Summary: Post-Revenge Arc. Nightmares swamp Kenshin, drowning him in guilt. Only a certain girl can save him. Warning: a few spoilers. One-shot.

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki.

A/N: First fic. Concrit is always appreciated. Enjoy!

Sapphire eyes stared at him accusingly through the darkness.

Kenshin!

Enishi's crazed grin, his eyes glinting behind his glasses.

Can you see her smile, Battousai?

The scent of white plum...of jasmine.

Of blood.

Memories engulfed him from the shadows, strangling him in guilt.

Blood splattered across her body, radiating from Enishi's watou pierced through her heart.

Blank cerulean eyes—once so vibrant, so loving—staring...always staring, at him, because of him...

What purpose do I have, when I can't even protect the one whom I love?

He tried to reach out to her...to save her...

The fire in those beautiful blue eyes flickered out.

Ken...shin...

Forever.

"NO!"

Kenshin jerked up from his futon, his hands reaching helplessly into the air. Only after seeing the worn walls of the dojo and hearing Yahiko's snoring down the hall did he realize it had been a nightmare.

He gasped for breath, the image of empty blue eyes burning into his mind. It happened again—these horrible dreams, occurring each night ever since he had defeated Enishi.

It was his fault that she had gotten hurt, that she had nearly died.

He buried his face in his hands, trying to hold back the flooding guilt, when he heard soft footsteps coming towards his room. Not now...not while I'm like this...

"Kenshin?"

Her melodic voice was a soothing balm to his aching head despite his agitation. "K-Kaoru-dono," he whispered weakly. "What is it?"

Kaoru slid open the shoji door, kneeling down besides him. "I heard you cry out. Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes...I'm fine. It was just a dream."

She gazed at him for a few moments, studying his face. She is beautiful, he thought. Then her eyes became defiant.

"No."

Kenshin started, confused, and an "oro" popped out of his mouth.

"Don't you 'oro' me. Himura Kenshin, you are not alright. You've been absolutely exhausted for the past two weeks, and don't you dare try to tell me it's because of laundry again! You're listless, you have bags under your eyes, you're terribly pale, you wake up screaming every night—you're not okay!" She grasped his hand tightly. "Something's wrong, and it's worrying me sick!"

Kenshin stared at Kaoru's face, and the world turned an ominous shade of red. Images from the nightmare flickered before his eyes, contorting the young woman's concerned expression into agony.

Something within him snapped.

He lunged, grabbing Kaoru and pulling her hard against his body. He turned his head into her hair, breathing in her scent, as if to make sure she were real. A shocked Kaoru, sitting limply in his arms, gasped when she felt him silently shaking with sobs. "Kenshin..." Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him in return, rubbing his back comfortingly. "Shhh. It's alright. Tell me what's wrong."

"Everything..." Kenshin whispered haltingly into her hair. "Everything stopped that day. I found you...in the dojo. Enishi had stabbed you...there was blood everywhere...and I couldn't do anything about it...I couldn't do anything—!" A vision of Gein's horrible doll entered his mind, and his tense shoulders trembled under Kaoru's hands. Bitter tears glinted in his eyes, the violet color dulled by remorse. Kaoru wound her arms around his neck, cradling his head. She stroked his crimson hair, whispering to him. "It's alright, Kenshin...I'm here. I'm safe. It wasn't real...it wasn't me! Enishi didn't even hurt me. Everything is fine now." She cupped his cheek. "See, I'm right here, with you..." She didn't realize that tears were rolling down her own cheeks, her heart aching for him in realization of all the pain he had suffered.

Kenshin gradually calmed down, taking deep, shuddering breaths. A small smile graced Kaoru's face. "I missed you," she said softly. Kenshin brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "And I you," he replied hoarsely and sighed. That didn't even begin to describe how much he had longed for her. He held her close and she snuggled her head in the crook between his neck and shoulder.

The rurouni, already deep in thought, recalled when Enishi first appeared. His bloody past had come back to haunt him, sucking in everything. The world became a chasm of shadowed memories. There was only one ray of light for him, one tangible handhold that he was able to grasp onto in the chaos of sorrow. A light amidst the shadow.

Kaoru.

Her eyes gazing up at him, reflecting the sky, the essence of innocence.

I want to stay with you forever.

For a split second, the shadows of his past had broken their grip on his mind when she spoke those words. He smiled, remembering her bright blush when she realized what she had said.

When the battle between him and Enishi finally ended, he felt an overwhelming wave of relief and pure love for the woman whose arms had caught his fall. Tomoe had given him a journey to travel, but Kaoru had given him a home to stay.

"Thank you, Kaoru-dono...for everything," Kenshin murmured. Kaoru turned her smiling face up to him, like a flower in the sun. Their eyes met and locked. A faint pink blush spread across Kaoru's porcelain cheeks. Kenshin gazed at her, captivated by her beauty.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he lowered his face to hers, until his nose met hers. He placed his hand on her cheek, watching with faint amusement as her blush reddened. She closed her eyes, and their lips met in a warm kiss. So sweet, so tender.

As they broke apart, Kenshin wound his fingers with Kaoru's, and she sighed with contentment.

"Kenshin?" she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

It was as simple as that. The moment those three words left Kaoru's mouth, Kenshin knew that they were the absolute and glorious truth. He smiled, stroking her raven locks.

"I love you too."

Sleep eventually overcame them, and as the couple dozed off in each other's arms, Kenshin felt the nightmares slipping away in the face of a new light.

A/N: It's not much, and the idea has probably been used tons of times, but it's something. Thanks for reading, and please feel free to click that beautiful little blue (purple?) button down there. :D