From: Kirstin Ruiz WARNING: This has spoilers for Kenshin's past and the 3rd OVA. So if you don't know who Tomoe is, stop reading right here! And this is a LEMON, which means it contains explicit adult relations. So don't read if you're underage or offended. Before I get mercilessly bashed by anti-Tomoe fans, ^_~ let me say that I'm a fan of the Kenshin/Kaoru pairing. I think she is truly the one that our rurouni needs to finally get over his conflicts and settle down. But Tomoe was the one that Battousai needed. She was his sheath against the madness of the hitokiri. She showed him the happiness he was fighting for, and why each life was so precious by her pain at losing her first love, and his pain at losing her. She was a big factor in forming Kaoru's rurouni. And even if she didn't show her feelings, she had strong ones. It takes a lot of courage and despair to come to Kyoto to attempt to kill the most feared manslayer! And it takes a strong love to give away one's life to save your loved one... This is the tender and quite spicy scene in the 3rd OVA where Kenshin pulls down Tomoe's yukata, in wich I've tried to picture Kenshin and Tomoe's feelings. So this begins and ends with scenes from the OVA. But I've added my own view of what had happened offscreen when we were shown a torii (a gate to a sacred land, often the entrance of a shrine). I've taken the dialog from Hiko's translations of the OVA, since I'm far from understanding japanese enough to figure out what was going on, and our french version will be released in the upcoming month (and I'm gonna buy it too, if only to be able to show such a great stuff to relatives that are not famililar with anime). And finally, a big thank you to Tatsuko who has kindly improved the readability of this piece, corrected my mistakes, and gave me wise suggestions. Now on with the fic! Comments are welcome! _______________________________________ Early evening in a mountain village By Kirstin They were returning from the village where they had gone to sell medicines like they had regularly done those last months. Kenshin's back was entirely hidden by the big medicine chest he was carrying, his high red ponytail spilling onto it. Tomoe was following his lean frame three steps behind, like she was supposed to as his wife. She was frozen to the bone in this cold early evening air, the falling snow melting on her clothes into icy dampness, and she was straining to keep up with his fast pace as she felt her limbs grow limp and numb from the cold. "Just a little more." His voice was low, reassuring, as he had sensed her exhaustion, hearing her uneasy breathing. "Yes." She looked at him. He didn't seem weary despite the long walk, the cold and the heavy weight of the chest on his slight young frame. But then again, he had such strength and stamina. His steady presence before her was giving her the strength to continue, but the cold was threatening to get the better of her. "This is the last journey we'll take this year. We'll go back when the snow melts, but that's only if nothing happens to us." He heard her fall, exhausted and panting, and he offered her his hand. "We should go, you'll catch cold." She looked at him and her eyes softened, touched despite herself at the concern shown in such a simple remark. He was half turned to her, offering his help to get back on her feet. He was looking at her, his serious young face somehow showing both strength and care, his delicate features soft but firm. Under those beautiful lavender eyes, under his care and attention, she could sense her resolutions further weakening. She was falling in love, helplessly. He could see her hesitation, and the longing in her bottomless black eyes. She looked so lost and confused, almost desperate... He wanted to reassure her. She had surely suffered so much already... Seeing her so helpless, kneeling in the snow like that, exhausted, cold and confused, it stirred his protective instincts. He had been too young and weak to protect the three sisters the night he met his master about five years ago, but as his master told him, even if he could not protect them, he still had been given them. Their kindness had warmed his heart when they were together and he had learned that life does not often make such gifts. It must have been fate that brought Tomoe to him. He had noticed her, his attention driven by her perfume and beauty even before meeting her. Maybe that was why he had hesitated when he should have killed her, bringing her unconscious form back to the inn with him instead. And she had wanted to stay, even after he had almost killed her, even as he distanced himself, not wanting all the blood he had on his hands to stain her. She waited for his return when he was out late at night on a kill, worrying over him even as he had told her not to, even as his murders were revolting her... She had always been there. And now Katsura-san made them hide as husband and wife... Yes, Iidzuka was right. Even if she was not his