Sweet Mistake
New
By Seabreeze
A/N: I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry I haven't updated till now. . . no excuses, gomen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or "Pretty Baby".
*~*~*
Since Kaoru really had no personal belongings, getting settled into the tiny shack wasn't difficult at all. Sanosuke laughed at her, because she owned nothing. Kaoru had glared at him.
"You don't know anything about what it's like to be a stripper." She snapped. This had only made Sano laugh harder.
"No, I don't!" he chortled, and Kaoru fumed before throwing the nearest pillow at him.
"It's NOT funny, you Rooster-headed JERK!" she crossed her arms and glared at him furiously. Sano laughed again.
"Calm down, Jou-chan. I won't make fun of your former occupation any more if you don't want me to." Sano put his hands in his pockets and looked at her sideways. "I noticed you told Kenshin your real name. Strippers don't usually do that, now do they?" he said slyly. Kaoru glared at him again.
"You seem to know strippers a little too well, Sanosuke. And I told him after he told me I'd never be a stripper again." She shot back before sitting on her bed. This Sano person really got on her nerves.
"Right," Sano said, as if he didn't believe her. "I'm going to go help Kenshin now. See you around, Jou-chan." With that, he stalked out of the room. Kaoru stared after him. What had he meant?
"Baka," she muttered under her breath. What'd a drunken man know, anyway? But he WAS Kenshin's friend. Kaoru sighed as she heard Sano's car start up and pull away. What did she have to do now? She guessed she could look around her new (tiny) home, and after that. . . maybe look around the property.
Her room was simple; wooden floors and walls and ceiling, a small bed, bedside table, and dresser. She went to investigate the dresser- empty. She crinkled her nose. She didn't really have any clothes of her own- the dresser was a waste on her. She closed the doors and sat on the bed again. It was only a twin, with white sheets, a white pillow, and a deep blue cover. It looked comfortable enough. Now for the bathroom.
Which in itself also wasn't all that ornate. Wooden walls, floor, and ceiling; a single toilet with toilet paper in a basket near it on the floor; a simple sink with a mirror placed on the wood. The shower was only separated from the rest of the bathroom with a deep blue curtain, with the shower head and handles coming right out from the wood. It all seemed somehow spa-like. Without luxuries, of course, but still serene and relaxing. Kaoru stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door carefully behind her. She sighed and flopped down on the bed once more.
She really had nothing to do. Kaoru curled up and, having nothing better to do, fell asleep.
*~*~*
When Kenshin finally returned from speaking with Tomoe, he decided to check on his new apprentice. He found her curled up into an impossibly tiny ball on her bed, on top of the covers and shivering slightly. He couldn't help but smile a little bit. She was so cute. He went to the dresser, and, opening the bottom most drawer, pulled out a spare blanket. He shook it open and draped it over her tiny sleeping form- tiny to him, and to most HE was considered small. Stepping back, he observed her.
It was really too bad she was asleep, because he was planning on taking her into Tokyo to buy her some new clothes. Not only because the ones she had now were a bit. . . distasteful, but because they were ill- suited for learning any sort of battle. And, obviously, he would be teaching her the Kamiya Kasshin style. Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, for one thing, was used to kill.
And he wouldn't do anything else to stain this innocent girl. Nothing he hadn't already done.
Disgusted with himself, Kenshin quickly wrote a note to Kaoru saying that if she needed him, he'd be in his home. He flipped the light switch off and checked on the girl one last time. Closing the door behind him, he headed off towards his home. Only 3 o clock, and the day had been so long already.
"I guess its time for some house chores, that it is."
*~*~*
Kaoru woke with that odd feeling a person gets when they wake up from a middle-of-the-day nap. A small clock on her bedside table read 5:08. Cursing under her breath, Kaoru flung the blanket off herself (when did she put a blanket over herself?) and hurried out her front door. Looking around her surroundings briefly, Kaoru noticed the small dojo a hundred or so yards to her left. The area directly in front of the house had been walked about so much that there was hardly any grass. Kenshin knelt in the middle of it with a wooden tub full of soapy water and clothes. She hurried over to him.
