From: Kirstin Ruiz Hello... I'm very sorry to bug you with an already posted thing, but someone just pointed to me that it went truncated... not that it changes a lot of things, it's just a paragraph at the ending of Kaoru's dream, but that way it didn't show how they wake at the exact same time. And well, I don't like letting out a messed up thing, especially if I had the honor of it being archived somewhere! ^_~ Again, sorry not to have noticed this earlier, I should have read it entirely when I posted it just to make sure! Anyway, I hope to be able to post more before new year... Kitine-chan (kirstin@titane.u-3mrs.fr) ______________________________________________________________________________ A few japaneses terms: kodachi: a shorst sword. slightly curved like all of them. katana The most known japanese sword. Lightly curved, it's the longuest one of the set of two swords known as the daisho. The shortest one being a wakizashi They were wery efficiently designed and used. It's said that a drawn sword could cut through the air at the speed of a gun bullet And the differential temper made the cutting edge very hard while the dull edge was more souple to better absorb impacts. But I'm disgressing here... daijobu ka? are you/is it all right? ore: Batousai's way to refer to himself. Means "I" on a manly way, so it's used by most men. Kami-sama! Kami is the word for God, Ended with the highest honorific, it's adressing them... like "Oh God!" or "My God!" baka silly, fool, idiot ohayou: good morning oro: That's a unique Kenshin's expression, used like the feminine "Ara" he says that whenever he's surprised or confused. amado: sliding wooden shutters closed for the night when it's cold. busu: ugly woman. A very very rude word. chan: One of the endings you put on names. -san is used mostly, beeing equivalent to our "Mister, Miss and all". -chan is more an endearment, used by woman to eachoders when they're close or when adressing childs. Since Yahiko is a male teenager, it's making him feel like they consider him a child. ______________________________________________________________________________ Memories Melting - Kaoru Kaoru's eyes fluttered open at the sound of clashing steel. Turning her head to the sound, she spotted two forms in the dim light of early dawn. Between her and the opened door of the room, his back to her, was a small silhouette in white yukata, long red hair spilling freely around his shoulders, wakizashi in hand. Facing him just out of immediate reach, in the hall was a tall slender man, covered in black, a kodachi in his hand. A ninja. Neither moved for a second, seemingly assessing the situation, when Kenshin leaped forward, blocked the trust of the kodachi with an horizontal slash to the right, avoiding the kick aimed to his side by stepping to the right and continuing forward, while his sword, continuing his motion, disengaged. Being now just behind his opponent, Kenshin swirled, his sword swinging back to the left, and connecting with the ninja's neck. Kaoru heard the sickening sound of steel cutting through flesh and bones. Her eyes widened when the ninja's head falled, blood splashing the walls and floor of the hall, and his body slowly slumped almost silently to the floor. She wanted to scream, but no sound came. This was pure nightmare. Her fogged brain distantly noticed Kenshin -no, the hitokiri Battousai- cleaning his sword, stepping in and closing the shoji behind him, perfectly calm and focused. His features were softer, he must be very young. And he had no scar on his cheek, wich made him look even more delicate and young. He could almost be mistaken for a girl. He seemed to strain his senses, searching, probing for any sign of another assailant for a few seconds, then relaxed a bit. His eyes locked hers, and she gasped loudly. There was an amber fire raging in his eyes. They were so cold, cunning and in the same time fierce and piercing. They had immediately soften when his gaze meet hers, but the warm tenderness was still something wild, authoritative. . "Kaoru, daijobu ka?" the voice vas firm and almost emotionless, barely tingled with concern. She shivered under his probing eyes, she felt as if he could see through her, could read her. "Ha... Hai" was all she managed to stutter. He could be really frightening sometimes. And waking up to see someone get cut down was not something she could get past easily... "Don't worry for the mess, they'll take care of it." he said in the same casual tone. "Sorry to have awaken you but ore didn't sense him before he was near our door. Ore know how much all this display of violence disturb you." he added more softly. she tought ruefully. He was clearly concerned, and somehow regretful. He gave her a small smile, trying to ease her. she tought absently. While speaking, he had put his sheated wakizashi down parallel to the head of the futon, hilt to the right, next to his katana, and layed himself down on his side, propped on his elbow, on the opened futon. Kaoru was visibly confused and perturbed by the death she'd just witnessed. She was lying on the futon, completely still, trying