Disclaimer: Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm sorry to say that Rurouni
Kenshin does not belong to me.
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A Love for One Hated
By: Mystic Song
Chapter 11 Proclamation
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Sano whistled merrily as he marched down the street with an aire of importance. He was, afterall, one of the lord's guards, and wasn't meant to be judged lightly. He was on his way towards town from the castle to pick up Megumi. He had watched the old man take Megumi from the Inn and had followed them to the Aoiya. He had promised Megumi the night before to pick her up the next morning, and he meant to keep his promise by all means.
As he neared the Aoiya, he noticed that there wasn't much movement throughout the estate like there usually was. Sanosuke was used to hearing the clash of swords or the grunts of the Oniwabanshu as they practiced, but he heard of no such thing that morning. He hesitated before knocking on the door, wondering what could have happened in order to halt the Oniwaban's practices for the day and require Megumi's assiance.
A soft padding was heard from within the house as it was cautiously slid open, a weary-eyed Misao standing behind the door.
"Oh, hey Sano." Misao greeted groggily, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "What brings you here?"
"Megumi actualy." Sanosuke answered casually. "Is she still here?"
Misao nodded and beckoned Sano inside.
Sanosuke looked around his surroundings, surprised to find things unkempt. Aoshi was leaning casually against the wall by the hearth, surveying his movements, and over to the right he found Megumi resting on her stomach, hands neatly folded beneath her chin.
"Hey, kitsune," Sanosuke called to Megumi, "Are you ready to come up to the palace?"
Megumi turned her head to face Sano and offered him a tiny smile. "How did you know I was here?"
"I followed that old man from the Inn here just to check that you were safe." Sanosuke said, shrugging slightly to emphasize that his action wasn't a big deal.
Megumi grinned. "You over protective tori-atama." Sano was surprised the Megumi didn't retort back like she usually did, but also noticed the bags beneath her eyes.
"So are ya comin or not?"
Megumi shook her head and struggled to stand up. "Ken-san and Kaoru-chan are upstairs sleeping, and I want to wait until one of them wakes up."
"Jou-chan?" Sanosuke asked suddenly, "And Kenshin? I'm glad he found her, but what happened?"
Megumi looked at him skeptically but continued, "Kaoru has a sprained ankle and Kenshin has a fever. It's pretty serious."
"Oh," Sanosuke said, looking down at the ground. "Well I hope they get better. And I think I'll wait with you until one of them wakes up. That is if it's alright with the iceman."
Aoshi lifted his head to give Sano a scrutinizing glare.
Sanosuke grinned in response. "Well, I guess that's a yes!" He then settled himself next to Megumi on the ground.
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Kaoru groaned loudly as she woke up the next morning, stretching her legs as far out as possible. The blankets that had been piled on top of her were carelessly tossed to her side as she straightened the yukata that had bunched up at her thighs. Kaoru's head was killing her as she gave a frustrated groan and cradled her head with her hands, and the steady stream of sunlight that flowed through the nearby window didn't help things either.
Kaoru sat up straight on the futon, looking around the room. The western- style bed in the corner had an occupant who Kaoru presumed was still sleeping. She inched towards the bed on her hands and knees in an attempt to discover who the sleeping person was. As she kneeled up onto the bed, however, she found that a mane of red hair covered the man's face. But the red hair was enough to give it away: it was Kenshin.
Suddenly Kaoru remembered what had happened the night before. How she looked for Kenshin in the rain and returned home with him. How Misao said that they had called a doctor and for her to not be alarmed if she found somebody else in the room with her.
Kaoru leaned in towards Kenshin and swept the hair from his eyes. His face was strained and his breaths shallow. Kaoru grimaced at his pain, thinking that she was the cause of it all. After all, if she wasn't a stewardess, then there would be no need for Kenshin to protect her and get hurt in the process.
But they wouldn't have met either, and Kaoru would certainly regret that. She had grown to like Kenshin, and even love him. She didn't want him to be hurt just for her own safety.
Kaoru withdrew her hand from Kenshin's face and slowly limped out of the bedroom. She wanted to find someone that maybe could do another check up on Kenshin. As she walked down the steps, however, she found a tall man with gravity defying hair, and her thoughts were immediately side tracked.
"Sano!" Kaoru called excitedly, hopping down the steps as fast as she could.
Sanosuke turned his head at the mention of his name and found Kaoru in a vanilla colored yukata hobbling down the steps, her eyes shining bright. "Hey Jou-chan, how are ya feeling?"
Kaoru beemed at him. "I'm fine, Sano. And it's so good to see you again!"
Sanosuke gave Kaoru one of his boyish grins. "And I see that you made it back safely...er, at least somewhat." He glanced down at Kaoru's ankle.
Megumi looked at the two chatting animatedly and became jealous. She wished that she could have a relationship like that with Sano, but she was always found bickering with him. Well, there were those moments where they would mention some compliments to each other, or express worry, but that was it. Nothing more.
