Disclaimer of non-ownership: well, I don't own it. None of it. Not one tiny speck. Not one miniscule slice of it. Not even the most infinitesimal

— Okay, we get it! You don't own the biggest pancake ever made!

…oh yeah, or Rurouni Kenshin.

A/N: Well, look how good my updating has gotten, eh? Pretty good, eh? Less than a week! Were you surprised? I was surprised. Mostly due to the great support of my reviewers and because we're getting really close to the climactic part. Er…yeah. Anyway, this chapter is completely Kaoru/Aoshi, for all Kaoru/Aoshi fans, great fluff, drama, everything for Kaoru/Aoshi. I guess you could say it's a bit of a filler chapter, in comparison to last chapter. But it's good, I promise.

A Note: This chapter is set during chapter ten, so yeah, the two chapters happen simultaneously.

Tanoshimu!


Chapter 11:

The Consequence of Actions

-

Kaoru was inexplicably in a good mood. Despite her damaged leg, she was still managing to teach her class, enlisting Aoshi's help.

"All right, everyone, just copy Shinomori-san's right thrust…very good, Hikaru," Kaoru commented, much to the boy's delight. Kaoru passed by Aoshi, who looked very weird with a shinai in hand.

"Where's Yahiko?" Aoshi asked in a soft voice as he joined her patrol down the line of students.

Kaoru looked up, unable to wipe a bright smile off her face. "I don't know. This is the first time in a long time that he's ditched practice."

She didn't seem entirely worried, so he didn't press the matter.

Kaoru continued, however. "I guess I can't blame him. These new students are definitely holding back his personal training very much. He's leagues ahead of them."

Aoshi nodded knowingly.

"It's been a little frustrating for me, too, but definitely rewarding," Kaoru smiled at Aoshi.

"Kamiya—"

She shot him a fierce gaze and stopped in her tracks.

Aoshi cleared his throat and made a 'calm down' gesture with his hands. "Kaoru, I mean. Perhaps you should let Yahiko continue to advance."

Kaoru looked at him questioningly. "But he's learned virtually everything except…oh!"

Before Aoshi could say anything more on the matter, Kaoru was called over by a frenzied student.

"Kaoru-sensei, I think that Yuki-kun hurt himself!"

Kaoru started toward them, but Aoshi held her back. "I'll see to it," he told her firmly. She nodded and stared after him as he rushed to the injured boy and helped him collect himself.

Kaoru turned back to the rest of her students. "Not to worry," she said. "Please continue with your drills."

She felt a strong tug on her sleeve. Whoever it was tugged harder before she could react and sent her whirling around. Because of her bad leg, Kaoru's balance was thrown off and she started to fall. Whoever it was behind her caught her and crushed her to his chest.

Instinctively wincing at the impact, Kaoru said her thanks and struggled to her feet, only to learn that her savior didn't want to let her go.

"Kaoru," he said in a low voice. Kaoru looked up to find she was in Momoru's sturdy arms.

"Thank you for catching me, Momoru-kun," Kaoru said in a tone as professional as she could muster in her position. "You can release me now."

"Oh, but I quite like you here, Kaoru," Momoru replied slickly. "I know I'm you're student, Kaoru, but I am older than you, and no one can deny how very beautiful you are…" his hand inched lower on her back.

Kaoru quickly pushed herself away from him, not caring if she toppled over on the spot. Just to be away from Momoru's incessant flirting. "It's Kaoru-sensei," she growled at him. "Don't forget it, next time!"

"Feeling a little feisty, Kaoru?" came his reply from behind her. "That's fine. I knew you'd be a challenge."

Kaoru spun around and shot him an entirely disbelieving look before turning her back and walking down the drill hall. She almost slammed right into Aoshi, but he grabbed her shoulders before she could deal any damage.

Looking up at his face, Kaoru could not tell if Aoshi had witnessed Momoru's little act earlier. All he said was, "Yuki-kun should be fine. It's not even a sprain."

Kaoru swallowed and tried to look relieved. "That's good." This Momoru thing was bothering her way more than it should have. Maybe because she was so angry that Naruku and Sano had been right about her students. At least one of them.

-

As the students finished filing out of the drill hall, Kaoru learned that Aoshi had a little more to say than he let on.

"Kaoru," Aoshi began sternly as soon as Kaoru had hung her bokken back on the wall. "Your students don't respect you."

"What do you mean?" She snapped. "Of course they do, I'm their instructor."

"No," he came nearer, backing her up into the wooden wall. "You must never falter around them. Never show any interest other than that of a teacher. They already see too much in you."

