WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU

By: Chiki Yumeshisa

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though. No stealing please.

AN: Glad to see that so many people liked the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one too. Thanks for waiting!

Warnings: none.

Chapter 36:

- Running From The Pain-

Frozen into place, Megumi watched as Sanosuke wept bitterly. She felt tears of her own fall down her cheeks. She felt so sorry for him – and on Christmas Eve too! The poor guy! His chest heaved in his misery, trying to control his sobbing, but he was unable to.

His fingers were clutching Magdaria's shirt, as he cried. The previously loud, beeping machine was now loud with a single tone that didn't waver – didn't change. There was no longer a heart to monitor.

He hardly had time to cry over her body, as in no time at all, doctors filed in, rushing around the body. They left him there for a while, crying, before they gently pried him away, bending over the body, depositing him in another chair.

Numbly, he watched as they began cleaning up. It must have all been a very bad, very real nightmare. At least, Sano wished it was. However, it wasn't.

A couple of minutes later, Amakusa came in, his face pale, his eyes wide. His hands were clenched tightly into fists to his sides, his eyes falling on the covered body, indicating that the person beneath was no longer alive. His chest rose and fell in disbelief. No! He was too late.

"Sayo?" He asked, his voice in a whimper. His feet felt like there were a ton of brinks weighing them down, and he struggled to move, to keep his knees from buckling. It suddenly felt very very cold in the room, despite the fact that the heaters were on at full blast. He could hear his heavy breathing – heavy with denial, but most of all, heavy with regret. He finally made it to her bedside, requesting to see her face for the last time. They allowed him, leaving quietly.

He broke down completely when his fears were confirmed: it wasn't someone else under the covers, it was his dearest sibling. Hot tears fell from his eyes and the burning feeling of anger swept through him. His teeth clenched together, and his eyes swept the crowd, falling on the two figures in the room left there with him.
Megumi stepped forward, pale and shaking. She slowly wiped her cheeks with trembling fingers, her voice sad. "I'm terribly sorry, Shougo-san……there was nothing I could do for her."
Amakusa glared at her. "You could have tried." He said. "I've lost the most important thing in the world to me."
She looked away, a bit hurt. "The doctor left, and……..I was to take care of her, but I didn't think she was going to die."

"She did die!" He roared. He turned to Sanosuke, who was looking at the figure on the bed, wondering what it felt like to be asleep eternally. "And you! You caused her so much pain – never did she want to say when she was suffering because she didn't want to hurt you – but now look at what that did!"
Sanosuke cleared his voice. He could understand that Sayo's brother was upset: and of course, was looking for someone to blame, but he didn't need the accusations at the moment. His heart was broken, and he was constantly blaming himself too. He didn't need another pointing finger. "I loved her too, Amakusa. So shut the hell up and quit making it sound as if we were the ones that killed her." His chocolate brown eyes blazed intensely with pain and love for the passed woman. "Blame me all you want, I don't care………I'm going home……." He wanted to be far away…..as far away as possible from the memory of her death, from her still figure, from the hospital.

He turned for the last time toward the body, bending over it to press a soft kiss to her temple. She was now cold, unmoving. "I love you Sayo." He whispered.

Amakusa watched him with a smoldering glare. He wanted Sano far away too. As far away from his sister, that is. On the other hand, his feelings of anger quelled when he saw something glint by Sanosuke's neck – it was Magdaria's cross.

0-0-0-0-0

Kenshin had been mistaken about the Golden. It was actually really good – simple, but good. The prices were extremely cheap, and the service was great. They were treated as if they were the most important people in the world, and were seated at a table. It was clean enough – not sparkling clean…..average. And the utensils weren't made of gold or silver, the drapes not made of pure silk.

His plate had cost less than 15 dollars, and he was stuffed by the end of it. He couldn't help but feel ashamed. Kaoru was right: his previous extravagant spending was too much and wasn't needed. Instead of feeling superior to her, he felt like a loser. Even Kakujin and Hiroto had liked the food, poking fun with the group. After all, they weren't exactly considered bodyguards anymore – they weren't exactly being paid. And it was a strange turn of events for their young master, who went bright red more than once that night at their comments and jokes.

They walked in silence on the way home, something all together different from what Kenshin was used to. There was no longer a limo to bring him back and forth to the places he wished to go to. It was good exercise though, walking the food off.

