Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ To Love You Again ❯ Tomoe's wedding ( Chapter 11 )

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

Disclaimer: For the second year in a row, Santa refused to give me RK for Christmas... He said something about Nobuhiro Watsuki, but I was too busy whining to understand.

To Love you Again

11. Tomoe's Wedding

"Itai!" Kaoru complained, as Asiyah finished pulling her hair.

"Beauty requires sacrifices, Kaoru-chan." Asiyah stated, as if she meant to reprimand the younger woman.

Kaoru nodded slightly, as she fought the tears that were threatening to spill. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the makeup that had taken Asiyah forever to apply .

"There you go. It wasn't so bad, was it?" Asiyah finally told her, motioning Kaoru to move towards the mirror.

"Is this... Me?" Kaoru asked, staring at her reflection.

Asiyah had pulled Kaoru's hair up in a bun, with a few strands falling around her face casually. The makeup was perfect. A light blue shade brought out Kaoru's eye color. Her lips were a dark red.

"It's okay." Asiyah said.

Okay? Kaoru couldn't agree. She had never been so satisfied by the way she looked. Asiyah helped Kaoru to zip her dress.

Kaoru's dress was lavender. When she tried it on, she knew instantly it was the dress she'd wear. It was sleeveless and hugged her narrow waist perfectly. The scarf completed the outfit, making her look romantic.

"Kenshin's mouth will hang open when he sees you." Asiyah said, casually.

Kaoru felt her cheeks getting hot. Every second they spent in her room, getting ready for the party, Kaoru thought about Kenshin's reaction when he saw her. Thinking about him made her feel butterflies on her stomach. She had been thinking more and more about him the last few days.

"Are you ready?" Asiyah asked, walking to the door.

Kaoru nodded. They left her bedroom, towards the living room. Kenshin was waiting for them, with a serious expression on his face. Kaoru thought he looked cute in that navy blue suit. His shirt was also blue and his tie was white.

Kenshin held his breath. Kaoru was walking towards him. There was an ethereal aura about her. She looked like a dream. Kenshin wasn't blinking, afraid he would wake up.

Kaoru started feeling nervous. He wasn't saying a word.

Kenshin watched her, trapped between shock and awe. He couldn't believe Kaoru could look even more beautiful than she already was, but his expectations had been surpassed by far. She was divine. Simply

"Breathtaking." Kenshin heard himself.

Kaoru blushed. Kenshin cleared his throat, trying to cover his embarrassment.

Asiyah just smiled, watching the scene. She would drop dead before interfering in the couple's moment. If that meant disappearing during the party, she'd do that. She wouldn't be in their way. Even though, knowing her brother, he would need all the help he could get. Asiyah sighed.

"Shall we, my lady?" Kenshin asked, offering his arm to Kaoru.

Kaoru giggled as she took Kenshin's arm. It felt nice. She had never wore something as beautiful as that, nor dated such a handsome man. Once Sano had set her up with one of his friends, but the feeling wasn't remotely the same as going to Tomoe's wedding with Kenshin.

With Kenshin, everything seemed perfect and she was beginning to understand why.

***

Tomoe's beautiful garden had been prepared for the wedding reception. Only family members had attended to the ceremony, in a not far away temple.

Kaoru mentally thanked Kami that Asiyah had brought her to the house the other day. Otherwise, she'd be too astonished to keep her posture. The garden was filled with flowers. Two tents had been set to accommodate the guests.

Kenshin didn't have trouble to find the table Kaoru and he were to sit. He was happy that at least Tomoe didn't put them in the same table as the old deaf aunts. That wouldn't be fun. But then he would be able to talk to Kaoru about anything he wanted to say, without people listening to it.

Kenshin pulled the chair for Kaoru and greeted the other party members. One of them was his father's old friend and partner.

"Nishida-san, it's a pleasure to see you again." Kenshin smiled.

"Kenshin-kun. How do you do?" Nishida was nearly sixty years old. His hair was gray and he was a little overweight. Other than that, his appearance showed wisdom and dignity rarely seen those days.

"I'm very well, Nishida-san." Kenshin answered. "How is the family?"

"It's fine. My son Masao was involved in a small accident, but he is going to be fine."

Kenshin smiled, glancing briefly at Kaoru.

"Who is the lady?" Nishida asked.

"This is Kaoru." Kenshin introduced them. "Kaoru, this is Nishida-san. He was my father's partner. He knows me since I was a small child."

"You hardly grew. You just got older." Nishida teased. "You took after your mother. Speaking of her, how is she?"

"I hear she is fine. They are still in Switzerland, but Asiyah is here." Kenhsin looked around, but was unable to locate his sister. Finally, he gave up. "She is here somewhere. I haven't thanked you, Nishida-san."

"Thank me?"

