Chapter 29

Proposal

Kaoru sat at the edge of the couch. Her vision was blurred by tears dripping down onto the carpeted floor of the living room. Her father stood just a few feet away, his body literally shaking from anger. Her mother stood beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. She didn't know where her little brother was, but was sure he'd heard the racket going on downstairs.

"Why is this happening to me?" she thought grimly, "Can't I have one moment of peace? If it's not school than it dad, if it's not dad than it's about school. Don't I do everything right? Why does this happen?"

She was of course referring to the small rectangular strip of paper in her father's hands at this point.

That morning, she hurriedly packed and repacked her purse and had mistakenly left her wallet on the small table in the foyer. Unwittingly, her father had been walking around the house as he normally does when he's not drinking and had found it. Now this wouldn't have been a problem since for once he was probing for money to buy more liquor. But he did open it to see whose wallet it was and there he found a picture of his daughter and a certain red-head he's seen before looking back him.

As soon as Kaoru had returned home she happily bounced into the living room. She was still on a high from earlier when she was in her and Kenshin's new apartment. The gleam on the ring finger of her left hand also reminded of what was to come.

But when she went inside, she was immediately summoned into the living room by her mother. There she'd found her parents sitting and for once not watching TV. Her father looked beyond angry and instantly her happiness was shattered. There on the coffee table was the small photo of her and Kenshin sharing one of their many happy moments together. She had sat in his lap to take that picture and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her heart went from floating on a cloud to being hurtled into the pit of her stomach. He'd screamed at her from the top of his lungs. "Is this what you're mother has worked so hard for? So you can prance around with boys doing nonsense like this? You're a disgrace to this family! Imagine a girl doing things like this. You've let us down! Will you be doing this in college as well? Is that why you want to go so far away from home from college?"

She'd wanted to bury her head in the ground at the sound of his voice. It made her shake with anger, especially his accusations. Damnit she'd worked hard for everything in her life. But the anger in his voice made her shrivel up inside with fear.

Her mother had tried to intervene but to Kaoru's horrific shock and dismay, the man had unexpectedly slapped her harshly across the face. Kaoru had stood in wide-eyed horror after the slap and looked at her mother. All life seemed to drain from the woman's face and she looked back at her daughter defeated in front of her husband.

He'd turned to his wife and continued his verbal assault on her as well. "This is all your doing! If you'd just been stricter with her you think she'd be off doing things like this? Going out all hours of the night, hanging around these thugs. You hid everything from me didn't you? You knew she was going to the college registration with that bastard didn't you?"

Kaoru had tried to remain strong throughout the entire ordeal, but the physical and emotional battering that her mother was forced to take because of her was entirely too much to bare. "Mom I'm so sorry. I love you" she mentally screamed.

Her mother instructed her daughter to go to her room so her father could cool off. Kaoru had run upstairs, tears flooding her sight and turned to the only person she so desperately needed at this time. Screw family secrecy and self-pity; she needed to at least hear his voice. She needed to hear him tell her how much he loved her again.

So she'd dialed his number and immediately regretted it. She couldn't stop crying on the phone, couldn't speak for the first few minutes. He'd kept calling her name, asking her what was wrong, but the pain was so overwhelming. Where could she begin? Somehow she'd mustered up the strength and managed to tell him what happened.

His voice went from extreme worry to anger in an instant. He had said he was coming right over even as she pleaded for him not to. But he was in no mood to listen and promptly told her that he was coming over regardless of anything.

A few minutes later she was summoned back downstairs by her father's bellowing voice. Wiping a few tears from her cheeks and attempting to put on a strong front, she walked back into the living to face him.

That was where she sat and where he continued his rant.

"So what's your decision then?" he asked in a furious voice, but not screaming entirely.

She looked up and faced him and then her mother standing to her side. She was at a loss of words to express herself. Suddenly her strong resolve broke and the words wouldn't pass through her throat.

"Well?" he demanded. "What do you have to say?"

She remained quiet and looked up at him towering over her. Any minute she expected his hand to fall harshly across her face much the same way he'd done to her mother. She tried to imagine how badly the slap would sting her skin and imagine how much force the man would put into it. She prepared herself for the worst.

"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING UP AT ME LIKE YOU'RE MUTE? WHAT'S YOUR DECISION?" he screamed.

She decided he would slap her at any moment, "I know he will. Just do it and get it over with!"

