Come To My Window

Author's Notes: I don't own anything, I swear. This is a simple little fic—something to put a smile on your face... it might be a little out of character, but I don't think so. Hope you enjoy!

Synopsis: Kenshin has been gone for over half a year—Kaoru can't sleep thinking about it… What happens when, one night, her wandering warrior returns to her?

Come To My Window

Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light
Of the moon
Come to my window
I'll be home soon

Kaoru shivered and narrowed her eyes at the wind that came gusting through her open window. It was spring, nearly summer, but the nights still held a chill in them she was unaccustomed to. It was the chill of loneliness.

It had been seven months to the day since Kenshin had gone. He never told her where he was headed, or even if he would return. He'd vanished without a trace—leaving her nowhere to go to find him. She knew he did it on purpose—not saying good-bye, and all; but she couldn't help being angry with him—for leaving her alone.

Everyone who saw the young girl knew that her depression had begun to take its toll. By the end of the month, she was no longer sleeping the night through, and now, she was under heavy sedatives to sleep at all. Kaoru knew she was pathetic. But she was not so pathetic as to cry for her loss. She promised herself that she'd see Kenshin again—whether or not he liked it.

It wasn't until he'd gone the second time, after all they had been through—after all he had told her—that she realized her depth of love for him. She was going to tell him—going to lay it out on the table—the morning she found him gone. Fate worked in the most mysterious of ways.

Now, she sat by her window, looking out into the night, watching for shadows, for that crimson hair and those amber eyes she'd loved so much. She would wait forever, if she had to.

I would dial the numbers
Just to listen to your breath
I would stand inside my hell
And hold the hand of death
You don't know how far I'd go
To ease this precious ache
You don't know how much I'd give
Or how much I can take

Kenshin huddled himself against the side of a building and folded his hands inside his gi. The winds had picked up—a storm was brewing—he knew. He'd just come back into the town he'd left half a year before, and he was determined to get back to the place—the only place—he called home.

He stayed in the shadows, as not to disturb anyone, as he slowly made his way through the quiet city into the outer lands and rural areas. He heard the thunder roll as he stood in front of the gate to the Kamiya Dojo—his home—and he leaned his forehead against the hard wood gratefully. He didn't know how angry Kaoru would be with him—for not telling her where he'd gone, but he couldn't have risked her coming with him. His business was dangerous and personal, and he knew that if she knew where he'd gone, she would have followed him—and she would have brought the entire gang, he was sure.

Without a word, he slowly opened the tall wooden gate and stepped through. The yard was silent, nothing but the thunder could be heard. He saw that a window was opened near the front of the dojo—Kaoru's room—and he hesitated before tip-toeing over to it to peer inside. He saw the shadow, leaning against the far wall, sitting on the floor with her head in her hands. He could not stop the whisper as it escaped his lips, "Kaoru…"

Kaoru looked up abruptly to see a form vanish from sight. She shook her head, "I'm seeing things, now…" she muttered to herself, but got up anyway and walked to the window. Without touching the sill, she gazed up at the moon and blinked her eyes to let them adjust to the light. "Where are you Kenshin?" she asked in a loud, harsh rasp. "I need you here—I love you…" she admitted, and turned away from the light.

Just to reach you
Just to reach you
Just to reach you

Kenshin heard every word and his breath caught in is throat. She'd confessed her love for him. He didn't know, until that moment, how much he'd desired her—and now, he found himself standing, reaching, wanting to touch her. "Kaoru…" he whispered again, that same, tender intonation. His voice dipped low on the last note—the violet in his gaze flashing, reminding him of his inner demon.

Kaoru gasped, There it is again! and spun around to see the Kenshin, staring at her through her window. She wanted to scream, to shriek with happiness, but no noise came from her throat, her every word locked somewhere deep in her soul. "Ken…" she managed, choking out a syllable of that beloved name.

Kenshin rested a hand on the sill, and in one leap, climbed through her window. "I'm back…" There was a pause, "Miss Kaoru." He hated using that title with her, he wanted to call her by just her name, by koi, by something entirely new and more passionate… but he did not think she was ready for that. He shut his eyes to shield her from his warrior half, and bowed his head. He felt awkward standing in her room in the middle of the night with her not three feet from him in her night robe.

Kaoru found her arms reaching to him, she felt her body press against his, this warmth, she felt her face bury itself in her hair and at his gasp—she wondered how she'd gotten there. Still, she locked her arms around his neck and allowed a single sob to escape her. "Kenshin, you're back." She uttered redundantly. She didn't know she was crying until the salty liquid touched her lips.

Kenshin slid his hands around Kaoru's back feeling her warmth beneath his frigid fingers. Her robe was so thin it was nearly see-through—there was almost nothing separating him from the flesh he longed to touch. Her sent was sweet—just as he had remembered it, her hair was soft, and it hung down around them both. He felt himself pull away from her. He felt his hands take hers. But he did not hear his voice when he spoke to her again, "I love you, too, Kaoru." It was the voice of the Battousai.

Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light
Of the moon
Come to my window
I'll be home soon

Kaoru gasped out loud, and stared dumbly at him. When she caught a glimpse at his eyes, she saw that the golden brown she'd imagined in her most vivid (if not rare) dreams was not golden brown at all but a deep, mystic, passionate purple. She was frightened for a moment, and she shivered from the inside out. "Oh, Kenshin…" she gasped, not knowing what else to say—she knew he was experienced in this, and she gave him the lead—she wanted him to do with her what he pleased… and by the looks of him, he was going to.

Kenshin growled at the wind as it blew his hair into his face, and he whipped around and snatched the window shut. The room grew darker with the new shade. Turning to Kaoru once again, he moved close to her, taking her gently—ferally—into his arms, and reached toward her with his lips to find her own.

