Rurouni Kenshin
All the stories below are:
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin:
Table: table-1


Title: .081 Fool
Characters: Kenshin/Kaoru
Prompt: .081 Fool
Word Count: 826
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Never Leave a Beautiful Woman Alone
Author's Notes: Random drabble



Kaoru adjusted the gloves on her hands for the third time, shivering a little as she waited for her date to show up. Giving into the urge, she dug out her cell phone and checked the screen. Nothing. So he hadn't called. Putting the phone back into her pocket, she shivered again. Snow was coming down in lazy flakes, silent testimony to the bitter chill in the air. Thankfully, the wind had died down to a little breeze that threatened her carefully curled hair. These sorts of things were supposed to happen on the first date, not the fifth.

Sighing, she glanced at the large clock that overlooked the little fountain and the park benches. It had had opportunity to be a romantic meeting place… if it was warmer and her date was on time. Well, she wasn't going to spend the evening looking this good outside in the snow waiting for a date that wasn't going to show. The man had had promise, but there was only so much a well-dressed woman in heels was willing to take. She had even used some of her expensive perfume.

'Well,' Kaoru thought was a sigh. 'This is why you don't dress up very often. It never works.' She wasn't entirely disappointed in missing the play he had bought tickets for. In fact, she had slightly dreaded it. Still, one didn’t turn down free dinner at the price of mild boredom. Not when all that was waiting for you at home was a cup of ramen or her choice of Healthy Choice microwaveable dinners.

Maybe she would give in and pick up take-out on the way home…

"Kaoru Kamiya," the voice was soft with surprise. “Is that you?”

Blinking, she turned around and found herself starring at a very familiar face. Kenshin Himura had been her best friend's roommate for the first semester that Sano had lived in the dorms. The quiet and serious student was best known for his skill in the kitchen. Every Monday night they would curl up on old furniture, ignore the smell of Sano’s old socks, and eat Kenshin’s world-class spaghetti.

She had only seen him occasionally since then. She didn't remember what he had majored in, or even where he had gotten his first job, but she hadn't expected to see him in Chicago of all places.

"Kenshin," for the first time that night she smiled. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I'm in town for a business conference this week," his smile showed off the dimple in his right cheek. "I decided to take a walk to clear my head before I went to find dinner. What are you doing out here?" His eyes flickered over her form, the edges of his mouth kicking up further at the sight of her heels. “I vaguely remember you hating the cold.”

"I was waiting on someone," her tone was slightly waspish. "I think his time is up."

Those curiously pale eyes of his blinked. "He had you meet him… here? In the cold?”

Kaoru shrugged and shoved her hands into her pockets.

"So you haven't eaten then?" Kenshin questioned, a brow kicking up into his hairline in a familiar expression. Making a face as she reached upwards to shove a stray curl behind her hear, she shook her head.

"No."

Clicking his tongue, he moved forward. "Knowing you, you're probably going to go home and indulge in a cup of ramen."

Kaoru stuck her tongue out. "You make it sound like such a horrible fate."

"It is," he replied, "which is why I'm going to take you out to dinner."

Kaoru lifted both brows. "Is that so?" It was difficult to hold in her smile with him sounding so mischievous, but when she looked up, realizing how close he was suddenly, her mouth ran dry. It had been a long time since she had seen Kenshin Himura, and he carried the years well. His features were still those wonderfully smooth lines, and those curious indigo-violet eyes smiled at her. The wind carried the faint scent of spicy cologne.

"It would be a pleasure to spend the evening with you, Kaoru."

Her breath caught in her throat at the low timbre to his voice before she smiled. "I would like that."

"Good," he murmured, tucking her arm into his as he lead her away from the little park. "I would have hated to call in an old favor."

Bumping his shoulder with hers, she scowled. "You wouldn't!” That had been a particularly embarrassing favor and her cheeks flushed pink with more than the cold.

