Here's Chapter 4! As I've said before this is a rated M fic so it will have rated M stuff in it. So you are warned! Thanks to Amaranth Adanae for betaing!

Enjoy!

Shiin

Kaoru woke alone in bed once again. She rolled over and her hand touched something that crinkled loudly. A piece of paper.

Blinking, she picked it up and read it:

Kaoru,

I've gone for a short flight. I will be back soon.

I made breakfast.

Kenshin

Kaoru folded the piece of paper and laid it back down on the bed.

"How did she end up with Kenshin again?" she wondered. He was almost too perfect to be true, and Kaoru knew no one was that perfect. "Don't go looking for trouble," she scolded herself.

"Fine," she muttered out loud. "Breakfast, and then a shower."

Pushing back the covers, she got out of the bed and padded down the hall to the kitchenette.

She found Demon sunning himself on a patch of floor underneath the window. He opened an eye as she appeared.

"Kenshin made breakfast," he informed her.

"I know," Kaoru replied. "He left a note."

"It should still be hot. He's only been gone a few minutes." Demon closed his eyes and went back to enjoying the sun.

There was a covered plate on the stove, and Kaoru picked it up and peered underneath it cautiously.

Crepes.

Crepes topped with strawberries, whipped cream, and a tiny slice of orange, blueberries ringing the edges. Kaoru had seen restaurant presentations less fancy that this. She didn't remember the fruit, and guessed that, once again, Misao had hidden it at the back of the fridge and Kenshin had found it.

"Is he always like this?" She directed the question toward Demon.

"Hmm?" Demon asked absentmindedly without opening his eyes.

"So bloody thoughtful it's almost unnerving," Kaoru said.

"Kenshin? Yes he is. You better be getting used to it. He also made some coffee before leaving."

Kaoru contemplated pouring it down the sink and making her own in an act of independence, but decided against it. Kenshin did make better coffee than she did, and it was a sin to throw out good coffee.

She picked up the plate and set it on the table, grabbed a fork and knife from the drawer, and poured herself a cup of coffee. She stabbed a blueberry, only a tad viciously, and popped it into her mouth.

"What's the matter?" Demon raised his head to give her a curious look.

"Nothing," Kaoru replied.

"Uh-huh," Demon said, not sounding at all convinced.

"Kenshin's so bloody perfect it's driving me crazy. Cooks better than I can, saves me from big bad angels – and I can damn well take care of myself! – and is alternately sexy as all hell, or really sweet. You know, a little imperfection is nice sometimes." She took a sip of her coffee, finished ranting.

'Well, next time Kenshin cooks I will inform him to burn the toast to a crisp," Demon said dryly. "Will that help?"

"It's a start," Kaoru cut a piece of crepe and took a bite. The stupid thing nearly melted in her mouth and she gave an aggravated growl.

'Any other reason for the bad temper?' Demon inquired.

"It's a Wednesday. I hate Wednesdays."

"Oh why is that?"

"They're bad luck for me," Kaoru replied.

"How so?"

"My parents died on a Wednesday," she said. And Shoutarou left me on a Wednesday, she thought to herself. "I usually stay in bed and don't leave the house on Wednesdays, because invariably something bad happens."

"And so why aren't you still holed up in bed on a Wednesday?" Demon asked.

"Stupid jet-lag and time differences," Kaoru muttered. "Thought it was a
Tuesday, but nope, it's a Wednesday."

"Ah," Demon said, and closed his eyes once more. "Well, hopefully you'll
survive the day."

"Aren't you just so optimistic?" Kaoru asked.

"No more than you," was his reply.

'Touché," Kaoru conceded, and proceeded to demolish the rest of her crepes and
fruit.

Once she finished, she tossed the plate and cutlery into the dishwasher—

Kenshin had apparently emptied it too, she noticed.

"I'm taking a shower," she announced to Demon, who had moved from his
sunbathing spot to curl up in on the couch.

Demon didn't feel he needed to reply to that, and decided it would be good
time for a catnap.

Kaoru sighed as eased herself into the shower. Hot water, shampoo and
conditioner, a razor… "Oh how I missed thee. All a girl needs to feel good is hot
water, jasmine oil and a box of chocolates and viola! Instant bliss." Kaoru
reminded herself to make a date with her bathtub and chocolate later on the week.

Kaoru turned off the water and reached to grab a towel.

She frowned; apparently she'd forgotten one for her hair.

