A/N: okie dokie! i no that i said i wouldn't really be updating, but the truth is i really don't have time to write on welcome to the crazy house, but i've had this writtin' for a while, so i decided to put it up. this'll probably be the last time until after the new year that i get something up..... hope u enjoy, happy holidays!!!
Christmas Wishes
"Oh! Ho ho ho ho!!" Megumi had taken to modifying her laugh for the upcoming holiday.
"Give it a rest!!" Kaoru pleaded for the millionth time, sick of hearing her constant laughing.
"Oh, but Ken-San, you don't mind, do you?" she pouted, wrapping her arms around the rurouni.
"Orororororororo!!" he exclaimed, feeling her arms around him.
"Forget it! I'm sick of you! I'm going to take a long soak in the spring, which no one better disturb, or I swear, I'll kill them," she threatened.
"Lighten up, we didn't come all the way to Hakome Hotsprings to kill one another, did we?" Sano made an effort to calm everyone down. Kaoru plowed him down in her towel.
"Oh, Kaoru-chan, maybe I should join you! Ken-San are you going?"
"Iya, Sessha thinks he'll stay here," he answered backing away.
"Well, I think I'll retire anyway. Insulting Kaoru-chan really wears me out," she said, turning for her room.
"Fine by me! I'm going into the hot spring and if you even consider coming in while I'm in there, I will go against all my principles and kill you!!" Kaoru screamed, holding her towel tightly.
Kaoru stormed to the hot spring, but her bad mood evaporated the second she sank into the hot water.
"Ahh," she let out as she closed her eyes, "This is so relaxing, especially having to deal with a stupid fox!"
She slipped her towel off, thinking that no one would come to see her. Iya, knowing that no one would come to see the little tanuki.
She shut her eyes, thinking about how Kenshin always let her hang all over him. She clenched them shut tightly, wishing she had the guts to be that bold. Then she laughed at the fact.
"Gods just imagine the results," she considered, tears sliding down her cheeks, "The flirting tanuki, I can see it now."
"Kaoru-dono?" Kaoru jumped and turned around, wishing she hadn't taken off the towel. She blushed and sank even further into the water.
"Kaoru-dono?" he repeated. He got a gurgling bubble noise from where her mouth was under the water. He chuckled, not noticing the towel at his feet, making the whole ordeal very uncomfortable for Kaoru.
"Why won't you come out?" he persisted. She poked her head out and met his eyes.
"Look down," she muttered, nodding towards his feet. He followed her gaze and found the towel. He blushed, turning around.
"Gomen, Kaoru-dono!" he sputtered out an apology. He bowed in apology before running off in the opposite direction.
"Hmmmmm, I think I should just put that back on," she said picking the towel up and wrapping it around her body. She got out of the hot spring, feeling as if it were short lived, but she needed to get some sleep.
"Oh, well," she sighed and made her way back to the room she was sharing with Megumi. She dropped the towel as Megumi sat up.
"Well, well, Kaoru-chan, developed just a bit more, didn't we?" she pointed out as Kaoru slipped into a sleeping yukata.
"You are so predictable," she whispered.
"So, why are you back so soon?"
"Kenshin walked in on me," she said simply, I mean, it happened enough.
"Again? I feel bad for you tanuki," Megumi sighed, walking over to the younger girl, "As much as I flirt with him, he's too dense for my taste."
"Honto? You sure don't look like you care," Kaoru reminded her.
"True, but that's just to get you jealous, maybe someday, you'll get so mad that you'll just blurt out your feelings," Megumi joked.
"I wish," she answered getting into the futon.
"Oyasumi tanuki."
"Oyasumi kitsune."
Kaoru laid in her futon, still awake two hours later. Sighing, she got up and walked out on the porch. She sat down and stared at the sky shining with stars.
"I wish," she whispered, "that I could just once, confess my feelings." Shaking her head, she pulled her yukata more tightly around her.
"Brrr, it's cold, I should go back to bed," she told herself. Letting out one more sigh, she returned to the warmth and comfort of her futon. From around the corner, Kenshin sat, wishing he had the guts to confess his own feelings.
"Oh, Kaoru, what you do to me," he sighed, "Someday, I'll tell you, I hope."
"Tanuki!!" Megumi's voice rang out in the morning, "Time to plan our Christmas Eve party for tonight!!!"
"Five more minutes," the girl mumbled, covering her head with the blanket.
"Come now Kaoru!!! This'll be fun!!" she assured her, pulling her from the bed.
"No!!!! Let go!!!" she shrieked, holding onto her pillow.
"Nope, come on," Megumi wouldn't relinquish her hold as she pulled Kaoru down the hallway, attracting stares from Sano, Yahiko, and Kenshin.
"Let go, ya stupid fox!!" she yelled, throwing the pillow at her. It hit Megumi in the face, but she didn't let go of Kaoru.
