Disclaimer – I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters. Just borrowing them for the sake of my writing.

Author's Note – Hello everyone! Yes I have not fallen off the face of the earth. For those still waiting for updates on my other fics (thank you for still supporting me!) I will (hopefully) start on them again. But from my lack of writing and connection with RK for so long it may take some time for me to warm up again. So here is sort of a warm-up one-shot to get me started again. I was inspired while I was reading the chapter about Udo Jineh.

Dawn of Love

By MizzLee

Battousai stood in behind of the full moon, hiding his dark features. His sakabatou flipped ready to make the final blow. The Rurouni was having a war inside his head wavering whether or not to break his oath to save Kaoru.

'Kaoru…' An image of her suffocated lifeless body flashed by his eyes.

"What's the matter Battousai? It almost seems like your hesitating. To free the girl you have to kill me. You cannot hesitate. You don't have the time" Jinne mocked him.

Kenshin raised his sword. To change back to his life as a merciless hitokiri with a single blow.

"To save Kaoru… I won't hesitate to become the hitokiri that I once was. DIE!"

He slashed downwards. Just a breath away from the ultimate blow. A breath he could not afford to lose.

"KenshinNO!" screamed a desperate voice.

For a moment the world froze. Only the intense training he had gone through could stop his blade from meeting Jineh's head.

He turned to Kaoru's direction to see her eyes shut and fall from the old shrine she was set in.

Kaoru's porcelain face was drenched with sweat. "You…must not kill…again." She whispered.

With god like speed he sheathed his sword and ran towards her. Jinne forgotten behind him.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin panicked as she fell into his arms. "Are you okay?"

To his relief she moved and turned to look up at him. He was surprised and noticed how beautiful her blue orbs were. She took a steady breathe to replenish her empty lungs.

"Yes I'm fine…Kenshin" Kaoru smiled.

"…." He did not know what to say and was still in a state of worry.

Kaoru steadied herself but remained in his lap. Which both did not seem to notice the awkward position they were in. "I'm alright. Don't worry." She assured him again.

She opened her mouth to say something else but was suddenly distracted by something behind him. Kenshin suddenly remembered about Jinne. He sensed he was standing right behind him.

"I would of never believed a girl could break out of my hypothesis… I must of become weak" Jineh drawled.

"Give up Jinne, you've already lost. You can't beat me with only your left arm. It's all over. I suggest you leave." Said Kenshin still having his back facing the madman.

As Jinne raised his sword. With lightning reflexes Kenshin grabbed his own sakabatou but before he could turn around Jinne pierced himself and spoke his last vile words. "mm… I love this." A hitokiri stays a hitokiri until death. There is no other way Battousai."

Kaoru could not help herself from the sight of death and clung onto Kenshin, who was unfocused at the moment. When he felt small hands cling onto him he turned to Kaoru. "Let's go home Kaoru, the police will take care of the rest of this."

It was a long walk back to the dojo but it was too late to find a carriage. Kenshin's wound he had gotten from Jineh was still bleeding but he did not notice the pain. He was deep in thought about what Jineh had said to him. 'A hitokiri stays a hitokiri… until death'

Kaoru walked silently behind Kenshin. Still a bit dazed of all that had happened in one night. Though when she looked at the red-headed samurai she felt a wave of relief knowing he was not going to leave her. As she turned her gaze downwards again she noticed specks of red dots on the ground. Then she remembered the wound he had gotten.

"Kenshin! You're bleeding" she said as she ran up to him. When the Rurouni turned towards her she noticed his gaze was not like the usual violet. It contained flecks of amber in them.

"I'm okay Kaoru" Kenshin lifted his arm up to assure her but then he winced in pain. Remembering he did have a gash on his shoulder. What he also forgot was Kaoru's blue ribbon she had given him that morning, which had fallen to the ground. Kaoru looked fixed at the once-blue ribbon. Which was now stained with blood. She would have been angry about her ruined ribbon but at the moment Kenshin was hurt.

"Let me see your shoulder." She said as she bent down to pick up the ribbon. Kenshin resisted for a while claiming he was okay but gave into Kaoru's demand and took off half his gi, revealing the wound. Kaoru chewed her bottom lip not sure what to use to stop the bleeding.

'Well its ruined already. Might as well put it to good use.' She thought as she took the stained ribbon and began wrapping it around Kenshin's muscular arm. Kenshin stayed silent as he watched Kaoru wrap his injury with her ribbon.

"Thank you" Kenshin said as she tied the final knot. Putting his gi back on he continued walking. Making a mental note to get Kaoru a new ribbon.

Kaoru was a bit put down as she watched the Rurouni just continue to walk. Perhaps he had not heard her sudden increase of her heart beating. The legendary Battousai, with his skilled training must have been able to hear the massive thumping her heart was making. The affection she suddenly felt towards him almost made Kaoru just want to leap into his strong protective arms.

Infatuation can drive a person into illogical thoughts. 'Maybe he's mad at me…' Kaoru thought, recalling those ambers she had seen in his calm violet eyes. 'yes he is mad at me… mad at me for following him to the river side. It was my fault Kenshin had nearly become a hitokiri again.' She felt terribly guilty at her actions. She halted. When Kenshin heard her stop he turned around.

"I-I'm sorry Kenshin" She stuttered.

Kenshin took a few steps back toward Kaoru. She had her hands clenched in balls and had tears filling up in her eyes. "What are you apologizing for Kaoru –dono?"

Kaoru dug her nails into her palm, anything to stop her from going into a fit of tears. "it was my-my fault that I had come to the river side and then got kidnapped by Jineh." Kenshin came up closer towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I am not angry at you. It should be me that is apologizing for not being able to protect you. I should of known Jineh would be planning something like this. I am angry at myself for letting this all happen and I was unable to prevent it." He put more pressure on her shoulder unknowingly.

Kaoru put her small hand on top of his. "Kenshin… you're only human. You cannot control everything that happens… and thank you for saving me."

Kenshin slowly absorbed her words. Feeling his own guilt melt away. Perhaps he had over thought it. "I should be thanking you Kaoru. If it weren't for you, I would of become hitokiri Battousai again." Kaoru gazed into his violet orbs. Traces of amber gone once again. Her lips trembled and she embraced him. Sobbing into his already blood soaked kimono.

"I was so scared… please don't ever kill. I'm not worth you becoming a hitokiri again." Kenshin comforted her and stroked her silky hair. "Shh… don't cry no more. It's over now" he whispered. 'You're worth so much more than you can imagine.'

"Come now, Sano and Yahiko are going to start worrying about us if we don't hurry back." Said Kenshin as they began walking again.

When they finally arrived back at the dojo they were greeted with a half asleep Yahiko and Sanosuke who looked like he had won the lottery. As soon as Kenshin came into sight he gave up a big slap on the back.

"Oro!"

"So… you finally spent the night together eh Kenshin? How was it!"

"Orororo…"

Kaoru in the process of strangling the life out of Sano until she noticed the sky begin to lighten.

"Wow… it's dawn already! It's so beautiful." Kaoru exclaimed. Forgetting the life of Sano was still clutched in her hands.

"Hey Busu! Maybe you should let go of the rooster head now. He's turning blue!"

Kenshin and Kaoru may not have realized it but the sunrise had also marked the dawn of love between the two. Perhaps it is just a few rays but a beginning nonetheless.

End.

I believe that love had started to begin in this chapter of RK. Well what did you think of it? It's been such a long time since I've written a fan fiction so perhaps I have gone rusty. Please still give me a review and keep a lookout for updates in Chain in Fate thank you!