A/n 'Ello lovely readers. Okay. So I'm sitting here in the middle of the night having some writers block and being pretty much in a nasty mood when my friend gave me a writing prompt. Write something your characters would never do. Or something along those lines. And then I decided to post it here. There is more to this story, but posting it will fore me to keep writing…even if it's drabbles. It's not very good and It lacks in details being that I wrote it over a hour ago… so forgive the crudeness. It is just a drabble.

Disclaimer. I don't own Kenshin

Kaoru had no idea what made her do it. Normally she was a very good, responsible girl. And good, responsible girls don't go home with strangers. But here she was, looking up at the high-rise apartment building and the red head that waited for her to step inside.

… . . …

Forty-five minutes earlier

… . . …

Kaoru sighed as she walked out into the rain. Her business meeting at the restaurant had ran far longer than she thought it would. Kaoru worked with a textile company and scoring this new job would help her earn millions of yen for her company. The meeting went well, Kaoru brought her leather portfolio full of her sketches and small swatches of fabric samples and everyone seemed to love all her ideas. But then, as Kaoru was about to leave…her luck suddenly changed. The restaurant had lost her coat, believing that some one had stolen it. Kaoru could do nothing but give them her name and phone number in case they found it.

So now Kaoru stepped from the warm quiet restaurant and into the torrent of summer rain. Clutching her portfolio of samples to her chest, Kaoru quickly made her way across the sidewalk to where her car was parked. Her azure eyes scanned the pavement before her as she carefully stepped off the sidewalk, mindful to keep her high heels from the deepest of the puddles. It was then that she noticed she had a flat. Freezing on the side of the road Kaoru couldn't believe what she was seeing. She didn't just have a flat tire. She had a tire-so-flat-the rim-was-touching-the-street kind of flat. the kind of flat that ruins tires. The kind of flat that Kaoru knew she couldn't fix. Not now in the rain, with a knee high skirt and baby blue silk blouse on or in heels that were a tad too high for her.

"Damn it!" She cursed. Around her dozes of people rushed around in the rain, traffic flowed. The nearest subway station was over two blocks away. Kaoru clutched her portfolio tighter to her chest as if her soaked clothes would help protect it. She would have to hail a cab if she was going to have a fighting chance of getting out of the rain soon.

There is a skill needed to hail a cab on a busy Friday night while the sky was pouring rain. Kaoru unfortunately didn't posses a bit of this skill.

"Taxi!" She shouted as yet another cab rumbled past her. It had been the sixth cab she had seen. She had long ignored the fact that she was now completely soaked through and even come to the point of using her portfolio to hold over her head to shield her eyes from the rain. Even though it was summer, she was starting to get cold. Perhaps it would have been a better idea if she went to the subway. She would at least be in the underground station right now and out of the rain. Cursing her luck again she about threw herself off the sidewalk waving her arm out as traffic flowed and a taxi came into view. But again the yellow car rumbled off without even a pause. "Ohh, that's it!" She growled and she turned to start walking to the subway. She stopped trying to use her portfolio for an umbrella and just gave in to fate.

Kaoru turned toward the blinding lights of the traffic and started walking. But she had hardly taken more than five steps when a taxi yanked itself out of the flow of cars and pulled up to the sidewalk beside her. The window rolled down.

"Hey!" Called the cab driver. "The gentleman here wants to share his cab with you! He said he'll take you anywhere you want to go!" He shouted over the rumble of traffic and the hiss of rain.

Hope lit up Kaoru's face for a second, but she was far too polite. "No, I can't be a bother like that. But thank you." She turned to continue on her way.

"Come on! The cab driver said, his face had a bright, easy going smile. "It's raining."

As if she didn't notice. "No, thank you, but the subway is just down there, I can walk. Just then the taxi door popped open and the rider leaned out so she could see him. Kaoru caught a flash of red hair and bright purple eyes in the glow of traffic.

"It's no trouble, you'll catch your death out there." he said and smiled waving her in. "I don't bite, that I don't."

Kaoru paused. Was it because it was raining, or because it was a sudden turn in her luck or was it because the man riding in the taxi looked kind of cute and at least sounded nice. Kaoru wasn't sure what made her do it. "Oh, what the hell." She said and smiled as she stepped over to the cab. The man disappeared back in the darkness of the car as he moved over to give her room. Kaoru ducked into the shelter of the car and slammed the door taking a deep breath, relived to be out of the rain.

