Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Can't Run From The Past Forever ❯ Questions not Answered ( Chapter 7 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Safrin108 
Kenshin gets a glimps of Kaoru's past.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.06.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 213 | Status: Completed
Kenshin gets a glimps of Kaoru's past.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.06.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 213 | Status: Completed
I am SOOOOOO sorry! It’s been two years since my last update and I feel terrible! My life got so complicated that I hardly had free time anymore! Lately I haven’t been that busy and I was going through my files and found my stories again. After reading all of them I thought “Hey…I’ma finish these!” So here I am! I’m really going to try and update as much as I can! For those who use to read me, I’m sorry for taking so long! For those who are new, I hope you like the story line!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters, although I do own Kayko. She is a character that I based off on one of my closest friends. I will tell you now; Megumi and Sano do not get together. I'm sorry to those who like the SanoXMegumi, but this is not one. There will be one main character I will make up, and she will be with Sano. In this story, Megumi is way too old for Sano, although I'm thinking of putting her with Hiko. Lol. That will be interesting. If you think I should, leave some reviews and we'll see what happens. Also, Yahiko is older in this story. He's not like…11, 12, or how old he is. Lol. Hope you like it!
‘’’
After turning off the last light in the household, Kenshin began walking off to his room. It’s been only a few hours since he had saved Kaoru from that run in with the street thugs, and now she was sleeping peacefully in one of the guest bedrooms.
As he made his way down the hall, he heard a whimper come from the door on the left. He stopped a few feet from it, before turning and looking at the door. Did that come from the room Kaoru was in? Kenshin opened the door slowly and stuck his head in. Kaoru was on her back with the covers tangled up in her legs, perspiration seemed to cover her whole body, making her clothes and hair stick, and her face looked as though she was in agony. Kenshin instantly knew she was having a nightmare. He had seen it many times with Kayko when she use to have them. He sat on the edge of the bed and shook Kaoru’s shoulder gently.
“Kaoru-dono…” he whispered. She groaned lightly and her head turned to face the wall away from Kenshin. “Kaoru-dono…” he said again a little louder, shaking her shoulder again. Kaoru turned her head again, now facing Kenshin and mumbled something lightly, but Kenshin still heard it.
“Daddy no…” Kenshin’s eyes narrowed. ‘She’s dreaming about her father?’ Kenshin shook her again, but a little rougher.
“Kaoru-dono wake up.” Kaoru whimpered and started shaking. She began speaking again, but louder.
“Daddy stop it!! I didn’t mean to, it was an accident!! Please!” She shouted. Kenshin’s eyes widen. Kaoru began to shake violently, as if she was being electrocuted. She sobbed loudly and started thrashing around, like she was trying to get out of someone’s grasp. Kenshin pulled her up into his lap and held her. Kaoru shoved against his chest and cried louder. “Stop it!! Leave me alone!” Kenshin held her tighter and started to rock from side to side, as he had done many times when Kayko had dreams like this. He started whispering quietly in her ear, trying what ever he could to calm her down.
After a few minutes passed, Kaoru began to calm down. Her yelling had stopped, her shaking had seized, and she was now calmly sitting in Kenshin’s lap. Kenshin had his arms tight around her, his right hand running his fingers through her hair while he rested his head on top of hers. Kaoru murmured one last thing, and completely relaxed against him. Kenshin lifted his head and looked at her. She was now sleeping calmly, her head resting on his shoulder. Kenshin sighed and slowly laid her back down on the bed. He watched her for a minute, brushing the hair from her face. He got up and tucked the covers around her, then headed over to the door. He turned to look at her one last time before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.
‘’’
Sun shined through the windows around the house. Kaoru groaned in annoyance, covering her face with her hand to block out the sun. She slowly got out of bed and walked towards the window. Closing the curtains firmly, she looked around the room confused. This was not her hotel room. She then remembered last night’s events and smiled a bit. She was in Kenshin’s house. She yawned and made her way to the door. She stopped at the end of the hall and took a deep breath. Something smelt good. Kaoru smiled and walked into the kitchen. Kenshin stood by the stove. The smell of eggs and bacon filled Kaoru’s senses. She stopped in the doorway and watched him. He sure seemed to know what he was doing. He had bacon in one pan cooking, and was whisking eggs in another. She smiled and walked over, her footsteps quiet.
“Morning.” Kaoru stopped and blinked. ‘”How did he know I was awake?’ Kenshin turned and looked at her smiling. “I heard you come in,” he answered as if he had read her mind. Kaoru tilted her head to the side.
“You did? I didn’t think I was being that loud,” she said. Kenshin chuckled and turned back to the food.
“You weren’t. I just have very good hearing, that I do,” he said back, placing the eggs and bacon on a plate. He set the plate down at the table and began to make one for himself. Kaoru sat down as Kenshin was setting his plate down next to her, as well as another plate across from her that only had bacon on it. Kaoru blinked at it before looking at Kenshin.
“Why did you set a third down? Is someone coming?” Kenshin smiled and took a seat.
“I guess you could say that. Its not planned or what not, she just tends to…” Kaoru felt a sudden whoosh of air and before she knew it, Kayko was sitting across from her, nibbling lightly on a piece of bacon. “…Pop up when she smells bacon,” Kenshin finished. He began eating his food. Kaoru just kept looking at Kayko.
“How did you..?” Kayko smiled.
“I love bacon!! I can smell if for miles! Best stuff EVER! By the way Kaoru if you don’t mind me asking why are you here at Kenshin’s?” Kayko asked with a smile, her head tilting to the side innocently. Kaoru blushed and told her last night’s incident. Kayko’s smile dropped little by little as Kaoru told the story. By the end of it, she was frowning lightly. Kaoru watched her quietly, her gaze flickering to Kenshin before turning back to Kayko. Kenshin seemed to be watching Kayko closely. Kayko laced her fingers together and rested her head on top of them. “That’s weird,” she finally said. Kaoru looked at her confused.
“Why is that weird?” She asked. Kayko looked at her.
“Well we don’t have a bad gang problem here, that we don’t,” Kenshin answered. Both girls turned their attention to him. “Gangs aren’t big in this town. The last big gang was the one Sano was in and that was a while back.” Kaoru blinked at him.
“Sano was in a gang?” She asked. Kayko and Kenshin nodded. “How did he get out of it?” She asked. Kenshin smiled and looked over at Kayko, who was quietly nibbling on a piece of bacon, looking up at the ceiling innocently. Kenshin chuckled and looked back at Kaoru.
“Let’s just say he was persuaded.”
‘’’
In a house across the street, three men sat in a kitchen looking out the window. Two sat at the table, the other stood next to the window.
“My she’s grown,” said the first one, looking at the man sitting across from him at the table. The second one rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“I don’t understand why I am here,” the second one said. “She’s your problem, not mine. I have more important things to do.” The first one chuckled.
“You are here because you agreed to come help me get her back,” the first one said again.
