Part Seventeen

Anti-thanks go to Hikaru for forcing me to write this part, then begging shamelessly for certain events to take place, and yet AGAIN asking me to decapitate Megumi.
Shame on you! And no! I will not be swayed by tears! tsk..tsk..pathetic..Any mistakes at this time are HER fault as it is going on at 1:30 am when I wrote this...let's make that 3am.....
 

 "Kaoru..dono?"
 Kaoru froze in shock.  She blinked the rising tears from her eyes and watched Kenshin watch her.  Timelessly, they sat watching each other.  Kenshin's usual cheery expression was replaced by one of burning intensity as he looked at Kaoru from her red-rimmed, yet still beautifully stunning eyes, to her red lips which were caught between her teeth.  He wanted those red lips.  One of the most intoxicating things he'd discovered over the past months with living with her was her innocence.  And at the moment, more intoxicating than that was the idea that SHE wanted him at all.  He could tell from the blush that no amount of powder could cover, from the way she softly gasped each breath, surprised that she'd forgotten to breathe in the first place.  He wanted to understand her.  He wanted to ask questions.  But beneath all of that, he could feel the need she had for him surrounding him.  Her aura said things to him he wasn't even sure SHE was aware of.
 Her hands were still cupping his face, but now they shook as if she'd tried to pull them away from him, but just couldn't fight the attraction which caused them to stay as they were.  She was more terrified than she'd ever been in her life.  Any moment now, he could push her away, denounce her for the liar she was, laugh and ignore the situation like he had many times before, or he could...
 Kenshin had never wanted anything more than those red lips trembling less than an inch from his.  Kenshin momentarily closed his eyes against the feeling of WANT that came over him.  Yet closing his eyes was a mistake, for the second they did, his other senses jumped to life, her clean scent infused the air he breathed, the feel of her silky hair as it slid across his face..which reminded him of seeing her asleep that morning, when her hair slid between her lips...he wanted to slip between those lips just as lazily and drink from her.
 And then she made a mistake, she licked her lips nervously.
 What more of an invitation could he ask for?
 Using the speed that made him a legend, Himura Kenshin acted on his impulse.  Just as Kaoru's tongue sped back into her mouth, his followed..startling them both.  His hands caught the sides of her face before she could jump back and break contact.
 Not that she wanted to, her knees began to lose strength and she buckled to kneel before him,Kenshin leaned forward, their mouths never quit exploring each other.  His hands slid to her hair and began to remove the combs and such which were keeping it up.  With her hair now wild around her shoulders, Kenshin leaned towards her even more to reach her nape...where he came into contact with a smooth wooden hilt.
 Her hands had just begun to slide beneath his kimono when she felt the shock of his mouth pull away from hers, only to feel his lips caress her ear.  Before she could sigh and lean into him, he whispered, "Kaoru, don't move."  The seriousness in his voice made her freeze in place, but the sound of her name without any formality from his lips found its way into the depths of her soul to be remembered later.
 "Kawasaka Ikeda, if you do not take one step back from Kaoru, I will kill you where you stand before the breath to scream enters your body. Now step back or I will fuckin' kill you."
 Kaoru's eyes widened and her heart stopped when she realized that the wild, passionate man that she loved was replaced with a stranger.  A stranger whose amber eyes glared surpressed rage and anger towards a certain tavern owner. Kaoru was startled, however to feel his hands still caress her absently as he looked at Kawasaka grimly.  Slowly she realized that though his left hand was gliding through her hair, his right was now firmly grasping the hilt to her father's wooden sword.  Soon after, his left hand met his right beneath her hair and deftly moved in some untying motion, she didn't know what he was doing other than giving her the most exciting,tingling, yet frightening feeling along her spine.
 When his fingers brushed against her skin, she could feel electricity flow through her. And as if he knew he'd singed her, he would smooth the point of contact gently in apology.  Which in no way lessened the feeling of excitement that would flow through her.  She tried to remind herself that it was no longer Kenshin touching her, but the dreaded Battou-sai. But as she knew they were one and the same and could both melt her with a single touch.
 "Kaoru, when I push you, I want you to roll as far as possible.  Then run to the door and wait outside for Yahiko and the police to arrive." Kaoru instinctively reached out with her right hand towards Kenshin, but instead grasped the handle to his sakaba sword. Startled, she looked down to see that he'd placed his sakaba sword in her hands.  She looked up at Kenshin and he nodded. "To protect yourself." he whispered, " NOW!!"
 Faster than lightining striking, Kaoru heard the rasp of metal directly behind her and stiffened in shock.  Before she could turn to see what was going on, she was pushed off balance to the other side of Kenshin, the side farthest from Kawasaka's reach, as Kenshin shielded her form holding a very sharp katana.  Before Kawasaka could take in the fact that Kenshin was armed, but not with his own sakaba sword, Kenshin faded from view and knocked the sword in Kawasaka's hands to the ground.
 Kaoru rolled as instructed and rose on her feet. But instead of heading to the door, she stood up and faced Kenshin and Kawasaka.  Kenshin..no, Battou-sai stood behind Kawasaka with his...BLADE?  Kaoru reached behind her and grasped the wood there, she pulled it out and realized with a shock that her father's 'boukin' was nothing more than a sheathe.  In surprise, she looked down at the engraved words, "Protect the ones you love" but knew she would have to resolve this with herself later, for now, she had another problem.
 "Kenshin, let Kawasaka-san go!"  Kaoru held the sakaba sword with two hands uncomfortably aware of the weight of the sword before her.
 "No."  Kenshin's hate filled eyes met those of Kaoru, "Not until he pays for what he's done."