By: O. Juice
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They looked at each other, blinked, and then broke out into a fit of laughter, realizing how much they both were agonizing over it. For that moment, Kaoru knew all was right with the world again.
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Chapter 12
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Beads of sweat began to accumulate as she examined, with great concentration, two cabbages. Or was it some lettuce? Kaoru's face twisted. People began to send her concerned looks as she scrutinized the vegetables in her hands. They just couldn't understand, or even being to grasp, the important task that was just bestowed upon her. She sighed, eyeing a discoloration on one of the leaves.
"Is that normal?" She mumbled aloud, wondering if she should get the other, greener one in her hand.
There was a laugh behind her, "They're just vegetables, Kaoru."
"You don't get it, Sou-chan," she faced him with scary persistence. "Last time Misao sent me shopping I bought the wrong things and ruined a dinner party for Tokio."
Soujiro laughed, taking of them from her grasp and placing it into a plastic bag. "I'm sure this time, you'll do just fine."
Kaoru put down the rejected vegetable and took the bag from Soujiro's hands. She dragged him down the aisles, asking for his opinion on nearly every brand she encountered and Soujiro was only happy to oblige.
"So what do you think of this?" Kaoru brought up a can to his face, "Or maybe this is better? It's low fat and all. But who wants that junk? I say fat adds flavor. Don't you think so, Sou-chan?"
Soujiro laughed, "Sure, Kaoru. If you're so lost about these things, why don't you ask, say, Kenshin for help when you shop instead of calling me up?"
Her ears perked momentarily at the mention of his name. It seemed like whenever he had the chance Soujiro would manage to mention Kenshin somehow. Kaoru's face twisted as she placed a can of tomato paste into her cart.
'Just what are you up to, Soujiro?' Kaoru sent him a suspicious glance before heading to the pasta.
"Kenshin? Oh, no. Last time I did, we ended up arguing about cereal. So what about noodles? What's your opinion on angel hair pasta?" She thrust a box in front of Soujiro to judge.
There was another laugh nearby that made Kaoru freeze, "I see you're still having trouble shopping for Misao, that you are."
"Kenshin!" Kaoru grinned, "Quick, what's your opinion on angel hair pasta?"
"I think you should just stick to what Misao sent you to get," Soujiro laughed, tossing her a box of regular pasta.
Kaoru shrugged, tossing the box into her cart.
"Shopping for food, Kenshin?" Soujiro smiled, trying to make conversation with him.
"I'm on an errand for Hiko, that I am." Kenshin confessed, "What about you?"
"Kaoru gave me a call," Soujiro said, his tone a little smug, "she told me to help her run a few errands."
Kenshin shot him a look just as Kaoru turned around to debate on tomato sauce. Soujiro matched his threatening glare with a smile. Kenshin's eyes narrowed at him before wandering to Kaoru who was having trouble reaching a can.
"You should have called me then, that you should." Kenshin said, helping Kaoru reach the can on the top shelf.
Kaoru laughed, "Don't you remember last time we both went grocery shopping together? It nearly ended our friendship! Besides, I don't think Sou-chan and I would be getting into any arguments about cereal."
Kenshin felt his agitation rise as Soujiro continued to smile his haughty little smile.
"Oh?" Kenshin plucked a can of tomato paste from the stack, "Well, I've got what I came for. Hiko is waiting for me so I better get going. I'll see you later, that I will."
"Oh, right," Kaoru's mood started to dampen seeing Kenshin leave, "I'll see you later then."
"See you," Soujiro grinned.
Kenshin seemed to get even more annoyed as he walked off. What was Soujiro trying to say with that smile? Did he know something that Kenshin himself didn't? He placed the single can on the counter and pulled out some money. He didn't like Soujiro, he was sure of it now as he'll ever be. Whether it was because of the smugness of his smile or because Kaoru seemed to favor him more than her own best friend, Kenshin will never know.
He mumbled a thanks picking up the bagged can and headed for Hiko's.
Kaoru continued to brood over some ready-made deserts, mumbling certain instructions that Misao had told her to look for. Somehow, soon after Kenshin's departure, her mood had dampened drastically.
