Chapter Twenty-Five

The forceful weight of the ocean pushed against Enishi's stone body as he rushed headlong into roughing waves. With each step, he could feel his feet sinking into the sand like twin anchors, and the water rose higher and higher up his chest. His solid golem form was too heavy for him to swim, or even to float, but his determination did not waver. The undertow had pulled Kaoru's feet right out from under her, and was even now sweeping her further out to sea. If he could get to her before she made it too far, he could catch her. All he needed to do was hold his breath long enough.

Salt water slammed into his face and charged straight up his nose, and he was finally submerged. Stinging pain filled his sinuses and stabbed at his eyes, but he could see her. She was struggling to right herself, and from her flailing, he could guess she was not an experienced swimmer. Reaching for her, he swiped at her ankle, but was unable to appreciate the actual distance between them.

One extremely short second later, and something hit the water like a meteor strike. The force knocked him to one side, and the displacement of water freed his head long enough for him to take a breath. Rolling waves sucked back inward, and Enishi braced his legs to keep from falling prey to the same fate as Kaoru. With still open eyes, he watched in surprise as something red and gold shot through the water with perfect ease, and secured Kaoru around the waist. A twist and kick later, and both were being propelled back towards the shore.

Ill-tempered, terrified, and soaking wet, Kenshin hefted Kaoru into his arms and sloshed his way quickly out of the ocean to drop to his knees in the hot sand.

She's not breathing.

Tomoe was already next to him, having rushed after his headlong dash to the sea, and behind him, the grinding crush of wet sand announced Enishi's freedom from the waves as well.

She's not breathing!

Balling his hands together against Kaoru's sternum, he immediately provided the assistance her lungs needed to be free of the water flooding her insides. Three pumps later, and she coughed and spluttered the liquid out of her mouth and nose.

Crisis averted, the adrenaline rushing his veins would not let up.

"Breathe. It's alright. Just breathe." The calming voice of the coal demon was not meant for him. Nevertheless, the world had narrowed sharply.

It was getting hard to catch his breath.

"What the hell were you thinking? I told you not to go that far out." Enishi's rough voice ground like hard stone from behind him. Kaoru coughed and blinked to rid herself of leftover seawater, and sat up with Tomoe's help.

Kenshin's hands were shaking and of little use.

"You nearly scared us to death, Kaoru-chan." A chiding tone was evident now, but Tomoe's voice was much too nice to convey true chastisement.

Sheepishly, Kaoru held up her left hand and the empty nautilus shell still clutched in her trembling fingers. The sight of it turned something in Kenshin's stomach, and he grabbed her by both shoulders.

"Idiot!"

The yell echoed along the beachline, and wide sapphire eyes shot to him. The sudden reaction conveyed more to him than he liked. This young woman showed no fear of her near-death experience. Instead, his simple, though forceful, exclamation had caused her distress. Dismayed by what such a realization could mean, he flattened her without warning against his chest.

"You nearly died for a stupid seashell!"

With her forehead pressed into his clavicle, it became blatantly evidence that he was starting to hyperventilate. Her free hand tapped his bare ribs in concern, but his unblinking, unfocused gaze announced he was drowning in a different way. Now Tomoe's voice was speaking to him, and Enishi was pounding him on the back.

It was too much. Too much water. Too much fear.

A gag heaved his chest, but he fought it. A second nearly won. Enishi backed off cautiously and Tomoe was trying to remove Kaoru from his desperate grasp.

"Calm down, boy! It's just a little water!"

The disappointed beratement of Hiko's voice focused him long enough to draw in a deep breath through his nose. On his exhale, hot air burst outward from his core and shed the foreign water from his entire body, as well as from Kaoru's. Instant humidity formed a layer of fog around them as the water evaporated and then dispersed into the hot summer air. The hammering of his heart began to slow, and he relaxed his chin onto the top of Kaoru's now dry head. She tried to pull away, but his arms cinched tighter against her shoulders, denying her.

