Author's Notes: *whew* It's been a long time, hasn't it? I fear my writing skills have become rusted. ^^;; Hope everyone enjoys!!
Chapter 10
Kaoru sat in the kitchen of the dojo eating dinner with Kenshin and Misao. Yahiko had gone to his room, claiming exhausation, and Sanouke had gone over to the Akabeko to explain why Yahiko wasn't there. He would probably stay there for dinner, too.
She sighed inwardly. She was bored, as she had done almost nothing all day. Kenshin hadn't said a word to her since she had sent him off to clean the bath house. Instead, he set about fishing for tonight's dinner, shopping, and other mundane things. She couldn't stop wondering just what was wrong with him.
Kenshin, meanwhile, couldn't stop thinking about why he had such trouble remembering the days before he had proposed to Kaoru. The more he thought about it, the more he realised he had a problem. He just didn't remember some things he should. For example, the other day Sanosuke teased him about a time he almost kissed Kaoru, but he didn't remember anything. In fact, the day before Kaoru had brought up the same event, and he still didn't remember what happened. Plus, he was starting to forget the details on his proposal to Kaoru, as if it were a fading dream.
After considering it for the duration of dinner, Kenshin decided he would go see doctor Gensai and Megumi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Knock Knock.
"Who is it?" Kaoru paused, brush still in her hair.
"It- It's me, K.. Kaoru.." Kenshin bit his lip to keep himself from saying the honorific. Sanosuke and Yahiko were gone, and there was no real reason to fake it around Misao.
"Oh! Come in, Kenshin." Kaoru smiled and put down her brush.
Kenshin timidly slid the shoji closed as he sat down on the floor.
Kaoru got up and sat down next to Kenshin. "What is it?" She leaned her head on his shoulder.
He blushed a little as he stroked her hair. "I.. I wanted to apologize, for last night, and this morning.. especially this morning..."
"Oh?" Her smile grew a little mischievious as she snuggled up against him some more. "What did you want this morning, anyway?"
"Huh? Want?" Kenshin blinked, oblivious.
"Ya, when you got ice for me. What was it?"
"Oh.. um..." Kenshin blushed furiously. "It's just that you were so pretty... I kinda, really felt like kissing you.. um, I'm sorry if I scared you, all I really wanted was to kiss you.. honest.."
"Oh.." Kaoru sighed in both disappointment and relief. At least he wasn't some perverted weirdo. But... "Kenshin, why did you kiss me?"
"What? Last night, you mean?"
"Ya.. last night.. why did you kiss me like that?"
"Um.. I just.. uhm.." Kenshin flustered, trying to think of the right words to say. "Again.. you looked really, really beautiful.. and with the moonlight, I thought it would be nice if.. But I don't know why, why I kissed your neck.. um.. I guess, it was easier to reach, or something.." He started to fidget some more. "But but then I realized just how suggestive I was being, so I stopped.. um.. I'm sorry.."
She smiled. Somehow, even in the worst of situations, he always seemed to find the best way to say something. She wrapped her arms around him. "Anything else?"
"Uhm.. yes.. oh yes! I'm been having trouble remembering things.. like remember when you asked why I didn't kiss you, and I 'acted' like I didn't know what you were talking about, and you got all mad?"
"Yes..." Kaoru scowled a little. That was such an unpleasant experiance.. she had yelled at him until she was hoarse. Why did he have to bring it up again?
"Well.. I didn't.. I really didn't.. cause I didn't remember.. and it's been happening with a lot of things.. e- even me proposing to you.. so, I'm going to go see doctor Gensai.. and I wanted you to know that I want to put our wedding on hold until after I'm better.. okay?"
Kaoru blinked. "Ummm... o- okay."
"Okay, Kaoru-d.. Kaoru-koishii. I love you." He smiled and gently kissed her on the cheek.
Kaoru blinked only when the shoji closed. She then sat until she heard the door to the dojo close, and Kenshin walk out of the yard. Only then did she finally relax, only then did she do something.
She cried.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Doctor Gensai's Clinic, Afternoon of May 17, 1878.
Kenshin sat on the floor, with his back against the wall. Megumi tried her best to calm him down as he freaked out. Doctor Gensai assured the other clients that this 'forgetting disease' is -NOT- contagious.
A few minutes earlier....