His piercing gaze seemed to bore a hole through to the back of her head as he kept staring angrily down at her. Sensing what was to come, her mother gently squeezed her daughters shoulder "Honey please tell your father your decision regarding school."

Kaoru looked up at her mother, "She looks so tired. I'm so sorry mom" she remembered the slap the woman had taken on her account.

Finally, swallowing the lump in her throat and fighting back more tears she answered, "I want to go to Aichi Med School."

She saw her father's furious glance to from her to her mother. He then returned his stare back to her, "And that boy?"

Kaoru took another moment before answering. She thought about everything she'd ever done in her life, all her accomplishments, all her hardships, and all her relationships whether it is family or friends. Never before had there ever been a person in her life like Kenshin and she knew that there would never be anyone like him again. "Do you love him so much that you would dare to defy your father?" she asked herself.

She looked up at the man more determined than ever and answered. "I love Kenshin dad."

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Kenshin had raced on the highway despite his father's initials pleas to drive more sanely. In the end though, Hiko could understand the paranoia that probably laced his son's judgments at the moment. He stayed quiet as Kenshin ripped up and down the streets and skidded around corners barely tapping the breaks.

"Good thing this is a top notch car" he mused. Soon though his thoughts turned towards his son and the young woman they were racing to go see.

The BMW lurched to a screeching halt in front of her house. Kenshin didn't waste a second and switched off the car. Just before he got out, he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to look at his father.

"Kenshin, remember one thing before you go in there. Control yourself. I mean your anger. This is their daughter and they will feel it's you who is trying to take her away from them. No matter what happens control your anger young man."

The red head didn't say anything. After a few seconds he only nodded and both men exited the car. They walked up to the front door and Kenshin's mind was swirling with how he should handle this situation.

Hiko took the initiative and rung the doorbell. Kenshin could swear he heard yelling coming from the other side.

"Stay calm, don't beat up her father for god's sake…stay calm, stay calm" he repeated the mantra over and over in his head.

It seemed painfully long for the door to finally open and they found her mother standing on the other side of it. Kenshin gave her a concerned look and she blinked back in surprise towards him and Hiko.

"Ah…good evening…I um" she started.

"Mrs. Kamiya, I heard about what happened and I wanted to explain myself to Mr. Kamiya in person. I don't have anything to hide from anyone. Can we please come in?" Kenshin replied looking her sternly in the eyes.

She looked back with a fair amount of apprehension before allowing them to enter.

"I'm sorry about this Mrs. Kamiya, I promise Kenshin will be completely honest with the both of you" Hiko reiterated as they passed by her.

The woman mutely nodded back and led them towards the living room.

Upon entering Kenshin first saw her sitting on the couch. She was crying and instantly his blood boiled in his veins. Kaoru looked up from the couch and her eyes met with his. She looked over to see Hiko standing beside him and then again, her eyes traveled back to Kenshin's.

For a second he could've sworn he saw a flash in her eyes that begged him to take her far away from all of this daily turmoil. Determination filled him and dulled his anger for a moment.

Hiko spoke up, "Sir" he extended his hand to Kaoru's father, "I am Hiko Himura, Kenshin's father whom I presume who've already met."

Kaoru looked on in horror and only prayed that her father would at least shake the man's hand. "Please, please don't say anything rude to him. He's just trying to be respectful. I can't believe he actually came over here with Kenshin. I can't believe Kenshin actually came over…"

To her relief her father extended his hand, rigidly, and mumbled, "I've met him already."

She saw him look over to her beloved red head and the two men merely regarded each other with a nod. Her father's eyes then traveled back to her and instantly her eyes dropped to the floor. She knew he was angry over having these supposed strangers intrude in on him in his own house.

"Can you explain to me what exactly your son's intentions are with my daughter? And why a young man of his age is running around with her so shamelessly?" her father demanded.

Kaoru's heart sank a little deeper and she squirmed in anxiety over the line of questioning her father was subjecting Hiko to.

"This couldn't be any more difficult for any parent including me. Having a daughter is a large responsibility and I can assure you that Kenshin has no intentions of disrespecting you or your daughter" Hiko answered.

Kenshin remained quiet, his jaw was clenched closed and his entire body was tense. For some reason he expected the man to throw a punch his way and he was prepared for it.

"You don't consider this disrespectful?" her father spat back while thrusting the photo in Hiko's hands.

