Kaoru straightened up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She had just put the futon away.
Outside, Kenshin walked past the outside of her door and knocked gently.
"Kaoru-dono, dinner is ready," he called softly.
Kaoru's heart fluttered a the sound of his voice. It felt light and Kaoru steadied herself against the wall. She was lightheaded with happiness and overwhelming emotions.
"H-hai, Kenshin," she answered breathily.
She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them.
Kenshin paused outside her door. He frowned, and slid the shoji open slightly. He noticed Kaoru leaned slightly against the wall.
"Daijoubu ka?" he asked concernedly.
Kaoru nodded, then walked outside to Kenshin. They walked quietly beside each other, neither of them saying a word. Kaoru nervously shifted her eyes to glance at Kenshin under her bangs. He walked like he usually does, but a small frown assembled on his lips. Kaoru wondered what was wrong. He stared straight ahead while walking.
Kaoru let out a little gasp as her foot caught onto a loose piece of wood and she started to fall forward. Time seemed to go past in slow motion. The ground came nearer and nearer...
Kaoru felt a strong support on her chest. Kenshin had stopped her from falling, but in his haste he didn't catch her as he would have hoped. Since he was walking on her left, his left arm was pressed up against her chest slightly diagonally. His warm hand was cupping her breast, and his right arm wrapped loosely around her back and onto her obi.
Kenshin's startled violet eyes widened in realization and he quickly pulled her back up. Kaoru's eyes were also wide. They both turned their faces away from each other, Kaoru blushing madly. Kenshin's eyes were hidden by the thick fall of his bangs.
Kenshin's heart sped up in his chest. He stared at his left hand. Her breast...it was... Kenshin didn't know how to describe his feelings. It was awkward, but at the same time pleasing. He cursed himself at the thought. This one may not get any closer to Kaoru-dono...for her sake...
Kaoru's fingertips touched her lips. She sneaked a peak at Kenshin, who seemed motionless. What was he thinking now?
Suddenly Kenshin straightened and cleared his throat. "Let's go before dinner runs cold," he said softly.
Disappointment lanced through Kaoru. She swallowed, then nodded. Why did it seem so pleasing to her, yet it didn't seem to affect Kenshin? Another sharp pang struck into her chest. Maybe Kenshin doesn't love me, maybe I dreamt it all...but...it seemed so real. Things were hard to understand now; she was in a frenzied mix of feelings.
Kenshin reached out a hand and slid open the door to their kitchen. Yahiko was already shoving down his share of food.
Kenshin blinked in surprise. "Oro? Already back from Akabeko?"
Kaoru looked desperately at Kenshin. He didn't seem affected...he was acting as normal as a man could be. Shouldn't he be...Kaoru didn't know, pleased? Shy? Out of breath?
Kenshin knelt onto his zabuton. Karou followed his movements with despairing eyes.
Yahiko nodded and gulped down scalding tea. He was used to it. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, "Man, I am hungry!"
Karou was blank. The typhoon of feelings raging inside her settled down slightly, but she still seemed distant.
:-:-:-:
All the time they were eating Kenshin seemed silent. Kaoru ate quickly; she had to go sort out her feelings. She sipped down the last of her tea and hurried to her room. She almost ran out of the dining room. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. What was wrong with Kenshin? Maybe he didn't have feelings for her after all...
"I felt you kiss me," Kaoru murmured.
Kenshin tensed, then relaxed. "Hai, Kaoru-dono. This one has wanted to," he teased mildly, "for a long time."
"Watashi...watashi mo," Kaoru mumbled against his yukata.
Tears sprang into her eyes. What was going on? She wished that someone would just tell her. Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut and broke into a run to her room, her haven.
Drawing shuddering pants, Kaoru slid her door shut behind her and collapsed onto her knees in her room. If she had gotten the wrong message from Kenshin--oh, she had made a fool of herself. Kenshin and Yahiko might be laughing at her this very moment. She clenched her fists hard so that her knuckles turned white. The old tatami matting creaked under her powerful grip. Warm saline tears dripped onto the backs of her hands. They spilled out as Kaoru forced her eyes open a little. A small sob escaped her lips and she compelled herself to get up. She tottered over to her closet and pulled out the futon.
Kaoru messily spread out the thick material away from the door's vision range and knelt on it. Her strength gave away and she fell onto the soft make-shift bed.
Kaoru berated herself. She couldn't cry. How useless was she being? She was already old enough to have children in the Meiji era. In fact, many girls she knew of that were her age had already settled down and had three or four children with their husbands. Her parents must've been so ashamed. Maybe she, too, should start looking for a husband. It was no use. Her heart belonged to nobody besides herself and Kenshin. she had tried loving other people, but it didn't work. Kenshin was special. Kenshin saved her from the life of loneliness and despair. And she fell for him. She needed him. How she cried and sulked when Kenshin left for Kyoto.
Kenshin pulled Kaoru into a tight, firm embrace.
"This one is a rurouni. Once again, this one will drift. Thank you for everything, and sayonara," with that, Kenshin turned and disappeared into the darkness of the night, leaving Kaoru on shaking on her knees and silent tears rolling down her cheeks.
Kaoru squeezed his eyes shut, forcing out more tears. They streaked down her face and dripped onto the futon's material. The muscles on her face tightened, then relaxed. She let out a shuddering sigh and smiled ironically. She had always taken advantage of Kenshin's good hearted-ness.
