KishofWings- Thanks everyone for being so great as to review for my second fanfic:applauds all readers: Kind of busy with homework but everything quieted down bit so I got to go type up this chapter! For all the readers who are reading "Fugue of Spastic Melodies" and are wondering why I'm not updating yet is because…well…I know what I want to happen in the story but I'm not sure exactly how it should happen, if that made any sense at all. Well thanks to all the readers who read and reviewed.
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
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Chapter 2
"My name is…Kenshin."
Kaoru felt taken back by hearing the strong sounding name. She watched his retreating back as he went into the tiny kitchen which was adjacent to the living room with only a small island acting as a barrier between the two rooms. Ever since she had seen his face, she had expected him to say his name was 'Shinta', and her hopes had been set on the name. But when she said an entirely different name, she felt slightly disappointed.
Kaoru then heard a clatter from the kitchen. Peering bemusedly over the green couch, she looked over the island and saw Kenshin, with his emotionless face, opening and slamming shut cabinets, pulling out a huge pot and a large tin. Kaoru watched while he moved this way and that in the kitchen, his soft, silky red hair flying around his head like long beautiful crimson feathers. Then, Kenshin paused for a moment reading the back of the tin.
Kaoru had to ask. "What are you doing?"
Kenshin didn't reply but Kaoru heard a small grunt that sounded vaguely like "coffee". Somehow, seeing this serious man fumble around to make coffee had made Kaoru to want to start laughing out loud. Kaoru, however, suppressed the notion, and lay back on the couch. Her head was still throbbing after all.
"Do you want cream or sugar?" Kenshin's soft emotionless voice asked out from the kitchen.
"Even thugs can make coffee? I'm shocked! Maybe you can cook a delightful 7-course meal while you're at it!" Kaoru said, giving up to her inner self that had been dying to crack a joke on Kenshin.
"If you don't want coffee, then you don't have to drink it," replied Kenshin in the same monotone voice.
"Wait! Geez, no sense of humor! I want very little cream and two teaspoons of Splenda," Kaoru said from the couch, while taking the fallen wet rag that had fallen off her head and placing the cool weight back on the painful bump on her skull. A little nap, won't hurt, she thought adjusting herself into a comfortable position. Then, before closing her eyes, she saw something glint in the living room.
The living room, though still holding the elements of man's apartment, was very comfortable with a fireplace surrounded by several soft brown leather armchairs on top of a rich moss green rug. But above the fireplace hung a beautiful portrait of a raven haired angel with widespread wings, one black the other white. Her eyes were large and blue, making her face seem too beautiful to be real. She was small and willowy and was covered in a soft silky white dress. Her body was half pale and half caramel toned as if a tanned twin and a pale one was joined together. In her outstretched arms, she held a moon in one pale hand and a sun in the other tanned one. However, as beautiful as this painting was, it was not what caught Kaoru's attention. Underneath the painting was a pair of long thin swords lay half opened in their sheaths on the mantle piece of the fireplace. One sword was white, the other black; the white looked like it was hardly ever used while the black one was covered with fingerprints, smudges and scratches. Kaoru stood up slowly, ignoring the throbbing of her head at the slight movement, and made her way to the fireplace to closely examine the swords.
Her father, a famous kendo elite, would have loved to have seen these magnificent swords. They were a piece of art no less valuable than the beautiful painting above them. The little bit of blade that was revealed was a beautiful polished silver-colored steel. Kaoru had the strange urge to touch them, to feel their power and fear that lay in the swords.
"Here's your coffee," said Kenshin's unmistakable voice from behind her.
Kaoru, her fingers a mere millimeter from the hilt of the black sword, pulled back her hand as if electrified and turned around to see Kenshin holding a steaming brown chipped mug towards her.
"Th-thanks!" Kaoru stammered, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest at any moment. Kaoru took the mug from his hands and held it carefully by its handle and took a seat on the green couch, making sure her eyes wouldn't wonder back to the swords.
Kenshin sat slowly in the leather brown chair, leaned back and took a long drought from the mug. Sunlight poured through the half-opened windows beside them, playing a slightly warm llight on both of their faces. It was then that Kaoru noticed two pale thin scars crossed in the form of an "X" on his right cheek. Kaoru's eyes moved up his side profile and saw a small black bruise on his high cheekbone, directly above the scar. How did I not notice these before?
"Where did you get those scars and that awful looking bruise on your cheek?" Kaoru said, placing her mug on the coffee table and dipping her cold cloth in a nearby bowl of ice water and wringing it.
Kenshin looked at her over the brim of his mug, his face still retaining any form of emotion.
"The scars are none of your business," he said, finally, taking a sip from his mug. "And the bruise is what you gave me."
"What! I didn't do anything so violent!"
Kenshin touched the bruise softly, not showing a sign of pain if any when he touched it, and looked at Kaoru's right hand.
"You have a good right swing," he said, looking shamelessly in her eyes.
