Ultimate Possession-- A story by Tama-Shin. Rurouni Kenshin does not belong
to me, despite my countless wishes that it was so. This story is the
product of my deranged mind, nobody else's. Please no sue me!
AN: Hello to all you who are going to attempt to read this story of mine. I give you all many points of courage for this. I'm not going to write a long painful introduction here, just asking to please be kind for this is my very first fanfic. Enjoy minna-sama!
*.*--Thoughts "." --Dialogue
Ch.1
The dawn was pale and cool. The hour was very early, but eighteen- year-old Kaoru Kamiya was already up. She lay in her bed, tired, but unable to sleep. Sleep. It seemed a foreign luxury to her lately. No matter what she did, sleep danced out of her reach, always taunting her. As a result, she often looked rough around the edges. Dark blue smudges could be seen under her eyes and there was a definite slump to her shoulders.
Yet even this could not detract from the natural beauty she possessed. Kaoru was short and very slender. Milky white skin adorned her body and many swore she had sapphires for her eyes. Her crowning glory was her ebony hair that reached to her waist. Her hair gleamed with natural blue highlights in the sun and had a shine so healthy that women from ages ten to eighty envied her. Kaoru Kamiya was one beautiful young lady. But yet, she never saw it herself. Kaoru never really saw her own reflection in the mirror, just a dim and blurred vision of what everyone else saw. As a result, she had a natural innocence and was modest almost to a fault. However, she certainly didn't feel even a little bit pretty as of late.
Kaoru sighed and began to think about the day ahead of her. * Mou! This is the fifth night in a row that I haven't been able to sleep. This is really going to make me look like shit. Everyone is going to comment on it, too. I can see it now. Misao will be worried and ramble on about herbal remedies for the circles under my eyes. Megumi will laugh and suggest a rousing night with a wonderfully built and handsome man; it seems to be her obsession of late. Hmm, guess Sano isn't fulfilling her fantasies. Hehe. Aoshi, if he deigns to speak, will suggest meditation. Sanosuke will, of course, be oblivious to my appearance and Kenshin.Kenshin will be the worst. 'Kaoru, I'm worried about you, de gozaru yo. You need to take better care of yourself. Maybe there is something I can do to help you out.' Yada yada yada. *
Kaoru let out another sigh. Kami-sama, she loved her unofficial brother and best friend but man could he overdo it sometimes. The same applied to her friends. She should feel loved and blessed and surrounded with the care she received, but she didn't. She felt alone.
*Mou, I'm glad school is over next week. * Kaoru turned to her window, sighed for the third time, and decided it was time she talked to her parents.
" Okaa-san, Otou-san, I miss you. It's been two years, but the pain hasn't seemed to go away." Kaoru didn't seem to notice the tears in her eyes, or when they coursed down her cheeks. " I'm so alone. I can't sleep and I can't eat, although that's no doubt caused by the fact that I can't cook." A chuckle escaped her lips before she sobered once again. "Kami-sama, I wish you were here tou-san. You could always make the sun shine for me. And you, kaa-san, you always knew what I needed and when I needed it. But do you know what I need now? I need you both. I'm all alone and I need you. I'm too young for all this to happen. I'm too young for this type of pain in my life. I should be having fun with my friends and worrying about breaking curfew for you guys. But I'm not. I live alone, set my own curfew, and eat what I want, when I want. I decide what's best for me, when you should have been here doing that for me. Nobody understands me, my feelings. I know I keep it bottled up, and that isn't me. I can't find myself anymore. I locked it away when you died. A part of me died when you died and I can't get it back. I can't see me. I can't get to me. I can't ." Kaoru broke off as sobs racked her body. She finally fell to her bed, exhausted, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
Kaoru woke up, dazed and groggy. The day was bright and warm. She scrubbed her eyes with her fists and tried to fight the migraine that was throbbing inside her head. * Baka! * She thought. * That's what happens when you bottle everything up inside. You never used to do that. * To her horror, tears welled up in her eyes and the migraine retaliated with a vengeance. She ruthlessly battled the tears back and wearily rose from her bed. She needed something for this damn migraine before it killed her. She stumbled downstairs to where she kept the medicine.
