"Misao-kun!" Kaoru exclaimed. "I didn't know you were in Tokyo. Come in!" She looked askance at the looming figure behind Misao for a moment before smiling brilliantly. "And you, of course, Aoshi-san." She stood back to let them enter.

Kenshin was already smiling as he stood. No one but Kaoru-dono could ever be so honestly welcoming to someone who had once been an enemy. "Misao-dono," he said, bowing, then looked up at Aoshi. "Aoshi."

Aoshi nodded in return. "Battousai." Then, before Kenshin could do more than tense, corrected himself stiffly, "Himura."

Kaoru was now looking at the two of them somewhat warily, but Yahiko's appearance was enough to dispel the awkwardness. "Yo, weasel girl!" he said. "And Aoshi. What are you doing here?"

Kenshin tuned out the sounds of Kaoru's scolding - Where are your manners, Yahiko… - and untied the straps holding back the sleeves of his gi. Laundry could wait. "How long are you in Tokyo?"

"A few days," Misao answered cheerfully. "Top-secret Aoiya business, so don't try getting anything else out of me, Himura. But Aoshi and I thought we should drop by and see how you were. We haven't heard from you since you left Kyoto!"

Kenshin bowed slightly in apology. "I am sorry, Misao-dono. I fear this one has always been a poor correspondent." And Kaoru was worse, though he would never say this out loud. "This one has been very distracted."

Kaoru broke off from whapping Yahiko on the head with her bokken to welcome them all inside at just this moment. It was pleasant to just sit and listen to the conversation, especially once Kenshin had taken Aoshi aside and received a reassurance that their "top-secret Aoiya business" didn't represent a brewing new threat.

"You know," Sano said (he'd arrived midway through the afternoon in search of lunch), "we should have a little celebration tonight. Since you guys came all the way from Kyoto. We haven't really had a party since the whole Shishio thing."

Kaoru flushed. Kenshin knew what was going through her mind; she liked the sound of a celebration and was afraid of looking like a poor host if she refused, but the dojo's finances were in a worse state than usual because she'd been gone from Tokyo so long, and winter was just around the corner. Kenshin had just opened his mouth to say that surely it was enough to all be sitting around together, and Sano, there is something you can help me with outside, de gozaru when Misao interrupted.

"That sounds like a great idea!" she enthused. "A real party to celebrate meeting again like this. We could have some saké too, and…"

"And we will pay for it." It was the first time Aoshi had spoken up all day, and his firm tones left no room for disagreement. "You may consider it payment for your assistance in defending the Aoiya, Kamiya-san." When she looked like she was about to protest, he added, "Please allow me to discharge this obligation."

She hesitated, searching his face for signs of sincerity.

"Yeah, Jou-chan," Sano said. "Besides, whatever they don't want to pay for, I can just put on my tab."

That distracted her — Kenshin wondered if Sano had done it on purpose; the ex-fighter was a lot cannier than he generally let on — and in a few minutes everyone was dispatched to preparations for the night. Sano had gone to invite Dr. Gensai and Megumi, and Yahiko was helping Kaoru get supplies. Misao had gone with them as well, clutching the bag of money she and Aoshi had brought from Kyoto.

"Thank you," Kenshin said quietly once they were left alone. "This means a lot to Kaoru-dono, that it does."

"It is true that I owe her a debt," Aoshi said, looking away. The rest didn't need to be said: if the Aoiya had been destroyed by Shishio's men while Aoshi had been lost…there would be no recovery from that, no light to return to.

"Aoshi," Kenshin said, drawing the man's eyes back to him. "Would you like some tea?"

"…Aa."

The gathering that night was truly spectacular. Dr. Gensai had brought his two young granddaughters, of course, and Misao had kept them wide-eyed and starstruck with demonstrations of acrobatics and kunai throwing. They'd steered clear of Aoshi at first, but when they saw that Ken-nii was not afraid of him and even seemed to enjoy his company, they'd deigned to sit down next to the strange man and ask him questions. Aoshi, for his part, had answered each one gravely and seriously, and when Dr. Gensai had finally called them over to finish their dinner, they'd smiled at him as well as Kenshin before skipping off.

