Hey y'all! Seem a little early for a second chappy? Ah well, whatever. My one-shot turned short story is coming along just peachy. Yeah this was supposed to be a one-shot, but it started getting a wee bit long and my friends were getting impatient and I was getting impatient with myself, so I decided to post it in small chapters. Don't worry, this fic won't be longer than ten chapters. Six at the most. My first six reviewers get special spotlight on this page above all else who reviews in the future. There are benefits to reviewing a newly-hatched story /wink/.

jeez: Thank you for your…um…heartfelt review and being my First Reviewer Ever for this fic (special capitalization privileges for you). You go gurl.

infynitistars: Yo Britts! Thanks for just being there from the beginning and pushing me to write even through my most lazy stages of life and for putting me on your favorites list and alert list first! You're the best Britts-bee-babe!

gabyhyatt: Your review, though short and sweet, is greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to write something for lil' ol' me.

Saitouu Ryuuji: Thanks for reading and taking the time to consider Kaoru's feelings (glare unlike some people in this fic…..m,s,y: What?). You are my Fourth reviewer (favorite number is four)! Go you for being the one who spell's good luck for me!

Kenshin'sgurl9: (raises hands in glory) I'm glad someone recognizes my motives for writing this story! God, I was so disappointed with Ruroken's ending that I decided to make my own fic that wouldn't stray from the general mood of the series. Thank you for being the reviewer who catches my eye!

Myks: Thank you for complimenting me on my character trueness (I know there's a better way to say it, but I can't think of it at the moment). It was really hard for me to write them completely in character, thank you for noticing my hard work!

To Haley: Even though you are slow to reviewing, you get a spot here anyways for being my best friend. /smile/

Ok, without further ado, on with the story!

"Kaoru-dono?" a gentle voice called from behind.

"EEP," she squeaked and dropped her assault tool. She recognized the voice easily. Kaoru turned slowly. "Uh, h-hi, Kenshin!" she said cheerfully, her composure fully regained. "Did you need something?"

Please say you didn't hear any of that. Please say you didn't hear any of that, Kaoru pleaded mentally.

"I heard the four of you arguing," he replied. "May I ask what it is that got you all so worked up?" he inquired, his voice full of curiosity.

Sano leaned over to Yahiko and whispered, "What'd I tell ya? Completely oblivious." The young swordsman nodded sadly in agreement.

A smile plastered to her face, Kaoru spoke rapidly, "What we were talking about…? Oh, no, nothing important. Not something you need to worry about, eh…ha ha," she laughed superficially and flapped a hand at him.

Kenshin frowned slightly, but let the matter go. "All right then," he said with a smile. "Should you need me, I will be taking the laundry down." (a/n: when are you not doing laundry? 0-ox: uh…) He turned to go.

"Oh, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes?" he rotated his head to look at her.

"What's for dinner?"

"I believe we are having the fish we caught yesterday," he answered.

"Really?" she said eagerly. "I can't wait! I'm not very hungry right now, but I can just imagine how good it will be!" Her eyes sparkled at the idea of a delicious meal waiting for her.

He laughed quietly. "You seem excited."

"Of course I am! I hate to admit it Kenshin, but your meals are always the best!" she praised, beaming.

Kenshin's face softened. "And it's always good to know I make you happy."

Kaoru smiled back warmly as she replied, "Well, see you at dinner!"

"You too." He inclined his head a bit and departed.

The girl let out a sigh of relief and turned back to the other three.

They all stared at her skeptically.

"What?" she asked on impulse.

Yahiko fluttered his eyelashes in an overly girlish manner. "Oh, Kenshin!"

Sano grinned shamelessly. "Your meals are always the best!" he imitated. "For someone who denies having an interest in someone like you do, you sure have a funny way of showing it."

Even Megumi had the nerve to quip, "Honestly Kaoru, 'see you at dinner'? Couldn't you have thought of something a little more romantic?" she sighed. "Ken-san is wasted on you."

Kaoru flushed with anger and humiliation as she warned furiously, "Don't push it, Megumi! You guys are lucky he didn't hear any of that 'confession' crap." She made a fist to emphasize her point.

"And you're damn lucky we didn't spill the beans ourselves and make you face this thing here and now," Sano shot back.

"There's nothing to face!" she exclaimed, finally reaching her limit of exasperation, and stormed off.

A half-hour later, Kaoru was still wandering aimlessly around the dojo in a stubborn rage.

Who the hell do they think they are? She thought angrily. Trying to dictate my life and tell me how I feel.

I know how I feel!

Kenshin is…she hesitated.

Like I said, the one person I can rely on for anything, she reassured herself positively.

But is that all? she asked.

He's more than a friend…

More than a best friend?

Yes, but… what do you call a relationship that is more than friendship?

A part of her was quicker to answer this question than the rest of her was.

Lov—?

It's not that!

We're friends! We're each other's best friends.

Does he feel that way?

Kenshin…? She thought hard. She came up with a sensible answer. He's always so happy and kind to me, I suppose he feels the same.

Her thoughts wandered to what Sanosuke had said earlier.

"He only understands his 'be nice to everyone' rule."

"…nice to everyone…"

"…everyone…"

Not just me…

What if he's only kind to you because you're part of this big group called 'everyone'? an unfamiliar part of her argued. How do you know that the reason he is nice is because he feels he has to? What if he doesn't return these feelings of 'more than friendship'?

What if he leaves you someday? the voice said cruelly.

She stopped walking and placed a hand on her abdomen, feeling the sick ache of dread starting to creep into her stomach at the last thought.

Why does that hurt so much? she asked herself.

