Hello again folks! As you know this is Deseray writing, just keeping a promise to Nicky9. I hope you guys really like this chapter. I don't know when I will get the chance to update. School really is a big killer. I have to go! Please leave any comments, suggestions, and questions in your review. If you have any flames you would like to share, make them short, simple, and sweet, with sensible phrases or they could be either ignored or thrown out in a trash bin. Have a nice day!
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series. I wish I did but I don't. : (
Sweet Surrender
Chapter Twelve
Kaoru worked very hard in the kitchen. The day of Thanksgiving was finally here, and she had the day off from work for the very first time. On this day, she planned to do all the cooking for Thanksgiving because she invited her family members to share this special day with her father, her brother, and her. She didn't want them to spend the holidays alone as they usually do. Anyway, most of the holidays she worked for the extra money. As most people would say she really didn't have a life with fun in it.
"Are you done with the turkey as yet? You made everything earlier without any help and you only make me feel guilty Raven," replied her father who just entered the kitchen.
Kaoru smiled at her father's innocent reaction. He really did want to help her, however, her stubbornness got the better of her. She wanted to do everything for herself to prove to her father that she didn't need him when it came to working in the kitchen. From the time of growing up, she always planned in her life to be pretty decent at everything. Her theory was that a person who only had book smarts was not completely ready to face the world as yet. If a person knew how to read a book with quite perfection, did they know how to do house chores, or manage their money well as they could read that book? In life there's so many options and Kaoru wanted to take advantage of all what life had to offer her, because one morning she can wake up to find that her last day came to meet her. Being a secret agent had its downfalls, and one of them was living a short life.
"Father, you take things so personally. You don't have to worry about me being in the kitchen doing everything. You just sit down and relax, while you leave everything for me to do," replied Kaoru gently as she looked with her father with so much love.
"That's the problem! I just can't relax and know you're doing everything. At least let me help in someway Raven."
"That's the problem? You never give up do you?" Kaoru placed her hands on hips her eyes scolded her father gently. She just couldn't comprehend his nature at all. At work he was so protective of her, yet he was so cold when he regarded her with important tasks. At home, he was a completely a different person. His eyes were much warmer, and every little task she did in the house, he found someway to help her do it. Just understanding her father alone was something she gave up a long time. Her father was fastidious with a bizarre nature. When he referred to something, a person must think twice to what he really meant. "If you are so eager to help me, then you could answer the door when the bell rings, like just now."
"The bell just rung. I didn't hear anything. I should get some hearing aids," stated Hiko. He left her without noticing her blue eyes were laughing at him. He was so easy to beguile.
As he left the kitchen, Kaoru ripped out the aluminum from the box and placed back in the cabinet above the stove. The turkey was ready. She remembered at the very last minute that a twelve-pound turkey had to remain in the oven for about four to five hours. The sparkly aluminum was placed over the turkey with exact precision. She wanted the turkey to remain fresh after all the turkey was going to be served to nine people in total. Thinking about everyone who were going to be at her home for Thanksgiving was exciting. Soujiro her fiancé was going to be among her family tonight. She thought it would be a good way for him to socialize with her family to make him better acquainted with them.
Losing herself in her tasks, she didn't notice when Aoshi and Soujiro entered the kitchen. Soujiro went up behind her, placed his arms gently and tenderly around her petite frame. It was only when he place a sweet and haste kiss on the top of her raven head, she noticed him. Kaoru almost shrieked in horror. She leaped away from as fast as she could, making distance between him and her. What he did was completely wrong! He made an intimate gesture at her when her brother was in the kitchen with them. The tension in the room was swarming out of control. A huge flaming could be felt from Aoshi. Kaoru felt her body tightened with panic as her breath constricted within her lungs. Just to breath alone in the room would start something very dangerous?
"Please don't start something stupid," whispered Kaoru as she stepped between both men. Just not only to change the subject but the tension that was swarming in the room, Kaoru asked a haste question. "How was the first step of the mission?"
For a while neither Aoshi nor Soujiro replied, until Kaoru had to repeat her question once more to them.
"Everything went the way it should. Enishi and his family are coming to the dojo to see how we train our students," said Soujiro breaking the tension within the kitchen.
"That's great. Well we got your name down on the guest list Aoshi. Now we should get the second step of the plan under control," stated Kaoru with her professional voice. Her mind went back to working mode, forgetting they were in the kitchen of their home. Instead she could have sworn they were all at work, working on their most important mission.
"They better not come by before the party. I want them to come after the party. I don't want them to be acquainted with us, until the mission is over," ordered Aoshi deadly serious. His ice blue eyes narrowed on Soujiro, promising him death if things went wrong.
Soujiro smiled then, his sky blue eyes showed such innocence. "Don't worry about that. Enishi is coming after the party. He planned to come with his folks."
"But what are his folk's names. We need to put their names on our guest list before allowing them enter to our dojo," said Kaoru earnestly. Her sapphire eyes widened just thinking that she finally was going to meet Soujiro's best friend.
"Oops! I guess I forgot to do something very important. I didn't ask for his family names. I never received the name from the maid who helped me either," said Soujiro, his tone filled with shock.
Sanosuke was helping his friend Misao serve the table. Today Thanksgiving was being held among the household members of the Himura's residence. He was anxious about the whole idea when Misao first suggested it, but then when he really began to think about everything logically, he realized that everyone were caught up in their own world. Maybe it was time they all got back to the same level.
