Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is copyrighted to its respected owners, of which I am not one. No copyright infringement intended.

Warnings: Modern AU. Rated for violence and some adult situations in later chapters.

co·op·er·a·tion | \ (ˌ)kō-ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shən

1. an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action

2. the association of persons or businesses for common, usually economic, benefit

Chapter 7: But That's a Good Thing, Right?

Kaoru awoke abruptly and stared at the ceiling, wondering why she thought the couch would be the best place to sleep. Despite her short stature, she didn't fit comfortably on the sofa and the springs dug into her back. It almost hurt to swallow because her mouth felt like someone had stuffed it full of wool and cotton blend. And someone had to be using her head as an anvil because her temples wouldn't stop throbbing rhythmically. The slightest bit of movement brought a fresh wave of nausea and knifing pain all over her head. Her brain hurt. What the hell happened last night? Wasn't she just planning on a movie and Chinese food?

When she finally mustered up enough courage and energy, Kaoru eased herself up into a sitting position, moaning as the world spun in dizzying jerks that only intensified the nausea. Taking long, slow, deep breaths to ease back the desire to hug the toilet, she waited for the vertigo to subside. It took a few minutes before she felt well enough to look around.

Everything seemed in place and her table was clear except for a cup of water. Then a memory intruded of Hiko suddenly appearing at her door with food and sake. Alcohol. Kaoru sighed. "Still an amateur with the drinking," she muttered to herself, wincing as her voice echoed in her ears. Bits of other recollections started to fill in some of the blanks of the previous evening and she grimaced as she remembered some of her less-than-finessed moments of behavior and words.

Kaoru then realized there were a couple of pills next to the water on the table. Summoning every inch of strength, she stood and wobbled to the table where Kaoru took the aspirin and gulped down all the water. Hiko must have cleaned up the food and left the medicine there, knowing how much she'd hurt in the morning because of her lightweight tolerance. "Why didn't he stop me?" she moaned. He knew she didn't drink.

But she couldn't blame him. Kaoru was an adult and she'd made the decision to go beyond her usual limit. There was nothing to be done about it now. Slowly, gingerly, she eased her way to her bedroom to take a long, hot shower. Between the pills and the heat, she hoped it would sober her up.

The scalding hot water did help clear her head and the aspirin kicked in around the same time, dissipating most of the head fog. The nausea also eased enough to let her breath normally without thinking she was going to toss her crackers. Starting to feel more like herself, Kaoru slipped on a pair of athletic shorts, a sports bra, and a tank top before heading back to her kitchen for some more water.

As she finished rinsing her cup out, she heard a brisk knock on her door and her eyebrows rose. It was probably Hiko to check up on her and make sure she survived her hangover. She went to open it, saying, "I'm alive, thanks for the-" The rest of her words died as she realized who it was.

Himura stood there, jaw slightly agape as he took in her skimpy appearance. Kaoru almost shrieked but a strangled noise that sounded like a frog croaking in agony came out instead. "What are you doing here?" she demanded when she finally found her voice. "How did you know where I lived?"

"I-uh…" Himura shook his head hard and cleared his throat. "You were late for our lesson and I got worried. Shishou texted me your address so I could check on you."

"Late?" Kaoru repeated incredulously and whipped her head around to look at her clock. It was a move she immediately regretted as her vertigo returned in full force so she clutched the door handle to ride out the dizziness. When the world finally righted itself, she focused at the time. Sure enough, it showed twelve-twenty on the face.

Groaning, Kaoru covered her face with her hands. That would absolutely be the last time she drank. Ever.

"Er, Kamiya-san, are you okay?"

She sighed heavily and moved aside. "You might as well come in." She'd deal with Hiko giving out her address later.

Himura hesitated before entering the apartment. He took off his shoes, revealing lavender socks that matched his shirt and somehow didn't clash with his hair. That seemed completely unfair but then again, everything about this day so far seemed unfair. Kaoru closed the door behind him and headed towards the kitchen. "Tea?" she asked without looking back.

"That sounds great. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." It was easier to talk if she didn't look at him, so Kaoru bustled around, trying to keep busy. But then she caught a glimpse of red and realized Himura decided to hover just inside the kitchen, watching her. "Uh, you can have a seat on the couch."

