I Can't Use What I Can't Abuse
Disclaimer: Oh yay…part 3. Basically what I've said before… blah…blah…blah…
Oh yeah! A new development! I've finally seen the last remaining SMR eps. Whoohoo! And all I can really say is 'boy did I ever get Saffir wrong'. Or maybe I didn't. DIC could have screwed him up! Hee hee! Yes…that's it. Not my fault! Nuh-uh! Nope! Nuthin!
…why the hell did they portray him as having a crush on Emerald? That wasn't nice. Poor Saffir. Anyways, if you have any suggestions or questions or insanity's write to Lucca@I-o.net.au
Part 3
Looking back on the last few hours, he really couldn't say why he had done it. Brash, uncaring, sadistic…there was a long list of negative words that he could use to describe himself, though only rarely was he unable to come up with anything adequate. He was Rubeus of the Black Moon family, and right now, he was clueless. Just a few hours ago he had reached for an extended hand. A hand willing to help HIM. A stranger…
He was tired, but he couldn't sleep. He was sprawled on top of the bed, arms hanging down either side, stripped to his black briefs. He was thinking. The trouble was, once he started, he couldn't stop. Tomoe Hotaru… he thought. What was it about her and those other two… people he had met before? They were familiar somehow…but he couldn't quite place from where.
Surprisingly, Hotaru's father: Tomoe Souichi, hadn't even blinked when she lead him through the door and announced that her friend Rubeus was going to stay the night if that was ok.
They'd shaken hands. Souichi had smiled and welcomed him into his home. And then he saw 'her'.
At first he thought it was Eudial, with her long red hair. But it was all too quickly apparent that it was someone else. Her eyes were a deep purple, and her face was one of cold beauty. This woman radiated glacier cool.
She stepped confidently to where the four of them were standing, and looked at him assessingly.
There had not been many times in his life when he had been impressed by something. Let alone someone, but she had made him look more then once.
She stood now, slightly behind Souichi, hand on hip stuck out seductively. She was wearing a short red dress, which was extremely low cut at the front, red high heels to match her dress, and a pair of gold tear drop earrings. Her hair (although hung loosely) had a plait that circled the top of her head. She wasn't wearing too much make up, and her perfume wasn't overbearing (unlike those four drooling idiots he'd had to put up with).
"Kaori" Souichi nodded to her in acknowledgement.
"Professor" she purred.
It had been obvious that she liked the man in a 'big' way.
"Kaori, this is Rubeus" Souichi said to her. To Rubeus he said "And this is my house keeper and assistant Kaorinite."
She stuck out a hand. He took it and kissed it.
"Rubeus will be staying with us tonight. And maybe a few days more if he wishes" Souichi told her.
Kaori raised her beautifully shaped eyebrows but said nothing.
"Papa, I'm going to show Rubeus to his room" Hotaru cut in.
Her father nodded. She took Rubeus by the hand and led him towards the stairs.
* * *
Later, at dinner, they had sat in the dining room and sat around a nicely polished round table. Rubeus wasn't used to family dinners. He had sat around a table with his family and fellow soldiers only at balls and feasts, and other events like that. The Black Moon Family had never been too sociable. (Unless it fell under royal protocol, or someone needed a major dose of flattery).
Everyone except Hotaru had drunk red wine. He had been reminded of Prince Demando. The prince usually had a glass of red wine in hand. Though what was different, was that this stuff had been a deeper, darker crimson; like blood. And it wasn't sweet like Demando's. It was dry. He knew this because once, on one of their 'better' days, Esmeraude had dared him to break into the Prince's stash. And shit did he have a lot. 'Wine can only mature with age' he had remembered being told. Anyway, shit happened and he'd been found out. The bloody bitch had prattled. It wasn't anything major. He had just been relieved of his duties for a few weeks. But payback had been sweet. He hadn't done anything that would get him into more trouble. Just little things that no one would suspect him of like putting super lasting hair dye in her shampoo that matched her stupid fan. She should have been thankful really. At least for about 6 weeks she had something that went with the stupid thing.
During the meal, he kept looking at Kaori. She had glanced at him a few times from under her lashes, but mostly kept looking sideways at Hotaru's father.
It was about here that the unavoidable happened: General conversation.
It was Hotaru's father who started it with "So, where do you come from Rubeus?"
He had had to take a few seconds to think this over. "Okazaki City"
"That's only a few hours away from here. I thought you said you lived very far away," Hotaru said, looking slightly puzzled.
He blinked "It is if you walk".
