I have fulfilled my promise have I not? I hope you like it cause I do!
Especially the end...by the way Kaoru is still eight in this fic and Kenshin
is 18. He is not Battousai and never was. Everyone just wants to fight
him and kill him cause of his famous sword skills. Have fun -
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CHAPTER 2: LEARNING TO TRUST
Kaoru silently lay out her blanket that she usually slept on as she watched the man near her. He was leaning against a nearby tree, eyes closed and his sword resting on his shoulder. He had been very kind to her earlier, letting her have a cool wet cloth to put on her bruised cheek, and then proceeding to ask her if her head hurt because her hair had been pulled by Shinji. She had quietly shaken her head. Not long after they had begun walking, Kenshin saying that Shinji could wake up soon and he didn't want to be there when he did.
She had walked the entire time without saying a word as Kenshin sent an occasional glance in her direction wondering what exactly this girl had been through with Shinji. He must have been very hard on her taken from the way she acted. He tried his best not to do anything that would cause her to doubt his kindness towards her, as she seemed to already be weary of him.
Kenshin wasn't sure if it was a good thing for this small girl to be traveling with him. There were many dangers of being a wanderer, being a swordsman only made it worse. Then again, it would be nice to have someone to travel with even if she was an eight-year-old girl, and she seemed to be well acquainted with traveling life. He wondered if maybe he shouldn't leave her with someone when he got to Yokohoma, but when he thought about it who did he have to leave her with? He didn't want to leave her with a stranger, seeing as being with him had shaken her up pretty badly.
As Kenshin was lost in his own thoughts, Kaoru continued to study him sitting on the blanket, feet crossed under her. She still didn't know what to call him and his kind actions confused her. Was there anyone in the world that was actually that nice? She wasn't sure, she had never met anyone besides Shinji and the men he fought with occasionally, and they were far from being nice. She tilted her head to the side as if trying to study him from a different view point. She found he was harder to see through than Shinji, and she could tell that it would take longer to figure out how to know what he was feeling. He seemed to hide it under his mask of clueless kindness.
Kenshin felt a pair of eyes on him and peeked open an eye to look at the only person it could be. He nearly laughed at what he saw. Kaoru sitting on her blanket, feet crossed under her, and her head quirked to the side watching him. Then he noticed the expression of fear upon her features. She must have been afraid that he was going to hurt her, and he felt a surge of anger shoot through him. How could someone be so cruel to this little girl?
"Is something the matter?" he tried to make his voice sound as pleasant as possible. She shook her head furiously in reply.
"Are you sure?" Kenshin could tell she wanted to ask something but was afraid that it would make him angry at her. She shifted slightly and looked at the ground.
"What is your name?" She was really scared and it pained him to see an eight-year-old girl afraid of doing anything, even asking such a simple question.
"Kenshin Himura. What's yours?"
"Kaoru." She still wouldn't look at him.
"Kaoru look at me." Her head immediately snapped up. This disturbed Kenshin, she wasn't supposed to be a robot that asked 'how high' when you said 'jump'. She was supposed to have a mind of her own. He sighed in frustration.
"I won't hurt you. I will never hit you and you don't have to be afraid of asking me anything, or expressing your own opinion." He noticed the unsure look that passed across her face and wondered if he could ever get through to this girl.
---
Kaoru woke up without opening her eyes. She had had a very strange dream, involving a red-headed swordsmen fighting Shinji. Shinji! Oh no! She was going to be in so much trouble! She jumped up as fast as she could and made to fold up her blanket when a voice stopped her.
"Oh, you're awake. Breakfast was just about finished." He smiled at her surprised face.
This was new, first she actually got to eat breakfast while sitting down, and second he was smiling at her, even after she woke up later than she was supposed to. Then it dawned on her. Yesterday was not a dream. Mouth hanging open she looked to see what was for breakfast. It looked like fish and it smelled good. She went to sit next to him as he held the fish over the fire with a stick, occasionally he would bring it towards him, poke and prod at it, then put it back over the fire.
"I hope you like fish. I don't have much to eat with me." He informed her as he inspected the fish one last time before deciding it was finished.
