Chapter 5 – Chibi Angels

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Kaoru sat on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest. She stared at her toes, dazed. It felt weird to cry after being so used to keeping it all in. Yet strangely, it felt undeniably good… she never thought about why she was crying or about anything that had happened recently. All she did was cry, cry into the warmth that Kenshin had provided.

Kaoru smiled bitterly, maybe crying would become her addiction. After all, it had become a pattern. The 'It' famous face getting addicted to something after a tragedy and then the paparazzi would find every single fault in that very same famous face.

Her grip on her knees tightened as her thoughts suddenly wandered to her red head protector. She wasn't going to all tv show-like and start pondering whether or not she was in love in him or whether he was in love with her. If he reeked warmth then he reeked warmth. If she fell in love with him then she did. Things happened when it did and because it did. There was no reason to chase after something that was so indefinite.

Kaoru was like every other female in the world. She too had had dreams of the perfect man, the perfect love and the perfect life. Well, maybe not perfect but ideal. Love used to be on her mind all the time.

But at that very moment, love was definitely not her top priority. It could be her last for all she cared.

The next morning, Kaoru walked out of her room. She was surprised to see Kenshin already working. He was sitting at the dining table with his laptop propped open and a katana laid beside it. Actually, she was surprised that he was awake, full stop. He was with her until pretty late at night… or rather pretty early in the morning. And it was only half past seven now.

Kenshin did not look up immediately after she stepped into the dining area but when he did, he knew that she had not slept much, if not at all. Her eyes looked… raw. Red and swollen, proof that she had shed tears was still present. Dark eye bags seemed to weigh her eyes down and her face had lost all colour, leaving her as white as a sheet.

"There's a toothbrush in your toilet and a paper bag of clothes next to your room door. Go freshen up, I'll make breakfast. My superior demanded Miss Kamiya be made comfortable and I am to take you shopping for whatever you need," Kenshin said, staring ahead at the screen of his laptop.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes slightly, she recognized sarcasm when she heard it and his voice was dripping in sarcasm when he said "Miss Kamiya". Still, she dismissed it as she didn't feel up to a verbal argument. It took up too much energy. Walking back to her room, she wondered why she had not noticed the bag that had been lying so obviously on the floor next to the door. Shrugging, she picked it up and walked into her room.

After he heard the sound of her door shutting, he got up and started making breakfast. He highly doubted a girl like her knew how to cook. Today was going to be long day for him. He had never favoured going to places where there were crowds of people. Shopping was definitely not something he liked. Sometimes he wished Saitoh was not married. If he was not a married man, he wouldn't have ordered him to take the girl shopping. But no, he not only had to be married, he had to marry a woman who cared a lot about people's well-being.

Kaoru walked into the dining area, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black shirt. They were too long for her and a little too big. Wondering if he had not noticed that she was around the same height as him, she asked him softly," Did you buy these recently? They're a little too big for me in case you haven't noticed how short I am."

"Megumi owns those clothes," he replied simply.

"I see. Is breakfast ready?" Kaoru asked, ignorant of whom this Megumi was. It wasn't as if it was any of her business.

Silence was his reply to her question as he set the food he had prepared in front of her. Kaoru flashed him a small smile of gratitude to which he nodded curtly in response before he once again settled down in front of his laptop.

She wondered what it was that he did. Most of the time, she saw him with his laptop… sometimes reading whatever was on the screen and at other times, typing so fast she couldn't make out the words he was typing when she looked at the keyboard.

Stuffing a cut piece of bacon into her mouth, she forgot her manners and asked," Ne, Kenshin, what do you do for a living? Everytime I see you you're with that laptop of yours."

"You'll find out later. Are you done? Leave the plate in the sink. We're leaving in 5 minutes," he said.

If Kenshin was surprised at her lack of table etiquette, he made no comment. he got his keys, cash, cell phone, slipped into his shoes and waited for her.

Kaoru wore her shoes from the day before and picked up her purse, hoping that she had enough cash in it to supply her with enough clothes for at least a week. Who knew how long she had to stay in the apartment with him. She doubted he would take her shopping again and it was already pretty considerate of him to take her this time… not many guys enjoyed doing that and he certainly did not seem like the social type.

