Rain in the Heart of a Rogue
by: Kagayaki Ame
Chapter One: Her Troubled Heart and Mind
The immaculate beauty sat at the end of the low onyx table, a solemn look on her face. Her hair was twisted into an ornate and elaborate style held together by an array of pins and chopsticks. Her makeup was dramatic and expressive. She was wrapped possessively in the finest silks her master could buy.
She didn't seem to notice when the man entered the large room. He smiled at her, a look of self gratification spreading across his handsome visage. He stalked toward her as he did with her and knelt behind her. She didn't even blink. He drew in her scent, pleased at her delicate fragrance of lilac and sakura. He carefully and deliberately took her hair down until it hung loosely and fell into a pool of ebony on the floor. He swept it to the side and dipped forward to graze her downy neck with his lips.
"Mine..." he mused. Then he sank his teeth into her neck, hungrily drinking her blood...
Ame woke with a start. She was panting and covered in a cold sweat. She looked around frantically praying she wasn't back there again...
She sighed and began to calm when she found she was still safe in her new room at the Kamiya dojo. She looked outside. It was almost midnight. She shivered at the sight of the full moon. The dream had frightened her. It felt so real... She began to shake. Her greatest fear was to be ensnared in the clutches of Kurokami again and lately, that's all she could think about. This wasn't her first dream and somehow, she knew it wouldn't be her last.
In the month that she'd been at the Kamiya dojo she'd become part of the family there. She and Kaoru grew closer as friends every day and she had a good relationship with everyone else. Her school was prospering and the little girls that she instructed often had brothers that Kaoru could take under her tutelage. Everything was going very well.
And now, for about a week, she'd been having terrible dreams about the return of Kurokami. Even though she did well not to show it to anyone beside Kaoru, who was the only one who could truly understand, she was still frightened of him. He'd done quite a bit of damage to her soul and her healing period was far from over. Her new friends made it easier to forget but they couldn't be with her when she slept. And that's when he seemed to torment her most- in her dreams.
She rose, unable or perhaps too afraid to sleep and went outside on her patio. The night air felt good on her damp skin. She closed her eyes and let the breeze run its calm fingers though her long tresses.
Sanosuke couldn't sleep and he didn't know why. He wasn't usually the kind to suffer from insomnia but this night he just couldn't sleep any longer and he was pretty pissed about it. He got out of his futon and changed from his yukata to his white pants and gi. Maybe a walk would help him...
He strolled through the silent streets of Tokyo realizing it was nearly midnight. He almost made his way to a bar he knew his buddies would be at if they were awake but changed his mind. For some reason he just wasn't in the mood for revelry and drinking tonight. Besides, he thought, I have no money to lose by gambling tonight.
As he continued his walk he let his mind wander. 'Humph,' he mumbled. "Probably not something a lot of people think I can do. Who cares. I know I'm not an idiot..." He was still angry at the snide remark the fox had made that day. Something about him not having to worry about ever having too much on his mind. On top of that she'd proceeded to try to snuggle up to Kenshin afterward. It was great to see him pry her off, and tell her that she was being impolite to Kaoru. Sano smirked. The fox went positively red at the remark surely noting that Kenshin hadn't called Jou-chan 'Kaoru-dono'. She deserved it. She could be such a bitch sometimes. He used to think that's what made him like her...
That was, until Kowaku Ame showed up. He smiled a little. That girl was something else. She was so very beautiful, funny, smart- just as smart as Megumi if not smarter, nice (unlike the Kitsune. Humph.), and on top of it all, she could cook anything and it would taste so damn good. That first morning he'd seen her in the kitchen instead of Kenshin, something came over him. He thought it was hunger. But it happened every time he saw her. Damn. Megumi may have been a Kitsune but Ame, she was a Kodora. His kind of woman. There was something about her that made him want to... take care of her... He didn't know. Thinking about his feelings was something he did rarely. Ame intrigued him, he knew that. And she made the best beef stew...
He looked up surprised to see that he was directly in front of the Kamiya dojo. What in the world had brought him here? It's not even like anyone was up, so they certainly weren't cooking. He narrowed his eyes. Instincts told him that accidents didn't happen. There was a good reason that he was here. Even if it's just to check around the place and make sure everything is okay.
