A/N: To those, if any, shaking their head and going "WTF, why no update" on my other story, heh *Sweat Drop* I have your answer in the form of a story. My second love, Kenshin, has stolen my creative flow.
Warning DANGER Will Robinson DANGER: FYI, all ye faint of heart or prepubescent of body, this is not a kid-friendly story, hence the M rating. There's not much language, just S.E.X. if you catch my D.R.I.F.T. Even this chapter has a lime flavor, kay? And it's a spicy not-completely-consensual sort, so as I have made plain, if you are a prude or youngster, shield thy eyes. Travel no farther. Ect. Ect.
Chapter ONE: Lacking a Clever Title
What are tears?
But a ripple of consequence
In our souls
That leaks out our eyes
Kaoru let the tear drop slide mostly down her finger; the perfect translucent orb trailed the ridges of her skin with jerky progress, leaving a moist trail behind. Without thinking, her tongue darted out, catching the salty drop on her tongue with a distant expression. It tasted like pain.
"Jou-chan?" Sanosuke's worried voice, devoid of its usual chipper note, questioned her apprehensively.
She stared at her friend with a wry smile; he looked so incredibly young to her, though she knew logically this was a ridiculous thought to have about a man three years her senior. His ruffled hair, always looked as if it battled itself, sticking out in a pitiful attempt to escape the red head band that managed to keep the unruly strands from getting into the warrior's eyes.
Why not cut it? She'd suggested. He'd clutched his heart, staring at her as if she'd told him to pluck the moon from the sky. And RUIN years of perfection? He inquired in mock hurt, Jou-chan, we must think of the ladies who would weep at the very mention. Stroking his pointed locks he'd retreated, muttering about women and their desire to meddle with things that were perfectly fine as they were.
"Hai?" she kept her tone gruff, her voice low and hoarse as Sano had instructed her.
"The men will talk if they see you cry," his eyes tightened at the corners, it pained him to be so callous, but she realized it was for the best. Wiping her hands on the rough fabric of her borrowed clothes she nodded, turning back to stare at the sloshing froth of the ocean's waves.
"A year," she fought the burn at her eyes, refusing to shed a tell-tale tear and give herself away, "He might be- he could-" Breathe Kamiya, your suffering will not save him.Her inner chide did not stop the horrible images from surfacing, she saw her memories dancing in the water's turbulent surface, mocking her strength of will with immeasurable loss. "What if we're too late?" It was mere luck that her voice was hoarse with emotion; she'd forgotten her disguise in the midst of her inner turmoil.
"You there, cabin boy!" A chilly command froze them both, tension radiating from their similarly bent poses. Sano had warned her of the captain, though he was supposedly a good friend of Sano's, his demeanor was that of an angered bear, attack first, question after. She was to stay as far away from the disreputable crew as reasonably possible, but as a lowly boy working in the kitchen's she found herself thrust into their company at alarming frequency.
Thank goodness for my flat chest, she smirked, never once would she have believed having such a child-like frame would be beneficial. Her muscles were slim and toned from her art of sword, hair cropped and features abstracted beneath the woolen cap she frequently wore; she passed well as a young boy.
"Hai, captain?!" Her yelled came with a slight crack to her voice, but the glowering man didn't so much as look at her as he completed his order.
"Scrub the deck! Mend the nets," his amber eyes flashed to her pale and dirtied features with a sharp intensity, "On my ship, we don't bother with lazy scallywags; we simply throw them over, are we clear?" She nodded, swallowing dryly as his steps continued on with a demanding clunk, everything about that man made her want to cringe.
His every word and action was dictated to intimidate, to command attention and obedience, her surprise at seeing such a young and delicate looking man as captain was too quickly overshadowed by the fearful awe he seemed to inflict in every crew member. No man carried so much respect on these harsh seas unless he was either very honorable, or very deadly, staring at the pirate's retreat she was definitely betting on the latter.
"Sanosuke!" the glowering man reappeared, scrutinizing the pair beneath him with a fiery golden gaze, "my quarters, Now."
"Hai, Kenshin," Sano smirked; winking at her after the captain had gone. "Don't fret Jou-chan; I won't let him toss you over." He grinned, barely escaping the annoyed swat she threw his way.
"You'd better not," she called after his hastily retreating form, "Or so help me rooster head I'll drag you in with me!" She smiled, invigorated by the bird brained companion's teasing she decided to tackle the deck, she'd show that surly captain she was worth her weight!
Hours later her joints felt like overworked dough, limp and rubbery, where there was no ache the muscles burned, not even her daily practices were this vigorous. Sweat leaked down her brow, she knew she must smell like rotting fish, days of sleeping in the kitchen's back quarters had gotten the briny smell of their sea food based diet into her every pore. Her arms seared with the most irritating pain, though her shoulders and lower back were a close second, but still she determinedly pushed the heavy mop forward across the ship's wooden planks.
