Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Hide and Seek ❯ One-Shot

Hide & Seek
Scribblemoose

In dawn frost
at the bathhouse door
knocking
Issa

Kaoru slid further into her bath and closed her eyes, letting the hot water caress her skin and send steam to dampen her hair.

Inevitably, as they always did in her rare moments of privacy, her thoughts turned to Kenshin.

She could hear his voice outside, drifting on the light summer breeze, Ayame-chan's and Suzume-chan's bright laughter woven around his soft words. There was a splash of water, an 'Oro!' and delighted squeals from the little girls that probably meant that more than the laundry was getting wet out there.

She smiled, dabbling her fingers along the surface of the water. Her life may have been more exciting than she really cared for since she met Kenshin, and it had introduced her to despair deeper than she ever knew possible, but these precious moments of peace made it all worthwhile.

Although…

An ache asserted itself deep in her belly, a familiar, tortuous ache that never quite went away.

She was happy living here, with Kenshin and Yahiko and whatever other strays came and went. But she wanted more. At the end of each day, when Kenshin thanked her, with a slight bow and his warm violet eyes, for all she'd done for him, it hurt, just a little. She didn't want his gratitude. She wanted him to feel he had a right to be here, a right to take what he wanted from her, knowing it was freely given.

And she wanted to give him more, so much more than a home, more than a warm bed for the night and food in his belly. She wanted to give him everything.

Her body ached for him, an echo of her emotions. Sometimes when she was sitting close to him, or when their hands accidentally brushed when they walked together, she was almost overwhelmed with a desire to take him in her arms and kiss him, to pull him to the ground and…

She held her breath and pulled her head under the water, the voices outside replaced by the rush of water in her ears.

Maybe Megumi was right. Maybe she should just take him. They lived in a new era, so much seemed possible in the wake of revolution. Perhaps it didn't matter that she was a supposedly respectable woman, perhaps she didn't have to wait forever for him to make a move.

She slowly let the air out of her lungs, forming bubbles under the surface of the water.

Perhaps one night, when he said thank you, she could offer him something really worthy of his gratitude…

She imagined the look on Kenshin's face, if she were ever to do such a thing, and rapidly surfaced, gasping air and giggling helplessly. Poor Kenshin. She couldn't do that to him, she really...

"Oro!"

She screamed, plunging herself back in the bath to her neck, and peered at him over the edge, blinking.

"Kenshin?"

He turned away with the near god-like speed for which he was so famous, hand moving swiftly to the door, stammering apologies. She could see the trace of a flush at his normally pale throat.

"Kenshinit'salrightpleasedon'tgo." The words came out in a rush, startling herself almost as much as they startled Kenshin. She'd spoken right from the ache, she realised, with no reference to her brain at all.

Now Kenshin wasn't the only one blushing.

"Kaoru-dono?" He kept his back to her, but his hand fell from the door.

"What, um… brings you in here, Kenshin?" What? What a stupid thing to say. Have you no mind at all? Baka! Megumi would have thought of something clever and seductive and…

"I'm hiding, de gozaru."

"Hiding? Kenshin, is there trouble?"

He laughed softly. "Certainly. It's Ayame-chan's turn to seek, and she's far to clever for Suzume-chan and myself. She knows all our hiding places. I'm sorry, Kaoru, I didn't know you were here. I shouldn't disturb your bath, de gozaru." His hand reached for the door again, one foot edging forwards.

"That's alright," she said, forcing her voice to sound a lot more casual than she felt. "I'm done anyway. Don't give up your advantage. Ayame's a tough opponent."

"Kaoru-dono…"

"Just keep your back turned a moment, I'm getting out of the bath. I'm all done here."

His hand fell once more to his side.

There was a flaw to the getting out of the bath plan, she realised.

"Um… Kenshin?"

"Kaoru-dono?"

"Could you pass me my towel? It's just over there, I can't quite reach."

Shielding his eyes with one hand, he grasped the towel with the other and handed it to her, almost tripping over the edge of the bath as he did so.

"Arigatou." She took the towel from him and stood up, water cascading down her flushed body and splashing him a little.

He turned his back again, but he didn't move away. She wrapped herself securely in the towel, and stepped gracefully out of the bath, pushing her wet hair out of her eyes. "Has Sano turned up yet?" she asked, in the hope that ordinary conversation might ease their embarrassment just a little, and give her a chance to reconnect her brain.

