Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Back Home To You ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 6 )

Title: Back Home To You

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and all its characters do not belong to me. I am just borrowing them for a little while. The premise for this story is from the book The Wedding by Julie Garwood.

A/N: I was going to do an Aoshi/Kaoru fic but I wanted Battousai. I am currently writing three fan-fictions for RK, one's already posted, it's `Belonging' and my Aoshi/Kaoru `Perfect Fit' is already out.

Premise: Kaoru asked Kenshin to marry her when she was three? And now the Battousai has come back, fifteen years later to claim his bride.

I would like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed my story! I love long detailed reviews so keep `em coming! I just wanted to say that's it because of you guys that I try and write these chapters as fast as I can and get them out immediately.

Toorikosu, Ochako 107, jing-jing, kawaiisuzu, chocolatechipp, Jakie Marie, ?~?~?~?, S3r3nity, Triste1, flaming-amber, AngelsRevenge14, kawaii96, animegurl_23, Bradybunch4529, half-breed-demon-fox, Youko, Yanlie, Samuraiduck27, VolleyGurly, catti-dono, tsuka-kun, gaby (hyatt, hi-c, sweet angel, Vanessa, kirie-kun, Kao-gurl, Clemen, lio, reviewer, dernhelm, Jbella, PheobeOtaku, Brittanie Love, poplollyblues, blobbub, Kat, Kana, mtspal, pyramidgirl89, MellyssiaVaj, Candace Goodnight, Nikki Ly, Aya45, Prince Aoshi, edeltanne, Scarlet Rayne, Mademoiselle Anime, cock_roach_elle, the critic, Oro-Oro, WhiteRabbit5, Imi-nashi, Leigh4, Aine of Knockaine, Mika, personwithnoname, TimeWarper, Marlingrl, Kenshin's grl, tooqie, Nekotsuki, Guest Reader, Honeyz-Rinoa, kage grl, Joyce T, fantasy angel Victoria. /gives everyone a hug/ Thanks so much for reviewing. I love reading your reviews, encouragements and also suggestions and guesses about where the plot is going. Thank you for pointing out my mistakes and taking the time to tell me about them. It helps me to become a better writer and I really appreciate it. /bows down respectfully/ domo arigato mina!

Chapter Five

Wide blue eyes met smoldering gold ones.

There was a breathless moment when everything around them seemed to stand still.

Kaoru was sure Kenshin could hear ever thud of her heart against her ribcage.

"What in the world are you doing?" Sano's voice, muffled by the walls, still managed to carry over to them as he burst out laughing.

The sound registered but neither made a move.

The door was kicked open and the spell was broken.

Sanosuke's howl of laughter filled the room unhindered, followed by a decided thump.

More than a little glad for the distraction, Kaoru hurried out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to see what was going on.

The first thing she saw was Sanosuke collapsed against the door, holding his stomach and almost chocking with his guffaws.

She noticed Aoshi standing rigidly against the wall glaring off into space.

And then Kaoru saw the bound and gagged little girl squirming on the floor.

She gasped when she saw Tsubame on the floor her hands and feet tied together and a handkerchief over her small mouth.

Kaoru's eyes narrowed irately at Aoshi. "How dare you!" she yelled at him as she rushed towards Tsubame to free her. She took the gag from around the girl's mouth and asked if she was all right.

"Mistress Kaoru!" Tsubame cried out wriggling. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine Tsubame…" Kaoru said as she tried to undo the intricate knots Aoshi had done to hold Tsubame's arms and legs together

"It doesn't hurt. The knots just makes it impossible for her to move, that's all," Sano explained to Kaoru when she swore she'd take off a very important part of Aoshi's anatomy for tying a poor defenseless little girl.

"Did you really have to tie her hands?" Kaoru growled out at Aoshi, somewhat appeased by Sano's reassurance but still not satisfied.

"Yes," Aoshi bit out.

"Why?"

Aoshi glared at her.

Sensing she would not get any more answers from the dark-haired man, Kaoru turned to Tsubame. "Why did he tie your hands?"

"I pulled him."

"Pulled him?"

"His hair…I pulled his hair…" Tsubame whispered, clinging to Kaoru. She had been so terrified when the big man had found her hiding under a bush, trying to sleep. She hadn't wanted to get caught. She'd wanted to go ask someone to help her lady.

"Why did you pull his hair?" Kaoru asked perplexed. How could Tsubame have reached Aoshi's head in the first place? "More importantly, how?"

"He slung me over his shoulder."

"Why?"

"I couldn't walk…" Tsubame hedged.

Back at the estate, she'd seen some women whose kneecaps had been shattered to keep them from running away. Kaoru's hand flew to Tsubame's legs inspecting them for any injury. "Why couldn't you walk Tsubame?" Kaoru asked, afraid of the answer.