“No. I agreed to help you find her, not help you get her back.”
“Still. I am going to need your help. He is going to be a problem,” the first one said again, glaring at the man in the house across the street. The second man looked and his eyes narrowed to slits.
“Heh…I do believe I will help after all.” The first one smiled.
“When do we take action,” the first one asked, looking to the man standing at the window. The third one turned to the other two, then back to the window.
“She has a new friend. A very attractive one at that…” he said quietly. The two men sitting at the table got up and moved to the window. They looked at the girl they had been chasing after for many years. They watched as another girl came into the room. The second one, very slowly started to laugh. The other two men looked at him.
“What’s so funny?” The first one asked in an irritated voice. Second one calmed down his chuckles before he calmed down.
“That girl, I haven’t seen her in years.” The two other men looked at him weird.
“You know her?” The first one asked. The second one nodded.
“I do indeed. Her and I…I guess you can say have a history. I would just love to get reacquainted with her again,” the second one said. The first one smiled and looked back at the third man.
“When do we take action?” He asked again. The third one just watched the tree figures in the house across the street move into a different room and out of sight.
‘’’
Hours later, Kaoru, Kayko, and Kenshin were sitting in the living room, silent. Kaoru was sitting on the floor, somewhat facing the couch, her phone in her lap. Kayko was sitting across from her and Kenshin was on the couch in the middle of the two of them.
“Kaoru you need to call her. She’s probably worried sick,” Kayko said. Kaoru looked at her, then down at her phone.
“Kayko’s right, Kaoru-dono,” Kenshin said quietly. Kaoru sighed and picked up her phone. She saw that she had 87 missed calls. ‘Damn Megumi…’ Kaoru thought. She dialed in the number and placed the phone to her ear. It only made it halfway through the first ring.
“Omg Kaoru! Thank goodness! You gave me a heart attack when you didn’t come back last night? Where are you? Are you ok? Oh I’m so sorry Kaoru I should have never brought up the conversation!” Megumi said panicky over the phone.
“Megumi calm down. I’m fine. I’m over at Kenshin’s with him and Kayko,” Kaoru said, trying to calm her down. She heard the woman on the other line go quiet.
“Kenshin’s?” Megumi asked.
“Yeah,” said Kaoru. “After our…um…disagreement, I called him and he came and got me.” Kaoru told Megumi about the whole gang incident. Megumi was silent for several minutes. Kaoru began to bite her lip in anticipation. When Megumi finally spoke, her words surprised the worried girl.
“Kaoru…If…. you are ready to leave, we will pack tonight, and leave tomorrow morning…” Megumi said quietly, so quiet that Kaoru had barely caught it. Kaoru blinked in shock. Megumi was suggesting leaving? Kaoru frowned light. She knew how much Megumi liked it here, but taking the offer was very tempting. Kaoru wasn’t ready to settle down in a place. She was still too afraid.
“I wanna stay a little longer,” Kaoru said quietly. Megumi went silent over the connection once again.
“You…want to stay?” Megumi asked quietly after a while. Kaoru bit her lower lip.
“Well I don’t mean for good. I just don’t want to leave yet.” Kayko and Kenshin smiled in the background. Kaoru could tell Megumi was smiling.
“That’s completely fine with me, Kaoru. Whatever you wanna do,” she said. Kaoru smiled.
“Thanks Megumi. I’ll call you later,” Kaoru told her.
“Alright. Stay safe,” Megumi told her. Kaoru smiled.
“I will. Promise.” With that she hung up the phone and turned and looked at the other two. Kayko seemed to be thinking and Kenshin was watching her silently. Out of nowhere, before Kaoru could even register what was happening, a big yellow ball of fur tackled her to the floor. She let out yelp and fell flat on her back. She heard Kayko gasp as she sat up. Kaoru rubbed her head a bit and looked to see what had tackled her. She blinked when she found herself nose to nose with a golden retriever.
“Buddy!” Kenshin screamed. “Bad dog!!” Buddy wagged his tail and started to lick Kaoru’s face all over. Kaoru laughed and started to pet him.
“Awww hello there! Aren’t you a cutie?” Kaoru cooed, rubbing her nose against Buddy’s. Buddy’s tail wagged even more and he barked happily. Kenshin smiled as he watched the two of them. Kayko got up and walked over.
“Down Buddy let her breath,” Kayko said, giggling. Buddy barked and got off Kaoru, running over to Kenshin and jumping up. Kenshin smiled and pat him lightly, looking at Kaoru.
“Sorry about him. He loves people,” he said as Kayko helped Kaoru back to her feet. Kaoru smiled at him.
“That’s alright. I love animals and he’s adorable,” Kaoru said smiling big as she scratched behind Buddy’s ears. “I didn’t know you have a dog.” Kenshin smiled.
“He likes to run off. Most of the time he is out bugging Sano.” Buddy barked and Kaoru giggled.
“He’s adorable. Well I think I’m going to call Megumi back and ask her to come get me. I’ma go change clothes at the hotel and relax a bit,” Kaoru said, looking at Kenshin and Kayko. The two nodded and watched as Kaoru walked out of the room to call Megumi. Once she was out of sight, Kayko turned and looked at Kenshin.
“Alright spill, what’s up?” Kenshin looked at her and blinked.
“What?” He asked. Kayko rolled her eyes.
“Don’t play dumb. I know you better then anyone, other then Hiko. Something happened last night.” Kayko crossed her arms. Kenshin sighed.
“Yes something did.” Kayko gasped.
“You two didn’t…” Kenshin looked at her with wide eyes.
“No nothing inmate Kayko. She had a nightmare, that she did.” Kayko blinked.
“She…she had a nightmare?” Kayko repeated. Kenshin nodded.
“Yes. It wasn’t like any other nightmare. It…was like the ones that you have had when you were younger,” he said. Kayko stared at him.
“The…the ones like mine?” Kenshin nodded. “But…” Kayko stopped has Kenshin put his hand up. Soon after Kaoru came back into the room. She walked over to them.
“She’s going to be here in a few minutes.” Kayko smiled at her.
“After you’ve relaxed at your hotel for a bit, you want to come to my house and hang out a bit? It will be fun,” Kayko said smiling bigger. Kaoru smiled back and nodded.
“Sure why not.” Kaoru held out her phone. “Put your number in, I haven’t gotten it yet. Kayko smiled and handed Kaoru hers. They put their numbers in the others phones and swapped back. Shortly after, the horn of a car was heard, signaling Megumi’s arrive. “That’s Megumi. I’ll see you guys later.” Kaoru waved as she walked out the door. Kenshin smiled and Kayko waved back. Kaoru shut the door behind her and walked over to the car. Megumi smiled at her.
“Have a fun night?” She asked as Kaoru go in the passenger’s seat. Kaoru raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not like anything happened. He was a very good gentleman,” She replied. Megumi rolled her eyes, smiling as she drove back to the hotel.
“How much longer do you want to stay?” Megumi asked. Kaoru smiled.
