The Catch
by hye-kyo
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin and all its characters.
Author's notes: This is a three-part fic, it was supposed to be a one-shot, but I think it's quite too long to be a one-shot. I'm going to continue my other fics so don't worry. This is just some sort of a breakaway from my multi-chaptered ones. Hope you like it. Reviews do inspire me a lot. Thanks!
Part One: Kenshin's the unthinkable one
---
So Kaoru would be really pissed off. He looked at his watch. He just could imagine what she would do to him once he gets there. Either she'd clobber him to death or clobber his wallet to death. Either which, he's going to die.
He ran the flight of steps from the subway and hoped that she too was late. But there's no way Kaoru's going to be late. He prayed for his salvation. He crossed the street, swiftly as to avoid the turning of the traffic light to green. He heaved out a sigh as he spotted her waiting by the lit streetlamp not far from the restaurant they usually go to.
He slowed down and took in a deep breath. He was about to call her when she turned around. She doesn't look so happy.
She glared as she spotted him and turned around again and started walking.
"Hey!" he called. Okay, so he is in danger now.
"What were you thinking?" she asked, walking straight back to the subway.
"I'm sorry," he grinned nervously. He was trailing her, she was a fast walker. She had not been a cadet officer for nothing.
"You asked me to go here at this time of the night and you showed up almost an hour after the designated time? Kenshin what have I told you about being tardy?"
He pouted. He knows the routine. So she is going to hit him now.
She raised her hand and smacked him. "Okay."
He nursed his bump. "You have good hits Kaoru."
"I'd give you another one if you like."
"I'd keep my mouth shut."
"So you owe me," she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Right." Okay, so now comes the dreaded second part.
"You pay for dinner."
"Sure," he swallowed. But that is not the end.
"And we go to the amusement park."
He frowned, "Do we ride the octopus?"
She smiled wickedly and nodded.
Oh Kami! The last time they've been there he almost fainted after the ride. He went home vomiting until his mouth tasted sour.
"And you buy me an ice cream."
"Wasabi?"
"You're very good. Yes, wasabi and you are going to eat too."
He took in a deep breath. "Could we go to the amusement park tomorrow night and eat wasabi ice cream the night after that?"
"No," she said with a wink in her eyes, "We are going to do it all on one night."
"Can't you be a little…less wicked?"
"You are late," she reminded Kenshin.
"Do you hate me or what?"
"And also," she suddenly said, remembering something, "You have to buy me that LCD monitor we saw at Akihabara."
"Ah…" and now comes the dreaded third part where she'd make sure all his savings are drained, "What?"
Kaoru frowned at him, "I want the monitor. And I'm talking about the white one."
"Couldn't you go for the cheaper one?"
"The black one?"
"Yes, it's a lot cheaper."
"No. I want the white one."
"Kaoru do you know how much that is?"
She nodded smiling.
He just couldn't believe her, "What's with the screen that it costs that much? It's very expensive for just a monitor."
"You know I need it," Kaoru raised a brow.
"You still have a perfectly working monitor."
"I need a bigger one Kenshin. Besides its very useful to my work. It won't cost you that much trouble, would it?"
"That would cost me a lot."
She smiled wickedly, "Yes, but I want it." She laughed.
"Kaoru," he said sadly. Is this what he gets for going all through the trouble of preparing something romantic for this moment? If only he had known…
"So, what do you say?"
"What do I say?"
She slipped an arm through his, "You love me right? You should do what makes me happy."
He loves her, and maybe even more than that, so this is the consequence of loving her.
"And you should be ready to make certain sacrifices."
"You're bullying me," he pouted. He drew in her scent. If only she wasn't this good-smelling, he wouldn't be doing anything like this for her. But he was lying to himself.
"Listen," Kaoru turned to him, "As my bestfriend you should have known that I dislike tardy people. And as my bestfriend you should've known that consequences await those tardy people."
"I don't have any say in this matter since the beginning right?" it was supposed to be a statement, but he was still hoping luck would take its course.
"Nope," she said.
"I thought so," he heaved out a sigh.
She broke into a smile after gazing at him for a while, "So…what's the catch?"
"Catch?" he asked.
"What is this about?"
