~~OK.I know this is short and I'm sorry, but this is the END!! I'm
SOOOOOOO sorry but I mean, I gotta end it somewhere, don't I?? You all
know I do and I thought this was a good place to end it. I WILL be writing
another RK fic, tho I'm not sure when. I think ill be starting on a dbz
one next, tho I'm not sure. Wait and see. Ok.BIG thank you to all my
reviewers and to those who will join my little fan club!! (Sano: yeah
right.like YOU would get a fan club.) Don't listen to that baka
chickenhead, he's got nothing good to say. Never has, never will.
Hehehehe!! Special thanks to okami no hanyou, Sesshomaru lover, Kaoru-dono
Himura, and Kay-san1 for putting me on your fav list!! *hands them
'Valese' trophy amidst loud cheers* Congratulations to Kay-san1 for being
my 50th reviewer!! Thanks!! *hands her another 'Valese' trophy amidst
more cheers* Reminder to all reviewers: if it weren't for you guys, I'd
still be waiting to congratulate my first reviewer!! Toodles for now, but
I'm sure I'll be seeing y'all later on, sooner or later!!~~
A few months later, Kenshin was in the market, buying tofu for Kaoru. As he passed the jewelry stall, he spied Sano buying a simple diamond ring for a very cheap price. Even so, how's he going to pay for it? he wondered. Sano placed it in a small black box that looked suspiciously like Saitoh's ash box. Sano handled the ring with expert care and carefully placed it within the box and held it straight out in front of him, keeping a watchful eye on it. Suddenly, he seemed to stop in surprise. He was stuttering and rubbing his head, apparently talking a long-haired girl in a blue kimono. Megumi, thought Kenshin, amusedly. Sure enough, there was Sano giving the black box to Megumi. She opened it, gasped and hugged him tightly. They pulled apart quite quickly, and she kissed him quickly on the lips. They blushed furiously, not meeting each other's eyes for a moment. Then, they turned and walked towards the clinic, Megumi holding the black box, the ring glinting in the bright sunshine as it rested on her finger, as if showing itself off to the world. Sano carried Megumi's bags and shopping. Kenshin smiled, chuckling quietly. "He managed to get the courage to ask her a lot quicker than I did. That he did. Though they'd been staring at each other, sneaking glances at each other and having 'polite conversations' often at the clinic for a while now. If they had kept that up, it would have taken them almost as long as it took us," he said to himself.
"'Scuse me, but you got a lady at home?" asked a small boy tugging Kenshin's sleeve. Kenshin nodded and the boy led him to a small, rundown stall. "You like any of these? Only I'm trying to get rid of 'em. I'll sell 'em to ya cheap. Cheap as you like." Kenshin smiled and silently pointed to a ribbon made of indigo silk with the words 'Aishiteru' sewn across in gold thread, surrounded by embroidered green ivy and yellow roses. He payed the price and left for the dojo. "I'm sure Kaoru will love this. It's a beautiful ribbon. I just hope it matches with one of her kimonos," he said softly.
That night, Yahiko was out at the Akebeko again, and Sano was down at the clinic as usual. Once again, it was just the two of them. Kaoru had insisted on cooking and they ate dinner in silence. The dinner was not that bad. I wonder why Sano and Yahiko dislike her food so much. It's not really that bad, he observed. Kaoru smiled at him, noting his pleased expression. "Do you like it, Kenshin?" she inquired curiously. "It's wonderful. I don't understand why Sano and Yahiko complain so much about your food. I like it. Your cooking skills may not rival Tae's, but they're certainly not as bad as Yahiko and Sano make them out to be." "Thank you, Kenshin! I'm glad to hear SOMEONE appreciates my food," she cried happily. Dinner was finished and Kenshin managed to convince Kaoru to get to bed. While he washed the dishes, he thought about the past few days' events. "Poor Kaoru went through so much. I'm glad that she forgives me, but I don't deserve it. I don't deserve HER. I shouldn't have her, someone worthy should." "I don't want to hear that. We've talked about this already. You are NOT unworthy. You are NOT undeserving. It is NOT your fault. Won't you ever give it a rest? It's getting very annoying to hear you put yourself down because of things you did ten years ago. Because of things you did while you were a different person. Now, I don't want to hear of this again, understand? If you truly thought you were unworthy of me, you'd have left years ago. But the fact you didn't shows you know in your heart that you belong here now," a voice inside his head said firmly. It was only a moment later that he realized it wasn't a voice in his head, but Kaoru behind him. He washed the last dish, dried his hands, and turned to smile at his wife. She kissed him good-night on the cheek and walked off to her futon. Kenshin smiled and followed her out of the kitchen. As she was settling under the covers, Kenshin took the ribbon out of his pocket and smoothed it out.
