Refined Motion

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin

Chapter Two: Repartee

She kicked her drinks back like a champ, an impressive feat that added to her attraction. Aside from her intellect and virago, her figure was beautiful, taking the shape of a perfect hourglass. She had a milky complexion that contrasted flawlessly with her darker features. Her eyes were pools of sapphires that I could get lost in. Watching her experience the transition from sobriety to inebriation was amusing to say the least. Misao had officially made it her life's mission to intoxicate her cousin to the point of no return. Regardless, she made light conversation with ease, giving each person a balanced amount of her attention, despite the apparent head change.

Kaoru digressed about her travels across Asia and Europe in response to the curious probes of a woman named Tae. She divulged in the cultural variances: the foods, arts, social norms and musical preferences. She swayed subtly to the music in between conversation, her fervor for composition clear as day. Her cheeks were rosy and she was all smiles. Although I had been with my fair share of gorgeous women, in retrospect, they seemed to pale in comparison. I decided it was time to engage her myself, though I could easily and willingly scrutinize her for days.

As I caught the cocktail waitress passing by I waved her down. The young woman sauntered over with vehemence in her strut. She leaned towards me a little too close for comfort. "What can I get for you?" She smiled slyly and batted her eyes at me suggestively, to which I internally cringed.

"Can I get two dry martinis, shaken and with a twist?" I somehow managed politely. I figured I'd go with something lighter that we could sip on whilst maintaining decent conversation. I could feel Kaoru stealing glances in my direction; perhaps she felt a tinge of jealously at the waitress' proximity, or so I entertained at least. I turned my full attention to her and smirked. She chuckled in response.

"What're you up to, Himura?" She smiled beautifully; her eyes gleamed and wrinkled slightly at the edges. She spoke my name with a finesse that tested my self control, curling around each syllable as if she was savoring the taste of it.

"Buying you a drink." I stated coolly, gauging her reaction. Her azure gaze strayed from mine momentarily – a sign of disinterest perhaps – then, she did something that caught me off guard.

She leaned into me, closing the space between us to but an inch, and spoke gently into my ear, "Only if you dance with me afterwards." The sapphire eyed goddess pulled back and winked at me in flirtatious play. The energy between us cackled with vigor. Before I could rejoinder Misao interrupted the invigorating atmosphere between her and I.

"Kaoru how long are you staying in Tokyo for?" She reluctantly tore her gaze from mine to respond.

"Can't say for sure, for now I have no plans to leave anytime soon." Misao squealed in glee and clung to Kaoru, who shifted slightly and smiled whole-heartedly.

"What ward are you staying in nowadays Kao?" Tae interceded. Her twin sister, Sae, gave me an inconspicuous thumbs up. I wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that but I had a good idea it had something to do with mine and Kaoru's burgeoning romance.

"Moto-Azabu, Minato district. It's a little less dense than Shinjuku with more.." Kaoru paused for a moment finding the correct wording, "charm; at least to my liking." Minato offered an array of attractions, from temples to theatres and everything in between; it suited her well. "Come over sometime."

"I'd love to! Give me the time and date I'll be there." Tae warbled with excitement. I couldn't help but chuckle at every one's vim and vigor, it was contagious. Even Shinomori was enjoying himself, which was a rare spectacle. I knew Aoshi liked Misao despite his lack of verbal confession. He spoke fondly of her and cared for her enough to come to a night outing – an achievement I could never accomplish. For the first time in the 15 years that I've known him, he seemed to come to life and engage in frivolous chit-chat.

Kaoru returned her attention back to me as our waitress arrived with our drinks in hand. I gestured for the girl to set the martini down in front of her as the rest of the gang broke off into individual banter.

"To new beginnings." I toasted and she requited. Our gaze interlocked as we both took a sip of our drink. I relished in the smoothness and herbal undertones of the refreshingly cold yet warm paradox of-a-liquor. A new melody struck up and set for a convivial disposition. The hours that passed were a succession of shits and giggles. Conversation flowed effortlessly between her and I. We spoke about everything and nothing. She was quite the character, Kamiya Kaoru. The epitome of chaste, she was compassionate and free spirited. I made sure to burn her image into my mind and took meticulous note of her every expression. She was passionate about the arts – the entire gamut too, from performing to visual. I could tell by her animated gestures and eloquence when divulging in such topics.