"I'll stand, thanks. Can I ask what happened?"

Why wouldn't he give her a break? Why did he have to question her when she was so embarrassed and still slightly hung over? It would serve him right if she threw up on his lavender clad feet. But despite her grumpy thoughts, she knew, as a paying client, he deserved to hear something. Maybe not the entire truth, though. She had a reputation to maintain, after all.

So she spared him a brief glance as she pulled out two cups. Not the tea cups, but two mismatched mugs because she was annoyed. "I'm sorry about missing the lesson. Something came up last night and I didn't set my alarm so I overslept. Your secretary can let me know when we can schedule a makeup class."

"Of course, but I'm not worried about that. This is the first time you weren't at the dojo. Even Shinomori seemed a little concerned, though he wouldn't tell me where you lived."

Good, Kaoru thought fiercely, glad that at least one of her friends didn't make it a habit to tell personal information to her students. But the mention of Aoshi reminded her to check her phone. Finding it on the counter in her previously aborted effort to order Chinese food, she realized there were six missed calls and numerous texts from Aoshi, and one message from Hiko. She checked that one first.

Baka Deshi is going over. Don't break him, he needs to have his head on straight to close a deal tonight

Kaoru snorted and dropped her phone on the counter. Then she thought it over and picked it back up to text Aoshi that she was fine and would be at the dojo in a bit. Hearing the whistle, she turned back in time to see Himura turning off the stove and picking up the kettle to pour the water into the teapot. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

He barely glanced at her. "You looked busy so I'm getting the tea ready. From your expression, I take it Shishou told you I was coming?"

"Had I read it in time, I wouldn't have opened the door for you," she muttered uncharitably.

Instead of looking offended, Himura grinned at her. "I wouldn't have expected anything less, Kamiya-san. Why don't you sit down and I'll bring the tea out? It's not a good idea to keep moving around when you're still recovering from a hangover."

Once again, his observational skills astounded her. How did he know? She opened her mouth to protest or yell at his high-handedness or something, but then she shut it and went out to her little table without a word. If he wanted to be helpful and do all the work, fine. The dizziness was starting to come back anyway.

Hearing him open some cabinets, hunting for something, Kaoru wondered how things had progressed to where her student was now acquainting himself with her kitchen while she nursed an aching head. On top of that, she had actually overslept and missed teaching a lesson and he was being rather understanding about it. Why couldn't he be the cold, jerk CEO she had met for lunch a couple of weeks ago? Then it would be much easier to know where he stood and how she should react. But with him acting all solicitous and thoughtful, nothing made sense.

She crossed her arms on the table and put her head atop them. More noises came from the kitchen but she ignored the sound in hopes of trying to come to terms with all the upheaval in her life. Why couldn't things just stay the same? Why did everything have to change all at once?

Tears pricked her eyes but Kaoru blinked them back before they could fall. This was not the time to break down, not with a guest - or whatever he was - making a racket in her kitchen. If she had the energy or enough curiosity, she would take a look at what he was doing, but for now, Kaoru was grateful that Himura was busy.

She might have dozed, jerking awake only when dishes gently rattled right by her head. Looking up, Kaoru realized Himura had brought over not only the tea, but apparently some ramen she didn't remember having in some dark recesses of her cupboard. "Huh?" she said with all the intelligence she could muster.

"Food will help you feel better. There wasn't much in your refrigerator so I had to make do with what you had. Sit up and eat."

Kaoru slowly dropped her arms from the table and stared at the steaming bowl of ramen, the tea, and some cold water, before turning her gaze back to Himura. "Th-thanks," she replied hesitantly.

He smiled back. "My pleasure. Next time, I'll make you something healthier. Start eating, you'll feel better with something in your stomach."

The next time? she wondered but dutifully picked up the chopsticks. "Are you having some too?" she asked, finally remembering her manners. It was lunch time and he at least deserved some ramen after making it.

"Mine's in the kitchen. I just wanted you to get yours first."

"Itadakimasu," Kaoru murmured and began to eat. Himura disappeared into the kitchen and returned, holding a similar bowl of noodles. Sitting across from her, he murmured the same thanks and started eating.

