My Memories of You
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Four years after his first date with Kaoru, Kenshin, helped by Sano, bought the old dojo. They had developed a good relationship, the brother's in laws, and they even started a business that was making them quite wealthy. Kaoru had finished her Bachelor's, in via to start her master's degree, and the couple was happy. Kenshin was always after her, and Kaoru was always asking to be chased. He was a happy man then; a successful career, money, luxury and was in plans of a total reconstruction of the place; they had the materials bought, some items were custom made and other's as old as the house. Sano helped buy the place because of the large training room, and the old fashioned bathroom. Kenshin had more personal matters; it would become his family's home. He'd considered eventually buying Sano's part, and keeping the property so he could marry comfortably and having a place to bring his new wife, but then why bother? The three brothers and Kenshin had developed an intimate relationship, and it was as if they'd been family forever. Sano had agreed to help Kenshin buy the house because he had won over the family's love; Megumi was her new best friend, Yahiko was always after her for some advice on how to handle swords and Kenshin... Well the redhead was so much in love in her that it was pathetic. But such was love; Sano was happy for his friend. Already engaged to be married, Kenshin was so thrilled that he only spoke about Kaoru, and had his friends going nuts about wedding plans and house arrangements and how good love was...
The train wreck report had situated the accident at 10:23, barely a minute after he'd gotten home. Of course he'd gotten the news much later, about three hours later.
A little funeral was done in Kaoru's honor, even when nothing remained of her body. Kenshin refused to assist, even when it was done in the dojo itself, and a few dozen people asked for him. But Megumi kept a smile on her face, and told to helped the group move on as they were trying to do. Kenshin refused to eat for a while, or any psychological help, Only Sano and Megumi could seem to enter his room to leave food and water and pain pills for him. But nothing worked; he kept trapped in his room not answering to any one and quiet. Sano could hear him sobbing at the wee hours of the night, and it broke his heart.
"He's still waiting for the train to come back." Had mused Megumi, after exiting Kenshin's room one night, crying.
It took ten long months for Kenshin to finally leave his room in total control of his emotions, he would work from home, and so they made the small storage room an office for Kenshin and Sano to work at. At first it was awkward to have him there, quietly dealing with paperwork and sometimes losing him to the photograph of Kaoru he kept on his desk. But Sano knew his friends would eventually get over things. Sometimes he would turn to ask Kenshin something and would see him crying, probably the redhead hadn't noticed it, and Sano would hand him a tissue. Other times the man would ignore the phone, because he wasn't really in the office, but million miles off staring at the garden where Kaoru used to walk by, carrying lunch. But mostly he would work all day and then retire to his room for a while, apparently exhausted.
Megumi had gotten him to eat some healthy stuff, and in matter of weeks Kenshin seemed to be doing better, actually recovering. But it wasn't until Sano got in late one morning that ne noticed why that was; Kaoru's picture had been neatly folded and placed against the desk's surface; he hadn't taken it out just obscured the fact that she wasn't there any more. They never spoke about it.
The day the first anniversary of Kaoru's death came by Sano went to work to realize he was reliving that faithful day again; Kenshin was out, returned and exactly 1:32 p.m. Kenshin lost it; he went nuts trashing his room, screaming at how he'd lost her, how miserable he was, how he'd lost everything he was, anything he needed because of death. Neither of the friends or family knew how to deal with this strange breakdown, and Kenshin was heavily drugged and set to sleep with Megumi beside him.
The next day everything went back to normal.
To say everybody was puzzled was an understatement. But life went on, and more work got done, Kenshin finally moved work to his old office and decided that he couldn't work there any longer so moved the entire office home; thing that vexed secretaries, business partners and Sanosuke. Kenshin traveled mainly by train to finish business deals and such, and returned home as usually calm. He also met the daughter of a very powerful business partner, a woman of pale completion and lovely features; Tomoe her name was and she seemed very interested on him. But Kenshin couldn't really respond to her, he was too much filled with grief. Her father suggested she worked with Kenshin and Sano, being a great record keeper and personal assistant, and so they took her in.
another year went by and the same thing happened. In the second anniversary of Kaoru's death the breakdown was far worse; he broke several items, antiques really, and trashed his room again. It took Sano and Aoshi to hold him down so Megumi could sedate him.
Again the next day things were normal.
That was when Sano decided to move in with Kenshin, so did Yahiko and to some extend Megumi. Kenshin needed them; and only now did they realize; and it helped. When the third anniversary rolled by things were so chaotic, a little messy and worrisome, but not as bad as before. Tomoe was a big help, she kept things quiet, made sure all of Kenshin's paperwork got done (and some of Sano's too) and hid away Kaoru's old photograph. She brought joy to Kenshin's gray life.