But it wasn't like Megumi to get jealous over a girl who was a good few years younger than herself. Did she happen to find competition in the young girl? Of course she shouldn't pay too much attention to them, they were just friends after all. Nothing to be overworked about. So Megumi decided to shrug it off and approach Kaoru to look her ankle over.
"How does it feel?" Megumi asked, cautiously kneeling beside Kaoru's foot to get a better look at it.
"Oh, it's fine. I don't feel a thing." Kaoru replied nonchalantly.
"That's the thing, tanuki." Megumi said. "You are supposed to feel something, even if it's the foot."
Kaoru glared at the kneeling woman as she just smiled. "I meant that it doesn't hurt. When can I walk on it?"
Megumi rolled her eyes. "You should stay off of it for another few days, and keep it elevated. I will check on it again after that, and maybe then you can walk on it."
Kaoru started to pout and fell back on the nearest pillow. "I can't stay off it for that long!"
"You're going to have to try." Megumi put in before standing up.
"Aw, it won't be that bad Kaoru-chan." Misao said in her cheery voice.
Kaoru stuck out her tongue at Misao playfully and crossed her arms. "Maybe I should sprain your ankle and see what you say then."
Misao waved her hand at Kaoru. "If you did that, then Aoshi-sama would wait on my every need. It's worth breaking an ankle for that." She nudged Aoshi lightly who looked down at Misao with a questioning look. Misao simply giggled and wrapped his arms around herself.
Kaoru raised an eyebrow at the two before looking back at Megumi, who was standing closely next to Sanosuke. "How's Kenshin doing?"
Megumi frowned. "Well, I'd give him another day to wake up from his fever, and a couple days after that for him to recover his stregnth."
"That long?" Kaoru wailed.
Megumi shook her head. "That's not long at all compared to others. Ken- san is strong in both body and mind."
"Yea, Jou-chan. Nothin to fret about. He'll pull through soon enough, you just wait and see." Sano but in. Megumi looked at him thankfully.
Kaoru seemed somewhat comforted, but not entirely. What would she do for the next few days?
Suddenly, a grumpy voice sounded from upstairs. "Misao! Is breakfast ready?"
Kaoru's face lit up. "Is that Yahiko?" She asked in a hushed whisper. Aoshi looked over at Kaoru and nodded solemnly.
"No!" Misao called back. "But if you're so hungry, how about you go and make some yourself you little brat!"
"I'm not little!"
Misao huffed and stormed off to the kitchen as Aoshi tailed after her to make sure Misao woudn't hurt herself. As he passed Kaoru, he bent down and whispered. "This has been going on every morning for the past few days."
Kaoru put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
Clumsy footsteps could be heard descending the stairs as Yahiko lazily hopped down each step. Yet the footsteps came to an abrupt stop once Yahiko reached the bottom step. In front of him he saw someone that he didn't think he would see for yet a very long time.
"Busu!" He cried out desperately.
Kaoru swept her head around to look at the astonished eleven-year-old. Her eyes held mock anger at her beloved student's nickname for her. "You little brat!" She retorted.
Yahiko burst into a run as he leapt onto Kaoru's lap, hugging her fiercely. "I'm glad you're back." He wept into her shoulder.
Kaoru was surprised. She never knew that Yahiko would care so much for her return. She drew soothing circles onto Yahiko's back, cooing soft words into his ear. "Everything's alright now."
Yahiko's sobs turned into hiccups as he pulled away from Kaoru. "You hurt your ankle." He pointed out. "Who did that to you?" He asked accusingly.
Kaoru shook her head, smiling. "It's nothing to worry about, it will get better soon. Until then, I'm afraid there aren't going to be any lessons." She paused for a minute before saying, "But maybe I will help out in the kitchen."
Yahiko's smile was swept off his face. "You can't cook! There's no way you are going in the kitchen."
"And what's so bad about my cooking?" Kaoru asked angrily, her hands on her hips.
Yahiko leapt off of Kaoru's lap and danced away from Kaoru's grasp. "You suck at it!"
"Why you little-!" Kaoru pulled out a bokken and whaked Yahiko over top the head.
"Ow!"
Misao peered her head out of the kitchen, "Looks like some things never change."
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Megumi was on her way back to the castle with Sanosuke at her side. Kaoru's ankle was coming along well as the swelling had gone down. Megumi would give it another two days before Kaoru could walk on it, but until then, she would have to stay off her foot and keep it elevated.
Megumi entered the castle gates with Sano by her side and was welcomed with the cocky smile of Lord Seijuro. "Good evening, Milord." Megumi said honorable, dipping herself into a graceful curtsey. Sanosuke simply bowed his head in acknowledgement.
"Ah, good evening Megumi-kun. I must compliment you on your job well done with Kamiya-san, he is recovering nicely." Hiko replied heartily.
Megumi looked at him questioningly. "I beg your pardon, milord, but last I checked, Kamiya-san was not doing well at all."
"Well it appears he has improved. In fact, he started getting better after I told him about his daughter." Hiko said cheerfully.
"Jou-chan?" Sanosuke questioned. "What on earth did you say to Kamiya-san about Jou-chan?"
