Bath Time

July 1879
Tokyo, Kamiya Dojo

Kaoru took a whiff of her husband who'd been outside all day, doing the laundry and tending the garden. He smelled of man-sweat. She wrinkled her nose.

"You need a bath," she said, poking Kenshin in the chest with a finger.

With a smile, Kenshin sniffed his wife, who had been teaching classes in the dojo all day long. She didn't smell much better than he did. Kenshin's laugh emanated from deep in his chest.

"So do you," he said, then added with a whisper, "Bathe with me."

That was a novel idea. Kaoru and Kenshin slept together nude and swam in their lake, but for all that, they'd never had a bath together in their own furo. This could be interesting.

Kenshin gathered water from the well in buckets and filled the furo with it. Kaoru tended the fire that would heat the water up. It took them half an hour and when they were done, they were even hotter and sweatier than before.

Once they were in the furo and Kenshin was certain the door was locked, the two undressed. Out of the corner of her eye, Kaoru watched Kenshin as he removed his gi and hakama. It still amazed her how such a delicate-looking man could be so powerful and such a great swordsman. Kenshin caught her staring and winked at her, causing her to blush.

Kenshin stared quite openly at Kaoru as she undressed. She was even more lithe and delicate than he was. Like himself, she was strong and sinewy from her years studying kenjutsu. Kenjutsu Komachi was the name she was known by in the sport, the Kenjutsu Princess who made all the young men sweat. She certainly made Kenshin sweat with desire. Quite often, he'd felt the desire to beat off the young men he caught glimpsing at his wife when they went to the dojos in the area. Kenshin always went with her now and watched her spar, not so much to see the competition, but to make sure that the males behaved themselves around HIS woman.

---
Kenshin sat on the stool and leaned back against the wall as Kaoru knelt beside him. She picked up the first pale and poured the warm, soapy water onto Kenshin's bare torso. Picking up the sponge she began to gently rub the soap over Kenshin's chest. Kaoru took in the newly familiar sight of her husband's body as she worked on him. The scars from the wounds he'd suffered on the Island were still visible though they were quickly fading, for which she was grateful. Kaoru had wanted to cry every time she looked at the wounds that he'd suffered for her.

Kaoru spread the warm soap over Kenshin's chest and shoulders, not missing an inch. She could feel his muscles rippling under his skin as her touch made him shiver. She heard his breathing become heavy as he revelled in the feeling of being under her care.

Finished with the chest, Kaoru moved down to Kenshin's belly. She remembered fondly back to when she massaged him when he'd been recovering from his injuries. Following the patterns of the massage, Kaoru gently spread the soapy water over Kensin's abdomen, eliciting moans of pleasure from the warrior.

Kaoru ran the sponge over Kenshin's throbbing manhood, causing it to stand at attention. The warm water and the feeling of being rubbed in his most sensitive area was almost too much for the swordsman to bear. It took all of his self control not to take her in his arms and ravish her right there in the bathing area.

"Hold out your arm," said Kaoru.

Kenshin complied and Kaoru poured more soapy water on his arm and scrubbed it in with the sponge. She slowly and sensuosly ran the soapy sponge over Kenshin's delicate arm. His hands were like an artist's. The fingers just seemed to taper off into nothing at the end, instead of ending in clubs of flesh as other mens did. Kaoru guided the sponge over his hand and caressed those beautiful fingers.

After repeating on the other arm, she turned her attention to her husband's legs. In his younger days, Kenshin's legs were strong enough to allow him to jump two stories into the air to bring the Ryu Tsui Sen down on his enemies. Though they were still strong, Megumi said that he wouldn't be able to use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu much longer because it was wearing on his tiny body. Kenshin on his love for Kaoru agreed to cut back on it and give it up in the next four years. Kaoru was his reason for being now, not wandering Japan and fighting battles anymore. He'd done that enough in his early life.

The legs weren't thick or muscular looking, but wirey and strong. Kaoru caressed Kenshin's thighs as she spread the soap over them. Then down the knees to the calves and feet. Kaoru lightly touched the soles of Kenshin's feet to see if he would flinch, but he didn't. They were caloused over from his years as a warrior and then as a wanderer. Kenshin smiled and wiggled his toes in response to her touch. Those feet had tread a lot of ground, more than hers ever would.

