Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the
manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment,
respectively. FF is non-profit, meant for entertainment only.
WARNING, Chapter is NC-17. This chapter contains slight citrus
scenes. The real lemon isn't here it's on my homepage. Either way
you've been warned.
Chapter Nine
*************
The battoussai flew through the house. He threw the door open so forcefully that
nearly ripped the door off. There were men in the yard he could see. There were
about sixteen of them.
They had interrupted him.
He had been so close so GOD DAMN CLOSE.
His right hand gripped his katana; he leapt of the first step of the porch and
flipped in the air, slashing the first three with the Ryu-Tsui-Sen as he came
down. Some of them hesitated but the rest continued to charge on. The battoussai
landed gracefully on the ground and waited for the others to come closer. They
were defenseless against his battou jutsu. He used the Sou-Ryu-Sen to get the
rest of them. He put the sword back in its sheath.
There was only one left now. The battoussai backhanded the man across the face, causing the man to fall back on his knees.
"Who sent you?"
The battoussai picked the man up by his Gi. The man was afraid. He wanted to say something but the words were caught in his throat. The battoussai saw this as impudence, so he slashed the man across the chest. He had drawn blood but didn't kill him. It was a warning. The man finally spat it out. "Tamono, he wanted to come after you."
The battoussai knew that name all to well. He knew coming here to Yokohama would
alert someone. The Battoussai hit the man on the side of the head and the man
fell with a thud. His eyes swept the grounds; there wasn't anyone out there. At
least not now. He looked at the mess in front of him with out remorse. He
stepped back inside
*************
He found her sitting in the middle of their futon. She had covered herself with
a blanket. "Koishii, I need for you to get dressed. Dress in dark colors,
something you can move in if necessary. We need to leave quickly." He
helped her off the futon and ushered her to where their clothing was. He took
his silk Gi off and put on his usual one. She was shivering, she was scarred.
"We will go to a friend's house." He left her to get her clothes on
and waited just outside the door. They had started their 'activities' almost
after lunch so it was still pretty early. As she walked out he gabbed her hand.
"Koishii," her face held tearstains. I promise to tell you everything
later. Once I think it's safe. We are leaving as a precaution." He kissed
her tenderly. He could taste the salt of her tears. He grabbed her hand and led
her out the back, where there were no bodies to frighten her.
*************
The knocking was loud. It had startled her from her reading. She ran to the door
to see who it was. "Himura-san, Kaoru-san what are you doing here?"
The feminine voice was very surprised to see them.
"Toki-dono. We need to come in." The battoussai's eyes had lost the amber shade but they still retained a warning for all to stay away.
"Gomen Nasai. Please come
in." Toki moved away from the door and allowed the two to come in. She led
them into the room she had been reading and offered them tea. The battoussai
accepted the tea, knowing Kaoru needed something to calm her nerves.
She served them tea and waited.
"Kaoru and I were attacked today in the place we were staying at."
Toki gasped, poor Kaoru. No wonder she looked so distraught.
"I took care of the men who attacked us tonight but I don't know how many
more there are. I need for you to allow Kaoru to stay here tonight."
"Kenshin, NO." Kaoru started to protest but he held her close.
"Koishii no one knows we're friends with Toki, you'll be safe here. I need
to take care of this tonight." His eyes held so much love and conviction.
"It's no problem Kaoru-san; you may stay here for as long as needed. It'll
be nice to have some company." Toki smiled at Kaoru. "I'll go get your
room ready." Toki excused herself.
"Kenshin, no. I don't want you to leave. What if something happens to you?
It's our wedding night, don't." She was cut off.
He kissed her hard. He
made it long and sensual. "Koishii you don't need to remind me." He
smiled at her. "I was going to show you my reasons today remember."
She nodded.
"You understand I need to do this to keep us safe right?" He caressed
her face, "I wouldn't want to leave you for a minute and then come back to
find someone had taken you." The amber flecks started to come back. He had
one to many memories of this happening already.
She could see it would more than hurt him. If this is what he felt he needed to
do then she would let him. "All right Kenshin."
"Just promise me
you'll come back as soon as you can." This time she kissed him, her kiss held
promises of love and much more.
It was hard for him to break away from that. "I will always come back
koishii. I swear to you, I will." He touched her bangs, the side of her
face and the curve of her lips. He pecked her one last time and left.
