Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

Warning: Contains some language and suggestions. This is OOC. If I were trying to write an in character Kenshin story, I'd definitely choose a different couple.

A/N: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed. I decided to go ahead with this. I think that as it goes on the tone will shift from humor/romance to romance/humor, but I'll just have to see. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

A Night to Forget:

Double Date

Kaoru gave Aoshi a puzzled look as she wondered what had prompted her to kiss him like that. She had been angry with both Kenshin and Megumi, and at the time it had seemed like the perfect way to make Kenshin jealous and prove once and for all that she was no little girl. But now, as she stared across the table at Aoshi, she realized something startling: she was attracted to him.

She was amazed that she hadn't noticed it before. Of course, before, she was too busy pining away for Kenshin. The two men couldn't be more different in the looks department. Kenshin was small, almost feminine, with long, flowing red hair, his eyes changing from friendly warmth to anger almost instantaneously. Aoshi was tall and built with short dark hair, and his eyes were unreadable and mysterious. He had something about him that was really getting under Kaoru's skin.

Aoshi picked at his food. They hadn't spoken since leaving the dojo, and their awkward silence was intensified by the cheerful chatter of the Akabeko. Both of them were safely drinking tea.

"What are they doing?" Kenshin asked Sanosuke from a back corner of the restaurant. He had asked every few minutes since he and Sano had arrived.

"Why didn't you sit in the spot facing them if you care so damn much?" Sanosuke snapped causing Kenshin to blush.

"I don't want Miss Kaoru to think I'm spying on her. What are they doing now?"

Sanosuke rolled his eyes. "Oh, not much. The little missy just crawled across the top of the table and shoved her tongue down his throat."

Kenshin's head snapped around only to see them quietly eating. He glared at Sano who only laughed.

"Aoshi, can I ask you something?" Kaoru had finished her soup.

"Yes." Aoshi answered.

"Why did you ask me to dinner?"

Aoshi gave an almost imperceptible smile. "Ah, because I really needed out of that house, and it looked like you did too. I also wanted to celebrate the fact that your innocence is still in tact."

Kaoru smiled at him. "I've never actually seen that as something to celebrate."

The only sound for a few minutes was the clicking of Aoshi's chop sticks. Finally, he said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Kaoru answered.

"Why did you kiss me like that?" His eyes drilled into hers.

"I…" Kaoru struggled to put the reason into words.

"Was it because of the Battousai?" He asked his eyelids lowered.

Kaoru could only nod.

"I see," he answered. "Well, he just doesn't know what he's missing out on. You have an extraordinary body."

The way Aoshi's eyes roamed down the front of her kimono made her extremely uncomfortable. She crossed her arms in front of her chest before saying, "You too." The memory or Aoshi's flawless body caused her to flush and the way she was looking at him caused Aoshi to flush too.

Their embarrassment was interrupted by two shady looking men who had come to stand by their table.

"Can I help you?" Aoshi asked coldly.

The two men just stood there and snickered. One of them opened his mouth to reveal rotting teeth. "If it ain't the stars of the show!" he cackled gleefully.

Kaoru and Aoshi gave him a confused look. That's when Kaoru noticed everyone was staring at them, and that's when Aoshi noticed two familiar faces at the back corner table and that all the men in the place were looking at Kaoru lustfully. He suddenly realized exactly what the man had meant.

He gave the men a steely gaze. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, don't play dumb with me," the other man spoke. He was muscular and appeared stronger than Aoshi although the swordsman felt no fear at this. "I seen you. Yous twos was running through the street naked as the day you was born."

"And you had her on your shoulders!" the other man added.

Kaoru's eyes widened at the mental picture before she burst out laughing. "I think you're both mistaken," she said between giggles.

"No, I knows it was you," the bigger man said, "and I think I'd like me a piece of that cute little tooshie."

"And I'd like to squeeze those ripe…" The other man started but was unable to finish. Both men found themselves flat on their backs at sword point. The first man looking up at Aoshi, and the second staring into the eyes of Kenshin; both swordsmen looked murderous.

"Kenshin," Kaoru spat in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"You take that back!" Kenshin hissed at the man pressing the blade into his neck, "Or else I'll be forced to break a vow I made many years ago."

"Your impertinence will not go unpunished," Aoshi told the man at his mercy. "Prepare yourself for death."

"Oh, brother." Kaoru glared at her protectors "Like I couldn't take care of them myself if I wanted to."

Tae came over and looked at the scene nervously. "We don't want any trouble," she drawled.

"Oh, let them go," Kaoru snapped. "They're harmless."

After the two men had scurried away Aoshi turned to the red-headed man beside him. "Would you and your friend care to join us?"

Kenshin laughed nervously back to his normal self. "Oro, uh, sure."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow when Kenshin returned with Sanosuke. Had they been spying on her? "So, where's Megumi?" she asked.

Sano smiled. "Oh, she left in a jealous rage when Kenshin suggested that we follow you," he answered.

The group sipped their tea quietly.

"Why did you come here?" Kenshin asked, his eyes flashing at Aoshi. "To visit Miss Kaoru?"

"I forgot to tell you." Aoshi snapped to attention. "I came to see you about a serial killer in Kyoto."

"Oh.," Kenshin looked relieved. "And when I wasn't there you spoke with Miss Kaoru."

"Yeah, because no one in their right mind would come to talk to me." Kaoru left the table in a huff.

Sano rose from the table. "I'll follow her, in case there're more men like those two morons."

When left alone Aoshi and Kenshin felt an inexplicable discomfort bordering on hostility. "You are very lucky to have her love," Aoshi said softly. "There are few women in the world like her."

Kenshin ignored his comments. "Now, about this serial killer…"

TBC