"Kenshin!"
"Oro!" Kenshin fell over, obviously not expecting her. Once he recovered, he grinned up at her. "Good Afternoon, Miss Kaoru. I'm glad to see you're awake, and just in time to go get you some new clothes! Does that sound all right to you?"
"New clothes?" Kaoru looked down on what she wore (an ultra-short mini skirt and cropped halter top) dumbfounded. "Why do I need new clothes?"
"You can't train so easily in garments such as those, that you can't." Kenshin said cheerfully. He smiled at her again. "Just let me get changed, and I'll take you into Tokyo and buy you some proper clothes."
"Tokyo. . . but, Kenshin," Kaoru began self-consciously. "You don't have to buy me new clothes."
"I do if I want you to be my apprentice, which I do. Hold on, I'll be right back." Kenshin turned and headed into his dojo, returning only a few moments later with nearly the same clothing as he had had on before: baggy pants and a nice shirt. He stopped before her and grinned.
"All right, I'm ready. After you, Miss Kaoru."
"Please don't treat me like a lady, Kenshin, I'm not used to it-"
"This is the only way you ever will, then, isn't it?" Kaoru stared disbelievingly as he smiled genuinely at her. She had never met a person like him in her entire life. Feeling stupider than ever, she began walking towards his car. He walked next to, and slightly behind, her until he had escorted her to the passenger side. He opened the door as she got in and closed it behind her.
Tokyo, it turned out, was not far at all from Kenshin's house- in fact, they probably could've walked there. Kenshin made a mental note that the next time they needed to go to Tokyo, to walk- it was good exercise and good for the environment, after all.
"I'm sure you know part of Tokyo quite well, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said, "but the place we're going will be totally new to you. I myself am still not used to it."
"Not to be rude, Kenshin, but. . . what kind of clothing will you be buying me?"
"Well Miss Kaoru, first you'll need clothes for training. Just something comfortable. And then casual clothes you can wear for outings like this, and if I have anything leftover, I thought we could get you a nice kimono for special occasions. How does that sound to you?"
". . . Kenshin. . . I don't want you spending that much money on me. . ." Kaoru twisted her hands together nervously. "I'm not used to taking things like that without repayment."
"If it will make you more comfortable, I can let you cook and do work around the house for repayment," Kenshin said. "It's not necessary, though." Kaoru thought on it for a minute.
"Yes! That sounds great! I'll cook and scrub the floors and sweep the porch everyday." Kaoru smiled and sunk against the back of her seat, relieved.
"Alright then, Miss Kaoru, we have a deal." Kenshin smiled. Kaoru was really not so complex, and despite her former occupation, gave the impression of being naïve.
When the arrived in town, Kenshin seemed to know exactly where he was going. Kaoru watched him as he read the street signs, making a right here and a left there, and going straight. Finally, they parked in front of a small strip of stores. From left to right, there was a small café, a commercial music store, a plant store, a yoga clothing shop, and a plumber's. Kenshin lead her into the yoga clothing shop (Helga's). Kaoru couldn't help but give him an odd look.
"Kenshin. . . a yoga shop?" she inquired. Kenshin shrugged.
"I've never tried yoga myself, but they have the best clothes for what we need, that they do." He held the door open and waited as Kaoru awkwardly rushed past him and waited until he caught up to her. "Now," he said, looking around. "You pick out some things you like and I'll do the same. What size are you?" Kenshin watched as Kaoru's face reddened a little.
"I'm. . . I wear a 2 or 3. . . depending." She seemed to get angry when she continued: "and you'd better remember that, Kenshin, because I'm never telling you my size again!" Kaoru stormed off towards a wrack of yoga pants, and Kenshin oro'd to the floor as a sale's associate stepped over him.
"Never had too many girlfriends, did you?" he asked cockily. Kenshin stood quickly.
"Oh, she's not my girlfriend. Miss Kaoru's my apprentice." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "You see, I'm going to train her in my fighting style from now on, and she needs the proper clothing. . ." but the salesman had stopped listening at "not my girlfriend".
