Author's Notes: Here is the first chapter, which comes the night after the prologue. BTW, this isn't exactly a romantic fic but I put that anyway cause there is KK and SM in it. If there was a fluff genre, I would so put that!
Disclaimer: I did not create and therefore do not own Rurouni Kenshin. In light of this some of the characters will probably be OOC. But isn't that what fanfics are all about?
Fever Days and Sleepless Nights
Chapter 1
All the occupants of the dojo had gone to sleep, except for Kenshin. He couldn't sleep even if he wanted to. Which he didn't, seeing as the last few nights had been haunted by nightmares and memories from the revolution: the black envelopes which ruled his life, the hundreds of nameless and faceless people slaughtered, Tomoe, his sword, the smell of blood.
Quietly Kenshin slid back the door to his room, wincing as it squeaked ever so slightly. He knew from the snores that Sanosuke and Yahiko were both asleep, and he hoped to Kami Kaoru-dono was too. He didn't want her to worry.
Kaoru was in fact sitting up against her wall. She heard the squeak of Kenshin's door and nodded to herself. She hadn't laid down comfortably on her futon so that she would be awake to hear if Kenshin went anywhere. It was easy to tell just by looking at him that he hadn't been sleeping recently, so she decided to sit up one night and catch him up. Kaoru knew she would probably be tired in the morning for teaching her students, but if she was right, Kenshin hadn't slept in days.
Kenshin walked on silent, cat-like feet past Kaoru's door. Then he slid open the dojo door, which also made a slight sound (which he hoped Sano and Yahiko's snoring would cover up) and stepped onto the porch.
Kaoru waited for a couple of seconds before sliding open her own door and heading out to the porch. Ex-Hitokiri Battousai he might be, but he was no match for squeaky doors.
Kenshin drew his knees up to his chest and stared across the grounds. Behind him, Kaoru slid open the door. Kenshin didn't turn, having sensed her ki.
"Hello Kaoru-dono," he said softly. "Have you come to look at the stars too?"
Kaoru opened her mouth to interrogate him, but then he turned round and smiled, much closer to a genuine smile than his trademark Rurouni smile. She wavered, and followed his gaze up to the heavens. The stars really did look remarkably bright tonight. She sat down beside him.
As Kenshin's eyes roved the heavens, Kaoru admired the way the moonlight played across Kenshin's fiery hair, which looked a lot darker by night, though still an unusual colour. Her fingers itched to play with it, and her hand reached out of its own accord. But then Kenshin turned to look at her again, and Kaoru pretended she had been yawning, which was a mistake. Kenshin frowned.
"Are you tired, Kaoru-dono? You should be sleeping, that you should."
"And what about you, Kenshin?" asked Kaoru, seizing the opening. "You need sleep just as much as I do."
"Do not worry about Sessha, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin assured her. "Sessha is used to it, Sessha often goes without sleep." He gave his Rurouni smile, and it was only when Kaoru raised her eyebrows that he realised he shouldn't have said that.
"Oro…." he muttered as he saw the look on Kaoru's face.
"Kenshin no baka! What makes you think you don't need sleep like the rest of us?" Kaoru demanded.
"Oro…" repeated Kenshin.
"Don't you 'oro' me! Now get your rurouni butt inside and get some sleep, or else I'll knock you out with my bokken and drag you!"
"But, Kaoru-dono, Sessha-" Kenshin began to protest. He stopped short when he saw Kaoru meant what she said and allowed himself to be dragged back into the dojo, muttering a string of oros.
"Now I don't want to have to stay awake worrying about you," said Kaoru sweetly, pushing him through his door, "so get some sleep, okay?"
"Yes Kaoru-dono. Goodnight," Kenshin replied obediently.
"Night Kenshin."