Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk in the Sunlight ❯ Truths and Revelations ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer - Sadly, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the sole property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and the many companies who have purchased the rights.

Chapter 8 - Truths and Revelations

Kenshin smiled softly as he finished buttoning up his shirt and gave himself the once over in the full length mirror hanging on the back of his bedroom door. Satisfied that he was presentable enough for Kaoru's parents, he towel dried his damp hair and combed it out before pulling it back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck.

There, he was ready.

Shaking his head at the thought, he smirked as he headed out into the darkened livingroom. At least outwardly he looked as if he was ready, but the truth was he wasn't sure if he was ready for this or not. He had come so close to telling Kaoru ‘no’, but in the end he'd found he couldn't, not after the progress he'd made these last few nights. He wasn't going to risk pushing her away. It was bad enough she still didn't trust him completely.

With a sigh, he wandered across the quiet livingroom and pulled back the curtain of the window facing Kaoru's house. She may not fully trust him yet, but at least she now saw him as a friend, and maybe more if he was reading her right. He smiled as the last two nights they'd spent together flickered through his mind again. At first she'd been as shy as she had been the first night he'd invited her over, but that had quickly vanished when they'd set to work in his backyard. Both nights they'd spent a good portion of the time taking her through all the steps of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, plus a few steps of another style he'd learned years ago. And the remainder they had spent simply enjoying each other's company, she just as comfortable as he.

His smile widened as he caught Kaoru's silhouette pass by the window facing his house. They hadn't really talked about anything of significance, but simply talking about the weather or Sampson had been enough for him. She would open up to him someday, he would just have to wait until she finally trusted him... until she finally realized that he wasn't going anywhere.

But tonight would be their biggest test yet. He already knew she really hadn't wanted to ask him. That had been blatantly obvious when she'd held off asking him until the very end of the night Wednesday. He had a feeling that this dinner was not her idea, but he couldn't blame her father. If she was his daughter, he'd want to protect her from those who would hurt her too. And therein lie his greatest challenge tonight, convincing her father that he had no intention of hurting Kaoru. All he wanted was the chance to make her happy, that was all. Nothing more.

Sighing, he dropped the curtain and settled down in the dark livingroom to wait out the last hour or so before he headed next door. Tonight, he would be walking a very fine line in so many ways. Aside from winning Kamiya-san's approval he also had to do his utmost to seem as human as he could. Thankfully the only differences between a human and himself were his eyes and his unnaturally pale skin. Well, that and the fact that he didn't eat. How he was going to manage dinner was still a fairly large problem, but at least he could eat... somewhat. Hopefully it would be enough to keep from seeming rude.

Biting back another sigh, he settled heavily into the sofa. At least he'd managed to deal with Sampson. He didn't like doing it, but yesterday it had dawned on him that there was no way for him to attend dinner if Sampson was going to be there. And to that end, he'd asked Kaoru to leave Sampson out last night while she and her parents had taken dinner at the Akabeko after their arrival. He and her best friend had to come to an agreement. To be honest he hadn't expected the old black Lab to give him much of a fight but in the end it had taken him nearly a half an hour to overcome the dog's protective instinct. The dog's desire to rip his throat out had been almost palpable. But in the end it had worked, he'd finally managed to forcefully convince Sampson that he wasn't a threat.

Smirking slightly, he flipped on the tv and started absently flipping through the channels to kill time. Yes, for now Sampson would tolerate him but he knew one misstep and that dog would turn on him in a minute. He would have to make sure he never made Kaoru cry, because if he did he knew without a doubt that her best friend would happily tear him apart.

And to be honest he wouldn't want it any other way.

Kaoru cast a glance to the clock on her nightstand and sighed as she pulled the towel gently down her damp hair. Twenty minutes to go. Making one last pass down her hair, she frowned and slowly began combing it out. She was still a little surprised Kenshin had taken the invitation to dinner with her parents as well as he had. To be honest she'd almost hoped he'd decline, she'd even held out until the very last minute to ask him in hopes that he would be busy or something. But she hadn't been that lucky. Instead, her redheaded neighbor had simply given her a smile that made her heart flip in her chest and a quiet 'yes' that had sealed their fate.

