Disclaimer: Not mine in any way. But if Watsuki-sensei gave me Shinomori, I'd be ecstatic. Wouldn't you be? ;)
My first try at fanfics…enlighten me with feedbacks! Hugs and Thanks :)
Hey! This is actually the longest chapter I've written so far! Yey! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Blue and White
Chapter 7
The Theory
"Aaah…that felt good!" she said as she climbed out of her bathtub. Reaching out for a white towel and wrapping it around her body, Kaoru smiled to herself.
She had spent her early morning sparring with her father in their huge garden. It was something she had dearly missed. Yes, she had missed practicing Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, but she had missed spending time with her father even more. He was always too preoccupied with work, and she too was wrapped up in her own studies. Since last year, she barely had enough time to talk to him, and even less when she decided to stay at an apartment nearer to her school. Their house was much too far away, and staying with Misao seemed like a practical decision. Of course, she did come home every weekend, but it was still different somehow.
Grabbing her hairbrush, she walked towards her bed and sat down. Two months had passed and she was dreading the day she returns to school. It wasn't as if she hated studying, but she felt it was too soon to end her vacation. Apparently, she had too much of a good thing.
As she started to comb her long silky tresses, Kaoru thought back on what she had done over her summer vacation. Touring Europe with her father, visiting Soujiro with Misao, shopping with Megumi and partying with Sano…and not to forget, Kenshin. Sighing dreamily, she remembered the night they first kissed. She had never felt this happy in such a long time.
Everything was going so well. Her relationship with Kenshin had grown as they spent more time together. Kaoru giggled as she remembered introducing Kenshin to her father. I've never seen him squirm like he did! Granting that Otou-san had suddenly walked in on us, surprising us both. But still so cute! As nervous Kenshin may have been, Kaoru noticed that he handled himself very well. Her father seemed impressed, although he had privately expressed his concern over Kenshin being Aoshi Shinomori's lawyer. Her father's concern had initially startled Kaoru, but she had assured him otherwise.
As she dressed herself, she realized she thought less and less about Aoshi. To her relief, spending more time with Kenshin had somewhat "solved" her problem. She had convinced herself that it was nothing after all, and she concentrated more on her relationship with Kenshin.
She was startled as her phone rang. Moving quickly, she picked up the receiver and smiled. She already knew who it was on the other line.
"Hello?"
A low chuckle was heard. "Kaoru. It's amazing you're up so early. You don't actually sound like you just woke up! You sound plea-"
"Who is this?" Kaoru couldn't help but tease him a bit. She was glad she sounded convincingly serious and oblivious.
"…"
Biting her tongue in order to stop her sudden urge to laugh out loud, Kaoru could just imagine Kenshin's expression. I bet he's Oro-ing right now.
Finally, she heard him sigh. "Kaoru…you're really bad at this you know that?"
With the teasing tone of his voice, Kaoru furrowed her brows. "Who's Kaoru? Look buddy, I don't know who you are or this 'Kaoru' you're looking for…you must've dialed the wrong number."
"Is that so? May I ask then who I'm speaking to? You sure sound like MY Kaoru to me." He paused and she swore she could hear him smirk. As if you can hear someone smirk! He cleared his throat and let out a breath haughtily. "If you must know, she belongs to me."
Kaoru sputtered. "HEY! I don't belong to y…" Shit! "Er…I mean…"
She heard him laugh out loud. "I told you. You're REALLY bad at this Kaoru."
With an unladylike growl, she stomped her foot on the soft carpet. She was not gonna lose to him! "Look! I'm not Kaoru okay!"
Silence. She gripped the receiver tightly.
"Alright. So…what's you're name?"
"…uh…Kazumi."
"So Kazumi…what do you look like? You sound like a hottie. What're you wearing? Something sexy, I hope." He said in an overly, ridiculously sexy tone.
"W-what!"
"I've got a girl myself, but you sure sound tempting enough. Forget Kaoru. Wanna hook up with me tonight? Scratch that. How about right now?"
