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Disclaimer
Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own anything.

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Word Count
2707

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# 4 - D for Dinner

"You were supposed to be here quite a while ago."

Amethyst eyes looked up at the snappiness of her tone.

"I'm sorry." He did sound extremely so. "The meeting ran over time and I hit rush hour."

"You didn't pick up your phone either."

"You called? Oh, I'm sorry; I still had the phone on silent mode…"

"You could have called me."

"True, but…"

"Dinner's all cold." She didn't even wait for his explanation.

He sighed, taking his suit off and untying his tie.

"I'm sorry honey, but really, do you have to pick a fight? I mean, today of all days?"

"It's because it is today that I'm not happy for such a trivial matter. Frankly, I'm surprised you even remember today."

"Oh Kaoru, of course I remember."

There was a moment's silence where he collapsed to the chair across from her at the dining table.

"I can see that you're tired."

"I am." He closed his eyes and she observed him.

Here she finally sighed and slowly stood up from the dining table. Her irritation was suddenly wiped out due to hunger and, of course, the worn out figure of her husband.

Wiping imaginary dust from her fluffy bath robe, she began to collect the plates holding the perfectly beautiful dinner she had just fixed merely hours ago. They were now, as she had commented seconds ago, stone cold.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't miss a beat at the question, instead balancing herself to bring four plates all at once.

"I'm putting these on the microwave."

"You don't have to. I'll always enjoy your cooking, cold or not." He smiled sincerely, a smile he would only show to his wife. A smile that would usually send Kaoru all aflutter. But not today. She gave him a small, slightly sardonic smile.

"Kenshin, this is by far the best dinner I've ever made in my entire life. This is also by far the most energy and effort I've ever put in fixing dinner in my entire being. The least I can do is eat it warm."

Closing the microwave, she was punching in the exact number of minutes she wanted the food to be warmed when she suddenly felt someone standing behind her.

Kenshin placed both his hands on Kaoru's hips, gently pulling her back towards his muscled chest.

"Kaoru, I'm sorry."

Kaoru closed her eyes at the proximity of her husband and breathed in his scent and sighed. She loved him.

"I know, I'm sorry too. I was being inconsiderate myself."

"No, no… let's not start the blame game."

He turned her so that their eyes met. He smiled. He leaned down and was somewhat amused when he realized he caught Kaoru off guard. She probably didn't realize that he was about to kiss her just seconds after they ended their miniscule argument.

He only closed his eyes when their kiss heated up, in order to see into the depths of Kaoru's sapphire eyes as long as possible. Kaoru closed her eyes at the same time Kenshin did.

Just as the two of them were about to become overridden by their emotions and was about to take their make out session to another level, the microwave beeped so loud it was enough to stop the couple.

Panting for breath, Kaoru smiled and pressed her fingers on her husband's moist, slightly swollen lips.

"I want you to try my cooking first."

"I've always tried your cooking. And I've always loved it."

He said it as if he was slightly offended. She laughed, turning around to take out the food and to replace it with another.

"Yes, though I doubt the credibility of your statement since no one else ever seem to think along similar lines as you."

"And I keep on telling you that each person's tasting buds send different signals to their brain. Thus, arguably, their nerves and brains have problems."

"You are so good at making excuses." Kaoru said, giggling slightly, her back leaning against the kitchen's table after she turned the microwave on again.

"You're wrong. I'm not good at making excuses." Kenshin said, kissing her forehead. Kaoru giggled once again.

"No?"

"No. I'm just great at making my wife happy."

"So that's why you're saying all those nonsense about my cooking skills? Just for the sake of making me happy?"

"Of course not. I should have phrased that differently. My whole being is just made to make my wife happy."

"Cheesy, but okay."

"It's not cheesy when you're obviously flushed with joy when I say it."

She rolled her eyes and once again turned around to retrieve the food and replace it with another, amusement clearly present in her sapphire eyes.

"Did you realize you first asked me out over dinner?"

"I did?"

"You forgot? Yeah, you were cooking dinner too. You were still living in that old apartment, with Sano. I can't believe you forgot."

"Oh right! Of course I remember. You said that I cooked my rice too dry."

"I did?"

"You forgot?" He retorted back, smiling. "I was so devastated because I was trying to make the whole evening go the way I planned it and your first comment was, 'Kenshin, your rice is hard'. And you were really snappy about it too. What was I supposed to say to that? You totally shattered my courage and I struggled with myself for the rest of the night, wondering whether I should ask you out or not."

She was amused.

"I can't believe I said that! I mean, I practically couldn't even be in the kitchen without exploding things back then."

"Well, despite that, you were still criticizing my rice."

She laughed. He observed her, smiling. He had sounded so sad, like a child being scolded by his mother.

"Well then, be glad that your skills at cooking rice have improved."

"Wow, that just made my day."

