Author: Ankara Stark
Title: Reoccurring Nightmares
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its affiliates, but I do own this story. ;)
Chapter Four
~~*~~
Kaoru was rooted where she stood. Her body seemed to freeze in his tight embrace, unable to move. The feeling of his hot breath against the skin between her neck and shoulder made her shudder with some unknown emotions. But the feeling of his lips moving against her neck when he whispered left her feeling breathless. She then realized that she had been holding her breath only when his hand came up to her head and gently began to stroke her hair against the back of her head. The assistant master forced herself to draw in a deep breath, uncertain as to what she was supposed to do. Kenshin was obviously in a very delicate situation with his emotions and if she were to push him away now, she didn't know how he would react. But at the same time, why would she want to push him away? Wasn't she the one who had always longed to hold him close like this? Not only would she be crazy to refuse him now when he obviously needed her now more than ever, but it would just prove that she was willing to take from him when she was in need but that she wasn't willing to reciprocate for him when he needed a friend.
"D-don't worry, Kenshin," she began nervously, blinking rapidly as she tried to sound calm in order to soothe him. "… I'm not going anywhere." With that being said, Kaoru tried to put her arms around him in a hug, only to find that her left arm was completely pinned to her side by his arm. The arm was tightly wrapped around her torso, preventing her from holding him properly in her own embrace. So Kaoru did the only thing that she could do and hesitantly wrapped her right arm around his torso, her embrace both gentle but firm at the same time. She slowly ran her free hand up and down his back in her own attempt to give him the comfort he was so desperately seeking, the calluses of her bokken-trained hands snagging the rough material of his gi. Something in the back of her mind registered just how well muscled Kenshin's wiry frame really was; all the years he had spent sword-training really seemed to have paid off on his body, leaving it well-toned and corded with modest muscles. A person really couldn't tell by just looking at him, but to actually feel the muscles was something completely different…
Suddenly she realized that the body beneath her hand had stiffened and the hand in her hair had stopped its caressing the moment she begun to rub his back. Her own hand stilled in hesitation "Kenshin?" she inquired quietly, uncertain how to proceed.
"… K-Kaoru-dono?" Came the reply from the man whose face was pressed into her neck, his breath tickling the smooth flesh it blew across. Kenshin slowly raised his head and pulled back slightly, his wide lavender eyes staring into her pools of blue. An instant later he let his arms slip away from her body, suddenly breaking the contact as he took a step back to put some space between them. Something deep inside Kaoru made her almost want to cry out at the loss of physical contact between them. Her eyes flickered up to his face. "… Are you alright, Kenshin?" She couldn't help but to let her gaze slip down slightly to his throat to watch as his Adam's apple rose in his throat as he swallowed nervously against the lump that seemed to have formed there.
"H-hai," he stuttered, his faced now lowered and eyes hidden beneath his red bangs. He always did that whenever he felt particularly disgusted with himself. "… Sessha apologizes for having taken advantage of Kaoru-dono, that he does."
"Kenshin…" she quietly murmured, lifting a hand toward his chin in an attempt to raise his face so she could look into his eyes, but he simply turned his face away in shame before she could touch him. He refused to meet her gaze, continuing to stare unseeingly down at the ground beneath their feet. "Kenshin," she began, slightly annoyed that he wouldn't look at her and frowned slightly at his action. So she persisted by gently pressing her fingertips against the smooth underside of his jaw, forcing him to raise his face. When she still could not see his eyes due to his bangs, she hesitantly raised her other hand to gently brush the fine strands aside, letting her fingertips lightly skim his cheek as she did so. What should have been a touch that was so light that it barely registered instead sent jolts of electricity through his body, eliciting a gasp from the trembling man. When she heard his sharp intake of breath, Kaoru steeled her nerves and more firmly pressed her hands against his cheek and jaw, knowing she would never get another chance to do this again. Her thumb gently caressed the jaw line that it traced as she made her demand. "Look at me."
Kenshin felt the muscles in his jaw clench and release erratically as he tried to keep his emotions repressed. Finally, he opened his eyes. His darker-than-usual lavender gaze flickered down slightly to meet hers, lavender meeting blue, and he wanted nothing more than to loose himself in the beauty of her eyes. They just stood there like that for several moments: Kenshin, standing stiff as a board with his hands tightly clenching and releasing spastically at his sides, and Kaoru, with both of her hands pressed against the side of his face.
