Sorry I haven't updated in an eternity. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I loved writing it! Everything fell together just right.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters. Lyrics to "The Point of No Return" are property of the Phantom of the Opera and those who own it.
Warning: A little...intensity between Battousai/Kaoru...
Chapter Three
Two days later, the decorations had been hung, the food for the feast prepared, the castle swept and spotless, and the ballroom floor polished until it gleamed like glass.
Servants scurried about making last minute preparations and squeezing in some extra cleaning. From my bedchamber window I watched several elf gardeners pruning the rose trellises in the garden below and stringing up lanterns, trying to create a romantic mood. It amazed me how fast everyone worked. Two days ago my father had ordered the servants to begin readying the castle for the ball. And two days later, everything was practically complete.
Even my dreaded costume.
I turned from the window and walked over to my wardrobe where my dress hung. I ran my hand over the silk, letting the material flow through my fingers like water. It was beautiful, I had to admit. One of the most beautiful things I'd ever owned. Davina and her assistants must've worked even through the nights to finish the dress in time. But there were no flaws from haste.
The dress was an off-the-shoulder number with funnel sleeves made of intricate black lace and a tapered red silk bodice overlaid with the same black lace. A full skirt of black silk with red tulle that peaked out from underneath completed the dress.
It reminded me of something Megumi would wear on formal occasions with the Devil. A dress black as midnight and blood red.
Blood….
I gave an involuntary shiver. The nightmares had come last night and the night before, each one grislier and gorier than the first. Glancing down at my hands, I could still picture the blood dripping from them. I could still feel the blood clinging to my clothes. Bloodcurdling cries still shrieked in my ears.
Yet the stranger hadn't appeared once. No one was there to comfort me when I awoke screaming. There was only blood, blood, and more blood.
Suddenly, I felt trapped in my bedchamber. It was almost as if I expected blood to come spouting from the walls any minute. The feeling was…suffocating.
I needed to get out. I needed to…to…hit something.
Stripping out of my dress, I pulled my sparring uniform out from under the bed. I changed into the long, wide, blue pants and slipped the white tunic over my head, fastening it all in place with a wide black belt.
My footsteps echoed down to the ground floor where I opened a pair of heavy wooden double-doors and entered the Weapons Training Hall.
The Weapons Training Hall was a large courtyard of hard paved stone. Parts were sectioned off for certain classes, but no one was here at this hour; students had been allowed the day off because of the Annual Masquerade Ball later that evening.
I preferred silence in the Hall. There was room for concentration. I could lose myself and not be interrupted. It was much easier to just let my body give into the beautiful dance of swordsmanship when no one was present.
So, I simply chose a wooden fencing sword from the pile in one corner of the Hall and began my stretches. After properly warming up, I planted my feet firmly apart, held my sword before me, and attacked.
I could hear my shoes slapping against the stone. I could feel the slap of my ponytail against my back. I could hear the blood throbbing in my ears. But as soon as I had thrown myself into that first swing, I felt and heard no more. I became every muscle straining, every drop of blood pumping to my heart, every twist and tangle of my arms.
It felt like mere seconds had passed when I finally stopped and let my sword drop to my side. Panting heavily, I glanced at the clock on the wall and found that it had actually been almost two hours since I'd begun.
Suddenly, I felt two strong arms encircle me from behind and pull me back into a hard, firm chest.
"That last swing was uneven," Battousai breathed into my ear. His grip around me tightened. "But maybe," one of his long hands closed around my fist clutching my sword, "if you had begun like this…" he raised my arm with his and demonstrated.
"Why are you here?" I hissed through clenched teeth. "Spying again?"
He laughed into my hair, a deep, reverberating baritone. "Yes, Kaoru. You are beautiful when you fight." His voice dropped to a husky whisper. "Absolutely beautiful."
My breath hitched. His fingers were working my clenched knuckles, caressing each joint meticulously. His other hand, his left, was steadily rising up my waist, where it came to rest just below my ribs.
"S-stop," I gasped, hating my voice for sounding so feeble.
"I'm not hurting you."
"Please…"
Battousai nuzzled my neck. My bare neck.
Oh gods. He's gonna bite me. Why didn't I turn him into Rangor? Why did I ever feel sorry for him?