"What are you talking about?" Kaoru demanded, her voice going high and shrill, though whether that was from his accusations or their proximity she would never know.

"Kaoru, your students don't respect you as a teacher. They look at you and see the woman that you are. They think by learning from you, they can learn they way into your heart."

Kaoru was finally starting to catch on. Or so she thought. "Are you telling me how to teach my students?" She demanded in an icy voice. "Excuse me Aoshi, but I am the assistant master around here. Not you."

He slammed both his hands onto the wall on either side of her head. She jolted in surprise. "You cannot falter," he repeated. "You must act as though your father would have. Otherwise they will look at you as an icon of lust or unrequited love, and will not learn from you."

Kaoru stared up at his eyes, which were narrowed and darkened. Her stare was not of determination or a response to being threatened but simply trying to figure him out. She titled her head, her movements slow. "Why are you saying this?"

Aoshi seemed to bite back a growl. He answered with another question. "What was that little charade with Momoru-san?"

"You saw that, did you?" Kaoru said, uncertainty and guilt in her voice.

Aoshi seemed to be having trouble suppressing his emotions. He swallowed and settled on a short, "Yes," for his answer.

Kaoru chewed her lip and looked directly up into Aoshi's eyes again. "Aoshi, I can handle it, really," she assured him.

"No, Kaoru," Aoshi answered softly, leaning down so his face was right next to hers and she had no choice but to look at him and listen to ever word. "I don't think you can."

Had Kaoru be listening, she might have found this very irritating. Fortunately for both her and Aoshi, she was not exactly listening. She heard his words but was more focused on how deep his voice was and how, well, sexy he was when he looked at her with concern and protectiveness like that. Before she could even think of a verbal response, Kaoru's unsteadily beating heart had taken over and she wrapped her arms around Aoshi's neck to draw his face closer to hers.

Her actions almost made him loose balance and he leaned harder on the wall. He was practically on top of her, and they were so close Kaoru almost couldn't breathe. She stared into his wide, surprised eyes and found herself closing the distance between them with a kiss.

Kaoru was inwardly scolding herself. Nice job, Kaoru, she scoffed inwardly. This is exactly the way to convince him you aren't being too feminine. Why had she given in? One second she was seething with his condescending tone, the next she was in a passionate embrace with him.

But she forgot all about her internal dispute when Aoshi got over his complete surprise and was reciprocating. His warm, calloused hand snaked around her slender waist, drawing her closer until she was pressed against him. Kaoru hadn't even realized she had flung her arms around his neck and was trailing long fingers through his midnight-colored hair.

Too lost in each other were they that they didn't realize how, now that they were clung so close to each other, there was nothing supporting any of their weight. The result of this being that they fell side-ways into the wall. Aoshi, quick-thinking as always, even with a beautiful woman in his arms, turned so the impact hit only his shoulders, bracing Kaoru's fall.

Even after they had nearly crashed into the wall, Kaoru still had her lips on his and she was deepening the kiss. Aoshi really had no mind for anything except to respond to her show of affection. He tightened his arms around her slender waist, not wanting to see or feel anything but her.

From deep in the back of her throat, Kaoru emitted a soft little noise of appreciation as she pressed him against the wall.

The two of them might have forgotten themselves completely if it weren't for the abrupt sliding open of the drill-hall door.

"Kaoru-sensei, I would like to—" Giichi's high voice cut itself off upon seeing what his sensei was currently engaged in.

Very reluctantly, but hastily all the same, Kaoru and Aoshi pulled apart from each other. The movement almost made Kaoru topple over but Aoshi caught her and stood up her upright, meanwhile trying to smooth his utterly ruffled hair.

"G-Giichi!" Kaoru greeted, her voice piercing and stuttering. To say she was going red would have been a gross understatement. Kaoru could not remember a time being so embarrassed. Then again, Kaoru also couldn't remember what she had eaten for breakfast that very same day.

The poor boy in the doorway looked from Aoshi to Kaoru in complete befuddlement. A very forlorn look flashed across his face and he dashed away from the drill hall.

Kaoru sighed and drooped down, her eyes resting on the floor to the left of her. She couldn't bring herself to look at Aoshi.

"That was ill-advised," he told her, regaining composure.

Kaoru was suddenly very mad. She snapped her vision to Aoshi. "As if it's all my fault?"

Aoshi regarded her glare mildly. "I don't see why not. You are the one who initiated it."

"In…Initiated it?" she cried, mind going blank with fury.

"You kissed me. I only responded," he went on.

"Well maybe if you hadn't been leaning in so close!" She shot back, curling her hands into fists.

"I knew I wouldn't get the point across otherwise," he replied blandly.

