AUTHOR'S NOTE: ONE SHOT! I wrote this fan fiction about two or three years ago.

I just did some new arrangements and here! I hope you like it.

Please do review. It means a lot to me.

I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, I'm just an avid fan of this awesome anime!

It was a silent afternoon at the Kamiya Dojo. Yahiko Myojin was out to help Tae and Tsubame in Akabeko and also, Sanosuke Sagara was out gambling, Kenshin Himura was doing the laundry and Kaoru Kamiya was training herself at the dojo.

While doing the laundry, Kenshin can hear Kaoru's energetic 'HA!' while swinging her bokken. Then he heard her stopped. Kenshin was also done doing his chore.

"Kaoru-dono's training must be over, that it is." Kenshin mumbled to himself.

Kenshin got up and carried a basin full of washed clothes. He hanged it on the clothesline. After hanging all the clothes, he saw a towel hanged at the corner, it was dry and clean. 'Kaoru-dono must've been forgotten to bring it with her.' He thought to himself. Kenshin then took the towel.

Meanwhile at the Dojo, Kaoru laid herself at the wooden floor, panting and sweating.

"Mou! I'm so tired. I wonder if Kenshin's already done doing the laundry." She gasped.

'Kenshin….' Kaoru paused.

Kaoru-dono… Kaoru-dono… Kaoru-dono…

"Ahhhh!" Kaoru groaned, getting up and sat in an Indian seat. "He always says my name with dono! I should tell him that he'll stop calling me that. Just Kaoru!"

"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin suddenly called her upon entering the dojo.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes. 'Kaoru-dono again. '

Kenshin noticed her narrowed eyes. "Looks like I bothered you Kaoru-dono. Maybe I'll just—"

"Ah, ah… no no, not at all. I'm just tired." Kaoru smiled but a bit pissed inside. 'Again.'

Kenshin walked towards Kaoru and gave her the towel. "Here Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru took the towel. "Thank you Kenshin."

'Mou, again!'

Kenshin smiled as a response. "I should make our supper then Kaoru-dono." Kenshin turned and was about to leave when Kaoru called him in almost a murmur.

"Kenshin."

Kenshin turned towards her. "Kaoru-dono?"

'Again and again!'

Kaoru faced the floor. "Um…"

Kenshin walked closer to Kaoru to clearly listen on what she was about to say. Kaoru was hesitating whether to continue or not, but instead she continued in a soft voice.

"I- I… I want you to stop calling me Kaoru-dono. J-just call me with only my name, Kaoru."

"Oro?" Kenshin wondered.

Kaoru was still facing the floor. She could feel shades of red in her cheeks. She could feel Kenshin was looking at her directly. Her heart was pounding so fast. She didn't expected that telling him could not be this easy. Her bangs were covering her eyes, afraid to meet his gaze. Kenshin kneeled in front of her.

"Why?" Kenshin suddenly asked.

Kaoru felt his breath through her bangs. Her cheeks were redder than before .

"It's… it's because, I-I felt like an o-old woman… t-that's it! Hehe." Kaoru replied nervously.

"But, that's my sign of respect." Kenshin said.

"I-I know! But y-you're not a stranger to me anymore. So just… just drop the dono!"

Kenshin suddenly touched Kaoru's chin and lifted it high facing him. Blue sapphire meets— no, not entirely amethyst but amethyst and sparkling amber mixed in it. Kaoru was almost burning.

"You're blushing." Kenshin commented. His voice was already rough and husky.

'That voice… it can't be… B-Battousai?' Kaoru pondered with eyes widened.

Suddenly, Kenshin leaned forward. Kaoru shut her eyes. 'No… it can't be!'

Kenshin reached for her ear. "How about," he whispered.

Kaoru opened her eyes wide. Kenshin continued.

"Kaoru-chan?"

Kaoru burned completely. She raised her fist and smacked Kenshin. He was blown outside the dojo.

"KENSHIN YOU IDIOT!"

"Ooooorrrrrroooooo!" Poor Kenshin can only say.

Kenshin was bumped to a tree with twirl eyes and still saying 'Oro'.

Kaoru was embarrassed on what she did. She ran to her room and shut the shoji screen. 'Gomen, Kenshin…'

Night came, Kenshin, Yahiko, and Kaoru were having dinner. Yahiko noticed the strange silence.

