Author's note: More background information, some new magic users enter the picture, and some definite lime rounds things off nicely. Enjoy and thanks for all the awesome reviews!
A brilliant shaft of late morning sun poked through the curtains and found Kaoru's closed eyes. Still half-asleep, she moved her head and resettled back onto the pillow when her brain woke up and began screaming all sorts of commands at her. In the flurry of movement, Kaoru bolted out of bed so fast her feet tangled up in the covers. Late, late, late, I am so late, Master is going to KILL me! she thought frantically, then stopped, Wait, why didn't he call me...oh shit, that's why. She gulped and felt her stomach churn as memories from yesterday came galloping to her consciousness.
Sinking back on the bed, Kaoru covered her face in her hands. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. I'm pregnant. It seemed completely unreal, and she was desperately hoping that Hiko had simply been very wrong, but pregnancy was the simplest explanation for the weird body issues that had troubled her the past couple weeks: the odd tenderness in her breasts, the missed period, the metallic taste in her mouth, and the morning nausea. She thought briefly about begging Hiko to buy her a pregnancy test, but she realized that it would probably be a waste of money: her body was being clear about her current state, and she trusted the diagnosis of Hiko's salamanders. Like it or not, Kaoru was going to be a mother.
Kenshin. Thinking of him, she shivered in nervousness. Kenshin had been kind yesterday but he was always kind. He's probably mad as hell right now, she thought uncomfortably, not that she blamed him. Having a Soul Bond thrust upon him, then an impending fatherhood would be enough to make even the most even-tempered man upset. Wrapping her robe around herself, Kaoru thought briefly about simply hiding in her room and hoping that the floor under her feet would spontaneously cave in, sparing Kenshin the hassle, but she knew that she had to face the truth and handle it like a true samurai. Rising to her feet, she moved towards her bedroom door and opened it.
"Good morning, Kaoru," a quiet voice greeted her, startling her greatly. Kaoru had been so consumed with her own worries that she was completely unaware of her chi sense and had not even thought about the Soul Bond so therefore was completely astonished to find Kenshin seated on a chair in her sitting room.
"You must be hungry, you hardly ate anything yesterday. Please sit down." The table contained dishes and plates but Kaoru was surprised to find that instead of the normal hearty fare of bacon, eggs, and toast, the table was full of lighter items like yogurt, cereal, and fruit. Sitting down awkwardly, Kaoru thought briefly about how Kenshin was always so good at predicting her needs and quietly fulfilling them. He had somehow guessed that her stomach currently couldn't handle grease and high protein first thing in the morning and had made adjustments to what he normally prepared for breakfast.
Kaoru was surprised to find herself hungry, and the cereal and yogurt looked good. Kenshin reached for an orange and began peeling it, but Kaoru sensed that he was eating more out of solidarity and a need to do something with his hands than genuine hunger. She was grateful for spoons and bowls to occupy her attention and was too embarrassed and uncomfortable to meet Kenshin's eyes.
An awkward silence, screaming loudly of what was not being said, descended upon the room. After several centuries-long minutes, Kenshin finally cleared his throat and began hesitantly, "Are you feeling well this morning?"
Kaoru sighed. The yogurt suddenly didn't taste that good anymore. "Physically, fine. Emotionally, not so much so."
"I can appreciate that," Kenshin said, shredding the orange peel into tiny fragments. Silence descended again as Kenshin seemed to be formulating what he was going to say. Finally he continued, "I know this is extraordinarily difficult for you, but I want to assure you that you have no need to worry about anything. Everything you and the baby need will be provided."
Kaoru nodded. The kindness in his voice gave her a measure of courage, and she finally lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "Thank you," she responded softly, then dropped her eyes again. "I'm sorry, Kenshin," she whispered as the yogurt churned unpleasantly in her stomach.
"Kaoru, none of this was your fault, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about," Kenshin replied firmly but gently. "I am the one who is at fault, it is my child after all."
"Stop blaming yourself again," Kaoru sighed. "It happened. Now we have to decide what to do next."
