Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Time Changes All ❯ Over It ( Chapter 25 )

Author's Notes: I know that my lack of updates must have pissed off many of you, frustrated the others, and the rest were thinking "I didn't even notice, I have other fics to worry about". . . well the long awaited chapter is here. . . after a month delay! And on my year anniversary no less! So, I hope you enjoy this chappie, and like said before we're nearing the final stretch! Read and Review!

Disclaimer: Kenshin and Kaoru don't belong to me, they belong to each other. . . although Enishi seems to have a false misconception. . . oh well he doesn't belong to me either

". . ." dialogue

`. . .' thoughts

(. . .) author's useless commentary

Over It

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

As the front door closed when Sano had left the bedroom door opened making Kenshin bring his attention toward it. There stood Kaoru struggling to stay standing on the doorframe

"What are you doing up? You're hurt, you should be lying down." Kenshin scolded her walking toward her.

Kaoru shook her head and leaned on Kenshin when he came up next to her supported her weight. "Yeah, and I have to stop ending up like this. How many times have I been carried to bed since you moved here? I'm so accident prone these days that it isn't even funny anymore."

"When was it every funny?"

Kaoru let out a sigh, "It's an expression." Kaoru glanced at him, "Did you carry me again?"

"Nope, this time it was Sano."

"Oh."

Silence fell upon them until Kenshin noticed that she was struggling to stay standing. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her toward the bed. Kaoru huffed and tried to get down but he wouldn't allow it. "I can walk you know."

"No you can't. You twisted your ankle and have to keep off it for a while." A disappointed frown adorned his face now. "I don't know what you were thinking attacking in blind rage. It was only a sparring match, you fought as if your life depended on it." Kaoru froze at his words as he put her down on her bed once again. "I don't ever want you doing that again. You scared me Kaoru."

For a moment an unreadable expression crossed her face but was soon replaced by a forcefully placed smirk. "I scared the great Hitokiri Battousai? I must be better than I thought I was."

He frowned down at her and said in a serious tone. "Stop doing that."

Kaoru smiled innocently up at him, "Don't do what?"

". . . Stop acting like everything is alright."

"What are you talking about? Everything is just fine."

"If you were fine then you would stop acting like this! Something happened out there on the mat today, and it sure as hell wasn't instinctual self-defense. You were attacking something, now tell me what it was."

"You're imagining things." Kaoru waved her hands trying to physically brush away the topic and turned her head away from him.

"I'm no imaging anything Kaoru. You're avoiding the past!"

Kaoru whipped her head around and hissed at him, "My past does not concern you Kenshin."

"If it doesn't concern me who the hell does it concern?"

"It concerns me, not you."

"Then why don't you face your past?"

"I already did. I'm over it. I want everyone to just leave me alone! I'm fine! It's been eight years! I got over it! I don't know what you all think but I'm fine!" She forcefully pulled the covers over her head to hide from Kenshin's penetrating gaze. Taking in a shaky breath she continued, "I'm fine Kenshin. . . I just lost it today. It's no big deal. A lot of things just piled up these days and so I just snapped at practice today. I'm sorry I worried you."

"'Ready to fight me now? I've been avoiding you all these years, but when I finally attack you head on, you run. Coward.'" He reached over and pulled down the covers far enough to be able to see her eyes. "What did you mean by that Kaoru? You weren't avoiding me all these years, what were you avoiding? What did you see in my place?"

Her eyes that were peeking over the covers were wide and reflected fear. She didn't answer.

"Kaoru. . . Why are you afraid?"

"I-I'm n-not afraid. . . I c-can't afford t-to be a-afraid."

"Why not? People are entitled to their fears. . . the thing is you can't let it define you. Facing a fear shows courage and integrity, both which I think you possess."

Kaoru gazed at him for a long silent moment then turned her head to the side to avert his eyes. "I never knew how you did it. I was always of envious of you. How was it that you could do it but I couldn't? Was I that weak of heart? I didn't know what to do. . . so I pushed it aside, I've been doing so for eight years now. . . and it seemed to have worked."

"Why were you envious of me? I'm not sure what you're talking about." He responded gently, careful not to scare her back into her shell.

"You were able to move on after your parents death. . . I couldn't."

Kenshin reached for her right hand with his. "Do you want to know my secret?"

Kaoru looked down at their joint hands then with a saddened face she spoke, "Yes."