Oh, he remembered. He almost forgot what he had painstakingly prepared for her.
"So?"
"What time is it?"
"Half past ten. Why?" She had her arms akimbo, which meant she was starting to get impatient.
"Right on time," he grinned. Actually they were late.
"What about?"
"You'll know when we get there," he said with a wink.
---
She was smiling as she sat down. She couldn't even help but blush as she looked at him. "I kind of like this idea, but I'm not really sure what this is about."
He frowned as he sat down facing her, the candle burned beautifully.
"Dining here is not something I could think of."
"But I thought of it," he said, applauding himself, "I always have brilliant ideas."
Kaoru laughed, "So what is this about Kenshin?"
"I have something to tell you," he said, starting to feel fidgety.
"Really?" she looked around. The laundromat looked different at night. "Tell me, how'd you get them to lend you the place?"
"The key to success is my persistence."
She smiled again as she took note of the dryers on the side and carefully cleared place spot they were on. The laundry baskets were stacked neatly on one side.
"Don't they usually close at around twelve midnight?" she asked as she now noticed him pouring wine.
"Yes."
"I can't remember of anything special today."
"Two things." He said firmly as he offered her a glass. "I really wanted to bring in food but it'd be hard to clean up."
"Don't worry, I had an early dinner. So what are the two things?"
Kenshin grinned, "You actually don't know what today is Kaoru?"
She shook her head as she took a sip.
"It's your birthday today."
She frowned, "It is?"
"Yes," he said unbelievingly, "You don't even know the date of your birth? I pity you."
She looked away, trying to think. She smiled as realization hit her.
He pouted, "You are too busy with work and you even tend to forget your birthday."
"Thanks," was all she could mutter.
He felt a little tense, now they're getting to the second part. He needs to lighten the mood a little, "So, maybe we could forget about the monitor you want?"
Her smile turned into a dangerous frown, "Nope."
"Yah," he pointed out, "As I thought so."
"So what's the second thing?"
"Oh that…"
"Kenshin?" she asked after he became silent for a while.
"Y-yes."
She was about to urge him to speak up when a phone rang. She fidgeted in her bag to look for hers but found it off. She turned to Kenshin, "It must be yours that's ringing."
"Really?" he found it in his pocket.
Kaoru took another sip from her glass and watched him as he stood up. He looked a bit serious. It must be from his work, she mused. She was still wondering about the second thing he was talking about when she suddenly heard him say to whoever he was talking to, "I'm coming."
She looked up at him as he went over to her, and mouthing apologies he dropped the padlock on the table, gave her keys of the laundromat and hurried to the door.
Kaoru sat there taken aback.
---
It was eight in the morning when Kaoru decided to ring the doorbell of his apartment. Kenshin left suddenly and that annoyed her so much. She had to call Tae, the laundromat owner, in the middle of the night just to return to the keys to the shop. She had to clean up the table, put away the wine, which was now in her apartment, and pull the dryers back to their places.
She couldn't really remember what he said before he left. It was a harried, "I'd be back later," or something of that sort. But at two in the morning when she had finished cleaning up there was still no sign of him.
She would clobber him to death. She pressed the doorbell again and hoped that he'd open soon because she was almost late for work.
"Kaoru," the door opened just as she was about to press the buzzer again.
"Kenshin." She was relieved to see him, and now that she felt relieved she could feel anger rising up.
"Where were you?" she asked, feeling a bit annoyed at his sleepy face. She deduced he just woke up, with just a pair of boxers on.
"I was supposed to—" he was cut off when a woman's voice called out suddenly, "I'm going to use the bathroom now Kenshin."
Kaoru stopped and pushed the door open wider.
"Kenshin?" the woman stopped too and turned to look at Kaoru.
"Ah, s-sure, go ahead," Kenshin called out while still looking at Kaoru, "Kaoru she's Tomoe."
"Hi," the woman named Tomoe smiled.
Kaoru nodded and felt herself suddenly breathless.
"I'll just call you," Kenshin said in a tone of dismissal.
