Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Flight of the Wounded Dove ❯ Aftermath ( Chapter 7 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Shaeya Sedjet Namir 
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.18.2007 | Updated On: 06.21.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 456 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.18.2007 | Updated On: 06.21.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 456 | Status: Work In Progress
A Note From Sedjet: Hey, kids! Betcha didn’t think I would update so soon. Didja? Didja?! Ha! I surprised you. To tell you the truth, I have severe writer’s block. I had everything until the previous chapter already written. Now, I’m just stuck. I don’t know where to go. So, this chapter is a test run. I want some serious feedback for it. Please tell me what you think. I need suggestions, because I am totally tapped for ideas at this point.
Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming to own any sort of right to Rurouni Kenshin! I just like to pretend that I am god and bend the characters to my will. Mwahahaha!!! Ahem. Kenshin and his friends actually belong to Noburhiro Watsuki.
Flight of the Wounded Dove:
Chapter Seven
Aftermath
Kenshin opened his door and escaped into the sanctuary of the western-style bedroom. He had almost given up total control (of his own volition) to the Battousai, and it frightened him. He did not know if a second intimate encounter with Kaoru would be possible without him willingly surrendering all control to the Battousai. He wanted to be a gentleman. He did not want to dishonour Kaoru before he had the chance to make her his wife. He did not want her to have any regrets if she decided he was not what she wanted after all. He would hate himself forever if he spoiled her chances for a happy life—even if it would turn out that she chose someone else.
Besides, the Battousai added, she is nowhere near being ready for anything I have planned to do to her. Was the Battousai pouting again? I don’t pout, he growled, I brood, he pouted. But how could you resist doing things like this with that amazing woman? And she is just a closed door away…
Kenshin restrained himself from clutching at his head like a mad man. However, the lewd images being forced upon him by Battousai were enough to make any man past adolescence go mad with want. Kenshin whimpered, trying to force away the images of a gloriously naked Kaoru with blissful ecstasy softening her delicate features.
Kenshin made up his mind then and there that he could never be alone with Kaoru again. He would have to make sure they were around other people at all times.
As much as I am loathe to admit it, that is probably the wisest course of action, the Battousai conceded. The rurouni was still out cold and had been gagged and bound and thrown deep into the closeted recesses of Kenshin’s mind. Kenshin was on his own.
~*~
Kaoru woke in the night with a start. She wondered if her wonderful day had merely been a cruel dream. She sat in bed, chewing on her lip and debating whether or not she should get out of bed and possibly make a fool of herself by knocking on Kenshin’s door. After a moment of deliberation, she decided that knowing was far better than not knowing, and so, got up and left her room. She stood a the threshold of her room for a moment, deciding which room was Kenshin’s, seeing that he neglected to tell her which room he was staying with. All he had said was that he was next door to her. She took a deep breath and decided that his room was the one to the right of her own. She reasoned that his protective arm—his sword arm—was the right, so it must be that his room was on the right. In any case, it was a fifty/fifty chance. That being decided, she took a deep breath and prepared herself to knock on the door.
If he’s there, it means it wasn’t just a dream. It means that he does love me, she assured herself.
She walked over to the room to the left of hers and hesitated in front of the door for a moment, before raising her hand to knock. She took a moment to collect herself and took a deep, steadying breath. Then, she raised her hand and knocked softly, waiting for a response. When she received none, she knocked again, a bit louder. Still no answer.
“Kenshin?” she querried softly to the unopened door. “Kenshin, are you in there?” Still, she received no answer.
Panic began to take over her, and she backed away from the, horrified. How could she have created such a wonderful dream world just to wake up and discover the tragedy of its falseness?! She lowered her head and a choked sob burst from her throat. She sank to her knees, using the wall as her support. She had finally lost her mind. She had created the perfect reality in which her beloved Rurouni had revealed his feelings for her, and now she had to face the truth. He had never been there. It had all been wishful dreaming.
“Kaoru?!” A frantic voice filtered through her despairing thoughts.
She looked up, and there he was, bare-chested, with his sword drawn. He took in her disheveled state. He also noted the thinness of her yukata and the chill of the hallway. He crossed the distance between them in a few rushed strides and sank to his knees beside her. “What is wrong, koishii?” he soothed, brushing stray strands of hair from her face.
She clutched desperately at him, “I knocked, and you weren’t there. I thought you were a dream,” she whispered hoarsely.