"Overboard my butt," she gritted, trying to distract herself from the growing fatigue, "Stupid red headed tyrant, like to see him scrub his stupid deck…" she paused, panting as her lungs labored to fill her body with needed oxygen. "Rooster head and his brilliant plan…see how he likes it….next time it'll be his spiky mop head I use to, Curses!"
She'd dumped the mop water, spilling the dirtied spray across the section of the deck she'd just finished, and would now have to redo. With a sigh she wiped the sticky dirt and sweat from her forehead, staring at the sky. It was a beautiful display of netted gems stuck in black velvet, spanning as far as the eyes could see. Here, on the sea, the stars seemed brighter, her unobstructed view was awe inspiring, so much so that she lost track of time for an indefinable period, caught up in the grandeur of the twinkling heavens.
"Whoa-boy," A meaty hand thwacked her back, jarring her bones in the most unpleasant manner. "Ya deaf 'n something? Cappin' told ya to clean the deck, he'll be mighty displeased ta see ya lollygagging." She stared at the man, his thick scar bisected his left eye, twisting to cut his bearded lips, his skin was ruddy with too many days working hard labor under the unforgiving sun. His breath was alcohol soaked, and she'd seen many of the crew drinking and slumping about in a peculiar fashion since the crews officers had retreated to the captain's quarters.
"Captain Battousai's no' very forgiving lad, I'd mind the drunken coot," Another chimed in, his legs swinging as he regarded her from the ship's upper deck.
"Hai!" she barked, picking up the wooden mop handle in her raw and calloused hands. She tried to refrain from small talk; fearful she might slip and reveal her gender to the crew. Sano had repeatedly warned her that these men would not be rational if they discovered a young woman hidden amongst them.
"Wat'cha think Lefty?" The second man called, obscured by the shadows of the ship's sails as he sat above them, "this new boy's scrappy 'nough, but I ain't heard him say more than five words."
"Sounds ta me like he's shy, eh?" a roaring laugh that demonstrated the elder man's lack of sobriety followed. Kaoru inwardly shuddered, her expression cool as she continued her work, she detested alcohol's knack for turning even the most decent of men into rabid hyenas.
"Oi! Boy-o, hear that?" when she didn't respond, simply continued dragging the increasingly heavy weight of the mop back and forth, "Ain't ya concerned 'bout yer rep? Ain't no man on a pirate ship shy, boy, there ain't no secrets between mates. Right Lefty?"
"Right," Lefty agreed, downing a generous swallow from his hip flask, "runt ain't even got a scrap of a blade, talks little, makes a dishonest man nervous." He grinned, and it was a fiendish upturn of his scarred lips, a look of a man who had done terrible things without a flicker of conscious.
"Aye," the second jumped from his perch, illuminated in the moon's rays that fell about the craft in shafts of white light. He was thinner then the first, lean and burnt the same golden brown as the rest of the crew, but his eyes were his most catching feature, two tilted slits of emerald green.
"Pale as a gentlemen too," he continued, peering at Kaoru with interest as she heaved the heavy pole without so much as glancing at the two men. "Suppose we should make a man of this whelp? Put some hair on that chest." He grinned, and it was a mocking smile, alit with malicious mirth.
"Aye," the elder gritted, a splashing gurgle of whiskey swallowing thickly in his throat, "What have ye in mind, Rogers? A bit o' fun at the lad's expense, I'd lay my take on it."
"Nay, just a bit of sport," Rogers replied with a smirk, "A boy ain't a man until he's had some spirits." Lefty nodded, rubbing his grizzly jaw thoughtfully, his eyes were already blood shot with booze.
"How 'bout it boy? Care to try a man's drink?" Lefty growled, knocking his silver flasks against the youth's shoulder in offer. Kaoru froze, nausea and fear of discovery warring as she contemplated her options. To deny him would probably not end the matter, but she loathed the taste of liquor, and had no head for spirits.
"And have my hide tanned for shirking my duties?" She demanded, careful to keep a low grate to her usually soft voice.
"Wise boy, you would take well to heed his example," A dark voice cut through the atmosphere of camaraderie and teasing, making even the fierce looking Lefty jump.
"C-captain," Lefty sputtered, secreting his flask into his dingy pants, "We was just havin' a bit o' fun, the lad knows better 'n ta listen ta us." His face had lost some of the reddened flush of liquor, his pupils dilating in fear as the captain stalked from the wall's shadows.
"Aye, we meant no harm," Rogers reaffirmed. Dressed toe to foot in black, the captain of the ship stepped forward, crimson hair tied into a neat pony tail, the only color that accented the black and silver of his outfit, and of course, it was that of spilled blood, adding to the severity of the captain's look with its' unusual coloring. He looks like a demon, Kaoru thought, steeling herself against the reflexive instinct to cringe at the dastardly man's presence.
"On with you," Battousai gritted, and the men scurried, quick to escape the volatile temper of their leader. "Boy, I have need of you." As if that settled the matter he began walking, forcing Kaoru to race to match his pace after securing her mop and bucket.