"That's more like it miss." The cab driver said as he turned around and carefully merged back into traffic.

"I've been stuck out in the rain trying to hail a cab before." The man beside her said. "I know what it's like."

Kaoru turned to him and gave him a grateful smile. It was only then that she caught a better look at him. He didn't look much taller than her, though it was hard to tell sitting in a cab. He looked a few years older and had a slight frame. His face had soft features, almost like a girl and his shock of red hair was long, very long.

"I caught pneumonia and was sick for three weeks." He finished .

"Thank you." Kaoru said, embarrassed to be in such a close space with a stranger. She mashed her wet, dripping hair down around her ears

"No problem." he said. "Where are you headed?"

"Anywhere on the east side." Kaoru said as she continued pulling her dripping hair from her face. "It wasn't suppose to rain today…was it?" Small talk…also not a skill Kaoru possessed.

He chuckled, "No it wasn't" the man paused as Kaoru clamped her arms around her body and shivered from the cold. He angled his body slightly and shrugged out of his business jacket. "Take your blouse off and put this on." he held the jacket out.

Kaoru was mortified she turned half her body to look at him. "I beg your pardon?!"

"You're soaked, that you are. You'll never warm up if you don't take that soggy thing off, that you wont.. Go ahead, I won't look I swear it." To prove his point the man lifted the jacket to cover his face.

"You best listen to the gentleman." The cabbie said, looking over his shoulder. "What he says is right."

The man moved the jacket slightly to cover her from the cab driver's eyes.

"No I'm fine" Kaoru insisted.

"You don't look fine. You're shivering, your skin is pale, go ahead and put it on." The man urged gently.

"I'll get it all wet." She protested.

"It'll dry. You're an inch from getting sick."

Kaoru hugged herself tighter and looked out the window. "You sound like my mother."

"I do?" He lowered the jacket to flash her a surprised look. "Thank you."

"It's not a complement." She said, but she couldn't help but smile at his soft laughter as he held the jacket up again.. "Just take your blouse off and put it on."

Kaoru knew her mouth was hanging open and that she was softly shaking her head no, but found that her fingers were already undoing the buttons of her wet silk blouse. The garment had molded to her skin anyways, leaving nothing to their imagination she was sure. But still, why was she taking off her clothes in a taxi by order of she strange man? It took her a moment because the chill was making her hands shake but she was able to undo all the buttons and she peeled the blouse from her body. She had no idea what made her do it. Maybe it was the way he sounded, or the fact that she was freezing.

The cabbie strained to look in his review mirror and caught a glimpse of a white lace bra before the man shifted slight to cover her more. "Eyes on the road my friend." The red-head said and the cabbie chuckled as he turned back to the road.

Kaoru slipped her arms into the sleeves and he helped her into the jacket. She quickly did up all the buttons to keep him from getting an eye full. The jacket was warm from his body and Kaoru already felt herself sinking into a more comfortable feeling. She shyly glanced over at the red-head. "Thank you."

"No problem." he said. Happy now, he relaxed back in the cab. He gazed at her. "Wow." he said, his body froze for an instant as he took her face in.

Kaoru felt a blush crawling up her neck to her face as she tried to look away from him.

"Are those contacts or is that your real eye color?"

She knew it. Everyone did a double take when they saw her blue eyes. It was rare in a world of dark eyes. "Yes, my real eye color."

"Their very pretty." he admitted.

"Thank you," She paused. "My mother always said it meant I had too much water element in me." If it did, perhaps Kaoru wouldn't mind the rain so much. " Your eyes are pretty too." She blurted.

His purple eyes went wide for a moment and he smiled, a soft tint of blush showing on his cheeks. "Thank you. I guess were two very unique people."

"Well as long as your not a stalker then I'm fine."

"Does it matter?"

Kaoru yanked her head around to face him. "Of course it matters. Where you live, what kind of car your drive. There are crazy people out there who love that sort of information." Crazy, stalker type people. Didn't this guy watch the news?

"Only four things really mater." The red-head held up four fingers. "Laughter, kindness, appreciation of beauty…and a really great beef hot pot."

