Chapter Three
Kenshin was woken sometime about three in the morning. Looking down, he managed to catch a glimpse of a woman in a towel walk into the bathhouse. Kenshin leapt down from the tree and next to the house. As he crept around to the window, he noticed a small fire under the tub had been started. He smiled and continued to creep around. When he reached the window, he stood up, just high enough for his eyes to peek over.
Kaoru was just removing the towel from her body. She quickly folded it and then tied another one around her head. Kenshin gasped at what he saw. Her body was thin and gaunt, her skin an unhealthy white. She had large stretch marks on her breasts and stomach and her figure was misshapen from childbirth. It was then that Kenshin put two and two together.
She was the mother. He was the father.
That boy was his son.
Kenshin lowered down and sat below the window. How could he be so stupid? The last night he was with Kaoru, he slept with her. It would only result in a child! Then he left. And no intentions to come back. And to leave Kaoru in this state. How could he be so irresponsible!
He heard a splash and started to stand up when his head connected with the small overhang that hung below the window with a heavy crack.
"GOD DAMN IT ALL!" he cried as he jumped back down, covering the huge bump on his head. One eye was shut in pain and little teardrops welded in the corner of his eyes. He then clapped his hands over his mouth.
Kaoru jumped out of her skin as she heard the cry. She jumped up and grabbed her towel, water cascading down her body. She wrapped it around her and looked around for her bokutou. It wasn't there. Yahiko was asleep, so was Kenji. Magumi and Sano had gone home hours ago. And no one knew she was outside.
"Wh-whos the-there?" she called out in a shaky voice.
No reply. 'Maybe it was my imagination,' she thought. Suddenly, there came a knock at the door. 'Or, maybe not,' she thought again. Slowly she backed into the corner.
"Kaoru-dono," whispered a familiar voice.
Kaoru stopped dead. Her heart beat wildly against her chest. Her adrenalin began to soar. The voice came again.
"Kaoru-dono." Slowly the door began to slide open. Kaoru looked up, and blue eyes met amethyst.
"No, no, you died, your dead, you went away, your not here anymore!" she cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked, and sobs racked her body.
"Kaoru, I'm here," He said quietly. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her and held her to his body like she would blow away in the wind. The towel in her hair fell off and so did the one around her body. Kenshin wrapped his fingers in her hair, breathing in her scent, feeling her against him.
"Kaoru, I missed you so much, you wouldn't understand."
Kaoru froze. Slowly she pulled away and grabbed her towel from the floor. She then turned around and stared at the wall, her tears turning angry.
"I wouldn't understand, huh? Is that what you think, Kenshin? That I cant understand? Lets recap in case you've forgotten, and ill fill you in from where you've been missing. The night before you left, you made love to me. I opened my heart to you and gave you everything I had. I thought that you had finally opened your heart to me, but you took my virginity and left without so much as a goodbye! I then gave birth to your son, alone, and raised him with the help of Yahiko, Magumi and Sanoske. What they went through! Staying up all night so I could get some sleep! I cried for you every night Kenshin Himura! Not knowing if you were dead or alive, not getting a visit or a letter or anything, for fifteen years. And now you show up and expect me not to understand! I have been through so much heartbreak, Kenshin Himura, that the pieces of my heart could fit through the eye of a needle. So don't tell me I wouldn't understand, Kenshin!" She was screaming now, and she turned around to face him, her visage screwed up with rage and hurt. Kenshin's face was shadowed with his bangs.
Slowly Kaoru sank to the ground, her forehead resting against the smooth floor. Sobs racked her body once again and she gasped for air. For the first time in fifteen years, she let the emotions she had been feeling for so long take over.
"everyone thought you were dead Kenshin," she whispered. "Both Yahiko and your son hate you. They have no emotions toward you. And your son, he has barley any emotions."
"Just like me," Kenshin whispered. Slowly he knelt beside her and pulled her onto his lap, her head facing the wall and her back to his hard chest. The towel had fallen again, and Kenshin wrapped his arms around her stomach, feeling the stretch marks that were all over her.
"Magumi said they might disappear with time, but she doesn't know." Kaoru said as she felt him smooth a finger over the scarred skin.
"You got these from being pregnant?" he whispered in her ear.
Kaoru nodded. "You should see your son."
Kenshin leaned his head into her shoulder. "I already have. I saw him fighting in an alley. A gang tried to mug him. He's the spitting image of me as a teenager. Same hair, same emotionless face, same fighting grace and talent. And his speed."
"Every time I look at him, he reminds me of Battousai. Its scary."
"That will disappear. I know it for a fact." Slowly Kenshin stood, Kaoru still in his arms. "Lets get you to bed. What are you doing up anyways?"
Kaoru snuggled into his chest. "Sometimes I like to take a midnight bath. It used to be the only time I didn't have people walking in on me."
Kenshin blushed as he crept into the dojo. Slowly he walked to the back and finally into Kaoru's room. She slid into the covers and watched as Kenshin tried to leave.
"Were are you going?" she asked as she cocked her head.
Kenshin looked back. "Going to my room."
"Your room is your sons room, so unless you want your butt kicked id stay in here."
Kenshin thought about it, but in the end, curled up in a corner, his bangs shadowing his eyes and the Sakabatou resting against his shoulder. He opened his eyes one last night to see Kaoru's figure sleeping under the blankets, her hair fanned out on the pillow and the moonlight settling on her form.
