I do not, never have, and sadly never will own Rurouni Kenshin. I do, however own a collection of RK DVDs and manga XD -
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Gah! It's been so long!
Thankfully, I haven't lost my reviews. I've got 98 so far ;x I think.. Hopefully, there's more to come! I haven't been getting as many lately ::sniffle:: Maybe you guys forgot about me? Or maybe you simply cant review because you've already reviewed for this chapter (before I re-wrote the story)? Possibly you could write an anonymous review to encourage me, if you'd like? No need to, though, if you don't want.
I'm blabbing too long, sorry ;x I'll try and shoot for a decent sized chapter...No promises, though ::cries:
This might be the end for this little ficlet :(
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Onto the story!
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Chapter 3 ; "Confessions of a Blind Pair"
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I slowly trudged onto the porch, sitting down ever-so-carefully at the edge, as to not injure myself any further. That fall I had taken the other day outside of Kenshin's room must've done some damage I hadn't even noticed. Well, I felt it now. In my ankle, to be precise. I guess you'd call it a delayed response? Pretty darn delayed to me.
Kenshin hadn't stopped acting so...tense, restless, and worried, whenever he was around me today. He was like a hawk, watching over it's child. He was way too overprotective. I'm not saying he wasn't adorable when he had that innocent expression on his face whenever I asked why he was making it such a big deal. He would always have the cutest look in those deep, amethyst pools of his.
The pain had intruded just this morning, after I awoke from my night's sleep. At least it wasn't currently as painful as it had been this morning.
I looked up to see a relatively tall man standing infront of me on the green grass, his red headband flowing gently in the breeze along with his clothes. Sano. Next to him was a much shorter, younger boy. What an odd contrast. Right off the bat I could tell that it was my apprentice, Yahiko. What they could want with poor old me, I do not know. I stared silently at the pair, awaiting their words of absurdity. Grins spread across both of their faces simultaneously. It frightened me a bit, how they thought the same...they practically were the same.
"Sano told me about your confession the other day." Yahiko couldn't help but start out the conversation, his grin growing wider. "So how do you plan on pounding it into that idiot-rurouni's head? He still doesn't seem to get it."
"Yeah," Sanosuke chimed in, "He keeps denying it, saying that you don't like him. Of course, we know the two of you like each other. He's just coming up with excuses to keep himself out of a corner." Sano raised an eyebrow as my facial expression grew nervous.
Stammering, I tried to think quickly of something to save my skin. What a surprise. My brain has, once again, failed to please me.
"So you full-out admit it, Ugly?" Yahiko snickered, his eyes growing dark in an evil fashion. "You admit that you love your dear Kenshin?" He stressed on the "love" and fluttered his eyelashes girlishly all-throughout the sentence.
"Th-that's not true.." I looked up at them with embarrassed eyes, my face colored like a rose. I knew I was lying, but what else could I do? They'd go tell Kenshin that I really loved him. Not that they probably haven't already, but I haven't truly admitted it yet...I think. "You've got nothing against me..." I mustered as much courage as I could before standing infront of the two men in the yard, still looking upward at Sanosuke, seeing as he was a rather tall man.
"Oh, we don't?" Sanosuke, looking down at me with devilish chocolate eyes, placed two curled fingers underneath my chin, tilting my face upward a bit. "But whatever happened to 'all she tries to do is steal Kenshin away from me', huh?" While he quoted my words, he attempted a female voice, pouting his lower lip slightly.
I grunted quietly as my eyebrows lowered, lightly slapping his hand away from my face. "That means nothing." My eyes narrowed a tiny bit, unconsciously trying to look intimidating, as if I actually believed my own innocent plead. "I just... I just meant... W-We're only friends, you know. You can even ask Kenshin."
"Didn't you just hear us?" Yahiko decided to bring his own voice into the slight quarrel before it ended, having gone nowhere. "We just said that he always comes up with excuses. It's like his job or something." The boy rolled his eyes and looked off to the side, quickly noticing a familiar redhead walking toward the small bunch. "Speaking of the devil..."
I glared at Yahiko for a moment, silently reprimanding him for his choice of reference, before looking in the direction of the young boy's gaze. Sanosuke's eyes followed soon after I greeted Kenshin, my usual bright smile accompanying my hello.
Kenshin was looking a bit rattled. As he came closer, I took a few steps toward him, while the younger of the two immature 'men' whistled. Sanosuke hit the back of his head to keep him quiet and watched me.
"Heyyy," Yahiko whined like a young girl, grabbing at his head as he glowered upward at Sano. "That hurt."
"Be a man and deal with it." Sanosuke grinned slightly as Yahiko huffed and looked at Kenshin and myself.
"M-Miss Kaoru, could I have a moment with you?" Kenshin stood infront of me, surprisingly maintaining a calm expression on his face, but it was obvious his attempt was failing horribly when it came to his voice. He almost sounded as if he were reaching puberty, his words a bit shaky and his tone slightly uneven.
Yahiko couldn't hold back as he whistled once again, laughing beneath his breath.
"Don't worry. We'll be leaving you two at peace, now." Sanosuke grabbed Yahiko and pulled him, a bit violently, up onto the porch and into the closest room, listening intently with their ears plastered to the wall.
"What is it, Kenshin? Is something on your mind?" I watched as he stared intently at the ground in-between us, his rurouni façade slipping as I saw more emotions swipe across his face. Embarrassment, sadness, self-centered anger, confusion, and so much more. I waited patiently, seeing that he was trying to plan something out in his head.
"I...I want to know how you think of me, that I do." Kenshin's voice was now quiet, yet steady, as if to enforce the seriousness in his request.
