Disclaimer: RK not mine. =cries=

A.N. Well, here's chapter 5! Sorry for the delay but I was lacking in inspiration. About half way through I went totally blank and didn't know what to type. I finally got my groove back this afternoon and finished the chapter.

Hope you enjoy it!

R&R!

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A Forgotten Night

Chapter 5

"Love at first sight?" Kenshin asked, dumbstruck. As soon as the words crossed his lips, a sensation shot through his chest. He couldn't place a finger on it though; he had never felt it before.

"Yes, love at first sight." Aoshi replied evenly.

Even with his totally out of character words and actions, the fact that Aoshi was telling everyone that he had met, fallen in love with, and married Misao in one night was enough to floor everyone in the room, even Kaoru who didn't know the man at all.

Once again, four sets of eyes looked at the sheet-clad honeymooners in absolute shock.

"Would you all close you're mouths? You're going to catch flies like that!" Misao retorted, putting a hand on her hip.

Four jaws immediately clamped shut.

Another moment of silence descended upon the group.

"Congratulations. I'm really happy for you two." Kaoru heard herself say, breaking the silence. Misao smiled her thanks and cuddled closer to her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist.

The remaining occupants congratulated the newlyweds after breaking out of their stupor.

"Now, no offence, but you guys are in my hotel room, so if you could all leave so I can shower..." Kaoru said, turning to her suitcase and rummaging about for some clothes.

"Actually, Kaoru, would you mind terribly if we stayed here? You could stay in Aoshi's suite!" Misao asked hopefully.

Kaoru blinked at her friend.

"What?! Why would you guys want to stay here? You could have a huge suite to yourself! And if it's anything like Kenshin's suite, wouldn't it be better for you two up there?" Kaoru exclaimed.

"Come to think of it, why did you guys come here? Kaoru could have walked in at any time during the night and Aoshi's suite was only 6 floors higher, you would've had your privacy." Katsu asked.

"Well...." Misao blushed.

"This room was closer." Aoshi responded evenly.

Another instance of silence and four shocked faces staring at Aoshi.

"Couldn't wait to bonk your wife, eh Shinomori?" Katsu grinned.

Honestly, that man was crude.

"Nope." Aoshi grinned himself.

Sano burst out laughing once again.

Kenshin remembered tearing Kaoru's shirt off the previous night as he leaned forward to whisper into his wife's ear.

"It seems we weren't the only eager people in this hotel last night."

Kaoru flushed a brilliant red colour.

"Looks like it." she whispered back turning slightly to look into his eyes.

Their faces were mere inches apart. Kaoru could fell his warm breath across her lips. Unconsciously she wet her lips as she stared into Kenshin's deep amethyst eyes. The sight of her small tongue running over her lower lips caused him to react, his amethyst eyes quickly changing to amber as he stared at the woman before him.

Kaoru watched the change... amethyst eyes with some flecks of gold, the gaze turning hot and the gold fleck melted, changing Kenshin's usually soft gentle eyes into hot amber, burning with desire.

Kaoru blinked.... remembering another instance when she saw that change.....

Dancing wildly to music.... a hand on her hip circling around to the small of her back..... lacing her fingers into thick, silky red locks of hair... amethyst eyes melting away into amber....

Kenshin's lips on her throat.....

Kaoru blinked again, clearing her head. Yep, that memory of his lips on her neck was certainly her favourite and she wanted nothing more than to experience it again.

Kenshin's palms itched to reach out and touch Kaoru. Especially when she blinked and her innocent blue eyes were replaced with smouldering pools of heat. He felt his mouth run dry again, and it wasn't attributed to his hangover. It was because Kaoru was staring at his lips with longing and desire.

Unconsciously, Kenshin reached up and placed a hand on the side of her throat. He could feel her pulse rate beneath his fingertips and it was racing. Their surroundings melted away, nothing existed around them. Kaoru closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, her head tilted to the side leaving the other side of her neck exposed.

Kenshin didn't hesitate as he closed the distance, following her invitation and brushing the sensitive skin of her throat with his lips. A slight, quiet moan escaped her lips as she shuddered. Forgetting that they weren't alone in the hotel room, Kenshin buried his face in her neck, smelling her soft scent of jasmine and running his lips against her skin, allowing his tongue to fleck out periodically and taste her, as well as nibbling lightly with his teeth every now and then.

Kaoru's memory of the previous evening was certainly lacking. She remembered his lips, but completely forgot his tongue, teeth and hot breath as he continually teased her, drawing out more shuddering breaths, and increasing her heart rate tenfold. The experience was better than the best fantasies she could ever think of.