She heard a pounding at the door and poked her head into the hallway. Kaoru rolled her eyes and silently counted, * Three.two.one.KAORU! * Sure enough, three seconds had barely passed when an earth shattering "KAORU!" rattled the windows. She dragged herself to the front door, not realizing that she had just gotten out of bed, that she was only wearing a baby tee, high-cut silk panties and no bra. She unlocked the door and opened it a crack and walked into the kitchen. The door flung open and Kenshin Himura burst inside, his eyes amber with flecks of violet in them. He stopped and looked around for Kaoru, and then headed for the kitchen, where his sixth sense told him that she would be there. He stomped into the kitchen. "Kao." The shout died abruptly as he took in her state of dress. His eyes roved over her body, coming to rest on her chest. His eyes immediately changed into a pure, molten gold. He shook his head and blushed, turning his back on her.
"K-Kaoru, go put a robe on or something!" he said gruffly. Kaoru blinked and looked down at herself. She blushed furiously and ran upstairs to her room. She came down wearing a threadbare robe. It wasn't much better than what she was wearing before, but it covered her.
Kenshin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her covered in her robe. Now, he could concentrate on why she wasn't in school. "Kaoru, where the hell where you? Neither Misao nor I could get a hold of you. It worried both of us. You are always in school, if you weren't going to show, then you could have at least called my cell phone or Misao's and left a message. But no, you couldn't even do that, and I started imagining that horrible things had happened, and." Kenshin broke off and walked away from Kaoru to look out the window.
"Gomen nasai, Kenshin. I would have left a message, but I just woke up." Kaoru pasted a bright smile on her face. "I decided I needed a mental health day, that's all." She prayed fervently that he would just leave it at that, but knowing he wouldn't. She really didn't feel like digging too deeply today. But before he left, she knew that he would wrestle the whole story out of her.
Kenshin narrowed his eyes and looked intently at her. After a moment, he slid to the floor, his back against the wall, one knee bent, and the other leg straight on the floor. His eyes, now a deep violet, filled with sadness. He bowed his head, allowing his bangs to cover his eyes. Kaoru eyed him warily. She knew him as well as he knew her. They had known each other for sixteen years. She knew he was deep in thought, trying to figure out the best way to crack through her wall. She wasn't eager to hear what he was going to say.
Kenshin was lost in memories. He still remembered when they met. Both were two years old. They had instantly become fast friends. Kenshin lived with his uncle, Hiko Seijiro. Kaoru lived with her parents. At five years old, Hiko started training Kenshin in the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. At the same time, Kaoru's dad started training her in the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Both excelled at kendo and loved to talk to each other about their accomplishments. As time went on, their bond grew deeper as they spent more and more time together. They played the same sports together, went to the same school, had the same classes and talked to each other everyday. Even sickness couldn't keep the two apart. Very often, one of the two would keep the other company if one of them were sick. Kenshin often went to Kaoru when she was sick, not caring if he himself got sick. As their bond grew stronger, words became unnecessary. They could communicate with a look, nothing more. Those who witnessed it swore that they had some telepathic line. Due to their kendo training, they could sense each other's ki, knew how the other felt, when their moods changed. They could know how the other would react in any given situation. Their relationship was a very special one.
But lately, Kaoru had closed herself and tried to fool everyone with fake smiles and false moods. It worked for the others of their gang, but not Kenshin. Kaoru should have known that he would see right through it. He slowly resurfaced to the present. * Why is she doing this? What could have happened to make her try to close herself off to me? I can feel that it's deliberate. * Kenshin slowly raised his head, allowing her to see his pain filled eyes. "Kaoru, why are you shutting me out?" ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
Kaoru blinked, startled. She should have known better. He could always see her true moods and feelings. She could do the same for him. It has always been that way, even when they were little.
