"Yahiko?" Tsubama said puzzled as he stood up abruptly. "What's
wrong?"
"Kaoru still hasn't shown. I'm going to go look for her." Yahiko said simply as he walked out of the Akabeko.
Walking silently in thought Yahiko walked through the gates of the dojo. Entering the dojo quietly, he decided to head towards Kenshin's room first, peeking in through the slightly opened door he saw the same scene he had scene for the past few days; Kenshin, in his slumped position. Sighing silently he left towards Kaoru's room, stopping at her shut door. He could hear soft whimpering on the other side and Kaoru's uneven breathing. Slightly discouraged and unsure if he should open the door or not he knocked. He could feel a slight tremor in the door, figuring Kaoru had jumped a bit from the interruption. A few seconds passed before the door slowly opened. Yahiko could see Kaoru had wiped her face dry, but there was still evidence of her crying in her moist eyes and slightly red face. Yahiko felt a pang of hurt when he looked at Kaoru's smile. She was trying hard not to show her feelings and Yahiko couldn't stand it.
"Oh.Yahiko, hi. Why aren't you at the Akabeko?" Kaoru asked.
"Question is why aren't you at the Akabeko?" Yahiko asked.
"I.I was coming, just straightening up and checking on Kenshin first." Kaoru answered, stumbling slightly on the word "Kenshin". She fumbled with the hem of her Kimono sleeve, looking down.
"Kaoru, cut the crap" Yahiko growled, raising his voice slightly. Kaoru flinched slightly, closing her eyes.
"What.what do you mean.Yahiko?" Kaoru barely got out as she struggled to keep her voice normal and her tears back.
"Kaoru, you can't mop around like this just because Kenshin's not his self. I am not, and neither is Sano or Tsubama or Megumi. You've got to pull yourself together. I know you can, you did when Kenshin left to Kyoto and he came back. I'm sure if you get better Kenshin will." Yahiko told her clearly.
"Yahiko." Kaoru's restraint broke. She slumped to her knees, sobs escaping her mouth as she covered her face, tears slipping between her fingers. Yahiko did the one thing that felt right at that moment, he walked over and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her neck and stood there silently as he let Kaoru muffle her sobs in his shoulder. "Yahiko.I'll try. Thank you." She said softly, standing slowly as Yahiko released his grip.
"It's no problem, just try for us.for Kenshin." Yahiko said. "Now, to dinner?" He asked.
"All right, let's go" Kaoru said, giving a small smile. A real smile. Yahiko grinned at this.
--------------
"The shrimp and the missy are back." Sano announced, looking toward the door. "Where, were you guys?" Sano asked picking up a bowl and noisily slurping the contents.
"Nowhere, just walking slowly, enjoying the sunset." Kaoru answered, taking a seat across from Sanosuke.
"Oh, ok. I ate your rice Yahiko, hope you don't mind." Sano informed the boy, his face still in the bowl.
"Why you!" Yahiko started before jumping Sano.
"Here." Kaoru said as she pushed her bowl towards Yahiko. Sano and Yahiko both stopped and stared at the bowl.
"It's yours, eat it." Yahiko said, his voice an edge of command to it, as he pushed the bowl back.
"I've got enough, really. Soup is enough for me." Kaoru answered, pushing the bowl back again. Both Yahiko and Sanosuke exchanged looks before Yahiko took the bowl cautiously.
"Save some for Kenshin though." Kaoru pitched in quietly. Yahiko nodded.
--------------
"Kenshin, I brought some food back for you." Kaoru said as she walked into the room, sliding the door closed and setting the food down in front of him. She sat there, pouring him some warm tea as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. "Kenshin, come on, here." Kaoru said as she pushed the food closer to him.
"Thank you, miss Kaoru." Kenshin said, as he looked up to her. His eyes were slightly clouded over and his face played no expression, but he reacted. That was all Kaoru wanted. Kaoru looked up at him, meeting his gaze before standing back up and leaving.
