Author's note: Man…I'm so tired. It's currently 3 am (and I got up at 6 am the day before… -_-) and I'm finally done with this chapter. I'm not very satisfied with the second portion.. but I can't do better than that. I would like to use this space of free talking to tell you guys how I feel about the world today. Seeing the most powerful nation of the world going so shamelessly at war for some speculated reason, mere invention of paranoid self-absorption, I feel it's a pity. Don't get me wrong, I do have a heart and fear for the well being of those soldiers risking their lives for a war that should never have been. A pray for their safe return and that this war will end soon with less victim and devastation possible. Where is our Kenshin when we need him? I swear, some people need to think more like our 'lil swirly eyed Rurouni… sigh. So to each and every of you, weather you're black or white, American of Arabian, Cristian or Muslman, I wish for you the best and the most beautiful things in life. We all deserves peace, when for the first time of the world, we see the planetary movement, so many voices in so many languages rising in unison and demanding world wide peace, once and for all. ^-^ God bless us all (and I don't even believe in god, but I thought it was a fitting sentence)
Disclaimers: Don't own, don't sew (just to tired to write a real one)
Warnings: The same as usual (told you I was tired)
Within Soul
By Evil Karyta
Chapter Tow
"Speak softly and carry big stick, you will go far."
-Theodore Roosevelt
Two months had passed since the first assassination. Like the gentle and silent flow of the river, time changed, days turning into nights, nights getting longer as autumn consumed nature's energy. Like a slow disease, eating what was left of summer and stealing away the soft tones of green, changing them into the mournful browns of the dieing season. It would be pretty, all those colors, flaring around in the trees, making it feel as if nature was getting dressed up before its last breath, trying to cheer the livings, somehow saying that soon, life would bloom again. But in Kenshin's heart, it was yet another reminder of his sins.
Eight weeks had passed since he became officially the new Hittokiri, and with his rise to the shadow killing, many other occurred within those weeks. And with each death, something inside of him broke. Soon, he had more and more trouble smiling and he felt the more miserable about everything he did before. He thought it would be easy for him. Having killed countless times before, he was almost persuaded that it would be an easy way to help. Killing those who must be, spreading the 'heavenly vengeance', and bringing up a new era. It was foolish thoughts. Each of these deceases was weighing a thousand pounds compare to what he did before. He knew it made no sense, that he should feel the weigh of those past deaths as much as those new ones, but he felt more and more in conflict with himself. Himura Kenshin was slowly changing into what they now named him, Hittokiri Battousai.
Sitting in his room by the window, watching the leaves slowly fall from the trees, Kenshin was wondering about his new life. Questioning his judgment as to why he turned to this solution. He had thought it would be so easy to have a reason to kill and a reason to satisfy his monstrous hunger. He had not come out of that room very often. Turning toward solitude, hoping this would help him get his thoughts together and understand this change in his behaviour.
"I guess the only thing that really gets in the way are emotions…" he uttered looking at the clouds passing by on the brilliant blue sky.
This thought resulted into a tiny shadow of a mocking smile to pass his lips. Maybe it was not the emotion the problem, but the lacks of self-distancing. But in the end, were not those two a couple in life? Well, if it was distance that he was looking for, he sure had got some with the occupants of the inn. Having rarely come out of his room, he did not see much of those sharing his ceiling, nor had he seen Kaoru much. Amazingly, on the lot of livings that were in this huge house, she was the only one who he seemed to enjoy the company.
He had seen the spirited blue-eyed girl two times since that night. The first time was three weeks ago. The night had been crying, heavy drops feel from the heavens, soaking everything that would have the misfortune to be left defenceless under the hard, cold rain. He had killed again, and he felt drained, tired and lifeless. Walking back to his room, Kenshin had been trying to lighten his guilt, thinking that, at least, this time he had not taken another soul into oblivion. Technically, it had gone swiftly. The man had been alone and had not seen him. He died without fright and pain. It had been the first one that had caused him trouble. The emotionless face he always shown those he had to silence had not left him.