Kenshin’s arms went around her instinctively, hugging her to him, “Please do not cry, Kaoru. I am here. You just knocked on the wrong door. It is my fault for not being specific about which room I was staying in. None of what happened today was a dream, koishii. I am here, and I am very real. Do not doubt it.” He kissed the top of her head.
She nodded against his chest, sniffling.
“Now, you need to get back to bed. You need your rest.” He caressed her hair, “Rest, and I will bring you breakfast in the morning. How does that sound?”
She nodded vaguely, and he frowned worriedly, “I will put you to bed.” He lifted her into his arms and carefully rose from his seated position. Thankfully, her door was slightly ajar, and he was able to shoulder it open. He carried her to the large, western style bed and deposited her gently amid the rumpled linens. He tucked the sheets and the fluffy comforter in around her and smoothed back her hair. “Sleep now, koishii, and I will return in the morning.” He bent to kiss her forehead, “Oyasumi.”
She yawned, snuggling into her little nest of blankets, “Oyasumi, Kenshin,” she murmured as her eyes drifted shut.
~*~
When Kaoru woke the next morning, it was because a calloused hand was tracing the features of her face. She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to get the world into focus. When her eyes finally decided to focus, she found herself gazing into a pair of amethyst eyes that were gazing back at her, offering all the love he had to give her.
“Good morning, koishii,” he whispered lovingly.
“Good morning. Why are you whispering? I am already awake,” she whispered back.
“I did not want to break the spell.”
“What spell?”
“The spell I am under. The one you, yourself cast upon me.”
She smiled softly, a bit shyly. “I like this new Kenshin. I like it when you pay me complements.” She sat up and her yukata slipped off one pale, slim shoulder. Kenshin’s gaze went from loving to burning with desire in one instant. He closed his eyes, fighting for control. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and reached over to drape the fabric back over her slim shoulder. It took every ounce of control he had not to rip the thin garment from her body and ravish her then and there.
He cleared his throat, “I brought you breakfast, as I promised.” He turned and reached for a bowl from the tray he had brought with him and handed it to her.
She smiled like the sun rising, “Thank you, Kenshin,” she murmured, accepting the bowl of miso gratefully.
Kenshin reached for his own bowl and moved to the chair beside Kaoru’s bed. The couple ate in companionable silence, and Kaoru never took her gaze away from watching Kenshin. She watched him eat with wistful smile on her face. She wondered what it would be like if they could be like this every morning—no one else. Just the two of them breaking fast together. Perhaps they would have breakfast in bed. It was incredibly intimate, and the thought made her blush. She scolded her self for getting way ahead of the situation. With her luck, Kenshin would never even propose marriage to her. He could be so weak-willed when it came to admitting his feelings. He had always felt unworthy of her somehow. But he had been behaving very differently since Kaoru had left. He had been overly generous with complements, not that she minded at all. He was trying so hard to make up for making her feel bad, and the thought warmed Kaoru.
“A penny for your thoughts, koishii?” her battle-scarred warrior’s soft voice penetrated her musings.
She looked up at him and smiled into his eyes, “I was thinking about how different you have been since you have been here. You have been so wonderful. I was thinking that I want it to always be this way between us. I do not want to go back to the polite tip-toeing around our feelings. I was thinking how nice it would be to have breakfast together like this every morning.”
He moved to sit next to her on the bed, “Kaoru—“
“I know. You do not have to tell me that it is inappropriate for us to be alone like this. Frankly, I do not give one good goddamn. We never spend any time together without the free-loader or Megumi or Sano or some crazy enemy dropping in on us. I want to be alone with you. I like knowing that you are as vulnerable around me as I am around you. I like just being able to look at you and talk to you. It makes me feel like we are the only two people in the world and that nothing else matters.” She paused for a moment, “Aishiteru.” She looked down at her hands, “I am so afraid that this is going to end once we all return to Tokyo.” She returned her gaze from her hands to his face, “I want it to be like this forever, this newness. I do not want you to go back to being the rurouni. He is so spineless, and I get so frustrated—“ her tirade was halted by the warm press of his fingers against her lips.