As soon as he hit his bed, Yahiko was fast asleep. Kenshin looked at the tree for a while, folding his legs under him as he sat by the table. He had sent Kakujin and Hiroto to retire for the night, and the two bodyguards complied, stretching out on the living room floor on the soft tatami. How different everything was…..

Kaoru soon joined him, sitting next to him. She folded her hands together on top of the table. "Hey……" she whispered, so as not to wake up the two men behind them. "is something wrong?"

Kenshin smiled slightly. "No……" He whispered back.

"Didn't you like the food?" She asked, worriedly. He had been awfully quiet since leaving the restaurant. She wondered if he felt sick.

"I did. It was delicious." He told her sincerely. He turned his eyes once again to the tree, which stood tall and proud with its blinking lights. It had two presents under the tree, small ones. One was addressed to Yahiko, and the other, to Kenshin. Both of course, from Kaoru. Kenshin felt so guilty, having nothing to give to her back.

"Then, it must be something else." Kaoru said out loud. "Are you sure everything's fine?"

Kenshin nodded, and gave her a gentle smile. "Everything was perfect. I wanted to thank you, for showing me what life can be like."

She smiled. "You're welcome, Kenshin."

"Kaoru……" he looked at his hands uncomfortably. "I……I don't have anything to give you back this time……"

She put her hand on his. "It's okay. One dinner and a little gift doesn't amount to what you've given me so far. An expensive dress, the dinners, the clothing……"

He was watching her mouth, as it moved. Her voice trailed off, as she noticed him staring at her. She was very much aware of her hand on his. "Ken….."
He moved forward, pressing his lips to hers. Her hand around his tightened as once again, she tasted his tongue as it slid in to her mouth. She gave a little gasp of surprise, but didn't push him away. He was gentle, and she breathed in his scent. Her hand left his to twine around his neck and pull him closer. His hands knit themselves around her waist, coaxing her into a deeper kiss.

The clock struck midnight, causing the both of them to jump away, looking embarrassed. Kenshin watched her pale face though, and gave her lips a quick kiss before saying, "Merry Christmas, Kaoru," lightly. His purple eyes shone and she shakily got to her feet.

"You too, Kenshin. Good night." She whispered, the lingering feel of his lips on hers. With that, she scurried out of the room.

He watched her, feeling drained of everything. How badly he wanted to tell her he loved her, and yet, he couldn't. He had nothing to offer her now. He didn't want to worry her further, so he didn't tell her that many people had come looking for him, and had begged him to return. He had sent them all away though, not ready to go back. Correction: not wanting to go back.

That very same day, the police had come to get him, but he flatly refused to go. And so they put up a fight, but didn't win. If his uncle wanted him back so badly, then he could come and get him himself. But that wasn't ever going to happen, was it?

Just as he was thinking these things, a knock resounded at the door. Not wanting anyone to wake up, Kenshin slowly made his way toward it, to check who it was. He hoped he had just been imagining things, but what shocked him the most, was that it was Nakamura standing outside, her face pale, and her lips blue. She was shivering from the cold.

Immediately, he threw open the door, pulling her inside. "Nakamura-san…….what are you doing here?"

She couldn't help but glare at him. "Coming to get you of course."

He didn't notice the glare though, as he poked his head out of the doorway to check if there was any others that had come along with her. There was none. That meant……. "You came here all alone?" He demanded, closing the door.

She nodded. She looked frazzled, her graying hair sticking up all over the place. She had taken off her hood, and her cheeks had begun to get some color back into them. Her lips were still quivering, and she rubbed her hands together for warmth.
She eyed her young master incredulously. She couldn't believe what she saw. He was wearing a simple pair of hakama and yukata. In the back room, she saw Hiroto and Kakujin sprawled out, snoring. He looked drained and tired, and well……..dirty.

Kenshin shook his head, and led her to the back room, stepping past the two men quietly. He asked her to sit down at the low table, next to the blinking tree. "Would you like some tea then?" He asked. "It's still warm, I made some so that…….."

She didn't even hear the rest of his sentence. Even more surprised at the way the tables had turned in their roles, Nakamura didn't respond right away. He was treating her as if she were a guest? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? He was getting her tea! The world seemed to pause, and it was an eternity before she nodded, dumbly.