Kaoru stared up at his face, into his eyes, silently probing and searching for the answer she was looking for... whatever that answer was. Nervously, she licked her lips; she had never been this close to Kenshin, so why shouldn't she be nervous? She'd always dreamed of a moment like this coming true and here it was! Her lips then parted and she sharply inhaled in surprise when she realized that Kenshin's now opened eyes were hooded and his gaze had flickered down to her mouth the moment she had licked her lips. He had been watching the movement of her tongue over her lips like he was entranced by it. Is he going to kiss me? Kaoru wondered with both nervousness and eager anticipation. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, threatening to break loose from her ribcage. The sword instructor leaned into him, tilting his face down toward hers with her hands while her lips remained parted invitingly. Her blue orbs searched the face above hers for some clue as to what he was thinking.
Lost in the moment, Kenshin slowly leaned forward as well. His mind was muddled with emotions. The samurai raised a rough, calloused hand and pressed it against the side of her neck. His fingers wrapped around the back of her neck while his thumb gently stroked her jaw line before sliding down to the pulse point of her throat. That particular area of flesh fluttered madly beneath his thumb, telling him just how furiously the young woman's heart was beating within her. It also told him what kind of an effect he was having upon her. Straightening slightly, he added a slightly amount of pressure to the pulse-point of her neck with his thumb, gently urging Kaoru to move back a step until her upper thighs were pressed against the rock of the well behind her. When she complied with his silent demand, he stepped closer as well, backing her up so that she was pinned between his body and the well. Kenshin gazed down at her flushed face and desire-glazed eyes and felt a small, seductive smile touch his lips. Just knowing that he had such an affect on the woman, even though he had hardly even touched her, sent a thrill of masculine pride down his spine. He had longed to be able to touch her and hold her like this for so long, and, oh, did it feel good to actually be able to do so… He couldn't think, only feel. His other arm found its way around her waist by its own accord, drawing her lithe form closer to his own. Kenshin lowered his head and pressed his cheek against hers, enjoying the feel of her flushed, silky skin against his own. Nothing else mattered then; it was only the two of them- no one else existed in the world. The samurai then lifted his head and raised the thumb that had been pressed against her smooth throat to the underside of her chin, tilting her face upward, toward his own. Their faces were only millimeters a part, their panting breaths mingled together in the air of the cool air of the winter morning. The vapors collided in the air and mixed together into one puff of steam. It had suddenly become more difficult for him to breathe; he was completely intoxicated by her; a junkie who couldn't get enough of what he craved. He was addicted to her and only she could give him what it was that he needed. He nuzzled her throat. Only she could satisfy his hunger.
"Kaoru," he murmured in a low, husky voice, staring down at her from beneath his hooded eyelids. The arm around her body constricted, pulling her body impossibly closer to his.
She couldn't believe that this was happening. He called her by her name, not with the honorific attachment… and his voice sent a shiver down her spine: he going to kiss her. She had waited so long for this, and now the moment had finally come. Slowly, Kaoru let her eyelids slide shut as she tilted her head slightly to the side, anxious yet eager for what was about to happen. Arching her neck, she hesitantly nosed forward toward the man who held her securely in his arms...
"Kenshin, haven't you gotten that water yet?" yelled a very irate Yahiko just as he slid the dojo door open with Sanosuke standing behind him. "And where's busu?" he yelled out as well, only the words died on his lips when his gaze focused on the scene being played out before him. The sight that greeted the two newcomers was one that neither expected and Sano quickly put his hands over the young boy's eyes as a shield, but actually ended up covering his entire face, mouth included, due to the sheer size of his hand. Sanosuke stared in amazement at the unbelievable scene that was playing out before his very eyes; Kenshin was standing by the well where he'd left him, only it seemed that he had finally taken his advice. Kaoru was now pinned between him and the stone well... and she didn't seemed to mind being trapped between them by any means. The magenta-wearing samurai's arms were tightly wrapped around her body and he held her close while tilting Kaoru's face upward toward his own. But the part that had Sanosuke most surprised was the fact that their mouths were about to touch in a kiss.
"Whoa!" The fighter yelped, the fish bones held between his teeth nearly falling from his mouth, and grabbed Yahiko by the front of his training uniform and jerked him back into the dojo, quickly snapping the door shut. He just hoped that he and Yahiko hadn't interrupted them when about to actually show the feelings for one another that they had been denying for so long.