"Hey, did something happen?" You two are so quiet!" Yahiko complained after they were done eating.

"Sano noticed it too." He continued.

Flashback:

"Tadaima!" Yahiko said upon entering the Kamiya residence.

Yahiko already came home from Akabeko with Sanosuke who he met at the road. They noticed Kaoru sitting on the porch that seemed to be deep in thoughts.

"Jou-chan! Where's Kenshin?" Sanosuke asked her.

"P-probably at the kitchen!" Kaoru suddenly stood up and entered inside her room.

"Eh?" Sanosuke wondered at Kaoru's act.

Yahiko ran towards the kitchen. Sanosuke followed.

"Kenshin what's for dinner?" Yahiko asked.

Kenshin, who was preparing their dinner, looked at Yahiko and then to Sanosuke. "Oh Yahiko... Nothing new actually." Kenshin smiled.

Sanosuke sensed that Kenshin was only forcing himself to smile. Kenshin noticed Sanosuke at the kitchen entranced.

"Sano, the dinner is ready in just few minutes." Kenshin informed him.

"I'm off." Sanosuke said making his exit.

"Oro? You're not going to eat dinner here then?" Kenshin asked.

"No, I'm going to meet Katsu tonight. Ja!" Sanosuke turned away and waved.

"Does Sano have a problem?" Kenshin asked.

"It can't be. Though he lose in gambling, he's even excited to eat dinner here."

"Oro?" Kenshin wondered.

"Hmmmm…" Yahiko ran to catch up with Sanosuke.

"Hey Sano!" Yahiko called up to him.

Sanosuke stopped at the gateway. "Nani?"

"What's the matter?" Yahiko asked.

"I hate the strange atmosphere inside." Sanosuke replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Yahiko asked curiously.

"I noticed that Kenshin and Jou-chan were not okay." Sanosuke answered.

"I don't understand". Yahiko said, tilting his head.

Sanosuke sighed. "Of course a brat like you can't understand!"

Yahiko was pissed. "Why you—" Sanosuke cut him off.

"I'll be coming back here when everything's back to normal. Ja!" Sanosuke turned and walked away.

~end of flashback~

"I'll leave you two here. No one can solve your problem unless if you both talked about it." Yahiko stood up and walked away.

When there were no footsteps that can be heard, Kaoru got up and was about to walked out when Kenshin called her.

"Kaoru-dono."

'Not again.' Kaoru pondered. She stopped on her tracks.

Kenshin stood up and went outside. Then he sat on the porch. Kenshin turned to Kaoru and signaled her to sit beside him. Kaoru's heart beats faster. She sat beside him.

Kenshin looked above the night sky that full of stars. "What a beautiful night it is, isn't it?" Kenshin smiled then glimpsed at Kaoru who's beside him, silent and just looking on the ground. He looked back above the night sky.

"So, you want me to drop the dono and I'll just call you by your name then?" Kenshin asked and then turned at Kaoru.

Kaoru turned at him and their eyes met. They're just about inches closed to each other. Kaoru blushed and looked back on the ground. "S-sorry about earlier…" She apologized.

"That's nothing. I shouldn't have called you that." Kenshin replied.

Kaoru remembered the word came out from Kenshin's mouth.

'Kaoru-chan'

Kaoru shrugged, her cheeks were again on fire.

"Well?"

Kenshin was waiting for her answer.

Kaoru remembered what happened at the dojo again. She stood up, apparently shouting in embarrassment.

"J-just call me whatever you want!" Kaoru paused upon remembering the words Kenshin uttered." She nonplussed. "I-I mean 'Kaoru-dono', yeah… I don't mind anymore! Fine! I… I need to go to bed, goodnight!"

Before Kenshin could response, Kaoru ran towards her room. Kenshin smirked. 'She's so cute when she blushes.'

"Oyasumi…" Kenshin said looking at the direction where Kaoru walked out.

Then Kenshin looked above the night sky once again. A comet flashed across the evening sky then he added…

"Kaoru."

I didn't add up the 'de guzaro' on the last part of Kenshin's dialogues 'cause it'll be a mess. Sorry for that.

So, do you like it? (^_^) or it sucks? (T_T)

Don't forget to review!

XoXo