Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Catalyst ❯ The Catalyst: Part III ( Chapter 3 )

The Catalyst: Part III

By Jade Lightning_Wolf

 

Disclaimer: If you still haven't figured out that Kenshin is definitely not mine, perhaps you would like to take my place in seeing my imaginary therapist. He's a great guy, really.

 

Rating: Yeah, this one's definitely PG-13 (T) for innuendo. Stop clapping you hentai.

 

 

Kaoru tossed in her bed fretfully. The oppressive summer heat was getting to her. She felt as though a very large, very wet, very warm blanket was pressing down on her chest. With a sigh, she turned onto her side, tossing her covers aside as she moved. In the distance, she could just make out a rumble of thunder. A storm was coming, but it would probably do little to relieve the heat.

 

She had nearly drifted into a dozing sleep when she heard her shoji click open. She stiffened, remembering that Kenshin had been in her room last night. If he was back, she didn't want to scare him off. She strained her ears, listening for any sign of who or what was there. After a very long time, she shook herself slightly and turned over, deciding she'd imagined the noise. She refused to open her eyes and look to make sure, though.

 

It was nearly another minute before something brushed against Kaoru. She had not expected it and nearly jumped out of her skin. She whipped around, fully ready to beat Kenshin's head in. Instead, she found herself looking into wide, sky-blue eyes.

 

Kaoru growled savagely and she mentally berated herself. Smooth, Kaoru. If you'd take a moment to use your brain, you'd remember you locked the damn rurouni in the storage shed for the night. Serves him right, too, she thought as she gave a satisfied, if not rather evil, chuckle.

 

Still smiling, Kaoru lifted Youkai up and looked into the kitten's eyes. The cat, in turn, gave inquiring meow before rising in Kaoru's arms to but its head against her chin. “So this is how you keep getting in my room. You've figured out how to open the doors, have you?” Youkai meowed again in reply and then began a rumbling purr in his throat. “Stupid cat,” Kaoru mumbled, even as she settled back onto her futon, placing the cat beside her.

 

She might have easily gone to sleep then, if not for Youkai. The kitten glared at the girl, feeling her consciousness slip under a cover of darkness. After a moment's thinking, the cat rose and paced along Kaoru's side. Gently, it placed a paw on her throat, keeping claws retracted. Kaoru mumbled something and tried to swat the limb away.

 

Youkai growled inaudibly and placed his other paw on the shihandai's shoulder. This seemed to quiet Kaoru, and she stopped flapping her hand about. Leaning forward, Youkai nuzzled Kaoru's neck, pressing his cold nose to the skin. The girl mumbled slightly, saying something that sounded distinctly like “little to the left”, but a smile was growing on her face. Youkai purred and rubbed against her throat again.

 

Kaoru's eyes slid open trying to ascertain what was happening through a haze of sleep. All she could make out in her dim room was a set of burning amber eyes.

 

“Mmm, Kenshin,” she said softly, turning onto her side. Slowly, her sapphire eyes slid closed, though she was not technically asleep. Youkai relaxed his frozen frame before leaning towards Kaoru's face and giving her a little lick on the lips. Kaoru giggled almost childishly. He returned to her neck, rubbing against the hollow of her throat in an almost reverent manner.

 

The girl eased her head back. “That…that feels good…Kenshin.”

 

Youkai's ears pricked upwards suddenly, and he slowed his ministrations, though this seemed to infuriate Kaoru and she moaned loudly, half protest and half arousal. Again, the small sound reached his ears. The cat gave another little smile before turning from his mistress. Sure enough, Kenshin stood in the open door frame, staring down at the scene. His eyes were burning fiercely amber.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Kenshin had been equally restless as night fell. His thoughts spun with Kaoru's words. He couldn't stop remembering the feel of her lips against his. Being locked in the storage shed most certainly did not help. So he waited until the house slept before easily picking the lock and escaping confinement. A kata would ease his restlessness and he could lock himself back in the shed when he was done. He chose to practice in the training hall, not desiring to be rained upon.

