Gag Me Please !
Massao na Mizu
Disclaimer: This is the last time you'll see this. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Guess what pairing it'll have if I did own it?
Massao's Notes: Many thanks for the reviews that had a lot of suggestions and encouragements! If you have any questions, you can review and leave your email, I will email you with my answer. The length of the chapter will vary with the plot.
Warning: This is PG-13 with mild lime. I strongly misadvise children under this year of age or older that are not used to this hey! not to read this. I will NOT be held responsible if you read what you read.
INVITATION: I am all inviting you to join the Aoshi and Kaoru Group that I have started. The link is in my bio so check it out!
Last Chapter's Recap: Kaoru relates to Aoshi what happened between Kenshin and her. Aoshi comforts her. Misao passes by Kenshin and cheers him up. Kaoru takes a bath…is that an open invitation to Aoshi?
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I pressed my palms to my cheeks and felt it hot to the touch. Walking over to the mirror, my face was flushed, cheeks not a cute rose pink, but a swollen tomato. It made me want to barf so I turned my back, stripping my clothes off and putting it in the laundry basket. I filled the tub with Luke-warm water, putting bath foam that smelled like water lilies and carefully dipping my body inside the full tub.
I closed my eyes then opened them again as I thought of the past events. Kenshin and I breaking up, Aoshi comforting me, Aoshi giving me advice, Aoshi… Aoshi…Aoshi…
Is that all I think about these days? Is HE all I can think about?
I shook my head, sinking myself lower, guilty of the fast beating of my heart, guilty of the warm, nice thoughts of him, the reminder of his touch…
Everything Him
But I didn't have more time thinking about it, because someone suddenly opened the door and walked inside. I gaped as Aoshi started removing his clothes, folding them neatly above my trashed clothes. He smirked at me and I turned my head away, my hands flying over my chest to cover what little it could.
"There's actually nothing left to hide. I've seen, felt, touching it all," he said in a strange voice he used when we first… uhm… you know! My cheeks were burning, my ears becoming numb in embarrassment of his statement. He looked at me, slightly annoyed. "Why are a lot of girls like that? Hiding something that they don't have to."
That did it. I glared at him, embarrassment forgotten as the emotion of indignation coursed through my veins. "Humph! How dare you! It's not like I'm used to someone suddenly barging in and scaring the shit of out me!" I shouted, and then looked curiously at the door. "Strange, I thought I locked that," he raised a brow, showing me the locked knob.
"You did, but you were smart enough not to close it," he told me, smirking again as I blushed harder. "This is kind of nice. I'm not usually this casual around women. But then I'm so used to you I'm immune."
A tick twitched in my temple, anime style. "I-Immune?" I gritted lowly. "Immune to what exactly?" He looked thoughtful, his weight on his hand that leaned on the door, closing it. I looked away, still blushing at the confidence of Aoshi to pose stark naked.
"Well, when others are afraid, uncomfortable and rather take the other path with the threat of death, I march along, almost completely oblivious to you. I guess I'm so used to you," he smiled. A nice, lazy, sexy smile that made goose bumps on my skin and make my heart thump faster until my ears throbbed from the loud sound of it.
"You do realize that I'll get you for saying that," I threatened him. He sighed, shaking his head and shrugging. Was this Aoshi? Perhaps it was. But this was another side of him. The horny side of Aoshi, that is. I tried to back away more, pushing myself to the side tightly of the tub.
"No need to get me, I'll go in myself," he said, getting in the tub gracefully. Arrgh. I looked to the other side, avoiding taking any glimpse of his bare-naked body. "Why are you looking away? You've seen me."
I blushed even harder. "W-well, y-you can't expect me to be used to it so soon!" My eyes widened and I covered my mouth as Aoshi's eyebrow arched high and his lips quirked.
"So soon? So when are you going to get used to it, after a while?" he asked me in his usual stoic way, as if he was perfectly serious, but he was only teasing me, trying to get a rise. "You know, practice does make perfect." It annoyed me, more than anything… But I felt heat that I couldn't explain without having to go R.
"I don't have to perfect anything!" I hissed, splashing water as I slapped my hand into the tub and landed into uhm… marked or is it unmarked? territory. I'm sure my face resembled Rudolph's bright red nose. "Unless you're saying my you-know-for-what-skills needs improvement!"
"Everyone needs improvement," he said off-handedly, soaking completely in the water and closing his eyes.
"Yeah, like you," I muttered, glaring at him, then slipping more into the water until only my nose was above. "Why do you have to be so out of character?" I demanded.
