O.O!!! Over 30 reviews for one chapter?! *Gapes in shock* *Picks jaw up off desk* *Grins like mad*

WOW…all I can say is….THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! This is much more than I even dared to hope for!! ^_^

Oh, and to clear up a little bit of nothing…This is actually the second fanfiction I've written, but the first one I've done for Rurouni Kenshin. My other story is an Inuyasha fic called "Hits The Spot!" but I've posted it under a different name (Shegan). It's still a work in progress…go check it out if you're so inclined ^_^

KEEP THOSE REVIEWS COMING!! I LOVE 'EM!!!

Disclaimer: I no own. You no sue.

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Bringing over a bowl and chopsticks, Kenshin intended to prepare Kaoru's meal for her. Hopefully, this morning is causing her no further distress…"Here, Kaoru-dono, allow me to get your breast—GAH! I-I mean, your, um, ah, BREAKFAST for y—ORO!"

So much for 'no further distress.'

In the time it took for Kenshin's slip of the tongue to, well, slip off his tongue and slap both himself and Kaoru with the embarrassed realization of what he'd said, two things happened. First, both he and Kaoru invented seven new shades of red apiece, and second, in his flustered attempt to cover up his horrific error, he clumsily managed to empty the half-prepared bowl of food entirely into Kaoru's lap.

Kenshin froze.

Kaoru's eyes moved slowly from the bits of vegetables and fish adorning her lap up to the wide-eyed, violet gaze of one very panicked, very embarrassed, red-haired Rurouni.

Their faces were mere inches apart…

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CH2: Killer Tofu, Killer Vegetables, and Laundry

The tension in the air was thick. Kenshin gulped audibly as he watched a conflict of emotions flash through Kaoru's eyes. Just as they each opened their mouths to say something, a garbled, gurgling noise, accompanied by much stomping of feet and flailing of arms, caught their attention.

Sanosuke was choking.

Both Kenshin and Kaoru stared for a moment at the roosterhead, slightly dumbfounded. Pointing wildly to the back of his neck, Sano wheezed painfully as tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. "H-h-hel…p…!!!"

Kenshin's eyes went wide with shock as he finally caught on. Sanosuke was thwacked forcefully on the back until he coughed violently and gagged up the piece of killer tofu that had been threatening to asphyxiate him. He sucked in air noisily and promptly flopped to the ground, shaking.

Panicked, his two friends were at his side quickly, the mess on Kaoru's kimono forgotten. Kaoru pulled Sanosuke into her arms, trying to prop him up, her eyes filled with concern. "Sano?! Sano! Are you all right?! Should we call for Doctor Gen—" Kaoru stopped and narrowed her gaze at the shaking form of the spiky-haired man who still had tears streaming down his cheeks. 

He was laughing.

That damn, baka, roosterhead was LAUGHING.

"Oro?" Kenshin peered over at his friend. Both he and Kaoru were thoroughly confused. They both jumped when Sanosuke finally lost control and pointed at them as he began roaring with laughter.

Kenshin sweatdropped.

Kaoru's eye started to twitch.

"BWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAAAAAAAAAA—*gasp* *splutter*—HAHAHAHAHAHAHA—OOF!!!" Sano doubled over as Kaoru shoved him away and started pounding him with her small fists. "HAHAH—OW! HEY! HAHAHAHA, JOU-CH—OUCH! AGH! ACK!" Sano twisted and rolled over trying to fend off Kaoru's vicious attack while still suffering from his laughing fit.

"BAKA!" *thwack* Kaoru hit him upside the head. "ROOSTER NO BAKA!!" *thud* *thump* "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!" *whump* *pound* *whack* *thud* "YOU NEARLY GAVE KENSHIN AND I HEART ATTACKS BECAUSE YOU ALMOST DIED JUST NOW AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS ROLL AROUND ON THE GROUND AND LAUGH YOU BIG DUMB JERK?! AAAARGH!!!" Kaoru struggled against Kenshin's arms as they encircled her own from behind, pulling her up away from Sano, who had by this time gone quite swirly-eyed and was sporting an assortment of bumps and bruises. Recovering as best he could, Sano struggled to his feet. Despite his injuries, he began chuckling again as he looked at his friends.

"Heh heh, AHEM! So, Missy," Sano tried unsuccessfully to maintain a straight face, "It sounds to me like Kenshin here had already served you before he even got your *COUGH* breakfast."

