A/N: Sorry for the really long wait! Good news? I'm thoroughly inspired to write more of the story since I'm "reobsessed" with RK! It's been over 3 years since I've loved RK and the love never dies! Yay! So here's the next chapter, I hope you like it, It's longer than usual, so this is my tribute to my readers! Please review, I hope you give some sort of feedback.. it's very much appreciated...(plus itbrightens my day, I read them all) well, anywho, enjoy!
Kenshin was hunched over his wife's resting, limp form. He had brought her back from the alleyway in which he found her, his mind in shambles. What had happened to her? Why was she in an alleyway of all places? An endless amount of questions flooded his mind. He had wanted nothing more than to ask her of what happened and why she would end up in such a state but for the time being, he merely watched as she rested comfortably on their futon. His eyes seemed to bore holes into her, as though he were concentrating on Kaoru and nothing else at that moment.
He leaned down so that his lips met her forehead. He knew that she was going to come to soon and parted with her abruptly but gently. He watched intently as her eyes clamped shut for a few brief moments, realizing that she hadn't yet regained all consciousness but was willing to wait forever. "Are you all right, Kaoru?" Kenshin inquired just above a whisper.
"…Ken-Kenji is that you…?" Kaoru groggily opened her eyelids but all she could make out was a blur of fiery red hair.
"No," Kenshin replied, brushing his lips over hers in the gentlest of ways. "It's me…"
Kaoru had recognized that kiss better than anything else. She knew then whom it belonged to, who would treat her so wonderfully. It could only be Kenshin. "Kenshin… Kenshin?" She tried her absolute hardest to shake off her feeling of fatigue. Revealing her bright blue eyes, she could deny it no longer that her husband was indeed by her side and that he wasn't merely just an illusion. If she wanted to, she could reach out and touch him. There would be something to touch.
Kaoru spread her arm outward and surely came into contact with his chest.
She felt solidity.
"It is you… it really is you…Kenshin you're back!" Kaoru cried ecstatically, sitting herself up with ridiculous ease after catching the sight of the man that she loved with all of her heart and soul. "How did this happen?" Her arms encircled his neck and she pressed herself closer to him up to the point where her head rested comfortably against the well of his neck. "Kenshin…I can't believe you're here… I missed you so much…"
Kenshin smiled deeply and slowly broke the embrace. "I came back yesterday during the late afternoon. And when Chizuru-dono told me that you had left for such a long time…I got worried and went looking after you…" Kenshin took the time to caress her cheek with the back of his hand for a moment, staring into the eyes that he had forever missed whenever he had wandered away from her for such a great period of time. How he despised leaving her. It had pained him time and time again and yet he continued to do it so. "Kaoru… you scared me half to death…and more if it were possible when I saw you in that alleyway last night."
Kaoru's eyes widened. She had a faint recollection of being in an alleyway but she hadn't been aware of the fact that Kenshin was the one who had found her limp form moments afterward. "What had Hikojirou done with me after I had lost consciousness? Why was I so weak?" she thought busily to herself, almost forgetting that her husband had returned to her after such a long time. And for a brief moment, she felt rather selfish. Selfish because she could only think of herself in danger, whereas she could be thinking about Kenshin's sudden return and how blessed she was to have him back in her life.
Kenshin had noted her rather occupied state of mind and affectionately nuzzled his head underneath Kaoru's slender neck.
"What are you thinking about Kaoru?" Kenshin inquired sweetly, taking a firm yet loving hold of her hand. He waited for her to glance over into his eyes before he dared speaking again, "You can't fool me…" he added teasingly, stealing a kiss from her while she was still trying to register his solemn tone of voice. "I know when you're thinking of something else or are worried about something… please tell me what's troubling you. At least confide in me… after all, it's what I can do now that I'm home with you."
"What spurred your decision? Usually you write before you come home… so I was really surprised to see your face a few minutes ago." Kaoru added while Kenshin cocked an eyebrow. "But it was a good surprise!" she giggled.