woman, their lives were intertwined. He had been given her, and she had warmed his heart, soothing his guilty soul... And this time he was not a helpless child that could not protect the people he cared for from the harshness of life. He was one of the strongest warriors... He spoke softly, slowly, almost tenderly, the words escaping his lips almost by their own will, conveying more of a promise than his help to reach their house safely. "I... will protect... you..." Her eyes widened slightly. And with those four words, Tomoe felt her heart melt and her resolution shatter. When she had come to Kyoto about a year ago to try to kill her fiance's murderer, she had expected to find a grim, cruel, assuming warrior, much like the ninja that had found her. And he had been impressive and ruthless when he had cut that ninja in half the night she met him, but...he was so young...almost a child still... And with that day came a completely different man, one that offered her a chance to leave alive, just asking her to forget what she'd seen. If she described him to the Shinsen Gumi or told them about this inn, he and his comerades would be in danger, and he must have known that... But he was just about to let her go, even warning her against the dangers of Kyoto. And when she asked to stay, he even helped her by asking the landlady to hire her. She never expected such kindness from him. The most disturbing thing was his motives. He obviously didn't like killing, and that alone wasn't common among hitokiri. He and Katsura-san both seemed to think that all his killing would bring happiness. Katsura-san told her about their ideals, the reason why they wanted to take the power, to bring in a new era. But even if it was true, if they could make a government where oppression and injustice would disappear, there had to be other ways. The price was too high, that war too cruel for too many people. Still... he *did* think he was helping people by helping bring a new era. He didn't kill for pleasure or money or simply to follow orders. How could anyone blame such noble motives? He had told her once that if he knew his victims, he might have doubts. At that time she had just been surprised at the implications of his reluctance and guilt about killing, but now she could understand it. She had come to know the one she wanted to kill and now *she* was having doubts. His kindness and pure heart had slowly inverted her feelings toward him. Sometimes, she really wished he wasn't so kind...or that she had never succeeded so well in staying with him. Of course she had tried to get closer to him - she had to if she wanted to ever find his weakness - but she didn't have to force herself to give him small attentions, and he could seem so vulnerable sometimes... She had been apprehensive when Katsura told them to hide here as husband and wife, but he never asked anything from her. So kind indeed... Life alone with the murderer of one's fiance should be a nightmare, shouldn't it? _______________________________________ They were getting warm around the fire, kneeling not far from each other in their white sleeping yukata. Tomoe was wrapped up in a blanket as well. Both quietly indulged in their own musings while basking in the warmth of the fire. Those past months, living such a peaceful and simple life with him, Tomoe had come to see the pure heart he truly was. Under the harshness of the hitokiri, the imposing dark samurai she'd seen tear his way through five of the finest swordmen as easily as if they were totally helpless, still lay the innocent boy wanting to protect everyone. He was just mislead... She had seen who he might have been if there were no war. It was a peaceful life, working in their field, eating what they picked up, selling medicines in the villages... She had enjoyed it, and each time she realised it, it had made her feel guilty. He was one of the best men she had ever met. He was so nice when he was not killing... So sweet, so caring, so selfless, and so strong willed too. And with each of his attentions, he had further changed her feelings toward him. She couldn't hate him. She couldn't want revenge upon him anymore. She had fallen in love with him and that brought her shame and guilt. She had come to destroy him, and now... Now she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to betray her fiance's memory, but was it really his fault? ...This young man didn't deserve to die... She didn't want him to die... She looked at him. So young, so sweet, so beautiful, so caring... So like her fiance in some ways... She looked at him with tender eyes, full of longing, a small smile briefly flickering on her lips. She averted her gaze, knowing she shouldn't be staring at him like that, feeling guilty for having hated him, for having wanted his death. But then she looked back at him, unable to fight the strong attraction anymore, love and confusion in her eyes. He sensed her intense gaze, surprised, and turned to her, puzzled, as she was usually