Author's Note: Sorry! I couldn't resist!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. There may be a few inaccurate descriptions for the tourist spots that will be mentioned in this story.

A Wonderful Affinity for Strawberries
A One-Shot

Rome, 2010

The first thing she noticed about him was his shockingly red hair.

She was enjoying her rather large cone of gelato—fragola, or strawberry-flavored, since she believed that nobody could ever go wrong with strawberries, regardless of what part of the world they may be in—as she walked around the Fontana di Trevi, when she saw him. He was standing innocently by the edge of the fountain, staring intently at the water as if he was expecting something to suddenly rise up from the depths of the surface.

His bright red hair was tied neatly in a low ponytail that rested just below the back of his neck, his tan skin providing an interesting contrast with his auburn locks. She couldn't see his face, but she did manage to get a glimpse of a cross-shaped scar that covered almost the entirety of his left cheek. She smiled at the thought of figuring out the origins of the mark, thinking that he must've had quite the adventure for him to receive a souvenir like that. In a sea of blondes, browns, and blacks, it was perfectly understandable for her to catch sight of the interesting-looking man; and her staring, if she may say so herself, was to be expected given his fascinating features.

Still, when the call for propriety finally entered her consciousness once more, she made an effort to look away from him so she could focus her attention on the beautiful structure in front of her. She smiled at seeing the beautiful sculptures that stood around the magnificent fountain, their splendor and artful craftsmanship being enhanced by the bright glow that came from the sun rays that bounced off of the fountain's clear water. Visiting the fountain at this time of the day was definitely a good idea, regardless of the heat she had to endure. If anything, it made her short trip all the more enjoyable because it justified her buying the strawberry ice cream she was now licking happily out of its cone.

She wasn't completely unprepared for the heat, though. After hearing the warnings of the staff in the hotel she was staying in regarding the city's expected temperature for the day, she made sure to dress appropriately so she wouldn't be too uncomfortable. Decked in a sleeveless, white sundress that ended just below her knees, a pair of tan sandals, and a white, floppy wool hat to ward off the sun, she didn't feel like she was about to suffer a heat stroke at all. On the contrary, as she stood there, she could feel a slight breeze flowing around her slightly sweat-dampened skin. It seemed like everything about her day was perfect, and she was unbelievably content.

Unwittingly, she glanced back up towards the direction of the mysterious redhead, and was a bit disappointed to find him gone. She shrugged it off, though. It was a busy place, after all, and she had no doubt that he wanted to get away from the noisy crowd. He didn't seem like the type to enjoy being shoved around by loud, giggling tourists.

She turned her attention back to the glimmering water of the fountain, and thought of all the stories that she had heard regarding the work of art. It must've been very exciting to have been alive during the construction of this place. She wondered if, at the time, the people who occupied the city were also able to appreciate the genius behind those who exerted their efforts for the masterpiece.

This was one thing she loved about travelling. She got to see so many things and so many people that it made her appreciate everything around her in a brand new light with every new place that she visited. God knows she needed to do so after the year she had to live through.

After a couple of hours of sitting on the bench and reading about the history of the city she was in from one of the books that was recommended to her by the kind receptionist from her hotel, she decided that it was time for her to make her way back. The sun was setting and she doubted that it would've been a good idea to allow herself to get lost in the city once the dark hit. She wasn't naïve enough to not know that there couldn't possibly be any ill-meaning people in the city. It was a pretty popular one, after all, and she knew that even though everyone around her seemed generally friendly, there would still be a few who wouldn't have a second thought in trying to take advantage of an innocent-looking tourist.

Once she got back to her suite, she took a quick shower and changed into a pair of dark jeans and a long-sleeved, white silk top with a studded collar. Since her feet were pretty tired from all the walking she had to do that day, she opted to forgo her nude pumps for a pair of simple, black flats. Grabbing her purse and keys, she double-checked her room's locks and went back down to find a restaurant she could dine in for the evening.

She found a quaint little restaurant a few blocks from the hotel, and she waited patiently for a table to free up. Five minutes later, the waiter led her to a nice table located in the back of the café. She was seated in the al fresco portion of the restaurant, and she smiled as she admired the twinkling lights that hung from the open ceiling. Two candles were placed in the middle of her table, and the utensils were already laid out for her. She ordered her food—a plate of Linguine ai Frutti de Mare, and a glass of their house wine, and waited quietly for the dishes to be served. The waiter came back a few minutes later with her wine, and smiled as he told her that her food will be there shortly.

She opened the book that she brought with her and was about to immerse herself in the romantic descriptions of the city when a deep, male voice spoke from somewhere beside her.

"Ciao." The voice greeted.

She looked up and was very surprised to see that it was the redheaded man who she was staring at earlier. He was wearing a simple white long-sleeved polo, with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a pair of black slacks. His hair was still in the same style she saw it in earlier, and his tan skin glowed beautifully from the warm lights that surrounded them. If she thought him attractive when she first saw him earlier, it was magnified when she caught sight of his warm, violet eyes. His features were very interesting, and very, very, handsome.

She blushed when she realized that she hasn't said anything in reply yet because she was busy staring up at him in surprise. "Ciao." She greeted back, forcing a smile onto her face in spite of her embarrassment.

"Forgive my intrusion, signorina", he said in fluent Italian. "But were you, by any chance, by the Fontana di Trevi earlier?"

She nodded, confused at why he was asking the question. 'Crap. He must've noticed my staring and wanted to chew me out on being rude… and slightly creepy.'

His smile grew. "Ah. I was right."

"Is there anything I could help you with?" she asked in Italian, her smile becoming more sincere at the warmth he was exuding.

"I'm sorry. It's just that… I actually saw you there earlier. I wanted to approach you, but I was too shy to do so. I didn't want to seem like a creepy stalker." He replied.

Her blush strengthened in visibility and she shrunk back. "Oh. Well… I'm sorry if you were offended by my staring. It's just that your hair caught my attention and I was… well… I'm sorry."

He chuckled. "You have nothing to apologize for, signorina. I didn't even realize that you saw me, though I'm glad you did." He smiled and gestured to the empty seat across from her. "Are you waiting for someone? May I sit?"

A thousand red flags rose in her head at the request. She didn't even know this man! What if he was some crazy serial killer who targeted clueless-looking tourists like her? Still, though, her curiosity overpowered her rationality and she nodded for him to join her.

"I hope you don't find this weird. I don't normally do this, but… like I said, I wanted to approach you earlier, but I was too shy. I feel like you being here is a second chance from the universe, and I didn't want to make the same mistake that I did this afternoon." He explained, chuckling at his silliness as he did so.

"It's alright." She replied warmly. "I'd appreciate the company, really. It's a big city and you're the first familiar face I've seen here—well, relatively anyway. Besides," she paused, fighting off another blush. "I wanted to approach you, too."

The man smiled at her, but chose to change the topic for fear of embarrassing her too much. "You are vacationing here, then?"

"Yes, but only for a couple of weeks. It's a beautiful city, and so far I've been enjoying myself a lot." She explained. "And you?"

"Same. I'm only staying here for a week, though. As much as I love being here, I don't think my co-workers would appreciate me being gone for too long."

Their conversation paused when the attentive waiter approached their table to ask if the man would like anything to eat or drink. She watched the redhead nod and order a glass of wine and a plate of Spinach Ricotta Ravioli.

"So," he began after the waiter moved away from their table. "at the risk of sounding unbelievably rude and stalker-ish, would you mind telling me where you're from?"

She smiled. "I live in Manhattan, right smack in the middle of the Big Apple. And you?"

He grinned at her and something like relief shone in his eyes. "I'm from London," he said, shifting to English, his British accent making her—if possible—even more attracted to the redhead. "I'm so glad you're from an English-speaking country. I'm very fond of the Italian language, but it gets tiring to have to translate everything in your head before actually speaking."

"I know what you mean," she laughed, pleased at the discovery as well. "I've been here for three days now and I already miss speaking with someone in my native tongue. Though I have to say I'm impressed; your Italian's absolutely brilliant. If I didn't know you were from London, I never would've guessed that you weren't from here."

"Thanks. I reckon I owe that to taking two years of studying it as an elective back in University."

"Ah. I have my nanny to thank for that. She wasn't very good in English, so she taught me how to speak in Italian when I was younger. It was a miracle that I learned so much."