"Yes, you're right," Kenshin responded. He bit his lip and felt a sudden knot of fear and nervousness rising up in him. "Kaoru, I..." he stopped, then berated himself. His brain was formulated a suitably honorable and gentle request when his mouth, impatient with the delay blurted out an abrupt, "We should get married," as the rest of him looked on in horror.
Judging from the stunned look on Kaoru's face, Kenshin realized instantly that he had delivered what was showing promise as a candidate for World's Worst Proposal. Marshaling his mental forces, he began casting about frantically for a retraction and resubmission when Kaoru beat him to the punch.
"Did Master tell you to say that?" she asked tightly. She was leaning back in her chair as if trying to put as much distance between Kenshin and herself as possible.
With an abrupt gesture, Kenshin rose to his feet and began pacing the room. Kaoru watched him warily. She had never seen Kenshin in such an agitated mood before, and she did not need the Soul Bond to tell her that he was deeply conflicted. After a few paces, he stopped and turned to her, a glint of amber in his eyes. She saw the conflict and emotion swirling in them and uncomfortably shifted her eyes away from him, but Kenshin was not dissuaded.
"No, Kaoru, Master did not tell me to marry you but yes he probably will and yes, I agree with him," Kenshin stated firmly, his chi beginning to burn with energy. He came to stand in front of her, and the heat rushing off him made her cringe slightly. "You are carrying my child and it is only right that I do the honorable thing and make you my wife so that the child may have a name. But that is not the only reason I am asking," Kenshin said emphatically, almost heatedly. "It would not take an unexpected pregnancy or a forced Soul Bond to make me want you as my wife, Kaoru." The last sentence was delivered with a soft quietness that Kaoru did not expect. She also did not expect Kenshin to kneel in front of her and take one of her hands in his.
"Kaoru," he said in the same tender tones he had crooned to her yesterday as she sobbed in his arms. "We were thrown together unexpectedly and the situation has not been as I would have wished it, but I need no Elemental magic or meddling Masters to see that you are brave and kind and lovely. You have been thrust in a highly trying situation and have borne up under it magnificently. I would be most honored to call you my wife if you will have me."
Kaoru said nothing for a moment, merely looked down at Kenshin's hand encircling hers. His callused palm felt comforting, and the warmth of his body made a flutter of happiness creep up in her stomach. It wasn't the proposal of her dreams but she realized slowly that as long as Kenshin's hand was holding hers, there was nothing she couldn't face.
Looking shyly at him, Kaoru squeezed his hand back and said, "I will" as a soft smile crept across her face.
Dying light from the setting sun glimmered off the ring as Kaoru turned her hand in front of her face to admire it one more time. It was a silver band with a marquis-cut sapphire between two small square diamonds. Stealing a look at her husband of exactly twenty-two minutes, Kaoru's eyes dropped to the silver ring on his hand which bore an intricate salamander etched into it. Hiko had presented it to Kenshin, muttering something about it having been passed down from his former master, and it made a fine wedding ring. I'm married to Kenshin, Kaoruthought, and a happy twirl of energy danced around in her belly. In three months, she had gone from a broke, very-much-unaware-of-magic college student to a pregnant, married Elemental apprentice. This trip to the courthouse for a small civil marriage had been the first time she had left Hiko's property since she entered it, and Kaoru was stunned with the realization of how dramatically she had changed in three months. The outside world, once so familiar, with its coffee shops, fashion magazines, career paths, billboards, and politicians now seemed mundane, trivial, and narrow. While once magic, masters, and swords would have seemed like something out of a book, Kaoru now realized that what she had encountered inside Hiko's house had been the true reality, something that the hordes of people she was passing had no inkling of.
No less real and solid was Kenshin, seated behind the wheel of Hiko's Lexus RX11 with designer shades perched on his nose and impeccably turned out in charcoal gray slacks, a white button-up, and highly polished black shoes. No one on the street would have marked him as anything more than some wealthy young entrepreneur or possibly a lucky guy cashing in his inheritance early, certainly not an Elemental Master who spent his days surrounded by katanas and salamanders. Kaoru giggled to think of how many times she had seen Kenshin in his ratty pink gi and tattered hakama while elbow-deep in laundry, emerging from the dojo smelling heavily of smoke, or being ridiculed by Hiko.
