Dream Lover

DREAM LOVER | Chapter 3

Kenshin opened one eye to see her looking up at his face, her expression a mix of bafflement, exasperation, love, and tenderness all at once. "Oh Kaoru," Kenshin said miserably. "I'm so sorry! You have to believe that I never meant to hurt you! I was so sure it was you... but then you were a... and I practically raped you--God, what an idiot I am!" Feeling almost sick with shame, he hung his head.

Kenshin felt her soft hand touch his cheek and heard her say quietly, "Kenshin, I believe you. You would never hurt me intentionally--I know that. And you didn't rape me, so don't even start to feel bad about that. I said I wanted you and I meant it. Just look at me and tell me what happened."

Reassured by her words, he attempted to explain. "Kaoru... I don't know where to begin, it's so strange. Last night, while I was sleeping, someone--a woman--came into my room. I thought it was you. She smelled like you. When I called out, she didn't say anything, and before I could light my lamp, she was, well...uh...on...top of me..." The last sentence was almost mumbled out, and Kenshin could feel a fierce blush rising in his face.

"On top of you?" Kaoru asked, incredulous. "And then what?!" She wasn't sounding so calm anymore. Seeing Kenshin's eyes dart away, she knew it wasn't good. "You didn't! Oh my god!! She's the one who put all those scratches on you! You jerk, get off of me!" She tried to heave him off her body, but he held her fast.

"Kaoru, listen to me--I thought it was you!" Kenshin protested, a look of agony on his face. "I was deliberately tricked! Whoever she was, she knew that she couldnave ave me if I didn't think it was you. You're the only one I want--forever. I love you."

Ceasing her struggles, Kaoru looked up at him and asked in wonder, "You do? Really?"

Kenshin nodded, looking deep into her eyes. She could see his sincerity in those lavender depths and immediately felt at ease. He loved her! She never thought he'd get around to saying it, let alone doing something about it.

"Kenshin," she said. "I've been waiting for you to say those words forever! Why did it have to take something bizarre like this to wrest it out of you?"

"God, I'm so damn sorry it happened this way. I would give anything to take this back. It's not right that your first time was like this..."

"Well...I don't know if I would give it all back--there were some redeeming parts," Kaoru said, a small smile playing at her lips.

Seeing her smile, relief flooded through Kenshin and he bent his head to kiss her, this time with the utmost gentleness. "I'll make it up to you, I swear, even if it takes me the rest of my life." Looking into his sparkling eyes, Kaoru found herself speechless. Was he saying what she thought he saying?

"Kaoru, will you marry me?" Kenshin asked, no longer afraid or uncertain. He knew in his h tha that they were meant to be together forever. Kaoru enthusiastically wrapped her arms around his neck and shouted, "YES!" Even though he was pretty sure that would be her answer, he nonetheless breathed a huge sigh of relief and hugged her close.

"Kenshin," Kaoru said a few moments later. "That robe with the torn hem... I'd found it in a different place than where I remembered leaving it. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now... Someone had been in my room, Kenshin, and gone through my things." Her body gave a little shiver and Kenshin tightened his arms around her. "Who would do such a thing?"

As if on cue, they both heard a noise across the courtyard--it was Kenshin's door sliding open. Eyes wide, they looked at each other. "I guess we're about to find out," Kenshin said, getting up swiftly to put on his yukata. When he saw Kaoru start to get up, he said, "Please wait here Kaoru, all right?"

***

As Kenshin stepped into his dark room, he thought he could make out a vague silhouette of someone sitting in the corner. "Who's there? If you're here to cause more trouble,ave ave bad news for you."

"Where did you go, lover...?" the silhouette said sorrowfully in Kaoru's voice. Kenshin felt a chill travel up his spine at the soundp>

"Who are you? Why won't you reveal yourself?" Kenshin made a move for the lamp, but was knocked down by the figure before he could reach it. Stunned, he blinked up at the silhouette. She had just moved even faster than he could. Not only that, he was finding it impossible to break her grip. His heart pounding, he realized that she couldn't possibly be human.

Suddenly, light flooded the room, and Kenshin heard Kaoru yell out, "Let him go, you bitch!"

Kaoru rushed over and tried to pry the naked woman off Kenshin, but gasped and froze when the woman turned to look at her. Kaoru stared into her own face. "How... who...who are you?" Kaoru whispered, slowly backing away.

"You shouldn't interfere where you're not wanted," the imposter-Kaoru hissed, whipping out an arm to throw Kaoru across the room.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin screamed, watching her hit the wall and fall to the floor, motionless. He bucked against his captor mightily, but she held him as if he had no more strength than a child.

