EL 9

Quality Time Together

"So which floor do you live on?"

Kenshin's hands unconsciously pointed to the blue-gray tiled floor they were standing on. "This floor. Please follow me." He turned with a wave of his hand. He then fished around in his jeans pocket for his key…the door clicked open. He held the door to let Kaoru enter. A small wave of nervousness washed over him suddenly as the 'eager' woman brushed against his hand without any awareness of causing him this feeling.

Kaoru entered into a very simple living room. Sparsely furnished, but with a touch of elegance. She looked around for pictures, but found only one. It stood alone a top a mahogany corner table. The woman's lips curved into a slight smile in the photo. Thick, long, dark bangs framed her paler than the moon face, but intensified her almost ravenous orbs. Her eyes held a wistful look despite her smile.

"Would you like anything to eat?"

The sudden voice of Kenshin startled her. "Oh, I'd like some juice." Moments later he returned. "Thanks."

"Are you two related?" asked Kaoru pointing to the sole picture.

Kenshin glanced at the picture. In reply he gave Kaoru a wistful smile just like the one in the picture. "She's my ex-wife"

Kaoru realized her mistake; she had sailed into unsafe waters. She finished with a soft, "Oh, sorry."

"No, don't be. So…" said Kenshin changing the topic "…were you and Sano planning to do anything together?" He was referring to why she was here.

Flustered at the mention of Sano's name she said no. " I came here to move Sano's things by myself. She emphasized 'by myself' as if to evoke deep sympathy from her companion.

Kenshin waited, but she didn't continue. He was confused that Sano would make Kaoru do such a thing. He seemed like a nice person. "Why did he make you do that?" And that set everything off. Everything that she had been bottling up since today exploded. She went into excruciating detail about why she was in this position in the first place.

A long while later ( with several bouts of exaggeration included)…

An awkward silence took place after Kaoru finished her ranting. Sure Kenshin could do nothing but agree with her, but what else was he supposed to do? He barely even knew the woman. Finally: silence led to nervousness and nervousness led to someone cracking under the pressure. "…Do you like to play games?" asked the redheaded man, not knowing what else to do.

Kaoru thought it an odd question. A very odd question. She nodded with a slow yes. Kenshin promptly left the room ,and returned a few minutes later with an old board game. "Do you like checkers?"

"Yeah! I love it."

A few hours later (filled with giggles and confusion)

"That was fun. I haven't played since I was a teenager."

"It was fun Miss Kaoru.", said Kenshin relaxing on the floor.

The sky outside was dark now and the bright twinkling stars that usually hid during the day began to come out and dot the sky like fallen confetti on the floor. Kaoru glanced at the window from her seat on the couch. 'When will that jackass come home?' As if some higher being answered her question, she saw a familiar dark Toyota pulling into the apartment complex's property. She also saw chocolate colored rooster-like hair sticking out of the open automobile window. Her blood boiled. Boy did she have a mouthful to say to him. She rose from her seat determined to chastise him. Kaoru excused herself from Kenshin's presence and said that she'd be right back.

Sano had a wonderful, carefree day. He drove home expecting everything to be in order and have all his items transferred to the apartment. He expected wrong. He expected wrong because Hell was waiting for him at the entrance to the apartment building not to mention his unmoved items were waiting for him outside too.

AN: Well how was it? Liked it? Hated it? Blah? Let me know what you think. Hopefully my update will be sooner than my other updating periods. And AGAIN(for those who missed it in the last chapter): you can check my profile nowto see progress/updates on my stories.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed.