Categories > Anime/Manga > Rurouni Kenshin > Tumbling
Kenshin propelled her up the stairs and through his dorm room door before she could formulate a protest. His hand dropped from her arm as soon as the door clicked shut. As if she were going to flee now after making it all the way through the building without being seen. Kaoru folded her arms. Alright, so she'd thought about it. But if she had to face the nosy freshman than so did he.
He smiled brightly in the face of her glare and carefully picked his way across the messy floor. Miraculously, she managed to maintain her scowl. Just because he flashed his pearly whites at her didn't mean she forgave him for dragging her across campus. It also didn't mean she was going to fall head over heels for him. He stumbled over a shoe hidden under a shirt and flashed her a shy grin. Butterflies erupted in her stomach. No. That wasn't butterflies. That was just the hunger gnawing through her stomach. That's what it was. And the faintness she was feeling was the beginnings of starvation. Precisely. There was no way she was developing an infatuation. She could appreciate the finer qualities of a handsome man without developing a crush. That didn't mean she was checking him out. She was calmly detached. Nothing could disturb her tranquility. He bent to pull out a dresser drawer—Okay! It's time for a distraction.
“What happened here? It was clean last time—”
She choked on her words, remembering the last time she had been in his dorm room. Blast. She didn't want to remember that. She especially didn't want to remember the way his weight pushed down on her as she lay beneath... She gasped, color flooding her face. Her faltering words and harsh cough made him look up. He pulled a t-shirt from the drawer, straightening with a frown. “Are you okay, Miss Kaoru? You look kind of flushed.”
Oh, dear God just kill her now! Please let the floor open up and swallow her whole. Armageddon come early. Swing low, sweet chariot— Gah! “I'm fine! J-Just a little warm. That's all.”
He gave her an odd look but thankfully didn't question her. He held out the shirt. “Would you like to change in the bathroom?”
“Oh no,” just let him now how completely unfeminine you are, Kaoru. “You have to teach. I'll be fine until I get back to my room.” I'll just be the smelly kid everyone ignores.
Kenshin pulled another dress shirt out of the closet, hesitating. “Are you sure?”
Smile and nod. “Of course!” Maybe they won't notice that I look like I rolled in a cow pasture.
“I'll knock before I come in so don't worry.”
For a moment it looked like Kenshin was going to say something else but he only grabbed another pair of slacks and left the room. Kaoru sighed. She'd already established that she was not going to bolt no matter how much she wanted to. Besides, she definitely didn't have time to make the trek all the way across campus to change now. She started when she heard voices in the hall, immediately clutching the t-shirt close to her. Kenshin would be back any minute...
Quickly pulling off her own soiled shirt, she yanked on Kenshin's, adjusting the shirt to fall more comfortably. It was definitely two sizes too big. She could've slept in it. She examined the shirt. Navy blue with small, bold print that read: If you can read this, you are in my Roundhouse Kick Range.
Great. Now the rumors would fly. Of course people would recognize this shirt as Kenshin's. How many people had such a shirt? Maybe she could find a different one... Kenshin knocked on the door. Too late.
“Miss Kaoru? Are you decent?”
Well, if she wanted secrecy he just blew it. She could only pray no one had heard. The door creaked open and an undignified squeak escaped her. The door froze and she could almost feel the awkwardness. “Miss Kaoru?”
“I'm fine! Come in.”
Kaoru winced. Her voice did not just crack. The first thing she saw was a grin. Then his eyes dropped to the front of her shirt. Oooookay. Little too intense. Folding her arms, she turned around with a toss of her head. “You've seen the shirt before. What happened in here any way?”
Ignore that fact that she already asked that... Kenshin moved past her and she resisted watching as he stretched to get something off a shelf. Unfortunately, temptation proved too great and she almost missed what he said. “Sano. He just got back from an out of town game. How does ramen sound?”
She caught herself mid nod. “Wait. What?”
“Chicken, beef, or shrimp?”
Her jaw dropped. “/Ramen/? You kidnap me to your room with the promise of a cooked lunch and you're going to make /ramen/?”
His lips curved up in that stomach twisting smirk and he turned to the microwave. “I don't exactly have a kitchen.”
“You promised a home cooked meal!”
The microwave closed and Kaoru could hear the fan whirl to life. Leaning against the counter, Kenshin faced her with all traces of the previous smirk gone. In its place was a deceivingly sheepish grin. “I don't suppose you'd take a raincheck?”
