Jinxed
Chapter 5: Laughter
by Garnet xoxo
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
Warnings: Insanity.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kenshin barely suppressed a moan as wonderfully hot water poured over him, traveling down the length of his naked body in crystal clear rivulets. It saturated his long crimson tresses and plastered them to the pale skin of his back, cloaking him. He closed his eyes and lifted his face toward the shower head until his face was numb. He pretended that the warm water would cleanse him, purify his soul, and he was separate from the rest of the world in that moment. Nothing had ever felt so exquisite. Not in a very, very long time.
He had not had the privilege of taking a hot shower in over a decade. They were always cold and he was forced to be surrounded by dozens of other men. Bathing, for him, had become a chore instead of a pleasure. Until tonight, he had never expected to enjoy bathing again. Now he decided that he would not extract himself from the shower stall until the water ran ice cold.
It finally did, several minutes later, and he shut it off regretfully. The pipes squeaked in protest as if they were hesitant to deprive him of his newfound happiness. He sighed heavily and wrung his hair out before stepping onto the bathroom rug, yanking a white towel from the nearby shelf. He wrapped it loosely about his waist and was about to reach for a second one to dry his hair, when he heard it: banging on the front door.
His exotic eyes immediately narrowed and he was no longer feeling the aftereffects of that amazing shower. He carefully opened the bathroom door and crept into the hallway, pressing his damp back against the wall. Listening, he heard Kaoru's light footsteps crossing over the linoleum to the front door. He held his breath and waited until he heard her voice.
"Who is it?" she asked through the door.
"It's me, Misao!" answered a small voice from the other side.
Kenshin tensed, wondering who Misao was. She was most likely a friend of Kaoru's but it was too dangerous to let anyone else know that she was hiding him. Surely Kaoru knew that. Didn't she?
Apparently not. He heard the front door open and he sighed, shaking his head. He flattened his back against the wall even further and remained completely silent as he side-stepped down the hallway, tilting his head just enough so that Kaoru and her friend were within his line of vision.
"Kaoru, you're okay!" Misao shouted, pulling Kaoru into a bear hug. "I was afraid I was right and that murderer really did come to get you! I thought he cut your phone line, you know, like in the movies. So I raced over here as fast as I could. You know what the weird thing is, though? There are cops everywhere and they almost didn't let me through! They asked me a zillion questions and even escorted me to this floor. Do they seriously think he's here!?"
"Misao, there's something I have you tell you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay? I'm serious." Kaoru's voice was stern, almost motherly, as she placed her hands upon the lean shoulders of her friend.
"Oh my god, Kaoru," Misao exclaimed, her eyes growing as round as saucers. "I can't believe it. You're pregnant!?"
"WHAT!?" Kaoru screamed, her face reddening. "Do I look that fat or something? I mean I know I've gained a little weight lately, but... And I haven't even... Oh, I'm going to kill you!" She raised an angry fist to Misao's face, shaking it, as her own face began to resemble a giant tomato.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I just couldn't think what else it could possibly be and you know I hate surprises. Forgive me," Misao pleaded, dropping to her knees and bowing her head. After a few seconds of groveling she bounced back up and grinned sheepishly. "So, what's the real secret? Come, come on, tell me!"
Kaoru, her face gradually returning to normal, took a deep breath and stared down at Misao. The other girl was considerably shorter than her and built like a rail, but many men were still attracted to her figure. Kaoru had been no less than shocked the first time they went out together and Misao actually got hit on before she did. Not that she would ever tell anyone about that.
"Come sit in here and I'll tell you," Kaoru ordered, grabbing her by the arm and leading her toward the living room. They passed by the hallway and Misao stopped moving, becoming a dead weight. Kaoru turned and glared at her, sighing. "This isn't the time to play games! I really need to tell you--"
Misao was standing still, her mouth hanging wide open, and her eyes were so wide that Kaoru was sure they would pop out of their sockets. Kaoru poked her arm but the other girl did not even wobble. Her stare remained fixated on something in the hallway.
"Misao, what are you...?" Kaoru began, before following her gaze. Then she finally realized what--no, who--was so damned interesting. A rosy blush spread across her cheeks and she nearly passed out. "Oh my..."
