Chapter: 7
$Money$
He followed Kaoru through the halls like a lost dog. Kenshin had been in Sano's house millions of times before but Kaoru seemed to be in a haze of anger, which could result in injury to him. Kenshin just kept following her through the hall down the stairs and out the door. He didn't dare pull any stunt in the street this time; she wouldn't take as kindly to his rough ways. He stayed on the sidewalk and refused to cross into the street until necessary.
Kenshin stayed about three feet behind her staying far enough behind her for his own safety yet close enough to smell the jasmine in her hair. She walked fuming almost so angry she couldn't concentrate on where she was going.
'Where am I? Oh yea.' Kaoru thought as she laughed at herself. Kenshin whispered something behind her about her laughing at nothing and how if he asked about it she probably would knock his head off. 'Megumi annoys me and puts me in a bad mood yes but I wouldn't hurt any one else but her.' Kaoru thought as she listened to the dry sounds of the suburb. She herd machinery from a few blocks away were they were going to add on to their suburb.
Kaoru was getting tired of trudging this same block day after day. When she arrived at Kenshin's she was going to ask him how long she would have to stay with him.
'At times he is really nice but that gets really old. Sometimes I think I need a man who can hold me in his big strong arms and who is confidant and daring. He needs to only have respect for those who give it to him and be almost a bad ass. But he still needs to care for me and love me with all his heart. Yeah...that's what I want' Kaoru thought smiling.
She dreamily walked into Kenshins house dreaming of a big strong caring man caressing her. Then she remembered the one good piece of advice her step mother ever told her: That men that are strong big caring and basically everything a woman could want are either faking it for sex, taken, or gay.
She walked down stairs to her room and jumped on her bed. She lay on her back with her eyes closed dreaming of a man she knew doesn't exist. Then she heard the light footsteps of Kenshin walking down stairs. She sat up on her bed and looked at the door waiting for his knock. She heard his soft knock and she smiled having already memorized it.
"Come in." Kaoru said trying to hide her daze of hunky fake love. Kenshin slowly opened the door and poked his head in.
"Kaoru, dinner is ready." He said quietly trying to keep her peace. She nodded and lay back down hoping he would walk away. He didn't. He just stayed in the same position looking at her from a distance. Kaoru sat up and slid her legs to the side of the bed. She looked over to Kenshin and the eye contact snapped him back into reality. He closed the door with a light red on his cheeks. She shook her head and stood up checking her smell for any body odor. She walked to her dresser and applied a little deodorant and sprayed some jasmine perfume.
She began to walk away when she remembered hearing the deep intake of breath when Kenshin ran up to her. She knew he tried to make it seem like he was out of breath from the sprint but she knew he loved her smell. She took a step back and sprayed a little more of perfume on her. She smiled and walked out the door. She floated up the stairs and into the kitchen. She sat down on her usual chair and picked up her fork.
She drifted off into her own world and slowly began to eat. Kenshin couldn't help but stare at her...this was one of the weird girl moments he guessed so he just left her alone. Then Kaoru snapped out of her daze enough to remember the question she wanted to ask him.
"Kenshin, how long do I have to stay at your house again?" she asked smoothly. He looked at her for a long time trying to figure out what she was thinking about that made her ask him that. He hoped that the glazed love-stricken look wasn't her thinking of a man. Starting to feel slightly out of control of the situation Kenshin huskily answered.
"Umm- im not sure." Kenshin said in a some-what husky voice. Kaoru left her plate full of food and picked it up set it in the fridge for later and began charging down the stairs. She jumped in her bed and fell asleep dreaming of her mystery man with rugged good looks and strong gentle arms. The next day she woke up with a fresh new start and a fresh new mind unlike the dirty one she had the other day.
Kaoru sat up smiling and noticed she was still in her clothes from yesterday. She changed into a light green shirt and pulled out the hair tie in her hair. Her black locks fell to her back and shined blue in the light. Though her hair was silky and smooth it didn't mean it wasn't ruffled and messy. She brushed out her hair and pulled it back up into a ponytail.
