The next couple of days seemed to have no end; they just ran into each other for Kenshin and Roy. Every time either of them saw Karou they would run up to her and ask her option on something or whether she needed anything or…the list just went on.
Karou expected it of Roy but never of Kenshin. The first time he did it he tripped and stumbled over his words and almost forgot was he was talking about but had smiled joyfully when she laughed and complemented him on finding his words. Only moments later did she have to yell at Roy for walking in his shoes across the floor she had just washed.
Sano watched all this from afar. He though he had mostly worked it out after about a week of listening to all of it. They had worked out a point system, taking away points for making Karou mad and adding for making her happy, but he didn't know how many. He decided to confront the two…or just Kenshin on this because the way they are going, he was afraid of the missy getting hurt.
"Hey Kenshin? Roy? Can I talk to the two of you?" Sano called out to the yard where Kenshin was putting the laundry on the line and Roy was practicing his swordsmanship. Karou had gone into town earlier with Yahico to look at some new shoes for him.
"What do you want bird head?" Roy asked irritably, he was down by 300 points in just 3 hours this morning and he was in no mood to talk to anyone.
Kenshin came over with his basket full of clothes to fold. Sano motioned to them to join him on the edge of the house, Roy sitting next to him and Kenshin sitting farther away so as to be able to fold the laundry.
"What's going on with you guys? You," he stared at Roy, " I can understand but when Kenshin started doing the same think, I get worried."
"That's none…!' Roy blurted out but Kenshin cut off the rest.
"We have a contest going on."
"Himora!"
"No, It's alright, we can trust Sano." Kenshin turned his face to Sano and began to explain.
"He and I have a deal. Who ever gets the allotted amount of points in time will be the one who gets the privilege to peruse Miss Karou."
"That's what you think…" Roy muttered under his breath.
"No, that's what we agreed on." Kenshin glared at the man and he shrunk back.
"No, that's what you forced me to agree on." Roy shot back.
"HEY! I don't care what happened, all I care about it getting to the bottom of this and making sure the Missy doesn't get hurt." Kenshin looked down at the clothing he had in his hand, incidentally it was Karou's loincloth. He blushed and folded it quickly, placing it back in the basket.
"Why would you care so much? Are you considering joining are little game?" Roy looked slyly at the roster head.
"Wha…what are you talking about! The Missy is like a sister to me and I care about her enough that I don't want to see some slug like you getting her hurt!" Sano was building up steam and Kenshin knew well enough not to get involved and let Sano rant.
"And another thing! Even if you win this little bet of yours, do you really think the Missy will want to have you as a husband? Do you?"
"She has no choice, it's in the will that she marry me!"
"Like hell she will, if myself or Kenshin have anything to say about it!"
"Leave this one out of this…" Kenshin interjected quietly.
"Kenshin don't deny it! You know if Karou married him you would have to do something." Sano turned on him.
"This one is not saying that…but…" Kenshin spluttered into silence and went back to his folding.
"As I was saying, the only way the Missy will marry you is if she wants to, which I doubt. So you might as well give it up and go home already." Sano concluded and crossed his are as if to say 'and that's that.'
Roy stared at him incredulously. Then burst out laughing.
"You think that after all I've been through and done for her, that I'm going to give up! That's a laugh."
Sano glowered at him. Kenshin also looked in anger at the man, his fingers itching to reach for sword. Roy walked away, still laughing.
Kenshin had to physically reach out and grab Sano to keep him from going after the man.
"Let him be. He knows not of what he speaks, that he does not." The pair stood watching him walk out of the courtyard and onto the street. The two of them stood side by side, Kenshin with his hand on his sword and Sano fist chambered, they looked battle ready and that is how Karou and Yahiko found them.
"Kenshin…Sano…what are you two doing?"
-
-
Kenshin and company sat at the dinner table that night, thankfully with out Roy. Kenshin felt more at peace then ever since Roy had come. He turned to Karou with a large smile and asked how she faired tonight's meal.
"It seems even better than any you have ever made. What's different?"
"Oh, this one thinks that something is missing, but is not missing it…" he trailed off in happy though, until a noise sounded out side.
"Oh what now?" Karou was having a really good time and she didn't want anything to ruin it.
"OH KAROU!!!" the singsong voice called from the courtyard.
The four of them stared in horror at the doorway to the courtyard. Roy swaggered in, dressed in the most outrageous outfit. He was wearing a tight, short, white suit jacket with rhinestones set into the cuffs instead of cufflinks. The pants where of matching white with black stripes running down the sides. A large white top hat with an equally large white feather was gripped in his hands.
The group about fell over in shock.
"There you are my dear! Guess what I got you!"
"Matching outfits?" Yahiko whispered to Sano under his breath.
"Look look!!" Roy pulled out from somewhere a large, white matching dress also adorned with rhinestones and feathers at the sleeves and collar.
This time Karou actually passed out and Yahiko burst out laughing.