At her giggle, Kenshin looked over and smiled. He reached out to take her hand and began running his thumb over the back of it. Kaoru squeezed his hand fondly. It was richly ironic to think of their first meeting and how much she had thoroughly detested him in the beginning. But he had won her over with his kindness, courtesy, and respect along with the care he took over her needs. Much as it irritated her that she could never get one up on him, Kaoru had to admit that she did secretly appreciate the way Kenshin quietly took care of everything, from packing up the contents of her dorm room to making sure that her bathroom was always stocked with her favorite jasmine-scented shower gel. The day before the courthouse wedding, Kaoru had returned to her room to find a stunning blue velvet dress and matching shoes waiting for her. Everything fit perfectly, even allowing for the small rounding of her midsection.
Kaoru slid her free hand over her stomach. Normally flat, it was developing a soft curve that didn't quite yet qualify as a "baby bump" but was getting there nicely. In the past month, she had gradually grown accustomed to the idea of being pregnant and had, at certain times, felt a little flutter of excitement. In fact, once or twice she caught herself staring in the mirror, wondering if she looked pregnant yet.
Not that there had been much time for self-reflection: she was still an apprentice, and Hiko had plenty of work for her. He had taken away her katana but doubled-up on her magic training, and her primary focus had been on learning how to bring her zephyr to heel. It was a battle of wills because the zephyr was more interested in playing and flitting around than it was being useful, and unless it sensed that Kaoru was distressed or upset, it showed a remarkable disinclination to being obedient.
"This one is your primary element, girl, and it will be the first one that materializes when you summon one, so you need to get it under your control," Hiko had said. "Once you start summoning more than one element, you'll have to break in each new one and then be able to maintain control of each one. If they're all doing the same activity, that's not too difficult but the fun starts when you have multiple elements all doing different things and you have to maintain mind control of them all. That is one reason why typically only Masters deal with multiple elements and some Masters prefer working with just one element at a time unless absolutely necessary." Hiko gave a great sniff as if to express his disdain for Masters like that. However, Kaoru grudgingly had to admit that Hiko deserved the disdainful sniff: he could conjure up dozens of salamanders and set them to multiple tasks, and he did this regularly. Kaoru's mind spun when she thought about being able to do that herself; her one zephyr gave her enough trouble as it was.
Kenshin did not quite have the ability to summon multiple salamanders for diverse activities that Hiko did, and Kaoru knew that this was one of the things he needed to master as part of his final training. With Kaoru temporarily off sword training, Hiko had turned much of his attention to Kenshin and was relentless with both the sword and magic. Through the Soul Bond, Kaoru knew when Kenshin was exhausted, despite his best efforts to hide it, and it was happening more and more. Even today, the day of their wedding, Hiko had set Kaoru some magic spells to practice before ordering Kenshin to the dojo for an intense sparring session. However, he had let them go eventually to make their appointment with the judge for a quick courthouse wedding.
Kenshin seemed to be thinking along the same lines for his voice suddenly interrupted the silence. Smoothing his thumb across the back of her hand, he said in a somewhat sad tone, "It shouldn't have been like this."
"What?" Kaoru questioned, puzzled.
Kenshin smiled wryly. "We should have had a proper church wedding with tulle and bridesmaids and a flower girl with a basket of rose petals. You deserved a white dress and a fancy cake, and I cannot give that to you now. I'm sorry."
Kaoru shifted uncomfortably, "Well, you deserved a wife that you picked out and asked to marry freely. I'm sorry about that." A knot of worry was suddenly cold in the bottom of her stomach.
"Kaoru," Kenshin said emphatically but warmly. "Nothing, absolutely nothing of that was your fault. I...I admit that the circumstance that brought us together were...less than ideal, but nevertheless they brought us together and I am very happy for that." Lifting her hand to his lips, he continued, "I am most honored to be your husband."
