One morning Kenshin mistakenly refers to Kaoru as a child. Kaoru takes this to heart and begins to act differently toward Kenshin and her friends, changing her appearance and attitude. She uses Kenshin's worst quality about his past self, jealousy, against him in attempts to draw him in. Soon the situation of seduction and torture are turned drastically around on Kaoru.

Chapter One

Pinks, yellows, blues and oranges cast their beauty along the morning horizon surrounded by a vague morning mist blown through the air cooling the young girl's creamy porcelain complexion causing loose strands of hair to sway with the light breeze.

Kaoru would never dare awake earlier then she had to, but last night, in fact every night for the last week had been the same. Sleep would not come easily to her. She was indeed tired. When her heavy eye lids drifted shut all she saw was Kenshin and therefore could not sleep. Her sapphire eyes remained relentlessly open. However, the calmness of her surroundings were taking their effect on her. The light breeze that caused the loose strands of her hair to sway whistled quietly around her ears, practically urging her into sleep.

Her legs hung tiredly over the porch as her shoulder slumped against the wooden post along with which her head rested. The wind cooled and relaxed her body, almost to the point of …

"Miss Kaoru," a light voice came from behind, startling her. Her body tensed and her head quickly snapped up pulling herself out of her sleepy daze.

"Oh gosh Kenshin," she exhaled, "it's just you." She rested her hand on her chest as if to try and slow down her rapidly beating heart.

"Well who else would it be. Yahiko would never be up this early and if I am correct, neither would you," Kenshin said with eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"Couldn't sleep," Kaoru mumbled.

"Is that so. Is Miss Kaoru sick?"

Kenshin bent down reaching his hand out to place upon Kaoru's forehead causing her to become warm but not from fever. It was a feeling she always got when he touched her. Her body would go tense and her heart would speed up and an iridescent blush would cover her cheeks. He unconsciously moved his hand down the back of her open yukata feeling for any sign of a fever. He then moved to the front resting the top of his hand on the collar bone of her chest. She began to blush furiously as Kenshin became conscious of what he was doing; immediately pulling his hand away.

"Miss Kaoru I'm so sorry.. please I didn't realize, it slipped my mind, I forgot you're not a child.."

Kaoru frowned at that statement because she knew it was true. Every apologetic line he continued to ramble were unknown to Kaoru for her attention lingered on the words forgot and child. Kenshin's main reasons for not returning her feelings was a combination of him not being worthy enough and her being much too young, which was a lame reason considering there were girls younger than her that were married with children already. Kaoru had always over looked the truth, however. She took the fact that him saying she was too young and too pure as him saying "I don't find you the least bit desirable." She should have figured that a simple tom boy like her could never hold the interest of a man slayer.

Kenshin stopped his apologies when he noticed Kaoru was no longer listening. She was concentrated hard on something. His eyes squinted wondering what it was that could have caused her to act like this. Then he realized he had done the worst thing possible. He had called her a child. He could kick himself repeatedly for this one.

He knew exactly what Kaoru thought of him telling her his reasons for not pursuing any kind of a relationship. She found herself to be undesirable, or at least that's what she thought he considered her as. She was completely wrong. She had never noticed the heated glances he had passed her way. The way when they had joked around during play fights how he would pin her down and just ever so lightly that she wouldn't notice rub himself slightly against her. She had no idea how many sleepless nights he had gone through just thinking of her small curved body under his, pressed heatedly together. She didn't know how in his head he could sometimes hear her small innocent moans of pleasure. Everything about her drew him in. Everything she did made him want her more.

He cleared his throat trying to draw her attention. Her head lifted in his direction. He tried to sound as firm as possible, wanting to make his point.

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"Right..of course you didn't." was all she could mutter, laced in a bit of sarcasm and hurt.

Kaoru grabbed the front of her yukata as she began to stand not wanting Kenshin to have to look at her childish, undesirable form when a tight yet gentle hand on her wrist stopped her.

"Kaoru."

'He said my name…' Kaoru had been startled. Very few times had she heard her name said without a Miss added to the front of it. Those few times were when he hadn't been himself. He had become the man from his past. He had become Battousai.

"I didn't mean it that way. I know too well that you're no child." he said firmly. For a second she could swear that his eyes took on a hint of amber, but it was quickly suppressed by his wanderers wide violet eyes. "You aren't a child, that you are not."

Kaoru simply offered him a weak smile, showing that she understood and accepted his apology.

He placed his hand around her forearm and the other taking a strong grasp of her elbow, helping her tired form to stand.

Kaoru looked into his eyes, she loved him touching her, and loved every second of being able to be so close to him. Remorse had always immediately replaced those feelings because she knew that she could never be that close to him as an object of need or want, only when he thought her to be ill, or if she were hurt, or if he had been helping her practice and he had fallen on top of her or pinned her down.

Kenshin saw the sadness reflect off of Kaoru's gaze, he swore that she could tell a whole story just through those beautiful eyes, and he would kick himself for days for calling her a child and being the reason for her grief.

"I think…I'll go try to get some sleep….thank you for helping me up Kenshin," Kaoru quietly said.

When she attempted to walk away his grip only tightened. Kaoru's searching gaze was stopped by Kenshin's bangs shielded his face. She rested her hands lightly on his chest and whispered his name in concern.

"K-Kenshin…?"

She felt her body being pulled closer to his. In no way did she protest, but her mind became frantic with questions. His grip on her upper arms became tighter but not to the point of pain. He brought her into a small hug. Her head rested on his shoulder and his was brought down to her ear.

"I am sorry, Kaoru." He whispered.

"……..I know," she whispered back.

Just as quickly as it had happened he released her, her body falling a little limp from her loss of support.

'What was that about?' she thought.

She brought her hand up the rub the back of her neck, not knowing how to react. He never hugged her. This was something new for her to get used to, though she didn't disagreed with it and surely wouldn't argue otherwise.

"I'm…. going …to go get that sleep now." she stammered giving him a half sheepish smile.

Kenshin nodded his head in understanding and she offered him another small smile. She headed toward her room holding her ear that still felt the sensations of his warm breath on it.

Upon entering her room Kaoru found it not so hard to go to sleep this time. A week with barely any sleep had hit her hard. She was out like a light.

What she would never be aware of were the amber eyes that watched her small figure sleeping.

'Kaoru you have no idea how aware I am of your childlessness.'