Disclaimer: RK isn't mine. Merely borrowed for your reading pleasure

A.N. Better late than never I say! =shifty eyes=

I know, I promised this chapter a month ago. I feel terrible for being the horrible procrastinator that I am. I give you no excuse, I just ask that you forgive me for my lateness. =bows repeatedly=

I've had terrible writers block, so I hope this chapter is okay!

R&R!

Enjoy!

_______________________________

A Forgotten Night

Chapter 10

"Old pervert!" Kenshin exclaimed, turning to see a small boy brandishing what looked like a wooden sword.

"Get your hands off her!" the boy repeated. Kaoru's heart stopped at the unsettlingly familiar voice. Peaking out from around Kenshin, she laid eyes on the last person she expected to see in a luxury suite in a casino hotel.

"Yahiko!" she exclaimed, pushing the dumbfounded and still frustrated Kenshin out of her way. "What in God's name are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to protect you!" Yahiko exclaimed proudly. Reaching out he grabbed Kaoru's wrist and hauled her behind him, shielding her from the lecherous old man. Kenshin stood rubbing his sore head, glaring at the kid who interrupted his steady seduction of his wife.

"Protect me? From what?"

"From this perverted old man, that's what!" he cried, brandishing his wooden sword haphazardly.

"Listen kid, I am not old." Kenshin muttered, looking away from the pair.

Kaoru winced. Yahiko grit his teeth, and swung the sword at the unsuspecting red-head. The wood connected hard with Kenshin's head, sending him reeling once again.

"I am not a kid!" Yahiko yelled bringing his sword down again towards Kenshin.

In an instant, Yahiko was pushed back into Kaoru's arms, the wooden sword was out of his grasp, and Kenshin stood staring down at the boy, holding the sword in his own hands.

"And I am not old. Who are you?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru blinked. From the moment she laid eyes on him.... well.... sober eyes, she knew there was something different about him. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. But there it was. His speed. The way he held the wooden sword.

"You've practiced swordsmanship, haven't you?" she asked. Kenshin's eyes moved back up from Yahiko's to Kaoru's and he nodded slightly.

He looked awkward holding the wooden sword. As if he wasn't used to its lighter weight.

He looked downright sexy!

Kaoru shook her head to clear her thoughts.

'BAD! Not while Yahiko is here!' she yelled in her mind.

"Kenshin, this is Yahiko, my little brother. Yahiko, this is Kenshin, my...." she trailed off. How could she describe Kenshin to Yahiko? Her husband? Her friend? Her hunka-burnin' love?

"Brother?" Kenshin asked, surprised at this piece of information. He lowered the sword and relaxed.

'Calling me a perverted old man must run in the family' he thought grimly as he watched Kaoru's hands close over Yahiko's shoulders and turn him around to face her. Kenshin allowed a moment to indulge in some rather naughty thoughts on where he'd like Kaoru's hands on him.

"Yahiko, why are you here? I left you with M-"

"I came because I.... I.... missed you." Yahiko said lowly, staring down at his feet. Kenshin felt for the boy, anyone could miss Kaoru, especially her little brother. All thoughts on kicking the kid out and having his way with his wife were dashed, much to his dismay.

Kenshin was shocked when Kaoru balled up her fist and knocked Yahiko square in the head.

"Nice try, Yahiko. But you're a terrible liar!"

"Ow! You damn ugly girl! That hurt!" Yahiko yelled.

"Ugly! I am not ugly you little brat!"

"Ha! Have you looked in the mirror lately, UGLY? Your hair's a mess, your clothes are all wrinkly, you look ugly to me. She's ugly isn't she pervert?" Yahiko cried as he and Kaoru physically fought each other.

Kenshin stood dumbfounded. His sweet, cute, unbearably sexy Kaoru was at war with her little brother, in the middle of his hotel suite. At that point, Kaoru had a hold of Yahiko's cheeks, Yahiko had a hold of Kaoru's cheeks, and they were pulling as hard as they could.

"Now, now." Kenshin said, raising his hands in an attempt to calm them. "Yahiko, I don't think you should call your sister ugly, it's not very nice."

"Ha! You heard Kenshin. Don't call me ugly!" Kaoru exclaimed triumphantly. Yahiko glared at Kenshin once again.

"And I don't think you should pick on your brother like that, Kaoru. He means well." Kenshin continued.

The room fell silent.