"No. I think he said he needed medical attention of some kind, de gozaru." He risked a sidelong look at her, his lips curved to a soft smile.

Kaoru snorted. "I'm sure he does," she said cynically. "Or he will do, if Megumi finds out he's not healing as slow as he makes out."

Kenshin didn't say anything, but his smile grew a little bigger.

She wanted him so much it hurt. She wanted him so much she couldn't think straight, no matter how hard she tried. The man filled her mind, her every waking thought and most of her sleeping ones. She could have screamed with frustration and desire.

Ayame's voice drifted through the thin wall of the bathhouse. "Ken-niisan! Where are you? I've got Suzume already. You're not in the tree, and you always hide in the tree! Ke-e-en-ni-isan, where are you?"

There was muffled giggling, and a rush of footsteps over the gravel as the two girls took their search elsewhere.

Kaoru looked at him, taking in for a moment the too-innocent expression in his round eyes, a slight twitch at one corner of his mouth.

Ayame was right. He always hid in the tree.

"I should give myself up, de gozaru," he said, moving for the door again.

Something inside Kaoru snapped. "No!" she cried, and quite literally threw herself at him, flinging her arms around his neck and planting her mouth over his.

"Oro?" his body went rigid with startlement, and she felt the start of a deep blush as embarrassment crawled through her. She took her lips from his and made to withdraw her one-sided embrace.

So much for female emancipation.

Then, all at once, she was being kissed, strong fingers were combing through her dripping hair, and her naked body was pressed against his clothed one.

Naked?

He was kissing her.

Her towel must have fallen off when she pounced him.

He was kissing her.

There was no way she could reach the towel without breaking off the kiss.

So long as he kept kissing her, he wouldn't be able to see her naked, would he?

His mouth was soft and gentle on hers, a faint tremble to his lips that told her that it was an effort for him to keep it that way. That he wanted her, really wanted her, just as she wanted him.

He wasn't running away.

He moved one hand to the small of her back, palm flat on her damp skin, and uttered the faintest groan, deep in his throat.

Still he kissed her, still softly, still trembling with wanting her.

She found his hair tie with shaking fingers, deftly releasing his ponytail. His hair sprang free to form a ragged cloud of burnt copper around his head, tickling her face, drifting forwards to caress her bare shoulders.

Their kiss ended, and he pulled back just a little, his eyes gazing deep into hers with a fire she'd never seen before, close to his fighting stare, but not the same.

"Kaoru-dono… your towel has slipped, de gozaru."

"Hai," she replied, not sure what else to say. Yes, and I don't care, I want you to see me naked, to take me naked, right here in the bathhouse, over and over…

Apparently he didn't feel the need to make any further comment on the situation, his eyes sliding shut as he took another kiss. The ache in her belly was melting to heat, her nipples stiffening against the rough fabric of his gi. She felt strong and vulnerable all at once, and she thought that maybe she was dreaming, after all.

His kiss was a little harder now, his restraint a little less. His hand on her back pulled her to him, and she willingly pressed her body against his, feeling the hard knot of his belt against her tummy and just below it…

"Ken… shin…" she murmured as he took his mouth away, his forehead resting against hers. He was breathing hard, and she realised she was too.

She opened her eyes and looked into his.

If he could read peoples' hearts in battle, perhaps he could read hers now.

His voice was deep and low. "Kaoru."

She raised a hand to his face, drew damp fingers across his cheek. "Is this real?"

"Aa." He clasped her hand in his, and kissed her palm. "Unless I fell asleep in the sun, and any minute now Suzume-chan will shake me awake. Do you think that might happen?"

She smiled at him. "If she does, she'll have to wake me up too." She dared to kiss his nose. "And I don't want her to."

"What do you want, Kaoru?"

It wasn't a fair question, the way he was stroking the skin of her back with his clever fingertips, pulling her close so she could feel the warmth of his body seeping into hers.

"You," she whispered. "I want you. Now and always, you."

"Kaoru-dono, when you say want, what exactly do you…"

Her eyes narrowed a little, and her voice became a growl. "Kenshin, you know what I mean."

Kenshin felt a tickle like a hundred butterflies in his stomach at the growl in her voice. She felt so good in his arms, soft and damp from the bath, strong, lean muscles under satin skin. He'd wanted this for so long, and yet…

He didn't want to hurt her. He was afraid she would change her mind, that she'd be ashamed, afterwards, that she'd given herself to him so freely. That she might think less of him for taking what she offered. For not being able to resist.

