Kenshin arrived at Megumi and Sanosuke's house just after sunset
to walk his wife home. She and Megumi were probably busy talking about
stuff. And Kaoru was mostlikely helping around their house, since Megumi
was due soon.
"Kenshin." Kaoru was sitting on the wooden porch in front of the house.
Shinnosuke sat on her lap, cradled against her, fast asleep. There was
such a warm glow in her eyes. She was full of so much love and understanding.
It was one of the qualities that had drawen him to her. Light and dark.
She looked like an angel. Sessha no tenshi.
"Kaoru." She looked so beautiful, holding Shin-chan against her protectively.
She smiled at him and he felt his heart twist. She had always been able
to make him feel so much at once. From the moment she stopped him in the
middle of the streets of Tokyo so long ago, she became the center of his
life. She was independent and vulnerable, wise and naive. There were so
many sides to her and he loved every one of them.
Kaoru looked so slight. He found it hard to believe that she was carrying
a new life inside of her slim body. The baby inside of her was draining
her energy, tiring her. He wanted to carry her around on a cushion for
the next 8 months. Wrapped in silk. Protected and totally coddled.
"Something amazing happened today." she said with a smile. Shinnosuke
slowly began to awaken, blinking at Kenshin owlishly. He moved to help
her rise from her position with Shinnosuke still in her arms.
"Yeah," said the little boy on a yawn. "Amazn'...." He looked so much
like a chibi-Sanosuke that Kaoru fought hard not to smile at his actions.
She wondered what the baby inside her was going to look like. She was hoping
for a small version of Kenshin.
"Amazing?" Kenshin looked to his wife, who just smiled even more mysteriously.
Suddenly, she reached out with her free hand and grabbed him.
"Come on, Kenshin. You have to see for yourself," she said with a grin,
dragging her husband in her wake.
"Oro~?" gasped Kenshin as he was tugged unceremoniously into the house.
*****
"You gave birth? You went into labor? Today?" he asked Megumi. He couldn't
keep the shock out of his voice. Megumi lay on a futon, looking a touch
paler than usual, but as beautiful as always. "With only Kaoru to help
you?!?"
"Yes, well, she was very helpful," she replied with a small smile. "Gensai-sensei
and I both thought that I had time before I was going to go into labor.
That's why they decided to visit his sister this week," she explained.
"Nothing went wrong?" he asked worriedly.
"No. Everything went well. At least, now Kaoru knows what will happen
when her turn comes."
"Megumi-dono. Omedetou de gozaru."
"Arigatou, Kenshin. Sano should be coming in so we can introduce
you."
As if on cue, Sanosuke came in holding a baby. The infant in his arms
looked very small against his large form. Kenshin was happy for his best
friend.
"Omedetou, Sano."
"Heh. Arigatou, Kenshin." He looked very proud. The grin on his
face was full of pure joy. "Yahiko was right yesterday about Megumi being
ready to burst."
"Yahiko said that?" Kaoru asked, coming in with another baby in her
arms. This one looked just as small as the first. "That boy needs to learn
to be more polite. Tsubame should try to train him, already!"
Kenshin fell over. "Oro~! T-T-Twins? With only Kaoru to help?"
"Believe me, Ken-san... They did not want to wait," said Megumi with
a soft smile. "Since these two surprised us, we have to think of names
for them."
"Kenshin, meet our new daughter and son," Sano ordered with a grin.
"This is our daughter. She's the younger one." The baby in his arms looked
so much like Megumi, it was uncanny.
"And this is the boy," added Kaoru. "He looks like Shin-chan, doesn't
he?"
"Ken-niicha." Shinnosuke pulled at Kenshin's hakama, his face serious
with new responsibility. "Shin's really an oniicha now."
Kenshin kneeled to the same level as the toddler, meeting him eye to
eye. "You are, aren't you? That's a very big responsibility. I'm sure that
you're going to do your best helping your okaasan and otousan and the babies."
"Yeah. Shin's gonna be 'specially 'sponsible," he replied in a serious
tone. "They awre berry smawl. Shin has to pwrotect 'em."
"I'm sure that you're going to do a good job."
"Uh huh. Shin will. Kaoru-neecha says so," Shinnosuke lisped, reaching
his arms out, wrapping them around Kenshin's neck, silently asking to be
carried. Kenshin obliged with a grin. Shinnosuke may be the older brother
now, but every now and then he still wanted to be babied a little.
"She did, huh?"
The little boy nodded vigorously. "Yeah. Kaoru-neecha says so."
"And she's always right?" asked Sanosuke wryly.
The little boy just grinned at his father.
"No comment, huh?" Sano grinned back at his son. "Heh, smart kid."
To that Megumi replied, "He gets that from my side of the family."