"A nanny, eh?" he teased. "Someone's been raised in a privileged home."

She blushed yet again at his teasing tone. God, he must think I'm a fucking tomato with how red my face is. "I wasn't! My dad wasn't around much, so he had to hire some help. He was only being practical."

"What about your Mum?" he asked, his head slightly leaning to one side in curiosity.

"Oh, she passed way when I was born." Upon seeing the apologetic look in his eyes, she decided to interrupt before he could even spew out an apology. "It's no problem. It was a long time ago, and I haven't even met her so I'm not really that torn up about it. Besides, it's not like my father wasn't there. There were just days when he'd be busy with work, and I understood that. We're actually very close."

"I see." He smiled. "To be honest, I can relate with what you said. I was raised by my Uncle for as long as I could remember. From what I understand, my parents were involved in a rather unfortunate car accident when I was a baby. I've only ever seen pictures of them."

She smiled sympathetically at him. "I'm sorry. It must've been difficult for you. I mean, at least I had my Dad while I was growing up."

"It's quite alright. My Uncle may be quite… loud and strict, but he was there for me. He raised me well. No traumatic childhood experiences or anything like that."

Their food arrived then, and the steaming plates were placed gently in front of them. She smiled at the waiter as he refilled their wine glasses and nodded at him when he left them alone again. They enjoyed their meals in silence for a while, both of them savoring every bite of the delicious food.

"I'm assuming this is your first time here? In this restaurant, I mean." He asked after a few bites.

She nodded. "Yeah. I was actually just looking for a place to eat, nothing in particular. It was a lucky find. It looked small from the outside, and I didn't expect them to have a patio."

"It is rather charming. I was here last night, and the night before. This ravioli's just too delicious for me to forget. I find myself craving for it every night."

"Really? I'm going to have to try that soon to see if you're exaggerating or not. You British people have a tendency to romanticize things, after all." She joked.

"I resent that!" he exclaimed, feigning indignation. "I'm going to have to do something about that, aren't I? I refuse to let another second pass with you believing in that ridiculous notion." He paused and busied himself with filling his fork with a rather large piece of the ravioli from his plate before stretching his arm to get her to take the bite. "Try this, then, and see if I was indeed exaggerating."

Her eyes widened in surprise at the gesture. He only just met her and already he felt comfortable enough to share his utensil with her? When she glanced up at his eyes, though, she saw a bit of humiliation starting to blossom in his purple orbs and she felt bad at being the reason for it. She didn't really mind it. She was just surprised. So, before he could even think about pulling his arm back, she opened her mouth and took the offered ravioli. He smiled at her and she smiled back, their bodies falling back into their comfortable stances.

"So? Was I romanticizing the ravioli, then?" he asked smugly, already knowing the answer as he watched her face melt in delight at the taste of the dish.

"Fine. You were right, I was wrong. Whatever." She mumbled after swallowing.

He laughed happily at her response and teased her a bit more for her misjudgment. The rest of the evening was spent in the same manner, both of them enjoying the lighthearted conversation and surprisingly comfortable company. When their dessert arrived, she was subjected to more teasing when the redhead heard the order she requested from their kind waiter.

"A strawberry parfait? With wine? I must say Americans have a rather odd taste." He mused.

"I can't really agree with that generalization. Even my friends back home don't really agree with my taste for desserts and drinks," she giggled. "Although, I do believe that nobody could ever go wrong with strawberries. Regardless of what they're taking with it. Strawberries are just… perfect."

He grimaced. "They're a little too sweet for me. And I still find the parfait-wine combination quite odd. I never thought those two would go well together."

"Well, I'm going to have to prove you wrong then, aren't I? After all, I can't let another second pass with you believing in that ridiculous notion." She mocked as the waiter placed their requested desserts in front of them.

He laughed at her mockery and gladly took the bite she offered, taking a sip of his wine afterwards to test the unusual combination.

"Well?" she prodded when he didn't say anything after swallowing, opting to stare down at his own dessert instead.

He looked seriously up at her, and for a moment she was afraid that he didn't agree with her opinion. Right before embarrassment flooded her entire being, though, he spoke.

"Would you mind terribly if we traded desserts?"

She laughed, he did too, and they ended up ignoring his choice of dessert to share hers.

It was close to midnight when they both decided that it was time for them to go back to their respective hotels. She was a bit annoyed at how he insisted to pay for both of their meals, but eventually acquiesced when he said he'd be offended if she refused his chivalry—honestly though, she thought that was a load of shit he fed her to get her to stop her griping.

"This is me." She said when they arrived in front of her hotel. "I had a lot of fun. I'm really glad you joined me for dinner tonight."

"As am I." he replied warmly. "Thank you very much for letting me join you."

"And thank you very much for paying for my dinner… although you did kind of sucker me into that one."

He laughed again and leaned in to give her a brief kiss on the cheek as a goodbye. She nodded to him and said a cheerful goodnight, and she was about to walk into the lobby of the hotel when she heard him call her back.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I ever asked for your name tonight." He said apologetically. "That was quite rude of me. If it's not too late, would you mind if I asked you for it now?"

She paused at the request, realizing that she just spent the whole night talking to someone she didn't even know the name of. That was… weird. What's even weirder was that both of them didn't even think to ask what the other's name was during the whole time that they were talking. "Oh God, you're right." She breathed out. "How did that happen?"

He chuckled. "I guess you were just so blown away by my company that you didn't feel like it mattered."

"Oh please. I think it's the other way around. You were the one who approached me, after all." She stretched out her hand. "Kaoru. Kaoru Kamiya. It's very nice to meet you." She said with a huge smile on her face.

"Kenshin Himura. It was a very lovely evening, Kaoru. Thanks again." He grinned.

"Same here. Well, goodnight then." She giggled. "For real this time."

"Yeah. Cheers!"

Paris, 2011

It was official. He hated Paris.

He really, truly didn't understand why the city was so renowned. The art was magnificent, yes, and the establishments around the city were very world-class and delightful. The people, however, were horrible. The streets were full of prissy snobs and self-important bastards that he couldn't help but scowl as he made his way to his favorite coffee shop in Champ de Mars so he could enjoy a cup of hot chocolate in an effort to try to reign in his raging temper. He reckoned his current line of thinking wasn't really fit for the occasion. It was Christmas Eve, after all.

'It's Christmas Eve and I just got out of a bloody long board meeting. What a load of bollocks." He thought morosely as he waited for the waitress to come back with his drink. He'd actually rather be in a shady bar right now, but he knew it was going to be too noisy for his liking since all the bars were bound to be filled with loud Parisiens; and to be quite honest, he had absolutely no desire to mingle with them after spending his entire day locked up in a room with four annoying French-speaking bastards.

He tried shaking his bad mood off by taking in the ambiance of the quaint café. Jazz Christmas music was playing softly across the entire room, and the warmth from the fireplace near him helped him calm his angry breathing. Staring at the lovely view of the lit Tour Eiffel also managed to distract him from his depressing thoughts. No matter how many times he visited this city, his admiration for the tall structure never decreased. There's just something about all the stories behind it, all the magic, that always made him smile. Although given his original mood that night, the only expression that the sight managed to drag out from him was a blank stare.

He heard the soft tinkling of bells as the door allowed entrance to another customer while the waitress was handing him his drink. He didn't bother checking who entered the establishment, though, and went right back to staring at the tall tower.

"Bonsoir, Monsieur Himura." He heard someone greet from behind him. He cringed at hearing the greeting, thinking that it was someone from the Paris branch of their law firm that approached him. When he turned around, though, he was very surprised to see the familiar sapphire gaze of the woman he spent a very lovely evening with when he was in Rome the year before.

He never did forget that evening, and he most specially didn't forget the lovely Kaoru Kamiya. If there was one thing that he regretted from that night, it was that he didn't ask her for any of her contact details so he could get a chance to know her better. She was an enigma to him—a stranger that didn't really feel like a stranger. It wasn't long before his life back in London eventually swallowed him back up and made him stop thinking about her, but that didn't mean that he didn't dream of her. In fact, there were nights when he'd feel an intense craving to see her again, but he knew that it was pointless to feel that way since it was impossible that he'd ever get a chance to see her again. Six months later, he finally managed to push her completely out of his mind—a feat which he prided himself on since Kaoru Kamiya was not easy to forget.