Kenshin pulled back slightly, covering the other side of her throat with his other hand. His amber eyes were burning with desire. Kaoru's lips were temptingly parted and he longed to taste her fully. He moved forward in an attempt to claim her lips for the third time that morning.

"Geeze! Even sober you guys are all hot and heavy!" Sano exclaimed, slapping Kenshin on the back and jolting the red-head out of his dazed state.

Anger surged through Kenshin at the third spoiled attempt to kiss Kaoru.

"Do you mind?! I'm trying to kiss my wife!" he exclaimed, then flushed a brilliant red when his words registered in his clearing head. He dropped his hands away from Kaoru and stepped back slightly.

Sano grinned and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Not at all, kiss away!"

Kaoru blinked, still momentarily dazed, but hearing Kenshin's heated words snapped her out of her foggy world.

'Wife?! Did he just refer to me as his wife!?' she thought.

"Sano." Kenshin growled in warning and lowered his head to hide his blush.

'Way to blow that one Himura. She'll probably run screaming now.' Kenshin thought to himself.

There had been a possessive edge to his words, Kaoru had been sure of it. Normally the ultra-independent woman would have slapped him silly and stormed away. But hearing Kenshin talk about her with such possessiveness felt unsettlingly.... right.

Actually, it wasn't unsettling.... it was just right because she felt the same possessiveness towards him. He was HER husband. He belonged with her.

He belonged to her.

"Well, would you look at that." Aoshi said in wonder. All eyes turned from the blushing couple towards the dark-haired man. He stood at the side of the bed with the hotel phone in his hand. He was holding up the index finger of the other hand and staring at it in wonder.

"Look at what?" Kaoru asked, almost afraid to hear the answer but wanting to break the uncomfortable stillness of the room more.

"My finger slipped."

Misao giggled and blushed slightly, obviously recalling something that had transpired between her and her husband.

"Slipped? What do you mean, slipped?" Kenshin asked. He didn't like the mischievous look in Aoshi's eyes one bit.

"I accidentally picked up the phone, called the front desk and checked myself out of my suite." he said innocently as he replaced the phone back on the table.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed.

Kaoru's eyes widened.

Sano and Katsu burst out laughing.

"They were very happy that I chose to check out a day early. Turns out the rooms are booked solid and they needed it." Aoshi said simply. "I guess that means you two will have to share Kenshin's suite."

"Genius! You are an absolute GENIUS!" Sano exclaimed, laughing even harder.

"You don't mind, do you? I mean, with the way you two were just getting along, I figured you wouldn't have a problem with sharing a room." Aoshi asked innocently.

It was unnerving to see Aoshi acting so strangely.

Outwardly, Kenshin and Kaoru were glaring at the four people before them.

Inwardly, the couple were dancing for joy at the prospect of spending the night together.

"Okay, since Kaoru will be staying with her husband, I'd like to get back to mine. Everybody out!" Misao said firmly and pushed her way to the door. She threw it open and gestured for the unwelcome guests to leave.

All four intruders followed each other out, Kaoru holding her overnight bag, they all turned in time for the door to be slammed in their faces.

Misao glared at the door, mentally daring their friends to try coming in again. Aoshi came up behind his wife, closed the latch that would guarantee that no one else would try and enter the room, then wrapped his arms around her.

"Now, where were we my dear?" Aoshi murmured in Misao's ear as he slid the sheet away from her body. Misao giggled and turned to her husband.

"Well, how do you like that?" Katsu snorted on the other side of the door. He shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered down the hall towards the elevators.

Kenshin turned and took Kaoru's bag from her arms.

"Come on, you can get a shower in my room..... err... our room." he said. Kaoru clutched the navy shirt closed and nodded at the red-head. Both blushed at the prospect of sharing a room.

'Oh holy crap, how in the name of God am I going to keep my hands off her!?' Kenshin thought as he made his way towards the elevators, following Katsu.

'Oh dear God, he is so sexy!' Kaoru thought as she watched Kenshin's red hair swish back and forth as he proceeded down the hallway in front of her. 'How am I going to keep my hands to myself when part of me wants to put them on him?!'

Both Kenshin and Kaoru clamped their eyes shut and shook their heads, trying to rid their heads of provocative images of each other.

Sano brought up the rear, watching Kenshin and Kaoru with avid interest just like he had the previous night. It was amazing how one single person could change when introduced to love and lust.

Yes... he said love. There was no use denying it. He saw the look in Kenshin's eyes, and in the Missy's eyes too. They were in love, beyond a reason of a doubt, 100% in love with each other. He had seen it the night before when they had brushed hands in the elevator.

Sano smirked. There was such thing as love at first sight. However, that combined with a whole lot of alcohol brought about a whole other string of rather... unholy, impure, downright naughty thoughts.

