Well this is it. The first official chapter written by Sephiress (that's me!) for I'll Protect You Always. This is much longer then the other chapters have been and it's more sexual, as SapphireWings asked me to do in her requests. I've introduced some original characters in here, so they do belong to me.

On a few quick notices:

XI have changed the formalities in this story from english to japanese. (like Miss - -dono)

Xfor those of you who want to comment on the lemon/lime vs. non, send me an e-mail with your vote.

much luv
Sephiress

Disclaimer: Don't own them, never will.

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Their faces slowly grew closer together. She could feel his hot breath on her skin. Her eyelids closed as she prepared to meet his lips...

"Kenshin!!!! Is breakfast ready?!?!" Yahiko's annoyed voice brought the two back to reality. They could hear footsteps growing close and separated quickly. Kaoru hurried to her room, but not before sneaking a glance at the man she had come so close to sharing her first kiss with. His eyes were closed and he was taking deep breaths to regain control. Sensing her gaze, he opened his eyes. Amber and amethyst swirled together in his depths. He closed them again and she disappeared into her room.

Still in her towel, Kaoru collapsed onto her futon. 'What just happened?' she thought. Whatever it was, she liked it. She liked it and wanted more...

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Chapter 4) Out of the Ordinary

He had been so close! So close to releasing the passions he had begun to feel all those months ago. So close to be able to express the way he felt for that ebony-haired goddess. So close...

Their eyes had met before Kaoru disappeared into her room. Her sapphire orbs reflected shock and at the same time, she could not hide the desire she felt. All Battousai wanted to do at that moment was follow her into her room and kiss that woman until neither of them could breathe. But the gentle Kenshin inside him knew what would happen if he did. He would've had no control over his actions if his lips had met hers. 'Deep breaths' he thought to himself, following his thoughts.

A tap on the shoulder brought his thoughts back. He turned and looked into the annoyed face of the boy who had interrupted that heated moment. His eyes had returned to purple, but he could not help feeling anger flash briefly through his body. Another deep breath sent the feeling away and he smiled.

"Breakfast... Oro! Of course! How could I have forgotten?" he stated in a fake-surprised voice. Kenshin knew exactly what would make him forget breakfast, and it was currently in the room next to him. Reluctantly, the rurouni stood up and walked to the kitchen with Yahiko behind him.

Little did he know that a certain ex-gangster had been standing outside for the last ten minutes, a cocky smirk on his tan face.

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Kaoru searched her closet for something to wear while her other kimono was drying, but in reality, she was searching her mind. Never before in her life did she see the attractive, breath-taking, and incredibly sexy side of Battousai. Kenshin had these qualities, but she couldn't remember the last time he looked her with anything but friendship in his eyes. Sure, she was in love with him and she had had plenty of fantasies about being in his arms, but reality was so much different.

"Especially since it was Battousai", she said to herself. At this thought, she clutched the towel around her tighter. Her skin was hot where his hands had touched her, and what a thrilling touch it had been. If only Yahiko had interrupted them one minute later...

'No matter, he'll get his reward in our training today', she thought. An evil grin spread across Kaoru's face as she envisioned her pupil after his exercises today. She quickly dressed into the gi and hakama she picked out and tied her ebony hair into its usual ponytail. If her plans to go shopping with Megumi still stood, she would have to hurry with Yahiko's lessons. Realizing this, the young kendo instructor dashed off to find her pupil.

Kaoru was rounding the corridor to the kitchen before colliding with a body for the second time that day. She was inches from hitting the ground before two strong arms wrapped around her back and held her in place.

Her eyes remained shut as memories of the incident with Battousai flooded her mind. She would not open her eyes for two reasons. First, if it was him that was holding her right now, she knew she would be lost if his amber orbs met hers. Second, she was scared that before had been only an accident and she was being stupid in thinking that the man-slayer may actually have feelings for her.

"Hey Jou-chan, you can open your eyes now. I won't drop you", came the snicker of the man holding her. Blue eyes snapped open to find brown eyes staring back at her. Sanosuke smiled down at her, fishbone in mouth. A blush crept up to her face and she was about to send a retort back before she noticed something. She suddenly realized how close their faces were. Not to mention the fact that her body was brushing his as he held her above the ground.

Of course, at this very moment, a certain fox doctor was seen at the end of the hallway...followed by a red-head rurouni. The two froze in pure shock at the sight before them, jealously quickly settling in each of their forms. Kaoru and Sano looked up to see them, and for a long moment, Kenshin and Kaoru's eyes met while Sano and Megumi stared at each other.

