Silent Hearts:
Chapter Two: Deep Thoughts
Kaoru looked at everyone around the table as they began to eat. Yahiko, her apprentice, was currently stuffing his face as fast as he could along with Sano, the former fighter for hire, Zanza. Her glance then turned to Kenshin who sat eating his own portion politely, commenting once or twice about the speed of Yahiko's eating.
"So, Missy, you sure are quiet this evening." Sano commented as the last bit of food was consumed.
Kaoru woke from her reverie, startled by the statement.
"I'm just tired, that's all." She said quickly. She could feel Kenshin's gaze boring into her and she shifted uncomfortably.
As though sensing her uneasiness Kenshin broke his gaze and stared down at his hands which lay clenched tightly in his lap. He knew that there was still something she was hiding from him and he wanted to know what it was. He wanted to be there for her, to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be ok. He had never felt this strongly for anyone, even Tomoe. Kaoru was different than any other person that he knew. Kaoru was special to him.
It was then that Kaoru noticed his blackened sleeve. She pulled back the fabric on his arm to discover a slight burn.
"What happened?" Kaoru said her voice slightly unstable.
Kenshin pulled his arm away, not wanting her to worry.
"It is nothing. I was deep in thought while I was cooking and I got a little burn, that's all."
A little frown appeared on Kaoru's face. "Please let me treat it. It could get infected."
As Kenshin stared into her eyes he couldn't help, but fall prey to their spell once again. "All right then."
By the time Kaoru returned with the bandages and ointment, Sano and Yahiko had already disappeared off to somewhere. Probably to avoid the chore of cleaning up the dishes from dinner.
Kaoru gently lifted up his sleeve, causing him to wince a little. It seemed that the burn had been a little worse than he had previously assumed. Kaoru carefully spread the ointment on the burn and wrapped it.
"Thank you, Miss Kaoru." He said softly as he stood up and began to walk away, but her next words froze him.
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we had never met?" she asked quietly.
Kenshin's heart clenched in his chest. If they had never met? Could she possibly mean that she regretted meeting him?
"What I mean is.. if I hadn't stopped you that day in the alley I would have never known you." Kaoru continued.
"Would you rather have had it been that way?" Kenshin said his throat constricting roughly.
Kaoru stared up at him a look of horror planted on her face. "I didn't mean it like that. I don't think I could live without you." Then Kaoru caught herself and she blushed then turned away.
Kenshin tensed more at these words. She couldn't live without him? Could that possibly mean..
Late that night Kaoru lay in bed thinking. That sense of emptiness was threatening to overwhelm her again as it usually did at night. She clenched on tightly to her sleeping robe as she stood up and stepped out to the cool night. She nearly jumped when she saw a figure standing secretly in the moonlight, but it was just Kenshin.
Kenshin sensed Kaoru's presence behind him, but he stood still and continued to stare up at the stars.
Kaoru slowly walked up to stand next to Kenshin. "The stars are so beautiful tonight." She said softly.
Kaoru was right. The stars glimmered like crystals splashed on soft blue velvet. Kenshin glance down at her face, which shimmered in the moonlight. 'But there is nothing more beautiful than her' he thought to himself.
"Aren't you cold?" Kenshin asked noticed that she only wore her thin sleeping robe.
Kaoru shivered as though she had just realized that chill in the air. "I should probably go in, shouldn't I?" Kaoru said even though she didn't move. She was reluctant to leave Kenshin and have the loneliness return to her.
"May I ask something, Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin said hesitantly.
Kaoru looked at him curiously. "Anything, Kenshin."
"Is there anything that you are hiding from me?" He asked apologetically for his straightforward question.
Kaoru sighed. "Yes."
Kenshin didn't press her for any more information, though he needed it desperately. She would tell him when she was ready.
"I think I'll go inside now." Kaoru said as she stepped away from Kenshin.
Kenshin sadly watched her go. He knew he had no right to prey into her private business. He had many secrets that he kept from her, many dark secrets, but this time was different. He could see that whatever Kaoru was holding back from him was hurting her deeply. He couldn't stand to see her in pain. He was going to do whatever it took to get rid of her sadness.
Kaoru lay in bed again curled up in the blankets. She was trying to figure out just what was bothering her so much. She had figured out so far that it had something to do with Kenshin, but whenever she thought about him she got confused. It seemed her emotions would go haywire. It didn't make any sense.
Kenshin stayed outside for a while longer contemplating his feelings. He knew by now that he was in love with Kaoru, but he was reluctant to tell her that. He didn't deserve a wonderful person like Kaoru. Also he wasn't even sure if she felt the same way. She couldn't be with him anyway. He was too dangerous. He was putting her at risk just staying her at the dojo.
Then Kenshin thought of an idea. He went inside and found a piece of paper and scribbled something down on it. Carefully he slid it under Kaoru's door and paused for a moment, listening intently. He could hear Kaoru's steady breathing from inside. He hoped that she wouldn't be too angry with him.
Kaoru woke early the next morning and yawned loudly. She slipped out of bed and pulled on her practicing gi and hakama. She paused when she saw a little piece of white paper lying on the floor. With a great sense of dread she slowly walked over to stand above it. Hesitantly she reached down and picked it up, her hand shaking as though she already knew what it contained.
"Dear Miss Kaoru,
I'm afraid that I will have to leave for a while. There are some things I need to find out. Don't blame yourself for this. It's nothing that you have done. There are things about my past that I still need to straighten out. Don't worry I will return, that I will. I swear to you that I will come back to you once I have found my answer.
Kenshin"
Kaoru slid down to the floor the piece of paper clenched tightly against her chest.