"There was a man I ran into during my journey. I had helped his daughter from a band of thugs and they'd let me stay with them for a few days. …And somehow he found out that I was traveling while you and Kenji were here by yourselves." Kenshin studied his hands. "We got into this long talk about it and how he mentioned that the past couldn't be changed… that alone made me think about things. I had left you and Kenji in repentance for my sins committed a very long time ago. I was too focused on my past and I had, in some ways, let go of my present and future. Kaoru…"
"Kenshin, what is it?" Her eyes trailed down to the floor where he had hunched over and bowed deeply in front of her. She noticed his tense shoulders and his trembling form. It shook her still, when she saw nothing but his back, forehead pressed roughly against the floor. "Kenshin please stop…"
"Kaoru please forgive me for leaving you… please forgive me for all of the trouble I put you through when I was absent. You've been so loyal to me and--" Kenshin paused his train of apologies abruptly when he felt the gentle caress of Kaoru's hand brush upon his tense back. "I-I can't change what I did back then but I--"
Kaoru knelt down beside him and softly pushed his lips against his until he ceased any and all apologizing. "That was the past… remember, we can't change that now, can we?" She muttered in a low tone, looking up at him with mischievous blue eyes. Kenshin grinned and wrapped his left arm around her waist as tightly as possible.
"Ow…" Kaoru muttered almost inaudibly, had it been for Kenshin's keen sense of hearing.
"Kaoru? I'm sorry…what did I do?"
"Aaa, it's nothing…" she averted her eyes. Kaoru had momentarily forgotten about what Hikojirou had done to her in combat. That and the fact that she knew for certain that there must have been bruises underneath her yukata… wait, yukata? Kenshin had undressed and redressed her? Then wouldn't he have mentioned something if there were indeed bruises? "Kenshin, you took care of me like this… I hadn't expected you to get me into a yukata…"
"It was my pleasure," Kenshin winked, replying truthfully and yet giving her a sexual sort of look at the same time. "Though…I was going to bring it up later but seeing as how you just reminded me… why do you have bruises all over your stomach?"
Kaoru cursed under her breath. She avoided answering and knotted her hands in her lap as she looked away. Kenshin could tell with the way that she was playing childishly with her thumbs that something was wrong. "Kaoru…I found you lying unconscious in a dark alleyway… your kimono was torn… You were unspeakably pale!" His voice rose, as did his worry for his wife. "I don't know why you were in such a state but I went to find you in the market in hopes of holding you, kissing you…doing everything that I was unable to do when I was away… so when I ended up finding you hours later, completely passed out, naturally I worried!"
Kaoru felt her heart sink with every growing doubt that made its way into her mind. Had Hikojirou not threatened Kenji in the way that she did, Kaoru would feel more apt to tell Kenshin just what had happened…
"Before I continue, I just want to let you know… that you must come back to me… at least once every two days. If you don't…well, I'll leave it up to your colorful imagination as to what might happen to your precious son."
"No please!" Kaoru pleaded.
Hikojirou merely kissed her gently to stop her from complaining. And just as he suspected, she froze once he came into contact with her. "You're probably aware that even a swordsman of your husband's caliber doesn't even rival my own. That and, he hasn't taken up swordsmanship in years. So I'm warning you…my sweet Kaoru-dono…do not even consider a permanent departure. We are bound as one from now on…"
"I don't remember what happened to me," she lied. Kenshin raised an eyebrow for a moment and then calmly sat before her.
"If you're lying to me, Kaoru… it must be for a good reason because I know it isn't like you to lie. You've never lied to me before… but please, if it is something that I can help with, tell me whenever you can. I worry too much for you. I have and I always will… you can think me overprotective all you want but that won't change anything. I love you too much."
"Kenshin, and you have no idea how much I love you…" He took her into a gentle embrace, wrapping the thick futon sheet around them both before delivering a passionate open-mouthed kiss to her.
