Author's Notes: Thank you to all of you who have reviewed! I was so excited to read everyone's thoughts and opinions! As promised, since you wonderful people have provided me with reviews, I have completed another chapter. I hope it's better than the first, but I'll have to wait for you to read it and type out your verdict!
Also - I apologize for the delay in updating. This unworthy one got a second job and was tired and lazy as a result. Then said unworthy one was laid off due to too many horses needing time off. Theennn… said unworthy one went traveling to see some friends and family. Please forgive my lack of loyalty with updating *drops into a low apologetic bow*
Now! Without further ado – your update
Chapter One: Tegami Part I
The smacking of bokkens could be heard from all corners of the dojo, accompanied by a string of yells and curses that resonated through the air. A female's voice could be identified as she attempted to reason with a boy's voice packed with fury. The speed of bokkens hitting one another began to steadily increase as the communication between male and female dwindled. If one were to walk by and take notice of the sounds emerging from the yard of the dojo, they would surely think the spar would continue perpetuity. However, ten minutes into the duel a resonating whack could be heard as a bokken finally made contact with its target and thus concluding the fight. There was a grunt of pain, the sound of someone landing on the dojo floor, and the eerie silence that follows the completion of a dual – each opponent sizing up the other.
"Wha…" Yahiko panted from his seat on the floor, "What was that?! That wasn't even fair Busu! How is springing a new kendo move on me at the very end of practice fair?"
Shaking her head disapprovingly Kaoru replied, "First off Yahiko-chan I can use what ever type of kendo move I want in a duel. You should always be ready. Even if I typically reveal a new move to you during the beginning of our practices, you should NOT always expect them to come within that time. Secondly…" Kaoru raised her voice to vent, "where the heck is your head?! Have you been ignoring everything I've taught you thus far? Or are you really that dense?"
Standing from his seat, Yahiko attempted to match Kaoru in stature by pushing his shoulders backwards and sticking out his chest. "What are you talking about Ugly? I've been doing everything correct from the start. Admit it. You're just a terrible teacher," Yahiko exclaimed as he stuck his tongue out at her to prove his point.
Blood boiling from the bottom of her toes to the roots of her hair, Kaoru applied every ounce of will power she possessed and turned away from her pupil. Counting to ten while focusing on nothing, especially not the ranting of Yahiko, Kaoru relaxed herself or at least tried to. It was moments such as these, that Kaoru wished her father was around to aid her in teaching. He had the patience of a saint and was able to logically talk his students down to the point where he could continue teaching again. Yahiko and she were just too similar. Their stubbornness and inability to admit one's mistakes made teaching a strenuous, if not impossible task at times. Today was a prime example of how their mulishness and hotheadedness made training difficult.
"Yahiko! I will not stand for such disrespect during practice. You will clean the entire dojo, dusted, and everything. When I return you will have a report as to why your attacks did not prevail and explain how you will fix them in the future. If you cannot come up with the correct reasons, we will have a second match to promote your ability to analyze yourself during combat. Afterwards you will clean the dojo a second time. If you are still unable to identify areas where you can improve upon, we will keep repeating this cycle until you have learned to concentrate on your moves and are able to focus on yourself, in addition to your opponent. Do you understand?"
Not wanting to increase his punishment, Yahiko pressed his lips together tightly and nodded his head mutedly before getting to work. Sighing in exasperation, Kaoru left the dojo to space herself away from her pupil and the tension that had been created from their training session. Rounding the corner, Kaoru spotted Kenshin washing laundry in the yard. Covering the distance to where he sat, Kaoru collapsed into a heap of irritation in front of him. Too upset to worry about acting graceful or womanly in front of him, Kaoru dove strait to the point.
"Kenshin, what did Hiko-san do to overcome an obstacle you and him faced during training? Whether he had a hard time teaching you new moves or if the both of you were frustrated with one another. As a teacher were there any tactics he used to try and move your schooling forward, while jumping the obstacle that stood in the way of your progression?"
