All's Well That Ends Well by flori-dono Disclaimer: This is a Rurouni Kenshin-inspired fan fiction. The author is not making any money out of this. The characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shounen Jump, and Sony and others that should be mentioned but were not. CHAPTER 1: Yahiko In Trouble It was a cheerful early Sunday morning. The sun was shining brightly while a cool summer breeze was blowing gently. Everything was still and quiet except for the chirping of birds and the slush of water coming from the backyard of the Kamiya Dojo. As usual, Kenshin was bending over a tub of clothes, washing. He was humming as he scrubbed the dirt away from Yahiko's hakama. Kenshin smiled as he remembered how Yahiko got so dirty. He still couldn't quite forget the boy's face as Kaoru swept him across the dojo floor like a rag, just because Yahiko called her ugly, well, for a million times. And Kaoru's patience was never long in the first place. How he thanked Kami-sama that he was not Yahiko at that moment. He didn't relish the thought of polishing the floor with his body and the fact that he only had a few clothes to spare was another thing. "Kenshin?" The sweet voice broke into his thoughts. It was Kaoru's. "Oro?" he replied. Kenshin looked up. His heart skipped a bit and suddenly, it became hard for him to breathe. Kenshin gulped. Kauro was walking towards him with a sweet smile on her red lips. A ray of sunlight bathed her slender form and her long, raven hair was being teased gently by the breeze. He had never seen anything so innocently beautiful in his life. "After you've finished, " she said. "Maybe we can go have lunch at the Akabeko." Kenshin shook his head slightly as if to clear his thoughts then turned his attention on his washing. "What's the occasion?" he asked, wringing the water out of the hakama in his hand. Kaoru had settled herself on the porch and was now swinging her legs slightly, like a kid. Kenshin saw this as he hang the wet clothes, and found it adorable. "Nothing," she said. "I heard that," Yahiko shouted as he came to the yard, his bokken slung across his back. "So, WE'RE having lunch at the Akabeko, eh?" joined in Sanosuke Sagara as he strode leisurely from the dojo gate. Kenshin smiled as he saw Kaoru's fist clench and unclench at her sides. He bet she'd be exploding in three counts. One...Two...Three... "Who told you both that you are coming with us?" she screamed at the two. Kenshin was right with his prediction, as always. "Don't get your kimono in a wad, Jou-chan," Sano said with a wave of his hand. "I was just teasing." "Well, I'm not!" piped in Yahiko. "I'll go whether you like it or not." Kaoru was fuming already. She had been planning this quiet lunch with Kenshin for a week now. And she meant lunch ONLY with Kenshin, without those two hounding at them. Today was the only day the she got *him* all to herself, knowing that Yahiko would be with Tsubame and Sano would be gambling all day. Speaking of which... "Why are you two HERE?" she asked angrily. Sano, with the ever-present fishbone in his mouth, mumbled, "I had no more money to gamble with" Kaoru rolled her eyes. That was problem one. Even if she had money, she wouldn't give him so that he could leave. He'd lose them anyway. Now for problem number two... "And what about you?" she turned towards Yahiko. "Well, Tsubame accompanied Megumi to the next town to buy some herbs for Doctor Gensei" he said matter-of-factly then added slyly, "Why so disappointed Kaoru? You wanted Kenshin all to yourself?" Silence. Kaoru's face had gone from red to white then red again. Yahiko gulped, Sano almost swallowed his fish-bone, and Kenshin... Kenshin froze all together. "Now, you've done it Yahiko-chan," Sano said in a whisper. Even in the face of danger, Yahiko had the guts to answer him, "Don't call me Yahiko-chan, Rooster-head!" "O-hoh!" Kaoru said in a quiet voice. "He can call you anything he wants, Yahiko-CHAN!" This was a different Kaoru. Even Yahiko couldn't control his knees from shaking. She seemed so