 

The large room was eerily empty and silent. Kenshin did not light a candle to ease the loneliness. His night vision was excellent and the flame could attract unwanted attention, mainly from Kaoru.

 

He shrugged his gi from his shoulders and let it hang around his waist. Easily, the rurouni fell into stance for batou-jutsu. The hilt of his sword against his fingers was comforting. In a blinding movement, he began.

 

His body moved of its own accord, shifting through movements that it had done so much they were instinct. Unfortunately, this left Kenshin's mind free to wander and think. Kaoru's words again echoed through his head. `I was starting to wonder if he even liked me as much as I love him.'

 

How could she love me? I'm…well, first of all I'm almost eleven years older than she is. And…I'm an ex assassin. I'm not worthy of a dog's love, let alone a woman. Kenshin felt his shoulder twinge as he missed an angle on a slash. Turning outwardly for a moment, he adjusted his stance and tried the slash again, though he never stopped moving. Too soon, he was thinking again.

 

I shouldn't be having these thoughts. She will find someone her age and forget I ever existed. He conveniently forgot that he had scared away any suitors she had received. Those that were earnest had been politely turned away by Kenshin. He'd explained to them that Kaoru was spoken for, without ever actually saying that it was he who was courting her. Some were simply desirous of the novelty a sword-wielding wife would offer. Those suitors had been introduced to Kenshin's sakabatou and had quickly changed their minds.

 

Perhaps, he thought hesitantly, perhaps I should leave before I hurt her. His mind balked at such a suggestion, but remaining near her with such a poor handle on his control could only result in disastrous things. But then, she would hate you for leaving. Kenshin stoically ignored this voice and instead moved to wondering why his control had left him so suddenly.

 

He was forced to think it had something to do with her request to him to be more open. Subconsciously, he was trying to do as she asked. Kissing her had been purely impulsive, but it was addictive, almost like a drug. At the first taste, he was hooked and only wanted more.

 

With a flourish, Kenshin finished his kata. He held perfectly still for a moment, sword extended in front of him. Then he drew up and sheathed the sakabatou. A sheen of sweat glistened on his skin and the heat pressed in around him. He chose to leave his gi down. Quietly he paced out of the training hall. Before he realized it, he was walking his path for the night, checking the doors and yard for danger. He considered not checking Kaoru's door, but force of habit was a strong motivator.

 

He froze in her hallway, however, when he heard her voice float through the night air. She sounded playful and quite awake. His mind struggled to find a reason as to why she was still awake and sounding quite happy. He remained still in the hallway as he sifted through reason after reason, carefully dancing around the one he feared. After a while, she was silent and he'd nearly decided to peek in on her when he heard her again. She sounded…desirous.

 

At long last, Kenshin was forced to draw a conclusion he'd been avoiding. Kaoru was in her room with a lover. That was the only explanation that made any sense to him. Loves me, hmmm? he thought with rye humor, resolving to return to the storage shed. But his feet would not move, despite his orders. Kaoru said something again and her voice seemed to snap something in his mind.

 

Kenshin became detached from his body as though he was a spectator in his own mind. He moved forward swiftly and silently, sliding back the screen without making a sound. The scene he was greeted with was certainly not what he'd been expecting.

 

At first glance, Kaoru seemed to be alone. Her eyes were closed and a smile played across her face. Then, a shadow near her face moved. Kenshin narrowed his eyes at it. Is that…the cat? His thoughts were interrupted as Kaoru spoke. “That…that feels good…Kenshin.”

 

He felt his muscles come to a screaming halt. Did she know he was at her door or was there something else happening here? As if to answer his question, Youkai turned and pinned an amber gaze on the rurouni. Kenshin might have simply run from the room, but Kaoru gave a moan of protest at the loss of attention. Youkai tilted his head questioningly as Kenshin entered the room.

