Kaoru was calmly cutting up a daikon radish in multiple uneven pieces. She flinched as a few bits of the cutting board came off as well. She could easily see why she was a bad cook, but she’d never really had anyone to teach her. She sighed as she scooped up the pieces in her hand and added them to the already almost full pot. The others would be returning soon. She looked up as she heard the gate open, and rushed to the front.  The food wouldn’t taste any worse so she didn’t have to worry about watching it.

            As she rushed out of the dojo she stopped suddenly and raised a hand to her mouth as she gasped. 

            Enishi?! What was he doing here! She thought to herself. He was looking at her with the most… with those eyes. She couldn’t quite make anything of it until he spoke.

            “May I stay here” he asked her “I haven’t any place to go” he finished silently. Kaoru said nothing. He took that as a clue to continue on “I can pay my way…” Kaoru interrupted him

            “No no it’s not that,” she said, hand still curled near her mouth “It’s just that I never expected to see you again” she said. “Please come in, have something to eat” she ushered him in and sat him down. He really looked exhausted, as if he had been wandering for the full six months since he had escaped from the police. She looked at him worried. He had really not been that bad of a guy, but how would the others react.

            She watched him as he ate silently. He never taunted her overmuch about her food, except for that one time she’d commented on him being better already. She smiled at the though, gaining a curious look from Enishi. She turned around abruptly and walked towards the bathroom.

            “Please feel free to take a bath. I’m sure you’re tired from your journey. I’ll go heat up the water” Enishi nodded at her, finishing the last of his meal. He’d never finished one before, he must be really hungry.

            Kenshin and the “troop” came home shortly after Enishi had settled himself in the bath. Kaoru sighed; she didn’t want to explain him quite yet. She still didn’t know what to say. They ate her odd and soggy stew, making the usual complaints. Kaoru, as usual huffed and told them to make their own food, but Kenshin noticed that her heart wasn’t in it as usual and she seemed preoccupied. He wondered if anything had happened and looked at her, his expression worried.

            Kaoru looked at the table, brushing off her daze. Something was missing. She blinked. Sano. He had left earlier than usual. He often stayed around and bantered. She looked at Kenshin in question. He seemed to know what she was asking, like he always seemed to… except when it was convenient not to.

            “You didn’t hear?” Kenshin asked, “He went to go take a bath. We worked hard helping the workers at the school” Kaoru’s eyes went wide and she covered her mouth, preventing the laughter from bubbling up. Sure enough, there was a scream.

            Sano walked down the hallway whistling to himself. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to a refreshing bath. He slid the door open as he started shedding his clothes, not noticing the pile that was already there. He had all but his pants off when he open the door to the bath. His hand, which was on the drawstring of his pants, froze. There was someone else in there.

            Likely a bit taller than him, a similar yet different hairstyle topped the head which rose above the water and rested on two strong looking shoulders. The man was a little ragged looking with a few scratches. His eyes had been closed, but soon after Sano had opened the door, Enishi opened one eye and looked at Sano lazily, before shutting it again. Sanosuke screamed and ran out of the bathroom, almost tripping over his own clothes as he went.

            He rushed into the room where the others were looking at Kaoru’s odd expression with suspicion. He panted, hands grasping either side of the open doorway. He stuttered for minutes before he finally made out a sentence. Weather or not it made sense was still to be decided

            “There’s a, ... It’s a, white tall… he… in the water” he panted out, finishing waiting for their response. They all just stared at him. Kaoru was the first to speak up, eager to get him back for all the taunting he’d sent her way.

            “Oh my, is that what my food does to you?” She said pointing out his state of disarray, which revealed his dreadfully skinny waist. Kaoru laughed as she wondered if he wasn’t thinner than her. Sano blushed. Kenshin narrowed his eyes at the figure that appeared behind Sano.   

            Enishi handed Sano the shirt he’d dropped, and Kaoru couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on his face, on both of their faces for that matter. Sano looked horrified while Enishi looked, well, just about the same as he always did. Kaoru stopped laughing as she realized everyone was looking at her in hopes of an explanation. She sat up and cleared her throat.

            “Ah, I’m sure you all remember Enishi” she said. “He’ll be staying here from now on.” She finished. Enishi walked into the room past Sano, who avoided him like the plague after he snatched his shirt back. Kaoru smiled faintly at Enishi. Kenshin didn’t like the looks of that smile. His eyes narrowed, he had tried to help Enishi before, but this was not what he wanted. Kaoru’s smile belonged to him. He paused, a confused expression crossing his face. Now where did that come from?

            “But Kaoru, didn’t he try to kill you?” Yahiko spoke up in a mix between anger and complaining.  Kaoru looked at him reproachfully.

            “No” She said simply, giving everyone a glare that said this is my house and if you object, I can always throw you out. Yahiko backed off resentfully glaring at Enishi.

            Kaoru herself was surprised at how well she was talking this, you would think that if someone who had caused so much trouble showed up, you’d likely freak out more than just “oh, ok” as it seemed to be for her. She sighed, looking down at her hands, she had to admit she had been thinking about him recently. She looked over at the wall, of course she was still afraid of what she felt, but it was probably best if she didn’t run away from it and sorted her feelings out. 

            Kenshin watched Kaoru’s smiles and sighs. There weren’t all that many of them, but still even one directed at this person who had tried to take her from him before, was too much. He didn’t like Enishi being here one bit, and suspected the younger man was up to something. He would be sure that, whatever it was, Kaoru wouldn’t be involved.

            Enishi watched on in amusement. Apparently he did have a chance from the way Kaoru was acting. It wasn’t disturbingly obvious, but for one who paid attention to details, it wasn’t obscure either. From the looks of Kenshin, he paid attention to details too. The red-haired man was not happy. He smiled, his face shadowed as no one else could catch his expression.

            Or at least he had thought his expression went unnoticed. Sano saw it and was unnerved. This whole situation was just very… unnerving. He shivered. Something about Enishi, he didn’t like, but whatever it was had only happened since he walked in on him. Now that… was unnerving. He cursed quietly to himself… it was unnerving, how often he was using that word. He winced as he realized he had just done it again.