A/N: Gomen... Gomen... I am bowing in supplication to the masses for this chapter... It is one of the longest I have written for this story... but I couldn't help it... it just happened that way. There was... stuff that had to happen... and it all had to happen here. Sooooo.... But the promised Limey action between our Beloved K and K is here... ^^" So I am hoping that will get me off the hook for the length; however... I know everyone is going to kill me when they get to the end... Gomen... gomen... gomen nasi...
A/N: There is a lot of mental speech in this chapter as well. So let us all bow down and worship the ground Haruko walk's on for the new program in her computer that finally allows me to write the way I want to... and make the stories look the way I intended for them too all along, but never could. Thank you, Haruko... You are my life-savor. God Bless my dear friend.
Haruko: Absolutely a wonderful chapter! The cliffy got me in giggles. Don't ask me why, but when I get close to anything Limey, I start giggling. Used to hyperventilate a great deal, but now it's down to going ehehehehehe. Anyway, I'm sure that the next chapter would reduce me to a puddle of giggly mess, but -shrugs- who cares? As usual, please review this wonderful author's work, we all know she deserves it! Ehehehehehe.
Chapter Fourteen
Running From The Moon
October 31, 2001, Tuesday
Halloween Night
8:35 p.m. Barely a half an hour before the dance
Master Saitou's House
Guest room, upstairs
Dharma sat on the corner of the double sized bed and looked intently at her own reflection staring back at her from the vanity mirror residing up against the wall. It did not take a genius to notice the difference in the look on her face, and she was amazed at it herself. The long ever present worry lines that had marred her forehead as well as the exhausted look of despair that had been so much a part of her seemed to have all but vanished, and the face that looked back at her from the reflective glass seemed a great deal younger... very much lighter... almost... happy.
Hands that could hardly believe it was her face rose to trace the outline of her cheek bones, her nose, her eyebrows... her whole face seemed foreign to her as she touched the sensitive skin and smoothed the shadowy lines away from under her eyes.
"Is that really me?" Her voice quavered slightly as she spoke to the stranger in the mirror wondering if it were possible for one person to change so much in such a short amount of time. Two hours... had it only been two hours since the police had sent Hiko packing with the warning to leave her and her children alone? Two hours since she had felt the yolk of his oppressive abuse removed from around her neck? Two hours since she had been told she no longer had to live beneath the iron fist of his unrighteous superiority and cruelty? Two hours? It seemed like a lifetime ago.
"Are you alright, Dharma?" Tokio walked into the room and sat down beside the pale, yet lovely woman she and Saitou had taken into their home earlier. "You look... confused."
"I... I supposed I am all right... It is just... I..." Troubled violet eyes turned and looked helplessly into the kind face of the woman setting beside her. "It has been so long since I felt free... I'm not sure I know how to act..."
"Oh," a rush of anger laced sympathy filled Tokio as she reached out and covered one of Dharma's hands with her own. "I won't try to say I understand how you feel, because I can't, but I do know this... now that you've gotten a small taste of what it does feel like to be free, don't ever give it up again... Not for any reason, not ever."
"I w-won't... I-I can't. Not now, not after everything that happened today... Not after what Kenshin did." She looked down at the hand covering her's and felt a lump of emotion swell in her throat. "He was just doing the same thing today that he's always done... he was protecting us... Just like Ishida taught him to."
"Ishida? Was that his Father?"
"Yes... He was such a good man, and Kenshin is just like him... just like him." Dharma drew a shaky breath and looked back up into the mirror. "If Ishida could come back... I think he would kill Hiko... I truly do."
"Maybe you should remember that, Dharma... Kenshin is trying to take his Father's place and keep you safe, that really isn't his responsibility you know, but because of the type of young man he appears to be, he's done it anyway... his Father would be proud."
"Yes, he would... yes, he would be."
"I don't think this is something that he should have had to do to make him proud over though... do you?"
"No..."
"Then do something about it... Stand up and be his Mother, protect him for a change... that is supposed to be your job anyway... isn't it?"
"Yes, it is... I just never had the strength. Hiko was so... so terrible, and I was so frightened... I never knew what to do so... I hid behind my son."
"But you don't have to be frightened anymore, Dharma. Kenshin is nearly full grown, and he is strong enough to stand with you and fight for your survival... Stand up for him, stand up with him, and stop hiding behind him... Be his Mother... start taking control of your life and the lives of your children... it is within you to do it, I know it is."
"Thank-you, Tokio." Dharma leaned over and hugged the dark-haired woman as tears of gratitude gathered in her eyes. "Thank-you for believing in me."
"It has to start somewhere, Dharma... It has to start somewhere."
**********************************
Quii Saitou's bedroom
9:00 p.m.
"Come on, Sweetie... I think you look wonderful."
"Oh crap, Mom... You'd say that whether I did or not." Grumpy teenagers and Halloween costumes just seemed to walk hand in hand, Quii Saitou was no exception. Even though she was a very pretty girl with her mother's dark chestnut hair and her father's piercing topaz-yellow eyes, Quii was exceptionally concerned about her appearance and the way others looked at her. Most of that had to do with the fact that she was Ruakii's little sister and he was such an overly visible person at the school. She always felt like she was lost somewhere in his shadow everywhere they went. However, this year she had decided to try and make a big splash of her own by dressing up as something outlandish for the Halloween dance. But she was afraid now that she had ended up looking more like a big popcicle than what she really wanted to.
