Disclaimer: RK isn't mine

AN: Ummm yes I know this is choppy, yes I know I have to re edit it. I will do it a little later. I wrote this on the plane, so it might be a little weird, I even uploaded the chapter wrong! Oh well, sorry about that :P I feel like publishing this no matter what. I have no idea why :P. Anyways, enjoy :)

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Morning Talk

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As usual, Kenshin was already standing in the kitchen, making his breakfast. Today was a waffle day. He heard a click on Sano's door, and Kaoru came out, wearing an oversized pyjamas that Kenshin recognised as something that Sano got last year's Christmas gift exchange. She looked half asleep and adorable Kenshin had to hold back his hands so that they didn't start hugging her and probably rock her from side to side like a cute little baby.

"Morning…" She mumbled. Kenshin smiled.

"Morning. Usually you're earlier than this." Kenshin commented. Kaoru blushed.

"We played games until late." She said. Of course you both did, Kenshin thought. Sano never let his woman go unless he was satisfied. It sounded bad, yes, but apparently to a lot of girls, that strong ego of his was one of his appeals. Kaoru had been staying over at least two to three times a week since three weeks ago, and Kenshin had been cooking breakfast for her. They talked about anything, but Kenshin tried to avoid relationship topic, because Sano seemed to be seeing Megumi and Kaoru at the same time.

Kaoru must have fallen so hard for Sano, after all, a strong, fun, sensible and beautiful woman like that wouldn't want to be two-timed. Kaoru was fully aware that Sano was seeing Megumi as well, but she was still staying over. Not that Kenshin minded, as long as he tried hard not to think about what she and Sano did in Sano's room the night before, he found that her company in the morning was enough to make him grin the whole day.

"Waffles. Yum! I want maple syrup." Kaoru said as Kenshin closed the waffle toaster.

"I'm not sure if we still have some maple syrup. You can check the fridge." Kenshin said.

"Of course we do, I bought a few bottles for our breakfast routine." Kaoru grinned as she took out a fresh bottle of maple syrup from the fridge. She took a bowl and then started squirting the maple syrup into it.

"What are you planning to do with the syrup in the bowl?" Kenshin asked.

"I'm going to cut up the waffles and then dip it into the bowl fondue style. It's the best way to eat anything."

"Yuck." Kenshin cringed his nose, and Kaoru snorted.

"You haven't even tried it yet, don't say yuck." She said.

"Soggy, overly sweetened waffle is yuck." Kenshin replied stubbornly.

"You're missing out if you don't want to try."

"I don't think so. Yuck."

"Kenshin!" Kaoru hit him playfully with the maple syrup bottle, causing it to squirt everywhere. Kaoru squealed as some of the sticky syrup landed on her. "Damn you Himura!" She screamed, and Kenshin laughed. She grunted and then wiped her hands on his t shirt, causing him to flinch.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin jumped as Kaoru made his t shirt sticky. Kaoru laughed as she kept on lathering the maple syrup on him pushing him towards the stove. "Careful, CAREFUL!" Kenshin shouted alarmingly as he fell towards the stove. Thankfully his hands stopped his body before he fell on the stove (which was an induction stove, but the waffle maker seemed pretty hot…). Kaoru gasped and grabbed his t-shirt in an attempt to pull him away from the stove.

Obviously, just like in the movies, that kind of contact always meant something. Kenshin saw her blushing, and he cursed inwardly. If she didn't like him that way, she shouldn't blush like that in front of him. Her face was beyond red now. Maroon, probably.

Kenshin leaned forward, it wasn't clear if he was trying to stay away from the stove, which he obviously must do, or if he was leaning towards Kaoru. Either way, she didn't seem to mind. She instinctively moved her body closer to Kenshin and was about to close her eyes (for some reason) when a cough stopped her.

"Oi, the waffle is burnt." Sano said from in front of his room door. He was leaning against the door, looking both amused and annoyed at the same time. Kaoru let go of Kenshin and Kenshin turned around to rescue their waffles. "Make me one as well." Sano said again, pointing at the waffles as he sat on the stool. Kaoru sighed and sat beside him while bringing her maple syrup bowl.

"Ooh, fondue style! It's the best way to eat anything!" Sano's face lit up.

"See, Kenshin?" Kaoru said, as cheerful as she could be.

"Yuck." Kenshin mumbled as he closed the waffle maker.

OoOoO

"… end this… stop staying over…"

"…but, Sano…"

"… a guy can touch a girl without any feelings of love…"

"…I know that, but…"

"… It's for your own good, stop coming over…"

"…but you're the only one who…"

"…stop coming over. Stop expecting anything from a guy whose heart belong to someone else…"

"…Sano…"

Kenshin leaned on the wall with a loud sigh. Their conversation was too loud for him not to listen to. From the beginning it's so obvious that Sano would pick Megumi over her. He had been chasing Megumi for awhile, and it wasn't his thing to chase any girl. She was the first woman Sano jumped over backward for.

He sighed again and walked towards the kitchen. He checked the leftover rice from last night in the rice cooker and then took out some frozen nuggets. That morning he wasn't really in the mood to cook anything even though it was Monday morning, so he lazily fried some nuggets. A minute later, Kaoru came out, already dressed like she was ready to go out.

"Morning." She greeted with a smile.

"Morning." Kenshin greeted back.