Hiko looked at the photograph and smiled inwardly. Innocent young people having fun that was all. But he knew that to a man shrouded in traditions and family honor it was a horrific and unforgivable sight.

Kenshin glanced quickly at the photograph in his father's hands and then looked back up at Kaoru's father. The man glared at him and didn't blink once.

"I'm not going to be intimidated by you" he thought while staring back unaffected by the mans' anger, "I love her and there's nothing wrong with that."

Hiko looked back up at Kaoru's father and mother who were standing before him. He could see the broken young girl from the corner of his eyes on the couch and his son standing beside him.

"Mr. Kamiya I know that in your eyes this is gravely unacceptable and I apologize on the children's behalf. But believe me when I say that they had no intentions of dishonoring you. It's a photograph and they look very happy and so I can't say that I'm angry at either one of them."

Kaoru's father glared back at the man in response. This was not what he wanted to hear.

"But" Hiko continued, "I am angry over the fact that both of them weren't more honest with you. Whatever a child does should be in front of his or her parents. So for that, I apologize as well. I'm afraid that I knew about their relations but had no idea that you were still in the dark about the apartment and ring."

At his words both Kenshin and Kaoru's heart dropped. "Shit, he wasn't supposed to say anything about that!" Kenshin thought frantically. He looked back over at her and gave her a look as if to say "Don't worry about it now. He knows, what can we do? At least it's out in the open!"

"Apartment and ring?" Kaoru's father repeated. He looked over at his wife who gave him an equally confused expression.

"Y-yea" Hiko stuttered for a second looking over at his son. He sighed inwardly realizing what he'd inadvertently done. "They just registered for college and Kenshin mentioned to me this evening that he's looked into an apartment for the both of them since he doesn't agree with dorming."

Kaoru's father seemed to ignite anew with anger. He looked towards his daughter and then shot a dagger-filled gaze towards Kenshin. "Is that so? Well I don't think he'll have to worry about her dorming since she won't be attending Aichi Med School. She'll stay here where she belongs. And if she has such a big problem with it, she doesn't have to go to school at all."

Kaoru's head snapped back towards her father. Kenshin's eyes widened for second in surprise over the mans words. Was he actually serious?

"This cant be happening" Kaoru exclaimed to herself. "I can't be hearing this…no…no…"

Kenshin's surprise subsided immediately and was replaced by his anger. The man was threatening to not only take away the joy of his life, but also Kaoru's dreams. That was unforgivable in his eyes.

Hiko could feel his son's rising tension and anger and immediately stepped in, "Mr. Kamiya please be reasonable. These two are very much in love with each other and I must admit that they will be together one way or the other. As a parent I'd rather prefer them to do the things they want in front of my eyes and by telling me each step of the way instead of behind my back."

"And what to you think? I should let my young daughter live with your son in some apartment hours away from here? Why not just hang my head in shame from now instead of later?" he father roared back.

Kenshin's fists clenched with anger at the man's tone. "How dare he think that way of his own daughter and our relationship?"

"There's a simple enough resolution to issues of honor and disrespect" Hiko replied matter-of-factly, seemingly unaffected by the man's anger.

When no response came, Hiko looked at her parents squarely in the eyes and smiled slightly, "They can get married."

Kenshin's jaw dropped and he turned to his father in astonishment. Had he just heard correctly? "Married? Now? I mean in the future after school no doubt about it, but now?"

"Excuse me?" Kaoru's mother spoke up clearly confused.

"Mrs. Kamiya when we first met we discussed that our children's involvement was more than just a silly case of puppy love. They're right for each other in every way and so why not just cement what'll obviously come down the line in the future? They can marry now and live together without any of the family's names being marred and continue their education. I do think it's young, but what choice do we have? This way we can at least show them that what they're doing is serious and should be taken seriously, neh?"

The rest of the group was completely quiet as Hiko spoke. Even Kaoru's father had calmed down and was listening intently at every word the man spoke.

Kaoru's mind swirled, "I must be dreaming. Are they talking about my marriage?" She knew that in the future she and Kenshin would marry, but so soon? Although if that meant that her parents could be at peace with her and Kenshin being together, so be it.

"The both of you should know that Kenshin comes from a great family. He's an exceptionally bright and strong young man with high ambitions of becoming a lawyer. I am an architect with the global company McAfee, Young & Kang and we were living in the States for a while before moving back here" Hiko continued customarily telling the bride's family about his family.

