Torn
Chapter Five: Hello Again
Kaoru cautiously shut her car door. The night breeze tickled her cheeks as she made her way to the front of the house, her shoes quietly padding the ground. She knew that it was late, and Kaoru was certain that if either Sano or Yahiko were awake, they would be waiting for her inside to get some answers.
She inspected the house and saw that it was dark inside. There were no lights, no restless shadow of a pacing Yahiko, and the tall figure of her brother was absent from the window. It seemed that they had both gone to sleep.
At least, that was what Kaoru wanted to believe.
She inserted the key into her door and gently pushed aside the shoji. Soundlessly, it swiftly opened and she quietly stepped inside. A slanted splinter of the moonlight hit the floor, but it vanished when she had closed the screen behind her.
Kaoru scanned the room, and to her relief found no one. Slipping off her shoes and placing them beside the mat, she noiselessly made her way to her room...
"Welcome back, Jou-chan."
The arrogant voice sounded from the living room, and Kaoru nearly jumped from fright. A light suddenly came on, revealing her older brother sitting nonchalantly on the family sofa with an all-knowing smirk plastered on his face. Curled in a ball on the other end of the sofa was Yahiko, his head resting on a pillow.
"Nice to finally see that you're home," Sano commented, rising form the couch. With a loud yawn, he stretched his arms and cracked his neck.
"What's the matter with you, Sano?" Kaoru hissed. "Do you want to give me a heart attack?"
The smirk got wider. "Watch your temper, Jou-chan. You don't want to wake up the brat here and make things harder for you, do you?"
She was about to fire back with a smart response, but decided against it. Waking up Yahiko would be like summoning the next Apocalypse. If he found that his older cousin had returned when it was nearly three hours after she called him, she wouldn't hear the end of it.
Giving in, Kaoru took a deep breath. "You still shouldn't have scared me like that."
"And you shouldn't have been sneaking into the house like that," Sano softly chided. "But we'll talk about that later."
Effortlessly, the older Kamiya lifted the sleeping boy into his arms without waking him. "First, help me get the kid into bed."
Smiling warmly, Kaoru agreed and followed Sano to their cousin's bedroom. Clothes, both clean and dirty, were strewn upon the floor. Empty soda cans and empty bags and candy wrappers also littered the room. A motionless videogame console and two nearly tangled controllers were also on the ground. The static of the television set that the console was attached to illuminated the room, shedding some light for the brother and sister.
Sano stepped over the remains of the junk food and laundry with Kaoru following him. When they had made it to the bed, he lowered the boy onto the mattress. Kaoru pulled the comforter over their cousin's scrawny form. Peace washed over her while she watched him slept. A few snores escaped loudly from his throat as he laid there in a deep slumber.
"He kept yelling that we should've driven to the city to look for you," Sano said, "it took everything I had to keep myself from taping his mouth shut."
The fresh infliction of guilt stung her heart. "I'm sorry, Sano. I honestly didn't think that I would be home this late. I lost track of time."
He grinned. "I figured that you needed some time to yourself."
If only Kaoru could tell her brother that she wasn't actually spending that time alone.
"He really was worried though," Sano said, his usually boastful voice softening. "I tried to get him to stop panicking. After he did his homework, we watched a movie and played a few videogames."
"And you didn't bother to turn the TV off after you were done," Kaoru scolded lightly, pressing a small button on the machine. With a small zap, the static disappeared and only the light from the hallway could be seen in the now dark room.
Sano continued. "That didn't settle him down, so he waited for you in the living room with me. Too bad he fell asleep before you walked in."
Kaoru smiled thoughtfully, running her hand through a few unruly strands of her cousin's hair. "I told him to get to bed at 9:30. He's going to be really cranky tomorrow morning."
The siblings then left Yahiko in bed, carefully shutting the door after them.
"I can use a cup of coffee." Sano said.
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Does that mean you want me to make it for you?"
Her brother only smirked. "C'mon, Jou-chan. It's the least you can do after making me and the brat worry so much."
His brown eyes widened and gave her a mock expression of hurt. She hated it when Sano did that. It made him look like a lost little puppy, despite the fact that he was twice her height.
She sighed in defeat. "Fine. I could use some tea anyway."
They went into the kitchen where Kaoru turned on the stove and allowed a kettle of water to boil. As she waited, she began to make Sano's coffee, the older sibling sitting back in a chair.
"So where'd you go?" He asked her.
"That old restaurant downtown that we used to go to," Kaoru said, getting out two cups from the cupboard. "You know, the one across from that antiques store?"
Sano raised a brow. "You went there?"
"I assumed that it was too soon to go within ten feet of the Akabeko," Kaoru replied, pouring coffee into a cup and handing it to her brother. "Plus, it's been a while since I've eaten at that restaurant."
"You mean to tell me that you went downtown by yourself?"