"Ah…yes…" okay, she was taken aback. The woman's name was Tomoe, and from what she learned Tomoe was the name of the Kenshin's ex-girlfriend, no, change that, Tomoe was the name of Kenshin's ex-fiancée, which meant that they were one step short of getting married. So the woman inside his apartment was his ex-fiancée?
"Kaoru?" Kenshin's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Yes," she nodded. Okay, she knew what he meant. He was asking her to leave. She felt mad, annoyed, infuriated. She turned down the hall and started for the elevator.
---
A week after, there still was no phone call.
Kaoru decided it's time to take action. No matter what she was still his bestfriend. She had to know what was happening. If Kenshin and that Tomoe had decided to get married she had every right to know.
She sighed. She was just justifying what she was doing. Even if she was his bestfriend, she doesn't have every right to know what's happening to him. Nonetheless, she pressed the buzzer.
It was seven in the evening and she knew that by this time he was home from work. And judging from the light in his kitchen, which she saw from her apartment window, she knew he was at home.
She pressed it again, and again for the third time. It opened suddenly.
"Kenshin," she said angrily.
"Kaoru," he stood in the doorway, looking as wonderful as ever.
"I wanted to clobber you right now."
"I said I am going to call you."
"You said that a week ago!"
"Yes I know but—"
"How could you do this?"
Kenshin looked away, "I'm sorry."
"I waited for you until two in the morning at the laundromat."
"I'm sorry."
"You owe me." Kaoru tried a joke, to ease things up. She wanted to hit him but she was too worried.
Kenshin forced a smile, "I know."
"So how about my—"
"Listen, I'd drop by your apartment, we'll talk about that later okay?"
"But how about—" The door closed. Kaoru stared hard at it, feeling much annoyed and much hurt. "My ice cream and my octopus ride," she finished slowly. She went back to her apartment.
---
Later didn't come quickly. Four days and still there was no sign of him.
Kaoru had known him for almost two years now. She had met him in the laundromat. It was a rather humiliating experience. However, that proved quite fun for the two of them. A week later she met him again at the food section of the department store.
Kaoru sighed. She hated him, he was very annoying. She doesn't care if he was with his ex-fiancée or whatever. "He has to come now or else—" she faltered. She stood up, went to her window and found his kitchen lights open. He must be cooking.
His building was right in front of hers, a parking lot stretched in between. He had suggested many times that he move to her building so that it'd be easier for him to go to her apartment and vice versa, however the couple living beside her was quite secured at their place. No one seemed to want to move out.
"Kenshin," Kaoru murmured. She doesn't want to be annoying, she only wanted to see him. He said he was going to come but he hadn't. She was missing him already. If only she had been more blunt at giving him hints…
She backed away from the window and settled on the couch. The wine from her birthday celebration would taste better if she has someone to share it with. She placed the glass on the coffee table and leaned on the couch. She felt sleepy.
---
Kaoru hadn't been saving on gas since she stopped seeing him. It had been three weeks, no three weeks and 14 hours to be exact, since she last saw him. She was becoming lonely.
Misao told her to get a life. She has a job, she has her officemates, she has her nice apartment, she needs a boyfriend. She doesn't really want to get into a blind date. The last blind date she had was a very traumatic experience. Just thinking of it gives her the creeps.
Misao wanted her to meet this guy whom according to Misao was a friend of Aoshi way back in college. They met him a week ago when Misao and Aoshi were at the mall looking for a nice baby dress.
So Kaoru has to consider that. She had a lot of free time since Kenshin had started disappearing from the limelight. Maybe she should give up on him and look for a greener pasture. She sighed again.
She leaned back on the driver's seat. She had been using her car more often now that he wasn't bringing her to work anymore. She slipped out and saw the lights in his kitchen on.
---
Two days later, she found the DVD Kenshin so wanted to watch. He wasn't home by the time she arrived. At nine past eight she decided to give him a call.
"Kenshin," she gleefully said as the other line was picked up.
"Who is this?" it was a woman's voice, definitely not Kenshin's, though Kenshin has a female tone in his voice.
"Ah," she twisted the cord with his fingers, "This is Kaoru."
"Oh Kaoru-san, this is Tomoe. Kenshin's taking a bath right now."