"Because he tied my feet."

Kaoru blinked. "Okay…why did he tie your feet?"

Tsubame's face flushed and she hung her head, her bangs obscuring her face. "Because I kicked him. Like you taught me…"

Redness blossomed on Kaoru's face as understanding dawned on her. It was a rather low parlor trick, one she and Megumi had often used to escape unwanted, roving hands. She'd taught Tsubame to attack the most sensitive part of a man's anatomy to protect herself from the monsters at the estate. "You mean you…?" Kaoru couldn't bring herself to say it and she forced herself not to look at Aoshi down there.

Tsubame nodded slowly. She was realizing that the big scary man didn't seem to be an enemy.

Kaoru winced. "How many times?" she ventured.

"Lots."

Kaoru glanced at Aoshi, keeping her eyes to his face. His expression was still unreadable but she sensed that he was discomfited.

Judging from the howls of outrage such an action provoked from the men she'd tried it on…Kaoru could only surmise that it hurt.

Real bad.

And Tsubame had kicked him…lots.

"So that was why you were walking a little bit funny…" Sanosuke laughed. "Damn, the little girl got you in…"

"There is nothing funny about it," Aoshi bit out, interrupting Sano.

A queer urge to laugh out loud overcame her but she tried valiantly to suppress her mirth. She concentrated on Tsubame instead and tugged at the binds. "Well, I can't take it off! How in the world could you tie a knot this stubborn?" she muttered.

If glares could disintegrate matter, the rope would have been a pile of burnt ash right now. She shoved her hair away and sighed, struggling with the stubborn twine.

No one made a move to help her as the men just stared.

Kaoru thought they were just being their usual jerk selves but Battousai had a better understanding of things. Kaoru's hair was spilling down her back in a thick raven waterfall, with some wet strands clinging to her cheek. Her wet yukata outlined the young and slender body encased beneath and her collar had somehow managed to gape open to reveal just enough of her skin to capture a man's attention. Kenshin went to her and unsheathed his wakizashi and cut off Tsubame's bonds.

Kaoru smiled her thanks at her husband, noting that his hair was still dripping wet and his yukata was revealed a sleek, slick, muscular chest. He must've gotten out of the tub in a hurry. She turned to Aoshi once more, giving him a hard glare for the way he'd tied Tsubame up. Knowing him, he probably didn't even try to explain to Tsubame what was going on and had just hauled the girl up, prompting Tsubame to extreme actions. "Were so many knots really necessary?"

"Yes."

Battousai stood up and crossed his arms facing his comrades, "Now that that is settled, I very much suggest that the two of you avert your eyes from my wife before I gouge them out."

Kaoru gasped, her eyes flying down to herself. She clasped her yukata closed and positioned Tsubame so the girl was in front of her shielding most of her body. She needn't have bothered because both Aoshi and Sano were out of there within a millisecond after Kenshin's little sentence/threat.

"Mistress?" Tsubame asked when the scary man with the red hair left and entered some sort of room adjacent to the one she was in. Tsubame guessed it to be a bathroom or changing room. She wriggled in the circle of Kaoru's arms and turned to look at Kaoru, inspecting for any signs of abuse but she saw none. "Who are they mistress?"

Kaoru looked down at Tsubame and smiled slightly, "That man with the red hair is my husband Tsubame. His name is Lord Kenshin Himura and those two men are his…" Kaoru wondered what those two actually were to her husband. Guards? Vassals? Since she'd become somewhat close to Sanosuke, she was loath to reduce him to a mere guard so instead she said, "They are his friends. The one with the brown hair is Sanosuke and the one who brought you here is Aoshi."

Tsubame's eyes had widened with worry and apprehension. "Did I…was it…I shouldn't have hurt him…?" she whispered. "It was wrong of me to…"

Kaoru hugged the child to her. "Of course not. No, it wasn't your fault. You did well." Tsubame was such a little worrier she knew the child would mull over this again and again in her head. "You were just protecting yourself. You didn't know he wouldn't hurt you…"

The door to the bathroom opened again.

Battousai watched Kaoru comfort the girl. They looked more like sisters than lady and maid. He'd already noticed that his wife rarely made distinctions of class, which was odd for someone so highborn.

"I'll have some bathwater heated and brought up for you." Battousai said before taking his leave. He knew whatever plans he'd had would have to wait until another opportunity presented itself.

He'd been so damned close too.

"Thank you," Kaoru said forcing herself to smile at him. Who knew what could have happened if Aoshi and Sano hadn't barged in?

"Shall I attend your bath?" he asked with a lift of an eyebrow.

Kaoru shook her head vehemently, "No thanks. Tsubame will do it."

He smiled, "alright."

