A/N: Ack! It's been months since I updated this story. For a while, I actually had writer's block. But, this came to me the other day. I hope you like it. Of course, I wanted to apologize for the long wait. But, I hope to have a lot more for you all this summer (hurray for the summer!). Now, I wanted to introduce to you my new idea: Tomoe really is an evil woman. You'll see what I mean. I have great plans for her devious nature. Ahem. Enough with the teasing. On to the chapter. Here, we have the aftermath of that lovely hallway incident between Kaoru and Enishi, Kaoru's girltalk with Yahiko, Yahiko's morals, Aoshi actually showing his hormones (oh, no! I know it's OOC, just a bit, but he does manage to keep it in his own head, so he's still got the restraint of a god), and finally, Enishi trying to talk his sister out of whatever evil plot I have chosen not to fully reveal as of yet.

Legal Stuffiness: I do not own Ruruouni Kenshin, or any of the characters therein. Noboshiro Watsuke, sole proprietor.

Last time...

She eyed him suspiciously. "Just stay away from me, Enishi. I can't be around you if this is going to keep happening." His expression was crestfallen for a moment, and then he nodded.

"If that's what you want, I will. But if you change your mind—"

"I won't." Her voice was firm, and her face was set in an expression of grim determination. "And tell your sister to stay away from Kenshin." With that, she walked back down the hall, and through the double doors, leaving Enishi in the hallway, along with those damnable hormones that he seemed to carry with him. She absolutely hated being at someone's mercy like that. It was a good thing that she was able to snap out of it finally and physically abuse him for a bit to make herself feel better and get him to quit messing with her head.

When she got back to the lobby, where Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko were waiting for her, she was much less flustered. Kenshin said, "Are you okay, Kaoru-dono? I saw Enishi go to the restroom after you left. He didn't bother you, did he?" Kaoru simply shook her head. Kenshin didn't need to know about what happened in the hallway, at least not unless it became a problem. If Enishi bothered her again, then she would tell him.

Dodging Enishi

Chapter 6: Complicated

Kaoru dropped the large case on the floor in her room. Kenshin had gone home, and said that they would meet up with Sano and the others for dinner. She'd been distracted all afternoon, unless they had been performing. There were only two things that took her mind off of any problems she had. One was music, and the other was her Kendo. The moment they had gotten onto the stage, she didn't look at Kenshin, and she didn't even notice that Enishi was on the stage, until it came time for his solo. The world simply seemed to melt away from her when she was engulfed in the sounds and rhythm, and it was what she lived for.

The same could be said for when she practiced her family's Kendo style. Of course, she needed a sparring partner, and Kenshin was a miserable excuse for one unless he was angry. He never took her seriously, and he never sparred to his full ability against her. It angered her to no end, and it didn't allow her to simply relax into her forms. She looked nervously around her room, then began to pace. Kaoru hated the fact that Enishi kept doing this to her. She loved Kenshin with everything she had, but she just had this feeling that something horrible was going to happen very soon where the Yukishiro siblings were concerned.

That was why, when she had enough of being cooped up in her room, with at least three hours until they were set to meet for dinner at Mario's, she pulled off her uniform and carefully dressed in her hakama and a tank top, throwing her gi top in a bag and grabbing her shinai and sandals on the way out of the door, intent on walking over to the dojo a block and a half away. Even if she couldn't spar with anyone, she could practice her forms, and use the dummies and punching bags to practice her Aikido.

She unlocked the door and took off her sandals, leaving them near the open door. When she flipped on the lights, she thought the place looked lonely. Only a month left, then she could start teaching again. Her father only let her teach during the summers. There were pictures of her father and grandfather at the front of the room, and she knelt in the middle of the floor, bowing slightly to each. From her kneeling position, she performed a set of stretches, loosening her muscles for the coming exercise. Kaoru let herself go, relaxing her mind, finally letting go of her restlessness. By the time she stood upright and still, she had only one thing on her mind: Kendo. That was all right with her. It was escapism, most likely, but it didn't matter just then.

Taking up the shinai she had left by the door, Kaoru went through the basic forms of her family's style, one after another, forward and then back, offensive then defensive and then did everything in reverse. She then did her stretches again, then started another set of forms, those that she had slightly altered to fit her own movements. Suddenly, she felt another presence in the room. Turning, the first thing she saw was a pair of icy blue eyes. Oh, this is the last thing I need right now. She sighed heavily and gripped her shinai, but let the point drop to the floor.