"I had you. When my parents died you were there for me. Even though I was to move to Hokkaido I knew that no matter what you would be by my side. When I found out about them dying and ran to your house, you there to lend your shoulder for me to cry on. At their funeral you held my hand through the whole thing. If you had let go of my hand I don't think I would have been able to get through it. . . thank you. You're the only thing that kept me sane. And I'm supposed to protect you."

***************************** Flashback ******************************

"Then will you do me a favor, a favor that you must keep forever? I guess you could call it a promise. . . about Kaoru?" said Kaoru's father as he looked down at the boy that stood at the door. The boy was so young, and had seen death much to early in life.

"Anything! I'll do anything for Kaoru!" Kenshin exclaimed with his hands balled in fists at this side with determination.

"Protect her."

"W-what?"

"Protect her. Kaoru is strong, but vulnerable."

"No, Koishii is one of the strongest people I know! She can fight!!! She can beat me up any day!"

"Maybe she could, that's why you have to be stronger. She maybe strong and be able to defeat all her come up to her in when she is older; however, she's not as strong on the inside. Don't get me wrong, she is strong but she never lost anything really important to her."

Kenshin looked guiltily at Kamiya-san, ". . . Is this about me having to move away?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Am I going to break her? Am I going to hurt her?"

"Kenshin. . ." He looked down at the boy that had his head hung low with his fist still at his sides, but shaking.

"I'm sorry."

"It can't be helped that she'll be sad when you move, but she's not one to hate someone over something like that. You know that better than anyone else. I am asking you to protect her because when it comes to Kaoru I trust you more than anyone else."

Kenshin stopped shaking but continued with his head hung low. "How can I protect her if I'm far away?"

"You two won't forever be apart. I think. . .no, I know that you two will meet again. You're meant to be. Will you protect her?"

Kenshin slowly raised his head his eyes slightly glimmering with tears that seemed refuse to fall. Kamiya-san's breath suddenly caught, he saw in Kenshin a determination that a boy of his age never has. The determination backed by. . . love?

"Yes, I will protect her with my life."

**************************Flashback Ends**************************

"My father said that?" Kaoru asked with shock written on her face and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Yeah."

"It makes it sound like he knew he was going to die."

"I don't think he did. . . I think maybe he just wanted you to have someone there just in case he was ever not able to be there. I don't blame him. My parents and yours were very close. . . I guess when mine died he saw how fragile the human life is. . ."

"Then he knew I was too weak to handle myself."

"You know, you're good at that."

Kaoru looked at him skeptically, "Good at what?"

"Twisting people's words to make it seem like they think the worst of you."

"I don't-" She tried to protest.

"Yes you do. Kaoru, I can't think of anyone that would think badly of you. All your friends think that you are the strongest person they know. You always help them with their problems before you concern yourself with yours. Your father knew that if something were to happen you should face it alone. But I know differently."

"How different?"

"I know you're weak."

Her faced cringed at his harsh but truthful words, even so she was in denial. "I'm not weak Kenshin. I made it this far without anyone. . . I don't need you. I don't need anyone."

"You're weak Koishii. . . But strong at heart. You care for so many and would much rather see yourself having a soul eating memory than let someone else feel a twinge of loneliness. You use other's problems as a way to avoid your own."

"I don't have a problem."

"Of course you do. Everyone has a problem or problems. I have one. You have one. You shouldn't be left alone with it either. You helped me through mine by saying that you wanted Himura Kenshin to stay instead of the Hitokiri Battousai. You have no idea how much those words meant to me. Especially coming from you."

"You don't need my approval Kenshin. You would have made it without it. You were fine without it."

Kenshin smiled widely at her, "I know I would have been able to make it without you saying that to me, I would have been fine. But, I didn't want to just be fine. I wanted to be great. It was so much of a relief that you wouldn't judge me for what I did. So, now I stand before you prepared to help you through this."

"You sound like a shrink."

"You don't need a shrink right now. They do shit for you anyways."

"I'm so happy you think so highly of them. So, what is it that I need now?"

"Me."

"How conceited of you."

He sat down next to her on the bed. "You were there for me and now I'm going to be here for you from now on. So this time, I'll be your shoulder."

She let out a sigh of exasperation, "You're not leaving me alone until I tell you everything are you?"

Kenshin smiled cheerfully, "Nope."

"A year after you moved my parents died. . ." She paused, not really sure if she was ready to keep talking. Kenshin gave her hand an encouraging squeeze, with the kind gesture she continued. "They died in a car accident while they were driving to come see me at the regional kendo tournament. It was my fault they died. . . if I hadn't asked them to come to see me they would still be alive. I know it's so trite in saying that but. . . I can't help but feel guilty. When I was little I told Soujiro, and naturally, he said it wasn't my fault. That it wasn't anybody's fault. . . but I know, it was my fault. I set the chain of events happen that led my parents to their death."

