A/N: Sorry for such a long wait! But here it is! Chapter 6 for your enjoyment! R&R!
DAY FIVE
"Eyes narrowed. Pissy look. Cooler color than gay purple. Yeah, I'd say that Battousai is a lot tougher looking than the regular you," Sanosuke analyzed, tapping an index finger against his chin. "Okay you can stop now…" Kenshin sighed heavily and let his body relax, eyes gradually turning back into their normal violet color. Yes, Kenshin was making his daily visit to the row house…although he knew it to be a complete waste of time. So why should he subject himself to such agonizing torture? Easy. He was a desperate rurouni.
"Okay, so now the fox probably won't let Jou-chan stay over for another night because those two are never on great terms right?" Kenshin nodded reluctantly, afraid where Sanosuke would be going with his little tangent.
"Yes, that is the case," Kenshin said coolly.
"Okay then, so now she'll HAVE TO stay home and THAT is when you can make your move! I mean, it's foolproof this time. She can't ask anyone else to sleepover. So Kenshin, you gotta be a man and do it!"
"I don't think that I can second that. What about Miss Tae? Or Miss Tsubame? I am almost positive that they would allow Miss Kaoru to stay with them and not even give it a second thought."
"You're too caught up in all of the complicated technicalities," yelled Sanosuke passionately, haphazardly waving his arms around. "Anyways, you gotta do this! You've got two more days left! I don't wanna see you wimpin' out now, ya hear me?"
Kenshin slowly nodded his head. "Yes, MOTHER…"
"What was that?!" Sanosuke screeched. Kenshin only shrugged listlessly and propped himself up against a wall. "Well anyways…there's no time to be arguing! I think that we should take the time now to train you!" Kenshin's eyebrows shot up. If it were possible, they would most probably jettison off his face due to the amount of uneasiness/surprise/oh-my-god-here-we-go-again that he was feeling.
"Train…how?"
"Just shut up and do what I do!!"
"So Kaoru-chan, did you sleep well?" Megumi inquired, tying her hair back carelessly and pinching her cheeks in hopes of giving them dramatic color. Kaoru glared at her, eyes at half-mast. She could barely get a nod out. "Well then I take that as a no! Ohohohohoho!"
"Yeah, good morning to you too…" She said cheerlessly.
"Why I thought that the guest room would be a perfect place for you to stay in! I mean, what's not to like?"
"Just about everything…" She moaned as she rubbed her sore shoulders. "For one thing, I wouldn't even consider that tattered…THING…a futon at all. It's so uncomfortable and on top of that, the room was nearest to the neighbors' house and I heard their dog barking all night long! I swear, if I had my bokken with me…"
"There's no use in making empty threats, Kaoru-chan. And even if you would do it, you always take the manly approach when dealing with just about everything. It's no wonder that you've probably never had a lover yet."
Kaoru felt her cheeks grow hot. "…So what?!"
"So what? Well don't you think that it would be nice to have a man by your side who loves you, takes care of you, protects you… Really, I find it absolutely wonderful," Megumi hummed, occasionally glancing at the obviously uneasy teenager sitting next to her. Wait a second…Kaoru was uneasy? Megumi snickered. Now was the time for her foxy nature to emerge. "And what of Sir Ken? I mean I'm sure that he is interested in women as much as the next man. If that is the case, I am sure that he will need someone by his side soon. Men DO have their needs too…"
"Miss Megumi!" Kaoru said, her face as red as ever.
"Gee, I wonder how he would be in bed," Megumi added, completely disregarding the fact that Kaoru had told her to stop. "Don't you? Of course. What a silly question. You live with him and you still haven't done anything with him for all this time. Why would you, of all people, think about something so heated like that, hmm?"
"Hey! Just to let you know, I'm not as childish as you think!"
"Oh?" Megumi inquired, suddenly mildly interested in what Kaoru had to say.
"For your information, I have my share of dreams!"