The first bite of food shocked her. The ramen wasn't too salty or too diluted. She tasted the rich pork flavor and the noodles were just the right consistency of chewy. How did someone make packaged ramen taste good?

Kaoru felt strange as she slurped up the noodles, and it wasn't the result of too much sake from last night. Trying to pinpoint the source of the weird feeling, she glanced at her eating companion who ate with his usual gusto. This was the third meal they shared together in as many weeks and that alone was odd enough.

As she fished for the last of the noodles, it finally struck Kaoru as to why she felt off-kilter. It was because Himura had cooked for her. The last time anyone had done so was her father four years ago. He had made her dinner while she was on break from university, both of them not knowing that would be the last time. And even if Koshijirou hadn't been the best of cooks, it was the effort and love he poured into it that she remembered most.

Setting her chopsticks down, she struggled to reign in a tide of emotions welling up within her. It wasn't just that someone cooked for her, Kaoru realized further. It was that someone demonstrated they cared for her. Himura had been concerned enough to ask his master for her address to check on her, knowing she wasn't one to be late. But why would he trouble himself about her so much? She was usually so rude to him, even though sometimes he deserved it.

"Kamiya-san? Is everything okay?"

His worried tone broke into her thoughts and she jerked her eyes to him. The violet hue of his pupils looked particularly beautiful today and her memory flashed back to what she had said to Hiko about Himura's eyes. Kaoru flushed a deep red and covered her face with her hands. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her drunken words and how she managed to find herself in this awkward situation.

"Kamiya-san?"

The alarm in his tone forced her to calm down the surge of conflicting emotions. "I'm okay," she managed to say, peeling her hands from her face. "It's just…well, there's a lot going on in my life right now and I'm probably going crazy."

Himura searched her face for several long seconds before his shoulders relaxed. "You're not going crazy," he assured her. "You're just stressed and trying to deal with it as best you can. Just remember to be nice to yourself while you're working things out." He paused, then asked, "Is that why you ended up drinking with Shishou last night?"

Was there anything the man didn't know? Did Hiko-san tell him? "No, that was unexpected," Kaoru sighed. "I don't drink often and we really didn't have that much. I bet Hiko-san was barely fazed."

"He didn't look inebriated at all," Himura admitted. "I happened to see him when he got home last night."

She furrowed her brows at the unusual comment. "Home? You mean you two live together?"

Himura grimaced. "On opposite ends of the house. We rarely cross paths and our schedules are normally such that we hardly see each other."

Kaoru shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around this stunning revelation. Hiko and Himura shared a house! What did that mean? What other shocking news was she going to hear from his lips?

Was Hiko privy to his plans to get her land?

"He didn't know anything." When she whipped him a questioning glare, Himura clarified himself. "You had a look of betrayal in your eyes. But Shishou didn't know about my plans to try to buy the dojo land. The same day after our business lunch, he came home and told me to stop pursuing your land. Well, he added in a few extra words of discouragement, but that was the gist of it. That's when I decided I had to meet you in your natural habitat and see how you managed to convince my own mentor to speak on your behalf. He rarely gets involved in my business, but when he does, I know I need to listen."

She stared at him and he gazed back at her directly in the eyes. His body language and her instincts told her Himura was telling the truth and she eventually relaxed. "Thank you for telling me that," she murmured.

"Shishou doesn't enjoy spending time with most people. I couldn't have one of the very few people who can deal with his mannerisms think ill of him, even if it means you're thinking ill of me."

Sighing again, Kaoru cast her gaze down on the table. "You're right, I've had suspicions about why you wanted to take kendo lessons from me," she admitted. "I wasn't being the best teacher I could be. I'm sorry."

"And now?"

She turned her eyes back at him, noticing how soft and gentle his eyes were. It was as if they were forging a different kind of relationship other than student and teacher, and she didn't know if she liked it or not. "And now I trust you just want lessons."

Himura studied her for a long second before his lips tilted into a slight smile. "Well, maybe not just lessons anymore," he murmured without breaking their gaze.

Her jaw dropped open but before she could demand an explanation, someone pounded on the door. "Kaoru!"