Kaoru woke up the next morning next to Kenshin, whose arms were wrapped around her enormous waist. Beneath her tousled hair, which was spread out across the pillow, was an indigo ribbon with 'Aishiteru' embroidered across it. it shined silver in the early light. She smiled quietly. Placing it beside her futon, she kissed Kenshin lovingly. "Arigatou and Aishiteru, koishii," she whispered in his ear, and snuggled up against him. My whole world is beside me, holding me, even in sleep. Everything that means something to me is right here. Not many people have that, she thought happily and closed her eyes.
A few months later, Kenshin was in the market, buying tofu for Kaoru. As he passed the jewelry stall, he spied Sano buying a simple diamond ring for a very cheap price. Even so, how's he going to pay for it? he wondered. Sano placed it in a small black box that looked suspiciously like Saitoh's ash box. Sano handled the ring with expert care and carefully placed it within the box and held it straight out in front of him, keeping a watchful eye on it. Suddenly, he seemed to stop in surprise. He was stuttering and rubbing his head, apparently talking a long-haired girl in a blue kimono. Megumi, thought Kenshin, amusedly. Sure enough, there was Sano giving the black box to Megumi. She opened it, gasped and hugged him tightly. They pulled apart quite quickly, and she kissed him quickly on the lips. They blushed furiously, not meeting each other's eyes for a moment. Then, they turned and walked towards the clinic, Megumi holding the black box, the ring glinting in the bright sunshine as it rested on her finger, as if showing itself off to the world. Sano carried Megumi's bags and shopping. Kenshin smiled, chuckling quietly. "He managed to get the courage to ask her a lot quicker than I did. That he did. Though they'd been staring at each other, sneaking glances at each other and having 'polite conversations' often at the clinic for a while now. If they had kept that up, it would have taken them almost as long as it took us," he said to himself.
"'Scuse me, but you got a lady at home?" asked a small boy tugging Kenshin's sleeve. Kenshin nodded and the boy led him to a small, rundown stall. "You like any of these? Only I'm trying to get rid of 'em. I'll sell 'em to ya cheap. Cheap as you like." Kenshin smiled and silently pointed to a ribbon made of indigo silk with the words 'Aishiteru' sewn across in gold thread, surrounded by embroidered green ivy and yellow roses. He payed the price and left for the dojo. "I'm sure Kaoru will love this. It's a beautiful ribbon. I just hope it matches with one of her kimonos," he said softly.
That night, Yahiko was out at the Akebeko again, and Sano was down at the clinic as usual. Once again, it was just the two of them. Kaoru had insisted on cooking and they ate dinner in silence. The dinner was not that bad. I wonder why Sano and Yahiko dislike her food so much. It's not really that bad, he observed. Kaoru smiled at him, noting his pleased expression. "Do you like it, Kenshin?" she inquired curiously. "It's wonderful. I don't understand why Sano and Yahiko complain so much about your food. I like it. Your cooking skills may not rival Tae's, but they're certainly not as bad as Yahiko and Sano make them out to be." "Thank you, Kenshin! I'm glad to hear SOMEONE appreciates my food," she cried happily. Dinner was finished and Kenshin managed to convince Kaoru to get to bed. While he washed the dishes, he thought about the past few days' events. "Poor Kaoru went through so much. I'm glad that she forgives me, but I don't deserve it. I don't deserve HER. I shouldn't have her, someone worthy should." "I don't want to hear that. We've talked about this already. You are NOT unworthy. You are NOT undeserving. It is NOT your fault. Won't you ever give it a rest? It's getting very annoying to hear you put yourself down because of things you did ten years ago. Because of things you did while you were a different person. Now, I don't want to hear of this again, understand? If you truly thought you were unworthy of me, you'd have left years ago. But the fact you didn't shows you know in your heart that you belong here now," a voice inside his head said firmly. It was only a moment later that he realized it wasn't a voice in his head, but Kaoru behind him. He washed the last dish, dried his hands, and turned to smile at his wife. She kissed him good-night on the cheek and walked off to her futon. Kenshin smiled and followed her out of the kitchen. As she was settling under the covers, Kenshin took the ribbon out of his pocket and smoothed it out.
Kaoru woke up the next morning next to Kenshin, whose arms were wrapped around her enormous waist. Beneath her tousled hair, which was spread out across the pillow, was an indigo ribbon with 'Aishiteru' embroidered across it. it shined silver in the early light. She smiled quietly. Placing it beside her futon, she kissed Kenshin lovingly. "Arigatou and Aishiteru, koishii," she whispered in his ear, and snuggled up against him. My whole world is beside me, holding me, even in sleep. Everything that means something to me is right here. Not many people have that, she thought happily and closed her eyes.