Her sapphires were ablaze with glee, the junctions of her lips coiled in mirth. "You've been exiled to a deserted island for a year, Kenshin." She dramatically paused before continuing, "In addition to the essentials you may take one piece of music, one book and one luxury item. Go!" She commanded.

Kaoru was full of thought-provoking queries, and in the process of getting to know me I was getting to know myself. "Homeshake, In the Shower. The Mustard Seed by Osho." I paused a moment to mull over the last question. "A sea-doo." I pursed my lips, not entirely satisfied with my last answer. "Your turn."

"Nice! I love Osho's writings; I have yet to read the 'Mustard Seed' though." She chirped, apparently content with my answers.

"It's one of his best reads, I can lend it to you."

"Really? I'd love for that! Maybe we can exchange our favorites. For music I'd go with 'Let's Build a House' by Lake. My choice of reading: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse." She paused for a moment, giving her last answer prudent thought. "A solar powered mp3 with all of my favorite music." Brilliant.

"Wait, solar powered mp3 players are a thing?"

"I'm not quite sure to be honest; this is all just hypothetical of course." She leaned into the table and cupped her face with one delicate hand.

"Sounds like you've given this much thought."

She threw her head back in amusement and laughed. "Quite the contrary!" She placed her hand on mine and unconsciously veered closer to me. "To be honest most of my decisions in life have been on whim."

"Like what?" I probed hungry to know more.

She smirked haughtily, slightly increasing her grip on my hand as she leaned into me entirely and kissed me softly on my cheek. She pulled back just enough to look me directly in the eye. "You owe me a dance, that you do."

I caressed her face in one hand, taking advantage of the proximity. "I'd have you know dancing isn't exactly my forte." She giggled and crinkled her nose cutely; a beautiful crimson painting her cheeks. In a swift motion she stood up and and tugged me towards the dance floor.

It had seemed as if the music stifled and time had slowed down altogether; yet, I could hear my heart thumping at a peculiarly quick and vacillating rate. Her silky raven hair dangled down her lower back, swaying side to side with the bounce to each step. It looked pretty and I had an odd urge to run my fingers through it. She turned over her shoulder; her eyes sparkled as she smiled sweetly. I gulped, a foreign wave of nervousness forming in the pit of my belly.

Time passed in a haze of utter ecstasy and absolute pleasure. Her virtuoso as a dancer was evident in the way she anticipated rhythm and the grace in her motion. She set the pace but I didn't fail to keep up. I twirled her, dramatically dipped her and held her close. She smelled savory and I relished in the scents of sweet floral undertones. Her touch set my soul ablaze; the feel of her body against mine sensual and tantalizing. This night reignited the flame in my heart that had been long ago extinguished. We both decided to call a quits and head back to our table after what seemed like hours of effortful dancing. Kaoru hooked around my arm and leaned against me as we ambled along towards our table.

"Liar. You aren't nearly as bad as you let on." I chuckled.

"Only because I had you to lead me."

"You don't give yourself nearly enough credit, y'know?" She rocked her hips to the side into mine friskily.

When we arrived at our table, Kaoru and I were taken aback at the sight beheld. Misao was sitting on Aoshi's lap whispering something in his ear. As she caught sight of us, she straightened upwards and smiled widely.

"You two hit it off." Misao teased playfully accented with a wink. "Meg and Sano left about half an hour ago, so did Tae and Sae."

"Touché my dear." Kaoru retorted, punctuated with a playful roll of the eyes. "Time has a way of slipping through my fingers, I guess. I didn't realize how late it had gotten. Are you going to head out?"

"That's the master plan." Misao winked. Aoshi nipped at the nape of Misao's neck, meriting a squeal from the pocket-sized girl. He stood up, and nudged her towards Kaoru. He gave me a look that commanded my attention; there was something he wanted to ask.

He leaned into me, and spoke a notch above a whisper. "Himura, is there any way you can hitch a ride with Kamiya?" I snickered at his seriousness, to which he furrowed his eyebrows into a permanent scowl; so he really did like this girl.

"You're asking the wrong person. I'll just catch a cab home, I don't mind." I stated, loud enough to catch Kaoru's attention. She tilted her head adorably and met my eyes with silent query.

"Do you need a ride Kenshin?" She offered sweetly.

"I wouldn't want to trouble you." "You don't have a choice." She smirked maniacally, mischief veiling her expression.

Revised and updated.