Oh man did this take me long to edit. This has been my hardest chapter so
far, ack ack! Everything else is written wayyyyyy better (PROMISE). Woo,
either way, I hope u enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: No own.
Kenshin's POV
"Damnit!" I yelled, flinging the covers away from my sweat drenched body. I'm so tired, but I can't sleep! Every time I close my eyes I see her over and over again. I see her falling to the ground at Jineh's feet with tears pooled in her eyes. I see her face set with determination as she glares at her young friend, who refuses to sit down at the movies. I see her with thin lips and pale skin, her anger coursing through her delicate body as she shoots down a man in her way. I see her leaning forward in order to press her soft lips against mine as butterflies surround us.
3 years. It had been 3 years to the day.
Yesterday I told myself I wouldn't still be in pain, but here I am, and it hurts like hell.
"Promise my ass." I muttered remembering her promise to return my hair tie. She never did. She never came back. She promised! My fist curled, and I dug my nails into my flesh trying to stop the flow of memories. I stood, and went to the bathroom to wash my face. I would not lose control like I did last year. This would not happen to me. I have Reena now.
I quickly moved off into the kitchen and thought about fixing breakfast. I didn't feel hungry though. I didn't feel like doing anything really. In truth, all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and shun all of mankind. I growled at my pathetic ness, and forcefully grabbed a pan from the cabinet. I'm going to eat. I don't care if my body wants to or not. Practically throwing the pan on the stove, I reached for the eggs. I gripped too tightly, and broke the fragile white shell. Egg dripped out of my hand and onto the cold floor. After cleaning that up, I tried the eggs once more, but this time more gently. I cracked them nicely in the pan, and turned on the heat. I grabbed some cheese, and began to grate, and grate, and grate. Before I knew it I had grated the whole block of cheese.
"Shit!" I had forgotten the pan on the stove, and now the smell of burnt eggs was wafting through the air. I grabbed for the pan, and unfortunately grabbed the side instead of the handle, burning my hand. I dropped the hot pan, and while yelling, ran for the sink to run cool water over my poor hand.
'God damnit! I'm so stupid! I'm a cook for Christ sakes, and I can't even make an omelet.' I thought to myself in anger.
I thanked god that I was off today because if I had gone to work I surely would have gotten fired. I cleaned up the new mess, and fixed up my burnt hand. It was covered in a balm, and wrapped tightly in a piece of cloth, which was formally part of my bed sheet.
What had happened was that I got a little frustrated when I was unable to find the first aid kit. I knew it was somewhere in my bedroom, but for the life of me I couldn't remember where. After 10 minutes of searching everywhere in my small room, I had had enough. I grabbed the white sheets on my bed, and tore a long stripe off. It wasn't until I finished wrapping my hand that I remembered that the first aid kit was kept under the bed. It's funny how during my search of the room I had not thought to check under the bed... damnit.
The doorbell rang unexpectedly, and I checked my watch quickly. Reena should be at work, and I don't have many friends. Who would be visiting me at 10 in the morning? I quickly shut my bedroom door, so that no one would see the carnage of my battle with my unsuspecting bed. "Who is it?" I called out.
"Oi, Kenshin open the door."
"Sano?!?!?!?!" I asked, unable to comprehend why he'd be here.
"Open it. I'm starved, and I'm beat. Do you know how early it is?" He whined. I swung the door open, and sure enough, there was my tall shaggy friend standing in front of my door, a knapsack over his shoulder, his hand in his pocket, and a cigarette on his lips. When had he started smoking?
"Sano, why are you here?" I gestured for him to come in.
"No hi? How are ya?"
"Sorry." I mumbled, closing the door behind him.
"Plus, you knew I was coming."
"I did?"
"Something up with your brain? I called, remember?" Sano flung his pack on the couch, and took off for the kitchen.
"Oh yeah. Sorry. I forgot."
"It's ok. I'm here now." Sano said with his head stuck in my fridge.
"Sano put that out!" I said annoyed.
"Oops. Uh, do you have an ash tray?" Sano came out of my fridge holding a box of half eaten cake that me and Reena had bought a couple nights ago, and hadn't been able to finish. I walked off to my bedroom, and pulled out a box from my closet. It had some old stuff I no longer used. One of the things was an ashtray. I held the glass ashtray in my hand and remembered how I started smoking. After Kaoru left I was so nervous and shaky. Someone, I don't remember whom, but someone told me that having a smoke would help clear my thoughts. I quit after a year when the doctors pointed out that it wasn't helping.
I shut my eyes tightly, and moved out of the room, shutting the door behind me.
"Here." I said evenly, tossing it to Sano.
"So..." Sano said, putting out the cigarette, and taking a fork full of cake, which was still sitting in its box. Trust Sano to not take a slice, but instead the whole damn cake. "What happened to your hand?"
