Silent Hearts:
Chapter Nine: Summing It All Up
"We just heard about what happened." Sano said his eyes scanning the devastation that the fire had left behind.
Megumi was watching Kenshin and Kaoru carefully, her eyes intent and focused. She could tell that they had interrupted something. Kaoru was breathing heavier than usual, a slight blush on her pale cheeks and Kenshin's eyes were ferociously intense.
"Yes. There was a fire, but no one was hurt." Kenshin said sounding like his mind was on something else. There was a tense moment of silence where Kenshin turned to look at Kaoru for a second, causing her blush to deepen, but then he looked away again.
"Why don't we all go to the Akabeko to eat lunch and take a break from this? Yahiko's already there anyway. He's the one that told us what happened." Megumi said quietly still watching Kenshin and Kaoru's reactions. Sano was, of course, oblivious to the emotional tension in the air.
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"That's just awful, Miss Kaoru!" Tae exclaimed. They were all seated around a table in the Akabeko. She had just found out about the fire.
"Do you have any clue about how it happened, Yahiko?" Kenshin asked, wondering how it could have started in the first place.
Yahiko shook his head sadly, not saying a word. Yahiko's glance went to Tsubame who had just approached with drinks for all of them. The group was very quiet and thoughtful as they each grabbed their own drink and sipped them slowly.
"It doesn't make any sense." Sano said setting down his cup of sake and ruffling his fingers through his spiky brown hair. "If the fire was an accident then it would have started in the kitchen or somewhere where a fire was lit, not in the training hall."
"That must be the first smart comment I've heard from you, Sanosuke. I'll have to remember this." Megumi said coldly, turning to look at him.
"What did you say, Fox lady!" Sano said angrily. "Are you calling me stupid or something?"
"That's exactly what I meant, roosterhead!" Megumi shot back.
"Why you!....." Sano began, but Kenshin laid a hand on his shoulder. Sano grumbled, but did not say anything more.
Megumi then turned to Kenshin. "Could it be possible that the dojo was set on fire on purpose?" Megumi wondered.
"But who would want to do that?" Tae said.
Kenshin looked thoughtful. Could it be that someone had done it because of him?
"What are you going to do now?" Sano asked looking from Kenshin to Kaoru.
"I have decided to get a job to pay for the reconstruction of the training hall." Kenshin said, his eyes drifting over to look at Kaoru.
"I already told you that you didn't have to." Kaoru said quietly, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she clasped her hands tightly together.
"And I already told you that I wanted to do this." Kenshin said forcefully, in a very serious tone.
The air in the room tensed and an uncomfortable silence grew between the members of the group. Only the sound of the other customers in the nearby tables could be heard, gossiping, eating, and laughing. It seemed slightly wrong because of the sad events of the morning to hear other people enjoying themselves and going on with life.
Megumi watched Kenshin and Kaoru carefully, watching their every glace. She was extremely curious about what exactly had happened between them.
"Well, where are you staying tonight?" Tae asked trying to break the tension.
"The bedrooms, the kitchen and all the main living areas weren't damaged. We can spend the night there." Kenshin said after a few moments.
"That's lucky." Tae said looking at all their faces.
"Yeah...a little too lucky.." Kenshin whispered to himself. Only Kaoru heard his words.
As they all got up to leave Megumi pulled on Kenshin's arm. "Are you sure you'll be ok in the dojo tonight?"
Kenshin smiled, but it was a fake one. "Yes, we'll be fine."
Kaoru glared at Megumi, noticing that her hand was still on Kenshin's arm. She felt a jealousy rise within her that she could not suppress. She knew that Kenshin would never betray her, but that wouldn't stop Megumi from trying to ensnare him in one of her traps. Kaoru's eyes narrowed and she pulled on Kenshin to follow her.
Sano was the last one to leave the table, waiting to watch Megumi saunter out of view. He sighed loudly and downed another glass of sake. He could still picture Megumi's concerned face as she gazed at Kenshin. He sort of wished that she would look at him like that. Then he shook his head and laughed softly. But then again maybe he had had too much to drink.
