Chapter Seven: In Your Embrace
Kaoru woke the next morning and wearily got dressed. As she walked into the kitchen she noticed that something smelled good. She looked over at Yahiko who was currently stuffing his face with a hot breakfast.
"Did you make that yourself?" Kaoru asked, confused and sleepily.
Yahiko shook his head. "Nah. It was Kenshin." He said through a mouthful.
Kaoru snapped instantly awake. "Kenshin?!?"
"Yeah, he came back last night, didn't you know?" Yahiko told her.
"Last night! WHERE IS HE NOW?!?!?" Kaoru screamed.
Yahiko flinched and rubbed his ears. "He said he was going to talk to Sano about something."
Kaoru quickly grabbed her sandals and dashed out the door to find him.
"That stupid Kenshin, why didn't he come to see me?" Kaoru questioned herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin didn't know exactly where to find Sano, but he was lucky to bump into him just leaving his house. Sano invited him inside, glad that he had finally returned.
"So you're back. It's about time." Sano said.
"Do you know about a Yukimura by chance?" Kenshin asked getting straight to the point.
"Ahhh..So you heard about him, did you?" Sano said casually. "So what are you going to go about it?"
Kenshin looked up at Sano, a weary look on his face. "I can't do anything, if she really is in love with this guy. I can't take that away from her."
Sano sighed and grabbed Kenshin by the shoulders and shook him vigorously. "You can't just let some guy she just met steal her from you! Besides how do you know if she really is in love with him?"
Kenshin just looked even more saddened. "She wasn't mine to steal from anyway and besides I don't deserve her. She deserves so much better."
Sano just got more exasperated with Kenshin. "Stop being such a baka Kenshin! I know the little missy cares a lot for you. Just tell her that you love her already!"
Sano released Kenshin from his grip and tossed him out the door. "Get going and tell her now before it's too late!"
"Oro!" Kenshin said as he stumbled down the road, still shaken up from San's attack.
Kenshin walked till her came to the rivers edge. He sighed and sat down on the soft green grass. Should he tell her or should he not? He didn't know anymore, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to stand it if Kaoru was to be with another man. He picked up a small stone and tossed it lightly into the water, causing it to ripple and shimmer.
Kaoru ran frantically down the road. Where could he be? Luckily she ran into Sano in the street.
"Hello Missy. What's the matter?" he asked noticing her frantic face.
"Have you seen Kenshin anywhere?" she asked wringing her hands together impatiently.
"I saw him walking down towards the river, but that was a while ago." Sano said.
Before Sano even finished talking Kaoru was already sprinting in that direction. As she approached the bank of the river she stopped and looked around. There Kenshin was lying on the grass, his hands behind his head, staring up at the sky. His long red tresses stood out brightly against the pale green grass. Kaoru's heart skipped a beat. He was actually her. She started to run, with each step she grew faster till she was almost to him, but then..........she tripped.
Kenshin was just laying, staring up at the sky, thinking about Kaoru and what he should do, when he heard hurried footsteps. The next thing he knew, Kaoru was on top of him. He shot up into a sitting position, Kaoru in his lap. "Miss..Kaoru?" he asked anxiously.
Kaoru blushed and climbed off of him. "I'm sorry.I tripped."
An awkward silence grew between them as they both sat down on the ground looking at each other. Finally Kaoru just burst tears and threw her arms around him.
"Why did you have to leave? I missed you so much." Kaoru sobbed against him. Kenshin brought his arms around her and held her closer burying his face in her ebony black hair. She smelled so sweet. He forgot all formality as he held her in his arms, running his fingers through her hair.
"I'm sorry. It was a big mistake, that it was. But please don't cry anymore. I can't stand to see you cry." He said softly into her ear.
Kaoru let his words sink in enjoying the closeness between them and the feel of Kenshin's warm breath on her ear. She could not help, but feel totally satisfied having his strong arms wrapped around her, burying her in his scent. Slowly she leaned in closer so that her head was leaning against his muscled chest. She could fell the steady rhythm of his heart beating, pulsing with a radiating warmth that spread to her own body. Eventually the sobs that had racked her body ceased and she simply soaked up his presence.
Kenshin was in total bliss, utter heaven when he held her in his arms. He never wanted to let her go. He wanted this moment to last for eternity, till the end of time itself. His heart beat painfully at the thought of losing her to someone else and he knew that he would have to tell her his true feelings right now. Slowly he released her so that he could look her in the eyes. And what beautiful sapphire eyes did she have, that always managed to break his barriers down.
"Miss Kaoru..the reason I went on that journey was to discover something about myself. I think I have found my answer. What I found is that I.." Kenshin began as he stared deep into her eyes.
Kaoru looked at him expectantly, almost begging him to continue. She could feel his arms tighten around her anxiously as though frightened to tell. Here was the moment of absolute truth. To miss this would be to miss the chance that could change their lives forever.
"What I discovered, Miss Kaoru, is that.." Kenshin began, but he didn't have a chance to finish because there was a shout and the sound of someone running hard. Kenshin released Kaoru and turned around to see Yahiko running towards them.
"Yahiko, what's the matter?" Kenshin asked noticing his panicked face.
"The dojo is...on fire!" Yahiko said panting for breath.