Kaoru worried that as Kenshin got older, he'd start to have pain in his legs. Megumi had warned of an aging condition called arthritis and had said plainly that Kenshin would be vulnerable to it in his latter years. There was no cure, only symptomatic treatments, one of which was taking a hot bath.

Finished soaping him, Kaoru picked up another bucket of warm water and slowly poured it over Kenshin's body, rinsing the soap off. She made certain to get every last drop off him. Kenshin closed his eyes and let his mind wander as the warm water flowed over his sinewy frame.

Now it was time to scrub Kenshin's back. Kenshin sat forward as Kaoru got down on her knees and started rubbing the sponge over his back, starting between the shoulder blades and working her way down his spine to the tailbone. Kaoru traced her fingers up and down Kenshin's spine as she rubbed the sponge over his back.

Late last year Kenshin had been so badly underweight that his spine had stuck out visibly. Every single knob could be counted. Nine months later, his spinal bones were still more visible than those of a normal person would be, but he definitely didn't look like a skeleton anymore. Kenshin looked over his shoulder at her when he felt the light touch on his backbone. Kaoru blushed furiously causing Kenshin to laugh quietly. He smiled languidly as the warm water was poured slowly over his back, removing the sweat and grime from the day's work, leaving that squeaky clean feeling in their place.

Now that his body was clean, it was time to see to that gorgeous mane of his. Kaoru put her hand on Kenshin's chest and pushed him into a sitting back position as she filled another bucket of warm water.

"Oro?" he asked.

"Your hair needs a bath. It's starting to look like a rat's nest," said Kaoru.

"Oro," Kenshin frowned. He didn't think his hair was that bad. He ran his fingers through it every morning. He didn't want to quarrel with Kaoru though, so he tilted his head back as she approached him with the water.

"I'll never understand why men grow their hair long and then don't care for it," Kaoru jokingly scolded as she poured the water over Kenshin's hair, drenching it. He had to admit, that felt really good!

"Too much work," he replied lazily.

Kaoru shook her head, grabbed the rice bran soap and went to work lathering Kenshin's gorgeous locks. Kaoru rubbed the soap into his hair thoroughly, massaging his scalp while doing so. Kenshin was definitely glad he hadn't objected now. There was nothing like a scalp massage from Kaoru.

When his hair was thoroughly lathered, Kaoru poured yet another bucket of warm water over it, then two more to be certain she got all the soap out. Kenshin sat up and shook his head like a wet dog, spraying Kaoru with water. She giggled and swatted him on the shoulder.

---
Now it was Kaoru's turn. Kenshin started with her back, rubbing in slow sensuous circles. Kaoru was mesmerized by the nearness of her husband. No matter how long she was with him, she would never just "get used" to him. Even seeing him barechested just made her want to run her hands all over his body. She closed her eyes as Kenshin poured warm water over her back, rinsing her off.

Kaoru found the front washing almost orgasmic. Kenshin took an inordinant amount of time rubbing her breasts. He washed between them and lifted each one and ran the sponge under it. The sponge traveled lower, soaping Kaoru's belly and dipping in and out of her navel. Kenshin didn't hesitate to soap the tuft of hair between Kaoru's legs, nor did she try to stop him.

She almost went over the edge as Kenshin slowly and sensuously ran the sponge up and down each of her legs, from the tips of her toes all the way up to her thighs. Her arms received the same careful treatment. Kaoru almost had an orgasm as Kenshin rinsed her off, pouring warm water over her body and making sure to get every last bit of soap off.

Kaoru sat with her head tilted back and her eyes closed as Kenshin lathered the soap in her hair. The scent of jasmine was driving him wild. His libido wanted to race into the hot tub, but his patience was in control (barely). He took his time, making sure that Kaoru felt every caress of her scalp. The rapt look on the young woman's face told him that his efforts were not in vain.

---
Kenshin held Kaoru's hand as she stepped into the hot tub. Only when she was settled in did he slip in next to her. He immediately wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. Kaoru ran right hand over Kenshin's chest. Kenshin closed his eyes and sighed. Kaoru cast a surruptitious glance into the water and noticed that he'd become erect just by her touching him.

'My my, he IS a sensitive one,' she thought.

Tracing her hand lower over his body, she gently took her husband's manhood in her hand and started stroking him. Kenshin's eyes shot open and he stared at her. Kaoru smiled and gave him a wink.