to calm down and gather herself enough to get coherents thoughts as Battousai's calloused finger was softly stroking her cheek. She was beginning to feel better now, dismay slowly fading away, only to get confused again -for others reasons- when she was finally aware of his caresses and their appeasing effects on her. She looked back at Battousai to find him staring at her, adoration in his eyes. "Please, try to forget. I don't want your day to get spoiled even before you wake..." He sounded so tender! gone was the cold hard stare and voice. But his presence was still very impressive. "...So let's try it again..." He said softly with a roguish smile. And then, he gave her a joyful "ohayou!" and prevent any question or answer by a soft playful kiss on her lips. Kaoru felt her heart pound loudly in her chest as a warm feeling flooded her senses. This was what she's always wanted, what she's been dreaming about before. But... he's a hitokiri! She was the master of a the sword that protect life, she couldn't be attracted by a killer! And yet, he was so bold then, so sure of her welcome, it was at the same time frightening and exciting. She was feeling strongly attracted and that made her feel guilty in the same time... Unable to think anymore, she dismissed any interrogations, willingly sinking into the surge of sensations, kissed him back with all her heart. His gentle, soft kisses were becoming more ardent now, more demanding. It felt as if he was drinking her very soul. He came to lay half ontop of her and slid an arm around her waist. She was at a loss for an accurate reaction. The welcome weight on her upper body was making her heart melt, and she could feel the heat on her flushed cheeks slowly extend to her whole being. Tingling sensations were flowing through her body, and she realised that she wanted more, wanted to feel all his body pressed against hers. Blushing even more, she gave in to the urge of holding him, of seeking for more contact, and hesitantly reached for his shoulder. But then he deepened the kiss, and she felt her heart stop. This was simply too much, too much raging emotions. Of course she knew all the goings on between men and women, but she couldn't suspect the intensity of the sensations he could made her felt. And it was all so sudden! Her body shuddering against his, feeling like she was falling though she was still lying on her futon, she tightened her arms around his shoulders and neck, suddenly needing support against all this dizziness, and experimentally flicker her tongue against his. She felt him tighten his grasp around her waist, pulling her closer. He broke the kiss and lowered his head, nuzzling into her throat, his breeze warm against her skin. She revealed in the sweet aches his touch had awaken in her, she wanted -needed- more touch, more kisses, more of his body pressed against hers... Kaoru was awaken by a sudden sneeze, and reach down to retrieve her blanket, confused, frustrated that it was only a dream, and in the meantime a little ashamed at the thought. Not ashamed at the situation, she had always openly admitted her love for him, rather ashamed of having thougt of Battousai in such a sensual way. Why on earth having dreamed of that part of his life, she was even too young to have any memories of the war! But the longing for his touch was still there, she couldn't deny this reality. It was still dark outside, it was too early to rise, but she doubted she could resume sleeping. Shifting to a more comfortable position, let her thought wandering. He always seem cheerful, always caring for others, always trying to help people, but he never ask for comfort, always keep us out of his troubles and preferably unsuspecting that something is wrong. He's giving so much, and it's so hard to make him accept anything back... All because of his guilt for all the lives he's cut short during the bakumatsu and his need to atone for it, to find forgiveness. But it's his forgiveness that he need. We all accept him as he is. The rurouni and the hitokiri. Kaoru shivered at the thought. The fact that she had dreamt of him as the Battousai was so troubling. Having merged her worst nightmare and her best dream, her worst fear and her best hope, was somehow very disturbing. Did she really thought that -if he could love her- only Battousai wouldn't distance himself, and accept her feelings? would he be the only one to allow himself happiness, to accept that he deserve it? But she knew and loved him as the rurouni, they both wanted that dark side of him to remain buried... Each time she had seen him revert to his old self during a battle, she had been afraid. Not for her, it was still Kenshin, he would never hurt her. But he was so rough then, his voice, eyes and manners, cold, relentless, scary. Not the cheerful, soft, and polite rurouni but the complete opposite. A calm, cold-blooded, cunning, calculating warrior, holding back all emotions, entirely focused on his purpose. One that killed mercilessly without a second thought. But the guilt is there nonetheless... only hold in check as well as his other emotions, preventing