almost as controlled and unreadable as he was. She was deeply confused, conflicting raw emotion ragging in her mind and heart, struggling between what she felt was her duty to her fiance, to Kyosato and feelings for him. All the emotions she had held back all those months washed through her. Almost against her will, her hand came up to cup his cheek in a light caress, feeling the slight roughness of his scar contrasting with the softness of his skin, his warmth, the silky caress of his flaming hair brushing the back of her hand. She knew what that scar meant. In a way, it kind of fascinated her, this reminder of his dark side... If she wanted him, she would have to accept this part of him also... to forgive him. But she needed to be comforted, she needed his strength, his kindness, his protection, she wanted to feel safe at last, safe and loved. Finally surrendering, she flung herself in his arms, her hands clutching his yukata on his sides, still kneeling, her head pressing into his chest, not daring to face him. She didn't know if he really wanted her or not, but this time she wouldn't hold back. She just couldn't... He didn't move when her hand came to his cheek. He could see how much she was confused, the mix of sorrow, guilt, pain, and also desire and longing, love. But when she flung herself in his arms, he hesitateed at first, his hands hovering above her shoulders. He never suspected she could want him. He knew how she felt about his role as a hitokiri. But the feeling of her in his arms... It was then that he realised he had gradually fallen in love with her. Those past months had shown him what kind of happy life he could have with her, after the war, if they both survived it... And meanwhile... She knew who he was better than anyone else, and she knew what to expect from him, so if that's what she really wanted, he wouldn't deny her. His arms closed on her back and pressed her closer, coaxing her to sit, resting on his lap and against his chest in a more comfortable position. She closed her eyes, feeling strangely slightly dizzy, her heart pounding fast. He didn't reject her... And his arms around her felt so right, so natural, his warm embrace so safe and comforting... She was acutely aware of his body, of their closeness, as if all her senses had been heightened. She was surrounded by his masculine scent, reminding her of cut wood, mixed with that particular scent that was simply him. She could feel the warmth of his body, warming her all inside, could feel the firm muscles of his back under her palms... His embrace was so tender and strong, soothing her aching heart. No one had never held her in his arms like that, not even Kyosato. She had never shown him she wanted to. She shifted to kneel in front of him, his hands sliding on her back to rest on her shoulders. She brushed the firm muscles of his back, exploring the smooth textures of his skin under his thin yukata, wanting to feel more of his body, her heart pounding loudly and her mind in turmoil. Something she could never share with Kyosato... Images of Kenshin tearing through the five Shinsengumi in less than ten seconds replayed in her mind. His hands then came down her arms, taking her yukata with them so he could see her fully. He felt his body respond to the beautiful sight of her exposed flesh before his eyes. She was so perfect, so attractive, she was making him feel so many strange sensations... A sweet ache, unfamiliar urges... Her heart pounding loudly in her chest in reaction to his claim, she raised on her knees to get out of her clothes completely. She ached for his touch, expectant but also a bit apprehensive. She closed her eyes, taking a deep intake of air. Battousai's kindness the first time they got to drink together, when he helped her walk on unsteady ground in the mountain, when he helped her back home not long ago... She rested her chin briefly on his head, then sank back in his arms. The light pressure of his hands on her hips told her he wanted her back in his arms, needed to hold her close against him, protectively, posessively... Their eyes locked as she rest her head on his chest, nestled in the hollow of his elbow. He was mesmerized by the sight of her pale naked flesh, the creamy curves of her breasts, indulging in the feelings of her soft warm body offered in his arms. This peaceful life here with him is so good, he is so nice and seems happy... But how long will it last? She has cast a menace upon him... He was watching her with so much tenderness in his eyes. Desire. Love. Need. No one had ever looked at her like that. He looked so young and yet so much more manly than many men twice his age. So strong in skill, body and spirit. And so beautiful too. