I'm so sorry that this has taken so long. I have hit some major writers block here lately and I refuse to force myself to write if I don't have any ideas. I don't want the quality of my writing to decrease so I just wait until I'm hit with inspiration again.

In this chapter Sano and Kaoru spend some quality time together. What do they do you say? Well, Kaoru challenges Sano to a drinking match... this can only end well, right?

Chapter 13

Divergence

"Since when do you pay for anything?" she asked. "And with what money?"

Sano rolled his eyes so hard he was sure they might fall out.

"Jou-chan what the hell do you think I've been during the days the past few weeks?"

"I don't know because you won't tell me!" she yelled, stomping her foot on the ground to emphasize her point.

She had him there, he never did tell her that he got a job. "I work, Jou-chan. I know it sounds weird but I actually have a job. How do you think I've been paying for the groceries I bring home?" as the words left his mouth a sudden realization dawned on him.

"Did you think I was stealing them?" he shouted.

"What? No, I never thought you were stealing them. I guess I never really thought about it before." She answered honestly. "Wow, Sano, maybe you're right. I do need to start paying more attention to stuff."

"I'm always right, are you just realizing that?" he said, smiling in apology at the glare she shot in his direction.

"Now are you going to let me take you out to dinner or not?" he asked and though it didn't come through in his voice, he was nervous. This was sort of like asking someone on a date, he was worried she may decline his request.

She shrugged her shoulders in a noncommittal sort of way, "Well if you insist."

He grinned widely at her, relieved that she agreed. "I do. Now move it, I'm starving!"

The gentle sway of the ship upon the ocean did little to soothe the ever present anguish that had settled like an unwelcome stray in the man's heart.

'I'm doing the right thing.' He reminded himself again even though every fiber of his being was screaming that it was quite the opposite.

Kaoru was better off without him, she would be safer this way, happier and even though part of him truly believed that, a greater part of him realized how much he hurt her. He feared this situation truly had no correct solution, he just hoped he'd chosen the lesser of two evils.

Kenshin made his choice and now he had to live with the consequences of that.

He hated how long this was taking, he'd spent three days on this ship, heading to China to see if he could track down Heishin. All their leads stated that he was within the country, in either Shanghai or Hong Kong, but they didn't know where. He had no qualms with how long the actual mission would take, he just hated having so much time to sit and think, with no objective. Kenshin knew in his heart it didn't matter how long this took because he now had nowhere to return home to. There would no longer be a bright eyed beautiful girl waiting to welcome him home. He had destroyed that.

Night had fallen hours ago, the moon hung low in the hazy sky, providing little illumination. He stood on the deck of the ship, just watching the waves as they crashed upon its hull. It made him feel uneasy, staring into the blackness of the water below, almost as if it were a window into a part of himself he wish he did not know.

The red headed vagabond heard the approaching footsteps of his traveling companion but made no move to turn in his direction. Whether he gave the man his full attention or not didn't matter, he would speak anyway.

"Himura." Came the cool voice, followed shortly by the strike of a match. The light of the flame illuminated the man's face casting shadows on his chiseled features making him look all the more menacing. This man was as deadly as the steel blade that he carried with him.

"Good evening, Saitou-san." Kenshin said, he smiled at the man and even though Kenshin wasn't a particularly spiteful person, he took pleasure in the fact that Saitou hated this expression.

The Wolf of Mibu sneered at the former man slayer, he took a low, slow drag of his cigarette, savoring the flavor of the tobacco before blowing the smoke out into the blackness of the night, he watched as the tendrils drifted and danced on the cool winds.

Saitou was exceptionally bored, he hated the sea, he hated ships and he hated Himura. He didn't relish the idea of feeling idle, just waiting had never sat well with the man and he was becoming irritable. He figured without the stash of cigarettes Tokio had packed for him he would surely have murdered someone by now, just for some form of amusement.

He wasn't usually an instigator, or so he would say, but he just couldn't stand the boredom another dull moment longer. He decided to play a little game with the former man slayer, whether he liked it or not.

"I don't know how I always end up being the one to clean up the messes you leave, Himura." he began, truly disgruntled by that fact.

