The usual warning and
disclaimer applies, see chapter one.
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>
Chapter Two
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>“What’s your name?”
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>“Kaoru.style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Kaoru Kamiya.”
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>“It’s a please to meet you, my dear.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I’m Kenshin Himura.”style='mso-bidi-font-weight:bold'>
style='mso-tab-count:1'> She gave him a long look, curiosity
changing to realization. “I’ve heard of
you, I think. But I can’t remember where
it might have been.”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “You’ve probably heard of my
father. He was an art dealer, and I
recently took over the business, allowing him to retire.”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> She shook her head slightly.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “No, I don’t believe so, but…” She shrugged a
shoulder.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “Well, I don’t know then.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You can move in…tomorrow?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> There’s a spare room.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She nodded, thanking him, as footsteps were
heard on the stairs. “Oh, this will be Jean.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You should meet him.”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> A handsome man, slightly older than
Kenshin, opened the door. Brown eyes
sparkled in the light, and his hair was a deep chestnut-brown, slightly rumpled
from wearing a hat. He shrugged off his
greatcoat to reveal a formal suit. Upon
seeing Kenshin, a huge grin spread across his face.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “I’m home!”
At the sing-song quality of the voice, Kaoru turned to face him and had
to struggle to prevent herself from swooning.
As it was, she was in awe. Jean
was truly a man who could stop the traffic in the streets, and cause women to
fall victim to the vapors after catching a glance of him through the carriage
windows.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Kenshin merely smiled.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Hello, Jean.”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “Did you miss me?”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “Of course.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Kenshin rose from his chair and went to greet
him. Jean smiled, and pulled the much
smaller man into his arms.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “Jean, this is Kaoru,” Kenshin
nodded at her. “She’s going to be my courtesan.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He grinned, as Jean knew that, of course, his
relationship with Kaoru would be completely platonic.style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Jean chuckled.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Good for you, you need a woman in your
life.” He dodged a playful smack. “She’s
a pretty thing. I wonder what she’ll
look like when she’s cleaned up.” Kaoru
flushed at this. She was not used to
such flattery. Kenshin smiled.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “So, do you think you can live with
a couple of sodomites?”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Kaoru nodded.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “I think so.”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “Good!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Jean gave her an even wider grin, and guided
her back towards the spare room while Kenshin locked the door.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> After showing her where the washroom was as well,
Jean went into the room he shared with Kenshin…which was next to the one Kaoru
would inhabit. Ah well, he thought, if
she isn’t already used to it, she will have to grow to be so.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And I don’t think we’re
particularly…verbal…He changed, and slipped under the sheets to wait for
Kenshin.
Kenshin watched them leave, and finished locking up before going back to
lay beside Jean, who immediately pulled Kenshin against his chest, murmuring
into his hair. “She didn’t seem startled
in the least.”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “That’s a good thing.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Kenshin kissed him, and smiled against Jean’s
shoulder.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “So, what’s her name?”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Laughingly, Kenshin scolded
him. “You really were mostly asleep,
weren’t you?”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “Mmm.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She’s a nice girl.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She’ll be gorgeous once you set your mind to
making her presentable to your guests.
And she’ll be good for your image.”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “That’s why I hired her.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And she is pretty.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It’s a good thing that I’m not attracted to
women.”
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Jean arched a brow.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Really?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Then what about that girl last summer who…”
Kenshin cut him off with another kiss, which he returned.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> “Leave it alone.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I was drunk. It’s late, and you have work in
the morning.” He turned down the gass in
the lamp, and, turning so that he was spooned with Jean, slowly drifted off to
sleep, to the sounds of the other man’s snores.