Whipping her head towards her front door, she groaned at the resulting dizziness. The last thing she needed was yet another visitor to her apartment. Was there some sort of 'just drop in' sign outside?

"Kaoru, open the door right now."

She rubbed her temples to ease the discomfort and saw Himura grinning from the corner of her eye. Glaring at him, Kaoru was satisfied to see him immediately rearrange his expression into a more appropriate look. Standing up, she obeyed Aoshi's loud command and pulled the door open. "What?" she snapped.

Aoshi quickly scanned her and then his eyes swerved behind her. Kaoru glanced back too, and realized Himura was quietly stacking the dishes to take back to the kitchen. "You weren't answering your phone," he finally said. "I thought something had happened."

Snorting, she retorted, "Kendo 4th dan and you personally trained me in kempo, remember? And why didn't you just use the key I gave you if you were so concerned?"

He blinked several times as if the thought had never occurred to him. His brows furrowed. "I forgot it at the dojo."

Kaoru stared at him for several seconds and then burst out laughing. It wasn't actually that funny but the flummoxed expression on Aoshi's face was both unexpected and unusual to witness. And really, she just needed a light-hearted moment. She stepped aside to let her friend in and peered outside in case anyone else wanted to take advantage of the 'drop in' notice. Seeing no one, Kaoru shut the door behind him and turned to face his disapproval.

Aoshi directed his glare towards the table. "Were you eating? Did you cook?"

"Um, no. Himura-san did, to help with my hangover. I had a few drinks with Hiko-san last night."

He muttered something under his breath that sounded uncomplimentary so she didn't ask him to repeat it. "Hiko-san should have known better."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Considering I'm an adult and made my own choice to drink, I don't think it's right to blame Hiko-san."

Not bothering to reply to her very logical comment, Aoshi stepped over to peer into the kitchen. "Himura is doing the dishes. How does he know your place so well already?"

"Are you serious?" she exclaimed. When his unwavering stare continued, she sighed loudly. "It's a kitchen, Aoshi. How many places can I hide the soap and sponge?"

He grunted but still didn't have the grace to look sheepish. "I don't trust him."

"Well, I do. You're the one who told me to, remember?"

"Trust him during kendo lessons, not any other time," he snapped.

Kaoru scowled at him. Typical Aoshi to nitpick at his own words. And why was he so angry anyway? It wasn't like she invited Himura over to her apartment. "You're so impossible! If you can't trust him, why don't you at least trust me?"

"I do trust you," he began.

She cut him off. "No, I don't think you do. You've subjected us both to your suspicions, like you're afraid something is going to happen between us. Why can't you just stop being so cautious and let things happen the way it's going to? You can't control everything, Aoshi." The words sounded vaguely familiar, but Kaoru couldn't place where she heard them before. But it sounded right so she went along with it.

He stared at her for several heartbeats. "I'm not trying to control things," he said at last, anger leaking away with each word. "I'm just trying to protect you."

Kaoru instantly realized Aoshi was talking more than just Himura being in her apartment. This had to do with his fear of letting another loved one die to the point where he pushed people away in an effort to shield his own heart from further pain. Placing a hand on his arm, she replied in a soft voice, "You can't, Aoshi. Not in everything and not forever. I know you'll always be there for me, but you need to let me go and make my own mistakes. You need to let your friends go."

Their gazes met and Kaoru didn't flinch at the haunted look in his eyes. It was the same look from all those years ago after he survived his last mission but his subordinates didn't. Finally, Aoshi gently shrugged off her hand. He moved to the door and opened it. But before stepping out, he said quietly, "You missed the interview with the other prospective instructor. I rescheduled it for tomorrow." He shut the door behind him.

Knowing he needed time to think, Kaoru let his last sentences sink in and she slapped a hand on her head, realizing she missed an appointment on top of missing a lesson. "Never drinking again," she vowed under her breath for the second time. Her lack of professionalism right now was utterly appalling.

Sighing, Kaoru turned and her eyes ran into Himura, who stood at the entrance to the living room, wiping his hands with a towel. "Is everything okay?" he asked gently.

