(I do not owning Rurouni Kenshin in any way.)

::Good Morning Tomoe, I slept well.::

Kenshin smiled to himself as he walked out of his room and set off towards the kitchen. Now that he was officially staying he felt it was only right to begin his day helping in the kitchen. He liked kitchen work. During the Bakumatsu he had helped with kitchen work to calm his nerves. Laundry was also a good way to calm down. It was wonderful to see stains some off right under his hands and smell the clean soap.

::No screaming dreams last night.::

Kenshin had fallen into a dead sleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow. The last time he'd slept on a futon had been months ago, the last futon had been hard and flea infested. Kenshin really hated fleas, but the parasites seemed to love him. A good futon really was a blessing. He was glad he'd been able to sleep so deeply and had not woken up screaming. He would have hated to disturb Kaoru.

::I found a nice lady who wants me to stay as long as I can.::

Kaoru was nice, Kenshin decided as he began stoking the fire. She was not like any other woman he had met. She was a mix between a woman and a man. She had honor like a man, but her thinking held so many twists she couldn't be anything but a woman. She was refreshingly frustrating to be around. She trusted him too much, which made him so angry he wanted to hurt her just to teach her not to trust people so much, and touched him so deeply he wanted to sign his life over into his hands. He felt himself settle for servitude aloofness as he made up the fire.

::She lives alone in her father's old place, and I am going to help her here for a while.::

Kenshin watched the fire begin to eat away at the logs, and the happy smile faltered. He hated watching fires, but he was entranced. He had always felt sadistically akin to fire. The fire ate away at the wood in a quick way. The wood was helpless in the face of the fire's destruction. The new fire leapt over the much older logs and destroyed them to make something new, and in the fire setters way of thinking, something much better a more desirable.

::I think the nice lady will be a friend. She is lonely.::

Kenshin stood and set some water to boil. He rummaged happily around until he found rice, and began to cook it. He was planning on having plain rice, since he had no idea how Kaoru liked anything else, or where he might find those other things. Kenshin began humming to himself as he warmed to his work. He really did like kitchen work. he liked the smooth way everything seemed to flow when he set himself to a task. He wondered if Kaoru would let him do the laundry. He liked doing that even better.

::I think I may like it here for a while.::

Kenshin stirred the rice, and glanced around the kitchen. It looked in need of a cleaning. He could ask Kaoru to show him where everything was, and ask her if she would mind if he took over the cooking. He always cooked before, and he loved to do it. He'd have to ask about the laundry. he might beg to do laundry, He really loved to do laundry, and if Kaoru agreed he could get the soap he really liked. It was the cheap but good kind that smelled of nothing but clean. Clean had a wonderful smell.

::I think I will stay here as long as I can.::

Kenshin found himself planning a trip to market to get soap and other things. Even if Kaoru wouldn't let him do the laundry he could still get the soap. She would like the smell too, he was pretty sure. Somehow Kenshin just knew she would. He also knew she'd like spicy food, and sweet things. Kenshin hummed a little louder, and wondered if he was brave enough to begin his cooking experiments again. He'd taste each one carefully before he served it, but Kaoru might not approve of it. Then again, Kenshin was sure she would.

::I think-I know you're happy for me, aren't you?::

Kenshin whistled a few bars of the song he was singing, and self-consciously stopped when he heard Kaoru approaching. The ruffled, sleep mussed appearance told him she had just woken up. She blinked blearily, and looked at the breakfast preparations in surprise. Kenshin smiled at her, and found himself content for the first time in a long time. "Good Morning, Kaoru-dono!"

Kaoru blinked, and smiled a little. "Good Morning, Kenshin.

::Yes, I think I will like it here for a while Tomoe, and you will too.::

A/N:I haven't written much at all this past month, and Kenshin pounced on me, and wanted to bo silly and almost insane, so here it is. Please review and tell me what you think, if you are indeed thinking anything at all.