"Oh is that so? So physical interaction was not on you agenda?" She retorted. "You didn't even think there was a slight chance we'd end up kissing?"

Aoshi rubbed his head. "All right Kamiya-san. We have equal blame in the matter."

She folded her arms in satisfaction. "That's better." As an afterthought, "What's with the Kamiya-san. After I just practically pounced on you we're not even on first name basis?"

Aoshi shot her a mockingly withering look. "Fine. Kaoru. The important thing is that you now have a student out there, thinking less and less of you every second."

"What, so I have to go talk to him?" she snarled.

Aoshi nodded.

"Oh, so you're still telling me how to teach, is it?" Kaoru threw her hands up.

"I never stopped," Aoshi replied. He shook his head at how worked up she was able to get him. "Yes, Kaoru, I really think you should talk to Giichi-san," he replied in a more honest tone.

The fierce look faded off Kaoru's face and she slowly nodded but still didn't move. "Aoshi…?" she said after some time.

He regarded her closely, wondering what was now on her mind. "Yes, Kaoru," he replied kindly.

"You don't think…" she paused. "That this could be a danger, given what we've found out about…you know."

Aoshi was very tempted to laugh. "Seeing as I don't know what this is, or what you know means, probably not."

She glared at him as if to say 'don't be smart with me!' "This meaning…well, us. The thing is, I kind of don't want us to write this off as some kind of fluke or a mistake…" she trailed off and couldn't help sneaking a peek at Aoshi. Before he could bring himself to answer, she went on. "And, well, I don't know, could it be dangerous on account of…Enizu?" She stole another glance.

Fear and concern seemed to be dawning on Aoshi. "You might be right," he told her slowly. "Enizu is not only out for Kenshin's life, but everyone around him. Me, especially, because of our past. Given what's…just happened between us, you could be in more danger than before."

Kaoru watched him will solemn blue eyes. Enizu was more a threat than ever, looming over them without having to do a thing or say a word to any of them.

"Kaoru," Aoshi said sternly. "I think we need to talk to Giichi."

-

They found him outside, apart from the bustling students who were dawdling on their way out of the courtyard and back down the road.

"Giichi," Kaoru approached him quickly, commanding his attention.

He seemed distracted as he snapped his head up to look at her. "O…oh. K-Kaoru-sensei."

Kaoru peered closer at him. He was shaking, looking very nervous.

"Giichi-kun," Aoshi spoke, his voice deep. "You know what this is about, do you not?" He felt a little bad that he was intimidating the young boy so much without even trying to.

Giichi nodded, glancing from Kaoru to Aoshi.

Kaoru breathed a sigh. "Giichi, this is really important. What you saw—back there—it's very important that you don't tell anyone. Understand?" She looked his straight in the eye as she said this, a maternal compassion and seriousness in her eyes. Giichi blatantly looked away.

Kaoru began to sweat a little more and exchanged a glance with Aoshi. This was not good, they said silently.

Giichi started to move past the two of them, but Kaoru grabbed his arm with authority. "Giichi," she said, clipping her vowels. "Giichi." She tugged him toward her again. "You didn't tell anyone, did you? You didn't tell anyone." Her eyes pierced through his.

Giichi struggled to get away from Kaoru's grasp, but she was too strong. He mutely nodded, admitting that he had, in fact, told someone.

Kaoru let go of him suddenly and absently wiped her forehead nervously. Aoshi gripped her shoulders, letting the tension flow from his body to hers.

"Giichi," Aoshi said, knowing Kaoru was not willing to ask. "Who did you tell?"

Giichi looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but there. He glanced from side to side, as if trying to find methods for his mistake. Finally, he resigned. "It was Momoru-kun, Shinomori-san," he bowed respectfully. "I told Momoru-kun."

And with that, Giichi dashed away. He was the first student to exit the dojo gate.

Meanwhile, Kaoru and Aoshi trekked across the courtyard to a secluded location next to the bathhouse. Neither said anything, but simply stood there.

"It'll be fine," Aoshi told Kaoru, clearing his throat. He didn't know whether or not it was true. Having a boy like Giichi know about their relationship was fine; they could have dealt with it. They could have kept him quiet, he would have been trustworthy. If only they had gotten to him sooner.

Momoru was a completely different story. He was, as Aoshi desperately wanted to shout, a stinking bastard. With the information Momoru now had, Aoshi could only guess what kind of things he would do with it. He was a clever, sly boy—no, a devious man—and Aoshi knew that if he and Kaoru made the wrong move, Momoru would figure something out. He could easily use the information against them, but they couldn't let him know that.