He looked into her eyes, deep and ocean-blue, and saw her determination, the love for him she'd never quite managed to voice. Just as usual. Nothing new.

Nothing new.

She'd wanted this all along.

"Aishiteru," he whispered, "Kaoru."

She smiled, but instead of saying anything she kissed him, a little clumsily at first, with a bump of noses. He let her find her way, smoothing the hair down her back and letting the soft caress of her lips on his wash over him.

He hadn't thought he'd ever, ever have this again. It was more than any man deserved. Especially…

Her little tongue was flicking against his lower lip, teasing his mouth open. He tilted her head back a little and gently probed her mouth with his, feeling more than hearing the moan that came from deep inside her, vibrating its way up her spine. Her body shook a little under his touch.

"Kaoru-dono, you're shivering. You should be careful not to catch cold, getting out of the bath and…"

"I'm not cold," she replied, and covered his lips with hers again before he could argue.

This time, when they broke their kiss their hearts were thumping, and there was no doubt in his eyes. Just heat and wanting, as strong as hers. One hand still supporting her lower back, he pushed gently on her breastbone so she arched away from him, exposing to him the arc of her throat, the firmness of her breasts and the curve of her hips. He trailed strong fingers down from the notch of her collarbone, between her breasts to her ribs, drinking in the beauty of her, then pulled her back to him before she had a chance to get self-conscious.

She slipped a hand inside his gi, tracing the shape of the flesh she'd tended so often, knowing without looking where there were tiny scars, where he was ticklish. She found the hardened nub of one nipple and dared to caress it, smiling satisfaction when he jumped a little.

"Anou…we should find somewhere more comfortable, Kaoru, de gozaru…"

"Iie. This is just fine." She could feel his heartbeat strong and fast under her hand. She pushed his gi over his shoulders a little, exposing more of his chest, and when he kissed her again she pressed herself against him, her breasts now touching him skin to skin, tingling from the contact. She realised he was pulling her down, so they were kneeling opposite each other on the polished wooden floor, and somehow he'd managed to loosen his belt. It took her no time then to push his gi all the way over his shoulders, even as he nuzzled her neck and kissed her ear, teasing a place just underneath her earlobe with his tongue, a place she'd never even thought of, but which was sending tingles right through her body.

"I want to know all of you," he whispered. "I want to touch and kiss every last part of you, to know every shadow, every line, every place…" He curled his fingers into a soft fist and dragged his knuckles gently over each shoulderblade.

Tentatively, she began to explore the ivory flesh in front of her, the too-familiar scars and the expanses of toned muscle in between. He let her touch for a while, feather-traces across his chest and down to the flat of his belly.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, softly tracing the outline of one breast with his fingertips.

His fingers were shaking, she noticed. Just a little.

She should feel shy, she should be coy and reluctant, and shocked at him for daring to look at her like this.

She wanted him too much to feel any of those things. Not for the first time in her life, she didn't understand, or accept, what was expected of her as a woman. But as herself, as Kaoru, it all became simple. She wanted Kenshin. Her whole body ached for him, and if he wanted to touch her with his fingers or his eyes or his body, she was his to touch.

He dipped his head to taste her nipple, and she kissed his head, the scent of outdoors and sandalwood in his hair. She lost herself in the new sensations his caresses stirred in her body, the heat that was growing at her centre. Before she realised it he was lowering her slowly to the floor, kissing her quivering belly, running his hand along the inside of one thigh. She jumped as he touched her between the legs, a touch she'd imagined so often in her fantasies, yet underestimated completely. With the pad of one finger he set her alight, pleasure spreading through her body like a forest fire, the sound of his voice soothing and inflaming her all at once. She clutched at his naked shoulders, running her tongue and lips over any part of him she could reach, moaning as his touch gained rhythm. She'd wanted this for so, so long…

"Kenshin…"

"Hush, Kaoru. Take your pleasure. My gift."

She whimpered, her eyes fluttering open to melt under his violet gaze. He was looking at her so tenderly, so openly, his hair falling over her arms as she wound them around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. He comforted her feverish skin with his soft mouth, only to settle at one breast and wash over her nipple with his tongue again and again, stirring the tension within her in time with his stroking fingers. Little noises escaped her throat; his caresses grew steadily in intensity and she realised she was panting. Then she felt a subtle pressure at her entrance and he slowly slipped one finger inside her.