Mischief danced in his eyes, even if his face was completely series. "Never underestimate the lengths a man will go to have dinner with a beautiful woman."

Kaoru snorted, but didn't pull away as they walked towards the parked vehicles.

She couldn't say she was the least bit disappointed that when her date eventually arrived, she wouldn't be there.



Title: .082 Afraid
Characters: Kenshin/Kaoru
Prompt: .082 Afraid
Word Count: 1409
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Sidhe!Kenshin
Author's Notes: Random drabble



He settled on the railing of her balcony, content in the knowledge that she couldn’t see him. With the lights on her in her apartment she would be lucky to see anything that in the night. The streetlights were too dim, the cloud coverings were too thick…no light to penetrate behind him and give away his position. It was the only contentment that he could be assured. That he could watch her unaware all night if he chose.

She wore a pair of old jeans that had been bought several sizes ago. They clung tightly with an old familiarity to the curves of her thighs and the shape of her backside. She left them unbuttoned and they showed off the top of her rubber ducky panties. His teeth flashed in an amused smile. There were matching holes in her knees and her feet were bare. Chipped dark purple toenail polish contrasted against her pale skin as she rose up on her tip toes to reach the book she has been hunting for the last five minutes.

Her hips were still smoothly rounded. Her waist was a little lean showing her diet of ramen and her unceasing regiment of running and jumping rope. The running was done in the morning when it was still cold enough to see her breath and the jumping of rope occurred for as long as her downstairs neighbor would put up with it. So far she had hit a solid five minutes before the banging started and another three before she finally stopped.

She had cut her hair.

He had mourned the loss but saw the move as practical from her standpoint. Instead of hitting somewhere above those hips it now lingered only an inch or so below her shoulders. She had cried when she came home but there had been a determined expression in her eyes. The bottle of dye she had set in her desk drawer and refused to touch.

He wondered how long she would run. Either from herself or from her past, he wasn’t sure what scared her more. She didn’t see much sunlight anymore and her skin was pale. Cream with only a faint tint of gold to contrast her big blue eyes and black hair. She saved her one dollar bills religiously and grocery shopped only when she had to. Then she came home with crates of ramen and a gallon of ice cream. Dutch Chocolate if she was happy and Double Fudge Chunky Swirls if she was depressed. The ice cream never lasted as long as the ramen. Occasionally there was a box of donuts or a container of store bought sandwich meat. She never made a sandwich, instead eating the meat straight from the container with a few pieces of cheese.

He watched the way her muscles shifted under her skin, detracted only from the dark blue sports bra she wore. There were soft bruises ringed along her elbow and his eyes narrowed into golden slits as he considered what could cause that sort of damage. There had been a steady haunted expression in her eyes recently and his palms itched to take care of the problem himself.

He knew he would in time.

Just as he knew it was only a matter of time before she let him into her life fully. Already he was carefully weaving himself where it mattered. He unsettled her, worried her to the point of distraction, but she hadn’t pushed him aside yet. There was something needy in her eyes…something terrified and desperate.

Terrified because of the reaction he brought to her blood. Desperate because if he left she was frightened that she would never discover what was between them. He knew she was attempting to find something to use against him, to find a way out. He was careful to keep from giving her those reasons. She need never know of his constant vigil. She knew his nature but she didn’t understand it. Not the way she would need to if she was to escape from him. He had been carefully weaving this web for months, each step careful, calculated.

Why would she wish to live without him? The question was one he knew she debated over daily, startled and frightened by how well he maneuvered her into things she was uncertain of. She wasn’t against change but the idea of going into something unknown was a fear that had started long before he had met her.

A smile tilted the edges of his lips.

The lines of her body were so neat.

She had finally chosen the couch as her resting point and sprawled out on her back to read. It was late and she was tired. One leg had been thrown over the low back of the couch and the other rested on the arm. Her toes wiggled occasionally as she turned the page. How many nights had she fallen asleep on that ridiculous couch with all the lights on, to wake at some wee hour of the morning to stumble to bed?