She ducked her own head, allowing herself to recover from her own shock and to lose herself in her own memories. She saw Kenshin and herself, playing in a sandbox, then traipsing inside to watch The Wizard of Oz, then The Goonies. She saw him protecting her from the bullies at school and saw her protecting him in turn when the principal would have expelled him for fighting.
She remembered their very first fight. It had been their only fight. They had stopped speaking for two weeks. It was horrible. She had felt so alone, despite the love from her parents and other friends. He had felt the same way. The two had grown closer as a result. She saw him comforting her, holding her when she received the news that her parents had died in the awful plane crash. They had been through so much together.
She struggled to breathe. How could she close herself off to him? It was like killing another piece of herself, one vital to her life. It hurt too much. With a strangled cry, she leapt into his arms with tears streaming down her face. She tried to explain through her sobs, not being very articulate, but desperate to make things right between them.
" I'm so sorry, I didn't want to shut myself off to you! I just didn't want anyone to feel bad because I was feeling bad. It wasn't deliberate at first, it wasn't! It was just easier to have everyone believe that I was fine, including you. I even fooled myself, after awhile. But it hurts too much, even more because I hurt you, too. I just didn't want anyone to ask me how I felt or how I was coping. So, I kept everything in, and shut everyone out. But I got so lonely, so upset and everything that was in came rushing out, and I'd pull it in and.and." Kaoru broke off, unable to explain anymore. She could only cry, hoping that Kenshin would understand. Kenshin sat and rocked Kaoru, comforting her as a parent would a child.
He didn't say a word, just allowed her to cry it all out. He rested his chin on her head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He thanked the gods that she finally broke down her walls. He couldn't bear the emptiness that flowed through him when she was locked inside herself. He didn't understand why and he didn't care. He only knew he needed her with him, through the good and bad. He needed her. Kenshin left his thoughts abruptly as he realized that she stopped crying. He decided that a little humor was in order.
"Kaoru, maybe you should put some clothes on. Although, it is very nice to hold you close when you aren't wearing pants and a bra." Kenshin ruthlessly battled the smile that was threatening to give him away, and moved his hands up and down her back, sliding close to her bottom.
"Kenshin no HENTAI!" Kaoru screeched as she pulled herself away and slapped his hands away from her. Kenshin doubled over in laughter as he watched Kaoru draw her bathrobe together and retie it tightly. Kaoru stopped and glared at him. "You did that on purpose!"
"Yeah, but it got you back to you, right?" Kenshin asked smugly.
Kaoru just looked at him and promptly burst into laughter. "You always could bring me out of my moods." was all she said as she flounced up the stairs to put some clothes on. Kenshin laughed one last time and stood up to make some green tea for the two of them.
Upstairs, Kaoru pulled on some baggy pajama pants and pulled a bra out form her dresser. After she put her bra and shirt on, she decided to sit for a minute to recover. She didn't think she could fully explain her loneliness to Kenshin. She didn't understand it fully herself. She did, however, feel more like herself after she talked to her parents and Kenshin, silly as that might seem. Keeping everything bottle up was definitely not the way to go. But she could not seem to unlock herself to be the bright, cheerful girl she was two years ago. It was going to take some more time. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
Kenshin and Kaoru sat at her kitchen table and chatted easily as they drank their tea. Kaoru had explained how she felt as best she could.
Kenshin understood partly how she felt. He, too, had lost his parents, but he was only two, barely old enough to even recall them. It was only through pictures and his uncle that he remembered them. He made Kaoru promise to not hold everything inside her anymore.
"It's not healthy," he had said. "Even if you don't want to talk, you know I'm there for you to lean on. Besides, you never used to do that. Kaoru, your parents wouldn't want you do that, to be this way and you know it."
