Hey :D as you can see, I'm just throwing stuff out at random, finally getting this stuff out of the dark, regardless of reviews and all that. Thanks, Miniwoo and QuetzalCoatl Mistress (i hope i spelled it right) for getting back to me so quickly. And don't worry-Sano's just there to add to Kenshin's frustration. LOL! I'll be updating every few days until I get to chapter twelve and I have to start filling in the gaps in my last chapters.

WARNING: It's a long and twisted road-the story goes way past the walls of the Kamiya dojo. So I know you'll get impatient every once in a while. Just bear with me 

Enjoy!

Chapter Five

It all falls down

Kenshin usually loved crisp autumn mornings. The cool breeze wasn't bitingly cold, but a perfect temperature to keep anybody comfortable. The birds woke early and sang their songs. But when he looked into the mirror, he was wearing a scowl. It had been a whole week. One whole week of Kaoru and Sano making like lovebirds and holding hands wherever they went. He heard them giggling in her room as he walked the halls, and could clearly hear the love in their voices and the way they flirted the life out of one another. It was, to put it nicely, making him sick. This morning, he'd probably go through the same thing. He'd open the door, walk the hall, hear Kaoru and Sano laughing together about something or talking softly or flirting, go to make breakfast, and have to endure sitting at the table with them as they gave one another secret smiles and glances that meant more than the naked eye could see. They were being so romantically sweet he was bound to get a cavity. To top it all off, Misao continued to throw up several times every morning, and now Aoshi was a nervous wreck. Megumi had just given her a medical examination, and when it was finished, she herded the couple frantically into the training hall and none of them had emerged from there since.

Kenshin opened his door and stepped out to see Sanosuke entering Kaoru's room with jasmines.

"Sano?" Kenshin was very confused. It was particularly un Sano-like to give a girl flowers. Even he knew that.

He smiled sheepishly. "It's her favorite flower. You ever noticed how she always smells like them?"

"Hai." He nodded. "Jasmines have a nice, fresh scent." He always did notice it. One of the first things he smelled when he'd entered that room with the others to see Gohei was Jasmine, along with blood, sweat, and sour breath.

"I feel like an idiot." He said, dropping his hands to his side so the flowers brushed against his pant leg.

Kenshin snorted. "She'll appreciate it," he shrugged.

"I guess…" Sano took a deep breath, stuck out his chest, and entered. Kenshin could see through the gap in the door that Kaoru was sleeping peacefully. The morning sunlight filtered through her window and created a luminescence on her already radiant face. Her hair created a messy halo around her head and her arms were spread eagled. Sanosuke closed the door behind him, and Kenshin saw no more.

"Jou chan," Sanosuke whispered, giving Kaoru a little shake.

Her eyes had trouble opening. Megumi had pulled her away from the fishing trip when they were done and Sano had given back the stolen lobster, and the two ladies didn't return until late at night. Kaoru was still very tired.

"Kaoru," Sanosuke whispered again. Her eyes finally pried themselves open. Good god was this girl beautiful. He stared into her newly opened eyes, already wide-awake and full of luster. And the emotions that swirled through them when she looked him in the eyes… There was something about those blue jewels that had startled him ever since they were children. When she was overwhelmed or crying, the depth in her eyes only plunged deeper. Looking into them, he'd felt that he was staring into one of the deepest blue crevices ever to exist. And in the depth of those eyes he was seeing thousands of hidden but emerging emotions he would someday see clearly.

"You woke me up." She acknowledged with hidden amusement.

"I'm sorry," he said, leaning closer to her. "Was it a nice dream?"

Kaoru smiled at him and lay back until her shoulders touched her pillow. "I dreamt that I was in a snowy clearing, but the snow was pink." She frowned as she tried to remember the details.

"Like cherry blossoms?" he asked.

"Yes…" Kaoru nodded slowly. "Like cherry blossoms. But it was winter. The sky was pink, too. And the falling snow was an orange-pink color, like the snow on the ground."

They sat in that comfortable silence for a while, but then Kaoru moved aside on her large futon to give Sanosuke room to crawl in. He settled himself beside her, letting her rest the back of her head in the crook of his neck, and started playing patterns across the skin behind her elbow. "Maybe…" she began, but she dismissed it.

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe I was dreaming of heaven," she said, smiling widely. "I think I remember hearing or seeing my father."

Sanosuke didn't reply for a while. When he did, Kaoru could hear his voice reverberate through his chest and into her ear. "Do you want to go?"

Kaoru laughed and smacked him playfully on the arm. By then she'd changed positions and was sprawled across him. She propped herself up on her elbows and turned to face him. "I don't want to, Sanosuke. No worries."

He sighed with relief. "Good." He pulled the bouquet of jasmines from behind the mass of pillows and gave it to her.

Kaoru froze when he offered them to her. She stared at the white, sweet smelling flowers with surprise. "Flowers, Sanosuke?"

He swallowed hard. "Hai."

She took them from him, inhaled deeply, and sighed with pleasure. "I didn't know you were so sentimental!" She sang gleefully. Kaoru stared lovingly at the flowers and decided immediately to save them. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and left a moist, very big kiss on the corner of his jaw.

Sanosuke smiled.

By the end of the week, Kenshin had left for a couple of days to see Katsura. Kaoru and Sano had been acting like lovey dovey lovebirds and it drove him crazy. They'd made the transition from friends to lovers so quickly he'd missed when it happened. It was so irritating, he didn't know why it was irritating. But every single day, from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep, he was plagued by glimpses of Sanosuke and Kaoru being the lovebirds they are. Megumi stood on the sidelines and watched, telling him it was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen, but it should have happened much sooner. Yahiko was deeply disgusted, though he looked up to Kaoru and Sanosuke like they were his real family. Kenshin didn't know why Yahiko found it so weird, since it was bound to happen. Aoshi was calm and collected as always, and didn't really talk about it. But his future bride, standing by his side, squealed gleefully at every time she saw them kiss or join hands or embrace. For a terminally ill young woman, she had a lot of energy.

Misao, even though he had deep respect for the girl, got easily on his nerves.

Life there had become so much louder and so much more obnoxious that going home and barely talking at all sounded like the most beautiful thing in the world. He wanted out.

"What do you mean you want to finish?" Katsura asked coolly, taking a sip of his tea.

"I mean, Katsura, that I want to finish." Kenshin replied sarcastically.

"You've never wanted to quit a job early before. Is the girl that bad? Does she have a squeaky voice? Are her friends bad? Is she that ugly? My sources tell me she's quite a beauty."

"Her looks are fine, her attitude is fine, her voice is fine, and her friends are fine. But I've had enough."