"Oh, Kenshin...." I looked at him in a slightly shocked manner, before regaining composure with a smile. "Kenshin, you know I care for you. I've cared for you ever since I met you. You're my closest friend, and always will be..." I smiled as I watched him look up at me, his eyes softening as I continued. I could barely ever tell what was going on in his mind, but somehow I knew he wanted me to go on. "You always care for me, and are so worried over the simplest things, such as my ankle." Speaking of which, I hadn't noticed until then that the pain had disappeared. He blushed ever-so-slightly before I continued, "You take care of me in a way no one ever has, and I thank you so much for that. Your personality is amazing. You deserve so much more than you think." I tried hard to explain my feelings toward him as well as I could, yet without giving away my deepest secret...or at least what I liked to think was a secret.
"You.....You honestly think that?" Once again, Kenshin's voice was low and quiet. His eyes had somehow seemed to soften even more, a bit of an amber glow mixing with the rich amethyst color his eyes normally carried. I saw a new emotion upon his face. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite make out which emotion it was, but it was definitely strong, and if I wasn't mistaken, the feeling was directed toward me.
"Yes, Kenshin..." Again, I was lost in the man before me, living in pure ecstasy among heaven, the perfect vibes flowing through my body.
"Um...I wanted to tell you something, that I did... It's been nagging at me for a while now, more so in the past few days than ever. Sanosuke has also been trying to persuade me to tell you, that he has." Kenshin's foot started to dig gently at the dirt in a display of nervousness, only adding an uneasy feeling to the atmosphere. "I....well, I've been thinking lately..."
Many thoughts ran through my head, as to whatever possible statements he could be trying to admit. More than once, did the thought of Kenshin declaring his love for me, appear in my mind. I pushed it away each time, thinking that it was impossible and silly of me to be thinking such things. This could be important and here I was venturing off into a selfish little made-up world where Kenshin loved me. Although it kept fighting its way back into my mind. What a persistent thought. I'll think such things later, not at a time like this.
"And I've....I've come to a conclusion, that I have." Kenshin looked even deeper into my eyes. He seemed a bit more in control of his actions, yet he did something totally unexpected. His hand had slowly crept up to the side of my face, gently cupping my cheek. He also leaned forward slightly, and I itched to fall into his arms. It sort of frightened me, yet at the same time, it was exciting and I wanted more. "I...I--"
A hard knock on the dojo gate interrupted the scene, catching the two of us at an awkward moment. Kenshin was standing awfully close to me, his hand on my cheek, each of us looking into each other's eyes with silent passion flowing from our stares.
Kenshin groaned quietly as he looked off to the side and stepped back. "...I-I'll get that..." He turned and walked toward the gate, to greet the visitor, blushing madly all-the-while.
My gaze lingered on his retreating form, my expression never changing. The look in his eyes was...something undescribable. It was an amazing feeling to have him so close to me, yet ... so far. Yes, I have been closer to people before, but not a man...The other experiences were simply friendly hugs.. this was different.
I slowly turned, taking my eyes off Kenshin, and walked up onto the porch before I traveled into the training hall, kneeling next to the closest wall. I stared at the wooden floor infront of me, not noticing as the two freeloaders walked over, sitting down next to me.
"So.." Sanosuke started off as he sat on my left, knocking my thoughts back into reality. "He's getting pretty close to actually admitting it, don't ya think?"
"A-Admitting it?" I turned my head away so he couldn't see the blush slowly growing upon my face, only to notice Yahiko on my right. I tilted my head down toward my lap, trying to hide anything.
"Don't even try to deny it now, Ugly." Yahiko grinned and elbowed me in the side gently, quickly noticing my embarrassment. "What I don't understand is why it took you two so long to even get this far. And you're still behind in the schedule."
"Schedule? ... I can take things as slow as I want, Yahiko. You've got no right to tell me what to do with my love life." I barely noticed how the two males took my words, but it wasn't the way I meant for it to sound.
"So you're saying you love Kenshin, but you're afraid of something?" Yahiko chuckled quietly, trying to sound as serious as he could. His feet swung side to side in a nonchalant rhythm as his legs were laid straight out on the floor infront of him.
"..." I really didn't want to lie anymore. The truth might as well come out sooner or later, right? Why not now?
"Just a passerby." Kenshin entered the training hall, standing infront of us all. "I think he might have been lost.." His hand came up to scratch the back of his head slightly.
"We'll leave you two alone, now." Yahiko just had to embarrass me further. He stood, motioning for Sanosuke to follow. The two of them walked out the door slowly, leaving a slightly confused Kenshin and I.
I looked up as they stepped outside. They had left the room, but were no further than two feet from the door. Not that I could see them, it was just their nature to eavesdrop.
"Listen... Miss Kaoru, I.." Kenshin slowly came to sit beside me, facing me fully. He seemed confident and determined, though I could feel a bit of anxiousness about him..or maybe that was just me. "About before, I just wanted to get something out, that I did." He looked down at my hands which were settled in my lap, idly caressing one another nervously.
I felt a bit more comfortable looking up at his face while his eyes weren't on mine. "Yes, Kenshin?" His eyes came up, catching my gaze and not letting go. My mouth opened slightly as I noticed the expressions that softly played across his face. He seemed to be struggling slightly, yet he didn't want to hold back any longer.
"I've been wondering lately, how far you wanted...to bring our relationship." He swallowed and continued, "I...I've noticed how I feel about you..that I have." His eyes traveled to my hands for a short moment before returning to my face. "I like you a lot. I really do..And..And I love you. Not just..as a friend, but....more. I really love you..." He spoke quietly, but I heard him clearly.
My heart beat fast and my breathing was slightly uneven though silent, swearing to myself it was a dream. All I could do was look at him in amazement.
The two boys outside had peeked their heads in, watching us from the doorway, their expressions agape.
"Kenshin..." I didn't know what my face looked like, but by his reaction, I hadn't been showing my true feelings.
Kenshin quickly looked away, sitting back a bit. "I..understand, that I do."
"No, Kenshin, I--" I leaned toward him, only to have him hold his hand up and smile at me.
"It's okay, Miss Kaoru, that it is." Kenshin's hand fell back down to his side as he kept up his smile. I saw his eyes hurt, and yet his face was happy. If he put his mind to it, he could fool someone so easily. But not me.
