Rurouni Kenshin is the properties of Nobuhiro Watsuki-dono not mine.

So please don't sue.

Authors notes: I don't know if any of you reading this FF read the other RK fic that I am writing, but this is just to let you know that I haven't forgotten about that one but since I'm a little swamped with school work right now I'm going to finish this one off then get restarted on the other one. Thank you for your patience.

Oh side note as I was reading through this to refresh my memory I fixed some errors that I hadn't noticed before. So now it's fixed!

Chapter 6

Kenshin watched as Kaoru practiced in the moonlight. Her movements swift and fluid, he was marveled by her skill. The only other time he had skill like that was on the battlefield, but here in a time that was meant to be peaceful, without war or bloodshed, here was this free spirited woman putting her life on the line to stop a mad man from taking over everything. Kenshin sat on the deck as he continued to stare at her. His mind returning to that night, how her body had felt against his, how much he had wanted to feel all of her skin against his. His eyes glazed over at the thought, he had been without a woman for so long that just the idea was tempting him into nightly wet dreams.

He was so focused on his thoughts that he never noticed Kaoru as she came up to him a spare katana in hand. "Kenshin? Kenshin?" it was her voice that broke his reverie and he glanced up at her, surprise on his face at the thoughts that he was just having concerning her, him, very naked and very wet.

"Ah…ah yes Kaoru-dono? Is there something wrong? I didn't mean to interrupt your practice, it's just such a beautiful night…" Kenshin's voice dropped as he eyed the katana. "Ah Kaoru-dono why do you need two katana?"

Kaoru quirked her eyebrow wondering what was going through Kenshin's mind but continuing anyway, "it's not for me, it's for you." And she handed it over to Kenshin. The startled look that Kenshin gave must have been quite funny since Kaoru began to laugh. "If your going to be out here then you might as well help me practice. It would be a pleasure either way to spar with the great Hitokiri Battosai." Kaoru confidently walked back to her place and stood at the ready waiting for Kenshin to get his head back on straight and join her.

Kenshin smirked; this woman was full of surprises. Kenshin stood quickly and positioned himself across from Kaoru. "Are you sure you want to spar with shessha? It has been a long time since I have fought with anyone and not meant to kill them."

Kaoru grinned, "of course. Why wouldn't I want to? All Sano does is try to hit me. It gets a little tedious. Plus I haven't fought with a skilled swordsman since father died."

Kenshin sighed knowing that for some people, they don't feel alive until they are faced with death, and Kaoru had become that kind of person. She had been teaching herself to feel with the steel of her blade, not the heart in her chest. So without warning he attacked. Swiping low with his katana while she spared away and in turn came down on the back swing. It would have cleaved his head in half if he had not moved fast enough.

For the man known with 'god like speed' he wasn't really using it. Kaoru would not have been able to catch up and it would have been a useless waste of time for both of them. Kaoru was catching up though and Kenshin kept her on her toes. As they clashed and broke apart Kenshin was allowed insights into Kaoru. Every move that she made was precise; she wasted no movement, as others would have. When she defended she made sure she had enough back swing to launch another attack once the opponent had been pushed back. This was who she was, everything she did had a purpose, whither it benefited her right at that moment or later did not matter, as long as it aided her in some fashion. She knew what she wanted and did everything in her power to achieve it. That was what Kenshin had been draw to that night, her sheer will. At every turn and move Kenshin's attraction to Kaoru grew. She was everything that one would look for in a warrior but these attributes were what it seemed Kenshin was looking for in a match. And here in the moonlight was the embodiment of those attributes. Skillful, determined, spirited and willing to face death for the happiness of others.

