Author Notes:

Story: Let the Light Reveal

Chapter: Feelings Discovered

Rating: PG (so far. . .I'm not sure what will happen in later chapters, but probably nothing too bad.)

Genre: Romance

Couple: Kaoru and Kenshin

Summary: Kaoru was caught in the middle of a storm and is forced to take shelter and wait it out. She thought she would have to wait it out alone. But then a certain rurouni came to her rescue. . .

Disclaimer (applies to the entire story): I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. That honor is left to whoever has the most money. Which, quite obviously, isn't me. *sniffles* I don't even own the clothes on me. . .My parents do. . .

Feel free to e-mail me at marcie@stny.rr.com if you have any comments, suggestions, etc. Constructive criticism is always appreciated^_^

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"Oh no!" Kaoru yelled and dashed under a large tree. Thunder rumbled through the sky once again making her whimper.

"I hate storms!" She muttered as she lowered herself to the ground.

Thunder roared through the sky as lightning flashed, illuminating her frightened features. In her fright she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.

"Oh please. . .just stop soon. . .I don't want to be out here all night." She whispered. She closed her eyes trying to block out the noise and ignore the lightning. It didn't work. She backed herself up against the large tree.

Her wet kimono sagged against her skin as some rain came through the tree's branches. She shivered.

"It's so cold. . ." Said Kaoru wrapping her arms around herself. "I was I was home. . ." Her mind went to the nice warm dojo that just happened to be on the other side of town.

Kaoru growled. "I should have known better than to go out when the sky was so dark! But I needed those ingredients to make dinner tonight," She looked at the sky. "But I don't think the storm will be letting up soon so I don't think I will even be able to make dinner."

"Kuso," She said softly. "I wanted to make something special for him." She buried her face in her knees. "Kenshin. . .I wish you were here. You could at least make this storm bearable." Thunder cracked through the sky and she shuddered.

"But you wouldn't be here!" She said bitterly. "You don't even know I'm here."

She let out a small sob. "But I wish you did. . .I really do. . .I bet if I could cook better. .if I was prettier. . .maybe if I wasn't even a swordswoman. . .you need someone to take care of you, not challenge you. . .I'm so stupid. I should just stop practicing swordsmanship all together!" She cried out but knew she didn't mean it. There were few things that Kaoru could not give up, and that was one of them. If for no other reason, she had to preserve the Kamiya Kasshin Style for her father.

"Why can't he be here? Just this once? Even if he were to see me this pitiful. . .it would be worth it. Just to know that he knows that I'm here. Kenshin. . .Will you ever come to me? I'm waiting, don't you know that? I've waiting been since I saw you that first time."

"Your hair was pulled back by a simple band. . .I always wondered why you didn't just let it fly free. .You have beautiful hair, Kenshin, did you know that? It matches your eyes. . .whether golden or violet. . .either way. .it's a great match. . .your scar. . .I wonder if you will tell me how you got them one day. . .But I don't think you will ever trust me enough!" She finally let loose all the tears she had been saving up. All the tears that could never be equal to the sadness she felt inside her.

The tears rolled down her cheeks as her shoulders shook for many minutes. She wasn't aware of her surroundings except for the steady pelting of the rain to the ground.

Then, a figure started swiftly approaching her. It was but a shadowed figure at first, but soon became well defined. Kaoru was still crying when the figure touched shoulder.

She looked up startled. Her eyes widened, "Kenshin!"

"Kaoru-dono, are you alright?" Kenshin asked, his tone worried despite himself being in the same wet state as Kaoru.

"H-Hai. . .I'm okay. . .What are you doing here?" She hurriedly brushed the salty trails from her cheeks and looked up at Kenshin.

"I was worried. You weren't back from shopping and it started raining. .and. . .I. ." He looked at her. "Are you sure you are okay? It looked like you were crying. . ."

"I'm fine." Kaoru said quietly. "I was just waiting for the storm to let up before I went back home. Did you come all the way from the dojo?"

He nodded. "You weren't there and it has been raining for a while. Even Yahiko was wondering where you were."

Kaoru's face fell. So he was there only because the others were worried her, not because he was.

"Did you bring an umbrella?" She asked him softly.

He looked around for a moment before looking at her with his rurouni smile. "I kinda forgot. Sorry about that."

"You forgot? Kenshin! You came here through all that rain and you forgot an umbrella?!" She stood up and looked at him.

"Well. .you see. . .I just. .wanted to make sure you were okay. . .so I kinda ran out of the dojo. . .and kept going until I found you." He said with the rurouni smile still on his face.

"You were. .worried. .about me?" She asked.

"Hai. . .are you sure you are okay? You still look flushed and sad."

"Kenshin. . ." She murmured.

"Yes, Kaoru-dono?"

