Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the original plot of the movie this fanfiction is based on, and the brilliant song Switchfoot created.

Chapter 7

Hello, good morning, how you do?
What makes your rising sun so new?

Kaoru sighed as she listlessly stared at the shafts of sunlight filtering through the closed blinds.

Today was another monotonous day in the ICU, sitting by her husband's bedside where the superficial rise and fall of his chest was the portrait and the repetitious beeping of his breathing apparatus was the sound. It was the monotonousness of the entire routine that made her feel a bit weary.

Languidly, Kaoru's blue eyes flicked towards the unconscious man in front of her and it was not a very charming sight. Sanosuke Sagara looked half-dead. His skin was pallid and parched. His face, which used to be very alive with a proud smirk or mischievous eyes, was bruised and gaunt. His arms, which used to scoop her up so effortlessly out of the bed every morning, lied lifelessly by his sides. His legs, which were powerfully built and fast, were wrapped and fixed by layers of bandages.

At a first glance, he could have been easily mistaken for some warrior who had just come home from the longest, cruelest, and most unforgiving war: alive but broken.

Studying his miserable appearance, Kaoru made a mental note of how Sano's current condition reminded her of their marriage. Sano was well built and tough, just like their sacred tie that was, at first, built upon the foundation of steadfastness, passion, and love. She thought that nothing could take the power and vigor from him, that nothing could knock him down, the way she thought that their love was meant to last forever, imperishable. But in the blink of an eye, the accident had so swiftly rendered Sano comatose, and nearly dead, the same way his falseness and adulterous affair had torn their bond to pieces, shattered the trust they shared, and killed the love she thought they treasured.

Kaoru's eyes moved towards the large tubes attached to almost all part of him. There was one in his mouth, in his nose, two in his arms, three in his chest, and a lot more throughout his entire body. The immense and complicated-looking medical apparatus surrounding him seemed to her as if they were bringing Sano more of difficulty than aid.

I could use a fresh beginning too

Here was the man she thought was the strongest she had ever known, lying helplessly, utterly dependent on some medical machinery, defenseless, and resting in a deep, shadowy sleep.

Here was the marriage; the love that she thought was perpetual, shattered, sustained only by the need to fulfill social obligations and expectations, sinking in the depths of unknown future and hiatus that Kaoru was not so willing to continue.

Whether Sano would wake up or not was a question only time could tell. Whether his disloyalty would be pardoned or not and whether her love would still thrive in this dark chapter of their lives were questions only her wounded heart and wretched spirit could answer.

Leaning in, Kaoru slowly reached for a stray of his hair and smoothed it gently. She then took his limp hand, brought it to her face, and gave it a light squeeze. She frowned slightly, Sano's hand felt cold and unusually different. She entwined her fingers to his and she paused abruptly, a bit scared. Something was not right. The feel of his hand was so unfamiliar, almost extremely foreign to her.

All of my regrets are nothing new

It was as if she was holding the hand not of her husband, but of a stranger.

"Sano," she whispered his name, faintly hoping that it would strike a string of perception, that it would bring the familiarity back in her heart.

It did not. Even the feel of his name in her lips now felt oddly unfamiliar.

Kaoru brought her face nearer to his, closed her eyes, and slowly, brushed her lips against his. She waited, in hopes that the action would enlighten her of who this person was, that it would reawaken the knowledge, the familiarity.

Instead of feeling the typical magic and fascination, Kaoru felt a void. Slowly, she pulled away, realizations hitting her like the first droplets of a deluge in monsoon season.

Staring at his face and holding his hand, only then did Kaoru realize that Sano was a different person now. So much had changed in so little time. Before, she was staring at him seeing the man who meant everything to her. Now, she was staring at him seeing the person who had taken everything away from her. In an instant, the one man she could not live without had turned into someone she barely knew.

Sanosuke Sagara was a stranger- one her mind could not recognize, her heart could not find, her soul could not welcome.

Unbeknownst to herself, she slowly dropped his hand and took two small steps away from him.

So this is the way that I say I need you

Kaoru let out a long sigh as she walked with heavy strides and an even heavier heart back to the hotel.

She knew it; she knew she was losing her grip on him the moment she found herself unable to feel even the slightest feeling of familiarity. She knew it the moment she realized that she was not feeling any resentment anymore for it was buried alive by blankness and indifference.

Kaoru paused from walking and looked back to the hospital building. Her eyes were cheerless, hard as steel, as she slowly became certain, that in her heart he was just someone she used to know. Tonight, the life they shared together had turned into a memory, and perhaps forever it would be.

She passed the reception center, failing to appreciate the warm greeting the receptionist has generously offered her. Kaoru walked slowly, her head low and her eyes empty. When the steel doors of the lift opened, she went in and pressed the key for the fourth level, ignoring the voice calling out for her to hold the elevator.

This is the way

The double doors closed and the only sound perceptible was the minor droning of the elevator pulleys. Kaoru was convinced, a love that she had nurtured and cherished in her heart for so long had just died. It went out, like a candlelight deliberately blown off by the abrupt, cruel gush of a winter wind. And it had left her so alone, to grope in the dark, to quiver in the cold.