She tried to brush away the question as she made her tea. "What if I did?"
Sano set his cup on the table. "Jou-chan, you shouldn't be so careless. I've told you since you were little not to go there alone."
Wishing her overprotective brother would change the subject, Kaoru busied herself by adding a spoonful of sugar to her drink. "I can take care of myself, Sano."
"Still, it isn't safe."
"I came back in one piece, didn't I?"
"Yeah, after three hours."
"I told you that I lost track of time!"
"I know you have a watch, Jou-chan. It's not like you to be...you think that you added enough sugar?"
Kaoru looked at her cup and she saw what her brother was referring to. White grains were scattered on the counter. She noticed that the sugar that she put in filled nearly half of her cup, causing the level of her tea to rise considerably.
Her pretty face flustered, she began to quickly stir her tea. "What are you talking about? I like it this sweet."
To prove her point, she took a little sip. After the saccharine liquid slipped down her throat, she felt as if her teeth were rotting from the inside out.
Sano couldn't help but feel that his sister was behaving quite strangely tonight. She was being more defensive as usual, over what Sano wasn't sure about.
And her face...her cheeks were blushing lightly. She looked like some timid little high school girl with a secret crush...
...a crush...
The light bulb turned on in his head. A wicked grin spread across his lips, making Kaoru even more uncomfortable.
"W-what?" she stammered.
"So that's it!" he exclaimed. "That's the reason why you're acting so weird."
Kaoru gave her brother a clueless look.
"It's a guy," Sano explained, his voice taunting her. "You were with a guy."
Her cup of tea nearly slipped out of her hands. "WHAT?!"
Her brother stood up from his chair and threw his arms around her tightly. He lifted her off of her feet and was swinging her around like a rag doll, laughing his head off.
"Kaoru has a boyfriend!" he teased in sing-song, nearly hugging the life out of her.
"Stop it, Sano!" she cried angrily. "I do NOT have a boyfriend!"
"Aw, Kaoru-chan is finally growing up!" he continued, setting her back on her feet. He still continued to torture her by rubbing the top of her head with one callused hand, messing up her long hair in the process.
"Quit it!" Kaoru yelled, trying to swat Sano's hand away.
"So who is he?" Sano ignored her protests, his grin widening by the minute. "I bet he's some classmate at college."
"No! For the last time, I wasn't with anybody—"
"Or was it Shinomori?" Sano smirked mischievously. "Or maybe you sweet-talked one of the teenagers in the waiting room to go out with you."
"He was NOT a high school student!!!" she shrieked.
A heavy silence fell between the siblings. Kaoru stared angrily at her brother, and realized that the foolish grin was still present on his lips.
"...why, Jou-chan," he drawled innocently. "I thought that you said that you ate dinner by yourself tonight."
"I did—" Kaoru stopped and nearly bit her tongue. Just as Sano had expected, she had taken the bait.
Kaoru wanted nothing more than to slap herself.
He laughed at the priceless look on her blushing face. Her eyes glared daggers at Sano, her finger pointed accusingly at the older sibling.
"You tricked me!"
"And you lied to me," he said goodheartedly. But he only smiled warmly and gathered his little sister into another bear hug. "But I forgive you."
She pouted, trapped in her brother's embrace. Kaoru was irritated, she knew that she could never stay angry with Sano. She was never able to since they were children.
"So who is he?" Sano asked. "And when will I get to meet him?"
"You act like I'm dating him!" Kaoru snapped. "It was just dinner."
"What kind of guy was he like?" he continued his questions, too intrigued that Kaoru had actually shared a meal with a man.
She sighed, and decided that answering Sano was the only way she could get him to shut up. "You might actually get along with him. He's over- confident and likes to tease me, just like you."
The image of intense turquoise eyes and snow-white hair flitted in her mind. "But he wasn't all bad. He put up with my ranting and he paid for dinner."
Enishi had driven her back to the parking lot outside of Aoshi's office, as much as Kaoru had insisted that she could take a cab. His reasoning was that he didn't want her to be by herself in a dark, empty parking lot. He had opened her car door for her and escorted her inside. She smiled unconsciously upon remembering seeing Enishi from her rear view mirror as he stood outside, watching her drive off.
"He was really polite. Like a gentleman."
Sano noticed the softness in Kaoru's tone of voice, and he hugged her even tighter. "It sounds like Jou-chan has a crush."
She pushed her brother away from him. "I told you, we just had dinner! It's not like I'm interested in him!"
She gathered the empty cups and walked over to the sink. She turned on the faucet and lukewarm water gushed out. Her back was stiff as she scrubbed the insides of the cups with a sponge.
"Besides...I don't think I'm ready for something like that."
Kaoru placed the cups onto the drying rack and shut off the water, but she didn't turn around to face Sano.
"I'm...I'm still waiting for him..."