"Oh, I uh burned it."
"You gonna say how, or am I supposed to guess?"
"Cooking. It's not a big deal. So, why are you in town anyway?" I asked, changing the subject quickly.
"I just have some business here. Thought I should stop by, meet the fiancé. Where is she by the way?"
"Reena? She's at work. She works in some office or whatever downtown."
"Some office or whatever? Oh, yeah, that sounds like love." Sano licked some icing off of his fingers.
"Shut up, Sano. Don't tell me you came to visit just so you could judge my relationship with Reena." I scowled at my tall friend, who was now pouring himself a glass of milk.
"I was just teasing you. Calm down, Kenshin."
"I am calm." I stated even though it was more than obvious I wasn't. I hated this day, and I couldn't help but be unusually jumping and moody.
"No you're not. You look like you want to hurt me, which we both know is bullshit because you wouldn't be able to hurt me if you tried." Sano smiled a slow lazy smile that let me know he was joking, but even so the incredible urge to smack him made my hand itch. If today was any other day I would have been scolding him on his eating manners, and laughing at every tease, but today I was out to kill because every time I closed my eyes Kaoru would come into focus.
"What's the real reason you're here, Sano?"
"I told ya, I got business."
"That's BS. We both know why you're here, so just spit it out."
"Fine, I came to check up on you. Is that so bad? A friend lookin after a friend."
"Whatever."
"Look I just don't wanna see you go crazy like last time."
"I didn't go crazy." I said quietly, even though I knew I did.
"Oh really? Cause what I remember is an enraged Kenshin with golden eyes yelling at everything that moved, and nearly getting himself arrested, and then later on, killed."
"I was just a bit moody."
Sano chuckled dryly. "You yelled at an old woman when she was crossing the street. You told her old people were wastes of space, and should be exterminated. You told her you would start the extermination with her, that very night. Ya even told her to lock her damn doors. Don't you remember? Or how bout when a butterfly flew by and you nearly had a break down..."
"I wasn't myself! And the butterfly thing was because I took Kaoru to see the butterflies. That was the day she..."
"She what?"
"Nothing."
"God damnit Kenshin! She's gone, and you've got to get over it. You're going to get married!"
"You don't understand." My voice lowered dangerously.
"You loved her. I get it. Plus, I miss Jo-chan too, but you've got to let go."
"She's still alive, Sano."
"You don't know that."
"Yeah I do. She's still alive. I feel it."
"What about Reena?"
"I'm supposed to rescue her. I'm supposed to find her, but I don't know how. I spent the entire first year searching, but now it's impossible. Too much time has passed."
"What about Reena?" Sano repeated.
"What if Kaoru's waiting somewhere for me to save her?"
"Kenshin!" Sano grabbed my shoulders, and held me in place. "What about Reena, your bride to be?"
"Reena..." It took me a while to remember who she was. I instantly felt bad. "You're... You're right."
"It's been three years. What are the chances that she isn't... dead?"
I sucked in a sharp breath, and tried to calm myself. She couldn't be. She wasn't dead. I knew it. I just knew it, but I had already told that to Sano, and Sano had promptly ignored it.
"I hate today." I finally said.
"So do I."
(Kaoru's POV)
"I don't know" I heard myself whisper.
The purple/amber eyes I had been looking at zoomed out of focus. Suddenly I was crying, and then Big J was there wiping my tears away. I flinched at his touch. He smiled at me. I felt a sharp pain in my arm. I turned back to see the same wide lavender eyes.
"I'M SORRY!" I shouted as I sprung out of my bed, wide-awake. What the hell kinda of a dream was that?
Devon rushed into the room frantically. "What happened, are you ok?" She panted.
"I'm fine. I just had a... a weird dream."
"People don't scream during weird dreams, they scream during nightmares, so don't you EVER scare me by screaming for no freaking reason!"
"It's not like I screamed on purpose." I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever, just try not to do it again."
"Where is everyone?"
"They left remember? It's just me, you, and Megumi."
"Where's she?"
"In her lab."
"Oh."
"So what was the dream about?"
"I don't know."
"How do you NOT know?" Devon asked irritated. She plopped down next to me on the bed, and poked me in the ribs.
"Ouch!!! The dream just doesn't make sense, alright?"
"Well, explain it."
"Fine. I was on a bridge. I looked into someone's eyes, and I was crying. Big J came, and then I blanked out and woke up yelling."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Weird."
"Whatever, I'm hungry." I quickly changed the subject because the dream was upsetting me. It seemed too real. It felt too real.
"Now you're talking my language!!!" Devon tugged me out of bed, and I forced myself to forget the dream. After all, it was probably some stupid meaningless dream. I'm sure the dream has nothing to do with three years ago when I first woke up clueless as to who I am. The dream occurring on today is just a coincidence.
Right?
