Chapter 2: The next day.

The next morning as the sun poked its glowing face over the horizon, Karou awoke and began her search for her boarder so he could prepare some breakfast. "Kenshin?" Karou called as she poked her head in the kitchen. Seeing nobody there, she huffed in annoyance, "Muu!" before heading off the check the rest of the house.

"Kenshiiiiin....Kenshin where are you!" Karou called as she walked through the entire household and then the doujou while in search of her errant friend. "Muu," she cursed in frustration when here was nowhere to be found. Taking a deep breath, Karou decided to call a little bit louder and bellowed at the top of her lungs, "KENSHIN! WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU!"

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Out back, contentedly washing the laundry and minding his own business was one Kenshin Himura. The roruni was lost in his thoughts about Karou's sweet lips and the way she moved when in the midst of battle. Kenshin blushed at the memory of Karou's rosy cheeks flushed with excitement as she swung her boken down to connect with her attackers head. Just the sight of her in action made his and the Battousai's desire to claim her for his own, stronger. So, he didn't hear Karou calling him for the first few minutes. But, he finally heard her when she bellowed his name, "KENSHIIIIIIIIINNNNNN!!!!"

"Orooooooo!" he yelped, throwing up his arms in surprise and falling over backwards to land on his rear. The hakama that he had been washing, flew up into the air for a breif moment and then landed wetly, on his head.

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Hearing a faint exclamation of surprise, Karou smiled before heading outside. Rounding the corner, she stopped suddenly at the sight of Kenshin sitting in a giant mud puddle, the wash tub spilled over and what looked like a soaking wet hakama covering his head. "K...kenshin?" Karou snickered quietly and tried to hold in her laughter. Her control left her when she noticed that Kenshin was having trouble getting back up due to the slippery mud and she giggled. Moving forward to help his stand, Karou tried to surpress her gigles, but they errupted when Kenshin's foot slipped again and he landed on his rear with a loud splat. It was the expression of surprise on his face that finally broke her hard won control and she broke out laughing hysterically."Hahahahahahahaha......K-Kenshin......d-did I....s-startle you?" Karou stuttered out while gently removing the soaking wet article of clothing from his head.

"Oro!" Kenshin exclaimed once more as the hakama was suddenly removed from his head. Blinking rapidly to clear his eyes of the soapy water, Kenshin's eyes finally focused on a rosy checked Karou who was currently grinning down at him with sparkling eyes filled with laughter. "K...Karou-dono? I did not hear you coming. That I did not." Kenshin replied with a flush of embarrassment.

"Yes. I see that I managed to startle you," Karou replied before a giggle escaped her lips. "I have to admit that when I manage to do that you're usually deep in thought." Cocking her head to the right, Karou smiled sweetly before a devilish glint entered her eyes. "What were you thinking about Kenshin?"

"Oro," Kenshin squeaked out as his cheeks flushed a bright red. He remembered that he had been thinking about Karou's body before she had startled him. Kenshin knew that he couldn't tell her that so he tried to think of something else to say before she got suspicious."Sessha was thinking about yesterday. That I was." Kenshin managed to cover himself before she started asking more questions. "Why was Karou-dono being followed?"

Reaching out a helping hand, Karou steadied Kenshin as he got to his feet and nervously replied, "I don't know. Maybe it was someone who's after you through me. I mean, It wouldn't be the first time."

Frowning at the sudden spike in her ki, Kenshin tried to decipher its meaning but was distracted by Karou's soft hand that he was still holding. Flushing in embarrassment, Kenshin tried to force himself to let go, but he somehow managed to grip her hand tighter. His eyes flashed amber for a split second as his alternate personality arose; suppressed needs raced through his body and he fought it even as he pulled her closer and unconsciously brushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes. "Then, I will stay by your side, Karou." He said, unconsciously leaving off the honorific as his assassin half mixed with the Rurouni half and all of his desires merged for a brief second before he managed to pull himself together. Clearing his throat, Kenshin took a step back and asked, "Why were you looking for Sessha, Karou-dono?"

Flushing in embarrassment, Karou took a step back and managed to stammer out her reply, "Um...i-it's time for breakfast, Kenshin. Also, after we eat, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to....ummm...." Blushing furiously, Karou tried to work up the courage to ask Kenshin if he'd like to go out with her.

"Yes, Karou-dono. Sessha will join you to go see that play you wanted to see, " Kenshin replied with a cheerful smile as he somehow figured out why she had suddenly become so shy. It wasn't very hard to guess what she was trying to ask him since Karou had been throwing hints at him for the past five days.

With a squeal of delight, Karou suddenly threw her arms around his neck and impulsively kissed him on his cheek and yelled, "Yatta!" Before, dashing off to her room to change into her new Kimono.

Eyes wide in surprised pleasure, Kenshin smiled wistfully while covering his cheek with one hand and sighed, "Karou...."