Shrugging, she wrapped the one she did have around herself and slipped out of
the bathroom to grab a towel from her hair.

And to her annoyance she found there were no towels left in the linen closet.

"Knew I had forgotten to do something: Laundry!" she muttered as she stalked
to the laundry room at the back of her apartment.

She opened the door and blinked.

Apparently, Kenshin had come back from flying while she was in the shower.

"Kenshin… are you doing… laundry?" she asked faintly.

Kenshin jumped a bit and whirled around at the sound of her voice.

"I noticed there were no towels in the closet and…." his voice trailed off as
he looked at her, his amber eyes suddenly sharp and… hungry. Kaoru had a
vision of how she looked— clad in only a towel that could barely be considered
decent, with her heart wet and curling around her face and shoulders. Suddenly,
she felt like slamming the door and running into her room and staying there for
the rest of the day.

"Oh hells," she thought nervously.

"Um… well… I'll be in the bedroom then…" 'Crap! Did that just sound like
invitation?' She backed out of the door hastily. "I'll see you later then. Bye!"

She turned to leave and froze as she felt him touch her wrist. 'How did he
move so fast?'

"Kaoru," he murmured, his voice husky.

Kaoru closed her eyes and fought back a whimper, frozen in her tracks.
"Dammit. I'll make him call me 'Kaoru-dono' maybe that'll have less affect one m
than just plain 'Kaoru'." She thought dimly.

She caught her breath as he trailed his fingertips from her wrist, along her
arm over her bare shoulder, and, feather-light, over the skin of her neck,
stopping to cradle the base of her skull. Kenshin dipped his head to lay a gentle
kiss over the pulse on her neck and she felt her knees weaken.

One arm snaked around her waist, holding her against him as he grazed her
neck with his teeth, and Kaoru choked back a whimper.

"Please…" she didn't know what she was asking for. For him to stop, for him
to continue… her brain had stopped functioning completely the second he had
said her name.

Kenshin turned her to face him and kissed her, gently at first, but then with
a single-minded desperation that made her tremble. He broke the kiss and
trailed his lips along her jaw line back down to her throat, nipping at the soft
skin just above her pulse. Biting hard, and then laving the spot gently with his
tongue, soothing away the pain.

Kaoru was acutely aware that she was wearing a towel with nothing underneath,
and one slip of it she would be naked… and her mind stopped processing after
that thought…

Kaoru reached up and tangled her hands in his hair, pulling his mouth back to
hers.

"Want you," he breathed softly against her mouth.

Kaoru whimpered something in reply. She didn't know what it was that she said
but it was a 'yes' however it came out.

Kenshin smiled against her mouth, and Kaoru felt herself being picked up.

"Where?" she asked softly.

"Well the couch is closer, but I think you'd prefer a bed."

Kaoru glared at him. "And how are you thinking at a moment like this, exactly?"

"Haven't a clue," he replied cheerfully, capturing her mouth once again.

Somehow, Kenshin maneuvered the two of them down the hallway and into her
bedroom, nudging open the door with a foot.

He walked across the room and laid her down upon the bed, and Kaoru saw
herself reflected in his eyes: black hair spread across the sheets, lips swollen
from kisses, eyes dark… she felt her body tighten.

"Come here," she murmured.

Kenshin eyes flickered, and he ducked his head, bangs falling across his eyes.
"Are you certain?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

"Yes," she said, her voice equally as hushed.

Kenshin placed his hands on the bed and crawled over to her. Muscles rippling
underneath his skin—had he been wearing a shirt or had he lost it? Kaoru
found she couldn't remember—the movements so innately seductive and sensual that
she bit back a moan.

Kaoru grabbed a handful of hair and pulled his mouth down to hers. Kenshin
straddled her, his arms bracing on either side of her head, and she writhed against him.

Why was he taking it so damn slowly? How in hell was he taking it so damn
slowly! He hadn't had sex in fifteen hundred years! Kaoru was half-expecting him
to suddenly rip the towel from her body and do her right there.

Obviously, he had other plans.

"I'm in no hurry," his lips curved into a smile, clearly reading the thoughts
in her eyes. He brushed his lips over her neck, tongue flicking out to trace
the curve of her collarbones. He suddenly paused and buried his face against
her neck breathing her scent deep.

"Touch me," Kaoru said softly.

Kenshin's amber eyes were dark. "Where?"

"Anywhere," she wanted to say. "Everywhere."