Sano suddenly regretted teasing Kaoru when he saw her frail shoulders slumping over. Although she wasn't looking at him, he didn't have to see her face to know that she was upset.
He drew close to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Jou- chan..."
"...he hasn't called for a while," she said suddenly, her soft voice embodying two years' worth of grief and heartache. "I haven't received any letters or e-mail from him, either."
His grip tightened.
"But he promised he'd be back..." she trembled involuntarily, her body steadied by Sano's firm hold. "So I keep expecting to see him show up one day with that stupid-looking smile on his face."
"...you shouldn't do this to yourself," Sano scolded her lightly. "You shouldn't wait for him, Jou-chan."
He didn't want to say it, but to see his little sister wasting away for someone that had severed all communications with her was unbearable.
"You don't know when he'll be coming back. Neither of us does."
She cast her brother a sideways glance and smiled wistfully. "He promised me, Sano."
She turned away from her brother, her blue eyes fixated on the water dripping from the clean cups and into the sink.
"And you know Kenshin. He never breaks his promises."
* * * *
What was this strange feeling? This alien emotion that elated his spirits? Never before had he felt this serene, this calm...
Or this utterly bewildered.
Enishi paced back and forth, his bare feet disturbing the rich Persian carpet that sprawled majestically against the floor of his bedroom. Slips of moonlight escaped from the barriers of his curtains, accentuating the white slivers of his wild hair.
Usually, he would be sitting in front of his fireplace, sipping wine and allowing himself to drown in the ghosts of his memories. He would drink himself to a stupor in the worst cases of his depression, but even then he found it difficult to sleep.
Now...in the darkness of his room, all he could think about was her. Her brazen nature and her kind smile flooded all other thoughts.
He gritted his teeth. Enishi didn't like the fact that such an outspoken girl could have a strong effect on him. He looked at his hand and searched it with his turquoise eyes, looking for something that wasn't physically there.
That was where her hand had been. Even though it was only for a short time, the smoothness of her fingers and her palm still lingered on his hand. He remembered the shiver of electricity that ran through his nerves when she had inflicted him with her gentle touch. He was sure that her intention behind the simple gesture was on friendly terms, but he found the contact of her soft skin to be...intimate. Desirable, even.
He sighed and decided to turn in for the night. He got onto his bed, his bare chest exposed to the cool atmosphere of his room. His head turned to his side where he caught a small bottle standing next to a crystal decanter of red wine on his nightstand.
He had forgotten to take his medicine tonight.
His hand reached out for the bottle, and he felt its plastic texture in his grasp. He observed it, reading over the prescription label.
Anti-depressants. Take one to two pills every six hours.
He held the bottle in his hand for a little bit, and then placed it back on his nightstand. Enishi took off his glasses and put them next to the medicine, not taking another look at the plastic bottle or the red wine.
For some reason, he didn't feel a need to consume either the pills or the alcohol. He only wanted to see her again tomorrow.
Enishi closed his eyes, the feel of creamy skin and a compassionate smile the last things that he had thought about before succumbing to sleep.
* * * *
Strips of sunlight invaded his room and impatiently coaxed him to awaken. His brow creased in aggravation as he tugged the covers over him to shield himself from the morning sun. It was much too early to get up...
The alarm clock sounded, its high-pitched ringing indicating that it was indeed time to prepare for the day. His hand slammed on the contraption, and he rolled onto his side. His scrawny form was rumpled beneath the comforter, his weary mind trying to deceive himself that morning had not arrived yet.
The faint smell of cooking food teased his nostrils. His empty stomach began to grumble loudly, the thought of fried eggs and toast luring him out of bed. Kaoru must have been awake by now...
...Kaoru...
Yahiko bolted out of bed and ran out of his room. He nearly slipped on the ends of his pajama pants, but that didn't stop him for long. His feet brought him to the family kitchen, where his cousin was humming to herself and preparing breakfast. His heart swelled with relief at the familiar sight.
It was good to know that she had returned home safely.
Sensing a familiar presence behind her, Kaoru whirled around. Half- lidded eyes and messy black hair were there to greet her.
"Good morning, Yahiko."
His relief was hidden behind a visage of anger. "Don't 'good morning' me, busu! Where the hell were you last night?!"
"Eating dinner," she simply responded, removing the eggs from the frying pan and putting them on a plate.
"It took you that long to eat?!" he rampaged on. "When did you come home anyway? Did you have any idea how late I stayed up waiting for your sorry ass to get home?!"
"Sano told me everything."
He expected an apology, but it never came. "Well? Aren't you gonna say anything?"
"What do you want me to say?" she asked, irritated by how pushy the boy was acting this morning.
"That you're sorry!" he yelled. "That you won't stay out that late ever again!"
She stared at Yahiko, her features expressing sympathy for him. Kaoru truly didn't mean to make the child so worried about her. He never told her, but she knew that Yahiko considered her to be more of a sister than a cousin. His overprotective nature proved that.
