In My Pocket

Summary: Complete KxK Romance. Kenshin is uncertain, Kaoru is willing, the same old thing as usual. I got the inspiration from a picture I saw of Kenshin and Kaoru and a bird.. Anyway, R/R!

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If you want to see the picture that inspired me, then e-mail me at Oniwaban Misao@Aol.com and I'll send it to you.

This fic is kinda short.

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The shade of the tree protected both Kenshin and Kaoru from the rays of sunlight being produced by the closest star to earth. It was a beautiful afternoon outside, and a picnic had been the only thing on Kaoru's mind for weeks.

That morning she'd waken Kenshin up early. "Kenshin?" Kaoru padded quietly, still in her yukata, to Kenshin's room, and kneeled beside his futon. "Kenshin, wake up." She shook his body firmly, and the rurouni stirred.

"Oro? Kaoru-dono, would anything happen to be wrong?" He opened one violet eye at first, and then let the other slowly open as well. He sat up, his long red hair trailing unruled down his back.

Kaoru smiled, sitting beside him. "Kenshin, lets go on a picnic today. It's so nice outside." She whispered softly, because the walls were so thin, and she didn't want to wake Yahiko yet.

Kenshin looked over to Kaoru, smiling as well. "I think a picnic would be a splendid idea, Kaoru-dono." He stared at her for a moment or two, taking in her morning beauty. Her hair was braided, and resting on her shoulder, and the lavender color of her yukata suited her complexion well.

"Good." She said, standing, and looking down at the rurouni. "I'll go get dressed and get Sanosuke, Megumi, Dr. Gensai and the twins. We'll make this a family occasion. You start cooking and wake Yahiko up too, alright?"

And there they were, picnicing in the sunny delight of the springtime. Megumi and Sanosuke were fighting (as usual) over something irrelevant to nature, and Yahiko, who'd asked if he could invite Tsubame along, and did, was negelecting Ayame and Suzume, who were crying like two lugubrious babies, but being comforted by Dr. Gensai.

Kaoru took in a huge breath of the fresh air. "Isn't it wonderful out here today, Kenshin?" She smiled gently and pushed a piece of her hair from her face. "I'm glad we decided to picnic today.

"As am I, Kaoru-dono. You picked a brilliant day to picnic, de gozaru." Kenshin was enjoying himself as well. They'd already eaten, and everyone (except maybe Ayame and Suzume, poor youngin's) were content. He took in nature at it's best, and sighed, placing the hand which once was on his knee down on the ground beside him.

His hand had landed on top of Kaoru's. Kaoru blushed, but didn't pull her hand out from under his. Kenshin noticed too, and quickly pulled it away. "Gomen, Kaoru-dono, I..."

"Shh. It's okay, Kenshin, it was an accident." Of course, deep down inside, Kaoru wished that it had happened purposely.

They both sat for a moment longer, watching the rest of the Kenshin-gumi. They all seemed so happy. But both Kaoru and Kenshin knew that something was wrong with the both of them. They were both hiding something from each other.

Kaoru was the first to speak. "Kenshin, I don't know why, but I.." She slowed down to a stop by the end of her sentence, and looked over to him, into his eyes. They were fixiated on her.

'Never in my life,' Kenshin thought to himself. 'Would I have thought I could have found a love so pure. But I cannot take Kaoru-dono's purity with my blood stained hands. I am, even if in the past, Battousai the Manslayer. She deserves better.'

Kaoru reached over to Kenshin, and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. "Kenshin, I don't know how to say this, but I.." Clumbsily, she leaned forward and pressed her lips onto Kenshin's, kissing with the inexperience but true heartfeltness of a true love.

Kenshin humored her, not because he'd changed his mind about himself, but because it would only deepen Kaoru's heartache if he'd pulled away.

Moments later, Kaoru pulled away, and looked at Kenshin, both of them staring into each other's eyes within an akward silence. On Kaoru's face trailed a slight smile. Kenshin couldn't help but smile as well.

"Kenshin, I love you." Kaoru stumbled on the words, but finally they came from the void between her lips. Kenshin was inanimate.

He stared at her, his mind flared with many different thoughts. 'Kaoru-dono loves me. I love her. Why can't I forget my past, and live in the future.'

"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin started off slowly. "I love you as well, but I could never accept you. You deserve much better than I can give you, de gozaru... I am Battousai the Manslayer, and I cannot give you the protection and security any other man could."

Kaoru shook her head, still smiling. "I knew you would say that. But Kenshin, I'm not in love with Himura the Battousai. I'm in love with Himura Kenshin, the rurouni."

Kenshin looked up at Kaoru, and something inside him told him that maybe, just maybe, it would be okay to accept her love, and send it back to her in return.

.:owari:.