R.S.: Oh my goodness, I am sososososo sorry for such a long wait! I feel like the biggest loser alive! I've had so much work to do and so many places to visit; I'm just in whirlwind here at college. =( I hope I haven't lost too many fans because of such a long wait! I finally managed to crank this one out! Hope you guys enjoy it!

"If he can withstand these boys, hold a conversation with my dad, and make it past Sunday dinner? He's a saint."

-Quote on family from my house

The Musical Poetry Club

By: Rampaging Sorrow

Filler Chapter: Family, Friends, and Sports

"Sssh."

"Wha-"

"Shut it!"

"But-"

"Zip it."

Amethyst eyes full of mischief twinkled as he grinned at Kaoru and allowed her vanilla scented hands (he thought her hand wash was amazing) to cover his mouth. Light blue eyes scanned the empty entrance hall of her house and then turned back to look at Kenshin holding back his laughter.

'He's such a clown.' "Be quiet ok?" she reminded him as the two began to walk. "If mom comes home and she hears your voice, I'm screwed." He nodded and before she could move another step, he brought their hands together and winked at the smile that now covered her lips.

"Lead the way, love."

It had been two weeks since Kenshin's outburst that lead to their moments of "making up"in the back seat of his car. And every night since then, they were together with everything thrown aside for the present. The dates were always of different degrees—study dates, movie dates, soccer dates, etc.— but without the stress of their groups hovering on them, they enjoyed each other's company and bathed in the shower of love that was coming either way. They roamed neighboring towns to be alone and with huge smiles and hearts, they lived like stars.

And now, to Kenshin's delight, he was being let into her home. Kaoru had been reluctant at first, but with some persuasion (a.k.a. kisses) she gave in and promised they'd skip school early to fully check it out with her mother hopefully not being around. He was amazed at the size of the mansion and Kaoru grinned as he stared up in awe at the entrance hall.

"You think this is big? At home with dad, I still get lost sometimes when I'm not paying attention."

As they walked up the stairs, Kenshin slowed his pace at the middle to look at the pictures that decorated the wall. Photos of her mother, Seth, little Yahiko (who Kenshin realized that Kaoru adored after she brought him on a date to the arcade), and a few photos of Kaoru in her younger years as well.

"Awww!" he exclaimed dramatically as he pointed at a picture of her hanging off a tire swing above the lake. Her eyes were bright and her smile showed that she had laughter and was happy.

"You're so cute," Kenshin 'coo'ed and she giggled as he pinched her cheeks and gave her an Eskimo kiss.

"My pictures upstairs are way better."

With laughter, she pulled him up the rest of the stairs and down the "dull" hallway to her door. Kenshin couldn't help but laugh at the way she whined about the color. He stared in amazement at the decorated walls that were on either side of the airs and once he got to the top, he whistled at the "masterpiece" (as Kaoru demanded it be called).

"Wow." was all he could think of as he took a look around in awe. Kaoru smirked triumphantly and she invited him to sit on the rug next to her bed with her. He placed his shoes by the stairs before sitting down and watching her reach into her desk drawer to pull out two albums.

"These are my albums. Check them out." Kenshin looked down at them as she placed them in his lap and he opened the 'National' album. His eyes lit up as she opened her laptop and sat on her bed cross-legged to answer e-mails and send a message to her father.

"You were a chubby baby." he chuckled as he looked at a picture of her parents smiling next to her while she sat in a car seat.

"Shut up." she said lightly and he laughed more as she flashed him a glare and blew a raspberry at him.

Through the pages, the locations changed and Kaoru grew. Her cuteness seemed to reach new heights and he saw that she even became 'spunky'. From her short haircuts to wearing tie-dye shirts, he could tell that she had a knack for creativity way before she even knew what the important things were in life. He also realized that her mother vanished about halfway through the album.

'Must have been after the divorce.' It didn't seem to damper her smile. If anything, it intensified with her father. During the '11th Year', He could see the excitement that was on both of their faces.

"You were really happy with your father." he said out loud, though mostly to himself. She nodded as she pulled her hair from her face and sighed. "Mom left for Seth, and we were all we had. You'll see my aunt soon, but sometimes she wasn't there because of her addictions."

