Hello,

The end is approaching. Hope people are still interested in this story. Thanks for reading!

Vic

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Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is property of Nobuhiro Watsuki. The characters are only used and cruelly distorted for the sake of this story.

Chapter 3: Preparations

"So how was it?" The question was asked as soon as she had stepped in the apartment.

Kaoru left her keys on the small reception table she and Misao had close to the door, and then walked to sit on the loveseat in front of the TV.

Misao was sitting upright on the couch next to her and her expression resembled that one of a child who was dying to know about her Christmas present.

"It was alright. We talked, not much. Just inconsequential things." The tone sounded bored and Misao frowned. She had been expecting something more exciting than the answer Kaoru had just provided.

"You mean?" Misao asked, slouching back on the couch.

"Just simple things. I told him I'm not prepared to talk anything about our former relationship just yet. So he just asked about work, how I was, how Australia was."

Misao stayed silent for a while before sighing loudly and shrugging her shoulders.

"Slowly. Healing will take time, but at least now she's willing to see him."

She thought for herself as she watched Kaoru standing up and going to her room to change.

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The park was not very full and the weather was lovely. Definitely, it had been a good idea to meet today.

Kenshin sat anxiously on a bench as he waited for Kaoru to arrive. It didn't take long before she was before him and sat on the same bench.

"How was your day?" Kenshin was the first to break the silence between them.

Kaoru eyed him with the corner of her eyes before answering him in a flat voice.

"Good."

"Good." He repeated the same word not knowing what else to say.

In his mind, this moment was supposed to be handled smoothly by him. He would tell her that he was extremely sorry, that he loved her still, and if she could take him back, give him a chance he had been waiting for since she had left. However, things weren't that simple.

Kaoru wasn't that simple.

"Listen, Kenshin, if you came this afternoon with the intentions of making amends for your past mistakes, I'm not going to lie, I can't listen to any of that just yet. I'm not ready."

This time, she was looking him straight in the eyes. Her blue depths sparkled in the light and he felt his heart aching to have her again in his arms.

He opened and closed his mouth before lowering his head. When he raised his eyes again, he smiled sadly and apprehensively, took one of her hands.

Seeing no sign of refusal of his touch, he continued holding her hand as he started a new set of questions, questions he was used to store for new acquaintances, to people he wanted to know but were nonetheless, mere strangers to him. He was not supposed to make this kind of enquiries to someone he had become to know and love so much for so long.

But he had no choice. It was this or nothing else.

"Tell me, for how long do you know Megumi?"

Kaoru shifted on her seat and moved the hand he was holding to rest on her lap.

"Since my sophomore year in college. So you work with Sano?"

And the afternoon passed as they continued to ask and answer questions that didn't matter at all. It might have seemed a waste of time; why to settle with such irrelevant topics when something else could be mentioned or voiced.

But they needed it.

He needed it because he wanted to show her that he was okay with the pace she had established for his advances. He wanted to let her know that for her, he could wait and be patience. He had all the time of the world. To show her his love, how much he cared for her, how much he had missed her and needed her with him again.

She needed it because she wanted to get reacquainted with the man she had once loved so blindly and truthfully. She needed to know if he was still there, if her heart could still accept him. But most importantly, she needed to start anew, as mere strangers. She needed to test him as much unfair it may sound. She needed to make sure that if he had another chance, he could not break her again.

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Two months passed quickly and, although Kaoru hadn't allowed him to be more than simple friends, Kenshin's heart still had hopes.

Little by little, his presence was not that of the man who had shattered her but instead, he was becoming someone she could talk to again about some of her days and friends.

Occasionally, they'd meet at the park and walk in silence, sometimes joined by Megumi and Sano, who were going to get married in less than seven weeks, sometimes with Misao – who would entertain and annoy to some extent with her special being –, and sometimes just the two of them. During those particular moments, when he felt that she was in a good mood, in days when he felt that she was opening her heart more to him, he would hold her hand or show her a tender gesture that would give him a smile or a grin.

He was content like that, but he also knew that he had to act faster for he could only resist for that long. His male nature was urging him to kiss her roughly on her lips every single time he looked at her. His arms were aching to embrace her like lovers did, like he used to do.

Kaoru had reluctantly offered him her friendship for a second time, and without hesitation, he had accepted it. But he didn't want just her friendship. He wanted more. He needed more.

And now it was the time to take a step further and risk whatever he had.

Perhaps it wasn't a good idea. He had a lot at stake. But he was willing to try. Just for her.

Just for Kaoru, Kenshin was willing to lose for a second time.

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Kaoru was eyeing at her friends with an incredulous look while they were only grinning at her cheekily.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope. Come on, Kaoru. Isn't it a fantastic idea?" Misao declared all too excited to notice that some people sitting around them were expecting for her to lower the tone of her voice.

Megumi, Misao, and Kaoru were currently having lunch at a restaurant after agreeing during the previous day to get together for something nice in reward of their exhausting week.

Kaoru had introduced her two friends not long after Sano's birthday party. After all, both Megumi and Misao were very important people in her life, so she couldn't just not to introduce them. Her tirade had worked out nicely since her two female companions were more than comfortable around each other. Of course, they had their differences but nothing they couldn't solved after a good cup of coffee and tea. Nonetheless, they were just wonderful persons and Kaoru couldn't be more glad and grateful of having such great friends.

