Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Heaven In Your Arms ❯ Angel ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: StarRose
Kenshin get's a visit from Aoshi and Megumi, and with Aoshi's wise words, give him second thoughts of if he should really be with Sano. Meanwhile, Sano's getting excited about his date with Kenshin...

Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.18.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 301 | Status: Completed

AN: I haven't actually seen the OVA's, so I don't have a clue about Kenshin's past. All I know is (those who haven't seen the OVA's either don't read this next bit) is that he gets one half of his scar from some guy he was fighting, and the other from a girl (who I'm guessing is the reason he became a wanderer), that is it! So when I do write about Kenshin's past in this, if something does end up looking similar, it wasn't meant to be! Honest!! (btw, the grave Kenshin visits in the anime, is that the girl? Cos that and the end episode completely confused me!)
Chapter 5: Angel
Kenshin slowly sank into the warm water of his bath, the scented oil he had put in it swirling around him, his hair flaying out on the waters surface. Leaning back so the water came just under his chin, Kenshin closed his eyes and sighed softly, letting his skin soak up the warmth.
As much as he had wanted to go out with Sano this evening, he didn't think he could take sitting down for so long, not right now, not after last night. He'd just wanted to come home, run a bath, and just stay there for hours, letting the aches and various sharp pains melt away. He's been stupid really, going to work the very next day after that, but staying at home would have just depressed him further, and worry him that Saito might return. At least if he saw him in the college he knew he couldn't do anything there, and besides, if he hadn't have gone in this morning, he wouldn't have got to kiss Sano like that.
Kenshin smiled lightly, sinking into the water a little further at the memory. Thinking of Sano always seemed to make him smile. He really would have liked to go with him this evening, but then again, saying to go tomorrow made him have something to look forward to.
He'd just relax this evening, let his body heal from the onslaught, and go to sleep.
He leant his head slightly to the left and stared across at the vanilla candle he'd placed on top of the wicker wash bin. He watched its single dancing flame, the shadows playing around the room. He blinked slowly, tired, feeling his eyelids growing heavier as he blinked slowly again, opening them barely before shutting them completely, getting lost in the relaxing sensations around him.
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We scream in pain…that look of terror and utter shock on your face. Ashamed…we feel so ashamed of you, and yet…sad. Sad that the one day we could see our son…the son we lost so many years ago…would also be our last day of life. Our hands reach out…come here…we feel ashamed, but…it's not your fault…we abandoned you to save our own lives…we deserve this fate. Don't cry…you do not know us…you don't need to cry for us…it's our fault you turned out like this. Ashamed…we're so ashamed………………….of ourselves………………………our darling Kenshin……
Kenshin awoke with a start, catching himself as he slipped a little in the bath. He blinked stupidly for a minute, returning out of the dream world and realising where he was. The bath water around him was cold, how long had he been in there? He had never fallen asleep in the bath before.
Suddenly the doorbell to his apartment rang through the walls, and again quickly afterwards. He realised it must have been that that woke him up, and that someone must have been waiting there for a quite a while. Pushing himself up out the bath, Kenshin grabbed the deep red towel-dressing gown hanging on the back of the door and wrapped it around him, pulling his dripping hair over his right shoulder. Blowing out the two candles that were still left alight and switching on the bedroom light outside the door, Kenshin padded out the bathroom, the doorbell still ringing. Hurrying through the kitchen, Kenshin looked through the spy hole in his door to see who it was. His eyes widened in surprise at who he saw, and unlocked the door.
“Megumi…Aoshi.” He said surprised, the college Nurse and English teacher standing there staring back at him.
------
“So you're back! Did you have a nice ski-ing holiday?” came Kenshin's voice from his bedroom, as Megumi and Aoshi waited in the Lounge for him to get dressed.
“Mmm…” Aoshi said, a little unenthusiastically, “I suppose so, yes.”
Kenshin recognised that tone, “..…..Miss Misao didn't follow you again did she?”
Megumi laughed, “A young girl in love does what she can!”
Aoshi glared at her, “It's called stalking.”
