It was much too quiet to sleep. Kenshin gazed up at the ceiling, arms behind his head. Sighing, he couldn't help but feel a certain ache surge through him. Another day had passed on so easily. And nothing had happened.
Living at Kamiya Dojo was a dream. After ten years of wandering aimlessly for salvation from his crimes, he had finally found a home and people who really cared about him. However, the feelings carried for his landlady were more than innocent. It went against all of his principles as a rurouni.
'Kami-sama, I want her.' he thought, biting down at the millions of desires rushing his mind, 'Demo... I can't have her. Iya, it would be wrong. I mean, she's letting you stay here for nothing - to make a demand of her... iya! You mustn't!! Aren't you supposed to be atoning for your crimes... you mustn't think of such pleasing things. You don't deserve them!'
But before he tried to convince himself further, her heard the doors slide open. Sitting up, he saw her, standing in his doorway, flushed in the face and heart beating fast. "Kenshin..." she uttered breathlessly.
"Kaoru..." he gasped, as she started to come towards him in a loose yukata, "Dame... we mustn't... it's wrong...!"
"Iie," she said going down to him, "It's right... it's so right..."
"...Kaoru... dame...! Oro! Kaoru!!!!"
* * *
Kenshin's eyes flickered open. He had fell out of his futon, arms around his rolled up blanket. Embarrassed at what he had been doing, he sat up and rubbed his head. 'If someone saw you like this! Baka! You mustn't think about it - iya, you can't even dream about it! Stop it now!!'
Standing, the ache returned. 'Demo...' He lifted a hand to his face, sighing, 'I can't stop. All I can think about... is her...'
It was then he heard some noises outside. Startled, considering it was past four or so in the morning, he rushed to his door and peered outside. He could see someone moving in the moonlight. 'Oro?! At this hour? Is it an intruder?' He crept outside, noticing the full moon shining above. Slowly, he moved as close as he could. 'Kaoru?' he gasped as he recognized the girl.
She had her hair down and looked exhausted. Leaning against the wall for a moment, she used the last bit of her strength to open her door and stumble inside. Kenshin scampered over in that direction, stopping outside her room, overwhelmed with worry. He then peered inside, "Kaoru-dono...?" he timidly asked.
She had collapsed in her futon, not bothering to take off her overcoat. Already fast asleep, it looked like she had a rough night. Kenshin came inside and tucked her in, trying not to make it too obvious. Pausing to touch her cheek, he backed away quietly. 'Kaoru...'
* * *
In the morning, Kaoru was up acting as though nothing had happened. Cheerfully making a horrid breakfast, which she planned to force everyone to eat, she was humming in the kitchen. Kenshin watched from the door, wanting to speak, to say anything. But all he could do was stare.
"Eh?" Kaoru lifted her head; stopping whatever poor mutilation she was doing to the vegetable in her hand and smiling towards the rurouni. "Ohayou, Kenshin!" He nodded, still unable to say a word. "Is there something you need?"
'You.' he said inwardly. Shaking his head, he sputtered, "Kaoru-dono, you look tired de gozaru. Did you get enough sleep last night?"
She just stared at him. "Of course I did." she said sharply, "You saw, I went to bed early - and I had plenty of rest thank you. If you think I'm tired, you must be imagining it. Kenshin... maybe you're the one who has been staying up late."
"S-Suman de gozaru." he stammered, catching the hint of irritation in her voice. He quickly kicked himself outside, blurting out an excuse, "Maa maa... Sessha will set the table de gozaru."
Outside, he could see Yahiko up doing his daily routine of practice. The boy had already broken a sweat, but the look in his eye showed that he wasn't going to quit any time soon. But as he heard that breakfast was ready, he dropped his shinai and came running.
"Shimatta! Who let Busu into the kitchen!" he cried, staring that mush in front of him, "Na, Kenshin, why didn't you cook??"
"Sessha didn't get up in time de gozaru." Kenshin replied, rubbing his head. He sat still as Kaoru took the spot next to him. Since his extremely embarrassing dream, he couldn't help but feel awkward around her. 'Baka, you dreamt about... ORO! If Kaoru knew what a pervert you were, she'd kill you! Iya, she'd throw you out of her dojo, then never talk to you again. Oro, that's worse than killing you...' he sighed inwardly, burning with shame.
"Kenshin," Kaoru gasped, staring at him. A slight pout entered her face as she put her bowl down, "It's terrible, nee..." she sniffed, "You hate it?"
"Kaoru-dono??"
She just started waving her fists in the air, "Mou!!! But you have to eat all of it or I'm not letting you out of here alive!! I mean it, Kenshin! Just be grateful you've got something to eat!! I want every single piece eaten!! Got that!!"
He couldn't help but grin. "Hai de gozaru!"
Yahiko munched away, not complaining - but in his face torment as the horrid things went into his mouth. "If I die..."
* * *
After the meal, Kenshin quickly stole away the chores, trying to act as he was before - her polite rurouni who didn't have nasty thought about her, only here to protect and serve her. "Sessha will start the laundry after washing the dishes de gozaru yo. Just leave your clothes outside and Sessha will pick them up de gozaru."
Her face went slightly pale. "Aa... demo!" she blurted out, "You don't have to wash MY laundry!" He stared at her in confusion. She had always allowed him in the past, what was wrong. She turned away, stammering at the ground, "Mou, I don't care what you do... forget about it already!" She then took into a run into the house.
