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Crossing the Line	By : HauntedReality Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 5367 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
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CROSSING THE LINE - Chapter 11: The hardest choice...

DISCLAIMER: Of the many things that are mine to possess,
Rurouni Kenshin and his companions are not among them.

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Kaoru�s lungs ached. She had spent too many hours crying
recently, and it had taken its toll. Deciding to rest, she sank to the ground
below a large tree.

�I cannot believe how tired I feel.� A labored sigh escaped
as she evaluated her situation. �It is just as well I suppose. I don�t know where
I am going anyway. I couldn�t stay in town any longer--not after everything
Megumi said.

�And I am just not ready to face Sano and Kenshin again.
Even if they can forgive me for the awful things I said, how am I ever going to
forgive myself?�

She laid her head against the tree�s crumbling bark and
stared upward thoughtfully. �Is Megumi right? Do they both love me? Do I have
to choose? Kami, this is crazy! Everything was so simple before Kenshin left.�

An even sadder glint entered Kaoru�s eyes at that thought.
�Simple. Right. I was simply miserable--always waiting for him to notice me or
show me if he cared--but nothing ever happened. I just kept waiting. I would
still be waiting if it hadn�t been for Sano.�

The thought of his name alone made her heart skip a beat,
but she was not ready to accept the meaning behind it. So she allowed her
attention to be drawn away by watching the wind rip along the soft grass,
causing it to look more like the waves of the ocean than a field of vegetation.
Unfortunately, the phenomenon could not turn back the tide of thoughts plaguing
Kaoru for very long.

�Megumi seemed so sure Kenshin is in love with me. That is
great news, right? It is exactly what I have longed to hear since I met him.

�We could finally have the perfect little picture I painted
in my mind; the one where we teach the Kamiya Kasshin style together to a full
dojo of obedient students. Then I cook dinner and everyone loves it. He
continues to do the laundry because I�ve always really hated doing laundry, and
I actually think he might like it. We have a couple of children; one boy with
long red hair like his and a little girl with my dark hair. We all live and
work and love in the dojo my father built. It is the happy ending to the
story--the fairytale come true.

�So why isn�t my heart beating with joy? Why don�t I want to
skip around like a fool and scream his name?

�Why am I so sad?�

Lowering her head to a deep bow, Kaoru idly stroked the
fabric of her kimono. She forced all thoughts away to keep from crying again. She
tried so hard to relax herself that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she
heard a young male voice shout, �KAORU!�

Skidding to a halt, Yahiko dropped to his knees beside her.
A very surprised Kaoru just studied the out-of-breath youth. �I found you,� he
said when his breathing evened out.

�You did,� she agreed simply still slightly in wonderment of
his arrival.

�Well, this is awkward. So now what? I�m no good at this
kind of thing.� Yahiko twisted his fist against his pants as he tried to think
of something better to say or do. �Maybe I should just give her a hug. She
looks like she has been crying. And now I�m just sitting here like an idiot!�

Kaoru slid forward and gave him a light hug around the
shoulders, �Thank you.�

It was Yahiko�s turn to be surprised--had his sensei learned
to read thoughts like Kenshin seemed to do? �For what?�

�For looking for me,� she replied softly.

Yahiko allowed his arms to return her affections while Kaoru
rested her tired head against his boney shoulder. Nothing else needed to be
said between them. Somewhere along the line, they had stopped being just sensei
and student and had started to become siblings.

As Yahiko comforted her, he noticed the sound of leaves
being trampled growing closer. �I don�t think I am the only one who was looking
for you,� Yahiko said as a tall, lean figure approached through the trees.

Kaoru leaned back to see who he was
talking about, and her eyes widened as they fell upon a very contrite-looking Sanosuke.

She could feel her pulse spike instantly in his presence.
She wasn�t sure what she should be feeling toward him. The last few days had
been some of the most carefree, enjoyable times she had experienced since before
losing her parents, but there had been a fair share of torment and anguish too.

There was a piece of her that screamed to yell at him more--to
tell him he had used her for money and that he was an immature creep. But she
knew none of that was true. It was only her mind�s way of protecting her from
genuine feelings--the ones she couldn�t bring herself to admit to having for
the man whose eyes were locked with hers.

He looked at her as though he were trying to memorize every
line and curve of her face just in case she slipped away forever, but he said nothing.

Her throat was tight and dry so no words escaped her either,
but a small nod gave her answer to his unspoken question. Yahiko stood to
leave, but before he departed, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, �You
will never be alone.�

It struck her as odd that such a young man could understand
the situation well enough to know exactly what he should say to her when she
didn�t understand any of it herself.