Crinkling her nose she sighed softly. But then again, she was kind of looking forward to his presence tonight. Smiling shyly, she lifted her hair up into a ponytail and tied it with the royal blue ribbon that matched the sundress she'd chosen to wear tonight. What was truly surprising was how much she'd missed Kenshin last night. Oh, she'd seen him for a few minutes right after sunset, when he'd asked if she'd leave Sampson out, but it hadn't been enough. Not after all the time they'd spent together earlier in the week.

A small rueful smile whispered across her lips at the direction her thoughts were going and she shook her head as she settled down on the edge of her bed. Maybe she should just leave like her parents wanted her to. At least if she did that then she would save herself from the heartache she knew was coming, because there was one thing that had become glaringly obvious to her the last few nights. And that was the fact that she had somehow, over the course of a week and a half, managed to fall in love for the very first time in her life.

A sharp pain speared her heart at the futility of the situation she now found herself in. She'd done everything she could possibly think of to stop this from happening, but nothing worked. Of course Kenshin wasn't helping matters either, not with the heartwarming smiles he generously bestowed on her or his unending patience with her shyness. And yet, his kindness was what hurt the most. He had no idea what his simple gestures meant to her. At least as far as she could tell he didn't.

Frowning at the thought, she sighed. It was probably better that he didn't know. It would make things a lot easier when the time came for her leave. And that time would be soon. She'd won the fight so far but she knew as soon as there was a change in her scan her parents would demand she come home to be with them. If not before.

A gentle knock on her bedroom door broke into her thoughts and Kaoru glanced up, "Come in."

Slowly, the door slid back and a mirror image of herself peeked around the corner. "Are you ready? Himura-san and Dr. Genzai will be here soon."

Kaoru smiled and gave her mother a small nod, "Yes. I'm coming."

Her mother simply smiled and vanished, leaving the door partially ajar. Taking a deep breath she rose and smoothed the wrinkles from her dress. Yes, it was better this way. In the end it wouldn't matter anyway, because her father would more than likely chase him away tonight. And after last night, she couldn't blame Kenshin if he never wanted anything to do with her again if her father grilled him like he had her at the Akabeko.

The sudden ringing of the doorbell sounded into the quiet and Kaoru shook her head to clear the thoughts from her mind. No use worrying about it now, it was far too late. Frowning at the thought, she quickly headed out into the softly lit livingroom where her father sat reading the paper. Giving him a small smile, she made a beeline straight for the foyer. She stopped short though when she heard a light growl coming from her best friend who stood sentry in the doorway. A knot of fear tightened in her belly as she scratched his head and made her way around him. At this rate she wouldn't have to worry about her father if whatever Kenshin had done to win Sampson's approval hadn't worked. And by the sounds of it, it hadn't.

Biting back a sigh, she shook her head and closed the last few feet to the door. It was too late now. If Sampson showed his dislike for Kenshin tonight it was all over, her father would most definitely force her to go home.

Doing her best to ignore the barely audible growl still coming from her best friend, Kaoru prayed to every god she could think of that Sampson would behave himself and slowly swung the door open. She bit back a sigh of relief when nothing happened and smiled softly at the immaculately dressed redhead standing on the porch. "You came..."

A gorgeous smile lit up Kenshin's face and Kaoru felt her heart stop for a split second before it came back to life. "Of course. I said I would, didn't I?"

"Yes, but..." Kaoru mumbled, suddenly shy.

"Kaoru, are you going to let Himura-san in or are you going to leave him standing on the porch?" Her mother suddenly called out from the kitchen.

Embarrassed, Kaoru quickly stepped back to give Kenshin room to enter, "S..sorry, I didn't mean to leave you out there."

Kenshin smiled and leaned towards her as he stepped over the threshold. "Don't be shy. We're friends right?"

Kaoru did her best to ignore his nearness but found she couldn't with his unique scent wrapping around her like a soft blanket. Taking a deep breath, she resisted the urge to take a step back and instead lifted her eyes to meet the questioning violet gaze fixed on her, "Yes, but... my parents..."

Kenshin leaned in a little more and whispered so only she could hear, "Don't worry about them. I'm here for you, not them." And with that he stepped around her and continued on, absently scratching Sampson's head as passed and made his way into the livingroom where her father sat. At a loss, Kaoru simply watched him go. He had no idea what he'd just walked into.

Spurred by the thought she quickly closed the door and followed him into the livingroom. She stopped short when her eyes settled on her father who now stood in the middle of the livingroom; her mother right beside him. Ignoring the slightly flinty look in her father's eyes, she instead met her mother's gentle smile and stepped up beside Kenshin. Glancing at the redhead beside her, she was bolstered even more by the small smile Kenshin was doing his best to keep hidden.