Kaoru felt so much better after talking to Kenshin. Now, it was so easy to slip back into their routine of hanging out, with endless things to talk about. She had asked Kenshin to spend the night. It was late and they were still planning to hang out. Kaoru also hated the idea of Kenshin walking home in the dark.
"Ne, Kenshin, how are things with Tomoe-san?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin smiled wryly.
"Over. Tomoe decided that she liked Akira-san more than me. She said I didn't pay enough attention to her. I guess kendo, my ongoing contest with Shishio, school and friends took too much of my time."
Kenshin neglected to tell her that Tomoe was jealous of Kaoru, and her bond with Kenshin. Tomoe also knew that Kaoru held a part of Kenshin that she never would, and so she went to Akira. Akira was the one who could give Tomoe the attention she craved.
Kaoru didn't say anything. She just looked at him. Kenshin was an extremely good-looking, no; make that an extremely hot guy. He was only a couple of inches taller than her. He was slender, but muscular from his training in the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. He was very tan, for his uncle and he preferred to train outside by a beautiful waterfall. Kenshin had beautiful red hair that fell halfway down his back. He usually pulled it back in a low ponytail with his bangs falling into his face. He had the most extraordinary eyes Kaoru had ever seen. They were an exotic shade of violet, rimmed with gold. When he was in the grip of an extreme emotion, his eyes turned amber, tinged with violet. When he was really pissed off, his eyes were like pure gold. Kaoru's eyes fell to Kenshin's cheek. There, a cross-shaped scar lived, a result of a fight that took place long ago. Then, he wasn't as adept at protecting himself. Kaoru looked back into Kenshin's eyes. All this observation took place in a matter of seconds. Finally, Kaoru spoke.
"She's crazy." Kenshin glanced at her. "Oh? How so?"
Kaoru looked out the window, "She only needed some patience to get to know you. Then, she would have been able to see how wonderful you are, inside and out. She wouldn't need the attention she craves, because she would know that she came first. One month isn't enough to truly decide who someone is and what their nature really is." Kaoru looked back to Kenshin. "Besides, you are one hot guy. She's an idiot to let you get away."
Kenshin burst out laughing. "Arigatou Kaoru. Only you would see it like that. After one month, you do get some idea to how a person really is. Besides, I'm not upset about it. I don't feel much of anything when I think about her or why we aren't together. That fact alone proves we weren't meant to be. The right one is out there somewhere, ne? Speaking of significant others, how are things between you and Shishio?"
Kaoru looked at him ruefully. " Not too good. He's getting very possessive. He doesn't want me to hang around with any other guys. He's also very jealous of you, although I think that stems from the fact that you always beat him in whatever you two decide to compete at. I think it was a mistake to go out with him. I have a feeling I was only a tool that he needed to be better at something than you. Besides, we've been together for only two months and he keeps pressuring me for." Kaoru stopped abruptly and looked out the window.
Kenshin looked at her puzzled for a minute, and then burst out laughing. "Hmm, so Shishio is finding life a bit hard, huh? Don't worry Kaoru, just tell him to take matters into his own hands." Kenshin kept laughing, unable to stop.
"Kenshin no baka!" Kaoru screeched. She punched him in the head. Hard.
"Ororororororororororo!" Kenshin lay on the floor, birds flying around his head. Kaoru giggled. "Serves you right. You are such a hentai! Get up already would you? We still have to decide what anime series to watch. How about Fushigi Yugi, or maybe Escaflowne?"
Kenshin sweatdropped. "We've seen those a million times. How about Gokudo or Prince of Tennis??"
Kaoru pouted, "Mou! I guess we can watch those two tonight." Kenshin looked slyly at her, making Kaoru watch him warily. She shrieked as Kenshin pounced on her and started an all out tickle war. Neither noticed the red eyes staring through the window at them, gleaming with anger and malice.
