Disclaimer: I still do not own Rurouni Kenshin....sigh
Author's notes: I just really wanna finish this fanfic as fast as I can. Not that I am rushing it, but because I know that I won't have enough time next year (2005) to do fanfics or read fanfics anymore. There are major exams next year that really matter to me. ( My mother is really against me writing fanfictions....ahhh, she would rather want me to do more ADD. Maths.) Haha....Okies here goes the story again. Some parts of the romantic scenes here were alike of the ones in the book 'Night Whispers'. I do not own these romantic scenes as well, they belong to the original author. I just twisted it a little and make it into the way I like it.
Chapter 9
Kenshin do not understand why Kaoru reacted this way to him. Doesn't she find him attractive? He knows that he is irresistible and no woman is able to resist his charms...well...maybe except for Kamiya Kaoru....
He banged against the table hard in frustration. He had told Hiko everything about being in The Aorta...the detailed version but insisted that the 'friends' he brought with him have no connections with The Aorta at all (which is not true). Kaoru had lied to them that she is an interior designer , Sano just told them his true profession (he owns a cinema, which he closed down for a while.) Sohjiro is an accountant and Yahiko is Sanosuke's 'cousin'. Kenshin does not want Hiko to know about Kaoru's powers and what she is capable of. He, himself still do not understand how she could recover so quickly after she released her power and appeared to be more or less dead...they had forgotten to ask her.
Megumi is all clingy and he does not like the way she was treating Kaoru...
Kenshin sighed, he'll have to adapt back to his old lifestyle... and he knows that The Aorta will show up eventually...they won't give up so easily.,,
Kenshin gazed at the clock...he'll have to get ready soon, Okina had invited him over to breakfast this morning.
Misao walked into the kitchen, where a stout woman in her early sixties is pouring chopped pecans into pancake batter. "Morning Euiko-san, where is my father?"
"He is out at terrace with Himura-san..." Euiko answered.
"Himura?! What is he doing here?"
"Your father invited him over for breakfast..."
"Right..." Misao mumbled, she does not like Kenshin at all. She poured orange juice into a glass and walked down the terrace steps, where Kenshin was sitting alone underneath a bright white umbrella, reading newspapers. Okina was no where is in sight.
"Good morning, Himura." Misao said politely.
Kenshin looked up and smiled. "Ahh, Misao-dono. You've certainly grown since I last seen you..."
Misao nodded, noticing that his eyes were still an bright, fiery amber colour.
Battousai...
"Where is my father?"
"He is down there somewhere in the garden...he said that he need to take a look at one of the flower bed he planted a few days ago."
Misao smirked, she knew that Okina doesn't care about the flowerbed at all. He was down there hoping to meet Kaoru again. The old pervert!
"I heard that you have a few guests that you brought back to your house..." Misao said cunningly, hoping to dig up some information from the man himself.
"Yes...they are my close friends.."
"Yeah, Enishi told me that he saw you guys at the club last night..."
"He did, did he?" Kenshin said coldly. He did not like Enishi, he had noticed him as well. That man had been watching Kaoru all the while as well...and he doesn't like it.
"He told me that there is a really pretty girl among your friends, Kamiya Kaoru I think...so, how did you make out with her last night?" Misao said casually, too casually infact.
"I didn't"
"You're kidding," Misao said with unconcealed delight as she sat down on one of the chairs as well. "You struck out?"
"I crashed and burned..." Kenshin hissed, his bright amber eyes sparkling dangerously. He would like to say that the woman is falling madly in love with him and that she couldn't get enough of him...but he knew that he couldn't possibly lie as well.
Misao noticed Kenshin's silent anger and changed the subject fast.
"What is taking Jiya so long?" she whined impatiently. Kenshin ignored her and begun sipping at his coffee.
Misao got upa and peered down at where the flower beds are. Okina was not tending to the flower beds, he was standing around like he was watching for someone. It is about the same time yesterday when he saw her.
"Sir, really, I couldn't join you for breakfast...I couldn't possibly disturb a family breakfast..." Kaoru protested when Okina grabbed her hand and begun to usher her up to the terrace.
"Nonsense! I am sure that Misao wouldn't mind!"
"But, my friends are expecting me to have breakfast with them at the villa!"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Himura-san is here as well, I invited him over for breakfast so you wouldn't be the only odd one out! He'll be delighted to see you here. Come have breakfast with us, I insist!"
Kaoru was shocked, and a sense of dread filled her. Kenshin is here? How is she suppose to face him after last night?
"Kaoru!"
Kaoru looked up and saw that Misao was running towards them, she was as energetic and excited as usual.
So, Kaoru was forced up the terrace and he saw Kenshin there. He was wearing a simple white shirt, the first few buttons loose,reading the newspapers. And the sight of him sent a strong jolt of adrenaline through her.
He was not glad to see her, Kaoru noted. He glanced over his shoulder and she saw annoyance flash across his face before he laid down his cup and politely stood up.
"Good morning, Kaoru-donno." He said with extreme formality and no warmth.
"I ambushed her on the beach." Okina chuckled, pulling a chair towards the table for Kaoru.