Hiko beamed at the two. "Oh, just that she would be returned to the castle soon and would be made stewardess. But he was also quite pleased to hear that her suitors will be carefully chosen when she assumes duties as princess."
Megumi and Sanosuke exchanged worried glances before excusing themselves and heading towards the castle gardens.
"Do you think she's ready to take on such duties?" Megumi asked once they had distanced themselves a great deal away from their Lord.
Sanosuke shrugged. "It's nothing that she can't learn. I'm just worried about what will happen once she becomes a princess. Certainly there will try to be assassination attempts on her, and the issue of her suitors."
Megumi quirked an eyebrow at Sanosuke. "Why are you worried about her suitors?" Megumi was somewhat worried that she may regret the answer she would receive.
"She's not ready to marry, she's too young. And I just don't want anyone taking advantage of her." Sanosuke paused and said as an afterthought, "She's like a sister to me."
"Funny how she rubs off on everyone in such a way." Megumi replied thoughtfully. Though her and the tanuki weren't on excellent terms, Megumi couldn't bring herself to shoot the girl down.
Sanosuke looked down at Megumi and smiled. "Never knew you were getting soft, Kitsune."
Megumi rolled her eyes playfully and smiled up at Sanosuke. "Oh shut your mouth, tori-atama."
Sanosuke chortled before drawing Megumi in towards him, his arm draped around her shoulder. Megumi looked up at him with a shocked expression, but when she saw that his face was brighter than it had ever been, she relaxed into his hold and rested her head against his shoulder.
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Kaoru thought she was going to die. She had been sitting in her bed for three days straight, unable to do a thing. There was so much energy pent up inside of her that she thought she was going to explode. Yet as she cast her glance in Kenshin's direction, her expression calmed. He had still yet to wake up, and when he did, she was to fetch Misao or Aoshi immediately as Megumi had left to return to her duties up at the castle.
Kaoru laid her head back down on her pillow as she tossed around in her blankets, finding the urge to release her energy on something. Finally, finding no other outlet for her stress, she slammed her face into the pillow and screamed as loud as she could.
Kenshin sat bolt upright in his bed, yet immediately regreted the sudden action as he felt the onslaught of a headache. He groaned loudly and laid back down, turning on his side to face the person who had screamed and had awoken him just moments before.
To his surprise, he found Kaoru writhing around on the ground, moaning loudly. He watched her in fascination as her body thrashed from side to side. He had never seen such a person in so much torment, and he had the sudden urge to go up to her and wrap his arms around her comfortingly. Yet before he could do so, the door slammed open as Aoshi and Misao rushed in.
"What's wrong, Kaoru?" Misao asked worriedly, bending down on her hands and knees at Kaoru's side.
"I can't take it anymore!" Kaoru wailed, her hands ready to rip the hair out of her head.
Aoshi frowned, wondering if she had damaged her ankle even more. He stepped forward and drew the covers away from Kaoru's body and examined her ankle. To his surprise and relief, the swelling was gone, and the only thing Kaoru had to be wary about would be applying the right amount of weight on her ankle as she walked.
"It is safe to walk on now." Aoshi stated calmly.
Kaoru's face immediately lit up. "You mean I can walk around now! And practice kendo!"
Aoshi shook his head. "Yes, you can walk. But you can not practice with Yahiko-chan yet. Another day, when you are adjusted to your ankle, you will be able to practice."
Kaoru's face had downfallen once again but she took the oppurtunity to stand up, casting a wary glance in Kenshin's direction.
"Hey!" Kaoru exclaimed, "You're up!" She rushed over to the bed and kneeled by Kenshin's side, nudging him playfully. "I thought you were going to be asleep forever! I was worried." Kaoru said the last part softly so that Aoshi and Misao couldn't hear.
Misao tugged on Aoshi's arm and beamed up at him before smiling at Kenshin. "It's about time, Himura. You had us all worried sick."
Kenshin's hand flew up to rub the back of his head as a soft blush crossed his cheeks. "Thanks for being concerned, de gozaru yo. But, who brought me in here in the first place? Last I remember, I was in the streets as it rained."
It was Kaoru's turn to blush once Aoshi and Misao's gaze fell upon her. "I did. I was worried so I left the Aoiya to look for you."
Kenshin beamed at Kaoru and took her hand in his. He slowly lifted her hand to his lips and graced her knuckles with a gentle kiss. "Arigatou," he murmered softly.
Kaoru's face was on fire and begged for the life of her that Misao and Aoshi weren't looking. However, life wasn't always as sweet, and Kaoru could hear the soft chuckling of Misao behind her.
"Aoshi-sama and I will go fix you something to eat, Kenshin." Misao tugged Aoshi out of the room and Kaoru could hear their slow footsteps make their way down the stairs.
Kaoru leaned forward and rested her chin on her folded hands. "Are you feeling alright?" She asked softly, content with gazing up into Kenshin's soft amethyst eyes.
