**Disclaimer: Please stop asking me if I own Rurouni Kenshin, because I don't. Wausiki-san does, but I'll accept his checks on his behalf (I'm broke here!)

She's gorgeous.

Her smile can light up any cloudy day. It lights up her face, and brightens up my day, especially when I'm feeling low. She's so beautiful, nothing can possibly compare to her. And her eyes, those sapphire blue eyes. They glitter with her ever-changing emotions. When she's happy, they shine with her joy. When she's upset or worried, those eyes darken, but they're still beautiful. And when she's chasing someone down, they sparkle with anger and happiness.

I don't deserve to stay with her. My hands have been permanently stained by the blood of those I've killed. My soul has been tainted ever since I first killed another human being. She doesn't need Hitokiri Battousai giving her any kind of trouble. She is pure and innocent. I don't deserve the kindness she so freely gives. Just my existence at the dojo has tarnished her reputation. My name has put her in danger countless numbers of times. So many people from my past want revenge or to settle unfinished matches and they always involve her, just to fight the hitokiri within me. I know they talk about us, a grown man and woman living together, but I don't really mind. I worry how she would take it if she heard. I don't want to ruin her.

And there's always Tomoe. What would she think if she knew I had let myself fall in love with someone else? I wouldn't want to betray her memory. She helped me when I needed her the most, when I needed an escape from the sea of blood that was Kyoto. She made me happier than I could have ever during that terrible time. She helped me bear my sins so that I wouldn't be consumed by the darkness of my own heart. She meant everything to me back then, and I killed her. I stabbed through her with my own sword. It was her blood that mixed with my tears that cold, snowy night.

But when she smiles, I see Tomoe smile through her, and I know my heart would never guide me wrong. Tomoe reassures me that I have nothing to fear, and that she and I are at peace.

She's the light that guides me through the darkness of my own nightmares. The nights that I wake up, screaming from a nightmare where the souls of those I killed would haunt me, she's always there. She would be there in a second, and is always able to calm me. Somehow, my feelings for her are stronger than what I felt for Tomoe, and if anything ever happened to her, I don't know what I would do. I promise I will protect her with my life; as long as I have breath in my body, I will not let her be harmed. And someday, I'll tell her how I really feel.

Aishiteru, Kaoru.

**A/N: so how's this one? The end was kinda comfusing, so let me clarify. The paragraph after the one about tomoe and his happiness with her is about kaoru's smiles, and then it switches to settling his feelings with tomoe. The paragraph after that was all about kaoru. Does that help? this is the last one to complete the set (Everything, That Baka, and Megumi are the rest if you wanna check them out) which spawned from Him and Her, which was inspired by another story (I dunno the title or author, but you can try to find it on [tfme.net/tfme] chains are hectic, ne?) it was actually harder to write this one than the others, but I dunno why. If anyone's asking tomoe or kaoru, I choose neither (of couse I lean toward kaoru, but I don't want to be a part of the war) part of the reason I wrote the part about tomoe is to kind of settle my feelings like kenshin did. She's a great character, and her death just added another tragedy in kenshin's life, which it is now kaoru's job to help him cheer up a bit. Of couse, I only read the manga translations; I didn't actually see the OVAs so I might not have the whole story. If anyone can tell me anything I missed I'd appreciate it if you sent it to me through a review. arigatou to everyone who read the story, my useless babbling, and r&red my other stories. @_@x