Too Many Plans
Disclaimer: I refuse. No. NO! You can't make me!! ::Notices lawyers closing in threateningly:: FINE!! LET THE PAIN OF NOT OWNING WRACK MY BODY UNTIL I FALL SCREAMING AND TWITCHING TO THE GROUND AND THE FEELING BEGINS TO LEAVE MY BODY AND—::Sano coughs and blinks twice:: Ahem. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. ::Mutters:: hey, that wasn't so bad…
Lexi: Hiya, people! This is my first fic that I wrote, but it got taken off....XP not gonna go into it but anywho I submit again. And I have a BODYGUARD FROM FLAMES!! HAHAHA!!! Sanosuke, you're my body guard.
Sano: No. ::Glares::
Lexi: ::Holds up bottle of saké:: Not even for saké?
Sano: ::Eyes light up:: Saké? OK! ::Immediately assumes body guard stance::
Lexi: It always works! And he will protect me!! ::Laughs maniacally::
Sano: ::Would be inching away if wasn't too busy downing saké::
Lexi: Well anyway. This IS a one-shot, albeit a (fairly) long one. Read and review please!!
Oh yeah, if you didn't already know, 'blahbitty' is thinking and "blahbitty" is speaking.
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Kaoru sighed and rolled over on the futon. Something poked her in the back—hard. She shot out of bed, bokkan in hand. A wide-eyed Kenshin backed away.
"Oro! Sessha is sorry, that he is. Please, Miss Kaoru, put your bokkan away…"
Kaoru had to laugh at his fear. She stifled it quickly and the bokkan disappeared.
"Kenshin, can you leave? I need to get dressed."
He bowed and left the room, pulling the door shut as he left. She smiled and changed into a plain blue kimono, and then sat down on the futon to put up her hair in the ponytail she usually wore. Today, she would put her plan into action. Tonight, she was going on a date with Himura Kenshin.
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Kenshin blinked at the bright morning sun as he stepped out into the fresh spring air. Soon a familiar messy head appeared over the crest of the hill. Sanosuke came into view, strolling casually up to the dojo. A fishbone hung leisurely out of his mouth. Kenshin smiled to himself. 'Good old Sano.' Sano walked up to him, planting his feet with his hands in his pockets. He waited a few seconds before impatiently speaking.
"Well?" Sano asked.
"Oro?" Kenshin countered.
"Are you gonna do the plan?"
"Oro?" Kenshin repeated. His brain seemed to have temporarily stopped functioning.
"Tonight, my little oro-ing friend, you are going on a date with Kamiya Kaoru."
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"You're going to WHAT?!" Megumi squealed.
"Shhh!" Kaoru squeaked. "Please don't tell anyone!"
"I can't believe it. You're finally going to ask out Ken-san!"
"Not really." Kaoru grinned wickedly. "He's going to ask me."
Megumi was confused. "But…but…you're not the fox, that's me! Evil tanuki girl…" She muttered the lastpiece under her breath, but Kaoru's ears picked it up. The bokkan appeared and Megumi's eyes went wide. She did her trademark laugh, but it was higher pitched than usual and trembled a little.
"Why do you have your bokkan out, Kaoru-san? Did I do something?"
Kaoru just glared, but the bokkan went away. Megumi breathed an enormous sigh of relief.
"If this plan of yours is going to work, you're going to need some new clothes. Kenshin will never ask you out looking like this. Shopping time!" Megumi said brightly. She dragged a protesting Kaoru in the direction of the market.
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Kenshin blinked at Sano. "A…date? With Miss Kaoru?"
Sano gave a grin. "Who else?"
Kenshin swallowed a lump in his throat. "Oro…but how?"
"Easy," Sano said, "You get her to ask you. But for this brilliant plan to work, we gotta get you a new gi. She'll never ask out a guy that wears magenta."
"It is not magenta!" Kenshin shot out.
"Then what is it?" Sano asked. Kenshin's silence made him grin again. He had won the argument. He dragged off a protesting Kenshin in the direction of the market.
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Yahiko was intrigued. So, Kenshin and Kaoru were both going to try to get each other to ask the other out. On the same night. At the same time. He could have some major fun with this…
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As much as Megumi loved shopping, Kaoru was being very trying. How could she ever get the plan to work if Kaoru wouldn't even show her the kimono?
"Come out and show me!" She shouted for the umpteenth time.
"No!" Kaoru retorted from inside the changing room.
