AN: To tell the honest truth, I have no clue where this story is going. It's been a while since I've written a fanfic completely on a whim, without a plan, so it's interesting to see where this is going. Hopefully, my muses will keep jumping at possible things to do.

Oh, and I'm not fully ignoring the Kyoto Arch, but I feel that, even with the learning of the final secret to the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, that Kenshin can still turn back into the Battousai if prompted. (And I'll be damned if I try to spell that technique without it spelled correctly right in front of me…) And Battousai, when speaking to Kenshin, is no longer identified by Italics. -_-;

/…./ -- Battousai talking, kay?

Warnings: Do I need to warn of the same things over and over again?

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin—I don't even own all of the DVDs, even though I'm trying damn hard to collect them all.

Still the Same to Me
Chapter Three

Kenshin didn't know whether the week without Battousai constantly commenting on everything he did was a good omen or a bad one. He had to admit, it was a nice, relaxing break, but it worried him. Still, it was almost as if things had gone back to normal… But hadn't it only been a week since he had almost lost complete control of his body to Battousai? How could things be this normal? It had been over a month, too, since Kaoru's death, and yet it felt much longer than that. So much longer, in fact, that Kenshin felt as if he was over it now.

That unnerved him. He was acting normal, Sanosuke was acting normal, and Yahiko had found ways to continue his training, as if everything was normal. What was going on? Did all it really take was Sanosuke telling the Battousai within him to back off to make things this normal again? Wasn't the only person Battousai ever listened to their Shishou? Did Sanosuke really have that much power over Battousai?

/Don't you dare start thinking that one little idiot like him can control me, Kenshin. You know better than that./

Kenshin blinked, stopping in the middle of his scrubbing of the dishes. "Battousai?"

/Damnit, of course it's me. Who else would you hear in your head?/

Kenshin sighed, pulling his hands out from the dishwater and drying them as best he could with a cloth, walking out of the kitchen area and into his room. At least dinner was complete this time. He didn't know what he would do if Battousai had tried to talk to him during dinner…or how long he could last fighting off Battousai from gaining complete control. "Why are you talking to me now, Battousai?" Kenshin muttered as he walked into his room, noting that Sanosuke was no where to be found inside of the Dojo and that Yahiko was out in the yard, practicing.

/Because you were thinking about that idiot./

"And what's so special about Sano? And he isn't an idiot, he's actually rather intelligent, that he is," Kenshin whispered, sitting himself down in the middle of his room, crossing his arms over his chest. He hadn't had a conversation with Battousai that didn't consist of, "Give me control," or, "You're a manslayer, accept that fact," in months, and he was going to jump upon the opportunity of having a somewhat normal conversation with his other half.

/I know he's intelligent,/ Battousai muttered, and if he had been sitting across from Kenshin his arms would be crossed exactly the same way, his eyes closed to show that he was a lot calmer than he normally was, /but he has no common sense. You have to admit that, Kenshin./

"Since when have you been observing Sano, Battousai?" Kenshin asked, opening his eyes. "You aren't planning on hurting him, are you?"

At that Battousai remained silent, and if he had been sitting in front of Kenshin he would have shifted in nervousness. /Why do you ask?/

"Because you know he's my friend," Kenshin whispered. "I don't want you hurting any of my friends, Battousai. You know that."

/Don't worry, Kenshin, I'm not going to hurt him. He's too stupid and provides much entertainment—I just can't hurt him./

At this Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Why is he so amusing?"

/You haven't noticed? Your skills in reading ki are lacking, Kenshin. Isn't it obvious? The boy is head over heels in love and isn't doing a single thing about it./

"My skills aren't lacking, I just choose not to use them as much as I used to," Kenshin muttered. "And I knew Sano was in love, but using that as a way to toy with him isn't nice, Battousai."

/Aren't you the least bit curious to know who he loves?/

"Battousai—I have no intention of knowing. If Sano wants to tell me, he'll tell me himself, that he will," Kenshin whispered.

"Oi! Kenshin, where the hell are you?" Sanosuke's voice called out from the other end of the Dojo. "I thought you and I were going to go get some food supplies—you said we were runnin' low the other day!"

Kenshin smiled at the interruption, his smile growing wider when Battousai cursed and buried himself further back into Kenshin's mind. Without hesitating Kenshin stood up, hiding his anxiety over Battousai's sudden interest in Sanosuke and walked to where he thought he heard Sanosuke's voice originate. Sanosuke smiled at him, his dark eyes warmer than usual.

"I didn't actually think you'd come when called," he snickered, turning around. "What do we need to get from the market, Kenshin?"

"Just some more tofu, vegetables, and rice, Sano," Kenshin responded, easily catching up with Sanosuke, somehow matching the taller man's stride with ease. "I would have had Yahiko go out and get it, but he was busy practicing. It's best I let him train."

Sanosuke turned and smiled at Kenshin. "Well, it seems as though we've finally fallen into a routine. I doubt Jou-chan would have enjoyed allowing Yahiko get away with so much, however."

Kenshin shrugged. "It's my way of telling him I'm sorry for not telling him sooner about Kaoru-dono's death, Sano," he whispered, his eyes downcast. "And if it hadn't been for you, I would have lost control of Battousai completely. And who knows what he would have done to Yahiko."

At that Sanosuke turned his head away from Kenshin, sighing. "Is he still trying to take control?"

"No," Kenshin responded, relief flooding his tone. He didn't care if Battousai talked to him, it was just when he had an intent to kill, to control their body and do horrible things with it that he cared. "He hasn't since you've convinced him to give me back control."

Sanosuke nodded, still looking straight ahead. "Has he…talked to you?"

"He's been silent, for the most part."

"What did he tell you?"

