co·op·er·a·tion | \ (ˌ)kō-ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shən:
1. an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action
2. the association of persons or businesses for common, usually economic, benefit
Warning: Some adult-type situations mentioned in this chapter.
Chapter 11: A Decision Made
The drive to Himura's house didn't take long, certainly not long enough for Kaoru to figure out exactly how she was going to answer Himura. Kaoru noticed Kurojo took the highway towards the west, which meant he lived farther out from downtown Tokyo than she did. She stared out the window, hypnotized by the blur of lights and cars under the evening sky. The car cruised along at a steady speed, and fifteen minutes later, they pulled into a quiet neighborhood in the Futako-Tamagawa district. A few minutes after that, Kurojo pulled up in the circular driveway of a modest sized, square shaped house made of brick. Lights were on in the house, allowing her to see parts of the inside, including a high ceiling foyer and a front parlor filled with formal furniture.
Kurojo got out and opened the door for her, bowing as she exited the vehicle. "Just go right up, Kamiya-san," he told her. "Sarujiro-kun will let you in and take you to Himura-sama. Enjoy your evening."
"Thank you, Kurojo-san," she replied. Her heart beat just a little faster; in a few minutes, they would have a serious discussion and she still wasn't sure how to answer. Smoothing out her skirt and making sure she had her purse in hand, Kaoru sucked in a quiet breath for courage before striding for the entrance.
Just as she reached it, the door opened, allowing a flood of golden light to spill out from the foyer. A reedy man, slightly hunched at the shoulders, bowed in greeting but didn't say a word. Instead, he stepped aside to allow her in, offering her a tentative smile.
With only the briefest of hesitations, Kaoru stepped inside the house. Whatever the outside looked like, it couldn't quite compare to the opulence of the indoors. Wide planked wood floors that looked old but polished and well-cared for stretched from the foyer to the hallway. As Kaoru slipped off her shoes and set it by the shoe rack, warmth radiated under her feet. She realized the floors were heated and it felt heavenly with the comfortable temperature. A staircase started on the right side and gently curved towards the left. The area on top was left open, allowing anyone on the second floor to look down at any visitors at the door.
To her left was the parlor which looked exactly like a magazine spread. Not a hint of dust marred the room and Kaoru suspected the room was for show because nothing looked disturbed and it was just too perfect. The couches looked as though no one had ever sat on it and even the rug looked untouched by footprints.
Whatever else Himura was, Kaoru had pegged him to be the practical sort of man who didn't want to bother with things that didn't have its uses. Perhaps he had hired a decorator to design the room, but she just couldn't imagine him wasting time to even look for someone and give complete control over to them. Bemused at the house which didn't seem to reflect the owner, Kaoru allowed whom she assumed to be Sarujiro to help take her jacket off before he hung it up in the foyer closet and gestured for her to follow him through the hallway.
The corridor was only two feet long and immediately blossomed into the living room which had leather couches, a coffee table, and an enormous flat screen tv that nearly took up the entire wall it rested against. That part didn't look lived in either. A painting of some landscape that looked like an original hung to the right, and the rest of the space was dominated by heavily curtained floor-to-ceiling windows.
Sarujiro didn't even glance at the living room as he turned left and followed another short hallway until it opened up into what Kaoru assumed was the family room because it looked a little messier and homey. It contained some comfortable looking furniture and a bookcase full of various sized books. One of the books lay open, spine up on a side table that contained a lamp that was turned on. She imagined either Himura or Hiko sprawled out on the couch, reading, and the incongruous image made her smile at such a domesticated picture.
But then Sarujiro ushered her past the family room and into the kitchen. The room was as large as Kaoru's entire apartment, and brightly lit. Two chefs' refrigerators dominated one end of the wall, with white quartz countertops aligning the entire right side, interrupted only by one huge sink and a smaller sink. Cabinets were set underneath the counters and above, except in front of the sink where a rectangular window had a view of what Kaoru assumed was the backyard. In the middle of the room was a giant island that contained the stovetop. An industrial fan was placed above it, and around the fan hung various sizes of pots and pans, low enough within easy reach of vertically challenged people.
But while the kitchen was beautiful and elegant, what caught Kaoru's eye was the man standing at the island counter, piping some white frosting onto a tiered round cake. He wore a red apron over a deep pink button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up. His flame-red hair was tied back though his bangs were long enough to bother his vision since he kept blinking and tossing his head back. His concentration was so great that Sarujiro had to clear his throat to gain his attention.
