Warnings: Mild swearing and the misuse of the female appellation of a dog.

Honeysuckles and Moonlight Shreds

By Eden's Epitaph

Chapter 9: Midnight Thunder before Sunday's Storm

Kaoru stood alone a few steps away from the mass of students that Kenshin was trying to line up. The red haired man's polite speech spoke no authority whatsoever, his words slipping through one of ear and swiftly flying out through the other. The blue-eyed girl almost felt like laughing, watching her teacher trying to tame the pack of hormonal teenagers as they rushed to the yellow school bus, the long awaited departure had finally come.

As she was about to join in the madness -- although not quite as excited as the rest of her classmates --, the young woman felt a chilling presence behind her, an icy aura that made her shudder. Slowly, she turned her head and broke into a cold sweat, eyes wide in disbelieve. Behind her, pulling her large glasses up her nose with one finger, tight bun in place and fishy dictator eyes staring with authority at the unruly students, stood Mrs. Hirazawa Mizushi. Of all the horrible things that came with this forced school trip, Kaoru had hoped the gods would have spared her the unpleasant company of the -- sexually -- frustrated History teacher.

When Kaoru turned her attention back to the chaos by the school bus, Kenshin had a mildly surprise expression turned in her direction. However, either the look was a cause to her presence or that of the scary woman behind her, --correction, she was now in front of her -- the teenager had no idea. The straight woman took a deep breath, her fish-like eyes seeming to glare at each and every student in the mass, irritation frosting her already boreal expression.

"Attention Students!" she shouted, all heads twisting swiftly toward the source of the major-like voice. "I want you in a single line, belongings in one hand and parental authorization in another." She took a few steps then turned her head in Kaoru's direction and spoke in a less alarming but still dry, commanding tone of voice. "Except for you Miss. Kamiya, your tutor has already sent me the authorizing reply."

Kaoru felt like strangling someone, except she had no idea who, between her aunts or the hateful teacher, she wished to squeeze the throat. Sae was very serious about her going to that stupid school trip. Worse, it seemed that she had become all the more fervent to send her niece to the ocean after their conversation that day. The woman declared her niece stressed and in dire need for a little change of view and relaxation. However, being surrounded by gossiping teenagers and a disciplinary History teacher was not exactly what Kaoru could describe as a relaxing set up.

"Hurry up Miss Kamiya or you'll be left behind." The whip-like voice of Mrs. Hirazawa woke the raven-haired girl.

"If only it was possible they'd forget about me…" she muttered wishfully, gathering her things and moving toward school-bus that rocked under the weight of the students settling inside.

When she reached the vehicle, the lot of them already sat in pairs, their mixed voice creating a noise not unlike that of animals in a farm, at least to her frustrated point of view. Kaoru frowned seeing no free seat. It was just perfect, not only had she to suffer through a whole week with these people, she also had to beg for a place to sit while going somewhere she, in all honesty, did not wish to go. The black-haired girl took a few steps up the rubber carpet in the middle of the bus, eying the possibilities and eliminating them one after the other. She had just reached the fifth bench when a voice rose above the cacophony.

"If you wish, you can sit here Miss. Ka…miya, that you can."

Kaoru blinked and turned her head to the left where she saw a mass of flaming hair and smiling purple eyes. "Thank you…" she stammered, a slight blush underlining her cheeks.

Getting over her momentary surprise, Kaoru gave him a rather shy smile and heaved up her bag to dispose of it on the rack above the row of bus benches. The Writing and Literature teacher stood and moved aside and the young woman slid down on the seat next to the window. She felt a few eyes turn her way as she did and her shoulders tensed under the pressure of so many gazes. That hated rumor was starting to royally pull at her nerves.

"Don't worry Miss. Kaoru," he murmured taking his place beside her and making sure the raven-haired girl was the only one to hear. "Rumors are meant to disappear one day or another."

His smile was meant to be reassuring, but oddly, she felt herself get a tad bit more nervous. Butterflies, somehow, had taken residence in her stomach and she could feel her cheeks heat up. The girl worried her lower lip, turning her crystalline gaze toward the window, feigning indifference. Was he that observant? Kaoru was not sure if she was comfortable with the fact that her teacher knew of the dirty words that spread around campus about the pair of them. Feeling out of argument to his sentence, she shrugged.

