Hey! Finally, the last chapter up and done. sighs I hope this answers most of the questions. I tried to fill in all the holes! I realize a huge question hasn't been asnwered yet, you will have to wait for the epilouge for that one! I hope everyone enjoys!
Ravyn
Warning: Adult themes. I wanred you, so be warned!
Disclaimer: I Do not own RK.
Thanks to: Stephanie, who edited this. So for once you have an edited chapter!
Kenshin moved in on padded feet and silently slid the shoji open. The fine hairs on the back of his neck lowered as he took in the huddle lump under the futon blanket. The pattern on the comforter was soothing and calm, but it did little good to calm the churn of emotions that were building up inside him at the site of her. Shutting the shoji with careful fingers, keeping it quite, he padded over to her still body. Besides the up and down of her breathing, she hadn't made a single movement. He was aware that she could have been unaware of him, trapped in a peaceful world of slumber.
Pulling the blanket away from her face he drank her in.
Her hair was still damp and it clung to her face and throat. Her lashes clumped together as a mute testament of the tears she had shed, but her smooth cheek was dry to his touch. Her bottom lip was still faintly red; as if she had abused it continuously as she was want to do if nervous or unsure; slightly chapped when he ran a questioning thumb over the warmth there. She didn't even stir when he pulled the blanket further back. She was wrapped in her own Yukata, and her small hands were loosely fisted in the blanket he did not quite dare to pull back anymore.
She had cried. Brushing away a long strand of hair that clung to the curve of her once-damp cheek, he frowned darkly. She had cried a lot. Her Chi, even is sleep, was slightly uneven from both the force of her emotions and the stress of the pregnancy. His eyes swung to the expanse of her tummy, hidden from his view, and he no longer attempted to give into temptation. The morning was warm and she was fast asleep. Tugging the blanket carefully from her limp fingers, he tossed it to the end of the futon for easy reach later. His hands went to the belt of her sleeping-robe and he undid the loose not with ease. Pushing it aside, he looked up to see if she awakened. She sighed a little and seemed to settle. Swallowing he took her in.
It was one thing to look at her by the light of a lantern, the artificial light stark against her skin. Even moonlight gave her an ethereal glow that showed shadows and hollows that his tongue demanded to trace. In the light of early morning she looked warm and natural. Her skin was pale where the sun never touched it, and he could already see the signs of her pregnancy. Her breasts had begun to swell in preparation for feeding their child and now that he thought about it, they had been rather tender the past few weeks. Her expression of discomfort in the middle of a practice bout should have let him on to something. Not to mention the fact that she had been more sensitive during their love making.
"So this is why you have been so tired," he softly whispered, stroking the skin just above her navel, reveling in the softness there before letting his hands slide down to where just the faintest of curves was beginning to show. "I am such a fool," he breathed, closing his eyes and letting the part of him that could read her Chi open up.
There was nothing to show that another life was living inside her, just a curious swirl of heat and fire and Kaoru under his hands. Even with the proof of her pregnancy under his finger tips, there was very little change in her Chi to account for it. He ideally wondered how long it would be before the baby's own Chi was strong enough to show through its mothers.
"You are in such trouble, Koishii," Kenshin told her softly, his eyes sparking amber.
Kaoru never once stirred from where she was sleeping and he couldn't quite force himself to wake her. All the signs said she had only been sleeping for half a candle mark or so, and she needed her rest. Because once she woke up, there was going to be all sorts of questions to be answered. He would find out exactly what reason she had in her little mind of hers that she couldn't tell him about the baby.
Carefully he pulled the blanket back over her form and watched her sleep for a few more moments before standing. He wanted to lock the Dojo back down and then take his own bath. By then he would have formulated the best plan of attack against his beloved.
Relocking the gate didn't take long, he hadn't expected it to, and so he went and quickly washed himself free of the sweat and grime of that night. Kaoru's Kimono was in a soft pile near the back of the changing room, as if she had thrown it, and he padded over to pick it up. Part of one seam was ripped and it was filthy. He blinked when he caught he heavy scent of sake and frowned as he remembered the shards of pottery in the fire. The Kimono itself was far from salvageable so he shrugged and tossed it back where he got it from. Once he had scrubbed himself clean, he removed all the water from his hair that he could with a simple piece of cloth. Then he took another piece and wrapped it around his waist.