"You are surprisingly good with children, that you are, Aoshi," Kenshin commented, taking a sip of saké (he hadn't dared to do so when the girls were climbing on him).

"Misao came to live at the Aoiya when she was still very small," Aoshi said. "Okina insisted that I help keep her entertained."

The mental image of the tall, stoic Aoshi being tackled by a tiny Misao had Kenshin smiling into his drink.

"Oi, Kenshin!" Sano called. "No sitting over there in the corner all night. Time to get down to the serious drinking."

"Maa, maa…"

Megumi tossed her head. "Poo poo, where's the fun in that? What about we make it interesting?" Kenshin felt his heart sink at her kitsune grin.

"Interesting?" Yahiko demanded. His face was already a little flushed. "Interesting how?"

Megumi grinned. Would edging back to hide behind Aoshi be considered cowardly? "Well, we could play a little game. I learned this a while back from one of my patients. It's called 'I've Never.'"

"How does it work?" Misao asked.

"Well, one person says something they've never done, and anyone who has done it takes a drink."

"Do you have to drink once for every time you've done it?" Kaoru asked doubtfully. "Yahiko doesn't need that much saké." She'd been pretty careful herself so far; probably she remembered the last time.

"Oi, busu!"

"No," Megumi interrupted. "Just once if you've done it. And no lying. The point of this game is to get to know one another better and open up the floor for scandalous stories!"

Kenshin looked towards Ayame and Suzame for help; couldn't their presence be used as an excuse? But no. Sated by the heavy dinner, they had already fallen asleep. "Megumi-dono…"

"Sounds fun!" Sano took a final gulp from the cup he held and picked up one of the bigger jugs. "Let's do it. Jou-chan, you go first."

"Oh, alright," she said a little doubtfully, and then cast a glance at Kenshin. "As long as you'll play too, Kenshin."

Kenshin winced inwardly. He knew, everyone knew, that he couldn't resist that look. He sighed. "Hai, Kaoru-dono. I will play."

In the end, everyone except Aoshi agreed to join in. Misao had pouted a little, but given that the former okashira didn't really drink, there didn't seem to be much point in him playing anyway.

"Alright," Kaoru said. "I've never…I've never called someone ugly." She threw a defiant look at Yahiko. He scowled, but took a sip. Sano took a swig. Misao drained her cup.

"My turn," Misao crowed before Yahiko could seek revenge. "I've never worn pink!"

Everyone looked expectantly at Kenshin.

"It's magenta," he tried. Then sighed. And drank. "But it was originally red, that it was."

"Oh oh. You need new clothes, Ken-san," Megumi said with a flirtatious smirk. "I would be more than happy to help you choose some…"

Kaoru flushed. "Your turn," she snapped at Sano, and took an entirely gratuitous drink.

"Thishis toh-tally not fair, Kenssshhin," Kaoru slurred an hour later. "You're not even tihpseey!"

"You heard the girl," Sanosuke said, pouring himself more sake. "Kenshin's not drinking enough! My turn." He thought a moment, then grinned. "I've never done laundry."

"That explains a lot," Megumi said, wrinkling her nose.

"Sano!"

"I've never carried a reverse-blade sword!" Dr. Gensai put in.

"Gensai-sensei!"

"I've never wandered around Japan for ten years."

"M-megumi-dono…"

"I've never said 'Oro!'…Well, except for that time..."

Kenshin fell over. "Oro…."

"This is boring!" Yahiko complained. "No one else is getting any sake." Judging from his flush and the way he was swaying, this was blatantly untrue. "From now on, it has to apply to at least two people in order to count."

"Fine," Sano grumbled. He pointed to Misao. "Your turn, weasel girl."

"Who'ya calling weasel?!"

