I'm hoping to keep this story short, but we'll see what happens. Thanks for reading~!

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin

To Bare Witness

Ch. 1

The day was looking bright, despite it being late October, and Kaoru appreciated the light, crisp breeze that cooled the sweat gathered upon her body from her last class of the day—kendo. She grinned to herself. College life at this University really wasn't that bad—for all it had only been a month since she had been here. At first, the idea had repulsed her. Who in their right mind wouldn't be incredulous about the prospect, even if one's very life was in danger? After all, she had already graduated just a year prior.

So why was she putting herself through more agony in going to, not grad school, but a University in which she was enrolled as an undergraduate all over again?

Simple.

Her very life was in danger.

It didn't feel real, now, however, since a month had passed without further mishap. She was actually quite startled to find herself so completely immersed in living the college life that she didn't have time to worry about what would happen if she was discovered. Her nightmares had almost stopped altogether, which was a great relief for both her mental and physical state of being.

Shaking her head at where her thoughts led on such a calm day, Kaoru pulled out the magnetic key to her dorm and waved it before the keypad, hearing a small sound of the lock popping open before she allowed herself into her dorm. She headed automatically toward the stairs, dismissing the elevator completely as she made her way to the third floor and consequently—her dorm room. It was odd, living in a new dorm, at a new University, when she thought this stage of her life was over. It was odder still that this double life of hers seemed to fit to her living style so seamlessly—as if this was a place where she belonged. As if her new friends here were—

"Aw, come on Sano, just let me see it!"

Family.

Kaoru paused just outside the door to her room, head cocked slightly to the side as her hand hovered over the knob. She stared blankly at the two names on the door—her name, followed by her roommate's.

"No way, Misao! Ugf!" A grunt was heard, followed by a small, more feminine squeak, and Kaoru closed her eyes, praying silently that at least her side of the room was not in shambles.

"Please please please please pleaaaaase?"

Deciding enough was enough, Kaoru opened the door and quickly assessed the situation, hesitantly stepping into the room as her eyes landed on a fumbling Sanosuke gritting his teeth in a grimace as Misao continued to elbow and smack and knee him as she attempted to reach for what looked like a small piece of paper Sanosuke was holding out of her reach.

And they were both standing on one of the flimsy twin mattresses the school dubbed was a bed.

Walking over to her own bed, Kaoru raised both brows in amusement as she continued to watch, her decision in simply remaining a spectator coming to an end when a laugh escaped her, and both pairs of eyes quickly snapped in her direction.

"It's not what it looks like…" Sano ground out, trepidation masking the grumbling of his tone.

"Oh, it's exactly what it looks like!" Misao ground out, turning her attention back to the oaf pressing himself up against the wall as he tried to get away from the small girl. She began jumping up and down on the bed, attempting to grab what he held out of reach, and Sanosuke's brown eyes widened comically at the sounds the squeaking bedsprings made as they protested.

"H-hey now…"

Feeling a giggle bubble up her throat, Kaoru felt her eyes widen in alarm and quickly transformed it into an amused cough as it escaped. Lifting laughing blue eyes up to her friends, she asked, "Why don't you give it up, Misao? There's no way you're getting that back from him unless he gives it to you." Adding with a twisting of her lips, "You're too short."

"Hey!"

"Hey! I'll have you know, I did not steal this from the Weasel, got that? She's trying to steal it from me!"

Kaoru sat back on her bed, reclining back on her elbows as she watched them go at it. Her expression showed she was having waaaay too much fun with this.

"Kao-ru! Help a girl out!" Misao wailed, flailing again as her gangly limbs continued to wreak havoc on Sano's poor, hunched form.

If only she had a camera…hmm…

Looking around her room, trying to remember where she misplaced it, Misao's next words got the reaction out of Kaoru she had been hoping for.

"He's holding a picture of his girlfriend!"

All movement froze in the room for a good three seconds, and then Kaoru's calculatingly cool gaze slowly returned to the position her two friends were in. Misao's oceanic eyes watched her with uncertainty, hope and determination in the girl's strong bearing as she waiting with baited breath for whether or not Kaoru would assist her. Sano on the other hand went stock still as his face drained of all color, worriedly guarded brown eyes standing out vibrantly against his too-white face.