Their trip down to the basement where the car was parked was quiet, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Kaoru's mind seemed to have taken an interest in the man beside her but she felt no shame. There was nothing wrong with thinking about someone who was intriguing. Besides, it wasn't as if it meant she was in love.

She had never met someone with natural red hair as marvelous as his. Yes, marvelous. His hair would probably stand out even if he was in a room full of red heads. And she had never seen anyone with such unique eyes. The shade of blue of his eyes was quite common but it was the colour change that both scared and fascinated her. She had seen a slight violet the night before and she caught gold flecks every now and then.

And his personality? Unpredictable.

They were stuck in a massive traffic jam. Then again, what did he expect? It was a Sunday and it was morning. Rolling his eyes, he turned to his passenger and saw that she had dozed off.

She was different, this girl with the blue eyes. Definitely not what he expected. He had thought she would be really obedient and he need not have such trouble looking after her. He knew he was dead wrong when he met her. It was as if there was a porcelain mask covering her face and each time she showed emotion, it cracked bit by bit.

Kenshin was 24. He was at the age where many people would have recently left university and start carving their lives. But Himura Kenshin was no ordinary person. He was not a graduate yet he had enough knowledge to out-smart the best of the best.

His skills with a katana was known far and wide as the best silent assassin in the century. And the fact that not many assassins exist in the modern era made him stand out even more. Kenshin was formerly known as Hitokiri Battousai after the legendary samurai because they were similar. Heard of but never seen. Deadly but never caught.

(A/N- I'm really sorry about the way I describe Battousai and if I'm not mistaken he does exist and I know practically nothing about him so I'm really sorry if anyone's offended)

She was so naïve, very much still a child. Older than him when he was exposed to death but he had led a life that was not as comfortable as hers. Financially, his shishou was equally stable but emotionally, she was more cared for. He didn't think that the late Kamiya couple would allow her to witness what is considered the darkest shade of life.

Her temper was amusing and at the same time, irritating. It was nice to see some spark out of her. When he first heard of her he thought she was just like him, keeping it all in. It was entertaining sometimes, the way she behaved when she was not in public. She probably did not realize it but she seemed more comfortable when she was around him.

The girl gave him a nickname that he did not favour very much but the nickname was amusing. Besides, it was way better than 'baka deshi'. She squealed when she saw his car, turned quiet when she was in public, was restless in the morning and snored when she slept, as slight as it was. Her reactions definitely tempted him to smile and to laugh.

But it was not in his place to do so. He had taken an important person from many families. To smile was to mock their deaths. To laugh was to insult them. at least, That was what his theory was.

Kaoru awoke just as Kenshin was about to wake her which out them in a rather weird position. He was partially leaning on her and his right hand was heading towards her right shoulder. She woke up with a start and bolted upright which made Kenshin's hand land on her cheek and the closeness of their bodies made it more awkward. She turned away quickly, apologizing.

Kenshin said nothing, instead choosing to exit the car, expecting her to do the same. When she did, he walked towards the escalator, slowing down his pace every once in a while so she would be able to follow him. He used to be an assassin but he was not as inconsiderate as people expected assassins to be. Besides, he had taken his current job to gain forgiveness for the sins he now realized was wrong. In the past, he was too idealistic to recognize right from wrong.

As they walked from shop to shop and in between crowds, Kaoru noticed that many people were drawn to Kenshin's bright red hair and he was obviously not pleased with it. She half heartedly browsed through the different T-shirts on display while observing him.

He didn't seem as uncomfortable as she'd thought he would be, with him being so withdrawn most of the time. Instead, he seemed more annoyed and bothered than anything else. Her guess was that once upon a time, he was an attention seeker or was used to it but now hated the idea of it.

Kaoru walked out of the store with yet another bag weighing down on her wrists and was surprised when he stuck his hand out towards her, offering to carry the bags for her. She smiled her thanks when he carried not just one but half of what she originally had.

Kenshin felt somewhat insulted when she refused to let him carry all the bags though still he said nothing. Something wasn't quite right about the Kamiya family. Something concerning this Kaoru girl. And it bugged him.

She spotted a shop that attracted her attention and hurriedly made her way towards it, smiling apologetically at her companion. Dashing in, she purchased the item and headed back towards him. She was curious when she saw two little girls of about 4 and 6 years talking to him.

