No Way Out
by Akane


Part 2


  The sun set low on the horizon giving the city of Tokyo a dark yet glowing atmosphere.
Kenshin and Kaoru walked side by side silently. Kenshin fidgeted with the sleeve of his dress a
little, trying to keep his mind off the stares that were directed his way. Did they recognize him? If
so, would there be any possible way he could live this down? He pouted a bit and passed his
tongue over his bottom lip. Lipstick. How had he gotten into this mess? He noticed they were
about to pass the beef hotbot restaurant and glanced over at Kaoru. She seemed calm enough as
she hummed quietly to herself. Kaoru must have noticed Kenshin's glance because she stopped
suddenly and turned to him.
  "You know, you should really relax, Kenshin. There's nothing to worry about..."
  "I'm not worried." Kenshin muttered through clenched teeth. Kaoru just shrugged.
  "Just keep telling yourself that. But don't think that I can't tell that every muscle in your
body is tense. And you don't have to worry about being recognized because I can hardly
recognize you myself!" Kaoru sighed and took Kenshin's hand. "Come on, we're almost to the
market."
  "But..." Kenshin's eyes wandered to the sign above the entrance of the beef hotbot
restaurant. Kaoru's eyes followed.
  "Oh, that?" She stared a moment more before answering. "Don't worry. It's around dinner,
so they're probably really busy. No one will notice us walk by..."
  Kaoru was interrupted as Sano flung open the restaurant door and stepped out, followed
by Tae.
  "Sanosuke-san! You forgot to pay for your meal!"
  "Just add it to my tab!" He called over his shoulder. He was ready to turn the corner but
stopped midstep as he spotted Kaoru... and Kenshin. Tae obviously saw them as well, but then
again how could anyone not notice someone as pretty as Kenshin?
  "Oh! Kaoru!" Tae forgot about Sano and his large bill for a moment and walked over to
chat with her good friend. "I was just thinking about how you haven't stopped by for awhile."
  Sano used this opportunity to finish his trip around the corner. He leaned against the wall
and perked up his ears to listen to the ongoing conversation.
  "Actually, we're were just on our way to pick up some tofu..." Kaoru glanced over at
Kenshin through the corner of her eye. This was not good. Kenshin was trying to be well behaved,
but no matter how hard he tried to cover it up he still looked as if he was ready to kill someone, or
at least hurt them pretty badly.
  "Oh? I thought Himura-san usually does that."
  "He does, normally, but he was kind of, um, preoccupied."
  "I see..." Tae smiled and her eyes fell on Kenshin. "OH! I'm sorry. I've been rude. You
must be a friend of Kaoru!"
  Kenshin opened his mouth to speak but was immediately interrupted by Kaoru.
  "AH! Well, um, this is my, er, childhood friend, K... uh... Kiyone!"
  Kenshin blinked several times, sorting things out in his mind, before bowing slightly.
  "Pleased to meet you..." he replied in a quiet, almost inaudible, voice.
  "The pleasures all mine, Kiyone-san." Tae returned his bow. "IÃÎ sorry to chat and run,
but I must get back to work." She looked over her shoulder at the place Sano had previously been
and sighed deeply when she found it empty. "Seems he got away again. Kaoru-san, Kiyone-san,
We must go shopping together sometime." With that Tae bowed again and walked back into the
restaurant. Kaoru wiped her brow with the back of her hand.
  "Phew, that was close, wasn't it Kenshin?" She was replied with silence. "Kenshin?" She
turned to look at him, only to find him standing silently with his eyes closed. His undone hair blew
gently around his face and shoulders, giving him an almost angelic look in his white flowing dress.
After what seemed like forever he finally spoke.
  "I'm going home," Kenshin stated plainly and forcefully. He opened his eyes, revealing two
cloudy purplish-blue irises, his pupils were small.
  "But we're almost there..."
  "Yahiko will be home soon," he said, more gently this time. "He must be tired from today's
work, and I doubt he wants to come home to a dark empty house."
  "Yahiko's more mature and independent then you give him credit for..."
  "Maybe so, but I sense something in the wind." He turned and looked down the street
over his shoulder, his eyes not focusing on anything in particular. He brushed some loose hair
away from his face absent mindedly as the playful breeze caught it in itÃÔ grasp once again.
  "Don't worry about it so much! My plan is fool-proof. No one will ever know that the
beautiful Kiyone is actually the master swordsman, Himura Kenshin..."
  "Doesn't mean we're not in danger," Kenshin interrupted and turned back to Kaoru. "This
may be a good diversion, but nothing more. I doubt it'll last more then a few days."
  "So you think they'll attack tonight?" Kaoru's knuckles turned white as her grasp on the
tofu tub tightened.
  "No, probably not tonight, but I would feel better if I knew everything was safe." Kenshin
smiled as Kaoru thought this over.
  "So you're saying it's ok if I get attacked?!"
  "Now now, don't get over excited. You'll be taken care of." He walked calmly over to the
street corner and peeked around it. "You'll take care of her, won't you Sano?"
  Sano blushed brightly as he stepped out onto the street. Luckily, due to the warm red
shadows placed upon them by the setting sun, it wasn't very noticeable.
  "I can't have it said that Sagura Sanosuke is a unkind to women. Of course I'll take care
of her. That is if I get to take part in your dinner."
  "Thank you, Sano." Kenshin smiled warmly. "Of course you may join us. I doubt you two
will have any problems," Kenshin said as he turned to walk away, smoothing out the skirt of his
dress as he went. Kaoru sighed deeply.
  "You know, it's really scary that he can pull this off that well. If I didn't know better I would
have to say he really WAS female..."
  Sano nodded silently, unable to figure out what exactly to say to that. He cleared his
throat uncomfortably.
  "Well, it'll be dark soon. We better hurry up and get the groceries. Besides, I'm starving."
Sano smiled and started down the street up the opposite direction that Kenshin had gone, leading
the way to the market.

*-*-*-*-*


  Kenshin made his way slowly back to the dojo. He hadn't lied. It was true that he felt
something, and that his enemies probably would return sometime soon demanding to know where
the Hitokiri Battousai was hiding out. It was also true that Yahiko would be returning soon from a
hard day of helping Megumi and the doctor in, what Kaoru had called, special training. But more
importantly then those things, Kenshin just needed to be alone and sometime to think. There was
something about this evening, something that disturbed him slightly. The quiet stillness of the
evening's setting sun only mocked him, reminding him persistently of his past. He had spent many
nights like this one alone during his ten year journey as a rurouni. At times like this he just wanted
to be alone for awhile, just him and his thoughts. Kenshin sighed and cautiously made his way to
the river and sat on the bank beside it, careful to sit in a place that would not rub off on his
borrowed dress. He peered into the gentle flowing water at his reflection. It was amazing, really.
He really did look very feminine. He ran his fingers through his long hair and smiled. Kaoru and
her crazy ideas. He chuckled softly to himself and leaned back. Even as it was, Kenshin would be
home before Kaoru and Sano. The market was always busy on nights like this. He blinked slowly,
deep in thought, as he watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon. Once it was gone, he
stood, stretched, and continued on his way towards the dojo, dusting stray dirt and pieces of grass
off his dress.

 

--End of Part Two--

 


Authors Notes: Woah, what happened here?? We have suddenly gone into the Serious Zone...
well, as serious as you can get for a guy in a dress, anyway. Hope you enjoyed this part as much
as you enjoyed the first. If you didn't however, I promise the next part will be more humorous.
Planning to add a little dancing in it. *grin* SO! Stay tuned, I'll try to get to work on it as soon as I
have the time.