Hey MINNA! The third chapter of Paradise has arrived! However, if you want chappie, four, reviews are necessary (: otherwise, no chappie 4 u!
BIG THANKS to all that reviewed last chapter! You light up this authoress' life!
Koishii Sweet- ::huggles you:: Thanks SOO much for reviewing so much of my stuff! You rock this authoress's socks, do you know that?? Hehe, hope you like this next chappie!
Animegurl444- Thanks much! Glad I've lured you to the rather fluffy side of things for a while and I really hope you keep reading!
Quist- Happy to hear you're
liking it! I know, stupid baka Rurouni! He's just too
shy….. maybe things will get better eventually, ne?
Thanks for the kind review!
MZ. AMbER EYES- Correct you are (about the courting thing)! Liked the Battousai & Kenshin moment? Well, there's more around the corner! ^__^ Thankies for reviewing!
Jouko-chan- Thanks for the
review and suggestions (: I think I'll be updating (hopefully) within the next
two weeks, so I hope you'll come check it out!
Weasel1029- Your wish is my command! Hope you like
this chappie!
Alea Seikou- YAY! Someone got it! Good to hear, really. I was hoping that someone would….. thanks for the encouraging review and hope you enjoy this chapter! ^.^
Crystal Renee- MAH SISTAH! I wuuuv you and thankies for the always nice review! ::huggles you:: and, you can update your stories ne time now!! Pweeze?
JDFielding- hehe, thanks for the nice review! I really appreciate it and hope you like the story thus far ^__~
vioctoria- Glad you like it! Hope this chapter meets your approval!
Mia1218- Thank you so much!!! I'm so happy to hear that
you connected with the story that much! You rock, hehe
^___^
DarkAnimeChick- Hehe, you're psychic! More crazy jealous-ness to follow.
Hope it meets expectations!!
Oyuki- Why, thanies! Hope you're still reading and thankies for the review!
wackoramacko87- Thanks much! I really appreciate the support!
TenkunoMeiou- I know, I'm a
little bit evil for doing that to poor ken-ni, but he
sorta deserved it, I agree! Thanks for the great
review!
DarkMave- Hahah, that's what I'm saying too!! Our poor baka Rurouni, I feel his pain… we'll just have to see what
happens, ne? Hehe, thanks
for the review ^_^
Nigihayamai Haruko- Awww, thanks! I'm
glad you liked the characterization! Can I ask you something? What does your
username mean? Its really cool!! Hope you're still reading this and thanks
again for the review! ^.^
claire- I totally agree with you!! *prepares to smack Kaoru over the head for her stupidness* I'm just hoping she comes to her senses eventually ^___^ hehe, thanks for the funny review!
Angel Wendy- thanks bunches, Wendy! I appreciate the
support and hope you're still reading along (:
Shilvygrl/Amyjenc1- hehe, thanks for the
review! Kenshin didn't help her because the other stupid (yet charming)
Takahashi got there first *pouts* but maybe Kenshin will get to be alone with
Kaoru eventually, ne? ^___^
Disclaimer: Lara-chan is poor. All she owns is her laptop. Everything else, including Rurouni Kenshin and all registered trademarks belongs to someone else far richer than she…
Chapter 3: One More Day in Paradise
"I work in the shadows of the night, hungering for the smell and taste of blood."
"… Sessha would appreciate it if you would stop being so melodramatic, de gozaru yo…"
Battousai landed hard on one of the rooftops and scowled at the baka Rurouni. "This is a waste of my time. A hitokiri isn't meant to use his skills in the NOONDAY SUN right above a CROWDED STREET."
"So you would rather leave Kaoru-dono alone with this Kazuo guy?"
The eyes of Battousai went from amber to a light red. "No." He said gruffly. "I think we should kill the bastard and be done with it."
Kaoru's laughter drifted up from the street below. She had been on a 'walk' with Kazuo down by the river for over two hours now, entirely too long in both of Kenshin's split personality's opinions.
**********
She couldn't stop smiling! Her jaw was starting to ache in all the wrong places, but being with Kazuo was just so…. she sighed…
"Hmm," Kaoru finally ended the comfortable silence. "The oil industry, huh? How'd you get into that?"
Kazuo flashed his perfect, gleaming, uniform teeth. "I've always been interested in things that burned… fire and passion in any form has always intrigued me…" He stopped.
"Go on."
"Well, when I was little, our family was rather poor. We had one candle for the whole house and I used to be fascinated with the wick. It was big, maybe…" At this point, Kazuo brought his fingers apart a couple of inches. "This long."
Then he frowned, staring down at his hands. "No, no… it was at least this long." He moved his hands two or so feet apart.
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. Where exactly was he going with this? "A candle wick? That's pretty big…"
"Oh yes,… but now that I think about it, it was really this long." Kazuo stretched his arms out like wings behind Kaoru's back and set his hand lightly around her waist while dropping his other hand to his side.
Kaoru's heart quickened as she turned to look up at the smiling Kazuo. 'He, did he?' She thought. Most definitely… he did have his hand on her waist, after all… She leaned her head on his shoulder and he tightened his grip on her as they walked along.
"But then again, it wasn't that important of a story anyway…" She heard him whisper as he took his other hand and brushed some loose strands of hair away from her face.
**********
Click.
"What are you doing, de gozaru yo? Sessha suggests you put that sword back…."
