Categories > Anime/Manga > Rurouni Kenshin > Bliss - Moving Out

Empty Places

by Scarred_Sword_Heart 0 reviews

Kaoru and Kenshin get used to their new-found privacy.

Category: Rurouni Kenshin - Rating: PG - Genres: Romance - Characters: Kaoru,Kenshin - Warnings: [!!!] - Published: 2007-08-17 - Updated: 2007-08-18 - 702 words - Complete

0Unrated
As Kaoru and Kenshin sat down for their first meal alone together since Yahiko, Megumi and Sano had come into their lives, Kaoru was aware of a queer feeling of loss. Her blue eyes kept wandering to the three unoccupied spots at the table. Finally, they settled on Yahiko's spot, the spot where she'd cold-cocked and strangled him many a meal for criticizing her cooking and calling her "busu". Now at the tender age of 11, he'd thrown himself to the wolves!

Kaoru mentally shook herself. She knew she was being silly. It wasn't like Yahiko had completely disappeared from their lives. He'd be over for training in the morning anyway and would probably eat with them more often than not. Kaoru tried to convince herself it was the same, but it just wasn't. She let out a small sigh, hoping Kenshin wouldn't notice.

Kenshin of course, did notice. Kaoru hadn't taken a single bite of her food and he hadn't either, always being one to wait till the others started eating before tucking in to his own food. He knew how sad Kaoru was with Yahiko having just taken a carriage out to Ruffian Row to live. He felt the same way, but was calmer about it because he knew Yahiko could take care of himself. But Kaoru was so very young and had a great fear of losing those close to her.

"He'll be here tomorrow," Kenshin said softly, hoping to buoy Kaoru's spirits.

"I know that!" snapped Kaoru, immediately checking herself, as she was trying very hard to overcome her old personality faults.

More quietly, she continued.

"I'm just worried about him. He's so young to be on his own and that Ruffian Row is filled with no-good thugs and gamblers. Who knows what bad habits he'll pick up from them?" she said.

"Well, he didn't pick up too many bad habits from Sano," said Kenshin with a smile.

"That's because we were always around to make sure Sano didn't corrupt him too deeply," said Kaoru, trying to repress her own smile.

Kenshin grinned at that.

"As Yahiko always says: Have faith in your pupil. He'll be fine on his own. He's very mature for his age," said Kenshin.

"Alright, but if he comes here tomorrow covered with tattoos and reeking of sake, I'm holding you responsible," said Kaoru.

"Alright," agreed Kenshin.

Kaoru reached for her chopsticks only to find Kenshin's hand over hers. She looked up into a pair of intense violet eyes, eyes that saw only her.

"Remember your promise," he said softly.

Kaoru understood and moved her hand from the chopsticks. Kenshin picked them up, took some food and fed it to her as she'd fed him when his right arm had been in the sling after his last duel with Enishi. Kaoru reached across the table and picked up Kenshin's chopsticks and fed him his food.

After the food was gone, Kaoru held up her sake cup while Kenshin poured for her, then Kaoru poured into Kenshin's upraised cup. They drank deeply and periodically glanced up from their cups into each others' eyes. Kaoru enjoyed sending little surreptitious glances at the handsome redhead before her who made her heart leap in her chest.

Kaoru knew that Kenshin was right about Yahiko. The lad had already been in three life-or-death battles and had won all of them. Yes, Ruffian Row was full of thugs, drunks and gamblers, but Yahiko had already been around their king and was turning out pretty well anyway.

Kaoru decided this time alone with Kenshin in which he and she could speak to each other from their hearts and be openly affectionate without having to worry about Yahiko's annoying jibes and taunts was a blessing. Deep violet eyes stared openly into hers. The privacy they finally had combined with the sake to remove the rigid borders that so permeated their lives as Japanese.

Nearer and nearer to each other they crept as their lips met first gingerly, then more passionately. The sake in her system emboldening her, Kaoru threw propriety to the wind and enjoyed the feeling of Kenshin's tongue entering her mouth.

Yes, Yahiko's moving out was a good thing after all.
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