So to see her now, in Paris, in his favorite café, on Christmas Eve… well, he must've done something right in one of his past lives to make the gods feel that he deserved such a gift.

"Kaoru?" he asked, his shock not quite fading yet. Her hair was shorter now, he noticed as she pulled off her scarf and coat and laid them on the backrest of the chair adjacent to him. But other than that, nothing much has changed from her appearance. She still had the same milky skin, and the same bright blue eyes that originally drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

"I'm sorry, are you waiting for someone?" she asked worriedly in French when he didn't say anything else after she nodded to confirm her identity. "I didn't mean to intrude. I honestly wasn't sure if you'd remember me, but… well…" she trailed off shyly.

"No, no, please. Sit." He gestured towards the chair she obviously wanted to occupy. "I was just surprised. I mean… I didn't expect to see you here, of all places! Honestly, I never thought I'd see you again."

She chuckled. "I know you didn't mean for it to, but that sounded like such a bad cliché."

She waved for the waitress to approach their table so she could place her order. He smiled when he heard what she wanted for the evening.

"Strawberry hot chocolate? And a strawberry savarin?" he asked amusedly when the waitress left to fix her order. "Aren't you going a tad bit overboard with the strawberries tonight?"

She laughed. "What better way to celebrate Christmas Eve than with my favorite fruit, and my favorite strawberry-haired man?"

He was immensely pleased with the latter part of her response, but he fought to not let it show. He didn't want to creep her out, after all, and he knew that she was just jesting. "Ah. Although I'm pleased that I'm your favorite person right now, I find that I'm also a bit offended. Was that all that made you want to approach me back in Rome? My resemblance to the fruit you're so oddly enamored with?"

"You caught me." She laughed. "I didn't want to say so at the time, but now that a year's gone by, I have no qualms with admitting that. Besides, it's almost Christmas. If I lie to you now, I doubt I'd get a nice present from Santa tomorrow morning."

"Any particular gift requests? It seems to me that you must want something terribly if you're willing to exert so much effort into gaining his favor." He smiled.

"Not really. I already got what I wanted, after all." She replied warmly, locking her bright sapphire eyes with his.

His heart skipped a beat and he had to mentally berate himself on acting like such a besotted fool. He's only ever met her once, for Christ's sake and here he was, acting like he's been in love with the girl for ten years now. "Oh? Pray tell, what did you want?" he asked coyly.

"A friend." She said, her smile never faltering. "It's rather lonely to welcome Christmas alone, you know."

'Bloody hell. Hit and miss.'

"I'm glad my presence cured your loneliness, then." He replied as he tried to mask his disappointment at her response.

The waitress arrived with her requested dish and drink and he watched her take a careful sip of the hot beverage, literally wanting to murder himself right then and there when he saw her lick a bit of foam from off her top lip.

'You'd think I was a horny fifteen year-old with the way I'm thinking right now. Shite.'

"So," he begun in an effort to distract himself from his wayward thoughts. "What brings your lonesome self to this city at this time of the year?"

She smiled. "English, please. You know how we feel about speaking in the language of whatever country we're in." Upon seeing his amused nod, she continued. "Anyway, I just thought I'd get back in touch with my roots for the holidays—well, half of them at least."

"Your roots? You're not Japanese-American?"

"Oh no." she laughed. "My father was Japanese—obviously, and my mother was French, hence the dark hair and the blue eyes. I haven't visited Montmartre in a while, and I thought now would be as good a time as any to do so."

"Why aren't you there then? In Montmartre, I mean." He backpedaled; worried that he'd offended her with his blunt question. "Not that I don't enjoy your company, I just meant that I assumed you'd want to welcome Christmas with your relatives."

She giggled at his worried expression. "Calm yourself, Kenshin, I wasn't offended or anything." She reprimanded gently. "I don't actually know anyone here. Nor was I raised here when I was a kid. Although we did come to visit sometimes 'cause my Dad felt like it would be nice to get to know my Mom's people and culture."

"Well I'm surprised you kept coming back here, then. The almighty Parisiens don't really have much in terms of their behavior, despite the wonderful culture they possess."

She cocked her head to the side at his weird comment. "You don't like the people here?"

"I find them a bit too snobbish for my liking. And mean. And inconsiderate." He scoffed.

"It seems like someone's had a bad day." She observed amusedly. "What have the god-awful French people done to annoy you so much, if I may ask? Did a lovely French girl dump you tonight?"

"Oh please. I can't imagine having to spend one more minute with them, much less be in a relationship with one of them."

"That's sad, considering that you're in their country." She paused. "What brings you here anyway? I doubt you'd willingly celebrate one of the happiest holidays in the world with people you obviously hate."

"Believe me, if I had a choice, I wouldn't even be here right now. My uncle just felt it was absolutely necessary that I attend a board meeting for our law firm's branch in this city. I still don't understand why he couldn't do so himself, since he usually does anyway."

"A meeting? On the day before Christmas?" she asked, genuinely surprised. "How terrible."

He silently cursed himself when he realized that he was dampening her jolly mood. In an effort to make up for it and lift her spirits, he replied flirtatiously. "Well, it's not quite so horrible now that you're here to make it all better. If living through that unbearably long meeting was what it took to see you again, then I can't say I mind it so terribly."

She blushed, and he prided himself with having the ability to make her do so. "You're quite the smooth talker, aren't you?" she laughed. "So, you're a lawyer then?"

He grinned at her obvious attempt to change the topic. "I am. My uncle runs a criminal law firm, so it made sense that I become a lawyer myself. That's not to say that I don't enjoy it though, I find my career very… thrilling."

"Is that why you're here, then? To work on a case?"

He scoffed. "I wish that were true. No, I was here to attend a board meeting. My uncle finds it necessary for me to learn the rules of politics within the firm. It's one aspect of my job that I don't particularly enjoy."

"Well, we all have at least one thing we hate about our jobs." She mused.

"What is it that you do, then? With a face like yours, you're probably a model of some sort."

She laughed. "Oh please. You wish I was a model to boost your ego. I can imagine you bragging about it to your friends back home. 'I'm a big shot lawyer and I hung out with a model last Christmas'. It's quite pathetic, really."

"Hey, now that's not true. I wouldn't brag about you being a model. I'd brag about your beauty, period." He smirked. "Besides, my co-workers don't really like the idea of dating models. We find them a bit too ditzy for our liking… not that you're ditzy, or anything, if you are a model. There are a lot of models out there who are very smart."

"No need to try to save yourself from that hole you just dug, my little redhead." She giggled. "No, I'm afraid my job's not as glamorous as that. I'm a doctor."

His interest in her increased by a million percent. 'God this woman is just full of surprises.' "A doctor? I never would've imagined that with the amount of travelling you seem to do. Aren't people of your profession supposed to be locked in your hospitals 24/7?"

"We usually are, but I enjoy travelling far too much to give it up. I make it a point to schedule my leaves at least a year in advance so I can be sure nothing comes up 'til then. Although that doesn't mean I haven't had to cancel any of my trips before." She explained. "Our chief encourages work-life balance. He makes sure that we all get our thirty days of vacation leaves every year, so he doesn't have a problem with my trips… most of the time."

"You sound like quite the troublemaker." He mused as he took a sip of his hot chocolate. "What field of medicine do you practice, then?"

"I'm a general surgeon at the North Shore University Hospital. We usually deal with cancer cases, though, so it can get pretty depressing. Usually when our patients require surgery, it means that their disease has gotten pretty bad."

"I'm sorry. I can only imagine how difficult that must be." He said sympathetically.

"Don't be. It's like I said earlier, there's at least one aspect that we all hate about our jobs. I'm sure you've had your fair share of difficult cases too, being the hot shot lawyer that you are."

He chuckled, blushing at what she said in reference to him. "Yeah, but I'm not quite as big as you think I am."

"That's what he said." She winked playfully.

He laughed loudly at the implication of what she said. "And here I thought you were nothing more than a blushing angel! I didn't know you had it in you to be that perverted."

"Perversion is taking it a bit too far, don't you think?" she chuckled. She took a bite of her strawberrysavarin, savoring the delicious sweetness that it offered her. "Oh this is absolutely delicious. You've got to try this."

Without hesitation, she scooped out a generous amount of the soft pastry and held out her full spoon to him, silently telling him to try it. He was a bit surprised at the gesture, but he smiled when he realized that this was something that they'd done before. So he happily opened his mouth and let her feed him.