-
-
She awoke almost a minute later with her head on Kenshin's shoulder. She blushed and yanked her head away and snuck a look at Kenshin. His mouth was held tight, but not from anger, but from holding laughter back.
Karou looked over at Roy to see he was still standing where he had been when she passed out.
"What is that…thing?" Sano asked, plucking at the sleeve nearest him.
"This thing, is the latest fashion in Pairs, France."
"Well this isn't Paris, that is isn't." Kenshin muttered under his breath. Karou struggled to keep from laughing too hard.
"Here I thought you would appreciate good and high fashion, but I guess I missed judged you Karou." Roy sniffed and stomped out, his pride smarting.
"You know," Karou looked at the others, "that was just what I needed to make this day complete, a good laugh at Roy!"
The others burst out laughing.
-
-
Karou sat in the dojo, gripping a sword in her hands waiting for Yahiko to show up for practice. She turned her hand over and a flash caught her eye. Looking down, she saw that it was the ring that Kenshin had given her. The blue stone had given off the light and now sat on her finger simmering brightly. She sighed, pivoting it this and that way to catch the light. A thought stuck Karou as she sat. How had Kenshin gotten the ring?
True, she didn't see him all the time during the day, but usually no more than 20 minute intervals but it took a good ten to get into town. Maybe he had run into town, brought it, and run back without her noticing. Yes, that was it. She stared at it once again.
And sighed.
Yahiko walked in at this point and moaned.
"Kaoru, don't tell me that we're going to start that again?" She snapped out of and, grinding her teeth growled at him.
"Grab your sword…"
He gulped.
"Come at me…"she hissed. Yahiko prayed a quick prayer to Kami-sama and charged.
"This, brat, is how to evade!" she struck low and hard, bringing her sword to his waist and thrusting the tip into his gut. He coughed and rolled away.
"And to bring them back!"
Twenty minutes later a bruised and beaten Yahiko lay in a heap on the dojo floor.
"AH! Now I feel better!" Karou exclaimed and made her way out of the room.
"D…damn her…" the heap muttered from the floor.
Roy, standing in the shadows outside the dojo, stood quaking. This girl could easily beat this boy like that and in anger? Oh the potential she had as his wife…and in bed. With that speed and being that limber…well, she was the one for him.
Yahiko stood slowly and called over his shoulder.
"Roy, come out already."
Shocked, Roy emerged from the shadows and stood before the man.
"I wish I wasn't the one to say this but, this is only in anger over a little joke, imagine what she would do to you over only wanting her for her body." And with that, he limped out of the dojo, headed for the kitchen and Kenshin, leaving Roy to stand and ponder the question.
-
-
Kenshin stood at the kitchen sink cutting the potatoes into cubes. He was humming and almost done with them when Yahiko walk…no limped in.
"You insulted Miss Karou again, did you not?" Kenshin asked softly.
"One joke and she goes haywire!" Kenshin laughed and gathered some rags and set them to cool in cold water. Picking them back up, he placed them on the now spreading welts on Yahiko's arms and legs.
"You really should learn to keep your mouth shut, that you should." Kenshin said as nicely as he could while patting at a slowly oozing cut on his elbow with one of the rags.
"But…"
"No, Yahiko, it was funny at first but now you must know that when you are training with her, she is your Sensei, that she is and you must remember that, that you must." Kenshin smiled and Yahiko stared in awe at him. He looked down and nodded.
"Well put." A pissed off Karou came in the door and Kenshin and Yahiko looked up, frightened.
She had changed back into her kimono and carried something. She kneeled down and opened the box. In it, where bandage and ointment, and she began to dress his wounds.
"I shouldn't have over reacted, and I'm sorry, but Kenshin's right. I am your Sensei when we train but not other wise. And I wish that you respected me enough when we train. Ne?" she looked up and smiled a compassionate smile. Again Yahiko looked down and nodded.
"Thanks…Karou…"
"Lets get you cleaned up, shall we?" Karou smiled again and continued to dress him.
Roy stood outside the kitchen door nearly in tears.
'She…she'll make a great mother to my children!' He thought and stared at the three some who were now laughing on the kitchen floor. Roy saw two little children run across his view, two boys. A third was in Karou's arms and the two where watching the two boys play with him.
'That's what I want!' he looked at the three of them again and started to think about what his children would look like with his and her looks. He looked over to see Karou shiver.
"Miss Karou?" Kenshin only said her name but she understood.
"I don't know, I just got this creepy feeling come over me…" she trailed off and shivered again.
"I'll bet you it's that creep Roy. He was watching us practice earlier."
"Wha? That's just too creepy. Honestly, I would like to throw him out already but I'll bet you anything that he'll be like Sano and stay whether I throw him out or not."
Roy clutched the doorframe in shock. Here he had thought she was finally warming up to him but…maybe not. Undaunted, he swore to himself that he was going to work even harder to make her like him! It was his father's last wish!
And he was going to have her even if it took drastic measures.