Kenshin saw the look in her eyes, and knew what she was thinking. He felt both angry and embarrassed – angry that she didn't think him capable, and embarrassed because she had to see him working. He quickly went to the kitchen to pour her a cup, and brought it back for her, bringing himself a cup too. Each was filled to the brim with warm green tea, the steam from the liquid still rising. All of a sudden, Kenshin felt very cold.

"Thank you……." Nakamura told him. She could tell he was distressed, and decided to tread the grounds carefully.

He went straight to the point. "He sent you here, after me, right?"
Knowing very well whom he spoke of, she answered, "No."

Kenshin sighed. "Then what are you here for?"
"To get you back." Said Nakamura. She drank from her cup before putting it down and meeting his eyes with hers. "I came here to get you. I've been worried for you….."

"There's no need to be." Snapped Kenshin. "I'm fine as you can see." He finished his tea quickly. "And here you came all the way here, for nothing. All by yourself in this freezing weather, too."
Nakamura sat back on her heels. "It was all a misunderstanding, you know." She said quietly, changing the topic.

The boy licked his lips. "Wonderful. Thanks for pointing it out."

"I mean it, Kenshin. What Hiko did was wrong, but he didn't mean to. And he wants you to come home now."

He never responded. He just stared at his empty cup in between his hands. It had a few flowers printed on one side of it. He found that simple design very interesting all of a sudden – he didn't want to listen to her any more.

"I want you to come home now." She whispered.

Finally, he whispered back. "I…..I can't yet……..I mean…..I don't want to…….." He wanted to tell her that things would never be the same again. Besides, he was getting comfortable living the life of an average person. "I'll be taking the examination to Queens High School soon. I've also started to go look for a job." He looked at the design on the cup again, his fingernail scratching against it thoughtfully.

Nakamura couldn't believe her ears. Kenshin switching schools? Kenshin working? This was really starting to blow her mind. "What about your Uncle?" She asked.

"What about my Uncle, Nakamura-san?" Kenshin interrupted angrily. His tone and his snap made Hiroto jolt out of his sleep. One green eye opened to focus on his young master, and then to the person with whom he spoke. "Apparently, he doesn't need me – to take care of his company, or to leech off of his hard-earned money. You know, I've realized that that's all I've ever done, and you know what I feel like? I feel like shit. I feel like I don't have a meaning."

"That's not true, Kenshin." She interjected. "Your Uncle does need you to run the company, and you can have a meaning: you just need to help those people who are in need."

He gripped his cup so hard, it creaked. Any harder and it would break. He kept his anger in check as she continued. "Just like your Uncle helped you and your family when you were in need: he took you in. He cared for you. And believe it or not, you cared for him a lot too. It should be your turn to help him." Her hand took his from the cup, just to be sure he didn't break it. "He hasn't been himself….he's truly sorry for what he's done."

"Great, I'd love to hear that from him." Kenshin answered.

It was her turn to get angry. "I hope you realize that this was also your mistake, Himura Kenshin! He had every right to punish you, and though I admit that it got out of hand, you must be a man and face your problems, not run away from them!" Their arguing had now woken up Kakujin too, who looked to his friend in confusion. The latter merely shrugged, not knowing what to do.

Kenshin pulled his hand out of hers. "It was my mistake – I know that," he started to say.

"He has managed to regain it." Nakamura informed him. "He fought for days over the case, and finally won. I don't know all the details, and I don't really care for them right now: all I care about is that you come home." She reached out and touched his cheek. "Please, Kenshin."

He closed his eyes as her hands pushed back his auburn strands. They looked that color because of the darkness. He sighed, missing that. Nakamura was the only mother he had known, and he missed her terribly. "I'll……..I'll think on it, Nakamura-san."

She smiled. "Good." She began to get to her feet, tugging her dark green coat around her shoulders more securely.

He scrambled to his feet too. "You're going back again?" he asked, worriedly. She nodded, telling him that it was late, and that she had just left the house without saying a word to anyone. She just couldn't fall asleep and had decided to come fetch him herself.

A look of worry passed through his eyes. "How will you get back? Didn't you just…….." He trailed off as she opened the door. She rubbed her arms a little, to prepare herself for the coldness that would once again envelope her body.