"Don't you think the bodice is way too tight?" Her own critical gaze raked her thin almost hipless frame in the full length mirror as she scrutinized the shiny turquoise dress she was wearing, noting that it was pushing her size B-Cup breasts well up and over the top of the heart shaped neckline while the full skirt flared prettily around her shins.
"No, I really don't, Honey. I think you look beautiful." Quii stuck her tongue out at her
own image and then turned a rueful look in her Mother's direction her insecurity easily showing through. "Quii, dear... You really need to try and have more faith in yourself, sweetheart. The dress is beautiful on you, and it makes you look beautiful as well, now calm down and come over here so I can fix your hair."
"Fine..." The teen humphed in a sullen manner as she followed Tokio out of her room and down the hallway. As they entered her parent's room, she flopped down in front of her Mother's huge old fashioned vanity mirror. "Are you sure this is going to work? I mean... do you really think anyone is even going to notice I'm there?"
"Well, if they don't, then they are all blind."
"Oh God...."
"Stop it! I didn't mean it that way." Tokio pulled the brush through her daughters long thick hair until it became a glistening rope in her hands, and then she began to carefully wind it into an intricate chignon on top of Quii's head which she then secured with several long jeweled clips. Then she carefully took a long thin piece of satin ribbon the same color as the dress and wound it around the large knot of hair until there was just enough left to tie a slender delicate bow on the underside leaving two long tails of shimmering turquoise hanging down the girls back about ten or twelve inches. "There," she said in a satisfied voice. "Beautiful, now where are your wings?"
"Still on my bed..."
"All right, you be still while I go get them."
"Yes, Mom." As she watched her mother leave, Quii picked up a small hand-held mirror and began inspecting what her mother had done to her hair. It was gorgeous!
"Wow! Is that my hair?" A tentative hand lifted and gingerly touched the masterpiece setting on top of her head and as she did, Quii felt the burn of tears threatening to spill. She had never felt so... pretty. Maybe someone will notice. She thought as she hastily smudged at the dampness gathering in her eyes before it made her mascara run... and before her Mother came back and noticed what a baby she was.
"Here we are..." The two wings that were made out of a very thin wire frame, seranwrap, and lots of glitter and white goose feather's were swept into the room as Tokio brought them through the door and presented them to Quii like they were a prize or something. "Now... we just have to figure out how to get them on."
"MOTHER?!" Quii wailed in a show of teenage upset as she flew off the small vanity stool in outraged alarm. "Do you mean you don't know how to get them on??"
"Heheheheheheh," Tokio chuckled and hugged the nervous girl. "Of course I do... calm down before you have a stroke."
"Ahh geez, Mom... don't do that to me..." A huge sigh of relief and exasperation exited the girls lungs in a loud whoosh of air, and she glared at the chuckling brown-eyed devil holding the rest of her costume. "You almost made me have a heart attack."
"Serves you right for letting yourself get so worked up... now turn around so we can attach these things and turn you into a proper Fairy Queen."
"Right... I'll probably just turn out looking like a really big blue bug."
"Quii Saitou!"
"Sorry..." She muttered and presented her back to her laughing Mother and let her attach the glitter and feather laden wings. "Happy Halloween... shit!"
*************************************
9:15 p.m.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"That noise?"
"I didn't hear anything..."
"I didn't hear anything either... are you trying to scare us, Kaoru?" Megumi stopped and glared at the blue-eyed girl who was all made up to be a Banshee complete with flour powdered in her black hair making in an unearthly grayish-blue color, white paint covering her entire face, and great black craters painted around her eyes and on her eyelids. The long flowing white gown she wore was wrapped several times around her slender waist from just below her breasts to just above her hips with a long piece of see-through gossamer that gave it a Vampish look, and the sleeves hung in great billowing triangles down past her wrists further adding to her eerie appearance.
"No, I am NOT trying to scare you guys... I swear I heard something." Kaoru glared back into Megumi's narrowed brown eyes which were heavily made up with thick mascara and peacock blue eyeshadow. Thick mult-hooped golden earrings clinked together as she shook her head and looked away from Kaoru's moon-pale face, and as she swept the heavy skirt of blood red crimson velvet around her shins, she turned to scan the area of the campus they were standing in. The stark white of her silk blouse and black velvet vest made her stand out attractively as the flamenco dancer she was dressed up to be. Her long coal black hair was hanging loose and fell down her back in a tumbled disarray of curling ringlets that bounced whenever she moved.
"Well, I don't see or hear anything. So I think you're up in the night, little girl."
"Hey, Megumi." Misao stormed up to her friend and shoved her pert nose up into the other girls face. "Don't talk to Kaoru that way. If she said she heard something, she probably did."
"Right. Even though neither you nor I heard a damn thing?"
"Right. You gonna tell me you've never heard ANYTHING nobody else did?"
"What?"
"You heard me. Have you ever heard anything nobody else ever did? Huh? Did ya?"
"Oh shut-up, Misao. Sometimes you really are such a weas..."
"Don't you dare say it, Megumi." Misao growled through her black-cat make-up making her strapped on blacknose with its glued on whiskers twitch comically. "I swear if you ever say that, I'll forget we're friends." And then she turned and started to march up the paved sidewalk toward the school with her black furry, wire-stiff tail swinging in agitation behind her as she went.
"Wait, Misao..." Kaoru took off after the pissed off Cat, and Megumi just rolled her eyes in irritation as she made a move to follow.
"Great... now she's mad at me... shit!Can't I say anything to anyone anymore?"