Her eyes drooped as she thought in defeat, Is this really love?

No! she thought hurriedly, her shoulders erect with resolve. It's just Megumi and the others confusing you.

Damn them all, she thought obstinately as she began to march once again. They couldn't have just left me alone, could they? They had to start talking about feelings and confessions…

Damn them and their stupid ideas…

Muttering curses at her 'friends' under her breath, the girl kept stomping on through the front yard. She could already feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. The fact that she was now a striding dangerously close to the household's well unknown to her. (a/n: for those of you who care about potential plot-holes, I'm making the well just a big hole in the ground. not like the type you see in snow white)

As her foot lifted up and in preparation for her next step, a small but steady hand shot out in front of Kaoru to stop her from the wet and unpleasant fall that awaited her.

Snapped out of her angry daydreams, she looked down at the arm obstructing her way and glanced up to find Kenshin staring down at her.

Too busy thinking of ways to get back at the trio that bothered her thoughts to remember that this red-head was the last person she wanted to see, Kaoru shot an annoyed reply. "What are you doing here?" She stared defiantly up at him. "And what is it, a crime to walk wherever I want? Why are you blocking me?" she asked rudely.

The swordsman 'oro'-ed to himself and responded apologetically, "I was just finishing the laundry out here when I saw you." (a/n: you just never quit, do you? -.-x: ….) Kaoru took a fleeting glance at the laundry basket balanced on his left hip and nodded.

Kenshin looked down at the space in front of the girl. "And I'm sorry, but was it really your intention to step into the well, Kaoru-dono?" he asked innocently.

She gazed downwards also and was shocked to find that the foot she had planned to set down on firm earth was instead dangling in the open air of the well. She stole a momentary glimpse up again to see Kenshin's smirking face.

"I didn't think so," he chuckled.

Kaoru looked away quickly to hide her embarrassment. "Sorry about that," she muttered. "And thanks."

"Not at all," he said brightly.

The girl straightened, trying to regain as much of her dignity as possible. As she removed her foot from its precarious position in the well, Kenshin asked, "Is everything all right, Kaoru-dono?" His concerned eyes bore into her uncomfortably. "You seem a bit…preoccupied."

"Well…" The dojo master diverted her gaze up at the sky overhead. "It's just something Megumi and the others said." She closed her eyes and sighed dejectedly. "Maybe I'm over-thinking it. I'm sorry for making you worry over something like this," she said remorsefully.

"It's fine," he answered, awaiting her usual explanation of recent events, frowning when none came.

The uneasy Kaoru (not ready to tell Kenshin her current embarrassing thoughts) let the silence stretch between them.

"Why the hell aren't they saying anything?" Yahiko demanded, peeking around the wood of the wall that was concealing the three of them.

He, Megumi, and Sanosuke were huddled beside the wall around the corner (much to their inner shame) listening intently to every word spoken between Kenshin and Kaoru. This gathering of eavesdroppers had resulted when the three of them, not satisfied with Kaoru's curt dismissal, had agreed to tail the girl, hoping she would seek out the swordsman herself. So far, however, the conversation was not going as they had anticipated.

Come on, Kaoru, Megumi urged telepathically. Say something!

"I'll bet that after what we've—" he looked accusingly at the doctor sitting next to him, "mainly you, woman—said to her, the Little Miss can't think anymore when she's around Kenshin, much less have a worthwhile conversation," Sano murmured sensibly. "Without thinking impure thoughts, I mean," he added with a sly grin.

"Why you disgusting—!" Megumi stopped and swiveled her head in the opposite direction. "Hold on, I think Kaoru said something!"

"So, ah…um, well…see you later then!" Kaoru sputtered hastily, turning to leave.

To infuriated to speak, Megumi shot up from her sitting position. Her mind filled with thoughts of publicly mauling the younger girl as punishment for the incredibly dim and abrupt response, she marched towards the end of the building, only to be grabbed from behind by Sano. "What do you think you're doing! Let me go, you—," she was silenced by a large hand clamped over her mouth.

"Shut it, Ms. Vixen. You'll blow the cover we worked so hard to maintain," he smiled with fake sweetness down at her.

Megumi's only answer to that was to kick and flail her arms harder in a desperate attempt to free herself, all the while glaring down in disgust at the hand that secured her mouth.

In between the doctor's muffled outbursts of rage and Sano's feeble attempts at hushing her, Yahiko hissed, "Shut up, you two! Kenshin's talking!" At this, the group quieted down and eavesdropped, instantly absorbed.

Kaoru stopped moving and rotated her head. "Did you say something?" she inquired.

"A walk," he repeated bluntly. "Perhaps that would ease your mind," he said with optimism. He then asked lightheartedly, "Would you like to go for a walk with me?"

She blinked at Kenshin in surprise. A walk? That's so…simple. she said to herself. And what does he think I've been doing for the past thirty-something minutes?

As if he read her mind, Kenshin added, "A walk around the dojo isn't nearly as refreshing as a walk around the city, yes?"

"I guess, but--," Kaoru, about to decline the offer (a stroll with Kenshin was the last thing she wanted Megumi to be blabbering about), made the mistake of looking at his face. The careless smile that played on his lips and the eagerness of his eyes tugged at something in her heart. Reluctantly she felt herself relax.

"Why not?" She exhaled loudly. "Let's go for a walk."

Haha, and this is where the walk gets put into play. We'll just have to see how this turns out, won't we? Hardy har, I'm posting chapters too quickly….when I stop putting them so close together, y'all faithful readers will start complaining, eh? Ah well. See ya next time!-Jackie