He admired the way her body lay. She was relaxed and content and the nervous energy of before had smoothed away. Her feet were small and narrow. Her hands were slender but held the calluses of both work and her hobby of playing with a piece of wood. It was a defense against both her insecurities and her past so he said nothing. He preferred live steel but that was his prerogative.

The book was settled against her chest and she had closed her eyes. Those ridiculous pants couldn’t be comfortable to sleep in. Unwinding his limbs he settled onto the floor easily. The press of a hand and the force of will unlocked and opened the glass door silently. He didn’t bother to shut the door behind him.

Moving forward he murmured her name softly, and sleepy blue eyes opened a heartbeat before he reached down and lifted her from the couch. She breathed his name against his neck in unguarded, unconscious welcome. Her body was warm after he had sat in the cold and he carried her easily to her room. One hand pulled back the patched comforter and cotton sheets that were threadbare from too many washings. Once he had settled her onto the bed he brushed her bangs away from sleepy eyes and traced his fingers across the lines of her jaw and down her neck until he came to her collarbones. Her chest heaved in a sigh and her eyes fluttered closed as his fingers danced along the delicate bones, his second hand rising to join the fingers of his first.

He ghosted his hands down the sides of her breasts and let his palms smooth the curve of waist and hip and the lines of her ribs. Hooking his fingers into the material of her pants he gave a firm tug, easing them down the line of her legs easily. She made a noise of protest in the back of her throat, her eyes not quite opening, and he answered it was a faint rumble in the back of his own throat. He threw the jeans into a corner of the room and let his eyes linger on the clean lines of her body for long moments before pulling the covers up over her relaxed figure. Indulging himself a little, he leaned in and nibbled on the corner of her mouth until she sighed his named again in a sleep slurred voice.

Stroking his thumb across her cheekbone, he stayed until he was sure she was asleep. The corners of his mouth tilted upwards in a small, possessive smile that would have alarmed her has she been awake to see it. Humming a little under his breath, he turned the lights out, unplugged her alarm clock, and locked all the windows and doors behind him. Standing on her balcony he breathed in deeply, rolling his neck in a satisfied move.

The first time he had dropped in on her she had refused to even closer her eyes until he had pretended to leave. Jumping up onto the railing the flashed a satisfied smile into the darkness. It wouldn’t be long now.

He never gave up what was given into his keeping.

Slipping back into the shadows, he went to find something worthy of being his prey to work off some of his excess excitement. It wouldn’t be long now.


Title: .084 Sex
Characters: Kenshin/Kaoru
Prompt: .084 Sex
Word Count: 201
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Not much here…
Author's Notes: Random drabble



Skin pressed against naked skin with a slide that heated blood. Slick, wet flesh rubbed and twisted, tongues tangled as fingers clenched in long strands of hair. Nails dug into muscle and skin – marking, cherishing, and needing. Muscles clenched and pulled, shivering. The slow slide of cloth revealing more skin. Teeth nibbled and grazed. Bruised lips brushed faint stubble, callused finger tips and palms explored textures of skin and scar. Strength bent captured strength. Tamed it. Tasted it. Craved it.

The soft slide of sheets against sensitive nerve endings, the soft stroke of tongue against skin. Tension – hot and tight – coiling low and frantic, bodies heaved and pressed.

Vibrations of sound: a low hiss, followed by a muffled moan, panting, uneven breaths. Uneven murmurings. A grunt of exertion. A low wail. The squeak of springs. The rustle of sheets. The soundless noise of a pillow hitting the floor. Whispered words: demands, questions, begging...

Screams.

Gasping. Low whispers of sound.

Breath against skin. Hot, moist heat against hotter, wet skin. The slow slide of a hand against hip. Fingers curling in tangled, sweat damp hair. Sheets rustling. A sigh of satisfaction. A mummer of amusement. Soft, whispered breaths against sensitive skin.

Silence.