It was too much. She felt herself fall over the edge into orgasm, her muscles clenching down hard on his finger, her head falling back, crying out so loudly he had to muffle the sound with a kiss. He didn't stop stroking her, it just went on and on, until the spasms faded and there was just his touch, soft as velvet.

Her eyes fluttered open. He was watching her face, smiling at her.

"I had no idea," she said, the first thing that came into her head, while her expression told him arigatou, Kenshin, I'll do anything for you, anything, if only you'll never stop touching me like that…

Her heartbeat slowed a little, and the rush faded from her ears. She noticed the flush across his cheeks, and his lips were parted a little, he was panting. He'd been as unselfish as ever, she realised. If she were to dress now and leave, he wouldn't so much as protest.

It made her want him all the more.

"Kenshin, I… I want to… but I've never, I…" I don't know what to do, and you'll think me an idiot…

"You don't have to…"

"But I want to! Just… show me. Let me see you and … show me."

He gave her a nod, and set about taking off the rest of his clothes. He took his time, folding his hakama properly, and looking positively shy as he removed his loincloth. Next time, oh, please let there be a next time, she resolved to help him out, but for now it was all she could do to just watch, and resist the urge to fling herself at him and shower his gorgeous body in a flurry of kisses as it emerged from his… oh, my.

Fantasies just didn't do justice to some things, she decided, snatching her eyes back guiltily from his groin.

Then he was kneeling beside her, naked, brushing the damp hair back from her face, his skin flushed, but whether from modesty or lust she couldn't tell. He was breathing hard, his eyes dark and intense, but he made no move until she reached out hesitantly to wrap her fingers around his erection. It felt so hard, so good in her hand; he showed her how tightly to grasp it, how to move her grip steadily up and down. It was easier than she'd imagined it would be: she knew him so well, she could read his expression, tell what felt good and what didn't. It seemed so natural to kiss her way up his pale thigh, to nuzzle the soft crimson curls at the base of his sex, to run her tongue wetly over the top of it, tasting him…

"Kaoru!"

She took no notice, running her tongue over the head of his cock.

She'd read books. She'd seen pictures. She wasn't that naïve.

"Kaoru…"

He pulled her head gently back, pure adoration in his eyes; then he gave a deep moan and his eyes squeezed shut as he came, a flood of white cream over her hand. She followed his example, not stopping until he'd finished, just slowing her caress, gradually easing the pressure as his body relaxed, his eyes a little glazed.
She raised her hand curiously to her lips, and tasted him. It was good, she thought. She'd heard it could be bitter and unpleasant, but Kenshin tasted sweet and salty all at once, like…

"Kaoru!" his voice came out as a hoarse whisper, and he pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, clutching her tight.

She snuggled up against him, feeling the chill of the room for the first time, and letting him warm her with his body. He was humming, she realised, rocking her tenderly in his arms, and humming to her. She knew that sound. He hummed sometimes when he was doing the laundry, or cooking, or watching the sunset. It was Kenshin at peace.

"I want to marry you," he whispered. "I want to be with you, like this, forever."

"In time," she smiled. "There's no rush. You still have things to do first, I understand that." She looked up into his face, traced the curve of his smile with one finger. "For now, I have all I need."

"We should be discreet," he said. "You have a reputation, as the owner of this dojo… and we must be careful."

"That's fine." At that moment Sanosuke could have asked her to clear his tab and she would have thought it perfectly acceptable. "It'll be fun."

They both jumped at a rattle on the door.

"Spending more than an hour in the bath will only make you more ugly!" came Yahiko's voice. "We were supposed to be training! And Kenshin's wandered off somewhere and Susume's crying about it!"

Kaoru jumped to her feet, reaching for her towel. "I'm on my way, Yahiko!" she yelled. "And I'll make you pay for that insult, you see if I don't!"

Kenshin was scrambling into his clothes, guilt written all over his face. "Poor Susume," he whispered. "I shall have to find some way of making it up to her, de gozaru."

"Don't worry," she kissed him lightly on the lips. "Tell her you were hiding in the bath and fell asleep."

Relief washed over him. "You are a clever woman, Kaoru-dono, de gozaru."

She opened the door a crack and peeped out. "It's okay," she said. "There's no-one about. You can go."

He gave her one last kiss, and was gone.

Kaoru dropped her towel, and started to dress.

She wanted to shout, and sing at the top of her lungs, and squeal, and…

She slipped quietly out of the room, humming softly under her breath, and went to take Yahiko's lesson.

* * *