Time to check on Kaoru. Unconcerned that he was wrapped only in a towel he moved back into the dojo, letting the damp cloth fall from his hips only once he entered her room again. He closed his eyes to enjoy the scent of jasmine that always clung to everywhere she was.
There was no helping it. Walking over he shifted the blanket away from her. While he had left she had rolled over to her left side and was, he supposed, attempting to hide from the light. Carefully, so not to wake her, he stripped her of her robe and then spooned in behind her. His nose settled against the junction of her neck and shoulder, while his thighs tangled with hers. One arm slipped around her waist so he could press his palm to the little mound on her tummy, while his other arm supported her neck.
The weariness of the night before crashed into him and he let his eyes slid shut. There was no way she could sneak out of his arms without waking him, and with her pressed so tightly against him, there was nothing that could harm her.
Kaoru woke up slowly, like someone treading through thick, murky water. Her father had taken her to the river when she had been a child to teach her to swim, so that if something should happen, she would be alright. Sometimes, when the big storms came through, there was flash flooding on the banks. More than one child had been lost to such a thing.
Now, it was just like it had been, waiting for her fathers hand to pull her out of the water and let her have air again. There was air, and light, and sensation, but was all muted with the heaviness she had felt once before.
Then, as if her struggle to awaken had called it, warmth settled through her limbs. Her body was cocooned in and sensation she had only ever associated with Kenshin. Blinking eyes that felt a little raw from her earlier crying fit, she took stock of the situation, and realization of what was going on hit her hard and fast.
His hand curved along her belly, the slight mound she had gained with the beginning of her pregnancy curved along his palm. She was naked. If the feel of his thighs, slightly rough with hair and so familiar; tangled with her own legs said anything, so was he. Her head was against the curve of his shoulder, where it always rested, and her naked back pressed against a chest and abdomen taunt with muscle.
Shifting her head so she could look up, she was suddenly aware of how his fingers feathered across the skin of her tummy. "I see you're finally awake, Kaoru."
Husky, smoky, all the sin of those first few days he had been back of the dojo slithered down her spine in a warm flood of sensation. Swallowing hard, she watched her fingers attempt to curl in a nervous movement and she forced them to relax. There was no way she was getting out of this position, all tangled up with Kenshin, without a fight and she didn't particularly have any fight in her right at that moment.
"Yes," she agreed her voice low and a bit raw. Her throat burned for a moment and she wondered if she could convince him she needed a glass of water. Her thoughts were interrupted when he moved, tilting her so that she her head rested on the futon. Her legs were still wrapped up in his, sparks along her skin where his flesh pressed against her own; a sort of feminine helplessness in her position that both terrified and thrilled her.
"You have some explaining to do." Kenshin told her flatly, the fingers of one hand dropping down to trace her stomach. She jerked a little and he raised his eyes back to her face. "Saitoh came by yesterday to tell me that you had been taken in the market."
Kaoru tilted her chin up at him, refusing to give into the pressure he was skillfully exerting. His hands never stopped tracing her tummy, as if he was fascinated, and she wondered desperately how he knew. She had done so good not to let it slip, to never be sick where he could see it, and to never take naps in the afternoon no matter how tired she was. There had been some days she had thought she could fall asleep in the middle of Practice, but she had managed to pull her charade off.
What had given it away?
"You tore up your room," Kaoru stubbornly interjected, unwilling to be breathless at the movements of his fingers. Even when his hands dropped down to trace the crease of hip and thigh she forced herself to meet his eyes. There was something lurking there, something hot and furious.
"Saitoh went back into town to gather information with his contacts and Yahiko and I were forced to stay here and cool our heels," Kenshin softly informed her, his hand still on her thigh. Suddenly his face was so close that his hot breath fluttered across her lips and his bangs brushed hers. "Why did you go with them?"
Kaoru blinked, attempting to concentrate on something other than his nearness and how good he smelled. "They were going to hurt people," Kaoru managed tightly. "I couldn't let that happen!"
His eyes moodily stared into hers. "And the baby? Did you think how it would affect the baby, Kaoru?"
Kaoru felt like the air had been punched out of her lungs by a sledgehammer. She could only imagine that she was suddenly pale, because she felt pale, and it was suddenly hard to breath around the lump in her throat. It was one thing to assume that he knew about the baby, but it was completely another for him to acknowledge it. His eyes never left hers and only when she turned the color of white-silk, her eyes wide and dilated, did he move back a few inches. "So it's true then. You're going to have my child and you didn't tell me." His voice was soft and lethal and Kaoru struggled to breath, to find some sort of explanation, and then realized what she was doing.