Kenshin looked at the siblings. They both stared back at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Yahiko slowly backed away from the ticking time bomb that was his sister. He knew from her slowly changing expression that the red-head who had been feeling her up a short moment ago was about to be on the receiving end of a Kaoru special attack.

Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, Yahiko's wooden sword was in Kaoru's right hand, Kenshin's shirt was clutched in her left, and Kenshin himself was being beaten over the head.

"How DARE you side with my brother you jerk! Men! All the same! You always take each other's side! Never the girl! I thought you were different Kenshin! If you thought for one minute you were sleeping with me, you're sadly mistaken buddy! You're on the couch tonight!!!"

And with that, Kenshin was released where he fell on his butt in the middle of his hotel room, while Kaoru stomped over to the bedroom and slammed the door shut, closing herself inside.

"Oro?"

"You don't know anything, do you?" Yahiko muttered walking over to pick up his sword. Kenshin rubbed his sore head ruefully.

"Apparently not. What did I do?" Kenshin wondered aloud.

"You scolded her, that's what you did. No one scolds Kaoru."

"Kaoru's word is law?" Kenshin asked as he picked himself up off the floor and attempted to straighten his clothes. From the looks of things, he was going to be staying in them for a lot longer then he had initially wanted.

"Yup." was the reply. Kenshin nodded.

"I'll remember that."

There was a pause as the man and boy stared at the closed bedroom door. The silence became very strained just because of the angry young woman in the next room.

When faced with an angry woman, every man knows what to do.

"Hungry?" Kenshin asked.

"Yes."

They run away.

Yahiko and Kenshin immediately went for the door. As much as he'd rather be in the bedroom with Kaoru, he would rather spend 5 minutes in the company of Saito than face an angry Kaoru.

"Frightening." Kenshin said as he opened the door.

"You got that right." came the reply.

Kenshin paused at the door.

"What's wrong?" Yahiko asked. Kenshin grabbed the soaked side of his shirt and pulled it away from his body.

"I need to change." he replied meekly, turning and looking at the bedroom door with dread. Yahiko winced.

"Better you than me." he retorted as he strolled down the hallway. "I'll call the elevator, you try and get past ugly."

"Don't call her ugly, Yahiko." Kenshin replied as he turned back into the suite, closing the door behind him and facing the bedroom. Swallowing what had to be his terrified heart in his throat, Kenshin edged towards the bedroom door.

'No need to panic. Just get in, grab your clothes and get out. Avoid eye contact or else she'll kill you.' Kenshin said to himself. He paused at the door, took a deep breath, and opened it silently.

The sight that befell him caused his pounding heart to stop.

Kaoru stood in the centre of the room, wearing nothing but a bed sheet and her hair. She had the sheet wrapped around her body, exposing her legs from mid thigh down to her toes. Her fisted hand on her chest held it closed.

But it wasn't her current state of dress.... or undress for that matter.... that had caused Kenshin to stop dead. It was the look in her eyes.

Two words: smoldering temptress. If it was physically possible, Kenshin's clothes would have caught fire just from her heated look.

She crooked one finger at him, beckoning him closer. As if being pulled by an invisible line, Kenshin felt himself walking towards her.

Kaoru watched in fascination as amethyst eyes melted into burning amber as Kenshin drew closer. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest and she felt breathless. She had hoped that Kenshin had gotten the hint and sent Yahiko on his merry way. She knew the kid would have been scared of her temper, but she figured Kenshin wouldn't.

Kenshin came to a stop directly in front of his wife. He didn't touch her, but his body was a hairs breath from hers. He simply stared down into her hot blue eyes and waited for her next command.... waited until he could wait no more.

"We better get you out of those wet clothes." she whispered.

"Go ahead." was the husky reply.

Unbearably sexy, he was!

Kaoru's hands trembled as she reached out to unbutton Kenshin's soaked shirt. It was plastered to his frame, so she could already seen his form. Her hungover state earlier that morning had caused her to semi-overlook his gorgeous body. Flat chest, muscles, Kaoru had to catch herself before she made a complete fool out of herself and literally DROOLED over the man before her.

Kaoru pushed the wet fabric open and ran her hands up his exposed chest. Oh yeah, this is exactly where she wanted to be.

-------------------------------------

Sano stood at the end of the hallway, near the elevators. He saw Yahiko walking down the hall towards him, but no Kenshin.

"Hey kid, where's the red-head and raccoon girl?"