“I do not want things to go back to what they were before. When I saw you here for the first time, I knew that I had been given a chance to make things right between us. I decided that it was time to stop hiding my feelings if it was causing you pain, and I decided that it was time to be completely honest with you. I can be very thoughtless, but I will try to be conscious of your feelings always. I do not ever want you to doubt that I love you will all of my heart.” He lowered his gaze. He could not look at her for what he had to say next, “But I want what is best for you. So, if you think that being with me is what is best, then I will accept your judgment. I want you to be able to go on with your life with no regrets.”
“Look at me,” she whispered, “Have I ever let any man see me in my yukata without throttling him?” She smiled, and her smile was infectious.
Kenshin chuckled and leaned in to kiss her softly, “I also made another promise—one which I broke this morning,” he smiled.
“And what was that?” she prompted.
“I promised myself that I would not be alone with you until you were absolutely sure I am what you want,” he smiled at her sheepishly.
“Baka,” she scolded softly, “How could you doubt for a moment that I would want anyone but you?”
“You are young. As I said before, I thought you might have regrets. I have a very bloody past, and I do not want to taint you with that. You will always be in danger. Is that the kind of life you want?”
“It is the kind of life I have been living every day since I met you, have you heard me complaining about it? I am just as much in danger whether we are together or not. Everyone else caught on to your feelings long before either of us did,” she smiled ruefully. “I am not afraid of what is to come if we are together. I am more afraid of what will happen if we are not together.”
He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers, “I am so glad to hear you say that, koishii.” He took a steadying breath. “Knowing that you feel that way, I have a question that has been burning in my mind for some time now.” She just stared at him expectantly. “You are not going to make this easy on me, are you?” When she just stared at him quizzically, he sighed. “Will you be my wife, Kaoru?”
Kaoru’s mouth dropped to the comforter. Her mind had been racing around the many things it could be that he would ask, the very last of which was a proposal. She tried for a full thirty seconds to articulate any coherent thought, but it was not possible. Kenshin watched her go through shock, disbelief and finally, joy. It was an overwhelming joy that filled him as well, for from her reaction, he determined that her answer was yes.
“I think I will take that as a yes?” he ventured and smiled when she nodded emphatically. “Are you sure, koishii?”
She nodded emphatically, “Baka!” She nearly tackled him, and they fell backwards onto the bed. He rolled her onto her side and held her. For long moments, they did not speak. They just lay there, each enjoying the feeling of knowing they would soon belong to each other forever.
Finally, Kenshin broke the silence, “We will need to choose a ring.”
“I do not care about a ring, Kenshin. As long as I have you, I have all that I need.”
His only response was to hold her tightly, thanking the gods that he had not ruined things between them.
TBC...
Author’s Note: Ok. So, I really hate this chapter. Personally, I think it sucks. If anyone has any ideas, DEAR GODS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! There has to be a better way!
Flight of the Wounded Dove:
Chapter Seven
Aftermath
Kenshin opened his door and escaped into the sanctuary of the western-style bedroom. He had almost given up total control (of his own volition) to the Battousai, and it frightened him. He did not know if a second intimate encounter with Kaoru would be possible without him willingly surrendering all control to the Battousai. He wanted to be a gentleman. He did not want to dishonour Kaoru before he had the chance to make her his wife. He did not want her to have any regrets if she decided he was not what she wanted after all. He would hate himself forever if he spoiled her chances for a happy life—even if it would turn out that she chose someone else.
Besides, the Battousai added, she is nowhere near being ready for anything I have planned to do to her. Was the Battousai pouting again? I don’t pout, he growled, I brood, he pouted. But how could you resist doing things like this with that amazing woman? And she is just a closed door away…
Kenshin restrained himself from clutching at his head like a mad man. However, the lewd images being forced upon him by Battousai were enough to make any man past adolescence go mad with want. Kenshin whimpered, trying to force away the images of a gloriously naked Kaoru with blissful ecstasy softening her delicate features.
Kenshin made up his mind then and there that he could never be alone with Kaoru again. He would have to make sure they were around other people at all times.
As much as I am loathe to admit it, that is probably the wisest course of action, the Battousai conceded. The rurouni was still out cold and had been gagged and bound and thrown deep into the closeted recesses of Kenshin’s mind. Kenshin was on his own.