She walked up the stairs and into the kitchen were she rummaged through the fridge from the threatening growl growing in her stomach. She walked over to a cabinet and found some cereal. She poured a bowl and began eating. She looked around the kitchen and found herself alone. Kenshin wasn't sleeping so he must be some where for work or something. Kaoru looked around and found a bright green sticky note. She walked up to it after finishing off her cereal. It read:
Kaoru, Gone to ally for work. I'll be home at 4:30. Help yourself to the house and everything in it. Kenshin
Kaoru smiled.
"Help myself to the house and everything in it!" Kaoru exclaimed. She jumped up and down. She didn't care were Kenshin was, she had his house his cars his money his everything. She ran up the stairs and into the master bedroom. She ran into the bathroom in there seeing a huge tub in a rounded rectangle. She turned on the water and threw off her clothes. She washed her hair in the sink near the tub so she didn't have to dirty the water. Then she sponged herself down getting rid of as much dirt and grease as she could.
She waited until the tub was full and the bathroom was steamy. She lit about 20 candles stationed in the bathroom and turned on the radio to a rock station (the zone). She turned off the lights and stuck her toe in the water testing its heat. She pulled back from the steaming water and winced. Then she slowly slid her foot into the water, then the rest of her releasing a sigh of relief.
She soaked in the tub listening to rock music and singing along in the semi- darkness for over an hour until she looked at her hands. Though it was very dark in the bathroom she had realized a significant amount of time had slipped through her fingers because the candles were very low, some of them already at there end. Also her hands were prune-like and she hated the feeling of being so wet she's dry.
She jumped out of the tub turning on a light and extinguishing the candles. She wrapped herself in a amber colored robe she found in the closet and walked down stairs. The light coming from the hallway was so bright she had to shield her eyes from the sun. There were no windows in the bathroom and Kaoru had gotten used to darkness in there. She practically ran down the staircase careful not to fall because it would be a long way down.
When she got to her room she poked around her suitcase and found some suitable clothes. However Kenshin hadn't done laundry in a while and she had to wear a tight white shirt and a black bra. She groaned and ran up to Kenshin's room. She looked through his closet feeling a bit naughty. She found a suitable black shirt at the far back of his closet probably from a long time ago because it fit her every curve perfectly.
Kenshin wasn't curvy so she assumed it was a woman's shirt from some overnight fiasco. She shrugged and happily wore the shirt. She ran back down to the main level and searched for car keys. She didn't look very hard when she thought she should see if he had another car. She opened a door to the garage and found a brand new jaguar convertible.
She almost fell on the floor. "This car is gorgeous!" Kaoru said as her voice caught the walls and echoed through the garage. And then for the first time she saw that the garage wasn't just a two-car garage. This garage was huge, like a parking garage in Chicago huge! She began walking through looking at all the cars. She saw a small yellow Volkswagen, a 1879 red convertible, a small black spider, and a red H2. Kaorus mouth fell to the ground.
"I think I'll take the spider." she said jumping into the car. She fished around in the seats hoping to find the keys in the car. "Damn it Kenshin why aren't you stupid and put the keys in the car?" kaoru asked the air. She stepped into the house and began to search the house hoping he didn't have the keys on his key chain he has with him.
'Call his cell phone or don't call his cell phone, that is the question.' Kaoru thought. She looked in his coat pockets and looked in his laundry room. She came up with nothing so she did what the streets taught her. She walked into the garage and began to hot wire the car.
Before she knew it she was driving to the locksmith. She pulled up and walked into the shop. She rang the small bell and a cashier came quickly to the counter anxious to talk to her.
"How may I help you miss?" The boy asked her. He was around her age and slim but muscular.
"You could do me a huge favor." She said seductively. He practically melted under charms but regained control once he realized she was tricky.
"I'm going to need ID proof of purchase of the car and a license." He said to her winking. She smiled and bated her eyes. She then pulled out her wallet and showed him her ID and license. "Give me your proof of purchase and I'll see what I can do." He said walking out to see the car she had. He eyed the car suspiciously.
"Excuse me. Are you new to this area because the only person here with this kind of car is Kenshin Himura?" He said skeptically.