Stopping from his scrubbings Kenshin looked up to the sky and contemplated Kaoru's question. "If one remembers correctly Kaoru-dono, as those practices are a little fuzzy in one's mind, Sessha believes Shishou beat me into the ground until I either learned the technique he was teaching, submitted to his way of thinking, or passed out from exhaustion." Smiling, he scratched his head innocently, while unintentionally mixing bubbles into his tangled mess of red hair. He sheepishly turned to face Kaoru and added, "Most times I lost consciousness and woke up hours later alone in the training field. Shishou was… tough when problems arose from training. Or anything else for that matter."
Shaking her head in disbelief, Kaoru released a breath of air. She should have known better than to ask Kenshin how Hiko handled glitches. Naturally he would blame it on the other person, as there was no way Hiko could possibly be the reason for a setback in training. Throwing her arms over her head and collapsing onto her back, Kaoru sighed while taking note of a passing bird overhead.
"My Sessha ask why you are wondering Kaoru-dono?"
"My dearest pupil and I were butting heads today in training..." Rubbing the growing pressure Kaoru felt in her temples she missed the gentle smile Kenshin wore on his face as he observed her out of the corner of his eye. "I don't suppose you would have any suggestions on how to handle a holdup with Yahiko and I, would you Kenshin?"
"Sessha is afraid not, but this one has faith that you will be able to find the best path of action to take in regards to Yahiko's training. You are, after all Kaoru-dono, his sensei. You are the one who knows young Yahiko best and how he operates."
"Hai Kenshin…" Kaoru replied heavily, "I honestly believe we are simply too similar, which is what gets us into trouble most of the time. Though I'd rather not admit it, we are both easily riled and do not back down." Kaoru turned her head on the ground and smiled up at Kenshin. She held his gaze a moment longer than necessary after noticing a difference in his smile. However, upon blinking her redheaded tenant was back to wearing his silly rurouni expression.
Turning her head away and resuming her stare back to the birds overhead, Kaoru added evilly, "However, now that you mention it Kenshin, beating Yahiko up until he loses consciousness sounds like the perfect route to take."
Hearing Kenshin's chuckles, Kaoru began to relax on the ground with the sounds of laundry being washed and Kenshin's breathing lulling her into a tranquil state. Her last thoughts before she fell asleep were that maybe Yahiko and her just needed to take a break from one another during training and let the dust settle before continuing any further. Or the worst-case scenario she could always crack open a can of whoop ass and whack his bratty little ego into place.
-INSERT BREAK-
"Kaoru…"
Groaning in her groggy state, Kaoru moaned sleepily as she rolled onto her side to return back to the state of blissful unawareness. Nonetheless, the snicker she heard coming from somewhere close, yet so far away, had her awareness slowly returning to her.
"Hey Kenshin! Come here and look at the drool coming out of Kaoru's mouth. I didn't know a single person could create so much saliva! She must be part dog or something. Heyyy! That explains where her ugliness comes from!" Yahiko said in a voice filled with mirth.
Startled at the possibility of drooling in her sleep and Kenshin seeing it, Kaoru abruptly sat up from her resting place and quickly wiped her face with the ends of her sleeves. Turning her attention to her sleeves Kaoru found no wetness and after a quick search of the yard found no Kenshin in the near vicinity. Only a snickering Yahiko to her right.
Standing from her resting spot, Kaoru sent Yahiko a death glare.
"Haha, Yahiko. Very funny." Finally taking in all of her surroundings Kaoru realized how low the sun was in the sky and the drop in temperature. Turning back to Yahiko she asked, "What time is it?"
"Almost dinner time Busu. I was going to wake you up after I was done with the dojo, but Kenshin said to leave you be so you could rest." Yahiko answered with a shrugged.
Stretching out the stiffness from her back, Kaoru shook her head in exasperation. Leave it to Kenshin to let her sleep the whole afternoon away when there was plenty of work to do. While she was tired from her and Yahiko's failed attempt of stalking Megumi and Sano yesterday evening, there was no need for her to snooze away valuable daylight hours.
