Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A New Light ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

I fixed the chapters today so that CHAPTER 2 actually came after CHAPTER 1…I have no idea how they got out of order, but I never was one for numbers…They are still labeled wrong…chapter 3 is chapter 2 and vice versa…okay, I'm confusing my self now, but trust me, they are in order…This is sort of a filler chapter, so I'm sorry if it's a little boring, but I didn't feel like I could just jump ahead to the next major part of the story….don't kill me!!! *dodging tomatoes* You guys are fantastic and too kind with the reviews, Thank you so much, and keep them coming!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 6

"Mou!" Kaoru stamped her foot like an angry child, "This still doesn't look right," she muttered as she undid the mass of hair piled on her head. She picked up the brush and furiously raked it through the dark locks, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Kaoru! Don't do that!" Megumi shouted, grabbing the wooden brush from the angry girl, "And for God's sake stop crying! You don't want to look like an idiot on your wedding day!"

That was enough to push Kaoru over the edge and her tears began to fall, "Why do you think I'm so upset Megumi!" She made a sweeping gesture to her hair, "I look ridiculous!"

Megumi took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, "You look fine Kaoru, besides, Ken san would love you if you were wearing a potato sack. I think your problem in nerves." Megumi looked the sniffling girl over, "And being pregnant," she thought.

Megumi prayed they could make it through the day with out any troubles or serious disturbances. The past two weeks had flown by and nobody bothered to question the couple's sudden decision to marry. It really didn't surprise the doctor too much, most people she heard talking had expressed that it was about time to two of them exchanged vows, knowing that the red haired swordsman had lived in the dojo with Kaoru for quite sometime now and they both expressed interest in one another.

She re-did the young brides hair, warning her not to touch it again, then pointed to her new kimono. "Go get dressed, your carriage will be here soon."

Kaoru shot Megumi an icy glare and retrieved the dress from its rack, slipping behind the changing screen.

Megumi smiled when the girl emerged. Kaoru looked absolutely stunning in the shimmering violet kimono with off white sakura petals and butterflies adorning the hem and trailing up her back. With her hair piled on her head, a few loose tendrils escaping the silvery pins, her amazingly beautiful eyes seemed much larger and brighter. "You look fantastic," Megumi whispered.

A faint smile played across the girl's lips, "Really?"

Megumi sighed again, "Of course you do silly idiot!"

Kaoru's face began to scrunch again and Megumi put her hands over her face in exasperation, "Seven more months," her mind screamed.

A loud banging on the door made the two women jump, "Hey busu! The carriage is here! Hurry up!"

"Okay," Megumi replied, shoving the girl out the door.

Kaoru stumbled out into the blinding sunlight, aware of the numerous eyes watching her. She could see the faces of all her friends who had come to see the soon to be wed couple off to the shrine. Her heart leapt with joy and excitement and she felt her cheeks redden.

A warm hand touched her shoulder and she turned to stare at her husband to be. Her breath sucked in as she witnessed him at his finest. The gi he wore was the deepest of purples, lined with a soft cream color. The striking color allowed his violet eyes to shine with a severe intensity and Kaoru shivered as they looked her up and down. She noted that even his white hakama and tabi were strikingly crisp with newness. She was indeed a lucky woman to be marrying a man of this much beauty.

She smiled and touched the flame red locks that were tied into a high ponytail upon his head, "You look nice," she breathed.

A smile played on his lips, "So do you."

"Hey! Save that for later!" Yahiko shouted from the crowd.

Kaoru gave him a nasty look and Kenshin just laughed, "He's right, we have to get going kioshii." He extended his hand and they walked slowly to the awaiting carriage, smiling and laughing as their friends called out well wishes.

After helping Kaoru into the carriage, he turned to Megumi, "We'll return shortly," he told her.

Megumi nodded, "Congratulations Ken san. Don't worry about a thing, the chicken head and I will take care of things here."

Kenshin smiled his thank you and closed the door behind him.

*********

The ceremony that legally bound them as husband and wife only lasted a matter of minutes, but for some reason Kaoru couldn't help to feel like they had been standing there for eternity. She squirmed next to Kenshin, shifting from foot to foot, excitement bubbling inside her. "I'm actually getting married," she kept thinking over and over. It was almost too much for her and Kenshin took her hand to still her.

********

Kaoru looked out the window of the carriage as they made the journey home. "Married," she thought, "To Kenshin." She smiled out the window in contentment. It all seemed so surreal, being married and a baby on the way. She now had what all women wanted, maybe they didn't come in the usual order, but she did have them to, say the least. She thanked the gods for allowing her to marry the man she loved, instead of being sent away to a strange home, with strange people, and bound to a strange man, like so many other women in her country.

She briefly wondered what kind of man her father would have chosen for her, and smiled, "I chose a man you'd be pleased with father." She had no doubt in her mind, Kenshin was they type of husband, and more so, than her father could ever hoped for his daughter. He would be smiling on her this day. On them. Regardless of their mistakes.