She was going to justify herself to him.
Raising her hands she put them flat on his chest, but he didn't budge. "Get off Kenshin!" She snapped, suddenly more than aware of her vulnerable position. Screw female sensibilities, she didn't want to know the power of his body. She wanted him off of her and several layers of clothes separating him and her from each other.
"No," Kenshin drawled, never taking his eyes from her face as he encircled her small wrists with his fingers. His grip was light, but something about the hold suggested if she were to move them, or try to move them, she wasn't going to get anywhere.
"Let me go, Kenshin," Kaoru ordered again, her voice rising in panic. "I don't want to talk about this."
He leaned down and nipped at her fingertips and shook his head. "We are going to talk about the fact that you're pregnant, and you let yourself get kidnapped," his eyes dropped down to the faint bruises on her breasts. Kaoru looked down and realized what he was looking at. "They hurt you."
Kaoru shifted her weight, fully prepared to fight him, but he simply pressed her down with his weight. "I don't think so, Kaoru." His voice was firm. Not angry, not tight, not anything really. Just firm. The same firmness that had flickered in his voice the first time she had met him, when she tried to go after Gohei and he had objected. Her heart rose into her throat.
"You have explaining to do, thistle, and I am going to get my answers now." His eyes darkened with some unnamed emotion. "Don't think for a second you're leaving this futon until I get those answers."
Kaoru pressed her lips together and met his gaze with her own steady eyes. "There is nothing to talk about." Her voice was low. "I don't know who told you I was pregnant," 'perhaps I could…'
"Tokio dropped that particular morsel," Kenshin breezily interrupted her.
'…never mind.' Kaoru thought desperately.
"What I don't understand, Kaoru, is why you hid that from me." Kenshin questioned in that firm tone, "did you think that I wouldn't want it? That I wouldn't be happy for us?"
Kaoru averted her eyes before she nodded once. Denying it was one thing, lying at a direct question with his voice in that tone, was impossible. He sucked in a breath and she felt him struggling with his emotions.
"Why," he asked his voice taking on an almost hissing quality. He was furious, yet his hand never once tightened on her wrists.
"Why?" Kaoru asked, her head jerking in his direction, her eyes hot. "When did you ever give me any sign that you would want something like this?" Her voice was low and dangerous and he blinked several times. Her teeth clenched together, so that she had to speak around them. "Why would I ever…" her voice cut off and she struggled again, and this time it was only by luck that he managed to repress her. He seemed to be shocked at something, surprised, maybe even a little hurt, but she couldn't let that stop her.
"Kaoru," he started but she cut him off.
"Listen to me, Kenshin," Kaoru finally hissed, rising up just enough that her back cleared the futon and her eyes could drill into his surprised ones. She searched his eyes and still couldn't find what she was looking for. The hidden shadows, she supposed it was just because he was that much better than she was at hiding his feelings. Perhaps this side of Kenshin was just that much better. "I can't do this," her voice was low and rough and slightly unsteady. "I will not do this again. Do you understand me?"
He opened his mouth to say something, she didn't know what it was, but she shook her head so violently that her braid whipped into his arms. She squeezed her eyes shut to block out the nausea that move brought and to hide herself from the expression on his face. The understanding, and the relief soon to follow, would break her heart.
"I don't want to hear it," Kaoru told him, keeping her eyes shut tightly. "Because…it doesn't matter." She took a shuddering breath, attempting to manage to get herself under control when Kenshin's mouth met hers. Her eyes flew open in surprise and she stiffened as he kissed her. It was soft, a neat closed mouthed kiss that was the press of his lips to hers. His eyes were muted shades of color as he watched her and he pulled back only because she wasn't breathing.
"I think this discussion has been long over due," he softly murmured, his eyes taking in every plane of her pale face. "For that, I owe you an apology."
Kaoru stared at him, swallowing because she didn't know what else to do.
He pressed her back down so that his chest pinned her to the futon. Temptation was in the way her breasts pressed against him, but it was the way her eyes, so bruised and vulnerable, stared up at him, that kept his attention away from her body.
"Do you remember the day the Rurouni left?" He asked her softly, never taking his gaze from her blue eyes. "You met someone in the woods."
