Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Blood and Amber ❯ Admittion- Part II ( Chapter 26 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Bookkbaby84 
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.23.2004 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 528 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.23.2004 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.3K | Visits: 528 | Status: Completed
Kaoru watched Kenshin prepare the food to be cooked. She knew something was bugging him, and she figured it had something to do with her.
'It was probably what Lady Takani said- about us being fiancees. He realized that I was looking at him. I'm not old enough. I'm not pretty enough. I'm not feminine enough. I'm not good enough.' she told herself, her eyes filling up with tears. She sniffled a little, not wanting her nose to become all plugged up. It wasn't loud, but it was loud enough to catch the attention of a retired manslayer.
"Kaoru?" he asked, looking up from the herbs he was cutting. "Are you okay? Did you cut yourself?" he asked, seeing the tears on her face. She smiled at him. The smile didn't reach her eyes- they were still sad and a bit wistful.
"No. I'm fine Kenshin. Just thinking." she said, using her kimono edge to wipe away the tears that had started to fall.
"About what, if you don't mind me asking?" Kenshin said. Kaoru looked to the side, not wanting to look directly at him.
"About what Lady Takani said." she said. Immediately, Kenshin was apologetic.
"I'm sorry if she made you sad, Kaoru. Don't take it too seriously. It's okay." Kenshin said, smiling just as sadly back at her, but covering it up considerably well. "Please stop crying." he asked her gentely. Kaoru wiped her face again.
"I'm fine Kenshin." she told him. "I...... I......." she stopped, unable to continue.
"It's okay if you're mad at me. I had no right to keep glancing at you during the conversation." Open mouth, insert foot. Kaoru glanced up, startled.
"You really were glancing at me during the conversation?" Kaoru asked, glancing at him, her surprise drying her tears momentarily. Kenshin found himself in a bit of a fix, but figured that the truth would be better than a lie, no matter how well those same lies had served him in past years.
"Yes. I thought you knew, and that's why you were crying." Kenshin said. This opened the floodgate again. Kenshin moved closer towards her. "Please stop crying, Kaoru." he said, reaching out and wiping away her tear with his finger instinctively.
"I wasn't crying because of that. It was because she thought we were fia- something else she said." kaoru said quickly, her mouth moving with her brain giving the orders. Kaoru looked away again. "I'm sorry. I'm just acting like a little child. You should get back to cooking, Kenshin." Kenshin, however didn't feel like he had cleared things up between them.
"Because she thought we were fiancees?" Kenshin asked quietly. Kaoru froze while Kenshin looked down. "I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable."
"No, Kenshin, it just made me sad." she said, trying to reassure him without knowing how her statement would affect him. It was Kenshin's turn to be surprised as he looked at Kaoru, shock written on his face. Kaoru- who just realized what she had said- blushed and bit her lip.
'What if he takes it the wrong way? Will he leave? If he takes it teh right way, what will-?' She didn't finish the thought.
"Sad how?" he asked slowly. Kaoru just stared at him, her eyes staring into his. She felt as though his eyes were searching for something- they seemed to dive into her soul, trying to find what they needed.
Was that.... hope?
It may have been the moon, the sky, or the stars that night, for Kaoru decided that it was time to admit how she felt, even if it meant he left.
"Longing and wistful. Happy and depressed." she replied, the words coming out slowly so that she didn't stumble over her own tongue. She was still staring him straight in the eye. She saw something that looked like hope, but then it was crushed by uncertainty as he looked away. She grabbed his hand.
"When Lady Takani said that she thought we were fiancees, I was longing for that to be the truth. When that passed, I thought about what life would be like with you. I was happy, but then I realized it could never be." Kenshin looked at her, mouth slightly open in shock.
"Kenshin, I want the truth now." she said, determined to find out if he loved her like she loved him, even if it meant risking her pride. "How do you feel about me?" He didn't speak. He just stared at her, as though overwhelmed by what she had just told him. All there was was silence between them, for a few minutes at least.
"I need to know." Kaoru told him, eyes brimming with tears. Kenshin stayed silent, shocked.
