Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ One Winter's Night ❯ One-Shot

DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and Rurouni Kenshin characters are exclusively owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shueisha, Sony Entertainment, Jump Comics and associated parties. Please note, this is purely fiction and for entertainment purposes only. This story is not meant for sale or profit.

Author's Notes: This is a one-shot ficcie about Kenshin and Kaoru sharing a cold winter's night together. Please note, This story does not follow the OVAs, TV anime or manga. Also, Kenshin and Kaoru is OOC in this story. One Winter's Night Fanfiction by Gypsy-Chan. Enjoy! (Created by Gypsy-chan 6/15/01, posted 8/27/01)

One evening at the Kamiya Dojo, Kenshin and Kaoru had finished dinner and were cleaning the dishes. Kaoru caught a brief chill. "Brrr… it looks like it's going to be another cold winter's night." Kenshin glanced over and saw her shivering. "Kaoru-dono, I'll finish up the dishes. Why don't you get some rest now." Kaoru agreed and headed off to bed.

Later that night, Kaoru sat up and looked out her bedroom window at the falling snow. She began reminiscing of one cold winter's night with her father.

Kaoru was eleven years old. She had snuck into her father's room. He felt her presence. She was lying at end of his futon.

"Kaoru."

"Hai, father."

"You're getting to be a big girl now. You can't sleep in my room anymore. Please go back to your room."

"But father, it is very cold. You always let me sleep by your feet when it is cold."

"I know, but tomorrow you will be twelve years old. You will become a young lady. You must learn to sleep in your own room now." He gently took her hand and led her back to her room.

Sniff, sniff. "It's not fair! I don't want to grow up! I don't want to be a lady!"

Kaoru's father smiled and gently stroked her hair. "There are some things that we can't control in life and growing up is one of those things." After tucking her into her futon, he kissed her on the forehead and began to slowly walk away. "Good night Kaoru." Before closing the door, Kaoru called out to him. "Father! I'm afraid to sleep alone. Please don't leave me!" She started crying.

Her father knew that the separation would be hard on Kaoru. After her mother's death he had allowed her to sleep in his room. It was a comfort for both of them. He knew that one day she would have to learn to sleep alone. He tried to prepare her for that. But upon looking into her pleading eyes, his heart began to soften. "I have something that will help you sleep. I was going to give it to you tomorrow but I think you need it tonight. Wait here, I'll be right back."

Kaoru became anxious. Her little mind was full of questions. "Father has something for me? What is he going to bring me?" He came back into her room with a small box wrapped in shiny paper with a blue ribbon fastened to it. Kaoru sat up. Her eyes began to sparkle as she gazed upon the shiny box. "What is it? What is it? Hurry father, open it!" Kaoru's father laughed. "Hold on Kaoru, you will see in a minute. Please be patient while I take the wrapping off." Kaoru was so excited. She could hardly wait.

Upon opening the box, Kaoru could see that it was a doll. But it wasn't an ordinary doll. It had red hair and a pink kimono. Kaoru wrinkled her nose. "Red hair?" Her father smiled warmly. "Hai. That means it is very special. It will keep you warm and protect you while you sleep." Kaoru held the doll and began examining it. The pink kimono felt warm to her skin. She rubbed it on her face.

Next, she ran her fingers threw the doll's red hair. It was so soft and silky. Kaoru smiled and gave her father a big hug. "Arigato father for my present. Now I won't be lonely." She held the doll close to her. Her father tucked her in again and kissed her good night. From that night forward, Kaoru slept in her own room with her special doll tucked snuggly under her arms.

A year after her father's death, Kaoru was visiting his grave. After rearranging the flowers on his grave she opened a small box and pulled out a doll. As she held the doll, she began to reflect on what her father had said the night he had given her the doll. She smiled and softly uttered, "Father, you were right. My doll always protected me while I was asleep. I was never afraid when I had my doll with me."

