Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ How the Past Can Change ❯ To Blow Something You Waited 10 Years For ( Chapter 26 )

How the Past can Change

A K&K Rurouni Kenshin Romance FanFiction

by: bunny ;D

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. I do not own and did not create the series or its characters...I'm just a fan, and I have no money anyways, so NO SUING ME!! :D

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A/N: This story is altering the original story of Rurouni Kenshin / Samurai X. It also has some OOCness, (especially with Battousai.) If you don't like that idea, or can't handle it…I would advise you not to read this fic. If you are a hard core Tomoe and Kenshin forever kind of person, I would advise you to not read this fic. Don't get me wrong, I like Tomoe, this is just a different story ok?

Ja ne,

Bunny ;D

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Kaoru let out a deep sigh, and then turned towards her redheaded friend. "Kenshin, it's going to be ok right? I mean, it's not like he's dead, he'll be back in no time right?" she asked him, her voice hopeful.

Kenshin smiled. "I hope so." He said.

Kaoru sighed. "So, it's just you and me until then." She said.

"Yeah, just you and me." Kenshin agreed.

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Chapter Twenty-Six

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~ Dinner that Night ~

Kaoru sat across from Kenshin that night eating her fish and rice, wondering about her Father. 'I wonder where he is right now? He has been gone since the middle of the night…' She let out a deep sigh, and then stuffed some more fish into her mouth. Glancing up at Kenshin, she remembered her Father's words to the two of them before he left… "You will have to take care of each other now." She sighed again, remembering how he had placed her hand into Kenshin's before saying those words. 'What exactly did he mean by that?' she wondered. "Hey Kenshin," she said to get his attention.

Kenshin looked up at Kaoru from his own dinner, and said, "Yes?" letting her know she had his attention.

"Kenshin…what do you think Dad was trying to say to us before he left?" she asked.

Kenshin almost choked on the rice he had just placed into his mouth, but quickly covered by taking a gulp of water. Then clearing his throat, he said calmly, "Well, uh…what did you think he meant?" he said, turning her question back onto her.

Kaoru looked thoughtful for a moment. Kenshin tried hard not to show how adorable he thought it was when she was thinking like that. It reminded him so much of the way she would look when she was younger right before she would tell him that she was going to marry him when she grew up. Then realizing what he was thinking, his heart started pounding. 'What if she is going to say that she thinks he meant we should get married now? Should I do it? I don't know…' he frantically clutched at his chopsticks as he awaited her response.

Then Kaoru said, "Well, actually…I'm not sure, but I think he was trying to say that now you are going to take his place in my life. You know, since you have always been like my big brother anyways."

Kenshin dropped his chopsticks and began choking. 'ORO!' he thought. 'She thinks of me as a father figure? BIG BROTHER?!!!'

Kaoru got a satisfied smirk on her face as she asked Kenshin if he was all right and handed him his cup of water. 'Interesting.' She thought to herself as Kenshin gulped down the water. 'Maybe he was serious about marrying me after all. Why else would he get so choked up at my father figure reference? Unless, he is just upset because he thinks I'm saying that he's old. Oh no! What if now he thinks he is too old to marry me? Kaoru you baka!' Kaoru's smirk turned into a frown with her twist of thoughts, while Kenshin finally recovered and casually picked his fallen chopsticks back up.

"That's funny that you said that, you know, since you used to always tell me we would get married when you were old enough." Kenshin said nonchalantly.

Kaoru's eyes widened at his words, and her cheeks flushed. "Oh well," Kaoru said as she began to nervously giggle, "you know, I was just being a silly little girl." She said as she continued to giggle, her blush becoming more and more noticeable.

Kenshin smiled at her blush. 'I wonder what that means.' He thought before saying, "Oh. Well then, I guess I will have to start looking for a wife." He said as if he was talking about the weather.

Kaoru's jaw dropped. 'WHAT?' her mind screamed. 'What did he just say?' she asked herself in horrified shock. To make matters worse, he continued, "I was planning on keeping that promise I made you when I first arrived, but you know, if you were just playing games, then…well…" he paused and looked hurt, yet mischievous all at once before he finally said, "anyhow, I suppose it's time for me to get to bed. We have training early tomorrow morning before the students come. So be ready. Goodnight, Kaoru." Kenshin finished as he stood and then retreated to his bedroom.

Kaoru sat there in stunned silence. 'Was he being serious, or was he just teasing me?' she wondered. "Well, he certainly looked like he was hiding something from me." She mumbled under her breath as she began to clear the table. "Find himself a wife, he says." She continued to mumble. "He had better not, that baka red-head." She threatened to the dirty dishes in the sink.

