Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ TIMELESS ❯ Getting to Know You ( Chapter 8 )

TIMELESS

Standard Disclaimers Apply

WARNING: Major OOCness

***CHAPTER 7***

Kaoru nearly choked as she felt her chin locked in the crook of Kenshin's elbow. He began pulling her away toward the shore, the water splashing over her head in his effort to save her. Kaoru panicked at the unexpected treatment and struggled to break his grip, but soon submitted to his advantage over her as Kenshin hauled her to the bank and swung her up onto the grass. Pulling himself out beside her, he demanded anxiously, "Are you all right?"

For Kaoru, time was suspended, and then fear gave way to rage. A rage that exploded through her with all the fury of a thunderstorm. She doubled her fist and hit his shoulder as hard as she could. "Are you crazy?!" she yelled. "You nearly drowned me!"

He was caught off guard by her anger and rocked back on his heels. "You were already drowning. I'm the one that saved you."

"No, I wasn't! I was swimming!" she sputtered. "I didn't start drowning until you grabbed me!" Kaoru coughed and shoved her heavy hair from her eyes.

Kenshin stared at her in wonder. "Swimming? I didn't know you could swim!"

"Oh, I swim alright, but only at certain times."

"When is that?"

"Only when I'm in the water, you ding-a-ling!" She glared at him and rubbed her stinging nose before coughing again.

"Swimming," he repeated incredulously.

"The only time men like to see girls in water is when we're doing the dishes," she said huffily.

Cursing his bad luck, Kenshin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the tree. The best way to handle this, he figured, was with humor.

"I think you'd better put something on, before you catch your death in this night air."

Kaoru wanted to strangle him. Using her most commanding voice she hissed, "You will turn away and give me some privacy."

Kenshin choked back a laugh as he complied. "I think it's a bit late for that."

She glowered at his back, daring him to turn around.

As she struggled to fit her wet arms through the sleeves of her yukata, she nearly turned the air blue with rich, ripe curses. "You had no right to invade my privacy like that!" Kaoru sputtered behind him, "No right at all! What do you mean by sneaking up on me like that!"

"I didn't sneak up on you!" he growled. "I was trying to save your life!"

"You nearly drowned me!"

Kenshin scowled and turned to argue with her. Kaoru stood there, the wet fabric clinging to her damp skin. "I couldn't find you and I got worried," he snapped, trying to hide the pounding in his veins at the sight of her. "I called out, but you didn't hear me, too lost in your own fantasy world. I'm sorry," he added.

Kaoru sighed. What he said did make sense. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out, touching his arm. "You really tried to save me?" she asked softly now that her fright was passing.

He looked at her. Kaoru's skin was still pale from the cold water and beaded droplets hung on her long eyelashes. Her hair was plastered wetly to her head and looked heavy and unwieldy as it hung in dripping ropes down her back. He had never seen a more beautiful woman. "Yes," he said hoarsely. "Of course I tried to save you. Do you think I would ever do anything to harm you?"

She looked up into his tormented eyes and shook her head. "You didn't harm me. I know that. But you frightened me!"

Lifting a hand to her shoulder, he drew her fractionally closer. Drops of water still clung to her dark lashes and he had an almost overpowering urge to touch his lips to them.

She held herself stiffly, fighting the feelings that rippled through her at his touch. They were standing so close she could feel the heat of his body through her thin dress. It warmed her even while it frightened her.

In the moonlight, her dark, waist-length hair was a counterpoint to her pale skin. The little pulse that throbbed at her temple enticed him. Without thinking he pressed his lips to the spot.

A kick by a horse would have been less shocking. The moment his lips touched her skin, his hands closed over her shoulders, dragging her roughly against him.

He moved his lips from her temple to her cheek, and then to her ear. Soft. He would never forget how soft her skin was.

Kaoru stood perfectly still, struggling to hide the conflicting feelings that raged through her. She hadn't wanted this. But now that he was holding her, kissing her, she couldn't deny the pure pleasure of it.

His lips traced her jaw and then slowly moved upward until they found her mouth. But even then he held back, outlining her lips with his tongue.

She forgot to breathe. Her heart forgot to beat as his tongue made a slow journey around her full lower lip.

For the space of a heartbeat he paused, and she thought she would die waiting, waiting for his mouth to cover hers. The kiss, when it came, was the mere brushing of lips against lips.

Without realizing it, Kaoru curled her hands into his kimono, drawing him closer. He heard her little sigh of pleasure. And then, unable to deny himself any longer, he took the kiss deeper. His mouth covered hers in a savage kiss and his hands left her shoulders to roam her back, pulling her firmly against the length of him.

A hint of jasmine fragrance clung to her. As his mouth moved over hers he savored the fresh, clean taste of her.

The moon hid behind a bank of clouds, leaving them in shadow. As he changed the angle of the kiss, Kaoru's lids flickered open and she caught sight of him. Black as night. Mysterious. He was not a man to be trusted and then, as his mouth worked its magic on her, she forgot everything except the pleasure.