Kenshin laughed without humor because he knew Saitou was right. The man always did seem to get sucked in to whatever troubles were plaguing Kenshin and if they were to switch places, Kenshin knew he would be annoyed too. One would not call it natural for Saitou to want to help anyone but he was loyal to his country, to the land that he put his life on the line to protect which was why he was here now. Kenshin knew this was no personal favor.

"My apologies Saitou-san. I hope that one day I will be able to atone for the things I've done and leave those I care about in peace."

Now it was Saitou's turn to laugh, atonement, what an absolute farce. Saitou would never understand how someone with so little conviction was such an incredible swordsman. Kenshin may have been strong physically but his resolve was disturbingly weak. He would forever ponder how the Shogunate had fallen against men like this.

"First I had to help dispose of that lunatic that your incompetent rebels hired to take your place, Shishio. Then there was the Yukishiro boy, once again that maniac was all your doing and now we have to deal with his underlings. I swear, it gets more pathetic by the second." he said, voice laced with venomous malice.

Kenshin's forehead creased in contemplation. Why was it that everyone associated with him was forced to bear the weight of his burdens as well?

'You did do the right thing' his mind echoed and this time he believed what he heard.

"As if that weren't enough" Saitou continued without prompt "I had to deal with that imbecile rooster that you call a friend."

Kenshin wheeled around at that, could Sano have run into some trouble so soon after he left? What about Kaoru?

"Sano you say? What happened? Did something happen to the dojo?" he asked frantically.

Saitou resisted the urge to smirk, finally he'd received some sort of reaction, this could prove to be entertaining. He enjoyed watching the Battousai squirm.

"Perhaps." he evaded, coolly.

Kenshin struggled to keep down the white hot rage he felt threatening to boil up within him. This wasn't a joke, he needed to know if his friends were in danger, if Kaoru was in danger.

"Saitou-san, if you please, I need to know if my friends are alright." he said, voice tight as he continued to control his anger. He never had more of a problem keeping the Battousai at bay than he did when speaking to his former nemesis, this man's calculated and cold nature grated heavily on Kenshin's nerves.

Saitou internally debated whether or not he should push further, a duel between he and the Battousai would surely cure the boredom he felt, however, a ship was not a suitable battleground for the two of them so he relented.

"I wouldn't know, nor would I care" which was true "but that moron showed up in my office looking for you the day after you were set to begin your assignment, he wanted to know where you had gone. He's a goddamn nuisance, he damn near ruined the documents on my desk." he grit out, memories of that meeting were returning and he found himself becoming even more irate at Kenshin.

Kenshin's eyes widened in surprise "Sanosuke was looking for me? Are you sure?"

He couldn't imagine why the young man would want anything to do with him now, considering all that he had done to Kaoru... that was it! He was looking for him for Kaoru.

"Yes, I'm sure, how could I mistake that moron for anyone else?"

"I see, and he was the only one to request that information? There was no one else?"

Saitou quirked a slender brow in Kenshin's direction, already deducing who he must be referring to. "If you're referring to the raccoon girl, no. I haven't seen her."

'Thank God' Saitou thought to himself. 'I couldn't stand both of them at the same time, I probably would have killed someone that day'

Kenshin didn't like the disappointment he felt with this news. This was a good thing, that she wasn't weighed down by his absence.

Though he never really intended to write, he supposed he should, he had promised Kaoru-dono after all. He told himself that this was, in no way, an attempt to remind Kaoru of his existence.

"Saitou-san?"

"Hn?"

"I'll be needing to send a letter to the dojo soon, that I will. Can I entrust it to your men to have it delivered?" he asked, hoping against hope that Saitou might actually be in an agreeable mood.

"Aa, I believe that can be arranged." He said, he flicked his cigarette out into the ocean where he watched the glowing ember disappear as it was swallowed up by the dark waters below almost as if it were some sort of sacrifice.

"Thank you, Saitou-san." Kenshin said before turning to retire to his room for the evening. He needed to contemplate what he would write to his dear friends back in Tokyo.

Sanosuke and Kaoru reached the Akabeko just after the dinner crowd had begun to thin out. Sano was only vaguely aware that he should be thankful that Yahiko was not working this evening, no doubt he would make the simple dinner between friends seem awkward.

Exactly, just a simple dinner between friends. This was payment for all the times she had covered his meals, he was just trying to return her kindness. This was NOT a date.

