Dear To My Heart

Chapter 14: Confession

I'm updating quickly this time! I debated waiting a little longer, but I figured, I'm working on college stuff, I've got time for a break, right? (Wrong, but hey… that's not how people's minds usually work.) So here you go!

Disclaimer: Almost forgot… I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

The next morning, Kaoru woke to see her older sister still sitting on the edge of the bed, dozing with her head at a slant on her shoulder. Kaoru sat up and gently shook Megumi awake.

"Meg-chan. Wake up, Meg-chan," Kaoru called quietly.

Megumi stirred tiredly and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a couple times and upon noticing Kaoru peering at her, she yelped, "Kaoru! You're awake!"

"Megumi, are you okay? Did you stay with me all night? You could've just slept next to me, you know," Kaoru said worriedly.

"Well," she yawned. "I did sleep here all night, but don't worry, I'm fine. Why don't you get dressed."

Kaoru nodded and stood, slowly pulling on her kimono, as if pondering something of extreme importance. Megumi sighed and walked over to her sister. She put a comforting hand on her shoulder and whispered, "No matter how you stall, Kaoru, you'll still have to face him. It's just a matter of time."

Kaoru sighed too. "I know, Megumi. I just don't know what to say. Or how to say it. I care about Kenshin. Probably too much. I don't think I can pull myself out of this without sinking in deeper first."

"Oh, Kaoru. Have some faith. I believe in you. Just believe in yourself. He'll understand if he cares about you as much as I think he does," Megumi told her little sister.

"Thanks, Meg-chan. What would I do without you?" Kaoru smiled up at Megumi warmly. Megumi's only response was a laugh and push out the door.

Kaoru thought herself confident until she neared her room. All confidence fled her abruptly when she reached her bedroom. She couldn't do it. She didn't want her bodyguard to leave her. After what seemed like an eternity, she raised a hand to knock at the shoji. The shoji was thrown open a mere second after Kaoru's fist left the rice paper. Suddenly, she felt herself pulled into the room and into a pair of strong arms. The shoji slid shut behind her.

"Kaoru, you worried me. I thought something happened when you didn't return," Kenshin murmured into her neck.

"D-Didn't Komime give you the message?" Kaoru replied numbly.

"Of course. But I didn't know what to make of it. I could feel her troubled ki. She was worried. She told me you looked like you'd been crying. I don't ever want to see you cry, Kaoru. I'll never let anything hurt you. What happened last night that you couldn't return to tell me?" Kenshin asked, pulling away, revealing his frantic gaze.

"Kenshin. Do you care about me?" Kaoru blurted out.

Kenshin blinked in confusion. "Of course I care about you, Kaoru. Why?"

"How much, Kenshin?" she prodded further.

"A lot. I care a lot about you," Kenshin mildly clarified, still not grasping what Kaoru wanted from him.

"Because… about what happened with my parents yesterday…" Kaoru trailed off.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Iie, I'm not hurt. But, Kenshin… I don't want to get married!" Kaoru suddenly burst into tears.

"What?" Kenshin pulled her into his arms again, thoroughly confused. 'Marriage? What did marriage of all things have to do with their conversation?' he wondered.

"I'm betrothed, Kenshin," Kaoru whispered nearly inaudibly into his chest.

Kenshin froze. She was betrothed? Had he fallen in love with a betrothed woman? "I see," Kenshin said, his voice devoid of emotion, releasing Kaoru from his warm embrace.

"Iie!" Kaoru cried, clutching at his gi desperately, refusing to let him go. "I knew you would take it this way! That's why I didn't want to tell you! Please let me explain, Kenshin! I don't want to marry Sanosuke! I – "

"Sanosuke?" Kenshin swung around, the one name torn sharply from his lips. Kaoru looked up into his eyes and gasped in shock. His eyes were a fierce, glittering amber.

"H-Hai. My parents decided. I am betrothed to Sagara Sanosuke. But – "

"Kuso!" Kenshin swore.

"Kenshin, just listen to me. I don't want to marry him, because – " Kaoru tried to explain for the third time, patience wearing thin.

"I can't believe this!" Kenshin bit out furiously.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru yelled. "Why won't you let me finish? I don't want to marry Sano, because I'm in love with you!"