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Later that night, Yahiko, Kaoru, and Kenshin all sat around the table eating a quick supper that Kenshin had prepared. The room was dead silent. Only the sound of chopsticks and eating could be heard. Kenshin was deep in his thoughts. Not only was he worried about the dojo and trying to figure out how it had been set on fire, Kaoru was taking up a large part of his mind. He had been so close to asking her to marry him. He was absolutely thrilled to find that Kaoru loved him. He brought his fingers up to his lips absentmindedly. He could still feel the warmth and taste of her lips on his, her sweet aroma enveloped in his embrace. He wanted so bad to be alone with her again, so he could finish his question and feel her in his arms once more.
Kaoru kept glancing over at Kenshin, her thoughts in turmoil. Then she remembered that he had just about to have asked her something before. What could he have been possibly about to ask her? She slowly chewed on her food. It might as well be tasteless because Kaoru was too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice its flavor. With a sigh she set down her chopsticks and bowl and stood up. She picked up her dishes and walked into the kitchen.
Kaoru heard light footsteps behind her and she turned around to see Kenshin walking in, carrying his and Yahiko's bowls. He didn't say anything, but lightly took her bowl and began to wash the dishes. She watched Kenshin for the moment, his sleeves tied back, his arms buried in soap bubbles scrubbing away at all the food crusted bowls. Then silently she walked up beside him and began to help him. When they both finished their own bowls they both reached for the last one. Their hands touched for a second. Kaoru blushed and withdrew her hand. She stood there watching him as he finished washing it and dried all the bowls and put them away.
They stood there in silence for a while. Then Kenshin turned to look at her.
"Will you take a walk with me?" Kenshin asked looking down at his hands.
"Ok." Kaoru said weakly.
~Not a very interesting chapter, but necessary. I'm going to be introducing a couple more relationships, so be warned. Things are going to get complicated~
Chapter Nine: Summing It All Up
"We just heard about what happened." Sano said his eyes scanning the devastation that the fire had left behind.
Megumi was watching Kenshin and Kaoru carefully, her eyes intent and focused. She could tell that they had interrupted something. Kaoru was breathing heavier than usual, a slight blush on her pale cheeks and Kenshin's eyes were ferociously intense.
"Yes. There was a fire, but no one was hurt." Kenshin said sounding like his mind was on something else. There was a tense moment of silence where Kenshin turned to look at Kaoru for a second, causing her blush to deepen, but then he looked away again.
"Why don't we all go to the Akabeko to eat lunch and take a break from this? Yahiko's already there anyway. He's the one that told us what happened." Megumi said quietly still watching Kenshin and Kaoru's reactions. Sano was, of course, oblivious to the emotional tension in the air.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That's just awful, Miss Kaoru!" Tae exclaimed. They were all seated around a table in the Akabeko. She had just found out about the fire.
"Do you have any clue about how it happened, Yahiko?" Kenshin asked, wondering how it could have started in the first place.
Yahiko shook his head sadly, not saying a word. Yahiko's glance went to Tsubame who had just approached with drinks for all of them. The group was very quiet and thoughtful as they each grabbed their own drink and sipped them slowly.
"It doesn't make any sense." Sano said setting down his cup of sake and ruffling his fingers through his spiky brown hair. "If the fire was an accident then it would have started in the kitchen or somewhere where a fire was lit, not in the training hall."
"That must be the first smart comment I've heard from you, Sanosuke. I'll have to remember this." Megumi said coldly, turning to look at him.
"What did you say, Fox lady!" Sano said angrily. "Are you calling me stupid or something?"
"That's exactly what I meant, roosterhead!" Megumi shot back.
"Why you!....." Sano began, but Kenshin laid a hand on his shoulder. Sano grumbled, but did not say anything more.
