Disclaimers: Kenshin is not mine. Oh, how I wish he was mine…. he belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama.

Immortal-Blood: Yes it was him she had sort of liked. Kaoru thought he was a good looking guy.

Also I try to update whenever I can, so it will basically be sporadically.

08/24/05 Edited re-post

CHAPTER 6

"Tomoe-dono, my love," Kenshin pressed his lips to her hand. "Listen to me."

"Hai?" She said in a soft voice, and gazed into her lover's endless violet eyes.

"Try to be nice towards Kaoru-dono. She's been through a lot, probably more than we know."

Tomoe's bodily reaction was to stiffen noticeable. Kenshin began to rub his hand up, and down her bare back. She was easily pacified by his touch.

"I am nice sweetie, am I not? Today was just… not a good day for me I suppose. I had a rough plane ride, and then when I came to find you, you were with some pretty girl I had never seen before, who proved to be quite obnoxious because she slapped my bro…"

"Shhhh…" he placed his finger carefully at her lips. "Promise me?"

"Hai…" her light feminine voice trailed off as Kenshin lightly rolled them over so that he was on top of her again. She snuggled herself comfortably against his bare chest, loving the feel of his skin against hers.

"Now let me show you how much I missed you."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Kaoru skipped the next few days of school like a badass rebel. To hell with it all, she thought, I need time for myself, and I don't want to face anyone like this. Surprisingly, Kenshin had made an effort on his part; he had called her a couple times but of course Kaoru refrained from answering and telling him off.

You could use a drink, Kaoru's lazy, devious mind told her. Now there's an idea that I find no problem obeying. There were still a few 'casual' drinks left in her fridge, mainly beer, so humming to herself lightly, she grabbed up all of them and kicked the fridge door behind her.

As the alcohol went down smoothly, bottle after bottle, the comedy program on the television got funnier by the second. Even the stupidest, cheesy commercials were making her giggle like a school girl on a sugar binge. Chips or peanuts, coming right up! She danced her way to the kitchen, sashaying her shapely slim hips to the beat of her own music strumming in her head.

With her head in the cupboard, she faintly heard the doorbell ring, which she automatically assumed to be the t.v. back in the living room. Guests coming over uninvited rarely ever happened. Neither did invited guests. About after the third or so ring, she pulled her head back and listened up closely again.

Ding!

"Oh crap," she muttered before slapping the cabinet shut and tracing her steps back to the living room. "The bottles!" she pointed out to herself and snatched them up to hide them under the sink.

Through the glass peephole, she saw the two people that she had been trying to avoid so carefully for the past few days.

"Great, just fucking great."

Kenshin, and Tomoe were standing outside her door, and by the looks of it, neither one of them were about to say, 'Oh maybe she's not here! That's too bad, let's go!'

You could ignore them but then… they'd find you at school anyhow when you decided to head back. Time to face the music then, ne? She chuckled drunkenly to herself.

Still taking her sweet ass time, Kaoru fixed her hair somewhat before opening the door and welcoming her two unexpected guests.

"Hey, Kaoru-chan," Tomoe said.

"And what a lovely surprise it is!" She grinned and stepped back, allowing them inside.

"You don't mind of we come in, do you?" Kenshin asked her before taking off his shoes. Suspicion was in his eyes when she looked up and met his sharp gaze. She only shrugged and looked away, following Tomoe back into the living room, only to leave Kenshin behind to close the door.

They chose to sit side by side on her loveseat. How sweet, Kaoru noticed.

"Oh Kaoru-chan," Tomoe started off dramatically, "I wanted to apologize to you. I feel very bad about how I acted a couple days ago. And then you haven't been at school for awhile, it just worried Kenshin and myself quite a bit."

But Kaoru had stopped paying attention after the third or fourth word from her mouth. She was watching the comedy show again, and smiling to herself deeply. Hmmm, I'm sure you were. I'm also very sure that you're thinking you deserve an academy award but you aren't fooling anyone, especially me.

"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin's voice grabbed her attention, "Are you alright?"

"I'm great," she told him without bothering to look.

"Tomoe was saying something important…"

Kaoru turned herself around again, and looked straight at the other girl who was staring with appall. The alcohol was flowing through her system, and she was feeling good. She didn't care if she was acting uncharacteristically cocky, because that was just exactly how she felt.

"Oh sorry Tomoe, what were uh, saying? That was important?"

Tomoe looked over at her boyfriend scathingly. He understood how insulted she felt. Kaoru had to keep herself from laughing when the two silently exchanged words.

"Kaoru," the older girl began again and Kaoru figured out who must have won that silent fight.

"Chan," Tomoe continued in that highly authoritative tone of voice. Blinking blankly in order to keep her face straight, Kaoru felt like slapping her senselessly.

Kaoru-chan. Chan. As if she was a little girl.

"I said I was sorry about how I acted around you a couple days ago."

"Yeah it's fine. I don't really care," she replied coolly. The liquid courage she had flowing in her veins made her feel unstoppable. This time she turned to meet the defiant gaze and she held it firmly. "I'm not bothered by it anymore. I realize that insensitivity is just one of your issues."

Instantly Tomoe's face tightened and her lips puckered together like a duck readying to kiss. Oh, I'm sorry, did I just hit a nerve? Kaoru wished that she could have laughed out loud at that obscene face. Her woozy mind exaggerated what she saw and she managed to barely hide an amused smile from gracing her expression.