“Yeah!”
The smile widened. “Great. How's next Friday?”
Words died on her tongue. What... did he just con her into a date?
He smiled brightly in the face of her glare and carefully picked his way across the messy floor. Miraculously, she managed to maintain her scowl. Just because he flashed his pearly whites at her didn't mean she forgave him for dragging her across campus. It also didn't mean she was going to fall head over heels for him. He stumbled over a shoe hidden under a shirt and flashed her a shy grin. Butterflies erupted in her stomach. No. That wasn't butterflies. That was just the hunger gnawing through her stomach. That's what it was. And the faintness she was feeling was the beginnings of starvation. Precisely. There was no way she was developing an infatuation. She could appreciate the finer qualities of a handsome man without developing a crush. That didn't mean she was checking him out. She was calmly detached. Nothing could disturb her tranquility. He bent to pull out a dresser drawer—Okay! It's time for a distraction.
“What happened here? It was clean last time—”
She choked on her words, remembering the last time she had been in his dorm room. Blast. She didn't want to remember that. She especially didn't want to remember the way his weight pushed down on her as she lay beneath... She gasped, color flooding her face. Her faltering words and harsh cough made him look up. He pulled a t-shirt from the drawer, straightening with a frown. “Are you okay, Miss Kaoru? You look kind of flushed.”
Oh, dear God just kill her now! Please let the floor open up and swallow her whole. Armageddon come early. Swing low, sweet chariot— Gah! “I'm fine! J-Just a little warm. That's all.”
He gave her an odd look but thankfully didn't question her. He held out the shirt. “Would you like to change in the bathroom?”
“Oh no,” just let him now how completely unfeminine you are, Kaoru. “You have to teach. I'll be fine until I get back to my room.” I'll just be the smelly kid everyone ignores.
Kenshin pulled another dress shirt out of the closet, hesitating. “Are you sure?”
Smile and nod. “Of course!” Maybe they won't notice that I look like I rolled in a cow pasture.
“I'll knock before I come in so don't worry.”
For a moment it looked like Kenshin was going to say something else but he only grabbed another pair of slacks and left the room. Kaoru sighed. She'd already established that she was not going to bolt no matter how much she wanted to. Besides, she definitely didn't have time to make the trek all the way across campus to change now. She started when she heard voices in the hall, immediately clutching the t-shirt close to her. Kenshin would be back any minute...
Quickly pulling off her own soiled shirt, she yanked on Kenshin's, adjusting the shirt to fall more comfortably. It was definitely two sizes too big. She could've slept in it. She examined the shirt. Navy blue with small, bold print that read: If you can read this, you are in my Roundhouse Kick Range.
Great. Now the rumors would fly. Of course people would recognize this shirt as Kenshin's. How many people had such a shirt? Maybe she could find a different one... Kenshin knocked on the door. Too late.
“Miss Kaoru? Are you decent?”
Well, if she wanted secrecy he just blew it. She could only pray no one had heard. The door creaked open and an undignified squeak escaped her. The door froze and she could almost feel the awkwardness. “Miss Kaoru?”
“I'm fine! Come in.”
Kaoru winced. Her voice did not just crack. The first thing she saw was a grin. Then his eyes dropped to the front of her shirt. Oooookay. Little too intense. Folding her arms, she turned around with a toss of her head. “You've seen the shirt before. What happened in here any way?”
Ignore that fact that she already asked that... Kenshin moved past her and she resisted watching as he stretched to get something off a shelf. Unfortunately, temptation proved too great and she almost missed what he said. “Sano. He just got back from an out of town game. How does ramen sound?”
She caught herself mid nod. “Wait. What?”
“Chicken, beef, or shrimp?”
Her jaw dropped. “/Ramen/? You kidnap me to your room with the promise of a cooked lunch and you're going to make /ramen/?”
His lips curved up in that stomach twisting smirk and he turned to the microwave. “I don't exactly have a kitchen.”
“You promised a home cooked meal!”
The microwave closed and Kaoru could hear the fan whirl to life. Leaning against the counter, Kenshin faced her with all traces of the previous smirk gone. In its place was a deceivingly sheepish grin. “I don't suppose you'd take a raincheck?”
“Yeah!”
The smile widened. “Great. How's next Friday?”
Words died on her tongue. What... did he just con her into a date?
Sign up to rate and review this story