A Dangerous Game
I owe a huge thanks to my online niece Hammy-chan for inspiring this song fic when we chatted about our favorite songs. I owe an equally huge thanks to my online little sister Nightshade who found the song and gave me a plot that would have worked had I not been so bent on something different. I owe an extremely large thanks to my beta-reader TitianWren for her awesome beta work. –heaps her inbox with chocolates and cookies-
There is a reason for this rating and this will not be continued, so please don't ask.
Kaoru Kamiya padded on bare feet towards her dojo, the sanded planks of wood silky and pleasantly cool. It was still dark, but by the time she was done training the sun would be up. And then she would train Yahiko and add more stress to her life. She smiled. Her pants swished back and forth, gently batting her ankles; the strips that bound her breasts rubbed harshly against her skin, and her ponytail slapped against her back with every step. The doors drifted closer to her and apprehension pooled into her stomach, sitting there like a lump of lead. She tried to shake it off; it was too early in the morning for anything to happen. Surely even doom had to sleep! But the feeling persisted as she breezed though the doors.
Inside the practice room, the feeling intensified. Standing there with her back very near the doors, she stared at the empty walls- the bokkens were gone. Her eyebrows drew down into a frown. Where had they gone? Her dark blue eyes, almost rivaling her blue-black hair, looked around for her missing training equipment. Her mind briefly entertained Yahiko being the culprit, before nixing the idea. He was still asleep, and the little pain-in- the-backside wasn't that disrespectful. A lone object tailed into her line of sight at the far wall. She squinted, briefly wondering why the sunlight hadn't started to lighten the horizon as she tried to make out what the lump was. After a few agonizing moments, it finally registered: a single katana. Frowning, she crossed the room, her feet making no sound, and picked up the sword with distaste.
'Is it Kenshin's?' she wondered, holding it the way one would a writhing snake.
It couldn't have been his. He would never leave it in the dojo; his sakabatou was never far from his side, always within immediate reach. Her eyes scanned the room for something more. They encountered another shapeless object that she could swear hadn't been there before. In the gloom, she just managed to make out hair pulled into a ponytail that was secured at the base of the head. It was Kenshin; there was no mistaking that hairstyle. Cradling the sword, she made her way over to him.
"Kenshin?" she asked. "Couldn't you sleep?" Her smiling face took on a look of concern. She stepped in front of him and frowned when he didn't acknowledge her presence. She knew he wasn't meditating, he didn't have the…ah…patience for it.
"Kenshin?" she asked, again, forgetting the sword for the present. He finally did acknowledge her by lookingup. She gasped and began to back away. Those eyes! Even in the absence of any kind of light, there was no mistaking those amber orbs- they glowed eerily, demonically. He stood, a single fluid motion, and made his way towards her, his usual placid stride a controlled stalk. Her back hit the wall and she pressed herself up against it, holding onto the sword for dear life as he came closer and closer still. He stopped just inches from her and she could feel the power exuded, raw and coiled, like a newly caged tiger still trying to gain its freedom.
He lifted his hand and lightly set his fingers on her shoulder, as if he was afraid of breaking her bones if he put any more pressure on her. She jumped at the cold feeling. He rubbed her shoulder lightly- the tailor testing his creation on his customer. His eyes locked on hers, holding her blue orbs prisoner as he traced his fingers lightly up the back of her exposed neck and down her spine, a sensual, pleased smile curving his lips as she shivered. She could feel the strength of his fingers as they lingered dangerously close to her butt. She tried to push away the surge of pleasure as he gently kneaded the small of her back with a large, calloused palm; it felt so good!
I feel your fingers-Cold on my shoulder-
Your chilling touch,
As it runs down my spine-
Watching your eyes
As they invade my soul-
Forbidden pleasures
I'm afraid to make mine.
He drew a few inches away from her and without warning, or any battle sound, attacked! Her eyes grew wider seeing the normal katana blade buried in the wood just centimeters from her head. Reaching out his free hand, he caressed her neck and looked deeply into her eyes. "Fight!" he commanded, in his harsh voice. She shuddered.
At the touch of your hand-At the sound of your voice-
At the moment your eyes meet mine-
I am out of my mind-
I am out of control-
Full of feelings I can't define!