"Psssst...Wanna a piece of candy, little girl....?" The rasping husky voice came floating out of nowhere and when Megumi turned around to see who was behind her, there was no one there. All she could make out was the bushes flanking the sidewalk and the outline of the trees across the quad, but the little hairs were standing up on the back of her neck telling her somebody was hanging around.
"Hey!" She called as she looked out into the dark. "Who's there?" But no one answered... Like I really thought someone was going to. "Stupid..." she muttered and turned back and started to walk toward the Gym again. "Boys... they'll never grow up."
"Wanna go plaaayyyy... Meguummiii?" This time the voice sounded really close and it was obvious that someone thought they were pulling a good one on her. Well, she would show them.
"All right!" She whirled around abruptly and put her hands on her hips angrily and stared in the direction of the husky voice. "I am not thinking this is very funny... so cut it out who ever you are, I don't want to play your stupid game, and just in case you think I'm scare... I'm not!"
"Whoooo said I waaaaaaas playing?" Suddenly a pale hand snaked out of the bushes and grabbed Megumi by the wrist and tried to pull her back inside... but by then, all hell had broke loose and the world turned into chaos.
"EYYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Megumi's terrified scream split the cold night air like the razor sharp blade of a dagger, and it brought her two friends running back to the rescue. When the struggling Megumi came back into view, both Kaoru and Misao started to yell and hollar loudly in frightened dismay, and then, without a second thought, they pounced on top of the unknown attacker tackling him to the ground and forcing him to release his screaming victim.
"Let go of her you perverted maniac..." Thump Pound Thump Thud Pound
"What do you think you're doing, you big jerk?" Thud Pound Whomp Pound Thump
"Hey! Hey! Cut it out... Owe! That hurts... Dammit!"
"Wha...?
"Huh...?"
"Somebody get these crazy little she-wolves off of me... get off, dammit... KENSHIN! Get 'em off of me before they kill me..." The whailing angry voice was starting to sound a little bit familiar all of a sudden, and the three girls looked at each other with a mixture of confusion and apprehension as the implications of their rash actions began to dawn on them. But it was Megumi who moved first. She decided the best thing to do was just wade in and try to salvage the situation... if she could.
"Sano...? Is that YOU under there?" Megumi yanked Kaoru and Misao out of the way and rolled the dark shape over onto its back revealing a disheveled Sanosuke dressed up like a very 'Mafia-type' gangster complete with 1930's hat and funky-styled gloves and shoes. "Sano!" She exclaimed and leaned down to hug him as she started to laugh in hopes that he would find it as funny as she did. "You dirty-rat." She said in her best impersonation of the guy in the Mob-Movies earning a big grin from the lanky brown-eyed Senior. "You scared the shit out of me."
"I was trying to, Kitsune." He was smiling and feeling a tremendous sense of relief as the knowledge that she wasn't going to kill him settled into his startled brain. "I was just gonna pull you in the bushes for a little pre-dance festivities, but I didn't know the Calvary was going to come and rescue you... geez. The two of them are down right dangerous." He offered a mock glare in the direction of the two girls who were standing a few feet away watching Megumi making a fuss over her boyfriend with bored looks on their faces.
"You got what you deserved, Sano." Misao stuck her tongue out at him and then started to look around almost like she was sniffing the air with her Cat's nose. "Ummm, did... did Aoshi come with you?" She asked as little knots started to find their way into the pit of her stomach.
"I did." The sound of the smooth almost monotone voice sent shivers of pure excitement up and down Misao's spine as she spun around to find the object of her affection materializing from the darkness right behind her. Her heart skipped a beat as she took the costume he had chosen to wear. It was perfect.
"Zorro?" She queried breathlessly as he approached her with his usual graceful walk and gazed down at her through the slits in his black silk mask. Misao could hardly breath as she felt herself being drawn up into those amazing jade green orbs. God, he's beautiful.
"But of course." The barest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as his glittering green gaze roved over the snug fitting cat costume she wore. Nice. Very nice. Curves in all of the right places. "Would you care to see my fencing skills, Misao?" He asked in a husky whisper that brought gooseflesh out across her entire body causing her to shiver and step closer to him.Excellent.
"Sure... anytime." She sounded like a puppet dancing to someone elses tune. Oh God... did I just say that?
"Shall we, My Pet?" His eyes were laughing at her, she would swear they were... and he was offering her his arm just like she was some sort of royalty... Suddenly it was very hot in their immediate vicinity, and she could not seem to make her voice work anymore so she just nodded and slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and let him lead her away.
"Those two... they really need to get a room or something, you know."
"Sano..." Megumi playfully slugged him in the arm. "That isn't a very nice thing to say." She chided but her eyes were laughing as she helped him stand up and brush off his clothes.
"It's the truth." He smiled roguishly into her dancing eyes, and then reached up and playfully tweaked her nose. "You ready to go, Kitsune? That is, if you still want to go to the dance with me... after all, you did say earlier today that...."
"Shut-up Sano," Megumi sidled up against him and started batting her heavily weighted eyelashes at him as she gave him her most coy smile. "Would you pleeeaaase take me to the dance...?" She started wrapping her arms around his biceps and squeezed the muscle entreatingly. "Please?"
"Shheesh... how could I refuse something that beautiful... come on, Princess. Let's go." Gently he bent over and brushed his lips against hers before freeing his arm so he could wrap it around her shoulders. "Anything else you want, Kitsune... while we're talkin' about it?" He asked as they started to wander off toward the school.
"Umhum..."
"What's that?"
"A room..."
"WHAT???" But the only answer he got after that was the sound of Megumi's low laughter as they disappeared up the sidewalk into the darkness.
