Kenshin.My Love

DISCLAIMER-I DON'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN SO PLEASE DON'T TAKE THE LITTLE MONEY I HAVE HERE.*HUGS QUARTER.
~* AUTHORS NOTE-I HAVEN'T SEEN SAMURAI X-SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AGO TOMOE HAD GOTTEN KILLED OR HOW SHE GOT KILLED.SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME IF I MAKE A MISTAKE IN INFO CONCERNING KENSHIN'S PAST. I ALSO HAVEN'T SEEN LIKE- HOW THE FIGHT BETWEEN KENSHIN AND SHISHIO ENDS.

'TOMOE.' KENSHIN MUTTERED MENTALLY TO HIMSELF AS HE STARED AT HIS ONCE BELOVED'S GRAVE.IT HAD BEEN SO LONG.ABOUT A DECADE SINCE HE HAD LOOKED INTO HER EYES.FELT HER DELICATE SKIN UNDER HIS OWN FINGERS. HE WAS HURT, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY; SHISHIO HAD BEEN A FORMABLE OPPONENT. THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS RIBCAGE HAD BEEN TERRIBLY BRUISED FROM A SOMEWHAT BONE CRUSHING MOVE FROM SHISHIO.KENSHIN RECALLED THE WORRIED SCREAMS OF KAORU."KENSHIN!"

KAORU REMINDED KENSHIN OF TOMOE.HER SOMEWHAT HIDDEN CARING NATURE WAS SIMILAR TO TOMOE'S. "SHE'S ABOUT THE AGE YOU WERE WHEN WE FIRST MET TOMOE, THAT SHE IS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT HER-BUT SHE'S BROUGHT OUT THE PASSION I HAD FOR YOU. KAORU.ISN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME." KENSHIN COULDN'T HELP BUT SMILE AS HE WHISPERED HER NAME WHILE TALKING TO THE SPIRIT OF HIS EX-WIFE. "KENSHIN? I'VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU. I WAS WORRIED."
"ABOUT WHAT MS. KAORU?" KENSHIN IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT OF HIS SOMEWHAT DARK TRANCE, AS HE ACTED DUMBFOUNDED.LIKE USUAL. "BAKA! I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU, WHEN YOU FOUGHT SHISHIO.I SAW ALL THE PAIN YOU WENT THROUGH BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. I JUST.WELL-NEVER MIND, I GUESS YOUR FINE. I GUESS I'LL JUST LEAVE." KAORU TURNED ON HER HEEL BUT WAS STOPPED BY KENSHIN'S FIRM GRIP ON ONE OF THE SLEEVES ON HER KIMONO.
"KAORU.YOU CAN BE SO NAÏVE AT TIMES, THAT YOU CAN." KENSHIN PUSHED BACK HIS SAD THOUGHTS CONCERNING TOMOE AS HE TURNED KAORU AROUND SO SHE COULD FACE HIM. "YOU MEAN.YOU WANT ME TO STAY." A SMILE CREPT ONTO KAORU'S FACE AS KENSHIN NODDED CHEERFULLY. "YES-YOUR PRESENCE BRINGS JOY TO ME KAORU.AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.I NEED YOU ESPECIALLY HERE MS. KAORU." KENSHIN LOOKED OVER HIS RIGHT SHOULDER AT TOMOE'S GRAVE. THE SAD MEMORIES OF TOMOE'S DEATH RACED THROUGH HIS MIND ONCE AGAIN.
KAORU LOOKED OVER KENSHIN'S SHOULDER AND SAW A GRAVESTONE WITH AN EERILY FAMILIAR NAME. IT SAID, TOMOE KENSHIN.AND SHE DIED AT A PRETTY YOUNG AGE-SHE WAS JUST A LITTLE OLDER THAN HER."KENSHIN IS THAT YOUR." KENSHIN NODDED AS HE LOOKED DOWN FROM HIS SHOULDER. "KENSHIN I'M SORRY." KAORU WAS ABOUT TO WRAP HER ARMS AROUND HIM BUT THE BOOMING VOICE OF SANOSKE FILLED THE AIR. "HEY MISSY AND KENSHIN! THE BOAT TO TOKYO IS ABOUT TO LEAVE!"
"WELL YOU HEARD THE MAN MS. KAORU, I GUESS IT'S TIME WE SET OFF BACK TO TOKYO.THAT WE SHOULD." KENSHIN REASSUMED HIS CHEERFUL MOOD WHILE HE TOOK KAORU'S HAND INTO HIS OWN. HE NEVER REALLY HELD HER HAND BEFORE. 'KENSHIN.HOW CAN YOU SMILE SO CHEERFULLY WHEN JUST ONE MOMENT AGO YOU WERE SO SAD.YOU SEEMED SO.LONELY.' KAORU THOUGHT AS SHE LOOKED AT THE SIDE VIEW OF HIS FACE WHILE THEY FOLLOWED SANO AND THE OTHERS.
MISAO AND AOSHI WALKED SIDE BY SIDE.AOSHI HAD STRIPPED HIMSELF OF HIS SWORDS, WHICH HE HAD TRIED TO EARN THE BEST FIGHTER POSITION WITH AGAINST KENSHIN. HE HAD FAILED MISERABLY OF COURSE.BUT WHEN HE HAD TAKEN HIM BACK TO THE SO-CALLED ONIWABAN HEADQUARTERS, MISAO HAD BEEN QUICK TO TREAT HIS WOUNDS. SHE WAS STARING AT HIM AGAIN. "MISAO.DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?" MISAO BLUSHED AS SHE TURNED AWAY QUICKLY.SHE HAD BEEN VERY NERVOUS AROUND HIM FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS. AOSHI AND HER GRANDPA HAD SIGNED THEIR MENTAL PEACE TREATIES.AND AFTER MANY GOOD-BYES MISAO HAD LEFT WITH AOSHI TO MAKE A HOME IN TOKYO.
"AOSHI.I'M SORRY." AOSHI LOOKED DOWN TO MISAO.HOW COULD SHE POSSIBLY BE SORRY. "MISAO-IS THIS ABOUT MY DUEL WITH YOUR GRANDFATHER?" MISAO GAVE A SLOW NOD. "MISAO WHEN I SAID THAT I NEVER WANTED TO SEE YOU AGAIN I.I JUST DIDN'T WANT YOU TO BE WITH SCUM LIKE ME." MISAO LOOKED UP TO AOSHI'S FACE ONCE MORE. "WELL WHEN YOU DID NEARLY KILL GRAMPS, I DID THINK YOU WERE SCUM BUT.AFTER I FOUND OUT YOU HELD BACK WHEN YOU ATTACKED HIM.I KNEW YOU WERE THE SAME AOSHI I HAD GROWN UP WITH.
DESPITE KENSHIN AND THE OTHERS-WHO WERE WALKING IN FRONT OF THEM, AOSHI CAME TO A HALT, SMILING AS MISAO DID THE SAME. "WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER.YOU LOOKED SO ANGELIC WHEN YOU WERE ASLEEP. I REMEMBER STAYING UP ALL NIGHT, SITTING RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR-PROTECTING YOU FROM ANY OF THE HARMS THAT COULD HAVE COME DOWN ONTO US."
"AOSHI.THEN DID I REALLY FEEL YOU KISS MY FOREHEAD THE NIGHT YOU LEFT?" MISAO AND AOSHI LOOKED INTO EACH OTHER'S EYES-AOSHI SMILED A PEACEFUL SMILE. "YOU MEAN YOU WERE AWAKE WHEN I DID THAT?" MISAO NODDED BEFORE SHE REMEMBERED THE BOAT. "AOSHI! THE BOATS GONNA LEAVE ANY SECOND!" AFTER MISAO SAID THAT-FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN AOSHI'S LIFE-AOSHI ACTED.STUPID. "AHHHH.I ALMOST FORGOT!!!" AOSHI GRABBED MISAO'S HAND AND LAUNCHED OFF INTO A SPRINT.

