Disclaimer: don't own them, wish I did. Oh but I do own any mysterious characters that I made up.
AN: sorry, this took me way longer than I thought it would. Got all kinds of distracted. But hopefully I put out a good chapter.
Two Hitokiri- A Promise Made
Kaoru accepted the terrycloth towel gratefully from Tsuya-chan and wiped down her sweaty face and neck. For the last three days she had been taken up Kenshin's duties training the other assassins in addition to her own conditioning. The whole ordeal had her body weary and drained, but she continued on, more determined than ever to do her job.
She crept into the clinic where Kenshin's still resting form lay. She let out a sigh of relief that he had not woken up in her absence. It wasn't as though she did not want him to wake; she wished for it every night. But somehow she thought it would be hard and confusing for him to wake up and be alone. Even more, she thought he would be upset that she chose to get ready for battle rather than sit by his side. Having seen a new side of Kenshin that night, she knew that he would disapprove of the idea to ever fight and kill again. It was something he intended to stop doing if he managed to live.
She slid down against the wall and took her regular spot. She watched his chest rise and fall with each breath and smiled. The oscillations had gotten much stronger and more regular. She was sure he would wake up soon. But secretly hoped it would be after her final battle. That way he could wake up to a new world that he dreamed of and helped create.
~
Amber eyes twitched beneath the darkness of their heavy lids. With simple intent, the passage of light was allowed through once more. Kenshin blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to a brightness they could hardly remember. Soon enough they were calmed and the dim candle light no longer made them hurt. It was then the eyes began to wander around the room until they spotted signs of life.
A woman with dark tresses sat at his side. Her head gently tucked in the crook of her arm, resting on her knees. She slept quietly, oblivious to his wakeful state.
With hardly a sound, he reached his hand out to touch her cheek to which she instinctively nuzzled against. A weak smile formed on his lips and he let his fingers wander to touch her soft lips, feeling the warm breath that escaped them.
Soon her sapphire eyes were revealed to him and they seemed to dance with delight. Her body twitched for a moment, before she carefully took his hand in hers and kissed it.
"I knew you would wake up." She whispered to him as she strained to hold back the impending tears. "I knew you would make it."
His fingers tightened around hers in assurance.
"I have missed you Kaoru." His voice was low and strained from lack of use.
She immediately hushed him and continued to cradle his hand. "I know, I have missed you too love. But I knew you would return to me."
He opened his mouth to respond, but was only able to let out a rasping dry cough.
In remembrance, Kaoru picked up a cup on the food tray near by. She was told to give it to him immediately if he woke up. She drew closer to Kenshin and cradled his head in her arm as she lifted the cup to his lips and urged him to drink. He complied eagerly, finishing off the drink in moments.
"Better?"
He nodded in response and let his head fall back into the crook of her arm. Kaoru stroked his hair gently with her free hand as she watched him tenderly. His eyes seemed to hold hers, keeping them in his possession for as long as he could. She let herself bask in the moment, touching his hair and face, appreciating the tender movement of a kiss he made when her hand passed his lips.
Soon enough, she remembered her own duties to Kenshin's health and stopped her selfish delay to have his time.
"I told them I would fetch the doctor as soon as you woke. He will have to examine you and give assurance that you will be okay." She looked out the window to see that the moon in the distance. There was still time before dawn. Surely the doctor was asleep, but he would want to see Kenshin right away. "I will go get him."
Kenshin affectionately grabbed her hand, wordlessly telling her he wished she would stay.
Kaoru gave his hand a pat. "I will be back shortly. Lie back and rest." She placed his head back down on to the futon and bent over him. "I won't be gone long." She whispered quietly and touched her lips to his dry cracked ones in a gentle lingering kiss.
~
The old doctor returned the blanket over Kenshin's shoulders and sat up.
"Well?" Kaoru asked the man turned to her.
"He will be fine." The man spoke at last. "His wounds are closing nicely, and free of infection. Now that he has woken up, its only a matter of him recuperating his strength. The best way is just to give him this tea when he wakes, and not to keep him up too long. Let him get as much rest as he can, only wake him if he hasn't eaten an a few hours."
