This one is dedicated to Angle1 (Because she's the first reviewer for this story and she gave me prompts! She also gets double chocolate chip cookies for that..yeah.) And she's going to update Spoils of War…for which we love her to pieces! Yayyy!

Prompts: Thunderstorm, tickle, orange, broom and blush.

Characters: Kenshin (Rurouni) and Kaoru

Rating: T for Tame


Dangerous

BOOM

Kenshin watched as Kaoru stared up at the sky, her lips apart and her eyes wide open with wonder. She held her fingers poised at her chin even as the clouds rumbled and lightning crackled far, far away in the grey sky. Her lips formed an 'o' as a whitish-purple streak of light hit the earth, its form crumbling away into nothingness after a flash of brilliance.

He smiled. "Kaoru-dono, you seem to like thunderstorms."

Kaoru turned to look at him slowly and whispered, as though her voice would disturb the dance of the elements, "They're just so beautiful. I can't help it."

Kenshin stared at her. She turned her attention back to the powerful roll of the clouds in the sky and stared, without blinking, without batting an eyelid. She trembled as the clouds rolled again and thunder sounded for miles. A gust of wind swept dry leaves around the courtyard. A gnarled leaf floated up on the air and settled on Kaoru's shoulder. When the wind picked up once more, it flitted across her cheek. It was a faint touch, a mere tickle causing shivers to run down her spine.

Kenshin looked down at his hands. "Kaoru-dono?"

"Yes, Kenshin."

He cast a glance inside the dojo. The flickering, orange light of a single candle shone bravely despite the weather. "How can you enjoy something that is so dangerous?"

Her forehead furrowed and she looked at him quizzically. She stuck her lower lip out in a frown pout as she thought about his question. The wind was becoming stronger. Dust blew about in waves, settling on their skin, digging into their pores and clothes. Kaoru watched as various light objects rolled past the line of her vision in the courtyard - leaves, a length of tatty rope, a broom twig, an empty basket.

Finally, she said, "Just because something is dangerous, doesn't mean it should be shut out of our lives. Dangerous is not always a bad thing, I guess. It can be exciting, and beautiful, and sublime, and meaningful too." She swung her legs, feeling weird about the question. Something wasn't right about it…she just couldn't put her finger on it though.

She turned to him. "Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason," he mumbled, but she noticed a slight smile tugging at his lips.

She frowned. "You think I'm silly because I like watching thunderstorms." She retorted.

"No, no Kaoru-dono! It's not like that at all."

"It is! That's why you asked."

"No, Kaoru-dono. That's not what I meant."

"I knew you were poking fun at me." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"Kaoru-dono…I would never do that."

"Then what's with the sudden preoccupation with danger?"

"It's just…I…well…how should I say this?" Kenshin sighed. "You like thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are dangerous."

"So?" Kaoru glared at him pointedly, her fingers itching to reach for the bokken standing behind her.

"Yet you look at them like they're fascinating."

"I repeat…sooooo?"

"So…I'm dangerous too."

Blink. Blink. Kaoru opened her mouth, hoping that her brain would conjure up a reply in the time it took her jaw to wake up - not likely though. As his eyes found hers again, she fought the onslaught of a blush and whipped her head around before he found more incriminating, embarrassing, potentially reputation-destroying material to talk about.

A/N

Ehehe…I don't know where this came from. Please comment.