"Hello, Aoshi-san."

"Hello." He removed his sneakers, and bowed respectfully before stepping onto the mat. "I wonder if I may speak with you."

"Fine, but keep your distance. I'm having something of a bad day." He seemed a little confused at that, but she didn't really feel like explaining. "What do you need to talk to me about?" She settled down on the floor, shinai on her left side.

He sat down opposite her, five feet away. "I wanted to apologize for the other day. What I did was inappropriate. If I caused you any trouble, or confusion, can you forgive me?" Kaoru blinked. Aoshi was the least of her worries at the moment. Compared to Enishi, the dark, seemingly cold boy was a complete gentleman. He had much more restraint, in any case.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Aoshi-san. The only thing you did was show me that you have a heart. There's nothing wrong with that." She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. While she thought he was surprisingly nice, she didn't think she would be very hot and bothered around him, unlike with Enishi. But like with Enishi, there was a kind of sadness that surrounded Aoshi. It made her want to know more about him. She felt a strange sense of loss when she was around him, which she did not understand.

When her eyes opened, she saw him watching her. "Kaoru-san, about what I said. I know that I said I would back off. But I would like to be your friend, if that is possible. My feelings for you are still the same, but I respect you enough to realize that the way you feel for me is not the same. And, the bond you have with Kenshin is something that you should not risk." She sat staring at Aoshi. He was difficult to understand. When they had met in the park, he had been the same as he was now. On the one hand, there was Enishi, who seemed ready to do anything to be close to her. Then there was Kenshin, who…her mind became pleasantly fuzzy at the thought of him. And finally, Aoshi, who seemed to merely want to be around, content to keep his distance.

Smiling slightly, she said, "I'm glad that there are gentlemen left in this world. I don't think it would be a problem for us to be friends, Aoshi-san. So long as you know that friends is all we can be."

"I wouldn't dream of anything more." He bowed where he sat, and smiled, a little uncomfortably. "Please be patient with me, Kaoru-san. This is…difficult for me." She kept her surprise from her face. It was difficult for her to imagine anything being difficult for him. However, the look in his eyes said differently. The dark-haired young man looked away from her, his discomfort obviously growing. "I…I should go." He rose quickly, and started for the door. Just before he reached the spot where his shoes sat, Kaoru caught up to him.

"Aoshi-san, please. If you would like to be friends, it shouldn't be so hard. Just try to relax." He looked over his shoulder at her, then down at her hand, which was on his arm. His eyes were wide with alarm.

"Please. Don't touch me." She removed her hand, trying not to seem as surprised and hurt as she was. "I'm sorry, Kaoru-san. But if I let you touch me, it tests my self-control." Now, it was her eyes that widened, and she took a step back from him. It was so difficult to tell what he was thinking, she had no idea that he had felt anything of the sort until his eyes looked like he was scared of her touching him. Friendship with Shinomori Aoshi was going to be a delicate balance. She was going to have to learn the ground rules very quickly, or else she would end up in the same situation she found herself in with Enishi. Well, she'd nipped that in the bud, but she didn't want to confuse Aoshi any more than she already had, albeit unintentionally.

For some reason, she felt that if she were to accidentally set him off, it would be worse than with Enishi. Aoshi had what seemed to be infinite restraint, but she knew that he did have his limits. She had witnessed the extent of them in the park, and just now, had apparently been pushing them. "Hai, Aoshi-san. My apologies. Perhaps you would like to study with Kenshin and I for our History exam? Both of you do better in that class than I do, and I need all the help I can get." He nodded, seeming to think it wise for them not to be alone together. "Until tomorrow, then, Aoshi-san."

Customarily, she would give a friend a hug when they left. But since Aoshi had specifically said she was not to touch him, she settled for a little wave. He nodded back to her, that strange light of loss still behind his icy blue eyes. Kaoru almost wilted when he left. Being friends with him was going to be very difficult. She wanted to know more about him, but for some reason, she was also afraid of what she might find out.

