Winter Memories

Disclaimer: Watsuki-sensei owns all. I own none. I am merely a little pion. If I were making money off this, I wouldn't still be living with my parents.
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As the sunlight spilled into their room the next day, Kaoru opened her eyes. She looked over at the still form of her sleeping ex-rurouni. 'He's getting lazy in his old age,' she thought to herself teasingly. Moving slowly and silently to keep from waking Kenshin, Kaoru disentangled herself from his arms, crawled out from under the blanket and put on a haori.

Kaoru left the room, shutting the shouji behind her. She slipped on her zori and stepped outside. It had snowed all night, covering the ground in at least two feet of the white stuff, if not more. Kaoru's heart soared. For as long as she could remember, she'd loved the snow. When she was a child, she and her father, Koshijirou had spent hours outside on days like this, having snowball fights, building snowmen and making snow angels. After he'd died, the winter had been a rather lonely time for her, but never tainted with the sorrow and blood as it was for Kenshin.

Kaoru headed to the outhouse in the chilly morning air. 'At least this place doesn't stink like in the summer,' she thought ruefully. Still she was very glad to get back inside the warm house. When Kaoru opened the shouji she found a just-awake Kenshin sitting up in the futon, rubbing his sleepy violet eyes. He looked like a little boy who'd woken up after a night of bad dreams.

When he saw Kaoru he held out his arms for her. Kaoru was in his embrace in a second, hugging him close, kissing the top of his rust-colored head and enjoying the feeling of his naked skin against her fingers. Kenshin rested his head against Kaoru's chest and closed his eyes, needing to be near her for a little while.

"Daijobu?" Kaoru asked in a half-whisper. Kenshin only response was to hug her closer. He was always like this the morning after a bad nightmare, quiet and a bit clingy, not that Kaoru minded. She'd rather have him be open about his feelings than deny that anything was wrong the way he'd used to. Besides, she enjoyed cuddling him like this; feeling the heat of his body pressed against hers and feeling his arms wrapped around her. She felt priviledged that she was the only person he felt this at ease around and that he shared these very private feelings with her and no other.

Kaoru lightly traced her fingers over Kenshin's scarred back. Kenshin flinched at the light touch. Kaoru's fingers moved from his back to either side of his ribcage and pressed in a little more. Kenshin couldn't help but crack a smile as he squirmed a bit. Kaoru smirked and then pushed Kenshin down on his back and straddled him. She launched a tickling assault on the former assassin's ribcage. Kenshin couldn't help but laugh as Kaoru mercilessly tickled him up and down his ribs and on his belly. As Kaoru tickled harder, Kenshin half-heartedly tried to squirm away from her.

"Ha hah haa Kaoruuu, daaameeeee o-ne-gaaaiii!" sputtered Kenshin, violet eyes shining and beautiful smile gracing his features. Kaoru grinned semi-sadistically, enjoying this a bit too much. 'Two can play this game,' Kenshin thought. Moving with his godlike reflexes, Kenshin was able to flip them so that Kaoru was on the bottom and he was straddling her. Then he launched his assault on her, not tickling but licking the core of her neck. Kaoru squirmed and pretended to try to get out from under him, but they both knew she liked it. The two kept up their little wrestling match until Kaoru's stomach rumbled loudly. She blushed profusely.

"Sumimasen," she said quietly.

"That's OK. I think all this wrestling's made us both a bit hungry," said Kenshin. "I'll make us some breakfast." Kaoru rolled off Kenshin. He got up and quickly pulled on a green gi that set off his titian mane nicely. Still smiling, he took Kaoru's hand and led her to the dining area.

Kenshin heated up two bowls of rice with soy sauce on it. Normally miso soup was for breakfast, but vegetables were outrageously expensive in the winter. As was their new custom, Kenshin fed Kaoru and she fed him, their arms intertwining. They'd fallen into this habit when Kaoru had had to feed Kenshin when his right arm was in the sling. Kenshin had only allowed her to feed him if she promised to return the favor when he was well. After breakfast, they washed their dishes and chopsticks and put them away. Kaoru decided that it was time for them to head outside. Today would be the beginning of a new winter's memory for Kenshin, if all went well.

"Ano, Kenshin. Would you please come outside with me? There are a few things I need to do, but I'll need your help," said Kaoru.

Kenshin wasn't really thrilled with having to go out in the cold. His thin frame made him rather vulnerable to the elements. However he could never refuse Kaoru a favor when she asked him, so he agreed to.