Faster than she believed herself capable, she darted away, clutching the sword she held to her breast, as if it were a lifeline. Her breath came in ragged pants. He whirled and stared at her, his eyes cold and amused. Running towards her, he swung the blade in a death arc towards her head. She closed her eyes, waiting, knowing the pain would last only a moment. The blow never came. Tremulously, her lashes fluttered open. The sword was inches from her neck and Kenshin - no, the Battousai was perilously close. She could feel the hunger to fight rolling off of him waves; she found that her feelings were the same, despite her mind shouting the dangers of fighting the hitokiri from the revolution. It was tempting, this game- down right sinful.
It's a sin with a name-Like and hand in a flame-
And our senses proclaim
It's a dangerous game!
Kaoru resisted the urge to pull the sword from its sheath. I can't fight him! I don't have a chance! This isn't Kenshin, he's Battousai, she thought, staring at him. For a moment, the Kenshin she knew was superimposed over the blood-thirsty man that stood before her.
"Miss Kaoru," she heard, and saw him reach gently for her with the same hands that the killer in front of her held the sword with. The same calloused palms, the long, slender, fingers of a piano-forte player reaching towards her in comfort and offering safety… Tears welled up in her eyes: perhaps this nightmare was done!
"Kenshin!" she cried, reaching for him.
The imaged disappeared. Battousai was still there. Her hand froze in mid-air. Slowly, she let it drop back to her side as her face crumpled. Tears began a steady pitter-patter rhythm onto the wood floor. She bit her lip and willed herself to stop crying. After a few seconds, her tears stopped and she wiped away the excess moisture from her eyes and cheeks with her haori sleeve. She looked up at the assassin in front of her and immediately took a step back.
He was staring at her with a look of rage that twisted his face into that of a demon; it made his amber eyes glow like a raging fire. Snarling inarticulately, he swung with a ferocity that scared her. She began to evade his thrusts and swings; they were wild, compared to the controlled one's she'd seen him make before. She froze as one thrust was hurtled towards her dead on; her eyes widened and her mind froze- the proverbial deer in the headlights. Her body then acted of its own accord, out of desperation and the will to live. She drew the katana and met the blow head on.
A darker dream-That has no ending-
That's so unreal
You believe that it's true!Her arms trembled from the clashing of the blades and the air rang with the sound of metal meeting metal. Despite her shaking, she was unable to believe that her sword had actually withstood the brunt of the Battousai's thrust. He smiled at her. She felt a shiver snake up her spine at the erotic grin that combined lust and blood. She longed for Kenshin with his gentle smile. Her opponent pulled away and sprang again. She brought up her sword and blocked again.
Then something snapped inside her. Why was she always the victim? The Hiruma brother's, Jineh, Saitoh- he had informed Kenshin that he was growing soft and that he could have easily killed them all in the dojo without them being the wiser because of his uniform- with what she could have sworn was glee. And they were just a few. She was sick of it! The Kamiya Kashin-Ryu was the sword that protected life. She growled and began to attack him. If that was what the style her father created was supposed to do, then let it protect her. She'd deal with the ghosts later. The dance of death had finally begun and she didn't know who would be the winner. Probably not her, Kaoru reflected, bitterly.
A dance of death-Out of a mystery tale-
The frightened princess
Doesn't know what to do!
Will the ghosts go away-
No-
Will she let them stay-
No- Either way there's no way to win!Still plagued with bloodlust, he swung his sword, but she could tell by his breathing that he was tired; she redoubled her efforts, fighting back violently, refusing to go down without a fight. She was raised by her father to be a fighter and she would go down as one. But she was confused. She loved Kenshin, wanted him, needed him, but the Battousai! He was Kenshin, wasn't he? No, she knew they were different; she knew they shared a body, but…did they share a mind? She couldn't decide for herself even now. Her heart and body responded to both of them. She didn't know what to do, and there was no one she could turn to with the exception of Megumi… bad idea. She could see the fox ears popping up already. Damn that blasted kitsune! The moniker was apt. She needed a break from this fight— she didn't have Battousai's stamina for battle.
All I know is I'm lost-And I'm counting the cost-
My emotions are in a spin!
I don't know who to blame…
It's a crime and a shame!
But it's true all the same
It's a dangerous game!As if he understood her need for a rest, he sprung away from her and lowered his sword, panting heavily. She lowered her blade and leaned on the hilt, her body's mass pushing the point into the two-by-four it rested on; her breathing was just as harsh. Their eyes met, glowing amber meeting smoldering blue in the dense shadows that congregated around them.
