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The wet season had finally ended, which meant that Kaoru was able to sit on the porch and watch the clear night sky once more.
It had become a routine, after lessons she’d soak in the furo, Kenshin made dinner, and afterwards they’d sit on the porch and have tea. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they sat in companionable silence, gazing out into the garden, or as Kaoru preferred, they’d watch the stars. She’d point out each constellation she could find, usually only being able to find kotoza. Kenshin would help her find the rest.
It only began in the spring, when one day Kaoru saw Kenshin sitting alone on the porch at night. He had a faraway look, one that she only noticed when he thought she wasn’t looking. It reminded her of his past, feeling the hollowness in her own chest at the sight of his pain. Despite all the world had gained in the Meiji, he had still lost so much.
He noticed her, and a smile crept to his lips. She sat down, Kenshin went to get some tea, and when he returned they sat and talked for hours. By the time they went to bed, the darkness had been chased from Kenshin's gaze. Every night since, they’d met on the porch, a teatray in Kenshin’s hands. Their conversation wandered aimlessly; a little gossip Kaoru heard from Tae, her lessons, some recipe Kenshin was wanting to try. On a rare occasion, Kenshin would open up to her. He would tell her a story from his days with Hiko or a small happiness he’d found while in Kyoto all those years ago. She always listened to him intently, eager to hear more of his past. When he shared a particularly hard memory, she took his hand in hers, and he grasped it firmly in return.
Once the rains came, they continued to sit outside, but eventually the humidity made their skin stick to their clothes, and Kaoru’s hair would get frizzy, which made Kenshin laugh and Kaoru flaming mad. Eventually, it was deemed too much of an inconvenience and too irritating to sit for more than five minutes outside while it rained. Kaoru’s heart sank at the loss of the rare moment with Kenshin.
Nothing had really changed between her and Kenshin— there had only been a newfound closeness between them, a new level to their relationship that was somewhere between friends and lovers. They sat closer, Kenshin’s hands would linger on her shoulders for longer than was strictly necessary. Each touch sent a flame to her cheeks, and she hoped, prayed, that he would return her affections. At first she thought he felt the same way, but after months of just the two of them in the dojo, he still hadn’t done anything, and she was beginning to worry that she had imagined the adoration in his gaze when he looked at her.
Now she sat on the porch, waiting for Kenshin to join her. She hoped he hadn’t forgotten their unspoken tradition. Today was the first clear day that didn’t feel like you were swimming as soon as you stepped outside, and she was eager to watch the sky tonight.
She heard him pad down the porch from the kitchen, and he set down a tray of barley tea, already cooled. She smiled. “I was hoping you’d come sit with me.” She scooted over slightly to allow him room to sit down. He poured her a cup.
“I was hoping you were here, Miss Kaoru.” He took the tray and slid it behind them, allowing him to sidle closer to Kaoru. She felt her heartbeat quicken. He cradled his teacup in his hands and watched the stars.
Kenshin was the first to break the long silence. It jolted Kaoru out of whatever trance she had been in. “Did you see that one?” He pointed up to the sky.
“See what?”
“A shooting star.” He took a long sip of his tea, closing his eyes, then smiled at Kaoru. “Make a wish, Miss Kaoru.”
His gaze slowly drifted around her face, fixating on details that eluded Kaoru. She looked back up to the sky to avoid the distraction of his presence next to her. She didn’t have to think about her wish for long. Please let him choose me. She shut her eyes tight and tried to make it look like she was wishing hard for something. She turned back to Kenshin with a grin. “There. Wish sent.”
Kenshin was still looking at her. He smiled back. “If you make your wish three times, it’s more likely to come true, that it is.”
Kaoru smiled and tapped him playfully on the shoulder. “You should’ve told me that before I sent my wish, silly.” Even though the shooting star was long gone, she sent an extra two wishes its way. She drained the tea cup and set it on the tray behind her.
Tonight was a quiet night, it seemed. Both of them were content to soak in each other’s presence, and Kaoru was slowly growing tired. Despite that, she wanted to remain right there, on the porch with him. It could rain again soon.
Her sleep-addled mind was begging to rest her head on Kenshin’s shoulder, right up against his neck. To breathe in his scent, to bury her face in his chest and have his arms wrap around her. She wanted him to feel as breathless as she did when she looked at him, to feel that same desire to be as close to him as possible. She leaned against him.