Kenshin's eyes went flat and he frowned.

Kaoru's glare was murderous.

Sanosuke grinned like a bastard.

Kenshin dropped his arms away from Kaoru's.

Chaos ensued.

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:::25 Minutes Later:::

Kenshin, crouched over a tub of soapy water, hummed absently to himself as he began scrubbing diligently at the laundry. He allowed himself a small smile as he recalled the sight of Kaoru chasing Sanosuke around the dojo brandishing a large, overgrown burdock root like a bokken. Kaoru-dono may be smaller than Sanosuke, but she is just as fierce when angered, indeed she is. I wonder if it hurt very much when she finally broke the root over his head like that…True, he'd been intending to use it in that evening's meal, but somehow…the sacrifice had been worth it. Snapping open a wet towel, he grinned again.

"Unnnnghh…Get that…stupid smile…off your face…laundry man…" Sanosuke groaned from his spot on the ground as he rubbed the back of his head gingerly. He'd finally been knocked unconscious by the monstrous root-weapon, landing about three feet from Kenshin's wash tub. Lucky for him he'd tripped over a rock in the yard just as Missy took a rather vicious last swing, so the blow only glanced off the back of his head and broke the root, rather than taking his head off completely. Yeah, lucky me…

"Oh, so you're conscious are you?" Kenshin asked pleasantly. He was feeling quite a bit more upbeat after breakfast. And he'd almost forgotten about the scene in Kaoru's room earlier that morning.

 "Yeah, no thanks to you. Did you have to hand her that damned root?" Sano got to his feet.

"You should not have teased Kaoru-dono, that you should not. She was already embarrassed after…" Kenshin's voice trailed off, not wanting to remember his slip-up.

"Hey you should be THANKFUL I started choking on that piece of tofu…it got her attention away from you didn't it? Besides, how could I help it? The expressions on your faces were priceless. Although technically you guys should be apologizing to me since you're the ones who made me choke in the first place." Sanosuke smirked. "I mean c'mon Kenshin. After that choice blunder of yours, YOU could've been the one getting beaten with a vegetable!"

Kenshin sighed in defeat. "Yes I know, Sano." He brightened quickly. "But then if I had been knocked unconscious, no one would have done the laundry, indeed they would not!" He smiled cheerfully and resumed scrubbing.

Sanosuke facefaulted. Remembering his earlier curiosity, he folded his arms and asked bluntly, "So what exactly did you do in her room when you went to wake her up this morning? You two were blushing like a couple of kids when she came out." He cast a sidelong glance at the Rurouni whose arms were encased in soapy water up to the elbows.

Kenshin blushed redly, but before he could answer, a shrill yell shook the walls of the dojo. "KENNNNSHIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!"

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Kaoru fumed. She'd been so caught up in giving Sano what-for earlier that she'd completely forgotten the mess Kenshin had made of her kimono. Yes, it had been an accident, but why hadn't he immediately offered to take her kimono and clean it before the stain and smell set in? Because that would've meant undressing you out in the open, in broad daylight, in front of baka roosterhead, a little voice piped up. Kaoru sighed. Oh. Right. But…I should still be angry at him because…because, um…she tried to think of a good reason. Because it was very obvious that his little 'wake-up call' was still fresh in his mind? The little voice teased. AGH! SHUT UP! I shouldn't be having thoughts like this! Kaoru began questioning her own sanity when she heard a timid knock at her door.

"Kaoru-dono? Is something the matter? Is everything all right in there? Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin's voice came out muffled.

"Um, ah, no, Kenshin, nothing's wrong," Kaoru had calmed down a bit and was beginning to wish she hadn't screamed so shrilly. "It's, um, well I was wondering if you could possibly clean my kimono after I change. Onegai?" She struggled to keep the waver out of her voice.

"Oh! G-gomen nasai Kaoru-dono! I'd almost forgotten! I'll clean it for you right away, indeed I will. I have already started the washing, that I have, so simply bring it outside when you are ready." Kenshin's voice trailed off as he walked away.

Sighing, Kaoru slipped out of her soiled kimono and into a new one. What else could possibly go wrong??

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A/N: Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to. Heh.