"Tell me what's been going on in that house." Katsura ordered casually.

"Lets see… remember Saitou?" Katsura nodded in approval. "He insulted her a lot on the night I brought her to the station. The fifth time, she tackled him and actually managed to get him on the floor. Then she even stole his cigarettes."

Katsura nearly choked on his tea. He laughed hysterically for a moment or two, but managed to collect himself and continue the meeting, a little crinkle present in the corners of his eyes.

"Really?"

"Really. She offered me a place, as you already know, and when we arrived at the dojo, she met up with her friend, Sanosuke Sagara, a street fighter who uses a Zanbatou. I think you'll know him."

"She's friends with him?"

"Best friends. Since she was twelve and he was fourteen."

"I see."

"She took in this bratty little ten year old, too, called Yahiko Myojin. His father was a Samurai. I think you'd know someone by that last name." He said.

"Yes, I do. Now continue."

"And the former leader of the Edo branch in the Oniwabanshu, a man named Aoshi Shinomori, she knows him, too. And she's a best friend of his future bride, that leader Misao. The woman who leads the Kyoto branch. Surprising, isn't it?"

"Very. This girl has her contacts."

"Hai. They've been staying in the dojo for a while."

Katsura nodded. He seemed almost satisfied. "Now, tell me about her. What she's like. How she acts… what's special about her?"

Kenshin nodded. He proceeded to talk of Kaoru in amazing detail, and he didn't seem to realize that he sat a little straighter and had a slight sparkle in his eyes. What Katsura understood from their conversation was that this Kaoru, who is so important to the Lord Okubo, is unfeminine, strong, feisty, daring, passionate, kind, friendly, understanding, and very beautiful. He smirked at the change in Kenshin's attitude. He knew about Tomoe's sneaking around, and had been waiting for a while to get Kenshin interested in someone else without letting him know about the betrayal.

"Kaoru seems very interesting." Katsura observed. "I would be lucky to meet her."

"But… sir?"

"What?"

"I came here originally because I wanted to finish up and return home. I've had enough of Tokyo."

"Enough of Tokyo?" Or enough of falling for someone else? Katsura added silently.

"I want to go home." Kenshin said firmly.

Katsura sighed angrily. Sometime, he'd have to let Kenshin in on the news. "No, Kenshin. Your work here isn't done yet. Kaoru is still a target, and if she gets kidnapped again Lord Okubo will drop us from our appointment before we even make it."

Kenshin groaned angrily. He couldn't spend any more time in that dojo… He'd go mentally insane.

By the time he got home, things had quieted down. Misao left a note saying that she and Aoshi were out for the night, and Yahiko was exhausted from his last lesson and had collapsed onto his futon. He hadn't moved since. Kenshin could only wonder at what Kaoru and Sano were probably doing. But to his surprise, he passed the dining room and saw Sanosuke sitting at the table and reading a book alone. He had a slight smirk on his face, like he was expecting something surprising to happen. Kenshin shrugged and moved off to his room. But a sliding door slid open, revealing Kaoru standing in the doorway, and he stopped in his tracks.

Her hair was half up, half down, and fell in masses of tendrils down her shoulders and her back. She was in the royal blue kimono in satin they'd bought at the kimono store, but it was wrapped loosely around her, letting the neckline plunge and the obi fall apart. It was so loosely tied he wondered how it had kept together this long. The kimono hung so loosely, her shoulders peeked out of the dark fabric, contrasting heavily with her fair skin. Her lips were a deep, dangerous red, and the rest of her face was made up like she was ready to seduce somebody. Kenshin's mind was corrupted by visions he'd never voice out.

Kaoru had her head lowered and her eyes to the floor, but years of training had taught her how to detect another's presence through instinct. "Mr. Himura," she whispered cheerfully. Only then did she look up at him. He was about to return her greeting, but she held out a hand to stop him. "Shhh…" she whispered, placing a finger on her lips. "Sanosuke and I are at war."

Kenshin raised a brow and covered his mouth to keep in the laughter. "Did he take the lobster again?"

"Money." She grumbled under her breath.

He smirked. "So what's the get up for?"

Kaoru laughed quietly, ignoring the slight tremble in her voice. "Don't make me tell you. Use your imagination."

Kenshin thought on it for a moment, then turned so red she wanted to laugh out loud, but didn't want to alert Sano. "I've tried all I could on him today, but it didn't work. He either sidestepped or ran out of the room as I came running in with a weapon. I'm using a different tactic now." She smiled sinisterly.

"Mind if I watch? I could use some comedy," he admitted.

"Keep to the darker corners," she said.

He watched her saunter enchantingly to the open doors of the dining room. Sanosuke barely looked up. He seemed to be on to her. She knelt a few feet away from him and reached out to run her fingers down his cheek with a feathery touch. He flinched.

"Sanosuke…" she drawled sexily. He couldn't help but stare at her.

"Yes?" he asked, doing his best to keep firm.

She got on all fours and crawled closer to him. Both males watched as her hips and shoulders moved with animalistic grace towards him. Sanosuke took note of the gentle plunge her neckline took, showing off her soft, pale cleavage. He felt heat fill his shirt. She placed her hands on his shoulders once their bodies were pressed together and pushed him down to the ground. She straddled his waist and began to kiss him, with one hand tangled into his hair and another hand searching gently for his pocket. Sanosuke seemed too caught up in the sudden invasion to realize. When she caught the twine sash in the money pouch, she pulled away and smiled triumphantly. "A-Hah!"

"What?" Sanosuke asked casually, leaning back to stare at her.

Kaoru waved the pouch in front of his face. His smile dropped. "HAH!" She jeered. "IN YOUR FACE!"

Sanosuke glared at her. "Kaoru, how did you get that? It was in my pocket…" He trailed off, and understanding dawned on him. "Oh." He sat up, using one arm to support himself while the other was draped casually over Kaoru's back, and glared harder into those spellbinding eyes. "You know, that's pretty sneaky, seducing a poor, innocent guy into taking money from him," he chided playfully.

Kaoru smiled. "Those of you who are both poor and innocent are anywhere but here." She said. "Besides, can you really call it seducing when the woman has already won the man?"

Sanosuke shrugged. "I don't know. Now, stop with those logical questions. My head is hurting already."

Kaoru smiled and rolled off of him. She stood and smiled triumphantly. "I'm going to change, and I'm going to return this," she said, shaking the money pouch, "to where it belongs."

She started to walk away, but Sanosuke pulled Kaoru back by the butterfly knot of her obi. "Wait," he said. But he wasn't prepared for the look on Kaoru's face. The obi was so loosely tied, it unraveled then and there. The kimono fell. But thank god she was wearing an under robe, never mind the fact that it was even more loosely draped over her than the actual kimono.