"I have to agree. It is delicious. And it matches well with the hot chocolate."

"We can share it, if you'd like." She smiled warmly at him, pushing the small plate across the table so it laid between them.

"Oh, I didn't mean for you to—I can get a plate for myself. You don't have to do that." He said gently.

She shrugged. "It's okay. I doubt I'd be able to finish this anyway. I have to leave in a bit."

Feeling a bit disheartened, he asked. "Oh? So soon?"

"I'm afraid so. I have an early flight back tomorrow. I've been here for a week already, and I have to get back to the hospital soon. Chief's probably ready to pop a vein by now since winter's usually our busiest season."

"Ah. The dangers of driving on ice." He mused, trying to bring his spirits back up.

"Yeah." She sighed. They both fell into a comfortable silence then, each reveling in the other's warm company. They both watched the Tour Eiffel's glimmering lights and listened quietly to the jazz music and the soft chattering of the few customers around them, the quietness in their table only being broken by the faint clinks of their shared spoon against the strawberry saravin's glass plate.

He wondered if he'd ever see her again after that night. She was apparently a very busy person, and honestly, so was he. It's been a miracle for him to have met her twice in the past two years, and now that he knew what she did for a living, he doubted that she'd be willing to continue their strange friendship—especially considering that they lived on different continents.

"Hey, Kenshin," she whispered after a while.

He turned to her with a warm smile on his face as she locked her gaze with his. "Yeah?"

"Merry Christmas." She greeted before softly kissing his cheek.

He smiled and leaned in to place his forehead gently against hers. Ever so softly, and slowly—giving her a chance to back away if she wanted to, he leaned in even further to place a gentle and chaste kiss on her soft, strawberry-flavored lips.

"Happy Christmas, Kaoru."

China, 2012

'Asia is definitely my favorite continent', she mused as she walked along the worn path on top of the Great Wall of China.

The sun was shining brightly around her, making the leaves of the trees that were visible from the path glimmer happily. It was autumn now, so the weather wasn't too bad, and merited her wearing a relatively warm outfit. Given the physical side of the trip, she made sure to pack comfortable clothes, and the pre-planned outfit she had on allowed her to move freely as she trekked her way to the top of the wall earlier. She had on a pair of black leggings that were tucked into the leather boots she wore, a fitted sleeveless top, and a warm coat with a scarf hanging from her shoulders.

As opposed to walking through the famous Badaling section of the large brick structure, she opted to visit the Simatai portion—seeing as how it was this part of the wall that showcased the original state of the huge edifice. Getting there was quite the adventure, and she loved every minute of it—even though it left her a sweaty mess once she finally got to the top.

The moment she arrived at her hotel two days before her trek up the Great Wall, she immediately fell in love with the country she was currently visiting. Everywhere she turned, she could see things that spiked her interest, and the people around her were so friendly and welcoming that she couldn't help but smile every time someone would offer her assistance. Although she is half-Asian by birth, she never really did get a chance to explore any other country in the continent aside from Japan—where her father still had a lot of friends that they used to visit when she was a child.

Breathing deeply, she basked in the solitude that the height of the location she was in provided her with. She could hear nothing else but the chirping of birds and the soft blowing of the wind in her ear and that was just the way she liked it. Isn't that why she travelled so much, after all? To get away from all of her worries and the ruckus that city life brought?

She was very glad that she chose this section of the wall to explore, as it didn't have a lot of tourists around. Here, she was free to sit down anywhere she wanted and just stare out into the distance—where she could see the large city and foliage that lay beyond the walls.

"I must say, seeing you in a foreign city has become something like an expected surprise for me." She heard a familiar voice say in Chinese from somewhere close beside her.

Startled, she turned towards the direction of the voice and her eyes widened at seeing the redhead that she hasn't been able to stop thinking about since the last time she saw him. Like her, he was also dressed warmly for the trip, his legs covered in a pair of jeans and his torso hidden underneath a navy blue, knit sweater that was covered by a leather jacket. He was wearing a pair of sneakers, and his hair—which she usually saw in a relaxed, low ponytail, was held back by a tight braid. "Kenshin?" she breathed out.

He chuckled and sat down beside her, leaning his back against the wall as well as he closed his eyes and turned his head up to the sky. "I'm sorry for startling you. I didn't mean for my surprising presence to take your breath away, though it is rather flattering for me to know that I affect you so."

She laughed at his casual behaviour. With the way he was acting, you'd think they've been seeing each other regularly over the past year instead of their chance encounters during their international travels. "I didn't think I'd see you here of all places." She replied in Chinese as well.

"To be honest, I'm a bit surprised too. I didn't peg you to be the wall-climbing type of girl."

"And I didn't think you were a wall-climbing type of guy." She said cheekily. "Are you here for another business trip, then? Or is there a lovely Chinese girl waiting for you at the end of the trek?"

"I must say, your curiosity about my female companions is starting to get me to think that you're… dare I say it… interested?"

She giggled, but the blush that crawled up her neck gave her away. 'If he calls me out on it, I'll just say it's the sun or something. I'm a doctor after all. He'll believe me.'

"English, please." She reminded half-heartedly, knowing that he was just waiting for her to say the words so they could shift back into speaking their native tongue—as part of the habit that they seemed to be developing for their chance encounters. "And oh please, if anything I'd think you're the one who's interested with all the stalking you're doing."

"Stalking?" he replied, highly amused.

She nodded. "Stalking. After all, it's been thrice now that we've met outside of our respective countries. Are you having me followed, attorney?"

His loud laugh filled her ears and her smile grew at the sincerity behind the boisterous noise. "Excuse me, Miss, but I believe you were the one who approached me in dear old Paris last Christmas."

"Fine. So that's one point for you, and two for me. I believe I have the stronger case here, Kenshin."

"If you say so." He said. "Though I hope it's clear that I'm only humoring you on this, Kaoru. I'm not one that's known to lose."

"So it would seem. The newspapers certainly think so."

"I'm very flattered that you've been keeping tabs on me, little bird. I'd do the same for you, but you're a very private person."

"I haven't been keeping tabs!" she huffed. "It's just kind of hard to ignore all the news articles that have been published about you because of the Tokugawa hearings—congratulations, by the way. You were brilliant. But I digress from my point."

"Thanks." He said sincerely. "And your point? I think I might have missed that."

"My point, my strawberry-haired man, is that I have an excuse for knowing what you've been up to since we last saw each other. You, on the other hand, have no excuse as to why you've been searching for me—like you implied when you said I'm a very private person."

He chuckled. "Nothing ever gets past you, does it?"

"I'm afraid not. It's part of the job description, you see."

"Can you really blame me?" he sighed. "There are times when I'd feel like you're nothing but a figment of my imagination—drawn up because of my pathetic loneliness."

Surprised at his admission, she turned to look at him again, but his neck was still craned so he could face the sky and feel the sun's warmth against the skin on his face. "What do you mean?"

"Just that." He said, turning to lock his violet eyes with her sapphire orbs. "I spend one evening with you in whatever country we'd happen to meet in, then I never expect to see you again, and then out of nowhere, there you are. You're quite the enigma, Miss Kaoru Kamiya. You're like my very own travelling ghost."

"Travelling ghost? Aren't you the creative one." she giggled.

"I can't help it. You bring out the best in me." He said, facing the sky with his eyes closed once more.

They spent a few minutes in silence then as she wondered at the sincerity behind his words. Admittedly, she has done quite a bit of researching about him herself to prove that he was real—that he was an actual person and that he hasn't lied about who he is, but never did she think that he might've been doing the same. The romantic in her couldn't help but swoon every time she'd see him like this—these occurrences, after all was not something that usually happened in real life. She's read about it, and she's watched movies about it, but those were all just that. Fiction. To actually experience something like it seemed so magical to her, so much so that there would be times that she'd think he was nothing but a product of her imagination because of the loneliness she felt—which, apparently, he felt as well.

A sudden question crossed her mind, and try as she might to stop it because she didn't want to seem like a lovesick fool considering that this was only the third time that they've met, she broke the silence. "Kenshin?"

"Hmm?"

"Would it be alright if I asked you a personal question?"

Amusedly, he smiled as he replied. "I don't think we've ever had a conversation that wasn't personal in some way, Kaoru. Ask away."