Kenshin nodded appreciatively. "I feel as good as to walk." To prove his point, he slid out of the bed and stood in front of Kaoru.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed, leaping up herself. "You should still get some rest!"
Kenshin shook his head. "Honestly, I feel fine. However, Kaoru-dono, your ankle is in no condition to walk on." He teased as he scooped Kaoru up into his arms and headed towards the door.
Kaoru playfully slapped Kenshin on the shoulder. "That's nonsense. Aoshi said I could walk on it."
Kenshin payed no attention to Kaoru as he walked out the bedroom door and strolled down the steps.
Kaoru watched Kenshin intently as they made their way down the stairs. She noted the way his crimson hair swayed to each step, and how his narrowed amethyst eyes were focused out in front of him.
Kenshin noticed Kaoru's stare and laid gentle eyes upon her soft face. "Is there something you wanted?" He asked bemused.
Kaoru's eyes widened in embarrassment at being caught and a streak of blush stained her cheeks. She furiously shook her head, but she soon fell into her trance once again.
Kenshin chuckled in reaction to Kaoru's strange behavior and turned to look at her again, his steps pausing so that he was no longer descending the stairs. He was awed with the way she was looking at him. Her rose petal lips were caught in a barely visible grin, and her aquamarine eyes were glazed over. His eyes were locked on her, and he couldn't tear his gaze away from hers.
"Kenshin," Kaoru said softly, his name falling from her lips as if it were a breath.
She hesitated to continue. "Hmm?" Kenshin prompted.
"I-I think I'm in love with you." Kaoru finally replied, just as softly as before.
Kenshin was overcome with joy at hearing her admit her feelings, yet somewhat fearful. "I'm afraid I'm in love with you too." He said somberly.
He watched Kaoru's eyes widen in shock, and in her blue depths he could detect disappointment. "What do you mean?" Her lip trembled slightly, anxiously waiting his reply.
"Oh, Kaoru," Kenshin sighed, his head lurching forward and drooping onto her neck. She felt his breath on the crook of her neck, and his forhead nuzzling her ebony hair. Her arms around his neck tightened as her hands fisted his yukata. Kenshin continued, yet slowly, "You are too pure for me. You are stewardess, soon to become princess and queen. I am an ex- hitokiri. I taint your innocence, and I fear that I will give you a bad reputation."
Kaoru's eyes drifted shut as she caressed her cheek against his fiery mane in a form of comfort. "That is nonsense." She said boldly. "You do no such thing to me. You even said that you are no longer a hitokiri yourself, and your past means nothing of that sort to me. You have proven yourself to be a great man, Kenshin."
Kenshin was comforted by her words and lifted his head so that his forehead could be pressed against her own. "You are an amazing woman, Kaoru."
Kaoru giggled, her lips forming a brilliant smile.
A hungry look arose in the depths of Kenshin's eyes as the battle for amber to overtake amethyst arose. The result was a steely blue that caught Kaoru off guard. Though before Kaoru could question what it meant, Kenshin grazed his lips across Kaoru's, eliciting a soft moan from the recesses of her throat.
Once Kenshin drew away, he chuckled into Kaoru's hair, a boyish grin forming across his lips. He continued to carry Kaoru down the few remaining steps and into the kitchen to meet a very bemused Aoshi and Misao.
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"Lord Seijuro." The urgent voice of Saitou inquired as he stepped into Hiko's study. Hiko looked up from his book and gave Saitou his attention. "I've received word that Shishio's men are gathering in the forest."
Hiko stood up abruptly, slamming his book down onto the nearest table. "Retrieve Kaoru-san from the Aoiya and bring her here. We will need to prepare for battle immediately."
"Yes sir." Saitou replied in monotone, bowing his head in respect before leaving the room.
...tbc...
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A/N: Oh my gosh! It has been FOREVER since I've last updated! I'm so sorry for making you guys wait, you must think I'm evil. Though I must say that my computer was in the shop for the past three weeks or so, but now it's all fixed!
Abstractmind – lol, I surprised you? I guess that's good, haha! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story then.
The-Lone-Lemon – I love waff sooooo much! There just can't be a Rurouni Kenshin story without it!
Innocence8 – oh wow! I love your comments!
Silver Eyes Bright – lol, it was quick, but the way I look at it is that they've known each other much longer than what I let on in the story.
Cyjj – ugh! I can't stand tragic endings! Especially to such a great couple.
Kik-ting – I'm glad this story's getting better, though it does have its up and downs. Now I hafta work on updating this a lot sooner, lol.
Koishii Sweet – I always love your reviews, full of enthusiasm!
Alex – Why thank ya! Keep reading!
Ashley – lol, I know the feeling of getting into it and then finding it's not finished. Because of that, I will make sure my updates come more quickly. Though there's not much left to write, the story's almost over.
Victoria – Hopefully the waff I just wrote is what you're looking for!
ChibiBattousai – lol, Tomoe is definitely not one of my favorites, and I'm afraid of how I would portray her in a story such as this. I decided that her character just wouldn't fit with this plot.