“I don’t know. I didn’t really think about how long I wanted to stay. I just don’t want to leave in a week or so. I like it to much here.” Megumi smiled.
“I do, too. The people here are nice, you have made plenty of friends,” Megumi said, looking at her. Kaoru smiled. “Got yourself a crush too.” Kaoru looked at her as Megumi turned her eyes back to the road.
“I don’t have a crush,” she lied. Megumi snorted and looked at her for a split second before looking back at the road.
“Sure. You can’t lie to me Kaoru.” Kaoru rolled her eyes, smiling.
“Alright, maybe a little bit of a crush, but that’s all it is. I still barley know the guy.” Megumi nodded.
“There for you should get to know him,” Megumi retorted. Kaoru blushed slightly.
‘’’
Shortly after Kaoru leaving, Kayko found herself sitting by Kenshin’s pool, deep in thought. Kenshin walked out and sat next to her, watching her legs kick back and forth in the water. They sat in silence for several minutes. Finally Kenshin turned his head to look at her.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked, breaking the silence. Kayko stopped moving her legs, continuing to stare at the water. Kenshin placed his hand on her shoulder when she didn’t respond. “Kayko?” She turned her head slowly and looked at him, her eyes showing no emotion. “What are you thinking about?” He repeated. She turned her head to look at the water again.
“You said she had a nightmare…. Like how I use to have them…” She finally answered. Kenshin nodded his head. “That scares me…” she spoke again, gaining a confused look by the man sitting next to her.
“Why is that?” He asked. Kayko turned and looked at him again, her eyes not completely focusing on him.
“It just explains so much…why she doesn’t want to stay here, why she travels so much…why she’s afraid of men or freaks out when someone brings up her past. That’s what I use to do before I moved on. Remember that?” Kenshin nodded his head. “Something happened to her…don’t know what, but whatever it is, we need to show her she can trust us. We can’t let her go through what I did.” Kenshin took her hand lightly, holding it between his.
“Kayko what happened to you was a long time ago. It’s in the past…” He said, trying to sooth his friend. When she finally focused her eyes completely on him, they hardened.
“You can’t just forget being beaten by your father, Kenshin.” She snapped. The young man sighed.
“I never said you could. I’m saying that what happened was in the past and you shouldn’t worry about it.” Kayko snatched her hand away and looked back at the water.
“The past can come back to haunt you. You should know that from experience,” she said, her voice hard. Shortly after saying, she regretted it. Sighing she turned to look at the man who had saved her through so much. “I’m sorry Kenshin. I shouldn’t have said that, it was out of line.” Kenshin didn’t speak. He stood up and looked at her.
“You should not take your anger or frustration out on others, Kayko,” he said quietly. Kayko nodded and got up slowly. “Everyone has a past they do not wish to think about or that they are afraid of. One must learn to get over that fear, even if you will never forget.” Kayko placed her hands on her hips.
“I have gotten over it!” She yelled. Kenshin just stared at her.
“Have you?” He said, still speaking above a whisper. Hard green eyes locked with soft violet ones. Suddenly Kayko felt like she was a little girl all over again. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, holding back tears.
“I’ve been having nightmares recently. The ones I use to have,” the young girl confessed. Kenshin stayed silent for a moment before speaking.
“Have you told Hiko?” Kayko shook her head.
“I’m afraid to…”
“Why?” He asked. Kayko opened her eyes and looked at him.
“I want to believe that everything is alright…prove that I’m not afraid.” Kenshin didn’t speak. Silence filled the air for several minutes. Still not speaking Kenshin opened his arms. Not a second later, Kayko bolted herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “What if they mean he’s coming? What if he appears and takes me away? I can’t go back with him, I just can’t! He’ll kill me!” She sobbed. Kenshin held her close and sighed.
“If he does return, you’re fully protected. He will not take you, I promise.” Kayko nodded and clung to him tighter, letting go of all the emotions from her recent nightmares into tears.
‘’’
Several weeks passed since Kaoru and Megumi had arrived at the small town. It seemed as though Kaoru couldn’t bring herself to leave. Everyday she spent here; she grew closer and closer to the teens and the young man that lived there. In her hotel room, Kaoru sat on the bottom of the bathroom tub, thinking to herself as she let the hot water drench her. The past few weeks had been amazing for her. She spent almost every day with Kayko and Misao, whether it was shopping, hanging in the park or at the Akebeko, or just sitting in Kayko’s room watching movies. On the days Misao was out of town and Kayko was with Sano, Kaoru spent her time at Kenshin’s. Smiling lightly, she let her thoughts drift off to the violet-eyed man. She never thought she would meet a man like him. He was the exact opposite of what she though a man was. She thought all men were rude, greedy, disgusting, and all around pigs, but no. Kenshin was different. He was sweet, kind, caring, and a perfect gentleman. So lost in her thoughts, she jumped slightly when she heard a knock on the bathroom door.
“Kaoru? Are you still in there?” She heard Megumi ask from the other side.
“Yes Megumi…” She said over the water. There was a small silence before the woman finally answered.
“I need to speak with you when you get out of the shower,” she spoke. Kaoru blinked with confusion.
“Alright I’ll be out in a moment,” she said. There was no reply. Slowly getting up, Kaoru shut off the water, stepping out of the tub slowly. She grabbed one of the pure while hotel towels and wrapped it around herself. Grabbing her brush on the way out, she walked out into the hotel room, brushing the tangles from her hair. She stopped in mid step when she saw Megumi sitting on the bed, staring at the hands in her lap. Kaoru gulped lightly. She set her brush on one of the hotel desks before walking over to her bag to get clothes. “What’s up?” She asked, getting dressed quickly. Megumi looked up and turned her head to her. Kaoru sat next her on the bed, fully dressed. “Are you okay?” She asked, getting slightly worried. Megumi smiled.
“I’m great,” she giggled, “Um…Hiko…asked me to be his girlfriend.” Kaoru squealed and hugged her.
“Megumi that’s great! I’m so happy for you!” Megumi smiled and hugged back, before frowning.
“I’m glad you are happy, but I turned him down,” she said quietly. Kaoru blinked, pulling away and looking at her.
“But…why?” Megumi put her hand on the young girls cheek.
“There would be no point. We aren’t going to be here forever, Kao.” Kaoru stared at her confused for a moment. Suddenly she understood. They would be leaving soon, so Megumi and Hiko couldn’t be together. Kaoru stood up and walked over to the window, looking out. It was her fault. She was the reason Megumi said no. She suddenly felt horrible. “Do not blame yourself, Kao,” Megumi spoke quietly. The girl didn’t speak. Megumi sighed and looked at the wall. “We should pack up. We’ve been here a month and a half. If we pack now we can leave in the morning…” There was silence for several minutes.
“My birthday is next week,” Kaoru spoke, making Megumi look at her. “I’d like to stay here for my birthday. After that we can talk about leaving.” The woman smiled and nodded.