"Frozen food?" Kaoru asked.

"Hmm…" Kenshin nodded as he took a bowl and tossed the golden fried nuggets into it. "Nuggets and rice. I hope you don't mind." He said.

"Not at all." Kaoru said. She sat on the stool. After a long silence, she suddenly called him. "Ne, Kenshin?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever fallen in love with someone who loves someone else?" She asked.

Kenshin looked at her. He had expected such question after he accidentally eavesdropped Sano and Kaoru's conversation earlier this morning. He sighed as he gave a bowl of rice and chicken nugget to Kaoru.

"Well, I have." He answered briefly. Kaoru stopped eating and looked up, as if she didn't expect such answer.

"But… You're… you…" She said with an incredulous tone. "I mean, who would reject Himura Kenshin?"

Kenshin chuckled. All women he truly liked since now had been someone else's. This reminded him of his old love, Yukishirou Tomoe. Reminded him of the day that she told him she fell in love with her old boyfriend again.

Then again, she was three years older than him. While three years wasn't too big of a gap, the gap was wider when the guy was still in school and the woman was already working. Three years felt like a relationship between a little kid and a matured woman.

"Well… Life isn't that easy after all." Kenshin shrugged.

"Well, that's true." Kaoru agreed. "What did you do then?"

"Well, I went for it anyway." Kenshin said. "Though, it didn't end too well." He continued.

"Do you regret it though?" She asked.

Kenshin looked at her. If he said he regretted it, would Kaoru really end it with Sano? Would he have chance to be with her?

"No, not even a little." He said, choosing to be honest.

"I see… That sounds like so much work." Kaoru said with a thoughtful expression. She swallowed his last rice and chicken nugget.

"Well, that's the way it is for me." Kenshin said. "She broke up with her boyfriend, and by then I decided to start pursuing her. After dating me for a year, however, she ended up going back to her old boyfriend. I guess I wasn't good enough?" Kenshin said with a light chuckle.

"It's her loss." Kaoru said. She then sighed as she played with her chopsticks. "I want it."

"Want what?" Kenshin asked.

"Like you. I want to see if I had a chance." She said.

Kenshin looked away. He couldn't say anything. She was being evil; that much he knew. Sano was going out with her best friend, yet she still wanted to see if she had a chance with Sano. Sano was in the wrong as well, of course, but at least now he told her clearly that he wanted to end their relationship.

He couldn't bring to hate her, though. He knew how love could affect people, making them do things that they didn't want to do. After all, Kaoru knew that she would obviously be happier if she could get over Sano that easily and moved on, but she just couldn't help it.

"It's a bad idea." Kenshin said, sounded a bit grumpy, as he took the dirty dish from in front of Kaoru.

"You think so?" She asked.

"Yes." He answered briefly, a little too curt as he thought it would be.

"What should I do, then?" She asked. Kenshin looked at her, and then sighed. He shouldn't be too harsh with her.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru. I don't know." He said quietly, before turning his back from her and started washing the dishes.

OoOoO

That Sunday went by pretty slow for Kenshin. He didn't feel like doing anything. He stayed at home, watching the movies he bought but never watch, and for the first time in three years he finally ate some junk food. See, love did crazy things to people, and he just couldn't help it…

Kenshin grunted as he turned off the TV. LOVE? Did he just think that he LOVED Kaoru? That was absurd. Sure, he liked her beautiful face, curvaceous body, the way she smiled, the way she talked. He also felt that being with her always made his day a little brighter, and he always felt some kind of anger everytime he heard Sano and her coming home together in the middle of the night. That wasn't love, was it?

His cellphone suddenly rang. It was Sano.

"Yo, Kenshin, I'm not going home tonight." He said with an overly excited voice as soon as Kenshin picked up.

"Okay…"

"Guess what, I'm staying over at Kitsune's place! ME! AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF HARDWORK AND HUMILIATION!" He said, practically screaming. Kenshin smiled.

"Well good for you. Congratulations. Cherish her, okay?" He said.

Sano chuckled softly. "Of course I will. You don't have to tell me that." He said, this time in a softer voice. Kenshin smiled, and then heard the doorbell rang.

"I have to go Sano, someone rang the bell." Kenshin said, saying goodbye to his roommate.

He looked at the clock in the living room as he walked towards the door. It was 11.30 at night, too late for any door-to-door salesman to come. He opened the door and sighed. Of course, he should have expected something like this.

"Kenshin?"

Kaoru was standing in front of his place, looking very anxious and nervous. As soon as their gaze met, she looked down. He probably looked a little unfriendly right now, since Kaoru looked at him with scared eyes.

"Kaoru, Sano's not coming home tonight." He told her. Kaoru's face became red, and her expression was incomprehensible. She seemed to want to say something, but then refrained from saying it instead. After a few seconds, she swallowed.

"Umm… I just wanted to return this." She uttered, giving something inside the plastic bag. It was Sano's pyjamas. She smiled. "Well, I'll just go home then. Sorry to bother you so late at night. Good night." She said while turning around.

When she was about three steps away from the door, she felt a hand caught hers. She turned around to see Kenshin.

"Do you want to stay?" He asked. For some reason, he looked a little flushed.

Without waiting for her answer, Kenshin dragged the raven haired beauty inside the apartment before shutting the door behind them.