Chapter Ninety-Three

The trek back through the snow-laden forest was tense in the aftermath of Sōjirō's departure. There was something threatening about the silent darkness, and Kenshin's plummeting strength only strung his nerves tighter than ever. Each passing shadow that moved, every crunch of distant snow, thrummed his fight or flight instinct like an out of tune harp string. Slowly squeezing Kaoru into his side in unconscious fear that she would once again be taken away, he missed the glance she tossed him and the worry on her face. Instead, his attention remained fixed upon watching their surroundings and moving his sluggish feet. He had no awareness of the way his body leaned into hers, or that she was holding him upright with her shoulder braced under his armpit. He was barely even aware that the Kagu-tsuchi had returned to its dormant state in his core, or that he had automatically suppressed his incomplete dragon markers at the same time.

Their return to the site of the battle revealed leftover flames scattered about the trees and exposed forest floor. Though shrinking, they continued to perform their intention by eating the remainder of the rot Shishio's power had inflicted upon the forest. The untouched snow created a perimeter and offered a barrier to keep the fire from spreading farther than what was needed. In the flickering light, the destruction the battle had caused was mutely illuminated, but, alarmingly, Kenshin could not find Gein's body or the bodies of his dolls. No doubt, that meant Sōjirō had already collected them.

"The komainu." Concerned, Kenshin turned them in the direction he had left the lion guardians, and they stumbled as his pace picked up.

"They're here, too?" A hand braced against his sternum, and he reached out for a nearby tree trunk to save them from falling. Catching his breath and bearings, Kenshin shook his head and tried to delineate between the sea of trees.

"Over there."

Suzume was upright when they finally found them, and she bared her teeth cautiously before she recognized who they were. Behind her, Ayame was still unconscious.

"Thank the mountain." Relaxing back against the large roots of the tree, Suzume closed her eyes in relief. "I thought you were that shadow guy."

"You saw him? Did he do anything to you?" Yellowish-tan irises lifted to look up into Kenshin's serious expression. Kaoru's features echoed his alarm.

"No, but I saw him take the bodies. He noticed me." Her childlike voice was soft and a little disturbed as she hugged herself. "He smiled at me and waved. I didn't like it." The angle of her shoulder revealed the burn scar down her right arm, and Kaoru finally noticed it in the subdued light.

"You're hurt!"

Leaned into the tree, Kenshin released Kaoru when she ducked out from under his arm to kneel before Suzume. Her face scrunched in sympathy and confusion as she studied the large burn down the little lion's shoulder and arm. Suzume smiled the same cheerful smile she always wore.

"It's okay. Nii-san saved us." The smile faltered when she looked over her shoulder. "I… I can't get Ayame to wake up, though."

Sapphire irises turned their attention onto the older sibling, and Kenshin watched Kaoru's form slump. The burns on her were more extensive, but they were both clean, which suggested the burns had been made with care. They should not have been needed at all. Resting his forehead against the tree bark, the return of guilt made Kenshin's stomach flop.

"Can you walk, Suzume-san?" Kaoru spoke up without questioning or pushing the situation, and instead accepted the younger komainu's vague explanation. Suzume must have nodded, because she continued a moment later. "Ok. I'll carry Ayame while you lead the way back. Kenshin…" Red lashes flickered open, but he had to blink multiple times before he could focus on her face. She had already gathered Ayame into her arms, and held her like a child against her torso. "Would you walk next to me? I'd feel better if you did." He frowned, but obliged her when she next asked for his arm around her shoulders. Truthfully, he felt better with her next to him as well. It was strangely easier to keep his feet under him.

"Did he open his eyes?" The uneasy suspicion tickled the back of Kenshin's brain, and he spoke up without warning when they were nearly to the barrier. Suzume glanced back at him, and he forced the words out again. "The shadow demon. Did he open his eyes when you saw him?"

"No. I thought it was weird."

Sighing, Kenshin nodded his head in relief. "Good."

