A/N: Sorry, I don't know what happened, but this just turned out to be quite a heavy and mushy chapter so……..please remember, you have been warned!(c",)



A RIVAL FOR KENSHIN

Chapter VI: Lover's Quarrel



Kenshin looked up the star-filled sky. The moon was bright and full, but Kenshin could draw no warmth from it tonight. He knew he had to patch thing up with Kaoru, before it gets any worse, before he totally loses her to Yujiro,…..before it kills him. "Tomorrow," Kenshin thought with much resolve, "I will talk to her tomorrow. Tonight, I have to deal with Yujiro first."



It was a couple of hours before midnight, but Kenshin wanted to be in the woods early. He clasped tight the note that Yujiro secretly handed him before going out for his "nightly walk." It said "In the middle of the woods is a clearing, I'm sure you will find it. Meet me there at midnight. This is an urgent matter that concerns Kaoru!…….signed, Yujiro." Now of course our Kenshin knew the place Yujiro was referring to in his note. But why, you ask, does Kenshin want to be there early!? Well, it's simple. Kenshin wanted to scout the area first to make sure no one else is around. It's not that our Kenshin does not trust Yujiro, not like that at all. Kenshin actually has the three assassins he met previously in his mind. If Yujiro's note has any connection to them at all, then he wanted to make sure that he, Kenshin Himura would be the one waiting for Yujiro, and not them.



He walked silently, but swiftly across the yard, then he stopped suddenly. He felt her presence even before she called his name. "Kenshin…..where are you going?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin turned around and the sight that he saw almost took his breath away, Kaoru was wearing only her white robe(ehem…sorry everyone, I don't know if there is a proper term – in Japanese – for it). Her long, black, silky hair was loose and as the cool night breeze blew on them, a few strands caressed her cheeks. Kenshin envied them. He wanted to reach out and brush them away, he wanted to….



"Kenshin" Kaoru said again and Kenshin slammed back to reality. "Is….it …true?" Kaoru asked haltingly and hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Are you meeting…uhmmm….someone tonight?" Kenshin looked at her, surprised. "How did she know about his meeting with Yujiro? Did Yujiro tell her? Have they talked about it already?" Kenshin lowered his eyes and found it really hard to breath as disturbing thoughts ran through his mind. "How could I have misinterpreted Yujiro's note! When it said it concerns Kaoru, I thought he was talking about her safety. I never expected that this meeting was just to let me know that I should probably back off. And the fact that Kaoru knows about it without confronting him, and does seem anxious to know about tonight's meeting, only means that she has approved of Yujiro!" Kenshin swallowed hard, feeling his heart twist. Tonight, for the first time in his life, Kenshin felt betrayed…..by Kaoru.



"How did you know?" Kenshin asked coldly and Kaoru felt ice pikes pierce her heart. "He admits it!" she thought, her knees almost buckling as she suddenly felt weak. Kaoru looked at him and her sweet, warm Wandered was gone, in his place was a cold angry man. Kaoru fought to stay calm and strong. She was the one cheated, the one betrayed here. She lifted her head and said, "Does it really matter how I knew?" For a moment they both stared at each other, then Kaoru said, her voice shaking, "I think you'd better go keep your appointment." Kaoru turned around as the tears she was desperately trying to hide flowed from her eyes.



Kaoru's last remark shattered Kenshin's heart into a million pieces. She still wanted him to meet with Yujiro. But seeing her turn around and walk away from him, probably forever, gave Kenshin the strength to run after her. Kenshin grabbed her from behind and held her tight. She was trembling in his arms and Kenshin realized that she was crying. "Oh please….." Kenshin prayed silently, "Please let her give me another chance!" Kaoru stopped shaking a little and laid the back of her head on his neck and Kenshin rubbed his cheek on hers. They stayed like that for a while before Kenshin said, "Kaoru, I love you. I need you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, and even longer that if I can. Just please let me love you."



Kaoru stiffened…. "Why now?" she asked herself bitterly. "Why does he say those things to her now after openly admitting to having an affair with another woman? How could I ever trust him again?" Kaoru shook her head and squirmed free of his grasp. "It's too late Kenshin" Kaoru said before she ran back inside the house. Kenshin stood there, confused, hurt, stunned, unbelieving, angry…..he just stood there looking at the direction she took. After some time, Kenshin turned and walked away impulsively walking towards the woods. Kaoru, on the other hand lay on her bed crying her eyes out. She changed her mind the moment she collapsed on her bed but she felt too weak to stand up. Besides, her emotions needed release and so she let herself cry for some time. When she was able to stand up, Kaoru decided to find Kenshin and tell him that it wasn't too late after all.



She heard someone at her door and was so glad that Kenshin came back! She rushed to open her door… "Ken……." Kaoru was taken by surprise as a big heavy hand clamped a damp cloth on her mouth. "Ken…..shin….." she thought as her vision blurred and she lost consciousness.



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Meanwhile, as Yujiro waited for Kenshin (He was a couple of hours early), The three assassins appeared before him. "It looks like you're not one stick to plans," their leader said, "so Mr. Barkley decided to change it!" Yujiro used his foot to pick up a stick and positioned himself to fight. "You don't want to fight us," the one on the left said. "Oh yeah!" Yujiro said "And why not?" The three laughed and their leader spoke again saying "Because we have your girlfriend, and if you so much as scratch any of us, she's DEAD!" "You're bluffing…." Yujiro started to say, but something told him they weren't. He didn't want to take any chances on Kaoru's life so he lowered his stick and dropped it back down on the ground. "Good boy!" the assassins said as they tied his hands and led him towards the cave.