Author's Note: I wrote the first half of this piece for one of the May writing challenges on the rk_challenge livejournal community and felt mused to write a companion piece to it which has not been posted online yet. So here are both pieces side-by-side. The original piece was written more in the style of manga Kenshin's style of speech, but it didn't feel quite right after adding the second half. Enjoy! And please leave a review if you have a time. Arigatou.

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki. I do not own these characters.

The Best Medicine: Thank you, Miss Kaoru

Kaoru carried a tray of food and medical supplies to Kenshin's room. He lay on his side making use of the futon that he kept but rarely used. A wet and troubling cough rattled in his chest causing Kaoru to quicken her steps and nearly spill the contents of the tray.

Kenshin opened his eyes as she entered but didn't move otherwise to greet her.

"How are you feeling, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked and knelt beside him setting the tray on the floor.

"Better today, Miss Kaoru. There is no need to trouble yourself over me," he said and smiled weakly.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "You are a terrible liar, Kenshin." She moved his bangs away from his face and placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. It was as she feared; he was burning up. She was glad she'd gone to Megumi's this morning after he first started being stubborn about the she fuss she was making over him. As Kenshin was not ordinarily stubborn, this confirmed that she had been right to worry.

Kenshin pulled away from Kaoru and looked very near to pouting. "It is just a cold. I will be fine in a day or two, that I will."

"Well this is some cold you've managed to catch, Kenshin. I haven't seen you looking this bad off since Shishio got a hold of you. So just face it: you're going to start listening to me or I'm going to go get my bokken. Which way do you want to do this?"

Kenshin groaned and sat up. "Maybe you are right. It has been a while since I have been so ill - not since childhood. Please forgive my rudeness." Kenshin's hair was unbound and slick with sweat. "What would you like me to do, Miss Kaoru."

Kaoru picked up a small green ceramic bowl containing the miso soup that she'd prepared. "You can start by eating. You haven't eaten much in days. You need to eat to get your strength back."

Kenshin nodded and took the bowl from her hands, but he began to cough almost as soon as he had raised it to his lips. Kaoru couldn't be sure whether it was the cold or the cooking that gave him such trouble. He did eventually get through the meal, or most of it anyway - looking a little green at the end of it but at least there was some color in his skin again

"Thank you, Miss Kaoru"

Kaoru blushed. Only Kenshin had ever been grateful for her food. "Don't thank me yet. There's medicine you have to take next."

This time he definitely did pout; she was sure of it. "Wasn't the soup enough?" He asked, his eyes cross.

"Nope, not by half. I brought some tea for you to wash it down with which Yahiko prepared. I wouldn't make you suffer my culinary skills twice in one day."

"Thank you," Kenshin sighed with obvious relief.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow and frowned. "You're welcome, Kenshin," she said through gritted teeth and pushed the cup of tea at him. Did he half to act so happy about it?

Some of the tea spilled over the lip of the cup and burned her hand. In a panic she let the cup slip through her fingers, but Kenshin caught the cup without spilling a drop. Even sick, his reflexes were not at all affected.

She more gently prepared the powdered medicine and handed it to him on a folded piece of paper which he funneled into his mouth and washed down with the tea. His health was more important than her pride, she told herself. Kaoru knew her food sucked, but it still bothered her that Kenshin thought so little of her domesticity.

"What is next, Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked sitting patiently with his hands folded around the cup of tea which he held in his lap.

Kaoru reached over and took the cup from him. "There is nothing next," she said and picked up a damp cloth that she had brought in on the tray of food. "You need to rest." She scooted closer to him and motioned for him to lay down and rest his head in her lap.

Timidly Kenshin obeyed being a too fevered to object or over-think the familiarity of the moment. Kaoru gently stroked his forehead and face with the cool, damp towel. She could feel the contours of the cross-shaped scar through the linen and wished that she had medicine to make every pain of his go away.

"Thank you Kaoru," Kenshin mumbled mechanically, but the accidental omission of the honorific betrayed him. He drifted off to sleep promptly even before the medicine was given time to kick in.

"Shhh," she said soothingly, "you don't need to say anything more, Kenshin. It's all right now."

Author's Note: If you would like to read the original piece it can be found on the RK_challenge livejournal community as The Best Medicine.

And maybe we'll see some of your writing for June's challenge? Yes? :p I do hope so because it's a great community.