"Really?" She said sitting on the hood of the car and crossing her legs. She slowly began to rub the hood of the car with her hand and smiled at him her head slightly cocked to the side. He began to fidget under her eternal seductive stare. She looked so innocent with her large blur eyes.
"So can you make me that key?" She asked. She shrugged.
"It'll cost you." He said to her. "But I need to see proof of purchase." He said.
"I don't have any my...brother Kenshin has the proof of purchase and its with him." She said in the most naive tone she could muster up. His eyes softened and he smiled a goofy smile as he looked at her. Just to sweeten the deal a little she pulled out some lip-gloss applied it and kissed the air supposedly "evening out" her lip-gloss. Then she winked at him and slid off the car. She walked over to him swaying her hips back and fourth while she walked. She put her finger under his chin and whispered.
"You've got the key I need." Then she began to walk away just as he was about to lean in for a kiss. Her finger trailed off his chin and she walked back into the shop. He followed her closely and got out all the materials for making the key. After about a half an hour of her blowing kissed his way hen ever he looked up from making the key, it was finished.
He held it out her and she smiled her eyes dancing with delight. She held the key in her hand and laughed with joy.
"Close your eyes and I'll give you a big surprise." She said. He anxiously closed his eyes and was a little jumpy at what was going to happen. She whipped out her purse and grabbed a sticky note. She scribbled 'Kenshin owes you' on it. She kissed the paper leaving a pink glossy lip print. She then leaned in kissing his cheek and sticking the sticky note to his forehead.
She ran back to the car and stuck the key into the hole. She relaxed with the sound of the engine revving up. He ran out of the shop and yelled.
"What's this?" He asked. She shrugged.
"Can't you read? Kenshin owes you! Just put it on his tab I swear he'll pay up!" She yelled pushing the gas and driving away leaving him in the dust.
"Call me," he whispered.
'I am good.' She thought. 'But that was wrong, you mislead an innocent boy for your own personal gain.' Her conscience argued.
"Shut up and get out of my head!" She yelled to herself. She rolled the top down and let her hair flow free in the wind. She rode quickly past the alley so Kenshin couldn't see her and rode to the mall.
After a whole day of shopping she drove home weary and satisfied. She pulled into the garage at 4:29 jumped out of the car grabbed all her bags and the key slid down the banister to her room on hid everything under the bed. She sighed and lay down on her bed waiting to hear the door click upstairs so she could welcome Kenshin as if nothing happened. She looked to the clock and found it to be 4:30 and then she heard the door open. She wearily stood up and tried to make herself look like she wasn't out all day.
She ran up the stairs to find a tired face greeting hers. "Hi Kenshin." She said in a slightly worried tone. He just nodded in her direction walking in to the laundry room to take off his trench coat and shoes. He didn't understand why he always wore the trench coat to work...even on 70 degrees day like today. He smiled closing his eyes. He walked up the stairs blindly and she followed him. She had never seen him so tired and asleep.
She ran up the stairs passing him by about a million steps it seemed. She reached the kitchen and sweat dropped.
"Kenshin I'm going to make you something to eat, but I'm a bad cook. So tonight you'll be eating microwave dinners ok?" Kaoru asked whipping out the dinners and preparing them before he could answer. He walked past her into his room and took a short shower walking out to the aroma of food. Yes it was burnt but Kenshin was hungry and didn't complain about food.
They silently ate there dinner both of them exhausted. Kaoru gave up on attempting the bubby nature because he was too incoherent to even notice she was there.
'I think he just thinks this food magically appeared here.' Kaoru thought. Once she saw he was done she picked up his plate and hers. She threw them away and watched him walk past her mumbling that it was good or something. Soon she walked down to her room and fell asleep as well. In the morning kaoru practically fell out of her bed when she saw what time she woke up. It was five in the morning when she rose from slumber.
She did go to bed at five but she had never been up at five in the morning. She didn't even know if the sun was up or not. She groggily woke herself up and walked upstairs. She passed the calendar and had a double take when she saw the date.
"It's my birthday." She silently whispered to herself. (If I said her birthday wasn't for a month or anything im sorry but I had to speed it along. I couldn't have their love go unnoticed for a month.) Now she didn't know what to do.
