Forever

Chapter 10: Road Time

A fanfiction by Kyo

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Er . . . I think there is something you guys need to know. Something you have probably figured out already. English is * not * my mother language. So, sorry guys if there are some weird choice of words (thanks nemo for pointing that out =)). I'll try to fix that and reread more carefully, but . . . another thing you need to know about me, is that I'm terribly lazy ^_~ so plz don't expect much from me. Hehe * laughs nervously *

The guys and gals are on the road. Lots of time to spend together, alone. What will happen? Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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* yawn * "Kenshin, do we really have to go at this unholy hour?" Kaoru asked with a cute yawn, and an even cuter frown.

Kenshin chuckled. "Aa." He said, clearly humoring her.

"Mou! Kenshin!" She complained, seeing right through him. He smiled innocently at her, making as if he knew nothing of what she was talking about.

"Baka deashi, drive like a normal person, not a maniac, understood?" Hiko said as he took all of Yahiko's bags from his hands. Yahiko looked at him in awe.

Kenshin glared at him menacingly, but Hiko did not even notice it. Kaoru giggled in the copilot seat, making fun of him. "Can I call you baka deshi too?" She asked sweetly, smiling deviously. Kenshin groaned and rolled his eyes in frustration. "No." He said simply, mock-frowning at her.

Kaoru's giggles were interrupted by another yawn. "I think I'm gonna fall asleep." She murmured sleepily, not noticing Kenshin's fond and tender smile.

"Go to Megumi's. See if Sano has arrived yet." Hiko ordered as he helped Aoshi pack his car.

"Okay. You get Okon?" Kenshin asked as he pulled the top on. Hiko nodded. "Bye Aoshi-nee! Bye, Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru said in a sing-song voice that Kenshin found absolutly endearing.

"Chan ja ne yo!" Yahiko's faraway voice was heard as they pulled from Kaoru's apartment. Aoshi waved her goodbye, interrumpting his talk with some men, friends' and neighbors' to the family.

"Why me?" Hyottoko asked irritably.

"Because you got the shortest straw." Beshimi explained.

"You arranged it!" He argued.

"There is not possible way of arranging that game, Hyottoko." Shikiho answered calmly.

Hanya sighed in the background and Aoshi felt like rolling his eyes. The group of four studied in the same University as the Kenshin-gumi and all of them were 22.

"Take good care of both apartments, Hyottoko." Aoshi said in an even voice. Aoshi had never intended to act as the leader of the small group, but it always seemed that he ruled, even if he did not mean it to be like that.

Hyottoko nodded, mumbling a bit. That was the end of the discussion and the four men went to their respective cars and Hyottoko retreated to the apartment. Well, he thought, at least I get to sleep some more.

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Misao found that keeping herself awake as she waited for Aoshi and Hiko to arrive was terribly difficult. She had to rely on her brother to poke her everytime she closed her eyes more than twenty seconds. Soujiro, of course, did this with a smile. There was nothing more fun than poking or annoying the hell out of your sister.

They were going to spend, perhaps, a week in Kyoto. The tournament lasted at least three days (lots of categories, and yes, lots of parties! Hey! It's my fic, I can do that if I want!), plus the days they would spend vacationing and the two days they needed to prepare for the wedding, maybe more.

It was still dark. No sunrise yet, and not for, at least, another hour. Suddenly, two pairs of headlights cut through the darkness of the night of Tokyo, previously known as Edo.

At the front, Aoshi drove his black Jaguar, and at the back was Hiko, driving his Jeep Liberty. Yahiko and Tsubame stared at them from the back seat.

"Konnichiwa!" Aoshi saluted as he parked the car. Misao was already carrying her bags. "Hi there. Who wakes up at four in the morning on a Sunday?" Misao complained.

"Us?" Soujiro half-answered half-asked, carrying his bags as well and putting them on the Jeep.

"Shut up, Sou-chan." Misao snapped. She definitely, was not a morning person. Her retort, however, did not erase the smile from Soujiro's face.

"Next stop, Megumi's." Hiko announced. Aoshi nodded, and then they were off.