"I'm not. It's just the anime series never really expounded on my real personality," he explained. "So someone had to make something." He got hold of my wrists and pulled, a loud splash emanating from it, making a wet mess in the white-tiled floor and causing me to be on top of him. I made a small "eep!" noise.
My hands were on the sides of his head, trying to support myself. My chest was heaving with the effort and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't tear my eyes off his gorgeous cobalt eyes that showed the amusement he felt. He smirked.
"My, my, I never thought of you as aggressive. Well, yes I have, but not in this way," he said. I narrowed my eyes into slits, slowly righting myself and covering my chest. I stayed as far as I could from him.
"Who are you?" I asked him in suspicion. He scowled, annoyed.
"Some guy who saw you sniveling last night after hearing your fiancé making love with another woman and was forced into bed by a scary, aggressive woman," he sounded so uncharacteristic he was sarcastic! that it made me grin and lower my head as my shoulders shook from suppressing giggles.
I heard splashing as he came closer to see if I were crying and frowned when he saw me giggling. I laughed as he backed away a bit and settled down. "I'm sorry," I said between giggles, trying to stop myself to no avail. "It's just that… you're so funny!"
Aoshi can be described and defined by several colorful words, but NOT funny. As far as anyone knew, he doesn't have even a single drop of humor. But now, I was laughing at his expense and saying that he was funny. I was soooo going to die early.
"I don't have a sense of humor," he said, glaring at me, irritated. I suddenly forgot that we were wet—soaking wet and in our birthday suits and lunged for him, looping my arms on his neck and pressing my forehead to his.
"Oh come now, don't throw a tantrum," I cooed. He raised a brow.
"A tantrum?" he scoffed, grabbing hold of my hips and sinking me in his… eep! I was going to tell you a lot more, but the authoress decided to revamp the story so it will stay as PG-13.
So… Onto the story!
"I don't throw tantrums. Not even in my youth," he said, steadying both of us as we slipped in the soapy bottom of the tub. I giggled and finally let go of him. "I don't have a single reason to throw one now."
I shrugged, scooping some foam and blowing it. There were bubbles that I blew Aoshi's way playfully that he popped even if it were a whole 12 inches away from him. I might not have explained, but the tubs in the resort were big.
"Do you need a reason to? You can probably do anything if you want to. No reasons asked, no reasons at all, as it should be," I said, smiling. He looked at me intensely, as if weighing or trying to understand what I just said. I looked down, and then blushed as I was reminded and made fully aware of our current disposition.
"Of course you need to have reasons for everything. If there is no reason, what is there left to motivate you? To make you walk down the hill again when you climbed up?" he challenged me. I shifted slightly and thought for a moment.
"Well, don't you think you're being a little too… complex?" he raised a brow. "Okay, maybe the word should be complicated. Your example doesn't have anything to do with the little things! Like basking yourself in the suns, sticking your tongue out in winter to catch a snowflake, those kind of things! You just felt like doing it, so you did it!" I said, grinning.
"Feeling like doing it is still a reason," he pointed out. Okay, he was winning and I felt too tired to challenge him anyway.
"You win then," I sighed, shrugging again and started scrubbing my arm.
He nodded his head, as if to say, 'of course I'd win.' I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out. Whoever thought such a quiet guy had such logic? Of course, of course when I was younger I had planned it all out, that I'd see a more sensitive type of him that he'd only show me…
But, er, this isn't really a sensitive part of him. It's more of the reasonable and logical part of him and the part of him that knows he's always going to win. Oh well, it's doesn't matter anyway.
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"You shouldn't have drunk too much, Misao," Kenshin reprimanded her in the same calm tone he always used. Misao hiccupped in reply and slapped his arm lightly.
"Ju-just help me get to my room," she slurred, her vision blurry and she couldn't focus. Her head felt light and there was a slight pounding, telling her that the many shots she drank were taking its toll.
Kenshin sighed and shook his head. Instead of apologizing to Kaoru right now, he was helping out Misao… not that he was complaining, but… he… he wanted her to understand, he told to himself finally. He wanted her to understand without him having to tell her what happened?
He didn't want to go all Usher on her where if he confess, she might ask for him to dance. And dancing is not one of the things he excelled in. Not that anything's wrong with Usher. In fact, he was someone Kaoru regularly listened to.
He shook his head; Usher was the least of his problems. He looked at Misao to see that she was staring at him, in a sleepy grim sort of way and stuck out her tongue.
"Are you going to help me or not?"
He smiled apologetically and helped her up, putting her arm around his neck and his other arm on her waist. In fact, he was doing most of the walking and Misao's feet were barely touching the floor. He looked at her and found her sleeping. Kenshin sighed and letting go of her waist, swept her up and carried her the "Wedding Way". Or whatever you call sweeping the bride in the arms of the groom.