'She can't mean...?' he thought. Kaoru looked down.
"Heh. I guess it was too much to hope for." She looked back up at Kenshin, a sad smile on her face. "I knew that you couldn't love me as I love you. I'll understand if you want to wander again." Kaoru moved a little closer to Kenshin, tears still in her eyes, but not running down her face.
"Please don't hate me...." Kaoru whispered, kissing the still shocked ex-assassin. At that moment, something clicked.
'The kiss where the man died...... it wasn't a dream!' Kenshin thought. He had dreamed of kissing Kaoru many times before, but he would know this feeling anywhere. It hadn't been a dream. It had been real.....
Kaoru broke away from him.
"Sumimasen, Kenshin." she said, standing up slowly, a single tear finding its way down her face. "Sayonara." Kaoru turned to leave.
"Kaoru." His voice made her pause.
"Did you mean it when you said that you loved me? I am an ex-hitokiri- a manslayer. I have more blood on my hands than any other person in the world. Did you mean it?" Kaoru heard the pleading note in Kenshin's voice. She turned and looked at him.
"Of course I mean it." she said. Since she was laying all of her cards on the table, she hoped he would do the same. "What about you?"
"I- even though I am unfit- do love you, Kaoru." he said, looking down. "I love you with everything I have. I have nothing to offer you." Kaoru smiled, walking back to Kenshin and kneeling beside him.
"Oh Kenshin, I'm not after anything but you. I love you, Kenshin, not money or fancy jewels. It doesn't matter if you have nothing. You are everything to me." Kaoru hugged him close, feeling his strong arms wrap around her. Tears of happiness fell down her cheeks. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just hugging.
"Am I interrupting anything?" Lady Takani's voice came from the open kitchen door. Kaoru and Kenshin broke apart, Kaoru grinning like a schoolgirl with a blush to match, and Kenshin busying himself with the food.
"I guess not." the lady smiled. "Should I set the table?" Kaoru nodded wordlessly, getting plates and things out.
"Here. The table is just outside the door." Kaoru said. As Lady Takani took the plates from Kaoru, she whispered to her.
"Good. He's a good man, Kaoru-san. Don't let him get away!" Kaoru blushed more and nodded.
'It was probably what Lady Takani said- about us being fiancees. He realized that I was looking at him. I'm not old enough. I'm not pretty enough. I'm not feminine enough. I'm not good enough.' she told herself, her eyes filling up with tears. She sniffled a little, not wanting her nose to become all plugged up. It wasn't loud, but it was loud enough to catch the attention of a retired manslayer.
"Kaoru?" he asked, looking up from the herbs he was cutting. "Are you okay? Did you cut yourself?" he asked, seeing the tears on her face. She smiled at him. The smile didn't reach her eyes- they were still sad and a bit wistful.
"No. I'm fine Kenshin. Just thinking." she said, using her kimono edge to wipe away the tears that had started to fall.
"About what, if you don't mind me asking?" Kenshin said. Kaoru looked to the side, not wanting to look directly at him.
"About what Lady Takani said." she said. Immediately, Kenshin was apologetic.
"I'm sorry if she made you sad, Kaoru. Don't take it too seriously. It's okay." Kenshin said, smiling just as sadly back at her, but covering it up considerably well. "Please stop crying." he asked her gentely. Kaoru wiped her face again.
"I'm fine Kenshin." she told him. "I...... I......." she stopped, unable to continue.
"It's okay if you're mad at me. I had no right to keep glancing at you during the conversation." Open mouth, insert foot. Kaoru glanced up, startled.
"You really were glancing at me during the conversation?" Kaoru asked, glancing at him, her surprise drying her tears momentarily. Kenshin found himself in a bit of a fix, but figured that the truth would be better than a lie, no matter how well those same lies had served him in past years.
"Yes. I thought you knew, and that's why you were crying." Kenshin said. This opened the floodgate again. Kenshin moved closer towards her. "Please stop crying, Kaoru." he said, reaching out and wiping away her tear with his finger instinctively.