“Alright Kaoru, we’ll do that.” She got up and kissed the blue-eyed girl’s forehead, before turning to the door and grabbing her keys. “I’m going to lunch with Hiko. Are you going to stay here?” She asked. Kaoru shook her head.
“No…Kenshin and I are supposed to hang out.” Megumi smiled.
“Have fun and be safe. Call me around dinner.” Kaoru stayed quiet, listening to Megumi open and close the hotel room door. Slowly, she crossed the room and picked up her phone, dialing Kenshin’s number. Three rings passed before he answered.
“Hello?” Smiling at his voice, Kaoru sat on one of the bed.
“Hey,” she responded, “What are you doing?”
“Working,” he answered. She could hear typing in the background. She frowned lightly.
“Aw dang, I was hoping to come over.” Kenshin chuckled through the phone.
“I’ll pick you up in five minutes.” Kaoru smiled.
“See you then,” she said, before saying a quick bye and hanging up.
‘’’
“I’m bored.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Entertain me.”
“I’m busy.”
“I’m bored.”
“That sucks.”
“I’m bored.”
“So I’ve heard.” There was silence.
“I’m bored.”
“Kayko Damnit!” Hiko said annoyed, looking at her. Kayko smiled innocently. “If you’re so bored, go do something!” Kayko tapped her chin with her finger.
“Nah I wanted to spend time with my daddy!” She said, jumping into his lap. Hiko sighed in annoyance.
“I’m trying to get these work papers done before I meet up with Megumi. Go hang out with Sano or something, maybe the idiot. Or here’s an idea, go hang out with Kaoru, you and her haven’t hung out in a while.” Kayko blinked. He was right; she hadn’t hung out with Kaoru in a while. For the past few weeks she had been with Sano.
“You know old man, that’s a great idea!” She said, jumping up to grab her phone. Hiko sighed in relief. Kayko skipped outside to her car, dialing Kaoru’s number.
“Hello?” Kaoru answered after the third ring. Kayko smiled, getting into her car.
“Hey! What are you up to?” She asked, starting the car up and pulling out of the driveway.
“I’m at Kenshin’s.” Kayko blinked, letting a sly smile creep onto her face.
“Are you now? What are you two doing?” She asked. Her friend snorted over the phone.
“I know what went through your head, get your mind out of the gutter. I’m sitting watching him work. Not very exciting.” Kayko heard Kenshin comment in the background, but didn’t quite understand what he had said. She heard Kaoru giggle and smiled. ‘Those two are so going to end up together,’ the brunette thought.
“Well tell Kenshin I’m heading over. I’m bored and I wanna hang out with you ‘cause I haven’t seen you in a few weeks.” Kaoru giggled through the phone.
“Sounds good. See you in a few.” Kayko smiled and hung up, driving towards Kenshin’s house.
‘’’
Kaoru hung up her phone and looked at Kenshin, who was still typing away on his computer. She smiled, and got up, walking over to him. He looked up at her as she peered over his shoulder.
“What are you typing?” She asked. Kenshin smiled and looked at the screen.
“I’m working on the company finances. They are not fun, that they aren’t,” he answered. Kaoru giggled.
“They don’t look fun.” She turned and sat down on the desk next to the computer. Kenshin raised an eyebrow at her. “What?” She asked. “It’s sturdy,” she giggled, smiling at him. The young man chuckled, turning back to the computer. Kaoru smile faded as she thought back to her and Megumi’s conversation earlier on that day. Kenshin sensed her sudden mood change and looked at her.
“Kaoru-dono? Are you alright?” He asked gently. Kaoru looked at him and smiled slightly.
“I’m leaving in two weeks,” she answered. Kenshin frowned. Nervously, she looked at her hands in her lap. “My birthday is next week, after that I’m leaving.”
“Hiko and Kayko will be sad you and Megumi-dono are leaving, that they will,” he said quietly. Kaoru looked up at him.
“Megumi isn’t coming with me…” she whispered. It was so low that Kenshin’s ears barely picked up on it. He blinked in confusion.
“What do you mean?” He asked. Kaoru gave a sad smile.
“Hiko asked Megumi to be his girlfriend, and she turned him down because of me. When I turn 18, I’ll be old enough to take care of myself. I can leave and she won’t have to come with me. She can stay here and be happy.” Kenshin sighed and got up from his seat. Blue eyes followed him as he walked out of his office. Kaoru blinked before sliding off the desk and following after him. She found him in the kitchen making tea. Crossing her arms, she watched him move around the kitchen. “Kenshin?” He stopped and looked at her. Kaoru looked at him confused. Sighing, the young man made his way over to her.
“Have you spoken to Megumi about this?” Kaoru shook her head. “Do you think she will approve?” She shook her head again. Kenshin sighed. “Kaoru-dono, do you really want to leave?” Kaoru stared at him for a moment.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
“Why are you so keen on leaving so soon?” Kaoru didn’t answer. “You know you can stay, if you truly want to.” Still there was silence. Kenshin sighed lightly and turned back to the water he was waiting to boil. He was on his way to grab two cups when he heard the teen speak.
“I’m afraid…” she answered. Kenshin stopped and turned to her. Kaoru had her head down, looking at her feet.
“Of what?” He asked. She didn’t answer. Kenshin walked over to her, placing his hand under her chin and lifting her face up so she would look at him. Blue clashed with violet. “What are you afraid of?” He asked again quietly. Kaoru stared at him for a moment.
“I’m afraid…” she stopped. Both of them turned their heads to find Kayko looking at them from the kitchen door way. In a flash, Kenshin stepped back about a two feet. Kayko let a sly smile creep onto her face.
“Am I interrupting something?” She giggled.
“No.” Kenshin and Kaoru answered at the same time. Kayko’s smile grew more.
“Sure…” she said, giggling more. Kaoru blushed and scratched the back of her head. She glanced up at Kenshin, only to find him turning back to his tea. She sighed and looked at Kayko. Green eyes stared at her knowingly. Kaoru blinked.
“What?” She asked. Kayko giggled.
“Oh nothing…”
‘’’
The week passed by quickly. On Monday, Kaoru found herself sitting in Kayko’s room, watching her pace around talking about a party she planned to throw her.
“We can do it at Kenshin’s! He has a pool, a hot tub, and big house! It’s perfect!” Kayko yelled.
“Kayko you don’t…” Kayko cut her off, not listening.
“We can invite Sano, Yahiko, Misao, Tae, Tsubame! It’ll be so much fun!”
“Kayko…”
“There can be games! Oh I can make steak!”
“Kayko…”
“And I can make you a big cake! Oh my goodness I’m so excited!”
“Kayko!” Kaoru yelled. Kayko blinked and turned her attention to the girl sitting on her bed. “I’m flattered and touched, but you don’t need to do all that. I small dinner would be just fine,” Kaoru told her. Kayko blinked.
