Departure Scars
Chapter 8:
"Another Chance"Kaoru shook her head as her vision blurred and she saw nothing but him. His hello. His soft gaze. His amber eyes. How he used to hold her so protectively after he saved her. How so much of him was a mystery. How much she loved him. How warm he was when he hugged her. Then how her heart broke when he left.
Kaoru's lips parted. A word formed on her tongue. It dangled there like a dead petal on a blossom.
It was the lie.
It was her lost piece.
Her memory.
It was...
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Kaoru stepped back and inhaled sharply at the sudden coldness to her foot. Her thoughts forgotten for the moment she glanced down. She had stepped into the stream. Her sock was completely soaked. "Crap." Kaoru pulled her foot out and shook it a bit. She looked back up at the swordsman before her. He hadn't moved. He was just standing there; staring at her. His violet eyes were a bit widened but the rest of him remained blank. Kaoru just stared back.
"Isn't he supposed to be in Kyoto? Didn't he leave like... a week or two ago. And he stayed in the forest? What? What about that guy...Saitou...no...it was Shishio. Doesn't he have to go to a battle with him? But he's here...in the forest...What if he just left partly because...he didn't like us anymore...I guess my cooking was pretty bad...Yahiko and I did bicker a lot...he did have to do a lot of chores...but...leaving because of that? What if it was me? Am I too ugly? Too air headed? Too grumpy? Too violent?...violent... Oh my Kami..." Kaoru's eyes flickered down to her chest. "I wasn't attacked...I did it...me!" She shook her head lightly and crossed her thin hands over her chest. She bit her lip. "I did it because...he left... And then no one would tell me what happened...that's why."
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Kenshin hadn't the faintest idea what to do about this. He was shocked when Kaoru showed up and almost thought that she had fallowed him without his knowledge. But then, he was completely stunned when he actually saw her. She was so thin! Her eyes had dark, unhealthy shadows beneath them and her cheek bones had become much, much more defined. Her hair was in her trademark ponytail as usual but it looked a odd against her abnormally pain skin. Was she sick? He watched as she seemed to be thinking hard. Maybe trying to figure something out? She shook her head and raise her arms across her chest. "Kaoru-dono...I've missed you so much...what happened to you? I'm so sorry for leaving you!" He was so confused and worried. "What should I do now. Does she hate me? Does she want me back? Want me back! Ha! After I left her like that! Why would she even want me in the first place?!" He began scolding himself mentally.
And so they stood there; not saying a word. Just staring at each other in deep thought.
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Kaoru started to get sick of the silence around them. Every time she stopped focusing on him, her thoughts would make her feel more and more unnerved and confused. Who knew how long they had been just standing there. She licked her lips nervously and parted them. A word formed on her tongue. Her voice cracked and nothing came out. She couldn't say it. She couldn't say his name. "What is his name?! I can't remember. I can recall how I met him...when he held my hand in the rain...when he left, but his name...What is it?!" She frowned. "Maybe I should just say something..."
"Um..." "Perfect...I guess"
He blinked several times. "Hai, Kaoru-dono..?" He asked quietly.
Now she didn't know what to say.
"Sorry..." the words blurted out of her mouth. They both looked surprised. Sorry for what? "Um...stay here...I'll be back...tonight..." more words slipped out before she could even stop herself.
Kaoru whirled around and walked away quickly, hopping over the stream first. She wanted to run; run as fast as she could. To feel the wind lead her to freedom but she was restricted. She had tight kimono on and a deep wound between her breasts that was still healing.
"I will come back! And you better be there!..."
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The rest of the day Kaoru hadn't said anything about going to the stream nor Kenshin. She didn't even speak of wanting to know what happened to her. Of course she already knew, but they didn't know that she knew what they knew. Okay?
During dinner, since Kaoru had nothing really to talk about and her mind was preoccupied on what she would say that night, the other's were getting concerned.
"So Jou-chan, where have you did you go all afternoon?" asked Sanosuke.
"Just for a walk." Kaoru partially lied.
"Long walk." Yahiko commented slyly.
"I haven't been out for a while." Kaoru cocked an eyebrow. "Did you miss me?"
"No."
"Aw." Kaoru pretended to look hurt and ran her index finger from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. She pouted. "Tear." Yahiko gave her a bored look and sipped his tea.
"Why would I miss something so ugly?" he challenged and grinned.
"Humph! I'm not ugly!" Kaoru glared, crossing her arms. "And I can't believe that you didn't miss your own sensei! I missed you! I love coming home to little children, like you Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru pounced at him and rapped her arms around him tightly. He wiggled and squirmed, calling out for Sanosuke or Megumi to help him.
"Let go of me busu! I don't like you that way! Sanosuke, Megumi help me!" Sanosuke just sat there laughing and the young, distressed 'samurai' and Megumi continued eating. Kaoru gave him another tight squeeze and let go. She laughed as he ran down the hall muttering something about a bathing.
Kaoru smiled. She felt happy light headedly happy. Even though she had remembered all of the horrible things that happened she felt relieved. The empty feeling she had, had was gone, she would get to see him tonight and maybe he would come back.
Translations:
Hai- yes
Kami- God
Busu- ugly
Minna- everyone
Author's Notes: Well, it's been a looong while since I wrote another chapter. I was very busy with school, lessons and such. Next it's every author's good friend, the Writer's Block! Now I have some extra time and I got some idea's so here it is! I think I got the rest of this fic figured out. Please review! I would love to hear your opinions on this and any idea's for later in the fic! Sorry for making minna wait so long! Please review!
P.S.: This chapter would have been on much sooner if not for technical difficulties.
P.S.S.: I've been trying to log on to fanfiction.net for months with no success. Even before the major update. I had no clue what could be wrong. It was like the page would just refresh every single damn time I would try to log in!! But now...for some reason, out of the blue I decided to try again for the trillionth time and...IT WORKED!!! I ran around the house screaming and jumping! lol I was soooo happy! hee hee! Now I can update again! YAY!!
~*Minakokiss*~
