Perhaps
Enishi Yukishiro ran a hand thru his
silvery hair and sighed. It was harsh
on his already weakened body to bear such pain, physically and mentally.
Just yesterday he had walked thru a grove
of apple trees, wandering about absent-mindedly, when he spotted a
bathrobe-clad figure on top of a tree, looking out at the ocean.
"Kaoru…?" he said softly, creeping as
close as was allowed before Kaoru spotted him.
The girl was staring off at the ocean,
streaks of tears running down her cheeks.
Her mouth moved, but no sound came out, at least, none that Enishi could
hear.
He strained himself, and when Kaoru spoke
again, he heard the soft, "Kenshin…"
Enishi mentally slapped himself. Sure, just bring more pain on yourself, why don't
you.
Kaoru wiped her face with the sleeve of
her bathrobe and happened to glance down—right at Enishi. Her eyes widened, "Enishi?"
The psychopath immediately bolted upright
and tried to stumble away, unsuccessfully due to his condition. He tripped and fell headfirst into a mud
puddle.
Kaoru stifled a giggle and shimmied down
to help him.
Enishi muttered a string of angry curses
as Kaoru reached out a hand to help him.
He gave her the hand that was not in a sling and murmured a reluctant "Thank
you."
Kaoru couldn't help thinking how innocent
he looked with mud all over himself, his orange and blue jacket slung over his
white undershirt patterned a dark sepia brown.
She muffled a laugh and managed to say, "Daijobu desu ka?"
"Daijobu," Enishi grumbled, plucking off
a squashed worm which was imprinted on his sling.
Kaoru giggled this time, and Enishi glared
at her, "What do you want, insolent girl?"
Kaoru laughed again, he looked so
pathetic with his failed attempt at mocking her and dirt splashed all over his
body.
Enishi growled, "I'm going in the bath to
wash up, and stop that unseemly chortle, it only maddens me."
"Which is why I do it." Kaoru shot back,
still giggling.
Enishi gave a groan and turned around,
only to slip again and land splat in the middle of the exact mud puddle. This time he shouted out all the nastiest
words he knew.
Kaoru only laughed harder as she helped
him up again, and she noted that the corners of his mouth were twitching, as if
fighting back an effort to laugh.
Kaoru immediately stopped, and without a
second thought, she pressed a hand at the side of Enishi's face. "Are you sure you're okay? No broken bones?"
Enishi shook his head. "No and will you please get your hand off my
face."
Kaoru obeyed, but only stopped because
she was checking now his arm in the sling, "It might be broken again."
Enishi jerked away from her, annoyed, "I
said I'm fine!" he snapped. But immediately
regretted it as a look of pain and hurt flitted across Kaoru's face. "Gomen nasai," he mumbled as he tried again
to go back to mansion.
A hand reached out to help him and Kaoru
was soon by his side, trying to be his makeshift crutches as she escorted him
back to the mansion.
"D-demo…" Enishi muttered, a blush across
his face.
~*~
Enishi came out of the bath, rubbing his
wet hair with a white towel. He was
dressed in a white bathrobe and Kaoru was in the same getup, silently eating
her homemade rice.
Enishi noticed that there was an extra
bowl laid out for him and he sat down, but made no move to eat. The time soaking in the bath and given him
the answer.
"Why aren't you eating?" Kaoru asked as
she dabbed at her mouth with napkin. "My
food's not that bad, is it?"
Enishi grabbed her wrist, emitting a
small "Eep!" from her, but when he looked deep into her eyes, her mouth closed
but her eyes widened as he leaned forward.
"Kaoru-dono…" he said softly.
Dono? Kaour
thought, dazed as the soft smell of Enishi's shampoo wafted out to her.
He pulled her up and clasped her in a
tight embrace. "Kaoru…" he said softly,
but there was hint of—something else in his voice. Kaoru struggled to place it.
Determination? No. Seduction?
NO! It was…desperation. Yes, desperation. He was desperate to have someone to love, ever since his sister
was torn from him, he needed someone to love.
He needed her.
Enishi buried his face in her neck and
held her tighter still. "Aishiteru,
Kaoru, aishiteru…" he whispered gingerly, and Kaoru felt his body wince as she
struggled away from him.
"G-gomen nasai, Enishi-kun," she said
ruefully, "I-I…Kenshin…"
Ah yes, the Battousai. Enishi thought furiously. He took everything from him. First it was his sister, now Kaoru! But he managed to suppress his anger, "Yes,
Kaoru, I know."
"Then why…" Kaoru's sentence was cut
short as Enishi embraced her again, his lips pressed against hers, and she felt
something wet against her cheek.
Tears, she
realized. The great Enishi was crying
for her.
Enishi continued to kiss her with a
frenetic passion, finally evoking a response from her as she slowly, but
surely, began to kiss him back. She
mouthed his lips and after she broke it off, she was shocked at what she
did. "What've I done…?"
Enishi took off his shades and wiped his
eyes of the tears. "G-gomen nasai…" he
said quietly, and turned to walk away.
Kaoru watched after him, and after that
she crumpled into a heap, crying and sobbing over the unfairness of it all.
A/n- I DID NOT want it to end like
that! So trust me, all of you are as
disappointed as me. And wheee! I'm going to Ani-Magic 2001 in Lancaster
this October! I was going to go as
Misao in her Oniwabanshuu getup but I don't have time to finish it so I'm going
as Kaoru! Just look for a girl around
twelve in a pink kimono with red flowers dotting it! (Oh and my tag badge says my nickname, Aimi-chan on it, so look
for that too)
Later dayz!
CyberSerpent
PS. BTW, man, this was short!