A/N: Ok. After much requesting, and me being finished with various assignments, I actually sat down and wrote the second chapter. We introduce a few more characters in this chapter, as well as let out a few people's frustrations. So don't be surprised when there's enormous amounts of angst. Warnings? Slight warning on language, nothing worse than PG, but there's a high angst and tension warning. Beware of devious behavior on part of Yukishiro Tomoe. She's scary (at least in my fic. So I guess I should say she's a bit OOC).
Legal Stuffiness: I don't own Kenshin. Not even Sano (pouts).
Last time...
"Piggy-chan was talking about going to the beach this weekend, you know, to celebrate." Yahiko smiled broadly as he ducked Kaoru's fist. "Ha! You missed me!" The ensuing ruckus caused the waiter to come over and ask for them to keep quiet. Sano smiled. For once, it had not been him that was causing trouble. Under the circumstances, he was pretty proud of himself that he wasn't the one to cause her to get into such a huff. He usually was.
Ignoring his brother and Kaoru, he glanced stealthily over at Kenshin. As he did at times when he was in deep thought, he was running his fingers along the horizontal part of his scar, and staring at the space between his face and his soda glass. He often ended up getting himself into trouble by doing that. Last week, he'd been walking down the hallway at school in such a distracted state that he'd walked headlong into an opening locker. That had him dazed for a few minutes…
Dodging Enishi
Chapter 2: Devious Honesty
The bruise on his cheek was throbbing. He cursed under his breath. His mother was looking at the note he'd brought home from the administration office, and the other one that said he was expelled from the Kendo Club. There were tears in her eyes. Enishi's eyes were trying to roll, but he knew better. If his father saw that, he'd get worse than he did from Aoshi. Mentally, he made a list of people who were going to get a dose of revenge.
Himura Kenshin was at the very top of his list, followed closely by Sagara Sanosuke. Shinomori Aoshi was third, and then he might have to see about that pipsqueak, Myogin Yahiko. But he would have to be very careful about his revenge. He would watch, he would plan, and then, he would take action.
Then, there was Kamiya Kaoru. He bit his lip, almost to the point that it hurt. She drove him insane. What was wrong with him? Why did she keep rejecting him? At first, he had thought he wasn't being obvious enough. So, he had taken her folder, and used that to get her alone. Enishi couldn't get near her with all of those boys hanging around. Sagara was a complete ruffian, and his half-brother was little better. Himura—that self-righteous little prick—he acted as if Kaoru were his own personal property. There was this…aura around him that said "stay away from her."
Enishi was not one to like it when he was told no. He usually found ways around any such rejection. His ideas where Kaoru were concerned involved more aggressive ways of getting her attention, such as what he'd done in the hallway the day before. Part of him knew it wasn't right to do it, but the other part (much larger by far) had no objections whatsoever, and wished that Himura had not come around the corner before he'd had his chance to kiss her.
Much to his dismay, his reverie was interrupted when his sister, Tomoe, came in from her afternoon shift at the mall. Her voice cut through his thoughts, low and almost depressed. "Mother? Mother, what's wrong?" It took Enishi a long moment of staring at his mother to realize that she was sobbing silently. He scratched behind his head guiltily. This was the last thing he'd thought would happen. On his way home, he thought if anything, she would scream at him, maybe throw the toaster like the last time he'd been in trouble. But no, it was nothing like that. This was a million times worse, because now, he was in for a Tomoe lecture as soon as their parents were in bed.
In fact, his sister's dark eyes darted between him and the letters that were clutched in their mother's hands. When they fell on him, they were full of an anger that was strictly held in check. She never raised her voice at him. Never. But she could deliver a blistering lecture, flaying him alive with her words, without ever losing the calm and nearly depressed tone of voice she always used. Enishi sighed.
