What Does it Matter?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Rurouni Kenshin, or Wandering Samurai , as it is called in the dubbed version. Major Tomoe/Kenshin lovers beware. Aoshi and Misao totally OCC but I couldn't help myself. *Bad Liz*
Kenshin has a sack open on his bed and is putting bare essentials inside. "I don't care. That's just it. I'll go to Kyoto, tell Kaoru that I love her, make her marry me, even if it's against her will."
Somehow I don't think that would settle with her. Or with… just about everyone else. Try another tactic, baka.
"Fine I'll show her my blind devotion by following her around like a dog. Yeah that worked just great. Look where it got us. She thinks she doesn't love us, but she does damn it. When I looked into her eyes the first time, I knew that I was ensnared. I belonged to her from that moment."
And now you think it's time that she belonged to you? The battousai was obviously loving everyone moment of this side of the man named Kenshin Himura.
"Hell yeah." Kenshin paused a moment then recognized the sexist tone. "No I'll just ask her to humbly accept this man as the only man who could ever make her happy and she's want to be mine. A little possessive, but with Kaoru, wouldn't you feel the same way."
I already do, idiot, I'm you. Kaoru is the right woman for you. Tomoe was meant to be a stepping stone. Kenshin growled. I meant that she wasn't meant for you idiot and she belongs with her true beloved. So you two learned to love each other, but you must admit it was out of convince.
"I will never forget Tomoe, but you're only being rational. Kaoru is my life. That's why I'm going to go." Kenshin continued packing until he heard a knock on the door.
"Kenshin, if you're done talking or rather arguing with yourself I have something to tell you." Kenshin gave Sano a death glare. Sano took a deep breath, "Kaoru asked me to take Yahiko to Kyoto, and asked me to ask you to umm… stay behind and watch the dojo?" It seemed that Sano was sweating as apparent patented battousai glare was getting to him.
"This is perfect. I'm was just on my way to Kyoto. I'm sure Okina and Aoshi wouldn't mind me just dropping in."
Sano's jaw dropped. "But… but, who's going to watch the dojo."
"Tae-san. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. You're taking the only student of the dojo to Kyoto, to meet with his instructor so I take it there's no problem."
"I guess not Kenshin. Man, you sure have all of this worked out. Did you plan ahead?" Sano raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Maybe. Do you want to know why I'm going? I don't care if you do or do not, I'll tell you. I am going to Kyoto to tell Kaoru that I love her. Simple as that." Kenshin did a mental double check of all that he was taking with him.
"Hate to burst your bubble, but what if she says something along the lines as 'so what?' What are you going to do then? Before she left, we talked. She didn't actually doubt your love, just her own." Sano didn't know how to far to take this discussion. Thinking that Kaoru might kill him later, but Kenshin might kill him now, he thought it best to continue. "She's in Kyoto to figure out if she loves you the way she, and everyone else, thinks she does."
Listen to the Rooster-Head. He did spend an awful lot of time with my Kaoru the few days before she left. "Do you love Kaoru?"
Sano took a step back. "What the hell kind of question is that?!? Of course I love Kaoru. She's my lively hood." Kenshin took a step forward. "Oh, damn it! Not like that! She's like my little sister for kami's sake. Crazy lunatic lover." Sano mumbled the last sentence, normally Kenshin would have heard, but he was thinking.
}Okay. I love Kaoru, Sano loves her, but not the same way as I do. That's good. Now, on to Kyoto to profess my love and bring her home.{
Kenshin walked out of his room and headed out towards the Akabeko. "Stupid idiot. What the hell I am supposed to tell Yahiko?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Good Kaoru-san. Now next time you can try for at least fifteen minutes." Kaoru nodded, know that that was the most she was going to get out of Aoshi in ways of compliments.
"Thank you Aoshi. And thank you for teaching me. When do you think I'll be able to master your water flow technique?"
"Depends on how much time you have." Kaoru looked at him, eyes wide and unbelieving. He laughed. Kaoru gasped. "It wouldn't take you as long as it took me. My teacher taught in a completely different way then I learn. Since you learn like I do, I can help you better . Now put your body like this." Kaoru tried to mimic Aoshi's stance, but to no avail. "No, like this." He started to rearrange her body to work the technique. It would look like he was putting his arms around her if you walked though the door, which is what Misao did.
"What's going on here? Kaoru, I know you are having trouble with Himura, but that does not mean that you can go after my Aoshi-sama. Even if he has a cute butt that's still no excuse."
"Misao what are you-," Kaoru was cut off as Aoshi's arms did wrap around her in a loving embrace.
"Kaoru-chan, no need to hide our love." Putting his hand over Kaoru's mouth to cover any denial she might have tried to make, he continued to put his plan in motion. "Misao, I've made an effort to drive you to give your affections to another before I did, so as not to hurt you, but it is too late, and my love for Kaoru can no longer be hidden from everyone." Then he bent down and pretended to kiss Kaoru, who in the mean time was plotting how to kill Aoshi and how on Earth she was going to explain to Misao.
'What the heavens is this… this okashira thinking he's trying to pull? 'Shouldn't try and have you betray Misao's trust' my ass! What in kami's name does he think he's doing right now? To let him live or not. Hmm… I guess that all depends on whether or not Misao doesn't attempt to kill me.' Kaoru's thoughts were interrupted by Misao's sobs.