Sano was the first to gain his train of thought and cracked a smile as a brilliant idea came to his head. (A.N. OMG, Sano actually using his head?) If he was gonna get Kenshin to admit his feelings for Jou-chan, he might as well start now.

Megumi had apparently regained her ability to speak as well. Fox ears popped up on her head as she said, "Well well, what do we have here? Who would've ever thought it would be the tanuki and the rooster, ne Ken-san?"

Failing to respond to her comment, Kenshin, or Battousai now, watched in rage as Sanosuke straightened himself, still holding Kaoru against him, her body being held above the ground. His purple-gold eyes burst into full amber as he watched Sano slowly set her down, Kaoru's lithe little body sliding sensually against his before she touched the ground. It took as the rurouni's strength to stop his Battousai side from knocking that chicken-head to the ground and devour Kaoru's sweet lips to let her know just who she belonged to.

For once in her life, Megumi was lost for words. She too had seen Sano's actions and was boiling with jealously. How dare that little raccoon-girl even think about taking HER Sanosuke Sagara. She tore her eyes from the two, not daring to look at them again. Her dark eyes fell on Kenshin and widened in shock as she saw his slit amber eyes, clenched fists, and taut frame.

Kaoru was absolutely speechless. Here she was, being held, pressed, and slid across the body of the former Zanza. Not to mention all this in front of a man she desired and woman she could not decide as a friend or rival. This situation was not welcome. A confused look passed across her face as she wondered what brought this new-found closeness between her and Sanosuke. However, she could not hold in the feeling of disgust she felt her body moved against his.

Sano was pleased. The reaction on Megumi's face was priceless and exactly what he had always wanted. His eyes turned to Kenshin and the happiness turned into fear as he saw the former hitokiri's hand inch toward the sakabatou at his hip.

"Ken-san? Did you hear me?"

Megumi's voice filtered through all of their heads as they snapped back from their own thoughts. She had taken one look at Kaoru's confused and slightly disgusted face to know what was really going on. The kitsune draped herself over Kenshin in an attempt to regain her composure, but at the same time to get back at Sagara.

Her actions had sure as hell gotten a reaction. Sanosuke let go of Kaoru as his hands fell to his side and Kaoru looked like she was ready to bring out her bokken and kill her on the spot.

"Megumi-dono, would you please let go? You're strangling me, that you are", gasped Kenshin. Megumi squeezed him again before releasing him. Kenshin rubbed his neck where Megumi had grabbed him and turned his focus back to Kaoru and Sano. Her face was flushed with embarrassment for the state they found her and Sanosuke in. The rage in him boiled up again at the thought of another man touching her intimately. He felt his hand clench and unclench repeatedly. He knew he had to get of the room before he did something all of them would regret, but at the same time, the possessive part of the hitokiri's mind refuse to leave HIS Kaoru alone with Sanosuke.

"Kaoru-dono, would you like to help me make breakfast? Yahiko will be very angry if it is not ready soon", Kenshin politely asked. His face showed the normal rurouni smile he had perfected over the years, but amber still glittered slightly in his eyes, hiding the Battousai that was hidden just below Kenshin's façade.

Still dazed, Kaoru's mind took a moment to register what Kenshin had asked. She took one look at the angry gold flecked his eyes and knew that there was defiantly an alterial motive he had besides cooking breakfast. A feeling in the pit of her stomach told her to think of a way out of this...fast.

"Uhh, I'd love to Kenshin, but-". That was all she got to say before Kenshin reached out and grasped her wrist with a firm yet gentle grip.

"Good, now let's go", he replied in a rather rough tone as he led her towards the kitchen. In all honesty, Kenshin was not sure when he wanted to do once he got on the other side of the kitchen door. Did he want to talk, tell Kaoru of his deep feelings for her? Or did he want something else...did he want to kiss her senseless as she melted in his arms?

Megumi and Sanosuke watched in awe as Kenshin dragged Kaoru through the kitchen door. They weren't blind, the amber-violet eyes did not go unnoticed. Whike Sanosuke was thoroughly pleased, Megumi could not help but feel a little worried. Kaoru was still a young woman, while Kenshin was a full-grown man. Could Kenshin really expect THAT? She admitted that she had felt something for Kenshin...once. But the doctor had given up long ago on having the rurouni to herself.

SLAP!!!!! Megumi's slender hand hit the side of a snickering Sanosuke's face. Sano fell to the ground uncerimonously and lay there for a moment, his eyes swirling in a Kenshin-like manner.

