Disclaimer - I don't own Rurounin Kenshin.

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Toy Store

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Porch Steps

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"Okay. I'm going to go to sleep now because I've had such a long tiring time-consuming week that I'm utterly and entirely exhausted. My very bones are sleepy," Misao announced.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "They are?"

"Yes. And I wouldn't want to be a downer and yawn the whole time Kenshin's here, so I'm just going to sleep, even though it's Friday night."

"You're trying to set me up with him," Kaoru accused.

"Shhh," Misao hissed, peeking into their kitchen where Kenshin was washing the dishes. He'd lost rock-paper-scissors. "Duh, I'm setting you guys up. He didn't look at anything but you all through dinner and you know it. If Aoshi wasn't away this weekend I'd just leave and not come back until Sunday or something, but he is, so I'm bound and determined to go to sleep, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Kenshin had driven Misao home from work since her car had died and she hadn't had time to go shopping for a new one yet. Kaoru hadn't been able to pick her up because she'd been flying back from a conference in New York that evening. She'd been filling in for Sano, who was in the middle of his honeymoon with Megumi. Misao had invited Kenshin to stay for dinner in the hopes that Kaoru would get back in time to join them, and as luck would have it, she had.

"Misao-" Kaoru started, but her housemate cut her off by dragging her into the kitchen as Kenshin was drying the last dish. He'd insisted on doing the dishes alone, saying he'd lost fair and square. Kaoru hadn't complained since she'd wanted to ask Misao why he was there in the first place. If Kenshin had a compulsion to clean, then by all means, let him clean.

"Hey," he said, turning to greet them. Kaoru frowned a little. He'd heard them too soon. He either had excellent hearing, or it was that martial arts training she'd heard so much about but never seen.

"Hi, Kenshin," Misao said with a loud yawn, releasing Kaoru's arm. Kaoru couldn't tell if she'd faked it. Misao always had been a good actress. "I'm headed to bed now. You know how long the week was for me, with Aoshi gone."

Kenshin nodded. "I still can't believe they stuck you with the Brenington file."

Misao rolled her eyes. "I know, right. But it was no big deal. I'll see you on Monday, bright and early."

"Good night."

"You too. See you later, Kaoru," Misao said with a wink before making her exit.

"Headed out?" Kaoru asked after a moment of silence, "You probably had a long week at work too."

He shrugged and moved towards the door to get his jacket. "Yeah, I think I'll go home and sleep. Work sucked this week. I'm drained, and Sano's moved out now, so it's not like I was doing much besides eating and sleeping after work all week."

Kaoru smiled. "No wild Friday night plans?"

He shook his head. "No time to make any. I was too hung over from the wedding to think on Monday, and by Tuesday I was drowning in Shinomori's work. He picked a convenient week to visit foreign clients."

"Smart man," she commented as she opened the front door for him.

"He is," Kenshin agreed, walking out and turning to face her. "Thanks for dinner again. I had a great time."

"No problem. Do you mind if I ask you something?" Kaoru glanced back at the stairwell before she decided Misao was probably listening in the shadows at the top of the landing. She was good at that. The girl should've been born a ninja. Yes. A ninja actress. Kaoru stepped outside onto the steps with Kenshin and shut the door behind her.

"You can ask," Kenshin said with a shrug, looking amused at her display of secrecy.

"Is Aoshi Shinomori good for her?"

The porch light wasn't on, so she couldn't read his expression. She was taller now, standing on the top step with him two steps down. It was a change.

"What do you mean 'good for her'?" he asked. "I'm not a relationship counselor."

"But you know Aoshi," Kaoru pointed out. "I don't. I want to know if he cares about her, because I do and no matter how hard I try, I can't read the man."

Kenshin smiled as he watched her frown. "A lot of people have that problem with Shinomori. Don't worry. Misao's the one that has to read him anyway." He turned and walked down the last step. "Later?" he asked as he continued down the walk through her small front yard to his car.

Kaoru huffed as she realized he hadn't told her anything and, for that matter, he wasn't going to tell her anything. In fact, he'd quite nicely told her it was none of her business, which, she realized, it wasn't. "Later," she answered him.