Shifting her attention back to her parents she smiled and quietly said, "Mom. Dad. I'd like you to meet Himura Kenshin. My neighbor and f..friend." She scowled as her father's eyebrow lifted at her stammer. Pushing on she whispered, "Kenshin, this is my mother, Kamiya Kazumi and my father Kamiya Koshijiro."

Kenshin bowed deeply in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." Straightening, he glanced first to Kaoru's mother, then met the hard stare her father had fixed on him and whispered, "Thank you for inviting me tonight."

"It's our pleasure, Himura-san." Kazumi said softly as she inclined her head and gave them both a reassuring smile.

Heartened by her mother's gesture, Kaoru couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips. One down, one to go...

Turning her attention to her father, her happiness quickly faded away as the blood drained from her face. The icy look her father had fixed on Kenshin was enough to make her blood run cold. Swallowing nervously, she started to fidget as the seconds slowly ticked away; all of them quietly waiting for some reaction from the head of the family and then her father did something none of them had anticipated. He took a step forward and, without a word, reached out his hand towards Kenshin.

Startled, Kenshin glanced to Kaoru and found she was just as surprised as he by the unusual gesture. Smiling at the small shrug and scared look in her eyes, he gave his attention back to her father and reached out to grip the large man's hand. He wasn't the least bit surprised when the hand locked onto his like a vise. Doing his best not to flinch as the elder Kamiya's grip tightened even more, Kenshin looked dead into the flinty stare fixed on him and waited for what he had to say. He didn't have to wait long, Koshijiro's gripped tightened even more and he finally asked.

"What are your intentions with my daughter, Himura-san?"

A strangled gasp followed by an angry "DAD!" came from beside him quickly followed by a quiet "Koshijiro!" but Kenshin kept his attention solely fixed on the man before him. Meeting the flinty glare with an honest stare, he let the truth show in his eyes and quietly answered, "My one and only intention is to take care of Kaoru for as long as she will allow me to."

A sharp inhaling of breath beside him made him smile but he kept his attention trained on the man still glaring at him. "I have no plan of doing what everyone before me has done. I will not leave her unless she forces me to."

A long, drawn out silence filled the livingroom and Kenshin could feel his other self begin to stir as he waited for either acceptance or the challenge he could see swimming in the elder Kamiya's eyes.

"Koshijiro, let the boy go."

A tiny smile teased the edge of Kenshin's lips at the 'boy'. If only Kamiya-san knew. He may look young but he'd seen many, many more years than any of them here.

A heavy silence fell again and Kenshin could feel the weight pressing down on his shoulders. If this kept up much longer he wasn't going to be able to keep control. He could feel the beast becoming agitated within him, rising to the challenge. Clenching his other fist, he bit his cheek in an effort to keep himself in control and continued to stare dead at the man before him. He wouldn't lose... to this man or to the beast. To lose meant to lose Kaoru, and he wasn't going to let that happen.

The sudden, extremely welcome ringing of the doorbell broke into the oppressive silence and Kaoru squeaked in shock beside him before she took off to answer the door. Koshijiro didn't flinch at the sound but instead continued to stare dead at him as if he was weighing something. After several more heartbeats, and the beast pressing even harder for release, Koshijiro finally released his crushed hand with a look that said he wasn't completely convinced yet.

Kenshin bit back a huge sigh of relief as he regained full control and did his best to keep the smirk tickling the edge of his lips from breaking free. Flexing his hand in an effort to alleviate the ache he whispered, "I promise I will do nothing to harm her."

Koshijiro snorted in disbelief and turned away from him as Sampson started barking happily in the foyer. Casting a quick glance to Kaoru's mother, Kenshin smiled as Kazumi gave him a small nod and a smile that said he'd done well. Heartened by her acceptance, he turned to see who it was that had come and stopped dead as his eyes clashed with the nearly black eyes of the only person in town who knew what he was.

"Good evening Himura-san. I trust you've been well?" Dr. Genzai asked as he came in, the chilly look the doctor had fixed on him making him pause. Too startled to do anything but nod, Kenshin silently wondered why the good doctor would be here. And then that question was answered when he noticed the package nestled under one of the aged doctor's arm. Surprised, Kenshin glanced to Kaoru for an explanation.

