From Tears
DarkShadowHuntress
Disclaimer: I am a radioactive cockroach. With a giant laser beam.
*****
My tears fell like the rain from the cloudy sky as I sat on the hard floor, desperately clutching to Kenshin's body. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace, trying to comfort me as best he could, quietly murmuring comforting sounds. I buried my head in his chest as my body shook with sobs. Putting a gentle hand behind my head, he began to stoke my hair placatingly.
"Shhh, Kaoru-dono..." he whispered almost inaudibly. "It will be alright, it's all going to be fine.
I shook my head fiercely against his chest and he pulled me closer to him in response. "It won't be alright," I choked. "Nothing is the same anymore."
Kenshin didn't reply, but softly began to rock my trembling body back and forth. I tried to slow the breaths that rushed past my lips in gasps and he began to sing ever so quietly. He rested his head against the top of mine, lightly kissing my hair. I leaned all my weight into his body, which he easily supported as he sang me a song that I had never heard. So quiet it was that I couldn't make out the words, but I was soothed by his mellow voice and calm, even breathing. When he had finished singing, I lifted my head to look into his intense, yet sincere eyes and he smiled slightly. I sighed deeply and laid my head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
"There is no shame in tears," he replied firmly, cupping my chin and gently lifting my head to meet his gaze. "You should not be sorry."
I nodded shortly and he gave me a soft smile as he wiped the remnant tears from my cheeks with the back of his hand before wrapping me back in his arms. I breathed in his comforting scent and nestled into his embrace, my head tucked onto his chest, feeling tired and spent from my tears. He leaned against the nearby wall, and I sighed again as I slipped into a restless sleep.
***
I woke during the night to find myself in my own room, covered by my warm blanket. As I absently looked about, I saw that Kenshin sat with his back against the far wall, in the darkness of the shadows, apparently asleep. I lay still for a few minutes, listening to the crashing of thunder and the roar of the heavy rain upon the roof. Staring at the ceiling, I tried with difficulty to force so many unwanted thoughts out of my head, gaining no success. I pressed my hands against my eyes in defeat and let memories and emotions flood my mind as I almost unconsciously pulled myself to a sitting position. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, resting my aching head on them as well. I was not aware that he was awake until I felt a soft hand on my shoulder.
"Is something wrong?" Kenshin asked, concern ringing in his voice. I inwardly cursed myself for making the assumption that he was asleep, realizing that I should have known better.
"Everything is wrong," I replied, not bothering to even look at him. "So many thoughts are swimming about in my head, and it hurts me that I can't set it right."
He rubbed a hand over my back, and I knew he was silently asking me not to cry again without even seeing his expression, but I wasn't sure that I could have such restraint. "If you told me how I could help, I would," he said quietly.
"You can't help," I explained tiredly. "I don't think anyone can. I just don't know what to do."
"I don't know what I can do," he answered. "But I'm willing to try."
At this, I looked up at him, fresh tears filling my eyes. Kenshin was so very sweet, so excruciatingly kind. His vivid eyes gazed steadily into mine, almost questioningly. I could do nothing but shake my head slightly as a few tears tracked down my cheek. He reached out and brushed them away gently, his skin just barely touching mine, feeling like the whisper of a quiet breeze. I shuddered and ducked my head slightly.
"Please," he whispered. "Please, don't cry anymore. I hate it, it makes my heart ache." He moved to kneel in front of me , placing both hands on my shoulders. After staring intently at me for a long while, he spoke again. "I wish I knew what to do. I would give up anything to make everything right for you once more."
He quickly swept away more of my tears as they fell and tucked me into his arms. My hands gripped his back as I, for what felt like the hundredth time, began to cry, his thoughtful words being my undoing.
"Oh please don't," he implored softly. "It hurts me to see you this way."
I tried, for both our sakes, to stop, but I just couldn't seem to. As with everything else, I had lost control. Kenshin reached up a hand and stroked my cheek tenderly, and I let go of his back to take his hand in one of my own. His fingers gripped mine tightly as he bent toward me and slowly began to kiss the tears away from my face, one by one. My eyes widened slightly before I let them slide shut, he had never shown so much feeling toward me before, not like this.
'He feels the same way I do,' I thought.
I sighed slightly as he placed one last gentle kiss upon my lips, and opened my eyes to his concerned expression, he obviously was still worried about me. It was touching, really, how much he seemed to care for me, and I couldn't help but smile just a bit, causing his eyes to brighten considerably. He placed his hand on my cheek and just looked at me for a while longer, trying to read my face, and I moved to let him hold me close to his chest. I slid my arms under his to bring them up to his shoulders and pressed him near to me, laying my head on my hand, my face against his neck.
