Chapter 8! I know I said I was going to get this out before the weekend, but obviously that didn't happen. (Sigh) I really, really, really wanted to and I had planned to write it out on Friday, but life (aka getting ready for Animefest) got in the way and I didn't even get a chance to sit down. By the time I even potentially had time, I had about 20 minutes left at home. And even though I can type fast, I can't type a (good) 3K word chapter in 20 minutes. So, that's my bad. I'm working on it now though. Labor day. The best day to finish a story. Unless I get distracted by someone... but that shouldn't be for another few hours. He's busy right now. Hehe.

Anyway. Enough of my excuses. Rurouni Kenshin: I do not own. Boo hiss. Enjoy. (Smiles)


Welcome home? Her mind asked. That was all he had to say to her?

She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and stifled a yawn. "Thanks." She turned her head to look at the clock. It was just past dinner time. "Did everyone go home?" She asked, looking back at him.

"No, they're still downstairs. I just wanted to come up and see how you were doing." What a change from the day before. Was he pretending that it never happened?

"About the other day-" She started, but he cut her off by holding up his hand.

"Don't." He said. "I acted wrongly." He started, avoiding her gaze. "I apologize. It wasn't you who wrote those words. It was Tomoe. I trusted her with everything that I possibly could. I..." Kenshin paused, thinking of how to go about saying what he needed to. "I feel like she betrayed me and Akira. I want to hate her, but I can't. It just hurts."

She sat up and tried to look into his amethyst eyes, but he still couldn't look at her. "Your heart or your pride?"

That got a reaction out of him. He whipped his head towards her, his eyes wide. "What?" He sounded appalled by the question.

It was her turn to look away, slightly uncomfortable. She looked towards her hands which were now playing with her comforter. "When I went to my dad's house this weekend, I also saw Akira." His eyes darkened; not with anger, but with masked sadness. He moved to get off the bed, but she reached forward and grabbed his wrist. "Wait. Hear me out."

He tried to pull his wrist out of her hold, but she held on. "Kaoru, let go."

"Listen!" She shouted making his eyes widened. She rarely yelled at him. Sure, she got mad from time to time, but hardly did she ever have this sort of reaction to anything. "I went to talk to him about Tomoe."

"I know..." He whispered before sighing. He looked at her hand, still wrapped around his wrist. He didn't move. "Tell me what he said."

"Will you sit down first?" She asked.

"Why?" He gave her a funny look.

"Because I want to make sure you actually want to listen and aren't going to bolt for the door when you hear something you don't like." She explained.

Kenshin sighed and sat down again, and in turn, she released his wrist.

She slid to the edge of the bed to sit next to him. "We talked about how Tomoe felt about Akira and how she felt about you. Everything that you read, we talked about. He told me about his time with her, and I told him ours. We talked about her pregnancies and how they could have been yours."

He looked at her. "No, they weren't. Every pregnancy she had... they were his."

Kaoru's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"Tomoe and I rarely had sex and if we did, we used a condom." He surprised her. "At one point in time, Tomoe became distant. Every thought imaginable came into mind. Was she cheating on me? Did she want to break up? Was she not satisfied?" He gave a humorless laugh. "I never wanted to be burdened with such a responsibility at such a young age." He looked in Kaoru's eyes; it was like looking into her soul. "Everything quickly went back to normal, but in the back of my mind, I was still paranoid about what it could have been."

"Did you fall out of love with Tomoe?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin shook his head. "No. I was determined to spend the rest of my life with her. I guess Akira felt the same way."

She looked away from him; heartsick at the words that escaped her mouth. "I told him that I thought they were soul mates."

"You did what?" He asked, stunned.

"Even knowing that you were in the picture, he loved her unconditionally. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. They were married, Kenshin. Even after all this time, she's still alive to him. He still honors the vows he made to her. The way he talks about her... he's never once doubted her." She received a glare from him at that. "You had every right to suspect her because she did cheat on you. I meant to say that even knowing about everything that he did, he never once doubted her feelings. He was willing to wait forever for her. Could you have done that?"

Kenshin sighed, looking at the wall in front of him. "No. I don't like competing for someone's affections."

Kaoru was silent for a moment. "I was surprised when I found out that she was married. She used to be all about you." She smiled at the memory.

"What do you mean?" Kenshin looked at her again.