He slid the wooden door open to the main yard. It was silent. He stepped in and slid the doors closed again. He'd just take a little look around.
Ame heard the doors open and close again and her heart stopped. Who would have been here at this hour? She felt the hairs at her neck stand up. Surely it was Kurokami, returned to claim her as his again and whisk her to his evil mansion... She tried to calm down, convincing herself that she was telling her desshi-chans too many fables at story time. She debated on whether she should face the intruder alone or wake Kenshin. He was probably sleeping peacefully with his fiancé now so she didn't want to disturb him. Who knows what she would have walked in on anyway...
She picked up a dagger and snuck outside with it behind her back. She crept around the corner of the house planning a surprise attack...
Sanosuke heard a cry when he collided with a small figure.
"Ame?"
Ame looked up into the eyes of Kenshin's best friend and exhaled dramatically. "Dear Gods, Sanosuke. You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing lurking about here?"
Sanosuke smiled a little. "Sorry I scared you, Ame-neko. I suppose I could ask you the same thing?"
Ame flushed a little. "I couldn't sleep. I had a bad dream. Then I heard the doors..."
Sanosuke looked on the ground at the dagger and picked it up. He looked at her quizzically and handed it to her. "Was it that bad?"
Ame flushed deeper. The dream, her embarrassment at her exaggeration, the fact that she was in her nightclothes in the chilly night air, and her close proximity to Sanosuke culminated in her crimson countenance. "It was terrible," she whispered taking the dagger back. As much as she tried to focus on the dream she'd just had she kept recalling one pleasant dream she'd had recently. In it she was pressed hotly against Sanosuke wearing much less than she was at present, as was he, and they were...
"Are you okay?" Sano asked watching her shade of pink go red and then crimson and then even deeper.
She sighed and looked back at him, forcing her color to return to normal. "I'm fine. You still haven't answered my question."
Sano ran his hand through his wild hair and shrugged, a charming smile on his lips. "I couldn't sleep much either. So I went for a walk and ended up here. I didn't know you were planning to attack me," he teased.
Ame smiled prettily. "Perhaps you should refrain from sneaking around here at night. Are you hungry, Sano? That seems to be the only time you come around..." she teased back.
Sano pushed his hands into his pockets and pouted, mocking offense. "Geez, Ame, I'm not that bad."
She giggled and snaked an arm through his. "Well since neither of us can sleep, have a drink with me. I need one," she added, the memories of her dream still vivid in her mind.
Sano followed her to the kitchen and allowed himself to steal a few glances at her petite form. Damn, she was fine. Perfect little body, not too skinny. He dug short girls too. They were so cute.
"Is sake okay for you?" she asked.
Sano sat at the table and smiled his charming smile. "Do you even have to ask?"
Ame smiled and began warming the jug the sake was in. When it was ready she brought it to the table and set it down along with two little saucers for them to drink from. Sano watched her pour the sake expertly.
"If you don't mind me saying, it seems you learned quite a bit from Kurokami despite his treatment of you."
Ame looked into his eyes momentarily and smiled the briefest of smiles. "I guess I must give credit where credit is due. He made me the perfect wife for him... or someone much like him."
Sano lifted his saucer, "You harbor a lot of contempt for him."
Ame raised her saucer and gulped down her sake and began pouring more. "He deserves nothing more from me."
Sano raised an eyebrow watching her drink and pour yet again. "Hey, you might want to watch it, Ame-neko. No use in getting hung over..."
She smiled ruefully, slowing down on her drinks. "I can handle my alcohol. What do you think helped me through Kurkami's Finishing School for Young Women?" she laughed a little.
He laughed. "Well, you're obviously not one of those chicks who just wants to marry and push out babies. So what did you want to do with your life before Kurokami? Why did you choose to go?"
"It wasn't my choice. I was always the ambitious type and my parents, namely my mother, did not approve of that. She wanted me to be just like her. Subservient. Obedient. Poised, prim, proper and above all, pretty. My dad was just like most men and agreed with her. But I was hard-headed. I would get in trouble for saving money to buy books on philosophy. My mother said a woman didn't need knowledge of such things. When I was thirteen they got tired of battling with my obstinance and bought my place at Kurokami's. The day he came for me, I begged them not to let me go. But they said it was for my own good. That was the last time I saw them..."