ARIGATOU MINNA-SAN!!
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A Love for One Hated
By: Mystic Song
Chapter 11 Proclamation
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Sano whistled merrily as he marched down the street with an aire of importance. He was, afterall, one of the lord's guards, and wasn't meant to be judged lightly. He was on his way towards town from the castle to pick up Megumi. He had watched the old man take Megumi from the Inn and had followed them to the Aoiya. He had promised Megumi the night before to pick her up the next morning, and he meant to keep his promise by all means.
As he neared the Aoiya, he noticed that there wasn't much movement throughout the estate like there usually was. Sanosuke was used to hearing the clash of swords or the grunts of the Oniwabanshu as they practiced, but he heard of no such thing that morning. He hesitated before knocking on the door, wondering what could have happened in order to halt the Oniwaban's practices for the day and require Megumi's assiance.
A soft padding was heard from within the house as it was cautiously slid open, a weary-eyed Misao standing behind the door.
"Oh, hey Sano." Misao greeted groggily, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "What brings you here?"
"Megumi actualy." Sanosuke answered casually. "Is she still here?"
Misao nodded and beckoned Sano inside.
Sanosuke looked around his surroundings, surprised to find things unkempt. Aoshi was leaning casually against the wall by the hearth, surveying his movements, and over to the right he found Megumi resting on her stomach, hands neatly folded beneath her chin.
"Hey, kitsune," Sanosuke called to Megumi, "Are you ready to come up to the palace?"
Megumi turned her head to face Sano and offered him a tiny smile. "How did you know I was here?"
"I followed that old man from the Inn here just to check that you were safe." Sanosuke said, shrugging slightly to emphasize that his action wasn't a big deal.
Megumi grinned. "You over protective tori-atama." Sano was surprised the Megumi didn't retort back like she usually did, but also noticed the bags beneath her eyes.
"So are ya comin or not?"
Megumi shook her head and struggled to stand up. "Ken-san and Kaoru-chan are upstairs sleeping, and I want to wait until one of them wakes up."
"Jou-chan?" Sanosuke asked suddenly, "And Kenshin? I'm glad he found her, but what happened?"
Megumi looked at him skeptically but continued, "Kaoru has a sprained ankle and Kenshin has a fever. It's pretty serious."
"Oh," Sanosuke said, looking down at the ground. "Well I hope they get better. And I think I'll wait with you until one of them wakes up. That is if it's alright with the iceman."
Aoshi lifted his head to give Sano a scrutinizing glare.
Sanosuke grinned in response. "Well, I guess that's a yes!" He then settled himself next to Megumi on the ground.
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Kaoru groaned loudly as she woke up the next morning, stretching her legs as far out as possible. The blankets that had been piled on top of her were carelessly tossed to her side as she straightened the yukata that had bunched up at her thighs. Kaoru's head was killing her as she gave a frustrated groan and cradled her head with her hands, and the steady stream of sunlight that flowed through the nearby window didn't help things either.
Kaoru sat up straight on the futon, looking around the room. The western- style bed in the corner had an occupant who Kaoru presumed was still sleeping. She inched towards the bed on her hands and knees in an attempt to discover who the sleeping person was. As she kneeled up onto the bed, however, she found that a mane of red hair covered the man's face. But the red hair was enough to give it away: it was Kenshin.
Suddenly Kaoru remembered what had happened the night before. How she looked for Kenshin in the rain and returned home with him. How Misao said that they had called a doctor and for her to not be alarmed if she found somebody else in the room with her.
Kaoru leaned in towards Kenshin and swept the hair from his eyes. His face was strained and his breaths shallow. Kaoru grimaced at his pain, thinking that she was the cause of it all. After all, if she wasn't a stewardess, then there would be no need for Kenshin to protect her and get hurt in the process.
But they wouldn't have met either, and Kaoru would certainly regret that. She had grown to like Kenshin, and even love him. She didn't want him to be hurt just for her own safety.
Kaoru withdrew her hand from Kenshin's face and slowly limped out of the bedroom. She wanted to find someone that maybe could do another check up on Kenshin. As she walked down the steps, however, she found a tall man with gravity defying hair, and her thoughts were immediately side tracked.
"Sano!" Kaoru called excitedly, hopping down the steps as fast as she could.
Sanosuke turned his head at the mention of his name and found Kaoru in a vanilla colored yukata hobbling down the steps, her eyes shining bright. "Hey Jou-chan, how are ya feeling?"
Kaoru beemed at him. "I'm fine, Sano. And it's so good to see you again!"
Sanosuke gave Kaoru one of his boyish grins. "And I see that you made it back safely...er, at least somewhat." He glanced down at Kaoru's ankle.
Megumi looked at the two chatting animatedly and became jealous. She wished that she could have a relationship like that with Sano, but she was always found bickering with him. Well, there were those moments where they would mention some compliments to each other, or express worry, but that was it. Nothing more.