"I haven't finished with-" She cut herself short, rendered speechless by the hostility in that golden gaze. His eyes burned like fireflies in the gathered night, radiating impatience and displeasure.
"Did I ask you if you'd finished?" He demanded, peering down at her in a condescending manner.
"Nay but I-" She trailed off as he spun and continued walking; apparently she was not the only person on the ship who was notorious for speaking little. What words she'd heard from the pirate captain were orders, all of them commanding instant obedience from the people that surrounded him. How in the world did someone like Sano befriend this cold man? She wondered, unable to picture her cheerful companion mixing well with this lethal stranger.
She followed him below deck, pausing only when she noticed where she was being led, the captain's private chambers. The crewmen shared a small room with dingy matted bunks, a crowded dwelling that afforded no personal space or fresh air. Kaoru had opted to sleep in the kitchens for many reasons (most involving odor and decency), and her choice hadn't been questioned because even if she desired it, there was no spare bunk in the men's quarters, to her relief.
The captain's quarters were much nicer, an almost bare room greeted her curious eyes, a thin bunk that looked like it had never had the imprint of a body was directly in front of her, with a black blanket thrown on top. To its side was a small rectangular dresser, its surface was strewn was a small array of items, most noticed were the variety of daggers and a few rolls of parchment, as well as a feather pen, ink blot, and some various odds and ends. Tentatively she stepped inward, crossing the threshold with an inkling of dread.
Don't be such a ninny, her ever critical psyche insisted, it's improper for a womanto be in a man's chambers alone. You're a cabin boy. Still, her hand gripped the other in nervousness, turning her knuckles white as she waited for the glowering man in the door frame to speak.
Up close, his features were smooth and delicate beneath the large brim of his black captain's hat. Though cast into shadow, his golden eyes gleamed from his strangely pale features. His hair spilled from a low pony tail, a cascade of crimson spilling across his silver buttoned jacket and fine black silk shirt. His clothes, while expensive and impeccable were monochrome, giving him a sinister air, she eyed the crossed scar of his face, it bisected perfectly, adding to his air of intrigue and danger.
"Well?" He demanded, staring at her in an expectant manner. Her blue eyes glanced at him fully, blatantly betraying that she had no clue what he was referring to. "By Danu, boy, clean the cabin," He hauled her by her upper forearm; tossing her like she weighed nothing towards the bucket and rag she'd missed in her scrutiny of the premises.
She landed with a thud, knocking her forehead meanly against the wooden wall, she massaged it wincing, since every other part of her body smarted and throbbed she supposed it only made sense her skull be added to the tally. With a scowl she retrieved her fallen cap, righting herself gently and grabbing the already mucked rag to dip into the provided bucket.
She worked for a few moments in silence, inwardly grumbling about the unfairness of fate and stupid red headed bullies. Then she noticed it, a chill at the back of her spine, where it met her neck the hairs stood at straight attention, belaying the unnerving feel of eyes on the back of her head. She tried to shake the unease, scrubbing at a disturbingly stubborn clump of dirt with renewed vigor.
"Boy, what vessels have you seen before?" The captain's voice, while polite and cultured compared to the gruff speech of his crew, was icy with disdain. Kaoru stiffened, realizing she didn't know exactly what Sano had told the man about her presence on his ship.
"This is me first," Kaoru tried to imitate the broken grammar of her fellow shipmates, knowing her usual colloquiums would be sorely out of place. She scrubbed furiously, concentrating on the boards with steel like intensity, trying her best to act nonchalant about the captain's interrogation.
"Then you would be wise to learn, the bed gets dressed down first," He growled. Kaoru paused; calmly placing the sopping rag in the wooden bucket, wishing her heart would stop doing drum solos in her throat.
He's just being his usual overbearing self, act normal; she schooled her wayward imagination, stopping before the bed to begin removing the sheets and blankets. She risked not a single glance at the man behind her, sure that a single look would unnerve her so much that he might notice, and she was trying her hardest to blend in, not stick out. Surely cabin boys did this sort of chore all the time.
"No, that's not right either, do you need to be shown?" a gruff voice toned from above her right shoulder. She tensed, he was so close she could feel his breath on her neck, their height difference was enough that he could peer over her, crowding her small body with his broader frame. She swallowed, blinking hard once before coolly turning to meet a flinty yellow glare.
"Nay, I-I have it," She mumbled, loosing nerve as his predatory stare narrowed. He looked at her with intensity, roving her frame up and down, and then again, his mouth tightening into a grim set as he did so.
"Oh?" He gripped her throat, and she froze, mute at the hostility in that stare, "Perhaps a different demonstration then?" He suggested; his full mouth turning into a devilish smirk. "How would you like to see what happens to liars and spies on my vessel?" His grip tightened, squeezing her tender jugular.
"C-captain?" she gasped, blue eyes wide as saucers. Her frame trembled, betraying her fear.
"You better pray you're a good swimmer, my lady," he threatened darkly, eyes practically glowing amber as they regarded her helpless form. Her hands fluttered at his grip, the pressure increased, his nostrils flaring as he sneered down at her.
