~*Love is blind*~

~Prelude~

            'Once again we are short of money. Once again Sano decides to freeload of us. Once again the roles of the female and the male have switched around. Once again I… I mean WE are broke!' Kaoru sighed in defeat as she continued on my train of thought. 'This has got to be the 3 time in the month! What is worse is that there is no more of my grandfather's ink paintings left for me to sell so we could get a decent meal. It's not that the males of this household do not try and help me. I mean Kenshin is helping me in his own kind of way… doing the household chores. It's not like he hasn't tried to look for a job but I just don't approve of it. I mean getting a job for him means that he could return to his wandering days any time and it also gives him enough money to do so. Yep it's definitely safer to keep him at home doing chores then him earning money. Yahiko is still the immature little brat but at least he helps by cleaning the dojo floor even though I have to scream at him like a thousand times before he actually does it. Now Sano… okay he doesn't exactly live here by he always freeloads off us! He says his helping by *trying* to win some money so that we could be better off never mind the fact that he ALWAYS loses!'

            She dusted her bottom from were she was sitting on the grass and straightened out her kimono. Kaoru check her appearances on the reflection shining back at her by the riverside bed. 'And that brings me to what I am about to do now. I being the assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu technique have to go and look for a job as a MAID! This has got to be some sick sense of humor that belongs to Megumi… wait this job was suggested by Megumi' She groaned in discomfort knowing full well that what ever Megumi suggests it would always turn out her being the most humiliating person in the world.

            Kaoru dragged herself over to the house by the riverbed. It's amazing how the house has some kind of gate to block the water from flooding the house. 'I would love to live here and visit if it was under some other sort of circumstance'. She watched as her hand rose up to knock on the door. At an agonizingly slowly speed she heard someone coming up to the door and swung it open carefully and cautiously. Kaoru bit back her squeal of surprise when the door revealed what's behind it.

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            'Earlier this morning I saw Kaoru-dono pacing around and seem to be searching for something. I asked her what is wrong and she said nothing but I knew that something is wrong and she doesn't want me to know. I gave up in asking her as she seems determined to not let me know'. Kenshin returned to the breakfast he was cooking. 'At breakfast she seems very distress and depressed something that I would never want her to be. She ran out of the house before I could even ask her what's wrong.'

            'Sessha guess that sessha has to wait for Kaoru- dono to come back home to tell me what's wrong' Kenshin thought in defeat as he got out the laundry to wash.  

            "Oi! Kenshin are you doing the laundry again! Man I swear if you do another feminine work I would think you're a woman! Anyway where's Jo-chan? Isn't she meant to be harassing Yahiko by now?" Sano asked walking up to Kenshin while chewing his fishbone from this morning's breakfast.

            "Kaoru- dono has gone out somewhere sessha does not know. She did not tell sessha where she went off to." Kenshin replied not looking up but continued to scrub Kaoru- dono's kimono. 'It is not the fact that Kaoru has gone out. It is the fact that she went off all troubled and worried. Also she didn't want me to know where is went off to on PURPOSE! And that is what worries sessha the most.'

            "And sessha happens to like doing the laundry. Kaoru-dono is busy some where and the only things I seem to be able to help her are to do her chores which sessha is fine with." He added.

            "Of course you are Kenshin. I mean you totally love the feel of Kaoru's undergarments in your hands don't you?" Sano smirked as he pointed to the piece of clothing that Kenshin was holding of ages.

"Gosh! Kenshin I never knew you were that much of a man! Let me tell you something, you don't need to be here secretly enjoying the feel of Kaoru's undergarments. All you need is to just go in Kaoru's room and she would do what ever you want her to do" Sano said as he winked at Kenshin.

Kenshin blushed at the thought of the *possibilities* that could happen if he did but he stopped himself before it got *ahem*. "You will not speak of Kaoru- dono in such a way, that you won't!" Kenshin growled giving Sano an evil glare with his golden glinted eyes.

"Sheesh! You're so protective of her. It's not like YOU own her or anything, man. If you love her that much why don't you just ask her to marry you and end this mindless circling that you two always do? She's not getting any younger and neither of are you Kenshin so why not just ask her out for a date at least! Or do you want her to be swiped off her feet by another male?" Sano said defending himself.

"Sessha only wants the best for her. If she wishes to marry another man then sessha would let her. However sessha would not let other people to bad mouth her reputation. Kaoru-dono is a kind hearted soul that she is and I will protect her until she has found a better man." Kenshin said.

"And what happens if she happens to love you??" Sano question him with a quizzically raised eyebrow.

"Sessha will go fishing for lunch now and I would appreciate it if you leave sessha alone to do the fishing" Kenshin said without waiting for Sano's reply and just walked towards the front and out the gate.

'Would I be able to let Kaoru to love another man?? It would be hard but if that is what Kaoru wants then who am I to deny what she deserves. Sessha is an unworthy person therefore sessha is unworthy of her love.' Kenshin thought over and over again every single time he was about to think of all the possible future that he could have with Kaoru. Each time he brings himself down to *his* reality thinking that this could never happen and also that he would be able to let her go if she indeed loves someone else.

But he didn't know just how wrong he was.

He managed to catch a large fish to feed all of Sano's and Yahiko's appetite but for some reason Kaoru was not there during lunchtime nor was she there when it was dinnertime. By now Kenshin tachi got really worried for Kaoru's safety. It was not until nearly midnight did Kaoru arrived back at the dojo and when she did come back she had company.

A male…

Wearing a different kimono from this morning…

His arms are around her shoulders…

And Kenshin's heart stopped…

Author's notes

            Okay Kenshin's heart didn't stop, he didn't faint or anything like that… anyway people be nice and review coz this is my first RK fic and I dun know if it's any good and whether or not I should continue it after all im not very good in writing fics….and the people end up suffering from reading a bad fic are you guys so reviews help change my ways and better stuff for you guys =)

            Oh yeah this is meant to be short im probably gonna do 1 chapter then decide if I would continue dats if I get enough reviews…