"I'M NOT A KID!" Yahiko yelled. He threatened to hit Sano with the sword just as Sano raised his hands in defense.

"Sorry! Hey Yahiko, where's the red-head and raccoon girl?" he repeated, correcting himself before the 14 year old hit him.

"Kaoru's pissed and she's locked herself in the room. Kenshin was wet so he went to change his shirt." Yahiko replied. "You better stop talking to me, he'll think something is up if we're caught talking. I can't believe he married that ugly girl." He added with a mutter.

"Ahh, little Yahiko, when you're older, you'll understand." Sano smirked, ruffling Yahiko's hair. Yahiko slapped the offending hand.

"I'm not an idiot Sano. I saw him feel her up. Hot and heavy they were. What I don't understand is why such a great guy like Kenshin is with such an ugly girl like Kaoru." Yahiko replied.

He knew of Kenshin from two years before hand. Yahiko was in a swordsmanship competition and Kenshin was an advanced competitor. Yahiko watched the small man, totally riveted as Kenshin easily defeated every single opponent that came his way. He was incredibly strong and fast! Yahiko idolized him from that time forward. Secretly he hoped he could get Kenshin to teach him some moves, Yahiko dreamed of being as good as Kenshin.

"That's hormones for you. I know you're not an idiot Yahiko, but trust me. In 4 years, you'll understand completely." Sano replied, a smirk on his face.

They both stood in silence for a few minutes.

"He's taking quite a long time to change his shirt and pants." Sano remarked, glancing down the hallway towards Kenshin's door.

"Jeez, and you say I don't understand yet." Yahiko retorted.

"What are you talking about, kid?" Sano asked, glaring down at Yahiko. Deliberately ignoring Sano's 'kid' comment, Yahiko heaved a sigh and turned to the business man with the IQ of a turnip.

"He's getting out of his wet clothes, but I'd bet my boken he's not getting into dry ones. Kaoru faked her anger to get me out of the room." Yahiko replied. Sano blinked down at the 14 year old with the testosterone levels of a grown man.

"Oh no. Happy couple can't consummate just yet." Sano said as he fished out the hotel key for Kenshin's room. Turning on his heal, Sano made his way down the hallway, inserted the key and entered the hotel suite with Yahiko hot on his heals.

"Stay here." He told Yahiko as he quietly made his way to the bedroom door. Pressing his ear to the door, he didn't hear any screams or moans of ecstasy so he threw the door wide.

"Lucy, I'm - "

But his catch phrase was drowned out when he was hit square in the face with cold water, soaking his shirt and pants straight through in a heartbeat.

"Walk in on my wife and I one more time Sagara and what I'll hit you with will be a whole lot more painful than cold water." Kenshin growled. Sano cleared the excess water out of his eyes and looked at the pair. Kaoru wore a hotel bathrobe, Kenshin was shirtless, still wearing his soaked pants, and holding the ice bucket that dripped water drops onto the carpeted floor.

Yahiko heard the splash from the living room and rushed up to Sano, only to see his whole front half soaked to the skin. His only reaction was to burst out laughing.

"Sano, you look like a drowned rat!" Yahiko laughed, and then froze.

Sano gave Yahiko a murderous glare. The kid just blew it!

Kaoru watched her younger brother with a confused expression on her face. How did Yahiko know Sano's name?

Kenshin merely raised one eyebrow.

"Lucy, you've got some 'xplaining to do." Kenshin said.

Yahiko swallowed.

_____________________________________________

A.N. Got questions?! I hope so. There's a whole lot more to this story than meets the eye. :D

Anyways, I thought I'd clear up a couple of questions that's been posted in the reviews but first things first.

THANK YOU!!!!! I've reached the 200 mark in reviews for this story and that makes me very happy. You readers are wonderful people and I thank you for your kind words.

Okay, to clear up some things, I'd like to properly announce the ages of each of the characters. Kenshin, Sano, Katsu and Aoshi are all in their early thirties. Sano's the youngest of the men, he's 31. Kenshin's the oldest of the men, he's 32. Katsu and Aoshi are 31 and 32 respectively. I talk about 'older' in months between birthdates. You know the deal.

Kaoru and Misao are both the same age at 24. Yahiko is 14 (as you saw in this chapter).

So, when I said ["Youngsters?" the four men chimed. The youngest of the bunch was Sano at 31. Youngsters?!] back in chapter 9, I meant that out of the men, Sano was the youngest. Sorry for the confusion.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D