One Bright Day in the Middle of the Night

Chapter 57: Confessions

I had just finished cleaning up and changing when Kenshin came back to the room. I would have been happy to see him in any case, but wondering how I was going to spend my time waiting for him was something I wasn't willing to contemplate just yet, and I had no clue exactly what our situation was at this point. Was I still his prisoner? Lover? Friend with benefits? Who the hell knows, but until I can hammer this part out with him things are up in the air.

Toss in the whole, "By the way, I'm from the future..." and there was going to be a lot we needed to talk about. At this point, if I have a future with Kenshin, I'm not going back. I won't leave him, at least not willingly. I know it's going to be rough, and there's a ton of crap I don't know about this time, but if I can be with Kenshin? No brainer. I finally found someone hot, sexy, tremendously masculine, gorgeous, and more bloodthirsty that I could ever be. Add in that I can't beat him in a sword fight, and I'm in heaven. I had actually just finished tying the obi on the clean kimono when the door slid open.

"Alexis?"

The sound of Kenshin's voice was more than welcome, and I turned toward him with a smile. The look on his face quickly switched from one of a cautious question to his usual haughty expression. It was almost as if he was unsure if I was going to still be here or not. It was actually cute. Not like I was ever going to tell him that.

"Come." He held out a hand to me, and like a moth to a flame, I was quickly at his side. I couldn't help the question that flitted across my face, raising my blue eyes to his mismatched ones. "I have something to show you."

I didn't argue and Kenshin brought me out to the main courtyard where his white stallion waited, saddled and ready. I looked at Kenshin the second I spotted the horse waiting, and the question I was going to voice disappeared as soon as I had thought it. His angelic face was tense, his lips pulled into a thin line, and a nervous tension through his lithe body. It was completely new to me as it was the first time I had ever seen Kenshin actually nervous.

Kenshin mounted first, pulling me up to sit in front of him on the horse. We were off quickly, but hadn't exchanged a word since leaving his rooms. To say I was burning up with questions was putting it mildly. He had said we needed to talk and I was more than aware of that fact. We were through the castle town quickly, and headed out along an old trail heading into the woods and further up the mountain not far from the castle.

It only took about 20 minutes, and we broke through the trees. We ended up in a small clearing at the top of the butte, a single large tree in the center of the clearing surrounded with short grasses and boulders interspersed here and there. There was no obscuring the view, and with the bright clear atmosphere I could see for miles around us. In one direction, the white capped mountain range stood overlooking the wooded valleys and flat plains, while in another, the sprawling castle town spread in tiered rings and moats below the main building of the castle. There was even a lake nearby, surrounded by the woods just beyond the castle, although much, much smaller than the one outside Azuchi.

I looked around me spellbound with the sight as Kenshin dismounted. He turned around and I felt him tug at my kimono to get my attention. I looked down at him surprised that I had been so completely taken with the sight that I had actually zoned out. I felt my face color just slightly as I spied the soft smile that was currently across Kenshin's lips. He held his arms out, helping me from the back of his horse, and carefully guided me towards the tree. It was a good thing since I really wasn't paying attention to the area in the immediate vicinity, still completely enthralled with the views.

"This is absolutely beautiful Kenshin..." I turned to look at him, gazing at his face in profile as he looked out at the scenery around us.

"This was always one of my favorite places as a boy. I used to come here alot when I needed time alone."