"Kenshin, listen to me." I grabbed his wrist as he was about to stand up. His attention was brought back to me, his smile had dissipated. My voice lowered slightly, and I was not able to prevent it from faltering here and there. "I never said I disliked you, did I?"
"But, Miss Kaoru--"
"Please, let me talk." I still held his wrist, afraid he would get up and leave at any time. "I do like you..a lot. And it's kind of hard for me...but since you have....." I took a deep breath, "I love you too." Silence filled the room as Kenshin's expression lightened.
"You..." He brought his face to mine, grinning with anxious excitement. "You really mean it?"
I laughed quietly, not noticing our nearness as I nodded. "Of course."
Slowly, our smiles and quiet laughter died down as I noticed he was looking down at my mouth. His eyes moved back up to meet my own, asking silently for permission. I was kneeling infront of the man I loved, after he had just declared his feelings for me, and here he was waiting. I was as innocent as they come, I had no idea what to do. I had never been this close to a man before today, and just the thought of it brought butterflies to my stomach. Actually being in this situation pushed those butterflies up into my throat.
Kenshin leaned forward as I let go of his wrist, watching him with wide eyes. I leaned back against the wall, still facing him as he tilted his head ever so slightly and closed his eyes, bringing our lips together. I slowly closed my eyes and relaxed, millions of thoughts running rampant through my mind. I pushed them all aside as I basked in the moment, feeling Kenshin's hand gently hold the side of my face. It seemed like forever until we parted. It took me a few moments to focus my energy on opening my eyes, but I succeeded. He was smiling, watching me.
Yahiko just had to ruin it with a provocative whistle and a laugh. "It's about time!" The little brat shouted with a grin, his better half right behind him, laughing.
I looked to them as my face heated with embarrassment, ditto for Kenshin. He pulled away from me and sat to look at the other two. I frowned at them. "What do you want now?"
"What are you talking about? It's time to celebrate! You guys were so slow at noticing your feelings." He emphasized the word 'feelings' with a feminine touch.
Kenshin looked at me with a smile. "Why not?" He stood up, holding out a hand to help me up.
I placed my hand upon his and stood, looking to Sanosuke and Yahiko. "Would you want to go to the Akabeko then..?" I raised an eyebrow along with a pointed finger, facing Sanosuke. "Would you like to get your own date?" I lowered my arm as Sano simply gave me a confused look. "Megumi, silly. You can confess your true feelings next." I grinned.
Kenshin hadn't let go of my hand after I stood. Personally, I've got no problem with that, I was just a bit surprised, seeing as Kenshin didn't seem like the type of person to do that. I guess since we're starting a stronger relationship now, he was showing more of his feelings and what he really wanted to do.
"Heh heh." Sanosuke grinned back. "At least I wont take as long as you two did. But you're payin'." He left the room before I could defend my wallet, sighing as I admitted defeat.
"I'll pay, Miss Kaoru, that I will." Kenshin gripped my hand gently and pulled me along to follow Yahiko, who had ran to catch up with Sano.
I sighed and walked along with Kenshin, not seeing anything about his speech pattern change in the least bit. I was kind of looking forward to him calling me plain-ol' Kaoru. Well, I've lived with it until now, so I can handle it a bit longer. He's got to notice it soon, right?
Before I knew it, Kenshin and I were inside the Akabeko, greeting Tae and the others. Kenshin was still holding my hand, apparently he forgot about it.
Not too far behind us was the rest of the group, Sanosuke, Megumi, and Yahiko. Sano pulled Tae over and explained the event. She smiled with excitement and I could hear a "I knew they would."
I blushed slightly and was brought to a separate room with a table which was larger than most in the restaurant. What had I gotten myself into... I sat with Kenshin, Megumi, and Yahiko. Sanosuke soon came by, fitting himself in next to Megumi. Tsubame came into the room, asking if she could sit down as well. We gladly accepted her, and she sat next to Yahiko.
"Alright, are you payin', Missy?" Sanosuke planted a fist onto the table and looked in my direction.
"I'm paying, Sano." Kenshin cut in, raising an eyebrow. "What's the difference either way?"
"Yes!" Sano grinned wickedly, throwing his arm into the air. "Lets drink!"
Megumi grabbed Sanosuke's wrist and brought his arm back down to earth. "Shh, there are young children here. Let's try and keep it under control." She let go of his wrist and placed her hand back in her lap. She looked across the table at Yahiko and Tsubame, each blushing softly and chattering quietly.
Sano sighed and looked at the 'young children' and then back at Megumi. "They're not that young, you know. They could handle a few drinks themselves. Plus, even if they didn't want to have anything, it's not gonna kill 'em to watch, right?" He waited for a response from the vixen, seeing a contemplative expression on her face.
Megumi sighed in defeat and quietly muttered, "Fine, you can have a little alcohol, but not much. It's too early to get drunk. Come back on your own later this evening, then you can go crazy"
I smiled as I felt Kenshin's hand carefully take mine, as if I were glass. I turned my head to look at him and saw him, yet again, smiling at me. I generously mirrored his expression and looked down at our hands.
Tae walked in and grinned at the two of us. "So, are the rumors true, Kaoru?"
I heard the familiar accent and Kenshin and I looked up, giving hesitant smiles.
"Um...depends what the rumors were." I started to feel a bit uneasy, wondering what could have possibly been spread around so quickly.
"That you two declared your love for one another." She said it softly, but in a romantic way, smiling brightly. "So did ya?"
"Y-yeah..If that's how you want to put it.."
"Aw, I knew it was only a matter of time." Tae sat across from Kenshin and myself, leaning forward a bit in anticipation. "So... did you two kiss?"
"Tae," I tried using a reprimanding, yet nice voice, "please.." The look in my eyes must've gotten the message through. I watched her raise her hands in defense.