Giving him a sad smile she shrugged and whispered, "Today is my nineteenth birthday."

"Oh..." Was all Kenshin could think to say. Why hadn't she told him it was her birthday dinner when she'd asked him to come? Did she still not trust him enough to tell him that much?!

Angered by the possibility, he fixed his full attention on the woman in front of him and was just about to ask her why she'd left that part out when she shook her head and whispered, "It's really not that important. It just means that I'm that much closer to the end."

And with that cryptic remark she disappeared into the kitchen with her mother. Glancing to the two men still standing in the livingroom with him, he was surprised to see a slight tinge of sadness marring both of their faces. What was going on? What did they know that he didn't?

Confused, he shook his head and filed the questions away until later. Right now he couldn't worry about that, he'd get the answer to those questions tomorrow, for now what he needed to do was make it through tonight. And that was going to be a trial all its own now that Dr. Genzai was here. He hadn't expected that at all. All he could hope was that the aged doctor would leave well enough alone and not give Kaoru's father any more reason to dislike him.

And thankfully it seemed the doctor might actually give him a break. He and Koshijiro had both forgotten about his presence and settled down in the chairs beside the large front window, deep in conversation.

Smiling slightly, Kenshin wandered to the kitchen where Kaoru and her mother were finishing up the last touches to what smelled like motsunabe. Taking a minute to simply watch, Kenshin marveled at how much the two of them looked alike. He'd never seen a mother and daughter have so many similar traits. It was as if he was seeing Kaoru now and twenty years later.

An almost inaudible grumble at his feet knocked him from his perusal and Kenshin glanced down to see Sampson sitting squarely in front of him. Confused, he quirked an eyebrow and simply stared into the chocolate brown eyes fixed on him. When Sampson did nothing but continue to stare at him, he decided to see just how much the dog still disliked him. Slowly he reached out a hand to scratch the dog's head. He was surprised when Sampson allowed the action, but then big black Lab caught him completely off guard and flicked his tongue out to catch his other hand with a slobbery lick before he stood and headed around him into the livingroom.

Stunned, Kenshin simply watched the black Lab go and smiled. At least it didn't look like he'd have to worry about Sampson anymore.

"It looks like Sampson has taken a liking to you Himura-san."

Snapping his attention back to the two women in the kitchen, he smiled at Kaoru's mother and nodded, "Yes, it does." Doing his best to ignore Kaoru's quirked eyebrow he asked, "Would you like any help?"

Kazumi smiled and shook her head. "No, I think it's just about ready." Casting a glance to Kaoru she added, "Why don't you go spend some time with Himura-san. I think he'd prefer your company to your father's."

Kaoru flicked her eyes quickly to him as a blush tinged her cheeks the faintest shade of pink and frowned. "I can't blame him. Dad didn't need to do that."

"He only did it because he loves you, Kaoru." Kazumi admonished gently as she turned to poke at the motsunabe again. "He can't stand the thought of someone else hurting you."

"But..."

"Its okay, Kaoru..." Kenshin cut in quietly. "...it's as your mother says, he just wants to make sure I'm not going to harm you."

Kaoru scowled. What was with these two?! Letting her father off like that! And yet, deep down she knew they were right, but she still didn't like how her father had gone about it. Kenshin had done nothing wrong, he hadn't deserved that treatment, and yet even though she knew that she also knew it was useless to fight.

With a sigh, she gave in and reached for Kenshin's hand, "Come on, let's go out on the back porch where we won't have to deal with my father."

Surprised, Kenshin let Kaoru's fingers wrap around his and followed behind as she guided him out into the moonlit night. A small smile played along his lips as he watched her hair sway back and forth, moving with her stride. She may look like her mother but he had a sneaking suspicion that inside she was just like her father. He was almost sure Kaoru's sharp tongue and fiery temper came from him. His theory was shaken though when they stepped out onto the porch and settled down on the edge with their legs hanging over.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come." Kaoru whispered quietly, her tone cutting deep into his heart. "I had a feeling my father would be like this. It's just..."

Kenshin smiled and reached for her hand again, "Really, it's okay. I can't blame him, I'd do the same if you were my daughter."