To Megumi it was hasty to have Kenshin date Tomoe, it was way too fast; he hadn't really heal of Kaoru's death. And she didn't like the pale beauty, she seemed too perfect. But Misao and Sanosuke believe the older sister to be jealous.
Sano was sort of glad for the dating; but realized Megumi might be right when the fourth anniversary came round. It was the worst episode to date; half the house got trashed when Kenshin couldn't find Kaoru's photograph, and Tomoe was forced by Yahiko and Misao to bring the box of memories out. Only then did Kenshin calmed.
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Hence Sanosuke was surprised when Kenshin had only thrown a few items about, and was so calmly requesting for hamburgers and ice cream for dinner. The door to the house opened and Megumi hurried in, still trying to take off her shoes.
"I am so sorry I'm late. Traffic was horrible. How is he?"
"Fine." Silence. "He asked for hamburgers and ice cream."
Megumi was confused. "What? Where is he?"
"Shower, he asked me not to call Tomoe and to buy hamburgers and chocolate ice cream." Said Sano, holding Megumi's shoulders. "That means he's better right?" The doctor remained quiet, apparently thinking on how Kenshin's actions defy all reason and logic and the very foundations of the laws of physics, and could only come to a simple conclusion.
"I guess so."
They spent all night remembering love, laughter and tears. Time moves rather fast and soon enough a New Year came round. And again they just get together and share little things; but they all know sadness is something inevitable.
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"Your brother's gone nuts." Announced Sanosuke, entering Megumi's office without knocking, door ajar and looking completely bewildered. And that was quite the statement coming from such a... how to describe it? Insane. Megumi stared at him, worried and annoyed at the same time.
"Have you ever heard of the concept of knocking?"
"If I know I take away the surprise factor."
"Get Out!" she said, kicking him out of her office. After Megumi was done with her patient, who didn't dare look Sanosuke in the eye and was still blushing like a tomato, the doctor called the man in. So Sanosuke entered the office, in a similar manner he'd entered before.
"Kenshin's gone absolutely raving, did you know that? How can I care about knocking on a time like this?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Your brother! He just proposed to the pale broad!"
"Tomoe?" Megumi got up, hurrying to close the door and turning drastically to him. "What are you saying?"
"Takeda offered a deal for the company and Kenshin took it without consulting me. He'll seal the deal marrying the broad." He spelled out simply, annoyed. "He can't marry her! He's not even over Jo-chan yet!"
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"Yes I heard you," some more garbling on the phone. "Megumi regardless of what Sano thinks I believe I am entitled to go on with my life." A bit of silence. "Yes, I understand, yes. But right now I can't sit and talk about it, why don't we get together for dinner tonight? … I'm sure you'll get there." And Kenshin hung up; he'd been struggling with almost everyone since the news broke out and shaking his head Kenshin just sighed. As he told Megumi he was entitled to go on with his life, many had encouraged him to do so and now that he did the same ones that had been rooting for him were freaking out?
It made no sense.
Probably it was because they didn't understand Kenshin's new and improved vision on marriage. It served to merge industries and families, but since the woman he wished to merge souls with was now gone and unable to marry him… Truth was Kenshin was tired of been alone. Lady Tomoe was a good, gentle and honest woman and it surprised Kenshin the fact that his new surrogated family was scandalized in the fact that he wished to marry her, even if it was a simple arranged marriage. It was true that he had not yet gotten over Kaoru, the mere mention of the name in a crowed place, especially when a man was calling, always made him turn just to make sure it was not his Kaoru. It was pathetic, worrisome and sad, but he still visited several places they used to visit together.
Like the park they usually strolled in, or the coffee shop where she would buy those diet-breaking smoothies and cakes. Or he would just sit under the sakura tree, just because she planted it. He was more than sure he would not come to love Lady Tomoe with all her refined manners and the cooking skills, or even her tea making abilities… But he would get busy, the business was doing great and there were talks of expansions all over the city, and probably to Kyoto. He'd started training again, that kept him busy for hours in the weekends, and why not? He might even fall for Tomoe, given enough time.
The door opened, and the woman stepped into the office, balancing a tray with tea and cakes while some folders hung from under her arm. Kenshin moved quickly towards her and took the folders, announcing his wishes to help her. "You didn't have to bring the files, I'm sure the interns would have copied everything."
"I wanted to help." She murmured, blushing.
"You are helping already." He said smiling, and walked with her to the desk.
"I've brought tea, it's almost three already."
"You are a lifesaver, that you are." He mused moving around the desk to sit back down. His cell phone started ringing again, the screen announcing it was Sano and Kenshin just ignored it. "Would you have tea with me?"
"Are you going to answer that?"
"No, that I will not." And he lifted one of the little cakes and tasted.
Yep, he could get used to this.