Just outside the barrier, Kaoru dead-stopped to gasp in surprise, and Kenshin tilted his head back to find Hiko waiting as they had left him. Despite everything that had happened, Kaoru was still awed by the humbling visage of the dragon on the mountain. Any other day, Kenshin would most likely have been jealous of her reaction, but he was too tired to care at that moment. The last few dragging steps that placed them back inside of the barrier felt like the end of some terrible nightmare. The return of her enthusiasm was a return to welcome normalcy.

"It's good to have you back, Kamiya-san." The projection of Hiko's voice was almost gentle with his relief, but then the water dragon caught sight of the burns on the komainu. Like water slamming into rock, Hiko's tone abruptly shifted to boom through their skulls in angry outrage.

"What did you do to my girls?!"

Threatening displeasure soaked the resonating tone of his deep voice, but Kenshin was fast becoming too listless to be as scared as he knew he should be. Bowing his head forward as the most he could manage to convey the shame he felt for what had been done, he was vaguely aware of Kaoru stumbling to accommodate the shift in his weight. Thankfully, Ayame jumped forward to quickly explain what had happened and to relieve him of Hiko's scorn. Grumbling promptly followed when it became clear Kenshin had saved them from a worse fate, and they were swept up into his hand immediately afterwards.

The reprieve of being off his feet nearly dumped Kenshin into unconsciousness, but he staved if off out of pure stubbornness. The short trip by dragon grasp recharged enough of his energy to stand upright on his own once they were all safely back at the mountain cottage. Like a swirl of mountain rain, Hiko reverted to his everyday form and promptly gathered Ayame from Kaoru's grasp.

"You two go clean up. You look like hell, boy."

Staring rather absently at the still wide-open veranda, Kenshin averted his gaze to glance at Kaoru when her hand touched his, and then he nodded his head in Hiko's direction. They were at enough of an angle that the interior could not be seen, which was likely purposeful. It appeared Hiko had no intention of letting Kaoru witness the mess that had been left behind by the spider demon, and Kenshin whole-heartedly agreed with the sentiment. Seeing it would only upset her. Kaoru, however, was currently more concerned about his state of well-being, and even began pushing him towards the open doors.

"You're barely standing, Kenshin. I think you need to lie down instead. I'll wash your futon for you tomorrow if you want to just go to bed."

A pinch of disgust tensed his facial muscles, and he turned away to tug Kaoru towards the bathroom. He had no intention of succumbing to the beautiful siren call of sleep while covered in layers of filth, and his slightly grumpy tone conveyed as much when he spoke.

"I'd rather scrub myself with water than go to bed dirty."

The petulant announced produced a moment of silence that was quickly followed by amused giggles. It was a pleasant sound that lightened the heavy air, and she followed willingly along while wrapping both of her hands around his one.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot how much of a clean-freak you are." She grinned at him cheekily when he gave her a look, but beneath her merriment, her eyes were bruised and haunted. It was the same muted cloud in her sapphire irises that he had witnessed upon finding her in the forest next to Shishio's vacant body. "Were all fire demons as clean as you?"

"Maybe. Probably not all." Helping her up onto the veranda outside of the bathroom, Kenshin frowned at the shoes she gathered up to bring inside with her, but refrained from questioning her about them. Thankfully, they both had clean clothes drying inside of the outer room of the bath. Sliding open the divider door to the bathtub for her, Kenshin leaned against the nearby wall to make room for Kaoru to go in, but also to briefly rest. "I'll stay out here to clean up while…"

Blinking, he lifted his head to find she was already stripping out of her clothes, quickly, as if she could not be free of them soon enough. The scene was confusing, as he could not help being slightly aroused by her stripping directly in front of him, but her actions clearly conveyed that she was not removing her clothes for his benefit. Every article of clothing was thrown roughly into a pile in the middle of the floor, down to her underwear and the shoes she had carried inside. Afterwards, she skipped past him to duck into the bathroom where she slid the door quickly shut between them. Her voice, when she finally explained, was muffled.

