Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ To Love You Again ❯ Don't Cry ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Just to let you know, KayJuli is the editor of this fic (And I edit her Card Captor Sakura fanfiction). The disclaimer is our feelings of who would win a fight, Kenshin or Syaoran.

Disclaimer: Hana Himura and KayJuli decided to write the disclaimer for their new chapters together... But they're not doing very well... They've been talking over the ICQ for two hours now... Hana Himura: (9:12 PM) Then Syaoran comes in and says: "But this isn't an RK fic... It's CCS." KayJuli: (9:15 PM) Then Kenshin says: "no, it's RK". And they start fighting... with swords!!! Hana Himura: (9:18 PM) Well, if they fight with swords... One of us can go hysterical, like: "We need to stop them!" While the other says: "I want to see who's stronger... "KayJuli: (9:19 PM) ^_^ Can you imagine? Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu against... Syaoran's style? ^_^;;; We can get some popcorn, sit comfortably on a chair... Hana Himura: (9:19 PM) Kenshin would win... KayJuli: (9:20 PM) What?!?!?!? No way!!! Hana Himura: (9:20 PM) Amakeru Ryu no Hirameki! KayJuli: (9:20 PM) huh? Hana Himura: (9:20 PM) The Dragon's Blow! KayJuli: (9:20 PM) ^_^ Hana Himura: (9:20 PM) Syaoran doesn't stand a chance! KayJuli: (9:21 PM) Why would Kenshin win? Syaoran uses magic!!! Hana Himura: (9:21 PM) Kenshin uses the ki! Hana Himura: (9:21 PM) And Kenshin knows Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! KayJuli: (9:21 PM) What?!?!?!?! Of course Syaoran has a chance!!! We're talking about Syaoran!!! Ofudas, lightining!! Come on! We should call an ambulance for Kenshin right now...
Hana Himura: (9:22 PM) But Syaoran can't win if he can't hit Kenshin... And Kenshin has that godlike speed of his...
KayJuli: (9:22 PM) Syaoran is fast too... I'm a fan fiction writer! I'll turn him into The Flash if I have too! Hana Himura: (9:23 PM)And I can make Kenshin have more magic than Syaoran can ever imagine! *Hana-chan glares at Kayjuli*
Meanwhile, Kenshin and Syaoran are calmly watching Hana-chan's and KayJuli's fight, eating popcorn.
*Kenshin* By now, they even forgot what is the point in writing a disclaimer.
*Syaoran* All they had to do is write: We don't own. How difficult could that be?
*Kenshin* Each one of them could type a word.
*Syaoran* We…
*Kenshin* Don't…
*Syaoran* Own…
The two men burst into laughter.
KayJuli: (9:24 PM) What?!?! *Fumming through her nostrils* And I'll make him...
*Kenshin* And to think that these two girls actually decide what is going to happen to us at the end of the fic...
*Syaoran* Scary...
*Kenshin* Should we stop them?
*Syaoran* No... cat fight! Besides, why? I want to see if KayJuli is going to fight wearing that cat costume... I guess she liked it. Tomoyo made her use and she didn't take it out yet…
*Kenshin* And I'm wondering why Hana-dono is wearing a Kimono...
*Syaoran* Well... your writer will get her butt kicked! She can't possibly fight well wearing that!
*Kenshin* You never saw Kaoru-dono hitting sessha's head when she was wearing a Kimono...
*Syaoran* Gee... You're really a wimp...
*Kenshin* Hey, who are you calling a wimp?! I bet ten yens that Hana-dono is going to win!
*Syaoran* Ten yen? That's not a real bet! You know your writer is going to loooooooooooose!
*Kenshin* Oro! Ten yen is more than sessha owns! You obviously don't know what Hana is capable of... *evil grin*
Hana-chan and KayJuli turned off their icq and looked at each other from across the room, closing their laptops. Just then they noticed that now Kenshin and Syaoran were arguing.
*Hana-chan* KayJuli?!
*KayJuli* Yeah…?
*Hana-chan* Who do you think is going to win?

Sorry for the long disclaimer... But we couldn't cut a word! It was an actual conversation on the ICQ.

To love you again

3. Don't cry.

The girl stared at the sky. It was cloudy, but it didn't look like it was going to rain. She sighed, before continuing her walk. She was only a few blocks away from home. 'Kaoru-chan didn't go to school again... She never missed classes before... at least, not without a good reason.'

She had tried to call her friend, but there was no answer. 'Maybe they traveled... Kaoru-chan didn't tell me anything about a trip... What if something happened?'

