Oh, yeah, now I get to add 'stalking' to my list of crimes.
Kenshin Himura, also known as Battousai the infamous manslayer, lingered outside the laundromat where, not ten minutes ago, a woman with inky black hair and the bluest azure eyes had just entered. He drifted towards an electrical pole that was diagonal to the store, estimating exactly where he could stand so he wouldn't be in full view of the occupants in the store, yet be able to see through the large glass window easily. It took mere moments for him to gauge how wide his target's scope of view was and where to position himself just outside of her peripheral vision.
Perfect. Now he could watch Kaoru without her knowing it.
Or perhaps not. A rueful grin touched Kenshin's lips as he thought about his rather dismal display of tracking skills at the mall three weeks ago. Kaoru had somehow sensed his presence and was actually looking around her in search of him. And when they were leaving the tea café, he could have sworn Misao had looked right at him.
Six years of experience in disappearing and reappearing, not to mention his supernatural speed he gained from his training. All shot down by two women.
Pathetic. If his former master saw him now, he would be proclaimed even more of an idiot as usual.
The thought actually brought a small smile to Kenshin's face.
Kenshin leaned against the pole with one shoulder, shifting around for a comfortable position as he watched Kaoru from underneath his paperboy cap. The bill was pulled extremely low to keep people from looking too closely at his face; after all, he was still a wanted man. No one had really gotten a good look at his face in his career, but why risk it? And he didn't want to alert Kaoru, either. He merely wanted to watch her.
To be healed by her presence. Only she could soothe his ragged and torn soul.
Staying here too long would merely attract unwanted attention from people. But Kenshin lingered as long as he could, watching her graceful movements as she emptied her laundry into the washer. Kaoru had changed little in the past three years. She was still slender though her body seemed to have gained more muscle – no doubt from practicing kendo. Her dark hair was pulled into a high ponytail with a long blue ribbon threaded through her locks. She was dressed in a baggy pair of jeans and a t-shirt, looking more comfortable than a person ever had a right to.
She was still as beautiful as ever. Even from his position outside, Kenshin could see the sparkle of life still twinkling in her azure eyes, her open countenance and gentle demeanor.
Yes, he meant gentle.
Except when she was whipping her bokken around like an avenging angel.
Which was actually quite often. But Kenshin still liked to think of her as a tender soul. He remembered one time she had tended to one of his wounds he sustained during a job. He refused to tell her how he got hurt but Kaoru still cleaned and bandaged it without complaint.
He missed her. He missed her bad cooking, her worse jokes, her simple but elegant style of dress, her nose wrinkling when she was trying to be polite but actually wanted to blurt out that the person/thing/situation was horrible …
Kenshin missed her terribly. The gaping hole in his heart increased daily when he was away from her. He tried to hide from the truth, but his scrupulous demand for honesty forced him to face the fact without cowardice.
He wanted Kaoru Kamiya back. But he couldn't. He would probably just hurt her all over again, which was the last thing he wanted to do.
Perhaps he was masochistic after all. Why else would he finally acknowledge his mistake only to decree that he was no longer worthy of her love? Sometimes, I think I am the idiot apprentice Master Hiko kept saying I was, Kenshin thought sardonically.
A vaguely familiar ki was approaching him from behind. Kenshin tensed at the strong life force and turned around, only to see ice blue eyes a mere foot away, peering down at him through dark bangs. Their eyes clashed for a long moment, neither man moving from their position as they studied each other.
What surprised Kenshin was that the taller man opened his mouth first. "So I see what Misao has said is true. I did not believe you would return again, Battousai."
There was no inflection when he spoke, but Kenshin still winced at the name. "Aoshi. It's been a long while."
Aoshi Shinomori inclined his head ever so briefly. "Why are you here, Battousai?"