That killed the conversation, for which he was proud of. Until…
"I never did catch your last name" Kaori said, a hint of humour in her tone. Though why, he had had no idea.
"Black moon" he replied.
"Black moon?" she raised an eyebrow. I've heard that name before. Let me see…" it was obvious that she was playing a game. He looked sideways at Hotaru and saw that she was glaring at the woman. "Oh, I know where I've heard it now!" she exclaimed in mock remembrance. "You must be from the Black Moon Company that owns that makeup store" she finished; smiling in cold triumph and thinking that she'd put him on the spot.
"No" had been a very definite answer.
She had looked blank for a few seconds and then retorted with "Well, there have been a few other stores with the same sort of name in the past. There was another make up store, an ice cream parlor, dark fruit store (which I believe disappeared never to be seen again)…should I continue?"
He had grimaced as he recalled all the four sisters botched attempts at taking over crystal points. How did this woman know it had any connection to him?
"None of those either" he returned, staring into her eyes, daring her to open her mouth again.
Souichi interrupted the silence with "What about you family?"
"I have a lot of cousins" he answered truthfully.
"Do you see them much?" Hotaru asked.
"Too much" he replied.
They finished eating shortly afterwards.
* * *
"I have to go to school tomorrow" Hotaru had told him on their way upstairs. "Do you have any plans?"
Quite a lot. "None whatsoever" he had replied smoothly.
"Oh…well, you and Kaori could probably do something together." She said this softly.
His head whipped around sharply, "What?"
"Nothing" she hung her head and stared at the floor. They were outside his room. "Goodnight!" she said smiling, and turned around and walked down the hall.
He had watched her go until she disappeared. I've met her before, I know it!
** ** **
Why do men have to fall all over Kaori? She thought angrily. She's an evil bitch, doesn't care about anything except herself…she sighed and maybe Papa…
With Rubeus I sense a…a…great coldness, but also anger, and loss… She rolled over.
He's smitten with Kaori. She's just going to hurt him. I know she knows. She's been watching him almost as much as he's been watching her! She rolled onto her other side.
She better leave him alone tomorrow while I'm not here or else! She rolled onto her back and glared at the ceiling until she finally felt sleep.
** ** **
"Oh, this could be very bad" he smirked.
"Yes it is, and your sure as hell not going to get away with this!" she yelled in a high pitched squeal.
"Oh really! And why not?" he laughed mockingly.
"Because people will miss me!" she squealed again and took a small, unsure step backward.
"Esmeraude, you really are clueless. Nobody will miss you, because you mean SHIT to anyone. You waft around, waving that damn ridiculous fan of yours, laughing your glass shattering cackle, and wiggling your tightly clad arse in Demando's face! And any other man that's around for that matter. I've been waiting for this for a very long time…"
He was face to face with her now. Her pupils had expanded and were very large. Her breathing was coming in quick, sharp gasps. Fine beads of perspiration were on her brow. He stared cruelly into her eyes and smiled, showing his even, white teeth. Her fan clattered to the floor.
His hands reached up, circling her slender white neck, and squeezed. Harder, and harder, and harder. Her face went red, the eyes bulging in their sockets.
This wasn't enough for him. He pushed her head against the wall. Again and again, with each thud getting louder, and quicker.
Thud…
Thud…
Thud…
THUD…
"Wha??" he sat up in bed.
"Well, it's about bloody time!" Kaori snapped as she stormed into the room carrying a covered tray.
He glared at her. "What are you doing?" he asked coldly.
She stopped stock still for a few seconds with a look of shock on her face before regaining her composure. "Bringing you breakfast you imbecile!" she snapped.
He just looked at her.
"Professor's orders" she shrugged.
"Riiight…" he smirked.
She set the tray down on the bedside table and straightened. Looking around the room she said "You know, your clothes are going to get wrinkled if you leave them like that."
He looked at the floor. His pants and top were exactly where he'd left them: in a heap on the floor at the end of the bed. Hell, that's where he always left them, and they always looked just fine when he eventually put them on!
He noticed she was eyeing the heap and when she started to walk toward them he grabbed her wrist. "Don't even think about it" he ground out.
"Let go of me!" she cried and struggled to get out of his grip. He wasn't having any of that and tugged, hard. She fell on top of him with a shriek.
She was struggling to get up but he snaked his arm around her waist and held her fast.
"What do you think you're doing?" she cried in outrage.
"Saving my clothes and having a bit of fun while I'm at it" he said conversationally.
She continued struggling and her short skirt rode up exposing the rest of her thighs. (Not that there was too much more to expose). The top of her dress was also threatening to do the same thing; she was straining so hard.
