Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Mine ❯ Hidden Memories ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer - I don't own RK or House of Flying Daggers

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you enjoy the chapter.

*Spoiler Warning* - If you've seen House of Flying Daggers this will mean nothing to you but for those of you who have not and intend on watching it sometime you will want to skip the first six 'paragraphs' of the second Sano/Kaoru part. There is a big spoiler for the ending at that point.


Chapter 3 - Hidden Memories

"Hey jou-chan where are all your paintings?"

Kaoru looked up from the delectable sushi sitting before her and shrugged, "I already took most of them to the gallery and the ones not in the show are in my closet."

Sano scowled, "What do you mean in your closet why would you just stuff them in there? They deserve better than that, besides I want to see the new stuff, I haven't seen any since the one you painted in Okinawa."

Kaoru ducked her head, yes why would she feel the need to hide them. Well there was the fact that all the recent ones had those damn amber eyes lurking in the background somewhere, jeez maybe that was it but she couldn't tell Him that. Suddenly she was struck by an idea, glancing at him through her lashes she asked, "Do you remember ever meeting anyone with bright red hair and golden eyes?"

Startled Sano just stared at her as the scene from earlier flickered through his mind again. Gazing at her suspiciously he asked "Why?"

Kaoru shrugged dropping her eyes back to the food, "No reason." How could she tell him about the mysterious man in her dreams without sounding like a complete nutcase? She should have just kept her mouth shut now he would pester her until she finally cracked.

Sano eyed her not quite believing her easy dismissal, it was just a little strange that she asked That particular question today of all days. He was just about to ask her why again when suddenly the phone rang, he scowled as he watched the look of relief pass across her features. She wasn't going to get off the hook that easy.

Kaoru gratefully jumped up and grabbed the phone, her relief was short-lived when she heard the voice on the other end.

"So when is he leaving?"

Damn she'd forgotten about him, "Well hello to you too Enishi." she growled.

Sano's scowl deepened as he watched Kaoru head into her bedroom, that bastard was really starting to annoy him. It seemed the longer Kaoru was with him the more control he tried to take of her life. Christ when she'd come to Okinawa to visit him Enishi had called her just about every hour and then he'd shown up two days later demanding she go home with him. Oh but that had been one of the best fights he'd ever seen, Kaoru had won in the end and they'd both stayed so she could do the painting she'd wanted to do in the first place. It was shortly after that that he'd broken away from training and visited her, by the end of his visit he'd managed to finally talk her in to dumping the arrogant bastard but somehow that had backfired.

Sighing he shook his head, he really wished she would find the one worthy of her, he knew she wasn't completely happy with Enishi and it bugged him that she would settle when she deserved better. Deep down he knew there was only one man meant for her, he couldn't explain how he knew that he just did. It was a feeling he hadn't been able to shake since high school when they'd first met and because of that he'd chased away every man who had even thought of asking her out, behind her back of course but then Enishi had somehow managed to sneak past his defenses and into Kaoru's heart. He still couldn't figure out how that had happened.

And then there was the very real possibility that staying with Enishi would get her killed, he knew all about Tomoe and where Enishi had been for the last month. One didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that the unexplained deaths of an entire Triad organization in Beijing was the work of none other than the brother of the woman those people had the audacity to kill. Maybe it was time to tell Katsu to move his training to Tokyo, he didn't want to leave her alone with him anymore. He wasn't going to lose her to someone out to get that bastard, it was bad enough she was with him in the first place.

The light padding of feet heading his way pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up. When his eyes fell on Kaoru he frowned, she looked miserable, she deserved so much better. "Why don't you just leave him Kaoru?"

Kaoru settled down at the table again and pierced him with an icy glare, "Maybe I should just kill you both instead then maybe I could live in peace."

Sano flinched, "Ouch jou-chan that was harsh, you know I just want you to be happy."

Rolling her eyes Kaoru shook her head and focused her attention on her food, "I'm sorry it's just that when you two are in the same city it's enough to drive me over the edge."

Sano hung his head, she was going to kill him if he moved back here. Inwardly shrugging he kept his attention focused on his food, if he just went ahead and moved into the complex without her knowing about it she wouldn't be able to say anything about it would she. Maybe tomorrow he'd hunt up Misao and see if there were any open apartments, shaking his head he scratched that maybe Aoshi would be a better candidate at least he wouldn't tell Kaoru his plans.

