DISCLAIMER : I don't own any of the characters from the anime Rurouni
Kenshin
READ THIS ( despite being long, this is actually quite important )
author's notes :
i'm so happy with the number of reviews i got from chapter 6 ... yeah, i guess i shouldn't scrap this fic like my other Rurouni Kenshin one entitled ' The Kiss ... ' which i felt no one was reading ... so keep up with the reviews !!!
as promised, this chapter is filled with kenshin x kaoru fluff in the latter part ... fine fine – it's not exactly fluff, but i hope u guys like it ... and yes, they finally meet again after sooo many chapters ... and yes, this chapter is quite long, since a lot of people commented that chapter 6 was too short – SEE ! your reviews are important !
i'm sorry it took me so long to write this chapter ... actually, i had planned on doing it sooner, but then i watched the final ova of Rurouni Kenshin ... to tell u truth, i was disappointed with how it ended ( don't worry, i won't spoil anything but if u want to know what happened in detail, just email me and i'll tell u ^_^ ; ) to make things worse, it depressed me ... for those who have seen it, i'm sure u felt depressed too after that
' chibi – rinoa ' asked about the appearance of the other cast members of RK ... they'll come out eventually, but take note that Sano's name is mentioned in this chapter ... you'll be seeing more of him in later chapters ...
thanks again for all u guys who wrote reviews ... annoying as it may be, i'd like to remind u guys to REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!
ENJOY !
anata ^_^
Chapter Seven – Hidden Actions, Unspoken Words
As Kenshin double checked the address of Kaoru's home, he realized that it wasn't that long a drive to get there. He was grateful for this as he noted that he hadn't slept at all the previous night. At least the bags under his eyes weren't very noticeable.
Since he wasn't the type of person who would just sit on his ass and whine every time he encountered a hindrance in his life, he decided to he would follow one of his two mottos, whichever was most appropriate in the situation. His first motto was slash, kill, and annihilate, then smirk sexily in front of the television cameras. Second was to take advantage of the situation and think, then smile sexily once again. In this case, the latter was more favorable, so Kenshin let his mind wander off. It was ' thinking ' time. Childish as it may seem, ' thinking ' time was usually when he would find inspiration in his business.
He grinned rakishly as the thought of seeing his ' angel ' entered his mind. Kenshin knew that it would have been much more convenient for him to send someone to her house to discuss his current problem with her, yet he couldn't bear to pass up the opportunity of talking with Kaoru. It was impractical, really, for him to be driving there, for him to be wasting his time when he could be making a million or two more in his office. There was no explanation for this. His only reason, illogical as it may be, was that he wanted to do so. Anything Kenshin wanted, he always got.
He couldn't figure out why he was so happy over some woman – a stranger – beautiful, yes, but nevertheless, a stranger. It didn't really matter to him anyway, whether the notion of meeting her brought waves of happiness coursing through his veins. What mattered was the fact that she was his witness, his alibi, his - ...
' ... angel ... ' thought Kenshin to himself, before realizing the sudden unexpected swerve in direction his thoughts had taken.
He furiously berated himself for losing concentration. Being a corporate slasher and all, he had learned at an early age, that just the tiniest lack of concentration could lead to his demise, and yet here he was daydreaming about a woman whom he didn't even know intimately. Heck, not even a single one of the women he had intimate relations with was able to muddle up his mind the way ' Tenshi ' had. The last time he lost his concentration, the entire stock market had collapsed, and that was not a pretty sight.
It was ironic really, that for the first time in his life, he was the one chasing after a woman. Even more ironic was that she apparently refused to admit her burning passionate love and desire for him. She wasn't playing hard to get. She was just ... in denial – or so Kenshin hoped. Yes, it was egotistical of him to think that way, but hey, the word ' no ' had never been a part of his vocabulary, and he would make sure that it wouldn't change.
Kenshin realized he needed a plan of attack. He couldn't just barge into her home, sweep her into his arms, shower her with heated kisses until she was begging for more, slowly unbutton her blouse as his other hand would travel lower and – Kenshin quickly halted his train of thought as it approached the hentai stage.
' I wonder what color her bra is ? ' he wondered, with a wicked smirk.
