Quick grabble. It's been sooo long but I haven't forgotten . Sorry for grammar.

Kaoru smiled widely at the couple in front of widely. The kind of wide that hid her true emotions from the world and most importantly, from the people she wanted to spare. There was no way she would ever tell them of her sadness and envy.
Kenshin laughed at something Tomoe had said and she looked genuinely happy.

"Are you all right?" Aoshi's voice pulled her attention from the couple. Turning, she let the smile drop.

"Not really but it's fine." She answered lowly, so that Kenshin wouldn't hear. There was no point in revealing anything to him now.

"You can always leave. That would be the best for you."

"I can't do it without drawing attention and that's precisely what I don't want." She explained. If anyone was aware of her inner turmoil, it was Aoshi. Her brother had stayed with her when she cried herself to sleep at night, cursing her own stupidity and cowardice. It would have been her laughing there if she had been less afraid of her feelings.

"Don't think he doesn't nag me about you." Aoshi told her. "You can't pass his notice that easily."

"Tell him it's none of his concern now.I'm paying for my stupidity but he doesn't make it easy by his questioning."

"He doesn't have to make it easy." The man was brutally honest, though she knew that he wanted the best for her. She appreciated it. Aoshi was one of the few people who didn't sugarcoat things for comfort even if she was down. That attitude helped her get up faster after failures even if he seemed cruel to outsiders.

Kenshin looked back at the siblings, noticing their withdrawal. They seemed to have a serious conversation from the way Aoshi was holding himself. He may had an expressionless face but his body language gave him away.

"You two, don't close us out! It's rude, you know." He called to them. Tomoe elbowed him lightly but he only shrugged. She had to get used to the bickering between him and Kaoru eventually.

"No ruder than smooching when you have company with you." Kaoru returned.

"You're only upset because you miss sex."

Kaoru snorted at that. "What do you know about it? Tomoe, I think you should get him occupied more often. That way, he won't have time to brag about my sex-life." She looked at the woman by Kenshin and felt a little sorry for her. Tomoe knew nothing of their previous encounters and it was better that way. She liked the quiet woman and didn't want to have any hard feelings between them.

Much to their surprise, Tomoe chuckled and winked at the other girl. "I'll see what I can do"

"Get a magnifying glass then." Kaoru smirked at them.

Aoshi poked at her side in warning, before she would get out of had the tendency to become offensive when feeling threatened. Taking a deep breath, Kaoru decided that she had had enough of jabbing for the day and looked at Aoshi, silently sending him the message.

"I'll leave you alone now, kids. I still have some work to do."

"At five in the afternoon?" Kenshin raised a dubious eyebrow at her. It was hard to believe that she had to go back at work so late.

"Don't be so surprised! Usually you're the one who can't quit, martyr."

"Not all of us have such loving fathers, you know."Kenshin called on his favourite topic. Kaoru knew his relationship with his father was hardly a loving one but she thought it was high time for him to move on.

"Grow up, Kenshin. Just because you didn't have a childhood, you can't blame others. It's unfair." she snickered. It was a low blow, she knew and heard Tomoe sucking in her breath at her blunt provocation but Kenshin didn't look offended.

"I'm just pointing the obvious."

"And I don't have to listen to your braggings. See you!" Kaoru turned on her heel and left the park in a hurry.

They didn't see how quickly her smile faded, giving space to a grimace at her own foolishness. Despite her feelings she really wanted the friendship between them to stay how it had been before they got involved. She missed their conversations and the harmless teasings which had changed to hurtful remarks on both part. Still, every time she tried to avoid the mocking he said something that made her go defensive, and as such, the insults were flying once again. She was starting to see that there was no other way for them and that hurt.

Work being a lie, she had nothing to do. Wandering around in the town seemed like a good idea. Watching people was her favourite way to spend her time if overthinking threatened her and so, she made her way to the trainstation. It was maybe a cliché but that place offered many opportunity to see strange people. She liked to see how families greeted each other or the relief some had on their faces at arriving, tired from the journey. Sometimes she had laughed at skillful slackers, discovered and chased around by the policemen. Indeed, the train station was a good place if one wanted to live another's life for an hour, and forgetting her own problems.

"I knew that you would come here." Aoshi took the seat next to hers casually. "How are you?"

"Not good." She sighed. "Sorry if I ruined the mood at the park."

"You didn't, not the way you think. Kenshin wanted to come after you too but I convinced him not to."

"Thanks. Making a fool of myself once a day is enough."

"You are not fool just love-sick. It's different."

Kaoru peeked up at her brother. He hadn't been an expert in relationships until a few months ago but she liked the changes in him. "Misao does you good."

"I think so, too."

"At least one of us have a chance at love."

"I was afraid at the beginning, you know. You have to fight your insecurities, Kaoru. It's still not too late." The dark man advised,well aware of what his sister was going through. He would have been in the same situation if his stubborn girlfriend hadn't opened his eyes. Thank God, she had.

"Isn't it? They seem happy. Besides, I'm not insecure. Just sceptic."

"Same thing, in this case."

Kaoru inhaled, then closed her eyes. She loved Aoshi dearly but at times like these, she really wanted to send him to a warmer place. Even knowing that later she was going to be grateful for his words. She wished for later.

"Can we skip my psychological inquiry for today? I would just take your words to heart right now instead of thinking them over." She asked tiredly.

Aoshi nodded silently, giving her the space she needed. They watched the mass of people flowing around, trying to guess who they were and where they were going and Kaoru could really relax for the first time in hours.

She noticed a younger girl being helped out by a boy and from the blush on their faces, she had a very good idea of what they were experiencing. They reminded her of Kenshin and herself when there had been no walls between them.
Watching the pair walk away, she wished them more courage than she had.

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