Fanfic by Blueroseulan

December 6, 2005

AN: Hey guys! Another update! Hmmm... I knew you'd wonder what happened to our beloved oro-chan! XD I won't say if he's really dead or not but… (I'm not that brutal ya know ) oh well…

Don't forget to Review!

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She flew to her heels, heart hammering against her chest. She arrived in the room just in time to see him slump dejectedly back to the floor, eyes closed and beads of sweat forming in his forehead. Sapphire orbs widening with shock and panic, she released a loud gasp and ran towards his direction, fingers automatically whipping towards where his pulse was located.

She felt her knees buckle down to the ground when she felt the faint weak beating pressed hard against her digits. Breathing a sigh of relief she smoothed a palm against his forehead and sighed once again. Fever. He was burning up with fever and it was probably the cause of his fall. Kaoru was wondering though, if his unconsciousness was due to his lack of balance, or due to the feverish sensation he felt?

Beside her, Kenji and Kiriko were already crying. Young and innocent as they are, the children couldn't help but mistake their father's fall to unconsciousness as his untimely death.

Again, Kaoru felt relieved that what she held now wasn't a dead body of the spouse of hers.

"TOU-SANNN…"Kiriko wailed, burying her head on her father's shoulders and bawling out his name.

Kaoru winced. If that loud voice of the daughter of theirs wasn't enough to wake him up, then probably, nothing can.

Kenji too, was sniffling beside her. Though the situation was undeniably amusing, the raven haired mother couldn't help but become thankful that her children reacted that way instead of bearing his death in a non-chalant manner.

Lifting the fallen red head up and trying to support him with her shoulder, slowly, she dragged his form towards their room. Gee Kenshin… I never thought you could weigh so heavy when your sick… her thoughts trailed off as she unrolled their futon with a foot and settled him onto it, covering him with a blanket at once. She was just about standing up to get a rag and a basin of cold water when she noticed that Kenji and Kiriko had followed her into their room, both still sniffling and crying.

Kneeling in their direction and wiping 2 pairs of wet trembling chubby cheeks, Kaoru tried to pacify their cries with her soothing voice.

"There, there, Kenji-kun, Kiriko-chan. 'Tou-san is not dead. He just needs his rest that's all. He's not dead." she reassured them, glad that Kenji had stopped crying and instead chose to stare at her in awe. She nodded her head before ushering them out of the room, unwanting to be bothered by Kenji's questions while she had not finished tending to the sick red head.

After making short trips to the kitchen, Kaoru finally succeeded in lowering his temperature a bit. Settling beside him and placing a palm against a warm forehead, she tried guessing what had caused so high a fever to the man for him to be knocked down unconscious. Perhaps he's exhausted… or was it something that he ate? No… if it was the food, then probably we would all get affected as well… Hmmm… then what is it?

It was just however, after she had put the children to sleep, did she come up with a reason that seemed to answer her earlier question.

Perhaps the pressure and guilt I place on his shoulders are the ones causing his illness?

Kaoru sighed, hands creeping to intertwine with his. She missed him. It was one fact she had tried to deny but was forced to admit to herself.

No matter how much pain and sadness he had caused, it seemed to her that Himura Kenshin would be the only person in the world that could make her feel happy, confused, content and loved all at the same time.

Gazing at his fever-laden face, sweat beading his forehead and a slight frown twisting at his lips, Kaoru felt her vision blur and become clouded by tears. She let a tear fall, then another, and still, permitted another to fall and plop gently on their interwoven hands. Although she wouldn't admit it, she secretly felt thankful that he was unconscious for his unconsciousness proved as an excuse for her to touch him and hold his hands, and caress his face, and do whatever ministrations she cannot show when he was coherent and rational. She had to stick with her façade, decided and strict with her words that her love for him was slowly dying, seemingly like dimming embers.

Although it was far from the truth.

Her love for him was flaming; strong enough to burn the whole of Tokyo… maybe even that of Japan. She had unwittingly shown it that morning, when she heard Kenji's words; it felt as if time stopped for her, her thoughts turning blank and she becoming numb. The shock, panic and alarm she felt… and that terribly, terribly wonderful feeling of relief that crashed upon her like a wave when she felt his pulse and his shallow rapid breathing against her skin…

Suddenly, he moved, incoherent words escaping his lips. Fearful that he might wake to find his hands held tightly with hers, she was just about withdrawing her touch back when she suddenly stopped short, his words serving to still her.

"Kaoru… Kao…ru… don't…leave…me…Onegaishimasu…" he moaned silently, face knitting into a twisted frown as he struggled to fight his own vividly created nightmares.

Understanding was quick to filter her gaze, coupled by guilt and worry. His fever was already coming back and inducing cruel hallucinations in his sleep-laden mind. Knowing her husband, Kaoru felt sure if she didn't do something now, the swordsman could very well succumb to his nightmares and she could very well lose him against the evil torments of his mind.

