Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin et al is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro. I'm just a Sessha follower that dreams…

Across the Hallway

A/N: I had fun doing this chapter... just a little rated for thoughts. but otherwise, enjoy! Rather heavy on the OOc, but sometimes, really, don't you just wish Kenshin would really take the initiative for Kaoru? Or does Nobuhiro-san just loves to play sadist to our feeling?! argh!!!! *receives a whack from Watsuki-sama's fan* "You have no right, baka-deshi!!!" *WHACK* Owwwww.....

PS. Please R&R! Enjoy! :)





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Chapter 9

Monday Night Funnies

It was 5:30, and Kaoru was in a rush to get home. Mou! That damned principal held such a long orientation about the upcoming prom I swear if he extended five more minutes I would've hit him or something! I'm sooo late and I still have to buy dessert and take a bath and perform just about 5 million other things to do that I don't know where to start!

Pushing and shoving her way out of the subway, she raced down 12th street and went straight to Verdu's. As she ran down sidewalk, she hit a man with long red hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Oro?!" Kenshin saw stars, and a few twittering birds.

"Omigod, not again?!" Kaoru caught him for a second before they both tumbled to the ground. She couldn't help noticing that he shifted his body so he would get the brunt of the fall.

"Kaoru-dono! How nice to run into you again!" Kenshin said, his eyes alight with merriment. I can't believe I've never met her until now… she's so beautiful, even with her hair caught up in a pencil and messy clothes. And that blush is driving me crazy--- it makes me want to see just how much of her can blush…

"I… ah… that is… I was going to buy ice cream. For tonight, right? I did say I was bringing dessert." Kaoru couldn't move from her spot, forgetting that were lying on top of each other in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Oi! Kenshin! Get me--- Holy Kisama!!!! Who the heck is the babe on top of you?!" Sano called out from the third floor window, his head looking down at them below.

"It's not what you think, Sano. Miss Kaoru just ran into me by accident." Kenshin, suddenly aware of the situation, moved Kaoru gently to the side and brought her to stand up with him.

"Really? That's Jo-chan down there?! Ey, Kaoru, I guess looking at you from the top gives me a whole new perspective to you, doesn't it?!" Sano whooped in laughter, seeing how flustered she was.

"MOU!!! You are so crude, Segara! Now I know where Yahiko gets it from!" yelled Kaoru back, waving her fist at Sanosuke. At that point, another head appeared.

"Is that her? Wow, she's pretty! Hiya! I'm Misao Makimachi, I work with these two idiots!" Misao poked her hand through the small window space left and waved at Kaoru. Kaoru waved back.

"Ey weasel-girl, get out of here, there's no more space for a weasel like you and you're sooooo annoying everyone right now…"

"Baka Rooster Head!!!!"

A scuffle between Sano and Misao ensued. Kenshin just shook his head and said, "Kaoru-dono, as I was just going home now, would you like this Sessha to accompany you on your errand before going home?" Kenshin looked at her and smiled gently.

"Sure! And no more 'dono' or 'sessha' business, you can't call someone honorable when they've smashed you twice on your back in less than a week!" Kaoru agreed, grinning.

-o-

Kenshin was cooking lemon butter chicken after preparing his special sushi platter, after learning from Kaoru that she did eat meat, but that she didn't like red meat. As he was mentally going through the menu in his head, he started to drift, imagining about what she was doing at her place.

White skin covered with bubbles. She was lathering herself all over her body, so innocent yet sensual… Blue eyes dark with passion and hair enhancing her beautiful pert breasts that he was rubbing slowly with a washcloth…

I KNEW IT!!! I knew there was a man with dirty thoughts lurking inside somewhere. Congratulations, pal, and welcome to the rest of the male population!

Shit, Battousai, can't you even let us finish the daydream?! It was getting interesting.

That's what you get for being slow. And personally, my version would be more of her touching herself while we were licking everything she touched.

Kenshin's eyes widened with passion at the image his subconscious evoked. Unfortunately, the doorbell chimed. His passion turned to embarrassment, knowing that he was already as hard as a rock, got the tub of ice cooling the wine and shoved the contents down his pants as Yahiko answered the doorbell.

"Hi Hag!" Yahiko said as he opened the door.

"Hi Yahiko-CHAN." Kaoru put a stress on the -chan, knowing it would irritate the heck out of the teen.

"News flash, I'm not a kid, busu!!!" Yahiko yelled at her.

"Maa, maa, pay respect to your sensei…" Kenshin said before Kaoru could smack Yahiko on the head.

Kaoru stopped mid-swing and stared at him. Yahiko did the same thing. The reason was that in his hurry he had forgotten to take out the ice in his pants and there was a rather big bulge under the apron he was wearing that made it look as if he was about to give birth. Not to mention that a big water spot was growing on said bulge in front of their eyes. The tension was broken when Sano came through the door with Megumi and said "Holy Crap!! Did you swallow a cow, Kenshin?!"

The whole group cracked up, Kenshin included, although rather stiffly and he apologetically muttered "Ahhh… thank you for coming, Kaoru-dono… Now I will just fix myself and join you in a while, that I will." And with his best rurouni smile, made for his bathroom as fast as he could go.