Yahiko�s eyes met Sano�s as he stalked away. He said
nothing, but the former fighter-for-hire could read his intentions plainly
enough. If he hurt Kaoru further he would have a very vengeful Yahiko to
contend with.

Neither of them moved from their positions. Awkward seconds
stretched into agonizing minutes. Finally, they each decided they should join
the other, so Kaoru began to rise while Sano crouched lower. Realizing their
mutual bad timing, they found themselves caught in a strange hunched bow. On
another day this would have met with laughter from the pair, but given the
somber cloud hanging over them today nothing was said. They only straightened
into a standing position and continued to perpetuate the silence that had
become so familiar.

It was finally Sano who spoke. He had been preparing
impressive speeches since leaving the dojo. His thoughts had oozed regret and
poetry and love. But when his lips spread open he found himself saying, �Hi.�

�Hi,� she responded with a faint glimmer of amusement.
Wrapping one arm around her own waist she shivered slightly.

�Are you cold?� he asked with concern.

�Not really,� she said quietly with a bowed head.

His dark brown eyes regarded her before he pulled off the
long white coat bearing the kanji for wicked. Taking a step forward, he quickly
wrapped it around her but did not step back again.

Kaoru fought her senses as she took in the sight of his bare
shoulders and completely exposed hairless chest. She fought the strong impulse
to place her hand on his well-built form, but the temptation grew ever more
present as she breathed in his musky scent from his jacket.

�Sano/Jou-chan.� they said simultaneously.

�You first,� she offered.

�No, you,� he said somewhat forcefully.

�The things I said to you when I was mad...I....� She
dropped her head so low that her bangs spilled over her eyes obscuring her
expression from Sano�s view. �How can I apologize for something so mean? Why is
he being so nice to me?�

Her thoughts were cut off as she felt a hand cup her chin.
He raised her head so their eyes met again. �Jou-chan,
I don�t ever want you to hide yourself from me. You get mad sometimes. I like
that fire inside of you. It is one of the things that make you such an amazing
person. Whatever else happens I want us to be honest with each other. Too much
pain has already come from holding back.�

Kaoru found herself complete mesmerized by the gentle caress
of his hand against her face. She wasn�t ready to give in to her desires, so
she pushed herself back. �You said you had something to say to me?� she said
gulping slightly.

�Yes...I just wanted you to know that I am sorry about,
well, everything,� Sano said brokenly. �Kami, this is
difficult. Kenshin was right about me having some bad gambling debts, and he
was right about me trying to get you in a better mood by fixing the two of you
up.�

A determined air possessed him as she shrugged away
slightly. �But please believe me when I say I forgot about all of that when...when
I realized how much I need you in my life. Jou-chan,
I know it is selfish and I know I should stand back for Kenshin�s
sake, but I don�t think I can go through the rest of my life wondering if you
could have chosen to be with me.�

�Sano...� she whispered in awe.

�Please Jou-chan, I know I�ve made
a lot of stupid mistakes in my life and I would be lying to say I�ll never make
any more. But I�ve never wanted to be a better man more than when I�m with you.
I may never do chores well, and to be completely honest we may need to eat at
the Akebeko a lot.� Kaoru shot him a dangerous look
as he smiled and continued, �But I will do anything it takes to make you
happy.�

Her cheeks felt hot to the touch at his words. Never had
anyone been so open and honest with her about his feelings. Even the night of
the fireflies had been cloaked in unspoken emotions.

There was something that felt so natural about being with
Sano. She was tired of fighting against her own emotions, tired of analyzing
everything until it lost its flavor, and tired of holding back.

Her entire body was shaking as she moved closer to the tall
man. Maybe it was the emotional whirlpool she had been spinning in, maybe it
was the close proximity of a desirable man, or maybe her thoughts had cleared
enough for her to know what she truly wanted; whatever the case, it was her
turn to initiate a kiss.

�Jou-chan...?� he whispered before their lips met.

She sank into his embrace. Her hands encircled his bare
waist and slid up his muscular back as their kiss intensified. They pressed
closer, and she could feel herself falling deep into their kiss, just as she
had the first time.

It was the memory of that kiss that was her undoing because
with it came the memory of the end of the kiss--a very hurt swordfighter.

Gasping slightly into his mouth, she pulled back. Before she
could stop herself, an audible, �Kenshin� leaked from
her lips.

She wanted to explain why she said it, but the devastated
look on Sano�s face was too much for her. Without warning, she was running
toward the dojo with a very hurt, very confused Sano standing motionless in the
wake.