PREVIEW: She moved up to me and held out a manicured hand for me to shake. "Reena."
Disclaimer: No own.
Kenshin's POV
"Damnit!" I yelled, flinging the covers away from my sweat drenched body. I'm so tired, but I can't sleep! Every time I close my eyes I see her over and over again. I see her falling to the ground at Jineh's feet with tears pooled in her eyes. I see her face set with determination as she glares at her young friend, who refuses to sit down at the movies. I see her with thin lips and pale skin, her anger coursing through her delicate body as she shoots down a man in her way. I see her leaning forward in order to press her soft lips against mine as butterflies surround us.
3 years. It had been 3 years to the day.
Yesterday I told myself I wouldn't still be in pain, but here I am, and it hurts like hell.
"Promise my ass." I muttered remembering her promise to return my hair tie. She never did. She never came back. She promised! My fist curled, and I dug my nails into my flesh trying to stop the flow of memories. I stood, and went to the bathroom to wash my face. I would not lose control like I did last year. This would not happen to me. I have Reena now.
I quickly moved off into the kitchen and thought about fixing breakfast. I didn't feel hungry though. I didn't feel like doing anything really. In truth, all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and shun all of mankind. I growled at my pathetic ness, and forcefully grabbed a pan from the cabinet. I'm going to eat. I don't care if my body wants to or not. Practically throwing the pan on the stove, I reached for the eggs. I gripped too tightly, and broke the fragile white shell. Egg dripped out of my hand and onto the cold floor. After cleaning that up, I tried the eggs once more, but this time more gently. I cracked them nicely in the pan, and turned on the heat. I grabbed some cheese, and began to grate, and grate, and grate. Before I knew it I had grated the whole block of cheese.
"Shit!" I had forgotten the pan on the stove, and now the smell of burnt eggs was wafting through the air. I grabbed for the pan, and unfortunately grabbed the side instead of the handle, burning my hand. I dropped the hot pan, and while yelling, ran for the sink to run cool water over my poor hand.
'God damnit! I'm so stupid! I'm a cook for Christ sakes, and I can't even make an omelet.' I thought to myself in anger.
I thanked god that I was off today because if I had gone to work I surely would have gotten fired. I cleaned up the new mess, and fixed up my burnt hand. It was covered in a balm, and wrapped tightly in a piece of cloth, which was formally part of my bed sheet.
What had happened was that I got a little frustrated when I was unable to find the first aid kit. I knew it was somewhere in my bedroom, but for the life of me I couldn't remember where. After 10 minutes of searching everywhere in my small room, I had had enough. I grabbed the white sheets on my bed, and tore a long stripe off. It wasn't until I finished wrapping my hand that I remembered that the first aid kit was kept under the bed. It's funny how during my search of the room I had not thought to check under the bed... damnit.
The doorbell rang unexpectedly, and I checked my watch quickly. Reena should be at work, and I don't have many friends. Who would be visiting me at 10 in the morning? I quickly shut my bedroom door, so that no one would see the carnage of my battle with my unsuspecting bed. "Who is it?" I called out.
"Oi, Kenshin open the door."
"Sano?!?!?!?!" I asked, unable to comprehend why he'd be here.
"Open it. I'm starved, and I'm beat. Do you know how early it is?" He whined. I swung the door open, and sure enough, there was my tall shaggy friend standing in front of my door, a knapsack over his shoulder, his hand in his pocket, and a cigarette on his lips. When had he started smoking?
"Sano, why are you here?" I gestured for him to come in.
"No hi? How are ya?"
"Sorry." I mumbled, closing the door behind him.
"Plus, you knew I was coming."
"I did?"
"Something up with your brain? I called, remember?" Sano flung his pack on the couch, and took off for the kitchen.
"Oh yeah. Sorry. I forgot."
"It's ok. I'm here now." Sano said with his head stuck in my fridge.
"Sano put that out!" I said annoyed.
"Oops. Uh, do you have an ash tray?" Sano came out of my fridge holding a box of half eaten cake that me and Reena had bought a couple nights ago, and hadn't been able to finish. I walked off to my bedroom, and pulled out a box from my closet. It had some old stuff I no longer used. One of the things was an ashtray. I held the glass ashtray in my hand and remembered how I started smoking. After Kaoru left I was so nervous and shaky. Someone, I don't remember whom, but someone told me that having a smoke would help clear my thoughts. I quit after a year when the doctors pointed out that it wasn't helping.
I shut my eyes tightly, and moved out of the room, shutting the door behind me.
"Here." I said evenly, tossing it to Sano.
"So..." Sano said, putting out the cigarette, and taking a fork full of cake, which was still sitting in its box. Trust Sano to not take a slice, but instead the whole damn cake. "What happened to your hand?"
"Oh, I uh burned it."
"You gonna say how, or am I supposed to guess?"
