Awakenings

A/N I will be going out of town for a few days, so it will probably be at least a week til my next update. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any characters created by Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Warnings: Sensuality, but no lemon this chapter. Sorry.

Previously

“Kaoru-san, I was a geisha for some years before I married, and I know quite a bit about men. I would be pleased to teach you. Realize that any action you take will also ensure the happiness of Himura-san. There are some things that cannot be left to chance.”

Kaoru looked at Tokio for a moment as she considered her words, then bowed low before her. “Tokio-sensei, I gratefully accept, and I pledge to faithfully learn all that you will teach me.”

“Excellent” Tokio said smiling. “Now, let’s begin with the basics…….”

End Chapter 3

Awakenings

By EmbersOfAmber

Chapter 4

The Novice

“Your first lesson will be to learn about yourself, Kaoru-san. You must become an expert on you, because only then can you teach the man you love all that you must. When you next lie in your bath, I want you to close your eyes and focus on yourself. Learn your own body, and what gives you pleasure. Use your hands as though they belonged to your lover, and imagine how you would want him to touch you. Concentrate on each sensation, and memorize the ones that affect you the most.”

Noting the embarrassed blush on the younger woman, Tokio continued, “There is no shame in this, Kaoru-san, treat this assignment as seriously as you would a kendo lesson, for it is just as important. Are you willing?”

“Yes” Kaoru answered in a firm voice despite the lingering blush.

“Very good. Now, the next thing I want you to do, is to get into his personal space a bit at a time. Do you understand what I mean?” When Kaoru shook her head in the negative, Tokio continued, moving gracefully to sit closer to her. “I want you to sit nearer to him than you normally would, just as I am doing with you. Allow your fingers to innocently brush against his; when you pour his tea, lean into him enough so that he can smell your perfume.

“I guarantee that all these things will greatly affect him, and even more so if it appears you have done it all in careless innocence. Remember that you are not a strumpet trying to seduce a man off the street, but rather, you are gently trying to draw Himura-san’s feelings of love to the surface until he can no longer suppress them. This is your ultimate goal. These small touches can have a tremendous effect on a man, and knock down any walls he has erected. When you have completed these tasks, come back, and we will continue your lessons.”

“Thank you Tokio-san, I will do my best.” Kaoru said with a weak smile.

“Do not worry, Kaoru-san, you have more power then you know, you merely need to practice in order to wield it fully. You would have made a brilliant geisha” Tokio said smiling, while reaching over to give a reassuring hug.

XXX XXX XXX

Kenshin finished placing the last of the ingredients into the pot. He really hoped everything went smoothly with dinner, but he couldn’t seem to shake a nervous anxiety that clung to him.

‘What do I have to be concerned about? Kaoru and I have always been comfortable around each other.’ he told himself. Yet, he had to admit that his own nervousness sprung from Kaoru’s oddly fidgety behavior when she arrived home.

She had been twisting her fingers together and looking everywhere but at him. Then, she had suddenly looked him straight in the eye in a way that had his heart pounding loudly in his ears. She walked right up to him til she was nearly pressed against him, then caressed his hair softly. Or so he thought, til she withdrew her hand from his hair and held a leaf right up in front of him; then she turned with a smile and walked away.

He had nearly made an ass of himself by leaning forward to kiss her when he caught sight of the damn leaf. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel her warmth pressed against him and smell the sweet fragrance that was so much a part of her. He swallowed against a suddenly dry throat. Forcing his mind back to the present, he focused on finishing dinner before Kaoru emerged from the bath.

“Hmmm. Kaoru in the bath…..” he groaned.

XXX XXX XXX

Kaoru walked into the bathhouse and placed her clothing on the low stool. Brow furrowed in thought, she disrobed slowly. She had been so nervous when she first entered the dojo. With her ears still ringing with Tokio’s instructions, she just hadn’t been prepared to face Kenshin. Her mind was in a whirl with all the new information, and her thoughts seemed to wrap her in a cocoon of distraction.

In desperation, she latched onto the last thing she remembered hearing; ‘Get into his personal space…’ She knew Kami-sama was on her side when she looked up and caught sight of the leaf peeking out of his mass of scarlet hair: a perfect innocent justification to touch him. Her body seemed to move on it’s own until she was as close as she could get to Kenshin, then her hand was in his hair. Who knew it would be so soft? And the look in his eyes….

Shaking her head slightly, she realized she was just standing there naked, so she moved to begin washing herself. After fully wetting herself, she soaped her hands.

‘Well, here goes.’ she thought. Sitting with her legs under her as she did in a kimono, she began to run her hands across her knees, then closing her eyes, she blocked out everything but the feel of her body. She ghosted her hands slowly up her thighs, and then onto her stomach. She shivered, but not from cold. Kaoru opened her eyes and looked down at the goose bumps on her arms and legs.