' Baka ! I can't believe how lack of sleep is turning me into some pervert. I have to think clearly. When I get there, I'll ring the doorbell. When she answers the door, hopefully it's her who opens the door, I'll politely explain the situation and I'll pour on the charm in addition to my incredibly irresistible million watt smile. I won't do anything rash or seemingly insane. For a back-up plan, hmmm, bribes usually work. I can offer her cash, jewelry, a yacht or two, and I guess I'd be willing to give up one of my planes if she insisted. Problem solved ! Women – they're so easy to please. ' thought Kenshin to himself, based on his previous encounters with the women he had courted, and yet the back of his mind, he secretly hoped that Kaoru wouldn't accept the bribe.
' She is special. She is different from all the money – grubbing women he had previously dated, isn't she ? '
There was just something about Tenshi. ' Oh wait, I should remember to start calling her by her real name. ' Anyway, there was just something about KAORU, that had touched him. No, it wasn't her unbelievably long and slender legs, nor was it the classic Japanese beauty of her ivory face framed by that gorgeous raven hair, nor was it her incredibly soulful eyes that had reached into her heart. They were eminent factors, true, that heightened his interest with her, but what captured him was the fact that she had cared enough to take care of him when he had been wounded, despite not knowing who he was. He normally would have categorized such an act as naivete and stupidity, but to have actually been the recipient of such kindness made him experience something he never expected to. Compassion.
It frightened him, and at the same time, it brought a smile to his normally grim face. He had felt loved – not adored, admired, or wanted – just plain ' loved ', and that, to him, was more precious than money. Somehow, through her act of kindness, Kaoru had been able to melt a bit of Kenshin's frozen mocha frappe, a.k.a. his heart.
Now, reassured that he had a foolproof plan, Kenshin allowed himself to relax into the comfortable leather interior of his car. He switched on the car radio, changing stations until a song caught his interest. He joined in, mouthing the words despite being horribly out of tune.
The last strains of music ended, as the dj announced the name of the singer and the title of the song.
Kenshin quickly remembered the name of the artist, as well as the title. He was definitely going to buy the cd. The song unnerved him. It reminded him of his feelings and confusion, plus the fact that such a song could come in handy in the future. He sighed. Hearing the song play only made him think about Kaoru more.
' Ne, I hope she's thinking about me too, or at least has thought about me even once. ' whispered Kenshin to himself.
He switched off the radio after hearing the news break focusing on last night's murder and his supposed involvement in it, and continued to drive.
' A few more minutes and I'll get there. '
In Kaoru's home ...
Kaoru's face paled as she reread the front page article in the newspaper. It came as a shock to her as her gaze traveled back and forth to the headline ' Millionaire Corporate Slasher Murder Suspect ', then to the accompanying picture of ' him '. She wasn't even sure which phrase she should focus more on – ' millionaire corporate slasher ' or ' murder suspect '.
It was mind boggling that the man she had just spent the night with was Kenshin Himura, the well known business man known for his, ahem, charms and other physical assets and attributes, if you know what I mean. It was even worse finding out that he had possibly murdered someone. At least now she knew his name.
' Long wavy crimson hair, purple eyes, x – shaped scar – yep, it's him alright. I can't believe it though, that he would actually kill someone, especially after seeing how gentle and sweet he was last night. ' As her thoughts drifted back to what had happened, she began to blush profusely as she remembered the wanton way she had responded to his touches.
She read through the article once more, until something registered in her mind. According to the paper, forensic scientists have discovered the time of murder to be around three or four in the morning – the exact time she had been with him in the hotel room. She smiled as she realized that he was innocent, but then she remembered another thing. It was also the exact time she had been kissing him. That thought gave her a headache.
It had been painful, leaving him there in the hotel room. Kaoru had wanted to stay, to be there by his side when he woke up, to see his beautiful purple eyes the moment they opened, but circumstances did not allow it. She had her own problems, and there was no way she would involve him. Despite her mind's resolve, she couldn't force her heart to forget about him. Even as she left, the memory of him kept sneaking back into her consciousness. Had it not been so endearing, Kaoru would have thought herself insane.
It was silly, really, her wishing that she could see him again, even just a glimpse would have sufficed. Well, she got her wish and more, but it wasn't what she had envisioned. A picture and article about him possibly killing someone wasn't exactly what she had imagined.
' Too bad I'll never see him again. What am I saying ? It 's a good thing I won't meet him again, but if I do, I wonder how should I react ? How would I – '
KNOCK ! KNOCK ! KNOCK ! ... Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a sharp rapping on the door.