"I'll be going to my room now. I know the usual punishments." That he did. Going to bed early, without supper, and not being allowed telephone or television privileges, as well as not being allowed to go anywhere with his friends. Those were the 'usual punishments.' This, however, may end up being a bit more severe. He hadn't been suspended since the sixth grade, when he'd gotten into a fight with a boy who'd insulted his sister.
The weekend…
"Come on, Sano! We're going to be late!" Yahiko banged on his brother's door. How could he sleep so late? Yeah, it was Saturday, but they were going to the beach! The only thing that Yahiko was worried about was who was driving. Then again, there was also the number of people who were going, as well. It wasn't just going to be Kaoru, Sano, Kenshin, and himself like usual. Kaoru's friends were coming too. Tae, Tsubame, and Megumi were coming, as well as Misao. Too many girls for his taste.
Sure, he liked girls just fine, but he didn't want that much estrogen around him all at once. He was just glad that Tsubame and Tae weren't quite so bubbly and giggly as Kaoru and the others.
A few more bangs on the door, and then he just opened it. When he did, he found Sano dressed and ready, but sitting on the edge of his bed. "What is your problem, yaro? Get your butt out of here. Piggy-chan said ten o'clock. We have fifteen minutes to get to her house, and it takes twenty." At that, his half-brother stood, smiled wickedly, and grabbed the keys to his car. For some vague reason, Yahiko was scared. Then, he realized what Sano had been doing. "Onii-chan, you did that on purpose so you could drive fast, didn't you?"
"Oh, now, little one, why would you ever say a thing like that?" He ruffled Yahiko's hair, drawing a growling curse from the younger boy. "Come on, chibi."
Sano walked past him, and Yahiko planted a fist in the middle of his back. Sano looked behind him. "What are you doing? Trying to tickle me?" He rolled his eyes, and then went down the stairs, Yahiko following, and still cursing under his breath until they got downstairs and kissed their mother goodbye.
"You boys be good. No fighting, Sano. Yahiko, be nice to Kaoru, and try not to fight with anyone, either." Their mother instructed them in the proper way to behave around people each time they left the house to go anywhere other than school. Neither of them really listened anymore. They simply waited until she was finished, and said, "Yes, ma'am." She smiled and kissed both of them on the cheek, then opened the door for them.
Kenshin bit the inside of his cheek. He never really had felt comfortable in swimming clothes. His head tilted one way and the other as he looked at himself in the full-length mirror on the back of his closet door. Swimming trunks that were a gift for his last birthday hung low on his hips. No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't seem to get them to ride any higher. For a moment, he thought about not swimming at all. Then, he thought it might be rude. Kenshin was nothing if not polite, so he left them on. They were maroon, which didn't look bad on him, but he was more worried about his scars. His jaw clenched. There were many of them.
Averting his eyes, he grabbed a white t-shirt with the kanji for 'ocean' on the front, and threw it on. After putting his snorkeling gear, sun block, a few snacks, and a beach-towel the size of a small country into his bag, he took up his sunglasses and flip-flops and made his way out of the house, waving to his guardian Hiko-sensei on the way out. The stoic man merely nodded.
On the three-block walk over to Kaoru's house, he wondered for a bit about what Sano had said. He thought of what that feeling was, the one he had when he walked around the corner in the hallway to find her with Enishi. It was something hot and frightening, settled in his stomach, and it was there to stay. The feeling was like a mixture of protectiveness, jealousy, and anger so fierce that he felt like lashing out at Enishi. And that's exactly what he had done. He had abused his position as captain, and taken all of that anger out on Enishi. He had not made a conscious decision to do so, but that didn't really matter. He had to keep control of that portion of himself.
When he arrived at Kaoru's house, he found that Sano and Yahiko, as well as Kaoru's girlfriends, were already there. Another car, one he did not recognize, was in the drive, as well. His knock was answered immediately, and he found himself being yanked into the house. After being pulled so violently inside, he was shoved into the laundry-room. "What the—"
"Shut up, Kenshin." Kaoru's hand was covering his mouth now. "You didn't do it, did you?"