 

The rurouni gave a pointed glare at the cat. For once, the beast took a hint and left. Kenshin slid the door shut behind him. Kaoru's eyes were still closed, but her face seemed troubled. He moved towards her like a predator stalking prey. One of her eyes opened just as he knelt at her side.

 

“Kenshin?” Her voice was rough and thick, as though she'd just awoken from deep sleep. He smiled gently at her, moving a hand to push her hair out of her face. She seemed confused and he wanted her fully awake for this talk.

 

Her brow wrinkled into a frown and she sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes as she went. He felt a twinge of disappointment when her hand moved to clutch her yukata shut, even though he knew it was probably for the best. She blinked several times before speaking again.

 

“What's going on, Kenshin?”

 

“We need to talk.” He tried desperately to keep his voice from dropping lower, but was quite unable to control it. He noted her shiver at the sound and wondered if it was from fear or something else.

 

“About what?” she asked softly, backing away from him slightly. He frowned at the movement, but did not stop her.

 

“Did you mean what you said in the bathhouse earlier today?”

 

“Mean what? The deal I made with you? That better not be why you woke me up in the middle of the night.”

 

“Not that,” he said quietly. “The part I wasn't supposed to hear. When you were talking to Youkai.”

 

He studied her emotions as color drained from her face. There seemed to be embarrassment, but more evident was fear.

 

“You heard that?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

 

“Every word.”

 

She was shivering now, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her and kiss her, but he had to hear this.

 

“You weren't supposed to hear that.” She seemed to be in shock.

 

“But I did hear it. What I want to know is if you meant it.”

 

Almost in a shameful gesture, she nodded.

 

“Good, that was all I needed to know.”

 

Kaoru got no further warning to what was coming as he swept her into his arms and kissed her.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Kaoru's mind was in a state of disarray. She could not tell if she was dreaming or waking. She remembered someone caressing her neck, a gentle kiss on her lips, and could have sworn it was Kenshin. But then she'd opened her eyes and he'd been kneeling beside her, informing her that he'd heard what she confessed to Youkai. Now…well, now she could hardly think for the feelings swamping her.

 

She had certainly not expected his reaction when she told him that she had indeed been telling the truth when she said she was in love with him. His strong arms cradled her form before she could even begin to protest. Some vaguely coherent part of her acknowledged the fact that yes, Kenshin was kissing her fiercely, but it seemed like so much more.

 

Everything about him, from the way his hand was rubbing circles into her back to the way his tongue danced with hers seemed to be pouring his emotions from himself to her. She felt smothered under the weight of everything. There was guilt, desperation, self-loathing. She was familiar with all of these—well aware that her rurouni suffered from them. But she had not expected the overwhelming sense of protection, possession, thankfulness…love.

 

It seemed an eternity before Kenshin pulled away. It only occurred to her later that she had been kissing him back as best she could, trying to match the heat and fervor she felt from him. As he moved back, her body protested, but she was desperate for two things: air and the ability to think.

 

She took a gasping breath and met his burning amber gaze. Whenever she'd seen that color before, he'd been fighting. This was no battle. She'd tried not to think of Kenshin as two separate entities throughout her years of knowing him, but it was hard when he could so drastically change his demeanor. Everything about him when he was like this was fierce and hard and wild. He was not the soft-spoken, gentle man she was used to when his eyes were like this. And yet, he was.

 

She shivered as he breathed her name, his voice dropping down a register into a baritone that raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Kaoru could feel the desire in his gaze, a heat she had known was in him somewhere but which he had never felt inclined to show her before. She could feel in the way his hand continued to run along the length of her spine that he wanted to continue kissing her and was only stopping himself by sheer force of will.

 

His voice came out in a husky whisper as he said, “How could you think I don't love you?”

 

That was just about the last thing she'd expected to hear from him. She'd been expecting a reprieve, a dismissal…anything but a confession. She'd long ago come to the conclusion that Kenshin considered her too young, to immature to fulfill his expectations. It had been an easy way to explain how seemingly protective of her he was, even though he'd never before done anything but hug her. She'd decided that he saw their relationship as something of an older brother to a younger sister. And she had accepted this.