But it wasn't like Megumi to get jealous over a girl who was a good few years younger than herself. Did she happen to find competition in the young girl? Of course she shouldn't pay too much attention to them, they were just friends after all. Nothing to be overworked about. So Megumi decided to shrug it off and approach Kaoru to look her ankle over.
"How does it feel?" Megumi asked, cautiously kneeling beside Kaoru's foot to get a better look at it.
"Oh, it's fine. I don't feel a thing." Kaoru replied nonchalantly.
"That's the thing, tanuki." Megumi said. "You are supposed to feel something, even if it's the foot."
Kaoru glared at the kneeling woman as she just smiled. "I meant that it doesn't hurt. When can I walk on it?"
Megumi rolled her eyes. "You should stay off of it for another few days, and keep it elevated. I will check on it again after that, and maybe then you can walk on it."
Kaoru started to pout and fell back on the nearest pillow. "I can't stay off it for that long!"
"You're going to have to try." Megumi put in before standing up.
"Aw, it won't be that bad Kaoru-chan." Misao said in her cheery voice.
Kaoru stuck out her tongue at Misao playfully and crossed her arms. "Maybe I should sprain your ankle and see what you say then."
Misao waved her hand at Kaoru. "If you did that, then Aoshi-sama would wait on my every need. It's worth breaking an ankle for that." She nudged Aoshi lightly who looked down at Misao with a questioning look. Misao simply giggled and wrapped his arms around herself.
Kaoru raised an eyebrow at the two before looking back at Megumi, who was standing closely next to Sanosuke. "How's Kenshin doing?"
Megumi frowned. "Well, I'd give him another day to wake up from his fever, and a couple days after that for him to recover his stregnth."
"That long?" Kaoru wailed.
Megumi shook her head. "That's not long at all compared to others. Ken- san is strong in both body and mind."
"Yea, Jou-chan. Nothin to fret about. He'll pull through soon enough, you just wait and see." Sano but in. Megumi looked at him thankfully.
Kaoru seemed somewhat comforted, but not entirely. What would she do for the next few days?
Suddenly, a grumpy voice sounded from upstairs. "Misao! Is breakfast ready?"
Kaoru's face lit up. "Is that Yahiko?" She asked in a hushed whisper. Aoshi looked over at Kaoru and nodded solemnly.
"No!" Misao called back. "But if you're so hungry, how about you go and make some yourself you little brat!"
"I'm not little!"
Misao huffed and stormed off to the kitchen as Aoshi tailed after her to make sure Misao woudn't hurt herself. As he passed Kaoru, he bent down and whispered. "This has been going on every morning for the past few days."
Kaoru put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
Clumsy footsteps could be heard descending the stairs as Yahiko lazily hopped down each step. Yet the footsteps came to an abrupt stop once Yahiko reached the bottom step. In front of him he saw someone that he didn't think he would see for yet a very long time.
"Busu!" He cried out desperately.
Kaoru swept her head around to look at the astonished eleven-year-old. Her eyes held mock anger at her beloved student's nickname for her. "You little brat!" She retorted.
Yahiko burst into a run as he leapt onto Kaoru's lap, hugging her fiercely. "I'm glad you're back." He wept into her shoulder.
Kaoru was surprised. She never knew that Yahiko would care so much for her return. She drew soothing circles onto Yahiko's back, cooing soft words into his ear. "Everything's alright now."
Yahiko's sobs turned into hiccups as he pulled away from Kaoru. "You hurt your ankle." He pointed out. "Who did that to you?" He asked accusingly.
Kaoru shook her head, smiling. "It's nothing to worry about, it will get better soon. Until then, I'm afraid there aren't going to be any lessons." She paused for a minute before saying, "But maybe I will help out in the kitchen."
Yahiko's smile was swept off his face. "You can't cook! There's no way you are going in the kitchen."
"And what's so bad about my cooking?" Kaoru asked angrily, her hands on her hips.
Yahiko leapt off of Kaoru's lap and danced away from Kaoru's grasp. "You suck at it!"
"Why you little-!" Kaoru pulled out a bokken and whaked Yahiko over top the head.
"Ow!"
Misao peered her head out of the kitchen, "Looks like some things never change."
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Megumi was on her way back to the castle with Sanosuke at her side. Kaoru's ankle was coming along well as the swelling had gone down. Megumi would give it another two days before Kaoru could walk on it, but until then, she would have to stay off her foot and keep it elevated.
Megumi entered the castle gates with Sano by her side and was welcomed with the cocky smile of Lord Seijuro. "Good evening, Milord." Megumi said honorable, dipping herself into a graceful curtsey. Sanosuke simply bowed his head in acknowledgement.
"Ah, good evening Megumi-kun. I must compliment you on your job well done with Kamiya-san, he is recovering nicely." Hiko replied heartily.
Megumi looked at him questioningly. "I beg your pardon, milord, but last I checked, Kamiya-san was not doing well at all."
"Well it appears he has improved. In fact, he started getting better after I told him about his daughter." Hiko said cheerfully.
"Jou-chan?" Sanosuke questioned. "What on earth did you say to Kamiya-san about Jou-chan?"