"S-sano.. Did you just see what I think I've just seen?" Yahiko asked shakily, lifting his gaze to peer up at the fighter next to him, his eyes wide in shock.
Sanosuke swallowed nervously before a sly grin spread over his face. "Yeah, Yahiko. I think we just witnessed a miracle." Slipping his arm over the boy's shoulder, the white-clad fighter leaned down sideways. "I think our little Kenshin's finally realized that he's in love."
Yahiko's shocked expression became even more surprised. "In love? With who?"
The tall man glared down at him. "Boy, are you dense! Who do you think, after seeing what you just saw outside?"
After a moment, Yahiko's expression of shock quickly melted away into a disgusted face. "Eww… He's in love with that busu? I think that he's been hit over the head with too many bokkens if that is the case!"
Sanosuke rolled his eyes. "You stupid kid. Jou-chan is actually a nice looking gal; just wait until you're old enough to realize just how wonderful women are… even Kaoru. But you're too young for that now, kid."
"Pfft," Yahiko snorted aloud and stubbornly crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't care how old I get- no amount of years could make me see that busu as attractive, unless when I'm old I'm completely blind and just being able to see anything would look good to me."
"Heh," was Sano's reply. "I wouldn't tell Kenshin that, if I were you. But just wait until you get yourself a girlfriend." He paused for a moment before his mouth formed into a smirk. "Then again, with that attitude, Yahiko," he continued, "You'll never get a girlfriend- your 'charm' would scare them all away."
Indignantly the young boy glared up at the fighter, "I could too get a girlfriend if I wanted!" he shot back. "In fact, I know one girl who I could charm right off her feet right now!"
"I meant someone other than the girls in your dreams!"
"Gah!"
"Stupid kid."
"Don't call me a kid!" he snapped. "And besides, how would someone like you know anything about women? The only thing you seem to do to them is tick them off rather than sweep them off their feet!"
"I've been known to sweep the ladies off their feet," Sanosuke said with a suave, debonair smile.
"Oh, yeah? And how much did you have to pay them to like you?"
…
"Ouch!" Yahiko yelped aloud, rubbing his head and staring up at the fighter next to him. "What was that for, tori-atama?!"
"That was a warning so that you will learn when to keep that mouth of yours shut, kid," he replied, casually leaning back against the wall behind him.
"You do seem to have bad luck with girls, though," Yahiko continued, rubbing the ever-growing lump at the top of his head. "I mean you can't even get Megumi to like you!"
Sanosuke growled and took a menacing step toward the young boy, glaring at him. "The fox likes me alright," he muttered. "She's just being stubborn."
"Hah! She's a smart woman," Yahiko retorted, smirking. "Why would any intelligent being, whether it's a human or not, want to go for a tori-atama like you?"
That earned the young man another bash over the head, much to his chagrin. "Stop hitting me," he yelped out in annoyance.
"Then stop insulting me, you little brat."
"Grr! Quit calling me that," Yahiko shouted, leaping up on his friend and began to gnaw on his head once again before the two were rolling around on the floor in yet another brawl, arguing about Tsubame and "the fox" Megumi liking them, the two people they had seen standing outside immediately forgotten...
He held her close, tilting her face up toward his. Kenshin stared down at her flushed cheeks and plump lips, yearning for nothing more than to kiss her. He watched as her lids fell, the dark eyelashes standing out in stark contrast against the creamy white complexion of her skin. Moving of their own accord, his own eyelids languidly slid closed as well. He slowly bent his neck down toward her while she arched hers up toward him, their hot breaths mingling in the cold air. His mouth was about to claim hers when suddenly…
"Kenshin, haven't you gotten that water yet?" Yahiko shouted as he barged from the inside of the dojo, only to grunt as he was obviously being yanked back inside. The snap of the dojo door sliding shut was then heard, but the damage had already been done. Kenshin snapped to his senses the instant the young boy's voice had been heard and stiffened immediately, his body freezing where it stood, his hands and arms still on and wrapped around her lithe form. A moment later, the samurai slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring into Kaoru's startled blue ones. Blinking rapidly and giving his head a shake as if to clear it, he quickly released her, breaking any physical contact between them and immediately began raining his murmured apologies down upon her. His cheeks were flushed a brilliant hue of pink and head was hung with shame and embarrassment.
