Disclaimer: Nobuhiro Watsuki is the owner of Rurouni Kenshin and all of its characters.
A/N: Haaii~!! ^___^ Thanks for all your support everyone!! I'm very happy with my fic, thanks to you! I DID have a few flaws, (I DID use the world 'elegant' too often...hahahahaha...^^') but I'll be sure to fix those up, once I get a good hang of using the thesaurus... ^^'
Mini note: In this fic, Kenshin and Kaoru are THE SAME AGE!!! PLEASE NOTE!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~Paris, France~*
Kaoru ran her hand along her hair, checking for any flaws, and sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a slim figured woman, her facial features looking bold yet gentle with her lips of rosy pink and hints natural of blush on her round cheeks. Her eyelashes long and narrow, eyebrows thin and arching over her orbs of sapphire blue, and a pointed chin rounded it all up in a proper, engaging face. Satisfied, she dusted off her navy uniform before slipping on her gloves as she snatched up her suitcase and leaving a tip for the maid to head out the door.
Her high heels made a steady rhythm with the sidewalk as she walked, one hand clutching at her suitcase while the other busily fixing her scarf around her neck. Seeing the light turn green at the crosswalk, she stalked across, one foot after another. She headed for the entrance of the airport, but was immediately distracted when her eyes came across a post box. She walked past it, her hand flicking a small envelope into the receiving end as she walked through the automatic doors.
* * *
*~Kyoto, Japan~*
Kenshin trained with Yahiko that morning, flinging the sword with the usual kiai (yells to encourage oneself in kendo) and strength. Outside, the sun shone brightly on the ground, tattered with leaves of all colors. Misao stood leaning against the wall, observing their training.
"Himura?"
Kenshin stopped his flow of flings and looked at her innocently.
"Oro?"
"Can I talk to you?"
In his mind, he thought he saw a smirk flicker across her features, but that was soon gone and he shook off the image.
"Himura, what's wrong?"
Misao sat along a small river, in the shade of a tree of cherry blossoms that had begun shedding its tears of pink. Kenshin sat beside her, an arm draped over a bent knee as he leaned on it.
"Oro?"
Misao looked at him directly, like a firm grip that wasn't planning to let go so easily.
"Your movements are getting sluggish and sluggish every day. That's not like you."
He turned to look into the water, the light reflecting on its surface.
"It's nothing."
She shifted her body to face him entirely.
"I've been watching you. Your body isn't as agile, you're often silent at dinners although you continue to grin, and I often find you staring off into space at odd times. Do you call that nothing?"
He didn't respond. He continued to stare into the waters in front of him. The blue shade reminded him of a particular set of eyes he longed to see...
From the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw an object fly at him. He saw it a few milliseconds too late, and he dodged, only to be barely nicked in the shoulder. He stared at Misao, her fist in mid air where he had previously been sitting.
"M-Misao..."
She frowned out at him, and spoke slowly.
"Had you been normal, you could've been able to avoid that without a problem. Himura, tell me the truth."
He sighed, giving in reluctantly as he began.
"I've met someone, Misao."
In her mind, she already knew what was causing him to act this way. She'd heard it all from Sano, and it wasn't a surprise, but she needed for Kenshin to spit out all his loss and sorrow temporarily to get back the bright, smiley Kenshin she used to know.
"I met her in the plane, and since then she hasn't left my mind. I'm pretty much hopeless. There's no way I can see her again."
He lowered his head into his knees, his arms holding it all together. He looked small, withered into a small ball in a large planet.
"Himura, I know how you feel."
Kenshin didn't budge, but continued to listen. She continued to speak softly.
"You know that I have strong feelings for Aoshi-sama, don't you?"
Quietly, he noted 'yes'.
She turned away and looked into the water.
"I feel that he's grown attached to me as well. But we share a pain."
She paused.
"We both know that we will never virtually become as one. There's no way two people of ten years apart in age can come together without any troubles in their marriage. We wouldn't feel that way."
