In part 4 Kaoru will have her first interlude… um, like I said before, this is not an ordinary fic… just wait a while, till I have part six, and post up chapter 3, then you'll see… ha ha ha ha!!!! ^^' you have been warned!!! And thank you for reviewing!!!!!
Crystal Okamino
Lesly
Dramaqueen
Sync*in
Bastion
Corina (Mako) Borsuk
You don't know how much I thank you! Please keep reading!
'…' thoughts
"…" speech
*…* action
Part III : Nani?
THUMP!
"Kenshin!?" screamed Kaoru rushing to his side
She lightly hit his cheek, but with no response. She tried it again but harder this time. Nothing. She slapped him… she punched him. She was getting pissed. Kaoru pulled back her arm and was ready to try again with everything she had.
Kenshin's eyes fluttered as he saw Kaoru's fist headed towards him full speed. Her eyes widened but it was too late to stop.
"Or-- !!" was all he said before…
WHAM!!
"Owwwww!" she screamed pulling her hand up to her face.
She shook her hand a bit and blew some air onto it. Then she gasped, realising what she had just done.
"Kenshin!!!"
He lay swirly eyed against a wall several yards away from where Kaoru was.
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Kenshin woke to the sound of children playing in the street. He turned to the side and stopped feeling a small pain on his right cheek. He brushed his hand a little below his right eye and winced feeling a bump.
"Daijoubu?" said a sweet voice beside him
"Kaoru?"
"Gomen Kenshin!!! I'm so sorry!"
"Um… about what? What happened de gozaru ka?" he asked sitting up
Kaoru's face faulted.
"You don't remember… anything?" she asked
Kenshin looked to the ceiling trying to remember something.
"You came home from Genzai's, you were going to tell me… er… something. then someone came… it was… um, Sano…"
Kaoru was getting nervous. Her hands were moist and her heart beat fast.
"And he said…" Kenshin continued
"Yes? What did he say?" Kaoru asked almost desperately
"He said… something about…"
Kaoru leaned closer…
"I forgot de gozaru!" said Kenshin scratching his head
Kaoru fell face down onto the floor.
"Are you ok koishii?" he asked her
She didn't budge but a sweat drop ran down her head.
"I'm fine."
"Then Megumi-dono yelled something at him…" Kenshin continued
This caught Kaoru's attention again. She was up and leaning over him in a flash.
"What did Megumi say?" she asked him
"She yelled something like, 'Don't tell him!' or something like that de gozaru yo…"
"but, don't tell him what?" Kaoru urged
"Don't tell him… um… I forgot." He said scratching his chin.
Kaoru fell down harder this time.
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Before dinner the baby subject was brought up again. But a little more discreetly by Kaoru.
"Aisuru…"
"Hai?" he answered
"You do like children, ne?"
He lifted an eyebrow and Kaoru sweat dropped.
"Of course… doushite de gozaru ka?" he shot questioning eyes at her
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"ORO?! A… baby?" said a somewhat shocked Kenshin
Kaoru couldn't look at him. 'What the hell does that stupid ORO mean? Is that all he can say?! Does… does he even want this child? Kenshin no baka! Why doesn't he say something else?! It's too quiet dammit!' she thought to herself.
She was surprised when she felt his arms go around her and hold her tight. He pulled away a little just enough to let him see her face. His eyes were slightly twinkling and a light pink spread over his cheeks. He had the most sincere smile she had ever seen.
Little did they know, that by this hour almost everybody in town knew and all of the Kenshin gumi were at the gate. Kenshin' smile widened as he whispered in Kaoru's ear "let's give them a show ne?"
Kaoru still a little dumb founded about what Kenshin had just done, too had long since suspected that being the way they were, their friends would not miss out on this.
"Mou…" was all Kaoru could say.
"It's about time de gozaru yo. The way thing are, I definitely thought Megumi and Sano would be the first ne?" said Kenshin out loud.
There was a muffled giggle at the door.
"Hai! They were never really good at hiding their flirting. Heck I didn't think they wanted to! The way they stared at each other, and their smiles and… Ejem ejem… other stuff" stated Kaoru
More giggling at the door followed by what Kaoru identified as knuckles on a cranium. Poor Yahiko.
"Talking about odd couples… what do you think about Tsumame-chan and Yahiko-chan?" said Kaoru again
some very frantic scratching was heard at the door followed by some shhhh's and he he he's
"Let's not talk about other couples. What about you and me koishii? How about we celebrate de gozaru ka?" said Kenshin saving poor Yahiko and Tsubame from complete humiliation.
"Oh? And how would you like to celebrate huh?" asked Kaoru playing along
Kenshin started getting a little frisky and closing the distance between him and Kaoru very fast. There was a ruffling sound at the gate. The more cozy they got, the louder the noise was. Kenshin suddenly stopped. And so did the noise.
