Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Don't sue me! I'm poor! This story is for entertainment only and is no way meant to be offensive!

Warning: The story is PG-13, but chapter ratings will vary.

Rating: PG-13 (slightly limey, I think, but nothing too descriptive…)

Author's Note: One hundred and five reviews! ::does happy dance:: THANKS so much to the people who have reviewed so far! Please keep reviewing! This story is very A/U and will probably contain OOCness.

~~ denotes shifts in time/character perspective, ** denotes character's thoughts

***My friend, my confidant…for Susan…***

Touch Me Deeply

Chapter 6: The Memory of Your Touch

Mars Colony 320: Kyoto II

Year: 2502

"Sir, Ma'am, these will be your quarters while you're here in Kyoto II…"

Kenshin nodded slightly at the young private who had escorted them from the airlift to the door he was presently gesturing to with one hand.

"Here is the keycode," the young man said, handing Kenshin a small piece of paper. "There will be a meeting in the auditorium in two hours."

"Thank you," Kaoru murmured softly. "You are dismissed, Private."

"Ma'am," he said politely, executing a formal salute before he turned on his heel and quickly walked away.

Kaoru waited patiently while the auburn haired major entered the keycode with long, elegant fingers. Biting her lip, she dropped her eyes to her duffel bag. He had beautiful hands, strong and graceful, but with a clearly identifiable strength. **I wonder…**

"Kaoru?"

Glancing up in surprise, Kaoru realized he was standing aside, waiting for her to enter the small room ahead of him.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "I was daydreaming…"

His amethyst eyes were understanding as he inclined his head, allowing her to proceed into the room before he entered himself, the door sliding shut behind him quickly.

"Maybe you should take a nap," he suggested quietly. "I have some things to take care of. I will wake you before the meeting, if you wish…"

"Um…sure, that would be lovely," Kaoru murmured, setting her duffel bag on one of the twin beds. "Thanks, Kenshin."

"Sure."

He was gone within moments, leaving Kaoru alone in the stark emptiness of the room. Sinking onto the bed, Kaoru shrugged out of her jacket, tossing it towards the foot of the mattress before she lied back on the pillow, allowing her eyes to slide shut slowly.

Unbidden, his earlier words drifted into her mind. "'I'm saying, Kaoru, that we have met before in a different life…in a different life, you and I were lovers…'"

**Lovers,** Kaoru thought dimly. **I wonder why he said that…I was laughing on the outside, but, somewhere deep inside me, his words seemed vaguely correct…like he remembers something I cannot…he seemed so sure…he said it with so much conviction…hmmm…**

Pushing the thoughts aside, Kaoru shifted on the mattress, settling herself comfortably as she finally gave in to the call of sleep.

~~~~~~~~

Hearing a soft sound behind her, Kaoru turned away from the spray of the shower, glancing towards the curtain, which had been pulled aside partially from the outside.

Biting her lip, she watched as he stepped into the porcelain bathtub, completely bare, pale gold skin revealed to her avid gaze. She fought to understand why she wasn't surprised, why it felt perfectly acceptable for him to have joined her under the pulsing spray of the water.

He moved towards her, amethyst eyes gleaming wickedly.

Kaoru responded to the look in his eyes with a small grin, taking a few steps back as he stepped underneath the steady stream of water. His hair was immediately soaked, deepening to the color of blood as it plastered wetly around his face.

He reached out with a long arm and cupped her cheek gently, stroking the skin of her face with his thumbs. After a moment, he pulled her to join him under the spray of water, settling his lips on hers for a sweet kiss.

Kaoru allowed her eyes to slide half-shut as he gently nibbled on her chin before trailing butterfly kisses to the hollow of her throat, where he lingered, drawing the skin into his mouth as he suckled softly.

Releasing a low moan and a soft giggle, she allowed her fingers to weave into his hair, holding his head against her as he continued his tender ministrations.

He continued his downward descent, lips pausing in the valley between her breasts to press a soft kiss there before they moved on, trailing hotly over her damp flesh.

"Kenshin," she breathed as he nipped gently at the pale skin of her stomach, tongue immediately darting out to soothe the pink mark.

His eyes peered up at her, a smile dancing in their depths as he kissed his way down her abdomen, fingers enclosing around her slim waist as he settled on his knees, pulling her closer.

"Kenshin," she whispered again as his long fingers trailed down her thighs, caressing the silky skin with smooth motions. "Mmmm…"

His next movement made her shriek softly and she pressed herself back against the cool tiles, enjoying the sensations, fingers clenched in the dampness of his hair. **Oh, my God…**

Kaoru's eyes snapped open as she bolted upright in bed, body drenched in sweat. The room was dark, but the numbers shining on a nearby digital clock told her that she had only been asleep for an hour.

Sinking back down, Kaoru sighed softly, thoughts lingering on the dream from which she had woken abruptly. Her heart was still racing, blood pumping through her veins rapidly. She felt as if she were on fire.

A pale blush tinged her cheeks as she remembered the dream more thoroughly. Kenshin's hands on her, his mouth on her, anywhere and everywhere. It had seemed so real, too real.

Guilt flooded her in the next moment as Enishi's handsome face came into her mind. **Enishi, I love you…but why…why am I dreaming of someone else? What is it about this man…about Kenshin? Why do my thoughts betray me?**

Breathing deeply, she sat up in bed once more, hand coming up to tuck a lock of raven hair behind her ear as she slid from the bed. Her fiancé should have reached Nova Hokkaido by now. She needed to call him, to see him, to reassure herself.

**Reassure myself? Where did that come from? I love him, I know I do…and he loves me…and we're going to get married. I'm going to ignore this sudden desire for Kenshin…I'm going to ignore his words…we were never lovers…and there is no way we can EVER be…**

TBC…

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Short once again…gomen, but this is just the way it comes out…LOL!

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked. REVIEW, REVIEW! Reviews are food for my muses! Feed us! We're hungry…once we're nice and full, we can get to writing again…^_~

~Midori^_^