******
Kenshin was thinking about babies and births as they walked back to
the dojo. Kaoru seemed so slight and small. Would she be all right? Megumi
was taller and more sturdy than Kaoru. Kenshin began to really worry about
what was going to happen. He didn't want to lose her.
Kenshin seemed to be in deep thought as they walked back to the dojo.
Kaoru, sensing that he was pensive, didn't push for a conversation. They
walked together in silence until they reached home.
"Oi! Kenshin! Kaoru! Where have you guys been?" Yahiko yelled
from the house.
"We were at Megumi and Sanosuke's place. Megumi had the babies today."
"I told you she was ready to explode. Wait a minute. Did you say babies?
Plural?" he ask incredulously.
"Yes," Kenshin replied with a smile. "Kaoru delivered them. By herself."
"She had the babies. And Kaoru delivered them. All by herself..." His
voice trailed off. He thought they were kidding at first, but they were
obviously not. "Two..."
"A girl and a boy. Shinnosuke is really excited. I was worried that
he might get jealous of them. But he's already really protective of them,"
added Kaoru.
"A boy and a girl? Megumi and Sanosuke are going to be run ragged by
all those kids," Yahiko said with a grin. "I can't wait."
"Yahiko!"
"What?" he asked, trying to look innocent.
Kaoru stood over her student, her face looking more than a little threatening.
"Guess who's gonna help out?"
"Heh. I got it," Yahiko conceded defeat quickly. He was only teasing
anyhow. He looked forward to babysitting with Tsubame. "Anyway, I'm off
to bed. Oyasumi."
"Brat," Kaoru said with a soft smile. She turned her attention back
to Kenshin. "Kenshin, what's wrong? Kenshin!" She poked his shoulder to
get his attention.
"Oro~," he mumbled. "Gomen, Kaoru...."
"Kenshin, what's wrong?" she asked, moving closer to him.
"Kaoru." He hugged her close to him, breathing in her scent. "I was
just thinking about you having the baby. Going through labor. Maybe its
silly, but I'm a little scared. Women die during childbirth. Too many times."
"Kenshin. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'm really strong. Really.
Women have babies every day. Look at Megumi. She came through just fine."
"I know, but I can't help it." He was shaking. "I'm afraid that I might
lose you."
Kaoru moved forward to kiss him, holding him tightly to her. "Himura
Kenshin, you are never going to lose me. I have you now and I'm not ever
going to let you go."
"Never, huh?"
"Yeah. Never ever." She kissed him again. "Come on, let's go. I feel
like celebrating again." She winked at him as she led him off to bed.
*****
Kenshin slid the door shut behind them after they entered their bedroom.
Kaoru lit the lamp. In the soft glow, she looked over at him with a smile
of invitation on her lips.
"Kenshin. You know what?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.
"What?" Her husband still looked preoccupied. Kaoru wanted all his attention
focused on her. And she thought she knew just how to get it.
"You really shouldn't worry. I mean, I'm a strong girl. You know that."
She moved towards him, her hips slowly swaying as she walked. "I've been
training since I was a child. Physically, I can out do a lot of people."
She reached him and began to remove the tie that held his hair back. She
loved to see the long strands down around his face. She reveled in the
fact that only she had the right to touch him.
"Kaoru..." Kenshin closed his eyes as he felt her run her fingers through
the soft strands, leaving a tingling trail in their wake. "I-" She stopped
his words with her lips.
Kenshin gave into her silent demand, pulling her closer to him. Her
body fit against him like she was made for him. For him and him alone.
She rubbed against him, arousing him, seducing him. No matter how many
times he held her in his arms, he never had enough. Their mouths moved
against each other, demanding and pursading.
She moved his hand an placed it on her arm, flexing her muscle for him.
"See, I have a lot of strength..." She moved to kiss him again, her mouth
busy nibbling at his. He shuddered and pulled her closer to him. Kaoru
pulled back, kissing him softly as she began to undress. "You know how
much endurance I have," she said in a teasing whisper. "I can keep up with
you when we make love."
She deftly unknotted the obi, untwining the long cloth wrapped about
her waist in seconds. The sound of silk rustling against silk seemed so
loud as he watched her graceful movements. Her kimono fell open, revealing
her creamy flesh. She let the obi drop to the floor. She reached back to
untie her hair, the stretching movement drawing Kenshin's eyes to her body.
Kaoru shivered at the hunger in his gaze. The tight control Kenshin held
over himself always amazed her. She loved making him lose that control.
That she could make him lose it.
Kenshin watched his wife move toward him again. She was seducing him
with her movements. Trying to make him forget his worries. And she was
doing a good job at it.
"Kaoru, you are so beautiful," he whispered in awe. He was so lucky
that she loved him. She could have had any man she wanted, but she had
chosen him. He had thought that he was too old, and had seen too much to
be worthy of her, but she chose him anyway.