Startled, Himura glanced up. "Oh, Kamiya-san, you're here? It's nine already?" A grimace crossed his face and he looked down at the half frosted dessert.
Whatever else she was expecting to see, Kaoru couldn't believe Himura was actually decorating a cake. And it was slightly charming that he was considering abandoning it for her. Deciding to help him out, she smiled at Sarujiro. "Thank you for your help." Then she strode over to the island, taking a seat at one of the bar stools tucked underneath the ledge. It was close enough to watch him work, but farther than arms length away so she'd feel less pressure of his presence. "Don't stop on my account. That poor cake deserves to finish getting dressed." She barely noticed the silent young man tiptoe out of the kitchen to leave them alone.
Himura stared at her for a long moment before a grin dawned on his lips. "You're right, it is a shame. Just give me another minute and then we can eat it once it's ready."
Shaking her head in mock sadness, Kaoru intoned, "Thus is the fate of all cakes. Did you really make it yourself?"
"All from scratch," he confirmed, bending back down over his task. "It would have been ready earlier, but I was waiting for the cake to cool so I could frost it and ran out of time before my dinner meeting with the Myojins." Part of his tongue stuck out as he carefully made designs with the frosting with enough confidence to show he'd done this before.
"So when I suggested you might have gone into cooking if your business failed, I should have said pastry chef instead?" she guessed, watching him turn the cake to finish the curlicues.
"Maybe. Baking is different from cooking. I enjoy doing both, but I rarely have time to do either."
Kaoru leaned her arms on the counter. "But you decided you had time today?"
Himura looked up to meet her gaze straight on. "If that's what it takes to hear what I want to hear, then yes."
She blinked at the utterly serious tone and then let out a nervous chuckle. "Sounds like a lethal business tactic you might employ against the competition."
He shrugged and set down the pastry bag before pulling out a bag of chocolate shavings which he sprinkled liberally on top of the cake. Turning around, he opened one of the huge refrigerators and grabbed a jar of candied cherries. Opening it, he set four of them around the edges and a fifth one right in the middle. "A lot of business principles can be applied to real life, I suppose. It's just a matter of keeping things in perspective. For one, I don't consider you as competition. Maybe...more like a merger deal I'm trying to negotiate. Cake is done. Would you prefer tea or coffee?"
"Tea, please."
He nodded and pulled out a dented copper kettle from one of the cabinets and filled it with cold water. Setting it on the stove to heat, Himura opened several more cupboards to take out the necessary equipment. "Jasmine is your favorite, right?"
"Did you glean that from one of my biographies?" she asked dryly.
Flashing her a quick glance full of amusement, he replied, "Actually, yes. I'm pretty sure it was on the dojo website in the 'Get to Know the Instructors' section."
Kaoru groaned and let her head fall forward. "That Katsu! I'm going to kill him."
Himura laughed and scooped the loose leaf tea into the infuser inside the teapot. "It's a good fact to know. Easy gift ideas," he teased her.
"Hmph. Can I help with anything?"
He shot her a surprised look that melted into a contemplative expression. "Um, sure. If you look into the drawer next to the sink, you'll find some forks. In the drawer next to that, there's a cake cutter."
"Okay. And don't overthink it, Himura-san. I don't like just sitting idly by when I can help out. Besides, you made a whole cake for me from scratch, so you deserve a little cooperation." She hopped off the stool and made her way to the mentioned drawers.
A rueful grin made its way on his lips. "Had I known a simple cake would have bought your cooperation, I would have plied you with them every day for weeks."
Kaoru snorted at his silly comment, taking out the utensils. "Are we going to eat here?"
"No, let's go into the family room. It's more comfortable there."
He instructed her to go first with the cake so Kaoru did that, then returned for the plates and utensils. When she returned a third time, Himura had taken off the apron and assembled the tea set along with a variety of both savory and sweet finger foods on a serving tray. He picked it up. "After you."
Dutifully, she turned back around to the family room, stepping out of the way so he could set the large tray on the coffee table. "Didn't you just have dinner a few hours ago?"
"Yes. But Sarujiro-kun is very big on presentation and hosting properly so he insisted on making this. This is just to nibble on while we talk. You don't need to eat anything if you're not hungry."