She felt Kenshin's penetrating gaze on the back of her head for a few seconds before he got up for the second time, ready to take presence. Mrs. Hirazawa was making sure she had every written permissions as Kenshin went over the list of students, checking the names with each of the student's positive -- and the few 'smart-ass'-- replies. Kaoru sighed; this definitely was not going to be a pleasant vacation.

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He had been staring at the constant slide of the black paved road through the windshield for so long now that he felt as if he had completely lost conscience of time. Blinking, Kenshin stole a peek at his watch; only half way there. The turmoil in which the traveling students had first gave into has subdued to a gentle chatter, some of them asleep, others reading books, Japanese or American cartoons, others simply watching the changing, yet redundant scenery through their seat window.

This was exactly what the young woman who sat next to him appeared to do, watching outside. Her hands laid folded on her laps, her head leaning on the cool glass turned in such a way he could only partially see her face from the reflection created by the window. Her long ink colored hair had loosen from the restraint of her indigo ribbon and elastic, tendrils lightly framing the contour of her face with gentle, silken lines, the rest was draped over hers and the brown back of the shared bench. He caught himself musing over the feel of those raven silk strands, blinking when an itch to touch it settled in his right hand, gripping the fabric of his pants instead.

He had realized through the last few weeks that his thoughts had been wondering quite often toward his young student. Kenshin felt almost ashamed, never before had he thought of a student out of school, unless reading a name correcting a copy. Not only that, but his thoughts had been nowhere near scholar activities, resulting in several moments of momentary guilt. The teacher felt as if something was wrong with him, yet completely normal and he was uncomfortable to the thought of it. Conflicting feelings were already tearing him apart when he thought of his wife; he did not need any more confusion.

Trying to clear his mind, Kenshin's thoughts wondered to his best friend. The request for a trial was accepted and Yahiko, under Saito's recommendations, placed under Seijuro Hiko's care. Sanosuke was not exactly thrilled with the idea, questioning the judge's sanity for giving his nephew to Kenshin's tyrannical godfather. Still, it was much better then some unknown family taking care of the sporadic child. The trial was due in approximately two months after proper investigation of the case and the redhead truthfully doubted that even Tomoe's skills could give Sano's guardianship back. His wife was proficient in laws, but she was no lawyer, and the tall man's past behaviors was such as a wine stain on a white t-shirt -- nearly impossible to wash away.

Movement caught his eyes and a soft weight pushed on his shoulder. Kenshin blinked and turned confused ridden amethysts to his right to discover a sound asleep Kaoru. Her head had unconsciously picked his shoulder as a pillow, her expression the epitome of innocence. The teacher felt his heart skip a beat, the temperature in the bus suddenly rising, a redness appearing under his eyes. He was at a lost for reactions, hesitating between gently nudging her away or simply letting her sleep there. In the end, Hirazawa's piercing glare decided for him and Kenshin shifted his position, trying to carefully push the girl back in a less compromising one. The young woman murmured something, then her lids fluttered and drowsy oceans stared at him, their face a few inches away. Kaoru smiled, her teacher blinked and she turned to rest her head against the window once again.

Kenshin felt the pleasant embarrassment on his face, the heat almost painful. He saw the History teacher shake her head and return her attention to the road. The young man sighed, stealing a side-glance to the sleeping teenager at his side; something inside was building and it felt both comforting and dangerous.

Kaoru wisely kept her head pillowed against the wall of the bus for the rest of the ride, awaking slightly each time the road rocked the vehicle too hard and falling black asleep in a matter of seconds. Kenshin was slowly dozing away when they reached their destination. The abrupt cease of movement pulled him from his trance, the young woman by his side, though, still entrapped in the land of dreams.

Mrs. Hirazawa instructed the students to form a line and exit the bus in discipline. All knew to never contradict a dictator. The Writing and Literature teacher remained behind to assure that every one of them was awakened and proceeded toward the exit, a not so tiresome task, most everyone beyond eagerness when the sea, the sand and the sun seemed to be at the rendezvous. Only when the majority of the kids had left the bus did he turn back to Kaoru. Gently, slightly hesitant, Kenshin put a hand on her shoulder and applied soft pressure, carefully rocking her body to awake her.

"Miss Kaoru," he murmured but she remained stubbornly asleep. "We're there. It's time to wake up Miss Kaoru, that it is."

