Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk in the Sunlight ❯ Uninvited Guests ( Chapter 10 )
[ 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.
Excerpt from Chapter 9
Silently closing the door behind him, he turned to head for the livingroom to flip on the light. He'd only made it two steps into the house though when he was all of a sudden brought up short by the distinct feeling that he wasn't alone. And much to his dismay moments later he was proven right...
"So my idiot apprentice is at it again...." a disembodied voice drawled sarcastically from across the darkened livingroom, "...didn't you learn your lesson the first time, or do you need to kill one more just to make sure?"
Kenshin's eyes flashed gold as his stomach hit the floor and he reached out to flip on the light to illuminate the one person he'd hoped to avoid for the rest of his worthless life.
"Shishou?"
When no answer came to his query, Kenshin sighed quietly as soft light flooded the silent livingroom. Letting his eyes drift to the cold black gaze fixed on him, he did his best to keep the frown tugging at his lips from breaking free, "How did you find me?"
A small deadly grin whispered across Hiko's lips. "I've known where you were since the day you lost it and vanished."
The frown finally won out and Kenshin silently made his way into the livingroom to settle down across from his uninvited guest, "Then why is this the first time you've come?"
Hiko shrugged negligently. "I have no use for a spineless vampire."
Stung, Kenshin did his best to keep his temper in check and simply stared at the only person he'd ever called family. For several heartbeats he quietly studied his former master for some sign of what this was all about. He seriously doubted the great Hiko Seijuro had come to find him simply to make sure he didn't repeat the same mistake he'd made all those years ago. But as always, there was no hint of anything but contempt on the Elder's face and Kenshin finally gave up, "Why are you here?"
For several moments more Hiko simply continued to stare at him and then he finally said, "Katsura's dead."
Caught of guard, Kenshin's eyes flew wide as the words struck him dead in the chest. Katsura... dead? Impossible! No one but an Elder could kill an Elder. No one. And the only two Elder's left alive were Katsura and...
... Hiko.
Sickened by the thought, Kenshin leveled a horror filled gaze on his former master as the floor fell out from underneath him. Impossible. Hiko would never kill Katsura. He had no reason to. Granted, Hiko had never really liked Katsura but the truce they had declared during the war that had just about obliterated the vampire race still held as far as he knew.
"You idiot, I didn't kill him...." Hiko growled angrily. "...Why would I bother now? If I was going to kill him I'd have done it when he changed you."
Kenshin let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and relaxed somewhat at the obvious truth. Katsura changing him had been the falling out between the brothers, and he knew it was still an extremely sore subject for his master. One day he would have to ask Hiko why he never took the opportunity to change him himself after he'd saved him from the wolves all those years ago.
"I never changed you because you were never meant for our world”, Hiko said in answer to his thoughts. "I only wished to teach you the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and send you on your way to live a normal human life. But Katsura went against me and changed you anyway because he wanted your skills for the war he knew was coming. He didn't care that this life would break you. All he saw was the killer in your eyes, he never saw the innocent human boy I saved from the wolves."
Taken aback, Kenshin sat quietly at a loss for what to say. His former master had never been this candid with him before, it almost sounded as if he had really cared what happened to him.
"But all that doesn't matter anymore...." Hiko continued, the edge in his voice cutting Kenshin deep. "...You are what you are because of Katsura and your own mistakes. My only regret in that whole mess was saving your life after you were stupid enough to take that shit the old crone gave you. You should have died that night."
Kenshin flinched as the cold truth hit him dead in the chest; the wound he thought healed long ago opening once again. Yes, he should have. If he had then maybe Tomoe would have had the happy life she deserved and not the pain filled death she got instead. Scowling as a knife of pain ripped through his chest, he did his best to bury the unwanted memories and was just about to ask again what prompted this visit when the sound of his back door opening and closing behind him grabbed his attention.
"He hasn't been here yet, but it won't be too long."
The world fell out from underneath Kenshin once again as a voice he never thought he'd hear again filled the livingroom. Doing his best to ignore the ice filtering through his veins, he slowly swung his head around and whispered, "Sano?"
The six foot tall, black-haired vampire gave him a crooked smile that showed one of his fangs and made his way into the livingroom to lean against the wall. "Hey Kenshin, long time no see."
At a loss, Kenshin could only stare wide-eyed at the man standing before him as images of the past rose up to assault his already strained mind. The feel of this man's blood coating his skin as he yanked his fists out of his chest washed over his flesh again, and he instinctively shook his hands the get rid of the sickening warmth. How could this man be here? He was dead. He himself had done the deed all those years ago, the very same night Tomoe had died. He could remember it as if it was only yesterday... the agony that had nearly driven him insane... the rage that had made the killer in him thirst for blood, no matter whose it was. And Sano, his only friend in the vampire world had stood directly in the path of that rage and had suffered for his interference with his life; his body torn to shreds by the very hands now clenched tightly in his lap.
A teeth jarring punch to his left cheek snapped Kenshin's head around, breaking him out of the memories. He shook his head to clear the stench of blood from his nose; the unwanted memories fading once again.
"That's for trying to kill me. Don't ever do that again."
Kenshin bit back a sarcastic chuckle and rubbed his abused cheek; the taste of blood filling his mouth more welcome than he liked to admit. Glancing to the tall vampire that settled into the chair beside Hiko, he smirked, "Then stay out of my way when I'm in that mood." Ignoring the irritated snort that exploded from Sano, he finally asked, "How are you still alive?"
Sano shrugged and gave him a lopsided grin. "After you finished having your fun and disappeared, Katsura pieced me back together and gave me some of his blood. I suppose you could call us brothers now."
Kenshin shook his head and gave him a wane smile, "No. I can't call anyone brother. Not anymore." Holding his hand up to stop whatever Sano was about to say, he asked, "Who else has found me?... Who killed Katsura?"
And then, as if a light suddenly went on in his head, Kenshin knew the answer. "Yukishiro"
Hiko shook his head. "No," he said before Sano had a chance to answer. "Katsura forced a blood oath out of both Yukishiro and Kiyosato to stay away from you. Neither will come anywhere near you for fear that either Katsura or I will kill them. Even with Katsura dead, I doubt they're stupid enough to try to come after you." A humorless chuckle whispered into the quiet, "Those two should have known better than to have Shishio Makoto change them. Having such a weak changeling as a maker did nothing for their cause. They would be better off giving themselves to the sun and ending it quickly."
Kenshin nearly growled as the last of his patience vanished, the jab against his age old enemies falling on deaf ears. "Then who is it!?... Who killed Katsura!?"
"Iizuka."
Any color Kenshin may have had instantly vanished as the name slammed into his ears, his eyes immediately taking on their amber hue. Tightening his clenched fists even more, he counted to ten in an effort to calm the beast raging just below the surface. "How did that snake manage to kill Katsura? He's no more an Elder than I am."
Hiko sighed heavily and Kenshin finally noticed just how worn his old master and mentor was. The unfamiliar sight was enough to calm his other half and he shoved the killer back where he belonged and settled heavily into the sofa, "What happened?"
"It seems Iizuka found some way to immobilize an Elder long enough to drain him dry." Hiko answered wearily, before reaching for the cup Sano had filled with the sake resting on the table between them.
"At least the Elder that made him...." Sano added with a scowl. "....he tried the same thing with Hiko but whatever it was that paralyzed Katsura wasn't enough to stop Hiko." A nasty little grin played along Sano's lips and he chuckled, "He found that out the hard way when Hiko ripped his arm off before he managed to slip away from us. Too bad he was able to grab the arm before he melted into the city, it would have been fun to taunt him with it when he shows up here."
A ghost of a smile whispered across Kenshin's lips, "So what you're saying is Iizuka is on his way here?"
Sano nodded. "Yeah, and he's not like he was before. Since he drained Katsura dry he's now, by all rights, an Elder."