"Kaoru...?" he uttered in surprise. But his arms were too full to go after her. 'Something is definitely wrong!' Before he could it more attention, he heard the gate open and the sound of heavy objects crashing down on the ground. "ORO?!"
Sanosuke had dropped three full bags of rice. Wiping his brow he stumbled to sit on the ground, all the while panting. Yahiko approached him, poking the fighter in the shoulder with his shinai. "Oi, what are you doing here?!"
"...cheh, I ain't in the mood." he puffed, still catching his breath. After a pause he blurted out, "Where's Jou-chan?!"
"Inside... doushita? What's going on?"
Sanosuke ignored him and ran for the house. Kenshin and Yahiko exchanged glances before chasing after him to see what was up. Barging into her room, Sanosuke exclaimed, "Yo! Jou-chan!! Gotta talk..." He stopped in the middle of his sentence his mouth dropping open. Behind him, Kenshin and Yahiko also stopped and stared.
"KYAAAAAAAAA!!!" Kaoru screamed, reaching for her clothes. She then hurled the cabinet at them, hitting Yahiko and Sanosuke. Kenshin just gawked, dumbstruck. "K-Kenshin no Baka!!" she cried, "Dame yo!!!"
"Eh? Oh!!" he gasped, quickly shutting the door. Still remaining, he dropped his head. 'Why did you hesitate?! Now she knew what you were thinking when you saw... ororororo...' He tried not to get dizzy, but that's exactly what he did. Tripping over the pile on the ground, he finally regained his sanity. 'This is all Sano's fault!' he said to himself, stepping on his friend's head. Feeling a bit better, he went to start the dishes.
* * *
As soon as she calmed down a bit, Kaoru came out in hakama and gi, her face a shade of red. "Mou! What's with you guys this morning?! How rude!"
Sanosuke hurried over to her, kneeling and taking her hands. This alarmed her, but he quickly stated his business. "Yaa Jou-chan! I was wondering - could I stay at the dojo for a bit, eh??"
"Hmmm??" she muttered, suspiciously, "Doushite? What's wrong with your apartment?"
"Ahahaha... there's been some problems lately... it's no big deal! But you know what, if you let me stay - I'll give you those three bags of rice over there."
Kaoru's mouth dropped open at the sight of enormous bags. "Honto desu ka??!" she cried, already drooling. He nodded, face pleading. She squinted at him. "Jotto... where could you get the money to get that much rice??"
"Aaa... I uh... saved a bit...?"
She glared at him. Something didn't seem right. She then got up and went over to the bags. "Kenshin, could you come over her for a second??"
"Oro?" Kenshin uttered, lifting his head from the laundry basin. She was calling him with a waving hand. 'Orororo... I'll go anywhere for you!' he sighed, feeling his body lift on its own and float towards her. Walking as close as he could before he bounced off some imaginary wall, Kenshin stopped and gazed at her with hungry eyes. "H...Hai de gozaru?"
She hadn't taken her look off the bags. Instantly she reached out her hand... towards his lower region. Kenshin's eyes when big. 'NANI!? What is she doing?!' The hand inched closer, Kenshin in total shock. 'In front of everyone?! K-Kaoru?!' As she clasped onto his sword, Kenshin let out a sigh and fainted on the ground. "Ororororo..."
Ignoring him, Kaoru used the sakabatou and sliced through one of the bags. Gravel and dirt poured out. She then turned and gave Sanosuke the 'look of death'. "Mou! You were trying to trick me!!"
"Ehehehe!!" he stammered, as she came at him still holding onto the flipped sakabatou, "Jou-chan! Calm down!! It's just... I seriously can't stay at the apartment!!"
"Nan de?!"
"Dakara..." he uttered, dropping his head. He squatted on the ground, gripping his knees, shaking, "There's a monster!!!"
Yahiko, who had been poking at the unconscious Kenshin, turned towards them, "Heh? You're scared or something, Sanosuke?!"
Sanosuke shook his head, though the trembling continued. "Every day this week... a giant beast came out of the woods in my neighborhood... coming after any food or living thing in sight! Ten garbage cans been rampaged, and the bathhouse and mess hall were destroyed... They say it's 8 feet tall! With large fangs and claws... a huge fat tail that could squish a person!!"
Kaoru and Yahiko just stared at him.
"At night... you can hear it! Making large thuds as it walks... like a DRUM!! It's so goddamn creepy! I can't stay there anymore!!!" he yelped, leaping up and grabbing onto Kaoru, shaking her about, "Ya gotta let me stay here! Please!! I'll do anything!!!"
"Mou! Why should I?!" she snapped, breaking away, "You still owe me big time and I totally don't buy that crappy story you just told me!"
"But it's the truth!!!"
"Aa, it is!" They all stopped and saw Katsu, the other ex-Sekihoutai member at the gate. "Sano is telling the truth." he said, walking over and holding out his manuscript. "If you go to the ruffian row - you will see the very destruction it caused. And last night, I caught a glimpse of the beast."
Everyone took a look at the sketch. Yahiko covered his mouth, about to laugh. "It's a... a... TANUKI?!"
"EEEH?!" Kaoru gasped, staring. It was a large, fat fluffy raccoon. "This is the beast that Sanosuke is scared of?!"
Sanosuke waved his fists in the air, “I’m NOT scared!!!” But Kaoru and Yahiko ignored him, already rolling on the ground in laughter. “TEME!! Some friends you two are!!”
Meanwhile Kenshin was still oro-ing at the sky, “Dame… dame de gozaru…”