The Devil's Workshop
MysticShadowWanderer
Disclaimer: The chicken made me do it.
*****
Chapter Three: Beneath the Surface
Kaoru paused, her hands fidgeting with her yukata nervously as the moonlight fell across her face. The man in the corner seemed to be sound asleep, but somehow she doubted that, he was the hitokiri Battousai after all. She sighed quietly, and turned her face a bit more into the light, failing to notice the impatient shifting of Battousai. A few more hesitant steps brought her to the center of the room.
'What am I doing here?' she wondered. 'This man is dangerous, I should be fleeing, leaving my own dojo. This isn't safe...' her thoughts trailed off as she watched him intently.
The feeling she felt toward him was unexplainable. She tried to pass it off as an attraction to the deadly in regard to her long-time study of swordsmanship, but she knew that was not the case. That wasn't what made her heart race when she looked at him, or made her breathing increase, just a bit, when she heard his dark, melodious voice. He was haunting her, and she was sure he knew it. But try as she might, she was unable to leave, she was slowly drawn to his side. She knelt beside him; he certainly appeared to be sleeping. She looked at him for a moment, studying him.
"I shouldn't be here," she whispered to herself, ever so quietly. Even Battousai had to strain to make out her words when she dropped her tone even further. "But you're so beautiful. There's more to you, there has to be. More than cold, merciless killer. No one is that heartless. There had to be something, someone, that made you this way. I wish I could help you."
'Damn this, what am I doing?!' she mentally screamed. She knew she was far too trusting, but he drew her in, so shrouded in iniquity and enigma. A tentative hand reached out to trace down the scar that decorated his left cheek. This time, she felt his shudder, and gasped when his hand flew up to grip hers in an iron, vicelike hold.
"You don't know what you're doing, darling," he said in a low tone, icy desire dripping from each word. "You shouldn't have come here, said those things. You shouldn't have touched me."
She shook slightly, he could feel her pulse race beneath his fingers. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come, and she shut it again. He let his other hand trail up her free arm and gently yet firmly grasped her chin, drawing her lips close to his. She shivered at the feel of his breath upon her sensitive skin.
"Tell me, sweetling," he whispered, lips brushing hers. "You know full well what it is that I want, or rather, who it is that I want. But you, what do you want?"
Kaoru closed her eyes slowly and sucked in a tremulous breath. In response, Battousai held his; it was taking all the willpower he had not to shove her to the floor and tear her yukata off. It would be so easy. But he wanted to hear what she had to say, for once he was genuinely interested. "I want.. What I really want?" she asked haltingly. He nodded, so close to her that she could feel it. "I want to know you, I really do. You know, you heard me," her voice turned bitter with the last particular sentiment. He smirked, for what seemed to her like the thousandth time.
"You're right, beautiful, I did hear you," he replied. For a moment he even considered granting her wish, and responding to her earlier words. He could tell her what happened to him, who and what had shaped him into the hollow shell of a man that he was today. But he doubted that she could help him, and dismissed the idea as quickly as it had come to him. "I am what I am, and that is all you need to know." Using his leverage on her chin, he brought her forward, pressing his lips to hers. Expecting her to fight him, he slipped his hand from her chin to the nape of her neck, and moved his other the small of her back, pulling her into his body.
She moaned quietly as he laved her bottom lip with his tongue and pushed it into her mouth; this wasn't what she wanted. But anymore, she didn't know what she wanted. Her body was crying out for him, but her mind was screaming protests at her, that this wasn't right. She effectively disregarded all her thoughts when he buried his hand in the silken strands of her hair, it felt so good, and, strangely, so right. His body burned against hers, the heat of his flesh searing hers through both of their clothing. Desperately, her hands searched for something, anything, to hold to, and she found herself clinging to his gi, fisting it and tugging at it until it slipped down his shoulders. No objections left him, not that she was surprised at that, as he pulled back to let her have breath, and began making his way down her neck, trailing liquid fire where his mouth touched her. He groaned, quietly and low in his throat, as her delicate fingers traced over his exposed skin, gingerly at first and then bolder, until she was running her entire palms over his shoulders and chest.
