Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

A/N: Hey there, this is a one shot of romance with a Kaoru/Saitou pairing, enjoy!

Starry, Starry Night

Saitou had just gotten home from work and his gaze immediately drifted to the woman washing the dishes in the kitchen. She was wearing a simple white dress with an apron, her silky raven hair scooped up loosely into a pony tail.

They had been living together for three months now and Saitou knew that it all had to end soon. They were complete opposites; Kaoru and him. He was a notorious player with his devilish good looks while she was the wide-eyed, dreamy artist who was a romantic at heart. When they had first gotten together, he had told her that he couldn't give her anything else but the time while they were together. She had nodded understandingly and told him that it was okay. So, their unlikely relationship began.

Now, he went towards her and hugged her from behind, giving her lingering kisses on her neck. Kaoru dropped the dish she was holding and gave a startled cry.

"Saitou!" she said, turning around, "I told you not to sneak up on me like that again!"

Saitou smiled at her and pulled her tighter against him, " I couldn't resist, sorry."

Kaoru sighed, he was in a good mood tonight because she knew that he was normally not so generous with his affections outside the bed they shared. She couldn't blame him, he was called 'The Wolf Man' for a reason. Saitou was always so calm and in control and Kaoru sometimes thought that he may be a bit too cruel. He usually smirks and when he smiles, it will be one of his devilish grins, nothing warm, tender or happy. She did not know why he had become this way except that it had something to do with his family; a subject he was very touchy about. Kaoru sighed again, as far as she knew, this would be their last night together; her belongings were all packed and ready to go.

"Why the long face and sighs?" he asked, playing with her hair and his chin came to rest on her head.

Kaoru put down the dishes and turn into his arms, her head buried in his chest; she did not what to let him see her face.

"I'll tell you over dinner," she murmured.

"Then I shall go and take a shower first." He said.

Kaoru watched him walked down the wooden corridor, his long legs striding so gracefully. She liked that about him, his whole body radiating power and grace. Kaoru smiled sadly and then turn back to the task at hand.

When he had gotten out from the shower, dressed in a casual whit t-shirt and long black pants, Kaoru was no where in sight. So Saitou sat down at the dining table and looked at the plates of food placed in front of him. A large bowl of potato salad, cooked spinach, chicken teriyaki and miso soup. They were all his favourites.

Then, Kaoru came in a placed a bowl of rice in front him. She had taken off her apron and Saitou noticed how beautiful she looked in her simple white dress. He knew that the white dress was Kaoru's favourite and unknown to anyone, it was also his favourite. He liked it better than the other more elaborate and flashier dresses she had. He also noticed that her brilliant blue eyes had lost their usual sparkle and that she was biting her lips. She was bothered by something, Saitou had learned that much from the tell-tale signs over the three months they spent together.

"So," he said, "what are you going to tell me?"

Kaoru picked up her bowl of rice and chopsticks and began eating, then after she swallowed two mouth fulls, she raised her eyes to the man sitting across her. He was looking at her with those deep amber eyes of his, his food still untouched.

"I…" she paused, trying to put strength into her voice. She had to be strong in front of him, she did not want to appear vulnerable.

"I will be moving out tomorrow," she finally said.

"Why?" he asked, his amber eyes never leaving hers.

"I'll be getting married soon," she replied, "and my father insists that I have to spend more time with my fiancé."

"Who's the lucky guy?"

Kaoru almost flinched, she hated the way he was behaving. His face was unreadable, totally emotionless. Obviously, he didn't care and here she was, fighting to keep the tears away.

"Actually, I don't know who he is as well. He is the son of a wealthy businessman. An alliance of the companies with our marriage."

"Oh," he said simply.

Kaoru swallowed, she wanted to go over to him and knock some sense into him. I'm leaving and marrying someone else and all you can say is, "Oh."? She wanted to shout. But yet, she knew that she could not do that. She knew very well that nothing was going to come out of this relationship and she had agreed to his terms.

The truth was, Kaoru was hopelessly in love with him. She loved the way he looked at her when they were at the peak of their passion in bed, she loved the feel of his arms, she loved the unique spicy scent that only he had – she loved everything about him.

Kaoru looked across at the man she loved, he was eating wordlessly, not attempting to make conversation at all. And Kaoru was glad for she did not trust her voice when the tears in her eyes were threatening to spill. So they ate their meal silently.

