Mornings After
by hye kyo
Disclaimer: Nope, RuroKen isn't mine…
Author's Notes: So sorry for the late update. Anyway, I was somewhere where I wasn't able to have computer access for three days so I wasn't able to upload this up quickly. I thank everyone who reviewed and I would really try to reply, though of course I really don't answer much of your questions in my replies right? But anyway, this chapter is short, a bit of an interlude before chap 28. This is a bit anticlimactic and I hope you'd still like it…I don't know why but I always write anticlimactic scenes after climactic episodes…
Anyway, on to the story…
--
Chapter twenty seven: one week
--
Kaoru plopped herself on the bed. It was three in the morning and it was the first time she'd sleep on her own bed after a couple of days being over at Kenshin's. So she lied about someone finally moving in at the apartment next to hers. She needed to get out, collect herself and realize that she has no role whatsoever on Tomoe's and Kenshin's once-upon-a-time.
She tossed. She turned. She couldn't sleep. Aunt Misako once told her that if you couldn't sleep it was probably because someone was thinking of you. She shook her head. Of course Kenshin would be thinking of her, of how ungrateful she was after having been welcomed in his home with open arms. She simply left him a note on the fridge that morning, told him her thanks in that stupid note and nothing more.
And there she was saying she hated those fridge notes.
Maybe she at least ought to call him, say hi and tell him her thanks personally. But that would be too awkward, after what happened.
So he kissed her. No big deal. It wasn't as if she hadn't been kissed before. And it wasn't as if he hadn't kissed her before. So there was nothing new, except…except that he looked intently into her eyes and told her he had wanted, and been wanting to kiss her. And that shook her entirety and then and there she wanted to tell him she wanted to kiss him just as bad.
But she remembered Tomoe. And her own self-pledged social obligation to make this place a better one, i.e., to not meddle into the already perfect love affairs of people. Specifically, Kenshin's. Because Tomoe's coming back for him and she told it to her. Because she wasn't getting married anymore.
And the hell she wanted Tomoe to get married to someone else. That would've made things easier, better. Tomoe gets married, Kenshin kisses Kaoru, Kenshin tells her he had been wanting to kiss her badly, Kaoru tells him she does too, Kenshin kisses her again, and happily every after. For everyone. Everyone deserves a happy ending. Even someone like her.
But well, maybe her happy ending was in someone else's hand.
--
Soujiro sneezed. He stood up, realized it was dawn and went to the kitchen to have a glass of water. He was having a dream, about Kaoru. And he wanted too bad to know what would happen but he ended up waking. And now he couldn't even remember the dream itself.
He would go back to bed, try to summon the dream and hope that in Monday morning Kaoru would come.
--
Kenshin looked at the ceiling, he bit his lower lip and tried to remember the feel of her lips against his. Why hadn't he realized it before? There was plenty of time. She was allowing him to move closer but he was so stupid as to ignore that. And when he started coming back again she was already far away.
He was so stupid. So he was in love. And damn it if he wouldn't be able to have her. After all those years. Who would've thought he would fall for her eventually? Or has this been here all along?
He thought hard. Probably. Probably he was just too afraid of the possibility that was why he never ever cared to think about what he really feels for her. Even when he got stark jealous when she went out with someone or came to some party with some random guy when they were still in high school. Or even when she agreed to go to that stupid blind date. Or even when she admitted having a crush on her forever-smiling boss.
That was why. He was always jealous. Because he was possessive. And he wanted her. Just her.
He sighed. It was too late to realize now.
--
On Monday morning Kaoru threw on a corporate skirt, a blouse and a pair of kitten heels. She had brushed her hair, made up her face and arrived early. She had gotten ample sleep just in time for a week of work.
"You're early," Tae said with an arched brow, "How was your redhead?"
She shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it."
Tae laughed, "What? Don't tell me…"
"No!" Kaoru reddened, "Nothing happened."
"Really? When a man and a woman stays together in one bed something happens."
"No Tae," she shook her head furiously, "Kenshin and I aren't that kind of man and woman."
"So you say," and she went to her desk. "Anyway, Seta-san wanted to see you upstairs. He told me to tell you as soon as you come in. And he sounded urgent."
"He's in now?"
"Yeah. Early. Eager to see you."
Kaoru looked away, "Then I'd be going."
--
Soujiro greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "How are you now?"
She blushed. "Good. Never better."
"I missed you so much."
She laughed nervously, "You're unusually not you today."
"I just realized something," he said.
"And that is?"
He smiled, walked his way towards the ceiling-to-floor windows and said, "I'm not much of a grab-the-opportunity-when-you-see-one kind of guy."
She arched a brow.
"But right now I just feel like that sort of guy." And he turned back to her.
"And you mean?"
"I don't know what kind of relationship we have now…" he said tentatively, "But I want you to know that I am serious about you. And that maybe we should give it a try and see where it leads us."
Kaoru held her breath.
"So?"
She managed a nervous laugh, "Ah…do you mind running that again?"
Soujiro laughed, he took a step closer until he was holding her hands in his, "You make me laugh Kaoru."
She cleared her throat, blinked her eyes and murmured, "E-eh?"
"I would like it very much if you would say yes." And he looked deep into her eyes.
She slowly looked away, felt a slight churning in the pit of her stomach.
"But I could wait," he suddenly said, noting the confusion in her eyes.