Title: .087 Genius
Characters: Kenshin/Kaoru
Prompt: .087 Genius
Word Count: 2449
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Vending Machine Angels
Author's Notes: Random drabble



Kaoru stared at the vending machine in front of her. It was an entity of darkness. If it had a soul, it would have been sold to the dark and it would have enjoyed it! It wasn’t as if it was innocent.

Oh no.

Its first sin was that clear, plastic cover. It just sat there, content to let its prey come to it, like one of those hopping spiders. It knew its own allure. It didn’t bother to camouflage itself. It had something even more tempting: chocolate.

Chocolate that was cleverly packaged with bright colors to catch your attention. Even if you didn’t want chocolate, you were forced to stop and stare with the sort of dull acknowledgement of life giving blood between classes. It was freedom. It was liberation. It was redemption from the boring lectures that rang meaninglessly through your brain even after you have left the classroom.

The gates of hell cleverly disguised as slots for quarters or dollars guarded the goods.

Assuming you had change, you could only bribe the machine to operate if the coins were in silver: quarters, dimes and nickels. Pennies were an unacceptable tribute. The temptation before you mocked your efforts to dig through your bag, looking for any small, silver piece that might have slipped between the pages of a book or hidden by your chapstick.

If you had a dollar, only prayer and the cleverest of unwrinkling techniques disguised as worship would convince the gates to actually accept your dollar. Time and time again, it would taste your pain and spit it back out.

Yet, the gates were not its most clever defense. Eventually, you breeched the gates, and once that lingering taste of victory sat on your tongue you watched the little turns and knobs twisted your hard-earned spoils in your direction…

And stopped.

Frustration.

No matter how many times you ‘bump’ the machine, it refuses to give into your demands. It continues to mock you, the reward you crave hanging on by a thread and refusing to move.

Starring at the candy bar that was her only source of life for the next, extremely boring lecture, Kaoru kicked the machine in frustration. This was why universities only gave you a few moments’ in-between classes. They who sat at the front of the class with their little bags of pretzels and their water bottles, the mocking smile of someone who knows that the vending machine claimed a new victim…

The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled her out of her frustrated glower. Turning around, she stared at the person who dared interrupt her attempt to subdue the machine into behaving. Vaguely recognizing the person, she watched slightly stupefied as he reached over and rocked the machine with a well-executed flex of muscle.

The sound of something hitting the bottom of the machine twisted her back around to stare where the candy bar had been. Blinking, she looked back over at the redhead who offered her a faintly charming smile, nodded his head, and walked away.

Vending machine angels really do exist.




Title: .092 Trap
Characters: Kenshin/Kaoru
Prompt: .092 Trap
Word Count: 12,842
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Midsummers Eve is never the best time to get lost…
Author's Notes: Sidhe!Kenshin


Kaoru felt like kicking the ground. Except of course, the ground was innocent of the crimes that had her outside in the pouring rain clad in nothing more than the silk dress Megumi had let her borrow for her date. The date she hadn’t wanted to go on anyway with one of Megumi’s coworkers. The dress was ruined, she had lost her shoes half an hour ago, and it was cold.

The thin wrap jacket wasn’t doing much besides giving her something to hold close to her skin that was drenched through. It was summer. It was supposed to have only warm, occasional storms, not this! Even the cell phone in her pocket had betrayed her twenty minutes ago.

Still, even if it had meant a nice warm ride home, there was no way she would go back and beg him for a ride. Teeth clenching together, a reaction to her anger and the cold, she stomped along the path. Her bare toes digging into mud. Just the idea that he had the gall to take her down some dirt road in the hope to feel her up…

This wasn’t helping. If she could just figure out where in the hell he had brought her before she had been forced to bail…

‘What about that man was comfortable enough that you dosed off?’ Kaoru groaned mentally. ‘You know the rules! Falling isn’t in the top five of what to do!’ Except that work had been grueling this week. If she wanted to make this months payment on the dojo so she could get it back from the bank, she had to work overtime. Overtime was exhausting.

