Where the Broken Heart Still Beats
Part: 14
By: Jean Lyons
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"Katai," said Ryo as Katai entered the room, "I've begun to trust Kenshin."
"That's good, I guess... Especially after last night. You just carry me off in my sleep like that?"
"I want you to marry him. Soon."
"No."
"No?"
"It's too soon Ryo."
"No it's not."
"It is."
"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. You will marry him."
"So you don't care at all how I feel?"
"I trust him, you trust him, you're madly in love. I don't see the problem."
"Ryo!"
"I'm going to talk to him. It will be arranged."
"I hate you."
Her words stabbed through him like ice-cicles in an avalanche, but he had a plan and he couldn't abort it now.
***
"Katai," Ryo said as he caught up to her, "You'll marry Kenshin in a month."
Katai glared daggers at him and ran to her room.
"What's wrong, little sister?" asked Manatsu.
"Ryo wants me to marry Kenshin."
"Don't you want to marry him?"
"Not yet."
"But you're so lucky. He's gorgeous, the sweetest man on Earth, and-"
"I know, but it doesn't mean I'm ready to marry him!"
"Maybe I'm not the right person to talk to about this."
"You're right. You're not." She left the house and ran. Before she knew it, her feet had taken her to Kenshin's gate. 'No. I don't want to talk to him right now.' She continued to run. But Kenshin saw her run past and just barely caught a glimpse of her tearstained face. He ran after her and caught her. He embraced her and she pushed him away.
'She must be angry with me.' he thought. He ran and caught her by the arm. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp to no avail. "What is wrong, Katai?"
"You don't get it do you?"
"I spoke with your brother."
"I know. Why'd you think I was so upset?"
"You don't want to marry me?"
"Kenshin, I don't think I'm ready to get married. There are certain duties of a wife that I'm not sure I'd feel right fulfilling."
Kenshin knew exactly what she meant. The thought had never occurred to him that it might be scary for her after having been raped so many times.
"What'll we do on our wedding night, Kenshin?"
"I see. Your brother insists that I marry you next month, but that part can be postponed until you are ready. You'll let me know, won't you?"
Katai rolled her eyes. "Thank you Kenshin. I'll let you know." Her lower lip trembled and Kenshin was met with a fresh flood of tears on his shoulder. "Thank you, Kenshin," she sobbed.
"So you will marry me?"
"Yes."
Kenshin held his wife-to-be as if she would disappear if he let go. He felt as though he could hold her forever. After a month, he would be able to do so. Assuming this marriage didn't end as his other two had. The Tomoe- incident wouldn't happen again, of course, but she could get ill as Kaoru had. Any number of things could happen. This thought caused Kenshin to tighten his grip on the girl in his arms.
*****************
That night, Manatsu and Katai stayed up talking in the living room all night and they never went to bed.
Rumi woke from a nightmare and upon seeing that the other two weren't there, she walked silently down to the end of the hallway to Ryo's room. She had found him very comforting since Katai had said that he would protect her if the 'mean man' ever came back. Rumi crept into Ryo's room and crawled into his bed. Ryo woke up and looked at the child in his bed. She reminded him so much of Katai when she was younger. She would always depend on him for everything. She would follow him around. She would crawl into his bed when she had a nightmare just as Rumi was doing now. He moved over to give her some room.
His plan had failed. He didn't want to let his little sister go. He didn't want to accept that she had that red-haired freak and didn't need her big brother to the rescue anymore. He had tried to use reverse-psychology by arranging it. He knew that Katai would be upset saying it was too early and he'd hoped Kenshin would agree with her and they, in turn, would put off getting married even longer. But Kenshin had done something stupid and agreed to the arrangement before talking to Katai. She'd been upset at first, but when she'd come home that evening, she'd looked pretty happy. She must have come around to the agreement. Now if only he could.
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~*TBC*~
Well, there's another chappie! Did you like it? Huh? Huh? Lemme know!!!!!