"Sure, everything's great," she replied bitterly. "I overslept on your lesson, missed an interview with a fellow martial artist, Aoshi's going off to ruin his life and probably never come back, and Hiko-san told me last night that he's also leaving the dojo. On top of that, my headache is coming back and I can't take more pills for another five hours. So, really, my life is simply fantastic." She hadn't meant to blurt all of it out, but that exchange with Aoshi and being negligent in her duties just tipped the scales.

"Ah," he said. Draping the dish towel over his shoulder, he leaned against the doorway of the kitchen and studied her for a long moment. "Running a business can be difficult, especially when people you trust suddenly seem to be abandoning you."

Kaoru closed her eyes to steady her frustrations. She had to get herself under control before she blurted out even more stuff Himura didn't need to know. "I know they're not abandoning me," she muttered. "There's just a lot going on right now. Nothing's the same anymore."

"Nothing stays the same forever," Himura pointed out reasonably. "And you don't want your business to stay the same. You want it to grow and reach as many people as you can. Maybe this is the opportunity you need to make some changes."

Opening her eyes, she scowled at him. "Not helping, Himura-san. I don't want things to change. Or if they have to, maybe one thing at a time, not all at once! I just don't understand why Hiko-san would tell me he's leaving when he knows what's going on with Aoshi."

"And what exactly is going on with Shinomori?" he asked carefully.

"Still none of your business," she retorted.

Himura grinned, apparently unfazed by her hostile tone. "I had to try. Look, I probably know Shishou the best. And if I had to venture a guess as to his timing, I'd say it's because he either thinks he's stifling you and is willing to move on for your sake, or he realizes you don't need him anymore and is moving on. Maybe even both. Either way, he trusts you're capable of handling both Shinomori and him leaving at the same time."

Pressing her lips together, Kaoru replied in a snippier tone than she expected. "And what happens if he's wrong?"

At that, Himura threw his head back and laughed as if he'd never stop. She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him because she didn't see what was so hilarious, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Eventually, as he calmed down, Himura held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, but that is probably the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. Kamiya-san, you're a warrior. You're not going to allow yourself to fail. And, heaven forbid, if anything ever did happen to the dojo, you'd find a way to scrape things together and start all over again and succeed. I saw that kind of determination the first time we met, and I'm sure that's partially why Shishou decided to help you. He's big on people learning to rely on themselves." He leaned forward, all traces of mirth vanishing from his eyes. Instead, they turned a glittering, solemn purple that seemed to darken as she met his gaze. "You're not a quitter. Don't let anything or anyone dictate what can happen to you, if you have an opportunity to change it."

A small part of her realized the sheer intensity from Himura's gaze was probably one of the reasons why he was so successful. It was almost overwhelming and even the reflections of his eyes could short-circuit a working brain. Kaoru was absurdly grateful her lingering hangover prevented such a thing from happening.

But his words also stirred something inside of her, recalling more snippets of conversations with Hiko the other night. Hadn't the master essentially said the same thing? Kaoru had to take over the family business unexpectedly when she didn't feel ready. But with a lot of hard work, generous support and encouragement, and some luck, she was able to turn a barely profitable dojo into a relatively popular training hall. Aoshi and Hiko had helped, but they always deferred to her wishes and only offered their opinions when asked. She had struggled and fought with sweat and tears to turn the dojo into what it was today. Kaoru could say, without a doubt, that she was a successful business owner.

"Thanks," she finally murmured. "It's what I needed to hear." And strangely enough, her headache receded back and she no longer felt the need to cry for thirty-six hours straight. Odder still, as Kaoru noticed Himura still watching her, her heartbeat slowly picked up pace and her palms became damp. Rubbing them on her shorts, she eyed him warily. The amethyst pupils started to darken further, though his face remained expressionless and turned just a bit calculating. "Uh, Himura-san?" she said tentatively.

Himura didn't move except his lips curled at the ends into a semblance of a smile. It was rather reminiscent of the snake-like gesture from their first lunch together. "Yes, Kamiya-san?"

