Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chances ( for now...) ❯ The day part 1 ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: Here you go! This took me a while, but that's what you get for suddenly turning your plot upside down, ne?

I hope it's any good.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters, I've tried praying to various deities…no luck…

~@#The Day#@~

`What on earth is happening down there?'

Kaoru grabbed an apron and ran down the stairs.

"Tae-nee-san, what's wrong?"

She skidded to a halt as soon as she saw the devastation downstairs.

"EH?!!"

"Jou-chan, could you take care of the customers," Sano called to her as he grappled with a fuming Tae, "I'm taking her out for a bit, heh, I think she needs to cool off," he grinned.

"I'd have to agree there, Tori-atama!" Kaoru waved happily at a glaring Sano as he dragged Tae, who was being uncooperative to say the least, out the front door leaving him no opportunity to argue.

Unfortunately he was followed by several enraged ex-customers.

`Just like a big brother…' Kaoru couldn't suppress a smile. `He's got such a loving heart, and everybody knows it! I wonder why he thinks he needs his tough-guy-act…'

She looked around…not a soul to be seen.

`Well, my shift was supposed to start at one anyway, half an hour earlier doesn't really matter, ne?'

"Wow! Great job, nee-san, you've managed to clear the place in a second. Yare yare, at least there are no drunken hentai tonight? I suppose I will be expected to clean all this up…Mou!" Kaoru sighed and bent down to pick up the shards of a glass vase when she noticed her sister's notepad.

`A pot of green tea for table 7?' She looked around and saw the slumped figure in the corner. 'Oh well. A customer's a costumer, ne?!'

She went into the kitchen and tried desperately to not spill boiling water all over herself, as always, and as always she failed miserably.

This time she managed to keep her swearing to herself, though.

As she bathed her scorched hand in cold water, her thoughts got the better of her again, only to be pulled out of the again by the wind tossing a branch against the window.

"Mou! This can't be happening! I know I can't cook, but I should at least be able to make some tea!"

She had left the tea to draw for far to long, rendering it undrinkable.

Instead of starting over, she just poured some of the draught out and added some water, tasting it to make sure it wasn't too bitter to serve.

`Well, I'm not risking my fingers again for anyone!'

Walking slowly and carefully she held the teapot at an arm's length and glared at it as if any minute now it would jump up and assault her.

"Sir, I've got your tea. I must apologize for my sister, she's a bit…Sir?"

Kaoru was frazzled at the lack of response. Warily she turned her gaze from the teapot in her hand to the occupant of the booth.

He wasn't moving.

Slowly she walked up closer to see if he was still breathing, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she kept when she saw his back rise and fall in a steady rhythm.

`He must've been exhausted to be able to sleep through hurricane Tae!'

Kaoru moved to put the teapot down, all the while nervously looking at the man to make sure she wasn't disturbing his rest.

`He looks so peaceful, like…Oh No!'

She jerked her hand back as she noticed a red lock of hair defiantly sticking out from under the dark hat, shining in the dying light of the candle.

`Oh kami! It's him. It's him! Right! Get a grip on yourself Kamiya! Just put down the tea and let him sleep. By the time he wakes up, Tae and Sano will probably be back and deal with him. Look at him, he looks so beautiful, I-I mean, he looks as peaceful as a baby in it's mothers arms…Eh? Let's just say he's out like a light O.K.?!'

This was starting to get very annoying.

Suddenly the weak candlelight died out completely, leaving her in the dark.

Kaoru stumbled towards a cupboard, fished a candle from one of the drawers and lit it.

More confident now that she could actually see her feet, she walked back to the booth and placed the new candle in it's holder.

Enchanted by the way the light played across his face she looked at the young man's face again. His face was covered in smudges of different colours of paint.

`He must be an artist…'

Kaoru leaned over to study the interesting trails the paint and rain had formed together on the stranger's face.

A spot of blue had settled on the bridge of his nose, mixing slightly into green with a yellow smudge on his right cheek. And from his forehead two read trails crept down to form a cross on his left cheek.

"N-No…" she stammered

Shaking uncontrollably, Kaoru collapsed onto the floor in miserable sobs.

"K-Ken-s-shin!…Dame!…I-I need you…here…Stay! Kenshin!!"

As the pain of his departure hit her body, she let go of her grip on reality. Suddenly everything went pitch-black and cold. Kaoru desperately hugged herself to keep warm.

"Onegai! Kenshin!!!" She tried to keep in inside, but it was useless. Crying out was all she could do.

"Itai…" she moaned before she slipped into the darkness.

Suddenly out of the nothingness she felt two strong and warm arms grab hold of her.

Faintly she was aware of being held against something warm and rocked comfortingly.

A soft voice was whispering something, but she couldn't recognize the words.

~@#*#@~

"Kaoru…shh…Please, stop crying…Daijoubu…I'm right here…I'm here with you now…"

Kenshin grew desperate as his words failed to reach her. He tightened his hold on her and held her shaking form closer to him.

"Kami! Please, how do I reach her heart? What should I do?"

Gently he pushed her away from him, to look at her face as he held it between his hands. "Kaoru," he spoke firmly, "Kaoru look at me."

Slowly her eyelids fluttered and opened.

