Author's Notes: Here I am, after umpteenth years. It does feel good to let out these ideas (which have been filling my mind in every minute of my life that it actually annoys me that I don't have time to type it right away.). Ahh.
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine. Kenshin is not mine. Kaoru is not mine. But I do have them in my room. :) (Great Honor to Watsuki-sama!)
14th May: New Memories.
"It's the 14th of May, huh?"
Kaoru stared blankly at the western calendar posted at her bedroom wall. She sighed.
It's been a year now since Kenshin went to Kyoto. It's been a year now since he fought Shishio for the sake of Japan.
It's been a year now since he bade her farewell. Sayonara.
She let out a deeper sigh. "It's been a year now."
"It's one of those days, neh Jou-chan?"
Kaoru spun around to see the only person who would call her by that name. Sanosuke was leaning by her open shoji looking with his signature smirk. She rested her palm on her forehead. "…Aa. I guess."
"Just forget about it, Jou-chan. It's been a year now, right? What matters is that the redhead is here with us now." Kaoru went out of her room and Sano followed behind. He rested his hand on Kaoru's head and grinned.
"Look," He turned Kaoru's head to a certain direction. "Your Kenshin's doing the laundry right now." Kaoru smiled and nodded.
"You know, Kaoru. If I don't know Kenshin and see him like that…Mattaku, I still can't believe he's the one who saved Japan a year ago." Sanosuke kept his grin. Kaoru giggled and nodded again. "Yeah. So, here for breakfast?"
"Ah, actually… I already ate. Kenshin made breakfast so early today…" Sano looked at Kenshin. "… I guess he also remembered this day and couldn't sleep at all."
Kaoru looked at the same direction and her smile didn't fade. "So he did remember."
Kenshin noticed two pairs of eyes looking at him. He stopped from doing the laundry for awhile and saw Kaoru and Sanosuke. "Ohayou, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin smiled.
Kaoru can't help but smile back at the rurouni. "Ohayou, Kensh−"
"Busu!"
Yahiko's voice interrupted Kaoru's response. "Busu! You slept really late this time! Isn't it a shame for you that your only student wakes up earlier than you? Kono busu!"
Sano had to step farther from Kaoru that time. She was going to erupt.
"Yahiko no baka! Baka deshi!"
"Kono busu!"
"Baka deshi!" And there goes the bokken.
"Itai, that hurts, busu!"
"You better get used to that now, baka deshi!" The usual morning argument.
Kenshin silently chuckled, but it was still loud enough for Sanosuke to hear. He looked at Kenshin with a confused face and asked, "Something funny?"
"Iie. Kaoru-dono calls Yahiko 'baka deshi.'"
"And?" Sano still didn't understand.
"Shisho calls this one that too when this one was his student." Kenshin gave Sano a nostalgic yet happy smile. Sano smirked at the thought. "Well, you were always a baka."
Kenshin stopped chuckling. "Look who's talking." Sano's brows twitched. "Why you…"
Kenshin smiled again.
I really can't believe he just saved Japan. Sanosuke smirked.
Kaoru stretched her arms above her head. Another practice session done.
"Oi, Bu-Kaoru." Yahiko started as he put away the bokken they used. Kaoru raised her brow in reply. "It seems like you're not totally yourself right now. I mean, you barely missed my attacks!"
Kaoru stopped stretching and let her arms down. She faced the dojo floor and sighed. "Really…" Yahiko nodded. "Is there something wrong?"
Kaoru shook her head. "No-nothing!" She looked at Kenshin who was preparing her bath after practice. "Nothing at all…" Her eyes showed worry.
Yahiko may be a child, but he understood it the moment Kaoru looked at Kenshin. He looked away from her and said, "Don't worry; he's not going to leave anymore."
Kaoru's thoughts were disturbed when Yahiko said those words. She, a little surprised, looked at him. "I know it's about that…" Yahiko spoked again. "…But don't worry, didn't he say that he's at home here in the dojo?"
Kaoru remembered that time. Yahiko. She smiled a real smile and patted his head. "Arigatou for cheering me up, Yahiko-chan."
Yahiko blushed as he looked away. Kaoru smiled again and walked her way out of the training room. It was just then that Yahiko noticed what Kaoru said.
"Hey… I'm not a kid!!! Kono busu…"
His blush didn't disappear at all.
Night time.
"Is the water warm enough, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin looked up at the small window.
"Hai, Kenshin. Arigatou." She replied.