“But that’s no fun! I want your 18th birthday to be special!” She said, smiling at her. Letting out a small sigh, Kaoru nodded her head and gave in. Squealing loudly, Kayko went on with her party plans.
‘’’
Well that’s the end of this chapter! Once again I’m really really REALLY am sorry for taking so long to update! I’m gonna try to get better! Review and I’ll try to get the next chapter in about a week!
~Safrin~
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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters, although I do own Kayko. She is a character that I based off on one of my closest friends. I will tell you now; Megumi and Sano do not get together. I'm sorry to those who like the SanoXMegumi, but this is not one. There will be one main character I will make up, and she will be with Sano. In this story, Megumi is way too old for Sano, although I'm thinking of putting her with Hiko. Lol. That will be interesting. If you think I should, leave some reviews and we'll see what happens. Also, Yahiko is older in this story. He's not like…11, 12, or how old he is. Lol. Hope you like it!
‘’’
After turning off the last light in the household, Kenshin began walking off to his room. It’s been only a few hours since he had saved Kaoru from that run in with the street thugs, and now she was sleeping peacefully in one of the guest bedrooms.
As he made his way down the hall, he heard a whimper come from the door on the left. He stopped a few feet from it, before turning and looking at the door. Did that come from the room Kaoru was in? Kenshin opened the door slowly and stuck his head in. Kaoru was on her back with the covers tangled up in her legs, perspiration seemed to cover her whole body, making her clothes and hair stick, and her face looked as though she was in agony. Kenshin instantly knew she was having a nightmare. He had seen it many times with Kayko when she use to have them. He sat on the edge of the bed and shook Kaoru’s shoulder gently.
“Kaoru-dono…” he whispered. She groaned lightly and her head turned to face the wall away from Kenshin. “Kaoru-dono…” he said again a little louder, shaking her shoulder again. Kaoru turned her head again, now facing Kenshin and mumbled something lightly, but Kenshin still heard it.
“Daddy no…” Kenshin’s eyes narrowed. ‘She’s dreaming about her father?’ Kenshin shook her again, but a little rougher.
“Kaoru-dono wake up.” Kaoru whimpered and started shaking. She began speaking again, but louder.
“Daddy stop it!! I didn’t mean to, it was an accident!! Please!” She shouted. Kenshin’s eyes widen. Kaoru began to shake violently, as if she was being electrocuted. She sobbed loudly and started thrashing around, like she was trying to get out of someone’s grasp. Kenshin pulled her up into his lap and held her. Kaoru shoved against his chest and cried louder. “Stop it!! Leave me alone!” Kenshin held her tighter and started to rock from side to side, as he had done many times when Kayko had dreams like this. He started whispering quietly in her ear, trying what ever he could to calm her down.
After a few minutes passed, Kaoru began to calm down. Her yelling had stopped, her shaking had seized, and she was now calmly sitting in Kenshin’s lap. Kenshin had his arms tight around her, his right hand running his fingers through her hair while he rested his head on top of hers. Kaoru murmured one last thing, and completely relaxed against him. Kenshin lifted his head and looked at her. She was now sleeping calmly, her head resting on his shoulder. Kenshin sighed and slowly laid her back down on the bed. He watched her for a minute, brushing the hair from her face. He got up and tucked the covers around her, then headed over to the door. He turned to look at her one last time before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.
‘’’
Sun shined through the windows around the house. Kaoru groaned in annoyance, covering her face with her hand to block out the sun. She slowly got out of bed and walked towards the window. Closing the curtains firmly, she looked around the room confused. This was not her hotel room. She then remembered last night’s events and smiled a bit. She was in Kenshin’s house. She yawned and made her way to the door. She stopped at the end of the hall and took a deep breath. Something smelt good. Kaoru smiled and walked into the kitchen. Kenshin stood by the stove. The smell of eggs and bacon filled Kaoru’s senses. She stopped in the doorway and watched him. He sure seemed to know what he was doing. He had bacon in one pan cooking, and was whisking eggs in another. She smiled and walked over, her footsteps quiet.
“Morning.” Kaoru stopped and blinked. ‘”How did he know I was awake?’ Kenshin turned and looked at her smiling. “I heard you come in,” he answered as if he had read her mind. Kaoru tilted her head to the side.
“You did? I didn’t think I was being that loud,” she said. Kenshin chuckled and turned back to the food.
“You weren’t. I just have very good hearing, that I do,” he said back, placing the eggs and bacon on a plate. He set the plate down at the table and began to make one for himself. Kaoru sat down as Kenshin was setting his plate down next to her, as well as another plate across from her that only had bacon on it. Kaoru blinked at it before looking at Kenshin.
“Why did you set a third down? Is someone coming?” Kenshin smiled and took a seat.
“I guess you could say that. Its not planned or what not, she just tends to…” Kaoru felt a sudden whoosh of air and before she knew it, Kayko was sitting across from her, nibbling lightly on a piece of bacon. “…Pop up when she smells bacon,” Kenshin finished. He began eating his food. Kaoru just kept looking at Kayko.
“How did you..?” Kayko smiled.
“I love bacon!! I can smell if for miles! Best stuff EVER! By the way Kaoru if you don’t mind me asking why are you here at Kenshin’s?” Kayko asked with a smile, her head tilting to the side innocently. Kaoru blushed and told her last night’s incident. Kayko’s smile dropped little by little as Kaoru told the story. By the end of it, she was frowning lightly. Kaoru watched her quietly, her gaze flickering to Kenshin before turning back to Kayko. Kenshin seemed to be watching Kayko closely. Kayko laced her fingers together and rested her head on top of them. “That’s weird,” she finally said. Kaoru looked at her confused.
“Why is that weird?” She asked. Kayko looked at her.
“Well we don’t have a bad gang problem here, that we don’t,” Kenshin answered. Both girls turned their attention to him. “Gangs aren’t big in this town. The last big gang was the one Sano was in and that was a while back.” Kaoru blinked at him.
“Sano was in a gang?” She asked. Kayko and Kenshin nodded. “How did he get out of it?” She asked. Kenshin smiled and looked over at Kayko, who was quietly nibbling on a piece of bacon, looking up at the ceiling innocently. Kenshin chuckled and looked back at Kaoru.
“Let’s just say he was persuaded.”
‘’’
In a house across the street, three men sat in a kitchen looking out the window. Two sat at the table, the other stood next to the window.
“My she’s grown,” said the first one, looking at the man sitting across from him at the table. The second one rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“I don’t understand why I am here,” the second one said. “She’s your problem, not mine. I have more important things to do.” The first one chuckled.
“You are here because you agreed to come help me get her back,” the first one said again.
“No. I agreed to help you find her, not help you get her back.”
“Still. I am going to need your help. He is going to be a problem,” the first one said again, glaring at the man in the house across the street. The second man looked and his eyes narrowed to slits.
“Heh…I do believe I will help after all.” The first one smiled.
“When do we take action,” the first one asked, looking to the man standing at the window. The third one turned to the other two, then back to the window.