"Kaoru-chan!" Tae exclaimed, a cheery smile brightening her youthful face "Oh and Sanosuke too! How are you, it's been so long!"

Kaoru returned the smile warmly, she'd missed Tae very much. She didn't have very many female friends, let alone any that were her close to her own age so it was nice to have someone like that to talk to.

"Tae-san, I've missed you so much!" she replied, embracing the other woman briefly "Thank you so much for looking after our Yahiko as well. I trust he's working hard for you?"

"Of course, Yahiko-kun is incredibly helpful." she said before leaning in and whispering "especially helpful when Tsubame-chan asks anything of him, for sure."

At this both women laughed and Sanosuke snorted. Women were such gossips sometimes.

"Well follow me to your table." Tae said, ushering them to a table in the back corner of the restaurant.

Sanosuke, being a gentleman allowed Kaoru to get situated in the booth before he slid in next to her, leaving a respectable amount of space between the two.

"Can I start you off with a drink?"

"Just some tea for me will be fine."

"Sake for me!" Sano exclaimed, pounding his fist on the table as if he were ready to get into a serious drinking challenge.

Kaoru scowled at him, "Really Sano? You would drink, you pig."

"Oi Jou-chan, no need to be so mean. I had a hard day, I deserve a little pick me up don't I?" he said, putting on that cocky grin he knew she sort of liked. He made sure his eyes were pleading as well though, just for good measure.

Kaoru's lips curled in disgust but she relented. "Oh alright, but just one bottle, you hear me?"

"Hell yeah!" Sano yelled just a little too loudly and Kaoru reached over to slap her hand over his mouth to quiet him.

"Sorry Jou-chan." he muffled through her hand but she didn't remove the appendage, she just continued to scowl at him. He wondered if she thought he was really going to have another similar outburst, which was absurd.

Well, maybe not completely but he had some drinking to do before he got riled up.

"Geez, you're so rude sometimes Sano. There are other people here who are trying to enjoy a quiet meal so keep your voice down."

She still hadn't moved her hand and suddenly Sanosuke thought of the perfect way to remove it. He pressed his lips firmly to the soft skin of her palm

Almost instantly Kaoru retracted her hand, a brilliant shade of red adorned her face. She appeared confused and just the slightest bit flustered. Sanosuke was pleased.

"What was that for?" she asked, she'd wanted to sound mad but instead her voice sounded breathy, almost dreamy. She didn't like it.

"You wouldn't move your hand stupid, I had to do it." He replied, offering no apology for his actions.

Before Kaoru could chastise him any further Tae returned with their drinks.

"Get whatever ya want, Jou-chan, I've got this." Sano said, the very picture of male confidence as he leaned back in the booth.

Kaoru ordered her meal and Sanosuke did the same, Tae left the two to fill their order but not before telling them that it would be out in a jiffy.

Sano began drinking his sake quietly, not wishing to stir Kaoru's ire any further. After his first bottle he noticed that the girls eyes were focused completely on him, he found himself shifting uncomfortably beneath her gaze.

"What's the matter?" he asked, perplexed. Had he done something else wrong?

"It's nothing really." she said, seemingly embarrassed to have been caught staring. "I was just thinking that I can't really remember the last time you drank. You used to get drunk all the time."

He smiled fondly at that, maybe she was beginning to notice he was changing. She obviously didn't know she was the catalyst but it was still nice to know that she observed him in some ways.

"Yeah, well, there's been more important things going on lately so it really hasn't been on my mind too much."

Kaoru nodded gravely, she knew all too well what he was referring to.

Throughout the course of their meal Sanosuke downed another two whole bottles of sake, which Kaoru surprisingly did not protest, now a pink dusting of color swept across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He wasn't quite drunk but he certainly felt good.

Their conversation had been light, Sano made a conscious effort to keep Kenshin's name out of discussion completely. They talked about Yahiko's progress, Sano was unaware Kaoru was letting him conduct part of the lectures now, it was exciting news.

Finally, Kaoru asked the question she'd been wanting an answer to for weeks. "Sano, what exactly is your job?"

He laughed heartily at that, "You'd never believe it but me and the guys I work with are building a railroad track."

Kaoru's eyes widened, she really didn't believe it. "But you hate trains Sano..."

