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The Birds and the Bees	By : Lexie Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 5909 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- 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
- 5
- 6
OK, if you can't handle a non-KK pairing, read no further. Otherwise, hope
I did the story justice with this last chapter. Thanks for readin' and reviewin'!

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THE BIRDS AND THE BEES | Pt.6

"Oh no no no..." Kaoru said, reaching for her clothes. "This
is getting too crazy. I have to go home."

"Well, this is flattering," Sano grumbled sarcastically. "So
it's just wham-bam-thank you-Sano? For once in my life I try to do the right
thing and of course it goes to hell. Why shouldn't we get married?"

"Sano, we had sex two times. That's not a very solid basis for a marriage.
We're not...in love." Kaoru said.

His dark brown eyes boring into hers, he said, "Speak for yourself."
and turned on his side, his back to her.

Looking at the solid mass of his back, Kaoru found herself speechless. Did
he just say what she thought he said? "Wha...what are you saying, Sano?"

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, he said, "I think you know
what I meant."

"But...but how do you know?" Kaoru asked, her heart pounding so
hard that it seemed it would burst out of her chest.

"Last night...when I thought you were hurt, it shook me up real bad.
That's why I was crying like a damn baby. The thought of harm coming to you
is unbearable to me. And...so is the thought of you being with someone else.
What does that sound like?"

Kaoru, a trembling hand on her forehead, shakily replied, "Sano, I know
you care about me--we're friends. And I know we're going through this sexual
infatuation thing right now, but--"

"Don't to tell me what I feel!" Sano roared, rising to his knees
and grabbing her arms. Bringing his face in close to hers, he almost snarled,
"I love you, dammit, and I'm man enough to admit it. But that's not the
only reason we should get married, Kaoru. What if there's a baby?"

"A what?!" Sano could tell by the look on her face that the thought
hadn't even occurred to her.

"Jeez, you're worse than Yahiko! Yeah, a baby--what we've been doing
could very well result in one. What if you were to get pregnant?"

Kaoru, overwhelmed by it all, went mute. Things had been so much simpler just
a couple of weeks ago, she thought. How did I wind up here? I need to think,
I need some time, I need... She shakily replied, "I can't make a decision
like that right now, Sano; it's not fair. I need some time to think. Can't you
understand that?"

Stung by her words, Sano's mouth tightened. He hadn't expected shining declarations
of love, but this was much worse than what he anticipated. She's still in love
with Kenshin, he thought. I'm just an...experiment. What an egotistical fool
you are, Sanosuke. To think that just because you've found love, that
it would automatically be reciprocated. Stupid...

Loosening his grip on her arms, he simply said, "Fine. I'll walk you
home." But don't think this is over, he mentally added.

***

It was almost noon before Kenshin finally stirred, head pounding and mouth
feeling like sawdust. Slitting open an eye, he received a blinding shard of
light for his trouble.

"Ugh..." he moaned, quickly shutting his eye, wishing he could just
die and get it over with.

The door suddenly slid open with a whoosh and Megumi strode briskly in.

"Well, look who's finally up!" She said brightly, assaulting Kenshin's
sensitive eardrums and causing him to wince.

Peering into his pale face, Megumi commented, "Wow, you really look like
shit. What the hell were you up to last night?"

"W-water..." Kenshin managed.

"Only if you tell me why you got so wasted last night." Pouring
some water into a cup, she dangled it above him.

"You're...evil..."

"Look, who do you think dragged your sorry ass here at 2 a.m. in the
morning and cleaned up all the puke off the floors? I just want some proper
compensation, that's all. It's your choice..." She started to back out
of the room.

"Damn you...all right..."

"That's more like it," Megumi said, putting a supporting hand behind
his head so he could take a sip.

"Ah..." Kenshin sighed, laying back down on the futon.

"OK, I'm ready." Megumi sat kneeling next to him, her hands folded
primly in her lap.

Shooting her a dirty look for her blackmailing ways, he closed his eyes and
woodenly said, "I saw Kaoru...with Sano. Last night."

"Oh?" So that's why Sano hasn't been sniffing around here lately.
But Kaoru? She felt a momentary flash of jealousy, but it passed. She'd decided
a while ago that Sano wasn't the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life
with. A few wild nights, perhaps, but... Shaking her head, she gently asked
Kenshin, "Were they--"

"Yes," his hollow reply cut her short.

"I see," Megumi said in her best doctor's voice. All desire to tease
him left her and she regarded the man lying in front of her sadly. "Kenshin,
what are you going to do?" Her warm hand covered his, and he knew she was
sincerely concerned. He wished she'd let her ball-busting facade slip a little
more often.

"I...perhaps it's time for the rurouni to wander again," he said.

"That's it? Don't you love Kaoru? Why won't you fight for her?"