He knows her mind supplied weakly, doused in the consuming chill of terror.
"Of course, there are better uses men like myself can find for a stowaway wench, my crew grows lonely during these long voyages. Think on that," he ordered, throwing her onto the bed with careless force, "while I determine whether or not your companion needs a run through with my sword."
"W-wait!" She called; he turned, glaring at her with lethal fury. "Sano had nothing to do with this," she claimed bravely, fearful the man would truly try and run her friend through, "i-it was all me."
Her cap had fallen off again, her cropped hair was in matted disarray, clothes worn and smeared with days worth of dirt and salt spray. Still, blue eyes met his determinedly, sparking with her resolution to take responsibility for her mistake. Merciless features regarded her with a heated glare.
"Pray you are lying," he told her gruffly, slamming the door behind him. She heard the metallic click of a key, and shuddered as she realized he'd locked her within. Her worries were all for Sano, knowing the stupid rooster was probably mostly, if not completely, drunk, gambling away what little money they had with the rowdy crew.
"Get me Sanosuke," Battousai growled outside the door to his quarters, not surprised to discover his first mate lurking outside. Cool blue eyes regarded him with no infliction of emotion.
"He's passed out drunk, captain," A cold voice monotoned, his first mate was the only crew member not hired by Katsura's sources. Aioshi's sharp mind and lethal skill with a blade made him a perfect first mate; his stoic demeanor let him fade to the background. Even dressed as he was, in an immaculate white dress coat with trailing tails and white cuffs, he could slip in and out undetected from the most questionable of places.
"Wake him, drag him out," Battousai ordered, rage contorting his features to a fearful profile, "ask him why there's a wench aboard my vessel." Aioshi raised his eyebrow, a brief and unusual display of emotion, but he simple nodded, traveling silently towards the men's barracks and the blissfully snoring Sano.
Minutes later the tall man reappeared, dragging with him a groggy and beg ruffled Sano, head band missing and hair a wild mass of wayward spikes. Half dressed, the blurry man grumbled incoherently as Aioshi shoved him forward, a moue of grumpy half alertness stealing across his rugged features.
"Jeez, Kenshin, I was having a good dream, this better be important," Sanosuke muttered, shaking off the firm grasp of the other man. Blinking slowly he seemed to register the underlying current of tension and menace in the cramped hall, his features sliding into an uncommon look of serious contemplation as they met eyes of chilling yellow-gold.
"Sanosuke," Sano winced, knowing it was never a good sign when Kenshin used his full name, "You have five seconds to come up with a reasonable explanation for the woman in my quarters. After which," he drew the steel of his blade, causing Sano to pale, "I will decide what punishment awaits scheming liars on my vessel."
"Is Kaoru alright?" Sano questioned meekly, worried about the girl despite his current dilemma.
"Three seconds," Battousai gritted, meeting the other man's stare meaningfully.
"Her brother's been stolen by traders, we traced them from Tokyo, they are rumored to be based out of a small Island port," Sano scratched the back of his head, grinning shyly, "I snuck her aboard as a cabin boy because no reputable ship for hire would allow an unwed woman aboard, superstitious sea men." He laughed weakly, hoping against hope that he hadn't angered the assassin beyond what he would tolerate.
"Then why not lie and tell them you were her husband?" Aioshi demanded, surveying the man with calm intellect. "It would surely be wiser then secreting her aboard a pirate vessel."
"Heh," Sano panicked, this was the hole in his story he hoped would go unnoticed, but of course Aioshi never missed a detail. "She may have gotten in a bad way with the law," he supplied slowly, "they were watching the ports."He didn't want to mention Kaoru's fiancée, he trusted Kenshin, but he was still a pirate and hired murderer, knowing the girl in his quarters had a reward on her head would surely not help matters in their favor.
He was honor bound to protect Kaoru from the man who was to be her husband. Her father had run short on luck in his last years, borrowing more then he could afford to repay. He'd sold his daughter, to a vile excuse of a man who only valued possessions, in a last ditch effort to save his own skin from the increasingly hostile collectors. When he fell ill, most likely from his frequent indulgences in the many brothels around the near city, and eventually passed, the rich noble had come in search of his young bride.
"So let me get this clear," the man gritted, "you have secreted an unwed woman who is running from the law, on my ship, without my permission, am I correct so far?"
"Hai," Sano's head drooped, and then shot up as a fierce blow cleared the side of his jaw. Laying dazed on the floor he glared up at the quick tempered red head. "Damn it Himura, not the face!" He growled.
"Count yourself lucky that it was only my fist," Battousai replied flatly. "Now there is the matter of the woman, is she your bed mate?" Sano shook his head, rubbing his sore jaw.
"Nay, she's in my care, but she's not my woman," Sano stood, warily eyeing Kenshin lest the man decided to strike him again.