"A-ah," she quickly said, she doesn't want to screw this up, "Of course." She frowned, what did she say?
"Of course?" he furrowed his brows.
"I mean…I mean I would like to…except that…that I'm not really ready at the moment."
"Not ready?" he was starting to smile.
"You see…" she swallowed, blushing at the amused look on his face. "I need some time to think…"
He smiled, brought a hand to cup her face and said, "I'll give you time."
"T-thanks…" she almost sighed.
"But you already said you would like to…" he reminded her.
And she flushed.
He pulled her into a hug and smiled.
--
"What happened?" Misao asked her.
"I can't talk that much right now," she said. She was in her cubicle, whispering over the phone. People had been very speculative when she returned from her trip upstairs. There were talks that something was up between her and her boss. The girls at the other cubicles had thrown her giggling glances when she came back and she immediately reddened.
"So what happened?"
"Could I just call you later?"
"You started this Kaoru," Misao insisted.
She took in a deep breath, leaned closer to her computer to muffle her voice and said, "He asked me to be in a relationship with him."
"Like his girlfriend?"
"Yeah…he asked me to be his girlfriend…in a roundabout way yes…"
And then there was a loud "Girlfriend!" and everybody from the other cubicles started talking and giggling. So people were listening very closely.
Kaoru panicked. She reddened and told Misao, "Look I've got to hung up. Rumors spread easily over here. I'd call you later." And she returned the phone on its cradle and stood up and found that people were already looking at her and giggling.
--
So the day before it was a kiss from Kenshin and today was a proposal from Soujiro.
"So romantic," Eri told her.
"I told you so Seta-san has the hots for her," someone told someone.
Kaoru sighed. So the rumors will reach Seta and she will not bear it to see him because she'd be blushing hard that the blush would not come off her face anymore.
"So how did he ask you?" Tae asked as she joined her for lunch at the cafeteria.
"Tae!" she blushed again.
"Does that mean you're over your redhead now?"
Kaoru looked down on her food, "I actually told Soujiro that I need some time before I could decide."
Tae smiled knowingly, "Of course. Well, it is still up to you."
Kaoru smiled at her, relieved that at least someone understands her.
--
The following Thursday Kaoru received a call from Aunt Misako telling her that there would be a family reunion at an onsen somewhere South. Aunt Misako told her to be there because some members of the family from Kyushu would be coming and that it would be incomplete without her.
She agreed, trying already to think of ways on how to stay out of Kenshin's way. She should probably bring Soujiro but well, she still wasn't sure if she'd accept his proposal so she ruled the probability of inviting him out.
--
"Any more?" he asked the secretary. When the woman said none he ended the conversation and went inside the office. He couldn't work, couldn't eat and couldn't sleep. Is this how it is to be in love?
"So how was it?" Sano had asked him when he came yesterday seeking for advice.
"Not good," he said.
"What did you do?"
"I don't know," he exclaimed pathetically. "I kissed her and then I don't know what came next."
Sano gave him a grunt as a reply. "And what did you tell her?"
"That I have been wanting to kiss her ever since."
Sanosuke laughed and held on to his stomach as he exclaimed, "That was so lame!"
Kenshin had frowned at him, "Stop that Sano. I know that already."
After Sano had ceased to laugh he said, "What did she say?"
"She said she was going to bed."
"Maybe she was telling you to follow her to bed." Sano had winked sheepishly.
"No. It didn't sound that way. And we are talking about Kaoru here remember?" Kenshin had taken in a deep breath, "Though of course I wish she meant it that way."
Sano had taken a seat, clearly amused, "You know what you should've done?"
"What?"
"Tell her directly you love her."
Kenshin had looked down, "I was about to tell her that but she left quickly."
"Then you should've followed her."
It had taken him a moment before finally saying, "Why the hell hadn't I thought about that?"
"See?" Sano had said smugly. He rubbed his nape, as if he really said something extraordinary. Kenshin could really be stupid sometimes.
"Thanks," and there had been a fresh boost of energy running through his veins and he had sped off to her apartment only to realize she was in her office and would probably stay there cooped up the whole day.
--
He had received Aunt Misako's call. The reunion would be this coming weekend of which a week would have passed since the kissing incident. Probably a week was enough time for them to think and probably, if things will work out smoothly, he would've the time to tell her how he really feels.
He called Misao, asked her the details of the reunion and how they would get there.
--
"So the reunion will be on Saturday," Misao said.
"Right," Kaoru was in no mood to talk about reunions. But Misao came and over a cup of coffee and a dry film she continued discussing transportation and food.
"I have a class until ten on Saturday and had been working on how we could get there early. I would have wanted to pick you up on the way but if we do that we'd both be late. So here's what I planned. I already talked to my brother about it—"
"You brother?" she frowned. Oh no, this can't be happening.
Misao gave her a smirk, "Yeah." But she waved a hand and continued, "Anyway, as I was saying I have a class on Saturday. My brother has to go to the office to finish some stuff, so he says. But anyway, I'd be going to the train station as soon as I'm done with my class and my brother will come here to pick you up. By ten fifteen we'd all be at the train station just in time for our ten thirty schedule. Okay?"
Kaoru folded. Why was this happening?
--
--
A/n: So how was it? Short? I'd try to upload chap 28 (the lemony lime) in three days or four…