"Do what?" he asked once he had pried her fingers from his lips. They tasted like salt. Her hands were sweaty. Nervousness. Why was she so agitated?
"Tomoe. Yukishiro Tomoe is here. She wanted to talk to me about Enishi. Did you tell her?" In the half-light of the darkened laundry room, Kenshin saw the flush on her face. She was really upset.
"Kaoru-dono, please. I did nothing like that. I don't know how she found out. Maybe Enishi told her. Are you all right? Please, calm down." He sat her down on the stool next to the laundry table. "Now, tell me exactly what's happening." He stood patiently, waiting for her to recover her wits sufficiently.
"Just before Sano and the rest got here, Tomoe drove up, and asked to talk to me about Enishi. She said that he was not himself, and that if there was a problem between us, then I should talk to him about it." She looked as if she were going to explode. "She's acting like I'm dating her brother, Kenshin. How—no, why would she think that? I told that little asshole in no uncertain terms that I would not go out with him. He just doesn't seem to get it. And now, his creepy sister is here, and I can't get rid of her!" Kenshin's eyes widened. Kaoru's hands were tightening on the edge of the table, and there was a creaking sound. The wood was about to start splintering.
He patted her arm. "Don't worry, Kaoru-dono. I'll speak to Tomoe-san. Hopefully, when she is told that we are on our way out, she will see fit to speak to you another time." She smiled weakly and sagged where she sat. Then, he had a Kaoru necklace, as she had jumped onto him and began squeezing him around the neck. He laughed, hugging her back, not really noticing the way his face settled into the crook of her neck just so. After a moment, they separated, and she seemed much more collected. They came out of the laundry-room, and then went into the living room.
"Sano, you guys, can you help me load up the cars?" Kaoru asked, and they all stood. She took Kenshin's bag from him, smiling. When the rest had exited the house and were packing things and people into cars, Kenshin approached Tomoe.
"Tomoe-san, may I speak to you?" The young woman looked away from the window, and her eyes settled onto him. Dark. Her eyes could be described only in that way. It was the kind of darkness that pulled you in and held you under, drowning you. He blinked to straighten his head out. Where were those thoughts coming from? Clearing his throat a little, he said, "I understand your concern for your brother, but you must recognize that Kaoru-dono is not involved with him in any way. He is pursuing her, rather aggressively."
Tomoe's dark eyes narrowed. "Are you involved with her, Himura-san?"
He blinked again. "Ah, no. I am not. However, I have been her best friend since I was four years old. I feel a need to keep her from harm, whether it be physical or emotional." The solemn girl's eyes narrowed further. They were mere slits now, only thin lines of darkness.
"May I be frank with you, Himura-san?"
"Of course."
"I think that you are being possessive of something that is not yours, and that you have no right to be so. You either are involved with the girl, or you aren't. Enishi does wish to be with her. If you do, then that's your business, but if you don't, then you should stay out of things that don't concern you." Her voice was so tranquil, it put Kenshin's usually implacable calm to shame, though the venom was still more than noticeable.
The angry little thing in the pit of his stomach was starting to rear its ugly head. His voice dropped an entire octave, and his eyes narrowed. "Tomoe-san, I do not think we have anything more to say to each other." He walked over to the door, and opened it, looking pointedly at her. "Good day to you." She rose from her seat, and walked to the door. Before she left the house, she stopped just in front of him, and looked at him the way one would a dog they were thinking of buying. He felt himself being weighed and measured.
"I think that our talk is not finished, Kenshin." Her smile was small, polite, and deadly. "We will continue at another time." With that, she went out of the door, and walked to her car. He stood in the door, watching her. She was most definitely Enishi's sister. Everything about her was calm, delicate, and refined, but underneath all that, he sensed a fierceness that could not be denied. In a way, it was like looking at himself. As she pulled her car out of the drive, he let out a breath that he was unaware he'd been holding. She was a formidable woman.