 

Now he was tilting all her well-thought-out explanations on their heads. She could barely think for the confusion clogging her head.

 

“Kenshin, I…” Her words struggled to find some measure of coherence. He pressed a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her as well as destroying what measure of sanity she'd managed to regain.

 

“Think this over for a moment, Kaoru. Just think.”

 

She struggled to tell him it was impossible for her to think in their current situation, but his finger remained against her lips, furthering her problems. She calmed in his arms, hoping the tactic would get him to back off. No such luck. At long last, his hand moved and allowed her room to speak. She uttered the first sentence that came to mind.

 

“I thought it because you never acted like it.”

 

He blinked as though surprised. The emotion seemed out of place in his amber gaze. She'd never thought he could look surprised when he was like this. She watched him closely. His face was impassive, almost emotionless as Aoshi's. But there were subtle changes in his eyes that said he was thinking and thinking hard. She was quite shocked when he chuckled.

 

“No…I don't suppose I have.”

 

He released her slowly, lowering her back to her futon. Sitting next to her, his face became serious.

 

“I…was afraid to show such emotions.” He studied her stunned gaze a moment before continuing. “You're so young, Kaoru. I didn't know how you would react to the advances of a man nearly eleven years your senior. I didn't want to scare you.

 

“You're also…” he paused frowning, “you're so innocent. I don't want to take that innocence. I don't want to stain your hands with the blood that is already on mine. You deserve better than what I have to offer.” As though he was arguing with himself and this was the decisive statement, he moved to get up and leave. Kaoru, realizing his intent, grabbed his sleeve and held him back. He looked at her questionably.

 

“Kenshin, don't you leave before finishing something you started.” That got him looking more like his rurouni self. A murmured “oro” and a look that was vaguely swirly-eyed brought a small smile to her face. “Besides, since when do you get to decide what I deserve.”

 

She looked away for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Then she turned back to him, blue eyes shining in the semi-dark.

 

“You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Always you're worrying about the sins of your past and punishing yourself for them. And then you take on the sins of the present, too, even though they're not your sins. You can't take on everything without help. Even you're not that strong, Kenshin. All I wanted…all I wanted was to help you take that whole weight of the world off your shoulders for a little while. I'm more than willing to bear it, even though I know you won't let me keep it.”

 

Tears were shining in her eyes now. “Whether you like it or not, I love you and I'll be damned if I just let you sit back and condemn yourself when you've more than atoned for the lives you've taken.”

 

Kenshin looked stunned, absolutely shell-shocked. Then, seeing she'd finished, he shook himself slightly. He took her hands in his own, looking down at them. Her hands were hardened and rough with sword calluses, dry from hard work. Beautiful hands. He took brought them to his mouth and laid a gentle kiss on them. Looking up from beneath his eyelashes, he could discern a fierce blush in Kaoru's skin.

 

“If that is truly how you feel…then…this unworthy one would be honored if you…would be his wife.”

 

Tears streamed down her face almost immediately after he finished, but the smile that lit her face told him they were the right kind of tears. He took her face in his hands and gently thumbed away the tears, kissing her softly and lovingly. When he broke away, she nodded fervently.

 

“Of course I'll marry you, Kenshin.”

 

He felt a grin spread on his face before he kissed her again, deepening this one until she was pressed against him and making soft mewls in the back of her throat. Sighing, Kenshin released her. He had spent the last of his control for the day and anything he did beyond this point was something he would regret later. Slowly, he stood.

 

“Where…where are you going?” Her voice was husky with desire and nearly made him fall back to his knees.

 

“I'm…” he tried to hide the cracking he felt in his voice, but it was damn near impossible. “I'm going to take a quick bath.”

 

He could see her frown in the darkness. “But…didn't you already bathe today?”

 

“Kaoru, we are not yet married. If I remain here…let us say that it is best if I leave.”

