Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Another Morning ❯ Chapter 8

A/N: Here goes another chapter. First of all I wanted to thank Gypsy-chan for her helpful review. I know you are tired of reading this but since I'm not an English speaker I make a lot of mistakes than I'm not even aware of. Gypsy-chan helped me with some recurrent spelling mistakes I was making. Also Nicky-chan I thank you a lot for offering to edit my fic and if you are still interested you can write me at vivi_t22@hotmail.com. I also wanted to thank you all for your great reviews, they inspire me to continue this story and update frequently. Well for the bad news… I have a week of vacation in the university so I'm going today to Cartagena (the most popular beach in Colombia.) So I won't be able to update till I'm back, that'll on Sunday 6 of October. So I'm leaving you with a new chapter for you to enjoy. Also I wanted to say that my birth day is on October 2 and it'll be really nice of you to leave a little note… not that I'm asking… and also if you can give me the B/Day present I asked for… just babbling, don't pay attention to it. Please review and also have fun reading this. ^_^x

Misanagi

Chapter VIII

The morning sun came through the small window. He was the only one awake and he enjoyed the little peace and quite of the room. He heard the regular breathing of those around him. He was lying down on the floor and could only see the roof and the lights and shadows reflected on it. He tried very slowly to use his right arm for support so he could get up. He felt the already familiar sharp pain ran though his whole body as he used all of his strength to get up. He managed to seat up and he put on a smile when he saw the scene in front of him. His beautiful Kaoru-dono was sleeping in her futon; her long raven hair was falling on her face making her a sight to remember. Just a few feet behind her Megumi was sleeping with her head resting on Sano's chest and he had a strange smile on his face. Omasu and Okon were sleeping near Shiro and Kuro and Okina was lying on the floor snoring a little and with his hair and clothes in such a mess that Kenshin asked himself just how much the old man had drank the night before. Hiko was nowhere to be found and Kenshin was surprised that he didn't noticed his shishou leave. In one corner of the room Yahiko was sleeping soundly. Kenshin remembered with a smile how the young boy collapsed after just one cup of sake but suddenly his smile disappeared as he remembered the moment the brat had interrupted. "I was just about to… he interrupted the only chance I've ever got with Kaoru-dono. This just isn't fair, that boy can be so imprudent some times, yesterday my Battousai impulses almost took over me. It was a good thing I couldn't move a lot or I would had Do Ryu Sen his butt. I almost never loose control of my self but that kid was so inopportune! Since that moment yesterday Kaoru-dono and I haven't been alone. I noticed she was looking at me at the party but when I looked at her, her eyes always turned someplace else. She never caught me staring at her but I was doing it all night long. When I woke up her beautiful blue eyes were staring back at me. That was the nicest moment I had in a long time, and it could have been perfect if it wasn't because of him. I'm sure the poor kid doesn't know what awaits him, I saw the way Kaoru-dono looked at him yesterday and I know she can be scary sometimes." The rurouni put a soft smile back in his face. He usually never smiled at the thought of someone misfortune but this was an exception.

"Kenshin" A soft voice called out to him in a whisper. He turned around to find Kaoru knelt by his side. She smiled and looked at him in the eyes.

"Ohayo nassai Kenshin"

"Ohayo nassai Kaoru-dono"

Time stopped for a moment as they looked at each other eyes and without the need of words they confessed to each other their desire to continue what was left unconcluded the day before. They were scare to talk, they were hoping against hope that no one would wake up and that they could be alone just for a few more moments but their wishes didn't came true, the people around them began waking up slowly.

Omasu and Okon rushed to the kitchen and Megumi turned red when she realized she had fallen asleep on top of Sano. He just smiled a little when he saw the color in the doctor's face. Megumi quickly controlled herself and turned around.

"Ken-san you are up!" She said trying to evade Sano's eyes. "How do you feel?"

Kenshin smiled at the doctor and said that he was just fine.

"Well I need to check on you anyway and you need to have a lot of rest and take a lot of medicine."

Sano looked at Megumi one last time before leaving the room to go and do who knows what. He was sure to give Yahiko a punch in the head and wake him up before leaving.

"Ouch!! What was that for?" Asked the angry boy but received no answer. He rubbed his eyes and got up slowly. Everyone was waking up when he saw Kaoru knelt before Kenshin.

"Come on busu!" He yelled "Are you planning to stay there the whole day? We got training to do… just because Kenshin is up we are not going to stop!" Kenshin and Megumi sweat dropped expecting something to go flying to Yahiko's face but it didn't happened. Kaoru slowly got up and went to the bath house.