Feeling miserable, the urge to sit down and just cry strong enough she had to bite her bottom lip as a distraction. Concentrating on the fact that she was out in the middle of nowhere, no idea where she was, and in a rainstorm would just send her into hysterics. She needed to find something else to concentrate on. Wrapping her arms around her body, she looked around the path for something, anything, to lock onto besides the endless darkness occasionally highlighted by lightening.

There.

Continuing to shiver in a bone jarring manner, she peered through the rain fall and blinked several times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. When the flickering lights continued to manifest before her hopefully numb expression she trudged on. It took some time to get where she wanted to go, the lack of road slowing her down. Her feet weren’t used to rocks and sticks, and the occasional odd something that just hurt.

The ground was softer once she got off the road. She was sure that the chattering of her teeth would have surely caught the attention of someone in the house it was so loud in her own ears, but besides the warm glimmering lights through the odd windows, nothing.
As she approached, her stomach fluttered nervously. Licking her wet lips, she looked around. She had always trusted her gut, and something told her something was off…

Except she couldn’t find it and she was out of choices.

It had to be nerves. Walking to a strange home in a strange place, it had to be nerves. Except the little niggling doubt wouldn’t go away…

‘You don’t have much choice.’ Kaoru thought with a sigh. ‘Let’s just get this over with. The sooner you do, the sooner you can call someone to come and get you. If he is a serial killer… ’ It was really just best not to think about that.

Kaoru walked up to the door that logically looked like it was the front, and rapped her knuckles across the wood. While she waited for someone to answer her knocking, she scanned the side of the house she could see. No sign of a garage or a car. Maybe it was separate from the house?

She sighed in relief when she heard the sounds of locks being turned. Giving herself a mental pep talk, she ducked her head when the light almost blinded her. Blinking several times, she finally looked back up. Watching her with a bit of bemusement in his face was a rather short man.

Her plan to use his phone fled her mind. The nerves fluttering in her stomach increased and she took a deep breath to steady herself. When he didn’t say anything, just watched her with that dark brow kicked up in question, she found the words.

“I would like to borrow an umbrella.”

“An umbrella?” There was the faintest hint of disbelief in his amusement in his voice, his eyes leaving her face to flicker out to the storm. Starring at him, trying to read his features, she frowned when something wavered over his face. Her imagination.

“It’s raining,” Kaoru explained in her best teachers-to-idiotic-student voice, unable to explain her feeling of alarm. “I apologize for interrupting your evening, but I have a ways to go.” She bit her lip. “I can stop at the next house and ask for one if you don’t have one.”

“No,” he said, the edges of his mouth curving. “I should have one. Why don’t you come in out of the rain?” His eyes flickered down her outfit. “I might even have a jacket.”

Still feeling suspicious, her gut always knew something she didn’t, Kaoru stared at him. “You’re not a serial killer are you? Because that would really be the perfect ending to my evening…” she eyed his walls to see if he had any paintings on human skin or however people knew a serial killer lived in a home. His soft laughter greeted her as he shut the door as she stepped into his home, something about him or the home setting her teeth on edge.

“I have a fire going if you would care to warm up,” he said with an easy smile on his face, the edges of his blue eyes crinkling. “Let me get you some towels…”

She blinked as a warm hand was settled into the small of her back and she was ushered into the living room. The room was made up of hand carved wooden furniture and old glass tables. The sort of glass that looked like it had been blown, so it was thick and slightly imperfect, instead of the mass produced glass she was used to. Antiques. There were several fur rugs on the wood floors, and all of the wall hangings were paintings or sketches of nature. Many of the themes were mythical. One of them was a water sprite rising from the river. She tried to decide if a mystical naked woman was still art-porn or just a male issue.

“Here are those towels,” his voice startled her out of watching the nymph. She could have sworn the edges of the water were moving. ‘Too much time in the rain, Kamiya…’ He set them on the hearth.