Kaoru's eyes fluttered closed as he gently traced the shape of her face with
a finger, following the arch of her eyebrows… the curve of her cheekbones…
across her lips… She nipped at his finger and he laughed the sound low and
sending shivers through her.

His finger trailed over her neck, dipping in the v-shaped hollow at the base
of her throat. Kaoru felt like a line of fire was following the trail of his
touch and made a soft hungry sound.

Kenshin laughed again, and kissed her, and she melted against him.

"Now," she said. "Please, now." She felt like she would go mad if she couldn't
feel him, all of him. His skin against hers… his mouth and tongue… She
wanted him, every bit of him…in her, against her, there with her….

"Yes," Kenshin's voice was a purr, and it took all of Kaoru's restraint not to
pounce him.

He kissed her again once more, both hungry and sweet at the same time. When
he pulled away, it was Kaoru who was purring. She felt his hand ghost along her
towel-covered side, slipping to undo the knot that held it closed….

"Hello! Kaoru? Kenshin?"

"Shit!" both of them said in unison.

Misao.

Kaoru gave a frustrated glance at the clock. It read eleven thirty.

"She better have a damn good reason for coming early," Kaoru seethed.

"Are you sure she doesn't have a death wish?" Kenshin's eyes were nearly black.

"I'm really starting to wonder," Kaoru muttered darkly.

"HELLO!" Misao's voice rang through the apartment. "Kaoru, you better not
have run away!"

"I. Am. Going. To. Kill. Her." Kenshin snarled.

Kaoru shook her head. "Aoshi would kill you and I'd like to keep you alive
thank you very much. Will you go out there and keep her company while I get
dressed. And no maiming her."

Kenshin gave a longing look, but shook his head and grumbled something under
his breath. "Can I tie her up?"

"No, that falls under the category of maiming her."

"KAORU?" Misao's voice sounded closer.

Kaoru cursed eloquently under her breath. She'd die before letting Misao
barge in on her dressed as she was.

"Get out there and distract her," she gave Kenshin a shove off of her. "I'll
be out in a moment."

Kenshin sighed and raked a hand through his bangs. With a visible show of
effort, he turned and walked out of the bedroom closing the door firmly behind
him.

Kaoru closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

'Kaoru what are you doing?' Kaoru asked herself.

'Isn't it obvious?' Kaoru's-self answered back.

'Painfully so,' she agreed.

'Well then, what do you propose we do about it?'

'We can't do anything. It's too late to fall out of love.'

000

"Oh, there you are," Misao said, as Kenshin appeared. She was sitting on the couch with Demon curled in her lap, petting him.

She peeked over his shoulder. "Is Kaoru here?"

"Yes," Kenshin replied, his voice clipped.

"Good, I had thought she'd run away," Misao muttered.

"How did you get in?" Kenshin asked.

Of Demon, he asked, "Why did you let her in?"

"I was asleep," Demon replied, giving a very convincing yawn.

"Sure you were," Kenshin glared.

"The door was unlocked," Misao said.

Kenshin looked at her. He was sure the door had been locked last when he came in last night, and since he used the trap door up to the roof, he hadn't used it.

So it hadn't been him who'd unlocked it.

He gave Demon a questioning glance.

"Like I can open the door, Kenshin," Demon said sarcastically. "No opposable thumbs remember?" He flexed his claws to prove his point. "I can walk through it, but I can't manually open it."

"Point," Kenshin conceded.

"Oh, Kaoru, there you!" Misao said.

Kenshin looked over his shoulder to see Kaoru appear, her hair tied up in a messy bun and a pair of jeans and a t-shirt thrown on.

Never let it be said Misao wasn't smart. She glanced back and forth between the two of them, taking in Kaoru's frazzled appearance and Kenshin's short temper. And she put two and two together quite quickly. The rather large hickey on Kaoru's neck helped her thought processes somewhat.

"Did I, um... interrupt something?" She asked softly.

Kaoru sighed, "Why are you here so early? I said after noon. Not eleven thirty. Not twelve. After twelve."

'I'll take that as a yes,' Misao thought to herself, noticing how Kaoru had dodged the question.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" she asked.

Kaoru nodded. "Yes, Kenshin made it."

Misao blinked at him. "You made breakfast?"

"Yes," Kenshin replied.

"Well... anyway. Let's go to a nice cafe for coffee. Is that okay?"

"Fine," Kenshin said.