"I had to eat fish with Shinji-sama a lot." Kaoru said quietly. She had realized now that he was in fact kinder than Shinji, his very aura held an unspoken benevolence. Maybe he wouldn't mind if she talked a bit. It didn't hurt to try, if he hit her she would know never to do it again, but something inside her assured her that he wouldn't. However, she did want to study him a bit more before she simply began talking to him and trusting him. After all, how could she allow herself to trust so easily when it was the very thing that had landed her with Shinji?
---
It was just after lunch and Kaoru's feet, like every day, began to protest. They hadn't stopped for lunch but had eaten it while walking, which didn't help her problem any. Kenshin, noticing that she was slowing down, took a glance back at her. She looked tired, like she needed to rest, but she hadn't said a word.
"If you're tired, I'd be happy to carry you, that I would." He smiled at her to show that he was being sincerely kind in his offer. She looked at him debating with herself. She had told herself that she was going to try and test his limits, after all it was part of getting to know his temperament, the way his mind absorbed things. But she really didn't feel like getting hit right now she was so tired and worn out she didn't know if she could take it. So tired...maybe she should just go ahead and let him carry her, he had after all offered. Why would he offer if he were going to hit her for it?
Kenshin saw the emotions fly across her face. She was still afraid of him to a degree but she was trying he could tell. She looked up at him and nodded slowly. He stopped to pick her up then continued walking like it was no big deal. He could sense her staring at him, no doubt wondering what was going to happen next. He didn't say anything; only smiled at her with kind eyes. If the girl wouldn't trust his word, then she would have to trust his actions.
A few minutes later found her head bobbing and unconsciously leaning towards him. When Kenshin felt the slight weight that had shifted itself onto his shoulder he turned to find a sleeping Kaoru. She must have trusted him at least a little bit if she was comfortable enough with him to actually let him carry her and then fall asleep. Maybe progress was being made after all.
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Aaaaw! I liked the ending to this chapter...it was so kawaii! I did get this chapter up no later than Saturday ne? Most of my updates will most likely on Saturdays unless I somehow get a chapter done during the week. And so please leave a review and I will see you the next time I update - Ja!
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CHAPTER 2: LEARNING TO TRUST
Kaoru silently lay out her blanket that she usually slept on as she watched the man near her. He was leaning against a nearby tree, eyes closed and his sword resting on his shoulder. He had been very kind to her earlier, letting her have a cool wet cloth to put on her bruised cheek, and then proceeding to ask her if her head hurt because her hair had been pulled by Shinji. She had quietly shaken her head. Not long after they had begun walking, Kenshin saying that Shinji could wake up soon and he didn't want to be there when he did.
She had walked the entire time without saying a word as Kenshin sent an occasional glance in her direction wondering what exactly this girl had been through with Shinji. He must have been very hard on her taken from the way she acted. He tried his best not to do anything that would cause her to doubt his kindness towards her, as she seemed to already be weary of him.
Kenshin wasn't sure if it was a good thing for this small girl to be traveling with him. There were many dangers of being a wanderer, being a swordsman only made it worse. Then again, it would be nice to have someone to travel with even if she was an eight-year-old girl, and she seemed to be well acquainted with traveling life. He wondered if maybe he shouldn't leave her with someone when he got to Yokohoma, but when he thought about it who did he have to leave her with? He didn't want to leave her with a stranger, seeing as being with him had shaken her up pretty badly.
As Kenshin was lost in his own thoughts, Kaoru continued to study him sitting on the blanket, feet crossed under her. She still didn't know what to call him and his kind actions confused her. Was there anyone in the world that was actually that nice? She wasn't sure, she had never met anyone besides Shinji and the men he fought with occasionally, and they were far from being nice. She tilted her head to the side as if trying to study him from a different view point. She found he was harder to see through than Shinji, and she could tell that it would take longer to figure out how to know what he was feeling. He seemed to hide it under his mask of clueless kindness.