Kenshin came back out of his bedroom, wet hair tied back in its ponytail, loose jeans and a v-neck sweater on, and a smile on his face, “Oh she's not doing any harm, that she's not! And I expect she enjoyed the holiday too, although I would try and convince her to graduate this year.”
As Megumi began to pick on Aoshi about being too soft around Misao, Kenshin sat on the backs on of his legs, curling up on the puffy armchair he had, right angled to the matching sofa where his two guests sat.
Megumi and Aoshi had been so kind to him over the years. He had lived with them since he was 11 years old, and the two siblings had always treated him as their little brother. They had never pried, never asked why they found him on their doorstep that night, barely alive, covered in blood with nothing but a reverse bladed sword lying on the grass next to him.
Kenshin owed so much to these two, he'd found a family with them, and he loved both of them dearly for looking after him all those years ago. The two of them were actually half brother and sister, same mother, but when Aoshi's father had died he came to live with his mother, new father, and half sister Megumi, hence why they had different surnames.
When they were growing up together, Megumi always used to get hounded by the local boys, and said if she ever did get married, she'd make Kenshin the best man as she knew they'd be no point in asking her brother. Even if he did agree to do to it the guy never smiled! She'd want someone happy and flowing to do it, and so Kenshin it would be. It was true that Aoshi could be a moody man at the best of times, but he had always been protective of his older sister, and had been there to comfort Kenshin several times when he'd wake up in the middle of the night terrified at a random nightmare of his past.
He had never told them anything about his past, pretended he had amnesia, it was an easy escape. The only thing he had told them was that he was an orphan, that much was true, he'd never known his parents…that was until…
“Anyway Ken,” said Megumi, snapping Kenshin out of his thoughts, “I don't see why you should be telling my irritable little brother to how to handle his students when you seem to be having a little trouble of your own!” she said, wagging a finger at him playfully.
“Oro?” Kenshin blinked.
“Sanosuke Sagara! That new student that started yesterday?!”
There was silent pause between the group, before Aoshi turned towards his sister, keeping his eyes on Kenshin, “……is he blushing?”
Megumi started to giggle at Kenshin's stunned face, “I knew it! So those rumours were true!” she said, before fixing him with a motherly stare about to tell off her child, “Kenshin you should know better! Now out with it! How far have you two got?”
“ORO?!” said an even wider eyed and deeper blushing Kenshin.
You could practically see Megumi's scheming mind at work, determined to tease Kenshin about this new relationship. “Well he's certainly different than that other boy you were seeing when you were 18, Soujirou, he was as a quiet and kind and smiling, and now this one! Do you have any idea how many people I've treated today for black eyes and bruises after he'd punched them?” Kenshin sat looking sheepishly up at his `sister', feeling strangely enough like a student getting told off, “Now the fact that he's a student isn't the thing that bothers me…” she fixed him with a glare, but there was a definite smirk underneath it, “…is that I had to find out about this from a rumour and you didn't even tell me you'd found someone else!” she chirped.
Kenshin smiled nervously, “Well…there's nothing to tell really, I've only known him for a few days.”
“That's not the point! I'm your sister! You tell me everything or I spread the rumour of what I found you `reading' when you were 15!”
“MEGUMI!” Kenshin suddenly exploded, face beat red as Aoshi rolled his eyes and sat back, staring out a near by window, “You know I didn't know what that was! Hiko said it would be useful to read and leant it to me! I didn't know it was one of `those' magazines that I most certainly did not!”
Megumi placed a hand to her mouth and laughed, it was so easy to tease her little brother. “So now's your chance to tell me. Come on! What's been happening between you two? Have you kissed?”
Kenshin waved his hands in front of him, seemingly unable to get rid of the blush on his cheeks, “Wait a minute I don't really-“
“Have you done something more?!” Megumi asked, eyes wide and hopeful.
“NAHHA AHH, n-no I—“
“—I'm going to make some tea.” Aoshi interrupted, not wanting to know the end of this conversation and walked over into the kitchen, leaving a sly and teasing Megumi, and a still blushing Kenshin who looked as those he was about to pass out from the rush of blood to his head.
