Chapter Sixteen

The sketch book was propped up on her knees as Kaoru sat sideways on the couch and doodled drawings of irritated chibi foxes. The lab was quiet, and she was supposed to be spending the evening alone, which was rare. Most times Tomoe stayed with her, but it didn't feel right to demand she stay when she had a home to go back to. Truthfully, Kaoru was becoming a little more comfortable with being alone, and was starting to enjoy the lack of pressure it required. It also freed her to do whatever she felt like without having to worry about how it bothered someone else.

Without any ability to utilize her vocal cords, Kaoru had discovered that she could make different sounds depending on how she pushed air from her mouth or nose. She could whistle as well, and by using a combination of these sounds, could even put together a tune. Currently performing along with the music in her headphones, she happily bounced one leg in time with the up-beat song.

Vibrating under the right side of her butt alerted her to a new message on the phone Kenshin had sent to her, and she jumped before digging the small device out from between the cushion and her shorts where she had wedged it earlier for safe keeping. Pressing her thumb against the message displayed on the screen, she grinned to find a playful animation flopping itself face first onto a bed in exhaustion. Kenshin messaged her every single night now, and their communication ranged from comforting to lighthearted. She enjoyed the ease at which they understood each other's sense of humor, but it was the moments he looked to her for encouragement or quietly made sure she wasn't lonely that made her heart swell.

Choosing the perfect reply, she grinned in anticipation of his response to the overly muscled character flexing his pecs that she had chosen. Moments later, she was not disappointed by the pre-pubescent boy he sent back doing the same. Kicking her feet, she found an animation of two people enthusiastically giving a high-five in triumph. Two, crying/laughing faces appeared directly below her last message, and her grin was starting to become painful from restrained laughter. Before she could come up with another silly topic to keep it going, a new message popped up for her to read this time.

"Heard you were by yourself tonight. Everything ok?"

Hilarity melted into soft joy, and she chewed her lip as she tapped out her answer.

"Yes. Enishi sent me some videos to watch, but I was drawing just now."

"Can I see?"

A quick snap and send shot him a picture of the doodles she had been working on. It wasn't long before he responded with another crying/laughing face.

"Don't ever show those to Megumi-san."

Responding with just a toothy smiling face, she conveyed her mischievousness.

"BTW, I got something for you. It should arrive tomorrow."

Excitement briefly straightened her spine, but the smile on her lips faded slowly as her shoulders relaxed. "You don't need to get me anything." I'd rather see you instead. Leaving the last part unspoken, she hugged the phone to her sternum. I really have more than I need, but you just keep giving and I know you can't really afford it.

"Alright. I'll cancel the delivery, I suppose."

Pouting just slightly, Kaoru blinked at the chilly tone in the message. He continued immediately.

"If you don't want it, I guess I'll keep it for myself." He followed up with a half-smirking face, and the purse of her lips became a bit more pronounced.

"Nah. It might be cheaper to just let me hold onto it for you. I promise to keep it in good shape until you get back." A little angel halo swore good intentions, and her grin had returned.

A thoughtful face said he was drawing out the suspense, just for fun.

"I guess that sounds reasonable… but be sure not to break it. It's a little worn."

Wondering what it could be, Kaoru chewed her lip again, but came back with what she really wanted to know. "When do you think you're coming back?" It took her a few long seconds to work up the nerve to ask, and she waited with bated breath for his response.

"Hiko-sama seems to think sometime soon, but I'm not sure I agree with his confidence in me."

Overjoyed with the knowledge that she might see him sometime in the near future, her answer was typed out quickly.

"He's the master. I think you can probably trust him."

"Yeah, you're right. He's okay." It took a moment before he resumed, and the notebook still balanced on her now outstretched legs had long since been forgotten. "I look forward to seeing you again."

The jerk in her stomach was unexpected, and her teeth bit down on her bottom lip hard enough to bruise it. "Me, too."

"Don't stay up too late."

"Ok."

"Goodnight."

"Get plenty of sleep!"

A closed-eyed smiley face, and, "Ok."

"Goodnight."

Content, and smiling happily, Kaoru let the phone drop into her lap so she could reach once again for the notebook. Out of the corner of her eye, an out-of-place object captured her attention, and she jumped to find the suited-up ogre standing in the doorway. Some strange expression caught between a grin and a smile pulled at his mouth, and he just stood there staring at her. She wondered for how long. After an uncomfortable period of time, he started, as if she had just noticed him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He stepped closer without invitation, and her knees came back up into her chest defensively. The grin stayed in place. "You looked so very pleased with what you were doing, I didn't want to interrupt."

Slowly, because she hadn't heard a word of what he had said, she pulled the headphones down off her ears.