"Don't worry, young Master……..I have a limo."

"But you just told me that you came here all alone." Said the confused boy.

"I left the limo a few blocks away. I didn't want you to see it and think it would be your Uncle." She explained.

He glanced at the clock – it was late. Hearing her explanation, he looked down, hiding his face from view. A coward that would run, in other words. His red bangs covered his face. In a low voice he said, "Please don't call me that anymore, by the way."

Nakamura gave him a faint smile. "As you wish, young Master."

0-0-0-0-0

Hiko sat in his study, hands folded together while he read from the newspaper. In bold lettering it read, "M.R.I Strikes Back!" It had been a very difficult case indeed. The details went on to explain how his nephew had messed up and how his uncle had come to bring back the former glory to the company.

He was still the richest person in Japan.

But he was also the most unhappy. And for various reasons at that: first, his nephew was gone. Second, he and Nakamura had been getting into spats and arguments after the incident with Kenshin. Thirdly, the doctor had told him that he had to get glasses to help him to read: he was no longer as young as he used to be, and what with the amounts of books and documents he was to read, it was only natural that his eyes were getting worse.

He didn't care much for the last one. And he knew he could make amends with Nakamura….but with Kenshin?

He could remember the times when Kenshin had been younger. He had to admit to himself that the child had grown up mostly alone. Hiko was either too busy for him, or dead tired from the day that he had no time to spend with the boy. Luckily, Kenshin had been forgiving and understanding. And happy, to say the least.

And it all boiled down to that ugly scenario a couple of weeks ago. The question was: how would he get Kenshin back? Hiko was known to be a very prideful person, and wasn't about to get on his knees begging for forgiveness. He knew that he had made a mistake, and allowed Kenshin to spend time away, but he hadn't expected his nephew to really mean that he wasn't going to return. He had sent people out to get him, only to have them come home bearing the message that their young master flatly refused to go. His head spun and he dropped the paper he was reading onto his desk with a sigh.

It was late – almost past 2 am. He figured he should get some sleep. Just as he got out of his chair, the door opened. Senses tightening, Hiko froze, watching carefully, his mind on items that could be used as weapons if this were some intruder. The closest thing to him was a paperweight and he inched his fingers toward it. He stopped when he saw a familiar face poke in.

"Nakamura………"

"Good evening….or morning, master." She said formally, bowing. She was dressed in casual clothing instead of her nightgown. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail on top of her head instead of cascading down her back as she usually left it before she went to bed. Her cheeks had a tinge of red to them.

He said the first thing that was on his mind. "Did you go somewhere?"

"I went out for a while." She answered carefully. "I wasn't able to sleep so I went to see Kenshin."

"…..I see."

He made his way around his desk, leaning against it, now in front of it instead of behind it. "And?"
"He's staying at the Kamiya residence." Was the reply.

At a poor girl's house? Wasn't that the one that had been itching at his nephew's nerves for the last couple of months? He had heard that he simply hated her, and yet….? "How is he?"

Nakamura shrugged. "He's fine, apparently."

Once again, pride consumed the man. He nodded, unable to say anything. His heart ached for the loss.

She straightened a bit, her eyes clouding. "Good night, Master. If you need any assistance don't hesitate to call me. You can even wake me……….." She gasped as he suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her forward a little. "Hiko?"

"Naoko, I'm so sorry for yelling at you the other day, I didn't mean it." He said quietly. "I am just so confused and I've never felt so helpless in my life. Kenshin is the only family I have left. You must help me get him back………"

Nakamura smiled. "He'll come back in his own time, you'll see." She stopped, noticing the slump in her master's shoulders and the tired look that passed in his dark eyes. He was a handsome figure, not looking a day older than his age; in fact, he appeared to be younger than his actual age, which was 42. He still had a youthful build and face, despite the fact that it was slowly wearing down because of stress and hard work. Behind tired eyes, she saw him pleading with her to forgive him.

How she could have fallen in love with him was no surprise. When he had been younger, almost all the maids had taken a great liking to him. He, however, just didn't seem interested in any of them. He had many girls that just fawned over him. Of course, Nakamura had felt out of place: she had no right to like the master in that way. So she kept it to herself, loving him from afar.