A shade of pink stole across the already-flushed young woman's cheeks the moment that she had opened her eyes. Then an instant later fear took over. She knew the moment that her young apprentice had barged outside yelling for Kenshin what the samurai was going to do; he was going to leave. I can't let him leave, she thought, panicking. I can't let him leave- not like this! Quickly, she moved toward him even as he stumbled backwards, away from her. Before she could reach out to grab him, however, he moved backwards and his foot collided with the laundry tub sitting in the yard.
The instant Kenshin felt the wooden bucket he knew what was about to happen. But with his senses and reflexes still haywire from the emotional stress he'd just been going through during his encounter with Kaoru, he wasn't able to react quickly enough to prevent such a mistake. He fell backwards, grabbing out for the clothesline to help prevent his fall. But the line quickly snapped due to his weight and he found himself falling into the tub filled with icy water. The water splashed out of it in all directions, soaking both him and his clothing thoroughly… and there he just sat in the wooden bucket, up to his elbows in water. His eyes were hidden beneath the bangs of red hair that dripped a few drops of water. Kenshin let out an exasperated sigh and the exhaled air turned into a vapor he could see in the cool winter weather. He simply hung his head and didn't bother to get up, seeming to be more content to just sit and freeze his butt off in the icy water than face the woman who stood over him.
Kaoru stared with wide eyes with a hand over her mouth, trying to hide her shock. She pulled her hand away from her face and bit her lip, giving the man a sympathetic look, uncertain as to whether she should help him up or just leave him alone to wallow in his complete and utter misery. Then she remembered Kenshin would get sick if he stayed in the frigid water. Kaoru immediately stepped forward and knelt down on the wet ground before him. "Kenshin?" she inquired quietly, a nervous tinge to her voice. She tried to look into his eyes, but he wouldn't let her and she let out an exasperated sigh herself. Poor guy. She rose to her feet and held a hand out to him. "Stand up… You'll get sick if you stay in the water like this- it's too cold out here!" When he didn't move, she frowned and planted her hands on her hips in her typical defiant stands. "Kenshin, get up. You're going to get sick if you stay in there like that." She extended her hand once again toward the drenched swordsman.
Slowly, he took her hand and with her help stood up. But he was still unable to bring himself to look her in the eye. "If Kaoru-dono does not mind," he began quietly. "This unworthy one would like to go heat up the cooking fire again and hang my clothing next to it so that it dry faster."
Her eyes slid closed in pain when he said her name with the honorific added to it. It felt as though he had just slapped her across the face. "Of course, Kenshin," she coolly agreed, the volume of her voice no louder than a whisper. "I could go heat up the bath if you'd like to get a hot bath; it would help you warm up." She looked down at her hands and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to break loose as she turned her back on him to walk toward the bathhouse.
"No, but thank you for your kind offer, Kaoru-dono." The soaked samurai slowly walked past her, water dripping his clothing, making the garments unusually clingy, hanging heavily to every muscle of his body as he walked away. "That will not be necessary." The woman behind him watched as him left to change into a dry yukata. Kaoru sighed in both sorrow and frustration. She had been so close… so damned close. The moment she had been waiting for so long had finally arrived, only to be ruined by that little brat. Her eyes immediately narrowed with both anger and frustration, and she frowned. She'd make sure that he had a lot of extra strokes and sword exercises to practice because of his interruption… With that thought in mind, Kaoru turned on her heel and stalked toward the dining area of the dojo, her mind set only on dealing with her young, troublesome apprentice and to release some of the pent-up frustration she was experiencing because of a certain redheaded swordsman.
~~*~~
Author's notes: I hope that this chapter gave you a little bit of romance ^_~ Yes, there will be more romance in the future. Hopefully, though, this chapter met the satisfaction of all you reviewers and thank you all for your continued reviewing! I really appreciate the input!
And I'm sorry that I still haven't gotten around to fixing the second chapter as of yet ^_^;; But when I actually find the time to work on my writing, I'm usually trying to work on the next chapter of the story rather than to go back to my old files, update them, save them again, alter the document type and re-upload the files again ^_^;; But I will get around to doing it soon, though! Promise! Thank you all for your patience!
Also, there will be a slight change in the story line of the second chapter once I go back to edit it. Hopefully, it will help clear up any/all confusion that the chapter may have caused.
-Ankara xox
Replies to all your reviews: Thanks again for all your reviews, guys!
AnGeLiK-NiKoLe: Did this chapter answer your question? Hehe.
Tanpopo no hana: Thank you kindly. And yes, informative input is always very helpful!