Megumi sighed and left Kaoru. She might as well do some shopping for herself while she waited. She could come back later when Kaoru was more reasonable.
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As much as Sano hated shopping, Kenshin was only making things worse. How could he ever get the plan to work if Kenshin wouldn't even show him the gi?
"Come out and show me!" He shouted for the umpteenth time.
"Oro! This one will not!" Kenshin retorted from inside the changing room.
Sano sighed and left Kenshin. He might as well go gamble and get wicked drunk while he waited. He went off to find a good saké bar. He could come back later when Kenshin was more reasonable.
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'Fine, I'll show her.' Kaoru thought, preparing to step out into the shop.
'Fine, sessha will show him, that he will.' Kenshin thought, preparing to step out into the shop.
Two doors opened simultaneously. Two pairs of eyes met. Two faces showed shock and surprise as they saw the other.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed.
"Kaoru!" Kenshin replied. Kaoru noted that he had dropped the 'miss'. And he hadn't oro-ed. She was slightly pleased, but her eyes were busy tracing the lines of his torso in the black gi. He was doing much the same, gazing over her, clad in a cream silk kimono embroidered over with delicate navy blue and spring green flowers nearly hidden in the folds. They both blushed furiously and looked away, wondering just what the other was up to.
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Megumi, in her haste to look at an especially pretty kimono, crashed straight into something white and solid. It turned around, and Megumi recognized the well-muscled chest. Sanosuke blinked and looked down at her. She smiled weakly, all too aware of her hands on his bare abdomen. Blushing crimson, she backed away. Her attention was almost immediately drawn to something on the other side of the room. Sano noticed this and followed her gaze. They both had to open and close their eyes several times at Kenshin and Kaoru standing next to each other outside the changing rooms. Both of them wondered just what the others were up to.
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Yahiko cracked up silently, hidden behind a row of kimonos. Maybe they didn't need him to "help" after all. But still…
He was a man with a plan. He giggled—no, heroes didn't giggle—he laughed cynically at what he was going to do. He was going to arrange everything so that Kenshin would ask Kaoru on a date, yes, but more then that…How would this work…Ah, yes. He got it. First, though, he would need some help.
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"Yahiko-chan!" Tsubame shrieked.
"It's Yahiko. No '-chan'!" He grumbled at her. Tsubame's vibrant smile faded into a mess of tears. Yahiko rolled his eyes.
"Fine! Call me Yahiko-chan if you want! But only because you're you!" Tsubame's tears cleared away and the smile returned. 'Talk about split personalities, she could give Kenshin a run for his money! But she's cute when she smiles…' Shoving these thoughts away, Yahiko pulled her aside from the crowd at the Akabeko. "Tsubame-chan, where's Tae?"
Tsubame chewed at a nail. "Err…she should be back in the kitchen…"
Yahiko rushed away, leaving Tsubame standing in confusion by the entryway. He entered the kitchen and ran up behind Tae.
"Oh, Tae-sama…" He said in a singsong voice.
"Yahiko-chan! Wait, "Tae-sama"? What do you want?"
Yahiko squirmed under her penetrating stare. "Can you reserve your most romantic booth?"
"For when?"
Yahiko squirmed some more. "Tonight?"
"WHAT?" She all but screamed. "But we're all booked!"
"I'll wash all those dishes for free!" Yahiko tried, but Tae remained unmoved. Suddenly he got an idea. "I'll wash dishes until Sano's tab is paid in full!"
Tae was surprised, to say the least. "Are you sure?"
Yahiko swallowed nervously. "Yes."
Tae beamed. "Then get to work!"
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Back at the dojo, the other four were eating lunch in an uncomfortable silence. Kenshin couldn't stand the quiet, and eventually he spoke.
"This is very good Miss Kaoru, that it is."
Sano looked at his food in surprise. "Kaoru cooked this? But I haven't…I'm not…I'm still alive!"
Kaoru glared at him and stormed off into the kitchen. Megumi followed, eager to speak to Kaoru about the next stage in the plan. Little did they know that Sano and Kenshin were thinking the same thing.
"Good, they're gone!" Sano said the minute Megumi left the room. Kenshin sighed.
"Maybe I should just ask Miss Kaoru on the date myself, that I should."
Sano sat in stunned silence. Suddenly his face grew angry.
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME THAT TO BEGIN WITH?!"
