:: chapter 7 ::
Kaoru groggily opened her eyes. A look out the window told her that she had woken up too early: the sky was still a murky navy shade. Sighing (softly, so she wouldn't wake Tomoe), she let her head fall back onto the pillow. What a terrible dream.
She had been back in her own time, and eating dinner with Kenshin. Suddenly, he stood up and walked out. When she had reached for him, he turned his head around, and she faced Battousai. He had reached out and picked her up by her neck, and growled "Why were you not happy with the way things were? It's too late now." Then he unsheathed his katana - not a sakabatou - and the blade went towards her neck. And then she woke up.
"Ohayo, Kaoru. It's morning."
Kaoru opened her eyes again. Looming above her was Tomoe's face, still the same impassiveness as ever. A look towards the window told her that it was morning. Finally, morning.
The day went by the same as always. They made breakfast, they delivered breakfast, the men jeered at Kenshin, Kenshin sweatdropped, etc. Kaoru found herself spending most of her time between meals and chores reading Kenshin's books. He had many interesting books: Japanese History, The Art of the Katana, Cooking for Dummies.
Hmm, so that's how Kenshin learned to cook.
Sighing, Kaoru put down a copy of 101 Ways to Get Stains Out of Your Gi and walked downstairs to join Okami in the kitchen. On the way, she noticed Tomoe sitting under a tree, diligently scribbling in her diary.
"Konichiwa, Tomoe."
Tomoe jumped a bit in surprise. "Oh, Konichiwa. You startled me." She calmly shut the book. "What are you doing here?"
Kaoru shrugged. "I was . . . idle, so I decided to go help Okami in the kitchen for dinner."
Tomoe stood up, tucking the diary into her kimono. "I believe I'll join you. I feel a bit guilty for not helping out more."
Okami was delighted in getting extra help. She set Kaoru to chopping radishes and Tomoe to make unagi.
Kaoru twisted her lip. That darn unagi. If she hadn't made it, she wouldn't even be here, 13 years into the past. Oh well, too late now.
She heard the door slide open. Looking up, she saw Kenshin standing there with a new look on his face. Instead of a comical young boy who was easily teased, his features now radiated that of a man hardened by life.
He casually waved a black envelope. "This is kind of early, so I'll not be here for dinner."
Okami nodded wisely. "The usual?"
Kenshin nodded. "Hai. Arigato."
When he had left, Kaoru turned to Okami, puzzled. "What was that about?"
Okami went on, calmly stirring the soup. "He has an assignment."
"Assignment?"
"You do know what his job is, right?"
Realization suddenly flooded through Kaoru. Kenshin was the Hitokiri Battousai . . . and the job of the Hitokiri was to kill . . .
" . . . So, on assignment nights, I make him some soba for him to eat early."
Kaoru suddenly had an idea. "Say, Okami, how about I make his dinner for him tonight? Since you're kind of busy and all . . ."
Okami gave Kaoru a look, and then turned back, chuckling. "Sure, why not." She shook her head unbelievingly, and said to herself, "Looks like that young Himura has got himself an admirer."
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Kenshin sat down by himself in the dining room. It was a few hours too early for dinner, but he had an assignment that was a bit earlier than usual. He sighed and poured himself a little sake that he had picked up at the store. It had been so nice and peaceful, yesterday, not having to kill at all. He had liked that feeling.
He downed the sake and made a face at the flavor. It was all he could do to keep it in. Yesterday, the food had tasted good. But today, knowing that he would have to kill again, it was back. That taste, that smell, that aroma . . . it felt as if he was drinking down glasses of blood.
The door slid open slowly. Kenshin looked brushed a strand of red - blood red - hair out of his face and looked up. It was that Kamiya Kaoru girl that he had brought back the other day.
Kaoru placed a steaming bowl of soba in front of Kenshin. Thank god for cooking lessons from Tae on how to make soba. She had made an extra large serving. She had also made some dessert: a sweet bun.
Kenshin politely bowed his head. "Arigato, Kamiya-san."
"Please, Kenshin . . . san, call me Kaoru."
He gave her a strange look. "Very well then, Kaoru-san."
Kenshin started eating while Kaoru stood around, making polite one- sided conversation. He tasted the soba. Strange, it didn't taste like . . . but it didn't taste just like soba either. He sniffed the aroma.
"Well, I read some some books - I hope you don't mind, gomen - and"
"What perfume do you use?"
Kaoru was startled. "Perfume? I don't use any . . . no, I used some of Tomoe's white plum today. Why?"
Kenshin looked at Kaoru. How did she make the soba taste like white plum, not blood? "Nothing."
Kaoru walked towards the door, self conscious under Kenshin's piercing eyes. "I'll be leaving now . . ."
Kenshin nodded.
"Don't get hurt, Kenshin-san." Bowing politely, she walked out of the room and shut the door to the darkening room.
Don't get hurt . . . Kenshin stared at the closed door. She didn't want him to get hurt?
[ Whee! OK, this chapter is done. Thanks for the reviews, everybody. =) But, just to answer some questions . . .]
[XP-Dark Angel] truthfully, I have no clue if this is a Kaoru x Kenshin fic. I like them as a pairing, but I want Tomoe and Kenshin to work out too . . . so it may turn out either way. =)
[ Maeve Riannon ] You know how sometimes friends share their ideas? Well, I think that Tomoe would think that they just share the same ideas. After all, there aren't many answers to give in a conversation like that. ^.^
ok, thas all. =)
Kaoru groggily opened her eyes. A look out the window told her that she had woken up too early: the sky was still a murky navy shade. Sighing (softly, so she wouldn't wake Tomoe), she let her head fall back onto the pillow. What a terrible dream.
