It ended up that Sano had to smash through the expensive glass windows to
get out of the room. After that much of it was pretty much a blur for
Kaoru. Kenshin wasn't seriously hurt, but Megumi still made a fuss over
him. Kenshin had gone through a lot worse when he battled with Shishio.
Kaoru was slightly jealous of Megumi's openness with flirting with Kenshin,
but she had no real time to brood about it because she was too busy
comforting Tae.
It seemed that Tae had been severely shocked to find out that Kouji in fact was a murderer. She was taking it very hard and Kaoru spent the next hour after the scene trying to comfort her.
Once they were all safe and sound back at their houses Kenshin came to Kaoru. She was sitting on the floor sipping a cup of tea looking at the backyard when she heard footsteps behind her. She sighed. She recognized the sounds of his movements. It was Kenshin.
Silently he sat down beside her. His face seemed tired, very tired as though he was close to getting ill. He was working to hard lately, way to hard. Something was troubling him. Kaoru just knew it.
"Miss Kaoru. Are you unhurt? I didn't have a chance to talk to you in the aftermath." He said quietly glancing over at her.
Kaoru gripped her cup tighter in her hand watching as the steam rose up into the air. She thought back to the first days of when she knew Kenshin. She nearly laughed when she remembered the time when he had come into the bathhouse while she was bathing. Everything was so much simpler then. Back then when she didn't have to worry about money and keeping the dojo together, when they at least had enough money to buy enough food for everyone. Back then, before the battle with Shishio. He had nearly lost it all in that battle and he was still suffering from it, even if all his physical hurts were gone. Maybe no one else noticed it, but she had seen it in his eyes. His smile wasn't the same as it was back then. There was more pain in it, as though he was trying to hide it from her. But he couldn't hide it from her. She could tell inside he was hurting.
She thought to those words he said to her when he decided to stay with her. "You'll never know when I'll have to leave again..." Those words brought pain to her heart. He had left many times, but he always seemed to come back. Kaoru wished with all her heart that somehow she would find a way to make all the hurt in his eyes disappear so that he would never ever leave again. She didn't know if she could stand it.
"Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked after several moments of silence. He could tell she was lost in her thoughts.
"I'm fine Kenshin. It's just that." Kaoru murmured. Slowly she sipped her tea. The image of Kenshin on his knees on the ground rose in her mind. She nearly choked. Why did he do that for me? Why did he? The look on his face, the sadness, the fear, the horror, it would haunt her forever. She remembered his words that he spoke, "If you intend to kill anyone today, please let it be me." They cut into her heart like hot knives. Kenshin was willing to give his life for hers. She felt a tear slip down her cheek. She loved him so much. Could it be possible that he loved her? But no maybe he didn't. Kenshin was a nice person. He would probably do that for anyone. But Kaoru wasn't sure if that meant he truly loved her as more than a friend.
"Miss Kaoru, what's wrong? You can tell me anything, that you can." Kenshin said laying a comforting hand on her slim shoulder. Kaoru just wanted to lay her head on his shoulder and cry her heart out, but she resisted. She felt so lost in the world now. Everything seemed so hopeless. What had she accomplished in her life anyway?
"I just feel that maybe my whole life has been a waste...I don't even know what I'm striving so hard for anymore..." Kaoru said quietly.
Kenshin looked into her eyes, there was pain engraved into their depths. He smiled softly at her trying to ease away some of the pain.
"That's not true. You have done much in your life..especially for me." He murmured the last words quietly, but still Kaoru could hear. She felt her heart lift. Maybe there was hope and she certainly wasn't going to give up. Somehow she would find a way to tell him.
Kenshin was relieved to see a glint of happiness in her blue eyes. She was so beautiful the breeze stirring raven black tendrils of hair across her pale skin. Without thinking he reached out a hand and brushed the hair from her eyes. The moment where his skin touched hers he felt something stir inside him and he could see in her eyes that she felt something too. But before he could say or do anything else Yahiko's footsteps broke the fragile mood that hung in the air.
Oblivious of what he had done Yahiko walked up to Kenshin. "Hey Kenshin! When you going to make dinner? I'm starving!"
Kenshin quickly pulled his hand away from Kaoru and looked at Yahiko. "I'll go do that now." He said as he stood up and walked away to the kitchen.
