Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Dead Never Stay Dead ❯ Women Troubles ( Chapter 4 )

Part Three- Women Troubles

Disclaimer: I own nothing not even a good comb. I bet Nobuhiro Watsuki has tons of combs from all the money she gets from being the owner of Rurouni Kenshin. Yep she's the one that owns Rurouni Kenshin not lil' ole me. I bet she combs Kenshin's hair all day. Do you notice that sometimes he really needs to have his hair combed? What I wouldn't give to comb his hair (sigh and wistful look). I should really stop rambling and let people see what they originally came to see… my story. So, uh yeah, here it is. ^.^

A/N

The poems at the beginning of my chapters are all mine unless stated otherwise. Yes you have an amateur poet in your midst so GET OVER IT! LOL ^_^

They beat me, harass me, and abuse me like a rag

But life without them would be such a drag

Don't bother delving into a woman's mind

For the consequences won't fear so kind

Don't attempt to figure out how they think

Because they'll deck you before you can even blink

Understanding a woman's mind, man don't even try

A friend of mine did it and his brain started to fry

Women, can't live with them

Women, can't live without them

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother putting up with em'

But they start to grow on you whether you like it or not

But be careful around them because they'll hit you with everything they got

Ah women!

"_" dialogue

'_' thoughts

~*~ scene/pov change

VOC.

Mou- statement of exasperation used by Kaoru

Onore- an insult like kisama only more insulting

"Sano, I'm worried about Kaoru," confessed a distressed Megumi to Sano over lunch at the Akabeko.

"Why? She seems fine to me." Sano questioned.

Megumi looked at him in disbelief, "Why? Why? Sano no baka. When I accuse you for being a stupid chicken head I don't actually expect you to play the part. The only time she goes out is to buy groceries. She's overworking herself to an early grave and she hardly yells or beats up Yahiko like she use to when he's acting well… like Yahiko." Her face took on a more somber appearance as she went on. "And what's more," she lowered her voice so low that Sano had to lean in to hear her, "just last week I went up to check up on her and I saw her mending Kenshin's clothes and doing his laundry." Her face took on a defeated look. "I tried to get through to her every way that I can but I just can't seem to reach her."

Sano looked up from his food and frowned. "Well that's just not healthy." He declared. "If she's unable to make Yahiko miserable then you know that there's something wrong." He sighed and slowly shook his head but then looked at Megumi with a fire alight in his eyes. "Ah well, no worries. All I have to do is to knock some sense into her."

"I tried that, Sano." Megumi replied sadly. "Kaoru's like a little sister to me and I just don't want to lose her. I don't know about you but one death is enough for me if not too much." Megumi raised her head to see Sano had already finished his meal and was getting ready to leave. "And where exactly do you think you're going?" She demanded.

Sano looked at Megumi as if she was a little slow. "Why to go talk to Kaoru, of course." He answered making it seem that it was obvious.

Megumi looked at him astounded. "Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying? I said that I tried that already numerous times in fact but it just didn't work."

Sano looked at her with a playful smile gracing his features, "I'm sorry, what were you saying? I just wasn't listening."

Megumi's eyebrow twitched as she struggled to not lose her temper in front of this chicken head. "Aren't you even going to pay for lunch?" She questioned planning to ignore his last statements. 'He's just doing this because he knows how much he irks you.'

He gave her his ever famous lopsided grin. "Sorry Kitsune, but I have an important meeting with Jou-chan you know." He glanced at her slyly, "Can't you pay for it? I mean it's not like it was a date or anything."

Her patience was running low, "First of all, stop calling me Kitsune. How would you like it if I called you Tori -atama?"

"Well in truth, you do call me Tori-atama. But since you're the one calling me that I really don't mind." Sano looked at Megumi suggestively grinning at her like an idiot.

"Men," Megumi muttered under her breath his attitude aggravating her to no limits. "Second of all," she continued, "You were the one who asked me to eat with you in the first place. All I have to say is that this is the last time I go somewhere with you and in public too, how embarrassing!"

Sano laughed good-naturedly. "Reality check Megumi, this is the first time you ever went somewhere with me, public or otherwise."

She just stared at him coldly reminding him of what some people called her- the Ice Queen. "You just reminded me why that's so."

"That's what I'm here for. Seeya, fox lady." Sano left whistling outside the door with a devilish humor glinting in his eyes.

Megumi was left fuming about the downside of men Sano in particular and the thought of paying the bill that a waitress tentatively handed to her. 'Onore!'