"I hope you're happy. Both of you." Thereupon she raced away. Aoshi released his hold on Kaoru and heaved a sigh.
"Kaoru-san-"
"Aoshi-san-" They both began at the same time. Kaoru took a deep breath and counted to ten.
"You can speak first Kaoru-san."
"Back to Kaoru-san are we?" Her voice was dripping with controlled anger. "Now would you kindly explain what the hell was that? Misao, thinks you love me and that I love you. What are you going to do?! When did you plan on telling me about this mutual agreement of feelings?!" Her anger slowly seeped through during her outburst.
"Kaoru-chan, if you prefer," She gave him a heated glare, "I didn't mean to do that. I have been trying to make Misao realize that she doesn't love me and well that seemed like the best way."
"That's the best you can come up with? I swear sometimes Kenshin's oroing is a better excuse than that was. What am I supposed to do Aoshi?" Kaoru now felt depressed. Thinking about her lose of a dear friend, only to remind herself of Kenshin was not the way to make herself feel better.
"Maybe it would be best if we tell the truth." Kaoru snorted, very unladylike. "Do you think they'll believe us?"
"They're your Oniwa Banshu. Moreover the reason I'm here is because I told everyone I didn't love Ken- Himura-san, remember? So I'd say we're up the creek without a paddle."
"Come on. Let's not waste the day. Start your meditation, while I think of a way to get us out of this mess."
Kaoru took a seat in the middle of the floor and began to breath deeply. She sat so quiet and still, her mind blank, that she heard Aoshi's breathing, the birds outside and something else. Using a concentration skill she learned from her father she gave into that something else, blocking out everything, trying to despiser what it was she was hearing. 'Breathing? Yes. Swish of a braid? Yes. Misao!' Standing up, Kaoru ran outside where she was greeted with the loving embrace of the sun and a known someone scrambling up a pine tree.
Walking over to the foot of the tree she spoke as if addressing the tree's trunk. "I have a problem. I'm in love with a man who would probably willingly jump off a cliff then admit he loves me. My friend is in love with a man so full of conflicting emotions and thoughts, it is my personal opinion that he is close to being insane. I think he's afraid of being loved, just like the man I love. Well, today my problem got worse. My friend's man pretend to confess love for me and in this manner my friend had her heart broken. Now I've lost a friend and she's lost a love and a friend. I wish there was something that I could do to show my friend that I am true in all respects and help her with her love?" Kaoru looked up into the tree. "You never left did you?"
Misao slid down. "No. Have I really lost you as a friend Kaoru?"
"Not even if you tried to."
"Why would Aoshi-sama do something like that? Did he really kiss you? I heard him laugh and then when I saw you…" Misao was left speechless as tears streamed down her face. Kaoru brought her close and gave her a hug, allowing the younger girl to cry.
"As I was trying to say, I don't know Aoshi-san very well, but I would suspect that he really doesn't know how to let himself be loved. The big lump head most likely thinks he's really doing you a favor. Also for your information, he didn't kiss me."
"Don't call Aoshi-sama a lump head." Kaoru laughed, Misao was still her friend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Yahiko, come on! Do you want to see Kaoru or stay here with the dojo?"
"I'm coming, I'm coming! I just don't see why Kenshin has to come. I thought that we was perfectly happy being the obvious oroing idiot who didn't mind breaking Kaoru's heart. So why is he coming again?" Yahiko rearranged his load so that he carried his shinai so that it rested comfortably on his shoulder while dragging his bag behind him.
"Well he says that he's going to tell Kaoru that he loves her." Sano chewed on leftovers from last night's dinner, aka a fish skeleton.
"So he'll finally admit it? Just so long as the time is right for him, huh? Well if she's doesn't want him or he makes her unhappy in any way-,"
"We'll make him suffer the consequences." Sano said seriously to Yahiko.
"So long as we're in agreement. Hopefully Kaoru has been slacking off and I'll be able to beat her when we practice tomorrow. Yeah, won't that be a sight." Yahiko and Sano reached the main gate to the Kamiya compound, Kenshin was already waiting for them.
"Ready?" He asked like the world was going to be lifted from his shoulders.
"Sure, let's go all ready. Come on Yahiko-chan. Kyoto here we come."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So Misao, what can I do to help you?" Kaoru still felt bad about the role she had been forced to play in Aoshi odd way of trying to tell Misao about his feelings.
"Kaoru, you didn't do anything wrong, so I fail to see why you have to help."
"Misao-chan," Kaoru began in a warning tone, "I'm going to help you in any way that I can. I wouldn't feel right any other way."
"Are you sure?" Misao had a plan in mind, but she needed Kaoru's absolute agreement in order for it to even be seemingly persuasive. Noting Kaoru's incline of the head, she continued. "I was thinking we could…scare Aoshi." Seeing that Kaoru was confused she finished briskly. "With his own little skit. All you have to do is pretend to be in love with him and I'll pretend to be happy about it. It will mystify him and serve him right."
"Misao. I don't think-"
"It will be fine Kaoru. Now before we initiate the plan, how are you feeling? About the whole Himura thing and everything."
"I love him. It's that unmistakable, and not to mention stupid, but I do. I just wonder if I'll have to be come content with having him call me Kaoru-dono all my life or if I'll have to make a move." Kaoru blushed, remembering when Aoshi had insulted her about openly displaying her affections and feelings.
"You could do it. I'll even help, well as soon as we're done with Aoshi-sama."