Inside the privacy of his bathroom, Kenshin clutched his head in hands and wanted to die of mortification. Idiot rurouni!!! You were fantasizing so much about her you forgot to take out the ice you put in your pants! What are you, an 18 year old who can't control his hormones?!

Well cheer up bud, maybe she noticed that you needed that much ice to cool the little guy down there.

Oro?!

Kenshin grimaced at his reflection (he seemed to be doing a lot of that lately) and removed the ice and the pants under the apron and replaced it with a new dry pair, then he returned to the dining room where the rest of the night was waiting.

-o-

The dinner was a success. The food was delicious (thanks to him), but to Kenshin's mind, the yummiest part of it was Kaoru. The rest went by unnoticed. He didn't even realize that he was eating his favorite ice cream flavor. The whole time they were eating, he was transfixed by her eyes, her hair, her glow, the fragrance, everything. So much so that when Sano, Megumi, and Yahiko made their excuses after seeing that the two were in this snow ball world that couldn't be entered, he was surprised that the evening was already so late, to say the least.

Kaoru wasn't about to complain either. The time had flown by, but to have Kenshin's undivided attention for a while even with other people around was a thrilling experience for her. And she noticed that although he was pretty quiet, his eyes were on her and she could feel it as if he was touching everywhere all at once. She excused herself to go to the powder room to freshen up as the 3 were about to leave, and looked at her reflection. Her cheeks were flushed, and she had a bright grin plastered on her face, making her eyes sparkle. She looked like a woman in love. She wasn't naturally vain, but tonight she knew she looked great. Better than great, as Kenshin had said the other night. A natural high? More like turning you on! You go girl! Kaoru blushed, but didn't care. I think this one could get to my heart…

As the door closed behind Sano, Yahiko and Megumi, they all cracked identical grins.

"So, what do we do now?" Sano broke the ice in the elevator, knowing all their excuses to leave were a sham. They all broke into laughter.

"Anyone want to bet that they'd get it on tonight?" Yahiko thought aloud. They all laughed again.

Let the games begin.

-o-

After the trio left, Kenshin got nervous all over again and all the plans he formulated went out of his head. As Kaoru reappeared from the powder room, he glanced up from cleaning the table, and smiled, knowing that it didn't reflect the way she made his heart race. Suddenly, they were shy around each other again.

All alone… what would be nice to do?

Kenshin-no baka. Don't tell me all the ice in your pants a while ago cooled every hot thought you had in your 'head'. Be a man!

ORO?!

"Kenshin? Would you… would you like for me to go as well?" Kaoru asked, hoping his answer would be no. She nearly smacked herself in annoyance. He might think I'm so forward! Or does he want me to? I really can't tell with that smile of his.

"Oro?" answered Kenshin stupidly, still in argument with his thoughts.

"I asked if you would like for me to go. It is getting pretty late." She made excuses, disappointed in his reaction.

"Oh! Of course not… unless you feel like it. I was actually going to ask if you wanted coffee or tea, but only if you feel like staying, of course." He really couldn't get rid of his cursed politeness. Why does it have to be so hard to tell her straight out what he felt? He really wanted to say, No, I don't want you to go. Stay, because I want to show you how good you make me feel…

Kaoru smiled again, and he felt that he owned the world. Cheesy as it sounded, she already made him feel as if he could do anything.

"Okay, if you say so… besides, I only teach at the high school three times a week, MWF. It's not as if I had something to do early tomorrow. So, how about that tea?" Suddenly, the shyness was gone and all was as it should be.

They ended up taking their tea to the roof deck, as Kaoru had never seen it yet. The building owner had designed it into a garden of various potted plants, creating a small restive pocket in a place that would otherwise be a tangle of concrete and pollution. The ambiance invited personal conversation, and Kaoru was the first to open the topic to something she had been curious about.

"Kenshin, may I ask a personal question?"

"Sure! Ask anything." Kenshin, mellowed by the dinner and having Kaoru by him, answered right away.

"How did you come about that... scar?"

Kenshin sobered. He was so used to the cross on his cheek that it never occurred to him that Kaoru would be curious. He fell silent, thinking about how it happened. He was worried she might look at him differently.

"Umm… If you'd rather not say, it's okay. I'm sorry I asked. I shouldn't have intruded." She felt uncertain now. There was still much about him she didn't know. Maybe she wouldn't like the answer.

"No, its fine, that it is. It's just that… nobody ever asked. And only the ones that were involved know about it. Not even Sano knows exactly what happened."

Kaoru waited patiently. Things like this are never rushed.

Kenshin took another sip from his tea. Then, suddenly, a flash of insight struck him. He wanted her to know everything, he didn't want to hide, and knew just as certainly that if they ended up together, she had to know all of him. Not just the nice parts. All. It was a risk, but one worth taking. You don't realize it yet but you've already captured my heart…




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A/N: I hope that satisfied the need for the getting on part... Sorry for the cliffie... I'm just cramming too many details, aren't i? :)

Don't worry, I'll get to the lemon chappie as fast as I can! ;)

PS. Don't forget to review! :D