"KENSHIN YOU BAKA!"
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As he sat across Kamiya Tetsuro before him, Aoshi thought deeply. He had been surprised by his rival's unannounced visit to his office, but what disturbed him was the news he had just heard. Strangely, Enishi Yukishiro had stepped out of his Shanghai turf and was starting to cause trouble for businessmen in Tokyo. Trouble particularly for both him and Kamiya. With Yukishiro's fervent actions towards his gain, and against their strong hold of Tokyo's industry, Aoshi had to rethink his plans against Kamiya.
"The man is trouble for us Shinomori-san. He's cunning, ruthless, and incredibly resourceful. He gets what he wants at any means possible…even if it resorts to violence."
Aoshi once again scanned Yukishiro's file. He had heard of Enishi's methods. And as gruesome as they may be, the man held such power that no one dared to oppose him. Not even the government. They might even be working for him in some levels.
"Although his threat to us is still considerable small, I have no doubt it will change. And this is why I'm asking you for your cooperation in my plans, Shinomori-san. Yukishiro's no match with both of us together against him."
Setting down the file folder, Aoshi nodded grimly. "I have to think about it. But I must say you're plans are quite…tempting."
The older man smiled genuinely at him. He tapped the side of his forehead with a black gloved finger. "It takes a Kamiya to think up something like that. Perhaps even a Shinomori."
Silent moments passed until Kamiya Tetsuro folded his gloved hands together and sighed. He gave Aoshi an expectant look. "So Himura Kenshin is your lawyer."
Aoshi looked up and wondered why the topic shifted to Himura. "Yes."
"He's a damn good one, if you ask me. You're lucky I didn't steal him from you." Kamiya said as he placed his right hand on the arm of the chair, slowly tapping the elegant wood with deft fingers. "Funny how I met the lad."
"Funny?" Aoshi said flatly.
"Yes. I found him kissing my daughter in our living room."
Aoshi could've sworn his heart stop and a lump form in his throat. It was strange why he felt affected by this little information. And although he felt his hand clench under the desk, his face was void of any emotion. Struggling to relax himself, he casually leaned back on his chair and raised an eyebrow at the older man. "You have a point, Kamiya-san? I suggest you spare the chit-chat and lay it out for me."
The man smirked. "Clever." He continued to slowly drum his gloved fingers on the armchair. "As noble as you seem to be, Shinomori-san, I don't fully believe it all. No one survives in business without a little shrewdness here and there." He stopped his fingers and eyed Aoshi sternly. "My concern is my daughter. If you have put Himura up to deceive her in a sorry attempt to spy over me, I strongly suggest you rethink your actions before you regret them. If you want an edge over me, find a way that won't concern my daughter."
An awkward pause grew over them and with the tone Kamiya had given him, Aoshi knew this was a man not to mess with. Despite his genial persona, he exuded power and strength that could hold you down to an emotional wreck. He was amiable yet incredibly intimidating at the same time. His exterior proved him to be a man worthy of respect, and sometimes fear. Kamiya Tetsuro stands only a few centimeters shorter than Aoshi. A lean man, his stance was proud, yet it does not turn people away from him. The lines on his face showed his years and wisdom, his mustache curiously adding to his charm. At his age, it was not surprising that he still held the interest of many women, both young and old. Indeed he was both handsome and powerful. A daunting combination.
"Kamiya-san." Aoshi started. "Himura's intentions are all good. In truth, it frustrated me when he turned my…'suggestion' down…thrice."
Kamiya scoffed, but a grin formed on his face. "So you did ask him to do so. I hope you're speaking the truth. For his and your sake. But not to worry, Shinomori-san. I've done the same thing…though in a slightly different concept. All's fair in this sort of game." He said as he spoke of the matter of business. Aoshi noticed the man's grin wash away and form into a thin line. "Although I wouldn't go as far as Yukishiro has gone."
He stood up and bowed his head to Aoshi slightly. "Call me when you decide on my offer."
Aoshi nodded but did not offer to say anything.