Kaoru like wise learned things about Kenshin that she had not expected, every time he attacked it was with careful planning so as to not hurt her. Every time she sped up he did as well. This wasn't just sparring but a chance to see how far they were willing to go to get to the other. Kaoru wasn't willing to give up so she just pushed harder. At one point she had been pushed back to the pond and she lost her balance and was about to fall when she felt Kenshin's scabbard push her back to her feet and away from the pond. She stumbled back to her feet and saw Kenshin a soft smile on his lips looking at her. There in the moonlight she saw why they some times called him a god. He shown with a light that no one could imagine. He had lived through the most tumultuous times and like the others would be forever scared for his actions. But Kenshin had changed his path from bloodshed; he had chosen a life of peace and solitude. But he had agreed to stay with them for how long she didn't know, but she did know that she wanted it to be longer then any of them expected. She wanted to know more of this caring, kind, and gentle man. A man who's hands were stained with blood, a man who had allowed to world to fall apart to rebuild it with a stronger foundation, a man with real worth.

Breathing deeply Kaoru dashed towards Kenshin. He could tell that she was tiring so to end their match for the night he was going to side step her and as she fell catch her and send her to bed. It wasn't an excuse to touch her, Kenshin would never admit to that. But Kaoru had already planned that out, she was tiring but she was going to be the one end the match, not him. So as she felt Kenshin begin to side step she turned on her heel and twisted her body, the katana following suit. She stopped mid stroke, her katana resting on Kenshin's shoulder. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, while her eyes held his.

Kenshin was at first shocked, he had not anticipated that move thinking that Kaoru was too tired to do something so extreme. But he was wrong and as such found himself at the wrong end of her katana.

"You win Kaoru-dono. I fold." Kenshin sheathed his katana and allowed his shoulders to relax.

Kaoru as well let her shoulders fall and replace her katana. Her hands were quaking from exhaustion. She began to step forward heading to bed but found that she couldn't move her legs and began to collapse.

Kenshin reached out and catching her held, her close. He could feel her heart beat racing and her blood pumping rapidly through her veins. "Careful Kaoru-dono, shessha thinks that you have pushed yourself to hard tonight."

Kaoru sighed, content in Kenshin's arms. She was reminded of their half night together, and wondered if he thought of it too. "Kenshin…"

"Yes Kaoru-dono?"

Kaoru straightened her self but did not pull away from Kenshin and faced him. "Why did you not take me that night?"

Kenshin swallowed deeply. He had had hopes that she would not bring it up or at least Sano had told her something, but it seemed that he would have to say…something. "Well…umm…I didn't want you…that way." He answered, his voice uncertain.

Kaoru nodded, coming to her own conclusion. "You could tell couldn't you? That I wasn't…clean." And she began to pull away from his arms. Yukio was right no man would want her knowing that she wasn't pure.

Kenshin froze and scrambled to find suitable words to make Kaoru see. It didn't help that as she was wriggling about trying to escape him that she was brushing her chest against his, igniting something deep within him. "Kaoru-dono, no don't think that…"

"No I should have known." She said cutting him off. Now she was really fighting, even in her exhausted state, to get away, and Kenshin in retribution held on to her tightly. She wasn't going anywhere until she understood.

"Kaoru." Kenshin growled, his voice deep and throaty. Kaoru stopped and looked up at him surprised. In turn Kenshin looked down at her, his eyes soft. "I didn't want to have you for the sake of having you. I wanted to make love to you; I wanted to feel that passionate emotion that pours from your veins. I never considered you to be 'unclean', but it doesn't matter anyway. Kaoru…" he whispered closing the distance between them.

Kaoru watched Kenshin's speech with a deep pain in her chest. Here was a man who had died a thousand deaths every time he took a life, standing before her declaring that he wanted to 'love' her, a tainted and unclean creature of revenge and hate. "But Kenshin…"

"Shhh…" he whispered as his lips finally touched hers.

Sano watched from the shadows as the two kissed, they were no more then silhouettes but Sano watched with avid eyes. 'Well', he thought, ' at least Kenshin can keep an eye on jou-chan while I do my snooping.' He pushed off from the wall a headed back to bed. He just hoped that they weren't loud. Though a sly grin graced his mouth, thoughts of a certain doctor running through his head. Maybe he should spend the night at her place…