"Poor luck for her then, my men will make use of your folly," Battousai threatened; a flash of teeth that only a fool would call a smile graced his features. Sano blanched, beginning his protests. "In your care or not, the sea creates its own laws, what's on my ship, and not claimed before God by another, is mine to do with as I see fit."
"Himura! You can't be serious!" Sano sputtered, "She's still an innocent, a lady! Not a common whore."
"More sport for them," Battousai growled.
"I won't let you," Sano growled back, showing a rare sign of defiance against his friend. Battousai raised one eyebrow, polite disbelief etching across his regal profile.
"Throw him in the brig," he ordered, Aioshi nodded, complying instantly. Sano struggled in the tall man's grip, landing a blow before the first mate successfully restrained him. Despite all his bulk, the thinner man easily forced him forward, to the end of the hall and to the ships bowels.
"BATTOUSAI," Sano roared, "I will hold you personally responsible for any harm against her!" He made a last ditch effort to free himself; but Aioshi anticipated this and adjusted quickly, shoving the spiky haired man down the drop hatch.
Kaoru, who had caught tid bits of the conversation through the wood door of the captain's chambers, fisted her hand in her mouth as shock and true terror washed over her. The past months had been spent learning the crueler lessons of life and human nature, and she knew with a firm certainty that standing there frozen with fear would not save her. Nor would Sano, she'd heard the order to secure him in the brig, as well as Captain Battousai's intentions for her.
I didn't come this far to meet this fate, her inner self protested, its shocked stasis of mortification and dread bleeding into the more useful emotion of anger. Rage boiled inside her, running adrenaline through her stiff frame, and in an instant she was at the desk, scrambling to secure a dagger in her breeches. She had only moments before the Captain entered, and she'd rather be tossed overboard then left to the hands of the crew.
If only I had my bokken, her wooden sword had been left behind to burn in the remains of her family's home, she herself had only been minutes from the same fiery fate, barely managing to escape the underground safe house as her home burned down around her.
Yahiko, she could not fail him, she had given everything to locate her last living family member, and no Captain, fearsome as he was, would stop her from rescuing her kin. The door swung open, crashing loudly and shaking in its wooden frames.
She spun, facing the glowering man with trepidation; I'd give my left arm for a bokken, her mind supplied unhelpfully. She was little use with a blade, and a complete novice when it came to knives. She knew killing the captain would hardly solve this matter, she simply wished to incapacitate him, perhaps escape on one of the row boats, and a knife was a poor weapon to achieve this with.
"You've heard then?" He asked, lazily kicking the door closed behind him, he stalked forward with slow footsteps. The assured advance of a predator who knows its prey is cornered.
"That you're planning to whore me out to your crew?" her voice was like bells, the soft melodic flow had been hidden for so many days above this hideous vessel she'd begun to worry she might never speak the same way. Her head tilted up, proudly regarding him from the bottom of her eyes.
"Hai," she nodded, taking a slow step backwards as he took another towards her. If she allowed him to get too close before pulling the knife he would simply grab her, she didn't trust her skill with the dagger to save her. Her fingers fumbled at her pockets, drawing his gaze.
Before she could draw the blade he pounced, knocking her backwards onto the bed and pinning her struggling form with ease. She hissed, striking at him wildly, her fingers raked his cheek, drawing blood. He growled, capturing her wrists in one hand and slamming them painfully down above her head.
"Vicious little stray," his free hand dug into her pockets, retrieving his dagger, "A thief as well as a liar? Well, save your strength wench, you'll be needing it," a nasty smirk appeared at his lips, "My men have vigorous appetites."
"NO!" She bucked trying to free herself, "I won't, you bastard, I'll kill the first man who touches me!" She hissed with venom, writhing uselessly beneath him in a very wanton fashion. She was oblivious to any effect this might have on the man above her, after living so long as a boy, and smelling and looking as horrid as she undoubtedly did, she felt the sex appeal must be mute.
"Cease, wench," He growled, pinning her legs when she didn't comply.
"Never!" She gritted the word, spitting at him. Saliva trailed down the captain's scarred cheek; his gaze grew so fierce she swore she could almost see red tinting the metallic irises, turning it the color of burnt-whiskey.
"Desist, or you're first go will be here, now, with me," his knee caps pressed her thighs, dividing the slender limbs in a very convincing show of force. She trembled, a stray tear leaking down one grime coated cheek.
"Please, d-don't," she whispered, turning her head so she wouldn't have to see the sickening flash of desire she'd glimpsed in his features. Powerless, in his quarters, pinned to his bed, she had no doubt he could do just what he threatened.
"Better," He growled, letting up some so that he wouldn't crush her tender frame beneath his hard one. "You're only adding to your own suffering," he added, "give me any more trouble and I won't bother with a warning."
She nodded stiffly, blue eyes still wide as she faced the wall. Grabbing her by the front of her shirt he hefted her upwards, dragging her to stand next to him. He placed his ornate dagger back on his dresser, flickering warning glares at her from the corner of his eyes.