Kenshin felt a pair of eyes on him and peeked open an eye to look at the only person it could be. He nearly laughed at what he saw. Kaoru sitting on her blanket, feet crossed under her, and her head quirked to the side watching him. Then he noticed the expression of fear upon her features. She must have been afraid that he was going to hurt her, and he felt a surge of anger shoot through him. How could someone be so cruel to this little girl?
"Is something the matter?" he tried to make his voice sound as pleasant as possible. She shook her head furiously in reply.
"Are you sure?" Kenshin could tell she wanted to ask something but was afraid that it would make him angry at her. She shifted slightly and looked at the ground.
"What is your name?" She was really scared and it pained him to see an eight-year-old girl afraid of doing anything, even asking such a simple question.
"Kenshin Himura. What's yours?"
"Kaoru." She still wouldn't look at him.
"Kaoru look at me." Her head immediately snapped up. This disturbed Kenshin, she wasn't supposed to be a robot that asked 'how high' when you said 'jump'. She was supposed to have a mind of her own. He sighed in frustration.
"I won't hurt you. I will never hit you and you don't have to be afraid of asking me anything, or expressing your own opinion." He noticed the unsure look that passed across her face and wondered if he could ever get through to this girl.
---
Kaoru woke up without opening her eyes. She had had a very strange dream, involving a red-headed swordsmen fighting Shinji. Shinji! Oh no! She was going to be in so much trouble! She jumped up as fast as she could and made to fold up her blanket when a voice stopped her.
"Oh, you're awake. Breakfast was just about finished." He smiled at her surprised face.
This was new, first she actually got to eat breakfast while sitting down, and second he was smiling at her, even after she woke up later than she was supposed to. Then it dawned on her. Yesterday was not a dream. Mouth hanging open she looked to see what was for breakfast. It looked like fish and it smelled good. She went to sit next to him as he held the fish over the fire with a stick, occasionally he would bring it towards him, poke and prod at it, then put it back over the fire.
"I hope you like fish. I don't have much to eat with me." He informed her as he inspected the fish one last time before deciding it was finished.
"I had to eat fish with Shinji-sama a lot." Kaoru said quietly. She had realized now that he was in fact kinder than Shinji, his very aura held an unspoken benevolence. Maybe he wouldn't mind if she talked a bit. It didn't hurt to try, if he hit her she would know never to do it again, but something inside her assured her that he wouldn't. However, she did want to study him a bit more before she simply began talking to him and trusting him. After all, how could she allow herself to trust so easily when it was the very thing that had landed her with Shinji?
---
It was just after lunch and Kaoru's feet, like every day, began to protest. They hadn't stopped for lunch but had eaten it while walking, which didn't help her problem any. Kenshin, noticing that she was slowing down, took a glance back at her. She looked tired, like she needed to rest, but she hadn't said a word.
"If you're tired, I'd be happy to carry you, that I would." He smiled at her to show that he was being sincerely kind in his offer. She looked at him debating with herself. She had told herself that she was going to try and test his limits, after all it was part of getting to know his temperament, the way his mind absorbed things. But she really didn't feel like getting hit right now she was so tired and worn out she didn't know if she could take it. So tired...maybe she should just go ahead and let him carry her, he had after all offered. Why would he offer if he were going to hit her for it?
Kenshin saw the emotions fly across her face. She was still afraid of him to a degree but she was trying he could tell. She looked up at him and nodded slowly. He stopped to pick her up then continued walking like it was no big deal. He could sense her staring at him, no doubt wondering what was going to happen next. He didn't say anything; only smiled at her with kind eyes. If the girl wouldn't trust his word, then she would have to trust his actions.
A few minutes later found her head bobbing and unconsciously leaning towards him. When Kenshin felt the slight weight that had shifted itself onto his shoulder he turned to find a sleeping Kaoru. She must have trusted him at least a little bit if she was comfortable enough with him to actually let him carry her and then fall asleep. Maybe progress was being made after all.
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Aaaaw! I liked the ending to this chapter...it was so kawaii! I did get this chapter up no later than Saturday ne? Most of my updates will most likely on Saturdays unless I somehow get a chapter done during the week. And so please leave a review and I will see you the next time I update - Ja!