Kenshin snorted softly as a blood chilling smirk tilted up his lips. "Let him come. I've been waiting for this chance for a very long time. "
Hiko cleared his throat loudly and Kenshin glanced to his former master. His eyes widened when his gaze clashed with the flinty black glare fixed on him.
"You're still as naive as you were back then, aren't you?" Hiko growled, his glare hardening even more. “If it was just you, I would have left you to kill him and saved myself the headache. But now, once again, you've placed an innocent woman within easy reach of that snake and I refuse to let another one die because of your stupidity."
Kenshin visibly paled as reality finally slapped him hard in the face and he felt a fist of fear tighten in his gut. Kaoru. He had completely forgotten about her. And his master was right. When Iizuka figured out that even an Elder couldn't kill him he'd most definitely go after Kaoru.
"I suggest you pack up your woman and get her out of here before Iizuka finds out exactly where you are. Right now all he knows is you're in Okinawa, not where."
The fist tightened even more in his gut and Kenshin shook his head, "I can't..."
For several heartbeats there was no sound, the words falling heavily into the silence.
"She doesn't know what you are, does she?" Hiko finally ground out, the clear anger in his black gaze striking Kenshin harder than a physical blow. When he shook his head no, Hiko's scowl darkened even more. "Then you better leave now before Iizuka gets here and finds out what she is to you."
Kenshin exhaled softly and rubbed his forehead in frustration, "I can't do that either. I swore to her father that I would take care of her and I will not go back on that." Glancing first to Sano and then to Hiko, Kenshin leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "All I can do is wait until he shows up and kill him before he comes within a hundred feet of Kaoru."
Hiko fixed him with a cool look and asked, "And what happens if she finds out what you are and doesn't want anything to do with you? How will you protect her then?"
Kenshin gave him a half smile and was just about to answer when Sano spoke up. "That huge ass dog of hers will keep Iizuka at bay until one of us gets to her. He might lose his arm again if he gets too close to that beast."
Surprised, Kenshin fixed a startled gaze on his age old friend, "How do you know about Sampson?"
Sano snorted. "Who do you think has been keeping tabs on you for the great Hiko-sama all these years?"
At a loss, Kenshin simply stared at the black-haired vampire. If that was true then why didn't he ever make himself known? Sano could have at least let him know that he was still alive. Suddenly irritated, he was just about to ask that very question when Hiko silently capped the sake bottle and pushed out of the chair.
Glancing to the man he'd always thought of as a father, Kenshin watched as Hiko grabbed his black cloak off of the back of the chair and tossed it over his shoulders. "Do whatever you need to do, but if she dies, I'll find a way to kill you myself." And with that he headed for the door.
Kenshin smiled at the threat and followed behind him, "Iizuka will be dead before he ever lays eyes on Kaoru. I refuse to lose another to him...I'm going to lose her too soon as it is." Ignoring the curious look Hiko fixed on him, he opened the front door, "Leave Iizuka to me. It's time to end this once and for all."
For several moments Hiko simply stared at him as if he was weighing something and then he finally nodded. "He's yours. Don't make me regret this."
And then the Elder was gone without so much as a ripple in the still air. Smirking at the flashy exit, Kenshin silently closed the door as the first rays of sunlight burst over the horizon and glanced over his shoulder, "I guess this means I'm stuck with you until Iizuka is dead."
Sano gave him a crooked smile and headed back into the livingroom. "You needed the company anyway." Flopping down on the sofa, his old friend fixed him with a sly look and purred, "Soooo... tell me about jou-chan."
Kenshin fought the urge to roll his eyes and stifled a sigh. "Not right now. I'm tired." And without a backward glance he headed for the privacy of his bedroom leaving Sano to his own devices. Silently closing the door behind him, Kenshin pulled his hair out of its ponytail and ran his fingers through it in frustration. Of all the times that little snake could come out of hiding why did it have to be now. All he wanted was a little time to cherish what little bit of life Kaoru still had on this miserable earth. Was it really too much to ask for? One single year of peace?
Snorting softly, he went about getting ready for his nap. Yes, for some reason it was. Hopefully it wouldn't take Iizuka long to find him so he could finish this quickly. The faster this was over the more he could devote his attention to the one who truly deserved it. Because the one thing that truly scared him was the possibility that Kaoru wouldn't have that one year, and he didn't want to waste one single moment more than he had to. Especially on that snake.
Shoving the thought from his mind, Kenshin lay down and tucked his hands behind his head. Taking a deep breath to completely clear his mind, he slowly counted to ten and waited for his 'sleep' state to kick in. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'd sleep all day. That way he wouldn't have to wait so long to see Kaoru.
A tiny smile whispered across his lips as the 'sleep' state finally pulled him into the welcoming darkness. After all these years it was nice to have something to look forward to.
A small shy smile played along her lips as she pushed out of the chair and headed for her bedroom. And in less than an hour she would finally be free to see Kenshin again. Something she'd been counting down to since she'd woken up this afternoon. Shaking her head at the butterflies that thought sent dancing in her belly, she absently nibbled on her bottom lip and laid out her clothes for the night on the bed before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. She still hadn't completely managed to convince herself that what had happened in the park this morning had really happened. It all seemed like a dream now that a whole day had passed since she'd felt his soft lips pressed against hers.
Blushing at the warmth that spread through her middle at the memory, she quickly undressed and stepped into the bathing room. She slid the door closed behind her, placing the towel on the shelf above the showerhead before setting to work on getting the water to temp. Lifting the showerhead from its resting spot, she held it over her head, the extremely warm water quickly overcoming the heat deep in her belly.
Smiling, she continued to let the gentle cascade wash over her head for a few moments more before she sighed and finally got to work getting the rest of her body wet. Trailing the warm water down her right arm, she switched hands to wet her left and was just about to move to her lower body when the showerhead all of a sudden slipped from her fingers to crash noisily to the floor. Startled, she jumped back and simply stared at the showerhead at her feet as it spilled warm water across the floor. Wha-?
And then she felt it, the tingling in her fingertips again, but this time all the way to her first knuckle. Lifting her hand, she gently pushed each fingertip against her thumb and frowned when all she felt was a slight tingling. Unnerved and just a little bit scared, she shook her hand in an effort to get some life back into it and nearly sighed in relief when she repeated the test and felt the pressure all the way to her fingertips. Chuckling nervously, she took a couple of slow, even breaths to calm her nerves and reached down to retrieve the showerhead. Must be she'd put too much stress on her hands typing in all those files. Maybe next time she'd know better than to spend three and a half hours slamming her fingertips into the keyboard to kill time.
And yet, deep down she knew it couldn't be just that, but she refused to even entertain the thought of what else it could be. Not now. Not when things were finally looking up for her. Shoving the thought from her mind, she shut the water off and set the showerhead back in it's holder before reaching for the towel. She didn't really need a shower anyway, she'd already taken one this morning before she'd gone to bed.
Doing her best to ignore the lead weight settling into her stomach, she wrapped the soft terrycloth around her tight and stepped from the bathing room to head back into her bedroom. It was Sunday night so that meant she wouldn't be having another CAT scan for a couple of more days, still maybe she should call Dr. Genzai and have him do a scan. If it was indeed starting then she had to know.
Exhaling softly, Kaoru shook her head at her worry and started getting dressed. More than likely she was overreacting; she'd probably spent too much time on the files and tired out her hands. Besides, what was a couple of more days? It's not like she was going to die right away even if the deterioration has started.
A gentle knock on her front door set Sampson to barking and she grinned as a surge of anticipation filtered through her veins, the worries fading into the back of her mind. Quickly finger combing her damp hair, she threw it up into a ponytail and heading out into the livingroom. Scratching Sampson's head as she passed, she wandered into the foyer to let in the one person she'd been waiting all day to see... and what a long day it had been.
Shaking her head at herself, she opened the door and smiled at the black clad redhead standing on her porch, "Hi."