The cabbie laughed .

"Not love?" Kaoru asked, leaning closer. She felt an overwhelming wave of emotion pass over her just then, even though she was trying to be sarcastic. She hadn't had much luck in the love department and it hurt her heart to think about the boyfriend that just broke up with her. It still hurt so much that she couldn't even think his name.

"Sometimes it matters." the man said, his face was still bright and he still had his smile but his eyes had shuttered over. As if to hide something. "But not as much as I thought." He reached out suddenly and Kaoru didn't even have time to react to his movement. His thumb brushed gently across her cheek. "Just rain, I thought it was a tear." he said and sat back again, watching her.

Kaoru turned her head back out the window, too shy to say that it was a tear. Her cheek tingled from where he had touched her. She hugged herself again to keep her hands from trying to rub at that feeling. A minute passed in silence, then another, and another. By then the rain had lightened up, almost to a stop and the cab was starting to slow as it pulled into the parking lot of a large apartment complex. It rose up several stories. And just by the look of the landscaping outside, Kaoru could tell that this was for those with money. She was well off as a business woman, but not this well off. What did this man do for a living?

"Here you go." The cabbie said. And Kaoru started to undo the buttons of the jacket.

"No." The red-head rested a hand over her hands to stop her. His touch was like a jolt of heat that traveled up her arms and into her chest. "No keep it."

"I'll get it cleaned and I'll send it back to you." Kaoru said automatically.

"Or you could come up?" He said in a hopeful tone. "My housekeeper always leaves a pot of vegetable soup on the stove for me."

Again Kaoru felt her mouth fall open and she shook her head. "No, no I couldn't" She didn't even know him. Why in the world would she go up to his apartment? Was he a weirdo?

"Warm vegetable soup….with a dash of curry." he added. Smiling softly to urge her.

Kaoru opened her mouth to refuse but the words just wouldn't come out. She watched as he handed the cab driver some money and turn back around for her answer. "I…I ca-…."She sighed. "Okay, just a cup."

"A cup of hot soup, coming right up." he said and he got out of the cab and walked around to let her out.

Kaoru had a few precious seconds to think it over. What was she doing? She had no idea what made her agree to go with him. Was it those beautiful lavender eyes, the crimson hair that hung down his back? Was the smoke from the cabbie's cigarette really smoke from some sort of drug? The door popped open and he held his hand out to her. Kaoru took up her portfolio and her soggy blouse and took his hand. He punched a few numbers into the keypad by the set of double glass doors and they popped open. He led her into the lobby, the air conditioning chilled her wet skin and she shivered violently as they walked past the front desk, he tapped the shoulder of the overnight guard that was sleeping there. A older gentleman with salt and pepper hair.

The guard jolted awake and glanced at the red-head with a smile, nodding his head in thanks. Kaoru was led to an elevator and once inside he punched the button for the top floor. Kaoru twisted the fabric of her wet blouse in her hands. This was nuts! Stupid and irresponsible. What was she doing? After her last love had left her, she had thrown herself into her work, mind and spirit and she liked it that way. There was no way she could get hurt, she was cautious now. It was safer that way, lonely yes but safe. And suddenly Kaoru had her answer. She was tired of playing it safe. She was tired of the same routine she had for months. For once she wanted to do something crazy. Something the normal Kaoru would never do.

She stole a sideways glance at the red-head man just as the elevators doors opened with a gentle woosh. There were only four apartments on the top floor and he lead Kaoru to the door on the right of the elevator. He smiled at her as he unlocked the door and held it open for her. Kaoru stepped in and was wide eyed as she took in the sight of the apartment the den, dinning room and kitchen were in the same room It was so large Kaoru was sure he whole apartment room would fit into this great room. It was a lovely mix of modern and traditional.

"Let me take that." He said, tugging her leather portfolio from under her arm and her soggy blouse from her hands. "Take a seat." he said, nodding to the stools that lined a dark wood bar along the kitchen. "I'll warm up that soup I promised.

Kaoru gave a shaky smile as she perched herself on the padded stool and swiveled around to look into the kitchen. It was a lovely kitchen with dark wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. A rack with a dozen different sets of wine and champagne glasses hung from above and the warm lights from the kitchen made the crystal sparkle. "This is nice." Kaoru commented as the man ladled soup from the pot on the stove into two bowls. "Did you design the place yourself? Did you decorate it?" she touched a lovely potted palm plant that sat on the floor beside the stools.