"Well, I'm definitely having a slice of cake. But I had dinner not too long ago myself so I'll probably just stick with that." She sat down on the couch and tried not to squirm when he took a seat mere inches away from her.
It wasn't that she found Himura repulsive at all, but Kaoru still wasn't quite sure how she felt about a relationship with him. Aoshi's - or rather Hiko's - advice was helpful, but she didn't nearly have enough time to think about it. And she knew her uncertainty came out in the form of discomfort and standoffish behavior. With Himura focused on the cake, she could relax a bit before the discussion began and enjoy his company for those precious few minutes, but now her unease returned in full force.
And she could tell Himura immediately felt her shying away from him, both physically and emotionally. He frowned and studied her expression for several long moments before saying, "I'm not your enemy, Kamiya-san."
Kaoru looked away, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I know," she muttered.
A cool touch on her hand had her snapping her eyes at him. "I don't think you do," he replied calmly. "And I think that's why you don't believe you can trust me. What can I do to convince you that my intentions are towards you and not your property?"
"I don't know. Maybe there isn't anything." Her heart hammered loudly against her ribcage as she spoke, wishing she didn't feel so panicked and unsteady. Drawing in a deep breath to calm her nerves, Kaoru pulled her fingers free of the hand that covered hers. "I'm going to be frank with you, Himura-san. I don't know if I can reciprocate your feelings. Both Misao-san and Hiko-san vouch for you, but please consider it from my point of view. You do these things like take private lessons from me and then involve my best student in your business. Everywhere I turn, you're somehow now a part of it. But no one knows why. And you rarely explain yourself, not even to your master or a close friend."
Himura kept scrutinizing her face as she spoke, then tilted his head as he considered her words. Finally, he nodded and leaned forward to pour two cups of tea. He then picked up the cake slicer and cut two hefty pieces which he transferred to the plates. Handing her one, he answered, "Fair enough, Kamiya-san. Ask me anything you'd like and I'll answer truthfully. From there, we'll see if anything changes."
Startled, Kaoru automatically accepted the cake as she blinked at him. "Ask you questions?"
"Yes. You said I rarely explain myself, which is probably true. Consider it a byproduct of being a business owner who's not used to having to explain himself. Maybe I assumed incorrectly you'd be eventually able to figure out my intentions as my employees do. So ask me whatever you want, just like in the car yesterday."
She hesitated a moment, wondering if this was a good idea. What if she didn't want to hear the reason for his actions? But that was exactly what she needed to know and she couldn't think of a reason not to go along with this. Himura watched her expectantly, waiting for a response. Drawing in another breath but this time as shaky as her pulse, Kaoru asked, "Why did you start taking private lessons with me?"
"I believe I already answered this particular question the night we sparred in front of your students, but I also admit I left part of the reason out." He smiled ruefully at her. "It doesn't reflect me in the best light, but in the interest of complete honesty, I'll tell you. I'm not usually bested in typical business maneuvers. So the fact that you came and left me virtually speechless at our business lunch together made me…curious about you."
"You mean annoyed, don't you?" she interrupted wryly.
He laughed a little. "Maybe. But I was also intrigued. The evening after our lunch meeting, Shishou came and told me to stop pressing you for this deal. That made me even more interested, because Shishou isn't one to interfere in my business, especially on behalf of someone else. I assumed you had asked him to speak with me because of our relationship, and it was unusual he'd agree to do so. So I decided the only way to figure out who you really were was to spend time with you. In addition, the philosophy of the Sword Giving Life was one I've never heard of before, and I wanted to see how it was executed."
Nodding her head slowly, Kaoru decided everything made sense so far. Even the idea of intrigue seemed in line with mere human curiosity, which she could logically understand. "So then, what do you really think of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu? And remember, you promised to tell the truth. Obviously I'll be offended if you hate the idea, but I'll be an adult about it."
Himura chuckled again. "And take it out on me at tomorrow's lesson, no doubt," he teased. "To be honest, I like it. In some ways, it's harder than how I originally learned kendo, because the idea isn't to simply execute an attack and win, but to protect and dignify yourself and your opponent. It's actually made me feel calmer at times when things go wrong because I can easily translate the techniques to my work when I'm dealing with difficult people. You probably know this, but it's made a marked difference in creating a more cordial relationship between teams and companies."