“She has a new friend. A very attractive one at that…” he said quietly. The two men sitting at the table got up and moved to the window. They looked at the girl they had been chasing after for many years. They watched as another girl came into the room. The second one, very slowly started to laugh. The other two men looked at him.
“What’s so funny?” The first one asked in an irritated voice. Second one calmed down his chuckles before he calmed down.
“That girl, I haven’t seen her in years.” The two other men looked at him weird.
“You know her?” The first one asked. The second one nodded.
“I do indeed. Her and I…I guess you can say have a history. I would just love to get reacquainted with her again,” the second one said. The first one smiled and looked back at the third man.
“When do we take action?” He asked again. The third one just watched the tree figures in the house across the street move into a different room and out of sight.
‘’’
Hours later, Kaoru, Kayko, and Kenshin were sitting in the living room, silent. Kaoru was sitting on the floor, somewhat facing the couch, her phone in her lap. Kayko was sitting across from her and Kenshin was on the couch in the middle of the two of them.
“Kaoru you need to call her. She’s probably worried sick,” Kayko said. Kaoru looked at her, then down at her phone.
“Kayko’s right, Kaoru-dono,” Kenshin said quietly. Kaoru sighed and picked up her phone. She saw that she had 87 missed calls. ‘Damn Megumi…’ Kaoru thought. She dialed in the number and placed the phone to her ear. It only made it halfway through the first ring.
“Omg Kaoru! Thank goodness! You gave me a heart attack when you didn’t come back last night? Where are you? Are you ok? Oh I’m so sorry Kaoru I should have never brought up the conversation!” Megumi said panicky over the phone.
“Megumi calm down. I’m fine. I’m over at Kenshin’s with him and Kayko,” Kaoru said, trying to calm her down. She heard the woman on the other line go quiet.
“Kenshin’s?” Megumi asked.
“Yeah,” said Kaoru. “After our…um…disagreement, I called him and he came and got me.” Kaoru told Megumi about the whole gang incident. Megumi was silent for several minutes. Kaoru began to bite her lip in anticipation. When Megumi finally spoke, her words surprised the worried girl.
“Kaoru…If…. you are ready to leave, we will pack tonight, and leave tomorrow morning…” Megumi said quietly, so quiet that Kaoru had barely caught it. Kaoru blinked in shock. Megumi was suggesting leaving? Kaoru frowned light. She knew how much Megumi liked it here, but taking the offer was very tempting. Kaoru wasn’t ready to settle down in a place. She was still too afraid.
“I wanna stay a little longer,” Kaoru said quietly. Megumi went silent over the connection once again.
“You…want to stay?” Megumi asked quietly after a while. Kaoru bit her lower lip.
“Well I don’t mean for good. I just don’t want to leave yet.” Kayko and Kenshin smiled in the background. Kaoru could tell Megumi was smiling.
“That’s completely fine with me, Kaoru. Whatever you wanna do,” she said. Kaoru smiled.
“Thanks Megumi. I’ll call you later,” Kaoru told her.
“Alright. Stay safe,” Megumi told her. Kaoru smiled.
“I will. Promise.” With that she hung up the phone and turned and looked at the other two. Kayko seemed to be thinking and Kenshin was watching her silently. Out of nowhere, before Kaoru could even register what was happening, a big yellow ball of fur tackled her to the floor. She let out yelp and fell flat on her back. She heard Kayko gasp as she sat up. Kaoru rubbed her head a bit and looked to see what had tackled her. She blinked when she found herself nose to nose with a golden retriever.
“Buddy!” Kenshin screamed. “Bad dog!!” Buddy wagged his tail and started to lick Kaoru’s face all over. Kaoru laughed and started to pet him.
“Awww hello there! Aren’t you a cutie?” Kaoru cooed, rubbing her nose against Buddy’s. Buddy’s tail wagged even more and he barked happily. Kenshin smiled as he watched the two of them. Kayko got up and walked over.
“Down Buddy let her breath,” Kayko said, giggling. Buddy barked and got off Kaoru, running over to Kenshin and jumping up. Kenshin smiled and pat him lightly, looking at Kaoru.
“Sorry about him. He loves people,” he said as Kayko helped Kaoru back to her feet. Kaoru smiled at him.
“That’s alright. I love animals and he’s adorable,” Kaoru said smiling big as she scratched behind Buddy’s ears. “I didn’t know you have a dog.” Kenshin smiled.
“He likes to run off. Most of the time he is out bugging Sano.” Buddy barked and Kaoru giggled.
“He’s adorable. Well I think I’m going to call Megumi back and ask her to come get me. I’ma go change clothes at the hotel and relax a bit,” Kaoru said, looking at Kenshin and Kayko. The two nodded and watched as Kaoru walked out of the room to call Megumi. Once she was out of sight, Kayko turned and looked at Kenshin.
“Alright spill, what’s up?” Kenshin looked at her and blinked.
“What?” He asked. Kayko rolled her eyes.
“Don’t play dumb. I know you better then anyone, other then Hiko. Something happened last night.” Kayko crossed her arms. Kenshin sighed.
“Yes something did.” Kayko gasped.
“You two didn’t…” Kenshin looked at her with wide eyes.
“No nothing inmate Kayko. She had a nightmare, that she did.” Kayko blinked.
“She…she had a nightmare?” Kayko repeated. Kenshin nodded.
“Yes. It wasn’t like any other nightmare. It…was like the ones that you have had when you were younger,” he said. Kayko stared at him.
“The…the ones like mine?” Kenshin nodded. “But…” Kayko stopped has Kenshin put his hand up. Soon after Kaoru came back into the room. She walked over to them.
“She’s going to be here in a few minutes.” Kayko smiled at her.
“After you’ve relaxed at your hotel for a bit, you want to come to my house and hang out a bit? It will be fun,” Kayko said smiling bigger. Kaoru smiled back and nodded.
“Sure why not.” Kaoru held out her phone. “Put your number in, I haven’t gotten it yet. Kayko smiled and handed Kaoru hers. They put their numbers in the others phones and swapped back. Shortly after, the horn of a car was heard, signaling Megumi’s arrive. “That’s Megumi. I’ll see you guys later.” Kaoru waved as she walked out the door. Kenshin smiled and Kayko waved back. Kaoru shut the door behind her and walked over to the car. Megumi smiled at her.
“Have a fun night?” She asked as Kaoru go in the passenger’s seat. Kaoru raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not like anything happened. He was a very good gentleman,” She replied. Megumi rolled her eyes, smiling as she drove back to the hotel.
“How much longer do you want to stay?” Megumi asked. Kaoru smiled.
“I don’t know. I didn’t really think about how long I wanted to stay. I just don’t want to leave in a week or so. I like it to much here.” Megumi smiled.
“I do, too. The people here are nice, you have made plenty of friends,” Megumi said, looking at her. Kaoru smiled. “Got yourself a crush too.” Kaoru looked at her as Megumi turned her eyes back to the road.
