The usual warning and disclaimer applies, see chapter one.
Chapter Eleven
Kaoru gave an internal sigh of relief, both because she didn't have to go back out and possibly face her, now former, employer, and because Kenshin had asked her to stay; not that the second was foremost in her mind at all. She nodded and followed him into the flat, and there was her old room, in the same state in which she had left it, albeit being much more dusty. Now, she thought, did he leave my clothing? I doubt it but… As it turned out, he had left her clothing in the armoire. The reason why, she couldn't even begin to hypothesize. She was fairly certain he didn't like women…
Kenshin smiled at her consternation, but also because…well, just because, he thought, slightly bemused as to just why he was pleased that she was there. "Don't you dare run off before I wake up, alright? Goodnight." He left the room, wondering why he'd said that.
"I will never understand that man." She changed, hissing as the cloth of her dress rubbed against some other…marks…on her back, and fell into the first deep sleep she'd had in months.
Kenshin awoke the next morning to the sound of the piano ,and smiled at the ceiling, the brush of the silk sheets cool against the bare skin of his chest, as he'd discovered the joys of sleeping virtually naked while out of the country. He threw on his robe, and went to join Kaoru in the library, leaning against the doorframe and just watching her, slightly fascinated, clapping once she had finished. "I've missed that."
Kaoru turned, startled. "Oh! Mr. Himura!" He sat in a nearby chair, smiling. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did. And yourself?"
Not with the way my back is now, she thought. "Better than I have been, thank you."
He nodded. "Did you call up breakfast, by any chance?"
Kaoru laughed quietly. "Of course. I thought you might be hungry. And I ordered something for myself as well."
Kenshin chuckled. He had been about to ask her whether she had or not, but it appeared that she was still a step ahead of him. There was a knock on the door, and a main came into the flat with a try of food, which she set out on the dining room table. Kenshin stood, and followed Kaoru into the dining room where he helped her sit before seating himself across from her.
"How have you been these past few months, Mr. Himura? Well, I hope."
Kenshin nodded. "Quite well. It's been a prosperous season for me."
"That's good to hear." They ate their meal in silence. That Kaoru was quieter than she'd once been could be a good or bad thing, but it didn't bother Kenshin, and she didn't seem to notice. After breakfast, Kaoru went to change into her normal clothing, gritting her teeth as the cloth rubbed against her back. Danm, she thought, but that hurts like hell! She paced the room, attempting to lace up the back of the dress with a great deal of difficulty. Kenshin departed before she was through, leaving a note on the table which said that he had business to conduct and he would see her in the evening. She stared blankly at the slip of paper for a few seconds, then smiled. "I guess he isn't kicking me out yet."
The sound of the piano could be heard throughout the flat for the rest of the day, along with occasional bursts of song. It felt good to make music again, even if her back was exceedingly sore by the time Kenshin returned. She looked up from the score as the door shut, and greeted Kenshin as he made his way to the parlor to tend to some correspondence, after which he joined her in the library with a book, losing himself in its pages until the maid rang the dinner bell. He gave Kaoru a thoughtful look across the table during the meal, which she caught with a good deal of consternation.
"How was your day, Mr. Himura?"
"Awfully busy. And yours?"
"Quiet…it's a nice change." Kaoru sighed. As much as she was enjoying being at the flat, she was unsure of whether she was really welcome. "I should probably go…I don't want to be a burdon."
Kenshin replied without looking up from his plate. Her words, for completely foreign reasons, had made his blood run cold for a few moments. "I'd rather you stayed."
As his head was down, he missed her quizzical glance. "Why, though," she questioned, quietly. "I mean, you haven't re-hired me…so why would you want me around?"
"As a friend." He looked up at her soft chuckle.
"Alright. But feel free to evict me if I overstay my welcome." Her laughter made him smile.
"Evict you? My dear, evicting a guest is incredibly rude."
"Always the gentleman, aren't you? I've missed it…it's not every day that someone like me is treated so well."
"Which, in itself, is a crime."
"Not everyone shares your high opinion of women…"
"You mean my strange one? Considering the fact that I have known few women in my lifetime other than old maids and my mother…"
Kaoru shook her head. He'd let that one slip, and she wasn't about to call him on it, but rather, file the information away for another time, if she might ever need it again. Excusing herself, she rang for the maid to clean up, and went to take a bath. The hot water, she hoped, would ease the tension from her muscles, and clean the healing cuts. She poured in some foaming salts, and slid under the bubbles. Kenshin, for his part, completed some paperwork for his company, and read before calling through the bathroom door.
"I'm turning in. I'll see you in the morning."
"Alright." She stepped out of the tub a while later, wrapped herself in a robe, and walked back to her room. Once there she changed into a silk nightgown, and slid under the blankets. The candle went out with a small hiss, and the room was plunged into darkness scant moments before she fell asleep.