Kaoru snapped her head around as Kenshin's hand covered hers. Surprised, she tried to wiggle her hand out from underneath his. She was even more surprised when his fingers wrapped around hers, successfully keeping her from shying away. Doing her best not to blush, she gave up and whispered, "He means well, I know he does. But, I know you're different too. From the first time we met I knew there was something different about you." A light chuckle spilled from her lips and she shook her head as she shifted her attention into the moonlit yard, "I still haven't quite figured out why you want to be my friend, but I'm glad you do."

Kenshin glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and grinned. She still had no idea that what he truly wanted was to be so much more than just her friend. "I want to be your friend because to me you are a very special person. And not because of your illness..." He quickly added when she cast a slightly pained look at him. "... but because even though you are forced to live in the darkness, your smile shines brighter than the sun could ever hope to. I don't need the sun when I have your smile to light my way."

Stunned, Kaoru's breath hitched painfully in her throat and she fought back the tears instantly burning her eyes. Did that mean that he saw her as more than just a friend? Did he... did he really want more than just her friendship? Her sudden elation at hearing those words quickly died though as an icy sliver of fear whispered down her spine. But they couldn't. Not now. It was too late. Way too late.

A single tear slid free from the corner of her eye as the truth slapped her in the face. Here it was, the one thing she thought she would never get and yet, there was so little time left. If they went any further now, the pain would be too much to bear when the time came.

"Is everything okay, Kaoru?"

Doing her best to shake off the weight that had suddenly settled onto her shoulders, she calmly wiped the wetness from her cheek and smiled, "Yes. It's just... I never thought I'd hear that from someone besides my family. I..I never thought I'd ever - "

The sudden opening of the back door cut her off and Kaoru jumped.

"Dinner's ready you two."

Relieved by the interruption, Kaoru let Kenshin's hand go and jumped to her feet as her mother disappeared back into the house. "Are you ready for this?" she asked trying to ignore the question still lingering his eyes.

Kenshin gave her an indulgent smile and rose from the porch. "You never thought you'd what?" he prodded ignoring her attempt to drop the subject.

Scowling, Kaoru gave him a long suffering look and then sighed and mumbled, "I never thought I'd ever have someone care about me like that. But it doesn't matter, it's too late anyway." And with that she headed towards the back door before he could question her further. Didn't he know when to leave well enough alone? He knew about her illness, he knew there was no time. Why was he doing this?

Suddenly irritated, Kaoru took a deep breath to get herself back together and reached for the handle. Her fingers were mere inches away from the shiny metal though when she was pulled to stop by a cool hand wrapping around her wrist and then, before she even realized what was happening she found herself being spun around. Startled, Kaoru did her best to keep her balance as the hand released her and she grumbled, "What... "

But she got no further than that because all of a sudden she felt her chin lifted and then a pair of soft, cool lips pressed firmly against hers, cutting her off. Stunned, Kaoru froze as a wave of ice crashed through her body quickly followed by a wave of searing heat. And then before she even had a chance to completely register what had just happened Kenshin pulled back and smiled.

"It does matter and it's never too late." And with that he sidestepped around her and opened the back door. "So, shall we go face your father?"

Knocked back to her senses, Kaoru narrowed her eyes and growled, "Why did you do that?"

Kenshin gave her an infuriatingly calm smile and leaned towards her as if he was going to repeat the action. Standing her ground, she met the warm violet gaze fixed on her and swallowed nervously.

"Because you are too stubborn to see that what I really want is to love you as you deserve to be."

Stunned speechless, Kaoru simply stared at him as a warmth that had nothing to do with the heat of the night filtered through her veins. Finally finding her voice, she whispered, "But -"

"Are you two coming, your father's waiting?"

Kaoru jumped, startled by the unexpected interruption. Glancing to her mother who was now peeking around the open door, she nodded. "Yes. We're coming."

Kazumi nodded and gave her a knowing smile before she vanished inside again. Blushing to the roots of her hair, Kaoru scowled and headed to the door. "This conversation isn't over, Himura-san..." she muttered as she passed him into the house.

A light chuckle came from behind her as the door closed and then Kenshin came up to walk beside her. "I didn't expect it would be."

And then the conversation was abandoned as they made their way into the dining room and settled down at the table. Glancing to her father, Kaoru swallowed nervously and tried to ignore the hard look in his eyes as he glanced, first to her and then to Kenshin. Thankfully, he kept his peace and simply lifted his chopsticks and set work on the bowl of motsunabe sitting before him. Biting back a sigh of relief Kaoru dug in herself, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she'd thought. That hope was soon dashed though as her father swallowed his first bite and looked dead at Kenshin.