Kaoru had never felt such isolation. It was as if she was barred into a secret world, where neither the delicate warmth of the sun nor the silver beam of the moon could reach her.

Oh, how she felt so alone.

The familiar bell of the elevator rang and the doors opened to reveal the same, old scene of a silent lobby. Kaoru marched towards her room, hearing the slightest shudder of her breath and the faintest beat of her heart.

She halted. Soundlessly, Kaoru slid to the floor, leaned against the wall, and gazed at the empty hallway before her. It was a conspiracy, she thought. The world had conspired with the silence, with the cold, with the solitude to lament for the love she had just lost, for the person she had just forgotten.

But, right now, she didn't need any of it. What she needed was someone to restrain her from falling into this abyss of loneliness, to go hand-in-hand with her, and to take her back in the world of light and warmth. She needed someone to teach her the all the things that she had forgotten. She needed someone to remind her heart to beat for love again. She needed someone to show her the way to feel alive again.

She needed…him.

This is the way that I'm learning to breathe

Kaoru hugged her knees and buried her face. She felt like shrinking deeper and deeper into this endless hole of desolation. He had to find her now or she would forever drown in her solitude.

The steel doors of the elevator closed right after Kenshin had uttered his request to hold it. He was positive that there was someone in there but he wondered if the person had deliberately chosen not to hear him.

Lazily, his feet dragged him towards the direction of the stairs. It would be much wiser to climb several flights of stairs than to wait for several minutes for the lift to reach the ground level again. After all, his room was only on the fourth floor and it definitely could help him to squeeze some mild form of exercise to his presently repetitiously dull lifestyle.

Kenshin glanced at the purchase that hung low from his hand. The cans of beer made a slight scratchy sound as they stirred along with his movement. Only moments ago, he had an unexpected need to quench his thirst for some good, old beer, though he didn't know the correct reason why. All he knew was that it had been months since he last savored the liquor and he missed it badly.

I'm learning to crawl
I'm finding that you and you alone can break my fall

When he reached the floor and turned the corner on the way to his room, Kenshin saw Kaoru. He paused abruptly, feeling his heart slightly dangled in the midst of gladness and ache. He felt sincerely glad to see the object of his renewed delight and inspiration. Yet it certainly pained him to see her sitting forlornly on the floor, hugging her knees, burying her face, and shuddering from the cold.

For a moment, he stared unblinkingly at her and stood unmoving as he begun sorting out the thousand emotions frantically assaulting him. He felt the urgent desire to run to her, wrap her in the shielding embrace of his arms, defeat the inner demons in her mind, and keep on with her throughout this cold, endless night.

Slowly, Kenshin began walking towards her. His steps were silent, unhurried, but resolute. His amber eyes, which never left her, flickered with embers that signaled resolve and promise.

I'm living again, awake and alive

He wanted to be the air to help her breathe.

He wanted to be the light to help her see.

He wanted to be the friend to hold her hand.

He wanted to be the warrior to set her free.

Tonight, he wanted be the person she was needing.

I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies

When he stopped exactly five feet away from her, Kenshin saw Kaoru slowly lifted her head and her eyes swung in his direction. Their eyes met, resolute amber orbs melting with frail sapphire ones in a soft dance of understanding and sharing.

Kaoru drowned in his gaze, feeling the flicker of light, the sense of hope she had been waiting for all night. She marveled at how Kenshin seemed to feel, to know every time she needed him. Could there be a cord binding her heart to his for him to be there every time she needed him to be?

Hello, good morning, how you've been
Yesterday left my head kicked in

Kenshin tried smiling, his eyes sparkling with gentle intent. He walked towards her and sat consciously close to her on the carpeted floor, their elbows touching. He didn't speak, knowing that between the two of them, in their own way of understanding, silence was the most powerful solace. The loudest words were those unspoken.

For a moment, neither moved an inch, both relishing the shroud of beautiful stillness that hung over them. The silence was profound, but between Kenshin and Kaoru, it was the most treasured of its kind. Instantly, Kaoru felt comforted. It was magical, she briefly thought, the way the silence he was so skilled in giving could chase away all the monsters of loneliness that were just crawling on her moments before.

Carefully, Kaoru laid her head on his shoulder and Kenshin shifted slightly to support her. It was an action neither of them seemed to notice, as if there was an exclusive, natural force that brought them closer than ever before.

I never, never thought that I would fall like that
Never knew that I could hurt this bad

Kaoru closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath, noting how his shoulder felt wonderfully warm and new. She felt safe and revived in his presence, as if coming home for the very fist time in a long while.

She thought that possibly his shoulder was made exactly for this purpose, for it to be her unyielding safety, her secret refuge. She just wanted to stay there, to breathe in his hope, to live in his kindness, and to bathe in his light.

"Thank you for being here," she whispered almost soundlessly.