Settling on his plan of attack he shifted his mind back to their earlier conversation, "So why did you ask if I knew a red headed golden eyed man?"

Kaoru slowly lifted her head and eyed him suspiciously, "I didn't say man, I said anyone". Narrowing her eyes she pinned him with a knowing look, "You do know someone by that description don't you?"

Sano just stared at her, damn he'd stuffed his foot in his mouth this time, "No, I don't."

Popping the last piece of sushi into his mouth he grabbed the empty dish and made a hasty retreat to the kitchen, that was another thing he was going to have to do, find out who the hell that man was who had just moved in next door to Kaoru. Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day.

Finishing off her own meal Kaoru eyed him askance and followed him into the kitchen. She didn't believe him but when it came to getting information out of him it was like pulling teeth, he was the only person she knew who was as stubborn as she was.

Shaking her head she let it drop and set the dish in the sink, "So what do you want to do tonight? I just bought a couple new DVD's do you want to watch one?"

Relieved she was going to let him off the hook Sano smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "What movies did you get?"

"Appleseed and House of Flying Daggers."

Tapping his chin as if in serious thought he grinned, "Definitely House of Flying Daggers, Ziyi Zhang is a babe."

Kaoru snorted and shook her head, "You're hopeless did you know that?" Giving him a sly look she smiled evilly, "Shall I tell Takani-san that you have eyes for another woman?"

Sano's eyes grew wide his facing paling just a little, "That's not true I only have eyes for the fox lady and she knows that!"

Chuckling lightly Kaoru waved her hand negligently and walked past him back into the livingroom, "Whatever you say roosterhead."

Setting up the movie she collapsed on the sofa beside Sano and let her mind wander over her heated conversation with Enishi. Just like she'd thought he wasn't the least bit happy, actually that was putting it nicely he'd been so angry that he'd demanded she come stay with him until Sano left. She'd shot that idea down immediately, she wasn't ready to move in with him yet and she was sure that was his way of pushing her a little bit more towards just that.

Shaking her head she inwardly sighed, the two most important men in her life were going to put her into an early grave if they kept up this animosity between them. But then again there was still the very real threat that she would be committed due to her amber eyed tormentor before that could ever happen.

Snuggling a little further into the sofa she focused her attention on the movie and idly wondered how all of a sudden her life had managed to get so interesting.

oooooooooooooooooo

Enishi flipped the phone closed and reclined in his chair tapping his fingernail against the smooth wood of the desk. So that man thought to come between him and Kaoru again, there was no way he was going to allow that, he would give the fighter two days if he hadn't left Kaoru's by the third he would personally put a bullet in his head. Then again maybe it was time to break out his long unused katana and sharpen it on that idiot's bones, now that idea was a lot more tempting.

Smiling he shook himself out of his thoughts and finally acknowledged the man standing before his desk, "What's happened in my absence?"

"Nothing of note Oyabun, a bunch of juvenile delinquents thought to usurp the Shiba district but we took care of them easily enough and Boss Tanaka has asked for a meeting, it seems he's having trouble with the Osaka police and needs you to remind the law who really runs the streets."

Enishi nodded, he was glad to know that things could still run smoothly even without him here. "Set up the meeting for three days from now. Saitou Hajime doesn't know when to stay out of our business."

Nodding Hei Shin pulled a large yellow envelope from his jacket and set it on the desk pushing it towards Enishi, "Also there has been activity in the apartment next door to your woman. That is the man who moved in."

Enishi quirked an eyebrow, Gein had said nothing of a new tenant in the building. Opening the envelope he slid the picture out and gazed at the red headed violet eyed man, "Who is he?"

"We haven't been able to find any information on him, the only thing we know is he owns a dojo in East Shinjuku but he doesn't run it, some old man named Myojin does."

"What's his name?"

"He goes by the name of Himura Kenshin."

Enishi narrowed his eyes and pinned Hei Shin with a hard look, "He's claimed the name of the Hitokiri Battousai from the revolution?"

Hei Shin shifted uneasily beneath the intense gaze, "Hai."

Glancing again to the picture in his hand Enishi narrowed his eyes and looked intently at the face, who the hell was this man?

Meeting the violet gaze looking out from the photograph, he was suddenly struck by the feeling that he knew this man somehow, that for some reason he should remember him. Without warning an image flickered before his eyes, an impression of a red headed amber eyed man with a cross shaped scar on his cheek, almost as quickly as it had come the image vanished leaving only a feeling of extreme hatred in its wake.