"Wh-What?" Kenshin gasped, breath catching. Suddenly, his throat seemed to close up on him. He could hardly believe what he'd just heard.

Kaoru took a deep breath as she tried desperately to calm her racing heart. "Kenshin. I just said that… I love you."

"You… You do?" Kenshin stammered.

"H-Hai," Kaoru murmured, looking away uncertainly.

"I-I… do you mean that?" Kenshin whispered, head still reeling from the new information.

"Hai, I mean what I say. I'm in love with you, Himura Kenshin," Kaoru repeated, her voice quiet.

"I love you too," Kenshin replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kaoru's eyes widened in shock. "Y-You love me?" she asked almost fearfully.

"I do. I have for a while, Kaoru. I just never thought you'd return my feelings. But, you're betrothed. I'm too late anyway. It's not as if I ever dreamed I could ever have a chance with a princess. Or even be worthy of you, for that matter," Kenshin said bitterly, turning away to conceal what had been in his eyes.

"But you do," Kaoru replied earnestly. "If that princess loved you too. And she does. I do love you, Kenshin. Please believe that. I won't marry him."

"Kaoru, what choice do you have? You are betrothed to him. How can you get out of it?"

"Don't you worry about that. Leave it to me. I'll get out of that marriage somehow," Kaoru replied, wrapping her arms around Kenshin again. "Right now, I just want you to be with me."

Kenshin's face relaxed into a smile, and reached out to wrap his own arms around Kaoru. To Kaoru, his arms were her protective cage. They weren't restraining, but they cared for her and kept her safe.

"Kenshin," Kaoru murmured, looking into his eyes.

"Hai, koi?" Kenshin replied absentmindedly, unconsciously replacing her name with an endearment.

Kaoru blushed, but continued, "Will you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be away from you."

Kenshin looked down at his charge in surprise. Those innocently pure eyes of hers captured his gaze lovingly. He smiled. "As you wish, my princess," he teased, gently brushing a kiss over her forehead. Kaoru giggled and leaned into Kenshin, content right where she was.

Finally, Kenshin let go, asking, "What will we do? Does Sano know about this?"

Kaoru sighed and pulled away from him, saying, "I don't know. But he will. And when he does… I think we can expect an uproar. Right now, we should just pretend nothing's changed."

"Oh, but everything's changed now, koishii," Kenshin said tenderly, gently blowing on Kaoru's ear, serving as a very good distraction.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried in mock anger.

"What?" Kenshin teased, eyes dancing with mischief.

"Where's the timid, obedient man you used to be?" Kaoru asked playfully, smiling all the while.

"Love does things to a person. Didn't you know that?" Kenshin smirked.

"Oh, really?"

"Really. What do you plan to do to get out of your betrothal? I don't want to see you married to Sano, but I don't have the power to stop it," Kenshin interjected.

"I thought I told you not to worry." Kaoru frowned.

"I know. But do you actually know what to do?" Kenshin asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

Kaoru sighed. "Iie, of course not. Please, can we just forget about this for now? Let me worry about that tomorrow," she half begged.

"Anything you want, koi," Kenshin replied tenderly, taking her into his arms.

"Then I want us to spend a romantic day together," she whispered.

"Then that's what will happen," Kenshin vowed. Kaoru laughed. "Now what does my love wish to do right now?" he teased.

"I want to take a walk," Kaoru murmured shyly.

"Then that's what we'll do. How does the rose garden sound? You wanted romantic." He gave a slightly goofy grin.

"I'd love that," Kaoru replied happily. Kenshin took her hand and led her out the door, then promptly ran into a servant rounding the corner. Quickly, he dropped Kaoru's hand as if burned. Kenshin's heart sank. He could never court her properly because of their differences in status. He couldn't properly show his affection for her.

Kaoru, seeming to know exactly what he was thinking, whispered in his ear, "Don't worry about it. I know you care. That's all I need." Kenshin smiled in response, and let Kaoru tug him along by the hand. Unbeknownst to the blissful pair, Kamiya Koshijirou and Kiara were watching, frowns etched into their features. They noticed how close the two seemed and could see for themselves that they cared for each other. Kaoru had refused her marriage, but was she planning on marrying her penniless bodyguard rather than a wealthy prince?

Once outside, Kenshin and Kaoru walked in peaceful silence, side by side, hand in hand. They dared not try any more for fear of being discovered.

