Disclaimer: Never have I ever owned Rurouni Kenshin

She awoke in the pitch dark of the wee hours, her throat burning with thirst. She had been unable to drink more than a sip of the red liquid that reminded her so much of blood and now she wasn't sure what to do. The fire was barely lit in the hearth, a few glowing coals. She managed to light a lamp, but could find no water jug. She took up the lamp and located her bokken before trying the door. She was more than a little shocked when it swung open with little resistance. They hadn't even locked her in? This was a big house, but surely, she could find the well, right? She stepped from the room into the stone hallway.

Centimus stalked the hallways of the ridiculous house he had been given as a war hero, replaying the events of the day. Had he done the right thing? Was the woman dangerous? What about the translator, Hiro? What was he going to do with her, long term? He felt responsible for her well-being, after all she had gone through. He couldn't just turn her out into the streets, thousands of miles from her homeland. Why did his soldiers think that bringing her here was a good idea in the first place? Personal slave his soldier had said. Like he had ever asked for a personal slave. He cursed, letting his feet take him where they would, seeing no sleep in the near future.

Kaoru almost cried in relief. After wandering through long, dark corridors, she had finally found it. The small courtyard boasted a large well in the center. As with everything in this forsaken land, it was high off the ground. Why did these people want to be so far separated from the earth? She rushed towards it to begin hoisting up the bucket with precious water when her eyes fell on the shadow of a man, bucket already in hand. She froze and gripped the handle of her bokken. This is why she had brought it, after all.

The quick footsteps diverted his attention from the bucket of water in his hands. When they stopped, he quietly set it down and put a hand on his sheath, ready to pull his sword. "Who's there?" he demanded, shifting his stance in case of attack. A servant would announce themselves. A word he didn't know in an unfamiliar, feminine voice responded. The glow of a lantern reflected off her black hair and made her blue eyes shine. He sighed in relief. And clicked his sword back into place. "Miss Kaoru?"

She stepped closer, wary. Her soft voice tried to be hard. "Hai."

He tried to give a reassuring smile and exude 'harmless' as his eyes flickered to the wooden sword in her other hand. He was glad she had it, but he knew she could be dangerous. "Here for a drink?" he gestured to the bucket and dipper. At her terse nod, he stepped away, giving her space, keeping an eye on the wooden sword. She walked over and set the lamp on the ground before taking the dipper, watching him with those shadowed eyes as she drank. It was mesmerizing. He blinked. She was offering it to him. Her words were soft, and she held the dipper out to him with both hands. He had drunk just before she arrived, but now he found that his throat was dry and he accepted it from her with a smile. "Thank you," he nodded, mirroring her own gesture. Then, he almost dropped the dipper as her lips curled into a shy smile, transforming her face in the moonlight.

She didn't have the gold-and-white beauty prized by the people in the region, nor did she have the more common brown that permeated the general populace. Having no other of her race to compare to, he could didn't know how she fit in with her own society. As she bowed and left his company, he was struck. Her beauty and spirit made him want to be sure she was always cared for and he had every intention of making it so.

The next time he saw her was at dinner the next evening. He had asked the housekeeper, Taena, to invite her. She arrived with her shy smile in the well-worn silk robe she had worn upon their first meeting, her hair tied up with a ribbon. His lips smiled on their own will at the sight. The meal was very quiet, him trying to talk, her trying to listen, but there was no conversation at first. Instead, he watched her hold the edge of her sleeve, preventing it from showing her wrist as she ate. Her modesty was such a contrast from the bare-armed gowns the women of his household wore. He smiled at her masked but still obvious disgust at using her hands to eat – what was she accustomed to? He would have to find out later. He noticed the faint wrinkle of her nose as she sipped the wine. It was clear that it was not her beverage of choice. She favored the vegetables, dodged the cheese, and nibbled the bread. She was such an enigma, he wanted to ask her a million questions. As the meal came to a close, he decided that the translator, Hiro, would join them at their next meal.

She sat down at the table across from the man who had spared her life to eat yet another meal with him. He seemed…curious about her. She didn't mind his company. It was the presence of that man, Hiro, that she minded. The master, Kentsin, seemed to enjoy his company. Or at least enjoyed using him as a translator. Kaoru wasn't quite sure that her answers were being translated correctly, and that annoyed her. He was the man who had sold out her family to these foreigners, sending her father away with his lying tongue, capturing her and dispersing the school. She could only hate his guts and push to learn this new place so she could speak for herself.

In that vein, she had been assigned a tutor. A young woman with a somewhat mocking attitude that she wasn't sure she liked. She obviously liked Kentsin and fawned over him whenever he came to check on them in the room reserved for her studies. She had been surprised to learn that she was to be taught – what need did a slave have of learning?

