Disclaimer: No, Rurouni Kenshin and all its characters do not belong to me. 'M merely borrowing them.

Author's Notes: Yeah, so sorry for the late installment. I said I'd be updating faster, maybe I shouldn't make any promises that I couldn't keep. Sorry everyone. Anyway, last week was just hectic. I had passed my first and second drafts already so I have quite a lot of time to do some updating. But the again, I still have a lot of requirements. But I'd try (try, not promise) to update faster. Hope you'd all like this one. Thanks a lot! And read and review!

Chapter two: whose fault was it?

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Kaoru was mad. Extremely mad. She stood silently at the bus stop, her bag tucked in one arm and the box she had been carrying since last night on her feet. She suddenly turned to glare at the redhead.

"I know," Kenshin said, not able to look back at her. "It was my fault."

"It's good that you know." She took in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Kaoru frowned at him. She turned around and faced him, "You shouldn't have done that! You-You…"

Kenshin looked disbelievingly at her, "For your information it was you who kissed me first!"

"But you know fairly well that I was drunk!"

"But you still shouldn't have kissed me!" Kenshin was feeling the pumping of his blood. Okay, so he had done something wrong, but was it fair to blame it all on him?

"But I do not know what I was doing. But you- you know what you are doing. You are conscious! You shouldn't have done that!" Kaoru was heatedly glaring at him.

"But I am just a man!"

That made her stop. Her blood came to a boil and all she could do was wave her hands in the air and suddenly hit him really hard, swift and unstopping. "Stupid! How can you say that? You all attribute it to your being a man! That's stupid! That's nonsense! That's a very cheap reason!"

"Ow," Kenshin brought his hands to cover his face in a defensive pose.

Kaoru stopped, her breathing ragged. She glared hard at him and turned back to the road. For some reason not a single bus has made its appearance yet. She was beginning to get really impatient.

"Kaoru," Kenshin said. He was pushing his luck to its limits. He knew what Kaoru could do when she gets mad. He had experienced it and knowing it makes him shiver more. But somehow he knew he has to talk to her. Especially with what had happened.

"What?!" she asked sharply. A bus came honking.

"Let's talk first."

"Don't have time," Kaoru said in vexation . The bus stopped and the doors swung open.

Kenshin took a hold of her arm, "You were fired remember?"

Kaoru stopped and turned to him. How could she forget? And how could he blatantly and unceremoniously remind her of that? She gritted her teeth and cursed him under her breath. "I know right. You don't have to remind me."

Kenshin took a step back, wary. "Then where are you planning to go?"

"Home." Kaoru removed his hand from her arm and turned back to the bus.

"Do you have money?" Kenshin asked as soon as Kaoru had one foot on the step.

That stopped her again. How could she have forgotten? She closed her eyes, irritation seeping through her. How could life be so miserable? She had been religious lately. She goes to the shrine every time she could. She contributed to the renovation of one antique shrine. How could Kami forget her now?

"Do you have money?" Kenshin repeated.

She stopped and tasting bile in her throat she said through gritted teeth, "I don't."

Kenshin smiled.

The bus honked and the driver shouted impatiently, "Are you coming in or not?"

Kaoru took in a deep breath as she responded yes and went back to look at Kenshin. She had her hand outstretched, "Now where is the money? I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

"Okay," Kenshin smiled again and he quickly took a hold of her hand and pulled her up the bus. He paid the fare and with his hand still on Kaoru's arm he guided her to a seat.

"Where are you going?" Kaoru asked him.

"With you," Kenshin simply answered.

"I said I am going home."

"I said we need to talk."

Kaoru glared at him, "Could we talk some other time? I feel so exhausted."

"I know," Kenshin said as a matter-of-factly, "But I don't have enough money for a cab ride back home, even if I didn't lend you money for the bus fare." (A/n: Cab fares in Japan are really expensive).

"I said I don't have money."

"But you could lend me some once when get to your apartment," Kenshin said as-a-matter-of-factly, again.

Kaoru rolled her eyes. She doesn't know if Kenshin was simply making up reasons. His reason was very unsophisticated. It was easy to see through it. "Just take a bus home."

"I couldn't," Kenshin, looking at the other window.

"And why not?"

Kenshin looked at her and sighed, "You've been going there ever since we were little and you still don't know that no single bus pass that way?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes in response. Kenshin could really get on her nerves. "Go borrow from somewhere else, I don't have money."

"Funny," Kenshin said.