Kaoru watched him leave.
Toki cleared her throat. "Kaoru-san I think you have much to tell me."
Kaoru turned beat red. "Toki-san how long have you been standing
there?"
"Long enough now come tell me." Toki grabbed Kaoru by the hand and led
her to the room she had prepared.
*************
The battoussai headed back to the Inn, to see if their things had been gone
through. When he got there though he noticed everything was were it should be.
He was headed back out when the man at the desk stopped him.
"Himura-dono, there is a message for you." The grandfather looking man
gave him the note.
The battoussai took the note and read it by the fire near the entrance to the
Inn.
Himura,
I hope this note finds you well. I just got news that Tamono has
escaped. It is my belief that he will come after you. You'd be doing us a favor
by capturing him. If you require any assistance please contact me.
- Yamagata
The battoussai looked at the note one last time before he threw it in the fire.
He'd go see Yamagata now.
*************
"Himura?"
"He sent some men after me today. I was with my wife when they attacked
me." Himura's expression was unreadable.
Yamagata had known him long enough to know he was angry now. But wait what did
he say. "You've got her with you? Why didn't you bring her here?"
"She's some place safe. I need for you to send some men to clean up. It
needs to be done quietly. No one was to know I was in Yokohama." Himura's
voice was frosty.
"Of course. I'll gather up some men." Yamagata had been sleeping. But
this woke him up. There were bodies. Hmm, I wonder when they got married, he
thought.
One wagon and several men following on horses accompanied the battoussai back to
the house. They cleaned everything up while the battoussai looked around.
Dawn was approaching and he was better able to see. He saw lots of footprints;
he followed them back to a small clearing. Out of all of them only one set had
retreated. He followed the set. It looked like the person had run through here.
He could tell by the indentations on the ground and all the broken branches he
had left in the wake of his escape. They led back to the city. Where would he go
if he were Tamono. The battoussai took a moment to analyze the situation. He
would either leave the city immediately or hide in the bad part of town. It was
a toss up. Kenshin set out for the bad part of town. The first place he looked
was in the brothels, nothing. Looked in the bars, nothing. He really was
starting to get pissed. He emerged out of the and part of town in a fowl mood.
He looked up at the sun, mid-day. It would soon be lunchtime.
He looked down again to see Yamagata coming out of the police station. He ran
over. "Have you had word?"
"Aa, Himura. Will you believe he turned himself in?" Yamagata had been
putting his glove on and didn't notice Himura leave. "Himura?"
The battoussai walked into that police station. He was really pissed. He had
spent all night looking for this Bastard. His only incentive had been that he
was going to kick his ass before he killed him. He'd interrupted him at a very
important time. Not only that he'd scared Kaoru. It was his fault she had
started to cry.
"Oi! You can't come in here" some cop the battoussai
noted before he hit him and sent him flying back. The other policemen watched as
he approached Tamono's cell.
Tamono had woken up when the cop had yelled. His face first showed surprise then
fear. He was supposed to be safe once he was in custody.
"Himura!"
Yamagata saw him opening the door to the cell. "Grab him!" He yelled
at the police.
The policemen turned to him all showing the same stupefied expression. Tamono
had come in here earlier rambling about how he'd made a mistake. He'd kept
rambling even as they threw him in the cell, all they had understood was. Hitokiri Battoussai.
Pissed. And going to kill me. They had thought he was
rambling. They watched as the battoussai beat the man.
Yamagata ran by them.
"Himura! Stop, he didn't hurt anyone this time." Yamagata was trying
to restrain him with his body weight.
He pulled on him hard and both went tumbling back. The battoussai had been able
to cut the fingers of the left hand, though. He had meant to take the whole arm
off. "Kuso"
"I know you're angry but I give you my word Himura, Tamono will never
bother you again." Yamagata was blocking the cell.
The battoussai looked at him for a long moment. "If he ever comes near me
again, I won't be held responsible." The battoussai left the station. He
had worked out his frustration. He would have liked to have killed him but it
seemed it wasn't possible at the moment. If he were lucky though, Tamono would
break out of jail again sometime in the near future.
Yamagata sighed, "Some one get that hand bandaged up."