"Easy with the sarcasm, sweetie." Kaoru commented, smiling and making as if to wave off his comment. Kenshin smiled back.

"What sarcasm are you talking about, Kaoru? You really did just make my day."

"Oh, please..." Kaoru said, rolling her sapphire eyes, her amusement barely concealed. Kenshin's smile didn't falter as he changed the topic.

"Speaking of which, I also proposed to you during dinner, right?"

"Yes you did. Shocked me witless, you did."

"You're telling me about how witless you are. I was the one who had to pop up the question."

"Well, you know I was going to say yes anyway."

"Don't say it as if you're commenting on the weather. You were the one who couldn't even look me straight in the eye after our first kiss."

She almost choked on her water, cutting off Kenshin's next explanation. Kaoru interrupted him,

"Why are we bringing up the past anyway?"

"Because you started it. And also, because it's our anniversary."

"Third anniversary, mind you."

"How could I forget?"

She shrugged, picking up her knife and fork and began slicing her steak.

"I still say we should have gone out and celebrate. I feel bad for making you fix all these."

"I still say that going out would be too normal. I mean, all couples do that. Also, it would take too much effort on my part. And you're not just saying that because you don't like what I fixed, are you?"

"You love to dress up. And of course not. How could you even say that? You know I love your cooking. They're the best. I thought we just went over this."

"Kenshin Himura, do you not know your wife? I hate to dress up, I only do so whenever it's necessary. And I know you like my cooking, I was just teasing you."

"But you look so beautiful whenever you dress up. And I know you love it when you feel beautiful. Then again, you look beautiful every day in my eyes."

Kaoru blushed a bit and Kenshin laughed, amused at how much his words could affect the lovely lady before him.

The two went back on to their dinner and was quiet for a few moments. Soon however, Kaoru started shaking with suppressed laughter before she snapped and was laughing so hard, she was crying with mirth. Her husband observed her, his amusement causing him to grin.

"Okay, that whole conversation was so weird. Why did we sound like some rigid couple that grew up in the 19th century?"

"It was weird. But if you think about it, we've always had weird conversations."

"Oh my god, I totally know what you're talking about. Remember our first date?"

"Do I… Kaoru, of course I remember our first date."

"You don't sound too happy about it."

"You, on the other hand, seem to be glowing with delight."

"Oh stop with the frown. It was partly your fault too, you know. You can't blame me for laughing at the memory."

"He was your ex, Kaoru. The ex that took you more than a year to get over with. I was there when you guys ended your relationship and I saw how much you liked him, okay? You were crying your eyes out and eating nothing other than ice creams and chocolates for a fortnight! You technically rejected my first time trying to ask you out because you still had feelings for him. How was I suppose to react when he just suddenly popped up in the middle of our dinner?"

"Yeah, but don't you think that yelling at him and demanding the restaurant to kick him out was just a tiny bit more than necessary? He was there with his parents too, for goodness sakes."

"Are you defending him?"

"What? That's stupid. Of course not."

Kenshin breathed in a sigh of relief, causing Kaoru to stop drinking her water. She then laughed heartily again, causing him to look up from his food.

"What?"

"Oh my god, you're still that insecure about a guy whom I've regard as a friend for the last six years?"

"You're one to talk. You went all white when Tomoe went to my birthday dinner."

Kaoru's amusement evaporated in less than a fraction of a second.

"She's different."

"Oh? How so?"

"You actually invited her and…"

"Correction, Akira invited her."

"Details." Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Doesn't change the fact that she was actually invited. And we all know that she's exceptionally gorgeous that no sane man could refuse her charm."

"Oh, you and your exaggerations. And you do realize that by saying that, you're calling me insane?"

"Okay, even Megumi admitted that she's gorgeous and we all know Megumi. Who else had that fox ever claim to be more beautiful than herself? Only her own grandmother, and that was when the ninety-year-old was young too." Kaoru pointedly ignored Kenshin's latter statement.

"Well, whatever you say." Kenshin narrowed his eyes, as if not believing her. "You know I was the one who ended our relationship, so what are you worrying about?"

"People change their minds all the time."

"But you know I love you." He said that as if it was the solution to everything.

"I was young, hormone-driven, and insecure. Cut me some slack."

Kenshin slowly grinned.

"So you do admit that you were jealous of her."

Kaoru paused her chewing before rolling her eyes and grumbled under her breath something that Kenshin couldn't hear. He caught her in a corner and he knew it. He was more than amused.

"What was that?"

"Oh this is ridiculous. We're married, why are we still acting like a high school couple?"

"Because you love me too much."

"And you don't?"

"Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"

"A good one. One that is necessary to be asked occasionally."

Kenshin paused, chewing on his food. Then,

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

He took a drink of his wine.

"Do you love me?"

Kaoru smirked. Kenshin flustered.

"Of course I do. You're the only man I'll ever consider of calling my husband."