Hiko beamed at the two. "Oh, just that she would be returned to the castle soon and would be made stewardess. But he was also quite pleased to hear that her suitors will be carefully chosen when she assumes duties as princess."
Megumi and Sanosuke exchanged worried glances before excusing themselves and heading towards the castle gardens.
"Do you think she's ready to take on such duties?" Megumi asked once they had distanced themselves a great deal away from their Lord.
Sanosuke shrugged. "It's nothing that she can't learn. I'm just worried about what will happen once she becomes a princess. Certainly there will try to be assassination attempts on her, and the issue of her suitors."
Megumi quirked an eyebrow at Sanosuke. "Why are you worried about her suitors?" Megumi was somewhat worried that she may regret the answer she would receive.
"She's not ready to marry, she's too young. And I just don't want anyone taking advantage of her." Sanosuke paused and said as an afterthought, "She's like a sister to me."
"Funny how she rubs off on everyone in such a way." Megumi replied thoughtfully. Though her and the tanuki weren't on excellent terms, Megumi couldn't bring herself to shoot the girl down.
Sanosuke looked down at Megumi and smiled. "Never knew you were getting soft, Kitsune."
Megumi rolled her eyes playfully and smiled up at Sanosuke. "Oh shut your mouth, tori-atama."
Sanosuke chortled before drawing Megumi in towards him, his arm draped around her shoulder. Megumi looked up at him with a shocked expression, but when she saw that his face was brighter than it had ever been, she relaxed into his hold and rested her head against his shoulder.
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Kaoru thought she was going to die. She had been sitting in her bed for three days straight, unable to do a thing. There was so much energy pent up inside of her that she thought she was going to explode. Yet as she cast her glance in Kenshin's direction, her expression calmed. He had still yet to wake up, and when he did, she was to fetch Misao or Aoshi immediately as Megumi had left to return to her duties up at the castle.
Kaoru laid her head back down on her pillow as she tossed around in her blankets, finding the urge to release her energy on something. Finally, finding no other outlet for her stress, she slammed her face into the pillow and screamed as loud as she could.
Kenshin sat bolt upright in his bed, yet immediately regreted the sudden action as he felt the onslaught of a headache. He groaned loudly and laid back down, turning on his side to face the person who had screamed and had awoken him just moments before.
To his surprise, he found Kaoru writhing around on the ground, moaning loudly. He watched her in fascination as her body thrashed from side to side. He had never seen such a person in so much torment, and he had the sudden urge to go up to her and wrap his arms around her comfortingly. Yet before he could do so, the door slammed open as Aoshi and Misao rushed in.
"What's wrong, Kaoru?" Misao asked worriedly, bending down on her hands and knees at Kaoru's side.
"I can't take it anymore!" Kaoru wailed, her hands ready to rip the hair out of her head.
Aoshi frowned, wondering if she had damaged her ankle even more. He stepped forward and drew the covers away from Kaoru's body and examined her ankle. To his surprise and relief, the swelling was gone, and the only thing Kaoru had to be wary about would be applying the right amount of weight on her ankle as she walked.
"It is safe to walk on now." Aoshi stated calmly.
Kaoru's face immediately lit up. "You mean I can walk around now! And practice kendo!"
Aoshi shook his head. "Yes, you can walk. But you can not practice with Yahiko-chan yet. Another day, when you are adjusted to your ankle, you will be able to practice."
Kaoru's face had downfallen once again but she took the oppurtunity to stand up, casting a wary glance in Kenshin's direction.
"Hey!" Kaoru exclaimed, "You're up!" She rushed over to the bed and kneeled by Kenshin's side, nudging him playfully. "I thought you were going to be asleep forever! I was worried." Kaoru said the last part softly so that Aoshi and Misao couldn't hear.
Misao tugged on Aoshi's arm and beamed up at him before smiling at Kenshin. "It's about time, Himura. You had us all worried sick."
Kenshin's hand flew up to rub the back of his head as a soft blush crossed his cheeks. "Thanks for being concerned, de gozaru yo. But, who brought me in here in the first place? Last I remember, I was in the streets as it rained."
It was Kaoru's turn to blush once Aoshi and Misao's gaze fell upon her. "I did. I was worried so I left the Aoiya to look for you."
Kenshin beamed at Kaoru and took her hand in his. He slowly lifted her hand to his lips and graced her knuckles with a gentle kiss. "Arigatou," he murmered softly.
Kaoru's face was on fire and begged for the life of her that Misao and Aoshi weren't looking. However, life wasn't always as sweet, and Kaoru could hear the soft chuckling of Misao behind her.
"Aoshi-sama and I will go fix you something to eat, Kenshin." Misao tugged Aoshi out of the room and Kaoru could hear their slow footsteps make their way down the stairs.
Kaoru leaned forward and rested her chin on her folded hands. "Are you feeling alright?" She asked softly, content with gazing up into Kenshin's soft amethyst eyes.