"But, who's covering the expenses… whose idea is it and… I'm just too surprised." Kaoru replied truthfully, shock written all over her face.

Megumi grinned cockily at her and wiped her lips with her napkin after taking a sip of red wine. "Well, it occurred to me that you would like to have an unimaginable birthday party, so I mentioned it to Misao and then 'bam,' the idea came out."

"Well, actually, I was with Aoshi at the time and he was mentioning something about those hotels-resorts in Kyoto and how nice they were. Since all of us work so hard and coincidentally we're having the almost exact days for vacation, I figured it would be awesome to celebrate your birthday in one of them." Misao added as she seemed to bounce on her seat. Kaoru winced slightly. She just hoped she wasn't going to fall on the ground.

"So you'll be leaving next Wednesday in the afternoon flight." Misao continued chirping happily.

Kaoru looked at both women as if they had suddenly developed a third head each and sighed in disbelief.

"Now, you're only leaving earlier because you're the one who's starting vacation three days before any of us"

"Two in my case." Megumi interrupted Misao and the latter could only roll her eyes.

"Okay, two for Megumi."

Kaoru fidgeted on her seat as she was inwardly arguing with herself.

"It indeed sounds nice, but… I don't know… Fly hundred of miles just to spend my birthday in some crazy and fancy hotel? Well, as Megumi had said though, we work hard and we'll be in vacation time, so why not go away and have a great time for once?"

"It won't cost too much, right?" Kaoru asked and her two friends grinned at each other.

"Nope. It happens that since Sano is from Kyoto, he got some contacts and we got an amazing deal. Besides, you're the one who's not paying since this is your birthday gift, silly." Megumi replied as her brown eyes shone in the dim lighted restaurant. Either she was happy because Kaoru was accepting their offer, or she and Misao had more surprises for her.

"Now, that I don't believe."

"Come on, Kao. Just forget about everything and relax. It's a promise. You'll have the time of your life!" Misao supplemented as she signalled one waitress for the check.

"So it's just you two and I, right?" Kaoru spoke suspiciously. She had the nagging sensation that there were more people added to the pot.

"And Aoshi and my Sano, of course."

After a silent moment, Kaoru slumped her shoulders and shook her head in defeat. She didn't believe she was agreeing to this random – and nice – surprise.

"Ok, but nothing weird, please, while we're there. I don't want someone to call me in the morning to remind me that I suddenly have a bungee jumping class or anything of that sort."

Megumi looked triumphantly at Misao and she nodded her head repeatedly.

"You won't regret it, Kao." Both women said at the same time and Kaoru thought that it was really scary. She just hoped it wasn't a kind of omen.

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Her clothes were everywhere and she was supposed to leave in four hours. She walked to the bathroom to retrieve her toiletry. She opened the cabinet and frowned.

"Where is the case for my glasses?"

She thought as she went back to the bedroom. She sighed. It didn't matter anymore. She only needed her glasses to work and this time she was going away to enjoy herself.

She continued packing when the sound of her cellphone made stop.

"Hello?"

"What in the world, Kaoru? You're supposed to be meeting Sano so he can take you to the airport!" The female voice coming from the other line chided her.

Kaoru sighed and sat on her bed.

"I know, I know, Misao. But I haven't finished packing yet. Actually, I just started…" Suddenly, Kaoru had to move the phone away from her ears.

"What! Just now! You're insane! I know you're used to travel a lot but that doesn't mean that you can pack just before you're leaving, even if the trip is short!"

Kaoru rolled her eyes and put the phone close to her again.

"I know. I'm sorry… I need to pack now and you're depriving me of that… privilege. So, I'll talk to you once I get to Sano's, ok?"

"Ok. Go and hurry up!"

Kaoru sighed again and nodded as if Misao was standing in front of her and not on the phone. After a quick good-bye, Kaoru stood up from the bed and glared at the small suitcase on the floor.

"Let's see… I'll need a swimsuit…"

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He smiled as he saw her standing at the reception desk. She looked beautiful as the light emphasized her dark hair. Her blue eyes were sparkling like the ocean in a sunny day, and her skin looked soft and creamy, just like a porcelain doll.

He wished at that moment that he could walk to her and kiss her, take her hand and be the two lovers they were supposed to be, the couple that was visiting for vacation… He sighed. He just hoped everything would work out. He had spent a lot of time planning everything very carefully and thoroughly. Nothing should go wrong, nothing could go wrong, except… If she still refused him after this, then, then he didn't know if he could go on.

She was his life, no matter what had happened.

Some people told him he was pathetic, brooding over a girlfriend for so many years. Looking for her, waiting for her, hoping for her to come back to him.

Perhaps, perhaps he was pathetic. But love is strange and one can be pathetic when one is in love, especially if the person you love is more than your best friend. She is your soul, what compliments and fills your life. She is simply everything.

And he was more than willing to fight for her.

She smiled at the receptionist as she handed her the keys of her room. He watched her walk to the elevator with something akin to desire and anxiousness in his eyes. He took a deep breath.

Just a few more minutes and he was going to know if he could love her again.

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(sigh) Truth to be told, I don't like this chapter. I checked it and re-checked – and although I did make some changes – it still doesn't satisfy me at all. I feel as if something is missing. Oh well… I hope the next chappie makes me happier.