He looked up and glanced at her.
She smiled at him sadly, and ruffled her hair, chuckling.
"Of course, it's not like we'd want to get married or...or..."
She stopped and shook her head.
"...it's just not possible. He's more like my brother."
Kenshin suddenly turned to her, surprised and shocked to see tears streaming down her young face.
"I-I didn't want it to be that way. I wanted to be closer..."
She rubbed away her tears frantically and smiled at him again, with pain written in her face.
"You have a lot of hope Himura. I understand that I do too, and I'm not going to give up my dear Aoshi. Don't give up on Ka- I mean, the woman you love."
Kenshin stared at her, wide-eyed and wondering. He thought about her words, and soon her message got to his mind, causing him to smile.
Perhaps she's right....
* * *
Later that night, Kenshin flipped through the last few pages of his book, with his glasses resting on his nose as he comfortably lay back in his futon. A knock at the shoji door startled him.
"Come in!"
Aoshi opened the door, dressed in a yukata and ready for bed. He tossed a small envelope into Kenshin's hands.
"This came for you."
"Arigato." (Thank you)
As he was about to leave, Kenshin stopped him.
"Aoshi?"
The cold eyes turned to him. They stared at each other for a few firm seconds.
"Take care of Misao."
The red head saw the dark eyebrows rise in slight surprise.
"...I will."
With that, he closed the door and silently walked away.
Kenshin held the envelope the light, gazing at the beautiful handwriting that addressed the letter to him. He carefully opened it, pulling out a small sheet of paper. He was startled at the touch. It was white, opaque paper. His heart thumping, he unfolded the sheet and began to read.
Dearest Kenshin,
I must confess that I feel no different from you. Though it's been none but a few days, I feel as though decades have gone by. It's as though your presence is fading by the minute, and I'm blindly grabbing at it to prevent you from simply erasing yourself from my life. How I wish that you could've stayed in Paris a little longer with me...
I had a little discussion with my friend the other day. That was when I first realized that I too, had a fear of losing you. It was a rather awkward meeting, but I still find myself thinking whether that day was meant to be so special, and my mind I'm starting to think that it was. I truly hope that our friendly relationship will continue to grow. You are now a special person in my life.
I'm off to Kyoto, now. How happy would I be if I met you there! I'm hoping with everything that I've got.
Please don't feel embarrassed, because every word you said is now being repeated back to you, from my heart.
I miss you dearly...
Forever yours,
Kaoru
* * *
*~Paris, France~*
Megumi was helping out at the flower shop with Sano that day, standing behind the counter for customers and organizing the plants.
"You sure you don't need to go to the office?"
She shook her head.
"I finished it all last night, remember?"
He threw her a grin.
"All I remember from last night was us dancing."
She blushed at that comment and looked away. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear.
"Aww, don't tell me that you're embarrassed?"
She frowned at him.
"Of course not."
He took her hand.
"Are you going to be able to prove it to me? We can dance in here, right now."
She looked at him, horrified.
"There are people that can look in, or can come walking in any minute, Sano..."
He grinned.
"It's closing time anyway. Lets clean this up and you'll have to prove it to me."
She frowned again, and began sweeping the floor. Sano flipped the 'open' sign to 'closed' and began blowing out the candles.
Several minutes later....
* * *
Kenshin stared, wide-eyed at the letter that he clutched at his hand. He couldn't believe what he'd just read, and a small, tingly sensation was starting to build in his heart. He finally smiled, laying back on his futon and read the letter over and over again. He noticed the little picture of tulips adorning the end of the page, and smiled at the memory.
Getting tired, he folded up the letter carefully, and slipped it back into the envelope. He placed it next to him on the ground, and sighed as he switched off the light.
"I love you Kaoru."
* * *
Megumi embraced Sano in the dark, swaying to the music from the radio. In her mind, she grumbled, admitting the fact that she WAS embarrassed when it came to dancing, and noting the fact that she was never good at it...until now...