There was the Aoshi Kenshin remembered. He didn't bother with pleasantries, merely dove to the heart of the matter. Kenshin considered the man in front of him for a long moment, trying to remember what else Kaoru had said about him, having only known the man a few months before he made The Mistake And Left Her. One thing he remembered: Aoshi could detect most lies. But Kenshin wasn't willing to share his newfound revelation to anyone else yet. Still, a half-truth didn't hurt, either.
So he said simply, "I'm watching my target."
Aoshi tilted his head slightly. "And who would that be?"
"None of your business."
"On the contrary, Battousai. If the Kamiya woman is your target, it is indeed my concern. She is Misao's best friend. Anything that hurts one hurts the other."
Kaoru has got to have the nosiest friends alive, Kenshin thought in slight annoyance. First Sano and now Aoshi. Why can't they all leave well enough alone? Out loud, he said, "Don't worry, Aoshi. I don't plan to do anything." Pushing himself off the electric pole, he glanced at the laundromat window one last time to see Kaoru idly staring out into the street as she waited for her load to finish. Hunching his shoulders up, he started walking away from the window quickly, brushing past his impromptu guest. As he expected, the taller man stood aside and allowed him to leave without further incident. Apparently, he didn't want any confrontation between Kaoru and Kenshin anymore than the assassin did.
As he walked away, he could hear her greeting to Aoshi, having seen him through the glass pane and running out to meet him. "Aoshi! What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked.
Aoshi didn't turn around to see where Battousai was. Instead, he shrugged slightly, keeping his eyes on her open gaze. Did she suspect who the man walking away was? "I was just walking to the store for some milk and flour when I bumped into an old acquaintance of mine."
Kaoru glanced at the retreating figure briefly, having the strangest sensation she knew him from somewhere. She brushed the thought aside; after all, Aoshi would have mentioned something if that were true.
So she looked back at the tall figure in front of her, focusing on his first words with her eyebrows quirked. "Is Misao baking again? I swear, that girl is so pregnant! What's with all the motherly fussing all of a sudden?"
Aoshi looked as startled as Aoshi could look when startled. "Pregnant?" he echoed, his normally impassive expression ruffled.
There was a queasy look in his eyes that made Kaoru want to laugh and roll her eyes at the same time. "I was just joking. Calm down before your heart gives out, Aoshi. But seriously, what is she up to?"
His shoulders lost the tenseness that set in a minute before and his expression melted back to its usual impassivity. It never ceased to amaze Kaoru how quickly he could do that. "I believe she is plotting."
Kaoru blanched at the unexpected words. "Uh, oh."
Aoshi nodded. "However, since her plotting has nothing to do with me, I haven't paid any particular attention as to what she is considering this time."
She scowled at him. "Thanks for looking out for the rest of us, Aoshi," she said sarcastically.
"Aa. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to the store before Misao decides she doesn't want the ingredients anymore." With a slight bow to Kaoru, Aoshi headed off to the corner market.
Misao plotting was never good news for any of them. Kaoru shook her head and groaned, slouching back to her laundry. Not only did she have to worry about her stalker but she now had to avoid Misao as much as possible, preferably for the next two weeks if she didn't want to get sucked into some hair-brained scheme. When it came down to it, she'd rather face a cigarette-deprived Saitoh.
Pathetic but true. Misao's plotting could only spell disaster for the poor victim. The problem was, one never knew exactly what Misao intended to do until it was too late. By then, the trap would be sprung and said victim would suffer. Most likely needlessly.
Making a mental note to call Sano and Megumi later to warn them about Misao, Kaoru sank into one of the plastic chairs and watched the dryer tumble the clothes about rhythmically. Her thoughts, as it was doing more and more often these days, wandered back to Kenshin. The feeling of being followed hadn't abated in the least. In fact, the sensation had grown stronger. In fact, even Misao and Megumi claimed whenever they were with her, they, too, saw glimpses of crimson and gold from the corner of their eyes. Sano and Aoshi didn't say much about it, but they, too, had to have known Kenshin was following her around.