As Kamiya walked towards the double doors, he turned his head to Aoshi and smiled gently. "You sure are quiet for a businessman, Shinomori. It's a wonder you've gotten so far." And with that, he left the office.
Once Aoshi was left to himself, his mind wandered to the conversation he just had. Surprisingly, the Enishi issue hadn't rattled him as much. The Kaoru issue, however…
That's another thing Himura has failed to tell me. He thought grimly regarding the progress of Kenshin's relationship with Kaoru.
The last three or four months, Aoshi hadn't stopped thinking of the young Kamiya. He had assumed those thoughts would eventually go away, but he was wrong. What was worse, he had realized, that he was not only thinking of her, but he had started to feel resentful against Kenshin. Yes, Himura – who is supposed to be your friend! His friend. But somehow, Aoshi couldn't help it. To his displeasure, he had realized that he was jealous and he hated himself for it. I don't even understand why I'm jealous. I hardly know the girl!
He took a deep breath and tried to soothe his nerves. But she's beautiful. Fuck. It's not just that. It has to be more than that. Aoshi could have any woman he desired, any one. But he wanted her. Of all the people. He had to want her. His friend's girl. Woman. He corrected himself. Those beautiful blue eyes, soft angelic face, porcelain white skin, long silky raven hair…and a smile that could make his heart skip a beat. Aoshi cursed under his breath.
It was not only her looks. He knew. Partially he had considered how Kenshin had been acting since he had met Kaoru. The man was in bliss. Perhaps you're just jealous of his happiness. No woman has ever made his friend that happy. Before, Kenshin's relationships only lasted a couple of weeks at most. It used to be just sex and play for the redhead. Aoshi involuntarily wondered if Himura had bed her already. His mind screamed. Goddamnit! You're fucked up! He slammed his clenched fist hard on his desk.
He suddenly remembered his father. Don't forget, Aoshi. Don't forget.
His mind was working for an explanation. Intellectualizing. Rationalizing. And after a couple of minutes, he was quick to find a possible explanation. Letting out the breath he had held, he stood up, straightened his jacket and smirked at the possibility he had discovered.
It was all in his mind. Yes. He had met her just once. He felt an attraction towards her, he admitted, but nothing else. Not actually knowing who she really is, he had built an image of her in his mind. His image, his sort of 'version' of her. He thought about what kind of woman she was, how she would act or respond to people…to him. But it was all fiction. Sure, there was all the positive descriptions Kenshin had made…But damn, the man's too in love to think straight. To him, everything about her is good…perfect.
As he walked out his office, he had decided to find out for himself. He had to show himself that she was not all that he had thought her to be. Just another brick on the wall. He felt confident that once he knows her better, he'd find that she isn't so desirable anymore. And then he'd return to his usual old self.
He took his cellphone from his pocket and dialed a number.
"Kamiya-san. I've decided to take up your offer……Hai. Friday night...Dinner at your house?...Sounds good. Until then."
Ending the call, Aoshi pocketed his cellphone and gave himself a wry smile.
He already had a feeling that his theory was right as he had thought.
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It was five days since his talk with Kamiya in his office. He found himself sitting on an elegant couch in Kamiya's house, waiting for the man to finish a call. To say it was a 'house' was a mere understatement. It was ridiculously big for two people to live in. But of course, there were many servants living there as well. Unconsciously, Aoshi wondered where her room was.
Shifting his attention from his surroundings, he noticed a picture frame standing on the side table to his left. Picking it up, he looked at the picture. The first thing he noticed was a beautiful young woman dressed in a simple yet elegant blue dress. She had a hand placed over her swollen tummy as she smiled lovingly at the man beside her. A much younger Kamiya Tetsuro, who was looking very happy.
"Ah…curious, aren't we?"
He looked up to see the man of the house walk up to him and smile. Aoshi stood up and replaced the frame on the table.
