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Trust II

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"Kenshin, I'm sorry," she said. She'd walked him out and they were standing in the middle of the lawn.

"For what? It was all Kamatari," he said, feeling himself again, not as shell-shocked as he'd been earlier that evening. Seeing Kamatari still gave him a shock when he'd prepared himself to see him, and he certainly hadn't expected to ever run into the man in Kaoru's house. He could still remember his family's reaction when Tomoe had announced her engagement to Kamatari. He'd thought his father was going to have a heart attack, and his mother had choked on a piece of bread she'd been chewing. Luckily, Sano had known the Heimlich maneuver.

"I didn't trust you to hear him out," Kaoru admitted. She was clearly ashamed. All of a sudden he felt horrible that he'd caused her this much worry. "He had some crazy idea that you'd pull out your cell phone and call Tomoe the instant you saw him," Kaoru continued, watching his eyes carefully for his reaction. He knew it frustrated her sometimes, that she couldn't read him easily. "Kamatari's emotional and needy right now, especially about Tomoe."

"I know he is. It took me about a year to figure out why she married a guy who cries over black and white movies," he said in an effort to lighten the mood.

"Kenshin, I trust you," Kaoru plowed on, probably determined to ignore the black and white movie detail. "And the next time I want you to listen, I'll just ask. I'm sorry I didn't this time."

"It's alright, Kaoru." Kenshin said, a little amused at Kaoru's need to apologize. It wasn't every day he got attacked by two women bent on tickling him to get what they wanted. He'd definitely tease her about that later. "I'm going to visit Tomoe tomorrow. She hasn't even admitted to me that he's gone. Maybe she'll tell me and we can get them back together. I'll visit here on Friday if I find out anything useful."

Kaoru nodded. That was good. Finally, she'd stopped apologizing.

"And listen, it's me that should apologize to you and Misao. I'm sorry my family is inconveniencing you with our problems."

Kaoru shook her head. "Misao and I are happy to have company. We both love the extra noise. It's no problem, Kenshin. Maybe you'll come over more, now that Kamatari's here?" she asked, glancing away for a moment. He loved the way she said his name. Yep, he was still in love with her. And the way she'd looked at him, he knew she was feeling something.

"I will," he answered. "And you're invited to my place when you need to get away, which you will after a week with Kamatari."

Kaoru smiled up at him and he saw that she did trust him. Completely. He'd wanted her to for so long, and now that she did it almost overwhelmed him. What had he done to deserve that? To deserve her? Her eyes were midnight blue in the evening light. "Thanks," she said. "Now I won't have to go into the woods and scream. That's what I do when I get tired of Misao."

"I heard that!" Misao yelled from an open window. Kenshin watched confusion and then irritation bloom across Kaoru's face at the interruption.

"Misao!" Kaoru yelled, turning around to face the house. "Why are you listening to our conversation?"

"I wasn't until I heard Himura say my name. It's not my fault I have excellent hearing," Misao defended herself.

"No you don't! You're just nosy," Kaoru declared, hands on her hips.

"Stop yelling before you wake the whole neighborhood," Misao admonished, slamming the window shut loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood, who had no business being asleep at eight in late spring anyway, and retreating away from the window.

"She is nosy," Kaoru informed Kenshin, turning around to face him once again.

He laughed and started walking towards his car. "I'll see you the day after tomorrow."