"Oh really now? And what dreams are you having? You and Sir Ken strolling down a country lane, holding hands and having him whisper sweet-nothings into your ear?" Megumi chucked a few times, apparently having an iota too much fun teasing poor Kaoru. "Oh wait, let me guess…afterwards, you two sit down and have a tea party right?" Kaoru blushed fiercely and turned away. She truly could not stand being the younger girl compared to Megumi.
"No, that's not how my dreams are at all!"
"And I am sure that's the case…" the twenty-two year old remarked wryly, sarcasm dripping dangerously off of each word.
"They're of me and Kenshin doing…IT!" She added, holding up her index finger, straightening out her back. Megumilost her smirk and soon glared at Kaoru wide-eyed. "So there! It's not childish at all! In fact I think I'd have to say that my dreams are probably much more romantic and seductive than yours will ever be," she added proudly.
"Well then…" Megumi said, looking down at her neatly folded hands that rested upon her lap. Her casual demeanor was nothing good. Nothing good at all. "Would you care to tell me what you think IT is? I mean…just so we're on the same page and everything."
"You know very well what IT is! Why would I have to spell it out to someone who's older than me? Unless of course you really don't know and you'reasking someone younger for help." Megumi's eyebrow twitched. "Hah! I bet that is the reason!"
"Not at all. I just wanted to see if you really knew what sex was. Maybe you have fantasies…but do you have any idea of what it really is in the eyes of a doctor? My, my you have much to learn." Kaoru cocked her head to the side, curious about how the two different perspectives could indeed be different. "It looks like I should tell you now before you take the word 'sex' a little too lightly." Kaoru gulped. She had a feeling that it was going to be a long discussion…
Kenshin's eyes popped out oftheir sockets. Well not really. But ALMOST. Hey come on, give the rurouni some credit here. I mean ANYONE would freak out if their ex-gangster friend began to cross dress just to prove a point. "Uhh, Sano…" Kenshin choked, trying to cover his eyes with his hands. It did no good. He was frozen like a deer caught in the headlights.
"You're missing the point of the exercise, dammit!" Sanosuke roared, adjusting his obi (which was already depleting his lungs of oxygen anyway).
"You know I would ask where you got that outfit but I don't think I want to know…"
"ANYWAYS! Just pretend that I'm Kaoru right now okay?"
Kenshin made a disgusted face. "There is absolutely no way…even in hell, that you could pass for such a beaut--" The redhead instinctively covered his mouth before Sanosuke could register what he had just said. "I meant to say that there was no way that you could ever look like her. So I see this exercise to be a complete waste of time…and sobriety…in your case anyway."
"Yeah, you're right about that one. Oh well, can't blame a guy for tryin' right?" Kenshin exhaled a sharp sigh of relief and wiped his brow. "Oh yeah and another thing…when I get out of this, could you give this thing back to the fox sometime? She left it here and…"
"Wait a minute!" Kenshin's eyes lit up and he pointed at the now blushing Sanosuke. "She left her kimono here? In the row house of all places? Sano, what have you been up to? And more importantly, what haven't you been telling me about your relationship with Miss Megumi?"
"Don't you have to leave now…?" Sanosuke inquired in monotone, obviously not wanting to discuss the matter further. "You've got some serious seducing to do."
"Yes, I know that, that I do. And you've got some soul searching to do," Kenshin said accompanied by a devilish smirk. "I'll be sure to stop by again soon."
Kaoru's eyes popped out of their sockets (but not as much as Kenshin's). Megumi was all done describing the joys of lovemaking and the thoughts were swimming through her mind. She was slowly walking home, heading for the Doujo, and still Megumi's words echoed through her mind. Intense. Sweat. Heaving. And those words were just the tip of the iceberg. "It really makes me nervous just thinking about it. What am I going to do about sleeping arrangements tonight too?" Kaoru sighed to herself as she ruefully pushed open the Doujo gates and went about making her presence unknown.