"Cooking. It's not a big deal. So, why are you in town anyway?" I asked, changing the subject quickly.
"I just have some business here. Thought I should stop by, meet the fiancé. Where is she by the way?"
"Reena? She's at work. She works in some office or whatever downtown."
"Some office or whatever? Oh, yeah, that sounds like love." Sano licked some icing off of his fingers.
"Shut up, Sano. Don't tell me you came to visit just so you could judge my relationship with Reena." I scowled at my tall friend, who was now pouring himself a glass of milk.
"I was just teasing you. Calm down, Kenshin."
"I am calm." I stated even though it was more than obvious I wasn't. I hated this day, and I couldn't help but be unusually jumping and moody.
"No you're not. You look like you want to hurt me, which we both know is bullshit because you wouldn't be able to hurt me if you tried." Sano smiled a slow lazy smile that let me know he was joking, but even so the incredible urge to smack him made my hand itch. If today was any other day I would have been scolding him on his eating manners, and laughing at every tease, but today I was out to kill because every time I closed my eyes Kaoru would come into focus.
"What's the real reason you're here, Sano?"
"I told ya, I got business."
"That's BS. We both know why you're here, so just spit it out."
"Fine, I came to check up on you. Is that so bad? A friend lookin after a friend."
"Whatever."
"Look I just don't wanna see you go crazy like last time."
"I didn't go crazy." I said quietly, even though I knew I did.
"Oh really? Cause what I remember is an enraged Kenshin with golden eyes yelling at everything that moved, and nearly getting himself arrested, and then later on, killed."
"I was just a bit moody."
Sano chuckled dryly. "You yelled at an old woman when she was crossing the street. You told her old people were wastes of space, and should be exterminated. You told her you would start the extermination with her, that very night. Ya even told her to lock her damn doors. Don't you remember? Or how bout when a butterfly flew by and you nearly had a break down..."
"I wasn't myself! And the butterfly thing was because I took Kaoru to see the butterflies. That was the day she..."
"She what?"
"Nothing."
"God damnit Kenshin! She's gone, and you've got to get over it. You're going to get married!"
"You don't understand." My voice lowered dangerously.
"You loved her. I get it. Plus, I miss Jo-chan too, but you've got to let go."
"She's still alive, Sano."
"You don't know that."
"Yeah I do. She's still alive. I feel it."
"What about Reena?"
"I'm supposed to rescue her. I'm supposed to find her, but I don't know how. I spent the entire first year searching, but now it's impossible. Too much time has passed."
"What about Reena?" Sano repeated.
"What if Kaoru's waiting somewhere for me to save her?"
"Kenshin!" Sano grabbed my shoulders, and held me in place. "What about Reena, your bride to be?"
"Reena..." It took me a while to remember who she was. I instantly felt bad. "You're... You're right."
"It's been three years. What are the chances that she isn't... dead?"
I sucked in a sharp breath, and tried to calm myself. She couldn't be. She wasn't dead. I knew it. I just knew it, but I had already told that to Sano, and Sano had promptly ignored it.
"I hate today." I finally said.
"So do I."
(Kaoru's POV)
"I don't know" I heard myself whisper.
The purple/amber eyes I had been looking at zoomed out of focus. Suddenly I was crying, and then Big J was there wiping my tears away. I flinched at his touch. He smiled at me. I felt a sharp pain in my arm. I turned back to see the same wide lavender eyes.
"I'M SORRY!" I shouted as I sprung out of my bed, wide-awake. What the hell kinda of a dream was that?
Devon rushed into the room frantically. "What happened, are you ok?" She panted.
"I'm fine. I just had a... a weird dream."
"People don't scream during weird dreams, they scream during nightmares, so don't you EVER scare me by screaming for no freaking reason!"
"It's not like I screamed on purpose." I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever, just try not to do it again."
"Where is everyone?"
"They left remember? It's just me, you, and Megumi."
"Where's she?"
"In her lab."
"Oh."
"So what was the dream about?"
"I don't know."
"How do you NOT know?" Devon asked irritated. She plopped down next to me on the bed, and poked me in the ribs.
"Ouch!!! The dream just doesn't make sense, alright?"
"Well, explain it."
"Fine. I was on a bridge. I looked into someone's eyes, and I was crying. Big J came, and then I blanked out and woke up yelling."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Weird."
"Whatever, I'm hungry." I quickly changed the subject because the dream was upsetting me. It seemed too real. It felt too real.
"Now you're talking my language!!!" Devon tugged me out of bed, and I forced myself to forget the dream. After all, it was probably some stupid meaningless dream. I'm sure the dream has nothing to do with three years ago when I first woke up clueless as to who I am. The dream occurring on today is just a coincidence.
Right?
PREVIEW: She moved up to me and held out a manicured hand for me to shake. "Reena."