As they neared her room, Kenshin prodded Misao, asking her where the key was. She mumbled. Kenshin sighed again and pulled out his master card key that could open up any room at his hotel and carried her in.
He laid her on her bed, startled when she mumbled something akin to, "I wonder where Aoshi is," and started snoring softly.
"Yes, where IS Aoshi?" He murmured to himself, shrugging and closing the door behind him as he exited her suite.
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"I'm going to brush my teeth," I informed Aoshi who was drying his hair with a small towel. I waited for him to go out of the bathroom, but he continued his task.
I raised my eyes brows and repeated. "I said I'm going to brush my teeth."
"I heard you. Go ahead," he said monotonously. I blushed a bit in embarrassment. He didn't get what I was trying to say! I bit my lip before trying to explain.
"Aoshi?" I began, as I fumbled with my toothbrush. "I don't like being watched—or people being around when I'm brushing my teeth," I finished, not knowing what he would reply or if he will just walk out of the bathroom without replying.
Instead, he stopped his hair drying via the towel and looked at me for a long while without saying anything. Finally, he asked, "You have fake teeth don't you?"
I almost slipped and fell in surprise. I quickly recovered and looked at him, eyes wide in astonishment. "What did you say?" I was far too flabbergasted by his comment to even be annoyed.
"You're ashamed of your fake teeth that's why you don't want people to know. That's why you don't like people to watch you brushing because you take them out and brush them," he said in a matter-of-factly tone, and turned away from me. I could feel him smirking and I fumed, slapping his back as hard as I could. He bolted upright and glared at me, eyes flashing dangerously, humor disappearing.
For a second there I was scared. I never saw Aoshi loose his composure like that to glare at anyone angrily. In fact, I've never seen him angry before. But I regained my composure.
"What are you talking about?! Of course I don't have fake teeth! What a weird thing to ask! I don't like being watched, because really, who would like people staring at them with foam dripping from their open mouth?" I demanded glaring at him, irritated that he would even think it was a clever joke. 'Next time you make a joke, make sure it's funny,' I fumed inwardly.
He turned away from me again and before walking out of the bathroom called out, "Next time you brush your teeth, keep your mouth close." Which made even my arms blush. I never knew that my arms have the ability to blush. I must've been soooo humiliated.
I 'hmpfhed' and started brushing my teeth, looking at the bathroom door from the mirror, expecting him to barge in and stare at me. But he didn't. I guess he respected my wishes, although he preferred to tease me first before complying.
When I finished, I wiped my mouth on the towel and then opened the cabinet. Another towel covered my chest to my mid-thigh and I let out a small shriek when it came undone and I turned around when I felt hands on my shoulders, shocked I opened my mouth but lips quickly covered mine.
I opened my eyes to see Aoshi's lids, his hair still damp and mixing with my bangs. I sighed and let him kiss me, wondering where he learned how to kiss like that.
Sure, I've known him for a very long time, and I've been subjected to jealousy whenever I saw girls hanging around him, comforted slightly by the fact that he often ignored them and I have never heard of him dating any of them. I'm sure Misao would have told me if she knew anything.
So where'd he learn?
I cupped his ear, run my hands through his soft, damp hair and caressed his cheek, wanting to know if this was merely fantasy, harboring a crush on him for a very long time left me abundant minutes, moments, seconds, hours to dream, fantasize and wonder what if would like to kiss him. To touch his hair, to kiss his soft lips, to kiss his cheeks, if his ears were soft, what it felt like to be near him.
Often times, I'd be awakened from my reveries, and it left me feeling very much disappointed that I could never and would never be allowed to do such things.
I ran my hands on the lids of his eyes, to his temples, massaging them briefly and to his shoulders. I may never get to do this again, and although I felt pleasure from this, and sure, my heart fluttered, I felt a wave of guilt overcome me.
What about Kenshin?
Although he cheated, I can readily forgive him. And I'm also cheating by doing this… (Pleasurable) act with Aoshi. It would be unfair to him. And we just 'cooled off' recently. I shouldn't be doing this!
I debated with myself, and my other self bargained with me for just five more minutes and I could break the kiss, hopefully breaking this spell I'm under in the process.
But to no avail. When five minutes came and I pushed him away from my lips, I my heart ached with longing, as if it wanted more, and it seemed like it felt right, but my conscience would have nothing of it.
He caressed my cheek. "You're guilty. You're worried about Kenshin," he murmured, kissing my cheek softly, in a sucking manner that made me tingle all over and made my toes curl in delight.