"It's a long story, Megumi, but I don't think I can be what Kaoru needs.
If Sano can be that man, then so be it." There was a finality to his words
that gave Megumi pause. Giving his hand a little squeeze, she said, "I'd
better let you rest. I'll check in on you in a later. I'll leave the water."
Shooting him a wink, she left the room.

***

Kaoru and Sano walked in uneasy silence all the way back to the dojo, their
heads whirling with unspoken thoughts. Sano wanted nothing more than to whisk
her off her feet and carry her off some place where they could be alone, but
abducting her probably ranked below scaring her into marriage by bringing up
unwanted pregnancies. Wincing at his stupidity, he jammed his hands harder into
his pockets as he walked, his slumped posture indicative of his foul mood.

Kaoru kept thinking about what Sano had said, how the thought of her being
hurt or being with someone else was unbearable to him. Weren't those things
unbearable to her as well? She recalled the panic she'd felt when she thought
Sano might be gone from their lives for good. And the thought of him being with
other women, doing the things that they did...well, it made her blood boil.
By his definition, she loved him. But what about Kenshin? Weren't her feelings
for him the same? By the way he acted when he saw her and Sano together, she
knew that his feelings couldn't have been just platonic. But why had he never
shown that to her before this mess? Her mind kept going around in circles and
it was exhausting her. Luckily, she could see that they were getting close. She hurried her steps, eager to be home.

Seeing her hurry, Sano could only think black thoughts. So eager to get away
from me, are you? Wanting to see if that namby-pamby rurouni is waiting for
you? Go ahead, who needs a silly wife anyway? Who needs the bad cooking, the
bad temper, the thumps on the head, the nagging, the mind-blowing sex... Dammit.

Kaoru swung open the front door to see Yahiko sitting on the steps, looking
very forlorn. Seeing her, his face brightened, then immediately crumpled into
a disgruntled scowl. "Hey, where the hell have you been? I've been worried
sick about you! Kenshin went to find you and he's been gone all night too! How
could you just leave a kid--" His tirade was cut short when Kaoru threw
her arms around him and gave him a tight hug.

Eyes owlish with surprise, Yahiko asked Sano, "What'd you do to her,
man? She's crazier than usual!"

Scratching the back of his head, Sano replied, "Yeah well, I seem to
kind of have that effect on women..."

Kaoru whipped her head around to shoot him the blackest look possible and
said icily, "Thank you for walking me home. You may go now."

Eyes narrowing, he retorted, "I think I need a little rest after our
long walk. Do you mind?" He flopped down on the steps, an insolent grin
shaping his mouth.

"Suit yourself," she hissed, whirling around in a huff to go to
her room.

Yahiko, whose head had been bouncing back and forth between them, finally
said, "I don't even wanna know what's going on anymore. Just leave me out
of it."

"Don't worry, kid, I wouldn't even know where to start." Sano replied.

As Sano debated whether or not to follow Kaoru, the front door opened and Kenshin
walked in. He was looking a little pale, and his gi was still damp from having
had the vomit washed off. He froze when he saw Sano, and Sano's body tensed,
unsure of what he would do.

"Is Miss Kaoru home safely?" Kenshin asked, his tone grave.

Sano nodded, his fists unconsciously curling. "Kenshin, about last night..."

Kenshin raised his hand, cutting off Sano's words. "I just need to know
one thing. Do you love her?"

Swallowing hard, Sano answered, "Yeah. I do."

Kenshin looked down at him, the Battosai flaring briefly in his eyes, and
said, "You damn well better. If I find out that you made her unhappy in
any way, I'll..." His hand went to his sword to reinforce those words,
and Sano knew that he was dead serious.

"I give you my word," Sano said simply but just as seriously.

Yahiko, observing this exchange, asked disbelievingly, "Hey, are you
guys talking about Ugly?"

Sano growled at him, "You're not allowed to call her than anymore, got
it?"

"Sheesh, OK, whatever..." Yahiko shook his head, wondering what
the world was coming to.

Kenshin swept past them, heading for Kaoru's room. Feeling Sano's hand grip
his arm, he said, "Miss Kaoru and I need to discuss some things--alone."
He shook off the grip and continued down the hall. Sano thought about following
him, but thought better of it. He knew Kaoru wouldn't appreciate yet another
battle between him and Kenshin.

***

Lost in her thoughts, the soft knock at her door startled Kaoru. "Who
is it?" she called.

"It's Kenshin. We need to talk."

Kenshin...rising to her feet, she slid open the door. Seeing the serious look
on his face, she felt her stomach plummet. "Come in," she managed.
They sat down, facing each other. The moment stretched out, and unable to bear
his gaze any longer, Kaoru looked down, face flaming. "Uh... I suppose
we need to talk about last night..."

"Yes. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I'm sure you're
aware by now that I have...feelings for you." He paused for a moment, feeling
his chest tightening. "I never expressed them to you because I knew that
I wasn't the right one for you."