He gripped her arm in a painful vise, pulling her like a toy through the door of his chambers and past the impassive profile of his first mate. A gathering of men sprawled about the deck still, some working others drinking, and all made more menacing in the still of the night, their bulky muscles and scarred faces taking on a fearful hue on her mind's eye as she regarded them. She saw them as they were, a gathering of cut throat mercenaries who'd discarded moralities long ago, men who wouldn't blink an eye at rape, or lift a hand to save her.
"Sanosuke has brought us a gift," at the sound of the Captain's voice all the men stiffened, now alert as they watched the captain push forward the ship's cabin boy. "This waste of flesh is actually a woman," greedy eyes surveyed the girl with gleaming interest.
"Waste not, want not!" One cried, stirring laughter amidst them.
"Wanted a taste of sea life missy? I've got a taste for ye right here!" Another yelled. Soon the quiet night was filled with a chorus of derogatory slangs and cat calls. Kaoru stood center stage, looking like a rabbit in a trap, her fists clenched at their sides.
"Enjoy," The captain encouraged, spinning to take his leave. As he turned he heard the shuffle of the men's advances, their voices sickeningly sweet as they beckoned for the girl to come towards them.
Kaoru's spine stiffened, her eyes taking in the sight of five full grown men approaching. She sighted one of them as Rogers, the man from earlier, but mostly they were a mass of strange and twisted faces, their greedy eyes devouring her where she stood. Good thing this isn't my first time being fed to the wolves, an almost hysterical voice mentioned in her head.
No, not her first time indeed, but she could hardly count on Sano to help her this time. "Back," she hissed, revealing the second dagger she'd stolen and wisely hidden in her chest bindings. The men didn't so much as pause their advance.
"Kitten has claws," one cooed, smiling and revealing mostly gums and a few rotted teeth.
"That ain't but a prick sweetie, wan a real man ta shows ye a sword?"
"Nay, yer swords rusted by now, give 'er here," A third voiced.
"Both ye are dumb, the wench wants a taste of me," the fourth chorused. Despite their playful bickering, it seemed she was short of luck, and the men made no move to turn on each other for the pleasure of being the first with her. Of course, just her luck, she got stuck with the only ship of pirates who didn't mind sharing.
She swung as one drew in too close; despite their teasing they eyed the blade, gauging her as she waved it between the four. Behind them more men began to gather, making a cold sweat break out on her forehead, even if she got one or two, she'd never be able to take a ship full of grown sailors. It just wasn't possible. But I'll be damned if I go down without a fight, her eyes flew to the side of the ship, contemplating her other option of simply jumping ship. Death or rape, isn't there ever a good option? Her tired mind complained.
She drew blood, slicing the hand of a man who grabbed at her, then turning swiftly to cut at an arm that seemed to reach from nowhere. There were too many, and they'd cornered her, behind her was the cold sea that would surely take her life, and before her was a group of men who planned to do worse than simply kill her.
"Enough," A cold voice sliced through the air, silencing the crew. Kaoru shivered as a man parted the sea of sun burnt faces and greedy eyes to survey her with cool appraisal. She recognized him as the man from the hallway, Captain Battousai's first mate.
"Awe, Aioshi, be fair," A man muttered angrily. The tall man froze, gracing the one that spoke with the full force of his wintery stare.
"You would contest me," his hand trailed to his sword, causing the other man to swallow hard.
"Nay, enjoy her," the man assured him. The others nodded appealingly at the deadly first mate, grumbling complaints as they turned their backs and retreated to their previous occupations. Kaoru tightened her grip on the dagger, eyeing the severe looking man as he approached.
"Relax," he ordered, "I mean you no harm," he added in a quieter tone. She didn't know why she believed him, he was a pirate, and probably as bad as the rest of the crew, but he spoke and dressed as a gentleman and she wanted desperately to believe that someone aboard this vessel possessed a shred of common decency.
"Truly?" she questioned, slacking her grip slightly. He nodded. She sighed, turning the knife over to him handle first. Cold blue eyes watched her every move.
"Why would you-" He cut off her questioning with a shake of his head.
"In my quarters," he offered her an arm, which she shyly grasped, manners seemed out of place on this ship, but she realized for the first time that the first mate might not only appear to be a gentleman, he might actually in fact be one. She ignored the jeers that followed, flaming her cheeks, as she was lead to the first mates quarters.
-*-
Sano jerked in his chains the second he heard the hatch, straining the bulky irons in a futile attempt to free himself. Kenshin appeared, looking calmer, but the mere sight of him arose such a vile hatred in Sano's chest that he tried his bindings with renewed vigor.
"You son of a whore," Sanosuke spat, "I hadn't heard that Katsura's pet assassin had lost his honor to the sea as well as his heart."
"Save your belly aching," Battousai leaned outside the metal cell, eyeing his captive in assessment. "Aioshi saved her the pleasure of my crew's company, for tonight."
"At least one of you hasn't turned into a complete scoundrel," Sano uttered darkly. "She's a girl, Kenshin, a lady, you can't turn her over to be used."