I couldn't deny that and I lowered my head in shame. He pulled the back of my head it leaned on his chest. My toes clutched on the soft material of the towel pooled on my feet.
"You want to stop?" he asked me. I couldn't detect nor tell if there was any emotion to his soft question. His tone was simply questioning, devoid of any emotion he might be feeling. I found it frustrating that I couldn't read him properly.
I wanted to answer him with a "Yes" and I did open my mouth just that the "Yes" I was expecting to say did not come out. I have finally come into the conclusion that:
MY MOUTH IS A TRAITOR.
Yes, it is a traitor. My mouth really liked the stimulation it was getting from Aoshi's mouth that it wanted more. It thought that it would be insane to stop the kissing. No way—it said to me, shocking me. My mouth has a mind of its own!
Can mouths have a mind of their own?
This is so weird. I'm learning so many things just by being with Aoshi for a short while. I shall be the smartest person in the world and the first person to discover that mouths have a mind of their own. And people will call me, 'The Girl Who Discovered That Mouths Have A Mind of Their Own.' And my mouth shall have its own show. And then my mouth will go around the world to call its fellow mouths and spread the word…
Never mind. I am getting off-track again.
Anyways, my mouth (the traitor) said, instead of saying Yes was, "No…" And in a begrudging tone! As if it didn't even want the idea of stopping! Arrgh!
After all I've done for you, after nourishing you with strawberry lip balm…
Oh-kay. This is getting so unclear.
I peered at Aoshi and saw him looking far away. His face emotionless and his eyes clouded up with an unknown emotion. I stayed silent, wanting him to talk without my prodding.
"I don't want to either…" he murmured, looking down at me, his cobalt eyes intensely searching sapphire ones and maybe he found what he was looking for because he started kissing me again.
Mmmm….
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"Hi Kenshin," a female's voice called out tentatively to Kenshin Himura, making him turn around to see Tomoe smiling at him. His eyes widened briefly.
From the many years that he's known Tomoe, she seldom smiled. And only when there is something that is worth smiling at, like a cute child running around or something like that. Whenever he would smile at her, she only looked at him then looked away. There were only 3 instances when she smiled back.
"Hi Tomoe," Kenshin replied, recovering from his shock. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," she let out a deep breath and lowered her head before saying, "I'm leaving in 4 hours. This is my last trip to Japan. After this, I'm going to Paris and I'm never going to set foot here again." She told Kenshin earnestly.
Kenshin knew this was coming. She wanted a new life; she wanted to forget the sad things that had happened to her. And he'd be damned if he didn't give it to her. She wanted freedom.
He smiled at her, a genuine smile that made Tomoe choke on a sob from emotions she was feeling… "I wish you luck, Tomoe-san, you deserve this opportunity to turn your back on everything that has happened and create a new life for yourself."
She smiled, taking a step towards Kenshin. Tomoe looked at her hands, joined together tightly. "Yes… but, I didn't want to leave without telling you… and asking you for one last thing before I go…" she looked up at him, eyes pleading and hopeful at the same time that Kenshin would grant her request.
Kenshin saw no harm at them and nodded his head. "What is it Tomoe-san?"
That was the only coaxing she needed. She looped her arms around his neck and tilted her head, her lids drooped a bit as she whispered, "One last kiss…"
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"I'm hungry," I whined to Aoshi who was reading the newspaper someone left on my suite's doorstep.
"Isn't there anything in the fridge?" He asked, in a more of a statement tone. I rolled my eyes.
"I want real food! It's lunch time already you know, so we should head out and eat!" I told him, yanking one of his large hands to pull him up off the couch. He barely budged. I frowned.
"In a while," he murmured, turning the page of the newspaper. I was really hungry and I was growing embarrassed that my stomach might growl in hunger and starvation!
"I'm really, really hungry. Come on, Aoshi! You can finish reading that later!" I told him, pulling him once again until he complied and straightened his shirt. Good thing that his suite was near mine so that he could just waltz out of my suite wearing a bathrobe and people won't even notice (not that there was any person walking around anyway.)
"Alright," he said monotonously. I blinked and then smiled, pulling him out of the suite. We walked on, and steered towards Misao's suite.
"Let's drop by to see if Misao would want to join us!" I chirped. He passively walked on, as always.
The elevator door opened and we went inside. A couple of minutes passed and we walked out, towards Misao's suite. I was going to turn when Aoshi put his hands on my shoulders. I looked up at him curiously. His face was set emotionlessly, eyes looking towards Misao's suite.