"I wasn't crying because of that. It was because she thought we were fia- something else she said." kaoru said quickly, her mouth moving with her brain giving the orders. Kaoru looked away again. "I'm sorry. I'm just acting like a little child. You should get back to cooking, Kenshin." Kenshin, however didn't feel like he had cleared things up between them.
"Because she thought we were fiancees?" Kenshin asked quietly. Kaoru froze while Kenshin looked down. "I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable."
"No, Kenshin, it just made me sad." she said, trying to reassure him without knowing how her statement would affect him. It was Kenshin's turn to be surprised as he looked at Kaoru, shock written on his face. Kaoru- who just realized what she had said- blushed and bit her lip.
'What if he takes it the wrong way? Will he leave? If he takes it teh right way, what will-?' She didn't finish the thought.
"Sad how?" he asked slowly. Kaoru just stared at him, her eyes staring into his. She felt as though his eyes were searching for something- they seemed to dive into her soul, trying to find what they needed.
Was that.... hope?
It may have been the moon, the sky, or the stars that night, for Kaoru decided that it was time to admit how she felt, even if it meant he left.
"Longing and wistful. Happy and depressed." she replied, the words coming out slowly so that she didn't stumble over her own tongue. She was still staring him straight in the eye. She saw something that looked like hope, but then it was crushed by uncertainty as he looked away. She grabbed his hand.
"When Lady Takani said that she thought we were fiancees, I was longing for that to be the truth. When that passed, I thought about what life would be like with you. I was happy, but then I realized it could never be." Kenshin looked at her, mouth slightly open in shock.
"Kenshin, I want the truth now." she said, determined to find out if he loved her like she loved him, even if it meant risking her pride. "How do you feel about me?" He didn't speak. He just stared at her, as though overwhelmed by what she had just told him. All there was was silence between them, for a few minutes at least.
"I need to know." Kaoru told him, eyes brimming with tears. Kenshin stayed silent, shocked.
'She can't mean...?' he thought. Kaoru looked down.
"Heh. I guess it was too much to hope for." She looked back up at Kenshin, a sad smile on her face. "I knew that you couldn't love me as I love you. I'll understand if you want to wander again." Kaoru moved a little closer to Kenshin, tears still in her eyes, but not running down her face.
"Please don't hate me...." Kaoru whispered, kissing the still shocked ex-assassin. At that moment, something clicked.
'The kiss where the man died...... it wasn't a dream!' Kenshin thought. He had dreamed of kissing Kaoru many times before, but he would know this feeling anywhere. It hadn't been a dream. It had been real.....
Kaoru broke away from him.
"Sumimasen, Kenshin." she said, standing up slowly, a single tear finding its way down her face. "Sayonara." Kaoru turned to leave.
"Kaoru." His voice made her pause.
"Did you mean it when you said that you loved me? I am an ex-hitokiri- a manslayer. I have more blood on my hands than any other person in the world. Did you mean it?" Kaoru heard the pleading note in Kenshin's voice. She turned and looked at him.
"Of course I mean it." she said. Since she was laying all of her cards on the table, she hoped he would do the same. "What about you?"
"I- even though I am unfit- do love you, Kaoru." he said, looking down. "I love you with everything I have. I have nothing to offer you." Kaoru smiled, walking back to Kenshin and kneeling beside him.
"Oh Kenshin, I'm not after anything but you. I love you, Kenshin, not money or fancy jewels. It doesn't matter if you have nothing. You are everything to me." Kaoru hugged him close, feeling his strong arms wrap around her. Tears of happiness fell down her cheeks. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just hugging.
"Am I interrupting anything?" Lady Takani's voice came from the open kitchen door. Kaoru and Kenshin broke apart, Kaoru grinning like a schoolgirl with a blush to match, and Kenshin busying himself with the food.
"I guess not." the lady smiled. "Should I set the table?" Kaoru nodded wordlessly, getting plates and things out.
"Here. The table is just outside the door." Kaoru said. As Lady Takani took the plates from Kaoru, she whispered to her.
"Good. He's a good man, Kaoru-san. Don't let him get away!" Kaoru blushed more and nodded.