"She struggled to get away, prevented from biting down by his grip on her jaw, which had slid between the joint as his other hand rested on the curve of her neck, his thumb placed just slightly behind her ear".
* * * *
Kaoru found herself suddenly being pulled back into someone's arms as Kenshin was thrown against the wall with a dull, but solid thud. Kaoru looked up behind her to see a pair of ice blue eyes, such a contrast with the fury and passion in the eyes of Kenshin. She sighed and leaned against Aoshi, shuddering, as she was relieved to see the silent warrior. She didn't even stop to wonder why he was there as she started sobbing against him.
"Battousai," Aoshi stated coldly, a hint of something else in his voice. "I never really believed he and Kenshin were so separate." Kaoru nodded into his chest, feeling a little self conscious about crying on him, as she didn't really know him to well. She backed away and his arm dropped, since it wasn't needed anymore, by Aoshi's reasoning.
"He said he'd never become… again… I don't understand" Kaoru said, afraid to speak aloud the name that always brought a nightmare with it.
"His mannerisms seem entirely different and he has a darkness about him that's deeper than was my own" Aoshi said in way off contemplation "I finally met the shadowed slayer, yet, while he's what I had expected of him, this situation is entirely puzzling…" he trailed off towards the end. Kaoru stared at him curiously, this being the most she'd ever heard him speak.
Aoshi continued his curious pondering to himself, it being rare indeed that he spoke so aloud. But it had indeed been an unexpected situation. From what he'd pieced together, Kenshin had lost control while danger threatened any of those he loved, and knowing himself to be stronger during the revolution when he'd put morals aside for the greater good, Aoshi assumed Kenshin had just done the same during battles as the battousai in the last few years.
But with this new situation, that theory threw itself apart. Kenshin had likely displaced a part of him from himself after, or before the death of his wife, in order to deal with a part of himself that he was afraid of, or something similar.
Kenshin had overcome it temporarily by gaining the ability to surpass his 'other' self in terms of fighting skill. After what he'd just seen, Aoshi wasn't entirely sure that was true either. The 'battousai' had a brutality to him that left no room for the compassion held by the rurouni, which was a definite weakness. An oversight by Kenshin was likely the fact that the manslayer would know all that he did, skills and otherwise.
Aoshi looked over at Kaoru. Something about this girl must have set him off. Either that or she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Aoshi somewhat doubted that.
Sanosuke arrived at the dojo later with Aneka in tow. Aneka paused outside as she caught view of the deepest crystal eyes she had ever seen. Leaning against the wall, just outside the dojo was a tall man with strait black hair that reached just over his ears, and while the pose was casual, something about that man scared her.
"Who is that" she asked Sanosuke bluntly. Sanosuke looked at her, and then over in the direction she was looking.
"Aoshi?" he questioned more to himself than in answer to her query. "I wonder what he's doing here." He mumbled. He didn't seem too happy about it, but there wasn't any definite animosity in his tone.
"As far as I can tell, he's standing there" Aneka answered almost absentmindedly, as she wondered how the hell this dojo seemed to be some sort of magnet for good looking guys.
"Then you obviously haven't met Saitoh yet." Sano said with a mix of humor and, oddly enough, a touch of bitterness."
"Did I say that outloud?" Aneka asked, her eyes wide with red creeping through her face. Sano just grinned at her in response. She'd definitely become less self-conscious in the time he'd spent with her, and she often teased him, but it was still fun when he could embarrass the girl.
Sano continued to the dojo, completely aware that everyone already knew they were there. That was part of the trouble with having friends that were such disciplined martial artists, there was no real such thing as showing up unannounced. He sighed as Aoshi walked up to meet him before he closed the distance to the dojo.
"An unexpected situation has arisen" Aoshi said strait out to Sano, although it was obvious that Aoshi thought it should have been an expected one. A lump arose in the space between Sano's stomach and throat. He dreaded what was to come. Had Kaoru already… was it to late for…
Aoshi turned around and led the two into the dojo, obviously ignoring Aneka. Inside was a sight that unsettled and confused Sanosuke. Kenshin was lying on the floor unconscious, hands and legs bound as Misao watched over him. Kaoru sat in a corner rubbing her jaw. Yahiko was sitting against a wall with his legs and arms crossed, a frown painted across his face.
Sano turned towards Aoshi looking for an explanation of the peculiar situation. Aoshi stared past him at the fallen red haired ronin.