Kaoru's mind raced frantically as she recalled all the romance novels and manga she had read in her teenage years. This would usually be the perfect opportunity for the protagonist to find the heroine and declare his everlasting love for her on bended knee. She was about to run to the nearest mirror to check her appearance when she realized what she was doing. She scolded herself for acting and thinking like a school girl who was about to go on her first date.
' I am excited to see him again. ' She admitted to herself wryly, as she approached the front door. As her hand was about to turn the door knob, she took a deep breath and readied herself for the inevitable.
Slowly, the door opened and sunlight filtered into the room, momentarily blinding Kaoru's eyes.
" Good morning Ms. Kamiya ! I'm here to deliver a parcel for Mr. Sanosuke Sagara. This was the address indicated, so please sign here and here, stating that you have received the package. " chirped the mail man who was oblivious to the disappointment in Kaoru's eyes caused by the missing presence of the man she had hoped to find. After hearing the name mentioned, her eyes widened slightly, before returning to normal. This sign of suprise also went unnoticed by the mail man.
After Kaoru had scrawled her signature upon the sheets, the mail man walked away, heading towards the next house on his delivery list. Kaoru sighed, her shoulders slightly drooping as she leaned against the doorframe. Her attention was suddenly caught by a commotion going on by her neighbor's house. Two people were fighting, and one of the two seemed to be beating the other with some sort of stick. Kaoru easily recognized which neighbor was involved - Mrs. Granger, a sweet old lady in her late seventies, but the other party was more difficult to distinguish from such a distance.
Throwing caution to the wind, Kaoru grabbed the nearest possible weapon, one of the bamboo poles she had been tending in her front lawn, and headed towards them, intending on saving Mrs. Granger from harm in an unknown form. As she got nearer, recognition hit her with the force of an incoming bullet train.
Red hair.
Violet eyes.
Sexy scar.
It was him.
Kenshin turned towards the source of approaching footsteps, hoping with all his might that it wasn't another deranged old woman wielding a deadly broomstick. No, Kenshin wasn't a wuss, but his basic nature refused to allow him to fight back against a woman, more so since she was old. Call it being chivalrous or being an idiot – if analyzed, both were indeed quite similar in terms of lack of common sense.
He gasped in relief when he realized who had come. It sure as hell wasn't another psycho swinging a cleaning utensil.
Once again, his angel had come to his rescue.
After secretly admiring how sexy Kenshin looked in his semi – wrinkled suit, Kaoru realized that no matter what he wore – whether it was a blood – stained bathrobe or an Armani suit worth thousands, Kenshin was hot. As her gaze shifted towards his face, Kaoru discovered that while she had been giving his appearance the once over, Kenshin had been intently staring at her with an expression of ...
' Longing ? Appreciation ? Love ? – Nah. It must just be my imagination. ' assured Kaoru's mind. Her lack of belief in this sort of reasoning though was betrayed by the increase in her heart rate. There really was something in his eyes, not literally though, that made Kaoru feel like blushing.
With grace and courtesy, Kaoru was easily able to calm Mrs. Granger down, from the state of rage she had been in. Apparently, Mrs. Granger had also read this morning's article about the ' millionaire slasher ', and had assumed Kenshin was after Kaoru when she opened her front door and found him walking in the street towards Kaoru's house. Mrs. Granger's immense instinct of survival kicked in, and in no time flat, she had gone after him with her broom.
Kaoru reassured the old woman she did know the man, that he was quite nice, and that he was most definitely NOT a murderer, contrary to what the newspaper had mentioned.
Grudgingly, Mrs. Granger walked back into her house, warily glancing back at the redhead that had nearly caused her to have a heart attack by his presence. She paused for a moment to glare at Kenshin as she waved her broom menacingly, before leaving the two alone at last.
An awkward silence fell, as the two of them were unsure of what to say. Every time they made eye contact, both would flinch as if they had been burned by the sparks that emanated between them. Had it been another time, another place, they could have spent hours just gazing into each other's eyes. If only.
Both had something to say, but both were also too afraid to start. Finally, the tension was broken by Kaoru's hesitant smile which blossomed as she noticed how adorable Kenshin was, nervously tugging a stray lock of his hair that had fallen out of place.
' Himura looks beauti – ummm, I mean handsome. ! ' thought Kaoru to herself, thanking the heavens that Kenshin couldn't read her mind. Had Kenshin been psychic, he would have been shocked especially by Kaoru's admiration of his ' sexy ass '.