That thought scared her. Unconsciously, she turned left on the next corner and stopped when she realized what she had just done. 'Maybe I should go there and see if everything is alright. Kaoru-chan might be sick... but even sick people answer to their phones.'

She started walking again. 'Probably I'm being stupid. I'll get there and she will laugh at me, because I'm worrying. I hope that happens, because I have a bad feeling about this.'

The girl straightened up her uniform uneasily. She didn't like going to Kaoru's house. That was a violent neighborhood. She wouldn't risk going there at night, but it was still broad daylight.

She walked the distance to her friend's house trying not to think about anything. Her heart was pounding with the feeling that something was wrong. She stopped by a fence and looked at the sign that was hanging there: "Oguni Clinic." Kaoru's grandfather was a doctor. She remembered the first time she went to her friend's house.

They had a free class and Kaoru had promised to lend her a book. All the way to the house, Kaoru's friend had her eyes wide open, as if she feared to be there. There was a huge line in front of the clinic. The girl was surprised by the poverty of those people.

Kaoru said a few hellos while they were passing by the line.

"What is wrong, Misao?" Kaoru asked when they got to her room.

"I wasn't expecting..." Misao didn't know why exactly she was so surprised.

"What do you mean? You didn't expect me to live here, just because I study at a private school?" Kaoru took of her gray jacket and loosed up the red tie of her uniform.

"It's not it..."

"There is nothing wrong, Misao. Ojii-san lived here his entire life. He would never think of moving just because things weren't so good anymore. He always tells stories about how this neighborhood used to be while my mother was a child. I think he just hopes that one day everything will go back the way it was. I don't mind living here. We have great neighbors!" Kaoru smiled.

'Great neighbors.' Misao repeated mentally, reading again the sign of the clinic. 'I bet Kaoru-chan will laugh at me because I'm worried about her.'

Just then Misao noticed that the gate's lock was broken. She cautiously walked in. 'Why is the air so thick here? What is that?' Misao stared at a dark red stain on the floor. Her mind quickly registered what it was and Misao stepped back, a hand covering her mouth.

"What are you doing here, weasel girl?" A low voice said, behind her.

Misao jumped and turned back.

"Tori-atama! That is..." She began pointing at the stain, but was unable to finished.

"Blood."

"Kaoru-chan..." Her words were more of a grunt than anything else.

"No. Jou-chan managed to escape." Sano said, looking down. "Ojii-san."

Misao remembered Kaoru's grandfather. He was an old man that was always smiling and trying to help people.

"What happened?" Misao asked, still in shock.

"It's not safe for us to be here... I'll take you home." Sano said, pulling the girl by her arm. Misao looked too stunned to walk by herself.

They walked in silence, until they were far from the house.

"Jou-chan... I don't know where she is. Do you have any idea of where I can find her?" Sano asked.

"I don't know... What happened, Sano?" Misao asked, forgetting the nickname she always called him.

"Some things. The least you know is better. The important thing is that Jou-chan is in danger and I have to find her."

"Did you look for her in the dojo? She always goes there when she needs to think." Misao suggested.

"Jou-chan wouldn't go back there... She knows it's the first place they'd look."

"But what do they want with Kaoru-chan?" Misao asked.

"Don't ask these questions, weasel girl. It's for your own good. Kaoru would hate if something happened to you because of her."

"But you said she was in danger... Is someone trying to hurt her?" Misao insisted.

"Let's just say that if they find her, the best thing that she could hope for would be a quick death."

"Kami-sama..." Misao said, under her breath.

"Now you know why I have to find her as soon as possible. I need to take her somewhere safe. I need your help."

"I have no idea where Kaoru-chan could be... She doesn't have many friends and if she didn't come to me..."

"It means she wouldn't go to anyone else. You are her best friend. Maybe she wants to protect you." Sano took a piece of paper from his pocket. "If you see her, talk to her, anything... This is the number of the place I'm staying. Give it to her."

Misao took the paper and squeezed it in her hand. She couldn't be more worried about her friend. The worse thing was that she didn't know what was going on and didn't know how to help.

"Oh! Don't give this number to anyone. Not even the cops." Sano added.

"Why?"

"Long story. Maybe Jou-chan will tell you someday. Now I need to get going. Take care, Weasel."

Sano left Misao confused and worried. 'Oh, Kaoru-chan... What have you got yourself into?'