He smiled. She ate her food.

"So how was your day?" He asked. She swallowed her food first before replying.

"I just remember I have a message to tell you. Megumi's telling me to tell you to tell Sano that she's going to move out and send him the divorce papers via snail mail if he does not stop his gambling habits."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow, piercing a mushroom with his fork.

"They're still on that? I don't get it, why doesn't she just tell him herself?"

"Because she's Megumi, and she's just high maintenance like that."

"It's not good for their baby. All that stress is bound to influence it."

"You're not the doctor. Megumi is. Let them be. I mean, it's amusing."

"Kaoru, you're her best friend."

She blinked at him innocently.

"Kenshin, do you not know how Sano and Megumi's marriage work? They thrive on arguments."

Kenshin chuckled and shrugged.

"I still can't picture Sano becoming a father."

"You can't?"

"You mean you can?" Kenshin asked, his turn in blinking innocently at Kaoru. Kaoru shrugged.

"At least he's full of emotions, you know? I can't imagine Aoshi as a father. Of course the paradox is that he is a father, with twins to boot. Misao was one miraculous woman for giving birth to the cutest, most plumpy twins in the world when she herself is so petite."

"Aoshi will be the perfect father when his kids are teenagers. Sano would be the worst. He'll probably let them do whatever they want. He'll probably teach them personally how to drink before his children are legal."

"You've got to be joking." Kaoru replied, but couldn't help holding similar suspicions in the back of her head. "But, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"I don't know. What kind of a father would you be to your teenage kids?"

Kenshin almost choked on his water. Thank god it wasn't wine. Wine leaves a taste when you choked on it.

"Me?"

"I mean, we're talking about all of our friends here. Can you see yourself as being a father?"

Kenshin was about to answer when Kaoru whispered,

"Cause you're about to be one in around seven months."

Kenshin remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, Kaoru observing him with an amused expression.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"What?!"

"I said, you heard me."

"I… what? You mean… Kaoru, are you…?"

Kaoru smiled, amused, at her husband's reactions. She had expected him to be shocked, but to sputter like a toddler was one she did not expect.

"Oh my god…"

Kaoru stood up, starting to clean her dinner. She was done with her food, and from the looks of it, so was her husband, who, at the time being, was still staring at her with his huge, violet eyes.

"Oh my god…"

"Kenshin, if you're done with your food, put the dishes in the sink."

"Oh – my – god! Kaoru, you're pregnant?"

Kaoru, after placing her own dishes in the sink, turned around and was surprised to see Kenshin standing at such a close proximity. She giggled.

"Yes, I a…"

She couldn't finish those three words, because Kenshin had crushed her into his chest, hugging her so tight she swore her breath escaped her without her wanting it to. Then, the next second, Kenshin took hold of both of her shoulders and pushed her so that she was an arms-length away from him, observing her as if she was a porcelain doll.

"Oh my god, I didn't hug you too tight, did I? I didn't hurt the baby…"

"Goodness Kenshin, calm down. Your wife and your baby are stronger than you think, okay?" Kaoru said, chuckling slightly. Kenshin let out a breath of relief, causing Kaoru to chuckle some more.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just found out this morning when I was visiting Megumi. I mean, I guess I could have called you. But I wanted to tell you over dinner."

At that instant, Kenshin looked at her with this look in his eyes, this look that made Kaoru, in that explicit second, knew she was glad at the fact that she was alive.

"I love dinner. That was a good idea." He said, kissing his wife senseless.

Author's Scribbles
This drabble took a lot of effort on my part. In the beginning, I totally didn't know what to write for "D". My first attempt was to make "Doctors" as the theme, but that turned out rather dry and much too long for a one-shot. My second attempt was to make "Dresses" as the theme, but I thought the idea was already abused to near-death and the plot seemed pointless. So I decided to do "Dinner", just because I went over to my cousin's for one and what resulted was the conversation above (with my part of the conversation deleted, of course). It was rather weird though, my cousin telling her husband that she's pregnant right in front of her baby cousin (my twenty-year-old self), and her husband kissing the life out of her. It really made me all warm and happy inside, though I was pretty much ignored for the rest of the night (which I totally understand... it was sort of awkward after that).

Anyway, how did you like it? This was a pretty fast update, congratulate me! Haha, with no intention of being demanding, I appreciate all of your reviews. Thanks for all of them! Oh, and I also do accept suggestions. Currently the letter "E" is already on the making, but feel free to tell me what you think would be interesting for other letters. If I think I can go along with your idea, I would totally do that, and give you credit. Lol!

Oh, oh, oh, for those of you who read (or used to read) my other story, Long Vacation, be warned that an update will most probably show itself pretty soon (one to two weeks time). Yes, we can all rejoice and scream "finally Prohibited is getting off her lazy ass and decided to continue the damn story". Joy.

-prohibited-