? And what about the girls? Did he leave only Yahiko to guard the dojo?

Kaoru looked at her spilled tofu.

"Maybe tofu's not that important for the dish."

It was a stupid thing to say but Kaoru was desperate to change the topic. Kenshin held onto her hand gently but firmly. He silently guided her back home. Kaoru had a feeling Kenshin was really, really upset.

She prayed he would cool off by the time they got back.