 

The blush rose again in her cheeks. He couldn't help but chuckle as he left the room. Entering the bathhouse, he loosed his hakama and hurried towards the tub. Dipping a hand in, he gave a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, he plunged himself into the ice-cold water and didn't emerge for nearly half an hour.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Kenshin and Kaoru made the announcement the next morning. The wedding would occur in two weeks time, to give everyone time to travel in from where ever they'd managed to wander off to. Kaoru became subject to much teasing by Tae, Tsubame, and Yahiko.

 

Kenshin's demeanor changed entirely. Though he had not made another appearance in her room since the night he'd proposed, he was certainly not above small shows of affection elsewhere. Occasionally, when they passed each other in the hall, he would suddenly pin her to the wall and kiss her senseless. Those particular interludes lasted perhaps ten seconds and then he'd walk away and resume whatever he'd been doing as though nothing had happened. At other times, he simply held her hand, often while they were eating supper or walking to and from the market.

 

On one occasion, he had followed her into the bathhouse and scrubbed her back and hair for her. The thought of it still made her blush, especially the memory of his burning golden eyes when she'd emerged. He'd disappeared after that and returned half an hour later dripping wet. Apparently he'd gone swimming in the river.

 

Now, the wedding day had finally arrived. Only their closest friends had come, but that turned out to be more people than they'd expected. The entire population of the Aoiya had turned up from Kyoto as well as Sae of the Shirobeko. Tae and Tsubame had taken the day off just for the wedding. Megumi made an appearance, straight from Aizu. Dr. Gensai and the girls had appeared. At one point, Kenshin could have sworn he saw the golden eyes of Saitou, but they disappeared the moment he focused on them. Sano was still conspicuously absent, but Yahiko produced a letter from him. Somehow, the ex-fighter had known they were marrying and had sent his best regards as well as the last of the sake he'd dragged with him when he left. (“Western alcohol's all right, but it's nothing compared to sake.”)

 

The ceremony was simple and beautiful, perfectly suited to the two people being joined. Yahiko could've sworn he'd never seen Kenshin smile so much as when he stood next to Kaoru that day. Kaoru had been wandering around for the past week with stars in her eyes, and now the stars had grown into a shining blue that was all for Kenshin.

 

At the gate, Youkai sat, watching the ceremony through narrowed eyes. It had been much easier than he'd been expecting to draw the two humans together. Love had already been between them; it had just needed coaxing. His eyes turned to a satisfied gold as a smirk crossed his face. The entire assignment had been much easier than his master had made it out to be.

 

The cat stood, stretching and arching his back with deliberate movements. He turned to go, but found his way blocked by a lanky human. A cigarette hung out of the man's mouth, adding to what appeared to be a permanent sneer. Instinctively, Youkai's hackles raised and he hissed a warning. This man may've looked human, but everything about him screamed “Wolf!”

 

“I don't know what you did to those two,” growled the man, flicking his cigarette away, “but good work.”

 

With that, he turned away and stalked into evening shadows. Behind him, Youkai heard a cheer. The ceremony was done. Before he could be found, he darted out of the gate and into the streets. It would be a long way back to Kyoto and Hiko-sensei would be most eager to hear the results of his work.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Kaoru was sitting in the sunlight, several days after her wedding, darning Kenshin's gi. In her eagerness last night, she'd accidentally torn the fabric. She was still blushing. She looked up in surprise when she heard the gate open and shut.

 

Yahiko stormed into view. He was covered in dust and grime, and Kaoru could not help but giggle.

 

“What happened to you?”

 

“I've been searching every ally in Tokyo trying to find that goddamned beast! He's nowhere!”

 

“Now Yahiko,” said Kenshin as he emerged from the house, “I'm sure he went back to where ever he came from.”

 

“Stupid cat,” Yahiko muttered, crossing his arms.

 

“Come on,” said Kaoru. She stood and dusted herself off. “I'll change and then we can practice.”