"Great. Well I suppose we'll have to eat dinner late unless you've come up with a reason for your shortcomings in today's practice."
"I thought you'd realize by now that I am the best student you got sensei!" Yahiko said in his normal cocky tone before shifting his stare downwards to brush off imaginary dirt on his pants. Before Kaoru could tell her pupil otherwise, Yahiko continued, "But if I had to take a guess as to something I could potentially improve on, I would say my Chu-dan position. I could see how someone would come to the hasty assumption that I'm too offensive and need to use my neutral Chu-dan stance more so I can observe my opponent before coming in for the victory blow!" Yahiko exclaimed while adding in a kendo slice with his imaginary bokken for dramatics.
Letting out a breath of air Kaoru shook her head disapprovingly. Some days she found Yahiko's antics to be too much. Despite that and the absurd beginning and ending to his explanation, the middle portion of what he said held some truth. Chewing on her bottom lip in consideration Kaoru debated her options. Option A: Smack him on the head for being an arrogant child and haul his ass back to the dojo to use him as a personal dummy. Or Option B: Give in to the grumbling of her stomach, enjoy the warm meal being prepared by a talented cook, agree to come to a standstill with her pupil, and conclude today's training with a whack on the head for good measures.
Yes. Definitely Option B.
"Alright Yahiko, while you may have over embellished quite a bit with your explanation I think you've hit one of the major points I wanted you to realize. You also need to breath with you stomach instead of your chest." Noticing the glazing over of Yahiko's eyes she quickly drew out her bokken and slapped him on the head.
"YAHIKO! Tell me why belly breathing is better than chest breathing!" Kaoru yelled out.
Rubbing the huge lump that was forming on his head Yahiko replied heatedly, "So you can take in more oxygen and thus have more speed and strength while fighting."
"Annnnd….?"
Rolling his eyes he replied, "And it also gives you an advantage of stealth. If your opponent is unaware of when you are taking in air he is less likely to strike at those times, which is good because you move slower. By using belly breathing your body does not give away when you are inhaling, unlike chest breathing which causes your shoulders to raise and fall."
Nodding her head in conformation Kaoru began to turn toward the kitchen. "Good. That will be all for tonight. Just make sure you review everything you know mentally before combat tomorrow. That will help you immensely in the fighting ring."
Dinner was uneventful but the food was delicious as ever. After finishing their meals Kaoru helped Kenshin clean the table and cooking utensils. They worked simultaneously together. Kenshin washed the dishes as Kaoru dried and place them back into their proper setting. Afterwards she would dust the kitchen and dinning areas and Kenshin would meet her with a dustpan to collect the dirt and throw it away. Following the completion of their work they would retire to their respective rooms, as was their normal routine. At least that's how their evenings at home typically went and why Kaoru was so startled when Kenshin broke from the habitual sequence.
"Kaoru-dono, this one believes it is a beautiful night and was thinking of going for a walk. Sessha would be honored if you would accompanied him to the river and back." Kenshin politely invited Kaoru before quickly adding in, "That is if you aren't too tired."
After recovering from her initial shock at the invite, Kaoru meet Kenshin's hesitant gaze with a bright smile. This unexpected offer was a nice surprise that would have her skipping through the rest of the week on cloud nine.
"That's a great idea Kenshin! I would love to join you for an evening walk. Let me go grab a cover and I'll meet you outside."
Without waiting for a reply Kaoru tried to walk nonchalantly off to her room without looking too eager, but she was sure it looked more like a hurried pace. She didn't care though. Kenshin and her were going for a walk! This evening couldn't get any better! The last time Kenshin and her had walked alone together for pure pleasure was on the beach after he had rescued her – and she had convinced herself he had taken her on that walk to ensure himself she was unharmed and safe. Since then all of their strolls had been purely platonic due to shopping at the market, going to Akabeko for dinner with the gang, or making a visit to see Gensai, Ayame, and Suzume. This was BIG. And she was going to do everything in her power to make it run smoothly and hopefully turn it into an every night occurrence.
