Chapter Nineteen

The smell of cooked food and the feel of leftover grease lingered as Kenshin yawned and stepped off the elevator. It was fairly late, and he was lucky the lab had not shut down completely, thereby leaving him homeless for the night. Before he did anything else, he wanted to be clean. Mostly because he feared if he sat down, he wouldn't be able to get back up. Tae had not lied about the volume or intensity of the business her restaurant pulled in, and learning to work at a pace he was not used to had exhausted him without realizing.

This is almost worse than being back on that damn mountain.

Kaoru's host lab was dark when he entered, and he quietly snuck his way through the rec room and into the bathroom for some privacy. Cleansing by fire was much quicker than by water, and he was glad that he no longer needed to think much about it since his brain seemed almost incapable of focusing. Stripped of all strange smells and foreign coatings, he threw on a set of comfortable clothes and exited the bathroom. Tempted to just pass out on the couch, Kenshin drug his drowsy gaze over to the closed door to Kaoru's bedroom instead.

Tomoe's message said there was nothing to worry about, but…

He was still worried.

A peek into the room confirmed Kaoru was alone and fast asleep. He had no desire to disturb anyone, and it would have been awkward with Tomoe there. Thankfully, that also meant the spare bedding was free and he wouldn't have to suffer through sleeping on the small rec room couch.

I'll just check really quick.

Apparently, Kaoru had repeatedly insisted that she was fine, and had suffered no additional coughing fits or chest pain the remainder of the day. Just to be safe, Tomoe had forced her to rest anyway, and forbid Enishi from sparring with her. As he knelt next to her cot, Kenshin listened intently to her even breathing and was reassured by the absence of a rattle or rasp in the soft sound. Closing his eyes on a relieved sigh, he was partly amused with himself for being so anxious about what was undoubtedly nothing. Without warning, all of the nervous energy he had left to function on vanished from his body as his limbs relaxed, and a second later he had to fight another yawn. Twisting himself in what was more of a weary roll, he settled all the way onto his backside and leaned his spine against the cot for support. It was calming, listening to her breathe, and he was just so tired…

X

The brush of something cold on his cheek pulled him from sleep only a few hours later, and red lashes fluttered as his mind fought to respond but his body demanded rest. When his vision finally focused, he found that it was still dark and there was little for him to see inside the room. Lightly, the cold touch on his skin traced the longer line of his cross-shaped scar, and a chill went down his spine as the motion disrupted the placement of his hair and tingled across his scalp.

Jerking fully awake with a gasp, his head wrenched towards the unseen culprit to give the illusion that he was ready for whatever confrontation awaited him. What he found, however, was Kaoru's wide blue eyes and her hands scrunched under her chin in fear and contrition. Releasing his tension with an exhaled breath, he blinked and fought a yawn.

"Did you need something, Miss Kaoru?" His voice was drowsy, and barely above a whisper.

Minimally, her head shook, and he hummed as a way to avoid using the energy it would require to speak. Taking a deep breath, and fighting the hitch caused by a second yawn, he shifted his weight so that he was facing towards her instead of away.

"Your hands are ice." He meant for the observation to sound like concern, but his lethargic faculties made it sound more like an accusation.

Both lips curled back between her teeth, and she rubbed her hands together fitfully as if ashamed she was cold. Another hum rubbed against his throat, and he reached towards her without thinking. If words weren't working, then actions would. When he captured her left hand, she fought him for a moment, but hesitantly allowed him to straighten her arm and then flatten her fingers onto the mattress. Without an ounce of warning, he plopped his left cheek directly into her palm, adjusted his legs on the floor for a comfortable position, and then closed his eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll keep… you warm."

He let his voice trail off as exhaustion tried once more to claim him, but the soft shifting of her weight pulled him back to the surface of consciousness. Fluttering his lashes back open, he stared up the length of her arm and watched without comprehending the shy way she chewed her lip as she gazed back. Almost involuntarily, he smiled as the atmosphere tricked him into imaging he was stuck in some warm dream.