Kaoru lay back to look at the ceiling. "We had just started junior high. She had met you a few weeks earlier and every chance she got, she would talk about you. When mom was alive, she would listen in the place of Tomoe's own mother, who, even back then, was never home. She would smile and tell Tomoe all these things that she could say to you, but that she had to be sincere in her feelings." She chuckled to herself. "After that, she had me find out where you hung out with friends and what your usual routine was." She looked at him from her place on the bed, and his eyes were wide. He had no idea. "Honestly, it was a lot easier than I thought. You didn't know I existed so I could always follow you without you noticing. I would come back and tell Tomoe everything that I could about you."

Kenshin lay down beside her and she continued her memory. "Mom died a year later." She wrapped her arms around herself, recalling the memory. "It was a hard time. I couldn't have made it without Tomoe." He already knew that, though. She turned on her side to look at him. "I couldn't have made it through that without you either." She admitted.

"You didn't even know me." He replied.

"I knew everything I could about you because of Tomoe. Even though it was a hard time in life, when I needed to be distracted from the pain, she would tell me all about you. What she had found out or what your conversations were together." Kaoru looked back at the ceiling. "At one time, I honestly thought I was in love with you." She made a noise at the back of her throat. She didn't want to look at Kenshin. She didn't want to see the expression on his face at her confession. She didn't want to feel the rejection. She had always liked Kenshin, no matter what she had verbally announced or how she acted towards him. He was with her best friend, so it was her duty to let them be happy. She couldn't have ever interfered with that.

Kenshin stared at the ceiling as well, not sure of how to reply. He never would have expected that from Kaoru. How wrong he had been about her all this time. "I did notice you." He admitted to her. She had shared so much with him, so he wanted to do the same.

She looked at him. Without any warning, she rolled over and held herself above him, looking into his eyes and blocking his view of the ceiling. "What do you mean you noticed me?"

He smiled at her outrageous gesture and look. "When you started following me. I knew you were following us; I just didn't think you were following me specifically. At first, I thought you were going to be annoying and approach us. We got that a lot, and it old very fast. After a few weeks, I just expected you to be there, so I didn't mind that you followed us, as long as you didn't approach us." Kaoru's mouth dropped open, but he went on. "After you stopped coming around, we just brushed it off without thinking about it." He looked into her blue eyes, trying to find out how she felt in her silence. "After Tomoe and I started talking frequently, I saw you again... with her. It's when she introduced us. I didn't want to humiliate you by calling you out, so I just left it at that, and formally met you then."

She looked down at him. "You couldn't have pulled me off to the side and asked me?" She smiled.

"Whether it had been us two or in front of a group, I didn't want to humiliate you in any sort of way, so I didn't." Kenshin explained. "I was definitely surprised by your personality when I did meet you though."

"Shocking, wasn't I?" She asked, smiling some more.

"Yes." Kenshin smiled back. "Very."

She rolled off of Kenshin and flopped down by him. "After mom died, I went through a wild stage. I drank a lot, even at a young age; my father never found out. Tomoe had you by then. I felt alone most of the time, so I just became this total party animal. I would go get drunk with high schoolers on the weekend. I would have sex with friends of my friends. I was a total mess." Kaoru sighed. "I stopped after a pregnancy scare. Megumi caught me throwing up in the bathroom and confronted me about it."

"You weren't pregnant though." He commented; she could feel his eyes on her.

Kaoru shook her head. "No. She asked if I was coming down with something. I was never good at lying to her. I was so scared of her calling me out on such a huge lie, that I just spilled my guts to her right then and there." She laughed at the ridiculousness of the scene. "After school she took me to an anonymous clinic. I wasn't pregnant; I just came down with the flu."

"What would you have done if you were pregnant?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru turned her head to look at him then. She knew where he was going. Tomoe hadn't told him, and he wanted to know if she was the same. "I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not sure. If I needed help, I would have found the father and told him. I was a one night stand, though. So, I really doubt he would have cared let alone help. There would have been too much drama, so I probably would have just done it by myself." He opened his mouth, but she added on. "Had I been in a relationship, I would have told him. You're supposed to be there for each other, so I would have asked for his help."

He nodded; not sure of what else to say. He didn't want to make this any more awkward than it already potentially was.

There was a knock at the door; no doubt their friends that he had left downstairs. "Come in." Kaoru answered.