"We'll bring you back something, Demon," Misao gave his head one last pat before rising.

Demon watched the trio leave and didn't move for a moment.

Kenshin hadn't expected a thing. He'd been alternately too absorbed in Kaoru and too angry at Misao to sense anything properly. Sloppy...Kenshin...very sloppy... and stupid too…

Demon's lips curled. Of all things, he detested stupidity the most, and Kaoru and Kenshin weren't acting like the brightest bulbs in the box at the moment.

Slowly and thoroughly, he concentrated on erasing all angelic aura from the apartment. Kenshin would never know, and that might end up being a good thing.

Demon had been sleeping when he first sensed the angel outside the door. Quickly, he had slipped into the shadows under the bed and cloaked his aura. In his current form, he was powerless.

The angel was a Fallen one, and Demon bared his teeth taking in his appearance.

Hair the color of sapphires tied back in a high ponytail, and the distinctive golden eyes that marked all Fallen as what they were - Fallen-Angels. Dressed in a business suit, he scanned the apartment with apparent interest. His head cocked in the direction of the bedroom, and Demon choked back a snarl.

Shrugging, the Fallen-Angel made a circuit of the room, examining everything closely but not touching any of it, for fear of leaving an imprint that could be traced. Eyes narrowed, he walked out of the apartment and the door closed behind him.

Demon had barely gotten out from under the couch when Misao had knocked on the door and bounded into the apartment, finding it unlocked.

000

The café was packed with people, most of whom were in the line trailing out the door, just there to grab a coffee and go. There was an empty booth, and Misao pushed through the crowd to snag it.

"Kenshin, go get us something to drink," she ordered, pulling out several bills and tossing them to him.

"Misao… the line is going halfway down the block…" Kaoru's voice trailed off as Misao shot her a look.

Oh right… girl talk…

Kaoru sighed.

"Kenshin, will you please go get us something to drink? I'd like a Chai latte, and Misao will take a French Vanilla Cappuccino. You can get whatever you like for yourself. Oh! And a blueberry muffin, please."

Kenshin looked back and forth between the two of them, and then gave a slight nod, disappearing through the crowd and out the door to stand in line.

"So," Misao propped her chin upon her hand. "Spill. Everything. Now."

"Like what?" Kaoru asked.

Misao made an exasperated sound. "Like everything! How serious are you about him? Should Megumi and I be breaking out the knives? Should I sic Aoshi on him? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!"

Kaoru chewed her lip.

"Okay," Misao blew out an exasperated breath. "It appears I'm going to have to go digging for the answers. Let's play twenty questions. One, are you serious about him?"

"Yes," Kaoru murmured.

"Okay… number two: does he love you?"

"Yes… I think so…. Yes," Kaoru nodded.

"Good," Misao sounded pleased. "Is anything like rat-bastard Shoutarou?"

"No!"

"Even better," Misao's eyes glittered nastily.

"Whatever happened to Shoutarou, anyway?" Kaoru asked, a tad bit warily.

Misao shrugged. "Apparently, he took your money and booked the fastest plane to New Zealand, from what Aoshi can gather."

Kaoru flinched.

"Different topic, then... How did you and Kenshin meet? Did he really just appear out of nowhere from that pendant you're wearing around your neck?"

"Yes," Kaoru touched it gently.

"It's nice." Misao's eyes narrowed and she leaned closer. "What do all those squiggly lines on it mean?"

"Protect and Serve," Kenshin said from behind them.

Misao jumped, a bit guiltily, and gave him a smile. "Oh! You bought the drinks!" She swiped them out of his hands and gave Kaoru's hers, knowing which was which by the smell. Taking a big gulp, she leaned back against the wall and sighed happily.

Kenshin shook his head and sat down beside Kaoru, wrapping an arm lightly around her waist.

"Why can't Misao read what the pendant says?" Kaoru asked softly.

"Only descendants of the Kasshin bloodline can," Kenshin explained.

"Ah." Kaoru took a sip of her chai latte.

"Kenshin!" Misao wailed suddenly. "You forgot the blueberry muffins!"

"What?" Kenshin asked looking confused.

"Kaoru, go get the muffins since he forgot them."

"Why do I have to go?"

Misao stuck her tongue out. "Because he's your boyfriend and he forgot them, that's why."

Somehow, it made sense.

"Fine," Kaoru took the money Misao offered her and went to go get the muffins, cursing under her breath as the line seemed to have expanded.

