Chapter Twenty-Four

"It's there! I know it's there! You're not trying hard enough!" The desperate yelling barked over the loud speaker and echoed within the cavernous room. Scorched metal and the smell of high heat pervaded the space. An undertone of heavy breathing waxed and waned in the now still air, but was easily overwhelmed by the building crackle and buzz of electricity.

"Megumi-sensei! Please, stop! He can't take anymore!"

A noise of disgust, and the electricity went silent. Moments later, a heavy metal door clanged open, and Tomoe hurried into the room to kneel at the side of the broken and nearly lifeless pile of flickering flames and superheated limbs lying on the floor. The fire demon was still quite young in mind, despite his nearly one hundred and fifty years of life. His torture at the hands of the humans, followed by their leader's decision to plunge him straight into the war after freeing him from the Arctic Lab, had broken his spirit. Hatred and rage had formed a barrier of protection around him after the war had ended, but even that had slowly disappeared over the last thirty-six years. As a result, he had instead retreated deep into himself, and now reacted only to the extreme stimulus Megumi had concocted.

Cautiously placing both hands on his limp shoulder, Tomoe siphoned some of the heat from his body in an effort to cool his core. Though fire demons were literally made of fire, if their core became too hot, there was a chance they would self-destruct. The poor, unmoving creature before her seemed to care little for such an outcome, and her heart ached for his indifference.

"Can you sit up, Himura-san?"

Slowly, his body moved to obey her, and she braced a hand on his back for stability. Finally seated cross-legged next to her, his head bowed heavily forward as if the weight was too much for his neck to bear. Glowing lengths of red flames cascaded across his face, and hung down his back, but they smoldered like half-life coals in a used-up campfire. He was filthy and unkempt. A good cleaning was in order, but since fire demons self-cleaned, it was not something she could do for him. Removing her hand from his back, she folded it properly over the top of the other in her lap.

"We can call it a day. All you have to do is say so."

For the first time ever, his head tilted towards her, and the golden glow of his eyes were sad and worn. It was for barely two seconds, but he looked at her. Looked into her eyes and acknowledged her presence.

"Thank you, Tomoe-san." Trembling hands fisted against his legs, and his back hunched even further over. His voice was so low she could barely hear him. "I'm sorry… I don't know your last name."

Pity filled her heart, and she smiled sadly. "It's alright, Himura-san. You may call me by my first name."

X

The memory of a time long since passed lingered in Tomoe's thoughts as she readied herself for the day. Many such memories had plagued her recently, and each had been carefully examined like the doctor she was. The more she objectively studied them, the more she realized… her history with Himura Kenshin was a sad one.

Life had been cruel to him, and in lots of ways, he had been cruel back. Watching him struggle simply to function after the trauma done to his body and mind had drawn her to him. She had wanted to help him. She had wanted to make it easier. For a time, he had even allowed it. But only for a time.

Having grown so used to being patient with him, to dealing with him as a broken being, Tomoe had not thought much of him pulling away. There had always been some distance between them. There had always been a barrier he did not allow anyone, even her, to cross. Physical contact was painful for him at first, and so she was always careful about even the smallest touch. Even emotional closeness had hurt for him in the beginning, and so she had never forced an issue or demanded of him.

That did not mean he was ungrateful. Unlike what Enishi had claimed, Kenshin had expressed his gratitude to her multiple times over the years. It had been those times that had convinced her that she was doing the right thing. By giving him space, by not forcing heavy decisions upon him, she had thought she was allowing him time to heal. And he did treat her differently than he did everyone else. There was a softness to his voice when he spoke to her, and a respectful air about his actions. As someone who was meant to see the truth, though, Tomoe was appalled to realize she was remarkably naïve.

They never had, or were ever close to having, a real relationship.

She could see it now, how uncomfortable she actually made him. Every time he had thanked her, every time he had tried to express himself truthfully to her, she had misunderstood him. She had thought his words to mean something more than they had, and while trying to make it easy for him, she had inadvertently made things harder. As emotionally awkward and raw as he had been during that time, it surely was not easy for him to deny her misinterpretations. Instead, he had purposely closed himself off from her in lieu of trying to clarify, thereby creating an endless cycle where neither acknowledged what was really going on. Over time, he had simply stopped expressing anything to her altogether in order to avoid those situations.

Carefully smoothing her comb through the long length of her deep black hair, Tomoe stared at the table top of her vanity. Enishi had been right. At first, she had been troubled by Kenshin's quick decision to take in a stray girl off the street. Not because she did not think it a noble thing to do. A part of her had been, and still very much was, proud of him for recognizing and not simply ignoring the plight of someone else who needed help. What had troubled her was how differently he acted around that girl.

