Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin, sadly, does not belong to me.

I'm very sorry for the late update! Thanks to everyone who waited so patiently for me to finish this chapter.

Kenshin is the source of Kaoru's pain, yet she loves him all the same… isn't that sad?

-

Misted Love

Chapter Two

-

-

-

Dark pupils looked sadly at the redheaded man standing next to his best friend, laughing. They watched how the girl made Kenshin laugh, made him smile, made him…

Tomoe looked away, biting her lip gently. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't completely unbreakable and perfect. She had faults… many of them. She had weaknesses… Himura Kenshin was one of them.

Both guilt and hope surged in her heart as she felt rather than saw the longing in his gaze as he stared at her from the other side of the hall. It wasn't that she no longer loved him… no… it was anything but that. It was just…

"Kenshin…" the name barely left her lips before the brown-haired girl standing adjacent to her turned around and eyed her inquisitively. "Tomoe-chan, what did you say? I didn't hear, sorry… oh! Look, there's your boyfriend! Oh, you are so lucky to have the Furukawa Touya dating you! Oh my gosh! He is just so hot… don't you think Tomoe-chan? … Tomoe-chan?"

Plastering a smile on her attractive face, Tomoe nodded and tucked a stray strand of black hair behind her ear gracefully, "Yes. I do believe so, Tamayo-chan."

Yes… Tomoe had a role to play. She was the most idolized woman in the entire school… in the entire city. Everyone knew the beautiful, elegant and refined Yukishiro Tomoe. Not once was the public going to stop watching her every step… stop lingering on every word spoken from her sweet, red lips. Dating Kenshin had been the largest taboo she ever touched upon and yet…

… it had felt so very right…

Casting a final glance at the man she was forbidden to love, Tomoe greeted her charming boyfriend with a warm welcome, "Touya-san… we will be going to the festival together, correct?"

"Of course, Tomoyo-san. It will be my pleasure to escort such a wonderful and lovely lady to this event. I'll make sure you have a magnificent time and fully enjoy yourself," she looked up into her partner's deep, blue eyes and nearly wept when she saw what was in them. He loved her. She didn't love him… and yet, the public wanted her to… and it was the public that she would obey.

They worshipped her every movement, and she could not let them down.

"Yah… hey, hey listen to this!" though the speaker had a rather rough voice, his appearance was that of a carefree young man of sixteen. The toothpick constantly sticking out of the corner of his mouth was there, and his ever-present grin was wider than ever.

Sagara Sanosuke. One of the school's countless badboys, but he wasn't truly bad at heart. He was everyone's older brother, and every teacher loved to tease him. A friendly, noisy guy would loved to get into fights.

"Who'd want to listen to you, you chicken head!" Misao giggled and whacked her friend over the head with her fist. Unfortunately, right at that moment, her precious Aoshi-sama had turned and witnessed her rather childish actions.

Shinamori Aoshi. The school's most feared and respected man. He was captain of the ninjitsu club called the Oniwabanshu, and had the best grades in school. Needless to say, he was a walking girl magnet, but his slightly indifferent demeanor kept those crazy women at bay.

Fists clenched, Sagara Sanosuke pounded his own fist on the head of a suddenly red Misao and growled, "Watch what you say, Weasel Girl… they may just be your last words!"

"Why you!" she shifted into a fighting stance, but a cough from Aoshi stopped her loud and rude rebuttal on the spot, and yet again, a red stain appeared on the small, black-haired girl's face.

Makimachi Misao. An energetic spitball who, though very cute and pretty on the outside, had inside of her frightening kunai-throwing skills that made the skin of her opponents crawl. She was famed for being in love with Aoshi, though she wasn't officially part of his fanclub, and next to Kenshin, she was Kaoru's best friend.

"Oi! Weasel girl! Stop drooling!" Yahiko yelled, the result being him being chased by an enraged female with deadly kunai in her hands.

Myojin Yahiko. He's a year younger than the rest of his friends, save Tsubame, but he doesn't show much respect to them in regard to the fact that they're older. Nope. He seems to take after Sano a lot.

"Maa maa, calm down you two," Kenshin said putting his hands in front of him, trying to quiet the two down. Kaoru, on the other hand, was next to him, holding her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

A hefty swat from Megumi silenced the younger girl's giggles. "Really Kaoru, you should learn to act more composed… like me for instance," a pair of ears suspiciously resembling that of a furry, forest animal popped onto the woman's head. "And you wonder why Ken-san doesn't like you."

Takani Megumi. She wasn't into fighting like the rest of her friends, but her medical skills rivaled the best of doctors.

"S-Shut up!" Kaoru looked away quickly, leaving a slightly confused, violet-eyed best friend of hers to look at her questioningly. "You know it's nothing like that!"

As if sensing that she had touched something extremely sensitive, Megumi glared at her small friend, demanding her to tell her what was going on, before flipping her hair and leaving with a loud, "Ohohohohoho!"