He had noticed it though, and even if he didn't say much, she knew that he loved her back – his silent gestures and his thoughtful words were proof enough. He was never a man who was too emotional anyway.

He usually shared with her his thoughts and feelings with what little time they had together, and that was not much. He was still the master, and she was still the servant, so they had to do their duties to each other. She would steal as much time as she could to meet with him, but sometimes, for weeks on end, she was not able to see him once. Whenever she did, she would see that familiar light of relief in his eyes and a rare smile of happiness.
Feeling sorry for him, she swept a hand over his forehead, her fingertips brushing away the loose strands of hair that were irritating his eyes. He relished in that feeling, bringing an arm up to gently clasp around her waist, pulling her nearer.

"It's late, Hiko, and you're tired. Get some rest now."
He sighed, hugging her close. "I know. I will. But not until you have forgiven me."

It was a simple plea, something he hardly did. She giggled into his shoulder, giving him a small hug back. "All right, I forgive you."

He kissed the top of her head. "Good." He tilted her face up to look at him. He had a twinkle in his eye. "Or else I would have ordered you to."
She grinned, and paused before giving him a kiss. He accepted it, letting it last for a little while. They hadn't done that in about four years. It felt good to feel his lips on hers again. When it ended, he gave her another hug before setting her back.

"I'm going to retire for the night." He told her, back to his business like voice. She was used to that, but she heard the affectionate tone there. "Good night, Naoko."

"Good night, Master." She told him, watching as the one she loved stepped out of the office, and glanced back once, before leaving her alone in the big study.

Soon after, she strode out of the room too, her mind in a turmoil. She hated seeing Hiko so down and out, and hoped fervently that Kenshin would live up to his word and think about coming home.

0-0-0-0-0

Aoshi, Ai, and Aoshi's parents sat around the Christmas Tree, having opened their presents. It was early morning, but it was tradition.

Ai was extremely quiet throughout the dinner, and even more so at the celebrating around the tree. Despite her smile, Aoshi could tell something was wrong. She wasn't as cheery as she used to be, nor was she as talkative.

"Excuse me, but I feel I am ready to go to bed." Ai told them. She had been invited over to the Shinomori household for dinner and a sleep over. It was true, she felt tired and just wanted to get some rest.

Aoshi reached out and grasped her hand, earning a small glare. "What's the matter?" He asked, giving her a cold one right back. He was good at that.

"Nothing." She answered, trying to get her hand out of his, but he wouldn't let go.

"There's something you don't want to tell me." He said, watching her.

She looked at him for a moment, and then looked up to see his parents watching her too. She felt herself grow even more exhausted. "I don't want to ruin the mood." She said finally.

Shinomori-san frowned. "Is there a problem? Did something drastic happen to you?" He asked, his deep voice rumbling.

Ai shook her head. "It's drastic, but not life-threatening." Instead of trying to pry her hand out of Aoshi's she took hold of it, squeezing it gently. "I just have news that might be a bit shocking, that's all."

At Aoshi's prodding shake, she continued, "I was going to tell you all this when the celebrating and festivities were over, but I guess I should tell you now: after New Year's, I'm leaving."

Everyone exchanged glances, confused. "Leaving?" Aoshi asked. "Sou, what do you mean by that?"

She lowered herself onto the nearest cushion. "A few months ago, before I came back to town, I had applied for a government school. I took their exam and I passed. It's all the way out in Kyoto; a boarding school.

"I have just recently received the news that I made it in. It's a strange new process that the government wants to try, and so, it is paying for the tuition and the programs. The programs last 3 years in length, and each student is allowed to go home for two weeks after every two months." She took Aoshi's hand in both of hers. "I didn't want to tell you, because I knew you'd be upset about it."

Aoshi couldn't believe his ears. A part of him was extremely proud of her for making it in, but the other part of him was devastated: two whole months and with only two weeks to see her? He was frightened that she'd fall in love with someone else, or worse yet, something terrible would happen. He hoped that neither would happen.
He wanted to tell her no, but it was her dream to become a doctor, and travel overseas for work. So she had taken the first step into getting into that position, and he wanted to encourage her.

"I'm sorry……." She whispered sadly. "Maybe I should……"

"No." Aoshi interrupted, knowing what she was going to say. "Don't give up on your dream, Sou. Two months is long, but at least you'll come and visit." Each word was a strain on his heart.