‘Interesting.’ Closing her eyes once more, she hugged herself, then slowly slid her hands down her arms until her fingertips slipped over each other. She reached her hands down to her belly again, and then cupped her breasts, running her fingertips around each nipple. She shuddered from the sensations. Her heart was beating loudly, and she became aware of each beat, down low, between her legs.

She hesitated for a moment, then allowed her hands to move to where she felt the insistent thudding of her heart. Her fingers touched her womanhood in a slow seeking, that flooded her with sensation. When her finger slipped between the folds, she jerked at the sudden shock of pleasure. This was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, so she cautiously repeated the movement. Her eyes shot open at the intensity of what she was feeling.

‘Is there more?’ she wondered. Taking a breath, she concentrated on the sensations produced by the movement of her hands. Catching her lip between her teeth, her eyes fluttered closed again when she imagined Kenshin’s face and hands as she lost herself in her body. She distantly registered the sound of labored breathing, followed by a breathy moan. A maelstrom of pleasure enveloped her, and she trembled til the sensations increased beyond what she could bear. Spasms rippled through her and a louder moan spilled from her mouth, returning her to her surroundings.

She stilled her hands as she floated through the aftershocks, and opened her eyes languidly. Kaoru sucked in a ragged breath, then felt a smile on her lips. “Mou! No wonder people marry so young.” she said aloud. She rinsed off all the soap and quickly washed her hair, then walked on shaky legs to sink into the furo.

Settling into the hot water, she idly began running her fingertips over her lips. Kaoru was really curious now. If merely touching herself could produce such a reaction, what would happen if Kenshin touched her? Shivering at the thought of his strong hands on her, she cupped her breast. Giving herself over to the fantasy in her mind’s eye, she let instinct guide her hands as she learned another lesson in pleasure.

XXX XXX XXX

Kenshin paced out of the kitchen for the third time over the past five minutes, looking towards the bath house. “What can be taking so long?” he wondered. Dinner had been ready and waiting for more than a half hour, with still no sign of Kaoru coming out of the bath.

‘Maybe she fell asleep again lying in the furo. I’ll just go and make sure she is alright.’ he decided. Walking with his usual silent grace, he stopped outside the bath house and listened. Hearing nothing, he raised his hand to knock when he was suddenly looking up at the night sky.

“Kenshin! Kenshin, are you alright?” Kaoru cried, leaning over and taking his face in her hands.

“I’m sorry Kenshin, I didn’t know you were right behind the door. Say something!” Kaoru said, shaking him slightly.

“Oro” Kenshin moaned while trying to push himself upright. Kaoru grabbed his shoulders to help him sit up, then started running her hands over the back of his head to check for bumps.

Taking her hands in his to stop her frenzied movement, Kenshin stood smoothly to his feet, bringing Kaoru up with him. He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze before releasing them to straighten his clothing. He smiled at Kaoru’s worried look.

“Sessha is fine. I just wanted to come tell you dinner is ready.” Kenshin rubbed his head a bit, then smiled ruefully. “Next time, sessha will just shout.”

Kaoru couldn’t help but laugh.

XXX XXX XXX

“This is really wonderful, Kenshin.” Kaoru said happily, taking another bite of the tenderly cooked beef. It was her favorite dish. In fact, Kaoru noted they were all her favorite dishes. She turned to look at Kenshin, but he was grinning at her happily.

“Sessha is glad you are enjoying it, Kaoru. Would you perhaps like to take a walk with sessha after dinner?”

“Of course, Kenshin! That would be lovely.” Kaoru couldn’t believe how wonderful the evening was turning out. Kenshin seemed to be paying her more attention than he usually did. ‘Maybe the personal space advice really did work.’ she mused.

‘Just how far can I push you, Kenshin?’ Kaoru wondered, while looking at him from under the fall of her black tresses, which she had brushed out and left down for the evening. She moved over to take some more meat, and settled herself closer to him with her thigh pressing against his. Looking innocently over to the other side of the room while chewing, she felt his eyes on her, but pretended not to notice.

“Would you like some tea, Kenshin?” Kaoru asked, turning to look at him. She had made it herself with the packet Megumi had given her, and she hoped it would give them both a restful night.

He nodded wordlessly, so she leaned further toward him while pouring his tea. Handing him his cup, she allowed her fingers to linger on his for several seconds longer than usual. She noted the unusually serious look he was wearing, then turned to her own tea with a slightly smug smile.

“I saw you walking across the river with a lady today. Was she the mother of one of your students?” Kenshin inquired, then sipped his tea.

Kaoru looked slightly startled. “Um, no, actually I met her at the clinic today, then went to her house to have tea. Her little boy knocked me right off my feet, and she felt bad.” she said with a laugh. “Her name is Tokio.” she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Tokio?” Kenshin asked with furrowed brows. There was something familiar about that name.

“Yes, Fujita Tokio.” Kaoru drawled. “Guess who her husband is!”

A second passed, and then Kenshin gasped. “Saitou!” he cried.

“Mm hmmm” she said with her lips pressed to her tea cup.