"Do you feel better now, Himura-san?"

Tomoe's voice was just as gentle, just as calm, as was usual, but he jumped as if forgetting she was there altogether. Turning violet eyes towards her, he blinked to find her entire front soaked. Stripping them of water meant it had to go somewhere. That somewhere just happened to be everywhere else in their immediate proximity. It was his turn to feel guilty.

"Sorry, Tomoe-san."

A restrained sigh slowly released from her lungs.

"And you, Kaoru-chan? Are you sure you're alright?"

With no foreseeable way to escape her imprisonment, her thumb lifted into the air in answer. Enishi offered a hand to his sister, but spoke to Kenshin in astonishment.

"When did you learn how to swim? I always figured you'd just 'go out' if you were ever submerged in water."

Red lashes blinked, but offered the stone golem a brief and weary glance. "Hiko-sama forced me to learn. It wasn't… pleasant, but I'm glad he did."

Finally, Kaoru was released, and she sat back instantly to train her worried gaze on him. It solidified his earlier assumption, and something close to despair twisted his insides. Both of her hands reached up to cup his face between them, and she searched his eyes for signs of pain. Tomoe pulled Enishi towards the beach house.

"I believe it's time for a watermelon break. Will you help me cut them, little brother?"

"… Sure." Emerald green eyes cast one last glance at the pair kneeling on the beach before following his sister up to the house.

Wrapping his fingers lightly around Kaoru's wrists, Kenshin closed his eyes and breathed deep.

I know some things frighten her. How can it be that she has no fear of death?

"What am I going to do with you, Miss Kaoru? I can't take my eyes off you for a second." Exasperation filled each word, and even his heart was heavy as he spoke them. Kaoru, however, did not seem to sympathize with his concerns.

Shaking forced his lashes back open, and he instead found his unease had somehow made her happy. A flush of pink had darkened her cheeks, and she was biting her bottom lip against a smile. Eagerly, she was shaking her head, as if to agree that he should never take his eyes off her again. Completely bewildered by such a response, but unwillingly amused at the same time, he laughed more out of disbelief than true hilarity.

"Very well, Miss Kaoru. Then I won't."

White teeth were flashed at him as her smile won the fight, and she hugged herself tight around his neck. Now that his mind was clearer, his entire body stiffened at the contact of bare skin on bare skin. Before he could react, she pulled away, and then her hands moved to convey pride.

"You've gotten really strong."

Embarrassed, Kenshin stood and helped her up.

"Don't give me too much credit. I was nearly sick."

"Maybe Hiko-sama can teach me how to swim."

A more nervous chuckle released from his mouth. "I don't know if I would recommend it."

It was almost normal now, how perfectly easy her hand fit within his, but the brush of her naked shoulder was distracting as they walked back to the house.

Due to the recent events, Kenshin declared the ocean off-limits going forward. At least for the remainder of their afternoon. Kaoru was perfectly satisfied with the bucket of seashells she had already collected, and therefore protested little. Enishi was completely in agreement, and Tomoe merely nodded. Watermelon was enjoyed on the back deck of the house, and then they amused themselves with silly games, beach volleyball, and stories.

As it grew closer for them to depart, Tomoe helped Kaoru back into her regular clothes. Afterwards, she convinced Kaoru to leave the seashells with her so that she could clean them properly. Since Tomoe and Enishi were going to stay at the beach house for one more night in order to close it back up, Kenshin and Kaoru would be making the trip back to the lab alone.

The train ride back to Neo-Tokyo was mostly uneventful, and Kenshin found himself dozing with his head resting on top of Kaoru's as she napped against his shoulder. The sudden stop of the train, however, jolted them both enough to bring him fully back into consciousness. Steadying her automatically, Kenshin was unexpectedly distracted by the vision of near-black clouds building on the horizon through the window across the aisle.