He laughed harder, louder this time and Kaoru was glad that they were some of the last ones in the restaurant, the only other patrons being the other drunks, they weren't interested in the two so it didn't matter what they said or how loud they were.

"I know, I know but for a guy like me it's one of the best things out there. I get to use my strength in a way that's constructive instead of destructive. I'm building things instead of breaking them! I've never been like that before, Jou-chan, I like it." he said, a lazy smile plastered on his handsome face.

Kaoru returned the expression, she liked when Sano was having a good time, she was having a good time too.

Then he ruined it. "Y'know, I'm glad you didn't order any sake too 'cause you're a terrible drunk." he said, the words starting to slur together just slightly.

Kaoru huffed, visibly angered by his good natured observation. "I am not a terrible drunk, you jerk! I can drink just as well as you can." she yelled, the next words out of her mouth would be her undoing "I bet I could drink you under the table if I wanted to."

Sanosuke's eyebrows shot up in surprise before he narrowed his eyes, a sly smirk replacing the lazy smile he'd worn only moments before.

"That a challenge, little lady?" He asked, he poured a shot of sake and slid it across the table to her.

Without a word Kaoru downed the liquid, she did her best not to grimace at the caustic burn as it slid down her throat. She slammed the shallow dish back down in front of Sano, a silent request to pour her another.

"You bet your ass it is."

After they had paid for their meal they left the Akabeko just before closing time. Kaoru had downed her fair share of alcohol but she wasn't done yet. Oh no, she would show Sano exactly what kind of drunk she really was, which was a damn good one.

When they left Kaoru declared that this competition was far from over and that he better take her somewhere else so they could finish what they started. Sano was all too eager to agree, offering to take her to one of his more classy watering holes, even in his inebriated state he didn't want her around the type of ruffians he would usually drink with.

They entered a bar not too far from the dojo, a place Kaoru had always walked past many times before but had never gone to. The interior was far more posh than any bar she could have imagined. Instead of one bar that stretched along the wall this establishment had separate tables in separate rooms to offer the patrons some semblance of privacy. From the walls hung rich fabrics that were deeps reds and gold's, they complimented the pillows that surrounded the tables. It looked comfortable but foreign, like a place you could spend all day in if you had a mind too.

"Wow, it's really charming in here but it's also strange. I didn't think bars were like this." She said wide eyed as she looked up at Sano.

The man laughed good naturedly "Well, most aren't like this. The owner of this place is foreign, from the Middle East I think. He says bars over there are always like this, I like it but I don't come here often."

"Then why did we come here?" she asked, she wondered if he would have preferred something a little more low key.

"'Cause you're with me, I didn't want to bring you to some dump, I want you to have a nice time." he said, looking her straight in the eyes "You're better than those places anyway"

A hostess seated them at one of the private tables and Sano ordered another three bottles of sake for the two of them to share.

"D'ya think Yahiko is gonna be mad at us?" Kaoru slurred, swaying slightly as she spoke. She drank the alcohol that Sano offered to her, she vaguely registered that it no longer burned when she drank it.

"Probably." Sano answered honestly but he really didn't care. He was having a great time with Kaoru, he was glad that she looked happy he didn't want her moping around the house over Kenshin all the time, not that she had really done too much of that. She was accepting his absence with a grace he wasn't aware she was capable of.

As the night wore on their conversation became more uninhibited,

"Hey Sano?"

"Hmm?" he hummed in response as he finished off the last of their sake. He had to hand it to her, she was doing a hell of a job keeping up with him. She hadn't cried or had an outburst at all and he felt like she deserved a little credit.

She laughed before beginning to ask the question "D'you remember when you asked me earlier if I've ever been kissed before?"

He wondered where that question had come from, what train of thought she was on. "Yeah." he suddenly wondered if maybe she hadn't been truthful earlier but he had never caught Kaoru in a lie before.

"Why'd you ask me that? It made me feel really bad y'know. Like... I'm too ugly for someone to kiss or something."

Sano was taken aback by her statement, he never thought she would have taken his lighthearted teasing that way. Sometimes he forgot how sensitive she really could be.

"Naw, Jou-chan, I didn't mean it like that. Just curious is all. Besides I don't think you're ugly I was just wondering how much you actually knew since you were reading that dirty book." He grinned knowingly, just from the minor excerpt he'd read he knew there was plenty more to that particular scene.

