Chapter 2
It was late morning before Sano's eyes fluttered open, he lay on a comfy futon he wasn't quite sure he'd seen before. Sano could hear the soft breathing of Karou's small frame, and nodded in understanding. I must have fallen asleep when she asked me to stay. He looked over to his left and saw Kaoru's beautiful form. He stared longingly at her flawless skin, and noticed the tear streaks that stained her face. ::Sigh:: she is probably dreaming about Kenshin, Stupid girl… He didn't dare move for fear of waking her up. She was soo beautiful when she slept, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He inhaled deeply , breathing in her sweet scent. Her eyes started to flutter open, and just as they did, Sano closed his eyes and pretended that he was still sleeping. She rolled over quietly and tried to get up. Sano sat up and caught her in his arms right as she stumbled and fell… She is still to weak to walk…he thought to himself with a frown.
"Kaoru are you okay?" He asked as he stared at her intently.
She nodded blankly.
"Are you hungry? I could make you some breakfast?"
Her eyes welled up with tears.
…Shit! Why did I offer to make her breakfast? I should have just brought it to her. Shit. Shit!…
"Kenshin always used to make breakfast. Now he's gone. I hope he dies!" She said as she burst into tears.
Sano pulled her closer to him, and rocked her gently back and forth. He loved holding her close. It made him feel like a real man, not someone who, in order to get closer to the woman he loved would have to…Sano ended that thought quickly…no use dwelling in the past…He laid Kaoru back down and made his way toward the door.
"Wait! Don't leave me! Take me with you!" she said her voice cracking with fear and sorrow.
"Alright," he said as he gently lifted her up. She was so light and weak. Her arms clung tightly around his neck as her body touched his bare chest. …God! I love her so much, I want to be with her for the rest of my life…His heart beat faster as they made their way toward the kitchen where Yahiko was already sitting waiting for breakfast.
"Hey Kaoru, are you feeling better?" the little boy asked in a worried tone.
"Yes Yahiko, I'm fine" Kaoru said as she attempted to smile.
Sano set to work making Kaoru's favorite breakfast, miso soup. "Here you go. I made it because I know that its your favorite!" Sano said cheerily.
"Thank you Sano." Kaoru said blankly as she stared at the bowl.
"Aren't you gonna eat, you're gonna turn into nothing if you don't start eating!" he said paternally, smiling at Kaoru.
"Ok, I'll try" Kaoru said weakly. She was quickly becoming weaker and more detached.
…Hmm this isn't working, she'll end up killing herself at this rate!…Sano thought to himself frantically as he picked her up swiftly and carried her into an adjacent room, closing the door behind them. Kaoru didn't even realized she had moved.
"Kaoru, we need to talk. I know Kenshin leaving is really hard for you." Sano began in a sympathetic tone. She raised her head to meet his eyes. A single tear rolled slowly down her soft pale cheek. "But, you have to be strong. Just remember, Kenshin left all three of us, he hurt all of us."
"You're right…Sano," her voice quivered as more tears spilled from her eyes, "He did leave us, but… why… how.. How could he leave us" she asked as she lost her self control and burst into tears.
He got up and sat right next to her, putting his strong arms around her. She sobbed into his chest. Sano sighed deeply as he rubbed her back. "Don't worry Kaoru, I promise you I will never leave your side." He said with such devotion that it was almost fierce.
"I know, I know," he said comfortingly "but you need to be strong, you have to be strong for Yahiko. He gets scared when he sees you like this. He may not show it but he is scared, and I know you love him like a little brother, so you have to pull yourself together, for his sake."
She nodded. "Ok, for Yahiko." she said gaining back come of her old self confidence.
…Good, now hopefully she can forget about that loser, Kenshin. He never even realized how much she loved him. Huh?… Sano heard the sounds of light footsteps coming down the hall…That brat Yahiko…Sano quickly stood up and slid the door to the room open.
"What do you want, runt?" Sano snarled as he glared at the little boy.
"I just wanted to see if Kaoru was okay!" The boy said defensively, "Geeze, Is that all right with you? What are you doing to her in there anyways?" Yahiko said as he tried to dart around Sano, but a quick hand firmly grasped Yahiko's arm and spun him around. Bitter contempt flared in Sano's eyes as he stared at Yahiko, He pulled the young boy so close to his face that Yahiko could feel Sano's hot breath beating against his skin,
"Listen to me you little brat," Sano hissed into the boys ear, "I'm already sick of you sneaking around getting into Kaoru and my affairs, You stay away from her or you might end up disappearing with out a trace like your dear Kenshin…" Yahiko's eye's opened wide with terror, Sano noted that with a small smile.
"You…what did you do to Kenshin?" Yahiko's voice was a hoarse whisper. Sano smirked and left the boy in the hallway, retreating back into the room that he had left Kaoru in.