She thought for a while, "When did he…" she rephrased, "I mean Kenshin just stepped in or was he—"
"He just started," Tomoe answered quickly, "I'd tell her you call. Do you have any message for him?"
"I see," she tapped her fingers on the table, "Just…please tell him to call me back."
"Okay."
"Thank you," Kaoru knew that Tomoe would, like a prim lady, give her a 'don't mention it'. She doesn't like the sound of her voice, she just doesn't. She quickly hang the phone.
---
It was past ten in the evening when she decided to call the redhead again. Kaoru felt impatient. This time she wasn't going to accept any excuses.
It was Kenshin, "Hello."
"It's time you answer the phone," Kaoru greeted coldly.
"Kaoru."
"Surprise." She rolled her eyes, as if he could see it.
"Ah yes, I was about to—"
"Why didn't you call me back?"
"I was about to, but you called."
"Really?" Kaoru was fuming with anger, "It's almost eleven Kenshin, and if you are forgetting I called at around eight."
"I'm sorry," he was trying to laugh.
"Don't laugh," she suddenly said seriously, "I don't like the sound of it."
"Okay."
"It's unfair."
There was a pause and then, "What is?"
She smirked, "Like you don't know Kenshin."
Another pause. "Sorry."
"You always say sorry. I hate you."
"You asked me to call just to tell me that you hate me?" There was a sigh.
"You didn't call Kenshin," she said in a as-a-matter-of-fact-tone, "I did."
"Oh alright. So why did you call?" There were noises in the background.
She thought for a moment. He suddenly seemed disinterested. "I bought the DVD."
"What?" He was saying something to someone.
"Was that Tomoe?"
There was another pause, "Ah Kaoru, could I just call you back?"
"Ah—" the line went dead. She stared at the phone.
---
The following day she went to work. She went over to his building to check if he was still there but just as the elevator came to his floor, she decided not to.
He didn't call back. She waited until two in the morning for his call, but there was none. She decided to immediately go to work. She would meet Misao for lunch. She knew Misao would try to persuade her to go to a blind date with Aoshi's friend. Misao need not persuade her any longer. Kaoru would be coming.
---
By the end of the week she felt it necessary to get drunk. Misao had given her a bottle of whisky which she said would "soothe her loneliness".
---
Kenshin knew Kaoru was really mad at him now. He would ring her doorbell early tomorrow morning, take her out to see the movies, go to the amusement park and eat wasabi ice cream. Tomoe would be meeting with her friend tomorrow so he would have a whole day free. He hoped Kaoru wasn't that mad at him to accept his peace offering.
Tomoe was sleeping already at the guest room. She had asked him a few details about Kaoru. He sometimes couldn't help talking about her which made Tomoe smile and laugh at him. She said there was something fishy.
He went over to the phone and was about to pick it up and dial her number when it rang.
"Kenshin," Kaoru's slurred voice came over the line.
"Kaoru," he said seriously, "Are you drunk?"
"Drunk?" she laughed. Her voice was unclear, "I just…sipped a little you know. She laughed.
He felt a worried. He knew she wasn't the drinking type. She must be feeling something really bad now if she's drinking, "I'm coming over Kaoru."
"Guess what," she hiccupped, "I'm going to…a blind date tomorrow."
He frowned, "You don't like blind dates."
"I know right," she hiccupped again, "But I need to make friends—" another hiccup, "—I need to meet new people—" another hiccup. There was a pause as she yawned. "Besides," she yawned again after a hiccup, "I…I feel…" She stopped as she yawned again, "I am…so lonely…" she yawned again.
Kenshin kept silent and after a wide gulf of silence ensued he finally asked, "Kaoru?"
There was no answer.
"Good night," he sadly said, "And sweet dreams." She must have dozed off, he murmured to himself.
---
His name was Seta Soujiro. He has a good name and Kaoru likes good names. She liked the way he said his name when he introduced himself and she liked the way he said her name when he called her. His voice was nice too. And she liked hearing it.
He was two years older than she was. He works in an advertisement agency as head of the monitoring team. He complimented her work, saying that it really wasn't easy being a copyreader. He said he likes her job.