"I will find a way," he said. "I will make everything be right for you, no matter how long it takes. I promise it to you."
"It isn't your responsibility," I murmured into his neck. "You needn't make promises that you cannot keep."
"No," he responded. "I will keep this promise. I will do everything in my power, and even that which is not in my power."
I kissed his neck softly, letting a few more tears escape, which I was sure he felt. I could think of nothing to say but to whisper, "I love you."
I felt his arms tighten about me as I said this. "I love you, as well," he said quietly.
We sat there for what seemed like hours, neither wanting to let the other go, both wishing that we could remain this way for eternity, sheltered from the true world while the storm raged outside. Kenshin held me until I started to doze off and my body became heavy with somnolence. Then he carefully stretched me out and pulled my blanket over me, lying down beside me and holding me in his arms as we both drifted into sleep. I smiled softly, knowing that whatever happened and however the events were set out before me, that I would have him, and that tomorrow would always be fine.
*****
A/N: What, you want to know why Kaoru was crying? Too bad, you don't get to. Why, you ask? Because I don't know either. When I started writing this fic, I didn't know what anime it was for, or if I might make it into an original story (I do that a lot, I'm indecisive). So it's rather generic. However, I liked it so much (don't know why...) that I decided to post it. Reading it over a couple of times, it just sounded Kenshinesque (I just made a new word!), so voila! I changed some names, and there you have it. Ever read 'The Cask of ...' uh.. it was a cask of some type of wine, the name of which is ridiculous to pronounce and spell, and even harder to remember. Well, the brilliant Poe had one guy out for revenge on the other, he ended up killing the guy he was mad at. But you know what? Poe NEVER told us what the great insult was that made one guy seal another in a tomb. It just wasn't important, because it wasn't the focus of the story. The world may never know... But, I digress. This is sort of like that (I've gotten in trouble in English for doing that, I guess the teacher didn't see the genius behind it. It was a good story too...). The reason Kaoru is crying isn't important enough for me to make the effort to actually build it up. It just makes the story longer, and probably boring. It's not the focal point, so, the world may never know... I'm no Poe (though I try, I just can't be THAT morbid... Well... maybe I can, but I certainly can't post it here ^_^) but I'm stealing his technique. Wow, that A/N was so amazingly long. Whoa. Ja ne!
DarkShadowHuntress
Disclaimer: I am a radioactive cockroach. With a giant laser beam.
*****
My tears fell like the rain from the cloudy sky as I sat on the hard floor, desperately clutching to Kenshin's body. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace, trying to comfort me as best he could, quietly murmuring comforting sounds. I buried my head in his chest as my body shook with sobs. Putting a gentle hand behind my head, he began to stoke my hair placatingly.
"Shhh, Kaoru-dono..." he whispered almost inaudibly. "It will be alright, it's all going to be fine.
I shook my head fiercely against his chest and he pulled me closer to him in response. "It won't be alright," I choked. "Nothing is the same anymore."
Kenshin didn't reply, but softly began to rock my trembling body back and forth. I tried to slow the breaths that rushed past my lips in gasps and he began to sing ever so quietly. He rested his head against the top of mine, lightly kissing my hair. I leaned all my weight into his body, which he easily supported as he sang me a song that I had never heard. So quiet it was that I couldn't make out the words, but I was soothed by his mellow voice and calm, even breathing. When he had finished singing, I lifted my head to look into his intense, yet sincere eyes and he smiled slightly. I sighed deeply and laid my head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
"There is no shame in tears," he replied firmly, cupping my chin and gently lifting my head to meet his gaze. "You should not be sorry."
I nodded shortly and he gave me a soft smile as he wiped the remnant tears from my cheeks with the back of his hand before wrapping me back in his arms. I breathed in his comforting scent and nestled into his embrace, my head tucked onto his chest, feeling tired and spent from my tears. He leaned against the nearby wall, and I sighed again as I slipped into a restless sleep.
***
I woke during the night to find myself in my own room, covered by my warm blanket. As I absently looked about, I saw that Kenshin sat with his back against the far wall, in the darkness of the shadows, apparently asleep. I lay still for a few minutes, listening to the crashing of thunder and the roar of the heavy rain upon the roof. Staring at the ceiling, I tried with difficulty to force so many unwanted thoughts out of my head, gaining no success. I pressed my hands against my eyes in defeat and let memories and emotions flood my mind as I almost unconsciously pulled myself to a sitting position. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, resting my aching head on them as well. I was not aware that he was awake until I felt a soft hand on my shoulder.