After some silence, Kaoru fidgeted in his hold. "What's wrong?"
"There…is one thing that I'd like to ask of you…"
"Anything, Kaoru," he replied softly.
"…Can you help me with my swordsmanship training?"
"Oro! Kaoru, but what for?"
She looked up into his eyes and sighed heavily, "Well, I've let myself get soft after we got married… you know that. We were too busy with trying to have a baby… and then once I had Kenji, I was so wrapped up in trying to take care of him… and then--"
"Shh…" Kenshin cooed, placing an index finger along her lips to quiet her down. "I know, I know. Kaoru it was probably hard for you to continue the lifestyle you once lived. But don't worry about that. Of course I'll help you with whatever you need…"
"Thank you… and you can't even deny that I've gotten much softer…"
"Y-yes, but I still view you the same way as you were when you were eighteen. Though I always knew something about you would never change…"
"And what might that be?" Kaoru inquired incredulously.
"That you're my cute, sexy tomboy," he whispered in a deep voice.
Kaoru's face grew beet red. "I take it you haven't changed either."
"No, I haven't," he smiled before taking her into his arms again but in a more careful and gentle manner, as to cradle and protect her with everything that he was.
The man stepped off the boat in one of the harbors in Yokohama, running a hand through his hair. It was already very early in the morning and he hadn't expected the ship to let off at such an ungodly hour. Nonetheless, he couldn't do anything about it, and complaining about things wasn't really his style. Shrugging off his bad timing, he began walking in the direction of Tokyo, his bag slung over his broad shoulder. Though his face seemed to be unreadable, he was quite excited to be going back to where he once used to reside.
His face was enveloped in shadow, deep eyes full of what seemed to be maturity and experience. They stared down at the ground as he walked, certainly contemplating where he was headed to and what he might encounter once he got there.
"I still have to pay them a visit," he smirked to himself, readjusting his bag, as his arm was beginning to grow tired. "Huh, well, surely they'll be surprised to see someone like me show up after all this time…"
"I brought the journal with me when I left the doujo," Kenji muttered to Chizuru, pulling said book out of his long and airy sleeve. She watched the book with such intent and had hoped that he would open it and begin reading from it again. "I didn't think I'd actually start reading another entry since I came out here to think in the first place… but…do you want me to read from it? I don't mind."
"Sure," Chizuru said enthusiastically, shrugging her shoulders. Kenji grinned impishly and took hold of her hand. Chizuru smiled.
"Okay…well, where were we?" He muttered, flipping the journal open and leafing through the endless pages of illegible kana. "'There was one point in my life where I never believed that I would experience such pain. The pain in which you feel like your heart is being severed into two pieces or even ripped from your chest…'"
I had never expected to feel such attachment to the Kamiya doujo and all of my friends that I had met about three months prior to where I was now. I knew that they were all nice people and that they were very caring. But there was something I never expected to feel. It was love. I was in love. What else could that feeling possibly be when your heart sinks in a pleasurable way whenever that certain someone is close to you or compliments you? I knew I had to be in love with Kaoru-dono.
It was over a week ago when I had started dreaming about my past as Hitokiri Battousai. I wasn't sure what to make of those visions. I surely hadn't wanted to think that they were prophecies of some sort, seeing as how that would result in chaos for the people that I happened to be close to. I did my best to not think of these visions but they somehow kept invading my personal space, as if they didn't want to be left alone and forgotten after all these years.
I learned that my dreams were not to be ignored… an old enemy from my past, Saitou Hajime: former member of the 3rd squad of the Shinsengumi, happened to be in the area and was going under an alias of Fujita Goro as a policeman. I knew that nothing good came from it, seeing how the doujo had been attacked and Sanosuke, being the only one there, was pummeled by him. I knew it to be his handiwork. The Shinsengumi had a particular medicine chest that caught my eye recently. And then I knew that nothing would ever be the same.