Kenshin met her smile with one of his own and asked. "Do you always answer the door without looking to see who it is?"
Kaoru's smile vanished and she gave him a long, suffering look, "Sampson knows if there is a threat at the door. Since he was barking happily that meant it could only be two people, you or Dr. Genzai and Dr. Genzai has no reason to be here this late tonight."
Kenshin had the good sense to look sheepish. "Oh, he really is a special dog isn't he?"
Eyeing him askance, Kaoru motioned for him to enter and closed the door behind him. "You're just realizing that? I thought you two had come to some kind of understanding."
Kenshin chuckled and turned towards her. Kaoru felt her face heat up as he stepped closer forcing her to take a step back and collide with the wall. "We did but there is still quite a bit I don't know about him." Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss on her slightly parted lips and whispered, "I'm very happy to know he's such a good guard dog. I won't have to worry as much now."
And with that he stepped back and made his way into the livingroom, leaving her to stare after him in stunned silence. Taking a minute to get herself back together Kaoru slowly followed in his footsteps and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Sampson was lying on his back with a dreamy look in his eyes while Kenshin rubbed away at his exposed belly. Stifling a chuckle, she wandered in and sat down beside them on the floor.
"You know, you've just made a friend for life. He loves having his belly rubbed."
Kenshin chuckled, "Good. I don't have many friends." Giving Sampson one last rub, he settled back against the chair and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "And I haven't had a dog for a friend in a very long time."
"I guess you made out pretty well in this house then," Kaoru chuckled as she gave Sampson a couple of rubs herself. Gently patting his belly, she nudged him to roll back over. "So what should we do tonight?"
Kenshin shrugged. "It's up to you. I'm game for just about anything as long as it's with you."
Kaoru tried to ignore the warmth his tone sent rushing through her body and quirked an eyebrow, "You know, if you keep saying things like that, you'll have another friend for life."
A small smirk tickled the corner of Kenshin's lips. "That's my intention. So what do you want to do tonight?"
Doing her best not to blush, Kaoru shifted her attention to the paintings lining her wall and shrugged, "How about I make you dinner? It's only fair since you've been cooking for me all this time."
When no answer came to her suggestion, Kaoru hazarded a glance at the redhead beside her and smiled at the surprised look coloring his violet eyes. "Is that prospect really that frightening," she asked when all he did was continue to stare at her.
Kenshin shook his head and smiled softly. "No, Kaoru, that's not it at all. To be honest, I'm really not that hungry. I ate just before I came over."
"Oh..." Kaoru whispered, "Then... how about sparring with me for a little while?" Smiling sheepishly, she shrugged at his quirked eyebrow, "I just barely beat my father and that was only because of the other steps you taught me. He knew I'd been slacking."
"Ah..." Kenshin breathed in understanding. Giving her a small nod, he stood. "If that's what you want to do, then that's what we'll do. Let me go home and change and I'll meet you in your backyard."
"You really don't mind?" Kaoru asked, surprised by his easy acceptance. It's not as if it was something normal couples would do, but then again no one had ever said they were a normal couple.
"Of course not. I like sparring with you." Offering her his hand, he guided her to her feet and nudged her towards her bedroom. "Go get ready. I'll meet you out in the yard in ten minutes." And with that he disappeared into the foyer and out her front door.
Listening as the door closed behind him, Kaoru couldn't help the smile that whispered across her lips as she headed for her bedroom. If he kept this up she'd wind up losing herself completely.
But then again, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
Sano scowled and met Kenshin's glare with one of his own. "Why? It's not like I'm going to attack her."
Kenshin shook his head again and leveled a hard look on his old friend, "I know you won't, but Sampson will know what you are and I can't risk him no longer accepting me to sate your curiosity." Turning his attention back to the mirror that only showed his reflection, he gathered his hair into a ponytail at the nape of his neck and sighed, "She doesn't know what we are and I want to keep it that way. I'm not going to have much time with her as it is." Wrapping a band around the collected locks he whispered, "I don't want to lose her any sooner than I have to."
Sano sighed irritably and grumbled, "When are you going to tell me what's going on? That's the second time you've said something like that and it's damn annoying when you don't bother explaining."
Tugging his hair to tighten the hold, Kenshin grabbed his bokken from the wall and headed out of bedroom. "Later. Until then do whatever you wish but keep your distance from Kaoru and Sampson."
"Whatever...." Sano grouched. "Then at least tell me what there is to do in this town. As far as I can tell it seems pretty dead around here."
Kenshin shrugged, "There really isn't much to do. There are a couple of nightclubs in town and the beach, that's about it." Stopping dead in his tracks, he glanced over his shoulder and pinned Sano with a hard look. "One thing I will ask you not to do is hunt. There is one person in this town who knows what we are and if he hears of anything strange then he's going to make my life very hard."
Sano rolled his eyes. "Haven't you looked in your fridge yet? I don't need to hunt, I have all I need right in there."
Relieved, Kenshin gave him a small smile and opened the back door, "Good. Then do whatever you want. I'll be back in a couple of hours and then I'll tell you about Kaoru. You'll need to know if you're going to help me."
When Sano nodded his assent Kenshin headed out into the warm night air with a slight twinge of trepidation. Maybe having Sano here wasn't such a good idea, his old friend had never been one to listen to reason. But then again he couldn't do this alone, not with Kaoru still in the dark about what they were. And there was no way he was going to tell her the truth, not when there was a chance she would hate him. He wouldn't take that risk.
Stifling a sigh, he rubbed his forehead tiredly and headed into the moonlit yard. All he could do was hope Sano would err on the side of caution for once in his life.
Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she opted not to answer that thought and instead spun on her heel to head out the door. Grabbing her bokken as she passed, she called out, "Hey Sampson? Do you want to go outside?"
An enthusiastic bark met her question and she laughed. She should have known better, he hated being stuck in the house just as much as she did. Meeting him at the backdoor, she scratched his head and opened the door without bothering to hook his leash on. It didn't matter tonight anyway since she and Kenshin would be outside too.
Sampson wasted no time and bolted out the door, making a beeline straight for the midnight blue gi, white hakama clad man sitting cross-legged in the middle of her backyard. Grinning, Kaoru closed the door softly behind her and made her way out to where Sampson and Kenshin now stood, for all the world looking like they belonged together. Finally coming to within sight of him, she felt a blush heat up her cheeks at the smirk settling on his lips.
"For a minute there I thought you were going to stand me up."
Kaoru scoffed, "And miss this chance to beat you. Not a chance Himura-san."
Kenshin's smirk turned into a suggestive smile and he quickly closed the distance between them until he was only inches away from her. "You know, if you keep talking like that I won't be held accountable for what might happen."
Kaoru smirked and tilted her head to the side, "Bring it on, Himura-san..."
Kenshin chuckled and shook his head. "As you wish..."
And without another word he stepped back to give himself room and dove at her; his violet eyes sparkling mischievously. Kaoru couldn't help the smile that tickled her lips as she brought her own bokken around and easily intercepted the strike aimed for her leg. Pivoting to the side to miss his recovering strike, she ducked as the bokken swept over her head and drove her own bokken straight into his ribs.
A muffled "Oof" filled the quiet of the night and she stepped back with a smug smile, "You were saying?"
Kenshin laughed and gripped his smarting ribs. "Where did that come from? I don't remember teaching you moves like that."
Kaoru couldn't resist the urge to gloat, "You weren't the only one watching. Over the last couple of nights I've noted quite a few of the moves you've used against me."
"Ahhh..." Kenshin whispered, rubbing his sore chest. "I guess I need to change my tactics then."
Kaoru shrugged and tried to ignore the tiny flicker of dread that whispered through her chest. In reality that's all she'd really been able to catch those two nights thanks to his skill, but she'd never tell him that.
"So I guess we should start in earnest then?" Kenshin whispered with a twinkle in his eye.