End Chapter 1
AN-Well, what do you think? Please R&R. Be kind to me, this is my first fanfic, and I'd really appreciate feedback. Thanks minna-san!
AN: Hello to all you who are going to attempt to read this story of mine. I give you all many points of courage for this. I'm not going to write a long painful introduction here, just asking to please be kind for this is my very first fanfic. Enjoy minna-sama!
*.*--Thoughts "." --Dialogue
Ch.1
The dawn was pale and cool. The hour was very early, but eighteen- year-old Kaoru Kamiya was already up. She lay in her bed, tired, but unable to sleep. Sleep. It seemed a foreign luxury to her lately. No matter what she did, sleep danced out of her reach, always taunting her. As a result, she often looked rough around the edges. Dark blue smudges could be seen under her eyes and there was a definite slump to her shoulders.
Yet even this could not detract from the natural beauty she possessed. Kaoru was short and very slender. Milky white skin adorned her body and many swore she had sapphires for her eyes. Her crowning glory was her ebony hair that reached to her waist. Her hair gleamed with natural blue highlights in the sun and had a shine so healthy that women from ages ten to eighty envied her. Kaoru Kamiya was one beautiful young lady. But yet, she never saw it herself. Kaoru never really saw her own reflection in the mirror, just a dim and blurred vision of what everyone else saw. As a result, she had a natural innocence and was modest almost to a fault. However, she certainly didn't feel even a little bit pretty as of late.
Kaoru sighed and began to think about the day ahead of her. * Mou! This is the fifth night in a row that I haven't been able to sleep. This is really going to make me look like shit. Everyone is going to comment on it, too. I can see it now. Misao will be worried and ramble on about herbal remedies for the circles under my eyes. Megumi will laugh and suggest a rousing night with a wonderfully built and handsome man; it seems to be her obsession of late. Hmm, guess Sano isn't fulfilling her fantasies. Hehe. Aoshi, if he deigns to speak, will suggest meditation. Sanosuke will, of course, be oblivious to my appearance and Kenshin.Kenshin will be the worst. 'Kaoru, I'm worried about you, de gozaru yo. You need to take better care of yourself. Maybe there is something I can do to help you out.' Yada yada yada. *
Kaoru let out another sigh. Kami-sama, she loved her unofficial brother and best friend but man could he overdo it sometimes. The same applied to her friends. She should feel loved and blessed and surrounded with the care she received, but she didn't. She felt alone.
*Mou, I'm glad school is over next week. * Kaoru turned to her window, sighed for the third time, and decided it was time she talked to her parents.
" Okaa-san, Otou-san, I miss you. It's been two years, but the pain hasn't seemed to go away." Kaoru didn't seem to notice the tears in her eyes, or when they coursed down her cheeks. " I'm so alone. I can't sleep and I can't eat, although that's no doubt caused by the fact that I can't cook." A chuckle escaped her lips before she sobered once again. "Kami-sama, I wish you were here tou-san. You could always make the sun shine for me. And you, kaa-san, you always knew what I needed and when I needed it. But do you know what I need now? I need you both. I'm all alone and I need you. I'm too young for all this to happen. I'm too young for this type of pain in my life. I should be having fun with my friends and worrying about breaking curfew for you guys. But I'm not. I live alone, set my own curfew, and eat what I want, when I want. I decide what's best for me, when you should have been here doing that for me. Nobody understands me, my feelings. I know I keep it bottled up, and that isn't me. I can't find myself anymore. I locked it away when you died. A part of me died when you died and I can't get it back. I can't see me. I can't get to me. I can't ." Kaoru broke off as sobs racked her body. She finally fell to her bed, exhausted, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
Kaoru woke up, dazed and groggy. The day was bright and warm. She scrubbed her eyes with her fists and tried to fight the migraine that was throbbing inside her head. * Baka! * She thought. * That's what happens when you bottle everything up inside. You never used to do that. * To her horror, tears welled up in her eyes and the migraine retaliated with a vengeance. She ruthlessly battled the tears back and wearily rose from her bed. She needed something for this damn migraine before it killed her. She stumbled downstairs to where she kept the medicine.