When she began to clear the dishes away, he caught her wrist softly.

"Leave it," he said in that deep, smooth voice of his, "let's make the most out of our last night together, shall we?"

Kaoru looked at him, her lips trembling. She nodded and allowed him to bring her to their bedroom.

Yes, it was the last time she was going to be in his arms and she wanted something to carry with her when she leaves.

Morning came and Kaoru knew that it was time to leave. She looked at the man lying next to her and marvelled at how beautiful he looked in his sleep. Can a man be beautiful? He looked more handsome than ever and Kaoru felt her heart twitch painfully. She looked away quickly and began to dress soundless, then she would go to the kitchen and finish washing the dishes one last time.

When she was about to go, she stood at bedroom door gazing at him dreamily, her suitcase in hand. She did not like slipping away like this and yet she knew that it would be easier for her this way. She could not risk staying any longer, she was dying a little bit more inside each moment she spent here. She did not even dare to give him a goodbye kiss in fear of waking him.

"Good bye, Saitou." She whispered.

Saitou woke up and knew that she was gone. Wasn't this what he wanted? But why did he feel so empty all of a sudden?

She left behind that sweet jasmine smell of hers and he remembered the night they shared. It was beautiful. It was the first time Saitou felt that sex was actually what other people referred to as making love. He knew that Kaoru gave him all of herself last night, he could felt the loving and passionate way she was kissing him last night. He was the most selfless woman he met. Almost every woman he came across wanted something from him. Some wanted his wealth, and some just wanted to possess him, wanting the title of the one subduing 'The Wolf Man'. He didn't understand why they called him 'The Wolf Man', maybe it was the way he dealt with people, maybe it was his unusual coloured eyes. He didn't care.

He never expected Kaoru to leave this way, he had thought that she may cry or try to cling onto him but he was wrong. She had spread her fingers across his chest last night before whispering that she loved him. Saitou did not respond to those words and he knew that she didn't expected him to do so as she just smiled at him softly and hugged him tightly.

He began to wonder who she was going to marry. Surely he would know who it was, there was no one he didn't know in business.

Saitou got up from the bed and decided that he was going to take a shower. He noticed how spacious the bathroom counter has become with all her stuff gone. They had a slight argument the first time he saw her clutter evading his space but now he realized that he didn't mind the clutter at all.

He knew that Kaoru understood that there will never be a future for them. It had come up during one of their leisurely conversations and he found out that she wanted a family, a family of her own and her own kids to spoil. On the other hand, he couldn't stand children. There was no way that they can be together, it was good that everything came to such a quick end for them. But why did he find himself still thinking about her?

He would never want to be tied down by a family. There were no happy memories from his childhood; he was an illegitimate child. His father abandoned them when he was young and his mother died soon later and he found himself in the orphanage, the child no one wanted. So to him, there was nothing good about having a family. It was definitely nothing like what people say we should cherish. It took a lot of hard work and pain and tears to reach the kind of life he had now. But lately, he found himself loosening up, Kaoru had gotten under his skin and made him feel. He was drawn to her laughter and surprised by the unaffected warmth she shared so generously with everyone. She was the only who would put up with his gloomy moods and there were times where her eyes flashed angrily and she gave him a piece of her mind. She was the kindest woman he knew and she was giving him unconditional love, not expecting anything in return. And now, she had left to marry some unknown person.

Saitou dressed quickly and decided that it was time he show up at his company, staying in the house full of memories of Kaoru was making him crazy.

She was waiting for her father in one of the luxurious rooms of his company, Seely & Co. and he was bringing her fiance with him, the next president of Clover Enterprises.

Then, her father entered with a man that she remembered seeing a number of times before.

"Kaoru," Koishijiro said, "this is Shinomori Aoshi, your fiancé."

Kaoru looked at the man beside her father and attempted to smile warmly at him. He should be as tall as Saitou, dressed in a black suit, his blue eyes were staring back at her own.

He held out his hand and Kaoru took it, "Hello, Kaoru." He said. Kaoru decided that he was not as bad as she thought.

"I'll leave and let you two get acquainted!" Koishijiro said, and with that, he left the room.

So Kaoru and Aoshi sat in an awkward silence, looking at each other.