I turned my head so that I would see what he was looking at. My eyes widened in shock, I felt as if I was being stabbed in the heart as I saw the scene. Tomoe latched herself on Kenshin and kissed him…
And Kenshin did nothing to stop her! In fact, he put his arm on her waist and cupped her head to guide her. I was crushed to say the least.
I took a hard step back and collided with Aoshi. It was hard for me to breathe.
I looked up at him, not caring that tears were welling up in my eyes…
"What should I do?" I asked him in a tiny voice.
Aoshi shook his head, as if to say, "Nothing" and I complied.
Maybe… maybe I shouldn't do anything. I myself was doing something with Aoshi, then why can't Kenshin?
Besides, isn't Tomoe the real reason why we separated anyway? Maybe he wants to reconcile with her.
I set my mind, my sapphire eyes hardening as they obviously deepened their kiss. Fine, if he wanted to do it this way, then we will. After all, this is all his choice.
"Let's just have lunch together, shall we?" I told Aoshi in a perfect imitation of his monotonous voice. He raised his eyebrows briefly and then closed the elevator, clicking the ground floor button and then moving me away from the door.
I sighed, collapsing on the mirrored wall inside the elevator, sliding down and crying. I drew my knees up and covered my face with my arms, sobbing all the more.
Aoshi kneeled before me, comforting me without saying anything. He didn't say anything; he knew he didn't have to. I clutched at his shirt, knowing I owe him two shirts now and crying my heart out, my vows of not crying again forgotten.
I felt pain in my chest, and it wasn't getting any better. "Why is he doing this?" I asked him in a pained voice.
"…" He didn't answer. He probably didn't know what to answer me with.
I sighed, trying to calm myself as the elevator music tinkled as a sign that we were on the ground floor at last. Aoshi helped me up and then sat me down, handing me his handkerchief. He ordered for the both of us and we ate in silence. I barely ate at all, having lost my appetite.
I was troubled, tormented, in anguish. Whatever you please to call it, that's what I feel right now.
But if I was this hurt by what Kenshin had done, that meant I loved him, right?
Then what did I feel for Aoshi?
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Acknowledgements: This is the list of reviewers that helped me piece this fic out by suggesting what they would like to see in this chap:
Shoda –you are my first reviewer. Thank you very much! Also, for your helpful suggestion!
BelleDayNight—not only did you help me in piecing it out, but you also beta-ed it for me! You also gave me encouragement and inspiration! You should date my muse! His name's Gouki Nakayuki, Silver-white hair stylishly short, amber eyes that turns blue when creative I'm very thankful!
Shiroi Hikari— you are an excellent beta that gives encouragement thanks a lot!
Kikyobasergirl—thanks! I will! Thanks for the support and reading my fics! I appreciate it!
Randomxthoughts—thanks! I does! I'm happy that you read it!
Ayah—I'm glad that my fic made you feel better! J I even made a group for them! I hope you join or visit! If you're interested, the link is on my bio. Thanks for reviewing and being open for this pairing!
Hotohori—lol! Hey, do you want it to be an R? I was thinking about it… hm… but I don't think I'm good enough to make an R! I've never done so before. Hehehe. Thanks!
Mae—thanks! Bradbaby? I don't know him… Is he the red-haired guy? I don't think so coz his name's Aya… Who's he?
Kirara26—thanks! I love your reviews! They inspire me to do better! Hugs
Starian Princess—Thanks! I will continue! Yup, it is easy to get hooked. I got hooked into a lot of Someone/Kaoru pairing before I liked this! Lol.
Smileyrock5—sure! I'll notify you when I update! Thanks for reviewing!
MaryDFair—ack! Nope, no Misao and Kenshin in the bed! shudders I'm no criminal. . Aww! You're so sweet! glomps thanks for offering!!!
Devil's 99th Angel—Thank you Thank you Thank You And Thank You! Oh, did I mention thank you! Thank you for leaving such great reviews! It made me want to go on writing! Hugs
Shadowaoi—I'm glad you got hooked! It's so addictive, isn't it? Have you read the other fics like Fateful's and Cassidy Jewell? Addictive I tell you! J
Xuequin—I want to hug you for trying! I understand that sometimes, people can't come up with anything. I myself couldn't come up with anything! lol. Sorry it took me so long to update! I hope you like this!
To: IMPROVED, Uber Rei Model 06, Jade Catseye, Ruby, Satu-Chan, Lady Miako uhm… I'm sorry, but I didn't understand the question… Do what?, Silver Goddess1, D, niirokyoushu, YukiCodeLoyko, koookey, Kura-sama, Dagorwen of Ithilien There! I updated! I'm sorry for having taken so long!, Ruroukenfan And So Many More, Thank You SO Much!
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