Author's Note:

10 April 2003 - I decided to finally go back and correct the errors that I had found throughout this story. I am currently working on a sequel to this story. I hope that you have enjoyed this story and will continue to read my other works. For current happenings on all my stories, please visit my bio page here on fanfiction. I update it weekly with the changes on my stories.

Thanks for reading and if you liked this story, please leave a review. ~ DBZ Vegeta

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own any part of Rurouni Kenshin with the exception this fanfic.

Secrets Can't Be Kept

By DBZ Vegeta

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"You can't keep me locked out forever, Kenshin. You know that we would do anything to help you." Kaoru cried as Kenshin walked out the door of the dojo. Chasing after him, Kaoru yelled back at Yahiko and Sanosuke standing in the doorway, "Stay here, I'll bring him back, promise." Sano nodded as he placed a hand on Yahiko's shoulder to keep him from following Kenshin and the little missy.

"Let them go, Yahiko. Miss Kaoru can take care of Kenshin. Don't worry, she won't let him leave us again. Come on, let's clean up." Sano turned with Yahiko on his heels to clean up the dinner that had hardly been touched.

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'Where could he have gone? I wasn't that far behind him when he left the dojo.' thought Kaoru as she raced through the black night in search of the rurouni. 'The river! He likes to go there and meditate. I know that he has to be there.' the thought came flashing through her mind, Kenshin had taken her once to the spot that he went to meditate. 'At least, I pray that he is there.'

Running flat out, trying not to trip over rocks and branches strewn on the faint pathway, moonlight barely illuminating the forest, so thick were the trees in this area. Kaoru prayed that Kenshin was at the river and not gone. 'Why had he suddenly turned so pale at Sano's teasing?' she thought. Sano had been commenting on how Megumi had finally accept his offer of marriage and when was Kenshin going to ask Kaoru. She blushed even now at the thought, she had been laughing at Sano's horrible jokes when he had told them about his upcoming marriage and the look on Kenshin's face had stunned her. He looked as if he had been thrown down a hole with no way back up. Despair, terror, and what seemed for a moment, she thought, longing. That was, of course, before he had closed off his emotions, like he always did when under stress, even his normal rurouni happy smile could not be seen.

Tripping over a hidden root, Kaoru fell heavily on her outstretched hands. 'Ouch, that hurt.' Struggling up, she wiped her sore hands down the side of her kimono. 'I had better find him soon, before one of us gets hurt.'

Climbing the last bit of the trail, she stopped atop the cliff that looked down over the river. He was there, sitting with his back against a log next to the silver water. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kaoru carefully made her way down the path that led to Kenshin. Quietly, she strode up behind him stopping a few feet from his sitting form.

"I knew you would follow me, that I did." Kenshin whispered softly. "But you do not have to worry about this unworthy one, I will be alright."

"Kenshin, I always worry about you, that's what friends are for." she said as she stepped forward to sit down next to his still body. "Yahiko and Sano feel the same way. We are here for you whenever you need us. Tell me why did you run away tonight when Sano told you he was getting married to Megumi." Kaoru reached out to place a hand on his arm, trying to get him to look at her.

"Miss Kaoru, I . . ." he closed his eyes and tilted his back to stare at the sky. It had been six months since they had returned from Kyoto, six months of pain from his many wounds that still limited his reflexes. Six months of a pain in his heart, of being unable to express how he really felt.

"Kenshin, please talk to me. Seeing you like this is tearing me apart." Kaoru's fingers grazed the side of his unblemished cheek that was facing her. His hand came up to capture her fingers, gripping them firmly, yet gently, as he unconsciously brought them to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles before releasing her hand.

"I can't. Telling you my feelings would only cause you to be in danger, and I cannot allow you to get hurt." he said, standing up suddenly, he turned to leave.

"Kenshin!" she cried, jumping up and putting a hand on his arm to prevent him from leaving her.

"I have to leave. I can't stay anymore. I will only hurt you further if I continue to stay here." he said without turning around to look at her.