A dream where she gathered her courage before brushing one finger of her free hand across his forehead to dislodge the hairs falling in his face. A dream where she ran that same long finger down the bridge of his nose almost confidently. A soft grin tilted her mouth upwards, but she stopped touching him to instead settle her right hand on the outstretched portion of her left forearm. Pink lips moved, framing some unspoken words in the comfortable silence, but no sound escaped her. His sleep deprived brain was also much too hazy to guess at what she might have said. She seemed unfazed by his lack of understanding, though, and instead tilted her nose into her pillow and closed her eyes.

X

When Kenshin awoke the next morning, he had no recollection of their late-night encounter, and was therefore quite shocked by the situation he found himself in. Stranger still, his right hand had somehow found hers while he had slept, and had decided on its own that the best way to keep both of her hands warm was by breathing hot air directly onto her captured fingers. Which also meant they were pressed intimately against his parted lips.

Jerking himself violently upright, his vision darkened as a wave of vertigo hit him without warning, and he was forced to catch himself as he swayed. A sharp twinge in his neck sharpened his focus with pain, and he winced as he twisted it cautiously. The abrupt movement unfortunately woke Kaoru, and she sat up almost as fast on the cot. She seemed out-of-it at first, and then twitched her chin towards him questioningly. For a few moments, they did nothing but stare at one another in guilty silence.

Then Kaoru pointed at him, and her lips sputtered over a burst of air that continued to wheeze up and out her throat in muted, amused laughter. A full, red hand-print could be seen in perfect clarity on his left cheek, but Kenshin was only aware of the deadened numbness on that side of his face. Even as Kaoru pointed, though, she shook her left hand as if to wake her own sleeping appendage. Kenshin mock glared at her, but even though he wasn't sure what she was laughing at, the way it brightened her features warmed his heart.

It also distracted him from the embarrassing, and slightly intimate, situation he had woken to.

"Alright, odd duck. What do you find so funny?"

She grinned and shrugged her shoulders mischievously.

"Okay. I guess I'll keep to myself that you're covered in drool."

A snicker escaped him as she instantly slapped a hand to the left side of her face, and then grimaced at the slick moisture collected there. Her cheeks reddened, and she pouted as she wiped the drool away with the back of her knuckles. Standing to his feet, he groaned and regretted his sleeping posture as his shoulders, back, and legs all announced their own displeasure with the night's sleep. Scratching a hand at the back of his head, he grinned down at her when she glanced up.

"I'll go get something ready for breakfast."

The lab usually didn't start coming to life until mid-morning. By that time, Kenshin found himself on the blissful end of a shoulder massage after Kaoru all but bullied him into it. Apparently, his continued winces of pain over breakfast had either upset her or annoyed her. He certainly wasn't going to deny that the massage felt nice, or stop her for that matter. Even when the lab door opened and closed as a way to announce they were no longer alone, he couldn't find a care to give.

"Good morning, Kaoru-chan."

The greeting called out before the owner of the voice could be seen, and Kenshin frowned. He didn't recognize the male voice, but it seemed happy enough to be there. Kaoru's hands paused against his neck. Only a second later, and an ogre with a single filed-down horn stopped in the doorway to the rec room. A huge grin was plastered across his face, but it disappeared quickly when his eyes landed on Kenshin.

Recognizing that this was their first encounter, Kenshin stood, and bowed his head politely.

"You must be Iizuka. Tomoe-san has told me about how you have been assisting with Kaoru's seals. We appreciate your help."

The ogre noticeably swallowed, and bowed his head in turn.

"And you must be Himura Kenshin… t-the… the fire demon."

One red brow lifted, but Kenshin decided to let it slide. There were many people afraid of fire demons, after all. "Getting to work early?"

"Yes." The ogre's shoulders squared up even as his voice squeaked, and he turned sharply on his heal. "Better get right to it." A nervous laugh drifted off into the lab as the ogre planted himself at one of the far desks, and Kenshin internally shrugged.