Picking out a coat from the closet of her bedroom, Kaoru did a little twirl in her room due to the energy building throughout her. In her clumsiness and excited state she accidently knocked over the storage box containing her hina dolls that was sitting on her table. Momentarily she considered picking up the mess, but didn't want to be late for her walk with Kenshin. Dismissing the mess with the wave of her hand, Kaoru made her way out to the yard, while overlooking the aged paper that had slipped out of the box and floated to the floor…
Walking side by side down the river pathway Kaoru admired the view of the evening. Small diamonds were scattered about the black blanket that surrounded the sky. The flow of the river could be heard mixed with the rustling of long grasses and shrubs that adjoined the shoreline. Small crickets were chirping with one another, while the moon shined bright with all its glory lighting their route. Smiling in contentment Kaoru stole a glance at Kenshin. He seemed to be relaxed, or at least relaxed enough. He wore a comfortable expression and his shoulders weren't held tense.
Shifting her gaze to the road ahead of them Kaoru stuttered step when she caught a glimpse of a lighting bug. No. Relax Kaoru. He isn't leaving. You are merely going for an evening walk. This is not the past. Focus on the present and nothing else. Kenshin had said a walk to the river and back. They were returning home together.
Noticing the change in her demeanor, Kenshin took hold of Kaoru's hand, turned their direction towards the water, and led her to the shoreline.
"This looks like a good place to sit and look at the stars, don't you think Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked with a gentle smile on his face.
Startled by the contact of Kenshin's hand on hers Kaoru looked at him dumbfounded. What were those words that had just come out of his month? After he had taken her hand Kaoru's sense of touch heighten immediately, but left her other senses a little fuzzy. Not wanting to look like a fool, but also not wanting to ruin the moment Kaoru simply nodded her head in agreement to whatever Kenshin had said. Surely it couldn't have been anything bad. As she watched Kenshin lead them to the riverside Kaoru tried to smoothly mimic his behaviors without looking too stiff or clumsy. Studying Kenshin's movements as he released her hand to sit on the ground Kaoru was able to piece together what he had said earlier. Smiling in delight, she took her seat next to him on the cool ground that was slightly damp from the condensation of dew.
Realizing that he was again talking without her attention, Kaoru quickly turned her ears on and tried to conquer the butterflies that were growing in her stomach.
"… those stars to the right," Kenshin pointed to the sky, "there are three stars that form what is called tsuzumi bushi. The three stars that form a line are the middle of the drum, while the strings that go in both direction hold the leather of the drum into place on both sides."
Innocently leaning closer to Kenshin in order to view the stars he was pointing at, she squinted her eyes in concentration and tried to pick out the correct stars and shape being described to her before gasping in delight.
"I see it now Kenshin! It kind of has an hourglass appearance, doesn't it? My father once told me those stars represent the outstretched hand of a delicate woman allowing her kimono sleeve to hang on display draping the southern sky. However, I'll admit I've always seen a man standing alone in the night sky, the three stars being his waist. He always seemed so lonely, yet brave and willing to stand isolated." Realizing she was rambling, Kaoru let an embarrassed laugh escape her and added, "That was just my premise as a young girl looking up at the stars though. It does sounds a little silly now that I'm saying it out loud."
"Not at all Kaoru-dono," Kenshin smiled reassuringly, "When Shessa was in the war some of the men described the man you see in the sky. This one believes they called him Orion. The westerns believed he was a hunter of his own caliber. Both strong and courageous. Your own description isn't too far off from theirs," Kenshin informed her smoothly.
Meeting Kenshin's eyes Kaoru smiled. It was just like him to find a way to make her feel better. Make her feel good about herself and not fear about saying the wrong thing in front of him – even if she did regardless.