Kaoru was happy that her intoxicated state gave her the illusion of a blush already. She hoped he didn't notice that it had grown darker at his words. "It's not dirty! They're in love." she clarified.

Sano leaned in closer to Kaoru, he brought his mouth to her ear, his voice deep and husky. "Sex is still sex, Jou-chan."

Kaoru's blush now extended across her entire body, Sanosuke was even bolder when drunk than he normally was.

Sano laughed, "Haha, Jou-chan, red looks real good on you." he said and she wasn't sure if he was referring to her furious blush or to the color of the yukata she wore.

He reached his hand out and brushed some stray hairs from her face, she unconsciously leaned into his calloused hand "You should wear it more often" he said quietly.

Kaoru's mind felt fuzzy and her whole body felt hot. It had been far too long since the last time she had drank any liquor and she was certainly feeling the effects of it now.

"Sano, have you ever kissed anyone?" she asked innocently, if he was able to ask her intimate questions like that, then surely she could do the same.

A wicked grin settled on the youth's face, an expression that sent a hot jolt of something through Kaoru's body, a feeling she couldn't place because she didn't know the name of it.

"A time or two, yeah."

To her surprise, Kaoru found this bit of information made her almost... jealous. She wondered what else he'd done in his life though she was sure she knew the answer to that, after all, Sano was a handsome, healthy young man. He could have his choice of nearly any woman in Tokyo, his charm and looks made him desirable, even though he was rough and had a filthy mouth. She wondered if the women he'd kissed were beautiful, if they were women like Megumi who had faces like porcelain dolls and bodies that would make any woman burn with envy. Kaoru wished people would think of her that way, she wished he thought of her that way.

"S'matter, Jou-chan? You look upset. Do you feel sick?" He asked, honestly he was surprised she had not gotten sick yet, considering how much she drank.

She blinked, effectively cutting off her current train of thought. "I feel okay but I think I'm ready to go home. I think I've kicked your butt enough tonight." she said and she moved to stand, stretching her arms above her head.

Sanosuke stayed seated but watched Kaoru's every move, as she brought her arms above her head to stretch out her limbs, her spine curved with her efforts as she bent back slightly, the action pushed her breasts out into focus and he tried very hard to ignore that fact.

He stood as well and dropped some coins on the table to pay for their drinks before he took her hand to steady her so they could begin their walk home. Kaoru stumbled several times on the way back to the dojo, narrowly escaping a nasty fall until finally she did fall but just as before Sano was there to catch her. They were nearly home now and he figured it would be faster this way, he slung Kaoru over his shoulder, carrying her the rest of the way. She giggled and hiccupped as she bounced with each step he took.

'This is kinda fun' she thought, she enjoyed feeling the firm muscles of his back and his arm wrapped around the backs of her thighs to keep her in place.

Upon arriving home Sano opened the gates without dislodging Kaoru from her perch on his shoulder. She was so warm and soft, he was really enjoying this but all good things had to come to an end. He placed her gently back on the ground, she swayed for a moment before righting herself, they both removed their shoes before heading into the house. Kaoru went straight for Yahiko's room, opening his door she saw the boy was fast asleep.

"Sano! He's sleeping, he's such a lazy boy!" She said a little too loudly but luckily the teenage boy did not stir. Thankfully he was a very heavy sleeper.

"Well duh, he's sleeping. It's one o'clock in the morning. Most people are sleeping by now, you and me are just drunks!" He whispered to her in the darkness.

Kaoru stumbled down the hallway and into what she thought was her room, she pulled at the tie in her hair, effectively freeing the silken ebony strands as they cascaded down her back and shoulders. She began sliding her yukata off her shoulders when she heard someone suck in their breath behind her. She turned to see Sano standing in the doorway, his mouth open, his eyes wide and hungry looking. Kaoru wasn't sure what to make of it.

"What's wrong?" she asked and moved towards him, not realizing that she had never righted her clothing.

When Sanosuke had walked into his room the scene before him all but stole his breath away. Kaoru's hair fell all around her, unbound and beautiful in inky waves that made the pale skin of her exposed shoulders look like the light of the moon. He didn't mean to walk in on her like this but the sight was captivating, breathtaking and when she turned to him and spoke he wasn't sure what to say.