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

The last thing Yahiko wanted was to go back and find Kenshin
still doing chores, but seeing as how he was sure that�s what he would find at
the dojo, he went into town instead. Tsubame was too busy at the Akebeko to
talk, so he decided he would pay Megumi a visit.

Before he could raise his fist to knock, the muffled sound
of tears met his ears. Yahiko gently pushed the door open to see Megumi leaning
against the wall with her face buried in her hands.

It was a disturbing sight to say the least. The paradigm of
control was crumbling inside her perfectly organized room.

�Megumi?� he asked with one hand still positioned on the
door in case he needed to make a fast retreat.

Making a small choking noise as she forcefully stifled her tears;
Megumi straightened her posture, but remained facing away. �Can I help you,
Yahiko?� she asked when she was certain she had worked some of the roughness
out of her voice.

She was embarrassed at being caught in such a state, but
perhaps even more embarrassed that she was in it in the first place. She had
managed to stay so controlled after Kaoru left, but the more she tried to busy
herself, the more her emotions welled up within her until she finally gave into
the need for release.

�I was about to ask the same thing,� Yahiko said boldly,
allowing his hand to fall to his side. �What happened?�

�Being a little melodramatic, aren�t you? Nothing is wrong,
of course. I just had something in my eye which caused it to water, and I think
I am coming down with a cold. It has been going around lately. I�ve been seeing
several similar cases...� Her voice trailed off as the rambling lie became
increasingly difficult to believe.

�Kaoru was here,� she said abruptly as she began wiping down
the already clean table to her side.

Yahiko�s brow tightened, but he said nothing. As outspoken
as he typically was, he had learned there were times you had to let people work
things out in their own way.

�She wanted advice or comfort on her Ken-san versus Sanosuke
issue. Silly really, getting all worked up over something so trivial.�
Bitterness had begun washing over Megumi�s words as she continued. �If she put
half as much effort into being less childish, she would probably have some
paying students in that little dojo of hers.�

It took all the self-restraint Yahiko�s young body had to prevent
himself from jumping on her verbal attack of the dojo and subtle insult pointed
at him, but he managed to control himself. Asking a question he already knew
the answer to, he said, �So did you give her advice and comfort like she
wanted?�

Megumi said nothing, but her cleansing motions became more
vigorous. When it became clear he was going to remain silent until she answered
she threw down the rag and turned to face him. �It isn�t my job to coddle that tanuki! I can�t help it if those fools are both in love
with her even if she can�t cook, even if she loses her temper, even if she is
young and awkward, even if...even...�

Fresh tears stung her eyes as her hands moved to cover her
face from view. �I know I don�t deserve it, not after the things I�ve done, but
I can�t help wanting it anyway.� Her voice lowered to an octave so low Yahiko
could barely distinguish the sounds, but instinctively, he knew what she was
saying. �I don�t want to be alone anymore.�

A gasp escaped Megumi as she felt herself being pulled into
a hug. Her first instinct was to pull away, but she needed the comfort more
than she even realized and allowed herself to relax.

�You aren�t alone, baka.� Yahiko said in a gentle voice.

His words had the desired effect as Megumi laughed against
his shoulder. Their hug loosened naturally, but they stayed close. �When did
you get so good at this?� she asked with genuine interest.

�It seems like I�ve had a lot of practice lately,� he said
almost smugly.

�Arigato, Yahiko-chan,� she said sincerely as her trademark
smirk fell back in place.

�You�re wel...HEY! Don�t call me CHAN!�

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

Kaoru felt a little better once she reached the dojo. She knew
it was foolish to run away from Sano, but the run itself had been strangely
refreshing. Her lungs burned a little from the heavy breathing and her legs
would be sore in the morning, but it had been a freeing experience. For the
first time since the original kiss she didn�t feel like her spirit was being
weighted down.

�Kaoru-dono?�

The feeling was short-lived.

�Kenshin...� she began. There was so much she wanted to say
to him, but she couldn�t bring herself to start.

She could feel his eyes regarding her carefully when she
realized she was still clutching Sano�s white jacket around her shoulders. It
was a wonder it had not snagged on anything in her sprint, considering how
loose fitting it was on her. She was thankful Kenshin did not comment on her
new accessory, though she could have sworn a heated spark crossed into his
expression momentarily.

�You are out of breath,� he stated carefully; not wanting to
upset her.

�It�s nothing, Kenshin. I...� she found herself speechless
as she looked into his deep violet eyes. Turning away, she released a short
laugh.