The older man picked up the frame and smiled as he gazed lovingly at the image before him. "This was taken only a month till she was due…" His face fell into a sad smile, and Aoshi couldn't find the words to say. He had known years ago that Kamiya's wife had died in childbirth. Apparently, she had an underlying illness that complicated her labor, and much to Kamiya's dismay, they could only save the baby.
Now Aoshi was not a man of comforting words, and as he struggled to find the proper words for the situation, he noticed the older man look at him and chuckle softly. "It's alright Shinomori-san. You're intentions are received gratefully."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Kamiya-san."
An uncomfortable silence passed and Aoshi couldn't help but initiate the conversation in order to cheer up the old man. Perhaps a change of topic would do. "You're house is quite big…though it's not very practical."
The man laughed wholeheartedly and pat his hand on Aoshi's back. "If that was a compliment from you, I'll take it. Come. Let's talk of our business over dinner."
The dinner had passed on as they talked about Yukishiro Enishi and their plans to dampen his intent on foregoing his 'invasion' of their Tokyo turf. All that time, Aoshi couldn't help but wonder where Kaoru was. He hadn't seen her all night and he was beginning to feel frustrated. He had planned on coming to this dinner in the hope of killing two birds with one stone. That is, have this talk with Kamiya-san, and two, to prove his theory on Kaoru true.
Distracting him from his thoughts was a loud bang of the door. Kamiya-san had stopped what he was saying mid-sentence and had smiled expectantly towards the entrance of the dinning room.
"Tadaima!" a female voice shouted, and Kaoru walked in the dining room with a big smile. She was carrying a stack of textbooks, which looked incredibly heavy. Aoshi's instincts told him to get off his ass and carry the books for her, but he sat tight on his seat as a househelp took the books from her arms. When she finally noticed him, he saw her stop dead in her tracks, her face a look of utter shock.
"Aoshi!...I mean…Shinomori-san!"
Aoshi nodded his head towards her amiably. "Kaoru-san."
Kaoru's father was looking back and forth between the two youngsters. "I didn't know you two have met."
"Hai. Once over dinner at Kenshin's house." She said, still shocked by his presence.
Aoshi was also startled by Kaoru's sudden arrival, although his face didn't give him away. Looking at her, he thought the look on her face was quite comical and he had the sudden urge to laugh out loud. He didn't give in to the urge. After all, her father would probably find it rude.
"Kaoru, have you eaten dinner yet?"
"Hai. With Misao. Um…I should go upstairs and change…" she said distractedly.
"Alright. Shinomori-san and I were just finishing dinner..." A cellphone rang. Aoshi noticed Kamiya-san taking his phone from his pocket and gave Aoshi an apologizing look. "Excuse me, I have to take this call." Aoshi nodded at him in understanding as the older man stood up. Before he left the room, Kaoru tiptoed to give her father a peck on the cheek.
Then it was just him and Kaoru alone in the room. He looked at her and she seemed like she was fidgeting. This time, Aoshi couldn't hold his chuckle any longer.
He saw Kaoru frown at him. "What're you laughing at?"
Not knowing why, her displeased tone directed at him fueled his desire to irk her. It was again, one of those things he couldn't explain. Maybe he wanted her to get mad, in turn revealing to him a trait that would hopefully turn him off.
"You're fidgeting." He stated simply and smirked. And then he mouthed the words that made Kaoru grit her teeth in irritation.
TA-NU-KI.
He was pleased to see her trying desperately to hold her temper. She gave him a deadly glare and then held her head up high. Turning to leave the room, she shot off her retort. "Stupid ice block." With that, she stormed off the room.
Aoshi smiled…but quickly stopped himself. He was disappointed that he found their little exchange…gratifying. He had expected to feel turned off by her unladylike behavior, but he wasn't. He wasn't even annoyed! Goddamnit. I think I even liked it. He thought, slightly disgusted at the way he was thinking.
When he looked up, Kamiya Tetsuro had entered the room and sat himself down on his chair with a grunt.
"Trouble?" Aoshi asked evenly.
"Just the fool of a boy I hired a week a go. I don't know why I even hired him…Anyway, where were we?"