"Alright, alright, just wantin' to know the good parts." She giggled quietly as she stood.
"Tae." I whined quietly, giving her a pleading look.
"I'm goin'!" She continued to grin as she walked out of the private room, sending another waitress inside to take our orders.
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After the little get-together, Yahiko, Kenshin and I had arrived back home and were getting ready for the rest of the evening. The 'party' had lasted longer than expected, and took up most of the afternoon. We decided on heading back before we got too distracted. It was nice, though. Not many jokes were made about Kenshin and I, and I had a good time. It seemed Kenshin did as well.
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I yawned, revealing the ache in my body called tiredness. I was standing outside in the yard, it now being late night. I stared up at the shining stars in amazement, thanking the gods for a thing such as love. This had to have been the best day of my life. It couldn't get any better.
Kenshin walked off the porch and stood behind me. He smiled and waited for me to notice his presence.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" I couldn't help but keep smiling as I turned and looked back at him.
Kenshin briefly looked up at the sky before looking back at me. He nodded and replied, "Gorgeous.." His eyes held a loving expression. A shiver ran down my spine at the look in his gaze, and his smile widened at that.
Stars above us sparkled in the darkness, some standing out more than others. The moon shone down upon us and the home we stood near, as if protecting us from every harmful being around. I felt safe just being infront of Kenshin, and his voice comforted me further.
"I sent Yahiko to bed, that I did. He gave in after a minute or two." He sighed with a small smile. "You can never really trust that boy, though I'd like to. He's probably up and about, maybe eating in the kitchen."
"I know what you mean." I laughed quietly and looked around at the scenery. I suddenly felt self-conscious and nervous. Deep in my stomach I could feel an emotion, though I wasn't sure what it was. It made me even more nervous about being around Kenshin, and I thought of when we had told each other our feelings. I was even more hesitant as I thought of how quiet it was, and how alone we were, secluded, in our own yard with no one else to disturb us. Butterflies grew again.
I blushed as I looked back at Kenshin. "You know...I feel kind of silly saying this to you, but.." I looked down at the ground next to me as I continued, "Whenever I thought of you and me, I always had this little dream of us being together. And I'd swear to myself that that was all it was...a dream. No matter how much I wished, or prayed..I thought you'd never feel the same way as I." It started to pour out of my mouth, not caring to be checked in my mind as it marched out of me.
The next thing I new was his body had been pressed against mine, his strong arms around me, and his head gently leaned against mine. My eyes widened and my arms hung motionless for a few moments, before I caught on to what had happened, and my arms slowly slid around his form.
"Kenshin..." I whispered, staring up at the sky, afraid to smile. "I was afraid you couldn't return my feelings..and I didn't know what I would do from then on. So I tried to keep it a secret."
"Shh,"I could feel his smile against my neck, and he spoke softly into my hair. "That's how I felt. We were both stuck in the same corner. But Sanosuke helped me broaden my thoughts, as to the possibility of you loving me back. And I could tell there was a small chance that you did love me back. I had to risk that...so I did." He held me a bit tighter for a short moment, without hurting me and he laughed softly into the crook of my neck. "It was worth it, I can tell you that."
I noticed his speech pattern had changed. He hadn't been saying any "that I am" phrases at the ends of his sentences. I wonder if he would drop the "Miss" as well.
"I'm glad you took that risk. Because I know I wouldn't have. I didn't want to face rejection..especially from you." I relished the feeling of him against me, his breath on my neck, and his arms around me. All I could do was hold back thankful and loving tears as we spoke.
"Don't even think that. I would never reject you. I would do anything for you." One of Kenshin's hands was at my lower back, holding me against him. His other hand was holding my shoulder from behind. "I would give up anything for you. You know that, right?"
I couldn't hold back any longer as I let tears flow from my now closed eyes. "Oh, Kenshin..."
He pulled away to look at me, but still held me in a close hug. "What is it? Is it something I said?"
I opened my eyes and saw that his concerned face was full of love and so many sweet emotions I couldn't keep track of.
Both of his hands came up to hold either side of my face, his thumbs gently wiping away some of my tears. "Don't cry.."
I kept my arms around him, holding him close. I watched him through blurry eyes, letting go of joyful tears. "Kenshin, I'm happy....I never thought it would happen, but..you really love me, don't you?"
"Of course I do.." He kept his face close to mine as he stared into my eyes. "I always have. Even when I first met you, I had a crush on you. I didn't like the idea of being attached to someone when I might have to wander again, but that crush turned into love. And I knew that I would never be able to leave you..."
My tears slowly stopped and I smiled, my cheeks and lips still moist. "It's like a dream-come-true.. It's so hard to believe it.."
"It's real." Kenshin smiled and I finally recognized the emotion in his eyes. It was love that I saw. Not just a caring love, but a deep and unbreakable love that was directed toward me.
I blushed slightly as his face moved closer to mine, his eyes closing and his lips connecting with my own.
I closed my eyes and stored the moment in my heart, the stars, the moonlight, the feeling, everything.
I noticed Kenshin hadn't pulled away like he did last time. One of his hands slid down my jaw line and I felt his thumb rest on my chin, before gently opening my mouth to deepen the kiss, tilting his head slightly. I hadn't even known that it was possible to do that.
I whimpered almost silently in innocence, my knees bending slightly. It was unexpected and amazing at the same time. I didn't know what to do, or how to react. He seemed fine with that, though.
It seemed like an eternity until Kenshin pulled away, taking in long, quiet breaths. I was the same, and my eyes opened to see him staring at me. I felt my cheeks heat up as he smiled sweetly.
"I love you, Kaoru." He murmured against my lips.
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Nyahh I'm jealous ::pout:
I hope this was a good ending for all of you! No more chapters shall be added to this story, for it begs to be ended.
Sorry for any mistakes.
I'm working on my other stories and it's been so hectic. I don't want to complain much, so I'll just say "Don't worry, I'm not giving up on them". Hehe this was longer than usual. I feel proud.