Kaoru glared at him. "Try to envision how lucky you are that this time I was wearing an under robe," she said angrily. She turned away.

Sanosuke grabbed her leg before she could walk away. "Nan de?" She growled irritably. Sanosuke pulled her down and kissed her.

Kenshin turned away from the door and almost retched. This romance thing was making him sick. He needed to go out and have a drink.

Sanosuke was back outside by the time Kenshin had gotten his wallet to leave. "Where are you going?" he asked casually.

Kenshin shrugged. "I wanted to get a drink somewhere."

Sanosuke smiled and got to his feet. "I tell you what. The guys and I wanted to have a drink and some fun gambling tonight." He said. "I was gonna show up late and entertain the missy a little while longer, but we can go right now. It'll be fun."

"I guess," Kenshin said, trying to be polite but sounding non-committal anyway.

"Sanosuke!" Anjou cried in welcome upon seeing them. "You're damned late!" Kenshin looked around. There were about a dozen people in the room. It was a very intimate night out, only for close friends.

"Here's the big man now!" Another one piped.

"I haven't seen you since you told us about the little missy!"

"Lucky bastard… you know, I was about to go for the kill myself after Keisuke left, you were taking such a damned long time…" Another laughed. It was pretty obvious he'd been drinking. "Fine piece of a woman that one is," he took another gulp of Sake.

Everybody else in the tatami room yelled in agreement.

"Now, now, you guys, shut up." Sanosuke said. "You gotta remember she's mine."

Somebody's sarcastic laugh came from the left of the room. Sanosuke and Kenshin turned to him. He was sitting cross-legged in a circle of people, his arms folded, looking very full of himself. He glared condescendingly at Sano. "Why the hell she settled down with you, I'll never know. She's had a bad string of guys, and you're only another one to add to the list. She needs a man." He held his head high and stuck his chest out proudly.

"Fuck off, Kaneshiro." Sano spat.

He suddenly rose to his knees. "You think you can talk to me like that, bastard?"

"I don't see why you deserve the proper respect," Sano retorted.

"I'm the fucking drug lord, here, Tori Atama."

"Oh, yeah, the missy really needs a fucking drug lord giving her shit and coming around with his cheap, drug selling ass."

The room was filled with laughter, and Kaneshiro shot menacingly to his feet.

"You wanna take this outside?" He announced angrily.

"Yeah! That's the best idea you had all month, dumbass!"

"Hold on, now." Anjou said frantically. "We don't need a fuckin fight in here. Sano, shut your ass, and Kaneshiro, don't tell me a few insults can break your self control."

Kaneshiro slapped Anjou away, and Anjou slapped him back. They went outside to have a fistfight, but nobody else followed. Kenshin was under the impression that everybody here was used to such random happenings in a fistfight.

"Anyways, is this the guy who saved her?" A man at the back asked, looking at Kenshin with a studying eye.

"Yeah, yeah, but I'm not bringing him here to get everybody all congratulating." Sanosuke shook it off. "We're here to get drunk."

"You wanna gamble?" Came a woman's voice.

Sanosuke frowned. "Who's this?" It was a voice he didn't recognize. A tall, sultry woman, sitting in the middle of the crowd, got to her feet with a sardonic half smile. Her eyebrows were raised challengingly and there was a mysterious glint in her eyes. They were black and bottomless, and her face was lovely and angular. Her length of black hair flowed down to her hips, and she was in a female ninja outfit. Her 'skirt' was blue, with slits on either side going up to her thighs. Her top was short, revealing a considerable amount of midriff. Her hands were clad in black and blue battle gloves, and she wore black boots that looked like they came from somewhere far away. One hand rested casually on her hip, while the other held a pair of dice in an outstretched arm.

"I'm Okon, of the Oniwabanshu branch in Kyoto. I arrived tonight looking for Misao and Aoshi. I know they're staying at your place."

"What do you want them for?" he asked, looking over her skimpy dress with a suspicious eye.

"I have news for them that I can't let anybody outside the clan know. Except maybe Kaoru."

"Hmph." Sanosuke grunted. "Why is it always Kaoru?" he asked under his breath.

Okon walked forward with a strange, sexy grace, and Sanosuke swallowed hard. She leaned forward, propping herself up on her arms as they rested on the table. "Because the girl is awesome." She said, and she smiled lopsidedly.

Sanosuke nodded, smiled, and raised his brow. "I think you know what you're talking about now."

"Anyways, I stopped by to have some fun. I'm a pretty good gambler, so give me a try." She said.

Sanosuke took a vial of Sake from a tray and took a swig. He set it back down and wiped his mouth. "Okay. But no backing out."

Okon smirked. "Whatever." The guys moved aside for her to kneel at the table. Sanosuke came along and sat down opposite her, while Kenshin kneeled at the sidelines to watch. The game began.

"Even one and one." Okon declared.

"Okay," Sanosuke said, biting his lip. "Odds three and four."

A man shook the dice for them, threw them into the bowl, and watched.

"Snake eyes!" Okon cheered, pointing to the dice.

Sanosuke plopped his chin on his hand. "Damnit."

The game went this way for a while. Sanosuke won only two out of nine rounds, and Okon was getting bored.

"Forget this," She said, grabbing the dice and tossing them aside. "It's boring when I keep on winning." She allowed herself a moment to think on what they could do next. "Okay," she said after a while, smiling deviously. Everybody's eyes were locked on her. She truly was one of the more beautiful women around, plus she was just the kind of woman they'd love to take to their friends, if not their mothers.

"Got any ideas?" Kenshin asked.

Okon grinned, grabbed a very large jug of sake, and slammed it onto the table in front of Sano. "I challenge Sanosuke Sagara to a drinking contest!" She announced.

Everybody cheered, and Sanosuke's lips curved into a smile. "Hmm… Nice idea, Okon. It's my favorite kind of contest."

"All right," she said loudly. "Somebody needs to give us a signal."

"All right," a young man came forward. His hair was long, glossy, and perfectly straight, and he wore a headband. His attitude was calm and collected.

"Tsunan!" Sano chirped. "What the hell were you doing hiding in the crowd?"

"I wasn't hiding. You just didn't notice," he said, and he placed an identical jug of sake before Okon. "All right. Are we gonna measure the drinking by vials or jugs?" He asked everybody.

"Since we got a lady here," A middle-aged man said with a belittling smile, "We should measure it in vials. We don't wanna put her up to something too challenging, do we?"

Okon smirked. "Hmm… Apparently, you don't think I'm capable, do you, Bekku?"