" I think I know why you're here, Mr. Himura. " murmured Kaoru, recalling the article's contents.
" Call me Kenshin. Anyway, yeah, I guess you do. Kaoru. I need you to be my witness. " Kenshin said, although he had mentally added the unspoken sentence ' ... actually, I need you. ' to his thoughts. It took all of his willpower not to say it out loud for fear of scaring the daylights out of her. The moment he had caught sight of her nearing, it was as if he had lost all sense and reason. Common sense flew out of the window. He had wanted to tell the old lady to get lost, run up to Kaoru and envelop her with kisses. Good thing he hadn't, after all, he still had a plan to follow.
" I – I – I'm sorry. I can't. Please understand what I am saying, and please don't follow me. " With that, she whirled around and began heading home. She knew that she had been incredibly abrupt and somewhat rude, but seeing him again had made her uncertain.
" Wait ! I had another reason for coming here. " added in Kenshin hastily to her retreating figure.
Despite his words, Kaoru continued walking. She knew that if she stopped even for just one moment, her resolve would crumble like a dry sand castle in the beach ; so she chose to ignore his words. She didn't want to be a part of his problems. She didn't want to involve him in her own either. Nothing he would say or do could change her mind. Nothing.
" I just wanted to see you again. " he whispered.
So quietly did he say these words that she almost didn't hear them. Obviously, he hadn't planned on her hearing them, after all, he felt unprepared to bare his feelings to her. He wasn't even sure of his feelings anymore. All he knew now was that this woman, his angel, was walking away from him and there was nothing he could do about it despite his wealth and incredible good looks.
Unfortunately, or should I say ' fortunately' for him, Kaoru had heard. She paused, mid - stride, if only for a moment, giving Kenshin the opportunity he needed.
Kenshin caught one of her hands before she was able to continue. Carefully as if it were made of porcelain, he held her hand – a silent heartfelt plea which she found she could almost not ignore. Almost, but not quite.
With excruciating patience and self - loathing, she extracted her hand from his hold. The moment their skin lost contact, Kaoru felt a sense of unexplainable loss. It was strange, how comfortable she felt, whenever she was near him. It was almost as if her hand belonged to his. It was almost like deja vu, her being with him, except for the fact that she was positive that she had never ever met him before last night. The tingly and safe feeling she had felt quickly vanished as Kaoru briskly strode towards her house, leaving Kenshin gaping in bewilderment at her in the middle of the street.
Kenshin too was a victim of the feeling of loss caused by her departure. Gathering his wits, Kenshin followed her, but before he was able to step into her house, Kaoru had deftly managed to slam the door in his face.
Rejection. Hurt. Pain.
" Ow. You hurt my nose. " complained Kenshin, as he stood on the other side of the door, rubbing his now red nose.
' I don't know which hurts more right now – my nose or my heart, but I can't give up. It's now or never. ' With that thought, Kenshin began banging on her front door with renewed vigor.
to be continued ...
some explanations : ( pls. read )
you're probably thinking i made Kenshin sound like a male chauvinist pig based on the fact that he believes women can be easily bought – just remember that he thinks this way because of all the previous women he had dated ... they would pout, he'd give them gifts, and * poof * - like magic they'd be happy again ...
no, Kaoru's NOT playing hard to get – she's just confused about her feelings, and so is Kenshin ... note though that although he doesn't realize yet that he's madly in love with her, he knows that he feels deeply for her, and that is enough for him to take action
in case u find portions of this chapter somewhat silly, it was meant to be silly ... i intentionally tried to make this chapter a bit happier by adding some subtle ' not quite ' puns to pull up the mood ...
oh yes, the song Kenshin was listening to will actually be mentioned in a later chapter ... if ur wondering what the song is ... write a review so the story would actually reach that chapter !
who is mrs. Granger ? ... i just made her up
once more thing, i'm sorry if u find my story too slow and dragging ... that's really how i write, which is why i normally do one shot fics to prevent it from getting boring ... that's why i want REVIEWS ! ... they make me want to write, some give me ideas, plus the fact that they tell me whether or not my fic sucks or not ...
