It was still dark out, but it had traveled into the wee hours of the morning and still Kenshin sat out on the porch, brooding out at the, now, almost starless sky. Kaoru had retired hours ago and he was still sitting, feeling horrible and sitting. He sighed shakily, feeling his eyes becoming heavy once more. He didn't want to sleep, but sleep was coming.
"Damn." He said. He clenched his fist and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to clear his vision. A twig broke and Kenshin jumped. His eyes scanned his surroundings and picked up no sign of movement, and then, as though by magic, Saito stood in front of him. Kenshin jumped about ten feet into the air and could've sworn his heart had come out through his throat. His gaze narrowed as he stared at the man in front of him, his heart pumping at a hundred and fifty miles per minute.
"What is it Saito?" He rasped out angrily.
"Touchy." Saito said. He took off his hat. "I have come to tell you that Sakaki, Antoma has hired someone to assassinate you." Kenshin looked grimly at the ground. Why didn't something like this surprise him? Perhaps it had happened too many times before.
"And?" Kenshin asked, his voice flat. Saito raised his eyebrows.
"Battosai...you seem different than usual." He commented. Kenshin didn't answer, keeping his eyes to the ground. He looked up quickly at the sound of shuffling feet behind him. Kaoru was in her sleeping kimono, and she looked a little out of it. It was probably the early morning getting to her. He watched as her blue orbs widened at the realization of whom he was talking to.
"It is alright Kaoru-dono, go back to bed." He told her. She looked at him for a few moments and then sat down beside him, taking hold of his sakabatou and pulling it out of his arms and clutching it protectively in her own. Kenshin blinked at her, not sure what that had been all about, and then he remembered. Last time he and Saito had 'chatted' it had ended up as a brawl. Kenshin gave a small smile at her antics. He knew very well that he could get it back within moments if needed, but he decided to humor her for now. Besides, he didn't plan on letting this one lead to a fight.
"Saito, if that is all you had to say then please leave, you are overstaying your welcome here." Kenshin told the tall man in front of him.
"There is one more thing Battosai. Sakaki is an ex-Shinsengumi."
"What?" Kenshin asked, his senses rising as his surprise mounted.
"It was not only us group leaders that were strong, true that there were few that could match our strength, but it could be done." He told him. Kenshin felt Kaoru tensing beside him.
"What's this?" She asked.
"This one has just been informed that Sakaki-san has hired an assassin to kill this one." He told her quietly. She breathed in sharply but said no more.
"Sakaki was one of the few who was strong, but who did not lead a unit. If you end up facing him Battosai, which is highly likely knowing you, then you will have to be very careful...you may even have to become what you were once again." Kenshin's mind was wheeling around in circles. Too much was happening at once that he did not like.
"This one, will never become the Battosai again, no matter what." He told him with finality. He heard Kaoru sigh with what sounded like contentment at his side.
"You have said that...too many times before." Saito told him. He tipped his hat and turned, leaving without a glance back at the couple sitting on the porch.
"Kenshin, have you been here all night?" Kaoru asked finally. Kenshin nodded, his eyes growing heavy once more.
"You should go to bed." She told him. He shook his head stubbornly and glared out at the gate that Saito had just exited through. He despised that man, and he knew one day, one of them was going to die by the other's sword. Kenshin didn't want to think about that. He knew that it was also most likely going to be him skewered on the tip of Saito's sword in the end, but the end was not now, and he knew he had many days ahead of him. He heard a soft clunking noise and looked down to see that Kaoru had set the sakabatou down on the porch at his side.
"Kaoru-dono?"
"Hai?"
"Never mind." He said. He saw her face fall and it made his heart tighten. He decided that, despite his current mood, he would try to cheer the young woman up.
"Your cooking has gotten considerably better." He told her. Her face seemed to light up.
"Really?" She asked, her big blue eyes hopeful as she studied his face. He forced a smile to his lips.
"Of course, this one would not lie." She smiled, and it made him feel a little lighter, as her smiles so often seemed to do. How was she so capable of doing this to him? The only other even slightly able had been Tomoe...and now her memory simply brought heaviness and guilt. He did a mental shake and cleared his mind. Perhaps that was the answer, perhaps he was simply dwelling on her too much. He would try to avoid the thought of her for a while. He felt a weight against his arm and looked down to find that Kaoru had fallen asleep. He smiled again, only this time it was more genuine. Soon, he too was drifting in and out of the world between sleep and awake and fell into peaceful and undisturbable darkness.