Shinomori-san piped up. "He's correct, dear, if it is your plan then don't let us stop you."

Ai's mind instantly whipped the response, it was my plan to marry Okita but you stopped me then, but she didn't speak that out loud. She instead nodded. "I hope this doesn't cause trouble for you."
Aoshi's father shook his head. "So long as you remember that you hold a responsibility to both the Ai family and ours."
"Yes sir, I will." She affirmed. There was nothing she could do about that anymore. Besides, she rather liked Aoshi. Not as much as she had Okita, but she would get there. She got to her feet. "I apologize again, for not being able to break the news earlier, and of course, for having it to be this way." She bowed slightly, "I'll take my leave now: good night everyone."
They bade her a goodnight, and she quickly went to her room. Aoshi stopped her before she could go into it though. "Ai, wait."

She turned around. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to say that no matter how long it takes you, I'll wait. Even if I have to wait forever for you to return."

She felt her chest warm at that sentence. He sounded so sincere, and it was the first time he had ever really given actual words to his emotions. Despite the fact that he hardly knew her, he was willing to do that, and she was touched.

"Thank you…..Aoshi." She smiled sadly. "Goodnight."

And with that, she left him standing outside of her room, staring at the door.

He would wait forever if he had to, for her to love him back…….

0-0-0-0-0

"You look great." Okita said, trying to ease the sudden tension in the air. Both he and Hikaru were sitting across from each other, alone in the room. A small, low table was between them.
Okita-san had arranged for them to spend time together at dinner, ordering Hikaru that she was to be the one to serve the food. He wanted to test her out, and see if she would do her duty.

Hearing that, Hikaru blushed, and looked down. In her training, it was said that she was to give utmost reverence to her husband – in this case, fiancé – and to make sure that he was treated like a king. "Thank you, sir."

Okita sighed. "I told you, not to call me that. It would greatly disappoint me." He added, playing on that weak spot in hopes that she would stop. She seemed to be a bit taken aback, so she nodded.

She was wearing a light yellow Kimono, light pink and purple flowers being the decoration on the fabric. A yellow obi was tied around her waist her hair up in an elaborate style. She had a modest amount of make up on as well.

He was dressed in the traditional samurai style, wearing something similar to that of the Shinsengumi uniform, the green and white haori making him look dashing. His hair was up in a ponytail. Hikaru had to admit that he looked very handsome, and she felt lucky.

A silence hung in the air before Okita asked something she wasn't expecting. "What do you think of our engagement?" His eyes were hard as he looked at her. "I want the truth."
She didn't answer right away, trying to find a good enough answer that was both respectable and true, however, she answered bitterly and honestly, "I……I am unhappy with it."

He nodded, seemingly pleased. "I thought so." He took a sip of the tea in front of him, noticing how she seemed to be very depressed over the way the subject was heading.

"I am unhappy too." She kept her head down. "Don't get me wrong," he explained, "I think you must be a wonderful person and all, but I just didn't want my father choosing who it was that I would marry."

She bowed, "Then I am sorry." She told him. "It's my fault. I should act badly so that your father calls it off."

He was touched by that. He leaned forward. "There's no need to do that – first of all, whether you do or not I will be engaged to a girl that is not of my choice. Secondly, I do not want you to disgrace your family because of me. Lastly, I don't want you to disgrace yourself on my behalf." He finished off his tea, and she instantly poured him some more. Maids and butlers came in with their dinner.

"Now it's your turn to ask questions." He held out an inviting hand, to have her eat.

She made no moves to pick up the chopsticks. "I'd rather not……" She answered in a small voice. She seemed very nervous.

He sighed. "Kobayashi-san, I am not someone to be afraid of. It's rather exasperating how you treat me like this. For once, talk to me as if I were a human instead of a god." He tried to keep his sharp edge out of his tone, but he failed to. His hand reached across the table to touch hers. She flinched and was about to pull away, but he kept a firm grip on it. "Please, let's just have a decent conversation. I want to get to know you."

She trembled at his touch, not liking the unfamiliarity of it. Finally, she looked up, meeting his eyes. He gave her a wide grin. "That's more like it." He affirmed.