"Not your girlfriend, huh?" he asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The salesman turned to watch Kaoru sift through a wrack of tops, several pairs of pants in arm. "She's quite pretty, you know, and I haven't had a girl myself in quite a while. . . how old is she?" He was waiting for Kenshin to answer with interest, and Kenshin looked over him constructively.
"From the looks of it, too young for you, Sir. Miss Kaoru's only sixteen, and I don't think now's the best time for her to be involved with any men." Though Kenshin was shorter than the salesman by a good 6 inches, his voice took an authority the young man could not deny. A change in his eyes, however undetectable, told the salesman to back off.
"Well. . . alright. You're her sensei. I'm just warning you, though, that girl's going to have men all over her if you let her out alone." He left Kenshin with that thought before heading behind the counter to sulk and fold things. Kenshin watched him with a frown, and then went over to see how Kaoru was doing.
"Miss Kaoru," he said, taking about 30 pounds of yoga clothes off of her, "I think you've got enough to start trying on." Kaoru blushed and nodded obediently, heading to one of the curtained changing rooms.
*~*~*
As Kenshin and Kaoru walked down another street to find the grocer's where Kenshin always bought the environment-friendly detergent, they passed a small dance studio. Kenshin passed without second thought, but Kaoru slowed to a stop, enchanted by the graceful movements within the windows. In one window, a girl not much older than Kaoru kindly helped little girls position their arms. In the window next to it, however, girls her own age danced with perfect balance and flexibility on the tips of their toes. Kaoru clutched the shopping bag full of clothes tightly to her chest and sucked in her breath quickly. Kenshin kept walking until he realized Kaoru was no longer nearby him, when he sweat-dropped and backtracked to his star- struck apprentice.
"Miss Kaoru?" he asked, feeling he might need to poke her to get her attention. Kaoru opened her mouth but didn't take her eyes off the window.
". . .yes?" she said.
"You all right?" he inquired, getting a bit worried.
"It's so beautiful," Kaoru answered from far away. "The dancing. I've always wanted to dance." Kenshin smiled in understanding.
"It is, Miss Kaoru. But for now we must focus on your training, that we must." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder to pressure her slightly forward.
*~*~*
When they arrived at Kenshin's property around seven, Kaoru seemed a bit tired.
"I'm sorry, Kenshin," she apologized, resting her eyes briefly as she leaned against his car. "I don't know why I've been so tired lately. I guess the city just does that to me."
"You've had a big day, that you have. Don't you worry about it. Take another nap, and I'll come get you when our dinner is ready." Kenshin gave her a rurouni smile and pushed her gently towards her door. She was really too tired to resist, but any other day she would've insisted upon working off some of her imaginary debt. Once Kaoru's door had closed behind her, Kenshin smiled once more and headed to his house to begin cooking. It was an odd hobby for a man like Kenshin, at least those who once knew him would find it surprising. But he enjoyed it nonetheless; it was almost soothing.
Thirty minutes later, the soup and bread Kenshin had prepared were nearly ready. He made sure there were two places set to eat, and headed out to Kaoru's cottage. When he knocked on her door, he heard from within a surprised noise and a crash. Concerned, he opened the door quickly and peeked his head in.
"Miss Kaoru?" he inquired, looking around. "Everything all right in there?" From behind the other side of the bed, Kaoru's head popped up, smiling and blushing.
"Hai, I'm fine, Kenshin. Just trying to put something on top of the dresser." Kenshin looked a little confused, but merely nodded.
"Are you ready for dinner, then, Miss Kaoru?"
"Already? You're quick!" Kaoru stood, wearing a small white t-shirt, bright blue sweatskirt, and blue zip-up sweatshirt. She brushed off her skirt, proudly re-tied her matching blue tennis shoes, and met him at the door. Smiling genuinely, Kaoru followed Kenshin over to his house.
They ate together happily, nearly silent in their and glad to finally have some company.