Pulling away, she whimpered with a greater need that the Battousai did not overlook. "I missed you." She murmured.

"I'm here now. I'm yours." Kenshin growled, low in his chest and kissed her again.

Keeping my eyes open
I cannot afford to sleep
Giving away promises
I know that I can't keep
Nothing fills the blackness
That has seeped into my chest
I need you in my blood
I am forsaking all the rest
Just to reach you
Just to reach you
Oh to reach you

Kenshin scooped Kaoru up easily, taking his cues subconsciously and laid her slowly, softly, on her futon. It was cold with disuse, he found—she had not slept well since he left, he knew… but he'd expected that. He had not slept well at all either.

Kaoru shivered, but yearned to be closer to Kenshin. She was pulling at his gi before she could stop herself, her fingers aching, yearning to feel the flesh, the scars of his chest. She reached out for him and pulled him down onto her; he covered her body like a blanket, kissing her wrapping himself around her delicately, slowly as not to startle, or dishonor.

He was through Kaoru's thin robe before she even realized it. The cool air raised goose bumps on her flesh, and her eyes flashed as they caught the lust—the craving that was plastered to Kenshin's face.

"Kaoru…" he grunted; he wanted to giver her every chance to stop—before it was too late for that. He was at war with his inner warrior, and he was losing fast—he knew that if he did not consider her safety he would never be able to forgive himself.

Kaoru was awed by the question left unasked—yet considered, by Kenshin. She saw his concern for her in what was left of the sanity in his gaze, and she nodded her consent, desperately seeking to fill the void his departure had created in her heart.

So Kenshin reached out to her with himself, his whole self, and found her warm embrace and cried out with her for completeness. He felt her barrier break, felt her catch her breath, and he waited, looking deep into her violet eyes, even the Battousai knew that a woman's first pleasure was spurned by her first pain…

Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light
of the moon
Come to my window
I'll be home soon

Absently, Kaoru heard the rain begin to fall, she heard the walls creak with the force of the growing winds, but the storm wasn't important outside her window. What was most important, she concluded, was what had crawled through it, this night, and now, the growing storm within her own body. Arching her back, she cried out for more and Kenshin obliged, capturing her mouth with his own.

It was never this way with Tomoe. Kenshin hated that thought. He had loved Tomoe, but there was no passion in that love. He loved her as a warrior loved the fight. It was different with Kaoru. Kaoru he loved with the passion a man has for a woman—a complete love that began in wonder, and progressed through respect to become love. With every stroke he made into her, with every kiss he placed upon her porcelain skin, with every gasp and sigh he heard escape her lips, he loved her more.

Kaoru closed her eyes as she felt her end approaching. She faintly thought of the window, the moon's light obscured by clouds and curtains. She was glad for that window—that Kenshin had chosen to come to that window—come through it… come…

Kenshin fell next to her, covered in the sweat of passion and utterly exhausted. Without speaking, for he could not, he pulled her quaking body to him; moaning as she slid her leg over his hip, to keep them thoroughly entwined. Sighing once they got settled, he whispered into her hair, "I love you Kaoru. I want to stay here forever."

"Then stay, Kenshin…" Her voice trailed off. Her head was on his chest, she was asleep.

I don't care what they think
I don't care what they say
What do they know about this
love anyway

It was late in the morning when Kaoru and Kenshin woke; later than either of them was used to. Kaoru tilted her head back, and kissed Kenshin's scarred cheek. "Good morning, Kenshin," she cooed.

Kenshin smiled, and ran his hand down then up her side again, in response, "Good morning." Laying there with Kaoru in his arms, Kenshin was in heaven. He'd finally found what he'd been searching for—what his heart, his soul was missing. Rolling her over onto her back, and leaning up on his side, Kenshin caught her gaze with his own. "Marry me, Kaoru." It was a question and a demand at the same time.

Kaoru blinked and gasped, "Oh, Kenshin! I—" but there was a knock at the door. They both turned their heads abruptly to see Sanosuke and Megumi turn in an abrupt about face and slam the door behind them. Kaoru turned beet-red but Kenshin pulled her face to his, and kissed her.

"Those two, of any of them should know what this is like, Kaoru." He whispered to her gently. "After all, they are on the brink of this great thing called love, themselves." Kenshin knew that Sano loved Megumi—and that she loved him… He knew it was only a matter of time before the two admitted it to one another.

Kaoru nodded, and rose, pulling Kenshin up with her. "Yes, Kenshin. I'll marry you." she giggled, she'd wanted for so long to say those words, and finally—they spilled from her lips like honey. Kissing him, she turned and tossed her robe around her, it was time to start their day—together.

Come to my window
Crawl inside, wait by the light
of the moon
Come to my window

The door clacked shut behind him as Kenshin strode out into the yard behind Sanosuke. They were headed down to the stream to catch fish and relax. Kaoru waved at the two of them from the yard where she was practicing with Yahiko. "Don't you two get lost now! Megumi needs those fish for dinner tonight!" she called, smiling, Yahiko took the opportunity to rest from his exercises, laughing to himself to see Kenshin and Kaoru acting so strangely toward each other.

Kenshin smiled his smile and shook his head, "We'll be home soon!" he called, and Sanosuke shook his head laughing.

"You're ruining him Missy!" he cried with a wink and a glance over Kaoru's shoulder to Megumi who was standing on the porch. Kenshin and Kaoru caught the look that passed between the doctor and the rooster head, and then, looking at each other, exchanged secret smile of their own.


I'll be home soon

© 2005

April 12, 2005

Fairy Tale Mistress