Finally, Kaoru had been declared sane by her friends because she wasn't imagining Kenshin nipping at her heels. Not that there was ever any doubt about her sanity, of course.
Now all she had to worry about was her ex-boyfriend-turned-stalker.
Not that he wasn't a polite stalker. He never approached her, never bothered her beyond the feeling of his presence somewhere nearby. He was always there to take her to work and pick her up when the day ended. It made Kaoru wonder if he hung around while she was working or if he left. Kenshin followed her to the grocery store, to the mall, to the dojo, and once to the police station where she dropped something off for Sano.
Luckily, none of the police officers there seemed to notice her permanent shadow. Even more fortunate, Kenshin decided not to follow her inside since both Saitoh and Sano were there and would no doubt create a big fuss over the stalking. And somehow, Kaoru didn't think trying to assure the two men that she actually felt somewhat comforted by Battousai's continuous presence would go over well with them.
Sano would have locked her up and refused to let her go outside ever again.
Saitoh would probably just kill her. After all, insane people could become dangerous in their delusions. Why not take care of the problem now before it blew up into something bigger?
Well, piffle on them. The point was moot, anyway.
Kenshin had even followed her to the laundromat today. Kaoru sat up suddenly, realizing that when she went outside to speak to Aoshi, the watched feeling was gone. She hadn't noticed the absence of his telling presence until now.
Well, that made sense. Aoshi always paid attention to his surroundings, a habit he claimed he picked up from a stint in the army. Had he seen Kenshin, he would feel obligated to approach and chase him away, because of Kaoru's friendship with Misao.
Maybe Aoshi did scare Kenshin away.
Kaoru considered the idea for a long moment. Nah. Kenshin wasn't the kind of person to be so easily intimidated. And Aoshi could be quite the formidable opponent, but in a fight, she was sure Kenshin would win. After all, Kenshin was the Battousai. The infamous man-slayer.
Groaning, Kaoru dropped her head in her hands, feeling a familiar ache beginning to pound away at her temples. Ever since Kenshin started stalking her, she thought of nothing but him, even when she was supposed to be concentrating on work or her friends. The constant thoughts and concerns roiled around inside her head so much she practically gave herself a migraine every night. "Kenshin, you jerk," she muttered to herself. "The least you could do is approach and talk to me! Argg!"
And therein lay the heart of the matter that worried her. Kaoru sighed and stood up as the dryer beeped to announce the end of the cycle. Pulling the door open, she began to sort through the clothes and fold them up as neatly as possible while trying to arrange her thoughts into a semblance of order.
Point One: she knew he was watching her all day, give or take a few hours (after all, even the infamous Battousai needed to sleep).
Point Two: he had continued his stalking behavior for a good four months now with no sign of stopping.
Point Three: she already established that should Kenshin have some sort of change of heart, express the proper remorse, and come to her again, she would be willing to listen.
Point Four: all he was doing was stalking. No contact, no nothing.
Point Five: she was okay with said stalking. Crazy, but true.
Point Six: if Kenshin didn't approach her soon, he was going to find himself the recipient of the business end of her bokken.
Kaoru sighed and stopped in mid-fold, which was pretty messy, anyway. The truth of the matter was clear, thanks to her six, concise points.
Kaoru wanted Kenshin Himura back. She was almost willing to forgive most of his mistakes. She acknowledged his stalking presence, even welcomed it.
And he still wasn't doing a damn thing about it!
Really, was there a more clueless man alive? The only thing she didn't do was run in his direction, tear off her clothes, and shout, "Take me, I'm yours!"
Hmm …
With a snort of derision at the direction of her thoughts, Kaoru dismissed the notion entirely. After all, the point was for Kenshin to make the first move.