"They are entirely too young-" her father started.

"I think that's a wonderful idea!" her mother cut in. She looked back at her husband, "They have been through so much and have obviously learned a lot from each other. We wanted Kaoru to either find a happy home of her own or become successful in school and this way she can have both. Kenshin wants to become a lawyer; she wants to become a doctor. What else can we ask for?"

Kaoru's father stared in shock at his wife and she continued, "Thank you Mr. Himura for your proposal to ask for our daughter's hand in marriage to your son. I graciously accept." She bowed smiled and for once happy in a long time.

Hiko bowed in response and Kenshin snapped out of his stupor in time to do the same.

Her father was still shocked to say the least and Hiko saw the concern and hesitance in the man's eyes.

"I can assure you that Kenshin will take full responsibility for her Mr. Kamiya. And of course they will be expected to complete school and get their degrees before they can even think of anything else" Hiko stated looking at Kenshin and Kaoru.

Both mutely nodded in response.

"Married to Kaoru" Kenshin grinned to himself.

"Married to Kenshin" Kaoru blushed slightly.

"Of course I'll discuss this again with my husband" her mother smiled to Hiko.

"Yes, of course" Hiko smiled back.

Kaoru's father was still overcome with shock. He'd expected a confrontation, denials and apologies. He never expected a calm father facing him and respectfully asking for his daughter's hand in marriage to his son.

His anger had boiled to a point where he'd at any moment he would explode. In stead, he was forced to look at things calmly and through better judgment.

"Wait just a second" he started.

The group froze and looked at him.

"Oh God now what?" Kaoru groaned.

"I knew that was too easy" Kenshin tensed and waited.

Her father looked Kenshin squarely in the eyes, "Regardless of what sort of man you think I am" he started in a rather serious tone, "Kaoru is still my daughter. That means that you need to ensure that nothing bad will ever happen to her whether it's your doing or someone else's. Understood?"

The two men glared at each other for a minute before Kenshin finally answered, "There is nothing more important to me than Kaoru sir. I promise you to always make her happy and keep her safe" he bowed in response.

Her father merely nodded and looked back at Hiko who nodded as well.

"Well if there's nothing else for now, Mrs. Kamiya please call me at any hour if you should have any concerns" Hiko bowed again. "I suppose we should move this along quickly before the start of their first semester at college."

"Yes that's true" her mother beamed back. Her energy seemed to fall right back into place within her and her eyes glistened with happiness.

"Mr. Kamiya" Kenshin addressed the man and bowed.

Kaoru's father merely nodded as he was still in shock.

"Mrs. Kamiya" Kenshin smiled at her mother and bowed.

Instead of bowing back, her mother stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. She couldn't hold back her tears of happiness and smiled brightly. Although there was so much she wanted to say to the young man, at the moment she was devoid of all ability to speak. Sheer joy overpowered her.

Kenshin hugged her back and looked towards Kaoru to see the young woman standing up and walking towards them smiling.

Kaoru's wrapped an arm around her weeping mother's shoulders and continued to smile brightly at him. In his beautiful jewel-toned eyes she could see their future: together and happy no matter what the circumstances. All she needed was his hand in hers.

Kenshin looked back and wished desperately he could hold her in his arms right then. In fact he'd wanted to do that the moment he stepped inside the living room and saw her crying, but decided against both times. It wouldn't be too respectful in front of her parents especially.

He opted to gaze into the clear blue eyes and drink in her brilliant smile. He loved to see her smile, especially when it was directed towards him. Kenshin had made a promise to himself a while back that he'd always make her smile and keep her happy. Now it was his opportunity to step up and uphold that promise.

"Forever Kenshin" she smiled at him.

"Forever and ever Kaoru" he gazed back.

END CHAPTER 29

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Okay! I'm done…I've got probably an epilogue left in me.

Sooooo anyhow, what did you guys think? I know that issues between Kao and her father weren't as neatly resolved as issues between Ken and his father. I truth is…relationships that are that badly torn take time to heal and patch up. I couldn't just have him get off of his 'stubborn horse' and accept everything and she just couldn't forgive him for the years of turmoil he put the family through. That's why you'll wait for the Epilogue which will be up real soon especially since I'm almost done with it.

In the mean time, please review and let me know what you think. And yes, Hiko and her mom were planning on marrying them in the future when they met back at the restaurant. Hehe…sneaky huh?

Love you guys!