Kaoru came running over. "Kenshin? Are you ok? You're as white as a sheet!"
He nodded. "She's…interesting, Kaoru-dono." He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually felt intimidated. But Yukishiro Tomoe had just achieved exactly that. She was very intimidating. In ways that neither Kenshin, Sano, or even Hiko-sensei could fathom. A slight shiver ran through him. Kaoru's concern only deepened at the odd look on his face. Then, he felt himself being pulled again. This time, it was toward the car. Kaoru shoved him into the passenger seat of Sano's car.
"I'm riding with the girls. You guys are gonna talk about sports and stuff. I get that all the time, so I'm going to talk girl-talk with Tae and Tsubame." Kenshin only nodded. When he had his seatbelt on, they started rolling.
"So, Kenshin, what's got you so spooked? Did Enishi's sister tear you a new one?" Sano's voice carried a joking tone, but he did seem concerned.
Considering his answer briefly, Kenshin said, "I suppose you could say that. She's of the opinion that I should keep my nose out of things that don't concern me." Sano whistled loudly, and Yahiko made an affronted noise.
"Who does that chick think she is, anyhow? Just because she's out of high-school and all…doesn't mean she can boss people around." Yahiko sat in the back of the convertible, munching on a granola bar. He had bits of the crunchy oatmeal on his chin, and if Kenshin had been in a better mood, he would have laughed at him. Instead, he tried to explain.
"I don't think that's it at all, Yahiko. You know how Sano calls some girls 'scary bitches'?" Yahiko nodded, but seemed surprised that Kenshin would use such a word. Profanity was not usually part of his vocabulary. "Well, if I were to call her anything, I think it would be that. She's scary. Calm, calculating, and very scary. And she's not finished 'talking' to me." Kenshin stared straight ahead. He did not relish the prospect of meeting with her again. But, if she was really Enishi's sister, she would find a way to talk to him.
"Is Kenshin ok, Kaoru?" Tae's voice was full of concern.
"I'm not sure. He just talked to Tomoe, and he's not happy. She must have been rude or something. You know how proper he is." Kaoru wasn't so sure, even as she said that. There wasn't much that could really upset him, and he had been very distressed indeed. He seemed almost frightened of her. It reminded her of how she felt around Enishi. Kaoru blinked repeatedly. "No…it can't be." Her voice was so low, she didn't think anyone would hear her.
"What?" Misao and Megumi said at once. Tsubame merely looked askance at her, and Tae kept her eyes on the road.
"I was just thinking, and I know it's completely stupid, but what if Tomoe…" Kaoru couldn't finish. She didn't want to. The way that Tomoe looked at Kenshin on her way out of the door told her that her instincts had been right. She didn't need to complete her sentence.
Megumi's brow furrowed in confusion, but Tsubame blinked, the realization hitting her. "That would be a problem, wouldn't it?" The younger girl frowned. "Kenshin is not interested, is he?" Kaoru seriously doubted it, considering the way his face looked when she passed by him. She said as much, and Tsubame, the overly-intelligent sophomore, said, "You might want to talk to him about this, Kaoru. I know he's your best friend, and that he probably isn't interested, but if he is, then it could be bad." That was something she had already considered as Tsubame was speaking. If Kenshin were interested in Tomoe, then it meant that there was a chance that Enishi would try to hang around.
That, she could not allow. So, she would have to put her foot down. She was suddenly very glad she had packed a couple of shinai, just in case. It had been a while since she'd sparred with Kenshin. He always was leery about it, because he said he might hurt her. One thump on the head in the beginning of a sparring match was enough to convince him otherwise, though. Kaoru knew he never fought her with all of his skill, but that was alright. She was never going to be as good as he was, and besides, it was a completely different style. It would just take a little convincing to get him to fight with her at all today.