"Kaoru," he started, " I understand that this may be too much for you right now. But I assure you I'll be a good husband. You'll never have to worry."

Kaoru nodded and smiled at him gratefully, "Thank you so much."

"There is going to be a Charity dinner at my house two weeks from now and we'll be attending together, will that be all right with you? Your father wishes for us to appear as a couple."

Kaoru nodded again, "Okay, it'll be fine." What else can she do? And this man seemed to be nice. He was handsome, he was wealthy and he was everything that a girl would want. But he was not Saitou.

"I'll pick you up at your house at eight that night," he said. Then he got up and Kaoru got up as well. He touched Kaoru lightly on the arm, a soft smile dancing on his lips, "I'll see you then."

Kaoru smiled weakly and watched him leave the room.

It had been two weeks since she left and he had not heard from Kaoru at all. Is she already happily married with that fiancé of hers? Only two weeks and he was already looking like shit. Everyone noticed the change in him and how bad his temper had become lately.

"Hajime-san," his secretary said interrupting his thought, "the suit you ordered for tonight's dinner is here, would you like to take a look?"

Saitou stared at his secretary and she retreated fearfully, "What suit?" he growled.

"The black pinstripe suit you ordered weeks ago for the Charity dinner held by Clover Enterprises."

"All right," he said, remembering the pinstripe suit he saw weeks ago, he was a bit tired of plain black suits so he had decided to try something new, "sent it in."

Now that he think of it, the Clover Enterprises were ran by the Shinomori family and now Shinomori Aoshi was going to take on the post of the President of the company. He also heard recently that Clover Enterprises had just partnered up with Seely & Co., another fierce competitor in the business. Saitou made a face, he had to attend this dinner, whether he liked it or not.

She was in Aoshi's Mercedes Benz on their way to the Charity dinner held in the huge Shinomori Mansion. They were silent and Kaoru didn't blame Aoshi because they just met, she should think for the both of them and tonight, she was going to put on a brave face and try to leave all her troubles and sadness behind.

Unknown to her, Aoshi stole glances at her constantly, thinking that she looked more beautiful than ever. When his father told him about this possible marriage to Kamiya Kaoru for the partnership of companies, he was happy. He had his eye on the young and beautiful Kaoru for a very long time now, but being the man he was, he did not approach her. Besides, there was this rumour that she was already with someone else. And the rumour proved to be wrong because now, she was his fiancé and they were going to be married soon.

When they arrived, he held the door open for her and helped her down. Everyone looked at them and he could tell that Kaoru was feeling uneasy. He put his hand lightly on her waist and whispered reassuringly into her ear, "It's okay, you'll be fine."

Kaoru smiled at him and nodded, "Let's go."

Saitou almost jumped out of his seat when he saw Kaoru walking into the grand ball room with Shinomori Aoshi, and it dawned onto him that 'the son of a wealthy businessman' was the heir to Clover Enterprises. Shinomori Aoshi was Kaoru's fiancé and right now, he was holding onto Kaoru's waist possessively while introducing her to his friends. Kaoru was smiling, though Saitou could see that the smiles could fall off anytime. She was definitely not used to all this sudden change. She did not know he was here yet and Saitou watched her from far, and felt this rage growing inside him whenever Aoshi turned to whisper something into Kaoru's ear or to smile at her. It was obvious that the man was besotted and Kaoru didn't seem to be complaining. And Kaoru was not making it any easier for him by looking so sexy in that red dress of hers. The fabric was clinging perfectly to the body he knew so well and he wanted to be the one standing next to her now, not that Aoshi bastard.

But the truth is, Kaoru, the woman he loved was going to marry some other guy because his own cowardice. Saitou knew that he was not good with emotions or expressing his love, and he didn't know why but he found it hard to say the three words to her before. Maybe he was too stubborn to realize it, he was too damn proud and in control to notice the little changes in him or his own feelings for Kaoru. An image of Kaoru and Aoshi living happily together with kids appeared in his mind, and it made him sick.

Then, he decided that maybe kids weren't so bad, provided that they are his.

He was watching her and he thought she didn't know. From the moment they stepped into the grand ball room, she had sensed his presence, and she felt like she wanted to die. All the courage she built up earlier was tattered into pieces and she forced herself to stay in Aoshi's arms and smiled at his friends. She wished that she had never agreed to come in the first place. Here she was, standing with her fiancé and the man she was in love with was watching on like it was a show. Her heart was breaking into pieces and for the first time in this awful ordeal, her tears actually came out of her eyes.

