Disclaimer: Because I won't ever want to be sued, I'd have to say the whole truth and nothing but the truth… I don't own RK. Is that okay?
Kenshin-gumi's lives back to normal? With a twist!
9 Back to normal?
Our gentle rurouni, Kenshin, had one of the most tranquil slumber he's had for a long time. A smile kept materializing on his face. He was deeply enamored by the pleasant images he's seeing in the land of dreams…
"I'm not inviting the Battousai in my house! I'm inviting you, the rurouni… hmp! Fine!… but at least tell me your name…"
He was walking, no he was running, he was opening a door… somebody was in there! Kaoru! Oh no! she was bathing! And he just walked in on her.
"Ah! Get out!"
Buckets were being thrown at him. She kept on shouting, soon he heard a gurgling sound, it sounded like someone choking!
"What?"
"Kenshin!" he heard Megumi's voice.
His eyes shut open. What a dream. Megumi was still shouting,
"Somebody help us!"
Kenshin ran quickly, he saw Sano, Yahiko and Aoshi running towards the women's room, they all entered.
Kaoru was up, her yukata was almost sliding off her. She held a cloth in her hand and was using it to choke someone, Misao!
The four men (yes including Yahiko, he might attack me if I don't say he's a man!) went inside and tried to free Misao. She's gone purple now. It won't be long before she faints for lack of air.
Sano grabbed Kaoru by the back along with Megumi. Finally they were able to pry the cloth off Kaoru's grip and Misao was able to breathe.
"I should have known" Kenshin thought to himself.
Sano was still struggling with Kaoru, she was putting up with such a fight. Aoshi seeing that there's nothing else to do, pulled his kodachi from its saya and pointed it at Kaoru.
Kaoru sweatdropped. This man was different from Kenshin. His eyes were cold, showing no mercy. She realized that she was outnumbered, and slumped her shoulders and huffed.
Aoshi resheathed his sword. Misao was able to recover now.
"I woke up and I saw her trying to escape, I only tried to stop her." She managed while still gasping for breath.
Yahiko looked disbelievingly at Kaoru. Megumi gave her a disapproving look and Kenshin looked like he just lost all his money in a casino.
She felt like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting to be scolded. How did she get here anyway? She tried to find something to say,
"Aren't you gonna kill me?" she asked everybody. Sano was looking at her as if she was crazy or something. She looked at Kenshin, after all, he was the one who had a reason to kill her.
"We wouldn't do that to you, Kaoru…" Kenshin answered her question.
"Stop calling me Kaoru!"she snapped back at him. " The Kaoru you knew is gone, I'm Kotori, I thought I already made that clear."
"But you're still Kaoru" Yahiko insisted, "You're still busu!"
BUSU?! He dares to call her ugly?! The nerve! She wanted to pounce at him and beat him up.
"Don't you dare call me busu, kid! You wouldn't want to know what I can do to you!"
"As if! I'm used to your threats already!"
"Why won't we all just eat?" Kenshin said suddenly. He stood up and went to the kitchen.
When he got all by himself, he leaned to the sink, brooding. It's not gonna be easy, she's going to try to escape everytime. She wouldn't believe us either. What do I do?
He prepared breakfast and when he came out, everybody else was there. Misao and Yahiko sat opposite each other. Aoshi was sitting across Sano, keeping an eye open for Kaoru, lest she perform one of her stunts again. Sano was sitting beside Kaoru, when he saw him, he held up his hand.
There was a cloth tied to his left wrist, on the other end of the cloth was Kaoru's right wrist. Megumi who was sitting across Kaoru was casting the cloth a disgusted look as if it was something poisonous. Kenshin served breakfast. There were two free spaces.
He looked at the cloth, he knew why Megumi was looking at it with so much malignancy. He mentally kicked himself.
"No! Sano's my friend! He's just trying to help, that he is!" he kept telling himself, but seated himself next to Kaoru. He cast the cloth one last look and begun serving breakfast.
"Oh! Goodie! I was wondering when you'll serve breakfast, Kenshin!" Yahiko was helping himself. Misao begun eating too. Aoshi was still keeping an eye on Kaoru's every move. He was sipping his tea. Megumi, who was beside him, was not paying much attention to eating as she was busy looking at Sano, who seemed oblivious to her anger and was inhaling his food quickly.
Kenshin placed a bowl of rice in front of Kaoru. He smiled at her. She looked at the food disdainfully, casting a suspicious glance at Kenshin. She was trying to look inside the kitchen.
