Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Time Changes All ❯ The Act and The Bet ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: all characters except Takaomi do not belong to me (then again who would want rights to him?)

". . ." dialogue

`. . .' Kaoru's thoughts

*. . .* Kenshin's thoughts

(. . .) author's useless commentary

The Act and The Bet

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

#warning: there will be some cussing in here, I'm not sure if that makes it go up in advisory ranking but if it does please someone tell me#

"Hey Jou-chan!"

"H-huh?! What?" Kaoru had been zoning out a lunch, again. She kept on thinking back to that kiss she shared with Kenshin, and of course with each time she thought of it again she started blushing. Each time she blushed Kenshin would catch a glimpse of it, and start smiling. In other words Kaoru has been walking around red and Kenshin has been grinning like a mad man.

"What's up with you today? Are you feeling well?"

"Yeah Kaoru! You've been zoning out during class, heck Tae Sensei got frustrated and only assigned you homework as a punishment. When you didn't respond to her punishment she ended up doubling the amount, this would have gone on but the bell rang. Your face has been getting red too, are you getting a fever?" With that said Misao reached over her table to feel Kaoru's forehead. "Hmm, you might feel a little warm. . . do you wanna head over to the nurse's office?"

"N-no. . . I'm fine, I've just been thinking. "

"Don't hurt yourself now."

"Shut up Sano."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes! I'm fine!"

"Why are you turning red all the time then?"

Kenshin started chuckling at this and Kaoru shot him a death glare thinking, `this is your fault Kenshin!'

Kenshin smiled back thinking, *I'm loving every minute of this. . . hehe*

"Jou-chan?"

"H-huh? Yeah. . . um. . . I am feeling kind of dizzy, I'll go to the nurses office. . . tell Sae Sensei (science teacher) that I'm over there." As she stood up with her korokkepan (a type of bread in Japan) in hand Kenshin stood up as well.

"Um, Kenshin where are you going?" Sano asked with a quizzical look on his face.

"Kaoru says that she's dizzy, I do not plan to allow a lady to walk down these vicious high school hallways when she has a risk of fainting."

"Then there is no need to help Jou-chan through the hallways cuz she ain't a lady."

As Kaoru's retreating figure could be seen going out the door a korokkepan was plastered on Sano's head from impact.

"Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you coming with me?"

"Because `I do not plan to allow a lady to walk down these vicious high school hallways when she has a risk of fainting.'"'

"Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"Stop quoting yourself. And you know very well why I have been getting red, don't even try faking it." Suddenly Kenshin reached for her hand.

Kaoru started blushing looking down at his hand and continued walking towards the nurse's office. "Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you holding my hand?"

"Just in case you faint of course."

"Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"You do realize that I'm not really sick right?"

"I'm very aware of that."

"Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"What's with the hand then?"

"I just want to hold it."

"Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

"You can do this even if I'm not sick."

"Kaoru?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

No one really noticed the two of them holding hands for the so-called "vicious hallways" were pretty much empty on their route to the nurse's office. Once reaching there Kaoru decided to go along with the story of dizziness. The nurse said it was probably from a lack of sleep and that she could take a thirty-minute nap. Kaoru, being a big fan of sleep took the opportunity and slept. Kenshin headed back to class explain the situation to Sae Sensei (not the part about her faking). Kaoru attended the end of science class and the rest of her classes. Then along with the people in PE class she changed into her gi and hakama for kendo club. Guess who's in kendo club? Yup, Takaomi.

"Ka~o~ru~cha~n!"

"Oh my God." Kaoru mumbled under her breath as she was talking to Kenshin, Misao, Sano, Aoshi, and Soujiro. Kenshin looked a bit pissed, okay maybe not, he looked down right ticked off. Kaoru missed this bit with his amber eyes and plastered on a forced smile and greeted Takaomi. "Hey Takaomi."

"Hi~! I have a question." He tried to hug her but Kaoru prevented that by holding her bokken in front of her.