The battoussai made his way back to the house to gather their things up. He
doubted she'd want to come back to this place. He looked at the futon in the
middle of the room. His blood began to blaze again. It was just as they'd left
it. He picked up the blanket she had used to cover herself up in. He smelled it.
She must have used the blanket to clean herself with because it smelled of her,
her jasmine sent with a mixture of her arousal.
He closed his eyes and his fingers clenched the blanket. He'd been so close;
he'd tasted her. After the scare he had, he felt he had needed to stay close to
her. Being by her bedside as she had slept, the watching. It hadn't been enough.
He had needed to hold her. But that hadn't been enough. He then had felt he
needed to touch her, to taste her. But now that he had, he knew it wasn't enough
either. He'd only be satisfied when he could finally posses her.
*************
Kaoru had been bundle of nerves all morning long. Now that she was playing with
the children Takani-san taught, she was feeling a little better. Not much but
they served as a distraction. She loved children.
At the moment she was carrying a little girl with deep black hair and eyes
similar to her own, to the washing basin. She'd been playing with a little boy
and another girl had run by and pushed her into the mud. This had resulted in
the little girl wailing. So Kaoru had run to her and picked her up so she could
clean her.
"Now, now don't cry anymore" she said to the little girl. Kaoru took
the time to undo the little girls' hair and get the mud out. She finished
cleaning her up and braided the little girls hair again, "See good as
new."
The little girl felt her braids and hugged her. "Thanks lady." The shy
girl ran off to play with the same little boy who'd been waiting for her to come
back to him.
"I'm ready to make my own, now." The deep voice had startled her.
"Kenshin!" She ran to him and hugged him tightly.
She obviously hadn't heard what he'd said. "Koishii are you ready to
go?"
"Hai, I just need to thank Toki-san and then we can go." Kaoru ran off
to tell her friend of her husband's return and to thank her.
She came back a bit flushed. "We can go now." She said latching on to
his arm. Kenshin surveyed the entire yard making sure there weren't any other
men around. Why was she blushing?
"What did Toki-san say?" He looked at her expectantly.
Kaoru turned a shade darker than before. "She just said that it wasn't a
problem me staying here. She liked the company."
She had stopped but he felt there was more to the story.
"She said." She just couldn't bring herself to say it. After last
night Toki and her hand become really good friends. Toki had even teased her
this morning. But now Kenshin was present. "She said, she hoped I enjoy
being your wife that's all."
"Is that how she said it." He asked turning to look at her.
Silence.
"Yes." She wouldn't look at him.
They were walking down the street when she felt herself pushed into an alley and
pressed against a side of a building. He parted her legs with his knee and
pressed further into her. He nuzzled her and sucked on her earlobe. He sought
her mouth and kissed her.
He pulled back. "You're a liar Koishii."
Her eyes showed surprised and her mouth turned into a pout. She looked away.
He kept staring but she refused to look at him. He was not always going to get
his way.
"Kenshin I haven't eaten since you left. I was too worried about you. Do
you think we could grab some lunch?" She turned but didn't meet his gaze.
She kept her eyes on his chest.
He felt bad. He'd completely forgotten about eating. "Of course koishii
lets go." He pulled back and grabbed her hand. They walked to a small
restaurant hand in hand.
They ate while Kaoru talked.
".......And then the other girl pushed her. I think she was jealous. So I picked
her up and cleaned her up. You came in a bit after that." She stopped long
enough to chew and then went on. "Did you find who you were looking
for?" She smiled at him.
How does one answer that? "Yes I did. I looked for him all night but turns
out he turned himself in sometime early in the morning."
"Oh no," she said. Her face scrunching in distaste.
"Did it make you mad? What did you do?" She was very interested to
know.
He smiled at her. "Yes, it made me angry."
"Well, what did you do?" She was leaning over the table.
"I hit him." Not a lie. Just not the complete truth. He had hit him
several times.
"Oh anata." She sighed her disapproval.
"You seem to forget they interrupted us during a very important
moment." He watched for her reaction.
Kaoru choked on her radish.
He patted her back.
The rest of the meal she spent rambling on about shopping. Anything to keep him
from talking.
*************
They had finally made it back to the room at the Inn. Kaoru was beat they had
spent the whole after noon shopping. They had three more days; tomorrow however
all she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep all day long.