"Why are you so lonely?" she asked tentatively. "I mean, I don't know if you meant it when you mentioned it earlier, but… well…"

He chuckled at her nervousness, and tried to make her feel comfortable again by taking her hand, which was innocently lying beside his, and lacing their gloved fingers together. "It's alright, I don't mind answering." He sighed before continuing, opening his eyes to watch a flock of birds flying above them. "It's not something I always think about. I actually didn't mean to blurt it out like that, since it's not really something I broadcast, and I most certainly didn't say that just to make you feel bad for me, mind you. But I guess… I guess not thinking or talking about it makes it any less true. God knows my uncle keeps reminding me about it every chance he gets." He chuckled and paused to collect his thoughts.

She was still blushing from the way that he held her hand so intimately. She felt rather shy about it, and she was definitely surprised when he took her hand in his, but that didn't mean that she was uncomfortable. Far be it from that, actually. The warmth that exuded from his palms and fingers echoed throughout her body, making her feel like a giddy school girl—which, in all honesty, made her feel disgusted with herself. Has she really been without any form of intimacy for so long that she'd be this excited over someone—whom she'd only met three times—holding her hand? Besides, it was probably just a friendly gesture that she was blowing way out of proportion.

Nonetheless, she kept the said appendage relaxed and just reveled in the emotions that played around in her head as they touched. It wasn't like she'd see him again, anyway. They'd already been fortunate enough to meet as much as they have, and she doubted that the universe would be so kind as to let them see each other a fourth time. So she chose to dwell on the fact that he was real—which was further solidified by the reassurance that their hand-holding brought.

She felt him give her hand a brief squeeze before he continued. "I'm an only child, and as you know, my parents weren't around to raise me. My uncle never married, so when I was a kid, there weren't really any other people my age hanging around that I could play with. But that's not to say that I had a sad childhood or anything like that. I still had my fair share of friends, but I was sort of a recluse back then. I enjoyed reading, and I loved training—my uncle insisted on teaching me the art of the sword as part of my learning about my heritage—so, I spent most of my time alone. It got my uncle really worried because he thought I was going through some sort of depression or trauma over being raised by someone other than my parents, actually." He chuckled.

"But yeah. There wasn't really a problem there. It wasn't really until I met my best friend that I realized what I was missing. He's a great guy—though god knows I'll never admit that to his face, and he just stuck by me, you know? He was the one who made me realize that I needed people around me and that I couldn't spend the rest of my life living in my bedroom."

She giggled, which made him stop to look down at her curiously. "I'm sorry. I'm being really rude and immature. It's just—the way you talk about him makes him sound like he's more than your friend."

He smiled at her amusement. "Thank you for that lovely observation, dearest. May I continue with my sad life story now?"

"Please, go ahead." She said once her giggle fit was done. She laid her head on his shoulder and stared at the distant image of the mountains as she listened to him continue telling her his story.

"Yeah, I guess in a way, he was more than a friend to me. He was more like my brother."

"Was?" she asked, curiosity and a tinge of sadness lacing her voice. "Did he…?"

He chuckled again when he understood what she wanted to ask. "Oh no, no. Nothing quite as tragic as that. He didn't die in a freak lightning storm or anything. What happened was a bit duller than that." He sighed. "We spent so much time together growing up that it was only natural for us to want to apply to the same university. We both got in, and for a while it was great. Our apartments were right next to each other, so we didn't lose touch even though we were enrolled in different courses, and we basically went through all the random bollocks you'd expect university students to go through."

"You sounded really close." She smiled.

"Oh we were." He agreed. "We practically shared everything. In fact, we were so close that we even ended up sharing a girlfriend."

She gasped and pushed her head off of his shoulder so she could meet his eyes. "What? That's… that's terrible!"

"It's not quite as terrible now," he assured her, shrugging as he did so. "I met Tomoe on my senior year of pre-law. We dated for a year, and since Akira was my best mate, of course there were a lot of times when we'd all end up going out together. I was always grateful that they got along so well—after all, having your best mate hate the bird you're dating could bring a lot of complications I'd really rather not deal with at the time. It wasn't until I caught them shagging in his apartment one night when I realized just why they were so close. Looking back," he mused, "there were a lot of signs to tell me that they've been more than friends six months into our relationship. I was just too daft and blind to see them. Things were never the same since then, naturally."

She leaned back into him. "I don't think anyone would've had the chance to prepare themselves for something like that. People have a tendency to be selective on the things they process. Ignorance is bliss, and all that."

"I suppose so."

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try again. Haven't you met anyone else since then?"

"In a way, I have and I haven't."

"What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh mountain breeze that he inhaled. Briefly, he wondered why he never decided to visit the country sooner. "I've dated around through the years. After I got over what happened with Tomoe and Akira, I decided to give it a try again, you know?" he sighed. "But nothing serious ever came of those. At one point they'd just get too annoying or too clingy. The rest of my time in the University and the career path I eventually took isn't really date-friendly."

"Ah. The typical career-driven heartbreaker." She joked. "You're lucky none of the women you ended up dumping went crazy on your or anything."

"Oh believe me," he chuckled. "I had my share; and it's not a list I have any desire of adding onto."

They fell into a relaxed silence, then; both of them just basking in the glow of the bright sunshine and the cool wind that blew against them, their hands never letting go of their soft hold on each other. They stared out into the open greenery before them and just breathed in the fresh air that the mountain ranges produced. Despite its horrible history, sitting on top of the Great Wall of China provided the two people with a sense of peace unlike any other. They didn't know if it was because of the setting they were in or because of the surprising company that they stumbled upon during their trek, but frankly, at that moment, they couldn't care less.

"So," she heard him begin softly after a while. He must've thought she was sleeping because he kept his voice low and soothing, and it made her smile. "I told you something. I think it's only fair that you tell me something in return, don't you think?"

She nodded gently. "What do you want to know, Mr. Himura?"

"Well, for starters, you can tell me all about the delightful men in your life. I'm sure you have quite a few stories to tell."

"Not really," she mused. "It's really not that exciting."

"Oh pish posh. I'm not looking for exciting, Ms. Kamiya. I'm looking for stories. So come on then, cough it up."

"Hmm." She breathed in as she thought of what to tell him. She actually did have a few stories, but she didn't think she was very comfortable with sharing them with him. But then again, she contradicted herself, she was never going to see him again, so she didn't see the harm in doing so. "Well, my father was a lot like your uncle, I guess. He was a very busy man—hence the nanny I told you about when we first met, but he was there for all the important things. You know, graduations, recitals, things like that. So I didn't feel like a neglected child or anything. He was very supportive of me, and he made sure that I was doing okay in everything that I did. He never pressured me into anything I didn't want to do, and for that, I will always be very grateful to him. I love him very much." She smiled.

"Although there was a time when I sort of… changed, for a bit." She continued.

"How so?"

She squeezed his hand for a bit before taking a deep breath and proceeding with telling her story. "Well, I was in college at the time, so I was living by myself in an apartment near the University campus. When I first started, I always made sure to free up my weekends so I could go back home; my father did the same so we could spend time together and just touch base, you know? But then," she sighed. "I met someone."

"Ah," he interrupted. "The words of impending doom, if I may say so myself."

"Do you want to hear my story or not?" she scolded lightly, raising her head from his shoulder so she could fix him a stern look. At his chuckle and encouragement for her to continue, she laid it back down on his shoulder and went on.

"He was wonderful at first. He was very gentle, caring, thoughtful—basically everything a college girl could hope to find. It amazed me back then, since he was a year above me and he was very attractive. I never thought he'd ever notice a girl like me, so when he did ask me out, of course I said yes.

"My friends didn't approve of him, though. They told me all sorts of things. Like, tell me about how rude he is with other people, they warned me about his arrogance, and of his violent tendencies. They told me I shouldn't keep seeing someone like him, and that there were a lot of better guys out there for me. But, as it always goes, I didn't listen to them. In my head, everything they told me just made me feel all the more special since with me, he was always the perfect gentleman. I kept thinking that he saw me as someone special—which is why he treated me the way he did.

"So," she sighed again. "I spent less time with my friends, because I didn't want them to keep giving him the cold treatment. I was so scared of scaring him of that I was willing to risk my friendship with the best people I know. The same went with my Dad. I kept coming up with excuses so I could skip out on our usual father-daughter bonding days, because Enishi kept on asking me out on the weekends. We spent so much time together that I didn't even notice that I was losing the other people I had."