pls. Write a review ... yes, i'm a grubby review craving fan fic writer ... aren't we all ? hehe, just kidding ... it's probably just me ... once again, look at the little purple box that comes after these words ... it says ... Click here to submit a review ... click on it ... click on it ... click on it ... honestly, if you think my fic sucks, give me constructive criticism ... in short, tell me how to improve ... thanks
READ THIS ( despite being long, this is actually quite important )
author's notes :
i'm so happy with the number of reviews i got from chapter 6 ... yeah, i guess i shouldn't scrap this fic like my other Rurouni Kenshin one entitled ' The Kiss ... ' which i felt no one was reading ... so keep up with the reviews !!!
as promised, this chapter is filled with kenshin x kaoru fluff in the latter part ... fine fine – it's not exactly fluff, but i hope u guys like it ... and yes, they finally meet again after sooo many chapters ... and yes, this chapter is quite long, since a lot of people commented that chapter 6 was too short – SEE ! your reviews are important !
i'm sorry it took me so long to write this chapter ... actually, i had planned on doing it sooner, but then i watched the final ova of Rurouni Kenshin ... to tell u truth, i was disappointed with how it ended ( don't worry, i won't spoil anything but if u want to know what happened in detail, just email me and i'll tell u ^_^ ; ) to make things worse, it depressed me ... for those who have seen it, i'm sure u felt depressed too after that
' chibi – rinoa ' asked about the appearance of the other cast members of RK ... they'll come out eventually, but take note that Sano's name is mentioned in this chapter ... you'll be seeing more of him in later chapters ...
thanks again for all u guys who wrote reviews ... annoying as it may be, i'd like to remind u guys to REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!
ENJOY !
anata ^_^
Chapter Seven – Hidden Actions, Unspoken Words
As Kenshin double checked the address of Kaoru's home, he realized that it wasn't that long a drive to get there. He was grateful for this as he noted that he hadn't slept at all the previous night. At least the bags under his eyes weren't very noticeable.
Since he wasn't the type of person who would just sit on his ass and whine every time he encountered a hindrance in his life, he decided to he would follow one of his two mottos, whichever was most appropriate in the situation. His first motto was slash, kill, and annihilate, then smirk sexily in front of the television cameras. Second was to take advantage of the situation and think, then smile sexily once again. In this case, the latter was more favorable, so Kenshin let his mind wander off. It was ' thinking ' time. Childish as it may seem, ' thinking ' time was usually when he would find inspiration in his business.
He grinned rakishly as the thought of seeing his ' angel ' entered his mind. Kenshin knew that it would have been much more convenient for him to send someone to her house to discuss his current problem with her, yet he couldn't bear to pass up the opportunity of talking with Kaoru. It was impractical, really, for him to be driving there, for him to be wasting his time when he could be making a million or two more in his office. There was no explanation for this. His only reason, illogical as it may be, was that he wanted to do so. Anything Kenshin wanted, he always got.
He couldn't figure out why he was so happy over some woman – a stranger – beautiful, yes, but nevertheless, a stranger. It didn't really matter to him anyway, whether the notion of meeting her brought waves of happiness coursing through his veins. What mattered was the fact that she was his witness, his alibi, his - ...
' ... angel ... ' thought Kenshin to himself, before realizing the sudden unexpected swerve in direction his thoughts had taken.
He furiously berated himself for losing concentration. Being a corporate slasher and all, he had learned at an early age, that just the tiniest lack of concentration could lead to his demise, and yet here he was daydreaming about a woman whom he didn't even know intimately. Heck, not even a single one of the women he had intimate relations with was able to muddle up his mind the way ' Tenshi ' had. The last time he lost his concentration, the entire stock market had collapsed, and that was not a pretty sight.
It was ironic really, that for the first time in his life, he was the one chasing after a woman. Even more ironic was that she apparently refused to admit her burning passionate love and desire for him. She wasn't playing hard to get. She was just ... in denial – or so Kenshin hoped. Yes, it was egotistical of him to think that way, but hey, the word ' no ' had never been a part of his vocabulary, and he would make sure that it wouldn't change.
Kenshin realized he needed a plan of attack. He couldn't just barge into her home, sweep her into his arms, shower her with heated kisses until she was begging for more, slowly unbutton her blouse as his other hand would travel lower and – Kenshin quickly halted his train of thought as it approached the hentai stage.
' I wonder what color her bra is ? ' he wondered, with a wicked smirk.