He pushed at the collar of her yukata with his face, it was such a nuisance. Not wanting to take the time or to remove his hand from its place in her hair which was so beautiful to touch, he tore fiercely at it with his teeth, pulling it until it fell down one shoulder. She moaned again, he could hear her voice growing more impassioned with each breath, and he dragged his teeth over her shoulder and back to her neck again, biting down hard there. She gasped when she felt blood begin to rush over her shoulder, but couldn't help but whimper when he swirled his tongue around it, lapping up her blood quickly so as not to waste a drop.
"You taste wonderful," she heard him whisper hoarsely. "Exquisite." She flushed a deep tint of pink at his words, and at his hand that were slowly starting to wander up and down her body.
"Kenshin," she managed to say around a groan. She meant to tell him that this was wrong, that she couldn't do this, but didn't get the words out before he stopped and looked up at her, his lips stained dark red from her own blood.
"Why did you call me that?" he asked quietly, something about his face softening, just around the edges. He recalled her earlier words, 'I wish I could help you.'
"You said... it... it's your name... isn't it?"
"Yes," he said, lowering his head so that she could no longer see his face. "It was. A long time ago."
She had called him 'Kenshin,' and of her own free will. Not because he'd told her too, she'd just... said it. He remembered when he had been Kenshin, when he bore the name that meant 'heart of sword' instead of the one he had now. Battousai. It was a fitting name, a good name, but only for a ruthless killer with blood on his hands. He often wondered, throughout his travels, if he could ever become the man known as Kenshin again. He also wondered how exactly he had come to this, and when the name Kenshin had been lost to the world.
"Is something wrong?" Kaoru saw this as an opportunity to try to get the Battousai to open up, maybe she really could help him. He gazed into her eyes again; did she read a hint, just the very slightest fleck, of regret in his amber eyes, once cold but now blazing with lust and passion. Maybe he was different than she had first thought. His gaze narrowed, turning into more of a glare.
"Yes, there is something wrong, and no, I will not tell you what it is," he growled, the heat between them quickly fading. His voice quieted, she listened intently. "You would understand, as it were, little mortal one."
Shock registered on Kaoru's face. Mortal? Did that make him something more than mortal? If so, then that explained much to her, just by that fact. And indeed, she could even find it in herself to feel pity for him now. It was a growing feeling, she'd always been soft-hearted, and now was no exception. She moved in and kissed him, softly. Though his expression didn't show it, he was slightly comforted by this. Still, old habits die hard, as the saying went. He shoved her away from him with such force that she fell to the floor with a thud, wincing as her wrists bent at odd angles to catch herself.
"Go." His already commanding voice took on a despotic tone. "Leave me alone."
She blinked quickly, refusing to let him see the tears that welled in her eyes, and silently stood, pulling her yukata on with a deep blush. Without looking back at him, she turned and left, slamming the shoji forcefully behind her. When he felt her ki retreat to her room, Battousai brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, like a little boy that needed comforting. At times that was what he felt like, and the name Kenshin triggered the feeling once again. There would be no solace for him, he knew this and had known it for years, centuries even.
'Could she be the one I'm here for?' he wondered silently. For he was aware of what befell the semi-mortal. There were certain expenses that came with longevity, they almost acted as restrictions. One of them was the inability to chose the one they loved, and many times this person turned out to be a mortal. He had long ago steeled his heart, determined not to feel the utter anguish and despair of watching his woman grow old and eventually die. He knew himself, he'd had plenty of time to discover who he was, and he knew how passionately he could feel. However, determined never to let himself feel pain, he directed all that passion toward swordsmanship and the art of killing. He wouldn't deny that he loved assassination, his was a bloodlust that was nearly unable to be slaked.
But this girl, Kamiya Kaoru. Was she the one? That would explain how he felt when he looked at her. Yet he denied it, he couldn't let himself love.
***
Kaoru lay on her futon, quivering and crying in silence. An aching emptiness snaked through her very soul, she had never felt so complete and whole as she had in his arms. Something was different about that man, very different. So different that she felt no shame in her actions, which went against every bit of her character prior to this night. Her whole life had just been uprooted, all she really knew for sure now was that she needed Battousai.
