Love Is…

The First Morning

By Seabreeze

A/N: After watching the Reflection OVA again, I decided we need another, happier look into Kenshin and Kaoru's marriage. I mean obviously it was very angsty, what with Kenshin being gone a lot and Kaoru missing him and etc., but its hard to imagine that they didn't smile a lot or crack a joke now and then or have cute WAFF-y moments. So I imagined, to a song, as is my habit. And if you haven't seen "Reflection" yet, go find it somehow. Its amazing. Don't be expecting any frolick through the flowers, though.

Warnings: Major fluffyness, mild allusions to sex.

Disclaimer: I'm not repeating this in later chapters: Characters and setting belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, and the song "I'm In Love With You" belongs to Joy Williams, from the album "Genesis".

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I've been waiting all my life

for this morning

just to wake up next to you holding me

and your head is resting gently on my shoulder

like you're whispering to me

I'm in love with you

I'm in love with you

So glad I found you

I'm in love

With you

- - - - - - - - - -

As the deep navy sky faded into the colors of dusk at the light from the rising sun began to touch the ground, the sounds of thousands of crickets died out. Everything was peaceful; the air was cool and moist with morning dew-yet to touch the blue-green blades of grass on the ground. A heavy, sleepy mist surrounded the dojo; making everything dream-like and surreal. And just as the first rays of sunlight hit the windows of the dojo, her eyes opened up.

The first thing she noticed was that she was awake before the sun was- that was odd, it usually gently coaxed her awake until it shone through her eyes, impossible to ignore. It couldn't have been more than 5 am, yet she was awake, and, she felt, she was excited to be.

The second thing she noticed was the arms possessively around her waist and the head lying in the crook of her neck. She looked at the sleeping eyes covered by stray strands of red hair and felt suddenly that her heart would burst.

Kenshin.

She bit her lip to contain the wide smile that was threatening to take over her face. Reaching over as quietly as she could, she brushed the stray hairs back to see his face: he looked peaceful, she thought with great pride and joyful satisfaction. The smooth skin of his right cheek begged her to tough it, but she dared not, not wanting to wake him. She sighed contentedly, not understanding the immense quantity of joy within her at the moment. It simply did not make sense to be so happy. And he, Kenshin, the man she loved more than anything, more than life itself, was the reason for her happiness. She snuggled closer to him and watched him, watched his bare, scarred chest rise and fall with his every breath.

'He married me,' she thought drunkenly, fiddling with the ends of his waist-length red hair. 'Take me now, gods, because I don't think its possible that I be any happier than this.' She longed to touch him, to kiss him, to hold him so tightly and reassure herself that he was there, and that he was hers. A sound of happiness escaped her throat as she laid her forehead gently against his.

"You're awake already," his sleepy, gentle voice noticed. Slightly surprised, she pulled back, nodding shyly.

"Good morning," she whispered, unexpectedly nervous. He chuckled softly within his throat and kissed her.

"Good morning, koishii." She blushed at the name and the kiss, happy nonetheless. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, turning on her side so they were facing each other. "Of course." She said with a small grin. She reached out tentatively with her fingers, wanting to touch him, and layed them gently on his chest. "Did you?" Shy blue eyes met violet ones, and he nodded as her fingers traced the outlines of his muscles and the scars that would always mark his torso.

"Do you want breakfast?" he asked quietly, brushing her bangs off her forehead and cupping her cheek tenderly. Touched, she nuzzled his hand before curling up completely against his chest.

"Not yet." She replied. He smiled despite himself, readjusting his grip on her waist with one hand and rubbing her left arm tenderly with the other.

"No, it is not quite time for breakfast yet, is it," he agreed quietly, laying his chin on top of her head.

"We can make it together." She decided. For some reason, the word "together" made her heart leap and she smiled. They would make breakfast together as husband and wife. She craned her neck to look up at him, forcing him to move his head and do the same.

"You married me," she said, in a tone that was partially accusatory and partially in disbelief.

"Yes," he replied with a smile that made her heart warm. She blushed again, returning to her former position with his chin resting lightly on her head.

"I'm having trouble believing it," she confessed in a timid whisper. He brushed a hand through her silken black hair.

"You need more proof?" he whispered back softly, making the happiness in her chest bubble up again. She giggled because of it.

"I guess not," she said. "its just that I've never been… this happy before. It doesn't seem real."

He felt his own heart beat painfully; no one had made his generally tough and battle-scarred heart feel as tender as she did. He shouldn't have been the one to make her so happy, but as fate had it, he was.

For an hour or more they dozed, falling in and out of consciousness as they held each other and spoke gently until it was finally time to rise and make breakfast- their first meal, their first day, as husband and wife.

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A/N: COOOOOORN! Crappy ending to a chapter, this one knows. But there will be a few more chapters. Six, its looking like.

Thanks to my bouncer buddy, Rk-128! Saxxxy mahhhn!