The velvety, slightly menacing tone jolted something in her bloodstream and it quickened her pulse. Something had changed between them and Kaoru suddenly felt like prey being stalked by predator hiding behind a façade of charm and friendliness. Her hands refused to stop sweating. Suddenly Kaoru felt completely exposed by what she wore as his eyes lingered down her body in a decidedly leering manner. It made her uncomfortable and she refused to let him intimidate her. Not in her own home and not ever. "Himura-san!" she snapped. "I think it's time you left. You don't want to miss another of your meetings, do you?"

His eyes jerked back up to hers and their gazes clashed, hers brimming with annoyance and his with some emotion she couldn't quite read. And suddenly Himura pushed off from the wall and slipped the dish towel off his shoulder. "You're right, Kamiya-san. Thank you for allowing my intrusion." He bowed slightly, set the towel on her table, and headed to the door where he put his shoes on and left.

Kaoru stared after him long after the door closed before she sighed and put a hand to her head. After three weeks of lessons, he was still as enigmatic as ever, and it didn't sit well with her. Aoshi was right. She couldn't trust him outside of kendo lessons, even if he had managed to encourage her twice when Kaoru needed it the most. She would have to limit their interactions to class and nothing more. The last thing she needed right now was more confusion in her life.

When Kaoru finally arrived at the dojo, no one was there. That was fine, since she was still annoyed, rattled by their encounter, and slightly hungover. The quiet was a luxury, given all the people stomping in and out of her apartment in the past eighteen hours. She took the time to work on her lessons for the week.

Then her phone beeped. It was an email from Himura's secretary requesting the makeup class for Thursday. She groaned; that would mean she'd have to see Himura three days in a row, sandwiching the makeup lesson in between the two normal ones. But it was her fault they had to make up a lesson so she replied with an affirmative. Just one hour a day, she could do it.

Hiko began announcing his departure to his classes and that first night, Kaoru was inundated with both weeping and furious women. The crying ones just wanted to know if he was going to another dojo so they could follow him. The angry ones wanted her to demand he not leave, as if she had any control over him. The idea that anyone could control Hiko Seijurou made her want to laugh, but that wouldn't go over well with her emotional students.

They swarmed her after class and it took almost two hours to calm them all down and send them on their way with reassurances, tissues, and sympathy. In the end, no one was happy and Kaoru was sure she lost quite a few students - but at least not for another month.

Aoshi, the bastard, left her alone to deal with the seething mess of estrogen and slipped out of the dojo without talking to her. She wanted to know what happened on the date, dammit! Kaoru texted him but he didn't respond.

Stymied, she gave up and went home so the horrendous day could end. She'd ambush him tomorrow.

No matter how hard Kaoru tried, she couldn't corner Aoshi. Tuesday passed, quite similar to Monday but at least without the hangover. Hiko's students emailed, called, and yelled at her in person. Aoshi only showed up in time to teach his classes and then left immediately, slipping in and out of the dojo with the silent precision of a shinobi.

Kaoru met with the second potential candidate, Tsubashi Ami, and apologized profusely for missing yesterday's appointment. They talked for over an hour. Most of it was business related and while Kaoru was impressed with her resume and skills, her personality was a bit brusque. Still, the idea of hiring a woman instructor was intriguing. Kami knew she could use another female influence in a dojo filled with alpha males. Overall, Aoshi had chosen two impeccable applicants. All she had to do was make a decision.

After the Tuesday classes, Aoshi finally responded to her numerous texts, saying he just finished his last date with Misao. That was it. No updates, no further comments, or anything. That didn't seem to bode well for the couple but Kaoru couldn't be too sure of what happened. Maybe Aoshi needed some more time to think.

She was going to kill him when she finally saw him.

Wednesday arrived and Kaoru made sure to get to the dojo early, just in case Himura decided to think of another reason to barge into her home. As she was about to enter the front gates, a tall, brown-haired man whistled as he passed by. That turned out to be the most noise she heard all morning. Just like the past two days, no one else was there. Aoshi was probably still hiding from her and who knew what Hiko did when he wasn't at the dojo? Perhaps he was trying to get her used to him not being there. If that were true, it was backfiring. The quiet that she had come to appreciate was now too quiet. It was starting to feel a little creepy.

