Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ An Afternoon's Memory ❯ Perception ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Kenshin is not mine legally, but in my heart he is. I don't own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters but I do wish they were mine. I'm just doing this to slake my thirst, and to stop my mind from shouting endless stories at me.

Note: I'm too slow, I really am very sorry. You know how it is, the mind works faster than the hands. I had been thinking about so many things lately, that updating the story has been really difficult. Plus the time won't allow me to. School had been damn hectic. But since all our tests for this month are already over, I would most probably complete two more chapters. Keep reading, and reviewing! Thanks!

-------------------------------

Chapter two: Kisses

It feels different

It is frightening

Yet it's beautiful

Is this,

What you call love?

Night's slowly coming, and she wondered at what it would bring.

The happiness she was feeling within, overflowed from her soul, taking the form of words, which she had never thought of saying out loud before. Those words had been concealed in the depths of her ego, for she was afraid that if she will speak them out loud, she might get rejected.

"Kaoru," he murmured her name softly, as if her name was so sacred and that wrong pronunciation of it would be blasphemy. He rocked her back and forth, cradling her `till he felt her whole weight slowly landing down upon him. She was light, so light that he strengthened his arm hold around her to make sure she was there. He felt her need to be coaxed, to be caressed, and to be taken care of.

Her eyes closed for quite some time, pondering on how nouveau this situation is to her, "Kenshin, this is weird, really weird."

"I know," he continued rocking her, cradling her to sleep. Her closed eyes seemed like stars to him and he bent down to kiss them, because for so many months he had wished to kiss them just like what he was doing now.

"Do please, you just don't know how fulfilling the feelings are," she murmured keeping her eyes closed; she doesn't want him to stop. "Thank you," her voice all of a sudden was mixed with a loathing tone.

"Kaoru," urgency in his voice, "you don't have to thank me. I'm doing this because I have wanted to do this."

She just nodded.

"Tell me what's the matter, don't you believe me?" he bent over her and studied her face with worried amber eyes.

"I do."

"Then what's the matter?"

"It's just that…it's just that - it's too wonderful to be real…" her voice was quivering, and it took her along time to answer, answering his direct questions was the hardest part of being with him. She was afraid that if she will answer his questions just like the way they are supposed to be answered, he might go.

Normally, he would leave everything at that, recognizing her pretense for what it was. Normally he would just ignore her, not bother to ponder on her aching words for he was too absorbed in wallowing in the past with Tomoe. But now, he felt that she should be asked, for something inside her is hurting. And it's deep.

"I told you, I just couldn't believe that we're together."

"Tell me what is it that bothers you so much?"

"Nothing-"

"Is it Tomoe?"

She was stunned, her reaction grave but not offensive.

"Is it?"

A nervous laugh escaped her lips, her voice quivered, as she spoke, "no."

"Then tell me, what is it really? It bothers me," he pleaded, stroking her long hair, pulling her tightly.

"It's nothing really."

He just gazed at her, hoping to find something in her innocent eyes, waiting for something to be revealed to him.

She bit her lower lip, "actually, it's not something of deep importance, it's just…" she faltered.

He smiled.

"I just fear that…because of my…because of my illness you'll go-,"

"Whatever it is that you feel, Kaoru I'm ready to take," he pulled her closer to him, he lay her down on the futon and he lazed beside her, still holding her closely, coaxing her, caressing her, whispering immaculate words.

"But what if you get…"

"Don't worry, I'm ready to accept every bit of it. Besides we are going to get married anyway," he secretly smiled. She would be shocked, he murmured inwardly. She would be.

She suddenly turned and stared at him dumbfounded, trying hard to speak but no word would come out of her mouth.

"Do you want me? Because Kaoru I want you, I want you more than you ever wanted me. I want you to be my wife. I want us to be together. Would you be mine forever?" his heart felt light, being with her had been his dream, his greatest dream, and the reason why he did not surrender his journey to death.

She laughed nervously, her pale lips quivering slightly and her frail hands shaking quite wildly. Sweat percolated down her forehead and he asked himself whether her sweating came from the humidity of the afternoon or from his sudden proposal.

He bent forward to kiss her, tilting her chin caringly. His lower lip perceptively massaged hers and his hands were as soothing as shiatsu on her spine. He kissed her nose and her cheeks and her eyelids, and slowly he moved to her earlobes to whisper words of endearment.

"Kenshin," she finally managed to blurt out. "Do you mean it?" there was an air of introversion in her voice.

He whispered again and again, assuring her that all she needed was to let him take care of her. His lips traced the contours of her face, and slowly moved down her neck. "You are beautiful."

"Kenshin," she murmured. She bit her lip and felt a surge of tears coming towards her, compelling her to make him stop. "You'll get-"

"-don't worry."

"Kenshin you might get my illness," two pearls fell from her eyes.

"Don't worry if I do."

"But you might die."

"Then that would be good. If you die, then I must die too, for I must follow you wherever you go. I love you, remember?"

"That's block-headedness," she smiled through the rain of tears approaching her.

"No, that's what you call," he stopped, searching his mind for a more fitting word, then able to find something smiled to her, wiped her eyes and continued, "that's what you call happiness."

"You're absurd," she gasped, and hiccups came too.

"I'll always be with you."

"You're really absurd."

"If you die, then I'll die too."

"You're more absurd than I thought."

He grinned at her and pulled her in a tighter embrace. He heard her laughing and her voice was like the tinkling of a bell. They lay there in silence for quite a while, he was cradling her quietly, following a rhythm he found with her. While his fingers tangled themselves with her hair, he noticed the slight change in her expression. "You feeling something?"

She shook her head involuntarily. "Don't worry. I'm just a little sleepy."

"Then try to sleep, I won't disturb you."

"No, I don't want to sleep."

"I'll be here, I'll be watching you."

"It's not that."

"What is it?"

"Humor me."

He stopped, and watched her longingly as her eyes slowly blinked. "What do you want me to tell you then?"

"Anything, I just don't want to sleep."

"Then I'll tell you everything about me, would that be alright?"

"It's more than great."

"Do you mind if I tell the story while doing this?"

"Doing what?" she opened one eye and inquiringly asked him.

He quickly bent down and kissed her lips again. "This," he murmured.

"Oh, that," she nodded, her eyes heavy from being sleepless since her sickness made itself damn visible. She run her fingers through his red hair and toyed with it while his lips moved to her neck and collarbone.

"I've never known a mother nor a father," he whispered in between kisses, "they died while I was still so young. Maybe I had a chance to see them, and if I had, their faces are now all blurred in my mind."

She nodded, feeling her face flushing for his kisses were immensely uncontrollable. She felt his hands on her obi, untying it again just like he did an hour ago. "What happened to you after that?"

He was busy untying her obi that it took him a long time answering. "Three women took care of me. They were really nice. But they died. It was then that I met Hiko and you already know everything after that."

"No, I don't."

His head rose, his expression stunned, "hmm?"

"Tell me about Tomoe please," her eyes were widely open, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, watching the crimson light peering through.

---------------

-----------

Notes: So what do you think about it? It had been a long time since I last updated this story. I was even planning to put it down for a while for it lacks better theme management. This story was supposed to be a one shot story, but since I felt the need for a lengthier one, I decided to add several parts to this one.

So long. I'll be working on the next chapter. I already have it in mind. Please do read and follow the chapters. Thank you and Review please.