A tear streamed down her face. "I should have given my doll to you before you went into battle. Maybe my doll would have protected you too." More tears fell from her eyes as she placed her special doll on top of his grave. "I want you to have my doll father. It will protect you and keep you warm. Now you won't be lonely."

Back in the present, tears were streaming down Kaoru's face. "Another cold winter's night." As she dried the tears from her eyes she said, "At least I'm not alone this winter. I'm glad Kenshin is here." She began looking around her room. "I wonder if Kenshin could use an extra blanket? He'll never admit it. He is so stubborn that way. I'll bring him the blanket whether he accepts it or not."

Kenshin was in his room also reminiscing about one cold winter's night.

"I use to love winter." He remembered one winter standing in the snow when he was seven years old.

"Shinta, please come inside before you catch cold. Your mother is worried about you."

"Father, why does it snow?"

"To purify the earth."

"What does purify mean?"

"It means to make something clean."

"How does the snow clean the earth?"

"When the snow falls from the sky, it cleanses everything around us. After the snow melts, it turns into water feeding the earth. Then after the snow is all gone, spring is here. Spring gives birth to new life and a new beginning."

Kenshin was still looking at the snow thinking. Finally he looked up at his father and said, "So I guess winter is good. It cleanses the earth making way for a new beginning."

"That's right Shinta. Come, let's hurry inside. Your mother made us some hot tea and miso soup." Kenshin and his father went inside the house.

That was the last happy winter of his life. The next year his parents had fallen ill and died from a plague.

As Kenshin grew he suffered many atrocities during his youth. By the age of 15 he had become Battousai the manslayer. He was responsible for the death of many men.

Kenshin was now a wanderer. One day as he passed through a small town, he found an abandoned shack. "I guess this will be my home for the night." He looked upward towards the falling snow. "It looks like another cold winter's night." As he looked around for something to make a fire, he began thinking about the last winter he shared with his father. He became angry. "Father was wrong. Winter isn't good. It only brings forth bitterness and death. Nothing good has ever come from winter. My parents died in the winter and so did Tomoe. I hate winter."

Tears streamed down his face. "It's been ten years since Tomoe's death. I still can't stop thinking about her. She had finally smiled for me one winter's night and then I destroyed her smile forever." He looked over at his Sakabatou. "I'm tired of wandering. I wished that I could go back to my Shishou, but I know that he will only rebuke me for what I have done with his teachings."

A cold winter breeze whipped through the abandoned shack. Kenshin began to shiver and then cough. "I guess death will claim me this cold winter. It is a fitting end since all those that I have loved died in winter." Kenshin used what covering he had and curled up into the corner of the shack and fell asleep.

Kaoru had found the extra blankets. She was standing outside of Kenshin's door gently knocking. When she didn't hear his response she slid his door open quietly. Kenshin was sitting at the window looking out at the falling snow.

"Kenshin."

Kenshin slowly looked around. "Kaoru-dono? What are you doing up so late?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you. You seemed to be in deep thought."

Kenshin smiled. "Hai, I was just thinking about the past."

"I brought you an extra blanket to keep you warm." She handed him the blanket.

"Kaoru-dono, you don't have to do that. You should keep the extra blanket for yourself."

Naturally, Kaoru refused to take back the blanket. "I also made some hot tea. I thought we could share it together. It will help keep us warm on this cold night." She went outside his door and brought in a small tray of tea. Kenshin smiled. "Arigato Kaoru-dono for the tea." He helped her with the tray.

As Kaoru sipped her tea, she noticed Kenshin hesitate before reaching for his tea. "Kenshin, is anything wrong?" Kenshin smiled and answered, "No. The tea reminded me of one cold winter when I was a small boy. "Kenshin, I would like to hear what happened if you don't mind." Kenshin briefly smiled at Kaoru and then went on to relate his story.

After the story, Kenshin noticed that Kaoru seemed quite. "Is anything wrong Kaoru-dono?" She smiled and shook her head. "Everything is fine. It's just that you never talked about your childhood before. Arigato for sharing your story with me." Kenshin seemd a little embarrassed. Kaoru proceeded to relate her winter story when she was a little girl to him. They both remained silent after their respective stories.