"You actually think that? Do you believe that?"

". . . Yes."

"I went through something like that for a while." Kenshin said as he reclined back onto the bed so his head was resting on her lap. He looked up at her and smiled. "It's pretty normal for most people to go through that. I think it's one of the steps to getting over death. One of them is mourning, another, guilt, denial, destructive manner. I think you went through most of it. You only are a step or two away from getting over your parents death."

Kaoru face was slightly red in anger. "I'm not a textbook case for death depression Kenshin! I don't want to think that I have a seven step program that I have to follow." He continued to smile at her. "What are you smiling at?!"

"You're in denial. I'm telling you that you will be going through the defined steps of getting over death that was my way of seeing if you would respond. The fact that you know you're not a textbook case is a comfort. . . tells me you're human." She stared blankly down at him. "You sometimes try so hard for others that you don't seem human."

"I could say the same for you."

He continued smiling, "I guess."

"You're less human than me. You can do everything; anything you set your sights to you can excel in. You're smart without really trying, you're unbelievably strong at kendo, you make friends almost immediately. . . you can get over the loss of your parents."

"You're smart, you're strong at kendo, you make friends faster than I ever could, and no, I didn't get over my parents death."

"But you said-"

"I said I went through a period when I blamed myself for their death. I'm over that, but I'm not over their death. I don't think I'll ever be."

"You're not over it?"

"No, it's insulting to them if I get over the pain. With life comes pain."

"How very cliché."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

". . ."

Kenshin smiled even brighter. "You might not be ready to talk to someone about it just yet, but if you ever need to you know I'm here." He stood and up and made his way toward the door.

Seeing that he was walking away she sheepishly asked, "Where are you going?"

"To make dinner. Want to help?"

"Yes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two were in the kitchen fixing dinner. Kenshin was at the stove boiling water and cutting onions while the injured Kaoru was sitting at the table peeling potatoes, already having cut her finger four times. As she was finishing in peeling her third and final potato she got her fifth cut. "Ite!" (translation: Ouch!)

Kenshin quickly went to her side with the packet of band-aids that he had next to him from the previous four cuts. "Maybe I should have asked you to just look at the potatoes. You're accident prone when it comes to cooking." He pulled out a band-aid and wiped the cut clean with a wet napkin and wrapped around her left ring finger.

"Do I even have to tell you I failed cooking class at school?" Kaoru glared at the potatoes and the knife.

Kenshin smiled and picked up the bowl of potatoes and the knife. "At least you got the peeling done. I can start boiling everything now."

"What are we making anyways?"

"Curry."

"Really?!" Her eyes widened with glee. "I haven't had curry in ages! Any food that I can't make I don't get to eat. Yay for curry!"

Kenshin laughed, "I'll make you chirashizushi tomorrow."

"Yay for edible food!"

"You can make my lunch for me tomorrow."

All celebration stopped on Kaoru's part and Kenshin's famous smile was stretched across his face. "W-what?"

"You'll make lunch for me tomorrow."

"Do you have a death wish? Very few have lived through my cooking."

"Then I'll be added to that short list." He turned around and went back to cooking.

"I'm not so sure about this. . . I don't want to be put to blame for the death of the best swordsman around."

"All the more reason for you to try really hard."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early the next morning Kaoru could be seen standing defiantly at the kitchen counter with ingredients and cooking supplies in front of her. "If Kenshin wants me to make lunch he's going to get the best lunch that he ever had!"

Through the apartment shouts of Kaoru could be heard as she constantly got injuries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bell had rung signaling the end of history and the start of lunch. As always the four of them pushed their desks together and Sano, Misao, Kenshin, and Kaoru sitting around taking out their lunches. Much like any other day Misao whipped out her lunch box that was surprisingly large for a girl of such small stature. Sano couldn't be beat and started munching on his foot long sandwich.

Kenshin looked over at Kaoru who seemed very hesitant and slightly worried. Trying to reassure her and to get his lunch he smiled and asked her, "So, do I get lunch today or are we going to the snack stand?" Kaoru jumped at his voice and the mention of lunch, she seemed to be more worried about this than he had thought. "I'm sure it's fine Kaoru. Can I at least see it?"