"I've never seen eyes like yours before, Himura-san. How do you come by them?"

Caught off guard, Kenshin nearly choked on the small bit of food he'd managed to force into his mouth and glanced up from his meal with widened eyes. Did he know? Casting a quick glance to Dr. Genzai he was relieved to see the elderly doctor as surprised as he by the question. Well at least it didn't look like the doctor had given away his secret. With a slight shrug, he gave the only answer he could think of, "They're a family trait, passed down through the generations."

Koshijiro's eyes narrowed slightly and Kenshin waited for him to question the weak reply but instead he asked, "Is that scar also a family trait?"

Unprepared for the question, Kenshin simply stared into the black gaze fixed on him and reached up to cover the damning mark. "No, this is a constant reminder of a mistake I made that I have no intention of ever making again."

"And what mistake would that be?" Koshijiro asked with a hint of steel in his voice.

Before he had a chance to answer, Kaoru suddenly spoke up from beside him, the hard edge in her voice almost a mirror of her father's. "Dad, that's enough! Kenshin didn't come here tonight to be grilled by you."

Doing his best not to smile, Kenshin cast a glance her way and whispered, "Its okay, Kaoru, your father has a right to know what kind of man is interested in his daughter."

With a sigh, Kenshin shifted his full attention to the elder Kamiya and smiled sadly, "I let someone precious to me die. I don't intend on letting that happen again."

Koshijiro stared at him for several heartbeats before he sighed and shook his head. "There is nothing you or anyone else can do about that. It would be best if you left her alone." And with that the elder Kamiya shifted his attention back to his meal.

Taken aback, Kenshin simply stared at Koshijiro, confused by the odd reply. Feeling a heaviness settle over the entire table, Kenshin glanced around and was surprised to see the downcast looks on all the faces surrounding him. There it was again. Something everyone seemed to know but him.

"What do you mean by that, Kamiya-san? What can't I do?" He asked, breaking the oppressive silence.

Kenshin felt all eyes snap to him as the questions fell from his lips. Surprised by the reaction, he let his eyes drift around the table and was startled by all the surprised looks fixed on him. Must be they all thought he knew. Meeting each set of eyes trained on him, he waited patiently to see if anyone would answer him. When all remained quiet, he felt a sick feeling settle into the pit of his stomach and he fixed his full attention on the only person he believed would give him the answer.

"What does that mean, Kaoru?"

Kaoru simply stared at him in stunned silence. He couldn't be serious, could he? Didn't he know? And yet the clear confusion clouding his violet eyes spoke the truth. He had no idea the disease was killing her. None. Now she understood why he'd said the things he had, he thought she still had a full life, even without the sun.

Suddenly sick, she tried to think of some way to tell him the whole truth but nothing came out. She'd never had to do this before, everyone always left before she had to tell them this. Closing her eyes against the obvious confusion in his, she did her best to swallow back the tears burning her eyes and shook her head. She couldn't do this, not now. Not when...

Sagging under the incredible weight settling on her shoulders, she lost the fight and one tear slid slowly down her cheek. And yet, for that very same reason he also deserved to know the truth. Steeling herself against the inevitable, she slowly slid her eyes back open and was just about to answer when Dr. Genzai came to her rescue.

"I'm not quite sure I understand why you don't know this, Himura-san, but the illness that keeps Kaoru from the sun is also slowly breaking down her body. The truth is those with Xeroderma Pigmentosum Type A only have a life expectancy of approximately twenty years."

Snapping his attention to Dr. Genzai, Kenshin felt the blood drain from his face as the implications of what the good doctor had said slammed him dead in the chest. Twenty years? Then that meant...

Trying to swallow around the lump suddenly lodged in his throat, Kenshin slowly shifted his attention back to Kaoru and saw the truth in her watery sapphire eyes. And then she smiled and whispered, "I'm sorry," before she jumped up and hurried from the room.

Startled, Kenshin made to jump up and run after her but stopped when Koshijiro suddenly spoke up again.

"Now you understand why it would be best if you left her alone. She's already endured more pain and disappointment than one person should have to. Leave her to her mother and I. We will do all we can to make what's left of her life happy."