"What was that for Kitsune?! Are you trying to kill me?!"

Megumi smiled briefly at the mention of her long time nic-name, but replaced it quickly with a look of disgust at the man she secretly adored.

"It's not like you wern't doing well enough on your own. I'm surprised Ken- san didn't break his vow and slice you into sushi for the way you touched Kaoru-chan." Megumi said with venom seeping through every syllable. She was still burning with jelousy after seeing another woman in the arms of Sano, but the fact that Kaoru did not return the gesture made it bearable.

Sano smirked as he stood and brushed himself off. "What's wrong Megumi, is the green-eyed monster coming out?" Megumi opened her mouh to retort back, but Sano continued before she could begin.

"Besides, I think my plan of making Kenshin jelous worked out nicely. Especially with the way those Battousai eyes looked at Jou-chan."

Megumi gasped. In her argument with Sano, she had briefly forgotten about Kaoru's dilemma. Whirling around, she ran to the kitchen door to save the younger woman from something she might not be ready for.

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In any other case, Kaoru would have jumped at the chance to have Kenshin holding her hand in a room where they were alone. But now Kenshin... well he just wasn't Kenshin. His grip on her wrist was tight, as though he was afraid she would disappear if he let go and his eyes were shielded by his fiery hair leaving her completely unaware of the anger coursing through his veins.

He was beyond mad, he was beyond angry, he was pissed off. He was pissed off, but in a dark and possesive way. No one could touch Kaoru that way, he would not allow it. No man would ever be worthy of her, including his best friend.

'And who is? You?' the voice in his head teased.

Kenshin's regained some of the familiar amethyst in his eyes as he thought this. It was true, he had been a hitokiri and was probably the last person deserving of a young, innocent, not to mention beautiful, woman like Kaoru. But...but his heart would not allow her to be swept away by another man. If Kaoru fell for another, every fiber of his being would be shattered and Kenshin would not, could not allow that to happen again like it had with Tomoe, his former wife's death.

"Kenshin...?"

Her voice was timid. She was afraid, he realized as his grip on her wrist loosened. What was he thinking? He had acted on instinct, too much like the Battousai he had tried so hard to surpress.

It was time he told her. Told her what he had been feeling. If he didn't now, he would surly go mad.

"Kaoru-dono, I-"

"BUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!" They both jumped, the moment broken.

Yahiko, the monster himself, stuck his head through the now-opened door.

"Some people are here to see you." And with his message delivered, the brat ran off, probably to ruin the life of someone else.

Kaoru turned to Kenshin after nodding to Yahiko. "We can finish this up later Kenshin." She flashed him a disarming smile and left the kitchen to greet her guests.

Kenshin sighed and ran his fingers through his crimson locks. What was wrong with him lately?

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Kaoru dashed out of the kitchen before nearly colliding into Megumi, who seemed in just a rush as herself. Uttering a quick apology to the doctor, Kaoru sprinted past her, not wanting to keep her guests waiting. She opened to door to the dojo and the polite greeting on her lips died in shock as she saw the people waiting for her.

No sooner had Kaoru laid eyes on the group of people at her door, she found herself in the embrace of one of them. It wasn't a dream.

She looked into the face of the woman she was hugging.

Eyes like the ocean, long chocolate hair. And the smell of exotic fruits. Mangos and mandarins to be exact. It definatly wasn't a dream. They had come back to her. Kaoru hugged the woman tighter, never wanting to let go.

"Kao-chan, if you squeeze me any tighter, I'm gonna pass out!"

Kaoru released her friend with a laugh.

"Gomen Danima, but now you know how much I missed you." The group behind them laughed and Kaoru's eyes went teary looking at them all.

A short blonde woman looked at her and pouted. "Don't I get a hug too?"

Kaoru laughed again. "Of course Sansi. I could never forget about you."

The blue-eyed kendo teacher had never felt so happy. She embraced each one of her friends over and over. This day had been so...so unexpected. First the whole deal with Kenshin and now this! What was next?

"Why don't you guys come in. It's getting way too warm out here. Oh, and I have to introduce you to some people." Kaoru led her friends into the house, seeking shade and cool drinks.

"Kenshin! Yahiko! Sano! Come here I want you guys to meet some people."

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Well what did you guys think of my first chapter? I really like the plot of this fic so I hope you readers feel the same. Let me know in a review.

Next chapter I'll introduce the rest of the new characters. And ladies, they're both cuties, hehehe. But now I have to get back to work on Don't Let Go.

much luv
Sephiress