Disclaimers: All the usual stuff.
--
"KEITARO?!"
Seething with anger, she went up front to the man and grabbed the front of his gi, not caring of the demuer like a lady should be.
"Kaoru-dono!"
"Jou-chan!"
"Tanuki?" Megumi whispered.
"Tell him to get his face off here or I'll personally skin him alive if I still find him here!" She screamed into the man's face. But the old man calmly watched her as she yelled some more, not at all surprised at her anger.
Letting her rant on for a while, before he said quietly. "He requested me to give you this letter, Kaoru-dono." And handed her a piece of long white paper.
Throwing it aside, anger filled her blue eyes as she whispered shakingly to him. "What would it say?"
"It's for you to find out. Sorry for delaying everyone. Ja." With that, he turned to the awaiting carriage outside the dojo and entered it. It sped away with the noisy sound of the horses hooves on the ground, driving the man away.
"What would it say?"
Tears fell from her eyes, as her knees gave way.
The yard was silent as the breeze passed by.
Only her tears filled the void of silence.
--
Kenshin was still, as he saw her collapse to the ground.
Freezing, he remembered another time when she too, went weak with hopelessness. It was with the firefiles...
Was there another man in her life?
Shaking his thoughts away, he went ahead and wrapped his arms around her gently.
"Kaoru-dono..."
And she pushed her face into his chest and cried.
Letting her be this way, he motioned everyone with his eyes to leave them alone. Nodding to his command, they left, even the loud mouthed Yahiko didn't even dare to say a word in a time like this.
Her tears soaked his gi, her heartbreaking cries stabbed his heart like a knife.
But there are things to be done.
"Kaoru-dono... let's go inside..."
Nodding, she let him pull her up and guide her to her room.
Questions popped into his mind, but he pushed it to the back of his head. It was time to heal her heart first.
--
"Master. I have given the letter to Kaoru-dono."
The old man once again stood in the large room.
"Thank you." A sharp anguler look of a young man turned to face him. His brown eyes hid every emotion and his cold steely voice commanded again.
"Now, lead me to father."
"Hai."
The old man opened the door for him, allowing him to step pass the man before exiting him self and closing the door, with a click.
The room was as silent now as the young daimyo's heart.
But the emotions that hid within cried out in desperation.
--
Kaoru awoke, to find that the sun was almost setting.
Her head throbbing, she got up slowly. What happened? She tried recalling, without letting her head hurt again.
I...cried myself to sleep... Kenshin was beside me... the letter!
Anxiety filled her, but then, she stopped.
Why would I be so anxious over THAT?!
Anyway... she smelt dinner cooking.
It's time to apology to Kenshin... and explain everything to them.
I knew the time would come when I have to face this again.
Unshed tears clouded her vision at that thought, but she blinked them furiously away.
Got up and prepared to change into her kimono, realizing her clothes were dirty after that incident.
And heard unwelcoming footsteps and the opening of the shoji.
"Ma...Matte!" As she hurriedly tried to put her clothes in position, but the warning came too late.
The shoji opened to reveal a red-hair man standing there, and cheerfully chirping away something like "How are you feeling..." But stop half-way as he realized that she was changing.
"Ano...ORO!"
And ran out as fast as possible to avoid the angry girl's temper.
"Mou."
--
--
"KEITARO?!"
Seething with anger, she went up front to the man and grabbed the front of his gi, not caring of the demuer like a lady should be.
"Kaoru-dono!"
"Jou-chan!"
"Tanuki?" Megumi whispered.
"Tell him to get his face off here or I'll personally skin him alive if I still find him here!" She screamed into the man's face. But the old man calmly watched her as she yelled some more, not at all surprised at her anger.
Letting her rant on for a while, before he said quietly. "He requested me to give you this letter, Kaoru-dono." And handed her a piece of long white paper.
Throwing it aside, anger filled her blue eyes as she whispered shakingly to him. "What would it say?"
"It's for you to find out. Sorry for delaying everyone. Ja." With that, he turned to the awaiting carriage outside the dojo and entered it. It sped away with the noisy sound of the horses hooves on the ground, driving the man away.
"What would it say?"
Tears fell from her eyes, as her knees gave way.
The yard was silent as the breeze passed by.
Only her tears filled the void of silence.
--
Kenshin was still, as he saw her collapse to the ground.
Freezing, he remembered another time when she too, went weak with hopelessness. It was with the firefiles...
Was there another man in her life?
Shaking his thoughts away, he went ahead and wrapped his arms around her gently.
"Kaoru-dono..."
And she pushed her face into his chest and cried.
Letting her be this way, he motioned everyone with his eyes to leave them alone. Nodding to his command, they left, even the loud mouthed Yahiko didn't even dare to say a word in a time like this.
Her tears soaked his gi, her heartbreaking cries stabbed his heart like a knife.
But there are things to be done.
"Kaoru-dono... let's go inside..."
Nodding, she let him pull her up and guide her to her room.
Questions popped into his mind, but he pushed it to the back of his head. It was time to heal her heart first.
--
"Master. I have given the letter to Kaoru-dono."
The old man once again stood in the large room.
"Thank you." A sharp anguler look of a young man turned to face him. His brown eyes hid every emotion and his cold steely voice commanded again.
"Now, lead me to father."
"Hai."
The old man opened the door for him, allowing him to step pass the man before exiting him self and closing the door, with a click.
The room was as silent now as the young daimyo's heart.
But the emotions that hid within cried out in desperation.
--
Kaoru awoke, to find that the sun was almost setting.
Her head throbbing, she got up slowly. What happened? She tried recalling, without letting her head hurt again.
I...cried myself to sleep... Kenshin was beside me... the letter!
Anxiety filled her, but then, she stopped.
Why would I be so anxious over THAT?!
Anyway... she smelt dinner cooking.
It's time to apology to Kenshin... and explain everything to them.
I knew the time would come when I have to face this again.
Unshed tears clouded her vision at that thought, but she blinked them furiously away.
Got up and prepared to change into her kimono, realizing her clothes were dirty after that incident.
And heard unwelcoming footsteps and the opening of the shoji.
"Ma...Matte!" As she hurriedly tried to put her clothes in position, but the warning came too late.
The shoji opened to reveal a red-hair man standing there, and cheerfully chirping away something like "How are you feeling..." But stop half-way as he realized that she was changing.
"Ano...ORO!"
And ran out as fast as possible to avoid the angry girl's temper.
"Mou."
--