Kenshin turned the page and indeed, he saw a beautiful green-eyed woman with dark brown hair smiling next to a smirking Kaoru. Enishi started to show more as well.

"You've been-"

"Best friends for eight years and counting." He felt a pang of jealousy at her soft smile and he continued through the rest with a 'hmph', ignoring the soft laughter coming from her body. He realized that the ending of middle and beginning of high school was where the 'sexy' came in.

'Man, she was HOT in her freshman year.' he thought with a smirk. He saw friends with her doing wacky things and even pictures of her dancing and posing with model-like men at events. 'No more of that.' he said with a commanding tone in his head. 'I won't have it.' Sports teams, dance groups, famous people; Kaoru had it all in her book and he was impressed at the amount of things she had done before she was brought into his life.

He picked up the international book next and was amazed at the number of countries she had on her index. Almost all of Europe and South America countries were there as well as Asia, Oceania, and some African countries. Kaoru saw him looking at the list and nodding in amazement.

"It started when I was young." Kenshin stopped looking at the photo of her hanging off of an elephant's tusk to give her eye contact and listen.

"When I was little, my father decided that every three months, we would travel to any location that we could agree on. And mom didn't really like it—being the tight ass she is—"

"Be nice," Kenshin warned playfully as he smirked at the way she rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, even though mom didn't like it and almost never came along, we would take three weeks off and leave her behind. Dad showed me everything he researched and he was always so... happy to be sharing something with me that he couldn't share with anyone else. He would always stop and point and he'd explain with such... such passion." Their eyes met as she put the laptop aside and she kicked pale legs into the air.

"I'd always listen not because I was interested, but simply because he felt for what he was teaching me. And that just... I knew I had something with him that mom never could..." Kenshin watched her give a slight frown as she blew bangs from her eyes and crossed her bent legs over one another.

"I sometimes wonder if that's why she ended up leaving." Kenshin frowned as well and he eased the silence by giving her calf a tender rub. She smiled softly at him before flopping over onto her stomach and leaning over the bed so she could see what pictures he was on. For the next twenty minutes, he listened to Kaoru tell him the towns in which the pictures were held and things that made each one special. Her eyes twinkled with delight and with each laugh and each story; he felt as if he were drifting and that he had been with her his whole life.

"We're actually going to South Africa next month for two weeks."

"Seriously?" he asked surprised and she could only nod and grin. "Business conference for five days and the remaining nine days are just left for us to find stuff to do."

"What made your dad decide to do this?" he asked with curiosity.

"Well," he smiled as she lolled her head to the side and pressed the tip of her finger to her mouth. "He mostly does it to make up for not doing all of this in his younger years. Dad made his business early and after a year or so, business was amazing. Better than he could have even dreamed. But, just when he was about to leave his teen years behind, I came along so he really had to put his traveling dreams on hold."

That fact made Kenshin pause in thought. "...Just how old are your parents?"

"Well, mom is three years older than dad...so, Dad should be... thirty-eight?... Yeah, thirty-eight."

"Three years, huh?" Kenshin said in a teasing tone. "Your father must have been a seriously suave man."

"It runs in the Kamiya bloodline." Kaoru said proudly. "All my uncles have really gorgeous women with amazing personalities and my aunts all married really well."

Kenshin rolled his eyes as she laughed and flipped her hair from her eyes, pink clad feet kicking up into the air. "But that's why, in a nutshell. He takes me to show me what the world is so I won't ever have to find out the hard way later on. And I'm his little girl, ya know? Only one he's got. Might as well give me everything he can."

Kenshin merely 'hmm'ed as he went through the Africa section and noted that he could see her growing up beautifully through these pictures as well. "Kaoru..."

"Yes?" she responded as she shut her laptop and looked his way with an arched eyebrow.

"... You know your father must have a shot-gun, right?" Kaoru bust out laughing and Kenshin soon joined in from the shove she gave his shoulder.

"Actually," she said through her giggles, "Dad has a sawed off rifle under his bed and a sniper near his bedroom window facing the yard."

Kenshin's laughter quickly stopped in fear as Kaoru continued to laugh and put her laptop on the floor. She ignored his glare as she rolled onto her back and kicked her feet in the air.

"That wasn't funny. That's scary."