Unless … he didn't want to, for some reason. Maybe he was stalking her because he wanted to annoy her. Or scare her. Or force her to succumb to mental anxiety which would make her friends send her to the loony bin where Kenshin could visit and laugh at her all day long and she could hear nothing but his insane cackles echoing in her four-by-four cell ...
Kaoru shook her head in slight annoyance at her wild thoughts. Kenshin wasn't that kind of person. He wouldn't toy with people like that. No, he was a zip-in-kill-the-guy-zip-out kind of guy. Not exactly straight-forward like Aoshi, but he would never play with people's emotions.
So, then, what was he waiting for?
It was a long habit of the five friends to meet together at least twice a month for dinner at the Akabeko, borne from the necessity of their individual busy schedules. It gave them all a chance to catch up with the current news with a healthy amount of teasing to go with it.
Megumi, Misao, and Kaoru were all jabbering away as usual while Aoshi maintained his stoic silence when they finally realized something was wrong. Misao was first to notice and reached over to poke Sano on the arm. "Hey, Rooster-head. What's up?"
The other two women fell silent as they realized Sano hadn't said a word besides ordering his favorite dish. They became alarmed when they realized his food had barely been touched. "Sanosuke? Are you all right?" Kaoru asked, worry lancing through her voice.
The brown-haired man glanced up, obviously startled from his thoughts. "Huh? Yeah, I'm okay. Just spaced out for a moment." He reached up and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that, everyone."
Megumi arched a brow at her husband. "It's better if you tell us what's on your mind so you don't worry them."
At her words, Sano cracked a grin. "Just 'them', Fox?"
"Hmph! I gave up worrying about you years ago. If getting smacked around by Saitoh doesn't kill you, obviously nothing will."
"Come on, Rooster-head," Misao chimed in. "Tell us, already!"
"Eh, it's just about work. What about our promise not to bring business into our dinner time together?" Sano protested.
"Oh, yeah, right, like we never broke that rule before," Kaoru said sarcastically.
He raised his hands up in surrender. "All right, all right, I'll tell you all. Sheesh, a guy can't get a moment's peace with all these harpies around. Right, Aoshi?" He sent the older man a sideways glance.
Aoshi merely took a sip of his tea. "Do not bring me into your arguments, Sagara. I prefer to remain neutral."
Sano sighed. "So much for us guys sticking together," he muttered. Noticing the murderous looks directed at his person, he cringed. "Okay, okay! But you guys may not like it." He took a deep breath. "It's about Kenshin."
Kaoru stilled, gripping her chopsticks tighter unconsciously as she heard his name. Did something happen to him? Something bad? "What about him?" she managed to ask in what she thought was a reasonably steady voice, aware of everyone's gaze on her. Her body felt flushed and she waved her left hand to cool her face some.
Sano's expression became solemn, a rare sign of concern for the ex-fighter. "Well, I don't know how to put this but … He hasn't been doing anything."
Amid a chorus of "What?" and "He's not making any sense again", Misao spoke above it to be heard. "Explain," she demanded, keeping one eye on Kaoru's heated face. She pushed a cup of ice water in her friend's direction which she gratefully took.
Sano shrugged. "Ever since Ke- Battousai has been around, he's done at least eight kills a month. Sometimes the bodies aren't found until much later, but we can definitely tell which ones are Kenshin's and which ones aren't. But the last seven months or so, there has been a conspicuous absence of victims."
Megumi glanced at Kaoru who had downed the entire glass of water and was still looking rather wan but steadier. "Could he be somehow hiding the bodies somewhere?" the doctor asked.
"Maybe. But I don't think so. There's no reason why Kenshin would do that. With his previous erratic behavior, it'd be more likely that he'd be killing even more. I checked in with some of my contacts underground and there's a rumor going around that Battousai hasn't been seen for a while. There are people waiting for him to show up to take contracts like usual but there's no sign of him."
"So … what does this mean?" Misao asked, reaching out to squeeze Kaoru's hand in reassurance.
