Disclaimers: Rurouni Kenshin, and all his other creations belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama

Just to answer a question… no Kenshin, and Kaoru do NOT know each other from high school. They have just seen each other around, and that's why they sort of seem familiar looking to each other. Sorry for the confusion : )

08/24/06 Edited re-post

CHAPTER 3

"Yes my classes are all going good! I promise!" Kaoru laughed into the phone, as she paced around her apartment. "I'm doing very well here, thanks. Oh… oh that, no I don't go walking around after dark by myself. Please don't worry too much, I'm a big girl I can handle myself! I am after all… hahaha yes, Kamiya Kasshin Ryu that's right! But yes I know, I've seen it all on the news. I will be careful. Yes, I promise, Kumi-san. Yeah. Ok then, you take care of yourself, and thank you for calling! Bye!"

Kaoru sighed as she flung herself down onto the couch. Kumi is so great, but she should really stop worrying about me so much. I'm a big girl! I've accomplished a bit of uni, I can cook for myself, I can also defend myself… Kaoru ran her fingers through her hair, and turned on the television.

A Japanese reporter was speaking so fast that Kaoru had to wonder how anyone could keep up with her. She hit the power button on the remote. It was enough, she had understood. Another murder had happened. Some psychotic mass-murderer was running around Tokyo, and executing people using the good old fashioned Japanese katana. Kumi was just worried about her safety. She kept telling her not to be out late at night.

'Just in case Kaoru-chan, I want you to be carefullll…' her words replayed in Kaoru's mind.

But why the hell would I be walking the streets at one in the morning? I've got better things to do with my life. Or maybe not, she added after surveying her surroundings. She then realized just how sad she really was. Today, I cleaned the apartment again even though it was already clean. She wished she could have been able to say something like, "Oh today me and my friends hit the mall, bought a whole bunch of new outfits, went out for lunch to have some western burgers and to end it all, we headed back to my place to watch a movie! It was sooo fun!" Yeah. Right.

The one thing that she was very thankful for was her friendship with Himura Kenshin. He was her only friend but she found that he was much more than just a simple title like that. They'd spent a lot of time together during their breaks, cruising to the local café, having lunch together. Only once did she feel hopeless and that was upon seeing those dreadful guys that used to torment her back in high school. How those bird brains got accepted for the semester, she had no idea.

A familiar sense of fear crept through her but they just merely glanced, and nodded to Kenshin. Shocked out of her wits, she calmly followed along by his side and did not dare to ask how he knew them. He just seemed to know everybody, and they all looked back at him with a kind of respect in their eyes. It didn't bother her much, she didn't ever question herself why. Or think to wonder that it was a little strange.

Almost a couple of months had flown by since university had started for everyone, and Kaoru found herself liking Kenshin more, and more with each passing day. The attraction was undeniable on her part. For her, it was almost like a rush, the sensation of liking someone, having a crush on them. And he was such a sweet guy but the only problem was that she was beginning to think that he saw her as a little sister only. His own carefully shadowed thoughts were clearly a mystery to her.

Just then the telephone rang, breaking the silence and Kaoru's meaningless thoughts. Oh, let it be Kenshin. I'm just so bored!

"Hello?"

"Hey Kaoru-dono. How are you?"

Kaoru blushed a little at the voice of her favorite person.

"I'm good Kenshin. What's up?"

"I know it's kind of late but I was wondering if you had begun the sheet sets for Chem. You seemed pretty pre-occupied with your English assignments."

Kaoru's hand was brought up to smack into her forehead.

"Oh my god! I forgot all about that! Shit, I didn't even start it yet Ohmygod I am so screwed!" she wailed into the phone.

"Well then, you should be quite happy to know that I'm just outside your door with my completed ones, ne?"

"Uhh…" she said stupidly into the phone, looking straight at her apartment door. "Choto… you're here?"

Two soundly knocks echoed into her living room.

"Oh gosh, ok, I'll be there in just a sec!"

She hung up the phone without saying goodbye and ran towards the mirror by the door. Oh no! My hair is a complete mess! It's falling all over the place, and I forgot my eyeliner and— RELAX!" She took a deep breath, rolling the air up and inside her body before slowly exhaling. Kaoru, Kenshin doesn't care for those kinds of things. Just relax, shut up, and open the door. It'll look even stupider if you take any longer.

With a big smile, she opened the door and greeted him.

He stepped inside and took his usual seat at the table where they often studied together.

"Wait," Kenshin warned Kaoru as she posed to spring at the papers in his hand. She stopped and looked up into his violet eyes.

"What?" She asked. The intensity of his gaze was so strong that she felt shy like a child. In turn her cheeks went pink.

"Um do you want something to drink, or eat?" She asked sporadically and used it as an excuse to head straight for the kitchen, leaving his strong, masculine presence behind.

"Tea would be nice," came his reply.

"Ok."