She had been back in her own time, and eating dinner with Kenshin. Suddenly, he stood up and walked out. When she had reached for him, he turned his head around, and she faced Battousai. He had reached out and picked her up by her neck, and growled "Why were you not happy with the way things were? It's too late now." Then he unsheathed his katana - not a sakabatou - and the blade went towards her neck. And then she woke up.
"Ohayo, Kaoru. It's morning."
Kaoru opened her eyes again. Looming above her was Tomoe's face, still the same impassiveness as ever. A look towards the window told her that it was morning. Finally, morning.
The day went by the same as always. They made breakfast, they delivered breakfast, the men jeered at Kenshin, Kenshin sweatdropped, etc. Kaoru found herself spending most of her time between meals and chores reading Kenshin's books. He had many interesting books: Japanese History, The Art of the Katana, Cooking for Dummies.
Hmm, so that's how Kenshin learned to cook.
Sighing, Kaoru put down a copy of 101 Ways to Get Stains Out of Your Gi and walked downstairs to join Okami in the kitchen. On the way, she noticed Tomoe sitting under a tree, diligently scribbling in her diary.
"Konichiwa, Tomoe."
Tomoe jumped a bit in surprise. "Oh, Konichiwa. You startled me." She calmly shut the book. "What are you doing here?"
Kaoru shrugged. "I was . . . idle, so I decided to go help Okami in the kitchen for dinner."
Tomoe stood up, tucking the diary into her kimono. "I believe I'll join you. I feel a bit guilty for not helping out more."
Okami was delighted in getting extra help. She set Kaoru to chopping radishes and Tomoe to make unagi.
Kaoru twisted her lip. That darn unagi. If she hadn't made it, she wouldn't even be here, 13 years into the past. Oh well, too late now.
She heard the door slide open. Looking up, she saw Kenshin standing there with a new look on his face. Instead of a comical young boy who was easily teased, his features now radiated that of a man hardened by life.
He casually waved a black envelope. "This is kind of early, so I'll not be here for dinner."
Okami nodded wisely. "The usual?"
Kenshin nodded. "Hai. Arigato."
When he had left, Kaoru turned to Okami, puzzled. "What was that about?"
Okami went on, calmly stirring the soup. "He has an assignment."
"Assignment?"
"You do know what his job is, right?"
Realization suddenly flooded through Kaoru. Kenshin was the Hitokiri Battousai . . . and the job of the Hitokiri was to kill . . .
" . . . So, on assignment nights, I make him some soba for him to eat early."
Kaoru suddenly had an idea. "Say, Okami, how about I make his dinner for him tonight? Since you're kind of busy and all . . ."
Okami gave Kaoru a look, and then turned back, chuckling. "Sure, why not." She shook her head unbelievingly, and said to herself, "Looks like that young Himura has got himself an admirer."
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Kenshin sat down by himself in the dining room. It was a few hours too early for dinner, but he had an assignment that was a bit earlier than usual. He sighed and poured himself a little sake that he had picked up at the store. It had been so nice and peaceful, yesterday, not having to kill at all. He had liked that feeling.
He downed the sake and made a face at the flavor. It was all he could do to keep it in. Yesterday, the food had tasted good. But today, knowing that he would have to kill again, it was back. That taste, that smell, that aroma . . . it felt as if he was drinking down glasses of blood.
The door slid open slowly. Kenshin looked brushed a strand of red - blood red - hair out of his face and looked up. It was that Kamiya Kaoru girl that he had brought back the other day.
Kaoru placed a steaming bowl of soba in front of Kenshin. Thank god for cooking lessons from Tae on how to make soba. She had made an extra large serving. She had also made some dessert: a sweet bun.
Kenshin politely bowed his head. "Arigato, Kamiya-san."
"Please, Kenshin . . . san, call me Kaoru."
He gave her a strange look. "Very well then, Kaoru-san."
Kenshin started eating while Kaoru stood around, making polite one- sided conversation. He tasted the soba. Strange, it didn't taste like . . . but it didn't taste just like soba either. He sniffed the aroma.
"Well, I read some some books - I hope you don't mind, gomen - and"
"What perfume do you use?"
Kaoru was startled. "Perfume? I don't use any . . . no, I used some of Tomoe's white plum today. Why?"
Kenshin looked at Kaoru. How did she make the soba taste like white plum, not blood? "Nothing."
Kaoru walked towards the door, self conscious under Kenshin's piercing eyes. "I'll be leaving now . . ."
Kenshin nodded.
"Don't get hurt, Kenshin-san." Bowing politely, she walked out of the room and shut the door to the darkening room.
Don't get hurt . . . Kenshin stared at the closed door. She didn't want him to get hurt?
[ Whee! OK, this chapter is done. Thanks for the reviews, everybody. =) But, just to answer some questions . . .]
[XP-Dark Angel] truthfully, I have no clue if this is a Kaoru x Kenshin fic. I like them as a pairing, but I want Tomoe and Kenshin to work out too . . . so it may turn out either way. =)
[ Maeve Riannon ] You know how sometimes friends share their ideas? Well, I think that Tomoe would think that they just share the same ideas. After all, there aren't many answers to give in a conversation like that. ^.^
ok, thas all. =)