Rain - Chapter 5
Feelings Revealed

Kenshin sat under a tree near the dojo doors. Luckily he was not chased away again, yet he still had to keep his guards up. It was obvious he was not welcome here and he wasn't feeling up to another fight.

Kenshin did his best to watch himself but he found that he could not take his mind of Nozomi. He closed his eyes tight. Suddenly before him in his mind he saw a picture of Tomoe. All these years had passed since that day but pictures of the living nightmare never perished from his mind. Now once again he could see the day he had killed her. He could see the blood, tears and mud mixing below them.

Tears fell freely from his face. For once he was not afraid to cry nor could he help it. Almost every single time he had cried before he had wondered. Was it ok to show his feelings to others? Was it right for him to cry for someone he loved even though he had once been a manslayer?

Finally Kenshin looked up. Now no longer did his long crimson bangs hide his face. Now he looked into the world with damp eyes as if to say. 'I have showed you my true feelings. So now may I for once have things my way?'

Finally he sighed heavily and with a last tear he whispered "Tomoe…" but in his mind he did not see Tomoe, yet a young, beautiful girl. Her eyes full of sadness and worry. Nozomi.

Kenshin sat silent for while. Finally he made a promise to himself and Nozomi. 'Nozomi…' he thought. 'I won't let you die…not like before. I promise I'll always be by your side from now on.' Not much later he calmed down and the warm mid morning sun made him drowsy and he drifted into a light sleep.

A few hours later in the early afternoon of the cool April day Nozomi awoke.

The sun spread across the dojo room from outside and a light breeze rustled the sakura trees near the dojo.

Nozomi awoke on an unfamiliar, yet clean futon. She blinked a few times, adjusting her eyes to the afternoon sun. The sakura trees outside rustled again. She flinched at the pain of her hurt arm as she sat up. But even thought in hurt it was no longer bleeding. She still had her own clothes on. They were stained by blood but other than that they were quite clean and descent other than the few small dirt stains here and there and a cut on her left sleeve.

She sat on the futon for a moment and looked around. Sun poured into the room yet everything was cool and calming.

Nozomi had forgotten all about Kenshin and the incident for a few moments until she saw the two pieces of her bo lying beside her. Then immediately her eyes opened wide and she remembered everything. Nozomi leapt up out of the futon and raced for the rice paper door. She slid it open carefully but quickly and rushed out of the dojo.

Outside she stopped for a moment as the wind brushed against her face and rustled her copper hair. She stood there worried that Kenshin had left. She frantically looked around until she saw him. He still sat under the same tree he had been under for hours waiting for her.

Upon spotting him Nozomi yelled "Kenshin!" and ran to him. This caught his attention and he turned around. His eyes opened wide and a he said softly "Nozomi?"

When Nozomi reached him she fell to her knees and looked into his eyes. "Kenshin…I'm so sorry…" she began but before she could continue Kenshin had wrapped his arms around her and he was holding her tightly but making sure not to hurt her arm.

"Nozomi…don't be sorry…I'm the one who made all this happen. If it weren't for me you'd be ok and training right now. Gomen nasai…very sorry." he whispered in her ear.

The red that had not long ago been painted onto Nozomi's face faded slowly. She calmed down hearing this. And instead of pushing away from him, Nozomi relaxed in his arms and only wished for one thing. That she could stay the way she was forever.

By this time both men that had attacked Kenshin were watching in awe. But Nozomi and Kenshin paid no attention. They sat under the tall tree as the wind blew their hair a bit, while the sun warmed their faces. Nozomi felt like never before. She was calm and happy. Closing her eyes slowly she sighed with content. She had never felt this way before. So free spirited and happy. It was almost as if a piece of her life had been missing and now she had found it and was finally complete.

But most of all Nozomi felt like her name really could relate to her now.

A few more minutes passed and nor Kenshin or Nozomi said a word. Then suddenly the dojo doors swung open.

"Nozomi!?" a voice exclaimed. Nozomi turned around and looked up.

"Sensei?" she said surprised to see him. But mostly worried about him seeing her with Kenshin.

"What is the meaning of this Nozomi?" he asked.

"Sensei! Please wait a moment let me explain…"

"Explain what!? This man you were just now embracing is none other than the Hitokiri Battousai! Nozomi…this goes deeply against out ways…" her sensei trailed off.

"But…Sensei please…" Nozomi was cut off again.

"No Nozomi. I don't want to hear it." he said as he looked down in disgrace.

Nozomi's sensei looked up and at her again. They both were silent for a moment. Then finally Nozomi stood up.

"Sensei…if Kenshin is not allowed here…than I don't think I should be either." she started. "If you have not noticed he has not killed or hurt anyone today. Can you not see that this is not the Battousai but a Rurouni?"

Nozomi got up and began walking away from the dojo. But she was getting a headache and quick for some strange reason. She suddenly had no clue what she was doing. She had come to this dojo and trained ever since she was little. Now just because of Kenshin and the ways of the ninjas she was giving up the one thing she had done for most of her life? It all confused Nozomi and she didn't know if she should turn back or continue on. But her feet wouldn't stop moving.

Suddenly Kenshin got up and caught up to her. "Nozomi…what are you doing?" he asked confused. It was hard for him to believe that someone would go through all of this just for his sake. Nozomi stopped for a moment. She looked up into the sky with a confused and worried look on her face. Suddenly she collapsed.

"I don't know…" she said as she fell to her knees. She had a major headache now and was totally confused. Everything had just now happened so fast. It was almost as if a strange barrier was trying to hold her back.

Slowly tears began trickled down Nozomi's cheeks. She cried silently. She didn't want to leave but she didn't want to be away from Kenshin at any time. Ever since that time 7 years ago that he had left her she had been hurt badly. Now that he was back she didn't want to leave his side not for one second.

Once again Kenshin held her tight. She sat in Kenshin's arms crying silently.

Nozomi had been noticing how caring and open Kenshin had been lately and it was strange yet it calmed her a lot. But she also noticed how she too was crying a lot. Kenshin himself though didn't notice any of this .The only thing on his mind was Nozomi. She had been his friend for so long now he couldn't bare to see her in pain. Emotional or physical.

Everyone was silent for a while. Nozomi hadn't made it to far from the dojo before she collapsed and her sensei was still outside watching everything.

It still was strange to him that Nozomi could care for someone such as the Hitokiri Battousai but he couldn't win. Nozomi was one of his best students. And he didn't want to lose someone he had been training for so long. Besides what she had said was true. He hadn't hurt or attempted to hurt anyone so far.

"Nozomi…" he began.

She took a deep breath and looked up at Kenshin. Another tear rolled down her cheek. He gave her a small smile and wiped it off with his own sleeve. She did not smile but Nozomi felt better.

She turned around and so did Kenshin. She sat on the dirt path with him and looked at her sensei.

"If you wish to have this man join you today he is allowed…but only for my favorite student." he said with a small smile as he looked at her.

Another faint smile lit up Nozomi's face and she got up. Kenshin copied.

She couldn't resist. She ran up to her sensei and they bowed to each other. But without notice she also gave him a hug.

Surprised at first he then patted her on the back. Nozomi was his favorite and first student ever. They had a kind of special bond between them and were always talking whenever they saw one and another. Nozomi almost considered him kind of like a grandfather maybe.

Kenshin walked up when Nozomi let go of her sensei and bowed deeply. Hesitantly her sensei did the same.

"You may call me Sensei Chikara" he said.

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