"Oro!! I forgot! I haven't finished my laundry de gozaru!" he said leaving Kaoru at half a kiss.
There was a very loud thump at the front gate when Kaoru pictured all of them falling flat on their faces. She laughed out loud and went to open it. When she did, everyone suddenly found something interesting in the nearby trees or the ground or their neighbour.
"why hello everybody! What brings you here?" Kaoru asked innocently
"Er, well, we just felt like stopping for dinner, that's all Jou-chan" said Sanosuke
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Part IV : To Protect
During dinner everyone was really 'surprised' hearing the news and of course that was the only topic. I kept myself enough in the conversation, but I really was thrilled about this whole thing. I don't know why but every now and then an image of a tiny Kenshin would pop up in my head and get me smiling like an idiot.
Kenshin kept shooting me these sweet looks almost every two seconds. Sanosuke and Megumi the same 'I-knew-it-would-happen-sooner-or-later-with-you-and-Kenshin-involved look. Tae was just as happy as I was and Tsumabe never stopped smiling and blushing.
It was Yahiko who caught my attention. At first I thought it was the earlier comment about him and Tsubame, but I realized it was something deeper than that. It was as if he weren't really enjoying this conversation, he smiled sure, but even though I can't read ki, I could sense he was troubled. Kenshin looked over at me and then to Yahiko. I nodded. He gave me a smile and I relaxed a bit.
After dinner and when everyone went home it was just Yahiko, Kenshin and me.
"I'll go talk to him…" Kenshin told me. "you should go get some rest koishii."
"Mou! Kenshin, your not going to treat me as if I'm some sort of sick patient of yours now are you?" I asked him
He smiled that cute little rurouni smile and nodded. I gave a small pout which caused him to smile more. I was touched really. I mean, it's nice to have someone worry about you ne? but still I am stubborn and I'll get very impatient if I'm just in bed all day. Fer cryin out loud I am a kenjutsu instructor… what am I gonna do all day in bed? Besides, I'm just a pregnant woman, not the first, not the last, nothing unusual. And it's not like I can't do anything for myself ne?
Kenshin had already gone to Yahiko's bed room and I hadn't even noticed him. I decided to follow. When I approached his room I could hear his voice and Kenshin's.
"I am happy for you, you know that ne?" said Yahiko
"Hai, you told us that de gozaru." Answered Kenshin
"But… you know… there is going to have to be some changes here… and Kaoru is not going to want me here forever, with all the busu's and the ugly's, and the terrible cook stuff. You know she was, and still is I guess, like my mother. She has given me so much I cannot even begin to thank her… but I guess she doesn't see me as I see her… and with this new baby, she probably won't want me living here any more. Besides… I feel that when I am not with her I can't protect her… don't get me wrong… if anyone had to marry her it would be you… but, I still feel I have a duty to protect her. So when I'm gone, you had better not make her cry or do anything stupid ne?" he said to Kenshin
I was… touched… I mean, I knew that everyone considered me to be as the core of our odd little family, but still hearing Yahiko say it just, got to me… that baka gaki, I would never kick him out, he should now that.
"Yahiko," I heard Kenshin suddenly speak
"Do you really think Kaoru does not consider you as her son. After all, she did take up the obligation to do that de gozaru. And I'm sure she will never want you to leave, not even when you have to. Even though she would never admit it ne?"
'Kenshin no baka!'
Yahiko gave a light giggle "Are you saying she needs me here? Well I always was her number one pupil ha ha ha ha!!!"
'You are my only pupil…'
"Arigatou Kenshin…"
There was a pause, and I could picture Kenshin's wonderful smile on his face. I sighed.
"Oyasumi nasai Yahiko."
"Oyasumi"
The door to Yahiko's bedroom slid open as Kenshin walked out. I gave him a smile as he took me by the waist and led me to the bedroom.
"Kenshin…" I started
"Hai Koishii?"
"Will I always be pretty to you? No matter what?"
He pinched my nose playfully and gave me his smile.
"Kaoru wa kawaii ku… always…" he said to me "You must go to bed now, it's very late de gozaru. And you have to rest"
"Mou… Kenshin!"
He smiled once again that innocent smile and signalled for me to get in the futon. I obeyed, pouting the whole time of course. He got in next to me and put his arm around me.
"Don't worry koishii, I will make sure everything turns out all right de gozaru yo, leave everything to me, ne?" he said to me
"Hai Aisuru… if you say so…" I responded already half asleep
little did I know, that, that would be the strangest night of my life… the last night in quite a while that I would see Kenshin as attractive.
A/N: oooooh! The plot thickens! ^^ prepare yourselves!!!