"Ahhhh, poor guy... getting teased like that." Kenshin's voice appeared behind Kaoru, and though she jumped just a little, a smile crossed her face. "You girls are unmerciful, you know."
"I was just starting to wonder where you were, and when you were going to show up, Tough Guy." Kaoru smiled and turned to look over her shoulder where she spotted a very dashing and handsome pirate dressed in a white shirt with billowing sleeve, open neck, and devastatingly snug turn of the century breeches that were tucked into mid-shin black leather boots. A black leather strap hung diagonal over his right shoulder holding the sheath for his three foot long rapier which was swinging seductively next to his left hip. But the one thing about him that really caught her eye was the fact that he had left the incredible length of his thick red hair loose, and it fell nearly to his waist like a satin cape swaying over his shoulders. Oh My God! He's absolutely gorgeous! I-I can't breath... he's so beautiful... Dear Lord...
"You were, were you?" The smooth drawl of his voice sent a shiver of immediate sexual awareness quivering through her vital private places, and Kaoru's heart stated beating faster the closer he came.
"Yes, I-I was." As he came to stand behind her, she could feel the heat of his body permeating through her gown and the coldness of the night suddenly disappeared. And I was worried I hadn't brought my coat or something... dummy.
"Hmmmm," A gentle hand slid around her waist from behind and then laid flat against her stomach as he splayed his fingers out across the material of her dress. A small amount of pressure was all he needed to pull her back against him so that her shoulders and hips lay flush against his body. "Well, I am here... what did you have in mind?" His breath was hot and moist along the flesh behind her ear and Kaoru shivered in response as one of her hands moved to cover his where it rested on her belly and the other rose to glide around to the back of his neck.
"I-I don't exactly know now that you mention it..." Her voice was breathless with the touch of a tremble as she turned her head and rubbed her nose against his cheek. "But, I'm sure I can think of something." Something Naughty...
"Can you?" Warm lips brushed against her softly parted ones, and Kenshin heard her sharp intake of air at the gentle touch. "You like that, Tanuki?" He asked as he nuzzled against her cheek. "You like it when I touch you?" I hope you do... you have no idea how much I want you to... Oh God! I want to... Kaoru...
"Yesssss, I like it..." Her voice was a husky whisper against his lips as she rubbed her mouth briefly across his. "Kiss me again, Kodora..." Her body was turning inside of his loose embrace and it was only a moments breath before she was facing him and her arms were both sliding around his shoulders and neck. "Kiss me again... please." Soft pink lips brushed across the firm line of his partially open mouth again and a low whispering growl escaped him as one hand rose to gently cup the back of her head. Kao... I... Oh Baby... I want...
"I will, Tanuki... I will whenever you want me too." Slowly his tongue stroked her bottom lip back and forth and he felt her shiver in his arms as a tiny moan of want puffed against his mouth. Mine... He thought in wonder and humility as he felt her melt into him. She really is Mine. And then his tongue slipped though the opening between her parted lips and he brought their mouths together in a deep, moist loving kiss that had him enfolding her willowy frame against his wildly pounding Heart even as her arms were pulling him closer to hers.
"Kenshin..." Kaoru's breath was coming in little gasps as he released her mouth and began nuzzling along the heavenly warmth of her throat and jaw. "I missed you."
"You did?" He leaned back and looked quizzically into the heavy lidded eyes of her ghoulishly made up face. "How could you miss me, Kao? We've been around each other all day."
"I know... but you haven't kissed me since this morning..." Her eyes dropped in embarrassed shyness and he began to laugh softely. Funny girl.
"I see... so it was that part of me you missed, was it?" A soft chuckle stated to rumble in his chest as he looked at her bent head. What a funny, wonderful surprise she was turning out to be in his life, he was thinking, and how terrible it would have been if she had never come.
"Wellll... yes, it is... it was... I..." As he gently cupped her chin and lifted her face up so he could look into her eyes again, Kenshin's smile grew wider as he discovered Kaoru nervously chewing on her bottom lip. She always did that whenever she thought she had made a mistake or had said the wrong thing. He thought it was hysterically cute.
"What are you doing that for?" He asked as he took his thumb and pulled the tender tissue out of her mouth. "That's my job." And no one elses... ever.
"Your job?" Her eyes grew round with amused flirtation as she adjusted herself in his arms. "And just exactly how is it your job to chew on my lip?" Are you going to be doing it soon? Or do I have to wait all night?
"Because it's your lip, Tanuki." Violet eyes filled with mirth and desire darkened to deep lavender as he inched his mouth closer to hers again. "And because I like how you taste." He was within a breath of her lips and Kaoru's breathing was becoming more erratic by the second. "And because you like it when I taste you." Himura's hunting Tanuki...
"I-I d-do?" She was stuttering and she knew it, but her senses were suddenly full of him and she could not think, move, or hardly even articulate. He's hunting me again... just like this morning... Ooooohhh God... I-I can't breath...
"Yes, you do... shall I show you?" She could feel the moist heat of his words as they puffed out of his mouth and touched the sensitive skin of her lips, and she shivered in sexual awareness as her body responded to him of its own accord.
"Y-yesssss..." It was the voice of want. "Sh-show me..." The voice of hunger and need.
"But we're outside, Kao... and it's cold..." Even Tanuki's get cold... Should I... Can I... She's so close... so warm... God, I can smell her heat... Jesus!
"I don't care... just kiss me, Kenshin... please, just kiss me again."