There wasn't any storm predictions for today, or the rest of the week.

A few seconds later, and an announcement relayed over the loud-speakers.

"Attention passengers. We apologize for the inconvenience. We just received notification that Raijin and Fujin are quarreling just off the Southeast coast. As a result, we will be taking all precautions, and will reduce our speed to account for high-winds. There will be an additional delay while we wait for another train to unload their passengers. We will attempt to make all stops; however, if the storm strengthens or hits before all stops are made, we will have to shut the train down until the storm passes. We would encourage all passengers to depart when they feel they can safely make it to their destination. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience."

The entire train erupted into outrage or concern. One of the passengers in the seat behind them started muttering curses at the wind and thunder gods.

"Stupid brothers. If they can't get along, they should stay away from each other."

"They're probably drunk. Dad says this always happens when they've been drinking."

Kenshin sighed, but offered Kaoru and her perplexed expression a small smile.

"Don't worry, Miss Kaoru. Hopefully they won't fight for very long."

The person behind them laughed. "Last time they fought they produced a Category 2 Typhoon that lasted three days."

An irritated side-glance was tossed in the direction of the unhelpful input, but Kaoru didn't seem that worried. Instead, a yawn opened her mouth all the way, and she leaned back into his shoulder indifferently.

She's so odd, but I suppose I'm glad for her increased confidence, in herself… and me.

The train finally started moving again a half hour later. By that time, the clouds had drawn closer, and the sun barely penetrated the thick barrier they created. The slower speed resulted in two extra hours before they made it to their stop. They were rushed off the train quickly and ushered out of the closed station. Outside, rain was starting to fall in sideways sheets as the wind picked up, and Kenshin glowered at the thought of being soaked once again. Before he could convince himself to take the plunge, his phone vibrated with a call.

"Thank goodness, you answered." Tomoe's distraught voice was worrying.

"What's wrong. Has something happened at your beach house?"

"No, we're fine. Luckily the storm won't hit us, but we may be stuck here depending on how long it persists."

"You mean, depending on how long the fight lasts?" Kenshin's voice was droll, and Tomoe sighed.

"Yes. But I just received a call from Megumi-sensei. She was forced to shut the lab down. I'm afraid you won't be able to take Kaoru there."

"Oh." Squeezing the hand still held in his, he glanced at Kaoru as she watched the storm with clear interest. "My apartment's closer anyway. We should be able to make it there."

"Good. Do you have enough food to last you two, in case she has to be there for a few days?" It did not surprise Kenshin that Tomoe's sheltering instincts had kicked in, and he nodded his head even as he spoke.

"I should."

"Very well. Please let me know when you've arrived, and…" Her voice trailed off.

"And?"

"Please be a gentleman."

A soft rush of air pushed from his nose, and he looked down at his feet. "R-right. Of course."

There was a pause, as if she wished to say more, but bid him goodbye instead. The phone was tucked carefully into his back pocket.

"We should go before it gets worse."

Kaoru's flame blue eyes turned to him, and she nodded.

"Are you okay to stay with me while the storm passes?"

Ever so slightly, her eyes widened, and then she nodded eagerly. He smiled gently in return.

"Let's make a run for it."

X

They arrived at his apartment dripping wet and shivering. It worried Kenshin. Although Kaoru had not suffered any new bought of chest pain since their trip to the restaurant, he did not like the thought of a cold exacerbating her still undiagnosed condition. He was already upset by the water she had breathed in at the beach, and what long-standing effects it might cause. Therefore, as soon as they were clear of the door, he guided her directly to the bathroom with the promise of some dry clothes when she was done. While she soaked in a hot bath, he stripped himself of his own sopping clothes and cleansed himself by fire.