"Kenshin," she whispered to the darkness. "There's something about that name. I really do feel sorry for him, if he really isn't mortal. I don't think he was lying, something about the tone of his voice. It must be terrible, being in the world for so long, alone. There must be some way that I can help him."
She set her mind on finding a way to comfort the Battousai, of learning his secrets and setting him at ease once more. A grim smile was set upon her face as she stared up at the ceiling. It wouldn't be the least difficult of the tasks that she'd taken on in life, but she would try. All her effort would go into unveiling what was in his mind, heart, and soul. There had to be a kinder side to him, she thought she'd seen some of it tonight.
'First thing in the morning,' she thought with a wide yawn, closing her eyes. 'Now I must find time to sleep.'
She drifted off into a dream, tossing and turning restlessly. Warm hands were traveling her body leisurely, a soft tongue stroking her neck. Her dreams were all of lust and fervor, of fire and amber blending with gentle sighs and passionate screams.
*****
A/N: Well... I had one idea for this chapter, but it turned out going in a completely different direction. I wanted to show the more painful side of a semi-mortal, and the softer side of Battousai. Poor man, I'm subjecting him to this torture because I want to let out my feelings. Almost cried there, that I did... It really hits home. Yes, I am semi-mortal, believe me if you want, or don't, either way the story is still good. So, all you hentai people out there... haha! you have to wait! Oh, by the way, I plan on responding to individual reviews next time, I don't know whether I'll do every single reviewer or if I'll pick out the ones with questions. It depends on how much time I have, I suppose. Anyhow, thanks for reading, and don't worry you sick people, I'll get around to the lemon eventually. Bribes wouldn't hurt... You know... I could REALLY use some more awesome pictures of Kenshin... :points at her email address: ^_- (Darn laptop doesn't have a tilde [squiggly line for you non computer nerds/Spanish-speakers]) School tomorrow... must get some sleep so I don't wind up sleeping in math again. Hate school, hate school, hate school...
MysticShadowWanderer
Disclaimer: The chicken made me do it.
*****
Chapter Three: Beneath the Surface
Kaoru paused, her hands fidgeting with her yukata nervously as the moonlight fell across her face. The man in the corner seemed to be sound asleep, but somehow she doubted that, he was the hitokiri Battousai after all. She sighed quietly, and turned her face a bit more into the light, failing to notice the impatient shifting of Battousai. A few more hesitant steps brought her to the center of the room.
'What am I doing here?' she wondered. 'This man is dangerous, I should be fleeing, leaving my own dojo. This isn't safe...' her thoughts trailed off as she watched him intently.
The feeling she felt toward him was unexplainable. She tried to pass it off as an attraction to the deadly in regard to her long-time study of swordsmanship, but she knew that was not the case. That wasn't what made her heart race when she looked at him, or made her breathing increase, just a bit, when she heard his dark, melodious voice. He was haunting her, and she was sure he knew it. But try as she might, she was unable to leave, she was slowly drawn to his side. She knelt beside him; he certainly appeared to be sleeping. She looked at him for a moment, studying him.
"I shouldn't be here," she whispered to herself, ever so quietly. Even Battousai had to strain to make out her words when she dropped her tone even further. "But you're so beautiful. There's more to you, there has to be. More than cold, merciless killer. No one is that heartless. There had to be something, someone, that made you this way. I wish I could help you."
'Damn this, what am I doing?!' she mentally screamed. She knew she was far too trusting, but he drew her in, so shrouded in iniquity and enigma. A tentative hand reached out to trace down the scar that decorated his left cheek. This time, she felt his shudder, and gasped when his hand flew up to grip hers in an iron, vicelike hold.
"You don't know what you're doing, darling," he said in a low tone, icy desire dripping from each word. "You shouldn't have come here, said those things. You shouldn't have touched me."
She shook slightly, he could feel her pulse race beneath his fingers. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come, and she shut it again. He let his other hand trail up her free arm and gently yet firmly grasped her chin, drawing her lips close to his. She shivered at the feel of his breath upon her sensitive skin.