Kenshin blinked at the question, then turned to smile at Sanosuke. "Nothing you should be concerned about, that you shouldn't. He wasn't particularly murderous or anything. In fact, it was a rather decent conversation."

Sanosuke stopped walking in the middle of the street and blinked at Kenshin. "Are you alright?"

"Oro? Of course I'm alright, Sano," Kenshin reassured, continuing to smile at him. "Battousai isn't all bad, you know. He's just…he's my other half, that he is. He can be nice at times."

"I guess you're right, Kenshin. You do know him better than I do," Sanosuke muttered. "He was rather…civil with me when he was in control a week ago."

Kenshin nodded, deciding that it was time they ended their conversation about his other half. Just because Battousai was in a rather good mood for today did not mean that he would appreciate them talking about him as if he wasn't there, when he would always be there to overhear their conversations. It was something Kenshin could never get used to, especially when Battousai decided to add his own opinions, sometimes taking over long enough to say what he wanted to say out loud, and then leaving Kenshin to explain himself. At least, with Sanosuke, Battousai seemed to understand that Kenshin wanted to speak to him without any interruptions.

"Oi, Kenshin, has he said anything about me?" Sanosuke muttered suddenly, pulling Kenshin out of his little nest of thoughts. "Battousai, I mean."

Kenshin sighed. "He hasn't said much, Sano, don't worry," he said softly. He looked up from the street and pointed out one of the stands in the marketplace. "This is where I usually go to get vegetables, come on, I'm going to need your help with everything."

"Oi, Kenshin, why couldn't you just get any of the vegetables from the garden back at the Dojo? Wouldn't that make more sense?"

Kenshin could have sworn he heard Battousai laughing in the back of his mind, but shook it off. "There's a couple of vegetables I need that we don't grow in the garden, Sano," he muttered, trying to act as if he hadn't been embarrassed at all. "That and the garden doesn't last for ever, that it does not…"

"You forgot we had a garden, didn't you, Kenshin?" Sanosuke dared to ask, smirking.

"Oro! Of course I didn't, Sano, why would I forget something like that?" Kenshin countered, fighting off the warmth that spread through his cheeks. Damnit, now was not the time to be blushing. Sanosuke chuckled softly, lightly placing an arm around Kenshin's shoulders. Kenshin glared up at him playfully.

"Well, I'll go get the tofu, Kenshin," he said, still smiling widely at Kenshin, pulling the little bucket they used to put the tofu in out of Kenshin's hands. "You can handle everything else while I'm away, right? Won't forget your way back to the Dojo, right?"

"Oro! That wasn't fair!" Kenshin muttered, pulling out from under Sanosuke's arm. "I will not forget my way back. The Dojo's my home now, remember?"

/Wanderers don't have homes, Kenshin./

"Neither do manslayers, Battousai," Kenshin muttered as he watched Sanosuke walk off to collect the tofu. Sighing, he turned around and began to pick up vegetables from the stand, choosing carefully.

/I was wondering when he would leave. He was asking too many questions again… /

Kenshin ignored Battousai and continued with his shopping, hoping that Battousai would, for once, forget about having a conversation while they were out in public. Battousai was fond of doing that, and usually Kenshin never dignified him with a response. But almost at once his senses sharpened at the recognition of a rather strong ki.

/Soujiro Seta, / Battousai muttered. /Where is he? I can smell him even though you've lost your sense for blood a while ago, Kenshin./

Kenshin again ignored Battousai, but was more on alert now, scanning the crowds for the familiar ki. "I thought he went to be a wanderer, like myself…" he whispered before shrugging his shoulders. The ki was threatening for anyone who knew of Soujiro, but still it didn't feel threatening enough for Kenshin to completely forgo his mission on buying the food items needed to make dinner for the next week or so.

/Damnit, Kenshin, you know better than to just act normal when he's around./

"There is nothing to worry about," Kenshin reassured himself. "Absolutely nothing, that there isn't." And without hesitation, Kenshin made his purchase and walked off to find Sanosuke. Even if he knew Soujiro would only be after him and him alone, Kenshin had to make sure that Sanosuke would be all right. He had lost a lover and a good friend due to his carelessness. This time he would make sure he would protect those around him.

Battousai smirked within him, trying to hide his glee. If Kenshin were to become protective over Sanosuke and Yahiko, there were more chances of him losing control. Kenshin didn't need to kill in order to become a manslayer again; killing was such a trivial thing to Battousai. What Battousai needed to gain complete and total control was Kenshin's trust in him—and what better way to do that than to help Kenshin protect those who remained of his loved ones?

Kenshin blinked then shook his head, sighing as he made his way over to Sanosuke. Sanosuke could take care of himself, right? Then there was no need he should be worrying about the taller man. Or so Kenshin hoped, anyway. And Sanosuke could take care of Yahiko should the need arise. As much as he wanted to protect the two of them, he couldn't do so without the help of Battousai.

/I knew you'd agree,/ Battousai whispered, but once again Kenshin ignored him in favor of smiling at Sanosuke, even if it was one of his forced ones.

Sanosuke smiled back, showed Kenshin that he completed his mission of capturing the tofu, and the two were on their way back to the Dojo. All the while Kenshin couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, and a few times he thought he caught glimpses of Soujiro. Sighing, Kenshin sent a warning glance throughout the crowd, hoping that Soujiro would catch it and get the point.

Who knows? Perhaps Soujiro was just wandering his way through Tokyo, and had no business with Kenshin… It seemed a bit much to hope for, but Kenshin hoped for it, all the same. Hoping didn't help much as Soujiro's ki continued to follow him.

He hoped, instead, that he would not need Battousai's help. How could he successfully be a wanderer if he had to depend on the power and strength of his hardened, frightful other half?