"Oh God..." His mouth closed over hers and his tongue plunged in deeply and he began to rub it along the roughness of hers. Hands that knew only need and want gripped her hips and brought her body closer to him, and he could hear her moaning beneath him as parted her lips farther and increased the wetness between their mouths. So beautiful... So warm and so beautiful... Oh Kao! As he felt the increasing heat of her response to his touch, Kenshin's rational mind began to swim out of control, and he unconsciously started changing the angle of their connection again and again as his desire grew. There was no inhibitions between them this time... no pulling back... no stopping... His hands moved to caress the natural curve of her back and then found themselves sliding over the rounding smoothness of her butt, and as a throaty moan of desire was torn from her, Kaoru fisted both hands into the heavy red mane of his hair and pushed herself into the hardness of the erection she could feel pressing into her upper thigh.
'Kenshin... I want...'
'I know, Baby, I do too... Beautiful Kao... I do too...'
That was the point that Kenshin realized things were getting out of control again, and stiffening against Kaoru, he gently pushed her away from him. "I-I can't..." He dropped his mouth from her's and buried his face against her shoulder. "I can't." Oh God! I'm going to die... this is going to kill me... God... Help!
"W-why not? What's wrong? Kenshin? Did I do something wrong? Baby?" Her voice was filled with anxiety and fear and the sound of it tore on his emotions making him realize he was going to have to tell her the truth of why he had to stop.
"No, YOU didn't do anything wrong, Honey." His voice was ragged with barely suppressed desire and he could feel his body trembling against hers. "I can't do this... I can't because... if I keep kissing you like this... I... I'll pack you back to my dorm room and we might not make it to the dance... at all." The gruff admission was spoken from his heart, and Kenshin knew that there was no denying now what he felt for this girl. I must love her, he thought solemnly. If I didn't... I wouldn't care about whether or not I packed her back to my room... I wouldn't care if she was a virgin... I wouldn't care... would I?
"Kenshin..." Kaoru buried her hands inside of his long loose hair and pulled his head up so that they were looking at each other again. "I know how you feel... Don't you think I feel it too?" I'm burning up... I feel like my skin is coming off... Ken...?
"You... you want me?" What? But I thought... He asked in a small almost disbelieving voice as he looked into the luminous lakes of her huge blue eyes. "But this morning...?"
"This morning was this morning... and if feels like it was about 3 days ago to me. So much has happened since then, and I feel different since then too." She looked into his fast earnestly as she tried to make him understand what she was saying to him. "It's hard to explain... but, I feel closer to you than I did this morning... It's like I've known you forever." I feel like we've been together forever... I don't want to turn back... I don't want to... stop.
"Kao... I... You don't know how much you mean to me... I can't... I don't know how to tell you..." I love you... God, I love you so much... why can't I say it?? I love you, Kao... you mean everything to me... everything...
"Ahem... We don't mean to break up your little... ahh, party here big brother, but don't we all have a dance or something to go to?" Soujiro's somewhat embarrassed voice earned him a murderous glare from his older brother, but he just smiled good naturedly into the face of certain death and shrugged. "Just thought We'd give ya a little reminder, Bud... that's all." Laughing lightly, he cast a conspirital glance down at the dark-hair boy standing next to him. "Isn't that right, Yahiko?"
"Yup... that's right, Mr. Himura." The boy quipped as he began to snicker behind his Ninja costume sleeve. "Just a friendly reminder."
"Yeah, well, you can take your little reminder and stick it up your..."
"KENSHIN!!" Kaoru thumped him hard on the back of the head successfully cutting off the rest of his foul retort. "Soujiro and Yahiko were just being... ah... courteous, that's all. No need to tear their heads off for that." But just the same, Kaoru sent a warning glance in her younger brothers direction telling him she was none to pleased with him either. Yahiko just snickered a little louder and winked at her causing her to blush beneath her make-up
"Courteous my ass..." Kenshin growled as he continued to glare daggers at his smiling brother. "I think you and the midget ought to know the way to the Gym by now, dick-head... and I don't think you need me to hold your hand in order to get there... DO YOU??" The thinly veiled threat finally reached the intelligence center of Soujiro's brain and he realized his brother was NOT fooling around... he was dead serious. Time to go...
"Ahhh, no... I remember the way... that I do, and if I don't... the kid can show me." Quickly the handsome brown-haired young man with the blue-gray eyes was smiling the smile of a walking dead man and scurrying away across the campus pulling Kaoru's howling little brother along behind him. "We'll see you two there... no hurry... We'll be fine."
"Kenshin... that was a rotten thing to do to your own brother." A pretty scowl covered her fine features as she looked at her fuming boyfriend. "He was just trying to be nice." But I'm killing Yahiko the next time I see him... the slimy little squid!
"No he wasn't..." Kenshin was still glaring daggers of death after the retreating duo when he turned back to face his girlfriend. "He was trying to be a funny pain in my ass, only I did not think it was very funny... and now he knows it. And as for that fucking little shit that used to be your brother... He's a dead man."
"Kenshin, aren't you getting all upset over nothing? It wasn't that big of deal, you know?"
"Oh really, Kao? And just exactly what were we doing when the two of them showed up? Hmmm? Or had you thought of that?" One elegantly arch dark brown eye brow arched up as Kenshin favored Kaoru with a knowing look that had her looking at him in complete confusion.
"Wha...?"
"They saw us, Kao..."
"They SAW??" If Kaoru's face could have turned red it would have, but the white make-up she was wearing hid the flaming blush that colored her cheeks. "Are you sure?" Oh God! Oh Shit! That little squid-worm is going to tell Dr. Gensai... oooohhh nnoooo...