"Dammit!! Why can't you plan with Kenshin or Sano?! Why me?!" she demanded.
"Now, now, this will be fun!!"
"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! STUPID KITSUNE!!!!!"
"If I let you go, what will you do?"
"Follow quietly!" Kaoru lied.
"Okay," and with that she dropped Kaoru, who then ran back to her bed, yukata ruffeled and opening near her legs, allowing it to flow behind her.
"You lied to me tanuki!!!!" Megumi accused as Kaoru dived back into the bed.
"Nah!" she stuck her tongue out.
"Oro? What's going on here?" Kenshin asked walking towards the girls room.
"Come on Kaoru!!" Megumi bagan to pull on her legs again.
"Not fair!!! I don't wanna!!!" Kaoru pouted.
"Ororororo!! Megumi-dono what are you doing to Kaoru-dono?" he asked.
"Getting her out of bed!!" she replied through gritted teeth, "Gawd!! Kaoru you weigh a ton!!"
"Do not!! Take it back!!!"
"Maa, maa, ladies," Kenshin soothed.
"Hey, what ya doin' kitsune?" Sano asked coming in. Noticing Kaoru's legs on display, he stopped and stared.
"Sano what are you staring at?" she demaneded.
"Your legs," he said simply.
"SANO NO HENTAI!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed, punching at him.
"Arigatou for holding her down kitsune," Sano thanked, happy to not be pounded into the ground.
"Sano," Kenshin hissed dangerously, once the girls were gone.
"Yes?" he asked nervously.
"Do that again and you'll be dead before Kaoru can even think about hitting you," he warned.
"Damn! You haven't made a move, so I don't see what you're so worked up about!!" Sano said, ignoring the hue of gold reflecting in Kenshin's eyes.
"Drop it," he ordered, leaving the room
"Megumi!! I don't want to!!!!" Kaoru wailed.
"It'll be a great time to tell Ken-san about your feelings!!" she urged.
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Because you love him!! And I'm sure he loves you!!!" she argued.
"But why are you dressing me all up?!" Kaoru wanted to know.
"You want to look good for Ken-san, ne?"
"Yeah, but right now?"
"You have to try this on to see if it looks good!" she said matter of factly, "Now shut up and put this on!"
"Fine," she muttered, pulling the kimono on. When she was dressed she modeled it for Megumi.
"Immm, hmmmm," she said examining Kaoru, "Now twirl!" Rolling her eyes, Kaoru twirled. The kimono was blood red, with a forest gree kimono. There was a pattern of holly decorating the entire thing.
"Hmmm, I don't know, I don't really like the green and red, put the white and red one on," Megumi ordered.
"Hai, mother," she rolled her eyes once more before changing.
"Much better," she said seeing Kaoru in this kimono. This one was white, with a holly pattern as well, but the obi was red.
"Can I change now?"
"Hai."
"Kaoru come on!! It's time!!" Megumi called into the room.
"Hang on!! This is the most complicated knot I've ever seen!!"
"That's not good, Ken-san might not be able to undo it if it's complicated. Ohohohohohoho!!!!"
"WHAT?!!" Kaoru yelled, coming out, still tying her obi. Once it was tied she started strangling Megumi.
"That wasn't funny!!! I'm a virgin and I'll stay that way unless you go and do something stupid!!!"
"Well, I guess there's always Koki, he's a nice kid, and he really knows what he's doing in bed, he's all lined up for you if tonight is bad-" Megumi was cut off as Kaoru cut off her air supply.
"Ororororororo!!!!" Kenshin let out, having heard every word.
"Okay, okay!! Now that you're dressed let's go out there!" Megumi said massaging her windpipe.
"Fine, make another crack about me sleeping with someone and you won't live to screw Sano," Kaoru threatened.
"Hey!!" Megumi said, blushing bright red. Giggling, Kaoru sought out Kenshin.
'I have to tell him,' she thought desperately.
'I have to tell her,' Kenshin thought at the same time, also looking for her.
He came out of her room, just as she entered the room next to it. Kaoru came out of the room exactly when Kenshin was going into the bathroom right near the room. When Kenshin came out, Kaoru was going in her room. It seemed quite hopeless that they would find one another before the night was over. Sighing, Kaoru sat with her back against the side of a rock as Kenshin sat on the other side. They both sighed at the same time, gaining the other's attention.
"Oro! Kaoru!" he said, happy that he'd finally found her.
"Kenshin," she said, her eyes big, for he'd dropped the honorific.
"Kaoru, there's something I want to tell you," he started, "I love you." Kaoru threw her arms around his neck.
"Oh, Kenshin!! Aishiteru!!" she exclaimed before he claimed her lips with his.
"Oro! This is a complicated knot," Kenshin observed as they laid down on the futon.
Owari