I hope you liked it! Send in reviews!
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Gah! It's been so long!
Thankfully, I haven't lost my reviews. I've got 98 so far ;x I think.. Hopefully, there's more to come! I haven't been getting as many lately ::sniffle:: Maybe you guys forgot about me? Or maybe you simply cant review because you've already reviewed for this chapter (before I re-wrote the story)? Possibly you could write an anonymous review to encourage me, if you'd like? No need to, though, if you don't want.
I'm blabbing too long, sorry ;x I'll try and shoot for a decent sized chapter...No promises, though ::cries:
This might be the end for this little ficlet :(
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Onto the story!
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Chapter 3 ; "Confessions of a Blind Pair"
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I slowly trudged onto the porch, sitting down ever-so-carefully at the edge, as to not injure myself any further. That fall I had taken the other day outside of Kenshin's room must've done some damage I hadn't even noticed. Well, I felt it now. In my ankle, to be precise. I guess you'd call it a delayed response? Pretty darn delayed to me.
Kenshin hadn't stopped acting so...tense, restless, and worried, whenever he was around me today. He was like a hawk, watching over it's child. He was way too overprotective. I'm not saying he wasn't adorable when he had that innocent expression on his face whenever I asked why he was making it such a big deal. He would always have the cutest look in those deep, amethyst pools of his.
The pain had intruded just this morning, after I awoke from my night's sleep. At least it wasn't currently as painful as it had been this morning.
I looked up to see a relatively tall man standing infront of me on the green grass, his red headband flowing gently in the breeze along with his clothes. Sano. Next to him was a much shorter, younger boy. What an odd contrast. Right off the bat I could tell that it was my apprentice, Yahiko. What they could want with poor old me, I do not know. I stared silently at the pair, awaiting their words of absurdity. Grins spread across both of their faces simultaneously. It frightened me a bit, how they thought the same...they practically were the same.
"Sano told me about your confession the other day." Yahiko couldn't help but start out the conversation, his grin growing wider. "So how do you plan on pounding it into that idiot-rurouni's head? He still doesn't seem to get it."
"Yeah," Sanosuke chimed in, "He keeps denying it, saying that you don't like him. Of course, we know the two of you like each other. He's just coming up with excuses to keep himself out of a corner." Sano raised an eyebrow as my facial expression grew nervous.
Stammering, I tried to think quickly of something to save my skin. What a surprise. My brain has, once again, failed to please me.
"So you full-out admit it, Ugly?" Yahiko snickered, his eyes growing dark in an evil fashion. "You admit that you love your dear Kenshin?" He stressed on the "love" and fluttered his eyelashes girlishly all-throughout the sentence.
"Th-that's not true.." I looked up at them with embarrassed eyes, my face colored like a rose. I knew I was lying, but what else could I do? They'd go tell Kenshin that I really loved him. Not that they probably haven't already, but I haven't truly admitted it yet...I think. "You've got nothing against me..." I mustered as much courage as I could before standing infront of the two men in the yard, still looking upward at Sanosuke, seeing as he was a rather tall man.
"Oh, we don't?" Sanosuke, looking down at me with devilish chocolate eyes, placed two curled fingers underneath my chin, tilting my face upward a bit. "But whatever happened to 'all she tries to do is steal Kenshin away from me', huh?" While he quoted my words, he attempted a female voice, pouting his lower lip slightly.
I grunted quietly as my eyebrows lowered, lightly slapping his hand away from my face. "That means nothing." My eyes narrowed a tiny bit, unconsciously trying to look intimidating, as if I actually believed my own innocent plead. "I just... I just meant... W-We're only friends, you know. You can even ask Kenshin."
"Didn't you just hear us?" Yahiko decided to bring his own voice into the slight quarrel before it ended, having gone nowhere. "We just said that he always comes up with excuses. It's like his job or something." The boy rolled his eyes and looked off to the side, quickly noticing a familiar redhead walking toward the small bunch. "Speaking of the devil..."
I glared at Yahiko for a moment, silently reprimanding him for his choice of reference, before looking in the direction of the young boy's gaze. Sanosuke's eyes followed soon after I greeted Kenshin, my usual bright smile accompanying my hello.
Kenshin was looking a bit rattled. As he came closer, I took a few steps toward him, while the younger of the two immature 'men' whistled. Sanosuke hit the back of his head to keep him quiet and watched me.
"Heyyy," Yahiko whined like a young girl, grabbing at his head as he glowered upward at Sano. "That hurt."
"Be a man and deal with it." Sanosuke grinned slightly as Yahiko huffed and looked at Kenshin and myself.
"M-Miss Kaoru, could I have a moment with you?" Kenshin stood infront of me, surprisingly maintaining a calm expression on his face, but it was obvious his attempt was failing horribly when it came to his voice. He almost sounded as if he were reaching puberty, his words a bit shaky and his tone slightly uneven.
Yahiko couldn't hold back as he whistled once again, laughing beneath his breath.
"Don't worry. We'll be leaving you two at peace, now." Sanosuke grabbed Yahiko and pulled him, a bit violently, up onto the porch and into the closest room, listening intently with their ears plastered to the wall.
"What is it, Kenshin? Is something on your mind?" I watched as he stared intently at the ground in-between us, his rurouni façade slipping as I saw more emotions swipe across his face. Embarrassment, sadness, self-centered anger, confusion, and so much more. I waited patiently, seeing that he was trying to plan something out in his head.
"I...I want to know how you think of me, that I do." Kenshin's voice was now quiet, yet steady, as if to enforce the seriousness in his request.