Kaoru stared at him. A rush of incredulousness and shock suffused through her entire body. Of all the possible answers he could have given, Himura gave the one she'd least expected - and the one she hoped to hear. Normally, it took a student years to understand what the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was truly about and utilize the same methodology in life situations. In Kaoru's experience, children seemed to understand and accept the concept faster and better than most adults because they were still open to different philosophies. So for an adult like Himura - a very obstinate adult at that - to grasp the ideals within such a short period of time was almost like he understood her.
He had actually been paying attention and it had sunk in. He zeroed in on the exact words that crumbled any further mistrust of him to dust. She could see him telling the truth because he was just so calm. Her senses, honed by years of kendo and subsequently teaching detected no falsehood. And if he was lying about something else, heaven help her, she was willing to give him a chance anyway just because he understood the true philosophy of her family style.
Uncertainty and a touch of fear rattled her and Kaoru looked down at the slice, taking a small bite of the cake. Underneath the white frosting was a chocolate flavor, light and fluffy with just a touch of sweetness that appealed to her taste buds without the cloying aftertaste. "This is really good, Himura-san," she murmured. She didn't look up at him but she felt him tense as he realized something had shifted between them from his previous response. Kaoru hid a smile as she took another bite while he responded warily. It was about time he felt a little off-balance.
"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."
"When did you start thinking you liked me?" She risked a glance at him then to see how he'd take the direct question.
Himura blinked but replied easily enough. "Probably the second time we had lunch at the soba stand. Something was happening and I was fascinated by every side you showed me. You weren't like any other woman I've met before. You're honest and forthright and you aren't afraid to tell me to back off."
Kaoru almost blushed with embarrassment but decided to consider it as a compliment. After all, it was like the pot calling the kettle black. "I take it that's not something people do often."
"No, because they usually want something from me. You, on the other hand, were clearly reluctant to even see me during lessons, which of course made me want to change your mind."
"Oh, no," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "So this is all just because I didn't swoon at your feet or something like you expected? That's rather egotistical of you, Himura-san."
He looked insulted and opened his mouth to reply, but then shut it abruptly. She watched in mild fascination as he forced himself to consider her words objectively. "I guess you're right," Himura said at last. "At least initially. But in my defense, it made me want to get to know you better. My company keeps me very busy, Kamiya-san. I don't have time for fleeting pleasures and I need to be interested to keep me coming back and engaged."
Finishing the last bite of her dessert, Kaoru set the plate aside and reached over to take a cup of tea. The hot liquid was brewed perfectly and the earthy, slightly floral taste sat on her tongue in a surprisingly good foil to the light cake. "So when did it turn into full-blown liking enough to want to date me?" she asked.
He hummed for a moment then answered, "Probably at your apartment the day you were hung over. I knew something was changing how I saw you, even if I didn't want to acknowledge it. Our lunches and lessons together helped me to see you in different ways, and what I saw I admired. When you didn't show up to the lesson, I got worried and I didn't know what to do. Shinomori was no help, so I decided to go to your house and make sure you were okay. And then when you opened up to me briefly about the confusion you felt, I felt something that seemed like protectiveness and yearning." Himura flashed her a rueful smile. "I had to leave right after that because I was confused by what I was feeling."
Kaoru considered his words for a long moment. "So you completely gave up the idea of trying to get my property?"
Himura nodded firmly as if to emphasize his response. "Yes. In fact, I've already found another parcel of land with a building that will only need some modifications to suit our purposes. Misao has already started on the acquisition papers and the owners are quite happy to sell. We should be done with the entire sale in a month, at which point we'll have a big press release. Notice I hadn't asked you about your property in weeks? A man can only be rejected so many times, after all."
She made a face at his light attempt at a joke but the news sent a wave of relief crashing through her. It was just further proof that Himura had moved on and whatever he was doing meant it was about her land after all.
But that also meant she had spent the last month trying to figure out his schemes when it was a waste of time because he had none. At least, not about her land. "Well, why didn't you say something?" she demanded. "Do you know how much stress I went through thinking you were going after my property in some sneaky, underhanded way?"
"You never asked me," he replied in a reasonable tone.
Kaoru stared at him, aghast. That couldn't be the reason, could it? "What do you mean I never asked you? If you were trying to gain my trust, why wouldn't you just casually mention, 'Hey, you don't have to worry anymore, I'm finding another property to buy so let's be friends' or something like that? At the very least, I wouldn't have been so rude!"