Sano saw the hurt in her eyes and felt bad for bringing it up. "Hey, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you sad or anything..."
Ame looked at him and smiled a little. "No. It's nice to talk to someone about it."
"So, what did you want to do back then?"
"I wanted to be a great philosopher. Like Plato or Confucius or something... I guess it was kind of silly..." she smiled looking down.
"No way. I mean I think it's cool when people have high goals. Especially girls. Too many of them settle for less than they deserve. That's why I like Jou-chan and even the Fox- even though she's..."
"I think she likes you. A lot." Ame winked sipping her sake.
"Yeah yeah. That's why she treats me like a big dumb idiot. Just because I don't waste precious breath yapping about meaningless crap doesn't mean I'm an idiot."
"I know. There's a saying that goes, 'Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something.'"
Sano laughed a little. "That's funny. And it makes me feel better."
Ame shrugged a little. "It's the truth. I don't like talking about nothing. It's such a waste of time."
Sano smiled at her. She was definitely worth his time. This girl was awesome. "So, um, if you don't mind again, what was your dream about?"
Ame darkened a bit but tried to hold her smile. "Um..."
"You don't have to tell me..."
"It was about Kurokami," she blurted. She looked at him. "I, ah, have been having nightmares about him coming back to get me... stupid right?"
Sano looked at her until she looked back and held his gaze. "What did he do to you, Ame?"
Ame was a little startled at his interest and intensity. She found it amazing that he was so easy to talk to. But no matter how sincere he was, she never wanted to relive those days... not even through words. The memories flooded back, regardless and she got a bit teary. "Could we talk about something else, please?"
Sano searched her eyes for long moments before nodding. He wasn't letting this go, but tonight wasn't the night. "Sure."
Ame wiped her eyes on the backs of her hands and forced a smile. "Thanks."
"Listen, how about we talk about me? That'll be easy right? I'm all for it," he joked.
Ame giggled. "Sounds good."
The two talked for the rest of the night. They didn't even notice when the sun began to rise.
by: Kagayaki Ame
Chapter One: Her Troubled Heart and Mind
The immaculate beauty sat at the end of the low onyx table, a solemn look on her face. Her hair was twisted into an ornate and elaborate style held together by an array of pins and chopsticks. Her makeup was dramatic and expressive. She was wrapped possessively in the finest silks her master could buy.
She didn't seem to notice when the man entered the large room. He smiled at her, a look of self gratification spreading across his handsome visage. He stalked toward her as he did with her and knelt behind her. She didn't even blink. He drew in her scent, pleased at her delicate fragrance of lilac and sakura. He carefully and deliberately took her hair down until it hung loosely and fell into a pool of ebony on the floor. He swept it to the side and dipped forward to graze her downy neck with his lips.
"Mine..." he mused. Then he sank his teeth into her neck, hungrily drinking her blood...
Ame woke with a start. She was panting and covered in a cold sweat. She looked around frantically praying she wasn't back there again...
She sighed and began to calm when she found she was still safe in her new room at the Kamiya dojo. She looked outside. It was almost midnight. She shivered at the sight of the full moon. The dream had frightened her. It felt so real... She began to shake. Her greatest fear was to be ensnared in the clutches of Kurokami again and lately, that's all she could think about. This wasn't her first dream and somehow, she knew it wouldn't be her last.
In the month that she'd been at the Kamiya dojo she'd become part of the family there. She and Kaoru grew closer as friends every day and she had a good relationship with everyone else. Her school was prospering and the little girls that she instructed often had brothers that Kaoru could take under her tutelage. Everything was going very well.
And now, for about a week, she'd been having terrible dreams about the return of Kurokami. Even though she did well not to show it to anyone beside Kaoru, who was the only one who could truly understand, she was still frightened of him. He'd done quite a bit of damage to her soul and her healing period was far from over. Her new friends made it easier to forget but they couldn't be with her when she slept. And that's when he seemed to torment her most- in her dreams.
She rose, unable or perhaps too afraid to sleep and went outside on her patio. The night air felt good on her damp skin. She closed her eyes and let the breeze run its calm fingers though her long tresses.
