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"Kamat-" Kaoru started before she was cut off by a suffocating hug.
"Who? What the-" Misao asked at the same time from behind her.
"Oh, Kaoru! It's horrible!" Kamatari exclaimed, releasing her to pick up two suitcases and bring them inside the door. "Tomoe and I had a huge fight. I need a place to stay for a month or until we work things out. Please please, can I stay with you? She'd never look for me here."
"Of course," Misao said graciously, jumping into the conversation. "I didn't know you two were having marital problems."
Misao probably hadn't known Kenshin's sister was married.
Misao tugged on Kaoru's sleeve. "Introduce us."
"Oh! Misao, this is Kamatari Honjo, Kenshin's brother-in-law. Remember I told you I met him at Sano's wedding? And Kamatari, this is Misao Makimachi, my best friend, and also my housemate."
"Pleased to meet you," Kamatari said. "Thanks so much for letting me stay. It'll only be for a month tops, I promise. I'll pay you a thousand dollars rent. I'm good for it. I can still go to work. I brought my car. I parked it in the driveway if you don't mind."
"It's fine, it's fine," Kaoru assured him. "Are you going to tell Kenshin about this? He comes over sometimes."
Kamatari's eyes widened dramatically. "I can't tell Kenshin! He'll tell Tomoe! And you can't tell Sano either. Even if he doesn't tell his sister, he'll tell Megumi, and she'll tell Tomoe. She'd do it out of spite. We don't exactly get along."
"Of course we won't tell," Misao assured him. "You can stay in the guest room. We don't have guests often, especially paying ones. I can't believe your wife threw you out, you poor man!"
"We have to tell Kenshin," Kaoru broke in.
"What?" Misao and Kamatari asked in unison. "Why?"
Kaoru sighed. "I can't keep things from him. He'll know I have a secret." She wondered if maybe Tomoe was right about her after all. The woman was paranoid and Kaoru could think of no reason why she could be a burden for Kenshin merely because she was honest, but the woman was right. Kaoru had never been able to hide her emotions very well.
"We'll blackmail him into promising not to tell her," Kamatari said. "He's very ticklish."
"Tickle torture!" Misao exclaimed. "Kaoru, you and I'll jump him as soon as he gets in the door. He trusts us. He'll never suspect."
"He probably won't come around for a while since it's the end of the business semester at your work, right Misao?" Kaoru rationalized, a little leery of blackmailing anyone, and she certainly wasn't going to give Kenshin tickle-torture. She hadn't used tickle torture since college, and certainly not for any serious blackmail. Misao and Kamatari were a little scary in their enthusiasm.
The other woman nodded. "That's right! There'll be a lot more work than usual, and when Tomoe tells him you're gone, Kamatari, he'll have to visit her and that's a long drive to make after work, so he won't have time enough in the day to drop and visit Kaoru."
"He doesn't come to visit just me," Kaoru protested, all too aware that she was in the presence of one of Kenshin's relatives.
"Oh please," Misao scoffed, "he sees me at work every day and there's nothing between us at all. Since there's no one else living in this house, it's got to be you, Kaoru."
"I completely agree." Kamatari nodded. "I'm just surprised he's being so subtle about his feelings for you. Of course, his other girlfriends were witches," he added matter-of-factly. "Maybe it just seemed like he was starting those relationships fast because I didn't want him too." He trailed off thoughtfully. "Oh, except for your sister, of course."
It was going to be a thorn in her side the rest of her life, the fact that Kenshin had gone out with her sister first. Kaoru could see that now. And did Kamatari have to bring up the past girlfriends issue?
"Never mind that," Kaoru said hurriedly. "If you're sure you need to stay with us, why don't you set your luggage down and we'll show you where your room is."
"You're right," Kamatari agreed, "Ladies, I'm so glad you're letting me stay! I don't know what I would do without you!"
"We couldn't let you sleep out on the street!" Misao exclaimed. "Here, I'll help you get your stuff upstairs and we can talk. I bet you need to talk about it, don't you?"
Kamatari nodded miserably. "I've got two more bags in the car. It's unlocked, so I'll just go and get them-"
"Nonsense," Misao interrupted, "You need to rest after the stressful day you've had. Kaoru will get them. And then she'll get the ice cream."
"Chocolate, please," Kamatari requested miserably as Misao lifted his suitcases.
"Of course, of course," Misao soothed. "Just follow me. How long was your drive?"
Her voice drifted from Kaoru's hearing as she walked up the stairs and Kaoru went outside to get the rest of Kamatari's luggage. The man seemed honestly distressed at his argument with his wife, more upset than the average man even. But all the same she wondered what had made him come here when the world was so huge and so vast. He must have other friends, someone else he could count on if he needed a place to stay.
Then again, maybe he didn't.