 

She disappeared into the house as Yahiko made his way to the dojo. Kenshin looked towards the gate, a frown appearing on his face. The cat's disappearance had not been unnoticed by him. Some part of him thought it was probably for the best. The beast had been nothing but trouble since day one. However, he could not help but feel a small twinge of regret. It was because of that cat that he'd finally gathered enough courage to tell Kaoru of his feelings.

 

Kaoru emerged from inside the house and put her arms around his shoulders. He turned to smile at her and she pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Are you helping with Yahiko's training today?”

 

“I think I will help, Kaoru.”

 

She took hold of his hand and pulled him to the training hall.

 

OoOoOoO

 

It was sometime later that night that Kenshin awoke to an empty futon. Frowning, he searched the room for his yukata and rose, determined to find his wife. Stepping out into the hallway, he immediately picked out candlelight in the training hall. Smiling slightly, Kenshin made his way across the grounds.

 

He slid the shoji silently open, this time completely unashamed to be watching from the shadows. Kaoru was working through a warm-up kata, so she must not have been up for long.

 

Kenshin smirked as a wicked idea came to him. Carefully, he matched his movements to hers so that her back was always to him. Eventually, he managed to work his way over to the bokken rack. Easily selecting one as he passed by, he crept closer. Kaoru finished her warm-up and paused, catching her breath just a little. Then, she stepped into the first flowing movements of a kata Kenshin recognized as one of the most general but difficult katas in kenjutsu. He raised his eyebrows, impressed that she would attempt it.

 

He hung back for a moment. Her form was not yet perfect, but every time she misplaced an angle or misstepped, she immediately paused to fix the error. At long last, he decided he'd been a bystander long enough. Easily, he stepped into her next swing and blocked. The shock in Kaoru's eyes was priceless. She jumped away from him, panting slightly

 

“Kenshin!” she cried, part exclamation, part remonstration. “Don't scare me like that!”

 

He grinned, even though his own eyes were stern. “Then perhaps you should not leave in the middle of the night without telling me where you're going.”

 

She blushed slightly before mumbling, “I couldn't sleep.”

 

He frowned as he went in for a strike he knew she would see and parry automatically. As they broke apart and he went for another slash, he asked, “Why?”

 

“I'm not really sure,” she said softly, even though she counter-attacked with a wicked double strike.

 

Kenshin could sense a lie in her words, though not an overt one. She thought she knew, but she wasn't sure. He continued to spar with her until he felt he'd worn her out enough. Then, with practiced ease that Kaoru couldn't even see, he moved inside her guard and twisted his bokken around hers, effectively breaking her grip on the weapon. The moment he was sure she had released it he let his own bokken go, the momentum carrying both weapons to the far wall. He had his arms around her before she knew what had happened.

 

“You should tell me what's wrong, Kaoru,” he murmured against her ear before gently kissing the shell. He had yet to use an endearment with her, knowing she treasured her name on his lips far more than she would care for any flowery word.

 

She shuddered against him for a moment before sliding her own arms up around his neck. “I didn't want to worry you.”

 

He chuckled slightly before planting another soft kiss just below her ear. “It's my job to worry about you.”

 

She laughed half-heartedly against his shoulder before becoming somber again. “I keep having these dreams where I wake up and you're gone. I search the whole dojo and can't find a trace of you. Then someone, I'm not really sure who, laughs at me and tells me it was all a dream.”

 

His arms tightened around her with each word until she could barely move. He thought she was done when she opened her mouth again and whispered, “I don't want to be alone again.”

 

Kenshin brought a hand up to trace her jawbone and lift her eyes to his. “I will never leave you; even if I should die before you I will stay by your side.”

 

She choked on a sob and shut her eyes to try to stop the tears. Kenshin closed the scant distance between them and kissed her gently in a manner so innocent and chaste that it left her boneless. When he felt her knees give way, he lifted her into his arms.

 

At long last he broke away. It took Kaoru a moment to comprehend that they were in her room. He laid her on the futon almost reverently before settling next to her. His arms again slipped around her and pulled her close.

