[A/N: Time sequence may be a little bit off. Deepest apologies, but I
haven't been able to closely read Jinchuu arc yet . . . ^^;;; and my
parents dislike me purchasing anything anime-related . . . but the events
will still go on, just out of the correct time sequence. If you could tell
me when everything occurred and all, please do!]
:: chapter 12 ::
It was another night as always: Tomoe and Kaoru were in Kenshin's room. Tomoe, was mending a kimono that had ripped, and Kaoru was diligently reading one of Kenshin's many books, both waiting for Kenshin to return.
It had been like this for many nights. The three of them never brought up the subject. It had been integrated into their lives: a black envelope meant nothing more than that Kenshin would be out late, even though deep inside, they all knew.
Kaoru rubbed her eyes. It was Tomoe's turn tonight to wash Kenshin's clothes, and Kaoru was glad. Not that she didn't like washing it; she didn't mind it at all. But, after all, she did want to get Tomoe and Kenshin together.
But then again, Kenshin had been colder than usual ever since that night he loosened up. He never smiled, and his eyes stayed sharp all the time. But then . . .
"Knock, knock."
Kaoru glared daggers at the door that ruined her train of thought. "What? Who is it?"
Tomoe simply put down her work. "Come in."
In walked a tall man with a high ponytail. "Sorry that it's late. May I disturb you ladies for a moment?"
Kaoru smiled at him. "Sure, why?"
"If you're looking for Himura," Tomoe said, "Well, he's out tonight."
The man smiled grimly. "Yes, I know. I'm his superior."
A silence filled the room for a few moments. Then, suddenly: "WHAT?"
He smiled at Kaoru. "Yes, I'm Himura-san's . . . shall we say boss? I coordinate his work. I'm Katsura."
Kaoru stared at him. "Wait, when you say coordinate his work . . . do you mean . . .?" She modeled her hands into the rough shape of an envelope.
He nodded.
Kaoru had to force her jaw not to drop.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
" . . . mass execution . . . kept quiet . . ."
Kaoru glanced at Katsura, who was speaking somberly to Tomoe, who was listening intently. They were talking about the war. Not that she didn't want to pay attention, she just wasn't good at history, and was lost after the first two words.
With all her willpower, Kaoru made herself sit up straight. If she didn't listen, she could at least pretend to listen.
" . . . And, Himura is fulfilling on of the hardest roles. He is the vanguard for this code of madness."
Kaoru's eyes widened. Vanguard? She never knew Kenshin was . . . so needed, so important. But why . . .
"Why are you telling us this?" Tomoe said, as if reading Kaoru's mind. "Do you want Kaoru-san and I to fulfill a role too?"
Katsura stood up, and smiled, shaking his head. "Pardon me . . . I don't want you two to do anything for us . . . I just wanted you to understand what we are doing here." With that, he walked out.
Kaoru and Tomoe sat in silence. After a few minutes, Kaoru spoke up. "Tomoe . . . Kenshin . . . do you think he's . . ."
Tomoe looked at Kaoru straight in the eye. "I'm not really sure what I think anymore."
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Kaoru wrung out the rag. There, all clean. She dumped out the bucket of water and walked towards the kitchen.
Ever since last night, Katsura's words had repeated itself over and over again in her head. It almost made her see Kenshin - this Kenshin - in a new way. It was apparent she was thinking about it, and so was Tomoe: last night, both of them forgot to meet Kenshin after he was done.
"Okami, I'm done with the hall."
"I am done with the dining room," Tomoe said, walking in and talking off her apron.
"Good job girls, you've done way enough for one day."
"Hai."
"Hai." Kaoru turned to Tomoe. "Let's go."
The two girls trudged up the stairs, wearily. It was also apparent that neither girl had gotten much sleep. Kaoru opened the door.
Propped against a wall, katana against his shoulder, asleep, was Kenshin.
Kaoru smiled. This sleeping Kenshin reminded her of the Rurouni she knew, always caught taking a nap simply propped in a corner.
"Kaoru . . ." Tomoe said quietly. "Kenshin-san . . ."
"Hmm?"
"You know that he is killing for a new era . . . that he is the vanguard of this madness?"
"Hai . . ."
"And yet . . . when you look at him this way, sleeping, he's just a boy, not even of age . . . just a child?"
Kaoru nodded.
A slight breeze blew through the open window. "It's a bit chilly today, ne?"
"Hai." Tomoe walked forward, shawl in hand.
"Tomoe . . .?"
"I just think he might catch a cold like this . . ." She draped her shawl across his shoulders.
Suddenly, too fast to see, Kenshin's body was alive once more. He leaped up, eyes glinting, katana unsheathed.
Kaoru screamed. 'Wait, no, Kenshin said that . . . didn't he say that there was half an inch between the blade and her? And that this was the moment that brought them . . . closer?'
She looked at their direction and breathed a sigh of relief. Kenshin had a stunned look on his face, his katana pressed up against Tomoe. Tomoe was surprised and just about horrified, but Kaoru was glad to see that she was obviously still alive and breathing.