"My dad's a lunatic." she giggled. "He almost shot his brother in the leg once because he thought that he was some stranger hitting on me at the front door. He yelled, Kaoru, baby get out the way!, and I took some steps back before he shot at him. They still argue over it to this day. So when you meet daddy, be careful. He's trigger happy."

Kenshin gave her another glare as she began to laugh at his stunned silence.

"That's so mean."

"It's what a daddy should do to all his daughter's boyfriends." he gasped at her grin and she could only let out a squeal as he jumped up onto her bed and a wrestling match began.

Their laughter and playful grunts only made the fight last longer and as Kenshin pinned her to the bed after five minutes, he quickly ran his lips across her cheek to silence the laughter. They only quieted to giggles and he smiled as he rubbed their noses together and held her face so that he could gaze into her eyes and slip into bliss.

"Such a romantic, Ken-Ken." Kenshin smiled and pressed a finger to her lips. Her eyes crossed as she attempted to stare at his finger and he couldn't help but the chuckle as he felt her lips curve into a smile. Happiness poured through them both and she pressed a soft kiss to his finger.

"Why should I?" he responded as he felt the need to tease. "Your dad probably has a rifle with my name on it."

"Well, I could always put in a good word for you." Kenshin began to laugh and he shook his head in a scolding manner before Kaoru quickly reached up and grabbed his hair. All he could exclaim was "OW!", before their eyes met for a split second and she pressed her lips to his.

'What a firecracker.' With a chuckle and applied pressure, their kiss reached to new heights as they fought for the upper hand. Her fingers massaged his scalp and with a shudder, he greedily took control and proceeded to make her breathless. Her sigh and wandering fingers only made him quietly groan and pull her body close to his to feel her warmth. Her knees rose slightly and he rested between them as he massaged her sides and let crawling fingers work up her shirt.

"You're such a tease." he groaned huskily at the rise of her hips before claiming her lips again and managing to unclasp her bra. Shirts flew and feverishly hot hands traveled, traced, touched as if to memorize the curves and feel of each other's body. Kaoru ran her nails softly along his abs and they both sighed as he slid his hands underneath her to pull her closer. His fingers went to unbutton her jeans, but to his dismay, there was a sudden loud knocking at the bedroom door.

"Kaoru, are you home?" Kenshin's eyes met equally shocked blue while a fist knocked three more times.

"Shit." she whispered as her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "It's Seth."

"Kaoru," Seth yelled from behind the door, "The School called and said you left early!"

"I'm here!" she called back and Seth leaned against the door with a hand to his head.

"Is Kenshin up there?"

Kaoru laughed as she put on her bra and went to retrieve their shirts from the opposite side of the room. "Yeah, he's here. Why'd you ask-"

"Open this door, child." Kaoru fixed Kenshin's shirt and made him sit at her laptop before she ran her fingers through her hair and walked down the steps. Kenshin untied his ponytail and with quick hands, he re-tied it and he typed in a random website to surf.

"Hello there, Seth." Kaoru said as she waved and leaned against the railing. Hazel eyes were unimpressed behind glasses as he arched his eyebrow and he adjusted his tie.

"You're home early."

"That's because when the school called my job saying that you just up and left, I knew you'd bring the little runt here as well." Kaoru grinned as he stepped on the bottom step and raised his head.

"Himura!" Kaoru could hear the chair fall as Kenshin yelled in surprise and she laughed quietly as she knew he was on the floor.

"Owww..." they both heard him say and even Seth couldn't help but smirk.

"Get down here, boy! Kitchen in two minutes!" Kaoru arched her eyebrow at the way Seth rubbed his hands together and turned to retreat down the hallway. "This is going to be fun..."

"What's so fun in the kitchen?" she called after him curiously.

"You'll see." Kaoru saw red hair cover her vision and she grinned like a fool as Kenshin held onto the banister and stuck his head out to watch Seth disappear down the steps. He pulled back and the duo soon were walking down the hallway slowly as Kaoru held his hand and giggled about how Seth rushed home.

"Don't be scared, Kenshin. He can smell fear." Kaoru said in a serious voice as they stood outside the kitchen. His eyes searched hers for help, but he could tell she was going to give little service. Once the stepped inside the well-furnished kitchen, the two sat down at the table near the window and watched as Seth hummed and made tea and brought out small finger food.