A soft mumbled escaped the slumbering girl's parted lips, then a groggy moan and she turned in her seat, escaping his hand and sinking back into a relatively deep sleep. A girl had, meanwhile, passed by them, turning a questioning gaze towards her teacher's direction, a vaguely mocking smirk on her face. If Kenshin wished to wake someone up, gently shaking them usually did not work. Her almost penetrating gaze forced the red-haired man to alternate his waking method. He took a firmer grip of Kaoru's shoulder and pulled a little more force into the shaking. However, the softness of his voice lingered, much too touched by his student's abandon.

"Miss K…" another student by stepping made him pause and change his choice of naming. "Kamiya… Miss Kamiya, you have to wake up now, that you do."

Slowly, as if someone had spread heavy lead across her fluttering lids, Kaoru's sparkling sapphires unveiled. Sleep driven confusion marred her otherwise relaxed features and a soft smile adorned her lips. She crossed gaze with that of her teacher and stretched, feeling reposed and at ease.

"Kenshin?" she uttered, a yawn slightly deforming her query.

"You have to get out of the bus, Miss Kaoru."

Said girl blinked and stole a glance out of the window, her eyes widened. Outside, the tides were shining, softly crashing against a beach of golden sand and the saline air seeped into the bus, tickling her nostrils. It forced a foggy smile on her face. Kaoru loved the ocean.

"We're there?" She said.

Kenshin nodded and extended a hand, silently offering help for his drowsy student. For barely a moment, the young woman stared at him, hesitation tracing the rim of her blue iris. But it all disappeared in a heart-beat. Kaoru smiled, still somewhat drowsy, and reached for the offered hand. Oddly, as he pulled Kaoru to her feet, the moment seemed shattered into an infinite number of sweet instants. Eyes locked, both entranced by a strange, wordless understanding that touched their heart. Something was about to change and the clarity of it was mutual.

Kaoru stood on her feet, unaware that the violet-eyed man had yet to relinquish his gentle hold of her fingers. They could not move, frozen in a relatively private bubble. Only when Kenshin felt a piercing stare burn his back did he let her go, his fingers slipping from hers, uncertain it seemed, discretely stroking her digits, as if unwilling to surrender his hold. Rose tinted the young woman's cheeks and Kaoru could not help be believe that something happened. She simply was not sure was precisely did occur.

"See Mrs. Hirazawa for your room assignation, Miss Kamiya…" his voice was a guarded joyous tone and his lavender orbs slid to the right. "You as well, Miss Yamazaki."

Kaoru followed his gaze and a pang of fear tugged her heart. Yamazaki Rumiko was standing to the left, not far from the bus exist, her heated glare aflame. The blue-eyed girl did not know what to do. Crimson marred her face, creating a bright alert signal screaming 'Something is not as it would seem here!'. Kaoru was already accepting accusations. The young woman did not know if Kenshin saw or understood her but, miraculously, he simply smiled, gave her a light, friendly 'come-along' tap on the arm and walked away without a care in the world. To her, it clearly meant 'do as I do and there should not be any trouble'.

Rumiko's glare turned ice cold, chilling the air around her classmate as she followed the Writing and Literature teacher out of the bus. Stunned, Kaoru was left with her confusion, the blush that colored her face, threatening to become permanent, and a headache about to be born, the pressure tugging at her temples. It was strange how, only a moment ago, the warmth of Kenshin's hand on hers had seemed to brush away all worries, and with a simple glare from Rumiko had easily shattered it. Worse, it morphed that warmth into a cold, illicit feeling.

Kaoru had trouble understanding the compound of her thoughts. The feeling of trespassing into forbidden territories nagged her mind evilly when the warmth of something that was on the verge of existing pulled at her heart. Was it really wrong to somehow draw comfort out of her teacher? It seemed that the pain of her chaotic departure from her home-city lessened a little more each time she felt Kenshin's presence. The process was slow, but with each moment they spent together, it was acting as some sort of ointment on her wounded heart, curing resentment, loneliness, and pain. Was it really that wrong, just because he was her teacher… and married?

The raven-haired girl seemed in a trance when she retrieved her belongings from the crimson-haired teacher. As if in a daze, Kaoru simply nodded her head in a shy show of gratitude and skidded, like an empty vessel, to where the scary History teacher stood, a pad in hand, assigning rooms to the eager students. Kenshin watched her, worry darkening the lavender hues of his eyes. The girl disappeared behind the walls of one of the small wooden beach-house.

