Author's Note: Not much longer in time after the previous drabble.

Kaoru's POV.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

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Title: An Unusual Reaction, Pt. 6
Rating: PG
Words: 614
Request from: Rayvn
Request: RK drabble. KK pairing.

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Kaoru leaned forward, placed her elbows on the lab counter and formed a box with her pointer and thumb finger from each hand. While squinting one eye, she peered through the hole imposed by her fingers and smirked.

"This image looks familiar," she stated.

From the front of the room, Kenshin turned and shook his head with exasperation. Raising the hand which held a long piece of chalk, he pointed at her, and replied, "I'm only here to help you."

"Nu-uh. You, my dear, are here to spy on me," she replied with an upraised brow as she lowered her hands and laid them flat on the counter's cool surface.

He turned his back to her again and commenced the task of writing on the chalkboard. "I'm helping," he muttered with belligerence.

"Is it because I'm suddenly incapable of writing my name and the section number of the lab on the board?" Kaoru teased, taking delight in the sudden stiffening of his shoulders, his writing now slightly jerky.

"I am just - "

" – helping," she finished. Kaoru continued to watch him as he wrote, admiring the familiarity of his messy scrawl, and thinking she might have to re-write it after he leaves so the students will have a better idea of what the words on the board actually are. Having previously been subjected to his sloppy writing as an undergrad, she didn't want to have to torment innocent students with the misfortune of deciphering it. But, she'd let him continue since he seemed so adamant about it at the moment. Maybe she'd only have to fix a few words. He was trying his best to write somewhat neatly – it didn't help that she continued to irritate him.

With a smile, Kaoru said, "Are you planning on staying during the lab period, or are you going to let me teach alone?" She could hear his long sigh from where she sat, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"You know my lunch break is up in ten minutes. I'll be out of your hair in just a second, Miss Kamiya," he retorted, placing the chalk onto the chalkboard base. As he wiped his hands together to remove lingering traces of the chalk, he glanced at her and quirked a brow as she motioned him over to her with her hand. Kenshin walked towards her almost warily, his lips curved to the side with suspicion.

When he stopped in front of her, she reached up and tightened the top of his tie, straightening the two lower halves, and then smoothing them against his shirt. "You help me – I help you," she murmured as explanation.

He was silent for a moment, his eyes on hers, before asking, "Still on for dinner tonight?"

Kaoru nodded her head, her lips quirked. "When we meet, I'll have a report written for you on how lab went. How long do you want it to be? Two, three pages? If you give me time, it'll be typed."

He stared at her for moment, his expression flat. His lips twitched. "I am leaving," he replied, reaching past her to grab his jacket off the top of the counter. Kaoru could hear the smile in his voice as he continued, "Enjoy yourself."

"Might be a life-changing experience, huh," Kaoru joked as she watched him pause in the doorway.

He gave her a pointed stare. "Could be."

When he was gone, she turned her gaze to the board, leaned back in the chair, and crossed her arms over her chest. With additional thought, maybe she would leave Kenshin's handiwork on the board just this once. It'd be a shame to erase it.