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Kaoru slammed the door of her bedroom. "How dare he! That guy has some nerve! Arghh!" She took of her right shoe and threw it at the floor. "Tanuki, tanuki, tanuki! That ass! Why I oughtta!" She threw her other shoe on the other side of the room. "What the hell is he doing in my house anyway!"
She threw herself on her bed, covered her face with a pillow, and screamed.
Ok. Calm yourself down, Kao. Don't get so worked up. Don't let him get to you. She took a couple of long deep breaths and sat up.
"Why are you so angry? It's not as if no-one's ever called you Tanuki before." Her mind asked herself.
It's my usual reaction when someone calls me that, remember?
"Oh no it's not. When Misao calls you tanuki, you bonk her slightly on the head. When Megumi calls you tanuki, you retort with kitsune. When Sano calls you tanuki, you stick your tongue out at him. When Kenshin calls you tanuki, you playfully hit him on his shoulder…"
So what the hell is your point?
"The point is, you just pretend to be affected by the name-calling, but you're actually not."
So?
"That's not the case with Aoshi isn't it? You don't scream in anger when anyone else calls you tanuki. So why him?"
She sputtered. "Why? Because he hardly knows me and he has the nerve to call me that!"
"Ah..But Saito baptized you with the nickname when he was first introduced to you, yet you didn't react like this. Not even close…"
It's different!
"Why is it different?"
Hell I don't know!
"I have an idea…"
Just shut up!
Kaoru abruptly stood up and quickly moved towards her bathroom. "Argh! I need a cool shower!"
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Aoshi looked at his watch. 10 o'clock. He had stayed longer than he expected. His conversations with Kamiya-san had ventured away from Yukishiro Enishi and into more personal topics. It was a surprise he hadn't come up with an excuse to leave. Who would've wondered Kamiya Tetsuro would share to him some aspects of his personal life? It was strange, yet Aoshi felt he needed to disclose to the older man a bit about himself too. Although he never went near any personal family histories, he had talked to the man about how he grew interested in business. He had shared about the university he had graduated from, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was also the older man's alma mater. He hadn't been interested in any conversation for quite some time now. Hell, he hadn't talked this much in so many years. After finding out more about the man in front of him, Aoshi had realized that he was starting to like the old bat. After all, who else could match up to him other than the great Kamiya Tetsuro?
At one point in their conversations, Kamiya-san had offered him some cigars. Without trying to offend the man, he refused the cigar as politely as he could, explaining that it wasn't his sort of thing. The man had grinned at him, asking him in the process. "Perhaps some wine then?" Aoshi had seen the eager look in the man's face and he just couldn't refuse this time. Once was forgivable, but twice was bordering on disrespect…for some people, that is. Once he took the offer, he found himself tipsy…just a bit. It was not as if his tolerance to alcohol was low, mind you it was moderate, but it had been so long since he last drank any sort of alcoholic drink, his system was struggling to control itself.
He heard Kamiya laugh. "Ah! I gather alcohol is not your thing too?"
Aoshi felt himself lighten up and a grin formed on his face. The effects of alcohol. "I prefer tea. I'd take on the healthier route."
At this the man laughed out loud again. The alcohol was also starting to affect him too. "Ah! You have the discipline of a monk, I think."
Before Aoshi could reply, Kamiya's cellphone rang once again. The older man grunted and picked up his phone. "I have to take this call. Again."
"It's not a problem."
Kamiya remained seated on the couch while he answered the call. "What is it this time?...Is that so?...Hold on….It's in my office…"
"Gomen, Shinomori-san. I must leave you here for a short time…I need to get something upstairs. Feel free to roam around the house if you want."
Aoshi nodded politely.
As Kamiya-san left the room, Aoshi stood himself up and stretched. He decided he should take up Kamiya's offer to walk around the large house. His butt was starting to doze off anyway.