"Ah. I've heard you really like your music." Sitting down on the other end of the couch, he shifted so that his knees were angled towards her, and kept grinning. "I enjoy karaoke myself. We should go sometime."

Keeping her eyes averted to discourage the unwanted interaction, she watched him out of her peripheral vision. One of her hands came up to clutch at the red hair draped over her shoulder.

"Well don't be so chatty." He laughed, as if it was the funniest thing in the world to say, but she frowned. "Get it? Chatty?" Self-amused laughter continued to spew from his mouth, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Oh well. I only came back in to get some paperwork I forgot this morning. I didn't realize you would be in here… alone." He scooted a little forward, and swallowed hard. "You know, if you're lonely, I could stay with you. The lab is about to shut down, and no one else will be able to get in… or out."

Shaking her head desperately, she denied his offer.

"You sure?" Quickly, she switched to nodding. "Your loss." He clicked his tongue and stood to dip a bow. "Take care, Kaoru-san. I'll most likely see you later. Maybe we could do that karaoke soon."

As soon as the outer door to the lab clicked shut, Kaoru stood and slammed the door to the rec room closed. It didn't have an internal lock, however, and she had to make do with pushing the couch against the door for leverage. Taking three steps back, she stared at the door and waited for several minutes for any noise that might suggest someone was on the other side. Still uneasy, she snatched up her phone, and retreated to the bathroom to wash up before bed.

The uncomfortable atmosphere the ogre had created lingered with her long after he was gone, and she jumped at every noise while sitting on a bath stool and clutching the detachable shower head. Feeling stupid for being afraid, and childish for wanting to contact someone, she rubbed her thumb up and down the burn scar on her sternum. It, however, was not a comforting reminder for her, either.

Ever so slightly, the scar had spread itself outward since the night she had first noticed it. No longer was it a small, oval burn approximately the size of a finger pad. Instead, it was now nearly the same size as the palm of her hand. Just along the bottom of it, something new had appeared just within the last few weeks. While the rest of the scar was what appeared to be a burn that spread outward from the center, a thin crescent strip at the bottom hinted at the lip of something smooth.

The dream had not changed in appearance, though. What had changed was her own internal reaction to it. That first desire she had experienced, of wanting the fire demon to look at her, had morphed into an emotion closer to desperation, envy, and frustration. She wanted so much for them to look at her, but they continuously refused. What did she have to do? Why could they not see she was there? All she wanted was for them to notice her, because she wanted so much to know… him.

A shaky breath filled her lungs, and she rinsed the remaining suds from her skin, before hopping into the hot bath water. The fire demon in her dreams had no distinguishable features due to its entire form being consumed by flame. Even still, Kaoru could not explain why she suddenly knew that the fire demon was male. What she did know, because it had confused her at first, was that her desire to know this strange fire demon in her dream was not the same desire she felt towards Kenshin.

Fully submerging herself under the water, she held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut in shy embarrassment. There was something heartbreaking about her interactions with the fire demon in her dreams. With Kenshin, it was much warmer and exciting. He never failed to assuage her fears, and his eyes always looked straight at her.

Coming up for air, she sat dripping in the tub as a longing for comfort came over her again. Why had that stupid ogre ruined her evening when everything had felt so wonderful? Reaching for her phone in the corner, she worried her lip and wondered if he would be annoyed.

"Are you asleep?"

It took a little while for him to respond, and she was ready to assume he was already in bed when he replied.

"Is everything ok?"

The fact that he didn't answer her question confirmed she had woken him up. Feeling a bit contrite, and unsure how to explain her unease, Kaoru took too long to respond.

"Do I need to call someone?" Her silence had caused him to worry.

"No." Clutching the phone tightly, her bottom lip trembled. She really didn't want to bother anyone, but she was still apprehensive. He must have understood.

"It's ok to be afraid." Resting her chin on the lip of the tub, her smile was more of a pout. "Do you have the charm I left with you?"

Kaoru looked over at the braided hair carefully coiled on top of a towel where it could stay dry. "Yes."

"Good. It is still very much a part of me. I will feel if it activates. If necessary, it will keep you safe long enough for me to return."

Dark lashes blinked. Was that how it worked? Heat spread up into her cheeks happily.

"Thank you." Now she felt silly. "Sorry I bothered you."

His response was as warm as the bath.

"Not at all."

X

By the time Kenshin departed the train from Neo-Kyoto, it was afternoon, and he still had to navigate the train system to the lab. The days were getting hot again, which made the other passengers cranky, but Kenshin was glad that he no longer needed to worry about his own temperature affecting those near to him anymore. He used to soak in the heat indiscriminately, which caused his body to emanate waves of hot air. With a better grasp on his own internal temperature and a conscious control over what his core was doing, it was almost second nature now to retain only what he needed and refuse the rest.