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"Rooster-head, no matter what you do, what you say, how much you plead, I'm not letting you drive." Megumi said with finality, glancing at her supplicating boyfriend like she wanted him to disappear.

"But! Please?" Sano asked lamely, his last chance now gone.

Megumi rolled her eyes and shook her head as she took her place on the pilot seat. "If it makes you feel better I'll tell you why I'm not letting you drive this half of the road." She did not wait for his answer. "I'm not letting you drive because we are leading the first part, and I don't want you to get all of us lost, which considering your non-existent sense of direction is completely possible."

"I promise I won't!" Sano tried once more, but all was in vain.

"Look Sano-baby, I'll let you drive when it's no longer our turn to lead. Are you okay with that?"

"Okay, kitsune-onna."

"Good! Now shut up an buckle up." Megumi smirked and made the engine roar. God! She liked her car!

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Misao had yawned for the hundredth time already. Aoshi had pulled on the top so they could be protected from the cold of the wind, but that was not enough for her to go to sleep. She really wanted to close her eyes and just sleep, but sleep wouldn't come, and it was driving her nuts. She sighed in frustration.

Aoshi looked at her from the corner of his eyes. HE had noticed her growing frustration from the beginning. What caused it, he didn't know exactly, but he had a pretty good idea. She couldn't fall asleep.

"You know, the more you try to sleep, the less you are going to." He said with an amused arched eyebrow. She looked at him with sleepy eyes and hazy mind. She looked like she hadn't understood a word he had said. He smirked.

She blinked.

And then she smiled brightly.

"You smiled." She nearly whispered. He tilted his head, looking at the still dark road. Indeed, he had smiled. Only for her.

"Aa." He said casually, the smirk still on his lips. She liked seeing him smile? He could fix that.

"That's good." She said cheerfully, stifling another yawn.

"Aa."

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"Sunrise is in a few minutes." Kaoru said while she looked at the car's ceiling. Kenshin didn't look at her as he responded. "Hai." He relaxed on his seat, one hand resting on the wheel and the other loosely gripping the gearshift.

"When the Sun is about to rise, have you noticed that near the horizon is completely white?" Kaoru asked, not looking at him.

"Hai. And as you see away from it, it turns light blue."

"It's supposed to come out in only a minute or two."

"You want me to pull off the top?"

At that, Kaoru's face brightened with a wide smile. "Yes!" She said, nearly jumping on her seat.

He chuckled and pushed a button. "You should have said so." He said with a lopsided grin. "You are not going shy on me, are you?" He asked mischievously.

"Mou! Why would I?"

"I don't know. You were the shy one, not you."

"Me? The shy one? Do I have to remind you about yesterday?"

"What about yesterday?" He asked, tilting his head to see her better, the wind played with his hair, even bound by the leather string as it was.

"Oh? So you don't remember?" She said, enjoying the moment. She had to use her hand to keep her hair away from her face. He shook his head. "You don't remember when you passed out when you saw me in a two-piece?" She asked with an arched eyebrow, watching his expression.

He blushed. He opened his mouth to say something, but his words died on his lips. He had nothing to say. He tried another tactic. Distract her. I need a diversion. The sunrise!

"Look, Kaoru, the sun is rising."

Kaoru saw right through his lame attempt to distract her from the matter at hand. She giggled but let him be, finding that watching the sunrise was almost as fun, and much more romantic.

"You are so lame." He heard her say under her breath. He chuckled. She didn't miss one.

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"So, you are Kaoru-san's little brother?" Soujirou asked good-naturedly to Yahiko, who sat between him and Tsubame. Yahiko nodded, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under the older boy's ever-smiling gaze.

"Hope you don't have her temper."

Yahiko and Tsubame snickered. Kaoru was famous for her short temper. She was probably only merciful to Kenshin, and that was because she liked him and he usually did not inquire her wrath. "No. I haven't got her temper."

"But you got her kenjuutsu skills?" Soujirou asked sweetly.

"You talk like she was my mother."

"Well, she might not be. But she certainly raised you for the most part."

Yahiko shifted uncomfortably on his seat. "Well, yeah . . ."