And he knew for a fact that Kenshin and Kaoru were filled with naughty thoughts every time they stole a glance at each other.

Sano entered the elevator after the other three and pushed the button for the 20th floor.

Even the tension between the couple was amusing. It was so intense Sano was half afriad that they'd tear each others clothes off and do it right in front of him. Of course, he knew the red-head. Kenshin would never EVER do anything like that. No matter how much burning desire he felt.

No matter how much alcohol he consumed.

And boy, that man consumed a whole lot of alcohol the night before!

Sano had seen to that.

The question had arisen the night before when Sano watched the couple eyeing each other, but not doing anything about it. Obviously there was attraction, and Sano was going to make sure that Kenshin let loose. So the question was asked: How much alcohol will it take for Kenshin to lose all his inhibitions and just go with the flow? How much alcohol would it take for Kenshin to follow his heart instead of his head?

Not that one, the other one... the one on his shoulders.

It had taken a lot. He knew both the Missy and Kenshin were drunk when he saw them together on the dance floor.... Kenshin never danced.

He knew Kenshin was starting to ignore the little voice in his brain as he watched the man press Kaoru into a wall and bury his face in her neck like he had in Aoshi and Misao's room minutes before hand.

And he knew Kenshin had finally followed his heart when he lost the couple around 9pm.

But he didn't know how well Kenshin had followed his heart until he saw the marriage certificate.

He knew was that seeing them together was right. And he was going to do everything in his power to make sure they remained husband and wife.

The elevator doors opened and Sano exited, making his way to Kenshin's suite. He used the key he had and entered the room.

"Sano, I'm gonna go shower and change, plus I promised I'd call my woman, so I'll meet you guys downstairs for breakfast." Katsu said, and then left the three in the doorframe of Kenshin's suite.

Sano wandered into the bedroom and sat down on the still messy bed. Kenshin and Kaoru followed and he put her bag down by the minibar.

"You can grab a shower. We'll go and wait for you downstairs." Kenshin offered gesturing towards the open bathroom door.

"Thank you." Kaoru replied, smiling.

'Oh crap, there's that innocent smile and slight blush that makes me want to....' Kenshin thought. Images of fragmented memories arose in his head and he indulged himself for a moment.

Kaoru grabbed her toiletries and made a bee-line for the bathroom, closing the door and locking it behind her. She hesitated momentarily and then reached out and unlocked the door.

Kenshin and Sano looked at the closed door. They heard the lock turn and Kenshin felt almost.... disappointed.

The lock turned again.... leaving the door unlocked.

Sano smirked and glanced up at his friend. Kenshin's eyes remained glued to the bathroom door.

Kaoru was beyond that door, about to strip naked and get into a nice warm shower, and there was nothing more in the world that Kenshin wanted to do than open the INTENTIONALLY unlocked bathroom door and join her in the shower.

Of course they'd have to turn the hot water off since they would be making their own steam.

'Bad! Down boy! Behave!' Kenshin yelled at himself and tore his gaze from the door only for it to land on his smirking friend.

Sano saw the heated look once again and couldn't help but continue to grin evilly.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed menacingly at Sano.

"Why don't you join your wife? I bet you'd enjoy that shower a hell of a lot more then the cold one you took earlier." Sano said.

"Maybe later." Kenshin replied.

Sano's face lit up completely at that response. Kenshin was admitting to him that he loved her!!

Well, not in so many words but..... a guy can dream.

Kenshin stalked quickly over to Sano, his eyes flashing an anger amber colour as his hand shot out and grabbed Sano by the collar and hauled him off the bed.

Kenshin kept his hand fisted in Sano's shirt as he pulled the tall man to his feet, then hauled his face down so Kenshin was looking down at him.

"First, you and I need to have a chat, old pal." Kenshin growled.

Sano grinned up at his friend. Kenshin had figured out that Sano was partly to blame for the current situation he was in. Well.... maybe not blame.... maybe thanks were in order....

"What the hell happened last night?" Kenshin asked.

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A.N. Okay, after the many MANY wonderful reviews I received (THANKS SO MUCH!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! ^_^). I have taken your thoughts and advice. While K&K will never remember fully what happened (after all when you're that drunk you only remember fragments anyways), there were witnesses around who can inform them of their actions.

As for what happened after 9pm, well... you'll see :D

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. There were a few spots that I wasn't pleased with, but there were a few that I totally loved. Writing Aoshi as playful and mischievous was so much fun!! :D Totally OOC though, I know, but it was fun all the same.

Not to worry you A&M fans, they will return to this story, and I do plan to give an account as to what happened to them.

Considering that I was only thinking of making this fic short, it's turning out to be something a whole lot longer. Hope you guys don't mind!

Reviews are always welcome.

Cheers!