Adjusting the travel bag thrown over one shoulder, Kenshin entered the lab and marched straight for the elevators. The receptionist gave him a strange look, but Kenshin ignored him to instead dig the access badge from his pocket and slide it over the panel to activate the doors. The ride seemed long, but had soon deposited him on the correct floor. Anticipating the reaction his arrival would receive, he unlocked the lab door with his badge and slipped quietly in.

It was the second door to the main room of the lab that made the most noise, and it was Tomoe who first appeared from the rec room. Her dark eyes widened at the sight of him, but though her mouth opened, she did not greet him or say a word. Instead, she turned back toward the room she had just exited, and with a small smile lifted a hand to beckon Kaoru.

"Kaoru-san, there's a surprise here for you."

Quick steps could be heard from the other room, and Kaoru's head peeked through first before the rest of her body could catch up. Blue eyes looked initially at Tomoe, and then swung over where they froze and widened on him. The smile on Kenshin's face warmed as she appeared shocked, and it was in that moment he was able to observe how much she had changed. No longer was she the sickly, skeletal creature he had found on the sidewalk over a year prior. Now she was a healthy young woman with youthful features that were truer to her form and personality. Although she was shorter and smaller than Tomoe, her frame was not soft and elegant. Instead, her shoulders were square, and her body leaner with muscle that was easily discernable in her current outfit.

The moment passed much quicker than expected, and Kenshin had to drop the bag and brace one foot back when Kaoru threw herself at him. Holding her by both shoulders as she clung to his neck, he chuckled at her enthusiasm but did not push her away.

"Hello, Miss Kaoru."

Her arms cinched tighter in response, and he awkwardly patted her arm in an attempt to offer comfort. With her chin braced on his shoulder, he found himself with a face full of her ponytail, but it was the length of red, braided hair that warmed his chest. She had carefully maneuvered a small wire through the top part and attached it to a specially made tungsten hairpin. With that hairpin, she had hooked the end of the braid to her ponytail, and then looped the length into a makeshift bow so that it would not get in her way while she was working out. On the tail end of the braid, she had decorated it with five metal beads, no doubt made of tungsten as well.

She has definitely made it her own.

Over Kaoru's shoulder, Kenshin briefly noticed the smile on Tomoe's face had fallen as she watched them. Upon noticing his gaze, she lowered her own. Before he could wonder what was wrong, Kaoru finally release him and stepped back, and his attention returned to her without thinking.

"You've certainly gotten stronger." The observation was stated with a light chuckle, and his smile softened happily on his next statement. "It's nice to see you standing as well."

Her flame blue eyes closed on a toothy smile, and she nodded in agreement. Not one second later, however, and that smile wavered with a downward jerk of her mouth. She fought the expression to keep the smile, but the contorted twitching of her features wrenched at his own stomach in concern.

"What's wrong?"

She was clearly struggling, and he couldn't help the hand he lifted to cup her cheek. A shake of the head denied anything was wrong, but her chest lurched on a hiccup to contradict her claim. Both of her hands curled into the front of his shirt, and her bottom lip was full on trembling when Enishi's voice cut through the reunion.

"Come on, Kaoru. It's time for our afternoon workout."

Kenshin's chin turned to look over his shoulder at Enishi standing in the doorway. From his appearance, it was apparent he had decided to take Tomoe's advice and assume a younger version of himself while around Kaoru. Even though he was a golem, doing such a thing took effort. At that moment, the stone golem was glowering at him, and Kenshin returned the frown with no small amount of puzzlement.

Kaoru, however, was torn. Her trembling had subsided, but her hands remained cinched in his clothes as if reluctant to leave. Those blue eyes he had missed looked up at him, and the vulnerability in them tore at his insides. Just as they had that first day. Fighting for the return of his smile, he lifted a hand to pet the top of her head this time.

"It's alright, Miss Kaoru. We can catch up afterwards."

A swallow worked at her throat, and then she nodded once decisively. A sniff reined in whatever emotion had attempted to take her over, and she released his shirt to follow Enishi out. Just before exiting through the door, he heard her pivot on her toes and then lurched forward as she once again slammed into him, this time from behind.

Tapping one of her hands in understanding, he was surprised by the empty feeling that was left behind when she let go.

X

A/N: A little bit of a short chapter, but I can't go any further without turning it into too long of a chapter. It's also late, ugh. No excuses, except for everything, lol. It was a rollercoaster of a week, that was fairly enlightening. There really hasn't been much response to this story lately either, so it was hard to stay motivated. Well, I also understand the shorter chapters make it feel a bit slow with the setup. I enjoyed writing this chapter, so maybe that's a good sign? Anyway, I appreciate you that have reviewed! It makes my day much brighter. Until next week! (Or this week?)