Kenshin was cemented in place, unable to move, and wore an expression identical to that of the girls'. He had only meant to eavesdrop and figure out what Kaoru was planning on sharing with this Misao girl, but no. He had to ruin everything by accidentally allowing himself to be seen. Gulping, he glanced down and fidgeted with his towel, willing it to stay put.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru whispered harshly, her ever-reddening face twisting with anger. Sensing that a scream, squeal, or something else ungodly was ready to tumble from Misao's mouth, she grabbed her and clamped a hand over her lips.
The redhead, dripping wet, merely closed his gaping mouth and adjusted the towel around his waist again. He was sure this situation could only become worse if it fell. Much worse. He wanted to flee but was unsure of Kaoru's ability to handle this situation, so he remained, awkwardly.
"Now Misao, I didn't want you to find out like this, but... Yes, that is who you think it is. And yes, the cops are looking for him here because he is here. But he's not a bad guy, he's really not. There were some misunderstandings and--"
"--Misunderstandings!?" Misao screeched, extracting herself from Kaoru's grasp with surprising strength. "He's a murderer, Kaoru! What's to misunderstand about that!?"
Kenshin's stance became rigid, his violet eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward. Kaoru shot a glare in his direction, silently commanding him to stay away and let her handle things, before turning back to Misao. He obeyed for the time being.
"Please, just be quiet and listen to me!" Kaoru exclaimed, reaching for her arms. She held the other girl still and stared down into her wide eyes. "You've got to trust me, Misao. He's been to hell and back already and I'm not going to let you--"
"--Kaoru, have you gone insane?" Misao questioned, clasping her by the shoulders and shaking her. "Is he holding you hostage? Did he threaten to kill you unless you hid him from the cops?"
"No, Misao. I swear it. Now please," Kaoru begged, pleading with her eyes. They were growing so weary with exhaustion that she could hardly focus, and she ran her hands through her own thick ebony hair in frustration.
"Ohhh, I get it. He seduced you and now you're in love with him!" A sly grin emerged on Misao's face and she pranced a circle around Kaoru, giggling. "That would explain why he just appeared out of nowhere with only that skimpy little towel--"
Kaoru twitched, clenching her fists at her sides. "Misao..."
"Fine, fine! But you've got to tell me more. I'm not going to just leave you here with him until I'm absolutely positive that it's safe," Misao insisted, crossing her arms over her slender chest. She was not taking no for an answer.
"Fair enough," Kaoru sighed, thankful that the other girl was done freaking out. She stole a glance at Kenshin and wondered how she had forgotten that he was still standing at the end of the hallway.
He audibly cleared his throat and turned away without a word, disappearing into her bedroom and dripping cold water in his wake. Kaoru took the hint and held up a finger to Misao, signaling her to give them a few moments alone, and trailed after him.
"Sorry." Kaoru apologized upon entering the room. She pulled the door shut behind her and moved to the closet, rummaging for clothes that would fit him. "In all the chaos I didn't even think about Misao. I was on the phone with her when you... appeared. I guess she got worried and decided to come over and check up on me. I couldn't just tell her to go away, you know; then she would've definitely gotten the cops' attention."
"I understand," Kenshin sighed, smoothing a hand through his hair. It was sopping wet and tangled. "I just hope she does trust you."
"She does... now, anyway," Kaoru responded softly, placing a small pile of clothes on the bed. "Here you go... you're lucky that I'm stocked with plenty of boxers and t-shirts. I refuse to sleep in anything else." She smiled at him for a brief moment before averting her eyes, thrown off by his current state of undress. The black and white abstract patterns on her comforter were suddenly very interesting to look at.
"Thank you," he said sincerely, reaching for the clothes. He nearly chuckled at the uncomfortable expression that graced her delicate features, but decided against it. The neutral mask remained in place.
"It's no problem. Just come to the living room when you're done, I guess..." Feeling her face grow warm, she immediately turned away and left the room, shutting the door to give him some privacy. She leaned against the wall for a moment and shut her eyes. Her nerves were most definitely frazzled now if they had not been already.