"Sshh… I'm here… Don't worry…I wont leave you… sshh…" she calmed him, caressing his scarred cheek with a trembling hand. Just how much has he been affected with the whole situation, Kaoru couldn't gauge. The man was far too silent and far-too keeping to his thoughts for her to get a hint. But the raven haired kendo instructor also knew that even though he had neglected his family many a time, it wasn't his truthful intention to do so, for he only wanted the best for all of them especially for his children. She would like to put it this way: Kenshin was… kind of lacking in a few things… but he was not an overall deficient father.

She wouldn't have married him in the first place if he was.

The same way goes for her: she was strict and adamant to make a move unless she saw something change in him, but at the same time, she wasn't quite of a termagant as to torment him in every possible way she thought of.

Or was she not?

The mere fact that he had fallen ill because of the weight of the things that had crashed upon him was more than mere reminders for her to take his actions to consideration. No matter how much she hated lowering her pride and stop becoming quite stubborn, she had to admit that the red head was doing everything he could and therefore, she too, had better play her part and also start reaching out.

Perhaps I will… Of course I will… But when… I do not know...

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For the next couple of days, Kaoru's hands remained full. Kenshin had not yet recovered with his fever and he had not woken up yet. Though she refused to leave his side, she could not, by all means, neglect her children. Thus, at the end of the day, when both Kenji and Kiriko had long been sent to bed and she sat silently beside him, she felt exhaustion wearing her out.

She had also sent a note to Megumi. Knowing that the doctor was busy at this time of the year, Kaoru didn't want to distract her from her duties, and the woman felt sure that Kenshin's sickness would prove to be more than distraction enough. The doctor responded, of course. And had assured Kaoru that the swordsman was probably fatigued and that rest, nourishment and medication would do him good. The kendo instructor faithfully followed the doctor's instructions, never leaving the red head from her sight whenever she can.

After what seemed to be eternity for her, his fever finally went down and his hallucinations receded. Occasionally she would hear him moan her name making her wonder whatever was he dreaming about that would cause such a twisted expression to appear on his face... his words were far too muddled and incoherent for her to understand…

That night, he slept peacefully for the first time in several days. Kaoru felt mighty glad for that and she finally let her guards down, allowing tiredness, exhaustion and fatigue to envelope her form. Almost as if her energy was draining, her strength deserting her, the woman silently made a move to lie down next to him, wrapping her arms around his still waist and burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. Surprised even with her own actions, Kaoru felt too tired to argue with herself. She was worn-out, she needed rest, and if it was only in her husband's arms that she would find the well needed four-letter word coupled by a five-letter one spelled as s-l-e-e-p-, then, she was more than willing to lower her pride and just envelope herself with his presence.

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He woke up with a light weight placed upon his chest. Hazy confused amethyst eyes opening for the first time in several days, Kenshin winced as a ray of direct sunlight hit his eyes.

What happened? He inwardly groaned, All I remember was trying to put up Kiriko's lamp into place when I slipped and lost my balance… the rest is just a big hazy blur for me… The warmth resting on his chest felt far too comforting and he refused to move just yet. But when he registered a crown of raven colored tresses sprawled and scattered all over his form, amethyst eyes widened with shock and surprise.

There in his chest, lay a sleeping Kaoru, a peaceful, almost blissful look playing softly on her features. Her arm was wrapped around his waist and another was resting slightly on the broad masculinity of his torso. Her puffs of breath felt warm and lovely against his exposed chest and he marveled the way she slept so soundly and peacefully next to him.

Wait a minute… what happened! How did they end up entangled with one another this way!

After a series of unsuccessful attempts of memory flashbacks, the red head gave up and just resigned himself into thanking whoever god was responsible for making Kaoru fall asleep so… intimately close next to him.

Suddenly she moved and he felt himself panic. She mustn't see me awake… or else…Quickly, he shut his eyes and pretended to remain asleep, not even flinching when he felt her move from his arms. A palm pressed against his forehead and he heard her breathe a sigh of relief. Good. That sigh meant that he no longer had fever. A little more and she would leave the roo-

His thoughts abruptly came to a crash when he heard a choked sob, followed by another, and he registered the feel of her tears softly plopping on his shoulder. Struggling to fight the urge to open his eyes and wipe way the last traces of her tears, faintly, he heard her softly whispered words before feeling the softness of her lips press gently against his.

"Wake up Kenshin… I need you…and I miss you so much…"

TBC…

Hmmm… whaddya say? I hope you enjoyed the slight mush I put in… 0

A preview to the next chappie as always

"Kenshin! I told you not to do anything strenuous for three days! I promised Megumi I'd let you rest after you're fever has been broken. How could you do the laundry all by yourself? Your fever could return!" she suddenly berated, surprising him with her reaction. It was so un-called for. So Kaoru-like to go on worrying about him, fussing and berating him with whatever stupidity he has done. Inwardly, he pondered if she was slowly returning to her old –self, the cold silent façade she had created slowly melting and ebbing away. Maybe she'd open herself up a bit…

Hmmm… do I sense waff in that chapter?... wait til next week

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