Shrugging off the strange occurrence he glanced back up to Hei Shin, "Continue to search for information about him, I want to know who he is."

Hei Shin nodded and spun on his heel leaving the room soundlessly. Enishi shifted his eyes back to the face staring out from the glossy paper in his hand, looking intently at the man's cheek he could see a very faint scar but due to the position the picture was taken in that side of his face was shadowed so he couldn't tell what it was. Dropping the photo onto the desk he reclined in the chair again and rubbed his forehead, who did this man think he was claiming such a notable name?

Closing his eyes he remembered a time long ago when his father had told him of the shadow assassin who had helped the revolutionists bring down the Tokugawa shogunate, bringing about the Meiji government. His father had been obsessed with the Bakamatsu, so much so that he'd died searching for the final resting place of the famed assassin turned wanderer. Very little was known of the man who had set aside his katana to atone for the many lives he'd taken, most just myth and legend.

And now someone thought to claim his name.

Shrugging Enishi opened his eyes and glanced at the photo one last time before sliding it back into the envelope. It didn't matter what name he went by, if he came into contact with Kaoru in any way he would die it was as simple as that.

oooooooooooooooooo

Kaoru stretched long and hard as she rose from the sofa, her muscles protesting the sudden movement. Kneeling down to stop the movie she cast a hooded glance at Sano and grinned, the look of horror on his face showed her just what he thought of the ending of the movie.

"They...they Killed her! How could they kill her?!"

Rolling her eyes she couldn't stop the chuckle that bubbled up and escaped her throat, "It's just a movie Sano, she's still alive and well I'm sure." Piercing him with a sly look she grinned, "But then again I didn't see a 'No Humans Were Harmed In The Making Of This Movie' label so you never know."

Sano scowled at her, he didn't find this the least bit amusing. "You knew didn't you? And you didn't tell me!"

"Now why would I want to miss the shimmering tears in the corners of your eyes, that was just beautiful."

Kaoru dove out of reach of his lightening fast grab for her, running into her bedroom she slammed the door in his face and laughed. He was right she'd already watched the movie but had kept quiet to see what kind of reaction he would have. It was a little surprising he'd actually had a slight moistness in his eyes.

She stilled as a growl drifted to her ears from the other side of the door, "You can't stay in there forever jou-chan, I'll get you when you come out."

Chuckling softly she pushed off the door and opened it, with huge puppy dog eyes she met his scowl, "You wouldn't hurt a woman would you?"

"Kami woman stop doing that, alright alright I won't hurt you........much." With that Sano grabbed her and dragged her back into the livingroom where he set to tickling her mercilessly until she finally admitted defeat.

Exhausted from the little power play they both collapsed breathlessly onto the sofa their heavy breathing the only sound in the quiet apartment. Finally managing to catch her breath Kaoru cast a quick glance at the man beside her. "I'm glad you came, I haven't had that much fun since....since....I can't even remember the last time."

"If you're that miserable jou-chan why don't you just leave him?"

Kaoru straightened up and gazed out the window into the dark night, "It's not like that Sano, Enishi makes me happy just by being with me". Casting a hooded glance out of the corner of her eye she added, "Besides if he was like you then what would I need you for."

Sano grabbed his chest in mock pain, "Ouch! So the only reason you keep me around is for entertainment value. That's just cruel."

Kaoru chuckled and rose, "No my dear roosterhead I keep you around because you are the only family I have left." Leaning down she kissed him on the cheek, "I'm going to bed, see you in the morning."

Smiling at the grin that came to his face she headed into her room, changing she slipped beneath the blankets and snuggled in. Really she wouldn't know what she would do without him, he had been there for her ever since they had met, the one constant in her ever changing world.

Slipping into the welcome darkness Kaoru forgot about the other constant that had been with her for the last week, the ever present amber eyed man of her dreams.

oooooooooooooooooo

Kaoru ran down the deserted lane as fast as the constricting kimono would let her the darkness closing in on her a little bit more with each passing second. Searching the inky blackness for some sign of salvation she saw a faint glow just ahead, putting on one last burst of speed she raced down the road towards what she hoped was a way out of this nightmare. Coming to the light her breath caught in her throat as she skidded to a halt the cloying darkness that had been swallowing her just moments ago all but forgotten. Before her was one of the most beautiful sights she'd ever seen.