"I'm not keeping those so… don't put them in the hamper, okay? They're… they're not mine."

A frown creased his forehead.

"Whose are they?"

Silence buzzed the air during the long pause, and Kaoru's voice was even quieter than before.

"Gein… put them on me."

The line between his brows deepened considerably, and the pile of clothes disintegrated into a puff of smoke. Sickeningly, his equilibrium swayed as he neared the absolute limit of his power, proving the brief moment of anger had been foolhardy.

Deciding it would take too much effort to remove his own clothing, Kenshin burnt them off with his cleansing flame. They were unsalvageable anyway and would have ended up in the trash bin. Thankfully, it took little to use his cleansing fire, and he even felt slightly refreshed after a thorough cleaning. Although his legs were still shaky under him as he gathered and donned clothes to wear to bed. In the other room, the sound of running water confirmed that Kaoru was still performing her own personal bathing routine, and he busied himself by finding something for her to wear as well. When the water continued to run for a few minutes, however, and he found himself fighting desperately against the urge to doze off, he decided it was time to check on her.

A soft knock requested her attention, and he cracked the door when she answered. "Is everything alright, Miss Kaoru?" She sat on a stool across from the door, but she did not turn except to glance at him over her shoulder. The thick washcloth in her hand continued to scrub at her skin, almost violently, and the red flush of her body was raw with irritation. Concern scrunched his eyes and nose, but before he could comment or berate her for being so rough, she smiled tremulously.

"You cleaned up quick, Kenshin. I'm a little jealous." The smile slowly melted, and he watched the light of an idea as it was birthed in her mind. "Does it take a lot of energy to use your cleansing fire?"

Shaking his head, he opened the door wider, intent on making sure she did not harm herself, intentionally or by accident.

"Not really. Kaoru, you shouldn't…"

"Would you use it on me?" She cut him off, and knocked the stool over when she stood. The washcloth dropped to the floor by her feet, and her glowing sapphire eyes were a touch manic. The only thing covering her was the towel wrapped around her hair, but she was no longer embarrassed by her nudity. At least, not in front of him. When he said nothing, she crossed her arms under her breasts and looked down. "I'm sorry. I know you're worn out. I just… I can't seem to feel clean."

She could still feel the thousands of tiny spider legs covering her body, and the way the spider silk had manipulated her like some boneless puppet. The skin of her shoulders still felt the ghost of pinpricks from the wire-like hair on Gein's monstrous spider legs as he had held her upright before him; just a doll for his amusement. Throbbing pain still ached around her neck, not only from Shishio's choking hold, but also from where Gein had bit her to inject his poison. Most of all, though, she could still feel the cold in her fingertips from her own onibi flame, and the sensation of the sick and twisted soul that had occupied her blue fire before she had released it back to Death.

Warm hands cupped her jaw, and she looked up to find Kenshin directly before her. She loved how warm he was. She loved the heat his body radiated. She really loved the way his eyes looked at her, the way he acknowledged her, and how those violet irises devoured her own gaze with heady affection.

"I can't clean your hair." Tenderness soaked his low tone, and her lips twitched on a relieved smile.

"T-that's okay."

A soft hum rubbed his throat.

"Stay still."

What felt like hot air tickled her neck and the top of her shoulders before slowly beginning its descent down each arm. It did not sting or bite like fire, but instead caressed her lovingly, the same way his breath did during intimacy. The comparison quickened her heartbeat, and her fingers spread out slowly as the sensation brushed down her forearms to her hands. Warmth pooled thickly on her insides as a pleasant reminder of better times, and she welcomed it eagerly. Lifting heavy lashes to peer up at him through their dark curtain, she bit her lip when he leaned closer. His actions were almost instinctive in response to the aroused glow that had somehow simultaneously lightened and darkened her gaze. As the stroke of his cleansing fire descended over her chest, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tried for kiss. He pulled back at the last moment, his somnolent violet eyes almost curious as he studied her pout. Her next attempt was rewarded with the slow and lazy graze of his mouth on hers.