Swallowing nervously, Kaoru gave him a quick nod and settled in for the true beating. She had a feeling he wasn't going to go easy on her, not after that little poke at his ego. Smiling ruefully, she watched and waited for him to make his move, but then again she'd asked for it so she couldn't complain.
And sadly she found out just how right that thought was when an hour later she found herself panting and doing everything humanly possible to keep him from gaining a hit on her again. Spinning away from the side stoke aimed for her ribs, she brought up her bokken and tried to score a hit herself. She growled when Kenshin easily sidestepped away. Taking a step back to try to get some much needed recovery time, she brought her bokken up and settled into a defensive position.
But Kenshin wasn't going to give her the break she desperately needed and came at her again. Stifling the groan burning the back of her throat, she brought her bokken down in a crosswise arc to deflect his strike, and then, much to her surprise, she all of a sudden lost her grip on the bokken and it went flying over her head to land a few feet behind her. Stunned, she simply stared at Kenshin as he immediately halted his strike missing her by mere inches, his violet eyes mirroring her surprise.
Slowly turning around to look at the fallen bokken, Kaoru flexed her hands and paled as the tingling in her fingertips finally registered on her mind. Instinctively shaking her hand, she paled even more when the tingling changed to nothing, no feeling at all. Suddenly sick, she shook her hand again to no avail.
"Is everything okay, Kaoru?"
Kaoru jumped, startled by the nearness of his voice. Slowly shifting her attention back to Kenshin, she did her best to feign a calm she didn't feel. "Yeah, I'm okay. I think I'm a bit tired."
Kenshin eyed her suspiciously and Kaoru hoped and prayed he wouldn't see through her. She nearly sighed when he finally gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry I worked you so hard. Sometimes I tend to forget myself."
Kaoru gave him a reassuring smile as she surreptitiously ran her fingertips down her leg in an effort to get at least the tingling back. "It's not your fault. I'm used to this kind of workout but tonight I think I'm just a little bit more tired than usual," she lied in an effort to alleviate the concern written on his face.
Kenshin smiled and Kaoru felt her heart lighten somewhat and then she brightened even more when the tingling slowly returned. Fending off the tears of relief burning the backs of her eyes, she turned to collect her bokken. "Maybe I should call it a night and get some sleep."
Silence met her statement and Kaoru glanced over her shoulder as she reached down to retrieve her bokken. Her eyes widened when she caught the flicker of sadness pass across Kenshin's face before it vanished to be replaced by a smile.
"Maybe you should." He agreed. "I can't say as I want to cut our night short but I can tell you're tired so go inside and get some rest."
Relieved, Kaoru ignored the slight twinge of regret that tightened her chest and gave him the brightest smile she could dig up. "It's only tonight. I promise to get as much sleep as I can so we can spend the whole night together tomorrow night."
Kenshin inclined his head slightly and whispered, "Good..." And then he caught her completely off guard and stepped forward to wrap her in a tight hug. "...Maybe by then you'll be ready to tell me what's really wrong," he whispered into her hair. Kaoru felt her heart constrict painfully at his tone and she hugged him back, the tears she'd managed to hold back burning her eyes even more.
Holding him just a little bit tighter, she nodded against his shoulder and whispered, "Maybe..."
Kenshin squeezed her one last time and dropped his arms. "I'll wait until then."
Feeling the loss keenly, Kaoru did the same and turned to head for the house before the tears could escape. A cool hand wrapping around her wrist stopped her dead in her tracks and Kaoru peeked over her shoulder.
"You forgot your goodnight kiss."
And before she even had a chance to react Kenshin pulled her around to face him and leaned in capturing her lips in a gentle kiss; his soft lips moving ever so lightly over hers. Unprepared for his quick action, Kaoru simply stood there frozen for a moment before she met his kiss. All else fell away as his scent wrapped around her once again, the feel of his lips burning away her tears. Moments later, Kaoru was jarred back to the world when Kenshin broke the kiss and leaned back with a satisfied grin, "That's the proper way to say goodnight. Never forget it."
Kaoru did her best to ignore the heat now rushing through her veins and smirked, "I won't, I promise."
And with that she headed for the house, where Sampson waited for her on the porch. Maybe she should just tell him what was going on. Obviously he didn't know exactly what was going to happen to her as the disease finally took its toll. Ignoring the knife of pain that shot through her chest, Kaoru shook her head and stepped up on the porch. Not yet. She would tell him when she knew for sure that the degeneration had started; there was no sense in making him worry for nothing.
Smiling sadly, she headed into the house and wandered into the livingroom to grab the phone. Dialing in the number for the clinic, she waited patiently as the answering machine picked up and rattled off it's spiel before finally giving her the begin beep.
"Hi, Dr. Genzai. Um... I... I think I should come in tomorrow night and have a scan." Scowling at her shaky voice, Kaoru did her best to get control and continued, "I'm getting a tingling sensation in my fingertips. I think it might be starting. Please call me back and let me know when you'd like me to come in."
Hitting the off button, she dropped the phone back in its holder and dropped down onto the sofa. There, by tomorrow night she'd know if her suspicions were true, and if they were then she'd have to tell Kenshin but until then she would leave it as it was. No need to worry him over nothing.
Satisfied with her decision, she grabbed the remote and flipped on the tv then stretched out on the sofa to take a nap. Maybe she was worrying for nothing, more than likely she'd simply tired herself out waiting for night to fall and entering all that data.
Sighing, she pushed the thoughts from her mind and flipped the tv off. Hitting the button to turn on her cd player, she smiled as the house was soon filled with the gentle sound of the shakuhachi. Dropping the remote on the floor, she rolled over and settled in as her eyes dropped closed; the soft sound soon lulling her into a much needed, dreamless sleep.
Sighing softly, he smiled sadly. Why did she have to be so stubborn? She should know that not telling him was making him worry even more. But then again, she wasn't used to this so maybe...
Shaking his head again, he cast one last glance to the house beside his before heading into his own. All he could hope was that tomorrow she would fess up because if she didn't he'd have to use other means to make her confide in him. One way or another he would have to show her that her trust wasn't misplaced in him. It was a good thing patience was one of his many traits or she'd be in serious trouble.
Flipping on the kitchen light, he waited a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust and was just about to head to his room to change when he was reminded that he had a guest.
"So, you going to tell me about jou-chan now? I think you better because we're not the only vampires in town anymore."
Kenshin's head snapped around to find the black clad vampire sitting in the darkened livingroom as he felt a fist slam into his gut. "Iizuka?"
Sano shook his head. "No. A couple of recently made lackeys. One we won't have to worry about but I wasn't able to get the other one before he disappeared." Leaning forward, Sano rested his elbows on his knees. "You better tell me what's up with her so I can protect her while you're busy."
Kenshin rubbed his forehead wearily, "Let me change then I'll tell you all I know."
Not bothering to wait for an answer, Kenshin headed for his bedroom as a lead weight settled into his stomach. Iizuka had already found him. A part of him was glad it was so soon but another part had hoped for at least a little bit more time to prepare.
Stifling a sigh, he flipped on the light and placed his bokken in the holder on the wall then set to changing. But in the end it really didn't matter. Iizuka had started this over a hundred years ago and it was time for him to end it. He just hoped that Kaoru wouldn't somehow be drawn into this personal war as Tomoe had been.
And that was the one thing he would do his best to make sure didn't happen no matter what it took. Kaoru would not become a casualty in Iizuka's sick and twisted war, not while he still breathed.
Excerpt from Chapter 9
Silently closing the door behind him, he turned to head for the livingroom to flip on the light. He'd only made it two steps into the house though when he was all of a sudden brought up short by the distinct feeling that he wasn't alone. And much to his dismay moments later he was proven right...
"So my idiot apprentice is at it again...." a disembodied voice drawled sarcastically from across the darkened livingroom, "...didn't you learn your lesson the first time, or do you need to kill one more just to make sure?"