The door opened and revealed Hiko. "You're annoying friends are tearing up my living room. I suggest the two of you get out there so we can all eat." He scowled.

Kaoru leaned up on her elbows. "You haven't eaten yet?" She asked, looking between the two of them.

"No." Kenshin smiled, following suit.

"We've been waiting for you to wake up." Hiko added. "It's getting cold, though. So hurry the hell up." He finished before closing the door.

Kenshin slowing pushed himself off the bed and turned to face her. He held his hand out. "You ready?"

She nodded and took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. They began towards the door, but she stopped him. "Hey Kenshin?"

He looked back at her.

"Had I been Tomoe, I would have told you." That didn't make up for the hurt that he had felt, but she wanted him to know.

He gave her a smile and took a step toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist; placing his forehead against hers. "I know." He kissed her for the first time in what felt like such a long time. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to hers. It had been weeks since they had been like this; since he told her father that she could move in with him.

They had been through so much in such a short time. They were hot and cold with each other sometimes, but no matter what happened this always felt right.


When they finally made it downstairs, Misao and Sano were sitting in corners, Aoshi was sitting on the sofa talking to Hiko and Megumi was in the other room, talking on the phone.

Kaoru looked to around and approached Hiko. "Why are they in a corner?"

Hiko looked at the two, momentarily noticing that they were holding hands. He gave a small smile before answering. "They were acting like children, so they're being treated like children." He looked past the two. "Are you two done?" He asked.

Misao turned around and looked at Sano and then Hiko. "Yes." She muttered, holding the face of a sulking five-year-old.

Kaoru laughed as Sano answered the same way.

"Then you may come join us adults again." He stood up as Megumi entered the room. "Dinner is ready to be served." He gestured for the boys to follow him.

"What about them?" Sano whined.

"It won't hurt you to get dinner for your girlfriend." Kenshin smiled. Aoshi rolled his eyes.

"What, they can't do it themselves?" He asked, oblivious.

"Ouch." Kaoru laughed as the four disappeared around the corner. "Sometimes I wonder who wears the pants in the relationship, Megumi." She teased.

Megumi sighed as her shoulders slumped. "I wonder the same thing sometime."

Kaoru and Misao burst into laughter.

"I wish he were as dominant in the relationship as he was in the bed." She admitted. That only made the other two laugh even harder.

"That bad, huh?" Kaoru asked sympathetically.

"He's like a completely different person." She confided in them. "I guess it's not so bad. I could have it much worse."

"Just tell his ass to man up." Misao piped in.

"It isn't that easy." She replied.

"It should be." Kaoru smiled. "But knowing Sanosuke, you're probably right."

"Why is my relationship so complicated?"

"Please, you wouldn't have it any other way." Kaoru said. "You love him and you know it."

"Oh, I know." She smiled.

"Besides, it could be worse. You could be cheating on him and him find out." Misao let slip. She quickly slammed her hand over her mouth.

"What did you say?" Kaoru asked, her eyes widening.

"Oh, nothing." She tried to back pedal.

Kaoru shook her head. "Kenshin told you."

"Well, no..." Misao started.

"Kenshin told Aoshi." Megumi said, giving the youngest of them a mocking glare. "Aoshi told Misao and she blabbed to everyone else."

"Hey-" Misao started.

"No, it's fine." Kaoru interrupted her. "As much as it was Tomoe's secret, it was Kenshin's as well. It's his right to tell who he chooses to. At least there's no secrets about who knows now, right?"

"Right." They turned to see the guys coming back into the room.

Kenshin handed Kaoru her food before he sat down beside her. Everyone began eating before Sano opened his mouth. "We've only got a few more weeks before graduation." They all looked at each other. "Do you know where you're going to college?" He asked them.

"Kyoto." Aoshi and Misao replied. They weren't separating from each other; everyone knew that.

"I'm interning at a local hospital after high school. I'll start school a little later." Megumi said. She already had a job in place. She only needed to go to school so a piece of paper could tell her she was qualified to do what she wanted.

Sano shrugged. "I don't think I'm going to college." No one was really surprised. "It's been hell getting through high school. I don't know how I would make it through university." Everyone snickered. Megumi made the comment that he didn't need to go. She would make enough to support the both of them. Everyone laughed at her embarrassed expression and Sano kissed her on the cheek, telling her that he looked forward to growing old together.

