Picture Perfect

Disclaimer: They are not mine… Just using them for this another silly fic of mine.

A simple picture surely paints a thousand words… brought back memories of the past… timeless and priceless treasures…

I felt a small smile started to play in my lips as I began staring at a certain old picture of my younger self with my best friend… my long lost best friend. It was taken when me, sitting on a swing and behind me was my best friends, my long lost best friend…

I still remember the time this same picture was taken ages ago. It was when me, Kenshin and our parents went out in the park for a picnic. Me and Kenshin were playing all day long, almost tirelessly as our little selves gave our parents a little headaches as they kept an eye on us. I was running all around the place while Kenshin was chasing me behind. As always, being the clumsy one, I tripped over something on the ground that sent me stumbling forward. And as always, Kenshin was at my side tying his kerchief on my wounded knee to stop it from bleeding and to stop me from crying out loud.

'Don't cry Kaoru… it's just a small wound… I know you're a tough girl and a simple thing like this shouldn't let you cry.' he will always say to stop me from crying

'Besides… crying always makes your naturally ugly face even uglier… haha!' he will add as an insult which will make me chase him again and again till we burn all our energies out.

Me and Kenshin have been friends since… forever. Our parents are very close friends, so we literally grew up together. We go at the same school, not at the same class though 'coz he's two years my senior. The park was always our most favorite place. Our parents love to take us there whenever they have some spare time and we love to go there to play after school. I love to sit in this same swing while he stood behind me, just quietly pushing the swing to move. This place has been a witness of several parts of my life… my smiles and laughter, tears and sorrows… everything…

I remembered when we last went in this same old place that we have grown to love. It was after his high school graduation day. He called me through the crowd, saying that he has something to tell me. Seeing the seriousness on his face, I just simply nodded mutely.

'Hey congratulations!' I remembered myself saying, trying to break the silence between the two of us as I sat on the same swing while he stood behind me. 'You made it… You've finally graduated… and with flying colors too. How I wish I could be like you. You're always the smart one, you know.'

'Thanks… Stop flattering me so much though… I might believe you.' he said quietly behind me. Though he tried to put some cheerfulness on his voice I could tell that there's something wrong. I've known him long enough, so he can't hide anything from me.

'If there's something you've wanting to tell me… go ahead and stop acting as if everything is okay.'

'What made you think that there's something wrong?'

'I just know… let us say… woman instinct…'

'I don't see any woman here.' he teased making my face reddened in anger. He always knew how to touch my nerve.

'Shut the hell up!'

'Haha… just kidding… you don't have to be so violent about it, you know?'

'Are you telling me that I'm violent?'

'Well… if you keep on acting like that… maybe you are…'

I only pouted and crossed my arms, giving him the cold glare that had always stopped him from teasing me. 'Fine… fine… I'm sorry…' he said, waving him hands in defeat. 'You're the winner, okay?'

'Fine…' I smiled before turning to give him a confused look. 'What is it that you want to tell me again?'

'Oh… it's just that… well…' he took a deep breath while I was waited for him to continue. 'I'm leaving…'

'Huh?' I blinked as I literally jumped up from the swing to look at him with a frown on my face. 'Is this another one of your jokes?'

'No… I'm serious… I'm leaving.'

'Why?'

'Well… mom and dad decided that I should continue my studies abroad.'

'Where exactly?'

'Toronto…'

'Oh…' I only looked down, suddenly finding the ground so much interesting. 'I see…'

'Aren't you feeling sad about it?' he asked, I could tell by his voice that he's trying to control himself from starting to cry. He was the man, after all… he can't cry in front of a woman like me, even though he still doesn't see me like that.

'Of course…' I said without looking back at him. 'I will be… You are my best friend.'

'I will miss you… I'm sorry if I didn't tell you sooner. I was so afraid of your reactions. I was afraid that you'll be mad at me.' he took a short pause as he turned his back on me. 'I couldn't find the courage to tell you so.'

I only stared at his back as I felt some tears forming in my eyes. I lifted a hand to wipe some tears that had started to fall from my eyes. 'I'm going to miss you too, you know… it's just that…'

'But I'll be coming back…' he said, taking me by surprise as he turned to face me again. 'I promise you…'

I smiled as I let myself cry in front of him. As always, he puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. 'Just don't forget about that promise… or else… or else… I swear… I'm gonna kill you again and again!'

'Haha… of course.' he smiled back at me. 'Stop crying… it only makes you uglier…'

And that was the last time I saw him. Why? Because I refused to join them when they were going to drive him to the airport. I was so afraid of seeing him leave. Heck! I'm so afraid to say my goodbye to him. Maybe I wasn't that tough just like what they always thought that I could be… what he always thought that I could be.

'Time flies surely fast… Who would've thought that it's already been 10 years since he left.' I thought as I took another glance at the picture on my hands before putting it back on my bag. I looked up and smiled as I stared at the star-studded sky. 'He always loved to watch the sky while pushing the swing behind me… How I missed him…'

"What a wonderful night, eh?" a voice from behind me makes my eyes widened in surprise, followed by a pair of hands pushing my back making the swing to move slowly. "I used to love watching the stars with a friend in this same place, you know… I wonder if she still knew me."

I stood up at that comment to turn to look at the stranger who turns out to be… "Kenshin…" I felt a smile started to form on my lips as well as the tears that have started to blurred my vision. "It's really you…"

"Hey… hey… stop crying, will you? It makes your face uglier…" he teased, just like the usual. I shook my head and smiled a little.

"Idiot…"

A simple picture surely paints a thousand words… brought back memories of the past… timeless and priceless treasures…

I smiled as I watched the picture that the two most important persons in my life made in front of me. The two of them are running tirelessly around the place as they continued to play their little game of whatever they call it is. I can't believe that everything is actually happening to me… it's been wonderful. Now I have a loving husband, though, he still never grew tired of teasing me and calling me ugly at times; and his exact photocopy… our three-year-old hyperactive son that was so full of life.

'Oh… I couldn't ask for a better family.' I thought as I joined their little game. Life was good… and I'm happy that our life had become so picture perfect…

OWARI