"He seems in a good mood." Kenshin whispered into Kaoru's ear as she watched him with a suspicious eye.

"Keep your guard up." she said as her eyes followed him to the closet of food. "He's plotting."

Seth smiled happily towards the two and he brought over the tray before lightly placing it on the table and sitting in his chair.

"Milk and sugar?" he asked sweetly. Kaoru nodded with a suspicious face and Seth fixed her cup before sliding it her way. "And you boy?"

"The same." Kenshin replied with a soft smile. It was soon wiped from his face as Seth harshly threw sugar in and made a splash with the milk. He stirred hitting every side of the cup and with a huge smile never fading, he slid Kenshin's cup his way.

Kenshin slowly grabbed his cups, a soft "Thank you," slipping from his mouth. Kaoru arched her eyebrow with a smile and held in the laughter that wanted to spill as he hummed in a high pitch and fixed his own cup.

The next few moments were silent as Seth removed his glasses and sipped on his tea with a smile He watched the two with one eye open. Alarms screamed in Kenshin's head as he took a quick sip of his tea and folded his hands in his lap. Right as Kaoru was going to break the silence, Seth cut in first and his whole demeanor turned... scary.

"I know your kind, punk." he said harshly as Kenshin widened his eyes in surprise. "You see the new girl and you see that she's hot and she's well off and as soon as you can know her name, you set out a plan to get in good with her and get between her legs."

"W-WHAT?" Kenshin exclaimed after remembering to swallow and not choke on his tea. Kaoru's eyebrows rose as she mentally said 'whoa'.

"Yeah, I said it!" Seth continued. "You try to get between her legs and once you do, you ride it until she's old news for you and you drop her like she's nothing but a pair of dirty draws. But you won't be doing that here!" he started to chuckle as he sipped his head and shook his head. "Nope, nope. Not here, young man! Laughs You must be out of your mind!"

Kenshin gaped as Kaoru's eyebrows continued to rise higher and he looked between the two before clearing his throat to speak.

"Pardon me, Mr. Fujiyoshi, but that's not-"

"Shut up." he barked and Kenshin leaned back towards Kaoru as Seth growled his way. "People like you make me sick. Think you can run around driving your mother's cars like you're the shit, humping in her back seat and then ruining the poor girl's good name! You all deserve to be shot."

Before Kenshin could even try to defend his name, Seth leaned over the table and they were close. Kaoru curled her toes at the laughter bubbling inside of her, blue eyes watching Kenshin crack and stare at Seth with open violet eyes.

"If you even THINK about sticking your dirty little fingers down my daughter's pants, if you even IMAGINE trying to touch her, I will chop your hand up and shove it so far up your ass you'll feel the fingers twitching in your stomach. I will hang you by your balls on the flagpole outside of your school and I will make sure EVERYBODY knows that you were a victim of getting too close, understand me?"

Kenshin was speechless and fear coursed through his veins as Seth flashed a cutting knife on the tea tray. He slammed it down and the 'clank' sound echoed through the room.

"GOT ME?" Kenshin quickly nodded and said, 'yes sir.' before Seth took another deep breath and sat back in his chair. His angry frown soon turned into a smile.

"So, Kenshin..." he began as he batted his eyes and crossed one leg over the other. Kenshin was frozen stiff as Kaoru caved and a giggle escaped her lips.

"Where were you born, hmm?"

"I can't believe you laughed."

"laughs. I had no idea Seth was such a maniac, Kenshin. It surprised me too."

"But you laughed! You laughed at the maniac!"

Kaoru bit her lip as Kenshin turned the corner and drove towards the high school soccer field. He had spilled everything he could about himself to Seth and when Seth didn't like his answers, he would ask them again. Luckily, Kenshin was smart enough to just answer the way he wanted him to. The cutting knife that he flashed each time his answer sounded 'funny' wasn't to be taken lightly. Kaoru grinned at him and she couldn't help but slip into another fit of giggles.

"He was really going to take you into the bathroom to check you out. He had the gloves and everything."

"I know!" Kenshin exclaimed as they pulled up to a stop sign. "That's why I said we have to go! You think I wanted to be probed?"

He glared at the laughter spilling from her lips and once she saw his look, she managed to silence her laughter and turn to face him in the car.

"It's okay." she said softly and his glare slowly began to simmer down as she took her hand and placed it over his. Her smile forced his lips to twitch.