~*~
Kaoru woke in the night with a start. She wondered if her wonderful day had merely been a cruel dream. She sat in bed, chewing on her lip and debating whether or not she should get out of bed and possibly make a fool of herself by knocking on Kenshin’s door. After a moment of deliberation, she decided that knowing was far better than not knowing, and so, got up and left her room. She stood a the threshold of her room for a moment, deciding which room was Kenshin’s, seeing that he neglected to tell her which room he was staying with. All he had said was that he was next door to her. She took a deep breath and decided that his room was the one to the right of her own. She reasoned that his protective arm—his sword arm—was the right, so it must be that his room was on the right. In any case, it was a fifty/fifty chance. That being decided, she took a deep breath and prepared herself to knock on the door.
If he’s there, it means it wasn’t just a dream. It means that he does love me, she assured herself.
She walked over to the room to the left of hers and hesitated in front of the door for a moment, before raising her hand to knock. She took a moment to collect herself and took a deep, steadying breath. Then, she raised her hand and knocked softly, waiting for a response. When she received none, she knocked again, a bit louder. Still no answer.
“Kenshin?” she querried softly to the unopened door. “Kenshin, are you in there?” Still, she received no answer.
Panic began to take over her, and she backed away from the, horrified. How could she have created such a wonderful dream world just to wake up and discover the tragedy of its falseness?! She lowered her head and a choked sob burst from her throat. She sank to her knees, using the wall as her support. She had finally lost her mind. She had created the perfect reality in which her beloved Rurouni had revealed his feelings for her, and now she had to face the truth. He had never been there. It had all been wishful dreaming.
“Kaoru?!” A frantic voice filtered through her despairing thoughts.
She looked up, and there he was, bare-chested, with his sword drawn. He took in her disheveled state. He also noted the thinness of her yukata and the chill of the hallway. He crossed the distance between them in a few rushed strides and sank to his knees beside her. “What is wrong, koishii?” he soothed, brushing stray strands of hair from her face.
She clutched desperately at him, “I knocked, and you weren’t there. I thought you were a dream,” she whispered hoarsely.
Kenshin’s arms went around her instinctively, hugging her to him, “Please do not cry, Kaoru. I am here. You just knocked on the wrong door. It is my fault for not being specific about which room I was staying in. None of what happened today was a dream, koishii. I am here, and I am very real. Do not doubt it.” He kissed the top of her head.
She nodded against his chest, sniffling.
“Now, you need to get back to bed. You need your rest.” He caressed her hair, “Rest, and I will bring you breakfast in the morning. How does that sound?”
She nodded vaguely, and he frowned worriedly, “I will put you to bed.” He lifted her into his arms and carefully rose from his seated position. Thankfully, her door was slightly ajar, and he was able to shoulder it open. He carried her to the large, western style bed and deposited her gently amid the rumpled linens. He tucked the sheets and the fluffy comforter in around her and smoothed back her hair. “Sleep now, koishii, and I will return in the morning.” He bent to kiss her forehead, “Oyasumi.”
She yawned, snuggling into her little nest of blankets, “Oyasumi, Kenshin,” she murmured as her eyes drifted shut.
~*~
When Kaoru woke the next morning, it was because a calloused hand was tracing the features of her face. She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to get the world into focus. When her eyes finally decided to focus, she found herself gazing into a pair of amethyst eyes that were gazing back at her, offering all the love he had to give her.
“Good morning, koishii,” he whispered lovingly.
“Good morning. Why are you whispering? I am already awake,” she whispered back.
“I did not want to break the spell.”
“What spell?”
“The spell I am under. The one you, yourself cast upon me.”
She smiled softly, a bit shyly. “I like this new Kenshin. I like it when you pay me complements.” She sat up and her yukata slipped off one pale, slim shoulder. Kenshin’s gaze went from loving to burning with desire in one instant. He closed his eyes, fighting for control. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and reached over to drape the fabric back over her slim shoulder. It took every ounce of control he had not to rip the thin garment from her body and ravish her then and there.
He cleared his throat, “I brought you breakfast, as I promised.” He turned and reached for a bowl from the tray he had brought with him and handed it to her.
She smiled like the sun rising, “Thank you, Kenshin,” she murmured, accepting the bowl of miso gratefully.
Kenshin reached for his own bowl and moved to the chair beside Kaoru’s bed. The couple ate in companionable silence, and Kaoru never took her gaze away from watching Kenshin. She watched him eat with wistful smile on her face. She wondered what it would be like if they could be like this every morning—no one else. Just the two of them breaking fast together. Perhaps they would have breakfast in bed. It was incredibly intimate, and the thought made her blush. She scolded her self for getting way ahead of the situation. With her luck, Kenshin would never even propose marriage to her. He could be so weak-willed when it came to admitting his feelings. He had always felt unworthy of her somehow. But he had been behaving very differently since Kaoru had left. He had been overly generous with complements, not that she minded at all. He was trying so hard to make up for making her feel bad, and the thought warmed Kaoru.