Quietly, he had walked down the darken corridors after having cleaned himself off the blood that had spilled on him. Though the rain had taken much of it away, he still could feel it on himself, he could still smell the coppery fragrance of the red liquid as if it had melt into his own natural odour. Not having any other clothes, he had to put on the same gi and hakama, drenched and cold, and he had been fighting the shivers his body defence had send through him as a signal for him to warm up. The assassin opened the shoji doors of his room and stopped dead in his track.
There, holding a broom, was Kaoru, standing in the middle of the room, right in front of the opened window. The almost inexistent light of the outside seemed to be draw to her, softly lighting her features. Her blue eyes shown as they watched sadly the downpour of the weeping sky. To him, she appeared so fragile, her white skin akin to the porcelain of a china doll, her slender hands holding the broom stick delicately as if it was the most precious thing in the world. The red head felt like a child who had just walked into forbidden grounds and he was scared of making his presence known.
Slowly, the girl's head turned toward him, her eyes sparkling sorrow, mirroring the mood of the sky. She did not seem startled at all from his appearance, surly she had known he was bound to come back anytime soon. Kaoru did not smile, her expression as still as his own. Wide blue eyes met dulled amethysts and she passed by him without a word, her steps light and soundless. She had that look some had when they thought they were caught between dream and reality. Not completely blank, but not aware either. Eyes that shone the true colour of the soul. This made him look away from her, fearing the hunger to be awaken and he passed her by. Kaoru did not made any move as to show she was upset by his action, she simply passed the door, put an alabaster hand on it and started to shut it, but stop in mid way.
"Someone once told me that when it rained, angels were crying."
And she was gone, leaving him quite confused as always. The second time had been less intense. She was running down the corridor, to the kitchen he supposed, when she, as if it was a strange habit of hers, collided with him as he was getting out to get some fresh air the week before. She fell backward and stared at him form her embarrassing position on the floor. Hastily got to her feet and with a faint apology, ran away without letting him utter even a ghost of a word.
This was all. They had not spoken to each other since. Maybe, that night in the bathroom had done something to her. Whatever happened, he knew it was not like her to ignore someone, even if he did not know her for a very long time. It just was not her way of doing things. This silence worried him. Somehow, he wished she would talk to him just like she used to those two first day, friendly and warm. He shook his head, this was stupid. He should not worry himself with such things, he needed to get his head clear so he would do his duty the way he should and not get affected by it.
A gentle knock at his door cut through his profound thinking and he realised he had been staring at a bird for a very long time. A tiny brown bird, singing carelessly on the branch of a small tree that grew not too far from his window. It must have been the last of his kind, and soon it would join the others to their journey toward the warmer regions of Japan. The knocking came anew, and this time, not gentle at all, making the paper walls vibrated from the impact of the fist to the wall. If he wanted that hand to stop mistreating his door, he had to do something about the person asking for entrance. He swiftly got up from his position at the windowsill and proceeded to the door, sliding it open, his eyes grow wide for a spilt second before returning to their normal size.
"About time, you know how heavy this thing is?" shout a woman's voice.
"Kaoru-dono?"
She blatantly ignored his question and came in, not asking for permission, pushing him out of her way as she passed through the door with her heavy tray. Tray that smelled very good not to say the least. Not looking at him, she kneeled in the middle of the room, putting the tray down and started to set up the place for a meal. Kenshin observed her from the door as she placed the bowl, the chopsticks, and every eating accessory one would need to feed. That done, Kaoru filled them with warm food from which the delicious aroma came from and moved away from it so he could take place and eat. He did not move however and simply looked between the food and her face, his eyes showing great question, not registering the reason of her or the food's presence in his room. After some time, she stared at him as if he had grown a new arm or two, annoyance bright on her young face.
"What are you waiting for?" she asked.
"Waiting for what?" he was still not getting it.
"Eating."