She turned back to gaze at Kenshin, who sat opposite of her, his eyes closed, but not asleep, and a small smile across his lips. "He looks so peaceful now," Kaoru thought. She let her eyes memorize the delicate line on his slightly upturned nose, his child like mouth, and the thick, long lashes that dusted his cheeks. She noted how his skin was smooth and milky white, not a wrinkle to give away his age.

She often wondered about his parents and which of them had granted him his exotic features. His mother perhaps, a red haired, violet eyed foreign beauty? Maybe. Kenshin's features were so delicate, he could easily be mistaken for a woman at a distance. Or maybe his father was a transient from another country, who married an oriental beauty, though Kaoru would never know. Kenshin did not remember much of his family and what he did recall, he didn't speak of often.

A violet eye cracked open, making Kaoru aware that she was staring far to hard at her new husband. She flushed and turned away in embarrassment.

*******

It was shortly after dark when they returned to the dojo. Their friends, tired of waiting for the newlyweds to return, had started the party early. The festivities were in full bloom as they stepped foot into the yard.

A hearty cheer greeted them and the couple blushed.

"It's about damn time!" Sano shouted above the roar.

The women swarmed Kaoru, fussing over her beautiful kimono and congratulating her on her nuptials. She continued to blush furiously as the questions and comments bombarded her from all sides. She turned to Kenshin and cast him a nervous glance, only to be dragged away by a giggling Misao. "You have to tell us ALL about it!" she squealed.

Sano and a couple of his friends from down town approached Kenshin, who was now standing alone in the yard. All the other guests had herded themselves back into the hall to continue the party. The extremely intoxicated gangster clapped his friend on the back and shoved a jug of sake into his hands.

"Oro?"

"You've only been married for two hours, you can't claim to be dead yet!" Sano scoffed, "Come on Kenshin, you have a challenge waiting for you inside!"

Kenshin sighed and followed the men into the hall, stepping carefully over the body of Yahiko that barred the door. Kenshin grimaced at the sight of the hall, which was a complete mess. The bodies of Okina and Dr. Gensi were propped up in the corner, several of the policemen Kenshin had worked with sat in a circle, playing drinking games, and the noise was outrageous as people laughed at talked amongst each other. Food and sake bottles lay spread out across the floor and Kenshin could only guess who would be cleaning it up in the morning. The reception party was supposed to be a small one, consisting of only their closest friends, but there were some faces Kenshin didn't even know. "Sano, who are all these people?" he asked curiously.

The gangster shrugged, "You're popular. People heard you and Jou-chan were getting married and they just started showing up," he shoved the samurai to the ground, "You gonna pick that jug up or not?"

The man was not going to take no for an answer, so Kenshin picked up the sake, silently cursing himself for not having the resolve to refuse a drink like Aoshi or Saitoh, then cursing his master for teaching him how to drink. He took a deep breath and tipped the jug to his lips, allowing the fluid to drain down his throat. He crashed the bottle to the floor, catching his breath as the fiery alcohol warmed his flesh.

"Pretty good," Sano grinned, putting another jug in front of him.

********

It was the wee hours of the morning before Kenshin managed to stagger his way to his room. His feet felt like lead and he had to focus hard to get them to move they way he wanted them too. "Okay, I can do this," he caught himself thinking. He was drunk almost beyond reason, and any normal man would have found a corner to drop in, but the ties that bound his heart led him to the safety to his bed.

He stumbled while trying to remove his tabi, making an awful lot of noise catching himself in mid fall on the wall in a desperate attempt to maintain his balance. His fuzzy mind pleaded, to who ever cared to listen, that he had not disturbed his Kaoru's rest. He put a hand to his head, trying to force the spinning in his brain to stop.

Kaoru's giggle danced out of the blackness, "Do you need some help?"

She lit a lamp in the corner and nearly burst out laughing at the state of her poor husband. The one sock he managed to remove dangled in his hand as he leaned against the wall for support, the other was still very much on his foot, while his gi had fallen down around his elbows. He looked like a child who was trying to dress himself for the first time.

Kaoru bit back the laughter, but could not subdue the maddening grin that plastered itself across her face, "Lets get you to bed baka." She helped him to the futon and pushed him down onto the mattress, pulling off his other sock and untucking his gi. He sighed as she pulled his hair free of the high ponytail.

He allowed her to manipulate his limbs like a rag doll as she removed his clothing. He didn't mind her muffled giggles and teasing words, he actually liked the idea of her undressing him.

"Kenshin, why in God's name are you smiling like that?" he heard her say as she tugged at the ties of his hakama.

He didn't bother to look at her as he replied, "Keep tugging and you'll find out kioshii."

Sorry for the state of this chapter…I wrote it to transition into the next half of the story, so I didn't do a lot of detail. As luck would have it, I had a brainstorm the other day…uh oh…you'll just have to wait and see…hopefully I don't bore you too much. I really really really wanted to put Hiko into the party scene, but I decided against it, since I didn't think it would fit in too much in this type of story….Hiko just doesn't strike me as the type to leave home very often…hmm, he sounds like me…maybe that's why I like him so much….LOL He'll be in my next fic though….I can't wait to start writing it! On to the next chapter….if your still with me after this horrible display!!!