She changed while he went to take a bath. She felt so tired. She didn't think
she'd be able to make it through dinner. Hmm, her futon was so soft. Maybe she
could take a small nap before they got to go to dinner.
Kenshin came back from his bath to find her fast asleep. Things just weren't
working out for him these days. He spared her a longing look. He couldn't just
wake her. He got into bed with her. "When I finally get you koishii."
He said before he kissed her forehead and held her close.
*************
Kaoru woke up with a start. She had dreamt she'd been running and then she fell.
"Weird."
She sat up and there was Kenshin at the foot of the bed with his eyes closed.
Just sitting there, waiting.
She felt nervous. "Kenshin?"
"Koishii." His voice was deep and sultry.
Oh no, Kaoru swallowed hard.
"I thought maybe we could go home early." She said.
Kenshin's eyes flew open. He watched her. "Is that what you want?"
Kaoru hid her arms in the sleeves of her yukata; his voice made the hairs on her
arms stand up. She looked at him straight in the eye.
"I don't want to be away from the dojo too long." It was a lie. And he
could always tell when she lied.
So she waited and he stared.
All of a sudden he got up and headed for the door. He needed to leave, his
control was being held back by very weak restraints.
She was up before she could realize what she was doing. She grabbed him from
behind, and latched on. "Where are you going?"
Kenshin closed his eyes.
Her arms were around his waist. She pressed herself closer and leaned her cheek
on the flat of his back. "You can't leave."
"Koishii." He was at a standstill.
"Will you wait till I bathe before we go out and have breakfast?" She
felt torn between what she felt and what she thought. She had these impetuous
impulses that were getting harder to ignore. Too impulsive. Tae said she had
been very impulsive.
"All right." The voice was neutral and it made her want to cry. She
was afraid to let go of him but she did. She grabbed her things but saw Kenshin
make no move to go with her.
She left the room and walked to the bathhouse at a quick pace. Her tears fell
right as she closed the door.
Kenshin looked at the closed door and laid back on the futon. He closed his
eyes. He had always had so much control over his emotions as the rurouni. But
the moment he resorted back to his old self, his emotions pulled at him from all
directions. Kaoru was the main problem. The rurouni had a handle on all emotions
she might provoke, at least on the old Kaoru. But this Kaoru, she wasn't quit
the same and it was hard to deal with her when she responded so well to his
advances. It wasn't her fault he knew he'd suppressed his feeling for her for so
long that when he finally let go he became ruled by their intensity. He had two
objectives. One, make her fall in love with him. Two, make her want him at least
half as badly as he wanted her. What was he to do?
She came out of the bathhouse cleaner but not feeling any better. She was on her
way back to her room when someone's voice broke her out of her reverie.
"Are you all right miss?" The old man from the front desk.
"I'm fine sir, thank you." She looked down at his tray. He saw her starring at his tray
"Here why don't you drink it."
She shouldn't and usually she
wouldn't. He gave her the bottle and Kaoru drank it in one huge gulp. She
coughed, it burned her throat. "Here," he said giving her a large
slice of peach. Kaoru took it. And in a hoarse voice, thanked him. The old man
smiled at her and walked away.
Kaoru stood there for a moment. She felt heavy. Her hands felt fuzzy. But it was
like the fuzziness was from with in. She felt at ease now. She gave a lazy smile
to one in particular and made her way back to the room. She used her right hand
to keep her balance all the way to the room. When she got to her room she
straightened up and opened the door. She closed the door and dropped her robe.
Kenshin was lying on his back. He had his eyes closed and held the ridge of his
nose with his right hand, almost like he had a headache. She knelt down in
between his legs and put her hands on the futon, right by the sides of his face.
"Kenshin." She whispered near his ear. Her voice was breathy
Kenshin had been deep in thought when she came in. He knew she had to change so
why bother opening his eyes but when she said his name his eyes snapped open.
When his eyes snapped open. She lowered herself over him and rubbed her body
against him. She felt an immediate reaction.
Kenshin arms had gone around her waist, his eyes had remained open. She wasn't
acting like herself. Kaoru's mouth sought his Adams' apple, she licked it. She
lowered her mouth to his ear and stuck her tongue in. She bit his earlobe and
moaned into his ear. That was about as far as she got. He flipped them over so
she was beneath him and held her hands over her head. He looked at her briefly
before he kissed. He was hungry for her but pulled away almost immediately. She
tasted of alcohol. He let her hands go and started to pull back.
