Disclaimer: This author has consumed copious amounts of ice cream during the creation of this chapter. Proceed at your own risk.

"A cup of tea would restore my normality."
― Douglas Adams

"I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea."
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground

LAST TIME

Kaoru wiped the dust off and removed the plastic seal. One, two tea bags, two mugs. Kaoru looked around for more cabinets to search. Nothing. Confused he began rechecking from the beginning. Not there. Not there. Not here. Kaoru bent to move some over-sized mixing bowls that just might be hiding the prize. "Oh, come on. You have got to be here somewhere."

THIS TIME

And that was the state of things when Kenshin came back downstairs and was presented with Kaoru muttering and rummaging around in the under-the-counter cabinets, torso nearly completely engulfed and rear end swaying to a fro as she burrowed. Kenshin leaned against the counter and stifled a laugh, content to just watch for a few moments. Only after a bread pan was heartlessly shoved out onto the kitchen tile with a clatter did Kenshin choose to speak up. "What are you looking for?"

Karou jumped at the sound of his voice and banged her head on the wooden opening. "Ow!" She emerged, rubbing the back of her head and blinking back little tears at the corners of her eyes.

It was . . . really cute.

Kaoru huffed and reached into the fridge for an icepack. "I can't find the kettle."

"The kettle." Kenshin said slowly.

"Yes, the kettle." Kaoru crinkled her nose and gave the cabinet a hateful look. "I can't find it anywhere. Do you know where it is?" Her wide eyes turned to him expectantly.

She really was quite the picture.

"I – Uh," Kenshin paused searched his brain for answers. "I don't think they have one?" That would have sounded better if it wasn't a question. He tried again. "Mrs. Megumi is a coffee drinker." Yeah, that sounded more like the knowledgeable neighbor he was supposed to be.

"I know, but-" Kaoru looked around her at all the open cabinets. "Well, I mean, I've never actually seen her drink tea. But you have to have a kettle for other things too: hot coco, and instant noodles, and stuff."

Kenshin smirked. "I seriously doubt Mrs. Megumi allows instant noodles in her kitchen."

"Oh, I guess not." Kaoru bent to replace the bread pan and began shutting the doors to the cabinets. "This is ridiculous. How does a kitchen not have a kettle?" She stopped at the pots as pans cubby and pulled a small pot from the collection before closing it up. She filled the small pot with water and set it on the stove. "Welp, we'll just have to make due then."

"You really want tea that badly?" Kenshin said, eyeing the makeshift tea set.

Kaoru turned the eye of the stove on. "Yep. I need at least two cups a day to feel remotely human."

They shared a laugh.

Kenshin was really beginning to enjoy her company.

"So, uh. Kenshin," Kaoru fingered the handle of one of the coffee mugs. It was painted with little blue snowflakes. "Sano mentioned you work out of your home. What sort of work do you do?"

Kenshin shrugged and leaned his hip on the island counter. "Nothing particularly interesting: accounting mostly."

Kaoru winced. "Sounds, uh . . . interesting?"

Kenshin crossed his arms over his chest and threw Kaoru a sideways grin. "I think the word you're looking for is 'boring'."

Kaoru mirrored his posture. "You said it, not me." She replied with a little giggle. "But, yeah, mind numbing."

Kenshin chuckled. "It can be. But it pays well. And I work on my own schedule as long as I meet my client deadlines. I do some real estate on the side as well"

"Well, that's all right then." Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Real estate?"

"Residential. I'm actually the one who found this house for Mrs. Megumi."

"Oh. I think I remember her saying something about the good deal she got on it. Honestly I wasn't really listening at the time. She was in the middle of a tirade."

"You ignored Mrs. Megumi and lived? I know some people that would pay good money for your technique."

Kaoru shrugged. "We have a mutual understanding. I ignore her when she's pissed and she ignores me when I'm being insulting. We developed this technique out of survival instinct. It's one of the reasons we've stayed friends for so long." She grinned and her eyes grew unfocused – remembering. "Lord knows we fought like caged dogs in the beginning."

Kenshin was surprised at this statement. The tiny, tea loving woman before him didn't seem like the type to stir up ire. And she was small – shorter than him by a few good inches – and that was saying something. "You don't strike me as the argumentative type Ms. Kaoru."

The water in the pot was boiling. Kaoru shoved herself off the counter and moved to tend the stove. "And you've known me for a grand total of what? Twenty minutes?" She smiled to herself as she poured the hot water into the two mugs. "I'm sure you'll encounter my temper eventually if you end up sticking around." Kenshin watched as the silently counted off thirty seconds on her right hand before dropping the tea bags in to steep. She set the kitchen timer for two and a half minutes.

"So, accounting and real estate." She quirked an eyebrow in his direction. "Do you do anything that doesn't involve crunching ridiculous amounts of numbers?"

"I practice kendo."

Kaoru started and beamed at him. "Really?!" She jumped on the topic with gusto. "Me too! My dad teaches kendo from our dojo: the Kamiya Kasshin style. What style do you practice?"

Kenshin blinked – a little shocked at the outburst. "The Hiten Mitsurugi style. You've probably never heard of it. It's only ever taught to one person per generation. My father taught me."