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his soft refined features that even his scar couldn't really mar, framed by the flames of his red hair, his slightly parted lips, his deep and tender lavender eyes, hazed and darkened by desire.... She rose her right hand to cup his cheek again, caressed it along the scar once before his hand took hers and coaxed her back to him. Happy to feel protected and cared for... She closed her eyes, bending her head, and let him draw her back to him again. She was making him feel so much, tenterness and wildness, his senses fully awakened, filled by desire and love for the first time. He wanted to protect her, to claim her as his. He shifted her to sit between his legs, her back to him, and wrapped himself around her, hugging her tightly. He wrapped his arm around her waist to press her body close to his, and her hand came to rest on top of it, acknowledging his taking. She let her head recline, nestled on his shoulder and upper arm, as his left hand came to rest on her breast, the roughness of his calloused palm and fingers, his soft, delicate touch sending unknown sensation rippling through her body. His head bent to her, his cheek brushing hers, his breath teasing her skin. Her lips formed unvoiced words. She couldn't express her feelings for Kyosato, it was only her fault she had lost him. This young man was just mislead, a weapon wielded in this senseless war, just as lost as she was. So how could she blame him? But she had come out of vengeance, and now that she was giving herself to the Battousai, she felt like she was betraying them both. It was like a final farewell to Kyosato; she couldn't claim being true to his memory after giving her body and soul to his murderer. And wasn't it too late to be happy with this second lover? She had initially came to kill him... Love, betrayal and guilt. Twice. She didn't deserve to be loved. And still they both loved her... She opened her eyes and a single tear slide on her cheek. A tender finger wiped the tear away, and she turned her head to him. There was concern in his tender, darkened eyes. He simply held her tightly at first, then he began to stroke her hip lightly without loosening his firm grip. He cupped her breast, experiencing it's wonderfully soft and smooth texture, feeling her heart pound, loud and quick, under his hand. Heat washed through her and she closed her eyes against the dizziness. Her hand clenched on his arm around her waist. She was feeling helplessly lost, his warm and firm body pressing all over her back, teasing her naked skin, his touch on her intoxitacingly sweet. Her hardened nipple teased his palm as he brushed her skin, and he lingered on it, teasing and piching it lightly. She gasped and her back arched reflexively, throwing back her head, pressing against his shoulder. He rained kisses on her shoulder and neck, soft and light at first then increasingly hot and hungry, nuzzling and then indulging in his urge to taste her. He lingered at the base of her exposed throat, nibbling lightly, grazing the soft skin, kissing ardently, trailing fire on his path. She shivered under the hot velvet of his tongue and turned fevered eyes on him. He took the opportunity to brush her lips with his for the first time. They were even more soft than he'd imagined. The feeling was so sweet, soothing and exiting at the same time. Her small sigh caressing his face drew him back there. Licking her bottom lip lightly, he indulged in his desire to taste her fully, driving his tongue on her parted lips, noticing that as his kisses became more hungry, more possessive, more demanding she had inconsciously parted her legs. His heightened senses noticed a change in her scent, something he'd never experienced before, but found strangely seductive. He knew what it meant; he had been reluctant that embarrassing day when his master had teased him to no ends while explaining, with too much detail for Kenshin's taste, how a woman would make him feel and how she would react to his touch. Back then he would much rather have used the time to practice another new move, but now...he was glad to know what was going on exactly with their bodies and feelings. Not that he didn't trust his instincts, but there were lots of things that would have take him much more time to think about, at least in the foreplay. He let go of her breasts, his arm supporting her against him, and with his free hand, deftly untied her sash, her yukata falling open, revealing more of her pale skin. "Kirei..." His voice was a soft murmur in her ear. He took in all of her beautiful body from his vantage point above her shoulder, admiring her soft perfect curves. He let his hand follow his eyes, exploring, gingerly brushing her belly. He slowly made his way down, sliding on the outside of her thigh, and brushing back on it's inner side, until he almost touched the warmth there. He watched her intensely as she held her breath, mesmerized by the sight of her ravishing face lost in pleasure. A feral glimmer flashed briefly in his eyes as she moaned softly, her hand clenching on his arm and thigh when he finally brushed her there, lightly, experimentaly. The strength of her reaction caught him off guard. He groaned, the small sound low, muffled by her skin as he