"Come on..." she giggled. "You know you want to smile..."

He tried hard to fight it, but once she pressed a tender kiss to his knuckles, he gave in and she cheered as he began to chuckle and smile. The horn of an impatient driver behind them forced them to drive through the stop sign and they laughed as Kenshin sped off down the street and once again towards the high school. He stopped right outside the parking lot and Kaoru nodded softly to him before she reached behind her seat and grabbed her duffel bag. It pained him to not pull into the parking lot and hold her hand as they walked to the field, but he knew that some things took time. And this was something that would take lots of time.

'Time that I doubt we both really have.' Kaoru snapped him out of his thoughts and he smiled as she was already out the car and at his window. She looked around to make sure they were clear before Kenshin leaned out the window and they shared a slow, soft, kiss.

"See you on the field, okay?" she said with a slight blush in her cheeks. Kenshin nodded and as she was walking away, he drove up next to her and tapped her shoulder before driving off. She laughed and shook her head as he hit the horn and he then parked in his spot and walked to the field. His lips gave a soft smile as he saw Tomoe wave happily and jog towards him fully clothed her uniform already.

'It's bad that I feel like I'm cheating when I hug her.' he thought as she jumped into his arms and he spun her around. 'Hopefully Kaoru understands that now I think about her when I'm even in another woman's presence…'

Enishi rolled his eyes at Kenshin's grin amongst the preps that now surrounded and he turned his eyes to see Kaoru walking up with a cheerful grin on her lips. She saw Kenshin and her eyes trailed to see his arm around Tomoe's shoulder, laughing in what she could say was affectionate. Enishi noticed her steps slow as she gazed in Kenshin's direction and he quickly walked over before taking her bag off of her shoulders.

"You alright?" he asked as she took his hand and led him over to the bleachers. "You looked… distant for a second."

"I'm okay." Their eyes met and he immediately understood. His nod was all she needed to continue to speak.

"These are the appearances we have to keep up. Even though I don't care, he still does. So… I understand."

Nimble fingers quickly pulled up soccer socks and she flashed Enishi a smile as she swept her hair up into a high ponytail.

"Besides," she said with a cocky tone, "Kenshin's heart is quickly moving in my direction. He can hug her, but I bet every time he does he's thinking of me."

Enishi chuckled as she winked at him and casually walked onto the soccer field. 'She's a handful.' He thought. 'A real handful.'

'7:15

Dinner my house. 8:00. Mom wants to meet you :)

-Ken.

Cotton candy colored lips parted to let out a breath of slight nervousness as she stood in front of Kenshin's door and made sure that she was presentable in the glass screen-door. Her legs were covered by dark blue jeans and she wore bright blue-green high-top sneakers to match her shirt. A simple jacket covered her arms from the cold and once she sighed and fluffed her hair and blew her bangs, she rang the doorbell. Her head tilted softly as she saw the porch light come on and then the door unlocked to reveal Kenshin wearing black sweats and a towel covering his head.

"Where's your shirt, babe?" Kaoru asked with a soft laugh. Kenshin smiled softly and shrugged before opening the screen door and leaning his head down. Kaoru knew exactly what he wanted and she grinned like a fool before their lips met. Her hands went into damp red-locks and immediately, he let out a sound of content as one arm went around her waist to bring her closer.

"Kenshin! Who was at the door?" Kenshin slowly pulled away and their eyes met with a hint of unfinished actions before he let her inside and shut the door behind him.

"It's Kaoru, old man! Relax!" Kaoru arched her eyebrow at his hostility and he shrugged before taking her jacket and hanging up on the coat rack. Kaoru looked around his house and secretly fell in love with the coziness it held. It wasn't as big as her house (not many were in the area), but as they walked away from the door and into the spacious living room, she enjoyed that it showed signs of life. While her house constantly looked on display, the dolls on the couch and the newspaper open on the table gave her great pleasure to see.

"I'll give you a tour." he chuckled as he placed her hand in his. "Mom's not done anyway."

"No you don't, young man! I want to see who this lovely woman is!"