And now to the task at hand. She joined Misao in the living room and plopped down on the couch next to her, prepared to explain the situation in its entirety. The other girl looked up expectantly as if Kaoru were about to share a bedtime story. Unfortunately, what she was about to tell her would absolutely not be suitable for a children's book.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
He sat on Kaoru's bed for quite some time, mulling the last few hours' events over in his head. His brains felt scrambled and he knew he was in need of a good rest, but that could wait. He mentally wrote out a list of everything that needed to be accomplished before he slept. Once it was complete, he heard the front door open and close as if on cue. Misao must have finally departed.
Rising, he stretched languidly and grimaced when he ran his fingers through his hair. It was still waterlogged and in desperate need of a comb. Deciding that it was priority number one at this point, he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He skulked along, uncertain that he would not encounter another friend of Kaoru's. Maybe he had heard someone else coming in instead of Misao going out.
No one stood near the door and so he hung a left, hoping to find Kaoru in the living room. He located her sooner than he anticipated, for she bumped right into his chest as he turned the corner. She stumbled backward and wobbled slightly before catching her balance, huffing.
"You're too sneaky," she scolded, shaking her head. Her mouth frowned but her sapphire eyes betrayed her as they sparkled with amusement. She tried to prevent herself from thinking that he looked ridiculously good in her white shirt and blue boxers.
"I apologize, Miss Kaoru," he said, bowing his head slightly. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards. "Did your friend leave?"
"Yeah, she's gone. Nothing to worry about," she smiled, but her expression suddenly morphed into one of distaste. "Your hair is a mess!"
"Well I haven't exactly had time to think about it until now," he explained defensively, but she was already whisking him back down the hallway and into the bathroom. She yanked several drawers open and produced a wide-toothed comb, a brush, and a hot pink hair dryer.
"You know, you really do have lovely hair..." Kaoru commented, a mischievous grin slowly spreading across her face. She considered for a moment and then proceeded to rummage through the rest of her supplies, picking out a matching curling iron and several multi-colored hair clips. "I bet it would be fun to play with. Don't you think?"
"N-no, not at all...," Kenshin replied, slowly backing toward the door. He gripped his long hair protectively and steeled himself to run.
That was all it took to seal Kaoru's opinion of him and she dissolved into a fit of laughter. The terrified expression on his face, all out of concern for his beloved hair, was priceless. No emotionless killer would be caught dead showing fear over a pink curling iron; she was sure of that.
"Ken...shin...," she said between giggles, nearly crumpling to the floor. "It's okay. I'm not gonna... touch your hair... Hahahaha."
He stared at her in awe, simply watching her experience a laughing fit. The situation was so oddly hilarious that he felt his mouth twitch, and before he knew it, he was chuckling along with her. Witnessing his amusement apparently caused her to laugh harder, because she was soon on the floor clutching her sides and gasping for air. Their voices were hoarse when their snickering eventually subsided.
"I can't breathe," she gasped, fighting against another bout of giggling as she attempted to stand. His hand shot out to assist her and she accepted it, still grinning. "Thanks."
He nodded in response, smiling and releasing her warm hand. They stood awkwardly for a several seconds, both of them somehow unable to relinquish the other's gaze, until Kaoru spoke cheerfully.
"I'll go fix something for us to eat."
And she sauntered off, leaving Kenshin to deal with his neglected crimson hair.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Author's Note: Merry Christmas, everyone! This was supposed to be a present for all of you lovely reviewers (especially the naked/scantily clad Kenshin parts), although personally, I think this chapter blows. I'm sick with a shitty cold and I'm exhausted so I had a lot of trouble concentrating. I hope you like it anyways. And of course lots of reviews will make me feel better faster. ;)
Onhiro: Okay, so I lied and you didn't find out this chapter. Definitely the next one when they get more time to talk. Maybe you're right about the oven and maybe you're not; my lips are sealed for now.
Michika-chan: Yeah, I wouldn't be able to lie to the police either. I would probably start laughing like an idiot. And Saitou crawling around like a dog is highly amusing, definitely.
SzaharaTheSame: Thank you very much. I don't know why I threw Chou in there because I hate him with an unbridled passion. I should kill him off somehow.
Ayasora: I did. :D
Jegar Sahaduta: Thanks, I am glad that you love it!