Touching her so casually. Speaking to her so informally. Reacting so protectively. Smiling so easily. Worrying. Laughing. Comforting. Fighting. Trying. Giving his time without thought, almost eagerly. Never once had she seen him that way before. Not in front of her. Not with her.

Thinking of Kaoru as a child had been purely selfish, and a way to ignore what was clearly happening right in front of her. It helped that Kaoru was an easy girl to like, and that a fast bond had formed between them. The girl was childish and quirky, but also vulnerable. A natural instinct within Tomoe had wanted to shelter her, just like she had sheltered Kenshin. Looking back, Tomoe wondered how she had not realized it then.

Enishi's confrontation had forced her to reflect upon herself and her actions. It was in her nature to nurture others, that could not be denied. She hated to see others in pain, and the hardships of others instantly birthed compassion and a desire to provide asylum. Even if it was not in her or their best interest. It just so happened that this time, her compassion had betrayed her. It had tricked her into believing that what she felt for Himura Kenshin, and what he felt for her in return, was love. That after all the years she had spent looking after him, he belonged to her. Why, though? Merely because he was there? Merely because Megumi had assigned her to him? Merely because she had found him so pitiable?

A knock on her door alerted her to Enishi's presence, and she caught her breath before tying off her hair.

"I made coffee." His deep, blunt voice was muffled by the thickness of the door, but she could tell he had attempted to lower it as well.

"Thank you. I'll be out in a minute." She was proud of herself for keeping the emotion from her tone.

They were currently at their family's beach house. The day prior, Enishi had accompanied her to help clean and air it out in preparation of the fun day they had planned for Kaoru's benefit. While it was no longer going to be her official first outing, or even her second at that point, it would still be her first trip to the beach. That they knew of. Around mid-morning, Kenshin and Kaoru were scheduled to arrive by train and then bus. Before that, Tomoe had planned to prepare lunch and snacks to fuel their eventful summer experience. She had already purchased a swimsuit for Kaoru's use, and prepared towels, sunscreen, beach chairs, and umbrellas for everyone.

The house was by no means large, but the stretch of beach was private. That at least gave them some peace of mind with Kaoru's safety. The only other person who might visit was their father, but he rarely made the trip now that he was getting older. Which also meant that there would be plenty of unclaimed seashells for Kaoru to plunder for her project.

When Tomoe exited the small room and descended the stairs to the first floor, she paused at the sight of her brother's back and broad shoulders. For the first time in over a year, Enishi had decided to once more take on his adult form. Turning curiously at the halt in her steps, emerald green eyes looked her up and down once.

"What?"

She offered a small smile. "You look very grown up today, little brother."

A light, sardonic twist of his face announced little amusement with her observation. "Ha ha."

Returning his attention to the coffee pot, he carefully poured out two steaming mugs to carry to the table. Tomoe's was placed before her, and then he settled into the chair across from her. When he spoke again, it was almost as if to justify his appearance.

"I figured Kaoru would be fine now."

A soft hum acknowledged his explanation as Tomoe sipped at her drink.

"And I got tired of being treated like a child." His rough voice came across petulant. An emotion he only ever expressed to his sister. "I know I'm only a hundred and seventy-three years old, but it's getting tedious."

Gentle, lady-like laughter chimed in the air, and Tomoe sat down her mug.

"I think it must be nice sometimes." Wistfully, she glanced out the row of windows next to them overlooking the beachline. "Children can act so carefree, safe in the knowledge that someone else is looking after them"

"I guess." He was grumbling now. "That's fine for children, but I don't want someone else to have to look out for me forever. It sounds oppressive."

Deep black eyes met his gaze, and a single line between her brows spoke of insecurity. "You're right. How can anyone learn to survive in this world if they're constantly being sheltered from it?"

His mouth opened, but closed on an exhaled breath of resignation from his nose. "What are we really talking about, sis?"

With back straight and hands folded, she rotated her chin to again look out the row of windows. "Have you ever resented me for trying to shelter you too much?"

"You've been my sister and my mother. Of course there've been times when I was mad at you. But I never hated or resented you."

A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "Thank you."

It was almost ten in the morning when Kenshin arrived with Kaoru, and the light in blue eyes easily conveyed her excitement. Once she saw Tomoe, her hand released its grip on Kenshin's fingers, and she rushed the coal demon like a child on a play date. Tomoe laughed, and allowed the young blue-eyed woman to hug her enthusiastically. As if it had been more than two simple days since they had last seen one another.