Turning off the stove, she faced him. With a steady gaze and a serious expression that betrayed her young age, she spoke, "I'm sorry, Yahiko. I just lost track of time."
He hesitated, but continued, "That isn't an excuse! You said you would come home soon, but you didn't!"
"It was a mistake!"
"Well what if I did the same thing? Wouldn't you be worried if I came home later than I said I would?!"
Kaoru took a deep breath and exhaled. Her cousin had a good point. She would be worried to death if Yahiko didn't come home until near midnight.
"I'm sorry," she repeated, her eyes holding his. "I won't do it again, okay?"
He regarded the sincerity of her voice, and he decided that he had made his point. As much as he enjoyed teasing and infuriating Kaoru, he didn't want her to be ENTIRELY miserable.
"You better not," he remarked.
"And you had better get into the bathroom," Kaoru said, cracking another egg on the heated skillet. "I think Sano just got up."
His eyes widened and a sudden shutting of a door sounded in the hallway. Whirling around, Yahiko rushed to the bathroom.
"Hey, I was up first!" he screamed. The morning ritual commenced and he began beating his fists on the chestnut door. "SANO!!!"
Kaoru only hummed, scrambling the eggs with the tip of her spatula.
* * * *
He leaned against his car, staring at her slim, petite form as she spoke to her younger cousin. Her back was to him, the endless stream of raven drifting slightly in the breeze. From the way the sunlight was hitting the strands, her hair looked as if there was a faint bluish tint to it rather than pitch-black. He found it very attractive.
A few more words, and the boy departed from her with his baseball bat and his schoolbag. She continued to watch him until he disappeared into the crowds of children. The alarm sounded, and the schoolyard was soon empty except for parents that had sent their sons and daughters off. They were departing, and so was she. Funny how she stood out from all those middle- aged men and women. She wasn't a housewife or a workaholic businessperson; her lovely face and slender frame had shown her youth.
Muted surprise was apparent in her blue eyes, and he felt a grin tugging the corners of his mouth. He knew that she wasn't expecting to see him so soon again.
She hid her astonishment with a playful smile. "Is road construction that bad in Tokyo?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't know. I haven't driven on that route lately."
The sunshine glinted brightly in her sapphire depths. "So what are you doing here?" she smirked impishly. "Did I attack one of your employees again?"
He smiled in response. "Not that I know of. Even if that were the case, I wouldn't blame you. It would only make my job easier."
"How?"
"It's simple. I'd be saving money if I fired more workers."
A light laughter escaped her lips. "You truly are a heartless corporate shark, you know that?"
"Why, thank you."
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Don't go feeling so sorry for yourself."
"I don't intend to," he haughtily replied. "Aside from that, are you free tonight?"
She bit her bottom lip and looked towards her feet. "Can't say that I am. I have to get straight home tonight, or else my cousin will have a fit."
"So you have a curfew now?" he teased her.
"No, I don't," she said indignantly. "I just don't want to worry Yahiko to the point that he'll start getting gray hair."
"Fine, then. How about lunch?"
A pink blush darkened her pale cheeks. She shared only one meal with this man and already he was quick to appear before her again. She didn't know whether to be nervous or flattered.
"You're blushing," he pointed out, amused.
"It's a little warm this morning," she lamely answered.
He smirked, knowing full well that little Kaoru Kamiya was lying. "Are you scared of me?"
"No, I'm not!" Kaoru cried. "Why would I be scared of you?"
"Because you seem quite hesitant to accompany me to lunch," he replied coolly, laughing inwardly at how uneasy she looked. "Afraid that I might bite, Miss Kamiya?"
Her lips pouted adorably, her fists clenched at her sides in annoyance. "If you're going to keep making fun of me about it, then I'll go."
He grinned victoriously, his eyes laughing behind his tinted shades.
"But only to shut you up," she added venomously, approaching her car. Once again, Enishi's hand grabbed the handle and he had opened the door for her. She got into the driver's seat, fastening her seatbelt securely over her body.
"I get a lunch break from my classes at eleven. You can meet me at the college entrance—"
"I know where," he interjected.
Kaoru was taken aback, but a part of her wasn't surprised. If Enishi knew her workplace along with her name, then he was likely to know which college she attended.
He shut the door, and Kaoru started the car. She sped away from him, and he looked after her until she was no longer in his sight.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
...okay, I'll admit that this chapter was a little boring. But things will pick up! I have yet to mix in a few more characters into the story, and I'm looking forward to writing about them and more Enishi/Kaoru interaction. I like to see them squabble...it's so cute ^_^
Anyway, thanks again for the reviews. I'm glad that I'm keeping the characters in check, but I'm kinda worried about Enishi. I hope I'm portraying his character SOMEWHAT accurately.
