He was warm.

The only sound was breathing. It wasn't his, though.

His eyebrows furrowed together as he opened blurry eyes.

Kaouru was curled against his bare chest, her warm breath brushing his skin.

Wait. BARE chest? he looked around, trying not to disturb the girl curled around him.

he felt the world start to spin and embraced it this time, letting it swallow him whole.

----------

Yahiko heard a thud inside the dojo and raced to peek in.

He slid the shojo open silently and stared at kenshin's collapsed form. he closed the door and went to get Megumi, who was next door tending to a patient.

"Megumi! It's Kenshin!" He yelled, the doctor came running.

"What happened?" She demanded as she reached the unconsious ruroni.

"I don't know. I was practicing, and then i heard this thud and went to see and he was like this." Yahiko rushed out.

"I knew i should have forced him to take the chamomile tea. Then this wouldn't have happened." she grumbled to herself. "Be quiet, yahiko. he's fine. Just unconsious. He was up for three days with no food or water, his body is forcing him to rest. That's all." She said, untying his gi.

"Scoot Kaouru over, Yahiko. I'm going to move kenshin onto her futon so they can share body heat. it's the best cure." she said, rolling up the legs of his hakama. She picked up his surprisingly light form and lay him next to Kaouru.

'besides, this is what they both need.' she thought to herself.

---------

She was sleepy, and the tea Aoushi had given her wasn't helping. She traced the pale scars on kenshin's chest. Horrified at what the markings meant.

She nuzzled into his chest and let his warmth draw her into sleep.

----------

Aoushi and Sanouske came in together to check on the ruroni and Jou-chan.

They were startled to see Kaouru and kenshin together, Kenshin's gi folded over the sword.

Aoushi smiled at the sight of Kaouru curled against Kenshin's chest, then frowned at the bruises on her face and arms. He felt some of what kenshin had felt. If that had been misaou...

He kneeled beside Kenshin and watched as the ruroni's eyes shot open and searched blindly around him, as his arms instinctively tightened around the girl in his arms at the foreign presence. Aoushi sent out a calming aura, placing a hand on kenshin's scarred face.

The ruroni went limp under his touch, surprising Sanouske.

"How'd..?" He began to ask but aoushi cut him off.

"Be quiet, baka. if he senses you, he will kill you. His mind is a muddled torrent, the battosai and ruroni in him are fighting for control, trying to find a balance." Aoushi whispered, a hand still on the ruroni's face.

Sano stared dumbly at the man before him, then down at the peaceful faces of his friends. He nodded, and drew back the blanket. "We should get them to a room. The dojo is too open to attack, and in his state i don't think he could take even me." he said, picking Kaouru up.

Aoushi was left with a hand on the ruroni's face. He had mastered a skill since he had seen the ronin last, and he had wanted to demonstrate it, but it looked like he would have to use it on the one he wanted to show.

He had never seen the man below him so helpless. he couldn't move if he wanted, much less awake. It was his own body that had betrayed him, Aoushi had only used that to keep him calm. The flame haired man would have killed him if he hadn't acted quickly.

he picked up the surprisingly light ruroni and carried him after Sanouske.

He lay him next to Kaouru, who immediately curled toward him again.

He waited for sanouske to leave before he took his hand off of the ruroni's face,

This had happened to him a long time ago, just after the war, Misaou was hurt, though, and his master was still alive.

He shut the shojo with a slight click and padded down the hall, into the bright afternoon sunlight.

----------

Okay, so it's a lot of fluff. I'll get to the other stuff later. i promise there will be some gore.

I would go out with you, but my favorite commercial is on TV tonight. -a sticker i have.