He seems a bit twitchy.

Behind him, Kaoru had slowly gained her feet, and had watched the encounter without any enthusiastic greeting like she would normally give to Tomoe or Enishi. Even Megumi garnered a stuck-out tongue or, on days when they were getting along, a short wave of the hand. When he glanced curiously over his shoulder at her, he found her blinking in wonder at the empty doorway. Upon returning his gaze, she rewarded him with the slow, toothy grin of a naughty child.

Tomoe arrived with lunch, but left quickly afterwards with Iizuka for a meeting with Megumi. Since Kenshin did not have to work that day, according to the schedule Tae had emailed him, he had decided it would be a good day to spend entirely with Kaoru. Soon he would have to hunt for an apartment, which would mean he would have even less time to give her. After finally coming back, the knowledge was somehow disagreeable. Kaoru had excitedly decided that watching a video together was a good way to spend some time, since there was little else to do in the lab. To his chagrin, though, he inadvertently found himself napping on the couch as a result.

When he woke an hour later, it was to discover that Kaoru had allowed him to stretch out on the full length of the couch, and she was instead seated on the floor facing him. Her drawing notebook was balanced against her updrawn knees, and she was intently working on whatever had sparked her inspiration. Bright, blue eyes lifted up to meet his own half-conscious pupils from behind a curtain of dark lashes, and she smiled as she always did when finding him looking at her.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kaoru." Yawning, Kenshin moved to sit up, but her hand reached quickly over the top of her notebook to stop him. Blinking, he relaxed back into the cushions. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Her head shook, and the smile stayed in place as she returned to intently smoothing the pencil in her hands over the paper.

"Can I see?"

An amiable nod, and she flipped the notebook around to face him. Immediately, his features twisted to imitate droll amusement. Apparently, Kaoru had decided the best way to get him back for that morning was by drawing him sleeping in an oversized puddle of his own drool.

"Very funny."

But when she grinned impishly, he couldn't help but laugh.

X

The real estate company Tomoe had recommended was nice and friendly, but Kenshin was a little afraid he wasn't going to be able to find an apartment within his budget. The lady helping him was certainly determined, but he could tell by the increasingly stressed crease between her brows that she was having a hard time. In the end, they were forced to widen the search area to further away from the lab and his job than he would have liked. However, he was certainly used to doing what he had to, and was not usually one to complain about his circumstances.

Usually being the key word.

They had just enough time that afternoon to tour the few apartments they were able to find, and while they were all nicer than his last apartment, he kept finding fault in them when he never would have before. There was always something missing, or something he instantly criticized. One was too cramped. One had no windows. Another was too old, or was facing the wrong direction, or had a shared toilet. Honestly, he thought perhaps it was the distance from the lab that he truly didn't like, but could not be sure.

By the end of the afternoon, he felt so guilty about dragging the poor real estate lady around for nothing, that he offered to buy her iced coffee. She seemed happy to accept the peace offering, and bid him a good day as they exited the small coffee shop. She had also promised to look into some more apartments, and contact him the next day with her finds. As he made his way back to the lab on foot, he stopped to take a call when his phone started ringing.

The number was not one he recognized, and while he would usually send those straight to voicemail, he answered on a whim.

"Hello."

"Himura-san! You finally answered!" The unknown person sounded excited, but also slightly petulant. "I've called you a few times over the last year. Why didn't you ever pick up? Or return my call?"

"Um… who is this?"

"Oh, uh, this is Himura Kenshin, right?" The voice became a little distant, as if to make certain the number was correct.

"Yes." Hesitant, Kenshin decided it wouldn't hurt to confirm who he was. "Forgive me if I've misplaced your number, but I'm at a loss."

"Right, sorry. This is Yutaro. We met last year. Well… I kinda… got you fired… and kicked out of your apartment."

"Ah, Yutaro-kun. How have you been?"

There was an embarrassed laugh. "I guess I can't complain."

"Forgive me for not answering your calls. I was… out of town for a year and I didn't have very good reception." Half the time, he was lucky to even receive a notification of a missed call. The rest of the time, he admittedly ignored them.

