Disclaimer: I do not own any of the RK/SM/WK characters.

Tenshi's Notes: I promised a bit of sap, ne? To Angel-chan: I worship the ground you walk on! *giggles* For always being such a supportive friend. To Alex-chan: Thanks for all the kind words you said about this fic, and me! *laughs*

Additional blurbs: Woo! I got a few reviews! Anyway, since this chapter isn't too long, I decided to boot it out as fast as possible. I hit another snag. My brain refuses to work again (pneumonia). Jade-chan, CP-chan, Purr-chan, Nozomi-chan: You guys reviewed!!! Waaah I love you all… all you wonderful wonderful reviewers. And Lady of the Earth, I remember you too ^_^

Be patient with me. I know it's aggravating not knowing people's names, but it's just my way of making you pull hairs. I'll say one thing though, if you read really carefully, the paragraphs sorta reflect who the person I'm talking about is. It might be a while before things come clear, but when they do, it'll all snowball out :D And remember, nothing is as it seems in a Chibi Tenshi fic. I better shut up now! Enjoy! Might be a little while before I update again so baibai for now! ^_^

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Chapter 9

Finding himself oddly agitated, he tried to calm down the simmering emotions as best as he could. For someone who didn't feel, he was doing a bloody awful job at it. Since she had entered his life, everything had been a constant roller coaster ride, filled with upheavals. It had been so simple at one point. All he had wanted to do was to make money to pay Aya's bills, and extract revenge. Nowhere did it say have beautiful blonde enter life and throw everything to hell. And she had done exactly that. What he was trying to figure out at the moment was what he was supposed to do about her. Never in his life had he been put in a situation where he had felt like such a slave to his emotions.

Remembering the scene that afternoon, vivid memories forced a flush to his face as he recalled just how absorbed he had been by her, and how he had nearly surrendered to the fiery intensity that blazed within. If Sakura hadn't been there... that was another issue that needed to be addressed. He hadn't missed the worshipful look in her eyes every time they met up. He gave an uncharacteristic sigh, hating to hurt anyone, least of all her. She was a sweet girl, but the truth was every other female had ceased to exist when she had entered his life. A low growl emerged from him, and he wondered when on earth this change had taken place. He had never bothered getting involved due to the nature of his job, the icy blood that flowed in his veins. He didn't deserve to be loved by anyone, least of all her.

She was an enigma to him, and he was intrigued by the play of light upon the shadows of her soul. What was it about her that made him ache as badly as he did? The slightest hint of a smile crossed his lips as he remembered the flare of jealousy in her eyes as Sakura had approached. Surely, it showed that she cared somewhat. But what did it signify? If he had been a normal young man, he would've been able to pursue his heart's desire without worry. Life unfortunately wasn't so. He knew he would never rest until he avenged his parents' deaths along with what had been done to Aya.

He was so tired though, so very tired of being the cold bastard everyone believed him to be. He had managed to fool them all, even himself. Except for her. She had somehow seen the man that lay within. How was it possible that she could possess the ability to find something that was long dead and revive it? And her pain... he felt her loss so deeply when she had told him about her past. Her only brother, the only family she had ever known, taken away so cruelly from her. She hadn't elaborated any further but he knew that she had been hurt in that incident too. His heart stumbled over the very fact that it had happened on her birthday. Sweet sixteen, he thought bitterly. It was supposed to be a time where a young girl would be filled with innocent dreams. From what she didn't say, he knew her scars were still bleeding, a wound to never heal. Was it possible that he had somehow stumbled upon the only person who could understand how he felt?

She was such a maddening contradiction. He wanted to protect her, and at the same time, kiss those soft inviting lips passionately. Fire heated his chilled blood any time he thought of her, which explained why he was walking alone right now. He had always felt such kinship with the night. Darkness prevailed, and solitude was all he had ever needed for company. Except tonight was no ordinary night. While the skies were clear, the moon shining brightly above, there was the slightest hint of mist lingering in the air, dispersing the light's intensity. It obstructed his view, yet he felt no fear. This was where he belonged.

Weary feet trod along the path, marching to a silent, nameless beat in his mind. As if he were marching into his own grave, he thought grimly. The brisk air was a near rival for his current mood, although he found his thoughts reverting back to Usagi once again. Usagi. What on earth was he going to do? He knew for a fact that she was going to be a part of his life, whether he liked it or not. The question remained, a haunting melody lingering upon ivory keys.

As it turned out, fate decided to take matters out of his hands and into its own. Usagi, who had been previously fleeing from Schuldig, came barreling out of nowhere and straight for a certain red haired, violet eyed man. The impact was earth shattering, but not in the way either of them had hoped. It was... well, painful.

Usagi found herself colliding into a strong, hard chest, and almost bouncing off it if Ran hadn't had those remarkable reflexes in place. His hands moved swiftly to her back to steady her. Then, she found herself in the interesting position of being nestled against his chest, where she could hear the accelerated heartbeat, sounding like thunder upon her ears. She inhaled sharply at the unaccustomed closeness and at the barrage of sensations that had begun to descend upon her system. He smelled like... flowers. The scent should've made him smell feminine but instead only served to enhance his masculinity. She didn't dare look up. She didn't want to know what she would find if she did. His hyacinth eyes contained secrets to his soul that she could see so easily, and she didn't want to be disappointed if she didn't read what she wanted to read in them.

Catching herself, she wondered why she had allowed herself to get to this position. Every man around him seemed to pale in comparison, for a mere moment being held by him could give her an eternity's worth of unknown joy. She hadn't known such feelings existed, and her crush at sixteen seemed so childish all of a sudden. She could hear him inhaling sharply, reacting the same way she did. She thought her heart would explode out of her chest, and she was pretty sure he could hear how rapidly her heart was thumping. Why now? She had so much to do, so much to accomplish. She didn't need this to complicate things, and there was also the matter of weakness. What if her mission failed and her enemies found out about him? Iie. She was jumping ahead of herself. Considering failure was a possibility she would otherwise not think about.