"Me, too, I mean, um, I'm honored to be your wife too," Kaoru blushed. Kenshin kept a hold on her hand as he drove through rush hour traffic. It was just past five, and the streets were full of commuters wearily trudging home. Kaoru was so busy ruminating on the new changes her life had developed that she wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings and it was a surprise when she realized that the car was heading in the wrong direction. "Kenshin, this isn't the way home," she said, puzzled.
Kenshin smiled mysteriously. "I know," he replied and said nothing more. A few minutes later, the Lexus pulled into the parking lot of Grissanti's, the most upscale, elegant restaurant in town. Kaoru gave a happy gasp of excitement; dinner at Grissanti's was the Holy Grail of dates for the ladies of town. In Kaoru's former life as a college student, any girl who landed herself an evening at Grissanti's was deeply envied. As down-to-earth and practical as Kaoru prided herself on being, she had secretly hoped that some day, someone with enough love for her and sufficient money to not beggar himself in the process would take her there.
Inside the candlelit interior, live piano music played softly to the chink of silverware on fine china and the quiet rumble of conversation, all which was instantly drowned out by a terrific screech. "KAAOORUU!" a voice yelled as minuscule ball of energy draped in a tiny black dress attacked her.
Kaoru's vision was suddenly cut off as a thick mane of black hair whipped in her face and the small young woman squeezed her ferociously. "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, KAORU, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN GOING CRAZY WITH WORRY, AOSHI AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU AND WE..."
"Are quite relieved to find you safe and sound," a quiet but powerful voice interrupted the shrieking one. A tall man with hooded eyes appeared at the side of the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. He didn't have to lift his hand up very far to do so.
Kaoru tried to get her breath back, hoping her lungs would return to their proper size. "Hi Misao, it's so good to see you too. I..."
"Good to see me?" Misao repeated incredulously, bouncing up and down on her heels and looking at Kaoru suspiciously. "Is that all you have to say after just disappearing for three months? Oh my God, I didn't know what had happened to you, people just said that you had withdrawn from college and nobody knew where you were and that's not like you to do something like that, not as responsible as you are and, oh my God, is that a ring?" Misao clapped her hands over her mouth as her eyes flashed to Kenshin who was standing with one arm curled around Kaoru protectively. "And a ring on you too? Don't tell me you ran off to get married, did you Kaoru? You did, didn't you? Oh Kaoru, I can't..."
"Perhaps this conversation should be continued at a private table," the man at Misao's side interrupted her gunshot-like speech. Looking at Kenshin levelly, he intoned quietly, "Don't you agree, Fire Master?"
"I do, Water Master," Kenshin responded pointedly. Energy crackled in the air as the two men stared at each other, eyes narrowing.
Misao broke the tension by bouncing forward. "Kaoru, you remember Aoshi, right? Kaoru Kamiya, although, sorry, it's probably not Kamiya anymore, Aoshi Shinomori. And...sorry, I don't know your name," she gestured to Kenshin.
"Kenshin Himura," Kenshin repeated, bowing slightly at the waist. Aoshi returned the bow, and Kaoru got a sudden impression that it was not two men meeting for the first time but two Sword Masters bowing before a death duel. There was something about the tall stranger that screamed "Sword!" and from the look on Kenshin's face, he felt it too. Dual Masters, the both of them, she thought with a shiver.
Misao nodded to Kenshin "And I'm Misao Makimachi. Oh, I can't believe we ran into you guys! You have to join us for dinner! Kaoru, I'm not going to let you run away again!" Misao pounced on the maître d' and soon the party of four found themselves seated in a small enclave secluded from the rest of the restaurant by a thick curtain. Two waiters bustled up, proffering menus and waxing poetic about the specials of the day. When the initial fuss was over, Misao turned to Kaoru and said, "Come with me to the bathroom, okay? You know us women, we gotta go in pairs."
