What Does it Matter?

AN: I don't think I've said this before, but '…' marks a thought, even when someone is talking, kinda like when you talk to other people and think things in your head at the same time? Well is called subtext, and there it is. Sorry for the confusion.

'That doesn't exactly explain why those two are always together, and always laughing for that matter. What is so funny? Are they leaving me out.' As Yahiko swept the courtyard he became slightly angry and then hurt, then confused and back to angry again. It seemed as if he was taking Kaoru's resolve heavily where as she was taking it as lightly as possible. 'I wonder how I'd feel if Tsubame decided that I didn't lov-like her enough and just "moved on." I think I'd feel rotten.' While Yahiko continues his inner turmoil, let's see what's going on with the rest of the dojo.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Thank you for stopping by Megumi. I trust everything is going well at the clinic?" Kaoru once again wondered why Megumi had stopped by. 'Although it is a nice distraction. I don't think I could have lasted another day with just those three males in the house.'

"Things are great, better than ever in fact. I'm thinking about opening my own clinic in my hometown. What's new around here? I've been so busy I haven't had time to visit Ken-san." Megumi as always had that air about her, that just made Kaoru smack her, in fact this time she was on the verge of actually doing it when Sano walked into the room.

" 'Jou-chan, Kenshin said that Misao did stop by and that her and icicle would be back soon. Hello Fox. Also he wants to know if you think we should eat here or go to the Akabeko. Why don't you go in to the living room to give him your answer." 'Hopefully this is the chance Kenshin needs, or Kaoru for that matter to declare their undying love.' Sano snorted and Megumi raised an eyebrow at him. 'That's unlikely.' He added to himself.

"What's with you baka?"

"Oh, nothing that would concern you Fox."

"Don't call me Fox, Rooster-head. Besides why would I care? You're just a stupid rooster-head anyway.

"Can I ask you a question? Do you really love Kenshin?" 'I want to know, because if you do I'll tell Kaoru, and if you don't then I'll still tell Kaoru, but also tell you to back off.' Sano thought while Megumi stood fish-faced wondering how to answer Sano's question.

"I…I… Of course I love Ken-san. Who couldn't?"

"Kaoru's not around Fox, so answer truthfully. Is Kenshin someone you could spend the rest of your life with? Forgive all his faults and then some?" Sano was using his height to its full extent, towering over Megumi, waiting for her answer.

Meanwhile in the kitchen….

" Kenshin, did you want help?" Kaoru approached the man in question silently. 'This is silly, I spend all day with Sano and don't worry about anything anyone says, but here my heart is thumping so loud I'm sure they can here it in Holland.' Ha, she laughed to herself. 'Even if they could hear it in Holland, the rurouni right in front of me doesn't even notice if I wear my hair in a different style, let alone try and see if my heart beats any faster when he's around.'

"Ah, no Kaoru I'm getting along just fine." 'Yeah with the exception of the fact that I feel like my heart in breaking in a million pieces, other than that I'm perfectly fine and dandy. I wish that you could have fallen in love with me instead of Sano. I guess that from now on I have to quit checking in on you as you sleep. You look so peaceful when you sleep, I'm just worthy of your love, but why can't you love me?'

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't look all right." 'Also you forgot to call me Kaoru-dono. What's going on?' Lightly Kaoru placed her hand on Kenshin's forehead, "Mou, Kenshin! You're burning up! Why didn't you say anything? When did you get a fever?"

Under a huge blush Kenshin answered, "I don't have a fever, I… I…" Kenshin tried to think of an excuse for his so called "fever." It so happened that Kenshin had accidentally placed his hand on the hot stovetop and let it remain there from the moment Kaoru had walked through the kitchen door. While Kaoru complains about how dense Kenshin is about her feelings she was unaware that her slight touch, had raised his temperature. Kaoru was worried. 'If Kenshin has a fever, when did he get it? Has he been sick since that day he started acting weird? How could I have missed it?!' Kenshin decided to tell her the truth, "Kaoru, well, my hand is or now was on the stove and…," he held up his hand to let it speak for itself. A large red welt was beginning to appear on the palm of his hand. Kaoru rushed to his aid and grabbed his hand, not the burnt part, but very tenderly on the top of his hands and searched for something that might alleviate the burn.

"Megumi, Sano! Quick! I need help!" Megumi and Sano gave up their arguing to rush to Kaoru's aid.

"What is it Kaoru-chan?" He looked from her to her hands and saw that she was holding Kenshin's hand in her own. He smiled. 'Way to go 'Jou-chan! You finally told him how you feel.' Then he saw the look on her face and came to the realization that she won't have called her in there to tell them the great news as something was obviously wrong.

"It's his hand. Megumi he burnt it. What can we do?" Kaoru looked like she was going to cry as big watery tears filled her sapphire eyes and a few escaped. Kenshin reached up with his hands and tried to wipe them away. Unfortunately he had tried to us his burnt hand. His wince made Kaoru lose a few more tears, which she herself brushed away.

"Why am I crying when you're the one hurt. I sorry Kenshin, is there anything that I can do for you? To help the pain go away?" Kaoru tried to put on a brave face, but in side her thoughts were going wild.

'I think that I'm going to give up on him. That I don't love him, he doesn't love me, but here I am worried sick over a burn. The legendary Battousai with a burn on his hand and I feel like he's going to die. He's gone though much worse and now I'm crying in front of him and Megumi and Sano to boot.' Gradually Kaoru began to smile and caught the attention of the remaining three. "I think I'd better leave the nursing to the doctor. Sano stay here if Megumi needs anything, I'm going to go see to Yahiko." Kaoru leisurely walked out of the kitchen until she passed the view of the three in the kitchen, then she ran out of the dojo and off into the surrounding area.