Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki. I do not own these characters.
The Best Medicine: Returning the Favor
She was going to kill him. Definitely. She no longer cared what the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu said about revenge, Kaoru was going to have hers.
Of course, that was all dependent upon her body ever responding to her will again.
As soon as Kenshin recovered, his illness visited itself upon Kaoru three-fold. She could not move. She could barely breathe, and she burned with a high fever but was never allowed to cast off her blankets as per Megumi's orders. Meanwhile, Kenshin kept a watchful eye over here making sure that Megumi's instructions were followed to the letter. Kaoru was too sick to enjoy his attentions because whenever he checked in on her it was usually to give her more horrible tasting medicine or pile the blankets back onto her.
It was miserable being sick. Her room was closed up tighter than a jail to keep the cold out. It was dark, too hot, and she felt miserably alone. Of course sometimes she preferred being alone to the alternative, and speaking of the alternative...
The sound of his footsteps coming down the hallway filled her with dread. It was probably about time for more medicine or another lecture. She burrowed under the covers. Perhaps if he thought that she was asleep, he would let her be just a little longer.
Kenshin was humming and in good spirits as he entered her bedroom. "Oh good! You're awake, Miss Kaoru. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." She grumbled. She wasn't buying it. This sweet nurturing rurouni was all an act! She knew the truth now. Kenshin could be an absolute tyrant when he wanted to be - always bothering her about the blankets, and the windows, and the food that she wasn't eating. "But I wish you wouldn't use your Hiten Mitsurugi training on me. I can't hide anything from you."
"This has little to do with my abilities to read people. You are just a terrible liar, Miss Kaoru," he said flinging her words back in her face now that the tables were turned and she was the one who was sick.
"You will be in so much trouble when I am better, Kenshin! This is all your fault, you know."
Kenshin sighed and bowed his head. "I know and wish to make it up to you, Miss Kaoru since it was your kindness to me that resulted in this unfortunate situation, that it was."
Kaoru sat up and pitched the blankets aside. "Good. So you'll let me take a couple of cracks at you in the dojo as soon as I have my strength back. Right?"
"I shall polish your bokken myself, that I will, but in the meantime allow me to do something else for you. Since you have the strength to threaten me, you should be well enough to stand a bit of fresh air."
"Really? To get out of this blasted room would be the most wonderful thing in the world about now."
Kenshin nodded and picked up a thick blanket and wrapped it around her body. "Yes, but you've got to promise to behave by staying warm." He put his arm beneath her knee and lifted her up.
Kaoru squeaked and pressed herself into his chest. Cocooned as she was in the blanket, she could not use her arms to steady herself by wrapping them around his neck.
The ground outside was blanketed by a thin sheen of white first frost had come while she had been holed up in her room. The air was cool and refreshing to her fevered skin, but the cold air did not agree with her lungs. Kaoru started to cough but could not cover her mouth with her hands. "I'm so sorry, Kenshin. I'm going to get you sick again."
Kenshin set her down on the walkway looking out into the garden and sat down besides her. "I will be fine, that I will. I should have built up an immunity to it by now; however, as a precaution, Yahiko was sent to stay with Sanosuke for a few days."
"Uuuugh. He'll come back twice as incorrigible."
"Well you will just have to beat it out of him when your full strength returns, Miss Kaoru. I know that you'll be able to set him straight again. You are a great instructor that you are."
Kaoru flushed to receive such a compliment and felt a little bit of her old strength and pride stir. It felt good to be reminded that Kenshin thought highly over her in other ways - even if those ways weren't exactly womanly.
"Oh dear, it looks like your fever has returned, Miss Kaoru."
Kaoru quickly brought her hands up and covered her blushing cheeks. "No. I'm fine; I'm just embarrassed that's all."
"You shouldn't be embarrassed, Miss Kaoru; I meant that with all sincerity. Yahiko has become a very strong fighter that he has. You can be proud of your student, but not surprised.
"Oh really? Is that why you're so hopeless, Kenshin?" She teased. "With a man like Seijiro Hiko for your master, I'm surprised you're not more incorrigible than Sanousuke and Yahiko combined!"
Kenshin scratched the back of his head with a wide smile on his face. "Oro. You might be right about that, Miss Kaoru. Some days I'm surprised myself." Kenshin glanced north towards Kyoto, the place that held so many memories for him. "Although I do hope that my Master does not catch our cold because we sit here gossiping about him. That would be ill-karma indeed, that it would."
"It would serve him right!"
"You're still upset about Tanabata; aren't you, Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin's smile betrayed some nervousness. It had quite nearly come to blows between Hiko and Kaoru with Kenshin standing between them during the holiday.
"And why shouldn't I be! Six bottles! He drank all six by himself before I even had the chance to fetch them from the pantry. What kind of a guest drinks all of their host's sake before all the guests are served their first glass?"
"Well he does have a healthy appreciation for his sake."
"HEALTHY!" She fumed, but the world suddenly began to tilt and she fell into Kenshin's lap exhausted by her anger. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Kenshin!" But as she tried to rise he set his hand on top of her head.
"It's all right, Miss Kaoru. You need to rest, and this time I promise not to wake you."
Kaoru blushed lay her head back down. It was not difficult to fall asleep in Kenshin's lap. There were times when it was the most peaceful thing in the world just to be by his side.
Author's Note: I hope you've enjoyed this story as short as it was. Please leave a review if you have the time. And may this update find you all healthy and at peace. Arigatou!