"Excuse me," Kaoru said apologetically to Aoshi and his friends, "I've something in my eye."

Then, she fled; desperately looking for somewhere she can be alone.

Saitou found her in a secluded area in the back garden, she was sitting on a bench, her hands folded nicely at her lap, and she was staring up into the sky, looking at the numerous stars of the night.

Saitou did not know why he had followed her, but he did. The moment he saw her walk away from Aoshi's group, his feet seemed to have a mind of their own and now, he was in this huge garden, standing near the bushes behind her contemplating how he was going to approach her.

"Why are you here?" she asked, not turning around to look at him. She had known that he had followed her here. Saitou stepped out of the shadow of the bushes and walked in front of her. He looked down at her tear stained face and she looked defiantly back at him.

"Please leave," she said, "I would like to be alone."

Instead of leaving, Saitou bent down and captured her face in his hands, kissing the tears away. He felt her stiffen and her hands began to push him away, then, he grabbed her hands and kissed her right on her lips. At first, Kaoru refused to respond to his passionate kisses and Saitou smiled and continued to bite at her lips playfully. "Kiss me, Kaoru," he whispered into her lips and Kaoru couldn't stand it anymore. She shot up from her seat and kissed him back passionately, their tongues entwining furiously and her arms holding onto him tightly, never wanting to let go.

Then, in the midst of their feverish kisses, Kaoru came to her senses and pushed him away. Her eyes were blazing and tears were threatening to fall again.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Kaoru cried, "Why do you have to come here and make me more confuse than I am?" She was pounding onto his chest, sobbing hard and then she turned around and fled. She had never wanted to let him see her cry, she didn't want to let him see her vulnerable side or how much their separation was affecting her. And now she was running away from him, she never wanted to see him again or feel the pain she was feeling now.

In three long strides, Saitou caught her and pulled her into his arms. Kaoru struggled and pushed him hard and he just held onto her tighter, there was no way he was letting her go this time.

"Let me go!" Kaoru cried, punching out at him and fighting hard and when she finally realized that he wasn't going to budge, she forced herself to calm down and said quietly, "Please let me go, Saitou."

Saitou's heart tightened at the sound of finality in her voice and he asked her softly, "Do you really want me to let you go?"

"Yes," Kaoru said calmly, "I can't allow myself to be hurt by you anymore. And I'll be getting married soon, Saitou."

"What if I don't want to let you go?" he retorted, his amber eyes looking meaningfully into hers, "What if I want to keep you forever?"

Kaoru's eyes widened in shock at what he was saying, "But…I thought…"

Saitou hugged her tightly, inhaling that familiar jasmine scent that he was so used to, "I'm sorry."

Kaoru pulled away from him and looked at the man in front of her. He was apologizing? "Why are you apologizing?" she asked softly.

"Because I've hurt you," Saitou, "and because I just realize that I couldn't let you marry another man. You belong with me, Kaoru."

"But," she said, "My father…and the engagement and Aoshi?"

"The hell with them," he said menacingly, "there is no way you are marrying Aoshi."

"Why, Saitou?" Kaoru asked, "Why can't I marry Aoshi?" She knew that she was pushing him, but she still wasn't sure what he really wanted with her. Was this one of his games again?

Saitou let out a sigh and pulled her into a hug again, then, he whispered into her ears, "Because I love you."

Kaoru couldn't believe her ears, "What did you say?"

Saitou laughed, "I said I love you." Kaoru looked up at him disbelievingly and her eyes began to water.

"Why the tears?" he asked, brushing the tears away from the corners of her eyes.

"Because I thought that I'll never hear you say that to me, " Kaoru sniffed.

Saitou laughed again and hugged Kaoru tightly, "I'll say it as many times as you want."

Kaoru smiled and kissed him softly, "I love you too."

Saitou sighed contently and said, "I know. And I think it's about time that you move back all your clutter into my house."

So they left the Shinomori mansion without anyone seeing them and went back to where they would always feel at home.

Everything was perfect that night, minus the heartache. It was the most wonderful night with bright and shining stars in the sky.

A/N: Okies, here, it ends. Review and let me know what you think!