Crimson Tears: Chapter 2
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His features were chiseled in the same fashion as Michelangelo's David. The man looked as if he was the perfected marble statue that a sculptor slaved his best years of life over. He possessed an untouchable quality and yet was desired by women and men alike. However, he gave neither his attention. Life was too precarious for him to risk attachment.
He once had four dear friends but in a moment of time all four of their lives were extinguished. He was a teenager when it happened and they were driving to his house to pick him up for an evening at the arcade. In those days he had been carefree. He was told they all died instantly on impact, but the thought failed to comfort him.
He leaned his staggering six foot three well muscled body against the wall at the airport trying to ignore the New Yorkers that were hustling around him. His dark bangs fell over his ice blue eyes as he scanned the crowd for Saito.
Why had he agreed to do this again? He sighed at his own weakness. He should have refused, but Saito had called in the favor that Aoshi owed him. He would protect this Kamiya girl, though he had no idea why she would be so important to that bastard wolf. However, Aoshi had to admit that he did read all of her novels and articles.
He glanced down at his watch and frowned. Saito had better hurry. They needed to board the plane within the next ten minutes. He already sent that fox-like woman and the chicken-brained man to wait on the plane. Aoshi lifted his eyes to scan the crowd once more.
Chief Saito could be seen heading his direction and his hands were full. One was pulling a suitcase and the other was latched onto the arm of an angry woman. Aoshi quirked a brow, but it went unnoticed under his dark bangs. Could the angry woman be the award winning journalist whose work he admired? She was so ---- small.
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Enishi walked down the stairs of his castle estate. He ran his hand through his short, thick white hair. Tucked under his arm was the latest journal with Kaoru Kamiya's newest article about the Battousai. His sister had become obsessed with the young journalist and was the reason he had agreed to open his castle up for a mystery fortnight.
His turquoise eyes watered at the sight of what his sister had become. He pushed his blue sunglasses up higher on his nose to hide his watery orbs. "I brought it," he announced from the doorway.
Tomoe turned around in her wheel chair and pushed herself towards him determinedly, offering a weak smile in greeting. Her dark eyes were an eternal window into her sorrowful soul. She reached for the magazine he held and opened it up to Kamiya's latest work.
Idly, she began to twist the wedding ring on her left ring finger. Enishi stared at the golden band bitterly. The one whom gave it to her is the reason she was in that wheel chair and was nothing but a shell of her former self.
Tomoe had since become obsessed with the Battousai and naturally with Kamiya since she was the one who had the most knowledge about him. She wanted an excuse to meet the woman and perhaps track down the one that had destroyed all her dreams. Her husband, Akira, was lost to her. She had not seen him since she was abandoned after the attack at their wedding.
Moments after the 'I do's were said, a man, in a ninja outfit of black that hid his identity, had interrupted the happy couple. Akira had grabbed Tomoe close to him against his chest, in effect turning her back towards the assassin. Whether he did it out of confusion or if he used her as a shield was unknown. All Tomoe remembered was the sheering pain of a blade slicing across her back to form an 'X' too quickly for her notice that she was cut twice.
The assassin seemed to realize too late that the wrong target was hit and quickly fled, leaving a wounded bride in her groom's arms. Her white wedding dress stained crimson.
Her new husband stood by her at the hospital as the doctors informed them of her paralysis from the waist down. She would never have children. Akira was lost to her the very next day. She knew his absence had something to do with the Battousai. Who else could the black assassin have been?
When she found out about Saito and Kamiya's engagement she was afraid that the stories the woman wrote about the Battousai would be put to rest as she started her happy marriage. No doubt SHE would have children and no more time to dedicate towards the mystery. She was overjoyed to learn about their breakup.
It took little convincing for her little brother to agree to host an event that would attract great minds and hopefully the Battousai himself. In his arrogance, no doubt he would also attend. She had to make sure that Kamiya was present, which is why Saito was presented with the offer Enishi extended. Tomoe also had to make sure that Saito wasn't there; she couldn't risk Kamiya becoming distracted.
For her own sake, she needed the mystery of the Battousai solved.
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"The plane is about to leave," Aoshi greeted coolly once the two had reached his side in the terminal. Saito shoved the suitcase at Aoshi and turned around and left without saying a word.
Aoshi and Kaoru watched him leave silently for a few seconds before Kaoru turned back to the stranger. He must have been Detective Shinomori. "I'm sorry about that. That idiot didn't even tell me about this until an hour ago. I'm Kaoru Kamiya," she held out her hand to him.