"I'vve nevvverrr been a…doctorrr," Kaoru giggled, looking at Megumi. Dr. Gensai was still gamely playing along, even though he looked like he would pass out at any moment. Kaoru may have started to pace herself a bit more — Kenshin had started encouraging her to eat a bit more food and drink water in between rounds — but she still hadn't quite forgiven Megumi for flirting with Kenshin earlier in the evening.

Megumi scowled at her — her cheeks were quite pink by this point — but she drank. "Is that the best you can come up with, little girl?" The last sip was apparently too much for Dr. Gensai; he slid over and started snoring on the floor. Megumi took a moment to turn him on his side in case he threw up later and cover him with a blanket. When she turned back, however, her eyes flashed. "Just for that…" She smiled sweetly. "I've never dressed as a member of the opposite gender."

Kaoru lifted her chin triumphantly. "Hah! Tha' doesssn't apply to at lea' two…Kenssshin?"

The others turned to stare at the rurouni. He put the saucer down with a definite click. "I do not," he said, "want to talk about it."

Some time later, even Kenshin and Sano were feeling a comfortable buzz, everyone else was sloshed, and the questions had moved to criminal activities.

"I have never stolen anything," Kenshin said, and smiled in soft satisfaction as three of the people around him drank.

Yahiko wiped his mouth and put the cup down. "Never? Not even when you were wandering?" At least that's what Kenshin thought he'd said. The boy's tolerance was much better now than the first time he'd drunk saké, but he'd still had had a lot of alcohol.

Kenshin shook his head, still smiling softly. "This one could not justify taking from those who had little, that he could not. This one was fortunate that he never was forced to do so by necessity.

Kaoru's turn again. "I've…never tried to…hic!..kill Kenshin."

Sanosuke rubbed his head in an embarrassed way and poured himself a cup. Aoshi's green eyes glittered, and Kenshin turned a shade almost as red as his hair.

When it was Yahiko's turn, he said, "I've never tried to beat up Kenshin!"

"Maa, maa," Kenshin protested, but everyone else – except for Megumi – had already drained their cups.

"That's kind of pathetic," Megumi said, crossing her arms.

Sanosuke rounded on her. "Hey! You didn't drink!"

She arched an eyebrow. "I would never hurt my dear Ken-san."

"Then this one is sure that yesterday was just an accident, that it was," Kenshin said mildly. "And the day before that."

She scowled, and took a reluctant sip.

"I've never killed anyone!" Misao crowed.

Kenshin froze; the smile slipped from his face.

To her credit, Misao realized her mistake immediately. "Oh Himura...I'm so sorry," she babbled, tears leaking from her eyes. "I'm drunk. You shouldn't listen to me when I'm drunk. You don't have to…"

Kenshin drained his saucer. Then, wordlessly, he reached for the bottle. Misao started to speak again, but faltered when amber eyes ticked up to meet her own. Hand steady, he poured. He drained his cup again and still no one dared to say a word. He poured. Drained the cup. Poured.

But this time, Aoshi took the saucer from his hand. Kenshin looked up at him, confused.

"Aoshi does not drink."

"I've killed." Aoshi drank the saucer in one go and tugged the bottle from Kenshin's hand to fill it. "I've stolen." Kenshin's eyes were slowly losing that flat expression, replaced by a strange…gratitude? Aoshi hesitated, then sighed. "I've worn pink."

Kenshin's eyes widened. Then a faint smile flickered across his face. "Aoshi, what happens when you drink?"

Aoshi refilled his cup and stared at it for a moment. "I get giggly," he said, straight-faced, and drank it down.

"Aoshi-sama?"

Kaoru, however, was looking at Kenshin, her worry cutting through the haze of alcohol. "Kenshin…"

"It is my turn, that it is." Everyone froze, eyes all turning to Kenshin. The rurouni looked around the room. Sanosuke, Yahiko, Megumi. Dr. Gensai and his granddaughters. Aoshi. Misao, still perilously close to tears. Kaoru. Then Kenshin smiled, a true, sincere smile.

"I've never been able to play a drinking game with friends," he said, "At least not until now." He emptied his cup.

Everyone else joined him.