"Tell me, sweetling," he whispered, lips brushing hers. "You know full well what it is that I want, or rather, who it is that I want. But you, what do you want?"
Kaoru closed her eyes slowly and sucked in a tremulous breath. In response, Battousai held his; it was taking all the willpower he had not to shove her to the floor and tear her yukata off. It would be so easy. But he wanted to hear what she had to say, for once he was genuinely interested. "I want.. What I really want?" she asked haltingly. He nodded, so close to her that she could feel it. "I want to know you, I really do. You know, you heard me," her voice turned bitter with the last particular sentiment. He smirked, for what seemed to her like the thousandth time.
"You're right, beautiful, I did hear you," he replied. For a moment he even considered granting her wish, and responding to her earlier words. He could tell her what happened to him, who and what had shaped him into the hollow shell of a man that he was today. But he doubted that she could help him, and dismissed the idea as quickly as it had come to him. "I am what I am, and that is all you need to know." Using his leverage on her chin, he brought her forward, pressing his lips to hers. Expecting her to fight him, he slipped his hand from her chin to the nape of her neck, and moved his other the small of her back, pulling her into his body.
She moaned quietly as he laved her bottom lip with his tongue and pushed it into her mouth; this wasn't what she wanted. But anymore, she didn't know what she wanted. Her body was crying out for him, but her mind was screaming protests at her, that this wasn't right. She effectively disregarded all her thoughts when he buried his hand in the silken strands of her hair, it felt so good, and, strangely, so right. His body burned against hers, the heat of his flesh searing hers through both of their clothing. Desperately, her hands searched for something, anything, to hold to, and she found herself clinging to his gi, fisting it and tugging at it until it slipped down his shoulders. No objections left him, not that she was surprised at that, as he pulled back to let her have breath, and began making his way down her neck, trailing liquid fire where his mouth touched her. He groaned, quietly and low in his throat, as her delicate fingers traced over his exposed skin, gingerly at first and then bolder, until she was running her entire palms over his shoulders and chest.
He pushed at the collar of her yukata with his face, it was such a nuisance. Not wanting to take the time or to remove his hand from its place in her hair which was so beautiful to touch, he tore fiercely at it with his teeth, pulling it until it fell down one shoulder. She moaned again, he could hear her voice growing more impassioned with each breath, and he dragged his teeth over her shoulder and back to her neck again, biting down hard there. She gasped when she felt blood begin to rush over her shoulder, but couldn't help but whimper when he swirled his tongue around it, lapping up her blood quickly so as not to waste a drop.
"You taste wonderful," she heard him whisper hoarsely. "Exquisite." She flushed a deep tint of pink at his words, and at his hand that were slowly starting to wander up and down her body.
"Kenshin," she managed to say around a groan. She meant to tell him that this was wrong, that she couldn't do this, but didn't get the words out before he stopped and looked up at her, his lips stained dark red from her own blood.
"Why did you call me that?" he asked quietly, something about his face softening, just around the edges. He recalled her earlier words, 'I wish I could help you.'
"You said... it... it's your name... isn't it?"
"Yes," he said, lowering his head so that she could no longer see his face. "It was. A long time ago."
She had called him 'Kenshin,' and of her own free will. Not because he'd told her too, she'd just... said it. He remembered when he had been Kenshin, when he bore the name that meant 'heart of sword' instead of the one he had now. Battousai. It was a fitting name, a good name, but only for a ruthless killer with blood on his hands. He often wondered, throughout his travels, if he could ever become the man known as Kenshin again. He also wondered how exactly he had come to this, and when the name Kenshin had been lost to the world.
"Is something wrong?" Kaoru saw this as an opportunity to try to get the Battousai to open up, maybe she really could help him. He gazed into her eyes again; did she read a hint, just the very slightest fleck, of regret in his amber eyes, once cold but now blazing with lust and passion. Maybe he was different than she had first thought. His gaze narrowed, turning into more of a glare.
"Yes, there is something wrong, and no, I will not tell you what it is," he growled, the heat between them quickly fading. His voice quieted, she listened intently. "You would understand, as it were, little mortal one."