"Oi, piggy-chan, what happened today? You were all…nervous." Yahiko asked, eyes rolling slightly. Kenshin had not gotten to Mario's yet, and it was just she and Yahiko, since Sano had a date with 'the fox.' Honestly, Yahiko was surprised Megumi hadn't bashed his head in yet for calling her that. Though, he had to admit, it wasn't for lack of her trying. He watched Kaoru from across the table. "He messed with you, didn't he?" She was not looking at him. In fact, she was looking at anything but him, which said he was on the right track. "What did he do?" She still didn't answer. "Come on, Kaoru, you can tell me. Not like I'm going to tell Sano. And I sure as hell am not going to tell Kenshin. I might not like that Yukishiro guy, but I don't want him to get murdered or anything." She glanced up at him nervously, then played with the straw in her soda. He sat, waiting. If he waited long enough, Kaoru's hatred of silence of any kind would take over, and she would spill the beans.

"Yahiko…" she began, "you have to promise that you won't tell."

Rolling his eyes again, he nodded and said in a droning voice, "I promise, piggy-chan, I won't tell a soul, or you can beat me to death with a shinai." That seemed to satisfy her morbid sensibilities, and she relaxed visibly. It was obvious that she needed to tell someone about this.

"He…kissed me." She said, looking around. Her back was to the door, so he motioned that he would watch for Kenshin. "I told him that it can't happen again. It shouldn't, so unless becomes a problem, I'm not sure I'm going to tell Kenshin."

"Are you sure about that?" Yahiko looked at her dubiously. He didn't like how she was acting. "This all seems like there's something more to it. Are you telling me everything?" She didn't look at him. Yahiko had to keep himself from huffing irritatedly. "Piiiiggy-chan…you're leaving something out. Cough it up. You'll feel better." She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, and then reached across the table, taking a handful of his t-shirt.

Blue eyes blazed warning at him. "Yahiko, I don't know that I want to say that out loud. I don't even want to admit it to myself."

Now, most people thought that Myoujin Yahiko was dense. He put on a front, just like Sano did, which helped when he needed to surprise people, but he was in no way stupid, ignorant, or dense. He saw behind her words, and the look in her eyes. No more than six inches from her face, he said quietly, "You liked it? That's kinda sick, Kaoru. The guy's practically stalking you."

"No." She released him quickly, and leaned back in her seat, arms crossed.

"Whaddaya mean, no?" Now he was confused. Hadn't the guy attacked her in a hallway?

She heaved a sigh. "You know how Kenshin wasn't talking to me?" He nodded. "Well, there was a reason for that. I got this note on my desk, telling me to meet someone in the park after school. I didn't want to go at first, but then I couldn't help myself. I was curious."

"So it was Enishi?" He blurted out, interrupting her.

She smacked him on the side of the head. "No, you dim bulb. Shut up and listen. It was Shinomori Aoshi. He…sort of has a crush on me. But unlike Enishi, he's much more of a gentleman." She leaned on her hand, and seemed to be thinking back. "He was concerned for me, since he'd seen how Kenshin and I weren't talking. And when I told him about Enishi, he didn't seem surprised, but he thought I should have reported him, so—"

"Not like that would have done any good…"

Smack! "Stop interrupting! Now…oh. Kenshin saw me in the park with Aoshi. I barely saw him, and tried to catch up to him. While I was running—in the rain, mind you—I ran smack into Enishi, fell down, and knocked myself out. When I woke up, I was on Enishi's couch, and he was kissing me." He was about to tell her that the guy was sick, and that she was sick too for enjoying being stalked, but the next words that came out of her mouth stopped him. "He's so sad, Yahiko. Like…a little boy or something. When he drove me home, he apologized. Then he kissed me again, and it was different, somehow."

He looked at her for a long moment, trying to figure out if she was serious or not. Once he'd figured that she was, he shook his head. "This is bad. You like him. Definitely bad. But what about Kenshin?" Smack! Smack, smack! "Oi, what the hell?"

"Did I say I was going to go out with him? No, I most certainly did not. Enishi is an interesting person, and if he chills out, he might make a good friend, but I love Kenshin. He's…"

"Here." Yahiko looked over her shoulder at the flash of flame-colored hair that had just caught his eye. "He's here."

"Oh." She smiled nervously, and then gave him the patented 'Kaoru death glare' to warn him off of repeating any of this stuff, even in his sleep. If only she knew how ineffective it was…Not like he was going to tell anyone anything. After an instant, she continuted speaking. "Well, in any case, there is one more thing. Enishi did say that Tomoe is up to something."

Yahiko's eyes widened. "That's weird."