"No, you can't leave. You promised, Kenshin, please what is so wrong with what we have that you have to leave us." she whimpered, dropping her head against his shoulder with her hands clutching the material of his gi, her tears flowing heavily down her cheeks. "I love you, you can't leave me now." she sobbed against his back, her arms moved down to wrap tightly around his waist, preventing him from leaving her.

He shuddered at the feel of her sweet body pressed against his. Turning in her arms he clasped her to him, pressing her wet face into his neck. He could feel her sobs racking through her body. He had never wanted to hurt her, and yet it seems that he had. Rain began to fall lightly, as if the heavens above were weeping in sorrow with Kaoru. Picking up her light body, her cradled her in his arms and walked the short distance to the small cave that rested at the base of the cliff. It wasn't much but it would be enough to keep them somewhat dry and comfortable.

Letting her down carefully, he continued to hold her close, allowing her to hold him, just this once he wanted to feel her next to him. So that he could carry this memory with him forever. Her sobbing trailed off and she slowly stepped back from him, looking up into his concerned eyes. Those beautiful lavender eyes. How she loved his eyes, filled with kindness and beauty, yet they could flash golden with strength and power when the Battousai would seep though his control. She had never been afraid of either side of those eyes. They had always drawn her in, consuming her.

Her hands reached up to cup his face, pulling his head down so that she could cover his lips with hers. They meet with the expected resistance as she traced his lips with her tongue. He was holding back from her, protecting he as he always tried to do. Boldly, she sought entrance into his mouth.

His hands came to her shoulders and for a moment she thought that he was going to pull away from her. Leave her aching with need of his love. Every muscle in his body seemed to tighten under her fingertips.

Suddenly, without warning, he crushed her against his chest. His mouth opened over hers. He kissed her fiercely, with a passion that stunned the both of them, even as her body began to melt against his.

The kiss shattered any misconceptions that he might not want her. She felt the stir of his arousal against her stomach through her kimono. Beneath the material her nipples answered the challenge, tightening painfully as they rubbed against his hard chest. She squirmed to get even closer, sighing when he tightened his hold around her waist. His mouth claimed hers possessively, branding her his.

Kaoru sought to meet his challenge with one of her own. She greedily kissed him back, letting him know that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Her restless fingers smoothed over his long red hair, pulled back in its ever-present ponytail. Lightly her fingers trailed down and skimmed over the cross-shaped scar on his check. Kenshin growled low in his throat at the feel of her fingers on his skin. Breaking the kiss, he looked down into her midnight blue eyes, his lavender eyes tinged with a hint of gold around the edges.

"So many scars." She said as she lightly caressed the scar on his check. Standing up on tiptoe she gently pressed soft sweet kisses along the deep cuts on his face. "Not only here. But here." she said, placing her hand over his heart.

"Kaoru . . ." he began. She stopped him, placing a finger across his lips.

"Kenshin, secrets can't be kept hidden deep within the heart. You have to share them to the ones who love you. Let me help you carry this pain, the scars may feel as if they can never be healed, but they can. Only if you want them to be. Stop running away from your past. I would love you no matter if you are Kenshin the Rurouni or Kenshin the Battousai." she whispered softly caressing the scar on his cheek.

He felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart and tears began to roll silently down his cheeks. Kaoru looked up, her fingers touching the wet path of his tears. "You're crying" she stared in amazement.

"Kaoru, I . . .I . . "

She tugged his face down and their lips met. They were riding a ragged wave of emotion and it showed in all their actions. This was no languid kiss as of earlier. Wickedly fierce, demanding, all of the hunger that had been stored up in him bursting forth, stunning her, but only for the briefest of seconds. Then it roused an instant, awakening hunger within her, releasing all the gnawing anxieties that had been trapped within.

All the love, all the uncertainties, all the need inside of him, he pour back into that kiss as he took her mouth with ravaging passion. Their mouths fussed and mated the way their bodies long to do. He didn't consciously remember running his hand down to her sash and removing it. Nor did he remember how his hands had slid beneath the opening of her kimono. He only knew that the feel of her skin under his fingers was intoxicating. Dipping his head down to her exposed breast, he took her nipple between his teeth.