Kaoru let out a sigh of relief. "Great. Thank you." She looked at Kenshin who had fallen asleep again during the examination. The medicine he had been given seemed to put him into fairly peaceful slumber.
The older man turned to face her. "And what about you Kamiya? You look pale."
She shook her head. "I am fine. Just a little tired."
He touched a hand to her forehead. "You know you have been working quite hard lately. And I can imagine you haven't been getting much to eat or much sleep sitting here. Just a small check up. Katsura said I was to keep an eye on you. He doesn't want you falling ill just before the time."
He took her wrist and felt for her pulse. "Any pains or discomforts when you are exercising?"
"No. Just a little sore afterward."
He made her rotate various body parts as he looked for any signs of strain from her. Satisfied to find nothing serious, he stood and walked across the room where he pulled a jar from cabinets of the room. "You will be fine. Make sure to eat and rest more." He handed her the small jar, "Put this salve on your hands and feet to deal with the blisters and cuts."
Kaoru took the jar and nodded. "I will."
She watched as the doctor cleaned up the little area and put away his things before leaving her alone with Kenshin.
"Were you hurt?" Kesnhin asked, startling the still entranced girl; she hadn't realized he was awake. When she didn't respond he prodded again. "Why would you need a check up? Are you injured from that night?"
Kaoru shook her head. "No, I escaped that night for the most part unscathed." She watched as his eyes roamed her body, looking for any signs that she might be lying to him. "Katsura just wants to be sure that all the extra work I have been doing hasn't had any physical effects on me." She proceeded to explain.
"Extra work." He noticed the fact that she had been wearing her gi, rather than her house kimono. "Have you been going on missions alone while I slept?" His eyes seemed to widen at the thought, and betrayed more worry than anger.
Kaoru quickly gestured that he was wrong to think that. "No, I have only been training you men to prepare them for the Katsura's plans."
Kenshin let his head fall back on his pillow, somewhat reassured that she had not been out battling against groups of men alone. After a few moments of thought he dared to ask what of the plans, now that he was bedded with injury.
"It is two nights from now." Kaoru replied softly, her eyes never meeting his.
"The doctor already said I would not be able to fight for weeks, as I am sure Katsura already knows, even if he doesn't know I am awake. Does he still plan to go through with the attack?"
"That is why he has me training the men. This is the only chance, we must take it." Her sapphire eyes dared to meet his, half expecting to just see confusion, but they met hers with his unspoken question. "And he still has me." She added.
"Kaoru." He whispered. "You can't. You can't take on two Shishengumi squads on your own. You must tell Katsura to cancel this now. We are not ready."
The girl's jaw tightened. She wanted to scream that it had to be done and tell him all the things she was forced to say to Katsura to convince him. But somehow she had loss the words. "I can't. It's something that must be done. I already told him I would."
Kenshin sighed. "Are you at least going to take some of the others with you?"
Again he received a displeasing answer. "None of the men can be spared, and they would all slow me down. Katsura and I both agree it is better that I go alone, to ensure the job is done without err." He gave her a look that clearly expressed his disapproval. "Please don't look at me like that. I can do this. I defeated both Okita and Saitou, there is no one left in the Shishengumi to truly challenge me. Besides, there is no way out of this. It's just something that must be done."
She promptly looked away as she finished her words. She somewhat regretted the sharp tone that she had delivered them with. He needed to rest, and didn't need these worries on his shoulders. But he had pursued the subject and she had to defend her choice.
Her eyes stayed fixed to the floor before her until she heard the rustling of blankets that suggested Kenshin was trying to rise to his feet. Kaoru instantly moved to stop him but noticed that he hand only pulled away the covers and moved to one side of the bedroll. She glared at him, wondering just what nerve he had to ask her into his bed just then.
"Please Kaoru. I just want to explain." His eyes pleaded to her and she reluctantly slipped under the covers and into his arms. "I just want you to know what I am thinking. Not just what you think I am thinking."
Her eyes rolled just slightly, but she stayed in her place.
"As I slept, I had many dreams. I dreamt of that woman I killed. I met her in the afterlife and she let me see a little of her world and her love. I saw that she dreamed of a simple life with the man I killed. I saw what I took away from her." He set two steady fingers under her chin and lifted her eyes to his. "But she was not the only one I dreamt of. Mostly I dreamt of you."