“A penny for your thoughts, koishii?” her battle-scarred warrior’s soft voice penetrated her musings.
She looked up at him and smiled into his eyes, “I was thinking about how different you have been since you have been here. You have been so wonderful. I was thinking that I want it to always be this way between us. I do not want to go back to the polite tip-toeing around our feelings. I was thinking how nice it would be to have breakfast together like this every morning.”
He moved to sit next to her on the bed, “Kaoru—“
“I know. You do not have to tell me that it is inappropriate for us to be alone like this. Frankly, I do not give one good goddamn. We never spend any time together without the free-loader or Megumi or Sano or some crazy enemy dropping in on us. I want to be alone with you. I like knowing that you are as vulnerable around me as I am around you. I like just being able to look at you and talk to you. It makes me feel like we are the only two people in the world and that nothing else matters.” She paused for a moment, “Aishiteru.” She looked down at her hands, “I am so afraid that this is going to end once we all return to Tokyo.” She returned her gaze from her hands to his face, “I want it to be like this forever, this newness. I do not want you to go back to being the rurouni. He is so spineless, and I get so frustrated—“ her tirade was halted by the warm press of his fingers against her lips.
“I do not want things to go back to what they were before. When I saw you here for the first time, I knew that I had been given a chance to make things right between us. I decided that it was time to stop hiding my feelings if it was causing you pain, and I decided that it was time to be completely honest with you. I can be very thoughtless, but I will try to be conscious of your feelings always. I do not ever want you to doubt that I love you will all of my heart.” He lowered his gaze. He could not look at her for what he had to say next, “But I want what is best for you. So, if you think that being with me is what is best, then I will accept your judgment. I want you to be able to go on with your life with no regrets.”
“Look at me,” she whispered, “Have I ever let any man see me in my yukata without throttling him?” She smiled, and her smile was infectious.
Kenshin chuckled and leaned in to kiss her softly, “I also made another promise—one which I broke this morning,” he smiled.
“And what was that?” she prompted.
“I promised myself that I would not be alone with you until you were absolutely sure I am what you want,” he smiled at her sheepishly.
“Baka,” she scolded softly, “How could you doubt for a moment that I would want anyone but you?”
“You are young. As I said before, I thought you might have regrets. I have a very bloody past, and I do not want to taint you with that. You will always be in danger. Is that the kind of life you want?”
“It is the kind of life I have been living every day since I met you, have you heard me complaining about it? I am just as much in danger whether we are together or not. Everyone else caught on to your feelings long before either of us did,” she smiled ruefully. “I am not afraid of what is to come if we are together. I am more afraid of what will happen if we are not together.”
He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers, “I am so glad to hear you say that, koishii.” He took a steadying breath. “Knowing that you feel that way, I have a question that has been burning in my mind for some time now.” She just stared at him expectantly. “You are not going to make this easy on me, are you?” When she just stared at him quizzically, he sighed. “Will you be my wife, Kaoru?”
Kaoru’s mouth dropped to the comforter. Her mind had been racing around the many things it could be that he would ask, the very last of which was a proposal. She tried for a full thirty seconds to articulate any coherent thought, but it was not possible. Kenshin watched her go through shock, disbelief and finally, joy. It was an overwhelming joy that filled him as well, for from her reaction, he determined that her answer was yes.
“I think I will take that as a yes?” he ventured and smiled when she nodded emphatically. “Are you sure, koishii?”
She nodded emphatically, “Baka!” She nearly tackled him, and they fell backwards onto the bed. He rolled her onto her side and held her. For long moments, they did not speak. They just lay there, each enjoying the feeling of knowing they would soon belong to each other forever.
Finally, Kenshin broke the silence, “We will need to choose a ring.”
“I do not care about a ring, Kenshin. As long as I have you, I have all that I need.”
His only response was to hold her tightly, thanking the gods that he had not ruined things between them.
TBC...
Author’s Note: Ok. So, I really hate this chapter. Personally, I think it sucks. If anyone has any ideas, DEAR GODS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! There has to be a better way!