It was late morning before Sano's eyes fluttered open, he lay on a comfy futon he wasn't quite sure he'd seen before. Sano could hear the soft breathing of Karou's small frame, and nodded in understanding. I must have fallen asleep when she asked me to stay. He looked over to his left and saw Kaoru's beautiful form. He stared longingly at her flawless skin, and noticed the tear streaks that stained her face. ::Sigh:: she is probably dreaming about Kenshin, Stupid girl… He didn't dare move for fear of waking her up. She was soo beautiful when she slept, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He inhaled deeply , breathing in her sweet scent. Her eyes started to flutter open, and just as they did, Sano closed his eyes and pretended that he was still sleeping. She rolled over quietly and tried to get up. Sano sat up and caught her in his arms right as she stumbled and fell… She is still to weak to walk…he thought to himself with a frown.
"Kaoru are you okay?" He asked as he stared at her intently.
She nodded blankly.
"Are you hungry? I could make you some breakfast?"
Her eyes welled up with tears.
…Shit! Why did I offer to make her breakfast? I should have just brought it to her. Shit. Shit!…
"Kenshin always used to make breakfast. Now he's gone. I hope he dies!" She said as she burst into tears.
Sano pulled her closer to him, and rocked her gently back and forth. He loved holding her close. It made him feel like a real man, not someone who, in order to get closer to the woman he loved would have to…Sano ended that thought quickly…no use dwelling in the past…He laid Kaoru back down and made his way toward the door.
"Wait! Don't leave me! Take me with you!" she said her voice cracking with fear and sorrow.
"Alright," he said as he gently lifted her up. She was so light and weak. Her arms clung tightly around his neck as her body touched his bare chest. …God! I love her so much, I want to be with her for the rest of my life…His heart beat faster as they made their way toward the kitchen where Yahiko was already sitting waiting for breakfast.
"Hey Kaoru, are you feeling better?" the little boy asked in a worried tone.
"Yes Yahiko, I'm fine" Kaoru said as she attempted to smile.
Sano set to work making Kaoru's favorite breakfast, miso soup. "Here you go. I made it because I know that its your favorite!" Sano said cheerily.
"Thank you Sano." Kaoru said blankly as she stared at the bowl.
"Aren't you gonna eat, you're gonna turn into nothing if you don't start eating!" he said paternally, smiling at Kaoru.
"Ok, I'll try" Kaoru said weakly. She was quickly becoming weaker and more detached.
…Hmm this isn't working, she'll end up killing herself at this rate!…Sano thought to himself frantically as he picked her up swiftly and carried her into an adjacent room, closing the door behind them. Kaoru didn't even realized she had moved.
"Kaoru, we need to talk. I know Kenshin leaving is really hard for you." Sano began in a sympathetic tone. She raised her head to meet his eyes. A single tear rolled slowly down her soft pale cheek. "But, you have to be strong. Just remember, Kenshin left all three of us, he hurt all of us."
"You're right…Sano," her voice quivered as more tears spilled from her eyes, "He did leave us, but… why… how.. How could he leave us" she asked as she lost her self control and burst into tears.
He got up and sat right next to her, putting his strong arms around her. She sobbed into his chest. Sano sighed deeply as he rubbed her back. "Don't worry Kaoru, I promise you I will never leave your side." He said with such devotion that it was almost fierce.
"I know, I know," he said comfortingly "but you need to be strong, you have to be strong for Yahiko. He gets scared when he sees you like this. He may not show it but he is scared, and I know you love him like a little brother, so you have to pull yourself together, for his sake."
She nodded. "Ok, for Yahiko." she said gaining back come of her old self confidence.
…Good, now hopefully she can forget about that loser, Kenshin. He never even realized how much she loved him. Huh?… Sano heard the sounds of light footsteps coming down the hall…That brat Yahiko…Sano quickly stood up and slid the door to the room open.
"What do you want, runt?" Sano snarled as he glared at the little boy.
"I just wanted to see if Kaoru was okay!" The boy said defensively, "Geeze, Is that all right with you? What are you doing to her in there anyways?" Yahiko said as he tried to dart around Sano, but a quick hand firmly grasped Yahiko's arm and spun him around. Bitter contempt flared in Sano's eyes as he stared at Yahiko, He pulled the young boy so close to his face that Yahiko could feel Sano's hot breath beating against his skin,
"Listen to me you little brat," Sano hissed into the boys ear, "I'm already sick of you sneaking around getting into Kaoru and my affairs, You stay away from her or you might end up disappearing with out a trace like your dear Kenshin…" Yahiko's eye's opened wide with terror, Sano noted that with a small smile.
"You…what did you do to Kenshin?" Yahiko's voice was a hoarse whisper. Sano smirked and left the boy in the hallway, retreating back into the room that he had left Kaoru in.