"Oh, Kenshin...." I looked at him in a slightly shocked manner, before regaining composure with a smile. "Kenshin, you know I care for you. I've cared for you ever since I met you. You're my closest friend, and always will be..." I smiled as I watched him look up at me, his eyes softening as I continued. I could barely ever tell what was going on in his mind, but somehow I knew he wanted me to go on. "You always care for me, and are so worried over the simplest things, such as my ankle." Speaking of which, I hadn't noticed until then that the pain had disappeared. He blushed ever-so-slightly before I continued, "You take care of me in a way no one ever has, and I thank you so much for that. Your personality is amazing. You deserve so much more than you think." I tried hard to explain my feelings toward him as well as I could, yet without giving away my deepest secret...or at least what I liked to think was a secret.
"You.....You honestly think that?" Once again, Kenshin's voice was low and quiet. His eyes had somehow seemed to soften even more, a bit of an amber glow mixing with the rich amethyst color his eyes normally carried. I saw a new emotion upon his face. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite make out which emotion it was, but it was definitely strong, and if I wasn't mistaken, the feeling was directed toward me.
"Yes, Kenshin..." Again, I was lost in the man before me, living in pure ecstasy among heaven, the perfect vibes flowing through my body.
"Um...I wanted to tell you something, that I did... It's been nagging at me for a while now, more so in the past few days than ever. Sanosuke has also been trying to persuade me to tell you, that he has." Kenshin's foot started to dig gently at the dirt in a display of nervousness, only adding an uneasy feeling to the atmosphere. "I....well, I've been thinking lately..."
Many thoughts ran through my head, as to whatever possible statements he could be trying to admit. More than once, did the thought of Kenshin declaring his love for me, appear in my mind. I pushed it away each time, thinking that it was impossible and silly of me to be thinking such things. This could be important and here I was venturing off into a selfish little made-up world where Kenshin loved me. Although it kept fighting its way back into my mind. What a persistent thought. I'll think such things later, not at a time like this.
"And I've....I've come to a conclusion, that I have." Kenshin looked even deeper into my eyes. He seemed a bit more in control of his actions, yet he did something totally unexpected. His hand had slowly crept up to the side of my face, gently cupping my cheek. He also leaned forward slightly, and I itched to fall into his arms. It sort of frightened me, yet at the same time, it was exciting and I wanted more. "I...I--"
A hard knock on the dojo gate interrupted the scene, catching the two of us at an awkward moment. Kenshin was standing awfully close to me, his hand on my cheek, each of us looking into each other's eyes with silent passion flowing from our stares.
Kenshin groaned quietly as he looked off to the side and stepped back. "...I-I'll get that..." He turned and walked toward the gate, to greet the visitor, blushing madly all-the-while.
My gaze lingered on his retreating form, my expression never changing. The look in his eyes was...something undescribable. It was an amazing feeling to have him so close to me, yet ... so far. Yes, I have been closer to people before, but not a man...The other experiences were simply friendly hugs.. this was different.
I slowly turned, taking my eyes off Kenshin, and walked up onto the porch before I traveled into the training hall, kneeling next to the closest wall. I stared at the wooden floor infront of me, not noticing as the two freeloaders walked over, sitting down next to me.
"So.." Sanosuke started off as he sat on my left, knocking my thoughts back into reality. "He's getting pretty close to actually admitting it, don't ya think?"
"A-Admitting it?" I turned my head away so he couldn't see the blush slowly growing upon my face, only to notice Yahiko on my right. I tilted my head down toward my lap, trying to hide anything.
"Don't even try to deny it now, Ugly." Yahiko grinned and elbowed me in the side gently, quickly noticing my embarrassment. "What I don't understand is why it took you two so long to even get this far. And you're still behind in the schedule."
"Schedule? ... I can take things as slow as I want, Yahiko. You've got no right to tell me what to do with my love life." I barely noticed how the two males took my words, but it wasn't the way I meant for it to sound.
"So you're saying you love Kenshin, but you're afraid of something?" Yahiko chuckled quietly, trying to sound as serious as he could. His feet swung side to side in a nonchalant rhythm as his legs were laid straight out on the floor infront of him.
"..." I really didn't want to lie anymore. The truth might as well come out sooner or later, right? Why not now?
"Just a passerby." Kenshin entered the training hall, standing infront of us all. "I think he might have been lost.." His hand came up to scratch the back of his head slightly.
"We'll leave you two alone, now." Yahiko just had to embarrass me further. He stood, motioning for Sanosuke to follow. The two of them walked out the door slowly, leaving a slightly confused Kenshin and I.
I looked up as they stepped outside. They had left the room, but were no further than two feet from the door. Not that I could see them, it was just their nature to eavesdrop.
"Listen... Miss Kaoru, I.." Kenshin slowly came to sit beside me, facing me fully. He seemed confident and determined, though I could feel a bit of anxiousness about him..or maybe that was just me. "About before, I just wanted to get something out, that I did." He looked down at my hands which were settled in my lap, idly caressing one another nervously.
I felt a bit more comfortable looking up at his face while his eyes weren't on mine. "Yes, Kenshin?" His eyes came up, catching my gaze and not letting go. My mouth opened slightly as I noticed the expressions that softly played across his face. He seemed to be struggling slightly, yet he didn't want to hold back any longer.
"I've been wondering lately, how far you wanted...to bring our relationship." He swallowed and continued, "I...I've noticed how I feel about you..that I have." His eyes traveled to my hands for a short moment before returning to my face. "I like you a lot. I really do..And..And I love you. Not just..as a friend, but....more. I really love you..." He spoke quietly, but I heard him clearly.
My heart beat fast and my breathing was slightly uneven though silent, swearing to myself it was a dream. All I could do was look at him in amazement.
The two boys outside had peeked their heads in, watching us from the doorway, their expressions agape.
"Kenshin..." I didn't know what my face looked like, but by his reaction, I hadn't been showing my true feelings.
Kenshin quickly looked away, sitting back a bit. "I..understand, that I do."
"No, Kenshin, I--" I leaned toward him, only to have him hold his hand up and smile at me.
"It's okay, Miss Kaoru, that it is." Kenshin's hand fell back down to his side as he kept up his smile. I saw his eyes hurt, and yet his face was happy. If he put his mind to it, he could fool someone so easily. But not me.