"Hmph." Battousai was becoming quite agitated at having to pal around with this goody-two-shoes Rurouni. "See that?" he pointed with the butt of his unsheathed katakana. "He's got his grubby hands all over our Kaoru. The fool is begging to die."
"No, no you can't do that now…" Rurouni managed to force out, although not very convincingly. Even he had a jealous bone in him and it was starting to get irritated right about…now.
Battousai's eyes narrowed. "You love her, don't you?"
"Hai, very much…"
"Then leave it to me." Battousai prepared to jump off the blue tiled roof. "We'll just kill Takahashi, sweep the girl up like the heroes we are, and tell her that she's ours."
For one single little moment, Rurouni thought about letting Battousai manage things.
But something inside of him told him that it was wrong.
Damn conscience. It always managed to get in the way…..
Rurouni sighed, giving in to his good-natured side. "Uh, sessha doesn't think that's such a g- hey!" Battousai was already lowering himself on to the ground and it took all of Rurouni's strength to pull the hitokiri back up on the roof top by the back of his gi. "You will listen to me, if you please!"
"No." Battousai stated matter-of-factly. "I'm going to go pay judgment to Takahashi.."
"No you're not." Rurouni grabbed on to one end of Battousai's katakana.
"Yes." Battousai pulled back. "I am."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO! Quit it, you're going to make sessha lose my bal-a-ah!"
PLOMP.
Too late.
The two fell downwards to the earth, landing in a puddle from last night's rain, right at the feet of Kaoru-dono.
"Uh… I'll let you take this one, Rurouni." Battousai cowered to the back recesses of Kenshin's mind.
"K-kenshin?!" Kaoru broke free of Kazuo's grip and stooped down towards him, her eyes showing a hint of concern. Kami-sama, she was beautiful. "Are you all right?" She asked sweetly, and then, as she bent closer to help him up, "How dare you follow me, baka! What are you thinking?!"
Kenshin caught sight of her face as he stood up, her scowl, her eyebrows knotted, her left eye twitching slightly… She seemed to be looking around, probably for a bokken…
Kenshin laughed nervously. "Hai, I'm fine…"
Takahashi stepped forwards towards Kenshin, towering a foot above him. "You're the man I met this morning when I came to pick up Kaoru, aren't you?"
'First Name Basis?!' Battousai roared from the back of Kenshin's mind.
"Silence!" Rurouni intended to mentally scream back at him. Unfortunately, he only ended up screaming right in….Kazuo's face…
"Pardon?" Kazuo put on a confused expression.
"Kenshin! I can't believe you! What's wrong with you today?" Kaoru stuck a pointed finger at him.
A blush worked its way up Kenshin's cheeks. "O, Oh, Sessha wasn't talking to you, de gozaru yo…"
"Well then who WERE you talking to? ME?! It better not have been me!" Kaoru was getting more and more flustered.
"No, no Kaoru-dono, I-"
"Oh, nevermind! Just, what exactly are you doing here?"
Kenshin searched his mind for an appropriate answer… 'Sessha was preparing to kill Takahashi-dono? No… Sessha was inspecting the quality of the roof? Er…'
"Kenshin?! Are you listening to me?!"
"Sessha was just…. Ah…. Getting tofu!" Rurouni gave himself a mental smack. Tofu?
As soon as he said it, Battousai started roaring with laughter in the back of Kenshin's brain.
"On the…roof?" Kazuo waved an arm clad in a handmade buisiness suit at the blue tiles.
But Rurouni could barely think because of Battousai's guffawing. "Will You Just Shut Up, de gozaru yo?!" he screamed back at the hitokiri.
But why was Kazuo looking at him so funny?
Oh no… He'd done it again…
Silently, he prayed for a giant rock to fall out of the sky and obliterate them.
No such luck. Damn. He'd have to explain himself then…
"Uhh, Se- sess-"
Kaoru approached him and placed a hand on his forehead. She stepped back, hands on her hips. "He's drunk." She directed to Kazuo.
"Wha? But-"
Kaoru went on talking. "I'm terribly sorry, Kazuo… I'll just have to escort him home. He's dead drunk. He looks as if he's been in a teahouse all night."
"But sessha isn-"
"Are you sure?" The two were talking as if he didn't even exist… "Must you? He looks as coherent as he was this morning…"
"Arigatou?" Kenshin wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a well planned insult.
"Well…" Kaoru nervously chewed on one of her nails.
"You're all right, aren't you Kenshin?" Kazuo placed one hand on Kenshin's shoulder as if he needed to be steadied.
"Ye-"
Kaoru smiled and clasped her hands together before he could finish. "Well, if you're sure, Kenshin. But go straight home, ok? Come on, Kazuo. It's about lunchtime, shall we get something to eat?" With that, she linked arms with her companion and began walking away, her…posterior… swishing in a most delicate motion…
'So the Rurouni does have dirty thoughts…' Quipped Battousai.
'Sessha wishes you wouldn't talk when Sessha is trying to-"
'Are you going to go home like she said?' Battousai cut the Rurouni off.
'Not a chance.'
'Good. But let's stay off the roofs this time, baka.'
WeLl? Whaddaya
think? Liked it? Hated it? Want me to stop writing? TELL ME! Just review!
Otherwise, it all ends right here ^___^
[larachan]