"Hiten Mitsurugi." Kaoru mused. "Flying Heaven. It sounds beautiful." She smiled up at him again. "Maybe we could spar sometime."

Kenshin was quick to answer. "I don't think so Ms. Kaoru."

Kaoru's face fell. "Why not?"

"Hiten Mitsurugi isn't meant to be practiced on the inexperienced, and I don't want-"

Kaoru went from disappointed to livid in the space of a heartbeat. "Inexperienced?! I'm the assistant master of my family style I'll have you know." She jabbed a finger at him. "I've taken down men twice your size without a scratch! What makes you think-"

Kaoru cut off her rant when the tea timer beeped.

Kenshin breathed a sigh of relief. She certainly is expressive, that she is.

All anger appeared to be forgotten as Kaoru took a deep breath of the raspberry aroma. "Do you take sugar or milk?"

"U-Um," Kenshin spluttered. "just milk," He added quickly, "if it's not too much trouble." hoping to keep her placated.

Kaoru quickly added a dollop of milk to each mug and a spoon of white sugar to one. She carried the mugs to the breakfast table and they sat down as she passed him the one with just milk.

They sipped their tea in silence for a moment. You could have cut the atmosphere with a katana.

"So, Ms. Kaoru." Kenshin began tentatively.

"Yes?" Kaoru's reply was thick with artificial sweetener.

Still, Kenshin forged ahead. "Mrs. Megumi tells me you just graduated from university."

"Oh, yes, I did; last month." Kaoru sighed. "Suma kum laude: bachelor's in modern linguistics with a minor in photography."

"That's very impressive, that it is."

Kaoru frowned – a slight dip of the corners of her lips. "Yeah. It is." She seemed reluctant to talk about it.

"Do you have a job lined up yet?" Kenshin prodded.

Kaoru's frown deepened. "No." She took another sip of her tea.

Kenshin sighed. Her mood swings were going to give him whip lash. "That's too bad. Are you looking for something in particular?"

"International Journalism." Kaoru stared into her half finished tea. "I want to be based here in Tokyo. There are some opportunities in Osaka, but I'd rather not move out there if I can help it." She started tattooing a rhythm onto the ceramic with her uneven fingernails. "If I get the position I want I'll end up traveling a lot and I'd like to be able to come home to family. I don't think I could stand living on my own." She looked up at Kenshin and smiled shyly. "I don't really like the silence."

"You don't think it's sort of. . ." Kenshin looked around the quiet house, ". . . peaceful?"

Kaoru shook her head sharply. "No. Only dead things are quiet." She pouted. "Noise means . . . life. Footsteps, breathing, crying, laughing: it all means someone is there. You know?"

Kenshin thought of his own house with only the sound of his whirring computer and the clacking of keys perforating the air. "Yeah, I think I do."

Kaoru stood up from the table and began clearing and washing the now empty tea cups. She hummed quietly as the water rinsed the soap from her hands and the mugs. It was a mellow little tune, probably a lullaby. She punctuated the last two notes by placing the mugs on the drying rack in time with the music. "Thanks for your help, by the way. I portably would have ended up leaving my suitcase in the living room, if I'm being honest." She turned around a smiled at him.

Kenshin couldn't help but smile back. "I'm glad I could help, Ms. Kaoru."

There was a silence during which neither of them could think of another thing to say.

Kenshin stood up from the table. "I should get going. Those numbers aren't going to crunch themselves."

"Oh, sure, right." Kaoru said. "Don't work too hard." Her smile was just a little bit sad. Like she didn't want him to leave.

And Kenshin didn't want to go.

He headed for the door and paused as his hand engulfed the doorknob. "Mrs. Megumi gave you my number right? You know, if you need anything."

Kaoru snatched up Megumi's instructions. "Yeah, it's here on the last page."

"Good." Kenshin took a nervous breath that surprised him. "And If I don't answer. Please feel free to come by. I don't always keep my mobile as close as I should."

"Okay, I will."

And with that Kenshin slipped through the door.

He had almost made it across to his yard when he heard the back door open again.

"And don't think you're off the hook for that 'inexperienced' comment, mister!"

Kenshin spun around to see Kaoru leaning around the door frame with a fierce expression burning on her face.

"Seven a.m., on this patio. You and me. Be there. And bring a practice sword!" She slipped back inside and shut the door with a thud.

Kenshin chuckled. "I suppose I have no choice now, do I?"

CHAPTER END

I did this one just a little bit more from Kenshin's perspective. It was interesting. Everything all stayed third person of course. I just shifted the focus from Kaoru to Kenshin. Which do you like better?

Congrats to Shab, Scarred Sword Heart and Crystale no otaku who all guessed correctly that Kaoru was looking for the kettle. Cookies for you all! ^_^ There was actually one other correct guess. Unfortunately they were signed in as a guest reviewer so I can't congratulate them directly. But I'll leave this cookie here for them to find in case they choose to keep reading. *places cookie on table* It's like leaving treats for sanata! haha.

Thanks again to all of you who are reviewing, faving and following this story. Those little notifications make me so happy!

Reviews are love! ;)