Kaoru blinked at him, rapidly, and she swallowed again. "The old woman?" Her voice was low and hesitant and he nodded, brushing her hair back from her face.
"Yes. I don't know what you said or did, but whatever favor you gave her, she repaid it in full." His breath feathered over her features as he sighed. "We were so close to getting on that boat. Sano and I were surprised to see an older woman approaching us at that time of night on the docks."
Blurry sensations. The knowledge that he was being called. A sense of possible freedom that hummed in his blocked awareness. The momentary burning in his blood.
"She gave me a choice, Kaoru." He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. "She gave me the option of being chained by guilt from the past, or being able to let it go and embrace life."
Tears brimmed and spilled down her cheeks and she blinked and went to move her wrists to wipe them away but they were still trapped in his hand and he relinquished her lip and brushed them away instead, bringing the salt of his tears to his lips to lick away. "I choose to seek out my future, Kaoru."
Kaoru turned her face away. She wanted to believe. Gods how she wanted to trust the words falling from his lips. He had given her his body, his presence, and now he was giving her his word. He couldn't give her anything else, but she didn't know if she could trust that. She wanted to, but something inside her had broken with the Rurouni's leaving and it was still very fragile.
"I don't expect you to trust me today, Kaoru," he told her gently. "I have three years of neglect and bruised emotions to heal before I can expect that."
Kaoru sniffled. "But…I don't…" she lowered her eyes from his burning gaze. "What makes it so different this time, Kenshin?" she jerked her hands a little to improvise her words. "What makes this so different than the first time?" She swallowed. "And you can't say it's the baby."
Kenshin rubbed his nose against hers. "No, although I am very, very happy to hear about the baby, no Kaoru, it's always been about you." He burned his nose in the column of her neck. "First with Gohei, then with Jineh, and even Saitoh, it was always about you. Clawing to the surface, fighting to keep you safe; how could it ever be about anything other than you? For ten years I let myself wither away in a cage of my own making. You broke those chains for me. How could I do more than love you for that?"
Kaoru went so still under him he couldn't even tell if she was breathing. He raised his eyes to see her face. She was starring at him, her lips parted in utter surprise, her pupils dilated so wide her eyes were black. She licked her lips, parted her lips to speak, and then closed them.
He gave her an amused, indulgent smile. "I do love you Kaoru. I would die for you, if you asked it of me." His voice was slightly teasing and she just stared at him.
"You always…wanted to…leave…before…" Kaoru hiccupped. "How can I trust you won't…again?" Her words were almost painful and he released her wrists so he could cup her face instead.
"I know," he told her gently. "But I won't leave you this time. No matter where I go, I will always come home to you, Kaoru." He promised. He brought one of her cool hands to his mouth and kissed her palm. "And I am willing to do whatever it takes to prove it."
Kaoru opened her mouth to say something, but her eyes opened with shock when his hand cupped her breast, and she inhaled sharply when his thumb feathered across her nipple. She had forgotten that they were both naked. His other hand rose up to mimic the motions of his second and she moaned and arched her back.
He planted a series of kisses along her throat. "I plan on doing whatever it takes, love, to prove my point. Starting today," he breathed against her panting throat. "And tomorrow, we are going to go to the nearest temple so that you can have some measure of peace."
Kaoru arched up as his fingers played wickedly against her skin, her questions dying in her throat as she gave a long moan. "Besides," he whispered as he gave a wicked smile. "I rather like the idea of keeping you to myself, Thistle." She made another little noise and he dropped a serious of kisses along her shoulder, down between the valley of her breasts, enjoying the way her body moved against his hands.
Kaoru laid cradled in his arms, uncertain of what she wanted to do or say, concentrating instead on catching her breath. Kenshin was wrapped around her again, so that every breath she took against his skin smelled of sweat and ginger and her. His own uneven breathing was puffing against her hair and it was almost as comforting as the press of his body had been moments before. She wanted to talk to him, to ask him what he had meant earlier when he has spoken of a temple. But he was doing unfair things with his hands again, lightly massaging her shoulders and neck so that she melted into him.
"Go back to sleep, Kaoru." Kenshin softly suggested, his voice vibrating under her ear. "Its only a few hours past noon and you were up all night. I will wake you for dinner. I promise."