Leaving the Masters to glower at each other over the table, the two women threaded their way through the tables and into the elegant bathroom. Misao held up a cautious finger until a quick investigation signaled that they were alone.
"Oh my God, I am so glad I found you!" she burst out breathlessly at Kaoru smiled at the one real friend she had made in college. Misao had been one of the few people Kaoru knew would be worried about her after her disappearance, and it had pained her that she couldn't contact Misao to explain.
Misao clasped Kaoru's shoulders and turned her back and forth, examining the taller girl carefully; despite her diminutive size, Misao was quite strong, and her eyes were like the daggers she used to keep tucked in her backpack. "So I imagine it's a kinda long story," she said insightfully.
Kaoru sighed, "Yes, it is."
"Okay, so just answer me this: are you happy?" Hands on her hips, Misao glared at her. "Cause if that ginger idiot out there has hurt you, Aoshi and I will take him down for you, I swear..."
Kaoru laughed, tiredness suddenly settling over her. "Oh, not, Kenshin..Kenshin's, well, wonderful. He's kind and has been so good to me. He gave me this," Kaoru held up her hand to exhibit her ring, and Misao's eyes went wide. "It's just, well, a lot has happened lately."
"Like realizing your Elemental powers?" Misao questioned and gave a happy little jig. "I knew there was something about you, knew it all along, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Even Aoshi thought so that one time he met you. He told me to keep an eye on you and when you disappeared under my nose, I totally flipped out, thinking you had been snatched up by some evil Master and..."
"Well, you're not that far off," Kaoru said darkly, thinking of Hiko. Misao's expression blackened, and Kaoru hastened to finish her thought, "I mean, he's a tough bastard but he's a good Master and is teaching me magic and the sword. He and Kenshin spend their days kicking me around, but I'm learning. Master Hiko says I'll make Air Master one of these days."
"Lucky!" Misao gave a squeal and bounced up. "My master thought I'd make Earth Master but after years and years of training, she realized that Mage was the highest I was gonna to get, so I'm just a Mage." Seeing Kaoru's blank expression, she repeated, "Mage. As in 'one step below Master'." Kaoru still looked blank.
"Yeesh, what are they teaching you?" Misao scoffed. "Look, there are different levels of magical possession. At the base are Sensitives: they can sense magic, feel it in them and observe it in others but can't really use it. Next are Mages; they have magical powers and can summon an element but they don't have the full potential of Masters. Masters, well, you know what Masters are. Seriously, your Master didn't cover this?"
Kaoru shook her head and Misao made a face. "Basic level stuff. Also, you have the odd Ward; they're people who can see magic, but it doesn't affect them. Megumi's husband, he's a Ward if I ever saw one. Kenshin could hurl a thousand salamanders at him, and Sano wouldn't get the slightest bit warmer. Wards are pretty rare, Sano is the only Ward I've ever met, you remember Megumi, right?"
Kaoru nodded, trying not to wrinkle her nose. She had met the elegant, rather disdainful doctor a few times during Girls' Night with Misao, and she hadn't exactly liked her: a little too snooty for Kaoru's tastes.
"Well, anyway, Megumi's a Mage too and she's my Complement like Aoshi...oh come on, they didn't tell you about that either?" Misao huffed as Kaoru's blank expression put in a fresh appearance. "Okay, okay, here's how it goes," Misao responded as she pranced over to collapse on an elegant velvet settee in the corner of the bathroom. "Each Element has a Complement, a Neutral, and an Antithesis Element. You're Kenshin's Complement Element because air feeds fire. However, Aoshi is his Antithesis because water drowns fire. I'm his Neutral because fire and earth can be both a good and a bad mix. Fire can scorch earth but a really good fire can actually be good for soil, so they cancel each other out. See how it works?"
Kaoru digested this, "So, Kenshin is my Complement?" Misao nodded. "Um, is Aoshi my Antithesis?"
Misao grinned, "Actually I am. Air causes a lot of soil erosion and damage, so, sorry pardner but we are natural enemies. Here, call your Element." Kaoru summoned up her zephyr and turned to find a small, wrinkled creature with an impish expression sitting on Misao's shoulder.