“I don’t have a crush,” she lied. Megumi snorted and looked at her for a split second before looking back at the road.
“Sure. You can’t lie to me Kaoru.” Kaoru rolled her eyes, smiling.
“Alright, maybe a little bit of a crush, but that’s all it is. I still barley know the guy.” Megumi nodded.
“There for you should get to know him,” Megumi retorted. Kaoru blushed slightly.
‘’’
Shortly after Kaoru leaving, Kayko found herself sitting by Kenshin’s pool, deep in thought. Kenshin walked out and sat next to her, watching her legs kick back and forth in the water. They sat in silence for several minutes. Finally Kenshin turned his head to look at her.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked, breaking the silence. Kayko stopped moving her legs, continuing to stare at the water. Kenshin placed his hand on her shoulder when she didn’t respond. “Kayko?” She turned her head slowly and looked at him, her eyes showing no emotion. “What are you thinking about?” He repeated. She turned her head to look at the water again.
“You said she had a nightmare…. Like how I use to have them…” She finally answered. Kenshin nodded his head. “That scares me…” she spoke again, gaining a confused look by the man sitting next to her.
“Why is that?” He asked. Kayko turned and looked at him again, her eyes not completely focusing on him.
“It just explains so much…why she doesn’t want to stay here, why she travels so much…why she’s afraid of men or freaks out when someone brings up her past. That’s what I use to do before I moved on. Remember that?” Kenshin nodded his head. “Something happened to her…don’t know what, but whatever it is, we need to show her she can trust us. We can’t let her go through what I did.” Kenshin took her hand lightly, holding it between his.
“Kayko what happened to you was a long time ago. It’s in the past…” He said, trying to sooth his friend. When she finally focused her eyes completely on him, they hardened.
“You can’t just forget being beaten by your father, Kenshin.” She snapped. The young man sighed.
“I never said you could. I’m saying that what happened was in the past and you shouldn’t worry about it.” Kayko snatched her hand away and looked back at the water.
“The past can come back to haunt you. You should know that from experience,” she said, her voice hard. Shortly after saying, she regretted it. Sighing she turned to look at the man who had saved her through so much. “I’m sorry Kenshin. I shouldn’t have said that, it was out of line.” Kenshin didn’t speak. He stood up and looked at her.
“You should not take your anger or frustration out on others, Kayko,” he said quietly. Kayko nodded and got up slowly. “Everyone has a past they do not wish to think about or that they are afraid of. One must learn to get over that fear, even if you will never forget.” Kayko placed her hands on her hips.
“I have gotten over it!” She yelled. Kenshin just stared at her.
“Have you?” He said, still speaking above a whisper. Hard green eyes locked with soft violet ones. Suddenly Kayko felt like she was a little girl all over again. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, holding back tears.
“I’ve been having nightmares recently. The ones I use to have,” the young girl confessed. Kenshin stayed silent for a moment before speaking.
“Have you told Hiko?” Kayko shook her head.
“I’m afraid to…”
“Why?” He asked. Kayko opened her eyes and looked at him.
“I want to believe that everything is alright…prove that I’m not afraid.” Kenshin didn’t speak. Silence filled the air for several minutes. Still not speaking Kenshin opened his arms. Not a second later, Kayko bolted herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “What if they mean he’s coming? What if he appears and takes me away? I can’t go back with him, I just can’t! He’ll kill me!” She sobbed. Kenshin held her close and sighed.
“If he does return, you’re fully protected. He will not take you, I promise.” Kayko nodded and clung to him tighter, letting go of all the emotions from her recent nightmares into tears.
‘’’
Several weeks passed since Kaoru and Megumi had arrived at the small town. It seemed as though Kaoru couldn’t bring herself to leave. Everyday she spent here; she grew closer and closer to the teens and the young man that lived there. In her hotel room, Kaoru sat on the bottom of the bathroom tub, thinking to herself as she let the hot water drench her. The past few weeks had been amazing for her. She spent almost every day with Kayko and Misao, whether it was shopping, hanging in the park or at the Akebeko, or just sitting in Kayko’s room watching movies. On the days Misao was out of town and Kayko was with Sano, Kaoru spent her time at Kenshin’s. Smiling lightly, she let her thoughts drift off to the violet-eyed man. She never thought she would meet a man like him. He was the exact opposite of what she though a man was. She thought all men were rude, greedy, disgusting, and all around pigs, but no. Kenshin was different. He was sweet, kind, caring, and a perfect gentleman. So lost in her thoughts, she jumped slightly when she heard a knock on the bathroom door.
“Kaoru? Are you still in there?” She heard Megumi ask from the other side.
“Yes Megumi…” She said over the water. There was a small silence before the woman finally answered.
“I need to speak with you when you get out of the shower,” she spoke. Kaoru blinked with confusion.
“Alright I’ll be out in a moment,” she said. There was no reply. Slowly getting up, Kaoru shut off the water, stepping out of the tub slowly. She grabbed one of the pure while hotel towels and wrapped it around herself. Grabbing her brush on the way out, she walked out into the hotel room, brushing the tangles from her hair. She stopped in mid step when she saw Megumi sitting on the bed, staring at the hands in her lap. Kaoru gulped lightly. She set her brush on one of the hotel desks before walking over to her bag to get clothes. “What’s up?” She asked, getting dressed quickly. Megumi looked up and turned her head to her. Kaoru sat next her on the bed, fully dressed. “Are you okay?” She asked, getting slightly worried. Megumi smiled.
“I’m great,” she giggled, “Um…Hiko…asked me to be his girlfriend.” Kaoru squealed and hugged her.
“Megumi that’s great! I’m so happy for you!” Megumi smiled and hugged back, before frowning.
“I’m glad you are happy, but I turned him down,” she said quietly. Kaoru blinked, pulling away and looking at her.
“But…why?” Megumi put her hand on the young girls cheek.
“There would be no point. We aren’t going to be here forever, Kao.” Kaoru stared at her confused for a moment. Suddenly she understood. They would be leaving soon, so Megumi and Hiko couldn’t be together. Kaoru stood up and walked over to the window, looking out. It was her fault. She was the reason Megumi said no. She suddenly felt horrible. “Do not blame yourself, Kao,” Megumi spoke quietly. The girl didn’t speak. Megumi sighed and looked at the wall. “We should pack up. We’ve been here a month and a half. If we pack now we can leave in the morning…” There was silence for several minutes.
“My birthday is next week,” Kaoru spoke, making Megumi look at her. “I’d like to stay here for my birthday. After that we can talk about leaving.” The woman smiled and nodded.
“Alright Kaoru, we’ll do that.” She got up and kissed the blue-eyed girl’s forehead, before turning to the door and grabbing her keys. “I’m going to lunch with Hiko. Are you going to stay here?” She asked. Kaoru shook her head.
“No…Kenshin and I are supposed to hang out.” Megumi smiled.