"Of course I'm sure... The only think I'm not sure of, is how much they saw."
"Ooohhh shit!" Kaoru pulled away from Kenshin and covered her mouth in shock. "You don't think they saw... I mean... I was... You were.... Oh God!" We're dead... No, they are dead... I'm going to kill them both... OOOOOOOOOHHH SSSHHHIIITTT!!!
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As Soujiro entered the Gymnasium, he was immediately struck by the fact that there were about 30 or more glowing little ghost-beasts hanging precariously from the ceiling each looking as if it were ready to bust free and drop onto the head of some unsuspecting slob who happened to walking by at just the right moment.
"Not good... Not good at all." He said to himself as he noticed that they were literally hanging all over the place which meant there really was not a safe place to stand anywhere. "I might have been better off staying back in the room... could be taking my life into my own hands out here, that I could."
"Do you always talk to yourself in the first person?" A soft musical voice off to his left captured his attention away from the dangling time-bombs, and Soujiro turned to find himself looking into a pair of very captivating topaz eyes. Beautiful... girl... wow!
"What?" God, that sounded stupid. Get a grip Sou.
"You were talking to yourself in the first person..." The girl smiled and tried to hide a giggle behind her hand. "It sounded kind of funny." Cute skeleton... I wonder who he is... I don't recognize him... hmmm...
"Oh... I guess it would." He smiled in embarrassment and nervously scratched the back of his head. "I do it sometimes without really knowing it... it's a bad habit I got into after my brother left home... I didn't have anybody else to talk too." God, she's a vision... her eyes... her skin... down boy.
"That's right." Her pretty face perked up as she finally recognized him through his skeleton make-up and costume. "Your Kenshin Himura's brother... I saw you today... I guess everybody saw you today." Suddenly she was embarrassed as she recalled the circumstances under which everyone had come to see this young man. "Ummm... I'm sorry, that was really lame of me." Stupid Girl... now he won't want to talk to you.
"Ahhh, No worries," Soujirou could see how embarrassed and foolish she felt and it made him want to make her feel better. "Don't feel bad about what happened today... I'm actually glad everybody finally got to see what kind of a guy my brother really is."
"What do you mean by that?" Himura's Himura... what's the big secret?
"Everybody has always thought he was this big bad ass who hated everyone around him, when in fact, he's just a kid trying to get by in a world that has made his life hell while he's been trying to do what he thinks is right." Did that come out right? I feel like I'm rambling... Geez, I'm nervous...
"But... but I thought he shot and killed somebody... you mean that's not true?" Shit! I never knew THAT!
"No... that's not true. He was out with a bunch of his friends one night doing some stuff he shouldn't have been, but it was one of them that shot the old man, not Kenshin. Kenshin just got stuck with the rap because the Police couldn't find any of the other guys... and because my Father wouldn't try to help him clear his name." Is THAT what everyone thinks?? DAMN! I gotta fix that... gotta fix that fast.
"Your Father... he's kind of not a very nice man..." She looked down at the glitter covered wand she was holding in her hands and started fiddling with it nervously. "Does that bother you?" WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?? YOU CAN'T ASK HIM STUFF LIKE THAT!! CRAP!
"Yes, It bothers me a lot. My Father is an asshole... Oops! I'm sorry." He blushed and waved his hands in apology. "I didn't mean to swear... Bad habit I get into when I'm around my brother." Waitago dumbass! Now she's going to think you're a foul-mouthed upstate big-city kid... and she really won't want to talk to you. Shit!
"It's Ok." Laughing at his embarrassment over swearing in front of her, Quii reached out and touched his arm for a moment in an attempt at making him feel better. "Don't worry about it. My brother swears like a dock-worker all the time." Gosh, doesn't he think I've ever heard anyone swear before... how sweet.
"Thanks, but I should watch my language around girls... it's not polite to swear in front of them... bad manners, you know." He rolled his eyes and she laughed again. I have never felt so totally stupid in my entire life... God, make me disappear.
"I'll tell you what, we'll pretend I'm not a girl," She said with a silly smile on her pretty face. "And then you can talk the way you want... Ok?" I'll do anything to get you to let your guard down... just a little... besides, I make a good friend... we can be friends... I wonder if he would want to be my friend??? Am I being to pushy? Oh God... I hate this.
"Ummmm.... I don't think I can do that." Now he was looking at his hands and blushing behind his make-up. How in the hell does she think I'm going to be able to pretend she's not a girl with her looking the way she does? Does she think I'm blind or what?
"Why not? It can't be that hard?" Suddenly she was eyeing him in confusion and not understanding why what she had suggested was such a big deal. After all, she was just trying to be friendly. Maybe he doesn't want to be friends? Maybe he thinks I'm coarse 'cause I don't care if he swears... Damn! I hate this.
"But it would be hard... to pretend you aren't a girl, I mean." Especially with those perfect breasts you've got... Oh Shit! Don't be looking at her chest. What is the matter with you? She'll think you are some kind of a pervert... get a grip, Man. Get a grip. You don't even know her name.
"Why? You just use your imagination." Silly boy... Sheesh!
He looked at her in disbelief trying to figure out if she was being serious or if she was playing a really bazaar game with him, but one look into her innocent confused eyes and he knew she was totally serious. "Why?" He echoed her question back at her as he moved to stand directly in front of her. "Because you are too beautiful to be anything but a girl, and it would be impossible to look you in the face and try to imagine you as anything else but what you are... the most beautiful girl I think I've ever seen in my life." There... no games... no guessing... He watched her face go from confused to disconcerting, and then painful misunderstanding.