"What's that?" Kaoru questioned.
"My element. A gnome." At the sight of the gnome, the zephyr began flapping its wings in an agitated manner, its beak opening in a hiss. The gnome stuck its tongue out at the zephyr.
"Okay, simmer down, boys," Misao admonished the squabbling elements, then dismissed hers with a snap of her fingers. "They'll fight like that at first, but eventually we can get them to behave better. But they'll never work well together naturally since I'm your Antithesis. But don't worry," Misao smiled. "I'm your friend no matter what your element is. However," she cocked her head, "Our men are a different story. We'd better get back to them before they erupt into an all-out Elemental Master battle over the canapes."
Kenshin and Aoshi were trading glowering expressions when their women made their way back to the table, and the air was icy with tension. Bread and wine had arrived, but it lay untouched on the table. Kaoru slid into her seat and felt Kenshin's hand grasp hers firmly as his other arm curled proprietorially around her shoulder.
Misao snuggled comfortably under Aoshi's arm as the man said quietly, "So, I understand you are newly married, Mrs. Himura. Congratulations." Kaoru jumped at the sound of her new name and mentally digested it. Mrs. Himura! She nodded and observed the tall man carefully. Misao had only been dating him a few weeks before Kaoru found herself shanghaied and Soul Bonded to Kenshin, and she had met Aoshi only once. According to Misao, his work required a lot of traveling, and it had been a business trip that had brought him to town and across Misao's path. Casting back in her memory, Kaoru recalled that the man's dark eyes had pierced her during their first meeting as if he suspected her of harboring some secret. Recalling Misao's words, Kaoru wondered how it was possible she could have gone so long without suspecting her innate magical ability, not when others were able to see it through Hiko's cloaking.
Without really thinking about it, Kaoru tapped into the Soul Bond between her and Kenshin and was surprised to discover that her new husband was worried about something. He hadn't been before they entered the restaurant, she was sure of it, but something had happened while she and Misao were in the bathroom that was deeply troubling him. Intrigued, Kaoru pushed forward, determined to root out the cause of his distress. Kenshin's chi shifted and to her astonishment, Kaoru found herself being gently but firmly blocked off. It had been weeks since he had put up any sort of resistance to the Soul Bond, and she stubbornly shoved against it. However, she could gain no foothold and found herself effectively walled out.
Irritated, Kaoru shot a glance at her husband but he was the picture of serenity. Why won't you let me in? she thought. What are you hiding from me?
Kenshin merely smiled at her and moved his hand to her knee. Hey, no fair! Kaoru thought as clever fingers slipped under the hem of her knee-length dress and began massaging the inside of her thigh, sending rivers of fire shivering up her leg. Dammit Kenshin, stop trying to distract me!
Flustered, Kaoru blushed then blushed again as Misao caught a glimpse of her reddened face and winked at her. Kenshin's fingers were tracing intricate patterns on her leg that were doing a remarkable job of wiping all thought from her mind. Furious, she snatched his hand out from under her dress and wrapped her fingers around it, digging her nails in to let him know that she meant business. Kenshin's smile was bordering on a Hiko-like smirk, but he complied and let her keep his hand imprisoned.
Luckily, the waiter arrived to take their orders and the rest of the meal progressed normally as if magic, conjured elements, and Soul Bonds did not exist. Misao kept up a fluid stream of chatter and did a remarkable job of engaging everyone at the table. She had Kaoru in stitches with reports of their least-favorite professor at college and was so lively and bright that Kaoru swore she saw Aoshi smile, a small one but a smile nevertheless. The food was excellent and Kaoru found herself relaxing, although not enough to let go of Kenshin's hand: she no longer trusted it to behave like a gentleman where her dress was concerned.