***

Kaoru wiped the counter for the 13th time. 'How much longer will he take?' She thought, slightly annoyed. She glanced at the time. Eleven fifteen. For Kaoru all the effort she had put on the afternoon had paid off. Tae-san trusted her enough to let her close the place that night. Of course, she still couldn't make coffee well, even though it was tasting a lot better than her first try.

But at that moment, she felt annoyed. It was that man... with his ill-mannered son. Well, the little brat wasn't bothering her at that time. After they arrived, he stayed quiet, silently playing with his game boy for almost an hour. At present, he was soundly sleeping with his face almost on the plate. He had been sleeping for nearly thirty minutes. 'What is he doing?' Kaoru watched the redheaded man finally put down his reading material. 'He lets his son to sleep on the table like that... He didn't look like he even bothered that the kid was tired.'

Kenshin looked straight at her. That was her cue. Kaoru walked to him, and smiled, as she asked, "Do you want anything else, Himura-san?"

"Hai. I want to apologize to you, Kaoru-san."

Kaoru looked at him with a puzzled expression. 'Huh? Did he know that I was annoyed by them?'

"It's past eleven o'clock. I know Akabeko closes at eleven. You could have asked me to leave." Kenshin said.

"You don't have to apologize, Himura-san. I'm not sleepy."

"But you were bothered."

"I was bored. Just that. I didn't have anything to do. No customers, my only two customers, one sleeping with his face on the table and the other one with his nose on... I don't know what is that you are reading." Kaoru said as she pointed at Kenshin's reading material.

"It's a little research. Say, Kaoru-san, could I apologize to you by buying you a cup of coffee?"

"Himura-san... Today is my first day and I don't think I'd feel comfortable if you bought me coffee. Let me buy you coffee instead." 'Kaoru, what are you doing? Why do you want to drink coffee with this man? Why did he want to drink coffee with me on the first place? Is he... No. Tae-san knew him from before I came here. And I don't know why, but I don't think he would harm me.'

"That would be lovely, Kaoru-san." Kenshin followed her to the counter. He didn't want Yahiko waking up at that moment.

"Oh, no... We are out off coffee." Kaoru said, looking at all the empty bottles. "I'll treat you cappuccino instead. I learnt it today and I need to practice."

Kaoru mixed the ingredients and wasn't long before Kenshin had a cup in front of him.

"I must warn you, Himura-san. This cappuccino might taste like someone dropped an old sock inside of it."

Kenshin laughed.

"I'm not joking." Kaoru said seriously.

Kenshin stared at her, then Kaoru gave a smile that itself said: 'just kidding!' He sighed in relief and took a sip of his coffee.

"It's okay." Kenshin stated.

"Just okay?"

"It tastes fine. It's not the best I had, though."

"Mou! You were supposed to be nice!"

"Gomen! I thought you wanted the truth!" Kenshin smiled.

Yahiko snore loudly, making them look towards the table. Kaoru giggled softly.

"He'll be mad with you, if you wake him up." Kaoru said.

"No. We have an agreement. I can't take work home on the weekend. So, I had to finish my work in here."

"I see. It doesn't bother you that he is sleeping sitting on a table?"

"It does, but I only noticed that he was tired when he fell asleep. I decided that it would be better if I let him sleep while I work, because either way he'll complain when I wake him up."

"Is he really your kid? Are you sure he wasn't adopted of something?" Kaoru asked.

"Hai. No, he wasn't adopted. Why do you ask?"

"I can't see any resemblance." Kaoru took another glance at the boy.

"He looks like his mother's grandfather."

"That was not what I meant."

"What did you mean, Kaoru-san?"

"You are nice... Polite... He's a brat!" Kaoru blurted and then covered her mouth with her hands. Her face turned red. "Gomen nasai! I didn't mean…!"

"Yes, you did. He is over spoiled."

"Do you spoil him?" Kaoru asked, still blushing.

"It's hard not to when you don't see your kid everyday."

"I guess..."

"What about you?" Kenshin felt compelled to ask.

"What about me?"

"Family? Fiancé? Kids?" He joked.

"Can't you guess by looking at me?"

"You are married, with four kids."

"You are wrong. It's five." She laughed.

"No boyfriends?"

"Iie."

"But you sure have lots of admirers." Kenshin said. 'Geez... Am I flirting? No... It's just an innocent remark. Of course, she must know that she is beautiful. Great! Now she'll think that I'm an old pervert. Just stop saying these things to her, Kenshin... You'll get a five digit imprint on your face.' Kenshin looked at her hands. 'Huh?'