Megumi then turned to Kenshin. "Could it be possible that the dojo was set on fire on purpose?" Megumi wondered.
"But who would want to do that?" Tae said.
Kenshin looked thoughtful. Could it be that someone had done it because of him?
"What are you going to do now?" Sano asked looking from Kenshin to Kaoru.
"I have decided to get a job to pay for the reconstruction of the training hall." Kenshin said, his eyes drifting over to look at Kaoru.
"I already told you that you didn't have to." Kaoru said quietly, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she clasped her hands tightly together.
"And I already told you that I wanted to do this." Kenshin said forcefully, in a very serious tone.
The air in the room tensed and an uncomfortable silence grew between the members of the group. Only the sound of the other customers in the nearby tables could be heard, gossiping, eating, and laughing. It seemed slightly wrong because of the sad events of the morning to hear other people enjoying themselves and going on with life.
Megumi watched Kenshin and Kaoru carefully, watching their every glace. She was extremely curious about what exactly had happened between them.
"Well, where are you staying tonight?" Tae asked trying to break the tension.
"The bedrooms, the kitchen and all the main living areas weren't damaged. We can spend the night there." Kenshin said after a few moments.
"That's lucky." Tae said looking at all their faces.
"Yeah...a little too lucky.." Kenshin whispered to himself. Only Kaoru heard his words.
As they all got up to leave Megumi pulled on Kenshin's arm. "Are you sure you'll be ok in the dojo tonight?"
Kenshin smiled, but it was a fake one. "Yes, we'll be fine."
Kaoru glared at Megumi, noticing that her hand was still on Kenshin's arm. She felt a jealousy rise within her that she could not suppress. She knew that Kenshin would never betray her, but that wouldn't stop Megumi from trying to ensnare him in one of her traps. Kaoru's eyes narrowed and she pulled on Kenshin to follow her.
Sano was the last one to leave the table, waiting to watch Megumi saunter out of view. He sighed loudly and downed another glass of sake. He could still picture Megumi's concerned face as she gazed at Kenshin. He sort of wished that she would look at him like that. Then he shook his head and laughed softly. But then again maybe he had had too much to drink.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that night, Yahiko, Kaoru, and Kenshin all sat around the table eating a quick supper that Kenshin had prepared. The room was dead silent. Only the sound of chopsticks and eating could be heard. Kenshin was deep in his thoughts. Not only was he worried about the dojo and trying to figure out how it had been set on fire, Kaoru was taking up a large part of his mind. He had been so close to asking her to marry him. He was absolutely thrilled to find that Kaoru loved him. He brought his fingers up to his lips absentmindedly. He could still feel the warmth and taste of her lips on his, her sweet aroma enveloped in his embrace. He wanted so bad to be alone with her again, so he could finish his question and feel her in his arms once more.
Kaoru kept glancing over at Kenshin, her thoughts in turmoil. Then she remembered that he had just about to have asked her something before. What could he have been possibly about to ask her? She slowly chewed on her food. It might as well be tasteless because Kaoru was too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice its flavor. With a sigh she set down her chopsticks and bowl and stood up. She picked up her dishes and walked into the kitchen.
Kaoru heard light footsteps behind her and she turned around to see Kenshin walking in, carrying his and Yahiko's bowls. He didn't say anything, but lightly took her bowl and began to wash the dishes. She watched Kenshin for the moment, his sleeves tied back, his arms buried in soap bubbles scrubbing away at all the food crusted bowls. Then silently she walked up beside him and began to help him. When they both finished their own bowls they both reached for the last one. Their hands touched for a second. Kaoru blushed and withdrew her hand. She stood there watching him as he finished washing it and dried all the bowls and put them away.
They stood there in silence for a while. Then Kenshin turned to look at her.
"Will you take a walk with me?" Kenshin asked looking down at his hands.
"Ok." Kaoru said weakly.
~Not a very interesting chapter, but necessary. I'm going to be introducing a couple more relationships, so be warned. Things are going to get complicated~