Sanosuke couldn't sleep and he didn't know why. He wasn't usually the kind to suffer from insomnia but this night he just couldn't sleep any longer and he was pretty pissed about it. He got out of his futon and changed from his yukata to his white pants and gi. Maybe a walk would help him...
He strolled through the silent streets of Tokyo realizing it was nearly midnight. He almost made his way to a bar he knew his buddies would be at if they were awake but changed his mind. For some reason he just wasn't in the mood for revelry and drinking tonight. Besides, he thought, I have no money to lose by gambling tonight.
As he continued his walk he let his mind wander. 'Humph,' he mumbled. "Probably not something a lot of people think I can do. Who cares. I know I'm not an idiot..." He was still angry at the snide remark the fox had made that day. Something about him not having to worry about ever having too much on his mind. On top of that she'd proceeded to try to snuggle up to Kenshin afterward. It was great to see him pry her off, and tell her that she was being impolite to Kaoru. Sano smirked. The fox went positively red at the remark surely noting that Kenshin hadn't called Jou-chan 'Kaoru-dono'. She deserved it. She could be such a bitch sometimes. He used to think that's what made him like her...
That was, until Kowaku Ame showed up. He smiled a little. That girl was something else. She was so very beautiful, funny, smart- just as smart as Megumi if not smarter, nice (unlike the Kitsune. Humph.), and on top of it all, she could cook anything and it would taste so damn good. That first morning he'd seen her in the kitchen instead of Kenshin, something came over him. He thought it was hunger. But it happened every time he saw her. Damn. Megumi may have been a Kitsune but Ame, she was a Kodora. His kind of woman. There was something about her that made him want to... take care of her... He didn't know. Thinking about his feelings was something he did rarely. Ame intrigued him, he knew that. And she made the best beef stew...
He looked up surprised to see that he was directly in front of the Kamiya dojo. What in the world had brought him here? It's not even like anyone was up, so they certainly weren't cooking. He narrowed his eyes. Instincts told him that accidents didn't happen. There was a good reason that he was here. Even if it's just to check around the place and make sure everything is okay.
He slid the wooden door open to the main yard. It was silent. He stepped in and slid the doors closed again. He'd just take a little look around.
Ame heard the doors open and close again and her heart stopped. Who would have been here at this hour? She felt the hairs at her neck stand up. Surely it was Kurokami, returned to claim her as his again and whisk her to his evil mansion... She tried to calm down, convincing herself that she was telling her desshi-chans too many fables at story time. She debated on whether she should face the intruder alone or wake Kenshin. He was probably sleeping peacefully with his fiancé now so she didn't want to disturb him. Who knows what she would have walked in on anyway...
She picked up a dagger and snuck outside with it behind her back. She crept around the corner of the house planning a surprise attack...
Sanosuke heard a cry when he collided with a small figure.
"Ame?"
Ame looked up into the eyes of Kenshin's best friend and exhaled dramatically. "Dear Gods, Sanosuke. You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing lurking about here?"
Sanosuke smiled a little. "Sorry I scared you, Ame-neko. I suppose I could ask you the same thing?"
Ame flushed a little. "I couldn't sleep. I had a bad dream. Then I heard the doors..."
Sanosuke looked on the ground at the dagger and picked it up. He looked at her quizzically and handed it to her. "Was it that bad?"
Ame flushed deeper. The dream, her embarrassment at her exaggeration, the fact that she was in her nightclothes in the chilly night air, and her close proximity to Sanosuke culminated in her crimson countenance. "It was terrible," she whispered taking the dagger back. As much as she tried to focus on the dream she'd just had she kept recalling one pleasant dream she'd had recently. In it she was pressed hotly against Sanosuke wearing much less than she was at present, as was he, and they were...
"Are you okay?" Sano asked watching her shade of pink go red and then crimson and then even deeper.
She sighed and looked back at him, forcing her color to return to normal. "I'm fine. You still haven't answered my question."
Sano ran his hand through his wild hair and shrugged, a charming smile on his lips. "I couldn't sleep much either. So I went for a walk and ended up here. I didn't know you were planning to attack me," he teased.