Kaoru felt weak with relief. Thank god it had gone on like the past before she meddled. Thank . . .
Kaoru drew her breath in sharply.
A drop of blood splashed onto the wood floor.
:: chapter 12 ::
It was another night as always: Tomoe and Kaoru were in Kenshin's room. Tomoe, was mending a kimono that had ripped, and Kaoru was diligently reading one of Kenshin's many books, both waiting for Kenshin to return.
It had been like this for many nights. The three of them never brought up the subject. It had been integrated into their lives: a black envelope meant nothing more than that Kenshin would be out late, even though deep inside, they all knew.
Kaoru rubbed her eyes. It was Tomoe's turn tonight to wash Kenshin's clothes, and Kaoru was glad. Not that she didn't like washing it; she didn't mind it at all. But, after all, she did want to get Tomoe and Kenshin together.
But then again, Kenshin had been colder than usual ever since that night he loosened up. He never smiled, and his eyes stayed sharp all the time. But then . . .
"Knock, knock."
Kaoru glared daggers at the door that ruined her train of thought. "What? Who is it?"
Tomoe simply put down her work. "Come in."
In walked a tall man with a high ponytail. "Sorry that it's late. May I disturb you ladies for a moment?"
Kaoru smiled at him. "Sure, why?"
"If you're looking for Himura," Tomoe said, "Well, he's out tonight."
The man smiled grimly. "Yes, I know. I'm his superior."
A silence filled the room for a few moments. Then, suddenly: "WHAT?"
He smiled at Kaoru. "Yes, I'm Himura-san's . . . shall we say boss? I coordinate his work. I'm Katsura."
Kaoru stared at him. "Wait, when you say coordinate his work . . . do you mean . . .?" She modeled her hands into the rough shape of an envelope.
He nodded.
Kaoru had to force her jaw not to drop.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
" . . . mass execution . . . kept quiet . . ."
Kaoru glanced at Katsura, who was speaking somberly to Tomoe, who was listening intently. They were talking about the war. Not that she didn't want to pay attention, she just wasn't good at history, and was lost after the first two words.
With all her willpower, Kaoru made herself sit up straight. If she didn't listen, she could at least pretend to listen.
" . . . And, Himura is fulfilling on of the hardest roles. He is the vanguard for this code of madness."
Kaoru's eyes widened. Vanguard? She never knew Kenshin was . . . so needed, so important. But why . . .
"Why are you telling us this?" Tomoe said, as if reading Kaoru's mind. "Do you want Kaoru-san and I to fulfill a role too?"
Katsura stood up, and smiled, shaking his head. "Pardon me . . . I don't want you two to do anything for us . . . I just wanted you to understand what we are doing here." With that, he walked out.
Kaoru and Tomoe sat in silence. After a few minutes, Kaoru spoke up. "Tomoe . . . Kenshin . . . do you think he's . . ."
Tomoe looked at Kaoru straight in the eye. "I'm not really sure what I think anymore."
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Kaoru wrung out the rag. There, all clean. She dumped out the bucket of water and walked towards the kitchen.
Ever since last night, Katsura's words had repeated itself over and over again in her head. It almost made her see Kenshin - this Kenshin - in a new way. It was apparent she was thinking about it, and so was Tomoe: last night, both of them forgot to meet Kenshin after he was done.
"Okami, I'm done with the hall."
"I am done with the dining room," Tomoe said, walking in and talking off her apron.
"Good job girls, you've done way enough for one day."
"Hai."
"Hai." Kaoru turned to Tomoe. "Let's go."
The two girls trudged up the stairs, wearily. It was also apparent that neither girl had gotten much sleep. Kaoru opened the door.
Propped against a wall, katana against his shoulder, asleep, was Kenshin.
Kaoru smiled. This sleeping Kenshin reminded her of the Rurouni she knew, always caught taking a nap simply propped in a corner.
"Kaoru . . ." Tomoe said quietly. "Kenshin-san . . ."
"Hmm?"
"You know that he is killing for a new era . . . that he is the vanguard of this madness?"
"Hai . . ."
"And yet . . . when you look at him this way, sleeping, he's just a boy, not even of age . . . just a child?"
Kaoru nodded.
A slight breeze blew through the open window. "It's a bit chilly today, ne?"
"Hai." Tomoe walked forward, shawl in hand.
"Tomoe . . .?"
"I just think he might catch a cold like this . . ." She draped her shawl across his shoulders.
Suddenly, too fast to see, Kenshin's body was alive once more. He leaped up, eyes glinting, katana unsheathed.
Kaoru screamed. 'Wait, no, Kenshin said that . . . didn't he say that there was half an inch between the blade and her? And that this was the moment that brought them . . . closer?'
She looked at their direction and breathed a sigh of relief. Kenshin had a stunned look on his face, his katana pressed up against Tomoe. Tomoe was surprised and just about horrified, but Kaoru was glad to see that she was obviously still alive and breathing.
Kaoru felt weak with relief. Thank god it had gone on like the past before she meddled. Thank . . .
Kaoru drew her breath in sharply.
A drop of blood splashed onto the wood floor.