"If one remembers correctly, Sessha believe the story follows along the lines of Orion falling in love with a King's daughter." Noticing the attentive look on Kaoru's face Kenshin continued, "The king forbade their union, despite Orion having rid the King's homeland of beasts that had caused the King's villagers trouble for so long. Orion, upset at the king's disapproval of their union, tried to win his maiden over by violence, but was robbed of his sight and tossed out to the seashore by her father. There he met the sun god and had his sight restored by a beam of the sun's light. Later on in his life, Orion met another woman who apparently was a hunter nearly as talented as him. They came to know one another and were beginning to fall in love. However, the huntress' brother did not approve." Pausing to take a breath Kenshin concentrated in an effort to remember the tale correctly.
"What happen next Kenshin?" Kaoru prompted eagerly.
Smiling sadly, Kenshin continued, "Unfortunately Kaoru-dono, this does not have a happy ending. One day the brother took his sister out hunting. During the hunt he spotted Orion swimming far out in the ocean, with nothing but his head bobbing out of the wavy waters. Knowing his vision was better than his sister's, the brother bet that she couldn't hit the black dot floating out at sea. Not wanting to ruin her reputation, the sister strung her bow and aimed for the floating black dot with precision. She released her arrow, which hit its target fatally. The waves rolled the body of Orion to shore, where the sister realized her lethal mistake with tears. In her emotional turmoil she placed Orion in the stars to rest for eternity."
Not quite sure what to say to the ending of the tale, Kaoru turned her attention back to what she would now call Orion and contemplated what Kenshin had just told her. That was nowhere close to the story she had imagined in her head as a child. She hated to admit it, but it bothered her the way the Westerners had portrayed her man in the sky. She had always thought of him as a protector of the peace or a lone man in search of some quest. To discover the Westerners' tale of him was depressing. To have loved twice and never been allowed to experience that was an unfulfilled life. On the other hand, she supposed there was the saying it is better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all.
"I'll admit that tale is a little more extreme than the one I had imagined," Kaoru said quietly, while trying to collect her thoughts of the story to share in a coherent manner. "I feel sorry for Orion. He was not able to experience a relationship with either of the women he had come to have feelings for. Though I am curious as to why he didn't return to the first woman he loved. Weren't his feelings strong enough? Wouldn't it have been better to live with her in friendship than to not live with her at all? Or perhaps his feelings were so strong for her that it was too painful to be so close and not have her? I would think if he was as strong and courageous as they say, he would want to stay close to the princess and be able to protect her if the call ever came." Turning her head to Kenshin she concluded, "In the end, I suppose his life wasn't as sad as the story makes it out to be. He was able to accomplish more in his life than most people. Orion saved villagers from beasts and was able to find love in two different people. I know many people live their entire life without ever finding a person to love – and that to me is a sad life."
Daringly, Kaoru asked, "What's your take on the story Kenshin?"
Continuing to stare at the sky, Kaoru almost thought he was going to ignore her question when he began, "Sessha had also wondered why he never returned to the princess. Did Orion really love her, and if so why didn't he return? Or perhaps his feelings were just from his male ego thinking he deserved the princess since he was the strongest. Maybe he feared and/or respected the king's wish after being defeated? There is the possibility he was too embarrassed to return after displaying open violence and being beaten by the king."
Pausing to turn his head in her direction Kenshin added, "During the war when this one first heard the story, Sessha had brusquely come to the conclusion Orion had got what he had coming for him. To turn his back on the woman he loved and fall in love with another. Sessha thought the ending of Orion's life by the huntress was befitting for his lack of loyalty to the princess. This one had never thought of the story in your way Kaoru-dono. Sessha must agree that despite Orion's life being short, he had accomplished much in his time on earth."
Smiling at Kenshin, Kaoru couldn't help but add, "I believe the saying is, It is better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all, ne Kenshin?"
Kenshin's smile reduced fractionally just as Kaoru realized the mistake she had unwittedly made. Before she could interject, Kenshin had returned to laying on his back and gazing up at the stars before saying in an deflated tone, "Hai, Kaoru-dono. Some people would say that."
