Bloody Kisses

By: Lazeralk

I do not own Kenshin. If I did, he would be covered in chocolate and whipped cream, and chained, naked, to my bed at all times.

Part 7

"The Aftermath"

AN: My love, thanks and various flavors of cookies go to the following: Innocent Battousai, RiddleStar, cleo, Lexi-Teniro, GreenEyedFloozy, NNO, Jasmine Reinier, Rea, SHNfanyay, Mibuhiro, Azimel, Pirotessa, yumise-lunar and . I'm glad you all, you know…didn't freak or anything over Saitou's lycanthropy. I'm so sorry to everyone who had their hearts set on Saitou with fangs. Well, if its any consolation, he does have fangs…just not vampire-y ones.

The basket of cookies and fudge goes to Miburo Kid, who has been with me since the beginning and has shown a strangely stalker like zeal when it comes to this particular story. My muse squeals most annoyingly when she sees your name on the reviewer list. The earplugs do nothing.

So, the story. Right. Almost forgot about that part.

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A few hours after Kenshin had left Saitou's offices found the redhead inching towards the dojo's front gate, a look of muted terror on his handsome face.

The gate was halfway open; the streets empty save the former Hitokiri as he tiptoed to his home, fearing the wrath of Kaoru-dono. He'd been gone for days without warning; she was going to be worried and angry and-and violent. Really really violent. Cautiously, he poked his head in and scanned the courtyard, his ears straining for a sound. What met him was muffled sobs.

Guilt instantly flooding him, he raced across the open yard and into the house, making a beeline for Kaoru's room. The sobs got louder as he went until he slid the shoji open and stepped inside. His heart broke at the sight of her curled up on her futon in her sleeping yukata and crying her eyes out. He hated it when she cried.

"Kaoru-dono? I'm home now, so please don't cry." He whispered, closing the door with out turning around, his eyes focused on her.

She gasped, lifted herself up and stared at him, mouth hanging open.

"Kenshin?" she whispered, one hand curled to her chest, the other supporting her weight.

"Its me Kaoru-dono. I'm so sorry to have made you worry." He said.

"Kenshin. Kenshin." She cried desperately, disbelievingly.

"Yes Kaoru-dono?"

"Kenshin. WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!" she screamed. Leaping to her feet, she grabbed the front of his new silk kimono and shook him as hard as she could.

"ORO!" he managed to gasp out, his head spinning.

"Kenshin! Answer me! What happened! Where were you? Did you get into a fight? Are you ok? And where did this kimono come from?" she demanded.

"Kaoru-dono! Please…stop shaking me!"

"Oh!" she gasped, dropping him unceremoniously on the floor. Ouch.

"Oro…well, I was kidnapped, and imprisoned for the last three days in that old house Sano was talking about." He said, now quite serious as he arranged himself on the tatami.

"I saw Sano again in there, and he was different. It was like he didn't care what happened to me. That can't be right though, I know Sano, and he would never be so callous. Something must be wrong." No shit Sherlock.

"Kenshin, of course something's wrong! You were kidnapped!" cried Kaoru. Yeah! Who cares about Sano? He's not nearly as yummy as Kenshin is!

"It was more than that Kaoru-dono. Even Saitou noticed it, even if he didn't say anything about it."

"Saitou was there?" Oh he was there all right, and naked too. Hehehe.

"Yes, he and I both were captured. Kaoru-dono, please listen to me. As much as I would like for this to be resolved quickly without involving you, I know that it will not happen. The man who attacked Saitou and I called himself Isaac." (Aisiku, if you're wondering how that would be spelled in Romanji.) Actually…from now on that's how I'm gonna spell his name, take that muse-lady!

"Aisiku? What kind of name is that?" asked Kaoru, settling herself next to him and closer than what was polite, though that could just be her residual worry that he'd vanish again at any moment. Paranoia at its finest.

"It must be foreign, there was a little girl there with an equally strange name that I had trouble pronouncing. She was singing in a different language, so they must be foreign." Answered Kenshin. He flicked his gaze to her, smiling softly to himself at her proximity.

After Saitou's rather…er…obvious displays of himself, anything female was a good thing to the abused redhead.

"Kaoru-dono, I'm not sure exactly what this man wants with me. He's not a leftover of the revolution like I am so his motives are unclear. What little I gathered from him suggested that he wasn't human and that he wanted to make me not human too. How though, I have no idea. Saitou might, he almost seemed familiar with these…vamupaiya."

"Vamupaiya? It must be a foreign word. Wonder what it means exactly." Answered Kaoru, a finger to her chin in thought.

"Oh! Kenshin, I almost forgot. I got a letter from Misao yesterday. She and Aoshi will be arriving here later tonight and-and I've just been so miserable that I haven't cooked anything."

Kenshin smiled, sweat sliding down his neck. Yeah, me too, wouldn't want to poison the ninjas now would we?

"Don't worry Kaoru-dono, I'll cook something alright? Why don't you get dressed while I work? Wear that blue kimono with the white butterflies on it?" said, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

Kaoru immediately turned beat red. You know the color? That glowing neon red that she gets when she realizes that she's done something embarrassing and inappropriate? Come to think of it, she turns that color when she's about to pulverize Kenshin too…huh. Go figure.

Anyway. Kenshin let himself out and called loudly for Yahiko as he made his way toward the kitchen. He'd send the boy out for groceries once he saw what was missing from the kitchen.

Just as he rounded a corner a small green yellow and black missile hit him in the stomach.

"Kenshin! You jerk! Do you know how worried I-er Kaoru was!" Yahiko yelled as he pulled himself out of his impromptu hug with a huff of indignation. Aww…Yahiko is so cute with his failed attempts at manliness.

"I just spoke with Kaoru-dono Yahiko, and I'm very sorry from making either of you worry but I was kidnapped. I'll explain everything when Aoshi and Misao get here alright?" said the Battousai soothingly as he led them both towards his intended destination.

"I wasn't worried! I knew you would come back Kenshin. Kaoru was the one who was worried, you know, cuz she's a girl." The boy said in a desperate attempt to salvage his dignity. It didn't work.

"Sure Yahiko, listen. I need you to run down to the market before they close and pick up some things for me ok?"

"Yeah ok Kenshin." He agreed, anything to please his idol. It didn't occur to him that shopping for vegetables was women's work and therefore very unmanly.

Kenshin glanced around the kitchen, pleased that it wasn't burned down and sent Yahiko off with a list. Now, despite the appeal of Kenshin in an apron, and hopefully nothing else, watching him cook isn't very fun. Especially since he's fully clothed. So were skipping that part.

Ok, let's see, ah! The arrival of Aoshi, Misao and a surprise mystery guest!

That's right, it's the only other person who's relative to this plot and actually makes sense attending a tactical meeting to plot against your friendly neighborhood bloodsuckers.

Plus my muse is in love with him, or his body, you know. Whichever.

Setting the last dish on the table and following slightly behind a dressed up Kaoru, who was indeed wearing the blue kimono, Kenshin went to answer the door.

"Himura!" cried Misao as she hit him with a flying full-body tackle. Aoshi arched an eyebrow and bowed to Kaoru before presenting her with a box of Kyoto's finest sakura mochi.

Kenshin sighed and peeked over Misao's head at the other guest, a cigarette glowing in the darkness.

"Hello again Saitou. Please, come in."

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End part 7