An hour later, Sanosuke came in to find Kenshin's teacup empty, but the food still untouched. "Hey Kenshin, you know Jou-chan carried that all the way home for you. Why are you letting it go to waste?" Sano asked.
"I am not hungry." Kenshin answered simply.
"Not hungry my ass! You haven't eaten for three days!" Sano growled. "Look, why are you moping around? I'm ok, the kid's ok."
Kenshin cut off Sanosuke before he could continue. "Miss Kaoru is not all right."
"Jou-chan would be all right if YOU got better. Don't you get it? She's sad 'cause YOU'RE not yourself. Look, we forgive you about that night, we shouldn't even have to forgive you, it was NOT your fault." Sano was now near to the point of yelling.
"It was, it always has been. I myself am a danger to anyone around me." Kenshin retorted calmly. "The only thing keeping me staying here is not wanting to hurt miss Kaoru."
"God Kenshin, for a little guy you sure have a thick skull, your hurting Kaoru now." Sano said. Suddenly Kenshin stood, not averting his gaze from the floor.
"That's it then. I shall leave." And with that Kenshin took a step out of the room. "If I leave, the danger will be gone and Kaoru will not have to worry."
"K-Kenshin, hey! Damnit Kenshin, get back here." Sanosuke swore as he stood up and blocked Kenshin.
"Move aside." Kenshin sighed calmly.
"Your not leaving Kenshin." Sano put simply, folding his arms across his chest.
"Please Sano." Kenshin asked, looking up.
"You know this won't help Jou-chan, you baka!" Sano told him firmly.
"Just until I find and make sure those men are gone, please Sano." Kenshin asked again. Sano's arms fell to his side.
"So, you just want to get them outta the way? You'll come straight back?" Sano asked suspiciously, cocking his head. Kenshin nodded in reply. After a long mental battle with himself, Sano stepped aside. "If you don't return, I swear I'll never forgive you." Sano warned as he watched Kenshin's retreating form. "And Kaoru will never forgive you either." He added as he sighed, wondering if he did the right thing.
"Kaoru still hasn't shown. I'm going to go look for her." Yahiko said simply as he walked out of the Akabeko.
Walking silently in thought Yahiko walked through the gates of the dojo. Entering the dojo quietly, he decided to head towards Kenshin's room first, peeking in through the slightly opened door he saw the same scene he had scene for the past few days; Kenshin, in his slumped position. Sighing silently he left towards Kaoru's room, stopping at her shut door. He could hear soft whimpering on the other side and Kaoru's uneven breathing. Slightly discouraged and unsure if he should open the door or not he knocked. He could feel a slight tremor in the door, figuring Kaoru had jumped a bit from the interruption. A few seconds passed before the door slowly opened. Yahiko could see Kaoru had wiped her face dry, but there was still evidence of her crying in her moist eyes and slightly red face. Yahiko felt a pang of hurt when he looked at Kaoru's smile. She was trying hard not to show her feelings and Yahiko couldn't stand it.
"Oh.Yahiko, hi. Why aren't you at the Akabeko?" Kaoru asked.
"Question is why aren't you at the Akabeko?" Yahiko asked.
"I.I was coming, just straightening up and checking on Kenshin first." Kaoru answered, stumbling slightly on the word "Kenshin". She fumbled with the hem of her Kimono sleeve, looking down.
"Kaoru, cut the crap" Yahiko growled, raising his voice slightly. Kaoru flinched slightly, closing her eyes.
"What.what do you mean.Yahiko?" Kaoru barely got out as she struggled to keep her voice normal and her tears back.
"Kaoru, you can't mop around like this just because Kenshin's not his self. I am not, and neither is Sano or Tsubama or Megumi. You've got to pull yourself together. I know you can, you did when Kenshin left to Kyoto and he came back. I'm sure if you get better Kenshin will." Yahiko told her clearly.