Kenshin looked down at his food. "It's either Kyoto or Tokyo. I haven't decided yet." He admitted. Like Megumi, he already had his future planned out. He only needed the paper to prove he was capable to do what he wanted. Aoshi was the same.

Kaoru only smiled. She felt a little hurt inside that they could be separating, but this was his life. Officially, they weren't anything other than friends. She looked at the group. "I'm going to Tokyo." She would be by herself, most likely. Kenshin would most likely pick Kyoto. Aoshi was going there and it gave him better opportunities than what Tokyo could.

"Are you going there because that's where Tomoe wanted to go"?" Misao asked curiously.

"Misao!" Megumi hissed.

"What? Everyone was wondering. I was just asking." She explained.

Kaoru laughed at them. "No. I'm going there because that's where my mom was."

None of her friends had known that. By the time Kaoru had come along, her mother was a stay-at-home wife and mother.

"Oh. So following in your mother's footsteps?" Sano asked.

They all looked at her.

"Not exactly." She smiled. "I'm just going to take that she taught when she worked there. Her student teacher who worked beside her is now in her place." She admitted. "From what I understand, the curriculum is still the same. Everything is the same. I just want to see how my mom lived her life when everything was okay." She explained.

"So you don't have a major picked out." Aoshi observed.

"None. I'm hoping something will come to me sooner or later."

Kenshin cut off the next person who opened their mouth. "Just do things at your own pace." He smiled. Kaoru only smiled back and they all went back to eating. Sitting in the suddenly awkward silence.


Later that night as Kaoru lay in her bed, thinking about graduation Kenshin entered her room without knocking. She looked at him and smiled. "What would you have done if I were naked?" She teased.

"I would have apologized." He said while approaching her.

She laughed as he sat down on the side of her bed. "You it make your reconsider knocking?"

"You aren't changing and you don't sleep naked, so probably not." He grinned.

"I might surprise you one day." She laughed again at his surprised expression. "So what has you walking into my room unannounced." He knew she didn't mind. If she did, she would have said something before now.

"I just came to see how you were doing." He said. "All that graduation talk kind of ended today on a bad note. School is tomorrow which makes it even worse."

"Today wasn't all bad. Graduation talk certainly isn't going to change that." She countered, thinking of their kiss. "Besides, if you think it's a bad end, today isn't over yet."

"I guess it isn't." He smiled as he leaned over her, encouraging her to meet him halfway.

Kaoru smiled as she leaned up while wrapping her hand around his neck, pulling him down to her and placed her lips against his. Every kiss until now had been soft and gentle. What they shared now was hot and demanding. All consuming; possessive. Their tongues wrestled with each other as their hands touched slid up and down each other's bodies. They needed this, but they couldn't get wrapped up in each other yet. Kenshin pulled back, but not before nipping Kaoru's lower lip.

"Thank you." Kenshin pressed his forehead to hers.

"Would you stay tonight?" She asked him, feeling bold.

"I'm always here." He said.

"You know what I mean." Kaoru said.

Kenshin smiled. "I know. I just want to see if you'll actually ask."

Her face flamed, her boldness evaporating. Her turned her head to avoid his eyes. "Would you stay in here, with me, tonight?" She asked, just above a whisper.

"Where did your fire go?" He teased.

"Embarrassment killed it." She muttered.

Kenshin laughed. He never thought her to be shy or nervous. This was definitely a new side for him. "I'll stay with you." He answered before he turned her head and kissed her again.

"You like teasing me, don't you?"

Kenshin's smile grew wider. "Yes." She blushed. "Remember when you told me earlier that you thought you were in love with me when you and Tomoe talked?" He asked.

Kaoru looked at him, curious. "Yes?"

"I'm glad you told me that. I used to think that I had feelings for you as well." He admitted. Kaoru's face flashed pain before she hid it. He gave her a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry." He told her. "They're all coming back now."


LONGEST. CHAPTER! Yeah! Okay, so I hope you like this. I realize this chapter and the end of last chapter have happened in the same day, but deal with it. :P This is possible because it's a fanfiction. People can fall in love in a day if they wanted to here. But they aren't going to, because that's honestly farfetched. So, yeah. I hope you all like this chapter. We're nearing the end. Not sure how near yet, but we are. Questions, comments, concerns?

-K