"Now… w-wait a minute…" He began, eyes quickly and frantically darting around the room to rest on the still open door. It was too late. Kaoru already had all the information she needed.

"Attack!" She cried, lunging from her spot on the bed to help Misao wrestle Sano to the ground—which was proving to be no easy feat.

Misao squealed gaily as laughter bubbled within her chest, and Sano's frustrated roar was loud enough that Kaoru was sure the entire building heard his displeasure.

Suddenly another presence stood at the entryway to their room, and Kaoru stilled, hanging suspended from Sanosuke's right arm as she turned to see a familiar pair of violet eyes, confusion and surprise in the red-head's gaze.

"What's going on in here?"

The voice was soft, almost hesitant, and Kaoru felt herself shivering at his tone as it seemingly slid over and caressed her body. Biting her lip, wishing her heartbeat would slow from its sudden fluttering, rapid pace, she dropped her gaze to the floor and hesitantly released Sano's arm. Misao blinked repeatedly, then sighed loudly and sent Sano a foreboding glare before she released him as well. She knew her fun was over now that Kaoru had relinquished.

"Hmph. Finally." Sanosuke, however, knew when to take certain advantage of a situation. He quickly pulled out his wallet, stashed his girlfriend's picture—which Kaoru wasbetting was a fake—and hid the wallet out of sight.

Lifting her gaze to the red-head before her, Kaoru offered a rather small smile, which he seemed to take as some signal that he could enter. He walked in with ease, eyes bright with amusement as Sano continued to gruffly grumble and sulk—they all knew it was all bluster—and Kenshin lightly punched the young man's arm, only to have to gesture returned.

"Aw, Kenshin! You always ruin all the fun! Kaoru and I almost had it!" Misao, on the other hand, let it be known that Kenshin was not to be forgiven so easily. She puffed her cheeks out and released a huff of air before angrily throwing her hands up in the air at the red-head's look of complete incomprehension.

"Men! I'm outta here!" The petite young woman stormed past Kaoru on her rush out the door, and Kaoru's lips quirked up once more at the show of emotions Misao never attempted to hide or deflect. Kaoru softly and lovingly shook her head at the girl's antics. Forcing down the rapid pulse swimming through her, Kaoru attempted to halt the oddly rising blush to her cheeks before she allowed herself to lift her eyes to meet Kenshin's concerned ones—eyes that constantly seemed to be seeking hers out as of late.

"Don't worry, Kenshin, Misao's curiosity simply got the best of her. She'll forget all this even happened in an hour or so." Her lips turned up into a genuine smile. She always seemed to be smiling around these people. It was… nice.

Comprehension dawned, and Kenshin nodded his head as the very worry in his eyes dissipated completely, leaving his eyes a much lighter shade. "I see."

Bobbing her head in some form of nod in return, Kaoru averted her gaze and wondered at the silent awkwardness that now seemingly hung in the room. Sano was off sulking in the corner of the room, slouched at a desk that looked too small for his long limbs. Wincing, Kaoru was once again aware of her sweat-soaked skin from practice, and cursed the fact that she'd have to wait until two o'clock in the morning to finally shower.

"How was your kendo class today?"

She tried to hide her grimace. She hoped she succeeded. Why did he always make things difficult for her? Why did he always have to be so polite all the time?

Why the hell did she have to have a crush on her floor's Resident Assistant?

…Was she really just like all the other giggling, tittering, phony girls of their hall? She had more important things to occupy her mind with.

Didn't she?

"It was really good! I learned quite a bit today. It was a nice change of pace—put up quite a sweat." She smirked, suddenly trying to keep her tone of voice lazy as she leaned against the nearest piece of furniture. "Probably don't smell too pretty, now that I think about it, but what's a guy to do?" She gave a one-armed shrug, still attempting to keep her cocky-tough guy attitude, and hoped it was successful.

"…I see."

"Himura. Rounds."

Another young man came to the door, dark hair falling into clear-blue eyes as he regarded the redhead aforementioned. The man's face showed no hint of emotion, or any indication as to what he might me thinking. He was gorgeous, Kaoru gave him that, but the man was literally and seemingly totally withdrawn from the world, and honestly used to make her feel very uncomfortable, until she saw the way Kenshin interacted with him. Most of the girls in all four halls stopped attempting to flirt with him in a matter of a single week.