Kenshin didn’t stiffen like she’d expected him to. Instead, she felt him relax, and his head leaned on top of hers. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his soft hair tickling her forehead.
“Where did you hear that about the wishes, Kenshin?”
“The three wishes?”
“Yeah, I’ve never heard of that before.”
Kenshin didn’t answer for a moment. Then, she felt Kenshin’s voice reverberating in his chest. “My mother.”
Kaoru’s eyes opened wide. “Your mother?”
She felt Kenshin nod. Kenshin’s arm moved to wrap around Kaoru’s waist, pulling her to him, her head now resting on his chest. Kenshin didn’t seem phased by their closeness; he only looked out at the garden distantly. “Only small things.” He paused. “I remember that she had red hair. She was very kind. Once, she told me to make three wishes on shooting stars for extra luck. It just stuck, and I’ve always done it.”
Her heart broke at the longing in his voice. She wanted to know more, to hear everything he knew about himself, his past, and she’d bear the weight of all of it with him. When he didn’t continue, she broke the silence. “Do you remember what you wished for?”
He contemplated for a moment, replaying the memory in his head. “No, I don’t think I do.” Kaoru frowned, a little disappointed in his answer.
“What did you wish for now, then?” she bit her lip.
He lifted his head from the top of hers, pulling back slightly to look down at her. He searched her face before he looked so intensely at her she shivered. “I wished that one day, I could have you.”
She stilled. There it was. After all this time, he’d finally said it. She couldn’t help the grin that crept onto her face. Kenshin began to smile a little too. “What did you wish for?” He tilted his face down to hers ever so slightly, almost unconsciously.
He didn’t move any closer. Why was he still holding back? Kaoru wanted to throttle him and kiss him senseless, but she remained rooted to the porch. Her mouth had gone dry looking at the stars being reflected in his eyes, his throat bobbing. This time, she was sure her courage was due to her impatience, and she answered, albeit breathlessly, “I wished for that too.”
Kenshin lit up in surprise, and Kaoru couldn’t help but giggle. He was clueless, wasn’t he? She was sure he’d noticed by now, but perhaps he hadn’t. “You did?” The arm that was still wrapped around Kaoru’s waist tightened.
Now, Kaoru had to laugh. Kenshin may have been the strongest swordsman in Japan, but he seemed like he was utterly oblivious to Kaoru’s intentions. At Kaoru’s sudden burst of laughter, Kenshin’s eyebrows furrowed. “Of course I did, you idiot,” she murmured, throwing her arms around him. At first, he stilled. Then, he huffed a small laugh and brought his other arm around her, cradling her head to his shoulder. They sat like that for a while. Kenshin combed lightly through her hair, and Kaoru breathed in the sandalwood scent of his skin. When they separated and their eyes met, a pulsing energy, something tangible hovered between them. Kaoru spoke again. “Why did you wait to say anything to me?”
Kenshin looked down and took one of her hands, tracing delicate lines down each finger. “I did not want to dishonor you, that I did not.”
“You could never dishonor me, Kenshin.”
His hand stilled. At those words, Kenshin was first surprised, and then it seemed as if something that had been held back was set free. When he looked back up at her, his eyes were filled with desire. His other hand came to rest on her cheek, ever so softly, barely touching her skin, before he brought his mouth to hers.
The touch of his lips against hers was so gentle, a sweet press that grazed her mouth. She brought her hand to his face now and noted the roughness of his stubble under her palms. The first kiss didn’t last long but was immediately followed by deeper ones. Kaoru caught on quickly, and soon she was tangling her tongue with his, barely aware of how she had crept into his lap, the warmth of him pressed against her. Kenshin broke the kiss slowly, leaving little pecks on her cupid’s bow and cheeks, resting his forehead against hers.
They were both out of breath, staring at each other’s glistening lips. Kenshin went back in to kiss her nose, her forehead, shifting her in his lap with her back against his chest. If Kaoru had been able to see Kenshin in that moment, she would’ve seen a drunken grin plastered across his face, much like her own. She leaned heavily against him. “Thank you.”
“What for?” Kenshin’s arms tightened. He knew exactly what she was thankful for. He was thankful for the same reason.
“For making my wish come true.”