Kenshin's eyes flashed gold as his stomach hit the floor and he reached out to flip on the light to illuminate the one person he'd hoped to avoid for the rest of his worthless life.
"Shishou?"
A Walk in the Sunlight
Chapter 10 - Uninvited GuestsWhen no answer came to his query, Kenshin sighed quietly as soft light flooded the silent livingroom. Letting his eyes drift to the cold black gaze fixed on him, he did his best to keep the frown tugging at his lips from breaking free, "How did you find me?"
A small deadly grin whispered across Hiko's lips. "I've known where you were since the day you lost it and vanished."
The frown finally won out and Kenshin silently made his way into the livingroom to settle down across from his uninvited guest, "Then why is this the first time you've come?"
Hiko shrugged negligently. "I have no use for a spineless vampire."
Stung, Kenshin did his best to keep his temper in check and simply stared at the only person he'd ever called family. For several heartbeats he quietly studied his former master for some sign of what this was all about. He seriously doubted the great Hiko Seijuro had come to find him simply to make sure he didn't repeat the same mistake he'd made all those years ago. But as always, there was no hint of anything but contempt on the Elder's face and Kenshin finally gave up, "Why are you here?"
For several moments more Hiko simply continued to stare at him and then he finally said, "Katsura's dead."
Caught of guard, Kenshin's eyes flew wide as the words struck him dead in the chest. Katsura... dead? Impossible! No one but an Elder could kill an Elder. No one. And the only two Elder's left alive were Katsura and...
... Hiko.
Sickened by the thought, Kenshin leveled a horror filled gaze on his former master as the floor fell out from underneath him. Impossible. Hiko would never kill Katsura. He had no reason to. Granted, Hiko had never really liked Katsura but the truce they had declared during the war that had just about obliterated the vampire race still held as far as he knew.
"You idiot, I didn't kill him...." Hiko growled angrily. "...Why would I bother now? If I was going to kill him I'd have done it when he changed you."
Kenshin let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and relaxed somewhat at the obvious truth. Katsura changing him had been the falling out between the brothers, and he knew it was still an extremely sore subject for his master. One day he would have to ask Hiko why he never took the opportunity to change him himself after he'd saved him from the wolves all those years ago.
"I never changed you because you were never meant for our world”, Hiko said in answer to his thoughts. "I only wished to teach you the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and send you on your way to live a normal human life. But Katsura went against me and changed you anyway because he wanted your skills for the war he knew was coming. He didn't care that this life would break you. All he saw was the killer in your eyes, he never saw the innocent human boy I saved from the wolves."
Taken aback, Kenshin sat quietly at a loss for what to say. His former master had never been this candid with him before, it almost sounded as if he had really cared what happened to him.
"But all that doesn't matter anymore...." Hiko continued, the edge in his voice cutting Kenshin deep. "...You are what you are because of Katsura and your own mistakes. My only regret in that whole mess was saving your life after you were stupid enough to take that shit the old crone gave you. You should have died that night."
Kenshin flinched as the cold truth hit him dead in the chest; the wound he thought healed long ago opening once again. Yes, he should have. If he had then maybe Tomoe would have had the happy life she deserved and not the pain filled death she got instead. Scowling as a knife of pain ripped through his chest, he did his best to bury the unwanted memories and was just about to ask again what prompted this visit when the sound of his back door opening and closing behind him grabbed his attention.
"He hasn't been here yet, but it won't be too long."
The world fell out from underneath Kenshin once again as a voice he never thought he'd hear again filled the livingroom. Doing his best to ignore the ice filtering through his veins, he slowly swung his head around and whispered, "Sano?"
The six foot tall, black-haired vampire gave him a crooked smile that showed one of his fangs and made his way into the livingroom to lean against the wall. "Hey Kenshin, long time no see."
At a loss, Kenshin could only stare wide-eyed at the man standing before him as images of the past rose up to assault his already strained mind. The feel of this man's blood coating his skin as he yanked his fists out of his chest washed over his flesh again, and he instinctively shook his hands the get rid of the sickening warmth. How could this man be here? He was dead. He himself had done the deed all those years ago, the very same night Tomoe had died. He could remember it as if it was only yesterday... the agony that had nearly driven him insane... the rage that had made the killer in him thirst for blood, no matter whose it was. And Sano, his only friend in the vampire world had stood directly in the path of that rage and had suffered for his interference with his life; his body torn to shreds by the very hands now clenched tightly in his lap.
A teeth jarring punch to his left cheek snapped Kenshin's head around, breaking him out of the memories. He shook his head to clear the stench of blood from his nose; the unwanted memories fading once again.
"That's for trying to kill me. Don't ever do that again."
Kenshin bit back a sarcastic chuckle and rubbed his abused cheek; the taste of blood filling his mouth more welcome than he liked to admit. Glancing to the tall vampire that settled into the chair beside Hiko, he smirked, "Then stay out of my way when I'm in that mood." Ignoring the irritated snort that exploded from Sano, he finally asked, "How are you still alive?"
Sano shrugged and gave him a lopsided grin. "After you finished having your fun and disappeared, Katsura pieced me back together and gave me some of his blood. I suppose you could call us brothers now."
Kenshin shook his head and gave him a wane smile, "No. I can't call anyone brother. Not anymore." Holding his hand up to stop whatever Sano was about to say, he asked, "Who else has found me?... Who killed Katsura?"
And then, as if a light suddenly went on in his head, Kenshin knew the answer. "Yukishiro"
Hiko shook his head. "No," he said before Sano had a chance to answer. "Katsura forced a blood oath out of both Yukishiro and Kiyosato to stay away from you. Neither will come anywhere near you for fear that either Katsura or I will kill them. Even with Katsura dead, I doubt they're stupid enough to try to come after you." A humorless chuckle whispered into the quiet, "Those two should have known better than to have Shishio Makoto change them. Having such a weak changeling as a maker did nothing for their cause. They would be better off giving themselves to the sun and ending it quickly."
Kenshin nearly growled as the last of his patience vanished, the jab against his age old enemies falling on deaf ears. "Then who is it!?... Who killed Katsura!?"
"Iizuka."
Any color Kenshin may have had instantly vanished as the name slammed into his ears, his eyes immediately taking on their amber hue. Tightening his clenched fists even more, he counted to ten in an effort to calm the beast raging just below the surface. "How did that snake manage to kill Katsura? He's no more an Elder than I am."
Hiko sighed heavily and Kenshin finally noticed just how worn his old master and mentor was. The unfamiliar sight was enough to calm his other half and he shoved the killer back where he belonged and settled heavily into the sofa, "What happened?"
"It seems Iizuka found some way to immobilize an Elder long enough to drain him dry." Hiko answered wearily, before reaching for the cup Sano had filled with the sake resting on the table between them.
"At least the Elder that made him...." Sano added with a scowl. "....he tried the same thing with Hiko but whatever it was that paralyzed Katsura wasn't enough to stop Hiko." A nasty little grin played along Sano's lips and he chuckled, "He found that out the hard way when Hiko ripped his arm off before he managed to slip away from us. Too bad he was able to grab the arm before he melted into the city, it would have been fun to taunt him with it when he shows up here."
A ghost of a smile whispered across Kenshin's lips, "So what you're saying is Iizuka is on his way here?"
Sano nodded. "Yeah, and he's not like he was before. Since he drained Katsura dry he's now, by all rights, an Elder."
Kenshin snorted softly as a blood chilling smirk tilted up his lips. "Let him come. I've been waiting for this chance for a very long time. "
Hiko cleared his throat loudly and Kenshin glanced to his former master. His eyes widened when his gaze clashed with the flinty black glare fixed on him.
"You're still as naive as you were back then, aren't you?" Hiko growled, his glare hardening even more. “If it was just you, I would have left you to kill him and saved myself the headache. But now, once again, you've placed an innocent woman within easy reach of that snake and I refuse to let another one die because of your stupidity."