She sucked in her breath, pleasure coursing through her veins at the touch of his lips to her breast. Her hands came up to grasp his hair, wanting to feel the softness in her fingers, she undid the band holding his hair back and swept her fingers through his loosen locks, enjoying the texture against her fingers.

Desire coiled restless though him. He needed her. Desperately. Completely.

"Kaoru?" The question in his voice was obvious. He wanted her so much, but would never force himself upon her.

"Kenshin, don't stop. Please don't stop." she moaned, her head thrown back as his fingers slid down from her neck to caress her breast.

Her body called to him, her words pleaded with him to take her, to make her his and his alone. Stripping off his gi, he spread it out quickly on the floor of the cave and gently laid her down up the material. It was agony trying to go slow with the woman that he loved. He wanted to drive himself inside of her and claim her body as his own, to quench the fire that burned throughout his body.

She shuddered when he paused to take first one nipple then the other into his mouth. Moaning his name, her hands came back up to capture his head, threading her fingers through his fire-red hair.

She was so sensitive. He loved touching her and hearing her sweet moans from his ministrations. His hands came up to loosen her remaining clothing, baring her beautiful form to his wondering eyes.

"You are so beautiful, Kaoru. I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you . . ." he said whispering into her ear as he traced the delicate shell with the tip of his tongue. Shudders coursed up and down her body, as her fingers came up to trace the hard muscles of his bare chest. "Why is it that I have nothing on, yet you are still clothed, my love." she whispered, her lips tracing a path across his chest, nipping the skin lightly here and there as her free hand slipped down his side to rest at his waist.

"Not for long, love." he murmured against her temple. Quickly shedding himself of the rest of his clothing, he pressed his warm, hard form into her soft one. Sighing at the pleasure of her skin next to his, he began kissing his way back up her body, softly nipping at her skin. Caressing her breast with his tongue, he slid upward until his mouth consumed hers. Their tongues warred as her hands slid lovingly up and down his back, enjoying the feel of hardened muscled under silky skin.

Her mouth was so hot, so wet and so sexy the he could have kissed her forever and never tired. He settled his body between her legs, his maleness brushing against her soft curls. He placed one hand on her hips to help guide himself into her. Looking up, he locked eyes with her as he slowly pushed himself inside of her. Meeting a slight resistance, he smiled lightly and bent down to take her lips in his before thrusting through her maidenhead. He felt her body tense beneath his at the sudden pain and felt her cry against his lips.

Clasping her body to his, "It's alright, the pain won't last long, I promise." He slowly began to caress her body again, bringing her back to the heights of passion she had felt earlier.

He was right, the pain was fading as he lightly stroked her skin and nipped at her breasts. She experimentally moved her hips, sliding him deeper within her. Hearing his moans, she smiled against his shoulder knowing that she had a power over him, one that he couldn't control.

They began to move against each other, picking up a rhythm that sent them wildly out of control. Kenshin thrust into her softness, and Kaoru wrapped one leg up over his hip as their pace began to quicken. Pleasure flowing throughout their bodies; time standing still as he felt the first contractions of her about him. As they began, he knew that he was lost, needing to pleasure her with an urgency that could not be denied.

They came together too quickly, with an explosive passion that left them weak, damp and totally spent. Kenshin collapsed, eyes closed, covering her body with his feeling the shudders that rippled through her skin. Finally he lifted his head and stared down into her beautiful eyes. Before he could say anything, her finger came up to his lips.

"I love you, Kenshin. I will always love you, no matter if you stay or leave." she said, her face flushed still with their spent passion.

"I couldn't leave now, Kaoru, my darling. I wanted to protect you from me. But it seems that I need protection from you." he grinned, a truly happy and contented smile that shone not only from his face, but his eyes.

"Your right, secrets can't be kept. I love you, Kaoru."

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