Dozens of fireflies flitted through the darkness illuminating the quiet night as they danced among the river reeds, their light playing over the placid water. Mesmerized by the sight she gazed at the surrounding area and wondered where she was, something about the scene seemed so familiar and yet the she knew she had never been to a place like this before.

A soft scuffling of feet drifted to her ears drawing her from her thoughts and then a familiar voice broke the silence of the night,

"There are beautiful fireflies."

Startled her stomach dropped to her feet as the voice washed over, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. It couldn't be him, could it? Spinning around she watched and waited for the owner of the voice to come into the light.

Scanning the darkened road she gasped softly in alarm when he finally came into view, she had expected to see glowing amber eyes peeking out from beneath fiery red hair but instead she was met with a soft violet gaze shining out from the same face as her amber eyed tormentor.

"Wow you must have but this guy's got violet eyes instead of gold."

Kaoru bolted awake with a start trembling uncontrollably, Misao's words echoing loudly in her ears. Cradling her head in her hands she took several slow even breaths trying to calm her racing heart. Where the hell had that come from? Why did they have the same face? Who the hell was he!

Shaking her head to clear the swirling questions she forcefully stopped her trembling and slid off the bed. Wrapping herself up in her robe she padded quietly out of the bedroom and slipped soundlessly into the livingroom, she smiled when she saw Sano. The sofa was a little too small for him but he'd managed to overcome it by flinging one leg over the back and had the other cocked in a V shape his foot buried against the back. Chuckling softly she retrieved his discarded blanket and covered him again, he was going to be sore in the morning.

Slipping around the sofa she slid open the sliding glass door to the balcony slowly and stepped into the cool night. Closing the door behind her she settled against it and gazed at the moon hanging high in the sky.

Where the hell had that dream come from?

It had been completely different from the previous ones. Closing her eyes she saw again his face from tonight, his violet eyes gleaming with a hint of sadness, the look of regret marring his face causing a dull throb to materialize in her chest. This time the dream felt so much different, it almost felt like she had been walking through a memory and not a dream.

Placing a hand over her heart she frowned, the very real ache throbbing dully in her chest proved that it hadn't been just an ordinary dream. She knew the one she'd seen tonight in her dreams had come to say goodbye. For the life of her she couldn't figure out how she knew that but she did.

Shaking her head she opened her eyes and paced across the balcony, leaning against the rail she looked out over the gleaming lights of the city. Why did she keep having these dreams? What were they trying to tell her? She'd never held any stock in the belief that dreams showed you the past and the future but ever since she'd started having these very vivid dreams she had begun to rethink her disbelief, maybe they really were showing her what had been or what will be.

Shaking her head again she scoffed, there was no way that could be true. Misao must have been seeing things because there was no way that man was real, violet eyed or amber eyed he just didn't exist. It was probably what Misao had said that had sparked the change in his eye color tonight as it was, her mind had always had a knack for bringing such things to life. Nodding to herself she smiled, that must be it, her seriously overactive imagination was at work again.

Content with her rationalization she pushed off the rail and headed back inside, maybe she should take Enishi up on his offer, at least sleeping snuggled against him would help keep her imagination at bay. She would have to think about it some more tomorrow because tonight she was just too tired.

Closing the door behind her Kaoru missed the red headed violet eyed man who stepped out onto his own balcony right next door.

Kenshin padded silently out onto the balcony and leaned against the rail taking a deep breath of the cool night air. A hint of jasmine lingered lightly in the air and he turned to look at the apartment beside his. Had she been out here? Had he just missed her?

Sighing he shook his head, it was probably just his imagination. He'd actually managed to stay out of her dreams tonight but for some reason the firefly dream had come to haunt him instead. It had been over fifty years since that dream had reminded him of what he'd turned his back on. He'd been stupid back then and by the time he'd realized she was all he ever wanted she was pinned to a wall with Enishi's blade buried in her chest. Her empty eyes staring at him accusingly with the kami forsaken cross-shaped scar marring her beautiful face.

Fisting his hand he fought down the rage that still rose up every time that memory surfaced. He had killed Enishi slowly for that but it still didn't assuage his guilt, because of him she had died. He would not let that happen again......ever.

With one last look to the apartment next door Kenshin spun on his heel and headed back into the livingroom, he had failed to protect the one he loved that day but this time nothing was going to stop him from taking what she had been willing to give. Nothing.