She made a soft noise in the back of her throat and drifted off to sleep with the sensation of his arms wrapped around her waist and the palm of his hand pressing against her tummy.
"Here," Tsubame said softly, coming forward to hand him a cup of tea. Dawn had broken and now the warm glow of morning warmed the chill in the air. Tsubame offered him a shy smile. "This should warm you up."
Yahiko would never, ever mention that he wasn't cold. Not when she had that shy little blush on her cheeks and her eyes were dropping in a nervous habit.
"Thank you, Tsubame," Yahiko softly replied, daring to use her name without honorific. She blushed a darker red but she didn't correct him, and he had to work to keep his smile to himself.
"You worry too much," Tae said as she arrived, a line of sweat beading her forehead from working the hot ovens. "Kenshin will have gotten to her and brought her back by now."
Yahiko sighed, nodding in agreement. "I know…but there are…" he searched for the correct word. "Complications."
Tae frowned. "You mean besides the normal issues?" Her tone suggested she still had a long way to go before she forgave the Kenshin for making everyone think he was gone for a year. Yahiko had never felt any need to correct her thinking and neither did Kenshin. As far as Yahiko knew, he was the only one who knew about the split between Battousai and Rurouni and the gypsy magic it had taken to do.
"Yes," Yahiko agreed, uncertain how much information he should give.
Tae pinned him with a look, and he fidgeted a bit, sipping his tea and concentrating on Tsubame's presence next to him to keep from spilling. However, Tae was persistent and he felt his resolve caving. What could it hurt?
"Once I get her back," Kenshin softly assures Yahiko, "she is going to the temple whether she wants it or not."
Kenshin had that look in his eyes. Yahiko new with utter certainty he had meant to keep his word and that Tae would keep the secret for as long as the couple wanted to keep it. Sighing he looked up at Tae. "Kaoru is expecting," he told Tae bluntly. "Baring the idea that she is unconscious from a head wound or something else, I imagine Kenshin will drag her to the temple tomorrow."
Tae was still, her dark eyes wide and she blinked several times before a smile began to creep across her face. "Oh I hope it has Kenshin's hair. Come Tsubame, if he plans on taking her to the temple tomorrow there are things we must do! We have a reception to plan!"
Yahiko blinked rapidly as he watched Tae practically bounce into the kitchen, mirth burbling from her mouth as she rattled off directions. Tsubame lifted her hand in a shy wave and Yahiko finally shook himself form his stupor.
"That was unexpected," Yahiko muttered.
Kaoru woke to the smell of fish and miso. Blinking open her eyes she tried to force some sensation into her tired limbs. Part of her simply wanted to curl back into her sheets and go back to sleep. 'Kenshin said he would wake you for dinner,' Kaoru reminded herself as she turned her nose back into the blanket. It was really nice right where she was.
"I saw that, thistle." Kenshin's voice was teasing as he entered the room. "You're awake."
Kaoru grandly ignored him. Instead, she was attempting to talk herself into pulling the cover even further over her head. She complained in the back of her throat when she was suddenly picked up and lifted, including the blanket. Kaoru grumbled against his neck and he gave a soft chuckle.
"You're so tired right now, Kaoru, because you've been asleep most of the day, and because of the complication of your pregnancy." His voice was soothing and she turned her face into his neck. "And also because I couldn't keep my hands to myself," there was no apology in his voice and Kaoru squeaked when she found herself set down lightly in front of the table.
"Eat something," Kenshin ordered firmly, setting a plate of lightly grilled fish with lemon and rice. The bowl he had filled for her with miso had pale waifs of steam coming off the top and she felt some of her wake up and with it came her appetite. She took several cautious bites, hoping that morning sickness only applied in the morning. Granted, she had found that if she wasn't careful it could strike her at anytime, but she was going to be cautious.
"Drink your tea, Kaoru. Dr. Gensai said it would help. He also suggested that you eat six to eight meals a day, in small doses, instead of three large ones, said that it would be easier on your system; and he also recommended that you cut back you schedule and allow yourself to nap when you feel tired and if you feel really weary then to take a day or so off and simply relax."
Kaoru had frozen mid-bite. "When did you…"
Kenshin took a sip of his own tea. "While you were sleeping. I went and asked him what I could do to make you more comfortable. He gave me a rundown on what to expect for the rest of your pregnancy and suggest we write Megumi to come down the two weeks before we think you are due, since we could only guess when the baby was going to be born. Eat up, Kaoru. We have a big day tomorrow and you need to get your strength back."