'Ok, if I tell Kenshin I'm nineteen I wont have to live with him much longer. But if I don't he wont know my money is accessible by me.' She thought. "Damn." She said walking into the occupied bathroom. Kenshin was standing there brushing his teeth in a towel. His violet eyes wandered over to her when she swore.
"What's wrong?" Kenshin asked. Kaorus eyes widened and she slowly lifted her eyes upward to see him. Her face began to shine a brilliant red color and she slowly began to back out of the doorway.
"Sorry, didn't know you were in here." She said. He smiled a white toothpastey smile. He moved further into the bathroom.
"It's ok." Kenshin said barely audible through the toothpaste. He spit and stuck the toothbrush back in his mouth. She timidly walked on to the cold tile and grabbed her toothbrush on the other side of his body. She made sure not to touch his exposed skin so she didn't get any ideas. She had left her toothbrush and toothpaste in his bathroom from the other day. Kaoru began to brush her teeth and she couldn't help but look at his bare skin.
Her eyes roamed over his chest but she refused to look any lower. 'Get a grip Kaoru.' She thought. When she looked up to his face he was looking at her smiling. He spit again and lowered down to the sink got a handful of water and washed his mouth of the toothpaste. Kaoru's face began to heat up but she refused to turn pink like he wanted her to.
He stood back up; a smirk was plastered on his white face. Her will to keep her face milky white instead of red was beginning to break. He opened his mouth as if he was going to comment on her fascination with his chest but he just took a deep breath causing the towel to slip further down. He caught the towel and walked out of the room still smiling.
Kaoru finished her business in the bathroom and walked out still thinking about him. She shook his image out of her head and walked down the stairs. She saw him waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her. Kaoru gave him a questioning look hoping that he wasn't going to poke fun at her for staring at his chest.
"Kaoru do you have any clothes you need me to wash?" He asked. Kaoru mentally released a sigh of relief.
"I don't know I'll check." She said continuing to walk down the stairs. When she reached her room she found the floor littered with clothes. She picked them up and walked up stairs. She gave them to Kenshin completely forgetting the towel incident. He walked upstairs with her clothes and she walked down stairs to get dressed.
Once she was dressed she walked back upstairs and pulled out a hot pocket from the fridge. She popped it in the microwave and punched in 1:30. She waited for it to finish. She ate her food and thought of what she could do at 5:30 in the morning. Kaoru walked into the family room and sat on the couch. She was board and didn't know what to do with herself today.
She already went shopping and if she went with Kenshin to work she might have to talk to Misao, Unless Kenshin didn't have to work today. Kaoru smiled at her thought and laughed evilly. Kenshin walked into the room and smiled at her. He still was having trouble ignoring her staring at him. He needed to keep that in mind for the next time they got into a fight, then he could bring it up and she would get embarrassed and shut up.
He walked up behind her and began rubbing her shoulders. She jumped at the sudden contact and spun around quickly. She looked left and right until her eyes landed on Kenshin. His hands were in the air and he was smiling.
"There's something you didn't tell me." Kenshin told her. Kaoru gulped as she turned back around not wanting to make eye contact. It was just easier for her to talk to him about important things. Also if he said something uncalled for she could add drama by turning around very quickly.
"A-And what would that be?" Kaoru asked hoping he wasn't talking about that morning.
"Well this morning-"Kenshin began. Kaoru gulped beginning to turn pink.
"Kenshin I-"Kaoru began.
"Kaoru its ok, I understand." Kenshin said to her.
'He understands? Does that mean he-' Kaoru thought. "Really?" She asked unsure of what was to come next.
"Yea, I mean who wouldn't?" He asked.
"Well. Kenshin I'm not really sure what you're telling me here."
"You may not be able to stay with me any longer. I'll have to talk to HIM." Kaorus eyes practically popped out of her head.
'Is he telling me he has to ask to stay with me?' Kaoru thought.
"Well Kaoru I know a lot of people are uncomfortable about it but it comes once a year and you cant stop it." Kenshin said beginning to rub her shoulders again sensing her uneasiness.
"Once a year? Kenshin what are you talking about?" Kaoru asked.
"Your birthday. What were you thinking?" Kenshin asked.