Shivigrl/Amyjenc1: People react differently to the different forms of emotional stress. He's in love with Kaoru, but is afraid to show it and when she touched him like she did, it sent his senses reeling and left him trembling. Emotions make people's systems go haywire sometimes and become very unpredictable, per say.
Arizosa: Thank you very much. I was hoping to be able to properly capture the character's personalities ^_^;; glad you like them!
LiLV13TaNhDao: Thank you kindly, and I will do just that!
Angle1: Hehe, thanks a bunch. And yeah, you could say his feelings have slipped.
DarkShadowHuntress: Eep! Not another stalker! O_o nah, hehe, it's okay. Stalk the story all you want. ;) I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far, though!
BabyKaoru-Sama: Aye, he is. But love will do that to someone. ;)
Kard of Dark: Thank you very much. I hope that this chapter was pleasing enough for you!
POAS: Thank you. :)
Silky3: Hehe, thank you kindly. :) I was very happy to read all of the reviews that people had posted. It makes me want to continue my writing. And to answer your question, this actually takes place after the Kyoto/Shishio incident. The reason that I used Jin'e for the dream instead of Shishio is because Jin'e had helped to lure the Battousai out by using Kaoru and was also the one who told Kenshin that a manslayer is just a manslayer until the day he dies, and because of him saying that in addition to him almost turning back into the Battousai while battling him, Kenshin constantly fears that there will be someone he'll have to kill in order to save her and will definitely cause him to turn back into the hitokiri… The reason that I used Jin'e in the dream was because of how close he had come to killing him before Kaoru stopped him. Kenshin fears that next time neither he nor she would be able to stop him from killing the person. Anyhow, keep reading the story! The upcoming chapters will help to clear things up for you (hopefully!)… hope I didn't confuse you with my answer here ^_^;;
Gracianeko: Aye, I do. ;) And it seems to always keep you coming back for more, ne?
And to answer your question, Kenshin is trying to deal with emotions that are suddenly breaking free. He fears for her safety because of the Battousai that is coming to the surface, yet at the same time he wants her to be with him. Her presence soothes him and he needs her there to comfort him… yet he's afraid that he might hurt her. So there is a lot of confusion for him right now. Anyhow, I hope that helped answer your question. ^_^;;
Linggoddess: Hehe, yep, I update this fic whenever I can!
Linggoddess: Yes, I love my cliffhangers ^_^ hehe. And to answer your question, "Sessha" is what Kenshin refers to himself as when he is in "Rurouni" mode rather than Battousai mode. "Sessha" basically means "this unworthy one," or something along the lines of that. Anyhow, I hope that helped!
Sephira jo: Hehehe, I am :P and will do. ^.^
Cat, Avatar for the DCG: Yes, that was one of the things that I wanted to edit but haven't yet had the time (and patience ^_^;;) or opportunity to do so. But I will once I get the next possibility! I don't like leaving my readers confused, so I apologize for the problem it may have caused!
Animepanda1: I'm trying to update ASAP! :D
Disturbed-demon-gurl: Thank you for your kind review of my work! :D … But don't die O_o Hehe… And here I used to think that writing Gundam Wing fan fictions was my specialty when I was younger, heh… Thanks for telling me what you think! :)
Hells-angel8: Yeah, he can be really thickheaded sometimes _ But that's Kenshin, right? We wouldn't love him any other way!
Emsdesire: Thank you very much!
No-one-of-impotance: Hehe, I hope that this chapter answered your question!
Nanakilover/Brukaoru: Will do as soon as I possibly can! :D
May strom: Yes, haywire emotions will may anyone act peculiarly, wouldn't you say? ;)
Ren-Okye: Aye! That is very true. Thank you for your review! :D
Shi-Shi: I will try to keep updating it as soon as possible, but work gets in the way and my college classes start back up in six days. Because of that, it may take me a while because of that, too ^_^;;
Azura Dea: Oh no, another person is threatening me! ^_^;; *gulps* It looks like I'd better get the next chapter out soon!
Dragonmasterduelist: I appreciate your kind input and opinion on my fiction! Thank you very much!
Neko: The Cat That Is Everywhere: Actually, I was trying to reply to all the reviews and when I accidentally refreshed the review page, I found yours, lol. I hope that this chapter has helped to answer your question a little about what is happening (or at least tease you a bit with a little romantic writing, hehe). And I will continue writing, don't you worry about that! Again, thanks for both reading and reviewing!