Sano took a deep breath. "Well, there could be other explanations for his absence, but …" From the corner of his eye, he watched Kaoru. "I personally think it's because he quit. The killing business, I mean."
Misao and Megumi fell silent as they absorbed the news. Then Kaoru made a low noise in her throat, causing every eye to swing in her direction in concern. She didn't speak, merely sat there, staring into nothing. Megumi was the first to notice the tears that leaked from the corner of her eye and leaned over to give her a tight hug.
"It's all right," the doctor said soothingly. "Come on, let's go to the ladies' room. Misao?" Catching sight of her husband opening his mouth, she shot him a warning glance to keep his silence. He shut it abruptly, obeying the unspoken command.
The three women stood and made a strategic retreat to the restroom with Kaoru hunched between her two friends. Sano watched them leave before turning to Aoshi, displaying an unprecedented amount of anxiety. "Was I wrong in telling her that?" he asked, desperate for reassurance. He should have talked to Megumi beforehand, but he hadn't expected Kaoru to take the news so hard. From her nonchalant attitude at Kenshin's stalking, he rather thought she'd be overjoyed.
Aoshi remained quiet for a long moment, head tilted down so the younger man couldn't see his eyes. Finally, he looked up and met Sano's gaze, the cobalt orbs as impassive as ever. "It isn't my position to tell you what to do or not do." When Sano would have protested, he spoke again. "But … no, I don't believe you were wrong. She had to know eventually."
The stoic man's words caused Sano relief to no end. It was good to know Aoshi would have done the same. Focusing his mind back matter at hand, Sano glanced at a window as if expecting Kenshin to peer at them from the outside. "He's been watching her for months, now, and constantly if what Megs and Weasel-girl say is true."
"Aa."
"And the Missy doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all," Sano continued.
"Aa."
"Normal people would have freaked out by now. But then again, the Missy and Kenshin had a weird relationship to begin with."
"Aa."
Sano frowned at the one-sided conversation. Honestly, sometimes talking to Aoshi was worse than talking to a brick wall. At least you knew the brick wall didn't have the capability to answer. Nevertheless, he gamely plunged on. "You may not remember much of it since you just started dating Weasel-girl back then, but they both loved and despised their time together."
This time, it was only a nod in response.
Sano hesitated for a moment before deciding to express his curiosity that had been plaguing him ever since he learned of Kenshin's stalking tendencies. After all, if he didn't continue talking, the conversation would fall flat and he disliked just sitting there, waiting for the girls to come back. Besides, Aoshi was quite good at reading people; maybe he could give Sano some insight in the Battousai's head. "What I want to know is, what has he been doing after he stopped killing and before he started stalking her?"
There was a pause as Aoshi contemplated his words. "Perhaps he has been searching for a way to atone for his mistakes," he said at last.
Finally, an actual response. And an interesting one, at that. The ex-fighter lifted his brows at Aoshi's words. "You sound as though you agree with me about him quitting the business. You really think he did that?"
"The behavior you described about the Battousai when you saw him a year ago indicates that he was already in some sort of emotional crisis. Coupled with your presence reminding him of the past and your words that it was not too late, that may have caused him to truly rethink things over."
Aoshi had gone back to staring at his plate as he spoke but when no reply (or question) was forthcoming, he looked up to see Sano staring at him in puzzlement. A little crease appeared across his brow as the older man asked, "What?"
Sano could only whistle in amazement. "It sounds like you've been thinking about this a lot. Let me guess, you minored in psychology at the university."
Aoshi shook his head. "No. Battousai is, after all, only a man. He is more alike to us than we admit to."
"Maybe he is," Sano agreed before cracking a small smile. "The question is, is that better for him or worse for us?"
Sano had meant that to be a joke but Aoshi met his eyes, his jaw tightening slightly. "I don't know," he said gravely.
AN: Still too long to be a two-shot. This section isn't great either. Bleh. Third and final part will be up soon.