This is my first ever fanfiction actually.  So uh, if it's crap don't be too mean, okay?  Or it'll scar my self confidence forever and I'll never write again…  Anyways you know the drill.  I don't own Kenshin or anyone else they belong that guy who first made them up.  Err, I should probably know his name seeing as I'm so obsessed with Kenshin.  And the title and all the chapter names were taken from a really good song called "number one blind" by veruca salt.  Great band, I strongly suggest you go out and buy their CD.  But I didn't make them up myself so don't sue me Nina! 

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Chapter 1

Be My Blind

            "You truly are a rare beauty, Ms. Kaoru." 

            Koaru smiled uneasily at his sudden flirtations.  Honestly, she had just met the man and he was already filling her with empty complements.

"Yo-you're too kind."  For all he knew, she could've of been married, was that too hard to believe?  That someone like her would be capable of having a husband.  She sighed, maybe it was.  After all she'd been madly in love with Kenshin for what seemed like an eternity and they still hadn't so much as kissed.  I'm hopeless; I'll never get Kenshin's attention.  He's probably off right now, flirting with some other woman.  Suddenly, her mood brightened.  No, Kenshin wouldn't do that.  The fear of Kenshin leaving me to wander again will never leave me but I don't think I could ever picture Kenshin leaving me for some girl.  She smiled to herself, for some reason this thought made her feel warm and fuzzy.

"My name is Arima, Arima Ichijoji.  I overheard someone speak your name earlier that's how I knew it, gomen if it surprised you." said the handsome gentleman that was emptily filling her earlier.  Kaoru snapped back into reality.  Come to think of it what a man like this doing talking to her?  He was quite handsome, with his soft brown hair that stopped around his shoulder and his dark brown eyes which, if Kaoru wasn't so caught up thinking about Kenshin, would pierce her soul.  He was tall, perhaps a tad bit skinny but then so was Kenshin.  He seemed to be well-dressed in a strange looking gi but his hakama looked like they had been quite expensive.

"That's quite alright," Kaoru said distantly, "it's only my name."  Where is Kenshin now?  She felt kind of bad for him.  Megumi had practically dragged him along to this silly party of hers.  She should go see him to keep him company.

***

Kenshin tried with all his might to keeps his eyes off them but the battosai inside him was furious.  Who does that man think he is talking to his lovely Kaoru?  No man was worthy of her attention, no man except him of course. 

Kenshin tried to reason with himself, they're only talking, besides he had never laid any claim on Kaoru-dono that he had not.  How could he possibly expect Kaoru-dono to sit back and wait till he finally felt like going after her?  But it was pointless arguing with the battosai over Kaoru.  He was madly in love with her, her strength, her courage, her independence.  Before, the battosai had never had much interest in anything other than but battle but ever since he first laid eyes on her, he found her to be….. irresistible.  The rurouni had a hell of a time stopping himself from outright jumping on top of her sometimes, especially when he watched her fight.  Hell, watching Kaoru do anything with a bokken drove him wild.  For some reason it was especially hard repressing the battosai when it came to Kaoru but the rurouni could never quite figure out why…

And why is that? The battosai blazed returning his chain of thought back to their debate.  Damn rurouni, whose fault is it that we've never gone after Kaoru?  "I'm not worthy, Kaoru has no interest in me, think of Tomoe" imitated the battosai snarling in Kenshin's mind.  I know you love her too rurouni! And I know we love her a thousand times more than we ever loved Tomoe.

Kenshin eyes were fixated on that strange man despite the war going on within him.  That's not true! Kenshin was so angry, he almost said it aloud.  I loved Tomoe very much, that I did.  And it would be a lie to say that I don't love Kaoru-dono but Tomoe was very special to me and I could never tarnish her memory that I could not.  Kenshin was now quite angry at himself and at the infernal man speaking to Kaoru.

***

Kaoru scanned the room for Kenshin.  It didn't take long for his shinning violet and amber eyes to jump out at her.  Wait, amber?  What on earth was going, on why was Kenshin in battosai mode now, at a party?  And better yet, why was he staring at her and he looked… angry.