She heard a pounding at the door and poked her head into the hallway. Kaoru rolled her eyes and silently counted, * Three.two.one.KAORU! * Sure enough, three seconds had barely passed when an earth shattering "KAORU!" rattled the windows. She dragged herself to the front door, not realizing that she had just gotten out of bed, that she was only wearing a baby tee, high-cut silk panties and no bra. She unlocked the door and opened it a crack and walked into the kitchen. The door flung open and Kenshin Himura burst inside, his eyes amber with flecks of violet in them. He stopped and looked around for Kaoru, and then headed for the kitchen, where his sixth sense told him that she would be there. He stomped into the kitchen. "Kao." The shout died abruptly as he took in her state of dress. His eyes roved over her body, coming to rest on her chest. His eyes immediately changed into a pure, molten gold. He shook his head and blushed, turning his back on her.
"K-Kaoru, go put a robe on or something!" he said gruffly. Kaoru blinked and looked down at herself. She blushed furiously and ran upstairs to her room. She came down wearing a threadbare robe. It wasn't much better than what she was wearing before, but it covered her.
Kenshin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her covered in her robe. Now, he could concentrate on why she wasn't in school. "Kaoru, where the hell where you? Neither Misao nor I could get a hold of you. It worried both of us. You are always in school, if you weren't going to show, then you could have at least called my cell phone or Misao's and left a message. But no, you couldn't even do that, and I started imagining that horrible things had happened, and." Kenshin broke off and walked away from Kaoru to look out the window.
"Gomen nasai, Kenshin. I would have left a message, but I just woke up." Kaoru pasted a bright smile on her face. "I decided I needed a mental health day, that's all." She prayed fervently that he would just leave it at that, but knowing he wouldn't. She really didn't feel like digging too deeply today. But before he left, she knew that he would wrestle the whole story out of her.
Kenshin narrowed his eyes and looked intently at her. After a moment, he slid to the floor, his back against the wall, one knee bent, and the other leg straight on the floor. His eyes, now a deep violet, filled with sadness. He bowed his head, allowing his bangs to cover his eyes. Kaoru eyed him warily. She knew him as well as he knew her. They had known each other for sixteen years. She knew he was deep in thought, trying to figure out the best way to crack through her wall. She wasn't eager to hear what he was going to say.
Kenshin was lost in memories. He still remembered when they met. Both were two years old. They had instantly become fast friends. Kenshin lived with his uncle, Hiko Seijiro. Kaoru lived with her parents. At five years old, Hiko started training Kenshin in the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. At the same time, Kaoru's dad started training her in the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Both excelled at kendo and loved to talk to each other about their accomplishments. As time went on, their bond grew deeper as they spent more and more time together. They played the same sports together, went to the same school, had the same classes and talked to each other everyday. Even sickness couldn't keep the two apart. Very often, one of the two would keep the other company if one of them were sick. Kenshin often went to Kaoru when she was sick, not caring if he himself got sick. As their bond grew stronger, words became unnecessary. They could communicate with a look, nothing more. Those who witnessed it swore that they had some telepathic line. Due to their kendo training, they could sense each other's ki, knew how the other felt, when their moods changed. They could know how the other would react in any given situation. Their relationship was a very special one.
But lately, Kaoru had closed herself and tried to fool everyone with fake smiles and false moods. It worked for the others of their gang, but not Kenshin. Kaoru should have known that he would see right through it. He slowly resurfaced to the present. * Why is she doing this? What could have happened to make her try to close herself off to me? I can feel that it's deliberate. * Kenshin slowly raised his head, allowing her to see his pain filled eyes. "Kaoru, why are you shutting me out?" ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
Kaoru blinked, startled. She should have known better. He could always see her true moods and feelings. She could do the same for him. It has always been that way, even when they were little.