So when noon rolled around, she got ready for her lesson with Himura with something akin to relief. It would be nice to see another face in the dojo, even if it happened to belong to a man who confused her to no end. Kaoru fervently hoped nothing had changed between them and the lesson would go as it normally did.

Himura showed up, right on time and ready as usual. But there was something different in his eyes this time and she put up her guard instantly. At least he behaved the same, listening intently and following her directions without fault. The hour passed and Himura left after he confirmed they were meeting again tomorrow.

Thursday came and went the same way. The disturbing quiet, an uneventful but painfully slow lesson with Himura, Aoshi avoiding her at all costs, and women still weeping over Hiko's departure. Kaoru silently seethed as her irritation and annoyance grew. Especially after Aoshi had the gall to text her and ask if she had made a decision on the new instructor yet. He'd texted her, just to avoid any other conversation. She ignored it; if he was going to act like a jerk to her, she would do the same back to him.

Friday arrived and Kaoru found herself in a bad temper, even after meditating with Himura during his lesson. He had to have noticed but he didn't say a thing, choosing instead to remain quiet and attentive. She grudgingly appreciated his tactfulness - or perhaps it was a well-honed survival instinct because Kaoru felt ready to explode at the slightest provocation. But when confronted by Himura's dutiful compliance until the very end of the hour, her temper deflated and Kaoru felt guilty for being so crabby. She hadn't taken her frustrations out on him, but the lesson wasn't enjoyable for her so it couldn't have been fun for him either. Yet he hadn't complained or brought it up at all.

So when he asked her to lunch, she didn't give him the usual grudging response. "Only if you let me pay," she told him firmly.

Surprise crossed Himura's face. Then he scrutinized her for a long moment before he nodded. "Sure. Your choice of restaurant too."

Kaoru washed her face and changed into her street clothes, meeting him at the front door. They headed out together and she steered them to a Japanese-American fusion cafe several blocks away. It was a small, rectangular space with only six tables, five of which were occupied. A chalk board hung on the back wall listing the specials of the day. The door was open to let in the fresh autumn breeze and the low volume of the other customers made it easy to converse. The tables were set together closely and the table was barely big enough to fit them both, but the food was worth being crammed together.

"You really do like any cuisine, don't you?" Himura mused as they sat down at the last open table. It was situated in the far back so they had to squeeze past the other diners, but everyone good-naturedly scooted in to allow them to pass. "Have you tried Mediterranean food?"

"Yes. I like kabobs and falafel."

He eyed her. "French? Afghan? Indian?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. Hiko-san is to blame, you know. The three of us have gone out a lot over the years because he wanted to try this place or that. He's the - what's that term again? Fooder?"

"Foodie," Himura corrected. "And you're right, he is. He claims it's because he has a sensitive palate, but I think it's because he wants to see what other meals go well with sake."

Kaoru snorted but she believed it. She glanced at the specials board before deciding on her usual seafood taco. The waiter came by and took their orders. Himura chose the loaded Asian burger, a decision she silently approved of. "So, what's your favorite type of food?" she asked when the server left.

He thought about it for a moment before answering. "I'd have to say there's nothing better than a home cooked Japanese meal. But I'm always interested in trying new things."

"Home cooked meal? Who makes that for you? Your mother?" Kaoru leaned forward slightly, curious about the man in front of her. She wondered if she should be concerned about her interest in his background, but decided he knew so much about her, it was only right she found out more about him. Besides asking questions like this was supposed to be what people did.

"Ah, no. Both my parents passed away when I was young."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she murmured, feeling a sympathetic pang in her heart.

"It's fine, it happened a long time ago. Shishou took me in and raised me so I can't complain. He's been good to me, even if it feels like I'm a disappointment to him at times."

Kaoru frowned, hearing a slight edge of bitterness in his voice. "You're not. I guarantee you're not."

He waved her words away with a hand, but she knew it was because he didn't want to talk about that particular subject anymore. "Anyway, as I grew older, one of my chores was to cook dinner for a few days a week. I got decent enough to enjoy doing it and Shishou never complained. I'll cook for you again next time."

That comment reminded her of what he said in her apartment, as if there was going to be a next time? Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Kaoru tried to bring the subject back to a more neutral topic. "So if your company had failed, you would've become a chef?"