Ame smiled prettily. "Perhaps you should refrain from sneaking around here at night. Are you hungry, Sano? That seems to be the only time you come around..." she teased back.
Sano pushed his hands into his pockets and pouted, mocking offense. "Geez, Ame, I'm not that bad."
She giggled and snaked an arm through his. "Well since neither of us can sleep, have a drink with me. I need one," she added, the memories of her dream still vivid in her mind.
Sano followed her to the kitchen and allowed himself to steal a few glances at her petite form. Damn, she was fine. Perfect little body, not too skinny. He dug short girls too. They were so cute.
"Is sake okay for you?" she asked.
Sano sat at the table and smiled his charming smile. "Do you even have to ask?"
Ame smiled and began warming the jug the sake was in. When it was ready she brought it to the table and set it down along with two little saucers for them to drink from. Sano watched her pour the sake expertly.
"If you don't mind me saying, it seems you learned quite a bit from Kurokami despite his treatment of you."
Ame looked into his eyes momentarily and smiled the briefest of smiles. "I guess I must give credit where credit is due. He made me the perfect wife for him... or someone much like him."
Sano lifted his saucer, "You harbor a lot of contempt for him."
Ame raised her saucer and gulped down her sake and began pouring more. "He deserves nothing more from me."
Sano raised an eyebrow watching her drink and pour yet again. "Hey, you might want to watch it, Ame-neko. No use in getting hung over..."
She smiled ruefully, slowing down on her drinks. "I can handle my alcohol. What do you think helped me through Kurkami's Finishing School for Young Women?" she laughed a little.
He laughed. "Well, you're obviously not one of those chicks who just wants to marry and push out babies. So what did you want to do with your life before Kurokami? Why did you choose to go?"
"It wasn't my choice. I was always the ambitious type and my parents, namely my mother, did not approve of that. She wanted me to be just like her. Subservient. Obedient. Poised, prim, proper and above all, pretty. My dad was just like most men and agreed with her. But I was hard-headed. I would get in trouble for saving money to buy books on philosophy. My mother said a woman didn't need knowledge of such things. When I was thirteen they got tired of battling with my obstinance and bought my place at Kurokami's. The day he came for me, I begged them not to let me go. But they said it was for my own good. That was the last time I saw them..."
Sano saw the hurt in her eyes and felt bad for bringing it up. "Hey, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you sad or anything..."
Ame looked at him and smiled a little. "No. It's nice to talk to someone about it."
"So, what did you want to do back then?"
"I wanted to be a great philosopher. Like Plato or Confucius or something... I guess it was kind of silly..." she smiled looking down.
"No way. I mean I think it's cool when people have high goals. Especially girls. Too many of them settle for less than they deserve. That's why I like Jou-chan and even the Fox- even though she's..."
"I think she likes you. A lot." Ame winked sipping her sake.
"Yeah yeah. That's why she treats me like a big dumb idiot. Just because I don't waste precious breath yapping about meaningless crap doesn't mean I'm an idiot."
"I know. There's a saying that goes, 'Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something.'"
Sano laughed a little. "That's funny. And it makes me feel better."
Ame shrugged a little. "It's the truth. I don't like talking about nothing. It's such a waste of time."
Sano smiled at her. She was definitely worth his time. This girl was awesome. "So, um, if you don't mind again, what was your dream about?"
Ame darkened a bit but tried to hold her smile. "Um..."
"You don't have to tell me..."
"It was about Kurokami," she blurted. She looked at him. "I, ah, have been having nightmares about him coming back to get me... stupid right?"
Sano looked at her until she looked back and held his gaze. "What did he do to you, Ame?"
Ame was a little startled at his interest and intensity. She found it amazing that he was so easy to talk to. But no matter how sincere he was, she never wanted to relive those days... not even through words. The memories flooded back, regardless and she got a bit teary. "Could we talk about something else, please?"
Sano searched her eyes for long moments before nodding. He wasn't letting this go, but tonight wasn't the night. "Sure."
Ame wiped her eyes on the backs of her hands and forced a smile. "Thanks."
"Listen, how about we talk about me? That'll be easy right? I'm all for it," he joked.
Ame giggled. "Sounds good."
The two talked for the rest of the night. They didn't even notice when the sun began to rise.