�How did it ever come to this? I�ve been so tongue-tied
around everyone lately, which is crazy. You have all been like family to me
ever since...� she almost stopped there, but somehow she found an extra reserved
supply of bravery, �ever since my mother and father died.�

�Gomen, Kaoru-dono,� Kenshin consoled softly.

�Why?� she asked directly.

�Oro?�

�I mean it, Kenshin. Why are you sorry? You had nothing to
do with their deaths. Don�t you think you accept enough responsibility as it
is?�

He studied her carefully, but said nothing.

�You carry too many burdens. You aren�t being fair to
yourself. You deserve happiness more than anyone I know. It can be so
frustrating to watch you always punishing yourself; especially when I know you
did nothing wrong. You were following what your heart said was right.�

Kaoru was surprised when she finished her speech. She had no
idea how much she had been holding back from the rurouni. She watched him for
any kind of reaction once she had finished, but he was unreadable, and it made
her nervous.

Kenshin decided to speak his mind
honestly, fighting harder than he ever had before just to keep his voice from
breaking under the weight of his words. �Is that why you have chosen him?�

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

AUTHOR�S NOTE: So after about forever and a day, I have at
last posted a new chapter!!! I really am sorry it took so long for this to
happen. It was a combination of being extremely busy and having terrible
writer�s block. It took me a while to find my muse again.

On a happier note, as I was writing I realized things were
getting rather long so I cut the chapter differently than I originally planned,
meaning, I already have part of the next chapter finished so your waiting time
should be significantly reduced!

The plan is two more chapters and then a sequel! I really
hope everyone who has enjoyed this story will check that one out too.
Especially because it is going to have an extremely rare pairing, and I have no
idea how well that will go over. But I have been looking forward to it!

A HUGE thank you to all the reviewers!

FF: crewel (aww, thanks for the review. I�m sorry I won�t be
fulfilling your dream of seeing Sano and Megumi together in this fic. But I do
plan on leaving both of them in a good place), x1nfernal (well, this wasn�t
exactly soon, but I do hope to have the next chapter out quickly!), Angel6582
(My faithful reviewer or this and my other chapter fic, I�m sorry there has
been such a lull in all my chapters), baka-chibi-puffs (thank you for reviewing
even though it took you many attempts. It is always appreciated!), xim-chan
(sorry, no K/K here, but keep track of my profile. I could see doing one in the
future. No plans yet though), JBella (I�ve created quite the dilemma for
myself, I hope I make this believable in the end), Amanda H. (Sorry it took so
long to update! I did feel loved by getting the second review. I�m sorry it was
unable to clear up my writer�s block though), Starian Princess (I�m glad you
believe I know what I�m doing. Now I just wish I believed it), Reiya, Inc (It
is true! I have had a cold for weeks! Now I know cliffhangers are to blame),
BelleDayNight (You know I think you rock...now go update Best of Intentions :)),
and Monique (Kind of sadistic to go 10 chapters into a fic that is going to led
to my death, isn�t it? Well, at least you reviewed before my untimely demise!
Just kidding, I�m sorry things won�t lead where you would like them to, but I
am glad that you have enjoyed the writing anyway. I must admit though, I don�t
hate Saitou; I just thought that would be something Sano would think. I have
other ideas floating around my head, so maybe I�ll do something more your
flavor down the road).

AFF: whirleeQ (thanks, I�m happy to hear you say that. I was
doing my best to keep them in character), De Lazy Lady Lime (you know, the best
part about these supposed �woods� they have to cross to get from the dojo to
town is that the more I think about it, the more I suspect I got that idea from
another fanfic and not the anime, because I don�t actually think they are
separated from town. Oh well, it would be silly to change it now. :) Maybe I�ll
go live in the make-believe woods after your helicopter picks me up), catti-dono
(thanks again!), S.Malfoy (I hope when it is all said and done people accept
the S/K pairing, but since I do care about Kenshin, I just can�t make him a bad
guy or dead for that matter), and thebigW (I must say Yahiko was never my
favorite character in the anime, so I wanted his internal thought process to be
a little more interesting in my story. I hope it still comes across as decently
in character though. I did come up with a crazy idea to bring Megumi a little
happiness. That should be seen in the final chapter....hope you like it!)

MM: I�ve had some problems checking reviews on this site, so
if anyone reviewed the last chapter and I didn�t give you props, my sincere
apologies and thanks.
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Crossing the Line

CROSSING THE LINE - Chapter 11: The hardest choice...