"Oi, Megumi, why are you so tense?"
She slightly flinched.
"I'm not."
He smirked.
"I'm not going to do anything to you, you know that. I'm not THAT bad of a guy."
She had to laugh, easing up a little.
She began to relax, her eyelids beginning to lower from the weight. And little by little, drowsiness overtook her as she swayed in his arms.
She felt limp.
"Megumi?"
Her eyes finally gave in, and she fell asleep. She hadn't realized how tired she was.
Sano stood there, with a limp Megumi in his arms. She still clung to him tightly, and he smiled down at her as her eyelashes flickered. She was a pretty one.
He leaned down and pecked her cheek lightly, making sure not to disturb her sleep.
"Oyasumi" (Good night)
* * *
*~Kyoto, Japan~*
The plane finally landed, and Kaoru was out back in the fresh air again. She smiled as she saw the large city in front of her.
"Long time no see, Kyoto..."
She walked off into the streets to find a taxi.
After dropping off her luggage at the hotel, she began to unpack. She suddenly realized that she'd needed a new pair of high heels, and quickly undressed from her uniform to visit the nearby department store.
* * *
"Oi, Kenshin! Are you ready yet?"
"Oro? Yahiko where are my shoes?"
Yahiko smacked Kenshin's back with a sandal, and Kenshin chased after him down the hall. It was another sunny day, and Kenshin wore his usual khakis, along with a navy sweater. Misao was in her usual tom boyish outfits, and Yahiko dashed out in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
"Yahiko, don't you need your jacket?"
"NO!"
The three of them walked down the street, chatting casually. Misao smiled at Kenshin's improvement. He was himself again, and she was satisfied with her work. Depressing Kenshins were too much to bear....
"Oi, can we go to the department store first? I don't want them to sell out on their that new CD!"
Kenshin and Misao walked placidly behind him as Yahiko dashed through the automatic doors.
Little did both Kaoru and Kenshin know that their presences were less then a mile from each other...
* * *
TO BE CONTINUED~!!!!! ^________^ Thanks for reading!!!
A/N: Haaii~!! ^___^ Thanks for all your support everyone!! I'm very happy with my fic, thanks to you! I DID have a few flaws, (I DID use the world 'elegant' too often...hahahahaha...^^') but I'll be sure to fix those up, once I get a good hang of using the thesaurus... ^^'
Mini note: In this fic, Kenshin and Kaoru are THE SAME AGE!!! PLEASE NOTE!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~Paris, France~*
Kaoru ran her hand along her hair, checking for any flaws, and sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a slim figured woman, her facial features looking bold yet gentle with her lips of rosy pink and hints natural of blush on her round cheeks. Her eyelashes long and narrow, eyebrows thin and arching over her orbs of sapphire blue, and a pointed chin rounded it all up in a proper, engaging face. Satisfied, she dusted off her navy uniform before slipping on her gloves as she snatched up her suitcase and leaving a tip for the maid to head out the door.
Her high heels made a steady rhythm with the sidewalk as she walked, one hand clutching at her suitcase while the other busily fixing her scarf around her neck. Seeing the light turn green at the crosswalk, she stalked across, one foot after another. She headed for the entrance of the airport, but was immediately distracted when her eyes came across a post box. She walked past it, her hand flicking a small envelope into the receiving end as she walked through the automatic doors.
* * *
*~Kyoto, Japan~*
Kenshin trained with Yahiko that morning, flinging the sword with the usual kiai (yells to encourage oneself in kendo) and strength. Outside, the sun shone brightly on the ground, tattered with leaves of all colors. Misao stood leaning against the wall, observing their training.
"Himura?"
Kenshin stopped his flow of flings and looked at her innocently.
"Oro?"
"Can I talk to you?"
In his mind, he thought he saw a smirk flicker across her features, but that was soon gone and he shook off the image.
"Himura, what's wrong?"
Misao sat along a small river, in the shade of a tree of cherry blossoms that had begun shedding its tears of pink. Kenshin sat beside her, an arm draped over a bent knee as he leaned on it.
