HEYY! I'm really sorry that my other fic " unexpected" got deleted. It was because of a bully in our was mad because she got humiliated accidentally by me.. At school, A friend brought a laptop with a globe tattoo thingy so you could use the net. I forgot to log off and the bully viewed my account and deleted the story so she could get back at me. since I have no Idea how to write that all back again, I'm just gonna make a new one as a replacement. So.. I hope you enjoy it..

(very special apologies to browneyes21.. really sorry.)

Forbidden Love

XxXxXxXx

"Kenshin-san!"

Kenshin turned to see his step sister, Kaoru, running to him with a face covered with black dust. Kenshin laughed to see her like that. She tried cooking again and failed. Kenshin got a handkerchief out and wiped the pouting face of Kaoru.

"Why can't you teach me how to cook like you, ni-san?"

Kenshin smiled softly and patted her on the head. He just simply said that he's too busy but if he has time, he will teach her.

The 14 year old girl smiled at him, hugged him and finally greeted him happy birthday. That was the reason why Kaoru tried cooking. Kenshin was celebrating his 18th birthday, yet no one in the family was around except for Kaoru. Kenshin's mother died a long time ago, his father went abroad and never got in contact with him or came home but just sends money over. His older sister is already married to a foreigner and is living somewhere else, far from him. Dr. Gensai, his grandfather is on a medical trip and will only be back after 5 days.

Kaoru changed into a blue dress with pink cherry blossoms printed all over. She took a small box from her bag and handed it to Kenshin, hoping that his brother would like it. As Kenshin opened the box, he saw Kaoru's smile growing. A silver necklace with a tilted cross lay in his hands. It reflected the light to his face and it was glimmering. usual thing to happen since it is brand new, he thought. Kaoru sat beside Kenshin and started asking him if he liked it.

Kenshin smiled gently and finally answered her question.

"I'm sorry Kaoru, I don't like it.

Kaoru's face dropped until he heard her brother speak once more.

"I didn't like it at all. I actually love it."

XxXxXxXx

(weeks later..)

"ni-san. why did father leaves us? its been 7 years since he left."

Kenshin stopped chopping the celery automatically.

"Its because.. he feels guilty when he sees us. Even if he wasn't the one who stabbed mother, he is the reason that mother killed herself and even made her life ever since they married , a living hell. and he knows it. He couldn't bear to see and live with us anymore since we are mother's children. we remind him of mother, and he couldn't take the guilt. he knew that if he didn't leave us, he would go insane with the guilt he was carrying."

His eyes glinted with hate and anger towards his father.

" What? you think I would care? I'm going to divorce you, whether you like it or not!"

Kenshin could still hear it in his head. The painful screams and pleads of their mother not to leave and the depressing sob that would echo through the walls of the room. He could still recall the painful memories. The attempts to hurt him and Kaoru as a blackmail to their mother. The sleepless nights, watching his father's moves, preapring to protect Kaoru and his mother. Evrything, was like a nightmare that has ended but cannot be forgotten.

"ni-san."

Kenshin suddenly snapped out of his trance of hatred and anger and his gentle smile crept back to his face. He looked at Kaoru's concered eyes and noticed that he already cut his finger with the knife. Kaoru put down the sliced mushrooms and tended his wounded finger. It was bleeding badly, yet, Kenshin didn't notice because he was in his mind, watching and hearing the flashbacks of all those memories.

"gosh. your hand was already so bloody, and you didn't even notice it? you should take better care of yourself next time!"

Kaoru's face was getting creepy, she was entering her 'tsundere' mode and Kenshin could not do anything other than to 'Oro'.. (xD.. ORO!)

While Kaoru was finally finishing the applying of the medicines and stuff, the door swung open and a familiar voice was heard.

"HEY! Kaoru! Kenshin! sorry for the very late greeting but.."

The siblings hurried up to the porch and saw Sano, Megumi, Aoshi and Misao holding Bottles and cakes.

Their cheerful voices were in sync and they were all smiling and laughing.

"Happy birthday!"

Kenshin's face was as clueless as ever. He was so dumbfounded that he didn't notice the band-aid fall of his finger.

"Oro?"

Misao put a shoulder around Kaoru and spoke to Kenshin about the delay.

"Were really sorry for the late greeting and celebration but, we couldn't come on the exact date"

Sano pulled Kenshin to the living room and the bottles rattled as he ran. He called Megumi over to put the cake and gifts down on the table. Megumi smiled and led Aoshi to sit down. She opened the cake and what they saw was a chocolate cake drizzled with mocha icing and sprinkles with vanilla and had one strawberry at the top. in the middle, it stated

'Belated Happy birthday, Ken-san!'

In cursive, written by red icing.

"Uh.. this looks so expensive to be eaten.."

Misao slapped Kenshin on the back and scolded him about the cake saying it was made for him so he didn't had to hesitate about eating it. Before Kenshin could already take a slice of the cake, Sano already dove in to get a piece of the cake and got his hand flicked by Kaoru and be yelled at. As soon as Kenshin took his part, everyone took a lice and before you know it, the cake was gone. The only trace left was icing marks at the cardboard that held the cake before it got gobbled up by all the people. After that, Sano took out the sake and offred everyone a cup. after a while he called on everybody's attention and held his glass out.

"to Kenshin's 18th birthday!"

Everyone copied and repeated his words and drank. Everyone was having a good time. They started to use the karaoke and the party shut down at around 3am. Everyone fell asleep and took their places at the floor. As soon as Kenshin realized this, he stood up and went about washing the dishes and cleaning the living room. and then he spotted Kaoru on a corner shivering.

He went to his room and took a blue fuzzy blanket and left it at the couch. He went to Kaoru and carried her to the couch and covered her with the blanket. He took a few minutes there, staring at his sister, thinking how old she's gotten and how her beauty bloomed. He smiled to himself and he found himself blushing.

"what the heck am I doing?"

He thought to himself. He slapped his face softly and straddled over to the sink to wash the dishes.

"Hm?"

The clinking of the dishes woke Kaoru up and she glanced behind to see Kenshin washing the dishes. She quickly got up and started helping his brother.

"I'm sorry Kaoru. did I wake you?"

Kaoru smiled as she drizzled water and dried the dishes.

"well.. pretty much. That was your blanket. did you transfer me over to the couch and covered me with the blanket?"

"oro? why do you ask?"

Kaoru stopped and stared at his brother for a few minutes. After that, she finished the dishes and didn't answer. She just kept silent and continued to smile.

"ni-san.." She happily thought as she went back to the couch and watched her brother lay down on the matted floor.

"Kaoru.." Kenshin's mind wandered. He couldn't help but to think why he would stare at his sister like that and why he blushed. They were siblings. He can't have those feelings for her.

"Kenshin.." Impossible. Her smile faded. She couldn't imagine why she had such thoughts about her brother.

"Its stupid. Its forbidden.. were blood related. It can never happen." They both thought as they tried to let their wandering minds rest and be settled at least for a few hours.

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