"I'll take my bag, Mr. Himura." Came the irritated voice of a female student, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Oro?" The teacher blinked, escaping embarrassment with a masquerade of confusion, smiling sheepishly at the girl and handing her the heavy bundle. "Sorry… You sure bring a lot of things for such a short stay, Miss Shizami, that you do. This is very heavy; would you like someone to help you carry it to your cabin?"

The girl smiled and shook her head. "No thank you, teacher," she said, bowing and then took a firm grip of her bag before running away.

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Kaoru was still lost in musing when she reached her small wooden cabin. It was build exactly like the fifteen others; round wood, pointy rooftops, a set of cracking stairs leading to a small deck and a double set of western-style wooden doors. One window at the right, one at the left, two on each side each decorated with blue curtains that harbored imprints of fluffy, smiling sheep. One of the doors was completely made of mosquito screen, the other a simple western-style one with the same blue curtains over the small window. The cabins were cute, cozy, lined between the seashore and the forest that stretched to the north-east.

Eyes in the vague, the young poetess climb the cracking stairs, pulled the first then the second door and stepped inside. Three set of eyes turned her way and the atmosphere changed drastically, enough to cause the girl to blink and look around. To Kaoru's right, a girl with short, bleached hair pulled in cute pigtails had frozen, her hands above an open drawer, a flimsy looking cloth slipping from her gasp. To her left, a small, bespectacled girl sat on a bed, her eyes looked at the new arriver shyly, and cheeks tinted red. However, those two girls were nothing compared to whom stand in front of Kaoru. Yamazaki Rumiko stared at her, angry, her gaze cold and threatening.

"Get out of here!" She yelled.

Kaoru stepped back, startled. "Wh… What?"

"Yeah, get out of here, wrench, we don't want to share a room with bitches like you!" added the pseudo-blond girl.

"I… I was assigned this room, I can't change it." Argued the blue-eyed girl, her confusion clear on her pretty face.

"I said out." Rumiko took a challenging step forward saying so.

"Where do you expect me to sleep if not here?" Kaoru asked, stomping her foot and dumping her belongings on the floor, her temper coming back, slowly.

Rumiko smirked and advanced some more, her face close to that of Kaoru. The shy girl with glasses made a mouse-like sound, hugging her pillow; there was no way she would take part of this, too dangerous, too scary. However, the blond one was following her classmate, striding to the door with a malicious smile. Surrounded, the blue-eyed girl prepared for confrontation, gritting her teeth, feeling anger rage in her heart. What were those two up to? It did not take long for her to find out. Perfectly coordinated, Rumiko bent and took hold of Kaoru's bag. Meanwhile, her friend pushed the doors open. Sapphire orbs widened in surprise as the girl in front of her sprang and pushed her out of the cabin. The rejected girl stumbled upon a purposefully well-positioned foot and her rear connected hard with the wood of the outside deck.

"Go find you're beloved teacher. I'm sure he'll be more than glad for you to join him in bed." Declared Rumiko, throwing Kaoru's bags right to her face one after the other.

The door was slammed shut and locked. Kaoru, startled, stared wide eyed, her blood boiling in her veins, hands fisting, back-side on fire due to her ungraceful meeting with the floor. Never before had she felt so… murderous. Hastily, Kaoru got to her feet, blue flames igniting her furious gaze, nails nearly breaking the fragile skin of her palms. She made to crush the door her will set on tearing it apart and throwing out the irritating, judgmental, cruel girls out the same way they did for her. Instead, the young woman turned her back to the small chalet, picked her bags up and walked away.

Inside the cabin, the shy girl watched Kaoru rush away to the seaside forest at the left of the wooden house. She turned a frightened look toward her companions, not completely understanding the events that took place, or even the reason of the banning of Kamiya Kaoru.

"Why did you do that, Rumiko?" she shyly asked, hugging her pillow even tighter.

"That… Kamiya slut… she slept with Mr. Himura so she could win the poetry contest…"

"… There's… no proof of that." She muttered, her gaze returning to the woods, seeing no trace of the blue-eyed girl.

