A/N: And the first thing I thought of for this prompt was the British exclamation, "Brilliant!" Moving right along...
2.) Brilliant (For the rk_challenge on LJ)
Word Count: 200 (first official drouble, thanks much!)
Shopping Buddy
He had never seen anything so blinding brilliant as the smile Jou-chan had flashed his direction that morning. Kenshin was out doing heaven-knows-what and Yahiko was at work at the Akebeko. Sanosuke hadn't known that or he might not have dropped in right then for something of a free meal.
No, he still would have.
He found Jou-chan puttering about the kitchen cleaning and putting away dishes. She was alternating between nervous fidgeting and raw temper in her conversation. This was a bizarre combination of emotions to Sano, but not all that peculiar coming from Kaoru. She fed him left overs all the same and in return he stood in the doorway while she cleaned with a cup of warm tea in his hands and his ear and shoulder available for the younger woman to rant on.
Her nervous and upset behavior became clear enough when the kendo instructor flung down her dish towel and blurted, "Kenshin's birthday is coming up and I don't know what to get him!"
Sano puzzled over this before eventually sending the younger woman a lopsided smile and offered the only thing he could, "I'll go shopping with you then, if you'd like."