ATTN: I've loved RuroKen for literally forever, but this is my first time writing anything for the series. But after watching the live-action movie, I have found myself falling in love with the series (and Takeru Sato) all over again. Turns out that it's quite a difficult series to write for, lol. Anyway, I hope that I was able to keep them in character and keep all of their speech mannerisms correct.

This fic will be a collection of interrelated oneshots that will jump around the manga's timeline, so I'll be posting warnings for spoilers where they apply.

The name of the song for the chapter and the suggested background music is "Adventures In Solitude" by The New Pornographers. Spoiler-ish for the end of the Kyoto Arc. As always, I own nothing.

"I know you want to,

Breathe through,

Come back,

Come too,

But it's comin' at a bad time.

Old scarred face,

Survivor's guilt,

For all we know."

Adventures in Solitude

He awakens to the feel of the sun.

It's warm as it streams through the open window onto the side of his face. He can hear the rustling notes of the wind chime fluttering lightly in the breeze outside, and Kenshin can tell from the soft periwinkle color of the sky that it's still early. A soft sigh passes through his lips as he shifts beneath the covers, brow damp with sweat. He reaches upwards with a bandaged arm and drapes it across his eyes with relief; it had been only a dream. He had defeated the hitokiri Makoto Shishio. He had won.

His amethyst eyes peer out from beneath his arm and gaze out the window for an indiscernible amount of time, watching the periwinkle bleed into a saturated ultramarine as the sun continues its climb in the sky. His mind is hazy still, but the color stands out to him. It's a brilliant shade of blue, a shade that brings to mind a promise he had made to a girl with the same colored eyes. Eyes that he can easily give the credit of his victory to, for if he had not remembered those eyes on the verge of death, he never would have had the strength to pull himself back to his feet.

The battle had been a staggering one, with the two hitokiri battling for constant dominance. Shishio had been a fierce opponent, but in the end Kenshin's will to live had decided the outcome. But despite his victory, the memories of the fight and just how close he had come to death still sit uneasily within him.

The unrest in Kenshin's mind juxtaposes the peaceful quiet that settles around him in the room. From the strong scent of damp earth rolling on the wind, he knows that he is still in Kyoto. It makes his stomach churn uneasily from the bloody memories the smell brings up, and the sudden wistfulness for the crisp saltwater scent of Tokyo makes him feel guilty. He has no right to miss that city. A man with such a sullied past does not deserve the nostalgic feelings of home.

Home.

For how long has that place been home for him? He thinks to the tatty dojo and the mishmash of vagabonds who have come to reside there, and his heart is pulled taut. Never in his twenty-eight years of life has he ever thought that he would have anything close to a family, yet somehow this ragtag band of misfits have burrowed their way deep beneath his skin. When Kenshin had left Tokyo, he had, had no intention of ever returning. It is in a rurouni's nature to wander, he had told himself, and it is simply time to wander again. Besides, this was his battle to fight; they had no part in it. But true to their natures, almost everyone he had left had made good on their word to hunt him down. A small smile pulls at his chapped lips despite himself as he thinks at just how badly he had underestimated the stubbornness of his friends.

His thoughts are interrupted by a gentle, feminine yawn. Kenshin's eyes widen with shock as he turns his head to see a familiar form slumped over beside the doorway. Kenshin inhales sharply at her presence and his inability to have even noticed it. How long has she been in here? Her alabaster skin is particularly pale, her normally shimmering raven hair hanging limply in a loose braid on her shoulder. She is dressed in a white sleeping yukata, a thin blanket draped over her lap. Beneath the frame of bangs, he can see that her closed eyes are red and puffy. Had she been crying? The thought of her tears makes his chest constrict painfully.

Kenshin could hardly believe it when he had seen Kaoru standing breathlessly in the doorway of his shishou's house. When he had said goodbye to her in Tokyo, he had been prepared for that to have been the very last time he would see her. With her, in that dojo that she so passionately protects with the friends she so fiercely loves, he had begun to feel at home: something that he did not deserve.