' Baka ! I can't believe how lack of sleep is turning me into some pervert. I have to think clearly. When I get there, I'll ring the doorbell. When she answers the door, hopefully it's her who opens the door, I'll politely explain the situation and I'll pour on the charm in addition to my incredibly irresistible million watt smile. I won't do anything rash or seemingly insane. For a back-up plan, hmmm, bribes usually work. I can offer her cash, jewelry, a yacht or two, and I guess I'd be willing to give up one of my planes if she insisted. Problem solved ! Women – they're so easy to please. ' thought Kenshin to himself, based on his previous encounters with the women he had courted, and yet the back of his mind, he secretly hoped that Kaoru wouldn't accept the bribe.
' She is special. She is different from all the money – grubbing women he had previously dated, isn't she ? '
There was just something about Tenshi. ' Oh wait, I should remember to start calling her by her real name. ' Anyway, there was just something about KAORU, that had touched him. No, it wasn't her unbelievably long and slender legs, nor was it the classic Japanese beauty of her ivory face framed by that gorgeous raven hair, nor was it her incredibly soulful eyes that had reached into her heart. They were eminent factors, true, that heightened his interest with her, but what captured him was the fact that she had cared enough to take care of him when he had been wounded, despite not knowing who he was. He normally would have categorized such an act as naivete and stupidity, but to have actually been the recipient of such kindness made him experience something he never expected to. Compassion.
It frightened him, and at the same time, it brought a smile to his normally grim face. He had felt loved – not adored, admired, or wanted – just plain ' loved ', and that, to him, was more precious than money. Somehow, through her act of kindness, Kaoru had been able to melt a bit of Kenshin's frozen mocha frappe, a.k.a. his heart.
Now, reassured that he had a foolproof plan, Kenshin allowed himself to relax into the comfortable leather interior of his car. He switched on the car radio, changing stations until a song caught his interest. He joined in, mouthing the words despite being horribly out of tune.
The last strains of music ended, as the dj announced the name of the singer and the title of the song.
Kenshin quickly remembered the name of the artist, as well as the title. He was definitely going to buy the cd. The song unnerved him. It reminded him of his feelings and confusion, plus the fact that such a song could come in handy in the future. He sighed. Hearing the song play only made him think about Kaoru more.
' Ne, I hope she's thinking about me too, or at least has thought about me even once. ' whispered Kenshin to himself.
He switched off the radio after hearing the news break focusing on last night's murder and his supposed involvement in it, and continued to drive.
' A few more minutes and I'll get there. '
In Kaoru's home ...
Kaoru's face paled as she reread the front page article in the newspaper. It came as a shock to her as her gaze traveled back and forth to the headline ' Millionaire Corporate Slasher Murder Suspect ', then to the accompanying picture of ' him '. She wasn't even sure which phrase she should focus more on – ' millionaire corporate slasher ' or ' murder suspect '.
It was mind boggling that the man she had just spent the night with was Kenshin Himura, the well known business man known for his, ahem, charms and other physical assets and attributes, if you know what I mean. It was even worse finding out that he had possibly murdered someone. At least now she knew his name.
' Long wavy crimson hair, purple eyes, x – shaped scar – yep, it's him alright. I can't believe it though, that he would actually kill someone, especially after seeing how gentle and sweet he was last night. ' As her thoughts drifted back to what had happened, she began to blush profusely as she remembered the wanton way she had responded to his touches.
She read through the article once more, until something registered in her mind. According to the paper, forensic scientists have discovered the time of murder to be around three or four in the morning – the exact time she had been with him in the hotel room. She smiled as she realized that he was innocent, but then she remembered another thing. It was also the exact time she had been kissing him. That thought gave her a headache.
It had been painful, leaving him there in the hotel room. Kaoru had wanted to stay, to be there by his side when he woke up, to see his beautiful purple eyes the moment they opened, but circumstances did not allow it. She had her own problems, and there was no way she would involve him. Despite her mind's resolve, she couldn't force her heart to forget about him. Even as she left, the memory of him kept sneaking back into her consciousness. Had it not been so endearing, Kaoru would have thought herself insane.
It was silly, really, her wishing that she could see him again, even just a glimpse would have sufficed. Well, she got her wish and more, but it wasn't what she had envisioned. A picture and article about him possibly killing someone wasn't exactly what she had imagined.
' Too bad I'll never see him again. What am I saying ? It 's a good thing I won't meet him again, but if I do, I wonder how should I react ? How would I – '
KNOCK ! KNOCK ! KNOCK ! ... Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a sharp rapping on the door.
