**Hi there. Hope you like the beginning of my story. Kenshin and Co. don't belong to me, but writing about them is fun.

She could feel his heated breath on her as he held her close. He kissed her with an almost shocking, yet exhilarating passion. It was like they had been separated for an eternity. He raised himself onto his knees, however he anchored her down to the futon. She wasn't getting away, and she didn't want to.

Slowly he removed layers of her kimono until finally he was able to see her in her most natural state of beauty. He stared for a while; taking in every thing there was to see. It unnerved her a bit. Did he like what he saw or not? He noticed that she was blushing under his violet gaze and smiled down at her.

"Kirei," he whispered huskily.

She blushed again. He was the only man to say such things to her. She became a bit more excited because he was also the only man to see her this way, and hopefully it would remain that way. Her thoughts were pleasantly interrupted when he leaned forward to kiss her. He ran his hands through her hair as he captured her lips and a soft moan escaped her mouth. Much to her delight he started to explore her, kissing and nipping his way down her neck, across her collarbone, and down to his first major destination, her breasts.  Her body was tingling.  The way he was making her feel was becoming too much.

The rumble of thunder brought Kaoru back to reality and she surveyed the room. Kenshin sat to her left and Yahiko sat next to him. Kenshin let out a loud sneeze and he almost fell backwards from the force. She looked at him for a moment and then blushed realizing that she was daydreaming about him in that way again.

"I really need to stop that," she thought.

Kenshin sneezed again.

"Kenshin no baka. I told you not to worry about the laundry. It would have been okay to let the bed linens sit out in the rain for a day. Now you're sick."

"Gomen Kaoru-dono. Sessha needed to get the linens because there are no other clean ones right now."

"I think we could have survived one night with the same bedding Kenshin."

"Oi busu, he was doing those stupid chores for you," Yahiko said.

"YAAHIIKOOOOOO!"

Kenshin sneezed yet again and then returned to shivering. For some reason he was extremely cold, though it was a warm summer night. Kaoru immediately forgot about killing Yahiko and turned to Kenshin with concern.

"Poor Kenshin," she thought.

She helped him get to his feet and then felt his forehead, gasping at the unnatural heat that emanated from his head.

"Kenshin, you have a fever. That's it. You need to go to bed."

"Kaoru-dono, arigatou. Your concern for my health is touching, demo I need to prepare dinner and…"

He looked absolutely miserable, but his pleading expression and will to finish his chores were adorable.

"You can't be running around doing chores when you have a fever like that. Rest is the best thing for you now. Doing all that work will only make feel worse.  Yahiko and I can fend for ourselves. We'll go to the Akabeko for dinner and I'll ask Tae-san to make some soup for you."

"Onegai, don't trouble yourself on my account."

"It's no trouble. Plus, Yahiko can handle the chores."

"NANI!!!!!! You evil troll! You could help out once and while!"

Yahiko's jaw dropped as he realized that his insults didn't get a rise out of the kendo teacher as usual. Instead Kaoru took Kenshin's hand and led him to his room. Once inside she laid out his futon.

"Go on Kenshin, lay down."

"Hai, hai."

"I'll be back in a minute."

Kaoru ran out quickly and came back with a small white rag. She folded it once and then knelt down by Kenshin's bedside, gently placing the cloth on his forehead. The cool cloth must have felt wonderful against his heated skin because he closed his eyes for a moment, like he was savoring the feeling. Once he opened them again he gazed into Kaoru's eyes. She was still kneeling by his bed, smiling down at him.

"Now you get some sleep. We'll be back soon"

With out warning she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Blushing furiously, she sprinted out the door leaving a very surprised Kenshin in her wake. Kenshin touched his cheek where Kaoru kissed him. Ever since his fight with Enishi, he had come to realize just how important Kaoru was to him. She gave him a whole new life. Maybe it wasn't a hundred percent free of worry, but it was a life with good friends that were like family to him.

Kaoru was different though. She wasn't just a friend and she wasn't like a younger sister.  He had known for a while that he was drawn to her in a romantic sort of way, quite possibly since he first met her. The only problem with that was his fear that his enemies would use his feelings for her against him. His fears became reality when he saw that image of Kaoru pinned to that wall with Enishi's sword. It shattered his world to think she was dead. Only later did he find out that it was a fake and that Kaoru was taken prisoner by Enishi. Tears spilled down his cheeks. He would never forget how he felt when he thought he had lost Kaoru, nor would he forget the elation he felt when he found out she was alive. After arriving home he finally had come to terms with the fact that he loved his spirited tanuki girl, but he still had yet to say anything to her. He loved her more than his own life, but he was afraid that more shadows of the past would come and try to take her away from him. Then he remembered something that Megumi had said to him just before her departure to Aizu.

"She loves you Ken-san. I know that you love her and you must tell her. It's difficult for you because you feel unworthy. I can see it every time you look at her. You think that you don't deserve to be loved by someone with such purity because you have blood on your hands. The truth is, Ken-san, that because of the traumas you have suffered in your life, you deserve her love more than any man could. So please don't think that you don't deserve to be loved Ken-san. Please make yourself happy for once and tell her your feelings."

The memory of Megumi's parting words strengthened Kenshin's resolve a bit.

"Megumi was right," he thought, "I need to tell her soon."

With that final thought he allowed his heavy eyelids to close, beginning a much-needed period of rest.