Kenshin felt a chill race down his spine at the tone of Koshijiro's voice and then it quickly vanished under a sudden surge of hot anger. Doing his best to keep his voice level he looked dead at the elder Kamiya and whispered, "Yes, now I understand. But I also understand that Kaoru needs what I'm willing to give and I will not simply turn my back on her because of something that is out of her control."

Pausing, Kenshin glanced to all three of them and then added, "But what's more important and what you don't seem to understand is that I need her just as much as she needs me." And with that he rose and headed in the direction Kaoru had vanished, ignoring the horror tinged look Dr. Genzai had fixed on him. He would have to explain that later, right now finding Kaoru was much more important. Spying Sampson sitting in front of the back door, he headed towards him and scratched his head, "She's out here, isn't she?"

Sampson barked once as if in agreement and Kenshin scratched his head again before quietly swinging the door open and stepping out onto the lightly lit porch. He smiled when his eyes settled on Kaoru who sat against the side of the house eight feet away. Closing the door behind him, he silently made his way down the porch and quietly settled down beside her.

For several heartbeats neither of them spoke, both waiting to see if the other would and then Kaoru finally broke the silence. "If you want to stop seeing me now, I'll understand."

Surprised, Kenshin snapped his head around and asked, "Do you really think I'm going to leave you now that I know this disease is killing you?"

Kaoru shrugged half-heartedly but didn't look at him. "Up until now, you were the first person who saw past my disease and saw just me but you didn't know the whole truth. Now that you do, why should you be any different than the rest? Why would you want to stay with someone who is going to die?"

Angered by her disheartened tone, Kenshin reached out and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. His anger quickly vanished though when he saw the scarred soul looking out from the sapphire eyes he'd grown to love these last few weeks. Her father was right, she'd been hurt way too many times.

Gently cupping her cheeks, he brushed away the lone tear that had escaped from the corner of her eyes and smiled, "You ask me why I would want to stay with you. The answer to that is really very simple. I want to stay with you because, over the last week and a half, I have managed to fall in love with you."

Kaoru's eyes flew wide and she tried to jerk away from him, the stunned look on her face telling him everything. She really couldn't believe he would see her that way. What had those before him done to her? Shoving the thought from his mind, he held her steady and simply waited for the shock to wear off. After what felt like an eternity he finally saw first confusion, then disbelief and then a tiny tinge of hope flicker through her eyes and he released her and sat back to wait for what she had to say. For several seconds more she simply continued to stare at him and then she finally whispered, "You can't be serious."

Unable to stop himself, Kenshin laughed. "Yes, Kaoru. I'm dead serious."

"But... why?"

Kenshin smiled and reached out to trail his fingers along her soft cheek and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Because you have shown me what it is to live my life again. Before I met you, I simply existed. But now, whenever I'm with you, I feel alive. I want you beside me, even if it is only for a short time." Dropping his hand back into his lap, he grinned, "So will you accept me or do I still have to convince you?"

Kaoru continued to stare at him in disbelief and then finally she grinned and whispered, "I still don't get it but I suppose I can put up with you, at least for a little while longer."

Kenshin chuckled, happy that her good humor was coming back. "Good, because I wasn't going to give up until I won." Ignoring her raised eyebrow, he pushed off the porch and offered her his hand, "Now that we have that settled, we better get back to dinner before your father thinks we're out here doing something we shouldn't be."

Kaoru laughed and wrapped her fingers around his. "Trust me, if my father thought we were doing something out here, he'd have already been out here threatening your life."

Kenshin smirked as he guided her to her feet, waiting for her to reach her full height he leaned in and brushed his lips gently against her forehead. Smiling at her sharp intake of breath he whispered, "Then I'll take his absence as acceptance. Maybe I finally got through to him too."

Kaoru snorted softly and shook her head as she started leading him towards the door. "I wouldn't go that far. More than likely Mom kept him inside."

Kenshin smiled at the obvious truth and let her guide him to the door. He would do his best to win over both her father and Dr. Genzai but in the end it didn't matter whether he won them over or not, as long as he kept Dr. Genzai from exposing his secret all would be well.

And he only needed a year. Just one year of peace. That shouldn't be too much to ask, should it?

At the thought, Kenshin felt his chest constrict painfully and he gripped her hand just a little bit tighter as she led him back into the house. But the truth was he would give anything if he could make that one year into a lifetime for her. Anything.

But there was no way. Not anymore...
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