Her eyes snapped up to his. "Why do you call me Kaoru-dono?"

"I respect you. It is a honorific to show that."

"You say it to everyone."

"I respect many people, Kaoru-dono, and it also shows politeness."

"Still. . .it seems too polite."

"What should I use?" He asked, wondering where this was going.

"Can't you just call your friends by their first name? You call Sanosuke Sano. Can't you call me just 'Kaoru'?" She asked, hoping to at least eliminate the formalities between them.

Kenshin looked at her with mild surprise. "I suppose so."

"Really?" Kaoru's eyes lit up. A small smile on her face.

Kenshin smiled at her. "Of course," He paused and looked at the dark sky. "It doesn't look like we will be getting back to the dojo anytime soon, unless you want to walk in the rain?"

Kaoru slumped back to the ground. "No. . .I've never liked being out in storms. At least under the tree I feel somewhat safe." And even safer now that Kenshin is here. . ., She thought silently.

Kenshin sat down beside her and stayed quiet for several minutes before he suddenly asked:

"Kaoru. .Why don't you like storms?"

"I. .I. ." She looked flustered and embarrassed. "You will. .think less of me if I tell you," She said quietly.

"No I wouldn't. Kaoru," Kenshin cupped her chin and tilted it towards him. "You should know me better than that."

Kaoru trembled slightly at being in his grasp. She turned her face away quickly. "K-Kenshin, it's a long story. . ."

He gazed at the sky for a moment before looking back at her. "I have time."

Kaoru gripped a small patch of wet grass before leaning against the tree and sighed.

"It started when I was a little girl. My mother had fallen ill to a terrible disease. It took her life when I was only eight." Kenshin looked at the sadness in Kaoru's eyes and let her continue. "On the day she died, it was raining. Horrible thunder and so much lightning. . .Then, when I was thirteen, a messenger came from the army my father had gone to fight with. He said. . .he said that my father had died an honorable death in battle." She looked at the ground bitterly before adding softly: "It was raining on that day too. . ."

Kaoru was silent for a few moments and Kenshin was just going to comfort her when she spoke again.

"After that, I was all alone. No one to take care of me. No one to finish teaching me the Kamiya Kasshin Style. No one to simply care for me. I was completely alone. Except for my father's students. .but they soon went away. They said that a girl couldn't teach them how to fight and how to protect others. They said I was the one who needed protecting," She scoffed. "Soon enough, they were all gone. But, later new students came. They were the ones who used to just go to the other dojo to watch me fight. They decided I knew what I was doing and allowed me to teach them."

"But some people came to the dojo not looking for lessons, but for my hand." Kenshin looked at her startled. He had figured that she had attracted male attention but never realized that people had actually asked to marry her. He never thought of her as the marrying type. She always seemed like a bit of a tomboy to him, but still irresistibly beautiful. Even now, as he watched Kaoru's sadness turn to disgust, he knew that no man was worthy of her hand.

"The men that came here. . .I never knew who any of them until they introduced themselves. Then, they asked to court me or flat out marry them on our first meeting. They said that I needed someone to take care of me. They said that I needed someone to take care of the dojo. They said that I needed someone to teach the students." Kaoru looked at the ground. "But I turned every single one down. None them knew what I was feeling and could never possibly understand. . .understand how. . ." She looked at Kenshin nervously. "I felt. .so lonely. . .Each time one of them tried to get me and the dojo, it rained. . ."

"It used to seem like it rained every day after father died, but there was one day that was sunny and made every day sunny afterwards. . ."

Kenshin looked at her slightly confused. "There was?"

"Yes. . .the day I met you. . ." She said quietly.

Kenshin's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly as if to say something but it just remained agape.

"Kenshin. . ." Kaoru looked her hands nervously moving. "Say something. . ."

"K-Kaoru. . ." Kenshin looked away. "That wasn't what I expected to hear."

"Kenshin," Her voice was firm. "How do you feel about me?" She asked with courage that soon began to fall as he said nothing.

Long moments later he said, "Kaoru. ." His head hung low. "I'm not the best man in the world for you. . .Between my past and-"

"I don't care about your past, Kenshin! I care about you!" She exclaimed before covering her mouth while a deep scarlet covered her face.

Kenshin looked at her sadly. "It's not only that. . .There are other reasons. I attract too many enemies. .it isn't right to put you in a vulnerable position."

"It would be my choice. I can make my own choices just like you. Any more excuses?" She looked at him stubbornly.

"I'm not good enough for you," He said softly.

A shocked silence filled between the two. After several minutes Kenshin spoke.

"Kaoru-dono, are you mad at me?" He voice was soft and worried.

Kaoru looked at him, her eyes flashing. "How dare you!" She glared at him. "How can you say something like that?! You are not good enough for me?!" Her stunned expression left him speechless.

