A/N: This one's a bit longer, hot off the press. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
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~03~
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Kaoru sat in her bedroom, leaning against the wall and staring at the ceiling. Her eyes were glossed over, but no tears were falling down her face. Her cheeks were already damp due to previous tears. It was as if she had run out of tears to cry.
She had been in her room since her fight with Yahiko earlier that day. The sun had set not too long ago-or had it been longer than it had seemed to Kaoru? She could hear Yahiko's snores from the other side of the wall. Now she sat with her legs bent in front of her. She clutched her wooden sword in her right hand. Tightly.
Something was wrong. She could feel it. Something was going to happen to Kenshin.
She had had this feeling ever since she'd entered her room that afternoon. But something had happened that confirmed her fear...
Normally, Kaoru hung her father's first sword in her bedroom, on the wall next to the door.
When she walked into her room, with her training sword clutched tightly in her right hand, she heard a soft clink. The next thing she knew, the clink was a crash as her father's sword fell from the wall and onto the ground.
Kenshin was in trouble.
And there was nothing she could do...
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Kenshin was in the kitchen, scrubbing the dishes. He insisted that in return for letting him stay, Misao and her grandfather had to let him help them with their chores. He didn't particularly dislike doing the dishes. It kind of reminded him of the Kamiya dojo... He half-expected the "little sisters" to run into the kitchen and hug his legs like they did before...
He could picture the whole scene. Grandfather and the "little sisters" would be playing games in the front room, the little girls running in and out of the kitchen to check on Kenshin while he was either cooking or washing the dishes like he was now. Yahiko and Sano would be arguing loudly in a room next door, Sano using language unsuitable for "Little" Yahiko's ears. Megumi would be watching the argument, drunk, and laughing herself hoarse. And Kaoru...
Miss Kaoru...
Kenshin felt something warm and wet sliding down his right cheek. On first instinct, he thought it was blood-he'd been in too many fights to know any different. He brought up a dry hand and wiped his cheek, and was surprised at what lay on his finger: his own tears...
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Kaoru stood, her sword clenched tightly still. Maybe there was something she could do...
She slid open the door leading outside. She stepped out into the grass, then slid the door shut behind her.
"Kenshin..."
The wet grass muffled her footsteps. She kept walking. Almost out of the dojo now...
"Kaoru?"
Kaoru stopped and turned. Sanosuke was staring down at her, frown on his face.
"What are you doing out here, Kaoru?"
Kaoru shook her head and turned back, walking again. Sano grabbed her shoulder.
"You can't go to Kenshin. He left for a reason, you know."
Kaoru threw off Sano's hand.
"I don't care why he left!"
Sano took a step back, but stared at her in concern.
"... What's wrong...?"
There were tears in Kaoru's eyes as she responded.
"My father's sword fell from the wall-Kenshin's in trouble, and I won't be there!"
Sanosuke was plainly shocked. His face hardened, and his hand grabbed her wrist.
"It's not smart to leave while it's dark. Go to sleep, and we'll take off for Kyoto in the morning. I have a feeling that's where Kenshin has headed."
Kaoru was staring at him. Had he just suggested what she thought he had?
"Well, go on, already!"
Kaoru nodded and ran back to her room, tearful smile on her face as she slid the door behind her.
Sano sighed, then looked up at the dark night.
"Kenshin, what the hell have you been up to...?"
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Kenshin finished with the dishes. As he was putting them away, Misao ran into the kitchen.
"Kenshin--!"
Kenshin looked over his shoulder, then turned around.
"...What is it, Misao?"
"Aoshi-he's awake!"
Misao was gasping, like she'd been running. Kenshin was quiet; he sensed something was wrong... Misao took a bit to catch her breath, then determined the inevitable:
"He's awake... and he wants to talk to you!"
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Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
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*
~03~
*
*
*
Kaoru sat in her bedroom, leaning against the wall and staring at the ceiling. Her eyes were glossed over, but no tears were falling down her face. Her cheeks were already damp due to previous tears. It was as if she had run out of tears to cry.
She had been in her room since her fight with Yahiko earlier that day. The sun had set not too long ago-or had it been longer than it had seemed to Kaoru? She could hear Yahiko's snores from the other side of the wall. Now she sat with her legs bent in front of her. She clutched her wooden sword in her right hand. Tightly.
Something was wrong. She could feel it. Something was going to happen to Kenshin.
She had had this feeling ever since she'd entered her room that afternoon. But something had happened that confirmed her fear...
Normally, Kaoru hung her father's first sword in her bedroom, on the wall next to the door.
When she walked into her room, with her training sword clutched tightly in her right hand, she heard a soft clink. The next thing she knew, the clink was a crash as her father's sword fell from the wall and onto the ground.
Kenshin was in trouble.
And there was nothing she could do...
*
~
*
Kenshin was in the kitchen, scrubbing the dishes. He insisted that in return for letting him stay, Misao and her grandfather had to let him help them with their chores. He didn't particularly dislike doing the dishes. It kind of reminded him of the Kamiya dojo... He half-expected the "little sisters" to run into the kitchen and hug his legs like they did before...
He could picture the whole scene. Grandfather and the "little sisters" would be playing games in the front room, the little girls running in and out of the kitchen to check on Kenshin while he was either cooking or washing the dishes like he was now. Yahiko and Sano would be arguing loudly in a room next door, Sano using language unsuitable for "Little" Yahiko's ears. Megumi would be watching the argument, drunk, and laughing herself hoarse. And Kaoru...
Miss Kaoru...
Kenshin felt something warm and wet sliding down his right cheek. On first instinct, he thought it was blood-he'd been in too many fights to know any different. He brought up a dry hand and wiped his cheek, and was surprised at what lay on his finger: his own tears...
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~
*
Kaoru stood, her sword clenched tightly still. Maybe there was something she could do...
She slid open the door leading outside. She stepped out into the grass, then slid the door shut behind her.
"Kenshin..."
The wet grass muffled her footsteps. She kept walking. Almost out of the dojo now...
"Kaoru?"
Kaoru stopped and turned. Sanosuke was staring down at her, frown on his face.
"What are you doing out here, Kaoru?"
Kaoru shook her head and turned back, walking again. Sano grabbed her shoulder.
"You can't go to Kenshin. He left for a reason, you know."
Kaoru threw off Sano's hand.
"I don't care why he left!"
Sano took a step back, but stared at her in concern.
"... What's wrong...?"
There were tears in Kaoru's eyes as she responded.
"My father's sword fell from the wall-Kenshin's in trouble, and I won't be there!"
Sanosuke was plainly shocked. His face hardened, and his hand grabbed her wrist.
"It's not smart to leave while it's dark. Go to sleep, and we'll take off for Kyoto in the morning. I have a feeling that's where Kenshin has headed."
Kaoru was staring at him. Had he just suggested what she thought he had?
"Well, go on, already!"
Kaoru nodded and ran back to her room, tearful smile on her face as she slid the door behind her.
Sano sighed, then looked up at the dark night.
"Kenshin, what the hell have you been up to...?"
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Kenshin finished with the dishes. As he was putting them away, Misao ran into the kitchen.
"Kenshin--!"
Kenshin looked over his shoulder, then turned around.
"...What is it, Misao?"
"Aoshi-he's awake!"
Misao was gasping, like she'd been running. Kenshin was quiet; he sensed something was wrong... Misao took a bit to catch her breath, then determined the inevitable:
"He's awake... and he wants to talk to you!"
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