"You must be worn out from your trip." Speaking over the crown of Kaoru's head, Tomoe directed her statement at Kenshin. Despite her words, he seemed alert and almost as energetic as his companion. "Would you like to rest for a little while?"

He laughed. "We're fine. She could hardly sit still the whole way here. If we tried to keep her from the beach a second longer, she might revolt."

Enishi, standing next to Tomoe, shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, but an old man like you is probably already tired, having to rush around from your own apartment, to the lab, and then navigate the transportation system."

Kenshin crossed his arms, and shrugged nonchalantly. "I stayed at the lab, so it wasn't as strenuous as you would imagine."

"What's the point of even having an apartment if you're not going to use it?"

As the boys argued amiably, Tomoe turned Kaoru towards the stairs. "Let's leave them at that while we get you changed into your bathing suit."

Kaoru nodded her head eagerly, and held her hand as they ascended the staircase.

The swimsuit that Tomoe had chosen for Kaoru was a soft coral to match her skin tone. The high neck halter top complimented her athletic body, but also fully covered the burn scar on her chest. To balance the high coverage of the top, the bottoms were bikini, but still tasteful. Once dressed, Kaoru seemed a little self-conscious about the scars on her arms and back, but Tomoe assured her that the point of the day was to have fun.

"Come here and look." Pulling her in front of a long mirror, she encouraged her to stand up straight. "See how cute you are?" Combing out her hair at the same time, she worked the bluish tinted strands into twin braids. Her hair had grown some over the past year, but still only reached to her armpit. The braided red-hair Kenshin had gifted to her was carefully sit aside for the day.

Pink lips pursed, and Kaoru side-eyed Tomoe's one-piece black swimsuit that she was wearing. Her figure fully filled it out, and with a single long braid hanging over her shoulder, she looked mature, elegant, and slightly sexy. The expression was easily interpreted, and Tomoe frowned.

"Don't do that, Kaoru-chan. You mustn't compare yourself to others. Look here." With the braids finished and stray hairs pinned, Tomoe slipped her arm around Kaoru's waist to join her in the mirror's reflection. "I wish I had your slim waist and thighs. I look pudgy compared to you."

Kaoru instantly shook her head to disagree, and Tomoe's smile widened. "See? You don't agree do you? And I don't agree with whatever comparison you're making in your head. Appreciate, but most of all, emphasize and take care of what you have. Today, look and feel cute. Take advantage of it, and have fun. On another day, I'll help you look more mature, if you want. But no matter what, you are a very pretty young woman." Her hands cupped Kaoru's cheeks, and the girl's skin flushed pink. Finally, she nodded happily.

"Great. Now, I also found you a bucket and a rake for your seashell hunting." Blue eyes lit up, and Tomoe took her by the hand.

The week before, the four of them had celebrated Kenshin acquiring an apartment by throwing a house warming party. Although they were the only ones in attendance, Kenshin had received gifts by mail or proxy from Megumi, a young man named Yutaro, a company called Arai Knives, Tae at the Akabeko, another young man name Yahiko, and even his landlord. They were everyday use gifts, as was expected of a housewarming celebration. However, it had not escaped Kaoru's notice that she was the only one without something to offer. It had upset the girl, but Tomoe had promised to help her find a way to make up for her inability to participate in the gift-giving. The result had been a small project pertaining to hand-collected seashells.

The boys were still talking away when they came back downstairs. While Kaoru half-hid behind her bashfully, Tomoe gently admonished them for not being ready.

"Kaoru and I are going to head down to the beach. Enishi, bring the lunch basket with you when you come down. And these bags by the door."

"Yes, Ma'am."

X

As the afternoon wore on, Kenshin watched Kaoru enjoy herself to the fullest. They had decided it would be best if she stayed on the shoreline and did not actually go swimming, but she seemed less interested in the ocean and more interested in the beach anyway. Much of her time was spent scouring the shoreline for seashells with Enishi trailing along with her to offer stability from the tide. As a coal demon, Tomoe was more susceptible than most of being swept away by the waves, and so she stayed well away. Kenshin wasn't the biggest fan of water, and so sat next to her in one of the beach chairs stuck into the hot sand.

They spoke little to one another, and Kenshin ignored the awkward atmosphere that had settled between them by amusing himself with Kaoru's silly antics. Whether she was running from the waves, jumping up to splash down into them, or digging doggedly into the wet sand, she never ceased to entertain. At least her joy of the afternoon distracted him from the collection of scars easily viewed on her arms and back. The only thing that could have made the moment any more perfect, was if he could hear her laughter echoing up to him.