He followed Kaoru through the halls like a lost dog. Kenshin had been in Sano's house millions of times before but Kaoru seemed to be in a haze of anger, which could result in injury to him. Kenshin just kept following her through the hall down the stairs and out the door. He didn't dare pull any stunt in the street this time; she wouldn't take as kindly to his rough ways. He stayed on the sidewalk and refused to cross into the street until necessary.
Kenshin stayed about three feet behind her staying far enough behind her for his own safety yet close enough to smell the jasmine in her hair. She walked fuming almost so angry she couldn't concentrate on where she was going.
'Where am I? Oh yea.' Kaoru thought as she laughed at herself. Kenshin whispered something behind her about her laughing at nothing and how if he asked about it she probably would knock his head off. 'Megumi annoys me and puts me in a bad mood yes but I wouldn't hurt any one else but her.' Kaoru thought as she listened to the dry sounds of the suburb. She herd machinery from a few blocks away were they were going to add on to their suburb.
Kaoru was getting tired of trudging this same block day after day. When she arrived at Kenshin's she was going to ask him how long she would have to stay with him.
'At times he is really nice but that gets really old. Sometimes I think I need a man who can hold me in his big strong arms and who is confidant and daring. He needs to only have respect for those who give it to him and be almost a bad ass. But he still needs to care for me and love me with all his heart. Yeah...that's what I want' Kaoru thought smiling.
She dreamily walked into Kenshins house dreaming of a big strong caring man caressing her. Then she remembered the one good piece of advice her step mother ever told her: That men that are strong big caring and basically everything a woman could want are either faking it for sex, taken, or gay.
She walked down stairs to her room and jumped on her bed. She lay on her back with her eyes closed dreaming of a man she knew doesn't exist. Then she heard the light footsteps of Kenshin walking down stairs. She sat up on her bed and looked at the door waiting for his knock. She heard his soft knock and she smiled having already memorized it.
"Come in." Kaoru said trying to hide her daze of hunky fake love. Kenshin slowly opened the door and poked his head in.
"Kaoru, dinner is ready." He said quietly trying to keep her peace. She nodded and lay back down hoping he would walk away. He didn't. He just stayed in the same position looking at her from a distance. Kaoru sat up and slid her legs to the side of the bed. She looked over to Kenshin and the eye contact snapped him back into reality. He closed the door with a light red on his cheeks. She shook her head and stood up checking her smell for any body odor. She walked to her dresser and applied a little deodorant and sprayed some jasmine perfume.
She began to walk away when she remembered hearing the deep intake of breath when Kenshin ran up to her. She knew he tried to make it seem like he was out of breath from the sprint but she knew he loved her smell. She took a step back and sprayed a little more of perfume on her. She smiled and walked out the door. She floated up the stairs and into the kitchen. She sat down on her usual chair and picked up her fork.
She drifted off into her own world and slowly began to eat. Kenshin couldn't help but stare at her...this was one of the weird girl moments he guessed so he just left her alone. Then Kaoru snapped out of her daze enough to remember the question she wanted to ask him.
"Kenshin, how long do I have to stay at your house again?" she asked smoothly. He looked at her for a long time trying to figure out what she was thinking about that made her ask him that. He hoped that the glazed love-stricken look wasn't her thinking of a man. Starting to feel slightly out of control of the situation Kenshin huskily answered.
"Umm- im not sure." Kenshin said in a some-what husky voice. Kaoru left her plate full of food and picked it up set it in the fridge for later and began charging down the stairs. She jumped in her bed and fell asleep dreaming of her mystery man with rugged good looks and strong gentle arms. The next day she woke up with a fresh new start and a fresh new mind unlike the dirty one she had the other day.
Kaoru sat up smiling and noticed she was still in her clothes from yesterday. She changed into a light green shirt and pulled out the hair tie in her hair. Her black locks fell to her back and shined blue in the light. Though her hair was silky and smooth it didn't mean it wasn't ruffled and messy. She brushed out her hair and pulled it back up into a ponytail.