Not knowing what else to say in order to save the moment, Kaoru returned back to her vantage point of the stars above. If there was one way she could have royally ruin tonight's outing, she had found it. She wasn't even thinking of Kenshin when she had rattled off that quote. How stupid could she be? The other reason she had disliked the western's version of the story was because it hit too close to home. The second woman who had fallen in love with Orion had killed him unknowingly, just as Kenshin had killed Tomoe. Granted the situations were different, but the end result was the same.
It was nights such as these that made thinking of Kenshin as an assassin and his past truly difficult. Refusing to let herself look at Kenshin, despite wanting to check on him terribly, Kaoru continued her thoughts of all of the trauma he had endured for his beliefs. How he managed to complete his tasks and lose the woman he loved without breaking down mentally was beyond her. Just the thought of losing Kenshin had her heart constricting. If she were the one to land the deathblow on the person she loved, regardless if she was blind, deaf, and unknowing, she wouldn't know what to do. For Kami-sake, she had all but shut down when Kenshin had left her to defend Japan. She hadn't the slightest clue how she would handle the knowledge of being the one to give Kenshin the deathblow. How Kenshin had managed to pull himself out depression, guilt, misery, self-hate, and any other associated emotions were beyond her. He was truly a strong individual. Both physically and mentally.
Thinking back to her earlier comment, Kaoru had always liked the saying it was better to have loved and lost, than to not have loved at all. She had always believed that no matter what the situation, it was better to experience the joy of being in love with someone and lose it than to live your life lonely and isolated. While it was painful for her to love Kenshin from afar, she would rather he be in her life than to not have met him at all. All of the adventures, friendships, and happy times would not have materialized had he not been around. She thanked Kami-sama every day for allowing her to meet the redhead and for his decision to stay at her dojo. However, she could see how Kenshin's experience with Tomoe would have him cringing at that saying. While the feelings he felt for Tomoe and the times they spent together in Kenshin's mind were priceless, it would have been better to not have loved her at all – thus saving her life. And if Kaoru was to be put into Kenshin's position, she would full heartedly agree. Without a second of hesitation she would give up everything, even her friendships with Yahiko, Sano, Megumi, Misao, and everyone she had met to ensure she had never met Kenshin and consequently would avoid ever killing him.
Yes. She had completely ruined tonight's outing.
Something was moving. The constant bump, bump, bump had Kaoru slowly returning to an awakened state that she didn't want to be in. Groaning, Kaoru tried to stop the motion by snuggling deeper into her pillow. Trying to puzzle together why her bed was moving Kaoru sighed contently as she breathed in the smell of ginger and forest. That's funny… it smelled just like Kenshin. Snuggling deeper into the warmth of her bed Kaoru was disturbed when she heard her pillow rumble as if it were chuckling. Cracking an eye open, Kaoru surveyed her surroundings. She was most definitely not in bed. It appeared as though she was on the main street heading back in the direction of the dojo about three blocks away from home and something constrictive was holding her. Kaoru looked up to see violet eyes crinkled by a smile observing her. Startled at her new surroundings she quickly tried to get herself out of Kenshin's arms and stand on her own two feet, but was stopped by the tightening of his strong arms.
"Mau Kenshin! I have two feet to carry myself. There's no need for you to carry my body weight around. You should have woken me up when you were ready to leave," Kaoru explained and she continued to struggle fruitlessly in an attempted to get down.
Smiling in response Kenshin replied in a calm voice that didn't seem the least bit strained due to carrying her, "There is no need to worry Kaoru-dono. We are almost to the dojo and I have kept you out late. The least I can do is carry you home." Then with a hint of amusement in his voice he added, "Especially after how grumpy you were at the prospect of getting up. You only agreed to come home after Sessha suggested that I carry you."
Kaoru ceased her struggling and turned a deep shade of red at the horror of what she had just heard. What had she done in her sleepy state?! Gulping down the fear she felt cultivating Kaoru asked, "Did I say anything else that I'm not aware off Kenshin?"