`Thank Kami, I've got her.'

He searched deep into her confused blue eyes, trying to assure her that he was truly there, and himself that *she* was truly there, until he found himself staring deep into her soul. The pain was just too much.

Kenshin bowed his head and took a deep breath.

"Kaoru…I'm so sorry…I-I caused all this. I should never have…I-I love you so much it hurts…Please, stop crying. Onegai…I need you to---Oro!?"

Kenshin gasped when he felt a soft touch on his face. When he looked up in surprise, he was met by two shining blue eyes.

"You're… crying?

Kaoru looked down at the drop of moisture on her thumb. She looked up at his face again with a mischievous light filling her eyes.

"You mean to tell me you're begging me to stop crying with tears falling from your eyes?" she scolded playfully, not minding the tears still escaping from her eyes. It was alright. Perfect.

Kaoru looked at the confusion on his face, and the state of him in general. Suddenly it seemed as if it was the funniest thing she had ever seen and ever would see.

Kenshin stared at her, utterly and completely lost to whatever she could possibly be thinking that would result in a fit of laughter.

But he didn't care. All he knew was that he had found her, he loved her and he was happy.

"Kaoru!!" Kenshin threw his arms around her and dragged her as close to him as he possibly could.

Kaoru somehow managed to snuggle even closer and Kenshin felt ready to explode. She felt his laughter before she heard it, completely catching her by surprise.

Never had she heard him laugh like this, completely, with everything he had.

`It's not a mask this time, this is from his heart.'

She clung tighter and buried her face in his chest to stop herself from crying again. She breathed deeply, sucking in his smell. `He even smells the same…'

"I love you, Kenshin," she muttered into his shirt.

Suddenly he stood in one swift motion, still holding Kaoru close and causing her feet to lift off the ground.

He looked into her eyes and slowly put her back on her feet.

`Did he hear me?'

Kaoru entangled her hands in his auburn locks as she placed her palms on his cheeks.

"Aishite'ru, Kenshin!" She needed him to know beyond a doubt.

He just looked at her with wide eyes and breathed.

She tugged at his hair with shining eyes. `I always have…'

Kenshin couldn't take it any more, he leaned down, brushing his nose with hers before placing a soft kiss on her lips.

She could feel his lips curve into a smile against hers when she tugged on his hair again, urging him to deepen the kiss.

Somewhat shocked, `Yare yare, and I was trying to be decent…if it's what she wants…YAY!!!', he complied.

When they finally broke apart they just stood there, speechless, staring into each other's eyes.

`His eyes…he's really happy…because of me?!'

He leaned down until his head rested on her shoulder.

"Thank Kami…" His voice trailed off slightly. Kaoru smiled, `I don't know what he did to himself, but he's exhausted.' She comfortingly stroked his hair and kissed his head.

~@#*#@~

Kaoru opened her eyes. She was snuggled up against Kenshin in the corner booth.

`I must have drifted off somewhere between Kenshin hugging me and telling me how he loves me and Kenshin kissing me and telling me how sorry he is…' She suppressed a yawn and turned to look at the man in question, unable to wipe the grin from her face.

`Looks like he did too...He looks so peaceful. He never used to be able to sleep like this, it's beautiful…'

Kaoru remembered how she used to sneak into his room in the dead of night, when she had been having nightmares about him leaving, to make sure he was still there. She would sit there for a while, just sit, and watch him sleeping. If indeed he was sleeping, it wouldn't surprise her one bit if he'd been awake though all of it.

Her throat clenched when the memories of the night when she had found his room empty came to mind.

Kaoru shook her head to clear it. 'He's here with me now. And he'll stay.'

As silently as she possibly could she pried herself loose from his arms pressing a kiss to his forehead and got up.

She looked around the restaurant in the early sunlight.

`I wonder why Tae isn't back yet…Right Sano and her must have gone back to his place to…Not going there! I do *not* want to think of them…grmmpff…Too late…'

She stretched and turned to Kenshin again.

` Oh no! I'm such a baka! He was out in the rain all day yesterday I think…He'll catch a cold if I don't do something!'

Still making a point of not disturbing his sleep she ran up to her room to get him a warm blanket.

Just when she was inspecting her favourite blanket for moth-holes a worried cry came from downstairs.

"Kaoru!?"

She half fell, half jumped down the stairs, clutching the blanket in both hands.

"Anata? Dou ka shita no?" she gasped, being completely out of breath.

Instead of an answer she got an embrace so tight she could barely catch her breath.

"Koishii…I woke up, and you weren't here…I thought…Anata?!"

Kaoru looked up at his amused eyes and blushed profusely.

`Did I say that? I said that…I can't believe I said that! Wait a second…'

"Koishii?!" Kaoru grinned at him sheepishly.

After a few moments of perplexity laughter erupted from the couple.

Needless to say, the blanket lay forgotten on the floor by this time.

TBC

A/N: And another chapter finished! Yay for me!

I've started my studies again so I can only write in the evenings,( which sucks because this room gets friggin' freezing.) anyway I'll try to write more than I have lately. I think I've had enough of being lazy ^_^

By the way, I think I should warn you all that from here on in the rating is going waaaay up.

Soooo…

Love and Peace!