After washing the dishes and preparing herself for bed, Kaoru left her room, deciding she had too much on her mind to go to sleep. She rounded the corner of the property and then quietly jumped up onto the roof. She sat down and gazed at the stars while trying to figure out the man she was living with. 'Is he just playing with me?' she wondered.

She remembered how seriously he used to promise to make her his bride. On many occasions she had asked him if they could talk about what things would be like when she was older and they got married, especially when she was younger. As she had started to mature, it had been less frequent, but they had still talked about it as if they would certainly get married. It had been years though, since the last time they had discussed it.

~ Flashback ~

The day before her 13th birthday, Kaoru had been sparring with Kenshin in the dojo. Since coming to live with them, he had quickly mastered Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and had since then assisted her Father in teaching the students, as well as in Kaoru's personal training. He had also taught her a few other things from what he referred to as his "original technique" and it had proved to make Kaoru a very skilled swordswoman. Towards the end of their session, Kenshin had said to her, "Kaoru, one day, you will be the best female samurai in Japan."

Kaoru had blushed and said, "why, because I'm going to be your other half when I marry you?"

Kenshin had laughed and smiled at her as he re-sheathed his sword. "I don't know if I am the best, but if you think so then, yes, for that reason too." He answered as he took a step closer to her. She smiled up at him and dropped her sword down to her side at Kenshin's approach. Once they were almost face-to-face, he reached behind her and pulled on her hair ribbon, freeing her long ebony hair. Kaoru felt it cascading down her back and blushed as Kenshin ran his fingers through it and said, "you are so beautiful, my Kaoru."

"Oh Kenshin," she sighed as she leaned onto his chest, "how much longer will we have to wait?"

Kenshin gently placed his arms around her and said, "at least a few years. I wish it wasn't so long, but that is the way it has to be."

Kaoru had cuddled herself in a bit more, relishing in the comfort of his arms. He hadn't held her since she had been little, and besides their occasional references to it, they rarely spoke of their marriage promise seriously anymore. Enjoying the rare moment, she sighed contentedly when Kenshin had suddenly stiffened.

A second later, she heard her Father yelling, "what are you doing?!?!" at them.

Kaoru had jumped out of Kenshin's embrace and turned to her angry father, wondering what he was so upset about. He was scowling, but not at her, at Kenshin. 'Lie. Lie. Lie.' A voice in her said. Biting her lip, because she hated to be dishonest she yelled out, "what's wrong daddy? I was just upset and Kenshin was comforting me, like a good big brother would!"

Koshijiro's frown had remained though, as he pointed an accusing finger at them and said, "Then why is your hair down like that?"

Kaoru had smiled innocently at her father and replied, "It came undone while we were sparring."

Koshijiro had complied and left the dojo, but not before threateningly glaring behind her once more at Kenshin. Kaoru turned back to see Kenshin frowning down at his hands and shaking his head.

"Kenshin?" she had called to him.

Kenshin looked up at her and said, "Sorry, I need to go." Then he had quickly walked out of the dojo.

Since then, things had never been the same between them.

~ End Flashback ~

Kaoru brought her knees up to her chest to warm herself on the cool night, and let out a deep sigh. 'So where exactly does that leave us now? What if he was being serious with me tonight? I don't think I can bear to see him showing an interest in anyone besides me. I've always known we were meant to be together. It was never a silly girl crush. Why did I have to say that to him?' she wondered. 'Because, I was embarrassed.' She admitted to herself.

She gazed up at the stars and a lone tear slide down her face. 'Did I just blow something that I have been waiting almost 10 years for?' she asked herself, becoming more depressed. She let out another long sigh.

"Are you ok Kaoru?" Kenshin asked as he jumped up onto the roof to join her.

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End Chapter 26.

A/N: YAY!! I'm so proud of myself!! 2 chapters! Whee!! This one had lots of K&K too. Huh? YAY YAY YAY!!! K&K is good!! I'm so happy that I finally got to just sit down and write about them. I think there have been much too many necessary evils of other character involvement in this fic, but like I said, they were necessary. It makes the K&K parts that much better dontcha think? The good news is there should be quite a bit more K&K from here on out, and the next few chapters should be mostly about just them two. There will probably be more flashbacks too. This is why I skipped over those 9 years. I wanted them to be presented as memories. Anyhow, many many thanks to everybody who is reviewing! I really appreciate it. It makes me want to write more, and sooner! In any case, just so you know, since a few of you mentioned it…there is still quite a bit that will happen before this story wraps up. You will see…I'm not giving out any spoilers though ;P ::hehe::

Anyhow, till next time! (I'm starting on Chapter 27 right now!)

Bunny ;D

Yes, now…click that button, and review. Comon, you know you want to ;)