“Have fun and be safe. Call me around dinner.” Kaoru stayed quiet, listening to Megumi open and close the hotel room door. Slowly, she crossed the room and picked up her phone, dialing Kenshin’s number. Three rings passed before he answered.
“Hello?” Smiling at his voice, Kaoru sat on one of the bed.
“Hey,” she responded, “What are you doing?”
“Working,” he answered. She could hear typing in the background. She frowned lightly.
“Aw dang, I was hoping to come over.” Kenshin chuckled through the phone.
“I’ll pick you up in five minutes.” Kaoru smiled.
“See you then,” she said, before saying a quick bye and hanging up.
‘’’
“I’m bored.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Entertain me.”
“I’m busy.”
“I’m bored.”
“That sucks.”
“I’m bored.”
“So I’ve heard.” There was silence.
“I’m bored.”
“Kayko Damnit!” Hiko said annoyed, looking at her. Kayko smiled innocently. “If you’re so bored, go do something!” Kayko tapped her chin with her finger.
“Nah I wanted to spend time with my daddy!” She said, jumping into his lap. Hiko sighed in annoyance.
“I’m trying to get these work papers done before I meet up with Megumi. Go hang out with Sano or something, maybe the idiot. Or here’s an idea, go hang out with Kaoru, you and her haven’t hung out in a while.” Kayko blinked. He was right; she hadn’t hung out with Kaoru in a while. For the past few weeks she had been with Sano.
“You know old man, that’s a great idea!” She said, jumping up to grab her phone. Hiko sighed in relief. Kayko skipped outside to her car, dialing Kaoru’s number.
“Hello?” Kaoru answered after the third ring. Kayko smiled, getting into her car.
“Hey! What are you up to?” She asked, starting the car up and pulling out of the driveway.
“I’m at Kenshin’s.” Kayko blinked, letting a sly smile creep onto her face.
“Are you now? What are you two doing?” She asked. Her friend snorted over the phone.
“I know what went through your head, get your mind out of the gutter. I’m sitting watching him work. Not very exciting.” Kayko heard Kenshin comment in the background, but didn’t quite understand what he had said. She heard Kaoru giggle and smiled. ‘Those two are so going to end up together,’ the brunette thought.
“Well tell Kenshin I’m heading over. I’m bored and I wanna hang out with you ‘cause I haven’t seen you in a few weeks.” Kaoru giggled through the phone.
“Sounds good. See you in a few.” Kayko smiled and hung up, driving towards Kenshin’s house.
‘’’
Kaoru hung up her phone and looked at Kenshin, who was still typing away on his computer. She smiled, and got up, walking over to him. He looked up at her as she peered over his shoulder.
“What are you typing?” She asked. Kenshin smiled and looked at the screen.
“I’m working on the company finances. They are not fun, that they aren’t,” he answered. Kaoru giggled.
“They don’t look fun.” She turned and sat down on the desk next to the computer. Kenshin raised an eyebrow at her. “What?” She asked. “It’s sturdy,” she giggled, smiling at him. The young man chuckled, turning back to the computer. Kaoru smile faded as she thought back to her and Megumi’s conversation earlier on that day. Kenshin sensed her sudden mood change and looked at her.
“Kaoru-dono? Are you alright?” He asked gently. Kaoru looked at him and smiled slightly.
“I’m leaving in two weeks,” she answered. Kenshin frowned. Nervously, she looked at her hands in her lap. “My birthday is next week, after that I’m leaving.”
“Hiko and Kayko will be sad you and Megumi-dono are leaving, that they will,” he said quietly. Kaoru looked up at him.
“Megumi isn’t coming with me…” she whispered. It was so low that Kenshin’s ears barely picked up on it. He blinked in confusion.
“What do you mean?” He asked. Kaoru gave a sad smile.
“Hiko asked Megumi to be his girlfriend, and she turned him down because of me. When I turn 18, I’ll be old enough to take care of myself. I can leave and she won’t have to come with me. She can stay here and be happy.” Kenshin sighed and got up from his seat. Blue eyes followed him as he walked out of his office. Kaoru blinked before sliding off the desk and following after him. She found him in the kitchen making tea. Crossing her arms, she watched him move around the kitchen. “Kenshin?” He stopped and looked at her. Kaoru looked at him confused. Sighing, the young man made his way over to her.
“Have you spoken to Megumi about this?” Kaoru shook her head. “Do you think she will approve?” She shook her head again. Kenshin sighed. “Kaoru-dono, do you really want to leave?” Kaoru stared at him for a moment.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
“Why are you so keen on leaving so soon?” Kaoru didn’t answer. “You know you can stay, if you truly want to.” Still there was silence. Kenshin sighed lightly and turned back to the water he was waiting to boil. He was on his way to grab two cups when he heard the teen speak.
“I’m afraid…” she answered. Kenshin stopped and turned to her. Kaoru had her head down, looking at her feet.
“Of what?” He asked. She didn’t answer. Kenshin walked over to her, placing his hand under her chin and lifting her face up so she would look at him. Blue clashed with violet. “What are you afraid of?” He asked again quietly. Kaoru stared at him for a moment.
“I’m afraid…” she stopped. Both of them turned their heads to find Kayko looking at them from the kitchen door way. In a flash, Kenshin stepped back about a two feet. Kayko let a sly smile creep onto her face.
“Am I interrupting something?” She giggled.
“No.” Kenshin and Kaoru answered at the same time. Kayko’s smile grew more.
“Sure…” she said, giggling more. Kaoru blushed and scratched the back of her head. She glanced up at Kenshin, only to find him turning back to his tea. She sighed and looked at Kayko. Green eyes stared at her knowingly. Kaoru blinked.
“What?” She asked. Kayko giggled.
“Oh nothing…”
‘’’
The week passed by quickly. On Monday, Kaoru found herself sitting in Kayko’s room, watching her pace around talking about a party she planned to throw her.
“We can do it at Kenshin’s! He has a pool, a hot tub, and big house! It’s perfect!” Kayko yelled.
“Kayko you don’t…” Kayko cut her off, not listening.
“We can invite Sano, Yahiko, Misao, Tae, Tsubame! It’ll be so much fun!”
“Kayko…”
“There can be games! Oh I can make steak!”
“Kayko…”
“And I can make you a big cake! Oh my goodness I’m so excited!”
“Kayko!” Kaoru yelled. Kayko blinked and turned her attention to the girl sitting on her bed. “I’m flattered and touched, but you don’t need to do all that. I small dinner would be just fine,” Kaoru told her. Kayko blinked.
“But that’s no fun! I want your 18th birthday to be special!” She said, smiling at her. Letting out a small sigh, Kaoru nodded her head and gave in. Squealing loudly, Kayko went on with her party plans.
‘’’
Well that’s the end of this chapter! Once again I’m really really REALLY am sorry for taking so long to update! I’m gonna try to get better! Review and I’ll try to get the next chapter in about a week!
~Safrin~
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