Why?
And his eyes answered: because he could, because he wanted to.
It wasn't an excuse- her eyes were accusing.
As if she hadn't felt alive, felt the cravings for a decent fight and been given one.
She flinched. It was true. Gods, he was right. But it didn't excuse his arrogance.
His amber orbs shone with amusement. He'd earned his right to arrogance. Perhaps not the best way, but he'd earned it all the same.
She broke their gaze, turning her head to the side. Hot tears prickled her eyes, making them burn. She blinked rapidly, swearing fiercely that she would not cry again. She watched him approach out of the corner of her eye, but didn't turn her head to face him. He stood patiently for a few seconds waiting for her, but she continued to stare into the shadows resolutely. Kaoru experienced a fierce sense of satisfaction when he growled. Reaching out, he gripped her chin in a firm, but gentle grasp and turned her head to face him.
"Kaoru?" he whispered, a seductive sound. It should have repelled her, but instead, it washed over her like warm water, taking with it fatigue and making her feel refreshed. She flinched when he put the sword back in her hands, lovingly wrapping her long fingers around the hilt. Resting time was over.
No one speaks-
Not one word-
But what words are in our eyes
Silence speaks-
Loud and clear-
All the words we (don't) want to hear!
At the touch of your hand-
At the sound of your voice-
At the moment your eyes meet mine-For the second time, something snapped within her. She was furious, more so than she'd ever been before in her entire life. As she held the katana, Kaoru could feel her grip tighten systematically as her vision was coated in a film of red; anger pounded through her body, heating her blood. Not thinking of anything, she lunged forward. Her ears registered the sickening sound of metal slicing through fabric and sliding into and out of skin. As the vermilion-colored blood dripped off the protruding blade, she felt triumph sweep through her, instead of horror and sorrow.
I am losing my mind-I am losing control-
Fighting feelings I can't define!
It's a sin with a name-Angrily, Battousai ripped the sword from his flesh and savagely tossed it to the waiting darkness, his face murderous as he watched his crimson blood flying off the blade. As it flew, Kaoru couldn't help thinking that it, in a macabre way it reminded her of one of Katsu's bombs. Her opponent stalked back over to her and glared at her as she watched his dark sleeve soak up the blood. The ramification of what she'd done slammed into her, making her pale. She would have stumbled away from him to retch in a corner- assuming she could find one: for some reason, the sun still hadn't come up yet- but Battousai prevented her from going anywhere.
He wrapped his injured arm around her waist, his blood soaking into her pristine white haori, plastering it to her skin, and he cupped the back of her neck with his other hand. Tilting her head back, he fused his mouth to hers and molded her body to his.
"I'm worthy," he said against her mouth. "Worthy of you." He broke from her mouth and trailed kisses down the slender length of her neck. She could feel the fury in his trembling body. His teeth nipped the hollow of her throat, causing her to gasp. "And yet," he told her, trailing his mouth further down, "you chose that… puppy over me!"
He broke away from her and stalked back to his sword, picking it up. Turning back to her, their orbs locked, and she read the message plainly: if he couldn't have her, neither could Kenshin. There was no escape. Readying his blade, he ran towards her. She closed her eyes and listened to his battle cry, knowing that this time he wouldn't stop and that she wouldn't feel anything…
No remorse and no shame-Fire, fury and flame-
'Cos the devil's to blame
And the angels proclaimAny second now…
"Miss Kaoru?"
Daylight flooded her vision and she snapped her eyes shut again. After a few minutes, she decided that she could handle the glare of the afternoon sun and re-opened her eyes. She was leaning against a post with Kenshin hovering in front of her worriedly.
"Ken…shin?" she asked, fuzzily.
He smiled. "You were sleeping, Miss Kaoru, that you were. Yahiko told me you didn't sleep well last night. I hope you're feeling better, that I do."
She gave him a small smile and stood, stretching. "Yes, Kenshin, I am. Thank you."
"It was no trouble, Miss Kaoru."
Grinning at him, she walked away, intent on finding Yahiko and beating him over the head for blabbing to Kenshin of all people about her lack of sleep the night before. Her mind traveled back to her strange dream and she shivered. She loved Kenshin with all her heart, the gods knew. But she couldn't help but wonder, as she'd done in the past, what it would be like to be loved by the Battousai.
It's a dangerous game!Please review and don't ask. ;;;