She walked up the stairs and into the kitchen were she rummaged through the fridge from the threatening growl growing in her stomach. She walked over to a cabinet and found some cereal. She poured a bowl and began eating. She looked around the kitchen and found herself alone. Kenshin wasn't sleeping so he must be some where for work or something. Kaoru looked around and found a bright green sticky note. She walked up to it after finishing off her cereal. It read:
Kaoru, Gone to ally for work. I'll be home at 4:30. Help yourself to the house and everything in it. Kenshin
Kaoru smiled.
"Help myself to the house and everything in it!" Kaoru exclaimed. She jumped up and down. She didn't care were Kenshin was, she had his house his cars his money his everything. She ran up the stairs and into the master bedroom. She ran into the bathroom in there seeing a huge tub in a rounded rectangle. She turned on the water and threw off her clothes. She washed her hair in the sink near the tub so she didn't have to dirty the water. Then she sponged herself down getting rid of as much dirt and grease as she could.
She waited until the tub was full and the bathroom was steamy. She lit about 20 candles stationed in the bathroom and turned on the radio to a rock station (the zone). She turned off the lights and stuck her toe in the water testing its heat. She pulled back from the steaming water and winced. Then she slowly slid her foot into the water, then the rest of her releasing a sigh of relief.
She soaked in the tub listening to rock music and singing along in the semi- darkness for over an hour until she looked at her hands. Though it was very dark in the bathroom she had realized a significant amount of time had slipped through her fingers because the candles were very low, some of them already at there end. Also her hands were prune-like and she hated the feeling of being so wet she's dry.
She jumped out of the tub turning on a light and extinguishing the candles. She wrapped herself in a amber colored robe she found in the closet and walked down stairs. The light coming from the hallway was so bright she had to shield her eyes from the sun. There were no windows in the bathroom and Kaoru had gotten used to darkness in there. She practically ran down the staircase careful not to fall because it would be a long way down.
When she got to her room she poked around her suitcase and found some suitable clothes. However Kenshin hadn't done laundry in a while and she had to wear a tight white shirt and a black bra. She groaned and ran up to Kenshin's room. She looked through his closet feeling a bit naughty. She found a suitable black shirt at the far back of his closet probably from a long time ago because it fit her every curve perfectly.
Kenshin wasn't curvy so she assumed it was a woman's shirt from some overnight fiasco. She shrugged and happily wore the shirt. She ran back down to the main level and searched for car keys. She didn't look very hard when she thought she should see if he had another car. She opened a door to the garage and found a brand new jaguar convertible.
She almost fell on the floor. "This car is gorgeous!" Kaoru said as her voice caught the walls and echoed through the garage. And then for the first time she saw that the garage wasn't just a two-car garage. This garage was huge, like a parking garage in Chicago huge! She began walking through looking at all the cars. She saw a small yellow Volkswagen, a 1879 red convertible, a small black spider, and a red H2. Kaorus mouth fell to the ground.
"I think I'll take the spider." she said jumping into the car. She fished around in the seats hoping to find the keys in the car. "Damn it Kenshin why aren't you stupid and put the keys in the car?" kaoru asked the air. She stepped into the house and began to search the house hoping he didn't have the keys on his key chain he has with him.
'Call his cell phone or don't call his cell phone, that is the question.' Kaoru thought. She looked in his coat pockets and looked in his laundry room. She came up with nothing so she did what the streets taught her. She walked into the garage and began to hot wire the car.
Before she knew it she was driving to the locksmith. She pulled up and walked into the shop. She rang the small bell and a cashier came quickly to the counter anxious to talk to her.
"How may I help you miss?" The boy asked her. He was around her age and slim but muscular.
"You could do me a huge favor." She said seductively. He practically melted under charms but regained control once he realized she was tricky.
"I'm going to need ID proof of purchase of the car and a license." He said to her winking. She smiled and bated her eyes. She then pulled out her wallet and showed him her ID and license. "Give me your proof of purchase and I'll see what I can do." He said walking out to see the car she had. He eyed the car suspiciously.
"Excuse me. Are you new to this area because the only person here with this kind of car is Kenshin Himura?" He said skeptically.