The dinner was far from perfect, being the clumsy girl that she was. It wasn't pre-ordered, just like what she thought it would be. She doesn't like pre-ordered meals. He had laughed at every joke she threw at him and he even knew some of the jokes. She had spent all evening laughing and talking. She had even forgotten she was suffering from a hangover.
He's easy on the eyes too. He looked young for a twenty-seven year old bachelor. he also has a good fashion sense, which she actually was looking for in a guy. Kaoru likes him, almost everything about him. But still, he is not Kenshin.
---
They went to the movies a couple of days after they first met. It was a nice movie, actually Kaoru had been urging Kenshin, months before its release, to reserve seats for them at the premiere. The premiere was a week ago, Kenshin was nowhere in sight. So it was good that Soujiro brought her to see that movie.
"Do you want to eat ice cream?" Soujiro asked her the following day. They agreed to meet at the bookstore near her apartment.
"Yes, do you?" Kaoru asked back. She watched as he flipped through a book and returned it back to the shelf.
"Yes. I just thought you might like to eat since it's quite humid."
Kaoru nodded.
It was a nice walk to the ice cream parlor. She knew he liked vanilla. And he knew she liked wasabi. He said it wasn't something he'd eat everyday but he'd like to have it once in a while.
"It's something that actually grows on you," he laughed as he take another spoonful, "I might even like to have it everyday."
She laughed. He was making her laugh easily. She would want to get use to this.
---
Misao would be giving birth by the end of the following month. Kenshin promised Kaoru that they'd shop for a nice gift together. But judging from what had been happening, maybe she would be buying a gift alone.
He wasn't home when she checked his apartment that morning. She had been going out with Soujiro lately yet she feels a bit empty. She wanted to clobber Kenshin right now.
She sat on her desk at her small office. Megumi, the girl she shares her room with, was on leave. She recently got married. She wonders why everyone's either getting married or giving birth. She hated the feeling of being left out.
What if Kenshin gets married? She tapped her both cheeks, what was she thinking? Of course, Kenshin would be giving her a word or two if he's planning something like that. But Kenshin hasn't been giving her even a word as to what he's up to since Tomoe came.
---
Summer was almost halfway done. Kaoru had gone out with Soujiro more often than what she had expected and planned. They had went to the movies more than she and Kenshin did on a monthly basis. She had eaten more free dinners than when she was with the redhead.
Yet she doesn't feel complete. So on the last day of the week, just before the celebration for the end of summer, he asked her to have dinner with him.
It was nice and she liked it. The atmosphere was easy and romantic. She wished Kenshin could be a little more like this. She had just finished her dessert when Soujiro asked her the inevitable. He was asking her if they could have a more formal relationship.
She had to admit she really thought about it. He was nice and good-looking and they even share a lot of common things. It was only once in a blue moon that a girl could meet someone like him.
She almost said yes when the violins played. But she remembered that she was waiting for someone, even that someone might be waiting for another person. She doesn't really care if she would be waiting in vain. To make the long story short, Kaoru refused Soujiro.
---
Kaoru was watching a TV show, whose title she had missed. She doesn't really like watching it, but there's nothing to watch anyway, and she wasn't really watching because she was thinking.
Soujiro dropped her off in front of her apartment building after the dinner. She couldn't look him in the eye although he said it was alright. After an awkward good night, she hurried to her apartment.
She had seen this episode, she had watched this a couple of weeks ago when she was waiting for Kenshin's return call. She knew this part already. She yawned.
She was about to turn it off when the doorbell buzzed. She stood up, looked at the clock, wondered who it could be and went over the door.
"Hey," it was Kenshin.
"Hey," she replied. She kept the door half closed.
"Aren't you going to let me in?" he asked grinning. He was carrying something in his hand.
"Ah," she said as if in a daze, "Come in."
"I'm going to make you dinner," Kenshin said as he removed his shoes and slipped on a pair of slippers.
Kaoru followed him to the kitchen.
"I brought ice cream," Kenshin turned to her, "Guess what flavor I brought."
She rolled her eyes.
"Right! Wasabi it is!"
"You don't like that."
He just laughed and started laying out the contents of the parcel on the kitchen counter.
"I already had dinner."
"You had?"
"Yes. You don't have to cook me dinner."