Kaoru looked over Kenshin's shoulder and she gasped with a smile as his mother entered the living room with a towel drying her hands. Their looks were so similar it was as if they were siblings. She could finally see where Kenshin got his smile and the shape of his nose. Chi-Mae had her reddish-brown hair swept up into a clip and her blue eyes shined brightly as she examined Kaoru and finished drying her hands. Kaoru moved from Kenshin's back to stand at his side.

"Mom," Kenshin began as he saw his mother grinning and waiting, "this is Kaoru Kamiya; Seth's stepdaughter. Kaoru, this is my mother, Chi-Mae Seijuro."

"It's nice to meet you." Kaoru said with a smile and Chi-Mae brought her into a swift hug.

"And same to you, my dear! Kenshin has told me so much about you!" A blush spread across Kenshin's face and Chi-Mae pulled away to hold her at arm's length and watch the girl give Kenshin a sly smirk.

"You're even more beautiful in person." she happily told her and then she gave her a soft arm rub before letting her go and pulling Kenshin to her side.

"I'm glad you've taken a liking to my boy," she giggled as she tapped his cheek. "He's been so lonely these days."

Kenshin looked at his mother with narrowed eyes "Mom..." Chi-Mae giggled softly as she kissed his cheek and looked towards the hallway leading to the kitchen.

"I'll go finish up dinner with Hiko. It shouldn't be too long now. You show Kaoru around and the girls are eating with their friends down the street tonight."

Kaoru smiled and waved as Chi-Mae hummed a tune back into the kitchen. Kenshin sighed in embarrassment and he then gave a sheepish smile to Kaoru as she leaned against the wall.

"Let's go grab a shirt for me first and then I'll show you around."

"I dunno..." Kaoru said as she pulled him by his hand closer and out of view of the kitchen. "I like this view a lot." Kenshin smirked mischievously and he whispered, "come on." before he pulled her to the stairs by the television near the wall. Kaoru looked at the pictures going past and she smiled softly at the crazy photos of Aoshi and Kenshin and another red-headed boy who she had never heard of before.

"I know the last time you were here wasn't... great," Kenshin said, ending it with a soft laugh. "But, this is my room." Kaoru smiled with a blush of embarrassment before he opened his door and let her inside.

"I remember looking at your room. I was so confused because there was... color." she laughed at the narrow look he gave her and then she walked over to his bed and removed her shoes.

"Feel free to grab stuff and move it around," he called to her as he walked to his dresser and pulled a row open. There were a few picture frames on his desk and she grabbed on before pulling it closer to look. She couldn't help but say, 'awww', at a younger version of Kenshin sitting on a porch with two red-heads, one way older and one close to his age.

"Who are these two?" she asked as she turned to watch him pull out a black shirt. Kenshin arched an eyebrow and he then walked over to her before leaning down and holding his damp bangs from his eyes. She couldn't help but smile at the narrowed eyes.

"That's my brother Madox." he said pointing to the slightly older red-head sitting. His eyes were bright blue-green and Kaoru could tell just by looking at him that was probably drop-dead gorgeous now. Kenshin smiled softly as he began to explain about his brother.

"He's a sophomore at the University of Southern California on a soccer scholarship. He's been traveling a lot so we really don't see much of him during breaks, but he'll be home this break... He was like the best prep king to hit the school, too."

"Really now." Kaoru said dryly. Kenshin nodded with a sheepish smile, but then his smile faded as he sat down on the bed and pulled Kaoru to sit next to him.

"I've always been his... protégée of some sort. He set some weird tone for me to just set and I've always either been in his shadow trying to top him or carrying on his legacy." Kaoru watched him lean backwards onto his elbows and blow out a breath of air.

"It sucks sometimes." light blue eyes shut softly before lying backwards with Kenshin and curling up onto his side. The two wiggled up the bed until they were comfortable before Kenshin raised his arm and pulled her closer. She rested her head on his chest and softly tapped her fingers on his stomach.

"Who's the other red-head?" she asked as she placed the frame on his stomach and pointed to the older male in between smiling with spiky red-hair and brilliant amethyst eyes. Kenshin's eyes matched them perfectly.

"That's my father."

Kaoru noted his voice got quieter and she looked up at him to see his eyes were staring at the wall. His breathing got slightly deeper, as if he was almost angry, and she turned to put the photo frame back before lying on her side and looking at him.