"So…" Misao drawled, arching an eyebrow at Kenshin, "Alone at last."

Kenshin looked at her.

Misao smiled. "Don't worry. I don't bite."

"Could have fooled me," Kenshin muttered not sounding at all convinced.

Misao laughed, and took another gulp of her cappuccino.

Kenshin eyed the small white cup in her hands a bit nervously. Suddenly, he was getting the feeling that caffeine and Misao were not a good combination at all.

"Question time for you," Misao announced.

Kenshin blinked. "Pardon?"

"You're dating my best friend, so I have to make sure you're worthy."

"Uh-huh," Kenshin said.

"You promise to be good to her?" Misao asked.

'Didn't I already say that?' Kenshin wondered. Out loud he said, "Yes."

"Good," Misao eyed him thoughtfully. "Kaoru hasn't had the best luck with men. Her last boyfriend was a royal jerk-off who fled the country on fear of his life and manhood because had we gotten a hold of him we would have castrated him and then defenestrated him onto a sharp spike."

Kenshin blanched. What was it with this girl and castrating people?

"What did he do?" Kenshin asked; voice a soft growl, amber eyes flashing.

"You'll have to ask Kaoru that – she made me promise never to tell anyone."

"That bad?" Whoever her last boyfriend had been… if he ever came near her again Kenshin would make him wish he'd never be born… and then hand him over to Misao, who seemed so gleefully ready to hurt him.

"Yes that bad," Misao's eyes were dark and her usual chipper voice was solemn. "Bad enough that she had to get out of the country for a year to deal with everything." Misao suddenly dug in her pocket and pulled out several crumpled pieces of paper. "She wrote these."

Carefully Kenshin opened them and smoothed them out so he could read:

Numb

Never wanted to feel like this

Under the pressure, I collapse

Make the pain go away please

Bring me smiles and not tears

Sadness

Storm clouds cover

A twilight streaked sky - she

Dances beneath it

Never letting the pain show

Every movement hides a

Secret that

She will never tell

Ashen

A shattered mirror

Shows my fractured reflection

Hollow eyes - empty of soul search

Endlessly for a friend

Needing comfort in a dark world

Wild

What was it that

I wanted to be

Lonely was never it

Despair robbed me of hope

Kenshin felt his throat close.

"What did he do to her?" He asked his voice vicious.

Misao shook her head and raised a finger to her lips.

Glancing over his shoulder, Kenshin saw Kaoru threading her way through the crowd over to them. Discreetly, he shoved the poems back over to Misao, who pocketed them.

"There, I got the muffins." Kaoru announced, setting the plate down.

Misao squealed, grabbed one, and took a bite.

"I've got muffins. I've got cappuccino. I've got my best friend back! Life is good!"

Kaoru snorted and gave one of the muffins to Kenshin before taking one for herself.

"So, what were you talking to Kenshin about?" She asked curiously.

"The wedding, when the two of you deciding to get married," Misao said blithely. "We were thinking of bringing in a visual kei band to do the music, and having the wedding ceremony in a graveyard."

Kaoru made a choking noise, and Kenshin helpfully pounded on her back.

"You. Are. Evil. Incarnate." She ground out when she could finally breathe.

Misao smiled sweetly. "But you love me so much!"

"You're insane. Insane people deserve our love and compassion," Kaoru informed her.

Misao pouted softly. "So, if I was sane you wouldn't love me?"

Kaoru eyed her. "I might."

Misao smiled. "I feel loved again."

Kenshin snorted.

Misao glanced down at her wristwatch. "I've got to go! Promised to meet Aoshi for lunch!" She got up from the table and gave Kaoru a hug and a kiss on the cheek. To Kenshin, she gave only a hug.

"I'll see you all later! Baiiii!" She dodged the crowd and left the café.

Kaoru stared after her shaking her head slowly. "Misao… got to love her."

"You have… very interesting friends…," Kenshin murmured.

Kaoru looked at him curiously. "So, what were you and Misao talking about exactly?"

"Now that," Kenshin said, taking a bite of his blueberry muffin, "Would be telling, wouldn't it?

000

Demon opened one eye as he felt an aura approaching. 'Seems like today is just not my day for catnaps.' It was an angelic aura – but not a full-angel. It was like Kenshin. But this was definitely not Kenshin.

The half-angel paused at the door, and then simply walked through it.

Demon blinked.

He knew who this was.

The other stared at him with an ironically amused smile.