Kaoru swallowed the mouthful before she spoke. "You…what?" Her eyes were wide. "You are seriously planning on…marriage? Tomorrow?"
Kenshin gave her a hooded look from his moon-glow eyes. "Oh yes," he breathed. "You are mine, Kaoru. Not the Rurouni's, not the past's, but mine. I won't give you up."
Kaoru took a few more careful bites, unsure what she was supposed to say to that. Kenshin put her cup down and watched her. "Is there a reason you don't want to marry me, Kaoru?"
Kaoru jerked her head up surprise written all over her face. "No! I mean Yes! I mean…" she swallowed. "I want to marry you, I always have. It's just…I mean, isn't it sudden?" Her voice was soft. "I don't have a wedding kimono, and I don't know if I have the money to pay the fees…" she trailed off and looked down at her rice with a faint blush.
"Eat your dinner, Kaoru." He softly suggested. "Don't worry about anything. I have it all worked out."
Kaoru's eyes were wide but when he turned back to his own meal she was forced to do the same. By the time she had eaten as much as she could, she was dropping again. Kenshin moved as if to pick her back up but she shook her head. "I want to go sit on the porch for a while. If I go to sleep now I will wake up in a few hours and not be able to sleep for the rest of the night." She yawned behind her hand. Kenshin judged her mood behind his lashes and when she gave him a huffy look he nodded.
"As soon as you start falling asleep you're going back to our futon." Kenshin warned her. Kaoru glared at him and stood up, gathering the blanket around her shoulders and flouncing out. He smiled at her show of temper and went to pick everything up. Sighing he thought back to his other meeting that afternoon.
Washing the dishes he thought about what Saitoh had told him. He had gone first to the station and then to Saitoh's home to find him. Saitoh had been eating dinner with his family and had been quite put out with him for showing up. His mouth curved into a smile. Tokio had been delighted and asked him to stay, but he had politely refused.
Saitoh had been very curt in his words, but if he understood the meaning behind them then he wouldn't have to worry about any more men showing up to take his Kaoru away. From what he had heard, the matter had been turned over to someone who knew what strings to pull, and once given the proper names, he was very good at it.
Kenshin grinned to himself. "Have fun, Aoshi, and make him pay."
Once everything was done he went and checked on his Shihandai and smirked to himself when he found her asleep on the porch, curled up with the blanket. Reaching down he picked her back up and she made a noise against his throat and snuggled against him and made no other sound for the rest of the night.
"You do realize that that this could be considered kidnapping?" Kaoru hissed as she was dragged around the corner, feeling particularly moody. Her eyes flickered with hot sparks of temper. Kenshin shot her a grin that reminded her of a mischievous little boy, his own eyes blazing amber; and there wasn't even the beginning hint of an apology.
"Is it?" He all but purred at her, stopping in the middle of the street to bring her fingers to his lips and to lightly kiss the tips. "You act as if I am dragging you to towards something you do not wish to go to." He dropped his mouth to the center of her palm and kissed it in a way that made her knees feel weak.
Kaoru glared at him, slightly breathless. "You are cheating again."
His mouth curved against the skin of her palm. "I meant what I said earlier, Kaoru. I will marry you today. You may either walk with me and enjoy yourself, or I can throw you over my shoulder and use my speed to get us there without being seen." He tugged on her a bit so that she was pulled close to him. Kaoru was suddenly thankful that the expanse of road they were on was currently deserted. "As beautiful as you look, I may just do that anyway."
She blinked up at him, still slightly uncertain. "Kenshin?"
He smoothed back her hair and admired the new Kimono, such a stark contrast to her fair skin. "I thought you were going to learn to trust me, thistle. I am going to take you to the temple," he kissed the corner of her mouth. "There, you and I will be married." He kissed the opposite corner of her lips. "Then, we shall come back to the dojo, where Tae-san thinks she is setting up a surprise banquet." He lightly kissed her mouth. "I shall take great pleasure eating our first meal as husband and wife, but I shall have to insist that everyone goes home so I may have you all to myself." His kiss was leisurely and warm and she melted against his chest.
"Do not fear bringing your uncertainties and your questions to me, little love." Kenshin softly chastised her once she had raised her lashes. "It is my delight and my privilege to keep your heart at ease." He laced her fingers with hers again and stepped away. "Come with me and be my wife." His voice was velvet heat and promise and she found herself nodding her head in agreement.