'Plain? Is that the same as vanilla?' She pondered for a while before picking it up and placing it in the cart.
"You seem pretty moody today," Soujiro picked up some cookies for Kaoru to inspect.
She waved the cookies away, "I'm not, Sou-chan. What makes you say that?"
He shrugged, "You were all smiles right before Kenshin left, and look at you now; you seem to be less enthusiastic about getting my opinion on brands."
Kaoru sent him a look, just what was that supposed to mean? Sure she was suddenly reminded of her sorry situation and the rut in their friendship when Kenshin came along, but it didn't make her any less enthusiastic, did it? Was he trying to hint at Kenshin's effect on her? She frowned. Soujiro just smiled at her, handing her a box of lady fingers as if he had forgotten about his comment earlier.
"Don't you need some potatoes, too?" Soujiro checked the contents of their cart.
"What do you mean 'moody'?" Kaoru's frustration grew.
Soujiro just laughed and told her to forget about it and made his way to the potatoes. Kaoru huffed, following close behind.
::-::
"Mm!" Tokio's voice resonated throughout the apartment, "It smells good in here!"
"You're in Europe, Tokio," Aoshi flatly replied. "You can't smell anything from here."
"Shut up, Aoshi," Tokio's displeasure was apparent, "you're always no fun."
"Where's Saitou, anyway?" Misao asked, placing some plates on the dinner table.
Tokio sighed, "Oh, he's out getting some ice. When he gets back, we're going to go take a walk."
"That sounds nice, that it does," Kenshin said.
Kaoru sat quietly on the sofa, flipping through a magazine she had already read twice through, as if it interested her more. She was in another sulky mood, though she'd rather not admit it aloud or in writing. That woman would be coming tonight, and no amount of Christmas cheer was going to brighten her spirits. She turned the page and was suddenly faced with a beautiful model. Kaoru stared at the picture. If only she were as beautiful as her, Kaoru mused, maybe Kenshin would pay attention to her and only her.
She continued to scrutinize the model. 'Look at her perfect white teeth.' Kaoru's eyes narrowed slightly, 'If only had worn my retainer more, maybe I'd have perfect teeth and I wouldn't be in this mess.'
"Say, is Kaoru there?" Tokio said, noticing the lack of the familiar voice.
"Right here," Kaoru replied, flipping the page.
"You seem to be the height of merriment. Are you all right, Kaoru?" Tokio's tone suddenly turned serious.
Kaoru put down her magazine for a moment before looking at the speaker as if it were really her friend, "Yes, I'm fine."
"If you say so," Tokio said meaningfully.
Kaoru felt a shiver; even from so far away she could see the disbelief in her face and how her brows would raise oh-so-slightly and knowingly at her. Kaoru sighed, continuing to flip through the magazine. Oblivious to her, Kenshin had just sent her a worried glance before carrying on the conversation.
"Oh, there's Saitou!" Tokio cheerfully announced, "I'll be calling again later. See you all soon!"
There was a chorus of good-byes and well wishes as she hung up the phone and left them all in silence. Kaoru continued to flip through her magazine while Kenshin silently observed. It seemed Tokio was right; there was something off about Kaoru that night. Kenshin opened his mouth to say something, but then was cut off by the door bell. Broody and all, Kaoru went to answer the door.
With keen observant eyes, Kenshin watched her leave. He sighed, she was probably angry that Tomoe would be here. He scoffed, 'Stop dreaming, Himura. She's not jealous.'
::-::
Dinner went by uneventfully, much to the delight of Kaoru's asocial mood. Tomoe had arrived, as promised; and as expected, Kaoru seemed to turn into a social recluse. She felt noticeably ugly next to her and her perfect white teeth; so much so that Kaoru made it a point not to sit next to her or even stand next to her, even though Kenshin would often times be the buffer between them. She remembered the model in the magazine she inspected earlier; Kaoru silently cursed her faulty retainer again as she sipped her coffee.
"You all right there, Missy?" Sano nudged her playfully, "You haven't once scolded me tonight."
"I'm fine, Sano." Kaoru forced a smile, trying to hide her inadequate teeth. "Really. I'm just tired, that's all."