Kenshin frowned. He paused for a while thinking, then finally started putting away all that he brought in her fridge and cabinets.
"What are you doing here anyway?"
"I said I came to make you dinner. But since you had eaten already, let's just watch a movie or something."
"What?"
"You said you already bought the DVD that I was telling you about." He scooped some ice cream into a bowl he got from the dishwasher.
"How did you know about that?" Kaoru looked hard at him.
"The last time you called, you told me about it," Kenshin said as he turned to her. He went over to the couch. "Come on."
Kaoru didn't know he heard that. She followed him to the couch.
"Oh here," Kenshin exclaimed as he found the DVD on top of the player. "I'd put it on okay?"
"Go ahead," she picked up the bowl of ice cream from the coffee table. "How about…about what you promised?"
He thought for a while, "Ah, the amusement park. I'd go there with you one of these—"
"Forget about it. I could go there alone."
Kenshin forced a smile, he knew something was wrong, "Ah, tomorrow…let's go to Akihabara to buy that LCD monitor that you like."
"Forget about it too," she immediately replied, "I really don't like it anyway."
"Kaoru…"
She doesn't like this feeling. She swallowed hard.
---
Kaoru turned to him slowly, putting a spoonful into her mouth. "Why are you here?"
"Why not?"
She knew he wasn't really watching. He was looking through the TV. He even kept on looking at his wristwatch.
Kenshin looked at her, got the bowl from her and turned back to the TV. The movie was almost half done. He absent-mindedly took a spoonful from the bowl and put it into his mouth. It was only then that he remembered how bad wasabi flavor tasted. He coughed.
Kaoru looked hard at him, snatched the bowl from him and said, "Don't force yourself to eat it if you don't like it."
He looked at her. She was staring straight into the monitor. He smiled, "Sorry. I like it though."
"Liar."
"Sorry," he pouted.
She knew his mind was somewhere else. She glanced at him and saw him glancing at his watch. She was getting irritated.
"Have you adjusted your clock?" he suddenly asked, glancing at the clock above the doorway.
In annoyance, Kaoru snatched the remote from the table and pressed the stop button. The screen went blank.
"Kaoru, what—"
"If you don't want to be here then go away!" Kaoru stood up, hoisted him by the arm and dragged him to the door.
"Hey, wait, wait…"
"Get out!," she pushed him out and slammed the door hard on his face. "I hate you!"
---
Came Saturday and she was free from work. She had to do some shopping since her cupboards are running low on stocks. She hadn't been eating out and had been starving herself with just ramen since she threw him out the house. Kaoru really didn't like what she had done, but she didn't really like what he had done either.
She turned to the next aisle. She was almost done, now just looking for the ramen noodles. She might try udon too. Curry goes well with it too, she might get some.
"Hey," Kaoru followed Kenshin. She saw him as he turned the next aisle towards the cashier.
"Hi," Kenshin doesn't seemed too please to meet her.
"You're shopping too?"
"Yes, I'm almost done actually."
"Really?" her face lightening up, "I'm almost done myself."
He nodded.
"Look," Kaoru said slowly, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
He smiled, "It's okay. It was my fault anyway."
She smiled back, "Do you want to have coffee after this? It's my treat."
"Oh," he forced a smile, "Tomoe's waiting in the parking lot."
She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came.
"Till then," he bowed and pushed his cart along.
---
Kaoru refrained from checking his apartment the following days. It really wouldn't help if she'd know whether his kitchen lights were on or off. She really shouldn't care about it.
"Welcome," Tae greeted her as Kaoru pushed the door of the laundromat open.
"Hi," she greeted back. "I won't be leaving my stuff, I have an hour at least."
"Kenshin's inside."
"Really?"
The chimes rang as the other door opened, "Tae is there—Kaoru…" It was Kenshin.
Kaoru turned to him, "Hey." She tried to sound as gleeful as possible.
"You doing your own laundry?"
She nodded. She doesn't feel good about this.
---
Kenshin knew she was still mad. He was quite glad she accepted his offer to have coffee. "How was your blind date?"
"How did you know?"
"You called and told me about it."
"I don't remember," Kaoru took a sip.
"Of course you wouldn't remember, you were drunk."