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Brooding inwardly, Kaoru made her way outside. She looked over at Kenshin's hunched form as he bent over the wash tub with his back to her. Walking towards him, she mused to herself, It's strange for a man to take to women's work so easily…cooking, cleaning, taking care of children…mou, he's more of a woman than I am sometimes! Kaoru glanced up just as Kenshin stood to wring out an article of clothing. A faint hint of pink stole across her cheeks as she noticed the movement of the muscles in his bared forearms and in his shoulders under his gi. His lithe hands grasped the cloth firmly, water sluicing through his fingers as he wrung it out a second time. Kaoru reddened further as she contemplated those hands. Well, maybe he's not so very feminine…

Caught up in her state of distraction, Kaoru failed to notice the rock jutting up from the ground directly in front of her. Had she been paying more attention earlier, she would have realized that it was the same rock that had saved Sanosuke's head from her post-breakfast wrath. Then again, when you're flying about in an indignant rage waving a burdock root over your head, some things are bound to escape your notice.

Opening her mouth to speak, Kaoru only managed a small gasp as she tripped over the rock. Kenshin turned just in time to see Kaoru falling towards him, open-mouthed, with a look of total surprise on her face, as she body-slammed into him.

"Kaoru-do—ORO!!"

Kenshin managed to bring his arms up in an attempt to catch her, but the momentum of her body carried them both sailing into the tub behind him.

*SPLASHHH*

Coughing and spluttering, their frenzied attempts to get out of the tub without adding insult to injury only resulted in getting them more stuck. Kenshin's gi had flapped open, and in an effort to get off of him Kaoru pushed against the lean muscles of his chest. Two seconds later, she fell against him with a soft "oof!" as her hands slipped against his wet skin, slick with soapy water, their faces only inches apart for the second time that day. Breathing heavily, they locked eyes. Kaoru, completely flustered, took no notice of the water that was seeping into her kimono. Kenshin tried to ignore the fact that the wet silk felt more like wet skin against him and that Kaoru's face was hovering above his, tiny droplets of water dripping from her hair, down her cheeks and across her parted lips. The only thought that registered was Oro…

"Allow me…Kaoru-dono…" he said rather dazedly. Kaoru's eyes went wide as he circled her waist with one arm, his hand settling in the small of her back and pressing her against him. Though surprised, she found she didn't have the will to resist whatever he was about to do. Pushing against the tub with his free arm, Kenshin attempted to lever them both out of the tub at once, hoping that Kaoru would remain still. He was both relieved and nervous when her only movement was to brace herself against him by pressing her palms into his chest. He was caught by the look of disappointment that flashed through her eyes when they were finally standing again and he released her. Disappointment? No, he must have been imagining it, that he was.

Kaoru fought to keep the disappointment out of her eyes when she realized that Kenshin, ever the gentleman, was really only trying to get them both out of the tub without further incident. Still looking dumbfounded at Kenshin, Kaoru felt her hands move slightly as he inhaled. She looked down and whipped her hands away quickly, realizing they were still planted firmly against his bare chest, as his gi was still gaping open. Her face burned crimson. "Ah…g-gomen nasai, Kenshin."

He chuckled lightly, running a hand through the wet hair plastered to his neck. "I suppose I deserved that, that I did, Kaoru-dono, for ruining your kimono earlier." He smiled warmly.

Kaoru smiled back and was about to respond when a loud, obnoxiously familiar voice cut through the air. "Geeze, busu!! We all know you're so in luuuuuuve with Kenshin, but you don't have go throwing yourself at him like that!! It won't make you any less ugly!!" Yahiko was grinning widely from the dojo gate. He'd witnessed the whole thing.

"YAHIKO! I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!!" Kaoru lunged in Yahiko's direction, brushing hard against Kenshin and knocking him back into the tub.

"OROOO!!!" *SPLASH*

 Yahiko set off at a run, laughing and yelling out loudly, "HEY SANOSUKE! KENSHIN AND THE RACCOON JUST TOOK A BATH TOGETHER!! HAHAHAHA!!!"

"OOOH, YAHIKO NO BAKA!!! YOU JUST BETTER HOPE I DON'T FIND A BURDOCK ROOT!!!!" Kaoru raced after him, leaving Kenshin sopping wet and forgotten in the tub.

A/N: And there's Chapter 2!! Whoohoo!! Sooooo, what d'ya think?! R&R everyone!! It makes me very very happy!!!^_^