Coming from her mouth it seemed as if it was the most natural of thing to deduce from her action. In fact, it was but he could not begin to grasp the idea of her bringing him his meal. He only closed the door and did not make any motion as to take the given food. It was clear from her frustrated expression that she was starting to get disrupt from his absence if reaction. From the very confused look he was giving her, Kaoru even started to wander if he had ever see food in his life.
"You did not eat anything in two days. Surly, you didn't forget how to," she asked sarcastically.
As to fuel the meaning of her words, she took the chopsticks in her right hand and motion to teach him how to hold them. Very dramatically, she raised her delicate hand, the eating utensils naturally taking their place between her thumb and first finger, the other resting obediently in the arch of her thumb. Her left hand held the long sleeves of her kimono the way she would if she was writing, the movement graceful. With the same overly dramatic acting, she moved the sticks, the pieces of wood clashing together with soft clicking sound. Her sapphire eyes glowing with soft mischief and a hint of a mocking snarl on her pink lips.
"I guess from here, you should remember how to eat," she declared, moving the chopsticks once again to point her sentence.
"Ah… Yes, thank you."
He looked as if lost in a trance when he walked slowly to her and kneeled in front of the young woman. His purple orbs stared at her pale hand and the look of a child who saw something for the first time passed over his face for a very short moment. Almost hesitant, Kenshin's hand lifted in the air and came upon hers. Callous fingers touched soft skin as he took hold of the eating tools and he froze his movement to look into her eyes. A faint blush covered her cheeks and she shyly adverted her gaze from his, almost feeling like she had crossed banned grounds. The exchange done, she took her hand back, the light brushing of their fingers adding some red to her burning face.
Feeling suddenly embarrassed, she got to her feet and moved in a somewhat hast toward the door, wishing to get her mind back into straight thinking again. She was so warped up in her retreat that she never felt him move as he took hold of her wrist, ending her leave. She halted in mid step, left feet barely touching the ground and face burning in awkwardness. His hand felt so hot on her cool skin, result of stress draining the blood from her extremities and rushing it up toward her face for her great discomfiture. Time stood still as neither of them made a single move. Silenced fell heavily upon the two occupants of the small room, and the awkwardness weighing on them more and more from Kenshin's lack of speaking.
Kaoru turned her head, slowly as to not startle the samurai. He was there, kneeling behind her in the same position he was when she had gotten up, chopsticks in his right hand and his left up to restrain her arm. His hold on her was very gentle and nowhere near being offensive, he simple hold to her in silence, his red locks blocking his eyes for his head was slightly bent down, as if deep in thought or shame. From his point of view, Kenshin could only see her feet to waist. He felt like a fool, holding like this to her for no particular reason, debating inside, wondering just what made him reach out to the girl like this. In the end, his only choice came to speak something and let her go, at least he would not look like a perfect idiot not able to control himself.
"Thank you…" he whispered, hoping that those simple words would solve it all.
The maid's blue eyes widen in mild shock. Was this all he wanted to say? Has he not said it already? But what really shocked her was the faint way he had spoke. His voice barely above a whisper, soft and low. The same tone would have sent a jolt of shivers through her body if it had been said in her ear. It only felt sweet and considerate from this position, him kneeling like this, holding her wrist so gently, his warm skin brushing her own. The blush came anew on her face and to cover up her embarrassment, she looked away from Kenshin, who had just lifted his head up to meet her gaze with instance amethysts, and she spoke rather roughly, smacking his head with her free hand in the same process.
"Well you're welcome but you know. I have other things to do more important than to wait here for you to decide just when you'll realise my hand, you know."
A very pale shade of pink tinted his cheeks when he realised this, although she did not see the change of color. He hastily let go of her and turned toward his meal, muttering some clumsy apologies for his deed. Kaoru simply shook her head; feeling a bit irritated or maybe confused, she did not want to choose which one was the more accurate. She turned on her heels, black hair flying in the air in beautiful strays of midnight sky and proceeded to the shojis. Once their, she stopped remembering something and returned her gaze toward the now eating Kenshin.