Kaoru was sitting infront of Kenshin, with Okina on her right and Misao on her left, and a woman appeared on the terrace carrying a try with cups and plates.
"We're going to have four for breakfast , Euiko,"he said. "Koaru what would you like?"
"Anything you're having will be fine." Kaoru said, trying not to think about how cold and unfriendly Kenshin is and how uneasy and awkward that was going to make the meal for her.
"Kaoru, Kenshin said that you shot him down last night..." Misao said playfully winking at her.
Kaoru looked at her with surprise, she cannot believe that Misao is making everything more difficult for her! She blinked, "I'm sorry?"
"You know last night at the club?" Misao said, rolling her eyes.
"Misao, please-" Okina interrupted, while Kenshin's eyes flickered dangerously. He didn't reme,bered Misao to be a stupid busy-body.
"Kenshin said that he crashed and burned..." Misao explained.
Okina smiled cheekily and turned to Kaoru. "Did you really?"
"No, I-"Kaoru glanced at Kenshin who was glaring at Misao, who was a bit daunted by it.
"Yes, she did..." Misao insisted, "Kenshin told me just now..."
"No," Koaru blurted desperately. "You misunderstood...He-he didn't even get off the ground..."
She didn't realized what she had said until Okina gave a bark of laughter and slapped his knee. Kaoru looked around and knew that she'll have to take control of this situation.
Since Kenshin seemed to be the only other relatively normal person at the table, she looked directly at him.
"What I mean to say," she explained very clearly and concisely, "is that you couldn't have 'crashed and burned' because you weren't even trying to-to-"
A flicker of amusement lit in his amber eyes, "to get off the ground?"
"Exactly." Kaoru said, taking in a deep breath. She had been sitting here at the table for less than two minutes and she already felt that she had fought her way through a vicious battlefield. "Thank you." She added feelingly.
Kenshin had intended to make up an excuse to absent himself from this meal but the look on Kaoru face made him change his mind. "Don't thank me yet. This could get worse."
"I guess you weren't in very good form last night, Himura." Misao teased.
"I guess I wasn't," he said.
"What were you guys doing when you shot Himura down and he crashed and burned?"Misao said again.
"We were dancing, and I didn't do..." Kaoru said desperately, her eyes pleading Misao to stopped talking about it. Misao just winked back at her, smiling cunningly. She wanted to see Himura's ego crack.
"Yes, we were dancing..." Kenshin clarified piously. "I was trying my best to carry on a flirtation and she told me bluntly that she wish that I don't even try."
Okina laughed out loud and said, "Oh my goodness, Kaoru! Are you really immune to his good looks and extreme wealth?"
Mortified, Kaoru looked at Kenshin who waited for her to answer.
The whole conversation was so outrageous that Kaoru just buried her face in her face, leaning back in her chair and begun to laugh. She laughed so hard that the others begun to laugh as well, and when she tried to explain, the expressions on their faces made her laughed again. "I don't know the first thing about flirting," she told Okina. "If I had a telephone I would have called Misao and ask her..."
"Ask me what?" Misao asked eagerly.
"I'd have asked you what I should say to a man when he was trying to impress me..."
"You mention jewellery," Okina promptly advised. "You bring up a diamond necklace."
That outrageous suggestion caused Kaoru to burst into infectious laughter again. "Is that what wealthy Californian women do?" she managed in between giggles. No longer uneasy, she lifted her gaze to Kenshin's. "What would you have done, if I mentioned a diamond necklace?"
Kenshin had never seen her laughed this much before, she was so happy. He looked at her soft, provocative mouth and lifted his gaze to her face. Beneath a heavy fringe of dark lashes, her shining eyes were an amazing lavender blue, mesmerizing him, and her smooth cheek bones were flushed and becoming pink. Strands of hair had escaped from her long braid of hair, and they fall gracefully at her temples.Plucky, unpretentious, and unaffected, she sparkled from within and glowed on the surface. She was, he decided, the most wholesomely beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was also becoming embarrassed by his scrutiny, her laughter fading on her now trembling lips. She was becoming uneasy again. Kaoru looked away.
Time passed quickly after that, by the time breakfast was finished, Kaoru almost felt like a family friend, much of that was due to Misao.
Kaoru stood up and smiled at Okina and Misao. "Thank you for such a delightful breakfast and making me feel like a member of the family."
"You going already?" Misao asked, disappointed. "Himura is staying..."
Kenshin stood up, "I better get going as well," he said. "Let's walk back together."
In silence, Misao and Okina studied the pair as they strolled side by side down the lawn.
The shy self-consciousness that Kaoru thought she had overcomed begun to return as Kenshin walked beside her, but he eased it by telling her about Misao's childhood and how she had always been cheerful, energetic and sometimes very annoying.
Two houses away from Hiko's villa, a group of youngsters were building a sand castle. The youngest, a chubby little toddler was still unsteady on his feet was trying valiantly to keep up with the two older boys as he ran to the surf with his pail. He rushed past Kaoru and on his returned trip, tripped, and fell, his water spilling on the sand.