*~*~*
Once again, sorry I took so long to update. I'll use Christmas Break
wisely, that I will.
Thank You's:
Inu-chan11- I'm excited for what's going to happen with these two in the future (it's out of my hands and entirely up to them, isn't that great?!?!) and also other characters. Thanks so much for reading. I hope the rest of this story pleases you.
Friend of Inuyasha+Kagome- heh. Don't worry. I know how you feel about Tomoe. I'm very much rooting for Kenshin and Kaoru too. Thanks for reading.
PEACH ^_^- . . . you read fanfiction with you family?
Rekka's Angel- you don't know how much the understanding is appreciated. Thanks so much for reading and leaving such kind feedback.
Pensquared- my gosh, you people are as vindictive about Tomoe as I am! Don't get me wrong, it ain't a bad thing. Thanks for reading.
Relena Maxwell- sorry 'bout the time- I hope you enjoy this chapter (if you even remember this story, I took so long to get it out! Sheesh, self!) This one took a while because I only had a general idea of what would happen, but the next one should come pretty quickly when I DO get around to it, because I know EXACTLY what's going to happen. Will be fun.
Celesta1- I love reviewers like you so much! It may be the best you've ever read, but I assure you there are some mind-blowing ones out there. Chiki, RK-128, and spiralbluefish (I think?) are some reeeeaally good ones.
TenkunoMeiou- Slowly but surely, de gozaru. Thanks for reading and dropping a line ^_^
Anime-girl153- nah, haven't given up yet. Got way too much planned for this one. I hope you continue to read, and thanks!
Snow White Hyatt- sorry about the timing, as usual. I don't quite hate Tomoe, but I definitely prefer Kaoru.
Gaby hyatt- thanks. . . and I'm STILL sorry about taking so long. . .
Firiel11- don't ask me how I came up with it. I was watching somebody jazz dance, the song was something about not being able to get this one girl's love. . . eh, don't ask. Thanks for reviewing! Cool name, by the way.
SweetCherries- thanks. . . it is pretty well planned. I hope you liked this chapter.
New
By Seabreeze
A/N: I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry I haven't updated till now. . . no excuses, gomen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or "Pretty Baby".
*~*~*
Since Kaoru really had no personal belongings, getting settled into the tiny shack wasn't difficult at all. Sanosuke laughed at her, because she owned nothing. Kaoru had glared at him.
"You don't know anything about what it's like to be a stripper." She snapped. This had only made Sano laugh harder.
"No, I don't!" he chortled, and Kaoru fumed before throwing the nearest pillow at him.
"It's NOT funny, you Rooster-headed JERK!" she crossed her arms and glared at him furiously. Sano laughed again.
"Calm down, Jou-chan. I won't make fun of your former occupation any more if you don't want me to." Sano put his hands in his pockets and looked at her sideways. "I noticed you told Kenshin your real name. Strippers don't usually do that, now do they?" he said slyly. Kaoru glared at him again.
"You seem to know strippers a little too well, Sanosuke. And I told him after he told me I'd never be a stripper again." She shot back before sitting on her bed. This Sano person really got on her nerves.
"Right," Sano said, as if he didn't believe her. "I'm going to go help Kenshin now. See you around, Jou-chan." With that, he stalked out of the room. Kaoru stared after him. What had he meant?
"Baka," she muttered under her breath. What'd a drunken man know, anyway? But he WAS Kenshin's friend. Kaoru sighed as she heard Sano's car start up and pull away. What did she have to do now? She guessed she could look around her new (tiny) home, and after that. . . maybe look around the property.
Her room was simple; wooden floors and walls and ceiling, a small bed, bedside table, and dresser. She went to investigate the dresser- empty. She crinkled her nose. She didn't really have any clothes of her own- the dresser was a waste on her. She closed the doors and sat on the bed again. It was only a twin, with white sheets, a white pillow, and a deep blue cover. It looked comfortable enough. Now for the bathroom.
