Silent Hearts:
Chapter Ten: Yukimura Returns: Sacrifice or Happiness?
The moonlight caressed the silent figures of Kenshin and Kaoru as they walked down the winding path to the river. A slight wind stirred Kaoru's silky dark hair, brushing it against her flushed cheeks. Kenshin smiled softly down at her, taking her hand in his own as they walked. Kaoru blushed deeper, but enjoyed Kenshin's warm hand gripping her own and the feel of his palm, rough from years of swordsmanship, against hers.
They didn't say anything at all till they reached the riverside. It was beautiful at night. The multicolored leaves drifted softly down onto to the still water, bathed in the silvery moonlight. Kaoru and Kenshin stared out at the water, gazing at their own reflections in the stillness of the dark night. Then Kenshin turned to face her, still holding onto her hand and clearing his throat nervously.
"I never got to finish my question." He said pulling her closer that he could wrap her in his arms. She leaned against his chest, enjoying the warmth and intimacy which they shared.
"What was your question?" Kaoru said, breathing in his scent which was making her lightheaded.
"I wanted to know..if you'd consider..becoming my wife." he said softly.
Kaoru choked. What had he just said?! "What?!" Kaoru stammered her heart beating faster and her head spinning.
"I wanted to know..will you marry me?" Kenshin repeated unaware that his whole body was shaking slightly.
Kaoru nodded and barely managed to mumble out a "yes."
A soft smile of relief and joy spread across his face as he scooped her up bridal style and swung her around, all the while plastering kisses on her face and down her neck.
Kaoru began to get dizzy, though she thoroughly enjoyed the way he was touching her. He was so gentle it was surprising, how he carefully kissed her skin softly. The warm kisses made her heart flutter frantically, and she was sure that if she had been standing she would have fainted to the ground. It was so intoxicating. She felt like she could get drunk just being in his presence.
After a few minutes Kenshin seemed to have come to his senses and set Kaoru back down to the ground. Kaoru had to lean against Kenshin to stay standing up, but it didn't bother her one tiny bit. She was glad for any excuse to be with him. She smiled up at him, love glowing tenderly in her eyes. Kenshin leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips.
"We should probably go back now." Kenshin said as he brushed his hands lightly through her hair.
Kaoru sighed and nodded. They both started to walk slowly back to the dojo. Kenshin wrapped his arm around her waist happily. Kaoru was going to be his wife..his alone and no one else's. Just that thought made Kenshin so happy that he felt like he could pick Kaoru up and run off to get married this second, but he knew that would not be the proper thing to do.
"Damn it all!" Yukimura whispered ferociously to himself as he watched the happy couple return to their home from his hiding spot in the bushes.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this! I'm..I'm the one who was supposed to comfort her and become closer...after the fire. Not that red-headed idiot...all I wanted..was Kaoru.I never would have done it...if I had known that this would happen." he said, hate for himself and for Kenshin raging within him. Had he really wanted Kaoru so much that he would destroy what she loved the most? How could he be such an awful person?
Yukimura stood up from his hiding spot and made his way over to look at his reflection. All he could see was the self loathing boiling in his heart. He brought one hand up to his face and paused to look at it. Why did he do it? His thoughts tumbled back to earlier that day...
Yukimura was miserable and that was all there was to it. He wandered randomly through the streets, his mind remembering Kaoru's words. 'There's someone that I'm waiting for.'
"Oh why couldn't it be me?" Yukimura said angrily to himself as he turned to go to his house. It was a small one, much like Sano's except for it was in a different section of the city. He had lived alone for the last year or two until his sister's husband had been killed in a knife fight and she had been stranded, a penniless widow with nothing to her name. So Yukimura had taken her in even though she was embittered. She was his sister after all and he had loved her very deeply. She was a few years older him though.
So when he returned, he was greeted by his sister with a scowl. He tried to smile, to at least appear to be cheerful. He was always trying to make her smile, and on some occasions he managed to. Even though she was bitter it was obvious that she loved him back.
"What's the matter Yukimura? You look unhappy." She said roughly as he sat down next to her.
"..It's nothing important." he said tiredly, rubbing his eyes.
"Is it something about the girl you were telling me about...that Kaoru?" she asked narrowing her eyes.
Yukimura nodded and told her everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that day Yukimura looked at the dojo. No one seemed to be there except the young boy, Kaoru's apprentice. He glanced over at his sister who stood beside him. His hands shook nervously.
"Are you sure we should really do this?" Yukimura said anxiously.
His sister frowned. "Do you want to lose Kaoru? Do you wanna lose this one chance at love? You don't get many. This is the only way!"
Yukimura shook his head. "I don't how see destroying her home will do anything."
His sister sighed loudly. "Someone will need to comfort her afterwards? And who will be there for her? You will. Just follow my advice and everything will be ok..."
~~~~~~ (back to the present) ~~~~~~~~~~
Yukimura clenched his hand into a tight fist and closed his eyes tightly. He was such an idiot, an utter fool. He had to go to Kaoru and beg her forgiveness even if she would not tell him. He had to tell her or else he felt like he was going to be torn apart......