"Dare I ask if such a beauty is married?" questioned Arima agitatedly; Kaoru's indifference to his advances was beginning to anger him.

What should I do? Oh, Kenshin's been in battosai mode before and he's always snapped out of it and there's still violet in his eyes, he's not all the way there yet.  Maybe there's still something I can do.

"Excuse me good sir, but there's something I must do."

Kaoru looked at Kenshin and smiled.  It seemed to have some sort calming effect on him.  The amber started to fade.   She sighed in relief; this won't be as difficult as I thought. She began walking towards Kenshin. 

But before Kaoru could take another step, Arima grabbed her arm and swung her around till they were staring into each other's eyes.  Kaoru's body tensed in fear. 

"I asked you a question."

Oh, this certainly isn't going to help bring Kenshin back.

***

Kenshin's gaze continued to fixate on Kaoru.  What are you waiting for rurouni?  Go cut off that man's head.  Kenshin was about to reply to himself when Kaoru's eyes suddenly met his.  His stomach suddenly tightened.  She smiled… at him. 

He wanted so badly to return with one of his famous smiles, but the battosai still had such a hold on him.  She started walking towards him. 

Hmph, you're lucky this time you god damn skinny bastard, the battosai wanted to yell.  A few more minutes and I would've had control.

Kaoru had barely taken 2 steps towards him when that man, grabbed her.  Kenshin's eyes flared with amber.  How dare he? –No one- touches Kaoru-dono, even the rurouni wouldn't let anyone get away with that.  Suddenly the thought of a good decapitation didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Kenshin drew his sword.  But the rurouni still barely remained in control.

"I suggest you take your filthy hands off Kaoru-dono, that I do," said Kenshin firmly and coldly.  The room was silent.  Kaoru turned towards Kenshin, arm still in Arima's grasp.

"You mean this rare flower?" replied the oaf holding Kaoru. "Is she your lover?  You really shouldn't let such beauty stray.  No… she isn't your lover is she.  No, man in their right mind would let her test temptation with a man as gorgeous as I.  Hahahaha...  But you do love her don't you?"  He smirked.  Kenshin's body stiffened.  "I saw the way you were looking at her just now."

Kaoru blushed.  Was he really looking at her like that?

"Let Koaru-dono go, now."  Kenshin gave him one of his best I suggest you do what I say or die looks.

"Are you going to make me?  I doubt a short little twerp like you could beat me even if I had my right hand tied behind my back," replied Arima cockily.

Maybe she was wrong, maybe one day maybe she really would become, dare she say it, Kenshin's wife.  Suddenly, Arima twisted her arm backwards.

"Ahn!" she yelped in surprised.  As assistant master to the Kamiya Kashin style, she wasn't about to let him get away with treating her like this.

"This is your last warni-" started Kenshin, trying to sound as intimidating as possible.

"Yah!" Kaoru flipped Arima over her head and onto the floor before Kenshin had a chance to finish. "I suggest you think twice next time before messing with the assistant master of the Kamiya Kashin style!"

Kenshin stared in awe.  He smiled to himself.  He had forgotten that Kaoru-dono was perfectly capable of taking care of herself that she was. 

Amazing, the battosai flared inside him again. I must have her.

"Whew," Kaoru sighed, she had perhaps used a bit too much power on that attack.  Megumi's floor looked a little damaged.

As Arima scrambled away, Kaoru assessed how much it would cost to fix the floor; she knew Megumi was going to make her pay for it even though she was attacked by a strange man at her party no less and of course, none of the ungrateful freeloaders living at the dojo where about to help her with the costs. 

Honestly, the things I put up with.  She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Kenshin walking up to her. 

She was midway between polishing and new wood costs when out of no where Kenshin's soft lips met hers.  At his intimate touch, her stomach started doing summersaults and her cheeks turned a thousand shades of red.  Wh-what was Kenshin doing?