"Please what, Kaoru? What do you want?" His hands had left their earlier task and were now kneading my shoulders. I could feel every ounce of tension flowing from my muscles as his fingers passed over them. His hot breath caressed the milky white skin of my neck. "You smell wonderful…."
My mind was screaming at me to move but my body was begging to stay. I needed to get out of the Weapons Training Hall, find my godfather, and put an end to this once and for all. But somewhere, somewhere very, very deep, I was reveling under the feel of his hands.
"Please let me go. Just let me go. Please." I knew I was pleading. I knew I was begging. I was desperate. I had to leave, I had to, before that traitorous feeling of pleasure found it's way to the surface.
"Yes," he mused, "Maybe that would be for the best….before I'm tempted further."
Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods…
Suddenly, his grip went lax and without thought I wrenched myself away.
Wrenched away…pfff. I was flattering myself. Battousai's strength far surpassed mine. He'd simply let me go.
Well there is a first for everything.
I refused to look at him, I simply straightened my tunic and brushed off my pants, then shouldered my practice sword and marched off imperiously.
But before I could take two steps, a familiar hand caught my wrist and drew me back around gently but firmly.
Still refusing to look at him, I found my eyes level with his chest. I could feel his gaze resting on the top of my head, but I kept from looking up. Instead, I found myself unintentionally focusing on the broad, muscular planes of his shirtless chest. Beads of sweat gathered on his collarbone, dripping, sliding, gradually tracing patterns across his toned lower abdomen, giving him an enticing sheen.
I eyed a particular droplet gathering on his shoulder. As I watched, it grew and began to trail lazily down his arm, rising and falling over his rigid biceps. It came to a rest at his elbow, then after a precarious second, dripped to the ground. The tiny splash from its impact with the pavement echoed hollowly in my ears.
"Be careful tonight, Kaoru."
"Huh?" Without thought, my head shot up and I met his eyes. They were clouded and almost shuddering between amber and violet.
"Be careful."
My skin seemed to literally burn from his touch. Battousai seemed to notice this as well, for he quickly dropped my hand. But his eyes still held mine, at I thought I saw something akin to worry flit through them, but I must've imagined it, because when I looked again, his amber orbs were shining smugly.
After checking that my hand was all right, which it amazingly was, I snapped, "It's you who should be careful. I felt sorry for you last time, Battousai. But I don't care if you can't help it, I refuse to be harassed!"
Battousai smirked. "And what are you going to tell Rangor exactly—that I was trying to seduce you?"
My face burned. S-seduce me? That's what he was trying to do? Another irritated voice whispered back, Of course, stupid, what do you think he was trying to do, invite you to tea?
He leaned forward, until his fiery bangs brushed my forehead, and in his amazing voice laden with undertones of something purely male, continued, "And I must admit, I do believe it's working. I'll see you tonight. "
Hours later, my father lead me by the hand to the center of the ballroom, where beneath the crystal chandelier, Battousai stood, dressed also in red and black, his flaming hair gathered in a high ponytail, basked in the chandelier's flickering light.
"Lady Kaoru and Battousai shall begin the first dance," my father announced.
My face grew hot. "But…but!" I sputtered.
"No buts young lady. You and your escort shall dance before us, for you have finally come of age."
With that Lord Kamiya swaggered off to stand and watch with the crowd.
Battousai, grinning smugly, took my hand.
"May I have this dance, milady?" he asked, bowing deeply.
I almost considered saying no. Then, with a look in my father's and Rangor's direction, I knew I couldn't refuse.
"Yes," I gritted out, "you may have this dance, Battousai."
He rose and settled his other hand on my waist, and I rested mine on his shoulder. Our eyes met and I saw amber. My heart hammered faster as the symphony began to play and a tall man stood on a raised platform and began to sing.
You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish which till now
Has been silent
SilentBattousai spun me gently then drew me back to him, pressing me against him intimately. My breath hitched, and our eyes met, then Battousai swept us across the marble floor toward the vampire diplomats. Without warning, he gracefully lowered me back with a flourish, so that my hair brushed the floor and my neck was fully extended. The vampires' eyes flashed hungrily, but Battousai raised me up and we returned to the center of the ballroom.