~ok. I'm kind of unsure about this chapter, so please review and tell me what you think~
Chapter Ten: Yukimura Returns: Sacrifice or Happiness?
The moonlight caressed the silent figures of Kenshin and Kaoru as they walked down the winding path to the river. A slight wind stirred Kaoru's silky dark hair, brushing it against her flushed cheeks. Kenshin smiled softly down at her, taking her hand in his own as they walked. Kaoru blushed deeper, but enjoyed Kenshin's warm hand gripping her own and the feel of his palm, rough from years of swordsmanship, against hers.
They didn't say anything at all till they reached the riverside. It was beautiful at night. The multicolored leaves drifted softly down onto to the still water, bathed in the silvery moonlight. Kaoru and Kenshin stared out at the water, gazing at their own reflections in the stillness of the dark night. Then Kenshin turned to face her, still holding onto her hand and clearing his throat nervously.
"I never got to finish my question." He said pulling her closer that he could wrap her in his arms. She leaned against his chest, enjoying the warmth and intimacy which they shared.
"What was your question?" Kaoru said, breathing in his scent which was making her lightheaded.
"I wanted to know..if you'd consider..becoming my wife." he said softly.
Kaoru choked. What had he just said?! "What?!" Kaoru stammered her heart beating faster and her head spinning.
"I wanted to know..will you marry me?" Kenshin repeated unaware that his whole body was shaking slightly.
Kaoru nodded and barely managed to mumble out a "yes."
A soft smile of relief and joy spread across his face as he scooped her up bridal style and swung her around, all the while plastering kisses on her face and down her neck.
Kaoru began to get dizzy, though she thoroughly enjoyed the way he was touching her. He was so gentle it was surprising, how he carefully kissed her skin softly. The warm kisses made her heart flutter frantically, and she was sure that if she had been standing she would have fainted to the ground. It was so intoxicating. She felt like she could get drunk just being in his presence.
After a few minutes Kenshin seemed to have come to his senses and set Kaoru back down to the ground. Kaoru had to lean against Kenshin to stay standing up, but it didn't bother her one tiny bit. She was glad for any excuse to be with him. She smiled up at him, love glowing tenderly in her eyes. Kenshin leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips.
"We should probably go back now." Kenshin said as he brushed his hands lightly through her hair.
Kaoru sighed and nodded. They both started to walk slowly back to the dojo. Kenshin wrapped his arm around her waist happily. Kaoru was going to be his wife..his alone and no one else's. Just that thought made Kenshin so happy that he felt like he could pick Kaoru up and run off to get married this second, but he knew that would not be the proper thing to do.
"Damn it all!" Yukimura whispered ferociously to himself as he watched the happy couple return to their home from his hiding spot in the bushes.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this! I'm..I'm the one who was supposed to comfort her and become closer...after the fire. Not that red-headed idiot...all I wanted..was Kaoru.I never would have done it...if I had known that this would happen." he said, hate for himself and for Kenshin raging within him. Had he really wanted Kaoru so much that he would destroy what she loved the most? How could he be such an awful person?
Yukimura stood up from his hiding spot and made his way over to look at his reflection. All he could see was the self loathing boiling in his heart. He brought one hand up to his face and paused to look at it. Why did he do it? His thoughts tumbled back to earlier that day...
Yukimura was miserable and that was all there was to it. He wandered randomly through the streets, his mind remembering Kaoru's words. 'There's someone that I'm waiting for.'
"Oh why couldn't it be me?" Yukimura said angrily to himself as he turned to go to his house. It was a small one, much like Sano's except for it was in a different section of the city. He had lived alone for the last year or two until his sister's husband had been killed in a knife fight and she had been stranded, a penniless widow with nothing to her name. So Yukimura had taken her in even though she was embittered. She was his sister after all and he had loved her very deeply. She was a few years older him though.
So when he returned, he was greeted by his sister with a scowl. He tried to smile, to at least appear to be cheerful. He was always trying to make her smile, and on some occasions he managed to. Even though she was bitter it was obvious that she loved him back.
"What's the matter Yukimura? You look unhappy." She said roughly as he sat down next to her.
"..It's nothing important." he said tiredly, rubbing his eyes.
"Is it something about the girl you were telling me about...that Kaoru?" she asked narrowing her eyes.
Yukimura nodded and told her everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that day Yukimura looked at the dojo. No one seemed to be there except the young boy, Kaoru's apprentice. He glanced over at his sister who stood beside him. His hands shook nervously.
"Are you sure we should really do this?" Yukimura said anxiously.
His sister frowned. "Do you want to lose Kaoru? Do you wanna lose this one chance at love? You don't get many. This is the only way!"
Yukimura shook his head. "I don't how see destroying her home will do anything."
His sister sighed loudly. "Someone will need to comfort her afterwards? And who will be there for her? You will. Just follow my advice and everything will be ok..."
~~~~~~ (back to the present) ~~~~~~~~~~
Yukimura clenched his hand into a tight fist and closed his eyes tightly. He was such an idiot, an utter fool. He had to go to Kaoru and beg her forgiveness even if she would not tell him. He had to tell her or else he felt like he was going to be torn apart......
~ok. I'm kind of unsure about this chapter, so please review and tell me what you think~