Kaoru's mind raced frantically as she recalled all the romance novels and manga she had read in her teenage years. This would usually be the perfect opportunity for the protagonist to find the heroine and declare his everlasting love for her on bended knee. She was about to run to the nearest mirror to check her appearance when she realized what she was doing. She scolded herself for acting and thinking like a school girl who was about to go on her first date.
' I am excited to see him again. ' She admitted to herself wryly, as she approached the front door. As her hand was about to turn the door knob, she took a deep breath and readied herself for the inevitable.
Slowly, the door opened and sunlight filtered into the room, momentarily blinding Kaoru's eyes.
" Good morning Ms. Kamiya ! I'm here to deliver a parcel for Mr. Sanosuke Sagara. This was the address indicated, so please sign here and here, stating that you have received the package. " chirped the mail man who was oblivious to the disappointment in Kaoru's eyes caused by the missing presence of the man she had hoped to find. After hearing the name mentioned, her eyes widened slightly, before returning to normal. This sign of suprise also went unnoticed by the mail man.
After Kaoru had scrawled her signature upon the sheets, the mail man walked away, heading towards the next house on his delivery list. Kaoru sighed, her shoulders slightly drooping as she leaned against the doorframe. Her attention was suddenly caught by a commotion going on by her neighbor's house. Two people were fighting, and one of the two seemed to be beating the other with some sort of stick. Kaoru easily recognized which neighbor was involved - Mrs. Granger, a sweet old lady in her late seventies, but the other party was more difficult to distinguish from such a distance.
Throwing caution to the wind, Kaoru grabbed the nearest possible weapon, one of the bamboo poles she had been tending in her front lawn, and headed towards them, intending on saving Mrs. Granger from harm in an unknown form. As she got nearer, recognition hit her with the force of an incoming bullet train.
Red hair.
Violet eyes.
Sexy scar.
It was him.
Kenshin turned towards the source of approaching footsteps, hoping with all his might that it wasn't another deranged old woman wielding a deadly broomstick. No, Kenshin wasn't a wuss, but his basic nature refused to allow him to fight back against a woman, more so since she was old. Call it being chivalrous or being an idiot – if analyzed, both were indeed quite similar in terms of lack of common sense.
He gasped in relief when he realized who had come. It sure as hell wasn't another psycho swinging a cleaning utensil.
Once again, his angel had come to his rescue.
After secretly admiring how sexy Kenshin looked in his semi – wrinkled suit, Kaoru realized that no matter what he wore – whether it was a blood – stained bathrobe or an Armani suit worth thousands, Kenshin was hot. As her gaze shifted towards his face, Kaoru discovered that while she had been giving his appearance the once over, Kenshin had been intently staring at her with an expression of ...
' Longing ? Appreciation ? Love ? – Nah. It must just be my imagination. ' assured Kaoru's mind. Her lack of belief in this sort of reasoning though was betrayed by the increase in her heart rate. There really was something in his eyes, not literally though, that made Kaoru feel like blushing.
With grace and courtesy, Kaoru was easily able to calm Mrs. Granger down, from the state of rage she had been in. Apparently, Mrs. Granger had also read this morning's article about the ' millionaire slasher ', and had assumed Kenshin was after Kaoru when she opened her front door and found him walking in the street towards Kaoru's house. Mrs. Granger's immense instinct of survival kicked in, and in no time flat, she had gone after him with her broom.
Kaoru reassured the old woman she did know the man, that he was quite nice, and that he was most definitely NOT a murderer, contrary to what the newspaper had mentioned.
Grudgingly, Mrs. Granger walked back into her house, warily glancing back at the redhead that had nearly caused her to have a heart attack by his presence. She paused for a moment to glare at Kenshin as she waved her broom menacingly, before leaving the two alone at last.
An awkward silence fell, as the two of them were unsure of what to say. Every time they made eye contact, both would flinch as if they had been burned by the sparks that emanated between them. Had it been another time, another place, they could have spent hours just gazing into each other's eyes. If only.
Both had something to say, but both were also too afraid to start. Finally, the tension was broken by Kaoru's hesitant smile which blossomed as she noticed how adorable Kenshin was, nervously tugging a stray lock of his hair that had fallen out of place.
' Himura looks beauti – ummm, I mean handsome. ! ' thought Kaoru to herself, thanking the heavens that Kenshin couldn't read her mind. Had Kenshin been psychic, he would have been shocked especially by Kaoru's admiration of his ' sexy ass '.