 

“Kenshin?”

 

“Mmmm?”

 

“I love you.”

 

He kissed her forehead before answering, “I love you, too.”

 

He'd nearly slipped off to sleep when she spoke again.

 

“Kenshin?”

 

“Mmmm?”

 

“We're finishing that match tomorrow whether you like it or not.”

 

He could not withhold a chuckle before he kissed her again, this time on the lips. When he pulled back, she caught a mischievous glint in his eye.

 

“Why don't we just finish it now?”

 

Sleeping quickly became the last thing on either of their minds.

 

 

Japanese glossary:

 

hentai: pervert

 

youkai: demon

 

kata: traditional martial arts exercise

 

batou-jutsu: the art of deadly blade-drawing. Kenshin's nickname Battousai is derived from his mastery of this art.

 

sakabatou: reverse-blade sword

 

yukata: light kimono often used for sleeping in

 

hakama: loose traditional pants than can either be a skirt or a split pant

 

gi: shortened kimono and what Kenshin normally wears

 

bokken: wooden sword

 

kenjutsu: the art of sword play in general, specifically Japanese (I just made an oxymoron!)

 

A/N: Yes, that's the end of this chapter. And now you are all screaming at me because I denied you any actual lemon.

 

Kenshin: mumbling They're not the only ones complaining.

 

Authoress: smacks Kenshin on back of head You're married to her moron. Believe me, you slept with her. Besides that, if I get enough cries of “lemon, damn you!” I might post one elsewhere, but as is, I'm not bringing the ff.net administrators down upon my head if I can help it. *smiles evilly* Now, about that date.

 

Kenshin: backing away slowly You just said it yourself. I'm a happily married man.

 

Authoress: That can always change…gulp What about your no-killing vow, Kenshin? Kenshin?

 

Kenshin: There are always exceptions to the rule.

 

Authoress: shouting over her shoulder as she runs for the hills That's all for now folks! But I'll have another chapter and a one-shot out real soon, in which Kenshin will be further tortured!

 

Kenshin: You can't type a one-shot if you have no fingers!

 

Authoress: Oh but Kenshin, it's already typed.

 

Kenshin: Noooooo!

 

Reviewer Responses: Gasp! I got seven new reviews this chapter! I love you all. Seriously. I'm not kidding. People praising me inflate my ego.

 

lolo popoki: I know you've reviewed on some other stories I've read…I recognize your name. This makes me happy. A person I've heard of reviewed my story. Anyway, I hope this chapter addresses the motivation issue. Unless…I hope you know who Hiko is. Arggh! Now I've gone and made myself nervous.

 

Triste1: Personally, I don't like split personality Kenshin either, but when I write, he just seems to turn out that way. Two stories I'd recommend that portray Kenshin as someone with one, single personality are “Hakama Dake” (which is rather steamy) and “Frozen Moonlight”, though that's an AU. Also, grammatical errors? Ahhhh! I shall smite thee evil grammatical errors! As you can see, I also dislike bad grammar. Now I'll have to go and edit again. Mou!

 

Stella-neko: Glad to know you approve of my…descriptiveness. That sounded so much better in my head. I'm glad to know you're liking it (which sounds a lot better.) Thank you, thank you, thank you for pointing out grammatical errors. I must now go smite them with my mighty delete key. As you can see, I'm a grammar freak. Please alert me to any other errors you notice.

 

Kristy-chan: I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it.

 

Myks: Laugh away. And hope you know have a better understanding of what I have going around in my head around that cat.

 

are-en1: Glad to know you're enjoying it so much, especially if you don't normally read stories like this. And you added me to your favorites! Thank you! Gracias! Arigato! Thank you in other various foreign languages! I hope this chapter pleases you.

 

Leighbriel-Misokita: Man do I hope I spelled your name right. Don't fall off the edge of your seat! I've updated. Of course, I didn't leave you with a cliffie this time…I think. Such high compliments. If you're not careful, my head will get too big to fit through the door.