"Lift your foot." The light command was instantly followed as she picked up her left foot to allow the cleansing heat to bathe her thoroughly. A few seconds later, she put it back down to pick up her right foot without him urging. Tightening her arms around his neck as the fire disappeared, she wasn't sure if she had pressed herself to him or if he was the one who had pulled her into the crook of his body. Either way, they stumbled, and his hand caught them on the wall. Unexpectedly, her back touched the cold, wet surface behind her, and she jumped with a squeak. Smiling sheepishly, though he remained drowsily sluggish in his responses, she initiated a deeper kiss that quickly ignited her burgeoning desire.

A bare second later, his knees buckled, and Kaoru gasped as she caught his weight as best she could. Both of his hands attempted to brace him upright on the wall to either side of her frame, but they had to slide to the floor to keep him from falling.

"Kenshin."

Though dull and clearly unfocused, his violet eyes stared straight ahead into hers, and he smiled. A sweet, harmless smile.

"Wanna help me outta my clothes?"

The unanticipated question, slurred and full of suggestive inuendo, would have made her giggle on any other day, but logical concern battered her amusement down as he swayed in place. Not long after, the moment ended before she could decide what emotion she should settle on. Between the exhaustion of training his power against a dragon and fighting a battle against two skilled opponents, the simple use of his cleansing fire coupled with the rush of demanding arousal had finally pushed Kenshin over the edge. Darkness descended quickly like a curtain on the final act of a play, and unconsciousness rolled his eyes up into his skull a moment before his body went limp against her.

Fearful of how far he had pushed himself, she wedged a hand beneath the weight of his body to flatten against his chest, and she was reassured by the slow and steady beat of his heart. Next to her ear, his breath was even and soft on her skin. Releasing a shaky exhale, she adjusted her arms around him and closed her eyes to coax her body into letting go of its selfish cravings. While the heat inside of her subsided, her mind switched to affection for the vulnerable state of the man in her embrace. Ignoring her plight of nakedness under his fully clothed form, she leaned her head against his with a sigh. Though she did not like the reasons he was in such a state, she did not hate that she was the one allowed to know this side of him.

It was in the following silence that the emotions she had fought hard to ignore hit her, fast and lethal like a sword strike. All at once it was hard to breathe, and her expression contorted to mimic the overdramatic lines of a sad clown mask. Turning her face into his temple, she attempted to hide while suppressing the torturous gasps sucking into her throat. A part of her had feared she would never get to experience this again; being in Kenshin's arms. The night had ended favorably, it was true, and quickly considering the stakes, but it had worsened an already deep-rooted apprehension. A nightmare that sat at the back of her mind and watched her from the darkness.

Look at me. Please… look at me.

"That's right. I nearly forgot that you think you have free will."

Both hands fisted into the back of Kenshin's shirt, seeking more than just warmth and comfort, but safety from the truth of what Sōjirō had said.

I nearly forgot… that I don't.

X

The pile of clothes Kenshin had collected for her were pulled on before she removed the towel from her hair. She had wasted too much time in the bath settling her own harried emotions, and she felt guilty for letting Kenshin remain in such an uncomfortable state. Unfortunately, she could not lift him to move him to his bed, and dragging him seemed horrible. Which meant she was going to have to solicit the assistance of their host.

The main portion of the house was warm when she entered through the kitchen access, and she stopped by the doorway to watch as Suzume held Ayame upright for Hiko to wrap her burns. The elder komainu was still unconscious, but her color was looking better. Suzume turned her head upon noticing her and smiled happily, as if it were any other day. Kaoru hated what they had been forced to endure just because of her.

"Where's Nii-san?"

"Um…"

Hiko's dark eyes glanced up at her as he ripped the end of the bandage down the middle, but they did not remain on her as he chose to focus on carefully tying off the gauze.