Kenshin visibly paled as reality finally slapped him hard in the face and he felt a fist of fear tighten in his gut. Kaoru. He had completely forgotten about her. And his master was right. When Iizuka figured out that even an Elder couldn't kill him he'd most definitely go after Kaoru.
"I suggest you pack up your woman and get her out of here before Iizuka finds out exactly where you are. Right now all he knows is you're in Okinawa, not where."
The fist tightened even more in his gut and Kenshin shook his head, "I can't..."
For several heartbeats there was no sound, the words falling heavily into the silence.
"She doesn't know what you are, does she?" Hiko finally ground out, the clear anger in his black gaze striking Kenshin harder than a physical blow. When he shook his head no, Hiko's scowl darkened even more. "Then you better leave now before Iizuka gets here and finds out what she is to you."
Kenshin exhaled softly and rubbed his forehead in frustration, "I can't do that either. I swore to her father that I would take care of her and I will not go back on that." Glancing first to Sano and then to Hiko, Kenshin leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "All I can do is wait until he shows up and kill him before he comes within a hundred feet of Kaoru."
Hiko fixed him with a cool look and asked, "And what happens if she finds out what you are and doesn't want anything to do with you? How will you protect her then?"
Kenshin gave him a half smile and was just about to answer when Sano spoke up. "That huge ass dog of hers will keep Iizuka at bay until one of us gets to her. He might lose his arm again if he gets too close to that beast."
Surprised, Kenshin fixed a startled gaze on his age old friend, "How do you know about Sampson?"
Sano snorted. "Who do you think has been keeping tabs on you for the great Hiko-sama all these years?"
At a loss, Kenshin simply stared at the black-haired vampire. If that was true then why didn't he ever make himself known? Sano could have at least let him know that he was still alive. Suddenly irritated, he was just about to ask that very question when Hiko silently capped the sake bottle and pushed out of the chair.
Glancing to the man he'd always thought of as a father, Kenshin watched as Hiko grabbed his black cloak off of the back of the chair and tossed it over his shoulders. "Do whatever you need to do, but if she dies, I'll find a way to kill you myself." And with that he headed for the door.
Kenshin smiled at the threat and followed behind him, "Iizuka will be dead before he ever lays eyes on Kaoru. I refuse to lose another to him...I'm going to lose her too soon as it is." Ignoring the curious look Hiko fixed on him, he opened the front door, "Leave Iizuka to me. It's time to end this once and for all."
For several moments Hiko simply stared at him as if he was weighing something and then he finally nodded. "He's yours. Don't make me regret this."
And then the Elder was gone without so much as a ripple in the still air. Smirking at the flashy exit, Kenshin silently closed the door as the first rays of sunlight burst over the horizon and glanced over his shoulder, "I guess this means I'm stuck with you until Iizuka is dead."
Sano gave him a crooked smile and headed back into the livingroom. "You needed the company anyway." Flopping down on the sofa, his old friend fixed him with a sly look and purred, "Soooo... tell me about jou-chan."
Kenshin fought the urge to roll his eyes and stifled a sigh. "Not right now. I'm tired." And without a backward glance he headed for the privacy of his bedroom leaving Sano to his own devices. Silently closing the door behind him, Kenshin pulled his hair out of its ponytail and ran his fingers through it in frustration. Of all the times that little snake could come out of hiding why did it have to be now. All he wanted was a little time to cherish what little bit of life Kaoru still had on this miserable earth. Was it really too much to ask for? One single year of peace?
Snorting softly, he went about getting ready for his nap. Yes, for some reason it was. Hopefully it wouldn't take Iizuka long to find him so he could finish this quickly. The faster this was over the more he could devote his attention to the one who truly deserved it. Because the one thing that truly scared him was the possibility that Kaoru wouldn't have that one year, and he didn't want to waste one single moment more than he had to. Especially on that snake.
Shoving the thought from his mind, Kenshin lay down and tucked his hands behind his head. Taking a deep breath to completely clear his mind, he slowly counted to ten and waited for his 'sleep' state to kick in. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'd sleep all day. That way he wouldn't have to wait so long to see Kaoru.
A tiny smile whispered across his lips as the 'sleep' state finally pulled him into the welcoming darkness. After all these years it was nice to have something to look forward to.
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Kaoru hit the enter button for the last time and shook her right hand in an effort to alleviate the numbness tingling her fingertips. There, it was all entered and ready for transfer to a disc in the morning, a month early. Rolling her eyes at herself, she glanced to the little clock in the corner of the computer screen and smirked. Well at least it hadn't been a complete waste. The sun would be down in less than an hour.A small shy smile played along her lips as she pushed out of the chair and headed for her bedroom. And in less than an hour she would finally be free to see Kenshin again. Something she'd been counting down to since she'd woken up this afternoon. Shaking her head at the butterflies that thought sent dancing in her belly, she absently nibbled on her bottom lip and laid out her clothes for the night on the bed before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. She still hadn't completely managed to convince herself that what had happened in the park this morning had really happened. It all seemed like a dream now that a whole day had passed since she'd felt his soft lips pressed against hers.
Blushing at the warmth that spread through her middle at the memory, she quickly undressed and stepped into the bathing room. She slid the door closed behind her, placing the towel on the shelf above the showerhead before setting to work on getting the water to temp. Lifting the showerhead from its resting spot, she held it over her head, the extremely warm water quickly overcoming the heat deep in her belly.
Smiling, she continued to let the gentle cascade wash over her head for a few moments more before she sighed and finally got to work getting the rest of her body wet. Trailing the warm water down her right arm, she switched hands to wet her left and was just about to move to her lower body when the showerhead all of a sudden slipped from her fingers to crash noisily to the floor. Startled, she jumped back and simply stared at the showerhead at her feet as it spilled warm water across the floor. Wha-?
And then she felt it, the tingling in her fingertips again, but this time all the way to her first knuckle. Lifting her hand, she gently pushed each fingertip against her thumb and frowned when all she felt was a slight tingling. Unnerved and just a little bit scared, she shook her hand in an effort to get some life back into it and nearly sighed in relief when she repeated the test and felt the pressure all the way to her fingertips. Chuckling nervously, she took a couple of slow, even breaths to calm her nerves and reached down to retrieve the showerhead. Must be she'd put too much stress on her hands typing in all those files. Maybe next time she'd know better than to spend three and a half hours slamming her fingertips into the keyboard to kill time.
And yet, deep down she knew it couldn't be just that, but she refused to even entertain the thought of what else it could be. Not now. Not when things were finally looking up for her. Shoving the thought from her mind, she shut the water off and set the showerhead back in it's holder before reaching for the towel. She didn't really need a shower anyway, she'd already taken one this morning before she'd gone to bed.
Doing her best to ignore the lead weight settling into her stomach, she wrapped the soft terrycloth around her tight and stepped from the bathing room to head back into her bedroom. It was Sunday night so that meant she wouldn't be having another CAT scan for a couple of more days, still maybe she should call Dr. Genzai and have him do a scan. If it was indeed starting then she had to know.
Exhaling softly, Kaoru shook her head at her worry and started getting dressed. More than likely she was overreacting; she'd probably spent too much time on the files and tired out her hands. Besides, what was a couple of more days? It's not like she was going to die right away even if the deterioration has started.
A gentle knock on her front door set Sampson to barking and she grinned as a surge of anticipation filtered through her veins, the worries fading into the back of her mind. Quickly finger combing her damp hair, she threw it up into a ponytail and heading out into the livingroom. Scratching Sampson's head as she passed, she wandered into the foyer to let in the one person she'd been waiting all day to see... and what a long day it had been.
Shaking her head at herself, she opened the door and smiled at the black clad redhead standing on her porch, "Hi."
Kenshin met her smile with one of his own and asked. "Do you always answer the door without looking to see who it is?"
Kaoru's smile vanished and she gave him a long, suffering look, "Sampson knows if there is a threat at the door. Since he was barking happily that meant it could only be two people, you or Dr. Genzai and Dr. Genzai has no reason to be here this late tonight."