"What's the matter Ka-" she quickly glanced at him "I mean Kotori-dono" (that darn honorific again!)
"Who's the cook? I need to see her."
"But you're looking at the cook" Yahiko informed her.
Her brows furrowed. She gave him a mocking smile. She looked at him from head to toe. (Well in this case, just head to chest because they're eating right?) Kenshin felt himself become uneasy, he's not used to Kaoru looking at him shamelessly. Not a tinge of embarrassment could be seen on her face, instead there was disbelief. He could only smile at her. He was feeling really stupid. Everyone was looking at him too, as if trying to decipher what Kaoru was seeing in him.
"You cook?" she asked him in a disbelieving tone, as if she was hearing a joke.
Kenshin only nodded.
"Then I'll definitely not eat that!" She pushed away the bowl of rice. She was rejecting his cooking too? First, him, now his cooking. How could she hate me so much?
"Aa… Jou-chan, you wouldn't want to waste Kenshin's cooking! It's really good…"
Sano was trying to convince her, evidently hoping for the opposite as he looked at her food. He shrugged "Well…If you're sure" he was about to take Kaoru's food when a hand slapped his.
"Ouch! What did you do that for weasel?"
"Get off Kaoru's food! Look at her! She's gotten thinner!" Misao kept on yapping. She doesn't seem angry at Kaoru for this morning's incident at all.
Kaoru was busy picking the bits of rice that flew at to her face while Sano was talking to her.
"I already told you to call me Kotori"
"Kotori, Kaoru, Tanuki, Busu… they're all the same person" Megumi said, getting tired of the fuss.
"Kitsune…" Kaoru grumbled. Megumi was shocked.
"She called me Kitsune!"
"C'mon almost everyone must have called you Kitsune at least once." Sano tried saying with the mish mash of food in his mouth.
"Yes! Everybody! Except Kenshin of course, but, you remember…" The words sunk in on everybody. Kaoru "remembered". Kaoru just huffed muttering "so what?"
Kenshin tugged at Kaoru's sleeve, he took some of the rice in her bowl. He ate it then smiled.
"See? There's nothing in it. I told you we wouldn't hurt you… Please eat, you'll need some of your energy today."
Kaoru was still staring at him.
"This is uncomfortable…" he thought to himself.
"The others say my cooking is good, especially Sano and Yahiko." He blurted out, finding nothing else to say.
Kaoru seemed to believe him. "Well now I'm sure there's nothing in it. Besides, I'm hungry. But I'm not gonna tell that, of course! They might think I'm trusting them!" She took a bite.
Kenshin watched her every move. She finally ate some. He sighed in relief. She was stiffening.
"You cook better than me" she complemented. Strange those words seemed familiar to her. She brushed the thoughts away and continued eating.
Kenshin, now feeling more relaxed ate his breakfast too. Everybody else did.
"This is really good…" she was about to take another bite when she felt a tug on her right arm. It was because of the cloth. Sano was moving too much, she wouldn't be able to eat properly if this continues.
"Stop moving will ya?! I'm trying to eat here!" she threatened Sano with a fist.
"I was just eating!"
"Why don't you just take off the cloth?" Megumi suggested. Funny, Kenshin was thinking the same.
"But she'll escape" Yahiko mentioned. Oh yeah.
"You can tie her to me, Sano. That way she could use her right hand if you tie my right wrist with her left." Kenshin suggested. Megumi smiled at the idea.
"Well. If that's what you want."
Sano went to untie himself and tie Kenshin and Kaoru. Kaoru found this as an opportunity, but then she saw that Aoshi and Misao were on their guard. This would be a bad time…
Sano made the knot extra tight. Special for Kenshin. He grinned at his friend and patted his back. He came back to his breakfast. Everything was back to normal.
Kaoru was able to eat her breakfast peacefully, feeling her left hand being raised because of Kenshin, nevertheless, it didn't bother her. She could now eat in peace without that rooster head. Then an idea popped out of her head. She smirked and pulled her left arm.
Kenshin was about to take a bite when his hand was pulled away by Kaoru. She was tucking her hair behind her ear. She was smiling. The image reminded him of the many instances he saw Kaoru like that. Even though it's a bit different, at least she's back.
"He didn't seem to be affected at all." She decided to bring her hand back down, with a smack.
Megumi saw this as the perfect opportunity to strike back. She took some rice and offered it to Kenshin
"Here Kenshin, have a bite!" Kenshin gratefully opened his mouth.
