COURTESY
WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS: Fic contains YAOI....well.. probably more like Shounen Ai. Contains characters I have no rights to. Standard fanfic disclaimers apply. I'm making NO profit whatsoever by writing this fic... (actually, I'm wasting a whole lot of time and money on the internet...--;;;;;) This is probably historically wrong...-_- I don't know much about Japanese culture..so if I make a really obvious mistake, please tell me (and don't laugh..T_T)
AU ficcie. Kaoru and Kenshin don't get married. -_-;;
The war is almost over, Kenshin thought as he walked down the busy streets of Kyoto. And it was the festival time again. Strange that people still found it in themselves to celebrate after years of violence and chaos; perhaps it was a way of escaping, a way of staying sane through it all. It wouldn't be long until he could give up killing completely..
The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he felt the familiar sensation of being watched. He had been getting the feeling more and more frequently now. He looked around but as usual, saw no one suspicious. Kenshin wondered why the stalker had not made a move to kill him yet. Whoever he was, he was very good - Kenshin had found no clue of who it was no matter how hard he had tried in the last few months. It had gotten to a point where he wondered if he was just being paranoid.
He turned around and started to walk towards the inn he was staying at, only to stop short as a slim figure in a light blue haori stepped into his path.
"Good evening, Himura-san," the soft voice greeted him with a faint smile.
Kenshin gripped the sheath of his katana with his left hand, tensing. If he wasn't careful, it would not be surprising if he never lived to see another day.
Okita ran the fingers over the hilt of his own katana, watching Kenshin with sorrowful eyes.
"Himura-san.. I know the war is almost over..and we've..." he sighed.
You've lost, Kenshin thought. So give it up. Don't make me have to kill you.
"It's been a pleasure fighting against you all these years," Okita said, smiling sadly at him.
Kenshin loosened his grip on his katana as Okita smiled at him again before bowing politely and disappearing into a dark alleyway. He wondered if he should chase after the Shinsengumi and try to kill him, but shook his head. It was the middle of a festival and the city needed a short break from the war. And it was his night off after all..
Kamiya dojo, Meiji 11
Saitou shuddered uncharacteristically as he tasted...miso soup? Was it miso soup? He couldn't tell as he stared into the foggy liquid. What the hell had that raccoon woman put in it? If he didn't know that she was a pacifist, he would have been sure she was trying to kill him.
He looked up from the bowl to stare as Battousai proceeded to drink the damned thing. His respect for the former hitokiri's digestive system sky-rocketed.
"Maa.. Your cooking's getting better, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin exclaimed encouragingly as the raccoon girl's eyes became all starry. With disgust, Saitou turned his eyes to the rest of the group eating dinner with him. The fox woman, the ahou, the kid...and a couple of very annoying little girls. And the chief of police, currently too polite to refuse the vile tasting food. And unfortunately, too polite to turn down the raccoon girl's invitation, like any sane person would, should have done.
Kenshin smiled sweetly at everyone and as he took another sip. It never amazed Saitou how oblivious he was to all the fawning that went on around him - you would have thought that a person who can almost read another's mind though reading the opponent's ki should be able to tell if a girl was hopelessly in love with him. Looking at the fox woman, he added silently, Make that two. Or perhaps the Battousai did know..and it was just his way of politely turning down their love..but Saitou seriously doubted it. No matter how sharp Battousai was, there were things he was completely dense about, and love was one of them.
Putting his chopsticks down and completely giving up his attempt to eat the vile food - polite or not - Saitou reminisced about someone else who had loved the short red-head. The one person who was -Saitou was not ashamed to admit - stronger than himself, stronger than Battousai could have ever dreamed of being. Okita. He wondered if Battousai knew that he was alive now just because he had been allowed to live - by Okita.
And the Ishin had been allowed to win the war. Saitou didn't know whether he was upset about that. Okita had not really betrayed Shinsengumi. He had not fought wholeheartedly, especially against Battousai..but was that enough to label him a traitor?
Kaoru rushed to the dojo, muttering 'Kenshin no baka' under her breath as Kenshin did his best to catch up with her with Megumi clamped on his arms.
"Kaoru-dono! Please wait!" he called, hoping that she would save him from the clinging Megumi.
Kaoru did stop a few yards from the dojo's front gate. Kenshin followed her gaze to see a woman standing in front of the dojo, dressed in a light blue kimono. The figure turned to face them and they all held their breath. She was beautiful!