Aoshi looked down at her hand and slowly met it with his own in a brief shake. "Let's go." He handed her suitcase to the luggage handler and began walking towards the plane expecting the woman to be following him.
Kaoru watched him in shock. She couldn't believe how rude he was! Did he just expect her to come running after him like some sort of lap dog? The nerve of that man, he didn't even introduce himself. Angrily, she began to walk after him. She hit him hard upside the head.
Aoshi quickly turned around and glared down at the woman. "What?" He barked at her, he couldn't believe she had just struck him!
Kaoru crossed her arms at his tone, fire burning in her sapphire orbs melting the ice in his light blue. "You could at least be civil. We'll be spending a lot of time together. You didn't even bother introducing yourself."
Aoshi turned back around and resumed walked towards the plane. They had five minutes before the plane would be ready to take off. He really didn't have time to deal with a temperamental woman. It didn't matter that he was finding himself attracted to her. It didn't matter that he was thinking of taking the doctor and boxer up on their offer and letting them share a room and he share one with the writer.
Kaoru glared daggers into Aoshi's back and ran to catch up with him again. As she walked alongside him towards the plane she snuck a peek at him from the corner of her eye. How was it possible to be as gorgeous as he was on the outside and a completely anti-social block of ice on the inside?
Aoshi noticed her watching him from the corner of her eyes. After the stewardess ushered them towards their seats, he took the isle seat, forcing Kaoru to climb over his legs to the window seat he decided to answer. "I'm Aoshi Shinomori." He finally greeted as he closed his eyes and relaxed in his chair.
Kaoru buckled her safety belt and crossed her legs angrily. "It's a little late for that ice man. And buckle up, I don't want to have to save your scrawny ass from falling out of your seat once we take off."
Aoshi cracked open an eye and lazily buckled up. He bit his inner cheek, keeping his emotions in check. This woman was not about to get a rise out of him, many had tried and all had failed. It was impossible and he planned to keep it that way. "Very well, Tanuki," he agreed, calling her the name he heard Saito refer to her once as.
Kaoru threw her arms into the air in frustration and turned to stare out the window and ignore the man beside her. "Why does everyone call me that?" she muttered.
Aoshi closed his eye again and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. It was going to be a long two weeks after all.
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TBC
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His features were chiseled in the same fashion as Michelangelo's David. The man looked as if he was the perfected marble statue that a sculptor slaved his best years of life over. He possessed an untouchable quality and yet was desired by women and men alike. However, he gave neither his attention. Life was too precarious for him to risk attachment.
He once had four dear friends but in a moment of time all four of their lives were extinguished. He was a teenager when it happened and they were driving to his house to pick him up for an evening at the arcade. In those days he had been carefree. He was told they all died instantly on impact, but the thought failed to comfort him.
He leaned his staggering six foot three well muscled body against the wall at the airport trying to ignore the New Yorkers that were hustling around him. His dark bangs fell over his ice blue eyes as he scanned the crowd for Saito.
Why had he agreed to do this again? He sighed at his own weakness. He should have refused, but Saito had called in the favor that Aoshi owed him. He would protect this Kamiya girl, though he had no idea why she would be so important to that bastard wolf. However, Aoshi had to admit that he did read all of her novels and articles.
He glanced down at his watch and frowned. Saito had better hurry. They needed to board the plane within the next ten minutes. He already sent that fox-like woman and the chicken-brained man to wait on the plane. Aoshi lifted his eyes to scan the crowd once more.
Chief Saito could be seen heading his direction and his hands were full. One was pulling a suitcase and the other was latched onto the arm of an angry woman. Aoshi quirked a brow, but it went unnoticed under his dark bangs. Could the angry woman be the award winning journalist whose work he admired? She was so ---- small.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Enishi walked down the stairs of his castle estate. He ran his hand through his short, thick white hair. Tucked under his arm was the latest journal with Kaoru Kamiya's newest article about the Battousai. His sister had become obsessed with the young journalist and was the reason he had agreed to open his castle up for a mystery fortnight.
His turquoise eyes watered at the sight of what his sister had become. He pushed his blue sunglasses up higher on his nose to hide his watery orbs. "I brought it," he announced from the doorway.
Tomoe turned around in her wheel chair and pushed herself towards him determinedly, offering a weak smile in greeting. Her dark eyes were an eternal window into her sorrowful soul. She reached for the magazine he held and opened it up to Kamiya's latest work.