At once Kaoru busied herself at the stove.

A funny feeling crept through her shoulder blades, as if he was nearby but she had only just left him by the table. When she turned to call to him again, Kenshin was standing there, directly behind her, their faces dangerously close.

"It's ahh… al..most finished," she practically squeaked, using hand gestures that didn't even make sense to herself.

He smiled involuntarily at her flustered ness. It was just too cute.

"Ok, listen," he told her and brought a warm hand up to casually rest upon her slim shoulder. I don't really think I can, Kaoru nervously thought to herself.

"What I wanted to say before was that I'm not going to let you copy my papers. I want you to learn it all so I'm going to teach you it, question by question."

"But Kenshin, that's going to take forever!" she whined.

"No," he said firmly, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that there was no budging of his opinion. "You won't learn that way. Besides I have a free block in the morning so I can sleep in," he grinned at her then. Kaoru proceeded to shove him out of the kitchen.

Such a beautiful thing it was to be able to read someone's eyes and understand what they were saying even before they actually moved it to verbal sounds.

Half an hour passed, since the two began working on the sheets.

"Mou, I don't get this Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed furiously at the problem sitting there, taunting her, on the paper.

"Relax Kaoru. Let's go through this one more time, and just try to focus a little more ok?"

She let out an exaggerated sigh.

"So, just follow the formula… pass me that other pencil. Start from here, and work your way around it. Ok now remember the rule for that? Good. Keep going…"

"Is that right? Is the answer right?" She cut him off excitedly.

"Yeah that's right! No wait… mine says… mine's wrong," Kenshin realized. He then ruffled Kaoru's hair with his hand and that received a shriek.

"Hey!" She yelped, even though no damage had been inflicted. Her silky black mane just slid back in position no matter how hard he tried to mess it up. Kaoru began to fight back by tickling him feverishly.

"Alrighttt! I'm sor-rryyy!" Kenshin tried to say but it came out sounding completely raspy.

They were fighting each other off when Kenshin's chair rocked too far back, and Kaoru tried to keep him from by grabbing onto his shirt. Her attempt failed, and she felt herself slide off her own chair. Kenshin, with reflexes as fast as a cat, rolled in mid-air, and landed on his back, holding Kaoru tightly against his chest.

"Oopsy?" Kaoru said after several seconds. Kenshin laughed, like everything was, and Kaoru got up, leaning over him.

"I'm sorry about that Kenshin," she apologized. "Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No no, I'm fine Kaoru-dono."

She could only stare, mesmerized by his deep violet eyes.

So close to him, and his eyes… they… they're so rich and deep. I feel as if I could just stare forever and get lost inside their calm wistfulness.

"You have such blue eyes Kaoru-dono," Kenshin gently stroked her face.

The look that he was giving her now was startlingly pleasurable. It was as if for the first time he was looking at her, really looking, admiring the fact that she was a female and a young woman. Not some little girl that needed a hand to hold, but an actual woman that needed love and affection.

"Lovely blue eyes," he whispered. His own had fallen down to look at her parted lips. Kaoru felt uncomfortably hot, and she knew she was blushing. Kenshin sat up slowly, and was now closer than ever to her face.

"May I?" He politely asked, and leaned in close but it was Kaoru who briskly closed the remaining gap between the two.

Kenshin picked Kaoru up effortlessly, and placed her on his lap. Resting his hands on her lower back, he caressed her, causing her to shiver lightly. Her own arms were now around his shoulders, fingering the softness of his ponytail. Like a kitten's fur…

Kenshin changed the pressure of his lips against hers, and he delicately began to suck on her one. His body urged him to continue but the shock of what he was doing hit him full force. He pulled away instantly, and dropped his hands. The pretty little face before his was strained and mixed with confusion.

"Kaoru-dono, I'm sorry," Kenshin turned his head down. He couldn't believe what he had just done. How could he do that to...?

"It's alright." Kaoru's voice was very quiet.

"No it isn't. Listen, Kaoru, I'm…"

"No Kenshin, you listen to me!" She burst out. "It's alright. You're obviously uncomfortable about what happened just now so let's leave it at that." Anger was always a good method of defense for her. If you were angry, everything would be ok and everyone would just shut up. No one would find out how you truly felt.

Kaoru got up quickly, and moved away.

"Kaoru, you aren't even listen—…"

"It's FINE!" she shouted back, her dark blue eyes glaring menacingly, but he was no fool. The hurt there was plainly visible as the moon that sat content in the sky. Kenshin looked away suddenly, and sat up.

"It's getting late. I should go," was all that he said as he gathered his papers, and walked towards the door.

"Thanks for the help," Kaoru said quietly, not exactly looking at him either. Kenshin simply nodded.

"I'm sorry," he told her again, and then he left.

Thank you to: kirie-kun, kenshinlover2002, erica6060, Reignashii, and Fanfiction Wanderer for the reviews : )