" I think I know why you're here, Mr. Himura. " murmured Kaoru, recalling the article's contents.
" Call me Kenshin. Anyway, yeah, I guess you do. Kaoru. I need you to be my witness. " Kenshin said, although he had mentally added the unspoken sentence ' ... actually, I need you. ' to his thoughts. It took all of his willpower not to say it out loud for fear of scaring the daylights out of her. The moment he had caught sight of her nearing, it was as if he had lost all sense and reason. Common sense flew out of the window. He had wanted to tell the old lady to get lost, run up to Kaoru and envelop her with kisses. Good thing he hadn't, after all, he still had a plan to follow.
" I – I – I'm sorry. I can't. Please understand what I am saying, and please don't follow me. " With that, she whirled around and began heading home. She knew that she had been incredibly abrupt and somewhat rude, but seeing him again had made her uncertain.
" Wait ! I had another reason for coming here. " added in Kenshin hastily to her retreating figure.
Despite his words, Kaoru continued walking. She knew that if she stopped even for just one moment, her resolve would crumble like a dry sand castle in the beach ; so she chose to ignore his words. She didn't want to be a part of his problems. She didn't want to involve him in her own either. Nothing he would say or do could change her mind. Nothing.
" I just wanted to see you again. " he whispered.
So quietly did he say these words that she almost didn't hear them. Obviously, he hadn't planned on her hearing them, after all, he felt unprepared to bare his feelings to her. He wasn't even sure of his feelings anymore. All he knew now was that this woman, his angel, was walking away from him and there was nothing he could do about it despite his wealth and incredible good looks.
Unfortunately, or should I say ' fortunately' for him, Kaoru had heard. She paused, mid - stride, if only for a moment, giving Kenshin the opportunity he needed.
Kenshin caught one of her hands before she was able to continue. Carefully as if it were made of porcelain, he held her hand – a silent heartfelt plea which she found she could almost not ignore. Almost, but not quite.
With excruciating patience and self - loathing, she extracted her hand from his hold. The moment their skin lost contact, Kaoru felt a sense of unexplainable loss. It was strange, how comfortable she felt, whenever she was near him. It was almost as if her hand belonged to his. It was almost like deja vu, her being with him, except for the fact that she was positive that she had never ever met him before last night. The tingly and safe feeling she had felt quickly vanished as Kaoru briskly strode towards her house, leaving Kenshin gaping in bewilderment at her in the middle of the street.
Kenshin too was a victim of the feeling of loss caused by her departure. Gathering his wits, Kenshin followed her, but before he was able to step into her house, Kaoru had deftly managed to slam the door in his face.
Rejection. Hurt. Pain.
" Ow. You hurt my nose. " complained Kenshin, as he stood on the other side of the door, rubbing his now red nose.
' I don't know which hurts more right now – my nose or my heart, but I can't give up. It's now or never. ' With that thought, Kenshin began banging on her front door with renewed vigor.
to be continued ...
some explanations : ( pls. read )
you're probably thinking i made Kenshin sound like a male chauvinist pig based on the fact that he believes women can be easily bought – just remember that he thinks this way because of all the previous women he had dated ... they would pout, he'd give them gifts, and * poof * - like magic they'd be happy again ...
no, Kaoru's NOT playing hard to get – she's just confused about her feelings, and so is Kenshin ... note though that although he doesn't realize yet that he's madly in love with her, he knows that he feels deeply for her, and that is enough for him to take action
in case u find portions of this chapter somewhat silly, it was meant to be silly ... i intentionally tried to make this chapter a bit happier by adding some subtle ' not quite ' puns to pull up the mood ...
oh yes, the song Kenshin was listening to will actually be mentioned in a later chapter ... if ur wondering what the song is ... write a review so the story would actually reach that chapter !
who is mrs. Granger ? ... i just made her up
once more thing, i'm sorry if u find my story too slow and dragging ... that's really how i write, which is why i normally do one shot fics to prevent it from getting boring ... that's why i want REVIEWS ! ... they make me want to write, some give me ideas, plus the fact that they tell me whether or not my fic sucks or not ...
pls. Write a review ... yes, i'm a grubby review craving fan fic writer ... aren't we all ? hehe, just kidding ... it's probably just me ... once again, look at the little purple box that comes after these words ... it says ... Click here to submit a review ... click on it ... click on it ... click on it ... honestly, if you think my fic sucks, give me constructive criticism ... in short, tell me how to improve ... thanks