"For hiring Akira. Few people would have hired him after I dismissed him."

"Akira is an excellent lawyer. I'm glad to have him working for me. Your loss is my gain."

In the main table, with the groom and the bride, a young man with white hair got up. He was wearing jeans and a leather jacket over the white silk shirt with Chinese collar. He raised his glass and everybody made silence to listen to him.

"When my sister told me she was getting married for the first time, I said she should think about it. She didn't and unfortunately brought a baka into the family. No offense, Himura."

"Not taken." Kenshin said, under his breath. Kaoru smiled and squeezed Kenshin's arm a little. That calmed him instantly.

"Her best decision was to divorce him. Now she is making the same mistake again... I'm just teasing. I don't think Tomoe is making a mistake. As long as Akira can make her smile, that is. Tomoe has the most wonderful smile. When she smiles at you... You could be having the worst hangover of your life, but you just know that everything is going to be all right. As long as Akira makes her smile, I think they will be happy together." He rose his glass higher. "To Tomoe's smile."

"To the bride and the groom." Someone said and everyone chorused.

Kenshin sighed in relief.

"It wasn't as bad as I expected."

"What?" Kaoru asked.

"His toast. Enishi hates my guts. You should see the toast he made at my wedding..."

Kenshin grimaced.

"How was it?"

"Do you really want to know? He called me shrimp."

Kaoru laughed. She could imagine Kenshin getting married and his brother-in-law calling him names in front of all the guests. Without a doubt, some people still remembered it. The band started playing.

"Asiyah told me you lived here as children." Kaoru said.

"Oh... I see someone has been talking about me." Kenshin made a pause, as Kaoru blushed. "I was born in this house. Mom says I was too anxious to get out and couldn't wait to go to the hospital. When Tomoe and I split up, I thought it would be better if they kept living here. Yahiko wouldn't feel it so hard. But now... Tomoe told me they will be looking for a place to live. Akira wouldn't feel comfortable living here, she says."

"Are you going to move back, then?" Kaoru asked, nervously.

"No... Not yet, at least." Kenshin replied. 'It's too far from the Akabeko.' He mentally added. "We'll stay right where we are."

'We?' Kaoru asked herself. She felt happy that Kenshin had included her.

"Do you want to dance?" He asked, reaching for her hand.

"I don't know how...."

"Nonsense! Everybody knows how to dance. Just follow me and you'll be fine." Kenshin smiled.

'I just hope to not step on his foot so many times...' Kaoru thought, as she took his hand and allowed him to take her to the dance floor.

Kenshin took one of her hands in his, as his other hand pressed the small of her back, keeping her close. Kaoru felt like Jell-O in his arms.

Kaoru looked in Kenshin's eyes. It was the first time she felt like this, as if she could fly. The only thing that kept her from floating were Kenshin's arms.

How couldn't have she seen it? He was right in front of her. It was so obvious... The way she felt when he was near. She couldn't deny her feelings. Kaoru rested her head on Kenshin's shoulder and allowed the music to lead them.

Kenshin breathed her scent. She smelled like flowers. He felt when she sighed and held her tighter, as if he was afraid of losing her.

It was strange to him how things could change. He never thought he would move on after the pain he felt when he lost Tomoe to Akira. He had given up in falling in love. He didn't want to love again. But Kaoru showed up in his life, turning everything upside down in the process. He wasn't expecting to meet someone. After meeting her, everything started making sense again. The rest of the world didn't matter. All the mattered was Kaoru. Now that he had found her, he would never let her go.

Kaoru looked up to Kenshin. He couldn't think anymore. It didn't matter that they were in public. He needed to do that then, or he would regret to let the opportunity walk by. He leaned over and pressed his lips against Kaoru's.

Kaoru's heart skip a beat. Kenshin had kissed her. It only lasted a brief moment, but it had happened. She blushed to the roots of her hair. They were in public and, surely, all eyes were on them. His gesture had been so spontaneous that, not even for a second, Kaoru had thought about how improper that was.

"Mm... I'll get us something to drink." Kenshin said, leaving her in the middle of the dance floor.

Kaoru just stood there. Finally, she went back to their table. She sat, feeling that all eyes were on her. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life.

She stared at her hands nervously. She felt like a child, playing dress up with her mother's clothes. All the women there were frightfully sophisticated. Everybody was looking at her.

"Don't mind them." The white haired young man sat in Kenshin's chair. She had to agree that he was quite attractive.

"It's not because of the scene the both of you just made. It's because you came with Kenshin." He finished.

Kaoru didn't understand what he meant. Enishi seemed to feel that.

"The ex-husband of the bride. Some of these people came to their wedding. They were probably wondering if he would show up."

"So, that's why..." Kaoru muttered, believing that everything now made sense.

"No. I lied. They are just a bunch of snobs." He finished his drink. "I'm Yukishiro Enishi."