"She looks so cute out there."

Kenshin froze. For a moment, he couldn't understand why Tomoe was speaking his thoughts aloud.

"I really do want her to spend more time outside, enjoying life."

The breath relaxed from his lungs slowly. "Me, too."

"Swimsuits really are quite special, don't you think?" The abrupt yet soft observation was colored just enough by playfulness to be teasing, but not enough to call out.

"W-what do you mean?" He turned his face away from her, but a giggle informed him that he had failed to hide his embarrassment.

"It's alright, Himura-san. You can thank me. I won't read into it." The playfulness was stronger now, but the statement was also confusing. Swallowing, he decided to ignore how strange and surreal this conversation felt.

"Thank you… for picking it up for her. It would have been uncomfortable if I had done it."

A soft sigh pulled his gaze back to her.

"Silly man. You are welcome, but… you should try to be more honest going forward. Women appreciate honesty more than anything." The banter tilted slightly towards sadness.

"Huh?" This was not the kind of conversation he had ever expected from her, and it was making him more uncomfortable by the second. Tomoe's dark eyes were not looking at him, though, and instead continued to watch the young woman frolicking on the beach.

"Kaoru-chan, don't run. You'll trip."

Violet eyes jerked over to find Kaoru hurrying through the hampering pull of the sand and to their location. A grin showed all of her teeth, and she held something large in both of her hands. Once she was close, she let her weight drop forward, and she slid onto her knees so that she was kneeling next to Tomoe's chair. The offering was held up in barely contained excitement, and Tomoe's face lit up with a warm smile. It was not an expression he was used to seeing on her.

"Is that for me?"

Kaoru nodded animatedly.

"It's beautiful, Kaoru-chan."

The seashell she had found was an incredibly large, vibrant conch shell with sharp spines and clean pearlescent coloring. It was a rare find, and he smiled as he watched her give it away without any thought to keeping it. A side glance from black eyes distracted him from Kaoru's glowing personage, and he blinked when Tomoe slid one arm around Kaoru's shoulders and tugged her straight into her chest.

"Thank you, sweet girl." Kaoru happily hugged her back, and he was chagrined enough by the display to look away. Not long afterwards, Kaoru was back up and grabbing him by both hands in an attempt to yank him to his feet.

"Ah, sorry, Miss Kaoru. This much water makes me nervous." A pout pursed her pink lips, and he focused as hard as he could on her face to avoid her completely visible slim figure and long patches of bare skin a mere arm's length from him. A forced smile worked to appease her. "I have something planned two weeks from now that we can do together, alright?"

A huff of air pushed from her nose in resignation, and his brows lifted in surprise. Never-the-less, he grinned as she twisted and ran back towards the water.

"I'm getting the feeling she's naturally willful." The spoken contemplation was accompanied by a chuckle. Tomoe's soft giggles agreed.

"You do realize she only acts that way with you. I find it to be quite adorable."

A glance was thrown at Tomoe, but his eyes were drawn inexplicably to the conch shell in her lap. The sight of it filled him with an uncomfortable sensation, as if he had lost a competition he wasn't aware of being in.

"Are you jealous, Himura-san? You can't share her, even a little?"

His eyes darted back up, and he stuttered. "W-what? Why would I be?"

Another giggle escaped the coal demon, only this one sounded unabashedly delighted.

"Forgive me, Himura-san. I'm finding I really do like this."

Like what?

"Not that far!"

Enishi's deep voice shouted over the susurrating sounds of the ocean, and both of the demons on the beachline stood automatically to look for Kaoru. Water was up to her waistline, and she turned back for the shore just as the waves receded. A shocked look widened her eyes and opened her mouth, and then she was gone.

X

A/N: Tomoe's so very complicated to write. I really do like her in this story, though, and I really want her to be happy! ToT While she works to come to terms with her own feelings, I wanted to show how it changes her outwardly as well. However, I really do like her as that very proper, very lady-like character. As much of a tomboy as I have always been, and how much I like the badass characters, there's something about the strong, respectful, lady-like/proper characters that I love too. It's an entirely different type of strength that demands just as much respect.

This beach trip was meant to be lots of fun, but with the beginning of this chapter as serious as it was, it didn't turn out as light-hearted as I had imagined. But there's still quite a bit that I wanted to fit into this trip, so I'm hoping this next chapter conveys it better. This adventure may end up being a few chapters, but I hope you'll find it enjoyable! Thanks so much for the reviews, and for continuing to stick this out. My readers are the best! Coming up… things might get a bit hotter?