"Did he pass out?" The gruff question was matter-of-fact, and Kaoru bit her lip before answering with a hum of agreement. Hiko sighed through his nose. "I figured he might." Standing, he absently patted the top of Suzume's head before heading for the bathroom. "Would you help put Ayame to bed? I'll get the boy."

"Ok."

With the komainu tucked into a bed together, and Kenshin settled onto a futon on the other side of a divider screen, Kaoru found that it was her turn to receive some first-aid care from the water dragon.

"I'm really fine." Protesting, even as he shut the sliding doors that separated the kitchen from the living space, Kaoru smiled in an attempt to persuade him that she actually was fine.

"That hand doesn't look fine."

Holding up both hands, because she honestly did not know what he was talking about, she frowned at the sensitive exposure of dermis on her right palm. In what was the most mysterious trick she had ever experienced, her brain decided that seeing the damage now warranted feeling the damage, and she winced as the pain lit up her nerves like thousands of tiny needles.

"What the hell happened?!"

Hiko gave her an odd look.

"How would I know? You're supposed to tell me."

Sitting down next to him at the table when he beckoned, Kaoru continued to stare at her palm in confusion while locking her left hand around her wrist, as if she could dam off the pain there.

"Hmm. It looks clean. That's good."

A tinge of red touched her nose and ears as she recalled Kenshin's cleansing flame tickling her body, and she realized he had cleaned the wound without her even knowing it. Her lips twitched in remembered affection, but she had no intention of explaining their private interlude out loud. While one of Hiko's large hands held hers lightly from underneath, his other extend slightly away from them. Water wrapped his fingers and palm, and glowed with a green tinge of color. His wrist then turned to place that water wrapped hand on top of her own. It was clear that his intention was a good one, but an internal knee-jerk reaction caused Kaoru to snatch her arm back into her chest. The already stern structure of his face deepened with a puzzled frown, and she smiled sheepishly.

"Uh… sorry." Letting water touch her after being cleaned by Kenshin's fire felt almost sinful, but she struggled with how to best explain that aloud without also painting a picture of what had happened in the water dragon's bathroom.

"I can see the boy cleaned it." The blunt announced made her blush. "He did well to remove the impurities, but he dried it out at the same time. Your body is water-based, Kamiya-san. Your skin won't grow back if it's dried out. This will refresh your natural moisture and act as an ointment."

Dropping her gaze to her lap like a scolded child, Kaoru slowly offered her hand back. He made a compelling point that she could not argue with.

"Alright."

Encased between both of his hands, the sting of her palm gently subsided as the green colored water soothed where the entire layer of epidermis had been ripped away. It was a little disconcerting that she had no memory of how she had suffered such an injury, but she assumed it had happened while she had been unconscious from Gein's venom. Why had she not noticed it during her encounter with Shishio and when using her onibi flame? Had the cold numbed it? Or was it because she had been so preoccupied with surviving that she had ignored it completely?

"I fear I must apologize, Kamiya-san."

The water fell away onto his lap and disappeared. When she looked up, he had already turned his chin towards the table to gather a roll of bandages.

"For what?"

"My barrier keeps out unwelcomed visitors, but it does not affect the wildlife. I did not expect this would be a problem."

"Oh." Then Gein worked around the barrier by using his spiders. Clever asshole. "It's alright. I'm not upset with you or anything. It's not like you were expecting to house wanted terrorists in your home." She forced a laugh, but it died when his stone expression remained unmoving.

"Even so, you felt safe here, and now you do not. To make matters worse, I cannot change the barrier. It must stay as it is."

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Kaoru averted her gaze and forced a twitchy smile.

"That's okay."

"Instead, I have erected a second barrier." Sapphire irises returned to him, but his eyes had lowered to watch as he carefully wrapped her hand, from her wrist to her fingers. "It is much smaller, but much stronger. It covers only the house and yard, but nothing living is allowed through it except for the five of us. Not even a gnat may pass."