"Kaoru had a one on one encounter with Kenshin's past." Aoshi said almost laconically, which was rather out of character. Sano glanced at him sideways, wondering how much the guy had changed since the last time they'd seen him.
Aneka realized the situation wasn't getting anywhere and walked over to Kaoru, kneeling down before her.
"What happened" she asked quietly. Kaoru looked up at her, and Aneka saw there were red fingerprints on either side of Kaoru's jaw. Aneka winced, knowing that pain, and knowing that Kaoru wasn't used to being abused, other that results of martial arts, which was semi-voluntary. Kaoru opened her mouth and nothing came out for a moment but a frightened sound, and then after clearing her voice she tried again, this time with a clear resonant voice filled with hate.
"Battousai…" she said, and the word seemed to echo throughout the room, because it brought silence from all the people within. Aoshi and Misao both wearing grim expressions, and Sano a startled one.
"Ken… shin did…" he started, objecting to the thought "but…" he paused, at a lack of words. "I never thought…" he plopped to the ground cross legged "Well damn"
"Ah we came to see how things were going with Enishi around." Misao stated. "We heard about him showing up months ago but couldn't get away to check on you guys till now. When Aoshi-sama walked into the dojo…" Misao glanced at Kaoru and stopped speaking. Not wanting to upset the older girl more. She looked curiously at Aneka, who was still sitting by Kaoru.
"Lets try to keep Enishi out of this" Sano said abruptly. Aoshi nodded.
"I doubt altogether that he doesn't have some ulterior motive in being here. It would be wise not to give him an opening to try something"
"That's unfair!" Kaoru said, speaking up suddenly. Everyone stared at her in surprise, except maybe Aoshi, who never looked surprised. "He's changed, he really has" she murdered quietly, feeling embarrassed about her outburst. Sanosuke and Aoshi exchanged meaningful looks.
"All right" Sano said "We wont keep him out of it purposely, but we won't make any effort to get him into it either" he finished smoothly, knowing that Kaoru might not believe him, but it would have to do.
Kaoru was obviously too drained by recent events to protest, and she nodded tiredly. Yahiko watched Kaoru carefully, surprised at her lack of emotion at Kenshin's change. Any other time Kenshin had been about to go all demonic and battousai, she'd protested horribly and whined about how she was going to loose him and he was going to leave. Maybe leaving was not a worry here, but still, Yahiko suspected it had something to do with the white-haired freak.
A groan came from Kenshin and everyone glanced over towards him as he sat up. Misao sighed in relief as her eyes were met by the ronin's wide purple ones. Kenshin tried to move his hands and then realized he couldn't.
"Oroo?" The whole atmosphere of the room seemed to relax. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Sano said hurriedly, before anyone else could reply "we were playing blindmans bluff and you ran headfirst into the wall and passed out" Aoshi raised an eyebrow at him. Misao stifled a laugh. Kenshin shrugged and shook his head. Aoshi looked at Kenshin coldly, not fooled at all, but still didn't say anything. Kenshin smiled apologetically, more at Aoshi for going along with his ruse than at the rest of the people for supposedly not being able to remember.
Misao untied Kenshin and he got up clumsily. He was thankful to Sano for trying not to tell him what really happened, but he already knew. He just wanted to figure things out himself before everyone else tried to figure it out for him. He knew they meant well, but this was one thing he definitely didn't want them involved in.
"Ah, I have a headache, I'm going to be in my room for now" he excused himself and walked off. No one tried to follow, all of them wanting to say something or other about the incident out of Kenshin hearing. A few minutes after Kenshin left the room, Aoshi left as well, following after Kenshin. Misao was the only one that noticed.
"I did something horrible, that I did" Kenshin said quietly as Aoshi entered the room. Aoshi nodded.
"What set you off" he asked
"Ah…" Kenshin said simply, and sat silent for minutes before responding. "The thought of loosing Kaoru and not being able to do anything about it." He answered. "I'm afraid every time I'm about to lose anything important I shut down and he takes over" Kenshin squinted his eyes closed. "I should have realized it sooner, but I've only had the problem since I met Kaoru-dono, and only twice." Kenshin grew silent. "Three times now." he added.
"I've already lost her haven't I" He whispered almost brokenly. Aoshi said nothing, which was answer enough.--------------------------------------
Don't worry guys, it's not over for Kenshin yet!!! he'll still be there to get between Kaoru and Enishi... damn his hide ^_~
Sorry about the lack of updates recently. I've been traveling a lot lately, and likely still will. Be patient with me, and while I can no longer promise regular updates, I promise I'll finish the stories I've got out!