I do not claim to own anything RK. I only bow to the brilliance of Watsuki Nobuhiro-sensei. Please do not sue.
.:
Perfection :.
a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic
by Ardith (03/08/02)
My side hurt, a nagging ache in my ribs that pulsed to the beat of my heart. I knew Megumi only told me the truth of it when she said me that my body could not take much more of the strain from fighting. Her words only confirmed something I had suspected for a while now.
My skills were not without a price. To protect, it was a price that I am willing to pay.
I looked up and sighed. I could see the familiar lines of the dojo ahead of us. Mentally, I shook myself, forcing my thoughts away from my aches, mental and physical. Kaoru would worry. She had enough on her young shoulders to concern her without worrying about an old warrior with a body at the breaking point.
The gravely sound of our steps settled into my heart. Every step, we were closer to home. Further from Kyoto..
Kaoru's hair shone beneath the sun, dark and rich. Her smile seems mysterious to me sometimes. It's as if she has a secret that she can't tell me. Those are the times when I feel her pull the strongest. I watched her as she smiled at me, standing still in the road.
"Okaerinasai." She held her hand out to me. Suddenly, my pains did not seem to matter so much anymore.
I know her goodness, her moods. She is exuberant in her feelings, loving with all her mind and soul. When I look into her eyes... I see a person I never knew I could be.
I am not perfect.
I have done things in the dark of night that I could never talk about. Never want to remember. For the future of my country, I brought death. Knowing this, the imperfect part of me reaches out to her.
Kaoru: my weakness.
My strength.
I am not perfect.
But with her, I am so much closer.
Her touch was warm. The calluses of her hands fit in mine. I couldn't help myself. From the moment we met, there really was no choice. There was no running away from destiny. To me, she is love. She is home.
"Tadaima."
Translation
Notes:
Okaerinasai-
"Welcome Home."
Said
upon returning home.
Tadaima-
"I'm
home."
Said in response to "Okaerinasai."