"Really?" She said sitting on the hood of the car and crossing her legs. She slowly began to rub the hood of the car with her hand and smiled at him her head slightly cocked to the side. He began to fidget under her eternal seductive stare. She looked so innocent with her large blur eyes.
"So can you make me that key?" She asked. She shrugged.
"It'll cost you." He said to her. "But I need to see proof of purchase." He said.
"I don't have any my...brother Kenshin has the proof of purchase and its with him." She said in the most naive tone she could muster up. His eyes softened and he smiled a goofy smile as he looked at her. Just to sweeten the deal a little she pulled out some lip-gloss applied it and kissed the air supposedly "evening out" her lip-gloss. Then she winked at him and slid off the car. She walked over to him swaying her hips back and fourth while she walked. She put her finger under his chin and whispered.
"You've got the key I need." Then she began to walk away just as he was about to lean in for a kiss. Her finger trailed off his chin and she walked back into the shop. He followed her closely and got out all the materials for making the key. After about a half an hour of her blowing kissed his way hen ever he looked up from making the key, it was finished.
He held it out her and she smiled her eyes dancing with delight. She held the key in her hand and laughed with joy.
"Close your eyes and I'll give you a big surprise." She said. He anxiously closed his eyes and was a little jumpy at what was going to happen. She whipped out her purse and grabbed a sticky note. She scribbled 'Kenshin owes you' on it. She kissed the paper leaving a pink glossy lip print. She then leaned in kissing his cheek and sticking the sticky note to his forehead.
She ran back to the car and stuck the key into the hole. She relaxed with the sound of the engine revving up. He ran out of the shop and yelled.
"What's this?" He asked. She shrugged.
"Can't you read? Kenshin owes you! Just put it on his tab I swear he'll pay up!" She yelled pushing the gas and driving away leaving him in the dust.
"Call me," he whispered.
'I am good.' She thought. 'But that was wrong, you mislead an innocent boy for your own personal gain.' Her conscience argued.
"Shut up and get out of my head!" She yelled to herself. She rolled the top down and let her hair flow free in the wind. She rode quickly past the alley so Kenshin couldn't see her and rode to the mall.
After a whole day of shopping she drove home weary and satisfied. She pulled into the garage at 4:29 jumped out of the car grabbed all her bags and the key slid down the banister to her room on hid everything under the bed. She sighed and lay down on her bed waiting to hear the door click upstairs so she could welcome Kenshin as if nothing happened. She looked to the clock and found it to be 4:30 and then she heard the door open. She wearily stood up and tried to make herself look like she wasn't out all day.
She ran up the stairs to find a tired face greeting hers. "Hi Kenshin." She said in a slightly worried tone. He just nodded in her direction walking in to the laundry room to take off his trench coat and shoes. He didn't understand why he always wore the trench coat to work...even on 70 degrees day like today. He smiled closing his eyes. He walked up the stairs blindly and she followed him. She had never seen him so tired and asleep.
She ran up the stairs passing him by about a million steps it seemed. She reached the kitchen and sweat dropped.
"Kenshin I'm going to make you something to eat, but I'm a bad cook. So tonight you'll be eating microwave dinners ok?" Kaoru asked whipping out the dinners and preparing them before he could answer. He walked past her into his room and took a short shower walking out to the aroma of food. Yes it was burnt but Kenshin was hungry and didn't complain about food.
They silently ate there dinner both of them exhausted. Kaoru gave up on attempting the bubby nature because he was too incoherent to even notice she was there.
'I think he just thinks this food magically appeared here.' Kaoru thought. Once she saw he was done she picked up his plate and hers. She threw them away and watched him walk past her mumbling that it was good or something. Soon she walked down to her room and fell asleep as well. In the morning kaoru practically fell out of her bed when she saw what time she woke up. It was five in the morning when she rose from slumber.
She did go to bed at five but she had never been up at five in the morning. She didn't even know if the sun was up or not. She groggily woke herself up and walked upstairs. She passed the calendar and had a double take when she saw the date.
"It's my birthday." She silently whispered to herself. (If I said her birthday wasn't for a month or anything im sorry but I had to speed it along. I couldn't have their love go unnoticed for a month.) Now she didn't know what to do.