He frowned at the guilt in her voice. "It happened a long time ago, Kaoru, surely you've forgiven yourself for being young and stupid. It happens to everybody."

"Yeah, I guess I have. But just remembering how I made them all feel still brings up the guilt every now and then."

"Was that why they were worried, then? Because they didn't see you as often as they did before you went out with this… Enishi character?"

"No. It was more of my behavior, really." She paused and looked away when a group of tourists walked by them, all of them giggling wildly at what they were seeing. When they were finally out of earshot, she continued. "See, my friends were right about his violent tendencies. Although it took him a year before I actually got to see it for myself."

He took a sharp breath. "You mean… He…?"

"Unfortunately," she nodded sadly. "We were fighting about something I don't even remember now when it happened. I think I was screaming at him, then all of a sudden I was on the floor with a cracked lip 'cause of the blow he gave me. I forgave him then, though, since he apologized so profusely that I just couldn't resist. He said he was just overwhelmed, and I said I understood and that it was okay. I guess he took that 'okay' as permission for him to do it again and again for another year, though."

The wind blew around them again, this time having a colder touch to it that made her shiver. In response, Kenshin took his hand away from her so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder, tucking her into him to share his body heat with her. It was a very thoughtful and sweet gesture, so she smiled up at him before she leaned fully into him and proceeded with telling him about her rather morose story.

"My friends noticed the bruises, of course. They've always been so attentive—especially this one guy in our group. He was really close to me and he treated me like a kid sister—still does, actually." She smiled. "Anyway, they started getting concerned about me, but I kept shrugging them off. Actually, when they confronted Enishi about it, I was the one who screamed at them to leave us alone. I know it was weird, and unbelievably stupid, but at the time, I was so head over heels in love with the man that I didn't care about anything else.

"Eventually, they told my Dad about what they thought was happening to me. So my Dad flew in immediately, and well… I guess I was very lucky that he arrived before Enishi got the chance to break that vase over my head—that would've been hard to explain." She chuckled darkly. "It wasn't until we got the police reports back that we found out he was doped up on meth and heroin, and by then he was already incarcerated. I never got the chance to see him—much less speak to him, since after that my Dad and my friends basically put me on lockdown. They never let me go anywhere with at least one of them hanging around, and the friend I told you about earlier? Yeah, he practically lived in my apartment until he was sure I wouldn't do anything stupid. Since then, all the other guys I dated had to be approved before I could even think about where the actual dating was going to go."

He laughed. "Pre-approved?"

"Uh-huh." She grumbled. "The third date is strictly reserved for getting whoever I'm dating to meet my friends. The rest of our dating period would depend on whether they'd approve or not. It gets pretty annoying sometimes, especially when I like the guy, but I still love them despite it since I know they're just a bunch of worried mother hens. I don't think they ever got over seeing me in the state I was in when my Dad brought me to the hospital when he caught Enishi. In fact, one of them told me that they felt it was their fault for not doing anything sooner. So if letting them do this would help ease their worries a bit, then I guess I just live with it." She paused. "Besides, I figure if whoever I'm seeing won't be able to get along with my friends, then it'd be best for me to just move on. I didn't want to face the same shit that I had to go through with Enishi before, after all."

"That's perfectly understandable," he mused. "Actually, if it were up to me, I'd probably just tie you onto a bedpost so you wouldn't be able to leave your apartment… ever. Save myself all the hassle and all that."

She laughed at the ridiculous idea. "Well, it's a good thing you're not one of my friends, then. I have quite the temper, you know, and I'm not afraid of hot shot lawyers like you." She brought her voice down to a whisper. "I could kill you and make it look like an accident. I'mthat good."

"Oh I have no doubts about that." He laughed boisterously. When his laughter died down, she watched him look up at the sky and down to his watch. "The sun's going to be setting soon. We should go."

"Right." She grunted as he helped her stand up, not letting go of her hand as they walked towards the end of the path where a cable car was waiting to transport them back down into civilization. "So how long are you staying here for?"

"My flight's scheduled two days from now. You?"

She smiled. "Same. Wow, my strawberry-haired man. I think this is the first time we're going to be leaving the country together."

He nodded. He was silent the rest of the way down the path, but he gave her arm a soft tug just when she was about to enter the vehicle. She looked confusedly up at him and waited for him to say whatever it was that he stopped her for.

"Kaoru?"

"Yeah?"

He sighed. "You might think this is a completely bonkers idea, and I'm telling you now that you have every right to decline my offer, but I just…" he paused. "Right. Would you… would you mind terribly if… since we're leaving the country together anyway, would you mind if we spent the rest of our time here together? If you have plans, I really won't mind, but like I said before, it just gets pretty lonely walking around a strange city by myself, you know? And I really do like the idea of having someone to converse with in English. Not like I don't know how to speak Chinese, that is. My Uncle made me learn the language when he wanted us to start expanding our firm to Asia and—"

"Kenshin," she said, her index finger placed gently on his lips to stop him from talking. "You're rambling."

He blushed adorably and nodded. "Right. Yeah, I do have the tendency to do that."

She smiled and stepped inside the cable car and she saw him droop his shoulders down in disappointment. She felt a strange warmth wash over her body, which made her decide what to say to him right then and there. "You coming?" she asked, scooching over to one side of the hanging vehicle.

His face looked up in surprise, but it was immediately replaced by a look such happiness and appreciation that she felt her heart skip a beat. He stepped in after her and went back to holding her hand gently in his.

"So," she said when they were midway down the tall structure. "You're staying in your hotel room by yourself?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm staying at The Peninsula over in Wangfujing. And you?"

"I am too. But I'm over at The Regent by the Dongcheng District."

He glanced at her smiling form, and swallowed his nerves as he decided to take a wild leap of faith. "It's only ten minutes away from mine, if I remember correctly."

"It is."

"There are a lot of good restaurants nearby that I'd like to try, if you'd like to join me?"

"Sure." She said, looking at him through the corner of her eyes. "I wouldn't mind having dinner with you."

"I bet you my room's got a hell of a lot more space than yours… and the bed's pretty comfortable too." He said nervously.

She raised her eyebrow at him and for a second, he thought that he offended her with what he said. When he saw the mischievous glint in her eyes, though, he laughed.

"I heard it gets pretty cold here at night," he whispered into her ear. "Luckily for me, there's a lovely tub in my room with all the hot water in the world. And I can even ask for some strawberry and almond tofu dessert and a bottle of delicious wine, if you'd like to join me?"

"Sure." She replied again, leaning into him and closing her eyes as he drew his lips closer to hers. "I wouldn't mind moving."

Greece, 2013

Greece is a beautiful city, that much he was sure of.

Its structures, the locals, the history, the culture behind everything that he saw as he turned every street corner never failed to astound him. He's been in the city for a week now, and he was due to return back to London in three days. He didn't want to leave the country without getting a chance to see everything that it had to offer, though, so despite his rather tired disposition, he still dragged himself out of bed to take a quick shower before putting on a pair of tan, corduroy shirts and a thin, light blue polo. He glanced out his window and saw the sun shining brightly down at the streets, and he decided to grab his fedora before leaving the room—to protect his head from the probable heat that he was sure to be submerged in.

He was careful to make sure that part of his long, red hair was still very visible. After all, he never knew when he'd get the chance to see his blue-eyed enigma once more. It's been a year since he last saw her, and he's gotten tired of trying to forget about her. So he's taken up the habit of carefully scanning the crowds in every city he'd visit, hoping to catch a glance of her beautiful, smiling face.

Every day of the last year was spent kicking himself over and over again for not being able to get at least her e-mail address so he could get a chance to know her even better despite the distance between them. He still couldn't believe he managed to spend two whole days with her back when they were both in China—two wonderful days that they spent walking around the city, trying out various restaurants and local street food, talking about anything and everything, and enjoying the hot sensations that their lovemaking brought every time they'd spend more than twenty minutes in his hotel room.