Kaoru's head snapped up, her eyes flashing. "How can you say that? You
know I never cared about what happened in your past! I--"

"Please hear me out, Kaoru," Kenshin interrupted. "It's not
just a matter of you accepting me, but me being able to love you as fully as
you deserve. I never told you this, but I was married before, very briefly,
when I still the Battosai." Kaoru looked up at him in shock. He'd been
married?

His eyes getting a faraway look, he continued, "Her name was Tomoe. We
loved each other, but it was doomed from the start. She died trying to save
me during a battle, and she's the one who made this scar into a cross."
His finger touched his left cheek and Kaoru gaped, trying to absorb all this.

"It was for her that I stopped being the Battosai. For her that I chose
to live the rest of my life helping people. I never thought I'd ever love again,
but that changed when I met you, Kaoru. I really do love you, but my heart is
still divided, and will always be, do you understand? You'll always be sharing
my love with a ghost, and I don't want that for you. You deserve a whole man,
something I'm not. I know I've caused you pain and confusion, and I'm sorry."
Biting his lip, he finished, "Sano loves you, you know. Fully and completely--I
can tell. And I know that you wouldn't have..been with him had you not cared
deeply for him also. I really do wish the best for you both. Take care of each
other."

Kenshin made a move to rise, but was stopped by Kaoru's hand on his arm. "What
are you doing?"

Smiling sadly, Kenshin said, "I told you when we first met that I was
a rurouni, that I wouldn't know when I'd feel the wanderlust again. I think
that time has come. I've cherished my time here, and all of you will be in my heart forever. And you'll see me again, I promise you."

"You're serious," Kaoru said, "You really are leaving."
The tears welled in her eyes, and her lips started working.

"Kaoru, please don't cry," he chided. "You've touched me more
than you know. I'm sorry that I couldn't be the one to spend the rest of his
life with you. I really wanted to, you know, but...maybe in the next lifetime."
He gently disengaged her hand from his arm and rose.

"Wait," Kaoru said. Rising to her feet. "There's something
I need to know." Walking up to him, she cradled his face in her hands and
kissed him. His mouth opened against hers and Kaoru felt his arms go around
her, squeezing her tight. She kissed him with everything she had, wanting him
to respond in kind. There was passion, certainly, and it was wonderful, but...

When the kiss ended, Kaoru looked into his eyes and said, "You're right.
Even when you want to let go...you can't, can you?"

Kenshin slowly shook his head, his eyes infinitely regretful. He extricated
himself from their embrace and went to the door. "Goodbye," he said
simply.

Kaoru could heard the murmur of Kenshin's voice outside, then Yahiko shrieking,
"What? You can't leave!" and the deeper rumble of Sano's urgent voice
being added to the mix. She knew Kenshin had made up his mind, and there was
nothing more they could do to make him stay. Not wanting to see him leave, she
stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly.

After what seemed like an eternity, she felt a presence behind her. When Sano
wrapped his strong arms around her, she leaned her head back against his chest
and started to sob. Sano wordlessly laid his cheek against her head and just
continued to hold her, feeling a void within himself as well.

"I can't believe he left," she said after a while.

"He said he'd be back. And he promised me a world of hurt if I ever let
anything happen to you. So... you're my responsibility now, Kaoru. One that
I'll gladly take on, if you'll have me." Sano felt his heart pound, unsure
what her answer might be. Please, don't make me beg, he thought.

Turning around in his arms, Kaoru looked up into face, staring hard into his
eyes. She seemed to find something that pleased her, and said smiling, "For
some crazy reason I believe you. Let's do it. Let's get married."

Sano couldn't keep a goofy relieved smile from taking over his face, and bent
down to kiss Kaoru hungrily. Kaoru felt a deep sense of relief as well. She
wasn't confused anymore--she now knew exactly what she wanted.

***

EPILOGUE

The two little boys playing marbles in the dirt paused when a shadow fell over
them. The older one, Ryosuke, who was five years old, looked up to see a man
with long red hair and a kind smile. Something about the man instilled an immediate
trust, and he returned the smile.

"Hello boys," the man said. "Do you live at that house?"
He was pointing to their house, the Kamiya-Sagara dojo. The boys nodded, wondering
who the man could be.

Sensing their unasked question, he said, "I'm a friend of your parents,
and I haven't seen them in a very long time. Are they home?"

Again, the boys nodded, their solemn eyes an identical velvety brown that the
traveler had recognized right away. The older boy's hair was a dark brown like
his father's, but the younger one's was a deep blue-black. Smiling at them again,
he asked, "What are your names?"

"I'm Ryosuke," the older one piped up. Pointing to his brother, he
said, "That's is my little brother, Kenshin."

The traveler's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he replied, "Oh? What a
coincidence, that's my name too..." Smiling once more, he told the boys,
"Come on, let's go inside. I've missed your mom and dad very much and I'm
anxious to see them." He held out his hands for each one to hold and walked
toward the familiar front doors.

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THE END
- 5
- 6
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The Birds and the Bees