"Kaoru," Kenshin said softly. "You know what you're giving up by choosing me, don't you? You've given up your whole life. I can't support you, not in this way. You've seen where I live, you say it's cozy, but if you really must choose either to marry Sano and live a life of luxury or leave this palace with me, won't you regret it? I'm a poor man and an ex-hitokiri on top of that. All I can give you is my heart. Will you really be happy?"

"Kenshin, all I ever needed was your heart. I can live without luxuries, without royalty or wealth. But I have nothing if I don't have love, have you. A life without love is a life no better than death. If I have your love, I have all the luxuries in the world. I chose you because I gave you my heart. I can live without wealth, but I can't live without my heart," Kaoru replied, careful to keep her voice low but still genuine.

"Kaoru… I can't believe I didn't know what I was missing until I met you. We should go back inside. It's getting dark," Kenshin said, eyes shining with love.

"Hai. We should," she responded, and followed his slight tug in the right direction. Once inside, the couple strolled to their connected chambers and sat, contented to be in each other's presence.

Suddenly, Kaoru sat up from her curled position on Kenshin's lap to suggest, "Kenshin! Do you remember me telling you about the stars when you first came? Let's go out on the balcony and see them. I love to star gaze. It's such a nice evening, we should take advantage of it."

"That's a great idea, Kaoru. C'mon then," he agreed, letting Kaoru slide off his lap before getting up to follow her out onto the balcony.

Kaoru stood leaning against the railing, a soft peaceful smile gracing her lips, as she turned her face up to the dim glow of the faraway stars. Kenshin drank in the breathtakingly beautiful sight of his Kaoru eagerly, murmuring, "Kirei…"

Kaoru's eyes shot open, regarding Kenshin with a sweet blush marring her ivory cheeks. "Kenshin," she squeaked. "I thought we were star gazing. Not Kaoru gazing…"

"I think I'll take the latter any day," Kenshin teased with a smirk.

Kaoru flushed deeper, and slapped his arm lightly. "Hey, you weren't supposed to get all cocky on me. Shall we get back to the stars now?"

"The stars aren't nearly as bright as your eyes."

"Thank you, Kenshin. I love you," Kaoru murmured.

"I love you too," Kenshin replied, gathering her into his arms.

The couple stood there gazing at the twinkling stars for a long while, neither caring about the time until a knock came at the door. The two sprang apart and Kenshin darted forward to open the shoji.

"Oh, hello, Ken-san. Is Kaoru here?" Megumi stood at the door, peering in with a smile.

"Of course, Megumi-dono," Kenshin answered smoothly, stepping back to allow Megumi entrance.

Kaoru was just walking back into the room from her balcony, and she grinned in delight. "Megumi! Hi! Did you need something? You don't normally come looking for me at this time of night."

"Iie, iie. I just wanted to check on you. You were so sad this morning. You're all right now?" she asked, sincerely worried.

"I'm fine, Meg-chan. Don't worry," she replied brightly

Megumi had never seen her sister so overjoyed and carefree in her life. "Wow. Your happy glow. It's blinding. I've never seen you so happy. Did something happen?" Kenshin stiffened behind her, shaking his head in the slightest to his new lover.

Kaoru frowned, but she complied with his wishes. "Nothing, Megumi. Nothing at all. I'm just exceptionally happy."

"If you say so. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Oyasumi. Don't stay up too late," she called over her shoulder as she exited.

Both Kenshin and Kaoru let out a sigh of relief after her departure. "Kenshin, why didn't you want me to tell her about us?" Kaoru asked quizzically.

"It wouldn't be right. No one can know until we can resolve the complications. Besides, you're betrothed," he stated matter of factly.

"But she's my sister, Kenshin. We can trust her," Kaoru shot back, defending her hotly.

"I know, Kaoru. But nothing can be made public yet. Word spreads quickly and easily. Not now. Please be patient, love," Kenshin soothed, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her directly in the eye to emphasize his point.

Kaoru sighed. "Okay. If that's what you want."

"Please don't sound so reluctant, koi. I love you and I wish I could tell the world, but our relationship is forbidden. You know that," he begged, violet eyes pleading for understanding.

"I know," she simply said, and smiled.

Another chapter… over. 6 chapters left.

~RHRF