"Kamiya Kaoru."

"So... The shrimp brought you to my sister's wedding..."

***

Kenshin looked for a waiter to ask for the drinks. He didn't regret that he kissed Kaoru. Only after their lips had touched that he remembered that they were in public. He could have taken the opportunity to deepen the kiss, either way people would gossip about it. But he thought Kaoru would be even more embarrassed later.

Her eyes, when he let go of her, they said a thousand words. It was amazing how she could show so much emotions without even trying. If he wasn't mistaken, her eyes told him that she accepted his brief kiss. That excited him, made his mind spin. He not even paid attention to the people who stared at him.

"Himura." An angry voice woke him from his daydream.

'Oh, no... Not now...' Kenshin thought as he turned around. It was exactly what he had been thinking about.

"Himura! It's your fault that my son isn't the same!" The man threw the contents of his glass over Kenshin. "You should be arrested! You are a criminal!"

'Tomoe is going to kill me...' Kenshin thought.

"Shishio-san! I thought that this business was over a long time ago!" Kenshin shouted back.

"My poor son... My poor Makoto... He almost burned himself to death because of you!"

"Shishio-san... It wasn't my fault what he did." Kenshin replied and felt a gentle pressure on his arm.

Tomoe pulled him away. She wouldn't let anything ruin her wedding reception. Nishida tried to calm Shishio-san, as Kenshin was pulled inside the house by his former wife.

Tomoe closed the door after them.

"I'm sorry. It seems that the ghosts from my past won't ever give me peace." Kenshin said.

"You always manage to draw all the attention to you." Tomoe said.

"It's impossible to take away the attention from such a beautiful bride." Kenshin smiled.

"You did. It's a scandal."

"I don't think that many people listened to Shishio-san."

Tomoe took a deep breath. Sometimes Kenshin could be so dense.

"I'm talking about the girl, Kenshin!"

"Oro... Kaoru. Her name is Kaoru." Kenshin replied.

"Yes, I know that. I thought you would stay away from her."

"It was impossible..." He sighed. "Completely impossible. She is... Wonderful. Everything about her, Tomoe... She makes me feel... Happy and content by simply being near her. I've never thought I would feel that after you, Tomoe, but I love her."

Tomoe was taken aback by his words. She didn't expect Kenshin to tell her that with so much passion. He was really in love with the girl. She remembered when they had split up and Kenshin said he would never love another. Seeing him so impassioned by the young woman made her feel happy.

"Very well, then..." Tomoe smiled. "You'll owe me one."

"Oro?"

"Have you told her how you feel about her?"

"Not yet. Asiyah got in the way more than once."

"I'm going to ask her to house-sit while I'm away." Tomoe said. "Enishi will take Yahiko for a couple of days. I trust that is time enough for you to tell her."

"It's more than enough!" Kenshin replied, thrilled.

"Find Asiyah for me. I'll be waiting here." Tomoe said. "You don't need to worry about anything else."

"Thank you, Tomoe. I love you."

"I know."

Kenshin left, as if he was a child that had just got himself a new toy. Tomoe considered if it was really the best thing to do. Kaoru seemed so young for him. She desperately needed a drink. She went to the bar and poured herself a shot of whisky. She drank everything in one sip.

Tomoe heard the door opening and turned to see if Asiyah was there already. Instead of finding her former sister-in-law, she found herself face-to-face with Kaoru.

"Tomoe-san? Have you seen Kenshin?"

"He is looking for Asiyah. Can we talk? It's about Kenshin."

Kaoru blushed violently.

"Kenshin..." Tomoe began. "Kenshin is a person of strong feelings when love is concerned. When he loves, it's too much and too intense. If you don't love him, please go now, before he falls even deeper for you."

Kaoru didn't know what to stay. She was completely catatonic.

"I really thought you were wrong for each other." Tomoe continued. "But seeing you together... You are perfect for him. The question is: is he perfect for you? I don't know the answer to that question, Kaoru. Only you can answer it."

"I... I love him..." Kaoru muttered. "But I am afraid."

"Don't be afraid of letting him love you, or you'll regret it. I can't tell you what to do. I've already said too much."

"Tomoe-san... Arigatou."

"Don't mention it."

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TBC...
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I'm also updating my other story "Kaoru's Fairy Tale", check it out.

* Hana-chan kneels down and bows till her forehead is touching the floor*
Thank you very much for all your patience, Minna-san. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm working hard to get the second part ready, but sometimes inspiration just seems to fly away (along with my disposition). I've been forbidden by my doctor to eat a lot of things that I like. The lack of endorphins is making me feel depressed. In any other circumstance, I would have replaced food for physical exercise, but the dojo is closed this time of the year (Sensei is on vacation).

Put some endorphins into my system. Please review. =^x^=