Underneath It All

Chapter 13: Sunday Morning

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin

Recap of the last chapter:

"Whew! That was...close" Kaoru trailed off when she noticed that she was directly straddling Kenshin. She blushed red as she began to get off him. Kenshin grabbed her shoulders to stop her. Kaoru gave him a curious look, when she then felt herself being flipped so that he was on top of her. Kenshin planted a deep kiss on her lips before she could react. Kaoru's eyes slid shut as she gave into the kiss. As Kenshin parted his lips from hers, he mumbled a soft "good night" in her ear, making her shudder. She felt him roll off her as she opened her eyes.

Kaoru turned her body to face him. Their eyes locked. Kenshin began to fiddle with her hair as she snuggled close to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

The last thing Kaoru heard was not the beating of the rain, but the steady beat of Kenshin's heart.


"Sunday morning rain is falling
Steal some covers share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in"
"But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
And I would gladly hit the road get up and go if I knew
That someday it would lead me back to you
That someday it would lead me back to you"
"That may be you're all I need
In darkness she is all I see,
Come and rest your bones with me,
Driving slow on Sunday morning;
And I never want to leave"

"Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5

Kaoru opened her clear, sapphire eyes. She glanced around the room, allowing her eyes to adjust to the bright rays of sunshine that flood through her room. Her eyes eventually wandered to the sleeping redhead next to her.

Turning to lie on her stomach, Kaoru crossed her arms in front of her and nestled her chin onto them. She was half splayed onto Kenshin's warm body; her legs slightly tangled with his and her torso pressed against his side.

Her eyes scanned over his slumber filled face. He looked so much like a child; eyes shut and lips in an innocence pout. She suddenly felt the urge to kiss those lips, but willed against it. She did not want to ruin the calm moment.

Her sapphire orbs slowly drifted towards the clear vertical scar on his left cheek. Most people would cringe at the sight of the ghastly mark, yet… Kaoru did not. She loved that scar. As ironic as it sounded, she could not help but feel a sense of security whenever she looked at it. She remembered the night that it was carved into Kenshin's cheek; she would always remember that night. She was so frightened; lost in the middle of a gloomy forest while caught in a thunderstorm, looking for her dog that had ran off chasing a rat the size of a raccoon. Then she ran into Kenshin while he was in the middle of killing that disgusting creature. Even though she couldn't see his face properly, she knew that she could trust him as she followed him to his house with Shinta.

Kaoru let out a little giggle when she remembered her and Kenshin's reactions when the lights started working again. They were both yelling at each other, while Sakura sat in the middle with a confused expression. Ahh… the olden days…How wonderful they were.

She hated him back then. Funny how it turned out though now.

They were close, yet… she wasn't sure if they were really an item. She did not want to ask Kenshin; she wanted him to tell her. He told her last night of how he felt about his reputation. At first she could feel rage boil inside of her, but then, looking at his sad, lonely figure all wet from the rain, she told herself that he was being honest with her. And honestly was an important aspect to her. For that, she forgave him.

He told her that he was no longer embarrassed of her and that he would no longer be. Perhaps she would test him to see if he was true to his word, but then again, if she truly trusted him than she would not have to worry. Did she really trust him?

Kaoru's eyes zoned back to the sleeping amber-violet eyed man before her. She felt the rise and fall of his chest under her torso and listened to the inhale and exhale of his breathing. She looked back at the scar on his cheek; the scar that symbolized the protection and security she felt from him.

Yes… she trusted him.

Her thoughts were soon distracted as the drowsy eyelids of Kenshin slid open. His eyes appeared dull for a moment, before finally clearing up into a golden hue with little purple flecks. Once his vision was normal, his unique orbs slipped down to stare into a set of azure eyes.

A lazy smile made its way onto his pale lips.

"Morning," he yawned, his eyes never leaving hers. Kaoru's blank stare went unnoticed as Kenshin brought his face forward and laid a soft kiss onto her lips. Kaoru remained still as he pulled back to look at her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked; bringing up a hand to stroke gentle circles on her cheek. She continued to stare at him; her eyes flipping back and forth between his own orbs, trying to scan out any hidden emotion or secret.

"Do you care about me?" was the only question that came out of her lips.

"Why do you need to ask?" replied Kenshin a second later, his eyebrows furrowing in curiosity.

"Do. You. Care… about me?" she asked again, her blank observant expression still placid on her face.

"Would I be here if I didn't?" spoke Kenshin in a decisive, sheer voice.

Kaoru stared at him for another moment before leaning forward and pressing her face into his neck. Kenshin looked down at her, wondering what possessed her to ask a question that he thought he had already made obvious.

"Tell me," she mumbled into the sensitive skin on his neck.

He knew what this was about now. She was still insecure that he thought his reputation was more important than her. Dear Kaoru…

"You mean a lot to me Kaoru, more than you think, so don't you ever dare think that I don't care about you because I do," he spoke as he wrapped his arms around her.

She remained motionless in his arms, as if she was not fully satisfied with his answer. Kenshin could then start to feel warm moisture against his neck.

"I want to be with you."

As if saying the magic words, Kenshin held her tighter as more chokes and sobs were heard.

He forced himself to sit up, bringing Kaoru with him. He slowly rocked her in his lap while she wept into the crook of his neck.

After a few long minutes, Kaoru's crying died down and Kenshin gradually loosened his hold on her so that she could look up at him. He looked into her puffy face and began kissing away her left over tears. She closed her eyes and a soft smile formed on her lips.

"Are you alright?" asked Kenshin. Kaoru kept her eyes closed and just nodded her head.

The sound of a car leaving the driveway was heard from outside the window, along with the mild sound of splashing from puddles from last night's rain.

"What would you like me to cook for breakfast?" asked Kaoru; reopening her eyes with a genuine smile.

Kenshin smiled back.

"I think I'll do the cooking."


Well, there's chapter 13. All gushy, lovey-dovey, and sappy. Ugh! I'm disgusted with myself. I may not seem like it, but I'm a romantic at heart. All that emotional love crap just found its way to my finger tips while I blanked out. I seriously typed this chapter out of a state of semi-consciousness.

A lot of this stuff seems really cheesy now that I look at it. It makes me want to puke. Oh well, at least I formed up a chapter. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer, so I decided to get off my lazy buttocks and type you guys a chapter.

I know this chapter is super short, but it's got some good meaning to it. That's basically what I was going for. I incorporated some symbolism and a little foreshadowing, although I'm not sure if I got my foreshadowing quite clear.

I'm sorry for the long wait, but ever since the start of the new semester, I've been so busy with homework. Luckily for me, my teachers decided to be really generous and give me no homework during the weekend.

I hope you guys enjoyed this, because if you don't than I will feel like crap and I'll wither away into a corner of writer's block. Do you guys want that? If you don't than take a hint and press that little button on the bottom left-hand corner please.

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