Idly, she began to twist the wedding ring on her left ring finger. Enishi stared at the golden band bitterly. The one whom gave it to her is the reason she was in that wheel chair and was nothing but a shell of her former self.
Tomoe had since become obsessed with the Battousai and naturally with Kamiya since she was the one who had the most knowledge about him. She wanted an excuse to meet the woman and perhaps track down the one that had destroyed all her dreams. Her husband, Akira, was lost to her. She had not seen him since she was abandoned after the attack at their wedding.
Moments after the 'I do's were said, a man, in a ninja outfit of black that hid his identity, had interrupted the happy couple. Akira had grabbed Tomoe close to him against his chest, in effect turning her back towards the assassin. Whether he did it out of confusion or if he used her as a shield was unknown. All Tomoe remembered was the sheering pain of a blade slicing across her back to form an 'X' too quickly for her notice that she was cut twice.
The assassin seemed to realize too late that the wrong target was hit and quickly fled, leaving a wounded bride in her groom's arms. Her white wedding dress stained crimson.
Her new husband stood by her at the hospital as the doctors informed them of her paralysis from the waist down. She would never have children. Akira was lost to her the very next day. She knew his absence had something to do with the Battousai. Who else could the black assassin have been?
When she found out about Saito and Kamiya's engagement she was afraid that the stories the woman wrote about the Battousai would be put to rest as she started her happy marriage. No doubt SHE would have children and no more time to dedicate towards the mystery. She was overjoyed to learn about their breakup.
It took little convincing for her little brother to agree to host an event that would attract great minds and hopefully the Battousai himself. In his arrogance, no doubt he would also attend. She had to make sure that Kamiya was present, which is why Saito was presented with the offer Enishi extended. Tomoe also had to make sure that Saito wasn't there; she couldn't risk Kamiya becoming distracted.
For her own sake, she needed the mystery of the Battousai solved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"The plane is about to leave," Aoshi greeted coolly once the two had reached his side in the terminal. Saito shoved the suitcase at Aoshi and turned around and left without saying a word.
Aoshi and Kaoru watched him leave silently for a few seconds before Kaoru turned back to the stranger. He must have been Detective Shinomori. "I'm sorry about that. That idiot didn't even tell me about this until an hour ago. I'm Kaoru Kamiya," she held out her hand to him.
Aoshi looked down at her hand and slowly met it with his own in a brief shake. "Let's go." He handed her suitcase to the luggage handler and began walking towards the plane expecting the woman to be following him.
Kaoru watched him in shock. She couldn't believe how rude he was! Did he just expect her to come running after him like some sort of lap dog? The nerve of that man, he didn't even introduce himself. Angrily, she began to walk after him. She hit him hard upside the head.
Aoshi quickly turned around and glared down at the woman. "What?" He barked at her, he couldn't believe she had just struck him!
Kaoru crossed her arms at his tone, fire burning in her sapphire orbs melting the ice in his light blue. "You could at least be civil. We'll be spending a lot of time together. You didn't even bother introducing yourself."
Aoshi turned back around and resumed walked towards the plane. They had five minutes before the plane would be ready to take off. He really didn't have time to deal with a temperamental woman. It didn't matter that he was finding himself attracted to her. It didn't matter that he was thinking of taking the doctor and boxer up on their offer and letting them share a room and he share one with the writer.
Kaoru glared daggers into Aoshi's back and ran to catch up with him again. As she walked alongside him towards the plane she snuck a peek at him from the corner of her eye. How was it possible to be as gorgeous as he was on the outside and a completely anti-social block of ice on the inside?
Aoshi noticed her watching him from the corner of her eyes. After the stewardess ushered them towards their seats, he took the isle seat, forcing Kaoru to climb over his legs to the window seat he decided to answer. "I'm Aoshi Shinomori." He finally greeted as he closed his eyes and relaxed in his chair.
Kaoru buckled her safety belt and crossed her legs angrily. "It's a little late for that ice man. And buckle up, I don't want to have to save your scrawny ass from falling out of your seat once we take off."
Aoshi cracked open an eye and lazily buckled up. He bit his inner cheek, keeping his emotions in check. This woman was not about to get a rise out of him, many had tried and all had failed. It was impossible and he planned to keep it that way. "Very well, Tanuki," he agreed, calling her the name he heard Saito refer to her once as.
Kaoru threw her arms into the air in frustration and turned to stare out the window and ignore the man beside her. "Why does everyone call me that?" she muttered.
Aoshi closed his eye again and allowed himself to drift off to sleep. It was going to be a long two weeks after all.
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TBC