"Oh…" While she appreciated his thoughtfulness and effort, her form slumped as she assumed what she was expected to do. "I guess that means… I have to stay in the house from now on?"

A rude snort pushed from his nose. "Why the hell should you have to do that? I'm sure the boy will be on you like a bodyguard anyway. I only put the second barrier up so he would actually get some sleep at night."

Like a slow blooming flower, Kaoru grinned as her doubts were assuaged, and then she giggled.

"You're really fond of Kenshin, aren't you?"

Gruff and flustered grumbles huffed from Hiko's chest. "Don't be ridiculous." But his mouth had tugged upwards, and she bit her lip to stifle her delight. A few moments later, Kaoru became somber again before bringing up something about the barrier that had worried her more than Gein's work-around.

"Can I ask a question?"

"You may."

"Um, say a shadow demon were to hide in someone else's shadow. Would he be able to get through your barrier that way?"

The specific inquiry raised his eyebrow, but his response was immediate.

"No."

"Either of them?"

"Neither of them."

"Ok, good." Swallowing, she took back her hand when he was finished tying off the bandage near her knuckles. "W-what about…runes or seals. Do they work inside your barrier?"

"…Like a marriage seal?"

Kaoru frowned, but shook her head. "Um, no. Uh… honestly, I don't really know much about runes or seals, but… if, say, I had some on my body and they were put there by a necromancer, could… could he activate them while I'm here?"

Hiko was quiet as he thought on how to respond. "I couldn't say. I don't know enough about necromancy seals to judge whether they would work inside my barrier or not. However, I can say that there are certain seals that will not be affected by any barrier. Therefore, it is possibly that your seals are immune to any barrier."

Downcast by the knowledge, Kaoru's shoulders slumped, and the fear in the back of her mind grew. Casting about for something, anything to distract herself, she grasped at what he had mentioned earlier.

"Are marriage seals also unaffected by any barrier?" He nodded. "What is a marriage seal? Is it something done by demons?"

An amused expression briefly touched his face as he studied her. "It's an old custom done by our kind. Not everyone practices it anymore."

"Why not?"

"Well…" Scratching his chin, a low noise rumbled his chest. "Most likely because it's permanent. A marriage seal cannot be broken… unless one partner dies."

Until death… Chewing her lip, she remembered what Kenshin had said to her a few days before, and she wondered if this was also what he had meant by forever.

"Is there some kind of benefit to a marriage seal, or is it just a promise?"

A huff of laughter pushed up from his gut. "You're a lot shrewder than I would have thought. There are many benefits. Depending on how the marriage seal is carved, you could share your partner's strength."

Kaoru lit up with open excitement.

"So… if a water demon and a fire demon married, they could both use fire and water?"

More laughter announced he was enjoying her innocence. "No. But if two strong elementals did marry, they would be twice as strong together, even when apart."

"Oh! So, they share the underlying strength that they each have and not the manifestation of their power."

"That's correct, but there is an added benefit if each partner has the same general kind of power. A water elemental and a fire elemental would conflict too much, and would most likely cause a net-negative. But, if two fire elementals were to marry, their power would triple instead of double."

"Like the ultimate power couple. Nice." Her smile twitched as she thought on the implications of such a union. "Ah. I see how that became a problem."

"You're a quick learner, too." This praise was given with a grim tone. "Arranged marriages, treaties, revenge pairings, tyrants. There were even some demons who would marry just to lock their partner away. Unfortunately, it is still used in such ways. The current emperor practices this with his wives, and he's able to because his marriage seal only shares power one way."

Dark eyebrows lifted into Kaoru's bangs, and then flattened as she realized what he had told her. "He takes his wives' power but doesn't give them anything in return?"

"I'm sure they get something out of it, but… no, they do not have direct access to his power."

The conversation stalled as she made a face, and Hiko reached behind him to retrieve the hair charm he had found on the floor. The distraction was a good way to cut the discussion short. He did not mind her enthusiasm or questions, but he had reached his limit with interactions for the day.

