Let's Get Serious

a Rurouni Kenshin story

by Erin Ellis

Part Three: Hi! My Name Is...

     Kaoru stormed into the kitchen, boiling hotter than the water in the 
teapot, slamming cabinets and drawers open in her quest to make tea.
     "Oi, calm down before you break something."
     Kaoru whirled around, swinging out her bokken.  "Look, I thought I told 
you--"
     "Hey, hey, calm down!" Sanosuke said, one hand up in submission, the 
other pushing the wooden sword from his neck.
     "Sano... sorry."  She brought back the weapon, clutching it in both her 
hands like a broom.  "You're up awfully early."
     "Late, actually."  He yawned widely.  "I was on my way back home when I 
saw your house and figured there'd be food.  But I didn't expect *you* to be 
cooking.  Where's Kenshin?"
     Kaoru couldn't decide what she should be more mad at, Sano's accessment 
of her cooking skills, or Kenshin and that harlot... grr...
     "What's up with her?" Sano asked.
     "Oh, she just caught Kenshin sucking face with some woman this 
morning," Yahiko explained.  "It was a pretty good show until sono busu 
broke it up."
     "Izzat so," Sano said, scratching his head.  "So Kenshin's got himself 
a little dish he wants to keep secret.  I wonder why?"
     "Probably because this hag has the sensuality of a frog," Yahiko 
sneered, poised for the inevitable chase from Kaoru.  Instead, she was 
still.  "Kaoru?"
     "Jou-chan?"  Sanosuke waved a hand before her eyes.  They were glazed 
and unmoving, her face in a permanent scowl, and she began shaking, 
clutching her bokutou like Kenshin's neck.
     Eyes bugging, the two backed off.  "Kowaii..."
     "Yahiko, maybe you should tell the others to get ready..."  The boy 
nodded, jetting from the room.
     "Now Kaoru.  Calm down.  Breathe."
     The girl reluctantly complied, slowly unwrapping her hands from the 
wooden sword; instead, slapping them to her cheeks.  "I've gotta get ahold 
of myself.  There's gotta be a good explanation for this!"
     "For what?"  Sano yawned in confusion.
     "Shut up and carry this," she snapped, shoving a tray of food into his 
hands.  Grabbing the tea, she stalked out of the kitchen, vowing to find the 
truth, so there would be some justification to her previous lack of 
violence.
     In the dining room, the other three were already seated around the 
table, Moemi next to an uncomfortable Kenshin, while Yahiko sat across from 
the pair.  They were engaged in light conversation primarily about Yahiko's 
fighting ability, while Kenshin deferred commenting and Moemi eagerly hung 
on his every word.
     "Okay, food's ready!" Kaoru interrupted, plopping her tray on the 
table.  Sano followed, albeit markedly less fiercely, and sat next to 
Kenshin.  Barely masking a scowl, she kicked the white clad man over and sat 
next to him.
     Moemi looked from her to the empty side of the table.  "What's wrong?"
     Feeling her face redden, Kaoru struggled for an excuse.  "That's... 
that's for..."
     Pattering feet.
     "Ken-niichan!  Where are you?"
     It was Ayame and Suzume, Dr. Genzai's charges.  Never before had Kaoru 
been so happy to see those little brats...
     "Ayame-chan, Suzume-chan.  Please, sit down."  She indicated the empty 
space.  "How is Genzai-sensei?"
     "He's out on housecall.  Said we could visit."
     "Who's Ken-niichan's friend?"
     "Who indeed?" Kaoru muttered.
     Giving a polite, half-lidded smile, Moemi introduced herself again.  
'That wasn't quite the answer to the question, was it,' Kaoru thougth, 
passing round tea.
     "So, Himemiya-san.  What brings you here?" Sano asked, idly piling rice 
into a bowl.
     "Well, I'm from Hokkaido.  While out on travels some years ago, I met 
with a brilliant man, handsome, intelligent, skilled.  Himura-sama."  She 
turned to Kenshin, who looked blankly back.
     "Sano?  The rice?" Yahiko asked.
     "Oh," he said, noticing his bowl was filled to overflowing.  "Long 
night."
     "Tea?" Suzume begged.
     Only slightly daunted by the lack of interest in her story, Moemi 
continued.  "So... that time, you made me a promise, and now I'm here to 
collect."  She turned, gazing at Kenshin earnestly.  "I'm here to become 
your wife."
     Silence fell like a dead body.  Kaoru felt the would turning white.
     "Excuse me," a boice broke the silence.  It was Kenshin!  "I'm sorry, I 
have no recollection of this.  When *was* this?"
     "It was fourteen years ago today."
     "Oro?"  They facefaulted, Yahiko spraying food from his mouth.
     "Yahiko-niichan, you've gottten Ken-niichan all wet," Ayame pointed 
out.

tbc.

[Next]
Kenshin figures out what's going on.  Moemi and Kaoru make their moves.  
And... Sano-*chan*?!  All in Part Four: A Roosterhead is a Terrible Thing to 
Waste.

Rurouni Kenshin � Nobuhiro Watsuki / Shueisha � Fuji-TV � Sony Pictures 
(Japan).

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  Remember:
     Talk to your chicken!
     It will bring out the flavor in him.
                                              -- Martin Yan
    www.unc.edu/~ellis � members.tripod.com/~tina97 � come.to/coup
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