Disclaimer: RK isn't mine.

AN: It's been awhile since I wrote anything related to RK. I've been very busy and didn't really have time to continue some of the stories. But now I'm back! I guess… We'll see how it goes, since I have ignored these stories for too long… In the meantime, please enjoy this… well, you can say a weird burst of inappropriate and redundant imagination from my brain. Oh, don't forget to review! :D

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The Importance of Listening

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Kaoru walked towards the living room and peeked inside. Her husband was there, staring at a small, black wooden box. Beside him, his unsheathed sakabatou was lying beside its sheath. Kaoru watched as he opened the box and took out his sword cleaning/maintaining tools. Most of the times, Kenshin didn't really need something like a 'me-time'. He was happier when he was surrounded by a lot of people. He didn't really participate in the silliness that, Kaoru guaranteed everyone, would occur everytime the whole gang gathered, but he loved watching others joking and laughing around. Now that Sanosuke and Megumi had left and Yahiko was preparing to leave the doujo as well, the house became a little quiet. Although Kenshin spent his time helping out Dr. Genzai and the police from time to time, they actually had more free time than before.

Kaoru sighed. There was only a few times where Kenshin didn't feel anyone's presence, or maybe pretended not to feel them, and the time he was polishing sakabatou was one of those times when he didn't even turn around to smile even though Kaoru was only three meters behind him, peeking through the thin sliding door like a girl playing hide-and-seek. Kaoru never really wanted to disturb him when he was clearly away, somewhere in his la-la land, but this time there was an important news she had to tell him, and no, she couldn't wait until he came back down to the earth.

"Ne, Kenshin, I got some lunch from Akabeko. Do you want to eat now? It's noon already." She said, trying to catch his attention.

"Uh-huh." Came a reply. Kaoru inhaled.

"I want the pork. You don't mind eating the beef, do you?"

"Hmm."

"Should I pour a lot of wasabi on top?" She asked, knowing that even though Kenshin could eat hot and spicy stuff, he couldn't stand a lot of chilli and wasabi on his food.

"Mm-hhm."

"Anata, listen to me." Kaoru practically purred her word seductively, which usually worked to distract him. Kaoru snorted as she sat on the engawa, playing with her hair.

"Hmm."

"Nee, I have a confession to make. Kenshin, Kenshin, I have a confession to make, Kenshiiin…" She sang playfully.

"Hmm."

"Last night when you weren't around… Nee… Last night, when you didn't come home because of those diarrhea patients…"

"Yeah…" Kenshin murmured.

"…I got bored. I cheated on you."

"Mmmm." Kenshin murmured again. Kaoru snorted and laid herself on the engawa. She rolled around like a little kid, and then grinned.

"Kenshin… I had sex with an octopus." She added.

"Mm-hmm."

"A big, big octopus. Like in those pictures." She purred.

"Yeah." He clearly didn't listen to whatever she was saying.

"And then another big octopus came and I had sex with it too. Then the three of us had sex." Kaoru said, almost sounded like she was bored. He was supposed to pay attention to her, especially when she was trying to tell him something important!

"Hmm," was his only (disinterested) reply. Kaoru grunted and sat up.

"Fine, I'll just tell you the real information then. I'll only tell you once, so if you missed it, too bad, dude. You MISSED your chance." Kaoru said, her tone became a little serious and stern.

"Mm-hmm."

Kaoru inhaled. "I'm pregnant. Our first child, Kenshin." She said slowly, with a very low tone. This time, he didn't even react. He was staring at his sword attentively.

Kaoru gave up. "Your loss, Mister. I'm not repeating myself twice." She said while getting up and heading to the bathhouse. "I'm going to take a bath now… Not that you're listening." She said before disappearing into the other side of the house.

OxOxOx

Kenshin was staring at his sword, while his brain was trying to make sense the words that came out from Kaoru's mouth a minute ago. No use, his head was blank. Was it really… did she really say… Did his mind play some tricks on him? How could it happen? Of course it could happen, baka rurouni! But... When? Where? Was it last week, in the doujo? No... Three weeks ago in the forest? Two months ago in the bathtub? Wait, this could be a dream. Was he dreaming just now?

Okay, what was he supposed to do, again? He should hug and kiss her… No, wait, he should buy her some gifts first… No, he should collect the money from the police office, and THEN buy her a gift, and THEN hug and kiss her… Wait, no, he should go to Dr. Genzai and ask about this. Or should he go tell Yahiko to get Dr. Genzai? He couldn't leave her alone, defenceless in the bath… Speaking of baths, what if the water was too hot that it was hurting them? He should've checked the temperature after preparing the bath for her!

Now. What was he going to do, again?

"Kuso." a word he rarely used blurted out from his mouth. His brain seemed to have exploded inside his head.

With all his might, he stabbed his sakabatou on the floor (the broken tatami, of course, would cause the Missus' wrath to befall upon him later on) ran like a mad man towards the bathhouse, and after almost broken a rib or two after hitting the walls and wooden poles, he finally reached the bathhouse. He opened the door to the bathhouse, and then opened the door into the ofuro. Kaoru, who was enjoying herself in the furo turned her head and saw her husband, red, panting, and looked confused altogether. The scene reminded her of his first day in the doujo.

Only this time, he confidently walked into the bathroom, and without saying anything he lifted Kaoru up and hugged her tightly. Kaoru blushed because Kenshin rarely became this forward, but then a smile slowly crept up on her face.

"Thank you." He whispered. He pushed Kaoru a little so that he could look at her in the eye, and then said, "please, tell me the news again."

Kaoru smiled, a mischievous twinkle slowly sparkled in her bright blue eyes.

"Fine, one more time." She said, and pulled his ears closer to her lips, whispering the news with her sweet voice once again.

This time she would let him go. It was too happy of an occasion not to be told twice or thrice anyway. Next time, she thought, next time she would definitely teach him the importance of listening, especially when it comes to his wife and the mother of his child.