---

Kaoru was thinking of the problems ahead. So she has to do some deterrent measures as soon as possible. She doesn't want this stuff leaking out, especially to Misao. She knew how possessive Misao was about her stupid brother.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, his hands in his pocket.

Kaoru ignored him and looked at the other window. Seating at the back alone with him gives her the creeps. They used to take the bus together in junior high, such that this shouldn't be altogether different for her. But everything has changed since last night.

"Hey," Kenshin interrupted her thoughts.

"Shut up." She didn't even look at him. They usually fight, Kenshin being a stupid know-it-all. She doesn't like his very straight and boring lifestyle.

"Kaoru," Kenshin stood up.

"I said shut up."

"Kaoru."

She knew she was starting annoy him. And she liked that. She liked annoying him. She liked giving him problems. But now he had given her a problem that's too big and too hot for her to handle.

"Kaoru," Kenshin pulled her by the arm.

"What?" she suddenly asked, jerking her arm away from his hold. She noticed he was standing. The bus had halted and people were staring at her.

"We're here."

She looked around, through the window at her right and through the window at the far left. The driver expressed concern about they being not on time for the next stop. Kaoru quickly stood up and hurried to the door. She got out first before the redhead did.

---

"Hey," Kenshin murmured, trailing behind her.

"What?"

"I am sorry."

"It already happened."

"And I am sorry."

"I said it already happened."

"That's why I said I am sorry."

"Yes, and that's precisely why I said it already happened."

"But I am really sorry for what happened."

Kaoru turned sharply to him. "Just shut up!"

That kept his mouth shut.

Kaoru looked at him then stopped walking.

Kenshin shot her a quizzical look. "What?"

"Stay here. I'd get the money from the apartment."

"Why, couldn't I go in?"

"I don't want you going in."

"Why?" Kenshin rubbed his chin. There was no point in not bringing him to her house. He had been there, a lot of times before. If she were worried about the clutter and the mess present, he really wouldn't mind. He had seen them all before. In fact he had seen it all.

"Just stay here."

Kenshin was about to argue when she suddenly ran. The apartment building was only a couple of meters away from her. It seemed so small from afar, but now that he is at a very close range, it seemed quite big, and Kaoru seemed to small for that big building. Kenshin watched Kaoru's running form and shifted his gaze to the sky.

---

Kaoru couldn't remember what happened exactly. She knew the first time would hurt, according to Megumi. But how could she know when it all happened when she was unconscious?

She dreamed of a very romantic first time. She shouldn't have dreamed. Maybe by not doing so she'd get a first time which would be worth remembering.

"Stupid," she said as she walked back to where she left Kenshin. She'd give him the money and shoo him away.

She saw him looking at the sky. She really thought he was stupid. She had known him since time immemorial, and that makes everything more absurd and more unacceptable.

---

"Here," she handed him the money, "Go home."

Kenshin smiled, "Okay."

"And…" Kaoru swallowed hard, "Let's just…let's just forget all about it."

Kenshin frowned, "Really?"

"Really."

He put the money in his pocket and turned back to her, "But that was supposed to be special for you."

Kaoru arched a brow, "What?"

"That was your first."

She took a step back. Her fist has a mind of its own and she doesn't want him going home with a bleeding nose. "So?"

"That was your first. And that was supposed to be special because you are a woman." Kenshin knew the dangerous look in her eyes, telling him to stop talking.

"Really? I don't care if that was the first. I'm not like most women. And not all women are the same." Kaoru looked disbelievingly at him and turned around and feeling annoyance creeping into her, she marched back to her apartment.

---

Misao opened the door for her brother. She shot him a frown, "Where were you?"

Kenshin grinned, "I slept at the office."

"Really?" Misao had her arms akimbo, she led him to the living room, "Megumi said you left early last night."

"I did, but I came back because I remembered something," Kenshin had been thinking of what excuses to say during the ride back.

Misao looked disbelievingly at him, "And what was that?"

"Some papers. And I started reading and I didn't know at what time I fell asleep."

Misao arched a brow and suddenly said, "I called Megumi earlier, she didn't see your car at the parking lot."

"Oh," Kenshin said, scratching the back of his head, "I didn't know I was running low on gas, I left it somewhere but I'd call the towing company. I' d have them pick it up."

"Okay," Misao said. She latched an arm around his brother's.

"Aren't you going to the university?"

"Later, I have a class at eleven."

Kenshin nodded.

"Are we going to eat out?"

"I need some sleep. You can ask Aoshi this time."

"Really?" Misao hugged him tight, "You're the greatest."