The memory of holding her tightly to his chest, illuminated by the delicate glow of fireflies, is both the best and the worst memory he has. Kaoru's presence over time had acted like a salve for the blistering wounds on his soul, and holding her in his arms had felt like a cool drink of water after years wandering the desert. Hearing Kaoru's sobs as he walked away had cut him deeper than a blade, but what had kept him from turning around was the singular thought that it was for her own protection. But now, seeing her sitting diligently beside his bedside with tear-stained cheeks, Kenshin wonders how he ever had the strength to leave her.

For a long time, the only sound in the room is the staccato of songbirds and Kaoru's soft snoring. Kenshin is so entranced by the presence of the headstrong, slumbering girl that he almost misses the sound of the shoji door sliding open. He manages to drag his eyes away from Kaoru to see who is there, and his eyebrows lift to his bangs at the familiar fluttering of inky black hair.

Megumi looks just as surprised as he does before her red lips pull into a pleased smile. "Good morning, Ken-san. I'm pleased to see that you're awake." She notices Kaoru slumped against the far wall and scowls, but ignores her for the moment in favor of conversing with the wounded rurouni.

"Thank you, Megumi-dono." Kenshin says weakly, offering her a polite smile in return as he follows her line of sight. His voice comes out hoarse from going without use, and his throat feels dry and scratchy. "But this one is quite surprised to see you, that I am."

Megumi kneels beside the futon, placing her medicine box off to the side. "Well, when you returned, Kaoru-san had sent me word of how badly you were injured." She throws a sideways glance to the young woman behind her. Her face betrays her worry and she looks away quickly before murmuring, "You were in very poor shape, Ken-san."

Kenshin smiles apologetically as he sits up despite the stabbing pain in his ribs. Megumi reaches towards him to help him up, shifting him slightly to face her so she can change his bandages. Megumi does not make eye contact as she slides his borrowed yukata from his shoulders and undoes the dirtied wrappings around his torso.

"I do not doubt that, that I do not." Kenshin responds solemnly as she busies herself with re-cleaning the gashes on his arms. The mixture Megumi dabs on them stings against his still-healing cuts, but he does not show any signs of complaint. The feeling of guilt over the entire situation aches worse than his injuries. "Forgive this one for putting you through so much trouble," he asks.

"Well, you can show you're sorry by taking this." She hands him an herb to chew to help with his pain while she examines the ugly purple bruises that have blossomed all over his skin. Kenshin winces as her fingers press firmly on his ribcage, examining each rib for fractures. "You're very lucky, Ken-san." Is all she says when she retracts her hands a few minutes later.

"This one gives you many thanks," Kenshin says, eyes flitting to Kaoru's figure. "And his apologies for worrying you all."

Megumi snorts, throwing her head towards Kaoru. "You should say that to tanuki-girl when she wakes up. Ever since Rooster Head came back with you half-dead, she's been a worried mess. She's barely left your side since you've returned."

"Oro? Is that why Kaoru-dono is in here?"

"I would assume. You were very feverish last night when I came in to check on you. She heard the commotion and came in, but I had told her that there was nothing to worry about and that she should go back to bed. Judging from her position, however, it appears she did not listen to me."

"Kaoru-dono rarely complies with opinions that conflict with her own." Kenshin smiles gently at the stubborn swordswoman, and Megumi does not miss the tenderness in his eyes. After a moment he turns back to the young doctor. "Oro, How long has this one been asleep for?"

"About three days, now."

"Oro?!"

Megumi snaps the drawers of her medicine box shut with a huff. "Do not act so surprised about it. Your body was put under enormous strain and sustained very serious injuries. You need to learn to take better care of yourself," She scolds.

Kenshin chuckles quietly. "I promise to be more careful with my health, that I do."

"Good." Megumi says before standing up. She turns to him before opening the door again. "Now lay back down and rest. You'll make a full recovery but you still have a long ways to go before you're able to move about again. I will send someone up with food and drink in a little while." Almost as a second thought, she casts a glance towards Kaoru. "And if she wakes up and starts making a fuss, you kick her out. You need your rest." With that, the shoji door slides closed with a clack.

With Megumi's departure, Kenshin's attention goes back to studying Kaoru. The dusty purple bags beneath her eyes are easy to see from the small distance between them, and he hears an echo of Megumi's earlier words:

She's barely left your side since you've returned.

