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Chapter 23: Awakenings
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Kaoru woke the next morning in Kenshin's arms. She snuggled closer to him and let out a contented sigh. Her dear little rurouni was still fast asleep, exhausted from the night's events. The sunlight filtered into the spacious room from a window. Kaoru didn't want to disturb the blissful mood that filled her so she remained silent, listening to the soft sounds Kenshin made as he slept. Carefully, as to not wake him, she turned around in his arms so that she could see his face.
He looked so different when he slept, so much more peaceful and somewhat older. Not that he looked older or anything. No he didn't even look to be over thirty which he was by now. He looked just as he had when she had first meet him over three years ago. It was the way that he looked like he had been through so much that it had made him older and wiser.
Carefully she moved a strand of fiery hair out of his face and tucked it carefully behind his ear. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes to see her watching him. Kenshin smiled as he saw her and tried his best to stifle a yawn.
"Good morning Kenshin." She whispered as she snuggled up against him. Kenshin sighed and held her close.
"A good morning, that it is."
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Back in Tokyo, Sano had a less pleasant time awaking. His head throbbed from a huge hang over and he could still taste the bile in the back of his mouth from being sick last night. He groaned loudly and flipped over in his bed. He tried to block out every little sound of the world outside which seemed to be blaring in his ears.
"Damn it all!" he said quietly to himself.
Giving up on trying to fall back asleep, he tumbled out of bed and went over to the wash bin to splash some water in his face. He ran his long fingers through his spiky brown hair trying to remember what exactly had happened last night. Faint memories of stopping by the dojo to check on Yahiko and Tsubame came to him, but other than that there was nothing. He must have been more drunk than usual last night.
Looking around his small house he could see no food in sight. Carefully he felt his pockets, but unfortunately he had no money. He had probably lost it all last night gambling like usual. He sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. He knew that he would have to stop by the dojo if he wanted to have any breakfast.
Pulling on his signature jacket, he stumbled out of his house and onto the streets. Trying to ignore the loud sounds and crowds of people. While walking he thought he spotted a familiar head among the crowd. As a small hole in the crowd appeared, he was able to see Megumi standing in the middle of the market, picking out something.
He grinned roguishly and made his way over to where she was fingering the delicate silk of a kimono. Without gaining her notice he quickly wrapped his large hands around her waist and brought her close against him. Megumi screamed, but then she noticed just who it was.
"SANO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!" she yelled as she smashed him in the head and stalked away from him and back into the crowd.
Sano trailed after her rubbing his aching head. "Hey, Kitsune, what you do that for? My head already hurts enough as it is! I was just saying hello."
Megumi turned to glare at him. "You embarrassed me in front of everyone here!" she whispered agitatedly.
Sano laughed. "Embarrassed you how?"
Megumi gritted her teeth and grabbed onto his arm. "Come on. If you insist on having a discussion with me, let's have it in private!"
Once back in the clinic, Megumi sat Sano down in a seat. "Want some medication? I can tell you have another hang over." She said, as though she didn't give a care.
Sano wasn't fooled by her tone. He smiled and nodded. "So you do care."
Megumi stared at him blankly, before leaving and returning with some medicine for him. "Here you go." She said roughly shoving it into his hands.
Sano sighed. "So, Kitsune, there's something we need to talk about. I know you've been avoiding me lately....but there's some things that we just need to talk about."
Megumi nodded as she sat down next to him. "I know. I know. You wanna talk about the wedding."
Sano looked at her curiously. "So you still want to get married?"
"You roosterhead! Of course I do! I love you!" she said without thinking. Then she realized just what she said and blushed and turned away. "I mean...we are having a kid...so..."
Sano cupped her face in his large hand and looked straight into her eyes. "I don't want the child to be the only reason that we get married." He said seriously.
Megumi stared up into his eyes, slightly amazed at this new Sano. He was so gentle and serious that it made shivers cascade down her spine. "It's not..." She said as she leaned against him, tears stinging her eyes.
Sano wrapped an arm around her and brought her closer against him, stroking her hair and kissing her lightly on the forehead. These gentle movements made her lose control she collapsed against him, sobbing softly.
"I love you, Kitsune." He whispered into her ear.
Megumi stopped her sobs and looked up at him, her eyes shining with mischief. He could see the fox ears pop up.
"What is it?" he asked confused.
"You want to get married?" she asked mischievously
"Of course. I thought we already decided that?" he asked even more confused.
"No you idiot! I mean do you want to get married now" she said.
"You mean..." he said, starting to grin. He leaned down closer to her lips and kissed her softly.