"Kahh… The water's so warm. It's so relaxing."
Kaoru exhaled and relaxed her tense muscles. It feels so good to take a bath after a very long day. Kaoru took a deep breath and kept herself underwater. She raised her face up to her nose. Her mind began to wander.
Everyone has been worrying about me all day. That's because I worry about Kenshin too much! Mou… I'm worrying about him too much and he hasn't said anything about it at all! I'm sure Kenshin remembers this day.
It's the day he left me after all.
Kaoru leaned at the edge of the furo. Mou, Kenshin.
I want to talk to him about it. I know I shouldn't bring it up anymore or just forget about the whole thing like what Sano and Yahiko said. Demo…
I just can't. That day is just too sad to forget.
Kaoru slapped her forehead. "Mou, Kaoru! Get a grip of yourself!!!"
"Ka-Kaoru-dono?"
Kaoru almost fell from the furo. "Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin called again.
"H-Hai, Kenshin?" She said, looking up by the window. Kenshin did the same from the other side, then looked down.
"Would you mind accompanying this one to a walk tonight?" Kaoru eyes went wide at Kenshin's invitation. This is it. So he did remember. He's going to leave again…
No, Kenshin. Don't. You're going to leave me again…
"Kaoru-dono? This one won't mind if you don't agree." She noticed his voice waver. Kaoru shook her head and looked at the small waves the water in the furo made. "I'd love to accompany you, Kenshin." Her heart pained.
"Arigatou, Kaoru-dono. This one will be in his room now." Kenshin said. Kaoru heard his footsteps died and let out the air she didn't knew she was holding.
…Kenshin.
A tear escaped her eye. "Please don't tell something I don't want to hear. Kenshin…"
That night, Kaoru took the quickest bath of her life.
Kenshin sighed with relief and little worry when Kaoru accepted his invitation. He closed the shoji behind him and leaned on it. Kenshin closed his eyes.
I'm quite worried that Kaoru-dono thinks that I'm leaving her again. I don't want her to get that idea.
I would never leave her.
There was an awkward silence.
Well, technically, I already did. Kenshin exhaled. But that won't ever happen again.
"Yakusoku. This one promises to himself." And to Kaoru-dono too.
He looked up at the four corners of his room and then at the ceiling. "This one just hopes that this night will turn out right." He relaxed his eyes and rubbed his temples.
Soon enough, Kenshin heard light footsteps walking towards his room. He smiled and stood; Kenshin strengthened his hakama and was about to open his shoji when the owner of the light footsteps stood in front of him.
Kaoru gave a small smile that hinted worry. "So…"
"Shall we go, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin tried to ignore the sad smile she made and lent out his hand. But instead of accepting it, Kaoru just bowed her head. "Hai."
He let down his rejected hand. "Hmm." He doesn't know what to say at all.
Kami. It seems like it didn't start quite right.
The two stayed silent as they walked out to the dark empty road. Kaoru doesn't even know where Kenshin would take her. And she doesn't plan on knowing.
"Ano, Kenshin… Where exactly are we going?"
Well, curiosity killed the cat.
Kenshin was quite relieved that Kaoru started the short conversation. He gave her another of his smiles and answered, "It's a surprise, Kaoru-dono. A surprise."
Kaoru bowed down and had that worried look on her face again when Kenshin wasn't looking. She was pretty sure Kenshin noticed it though.
That's the answer I dread.
A surprise. So… He is leaving.
Again.
A tear dared to escape Kaoru's eyes but she brushed it off and instead smiled. If that is going to happen, I won't let him go. No, I won't let it happen.
"...Kaoru-dono."
"Hai, Kenshin?" She said with that pleasant voice of hers. Kenshin looked at her quite surprised with the sudden change of mood. Hesitantly, he reached for Kaoru's right hand and squeezed it gently.
Kaoru blushed and looked at Kenshin, who was looking ahead and not trying to look at her. The two walked ahead.
"Please don't worry, Kaoru-dono. Nothing's going to happen tonight that will make you cry." Again. He added in his thoughts. He noticed Kaoru's surprised expression.
Kaoru blushed slightly and looked down with a smile. "A-arigatou, Kenshin." She felt her burden become lighter. Kaoru was about to hold his hand tighter when Kenshin spoke again.
"This one promises that this one will never leave you again."
Kenshin stopped on his tracks and released her hold on Kaoru's hand.
Kaoru stopped too not just because Kenshin stopped but because of the place where they were.
The place.