Megumi was tending to a broken leg of a patient when Kenshin suddenly bursted in, yelling, hyperventilating, and generally freaking out. As soon as she could calm him down enough, he told her all about what was happening with him and Kaoru. Doctor Gensai sighed and finished treating the leg, then cleared the other patients out of the room.
And, back to the present.
"Now, calm down, Kensh-"
"Calm DOWN?! How can you tell me to calm down when I can't even remember how I proposed to my own fiancee!"
"Oh, for Kami-sama's sake, just get your act together, will you?! I can't help you if you just keep panicking!"
Kenshin gulped, panted a little more, and finally calmed down. "You think you can help me?"
Megumi furrowed her brow. "I... don't.. know... -yet-. I think I can do something for you... here, take this." She reached in her bag and pulled out a bottle of liquid, which she then poured into a spoon and put it to Kenshin's lips.
After he drank it, Kenshin looked up at Megumi. "What is it?"
She sighed. "It'll help you sleep tonight."
"But.. what -is- it?"
"It's a sedative."
Kenshin blinked, then laughed out loud. "What about my memory problem?"
Megumi smiled. "I'm beginning to think that it's not physical, since you don't seem to have any other symptons... Here. Take this." She handed him a card with a name and address on it. "This woman is a psychologist. Go over to see her as soon as you can. She'll run a few tests to see if you have any standard problem, like shock."
Kenshin nodded. /What's a pyschologist?/ "Okay.. I'll go see her now. Thank you, Megumi-dono." He smiled softly and got up to leave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin lifted up his hand to knock on Kaoru's door, when he heard a faint sound. He quietly dropped his hand as he placed his ear against the door to listen.
/Is that Kaoru-dono... crying?/
He gulped a little as he softly slid the door open. Just as he thought, Kaoru was on her bed, sobbing. He walked over to her, a concerned look on his face. He gently knelt down and wrapped his arm around her as he whispered softly into her ear. "What's wrong, Kaoru-koishii?"
Kaoru jumped when she felt his hand on her side, then turned over in alarm. She relaxed when she realized, "Oh, it's you, Kenshin." He blinked, then she smiled. "What's wrong? Umm.. oh, nothing. Why would you think that?"
Kenshin smiled back, then kissed her softly on the cheek. "You're crying. Is it because of my problem?"
Kaoru shivered from his kiss, dangerously close to her neck. "Uhmm... I just.. uh.. ya.. kinda.."
Kenshin wrapped his other arm around her, bringing his face close to hers. They lay there for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes. He blinked, then let his arms slide off of her as he sat up. "Umm.. d- don't worry, Kaoru-koishii. Megumi-dono directed me to a psychologist, and she ran a few tests. Okay? I'll be fine, I promise."
He yawned. "Megumi-dono also gave me a sedative, so I'm really tired. I wanted to say goodnight to you before I went to bed. Anything you want me to do before I go to sleep?"
She nodded. "Can you sleep here with me?"
Kenshin blinked, wide-eyed. "uuhmmm.."
Kaoru interrupted him. "I mean, it's a cold day, and I don't really care about what Yahiko and Sano think... and.. I'm scared..."
Kenshin smiled at her. "Very well.. Kaoru-koishii.. but, please know that I should really only do it this once. It's.. not proper to sleep in the same room as you when we're not married yet." He kissed her on the cheek, and settled down in the futon next to her.
She blinked. "Do you always go to sleep with all your clothes on like that?"
Kenshin smiled and blushed a little. "No.. but since you're doing it, I thought you'd be uncomfortable if..."
Kaoru responded by undoing her obi, sliding her kimono off, and throwing them both over Kenshin onto the floor. "Better?" She grinned.
Kenshin blinked, then forced his eyes away. "umm.. W- would you like something to put on for the night? I mean don't you have something you wear for the night?"
Kaoru smiled. "Ya.. it's there, in the.. ya, there." She pointed. "Don't you have something, too?"
"Uhmm.. ya.. lemme go get it." Kenshin gave Kaoru her clothing, then reluctantly got out from under the blankets and got up to leave.
A few minutes later, he returned in his night clothes. "There.. all ready." He smiled and got back on the futon with Kaoru, wrapped his arms around her, and closed his eyes in content. She stretched her arms out to his stomach, and also closed her eyes.
They slept together for the entire night.
End of Chapter 10