Disclaimer: Characters are property of Nobuhiro Watsuki. I don't own anything.
Note: Most people who are familiar with my work know that I've only written DragonBall Z Bulma and Vegeta fanfiction. However, since I'm also a big fan of Rurouni Kenshin, I've decided to write this simple one shot about Kenshin and Kaoru since…well, I really like the relationship that those two have and lately I've been reading some wonderful Kenshin and Kaoru fanfiction, so that's mainly why I've decided to give it a go.
For those who don't know me yet: English is not my native language, so I apologize on beforehand for any grammar/spelling errors.
I hope you guys enjoy!
A medicine for the heart
The Battousai is restless.
Small flickers of gold reflecting through endless pools of amethyst.
An uncomfortable heath slowly spreading itself all over his left cheek, his almost delicate looking cross shaped scar throbbing painfully.
He closes his eyes and breathes in heavily. Brows furrowed. An elegant but strong hand resting on the grip of his Sakabato. His whole body prepared for an invisible attacker. Prepared to protect, prepared to defeat, prepared…to kill…
He opens his eyes again. His back leaning against the hard, cold wall as he slowly breathes out again. His gaze set on nothing in particularly but the darkness that lies in front of him.
However, it's not an enemy or any other threat for that matter, which is slowly stirring the Battousai awake from his deep slumber. No, the reason for the Battousai's arrival is far less complicated, it's far simpler.
He flares his nostrils while thinking back about that night, that faithful night that jolted the Battousai awake and made him almost roar in pure anger and frustration.
Megumi…
'I used to admire her, did you know that?'
It's a rare quiet and peaceful evening at the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu dojo. The shoji of the dining area is slide open to allow the cool summer air in, making the temperature of the room more bearable. In a faraway distance you can hear the sounds of the crickets combined with the soft rustling of lush green leaves from the trees that proudly take their stand on the other side of the dojo's garden.
Kenshin looks up. His deep purple, but friendly looking eyes observing the young woman sitting in front of him. A steaming wooden cup of green tea between her pale and frail looking hands and a thoughtful look reflecting in her wise auburn eyes.
'Oro?'
A small and sad smile tucks on the corners of her red painted lips as she carefully sets down the wooden cup on the smooth surface of the table in front of her and pulls back one of her raven black locks behind her delicate ear.
'Kaoru-san. I used to admire her.'
Kenshin pulls up his eyebrow, not even trying to hide the surprised look on his face. He has known Megumi-san and Kaoru-dono for quite some time now and he has witnessed how both of them act around each other and because of that he never had the slightest illusion that Megumi-san even liked Kaoru-dono…let alone admiring her…So this…revelation…catches him quite off guard, but it does however, make him curious. Very curious.
'But why…why did you admire Kaoru-dono? When you two are around each other you almost fight like cats and dogs, thankfully not literally, but still…the way how you act around Kaoru-dono has hardly given me the impression that you admire her…'
Megumi closes her eyes for a brief moment and lets out a small sigh before opening them again and looking straight into Kenshin's amethyst eyes that are looking at her questioningly while he patiently awaits her answer. Megumi slowly nods and carefully picks up her cup of green tea again and takes a small sip before answering.
'I don't admire her anymore.'
She takes another slow sip while carefully watching Kenshin over the rim of her wooden cup.
'I admired her because of you…my dear Ken-san…'
Kenshin furrows his brows and throws her a confused look.
'I don't understand Megumi-san…'
Megumi smiles, a warm and knowing look spreading on her face as she nods again.
'I know. That's exactly why I don't admire Kaoru-san anymore…if anything…I actually feel sorry for her…'
She watches how Kenshin looks at her even more confused than before and can't help but feel sad. Not for herself, oh no, most certainly not for herself, at least, not anymore. She feels sad for him, but mainly for Kaoru. Sweet, young and innocent Kaoru…
'Ken-san, when will the day finally come that you'll wake up from that naïve slumber you've been taking for such a long time and see, truly see, that she loves you with all her heart?'
Megumi produces another small sigh as she carefully and slowly stands up, ignoring the wide eyed look that Kenshin is currently giving to her.
'One day you'll realize that she accepts you Kenshin. Not only the Rurouni side of you, she also accepts the Battousai side of you. She has seen the person that you truly are and she has accepted it with her whole being…the silly girl…her heart truly is in the right place…'
Her red painted lips curved in a small smile as she thinks about the dark haired girl with the ocean blue eyes that always seem to follow Kenshin everywhere he goes…nothing less than pure love reflecting in them.
'What more can a man like you want but acceptance and love? But she's not going to wait forever Kenshin…she may wait for you now, she may wait for you for a year of maybe ten. There will be a day however...that she'll stop waiting. You can't expect a wounded heart to go on without medicine…'
Megumi smiles again and walks to Kenshin who looks at her without really seeing her. She places her small and fragile hand on his strong shoulder and gives it a small squeeze before turning around and walking through the open shoji screens, disappearing into the calm and friendly summer night.
'Think about that…Ken-san…have a pleasant evening and sleep well. You probably need it…'
His head is lowered, fiery red colored bangs falling over his eyes that seem to be deep in thought. Those words, those cursed words that Megumi spoke with a stoic expression on her face…they roughly shook him awake.
He looks up, his eyes suddenly completely rid of the deep amethyst color, amber with a hint of gold has now taken over and even on this darkest hour of the night, you can still see them glistening dangerously from a distance.
Kaoru…
She's still so young…so pure…so fragile…how can you, how can I? I have murdered without mercy, so how can I take her? How? How can someone as dark as I am deserve someone as angelic as she is?
She's not going to wait forever. You can't expect a wounded heart to go on without medicine…
The look in her eyes, her careful touches, the smile on her lips. The softness of her curves, the sweet scent of her skin, the beauty of her movements…
She accepts you Kenshin. She accepts the Rurouni in you, but she also accepts the Battousai in you…
He slowly stands up. Long red hair hanging down his back, his eyes again a combination of gold and purple and a small smirk resting on his lips as he soundlessly slips out of his room, towards her…
Megumi was right…
It's time to wake up…
Kaoru…
She may be young, she may be innocent, but she accepts him…and both the Rurouni and Battousai need no more than just that.
Thank you…Megumi-san…for showing me that I'm allowed to love her…