"Don't mind her," she crooned, her eyes soft and entreating. "I'm all you need... Last night was proof of that... We can be happy together...forever." She punctuated her words with a wet and open kiss, forcing her tongue into Kenshin's mouth even as he tried to thrash his head back and forth. He felt as though he was drowning, being robbed of breath by this...demon!

Summoning every last ounce of energy in his body, he gave a giant heave, and managed to dislodge her face from his. Breathing heavily, he shouted, "No! I could never be happy with you! You're not the woman I love. You could never be the woman I love!"

Her face looking hurt, she replied, "But lover, I can be any woman you want. If this face doesn't please you, there are infinite others..." Kenshin watched in fixated horror as the imposter's face and body seemed to melt, as if made out of wax, then reform into the visage of Megumi Takani.

"Does this one please you more?" the demon asked, tossing her long glossy hair back and arching her back to thrust her full breasts in his face. "This one seems to have a slightly more...mature appeal, don't you think? Or how about this one?" Her form melted again, and when Kenshin saw the shape she assumed, he screamed. She had made herself into Tomoe, his dead first love.

Kenshin thrashed and shouted like a maniac, desperate to get away from the monstrosity before him. Tomoe's gentle and beautiful face looked down at him, genuinely puzzled by his reaction. She knew he'd loved this form; she had felt it in his mind... why was he acting this way?

"That's quite enough, Miss Kyoko," came Kaoru's stern voice.

The imposter's face whipped around, and she seemed to quake a little. "How... how do you know my name?" she asked.

"Until now, you've just been an old family ghost story. One that I never would've believed had an ounce of truth in it, but here you are."

"Wha...what's going on?" Kenshin asked, befuddled at this amazing turn of events.

Kaoru, eyes boring into the imposter's, continued, "Kenshin, this...thing isn't a demon but a spirit. A sad and lost spirit who refuses to accept that she needs to move on." The imposter's body seemed to sag a bit as Kaoru spoke, and Kenshin felt her grip weakening.

"Miss Kyoko was once a beautiful wife to one of my Kamiya ancestors. So beautiful, in fact, that her husband was mindlessly in love with her, making him blind to her lascivious and unfaithful ways. She supposedly carried on many a torrid affair right under his nose. It was only a matter of time before he discovered the truth about his wife, and when he did, it was more than he could bear. He killed himself, and Miss Kyoko realized too late the love she'd so calloused thrown away. She tried to find love in the arms of countless lovers, but it was not to be. She died knowing that she'd driven her one true love to suicide. So she finds herself unable to let go of this world, always hoping that she'd find that great love again somewhere..."

"No, no, no!" the Miss Kyoko's spirit wailed. "You're ruining it! He's the one, I know it! He's the one who could love me... there is great love in him... why can't you let me be happy?" Miss Kyoko's hands left Kenshin's arms, and he crawled out from under her, running to Kaoru's side.

Looking at her sadly, Kaoru replied, "You're still searching for your happiness at the expense of others. Haven't you learned yet after all this time that love also means selflessness? You still don't know what love is--you enthrall men with sex but there is no love in it; it's just an empty act. If you stick around for a while maybe we can show you what true love means." Kaoru wrapped her arms around Kenshin, staring down the spirit fiercely. The spirit turned away sadly, and withered slowly like a deflated balloon, disappearing into the floorboards.

"She's gone," Kenshin said incredulously. "I can't believe this! It's toorediredible--a ghost? A sex-crazed, love-starved ghost? Just what kind of fairy tales did you grow up with in this place?"

"Like I said, I never thought it could be true! Kind of weird how she'd never bothered anyone else in recent memory before... Dammit, I guess you are special, Kenshin!" Kaoru said, giving him a playful punch in the arm

Kenshin rolled his eyes and said, "I would've much preferred not to be so special. Although... if it hadn't been for Miss Kyoko, we might still be pretending we're not in love with each other. She did find a love--just not for herself. Do you think she'll leave us alone for good?"

"I think so--it'd be pretty hard for her to fool us again. I think you should stay in my room from now on, though, don't you think? Considering you'll need my protection from getting raped by the ghost." Kaoru grinned up at him, putting her arms around his neck.

"You are having way too much fun with this," replied Kenshin, trying to look annoyed and failing.

"Hey, it isn't every day that I get to rescue you! Just let me enjoy it, all right?"

Laughing, Kenshin leaned in for a kiss, saying before their lips touched, "All right, Kaoru... Himura."

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THE END

This was a Scooby-Doo kind of episode, but what the hell. Plus, starting out as a PWP idea and all, I think it had an interesting twist. Thanks for reading!