"Of course I don't." He said, raising his brow at her.

"Oh well. I'll just have to prove it to you. Then we'll see how right you are."

Soon, every vial in the room was brought to the little table, filled, and divided evenly between the two. A couple volunteers sat at the competitors' sides with the full jugs ready to refill the empty ones when the game begins.

"Okay. What's the rules?" Asked Sano.

"Lets see… We can say that the one who drops dead first loses, and the one who doesn't wins. Or, we can wait for the person who finishes all of the vials first, and just not get them refilled." Bekku said, smiling sinisterly.

"Hmm… what do you think?" Tsunan asked Okon and Sano.

"I say the first one to drop dead loses, and we keep the refills." Okon said.

Tsunan turned to his friend. "Sano?"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll see who drops dead," he said.

"Okay, then. You two guys, make sure you refill the empty vials as fast as you can." Tsunan said, eyeing the refilling duo. "Ready?" He asked. Both nodded. "All right. Get set… DRINK!"

Four minutes and six vials of sake later, Okon and Sano were still going head on. They were at similar paces, and the outcome of the competition seemed unpredictable. Sanosuke and Okon had already consumed what amounted to one whole jug, and were downing another one with difficulty. The effect of the alcohol kicked into gear faster for Okon than it did for Sano. She was already a little dizzy, and her movements, although quick, were unsteady.

"Oh god…"Okon moaned. She stopped to hold her head.

"Come on, Sano!" Tsunan cried. "She's stopped! Go faster!"

Sano, taking the encouragement with pleasure, picked up speed. But as he raised the lips of another vial to his mouth, the entryway slammed open and a sake cup hit Sano clean in the center of his head. He dropped the vial, and it smashed on the table.

"Sanosuke," he heard a frighteningly familiar voice. "What in the world are you doing?"

A few men at the neighboring tables turned around to look at the new arrival. Kaoru was standing at the door, still wearing the royal blue kimono, but more securely around her now that she was out of the house. It still dipped low enough to reveal a little of her collarbones, and it was still loose enough to open as she walked, revealing both her white and blue under robe and a little bit of her right knee. Her hair was still in the same style, and her make up was still in place. Her anger, anger at finding him incredibly drunk once more, seeped away almost before it came, and her full lips broke into a sunny smile. The ones who were sobered enough not to miss that smile were lucky to be seated, lest their knees go weak.

Kenshin had expected her to be angry, but instead she leaned casually against the doorframe, rested a hand on her hip, and laughed. The sound was pleasant, like lightly tingling bells or a gentle, high-pitched wind chime. "You look ridiculous."

Sanosuke scratched the back of his head. "Uh… thank you very much?"

Kaoru looked over at the woman who was knocked out with her head on the table. "Hey, isn't that… Okon?"

While they looked from Kaoru to Okon, and from one kind of beauty to a completely different kind of beauty, Anjou came inside with a bruise on his cheek and his head down, but he stopped when he saw Kaoru.

"Is this Sano's Kaoru?" he asked. He'd never really seen Kaoru. He was more of Sano's drinking partner, and Kaoru wasn't exactly fond of tagging along to get drunk.

Kaoru frowned at him. He was lost for words.

Somebody laughed behind her. "Hah… Anjou's a pathetic bastard. He never does well around women." Kaoru turned towards Kaneshiro.

"Kaneshiro…" Kaoru said, feigning pleasure at seeing him again, but looking somewhat disgusted to those who knew her well enough to see it. "It's nice to see you again."

"Same here," he said. "I think the last time I saw you, you were sixteen, am I right?"

Kaoru nodded, but wanted desperately to end the conversation. Sanosuke hated this guy, and he hated Sano. So she didn't really like being around him. He flirted mercilessly and thought way too highly of himself.

"You got prettier. I swear, if you get any prettier than you are now, I don't know what I'll do!" He laughed at his own joke, but no one else did. "So what are you here for?"

"I just need to give Sano something." She said.

"Yeah…" he said under his breath. He looked over to Sanosuke, who had fallen into a drunken stupor just like Okon. Kenshin was currently trying to revive him, and the others at his table leaned in and whispered and rested their gazes on the two at the entrance. "I heard about you and Sano. Trust me on this, little bird. You're wasting your time with a guy like him."

Kaoru glared at him. "I've known him for five years, and I trust him with my life. I can't think of a better person to give my love," she spat. Her eyes swirled with hatred that Kaneshiro, in his less than sober state, didn't really see.

"Come on, Kaoru… Your words are empty."

Kaoru brushed past him and knelt at Sanosuke's side. To prove to Kaneshiro exactly what she meant, she wouldn't hold anything back.

"It looks like Okon isn't very well…" She said softly, staring across to Okon, who was still sprawled over the table like Sanosuke.

"Yeah… She came with news for you and the others, but I don't think she'll be able to give it to us tonight." Kenshin said.

"How much did they drink?"

"It was a competition. Both drank six vials of sake."

Kaoru shook her head and placed her arm around Sano's waist. "You baka…" Kaoru scolded quietly. Everybody had taken to watching the exchange as Kaoru coaxed Sanosuke's head from the table and ran her fingers lovingly down his cheek. "Wake up," she said.

Sanosuke turned his heavy head to her and tried to smile, but it was drunkenly lopsided. "Hello there, koi, when did you get in?" he asked.

Kaoru frowned. "A few minutes ago, Sano, when I said you look terrible. Remember?"

Sanosuke didn't realize his mouth was open as he shook his head. "No."

Kaoru smiled kindly at him, like he was a 'special' person in need of 'special' care, turned away, and slapped her forehead. "You know, I came over here because you forgot your wallet and I wanted to give you some money, but it seems like you'll be too sleepy to spend any."

Sano's head had shot up at the words 'give you some money.' "You will?" He smiled brightly.

Kaoru grudgingly pulled her wallet from her sleeve and presented him with a roll of notes. Sanosuke smiled sweetly as he placed the roll somewhere safe, and then, without even a word of farewell, he dropped his head onto the table again.

"Well," Kaoru said, looking at Kenshin, "I'll leave you guys alone, and maybe take Okon with me." She cast a glance her way. Okon's lovely mouth was wide open and she drooled onto the table.

"You know, you can stay a while if you want," said Anji.

"Yeah." Bekku cast her an approving glance. "Things this pretty never come by a man's night out. Stay a while."

Kaoru looked at Sanosuke. "I don't like a drunk Sano. I'm going to the outhouse, and then I'm leaving."

Kaneshiro stared after her as she exited through the back door and went to the hallway bathroom. A moment later, he left, too.

"You know, Sanosuke, she's quite fine," said Anji.