menacing, so dangerous. "Uh," he began in a slightly trembling voice. "Hey, that was just a joke, Kaoru!" Kaoru then started to walk with agonizing slowness that made Yahiko wanted to run and hide but he couldn't. Kaoru was coming nearer. Yahiko was finding it hard to swallow, a lump formed in his throat due to nervousness. "Rooster-head was right," he thought. "Now, I'm gonna get it." But Kaoru just swept past him then hurriedly went inside her room, sliding the door with a vengeance. Yahiko let out a sigh of relief. But he felt really bad. He knew he shouldn't have said that. Even if what he said was true, it was rude to embarrass Kaoru like that in front of Kenshin. He groaned inwardly, now he'd be tortured everyday in his lessons. But he'll take them without a word. It was his fault anyway. He tried to control the tears that were coming. He had hurt Kaoru really bad. And the knowledge hurt him too. "Told you so," Sano chided him. "Shut up, Sano!" Yahiko said and ran out of the dojo. Kenshin sighed. He had watched the whole scene quietly. He had seen Kaoru flushed after hearing Yahiko's remark. The romantic part of him was glad and the other part of him was filled with doubt. Was it true? Did she really want to be alone with him? "Kenshin no baka!" he thought, scolding himself. "Now is not the time to think about it. He needed to solve the rift between Yahiko and Kaoru. His romantic self has to wait." "Yahiko was right, you know," Sano said quietly as Kenshin turned to put the tub away. Kenshin stilled. Now what was Sano getting at? "Oro?" "Don't oro me, lover boy!" Sano spat out impatiently. "You know what I meant." Kenshin sighed. "I don't think so, Sano-san." Sano wanted to hit Kenshin but controlled himself. He just couldn't face the fact that the infamous Hitokiri Battousai, a man with great sword skills, was a dunce with women. "It's not like he wasn't married before," Sano said to himself exasperatedly. "You see my friend," he began, deciding that his impatience will get him nowhere. "Yahiko was right. Kaoru wanted you to herself." Kenshin's face turned as red as his hair. He wanted to smile, heck he wanted to grin like a madman! "So, what are you going to do about it?" Sano asked. "Do about what?" Kenshin asked still a little dazed. "Come on Kenshin, you're trying my patience!" "Gomen nasai, Sano-san but..." Kenshin apologized. "The girl likes you and we're not blind to see that you like her as well!" "Was I that obvious?" Kenshin thought. "Don't ask yourself Kenshin, of course you're sooo obvious! You look like a lovesick calf everytime you see her," Sano pushed unmercifully. Kenshin smiled a little. Lovesick calf? "Now, what's that smile about huh?" Kenshin shook his head then sighed. If he wouldn't give Sano an answer now, he'd be badgering him all day, or maybe even the whole week. Kenshin shuddered at the thought. "All right, I like her," Kenshin admitted in a low voice as if he was afraid anybody would hear. "Yeah!" Sano whooped and began to dance like a lunatic on the loose. Kenshin sweat-dropped. Then Sano suddenly stopped when he realized that must be looking like an idiot, cleared his throat then lounged on the porch again. "And?" he prodded on. "And what?" Kenshin asked, shuffling his sandaled feet. Sano gave him the GLARE. "I don't know..." Kenshin started. Sano's fist began to itch... "I mean, I can't do anything. Even if she likes me, I just couldn't let her innocent self be stained by a killer like me..." Sano clenched that fist to his side... "I mean, she deserves someone else better than me..." Sano's arm slowly started to rise... "And what can I give her? I don't have a job! I can't even buy myself clothes..." Sano took his aim... "I just can't..." And WHAM! Sano's fist landed on Kenshin's head. "KENSHIN NO BAKA! KUSO, YOU ARE HOPELESS!" Sano said and strode out of the dojo feeling so much better. He couldn't quite stand Kenshin's blabbering and he only had that much patience. Now, he'd better find Katsu, maybe he could borrow some money after all. On to chapter 2