Chapter One
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I couldn't even spell it properly (I had to double check)
Author's Note: Phew! I've decided to give to you what little I can. This of course is a K/K pairing if you guys want to know. The setting is in Toronto, Canada. Major A/U & OoCnEsS! Man, I hope you guys enjoy…
As Kamiya Kaoru lay in her bed, a sudden chill surged through her body. The mere thought of her debut approaching had been the bane in her life for quite some time now. Her mind wandered endlessly searching for solutions to her daunting task of preparing for her momentous occasion. So many nights have gone by where her desperate need to organize these events has lead to wasted tears. Nobody knows this though; she feels a need to be strong and determined to overcome this challenge. In front of everyone, she showed a face full of optimism and joy. Inside her though was a different scenario, like her nightly experiences she felt anxiety, stress and all the worries in the world seemed to weigh on her. She lay there with her eyes wide open unable to sleep. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
Morning came and Kaoru got up at the sound of her alarm clock. She banged on the kitty's head hoping the annoying ring would end and after a few attempts, the sound came to an abrupt end. She continued to lie in her bed wondering how long she had slept. It seemed like she was only asleep for a couple of hours and it sure felt that way. She glanced over to check the time and she noticed it was noon already. Realizing she was late for church, she shot up from bed and rushed to do her morning rituals. She wondered why her alarm did not ring at 10:00AM, the time she originally set the clock to ring. In an instant, she knew what had happened. Yahiko! She snarled to herself, "That brat must have done this! For someone older than me, he sure is immature! I swear I'll get him back later."
After a quick shower, she returned to her room. She opened her modest wardrobe frantically rummaging through her clothes. It was her turn to lead the choir in singing today and she wanted to look her best so she decided to wear her lavender dress with intricate floral designs all over it. Quickly tidying her room, she leapt into the car, waiting for her mom to give her a ride.
Having arrived at the church, she quickly got out and ran inside. She found the whole choir waiting patiently for her arrival with all the sound equipment set up and ready to go. As she quickly paced herself towards the people she heard a familiar voice.
"Late again I see! Man, you're about to turn eighteen years old and you still have the mindset of an eight year old." yelled Kenshin. He was sporting a nice baby blue top with a silver tie on. Wearing black pair of slacks and shoes to match, he was quite the looker. Kenshin had been in Kaoru's life for over ten years now though they never talked too much in the past. Kenshin was more an acquaintance in her life only because Kenshin's best friend was her brother, Yahiko. Only recently have they really gotten to know each other.
"Stop it! You're embarrassing me!" replied Kaoru.
"No no no! You do that on your own well enough! I don't need to embarrass you any further!" Having said this, Kenshin saw her eyes turn from its soft brown to a fiery ember color. Knowing his dear life was in jeopardy he quickly apologized for his comment and decided to change the topic. "So how's your planning for your birthday going so far?"
As if a trigger in her mind, she began to feel worried again. The very mention of her birthday had her heart full of emotions. She quickly buried these emotions, forced a smile on her face and mustered an answer to his question. "Great! Things are moving behind schedule but I am confident that when it's all said and done, I'll have it perfectly planned!"
Kenshin caught a glimpse of her sadness. Although it was only a split second, he saw in her eyes that she was having going through difficulty and worry. He decided to brush it off though, in fear of making her infuriated if he did pursue it. He decided to change the subject; "So how's Calculus?" but before Kaoru was given a chance to answer, the choir instructor interrupted the two of them.
"Miss Kamiya I believe you have a choir to lead" the choir instructor scolded. "As if you being late weren't bad enough, you decide to flirt with Kenshin over leading the choir! Of all the nerve……" With that said, Kamiya quickly turned her attention away from Kenshin and onto the stage managing to hide her blush from him.
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Practice was over and the service began. The place was lively with musicians playing flawlessly and the choir sung in unison and harmony. In the center, Kaoru stood leading the choir. Kenshin couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. From his angle, she could see light from the stain glass windows pouring though and shining a spotlight on her. It was as if fate had teased him for in the light, Kenshin thought she looked like a goddess. After the singing, Kenshin and Kaoru took their usual spot sitting beside each other during the service. Kenshin was fascinated by the Pastor's message fixating his eyes on his every word and consuming every single one of them. He then heard a light growl come out of nowhere. Kenshin scratched his head in bewilderment. Thinking to himself that his stomach must be calling for food, he decided to brush it off and placed his focus on the Pastor again. After awhile, he heard it again. This time he deduced the sound be a snore coming from his right side. He looked over and there he saw Kaoru with her eyes shut. Using the back of her chair as a pillow, she looked peaceful in her nap and Kenshin couldn't help but stare at the beauty that beheld in front of him. At that moment, he could here no sound. As loud as the Pastor's delivery was, it fell on deft ears. He was completely entranced by the way she made cute, little sounds in her sleep. "No daddy" and "Is the party done yet?" was all Kenshin could make out from what she was saying. As much as Kenshin hated it, he decided to wake her up. He gently leaned over to whisper in her ears.