It took them an hour to get to the beach, and when they did, they spilled out of the cars, and lugged all of their stuff over to the shoreline. "High tide is right about here." Kenshin said, pointing at a faint line of heavier pebbles. "Set the umbrellas up a little further back." Sano drove the tall, oversized umbrellas into the sand, and put out all of the rest of the stuff, while the girls got out the sun block and other things they would need immediately. Yahiko was just walking among the surf, and Kenshin was watching him.
"Oro?" Kenshin felt his shirt being yanked over his head, and heard a familiar mischievous giggle. He turned to see Kaoru, his shirt thrown over her shoulder, and a bottle of sun block in her hand. She was wearing a dark blue bikini, with a white gauzy wrap around her hips that fluttered in the wind. He blinked. Eyes up, Kenshin, eyes up! There were times when that little voice at the back of his head was useful. He looked at Kaoru's face, then made a grab for his shirt.
"No, Kenshin. You need sunscreen." The bottle was shoved into his hands, and he squeezed a bit of it into his palm. When he started to apply it, she made an annoyed noise in the back of her throat. "Kenshin, when is the last time you put this stuff on? You're really pale. You need a lot. Here." She took the bottle, and took a large amount in her hand. "Lift your hair." He did as he was instructed. She slapped the big glob of the slightly greasy stuff right into the middle of his back. Then, she started to spread it with her fingers, working it in as much as possible.
When she was finished with his back, she did the same to his arms, chest, and face. He did his own legs, and as he did, he sensed her fidgeting. "What is it, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin could always tell when she was needing to talk.
He looked up at her from his seat on the sand, lifting his sunglasses. She was biting her lip. Then, she folded her legs under herself to be at eye-level with him. "Kenshin, when you talked to Tomoe, did she seem…that is, did she act like she was interested in you?" Kenshin's eyes widened comically at the question. He did not know what to say. But then again, he did. She had seemed interested. In what way, he was not sure.
"Yes."
"Damn. You're not, are you?" Kaoru's eyes were unreadable. That was not a good sign.
"No, Kaoru-dono. She's…intimidating. I felt like I was being examined. Like a bug or something." He watched her for a moment, as relief settled across her features.
"What did she say to you? You looked like she attacked you or something." He explained what happened, as they walked along the surf, and she remained silent for a long time. Then, the nice and polite Kaoru was gone. She let out a string of profanity, and then said, "Who does she think she is? If I'm not interested, there's nothing she could do about it, and it isn't as if you have anything to do with it, Kenshin. She had no right to take out her frustrations on you." She wrapped an arm around his waist. "Don't worry, Kenshin. I won't let that little witch get you."
He smiled, and put his arm around her shoulders. "Kaoru-dono does not need to worry about me. I'll be fine. I just need to dodge her, the way you need to dodge her brother." That had both of them laughing, but after a moment, they fell into silence again. His thoughts again turned to what Sano had said. Why had he never tried to see if she cared for him as more than a brother or a best friend? Of course, there was the old excuse about not wanting to ruin their friendship, but he didn't buy that any more than Sano did. So what had been stopping him?
His hand drifted up to his face, fidgeting over his scar. "Kenshin? What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Kaoru stopped walking and turned to him. Her face was full of frustration. "Don't lie to me, Himura Kenshin. You are always thinking something serious when you do that." Her finger pointed at his hand, which was stopped halfway across his scar. He looked away from her. What to tell her? He could tell her the truth, for good or bad, and see where they ended up. But could he? Should he? What was the truth? He needed to sort out his feelings before he said anything about them aloud to anyone, let alone to her.
"Please don't ask me, Kaoru-dono." Her eyes widened at that. He was always so open and honest with her about everything that it came as a real shock when he refused to talk about something.
"All right. But whenever you feel comfortable enough, will you promise to tell me? I don't want us to have secrets, Kenshin. We've known each other too long for that." He nodded, and she smiled. Her smile was soft, but lit up her entire face. As it always did. Things were getting altogether too serious. That needed a remedy. He smiled back, innocently, and then scooped her up and plowed into the surf, tossing her in.