But most girls weren't Misao.

"Ah, yes. That time already? If you two will excuse me?" Kenshin's eyes flickered to Sano first, then landed on Kaoru and he hesitated briefly before moving toward the door. Kaoru held her breath. Did he suspect? He couldn't… could he? The smallest trickling of unease swept her frame, and she chewed along the inside of her lip. Why had things suddenly become so different between them, though, these last couple of days? Why was there this feeling of uncertainty and hesitance in the air whenever they were near one another?

Suddenly pulled from her worries, Kaoru blinked once when she realized the man at the doorway with piercing blue eyes had slanted his gaze her way. She paled at the intensity of it, air caught and solidified in her lungs.

"Kato-san…"

Kaoru stared blankly, eyes glazed as panic started to overwhelm her at the possibility of what discovery would mean for her. She visibly shook herself.

Oh. Yes. Kato-san. That was her now.

"I've told you before, Aoshi," She managed, a small smile attempting to hide the panic hidden behind her gaze. "You can call me Kaoru. All the others do," She pressed, truly hoping that he would finally accept, and call her as she pleased. That way she wouldn't falter when he called for her.

"Hn."

Keeping her expression as blank as the blankest sheet of paper, eyes as open and innocent and vacant of any real thought as she could manage, she continued. "You had something to say?"

Kenshin was watching the exchange with a small, worried furrow to his brow, but Kaoru pushed that knowledge to the furthest reaches of her mind. She could only focus all her attention on one of their strong presences at a time.

"Aa. Ass-foolery does not become you. You've been spending too much time with that oaf." His chin jutted in Sano's direction, and said man promptly leapt out of his chair angrily, denial and accusations on his tongue. The tall, dark-haired RA from the floor above was already walking away, however, and didn't seem the least bit interested in anything Sanosuke had to refute.

Holding hands up in supplication, Kenshin's expression looked somewhat pained as he attempted to dissolve the situation, keeping an enraged Sano from marching out into the hall and starting a fight. The red-haired RA kept worriedly glancing towards where Kaoru stood gaping after the stoic Aoshi. Her internal debate of whether or not she should also attempt to march after said man and give him hell, but ultimately Kaoru couldn't move to plant one foot in front of the other, she was so shocked.

Had that been… some kind of back-handed compliment concerning her personality? She stood speechless.

"Himura." The voice echoed from down the hall.

Seeing Kenshin glance back over his shoulder in slight agitation to where his fellow RA had disappeared to, Kaoru let out a long suffering sigh and moved to help him.

"You go. You've got responsibilities to tend to. I'll watch this buffoon."

Seeing Kenshin hesitate for a moment, she pressed on. "Go on. Aoshi's not going to be fun to deal with later if you keep him waiting. I got it. Promise. Now go!" She grumbled at him a little more fiercely than she had probably needed, but it got the desired effect she was looking for.

"Alright, alright." Laughing slightly, the red-head relented, muscles relaxing as she elbowed and shouldered him toward the door.

She mock-growled at him. "Good. Now go. Don't come back until you've fulfilled all your special RA duties," She tried to sound stern, but knew he took her tone for teasing when he laughed. Her own tension was beginning to leave her at the sound, and she relaxed as well, finding a genuine smile lightly cross her lips.

"I'll see you later then." He breathed, his low tone once again doing odd things to her lower body. "Movie's in Aoshi's room tonight?"

She grinned. She couldn't help it. "Yeah. We're supposed to be watching his choice, but I wouldn't count on it. Be forewarned: Misao has claimed she'll be bringing an armload of all her favorites."

She saw him wince and snickered. He was walking backwards, after all, attention solely focused on her. "Ah."

She grinned cheekily. "Don't worry. Next week's choice is mine. I'll try to make up for whatever horrors happen tonight." It was so easy. Talking to him. Grinning at him. Bantering with him. Her heart did a small flip, and she forced any special feelings rising within her to a complete and utter standstill after taking note of that odd look once again present in his eyes.

She brushed it off.

"Although…" She tapped a slender finger against pursed lips in a pretense of contemplated thought. She missed the flash of gold that stole across a certain RA's amethyst eyes in that moment.

Good thing, too.