The kiss was rough, as rough as the man and almost bruising in its intensity. His calloused fingers were strong and sure as they moved along her back, igniting fires whenever they touched. His mouth was tempting, his kiss practiced. He tasted as dark and mysterious as he looked.

Kaoru was a fool to allow this to happen. But the truth was, she was helpless to stop it. All she could do was endure. But a nagging little thought came unbidden to her mind. She was not enduring; she was enjoying. His touch, his kiss, brought pleasure beyond belief. Pleasure she had never experienced until this man had stormed into her life.

This wasn't what Kenshin had planned. In fact, he had intended to keep his distance, to make absolutely certain that he didn't touch her. But now that he had, there was no turning back.

He didn't know how to be gentle. He was all rough edges and tough talking. Now that she was in his arms, he found himself wanting to be soft and easy with her. But his needs had taken over. Needs that had him holding her even tighter, and kissing her harder.

She shivered and he was instantly aware of the fact that she was wet and cold. And he was going to be responsible for her death if he didn't get her back to the cabin immediately.

What the hell had he been thinking of? The fact was, he hadn't thought at all. He'd merely reacted to this damnably enticing female.

He lifted his head and took a step back, breaking contact.

Kaoru trembled and opened her eyes.

"You'd better get back."

At his abrupt words she nodded, but her mind was still befuddled. She stood very still, staring at him. The touch of him lingered on her flesh, the taste of him on her lips.

He saw her shiver again and mistook it for cold.

"Go on home now." His words were gruff.

He stepped aside and she began to walk toward the cabin, praying her legs wouldn't fail her.

Kaoru muttered a curse for the hundredth time that morning. Two weeks had passed since the incident by the river, but she couldn't shake off the thought of Kenshin kissing her passionately. What was she thinking that night? She'd sworn off men, sworn off that man in particular. He was dangerous in a way that had nothing to do with the laws of man and everything to do with the laws of nature. He would burn her up with passion and blow the ashes away and never think of a thing about it but that she probably deserved it.

Fool. He won't give you anything but heartache. Just like Mamoru did.

Tears rose in her eyes and tried to squeeze their way past the barrier of her lashes. A tremor of hurt shuddered through her. At that moment she hated him just about as much as she hated anything. Hated him for making her want. Hated him for making her hate herself.

Kaoru then thought of his wife, Tomoe and felt a twinge of envy. What was she like? She must be perfection personified. She sensed it pained Kenshin to talk about her. It was so hard not to envy the woman he loved. If a wish could be granted, she wanted a tiny part of that love from him.

Somewhere inside the man was goodness. She knew it as well as she knew that she would never be the woman to draw it from him.

But she couldn't ignore his seeking her out. She just couldn't forget the sweet heat of his kisses.

The door swung open, a breath of morning air sweeping in and cutting across the hot, stagnant tension that had suddenly built up like a wall between them as Kenshin walked in.

She turned and looked at him expectantly. Watching him had stirred something in her. A need to reach out. Loneliness she had tried to ignore. A weakness, she thought, crushing it out ruthlessly.

"Kaoru," he murmured, stepping closer, catching the faintest hint of her perfume-elusive, sweet, sad.

"About that night by the river. I didn't mean for it to happen. I don't think it should have happened at all." Kenshin tried to swallow the knot in his throat, but couldn't and had to talk around it in the end. "But I'm not sorry."

"Wow! Aren't you a walking contradiction," Kaoru said sarcastically. She stood as stiff as a post, pride and defiance flashing in her eyes.

He lifted a hand to touch her hair and she moved a step away, just out of reach. "Kaoru-"

She held up a hand to cut him off. "You don't have to feel responsible for me, Kenshin," she said flatly. "I'm a big girl."

Kenshin looked down and ground his teeth. Dammit, he did feel responsible.

"There's no reason we shouldn't be friends," he said suddenly.

Kaoru looked at him and laughed. "You've never been friends with a woman in your life."

He flashed her a grin. "There's a first time for everything."

She shot him a sideways glance. "Sure, why not?"

Kenshin looked at her thoughtfully. "Can you tell me something?"

"Yeah, but knowing you, it won't do any good," she said mildly.

He gave her a look. "Very funny. I'm being serious here. Tell me about yourself. I want to know everything about you."

"Well, for starters, I'm from the future. Wait-" Kaoru held up her hand as Kenshin gave a snort of disbelief. "You said you wanna know everything about me, so don't interrupt."

The redhead guy nodded and leaned back against the wall. "Continue."

"My full name's Kaoru Smith Kamiya. My dad's Japanese and my mom's American."

`So that explains the blue eyes,' Kenshin thought.

"I'm---was---studying at Sakuragoaka High School in Tokyo. I was born in Texas, that's my mom's hometown, but I grew up here. My parents' met when dad's an exchange student in the U.S. My grandfather, being a traditionalist, did not approved of my mother and wanted my father to marry a Japanese. They eloped and were married in America. They only went back to Japan when I was four-years-old. By then, my grandpa grudgingly accepted my mom and insisted that we live here."