Sanosuke opened one eye, completely forgetting to lift his head, and glared at him. "So?"

"You got a good catch." Genji said. "She has a fine figure."

"You know," said Tsunan, "I would love to use her as a model in one of my paintings. I'd wanted to do that since the first time I saw her, but I only just remembered to ask."

Sanosuke lifted his head. "Tsunan, your depictions of women usually have one shoulder of the kimono dropped enough to see a breast, a pair of bare legs, or a completely visible stomach. I wouldn't want Kaoru doing that."

"Don't worry, Sano! I wouldn't make her do that kind of stuff. She's too young, in any case."

"You know," Genji said, "That makes a nice picture. I could imagine her naked."

Kenshin glared up at him. He knew from the beginning that Sano's friends just wouldn't grow on him.

"Genji, I'm warning you." Sanosuke threatened.

"You know," Kojirou began, "She has a nice pair of breasts. Even through a three-layered kimono I can tell that one is pretty grown. I would pay just to get a look at em. Name your price. Or will I have to go for them in secret?" Kojirou had never liked Sanosuke, and he was very much enjoying the fury in Sano's eyes. He shot up, along with Kenshin, and walked towards him.

"I dare you to repeat that, you bastard." Sanosuke growled. He already had a grip on Kojirou's shirt.

"Now, now…" said Tsei. "Don't get too worked up. We're complimenting you. You picked a fine woman."

"Yeah!" said Kojirou. "Gohei was one lucky man. So were his assassins. You know, I don't know why I didn't sign up to work for him when I had the chance…"

Sanosuke and Kenshin were really getting mad, but it was that one comment that made them flip.

"What the FUCK did you say?" Kenshin roared.

"You heard me," Kojirou smirked. "I would've done the same if she was held captive in my house. I would've done it all. And don't worry, I know what I'm talking about by 'all'."

Sano and Kenshin had had enough. Sanosuke was red with fury. While keeping the peace sounded nice enough, he didn't have the manners to care, so his fist flew alongside Kenshin's, and they both struck Kojirou so hard he went flying. When he landed, it was more than five feet from where he last stood.

"Now, if anybody else wants to keep their bones intact, they'll never talk to me about Kaoru or Gohei or anything to do with my woman ever again! I'm making the choice to keep her clear from your lives for her safety. You're so damned twisted that you'll fuck anything even remotely attractive!" Kenshin was at his side, looking just as intimidating with his hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. His face was twisted with disgust.

"All right, you two, all right. We'll keep away from her. Just calm down, all right?" Genji stuttered. The others were slowly backing away, completely aware of Sanosuke's skill and the fatality of his fists.

Kaoru leaned forward and studied her face in the mirror. The hallway bathroom was very westernized, with several cubicles in one long room, and a wall of mirrors to one side.

"I cannot believe I went out like this…" she groaned to herself, wincing at the heavy, overdone makeup. In reality, most women went out wearing just that amount in their everyday lives, but for Kaoru, whose face never made contact with more than rosewater in the morning, she felt like a cheap prostitute. In any case, she put on that amount of make up to seduce Sanosuke, so it made sense.

"I can." She heard that hated voice behind her. "I think it looks rather nice like that."

Before Kaoru could turn around, Kaneshiro had pressed his body against hers. She glared at his reflection in the mirror as he started to trail his hands down her neck. He continued to run them down, and when they hit her shoulders, he pulled her kimono until it dropped loosely, supported only by the obi, and looked so loose that if it fell a little lower, Kaneshiro would see exactly what he wanted to.

"Kaneshiro," she said calmly, "get your hands off of me."

He fingered the thin material of her kimono shirt. "What will you do if I don't?"

Kaoru didn't waste a moment. Her bokken was tied to her leg. She reached down, knowing Kaneshiro was probably too busy admiring her cleavage to realize what she was doing. Because she was caught between his body and the counter, getting ready was a challenge.

"What are you up to?" he asked her, pulling on the kimono shirt so that it fell dangerously low.

Kaoru let out a short hiss and slammed her bokken into his thigh. He cried out in pain and stumbled back as Kaoru went in for the kill. She swung at him furiously, hitting him this way and that, on his shoulders and his arms, making sure she didn't give him the space to unsheathe his sword.

"Bitch!" He cried. He grabbed her bokken, twisted it out of her hold, and threw her onto the counter.

"Get off of me!" She cried as he mounted her.

"Hah! I'm gonna show you just what it's like to be with a real man…" She started to struggle, but he pulled out his sword and held it to her neck. "Behave, now, and don't move. If you do, it'll all be over."

Kaoru shut her eyes. She didn't know what to do. He was going to…

"SAAAANNNNOOOO!!!"

Sanosuke shot up. He looked at Kenshin.

"I think that was…" Kenshin stared towards the door.

"Jou chan!"

They ran past the others, knocking people out of their way and knocking over vials of sake. They didn't bother to open the shoji door, and instead ran through it.

When they got to the bathroom, followed by a few others, they froze. Kaoru was on the counter, being held at sword point by Kaneshiro as he was pulling her kimono apart. He froze.

Sano didn't bother to say anything as he stormed towards the two and hauled Kaneshiro away from his girl. Kaoru stumbled from the counter towards Sanosuke and buried herself, trembling and tearstained, in his arms.

"Kaneshiro, what the hell were you trying to do?" Kenshin asked, his fists clenching and his hand tight on the hilt of his sword. Sanosuke seemed too busy making sure Kaoru didn't have a nervous breakdown to deal with him.

"What's this?" Sanosuke asked furiously upon seeing blood roll down her neck. He tilted Kaoru's unwilling chin all the way back and observed the slice in her throat. It bled profusely and made Sano tremble with rage.

"You fucking bastard!!!" he cried, running towards him with his fists held high. Kaneshiro was able to block his first attacks, but when Kenshin came along to hold him down, too, the odds were clear that Kaneshiro wouldn't know that the punches would keep on coming, long after he'd turned into a bruised, bloody figure under the barrage.

"Tilt your head back for me," Megumi said briskly, keeping a hold on Kaoru's chin. Sanosuke, Kenshin and Kaoru had stumbled back to the dojo, and Kaoru's throat wouldn't stop bleeding. "Does this hurt?"

"It hurts a little bit." Kaoru admitted, "but it's nothing I can't handle."

"It's very serious. The bleeding needs to stop. I'll get some scarves to apply pressure, but for now you just lie back and keep your wound facing up."

"Hai." Kaoru massaged her neck as she lay back and stared at the ceiling. Sano and Kenshin were sitting to one side of the room, silently observing her.

"Do you… do you need help?" Sano asked Megumi, his eyes never leaving Kaoru.

