Mirrors of the Past and the Future

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Chapter 9: Heart of Battousai

"Kuso"

-SLASH-

"Damn him"

-SLASH-

Sano winced as he eyed the two raven haired girls practicing their katas and swearing at the same time. Yahiko and Hiko-chan sat quietly beside him. The two knew better than to irritate the already pissed off swordswomen.

Sano sighed. The girls irritation had started since the incident that happened to them almost a week ago, Kenshin and Shinta had become their shadows, hell, if only it were possible, those two would stick to them like the clothes on their body! At first the girls were really flustered at their concern but the longer it took they were starting to get pretty pissed off since they weren't allowed to go out on their own or to do anything in the dojo or anywhere else. His eyes slid to the other side of the dojo where he took sight of a glittering amber gaze and a fiery locks in the wind and shook his head, nudging the two seated below him with his feet, he motioned Yahiko and Hiko-chan to go out with a tilt of his head.

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Shinta followed Sano, Yahiko and Hiko-chan's movement as they went out of the dojo. He looked at his companion as he continued to look at the young female shihondai. Gripping his own sakabatou, Shinta stealthily moved forward to receive the downward slash that Yuki delivered, their swords ringing in the vastness of the dojo.

Yuki merely glared at Shinta and continued with her kata's without missing a beat. She knew that the fiend was trying to get her attention. Creep. She thought damn him She glared at the man in front of her, beautiful yet at the same time also infuriating. She gritted her teeth when Shinta countered another of her slashes and with the force he rarely shows to anyone, Shinta wrenched the bokken from her hands with ease.

Giving him the full enmity of her glare, Yuki decided to ignore him by walking past him. She would have completely walked past him had he not swiftly turned around and hoisted her up his shoulders… completely ignoring her shriek of outrage.

Kaoru saw how Yuki was giving Shinta the silent treatment, she decided to completely ignore them when Yuki's shriek reached her ears. Turning to see what has caused her to shriek, Kaoru merely stood there and blinked in astonishment as she saw Shinta walk calmly out the dojo door with a shouting, thrashing, and loudly cursing princess on his shoulder. She stood there for a long while until she heard the tell tale slam of the door… either it was Yuki's room or Shinta's, it definitely wasn't the dojo door since he had left it wide open with his exit.

Kenshin looked at the scene with half amusement. Trust his future counterpart to handle things that way.

At least he's finding a way to mend the things between him and his woman. A voice in mind told him, shifting his amber glare to the still unmoving kenjutsu shihondai. Kenshin stood from his normal sitting position. Moving silently and stealthily behind her. Once directly behind her, he called her name…

"Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru whirled at the sound of his voice so near her only to jump back in surprise at his close proximity. Glaring at him, she decided to ignore him the way Yuki was ignoring Shinta when Kenshin held her arm to hold her in place. Looking at the hand that held her and back at his face, Kaoru tried shrugging out of his hold but he held on tight.

"We need to talk Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru merely glared at him… "We have nothing to talk about Kenshin. Lest you only want to tell me that I can't leave the premises without you, or maybe I can't go to the kitchen without your assistance or maybe I can't…."

Kaoru's words were cut off abruptly when Kenshin grabbed her head and kissed her fiercely. He only released her after a few moments when he was already getting a bit dizzy with lack of air.

Staring at her for a few moments, Kenshin released a ragged sigh and looked at her hungrily. His control had already been left in tatters after what had happened to her… now this. He loved Kaoru very much… demo… he wasn't sure of he was fit to be with her. He was too tainted with the blood of a lot of people.

"Kaoru… we need to talk."

Kaoru merely nodded mutely at him, her former anger forgotten with his kiss… although brutal as it was and her mind faintly registered his drop of the honorific in her name..

Kenshin looked at her and groaned inwardly, Kaoru looked so lost in her world, eyes smoky blue tinged with confusion, love and… a tinge of desire.

"Kaoru…I'm sorry if my actions have irritated you… but sessha is doing this for your own safety."

The fire returned in her eyes. "My own safety? Kenshin! I feel like a prisoner in my own home!"

"Kaoru, I do not want a repeat of what happened to you a couple of weeks ago!"

"I can take care of myself thank you!"

"I know you can… but I cannot risk losing you when I can prevent it!"

"WHY?! Why are you so damned protective of me?! Tell me Himura! I want to know now!" Kaoru yelled tears of frustration building up in her eyes.

"Why? Because I love you! You are the most important person in the world to me! Don't you know that?! Even after Enishi… don't you realize that?!"

Kaoru looked at him in stunned silence… after all these time… he finally got to say it out loud.

"You love me?" she whispered shakily

Kenshin looked at her and sighed. He lifted one hand to her face and wiped way the tears that streamed down her beautiful face.

"Hai.. I have loved you from the moment I've laid my eyes on you that night when we first met…" he told her looking directly in her clear sapphire orbs.

Kaoru smiled weakly, "What took you so long to tell me?"

"I was afraid. I was afraid to taint you… to stain your inno…"

Kaoru shook her head vehemently and held his face in her hands, "Baka." Looking straight in his eyes, she saw the amber gaze look at her uncertainly,

This is Battousai… not the rurouni. This is the real Kenshin. This is the man that fought during the Tokugawa reign… this was the man that killed for this new and peaceful era. This is the man that the rurouni was protecting… this was the part of Kenshin that they rarely saw… her mind told her

"I love you. All of you my lovable idiot. You don't know how long I've suffered trying to hide how I really feel for you…" Kaoru whispered as she leaned her head closer to his.

Kenshin grinned, his amber eyes glittering dangerously and lifted his head eying the dojo door.

"Wonder what happened to those two…"

Kenshin looked at Kaoru and blinked. "Do you really want to find out?"

Kaoru blinked at him, "Eh?"

Kenshin grinned wolfishly, "I can show you what they're up to."

Kaoru's eyes widened, "Honto?"

Kenshin looked skeptical but his eyes betraying the mischief in them. "I meant koishii, I can show you what they're doing… by doing it ourselves.."

Kaoru's eyes widened, "ohhhhhhhh……….."

Battousai grinned and hefted Kaoru up in his arms, "Shall I my lady?"

Kaoru giggled, "Hai… anata!"

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AN:

No lemons!!! No more lemons!!! Go to my yahoo group or adult ff. net if you want to read the lemon chappie!!! /swt I don't want my account to get deleated again.. /sob… review minna?

Anime tenshi no miko