HOLY MOLEY she resurrected her story! Okay, there's a massive explanation and apology at the end, along with the usual author notes. So, here's the disclaimer and my hope that I haven't completely turned you off of this fic =P
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Little Collisions by Pav - Chapter 7
"Thank kami-sama this week's finally over," Kaoru muttered under her breath. She leaned back in her comfortably cushy chair, and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Her last encounter with Kenshin had left her emotionally drained for the remainder of the week, as she had been forced to face the past, remembering why she had to suddenly freeze out a perfectly nice (if not a bit irritating), handsome, and attractive men who might have been interested in her. After some introspection over a glass of wine, Kaoru made up her mind. Even if the intriguing Mr. Kenshin did have an interest in her, she didn't care…she wouldn't care…
On top of the roller coaster ride for one she had been experiencing over the past week, one of her sweetest patients was hanging by a thread in the ICU. This was just not a good week.
It was finally Friday, and all Kaoru wanted to do was take a much put-off hot bath, and then unwind with the good company of her sister and brother-in-law.
Not to mention a great home cooked dinner as well.
As Kaoru begin to roll her head back, slender fingers coming up to massage the kinked muscles there, her office door opened with a creak that made her mind groan in protest.
Kenshin stopped mid-stride into her office, caught off guard by a closed eyed Kaoru, with her head thrown back and a look of bliss on her face. Already nervous with this first meeting since their last disastrous encounter, he was further thrown off track at the sight the greeted him as soon as he came into her office. Tamping down the urges the most interesting expression on her face caused to bubble within him, he cleared his throat and watched her large midnight blue eyes slowly open.
Realizing who had come in to visit, Kaoru was careful to let her face betray none of the feelings somersaulting through her stomach nervously. "Can I help you, Mr. Himura?" she asked, her voice mechanical and void of any personal feeling.
'Back to last names, are we?' Kenshin's eyebrow lifted at her tone. It seemed like they were just going to play this off then.
Sitting down in one of the two chairs in front of her desk, Kenshin put his ever present briefcase on the desk. "Well, Dr. Kamiya," he couldn't help but put an edge to her name, "Shishio's trial is coming up pretty fast, and I really need to discuss the case with you today, in order to formulate the rest of my case."
Kaoru swallowed hard at the way his frigid tone had matched hers. "Of course. Unless…you'd rather get the details you need from my sister. She would probably be of greater assistance," she stated in a bland as possible tone. 'It's better if Megumi handles him,' Kaoru told herself nervously. She wondered how it would feel if he acquiesced and walked out of her office just now, never to be seen again unless chance lead them to bump into each other elsewhere. 'Argh, stop your line of thought right there, Miss Kaoru…you don't care if you see him again, remember?"
Kenshin began to take the necessary documents out of his briefcase while thinking to himself how truly apathetic she sounded. She would have fooled anyone, until you noticed her lightly chewing on her lip after coolly offering her sister's assistance.
He was making her nervous, Kenshin realized to himself.
Kenshin wanted to bait and soothe her all at the same time. This woman was appealing to several sides of him, indeed. "I'm getting the details from Dr. Sagara as well, just for corroboration of evidence. I think with the two of you in my arsenal, I can build a pretty strong case here." He spoke gently, letting a crooked grin further ease her into working with him.
Kaoru released a breath she didn't know she had been holding in relief, and gave a small smile, thinking she was back on solid ground with the red-haired man.
"Well, let's nail this guy then…"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaoru forgot about week's worth of tiredness until it crept up on her, forcing her speech to slightly slur. She tried to stifle a yawn, but only succeeded in eking out a funny noise which didn't escape Kenshin.
He lifted his head to look at her. Taking in her visibly tired countenance, Kenshin glanced at his watch. "Oro? We've been discussing the case for two hours now?"
Kenshin got an even bigger surprise when Kaoru started giggling.
"Did you just say 'oro'? That's the funniest word…I've ever he…-eard." Her last word ended on a weird hybrid between a giggle and a hiccup. "Say it again!"
Kenshin just stared at her, absolutely mind boggled. "Are you okay?" he asked timidly, as if she might erupt into a fresh set of giggles. Giggles? The woman was giggling like a young schoolgirl…
At his serious question, Kaoru's loopy state of mind cleared, and she could feel a blush come on even as she spoke, "I'm sorry. Chalk it up to a tiring week and a lack of a meal in the past several hours."
Kenshin couldn't help but be charmed by the light pink blushing on her cheeks, and at the same time was relieved that the seemingly incongruous laughter had stopped. "I'm sorry for getting so wrapped up in the case; I didn't mean to keep you for two hours."