"What is?" Kenshin asked as he got to the table.

"Your hair." Yahiko grinned roguishly as his friend sat, and dodged Kaoru's hand when it tried to smack him again. "Okay, okay! Piggy-chan was just telling me that when she went to the bathroom this afternoon, Enishi told her that his sister is hot for your body and is trying to steal you away from her." Kenshin's face turned a vague shade of pink, his scars remaining pale against the color change. Yahiko couldn't hold in his laughter.

"Sano would be proud, you little miscreant!" She smacked him again, and then huffed as Kenshin restrained her.

"Please, Kaoru-dono. Do you want us to get kicked out again?" That calmed her down. Yahiko watched as Kenshin's arm slid behind Kaoru, and squeezed her in a half-hug. If it had been Yahiko in Kaoru's position, he would have been utterly ill at ease. But piggy-chan seemed to be just fine. In fact, her face was a mask of sheer bliss. She leaned on Kenshin, putting her head on his shoulder. It turned his stomach. They were going to finish their previous conversation later, and she was going to get an earful from him. He was not amoral, the way his brother seemed to be a lot of the time, but quite the opposite. In his mind, Kaoru was stringing along not only Enishi, but Kenshin as well, and possibly Aoshi. The whole situation had the potential to turn into a violent mess.

Now that everyone was present, Yahiko waved at his friend, Soujiro, who worked as a waiter. He had obviously noticed the lack of bloody confrontation at the table, and was ready to take their orders. When the smiling young man walked over, he said, "You guys finally ready?"

"We'll take the usual, minus one order of bread sticks. Sano's not here." Soujiro's usual serene smile turned into a face-splitting grin, which was rare.

"So, that will be two large pizzas, one pepperoni, one ham, the one with pepperoni has half of it with mushrooms, and the one with ham has half pineapple." All three friends nodded, and Soujiro excused himself to put their order in. Yahiko looked at the couple sitting across from him. He knew that they would be fine if not for the 'other men' in Kaoru's life. If he were three feet taller, and a morality-free zone the way Sano was, he would just go and talk to them, and maybe use force where Enishi was concerned. As it was, he felt more comfortable talking to Aoshi. Yahiko was certain that if he tried to talk to Enishi, he would lose his temper and get his ass handed to him.

So, he resolved himself to speak to Aoshi after the Kendo Club's practice on Monday. Suddenly, Kaoru seemed to remember something. "Oh, Kenshin, I saw Aoshi this afternoon. Is it all right if he studies with us tomorrow for our history exam? He wants to try to be friends." Kenshin seemed to think about this for a moment, and to Yahiko's surprise, nodded in agreement. Kaoru squealed delightedly, and grabbed Kenshin's face to kiss him. Yahiko's face turned pink, and he looked away from them. Why did she have to do that sort of thing in public? It was so very embarrassing…

"You are all dismissed. Remember to practice the new forms." Kenshin said, and started gathering his things. Aoshi watched him. There was a kind of deadly grace about him, which Aoshi knew he had, as well. But in the smaller boy, it seemed much more pronounced. Perhaps it was his small size…Whatever the case, he felt a little more at ease around him since he'd been to that study session the day before. The problem he had was not Kenshin. Where the redhead was concerned, he knew exactly where he stood. He was a fellow instructor, a classmate, and a new friend. His trouble lay with Kaoru, as seemed to be the norm of late. She was always at the forefront of his thoughts.

He had arrived first at her house the day before. Kaoru had answered the door in her Kendo clothes, minus the gi top, which meant she wore only the hakama and a tank top, and he had to steady himself, making very certain that he kept his eyes on her face. Her parents were not at home, which made him considerably more uncomfortable than he had been when he had to tear his eyes from the smooth skin around her collarbones. Aoshi closed his eyes as he remembered this. He took deep breaths, making sure not to let his agitation show on his face as the room emptied.

Kaoru had taken his hand, in spite of his protests, and pulled him into the kitchen, where she had him sit down. She had offered him something to drink, and a snack if he wanted, as well. Aoshi knew that she was trying very hard to keep from being overly friendly, but with Kamiya Kaoru, it was next to impossible. He nearly smiled at that. But then he remembered the way she moved around the kitchen, all business, but still managing that strangely wild grace only she seemed to possess. Aoshi had found himself unable to tear his eyes from her. It wasn't altogether clear to him why he seemed to be completely infatuated with her, but the fact that the feeling was there was altogether enough to occupy his mind.