"B-beau-tiful??" Eyes bigger than golden dinner plates stared at him from a face that had gone paler than the full-moon outside, and Soujiro had the strangest feeling that she was about to faint. "Why do you say that to me?" I don't want to play games... games hurt.
"Say what? That you're beautiful?" Soujiro was so shocked his mouth was hanging open wide enough to catch next summers flies. How could she not know she was beautiful? You must know... don't you look in the mirror for pete's sake?
"Y-Yes... Why? Why do you do that when you know it isn't true?" Her voice was tight and trembling as if she were trying to speak past a large object lodged in her throat. Please don't do this to me... don't tease me... it hurts to be teased.
"Not true? Are you insane?" Turning to her, he gently reached out and took her by the hand and led her out onto the old wooden floor where the lights were shining and the ballroom ball was throwing multicolored dancing dots across the walls and the floor. "Look at you..." He said as he pulled her in a wide circle causing the lights to shimmer off the brilliant turquoise fabric of her dress and all of the tiny glitter sparkles within the multitude of feathers of her fairy wings. "You are beautiful... dance with me, beautiful Fairy Princess... will you? Dance with me?" Please dance with me... I've never seen anyone like you in my life and I feel... Please dance with me..
Quii could not believe her ears nor her eyes as one of the most handsome boys she had ever seen in her life asked her to dance and called her beautiful. She wasn't about to tell him that she was supposed to be a Fairy Queen not a Princess... who cared? Queen? Princess? It was all the same to her as she let him take her in his arms and twirl her away to the rhythm of a slow-moving lovesong.
Who cared? It was Halloween... anything was possible... even for a Fairy Princess and a Skeleton.
"By the way, Princess... What is your name?" I should know if I plan on spending anymore time with you... and I DO... so tell me your name, pretty girl...
"Quii... Quii Saitou."
"Quii... Pretty name... I'm Soujiro... Soujiro Seijuro. But my friends call me Seta-san." Quii? I think you have the 'key' to my heart Quii Saitou. I hope your Father doesn't mind...
"Seta-san? That's different? What does it mean?" It could be Bluto for all I care... just keep looking at me like you are and nothing else really matters to me... not really...
"It's my middle name with a Japanese twist. Kenshin's real dad was Japanese and Kenshin used to call me Seta-san when I was younger... it was a nick-name that stuck with my friends."
"Who calls you Soujiro?"
"My Mom and Little sister."
"What does your brother call you?"
"Whatever he wants too..." Soujiro winked at Quii making her laugh as he whirled her around and around beneath the dozens of lights that glowed lighting up the dance floor. It was Cinderella time for the turquoise Fairy Queen and the dashing Skeleton... It was a good thing all of the pumpkins were being used for Jack-o-Lantern's and all of the Mice had been shoed away by a screaming Megumi; otherwise, we might all be starting to believe in glass-slippers too.
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Kenshin could see how upset and embarrassed Kaoru was, but he could not help the laughter that bubbled up in this throat as he watched her dramatic reaction. "Come on, Honey..." He put his arms around her again and pulled her close. "It's not the end of the world if our brothers caught us making out a little... at least I don't think so... Is it?" They should know by now what will happen to them if they talk... I'll turn them both into crow-bait... I swear... he he he he he he...
"It's not that, Kenshin... but, what if they heard what we were saying too?" I'm going to die from embarrassment... I just know it.
"I don't think they was close enough for that, Kao. Besides, even if they did, they will never say anything about it. Sou's got way too much class for that, and Yahiko's too scared I'll clobber him if he does."
"You're sure? I mean, are you really sure because I would just die if anybody found out."
"Found out what? That I want to play hide-n-seek under the covers with my girlfriend?" The darkness did nothing to hide the dancing mischief that glinted in his dark lavender eyes, and Kaoru found herself wondering just exactly what all was involved in his version of 'Hide-n-seek'.
"Kenshin!" She tried to make her voice sound outraged, but it was a poor attempt as a river of giggles spilt out instead and she burrowed into his shoulder. "The things you say sometimes..." You make me feel so... so... Like I wish we weren't outside.
"What?" He asked innocently as he brought his hands around to caress her sides and then cupped her elbows and lifted her arms back around his neck. "What did I say?" Himura's on the prowl for Tanuki... again...
"You know... playing hide-n-seek... you're so bad." Her mouth was smiling and his eyes were focusing on it again as he let his hands drift along her upper arms and then down along her sides where he could gently palm the curve of her breasts. Her body shivered in response to the intimacy of his touch as well as the timbre of his husky voice. He... he's hunting me again... I can feel it.
"I am bad... but you like it." His thumbs carefully began rubbing little circles in the soft pliant flesh he held in his hands, and she trembled against the length of his body as she instinctively pressed closer to him. So soft... so warm... My beautiful tanuki...
"Yes... I do like it... but you aren't bad the way you think you are." The husky moistness of her voice brushed past his cheek as she struggled to form coherent thought. You are only 'bad' for me... when you're like this... this is 'bad', but in a good way...
"I'm not?" A gentle swaying motion in his hips started and he was touching his forehead against hers as he continued his tender massaging of her breasts. "Then how am I bad, Kao?" If you knew what I was thinking about you, little tanuki... you'd think I was more than just 'bad'... you'd run away... faraway... but I would find you... that I would.