It was at one of these dinners that she finally asked. After all, nothing she had asked for before had been denied. She almost laughed at the look on Hiro's face at the question. He was clearly shocked. A look of confusion came over Kentsin's face. She glared at the man she wished would vanish and took a stab at it herself. She put a hand on her shoulder and addressed him for the first time in his own language. "Kaoru slave, yes?" A smile broke out on her face when a vicious scowl was directed towards Hiro from the red-haired man at the table. Said translator had the courtesy to blush.

"No." came the emphatic answer from the host. He directed his attention to Hiro and sounded like he was berating the other man. She knew Hiro wasn't doing his job correctly. She took a sip of the water that had found its way to the table since her first dinner here. Then came Hiro's voice.

"The master wishes me to explain that you are not considered a slave in the house, but a guest." This was obviously more in line with what he was supposed to say. However, he continued, giving her a deceptively sweet look. "Although, I would remind you that you pledged fealty to this house and would suggest punishment at trying to escape." A bully to the end. She turned her smile to the eager man leaning across the table, waiting for her reaction.

"Arigato, Kenstin."

The warehouse held what was left of the ship's cargo after debts were settled. The advent of his new houseguest pulled his interest towards the goods that arrived with her. The merchant showed him dried plant leaves ("tea, sir. To drink, boiled with water."), pottery, spices, and bolts of fabric. It was beautiful, colors that were almost never seen. These were possibly things that the girl was familiar with, even though they seemed so unusual to him. He remembered the well-worn robe that Miss Kaoru wore and one bolt in particular caught his eye. When the merchant noticed his interest, he got a gleam in his eye. He immediately pulled out the bolt for Centimus to examine more closely. "The finest silk, sir. Isn't it exquisite? Please, run your fingers along it." He was shocked by the smooth, cool fabric.

"Silk? What plant…?"

"No plant, sir! The workers harvest the silk from the cocoons of moths and then spin it into thread. Weaving silk is very expensive, very time consuming. This is the best quality. We will get an excellent price!" The proud face and blue eyes of his house guest flashed through his mind. If he could help her feel more at home, why wouldn't he? These were his wares, from his ships. He could keep some of them for a girl far from home.

The seamstress gaped at the task laid before her. A bolt of indigo blue silk, brought back on the same fateful ship at the exotic young woman, a threadbare kimono, and instructions to make a new one.

"But Taena, I've never made one of these," she gestured at the offending garment, "before. Much less all the underthings! I don't know where to start!"

"It can't be that hard, right? Let's look at it, maybe we can figure it out. The master wants one just like it for Miss Kaoru." Taena laid out the garment on the bed, examining the seams. "It doesn't look too difficult, now does it?" she pursed her lips, feeling the fine fabric between her fingers. "What beautiful material. It must be a dream on. And the color! I haven't seen this color very often. It would fetch a fortune at market!"

"Such luxury wasted on a girl like her." The seamstress tutted as she examined the bolt of silk. Taena narrowed her eyes at the woman. She had become rather fond of her charge in the past few weeks.

"Its her due. This was stolen from her homeland, after all. Just like her." The seamstress, suitably chastened, only harrumphed and turned her attention to the seams.

"Since it is the girl's garment, you don't suppose she knows how it is put together, do you? I would like to take this one apart to get an idea of the shapes, but that has been forbidden." A wrinkle formed between her brows as she recalled the master's adamant directive to not mess with the threadbare robe. Taena seemed to be considering what she said.

"I will go get her. I imagine she has at least some ideas."

It was Kaoru's turn to gape at the bolt of silk. Her sighs of delight and gentle fingering were enough to explain the unknown words dripping from her lips. It was obvious that she admired it as well.

Upon request, Kaoru tried to describe how the kimono was cut, from the single length of fabric. "See?" she traced the seams, then the cloth, showing them rectangles. The seamstress had a glint in her eye.

"Only rectangles, hmm. In that case, we should just be able to measure each section and create a pattern. Taena, please get my tape and a slate. We have some figures to do."

Kaoru showed herself more than capable with a needle and thread, attaching the long collar of the kimono with small stitches. The seamstress marveled at the silk in her hands, having never worked with the fabric before. And the color! Kaoru helped them with the cotton undergarments as well as a cotton yukata. The obi was a little more difficult to create, the stiffness required for knots not easily made with lighter fabrics. Finally, it was finished.

Centimus made it a point to invite his house guest to dine with him every night, although always with the caveat of staying in her room. He didn't want to push her, but didn't want her to feel abandoned either. He had heard from the seamstress that the strange clothing she had been asked to create was finished, and he truly hoped she would wear it tonight. He wanted to see if she was happy with her gift.

The door to the dining room opened and Centimus stood for his visitor. A vision in an indigo blue robe entered, her woven belt tied in an intricate knot. He lost his breath as he watched her glide into the room on surprisingly difficult looking shoes. Her bright smile lit up her face and he was a man struck dumb. She stopped before him and made a small bow.

"Arigato Kentsin, for kimono!"

A/N: Thoughts/feelings?