Soujiro placed down his plate of cake, "Yeah, Kaoru's been coming home late recently. Since it's flu season and all."
Kenshin sent Soujiro a look which Soujiro responded with a typical smile. Kenshin's eyes narrowed at him again; just what was he getting at? Every time they seemed to meet, Soujiro would make a comment about Kaoru that would make Kenshin think that he knew something that he, the best friend for numerous years, didn't. It was disarming for Kenshin, to say the least.
"I know," Misao nodded in agreement, "sometimes it'd be three in the morning when I'd hear her stumble in; then I'd see Kaoru that same day at eight going back to work again."
"Is that so?" Sano put down his cup and stole a glance at the clock, "Oh, geez, I had better go. I've got the early shift tomorrow at the Akabeko."
"You?" Aoshi raised a brow. "You're working tomorrow morning? That's a surprise."
Sano stretched out his arms, "Yeah, tell me about it. But, hey, we've all got to grow up one day, right?"
Just as he said this, he sent Kenshin a look. Kenshin grew frustrated. What was wrong with these people tonight? It seemed that everybody went out of their way to hint at something Kenshin was having great difficulty grasping.
"I'll walk you out," Kaoru put down her coffee and followed him to the door.
Sano thanked both Misao and Kaoru for the wonderful dinner as he stepped out the door. He paused briefly, as if he wanted to say more but was thinking about it. He turned to Kaoru suddenly.
"I know it ain't work that's bothering you," Sano rubbed his nose with his thumb. "Whatever it is, you know you can always come talk to me. Especially when Kenshin isn't an option."
Kaoru's face twisted, "What does that mean?"
Sano just grinned, mussed her hair, and wished her a pleasant Christmas before leaving. Befuddled and still quite mopey, she returned to the group, their conversation picking up, thinking about what Sano had said. Did he know something she didn't? Her face twisted as she took a bite of the cake she and Soujiro bought the day before. Whatever he meant, Kaoru knew she had to get to the bottom of this.
::-::
Rays of sunlight barely penetrated the frosted glass in the neat and organized room. The extra coat of snow by the window attested to a hefty amount of snowfall the night before. Kenshin grumbled, the telephone waking him up at such an ungodly hour. His arm instinctively reached for the phone, and mumbled a greeting.
"Kenshin," Hiko's voice was even and even a little cheery for so early in the morning, "get up. I've got something for you to do."
"Right away," Kenshin sat up, "I'll be over at the office in a little bit, that I will."
"Good." Hiko seemed pleased as he hung up.
Sometimes he'd wonder why he worked as an assistant to what he thought was the neediest, most frivolous CEO in the entire world. He had a flock of assistants; but it was always and only Kenshin he'd wake from a sweet slumber and have him tackle the oddest of his whims. The job paid well, Kenshin was thankful for that. If not for the money and the somewhat flexible hours Kenshin would have been cleaning pots at the Akabeko with Sano at this very moment. Kenshin supposed he was lucky like that.
He pulled on his jacket; a box made it nearly impossible for him to shove his hands into the ample pockets. He felt his mood turn sour just thinking about the box in his jacket. He had intended to give it to Kaoru the night before during their dinner, but it seemed she'd move away whenever he'd even come within arms reach of her. He sighed; he felt terrible for not having given her the present he'd been so excited to give to her since he'd laid eyes on it, especially since he was given such a thought-out present by Kaoru.
He pushed open the doors to Hiko's large office, only to find him slouched in the corner making pottery. Kenshin sighed. Lately, Hiko's attention had been diverted from sake to pottery. It was a wonder why his business was still running.
"You needed something?" Kenshin was growing impatient; the box in his pocket seemed to poke at his ribs.
"Somebody is groggy this morning," Hiko commented, lifting up a newly molded vase. "Nice, isn't it?"
Kenshin said nothing, but tried to move the box in his pocket to avoid its corners digging into his side. But it only seemed to make matters worse.
"I need you to go run to the store and fetch me some tea," Hiko said, placing the vase on a shelf. "You know, that tea you keep getting me?"
Kenshin nodded in understanding. "Is that all?"
"How is Tomoe, by the way?" Hiko pulled out a slab of clay to mold into something.