They ate before she finally spoke up. "Um……Okita-san…..did you have a….. a love?" She timidly peered up at him.

He never hesitated. Of course that would be a question she wanted to know the answer to. "Her name is Ai Sou. But she too is engaged to someone……who happens to be my best friend."

Hikaru winced. "I'm sorry….I shouldn't have asked….."

"You had ever right to." He told her gently. "How about you?"

She smiled a bit. "No, I've never had a love."

He stuck his tongue out a little, winking. "I have this feeling that many boys were after you. You're a very pretty girl."
She felt warmed by his compliments. No other person had done that to her before, and she had never carried a decent conversation with a boy before. It didn't help that she had gone to a select seminary for girls before meeting him. "Thank you……"

"You're welcome." He piped. "The girl I loved taught me a lot. I know that I will always love her, no matter what, but at the same time, I have given up false hopes and dreams." He tilted his head a little. "Would you like to try and make new ones with me?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "I'll try."
He popped a piece of squid into his mouth, chewing and swallowing before saying, "Good – but first of all, let's clean up this act: I don't want a wife that doesn't even speak to me. I want a wife that is open and tells me her feelings instead of hiding them. I also want a wife that allows herself to make mistakes: no one is perfect."

It was a change all right. It would be difficult to change right away, so she gave him an uncertain look. "Help me then." She told him.

He nodded, "I will."

He proceeded to lift a glass up to her, a salute in a toast. "Merry Christmas!" He sang happily.

She smiled, a genuine one. "Merry Christmas." She responded, and their glasses clinked. They then began to converse about school and family, likes and dislikes.

Okita was shocked to hear how she had been treated when she was younger. All the training and grooming she had had to go through. Hikaru's mother and father were very strict, having come from the tradition of engagements, they abided by it. She had no brothers or sisters, and so, was alone for most of her life. She was not allowed to befriend boys, and was to come home straight after school. She told him that her thoughts and feelings were always kept to herself, as she couldn't open up to anyone about them; not even her parents.

"Then I will do my best to listen to all of them." Said Okita seriously.

To lighten up the mood, he changed the subject to the stories that he and his friends had done, wanting to create the picture of friends and the real way the world spun. He had her in a laughing fit in no time.

"Oh, Okita-san, you're hilarious." She said between giggles.

He shrugged, "It was Sano. He's the weird one. One day, I'll let you meet him."

Her pale hand clasped his forearm. "I would like to meet all of them please. I am shy, but I'm sure I can get over it."
He pat her hand consolingly. "Then, you'll meet them." He cut himself off when he saw a figure standing by the door. He paled and Hikaru got to her feet.

"My father….."

Okita-san had a dangerous look in his eyes again, and he had been looking at Hikaru's hand on his son's arm. Her smile had dropped and she paled even more. Her hands covered her mouth and she backed away. Okita got to his feet as well, as his father demanded,

"What is going on in here?"

Things were not going to be pretty.

Okita wanted to disappear.

Hikaru wanted to die.

0-0-0-0-0

Everyone slept in the next day, having been tired out from the night before. Kaoru was awake early, glad to have a day of rest for Christmas Day. She thought that maybe she could cook the household something to eat.

With that thought in mind, she began to make her way to the kitchen, rubbing the cramps out of her arms and rolling the kinks out of her neck. She checked on Yahiko, who was snoring loudly, sprawled on his futon, his blanket part-way off. Smiling to herself, she slowly closed the door and began her trek to the kitchen again.

She paused by her father's room, which was now Kenshin's, and peered inside. How did Kenshin sleep when he was exhausted? Did he sprawl in the same way Yahiko did? Or did he snore? Did he look simply adorable? She opened the door quietly, hoping not to wake him. She was surprised when she didn't see anyone in there. Perplexed, she wondered where he had gone.

She found Kenshin out on the floor of the living room, books next to him. He had obviously been studying. He was sleeping peacefully, his body contorted into the most uncomfortable position. He looked cold too. Kakujin and Hiroto were sleeping as well, on opposite sides of the room.

Kaoru reached up and pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail before bending over Kenshin. His chest rose and fell with even breathing, and she gently pushed his bangs away from his face. And froze.

Silent tears had fallen down his cheeks, and they were still fresh.

She wondered what he could possibly be dreaming about that was so sad.