lightly nibbled at her shoulder in reaction, the arm he had around her waist tightening. He gently kissed the same spot, and after what seemed a second of hesitation, lightly licked the small bite. As she drew a sharp intake of breath but no sound escaped her lips, he was reassured by her still fevered gaze that he'd done nothing wrong. Feral instincts were struggling for release; he wanted to be soft and tender but he was loosing his battle, and could sense his control faltering. He pressed his palm on her warm center, and smiled as she shifted to increase the pressure, his nimble fingers now exploring, coaxing moans. The incredibly arousing needy sounds escaping her lips filled him with awe and masculine pride. Her hand left his arm, raising to his cup his cheek while her other clutched his tigh. She squirmed, overhelmed by unfamiliar warmth and pleasure flowing through her tense body, a strange ache and need slowly building. She let out a small cry when his nimble fingers found and teased her most sensitive spot, the quivering sound of her own voice surprising her. He had to close his eyes to keep control. The next second, she was lying on the blanket without her yukata and with him on top of her, his legs between hers. He rested lightly on his forearms but gave her a good part of his weight. Fevered and tender eyes locked, their breathing ragged and hearts pounding madly. Now able to respond in kind, she pulled his yukata off of his shoulders, admiring the lean strong muscles of his arms, shoulders and chest in the fire's warm light. He reached at his back to untie his sash and pulled his yukata off. The fire's light cast moving shadows on his skin, accentuating the shapes on his arms and chest, brightening his flaming hair. The welcome weight of his body on hers was both soothing and exiting, the feeling of his naked skin inflaming her senses. She was acutely aware of the hardness pressing on her warm center between her thighs. She never knew it was possible to feel so much...so much need, desire, pleasure... that almost unbearable sweet ache...the need to touch him, to be touched... She pressed her palm on his chest, her fingers carressing lightly at first, then her whole palm brushing, experiencing the soft and firm textures of his warm body. Then she slid her hands on his back, as much to continue her exploration as for support as she lowered her head to taste him. He let her familiarise herself with his body for a while, his muscles tensing and shivering under her touch, until he could take no more. The naked skin of her body under him, the teases of her fingers and hungry kisses, and the shifting of her hips on his was driving him mad. He lowered his body, forcing her to recline, and claimed her mounth fiercely. She locked her arms on his back, caressing the soft, firm, warm skin, trying to press him against her more as he kissed her passionately, hungrily, deeply, stopping only when they both were out of breath. Her hips unwillingly shifted against his, needing him to soothe the ache, the need. She opened her eyes to find his, fascinated by the hungry fire burning in their depth, wild and feral but somehow still incredibly tender and caring. She closed her misted eyes when he began to slowly enter her. She half moaned, half sighed as she was suddenly overhelmed by the pleasure that came rippling through her body, only aware of their body becoming one as time seemed to stop. She was deeply surprised; she had never knew such strongs sensations and feelings were possible. It couldn't possibly get stronger and yet, as he gave her more of him, the sensations impossibly heightened. He hesitated briefly when he encountered a resistance, reluctant to hurt her, even for a fleeting moment, even to give her greater pleasure. But it was much too late for either of them to go back now. Closing his eyes, he swiftly thrust forward, setting himself fully inside her soft warm center. So tight... A soft cry escaped her as she winced at the expected pain. But it was only fleeting, gone as fast as it came, replaced by a incredible feeling of fullness, of completeness. He held her tightly, nuzzling in her hair. He looked at her, eyes tinged with regret. Tomoe was so moved by what she saw in his gaze she felt her eyes moisten. "Tomoe..." in a low, shacky voice. Tender fingers stroking her cheek. She reached to wipe a strand of his hair out of his eyes and smiled at him, her eyes, hazed by pleasure, silently pleading for him to go on. He eagerly complied, slowly and gingerly at first, elicticing fire through their bodies, heightening the sweet ache, both feeding and increasing the hunger that consumed them. Tomoe was unable to think anymore, unable to feel anything other than the reactions of her body to his, her mind hazed by pleasure. Dizzy and so light, her mind clouded, she vaguely noticed through her half closed eyes the wondrous sight of his beautiful face lost in pleasure. With each thrust, he could feel what little remained of his