Her eyes softened at his words and she allowed him to draw her in closer to him as he continued his story.
"I saw us in a life much like what she had pictured for herself. A small house in the mountains, away from the city but not too far out. A small garden of vegetables and fruits that we took care of together. Our swords hung high on the wall, untouched and unnecessary." His eyes gleamed, and a gentle smile touched his lips. "And…as the sun began to set, I would bring in some of the crops from the field and we would begin to make dinner together. But before we are half way through chopping the carrots, you have a little boy clinging to your legs begging to be held and coddled by his mother. You pick him up and play with him while I finish up dinner. Later in the night we both take him to his room and tuck him into bed. After, you and I spend time together, sitting out on the porch, watching the stars in each other's arms."
Kaoru's sapphire eyes shined at him in such a way Kenshin did not dare look away from them. He pulled her in closer and touched his forehead to hers. "I want that for us." He whispered softly. "I want to have that life with you. Marry me? Will you share that life with me?"
~
Kaoru didn't know she had been crying until Kenshin raised his hand to her cheek and wiped away her streaming tears. At some point she had lost herself in his words and somehow, peering through his bright eyes, she could see what he saw.
And as he gently whispered his question, she watched those same bright amber eyes flicker, and for the first time, she thought she saw brilliant amethyst flecks in their depths. They beckoned at her for an answer, but surely they already knew.
She reached a pale calloused hand out in return, caressing his cheek with her fingertips. She drew his chin to hers and their lips met for a slow moment before she pulled a breath's length away from him. "You have to ask? There is no life for me without you. I have always been at your side and will always be at you side, no matter what life we live. Just as long as I am with you; that is all that matters."
Her small frame crashed into his as his arms tightened around her. With her head nestled in the crook of his neck, they lay in the darkness, knowing nothing of the world that existed outside themselves. Kenshin reached for her hand and pressed a strong kiss into her palm. "Then you won't go? Please, my love, let us just go begin that life. Let Katsura-san and his men deal with the rest. We have done more than our share. We can go away from here and start over. Please." His voice cracked with strain as he added, "I don't want to lose you."
"You won't" She assured him as she ran her thumb over his lips, silencing his plea. "Do no worry yourself love. I will do what I must to ensure our future. I will protect it."
"Then you will speak to him?"
She nodded, then raised her lips to his, ending all doubt between them.
TBC- so? IT was so waff.
Crystal Renee- haha, if I hadn't already had a plan I might just have done that. It would have been interesting. Alternate ending? ……did you review me twice?
Noner_89- hmmmm, I guess I didn't really update fast. Shoot, I was no where on time
Brittanie Love- It you thought it took me a long time to update last time….this wait must have killed you
Mz. Amber Eyes- omg he's awake…finally. Its true, I wasn't going to kill him…not just then at least. He's just too lovable at the moment.
KAwaii- Inu-INutaishou- Hi! Welcome to my fic!
Tsaieric- skip? Skip, why did you have to skip? Well hopefully you went back to read (assuming you skipped because of time constraints). Oh and I will have to put you on hold for the Iizuka question.
Pachi- For the most part, kick ass is the only why I know how the write girls. Not a fan of the soft and pouty….though, I have done it. But soft, pouty and proud!
Zsilver- edge of your seat…don't fall off. I think maybe this chappy lets you sit back a bit.
Mishorou mie- Sorry I couldn't make it to the party. I was planning to, really, but my friend had this thing…and well you know how it is.
Kenshin's angel- you will be happy to know I took that final to bed…and turns out it was 60% of my grade. But I tucked that baby in, gave it some knockout pills, and put it to sleep….FOREVER!
Someone- you username reminds me of my friend. I know…random. You are welcome to check out my other stories. But I take a lot of different routes with them. So they won't be just like this.
Necara- well Kaoru has the soul of a strong kick-ass girl. Her being portrayed as a weak one is a crime against her.
Ena- Haha, I know what you mean…I've seen so many attempts…and then those people would just stop writing. Well I don't plan to stop…until the end of course.