them to influence his reason and efficiency. Showing no weakness to his enemies. At those times, she was so afraid that he might break his non killing vow... Afraid of what it would do to him. Or perhaps the Battousai in her dream was just a twisted way to reach to the feelings that her rurouni cautiously held in check with his overly politeness, to break the distance he's maintaining with everyone, including her... especially her. But she knew it wasn't enough. Not anymore. She had fallen desperately in love with him and just couldn't get over it. Even couldn't help hoping it may be, one day, shared. Noticing the dim light of dawn filtering to her room, Kaoru stretches, quickly got dressed and headed to the kitchen. Kenshin may not be preparing breackfast so early, so for once she could do it for him. ______________________________________________________________________________ When Kaoru entered the kitchen, Kenshin was already there, disposing the food on trays, smiling at her as she paused at the doorway. His hair was casually held back at his neck by a small strip of clothe, loose shorter strands still framing his refined pretty face. Her eyes lingered on the cross scar on his left cheek, one long slash from below his temple to his chin and a shorter one from near his nose to the back of his jaw. It wasn't altering his beauty, merely added a rough manly touch to a young boy's looking constitution. "Ohayou Kenshin." She couldn't help blushing, as unsolicited memories of her dream, too vivid, came back in her mind. His beautiful lavender eyes are so soft, so sweet, they hold her captive in their gaze, a small shy smile floating on her lips. "Ohayoo Kaoru-dono. You rose very early this morning. Has something disturb you?" He greeted her sweetly, offering her his most innocent smile. She only blushed further, making a lovely sight. And... perhaps it was because of his dream, but he was suddenly very aware of the woman she was. Today, he couldn't just see her as his young innocent angel. There was a definite sensual haze in the air that made him feel uneasy. Kaoru had sense it too, his gaze was different now. Intense, roaming all over her, almost... hungry? He seemed suddenly more serious, slightly flustered, but there was something wild in the depth of his eyes, thus it was not the cold feral gleam of the Battousai, it made her feel warm... His gaze was almost like in her dream, holding her, helpless and lost, making her heart pound loudly in her chest and dizzying her mind. There was longing in her eyes, but he didn't want to see it, couldn't accept to feel desire radiating from all her body. He knew he should look away, but he couldn't. An image of Kaoru, her hair down and spilling on the futon came from his morning dream. Sensing he had stepped on slippery ground, he closed his eyes, pushed the disturbing toughts aside, and hastily turned back to his task, afraid to let his eyes show too much of his feelings, afraid that the sight and feel of her raw emotions would further shatter his control. He needed to break this sensual haze, to drift their attention to a more safe matter. Turning away from her, he shifted his attention back on the trays. "It's begining to get very cold at night for the season. I'll close the amado tonight". His voice was blunt, casual. He took a glance at her. Kaoru was taken aback by the sudden change in his tone. The magic of the moment now dispelled, she wondered briefly if he had sensed it too. She gave him a sweet smile. "That's needed. I was a little cold this morning". Seeing concern in his eyes, she immediately add "Not that cold, I'm not about to get sick!", grinning as she watched the faint trace of worry disappear from his eyes. "Breakfast will be ready soon. Why don't you bring these to the dinner table, I'll join you with the rest when it'll be ready". Taking in his joyful expression once more, she picked up the tray and headed to the main room, pausing at the door, grinning mischievously "I'll wake up Yahiko in the meantime" and disappeared from his view. Soon after, he heard the beginning of the commotion. "Yahiko, it's past dawn, get up!" Grinning as he pictured a cold drowsy Yahiko abruptly waking, Kenshin took the last tray and headed to the main room. "Hey Busu! Couldn't ya wake me more gently? What's with you this moring? having bad dreams?" And then a pissed-off kaoru could be heard. "Don't you dare call me Busu! Yahiko-CHAN! Show respect to your master!" "Don't call me -chan, hag!" "That's it, brat! One more word and you'll clean the dojo floor for breakfast!" "Hey! I can't! I work at the Akabeko today!" "That's right, and you wouldn't want to make your little Tsubame-chan wait, don't you?" "Hey! What does Tsubame have to do in this?" Kenshin chuckled softly as the sounds of arguing and fighting increased. "Yare, yare! Things are back to normal..." ______________________________________________________________________________ OWARI... --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GRAB THE GATOR! FREE SOFTWARE DOES ALL THE TYPING FOR YOU! 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