Himura blinked. "I didn't know that was why you were so cold to me."
"You didn't?" Kaoru repeated skeptically.
"Fine, I figured that was a large reason for your behavior," he admitted. "But I also know you wouldn't believe me if I simply said so. You were ready to believe whatever you wanted about me and I couldn't convince you otherwise."
Kaoru grumbled but she acknowledged the truth of his words. Himura could have repeated himself until he was blue in the face that he wasn't after her land but she would have remained unconvinced. But now, in the face of his assurances and confession, it was easier to believe. "Well, what about our first lunch at that fancy restaurant? You kind of came across like a jerk."
He grimaced. "I suppose I was trying to intimidate you. At that moment in time, you were nothing more than a hindrance to my plans. I had spent so much time and manpower trying to acquire your property, I became a little grumpy about that energy gone to waste."
"No one asked you to send every single lawyer in your company to me," Kaoru muttered. "So I'm assuming you continued to remain 'grumpy' when you showed up unannounced at the dojo?"
At that, Himura actually blushed. It was faint, but his cheeks dusted red to rival his hair color. "This is a little hard for me to admit, but I was also a little jealous of you. You and Shishou are so close. I'd never be able to have that kind of relationship with him. So I suppose I took some of that frustration out on you. Given the opportunity to upstage you, especially after you left me utterly defeated at that lunch, I took it. I'm sorry."
"Ahh." Kaoru appraised him for a long while. From the way master and student spoke to each other, there seemed to be a lot of unexpressed resentment on both sides, or at least an undercurrent of disappointment or unfulfilled expectations. She wondered what had happened that caused such a rift between them.
But even more telling was the fact that he was being so open and honest with her, even at the risk of making himself look bad. Kaoru shook her head slightly, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that he appeared so genuine with his feelings. "I just don't understand. Why do you even like me? I've been so mean to you. I mean, I even blew up at you in public." She cringed, remembering the scene from the café in Shibuya.
He shrugged. "I kind of understand why you did it, in hindsight. And do I really need a reason to like you and want to date you? You're smart, motivated, beautiful, and strong, and that's from only knowing you after a handful of times together. I can only imagine how much better it'll get when I see more of you. And I like that you aren't afraid to stand up for yourself to me or anyone else. It makes every nice gesture you do for me like a victory I won." He grinned.
Kaoru tried to scowl at him but it came off as feeble and she knew it. Minute by minute, Himura was disarming her with his steady assurances and sincere compliments with every word he spoke. It was flattering but it was also a little disconcerting. How was she supposed to react to such frank admiration? She cleared her throat and tried to steer the conversation back to more relevant topics. "So when did you actually give up trying to get my land?"
Himura smiled as if he knew why she had suddenly changed the subject, but he dutifully went along with it. "The night of our business lunch, actually, right before Shishou came to me. I had decided to explore other ideas because you clearly weren't interested. It didn't seem to make much sense trying to persuade you further. And when Shishou told me to back off, I realized I'd lost interest in your property and found you more fascinating. Just to make sure, do you know you're the only person who's ever asked Hiko Seijuro for a favor so blithely?"
Blushing, Kaoru fiddled with her fork. She didn't see why that was a big deal, but perhaps Himura couldn't imagine having the same freedom she did. "I just asked and he agreed. If he didn't want to, he would have said so and I would have accepted that answer."
"And that's largely why he agreed to do it," Himura agreed. "It's refreshing to know you're so straightforward. That's part of your charm."
It was the first time someone had complimented her on being upfront, and it was nice to know Himura considered it charming. "And the photo shoot idea?"
Himura grimaced and set aside his uneaten cake. "Promise me you won't get angry and storm out of here?"
"Oh, this should be good," Kaoru muttered, leaning forward slightly in a menacing manner. Of course there had to be a catch, no one could possibly like her that much, nor could someone as obdurate as Himura give up so easily. "No such promise will be made. Out with it, Himura!"
Looking as though he wanted to argue, he hesitated a moment, then complied. "We were originally going to have just Yahiko model the equipment at the studio, but I thought if people saw your dojo and the new equipment in the ads, it would help you drum up business. You know, to try and make up for some of the loss for when Shishou leaves."