Kenshin was woken sometime about three in the morning. Looking down, he managed to catch a glimpse of a woman in a towel walk into the bathhouse. Kenshin leapt down from the tree and next to the house. As he crept around to the window, he noticed a small fire under the tub had been started. He smiled and continued to creep around. When he reached the window, he stood up, just high enough for his eyes to peek over.
Kaoru was just removing the towel from her body. She quickly folded it and then tied another one around her head. Kenshin gasped at what he saw. Her body was thin and gaunt, her skin an unhealthy white. She had large stretch marks on her breasts and stomach and her figure was misshapen from childbirth. It was then that Kenshin put two and two together.
She was the mother. He was the father.
That boy was his son.
Kenshin lowered down and sat below the window. How could he be so stupid? The last night he was with Kaoru, he slept with her. It would only result in a child! Then he left. And no intentions to come back. And to leave Kaoru in this state. How could he be so irresponsible!
He heard a splash and started to stand up when his head connected with the small overhang that hung below the window with a heavy crack.
"GOD DAMN IT ALL!" he cried as he jumped back down, covering the huge bump on his head. One eye was shut in pain and little teardrops welded in the corner of his eyes. He then clapped his hands over his mouth.
Kaoru jumped out of her skin as she heard the cry. She jumped up and grabbed her towel, water cascading down her body. She wrapped it around her and looked around for her bokutou. It wasn't there. Yahiko was asleep, so was Kenji. Magumi and Sano had gone home hours ago. And no one knew she was outside.
"Wh-whos the-there?" she called out in a shaky voice.
No reply. 'Maybe it was my imagination,' she thought. Suddenly, there came a knock at the door. 'Or, maybe not,' she thought again. Slowly she backed into the corner.
"Kaoru-dono," whispered a familiar voice.
Kaoru stopped dead. Her heart beat wildly against her chest. Her adrenalin began to soar. The voice came again.
"Kaoru-dono." Slowly the door began to slide open. Kaoru looked up, and blue eyes met amethyst.
"No, no, you died, your dead, you went away, your not here anymore!" she cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked, and sobs racked her body.
"Kaoru, I'm here," He said quietly. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her and held her to his body like she would blow away in the wind. The towel in her hair fell off and so did the one around her body. Kenshin wrapped his fingers in her hair, breathing in her scent, feeling her against him.
"Kaoru, I missed you so much, you wouldn't understand."
Kaoru froze. Slowly she pulled away and grabbed her towel from the floor. She then turned around and stared at the wall, her tears turning angry.
"I wouldn't understand, huh? Is that what you think, Kenshin? That I cant understand? Lets recap in case you've forgotten, and ill fill you in from where you've been missing. The night before you left, you made love to me. I opened my heart to you and gave you everything I had. I thought that you had finally opened your heart to me, but you took my virginity and left without so much as a goodbye! I then gave birth to your son, alone, and raised him with the help of Yahiko, Magumi and Sanoske. What they went through! Staying up all night so I could get some sleep! I cried for you every night Kenshin Himura! Not knowing if you were dead or alive, not getting a visit or a letter or anything, for fifteen years. And now you show up and expect me not to understand! I have been through so much heartbreak, Kenshin Himura, that the pieces of my heart could fit through the eye of a needle. So don't tell me I wouldn't understand, Kenshin!" She was screaming now, and she turned around to face him, her visage screwed up with rage and hurt. Kenshin's face was shadowed with his bangs.
Slowly Kaoru sank to the ground, her forehead resting against the smooth floor. Sobs racked her body once again and she gasped for air. For the first time in fifteen years, she let the emotions she had been feeling for so long take over.
"everyone thought you were dead Kenshin," she whispered. "Both Yahiko and your son hate you. They have no emotions toward you. And your son, he has barley any emotions."
"Just like me," Kenshin whispered. Slowly he knelt beside her and pulled her onto his lap, her head facing the wall and her back to his hard chest. The towel had fallen again, and Kenshin wrapped his arms around her stomach, feeling the stretch marks that were all over her.
"Magumi said they might disappear with time, but she doesn't know." Kaoru said as she felt him smooth a finger over the scarred skin.
"You got these from being pregnant?" he whispered in her ear.
Kaoru nodded. "You should see your son."
Kenshin leaned his head into her shoulder. "I already have. I saw him fighting in an alley. A gang tried to mug him. He's the spitting image of me as a teenager. Same hair, same emotionless face, same fighting grace and talent. And his speed."
"Every time I look at him, he reminds me of Battousai. Its scary."
"That will disappear. I know it for a fact." Slowly Kenshin stood, Kaoru still in his arms. "Lets get you to bed. What are you doing up anyways?"
Kaoru snuggled into his chest. "Sometimes I like to take a midnight bath. It used to be the only time I didn't have people walking in on me."
Kenshin blushed as he crept into the dojo. Slowly he walked to the back and finally into Kaoru's room. She slid into the covers and watched as Kenshin tried to leave.
"Were are you going?" she asked as she cocked her head.
Kenshin looked back. "Going to my room."
"Your room is your sons room, so unless you want your butt kicked id stay in here."
Kenshin thought about it, but in the end, curled up in a corner, his bangs shadowing his eyes and the Sakabatou resting against his shoulder. He opened his eyes one last night to see Kaoru's figure sleeping under the blankets, her hair fanned out on the pillow and the moonlight settling on her form.