Kaoru's eyes widened at the mention of how much time had passes. 'Sano and Megumi! Good food tonight! How did I almost forget?' She hastily sprung from her chair, earning a confused look from Kenshin. "I have to go. I really have to go." Without further explanation, she started stuffing papers in her purse and scrounging for her beeper.
Kenshin slowly got up from his chair, and neatly packed his papers into his briefcase, ensuring the loose latch wouldn't be tempted to pop open for a while. "I didn't mean to keep you…"
Kaoru, having gotten her things together and seeing he had done the same, cut him off impatiently, "I know I know, it's just that I really have to go. I can finish imparting the evolution of staph bacteria to you some other time." She put her hand on his arm and started to not so subtly usher him out of the office. 'So close to Megumi's famous sukiyaki…I can taste it. Mm, I hope Sano picked up some cherries like he promised, otherwise he's in for facing the wrath of Kaoru.' She was startled out of her food oriented thoughts when she felt a warm hand close firmly over the one she had on Kenshin's arm, effectively her determined path out of the clinic.
Having stopped her from flurrying out of her practice, Kenshin maneuvered around so he was standing in front of her.
"Let me buy you coffee."
He delivered his blunt request while directly looking into her eyes, taking in the myriad of emotions that flitted through them.
Kaoru was first angered by Kenshin temporarily blocking her from food, and then completely thrown in for a loop at his simple enough words. She wouldn't peruse the possible implications of his words, whether they be of a simple meeting between colleagues, or those of a friend or otherwise companion. She sidestepped Kenshin and let out a hasty, "I can't. I have to be somewhere."
Not a man to give up, he grabbed her hand before she could flee outside and to wherever it was she had to be. "I know, I have to be somewhere too, so let me rephrase that. Let me buy you coffee later. Later tonight, after you do whatever it is you have to do." He gazed at her intently, the sincerity apparent in his gorgeous amethyst eyes.
'Yes no yes yes no can't do this oh but...' Kaoru sternly interrupted her own jumbled mind, 'no buts. You know what's best for you.' She gave him a smile full of gaiety, masking her own inner turmoil and insecurities, "Thank you Kenshin, but I'm sure we can discuss the case tomorrow in my office just as well. Now if you don-"
"I don't want to discuss the files over coffee, I want to get to know you." Kenshin interrupted her, again with a blunt statement.
'Don't get caught off stride, Kaoru' the little voice commanded her. Ah, pragmatism was such a wise voice. She gently wrested her hand from his grip, and managed to open the door to her clinic, gesturing the way out. "That's very nice of you, Mr. Himura, but-"
He really was making interrupting her into a habit. "Don't bother, Kaoru-dono, if you're afraid then I suppose I can understand," he said with a wry tone.
Judging by the flush of temper rising on her face, it looked like irking her was another habit to add to the growing list.
"Argh! I can't believe my first impression of you from all those years ago as a pompous ass is being proved correct yet again! Is it so impossible for you to take 'no' as an answer?" Kaoru yelled, not caring how loud her temper coated voice was rising.
Kenshin responded with a quiet calm antithetical to her loud rage, "I merely ask for a reason to lead me to think otherwise, that you're not afraid."
Kaoru looked at the lawyer in disbelief, "why would I be afraid?" 'And how did you know that I am?'
He shrugged, "Well, you tell me."
"Fine, I'm telling you that I am not afraid."
"Fine, then have coffee with me later tonight."
His calm persistence, perfect for cross examining witnesses at the stand, was about to drive Kaoru into committing a crime of her own. She took a deep breath and told herself that murder meant no more pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and that was enough of a restraint. 'Kenshin, if only you knew how ice cream saved you from a medically patented strangling.' "Okay, let's get this straight. I'm not afraid of you or having coffee with you, but simply put, I don't wish to have coffee with you right now nor possibly ever," she spoke through gritted teeth.
Knowing all about timing, Kenshin stepped out of the doorway, with Kaoru still holding the door open. She gave a sigh of relief, thankful this episode was drawing to an end. She closed and locked the door, and then followed Kenshin down the short flight of steps leading to the sidewalk.
Kaoru let out a muffled squeak as she collided into Kenshin's back, who had unexpectedly stopped once he reached the bottom of the steps. She had no time to react as he suddenly spun around and looked into her eyes with intensity in his own. The look in his eyes seemed to paralyze her, and she could only look at him questioningly.
Kenshin lifted a hand to gently cup her chin and tilt her face upwards, to meet his gaze more fully. "I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono," the softness of his tone was so surprising as well as soothing to Kaoru that she forgot to express indignity over the nickname.
She tried to read the intent hidden within the purple depths of his eyes, and at the same time struggled to keep emotions from entering into her own blue orbs. "Kenshin…I'll have coffee with you," the words blurted out before her mind could even register what her vocal chords were planning.