"This is much, much worse," Kaoru muttered. She turned to look up at Aoshi. When their eyes locked, she found herself drawn in and desperately wanted to touch him, grab his hand, throw her arms around him, kiss him. She shook her head. That's exactly what had gotten them into this mess. "What do we do?"

Aoshi tucked a stray lock of her raven hair behind her ear. He felt a tiny bit of guilt. Kenshin had graciously allowed Aoshi and Misao to remain at the dojo, even with the threat that posed. Now Aoshi had abused that generosity, and had put Kaoru in peril. That was what hurt Aoshi the most. The fact that his hatred for Enizu could potentially hurt the woman he cared for.

Aoshi suddenly felt a vast amount of sadness as he looked into the hopeful, trusting eyes of Kamiya Kaoru. His fingers brushed along the back of her neck loving, questioning, assuring. Kaoru closed her eyes to the sensation.

"I'll talk to him, if you want," Kaoru said suddenly. Aoshi's hand dropped and Kaoru's eyes opened again.

Aoshi shook his head, pursing his lips. "No," he said. "Don't trouble yourself. Get rest."

Before she could offer another word, Aoshi bent down and kissed her forehead. He didn't pull away immediately. Kaoru instinctively wrapped her arms around his torso, encircling him in her warmth. She leaned into him.

"Hai," Kaoru whispered, curling her fingers around the cloth of his shirt.

Aoshi, in turn, place his hands lightly on her waist, laying his cheek on the top of her head as he did so. He breathed in deeply, savoring the sweet jasmine scent that had haunted him for the past days he had spent with her.

"Don't worry," he said, and then repeated it again for his own sake.

Kaoru stood up and kissed his cheek. "If you say so," she said, walking toward the house. He didn't follow.

-

This is best. That's what Aoshi was thinking to himself as he sat alone in the Akabeko restaurant. He was thinking that it was better for him to come alone. If he and Kaoru had confronted Momoru, it would have been too obvious something was up. Momoru would have been even sneakier, even more conniving because if the two of them had come, he would have seen that they were worried.

And if Aoshi had let Kaoru address the problem by herself, he knew Momoru would do nothing but act inappropriately toward her.

Aoshi swirled a single chopstick around in his bowl of hot noodles. He glanced up, and there was Momoru, sliding into the seat across from him.

"What, no food for me?" Momoru said.

Aoshi put down the chopstick. "This is not dinner."

"Right, right, this is you threatening me because I laid a hand on what you decided was 'yours.' That would be Kaoru, of course," Momoru added.

Aoshi did not show any emotion. "No," he rebutted. "This is about you keeping what you heard about Kaoru and I to yourself. You'll do that if you know what's good for you."

Momoru raised an eyebrow. This was certainly interesting. He hadn't exactly expected Aoshi to agree with his assertion outright, but asking him to keep quiet about the whole ordeal? "Keep quite from who?" he asked shrewdly.

Aoshi frowned and refused to answer. "Look, do you want hush money? Is that it?"

Momoru shrugged, though he wondered whom exactly Aoshi was afraid of the information getting to. Based on their conversation so far, it wasn't something as trivial as a jealous lover.

Momoru considered Aoshi's question. "More or less, I suppose."

Aoshi methodically opened his money pouch and started counting out the coins.

Momoru leaned back casually. "You know what? My dad's actually pretty rich, and I don't want a fool's money."

Aoshi looked up and wordlessly swept the coins back into his pouch. "What do you want?"

"Information?" Momoru offered.

Aoshi shook his head. "There's nothing you need to know."

"What about who I shouldn't blab to? So I can make sure I won't say anything to them…" he added slyly.

Aoshi's fist crashed down on the table. "Don't say a word to anyone, do you understand?" Immediately after he spoke these words, he regretted them. He had basically just told Momoru how desperate he was.

Momoru let a lazy grin creep across his face. "Hm…maybe there is something else you could give me in return for my sealed lips."

Aoshi felt like he didn't dare ask what. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Yes, yes…I see my way now. How about, in return for my silence, you grant me the pleasurable company of Kaoru for one day?" he raised his eyebrows, wondering how this suggestion would go over with the stoic man.

"No," Aoshi said, offering no embellishment.

"Maybe just the night, then?" Momoru leered.

Aoshi felt the corner of his lips twitch as he barely suppressed a growl.

"Seems to me," Momoru went on, his expression clearly showing that he wanted a rise out of Aoshi. "That you can't really give a girl like Kaoru what she wants. She's a beautiful girl, after all, and I think a guy more like…hmm…me can give her what she truly needs." His eyes flashed.