She must've thought that he thought of her as nothing but a fling—someone to warm his bed during his visit. He wanted to make sure that she didn't think that so badly that he almost flew over to New York to find her just so he could tell her of how special he thought she is. Some days, he'd be so filled with insecurity at the thought that maybe he was the one that she thought of as a bed warmer. For all he knew, she could be married to someone already. There was a possibility that she travelled so much to get away from the pressures of being a wife and of motherhood. He didn't know everything about her, after all.

But somehow he knew that she wasn't that type of a woman. From his disappointingly brief encounters with her, he got to know her as someone who's honest, sincere, adventurous, spontaneous, and someone who wouldn't spend her days doing or taking part in something that didn't make her happy. She was passionate about life, and he adored that about her. To be honest, he adored everything about her—which is why he spent the better half of the two months after he arrived back in London getting one of their firm's private investigators to find some way for him to be able to contact her.

It was pathetic of him to do so, and he got a hell of a lot of shite from his Uncle when he found out about it—although he never tried to stop him. When he finally got her contact details (he absolutely refused to read the background check that their detective so gallantly prepared for him), he was so thrilled to finally have the chance to get to know her and to see where their odd encounters could lead to that he rushed to his computer to try to compose a message to send to her.

However, he wasn't able to do it. Once he got in front of his laptop, he found that he didn't really know what to say to her. They've only ever interacted face-to-face, where they could both read between the lines of everything they said aloud through their body language. Even though he'd imagined countless times what it would be like to talk to her while he was in London, and she in New York, he never thought about how he'd actually begin their overseas interaction.

Eventually, he let the idea go. He didn't think he'd be able to handle it if she ignored whatever he'd send her, since he knew that that would just give his overactive imagination a license to think of all the possible reasons why she wouldn't want to interact with him anymore; and he most certainly didn't want her to think that he was nothing but an obsessive stalker that she should steer clear of. The risks were too high, and his rationality won out above his strong desires.

As he stared up at the high towers of the Parthenon, he thought of how much he wished that he'd see her here. It was a long shot, he knew, but he still hoped. After all, their previous meetings weren't exactly any different from what he was wishing for, and he prayed to get another chance to see her so he could do it right this time. After what happened during the last time they were together, he was pretty sure that he'd have a right to properly ask her if she'd like to continue what was going on between them despite the distance that separated their regular lives. Their firm had a branch in New York, so he was sure he'd be able to visit her from time to time; and given her career and the comfortable quarters she had whenever she'd go on a trip, he was pretty sure that he could coerce her into visiting him in London as well.

"Signo'mi!" he heard a female voice exclaim when she stumbled into him. He caught her by the arms to help her stop her momentum, and his eyes widened at seeing the raven locks that were messily covering her face. Her milky skin was slick with sweat from the heat, and her sundress was billowing around her knees from the warm breeze that was going through them.

"Okhi provlima." He replied courteously. He was holding his breath as he let her go, watching her rummage for something in her purse.

He could hear his heartbeat slowing down, and his hands shook as he waited for her to shove her hair out of her face so he could see the familiar sapphire gaze he's been longing to see.

When she finally looked up at him though, his entire being was flooded by a surge of disappointment at seeing her bright green gaze. 'Green', he thought morosely when the stranger smiled at him gratefully and walked away. 'Green, not blue.'

Three days later, as he waited for his plane to start boarding in a quiet coffee shop in the airport, he was enjoying a plate of strawberry loukoumi when he decided to leave everything up to fate. He prayed to see her again, but if he would never be given a chance to do so ever again, then so be it. If he will get another shot at it, though… well that was a whole new matter entirely.

Until then he'd be enjoying the wonderful affinity for strawberries that she managed to rub off on him.

Switzerland, 2013

It was always refreshing to immerse yourself in the culture of a different country without the hindrance of having someone whine and gripe beside you as you explored the city.

It was nearing ten in the evening, and she was still smiling happily as she walked down the medieval bridge that spread across the lake in the middle of the beautiful city of Lucerne. She marveled at the twinkling lights that were reflected in the calm water of the lake, making her pause and lean against one of the posts of the old, wooden bridge. She let the quietness of the evening fill her senses, and blocked out the sparse collection of people that were walking around her, indulging herself in the serenity that the place offered her.

It was during moments like these that made her think of the elusive redhead that she met during one of her travels three years ago. She missed his company, even though they've only ever met three times, and she missed the way that he just knew how to act around her. She missed their comfortable silences, she missed seeing his face light up in admiration whenever they'd come across a particularly beautiful sight, and she missed him.

She knew it was a silly notion—to miss someone you barely even know, that is. But in a way, she felt that how she felt was justifiable since she really did feel like she knew him, and he did her. She may not know his favorite color, or his address, or who he saw on a regular basis, but she liked to think that she knew about the important facets of his life. They just clicked. They shared a special connection that was brought about by their love for travelling, their zeal for life despite their complicated pasts, and by their deep understanding of each other. She really didn't know how it happened, but the redhead managed to worm his way into her daily thoughts, and she didn't quite know what to do with them yet.

What's even more pathetic about her is the way she'd sometimes dream about his touch—his gentle caresses and warm embrace from when they shared a couple of passion-filled nights together. She didn't even know what he thought of it! There was a huge chance that he thought of her as nothing but an easy, slut of a woman, who was ready to open her legs for the first stranger that she'd come across during one of her trips. She sincerely hoped that he didn't really think of her that way, and she blindly believed in his deep comprehension of her character. Though, of course, she was aware that it could be nothing but the romantic in her that was spewing such nonsense into her brain. She prided herself in being a logical woman, but sometimes she couldn't help but be taken over by the little part of her that still believed in magic and romance.

Perhaps one of her biggest regrets from the last time they saw each other was not asking him if he wanted to keep in touch as they went about their usual lives. She really wanted to get to know him better, but seeing as he never even asked her if she would like to do so, she didn't want to put herself in a position wherein she'd have to risk her dignity. She had no doubts that he would've agreed, and they probably would've traded the necessary information, but she still had no guarantee that he wouldn't just brush her aside should she decide to write him or call him or whatever. She didn't think she'd be ready for that kind of disappointment.

So, she got on her plane and headed back home. She buried herself in her work and her friends, and spent every day trying to squash every thought she'd get of the elusive redhead. Of course, she had to endure her friends' countless taunts and jokes about her situation, and she really, really, regretted the night that she got so drunk that she ended up telling her best friend about all of her pathetic woes and miseries. She had no idea how it happened, but one day, all of them just stopped talking about it—and she was immensely grateful for her best friend's sensitivity towards her feelings. He must've noticed that the situation really did bother her, and he subsequently spent a lot of time with her as a gesture of silent comfort and support.

"Guten abend." she heard a smooth, male voice greet from behind her as she made her way back into the city to grab a quick dinner before retiring for the day.

She felt hope blossom in her chest, and she took her time in turning around to face the source of the voice. She knew it was highly unlikely that she would see him again, but she couldn't help it. He was just always in her mind; and besides, it's not like they haven't met in a similar fashion before.

When she saw the man's chocolate hair, her heart dropped down in disappointment and she sighed as she pushed a polite smile onto her face.

"Guten abend." She greeted back. "Is there anything I could help you with?" she continued in German.

The man stretched out his arm and smiled, his kind eyes twinkling under the warm lights that hung from the roof of the bridge. "You dropped your bracelet, Miss."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she grabbed the piece of jewelry that he held in his palm.'Danke.' she thanked. "I didn't even notice that I lost it."

"It's quite alright." Offering her one last smile, he nodded to her as he walked past her. "Have a nice night, Miss."

She turned around to follow him with her eyes. "You too."

Turning back around to the direction of the city, she sighed as she resolved herself to stop looking around every corner, hoping against all hope to see the familiar redhead. It would be nothing but a complete waste of her time, and a huge source of endless disappointment, after all. If the gods of the universe felt like she deserved to meet him again, then okay. If not, then it would be okay as well.

For now, she'd focus on enjoying the dark chocolate, strawberry, and mint swiss roll that waited for her back in her hotel room.

New York, 2014

"I really don't understand why you feel it necessary to take me to this function of yours." He grumbled, annoyed at having been pushed and pulled around by his rather obnoxious friend. Never before had he ever wished that he had just a little bit more muscle and height than he possessed. Perhaps if he did, he'd be able to overpower the tall man that was currently lugging him around as if he was nothing more than a ragdoll.