Oh well, have a good weekend ^_^
Chapter Five: Hello Again
Kaoru cautiously shut her car door. The night breeze tickled her cheeks as she made her way to the front of the house, her shoes quietly padding the ground. She knew that it was late, and Kaoru was certain that if either Sano or Yahiko were awake, they would be waiting for her inside to get some answers.
She inspected the house and saw that it was dark inside. There were no lights, no restless shadow of a pacing Yahiko, and the tall figure of her brother was absent from the window. It seemed that they had both gone to sleep.
At least, that was what Kaoru wanted to believe.
She inserted the key into her door and gently pushed aside the shoji. Soundlessly, it swiftly opened and she quietly stepped inside. A slanted splinter of the moonlight hit the floor, but it vanished when she had closed the screen behind her.
Kaoru scanned the room, and to her relief found no one. Slipping off her shoes and placing them beside the mat, she noiselessly made her way to her room...
"Welcome back, Jou-chan."
The arrogant voice sounded from the living room, and Kaoru nearly jumped from fright. A light suddenly came on, revealing her older brother sitting nonchalantly on the family sofa with an all-knowing smirk plastered on his face. Curled in a ball on the other end of the sofa was Yahiko, his head resting on a pillow.
"Nice to finally see that you're home," Sano commented, rising form the couch. With a loud yawn, he stretched his arms and cracked his neck.
"What's the matter with you, Sano?" Kaoru hissed. "Do you want to give me a heart attack?"
The smirk got wider. "Watch your temper, Jou-chan. You don't want to wake up the brat here and make things harder for you, do you?"
She was about to fire back with a smart response, but decided against it. Waking up Yahiko would be like summoning the next Apocalypse. If he found that his older cousin had returned when it was nearly three hours after she called him, she wouldn't hear the end of it.
Giving in, Kaoru took a deep breath. "You still shouldn't have scared me like that."
"And you shouldn't have been sneaking into the house like that," Sano softly chided. "But we'll talk about that later."
Effortlessly, the older Kamiya lifted the sleeping boy into his arms without waking him. "First, help me get the kid into bed."
Smiling warmly, Kaoru agreed and followed Sano to their cousin's bedroom. Clothes, both clean and dirty, were strewn upon the floor. Empty soda cans and empty bags and candy wrappers also littered the room. A motionless videogame console and two nearly tangled controllers were also on the ground. The static of the television set that the console was attached to illuminated the room, shedding some light for the brother and sister.
Sano stepped over the remains of the junk food and laundry with Kaoru following him. When they had made it to the bed, he lowered the boy onto the mattress. Kaoru pulled the comforter over their cousin's scrawny form. Peace washed over her while she watched him slept. A few snores escaped loudly from his throat as he laid there in a deep slumber.
"He kept yelling that we should've driven to the city to look for you," Sano said, "it took everything I had to keep myself from taping his mouth shut."
The fresh infliction of guilt stung her heart. "I'm sorry, Sano. I honestly didn't think that I would be home this late. I lost track of time."
He grinned. "I figured that you needed some time to yourself."
If only Kaoru could tell her brother that she wasn't actually spending that time alone.
"He really was worried though," Sano said, his usually boastful voice softening. "I tried to get him to stop panicking. After he did his homework, we watched a movie and played a few videogames."
"And you didn't bother to turn the TV off after you were done," Kaoru scolded lightly, pressing a small button on the machine. With a small zap, the static disappeared and only the light from the hallway could be seen in the now dark room.
Sano continued. "That didn't settle him down, so he waited for you in the living room with me. Too bad he fell asleep before you walked in."
Kaoru smiled thoughtfully, running her hand through a few unruly strands of her cousin's hair. "I told him to get to bed at 9:30. He's going to be really cranky tomorrow morning."
The siblings then left Yahiko in bed, carefully shutting the door after them.
"I can use a cup of coffee." Sano said.
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Does that mean you want me to make it for you?"
Her brother only smirked. "C'mon, Jou-chan. It's the least you can do after making me and the brat worry so much."
His brown eyes widened and gave her a mock expression of hurt. She hated it when Sano did that. It made him look like a lost little puppy, despite the fact that he was twice her height.
She sighed in defeat. "Fine. I could use some tea anyway."
They went into the kitchen where Kaoru turned on the stove and allowed a kettle of water to boil. As she waited, she began to make Sano's coffee, the older sibling sitting back in a chair.
"So where'd you go?" He asked her.
"That old restaurant downtown that we used to go to," Kaoru said, getting out two cups from the cupboard. "You know, the one across from that antiques store?"
Sano raised a brow. "You went there?"
"I assumed that it was too soon to go within ten feet of the Akabeko," Kaoru replied, pouring coffee into a cup and handing it to her brother. "Plus, it's been a while since I've eaten at that restaurant."
"You mean to tell me that you went downtown by yourself?"