"Oh yes… I have proof…"

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Kaoru was seething, stomping on the moist floor of the forest, leaving heavy footprints in her wake. She was furious at herself for letting those… those… those pathetic excuses for human beings throw her out of the cabin. Oh, she was mad! The need to pound into something had never been so sweetly appealing or overwhelming. She kicked a rock, watching it rocket into the sky, wishing it was Rumiko and her 'Blondie' friend. But, above all, Kaoru wanted to curse her aunts to infinite torture for making her vow not to fight in anger again. Instead, the furious young woman swung her bag to a nearby tree, raging her anger vocally. A shallow thud, like wood hitting wood, made the girl pose completely. Blinking, she watched the abused bag sliding down the trunk. Upon hitting the earth, the fastening of the worn military bag tugged free and the handle of a well used boken unveiled.

Kaoru remembered packing the weapon unknown to her aunts who had been supervising her preparative such as drill sergeants would. The young woman was not sure if either of her aunts saw her slip the boken through her belongings or they if had been indulgent enough to allow her to bring it along. However, she was grateful to have it with her now.

Grinning, the raven-haired girl gripped the wooden sword and pulled it out of the bag. Her burning blue eyes scrutinized the object that was, definitively, one of her most precious possession. The wood had turned a honey color through the numerous years of use, the handle mold her hand perfectly. It did not matter if all Kaoru had to strike was scrubs, trees and rocks, all that mattered was that something was about to get the beating of a lifetime.

Taking in a deep breath, Kaoru gathered her anger, gaining some sort of hazed focus. With a yell that would have made any man crumble, she trusted forward, and followed through a fluid sword dance. Her movements were the wind, precise, gracious and swift. She fought the burning carnage that raged within, each stroke of her boken aiming, not at the hypothetic image of the warriors of her kata, but her own anger and violence.

It was not enough. Fighting thin air was like talking to a wall, useless and frustrating. The imaginary opponents took the hypocrite face of Yamazaki Rumiko and Kaoru's strokes took in power, her anger renewed, seeping like a strength giving poison through her veins. The girl's swordplay became even more fluid, her warrior's spirit increasing but her perception of the world around her numbing, the small clearing morphing into a hazed blur of green, blue and bright yellow, and rage kept swelling.

The raven-haired girl released a powerful shout, twisting her body to the left, delivering the final blow. However, instead of hitting the ground, Kaoru's boken was blocked, the sound of the collision echoing on the nearby trees and rocks. Blue eyes widened in surprise, catching glimpses or red locks and calm purple eyes. It took only a moment for her to regain her senses, only a fraction of second for the girl to understand just who it was, merely an instant for her anger to switch target. A swift graceful kick thrown upward connected painfully with a stomach sending her opponent two steps away.

"It seems that you need a more tangible adversary, Miss Kaoru, that you do." Kenshin stated, a hand nursing the slight ache created by the blow.

He gripped the branch he had used to parry the girl's final stroke with a firmer grip, taking a more offensive stance. The young woman growled, clutching her boken forcefully and gritted her teeth. Her thoughts were blinded by images of Rumiko pushing her out of the cabin, that taunting smirk on her hateful face, the malice of her spirit and the cruelty of her words. If Kenshin was willing to face her wrath, Kaoru was not one to complain. It had been several months since she last fought something else than shadows and sandbags.

Kaoru needed this.

A fierce yell escaped her throat and the angry girl charged her Writing and Literature teacher. He was surprised by the sheer power of her kendo. Her movements, although drove by fury, were accurate, her aim was amazing and the strength of her arms enough to make his hand tingle with each blow delivered. Kaoru gave him her all, fighting like a true warrior, her gaze predatory, alert to any weakness in his defense, any flaw in his stance but finding none.

Himura Kenshin was easily dodging his student's attacks with feline poise. It was… infuriating! If there was one thing the young woman was proud of, it defiantly was her kendo abilities. She stepped back, lowering her boken to her side, the midnight hue of her silken trends veiling her calculative gaze. Her knuckles were turning white, her grip so powerful Kenshin swore he heard the wood of her sword protest.

Having no weapon, the teacher, upon discovering his enraged student skirmishing free wind, had torn off a fair sized branch from a near-by tree and set upon his self to help the poor girl. He, however, had not expected her to be so strong and his makeshift sword had suffered many casualties. Bits and wood shaving were ripped off and dents appeared at a few places, all results of Kaoru's mighty blows.

