Chapter 1

Kaoru struggled to fight back tears as she witnessed the scene before her. In the ten minutes that she’d been gone preparing tea for the returning Kenshin, that vixen, Megumi, had managed to wrap her arms seductively around the innocent rurouni and was puckering her lips for a kiss. And what did the greatest sword wielder in all Japan say? One word- “Oro?” Kaoru’s hurt feelings quickly turned to anger and she deliberately threw down the tray she was carrying, breaking the fragile glass tea cups and spilling boiling hot tea all over the clean wooden floor of the Kamiya Dojo. The unlikely pair quickly looked up to see a red-faced Kaoru trembling angrily before them. Kenshin looked up gravely at the fuming Kaoru.

“Sumimasen, Miss Kaoru, but you’ve spilled hot tea all over your clean floor and on your feet. Have you burned yourself?”

Megumi smiled at Kenshin possessively.

“Ken-kun, I’m sure Kaoru-chan is fine....and if she isn’t, I have some wonderful herbal medicines which are great for treating wounds...”

Kaoru growled and snarled back at Megumi.

“I’m fine, thank you, and even if I DID need help, I wouldn’t want YOUR help.”

Spinning around, Kaoru indignantly marched back to her bedroom and slid her door shut, ignoring the searing pain in her feet as Kenshin watched her retreating back worriedly.

Megumi sighed and apologized to Kenshin.

“It seems I’m always getting into arguments with Kaoru-chan. Gomen....I don’t mean to be mean...it just happens. Please tell her I’m sorry, and forgive me for the mess I’ve made..”

As usual, Kenshin offered Megumi a smile, forgave her, and waved as she left the dojo. As he turned from the door, a voice stopped him in his tracks.

“So..the great Himura Kenshin is back among us. It’s great to see you again, but it wasn’t very nice, hurting the kid like that... She was pretty offended you know. She doesn’t like Megumi too much...”

“Sano!!!! It’s wonderful to see you again!! Are you talking about Miss Kaoru?..yes, I’ve noticed the tension between the two of them.. I hope Miss Kaoru is all right. She seems to have hurt her feet.”

“She said she was okay..”

“Yes, but there was something strange about the way she walked back to her room.”

Leave it up to Kenshin to notice something as trivial as Kaoru’s feet. Sanosuke grinned and slapped Kenshin on the back.

“Well anyway, it’s good to have you back. Yahiko will be happy. He’s improved quite a bit and can’t wait to show you.”

Kenshin nodded slowly and yawned. As if on cue, Kaoru’s voice came bellowing from her room.

“Kenshin! You can have the same room you’ve always had. Everything is laid out and prepared for you already.”

Kenshin bowed to the invisible Kaoru.

“Arigatou Miss Kaoru”

In her room, Kaoru curled up on her bed mat and rubbed her feet irritably. They did indeed hurt uite a bit, but she refused to admit that she had done it out of stupidity because of her jealousy of Megumi. She had been extremely happy that Kenshin had come home. After all, when they had defeated Shishio’s faction, Kenshin disappeared suddenly, and Kaoru had become hysterical over the prospect that she might never see him again. Sure enough, he returned, but Megumi had to announce her presence by flirting outrageously with Kenshin when she could already have Sanosuke!! Kaoru decided then and there that she hated Megumi. Perhaps it was a stupid reason to hate the girl. After all, the girl did have a nasty past and perhaps nobody had ever taught her it was wrong to steal another girl’s guy....but then again, Kenshin wasn’t quite in Kaoru’s possession...no, not yet.

Kenshin felt tired, but was unable to sleep. He’d kept his mind thoroughly occupied during his war with Shishio, but now that Shishio and Co. were gone, he had more time to think about the smaller things in life- the things that he’d never thought about before in his 28 year long life. He finally had time to sort out his mixed feelings about Kaoru. On the surface, he thought of her as a nice girl- quick-tempered and headstrong, but sweet in general. Sometimes she had a spirit even, cool, and powerful as the water of a giant waterfall, and other times, it was fiery and hot, like the flames of an angry fire. Then again, there were those times when everything about her was sweet, kind, and good like candy is to a child. Of course she was vulnerable too, but her pride and honor prevented her from displaying this trait. Deep down inside, though, Kenshin had no idea what he felt for Kaoru....mixed feelings of duty to his hostess and friend, a feeling that might be love, but could be defined more as love toward a sister than a lover, and another feeling.. one he hadn’t quite sorted out yet and perhaps never would. Kaoru was just Kaoru, and nothing more, right?

As for Megumi, she was a dear friend who liked to have fun, and posed no threat to Kaoru despite what the 17-year old might think. She was in love with Sanosuke, but would never admit it to him. Kenshin was nott sure he understood why. The girl had nothing to loose by revealing her feelings to the street fighter, for he knew that Sano returned the girl’s feelings, though subtly. Frowning, Kenshin decided he didn’t understand women or their “love”. Silently, he slid open the door, tiptoed to his bedroom, and fell asleep hoping that no new threat would arrive and destroy the heavenly peace which had settled uneasily over Kamiya Dojo and all of Japan....

A gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the giant trees near Kamiya Dojo. The moon throws iridescent rays through the branches, revealing a dark figure huddled within the giant elm tree hidden in the back of the building. Silently, the figure slips out of the tree and creeps up to Kaoru’s open window. He tiptoes over to her mat and kneels down next to her sleeping body. Reaching out a hand, he strokes her pale, beautiful face and smiles to himself. Kaoru stirs in her sleep and mumbles....

“...Kenshin...not Megumi...no....”

The dark figure starts and hides himself in the shadows for a moment. When he sees that Kaoru is still asleep, he smiles and retrieves two small throwing knives seemingly from the air. Tying them with a ribbon, he lays the small gift next to Kaoru’s sleeping body along with a note....

End of Chapter 1