She tried to brush away the question as she made her tea. "What if I did?"
Sano set his cup on the table. "Jou-chan, you shouldn't be so careless. I've told you since you were little not to go there alone."
Wishing her overprotective brother would change the subject, Kaoru busied herself by adding a spoonful of sugar to her drink. "I can take care of myself, Sano."
"Still, it isn't safe."
"I came back in one piece, didn't I?"
"Yeah, after three hours."
"I told you that I lost track of time!"
"I know you have a watch, Jou-chan. It's not like you to be...you think that you added enough sugar?"
Kaoru looked at her cup and she saw what her brother was referring to. White grains were scattered on the counter. She noticed that the sugar that she put in filled nearly half of her cup, causing the level of her tea to rise considerably.
Her pretty face flustered, she began to quickly stir her tea. "What are you talking about? I like it this sweet."
To prove her point, she took a little sip. After the saccharine liquid slipped down her throat, she felt as if her teeth were rotting from the inside out.
Sano couldn't help but feel that his sister was behaving quite strangely tonight. She was being more defensive as usual, over what Sano wasn't sure about.
And her face...her cheeks were blushing lightly. She looked like some timid little high school girl with a secret crush...
...a crush...
The light bulb turned on in his head. A wicked grin spread across his lips, making Kaoru even more uncomfortable.
"W-what?" she stammered.
"So that's it!" he exclaimed. "That's the reason why you're acting so weird."
Kaoru gave her brother a clueless look.
"It's a guy," Sano explained, his voice taunting her. "You were with a guy."
Her cup of tea nearly slipped out of her hands. "WHAT?!"
Her brother stood up from his chair and threw his arms around her tightly. He lifted her off of her feet and was swinging her around like a rag doll, laughing his head off.
"Kaoru has a boyfriend!" he teased in sing-song, nearly hugging the life out of her.
"Stop it, Sano!" she cried angrily. "I do NOT have a boyfriend!"
"Aw, Kaoru-chan is finally growing up!" he continued, setting her back on her feet. He still continued to torture her by rubbing the top of her head with one callused hand, messing up her long hair in the process.
"Quit it!" Kaoru yelled, trying to swat Sano's hand away.
"So who is he?" Sano ignored her protests, his grin widening by the minute. "I bet he's some classmate at college."
"No! For the last time, I wasn't with anybody—"
"Or was it Shinomori?" Sano smirked mischievously. "Or maybe you sweet-talked one of the teenagers in the waiting room to go out with you."
"He was NOT a high school student!!!" she shrieked.
A heavy silence fell between the siblings. Kaoru stared angrily at her brother, and realized that the foolish grin was still present on his lips.
"...why, Jou-chan," he drawled innocently. "I thought that you said that you ate dinner by yourself tonight."
"I did—" Kaoru stopped and nearly bit her tongue. Just as Sano had expected, she had taken the bait.
Kaoru wanted nothing more than to slap herself.
He laughed at the priceless look on her blushing face. Her eyes glared daggers at Sano, her finger pointed accusingly at the older sibling.
"You tricked me!"
"And you lied to me," he said goodheartedly. But he only smiled warmly and gathered his little sister into another bear hug. "But I forgive you."
She pouted, trapped in her brother's embrace. Kaoru was irritated, she knew that she could never stay angry with Sano. She was never able to since they were children.
"So who is he?" Sano asked. "And when will I get to meet him?"
"You act like I'm dating him!" Kaoru snapped. "It was just dinner."
"What kind of guy was he like?" he continued his questions, too intrigued that Kaoru had actually shared a meal with a man.
She sighed, and decided that answering Sano was the only way she could get him to shut up. "You might actually get along with him. He's over- confident and likes to tease me, just like you."
The image of intense turquoise eyes and snow-white hair flitted in her mind. "But he wasn't all bad. He put up with my ranting and he paid for dinner."
Enishi had driven her back to the parking lot outside of Aoshi's office, as much as Kaoru had insisted that she could take a cab. His reasoning was that he didn't want her to be by herself in a dark, empty parking lot. He had opened her car door for her and escorted her inside. She smiled unconsciously upon remembering seeing Enishi from her rear view mirror as he stood outside, watching her drive off.
"He was really polite. Like a gentleman."
Sano noticed the softness in Kaoru's tone of voice, and he hugged her even tighter. "It sounds like Jou-chan has a crush."
She pushed her brother away from him. "I told you, we just had dinner! It's not like I'm interested in him!"
She gathered the empty cups and walked over to the sink. She turned on the faucet and lukewarm water gushed out. Her back was stiff as she scrubbed the insides of the cups with a sponge.
"Besides...I don't think I'm ready for something like that."
Kaoru placed the cups onto the drying rack and shut off the water, but she didn't turn around to face Sano.
"I'm...I'm still waiting for him..."