"Kaoru-san is a compassionate woman, and she is incredibly sweet, Yahiko-kun. She might have a short temper, but that is only to protect herself. I think you should know that." Soujirou said, his voice serious, but his smile not gone.

Yahiko narrowed his eyes. "How would you know?"

"I liked her. And . . . you can say I'm good at reading people." Then he leaned closer to him and whispered. "I know you like my little cousin."

Yahiko's eyes widened to the size of saucers in utter panic. "How would you know!?" He asked, bewildered, but in a whisper.

Soujirou just shrugged.

Tsubame looked at them curiously, dying to know what were they talking about. But she knew that asking would be useless, considering the circumstances.

"Soujirou-san, I didn't know you liked torturing children." Hiko asked from the pilot seat, smirking evilly.

"I'm not a child!"

"But I'm not torturing them, Hiko-san. I'm just stating the facts." Hiko chuckled.

Soujirou turned to Yahiko. "Don't worry Yahiko. I'll help you tell that person what you have to tell." He said with a wink, which intrigued him.

Well, he thought, might as well get all the help I can get.

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Sano slept. Megumi thought he looked like a grown up baby when he was sleeping. He ws just so sweet when he was not acting tough. Not that she was complaining. He acted tough around everybody, but she knew the truth. He was only a boy seeking company. Only she knew it, the rest, only suspected.

They say that when a person is asleep, it shows his/her true self, for there are no longer any defenses left. And Sano definitely was a big baby.

She couldn't resist the urge to stroke his hand, balled in a loose fist. A sigh escaped his lips at the gentle touch, a faint smile coming to his lips. He definitely was a big baby.

Megumi's stomach rumbled. It good be a good idea to stop somewhere and grab a bite. She hadn't had breakfast and she had been driving for two hours already. Three more to go. It was Aoshi's turn to lead, anyway. She grabbed her cell and dialed Kaoru's number. She could see Kenshin's silver Audi on the mirror, a few hundred meters away from her car.

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Kenshin almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the familiar ring of Kaoru's phone. He grabbed it quickly before it could ring a second time, not wanting it to wake uo Kaoru, who, surprisingly enough, was still asleep.

"Moshi moshi."

"Hey, Ken-san. And Kaoru?"

"Hello, Megumi. Asleep. What's the matter?"

"I'm hungry."

Kenshin sweatdropped. "I think there is a place we can eat a few kilometers farther. We could drop by there."

"Okay. I don't want to drive anymore, so it would be Aoshi's turn to lead."

"Yeah. I'll tell him at the restaurant, but now, call Misao, okay? I'll call shishou."

"Hai. See you in a minute."

"kay. Ja na."

"Ja." And with that, Kenshin hung up and grabbed his own phone and dialed Hiko's number.

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"Hello, Shishou."

"Baka deshi. What's the matter?"

"Megumi wants to stop in the next resting point."

"Okay."

"How're the kids?" Hiko looked over his shoulder. He smirked at the sight.

"Yahiko and Tsubame are sleeping against each other. They look cute. Tell Kaoru-san and she'll have something to tease her little brother for a month." Kenshin chuckled.

"I think I will. And Soujirou-kun?"

"Admiring the view."

"Say hi to Okon-san and everybody else for me, will ya?"

"Just shut up and let me drive, will ya?"

Hiko heard Kenshin mumble something under his breath, but couldn't really understand him. "Ja na, shishou." Kenshin said, stressing the last word.

"Ja, baka deshi." He said and hung up, closing his cell with a snap. Then he turned to Okon, his current date. "Kenshin said hi."

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When Misao opened her eyes, he saw Aoshi talking to someone over her cell. During all the conversation he only said "aa" and then hung up.

Misao looked at him with confused and sleepy eyes. "Who was that?" She asked quietly.

"Megumi-san. We'll stop in the next restaurant. You hungry?"

"A bit. Are you tired?"

"No."

"You want me to drive?"

"No, I'm okay. Arigatoo, Misao-ch- Misao."

Misao looked at him with wide surprised eyes, like she wanted to understand or believe something. Had he just almost call her Misao-chan? Were her ears betraying her? He had never called her that. Did it mean something.

