Title: Where We Begin
Word Count: 636
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Pairing: Kenshin & Kaoru
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: K&K are not mine, but I do own their adorable plushies. This story is definitely a prelude to sex but with nothing too indecent.
Summary: I cast aside my insecurities, for this is all I want.

Where We Begin.

His sword-callused hands cupped her pale face, and she exhaled, eyes closed.

"You are nervous," he stated softly. She nodded.

"I'm..." Her voice trembled, and she steadied herself before responding again. "I've heard a lot of different things, is all. Stupid things, and I know it's ridiculous, it is, and..."

He smiled, his thumbs making slow circles on her soft cheeks. "I am not an impatient man, Kaoru. If this is not what you want--"

"It is what I want," she interjected, her eyes snapping open to meet his. Less than a moment later, she deflected her gaze to the paper lantern behind him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I... I do not know how to... how to start... start what I... what we..." She looked down at her hands, too ashamed to continue.

I'm too inexperienced... I'll only make a fool of myself. Kaoru fought the lump in her throat that threatened to force tears from her eyes. I feel so strongly, but I have no clue how or where to begin.

He took one of his hands away from her face and tilted her face toward his own. "I want to be close to you." He pulled her to his body, his arm holding her tightly against his chest. "I want your arms around me." He took one of her hands and placed it around his neck, and the other quickly followed suit. "One step at a time, Kaoru... whatever you do, I promise you have already made me a happy man."

She dared another look into his eyes; although his back was against the only source of light in the room, she could see the intensity, the myriad of emotions in his gaze. And suddenly, all of her nervousness melted away... she wondered at her fears, knowing with certainty that they were unfounded.

Kaoru let out a joyous laugh, and he blinked quizzically before letting a gentle smile grow on his face.

"'One step at a time,'" she mused with a gleam in her eyes. "May I take the initiative, then?"

Without waiting for an answer, she pulled his head down to bring his lips toward hers.

"I'm going to kiss you," she smiled into the curve of his lips. "Husband."

He felt her intentions through their joined lips and knew that his control would break... if his heart was easily betrayed by his eyes, then her foil was her soft, unknowingly sensuous mouth. His hand threaded its way through her thick black hair and pulled softly as he turned to inhale her scent, breaking the kiss to brush his mouth across her cheek.

She shuddered involuntarily; the warmth, the hunger coursing through her veins was so potent she felt her inhibitions slip away.

He moaned into the crook of her neck as he lowered her onto the futon beneath them; traced her collarbone with feathery kisses as she arched against him with a heated cry.

How silly, for me to think... that I needed to... And maybe that was what he was trying to show her in the first place, and maybe it wasn't. In a moment where everything made sense, she saw how much he loved her, and tears pricked at her eyes.

"Show me..." The words tumbled from her lips, pleading.

Show me how to love you without words, Kenshin.

His hands traced the curves of her body as he kissed a line between her breasts.

"...everything, I will," Kenshin said hoarsely. His control shattered at the sound of her whimpers. "Wife, you have all of me..."

He drowned the rest of his sentence in her skin, and she let her fingers run down the muscles of his back.

"Husband, I am yours."

They lost their voices, their thoughts in the arms of each other; the lantern burned out long before the room became quiet with the sounds of contented sleep.

AN: My. God. I had no idea how difficult writing a "consummation of marriage" drabble would be... but it had to be perfect. I am my own most critical beta, I'm afraid. --; As you can see, I cut it off (before it got juicy, teehee) but am open to trying to write the rest of it, if anyone is interested in seeing it. I've never written a complete lemon before... might be interesting. :)

I originally wanted to add this to Only Water as a "similar-but-not-continuous" drabble, but this one is more about the characters and less about the setting... so alone it is. And it's my first story published in almost 2 years! How ridiculous of me. Let me know what you think, as always.