Kenshin did not know what triggered such a violent behavior from a girl that, although quite volatile in her reactions and gifted with such a sharp tongue, had a warrior's control over her aggressiveness. From his position, a safe ten meters away, he could see her sword hand trembling, her muscles pulled tight, tension almost visible around her. This incensed Kaoru was a completely new person, or so it seemed. She no longer was a poetess, far from the silent schoolgirl or the passionate young woman he had grown so found. The woman standing in front of him was an explosive ball of frustration and anger, she was unpredictable.

The wind stroked her hair gently, allowing him a fleeting glance of her burning gaze. The tremor that had once shaken her right arm was gone and her posture took a more menacing guise. Kenshin's amethyst eyes widened, he had not felt so threatened in many years.

"… Why…" she murmured in a tensed breath.

The redhead blinked, unsure if his ears were playing tricks on him, "Miss Kaoru…"

"WHY!" she yelled, charging him with all of her fury and raging emotions.

Kaoru swung her boken downward and a loud snap echoed in the forest. S piece of broken stick bounced on the forest floor. Kenshin's purple eyes rivaled the size of sake cups, surprised by the might of the girl's stroke. So surprised in fact that he nearly missed the second blow aimed at his side. With lightning reflex, he caught the wooden sword with his left hand, the blockade ending the match in what one could qualify as a draw.

For Kaoru, it was same as losing.

Kenshin had studied kendo under the tutoring of Seijuro Hiko. Starting at a young age, he fought many battles, won many kendo championships and confronted just as many foes and their reactions when losing. However, nothing could have prepared him to what happened next.

Kaoru stood, motionless, her boken still trapped in her opponent's firm grip. Her shocked blue eyes stared at him but did not quite see him, her gaze unfocused. Silence befell, like the proverbial calm after the storm. The warm saline wind played with their hair and everything stood still for another moment. Then, slowly, he saw the change in her. Water gathered at the rim of her crystalline orbs, her previously firm clutch lessened, her knees weakened, no longer able to sustain a standing position and she feel forward, a heart-wrenching sob tearing out of her tight throat. Startled, all Kenshin could do was warp his arms around her trembling body, kneeling on the moist ground, lost in confusion.

"Why… why…" came the soft mutter, shaken by powerful sobs.

"Miss Kaoru?"

Her only answer was her hand fisting in his shirt, her head burring in the crook of his neck and the wetness of her tears soaking skin and fabric. At a complete lost, Kenshin could only pull her closer to his chest in a silent offer of comfort, whispering sooth into her ear and caressing her quivering back. He felt utterly powerless to relief the girl of her emotional turmoil. For an uncertain amount of time, teacher and student did not move. The sound of the young woman's softening cries and the lulling hush of swaying leafs gently rang in his ear like a bittersweet melody.

He felt his heart warming, finding some sort of solace for his own conflicting emotions in this awkward yet, ever so comforting situation. Moments passed, time flitting away slowly, flowing along the sea-fragranced wind, tinted by the gentle sweetness of Kaoru's spring flower sent and the tangy flavor of her tears. Such as when he had pulled her up of her seat in the bus, time twisted and decomposed, warping them in an odd sense of rightfulness and comfort.

Quietly, he rocked the young weeping woman nestled on his laps, in a similar way he would a child. Gentle fingers caressed the side of her face, tracing the line where her silken black strands met her brow, cradling her to his warm chest willing to appease her pain. He allowed himself to forget, for a wonderful instant, the boundaries that he should not cross. For a moment, a beautiful moment, he forgot to think, nuzzling the softness of her hair, applying tender pressure at the foot of her nape with the tip of his finger, his lips brushing her brow and a soothing hush tickling her skin.

Kaoru sniffed and turned her watery sapphires up to stare into Kenshin's caring amethysts. Forgetting, it seemed, was a contagious sickness shared with a simple soft gaze. The reason behind her pain and tears was now a vague souvenir. Her hand rose, careful fingers feathering across Kenshin's marred cheek, tracing the cross shape scar in silent awe. Her complete attention focused on the mare. Wonder and curiosity was pulling at her mind, though comfort and sooth knotted her tongue.

A tingling sensation caused by the soft brush of Kaoru's fingertips on the sensitive skin of his face cause the young man to shut his eyes. Thinking still a forgotten action, Kenshin leaned into her touch, sighing at the ingenuous pleasure it caused. The girl was mesmerized by his action and reactions. Beautifully simple, his expression was true and she felt her heart flutter. What she had felt was about to be in the bus was now born although Kaoru still ignored its true essence. Yet, she was irresistibly pull toward him and that new feeling. It was such as a comfortable light so bright, so soothing that she could not help but reach out for it.