"You know, you should come out of here more often. People tend to talk a lot and… there's not only patriots in this inn, even though you are all samurai."
And she left, once again, like she had never came in at all. Only remained the light aroma of jasmine and the confusing feeling of her presence and words. Not only patriots? What did she meant by that?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Within the walls of the inn, there was a place, which would be described as a bar if it were not a commune room for the residents. There, the samurai would eat, drink and talk all they want until very late at night. It was rare to have such a place to relax in place like this, but it prevented the men to go to teahouse and loose track of time and sight of the things they had to do. The sake was good, and free, no one complained.
This night, it was Kaoru's turn to play waitress and she was quite the popular one. The other ladies of the inn being older than most of them, rapidly loosing their charms and getting older and older each day, was not very interesting for the boys who were, for most of them, looking for a pretty thing to watch and serve them their sake. She hated it, all those eyes, most of them with a drunken haze, spying on her every move, enticing her, calling her, demanding alcohol. Now and then, a hand would venture over her lower back with extreme boldness and roughness, which always resulted for a nasty punch behind the hand owner's head and a few laughter from the male crowd. They always enjoyed the show greatly, but no one tried twice to touch her. One large bump was enough, but they eagerly awaited the next ignorant to try a move on her, it salvaged their bruised pride.
It was to one of those shows of violence that Kenshin had been greeted when he crossed the doors of the commune room. The rice wine had been spilled over the unfortunate teaser who had now a very red face and a big bump behind his head. The man was sprawled on the floor, eyes spinning within over sized their orbits, watching Kaoru's retreating back as she shouted a few insults wisely chosen out of her large repertoire for the drunk. The red head sat in the back of the room, a small smirk upon his lips after witnessing the rather wild outburst of the raven headed girl, causing a few stares in his direction. It was rare that the silent samurai would come out of his room to join them, if this sitting in the back was any mean of joining them. In fact, he seemed even more distant from the lot than when he was playing the secluded one in his room.
Not so long after, Kaoru approached him, a small tray in hands filled with cups and bottles of all sizes, and gave him a small bottle of sake and a cup. She placed both items in from of him and gave the small man a tiny smile before turning back to a shout that had came from the other side, request for more hot rice wine. He saw her frown from the rude call and she was off her feet connecting loudly with the floor, almost litteraly making the ground shake form each impact of her stomping feet. This made Kenshin repressed a chuckle and the result was a slight curve of his lips, which faded as soon as it came. Even though the girl's presence was soothing him, he still had trouble smiling lately, and when he did, it was not for a very long time. It was a pity, him how was a kind hearted, when he was not stealing souls that is. This thought made the red haired man frown. He took hold of the bottle of the given sake and poured a small amount of the alcohol in his cup.
He watched the transparent liquid for some time, meeting his own eyes as the liquor mirrored his gaze back to him. He could see his soft violet coloured pools, worry and a slightly clouded by a tiredness that had slipped in his being, like old into an aging body. Being the Hittokiri had drained him some of his strength it seemed, and he could see that soon, very soon, he would need too get some energy back within the emptiness left by a missing soul. The mere thought of having to repeat such a horrible act repulsed him, taking something that was not his was, to him, a far greater sin than killing. Although both was a result of similar act, pilfering something precious from an other person.
Long ago, when he had discovered his condition, he had, in a desperate struggle, strived to run from it, but in the end, he had killed and stole what he had wish to never take. He sighed at this thought. It was a vicious circle, the more he willed himself into fighting it, the worst it became. The lack of soul within his body, steering his life, made him suffer much more than a flesh wound would. Unconsciously, his left hand rose, coming gently up toward his scared cheek, fingers lightly touching the marked skin, reminder of the foolishness he had once shown. The red head uttered a soft sigh, if only he had not been born to this world, as he should have. Aberrations like him should never see one sunny day, nor feel the warmth of friendship or see the beauty of a smile. Feeling low, he downed his cup with one long swallow, wincing at the sour taste he felt on his thong, proof that something was wrong within himself, it had always been.