"Why are you in my room?" was all he could come up with because she was in his room, seemingly ready to get undressed.

She looked around for a moment, bewildered before a sudden realization hit her. "Whoops! Wrong room!" she declared before she began laughing as if it were the most humorous joke she'd ever heard.

Except Sano didn't laugh with her, he couldn't. The only thing he was even capable of doing right now was looking at her, in all of her flawless glory. He'd never wanted anyone so bad in all his life.

Kaoru could see the man's burning gaze linger on her and it made her feel empowered, beautiful... sexy even. Very little light was available to illuminate the room but she could still make out his attractive face even in the darkness, his wild hair sticking up at odd angles, his bangs that hung down in his face, the sharp angle of his jaw, and his lips. His lips seemed to entice her, their pink shade somehow stronger, more vibrant after their night of drinking and she wondered what sort of kisser he might be. She recalled the feeling of those lips pressed against the palm of her hand, how soft, yet firm they were and she felt that unfamiliar heat return, stronger this time.

She wanted to kiss him, she wanted to kiss Sanosuke.

Somewhere in her subconscious, the part of her brain that was not affected by the warm buzz of alcohol flowing through her system, she realized that she always thought her first kiss would be with Kenshin but that wasn't possible now. He'd abandoned her, abandoned whatever life they could have built together and though she would not be able to admit it out loud, she resented him for it. He always decided things on his own, never bothering to consult with her, it was her life after all she should have some say in it.

And yet she couldn't recall a time where she had felt a longing this strong to kiss Kenshin. Never before had she desired anything with this magnitude.

Without her permission her body moved on its own to stand in front of her friend, her friend who had stayed by her side through everything, he never left her, he always worried over her well being and even though there were times where she thought he was absolutely intolerable, Sano always found a way to make it up to her.

He looked down at her, eyes burning with a question that he didn't know how to put a voice to.

"Did you like the women you kissed Sanosuke?" she asked.

Sano swallowed hard, something about this situation made him feel anxious, like he should take his leave now and avoid whatever was coming but the bewitching woman in front of him made it impossible to escape.

"Yeah, I guess." he replied, unsure of how he should respond. Sure he enjoyed kissing the women he'd been with, hell, he'd enjoyed everything he did with those women, but he never loved any of them.

He'd never loved any woman, until Kaoru.

Her blue eyes met his and he recognized the emotion he saw there, he'd only seen it once before on her that day outside the dojo when she tried to get that stupid package away from him, the one that held the birthday gift she'd toiled over to get for Kenshin, the one he left behind along with her. She wanted him and oh God did he want her.

"Sano..." she breathed his name softly as if it were the most fragile, precious thing on earth and his heart swelled with the sound of it.

"Yeah?"

Kaoru didn't respond except for pushing herself onto the tips of her toes, she wrapped her arms around his sturdy neck and brought his face down to hers.

Sanosuke was only acutely aware of the fact that he should push her away, he shouldn't allow her to do this because she was drunk and later she would regret it, giving her first kiss to a guy like him. He knew that if Kenshin were here, this wouldn't be happening at all, she would have saved it for him and that made him angry because he had tossed that chance away. And yet he knew he couldn't accept it, especially not out of spite for his wayward best friend.

But the scent of jasmine was so sweet, intoxicatingly so, he could taste her breath in his mouth and he so badly wanted to taste it directly from the source. Instead, he brought his hands up, placing them on her bare shoulders, struggling to ignore how soft and smooth her skin was, he pushed her back with gentle pressure.

The look of pure defeat that swept across her face made him feel instantly ashamed, he should never have let things get this far.

Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut against the stinging of a fresh batch of tears, her fingers curled into angry fits.

"What's wrong with me?" she grit out, her voice pained. "Am I so disgusting? Is that it?"

He grasped her face in his hands and forced her to look him in the eyes and he could see the anguish that hers held and he hated that he was the one that put it there.

"Look, Kaoru, it's not like that. I want to kiss you" he began trying desperately to keep the intense hunger out of his voice, lest he give himself away completely. "God, do I want to kiss you but... right now... you're drunk and you would probably regret it later, giving your first kiss to a guy like me. I'm not good enough for you."

Kaoru hissed "That's not for you to decide." and before he could stop her, she pressed her lips firmly against his own.