"Need some help?" Kaoru asked, crouching down to his level. Still clutching the handle of his pail in his fist, he rolled onto his rump, looked at her and burst into wails of dismay. Kaoru swept him up - baby, pail, and sand- and hugged him to her, laughing.
"Don't cry little one," she soothed, patting his back . "Don't cry, we'll help you."
He quieted, rubbed a sandy fist in his eyes and hiccupped. Kaoru put him down and took his free hand in hers. "We'll help you," she promised again, and looked at Kenshin. "We will, won't we?" she said.
Kenshin looked down to those beseeching pansy-blue eyes of hers and then at the baby's hopeful brown ones. Silently he reached for the pail. Kaoru smiled at him. The baby smiled at him. His brain captured the moment like a snapshot.
He wanted her.
"Children are so fun to be around," Kaoru said as they walked away from the sand castle which is still under construction.
"You are fun to be around ," Kenshin corrected her with a shrug that struck Kaoru as significant.
"Thank you. Don't you like children?"
"You're welcome, and no I don't."
"Why?"
"Yes, just spending time with Misao when she was young has cured me of any illusions I might have had about wanting a child. Plus, I've never been in a suitable form to be a parent. I don't want to be attach in anyway at all."
"I didn't mean to pry." Kaoru apologized, embarrassed that she had asked him. "I shouldn't have asked that."
"You may ask me anything you'd like, and I will be as honest and direct as I can. I'd prefer it that way."
"Okay."
"That was your opportunity to assure me that I can ask you anything, and you will also be honest and direct."
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Kaoru said warily, and he gave a shout of laughter.
"Let's try it out, shall we?" he put a detaining hand on her arm and stopped her behind the hedge that concealed hid father's fence at the beach.
"You mean, right now?"
"Right now." With startling directness, he said, "I'd like to spend time with you while you're here. Starting with tonight."
"I can't," Kaoru replied, sounding absurdly panicked to her own ears.
"Why not?"
"There are three very important reasons," she said, getting control of her voice. "They are Megumi, our friends and your father."
"I am not romantically involve with Megumi, no matter how many people told you that we're engaged. And my father couldn't force me into anything I won't do. And since you are not romantically involve with any of our friends, I don't see any obstacle at all."
"I meant that I need to spend time with my friends as well."
"We can work that out. Is there anything else in the way of our getting to know each other?"
"Like what?" Kaoru said evasively, but he saw through her ploy in an instant.
"Let's not play games with each other. I've already played them all, and you couldn't enjoy them even if you knew how to play them."
Stalling for time, Kaoru looked at the small seashell she'd picked up on the beach and pretended to examine it. He waited in silence until she had no choice except to meet his gaze; then he said, "One of the things I like about you is that you are refreshingly open and honest.However, there is something that bothers you when you're alone with me. What is it?"
Kaoru wondered what he would think if he knew that she knows about his past and how he had used and treated women. And she doesn't want to be one of the women. And this 'honesty' thing is just one of his tricks to get to her. She knows that she is very naïve and still have much to learn but she is determined not to let him get to her ever since Misao told her about him. Now, she could feel that protective wall that she had built up, crushing slowly with his words and presence. She was also so attracted to him that her stomach knotted just thinking about him.
"Are you attracted to me?" he asked bluntly.
Kaoru had the distinct feeling he already knew the answer. "You know what," she said shakily, "Let's not be too honest."
He was still laughing when he leaned sown and kissed her lightly on the mouth. "There, that's out of the way. The first one is the hardest. Things will be easier now."
Kaoru stared at him, her mind reeling with disbelief and longing and dread.
Author's notes: Ahhhh, this is the most romantic chapter so far. Okay people!! Please read and review!!!!
Jen: Thank you for telling me about my mistakes, and NO, I won't take it as a flame lah!! Haha!! I'll try very hard to improve with my grammar, and I'll change Sohjiro's name to Soujiro! Sorry! I can't really get anyone to read it before I post chapters as I am always home alone...but I'll try to get my close friend Jrz to read it over through before I post chapters next time!! I hope that I am not rushing through things in this chapter for you...and thanks for saying that my plot is stunning! Thank you for dropping such a long review, I know it takes time to type! Thanks! ;)
Bradybunch4529: Thank you for leaving TWO reviews!! Wow!!!!!! Thanks for letting me know what you think and yeah, Kenshin deserve getting his own dose of medicine once in while!! Haha!! He deserve it! I hope you like this new chapter!! ;) and let me noe what you think!
Jrz:Wow, thank you so much for your support, and for staying with this story eventhough you are not originally a RK fan!! I really appreciate your review!! I hope you like this chapter!! Yeay!! Let's hang out sometime...muhahahaha
cockroachelle: Wow, you've dropped EIGHT reviews!! It's like OMG OMG OMG!!!! Thank you and I'm Happy that you like my fanfic!!!! Hahaha!!! Thanks!!!!!!!! I hope you like this chapter, let me noe what you think! And, Yup, I think I'll make it K/K/B hahaha!!!
racoongirl: hello newcomer!! Thank you for reading my fanfic and reviewing!! I love reviewsss!!!!! Hope u enjoy this chapter and let me noe what u think!!