"Kenshin, listen to me." I grabbed his wrist as he was about to stand up. His attention was brought back to me, his smile had dissipated. My voice lowered slightly, and I was not able to prevent it from faltering here and there. "I never said I disliked you, did I?"
"But, Miss Kaoru--"
"Please, let me talk." I still held his wrist, afraid he would get up and leave at any time. "I do like you..a lot. And it's kind of hard for me...but since you have....." I took a deep breath, "I love you too." Silence filled the room as Kenshin's expression lightened.
"You..." He brought his face to mine, grinning with anxious excitement. "You really mean it?"
I laughed quietly, not noticing our nearness as I nodded. "Of course."
Slowly, our smiles and quiet laughter died down as I noticed he was looking down at my mouth. His eyes moved back up to meet my own, asking silently for permission. I was kneeling infront of the man I loved, after he had just declared his feelings for me, and here he was waiting. I was as innocent as they come, I had no idea what to do. I had never been this close to a man before today, and just the thought of it brought butterflies to my stomach. Actually being in this situation pushed those butterflies up into my throat.
Kenshin leaned forward as I let go of his wrist, watching him with wide eyes. I leaned back against the wall, still facing him as he tilted his head ever so slightly and closed his eyes, bringing our lips together. I slowly closed my eyes and relaxed, millions of thoughts running rampant through my mind. I pushed them all aside as I basked in the moment, feeling Kenshin's hand gently hold the side of my face. It seemed like forever until we parted. It took me a few moments to focus my energy on opening my eyes, but I succeeded. He was smiling, watching me.
Yahiko just had to ruin it with a provocative whistle and a laugh. "It's about time!" The little brat shouted with a grin, his better half right behind him, laughing.
I looked to them as my face heated with embarrassment, ditto for Kenshin. He pulled away from me and sat to look at the other two. I frowned at them. "What do you want now?"
"What are you talking about? It's time to celebrate! You guys were so slow at noticing your feelings." He emphasized the word 'feelings' with a feminine touch.
Kenshin looked at me with a smile. "Why not?" He stood up, holding out a hand to help me up.
I placed my hand upon his and stood, looking to Sanosuke and Yahiko. "Would you want to go to the Akabeko then..?" I raised an eyebrow along with a pointed finger, facing Sanosuke. "Would you like to get your own date?" I lowered my arm as Sano simply gave me a confused look. "Megumi, silly. You can confess your true feelings next." I grinned.
Kenshin hadn't let go of my hand after I stood. Personally, I've got no problem with that, I was just a bit surprised, seeing as Kenshin didn't seem like the type of person to do that. I guess since we're starting a stronger relationship now, he was showing more of his feelings and what he really wanted to do.
"Heh heh." Sanosuke grinned back. "At least I wont take as long as you two did. But you're payin'." He left the room before I could defend my wallet, sighing as I admitted defeat.
"I'll pay, Miss Kaoru, that I will." Kenshin gripped my hand gently and pulled me along to follow Yahiko, who had ran to catch up with Sano.
I sighed and walked along with Kenshin, not seeing anything about his speech pattern change in the least bit. I was kind of looking forward to him calling me plain-ol' Kaoru. Well, I've lived with it until now, so I can handle it a bit longer. He's got to notice it soon, right?
Before I knew it, Kenshin and I were inside the Akabeko, greeting Tae and the others. Kenshin was still holding my hand, apparently he forgot about it.
Not too far behind us was the rest of the group, Sanosuke, Megumi, and Yahiko. Sano pulled Tae over and explained the event. She smiled with excitement and I could hear a "I knew they would."
I blushed slightly and was brought to a separate room with a table which was larger than most in the restaurant. What had I gotten myself into... I sat with Kenshin, Megumi, and Yahiko. Sanosuke soon came by, fitting himself in next to Megumi. Tsubame came into the room, asking if she could sit down as well. We gladly accepted her, and she sat next to Yahiko.
"Alright, are you payin', Missy?" Sanosuke planted a fist onto the table and looked in my direction.
"I'm paying, Sano." Kenshin cut in, raising an eyebrow. "What's the difference either way?"
"Yes!" Sano grinned wickedly, throwing his arm into the air. "Lets drink!"
Megumi grabbed Sanosuke's wrist and brought his arm back down to earth. "Shh, there are young children here. Let's try and keep it under control." She let go of his wrist and placed her hand back in her lap. She looked across the table at Yahiko and Tsubame, each blushing softly and chattering quietly.
Sano sighed and looked at the 'young children' and then back at Megumi. "They're not that young, you know. They could handle a few drinks themselves. Plus, even if they didn't want to have anything, it's not gonna kill 'em to watch, right?" He waited for a response from the vixen, seeing a contemplative expression on her face.
Megumi sighed in defeat and quietly muttered, "Fine, you can have a little alcohol, but not much. It's too early to get drunk. Come back on your own later this evening, then you can go crazy"
I smiled as I felt Kenshin's hand carefully take mine, as if I were glass. I turned my head to look at him and saw him, yet again, smiling at me. I generously mirrored his expression and looked down at our hands.
Tae walked in and grinned at the two of us. "So, are the rumors true, Kaoru?"
I heard the familiar accent and Kenshin and I looked up, giving hesitant smiles.
"Um...depends what the rumors were." I started to feel a bit uneasy, wondering what could have possibly been spread around so quickly.
"That you two declared your love for one another." She said it softly, but in a romantic way, smiling brightly. "So did ya?"
"Y-yeah..If that's how you want to put it.."
"Aw, I knew it was only a matter of time." Tae sat across from Kenshin and myself, leaning forward a bit in anticipation. "So... did you two kiss?"
"Tae," I tried using a reprimanding, yet nice voice, "please.." The look in my eyes must've gotten the message through. I watched her raise her hands in defense.
"Alright, alright, just wantin' to know the good parts." She giggled quietly as she stood.