She ducked her own head, allowing herself to recover from her own shock and to lose herself in her own memories. She saw Kenshin and herself, playing in a sandbox, then traipsing inside to watch The Wizard of Oz, then The Goonies. She saw him protecting her from the bullies at school and saw her protecting him in turn when the principal would have expelled him for fighting.
She remembered their very first fight. It had been their only fight. They had stopped speaking for two weeks. It was horrible. She had felt so alone, despite the love from her parents and other friends. He had felt the same way. The two had grown closer as a result. She saw him comforting her, holding her when she received the news that her parents had died in the awful plane crash. They had been through so much together.
She struggled to breathe. How could she close herself off to him? It was like killing another piece of herself, one vital to her life. It hurt too much. With a strangled cry, she leapt into his arms with tears streaming down her face. She tried to explain through her sobs, not being very articulate, but desperate to make things right between them.
" I'm so sorry, I didn't want to shut myself off to you! I just didn't want anyone to feel bad because I was feeling bad. It wasn't deliberate at first, it wasn't! It was just easier to have everyone believe that I was fine, including you. I even fooled myself, after awhile. But it hurts too much, even more because I hurt you, too. I just didn't want anyone to ask me how I felt or how I was coping. So, I kept everything in, and shut everyone out. But I got so lonely, so upset and everything that was in came rushing out, and I'd pull it in and.and." Kaoru broke off, unable to explain anymore. She could only cry, hoping that Kenshin would understand. Kenshin sat and rocked Kaoru, comforting her as a parent would a child.
He didn't say a word, just allowed her to cry it all out. He rested his chin on her head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He thanked the gods that she finally broke down her walls. He couldn't bear the emptiness that flowed through him when she was locked inside herself. He didn't understand why and he didn't care. He only knew he needed her with him, through the good and bad. He needed her. Kenshin left his thoughts abruptly as he realized that she stopped crying. He decided that a little humor was in order.
"Kaoru, maybe you should put some clothes on. Although, it is very nice to hold you close when you aren't wearing pants and a bra." Kenshin ruthlessly battled the smile that was threatening to give him away, and moved his hands up and down her back, sliding close to her bottom.
"Kenshin no HENTAI!" Kaoru screeched as she pulled herself away and slapped his hands away from her. Kenshin doubled over in laughter as he watched Kaoru draw her bathrobe together and retie it tightly. Kaoru stopped and glared at him. "You did that on purpose!"
"Yeah, but it got you back to you, right?" Kenshin asked smugly.
Kaoru just looked at him and promptly burst into laughter. "You always could bring me out of my moods." was all she said as she flounced up the stairs to put some clothes on. Kenshin laughed one last time and stood up to make some green tea for the two of them.
Upstairs, Kaoru pulled on some baggy pajama pants and pulled a bra out form her dresser. After she put her bra and shirt on, she decided to sit for a minute to recover. She didn't think she could fully explain her loneliness to Kenshin. She didn't understand it fully herself. She did, however, feel more like herself after she talked to her parents and Kenshin, silly as that might seem. Keeping everything bottle up was definitely not the way to go. But she could not seem to unlock herself to be the bright, cheerful girl she was two years ago. It was going to take some more time. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
Kenshin and Kaoru sat at her kitchen table and chatted easily as they drank their tea. Kaoru had explained how she felt as best she could.
Kenshin understood partly how she felt. He, too, had lost his parents, but he was only two, barely old enough to even recall them. It was only through pictures and his uncle that he remembered them. He made Kaoru promise to not hold everything inside her anymore.
"It's not healthy," he had said. "Even if you don't want to talk, you know I'm there for you to lean on. Besides, you never used to do that. Kaoru, your parents wouldn't want you do that, to be this way and you know it."