When she came up, she sputtered, "You—you—you! That's it! I'm getting the shinai!"
Kenshin groaned. "You didn't actually bring those, did you, Kaoru-dono?"
She nodded fiercely, trudging out of the surf. "You deserve a good beating for what you just did. Salt water is not good for linen." Kaoru pointed at her wrap, which was, of course, soaked, and clinging to her legs. She reached out and took hold of his ear, and pulled him back toward the umbrellas.
Yahiko poked Sano. Sano poked Megumi, who nudged Tae, who reached behind her and tapped Misao and Tsubame on the shoulders. They all looked over at where Kaoru and Kenshin stood. Sano groaned. This was not what he had thought the two of them would do. He had his hopes up when they were walking together, but now, she looked murderous. Suddenly, the cracking of shinai hitting against one another rang out over the beach, and they watched Kaoru sparring with Kenshin. For a long time, she had the upper hand, obviously being the more angry and worked up of the two.
"I'll bet you half my lunch that Kenshin takes her down in the next thirty seconds." Yahiko said, pointing at the pair.
"What makes you so sure of that? She's got a lot of rage." Sano was a fighter, of course, and he knew when people were going to win on sheer determination. If the current situation was any indication, it might work out for her.
No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than Kenshin pushed her backward and then side-stepped her when she pushed back. He then (gently, Sano noted) used his knee to make her knees buckle from behind.
Kaoru looked up at Kenshin from her position on the sand. He was panting, as was she. Unlike her, however, he was wearing a smile. He never frowned the entire time. "Kaoru-dono, please. I don't want to fight you. I thought we were friends."
"Friends? You call what you did to me friendly? You threw me into the water! Without warning!" She pushed herself up onto her elbows. He knelt down, leaning the shinai against his shoulder. Why was he smiling like that?
"What's really bothering you, Kaoru-dono?" She was taken aback by that question. There were so very many things that bothered her at the moment. It bothered her that she was soaked. It bothered her that she was on her backside on the sand. It bothered her that he was smiling at her like that. It was such a bother. Such a bother that she had a best friend that she'd known her entire life who was the kindest, sweetest person in the world, who was likely to make her so crazy she wanted to kill him. But what was really, really bothering her? It was the whole Tomoe situation. Why it bothered her when he said he wasn't interested, and she wouldn't have to worry about he girl being included in their group, and not have to worry about Enishi hanging around because of it…she didn't know.
"What's bothering you? If you tell me that, then I'll tell you." She shot back, after that rapid-fire thought process that led absolutely nowhere. That wiped the smile off of his face. Ha! Got you there, Kenshin! Then, his expression changed. He gripped the shinai as if for support. What happened just now? What had she done wrong? He wasn't looking at her. She had said something wrong. Kaoru knew it. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Kenshin. I shouldn't have asked." He looked up at her. His eyes were different. Somehow, they seemed very unsure, very not like Kenshin. She started to get up. "Come on, let's go back." When she was nearly standing, his hand shot out, catching her wrist.
"Wait. Please." She blinked as she looked down at him. "Kaoru-dono, please, wait."
She planted her shinai in the sand, and sat down next to it. Looking at his face, he seemed to be collecting his thoughts, so she simply waited. For some reason, she was scared of what he was going to say. For a long time, something like five minutes, he was silent, and she just watched him sitting there, staring at the ocean, struggling with himself. "Kaoru," he said finally, "I'm not sure how to say it." She started. He had never, in all the fourteen years they'd known each other, called her only by her name. This must be serious.
"It's alright, Kenshin. You don't have to tell me if you aren't ready to." She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it in a supportive gesture. His hand tightened around hers, as if he didn't want to let go. He swallowed audibly. What did he have to say that it was this important? He was nervous. So nervous that he couldn't look at her. So nervous that he was clinging to her hand like a lifeline.