Kenshin had the good sense to look sheepish. "Oh, he really is a special dog isn't he?"
Eyeing him askance, Kaoru motioned for him to enter and closed the door behind him. "You're just realizing that? I thought you two had come to some kind of understanding."
Kenshin chuckled and turned towards her. Kaoru felt her face heat up as he stepped closer forcing her to take a step back and collide with the wall. "We did but there is still quite a bit I don't know about him." Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss on her slightly parted lips and whispered, "I'm very happy to know he's such a good guard dog. I won't have to worry as much now."
And with that he stepped back and made his way into the livingroom, leaving her to stare after him in stunned silence. Taking a minute to get herself back together Kaoru slowly followed in his footsteps and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Sampson was lying on his back with a dreamy look in his eyes while Kenshin rubbed away at his exposed belly. Stifling a chuckle, she wandered in and sat down beside them on the floor.
"You know, you've just made a friend for life. He loves having his belly rubbed."
Kenshin chuckled, "Good. I don't have many friends." Giving Sampson one last rub, he settled back against the chair and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "And I haven't had a dog for a friend in a very long time."
"I guess you made out pretty well in this house then," Kaoru chuckled as she gave Sampson a couple of rubs herself. Gently patting his belly, she nudged him to roll back over. "So what should we do tonight?"
Kenshin shrugged. "It's up to you. I'm game for just about anything as long as it's with you."
Kaoru tried to ignore the warmth his tone sent rushing through her body and quirked an eyebrow, "You know, if you keep saying things like that, you'll have another friend for life."
A small smirk tickled the corner of Kenshin's lips. "That's my intention. So what do you want to do tonight?"
Doing her best not to blush, Kaoru shifted her attention to the paintings lining her wall and shrugged, "How about I make you dinner? It's only fair since you've been cooking for me all this time."
When no answer came to her suggestion, Kaoru hazarded a glance at the redhead beside her and smiled at the surprised look coloring his violet eyes. "Is that prospect really that frightening," she asked when all he did was continue to stare at her.
Kenshin shook his head and smiled softly. "No, Kaoru, that's not it at all. To be honest, I'm really not that hungry. I ate just before I came over."
"Oh..." Kaoru whispered, "Then... how about sparring with me for a little while?" Smiling sheepishly, she shrugged at his quirked eyebrow, "I just barely beat my father and that was only because of the other steps you taught me. He knew I'd been slacking."
"Ah..." Kenshin breathed in understanding. Giving her a small nod, he stood. "If that's what you want to do, then that's what we'll do. Let me go home and change and I'll meet you in your backyard."
"You really don't mind?" Kaoru asked, surprised by his easy acceptance. It's not as if it was something normal couples would do, but then again no one had ever said they were a normal couple.
"Of course not. I like sparring with you." Offering her his hand, he guided her to her feet and nudged her towards her bedroom. "Go get ready. I'll meet you out in the yard in ten minutes." And with that he disappeared into the foyer and out her front door.
Listening as the door closed behind him, Kaoru couldn't help the smile that whispered across her lips as she headed for her bedroom. If he kept this up she'd wind up losing herself completely.
But then again, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
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Kenshin glared at the black-haired vampire filling his bedroom doorway and shook his head. "No. For now I want you to stay away from Kaoru."Sano scowled and met Kenshin's glare with one of his own. "Why? It's not like I'm going to attack her."
Kenshin shook his head again and leveled a hard look on his old friend, "I know you won't, but Sampson will know what you are and I can't risk him no longer accepting me to sate your curiosity." Turning his attention back to the mirror that only showed his reflection, he gathered his hair into a ponytail at the nape of his neck and sighed, "She doesn't know what we are and I want to keep it that way. I'm not going to have much time with her as it is." Wrapping a band around the collected locks he whispered, "I don't want to lose her any sooner than I have to."
Sano sighed irritably and grumbled, "When are you going to tell me what's going on? That's the second time you've said something like that and it's damn annoying when you don't bother explaining."
Tugging his hair to tighten the hold, Kenshin grabbed his bokken from the wall and headed out of bedroom. "Later. Until then do whatever you wish but keep your distance from Kaoru and Sampson."
"Whatever...." Sano grouched. "Then at least tell me what there is to do in this town. As far as I can tell it seems pretty dead around here."
Kenshin shrugged, "There really isn't much to do. There are a couple of nightclubs in town and the beach, that's about it." Stopping dead in his tracks, he glanced over his shoulder and pinned Sano with a hard look. "One thing I will ask you not to do is hunt. There is one person in this town who knows what we are and if he hears of anything strange then he's going to make my life very hard."
Sano rolled his eyes. "Haven't you looked in your fridge yet? I don't need to hunt, I have all I need right in there."
Relieved, Kenshin gave him a small smile and opened the back door, "Good. Then do whatever you want. I'll be back in a couple of hours and then I'll tell you about Kaoru. You'll need to know if you're going to help me."
When Sano nodded his assent Kenshin headed out into the warm night air with a slight twinge of trepidation. Maybe having Sano here wasn't such a good idea, his old friend had never been one to listen to reason. But then again he couldn't do this alone, not with Kaoru still in the dark about what they were. And there was no way he was going to tell her the truth, not when there was a chance she would hate him. He wouldn't take that risk.
Stifling a sigh, he rubbed his forehead tiredly and headed into the moonlit yard. All he could do was hope Sano would err on the side of caution for once in his life.
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Kaoru finished tying up her hakama and gave herself the once over in the mirror. Straightening the neck of her gi, she stilled when she realized just exactly what she was doing and scowled as her hands dropped back to her side. Since when had she become so concerned with how she looked? What had this man done to her!Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she opted not to answer that thought and instead spun on her heel to head out the door. Grabbing her bokken as she passed, she called out, "Hey Sampson? Do you want to go outside?"
An enthusiastic bark met her question and she laughed. She should have known better, he hated being stuck in the house just as much as she did. Meeting him at the backdoor, she scratched his head and opened the door without bothering to hook his leash on. It didn't matter tonight anyway since she and Kenshin would be outside too.
Sampson wasted no time and bolted out the door, making a beeline straight for the midnight blue gi, white hakama clad man sitting cross-legged in the middle of her backyard. Grinning, Kaoru closed the door softly behind her and made her way out to where Sampson and Kenshin now stood, for all the world looking like they belonged together. Finally coming to within sight of him, she felt a blush heat up her cheeks at the smirk settling on his lips.
"For a minute there I thought you were going to stand me up."
Kaoru scoffed, "And miss this chance to beat you. Not a chance Himura-san."
Kenshin's smirk turned into a suggestive smile and he quickly closed the distance between them until he was only inches away from her. "You know, if you keep talking like that I won't be held accountable for what might happen."
Kaoru smirked and tilted her head to the side, "Bring it on, Himura-san..."
Kenshin chuckled and shook his head. "As you wish..."
And without another word he stepped back to give himself room and dove at her; his violet eyes sparkling mischievously. Kaoru couldn't help the smile that tickled her lips as she brought her own bokken around and easily intercepted the strike aimed for her leg. Pivoting to the side to miss his recovering strike, she ducked as the bokken swept over her head and drove her own bokken straight into his ribs.
A muffled "Oof" filled the quiet of the night and she stepped back with a smug smile, "You were saying?"
Kenshin laughed and gripped his smarting ribs. "Where did that come from? I don't remember teaching you moves like that."
Kaoru couldn't resist the urge to gloat, "You weren't the only one watching. Over the last couple of nights I've noted quite a few of the moves you've used against me."
"Ahhh..." Kenshin whispered, rubbing his sore chest. "I guess I need to change my tactics then."
Kaoru shrugged and tried to ignore the tiny flicker of dread that whispered through her chest. In reality that's all she'd really been able to catch those two nights thanks to his skill, but she'd never tell him that.