"Himura-san, will you spar with me in the gym?" Aoshi asked over the loud laughing and yelling. His arms were crossed and his tall, lean form stood poised as always.

Kenshin grinned and then sweatdropped when he looked over to his very… excited companions, "I would love to…. But do you think it's safe to leave them alone?"

One eyebrow raised, Aoshi went over to Misao and placed a hand on her shoulder, freezing all her movements immediately, "Don't worry. I'm sure, Misao can handle everything."

"O-Of course, Aoshi-sama!" stars shone brightly from the girl's eyes and she instantly began acting extremely mature, ordering everyone to grow up and act their age.

Looking back at Misao, the Kenshin shook his head. "It's not like you to do something like that," he chuckled as the two of them walked quietly towards the school building. "Did you have anything important to tell me?"

Aoshi's black eyes looked over at his companion silently before saying in an unconcerned voice, "No. Nothing at all. I just wanted to spar a little… and I hear they have some good tea in the cafeteria as well… would you like to join me afterwards?"

-

"Aoshi-sama is the best!" Misao gushed happily before Kaoru smacked her on the head with her bokken.

"Did you forget why we're here? It's going to be Kenshin's birthday on Friday! He's been so down lately because of Tomoe-san… we all agreed that a surprise party was best, right? We need to make the plans now! Sano, did you make the banner yet?" Kaoru glanced over at the brunette who was currently scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

He began whistling casually and then stopped and gave Kaoru a boyish grin when she glared at him, "I forgot, sorry Jou-chan. Don't worry though, I'll be finished with it by Friday. Promise! But I did go with Yahiko to buy all the streamers and decorations."

Kaoru smiled and then turned back to the group, completely focused on the task at hand, "Good. Listen, I'll take care of the food and no Yahiko, I won't cook it. Misao, you and Yahiko have to set everything up before Aoshi and Kenshin get back. Remember, it's at my house, and they'll be home at four, got it?"

A whole-hearted "Got it!" chorused around the group. The tanuki girl smiled and then began walking off at a swift pace. "Oi! Where yah going, Jou-chan?" Sano yelled over to her.

"I think… I… I'm going to watch Kenshin and Aoshi spar!" Kaoru yelled back and then turned, running towards the gym. She bit her lip as she ran, praying that none of her friends had noticed the utter lack of cheerfulness in her response. There was no way she could let Kenshin's relationship get to her. Being depressed simply would not do! Plus… it might worry her friends…

"She's got it bad for him," Sano sighed, sliding a hand through his hair carelessly. Yahiko also looked a little worried about Kaoru for once, "Why won't she just tell him already! Everyone already knows!"

"Those two are probably the only one who don't," Megumi had returned, placing her hands on her hips, taking a quick look at the building Kaoru had just vanished into. Misao frowned, "She's going to end up hurt."

They all looked at one another uneasily before walking over to their own classes. The bell was going to ring soon.

"Kenshin!" the redheaded fighter stopped his charge at his opponent and grinned at the girl waving at him. He waved back vigorously, not needing to look at Aoshi to know that the talented fighter had already terminated his attack. "Kaoru-dono!"

"Mou! How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Kaoru frowned. "I came to tell you guys that class is almost starting. We've got to go."

"Hai, hai," Kenshin nodded and began putting his sword away. "We're going to learn about the Bakamatsu War in History today… right?"

Kaoru merely sighed and dragged an oro-ing high school boy back to class, with Aoshi following behind.

"Wait up! You guys are heartless," her long ponytail swung back and forth as she tried to catch up to the group of friends already leaving the campus.

She was stopped when an all too familiar voice called out to her, "Kamiya-san."

Kaoru turned. It was Tomoe. Kenshin's… Kenshin's… "Yes, may I help you, Yukishiro-san?"

After raising a hand to her mouth, the graceful student hesitated before continuing, "Well… yes… I had been wondering if I could have a word with you… it is rather important to me and…"

She raised a hand to stop Tomoe from continuing. Shouting over to Sano, Kaoru yelled, "Oi! Chickenhead! You guys go on ahead! I'm going to stay behind for a little!"

Kaoru ignored the downward turn of Sano's lips and shifted her attention back to the woman standing in front of her, "Of course. Let's go over to the benches."

-

Soft, white petals fell from the tree above the two girls who were walking down a dirt path. Silence hung between the two of them before Tomoe deemed that it was only proper that she speak first. Turning abruptly to face a surprised Kaoru, she took a deep breath and asked

"I need to know Kamiya-san… What exactly is Kenshin to you?"

-

-

-

-

To be Continued…

Thank you for waiting so long for my update. I didn't mean for it to take quite so long… but what do you think?

Please review!

-

True love cannot be found where it does not exist,

Nor can it be hidden where is does.

-

Have you ever felt so alone that nothing makes sense?

Well that's how I feel right now…

I feel as if I'm facing everything by myself…

With nothing but tears a fake smile.

-