"Thanks, Megumi-dono" Sano was eyeing him suspiciously. "but I think I have enough now" that was the same look he gave Sano when Kaoru was tied to him. He knows how it feels now.
He looked over at Kaoru. She was looking at him then at Megumi. Is she jealous? He smiled. I hope so.
Megumi saw that Kaoru was looking at her. Oh she remembers that look. She smiled and said:
"What is it, Kaoru?"
"Are you Kenshin's lover?" she asked her straightforwardly, she lost her poise and shook her head. It wasn't the type of reaction she expected.
Kenshin felt his hair rise. Sano was red on the face. He gulped. He looked at Kaoru. She had a questioning gaze. Maybe she wasn't jealous. He sighed and smiled then shook his head.
Kaoru cocked her head and said "Didn't think so… he's so small, you should look for someone taller at least and also more MANLY." she paused then continued.
" Rooster head here" she pointed at Sano "seem a likely candidate..." Kaoru just shrugged and continued eating.
Megumi's face has gone so red. Sano choked and was now drinking so much water. Misao and Yahiko were laughing so hard they were rolling on the floor.
Kenshin felt the words struck him. Didn't he look manly enough for her? and what about the small part about him being short? Kaoru was only a few inches shorter than he. He inspected himself unsurely. Kaoru/Kotori smirked seeing Kenshin's reaction.
Yes he's handsome. But, she'll never admit that. She thought him too cocky for kissing her back then. Revenge is sweet.
And that was how breakfast went on. Aoshi told them that he'll be leaving for Kyoto. Misao wanted to come but decided that she might be needed there. Yahiko started practicing. Sano gathered more herbs. Megumi said she'd give Kaoru a "theraphy" to help her regain her memory, much to Kaoru's protest. Kenshin would be going somewhere and wouldn't tell them yet where.
"But my things, they're at an inn! I want the kimonos I bought yesterday. These" she looked at her kimono, "I don't quite like them."
"Oh? What inn then? I'll get them for you." Kenshin had said.
"I'm not telling..." she smiled sweetly.
"Then I'll take you then. Later, when I come back." Kenshin is not to be fooled. He knows Kaoru is planning something.
"Demo..." Misao said, eyeing Kaoru suspiciously.
"Not to worry, I'm sure I can handle her. You'll be nice, right?"
"Suuuurre." Kaoru was smiling. Sooner or later she'll be able to make a getaway.
With that said. He turned to leave.
"Bye, Kenshin!" Kaoru said smiling, yeah! bye forever! hehehe...
"See you later." Kenshin replied. Misao was looking at him as if he'd gone crazy. He just smiled at her and went out.
Well that was it. A Reiji-less chapter.
sways
MEme: What should I do? What was Kenshin gonna get again? I can't remember, I swear! Help me?
FelicitousMe: A Teddy Bear!
MushyMe: No! It's a ring, He's gonna propose...
EvilMe: No he's gonna get himself a decent sword and slice up that Reiji guy!
StoicMe: ...
All: Hey! You're new!
StoicMe: Yes, I'm azulrealms 5th dragon--- wait! that's from another show, I'm her fifth personality... chanting "I am stoic I am cold You better stay off me or you'll end up... old?"
EvilMe: So what's special about you?!
StoicMe: I am MEme's character when she becomes boring and becomes too engrossed in reading instead of writing...
All: oh...
MEme: What do I do? aha! I need-
All: We know....REVIEWS!
MushyMe: You know the system already, she remembers if she sees some reviews, the more memories that come back to her.
everyone nods
MushyMe: I think its a waff with K/K...
MEme: O yeah! read this! hands off over review replies
EvilMe: hands paper to StoicMe You're new! Do your part
StoicMe: ...
Unknown-hitokiri: Okay, honestly, I'm not your average mushy author. I prefer hugs over kisses. Chocolates over roses and a lot of people has noted for me to be "dense". I dunno, something about not knowing when to shut up and listen. Beats me.
cyberdemon: Sugoii! I thought my work was lame and well... satisfactory is the most appalling comment I could give myself but,... Great?! sniff, You just made my day! cries herself senseless
StarofFoam: Thanx so much! I almost look like a tanuki, I can't get rid of the baggies under me eyes! Well, I'm sleeping longer now since it's vacation time...
Destellar: Wow! Now it's awesome?! I'm in for cardiac arrest!... wait! I can't die yet...
half-breed-demon-fox: You love it?! Oh schucks! demurely bows head and flutters eyes