"Kenshin! We shouldn't be having this conversation. If anything, I am not good enough for you! You are a warrior - the very best. You are a person who cares about other people so much that you are willing to die for them! How you not be good enough for me?!"

Kenshin looked at her warily. "My past, Kaoru-dono. . .I have taken so many lives. .I don't deserve someone like you."

"Kenshin, I can choose whomever I please to be with. My choice is you. Your past doesn't matter - not to me. You are a great person in the here and now. And!" She glared at him once more before softening her expression. "I thought we cleared up this whole Kaoru-dono thing, ne?"

Kenshin gave her a small smile. "Yes, I do believe we have. .Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled cheerily. "That's better. Now shall we resume our a original topic? How do you feel about me?"

Kenshin looked at her straight in the eye and replied softly. "I have loved you since the first time I saw you charging at me with your bokken."

Kaoru blushed. "Gomen. .about that. I was trying to find the fake-" She didn't finish her sentence as Kenshin leaned over and kissed her. In the short moments that it lasted, each felt their emotions reach new heights as their once guarded passion was let loose.

Then lightning stuck.

It struck the tree they were sitting under causing it to split down the middle and start burning. Kaoru screamed as she tried to move away from it; Kenshin shielded her body with his as a branch fell on top of them. He looked at Kaoru, now beneath him, with his features twisted in agony as he pushed himself hard upward. The branch gave way and rolled off of him. He struggled to stand up as Kaoru quickly got up and helped him.

"Kenshin. . are you okay?" Her tone was worried as she helped him away from the tree.

"Yes. .I'm fine. Are you alright?" He was slightly bent over the pain of the tree branch hitting him. As he walked away from the tree he glanced at Kaoru. She stood up straight, walking close to him with one arm around his waist helping him. A small smile played on Kenshin's face as he savored being so close to Kaoru.

"Kaoru?"

She looked at him. "Are you sure you are okay?"

He chuckled lightly. "You are the second person to ever be this worried about me."

"Oh? Who was the first?"

"It was from a long time ago. . ."

Kaoru's face fell. "You still don't trust me do you, Kenshin?" She asked softly.

"No. .it isn't that. .I don't think you would want to hear who the first person was, that's all. . ."

Kaoru looked at Kenshin. "I want to know everything about you," Her voice was still soft.

Kenshin nodded. "It was a long time ago. . .right before the revolution ended. I met someone. Her name was Tomoe." Kaoru looked horror stricken for a moment before she gazed at the ground and forced herself to keep walking. "Tomoe was engaged to someone several months before I knew her. But she never married the man she was supposed to because I killed him several months before I met Tomoe." Kenshin was quiet and Kaoru could the sorrow in his voice.

"Tomoe and I met and were soon forced to live in a cabin in Otsu. Neither of us wanted to, but we both had to survive. Tomoe, in particular, hated me. She hated me for killing her fiancée, at first. . .Then we grew to love each other in the time we spent together." Kaoru's heart quickened as her worst fears became realized.

"But she was supposed to turn against me. She was supposed to betray me. And she almost did, but in the end she gave her life for mine. . ." His voice shrank to an almost inaudible whisper. "She was the reason I gave up man slaying and became a wanderer. Several moments passed between the two before either spoke.

"But that was a long time ago, Kaoru." Kenshin said.

Kaoru looked at the ground sadly. "And some things don't ever fade. . ." She whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Kenshin stood up straight abruptly, wincing in pain. He looked at Kaoru. She looked at him wordlessly, the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Kaoru, it may have been a long time ago, and some things may never fade; there you are right. But-" He looked at her sharply before softening his expression so that it was filled with love. "There are certain things that can begin anew that help heal old wounds."

She remained silent.

"Kaoru. . .do you understand what I'm saying?" He asked gently. She didn't say anything and the only expression of what she felt were the tears on her cheeks. Without warning Kenshin swept her into a tight embrace.

She gasped. "K-Kenshin!"

"Kaoru. . ." He whispered into her ear.

"I love you."

Even though there was a storm raging around them, his quiet words were heard. Kaoru shuddered and wrapped her arms around him. She sobbed into his shirt.

"K-Kenshin, I-I was. .so worried! that you. .would n-never see m-me!" Her sobs were quieted as Kenshin moved her face from his shirt and tilted her chin upwards. Her eyes widened as he placed his lips on hers.

Through her wide eyes she finally understood the true meaning of Kenshin's actions: He truly loved her. She wasn't some kid just passing through his life - she was someone who held value to him. He loved her. . .

Upon this sudden revelation, Kaoru closed her eyes and kissed him back.

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AN:

Not bad for my first RK fic, eh? ^_~ I'm really quite proud of it. I even have some of the second chapter written. . .Please review!