She stared at him again, rendered speechless for the second time in five minutes. While she was slightly annoyed that Kenshin thought she was that desperate and assumed rather arrogantly that his company could help her, it was also rather thoughtful of him. No one had ever used their business to promote the dojo before.
"Kamiya-san? Are you angry?"
Kaoru sighed and set the teacup down. She couldn't do it anymore. There were probably more questions she should ask, but she already had all the information she needed. Himura had been nothing but sweet and kind and honest and he deserved some sort of response back. But Kaoru wasn't sure she was ready to give one yet. "No, I'm not angry. I'm just…resigned."
He frowned. "By what?"
"This situation. You're very confusing, Himura-san. Quite frankly, I don't know if we'll really suit. You're a little too autocratic for me and I don't enjoy being dictated to like I'm one of your lackeys who needs to instantly jump to your every will. And what if this so-called fascination of me eventually wears off? Where will that leave us?"
Himura remained quiet for several long heartbeats that Kaoru felt slamming against her chest. She had to remind herself to breathe as she waited for his answer to some of her deep-seated fears.
When he finally answered, his voice had gentled. "I can't promise you that I'll stop being a take-charge kind of man. I can't even promise you that my interest in you won't fade."
Her heart plummeted down to her feet and she couldn't even breathe anymore. But she also couldn't stop looking away from him.
"But Kamiya-san, I will work on it. I'll do my best to stop being bossy and expect you to fall in line like you're one of my employees. It'll take practice, but I expect you'll be there to remind me when I step out of bounds." Himura smiled slightly. "As for my fascination with you, I agree that's just a superficial emotion which will eventually fade. But I have a feeling it'll be replaced by something deeper and more meaningful. Something that will always keep me turning to you. It's already happening and in fact, this conversation is making me more captivated by you."
With those words, Kaoru felt air finally flowing through her lungs again and her heart thudding madly. His words and the sincerity of them put to rest the last of her fears. Finally she felt like she could start to trust him, that he wasn't going after the land, but her. And even better, Himura wasn't looking for a fling but an actual relationship. She was allowed to be attracted to him because he reciprocated the feeling. Tears started to blur her vision and she blinked them back impatiently; she was not going to cry in front of him right now after his touching response, and make her face all blotchy and disgusting. "Well, then," she managed to say, hearing how shaky her voice sounded. "I guess that's about the sum of my fears."
Himura smiled and lifted a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ears. "We'll take it slow. There's no rush, and I know you have a lot going on right now. I was going to wait until after the whole Shinomori situation cleared up to confess to you. But when you questioned me in the car, I decided that was as good of an opening as any. I hope you'll forgive me for that."
"I suppose," she replied in a pseudo-reluctant tone.
Grinning at her, Himura leaned closer until their faces were only inches apart. Kaoru felt her lungs stop working again, but this time for an entirely different reason. "Thank you for being so understanding, Kamiya-san," he murmured.
She almost felt every word he spoke ghosted on her lips. He was so close that Kaoru saw the depths of his eyes glowing with a myriad of emotions. Part awe, part triumph, and part relief. The fact that he didn't hide those raw feelings from her view both jarred and warmed her. "You're welcome. Maybe under the circumstances, you can call me by my given name," she whispered back.
"I will, if you'll do the same," he replied.
Kaoru swallowed. The warm, masculine scent of ginger teased her under her nose with every short breath she forced herself to take. His heat seemed to envelop her completely until she felt fire burning within her like a fever. "All right...Kenshin."
He let out a noise that almost sounded like a groan and closed the thin gap between them, pressing his lips against hers like a man starved for water and she was a fountain. Kaoru clutched his shirt, uncaring if she wrinkled the material as she kissed him back fervently. His lips were hot and soft and exerted just the right amount of pressure to make her toes curl in pleasure. The frisson of passion heated her body and made her hungry for more.
She'd been kissed by her boyfriend before, but Kaoru would swear up and down that it had never felt like this. At the gentle swipe of Kenshin's tongue, she opened her mouth to let him in. Underneath her grip, she felt Kenshin shudder as their tongues met and danced together and allowed each other to explore the soft caverns of their mouths. After a minute, Kaoru finally broke the kiss to take a much-needed breath. She would have dove right back into it again but found herself touching foreheads with him.
"We should slow down," he panted, "or we'll be moving this relationship along a lot quicker than I anticipated."