His smile was anticipatory and possessive and she swallowed again as he continued down the path, pulling her towards the temple that was just now in sight. She felt slightly lightheaded. She was marrying Kenshin.
Being married wasn't always bliss, but she was learning that most of it was. Kaoru reclined lazily on her porch, attempting to develop a strategy that would get her out of the dojo without her husband following along or attempting to go with her. Her mouth curved with a bit of a smile on that thought. She would never have thought he would allow any of his practices of the Rurouni to come into his actions. Not that he was, really, there was such a difference between how the Battousai went about stalking her and how the Rurouni had cheerfully followed her with or without her permission.
Kenshin was more inclined to prove his point in a way that left her unable to breathe properly and more than a little weak-kneed. She wasn't sure what it was, but something about his amber-eyed smirk and the way he would drag his tongue along his bottom lip as he watched her argue that left her…breathless.
'He is such a cheater,' Kaoru groused, resting her hand on her swollen tummy. At five months in she was starting to have a touch of a change in the way she walked, her stomach finally starting to gain weight at a speed that surprised her. She wasn't waddling yet, but she had the disgusted notion that she would be soon.
However, so far she had loved being Himura Kaoru, even if she had been pregnant and moody through most of it. A humorous smile graced her lips as she thought about how life had been since she had to no longer hide her pregnancy. The first time something someone said made her burst into waterworks had caused Yahiko and Kenshin to have all sorts of palpitations while she tried to tell them, through her tears, that she was fine.
She paused a bit, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish. Nothing had quite covered her sudden cravings for sour or pickled things yet, and Kenshin always seemed to be able to tell when she wanted something. She was always faintly relieved when she would want something as simple as fish or a certain side-dish that he rarely cooked; but she was still uncertain as to where the pickled daikon came from.
Looking up at the scent of her husband, she also vaguely wondered if she was going to ever be able to get used to how quiet he was. He had none of the inclination to scrape his feet so people could hear him coming that the Rurouni part of his personality had used. In fact, he seemed to use his ability to sneak up on her for very devilish things. He had never, not once, let her think that her growing frame was repulsive. If anything, he strove to make her feel more beautiful being pregnant than when she was not. Not that it worked all the time, but he sure knew how to prove his points.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, moving to sit up a bit. His eyes flickered to her face and his stance softened.
"We're going to have company," he told her gently, offering her his hand to help her rise. She accepted his help and the way his arms briefly wrapped her in a warm embrace, his chin resting on the top of her head. "If you start to feel tired, I am asking them to leave."
Kaoru glared at him, or his shoulder, and thumped him. "I am not that worn down, Kenshin! Dr. Gensai said that I could expect to have a fair deal of energy for at least another month. He said it was in my last three months that I was going to be tired again! Stop being so over protective!" She swatted him again and turned to greet her guests, unable to completely hide the glow to her cheeks.
Her smile blossomed full blow when she caught sight of Tokio. She had apparently left the new baby with her mother, and the other little ones as well. However, it would be wrong of her to say that her entire smile was just for her friend.
It was also for the sight behind her.
Saitoh was carrying a box between his arms that with a look on his face that suggested that he did not want to be carrying it. His lips were thinner than usual and his eyes held a look to them that forced her to swallow her giggles. "Tokio!" Kaoru said in a delighted voice, moving away from her husband's body to hug her friend.
"You look very well, Kaoru," Tokio said as she hugged her in return. "I see you have been rounding out wonderfully."
Kaoru made a face. "Rounding is perhaps the best way to put it. I am getting fat, I know I am getting fat, and if people keep dancing around the subject I will be forced to hit them." She smiled sweetly at Saitoh. "Would you two like some tea? I am sure Kenshin would be happy to fix it." She turned and fixed her husband with a fierce look, and he looked rebellious for a moment but disappeared into the dojo.
Tokio smiled her appreciation. It was growing late in the season but it was still a walk from her home to the dojo. "I cannot begin to tell you how lovely it's going to be that you're pregnant during the winter months," she told her friend as she sank down onto one of the cushions. "Being with child in the heat of summer is dreadful."
Kaoru patted her tummy with a smile. She seemed to smile easier these days and Tokio noticed it, even as she noticed the lingering shadows in her eyes. "I know, I can only imagine. Even in the cool weather it can be a bit warm." Her eyes flickered to the box Saitoh set down with a thump, but didn't say anything.
