Dealing with a Kitsune on the Hunt
By: SeaGreen

Again, longggg time in the making. Actually, it took just a few short hours but the story itself has become dusty in my hard drive… I wrote this part a while back, but I wanted to expand on it. Yeah, I know. It's still indecently short. I'll try harder now that I'm some what free, key words, some what. Reviews really do encourage me, and let me know I'm not just writing for an audience of me. So, on to part three!

Part 3, Interlude: The Prey Doubles Back

The dinner was a huge success. Not only was there an abundance of food but it actually tasted decent. The only possible explanation for the odd phenomenon was the presence of the Kitsune in the kitchen.

"This food is excellent. Thank you," Kenshin smiled softly as he was served another bowl.

"Yrha, tsis foag ies afwsuum!" stated Sano as he stuffed his face full and grabbed for another serving of the delicious tempura dish.

"Thanks you guys! I'm so glad you like it," smiled Kaoru. Her face was still flushed from the kitchen's heat and other things besides.

The tomboy was completely at odds with the elegant Megumi. She couldn't help herself from becoming unbelievably annoyed with the teasing woman. Throughout the entire preparation of the dinner, Megumi had endlessly antagonized her. Little comments about her boyishness, little shoves and pushes, and who did she think she was! With all those cute flirting smiles.

'Arg! Why did I just think that? Her smiles are like warnings of the Battosai. She's so evil and delectable. Delectable? What in the world is wrong with me?' Kaoru fumed as she turned a decidedly darker shade of red.

From across the table the Kitsune was thinking along the same lines as her prey.

'Hmm, cooking in that kitchen was very … hot,' thought Megumi. She and Kaoru had argued and fought over the preparation of the food. It had been quite heated and rather physical. The kitchen was not a huge space. It was the size of a large closet. Having the two combative women in a pintsized space, as temperatures rose drastically from heat of the stoves, was like putting oil on a fire.

Shoving and arguing Kaoru managed to dump a large bowl of water all over the laughing Megumi's head. Her dark forest green hair became almost black in color as it stuck to any of her exposed skin. Water dripped down her face and down into her robes…

Everything was dead silent as the Kitsune stood completely still eyes closed. The offender just watched with horrified eyes and an open mouth. Slowly Megumi arched her back slightly as her hands drew up over her wet chest and through her drenched hair. With her chin tilted slightly up and her eyes cast down in a seductive half closed way she murmured, "Kaoru I think you owe me a trip to the bathes tonight".

Now sitting at the dinner table dressed in slightly shorter dry robes, Megumi smiled like the cat that ate the canary.

'Oh, I just cannot wait to bathe with my little Kaoru tonight,' she nearly purred in her mind. Kaoru had been adorably shy as she offered her friend and rival her clothes as they left the cooking food for a short time. Eyes down in shame, she handed over her longest set of robes to the taller dripping woman. Stepping behind the opaque white dressing panels the Kitsune began to strip and peel the wet layers off her body. Kaoru could see the voluptuous shadows through the panels. Her rival stretched as layers were pulled down and off. The blushing girl couldn't tear her blue eyes away from Megumi's revealed body. Even her silhouette was exquisite with smooth curving lines, and elegant flowing hair. With that Kaoru let out a startled beat and spun around.

The red that had suffused the tomboy's face had not dissipated since. Mentally groaning, Kaoru continually berated herself for being very stupid and very clumsy. Again she wondered what kind of trouble she'd get into tonight at the public baths with Megumi.

Walking to the local bathhouse, neither Megumi nor Kaoru spoke. The tomboy was still flustered and completely frustrated.

'What am I thinking! I'm just being stupid. Megumi always teases me. What's so different now?' And with that thought she nearly groaned in audible aggravation.

The mischievous woman had been constantly teasing and joking with her the last couple days. Taunting her and touching her.

'Oh yes, the touching,' Kaoru thought with a blush and a grimace.

An errant hand gently moving her aside, a warm embrace from behind while preparing the rice, whispered teases close enough to feel, and so many other little seemingly insignificant gestures. Sure these things were common enough before, but now…Now they seemed so…intimate … caring.

She glanced at the troubling woman in question. Megumi walked by Kaoru's side as regally as ever with a slight smile on her lips and a twinkle in her deep onyx eyes. Even though her borrowed robes were slightly shorter than her regular ones, she still managed to wear them with an uncanny grace. As they walked on, a slight summer breeze picked up and sent Megumi's slightly damp long hair gently twirling. With her free hand she tucked back her fluttering bangs, and Kaoru was caught breathless. Ripping her eyes away after a moment that seemed like eternity, she turned her head and began to silently curse.

'How can she be so beautiful? What does she want from me? From Kenshin? Or could it be Sano? What games is this evil woman playing? Maybe she's just trying to get a bigger rise out of me than usual. Or is she trying to challenge me for Kenshin's affections? Is that what she's doing? She's probably trying to scare me off with her odd behavior so she can have Kenshin to herself as I run and hide. If so, I'm not going to be scared off by her! Two can play this game!' With that Kaoru swore that the tables would turn and it would be the Kitsune not the blushing girl that would run in fear.

Hm. Who is going to be chasing whom? Hm. Find out on tommorow's exciting episode! Just kidding!