Kenshin was just as curious as Kaoru when two little girls with identical brown hair and hazel eyes approached him.

"Nii-san, where is Kamiya-san?" the elder of the two spoke while the younger girl merely stared up at him.

Kenshin lowered himself to their height so it would be easier for the smaller girl before answering," She is buying something. She'll be here soon. Do you know her?"

"We've seen her in magazines and newspapers and even on television," she said.

"Ayame-neechan, Kamiya-san!" The younger girl tugged on her sister's sleeve and squealed.

Kaoru heard her squeal and smiled affectionately at the two girls who were obviously sisters. Though dressed in what looked like fourth hand clothes and the younger sister carrying a teddy bear with a missing ear, they smiled brightly at her.

She took the two sisters by their hands and led them to a bench nearby.

"I'm Kaoru," she stated simply.

"Kaoru-neechan! I'm Ayame and I'm six," the older girl replied.

"And you, little chibi?" Kaoru turned towards the girl with the teddy bear.

"Suzume-chan. Four," Suzume beamed.

"Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan. Why were you looking for me?" Kaoru asked

"Tsubame-neechan said your parents passed away. Our parents passed away too," Ayame said.

Kaoru's smile vanished but she wondered how much they had been exposed to to be able to understand the term 'passed away'. They were four and six for heaven's sake!

But before she could say anything, Ayame continued," Suzume-chan, Tsubame-neechan and I want to say sorry and wish you luck. Tsubame-neechan said we should say that if someone's someone passed away."

Kaoru's heart warmed to them. She wanted to say something in return but Kenshin beat her to it.

"Ayame-chan, Suzume-chan, where is your Tsubame-neechan?"

Ayame looked up and pondered his question. She then looked back at him and shrugged her shoulders. Once again it was Suzume who pointed out the person they were looking for. Ayame held her sister's hand and they both ran towards a young girl with similar colouring, dressed in a waitress's uniform.

Kenshin watched as Kaoru's gaze followed the two girls. He too was startled at the girls' intention. With a glance at his watch, he thought it appropriate to leave. They had people to meet tonight and Kaoru looked like a ghost.

Their journey back to the apartment, a new home to both of them, was quiet. For a moment, Kenshin thought Kaoru had fallen asleep again but her constant fidgeting of fingers proved otherwise.

Kaoru dropped her shopping bags on her bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came back out, she was dressed in sweat pants and a T-shirt and felt a lot better. She unpacked the rest of her purchases and when she saw the last item she bought, she walked out with it in her hand to look for Kenshin.

She found him sitting on the couch, absent mindedly switching channels. He looked up at her, confused at her big smile.

"You didn't seem to enjoy the attention people paid you at the mall so as my way of saying thank you for being kind enough to help me carry my shopping bags, I've come up with a solution," she narrated, commercial-like.

She slid the cap onto his head and waited for his reaction.

"I'll look weirder than ever and people will stare more," he replied monotonously.

She frowned a little, deflated at what he had pointed out. Kenshin winced inwardly, he hadn't meant to disappoint her but hey, it was obvious that it would only make things worse, right?

Kaoru was determined not to give up. After all, she had just made a resolution to help out as many people as she can. After seeing Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan, she was inspired to help others.

They were like her chibi angels, making her realize how selfish she had been when she could have used her fame for good. Which was why she was adamant to help Kenshin. As small as the problem was, she would do whatever she could. She had to learn how to walk before she could run.

She brightened as she found another solution. To find a solution, you have to define the problem right? She had just defined the problem in detail which provided her with a better solution.

Kenshin found the girl downright confusing. One minute she was smiling then she was frowning then she was smiling again and then she had this glazed look on her face before she smiled at him once more! He watched from the corner of his eyes as she walked towards him and suggested something.

Startled at her suggestion, he took some time to consider it. He had never thought of doing that but if it would help, he'd take the chance.

"Okay."

Kaoru's smile widened and she rushed off to get what she needed. It felt good, to be able to do something for someone else.

First, Kenshin.

Next, her chibi angels and the rest of the world.

A.N. - very sorry for the long delay. To make up for it, here's the longest chapter I've ever written. It isn't very long compared to what others can write but… it's my personal longest! Hehe. Oh and please please review!