His quiet laughter made her insides feel funny for a moment. "Maybe. I hadn't thought that far ahead, to be honest. I don't know if I would be chef material, but I probably wouldn't mind working at a little café like this."

Kaoru shook her head, partly in disbelief. This Himura was such a different man than the one she had met a month ago. How had they gotten here? Why did she agree to eat lunch with him again? Was it just because she felt ashamed of her crabby mood, or was it to get away from the silent dojo? She didn't want to acknowledge that her mood improved when she left the training hall to have lunch with him.

As if reading her mind, Himura cleared his throat to get her attention. "So, anything you want to share? I've been told I'm a good listener."

She had to smile at his words because that wasn't what she'd say about him. "Oh really? By whom?"

He grinned back. "Misao. Not that I have a choice sometimes because Misao can chatter the ears off a monkey. But you know, it can be easier to share with someone you don't know rather than your close friends."

"So you've mentioned before," Kaoru murmured.

"Well, I've also been told I'm a smart guy, so maybe the combination of being an acquaintance and being intelligent can help you. So step right up to Himura's Counseling Services and feel free to share what's going on."

She had to laugh at his cocky attitude, certain it was an act at least this time around. He kept smiling at her but his eyes changed to whatever it was during the past few lessons. Humor mingled with a sort of confusion? Hope? Kaoru wasn't sure what it was and she wondered if Himura even knew. Taking a deep breath, she slowly replied, "All right, then. Aoshi's been avoiding me so I don't even know how the last two dates with Misao-san went, but it sounds like he's still planning on leaving. And I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose a quarter of my enrolled students once Hiko-san leaves as well. So…yeah. I just feel helpless and stuck."

"What a tough place to be in," Himura mused.

Latching onto the one thing she could find out, Kaoru asked, "Do you know how the dates went?"

At that, all traces of amusement vanished. "The second date went great. But Misao has been silent the past few days ever since Tuesday, and she won't tell me what's going on either. It's about Shinomori, of course. Maybe he told her he was leaving, which is something I appreciate."

"Really? Because I want to kill him," Kaoru muttered.

"Oh, me too," Himura assured her. "But at least he's being honest with her instead of leaving her wondering and guessing." He frowned. "Misao was so happy the past few weeks and then just like that, she's not her usual self. But he's avoiding you, you say?"

She nodded. "He knows I'm furious with him."

He sighed, and then both sat up as their food arrived. Waiting until the server left, he asked quietly, "Would you be finally willing to share what's going on with Shinomori? At least so I'll know how to console Misao."

Fiddling with her napkin, Kaoru kept her gaze on the tacos. The aroma of seasoned fish and shrimp wafted to her nose but her stomach turned from his question. "I can't," she said finally. "Even if I wanted to, I can't. There's more to this than just Aoshi's secret."

She didn't have to look up to know Himura was staring at her. "Okay," he said at last. Then he leaned forward until their heads were so close they could touch with the slightest of movement. "If it was up to you, would you share it? With me?"

The air between them suddenly seemed too thin. Kaoru jerked back just enough to get some breathing room but she couldn't tear her gaze away from Himura. The table had never felt more narrow, as if there was no barrier between them. She could see dark specks in his bright amethyst eyes, intense and focused solely on her. But instead of a calculating look, it was the same odd expression as before. He remained still as if he was holding his breath for her answer, searching her face for something. Her heart thudded just a bit faster with the sudden awareness of his presence. It was almost exactly like what happened at her apartment, but there was no escape or way to send him off this time. Swallowing hard, Kaoru felt acutely aware that her answer held some sort of importance to Himura. She didn't know why, only that it was true.

And she felt compelled to tell him her answer, no matter how much it didn't make sense to her. "Yes," Kaoru whispered. And when he finally leaned back to give her space to breathe normally again, she silently conceded that whatever game he was playing, Himura had won this point.

AN: Apologies for the super long delay in updating. There's been a lot of family and work stuff going on, leaving me with little time and no energy. But fall weather has arrived, woohoo!

Next Chapter: Relationship woes. The prodigy returns.