Long black hair framed her delicate face with large round eyes. The full pink lips curved into a faint smile as she walked towards them.
"Himura-san." She said softly. Kenshin's eyes widened. He knew that voice! Now only if he could remember where he'd heard it before. She stopped a couple of feet away from him, scrutinizing him. "You don't recognize me.." she said after a few moments of silence.
"Ah..Sumanu..." Kenshin said.
"It's alright, Himura-san. It's been a long time and I've changed and.... Oh..I'm being rude. Let me introduce myself first," she said, seeing that Kaoru and Megumi were staring at her with barely concealed curiosity. "My name is Souji...and I've met Himura-san during the Bakumatsu."
Kenshin pondered, flushing, ashamed that he just couldn't seem to remember. In fact, he couldn't really remember any women other than Tomoe and some innkeepers from Bakumatsu. Souji looked.. Kenshin couldn't tell how old she was. At the first glance, she looked young enough - almost as young as Kaoru - but something in her eyes told him that she was much older than that. He hadn't been one to frequent brothels and such..and she did seem a little to elegant to have been a prostitute although he was noticing subtle wears in her clothes now that he was observing her more carefully.
Souji chuckled as Kenshin remained silent, obviously amused at Kenshin's embarrassment in not being able to remember her. Kenshin flushed darker as he wondered if there was a note of sadness in her laughter.
"Souji-dono.." Kenshin said, willing himself to remember. She did seem familiar..but where?
"Battousai." A low voice called out behind him. Kenshin turned to see Saitou walking towards him. "I need you to come to the police station and bail out your drunken chicken head friend..." Saitou stopped talking as he saw Souji. For a few seconds, Saitou and Souji merely stared at each other as Souji smiled gently, a little uncertainly. Saitou's eyes widened.
"You..You're..." All eyes focused on Saitou as he stuttered. They had never seen the cop shocked enough to stutter before.
"Souji," she interrupted him. "Saitou-san? It's a pleasure to meet you again."
Saitou was silent as he stared dumbstruck at Souji. And then a corner of his lips lifted. "Souji, eh? Yes. I do remember that was your name... And it's about time you came to visit Himura." Saitou grinned as he turned the tables for Okita (i.e.. Okita Souji. -_-;;) for shocking him so much. "You did love him, after all."
Three pairs of shocked eyes turned to Okita as he/she (I'll use 'he' from now on. -_-;;) blushed prettily.
"What happened? I thought you died of consumption (tuberculosis)?" Saitou raised an eyebrow.
"Ah.. anou.. I was one of those few fortunate people who are able to fight off the disease. It is unfortunate that many people were misinformed..that I had died."
And no doubt convenient, Saitou thought, with so many people out to get the Shinsengumi's blood at the end of the war.
"Ah... Souji-san." Kaoru interrupted Saitou's train of thought. "Why don't you come in? If you knew Kenshin and Saitou from Bakumatsu, I'm sure you have a lot to catch up on."
"Thank you..uh...."
"Kaoru. I'm Kamiya Kaoru..and this here," Kaoru forcefully pulled Megumi off Kenshin's arm, "is Tanaki Megumi..but you can call her the 'fox-woman' like your friend Saitou does."
Okita raised his eyebrows at Saitou who merely shrugged.
After they were all seated at the dojo with steaming cups of tea in their hands, Megumi pulled Kaoru to the side.
"What do you think you're doing?" Megumi whispered.
"What do you mean?" Kaoru whispered back, innocently.
"You can't be that naiive. Come on. Spit it out. It's bad enough when we fight over Ken-san."
Kaoru smiled. "It's obvious that you're not a warrior. Don't you know the first thing about strategic planning? Know your enemies..well.. rivals in this case. Keep them where you can watch them..and you'll win the war."
Megumi snorted. "Good luck. You'll need more than strategic planning in this case." She glanced at Okita. "She's...different. I wonder why she never got together with Ken-san."
"Maybe she met him while he was still married to Tomoe," Kaoru said. "How she could have also known Saitou, I have no idea." She thought for a while. "It's hard to believe she loved him though.. She looks so young."
They watched as Kenshin sat uncomfortably and Saitou told Souji what he had been doing in the last ten years. It was obvious that Kenshin still couldn't remember who Souji was.
"Maybe she was Saitou's lover..and that's why she couldn't get together with Ken-san." Megumi suggested, giggling. "Oh..I just bet it was a love triangle..and that's why Saitou's so keen on fighting Ken-san. Unresolved matters of love, no doubt."