I was involved in a duel the next day with an insignificant henchman, I take it. I was able to defeat him, but at the price of returning late to the doujo. Kaoru-dono had greeted me when I returned, telling me that my life was in danger and that a policeman had come inside for the time I had been absent. I was taken aback when I recognized said policeman as the Saitou Hajime I once knew. So he had come back to settle the score with me and I hadn't denied his request. It was as if something took over. My tremors returned to my hands as I shook with pure excitement. To fight a battle simply meant for the revolution was what I had suddenly wanted. And so I had. I had clashed swords with my former rival once more.
He was trying to awaken the Battousai within me, and made good on saying he would do so. Over a matter of time, taking in all of his attacks and trying to defend myself as much as I possibly could, I released. I could feel my murderous intent flow through my veins. And I have to say that I felt addicted. I was drawn to the sight and smell of blood when I continued dueling with Saitou. But at the time, much to my chagrin, the fight was put to a halt. All of a sudden, a police chief who went by the name of Kawaji and the government official himself, Ookubo Toshimichi had shown up at our door…
I had received word with everyone else that Shishio Makoto, my predecessor of all people, was planning to destroy Kyoto. And Kyoto itself was a city symbolic of the revolution and how I murdered shamelessly. I didn't know what to do. My friends hadn't wanted me to go…and yet in Kyoto there was bound to be chaos like no other. Ookubo said, too, that he would give me a week to decide whether or not I wanted to go through with going back and facing Shishio. I was certain that even a week's time would not suffice. But then again, I would eventually have to make a decision.
The week afterward…Ookubo was assassinated. I was to go and visit him that day and speak with him about the matter but I ran into his corpse on my way. A huddle of people were crowded over him and I couldn't believe it. I knew it be one of Shishio's men. It was inevitable that chaos was indeed happening all over again.
And so it came… nightfall. My mind was made up and I had returned to the doujo only to find Kaoru-dono waiting for me in the dark all by herself. I know not how long she stood waiting for me, but she knew I would come back. I couldn't leave her without saying goodbye. This is where I felt such gut wrenching pain. I had to tell her abruptly that I was leaving. There wasn't any point in dragging such a matter out. It would only hurt me more if I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I was parting from her.
As I told her, I felt an indescribable urge to tell her how I felt about her, and how I saw her generous behavior toward me as nothing but extremely amazing. She objected. She didn't want me to leave but I knew what I had to do. And so I took her into a strong embrace, remembering the feel of her body against mine. She was shivering violently as I held her. I knew that she was going to break down and yet I held onto her for dear life still. I thanked her as calmly as I could, trying with all my might not to cry along with her. And then I let her go. My release was the most painful. How I felt nothing afterward. It was an empty and painful feeling. Not being able to see her again, turning my back on her was the worst thing that I believe I'd ever done in my life. But…I did so…I walked away from her so that she would not be able to see my tears.
"Oh wow…" Chizuru muttered under her breath as soon as Kenji stopped reading. "That was one of the saddest things…I've ever read, or witnessed, or even heard about. Kenji…do you see now how your father cared for your mother? It's blatant…"
Kenji said nothing; his eyes froze over the words in the journal. He, too, had agreed with Chizuru. However, it was in silence. His face was vacant of anger. "Chizuru-san…I almost… feel sorry for my father…"
A/N: Well, I hope you liked it! Told you there would be some Kenshin/Kaoru in this chapter and indeed there was! I was going to use kawaii iroke otemba for Kenshin's "cute, sexy tomboy" remark but decided not to, ah well! At least I mentioned it here. And Kenji's starting to accept Kenshin? Hmmm...
Poll: Who do you think the mystery man arriving in Tokyo is? XD
I'm curious as to see how many people guess correctly! Thanks a lot for reading and I really, really hoped you liked this chapter. I even stuck in another journal entry for those who like reading them. Please leave a review, I need to know where this story is headed and if it may or may not be promising... thank you very much, again
Son Christine