He gave her a small, unreadable smile, "Never do anything you don't want to, onnanoko-chan."
Kaoru pulled away with exasperation, "Mou…don't ruin the tenuous thread of goodwill I'm feeling towards you right now. In fact, I'll do you a favor and leave now before you earn yourself a good whack to the head." With that, she started to walk past him and towards home.
"My cell phone number is on my business card you have, call me later," Kenshin called out to her retreating back. He tucked his hands into his pocket and let out a breath, wondering what the hell possessed him to corner and cage her the way he seemed to have done today.
Kaoru was wondering the same thing, but she didn't spare it more than a single thought, and instead focused on the ten minute soak she was going to take before heading to her sister's home. There was a steaming bowl of food with her name on it…
~*~*~*~*~*~
Feeling refreshed from her quick bath, Kaoru was on the doorstep of Megumi's home twenty-three minutes after leaving her clinic. Impatiently ringing the doorbell, she let herself indulge in visions of piping hot food happily residing in her tummy.
The door finally opened, revealing a ruggedly built man with a boyish charm augmenting his already handsome features. "Oi! Jou-chan finally made it. The kitsune will tell you otherwise, but she was getting pretty worried."
"Only worried that my sukiyaki was going to get cold, my silly Sanosuke." A tall and classically beautifully woman breezed past Sano, taking Kaoru by the hands and leading her into the house's foyer. "Is everything okay, tanuki?" Megumi used the playful (and playfully hated) nickname for Kaoru, but the true note of concern was apparent in her voice. Not only was Kaoru a little late for dinner, but the tired bags under her eyes weren't there but a week ago.
Kaoru shrugged off her coat and handed it to her brother-in-law and offered Megumi what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, it's just been a tough week with some patients, you know how it is."
Sano clapped a brotherly arm around Kaoru's shoulders. "Of course Megitsune knows how it is. At least she has me to work the kinks out of her system when she's worn out…"
"…or cause some new ones," Megumi muttered not without a hint of affection. "Oh, I do believe the rooster remembered to pick up a certain red fruit on his way home today…"
She didn't even need to finish her sentence before Kaoru started a semi-dash through the living room and to the kitchen. Megumi called out to her sister's back, "Oh! and we have a-.."
*crash*
As Kaoru flung open the kitchen door to run in and claim her prize, she unexpectedly ran into something hard and started to topple over along with whatever it was she collided with. That something grasped her by the waist and twisted her around so she fell on top of it rather than ending up on the bottom of the pile.
Kaoru regained her bearings and lifted her head, finding herself looking into entirely too familiar purple eyes. She settled for a groan and burrowed her head down on his shoulder with an air of resignation. 'Why is this happening, why…can't be real…'
Megumi and Sanosuke entered into the kitchen, both taking in the scene before them with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Megumi remarked wryly, "You know Tanuki-chan, I must say it's been quite a while since I've stumbled upon you on top of a guy."
Sano nudged his wife and called to Kaoru, "Jou-chan, we'll be in the living room. Join us when you're…ready. Oh, and say hello to our guest." The couple left the room, and Kaoru made no effort to move, as if only Kenshin was aware of their awkward position.
He gingerly moved an arm out and placed his hand on her hair. "Kaoru?"
"Hello, Kenshin," she said in a muffled voice, her head still buried in his shoulder.
"Hello, Kaoru-dono."
"…"
~*~*~*~
A/N: THE BIGGEST APOLOGY IN THE ENTIRE GALAXY goes out to my readers (if there are any left)…a four month hiatus between chapters…yeesh. I am so incredibly sorry, I can only offer lame excuses about being bogged down by college. Though, summer school is sapping the life outta me.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU if you're still reading this thing, and if you find it in your heart to leave a review that doesn't completely consist of, "hey, you and your four month gap suck!!" I'd be very grateful.
Of course, a huge "thank you" topped off with a shiny red bow to those who have reviewed already =)
Now, for some notes on storyline
1.) Yes, this story deals from mostly Kaoru's POV.
2.) Yes, I'm making her the one with the bulk of "inner demons" as opposed to Kenshin. I hope he feels grateful ;)
3.) Okay, to those who're going "where the shmuck is she going with this?"…don't conk me over the head…yet. We shall soon introduce the boyfriend-who-proposed and some other developments…and no, it won't take another 4 months.
4.) I was contemplating whether or not to make Shishio's case more central to the plot, and decided against it. So, what is the plot? The beautiful budding of a relationship between two horribly AU-ed characters, duh. No, but really…I have a couple of ideas that won't let m devote too much time into fleshing this out into an AU Shishio arc.
5.) REVIEW please…I love any praise, but I really do appreciate the constructive criticism, as it makes this fic a creative growing experience for me.
Well, until next time (not too long)~
-Pav