Misao bid farewell to Kaoru in a flurry of air kisses and lung-crushing hugs, demanding to know when they would meet next, and she would not let Kaoru go until Kenshin promised that he would beg some freedom for Kaoru from their master so that the two women could spend some time together. Aoshi exchanged meaningful looks with Kenshin and rumbled, "Be mindful of the air, Fire Master," before giving a slight bow and tucking Misao's arm in his as the two walked away.
"Be mindful of the air." I wonder what that means, Kaoru thought to herself as she fastened her seat belt around her while Kenshin started the Lexus. Staring out the window into the black night, Kaoru meditated on the events of the day. It seemed like every day brought with it a truckload of new information, strange phenomena, and illogical situations, and her brain was learning to simply pick it all up, stuff it in her pocket without question, and sort through it later. The thought reminded her of what had happened back at the restaurant, and she turned to her new husband, "Kenshin?"
"Hmm?" he said.
Kaoru took a deep breath, "What were you so worried about back at the restaurant?"
"Worried?" Something glimmered in his eyes. "The only thing I am worried about is how long it is going to take us to return home again."
"Return home?" Kaoru repeated, puzzled, "But why? I..." Suddenly, Kenshin's clever fingers were back, sliding underneath the hem of her dress to glide upwards along the curve of her thigh. Kaoru sucked in her breath as her eyes closed and a shiver of delight raced white-hot up her spine. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that Kenshin's violet irises were swirling into amber and his smile had turned distinctly predatory. The Lexus was picking up the pace, and Kenshin managed to expertly weave through heavy traffic while trailing his fingers across Kaoru's leg in a way that made her squirm with pleasure. The Soul Bond pressed upon her, and Kaoru timidly opened herself to it. Throbbing heat and animal energy poured through it, thrilling and shaking her to the core. She wanted to pull back from its intensity, afraid of what it would unleash between them, but she couldn't quite bring herself to do so.
The Lexus increased in speed and in what seemed like both a minute and a lifetime, the car was sliding into the dark, expansive garage. Kenshin parked expertly, then was out of the car in a flash to help Kaoru out from her seat. His hand was hot against her palm, and her pulse was racing in her throat. A car door slammed, and Kaoru found herself splayed against the side of the Lexus, Kenshin's lips insistent against hers and his hands tangling through the black expanse of her hair. Growling deep in his throat, Kenshin cupped Kaoru's bottom, lifting her up onto the car and wrapping her legs around him so that her ankles crossed behind his back.
Kenshin's tongue stroked hers as she tasted ginger and green tea again. Trembling, Kaoru pulled his hair free from its binding cord, letting the red strands fall loose and spill around them like a silken net. Kenshin leaned back slightly, gazing hungrily at her with eyes that bore not the slightest tint of violet. "It seems I have been negligent," he purred, then began trailing a line of slow kisses down Kaoru's neck.
Kaoru gasped and moaned as his lips investigated the sensitive area where her neck and shoulder met. "What?" she panted out, willing him not to stop, begging him silently to not stop, ever.
"Oh yes," he breathed, ghosting hot breath against her skin as she she shivered. "Apparently, you recall nothing of our first night together." His teeth found her earlobe and he gently bit it, tugging softly. Kaoru's arms tightened involuntarily around him as her nails dug into his back. Releasing her ear, Kenshin continued, "My performance was apparently substandard for it to have gone so unremembered." He make a tutting noise of disapproval. "Most careless of me," His lips moved leisurely in a slow line across her chest, dropping burning kisses across her collarbone. "Well, I shall endeavor to make certain that this night is infinitely more memorable."
Lifting Kaoru in his arms, one arm under her knees and the other supporting her back, Kenshin strode purposefully into the dark house
Hiko lifted his head up briefly to the mirror to see an image of Kenshin carrying Kaoru down the darkened hallway. About time they got home, he grunted to himself and smirked to remember a similar scene that had taken place in this very same house three months ago. Although this time, the furious blushes on Kaoru's face and the hungry gleam in Kenshin's eye stated very clearly that they required no magical meddling and could manage things quite nicely on their own. Hiko blanked out the mirror with a wave of his hand and reached for the sake bottle. He needed a drink.