Then something hit her. Sano was going the opposite direction from the Kamiya Dojo. All that was where he was going was only…gambling houses and bars. "Once I get him I'll beat out every inch of his life that good for nothing Tori-atama!" she shouted in the restaurant her anger at a certain baka getting the best of her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was almost dinnertime and Yahiko still hasn't come back with the tofu yet. He's been gone for over an hour and that's plenty enough time to go buy what they need and come back. Knowing him, he's probably gotten himself into some unwanted trouble. Well if he's not back in fifteen minutes she'll go and look for him. Kaoru grumbled to herself, 'If I wanted something done right, I should've done it myself.'

Just before she was about to go track him down, a voice hailed her down before she could leave. "Kaoru, we're back." Yahiko called out to her from the entrance.

'We, who's we?' she thought. But sure enough accompanying Yahiko with his bucket of tofu (thank goodness) was… Sano? She ran out to greet them both. "Sano what are you doing here?" Exclaimed Kaoru her surprise overriding her politeness.

He looked down at her short frame and just flashed her his trademark smile, "Hi to you too, Jou-chan. What, am I not allowed to be here? I saw Yahiko in town and he insisted that I come down here so…"

Yahiko cut him off by knocking him on the head with the tofu bucket he still carried, "That's a lie chicken head and you know it. You invited yourself here like always you lazy freeloader."

Sano awkwardly scratched his head caught in his lie. "Yeah, what of it Yahiko-chan? I'm here aren't I? I just wanted to make sure I remember how to get here because it's been ages since I graced you guys with my presence."

Yahiko's face contorted in barely controlled rage as he heard Sano call him little yet again. "Well all you have to do is follow the burnt food smell. You better stop calling me chan Tori-atama."

Kaoru quickly ignored the snide remark about her cooking and intervened as peacemaker to try to stop the predictable from happening. "Well we're both glad you came. Come on in Sano and don't be a stranger."

"Well you two catch up for as long as you want," Yahiko informed both of them, "I'll be at the Akabeko getting some decent food." He dropped the tofu, bucket and all and ran off.

"Hey what do you mean by decent food?" Kaoru called out to him. "Well whatever you do, don't fill yourself up. You still have to eat my food."

Yahiko turned around and told her tauntingly, "I can only stomach decent, nontoxic, edible food. Your unidentifiable slop is so bad that people use it for fertilizer and even pigs turn it down." Knowing better than to stick around, he quickly fled down the road to avoid her anger.

"Why you little …"Kaoru picked up a small fallen tree branch and flung it in Yahiko's direction, but he was yards away so unfortunately for her she was unable to get him. She let an exasperated sigh escape her lips at this minor failer. She breathed out a disconnected huff turned on her heels and stomped back into the dojo muttering death oaths about an annoying brat along the way.

Sano quirked a smile to himself, 'Well that's one thing Megumi was wrong about.' He thought to himself. 'Kaoru still tries to beat up Yahiko to a pulp, but either he's getting smarter or she's just losing her touch.' He bent to picked up the forgotten tofu and hurried after Kaoru not wanting to be left out all alone.

"Are you expecting company?" Sano asked glancing at the dining table set for four people.

Kaoru relieved him of his burden and set it down in the kitchen. "Yahiko invited Tsubame to eat dinner with us. He says that if Tsubame experiences what he has to eat three times a day she might feel sorry for him and give him some free food. Mou, he's such a twerp!"

Sano grinned and shook his head in amusement, "That sounds like Yahiko alright. That explains the three placemats but what about the fourth one?"

Kaoru turned to look at the table confused, "What fourth… oh. I guess I'm so used to setting one for…" she stopped in mid-sentence and just shrugged. "It's a habit I guess." She made a move as if to fix the table to how it was suppose to be.

"Wait," said Sano, "since I'm here I might as well stay for dinner. You know I'm never one to pass up a free meal. Besides, I'll rather face your food than Megumi's wrath."

"Hey what's that suppose to mean? Did you and Megumi get into another fight again?"

"Um not really, but either way I think it'd be smarter to wait until she cools down before I go see her again." Sano quickly changed the subject, "Hey Jou-chan, let me help you cook. After all, you don't want Yahiko to be right about your inability to cook now do you?"

"No of course not," claimed Kaoru. She smiled sweetly while her right hand reached for a nearby frying pan.

Moments later Sano was helping Kaoru make miso soup with a couple of conspicuous bumps on his head that were partially hidden by his spiky hairdo. He glanced over to Kaoru who was innocently softening the tofu while quietly humming to herself. 'Sheesh,' he thought, 'why are women always so damn temperamental?'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N

Well come-on people what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? Review and tell me how you like it. It came out longer than I expected and the tone was lighter too.