"No." He said simply as he popped the bowls in the microwave.

"Well you must be some sort of designer, or painter or artist. You have a good eye."

"Nope." He said a gain with a smile. "I hope you like white radishes. My house keeper grows then in her garden and she always puts heaps of them in the soup."

"Sooo, you're not going to tell me what it is that you do? Even if I already guessed it." Her lips pressed together, stubborn enough to press the subject.

"That's right." Seemed he was stubborn too. "It doesn't matter."

"Right because all that matters is a really good beef hot pot.."

"Right." He said, pulling a pair of spoons from a drawer, grabbing a set of wine glasses from the rack and a green tinted bottle of wine. He walked over to set them on a glass table in the dinning room.

Kaoru had never really been much for alcohol before and she most certainly never had wine. She didn't know if it was a good idea to try some now. But then she remembered that she was trying to be the different fearless, reckless Kaoru. But just then the phone rang. A digital trill filled the silence and then an instantly later there was a beep as the answering machine kicked on and a sultry, female voice spoke.

"Hey…where are you? It's been ages. We should get together some time…call me."

Kaoru was feeling reckless but she wasn't about to intrude on someone's relationship. She sat up from the stool and got to her feet.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.. I should go."

"Why?" The red-head asked, hardly looking up as he set the table. The ringing phone nor the voice of the female on the line had failed to drag his attention away from setting the table.

Kaoru ignored the question. "I'll call you sometime."

This time he did look up and he walked towards her. "What for?" he said with a tip of his head.

"Well isn't that what people do…go to dinner, see a movie." Kaoru took a step back as he got close enough to reach out and touch her. Just then the microwave timer beeped and he looked away to the kitchen and then back to her.

"Well we have dinner. I have movies if you want to watch one, that I do." he took a step closer.

Kaoru forced a smile. "That's not what I mean."

"Say what you mean then."

Kaoru opened her mouth but couldn't think of the words she wanted to say. So she just blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "I shouldn't be here." She said with a sigh. "I don't even know what I'm doing here."

"Well, you're here because your cold, and hungry." He took another step forward and Kaoru had no where else to go, her back was pressed against a wide pillar in the den. "And because your wearing my jacket." he said in a lower tone.

Kaoru could see as his hands reached out and try as she might, Kaoru could not make herself tell him to keep his hands to himself. He took the edge of the jacket and undid all the buttons before trailing his fingertips along her flat belly. Her whole body jumped as if electricity was running through her.

"You know. I bet all the people at your job must think you have a great love life, that I do." he said as he pulled the jacket open to reveal her pale skin and the innocent white of her bra.

"Excuse me?" she squeaked. Her face burned with blush.

"No, don't get me wrong. I know nothing about your love life. But your far too jumpy" he trailed his finger across the swell of one breast to trace the white lace of her bra. "And you seems so innocent., that you do. I bet no one at your job ever sees the sadness in those blue eyes…or the fear" he leaned in and Kaoru knew he was about to kiss her.

"What do you think I'm afraid of?" She said in a hoarse whisper, and then cursed her voice for betraying her emotions. Her body was a raging mix of signals. She was lonely, she was afraid, she did want him to kiss her yet she didn't want him to.

"Of living." He finished and let his lips hover just a breath away from hers. He waited just a moment to see if she would refuse him, but when Kaoru said nothing he pressed his lips to hers.

Kaoru kept still, like a statue and waited to see what he would do. When he kept still, Kaoru realized he was waiting for her to make the next move. Would she wrap her arms around him or would she push him away. The fluttering of butterflies in her stomach made her weak. But she couldn't back away no matter what her mind was screaming at her. Kaoru let the jacket slide off her arms to land at her feet as she wrapped her arms around him. She wasn't afraid of living. She was afraid of not living, of being dead inside.

A/n So Kaoru's taking a lot of risks with this stranger-type man here. I do have more, maybe two or three chapters in mind. I really don't know where this story will go and I almost never post a story I don't already have fully thought out. This is kind of a test for me. So please let me know what you think so far and I'll continue this drabble.