Kenshin nodded appreciatively. "I feel as good as to walk." To prove his point, he slid out of the bed and stood in front of Kaoru.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed, leaping up herself. "You should still get some rest!"
Kenshin shook his head. "Honestly, I feel fine. However, Kaoru-dono, your ankle is in no condition to walk on." He teased as he scooped Kaoru up into his arms and headed towards the door.
Kaoru playfully slapped Kenshin on the shoulder. "That's nonsense. Aoshi said I could walk on it."
Kenshin payed no attention to Kaoru as he walked out the bedroom door and strolled down the steps.
Kaoru watched Kenshin intently as they made their way down the stairs. She noted the way his crimson hair swayed to each step, and how his narrowed amethyst eyes were focused out in front of him.
Kenshin noticed Kaoru's stare and laid gentle eyes upon her soft face. "Is there something you wanted?" He asked bemused.
Kaoru's eyes widened in embarrassment at being caught and a streak of blush stained her cheeks. She furiously shook her head, but she soon fell into her trance once again.
Kenshin chuckled in reaction to Kaoru's strange behavior and turned to look at her again, his steps pausing so that he was no longer descending the stairs. He was awed with the way she was looking at him. Her rose petal lips were caught in a barely visible grin, and her aquamarine eyes were glazed over. His eyes were locked on her, and he couldn't tear his gaze away from hers.
"Kenshin," Kaoru said softly, his name falling from her lips as if it were a breath.
She hesitated to continue. "Hmm?" Kenshin prompted.
"I-I think I'm in love with you." Kaoru finally replied, just as softly as before.
Kenshin was overcome with joy at hearing her admit her feelings, yet somewhat fearful. "I'm afraid I'm in love with you too." He said somberly.
He watched Kaoru's eyes widen in shock, and in her blue depths he could detect disappointment. "What do you mean?" Her lip trembled slightly, anxiously waiting his reply.
"Oh, Kaoru," Kenshin sighed, his head lurching forward and drooping onto her neck. She felt his breath on the crook of her neck, and his forhead nuzzling her ebony hair. Her arms around his neck tightened as her hands fisted his yukata. Kenshin continued, yet slowly, "You are too pure for me. You are stewardess, soon to become princess and queen. I am an ex- hitokiri. I taint your innocence, and I fear that I will give you a bad reputation."
Kaoru's eyes drifted shut as she caressed her cheek against his fiery mane in a form of comfort. "That is nonsense." She said boldly. "You do no such thing to me. You even said that you are no longer a hitokiri yourself, and your past means nothing of that sort to me. You have proven yourself to be a great man, Kenshin."
Kenshin was comforted by her words and lifted his head so that his forehead could be pressed against her own. "You are an amazing woman, Kaoru."
Kaoru giggled, her lips forming a brilliant smile.
A hungry look arose in the depths of Kenshin's eyes as the battle for amber to overtake amethyst arose. The result was a steely blue that caught Kaoru off guard. Though before Kaoru could question what it meant, Kenshin grazed his lips across Kaoru's, eliciting a soft moan from the recesses of her throat.
Once Kenshin drew away, he chuckled into Kaoru's hair, a boyish grin forming across his lips. He continued to carry Kaoru down the few remaining steps and into the kitchen to meet a very bemused Aoshi and Misao.
¤¤
"Lord Seijuro." The urgent voice of Saitou inquired as he stepped into Hiko's study. Hiko looked up from his book and gave Saitou his attention. "I've received word that Shishio's men are gathering in the forest."
Hiko stood up abruptly, slamming his book down onto the nearest table. "Retrieve Kaoru-san from the Aoiya and bring her here. We will need to prepare for battle immediately."
"Yes sir." Saitou replied in monotone, bowing his head in respect before leaving the room.
...tbc...
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A/N: Oh my gosh! It has been FOREVER since I've last updated! I'm so sorry for making you guys wait, you must think I'm evil. Though I must say that my computer was in the shop for the past three weeks or so, but now it's all fixed!
Abstractmind – lol, I surprised you? I guess that's good, haha! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story then.
The-Lone-Lemon – I love waff sooooo much! There just can't be a Rurouni Kenshin story without it!
Innocence8 – oh wow! I love your comments!
Silver Eyes Bright – lol, it was quick, but the way I look at it is that they've known each other much longer than what I let on in the story.
Cyjj – ugh! I can't stand tragic endings! Especially to such a great couple.
Kik-ting – I'm glad this story's getting better, though it does have its up and downs. Now I hafta work on updating this a lot sooner, lol.
Koishii Sweet – I always love your reviews, full of enthusiasm!
Alex – Why thank ya! Keep reading!
Ashley – lol, I know the feeling of getting into it and then finding it's not finished. Because of that, I will make sure my updates come more quickly. Though there's not much left to write, the story's almost over.
Victoria – Hopefully the waff I just wrote is what you're looking for!
ChibiBattousai – lol, Tomoe is definitely not one of my favorites, and I'm afraid of how I would portray her in a story such as this. I decided that her character just wouldn't fit with this plot.
ARIGATOU MINNA-SAN!!