Wind raged outside of the wall of glass in the main room of the apartment, and he was glad he had nothing yet on the balcony to worry about. Climbing the steep steps up to the loft in nothing but a towel, he threw on some comfortable clothes, and then picked out a pair of shorts and a shirt for Kaoru to wear while her own clothes were washed and dried. Depositing them into the outer room of the bathing area, he marched into the kitchen to throw together something quick for their supper. It was already well past eight in the evening, but he had a strict rule against skipping meals. Especially when it came to Kaoru.

When Kaoru finally exited the bathroom, she looked shier than he had expected with her hands clasped together around the braided hair charm. One foot rubbed against the ankle of the other as she stood in place, and the clothes were visibly large on her. Strangely, this time it was not a comical or sad appearance, but instead one that made his chest feel tight. When he realized her hair was still wet, he put down the bowl he was holding.

"I don't have a hairdryer." Though it was obvious, he spoke it aloud anyway as if to affirm why her hair was dripping onto her shoulders. Turning her back towards the outer bath room with the sink and washing machine, he directed her to lean over the sink.

"Let me try this."

Taking the only brush he owned, he channeled heat through the bristles to remove the excess water in a more precise way than he had on the beach. The water ran down the sink after each pass, leaving behind streaks of dry hair. Upon standing, though, she frowned to find her head covered in frizz and fly-away hairs due to the direct heat.

"Sorry, Miss Kaoru."

Though she pursed her lips, she smiled and shrugged after a moment to reassure him. Dampening her hand, she calmed the frizz with a little moisture before quickly braiding it into one short braid at the back of her neck. Though he was chagrined that she had to rewet her hair, even a little, he knew it would dry fairly quick now.

"How about something to eat?"

A small TV in the corner had been gifted by Yutaro, and it quietly relayed the news as the storm continued to thunder and howl outside. The building of a Category 1 Typhoon was being predicted, but would depend upon the whims of the thunder and wind gods. For now, neither appeared to be backing down. Kenshin was slightly conflicted on whether to be happy or irritated with their family feud. On one hand, he had no desire to miss too many days from work, as he really needed his paycheck in order to keep his apartment and pay off his debts. On the other, having Kaoru there with him had produced a warm and comfortable atmosphere in the small space. Though they had been alone together many times at the lab, he was never at ease there. Now in a place that was his own, he could fully relax.

With the meal finished and the dishes washed, Kenshin watched Kaoru fight a yawn. She was lying on her back with the top of her head pressed against one of the windows, happily watching the clouds roll and flicker with lightning. The glow from her blue irises appeared brighter in the dim lighting of the main room, and they mesmerized him. Many times, she had expressed delight or quiet joy because he was looking at her, but he wondered if she realized… he felt the same way when she looked at him.

Every moment. Every emotion. How-ever she looked at him, he could not help but feel pleased. No matter if it was happiness at the sight of him, enthusiasm for time spent together, or even irritation when he, admittedly rarely, annoyed her. Most of all, he enjoyed the wonder that was always clear in her gaze for his demon form and flame. She never feared him, but instead accepted him with open arms.

I told myself that it had to be the water that nearly made me ill. Otherwise, why would I react so strongly, but I don't know. Hiko-sama almost numbed me to the exposure of water. Was it then something else?

Her lack of fear certainly angered me, but before that… there was only panic. It filled every ounce of my being with such desperate thoughts. Like drowning spirals leading into black depths. All born from the same question.

What if I lost her?

Even now, the whispered contemplation from the back of his mind stirred something vulnerable within him.

"S-shall we go to bed?"

Her head lifted to blink at him from her sprawled position, and the small crease between her brows spoke of worry for the break in his voice. Clearing his throat, he stood to offer her a hand up.

"It's been a very long day, Miss Kaoru." Normalcy returned to his words, and he fought for a harmless smile to hide his trembling insides. "Let's get some sleep while they fight it out."

A slight smile and nod, and she followed him up the stairs to the loft.