Kaoru got up and walked over to his chair. He pushed her hand away when she tried to press the cold cloth on his bruise.
"It's fine. Finish your coffee and go home."
Kaoru's eyes flared at the statement. "Not until I care for your bruise. I don't really remember hitting you but I remember something like 'rape' coming into my mind and I think I reacted. And I probably nailed you. Sorry. My brothers always said I was too much of a brute to be a girl," she said, then made another attempt at the bruise, but Kenshin brushed her hand away. "Don't be a child!" she yelled, taking hold of his free hand and pressing the cloth finally on the bruise.
She continued to press the cloth, while Kenshin had finally resigned from the fight, and began drinking his coffee again.
Kaoru thought back fondly as she remembered having almost the same struggle with Shinta when he was driving a little too fast for dropping her home. He was teasing her by diving faster and faster while she was telling him to slow down so she had punched him on the side of the face. Thank god he had not lost control of the car. He slowed down obediently and was silent on the rest of the way home. When they had reached her house, he apologized for driving recklessly and when she tried to take care of the large black bruise on his face, he had fought her off just like Kenshin had. Then she, like with Kenshin, grabbed a hand took care of the bruise. After that, Shinta smiled sheepishly and gave her a hug, telling her she was the greatest. That was when Kaoru had fallen for Shinta.
Thinking about Shinta brought a few tears to Kaoru's eyes, but she brushed them back with the back of her free hand and dipped the cloth in the cold water again.
"You can stop now."
Kaoru snapped back from her thoughts and looked at Kenshin. His large beautiful amber eyes were gazing at her with no emotion. That lack of emotion was unnerving sometimes.
"It feels better. What about you?" Kenshin said in his usual voice.
Kaoru had to think a minute before responding. He was asking in concern for her?
"I'm fine. Thanks for taking out those thugs by the way."
Kenshin shrugged, but Kaoru saw a tint of anger behind those golden eyes. Why is he suddenly angry?
Before she could ask the question, her eyes caught her platinum wristwatch. It was 7:30! She was supposed to have been home by 5!
"Oh crap!" Kaoru yelled as she ran around, gulped down the last of her coffee and began frantically looking for her briefcase.
"Is something wrong?" Kenshin asked, placing his mug down calmly on the coffee table and looking at her as she dove behind the couch still looking.
Kaoru's head popped over the couch, her blue eyes blazing with energy. "I need my bag! I was supposed to be home 2 and half hours ago! Man, I'm in soo much trouble!" She disappeared behind the couch again.
"Your briefcase is right here," Kenshin said pulling up the black leather bag from beside his chair. "And I'll get you onto Wall Street. Do you live nearby there?"
"Yes!" Kaoru said relieved, emerging from behind the green couch and took her briefcase. "I'm only a five minute walk from there. It's actually better that you don't drop me off at home. My brothers would definitely go crazy if they knew I was at a strange man's house for two hours unconscious," Kaoru said laughing and then stopped. "Oh I mean not that you're strange or anything!"
"Let's go, then."
Kenshin lead her out of the building to the adjacent garage. Kaoru caught a glimpse of the street and avenue he lived on. He lived on Maiden Lane and Water St. Pretty close to where she lived. She waited outside while he got his car, a black 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider. She climbed in, enjoying the smell of the new black leather interior.
"Where do you live?" Kenshin asked in his normal fashion, with no emotion whatsoever.
"I live right near the junction of Wall St. and Hanover St., but you can drop me off at where Pearl St. cuts into Wall St."
Kenshin shifted quickly into 6th gear, going at quite a fast speed for the small roads of New York City.
"Um. Could you slow down? You're going a bit fast AGH!" Kaoru yelled, hiding behind her hands as Kenshin weaved through 6 cars in minimal space at the crazy speed of 80 m.p.h.
"No." was his reply.
Kaoru sighed and kept her eyes shut until she felt the car slow to a halt. Kaoru peered from behind her eyes and saw the familiar Starbucks sign at the corner of Pearl St.
"We're here."
Kaoru got out of the car and walked around to the driver's side. Kenshin looked like he was about to merge into traffic but Kaoru put a hand into the car and patted his arm. Kenshin swung his head around at her, his face if capable of emotion, probably would have shown shock at being touched in such a familiar way again.
Kaoru tried to smile at the face but ended up accomplishing a smirk, probably a suspicious looking one at best.
"I just want to say thanks. If I get time, I might stop by once or twice at your place!" Kaoru said brightly, pulling out her hand from the unsafe depths of the classy car and its silent occupant.
Kenshin blinked and then replied, "Don't come to my place again. If you know what's best for you."
Kaoru's makeshift smile drooped. He's definitely not Shinta. He had way better manners.
"Well we'll see then. Bye!" Kaoru said and turned around and walked towards home. She heard behind her the familiar roaring of a car getting into New York traffic accompanied by the traditional chorus of blaring horns.
