Always There For Me - A RK K&K Romance Fic
Always There For Me  - A RK K&K Romance Fic

Disclaimer:  Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. I do not own and did not create the series or its characters...I'm just a fan, and I have no money anyways, so NO SUING ME!!  :D

There, with the sunlight beating on his back, stood my friend…or rather, my more than just a friend…demo, I hadn't seen him in years.  I was so sure he was dead!! And Yahiko was right behind him, panting.

"Gomen (pant pant) nasai, (pant) Kenshin, (pant pant) I tried to stop him" Yahiko said.

I stood there in shock, demo, Kenshin; always the man of action (well, at least when it isn't concerning me) gently pushed me behind him and turned to the figure in the doorway with his yellow battousai eyes…

"Your Kaoru?" he questioned menacingly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Nine

Long dark blue hair, pulled back in a ponytail…those grayish blue eyes…that stance…"TAKA!!" I finally exclaimed.

Kenshin-battousai whirled back around to look at me questioningly.

"You know him Kaoru?" he asked.

"Um…hai. Hai, Kenshin, I know him…he's um…" I paused, and looked over at Taka who raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to tell him the truth. "Taka is a really good, old, old, old, friend of mine." I explained.

"NANI?!?" all three of them exclaimed. (AN: remember that Yahiko IS there too.)

"We grew up together, practically…" I gushed to Kenshin, trying to make it sound innocent as Taka strode into the bathhouse, clearly walking toward where I was, demo; Kenshin blocked him, en route.

"Gomen nasai, Taka-dono, demo, Kaoru still needs to put clothes on from her bath." Kenshin said to Taka.  Once again, Taka raised an eyebrow at me.

"Ah…minna-chan, Kenshin's right.  Can you all please leave so I can put some clothes on?  Then we can talk and catch up on old times ok?"  I said, hoping to stall the upcoming arguments.

"Hai" they all said, filing out of the bathhouse.

I followed Kenshin to the door, to close it behind him.  Just as he reached the doorway, he stopped and turned around to me, his violet eyes questioning, and pleading with me…"Kaoru…" he questioned softly.

"It's ok, Kenshin, I'll explain everything in just a couple of minutes, ok?" I said as I started closing the door on him.

"Ok, Kaoru-koishii" he whispered to me.

I flinched and closed the door quietly.  Talk about your guilt trip.  What on Earth am I going to say to him about Taka?  How can I explain this to him without hurting him?  For that matter, what am I ever going to say to Taka about Kenshin? 

I sighed as I dressed back into my clothes.  I sure hope they don't kill each other…

I walked out of the bathhouse and met up with the boys who were sitting quietly outside.  Kenshin and Yahiko kept exchanging glances at each other.

"Ok, I'm finished." I said as I approached them.

Taka stood up and ran over to me, embracing me in a big bear hug.  "Kaoru-chan!!  You have no idea how much I've missed you, koishii!!"  He exclaimed.

I saw red.  Literally.

Kenshin had grabbed Taka almost instantly upon hearing the endearment and had flung him away from me.

"GRRRR" he said to Taka, who had rolled with the toss and was now standing back up, unsheathing his sword.

"Just who do you think you are?" Taka yelled to Kenshin.  "I didn't say anything about you groping my fiancée in the bathhouse when she was practically naked, thinking that you didn't know who I was, and were possibly trying to protect her, although it looked WAY to cozy to me, demo, you will pay for what you have just done." He finished.

Kenshin unsheathed his sword also…"You have no idea what you are doing challenging me, Taka-dono" Kenshin said in his low battousai drawl.

"Matte!!" I yelled, placing myself between the two of them.  Approaching Kenshin I said "Kenshin, please, don't hurt Taka, it's not his fault. I can explain everything."

"Kaoru, just who exactly is this guy?  Is what he is saying about being your iinazuke true?" Kenshin questioned me, not taking his eyes off of Taka.

My heart sank, all the way to my toes.  How in the world did I get myself into this situation?

"…Hai, Kenshin, Taka is my iinazuke." I answered in a low whisper.

"HA!! HA-HA!!" Taka crowed from behind me as Kenshin looked at me in shock and pain.  Oh no…Kenshin, I promise…I love you!! I do!!  I pleaded with his eyes for understanding, but they remained yellow, glaring at me now instead of Taka.  Kenshin turned and ran towards his room. 

I took off after him.

I didn't get far before I was grabbed from behind.

"Nani?!?!!" I yelped.  Realizing that it was Taka who had grabbed me, I turned to him and said "Taka, what are you doing?"

He snorted.  "This wasn't exactly the welcome I was expecting Kaoru-chan." He said quite loudly.

I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my eyebrow at him.  "Oh really Taka?  Well, as I'm sure you can imagine, I wasn't expecting to see you EVER again."  I replied angrily.  Remembering those old wounds of Taka not returning to me after the bakumatsu made me even angrier, and confused me, why do I care so much?  Does he really still have that much of a hold on my heart? That's impossible!!  It's Kenshin, only Kenshin…right?

I watched as his gray-blue eyes softened.  He reached out and caressed my cheek "Kaoru…where on Earth did you get an idea like that?  Of course you would see me again, of course I was coming back to be with you and marry you, I love you Kaoru…please tell me you haven't forgotten all about us?" he said gently, he looked so sad.

My heart constricted…WHY? Is it really possible for me to still love him?  Is it possible for me to love TWO men at the same time?

"Iie, Taka, of course I didn't forget about us…demo, I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!!" I yelled.  "What were you thinking not returning to me as soon as the Meiji began?!?!?" I continued, tears running down my cheeks.  "Don't you realize that I was worried sick?!  I spent countless nights with no sleep, morning over your death, not hearing word from anyone, having NO FAMILY to comfort me, and eventually, I moved on with my life…and that's when…" I paused and smiled, "that's when I met Kenshin."

Taka growled.  "What's the deal with this Kenshin guy anyways?  Is he your lover?" he accused.

"NANI?!?!?" I yelled.  "Of course not you baka!!  I'm not that kind of person and YOU of all people should no that!!  Kenshin is a very dear friend who has been living with me for the two years; he's a wonderful and honorable person!! He has become my family!! And Yahiko too." I added.

"Well, you two sure looked mighty cozy when I came in!!  He was holding you!! In the bathhouse!! And all you were wearing was a towel!!" he shot back.

I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows "So what?" I challenged.

"So what!!! So you are my fiancée!!!  You shouldn't be in another man's arms!!!" Taka exclaimed.

I started crying again…"Stop yelling at me!!  You're being so mean!!  As far as I'm concerned, our engagement was broken when you didn't return and I thought you were dead!!" 

Taka softened.  "Gomen nasai, Kaoru, I'm just jealous.  I'm jealous that after all these years that I have come back to see you in another man's arms.  Please don't say that our engagement is broken.  Remember that it was your parents who promised you to me, you would not want to dishonor them, would you Kaoru?" he paused looking into my eyes for his answer…I looked down…Dad…Mom…"I still want to marry you…I want us to run the school here, together, just like we planned all those years ago.  Don't you want that too Kaoru?" he questioned.

                                                                                                                                                          

"I don't know what I want anymore Taka…Kenshin is upset, he deserves an explanation for all this, I'm going to go talk to him now." I said.  I turned and ran towards Kenshin's room at full speed before Taka could catch me again.