"I'm all right. Lift your head," she ordered to Kaoru as she slipped the scarf around Kaoru's neck and tied it tightly. "This should hold back the flow for a while. Sanosuke, hot stones, please."

Kaoru frowned to herself. "Megumi?"

"What is it?"

"Do you think I should burn my hair off?" She asked. Kenshin broke into laughter. She glared at him. "It's a perfectly sensible question! I mean, none of this would happen if I burn all my hair off."

"No, Kaoru, just keep training and you'll be able to handle men like Kaneshiro without losing your beautiful hair."

"Yeah," Sanosuke crooned tenderly, kneeling beside her to run his fingers through her silky mane. "I'm sure it took you ages to grow it out. It'll be a complete waste of years to cut it all off, let alone burn it."

Kaoru smiled at him, and her eyes followed him as he turned away to place the stones on a mesh wire above the fire to heat. They waited a little while, staring at the fire as it danced harmoniously, until Megumi told Sano to take them out.

"We need to apply something hot to your neck, to stop it from bleeding. I'm using stones. It's all right, isn't it?"

Kaoru nodded. "Whatever's best. You're the doctor."

"All right, then. Lift your chin all the way up, and take a deep breath." Megumi took one of the hot pebbles from the mesh with her tongs, but Sanosuke grabbed her elbow.

"Megumi, are you sure? They're hot stones…"

"She gave me permission."

"But," he winced. "Gohei…"

Megumi glared at him. "Hush. Let me do this."

She placed the rock on the center of the open wound, and it hissed at contact with moist flesh. Kaoru's breath caught in her throat and she tensed up. Sanosuke slipped her hand into both of his.

Kenshin watched Kaoru's features from a distance. It was so much like he was reliving that night that he felt a sudden urge to look away.

Gohei took one coal between the metal tongs and placed it slowly on the girl's revealed stomach.

Kenshin watched as the memories shadowed over her agony-twisted face.

The girl tensed up. More blood dripped from her fisted hands.

She instinctively bit her lip. The hand Sanosuke held between both of his turned into a fist.

Kenshin knew the girl was restraining herself by the way she kept tense and the way her fists tightened. Steam rose from the coals.

Kaoru started to pant. Sanosuke stroked her face. Megumi stayed calmly in place, looking very relieved to be herself and not Kaoru at that moment.

She let out one short, tiny gasp at the way Gohei's sudden jerk had caused a coal to fall on its side and destroy new skin, and that was enough for Kenshin to handle. He cracked.

Kenshin got to his feet. Tears started to stream from Kaoru's tightly shut eyes.

"Megumi, I'm sure the stone can be removed now."

Megumi shook her head sternly. "Not yet, Kenshin. We have to wait a while."

Kenshin's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. Memories flew through his mind behind closed eyes, plaguing him.

Sanosuke looked just about the same. His thumb unknowingly traced circles on Kaoru's hand. He watched another tear escape from the corners of her closed eyes, and another. "I'm gonna kill Kaneshiro for this."

Kaoru started to shudder. "M-Megumi… take it off." She inhaled slowly. "Please…"

"I can't. Not until the rock's heat has sealed the slice in your vein all the way. Otherwise, it'll never stop bleeding."

"Misao, don't you think we should just…"

"Shut up, Aoshi!"

Everybody turned away from Kaoru for a moment to look towards the noise. The training hall entrance burst open, revealing Aoshi and Misao, lending their shoulders to a very drunk Okon. Upon seeing Kaoru, Misao dropped her half of Okon so fast Aoshi forgot to support her and they fell in a tumble to the ground.

"What on earth are you doing?" she cried, rushing to see Kaoru.

"She got cut by one of Sanosuke's errant friends." Megumi snarled.

"Hey, I never liked Kaneshiro. Do you think I would be friends with a guy who'd do this to Kaoru?" Sanosuke growled back.

"Either way, Megumi-san is treating Kaoru-chan. You two," Aoshi said, gesturing to Sano and Kenshin, "need to help us get Okon out of her drunken stupor. If the Oniwabanshu sent her out randomly, she's got to be carrying important news."

"Maybe I can help," Megumi piped up, finally pulling the hot stone from Kaoru's neck. She let out a sigh of relief.

"How can you help, Takani-san?" Asked Aoshi.

"There's a certain medication used to quickly ward off hangovers and drunken stupors," she said, eyeing Okon. "It's been a long time since I've last seen Okon drunk, but I still remember how bad it was. She'll need a strong dose."

"Whatever works," said Aoshi.

"Just let me work with everything in the kitchen, and I'll be done in a minute. Misao, can you patch up Kaoru's wound?"

"No problem," she said, looking to where Sanosuke knelt by Kaoru. She smiled at the lovely picture the couple made as he ran his thumb over her wound and whispered something that made her smile.

To Kenshin, though, the sight made him want to be sick.

When they were all huddled together in the kitchen, they made Okon take a seat on the platform. She only fell onto Aoshi's shoulder as he sat beside her and, to say it simply, drooled.

"Ugh…" Aoshi groaned.

Sanosuke started laughing at the picture Okon made, but his laughter died down when Aoshi shot him a long-suffering glare.

As Megumi mixed a sticky green paste into a special tea, Kenshin, Sano and Aoshi attempted to get Okon awake. It was clear, though, that she wasn't waking up any time soon.

"She'll wake up when I give her this," Megumi said. "It tastes very bad, so make sure she doesn't spit it out."

It took Okon ten minutes to wake up with a pounding headache but a clear mind. When she opened her eyes, four faces, all of them familiar, welcomed her. "Ugh… how did I get here?" She asked.

"You got drunk. Misao and Aoshi took you back here," Megumi said.

"You said you had something to tell us." Sano added curiously.

"Oh!" She jumped up. "I need to tell you! It's very important!" Her voice was rushed and panicky. To be relaxed enough to go to a drinking place before she delivered the news, she'd have had to consume a lot of alcohol on her trip.

"Well then, tell us!"

"The Oniwabanshu knows this before any of it was supposed to be leaked out. One of our spies found out accidentally. It has to do with Shishio Makoto."

The name rang a bell in Kenshin's memory.

"He's been planning to take over. He wants to set Kyoto on fire with five hundred of his soldiers lighting each and every one, so that once it starts, it is impossible to stop. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Makoto will be using all means necessary to take over Japan. He's got big plans for the imperialists standing in his way. He has such an army and so many good slashers… it'll be a hard put to stop him. The Oniwabanshu needs to get involved. This is all I've found out so far, but it is bound to get worse, if it's not worse already. They want as much help as they can get, from strong fighters like Sanosuke and Aoshi. If Misao could come along too, then that would be even better."