MEANWHILE

"WHERE'S AOSHI AND MISAO?" YAHIKO IMPATIENTLY GRUNTED AS THEY BOARDED THE SHIP. "THEIR PROBABLY.YOU KNOW." SANO WHISPERED TO YAHIKO AS HE SOFTLY ELBOWED THE TEN-YEAR-OLD. YAHIKO GOT A LOOK OF DISGUST ON HIS FACE AS HE SWIFTLY MOVED AWAY FROM SANOSKE. YAHIKO GRINNED AS HE LOOKED OVER THE RIM OF THE BOAT TO SEE A FRANTICALLY RUNNING AOSHI AND A MISAO TRUDGING BEHIND HIM. "I'M SO GOING TO TELL AOSHI AND MISAO ABOUT WHAT YOU ASSUMED ABOUT THEM." A DUMBFOUNDED SANO CHASED AFTER A GRINNING YAHIKO WHILE KENSHIN AND KAORU REMAINED SIDE BY SIDE ON THE TIP OF THE DECK.

"WERE FINALLY GETTING OUT OF KYOTO." KENSHIN TORE INTO THE SILENCE- HIS VOICE SOOTHED KAORU'S EARS. KAORU LOOKED OVER AT HIM, ALTHOUGH HIS FACE SEEMED YOUTHFUL. HIS EYES SHOWED HIS TEN YEARS OVER HER. "KENSHIN.I KNOW I SHOULDN'T ASK BUT." KENSHIN LOOKED OVER TO KAORU'S DIRECTION. HIS SMILE MADE KAORU MELT IN HER PLACE. "BUT CAN WE.CAN WE LIVE TOGETHER AS A FAMILY.CAN YOU NEVER WANDER OFF AGAIN.PLEASE KENSHIN." KENSHIN SMILED AS HE HELD HIS HAND UP TO KAORU'S FACE.

"I SWEAR I'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU AGAIN.OR THE OTHERS. I'VE REALIZED THAT YOU AND THE OTHERS ARE FAR TOO IMPORTANT FOR ME TO LEAVE." KAORU SMILED AS SHE SLIGHTLY BLUSHED.KENSHIN'S HAND WAS STILL ON HER FACE. THEN IT SLID DOWN TO HER SHOULDER.AND FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP, KENSHIN'S ARM REMAINED OVER KAORU'S SHOULDER.

~TO BE CONTINUED. YEAH I KNOW IT SUX.BUT PLEASE SPAR ME, IT'S PROBABLY ALREADY TOO MUSHY. BUT PLEASE REVIEW.I DON'T EVEN CARE IF IT'S A FLAME.
SAMURAI_CHIC