Sano suddenly regretted teasing Kaoru when he saw her frail shoulders slumping over. Although she wasn't looking at him, he didn't have to see her face to know that she was upset.
He drew close to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Jou- chan..."
"...he hasn't called for a while," she said suddenly, her soft voice embodying two years' worth of grief and heartache. "I haven't received any letters or e-mail from him, either."
His grip tightened.
"But he promised he'd be back..." she trembled involuntarily, her body steadied by Sano's firm hold. "So I keep expecting to see him show up one day with that stupid-looking smile on his face."
"...you shouldn't do this to yourself," Sano scolded her lightly. "You shouldn't wait for him, Jou-chan."
He didn't want to say it, but to see his little sister wasting away for someone that had severed all communications with her was unbearable.
"You don't know when he'll be coming back. Neither of us does."
She cast her brother a sideways glance and smiled wistfully. "He promised me, Sano."
She turned away from her brother, her blue eyes fixated on the water dripping from the clean cups and into the sink.
"And you know Kenshin. He never breaks his promises."
* * * *
What was this strange feeling? This alien emotion that elated his spirits? Never before had he felt this serene, this calm...
Or this utterly bewildered.
Enishi paced back and forth, his bare feet disturbing the rich Persian carpet that sprawled majestically against the floor of his bedroom. Slips of moonlight escaped from the barriers of his curtains, accentuating the white slivers of his wild hair.
Usually, he would be sitting in front of his fireplace, sipping wine and allowing himself to drown in the ghosts of his memories. He would drink himself to a stupor in the worst cases of his depression, but even then he found it difficult to sleep.
Now...in the darkness of his room, all he could think about was her. Her brazen nature and her kind smile flooded all other thoughts.
He gritted his teeth. Enishi didn't like the fact that such an outspoken girl could have a strong effect on him. He looked at his hand and searched it with his turquoise eyes, looking for something that wasn't physically there.
That was where her hand had been. Even though it was only for a short time, the smoothness of her fingers and her palm still lingered on his hand. He remembered the shiver of electricity that ran through his nerves when she had inflicted him with her gentle touch. He was sure that her intention behind the simple gesture was on friendly terms, but he found the contact of her soft skin to be...intimate. Desirable, even.
He sighed and decided to turn in for the night. He got onto his bed, his bare chest exposed to the cool atmosphere of his room. His head turned to his side where he caught a small bottle standing next to a crystal decanter of red wine on his nightstand.
He had forgotten to take his medicine tonight.
His hand reached out for the bottle, and he felt its plastic texture in his grasp. He observed it, reading over the prescription label.
Anti-depressants. Take one to two pills every six hours.
He held the bottle in his hand for a little bit, and then placed it back on his nightstand. Enishi took off his glasses and put them next to the medicine, not taking another look at the plastic bottle or the red wine.
For some reason, he didn't feel a need to consume either the pills or the alcohol. He only wanted to see her again tomorrow.
Enishi closed his eyes, the feel of creamy skin and a compassionate smile the last things that he had thought about before succumbing to sleep.
* * * *
Strips of sunlight invaded his room and impatiently coaxed him to awaken. His brow creased in aggravation as he tugged the covers over him to shield himself from the morning sun. It was much too early to get up...
The alarm clock sounded, its high-pitched ringing indicating that it was indeed time to prepare for the day. His hand slammed on the contraption, and he rolled onto his side. His scrawny form was rumpled beneath the comforter, his weary mind trying to deceive himself that morning had not arrived yet.
The faint smell of cooking food teased his nostrils. His empty stomach began to grumble loudly, the thought of fried eggs and toast luring him out of bed. Kaoru must have been awake by now...
...Kaoru...
Yahiko bolted out of bed and ran out of his room. He nearly slipped on the ends of his pajama pants, but that didn't stop him for long. His feet brought him to the family kitchen, where his cousin was humming to herself and preparing breakfast. His heart swelled with relief at the familiar sight.
It was good to know that she had returned home safely.
Sensing a familiar presence behind her, Kaoru whirled around. Half- lidded eyes and messy black hair were there to greet her.
"Good morning, Yahiko."
His relief was hidden behind a visage of anger. "Don't 'good morning' me, busu! Where the hell were you last night?!"
"Eating dinner," she simply responded, removing the eggs from the frying pan and putting them on a plate.
"It took you that long to eat?!" he rampaged on. "When did you come home anyway? Did you have any idea how late I stayed up waiting for your sorry ass to get home?!"
"Sano told me everything."
He expected an apology, but it never came. "Well? Aren't you gonna say anything?"
"What do you want me to say?" she asked, irritated by how pushy the boy was acting this morning.
"That you're sorry!" he yelled. "That you won't stay out that late ever again!"
She stared at Yahiko, her features expressing sympathy for him. Kaoru truly didn't mean to make the child so worried about her. He never told her, but she knew that Yahiko considered her to be more of a sister than a cousin. His overprotective nature proved that.