She paused for a while in deep thought. Her face lightened up as she understood what he was saying, "Oh that, I wasn't drunk then."
"You sounded drunk."
"I just took a sip."
"Sip?" he snorted, "If you could just hear yourself hiccupping then."
"I could drink whenever I want to."
"I'm not telling you not to drink, I'm telling you not to get drunk."
She smirked at him.
"So how was your date? You don't like blind dates."
"It was a nice date, besides Aoshi knows my date."
"Even so," he stammered.
"I like him."
He was about to sip but after hearing what she said, he slowly brought the cup down to the table, "You like him? You just met him."
"It's not like we just met yesterday or something."
"You shouldn't easily trust strangers Kaoru."
"He's Aoshi's friend. He has a nice job, he looks good, what could be wrong about him?" she frowned.
"Rogues these days look good, they even wear good clothes. You can't tell one from the other." Kenshin felt irritated.
Kaoru stood up, "I almost forgot, I have to go meet him."
"Hey," he stood up to follow him but his foot got caught in the legs of the chair and he almost tripped. Good thing he got a good hold on the table. But by the time he regained composure she was already gone.
---
By the end of July, she had decided to give herself a haircut. However, since it had been months since her last haircut, she couldn't bring herself to completely allow the hairdresser to lop off six inches of her hair.
Soujiro noticed the two-inch difference from the before and after look. She was glad he noticed it, because actually it wasn't that noticeable. She had continued seeing him even after she refused him. She had grown comfortable with him, but she felt bad because she knew she was just treating him as a replacement for the stupid redhead.
She told Soujiro about that and he said it was alright with him. He said he wanted to be friends with her. That she accepted.
However today he said he would be busy with work. Kaoru was staring at the television when she remembered she had to pick up something from the laundromat. She turned the TV off, got the apartment keys from the coffee table and went to the door.
"Ho!" Kenshin came just as she was opening the door.
She frowned at him, "What are you doing here?"
He grinned, "I came to see you."
"I'm about to leave," she was giving him the cold shoulder, since he had been giving her the very same thing since Tomoe came.
"Where are you going?" he wouldn't move from the doorway.
"To the laundromat. I have to get something."
"I want to finish the DVD," he pouted.
"I'd let your borrow it."
"I want to watch it here."
"I already finished it." She knows she shouldn't easily give in to his puppy eyes.
"You're unfair. You threw me out last time and you finished it on your own."
"I'm sorry that I'm unfair," she smirked, "If you'll excuse me." She locked the door as she pushed him away.
"Okay," he quickly slipped a hand through her arm. "We'll pick up your stuff then we'll go to the video shop."
She allowed him to drag her to the video shop right after she got her stuff from the laundromat.
"What do you think about this?" Kenshin propped a DVD for her to see.
"I've seen that already," she said as she looked away. She doesn't know why he was with her.
He frowned, "When? It wasn't available in DVDs until last week."
"I've seen it in the movies."
"With whom?"
"With Soujiro," Kaoru turned to him.
He smirked and moved onto the next aisle, "How about this one?"
"I've seen that too."
"In the movies?" Kenshin arched a brow.
"Yes."
"With your blind date?"
Kaoru rolled her eyes, "Yes, with my blind date."
Kenshin took a deep breath as he moved onto the next aisle. He picked up a DVD and said, "This one?"
"Guess what?" Kaoru said dryly.
"In the movies?"
"Yes. And yes, with my blind date."
"Why do you always watch movies with that guy?" Kenshin suddenly blurted out.
"Whom am I going to watch movies with if not with Soujiro?" she arched a brow and had her arms akimbo. "You're annoying."
"Now I am annoying."
"Yes." She looked away.
There was a pause and then, "I'm sorry."
"Whatever Kenshin."
"I'm serious."
"And I'm serious too!" She glared hard at him.
"Let's…let's just look for a movie we both haven't seen."
"I really don't want to watch a movie now anyway."
He ignored her comment and moved on to the next aisle. He picked a DVD neither of them likes and brought it to the counter.
---
Both of them were looking at the screen. At least, even though they both do not like it, the movie served as a good diversion for conversation.
Kaoru put a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She turned slowly to him and asked, "Why are you here?"