"No." She grabbed a hold of his waist with her legs. Too much intimate contact for him. He closed his eyes. She pushed her hips up and he pushed his down in return. Her hands tried to pull at his Gi. He watched her struggle for a bit before he took it off himself. He ripped his hakama off and she gasped. He watched her eyes become a shade deeper. Her pupils had dilated. She was aroused.
"Is this what you wanted" His voice was deep. He saw her shiver.
"Kenshin." She said stroking his chest. He was over her but not on her. He looked at her. She was still a child in many ways unsure of what she wanted. Her legs came around him again thrusting herself up.
"Kaoru." He growled and pushed her back down hard. In her movement she had managed to get the tip in to her folds. She gasped and he tried to put distance between them but she had very strong legs.
"Let go." He was trying very hard.
"No" She said, struggling against his hold on her arms.
"You don't know what you want." His grip on her hands tightened.
"All I
want is you." her eyes looked into his but his hold didn't loosen.
"All right," She said sounding defeated. His hold on her loosened and
she took the opportunity to get a better grip on him. She thrusted herself up
and let her arms come around his neck. She made a whimpering sound, then. He
lowered them to the futon being careful of his movements.
He raised his head so he could look into her face. This is not how he'd wanted
things.
Her face was to the side; she had her eyes closed. She took a deep breath and
allowed her body to lowered into the futon. Kenshin started to raise off of her
when she thrusted back up. He growled and she clamped on him harder. She might
be angrier later on, it was a possibility but there was no way he could continue
to hold back.
He grabbed her face by the sides and gave her a scorching kiss. He was being
rough with her but she seemed to enjoy it. Relish in it.
*************
Two days passed by, all too fast, Kaoru though, as she lay awake in Kenshin's
arms. Tomorrow was the last day of their little vacation.
"Aren't you the least bit tired koishii?" Kenshin didn't open his eyes
but tighten his hold on her. Kaoru blushed. She stroked his chest lovingly and
allowed her hand to trail down, slowly. "I want to take a bath." He
opened his eyes and grinned at her. "Am I allowed inside the
bathhouse?" Her hand continued its journey down till she was able to cup
him. She stroked him and them gave him a squeeze. She rolled away and stood up.
She put on his robe and looked down at his naked form. She smiled,
"No" and then ran as fast as she could through the door, slamming it
close in her get away. Trying to get to the bathhouse before he did and lock him
out.
*************
Today was another shopping day. She had gifts to buy and then tomorrow they
would head home to the dojo. Life just kept getting better and betters for her.
She couldn't wait till she got home to tell Tae all the details. She thought of
Kenshin and started to get flushed. Maybe not all the details.
Her day seemed to float by. Is this what being married was all about she
thought. Everything seemed brighter and happier. She had a grin she just
couldn't wipe off her face. She smiled at the children, she smiled at the women
she smiled at the men, but then she'd get nudged. And her grin would turn wider
when she turned to see Kenshin eyeing the men evilly. Her anata.
She was going to be a little sad to leave this place. "Koishii, did you
hear me?" Kenshin was sitting in front of her but she seemed to be in a
daze.
"Nani?" She turned her eyes to him. She hadn't heard a word he'd
said.
"What are you thinking about?" His eyes were curious.
"I was thinking, how I'm the happiest person alive."
"Koishii." He stroked her cheek. She was his whole world. And as such
he would give her all she wanted, He'd keep her safe and he'd love her with his
last breath. All she had to do was look at him the way she was now. With so much
love she could hardly contain it.
She seemed to read all his thoughts through his eyes. She grabbed a hand full of
his Gi and brought his mouth to hers. "Let's go back to the Inn." She
said. He nodded and they left the restaurant with out having their dinner.
-
-
-
-
Ok, this chapter is finally done, took me longer than I anticipated. Sorry about
that. But work and all. Anyhow I thank all of those who continue to review.
-
-
Special thanks to:
Shiome, Ryoko Subaru, Kiesmoon, AiteanE, Rekka's Angel, LSR-7, Val, Lere, Kyanos,
StDogbert, Molotov, Camila, Girl, and Leigh.
Gypsy-Chan, I want to thank you for the support and always boosting my
confidence. I tip my hat to you.