"Ken... shin........... "

He stared back at worried blue eyes helplessly, unable to reach out and push back an ebony stray hair that had wormed its way out of her green ribbon. It fell over her quivering shoulder, hovering over him as .... she did. Tears began to leak and trickle down her porcelin cheeks as she struggled to lock her elbows, keeping her upright. There seemed to be a moment of dead silence aside from her short puffs of breath, before she finally collapsed on top of the rurouni, unable to harness her strength.

It was when she collapsed that Himura Kenshin was aware of the redness seeping from her yellow kimono.

But still he remained, until her body too became unmoving. His mind blocked out the sound of steel aganist flesh, the shuffling of feet and the frantic cries. He didn't notice the shadows that loomed over his figure as he stared blankly at the form resting on top of him, or how the rise and fall of her chest became more shallow and few. He only noticed how her light weight suddenly heavied upon him, crushing his lungs and his soul. He found it hard to breath, but didn't make any attempt to check the weight that burdened him. He could only stare at the mass of silky black threads that cascaded about him, mixing with his own loose red and the liquid of another, deadlier shade.....

Until You Left Me

A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic

Chapter One

"KENSHIN NO BAKA!" A blur of black and yellow appeared before him, as well as a tanned fist. Before Himura Kenshin could dodge the flurry of punches, his usually nimble feet tripped over a wooden step, earning him a bruised bottom and an "oro!" for his assailant.

"Kenshin no baka!" the girl muttered again quietly, before bending over to the fallen rurouni. She couldn't mask her concern so she settled for feigning a scowl, making sure the redhead wasn't seriously injured. "Daijoubu ka Kenshin?"

"Maa, maa, Kaoru-dono." With the aid of her hand Kenshin stood up, dusting his the bottom of his hakama pants. "You shouldn't worry so much about Sessha, de gozaru." He smiled his soft rurouni smile at the woman known as 'Kaoru-dono,' in reassurance that no *real* damage had been done. "Now, just give the tofu from the market to Sessha so Sessha can get started on preparing dinner -- oro?!" He stepped back warily at the fists that were shaking again, too late in realizing his choice of poor words. "Oro! Kaoru-dono, onegai, sessha just wants to help with the chores de gozaru -- "

"Kenshin no BAKA!!!" Her dainty fist lodged itself within the large cross-shaped scar on the rurouni's face, causing Kenshin to come off balance. Yahiko stepped in that particular hall just in time to find a blur of magenta and red sail past him. A moment after the dust and debris settled a recognizable Kenshin-like shape appeared, stuck in the supposively-frail paper door.

'Busu must've called someone in to replace the old doors with stronger material,' Yahiko thought, allowing himself to smile. 'Good -- that means *I* won't hafta keep fixing 'em!' Yahiko was about to assist Kenshin in removing himself from the door, when he realized whose door it was.

"Oi, Busu!" Yahiko jeered as he grabbed Kenshin's wrist and proceeded to yank him out of his bedroom door. "Why couldn't you knock Kenshin into *your* door?!"

"Quiet Yahiko!" Kaoru fired back, nearly loosing the tofu bucket. "Or else you'll be eating again at the Akabeko tonight!"

"I'd rather eat at Tae-san's than be forced to choke down your attempts at something edible BUSU." He released Kenshin's wrist once the rurouni had finshed "oro-ing" and stared back at the dojo owner, daring her with his brown eyes. "At least I wouldn't fall over from one bite of BOILED WATER."

"Yahiko!" She took a step forward, while clutching the tofu bucket in her hand, water sloshing over the sides. "ONE THOUSAND MORE STROKES TONIGHT *BEFORE* SUPPER!" Kenshin cringed upon the punishment, seeing himself in a better predicement than the young boy.

"Maa, Kaoru-dono -- there is no need to yell -- "

"Kenshin!" The rurouni stopped short, suddenly wishing he could switch scenerios with the young samurai, and shot a frantic glance at Yahiko. The apprentice merely shrugged and turned, shouting over his shoulder. "Fine, BUSU, I'll get started on those strokes right now!" With those words he stalked off to the opposite end of the hallway, going back the way he came. A faint rustling of a shogi door signified that the teen was out of ear's distance.

Kenshin sweatdropped, waiting for his own ears to become assaulted with angry words. Her eyes avoided his for a moment before turning to face him. Dark blue glistened for a moment before the owner of those eyes stepped forward, and pushed the tofu bucket into his suddenly fumbling hands.

"Kaoru-dono -- "

"I'm going out for a walk, Kenshin." Long hair whipped around as her slight figure pushed open yet another shogi door, one which lead to the front dojo gates. "Don't expect me to come back for your supper."

He wanted to reach out a hand and stop her from leaving him, but remained still until after the shogi door was slammed shut.

*******************

Kenshin stared brokenly ahead of him, several days later. He was waiting outside a set of shogi doors to the dojo, not really anticipating the news that would inevitably come from his doctor and friend, Takani Megumi.

Watching the colorful leaves swirl around in a miniature tornado, the rurouni noticed the wind begin to take a chilling quality, as various other signs of autumn settling in. He let out a sigh, willing his mind to calm down. Bringing his hands up to his face, calloused hands briefly skimmed over the cross-shaped scar that was permanently etched onto his features. Flashes of a distant memory surfaced in his mind's eye, eliciting a helpless and guilty cry from his dry throat.

'Why is it... that I think to stop you from leaving me, only to try when you've already gone?'

~*End Chapter One*~

Thank you for reading and please review! It's nice to get a response ^_^

*Standard disclaimer applies here*

*Will contain Samurai X spoilers in the future*

signifies a flashback.... since my italics, for some reason, aren't working....