"Tae." I whined quietly, giving her a pleading look.
"I'm goin'!" She continued to grin as she walked out of the private room, sending another waitress inside to take our orders.
-----
After the little get-together, Yahiko, Kenshin and I had arrived back home and were getting ready for the rest of the evening. The 'party' had lasted longer than expected, and took up most of the afternoon. We decided on heading back before we got too distracted. It was nice, though. Not many jokes were made about Kenshin and I, and I had a good time. It seemed Kenshin did as well.
-----
I yawned, revealing the ache in my body called tiredness. I was standing outside in the yard, it now being late night. I stared up at the shining stars in amazement, thanking the gods for a thing such as love. This had to have been the best day of my life. It couldn't get any better.
Kenshin walked off the porch and stood behind me. He smiled and waited for me to notice his presence.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" I couldn't help but keep smiling as I turned and looked back at him.
Kenshin briefly looked up at the sky before looking back at me. He nodded and replied, "Gorgeous.." His eyes held a loving expression. A shiver ran down my spine at the look in his gaze, and his smile widened at that.
Stars above us sparkled in the darkness, some standing out more than others. The moon shone down upon us and the home we stood near, as if protecting us from every harmful being around. I felt safe just being infront of Kenshin, and his voice comforted me further.
"I sent Yahiko to bed, that I did. He gave in after a minute or two." He sighed with a small smile. "You can never really trust that boy, though I'd like to. He's probably up and about, maybe eating in the kitchen."
"I know what you mean." I laughed quietly and looked around at the scenery. I suddenly felt self-conscious and nervous. Deep in my stomach I could feel an emotion, though I wasn't sure what it was. It made me even more nervous about being around Kenshin, and I thought of when we had told each other our feelings. I was even more hesitant as I thought of how quiet it was, and how alone we were, secluded, in our own yard with no one else to disturb us. Butterflies grew again.
I blushed as I looked back at Kenshin. "You know...I feel kind of silly saying this to you, but.." I looked down at the ground next to me as I continued, "Whenever I thought of you and me, I always had this little dream of us being together. And I'd swear to myself that that was all it was...a dream. No matter how much I wished, or prayed..I thought you'd never feel the same way as I." It started to pour out of my mouth, not caring to be checked in my mind as it marched out of me.
The next thing I new was his body had been pressed against mine, his strong arms around me, and his head gently leaned against mine. My eyes widened and my arms hung motionless for a few moments, before I caught on to what had happened, and my arms slowly slid around his form.
"Kenshin..." I whispered, staring up at the sky, afraid to smile. "I was afraid you couldn't return my feelings..and I didn't know what I would do from then on. So I tried to keep it a secret."
"Shh,"I could feel his smile against my neck, and he spoke softly into my hair. "That's how I felt. We were both stuck in the same corner. But Sanosuke helped me broaden my thoughts, as to the possibility of you loving me back. And I could tell there was a small chance that you did love me back. I had to risk that...so I did." He held me a bit tighter for a short moment, without hurting me and he laughed softly into the crook of my neck. "It was worth it, I can tell you that."
I noticed his speech pattern had changed. He hadn't been saying any "that I am" phrases at the ends of his sentences. I wonder if he would drop the "Miss" as well.
"I'm glad you took that risk. Because I know I wouldn't have. I didn't want to face rejection..especially from you." I relished the feeling of him against me, his breath on my neck, and his arms around me. All I could do was hold back thankful and loving tears as we spoke.
"Don't even think that. I would never reject you. I would do anything for you." One of Kenshin's hands was at my lower back, holding me against him. His other hand was holding my shoulder from behind. "I would give up anything for you. You know that, right?"
I couldn't hold back any longer as I let tears flow from my now closed eyes. "Oh, Kenshin..."
He pulled away to look at me, but still held me in a close hug. "What is it? Is it something I said?"
I opened my eyes and saw that his concerned face was full of love and so many sweet emotions I couldn't keep track of.
Both of his hands came up to hold either side of my face, his thumbs gently wiping away some of my tears. "Don't cry.."
I kept my arms around him, holding him close. I watched him through blurry eyes, letting go of joyful tears. "Kenshin, I'm happy....I never thought it would happen, but..you really love me, don't you?"
"Of course I do.." He kept his face close to mine as he stared into my eyes. "I always have. Even when I first met you, I had a crush on you. I didn't like the idea of being attached to someone when I might have to wander again, but that crush turned into love. And I knew that I would never be able to leave you..."
My tears slowly stopped and I smiled, my cheeks and lips still moist. "It's like a dream-come-true.. It's so hard to believe it.."
"It's real." Kenshin smiled and I finally recognized the emotion in his eyes. It was love that I saw. Not just a caring love, but a deep and unbreakable love that was directed toward me.
I blushed slightly as his face moved closer to mine, his eyes closing and his lips connecting with my own.
I closed my eyes and stored the moment in my heart, the stars, the moonlight, the feeling, everything.
I noticed Kenshin hadn't pulled away like he did last time. One of his hands slid down my jaw line and I felt his thumb rest on my chin, before gently opening my mouth to deepen the kiss, tilting his head slightly. I hadn't even known that it was possible to do that.
I whimpered almost silently in innocence, my knees bending slightly. It was unexpected and amazing at the same time. I didn't know what to do, or how to react. He seemed fine with that, though.
It seemed like an eternity until Kenshin pulled away, taking in long, quiet breaths. I was the same, and my eyes opened to see him staring at me. I felt my cheeks heat up as he smiled sweetly.
"I love you, Kaoru." He murmured against my lips.
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Nyahh I'm jealous ::pout:
I hope this was a good ending for all of you! No more chapters shall be added to this story, for it begs to be ended.
Sorry for any mistakes.
I'm working on my other stories and it's been so hectic. I don't want to complain much, so I'll just say "Don't worry, I'm not giving up on them". Hehe this was longer than usual. I feel proud.
I hope you liked it! Send in reviews!