Which in itself also wasn't all that ornate. Wooden walls, floor, and ceiling; a single toilet with toilet paper in a basket near it on the floor; a simple sink with a mirror placed on the wood. The shower was only separated from the rest of the bathroom with a deep blue curtain, with the shower head and handles coming right out from the wood. It all seemed somehow spa-like. Without luxuries, of course, but still serene and relaxing. Kaoru stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door carefully behind her. She sighed and flopped down on the bed once more.
She really had nothing to do. Kaoru curled up and, having nothing better to do, fell asleep.
*~*~*
When Kenshin finally returned from speaking with Tomoe, he decided to check on his new apprentice. He found her curled up into an impossibly tiny ball on her bed, on top of the covers and shivering slightly. He couldn't help but smile a little bit. She was so cute. He went to the dresser, and, opening the bottom most drawer, pulled out a spare blanket. He shook it open and draped it over her tiny sleeping form- tiny to him, and to most HE was considered small. Stepping back, he observed her.
It was really too bad she was asleep, because he was planning on taking her into Tokyo to buy her some new clothes. Not only because the ones she had now were a bit. . . distasteful, but because they were ill- suited for learning any sort of battle. And, obviously, he would be teaching her the Kamiya Kasshin style. Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, for one thing, was used to kill.
And he wouldn't do anything else to stain this innocent girl. Nothing he hadn't already done.
Disgusted with himself, Kenshin quickly wrote a note to Kaoru saying that if she needed him, he'd be in his home. He flipped the light switch off and checked on the girl one last time. Closing the door behind him, he headed off towards his home. Only 3 o clock, and the day had been so long already.
"I guess its time for some house chores, that it is."
*~*~*
Kaoru woke with that odd feeling a person gets when they wake up from a middle-of-the-day nap. A small clock on her bedside table read 5:08. Cursing under her breath, Kaoru flung the blanket off herself (when did she put a blanket over herself?) and hurried out her front door. Looking around her surroundings briefly, Kaoru noticed the small dojo a hundred or so yards to her left. The area directly in front of the house had been walked about so much that there was hardly any grass. Kenshin knelt in the middle of it with a wooden tub full of soapy water and clothes. She hurried over to him.
"Kenshin!"
"Oro!" Kenshin fell over, obviously not expecting her. Once he recovered, he grinned up at her. "Good Afternoon, Miss Kaoru. I'm glad to see you're awake, and just in time to go get you some new clothes! Does that sound all right to you?"
"New clothes?" Kaoru looked down on what she wore (an ultra-short mini skirt and cropped halter top) dumbfounded. "Why do I need new clothes?"
"You can't train so easily in garments such as those, that you can't." Kenshin said cheerfully. He smiled at her again. "Just let me get changed, and I'll take you into Tokyo and buy you some proper clothes."
"Tokyo. . . but, Kenshin," Kaoru began self-consciously. "You don't have to buy me new clothes."
"I do if I want you to be my apprentice, which I do. Hold on, I'll be right back." Kenshin turned and headed into his dojo, returning only a few moments later with nearly the same clothing as he had had on before: baggy pants and a nice shirt. He stopped before her and grinned.
"All right, I'm ready. After you, Miss Kaoru."
"Please don't treat me like a lady, Kenshin, I'm not used to it-"
"This is the only way you ever will, then, isn't it?" Kaoru stared disbelievingly as he smiled genuinely at her. She had never met a person like him in her entire life. Feeling stupider than ever, she began walking towards his car. He walked next to, and slightly behind, her until he had escorted her to the passenger side. He opened the door as she got in and closed it behind her.
Tokyo, it turned out, was not far at all from Kenshin's house- in fact, they probably could've walked there. Kenshin made a mental note that the next time they needed to go to Tokyo, to walk- it was good exercise and good for the environment, after all.
"I'm sure you know part of Tokyo quite well, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said, "but the place we're going will be totally new to you. I myself am still not used to it."
"Not to be rude, Kenshin, but. . . what kind of clothing will you be buying me?"
"Well Miss Kaoru, first you'll need clothes for training. Just something comfortable. And then casual clothes you can wear for outings like this, and if I have anything leftover, I thought we could get you a nice kimono for special occasions. How does that sound to you?"