"Turn to me." she softly said and Kenshin turned over to face her. She pulled his head down and made it rest against hers before she rubbed his arm softly and allowed him to wrap them around her. Their eyes met and light blue attempted to calm down with soft rubs and kisses to his cheek. He calmed down in her arms and he nudged her head up with his hand before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"You okay?" she asked softly.

"I'm fine." he replied with a soft smile. "It's just..."

"You don't have to explain. I understand."

He nodded and he then pressed a kiss to her forehead before releasing her from his hold and walking to his window. Kaoru watched in curiosity as he opened it and pulled a megaphone from under his bed.

"What are you doing?" she laughed as he turned it up and placed it towards his mouth, their previous conversation immediately behind them.

"Come and watch what happens." he said with a grin. Kaoru stood next to him and they both dropped to their knees before Kenshin pulled a button back and he then winked at her before smirking towards Aoshi's window.

"Aoshi Shinomori. Paging the ice prick." Kaoru put a hand over her mouth to hold in the laughter and he gave her a wide grin before doing it once more.

"Aoshi Shinomori. You're tall and you're ugly and your girlfriend is SUPER short. You're basically a pedophile. Don't make me turn the alarm on."

Her laughter finally escaped her as he turned the siren on and placed it out the window to echo across the yard. They watched as the curtains finally pulled from his side and Kenshin turned it off as Aoshi slammed his window open and began to bark. His hair and glazed eyes showed that he was fresh out of sleep.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you retarded? Is that it? Why can't you just text me instead of waking me up with the fucking playground alarm? Do I LOOK five to you, you short bastard?" Kaoru gaped at his cursing and Kenshin just continued to chuckle and laugh. Aoshi flung a shoe through the window with a string of more curses before Kaoru went into view. Aoshi immediately slowed down as Kaoru wagged her finger.

"Damn, Shinomori. Who knew that you could yell and say that much?" Aoshi gave her the finger before he yawned into his hand and pushed his bangs from his eyes.

"What do you love-birds want? You're wasting my nap."

"Dinner in 10 minutes." Kenshin gave him a wink before closing his window and listening to the taller teen curse his whole existence.

"He loves me." the red-head said with a sigh and a dreamy smile.

Kaoru could only arch her eyebrow with a smile.

"Bless the meal. Amen."

Kaoru smirked at the way Aoshi hummed in approval before they began to pass food around and fill their plates up. Chi-Mae smiled happily as Kaoru poured water in their glasses, her mind working into overdrive about how to analyze the young beauty in front of her. Hiko simply kept his eyebrow arched and he looked at Kenshin's small blush beginning to form at the silence.

"So Kaoru," Chi-Mae finally said to break the silence, "Where are you originally from?"

Kaoru swallowed her rice quickly before smiling and answering, "Tokyo, ma'am."

"No formalities, dear! Just call me Chi-Mae. And Tokyo! That's exciting!"

"I don't remember much because I came here when I was two, but I go frequently so it's pretty amazing. The pace is different from here." Chi-Mae spooned rice onto her plate before Hiko looked up from his glass of sake and met her eyes.

"Kenshin talks about you a lot." he began. Kenshin's eyes narrowed and Aoshi's lips formed into a smirk as the boys knew that Hiko was about to declare a war over the dinner table.

"Really? He does?"

"Aa. My wife loves to hear him talk about your... activities at school."

"Activities?" she asked with curiosity. Then, as quickly as she asked, she let out an 'oh!' and replied, "My activities. As when I'm wreaking havoc along school grounds."

"Yes. Going off of what he tells us, it seems that you're a damn lunatic."

"Hiko." Kenshin snapped as he looked up and gave him a glare. Chi-Mae swatted his arm with a pout as Aoshi began to chuckle and spin his chop-sticks in his hand. "That's rude."

Kaoru could only smirk as she took a sip of her water and turned her gaze to him. "I think I'm going to like you." she said as she put the cup down.

Hiko arched his eyebrow in curiosity as Kenshin gave her a look of disbelief. "And why is that?"

"Because anybody who can be honest to me during a first meeting is worth liking." Hiko smirked and rolled his eyes before raising a small shot glass to his lips and taking a sip.

"Can I be honest to you?" Kenshin arched his eyebrow as Kaoru's lips curved around her fork and she waited for an answer. Hiko made a motion for her to speak.