Chapter Two: Deep Thoughts
Kaoru looked at everyone around the table as they began to eat. Yahiko, her apprentice, was currently stuffing his face as fast as he could along with Sano, the former fighter for hire, Zanza. Her glance then turned to Kenshin who sat eating his own portion politely, commenting once or twice about the speed of Yahiko's eating.
"So, Missy, you sure are quiet this evening." Sano commented as the last bit of food was consumed.
Kaoru woke from her reverie, startled by the statement.
"I'm just tired, that's all." She said quickly. She could feel Kenshin's gaze boring into her and she shifted uncomfortably.
As though sensing her uneasiness Kenshin broke his gaze and stared down at his hands which lay clenched tightly in his lap. He knew that there was still something she was hiding from him and he wanted to know what it was. He wanted to be there for her, to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be ok. He had never felt this strongly for anyone, even Tomoe. Kaoru was different than any other person that he knew. Kaoru was special to him.
It was then that Kaoru noticed his blackened sleeve. She pulled back the fabric on his arm to discover a slight burn.
"What happened?" Kaoru said her voice slightly unstable.
Kenshin pulled his arm away, not wanting her to worry.
"It is nothing. I was deep in thought while I was cooking and I got a little burn, that's all."
A little frown appeared on Kaoru's face. "Please let me treat it. It could get infected."
As Kenshin stared into her eyes he couldn't help, but fall prey to their spell once again. "All right then."
By the time Kaoru returned with the bandages and ointment, Sano and Yahiko had already disappeared off to somewhere. Probably to avoid the chore of cleaning up the dishes from dinner.
Kaoru gently lifted up his sleeve, causing him to wince a little. It seemed that the burn had been a little worse than he had previously assumed. Kaoru carefully spread the ointment on the burn and wrapped it.
"Thank you, Miss Kaoru." He said softly as he stood up and began to walk away, but her next words froze him.
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we had never met?" she asked quietly.
Kenshin's heart clenched in his chest. If they had never met? Could she possibly mean that she regretted meeting him?
"What I mean is.. if I hadn't stopped you that day in the alley I would have never known you." Kaoru continued.
"Would you rather have had it been that way?" Kenshin said his throat constricting roughly.
Kaoru stared up at him a look of horror planted on her face. "I didn't mean it like that. I don't think I could live without you." Then Kaoru caught herself and she blushed then turned away.
Kenshin tensed more at these words. She couldn't live without him? Could that possibly mean..
Late that night Kaoru lay in bed thinking. That sense of emptiness was threatening to overwhelm her again as it usually did at night. She clenched on tightly to her sleeping robe as she stood up and stepped out to the cool night. She nearly jumped when she saw a figure standing secretly in the moonlight, but it was just Kenshin.
Kenshin sensed Kaoru's presence behind him, but he stood still and continued to stare up at the stars.
Kaoru slowly walked up to stand next to Kenshin. "The stars are so beautiful tonight." She said softly.
Kaoru was right. The stars glimmered like crystals splashed on soft blue velvet. Kenshin glance down at her face, which shimmered in the moonlight. 'But there is nothing more beautiful than her' he thought to himself.
"Aren't you cold?" Kenshin asked noticed that she only wore her thin sleeping robe.
Kaoru shivered as though she had just realized that chill in the air. "I should probably go in, shouldn't I?" Kaoru said even though she didn't move. She was reluctant to leave Kenshin and have the loneliness return to her.
"May I ask something, Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin said hesitantly.
Kaoru looked at him curiously. "Anything, Kenshin."
"Is there anything that you are hiding from me?" He asked apologetically for his straightforward question.
Kaoru sighed. "Yes."
Kenshin didn't press her for any more information, though he needed it desperately. She would tell him when she was ready.
"I think I'll go inside now." Kaoru said as she stepped away from Kenshin.
Kenshin sadly watched her go. He knew he had no right to prey into her private business. He had many secrets that he kept from her, many dark secrets, but this time was different. He could see that whatever Kaoru was holding back from him was hurting her deeply. He couldn't stand to see her in pain. He was going to do whatever it took to get rid of her sadness.
Kaoru lay in bed again curled up in the blankets. She was trying to figure out just what was bothering her so much. She had figured out so far that it had something to do with Kenshin, but whenever she thought about him she got confused. It seemed her emotions would go haywire. It didn't make any sense.
Kenshin stayed outside for a while longer contemplating his feelings. He knew by now that he was in love with Kaoru, but he was reluctant to tell her that. He didn't deserve a wonderful person like Kaoru. Also he wasn't even sure if she felt the same way. She couldn't be with him anyway. He was too dangerous. He was putting her at risk just staying her at the dojo.
Then Kenshin thought of an idea. He went inside and found a piece of paper and scribbled something down on it. Carefully he slid it under Kaoru's door and paused for a moment, listening intently. He could hear Kaoru's steady breathing from inside. He hoped that she wouldn't be too angry with him.
Kaoru woke early the next morning and yawned loudly. She slipped out of bed and pulled on her practicing gi and hakama. She paused when she saw a little piece of white paper lying on the floor. With a great sense of dread she slowly walked over to stand above it. Hesitantly she reached down and picked it up, her hand shaking as though she already knew what it contained.
"Dear Miss Kaoru,
I'm afraid that I will have to leave for a while. There are some things I need to find out. Don't blame yourself for this. It's nothing that you have done. There are things about my past that I still need to straighten out. Don't worry I will return, that I will. I swear to you that I will come back to you once I have found my answer.
Kenshin"
Kaoru slid down to the floor the piece of paper clenched tightly against her chest.