------
Aoshi and Megumi stayed for almost three hours. They had ordered take out pizza for dinner, surprisingly Aoshi's treat, and had caught up on the goings on in theirs lives in general, Megumi every once in a while asking Kenshin how far he'd got with Sanosuke, trying to catch him out, but failing to her annoyance every time.
So now at 11pm, Megumi reluctantly sighed, saying they should probably make their way back to their homes. Having shared a car to get here, Megumi bear hugged her little Kenshin as a goodbye, even though they'd probably see each other tomorrow anyway, and went to get the car parked round the back of the building, leaving Aoshi to stay with Kenshin for the moment by the steps at the front of the building
As Aoshi waited for Megumi to return, he glanced across at Kenshin, who was staring up the sky, looking at small group of stars that managed to shine through a gap in the graying clouds. Looking back at the road in front of him, Aoshi sighed. Turning to his right, he grabbed a surprised Kenshin in a hug, Kenshin completely not expecting that from him and stood there rigidly still.
“Look,” Aoshi began, holding his little brother tightly, “Whatever your relationship is with this student, just keep one thing in mind.” Kenshin listened, “I remember how terrified you used to look after waking up from those nightmares when we first found you…so just ask yourself one thing. Whatever your past might have been, it was obviously something devastating for you. If you love this boy…do you really want him caught up in that past?”
The silent reaction that accompanied that comment was interrupted by Megumi's car that arrived out in front of them.
“My goodness! Now that's a scene I need a camera for. Aoshi actually hugging someone!” she said through her open window, as Aoshi released Kenshin from his arms and scowled down as his sister, walking round the other side of the car.
He paused before he opened the door, taking another knowing look at Kenshin, who looked back at him with a slightly worried frown. Nodding his head gently, Aoshi opened the door and stepped inside, telling Megumi to please drive with both her hands on the wheel as she drove off waving to Kenshin outside her window.
Kenshin stood there, a little bewildered now on what to think. A small droplet of rain splashed down on his cheek, and he blinked, looking back up at the clouds.
He hadn't thought of that…his past…what would Sanosuke's reaction be if he found out? He remembered telling Soujirou about his past. He had truly thought he'd be the one, always smiling, so sweet, he had loved him so much….but the look on his face when he had told him his past…that cute and innocent face…it had never looked so terrified of him.
Soujirou didn't need to say anything to break up with him that day, he just ran, ran as far away from Kenshin as he could. Kenshin never saw him again after that, and he'd never felt so heartbroken either. To see someone that you honestly thought would be the one to accept you, to still love you no matter what you may have done in the past, so see that face contorted in fear and hatred……
Kenshin had cried before, but never like he had that night.
When he had thought about it afterwards, it was probably for the best that he had left. If they had stayed together, Soujirou would have found out about Saito, and that could have been dangerous. He didn't want to risk any innocent lives just because he might be feeling a little unloved.
Now the one question remained. If he truly did love Sano after all, did he love him enough already…………
…to leave him?
------
The next morning had Kenshin waking up to a pretty good mood. That bath had obviously done his body some good, he didn't hurt anywhere now, and even though what Aoshi had said last night was still fresh in his mind, he still found himself smiling at the thought of his date this evening with Sano. He had thought about Aoshi's words lot during the night, but contrary to that, he also had Megumi's voice stuck in his head saying “You can't be alone forever!! Go and be with him, go on….NOW!” Those two were like polar opposites, but both had a good reasoning. He didn't want Sano to get hurt, but he didn't want to be alone either.
In the end he had decided to stick with the date this evening, and after that? Well, Kenshin hadn't decided what he'd do after that. Would he stay with Sano and make a go of a proper relationship? Or should he leave? Leave before Saito found out about him. As much as he hated to admit it, he had been drifting towards the leaving part. Maybe he'd allow himself to fall in love with someone just once more, but leave before it became too serious. Just once. Just so he could remember that feeling without having the memory of hatred and fear running across Sano's face like it had with Soujirou.