"A few." Kaoru blushed.

"Modest, I see. So... Do you still practice?"

"What?"

"Kenjutsu." Kenshin said, matter of factly.

"How?"

"Your hands." Kenshin held her hand and showed to her. "Calluses."

Kaoru pulled her hand from his grasp. 'He doesn't have the right to say that my hands are rough.'

"How long has it been since you last fought?" She asked.

"About six or seven years."

"Why don't you fight anymore?"

"I get violent when I fight. That's why I quit. I don't want to hurt people."

"You were good."

"How do you know?"

"I saw you fighting once, when I was a girl. My father took me to a tournament and you were the winner."

"You have a good memory, but you still haven't answered my question, Kaoru-san. Do you still practice?"

"Not anymore..." 'I don't think I'll ever hold a bokken again. Not after what happened. Not after what I did. I wish... I could forget this. Why did he have to bring this up?'

"Daijoubu?"

"Hai."

"Really? You seem distressed." Kenshin said. 'There I go again! Telling the girl that she has a problem, when she says that she is fine. I hope she doesn't think I'm a freak. Because... I don't know why, but I want to be her friend.'

'How could he tell?' Kaoru thought. 'I said I was fine. Any other person wouldn't know that I wasn't telling the truth, but... he did the same thing this morning. Am I really that transparent? Or does he really care? It's just like Tae-san... What did I do to deserve these people caring for me?' A tear came down her face and she quickly wiped it away.

"Kaoru-san?"

"I'm okay, Himura-san. Thank you very much for caring about me. It has been a long time since someone showed interest on my feelings. Thank you."

"Excuse me for saying this, Kaoru-san... Even though you try to act cheerfully, I feel that you are trying to hide something. And deep inside you are very troubled. I just want you to know that if you need anything... Sessha would happily assist you." Kenshin gave her a reassuring smile.

"Domo arigatou, Himura-san. If I need anything, I'll remember you." Kaoru smiled, her first true smile on days.

They heard a loud yawn, as Yahiko stretched his arms.

" 'tou-san... I'm tired..."

"I better take him home. Thank you very much for the cappuccino, Kaoru-san. Next time, I'll buy it."

***

'So beautiful... So innocent ... how can someone be like this?' In my dream she was looking at the sakura flowers falling on the spring. Yes, it was a beautiful show, however nothing could be more beautiful than that young woman. Her face had a casual and peaceful expression. Her eyes were blue like the sky and they reflected the infinite kindness of her soul. She tried to catch the falling petals, but the wind started blowing softly and the petals seemed to flee from her delicate hands.

"Mou!" She protested. Her protest was the one of a contradicted child, however there was a smile on her face. She was not a child, even if sometimes she behaved like one. Her spirit was much deeper and confident than anybody that I have ever knew. Maybe that was what attracted me to her.

Looking at her that moment, she made me to think of a flower. A delicate flower that deserved all the attention and care someone could give it. Delicate, that's why she needed protection. 'I will always protect her.' I told myself.

She noticed the way I looked at her. Her face showed a calm curiosity, what reminded me also that her youth didn't make her a child and that she would never be one for me. I smiled, trying not to demonstrate what I was thinking about that moment. It was more and more difficult to hide myself from her.

She extended her hand for me. I looked at her hand, and then to her smiling face. I could not deny what she was asking silently, not without hurting her more than I could bear. I put my hand over hers. She held my hand with firmness and softness at the same time. As if she feared to hurt me, or that I would flee from her. She didn't know that I would not go away, that I didn't want to be away from her.

"Kenshin." She said, smiling. I always liked the way like she said my name. It was sweet how she insisted on trying to remove the barriers that existed between us. When she called my name, she always succeeded. Everything that she needed to have my heart on her hands was to pronounce that simple word... 'Kenshin'.

"You worry too much." She said, squeezing my hand a little tighter, as if she wanted me to know that I was not alone. "You are always smiling, but your smile not always is true. It is as if you hid the things with your smile, so people wouldn't know what you are really feeling. I would like... that you could trust me, Kenshin."

"I trust you." I answered.

"You are lying."

"No. I don't want you to worry about things that cannot be changed. There are a lot of things about me that can't and will never change."

"You don't understand... I cannot stop worrying about you." She was crying.

"Don't cry... Onegai." I held her in my arms, while she sobbed. Her face pressed against my chest, her hot tears moistening my skin. Her tears continued falling and there was nothing I could do to make them stop.