A part of her - the smug part that relished the picture of a flushed and glazed-eyed Kenshin which she had caused - thought that was just fine and wanted to keep things moving along. But the more logical side kicked in and conceded he was right. This was her first relationship in years and she didn't want to make a wrong step that would ruin anything. "Okay," she agreed breathlessly. Pulling back, Kaoru straightened her shirt and smoothed down her hair.
Looking as though he regretted stopping them, Kenshin cleared his throat and reached out to pour more tea into her cup. "Another slice of cake?" he offered.
Kaoru looked longingly at the fluffy cake, remembering just how heavenly it tasted on her tongue. "I'd love one but ugh, I really shouldn't," she said with a sigh.
"Why not? I made it just for you after all. Here, I'll cut a thinner slice."
She didn't stop him as he put a smaller piece onto her plate and handed it back to her. "I think I'm glad you're so busy you can't make me these every day."
His amethyst eyes twinkled as he picked up his own abandoned plate and took a bite of cake. "No, but I could buy them for you," he teased.
"You'd better not! Besides, I can't imagine a bakery could make a better tasting cake."
He looked pleased. "Do you really like it?"
Kaoru caught his eyes and made sure to hold his gaze. "Very much so," she murmured.
Brows shooting up at the double meaning, Kenshin flashed her a bright, goofy smile that made him look even younger than ever. "Good."
They fell into an easy chatter, swapping stories about their kendo training or childhood escapades. With every minute spent getting to know each other better, Kaoru felt herself relaxing more and more in Kenshin's presence. He, of course, noticed, and wouldn't stop grinning. Kaoru ate the second slice of cake and some fruit and three more cups of tea which made her eventually ask for the powder room. There, in the privacy of the bathroom, she did her business and washed her hands. The mirror reflected a slightly flushed image back to her, filled with a giddy smile that just wouldn't go away. But she didn't mind; Kenshin had the same expression on his face.
Wiping her hands clean, she stepped out and headed back into the family room. Kenshin was looking at his phone but put it down immediately when she entered. He smiled at her. "More tea?"
"Ugh, no, I can't take another bite or sip of anything," Kaoru groaned. Plopping back down beside him, she offered him a sly smile. "But I wouldn't mind a little cuddling."
"Cuddling it is," he replied immediately, putting an arm around her shoulders and drawing her close.
She went willingly, inhaling his clean scent that held a whiff of ginger and sugar - most likely from the frosting - as she snuggled against his side. Hearing the gentle thud of his heartbeat next to her ear, Kaoru sighed in contentment. "You're so warm," she murmured, nuzzling his torso like a cat.
He laughed, his chest rumbling, as he combed his fingers through her hair. The gentle tug of his fingers as they gently scraped her scalp caused tingles of pleasure to run down her back. "Are you usually cold?"
"No, but it's nice to have options if I am."
"Hmm, good point." His hand left her hair to skim her spine in a more suggestive manner, tracing the edge of her shirt but not quite going under it to touch bare skin.
Kaoru shivered and shifted to look at Kenshin. His eyes had darkened until they looked more blue than violet, and the intensity of his gaze shook her. He remained utterly still except his fingers still playing with the hem of the cloth. This time, she made the first move to kiss him, leaning forward to capture his lips with hers. She pressed too hard and their teeth almost clinked together but she immediately backed off a little and Kenshin tilted his head just enough for their mouths to fit better together. A rush of pleasure filled her from head to toe and Kaoru didn't let him up, instead pushing him down on the couch for a more comfortable position. Obediently, he moved down, breaking contact once to breathe before she covered his lips again, nipping the bottom one in retaliation for the move. She felt his grin and then two hands slid under her shirt to caress the bare skin on her back. Not to be outdone, Kaoru moved to run her fingers through his hair, vaguely surprised at how silky it felt under her touch; he must use a ton of conditioner to get it so soft. The other hand started to unbutton his shirt.
At least, that was her intention. But then a throat cleared, piercing through the haze of lust and a voice commented drolly, "This is rather unexpected."
I hadn't expected for a gamut of illnesses to run through my family for the entire month of December, including Covid, but that's what happened. So to get back on track, here's the next chapter instead of the "special" one I mentioned in my previous note.
Happy New Year everybody!
Next Chapter: Love is in the air but that doesn't always lead to happy endings...