"We'll train after breakfast… I just can't keep you waiting for long, today's practice is going to be very special" She said as she was leaving.

The boy putted on a smile in his face as he rushed down the stairs.

"That poor boy, he doesn't know what awaits him. I saw the look in Kaoru-dono's eyes. She has something very special to teach him today. I bet she can't wait for today's lesson and I know it'll be a long one."

* * *

Everyone was having breakfast downstairs and Kenshin was waiting for Kaoru to come up with his. He was felling useless but as much as he wanted to he couldn't move a lot. He was trying very slowly to regain some movement, but anything he did caused him pain. He discovered that even if he didn't care about the pain he could only move a little, if he intended to go farther his body wouldn't react. He would have been worried but Megumi said that he will need time to recover so he believed her; it was just a matter of time.

His sharp senses alerted him that a strong ki was coming his way. He didn't even moved when he realized who it belonged to.

"So you are awake Battousai" Said Aoshi as he walked just a little in to the room.

"Yes I'm de gozaru yo" Replied the rurouni with a serious face.

Aoshi turned to leave when Kenshin called him.

"I just wanted to thank you for your help in the battle with Shishio"

The ex-okashira of the Oniwabanshu didn't even turn. He was caught by surprise by Kenshin words. If he had done something in the battle with Shishio it was evening the odds. Yes he helped the Battousai but that was after he injured him and took a lot of his strength. His pride prevented him from telling the truth to Kenshin so he simply walked away. Kenshin smiled a little when noted the slight hesitation in the ninja's gestures. Aoshi surely was a different man.

He heard Kaoru's voice greeting Aoshi in the hallway and his neutral response. Moments latter the beautiful girl walked in the room. She was wearing her training outfit (blue hakama and white gi) and a high pony tale. She wasn't carrying her boken; instead she had a tray in her hands filled with food. She laid it down slowly and seated beside Kenshin.

"Omasu made this for you" She said and Kenshin sighted in relieve when he found out that she didn't made it.

"Domo arigato Kaoru-dono" He said as he began eating. "Did you already eat?" He asked when he realized she wasn't eating anything.

"Yes I ate downstairs with the rest"

This was the first time they've been alone since the day before. They both acted like there was nothing going on but they were both thinking if the past events. They both wanted to go back in time and resume what was left undone before but they just couldn't. Last time it was magical, it was the right time and they both knew it, this time it'll seem unnatural. Kaoru waited for Kenshin to finish his breakfast and the got up really exited.

"I'm sorry that I have to leave you, but I have a class to teach."

Kenshin sighted, the poor Yahiko didn't know what awaited him.

Yahiko went in the yard with his shinai in his hand and a smile on his face. Kaoru was already waiting for him.

"You're late"

"No I'm not, I'm just in time"

"You are late and you have to learn to be punctual"

"But…"

"No buts, Shiro went this morning to the Aoya to restore it. He is there right now and you have eight minutes to go there and come back"

"Busu you are crazy! The Aoya is in the other side of town!"

"I am aware of that and you are loosing precious time. Also if you try to cheat on me I'll know" Yahiko was frozen trying to realize what was just said to him.

"I suggest you get going because if you don't come back here in time I'll have to tech you another lesson in punctuality"

Yahiko suddenly realized that that was not a stupid joke and that Kaoru was been really serious. So he dashed of the Shirobeko as fast as he could.

"She lost her mind, no matter how fast I run I'll never get back in time, it's just too far. What if I don't go all the way to the Aoya? No I can't do that, she said that Shiro was there so she'll ask him if I went there. I'm doom."

Kaoru heard a soft chuckle coming from upstairs so she raised her eyes to find a very amused rurouni looking trough the window. What she didn't knew was that Kenshin had to work hard since the minute she left the room to be able to drag himself to that position. But he had to witness that training session so he didn't regretted it. Kaoru smiled softly at the sight of Kenshin. "I'm so glad he is finally up I missed that smile a lot. This is like old times, the only different thing is that he is not saying 'Maa, maa' and trying to stop me from hitting Yahiko, in fact I thing he is enjoying this as much as I am." Eight an half minutes later Yahiko came running though the door wet in sweat and breathing hard. He stopped in front of Kaoru and put his hands on his knees and bent down trying to calm himself.