"Oro?" said Kenshin softly, only to be silenced by a kiss on the mouth.

Kaoru milked him with long, deep strokes. Kenshin's face contorted in the shere sweet agony of being manipulated so. He sucked in his breath through gritted teeth, his whole body rigid and shaking with anticipation. Kaoru enjoyed the sight of her husband in this state of arousal.

Just as Kenshin was about to blow his stack, Kaoru stopped milking and sheathed him deep within her. She started thrusting up and down on Kenshin's erect shaft. Kenshin massaged Kaoru's breasts and rode with her. Kaoru ran her hands all over his tense body, adding to the man's agitation. The feeling of passion became more and more powerful, building and rising. Finally the poor man could take no more and blew his load into Kaoru's core, giving her an intense orgasm. Both of them sank up to their heads in the hot water.

"Let's bathe together from now on," she whispered in his ear. The addlepated warrior could only nod in agreement.

---
After the bath, Kaoru combed Kenshin's long mane out. There was nothing like running a comb through his gorgeous mane when it was wet. There were some snarls because his hair hadn't been cared for properly in so long, but the soap had helped to get a lot out. Kenshin kept his face averted so Kaoru could get access to the crown of his head with her comb.

"There we go," she said when she finished. "Now you look like a man instead of a long-haired dog."

"Oro," said Kenshin reproachfully. Without a word, he took the comb from Kaoru's hand, sat down behind her, and began running it slowly through her hair. Kenshin's hands softly caressed Kaoru's scalp as she had his earlier. It amazed Kaoru how the same hands that had once sent men to their deaths on a katana could be so gentle in their touch.

Kenshin worked his way around her until they were face to face. Emotive violet eyes locked with bright blues. Kenshin gently stroked Kaoru's cheek with his fingers, never breaking the lock between their gazes. Kaoru took her husband's face between her hands and began gently kissing him all over, forehead, cheeks, tip of the nose and chin. When she pulled back, he was smiling.

"Let's get inside. The sun's going down," whispered Kaoru. Kenshin nodded.

The couple wrapped up in yukatas and went back inside the dojo, leaving the furo till tomorrow. Once in their bedroom, Kenshin got a fire going, as the night air would be chilly eventhough it was July.

Kenshin walked over to Kaoru. Wordlessly, he shrugged out of the yukata. The firelight danced seductively on his bare torso. Kenshin pulled the yukata down off Kaoru's shoulders and threw it aside. He pushed Kaoru down onto the soft rug and straddled her, eyes blazing with hunger.

Planting a trail of seering kisses down from Kaoru's chin to each of her breasts, Kenshin rapidly got the girl going again. Kaoru reached up and locked her fingers into his gorgeous mane, moaning and mewling as he blessed each of her orbs with the oral pleasures that only he could deliver. As Kaoru's hips bucked, Kenshin sensed her arousal.

Slowly and gently he ensconced himself in his wife's love canal and began the slow sensual thrusts. No longer Kenshin and Kaoru nor even husband and wife, they were man and woman, connected by nature, primal and carnal.

Kaoru ran her hands up and down the sides of Kenshin's slim body as he thrusted in and out of her. Kenshin lowered his head and kissed her passionately on the mouth, thrusting his tongue deep into her throat, his loose hair creating a red curtain on either side of their faces.

Kenshin's tongue continued to plunder deep within Kaoru's mouth as her tongue lashed out at his and wrestled with the intruder. She wrapped her arms around the kenkaku and tried to pull him closer to her.

Harder and deeper, Kenshin thrusted into the very core of Kaoru's being. They were floating. The only sound either of them heard was of their blood thundering through their temples. Kenshin couldn't take it anymore and cried out the girl's name into her mouth as he shot his seed into her just as she climaxed. Both of them rode the waves of pleasure as they came back down from the peak.

Kenshin collapsed on top of his beloved, too exhausted to even pull out of her. Kaoru softly traced her fingers up and down his spine, causing his skin to shiver under her fingertips.

"Let's get dirty and sweaty again tomorow," she whispered into Kenshin's ear.

Kenshin's only response was a deep, throaty laugh as he drifted to sleep.

~~Owari~~

dojo - training hall
furo - bath house
kenjutsu - swordsmanship
kenkaku - swordsman
yukata - robe