Kenshin frowned at her, "Of course I am Misao." He knew she was just waiting for him to allow her to go out with the stoic refrigerator vampire. It's not like he dislikes him, but it's not like he likes him either. But if he makes her happy then he would support them. He is the greatest brother after all.

"Have you eaten breakfast?"

Kenshin shook his head, "But I am not hungry. I just need some sleep. I'll go to my room. If you already need to go, just lock the door and leave me some note okay?"

"Okay," Misao said, "But don't forget to eat, you're getting much thinner. How can you be the hottest brother there is?"

Kenshin laughed, "I still am the hottest brother right?"

"Of course!" Misao giggled, "Now take some sleep."

Kenshin laughed again. He has the best sister but he was still able to lie.

---

Kaoru lay looking at the ceiling. She was trying to remember what happened. But she couldn't. She just couldn't remember anything. She closed her eyes. She wanted to have a special first time, but how could she now after this? If only she had known she should've just done it before with someone else, even if it wouldn't be special, at least she'll remember.

"Stupid," Kaoru mouthed. For the longest time she had never thought of Kenshin as being more than a friend. Well she has to admit, Kenshin does look good, really good. In fact she was jealous of his silky hair. How he could manage to keep his hair that good still remains a mystery to her.

She shifted to her side. She remembered getting drunk, receiving a call from him, seeing him and getting into the cab with him. But after that, she couldn't remember anything anymore. How stupid of her.

---

He tried sleeping but he couldn't.

Kenshin took a shower, put on a white shirt and khaki pants and decided to eat out. It was ten past eleven. Misao had already left and he had seen the note she left on the fridge.

He went to the tow company, picked up his car and drove to the Chinese restaurant he passed on the way. He knew Kaoru liked beef so he ordered beef and fried rice. Half an hour had already passed by the time he reached her apartment.

Kenshin took a deep breath as he parked the car and got into the elevator.

---

Kaoru was awakened by the sound of the doorbell. She stood up groggily, her head in a spin. She remembered she was hungry, but feeling very tired to get up she decided to just sleep.

She pressed the intercom. "Who is it?"

"It's me. Kenshin."

The last word sounded as an afterthought. As if the redhead didn't really intend to add his name.

"Why are you here?"

"I brought food."

"Okay. Wait a minute." She ran her fingers through her hair and went to the door.

A smiling Kenshin greeted her.

"Where's the food?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin frowned, "So it really is just about the food?"

"Of course," she grabbed the paper bag from him and went to the kitchen.

Kenshin followed suit.

---

"Where'd you buy this?" Kaoru asked, munching.

"Somewhere," Kenshin looked at her disbelievingly, "You eat like a pig."

"I'm hungry."

"As I could see."

"How'd you know I haven't eaten yet?" Kaoru looked at him before putting the chopsticks in her mouth.

"I felt it. And besides even if you have already eaten I know you couldn't say no to food."

"Haha. Funny."

"By the way," Kenshin said, becoming serious.

"What?" Kaoru noticed the seriousness in his voice and she brought her chopsticks down and looked intently at him.

"I've thought it over."

"What?"

Kenshin pursed his lips, "Don't pretend. I know you know what I am talking about."

"Really Kenshin, what is it about?"

"About last night."

"Oh…" Kaoru picked up her chopsticks again to pretend she doesn't care, "I told you to just forget about it, didn't I?"

"I decided. I'll take full responsibility of what happened."

"Stupid. Nothing happened."

"Kaoru."

"And there's nothing to be responsible about."

Kenshin caught her hand, forcing her to look, "What if you get pregnant?"

Kaoru looked at him, stunned and after digesting what he said, she laughed heartily, "Kenshin, as if I'm going to get pregnant with just…with just…" she couldn't help but laugh.

"I know of someone who got pregnant with just once…"

Kaoru forced herself to stop laughing, "Women are not all the same. I don't get pregnant easily."

"How'd you know? Last night was the first."

Kaoru swallowed hard. "I said I am not going to get pregnant."

"Simply by stating that you wouldn't get pregnant wouldn't ensure that you really wouldn't."

"Kenshin."

"There's a possibility that you'd get pregnant. I don't know when it's supposed to manifest. But I know I am responsible."

"Kenshin."

"So I am taking full responsibility, I'm not going to run away."

"Kenshin." Kaoru glared at him.

He looked at the table and said, "Let's get married."

Kaoru was dumbfounded.

Kenshin slowly looked up to meet her eyes and repeated, "Let's get married."

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A/n: Okay, so what do you think? Sorry for the super late update...but hope this chapter will do...