She couldn't help but smile a wry little smile, remembering how her grandfather used to call her princess.

"Are you an only child?"

Kaoru laughed. "Yes, but my father told me that he felt like he had a dozen children because I always managed to get into some kind of trouble."

"Why?" He grinned.

"I was a proper tomboy. I inherited my mother's gift of gab and my father's fiery temper. The boys were afraid of me coz' I might kick their sorry asses."

Kenshin felt sorry for the boys. He saw how Kaoru managed to fend off the lecherous advances of the men he saved her from.

"Once in a year, we would visit my relatives in Texas. My aunts and uncles loved to dance to Billy Ray Cyrus' `Achy Breaky Heart.' It was quite fun."

Kenshin frowned. "Who's Billy Ray?"

"Forget about him. Besides, you won't meet him."

He scowled at her.

Kaoru continued to tell him about her life back in the year 2002. "While shopping in New York, I love to grab a burger at the Hard Rock."

Kenshin drew his brows into a deep V. "Why do I constantly feel as if you are speaking a foreign language? What is `grabbing a burger at the hard rock' supposed to mean?"

Kaoru laughed. "The Hard Rock Café is a restaurant."

He looked aghast. "You eat at a place that advertises its food is hard as a rock?"

She laughed harder. Why hadn't she thought of that? "No, silly. It's just a name."

Kenshin told himself he was being a fool, listening to this girl's incredible tale, but the more time he spent with her, the more he began to believe her absurd stories of the future.

After hearing about things called a camera, automobile, movies, rockets and computers, he doubted if anything could take him by surprise now.

"If you still don't believe me, take a look at this." Kaoru dug into her purse and get her cell phone. "Now, that's something you won't see in this time."

Kenshin looked at the thing as if it were a rodent out to get him. "Oro! What is that?"

"'Oro'? What kind of an idiotic expression is that?"

"A unique one," he replied heatedly, then blushing profusely when he realized what he just said.

Kaoru roared with laughter.

"You did that on purpose, Kamiya." Kenshin pointed an accusing finger at her.

"Aw, come on. I was just teasing you, sugar. Besides, I think that it's a very endearing expression."

Kenshin just rolled his eyes.

She then explained to him how the cell worked. He was insatiable in his curiosity, and he asked questions faster than Kaoru could answer them.

She was beginning to be exasperated, but then realized that now that he believed Kaoru, she'd have time to tell him everything.

"This is truly amazing," Kenshin said for the tenth time looking at the phone. In spite of himself, he smiled. What other marvels did her time hold?

"Your turn," Kaoru chirped, throwing the ball in his court.

He pulled back, poker-faced. "My turn for what?"

"Details," Kaoru replied, cranking a hand around like a director prompting for action. "I'm not gonna be the only one sitting here with my figurative pants down around my ankles. Spill something, Himura."

"Like what?" he asked, scowling at her.

"Everything. Like what happened with you and Mrs. Himura."

Kenshin turned his head to look out the window. He didn't like having the tables turned, didn't like the idea of sharing parts of himself other than those he had designated for this relationship.

Okay, there was a nerve there. Kaoru could see it clearly in his icy demeanor. The guy didn't like talking about his past. She would have to be a little more subtle in her questioning.

"Please, Kenshin. What happed to your wife?" Kaoru asked imploringly.

A tic began in his jaw. "I killed her."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

FF.net is doing something to my spacing. Any idea on how I can fix it? HELP!!!

Check out my new story `Looking for Mr. Right.' It's a K+K/A+M fic.

THANKS TO JML & NightRain for all their help.*hugs & kisses*

Freddie Prinze - Hope you're happy. Ayan ha, pinagbigyan na kita. Masyado ako na-pressure. ::lol::

I also wanted to thank the following individual:

January, camila, sugarsweet143, BUNNY, Lady Night, akira-yuki0726, H.E.R., Jem13, J, Tan Kimiko, Hitokiri X, Alannah, Sujakata, Iris Strife, moonblossom, akemi, red, HnH, chibi-angel, miao-miao, Saby-chan, gracianeko, princezz kaoru, Linay, Kamimura Kaoru, Chiki, omochi, fdsa, MP, LittleDragon5, moon goddess, nemo, AngelsExist, LSR-7, KnK4ever, t.anjel, Hitokiri Tanuki-Chan, Kokoro Kakera HP, Gypsy-chan, Val, chibi-ken14, Kriska, Bunny, seamunkee, lieveit1, Yukina Kitsune, Zackire, sandy, K-chan, DarkKishi, mercyangelofdeath, Melyan, crystal-kitty2003, Geminidragon, Silver Eyes Bright, Amanda, Oroness forever, Jezika, Pochacco, Lady E, toastyann, Allie, Tamsyn, Ryoko, SoonChaos, Ahsayuni, iluv2read, Lady Calliope, Mystic Ice, Chibi_Inuyasha, Piper Petermeier.