"Wake up Kaoru, you aren't in your bed you know." At that instant, Kaoru's eyes opened. Having wiped her eyes to adjust to the light, she realized the situation she was in and saw Kenshin close to her side making sure she was awake. A color of red began to build on her cheeks. The fact that she fell asleep in service and that Kenshin was invading her private space was cause enough for her to blush. She then began to ponder in deep thought. He had always been there to cheer her up. He had a knack of making her feel better without even knowing that she needed a lift in her spirits. Whether it was a humorous comment to lighten the moment when she felt mad or kind gestures of accompanying her to go places, he always knew what to do to make it easier on her.
"Earth to Kaoru, are you there? Is everything ok?" Kenshin asked, noticing she was spaced out. Kaoru quickly apologized to Kenshin for putting him in that awkward situation and turned her attention towards the Pastor. Without even noticing it, Kenshin was still staring into her soft brown eyes. It remained like this until the music team was called to sing the ending song. It was time to end service.
This was Kaoru and Kenshin's favorite part: dinnertime. They were always the first in line ready to pick the different delicacies they desired. Kaoru grabbed everything she possibly could until her plate could hold no more and went to find a seat for Kenshin and her. After they both ate, Kenshin decided to pursue the question he has for her earlier. As they walked to the church office Kenshin made sure they were alone before talking to her.
"Kaoru, is everything ok? It isn't like you to fall asleep in service like that," asking her in a worried tone.
Having heard this, Kaoru sensed the tone in his voice. She had heard it from him before. This was the tone Kenshin used when he wanted to be serious. Kaoru could always trust Kenshin in anything she told him. Just recently she had trouble in dealing with a stalker during her bus route from school. Kenshin helped her through out of that situation by managing to confront the stalker and warning him of the consequences to be paid if it were to happen again. What she admired the most though, was the fact that Kenshin did not tell another soul. He respected her privacy, for this issue was delicate to Kaoru. She decided to remove her need to be strong in front of him. She felt complete trust in him. In a timid and faint voice Kaoru began to utter but before any sounds came out, a few children passing through the room interrupted them. They began teasing Kaoru and Kenshin for being alone in the room together. They soon realized that they were merely inches apart from each other during this whole time and were gazed into each other's eyes. At that moment they both turned around and started walking away from each other trying to look occupied. Kenshin decided to go chill with his friend Aoshi while Kaoru decided to call her best friend, Misao who had lost her voice just yesterday.
Kenshin began teasing Aoshi, "So I saw the way you were looking at Misao yesterday during practice. Is there something you want to tell me?"
"Um......I don't know what you're talking about," Aoshi replied, trying his best to look as carefree as he could. In reality, Aoshi felt strongly and deeply for her. Although he was considerably older than she was, he hadn't paid much attention to it. He found that he could be himself around her without scaring her away. He wasn't really the outgoing type and was mostly quiet around the opposite sex. Whenever they were alone, Misao would always have something to talk about while Aoshi would be there to listen to her. He liked the spunk that radiated from her. The last thing that Aoshi needed was to let everyone find out his one weakness. He felt that if anyone found out about his feelings, it would destroy his very nature. The fact that he chose to keep to himself mostly was something he took pride in. "I was simply following her dancing instructions" he retorted. At that, Kenshin was summoned by the choir instructor to practice for next week.
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It was nearly 11PM when Kaoru arrived at her home. The quaint abode she lived in was all too quiet. She wondered why the usual hustle and bustle that occurred in her house wasn't there. She walked to the kitchen seeing three notes addressed to her. One was from her dad who had instructed her to clean the house while he went to attend to business across the border. The second note was from mom informing her that she too had gone across the border to visit her ill dad. The final note was from Yahiko saying that he would not be home due to an extra shift he picked up from working at the hospital. She felt a chill of loneliness travel down her spin. She had never been home alone before and was scared for dear life. Her mind began to race. All too often had she seen something awful happen in the news. Dark situations began to flash through her mind of being robbed in the middle of the night, or even worse.
"Maybe I'll call Misao and talk to her for a bi,t" said Kaoru to herself. She decided to change into her pajamas first. It had a design of a monkey face in the front of her shirt and was colored purple. Her pants had little monkey faces all over it and were colored purple as well. Before going to the washroom to do her nightly routine, she jumped slightly having heard the doorbell ring. She was hesitant at first picking up the nearest weapon she could see. It was a frying pan. Having equipped herself, she felt ready for anything. To her surprise, it had been Kenshin. Feeling a quick relief at the sight of his familiar face, she began to wonder why he was here. She couldn't help but notice what he was wearing. It was her favorite light blue sweater that he owned matched with a pair of khakis that complimented his skin complexion. Having forgotten to open the door, he rang the doorbell again. Kaoru quickly opened the door and howled at him.