"Why not?"
"Really Kenshin."
Kenshin didn't answer. He tossed a potato chip into his mouth.
"Tomoe already left?" she guessed. She eyed him warily.
It took him at least ten seconds before answering, "Yes."
"Oh," she turned back to the TV, "I see…"
He frowned at her, "What do you mean?"
"That's why you are here."
"Kaoru."
"I know," she held the bowl tighter, "You are here because Tomoe's already left."
"It's…It's not like that…"
She faked a laugh, "Liar."
"Go ahead," Kenshin turned back to the TV, "Think that way if you like."
She leaned closer to him, "You couldn't blame me if I think that way."
He slowly turned to her, "I know."
"I'll try not to think like that."
"Thanks."
"But I still think you are only here because Tomoe already left."
"Kaoru!"
She grinned, "Okay, okay."
Kenshin smiled.
"Listen," she said, swallowing the cold ice cream, "I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"I realized I shouldn't force you to do things that you really do not want to do."
He frowned as he leaned closer to her so that their shoulders were touching, "I don't get it."
"I don't want to elaborate anymore."
"For example Kaoru."
"Okay, for example," she thought and then continued, "For example this ice cream…from now on you don't have to eat it if you don't want to."
He dismissed what she said and laughed.
"I'm serious."
"You can't be serious about that."
"I honestly and seriously am."
He straightened up and stared at her straight in the eye, "Why?"
Kaoru avoided his eyes, "I just realize that its wrong. And I won't check up on you, or on what you are doing, or on your whereabouts. You can go to wherever you want to go or do whatever you want to do without telling me. I won't be mad, and even if you are going to be late there would be no consequences. And if you have to go somewhere while we are together you don't have to tell me, you could just go…and leave…"
He frowned again.
"That way, if something like this ever happened again…we wouldn't hate each other."
"Do you hate me?"
"Yes."
Kenshin took the bowl from her hand, placed it on the coffee table and cupped her chin with his fingers, "I am sorry."
She backed away, "I know."
"Then why?"
"Because…oh forget about it."
"You tell me to forget about it but you still brood about it."
"I said forget about it." Her voice grew a decibel high.
"I want to know Kaoru."
"Okay!" she shouted and after realizing she shouted she took a deep breath and then said, "Because, because I think it's unfair even though I know it is not."
He let out a sigh of relief, "It is unfair. I have been unfair to you."
Kaoru laughed, "It's…It's good to be with you. I missed you."
Kenshin laughed too, "I missed you too. So much."
---
A/N: So that was part one...
Part Two: Kenshin may be unthinkable but Kaoru is too: Preview:
They were back to their routine after watching the movie neither of them likes. Kenshin would take her to work every morning, pick her up in the afternoon, watch movies and dine afterwards. During weekends, they would spend the entire day hiking Fuji or visit Osaka or some place Kenshin would want to see.
She smiled as they got down the train. "I need to make some shopping."
"Okay," he held her hand as they made their way to the food section located at the department store in the train station.
"Do you want to go to the zoo tomorrow?" she asked as she scanned the items.
"Ueno zoo?"
"Yes, do you? We've never gone there."
"But I've been there before."
"I've been there too. But we've never been there together."
"Alright. I'm not really fond of animals."
"I'm not too." He pointed to a food stall. "I'm hungry."
"I'd just pay for this at the counter."
"Go ahead."
---
"Let me ask you something," Kaoru said as she dipped a dumpling onto soysauce.
"What?" Kenshin tossed a piece into his mouth.
Kaoru looked down on her food, "About Tomoe."
Kenshin smiled, "Go ahead."
"She was your ex-fiancee."
He nodded.
"It took you a year and a half to get over her."
"A year and seven months to be exact."
"Okay," she nodded then continued, "When she came back…did you…I mean…did you seek for a reconciliation?"
He laughed. And slyly said, "I am a faithful man Kaoru."
"What was that supposed to mean."
He laughed again.
"So you mean to say you got back together?" she leaned forward.
"Kaoru."
"Was it you or Tomoe who sought reconciliation?"
Kenshin laughed. "It's a secret. The only thing I can say now is that I am a faithful man."
---
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