"Oro?"
Misao looked at him directly, like a firm grip that wasn't planning to let go so easily.
"Your movements are getting sluggish and sluggish every day. That's not like you."
He turned to look into the water, the light reflecting on its surface.
"It's nothing."
She shifted her body to face him entirely.
"I've been watching you. Your body isn't as agile, you're often silent at dinners although you continue to grin, and I often find you staring off into space at odd times. Do you call that nothing?"
He didn't respond. He continued to stare into the waters in front of him. The blue shade reminded him of a particular set of eyes he longed to see...
From the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw an object fly at him. He saw it a few milliseconds too late, and he dodged, only to be barely nicked in the shoulder. He stared at Misao, her fist in mid air where he had previously been sitting.
"M-Misao..."
She frowned out at him, and spoke slowly.
"Had you been normal, you could've been able to avoid that without a problem. Himura, tell me the truth."
He sighed, giving in reluctantly as he began.
"I've met someone, Misao."
In her mind, she already knew what was causing him to act this way. She'd heard it all from Sano, and it wasn't a surprise, but she needed for Kenshin to spit out all his loss and sorrow temporarily to get back the bright, smiley Kenshin she used to know.
"I met her in the plane, and since then she hasn't left my mind. I'm pretty much hopeless. There's no way I can see her again."
He lowered his head into his knees, his arms holding it all together. He looked small, withered into a small ball in a large planet.
"Himura, I know how you feel."
Kenshin didn't budge, but continued to listen. She continued to speak softly.
"You know that I have strong feelings for Aoshi-sama, don't you?"
Quietly, he noted 'yes'.
She turned away and looked into the water.
"I feel that he's grown attached to me as well. But we share a pain."
She paused.
"We both know that we will never virtually become as one. There's no way two people of ten years apart in age can come together without any troubles in their marriage. We wouldn't feel that way."
He looked up and glanced at her.
She smiled at him sadly, and ruffled her hair, chuckling.
"Of course, it's not like we'd want to get married or...or..."
She stopped and shook her head.
"...it's just not possible. He's more like my brother."
Kenshin suddenly turned to her, surprised and shocked to see tears streaming down her young face.
"I-I didn't want it to be that way. I wanted to be closer..."
She rubbed away her tears frantically and smiled at him again, with pain written in her face.
"You have a lot of hope Himura. I understand that I do too, and I'm not going to give up my dear Aoshi. Don't give up on Ka- I mean, the woman you love."
Kenshin stared at her, wide-eyed and wondering. He thought about her words, and soon her message got to his mind, causing him to smile.
Perhaps she's right....
* * *
Later that night, Kenshin flipped through the last few pages of his book, with his glasses resting on his nose as he comfortably lay back in his futon. A knock at the shoji door startled him.
"Come in!"
Aoshi opened the door, dressed in a yukata and ready for bed. He tossed a small envelope into Kenshin's hands.
"This came for you."
"Arigato." (Thank you)
As he was about to leave, Kenshin stopped him.
"Aoshi?"
The cold eyes turned to him. They stared at each other for a few firm seconds.
"Take care of Misao."
The red head saw the dark eyebrows rise in slight surprise.
"...I will."
With that, he closed the door and silently walked away.
Kenshin held the envelope the light, gazing at the beautiful handwriting that addressed the letter to him. He carefully opened it, pulling out a small sheet of paper. He was startled at the touch. It was white, opaque paper. His heart thumping, he unfolded the sheet and began to read.
Dearest Kenshin,
I must confess that I feel no different from you. Though it's been none but a few days, I feel as though decades have gone by. It's as though your presence is fading by the minute, and I'm blindly grabbing at it to prevent you from simply erasing yourself from my life. How I wish that you could've stayed in Paris a little longer with me...