"Here, I picked up your fire-fly."

Gathering the hair charm when he dropped it into her hands, Kaoru thanked him before pulling it close into her chest. She felt slightly guilty for forgetting about him, and even more so when she remembered the sad way he had dumped out of her lap and onto the floor hours earlier.

"He's cold. Is he…?"

"Protective charms need to be replenished at intervals. It's likely he was near the end of his interval when this happened. For now, he will have to remain that way while the boy recovers."

Nodding, Kaoru lowered her hands into her lap, but stroked the braid with her thumbs. "How long do you think it'll take for Kenshin to recover from today?"

"Hmm. It could take a few days, but don't worry, he won't sleep through all of it."

"That long?" Despite his reassurance, the information was concerning. Hiko continued in order to explain why the knowledge was natural.

"His power keeps growing, despite his limitation. The more powerful he becomes, the longer it will take for him to use all of his power. Conversely, the more powerful he becomes, the longer it will take for him to recover from using all his power." One large hand gently ruffled her hair, and there was regret in his gaze. "I'm partly to blame for this. I pushed him to his absolute limit during training this week. Truthfully… I counted on the girls saving you. I did not imagine he would be able to stay conscious for as long as he did, let alone fight in his condition."

An image of Kenshin standing in the quiet, snow-covered forest, breathless and radiating heat, popped into the forefront of Kaoru's mind, and the air in her lungs caught. Allowing her pupils to drift to one side so that she was staring at empty air, her skin involuntarily flushed red as she recalled the moment that she had noticed him.

"He really looked like a dragon. Dangerous and so beautiful." Realizing she had said the last part aloud, her wide eyes darted back to him before she ducked her head quickly into her chest. Crimson heat burned across her neck, ears, and face, and she really wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Hiko decided to ignore her open infatuation to instead focus on the important information she had just provided.

"What was different that made him look like a dragon?"

Keeping her face aimed straight down so her bangs could hide her, she chewed her lip forcefully. "Um… his horns were bigger than the last time I saw them, and he had reddish scales and what looked like black claws on his fingers. I don't know why, but his horns… looked like they were melting. He was bleeding from the scar on his face, too."

"Dammit, boy." Grumbling and angry, Hiko leaned back to cross his arms. "He shouldn't do that again. If he forces his growth any more, he'll damage himself permanently."

"…Because of his core?" Finally, she looked up, and Hiko's black eyes peered into her own dark pupils heavily. "Is there nothing we can do to heal it?"

For a moment, Hiko's gaze dropped to stare at the golden glow still visible from deep within her chest. It flickered at him, and he recalled seeing the same golden glow, much stronger and larger, from Kenshin's chest only a few hours before. His mouth opened, but when he looked up again, he could see the red of recent tears framing the whites of her eyes. Reluctance stalled what he was going to say, and his voice deepened brusquely.

"There's nothing. It's late, Kamiya-san." Turning away from her, he braced his elbow on the table and settled his chin on his curled knuckles. "Get some rest with the others."

Confused by the change in his attitude, Kaoru quickly bowed her head, and then clambered to her feet. Hiko remained at the table as she slipped through the divider door into the living space, and she peeked at him once last time before she slid the door shut. The light from the kitchen filtered into the darkness of the room she was now in, and she hugged the hair charm to her chest as she turned towards Kenshin's futon. Briefly she paused next to him, and her adjusting eyesight settled on the quiet rise and fall of his chest. Kenshin never slept with a blanket because he found it constricting, but he tolerated it when Kaoru slept with him. Out of respect and politeness during their stay in someone else's house, they had slept separately since their arrival on the mountain. For just that one night, however, Kaoru did not want to sleep alone. Foregoing her own futon, she pulled out her blanket and tucked herself boldly into Kenshin's bed.

X

Love Song #10

Misao: Hands To Myself – Selena Gomez