Chapter I
Kaoru receives a letter
"Hey ugly!"
Kaoru stiffened at Yahiko's favorite nickname for her.
"Kenshin said the laundry's done and that he just went to town to pick up some stuff for dinner. He prepared the bath too." Yahiko looked her up and down, raised his eyebrow and snickered. "You sure need it. I bet he could smell your stinky feet a mile away," he laughed and ran off,
Kaoru growled. If she wasn't so tired from her workout she would have gone after the little monkey and given him a good thrashing. NOBODY messes with a master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu! But as it was, she felt too sore and sweaty and smelly, and actually felt…ugly. She sighed and trudged off to the furo.
She smiled when she saw the laundry folded neatly in a basket. She loved the smell of clean laundry. She picked out the kimono she was going to wear, rubbed her cheek on the soft fabric and took a deep breath. There it was: the smell of fresh lemons, and a dash of rurouni. Kaoru giggled. Kenshin probably didn't realize it, but half the time he smelled like laundry soap. She inhaled again, deeper this time, and caught a faint musky male smell. She imagined it was Kenshin's chest she was nuzzling, his arms around her, his glorious red hair tumbling down his shoulders to –
"Oi, Jou-chan. Breathe any harder and you'll end up with that kimono right up your nose," Sano snickered.
Kaoru blushed and glared at Sano, "Mou! Why don't you just mind your own business? And what are you doing here anyway? It's too early for dinner but too late for lunch so go off and do…whatever it is you do when you're not mooching off us!"
"Now, Jou-chan, that's not nice. Is that any way to speak to a guest – and your elder and better to boot."
"Aaaaa! How can you be better than me?"
"Well, I can definitely cook better than you. And I smell better than you right now too," Sano looked her up and down in the same way Yahiko did and wrinkled his nose. "Yep. Better go and take your bath before Kenshin smells you. He might just decide to turn rurouni again."
"That's just what I was about to do until you interrupted –"
"—your fantasy?"
"What?!"
"Thinking of Kenshin doing your laundry really turns you on, huh? Hehe. Don't try denying it. I saw that look on your face."
"Go away before I MAIM YOU!" Kaoru picked up her wash basin and hurled it at him. Sanosuke dodged and clucked his tongue at her.
"Now, now, Jou-chan. Those monster faces are gonna give you wrinkles and that won't help you at all with Kenshin, will it? See ya at dinner. Take a nice looong bath, okay?" Sano winked at her and walked off, whistling off-key.
Kaoru was ready to go after him with her basin and knock him senseless, and then kick him around just for fun. Wrinkles? Me? The kenjutsu beauty? And at the ripe young age of 18? How dare he! But the prospect of Kenshin coming back finding her smelly and muddy with blood on her hands was not the way she wanted to spend the evening. She counted slowly to 100 to curb the bloodlust and slowly unclenched her fists.Mou! I was so angry I wrinkled my kimono! Kaoru spread out her kimono and tried to smooth out the wrinkles. That Sanosuke! I'm gonna get him tonight right after I pound Yahiko…Wait, what's this?
A letter, hidden within the folds of the kimono, fluttered to the ground. Kaoru picked it up. It was not addressed to anyone. She turned over the envelope and found that it wasn't sealed. Curiosity winning over propriety, she pulled out the letter and began to read it. Her eyes widened and a faint blush stained her cheeks. As she read on, the blush deepened until she resembled a cherry tomato…a very happy cherry tomato.
Kaoru quickly gathered her things, dashed to the bathhouse, closed the door behind her, and screamed in delight.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"
Yahiko turned sleepy eyes on Sano from his position on the floor. "Do you think we should…?"
Sano was sprawled beneath the shade of a tree, idly chewing a blade of grass. "Hmm? Nah. Bath's probably cold."
"Well, it wasn't a help-me-I'm-being-attacked-by-giant-ticks-that-jumped-out-of-my-hair kind of scream or anything remotely dangerous…"
"Right."
The two looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to their favorite past time of loafing around.
Kaoru could barely contain her excitement. Kenshin gave her a love letter! Who else could it be from? It was in her LAUNDRY, for crying out loud. And who did the laundry? Kenshin! Who was the only other person who had access to her clothes [doesn't that sound kinky? ;) ? Kenshin! And who among all the males in her house could actually have the imagination to describe her in such wonderful, flattering detail? (come on everyone, join in the chorus!) Who else but…Kenshin!
"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Kami-sama, for hearing my prayers and for FINALLY making him do something! Oh, I'm so thrilled! I'm going to wear the kimono he hid it in so he'll know I received it. I can't wait until dinner!" Kaoru's eyes sparkled, and despite her still dirty, disheveled appearance, her joy definitely made her the prettiest little kenjutsu in Japan that day.
She took special care in the bath, scrubbing until her skin was as "white and flawless as a pearl in its perfection". She brushed her hair until it shone and was "softer than the finest silk". She blushed at the beautiful poetry Kenshin wrote in tribute to her beauty. And now she understood why it took so long for Kenshin to declare himself. It was because he was rendered "speechless in the face of your beauty, fire and spirit." Of course he was! The poor dear. She should have taken matters into her own hands long ago and maybe by now he wouldn't have to resort to sneaking around, hiding letters in her laundry! Though it was definitely so nice to receive a love letter.
"Tadaima!"
Kaoru gasped and dropped her brush. Kenshin was home. "Oh, how am I going to face him?" Now that she had proof of his feelings for her, she wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do.
"Hey Jou-chan! Food's ready!"
"Yeah! Hurry before rooster head here eats it all up!"
"You're the one stuffing your ugly face!"
Kaoru ignored the scuffle that ensued outside and took a few deep breaths to center herself. Then she realized that she didn't want those two bakas ruining her wonderful evening with their yelling and fighting. She quickly stood up, wondering how she could stop them from fighting without having to be the "violent tanuki girl". That was NOT part of her image…for that evening anyway.
"Sano!" she called.
"What?" he rudely shouted back.
"Come here please. I have a favor to ask of you. Onegai."
Sano was about to shout back, "Do it yourself!" when the use of the word "please" twice in one sentence from Kaoru caught his attention. Besides, the food fight was getting boring. There was almost no more food to fight over, and it was too hot to get too worked up anyway. He ambled towards Kaoru. He was surprised to see her all dressed up. He raised his eyebrows and whistled, "You got a date or something?"
She blushed and handed a package to him. "I promised Tae-san that she would have this before sunset. It's really important. I'd go myself but it's getting dark. Besides, I know you've eaten already. Please."
There it was again. "Three "pleases" in one night. Well, it really must be important. And if you weren't looking like such a girl maybe I would have thought twice," he winked at her. Kaoru gave him a dazzling smile. You know, she really is pretty…when she isn't pounding someone's face into the ground.
"Arigato gozaimasu, Sano. I'll save some dessert for you!" She bowed and went to the dining room. As she rushed past, he caught sight of an envelope on the floor. He turned to call her but she was already gone. He shrugged and picked it up. It's probably for Tae-san. It had no name, though. Well, I better open it to make sure.
Sanosuke nearly dropped the package on reading the contents of the letter.This is definitely NOT for Tae-san. He sweatdropped. Then who is it for? His eyes grew wide. Could it be that she meant for me to find it…and…she…loves…me? Sanosuke's heart clenched. Oh boy. Kenshin's gonna kill me.
End of Chapter I.