The liquor he'd consumed this evening made his reactions slow, sluggish and he had been unable to evade her but all of that melted away in the heat of her mouth.

He couldn't control himself anymore, he didn't care to, because she did this. She fanned the intense flame that he'd burned for her for so very long, he'd tried to restrain himself but he couldn't anymore. Any semblance of resolve he'd had until this point was gone.

Sano moved his hands from her face to bury them in her silky midnight tresses and he heard a small moan emit from the back of her throat. He dared to deepen the kiss as his tongue swept across her bottom lip, she opened for him without hesitation and he sampled her delicate flavor that he'd dreamed of for so long.

It was better than he could have ever imagined, sweeter than the best sake he'd ever tasted and he did his best to keep the pace of their kiss slow, he knew this was her first kiss. Kaoru's first kiss and she had given it to him willingly.

A strange sense of euphoria coursed through his body, one that he could only recall feeling before when he was a young boy and was praised by Captain Sagara. For having absolutely no experience in this sort of situation Kaoru was doing a splendid job, she was a fast learner, he never expected anything less from her.

Kaoru couldn't believe how good this felt and she was almost angry with herself for waiting this long in her life to take part in this sort of activity. But Kaoru knew, she was a good girl, and she would never do anything like this with someone she didn't love or trust.

And she did love Sanosuke, maybe not in the same way she loved Kenshin but in her own special way she cared deeply for the man she was with and she wondered how he felt for her. Obviously he felt some sort of obligation or duty towards her, otherwise he never would have stayed this long.

The pair finally broke away from each other to catch their breath, Sanosuke held her face in his hands like she was the most precious thing on earth because to him she was and he couldn't believe how lucky he was. He looked down into her eyes searching for any sort of discomfort or regret but he found none, just a warm happiness that before now she never looked upon anyone but Kenshin with.

He couldn't help asking, "Did you like it?"

"Yes." she replied, sounding as breathless as he felt.

He let go of a nervous giggle, he didn't realize how anxious her reaction to this made him.

Sano bent to give one last fleeting kiss to her lips, "You really need to go to bed and get some sleep, you're going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow, Jou-chan." he pulled the sleeves of her yukata back up to cover her shoulders. Honestly he knew she did need to get some sleep but what was more urgent was that she put some distance between them because at the moment Sanosuke was on fire. She looked beautifully disheveled and it was very hard for him not to defile her any further.

"Yeah, I think you're right." she said but instead of allowing him to walk her to her room she climbed into his futon.

'You're really making this difficult for me.' he thought, as he took in the sight of her in hisbed. Her hair fanned out around her, her clothes clung to her every curve due to the haphazard way she'd let her limbs fall.

Propriety dictated that he should sleep elsewhere and allow her to get the rest she needed or to carry her to her room. He weighed both options and decided he would just lift her and deposit her in her own futon. Bending down he carefully gathered her in his arms, walking next door to her room. She was already falling in and out of consciousness, the combination of exhaustion and sake proving to be a powerful sleep aid. Peeling back the sheets on her futon he placed her down gently, tucking the blankets around her. She sighed contentedly and he took that as his sign to get to his own room before their first kiss turned into something more. Sano was back in command of himself but every man had his breaking point and the woman before him could push him there so easily.

He rose to his feet, ready to take his leave, his hand on her door he stopped when she called to him.

"Sano" she all but mumbled.

"What is it, Jou-chan?"

"I had a good time tonight, thank you... for everything."

His answering smile was soft and tender, a far cry from the cocky smirk he usually wore.

"Go to sleep." he said, shutting the shoji behind him.

Making his way back to his own room, he quickly stripped off his shirt and his bandana he laid down heavily on his futon. It was still warm from her body and smelled like jasmine. He wished he could have slept in the same bed with her, just cradling her small body against his own but he knew tonight was already more than enough because whether he liked it or not things were now going to change between them, they couldn't go back to the way they once were.

They would never be the same again.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I love it, it's about time! Things are really going to change between these two from now on as they are both forced to confront the feelings they have for each other head on. That will be much more of a task for Kaoru since it shatters everything she thought she knew about herself. Thank you all so much for waiting so patiently while I try to work out my story. Please review, let me know what you think! Until next time. :)