It's been a month since his Uncle sent him to the busy city to take care of the New York branch of their law firm. At first, he was surprised that his Uncle apparently trusted him enough to handle such a big responsibility, but he was nonetheless pleased at getting a chance to start over and to rebuild himself. London had too many memories for him, and he gladly took on the chance to get away from his hometown. He didn't really have anything that tied him there anyway, especially since he got so many requests for consults in the offices they had around the world that he didn't really have the time to build any meaningful relationships with the people around him back there. The stability that he was promised should he decide to take on his Uncle's offer was a nice opportunity for him to create actual roots for himself.

So far, his stay in the city has been rather nice. It was true that it was a bit too noisy and hectic for his liking, but he didn't mind it much since he only had to endure the bustling for eight hours a day before he was free to do whatever he wanted. The people, too, were more relaxed than the men and women that he worked with in London, so that was another welcome change.

"It's because you don't have a social life, and I'm feeling particularly magnanimous tonight so I've decided to help you stop being such a pathetic loner." His friend replied, pushing his way through another group of giggling women.

He sighed as they finally got to the bar that they were headed towards and listened to Sanosuke Sagara, one of the senior partners in his firm, order a couple of glasses of scotch for the both of them. "I wasn't even invited here. I think it's rather rude to crash such an event—especially one that's as formal as this one."

"We've already been through this, Kenshin." Sano said happily. He took a sip of his drink and offered the other glass to Kenshin, who gratefully grabbed it from him so he could take a sip of it himself. "The fox doesn't mind you being here. Besides, having more people around would help these stuck up doctors stop talking about the people they slice open on a daily basis."

He stared warily at the crowd before him. "It doesn't look like they need much help. They seem to be getting along fine on their own. I'd really much rather be at home."

"Doing what?" his friend scoffed. "Sulking again?"

"No." he replied petulantly. "Working on the Peterson case. In case you've forgotten, the first hearing's going to be on Monday, and our damned defendant can't stop lying to us."

"Which is exactly why I brought you here, little man. You've seriously got to learn to ease up! You're so uptight all the time. You're in New York, for fuck's sake. It's time to remove that stick from up your ass."

"Shut up, Sanosuke."

They spent a few moments in relative silence, with Sano craning his neck over the crowd to try to find his currently missing girlfriend. Upon catching sight of her on the other side of the room, he yelled. "Oi! Fox! We're over here!"

Megumi calmly made her way over to her obnoxiously loud boyfriend, scowling at the way she was beckoned. "Do you have to be so loud?" she said as she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "And what did I tell you about calling me that in public?"

"Yeah well it was the fastest way to get you here. I doubt you'd've been able to find us with all these people scurrying around." Sano grinned. "Hey, uh, do you have any lady friends you could introduce to Kenshin over here? He needs to get laid tonight."

Kenshin blushed as Megumi leaned in to kiss his cheek in greeting. "Sanosuke."

"Hey, it's true. I haven't seen him go out with any of the women who've been eyeing him since he got here." He paused and cocked his head to look at him appraisingly. "Are you gay?"

"Sano! Lay off of him already!" Megumi interjected.

Sano ignored her protest and continued to observe his redheaded friend. "Seriously. It'd be okay, you know. Equality and all that; and I wouldn't stop hanging out with you or anything. In fact, it'd be better if you told me now so I could help you find the… appropriate people."

His eyes turned up to meet Sano's eyes menacingly. "No, Sanosuke. I am not gay." He growled out.

The tall man's eyes widened at seeing his friend riled up. "Hey, easy now. I didn't mean no harm. I just wanted to ask in case you were."

"Excuse him, Kenshin. He has a fucked up definition of being polite. It must've been from when his mother dropped him on his head as a child." Megumi explained angrily, glaring at her boyfriend as she did so.

"It's alright. I suppose it's just another thing I'm going to have to get used to, isn't it?" he sighed.

"Oi! I'm right here, you know!" Sano interrupted indignantly. Scoffing at the silence that he got in reply, he decided to turn slightly so he could place his arm around Megumi. "Where's the little Missy anyway? I thought she was coming?"

"She got held up in surgery. I think it finished around an hour ago, though, so she should be here soon."

The couple beside him started talking about other things, and he decided to tune them out in favor of observing the rapidly growing crowd. The venue of the event wasn't that big, so it was a bit hard for them to move around—especially since they were all garbed in semi-formal clothes. He didn't even know what the occasion was, but he assumed it was some sort of celebration for the hospital that Megumi was working in.

Although he must admit he was also curious as to what the person that Sano referred to as "Missy" would be like in person. He's only ever heard stories about the woman, since he's been politely turning down every invitation that Sano threw his way whenever his group of friends would meet. Yes, he wanted to build a foundation for himself in this new city, but he was still adjusting to his current environment so he didn't feel like he was quite ready yet to assimilate himself into his co-worker's circle. This was the first social event he's been to since he arrived, and although he was wary of it, he was curious as to what the tall man's friends would think of him.

They spent another thirty minutes arguing and throwing jests at each other before Sano's eyes brightened as something caught his eye from across the room. He raised one of his arms and waved frantically as he called out a loud, "Missy! Get your ass over here!"

He saw a few people glance towards their direction and throw a scowl at the loud man, cueing Megumi to pinch him harshly on his side to get him to settle down.

"Will you shut up, Sagara? This is a formal event, and you're embarrassing me!" she hissed.

Sano had the courtesy to appear sheepish as he scratched the back of his head and looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, got a little overenthusiastic there."

"You think?!"

Kenshin chuckled at their interaction and took another sip of his neat scotch. The couple never failed to amuse him whenever he'd get the time to spend time with them.

"Ah, here she is! The little medical superstar!" Sano greeted, moving past Megumi and Kenshin to envelope the raven-haired woman in a bear hug. "I've missed you, little Missy!"

"Calm yourself, Rooster head. I was with you yesterday." She laughed as her friend brought her back down to her feet.

To say that he was surprised to hear the familiar voice would be an understatement. His eyes widened in surprise and his chest blew up in hope, wishing for the woman behind him to be the very same ghost that's been haunting him the past two years. He never did manage to forget her, although he did succeed with controlling his brain with regards to when it'll decide to flash images of his beautiful enigma.

Slowly turning around to face the newcomer, he held his breath as he watched Sano move away from her. He wasn't able to stop the huge smile that grew on his face upon catching sight of her wide, sapphire eyes.

"Kenshin?" she gasped out.

"Ciao, Kaoru." He greeted. He paused and walked closer to her before continuing in French. "It's been a while."

"Wait a sec." Sano interrupted, his head swiveling from Kaoru's surprised gaze to Kenshin's delighted expression. "You two know each other?"

"Y—yeah. We've uh… met before." Kaoru stammered out when Kenshin grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I've missed you." The redhead said softly to her in Chinese.

Finally digesting his presence, her gaze softened and she smiled warmly at him in welcome. "English, please." She laughed.

"Holy shit! You mean he's the redheaded guy you've been telling me about?!" Sano exclaimed again.

Kaoru nodded happily and didn't even turn her head towards her friend to pay attention to Megumi dragging him away from them. To her and the redhead in front of her, this just felt so… surreal.

"What are you doing here?" she asked softly as they drew themselves closer to each other. "Are you here for a business trip?"

He smiled. "Sort of."

"Sort of? What do you mean?" she asked confusedly. "When are you leaving?"

"I'm not really sure."

"Huh?"

"Well, I've been here for a month already, and I just finished unpacking all of my things in my apartment. So I'm not really sure when I'd be visiting London again."

"Visiting London? You mean…?"

He nodded before leaning his forehead against hers, watching as her sapphire orbs were hidden behind the pale skin of her eyelids. "As it turns out, I don't mind moving either." He whispered before touching her lips with his, smiling at the strawberry flavor that he tasted as they kissed.

Author's Note: I know, I know. I have three stories that I should be working on right now. But this little nugget just rolled around and around in my head, and I couldn't help myself! It's just a one-shot, though, so I can happily say that I can now focus on writing It Is What It Is, Relevance, and Unexpectedly Expected.

It's my first time to write something as fluffy as this, so let me know what you think!

Cheers!

PS. In case you're curious to some of the foreign words that were mentioned.

Bonsoir: Good evening (French)

Signo'mi: Excuse me (Greek)

Okhi provlima: No problem (Greek)

Guten abend: Good evening (German)

Danke: Thank you (German)