His eyes soften as he watches the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathes. A fever? It explains the bad dreams he had suffered. Kenshin frowns though at the thought of Kaoru staying up all night to watch over him. Despite his best efforts to shield her from his affairs, he still always ends up making her worry. He sighs and attempts to lay back down again to follow Megumi's orders, but the sudden movement of his abdominal muscles causes a shooting pain in his side. Kenshin hisses in pain and then silently scolds himself when he sees Kaoru stir.

Slowly her sapphire eyes flutter open, puffy from exhaustion and worry. Her voice is airy and soft as she murmurs, "Kenshin?"

Even in the cool morning air, Kenshin feels a contented warmth bloom in his chest at the sound of his name on her lips. He smiles warmly as her eyes widen with surprise. "It is not good for your neck to sleep that way, Kaoru-dono, that it is not."

She sits up straight and blinks once, twice, three times before her face dissolves into tears. "You idiot! You go and almost get yourself killed by some—some lunatic—and that is the first thing you say to me when you wake up?" She cries. "I should slap you for all of the stress you've caused me!"

"Oro? Don't cry, Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin panics, waving his hands at her. "This one is just fine! Megumi-dono even said that I shall make a full recovery, that I will!"

"Still!" Kaoru cries, shuffling towards him on her hands and knees. She kneels beside his futon, hands fisted tightly in her lap. Her eyes are glossy with tears that threaten to spill as she bows her head, too overwhelmed to look straight at him. Her shoulders shake as she refrains from touching him; after how badly he had been hurt, the need for tangible reassurance that he is okay is difficult to combat. "Seeing you come back looking the way you did…and all of the close calls these past few days, I just—"

Kenshin reaches up gently to cup her cheek. Kaoru stills at his touch, her gaze meeting his as she feels his calloused thumb wipe away her tears. "Please do not cry, Kaoru-dono." He pleads quietly. "This lowly one had seen enough of your tears when he left, that he did."

Kaoru sniffles. "I'm sorry," She says, rubbing her eye with the sleeve of her yukata. "It's just that I've been so worried about you."

"But I am fine now, Kaoru-dono."

"I know, but for a while it looked like you wouldn't be fine. When you were off facing Shishio, I was so scared for you. And then when Sano had brought you back…" The thought makes new tears glitter in her eyes. "I kept saying your name over and over again, but you wouldn't answer me. I thought you were dead. I thought…I thought…"

Kenshin runs his thumb across her cheek as she struggles to finish. "Thank you," He says with understanding. His eyes are deep and heartfelt, and for a second the morning light catches them in a way that makes Kaoru breathless. "I am sorry for making you worry for me, that I am."

"It's alright," She says with a small smile despite her tears. She lifts her hand to cover his and presses it more to her cheek. The contact is intimate, but neither speak of it. The past few months have been awful for the both of them for numerous reasons, but the biggest reason of all for the moment has been resolved with this touch. He's alive, she thinks. A little worse for wear, but he's alive and he is here.

He gives her a smile. Gingerly, he says, "You know, I like Kaoru-dono's smiles much more than her tears, that I do."

He does not tell her that it is because of her smiles that he had found his will to live that day. He does not say how leaving had been one of the hardest things he's ever had to do, or how not a day has gone by since his departure that he has not thought of her and the place of belonging she has given him. Instead, he answers the unvoiced fears that still linger in her heart when he asks how much laundry will be there to greet him when he returns home.

At the very notion of home, she clutches his hand tightly and her smile is brilliant, and he finds that for the first time since he can remember, his is the same.

"We thought we lost you,

We thought we lost you.

We thought we lost you,

Welcome back."

Japanese Vocab:

-Hitokiri: "Manslayer, assassin" (depending on the translation)

-Shishou: "Teacher/Master", usually used as an honorific when addressing a martial arts teacher

-Shoji: A traditional Japanese sliding paper door

-Rurouni: "Wanderer"

- "-dono": Japanese honorific; very formal

-"Oro": Kenshin's trademark interjection

-Tanuki: "Raccoon"

-Yukata: A Japanese kimono made from cotton; much lighter and less ornate than standard kimonos; often used for sleepwear