"Um. . . sure, what's your question?" `please God don't have him ask me out! Please let it be about math or something~'

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out again." Takaomi changed to a face of seriousness. Kenshin, well, he still looked ticked.

`Of course, life isn't kind, of course he'll ask about a date.' "Sorry Takaomi, I'll have to pass on your offer."

"Why is that? You didn't have fun on our last date?"

"Uh. . . it's not that. . . I'm kind of seeing someone now. . ." she stole a glance towards Kenshin to see his reaction to what she had just said. And just in case someone had seen her looking at him she glanced towards Soujiro and Sano as well. Kenshin, safe to say, seemed extremely pleased with her answer except for the whole "kind of" thing.

"What?! B-but we just went out on a date a few weeks ago!"

"It has been a few weeks. . ."

"That's because you kept on asking me for a rain check!"

"Um. . . I'm sorry?"

The gymnasium doors slammed open to reveal none other than Saitoh. "What are you all standing around for? Everyone, two hundred strokes!"

"See me later after class." Takaomi whispered into Kaoru's ear as he walked passed her.

"Are you okay Kaoru?" Kenshin asked as he took the position next to her doing their assigned task.

"Yeah. That was awkward though."

"Can I ask you a question Kaoru?"

"The last time I was asked a question Takaomi asked me out. Let's hold off on questions for now." `This is way to awkward.'

"Can I demand something then?"

Kaoru stopped in the middle of one of her strokes and stared wide-eyed at Kenshin. "Uh, Kenshin? You don't know how to give commands."

"Why do you say that?"

"You're to passive, you let things happen and complain about practically nothing."

"You would be surprised. . ."

Kaoru stared at him a little longer and continued on with her strokes. `Sometimes Kenshin gets this look on his face. He looks dark, as if he's seen so much in life. . . what happened to you Ken-chan?'

"So can I?" Kenshin spoke up after a long moment of silence between the two.

"H-huh?"

"Demand something."

"Um. . . depends on the demand."

"Fair enough. What did you mean by `I'm kind of seeing someone now'?"

"What do you mean what did I mean?"

"What do you mean what I mean and about what you meant?"

"Okay Kenshin you lost me there."

"Sorry. Why did you say `kind of.'"

"Uh. . . I don't know how to answer that Kenshin."

"Isn't it clear on where we stand?"

Kenshin looked at her with serious eyes, ones that also appeared to me glaring at Kaoru with cold eyes. "I'm sorry Kenshin. . . I just thought. . . after what happened at breakfast. . . I'm sorry to have offended you. . ."

Kaoru titled her head down so her eyes were hidden by her bangs, trying not to betray the sadness she felt. `That kiss meant nothing to him. . . he just fed me those words just to make me happy. . . he doesn't want us to be considered going out. . . how could I be so stupid. . .'

*She doesn't want to be with me. Why did I come back?*

Without any other words exchanged between the two, practice ended. Their miscommunication yet to be clarified as they head out of their respective locker rooms. As Kaoru was trudging towards the door Takaomi tapped her on the shoulder from behind.

"Can we have that talk now?"

"Takaomi. . . Sure."

As he lead her out the doors and to the outer back wall of the gym Kenshin just stared as they left together. Takaomi led her to where some students went to skip class or to smoke during school hours. Once they were in a poorly lit area he began talking.

"Kaoru-chan, why won't you go out with me?"

"I. . ."

"Are you seeing someone?"

"I thought I was. . ."

"What do you mean `thought.'"

`Why is every one asking for clarification now a days?!' "Because he said some stuff and kissed me. . ."

"And you believed him?"

"Yeah, pretty stupid huh?"

"Yeah that is pretty stupid."

Kaoru wasn't expecting such a blunt answer and pulled her eyes that had been looking at the ground to look at his face. An angry growl was upon his normally cheerful features.

"Bitch." Takaomi spat the word out at her.