"Kaoru-dono, arigato for everything but it is getting late and you should be resting now."

"Hai. Good night Kenshin."

"Oyasumi nasai de gozaru Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru left his room and went back into her room. She couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned for a while. Finally, she took her blanket and quietly eased into Kenshin's room. Kenshin heard her enter the room. He waited for a moment and then sat up and saw her curled up at his feet.

"Kaoru-dono."

"Gomen (sorry) Kenshin. I didn't mean to wake you. I'll go back to my room."

As she sat up, Kenshin extended his hand to her. "Come lie next to me. I'll keep you warm." Kaoru hesitated. Kenshin tried to reassure her. "Please let me protect you from the cold. I will not harm you. Do you trust me?" Kaoru smiled and nodded. She accepted his hand. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped the blanket snuggly around her.

"Are you warm enough Kaoru-dono?"

"Hai. It is much warmer when two people are together," beamed Kaoru. Kenshin smiled in response.

Sleep was beginning to catch up to both of them. Kaoru felt so warm and safe cuddled into his chest. Kenshin was glad to have her safely wrapped into his arms. He closed his eyes. Before falling asleep Kaoru looked up at Kenshin's red hair and remembered her doll's red hair. She took her fingers and ran it gently threw his hair. It was so soft and silky just like her doll's hair was. Kaoru smiled and thought, "I guess father sent you to protect me and keep me warm. Now I'm not lonely anymore. Arigato father." Kaoru drifted off to sleep.

Kenshin slowly opened his eyes. He wanted to make sure that she was asleep. He listened to the gentleness of her breathing. It was so soothing to him. Kenshin lovingly gazed at her sleeping face remembering her soft fingers touching his hair. He began thinking, "Kaoru has given me a new meaning for winter. Her purity and innocence is like the snow. Over the past year, she has cleansed my soul making way for a new beginning. Tonight is the beginning of our life together my love. From now on I will make sure to always love, protect and keep you warm." He lightly kissed her forehead and fell asleep.

FIVE YEARS LATER....

Kaoru and Kenshin were lying together in their room looking out the window at the falling snow. Kenshin had his arms wrapped snuggly around Kaoru's waist. "It looks like another cold winter's night," he said. Karou smiled and took her hand and gently stroked his face. "Hai. But somehow it doesn't feel as cold as it did in the past. You always keep me warm." Kenshin tenderly kissed her and warmly replied, "No. It is you who keep me warm. Arigato koishii for making the last five years the best years of my life." A tear fell from her eye. Suddenly, their door was slowly sliding open. Kenshin and Kaoru remained still. They felt something warm at their feet. Kenshin sat up.

"Kenji."

"Hai father."

"You must return to your room."

"But its very cold tonight. You always let me sleep with you and mother when it is cold."

Before Kenshin could reply, Kaoru got up and wrapped the blanket securely around Kenji. She smiled and kissed him on his forehead. "Oyasumi nasai my son." Kenji smiled and replied, "Oyasumi nasai okasan." (Good night mother.) Kenji closed his eyes.

Kaoru returned and cuddled next to Kenshin. He smiled and wrapped his arms back around her waist. "You're a good mother." Kaoru smiled and replied, "And you are a good father." He kissed her and then began to blow into her ears. She softly purred. Then he began gently caressing her. Kaoru stopped him and whispered, "We have to be careful darling." She pointed into the direction where Kenji was lying. He was resting by their feet. Kenshin slowly sat up and looked toward Kenji. He could see that he had fallen asleep. Kenshin quietly laid back down. "Shh... He's alseep. Now where were we." Kenshin began caressing her. Kaoru softly giggled and playfully hit him. "You are so bad." Kenshin smiled and whispered, "Let me show you how bad I can really be." He began passionately kissing her.