Kaoru was a moth and Kenshin seemed to be the flame.

A second hand touched his face and the skin-curtains shielding his eyes lifted. His soft violet orbs sparkled as they caught a ray of sun and he saw the young woman's expression. Wonderfully innocent, irresistible it seemed. Kenshin did not have the strength, the moment he had looked at her, he was caught. Too late to pull back, too late to think, the war was lost without a fight. The teacher's thumb brushed away the moist of her tears, face drawing closer to hers, hand cradling her head. Silently, the invitation was sent.

In Kaoru's mind, there was no hesitation. As strange as it might be, she took the offer without a single thought and gave into the irresistible attraction. Time was lost, a fraction of moment bent into eternity when lips met lips and nothing else existed. It was… sinfully right. The soft pressure of his mouth against hers, the gentle touch of his fingertips on the skin of her jaw, coaxing her and Kaoru could only oblige.

A twig snapped, foliage was brushed away, frustratingly loud. It was all it took for the pair to open their eyes and realize instantly the impact of what they just did. Kaoru blinked, mouth agape, her hand frozen on her teacher's face. The girl sprang to her feet, her eyes akin to that of a pray caught in an impasse and without a single word, ran away.

Kenshin was at a total lost, unable to understand the event that took place. One moment he had been helping the raven-haired girl to expel her anger, the second he was consoling her and the next he was... Idly, mind lost in space, the young man touch his bottom lip. He had kissed her? Purple eyes still staring in the direction where Kaoru's shadow had disappeared, he was torn between running after the girl and letting her be. Fate would not let him decide when the reason for their hurried parting walked into the small clearing.

"Himura… I've been looking for you. It seems we have a problem with Miss. Kamiya."

Said man blinked and turned toward the source of the disturbance. Before him stood Hirazawa Mizushi, face stern, fishy eyes of ice behind bottle-bottom glasses, hand on her hips, displease written all over her sharp face. His brain had barely started to work again and the words his colleague had said did not quite set in. With the only retort that came to mind, Kenshin's finger left his lips and he opened his mouth.

"Oro?" he said, a humoristic display of confusion shielding his inner musing.

"It seems that Miss. Yamazaki and Miss. Iuruza has thrown Miss. Kamiya out of their lodging and are refusing to let her back in." explained the dry History teacher.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed, the situation sinking in as well as comprehension. Now he understood the young woman's distress. The founding of her anger and tears laid in that cruel rejecting action.

"Himura!" she snapped, getting back his attention. "Have you seen the girl?"

Feeling the need to hide his emotions, the young redheaded teacher got to his feet, dusted his pants ad turned a smiling face toward the harsh woman. "It seems that Miss. Kamiya has passed by. If I am not mistaken, those should be her luggage, that they should." His tone was politely pleasant.

The woman sighed, showing a rare sight of compassion toward a fellow human being. "We need to find a new room for the girl."

"I agree," said Kenshin, his face taking a more serious expression. "Forcing her classmates to share a room with her would only result in more discrimination. This is supposed to be vacation, that it is." He took a side-glace in the direction where Kaoru had run off and walked toward her bags, picking the lot up. "I'll go ask the other students if they would exchange place with her, that I will."

Mizushi nodded and turned to a footpath that led on the opposite direction to where Kaoru had fled. "I'll try and find the girl."

Kenshin sighed, tracking back to the miniature village of beach-houses, his student's belongings swung over his shoulder. He walked, watching the foliage above his head and the sun's ray making them twinkle like green stars in daylight. The ability to think has finally returning to him and the possible consequences of his actions downed on the young teacher. Five minutes ago, he had kissed one of his students, Kamiya Kaoru, 11 years younger than he was.

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This chapter was one of the most surprising one I ever wrote. I never meant for Kenshin and Kaoru to kiss at that moment. Now that I'm re-reading this story, I realize that everything was leading to this moment. This chapter marks the change in our favorite couple's relationship. It also re-introduces Hirazawa Mizushi, a rather important character that I am unexplainably found of. I had to rewrite or rephrase the last scene in the bus because I realized that the little moment between our protagonists sounded a bit strange and out of the blues. I'm not sure if I did a good job in trying to repair the mood. I'll leave it to your judgment.

Eden's Epitaph

Edited by Guardian Forever