"So I guess we should start in earnest then?" Kenshin whispered with a twinkle in his eye.
Swallowing nervously, Kaoru gave him a quick nod and settled in for the true beating. She had a feeling he wasn't going to go easy on her, not after that little poke at his ego. Smiling ruefully, she watched and waited for him to make his move, but then again she'd asked for it so she couldn't complain.
And sadly she found out just how right that thought was when an hour later she found herself panting and doing everything humanly possible to keep him from gaining a hit on her again. Spinning away from the side stoke aimed for her ribs, she brought up her bokken and tried to score a hit herself. She growled when Kenshin easily sidestepped away. Taking a step back to try to get some much needed recovery time, she brought her bokken up and settled into a defensive position.
But Kenshin wasn't going to give her the break she desperately needed and came at her again. Stifling the groan burning the back of her throat, she brought her bokken down in a crosswise arc to deflect his strike, and then, much to her surprise, she all of a sudden lost her grip on the bokken and it went flying over her head to land a few feet behind her. Stunned, she simply stared at Kenshin as he immediately halted his strike missing her by mere inches, his violet eyes mirroring her surprise.
Slowly turning around to look at the fallen bokken, Kaoru flexed her hands and paled as the tingling in her fingertips finally registered on her mind. Instinctively shaking her hand, she paled even more when the tingling changed to nothing, no feeling at all. Suddenly sick, she shook her hand again to no avail.
"Is everything okay, Kaoru?"
Kaoru jumped, startled by the nearness of his voice. Slowly shifting her attention back to Kenshin, she did her best to feign a calm she didn't feel. "Yeah, I'm okay. I think I'm a bit tired."
Kenshin eyed her suspiciously and Kaoru hoped and prayed he wouldn't see through her. She nearly sighed when he finally gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry I worked you so hard. Sometimes I tend to forget myself."
Kaoru gave him a reassuring smile as she surreptitiously ran her fingertips down her leg in an effort to get at least the tingling back. "It's not your fault. I'm used to this kind of workout but tonight I think I'm just a little bit more tired than usual," she lied in an effort to alleviate the concern written on his face.
Kenshin smiled and Kaoru felt her heart lighten somewhat and then she brightened even more when the tingling slowly returned. Fending off the tears of relief burning the backs of her eyes, she turned to collect her bokken. "Maybe I should call it a night and get some sleep."
Silence met her statement and Kaoru glanced over her shoulder as she reached down to retrieve her bokken. Her eyes widened when she caught the flicker of sadness pass across Kenshin's face before it vanished to be replaced by a smile.
"Maybe you should." He agreed. "I can't say as I want to cut our night short but I can tell you're tired so go inside and get some rest."
Relieved, Kaoru ignored the slight twinge of regret that tightened her chest and gave him the brightest smile she could dig up. "It's only tonight. I promise to get as much sleep as I can so we can spend the whole night together tomorrow night."
Kenshin inclined his head slightly and whispered, "Good..." And then he caught her completely off guard and stepped forward to wrap her in a tight hug. "...Maybe by then you'll be ready to tell me what's really wrong," he whispered into her hair. Kaoru felt her heart constrict painfully at his tone and she hugged him back, the tears she'd managed to hold back burning her eyes even more.
Holding him just a little bit tighter, she nodded against his shoulder and whispered, "Maybe..."
Kenshin squeezed her one last time and dropped his arms. "I'll wait until then."
Feeling the loss keenly, Kaoru did the same and turned to head for the house before the tears could escape. A cool hand wrapping around her wrist stopped her dead in her tracks and Kaoru peeked over her shoulder.
"You forgot your goodnight kiss."
And before she even had a chance to react Kenshin pulled her around to face him and leaned in capturing her lips in a gentle kiss; his soft lips moving ever so lightly over hers. Unprepared for his quick action, Kaoru simply stood there frozen for a moment before she met his kiss. All else fell away as his scent wrapped around her once again, the feel of his lips burning away her tears. Moments later, Kaoru was jarred back to the world when Kenshin broke the kiss and leaned back with a satisfied grin, "That's the proper way to say goodnight. Never forget it."
Kaoru did her best to ignore the heat now rushing through her veins and smirked, "I won't, I promise."
And with that she headed for the house, where Sampson waited for her on the porch. Maybe she should just tell him what was going on. Obviously he didn't know exactly what was going to happen to her as the disease finally took its toll. Ignoring the knife of pain that shot through her chest, Kaoru shook her head and stepped up on the porch. Not yet. She would tell him when she knew for sure that the degeneration had started; there was no sense in making him worry for nothing.
Smiling sadly, she headed into the house and wandered into the livingroom to grab the phone. Dialing in the number for the clinic, she waited patiently as the answering machine picked up and rattled off it's spiel before finally giving her the begin beep.
"Hi, Dr. Genzai. Um... I... I think I should come in tomorrow night and have a scan." Scowling at her shaky voice, Kaoru did her best to get control and continued, "I'm getting a tingling sensation in my fingertips. I think it might be starting. Please call me back and let me know when you'd like me to come in."
Hitting the off button, she dropped the phone back in its holder and dropped down onto the sofa. There, by tomorrow night she'd know if her suspicions were true, and if they were then she'd have to tell Kenshin but until then she would leave it as it was. No need to worry him over nothing.
Satisfied with her decision, she grabbed the remote and flipped on the tv then stretched out on the sofa to take a nap. Maybe she was worrying for nothing, more than likely she'd simply tired herself out waiting for night to fall and entering all that data.
Sighing, she pushed the thoughts from her mind and flipped the tv off. Hitting the button to turn on her cd player, she smiled as the house was soon filled with the gentle sound of the shakuhachi. Dropping the remote on the floor, she rolled over and settled in as her eyes dropped closed; the soft sound soon lulling her into a much needed, dreamless sleep.
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Kenshin simply watched in silence as Kaoru made her way into her house before heading home. So she still didn't completely trust him, if she did then she would have told him what was wrong. Holding back a sigh, he shook his head as he stepped up onto his porch. And yet, he had a feeling she wasn't withholding the information because she didn't trust him, but instead because she didn't want to worry him.Sighing softly, he smiled sadly. Why did she have to be so stubborn? She should know that not telling him was making him worry even more. But then again, she wasn't used to this so maybe...
Shaking his head again, he cast one last glance to the house beside his before heading into his own. All he could hope was that tomorrow she would fess up because if she didn't he'd have to use other means to make her confide in him. One way or another he would have to show her that her trust wasn't misplaced in him. It was a good thing patience was one of his many traits or she'd be in serious trouble.
Flipping on the kitchen light, he waited a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust and was just about to head to his room to change when he was reminded that he had a guest.
"So, you going to tell me about jou-chan now? I think you better because we're not the only vampires in town anymore."
Kenshin's head snapped around to find the black clad vampire sitting in the darkened livingroom as he felt a fist slam into his gut. "Iizuka?"
Sano shook his head. "No. A couple of recently made lackeys. One we won't have to worry about but I wasn't able to get the other one before he disappeared." Leaning forward, Sano rested his elbows on his knees. "You better tell me what's up with her so I can protect her while you're busy."
Kenshin rubbed his forehead wearily, "Let me change then I'll tell you all I know."
Not bothering to wait for an answer, Kenshin headed for his bedroom as a lead weight settled into his stomach. Iizuka had already found him. A part of him was glad it was so soon but another part had hoped for at least a little bit more time to prepare.
Stifling a sigh, he flipped on the light and placed his bokken in the holder on the wall then set to changing. But in the end it really didn't matter. Iizuka had started this over a hundred years ago and it was time for him to end it. He just hoped that Kaoru wouldn't somehow be drawn into this personal war as Tomoe had been.
And that was the one thing he would do his best to make sure didn't happen no matter what it took. Kaoru would not become a casualty in Iizuka's sick and twisted war, not while he still breathed.
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