Part 8

Megumi sighed, sitting back on her heels by the futon. "Ken-san will be fine Kaoru, with the exception of a headache and a few bruises, plus his exhaustion."

Kaoru breathed in relief, settling back onto her knees. Kenshin's peaceful face was still, slightly pale, though regaining color. He was breathing regularly now; apposed to the slight hitch it had had a few moments ago. She smiled and smoothed his hair back from his face, running her fingers over his scar lightly. As she did this his face twitched, but he made no move besides that.

Megumi stood, packing up her things slowly. "You really need to watch him more tanuki."

Kaoru glared at the older woman. "It's not my fault he's so stubborn! I told him that he needed to be careful, that he needed to sleep, but he wouldn't listen to me!"

Megumi laughed lightly. "Alright tanuki, don't get your kimono in a bunch. Just be more careful, and make sure he gets plenty of rest. I don't know if I can stand coming in here to see anymore head injuries to him."

Kaoru sighed. "Alright Megumi. I'll see you soon I expect."

Megumi nodded and left the room, leaving Kaoru alone with the sleeping rurouni. Kaoru knelt beside Kenshin again, fixing the blanket over his prone form and smiling lightly. She sat there for a moment, then she couldn't resist. She lifted Kenshin's head, moving him slightly to the side and slipping her knees beneath his head. His head rested lightly in her lap, and she smiled and began to play with his hair gently.

Yahiko watched from outside the room, smiling when Kaoru did this. 'Well busu, looks like you've finally started to admit to yourself what you feel for him.' Yahiko turned and walked away from the room, leaving the two alone. 'Hopefully Kenshin will remember what I know he feels for you…'

Kaoru sat quietly for some time, twisting Kenshin's crimson hair around her fingers and watching his face as he slept. She could see the years melt away when he slept, and he looked much younger. His face was free of the normal lines of worry and tension that it usually had, making him look more like a man in his late teens or early twenties, not one in his early thirties. His skin was pale, though not a shade that made him look like a ghost. Kaoru actually thought that it accented his hair nicely.

His hair. That was what really set him apart from anyone else, that lovely shade of fire. It was just as silky as it looked, Kaoru realized as she ran her fingers through the shining locks. It was longer than her own hair, but not by much, and definitely more manageable. She wondered how he was able to keep his hair in such fine condition. It was something any girl would die to have.

The other thing she admired about him was his eyes. His eyes were beautiful, that rare shade of violet that stared into you, as though they were looking into your very soul. Then they could switch to that terrifying amber, striking fear into you instantly. Kaoru loved his eyes, whether they be the amber or violet. They made Kenshin who he was, and she loved them.

His smile was the thing that Kaoru loved about the rurouni the most. He had many different smiles; you only had to know him well enough to identify them. The one that Kaoru loved the most was his genuine smile, not the rurouni grin or the strained smile he would sometimes give just to seem happy, but the look he had when he was truly happy. Smiles like that could melt her heart, just as the flash of the rurouni grin could liquefy her knees. She was deep in thought when the head in her lap moved, Kenshin stirring.

She looked down to see those eyes of his open slowly, a deep amethyst. She smiled and swept his bangs from his forehead. "Well good morning sleepy head."

He blinked. "Kaoru-dono?" Shaking his head slightly he sat up, putting one hand on his head. "What happened?"
She frowned slightly. "You passed out from exhaustion. You hit your head kind of hard, but Megumi said you would be fine." She put her hands on her hips. "You need to listen to me more Kenshin."

He smiled slightly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "Gomen nasai Kaoru-dono, this one apologizes." He glanced at her quizzically. "But what has happened that I passed out from?"

She gaped at him. "You don't remember? How can that be? Megumi said you were fine!"

He raised his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Maa maa Kaoru-dono, everything is fine."

She suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute. You responded quickly to Kenshin."

Kenshin cocked his head. "Why wouldn't I? It's my name."

She looked at him, and then threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. He let loose a startled 'oro!', but put his arms around her anyway. "You remember! You remember me!"

Kenshin blinked, and then smiled. "Hai, I suppose I do Kaoru-dono." He sighed, hugging her tighter. "I am sorry for worrying you so much in the past long while. I just couldn't let you fall…." He looked down, shutting his eyes.

Kaoru pulled back from him, watching his face. When he opened his eyes her own eyes widened. His violet eyes were sparkling with unshed tears, ones that Kenshin was struggling to hold back. She reached up and touched his face gently. "Oh Kenshin…."

He pulled in a shaky breath, but one tear slipped down his cheek unbidden. "I just couldn't stand for anything to happen to you. Aishiteru Kaoru….so much…."

Kaoru's eyes widened again. She had just heard the two things she had longed to hear for a long time, that he loved her and her name without the 'dono.' She slipped a finger beneath his chin, lifting his tear-stained face. "Kenshin…." She leaned forward and met his lips gently with her own, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her to him, kissing back hungrily.

She pulled back slowly and he rested his forehead against hers. "Kami I've missed you Kaoru. I wanted to remember, and I suppose it took me being stubborn for it all to come back to me."

Kaoru laughed lightly. "I love you too my silly Kenshin…Just don't EVER do that again."

From outside the room Yahiko and Sano watched, smiling as they heard the two confess their love. Sano grinned at Yahiko. "Pay up brat."

Yahiko glared and reached into his gi, dropping 5 yen into Sano's hand. "Humph. So I was wrong."

Sano grinned, tossing his new yen up and catching it again. "I told you Jou-chan would start the first kiss."

Translations:

Tanuki: Raccoon, Kaoru's nickname

Rurouni: Wanderer

Busu: Ugly, Yahiko's name for Kaoru

Dono: Honorific Kenshin attaches to almost everyone's name

Gomen nasai: I'm sorry

Maa maa: Now now

Oro: Really cute word Kenshin says. Basically means 'huh'

Hai: Yes

Aishiteru: I love you

Kami: God

Jou-chan: Little missy, Sano's name for Kaoru

HM: Bit of a light ending. Yes, this is the end, as silly as it may seem. This one was running out of ideas….. Hope you enjoyed it anyway, and please review! Arigatou for reading!

Ja ne!