Kaoru tremblingly reached for the wrapped up lunch boxes and set one in front of Kenshin and the other in front of herself. "If it's not very good just don't hurt yourself by eating more."

"I'm sure I'll make it and live to tell about it."

Sano smirked, "Jou-chan made lunch for Kenshin? You must be a brave, brave man."

"Leave Kaoru-chan alone Sano." Misao laid a reassuring hand on her nervous friend.

"Thanks Misao."

"Yeah, she's suffered enough with bad cooking skills, we don't have to rub it in her face." Misao said this as she continued showing comfort to her friend.

Kaoru raised a clenched fist prepared to hit the next person to say the insult. When she saw that Sano was about to come out with another witty remark about her cooking she suddenly heard Kenshin say the most surprising thing in the world.

"It's actually not half bad."

Kaoru, Sano, and Misao whipped their heads around staring at Kenshin who had started eating sometime during the exchange of insults. "WHAT?!"

"Yeah, it's not bad. See Kaoru, I told you I was going on the list of people that survived. If all your cooking is like this your list is sure to get longer."

Kaoru quickly unwrapped her lunch and took a bite. She hastily slapped a hand to her mouth and stared at her lunch in pure shock.

"What is it Jou-chan?! Are you okay?! Was Kenshin's lunch just a fluke?!"

With disbelieving eyes Kaoru looked at her friends and in a voice barely above a whisper, ". . . It's edible. . ."

A silence fell upon the room, as Kaoru's words seem to echo through out the room and the halls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're too slow Kaoru-chan! I'll be going to the gym now." Misao yelled over the sound of the locker room and left out of the doors that were connected to the gymnasium.

"Hey! Misao! I always wait for you!" Kaoru's exclamation was reached to deaf ears as all of the students had left a few moments before. "Crap, I'm left here alone again."

As she was mumbling and pulling on her haori she heard the door creek close. Since people coming in and out was such a common occurrence Kaoru didn't pay any heed to it. She was pulling up her hakama when the sound of the locker room door locking snapped up her attention. She quickly tucked in her haori and tied the tie to her hakama and whirled around just when a hand slammed next to her head as her back was now against the locker. In front of her stood a smiling man with the shock of white hair.

"How were you Kao-chan?"

"Who are you?" Although on the inside Kaoru was frightened she tried to show a mask of defiance.

The man continued to smile, "Again with the question on who I am." He reached behind her with the left hand that previously slammed the lockers and pulled loose her hair. He ran his fingers through her hair then brought some up to his face and ran it against his cheek. "Such soft hair." He kissed the hair in his hand and let his left hand guide itself to her hip.

Kaoru flinched at his touch and automatically tried to push away. "Let me go."

"Now why would I go do something like that?" He pulled himself closer to her so that their pelvises were touching and she was completely against the wall. Kaoru tried to push him away but the tall male was much too strong for her.

She gritted through her teeth. "Let me go."

He brought up his right hand to stroke her cheek, "You're mine Kao-chan. I get to do whatever I want with you."

"I'm not yours."

He shook his head, "So naïve, of course you're mine. He took something of mine and so I get something of his."

Kaoru's eyes widened in confusion, "Who's `he'?"

"That's irrelevant." He leaned and breathed on her neck then whispered her ear. "What's important is that you are mine."

Kaoru rasped out, "I'll scream."

"Will help come? Will someone actually come to your rescue?"

"Kenshin would come for me."

Hearing the name anger flared inside of him and he bit down on her neck. A silent anguished scream escaped her lips as she struggled even more. He brought his left hand up to her mouth to cover any cries for help. When he let go of her neck he glared into her eyes. "Don't depend upon that idiot. You are mine, and mine to rescue."

Slowly her vision became blurry and darkening. Soon blackness consumed her and she went limp.

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A/N: The irony of my shrink comment is that I want to become a shrink. . . about the fact that I put in "ite!" instead of "ouch!" is because I think the reaction word "ouch!" sounds too weird. . . even when I'm having a conversation in English I say "ite!" I guess it's reaction thing. . . oh well. . . I just think it sounds better

Can anyone tell that the last segment of the chapter was written while I was watching "Interview with a Vampire"? Well the whole biting of the neck thing is where that came from, but do not be confused this does not mean that he is a vampire. . . you'll see the result of the bite in the next chapter. . . which I have no idea when it will come out. . . I'm very sorry

i was wondering if ppl could tell me where else this fic is posted b/c no one has asked my permission to post it. . . i mean, i'm happy and all . . . but u know