A smile drew in her face.

"You were about to call me Misao-chan!" She said in a sing-sang voice that sounded almost threatening. She could swear she say a faint blush on his cheeks, but then again, it could have been her imagination.

"Er . . ." He stuttered, not really knowing what to answer to that.

"You can call me that I you want to. I mean, we have known each other for years, why you wouldn't call me that?"

"Er . . . "

"C'mon, say it. Don't be afraid."

"There is the restaurant."

"Don't even try to evade the subject." She saw him gulp, and this time, she knew it wasn't her imagination.

He turned to look at her, only for a second, before looking at the road again. "Okay. I'll call you Misao-chan, if you definitely drop the –sama."

Misao smiled brightly. "Deal!" She called as he parked the car.

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"Kaoru? Wake up." Kenshin said quietly, nudging her with his elbow. He got nothing but incoherent mumbles out of her. He turned off the engine and tried again. Waking up Kaoru could be a real nightmare.

When he had nudged her and called her for the third time, he was already getting desperate. His companions were already entering the building (which served mexican food) and he could see Sano waving at him to hurry up.

Oooookay he thought there must be something I can do to wake her up without her having a heart attack.

"Kaoru? Kaoru-chan? Wake up sleepyhead, we are going to have breakfast." He said, leaning close to her, maybe more so than he needed. He breathed in her scent. She smelled of Jasmine. "Kaoru, c'mon girl, wake up already." He whispered in her ear, tickling her with his breath.

"Just five more minutes, onii-chan." She responded in a sleepy voice. Kenshin chuckled.

"Kaoru! You have to wake up! There is a fire!!! Fire!!!" He yelled urgently, shaking her.

Kaoru woke up in an instant, almost hitting her head with Kenshin's. The only thing that kept them from having nasty headaches for the rest of the day was Kenshin's god speed.

Kaoru gasped for breath and looked around her, trying to recognize her surroundings. Her wide saphire eyes landed on Kenshin's laughing form and then narrowed dangerously.

"Mou!!! That was so mean, Kenshin!" Kaoru said angrily, trying to find something to hit him with or throw at him.

"Hahahahahaha!!!" Kenshin couldn't resist, but laugh. It had been so funny! Next time, he knew exactly how to wake her up.

"Mou! I hate you!" She said with a death glare, opening the door and pushing herself to her feet. She was stopped by Kenshin's hand, who gripped her wrist before she could get out. She tried to pry his fingers away from her.

"Maa maa, Kaoru. That was not my intention. But you wouldn't wake up!" He said in his defense, but Kaoru would hear nothing of it. Finally, she pulled free, and with last nasty death glare, close the door, hard.

She walked toward the restaurant, ignoring his pleas to wait for him. She opened the door and sat on a chair next to Misao, murmuring under her breath. Everybody looked at her curiously.

"Er . . . Kaoru-chan?" Misao started tentatively.

"What?" She snapped.

"Is something wrong?"

"I hate him!" She huffed.

"Er . . . you hate who?"

At that, she refused to answer. Kenshin just appeared and sat in front of her, on the only seat that was left. He looked like a scolded puppy.

He swallowed hard, aware that everybody was looking at him. "Kaoru?" He started quietly, almost afraid. She ignored him completely.

"Will you forgive me?" He asked, trying to get into her line of vision, all the time looking like a puppy dog that had done something very bad.

She continued to ignore him. The scene unfolding right before everybody's eyes intrigued them completely, not to say that it amused them. It was quite uncommon for Kaoru to be angry like this at Kenshin. More so, when Kenshin had practically begged for her forgiveness.

"Please?"

She ignored him again. Kenshin felt and looked miserable.

The waitress brought the menus . . .

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K&K having a fight? You have to be kidding, right? Well, no! I'm not kidding! And before you start throwing daggers at me, do you really think this will be an all angsty fic!? Of course not! They patch up things! Soon!

Liked the K&K, A&M and S&M moments? If you did, let me know! I love hearing from you!

REVIEW! Make Kyo-chan happy or she'll go psychopath on you! (hehe, kiddin')