"No." Aoshi said suddenly, in a cold, firm voice. He looked to Megumi. "You know why."

"Yes, I know why." She confirmed.

Sanosuke and Okon looked towards Aoshi. "Why?" they asked in unison.

"Because…" Megumi looked towards Aoshi and he nodded briefly. "Misao's pregnant."

Everybody froze. Aoshi kept his eyes out of view. Okon kept staring at him, and tried to imagine a pregnant Misao in a maternity kimono, but could only see her in that cute little ninja outfit with a protruding belly.

"Then that would explain…" Kenshin began.

"Yes, that would explain the morning sickness." Megumi said.

"God… I thought it was hard enough to imagine little Misao being a wife," said Sano, "but a mother? So soon? She still prances around in that little outfit and does target practice with kunai."

Megumi glared at him. "I happen to think Misao will be a good mother. She is gentle and loves taking care of small things, including babies. She'll do fine, and besides, she'll have Omasu to help."

"I just… Aoshi! You didn't wait!" she growled angrily.

"What?" he blurted.

"You know Okina's gonna kill you, right? For impregnating his surrogate granddaughter before you're even MARRIED!"

"Well Okina will not know." He stated confidently.

"What do you mean 'Okina will not know?' You're gonna return and she'll be boasting an oversized belly!"

"Damnit, Okon, shut up for a second!" He growled.

"Fine. But the Oniwabanshu wants to attack Shishio as soon as is possible, so you will have to return with me within the next week."

Aoshi looked at Sano and Kenshin. "Misao's the leader of the Oniwabanshu. Bringing her to Kyoto will only be throwing her into a shark tank, especially when Shishio gets the hint that our group will be standing in his way. She will be much safer here at the dojo, where Shishio will least expect her to be. Can she stay for a while?"

"Of course." Sano said. "She'll be fine."

"Hai." Megumi agreed. "I'll give her round the clock treatment."

"Good." Aoshi said. Then he looked at Kenshin and Sanosuke. "We need to discuss this in further detail with Okon. Himura-san, it is your choice if you wish to be involved or not, but we'll have you in the discussion either way." He said.

Megumi took that as her cue to leave and check on the girls. Everybody watched her leave, and as she closed the kitchen door, they huddled around the fire to talk.

"So… what tactics do he plan on using?" asked Aoshi.

"Who he considers as the ten best fighters in Japan will be at his side. Whoever tries to defeat him will have to face those ten, first. And remember, the grand inferno is only a distraction for him while he works on other things. What those other things are, the Oniwabanshu has yet to discover."

Sanosuke slammed down his tea and smiled confidently at Okon. "So how many people do you need, and how strong do they have to be?" He asked.

"I… I'm not sure. It depends on—"

"To fight Shishio alone will take a fiercely skilled fighter. To fight all of his men before fighting him, you will need twenty. He has strong lackeys, and he himself is strong."

"How would you know?" Asked Okon with a frown.

"I battled with him head on once. But it was interrupted, and he was supposedly executed by the Shinsengumi for shaming them. But I'd known from sources that he was alive, and getting stronger. All these ten years, he has been healing. They burned him alive as punishment. I know he will be furious and merciless."

"So then…" Okon looked all of them in the eyes. "What do we do now?"

Sanosuke stared at the fire, then at the place that had become his second home, if not his first. "You can count me in. I know I have the skill and the drive to do this, so I can't just sit by."

"Good. I am very aware of your skill."

Kenshin looked directly at Okon. "It's not for me to decide if I'm in or not. But I'm sure that when I leave Tokyo and return to Otsu, he'll be waiting to get me over to Kyoto."

Okon nodded. "And, Aoshi… I do think Misao's skill could be a valuable asset, and she's definitely capable of doing this to become our leader at barely sixteen, but since she's with child… we are counting on you."

"It's my duty to do so." He said suddenly. He stood and started towards the door. "There's a spare bedroom left over through the hallway. Get some rest." He said. Okon nodded and got to her feet.

"Aoshi," she said gently.

"What is it?" he didn't bother to turn around.

"I'm sure Misao will understand… maybe even feel proud of you to do this while you'd rather be with her."

Aoshi stared at the door, thinking on what she said. The last thing he wanted to do was leave while Misao was pregnant. But… "Okon," he started to say, but when he turned around, she was already gone.

Suddenly, both he and Sano had understood Aoshi's worry. Agreeing with him, the two followed as Aoshi left to go to the training hall. He stopped at the open doorway, and Kenshin and Sano walked no more than a foot into the room. They all felt smiles touch their lips.

The three ladies were asleep. Kaoru and Megumi shared a pillow, but they were on different sides. They slept facing the doorway, keeping their blankets tight around them. Misao rested her head between them, in the middle of the pillow, and slept on her back, facing the ceiling and draping her arms over her stomach with a content smile.

For a while, the three of them only stood there watching, admiring the happiness on their oblivious faces and the beauty of peace they seemed to be surrounded in. They sat down.

"Are you sure you two want to do this? I'm sure the Ishin Shishi will have all of this sorted out." Kenshin said.

Aoshi and Sanosuke both looked up to stare at their women. Both felt the need to smile at the perfect picture they made, resting so peacefully like that, but their smiles were only rueful grimaces.

"Misao is pregnant. I would do anything to stay with her."

"And… I've only just gotten Kaoru back. To be honest, I've only just gotten her, period. We spent too much time dancing along the line between friendship and love, and just when we finally take the leap, I've gotta go and risk my life for some bastard mummy's ideals."

Aoshi nodded. "I wasted two years of my life being away from her so I could travel around with my comrades and protect justice where protection is needed. Now…"

"Yeah. But I can't back down. This is Japan's future we're talking about. Even if we stayed back with our women, we'd be living the future in a bad place under bad rule."

"Exactly. We have to do it. I'd be ashamed of myself if I didn't."

Aoshi and Sanosuke hadn't taken their eyes from their two women, lying peacefully and dreaming deeply, unaware of the challenges facing the ones they loved most.

"When will you tell them?" Kenshin asked.

"I don't know…" Aoshi said honestly. He'd never be able to stand Misao's grief stricken face or the tears running down her cheeks. "I think I'm afraid to." He admitted sincerely.

Sanosuke rested his chin on his hand. "The day after tomorrow we'll tell them. Let's just make the next day the best it can be. Let them feel like queens. Then, when the day is over, we'll let them go to sleep thinking things will be perfect. And then, the day after, we'll tell them." He said.

Kenshin nodded. "It'll be easier that way."