Kenshin winced, the box seemingly pierced him.
"Not so great?" Hiko quirked a brow.
"No." Kenshin's annoyance grew and so did his urge to trash the box. "We're doing fine, that we are."
"But not as fine as you'd like?" Hiko ripped off a piece of the clay and began to roll it into a ball.
"No, we're just doing fine." Kenshin pulled out the box slightly, to stop it's edges from boring into his side.
Hiko threw the ball against the table then began to knead at it, "You love her?"
The box slipped back deep into his pocket, and continued to try to wound Kenshin. He was growing even more distracted. "Who?"
"Tomoe," Hiko was growing worried at the extreme attention Kenshin was giving the contents of his pocket.
"No," Kenshin's attention was elsewhere when he replied, his fingers constantly adjusting the position of the box.
"Then why are you two still together?" Hiko seemed to grow impatient.
Kenshin had enough. With a flourish he took the box out and held it in his hands. The brightly colored paper seemed to attract Hiko's attention, but he mentioned nothing of it.
Hiko took a breath, his attention off the clay and the present, and on Kenshin, "If you don't love her, why are you two still together?"
::-::
Kaoru sloshed through the snow with a scary sense of determination. Her boots made deep and lasting imprints on the fresh snow that had fallen the night before. She couldn't get much restful sleep with Sano's words still fresh in her mind. True, it could have been the amount of coffee she had consumed while eating the delicious cake she picked out; but Sano's mysterious departing words mystified her. It was only natural that she go out into the cold snow so early in the morning since she was, in fact, the kind of person who would relentlessly search the name of that actor in that movie and would not rest until she set her mind at ease.
'What did he mean?' Kaoru mused once again, pushing the Akabeko doors open.
The heat in the restaurant met her head on. She shook off the snow on her and made her way to the regular tables where she was sure as the snow outside that Sano would come and explain, even though she might have to wrestle it out of him, what he meant by "when Kenshin isn't an option." Her plan seemed perfect; she even had a few wrestling moves Sano taught her in mind. But all pleasant thought came to a sturdy halt as a familiar red met her line of vision.
'How am I supposed to talk about Kenshin if Kenshin himself is right here?' Cursing her rotten luck, she trudged on.
"Kaoru!" Kenshin greeted, surprised to see her.
"Hi, Kenshin," Kaoru smiled, scooting into the booth. "You're up early."
"Hiko called me in, that he did." Kenshin explained, motioning to a paper bag next to him, "He wants some tea. What about you?"
"I couldn't sleep," Kaoru confessed, but dare not elaborate why.
"Oh, I have something for you," Kenshin smiled pulling out the cumbersome box and handed it to Kaoru. It felt like a thorn was finally pulled from his side. "I wasn't able to give it to you last night, so here."
Kaoru's eyes lit up as she accepted the brightly wrapped box. With much anticipation and excitement she tore apart the wrapper, Kenshin smiling as her frenzied unwrapping continued. She popped open the lid of the white box and was met curiously by a felt one. She pulled it out, examining it briefly before opening it. Little hairs stood up suddenly as a feeling of déjà vu washed over her as she, for a brief moment, tried to remember where she had seen it before. Not in the magazine she had been read thrice the night before, that was for sure. Could it have been on television? She grinned, pinning down where she had seen it before.
"Thank you, Kenshin," Kaoru gave him a heartfelt hug, "I love it."
In the felt box was the diamond necklace she fell in love with while shopping with Soujiro.
::-::
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin!
Author's Notes: == ==;; I'd love to make some excuse as to why I updated rediculously late, but I don't want to bore you. My apologies for the long wait, though. Anyway, I hope you all liked the chapter. We only have about two more to go before the story is done, so please don't fret. I'll be updating sooner than usual - in less than a week's time (it's a bloody miracle, I tell you!). So don't worry. The pandemonium will settle down soon enough.
Thank you so very much to those who have reviewed! x]
Lyphta (Thank you for your review! Yes, this is a K/K fic. Sorry for the long wait!)
alex (Haha, you're not the only one who hates Tomoe. I'm glad you like my fic! Also, I'm sorry for the long wait.)
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