Shrugging casually, Kenshin shook his head and said, "Not really Kaoru-dono."
The growing feeling of doom amplified in her stomach. "What do you mean not really? It's kind of a yes or no question Kenshin."
"You asked Sessha why we don't do this more often and this one did not have a proper answer so Sessha told you this one wasn't sure. You drowsily told me we should do this more frequently. This one believes you said something along the lines of 'if it ain't broken don't fix it' though Sessha is unsure how that applies."
Oh Kami. They weren't even courting and she was already being clingy and trying to get Kenshin to spend more alone time with her. Isn't that something that all men hated? She'd probably scared him off for good with her luck. Why did she always have to push for more? Why couldn't she wait for Kenshin to suggest it – even if that would take eternity?
"Which this one happily agreed to."
Wait. What was that he just said? He actually wanted to spend more time with her? Or was he just being nice? But if he was being nice he could have ignored the whole situation since she didn't remember it ever taking place. Could this be the break through she'd been waiting for or was this just an opportunity to get away from the dojo? On top of all of that, how could he be interested in spending more time with her after the comment she had made?
The growing silence had Kenshin beginning to second-guess himself, "But this one understands if you would rather spend nights at the dojo as we normally do. After all Kaoru-dono you work very hard and this one understands that if…"
"No! That sounds like a wonderful idea Kenshin! I mean… that is if you aren't too busy during the nights or are too tried," Kaoru interrupted him hastily.
Smiling, Kenshin replied gently, "Sessha believes that is a good idea Kaoru-dono."
Kaoru averted her gaze from him to keep her blushing to a minimum after the conversation they had just had. Luckily for her, they had reached the dojo gates and Kenshin was releasing his grip on her so that she could stand. They quietly locked the gate and walked in the directions of their rooms while trying to avoid waking Yahiko. They came to a stop outside of Kaoru's bedroom door as Kenshin appeared to be hesitating.
"Kaoru-dono, this one would like to thank you for the evening and wish you good night." Kenshin spoke softly.
Kaoru made contact with Kenshin's eyes and whispered quietly as if not to break the serenity of the moment, "Thank you for the evening walk Kenshin. I hope you have a good night and I'll see you in the morning."
Glad she hadn't stuttered or turned as red as a tomato during their closing comments Kaoru turned to her bedroom and slid the door shut behind her. Grinning like a fool she made her way to the futon and flopped ungracefully onto it. Looking at the ceiling, Kaoru went over the events of the day minute by minute. After scrutinizing over everything she could possibly think of she was certain that the events of today were big. She wasn't sure what had ignited this change in Kenshin, but was just down right thrilled it was happening. While she was certain most of it had to do with Kenshin's gentle nature, Kaoru was positive the continuing of these walks had the potential to lead to a more in-depth relationship.
Rolling onto her belly, Kaoru observed her room while mentally assessing her future plans. Should she change her appearance, maybe pack an evening snack, or perhaps bring some candlelight on their next outing? Or keep everything the same and wait on Kenshin to make their time together more intimate? Rolling her eyes at her stupidity Kaoru let a puff of annoyed air escape her. Even if this was a change and did have the potential to lead to more, she needed to keep her hopes at least somewhat grounded. This was Kenshin she was talking about and she couldn't expect a miracle over night, let alone over a year. What she needed to do was accept what was given to her and enjoy it for what it was.
Standing up, Kaoru walked over to change into her sleeping yamaka when her eyes caught a slip of paper on the ground next to the knocked over storage box that contained her hina dolls. Stepping over to the grab the paper, Kaoru bent down and grabbed it before identifying the seal on it. Her father's. Scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, she quickly made her way back to the futon and sat.
Licking her lips in anticipation, she broke the seal with shaking hands and mentally read with the voice of her father…
Glossary:
Busu- ugly
Dono – miss (aka Miss Kaoru)
Ne – okay
Sessha – unworthy one