"You're dreaming it, Megumi." Kaoru giggled too. "That's so absurd. We should just ask her how she met Kenshin...and maybe that'll help Kenshin remember her."
"Hey you two - stop whispering about us." Saitou said.
"We weren't talking about you," Megumi feigned innocence.
"That's hard to believe considering that you've been darting glances at us every few seconds." Saitou snorted.
"Uh... Souji-san." Kaoru scooted closer to Kenshin, almost possessively. "Could you put Kenshin out of his misery and tell him how you two met? Perhaps that'll help him remember..."
Okita looked at Kenshin who was watching him with intense eyes. They had both changed so much..and yet... they were still the same..in some ways..
"I met Himura-san around the time he was fifteen.." Okita smiled warmly with memory. "If you don't mind saying so, Himura-san... you've grown up."
That had been another thing puzzling Kaoru. "If you don't mind me asking, could you tell us how old you are? I mean...you look very young...but if you'd known Kenshin during Bakumatsu..."
"I'm thirty-three." Everyone except Saitou face faulted.
"Do you practice Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryu?" Kaoru asked jokingly when she had composed herself.
"No..Why?"
"It's just that.. you're the only one other than Kenshin and his master who doesn't seem to age! How do you do it?"
Okita looked slightly embarrassed. "I guess I am kinda old."
It was Kaoru's turn to look embarrassed. "No. That's not what I mean.. I mean.. Uh... I'm making a mess of it..." She grimaced. "You just look like you're in your early twenties.. I would have thought Megumi was older than you."
"Don't worry. I don't mind.." Okita said. "As for how I met Himura-san...well... he tried to kill me."
There was a collective gasp among the group. Saitou calmly lit a cigarette, enjoying everyone's shock.
"I'm so sorry, Souji-dono." Kenshin said, truly ashamed now.
"No.. Don't be sorry. You were doing your job...and I was...doing mine. We were on the wrong sides believing different things...but that wasn't uncommon during those times, no?"
"So, Kenshin," Kaoru said, trying to be genki and lift the sagging mood. "Do you remember who she is now?"
Kenshin looked chagrined. "Anou..eto... no."
Saitou chuckled. "Don't worry, Battousai. After all, you tried to kill a lot of people. What's one more that you can't remember?"
Kaoru turned to Saitou in anger. "You!! How can you say such cruel things?!!! And how do you know her anyway?"
Saitou took a long drawl on his cigarette. "I guess we were pretty close, Souji and I." And to everyone's astonishment, he winked at Okita. "We spent almost every day together.."
Kaoru was getting a very scary feeling that Megumi just may have been right.
"But..." Kenshin sputtered. "You were married."
Saitou raised one eyebrow at him. "Yes? So?"
Kaoru clamped her hands over her ears. "I'm NOT hearing this!!!!!"
"Saitou-san. You shouldn't tease them like that.." Okita spoke out, trying to calm everyone.
"What? I only spoke the truth." Saitou said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "In fact, I believe I have some...unfinished business with Souji. I would like to borrow...her... from you for a little while, if you don't mind."
With that, Saitou stood up and offered a hand to Okita. With polite good-byes from Okita and an amused smirk from Saitou, the two were gone.
Kaoru shook her head as if she was in a bad dream. "I can't believe this. You were right, Megumi."
For once, Megumi was speechless.
The two women turned to Kenshin who was still muttering something about Saitou having a wife. Shaking their heads, they shooed the confused rurouni off to bed before retiring themselves. They had a lot to think about.
In the privacy of Saitou's office, he examined Okita more closely.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, almost nonchalant. Almost.
"Ah..Saitou-san. I heard a rumor that he's in this area..and I just wanted to see him again..just for a little while."
Saitou fingered the collar of Okita's kimono.
"Why dressed like this, though? And looking at the wears on this kimono, this is obviously not your first time."
Okita blushed. "Well.. it's a very convenient disguise - people are less suspicious of women and more willing to lend a room to a female wanderer. And..I didn't want to risk him recognizing me." He paused, thinking for a while. "Although deep down, I guess I did want him to remember me. I could have just acted as we've never met before."
"No. It's good that you told him you've met before. He does recognize you a little bit and he would have been suspicious if you told him you've never met before. He just can't place you as the one of the captains of Shinsengumi - and I can't say I blame him." Saitou smirked. "It's scary, but you do look good this way."
Okita sweat-dropped. "Thank you, Saitou-san."
*to be continued.*