"Yahiko." Kaoru's restraint broke. She slumped to her knees, sobs escaping her mouth as she covered her face, tears slipping between her fingers. Yahiko did the one thing that felt right at that moment, he walked over and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her neck and stood there silently as he let Kaoru muffle her sobs in his shoulder. "Yahiko.I'll try. Thank you." She said softly, standing slowly as Yahiko released his grip.
"It's no problem, just try for us.for Kenshin." Yahiko said. "Now, to dinner?" He asked.
"All right, let's go" Kaoru said, giving a small smile. A real smile. Yahiko grinned at this.
--------------
"The shrimp and the missy are back." Sano announced, looking toward the door. "Where, were you guys?" Sano asked picking up a bowl and noisily slurping the contents.
"Nowhere, just walking slowly, enjoying the sunset." Kaoru answered, taking a seat across from Sanosuke.
"Oh, ok. I ate your rice Yahiko, hope you don't mind." Sano informed the boy, his face still in the bowl.
"Why you!" Yahiko started before jumping Sano.
"Here." Kaoru said as she pushed her bowl towards Yahiko. Sano and Yahiko both stopped and stared at the bowl.
"It's yours, eat it." Yahiko said, his voice an edge of command to it, as he pushed the bowl back.
"I've got enough, really. Soup is enough for me." Kaoru answered, pushing the bowl back again. Both Yahiko and Sanosuke exchanged looks before Yahiko took the bowl cautiously.
"Save some for Kenshin though." Kaoru pitched in quietly. Yahiko nodded.
--------------
"Kenshin, I brought some food back for you." Kaoru said as she walked into the room, sliding the door closed and setting the food down in front of him. She sat there, pouring him some warm tea as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. "Kenshin, come on, here." Kaoru said as she pushed the food closer to him.
"Thank you, miss Kaoru." Kenshin said, as he looked up to her. His eyes were slightly clouded over and his face played no expression, but he reacted. That was all Kaoru wanted. Kaoru looked up at him, meeting his gaze before standing back up and leaving.
An hour later, Sanosuke came in to find Kenshin's teacup empty, but the food still untouched. "Hey Kenshin, you know Jou-chan carried that all the way home for you. Why are you letting it go to waste?" Sano asked.
"I am not hungry." Kenshin answered simply.
"Not hungry my ass! You haven't eaten for three days!" Sano growled. "Look, why are you moping around? I'm ok, the kid's ok."
Kenshin cut off Sanosuke before he could continue. "Miss Kaoru is not all right."
"Jou-chan would be all right if YOU got better. Don't you get it? She's sad 'cause YOU'RE not yourself. Look, we forgive you about that night, we shouldn't even have to forgive you, it was NOT your fault." Sano was now near to the point of yelling.
"It was, it always has been. I myself am a danger to anyone around me." Kenshin retorted calmly. "The only thing keeping me staying here is not wanting to hurt miss Kaoru."
"God Kenshin, for a little guy you sure have a thick skull, your hurting Kaoru now." Sano said. Suddenly Kenshin stood, not averting his gaze from the floor.
"That's it then. I shall leave." And with that Kenshin took a step out of the room. "If I leave, the danger will be gone and Kaoru will not have to worry."
"K-Kenshin, hey! Damnit Kenshin, get back here." Sanosuke swore as he stood up and blocked Kenshin.
"Move aside." Kenshin sighed calmly.
"Your not leaving Kenshin." Sano put simply, folding his arms across his chest.
"Please Sano." Kenshin asked, looking up.
"You know this won't help Jou-chan, you baka!" Sano told him firmly.
"Just until I find and make sure those men are gone, please Sano." Kenshin asked again. Sano's arms fell to his side.
"So, you just want to get them outta the way? You'll come straight back?" Sano asked suspiciously, cocking his head. Kenshin nodded in reply. After a long mental battle with himself, Sano stepped aside. "If you don't return, I swear I'll never forgive you." Sano warned as he watched Kenshin's retreating form. "And Kaoru will never forgive you either." He added as he sighed, wondering if he did the right thing.