Kaoru felt so much better after talking to Kenshin. Now, it was so easy to slip back into their routine of hanging out, with endless things to talk about. She had asked Kenshin to spend the night. It was late and they were still planning to hang out. Kaoru also hated the idea of Kenshin walking home in the dark.
"Ne, Kenshin, how are things with Tomoe-san?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin smiled wryly.
"Over. Tomoe decided that she liked Akira-san more than me. She said I didn't pay enough attention to her. I guess kendo, my ongoing contest with Shishio, school and friends took too much of my time."
Kenshin neglected to tell her that Tomoe was jealous of Kaoru, and her bond with Kenshin. Tomoe also knew that Kaoru held a part of Kenshin that she never would, and so she went to Akira. Akira was the one who could give Tomoe the attention she craved.
Kaoru didn't say anything. She just looked at him. Kenshin was an extremely good-looking, no; make that an extremely hot guy. He was only a couple of inches taller than her. He was slender, but muscular from his training in the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. He was very tan, for his uncle and he preferred to train outside by a beautiful waterfall. Kenshin had beautiful red hair that fell halfway down his back. He usually pulled it back in a low ponytail with his bangs falling into his face. He had the most extraordinary eyes Kaoru had ever seen. They were an exotic shade of violet, rimmed with gold. When he was in the grip of an extreme emotion, his eyes turned amber, tinged with violet. When he was really pissed off, his eyes were like pure gold. Kaoru's eyes fell to Kenshin's cheek. There, a cross-shaped scar lived, a result of a fight that took place long ago. Then, he wasn't as adept at protecting himself. Kaoru looked back into Kenshin's eyes. All this observation took place in a matter of seconds. Finally, Kaoru spoke.
"She's crazy." Kenshin glanced at her. "Oh? How so?"
Kaoru looked out the window, "She only needed some patience to get to know you. Then, she would have been able to see how wonderful you are, inside and out. She wouldn't need the attention she craves, because she would know that she came first. One month isn't enough to truly decide who someone is and what their nature really is." Kaoru looked back to Kenshin. "Besides, you are one hot guy. She's an idiot to let you get away."
Kenshin burst out laughing. "Arigatou Kaoru. Only you would see it like that. After one month, you do get some idea to how a person really is. Besides, I'm not upset about it. I don't feel much of anything when I think about her or why we aren't together. That fact alone proves we weren't meant to be. The right one is out there somewhere, ne? Speaking of significant others, how are things between you and Shishio?"
Kaoru looked at him ruefully. " Not too good. He's getting very possessive. He doesn't want me to hang around with any other guys. He's also very jealous of you, although I think that stems from the fact that you always beat him in whatever you two decide to compete at. I think it was a mistake to go out with him. I have a feeling I was only a tool that he needed to be better at something than you. Besides, we've been together for only two months and he keeps pressuring me for." Kaoru stopped abruptly and looked out the window.
Kenshin looked at her puzzled for a minute, and then burst out laughing. "Hmm, so Shishio is finding life a bit hard, huh? Don't worry Kaoru, just tell him to take matters into his own hands." Kenshin kept laughing, unable to stop.
"Kenshin no baka!" Kaoru screeched. She punched him in the head. Hard.
"Ororororororororororo!" Kenshin lay on the floor, birds flying around his head. Kaoru giggled. "Serves you right. You are such a hentai! Get up already would you? We still have to decide what anime series to watch. How about Fushigi Yugi, or maybe Escaflowne?"
Kenshin sweatdropped. "We've seen those a million times. How about Gokudo or Prince of Tennis??"
Kaoru pouted, "Mou! I guess we can watch those two tonight." Kenshin looked slyly at her, making Kaoru watch him warily. She shrieked as Kenshin pounced on her and started an all out tickle war. Neither noticed the red eyes staring through the window at them, gleaming with anger and malice.
End Chapter 1
AN-Well, what do you think? Please R&R. Be kind to me, this is my first fanfic, and I'd really appreciate feedback. Thanks minna-san!