"You are late again" Kaoru said calmly. Yahiko wanted to protest but he needed to catch his breath first. "That means you have to go again, but since I'm such a good teacher I'll give you nine minutes this time" Yahiko mentally evaluated his options. He could stay and argue with Kaoru but something told him that was pointless so he would loose more time and he'll be late again so he'll have to go to the Aoya for the third time and he didn't like that. He took one last breath before running of again. Kenshin smiled. "Kaoru-dono can be scarier that any battle I had in the Bakumatsu when she wants to. I almost feel sorry for Yahiko but the again…"

This time Yahiko managed to get back in the nine minutes that Kaoru gave him. The poor kid was breathless, his face was red and he was sweating a lot.

"Now that you are here we can begin with some warm up."

"WARM UP BUSU!!! I JUST RUN ACROSS KYOTO TWO TIMES IN LES THAN TWENTY MINUTES AND YOU WANT TO DO SOME WARM UP!! "

"That was a bad choice of words" Thought the rurouni as he watched the scene and Kaoru agreed with him.

"It seems that we still have some other manners to work on Yahiko-chan"

"DON'T CALL ME CHAN"

"In today's class you are Yahiko-chan since you don't have the manners to deserve been called something else, and now you'll do five hundred strikes and when you finish we will begin the worm up!"

"Come on Kaoru this isn't faire…"

"Maybe it isn't, but I'm your teacher and you'll do as I say or I won't ever teach you kendo again"

The boy had nothing left to say and began doing his exercises and counting loudly.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5…"

Kaoru watched him closely and corrected any mistake he made.

"If you do it wrong it doesn't count"

The poor Yahiko had no idea why he was been treated like that. It couldn't be just for calling her busu; normally a boken in the head fixed that and it was all forgotten but now… There was something he knew for certain, he would not open his mouth again in that class, he knew anything he did or said could and would be use against him.

* * *

Right about that time Misao was waking up from her sleep. Her head was hurting so much and every sound was piercing through her ears. When she opened her eyes she discovered just how annoying the sun light could be, and when she tried to get up she felt like the ground was spinning fast. Just when she was considering sleeping a little more, hopping that when she woke up the world would make sense again, she felt thirstier than she ever had felt. She needed to drink some water and fast. She tried to get up but the spinning world wouldn't let her.

"Oh Kami-sama, I'll do anything if you just get me a glass of water"

"I'll take your word on that one" Said a voice behind the door. And then the door opened and Sanosuke walked in caring a whole jar full of water and a glass.

Misao's eyes sparkle at the sight of the liquid. Sanosuke sat beside her and gave her a glass full of water. She drank it all immediately and extended the glass asking for more. Sano smiled as the young girl drank three glasses of water before even talking.

"Thank you so much Sanosuke" She said when she was finally finished.

"No big deal, I figured you'll need it"

"How did you know?" Asked Misao innocently.

"Been there, done that"

"You mean this is how you feel every time after drinking?"

"Kind off"

"Then why do you do this to your self? If I knew this would happen I wouldn't even smell the sake!"

"Well you have a point there weasel, but do you remember how you felt while drinking the sake? Wasn't it worth?"

"Now that you mention it…" Said Misao while thinking hardly "I don't remember much, I don't even remember walking to my room"

"Well I do remember you left the party early but I don't know what happened next"

"I never lost my memory before"

"You'll get use to it"

"NO I WON'T! I want to know what happened"

"There is nothing to do about it, what's lost is lost, it's just as if it never happened"

Aoshi saw an image of Misao as he meditated in the temple. Everything was different now; he was in a road to become the man he had been before. At first he thought it couldn't be done but after what happened with Misao the night before he knew there was still hope for him. That was a night he would never forget.

* * *

The night fell in the Shirobeko and everyone was resting in their rooms. Yahiko couldn't sleep, his whole body was in pain, every single of his muscles ached and he was so tired he wished the pain would go away just long enough for him to fall asleep. Kaoru made him practice that morning until lunch time, and then he had to help Sae in the kitchen, it had been a long day. Megumi gave him some medicine for the pain in the afternoon; he still had some left next to his futon so he drank some of it. "I bet this would help me fall asleep" And it did.

In a room nearby Kaoru was sleeping in a futon next to Kenshin. It was true that he was awake but he couldn't move much anyway and he needed some help so she decided to stay a few more nights in the same room. Kenshin didn't mind. He was lying in his futon with his eyes still opened. He was watching Kaoru sleep. It had been some time since he was able to do this last. When he was staying at the Dojo in Tokyo he used to watch her sleep, there was nothing he loved more than her beautiful face illuminated just by the moon light. She looked like an angel when she slept; she always had a peaceful smile on her face, like she was only full of good dreams.