Tokio grinned. "I have three boys. Saitoh likes to pretend he doesn't, but he has quite a few relatives who happily send us baby clothing for every child. Most of them won't fit your little one for a while, but we won't need half of what we have. So, perhaps you can use them as well."
"Your utterly ridiculous woman, of course we're going to need them!" Saitoh bit out.
"Shut up Hajime, after two children we have had more than we could possible use for twins." Her voice was sugar sweet and held the syrupy tone that always meant trouble.
Kaoru blinked for several long moments and then offered Tokio a shy smile, attempting to ignore the way Saitoh growled a bit. "Thank you," she whispered. She knew Kenshin had been secretly putting together some clothes for the baby but this would probably take some of the burden from his shoulders.
Kenshin arrived shortly after that and set the tray and tea-cups down between them. Tokio and Kaoru ignored the bristling from the men and chatted away, discussing various ideal facts about having a baby. It wasn't until the pot was almost empty and Saitoh had a vein throbbing in his forehead that the subject they had all been dancing around came up.
"The politicians are dead." Saitoh suddenly announced, clearly ready to leave and not wanting to deal with being in the dojo next to Kenshin any longer.
Tokio sighed. "My husband enjoys killing politicians, regardless of which side they are." Her voice was long suffering. "I have been attempting to break him of this habit." She and Kaoru and exchanged long-suffering looks.
"Did Aoshi discover their reasons behind why they were targeting us?" Kenshin asked darkly, his voice a growl. Saitoh gave him a drool look.
"You were just someone who was going to be in his way," Saitoh told him with a shrug. "He said that you had insulted him during the Bakumatsu and that he wanted to have his revenge." Saitoh's finger twitched as if he wanted to smoke, but Tokio's hand reached out and swatted his own. Kaoru was thankful because she just knew the scent of cigarette smoke would make her stomach lurch.
"What my husband is trying to say is that our families were inconvenient." Tokio clarified. "It wasn't for more than that. Saitoh was someone who he detested through his work in the Bakumatsu and you were someone he loathed because you once held more power than he. That is all." She looked sad.
"Bastards," Saitoh agreed, the dark smile in his eyes promising the man had died slowly.
Kenshin's fingers flexed and tightened as he attempted to control his temper and Kaoru decided to leave him alone for a moment. "Thank you," she told Tokio, deliberately changing the subject, "for the clothes."
Tokio nodded and rose. "The littles ones will want their lunch soon. Come along, Hajime." Her voice was firm. He gave a low growl but followed her, something in the line of his shoulders tense as he walked away.
"He is nervous about showing you his back," Kaoru whispered, turning to her own growling husband. "Kenshin?"
She found herself yanked forward so that her stomach was pressed between them as her nose was buried against his throat. She sighed in pleasure as he held her.
"He would have taken you away simply because of something that happened many years ago," Kenshin hissed, his hands firm against her.
Kaoru placed a light kiss along his throat. It was unusual, her having to reassure him. "He didn't, you were there to stop him." Her voice was soothing and he breathed raggedly for several moments before he released her. It took some work, but she managed to keep from feeling slightly smug about the fact that she had also taken care of the problem.
"You're hungry," he guessed as he looked at her face. Her cheeks rose in a blush and she scowled at him.
"Why don't you just call me fat as well?" She propped her hands on her hips and glared at him, knowing that it only emphasized her waist line. The amused curve of his lips threatened to take her breath, but it was the light, nibbling kiss along her bottom lip that kept her quite.
"You're quite lucky, thistle," he breathed, "that Yahiko will also be looking for lunch soon." There was a wealth of meaning in his voice and Kaoru felt her own lips curve.
"Is that so?"
"Hmmm, do not test me, Kaoru." He warned lightly. His golden eyes gleamed down at her. "I am quite capable of backing up my threat."
Kaoru grinned at him and moved back into the dojo. "That might have been my point."
A low chuckle followed her words, and if she had been capable of it, she would have taken off into a sprint. Instead, all she could do was quicken her steps and attempt to hide her giggles.
One installment to go! Possibly with a little Kenji running around and causing havoc...who knows. and the quesiton, what exactly happened to that Rurouni will be answered! Otherwise, I hope everyone enjoyed!