If Aoshi was not so well mannered, he was sure that Momoru would have been dead on the floor long ago. "What Kaoru needs," he bit out. "Is none of your concern."

But Momoru would not back down. "And you're quite sure that it's yours?"

"We're done here," Aoshi replied coolly. "And I don't think I'll be seeing you again soon at all. Because if such an encounter were to occur, I'll find a better way to have you taken care of."

Momoru took that to mean 'stay away or you're dead.' He grinned as Aoshi got to his feet and walked away without another word. Momoru knew that on some level, he had really gotten to Aoshi. He wasn't sure what it was he had said, but the older man was definitely peeved for some reason or another.

"Well, Shinomori, you don't have to worry about me getting in your way," he said to the empty seat in front of him. "Next time I want to settle this little deal, I'll go straight to Kaoru."

-

As Kaoru plowed through the stacks of dishes she suddenly and inexplicably sneezed. A few suds in front of her popped. Kaoru wiped her nose and went back to washing dishes.

She heard a shoji door shut quietly and glanced up. Aoshi stood in the dining room, looking pensive and slightly irritable.

"Hello," she greeted. "I hope you ate. We finished dinner while you were gone."

Aoshi nodded and silently left the room as quickly as he had come.

"Wait!" Kaoru called after him, tearing her apron off and running after him. "Yahiko was looking for you."

Aoshi stopped and spun around. "For me?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yeah. Something was bothering him and I asked him to tell me. I told him I'd pass it on to you, whatever it was. He looked like he was going to tell me, but then Misao came over and Yahiko clammed up. He just asked her to spar, instead."

Aoshi pursed his lips, deep in thought. "Has he spoken to anyone else?"

Kaoru threw up her hands and shrugged. "Maybe Kenshin, but I saw him at dinner and he seemed fine. Whatever's bothering Yahiko has got to be pretty serious."

Aoshi's forehead creased. "Why do you say that?"

Kaoru blushed; realizing it probably wasn't a good idea to have mentioned that to Aoshi. "Well…um, don't take this personally or anything, but Yahiko doesn't like talking to you so much. So, it's just an assumption, but whatever he needs to talk about has to be pretty important if he's going to spend the time to try and find you to tell you."

Aoshi nodded in agreement. "Where's Naruku?" he asked suddenly.

"With Misao, I think," Kaoru replied, after some thought. She paused. "Um…Aoshi?"

He turned his head toward her. "Yes?"

Kaoru clasped her hands in front of her, giving off a demure impression. "Are you…all right?"

Aoshi allowed the smallest bit of a smile to light his face. "I'm fine, Kaoru. It's been a long day. Go to bed."


A/N: That last bit was the weirdest part. Now, just so you know, Momoru isn't going to be a major plot thing, but he'll obviously appear again, seeing how the conflict didn't really get solved. Just so you know, at the end of this chapter when Aoshi was acting very cold and kind of aloof to Kaoru, it was because of what he said to Momoru earlier in the Akabeko. Aoshi's kind of afraid because he's acting so protective and worked up about Kaoru. He's used to being detached and getting so emotional over someone freaks him out.

Zioncross: Yay! I'm glad you're starting to like alternate pairings. Especially because this chapter was devoted to one…I'm sorry:ducks: Outa's not a big part of the story now that he's in Tokyo. Hm…well, just as a hint, I'm really glad that you caught the Battousai thing. I'm not saying it's very important or anything, but…Yeah, I'm definitely not saying anything.

Crewel: I know:sigh: Sano and Megumi will be back, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too. Aw, thanks, and I'm really glad you like the SM in here.

Babygirl: I know, it seems unbelievable, right?

Cathy Mark: Aw, thanks. I like being called cool. I'm pretty sure, if I get your meaning, that the Tenken has returned. Sorry.

Insane Reader: No, I'm not nuts! Ack…! Such violent reaction to that bit with Soujiro. I should be more careful. :hires six bodyguards:

Some Slut: Thanks.

Erica Mandarine: Of course I'll write more. Thanks, being called cool makes me happy.

One And Only: Aw, I hate when fanfiction does that. Thanks for taking the time to read Steps of Courage. I hope you liked this chapter. I'm really glad you like my OC. Makes me happy. Yup, I think you're the only one that caught that about Soujiro, how he refused to mention Misao. Wow, thanks for visiting my site! I'm glad you liked it. Hope this was a soon enough update for you.

Thanks everyone, as always.

Important: The pairing for this chapter is Aoshi/Kaoru. Next chapter it will most likely be under Misao/Soujiro. Please don't loose track of it. (Pairing for next chapter is subject to change. If it does, I'll change it here and on my bio. For now, expect Misao/Soujiro.)