Sushi and Sake,
Jean ^_^
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"Katai," said Ryo as Katai entered the room, "I've begun to trust Kenshin."
"That's good, I guess... Especially after last night. You just carry me off in my sleep like that?"
"I want you to marry him. Soon."
"No."
"No?"
"It's too soon Ryo."
"No it's not."
"It is."
"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. You will marry him."
"So you don't care at all how I feel?"
"I trust him, you trust him, you're madly in love. I don't see the problem."
"Ryo!"
"I'm going to talk to him. It will be arranged."
"I hate you."
Her words stabbed through him like ice-cicles in an avalanche, but he had a plan and he couldn't abort it now.
***
"Katai," Ryo said as he caught up to her, "You'll marry Kenshin in a month."
Katai glared daggers at him and ran to her room.
"What's wrong, little sister?" asked Manatsu.
"Ryo wants me to marry Kenshin."
"Don't you want to marry him?"
"Not yet."
"But you're so lucky. He's gorgeous, the sweetest man on Earth, and-"
"I know, but it doesn't mean I'm ready to marry him!"
"Maybe I'm not the right person to talk to about this."
"You're right. You're not." She left the house and ran. Before she knew it, her feet had taken her to Kenshin's gate. 'No. I don't want to talk to him right now.' She continued to run. But Kenshin saw her run past and just barely caught a glimpse of her tearstained face. He ran after her and caught her. He embraced her and she pushed him away.
'She must be angry with me.' he thought. He ran and caught her by the arm. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp to no avail. "What is wrong, Katai?"
"You don't get it do you?"
"I spoke with your brother."
"I know. Why'd you think I was so upset?"
"You don't want to marry me?"
"Kenshin, I don't think I'm ready to get married. There are certain duties of a wife that I'm not sure I'd feel right fulfilling."
Kenshin knew exactly what she meant. The thought had never occurred to him that it might be scary for her after having been raped so many times.
"What'll we do on our wedding night, Kenshin?"
"I see. Your brother insists that I marry you next month, but that part can be postponed until you are ready. You'll let me know, won't you?"
Katai rolled her eyes. "Thank you Kenshin. I'll let you know." Her lower lip trembled and Kenshin was met with a fresh flood of tears on his shoulder. "Thank you, Kenshin," she sobbed.
"So you will marry me?"
"Yes."
Kenshin held his wife-to-be as if she would disappear if he let go. He felt as though he could hold her forever. After a month, he would be able to do so. Assuming this marriage didn't end as his other two had. The Tomoe- incident wouldn't happen again, of course, but she could get ill as Kaoru had. Any number of things could happen. This thought caused Kenshin to tighten his grip on the girl in his arms.
*****************
That night, Manatsu and Katai stayed up talking in the living room all night and they never went to bed.
Rumi woke from a nightmare and upon seeing that the other two weren't there, she walked silently down to the end of the hallway to Ryo's room. She had found him very comforting since Katai had said that he would protect her if the 'mean man' ever came back. Rumi crept into Ryo's room and crawled into his bed. Ryo woke up and looked at the child in his bed. She reminded him so much of Katai when she was younger. She would always depend on him for everything. She would follow him around. She would crawl into his bed when she had a nightmare just as Rumi was doing now. He moved over to give her some room.
His plan had failed. He didn't want to let his little sister go. He didn't want to accept that she had that red-haired freak and didn't need her big brother to the rescue anymore. He had tried to use reverse-psychology by arranging it. He knew that Katai would be upset saying it was too early and he'd hoped Kenshin would agree with her and they, in turn, would put off getting married even longer. But Kenshin had done something stupid and agreed to the arrangement before talking to Katai. She'd been upset at first, but when she'd come home that evening, she'd looked pretty happy. She must have come around to the agreement. Now if only he could.
************************************************************************
~*TBC*~
Well, there's another chappie! Did you like it? Huh? Huh? Lemme know!!!!!
Sushi and Sake,
Jean ^_^