". . . Kenshin. . . I don't want you spending that much money on me. . ." Kaoru twisted her hands together nervously. "I'm not used to taking things like that without repayment."
"If it will make you more comfortable, I can let you cook and do work around the house for repayment," Kenshin said. "It's not necessary, though." Kaoru thought on it for a minute.
"Yes! That sounds great! I'll cook and scrub the floors and sweep the porch everyday." Kaoru smiled and sunk against the back of her seat, relieved.
"Alright then, Miss Kaoru, we have a deal." Kenshin smiled. Kaoru was really not so complex, and despite her former occupation, gave the impression of being naïve.
When the arrived in town, Kenshin seemed to know exactly where he was going. Kaoru watched him as he read the street signs, making a right here and a left there, and going straight. Finally, they parked in front of a small strip of stores. From left to right, there was a small café, a commercial music store, a plant store, a yoga clothing shop, and a plumber's. Kenshin lead her into the yoga clothing shop (Helga's). Kaoru couldn't help but give him an odd look.
"Kenshin. . . a yoga shop?" she inquired. Kenshin shrugged.
"I've never tried yoga myself, but they have the best clothes for what we need, that they do." He held the door open and waited as Kaoru awkwardly rushed past him and waited until he caught up to her. "Now," he said, looking around. "You pick out some things you like and I'll do the same. What size are you?" Kenshin watched as Kaoru's face reddened a little.
"I'm. . . I wear a 2 or 3. . . depending." She seemed to get angry when she continued: "and you'd better remember that, Kenshin, because I'm never telling you my size again!" Kaoru stormed off towards a wrack of yoga pants, and Kenshin oro'd to the floor as a sale's associate stepped over him.
"Never had too many girlfriends, did you?" he asked cockily. Kenshin stood quickly.
"Oh, she's not my girlfriend. Miss Kaoru's my apprentice." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "You see, I'm going to train her in my fighting style from now on, and she needs the proper clothing. . ." but the salesman had stopped listening at "not my girlfriend".
"Not your girlfriend, huh?" he asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The salesman turned to watch Kaoru sift through a wrack of tops, several pairs of pants in arm. "She's quite pretty, you know, and I haven't had a girl myself in quite a while. . . how old is she?" He was waiting for Kenshin to answer with interest, and Kenshin looked over him constructively.
"From the looks of it, too young for you, Sir. Miss Kaoru's only sixteen, and I don't think now's the best time for her to be involved with any men." Though Kenshin was shorter than the salesman by a good 6 inches, his voice took an authority the young man could not deny. A change in his eyes, however undetectable, told the salesman to back off.
"Well. . . alright. You're her sensei. I'm just warning you, though, that girl's going to have men all over her if you let her out alone." He left Kenshin with that thought before heading behind the counter to sulk and fold things. Kenshin watched him with a frown, and then went over to see how Kaoru was doing.
"Miss Kaoru," he said, taking about 30 pounds of yoga clothes off of her, "I think you've got enough to start trying on." Kaoru blushed and nodded obediently, heading to one of the curtained changing rooms.
*~*~*
As Kenshin and Kaoru walked down another street to find the grocer's where Kenshin always bought the environment-friendly detergent, they passed a small dance studio. Kenshin passed without second thought, but Kaoru slowed to a stop, enchanted by the graceful movements within the windows. In one window, a girl not much older than Kaoru kindly helped little girls position their arms. In the window next to it, however, girls her own age danced with perfect balance and flexibility on the tips of their toes. Kaoru clutched the shopping bag full of clothes tightly to her chest and sucked in her breath quickly. Kenshin kept walking until he realized Kaoru was no longer nearby him, when he sweat-dropped and backtracked to his star- struck apprentice.
"Miss Kaoru?" he asked, feeling he might need to poke her to get her attention. Kaoru opened her mouth but didn't take her eyes off the window.
". . .yes?" she said.
"You all right?" he inquired, getting a bit worried.