"No, I have to say this. I have to tell you." Finally, he looked up at her face. Her eyes widened at what she saw in his eyes. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. "I walked around the corner the other day, and I saw you and Enishi. My first instinct was to protect you. But right along with that instinct, there was this feeling. It's hard to explain. It was a combination of things, really. I was angry with him for making you so upset, even though I didn't really know what had upset you. When you told me about what happened, I only got angrier. But there were other things there, as well. I was jealous, I guess." She was breathing now, in short, silent gasps. What was he saying? His expression changed again, his anger beginning to be visible. "Kaoru, I didn't want him touching you. I didn't want him anywhere near you. Do you understand?" Kaoru blinked. She could not speak.
"I didn't want him anywhere near you, because I care for you, probably more than I should." Kenshin suddenly looked away from her, his face coloring. She bit her lip. Was he trying to tell her that he loved her? She stopped breathing again. Her head swam. What should she say? Certainly, she had something like those feelings when she thought he might be interested in Tomoe, but, she couldn't say that. She just couldn't. This was Kenshin! She couldn't date Kenshin! He was like her brother. Wasn't he?
When had the two of them being best friends turned into something more? It was there. She saw it now. Mentally, she cursed herself. She couldn't bring herself to say anything to Kenshin. Not about this. "Kenshin…I don't know what to say." He looked at her again, and there was a look of fiercely determined affection there.
"Now who's lying, Kaoru?" His voice was low, and heated. He began to breathe faster, and his posture started to tense. "I've known you since you were three. You can't hide from me any more than I can hide from you." He stood, and before he walked away from her, he said, "I think you need to be honest with yourself, then be honest with me." With that, he took up his shinai, and then plucked hers up from the sand, walking back over to everyone else.
Sano made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat as he drove. Whatever had been said between Kaoru and Kenshin had obviously affected both of them greatly, but neither one would say anything about it. They were both clearly upset, but they put on a valiant front, and pretended to have fun for the rest of the day. Rather than everyone meeting up at Kaoru's house as planned, so that they could bum dinner off of her mom, Kenshin insisted that Sano drop him off directly at his house. After he had, Yahiko slid into the front seat.
They drove away from Kenshin's house, and the younger of the two said, "Man, something's up. I have never seen them like this." Sano simply nodded. "How long do you think we're going to have to run interference?"
"As long as it takes. Feel up to a little instigation?" Sano's smile spread, rather wolfishly.
Yahiko's eyes narrowed. "I don't know if I like the sound of that. Piggy-chan is pretty scary when she's mad." Sano laughed. They wouldn't be doing anything too drastic. Unless he decided to go with 'Plan B,' which involved locking the two of them in a closet, and telling them they wouldn't be let out until they settled their differences. "You aren't thinking anything like what I think you're thinking, are you?" Again, his smile widened. Yahiko's eyes bulged. "Onii-chan, you know they'll hate us if we interfere."
"They can't stay mad at us. We're too cute for that." Sano poked Yahiko in the middle of his forehead. Had he not been driving, the boy would have punched him. He just sat there, muttering darkly until they got home. What were they going to do with those two? "Tonight, after dinner, we need to come up with a plan. Call your little girlfriend. She's smart."
"Girlfriend!" There were times when Sano didn't really need television. Yahiko's expression as he made that incredulous exclamation was entertainment enough. He laughed as they pulled into their driveway. This was going to be interesting, and probably pretty entertaining.
A/N: So, what do you think? How are they doing? I think maybe the pace is a little fast, but the chapters are pretty long. And now we have so much more to throw into the mix: Tomoe, issues with honesty, and whatever 'Plan A' is going to be. Who do you suppose Sano meant when he said Yahiko should invite his 'little girlfriend'? Mwahahaaha! Um, anyway. Hope you liked this chapter.