"Is something wrong?" Kenshin asked, concern ringing in his voice. I inwardly cursed myself for making the assumption that he was asleep, realizing that I should have known better.
"Everything is wrong," I replied, not bothering to even look at him. "So many thoughts are swimming about in my head, and it hurts me that I can't set it right."
He rubbed a hand over my back, and I knew he was silently asking me not to cry again without even seeing his expression, but I wasn't sure that I could have such restraint. "If you told me how I could help, I would," he said quietly.
"You can't help," I explained tiredly. "I don't think anyone can. I just don't know what to do."
"I don't know what I can do," he answered. "But I'm willing to try."
At this, I looked up at him, fresh tears filling my eyes. Kenshin was so very sweet, so excruciatingly kind. His vivid eyes gazed steadily into mine, almost questioningly. I could do nothing but shake my head slightly as a few tears tracked down my cheek. He reached out and brushed them away gently, his skin just barely touching mine, feeling like the whisper of a quiet breeze. I shuddered and ducked my head slightly.
"Please," he whispered. "Please, don't cry anymore. I hate it, it makes my heart ache." He moved to kneel in front of me , placing both hands on my shoulders. After staring intently at me for a long while, he spoke again. "I wish I knew what to do. I would give up anything to make everything right for you once more."
He quickly swept away more of my tears as they fell and tucked me into his arms. My hands gripped his back as I, for what felt like the hundredth time, began to cry, his thoughtful words being my undoing.
"Oh please don't," he implored softly. "It hurts me to see you this way."
I tried, for both our sakes, to stop, but I just couldn't seem to. As with everything else, I had lost control. Kenshin reached up a hand and stroked my cheek tenderly, and I let go of his back to take his hand in one of my own. His fingers gripped mine tightly as he bent toward me and slowly began to kiss the tears away from my face, one by one. My eyes widened slightly before I let them slide shut, he had never shown so much feeling toward me before, not like this.
'He feels the same way I do,' I thought.
I sighed slightly as he placed one last gentle kiss upon my lips, and opened my eyes to his concerned expression, he obviously was still worried about me. It was touching, really, how much he seemed to care for me, and I couldn't help but smile just a bit, causing his eyes to brighten considerably. He placed his hand on my cheek and just looked at me for a while longer, trying to read my face, and I moved to let him hold me close to his chest. I slid my arms under his to bring them up to his shoulders and pressed him near to me, laying my head on my hand, my face against his neck.
"I will find a way," he said. "I will make everything be right for you, no matter how long it takes. I promise it to you."
"It isn't your responsibility," I murmured into his neck. "You needn't make promises that you cannot keep."
"No," he responded. "I will keep this promise. I will do everything in my power, and even that which is not in my power."
I kissed his neck softly, letting a few more tears escape, which I was sure he felt. I could think of nothing to say but to whisper, "I love you."
I felt his arms tighten about me as I said this. "I love you, as well," he said quietly.
We sat there for what seemed like hours, neither wanting to let the other go, both wishing that we could remain this way for eternity, sheltered from the true world while the storm raged outside. Kenshin held me until I started to doze off and my body became heavy with somnolence. Then he carefully stretched me out and pulled my blanket over me, lying down beside me and holding me in his arms as we both drifted into sleep. I smiled softly, knowing that whatever happened and however the events were set out before me, that I would have him, and that tomorrow would always be fine.
*****
A/N: What, you want to know why Kaoru was crying? Too bad, you don't get to. Why, you ask? Because I don't know either. When I started writing this fic, I didn't know what anime it was for, or if I might make it into an original story (I do that a lot, I'm indecisive). So it's rather generic. However, I liked it so much (don't know why...) that I decided to post it. Reading it over a couple of times, it just sounded Kenshinesque (I just made a new word!), so voila! I changed some names, and there you have it. Ever read 'The Cask of ...' uh.. it was a cask of some type of wine, the name of which is ridiculous to pronounce and spell, and even harder to remember. Well, the brilliant Poe had one guy out for revenge on the other, he ended up killing the guy he was mad at. But you know what? Poe NEVER told us what the great insult was that made one guy seal another in a tomb. It just wasn't important, because it wasn't the focus of the story. The world may never know... But, I digress. This is sort of like that (I've gotten in trouble in English for doing that, I guess the teacher didn't see the genius behind it. It was a good story too...). The reason Kaoru is crying isn't important enough for me to make the effort to actually build it up. It just makes the story longer, and probably boring. It's not the focal point, so, the world may never know... I'm no Poe (though I try, I just can't be THAT morbid... Well... maybe I can, but I certainly can't post it here ^_^) but I'm stealing his technique. Wow, that A/N was so amazingly long. Whoa. Ja ne!