"What the hell? And what the hell did I do to deserve that remark?" Kaoru was pulled out of her depression about Kenshin and glared at Takaomi with all the fire in her eyes.

"I asked you out first. We went out on a date, mind you was not free. And I got to first base with you."

"So? Is there a point here? So far you've pointed out that you asked me out first. Congratulations! Not! You're not the first to ask me out, you're the first I said yes to. Which I think was a huge mistake now. You also say we went out on a date, woopdidoo~! That was one of the most annoying times I ever had in my life, and mind you I know it wasn't free! But hell! It was only a dinner and a movie! And you thing about getting to first base with me, you kissed me! I did not kiss you! There is a difference."

"Annoying?! I was so damn cheerful Barney would have seemed morbid compared to me!" (I do not own Barney & friends)

"So what?! I never said I like cheerful people!"

"What now you like depressed people now bitch?! Why would you hang around with Soujiro and Misao if you don't like cheerful people?!"

"Stop calling me that!!!! Soujiro and Misao have their reasons!! And no I don't like depressed people! I like people for who they are!! From what I have gathered in the past 2 minutes tells me you're a complete ass!"

"Why you son of a bitch!" He had went to slap her hard across the cheek but his hand was blocked by Kaoru's own arm.

"Don't underestimate me. You maybe stronger than we by brute strength but I have more skill then you any day!" She kneed him in the gut. As he slumped on the ground he grabbed her right ankle pulling it out from under her.

"Don't underestimate me bitch! I put time and effort into you! I will not lose a bet!" With his much larger hand still around her ankle he pulled her into a position in which he was straddling her waist. Kaoru kicked and punched at Takaomi but he would not budge.

"Get the fuck off me! What the hell are you talking about?! What bet?!"

He smirked down at her and clasped her wrists above her head with one hand so she would no longer be able to punch her. He started undoing the zipper to her uniform skirt and replied, "A bet for fifty thousand yen to get into `innocent little Kaoru's' pants."

Her eyes went wide, her mind flashed back to that night in the alley with the two men and to the boy that saved her that night.

"Kenshin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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A/N: I have my reasons for Kenshin and Kaoru beginning to call each other by name instead of by `Koishii' or `Ken-chan.' Although it slips form time to time in the story I must tell you that those aren't slips by the author (namely me) I intentionally have them switch from one to the other, kind of like a gradual change. As much as I love those nicknames I have to have them mature. Since Kenshin now knows what context the title `koishii' is used in he, even though he uses due to habit is trying very hard to call her Kaoru. I tried to hint that in the last chapters but no one has said anything and I have no idea if they are lost or just think that I mess up with the names form time to time. Kenshin believes that using their "real" names they could possibly move on from the innocent friendship relationship they shared as children, that's the reason why he tries to change in how he calls her. However Kaoru is different, if you look back in the last chapter you can notice that when doing her chant of "Ken-chan equals little boy" she slowly evolves that into "Kenshin equals man," the reason why she doesn't want to think of Kenshin that way is because she's afraid (of what? Well you'll have to wait for the other chapters cuz that's important in the story). Did I confuse ppl more that I clarified? Probably. Anyways I'm the type of person that loves symbolism and foreshadowing so if you look closely you might catch some. . . then again no one is reading this for analysis so never mind. . . well I hope you enjoyed this chappie~! Jaa ne minna!

AN for Inuyasha fans: I plan to write a fanfic based on Inuyasha. How does that sound? Do you think I'll butcher the manga? Hopefully not. It'll be a continuation of what happens after their journey is done. Oh! And it will be a Inuyasha x Kagome fic, sorry to Seshoumaru fans, I just don't see how he and Kagome could get together. . . but do not fear Seshoumaru will be in there, but no Kikyo (relatively speaking that is) I'm writing up the story line right now I might have a chapter posted in a week or so. . . plz review it when it comes out and tell what you think~! Well I'm off to continue writing the story line. Bye~!