"Uncle Sano? Did you hear? I am going to be enrolled in this dojo! I can't wait, all I need is daddy's approval!" yelled Tsubame as she came running into the grand dining room. Her light brown shinnied with so much spirit and excitement. Sano couldn't remember seeing such happiness from Tsubame. She looked so beautiful, like her mother Tomoe. When Tomoe passed away, she never really left. There was so much of Tomoe in little Tsubame. Tsubame carried her pleasant smile, the same eyes, and the same gestures as her mother. He felt like he was watching Tomoe grow before his eyes.
"Well, lets hope your father would approve, right?" Sano patted her head with affection. He knew he wasn't her real uncle, but when she called him uncle, it made him feel like he really was her uncle.
"Yeah! I can't wait! I always wanted to know self defense and now would be a great time to get better at fighting! I can't wait! Did you know Yahiko goes to the dojo as well?" asked Tsubame. She hurried past across the table and left the grand dining room, to fly across the study room to reach outside. Sano watched the young, bright child leave the grand dining room. He smiled to himself remembering his young days.
"I need to speak about that Sano," stated Misao who now reach his other side of the table. She placed one plate after another, setting them in their rightful place.
Sano drifted from his past to the present. He never saw Misao act so awkward. No, actually he did, but it was only when she found something really important. Could it be she found out something important about you know whom?
As if Misao read his mind, she replied, "I think I finally found where Kaoru is located."
Dinner went pretty well, but Aoshi was still pretty pissed off what happened earlier. It was not the fact that he was really happy for his sister. He knew she deserved the best what life had to offer her, but he just didn't like to see intimate gestures that Soujiro did to Kaoru. He felt something weird. Ever since the day Soujiro entered Kaoru's life, every thing went differently. He felt something dangerous in the air, whenever Soujiro was around Kaoru. He knew he had to be on his guard. This was one of his reasons he refused Kaoru to go out with him alone. Another reason was after the truth Hiko revealed to him, he knew the serious danger Kaoru would be in. And then there was Kaoru herself. She didn't act like her normal self when she was with him. It looked and sounded like a different Kaoru, a Kaoru Aoshi didn't grow up with.
After many days of analysis of Kaoru's actions, he decided to bring back the true Kaoru he grew up with. He decided to put in a movie in which everyone, which included his nieces in which Aunt Tokio and Uncle Saito adapted could watch. His grandfather who everyone referred him as Doctor Gensai was the first one in the living room. He really liked movies, however this movie was not a regular movie. It was a videotape of his and Kaoru's past when they lived together in their old neighborhood.
He watched as everyone seated themselves in comfortable positions in front of the television. Then he placed the videotape within the VCR all the while his eyes glued to his sister's sapphire eyes. Never once did he move his eyes away, as their old high school played on the television screen. He could tell insistently that Kaoru's small frame stilled as she saw the tape of her old school.
In the past, Kaoru's freshmen year had a challenge people seek out. Aoshi was a senior of the school at that time that always looked after his sister. Her sapphire eyes were always filled with so much life, filled with so much hope. He could see within the depths of her soul of how contented she was. The challenge people faced was a play, which had to do with people affirming who would be the best couples to act in the play. Aoshi knew Kaoru and Kenshin were best friends, but sometimes when Aoshi looked very carefully into Kaoru's eyes, he saw she looked at Kenshin more then just a friend, however he remained silent. It was only when the play found no suited couple did he recommend his sister and her best friend. From the time the curtains went up, the videotape caught something that no one else noticed what he noticed.
At the center of the stage stood a petite girl, who looked no older then fourteen. Her long raven out from its normal ponytail shimmered under the colored lights of hues. Tears animated from her eyes, as her soul poured to the heavens. She waited for that night on the stage for him to appear, only he did not. There she was wondering what she did ever so wrong. Slowly moving around as graceful as a cat, her hands clutched tightly to her chest, while whimpers only came out from her used up throat, she never noticed when the rain came from the heavens sharing, bearing her soul. Whichever way she turned, she remained waiting for him. Whatever came to her mind, she stayed. Her heart was what kept her sane, and without her other half of her heart, she would become insane. What was one to do? Her sapphire eyes looked up as the rain fell. Each raindrop cascaded down her figure, drawing out lustful amber from the depths of the shadow. Her body arched forming a perfect shape, her clothes clinging to her every curve. The way her hands glided to wipe her tears mixed with the rain from her face, only enhanced a seductive view of this petite girl. Never did she noticed those fierce eyes never looked away from her, when she brought her hands to the side of her hips. Her breath was heavy, as the rain fell, and slowly did she walk away from where she was located, only to have a hand capture her own. The girl turned around instantly as she felt a warm hand caught her now cold hand. Her sapphire eyes filled with despair before, widened with shock and hope, but never did she see lustful eyes of her lover. Never did she expect for him to break his every vow to come see her. He was to marry another, while she was to walk away. He was to have his arms around another, while she was miles away. He had another to live with, and she had to go away, yet why did he come to see her one last time? His hand clasped over her hand. He rotated around her figure, his lustful eyes, never looked away from hers. She felt the burning hunger grow within her, she felt her body calling out for his. New senses awoken to his touch as his fingers closed around hers. He directed her to rotate with him, as if they were dancing to some silent music. His body moved slowly with her body, making intimate dance. It was in his eyes then she saw, it was not only lust he held for at the moment, but there was love too. Only then his arms snaked around her petite figure, she surrendered her soul into his keeping forever.
From that moment Kaoru could no longer watch the videotape. Aoshi saw tears formed in her eyes, ones filled with despair. Her motto once was love can never truly die, and that tape proved her motto to be true.