Even ten minutes later Kaoru still sat in that same spot, breathless. Slowly she raised a hand to her cheek and touched the spot where his hand had been. If only she could call up that moment again, but it was lost in the void of time, never to be reached again.
It seemed that Tae had been severely shocked to find out that Kouji in fact was a murderer. She was taking it very hard and Kaoru spent the next hour after the scene trying to comfort her.
Once they were all safe and sound back at their houses Kenshin came to Kaoru. She was sitting on the floor sipping a cup of tea looking at the backyard when she heard footsteps behind her. She sighed. She recognized the sounds of his movements. It was Kenshin.
Silently he sat down beside her. His face seemed tired, very tired as though he was close to getting ill. He was working to hard lately, way to hard. Something was troubling him. Kaoru just knew it.
"Miss Kaoru. Are you unhurt? I didn't have a chance to talk to you in the aftermath." He said quietly glancing over at her.
Kaoru gripped her cup tighter in her hand watching as the steam rose up into the air. She thought back to the first days of when she knew Kenshin. She nearly laughed when she remembered the time when he had come into the bathhouse while she was bathing. Everything was so much simpler then. Back then when she didn't have to worry about money and keeping the dojo together, when they at least had enough money to buy enough food for everyone. Back then, before the battle with Shishio. He had nearly lost it all in that battle and he was still suffering from it, even if all his physical hurts were gone. Maybe no one else noticed it, but she had seen it in his eyes. His smile wasn't the same as it was back then. There was more pain in it, as though he was trying to hide it from her. But he couldn't hide it from her. She could tell inside he was hurting.
She thought to those words he said to her when he decided to stay with her. "You'll never know when I'll have to leave again..." Those words brought pain to her heart. He had left many times, but he always seemed to come back. Kaoru wished with all her heart that somehow she would find a way to make all the hurt in his eyes disappear so that he would never ever leave again. She didn't know if she could stand it.
"Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked after several moments of silence. He could tell she was lost in her thoughts.
"I'm fine Kenshin. It's just that." Kaoru murmured. Slowly she sipped her tea. The image of Kenshin on his knees on the ground rose in her mind. She nearly choked. Why did he do that for me? Why did he? The look on his face, the sadness, the fear, the horror, it would haunt her forever. She remembered his words that he spoke, "If you intend to kill anyone today, please let it be me." They cut into her heart like hot knives. Kenshin was willing to give his life for hers. She felt a tear slip down her cheek. She loved him so much. Could it be possible that he loved her? But no maybe he didn't. Kenshin was a nice person. He would probably do that for anyone. But Kaoru wasn't sure if that meant he truly loved her as more than a friend.
"Miss Kaoru, what's wrong? You can tell me anything, that you can." Kenshin said laying a comforting hand on her slim shoulder. Kaoru just wanted to lay her head on his shoulder and cry her heart out, but she resisted. She felt so lost in the world now. Everything seemed so hopeless. What had she accomplished in her life anyway?
"I just feel that maybe my whole life has been a waste...I don't even know what I'm striving so hard for anymore..." Kaoru said quietly.
Kenshin looked into her eyes, there was pain engraved into their depths. He smiled softly at her trying to ease away some of the pain.
"That's not true. You have done much in your life..especially for me." He murmured the last words quietly, but still Kaoru could hear. She felt her heart lift. Maybe there was hope and she certainly wasn't going to give up. Somehow she would find a way to tell him.
Kenshin was relieved to see a glint of happiness in her blue eyes. She was so beautiful the breeze stirring raven black tendrils of hair across her pale skin. Without thinking he reached out a hand and brushed the hair from her eyes. The moment where his skin touched hers he felt something stir inside him and he could see in her eyes that she felt something too. But before he could say or do anything else Yahiko's footsteps broke the fragile mood that hung in the air.
Oblivious of what he had done Yahiko walked up to Kenshin. "Hey Kenshin! When you going to make dinner? I'm starving!"
Kenshin quickly pulled his hand away from Kaoru and looked at Yahiko. "I'll go do that now." He said as he stood up and walked away to the kitchen.
Even ten minutes later Kaoru still sat in that same spot, breathless. Slowly she raised a hand to her cheek and touched the spot where his hand had been. If only she could call up that moment again, but it was lost in the void of time, never to be reached again.