Kenshin/Kaoru oneshot. Rurouni Kenshin © Nobuhiro Watsuki
A light summer breeze swept through the long grass, bringing with it the scents of cherry blossom and nectar. He leaned back against the rough bark of the willow tree, sandals and tabi sitting on the bank next to him as he dangled his feet in the fast-flowing river, burying his toes in the cool mud, long tendrils of weed tangling around his ankles. The setting sun cast the scene in shades of gold, purple and cream, the light softening his features as he smiled.
She was laughing, tossing her head, her long, sleek, raven black hair dancing around her head like a dark halo. One small hand was holding her soft blue yukata above the water as she waded in further. He knew that some men were attracted to delicate, pearly, translucent skin. They had never seen her skin, then. Maybe it was just him. Maybe only he loved the sight of that small, sun-browned, freckled wrist as the sleeve of her yukata rode up her arm.
Her legs were long, supple, her feet slender and pale. Such a contrast. Her second toe was slightly longer than the first. The bones were prominent, tapering back to a slender heel. He could see the delicate veins under her skin. Beads of water dripped down those lightly muscled calves. Her yukata had slipped down at the back, revealing the first bony rise of her spine. White marble. No, not marble. Marble was cold and death and ice. She was alive, endlessly, vibrantly, alive. But then, maybe she was marble, in some ways. Indomitable, beautiful, resolute. He could imagine this girl, no, this woman facing down the demons of hell.
She turned to him, smiling, and, with the blindness of love, he bestowed upon her the perfection of an angel. Her face, a perfect oval, her mouth, a soft curve. Her eyes, the infinite blue of summer skies and ocean waves. Her hand, reaching out towards him. He took it. How could he not? She splashed water at him, and he laughed.