'Ok, if I tell Kenshin I'm nineteen I wont have to live with him much longer. But if I don't he wont know my money is accessible by me.' She thought. "Damn." She said walking into the occupied bathroom. Kenshin was standing there brushing his teeth in a towel. His violet eyes wandered over to her when she swore.
"What's wrong?" Kenshin asked. Kaorus eyes widened and she slowly lifted her eyes upward to see him. Her face began to shine a brilliant red color and she slowly began to back out of the doorway.
"Sorry, didn't know you were in here." She said. He smiled a white toothpastey smile. He moved further into the bathroom.
"It's ok." Kenshin said barely audible through the toothpaste. He spit and stuck the toothbrush back in his mouth. She timidly walked on to the cold tile and grabbed her toothbrush on the other side of his body. She made sure not to touch his exposed skin so she didn't get any ideas. She had left her toothbrush and toothpaste in his bathroom from the other day. Kaoru began to brush her teeth and she couldn't help but look at his bare skin.
Her eyes roamed over his chest but she refused to look any lower. 'Get a grip Kaoru.' She thought. When she looked up to his face he was looking at her smiling. He spit again and lowered down to the sink got a handful of water and washed his mouth of the toothpaste. Kaoru's face began to heat up but she refused to turn pink like he wanted her to.
He stood back up; a smirk was plastered on his white face. Her will to keep her face milky white instead of red was beginning to break. He opened his mouth as if he was going to comment on her fascination with his chest but he just took a deep breath causing the towel to slip further down. He caught the towel and walked out of the room still smiling.
Kaoru finished her business in the bathroom and walked out still thinking about him. She shook his image out of her head and walked down the stairs. She saw him waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her. Kaoru gave him a questioning look hoping that he wasn't going to poke fun at her for staring at his chest.
"Kaoru do you have any clothes you need me to wash?" He asked. Kaoru mentally released a sigh of relief.
"I don't know I'll check." She said continuing to walk down the stairs. When she reached her room she found the floor littered with clothes. She picked them up and walked up stairs. She gave them to Kenshin completely forgetting the towel incident. He walked upstairs with her clothes and she walked down stairs to get dressed.
Once she was dressed she walked back upstairs and pulled out a hot pocket from the fridge. She popped it in the microwave and punched in 1:30. She waited for it to finish. She ate her food and thought of what she could do at 5:30 in the morning. Kaoru walked into the family room and sat on the couch. She was board and didn't know what to do with herself today.
She already went shopping and if she went with Kenshin to work she might have to talk to Misao, Unless Kenshin didn't have to work today. Kaoru smiled at her thought and laughed evilly. Kenshin walked into the room and smiled at her. He still was having trouble ignoring her staring at him. He needed to keep that in mind for the next time they got into a fight, then he could bring it up and she would get embarrassed and shut up.
He walked up behind her and began rubbing her shoulders. She jumped at the sudden contact and spun around quickly. She looked left and right until her eyes landed on Kenshin. His hands were in the air and he was smiling.
"There's something you didn't tell me." Kenshin told her. Kaoru gulped as she turned back around not wanting to make eye contact. It was just easier for her to talk to him about important things. Also if he said something uncalled for she could add drama by turning around very quickly.
"A-And what would that be?" Kaoru asked hoping he wasn't talking about that morning.
"Well this morning-"Kenshin began. Kaoru gulped beginning to turn pink.
"Kenshin I-"Kaoru began.
"Kaoru its ok, I understand." Kenshin said to her.
'He understands? Does that mean he-' Kaoru thought. "Really?" She asked unsure of what was to come next.
"Yea, I mean who wouldn't?" He asked.
"Well. Kenshin I'm not really sure what you're telling me here."
"You may not be able to stay with me any longer. I'll have to talk to HIM." Kaorus eyes practically popped out of her head.
'Is he telling me he has to ask to stay with me?' Kaoru thought.
"Well Kaoru I know a lot of people are uncomfortable about it but it comes once a year and you cant stop it." Kenshin said beginning to rub her shoulders again sensing her uneasiness.
"Once a year? Kenshin what are you talking about?" Kaoru asked.
"Your birthday. What were you thinking?" Kenshin asked.