"Well…" Kenshin gripped her hand under the table to get her attention, but she only rubbed her thumb against his hand before turning her eyes to Hiko and grinning.

"I think you're a smart-ass." Aoshi choked on his gulp of water and Chi-Mae stared at her in disbelief. Kenshin gaped in shock and Hiko arched an eyebrow in both shock and surprise as she grinned and chewed on more rice.

"Kaoru, what—"

"And what makes you say that?" Hiko interrupted in curiosity.

"Just looking at you." She replied smoothly, her fork dangling from her fingers in his direction. "You just give this… vibe that screams 'I am a smart-ass. It's certified.' That, and whenever Kenshin calls me I hear your voice in the background saying things only a smart-ass could say.

"Admit it." She grinned cheekily. "You, sir, are a smart-ass. There's probably a plaque in your office that you shine daily."

For a moment, there was a deep silence. Kenshin and Chi-Mae continued to look between Hiko, who was still staring at her with his eyebrow arched, and Kaoru, who gave a grin that threatened to split her face in triumph. Even Aoshi was quiet, though a mischievous smirk covered his lips as he waited for a response. And then, when Kenshin was about to speak, Hiko erupted.

… In laughter of course.

"I like this girl." He said through his laughs. "She's a keeper. How did you know I shine my plaque every morning?"

"I do the same." She giggled and the two shared a long laugh as the mood lifted and the conversation flowed into topics that had everyone laughing and Hiko sharing some of his top pranks he would pull on Kenshin. Kenshin observed Kaoru smile and laugh and he was relieved that she warmed up to his parents.

'I could get used to this. This is… nice…' Kaoru squeezed his hand underneath the table to get his attention and he gave her a soft smile before rejoining the conversation and laughing with his mother at Aoshi's facial expression.

"I loved dinner, Momma Chi-Chi! It was the best meal I've eaten since I moved here."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, dear! You're welcome back for dinner anytime you wish."

Kenshin smiled happily as Kaoru and his mother hugged happily and connected like long-time friends. Hiko was gone to pick up the girls and Aoshi stood outside waiting for Kaoru to finish her goodbyes for the night. Kaoru gave Chi-Mae a kiss on the cheek and a grin before stepping on his front porch and watching her turn and walk towards the kitchen.

"I love your parents." Kaoru said happily as Kenshin leaned against his doorframe with a sexy grin on his face. "This was the best dinner in ages."

"I'm glad. Though, I was nervous earlier about how you and Hiko would converse. It seems he likes you now."

Kaoru smiled brightly and Kenshin chuckled before sliding his arms around her waist. Aoshi rolled his eyes and turned to face the street as Kaoru let her arms hang from his neck and melted with Kenshin's kiss. He hummed in pleasure as she pulled away and nipped his lower lip gently. A few more kisses were exchanged before Aoshi coughed and Kaoru pulled away with a laugh.

"Get home safe and text me when you're there."

"I will. See you tomorrow, babes." Kenshin smirked and kissed her forehead before they bid each other goodnight and Kenshin stepped inside his house. Once his door was shut, Kaoru and Aoshi began to walk to his car.

"So you're going to Misao's, eh?" Blue eyes met as Kaoru gave a perverted smirk. "Late night lovin'?"

"You're not going home to stay, are you?" Aoshi asked as she unlocked the doors, Kaoru's question completely thrown out the window.

"Of course not." She smoothly replied while the engine came to life. "Enishi got us on the list to this club a few towns away in this dance-off. We're going to go see how much we can make tonight off of the winnings."

"And does Kenshin know?" he countered with an arched eyebrow.

"What he doesn't know won't kill him, honey."

Aoshi chuckled as Kaoru sped down the street and turned the corner, a sexy grin spread across her lips.

R.S.: Well! This one is finally finished haha I'm the worst updater ALIVE and I should be burned at the stake! =( I've missed so much.

This filler will set up what happens in the next few chapters to come, with Kaoru's nightly activities a main center to conflicts that will shake things up a bit. I don't know when the next one will be out, but it should hopefully be soon! I already have a series of chapters written, though the next one is still in works (I'm still jumping around writing what comes to mind and then sliding them into proper placing).

Til next time! 3!

-Rampaging Sorrow

P.S : Who's excited that summer's here?