control further crumble. As he pushed deeper, harder, he felt her inner muscles tightening around him, her hands clenching almost painfully on his back, heard her soft moans increase, begging him for release. All this was pure madness. He forced his eyes to open and looked at her. The sight of her perfect face showing so much pleasure, her soft lips parted, the fever in her bottomless eyes, her head pressing on the cover on the floor as her body arched against his, her soft silky hair flowing around her like black ink... It made his heart beat even more fiercely. Groaning, he struggled for control, his body hovering on the edge, not wanting it to end yet, wanting to be sure he would take her with him. But he was losing it fast. As his world shattered into a million pieces, waves upon waves of pleasure rippling through him, he gave her a last long, powerful stroke, calling to her in a low husky voice, and felt her body tremble under his as she called back to him in a strangled cry. It took her several minutes to recover enough to be able to take in her surroundings again. He was lying at her side, still embracing her, their limbs entangled. She shivered, the cold biting at her moist skin now that the heat of their lovemaking was receding. He was feeling drained of all his strength, but they would catch cold if they stayed like that, and the blanket was stuck beneath them anyway. He reluctantly disengaged from her comforting arms to retrieve and put back his yukata. He gave her hers, but she just wrapped it loosely around her waist, still wanting to be able to feel him on her skin. Taking hold of the blanket, he sat against the wooden wall, bracing his exhausted body on it and held his hand for her to join him. Then he wrapped them both in the blanket, holding her tightly against him, her head resting lightly against his shoulder, both watching the fire in front of them. Kenshin was feeling blissful for the first time in years. He was still stunned at how fate had given her to him, and with her, the taste of happiness, the simple pleasures of a normal life, the kind of life he would have always had if his parents did not die so early. Even if this couldn't last long for now, if the war called him back, it was still a wonderful gift. "You make it rain blood," you said when we first met." "ee." "You also said there is no happiness gained through killing others." "ee." "I agree. But, I still must kill to build the new era." He looked at her and smiled tenderly. "But, after that, I want to stop killing and find a way to protect people." He looked back at the fire, thoughtful. "So I can protect the happiness of as many as I can. And to atone for my sins." She shifted in his arms, pressing even closer, touched that he would want to stop killing and lead a peaceful life, moved that he could finally share her ideals. "If you are with me, I can throw away my sword." She looked whistful and a bit sad. He wanted to give her the kind of life she yearned for, but... She raised her head to look at him. There were still the ninja waiting for her report, knowing where to find him... He may very well die... The ninja may very well succeed... The thought didn't bring comfort to her heart as it had before she met him, it only give her guilt and regret. A feeling of loss. He didn't deserve to die... "Tomoe." She gave him a small smile, love in her eyes. "Hai?" He looked at her and his serious expression softened, his eyes tender, a small smile playing on his lips. "I will protect your happiness." She was surpised. Surprised that he could want to make her happy. That he could love her that much, not only to the point of simply wanting to protect her but to actually being concerned about her feelings. Her eyes once again softened and she gave a bright genuine smile for the first time since Kyosato's death, responding by an happy, very soft "Hai." He definitely didn't deserve anyone's hate, he definitely deserved to survive the war and have a chance to be happy at last. She would have to protect him, too. She owed him that much. For all his kindness and caring, and to atone for her own sins against him. Closing her eyes, still smiling happily, she rest her head again on his shoulders and he rest his cheek on her head. There was happiness and love in her whistful eyes as she revelled in the warmth of his tender but strong embrace, feeling safe, cared for and protected for the first time. It felt so good, like nothing bad could happen to her as long as he was there. At least tonight their bodies and souls were safe and warm. She had been true to her feelings and had found, at last, her peace of mind. _______________________________________ OWARI... --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GRAB THE GATOR! FREE SOFTWARE DOES ALL THE TYPING FOR YOU! Tired of filling out forms and remembering passwords? Gator fills in forms and passwords with just one click! Comes with $50 in free coupons! Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------