"And also, about my brother," Tomoe was saying very tightly. Every word was emphasized slowly and Kaoru was aware of her tight fists that were clenched angrily onto her skirt. "I wanted to apologize for him as well. He was just trying to comfort you…"

Emotions got the best of her then, and Kaoru laughed out loud at this, "but I guess you took it offensively," Tomoe finished off more slowly, icily, than how she had started.

"I'm over it and you should be too. You can bring up my dead parents whenever you want, whenever you feel the need to make a low blow."

This time Tomoe looked at Kenshin firmly for back up. I did the best I could, now it's your turn to deal with her, her expression plainly said.

Her boyfriend, who had been sitting silently and assessing the situation as it went down, finally did open his mouth to add his own words of wisdom.

"Kaoru-dono, I know you said you were ok and all, but are you really? Is there anything bothering you?"

He stared directly into her eyes, and she felt as if he could see much more than just a reflection. Like he could feel her soul, and all that lay hidden behind there. It was awfully unnerving. She didn't like the feel of it so she slid her eyes away. Why would that idiot ask me something like this in front of his girlfriend? I wonder how she'd react if I said, 'Yes, well Kenshin, why DID you kiss me when your girlfriend here was on vacation? Of course I'm not going to say anything! Baka!

"Thank you for coming to apologize Tomoe-SAN," she pronounced carefully, ignoring Kenshin completely as if he weren't even sitting there looking her over through widened lavender eyes. "But I'm really tired right now. If you must know, I haven't been feeling well and that's why I didn't come to school. You and your brother had nothing to do with it, so you can just smile and be on your way now. Kenshin," she finally turned and spoke to him now. "Thank you for coming here and trying to make your girlfriend apologize, but there's no need for it. And if you'll excuse me," she paused to stand up and gestured towards the door, "I have a nap to attend to." Liquid courage. Remind me to wonder why I'm not drunk everyday.

Her guests followed suit and stood up, walking stiffly towards the entrance.

She may think she's fooled us, but she hardly fooled me. Kenshin knew, from the moment she had opened the door, that she was intoxicated. The times when Tomoe had tried to lie about her own drunkenness made him even more sensitive to it. And then, back in his days…

"Kaoru-chan, it's the middle of the afternoon. Are you sure you're alright?" The older girl bent down to slip her shoe on but still managed to keep eye contact. Oh please. Just shut up and get out, for god's sake, Kaoru whined and internally shook her head.

"I'm perfectly fine. Perhaps it was this discussion that led to my ultimate boredom which then made me sleepy." And with that, Kaoru opened the door without uttering another single word and stood with her arms crossed, waiting for them to depart and leave her in peace.

Tomoe stood up, and managed to surprise the other girl by hugging her tightly.

What the fuck, Kaoru thought. She managed to remain as stiff as possible while the other girl embraced her like a long lost sister. Oh my god, don't make me puke with that thought.

"If you need anything give us a call, ok hun?"

What the hell is up with this girl? Or should I say, what the hell is this girl up to!

Tomoe's long black hair pushed itself into Kaoru's face. An unexpected smell drifted through her nose which oddly reminded of her something. Deep, like Musk. Like Kenshin's cologne. That led to a burning sensation firing up inside her stomach. With some kind of reluctance, Tomoe let go and walked out of the door.

Kenshin, who had been watching Kaoru like a falcon, now stood warily across from her. He wanted to understand, to know what pain she was going through, and if she was drunk in the middle of the day she obviously had some major problems. She had already made it clear several times that she wasn't going to open up to him. Simple put into bare factual terms, he loved Tomoe, but he cared for Kaoru. She was like a child to him. She needed someone's love, and support to help her get back on her feet. He wanted to be the one to comfort her in her time of need but he was in love with someone else. They had been together for a few years now but he was also Kaoru's first friend at university. A moment between them, a moment of physical attraction shouldn't have shattered it. But a part of him didn't want to get involved too much with her either. Are you an idiot? The woman you want and love is standing there right in the hall. Even as he contemplated that, he still didn't feel one hundred percent sure of himself. And that troubled him a lot.

Eager to escort him out, Kaoru turned back to him but her face held no visible emotions. Strangely, it reminded Kenshin of a simplistic mask. I don't need to probe too hard to know what you're thinking, he voiced internally. Of course she was still angry, and upset. She has reasons to be.

Throughout the whole charade that unwrapped itself in her apartment, Kaoru was pained mostly by seeing them together so normally. Like a couple. All she was picturing was him with her, being sweet, close, intimate. And it's starting to piss me off.

"If you need anything Kaoru-dono, call me."

"Sure," she replied but didn't sound exactly what you'd call reassuring. As much as he didn't want to leave her, drunk in the middle of the afternoon, his girlfriend was waiting for him just beyond the door. That's right, you're girlfriend, he reminded himself.

And good riddance, Kaoru slammed the door to express her thoughts. She didn't need to watch them walk down the hall, hand in hand Instead, she retreated back into the living room and threw herself onto the couch, succumbing to the much needed rest that awaited her.

Thanks to: Pixel-the-evil-fairy, erica6060, Reignashii, and Immortal-Blood for the reviews 3