In his mind's eye, he could see her face, almost smell the intermingling scents that had assaulted his senses as she had greeted him at the door. The slight tang of sweat, mixed with a lightly flowery scent that he could have been mistaken about, but was almost sure had to be lilies. Her smile had been broad and welcoming, and Aoshi had felt a stab of pain in his chest when he saw it. That smile, however beautiful, was nowhere near as brilliant as those she reserved strictly for Kenshin. What would he give to have her smile at him that way, if only once?

His self-torture was interrupted by his noticing that one of the students was still in the room, waiting at a respectful distance. He opened his eyes, and was surprised to see Myoujin Yahiko. Nodding for the boy to approach, he watched Kenshin's short friend rise and move toward him, then kneel, and bow. "Aoshi-san, I was hoping that I might be able to talk to you about Kaoru." Aoshi's heart was in his throat. Had she told the boy? If so, how much did he know, and would he tell Himura? He nodded warily, and the boy continued to speak. "I know that she's being…a little…friendly with you. She said you were studying together, with Kenshin. But I do also know about your…attitude toward her." The boy was obviously choosing his words carefully. This raised Aoshi's opinion of the usually brash underclassman.

"Aoshi-san, I hope she's not leading you on. She can't say no lately, it seems. Kaoru's too nice for her own good, and she's way too curious. If she did anything inappropriate, please forgive her." Aoshi simply sat staring at his student. He was apologizing for her? Clearly, his estimation of Yahiko had been completely off. He was showing a depth of character, and an amount of honor that he had previously thought to be beyond the reach of anyone related to Sanosuke.

"Yahiko-san, do not worry yourself. She has done nothing to overstep her bounds." He decided that this boy was one that he could be completely honest with, since the same courtesy seemed to have been extended to himself. "If anyone has acted improperly, it would be me."

The boy's eyes narrowed at him, and his voice came out sounding just as suspicious as he looked. "What do you mean?"

"I kissed her."

At this news, Yahiko shut his eyes tightly, and it was glaringly obvious that he was trying not to blow up at him. His voice came out low and dangerous. "Why?"

Aoshi's eyebrow twitched upward. "I would think that would be altogether obvious." When the expression on the other boy's face did not alter, he sighed. "Because I like her, Yahiko-san. More than I should."

"And you're using this friendship as a way to get close to her? For what purpose?"

"I just want to be around her. She's a wonderful person, Yahiko. I'm sure you don't need to be told all bout her. You know her very well. It may sound…trite, but I feel more alive when she's around." Aoshi knew that he sounded extremely strange. He could hardly believe the words that had just come from his mouth, so he didn't expect Yahiko to believe them, either.

The spiky-haired youth made a disdainful face. "Eew. Puppy-love. Geez, you people make me sick. Aoshi-san, if you don't mind me saying so, you've got it bad. And it's too bad for you, because she's got it bad for Kenshin. In fact, it's too bad for Enishi, too. He's apparently stalker-nuts over her." His frown deepened and he continued, "If you want to be friends, that's fine. I don't have a problem with that, since I respect you and all. But if you so much as lay a finger on her in a way that makes her uncomfortable, I'll personally see to it that your life becomes a living hell." The threat was completely serious, and held within it all of the threats of violence and malediction that the boy could muster. Then, he suddenly broke out into a grin, and added, "And I say that with the greatest respect to your position." He then bowed so low that his forehead touched the floor.

"Yahiko-san, please. I know you care about Kaoru-san. But threats are not necessary. I can control my feelings, unlike Yukishiro."

Yahiko straightened back into his sitting position, the threatening glare back on his face. "You damned-well better. If not, I'm sure that Kenshin won't be at all pleased with you. Honestly, I would love to see the fight that results." The malicious glint was back in his eyes, and Aoshi was suddenly stunned by how greatly the boy resembled Sanosuke in that moment. Blackmail? He sighed.

"Very well. I promise to keep a respectful distance from Kaoru-san. Is that agreed?" The boy nodded gravely, and Aoshi allowed a tiny smile to cross his lips. "Now, go shower and change, Yahiko-san. It's getting late, and I'll be closing the dojo soon." With that, he nodded as the boy bowed his exit. Kaoru's friends were all very interesting. There was Kenshin, who was an enigma in himself, Sanosuke, the thug and surprisingly chivalrous protective older brother type, and apparently Yahiko, who was highly sensitive to what was going on around him in spite of the front he presented to the world. "Very interesting, indeed."