Megumi broke the kiss and tugged on his arm. "Come on. Let's get our bags packed. I'll leave a note for Dr. Gensai. I doubt we'll be gone for more than a couple days....maybe"
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Chapter 23: Awakenings
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Kaoru woke the next morning in Kenshin's arms. She snuggled closer to him and let out a contented sigh. Her dear little rurouni was still fast asleep, exhausted from the night's events. The sunlight filtered into the spacious room from a window. Kaoru didn't want to disturb the blissful mood that filled her so she remained silent, listening to the soft sounds Kenshin made as he slept. Carefully, as to not wake him, she turned around in his arms so that she could see his face.
He looked so different when he slept, so much more peaceful and somewhat older. Not that he looked older or anything. No he didn't even look to be over thirty which he was by now. He looked just as he had when she had first meet him over three years ago. It was the way that he looked like he had been through so much that it had made him older and wiser.
Carefully she moved a strand of fiery hair out of his face and tucked it carefully behind his ear. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes to see her watching him. Kenshin smiled as he saw her and tried his best to stifle a yawn.
"Good morning Kenshin." She whispered as she snuggled up against him. Kenshin sighed and held her close.
"A good morning, that it is."
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Back in Tokyo, Sano had a less pleasant time awaking. His head throbbed from a huge hang over and he could still taste the bile in the back of his mouth from being sick last night. He groaned loudly and flipped over in his bed. He tried to block out every little sound of the world outside which seemed to be blaring in his ears.
"Damn it all!" he said quietly to himself.
Giving up on trying to fall back asleep, he tumbled out of bed and went over to the wash bin to splash some water in his face. He ran his long fingers through his spiky brown hair trying to remember what exactly had happened last night. Faint memories of stopping by the dojo to check on Yahiko and Tsubame came to him, but other than that there was nothing. He must have been more drunk than usual last night.
Looking around his small house he could see no food in sight. Carefully he felt his pockets, but unfortunately he had no money. He had probably lost it all last night gambling like usual. He sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. He knew that he would have to stop by the dojo if he wanted to have any breakfast.
Pulling on his signature jacket, he stumbled out of his house and onto the streets. Trying to ignore the loud sounds and crowds of people. While walking he thought he spotted a familiar head among the crowd. As a small hole in the crowd appeared, he was able to see Megumi standing in the middle of the market, picking out something.
He grinned roguishly and made his way over to where she was fingering the delicate silk of a kimono. Without gaining her notice he quickly wrapped his large hands around her waist and brought her close against him. Megumi screamed, but then she noticed just who it was.
"SANO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!" she yelled as she smashed him in the head and stalked away from him and back into the crowd.
Sano trailed after her rubbing his aching head. "Hey, Kitsune, what you do that for? My head already hurts enough as it is! I was just saying hello."
Megumi turned to glare at him. "You embarrassed me in front of everyone here!" she whispered agitatedly.
Sano laughed. "Embarrassed you how?"
Megumi gritted her teeth and grabbed onto his arm. "Come on. If you insist on having a discussion with me, let's have it in private!"
Once back in the clinic, Megumi sat Sano down in a seat. "Want some medication? I can tell you have another hang over." She said, as though she didn't give a care.
Sano wasn't fooled by her tone. He smiled and nodded. "So you do care."
Megumi stared at him blankly, before leaving and returning with some medicine for him. "Here you go." She said roughly shoving it into his hands.
Sano sighed. "So, Kitsune, there's something we need to talk about. I know you've been avoiding me lately....but there's some things that we just need to talk about."
Megumi nodded as she sat down next to him. "I know. I know. You wanna talk about the wedding."
Sano looked at her curiously. "So you still want to get married?"
"You roosterhead! Of course I do! I love you!" she said without thinking. Then she realized just what she said and blushed and turned away. "I mean...we are having a kid...so..."
Sano cupped her face in his large hand and looked straight into her eyes. "I don't want the child to be the only reason that we get married." He said seriously.
Megumi stared up into his eyes, slightly amazed at this new Sano. He was so gentle and serious that it made shivers cascade down her spine. "It's not..." She said as she leaned against him, tears stinging her eyes.
Sano wrapped an arm around her and brought her closer against him, stroking her hair and kissing her lightly on the forehead. These gentle movements made her lose control she collapsed against him, sobbing softly.
"I love you, Kitsune." He whispered into her ear.
Megumi stopped her sobs and looked up at him, her eyes shining with mischief. He could see the fox ears pop up.
"What is it?" he asked confused.
"You want to get married?" she asked mischievously
"Of course. I thought we already decided that?" he asked even more confused.
"No you idiot! I mean do you want to get married now" she said.
"You mean..." he said, starting to grin. He leaned down closer to her lips and kissed her softly.
Megumi broke the kiss and tugged on his arm. "Come on. Let's get our bags packed. I'll leave a note for Dr. Gensai. I doubt we'll be gone for more than a couple days....maybe"
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