Kaoru woke peacefully, but soon found that her neck was hurting her. She must've been sleeping weird. She jump suddenly at the realization that she was sitting, and that there was somebody beside her. The sun shone early morning and she looked up to see its rays reflecting fire through Kenshin's scarlet locks. She smiled. She must've fallen asleep on his arm. He too slept his face in a state of unearthly calm. She didn't wish to wake him, but something told her she should. She reached over and brushed his cheek with her fingers. His violet eyes snapped opened and he jumped, grabbing her by the wrist in a painful grip. She sucked in her breath at the sudden pain and winced. He looked at her for a couple of moments without seeming to see and then, he blinked. She watched realization dawn on his features and he abruptly let go of her.
"G-gomen ne, Kaoru-dono," he stammered. "Did I hurt you?" Kaoru shook her head, forcing herself to smile for him. She rubbed the wrist and looked at him.
"Not much." She answered finally. His face was still lined with concern.
"Let this one see." He commanded. She showed him her wrist reluctantly. He took it, this time in seemingly impossibly gentle fingers, and brought it to his eyes for closer inspection. He seemed to be satisfied that she was all right and gave her back control of her hand and wrist, his eyes still speaking worry and nearly uncontainable guilt.
"It is fine, really Kenshin." She told him. He still seemed doubtful but contented to leave it at that.
"Yahiko will be up soon." He commented. Kaoru nodded, yes that was true, and she was gonna cook for the little brat, just to spite him.
"Oi!" They both looked up at once to see Sanosuke walking down the path up to the dojo. The bird-haired man seemed more cheerful than usual, seeming to be feeling more important. Oh no he didn't, but who? She wasn't even going to try and think of whom it could've possibly been. Kenshin seemed to have picked up the vibes from his friend also for he was looking at him strangely and smirking in amusement.
"Ohayou Sano." He greeted. The man grinned his usually toothy grin at him and stopped a few feet away from the two of them.
"What makes you so happy this morning?" Kaoru asked. Curious to see if he would tell them what had happened or if he would beat around the bush.
"I proposed to the fox lady." He said. Both of them had the same reaction at the same time.
"What?" Kaoru was so surprised that she nearly fell over. His smile got even wider.
"You heard. I'm going to marry the fox lady." Kenshin stood and shook his hand.
"Congratulations...you will be happy." He assured him. So it hadn't been what she was expecting, it was bigger. She suddenly realized what this all meant. The competition for Kenshin's affections was gone. She was the only one left. The day had suddenly become a little bit brighter and Kaoru's smile grew. She got up and hugged the tall man with all her might.
"I'm so happy for Sanosuke." She told him. After all that was done he followed them into the dojo for some breakfast.
"So Kenshin, when're you and Jou-chan gonna get hitched?" He asked over a bowl of rice. Both Kenshin and Kaoru sputtered and coughed and started the protest at the same time. Sano laughed and then continued eating, telling them he was sorry he even asked. All the same, Kaoru couldn't help but look at Kenshin and blush. What would it be like if they got married? Would they have children? Would they be happy? She gathered the dished up and put them into the wash basin. She realized that she would have to go over and congratulate Megumi. She smiled to herself.
"Kenshin?"
"Yes, Kaoru-dono?" He asked, looking up.
"I'm going to go and visit Megumi." She told him. Kenshin nodded, a knowing smile plastered on his face. This was most certainly going to be an interesting visit.
Megumi couldn't believe that she was a committed woman now. She felt more alive than she had in a very long time. She hummed as she set her breakfast out on the table. Sanosuke had already set out for Kamiya dojo to spread the news. A light tap at the front door of her home lured her from the small kitchen. Kaoru stood at the door, beaming. Megumi smiled back welcoming the other woman in and inviting her to sit at the table with her. She began eating and Kaoru simply watched her for a time before saying anything.
"I can't believe it Megumi, it's so hard to picture you as a married woman." She said finally. Megumi nodded.
"Even I have a hard time believing that he proposed and I witnessed it first hand," she said, and then smiled impishly, "along with a few other things." Kaoru's eyes widened.