"I must say, that while I don't hold grudges, I do like getting even. If Sanosuke doesn't shape up, I may have to torture him through film." She grinned triumphantly, slanting a gaze over her shoulder at him, suddenly wondering why the tall young man had been so quiet all this time. "So I'm sorry if you end up getting in the crossfire Ken…shi…"

Her eyes widened, and she gasped in positive horror at the sight behind her. Sanosuke. With a water gun of all things, pointed straight at her.

Leaning against his dresser cockily, the man smirked, feigning disinterest yet issuing challenge as he pushed himself away from the armoire and turned his heated gaze to hers. "You were saying, tanuki?"

She gulped, backing away first one step, then another. "H-hey! Sano! We're indoors! And I'm not even armed! You'd attack a poor, defenseless person just like that? Some man you are! Where's your sense of honor?"

Little did she know, she was digging her own grave. The muscle in his jaw began to tick as he closed his eyes for a minute. In that amount of time Kaoru quickly turned her worried gaze to a frozen Kenshin who seemed torn between what was going on here, and duties he knew he must attend to.

"Catch."

"Huh?" Kaoru turned back to face Sano again just in time to mechanically catch the small plastic mechanism tossed her way.

A water gun.

But it wasn't filled.

"What?"

"You better run, tanuki, if you know what's good for you! No one steals my girlfriend!"

The crazed yell issued behind her, but Kaoru didn't wait out all he yelled, she merely leapt into action, taking off out of her room and racing down the length of the hall, Kenshin pivoting and turning to match her pace and run at her side. Pathetic little squirts issue forth from the small water gun Sanosuke continued to shoot at them repeatedly, crazed laughter issuing forth from behind them.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble?" She yelled out at him, turning her attention to the other residents in the hall and yelling at them to move it or lose it.

Kenshin gave a sheepish laugh, not once attempting to pick up his speed or split courses with her. "Aoshi can manage this once, that he can."

"But Kenshin—"

He easily interrupted her. "I will make it up to him later, that I will."

Incredulous, Kaoru simply shook her head as the stairwell came into view, and they both burst through the door and took off down the stairs two at a time, Sano right on their trail.

"We should lead him outside, that we should," Kenshin stated, raising his voice just enough to be heard above the laughter now echoing and ringing loudly within the stairwell.

"Shit, I doubt Sano closed and locked the door!" Kaoru grumbled under her breath, and Kenshin's worried gaze flicked once over to hers before his mouth firmed in a grim line.

"The gun is small. The ammunition won't last long." A tone of voice she rarely heard from her soft-spoken Kenshin. It was short wording, the sentences clipped. Brow furrowing, Kaoru now understood where some of the rumors about Aoshi and Kenshin were coming from. Perhaps they really had served in the military during some point in their lives…

Huffing, Kaoru pushed those thoughts away. They were unwanted, and she didn't care about what made two of the RAs in her part of the building so mysterious. If they wanted to talk about it, they would. If they didn't… it didn't matter.

"Damn that Sanosuke! If anyone steals anything of mine, he damn well better own up!" She grumbled under her breath, hearing a soft chuckle from her left as they burst though the door on the ground floor and out into the open air, Sano a few simple paces behind them.

"You hear that, Sagara?" Kaoru yelled at the behemoth chasing them. "You are one dead man after this! You know, I think I'll like having the room to myself, what do you say?" She smirked across at Kenshin, leaning forward to whisper, "Why haven't I thought of this before?"

And with Kenshin's light laughter, Kaoru finally gave in to the feeling bubbling forth from her chest and let out her own. Gone was the tainted memory of blood spilling onto the earth. Gone was a boy's ever-smiling face. Gone was the constant worry of whether or not her feelings for Kenshin were as see-through as she stressed about. Only one worry continued to niggle at the back of her mind. One fact of truth this whole situation buffeted her with time and time again.

The fact that she, Kamiya Kaoru, was now supposed to be a boy.

And that fact that she, Kato Kaoru… could not fall for anyone while in such a situation—especially not her RA. For anyone to find out who she was would be suicide. At least, that is what she was told. No one was to know where she was—or what she saw. No one was to know that Kato Kaoru was a girl. For Makoto Shishio had ears everywhere.

Or at least, that is what Private Investigator Hajime Saitou had assured.