"What are you doing out at this time of the night! And why are you at my house!" she yelled.
"Relax Kaoru; all I came here to do was to drop off the RK CD I borrowed from you this morning. I know how you can't sleep in the night without hearing it," he replied calmly.
Feeling embarrassed for making a big scene, she invited him inside. Kenshin took off his shoes and sat in the living room. He handed her the CD taking his time to notice Kaoru in her pajamas. He couldn't help but stare at the beauty before him. She looked stunning even in her PJs. He quickly gathered his thoughts and asked where everybody was. Having remembered being alone, she answered his question. Kenshin felt her voice grow timid telling him that she would be alone in the house tonight.
Acting quick, Kenshin reminded Kaoru of a funny moment that happened to him in downtown. They both shared a long laugh. Kaoru would never forget that moment, not because of the funny situation he was put through but that moment defined his very nature. The very light hearted and childlike personality he possessed shone bright during the incident. Finding an opportunity, Kenshin decided to ask his question from earlier. Kaoru began to pour out her heart to him about the debut and her plans before he could even ask what was wrong.
"Kenshin, this debut is really getting to me. I've had many sleepless nights because of this. It worries me to death that my debut is approaching ever so quickly and I don't even have it prepared yet. I'm useless."
Having heard her harsh self-criticism he decided to intervene before she could say anymore. "Kaoru-dono," he uttered in a soft lull, "don't deject yourself like that you are working so hard to see this occasion happen. Don't let this change your very nature. You are strong and determined remember? You can do this, I'm here for you."
Kaoru's cheeks began to flush. Did she hear right or did he just call her Kaoru-dono?
Having notice his choice of words, Kenshin quickly tried to explain himself. "Um, sorry Kaoru I didn't mean to address your name so intima---" before he could finish, Kaoru gave him a look of consent. Kenshin knew that he did not have to apologize at that moment. The very exchange of eye contact spoke volumes to each others heart. Without noticing, the time read 1AM already. Kenshin began to worry. Kaoru's neighborhood was not the safest. Gangs would have their way with the street during the night.
"Aw man, I didn't even notice the time fly by. I better head home now." Putting on his shoes he began to unlock the door when he felt a warm touch on his other hand. He turned around to see Kaoru's eyes pleading him to stay and keep her accompany for the night. Her voice didn't want to admit it though.
Kaoru nonchalantly said, "It isn't safe out there. You can stay here if you'd like. We have a guest room prepared."
Hesitant at first, Kenshin was ready to leave but seeing her soft brown eyes look at him that way, it was impossible for him to refuse. Nodding as a sign of agreement, she showed him to the guest room, situated beside her room. Before going to bed, he decided to raid Kaoru's brother's closet to look for something to wear for the night. After searching, he found a pair of black tracks to wear and a white shirt with the word phrase "Are you OK?" in the front and "Bustah Wolf!" in the back. Kenshin and Kaoru said their goodnight and retired to their separate rooms.
Kaoru awoke in the middle of the night. She was having problems going back to sleep because of her worries. The symptoms from the night before began to rush through her again. Tears of sorrow began to fall down her cheeks. She was all but ready to break down in tears when she felt a finger wiping the tears off her cheek. She turned to see Kenshin sitting beside her.
As surprised as she was comforted, she asked, "Excuse me! Why are you in my room?!?!? Did you want to die early?!?!?"
Kenshin answered her with a soft touch on the cheek, "I heard you struggling to sleep earlier so I decided to grab a chair and sit beside you to make sure you were ok." While explaining this, he couldn't help but feel guilty for invading her private space. He was ready to pull his hand away but as if fate destined this moment, he felt her head push towards his hand as if accepting the comfort he gave her. Even though it was pitch black in her room, Kenshin could clearly see that Kaoru was glad that he was here. Almost instinctively, Kenshin gently brushed his fingers on her cheek again and traveled its way down to hold her hand. He held her hands delicately between his. In doing so, he began to sing her favorite songs and soon after, Kaoru fell fast asleep... Although Kenshin couldn't see, he knew in his heart that Kaoru's eyes had stopped shedding tears and had replaced it with its original soft brown eyes. With that, he kissed her forehead and retired to his temporary room.
(To Be Continued)
Author's Note: Wow! I hope you guys made it this far and I didn't bore you all! By the way, for those who do not know, a debut is a major milestone for a girl in the Filipino culture. At the age of 18, she celebrates her recognition as a full grown woman in society. She is also allowed to "see" men and be wedded. Well that was in the olden days but nowadays it's just an excuse to dress up and look handsome / pretty (depending on your preference). Anyways, I don't know… I feel weird after writing but kinda excited!! Major thanks go out to Ai-chan for helping me through this one. Ok fine for practically writing it for me! O and surprise Chiki! Hope you don't mind! Before I bore you with more, I'd like to ask a favor and please comment/review on this chapter cause I desperately need feedback from someone…ANYONE J