He had told her that his parents had died a long time ago. Perhaps that was it.

As much as she wanted to comfort him, she wanted him to get rest too. He was always taking care of Kenji, or studying so hard, it was only fair that he got a little break from his hard work. Now, she was even more determined to cook breakfast so that he wouldn't have to.

She wandered to the kitchen, and began pulling out ingredients. Let's see……Kenshin likes Miso soup…….that should be easy. She thought, taking out the mix. It smelled awful, but she tolerated it as she poured it into water and placed it all on top of the stove, putting it on high heat. She didn't bother to look at the instructions on the panel: how hard could the making of soup possibly be? Besides she had made Miso soup before……just not from this. Oh well! There is always a first try at everything!

She began to make eggs and bacon, being experienced at that. She knew that it was Yahiko's favorite type of breakfast. Kenshin didn't like oil, so she had to think of something else he'd like to eat. But what?

While she was trying to decide, the phone in the hallway rang, and she quickly wiped her hands on her apron, running out into the hall to answer it. She didn't want to have it waking up the household. It would ruin her surprise, and Kenshin's rest. She didn't want that.

"Hello?" She asked, after fumbling with the receiver. In one hand she held the dishrag, while the other held the phone up to her ear.

"How's the lady?" The other voice on the line asked. It was deep and all – too familiar. She was too shocked for words.

It was him!

……But……! How had he managed to find her?

And how could he have known her number?

The dishrag fell to the floor, and the breakfast on the stove was forgotten.

She hadn't been expecting this. Not at all……..

To be Continued…

Author's Notes: I hoped you guys liked it! I sure had fun writing it, and the plot will get all the more messier from here on in. Wish me luck! I wanted to thank everyone who has given me such a positive response – especially those who have read the fic for the first time. All of your reviews are so positive and encouraging, and I love them all!

There are a few important questions some people have been asking me.

So let me answer them. PLEASE READ! (so I don't have to keep answering the same questions again and again. )

The suffix "-chan, -kun, -san, -sama, -dono" are added to the end of someone's last or first name. Usually, in Japan, one calls the other by their last name if that person is not familiar with the other person. They will usually tag on the "-San or the –sama" at the end of it. It's used for respect. "-sama" is to show great respect toward someone.

"-chan and –kun" are used by friends who know each other well, and are comfortable using the nickname. It's not likely that total strangers will call each other "-chan or –kun" because it comes with familiarity.

As for "-dono" it's a reverent tag. Meaning "Lord" or "Lady" or someone to be highly respected. And it's a very humbling tag for the one who uses it. Nowadays it is REALLY rare that someone does. (Shannon-san, I do hope this answers your question)

Someone pointed out the word "kata" I'm sorry to have overlooked that another meaning of this is "form" (for those of you who take martial arts) Thanks for pointing that out, DragonJivi-san!

Schools in Japan:

Most schools in Japan are very strict. They want the best education for their students and make them work really really hard. (T.T) Schools usually start at 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. (or 5:00 pm, depending) then there are always the after school activities, and this is a required – all students must participate in at least one sport/committee after school. They usually end at 5:00 or 6:00 pm. Then there are those who go to Jukyu – Cram school – for further help in their studies.

Most will have uniforms that the student wears so that if something happens, it is easily recognizable where the student studies. Of course, if something bad does happen, the school gets looked down upon. It's also to distinguish what school you attend. In this case, since Kenshin and Kaoru wear the Kojimachi Private High uniform, everyone treats them with respect because they go to such a high class school.

If you wander around Japan, you might see some kids with hats that are either the color red or yellow. This is for students who are very young, and it helps for cars and other pedestrians to realize that these kids might need help crossing the street or for cars to move slowly so as not to run any over. It's also used to spot kids whenever they're on a field trip.

Martial Arts in Japan:

Wow, what to say. Um……Judo is a big one, so is Karate. Aikido, Hapkido, Kendo, Kempo, Jiu Jitsu…..those are big. But nowadays, things like Tae-kwon do and Kung Fu are also taught. So any form of martial arts is taught in Japan.

anyway, that's it for that – please ask away, and I'll do my best to answer the questions. The next chapter will be up next week Sunday. I hope you enjoyed. Please review! Thanks for reading,

-Chiki