As Kenshin now walked into his first lecture of the day, immediately spotting Sano at the back of the auditorium who had looked at him the second he walked in, Kenshin smiled sadly.
Yes…he'd fall in love one more time, and then walk away.
------
Sano's thoughts had been occupied mainly by two things today. Number one of course, was his date with Kenshin. He'd been so looking forwarded to it Yahiko had to nudge him out of several day dreams, especially during Kenshin's lecture where he'd been resting his head in his hands and staring down at him the whole time (having to actually copy Yahiko's notes during lunch).
The second thing, which to others may seem juvenile and pointless, was that fact that would Kamatari be there this evening. The guy always had a knack of turning up when he least wanted him. If it was a busy night, he'd stay there at the bar and want to talk to him the whole night, if it was a quiet night where Sano actually had some free time, he'd be getting drunk with his friends on the dance floor and usually have to be carried out the club…although he would refuse the bouncers to carry him and only let Sano do it. He was a nice guy, don't get him wrong, but jeez! Couldn't he find a different club to go to a change? He was there almost every night!
And so as Sano found, standing behind the bar at 10 o'clock busy with customers, there was Kamatari, sitting at the bar wanting to chat.
Again.
“So that's what I said to him. Do you think I was bit harsh? He was asking for it.” Kamatari was saying, lining up several shot glasses he seemed to have collected in boredom.
“Look,” Sano began, as he reached up high to grab another Martini bottle on the top shelf behind him, “Can't you tell that I'm a bit busy right now?”
Tonight, to which Sano had completely forgot about, was Student Night, and it would seem that every gay student in the whole of Japan had decided to come to Heaven this evening, and was being rushed off his feet even with Tae helping out behind the bar.
“I can see that yes but you can still listen while you work can't you? I'm telling you about my extremely fruitful love life!! Oh and, do you think I can get a fill up?” Kamatari smiled sweetly, waving his empty glass at Sano who had refrained from hitting him over the head with an empty bottle.
Sano filled up his glass though to keep him quiet, but as soon as Kamatari had taken a sip, Sano snapped his head back over to him when he'd started choking.
“Hey hey! You alright?” he said, as Kamatari managed to gain some control and swallow the liquid. But he seemed to be preoccupied, staring to his right at something that had obviously taking him by surprise causing him to choke on his drink.
Sano followed his eyes and was very glad that Tae was standing next to him then, because she caught the glass he was holding as he dropped it. There, by the door, stood his stunning looking date, looking around the club trying to spot him.
“Wow…what a killer looker.” Kamatari finally managed to say, gawping along with Sano.
Sano couldn't move, he just stared. Kenshin had his hair down just like he had that night before, two long strands over his shoulders, the rest behind him flowing down his back. He wore a slim line shirt, deep purple, and only done up half way, letting a V shaped section of skin exposed to any eyes looking upon it. Tight black jeans made the finishing touches to the gorgeousness that just seemed to radiate from him, and as his eyes finally found Sano's, that bright smile illuminating his face, Sano felt his knees go weak.
“Kenshin.” Sano breathed softly, Tae's voice telling him to be more careful drifting through one ear and straight through the other.
“You know him!?” Kamatari said excitedly, “You have to introduce me!!”
As Kenshin walked over to them, working his way through the crowd of students, Sano felt his heart rate shoot up. Wait a minute, those weren't tight black jeans Kenshin was wearing, those were tight, black……………..Oh my god…
Sano swallowed hard.
…Kenshin's wearing leather!!
Sano had no idea if he was drooling at the sight or not, he wouldn't be surprised if he was, but the only thing he managed to stutter out as Kenshin walked up the bar was;
“………Y-..you're gorgeous.”
Kenshin giggled lightly.
Kamatari however just rolled his eyes, “Oh yeah, you're a real smooth talker aren't cha Sany?”
Inside Sano was glaring at Kamatari, but for the minute, he could do nothing but stare at Kenshin. As far as Sano was concerned, for the first time since he'd started working here, a real angel had finally walked into Heaven.
To Be Continued…