"I just want to go to sleep…and that's that." She muttered to herself, passing the training hall and peeking into the kitchen. Lo and behold, Kenshin stood, huddled over the early dinner that he was preparing. "Kenshin?" Kaoru called softly, not wanting to startle him.
"I just heard you come in, Miss Kaoru. How was your stay at Miss Megumi's clinic?"
"The futon that I slept on was so horrible…if you could even call it that. I'm sore all over now. I wouldn't be surprised if I was like this for a week." Kenshin flashed a pitying smile. "But I'm sure you're sick of hearing complaints around here." The dutiful rurouni shook his head and went back to chopping vegetables. There was a pause for a few moments and the occasional TAP, TAP, TAP of the knife could be faintly heard. "Hey are you making beef stew again for the second time in the week?"
"That IS okay, is it not, Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, placing down the knife and turning his body toward her. "If you do not wish for me to make the same meal twice in the same week, just let me know anytime and I will be glad to make a replacement dinner for you." Kaoru smiled at him and once she did, her eyes shone brilliantly. Shaking her head, Kenshin smiled again at her and picked up the knife. "Again, I am very sorry though…"
"About what?"
"About how your room was so disorganized when you came home after such a long day yesterday. I'm sure the only thing on your mind was wanting to relax a bit."
"Yeah that's true.
"Well once dinner is over, we can discuss what we'll do about everything."
"Are…you sure that I can stay in here? I mean, don't you want your privacy?" Kaoru fidgeted as she watched Kenshin slide open his shoji in a slow manner. "I could always…ummm…sleep outside?" Kenshin suddenly glanced at her as if she had grown a second head.
"Why would you even suggest a thing? There's no way that I'd let you sleep outside, even if the weather conditions were suitable." Kaoru blushed faintly. The way in which he was being so overprotective really made her feel warm inside. "Now don't worry. I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable. I promise, that I do." Kaoru nodded and walked inside his room. She noticed a dimly lit candle in the corner of the room and one neatly laid out futon with his pillow resting in the middle of the quilt…as he had always left things.
Carrying and laying her own futon down beside his, she took a deep breath and let herself sink down. Kenshin noticed her level of discomfort. "Did you want to get dressed now?" Kaoru nodded slowly and that was Kenshin's cue to turn around. "I won't look at you, I promise, Miss Kaoru." She nodded and trusted his judgment. He was Kenshin. Mr. Honorable. If she couldn't trust Kenshin, whom could she trust? Honestly…
Kenshin POV:
Just pretend she's not there, Himura and everything will run smoothly. Oh great…now I'm talking to myself again. What a way to be desperate. But really, I don't think that I can help it. I've made no secret to myself that I want her. …Bad. Oh…no. That's the understatement of the century… I can try for very bad. So bad that Battousai can unleash himself at any given moment and take advantage of this situation. I am really hoping that it doesn't come to that. Although hoping doesn't usually get me through things all the time, that it doesn't…
I can hear her taking her clothes off. Great…this is pure torture. Buddha must really not be pleased with me if he is subjecting me to this. I clench my eyes shut. I hear something plop to the ground. She must be…completely…na--
"Okay, Kenshin, I'm all done…" Miss Kaoru said, adjusting her yukata collar. I spin around, eyes landing on her rumpled kimono, carelessly left on the floor. "Oh don't worry, I'll get that," she added, picking up her garment and draping it over her arm. A few seconds later, she let herself sink down onto her futon, shoulders dropping dramatically. I watched her all the while and couldn't help but grin at her. "W-what's the matter Kenshin?" Miss Kaoru asked nervously, clutching her bed sheets.
Of course nothing's wrong. Especially when she's near me. I don't tell her that, I just simply smile my rurouni smile at her. "Let's just go to sleep Miss Kaoru and everything will be all right in the morning. I hope that you do have a good night…" She looks at me nervously but doesn't tell me what's bothering her. With a reluctant nod from my sweet, I blow out the candle and the next thing that I know, my eyelids give way…
A/N: Hope you liked, please review! Ciao! And a belated happy new year to all