“I also brought a sweater if you wanted to warm up a little. I am afraid I can’t find an umbrella, but I will be happy to call a taxi for you Miss…”

Her stomach was doing that funny thing again. For some reason, giving him her name seemed dangerous. Watching him for a long moment she finally sighed.

“Kamiya,” she ignored the way the edges of his lips curved with amusement. “A cab would be lovely.” He nodded his head and Kaoru watched him leave feeling a bit disturbed.

As he turned away from her, Kaoru tried to figure out what was putting her on edge. His appearance was perfectly normal. Dark reddish-brown hair that went well with his blue eyes, even if his hair was longer than average; even good looks and a strong jaw lent his face character. Maybe she had simply been watching too many B horror movies and kept expecting him to sprout fangs or something…

‘Oh just admit it, this entire night has been creeping you out. You started out the evening with the scum of the earth and now you want to include every human being without breasts into that category as well.’ It wasn’t helping that this place had an old earthy feeling to it, that the wide glass windows were seamless that allowed her to see the vegetation slapping against it from the rain. ‘You’re just tired and jumping at shadows and very cold…’

Picking up a towel, she ran it through her tangled hair in an attempt to remove as much water as she could before trying in vein to pat herself dry. ‘Tomorrow I am going to call Megumi and give her an earful…’

Something had her looking up, and she wasn’t certain she should have been surprised to find the redhead watching her. There was something about the way he had moved that had been so quiet. It wasn’t exactly human grace.

“My phone line is down,” his face and voice were apologetic. “This far out into the country does odd things. It should be back up in a little bit.” Kaoru frowned and twisted her fingers in the damp towel she had used to soak up some of the rain from her hair.

“I can finish the walk into town,” she finally decided, “its just rain,” the fact that the sky was rumbling with thunder made her a little nervous, but not nearly as nervous as spending a long time with this man.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea. There are several large predators out at this time of night,” he said carefully. “It would be best if you stayed here until the phones are working again. I can offer you something warm to drink and a change of clothes?” He spread his hands in invitation and Kaoru rubbed her eyes. There was nothing wrong with that invitation.

“I had a date….” Kaoru said finally. “Do you think he would drive by here?”

Had he already? She didn’t feel like asking, but perhaps jumping out of the car and stomping off while her date’s nose bleed profusely hadn’t been the best of ideas. Her earlier fury was fading and coming on its heels was the realization that her temper had gotten her into trouble again. Kaoru lifted a brow as she waited for the man to speak.

Now that she thought about it, he hadn’t told her his name yet…

“I haven’t seen sign of anyone except you tonight, Miss Kamiya,” there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. Was that a flicker of yellow behind the blue? “My neighbors are few and far between this far into the countryside.”

“Oh…are we that far from town?” Her brows tucked together as she attempted to estimate how long exactly she had napped in the car. Covering her unease, she pulled the sweater he had given her over her head. Even with his sweater on she felt a little vulnerable and she was still very damp in places that were fairly uncomfortable.

“A good… half-hour’s drive I would say.” He agreed. “I think it’s worth it, however. Let me find you something to wear other than that sweater and you can change into. It’s going to take some time for the phones to turn on and then some more time for that taxi to make its way up here.” He gave her a slight smile and turned on his heel and disappeared down a hall.

Kaoru frowned. She hadn’t told him she was going to stay. Maybe the weather would clear up. A half-hour drive was a long hike and the cellphone she had in her little clutch bag was drenched through. Even if it worked once the battery was dry, there was no guarantee it would get reception this far into the woods.

Kaoru sighed, rubbing her face. She had to be a mess. Lifting a finger she wiped below her eye and was relieved that all of her makeup seemed to have washed off. It would have been embarrassing to show up looking like she had been mugged. ‘Why are you suddenly worried about that?’

“Miss Kamiya?”

She turned and found him half-in the room, his body angled towards a different hallway.