Suddenly, a loud crashing sound coming from the far end of the room startled him, throwing his consciousness back into reality with a force that made him jump. Kenshin turned his head toward the source of the commotion and what he saw made his blood boil in rage. There was Kaoru, on the floor, a tray of food soiling the ground, plates and bowls broken around her, shards making strange shapes on the ground along with the food. Her right hand was forcefully restrained into the hand of an ugly large man, so hairy that his looks would be more fitting to describe an ape than a man. He was apparently drunk and horny, and he was now trying to get her to her feet and follow him with an low growl resembling the annoying honking of a pig. She yelled, her voice full of anger and dripping venom coming clearly to the red head, even through the distance separating them.
"Let go of me, you over sized hairy hog!"
"Don't speak to me so disrespectfully you wrench!"
With that he slapped her hard, making her head turn to the left , her hair flying around from the force of the blow. Every living of the room stood still, surprised by this turn of even. They were used to some hits and slaps here and there when Kaoru was taking care of the commune room, but never had one of the taken advantages of her this way, only a few errand touches for the sake of male pride. Almost as if feeling the girls body was a trial they all had to pass through to prove they were part of something. But this one guy, with his hormones rushing wild through his body, wishing to get something he was not supposed to have somewhere else than with a willing woman or from a teahouse girl, was harassing the poor blue eyed. Kaoru did not move for a few second, and the man had thought it was because she had given up, how wrong he had been. With furious blue eyes, she got to her feet and glared at the animal.
"I demand an apology!" she yelled, her tone of voice threatening.
"What!?"
"You heard me right, you monkey. I want an apology and I want it NOW!" with that she yanked her arm away from his hold, the sleeves of her kimono adding drama to the seen with their soft hovering movement around her.
"Why you…"
The 'monkey' of a man motioned to slap her again but was stopped by a hand blocking his fist with a vice grip. His eyes widen in surprise, and with barely enough time to register just what had befallen him, he was send flying across the room, ending his none so gracious fall with a loud crash, connecting hard with the walls. The spirited girl looked at the back of a small man with long red hair tight high in a samurai's ponytail. Kenshin turn around, intending of asking if she was all right but was meet with a very angry stare, telling long of the girl's mood.
"What right did you have to interfere? I could very well have taken care of it myself!"
"Oro?" the expression had slipped out if his lips against his own will, showing just how confused her reaction was to him.
Sure, he had not expected her to through her arms around him in eternal gratitude, but he thought she would at least thank him. Instead, he had gotten a very rude comment, spited harshly and angrily at his face. She seemed to be fuming, and with just the necessary amount of imagination, he could perfectly picture smoke coming out of her ears as her irritation reached summits that he thought impossible to attain. However, having turned his back from the bully was not a very cleaver move for the stupid hormone rushing man had gotten up from the floor, and only a slight widening of Kaoru's eyes told him, unfortunately a little too late, that he was in danger. As expected, he received a hard punch behind the head and connected unceremoniously with the floor.
"Don't you know when to stop?" shouted the girl, cheeks red with frustration.
"I'll get you to respect me, woman!"
At this point, a small crowd was forming around them, everyone very interested in the conclusion of this battle, but none of them even thinking of lending a hand. The man smiled, eyes insane with vengeance and lust, and reached for the young woman stubbornly facing him, her eyes showing no fear. But it was underestimating Kenshin's skills, who had now picked himself off the floor, eyes glowing furious and speaking death threat. He slowly unsheathed his sword, the sound of the blade leaving the comfort of the sheath, made the man froze in his movement, turned his head toward his back and was met with the hilt of a katana to his forehead. Faster than everything had started, it had ended. The man lying on the wooden floor, unconscious, blood dripping from an opened gash on his split forehead, was bound to have one hell of a headache in the morning, if he was to ever awake again. When Chochu's hittokiri looked up to inquire on Kaoru's welfare, he was shock once again to see her red face, raging fire at him, angered and ready to burst.