"As it is my ship, I can do as I please," he reminded him, "Though I admit she's not your usual tastes Sano, I don't believe for a moment she's of gentle birth. No lady would sink to scrubbing floors as a lowly cabin boy." Gold eyes glittered, "so I see little problem with treating a common whore as a whore. Next time you'll be more discerning with what your cock convinces you is sound."
"By Danu, Himura, I am many things, but I don't lie when it counts," Sano stood tall, breathing deeply from the exertion he'd used on his chains. "She's a country noble, whose lands were taken, family was stolen, and you resolve to let your crew of criminals rape her? Because she doesn't mind cleaning floors?" His accusation rang too true to the hardened assassin's ears for him to call the man a liar a second time.
"We make port in the morning, you and she will be handed to the authorities there," was his only response. He turned as if the matter was settled.
"You're turning us over to the police?" Sano's shock was obvious, "you think they'll be any more discerning with their use of her?" Though he himself knew this was untrue, likely her rich fiancée would be notified immediately, and Kaoru wouldn't be touched. Until the bastard came to collect her, and then he'd seen for himself what the disgusting foreign noblemen had planned for the pretty girl he'd secured by marriage. It was enough to make a decent man's skin crawl.
"That is not my concern," he turned once more, and then stopped, gold eyes widening a fraction, the only indication of his surprise.
"There is something I think you should see," Aioshi drew the girl from where she was concealed behind his lithe frame, placing her before him in a stern but gentle manner. "Show him," he ordered, as the girl reluctantly clutched at her arm.
"It's just a birth mark," She muttered defensively, shooting a glare at the frigid man behind her. When it became apparent that they would not relent she reluctantly began slipping up the sleeve of her shirt, revealing an expanse of slim porcelain colored skin; a few purple bruises ringed the upper arm, almost hiding the mark from view.
"Danu," Battousai whispered, not wanting to believe his eyes. Were the fates truly that cruel?
"What?" She asked, unsettled by the man's shock, she didn't believe much surprised the sinister man before her. "It's just a birth mark," she repeated, looking at the crossed lines of brown on her upper arm. They were odd, there was no disputing that, but she'd always had them, two lines creating an 'X' on her shoulder joint. She once met a man who had the shape of a mermaid for a mole, surely stranger things could be found.
"She's marked as one of us," Aioshi confirmed, and Sano sucked in a whistled breath.
"Nay," he whispered, causing Kaoru to turn her stare to his surprised features.
"What are they talking about," she spun to face the intimidating captain with a frosty stare, "What does that mean, 'one of us?'."
"It means," the captain told her with a cruel uplifting of the lips that would never pass for a smile, "That you are mine. Take her to my quarters, Aioshi," to the still confused and indignant Kaoru he added, "It's a mark of my people, women are born with them, the men gain them in battle. If a mark matches, it means you've found your mate."
"That's ridiculous," Kaoru protested.
"I thought so too, but do you see any resemblance between that mark and another?" Aioshi questioned calmly, the voice of logic. Her eyes widened, staring at the 'X' on the captain's face with dawning realization.
"Coincidence," she insisted, refusing to be moved.
"Well then," Battousai growled, losing patience, "We'll leave it to the lady," he sneered the last word as if it were a mockery, "My quarters, or the crew's mercy, which do you prefer?" He closed in on her, peering down into her wide stare with measured menace. She swallowed, eyes sliding to the floor.
"…quarters…" she mumbled in a barely discernable volume.
"What?" he demanded, gripping her chin and forcing her to meet his chilly glare.
"Your quarters!" She snapped, practically growling at him. He smirked, nodding to Aioshi who lead her away.
"What are you planning?" Sano demanded; he'd watched the entire scene in uncharacteristic silence. "She hates you, mate or not, and I thought you gave up on those superstitions long ago."
"Perhaps I'm just looking for a good excuse," Kenshin challenged, "An easy lay." Sanosuke bristled, rising to the bait.
"Then find yourself a whore at port, Kaoru's a nice girl Kenshin, and she's got a temper a mile long, easy lay isn't what I'd call it at all," Sano pleaded. "She's feisty; she'll fight you tooth and nail." He added in desperation.
"I'll let you know how that works for her," Kenshin smirked, "after I've had my fun." He turned, ignoring the slew of curses and threats that followed his retreat.
-*-
"Get away from me!" She tossed the ink jar at him with force, dismayed as he easily caught the glass vile and set it aside. She was running out of projectiles, and they both knew it.
"What do you want with me anyway?" she questioned hotly, regarding him haughtily from where she was pressed at the far corner of his room. A wooden bucket lay spilled in the center, the rag having missed and landed behind the glowering pirate, the daggers had all been dutifully removed by Aioshi; she held only a compass in her hands, she'd left the rest, figuring there was no damage to be done to the deadly man with rolls of parchment.