"You make me feel naughty when we are like this... you make me... want things." It was easy to match the motion of his body with hers, and Kaoru found that by arching her back just a little brought both her breasts into firmer contact with his chest, and it pushed the softness of her lower body against the unyielding planes of his much harder one. Kenshin's harsh intake of breath told her that her actions were making him feel things just as well, and knowing that she had that power over him made her feel a little giddy. Mine... this beautiful Angel-Wolf is Mine...
"I make you feel... naughty, huh?" He leaned back and locked gazes with her as he smiled tenderly down into the shimmering blue diamonds of her eyes. "Hmmmm, I have to admit, Tanuki... You make me feel pretty naughty too." This elicited a giggle from Kaoru and she reached up to press a soft wet kiss into his smiling lips.
"What are we going to do about that, Kodora?" It was an innocently spoken question, but it filled Kenshin with a burning flame of need that set his lavender eyes on fire turning them into beautiful shining lanterns of liquid gold. "Ken-shin?" Kaoru gazed in amazement at the astonishing transformation that had occurred right before her, and found both of her hands cupping his extraordinarily handsome face as she gazed deeply into those beautiful golden orbs that were burning into her eyes. "How...?" I've never seen... He's a beautiful Angel... Oh My God... look at his eyes... Look at his magnificent eyes.
"I... I love you, Kao..." He whispered in a rough voice that sounded as if it had come from the very depths of his soul, and capturing one of her hands, he pulled it to his mouth and pressed a deeply passionate kiss into its palm letting the tip of his tongue flicker across the sensitive grooves as she watched with wide disbelieving eyes. I... I said it. I actually said it... and I meant it... God, I really meant it!
"Ken..." When he looked at her again, the breath caught in Kaoru's throat as the enormity of emotion in his eyes reached out to engulf her in its warmth and security, and with a cry of pure joy she covered his mouth with hers and didn't care if the tears that had started to slip from her eyes melted her make-up or not. At the moment, it really did not matter to her. Her beautiful Angel-Wolf loved her... He really loved her.
"Wanna play hide-n-seek, little girl?" The voice that whispered in her ear was deep, husky but not at all foreign to her anymore, and Kaoru felt a surge of heat rush through her body as the meaning of those innocent yet seductively spoken words registered in her mind. Did she want...? Did she...? Would she...? "Do you trust me, Kao?" I want you so much, Sweet Kao... so much... am I moving too fast for you? Tell me what you want... I will do anything you want... that I will.
"I trust you." Can't you feel what I want, Kenshin? Can't you feel my heart... Can't you feel my soul... I want you too, my beautiful Angel-Wolf. I want you too. She kissed him full on the mouth again and then felt him swinging her up into his arms as easily as if she weighed no more than Cleo and begin walking back the way to the boys dormitory, and as Kaoru laid her head in the curve of his shoulder, she burrowed deeply into the thick mass of red hair covering his neck. "I have to warn you about something, Kenshin."
"What is that, Tanuki?" He leaned his head just enough that he was resting his jaw against her forehead in a protective manner, but he did not miss a step or slow his pace as he carried her through the darkness.
"I've never been very good at hide-n-seek."
"Why? Can't you count?" Laughter colored his voice and it made her smile as she tilted her head back to nuzzle against his earlobe making him shiver ever so delicately. "Or is it that you can't run very fast? What seems to be the problem?"
"It's not any of those things," Her teeth nipped playfully at his now exposed earlobe and then she tentatively ran her tongue over its smooth surface causing the young man carrying her to catch his breath and grit his teeth in response. "I've never been very good at hiding... I'm always the first one to get found."
"Ahhhh, that's Ok, Honey..." Was his reply as he nudged against her forehead bringing her face up to his so he could look into her laughing eyes. "There isn't very much room to hide in a twin bed anyway so there wouldn't have been too many places for me to look..." She giggled and burrowed against his throat once more as well as tightening her arms around his neck pulling herself up closer to him. It was the first time in a long time that she had not been afraid, and it felt good. Kaoru knew he would not do anything to scare her or hurt her... at least nothing that was not going to happen anyway. After all, she was a virgin, but she trusted him... she knew he would make it all Ok. He would make everything turn out all right, and she did not feel frightened at all.
I wonder if I am supposed to be afraid? Is it wrong not to be afraid of my first time?? I wonder if he will think I'm bad if I'm not afraid... But, I can't help it... I'm just not afraid... I want to be with him... I want to...... make love with him?? Oh My... He said he loves me... I know he meant it, I could see it in his eyes... does my not being afraid mean... I love him too? Is this 'love'? Have I gone past where we were just this morning? Can it happen that fast... can a person jump from one level of feeling to another in a matter of hours?? Does it work that way? I know he loves me, but... do I...
"Kenshin?"
"Hummmm?"
"I love you, too." I said it, and it feels right... It really feels right... Oh Kenshin, I really do love you... I really do...
"I was hoping you did, Kao... I was really hoping you did." Thank-you, God. I think this just about makes us even... If it doesn't, it's damn close...
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A/N: This is the worst cliffy I have ever left you guys with... Gomen nasi!!! But if I kept going it would be a whole nother chapter. Soooooooooo, we all have to wait for the next chapter to see what happens in Kenshin's dorm room (duh, like we don't know what's going to happen). Anyway... I didn't think a 20 page chapter was too cool, so I thought I'd end it before we got to involved. I'll try to get the next chapter out fast so nobody dies... *wink*
Arigatou... Tsuki-san
p.s. Don't kill me.... please. I have the next chapter already started in my computer.... *covers head to ward off flying projectiles...* I'm doing it... I swear, I'm doing it....
Please Review... *U*