"You can have the bed. I'll sleep in the spare futon." Suddenly, he was extremely glad Tomoe had talked him into buying a real bed with the extra money he had. It was small, only a single, but worked perfectly for him. A blanket was unearthed from a corner, and he tucked her in as she grinned back at him happily.

"Good night, Miss Kaoru."

Her hands peeked out from under the blanket's edge to return the nighttime farewell. Barely a second later, and her eyes closed in comfortable repose. Sleep claimed her quickly after that.

X

Despite the rain, wind, and thunder, Kenshin slept hard, but woke abruptly in the middle of the night to Kaoru descending the stairs. Blinking tiredly, he decided she must have needed the toilet, and easily let his lids fall back closed. Adjusting his arms behind his head, he half-listened for her return, but mostly drifted in that space between sleep and awake.

She tripped once coming back up the stairs, and his lashes fluttered to fight the heavy weight of fatigue forcing them down. Instead of walking upright the rest of the way, she had decided climbing on all fours was safer, and he half-smirked at the blatant shift in cadence. Fighting a yawn, he lost against his leaden eyelids, and concluded she was fine to make it the rest of the way back to the bed.

It was really warm in the futon, after all. In fact, one side of him was slightly hotter than the other. Without a blanket, his body temperature usually stayed quite steady, but not this time. Something was pinning him down, too. Frowning, he fought once more for consciousness, and a seed of panic started to dig into his chest when he could not seem to move.

Coming back to the real world with a jolt and a gasp, the breath in his lungs froze for a different reason. Swinging violet eyes to his left-side in shock, he tensed to find Kaoru had climbed into the wrong bed. Not just in any sprawled way, either, but cuddled against his side with her head nestled in the crook of his armpit. The full length of her body was pressed against him, and one small hand rested on his chest. Even breathing told him she was already gone to the realm of dreams, and he was left to deal with the predicament on his own.

"K-Kaoru. Miss Kaoru. You shouldn't sleep here."

She, it seemed, cared little.

Dropping his head back, he took a steadying breath, and tried instead to reason his way out.

Alright. She's fast asleep, and you were asleep just a second ago. Just go back to sleep. Nothing's going to happen. Just…

One firm thigh slid forward as her weight shifted into him, and her knee pushed itself between his legs as her hips cradled the lower portion of his pelvis. Suddenly he was acutely aware of every smooth line and soft bulge pressed against him. Even the sound of her soft breathing threatened the cadence of his heart. Uncomfortable, demanding heat spread through his entire body, and the tension in his muscles was somehow painful.

Nope.

Struggling and squirming to be free of her weight, Kenshin wriggled his way out from under her and scrambled desperately for the foot of the futon. Sitting up and wrestling with his out-of-control breathing, he watched in the muted light as she softened further into the bedding without an ounce of awareness. Of the oversized shorts twisted around her waist, or the large t-shirt hanging from her bare shoulder.

There certainly was nothing deficient about her body anymore.

Swallowing with difficulty, he tore his eyes away to instead stare out the double-layer of glass between him and the outside. It took a few minutes before he felt calm enough to move. Deciding it best to just give her the futon, he pulled the blanket from the bed and fluffed it over her quickly. Climbing onto the mattress, he made sure to turn his back on her so that his now wide-open eyes would not be tempted. Unfortunately, the smell of her hair clung to the pillow now under his cheek, and so he flung it at his feet in favor of using his own arm. The rest of the night was agonizingly long for the last remaining fire demon.

It definitely was not the water.

X

A/N: This chapter ended up being a little long, and I even had to postpone a couple of things. Ah well. I'm still trying to work in the subtle details while they develop their relationship, but the next chapter should see a bit more progression. I don't want it to feel too drawn out, but there is a bit more that I wanted to include before things get crazy. After all, this story is supposed to focus more on love. Coming up, some confrontations and confessions. Thanks so much for loving these characters as much as I do! I realize that our little community has dwindled over the years, which makes me love those who still read my stories all the more!