"If you don't let me go this minute…" she began, her voice an octave higher than usual.
He let her go. She ceased moving and looked at him. He was looking at her with disgust, though he seemed to be looking right through her.
"You let me… go?" she said out loud, wonderingly, though it came out as a question, and she still didn't get off his folded legs. She brushed some disarrayed hair off her face that had come loose and waited for him to do something. Now that she thought about it, she didn't mind sitting on him, leaning against his nice warm, hard chest.
"Perhaps you'd better get off me," he said.
Her jaw dropped. "Now just a damn minute!" She began, but she was interrupted with a mouthful of doona cover as he slid out of bed beneath her and moved to get dressed.
"What are you playing at?" she yelled at him as he slid his green pants on up his legs. He zipped up and fastened the button before looking her up and down a few times in a perfectly leering manner. "Nope, it's definitely not you personally," he drawled "your dress just reminded me of something."
"What's wrong with my dress?" she demanded.
By now he'd shrugged into the brown leather top and zipped it up at the front.
"Well, I see nothing wrong from where I'm standing…" he leered at her. She went red.
"It made me think of that shit for brains ditz for a cousin I have…" he said under his breath.
"What?" she asked.
"Never you mind" he answered while sitting back down on the bed and putting on his boots.
She pursed her lips. How DARE this man insult her after what he had just done! She blushed again at the thought. Not that she'd liked it or anything…
He noticed the untouched breakfast tray and said idly "What's for breakfast?" Stretched, and scratched his stomach.
Kaori rolled her eyes "Well why don't you find out you lazy pig?" she said sweetly.
"I would but it's not the man's job to put the food where it's wanted" he matched her tone and glared.
She looked at the tray, thinking about complying and dumping it on his head at the last minute. She didn't fancy her chances of getting away before he did something worse to her though.
She glared at him and turned to leave the room. "I would, but serving a jerk like you is against all my principals." Then as an afterthought she added "I've got work to do," and left the door open on her way out.
Rubeus smiled and got off the bed to go to the tray. Lifting the lid he laughed to see a plate of bacon and eggs on toast, and a coffee decanter.
It has been a looooong time since he had had such a meal for breakfast.
It took him two minutes to finish it.
* * *
Halfway down the stairs, he met Souichi on his way up.
"Rubeus!" the Professor grinned. "I was just on my way to see you."
"Really!" Rubeus said humorously, racking his brains for a reason the Prof. would want to see him for. He looked him in the eyes and noticed for the first time the weird design on one the lenses. How could he have missed it before? He thought to himself.
"What do you have planned today?" Souichi asked him.
"I was planning on walking around Tokyo today actually," he said, still staring at the lens of Professor Tomoe's glasses.
"Ah, well, I don't suppose you'll care to honour me with a visit to the lab then?" he asked.
"Well, that doesn't sound…" Rubeus began.
"Excellent!" Souichi said and whirled on his heel and started back down the stairs. "Follow me."
He did. After all, he was a guest, and it was common courtesy to do so. They reached the front doors and went outside to what he presumed was the Professor's car.
Professor Tomoe opened the front passenger door and beckoned for Rubeus to get inside. Rubeus looked at the car, then at the Professor and back again. "You want me to get in THAT?" he asked dryly.
The Professor didn't seem to take offense and said plainly, "Yes."
He complied.
Souichi got in beside him and started the car. Then they started down the long spacious driveway and out onto the road. Rubeus could count how many times he had been in a car in his entire life on one hand. This version was an ancient Terran model, and Souichi handled it quite well.
"Are you of a scientific mind?" he asked conversationally.
Rubeus hated admitting he didn't know something, so he simply said, "I'm more of a strategist."
"Ah!" Souichi cried. "You play a bit of chess then!"
Rubeus groaned inwardly. He hated the game. "No… I meant strategist of a different kind," he said. The car had pulled to a stop.
"Oh?" Souichi raised an eyebrow. "Care to enlighten me?" he asked as he got out of the car.
Rubeus also got out of the car, but instead of answering, he was interrupted by a familiar high-pitched voice yelling "Professor! Hey Professor!"
He turned around. The sight of the big building he had vacated only last night filled his line of vision. …As did the little blonde running toward Souichi.
The Professor however, had all his attention riveted on Rubeus, waiting for his answer.
The blonde reached the Professor and tapped him impatiently on the shoulder, opened her mouth to speak, saw Rubeus, got hearts in her eyes and chirped happily "Hey! Your back!"
"Fuck!" he groaned, and hit his forehead on the top of the car with a dull thud.