He had spent a couple of minutes wandering around the house feeling a bit lightheaded. Very nice. He thought as he found himself in the library. Then he stopped at the entrance towards the garden. It was a beautiful garden, very well kept of course. He had moved towards the greenery but he stopped when he thought he heard someone talking in the nearby kitchen. Curiosity dragged him to walk towards the voice.
Arriving at the entrance of the kitchen, he leaned on the doorway, feeling strange. Damn alcohol.
When he looked up to see who it was, he couldn't help but stare.
Kaoru.
She had her back to him, slightly leaning forward against the kitchen counter, oblivious to his presence. Her long hair was free of the usual ponytail. Aoshi's eyes lingered at the beautiful locks falling down to the small of her back. He had a sudden urge to run his fingers through the mane, wanting to feel it's softness. She was wearing a white long sleeved shirt, it's neckline wide enough to show a bare shoulder. His eyes traveled downwards to her light pink shorts, which to his delight were quite short, thus showing her long slender legs. Tilting his head to the side to get a better view, he noticed she was barefoot. Her right leg was slightly bent, her foot playing with the marble floor. To Aoshi it was such a sensual sight, it mesmerized him, and he felt himself swallow a lump in his throat.
"Sou da ne?" He heard her giggle.
Letting himself out of the trance, he tore his eyes from her legs and noticed for the first time that she was holding a cellphone to her ear.
"Take it back or no more kisses." She said in a teasing voice.
Kisses? Aoshi felt himself tense.
Kaoru laughed softly. "Oh Kenshin! You're such a baka! But still kawaii!"
Himura.
His eyes darkened and he unconsciously clenched his hand into a fist. It annoyed him to see her flirting over the phone. To Kenshin, no less! Standing up straight, he silently walked towards Kaoru until he was about a foot behind her. Seeing that she was still blind to his presence, he cleared his throat loudly.
"Kaoru."
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Jerking her head towards her back, she shrieked as she found Aoshi so close to her, accidentally dropping her phone in the process.
"Shit! You scared me!" She exclaimed as she placed her right palm over her heart. When she fully registered his presence, she pushed him away with both hands and glared at him menacingly.
"What the heck are you still doing here? It's 11 already!...And…and…look at what you did! You made me drop my phone!" She cursed under her breath as she bent down to pick up the phone from the floor. Ignoring him, she inspected the gadget for damages, and sighed in relief when she realized there was none. She placed the phone on the counter and faced the 'intruder'.
Kaoru noticed that Aoshi was eyeing her strangely, and she suddenly blushed when she realized she was dressed rather…Heck! How was I supposed to know he's still here?
Trying to hide her discomfort, she decided to scold him once again. "Um…you know…it's rude to sneak up on people like that….yea…"
Aoshi tilted his head at her and smirked. Kaoru bristled. But before she could scream at him, her phone rang. She moved to grab the phone from the counter, but Aoshi was faster.
"Hey! Give that back!"
She wanted to claw at him with the way he just grinned at her. He's enjoying this! He's killing me! God help me, I'll kill him! She growled as she eyed the phone which continued to ring. He had held it high above his head and Kaoru was no fool to try to reach something that high up. He's six feet tall for goodness sake! Or taller!
"Mou! Stop playing games!"
Aoshi smiled at her. "Alright."
She sighed in relief as he slowly moved his hand down. Thank God! She held out her hand to receive the phone but her eyes widened in horror as Aoshi flipped the phone open and pressed it to his ear.
"Yes?"
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"…"
Kenshin tore the phone away from his ear and eyed it in surprise. What the? Was that a man? I swore I dialed Kaoru's number. He checked the screen and saw indeed that he made no mistake. It was Kaoru's name that lit the small screen. What the f-?
He pressed the phone to his ear again. "Kaoru?"
"Himura, do I sound like Kaoru?"
Fuck!
"Aoshi?"
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End of Chapter 7.
Next chapter: things start to get "civilized" between Aoshi and Kaoru! Ohohohoho!
Hehehehe! So? So? Tell me already! How was the chapter? XD
I'd luv to hear from you guys! I'm always open to your comments and suggestions! Please review!