"I could have done it myself," she simply stated and crouched down to pick up the pieces of what was left of the tray she had been holding.
Without a single look at him, she straightened up and marched proudly to the kitchen, leaving behind her more than one confused minds. Kenshin's purple gaze was intense on her back but she stubbornly ignored him, pride obliged, disappearing behind the doors. The red head, sheathing his sword back with a sift move of his arm, the hilt clicking as it connected with the metallic sheath, gave a last look at the pathetic man and followed the young woman out of the commune room. Inside, whispers could be heard, a soft rumour of a very strange fight where a silent and usually distant hittokiri had stood up to protect a woman who, apparently, did not wish to be protected. This was bound to feed the gossips around the house, and before morning, no one would be left ignorant of the evening's strange events.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Kaoru burst into the large kitchen, she could have been described as a ball of blue clothes and long sleeves made of pure fury as she made her way loudly around, disposing of the broken shards of porcelain of what was once cups and the pieces of a shattered sake jar into the trash bin. Hesitating only for a few moments, she shrugged and let her tray fall into it as well, her temper flaring around her like the aura of a warrior fighting his last and most violent battle. Whishing the noise to be the guiding line for her furor to be expelled out of her. And the ball of fury turned into a tornado of rage when, all at once, she directed her anger toward the innocent, but never the less, dirty dishes been left carelessly near the washing basin on the counter. The old woman who took care of it will surely be sorry for this in the morning when she will discover the mess the Kaoru Typhoon left behind her.
Pouring all of her might into this simple task, she rubbed mercilessly plates and cups, bringing the poor things near dust with the constant come and go of her hand holding, as a mean of weapon, the ragged clothes serving as a cleaner for the dishes. If that thing had been alive, it would have been kneeling, demanding clemency over its poor torn body, but it was, thankfully, lifeless. Water was spread about, slipping on the floor, drenching her kimono much more than laundry would. It was a fearful sight, this young woman, in front of the basin, slowly killing the pottery with her exaggerated fervour.
However, Kaoru did not seem to grasp the fact that she was actually moving, trashing around the kitchen like a madden shrew, scarier than a witch. She was too far off into her own world, contemplating, or rather cursing, at what happened in the last minutes. The raven haired had had her share of hardship, having to come a long way from her former home, seeing death countless times, facing adversity with all her might, and, if it had not been enough, having to put up with sex driven men who had set their ugly eyes upon her young and tender flesh. This swelling and aching cheek was far from the first and certainly not the last bruise she had gotten from an egocentrically alcoholics wishing to bed any potable woman in sight, namely her, when had been deprived of such luxury for much longer than they wished for.
Amazingly, she had managed to get out of those trials almost unscathed, saving her honour many times when she had thought she was about to loose everything. Having learned it first hand, Kaoru knew that a man under the influences of alcohol rarely got to the point of his aggression, either to drowsy or simply too clumsy to do anything to her. She had prided herself with her many narrowed escapes from those animals without any help from the outside. Who would have helped her anyway; they were always too busy thinking of themselves or simply enjoying the show to lend her a helping hand. In her young mind, Kaoru had concluded that the opposite sex was useful only in battles, fighting for some uncertain reasons that left many suffering in the end, or to force their disgusting selves upon unwilling girls.
Still to warped up in the never ending swirls of her accusing musing, she did not noticed the shaking of her hands, or the tears that were so boldly threatening to fall free from the prison of her sapphire pools. Those eyes had taken a far off quality, making them shine deeper in their orbs, like true jewels adorning her pale face. Flashes of those fearful moments rose to her mind, storming through her creating havocs within her soul, making her hear yearn for peace and quiet, as water rained around her from her energetic strokes of cleaning frenzy. A simple wish of oblivion, to steal away from all that was ugly and cruel, from a life that did only wrongs to her, taking everything that she treasured away, leaving her lonely and scared awoke from the depth of her consciousness.
