Hello, people! This is my first fic on FanFic.net, so plz, read it and tell me what u think! I just wrote this whole thing today at school in my boring science class, so plz, don't sue me if you think it sux! (
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN, SO PLEASE DON'T SUE ME. I'M POOR ENOUGH AS IT IS! (I do wish I owned Kenshin, though! Reooow!)
"Miss Kaoru? Miss Kaoru?" Miss Megami tried unsuccessfully to grab her attention. Miss Kaoru had been staring at nothing for quite some time. She was staring into space, not really focusing on anything.

"Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, waving a hand in front of her motionless face.

She blinked and her purple-blue eyes refocused on Kenshin and the others. "Yeah. what is it?"

"Your face had an ominous expression on it, that it did." Kenshin studied her worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine!" She suddenly stood up and began walking towards the dojo door.

"Where ya goin', Kaoru?" Yahiko asked, waving his bokken around.

"Out."

Sonoske looked up at her suspiciously. "But it's raining outside."

"Big deal." With that, she walked outside and slid the door closed behind her.

She sat on the steps of the dojo, staring unseeingly at the tiny spatterings of rain.

"Hey, Daddy!" The young Kaoru said, giggling as her father enveloped her in a large bear hug. "Daddy, can we go dance?"

Her father smiled. "Kaoru, it's raining. You know that."

"Well, we can dance in the rain!" Without further explanation, she bounded out of the house and was immediately drenched in water. She shivered at the coldness but smiled at her father mischievously as she stomped in a puddle, sending muddy water his way.

He growled and ran towards her, gathering her up and putting her onto his broad shoulders for a piggyback ride. She giggled and threw her arms out, pretending to be flying like crow.

Kaoru smiled at the memory and cupped her hands into the rain. The rain gathered there like a small pond. She smiled and let it trickle through her fingers, watching it dwindle away and drain like her life. She stared at her empty hands, then stood and began walking towards the center of the small community they were presently staying in. She didn't care that mud was splattering the bottom of her kimono. She turned her face to the sky and giggled, beginning to twirl in the rain.

"What is she doing?" Yahiko asked, gathered at the door with Kenshin and Sonoske.

Sonoske shrugged. "Maybe she went into another memory lapse."

Kenshin was silent as he watched Kaoru dance and giggle like a small child in the fresh rain. She was beautiful. Her silky purple hair swung against her upturned face, and her arms were flung out, palms upturned.

Sonoske and Yahiko moved away from the door and sat down by Miss Megami, who was making sweet potatoes.

Kenshin turned to the others and stated, "I'm going to go talk to her. I remember this memory. She told me about it a long time ago, that she did. Do you remember?"

Yahiko and Sonoske both sat on the floor, faces scrunched up in thought. "We do now!" They smiled at Kenshin.

Kenshin left the dojo and slid the heavy door closed behind him. He watched Kaoru twirl some more and recalled what she had told him.

"Then he growled and scooped me up in his arms. Only my father could give such great piggyback rides."

Kenshin smiled and growled, then ran towards Kaoru, who turned at the last minute before he picked her light body up and deposited her on his shoulders.

Kaoru giggled and grabbed his hair, being careful not to pull it. She laughed joyously as he ran through deep mud puddles, splashing them both.

He seemed out of breath for running so long and reached up, grabbing her around the waist and setting her gently on her feet. "So, how was mine?"

Kaoru stared hard at Kenshin, all signs of happiness gone from her face. "Oh, Kenshin!" She cried, tears in her purple-blue eyes. She hugged him fiercely. "I can't believe you did that."

He hugged her back lightly, surprised that she was crying. "Why? You went into one of your memory lapses, that you did. I was only trying to help you."

Kaoru smiled and wiped her eyes on his shoulder. "Trust me, you did."

They stood there in the small community, hugging each other in the rain. Kaoru was aware of Kenshin's close proximity, as he was. They embraced tightly, Kenshin becoming intoxicated at the smell of her hair. Mixed in with the usual lilac and nutmeg smell was a hint of fresh rain, and to him, nothing smelled sweeter in the world.

Kaoru pulled away to examine his face. He had a slight blush on his face, and Kaoru was surprised to find that reflected in his light purple eyes was love and tenderness. "Kenshin." She murmured.

He smiled and lowered his head, capturing his lips with hers. Kaoru moaned in pleasure, wrapping her arms around his neck. This was the first time they had kissed, and Kaoru was happy that she could finally, hopefully tell Kenshin how she felt about him. They stood in the slowly dwindling rain, kissing for what seemed like an eternity.

They pulled away, out of breath, wondering why something seemed different. They both looked up to the sky, still in their embrace. Kaoru gasped in delight as newly twinkling stars made their way through the dreary night sky and rain clouds. She pulled away from Kenshin, gathering the last of the rainwater in her cupped hands and drank it. She smiled, still looking at the stars as Kenshin pulled her back into his embrace.

"They're beautiful," she stated as he pulled her back under the dojo overhang.

"Not as beautiful as you," he replied, sitting down against the wall and pulling her to sit on his lap.

She rested her head against his chest, a slight blush suffusing her face. "Kenshin, I want to tell you something that I've been wanting to tell you for quite a while."

Kenshin looked down at her tenderly. "What?"

"Well, um." A bright red came onto her face. "I was going to say, um."

"Spit it out, already. And quit blushing. Although I say it looks pretty, I think it's preventing you from telling me your secret, that it is."

She looked up at him. "Promise not to laugh."

"I promise, that I do."

"Well, IthinkIloveyou, Kenshin," she said hurriedly.

"What was that?"

She hid her face from him and said more slowly, "I think I love you."

Kenshin blinked and smiled. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. She looked up in surprise.

"I think I know I love you, Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled as bright as the sun and hugged him ferociously. "I know I love you, Kenshin."

They kissed under the stars, locked in a tight, moonlight embrace.