"I don't want to be anywhere else," and he meant it. He would be more willing to stay there with her, just like that, for the rest of the night.

I'm learning to breathe

For several long minutes, they stayed unmoving, oblivious to anything but the moment, eyes closed, and hearts beating in a tender rhythm of understanding.

His eyes flicked towards the purchase on his right and then something clicked in his mind- it was the cans of beer. Gingerly, Kenshin stood up a few moments after Kaoru withdrew. He looked at her, eyes shining with something new, something deeper, and offered her his hand.

Kaoru, with lips curved into a smile, hooked her hand with his and let herself be pulled off from the floor by his strong arm.

Without saying a word, Kenshin led her to the direction of the stairs and they began climbing it with Kenshin slightly leading way. Kaoru abruptly halted, her curiosity rising exponentially.

I'm learning to crawl

"Where are we going?" she asked a little slowly.

"Do you trust me?"

Kaoru's eyes sparkled with something between sureness and admiration, and she smiled again before answering, "Yes."

I'm finding that you and you alone can break my fall

Kenshin's gripped on her hand tightened and he felt her relaxed. With a gentle pull, they continued climbing, running up a little difficulty, mostly due to Kaoru, they had climbed ten flights of stairs by now and Kenshin showed just a little hint of breathlessness. She, on the other hand, felt her lungs and her legs began to fail her.

"We're here," he stated the obvious. He pushed open a big door to reveal a view a hundred feet from the ground.

They were at the rooftop. The surrounding was exceedingly dim, the only lights being the distant flicker of the thousand stars in the sky. The wind coming from the nearby sea was chilly and strong. The night was silent, the only sound being the deep, murmured roars of the waves licking the shore.

I'm living again, awake and alive
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies

Approaching the stone balustrade, Kenshin pulled out his two cans of beer, opened it with a quick tug, and handed one to Kaoru.

"Drink as much as you can, in one swig."

Kaoru, who had her hands on her knees and who was panting heavily through labored breaths, looked at him incredulously. How could he expect her to drink beer when she could even hardly breathe after dragging her to climb ten flights of stairs?

Before she could utter a word of complaint, Kaoru felt him press the can into her hand.

"Now," he commanded with a slight tone of challenge in his voice.

She saw his eyes sparkle with mischief and amusement and she could not bring herself to refuse. Seconds after, inexplicably, Kaoru found herself with eyes tightly shut and trying so hard to drink the chilly liquor. She heard a faint chuckle, and she figured he had started gulping his own beer, too.

This is the way that I say I need you

The beer rapidly trickled through her lips and down to her throat, leaving a trail of blazing heat and distinct tang. She had consumed a good half of the beer and Kaoru swallowed some more, stopping only when her insides said it was too much. With a gasp, she drew the can from her lips and wiped the liquor that dripped down her chin.

"Now, yell, shout as loud as you want."

Kaoru gazed into his flashing eyes before leaning on the balustrade and obliging, although her throat protested at the sudden abuse. She screamed at the top of her lungs, losing her worries to the winds, emptying her emotions into the heavens.

A second after, Kenshin smirked, cupped his mouth with his hands, and coupled her yell. They screamed with all their might, uncaring of anything but each other, and freeing their cares into oblivion.

After a minute of breathless yelling, the two stopped and panted heavily. Kaoru put her hand on her chest, gasping for some much needed air, a little sore but all the while, smiling.

When they had recovered, Kaoru started chuckling for no apparent reason at all. She felt incredibly light.

Kenshin stared at her, her cheeks were flushed and her hair dancing lightly with the cool wind. A small smile played in his lips, he was proud. Somewhere in his heart, he deeply hoped that tonight he made her heart beat again.

This is the way that I say I love you

"Feeling better?"

Kaoru wiped the small tear from the corner of her eye, remnants of previous laughter apparent in her eyes. She looked into his amber ores and saw hope, a new light before her.

She then smiled, glanced at the thousand stars twinkling magnificently in the indigo sky, let the frosty wind caress her long hair, listened to the hum of the ocean waves, inhaled the salty tang of the nearby sea, and shut her eyes and felt the magical warmth inside.

She could not remember the last time she had felt this…alive.

Tonight, a love withered in her heart so that a new one could grow and bloom.

Kaoru looked back to his waiting eyes and again their gazes locked and melted in a tender dance. She smiled…and was certain.

This is the way that I say I'm yours

"Much better."

Kenshin studied her for several long minutes before returning the smile. He was introspective and yet so conscious of the magic that was happening between them. The night was deep, freezing, vague like a faltering light; but inside him, it was warm, clear, fresh like the first dawn of sun.

They both experienced an end, now they would both begin.

He looked into those sapphire orbs and saw much more than what he did before. It was like a switch that flicked on out of nowhere- the person who was just a friend had suddenly become the person he could not live without.

Gently, without any word, Kenshin pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, afraid that even the frailest blow of wind could take her away from him. He closed his eyes, felt her heart beat against his, and relished the moment…the moment he was holding his entire world.

This is the way
This is the way that I'm learning to breathe