"I wish I could sleep like her. That is the peaceful sleep of someone that has a clean conscience. In her dreams she doesn't see an endless display of bodies, of people killed by her own sword. She doesn't know that kind of pain, her heart is pure. She and I would be forever separated by that line of blood I crossed."

It was a rainy night. Kenshin heard the thunders outside, in the distance he could see some rays, there was a storm coming their way.

Suddenly a ray of light illuminated the room. The ray had fallen close and then Kenshin saw something falling from the roof, just above Kaoru.

To say that he used his godlike speed is equivalent to say that he was a normal swordsman. In less than a second he got up, ran to Kaoru and carried her out of the way of the fallen object. A thunder sounded just as the big piece of wood hit the floor crushing Kaoru's futon beneath it.

She opened her eyes confused by what was happening around her. She found that she was lying in the floor beneath Kenshin and than less that a feet away a piece of wood the size of Sanosuke was on top of her futon, just were she had been less than a second ago. She saw the violet eyes staring back at her and she was speechless, lost in his tender look.

"Daijabu Kaoru-dono?

"I'm fine Kenshin, what happened?"

"I think the ray hit the beam in the roof and part of it collapsed."

"You saved me again Kenshin… Domo arigato."

Kenshin smiled in return. Kaoru was looking up at him, their eyes were fixed at each other, they were so close they could sense the breathing of the other. Kenshin looked at her. She was so beautiful; her eyes had a different glow when illuminated by the moon light, and they were fixed on him, with the warmest look he had ever seen. They were very close but Kenshin could only think how far away she was from him, he wanted to be close to her, he wanted to hold her. He touched her face gently with his hand and felt as she did the same with him… finally and without even realized it their lips touched. Kaoru closed her eyes when she felt his worm lips touch hers. She parted her lips a little as their kiss deepened. She had never felt like that before, it was as if she had found the missing part of her heart, she was complete.

Suddenly she noticed her hand was wet and she opened her eyes to find that it was covered with blood. She broke the kiss and looked at Kenshin with worried eyes. He didn't seem to understand what was happening so she showed him her hand.

Kaoru made him turn around and saw his gi covered with blood.

"Kenshin what's wrong?"

He looked down and saw it. He had forgotten all about it. When he rushed to Kaoru a sharp pain ran through his entire body but he forgot about it when he saw her eyes. She took of his gi and found that one of his wounds was open again.

"Kenshin I need to call Megumi right now. Why didn't you tell me?"

He just looked at her but in his eyes she found all the answers. She went out of the room and Kenshin sighted. "Megumi-dono would be here anytime and another moment would be lost, this time thanks to me" But Kaoru came back in the room alone. She was carrying some bandages and a bowl of water.

"I don't think anybody heard the wood crashing in the floor." She said as she entered the room. "Everyone is still sleeping"

She knelt down next to Kenshin and began treating his wounds.

"I'm no Megumi but this will be enough for the night" She said as she finished putting on the bandage.

"Arigato Kaoru-dono."

She helped Kenshin get back to his futon and seated beside him.

"Kaoru-dono you'll sleep in the futon I'll sleep in the floor."

"Oh no Kenshin, you are the one that's injured and you reopened your wound by saving me so you get to stay in the futon and I'm not going to discuss it."

"But…"

"No buts, I don't mind sleeping on the floor and since everyone is asleep I can't get myself another futon so you are just…" She was stopped when she felt his arm around her waist. He slowly pulled her to him and before she knew it she was lying on the futon next to him.

"We will share it tonight Kaoru-dono and I promise we will only sleep. Oyasumi nassai Kaoru-dono" As polite as he was Kaoru noted in his voice a tone that wouldn't accept a no for answer. She smiled softly as she realized Kenshin still had his arm around her waist.

"Oyasumi-nassai Kenshin" She answered as she prepared to have the most beautiful dream.

* * *

A/N: So there goes another chapter. I transferred all your anger (and mine) to Kaoru and I think she did a pretty good job passing it to Yahiko. … Anyway I hope you liked it. Please review and tell me what you think. I am also traducing a few Japanese words that some of you may not know the meaning of (but I know most of you already know them).

Japanese terms:

Ohayo nassai: Good morning

Daijabu?: Are you Ok?

Oyasumi nassai: Good night

*If there is anything I forgot and you don't understand please tell me and I'll explain.