I had a little discussion with my friend the other day. That was when I first realized that I too, had a fear of losing you. It was a rather awkward meeting, but I still find myself thinking whether that day was meant to be so special, and my mind I'm starting to think that it was. I truly hope that our friendly relationship will continue to grow. You are now a special person in my life.
I'm off to Kyoto, now. How happy would I be if I met you there! I'm hoping with everything that I've got.
Please don't feel embarrassed, because every word you said is now being repeated back to you, from my heart.
I miss you dearly...
Forever yours,
Kaoru
* * *
*~Paris, France~*
Megumi was helping out at the flower shop with Sano that day, standing behind the counter for customers and organizing the plants.
"You sure you don't need to go to the office?"
She shook her head.
"I finished it all last night, remember?"
He threw her a grin.
"All I remember from last night was us dancing."
She blushed at that comment and looked away. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear.
"Aww, don't tell me that you're embarrassed?"
She frowned at him.
"Of course not."
He took her hand.
"Are you going to be able to prove it to me? We can dance in here, right now."
She looked at him, horrified.
"There are people that can look in, or can come walking in any minute, Sano..."
He grinned.
"It's closing time anyway. Lets clean this up and you'll have to prove it to me."
She frowned again, and began sweeping the floor. Sano flipped the 'open' sign to 'closed' and began blowing out the candles.
Several minutes later....
* * *
Kenshin stared, wide-eyed at the letter that he clutched at his hand. He couldn't believe what he'd just read, and a small, tingly sensation was starting to build in his heart. He finally smiled, laying back on his futon and read the letter over and over again. He noticed the little picture of tulips adorning the end of the page, and smiled at the memory.
Getting tired, he folded up the letter carefully, and slipped it back into the envelope. He placed it next to him on the ground, and sighed as he switched off the light.
"I love you Kaoru."
* * *
Megumi embraced Sano in the dark, swaying to the music from the radio. In her mind, she grumbled, admitting the fact that she WAS embarrassed when it came to dancing, and noting the fact that she was never good at it...until now...
"Oi, Megumi, why are you so tense?"
She slightly flinched.
"I'm not."
He smirked.
"I'm not going to do anything to you, you know that. I'm not THAT bad of a guy."
She had to laugh, easing up a little.
She began to relax, her eyelids beginning to lower from the weight. And little by little, drowsiness overtook her as she swayed in his arms.
She felt limp.
"Megumi?"
Her eyes finally gave in, and she fell asleep. She hadn't realized how tired she was.
Sano stood there, with a limp Megumi in his arms. She still clung to him tightly, and he smiled down at her as her eyelashes flickered. She was a pretty one.
He leaned down and pecked her cheek lightly, making sure not to disturb her sleep.
"Oyasumi" (Good night)
* * *
*~Kyoto, Japan~*
The plane finally landed, and Kaoru was out back in the fresh air again. She smiled as she saw the large city in front of her.
"Long time no see, Kyoto..."
She walked off into the streets to find a taxi.
After dropping off her luggage at the hotel, she began to unpack. She suddenly realized that she'd needed a new pair of high heels, and quickly undressed from her uniform to visit the nearby department store.
* * *
"Oi, Kenshin! Are you ready yet?"
"Oro? Yahiko where are my shoes?"
Yahiko smacked Kenshin's back with a sandal, and Kenshin chased after him down the hall. It was another sunny day, and Kenshin wore his usual khakis, along with a navy sweater. Misao was in her usual tom boyish outfits, and Yahiko dashed out in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
"Yahiko, don't you need your jacket?"
"NO!"
The three of them walked down the street, chatting casually. Misao smiled at Kenshin's improvement. He was himself again, and she was satisfied with her work. Depressing Kenshins were too much to bear....
"Oi, can we go to the department store first? I don't want them to sell out on their that new CD!"
Kenshin and Misao walked placidly behind him as Yahiko dashed through the automatic doors.
Little did both Kaoru and Kenshin know that their presences were less then a mile from each other...
* * *
TO BE CONTINUED~!!!!! ^________^ Thanks for reading!!!