Where had gone those wonderful times when this caring hand had caressed her hair, speaking softly for her young years, creating magic within her, making the world beautiful and joyous? How could have fate been cruel enough to rob her of her wishful dreams, those wonderful stories that that gentle hand had so carefully bent for her when nightmares were looming in the darkness of a room at night? She had learned, far too early, that life was arduous, vindictive and hideous, taking everything that you loved so far into the darkness of death as soon as you thought you had grasped that tiny glitter of happiness you had seek for so long that it ached deeply into your heart.
Crystalline drops of salty water were braking through the barrier of her resolve. Falling from her eyes against her will, reminder her vulnerability as a human being, living through feelings and emotions, only alive when she felt and hurt for joy was so far away from her now that those days had gone by. A shaking, livid hand let go of its hold from the plate it had been handling, the china hitting the hard floor and exploding into millions of shreds, so much like her life. A plate, portrait of her past, which had been squash under the vengeful foot of an unknown man, destroying much more than he had hoped to. Dissolving a happiness two being had worked so hard to achieve after so much painful moments. It was unfair.
Kaoru, lost in the bounds of her reminiscences, crouched down and moved her hands over the shards, barely touching them with the tips of her quaking fingers. The trembling of her hands strangely similar to the moment of the leaves shaken by the icy wind of late October, fighting with might the chill of winter but it was a loosing battle. So much as her own. A fight that would be lost before it even started. She felt like a lost child, helpless and lone in this room, searching for her mother when fear had taken over her body and demons resurfaced telling her everything was gone and she was lone in this world. A child, too young to face her shattered life, spread upon the wet floor to which painful her tears added their salty substance to the stretching puddle.
In the distance, two bright purple gems observed the scene, unbelieving. The sight of the usually so vivid woman, kneeling on the ground, eyes glassy and void of her lively presence tore at a heart he had been told had never existed. And it ached to see her like this, weeping in silence, lost in a warp of memories she had been fighting against. It pulled him into action, made him seek for a way to relieve her of the burden that life had so harshly thrown upon her young shoulders, so unfitting for such a cruel treatment. He had moved without even knowing it, his body possessed by a desire to kill a pain he did not even know the source off, let alone the fact that it was not even his. Kenshin's hand softly landed on her waving shoulder and all movement seemed to be lost in space and time as she froze. He saw her fist tighten into small balls and with a force he did not know she possessed, she unceremoniously shoved the companionate hand off her quaking back.
Kaoru's head turned slowly to his direction, her eyes seeming to look for his in an almost desperate manner. Her cheek were sparkling from the moisture of her tears and for a split second, so short he thought he had imagined it, she seemed to be forming words of gratitude, but what came out of her pursed lips felt bitter and cold, almost vengeful. Pride forbade her to show any signs of weakness, even when it was most needed.
"You again!" she exclaimed between sniffs, a frown forming on her face. "I already told you I didn't need any of your pity or help! I'm perfectly fine by myself!" it was a blatant lie he knew it. "So just go away and let me be! Be as selfish as everyone else and just get the hell away from me!"
There was a blissful silence as she turned her sights away from him, persuaded that she had scared him off, or at least killed his useless pity and disgusting resolve to aid her. But she had no such luck, and he was just as stubborn as she could be.
"No."
"What?" she yelled in utter surprise.
"I said no, I won't leave, that I will not," he repeated firmly, obstinacy written all over his finely scissile face.
"And just why won't you when I'm asking you to?"
"You need help, that you do," he said, his voice so gentle it would be caressing her ears and words as polite as always, so polite it made her yearn to brake something.
"I surely don't need any help, especially not yours."
"How many times did those men touch you?"
She adverted his probing gaze, wishing him far away, far from her troubles and the misdeeds of life and cruelty of human being, namely stupid monkey man looking for a woman to bed. She sniffed closing her eyes, hoping when she would open them that the caring face of the red head would have disappeared, dissolved into nothingness as if it had never been there, his words becoming nothing more than wind tormenting her with faked kindness. Did she still believe in miracles after all these years? It seemed she did, for she actually cracked an eye open and sighed when her sights caught a glance of the samurai, still waiting for an answer.