"Kenshin..." She said my name in a whisper.

My name again... In such an caring and intimate way, demonstrating all her affection and devotion.

I didn't deserve the love, the attention and the affection that she was so kind to give me. It was the simple truth. That's why I distanced myself from her. The best way of doing that was to raise again the barrier that existed between us. And in order to do that, I should use the same method that she had for breaking it. I had to say her name.

"Don't cry, Kaoru-dono." The honorific attached to her name would usually work to maintain the distance, but that time it didn't work. My voice had trembled. In spite of using the suffix with her name, my voice had demonstrated my feelings. For that reason, that barrier would not be raised again. There was no more reason to maintain the distance. "Don't cry, Kaoru." I said, simply.

"Don't cry, Kaoru." Those words repeated in my mind, when I woke up. I didn't know what I was dreaming, everything that I knew was the pain that I felt. A pain that wasn't mine, but that tore my heart in two. It was the girl of the Café, I am sure. There wouldn't be any other reason for her name to keep repeating itself on my mind. "Don't cry, Kaoru."

It's a strange feeling. I said I would help her, but I didn't give her my word. I know that cannot turn my back if I see somebody needing help, however a stranger's problem never bothered me so much to the extent of dreaming... That's what she is, a stranger. I don't know her, the same way that she doesn't know me. The question is: 'why do I keep thinking about it or her?'

Kenshin opened their eyes. It's still very early. How long has it been since I woke up so soon? I feel tired. The dream consumed me. If at least I knew what I had dreamed...

That girl could have any problem. Maybe it's something very small... A tiny little problem. Maybe she does not even need help... But why was she moved so much because of my interest? She is a mystery.

He stretched himself and threw the covers aside. The cold air of the morning was what he needed to encourage him to get up. He opened the curtains, and stood by the window to contemplate the day that had just been born.

I have to stop worrying so much about strangers, or I will have an ulcer by the time I'm thirty.

It was still very early for Yahiko to be awake. The boy always slept too much, it would be strange if he woke up before eleven in the morning on a Saturday. Usually, he would only wake up when there was food on the table.

"Don't cry, Kaoru." This is making me crazy. If I at least knew that she is all right. Maybe... why not?

Kenshin got dressed quickly. Akabeko was the only two blocks away from his apartment. He arrived there in less than five minutes. Their eyes wandered through establishment, but the dark haired beauty wasn't anywhere in sight. Tae seemed to be alone.

"Ohayou, Himura-san." Tae greeted him.

"Ohayou, Tae-san. Where is it Kaoru-san?"

"Did she do something wrong?" Tae asked, anxiously. 'She is a good girl, but her temper... I hope she hasn't offended him somehow.'

"Do something? No... I just wanted to talk to her." Kenshin said and it imagined how strange should seem that situation.

"Kaoru-san works in the last shift. But if you really want to speak with her, I can see if she is awake." Tae said.

"If she is awake?"

"Yes. She is staying here, temporarily. We have a room in the back." Tae justified.

"You don't need to bother her." Kenshin said. 'She would probably think I am crazy.' He added mentally. "I talked to Kaoru-san yesterday... She worried me. She seemed a sad. I imagined that she had a problem. Do you know about something?"

"Kaoru-chan told me that has just lost someone dear." Tae said, pensively. "Her grandfather."

"Maybe that's it..." Kenshin sighed in relief. 'It's not a problem that time doesn't cure. But...' "But what about her parents, Tae-san? Why is she staying here?"

"She said her parents died a couple of years ago and her grandfather was her last living relative. That's why I let her stay here. She has nowhere else to go."

'Poor girl... So young and so alone.' Kenshin thought. "Arigatou, Tae-san."

Tae looked at him as he left. 'Himura-san is behaving strangely. He seems interested in Kaoru-chan, but she is too young for him. Well, love knows no age. I'm sure Himura-san would take a good care of her. He is a nice man. Maybe I can do something to help...'

============
Please be nice enough to review (and, as always, don't mind my mistakes... English is not my first language). =^x^=
Special thanks to chibi-angel for taking a look on my grammar and spelling.
This fanfiction also has a Portuguese version. If you can read in Portuguese, please take a look at the fanfictions posted under the Portuguese option. É importante que nós apoiemos quem escreve em português. Um incentivo às vezes é tudo que é necessário para trazer à tona os talentos ocultos de uma pessoa. Além do mais, tem gente muito boa escrevendo em português aqui no fanfiction.net. Vale a pena olhar!