“The guest bathroom is this way,” he offered, tilting his head to follow the line of his shoulders. She moved forward and was thankful that the rain had rinsed her feet as she walked up the cobblestone path.

“If you give me your things I will dry them.” He suggested as he led her into a well lit little bathroom. The tub was curious and if she didn’t look at it straight on there was something off about it from the corner of her eyes.

“Thank you, but I think the dress is doomed,” Kaoru said. She turned and offered him a faint smile. “I do appreciate your concern…” she let the sentence hang, waiting for some sort of an answer. Using his tactic against him.

“You may call me Kenshin.” He told her. “I’ll make that drink while you change.”

The door closed behind him.

…..

Kenshin moved into the kitchen unable to help the small, satisfied smile playing across his lips. This Miss Kamiya really was unaware of what she was getting herself into. It was the most amusement he had had all year. His first problem had been being forced to deal with that nitwit who wanted the throne from her brother and then the utter boredom that came with leaving behind the stupidity of high court. Now, on a night that most humans rightly stayed indoors… this little human female had decided to knock on his door.

He pulled the ground coco powder from his cabinets and set about making her a warm drink. He was hard pressed to hold his amusement in check, but the house responded to it, the lights flickering in question. There was a startled yelp from the bathroom and he finally allowed himself to relax a little.

Apparently she was a little clumsy. He liked a little clumsy. Perfection was another one of those boring things too many women strove for. When she walked back out of the bathroom she had tied her hair back and was rubbing her hip. She looked like a teenager in his clothing.

“I made hot chocolate,” he told her easily, the human term rolling from his tongue smoothly. Effortlessly. “Why don’t you go back to the fire and I will bring it in when I am finished?”

Those curiously bright eyes stared at him with that curious quiet watchfulness.

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?”

The little human was naturally suspicious, but that just made it more fun. She was either suspicious that he would put something into the drink or she just didn’t trust strangers. Putting something into the drink would break the rules and take away the game. Then he would have to give up the prize.

“Please,” he said as he turned away, “make yourself comfortable. For as long as you are here, my home is your home.”

He couldn’t quite suppress his smile this time.

…..

Kaoru glanced at the clock and frowned when she realized it was only a little past midnight. It felt like it was so much later. The nap from earlier that evening wasn’t helping to keep her awake. The slow nervous fluttering in her stomach was still there, but it was starting to ease.

She supposed it was the house that had her one edge. The shadows just weren’t lining up with what her head told her should be there. Kenshin had done his best to get her to relax, bringing out the drinks and a blanket for her feet.

She was just being paranoid.

….

Kenshin slanted another glance at his guest. Internal amused had his mouth curving again. She really was a stubborn little package. To his entertainment, she had been fighting the sudden lack of stress and the warmth of his home; her lashes fluttering close only to snap open a moment later. Forcing his expression into something a human would be comfortable with, he set his book down.

“I’m going to straighten up the kitchen,” he was careful to keep the pitch of his voice smooth so not to wake her any more than necessary. “If you need anything, just ask.”

He cleaned slowly, willing to give her time to herself. They were always more comfortable alone. The mugs were set back in place, the ground cacao put away and the pot cleaned. Wiping his hands clean, he examined the storm outside through a window with a smile.

Moving back into the living room he let a different smile all together curve along his mouth. She had sprawled out across his couch, her head cushioned on the arm of the couch. She had apparently been watching the fire when she fell asleep, the blanket only covering from her hips down to her feet. Her round features, so different from sidhe women, were smooth in sleep.

With a groan, he let the hold on his illusion magic slip. His home shifted in thankfulness and the itch behind his eyes finally stopped. Moving to his prize in two quick steps, he chuckled as the girl made a noise as he picked her up.

Protesting even in sleep. Pity it wouldn’t help her.

She settled after a moment, the faint rumblings of amusement in his chest calming her.

A thought cancelled the flames in his fire as he moved back towards the bedroom.