"Well? How many times?" he urged.
"I don't know. Now and then…" she waved off, her word uncaring as if that fact did not affected her at all when actually it was the total opposite.
"And no one ever reacts? They always let it happen, watching and doing nothing?" he seemed revolted by the simple idea of it. How long had he not been in the real world? Had he just came out of a long sleep for not knowing of those simple facts of life?
"Why do you even care?" she cried, getting to her feet and pushing him away with brutal force, making him take a few steps backward, she was all fire and anger. "All you man ever do is watch and enjoy. Taking those who are weaker then you as toys for your filthy desire to be satisfied with! Well I have great news coming up to you, this girl had seen a lot so don't you make me put up with your shit, making me believe you're all sweet and caring when all you want is to get me into your bed!"
Her eyes were as cold as ice, glaring at him and accusing him of all the sins of the creation. As much as she had been acting friendly and kind with him through those few months, as much as she was harsh and spiteful. She had put him in the same bag as those unfitting warriors having the guts to proclaim themselves samurai like you compare a rat to another. Well he was not and he intended to get her to understand that fact.
"No one's the same, Kaoru-dono…" he started but was rudely cut off by her sharp merciless tongue.
"Yeah right, and cockroaches turns into butterflies," she spat, crouching down again to pick up the mess she had carelessly created when her mind had been darken by visions of the pass.
However, anger and sharp shards of porcelain did not made the best of marriage, add to it the trembling fingers of a young and very clumsy woman and you get a yelp of pain crown with a semi deep gush in the palm of a slender hand. Kaoru had a backward movement, startled in her pain and frustration, watching the red liquid spill out of her right hand in large drops, mixing with the water that stretch on the floor and staining the white of the china. She expressed a whimper of self affliction, feeling as if the whole world was on her back, put a few vultures eating at her liver and she was the perfect picture of tremendous misery.
Slowly and ever so gently, Kenshin moved toward her, bending on his knees so he was at her level. He reached a hand out to her wound, taking it with great care and examining it. His movement were fluid; behaving like a man trying to free a scared animal from the trap a hunter had left there. His violet eyes spoke of softness and care, not a hint of demand, keeping his hold lose around her wrist so she could get it back without any struggle from her part. His left hand disappeared inside the folds of his hakama and came out moments later, holding a piece of white cloth. With great attention and outer kindness, he warped the injured palm and let go of her hand. She stared at his work, a trace of fascination in her blue depth. The blood already staining the soft fabric, scattering on her palm like a red flower opening to the sun's ray.
"If I helped you tonight, it's not only by fear of seeing you hurt, although the sight of your swelling cheek is painful to me, but it was also out of honour," he started, his eyes shielded by the veil of his red bangs. "You see, I hate to see people suffering. There are so many abuses, and I fight so those horrible things will eventually come to an end. Its… a way for me to give back something I just don't know how to return."
That said, he got back to his feet, giving her a faint smile, a true one he had not gotten on his face in ages. It illuminated his features, making him look almost out of this world and giving a certain tenderness to his facial expression she had thought no man could show. Slowly, he turned his back to her, ready to exit the kitchen and leave it as it was when, barely above a whispered, he heard Kaoru utter, with her sweet voice shaking from emotion.
"Thank you."
It was all the recognition he needed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
To be continued… … …
a/n: Here, I wish to think my sole and unique reviewer Omochi, thank you, thank you! I decided to be optimistic, hey, at least I got one ^-^, and it was a nice one too. So thank you very much. Because of you, and also because I just love this fic I'm writing, I'm keeping writing this and I hope, with all of my heart, that I will have at least two reviews for this chapter… if only I could get to 10… I would feel almost in grasp pf heaven. ^-^ So please, click the review button, I'll make lil me so happy!