“So that’s Buddha.” Kenshin muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” Kaoru asked.

“Uh, nothing. May sessha have more tea Kaoru?” Kenshin asked quickly, placing his cup on the low table.

“Certainly, Kenshin” Kaoru said while gracefully lifting the teapot. Pouring the tea into his cup, she glanced up at him, and was startled to see Kenshin giving her a very heated look. He looked ready to devour her! Kenshin had never looked at her like that, and she felt the heat rising in her cheeks and goose bumps on her arms.

“Kaoru!” Kenshin said sharply. She looked down to see that she had not only filled his cup, but then continued to dump tea all over the place. She had been so mesmerized by him, she had been unaware of what she was doing.

“Dammit” she hissed under her breath. She put the teapot down with a thunk, then looked up when she heard Kenshin chuckling. She felt her irritation rise.

‘Who does he think he is, looking at me like that, then laughing at my expense’ she huffed to herself.

She looked at Kenshin, more than ready to yell at him, but stopped when she saw his eyes. He was looking at her with such a tender openness, and a genuine smile. She felt her anger drain away in a rush as she was once again trapped in his gaze.

Time seemed to freeze as Kenshin leaned forward and pushed a raven lock of hair behind Kaoru’s ear so it wouldn’t obscure his view of her face. Her eyes widened as he came close enough for her to feel his breath. She was a slave to his violet depths. She was powerless to tear herself from his gaze, when suddenly his mouth twitched, and she found herself contemplating his lips. They looked so soft. Why had she never noticed how much fuller his bottom lip was?

His lips widened into a smile, and she looked up into amused violet eyes that were twinkling with mischief. She looked at the floor, embarrassed to be caught staring at his lips.

‘I thought he was the one who was supposed to get flustered, not me!’ she thought.

“Sessha will clean this up, then we can go for a walk, Kaoru-dono.” Kenshin said as he stood.

“Yes, Kenshin-sama!” Kaoru said in a syrupy sweet voice, that was almost a perfect imitation of Misao.

Kenshin chuckled as he walked away to do the dishes.

XXX XXX XXX

Kenshin and Kaoru walked slowly towards the river, sneaking glances at each other. Kaoru continued her campaign to be as close to Kenshin as possible, and touch him as much as she could. Unfortunately, she wasn’t very good at being subtle, and Kenshin had figured out what she was doing not long into dinner. He was very amused that Kaoru was being so aggressive, but it surprised him. He was also thoroughly enjoying the closeness and her seemingly innocent caresses.

He felt a warm glow all over him, as though he had drunk several cups of sake. He looked over at Kaoru again, and she turned and grinned at him. She took two steps forward, then flung her arms out and her head back and spun around in a circle. She stopped suddenly and swayed as she burst into giggles. Kenshin couldn’t keep the wide grin off his face at the sight. She was like a giddy six-year-old, and she was absolutely adorable.

Spinning even faster the second time, she lost her balance, and Kenshin moved forward quickly to catch her.

“Thank you, Kenshin.” she laughed breathlessly. “I haven’t done that in a really long time. I just suddenly feel so free tonight!” she threw her head back and giggled, then threw her arms around Kenshin’s neck.

“Spin me” she said. Kenshin shrugged and lifted her up and spun her around twice, then set her down neatly on her feet.

“Wheeeee!” Kaoru screamed before collapsing against his chest and falling into more giggles. “Mmmmm, you smell good.” she said, sticking her nose against Kenshin’s neck and inhaling.

Kenshin gently grasped her shoulders and moved her back so he could look at her face. He scrutinized her carefully. Her cheeks were pink, she was still giggling, and her eyes seemed slightly glazed. She was acting, well….drunk!

“Kaoru, did you happen to drink any sake earlier?” he asked, watching her.

“No, of course not! You know sake makes me stupid.” she replied while pinching his cheek in a teasing way. Pushing his hands aside, she leaned into him again and put her arms around his neck.

“Kenshin, let’s dance!” she squealed, then stumbled slightly. Kenshin automatically reached out to steady her with his hands to her waist.

“Ah, Kaoru, sessha thinks perhaps it would be best to return to the dojo and put you to bed.”

Kaoru pulled back to look at him seriously, loosing all her former giddiness. Reaching for his face, she stroked his cheek, then leaned forward until their lips were nearly touching.

“Okay” she said in a sultry voice while looking deep into his eyes, “but only if you come to bed with me,” Kaoru brushed her fingertips over Kenshin’s lips while he stared at her in wide-eyed shock. “and” she said while moving to whisper into his ear, “I promise to tell you how I like to be touched.”

End of chapter 4

A/N Please! No angry reviews. You just can’t have good sex without a bit of foreplay. The delicious smut is definitely coming, just be patient (um, no pun intended there!).

As always, reviews are loved. If you have questions or specific requests, let me know. Once again, I will update after I return from my trip sometime next week. Arigato to you readers and reviewers!