"It's so beautiful," Kaoru answered from far away. "The dancing. I've always wanted to dance." Kenshin smiled in understanding.
"It is, Miss Kaoru. But for now we must focus on your training, that we must." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder to pressure her slightly forward.
*~*~*
When they arrived at Kenshin's property around seven, Kaoru seemed a bit tired.
"I'm sorry, Kenshin," she apologized, resting her eyes briefly as she leaned against his car. "I don't know why I've been so tired lately. I guess the city just does that to me."
"You've had a big day, that you have. Don't you worry about it. Take another nap, and I'll come get you when our dinner is ready." Kenshin gave her a rurouni smile and pushed her gently towards her door. She was really too tired to resist, but any other day she would've insisted upon working off some of her imaginary debt. Once Kaoru's door had closed behind her, Kenshin smiled once more and headed to his house to begin cooking. It was an odd hobby for a man like Kenshin, at least those who once knew him would find it surprising. But he enjoyed it nonetheless; it was almost soothing.
Thirty minutes later, the soup and bread Kenshin had prepared were nearly ready. He made sure there were two places set to eat, and headed out to Kaoru's cottage. When he knocked on her door, he heard from within a surprised noise and a crash. Concerned, he opened the door quickly and peeked his head in.
"Miss Kaoru?" he inquired, looking around. "Everything all right in there?" From behind the other side of the bed, Kaoru's head popped up, smiling and blushing.
"Hai, I'm fine, Kenshin. Just trying to put something on top of the dresser." Kenshin looked a little confused, but merely nodded.
"Are you ready for dinner, then, Miss Kaoru?"
"Already? You're quick!" Kaoru stood, wearing a small white t-shirt, bright blue sweatskirt, and blue zip-up sweatshirt. She brushed off her skirt, proudly re-tied her matching blue tennis shoes, and met him at the door. Smiling genuinely, Kaoru followed Kenshin over to his house.
They ate together happily, nearly silent in their and glad to finally have some company.
*~*~*
Once again, sorry I took so long to update. I'll use Christmas Break
wisely, that I will.
Thank You's:
Inu-chan11- I'm excited for what's going to happen with these two in the future (it's out of my hands and entirely up to them, isn't that great?!?!) and also other characters. Thanks so much for reading. I hope the rest of this story pleases you.
Friend of Inuyasha+Kagome- heh. Don't worry. I know how you feel about Tomoe. I'm very much rooting for Kenshin and Kaoru too. Thanks for reading.
PEACH ^_^- . . . you read fanfiction with you family?
Rekka's Angel- you don't know how much the understanding is appreciated. Thanks so much for reading and leaving such kind feedback.
Pensquared- my gosh, you people are as vindictive about Tomoe as I am! Don't get me wrong, it ain't a bad thing. Thanks for reading.
Relena Maxwell- sorry 'bout the time- I hope you enjoy this chapter (if you even remember this story, I took so long to get it out! Sheesh, self!) This one took a while because I only had a general idea of what would happen, but the next one should come pretty quickly when I DO get around to it, because I know EXACTLY what's going to happen. Will be fun.
Celesta1- I love reviewers like you so much! It may be the best you've ever read, but I assure you there are some mind-blowing ones out there. Chiki, RK-128, and spiralbluefish (I think?) are some reeeeaally good ones.
TenkunoMeiou- Slowly but surely, de gozaru. Thanks for reading and dropping a line ^_^
Anime-girl153- nah, haven't given up yet. Got way too much planned for this one. I hope you continue to read, and thanks!
Snow White Hyatt- sorry about the timing, as usual. I don't quite hate Tomoe, but I definitely prefer Kaoru.
Gaby hyatt- thanks. . . and I'm STILL sorry about taking so long. . .
Firiel11- don't ask me how I came up with it. I was watching somebody jazz dance, the song was something about not being able to get this one girl's love. . . eh, don't ask. Thanks for reviewing! Cool name, by the way.
SweetCherries- thanks. . . it is pretty well planned. I hope you liked this chapter.