"I knew it!" She announced. Megumi laughed.
"Now there is the question of you and Ken-san." She said, finishing her rice and pushing the bowl aside.
"Let's not talk about me and Kenshin right now." She said. Megumi frowned.
"Its time that you got serious about your relationship with him you know." The younger woman sighed.
"Yes, I know but...Kenshin hasn't been himself lately." She told her. Her frown deepened.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Kaoru's eyes fell.
"He's very distant, and he actually managed to make enemies with a man that I've known for years within less than half an hour...we were notified by the police last night that the man has hired an assassin to kill Kenshin, and that he is ex-Shinsengumi." Megumi's eyes widened in shock.
"Poor Ken-san. Why is he always the target of such affections?" She asked sarcastically. She felt truly sorry for that tortured man. Something clicked in Megumi's mind then and she asked quickly:
"Who's at the dojo with Ken-san?" She watched the other woman's eyes widen.
"Sano, Yahiko...that's it." She answered.
"There is less chance that an assassin will strike during the day, especially with people around, we should go back to the dojo...just in case." Kaoru nodded and got quickly to her feet, Megumi close behind. She hoped that this would help at least a little and that they could keep Kenshin safe, if not just for a little while.
"This man is dangerous you hear? But I want him taken care of with no dramatics." The man in front of Antoma Sakaki nodded. The assassin looked skilled enough. The man who he had met only the day before was not the same Battosai as the one from the Bakumatsu but he was still deadly. He hoped that this man would be enough to get rid of him without too much fuss. If not, then it would be up to him to get rid of the man. He wanted to cause him pain, and yet the easiest way was to simply do it quickly, and so that was what he tried. He watched the assassin go, seeming to disappear as he left. Good. The people of Kamiya dojo would be least expecting an attack during the day. He felt a little regret in having to do this to the girl who lived there, after all he had know her for many years before now, but now was different. His hatred for the Battosai and what he had done to his family drove him to kill. He couldn't stand to see such a murderer living such a peaceful life while he was tormented night after night with the faces of his family frozen in fear in their deaths. His daughter and his wife, his cousin, who had been visiting at the time, his best friend, all of them had been murdered, and for that, Battosai would pay. Yet, still he pondered the man's words. When he had asked whether Battosai had killed any of his loved ones he had said yes with such sadness that he could've sworn that the man was dying from it. He shook his head. It was probably a lie that he had told to try and keep him from figuring out that he was Battosai, a plan that had not worked. He strolled over to a window and looked out it calmly, a smile coming to his thin lips. Today, Battosai would die.
Kenshin looked up in surprise as the two women entered the dojo. He had thought that they would've spent the day at Megumi's home, but he had been wrong. He had been brooding again, and Sano was currently taking a bath while Yahiko was practicing in the drill hall. His eyes were drawn involuntarily to the wrist that he had grabbed only that morning to find bruises. He winced and looked up a Kaoru and then back to her wrist.
"Gomen me." He whispered. She had realized where he was looking and quickly covered it so that he could not see the marks anymore. He wished that he could just make the marks go away but he couldn't.
"Ohayou Megumi-dono." He greeted, forcing cheer into his voice.
"Ken-san don't play with me I know you're in a fowl mood so don't do that if you don't want to." His eyes widened in surprise and then he lowered them again.
"It is that obvious that this one has been brooding?" He watched as the woman nodded curtly.
"Now where is that rooster-head?"
"Taking a bath, that he is." Megumi nodded and headed outside and to the bathhouse. Kenshin watched her go with some apprehension and then turned his gaze to Kaoru once more.
"This one thought that you would be at Megumi's all day." He told her.
"We decided it would be better if we were here." She answered him. Suddenly his senses piqued and he straightened. Kaoru had noticed and was also perfectly still, watching him carefully. His eyes darted around the room and he stood up.
"Kaoru-dono, get down."
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters residing within this fic...accept for Sakaki-san. If you wish to use him, please ask. All rights reserved to Nobuhiro Watsuki and Shonen Jump comics.
Also, much thanks to Bellartixvoldielocks0o and Brittanie Love for their reviews and I've tried making the chapters longer for the lovely Brittanie Love...hope you enjoyed!-