Kaoru let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh and Kaoru?"

She stiffened. "Y-yes…?"

"Come down and eat after you've finished your bath."

O

Kaoru wore her hair up in the usual ribbon and had chosen an elegant and understated kimono to wear downstairs. Since she was a married woman now and there was no special occasion, she could wear the short-sleeved kimono whose pattern was more solid.

It was still beautiful though, made of silk and embroidered with heavy gold threads that depicted fireflies dancing on a dimly lit garden.

More than a few people turned to admire her as she made her way to the dining hall with Tsubame trailing behind her.

A young woman only a few years older than Kaoru bowed to her. "My lady, please follow me."

Kaoru smiled, "What's your name?"

The girl seemed startled. "A-Asuka, my lady…" she stammered.

Kaoru widened her smile slightly, hoping to put the girl at ease. She followed the young woman into a narrow corridor.

Asuka stopped in front of a shoji screen, knelt down and slid it open.

"Lady Kaoru…" she announced formally.

Kaoru slipped inside and knelt down near her husband at the head of the low table. The room was rather large; the floor covered with Tatami mats. On the table was a large assortment of dishes.

As was her duty, she leaned forward and filled a serving for him and handed it over.

"I already ate," he said nodding to her.

Kaoru frowned. He should have waited for her to arrive. It was a rule of decorum…but she supposed Kenshin thought him self beyond the common rules that governed other people. She'd noticed his unbecoming habit of being arrogant. She made a mental note to herself to talk to him about it later.

"Oh man, I can't believe you got beaten up by a little girl!" Sano said, slapping the floor in amusement as he laughed. "How many times did she hit the child factory, neh Aoshi."

"Shut up."

Sano guffawed and almost chocked on the fishbone he was nibbling on.

Aoshi's look was one of contentment. It seemed that he was perfectly fine with letting his friend choke to death beside him.

Kaoru made a move to stand up and help Sanosuke, who was already starting to turn blue in the face from lack of oxygen.

He gestured wildly for someone to help him.

Finally, Aoshi let out a longsuffering sigh and slammed his fisted hand between Sano's shoulder blades.

The resounding thud was massive as the fishbone was not only dislodged from the brunette's throat but was actually catapulted to the other side of the room.

Sano wheezed. "Did you have to hit me that hard asshole?"

"You were the one asking for help," Aoshi said serenely.

Kaoru watched in amusement as Tsubame sat beside Aoshi and offered him choice parts of the food, trying very hard to get in on Aoshi's good side. The man accepted the offers graciously and Kaoru begrudgingly gave him points for being a sport.

Tsubame hovered at his back, often refilling his drink, offering to get him more food.

"She wouldn't let up on him until he's completely forgiven her." Kaoru whispered to Kenshin with an amused smile, her eyes aglow with fondness and amusement. She glanced at Kenshin and saw that he was back to his old tricks of staring at her with his golden eyes.

Kaoru felt the familiar warmth climb up her cheeks at his gaze. Her hand rose as she self-consciously touched the burning skin at her neck.

She didn't know how to deal with him.

He leaned closer to her.

Kaoru wet her lips anticipating a kiss and not really minding over much.

Okay, so she liked his kisses…it was what those pleasurable little kisses were leading up to that got her spooked.

But since they were in the dining room and both his friends were present, the kiss would probably lead nowhere.

He was so close to her she could feel his breath on her lips, on her skin. The brush of his hair tickled as his fiery locks mingled with her raven ones.

Kaoru's eyes closed as she unconsciously tilted her head up to receive his kiss; her senses already coming alive in anticipation of the pleasure.

His lips were so close they were almost touching hers.

"Eat."

Blue eyes opened in surprise, "What?"

"Eat. You haven't eaten since we set off this morning," he said as he leaned back and smiled at her.

She frowned when she realized she'd played right into her hands. The amusement in his eyes made her want to strangle him but she soon vetoed that idea. He was Battousai after all, he' probably cut her hands off before she could get her fingers around his neck.

She contented herself with a death glare and attacked the food instead.

"Kenshin no baka…"

A/N: No Lemon! /ducks the rotten fruits/ First of all, I didn't Kaoru to just instantly surrender after just one night! She's strong willed after all, plus there's that niggling fear of the `rape, blood and pain' thing. Also, if I write like a lemony chapter, do I get booted out of the site? I'm not sure. Gomen for the short chapter but the next one, I will try to make longer.

For those of you who also read Belonging, I was supposed to post it along with this chapter but it got erased…so I have to redo it again so it might take a little longer than anticipated…plus all my notes for the upcoming chapters of Belonging were also lost. /sigh./ Anyway it's all in my head…just need to get over the frustration and start to type it again.

Tell me what you think of this chapter, neh? Thanks!