Turning off the stove, she faced him. With a steady gaze and a serious expression that betrayed her young age, she spoke, "I'm sorry, Yahiko. I just lost track of time."
He hesitated, but continued, "That isn't an excuse! You said you would come home soon, but you didn't!"
"It was a mistake!"
"Well what if I did the same thing? Wouldn't you be worried if I came home later than I said I would?!"
Kaoru took a deep breath and exhaled. Her cousin had a good point. She would be worried to death if Yahiko didn't come home until near midnight.
"I'm sorry," she repeated, her eyes holding his. "I won't do it again, okay?"
He regarded the sincerity of her voice, and he decided that he had made his point. As much as he enjoyed teasing and infuriating Kaoru, he didn't want her to be ENTIRELY miserable.
"You better not," he remarked.
"And you had better get into the bathroom," Kaoru said, cracking another egg on the heated skillet. "I think Sano just got up."
His eyes widened and a sudden shutting of a door sounded in the hallway. Whirling around, Yahiko rushed to the bathroom.
"Hey, I was up first!" he screamed. The morning ritual commenced and he began beating his fists on the chestnut door. "SANO!!!"
Kaoru only hummed, scrambling the eggs with the tip of her spatula.
* * * *
He leaned against his car, staring at her slim, petite form as she spoke to her younger cousin. Her back was to him, the endless stream of raven drifting slightly in the breeze. From the way the sunlight was hitting the strands, her hair looked as if there was a faint bluish tint to it rather than pitch-black. He found it very attractive.
A few more words, and the boy departed from her with his baseball bat and his schoolbag. She continued to watch him until he disappeared into the crowds of children. The alarm sounded, and the schoolyard was soon empty except for parents that had sent their sons and daughters off. They were departing, and so was she. Funny how she stood out from all those middle- aged men and women. She wasn't a housewife or a workaholic businessperson; her lovely face and slender frame had shown her youth.
Muted surprise was apparent in her blue eyes, and he felt a grin tugging the corners of his mouth. He knew that she wasn't expecting to see him so soon again.
She hid her astonishment with a playful smile. "Is road construction that bad in Tokyo?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't know. I haven't driven on that route lately."
The sunshine glinted brightly in her sapphire depths. "So what are you doing here?" she smirked impishly. "Did I attack one of your employees again?"
He smiled in response. "Not that I know of. Even if that were the case, I wouldn't blame you. It would only make my job easier."
"How?"
"It's simple. I'd be saving money if I fired more workers."
A light laughter escaped her lips. "You truly are a heartless corporate shark, you know that?"
"Why, thank you."
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Don't go feeling so sorry for yourself."
"I don't intend to," he haughtily replied. "Aside from that, are you free tonight?"
She bit her bottom lip and looked towards her feet. "Can't say that I am. I have to get straight home tonight, or else my cousin will have a fit."
"So you have a curfew now?" he teased her.
"No, I don't," she said indignantly. "I just don't want to worry Yahiko to the point that he'll start getting gray hair."
"Fine, then. How about lunch?"
A pink blush darkened her pale cheeks. She shared only one meal with this man and already he was quick to appear before her again. She didn't know whether to be nervous or flattered.
"You're blushing," he pointed out, amused.
"It's a little warm this morning," she lamely answered.
He smirked, knowing full well that little Kaoru Kamiya was lying. "Are you scared of me?"
"No, I'm not!" Kaoru cried. "Why would I be scared of you?"
"Because you seem quite hesitant to accompany me to lunch," he replied coolly, laughing inwardly at how uneasy she looked. "Afraid that I might bite, Miss Kamiya?"
Her lips pouted adorably, her fists clenched at her sides in annoyance. "If you're going to keep making fun of me about it, then I'll go."
He grinned victoriously, his eyes laughing behind his tinted shades.
"But only to shut you up," she added venomously, approaching her car. Once again, Enishi's hand grabbed the handle and he had opened the door for her. She got into the driver's seat, fastening her seatbelt securely over her body.
"I get a lunch break from my classes at eleven. You can meet me at the college entrance—"
"I know where," he interjected.
Kaoru was taken aback, but a part of her wasn't surprised. If Enishi knew her workplace along with her name, then he was likely to know which college she attended.
He shut the door, and Kaoru started the car. She sped away from him, and he looked after her until she was no longer in his sight.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
...okay, I'll admit that this chapter was a little boring. But things will pick up! I have yet to mix in a few more characters into the story, and I'm looking forward to writing about them and more Enishi/Kaoru interaction. I like to see them squabble...it's so cute ^_^
Anyway, thanks again for the reviews. I'm glad that I'm keeping the characters in check, but I'm kinda worried about Enishi. I hope I'm portraying his character SOMEWHAT accurately.
Oh well, have a good weekend ^_^