The place where Kenshin left me and said 'sayonara.'
Kaoru doesn't know whether to be happy that Kenshin promised her that he would not leave her again, or be terribly sad that Kenshin brought her to the place where she experienced the most nostalgic feeling.
To make it worse, fireflies started to gather around them.
It seemed like the fireflies were giving her a hint to be terribly sad.
It was mocking her. All over again.
Kaoru still didn't move and remained on her place, with a blank look on her face. She doesn't really know what expression to make. And when Kenshin turned to her with that soft look in his eyes, tears started to fill her sapphire eyes.
Kenshin stepped forward. He closed the distance between them and said something that Kaoru didn't quite hear. She was too busy stopping her tears from flowing. Kenshin tilted his head a little. He brushed the tears that were about to escape Kaoru's eyes.
Kaoru gave a small sob. "Mou, Kenshin. I thought you t-told me t-that..."
That was when Kenshin pulled her to him in a deep embrace.
Kaoru sobbed harder and clasped his gi. She can't stop her tears now. She even felt Kenshin bury his head on her hair and she only cried harder.
"Did you hear me, Kaoru?" He whispered. Kaoru stopped crying for a moment when he said those words. Did you hear me, Kaoru? He used 'ore'… He called me Kaoru.
"…K-Kenshin…" Kaoru managed to say. Her cries became soft sobs. "No, I didn't hear…"
"I said I would never leave you again." Kenshin repeated his words. "I promise that I will live with you and the others. I promise that I will be here to see Yahiko grow into a great swordsman; to see Ayame-chan and Suzume-chan grow to be like you…"
Kaoru smiled on his gi. "S-so many promises…"
"… I promise to share my life with you, Kaoru."
Kaoru's sapphire eyes widened.
I promise to share my life with you.
Tears started to fill her eyes again. But this time, they were tears of happiness. Kenshin buried his face deeper on her hair. "…Ken-shin."
"One year ago, I met with you in this place. It was just like this; fireflies gathered around; and I embraced you like this too."
Kaoru smiled between her sobs as she accepted Kenshin's embrace.
"Hai. But this time, I'm hugging you back." She leaned on his chest.
"And I'm not going to leave too." Kenshin was about to release his embrace, but Kaoru won't let him go. "Not yet, Kenshin…"
"I love the warmth I'm feeling right now."
Kenshin gave her a sincere smile – coming from the heart that made Kaoru smile back. He embraced her again and whispered…
"This one does too."
14th of May. Late night.
Kenshin and Kaoru walked back to the dojo. Hand in hand.
"Neh, Kenshin." Kaoru started. Kenshin looked at her with soft eyes and tilted his head in reply.
"Arigatou." She said and looked down. "Thank you for not leaving. I've been worrying about this all day. When you brought me there, I thought you're going to leave again… I'm just glad you didn't."
"This one is glad that he didn't leave either, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said. Kaoru raised her brow. "eh?"
Kenshin hid his eyes with his fiery bangs. He was blushing. Kaoru thought that wasn't possible. She needed to remind herself that Kenshin was a man too.
He smiled and spoke softly that Kaoru almost didn't hear it.
"This one seems to love you more than he thought he did."
The two stopped on their tracks. Kaoru looked at the blushing Kenshin. She opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again for she doesn't know what to say.
Kaoru sighed; this made Kenshin look up at her. Next thing he knew, Kaoru was kissing him.
Her kiss was soft. It was tender… it was sweet.
Kaoru pulled back and looked down. Kenshin eyes were still wide for a moment but then returned to its amethyst eyes with a hint of amber. He smiled when Kaoru looked up at him.
"You know Kenshin… You love making unforgettable memories on the 14th of May, don't you?" She said.
"It seems so." Kenshin leaned her forehead to her.
"Aa."
They kissed.
This one seems to love you more than he thought he did.
Me too.
I seem to love you more than I thought I did.
Owari.
Author's Notes: All done! Gah. I'm melting (don't know whether it's from fluffiness or pure embarrassment.). The whole "I seem to love you more than I thought I did" was a line said by Otani to Koizumi in Lovely Complex (both manga and anime.). I just can't get that phrase out of my head. Dang it.
I just finished drawing otani and koizumi. Everytime I look at that drawing, damn, I fall in love with lovely complex all over again. XD
(screams –fan girl style.)
Well, this is what I get for stopping for so long. Still, Please read and review!
Reviews make me happy. So review, okay?
(I sound like a spoiled desperate fan girl. XD)