Kaoru made her way back to her house with only a mere 5 minutes to come with a good excuse with her brothers. She could picture their reactions in her head. Soujiro acting like a complete ass goading Kaoru into spilling out who the guy she was spending time with and threatening to follow her even to the ladies' room to find out while Aoishi, quietly, summons his special squad of friends, the Oniwaban, to look up the guy and take him out, literally. Aoishi may have the face of a model but behind those big steely eyes and emotionless handsome face was a storm of temper. Kaoru sighed as she reached her front door and was immediately greeted by the door bursting open and Soujiro chocking her in a tight hug.
"Kao! We had a snack ready for you at 5! But I guess you'll just have to suffice with dinner. NYAH!" Soujiro said in a childlike voice. Sadly, he's 25 years old.
"Kaoru, you're lucky your boss called or else I would have had to call people to find out where you were," said Aoishi's voice from somewhere behind Soujiro. Literal translation of Aoishi: "I would have had to send out the Oniwaban to kick who's ever ass that dared make my sister late home from work."
"So where were you?" Soujiro asked, letting Kaoru get some air from being strangled in his hug.
"Yes, Kao, where were you?" Aoishi asked in his soft, beautiful, and dangerous voice.
"Well, you see…I-I had to go see the doctor. Feeling a little light headed and I didn't want to worry you guys. I had the dizziness since this morning, maybe due to Aoishi's breakfast, but the doc said I was fine. Just needed some rest. That's all!" Kaoru said hiding her relief that she had come up with such a good lie.
Aoishi and Soujiro looked at each other for a while, as if silently debating something with each other. Crap, they don't believe me!
Then they grabbed her, one arm each, and pulled her into the house, sat her in a chair by the dining room, and pushed a plate piled with Eggplant Parmesan and poured steaming hot tomato sauce on top.
"Eat," they said together, while they hurried over to the kitchen and fixed themselves a plate. Kaoru cut a piece of the savory looking dish and put it in her mouth. It was good.
Kaoru smiled towards the direction of her brothers, though they weren't looking. They had been worried about her and took care of her so well, but thank god they didn't realize that she had been at stranger's house after almost being mugged or worse by a few thugs. Ever since Shinta had lost his life in an alleyway mugging, Soujiro and Aoishi had drilled a "never-go-in-an-alleyway-unless-with-either-of-us" lesson in her head. Kaoru felt her smile on her face fade a bit as she thought of Shinta. She had never wanted to see photos of the crime scene but knew through friends that Shinta had been stabbed. Police thought it was by a strange weapon, and deduced that it wasn't a dagger or a knife. She wondered who had killed Shinta back then, but she didn't want to kill the person; she just wanted to see the person behind bars with a life-sentence. Kaoru remembered the ridiculous thoughts that had went through her head, like one where she was going to wait in the future when a time machine was created and go back in time and tell Shinta not to go when she had waved good bye to him for the last time in their high-school hallway.
Kaoru remembered so well that scene in her life. She had heard the school bell ring announcing the end of class, and she had merged into the traffic of hurried students in the hallway. She had spotted Shinta's red hair and a large green hat with bells on top of his head in the masses and called out his name. That day she wanted to tell him she loved him. But she couldn't say the words to him. Instead she complimented the funky hat he had worn on "wear-a-fun-hat-to-school" where they had paid a dollar that would go to a charity, and the students in exchange were allowed to wear hats of their choice. They had walked a few steps together when he had to go upstairs to get his stuff from his locker. Kaoru apologized but said she had to go meet her personal driver early so she could get to the student library before it closed. Shinta had smiled and waved, saying he wished her a happy weekend and that he would be busy Saturday but would call Sunday. Kaoru smiled, thinking she would tell him she loved him next time. Kaoru had not known that would be her last time to ever talk or see him. He didn't call Sunday. Kaoru had figured he was busy. But that night, Megumi had called her crying telling her the news that sent chills through her spine, the very news that she had thrown away as some sort of sick joke that Shinta had thought of. Kaoru remembered the shock she felt when the next day she knew it was true.
"You okay, Kao?"
Kaoru jumped, startled by Soujiro 's and Aoishi's reappearance into the dining room with a huge plate each filled with food.
"Yeah! I'm fine!" Kaoru said smiling broadly at the pair of them. In reality she felt way better seeing them. Those two had always been there for her, keeping her mind off of Shinta.
"Come on Kaoru!" She told herself as she jabbed her knife into the eggplant so she could vent her frustration at herself. "I'm 21 years old! It's been over 4 years since that incident. I should have forgotten about it and lived on."
But another voice said quietly in the back of her mind, "You had been okay, not thinking about Shinta except once in a while but even then you were okay not crying, but that was until you saw Kenshin. Kenshin, who so resembled Shinta on the outside."
Kaoru shook her thoughts clear and continued to eat her food with her brothers. She laughed and chatted with them as if everything was normal. But as soon as she got into her room and got into the shower before hitting the sack, Kaoru cried, hoping her sobs were hidden by the loud cascade of water that was washing the tears that were streaming down her face.