"You make me feel like the most beautiful woman on the face of this
earth." She paused inches away from him, reaching out to take his hand.
"Help me take the rest off," she ordered in a hushed voice as she placed
his hand on the open edge of the silk cloth.
Kenshin slowly moved the silk off her body, watching as the cloth slipped
off her body and fell in a pile at her feet. Her white form glowed in the
lamp light. Her breasts were already changing, growing fuller. For the
baby, he thought as his hands moved to cup them gently. He moved down to
her stomach and ran his hand over the place where their child rested within
her. She hadn't changed there yet, but she would soon. The thought aroused
him even more.
"Your turn," Kaoru whispered, pulling at the top of his red gi, drawing
him closer so that she could undress him faster. She pulled at the ties
of his hakama, loosening them so she could pull his top loose. She dropped
kisses on his shoulders and chest as she removed it, pushing the cloth
off his shoulders. His skin was so warm.
Kenshin moved her towards their futon, his own hands busy caressing
and massaging her flesh. She felt like silk. Kenshin reached up and untied
her hair. He breathed in her scent, the smell of fresh jasmine and her
own unique scent went to his head. She busily removed his clothing, pausing
to let him step out of his hakama. She smiled at him and kissed him again.
He stopped her teasing kisses, cupping her face with her hands to bring
her forward to him. His lips conveyed to her his lust and his love.
"Kenshin, have I ever told you how much I love your hands?" she asked
breathlessly, bringing them to her breasts. He smiled at her and gently
laid her back until she was on the futon.
"I knew you married me for something. But I didn't think it was only
for my hands." He grinned at her, moving forward. His hair fell in a curtain
around their faces. Kaoru reached up to tuck his hair behind his ears.
"My cooking, maybe....my hands, no."
Kaoru pouted, then smiled wickedly. She brought his right hand to her
mouth and began to kiss it, running her lips over the calluses. She looked
into his eyes as she took his forefinger and brought it into her mouth
to suckle.
"Gods," Kenshin muttered, pulling his hand away from her to kiss her
lips. They were red, swelled from their earlier kisses. They were utterly
irresistable.
Kaoru closed her eyes, moving her hands up and down his back as they
made love to each other with their mouths. She needed him so much. He made
her feel so much. She needed to touch him, bring him closer to her.
Kaoru whimpered as he moved down to suckle on her breasts. The pregnancy
was making them tender and ultra-sensitive. His lips on her were driving
her mad. "Ken...shin...," she moaned, moving restlessly against him. She
pressed him closer to her. His hands danced all over her body. She reached
out, touching him back. He felt so solid...hot.
Kenshin looked down at his wife. Her eyes were closed as she savored
every touch...every sensation. She opened them and smiled up at him, making
his heart stop. He loved her so much. She began to press kisses all over
him, her hands touching him, making him moan.
"It's okay. Please...Don't hold back." She was driving him mad. "Kenshin,
I need you...," she moaned. Kenshin reacted to the need in her voice...
He moved over her, positioning himself. Their eyes met in the soft light.
He wound his fingers with hers as he moved forward, making them one.
"I love you," he moaned. His hair fell over them, blocking out the light.
The world shrank down to just the two of them as they made love, reveled
in it. He tried to be gentle, tried to hold back, but Kaoru would not let
him. They moved with unrestrained hunger. Kaoru knew that they were leaving
marks on each other, but she didn't care. They could be gentle later. She
felt ravenous.
Kenshin moaned as she clenched around him. She was driving him mad.
And she knew just how to do it. He heard her gasp as he grabbed her hips
and pushed harder. She pushed at him and they rolled so that she was above
him. He ran his hands down her back and cupped her bottom, bringing her
closer to him, then helping her move. There was no such thing as time as
they moved against each other. Kenshin knew that he wasn't going to last
much longer. Kaoru's eyes looked fevered as they met his. He understood.
He moved so that she was once again under him. The sounds she was making
drove him to move faster. He moved his hand down to touch her as he moved
forward. Kaoru gasped and then moaned as she climaxed. Kenshin followed,
groaning into her mouth as she pulled him over the edge with her. He relaxed
against her, shifting his weight so that she didn't feel crushed, sighing
in contentment.
"See. You don't have to worry, Kenshin. I'm not going to break." She
kissed his collerbone, then licked it gently. "I'm fine. We'll be fine."
"Kaoru," he said in a raw, hushed voice, "I love you so much." He tightend
his hold on her. She kissed him, holding him just as tight. She suddenly
moved, rolling on top of him.
"Yeah?" she asked with a grin. "That's good because I love you, too.
You feel up to showing me again?"
Kenshin laughed. Only Kaoru. "I'm always up to a challenge," he said,
bringing her face down to kiss her. "This time, you do all the work."