"Oh, so did you just get back in town recently?"

"A couple weeks ago." Brushing aside his own situation, Kenshin immediately asked after the young man he remembered that had been struggling to find a purpose in life. "How are things with your father?"

"Pretty well." His tone returned to something a bit closer to normal, and rang with boastful pride. "You know, I don't mind helping him out as much as I thought I would. It can be boring at times, but I really like haggling with the vendors. Dad's been pretty impressed with the discounted prices I've been able to get for us."

"That's great, Yutaro-kun."

"And you were right… he really warmed up to the idea of me picking back up my performative dance practices after I started helping him out. Which is… kinda why I called."

He sounded nervous again, and Kenshin smiled. "You've been working really hard."

"Well, yeah. So, you know, they're going to let me perform at the summer festival coming up next month. If you're still interested… I could get you a couple tickets."

The idea perked him up immediately. He had been thinking hard about how they had basically locked Kaoru up inside that lab. She never complained, that he knew of, but he had an unfortunate understanding of what it meant to be stuck there without any way of leaving. Taking Kaoru to a summer festival sounded like the perfect way to get her out into the fresh air and allow her some more freedom.

I need to start taking her out more when I'm not working. I can imagine the imprisonment she suffered under Sojiro, and that it is most likely the main reason why she doesn't complain. She doesn't know anything else, and I want to change that for her.

"That sounds great. I'm looking forward to it."

"Yeah?" Relief cracked Yutaro's voice, but he covered it up immediately by clearing his throat. "Should I mail you the tickets? Where are you staying?"

"Ah, well… I'm actually in the process of looking."

"Wait. You said you just got back in town. If you're looking for an apartment, I know someone who owns real estate that I could talk to for you. Where are you looking?" Kenshin relayed the general area, and Yutaro hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think he's got some places around there. If not, I got some other people in mind. I promise I'll get you a better price than any real estate agent can. Dad says I got a silver tongue for haggling."

"I would appreciate it. Let me know what I owe you."

"Nah, no need for that. I mean… I am the reason you're homeless." Some muted yelling could be heard in the background, and Yutaro's voice pulled away from the speaker to yell back. "Well, gotta go. I'll call when I get some pricing for you. Bye."

Yutaro hung up before Kenshin could respond, and he chuckled as he pocketed the phone. He was glad the young man seemed to be doing well, and was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected help with his apartment hunting. It briefly occurred to him that Kaoru might not be very excited to see him, but then wondered if either would recognize the other after so much time and growth. Either way, he was confident enough in Kaoru's recovery and personality to believe she was willing to forgive someone for their immature actions. And if she didn't forgive him, then he certainly wouldn't force the young man's presence on her.

Standing at a large crosswalk and waiting for the light to change, Kenshin absently glanced up at a large screen displaying the news for those traveling by foot. A warning was being issued to the residents of one of the outer prefectures of Neo-Tokyo. Three violent homicides in as many days were currently under investigation, and the culprit was still on the loose. A curfew was being set for safety while the police increased nighttime patrols for the area. Kenshin frowned at the screen, but was quickly caught up in the rush of bodies crossing the street.

X

A/N: Trying to get back in shape after this last year has sucked ass, but I'm feeling a bit better because of it. Being more active really does have its perks, and I've never been the lazy kind. Anyway, that's what I'm blaming this short chapter on, lol. Because working out takes up so much time!

This chapter I really just wanted to enjoy some cute moments between Kenshin and Kaoru, because sometimes it's nice to just enjoy everyday life. Little details here and there have worked themselves into this chapter, though, and so please step lightly. XD I've had some upcoming scenes in mind for a while, and am looking forward to working them out with words instead of the easy images in my mind. Hope you enjoyed this sweet little distraction, and thank you for the wonderful reviews! Sending lots of silly love! Next chapter, Kenshin takes Kaoru apartment hunting. (What a cute couple thing to do, lol.)