"Don't you think it'll be cruel? To lead them on into thinking things will be perfect, and then break the news to them that they won't?" Aoshi asked.

"It's not cruel…" Sanosuke said. "For once, we should think in the present. Not what's gonna happen afterwards, or what's already happened. We'll just let them enjoy themselves for once."

"I agree." Kenshin said. "They're your women, but I know my wife would very much appreciate it if I did it for her." Kenshin said. He felt a pain in his chest. Tomoe…

"Fine." Aoshi said. They departed, sullen, confused, and broken, and none of them had a good sleep that night.

The next day would be the day to remember. That's what Aoshi and Sano recited to themselves from the moment they'd awoken from a pathetic half hour of sleep. Aoshi planned to take Misao to a picnic in the Sakura Field. What he'd do afterwards, he would never voice to Kenshin or Sano. Sanosuke planned to keep Kaoru at home and give her an incredibly beautiful breakfast he had Tae help him set up. Then, he'd give her a signed contract stating that he would do whatever she wanted him to for the whole day. If she told him to jump naked into the well, he'd do it. But Sanosuke had no doubt in his mind that Kaoru wouldn't have him do that; the water in the well was fresh and pure, and he would 'contaminate' it.

Misao and Aoshi were having a brunch, so they had a few hours left to linger in the house. After a normal breakfast in which everybody was present besides Kaoru and Sanosuke, Okon cornered Misao.

"I know your secret…" she said devilishly.

"What?" Misao frowned, feigning innocence. "What secret?" She smiled nervously.

Okon placed her hand on her hip. She didn't have to say anything for Misao to explode.

"Who told you!? Was it Megumi! You'd better not tell anybody! And if Jiya finds out, you're dead! And what's worse is that Jiya will kill me before I can kill you!"

But Okon squealed gleefully and pulled Misao into a hug tight enough only to be performed by an Oniwabanshu lady. "Congratulations!!! Little Misao is going to be a mother!!!"

Misao blushed. Before she could say anything, Aoshi entered the room. "Misao, please come with me. We can take a walk before we have our picnic."

Misao turned to Okon again. "He's being so sweet today… Oh, I can't wait for the bliss of marriage!" She didn't really have a reason for why a flash of guilt and regret passed through Okon's eyes before she smiled.

Aoshi beckoned to her again, and she came. "Lets pick out some maternity kimono, Aoshi, just to be safe in case I can't get any later." She clung to his arm and pulled him forward.

Aoshi smiled ruefully. How he'd last for a long time without her, he didn't know. He didn't want to try guessing, either.

Kenshin watched Kaoru's eyes open. It happened slowly at first. Her eyelids had twitched, and she tried to open her eyes to the morning gleam, but ended up failing. Only when Kenshin shuffled to block the light did she manage to open them.

"Uhhh… ouch…" she moaned, putting a hand to her wounded neck. She looked at Kenshin. "Morning."

"Morning, miss Kaoru." Kenshin said.

Kaoru frowned when she noticed an arm settled heavily around her waist and a warm body fitting into hers. She sat up and stared at the sleeping face of Sano.

"He stayed with you all night. Just to make sure he'd be there if you had a nightmare."

Kaoru blushed. "How… how does he know about my nightmares? How do you?"

Kenshin stood, taking her awakening as his cue to leave. "The walls are made of paper, and people check on you sometimes."

Kaoru didn't have the time to say anything, because he left so suddenly she hadn't realized it at first. She turned to look at Sanosuke. He was just waking up.

"Ohayo, darling," he said, giving her a wide-toothed grin. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Megumi gave me a medication to ensure my sleep was a dreamless one."

"That's good."

Kaoru got up, pulling her waist from his hold, to brush her hair. She kneeled at her dresser and began, stroking gently and enjoying the way the light shone on her glossy, blue-black mane. All Sanosuke did for a while was prop himself up on both arms and watch her. She turned to smile at him. He smiled back.

"I'm just going quickly to the outhouse," she said.

"All right."

As Kaoru opened the door and stepped out, Sanosuke called to her.

"Kaoru?"

She turned her head to look at him. "Hai?"

He smiled ruefully at her, something she wouldn't understand until tomorrow. "I love you."

Kaoru's smile was all he needed to know she felt the same.

"And I love you. I think I always have. When I was with Keisuke, I felt differently."

"How?" he asked, slightly worried.

She walked towards him and knelt by his side to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "When I was with Keisuke, I didn't feel the things I feel with you. I didn't feel like if I was without him for more than a few days, I'd go insane. I didn't feel like if he left, I would die. I didn't feel like he was the only reason I kept on living. I didn't feel my heart skip a beat whenever he touched me. But with you… with you I do."

Sanosuke felt a thousand stabs of guilt work their way into his heart. Without any warning, he pulled her briskly into his embrace and kissed her. It was a kiss so full of emotion Kaoru felt her knees go weak. When they did, he pulled her up against him until every inch of her skin that could possibly touch him was touching him. She allowed him to push her back until her head touched the futon, and ravaged her with all that he was. His lips touched her neck, her jaw, her collarbones… she felt electricity pulse through her spine.

"Sanosuke…" She let out something that was almost a moan.

"Kaoru…" His breath misted onto her neck. His hands rested firmly on her hips, but they traveled upwards. His fingers were spread apart as far as they would go, so that she could feel his touch in as many places as possible. They slid up until they were at her underarms. His thumbs were touching the edges of her breasts. His feathery touch sent her into a state that was like nothing she'd been into before. As she was on the verge of devouring him, a voice pulled them apart.

"Busu! Oi, busu!" He called.

Kaoru glared towards the door, and looked back at Sano. She blushed.

"Well… I'd better see what Yahiko wants and go to the outhouse…" she said, sliding away from him. She blushed when she realized she'd had to untangle her legs from around his waist to get up.

Sanosuke watched as she left. How far would they have gone if Yahiko wasn't there to interrupt? He bowed his head and suddenly wondered how he'd spent fourteen years of his life not knowing she existed, and the other five years not loving her. He'd been too busy chasing a certain foxy doctor.

He retreated to the kitchen, where Megumi was sitting at the table, accompanied only by her green tea and looking wistful. He sat down at the table with her, but neither really said anything. When Kaoru came in, she was dressed in the violet kimono she'd bought with Kenshin, and wore a wide gold and orange obi in a drum knot. Sanosuke smiled. He couldn't wait to see the look on Kaoru's face when he took her to the training hall and she saw the pallet he'd prepared for them. He'd really splurged getting the breakfast and the decor together, and it was so beautiful he knew Kaoru would be at a loss for words.

He opened the door for her and waited for her reaction. He knew this would be a day to remember.

Review please?