"I would think it's obvious," His amber eyes trailed her thin form, hotly settling at her chest and thighs. She stiffened; glad her breasts were well hidden from notice as a hot blush spread across her pale features.
"I'm skin and bones and smell of fish," She pointed out, "what is so desirable about that?"
"Perhaps I'm not so discerning," he suggested, tired of this game. He crossed the distance, catching her frail wrist as she raised it, intending to smash his skull with the copper instrument. Out of weapons she kicked at him, hardly subdued. Feisty wench is a apt description, he admitted to himself, remembering Sano's words from earlier that night.
"LET ME GO." She hissed, attempting to mar his face yet again with her nails. Grabbing both wrists he flung her meager weight onto his bed, eyeing her slim waist and round buttocks in appreciation as she flailed to regain her bearings.
He didn't allow her to right herself, instead he pounced, flipping her effortlessly and staring down at her flushed features with a keen eye. She might be pretty beneath all that grime, but her black hair was very short, shorn to be a man's style, the silky tresses hung just below her ears. He pushed a few ebony locks from her face after pinning her, trying to get a better view of her eyes. Thickly lashed and ocean blue, her eyes were like the sea, a beautiful turmoil.
"Get off! Get off!" she struggled, unable to make the solid weight of muscle holding her down as much as budge. He frowned, eyeing her with a small smile.
"Be still, you know as well as I that your efforts are wasted."
"You bastard!" She sneered, still not giving up despite the foreboding sense of truth in his words. "Cut throat! Scoundrel! Rapist!" At the last insult he struck her with the flat of his palm, jarring her head and sending it into a throbbing ache that only two blows to the head could accomplish.
"Be quiet," he growled, increasing pressure on her, "or I will gag you."
She trembled, blood leaking from her split lip as she winced.
"I told Sano there was no honor amongst criminals," her eyes bore into him, piercing him with forget-me-not blue, "it seems I was right."
"If you're looking to prick my conscience, I advise you against aiming for imagined targets," he informed her with a condescending glower. She shivered, feeling be fret and helpless, desperate for a way to save herself from what seemed to inevitably be her fate. As if almost being raped twice wasn't enough, here comes the devil, in search of his due.
Without further preamble his mouth slanted against hers, claiming it in a possessive press, she turned her head, gasping for air as she broke contact. He forced her chin back, she felt teeth at her clenched lips, and then nothing as his mouth dipped to trace her chin and then the column of her throat. He bit and nibbled, testing her tender flesh beneath the hard points of his teeth.
"Stop, stop," she wiggled uselessly, eliciting a growl from the man that loomed over her. Guiltless scotch colored eyes regarded her without pity, his free hand ripped at her shirt, spraying buttons and revealing the white bindings beneath.
"Please," she whispered, shaking and sore. Her lips burned, her muscles protested their continued abuse, but he ignored her as he withdrew a sharpened blade. She closed her eyes, expecting the worst, and was only mildly shocked as the tip slip beneath the white bandages, slicing them cleanly and spilling out her small breasts. She gave a soft cry of surprise, but with one glance at her attacker her heart leapt to her throat, the unbridled lust in his gaze
He groaned, eyeing the small perfect globes with hunger, who knew what else the wench was hiding. With a devious smirk he decided he'd best strip her, just to be sure.
His hands trailed to her breeches, golden eyes roving her slim physique in male appreciation.
Kaoru used his momentary lapse to ball up her fist and smash the business end across his jaw. To her immense satisfaction, her blow was enough to unbalance him; he'd been so distracted he hadn't even attempted to deflect the strike.
Not wasting a moment, she used his stunned wobble, though brief, to slam the remainder of her strength and force of her body weight to his left side, sending him tumbling off the narrow bunk. Kneeing him in the groin was a dirty move, but she doubted any other force she could manage would incapacitate the man for long.
He fell hard, in a tumble of limbs, and as she sprang over his fallen form in a mad dash for the door she could've sworn she heard an animalistic growl rumbling from his bent frame.
If he gets up and catches me, I'm dead, she panicked, flinging open the door with gusto. I just need to make it to Sano…
A hand clutched her ankle, dragging her down and back with bruising force. She landed hard, reflexively catching her fall on the flat on her palms. They gave off an instant pang of protest, having been rubbed raw by the mop not hours before.
He slammed down on top of her, knocking the air from her lungs in a painful rush. He straddled her hips, flattening her shoulder blades into the floor pinning her upper body as her legs flailed uselessly in attempt to knock him off. Her arms were trapped to her sides, held there by the crushing force of his thighs, and she let out a small whimper of defeat.
"Just remember," his guttural threat echoed in her ear, "You brought this on yourself."
A/N: Dun, dun, dun…. Evil Battousai is my favorite *Grins*. I also like Possessive Battousai, Sadistic Battousai….okay I'm done. They're all one in the same anyway, so you get my drift. Review at you leisure, your praise is my crack cocaine.
::See Kaoru, See Kaoru Run. Run Kaoru Run:: -Popped into my head, seemed to funnily fit the chapter.