I have brought you
That our passions may fuse and merge
In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses
Completely succumbed to me
"Yes, Kaoru," Battousai breathed into my hair, "you cannot deny it. You have succumbed to me."
My face grew hot. "I don't know what you're talking about," I hissed.
"Oh, I believe you do."
He released his hold and swung me out with his arm so that we stood apart, connected by the hand. Then I was reeled back in, black silk rustling, my back now pressed to his chest, and both his hands, holding mine, crossed across my stomach. Our bodies fit perfectly against each other, each curve molded together.
"You cannot deny how I make you feel." Battousai ran his hand across my stomach as we swayed to a lull in the music.
Now you are here with me
No second thoughts
You've decided
Decided
Cold tingles erupted down my spine.
"How do you know what I feel?"
The ballroom swirled into a mix of color as I twirled. The world stilled and I felt myself lowered once again, his arm encircling my back and our hands clasped. Battousai's eyes turned molten amber. "I know," he rasped, "how your blood races when you see me. I can sense it; sense your fear…and something else."
I swallowed. "What else?"
With his strong arms he once again raised me gracefully. One of his hands rested teasingly on my waist; the other held my hand. We began our waltz again, but this time, as we twirled, he leaned forward and, with his tongue flicking across his lips, Battousai replied, "Your passion."
"No…no!" I snarled. "I don't feel anything for you, you foolish vampire."
Past the point of no return
No backward glances
Our games of make believe are at an end…
"You can't deny it Kaoru," he whispered. "How your blood begins to race when I'm near, or when I touch you…." His grip on my waist tightened. His fingers traced feathery touches across the small of my back. His lips were so close to my neck, his breath brushing against my pulse.
"Which leads us back to my earlier question, what do you want, Kaoru? Because, although I am already aware of what you want, it always will inexorably lead back to you….to what you think you want. I know, I know what you want Kaoru. But do you?"
Battousai's eyes were deep amber, drawing me inside, drowning my last hopes of resistance within their piercing depths.
"I…I want…" My mind struggled to form a complete thought.
He drummed his fingers against my ribs, then teasingly ran them down my side and up again. "Yes?"
Past all thought of "if" or "when"
No use resisting
Abandon thought and let the dream descend
Then, before I could answer, in front of the thousands of people watching our doomed dance, his warm mouth settled on my neck and his tongue began to tenderly caress my throbbing pulse point, all the while his deadly fangs teasingly nipping my flesh.
At his motions, my mouth became disconnected from my brain. Nothing sane came to me, no solution to get me out of this mess. I couldn't move; I couldn't speak. All I could feel was his tongue begin languorously stroking from my ear across to my shoulder as Battousai twirled my paralyzed body around the ballroom. Its pace was rhythmic, matching the beat of my heart. It was as if I was hypnotized, or simply an empty shell.
This is it then. I couldn't escape him in the end. Why didn't I turn him in when I had the chance? He told me he was trying, trying to resist it. And he lied…Why…
His tongue continued its present journey, now at a faster pace and I, for some reason, found myself staring at his hand that was over mine. At an angle, I could see the cords of his wrist, the thick, pulsing blue veins. And at that sight, something big and terrifying reared its head inside me, and I had the powerful urge to sink my teeth into his wrist, into his beautiful veins.
What raging FIRE shall flood the soul
What rich desire unlocks its door
What sweet seduction lies before us?
NO! The last shred of my sanity was screaming at me. DON'T BITE HIM, KAORU! THAT'S WHAT HE DOES! HIS KIND! YOU'RE NOT LIKE THEM! YOU'RE HUMAN!
Battousai had stopped his assault on my neck, and was now standing still, his breath curling tantalizingly around the shell of my ear, as if waiting for something to happen.
Amazingly, that one moment of stillness was all it took for me to temporarily bury the insane urge to bite him and collapse against his chest.
With his hard, muscled chest beneath me, and his strong, sure hands supporting me, the symphony behind us struck the last, final, trembling note, and he breathed, "What do you want, Kaoru?"
Past the point of no return
The final threshold
What warm unspoken secrets
Will we learn
beyond the point of no return?
I want you…my mind whispered.
Then all hell broke loose.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I think the song was a great touch and that it fit perfectly with the entire situation! Please review!