A soft touch drew her out of her thoughts, and she looked up. Helplessly, her gaze moved upwards to stare at beautiful violet eyes, shining with an unnamed emotion. Eyes exchanged words they could not bring their mouths to utter. His hand, rough on her skin, yet gentle with his touch, followed through the motion of brushing her hair and tenderly grazed her cheek. She relished in the contact and for all the delicacy of his touch, it rekindled the flames that burned within her. She shivered slightly, and his eyes crinkled fondly as he merely tightened his hold upon her. She was thrown back in a time, back to when she had first met him, when they had both been unable to say anything. Were words such powerful weapons? Once said, they could never be retracted.

Uncertainty reflected in her eyes, and in a move that shocked her, he began leaning forward, brushing his lips softly on her forehead. She closed her eyes at the sensation, soothing yet searing all at once, and she let out the breath that she had been holding. Butterfly kisses rained upon her skin, sending her nerve endings aflame as his fingers continued their gentle motions. Finally, they reached their destination. Rubbing the lush lips, her eyes flew open in surprise as her mouth parted in unconscious response. Those hyacinth eyes were now a deep purple, the intensity of his gaze scaring her, yet thrilling her all at once. What was it about this man that could stir such contradicting emotions within her? Emotions that she never would've believed was possible? She held her breath in anticipation, as his eyes continued seeking answers she wasn't sure she could provide. She was afraid, so afraid of what could happen, and what might happen. But even as she thought all of this, she could not move. She could not bring herself to hope or allow to feel an ounce of happiness. She only need remember what happened to her Toki-nii to see the disastrous consequences of being associated with her.

She observed him making the same struggles within his head and his hold tightened around her unconsciously. His eyes closed briefly, before opening them again. They were clear, and the colour of blackcurrants, save a thin rim of purple contrasting starkly. Thoughts fled from her head, leaving her a willing prisoner within his arms, watching as he shifted his head, staring at the kiss that was to happen. The barest of breaths was felt as his lips hovered above her own, so close to touching, and yet not. Frustration and confusion warred within her and his hand came up to tilt her chin upwards, forcing her ocean gaze upon him. Then with an entirely male smile, he claimed the lips he had been wanting to feel beneath his own for so long.

Paradise. That's what it was. From those lips, he tasted paradise. The tentative contact sent her jerking back slightly but he wouldn't let her go, not this time. For him, it was all or nothing. It had been sealed the moment he had set his eyes upon her; he realised that now. Her lips were closed, and with his hand, he coaxed them to part, so he could explore the mysteries within. Gently, she exhaled, eyes fluttering open, startling him. He nearly let out a groan at the shade of blue her eyes had become, the mix of protectiveness and desire nearly rendering him immobile. Thankfully, the part of him that only she could bring out responded.

"Daijoubu?" he whispered, eyes never leaving hers.

"Daijoubu," she responded breathlessly, the word encompassing so much more than one simple kiss. It was as if an eternity had been promised. To his immense delight, she stood on her tiptoes to press her lips against his.

His skin burned from her kiss, and somehow those innocent lips tempted him far more than anything else she could have done. Sensations shot through him, and without knowing how, somehow he knew that the identical flames within them had exploded into a burning hunger yearning to be fulfilled. Deepening the kiss, he could feel her fear as if it were his own, and he set about reassuring her with all the gentleness that used to be a part of him. His hand carefully traced her jawbone before cupping her chin, allowing the kiss to consume them both. Passion blazed powerfully, rising like a phoenix from the ashes below. He could taste her yearning, just as he knew she could his. She gave a soft moan and shifted against him, making him want her all the more. It wasn't just a simple question of want. He needed her as much as he needed to breathe and extract his revenge. His arms lifted her off the ground, bringing her closer to his body. Both were responding as if they could somehow mold themselves into the other person. It was mind-boggling how two souls completely infused with revenge could suddenly be overcome by something else altogether. Then again, neither had counted on meeting each other.

Pulling apart finally, his breathing was ragged as he pressed a rough kiss against her forehead, and continued holding her. He waited for his heart rate to slow its dance and he could feel the slight racing of her own. He smiled against her hair, admiring the golden locks that felt as soft as it looked draping across his arms. Was this what heaven was like? He would gladly give up his devil's soul if it meant an eternity of this with her.

But even as he thought this, he remembered all the suffering that Aya had to go through, and his parents' unnecessary death and something within him withered. As much as he lo... cared for the woman in his arms, he could not permit an evil like Takatori Reiji destroying Japan's name. All the vile deeds committed, all the innocent lives defiled deserved the monster's blood in return. And even then, it wouldn't be sufficient. What flames would be left burning then? Inhaling the sweet flowery-smell of her hair, he rested his chin upon the top of her head. In truths, it was her he was concerned about. He did not want her living in a world where such darkness loomed, and was able to strike at any time.

Both minds were thinking identical thoughts and though neither of them knew it, for tonight, it was all right to pretend that they were two normal young adults, deeply in love.

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That night, the senseless murders of two church staff were tormented brutally before being killed. Their bodies were arranged thoughtfully in the middle of the aisle. As the light from the windows shone in, they struck the bodies gently before bathing the carpet beneath in a pool of red.

That night, under the moon's watchful beams, a lone figure finalized the plans that would result in the demise of Takatori Reiji. The game was about to begin.

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Notes: RK = Rurouni Kenshin, and yupyup, Kaoru and Kenshin are most definitely in it ^_^x