Kenshin squirmed and gave his usual awkward grin. "You didn't ask."
"But it makes things so much simpler!"
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"Maybe I should just ask Kenshin myself."
Megumi blinked several times. "Why?"
Kaoru sighed. "It's so much easier."
"But it's so much more romantic the other way!"
"Who cares about romance? I just want to end up with Kenshin!"
Megumi smiled. "Aww, that's so romantic!"
Kaoru glared for the second time in as many minutes. Megumi backed away slightly. "Fine. Do what you want. Just don't come running to me if all he does is "oro" at you…"
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The four all sat in the afternoon sun, chatting companionably. Megumi noticed Kenshin fidgeting awkwardly, and took the unconscious hint. "I don't feel so well. I'll just go lie down for a minute."
Sano noticed Kaoru fidgeting awkwardly also, and he decided to leave as well. "I'll go with you, Megumi."
Megumi was secretly pleased at this, but tried not to let it show. They left, leaving Kaoru and Kenshin alone on the lawn.
"Kenshin…"
"Kaoru…"
"Will you go out with me tonight?" They asked at the same moment. Both gasped and looked away. Kenshin gave a feeble "oro". There was an uncomfortable silence, but then Kaoru felt a hand take hers.
"Miss Kaoru, will you?"
When she turned around, Kenshin was surprised to note that her eyes were moist.
"Of course, Kenshin. Of course."
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Sano grabbed Megumi's shoulder and roughly turned her around. "OK, what's going on here?" He asked forcefully. She lifted her chin high. "If my female intuition is true, exactly what you're trying to do."
He laughed. "Kenshin and Kaoru are that obviously in love?"
Megumi rolled her eyes. "Of course!" At first she thought the echo that she heard was in her head, but then she heard a "Kenshin" following it, and hope filled her. She rushed to the door, Sano close behind. When she looked outside, she knew it had not all been in vain. There stood Kenshin and Kaoru in a tight embrace. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes. Sano turned her around again.
"Since they're obviously going to be gone, we'll need something to do…"
"Sagara Sanosuke, are you…"
He nodded. Megumi gave a gigantic smile. "You didn't even need to ask!"
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Kenshin hummed as he straightened the black gi. He had to look good for his date with Miss Kaoru, that he did. Tonight especially. Earlier that day, Yahiko had given him a good idea for once.
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The four Kenshin-gumi walked to the Akabeko hand in hand, not even wondering where Yahiko was. Right when they walked in the door, Tae bustled up to them.
"Ah yes, you have reservations. This way please…"
Kenshin and Kaoru each assumed that the other had done this, and they smiled lovingly at each other. Tae led Kenshin and Kaoru to a booth that was beautifully done up. Sano and Megumi looked at each other, and by unspoken agreement sat at a different table. Kenshin and Kaoru sat in silence for much of the meal, but once the food was cleared away, Kenshin leaned over the table at Kaoru.
"Kaoru, I love you. I have since I met you, that I have. And no matter how much longer I live; I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please Kaoru, will you marry me?"
Kaoru gasped. "Yes, yes, yes! Oh Kenshin, I love you too!"
When Megumi glanced over to their table, she smiled. So Kenshin proposed. What a perfect first date for Kaoru. She could tell that the future held nothing but happiness for the two of them.
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Three years later, Kaoru was talking with Megumi over some tea.
"How's Sano, Megumi?"
"Fine, but the gambling is starting to get to me. And Kenshin?"
Kaoru smiled. "As much in love as the day we got married. And, er, Megumi, do you, umm, think that Kenshin would make a good father?"
"Yes, why?" She stopped suddenly. "Oh Kaoru. You're not."
Kaoru beamed. "Yes. I am."
Megumi squealed in delight. "I knew it! And you're going to have a baby shower!"
"Yes, of course. I've already made up the invitations."
"Have you sent them out?"
"Yes, and everyone has replied except for the one I sent to Yahiko…"
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Yahiko groaned at the mountain of dishes in front of him. This had been a long three years, and judging by the numbers on Sano's tab, he wasn't leaving anytime soon.
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Lexi: YAY!! I'm done!!
Sano: YOU MADE ME GET MARRIED TO FOX-LADY?!?!?!
Lexi: Well obviously. I've seen the way you look at her when you're not drunk.
Sano: ::Mumbles something about stupid observant writers::
Lexi: Well anyway, thank you for reading my ramblings…ja ne and REVIEW please!!