Kaoru woke the next morning and wearily got dressed. As she walked into the kitchen she noticed that something smelled good. She looked over at Yahiko who was currently stuffing his face with a hot breakfast.
"Did you make that yourself?" Kaoru asked, confused and sleepily.
Yahiko shook his head. "Nah. It was Kenshin." He said through a mouthful.
Kaoru snapped instantly awake. "Kenshin?!?"
"Yeah, he came back last night, didn't you know?" Yahiko told her.
"Last night! WHERE IS HE NOW?!?!?" Kaoru screamed.
Yahiko flinched and rubbed his ears. "He said he was going to talk to Sano about something."
Kaoru quickly grabbed her sandals and dashed out the door to find him.
"That stupid Kenshin, why didn't he come to see me?" Kaoru questioned herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin didn't know exactly where to find Sano, but he was lucky to bump into him just leaving his house. Sano invited him inside, glad that he had finally returned.
"So you're back. It's about time." Sano said.
"Do you know about a Yukimura by chance?" Kenshin asked getting straight to the point.
"Ahhh..So you heard about him, did you?" Sano said casually. "So what are you going to go about it?"
Kenshin looked up at Sano, a weary look on his face. "I can't do anything, if she really is in love with this guy. I can't take that away from her."
Sano sighed and grabbed Kenshin by the shoulders and shook him vigorously. "You can't just let some guy she just met steal her from you! Besides how do you know if she really is in love with him?"
Kenshin just looked even more saddened. "She wasn't mine to steal from anyway and besides I don't deserve her. She deserves so much better."
Sano just got more exasperated with Kenshin. "Stop being such a baka Kenshin! I know the little missy cares a lot for you. Just tell her that you love her already!"
Sano released Kenshin from his grip and tossed him out the door. "Get going and tell her now before it's too late!"
"Oro!" Kenshin said as he stumbled down the road, still shaken up from San's attack.
Kenshin walked till her came to the rivers edge. He sighed and sat down on the soft green grass. Should he tell her or should he not? He didn't know anymore, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to stand it if Kaoru was to be with another man. He picked up a small stone and tossed it lightly into the water, causing it to ripple and shimmer.
Kaoru ran frantically down the road. Where could he be? Luckily she ran into Sano in the street.
"Hello Missy. What's the matter?" he asked noticing her frantic face.
"Have you seen Kenshin anywhere?" she asked wringing her hands together impatiently.
"I saw him walking down towards the river, but that was a while ago." Sano said.
Before Sano even finished talking Kaoru was already sprinting in that direction. As she approached the bank of the river she stopped and looked around. There Kenshin was lying on the grass, his hands behind his head, staring up at the sky. His long red tresses stood out brightly against the pale green grass. Kaoru's heart skipped a beat. He was actually her. She started to run, with each step she grew faster till she was almost to him, but then..........she tripped.
Kenshin was just laying, staring up at the sky, thinking about Kaoru and what he should do, when he heard hurried footsteps. The next thing he knew, Kaoru was on top of him. He shot up into a sitting position, Kaoru in his lap. "Miss..Kaoru?" he asked anxiously.
Kaoru blushed and climbed off of him. "I'm sorry.I tripped."
An awkward silence grew between them as they both sat down on the ground looking at each other. Finally Kaoru just burst tears and threw her arms around him.
"Why did you have to leave? I missed you so much." Kaoru sobbed against him. Kenshin brought his arms around her and held her closer burying his face in her ebony black hair. She smelled so sweet. He forgot all formality as he held her in his arms, running his fingers through her hair.
"I'm sorry. It was a big mistake, that it was. But please don't cry anymore. I can't stand to see you cry." He said softly into her ear.
Kaoru let his words sink in enjoying the closeness between them and the feel of Kenshin's warm breath on her ear. She could not help, but feel totally satisfied having his strong arms wrapped around her, burying her in his scent. Slowly she leaned in closer so that her head was leaning against his muscled chest. She could fell the steady rhythm of his heart beating, pulsing with a radiating warmth that spread to her own body. Eventually the sobs that had racked her body ceased and she simply soaked up his presence.
Kenshin was in total bliss, utter heaven when he held her in his arms. He never wanted to let her go. He wanted this moment to last for eternity, till the end of time itself. His heart beat painfully at the thought of losing her to someone else and he knew that he would have to tell her his true feelings right now. Slowly he released her so that he could look her in the eyes. And what beautiful sapphire eyes did she have, that always managed to break his barriers down.
"Miss Kaoru..the reason I went on that journey was to discover something about myself. I think I have found my answer. What I found is that I.." Kenshin began as he stared deep into her eyes.
Kaoru looked at him expectantly, almost begging him to continue. She could feel his arms tighten around her anxiously as though frightened to tell. Here was the moment of absolute truth. To miss this would be to miss the chance that could change their lives forever.
"What I discovered, Miss Kaoru, is that.." Kenshin began, but he didn't have a chance to finish because there was a shout and the sound of someone running hard. Kenshin released Kaoru and turned around to see Yahiko running towards them.
"Yahiko, what's the matter?" Kenshin asked noticing his panicked face.
"The dojo is...on fire!" Yahiko said panting for breath.