She hit him without thinking when Sanosuke used him as a shield against her wrath. She made him do more that he should when it came to chores. What has she made him, her personal slave? Kaoru's fingernails dug into her wrist.
She would never forgive herself for that.
"How sensitive I've become," she whispered. One last tear rolled down her cheek and onto the futon. She sighed, then closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.
:-:-:-:-:
Kenshin's heart jolted at the sound of Kaoru's whisper. 'How sensitive I've become...' Kenshin's right hand gripped his gi where his heart was. How could he? He has broken her heart, without him knowing it. He swore not to hurt her by loving her, but it seems that it won't work. What Kaoru needed was love.
Kenshin's eyes narrowed and he scowled to himself. This one has become a senseless baka-yarou...
He pushed himself away from the door to Kaoru's room and started to his own. What he was going to do, not even he knew. He needed to sort things out. He needed time alone.
"Kenshin! Hey, Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted. He ran up to Kenshin, who stopped and turned around. Yahiko jabbed his thumb behind him, breathing deeply. "The police chief just arrived, he said that somebody left an invitation for you at the office," Yahiko panted.
"An invitation?" Kenshin questioned.
"Yeah, something about fighting you or something. Anyway, he's waiting for you at the table," Yahiko smiled. "Go beat them, Kenshin!"
Kenshin frowned and made to the kitchen. An fighting invitation? He has not received one of those in a long time...ever since Jin-e had captured Kaoru.
He slid open the wooden door and stepped inside the small wooden room. The police chief glanced up from his tea with a worried expression.
"Kenshin-sama," he started. Kenshin held up a hand.
"The invitation, please," he requested politely.
"Hai," the officer fumbled in his uniform and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper. He handed it to Kenshin, who like always, accepted it gracefully. The paper protested as Kenshin opened it. It was old and stiff. Kenshin smoothed it out on the table and his eyes darted from right to left as he read.
The police chief fiddled with his mug while Kenshin read.
"This one will attend to this matter alone," Kenshin announced, folding the wrinkled piece of paper up.
"No undercover guards?" the officer suggested.
"No, thank you. This one will go alone. It seems like personal business." Kenshin gave small a smile. He patted a hand onto the chief's shoulder and left.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Kenshin arrived at the waterfront. He stopped; senses sharpening.
The invitation said noon. The sun over head beat its brilliant rays upon Kenshin's head. A minute passed by but Kenshin stood stock still.
"You can come out now," he said coolly as a breeze ruffled by.
Two footsteps were heard from behind him and they stopped. A low gruff laugh rumbled. Kenshin's eyebrow quirked and he turned around. Before him stood a man. Kenshin had seen him before.
The man was the head of the former 'sword corps'. Kenshin had defeated all of them easily and won the townspeople's appreciation.
Kenshin kept a stony face. His eyes flashed.
"If you have come here for a rematch, I have no intention of fighting," Kenshin's eyes bored right into the man's own.
The leader of the former sword corps chuckled.
"This one has already beaten you once," Kenshin warned again.
The man smirked and unsheathed his katana. Kenshin's eyes narrowed.
"Urusai," the man growled, "and come at me."
Kenshin crouched into the Hiten Mitsurugi stance.
Ujiki smiled hungrily. "Finally."
Kenshin's eyes tinted gold. Without a word, he sprinted forward. He was so fast it was as if he had teleported.
The man looked around bewilderedly. Then his eyes flashed and he tightened his grip on his sword. "I see you, gentle man," he whispered menacingly.
Kenshin appeared to his right and struck a blow into the side of the man's stomach.
Ukiji was knocked off of his feet and flew several feet into the air diagonally before landing with a thud.
Kenshin eyed the man pitifully. "You haven't changed a bit," he said coldly. He sheathed the sakabato and turned to go home, but a rustle of grass alerted him. He turned around just in time to counter Ujiki's attack. But he was at a disadvantage: the man was pushing his blade vertically at Kenshin while Kenshin countered horizontally with both hands at the hilt.
Kenshin's right hand was slipping off the metal-edged handle. He scowled.
Kenshin had almost no time to counter; therefore, when he did, not enough force was transferred into the sakabato. His hands that were gripping the sword were quickly weakening.
Ujiki had one hand on his hilt. Smirking, he reached in his yukata and drew out a dagger. It gleamed in the reflecting sunlight.
Kenshin's eyes widened as the man's left arm flicked towards him in one fluid movement and gashed his chest. Kenshin had no time to jump away. If he loosened the force on his sword, Ujiki's sword would come crashing down on his head.
Even though the wound was not deep, searing pair tore through his chest.
Kenshin gave a mighty heave on the sword and jumped backwards to escape the aftermath of Ujiki's second swing. Ujiki attempted to lash out again. Tendrils of Kenshin's hair drifted to the ground.
"Not bad," the man snickered.
"You've gotten better," Kenshin remarked coolly, "but you will not waste this one's time!"
Kenshin darted to the side and charged lightly on his feet at the man. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryushosen!" His blade cut through the air in a fluid movement and landed on Ujiki. Ujiki's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground. Blood trickled out of his mouth and stained the tan dirt a crimson hue. Kenshin stared at Ujiki's motionless body for a while before deciding that it was safe enough to leave.
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Review, please! Doumo!