Okay, some I'm probably gonna get some massive hate mail for this pairing, but I don't care. This is a senario I've wanted to try for a long time now, especially after the relationship between Kaoru and Hiko in my other story, "Hidden Agendas." Hiko is my all time favorite anime character and you have no idea how much I wish I could lose my third dimension and swap places with Kaoru in this story. Anyway, enjoy. As always feedback is greatly appreciated.

Chapter 1: The Handsome Stranger

"Just go, Kenshin," Kaoru said sadly.

"Please try to understand, Kaoru-dono. Sessha must leave tonight."

"Of course you have to leave tonight!" She paused to take in a deep breath, clenching her hands into fists t her side before speaking again in a soft voice. "You promised me that you would always be here for me."

"Kaoru-dono, this—"

"YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!"

"You're making this harder than it has to be." He moved to wrap his arms around her in a good-bye hug but she pushed him away. "Very well then. Sayonara, Kaoru-dono." He turned and began walking down the road.

"GO ON AND LEAVE ME JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" Kaoru stooped to pick up a rock from the road and threw it at his retreating back. "I'M NOT GONNA CRY OVER YOU THIS TIME! JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T EVER COME BACK! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" She turned and retreated inside the dojo.

Kaoru stormed past Yahiko in her hurry to get to her room. "I won't cry this time. I won't do it." She entered her room and slammed the shoji shut. "I've cried enough tears for him to last the rest of my life!" She grabbed her quilt and tucked herself in the corner, trying to get as far away as possible.

"Kaoru," Yahiko said tentatively from outside the room. "What happened? Are you gonna be okay?"

"Damn! I wish he would just go away for awhile. I wanna be alone." "I'm fine, Yahiko. Hear that? I'm not even crying."

"Are you sure? Do you want me to do anything for you?"

"How bout just disappearing completely?" "Yahiko, Kenshin left. For good this time." She took in a deep breath to stop the storm raging inside her. "Look, I just wanna be left alone right now. Why don't you go to Sano's for the night?" Silence. "Please, Yahiko."

"Alright, fine, I'll go." She heard him turn and take a few steps down the hall before returning. "Kaoru, if you need something you'll come get me right?"

She sighed and muttered, "Yeah, right," under her breath.

"Kaoru?"

"I said yes, Yahiko."

"Okay. Bye, Kaoru."

"Just go . . ."

Time passed slowly at the dojo. Kaoru adapted the routine for her life so that she had no free time. In addition to her training she took on all the chores Kenshin had done with vigor. She made sure she cooked all the meals and put such effort into concentrating on her task that even Yahiko couldn't complain about the taste. Kaoru did all the laundry and scrubbed the entire place at least three times a week. When Yahiko shirked off his duties, instead of reprimanding him as usual, Kaoru completed the job in silence.

That's what had the others so worried about her—the silence. She rarely spoke anymore. She would correct Yahiko during their training sessions; tell the others when the meals were ready. If anyone asked her a direct question she always answered, but other than that she stayed trapped deep inside her mind in her attempt to block out the feelings.

After months with no real response from her, the others quit trying. Tae and Megumi quit coming by. Tsubame only came at Yahiko's urging. Kaoru had tried to get him to completely move in with Sanosuke, but he refused to leave her alone for great lengths of time.

A few months later Sano and Yahiko accompanied Megumi to Kyoto for a visit with Misao. Kaoru had been invited as well but she declined, not wanting to leave the security of Tokyo. They asked her once and didn't pressure her again, knowing how unlikely it was that Kenshin would be in the Kyoto area, there was still the looming possibility.

Kaoru saw them off as they boarded the boat, waiting until it was out of sight before leaving the harbor. She made a detour through the marketplace to buy some tofu and vegetables before making her way home. When she got back so made herself some supper but when she sat down to eat she just stared at it. "Why am I still like this?" She said as she played with a few grains of rice. "It's been months and I'm still so depressed. I'm so utterly lonely but I don't want company."

"No, you want him," she thought.

"No, I don't." She said quietly, but inside she knew it was true.

She sat there in silence with her knees tucked under her chin for a long time, watching her food cool. "Why won't you eat it?"

"Guess I'm not hungry."

"Yes, you are. You've hid it from the others, but I know you haven't eaten anything in two days."

"So what. Why should I eat if I'm not hungry?"

"I know why you don't want it."

"So enlighten me."

"He didn't cook it." She didn't answer. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"I'm going to take a bath." She said, avoiding the question in her mind though she already knew the answer.

As Kaoru lay in the warm water she tried hard to burry her thoughts in the back of her mind. Instead she concentrated on relaxing her body. She started with her feet and worked her way up until she got to her neck. She sat there unmoving, no feeling in her body from her neck down.

She closed her eyes, steam lightly caressing her face. "Why do I still think about him when it hurts so much?"

"Because you love him."

"I don't want to love him. I want my heart to be free of him."

"It's not that easy."

"I want somebody to take care of me." She paused. "Somebody stronger. Somebody who won't leave me this way."

"Who's stronger than Kenshin?"

"No one. That's where the problem lies."

"You could get out of this dumb dojo and look for somebody. I bet Tae knows lots of eligible bachelors."

"Oh shut up." She pushed the voice inside her back as feeling returned to her arms and legs. She concentrated again on how the water enveloped her body and slowly relaxed herself again. This time when she laid her head against the side of the tub and closed her eyes is was merely seconds before she fell asleep.

Kaoru woke the next morning to the sound of birds chirping. "Ugh! No one should be that happy." She reached to pull the blanket over her head and roll over and realized that she was wrapped in some very large arms. "Uh oh." She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze falling upon a very large and well defined chest. She titled her head back to look into the face of her captor, her eyes traveling across a face framed by hair as long and dark as her own and finally meeting a pair of dark brown, almost black eyes.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Kaoru breath caught in her chest, her eyes fluttered and the next instant she fainted and was limp arms.

Please review. Next chapter posted soon. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Note to anyone reading "Hidden Agendas": The last chapter is on its way. It's halfway written, I'm just stumped on how to finish it.