Limitations

Author's Notes: A short poem about Kenshin coming back after the fight with Shishio and Kaoru's reflections on it.

Limitations

Kenshin
Our Kenshin
My Kenshin
The one that we knew would always triumph
In every fight
After all, good always triumphs over evil
And Kenshin will always be "good"
I knew you would come back
After all
You have no limitations

Still, I waited
Anxiously
Waiting for you to come home so I could hold you
And tell you that I was so happy you were back
Like I did every time
At least…I thought so
No matter how worried I was
You always came back to me
So there was no reason to be scared, right?
Then why do I have butterflies in my stomach?
I mean,
You have no limitations

That night, in the distance
I see Sano, Aoshi…
And you, over Sano's shoulder
My mind hopes for the best
But I expect the worst
'He's just fainted! Tired, that's all…'
'Oh Kami-sama, he's dead! Oh no!'
I want to sprint to you
Hold you in my arms
And tell you that I'm so happy you're back
I know you're okay
You have to be
Because in the end,
You have no limitations

Jinei, Raijuta, all of them.
You had beaten them, no matter the difficulty
Of course I was frightened
But in a way…I didn't fear for you life
I knew deep down that my Kenshin would come back to me
Safe and sound, with that stupid grin on his face.
'Oro!' You would say, over, and over, and over.
Till the day I died.
And in my heart, I know you'll be okay
At least, I always thought so.
Please Kenshin,
You have no limitations.

But when I see you, you're half dead.
Wounds, everywhere
You have to rest in bed.
I hold your hand, but I can't hold you
Sishio…
One false move and my Kenshin would be gone
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
I repeat the thought, the scary thought, of not having you in my life anymore.
It scares me.
I want to stop thinking about it.
But I can't.
Kenshin, get up.
You have no limitations.

You finally have enough strength to get up.
I'm so relieved
I want to kiss you, and tell you that I love you
But I don't.
But I do look at you, smiling, and remember that time you came back.
Beaten up.
On Sano's shoulder.
I realize…
You might have…
No, it's impossible.
You have no limitations.

Megumi tells me straight out
You're not some machine
Not something that's invincible
Like a doll that'll never really break
Just get slightly damaged.
And after a while
All those cuts, and bruises, and scars
Might finally catch up with you
Oh please Kenshin…
Please tell me
You have no limitations.

And now, you just walk beside me
Silent, yet smiling
I know you're only half listening
But in a way, that's enough.
And now, I look at you, and you're breathing heavily
I wonder if you're okay, but you immediately stop
You hold it in
You always have, haven't you?
No matter how strong the enemy
How great the evil
How deep the wounds
You hold it in.
I think then, I finally realized.
Kenshin
Our Kenshin
My Kenshin
You must have limitations.

R&R please. Thanks for reading.