"Well I didn't expect to see you here," he said.

'Likewise,' Demon replied. 'Though it is good to see you again. Finally, someone with sense.'

"What you doing in that form?" The half-angel's golden eyes narrowed.

'You see what happens to you after being locked away from your power for fifteen hundred years.' Demon grumbled. 'Give me a day or two, and I'll have amassed enough power to be back in my regular form. Kenshin's the same. He isn't quite back to where he was.'

"So, he's free too," The other Fallen angel said.

Demon snorted, 'He's alive and well. He's with Kaoru at the moment.'

"Ah," he suddenly tilted his head to the side as if listening. "Here he comes now."

His aura suddenly dimmed until it was almost undetectable.

The next second the door opened and Kenshin walked in, followed by Kaoru.

Kenshin froze, a snarl working its way up his throat. "You!"

"Saitou!" Kaoru cried. She pushed past Kenshin to go to him and to Kenshin's amazement gave him a huge hug.

Kenshin's amazement grew as Saitou smiled at her, apparently happy to see her. It was so genuine an expression that it set his teeth on edge.

"You know him?" he asked.

Kaoru turned her head to look at him and nodded. "Of course I do. He's my godfather."

Demon laughed at Kenshin's bewildered expression.

"Wait," Kaoru's eyes widened. "How do you know each other?"

'Saitou's been your family friend for a long time.' Demon injected. 'A very, very long time.' He looked so amused by all of this that Kenshin felt like throttling him.

Kaoru blinked, "don't tell me you're two thousand years old as well."

"Two thousand two hundred and fifty," Saitou replied.

Behind Kaoru, Kenshin was still snarling softly. "Thought you would have gone away after Tokio died."

"Well, someone had to guard them after you vanished."

Kenshin continued to snarl.

"Kenshin," Kaoru sighed. "Keep making that noise and I'll hit you hard. I don't know what history you and Saitou have but be civil please."

Kenshin stopped snarling but the glare didn't leave his face.

"Saitou, do you want some tea?" Kaoru asked. "Oh! I brought something back for you! Wait here!"

She disappeared into the back room, where the boxes of knickknacks were being stored, and appeared a moment later carrying a small brown box in her hand. Kenshin had seated himself, still glaring, opposite Saitou, and Saitou was ignoring him, which apparently was pissing Kenshin off even more.

"Here." She handed it to Saitou, and sat down next to Kenshin, who wrapped his arm around her waist tightly. She elbowed him, and he loosened his grip, but didn't remove his hand.

Saitou opened it up and took out a small crystal sculpture of a wolf howling.

"It's Waterford Crystal from Ireland." Kaoru said.

Saitou smiled, "it's lovely. Thank you."

Kenshin started snarling again, and then yelped as Kaoru drove her elbow into his stomach.

Demon continued to look amused, which was not helping the situation any.

"So, when did you find him and free him?" Saitou asked conversationally.

"A week ago," Kenshin replied tensely.

"And you've been imprisoned all this time?" Saitou asked. "That must have been interesting."

"What happened for Kenshin to end up that way?" Kaoru asked.

"Now, that you'll have to ask Kenshin, as it is not my story to tell," Saitou said.

Kaoru looked at Kenshin who closed his eyes, lips tight.

"Well, I must be going now." Saitou rose to his feet. "I was just stopping by to check on my goddaughter and say hello."

Kenshin twitched.

"It was good seeing you again, Kenshin." The pleasant-faced mask was back on Saitou's features, and Kenshin swallowed a snarl.

"I will see you all again—soon." Saitou turned and opened the door, leaving.

"So he's your godfather?" Kenshin asked, a bit dubiously.

"Yep," Kaoru smiled slightly. "You try growing up with him. I didn't date until I was in college because all the boys were terrified of him. He took me in after my parents died."

"Ah," Kenshin buried his face against her neck, tension draining from his body.

"So, tell me exactly how you and Saitou know each other?" Kaoru asked.

"Another time," Kenshin said. "What do you want for lunch?"

Kaoru sighed grudgingly. "Fine, you'll tell me eventually, I guess. Whatever you feel like making for lunch is good for me."

"Katsudon and Miso?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru nodded.

'I'll find out what's going on.' She thought to herself as she watched Kenshin bustle about the kitchenette. 'Sooner or later. I'm just getting the feeling that I won't like what I find out.' She sighed. 'But you're not the only one with a secret.'