"Enishi, let go, you're hurting me." He certainly couldn't tell. Tomoe's voice was just as monotonic as ever. He released her wrist. "What is your problem? I thought you liked the girl?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You don't give half a shit about Kaoru. All you care about is Kenshin. And I will not allow you to hurt either of them. If you hurt Kaoru, you can be certain that he'll not want a damned thing to do with you. And of course, I'll never forgive you. If you hurt Kenshin, it will also hurt Kaoru, and I can't have that either." She was now leaning on the counter in the kitchen, looking back at him with a smirk on her face. His sister was quite possibly the most infuriating person on the planet. "What are you smirking for?"

Her dark eyes fixed him with a very intense glare. "Because, my dear, dear, confused little brother. You are beyond help. But I, as a loving older sister, will give you the help you so desperately need." Enishi advanced on her, and took hold of her arms. She merely looked impassively up at him and continued, "And I will be able to be with Kenshin once they've parted ways. He'll need someone to comfort him, after all. Once he finds out what a little slut he's been dating." Enishi let go of her. A small muscle at the corner of his mouth began to twitch, ever so slightly. She wasn't serious. She couldn't be.

"Are you making threats?"

Only one word can characterize Yukishiro Tomoe's smile. Chilling. And Enishi suddenly felt as if his heart had turned to ice when she smiled up at him. Tomoe picked up her soda, and began walking out of the room. As a last ditch effort to stop her, he said, "What would Akira say, Tomoe?" That stopped her quick pace. She now stood motionless, her back to him, and he could hear the soda can's thin aluminum straining under a certainly white-knuckled grip. "Well, nee-san? What would he say, if he saw you now? Is this how you honor him?" The can gave way, and the brown cola spattered the floor, the carbonation hissing Tomoe's agitation.

Slowly, she turned back to him. The dark liquid clung to her hand, which also seemed to have begun bleeding from clutching the metal container. Her voice, for once, held emotion as it came out in a breathless whisper. "How dare you even speak his name to me, Enishi?"

Taking a very deep breath, Enishi stepped toward his sister. He pulled the can from her, and placed it in the sink, guiding her slowly over to the faucet, so that he could wash the blood away. "Nee-san, I just don't think that this is a good idea. Do you want to ruin more lives?" His sister's un-injured hand came around to slap his face, but he caught it, silently thanking Kenshin and Aoshi for the Kendo lessons. "Tomoe, it's too late to be defensive. Neither of us will have what we want. I can't help the way I feel about her, and you can't help your feelings for Kenshin. But I know that what I feel can't have any real result. There will be no happy ending for me." She shook free of him.

"Enishi, how…how can you say that?"

"When was the last time you actually looked at them, the way they look at one another?" He wrapped a dish-towel around her hand. Enishi could see the defiant and desperate light in her eyes. His own eyes narrowed. "You haven't taken your meds lately, have you, nee-san?" She looked away from him. Sighing, he pulled her out of the kitchen, and to their bathroom upstairs. "Come on. No arguing. You're going to take your pills, Tomoe. You can't go on like this…" Then, for some odd reason, Enishi felt a stabbing pain at the base of his neck, and he crumpled to the floor. The last thing he saw before everything went black was his sister's smiling face.

A/N: Suspense! I hope you all liked the chapter...

Enishi: Um...that hurt!

antilogicgirl: Don't be such a baby, darling. It's all for a good cause.

Enishi: (mumbling) Sadist...

antilogicgirl: (rolls eyes at Enishi) Oh, Aoshi, how did you enjoy your part?

Aoshi: I don't know. I'm not sure I like the desperate undertones.

antilogicgirl: But it makes you more human! I don't want people really thinking of you as a block of ice! I admire you too much to let them.

Aoshi: I can take care of myself. You don't need to defend me. (looks around for Kenshin) Would I be able to kiss Kaoru again?

antilogicgirl/Kenshin/Enishi: ...

antilogicgirl: And you think you're not desperate?

Aoshi: I never said that...

Kenshin/Enishi: We feel you pain...

antilogicgirl: ... Well, I guess there's just something about Kaoru. Guys just dig her.