Shock registered on Kaoru's face. Mortal? Did that make him something more than mortal? If so, then that explained much to her, just by that fact. And indeed, she could even find it in herself to feel pity for him now. It was a growing feeling, she'd always been soft-hearted, and now was no exception. She moved in and kissed him, softly. Though his expression didn't show it, he was slightly comforted by this. Still, old habits die hard, as the saying went. He shoved her away from him with such force that she fell to the floor with a thud, wincing as her wrists bent at odd angles to catch herself.
"Go." His already commanding voice took on a despotic tone. "Leave me alone."
She blinked quickly, refusing to let him see the tears that welled in her eyes, and silently stood, pulling her yukata on with a deep blush. Without looking back at him, she turned and left, slamming the shoji forcefully behind her. When he felt her ki retreat to her room, Battousai brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, like a little boy that needed comforting. At times that was what he felt like, and the name Kenshin triggered the feeling once again. There would be no solace for him, he knew this and had known it for years, centuries even.
'Could she be the one I'm here for?' he wondered silently. For he was aware of what befell the semi-mortal. There were certain expenses that came with longevity, they almost acted as restrictions. One of them was the inability to chose the one they loved, and many times this person turned out to be a mortal. He had long ago steeled his heart, determined not to feel the utter anguish and despair of watching his woman grow old and eventually die. He knew himself, he'd had plenty of time to discover who he was, and he knew how passionately he could feel. However, determined never to let himself feel pain, he directed all that passion toward swordsmanship and the art of killing. He wouldn't deny that he loved assassination, his was a bloodlust that was nearly unable to be slaked.
But this girl, Kamiya Kaoru. Was she the one? That would explain how he felt when he looked at her. Yet he denied it, he couldn't let himself love.
***
Kaoru lay on her futon, quivering and crying in silence. An aching emptiness snaked through her very soul, she had never felt so complete and whole as she had in his arms. Something was different about that man, very different. So different that she felt no shame in her actions, which went against every bit of her character prior to this night. Her whole life had just been uprooted, all she really knew for sure now was that she needed Battousai.
"Kenshin," she whispered to the darkness. "There's something about that name. I really do feel sorry for him, if he really isn't mortal. I don't think he was lying, something about the tone of his voice. It must be terrible, being in the world for so long, alone. There must be some way that I can help him."
She set her mind on finding a way to comfort the Battousai, of learning his secrets and setting him at ease once more. A grim smile was set upon her face as she stared up at the ceiling. It wouldn't be the least difficult of the tasks that she'd taken on in life, but she would try. All her effort would go into unveiling what was in his mind, heart, and soul. There had to be a kinder side to him, she thought she'd seen some of it tonight.
'First thing in the morning,' she thought with a wide yawn, closing her eyes. 'Now I must find time to sleep.'
She drifted off into a dream, tossing and turning restlessly. Warm hands were traveling her body leisurely, a soft tongue stroking her neck. Her dreams were all of lust and fervor, of fire and amber blending with gentle sighs and passionate screams.
*****
A/N: Well... I had one idea for this chapter, but it turned out going in a completely different direction. I wanted to show the more painful side of a semi-mortal, and the softer side of Battousai. Poor man, I'm subjecting him to this torture because I want to let out my feelings. Almost cried there, that I did... It really hits home. Yes, I am semi-mortal, believe me if you want, or don't, either way the story is still good. So, all you hentai people out there... haha! you have to wait! Oh, by the way, I plan on responding to individual reviews next time, I don't know whether I'll do every single reviewer or if I'll pick out the ones with questions. It depends on how much time I have, I suppose. Anyhow, thanks for reading, and don't worry you sick people, I'll get around to the lemon eventually. Bribes wouldn't hurt... You know... I could REALLY use some more awesome pictures of Kenshin... :points at her email address: ^_- (Darn laptop doesn't have a tilde [squiggly line for you non computer nerds/Spanish-speakers]) School tomorrow... must get some sleep so I don't wind up sleeping in math again. Hate school, hate school, hate school...