Disclaimer : Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shonen Jump, Viz, and Sony Productions.
Possession
Donna8157
Chapter 6 : Old Friends
COUGH, COUGH
Kaoru had gone to the bathroom right after lunch and threw up everything that she ate. It wasn't the rose petals had upset her stomach, but it was because of Kanryuu and Kaede's insults and her crumbled pride. When there was nothing left to throw up, Kaoru sank down to the bathroom floor and laughed bitterly at the situation she had put herself in now. After a while, she got up and walked towards the sink to wash her face.
I know I was ready to face these kinds of things when I had asked to be taken in. I've got to be strong no matter what. Even if something worse were to happen, I should be prepared. It would look badly on me and my parents if I were to go against what the Himuras say. After all, I was the one that put myself in this position.
She then looked up in the mirror and saw her reflection. She had changed so much in those past two days. Her eyes which once held youthfulness and vivacity, now seemed dull from all the blows she had to her pride and self respect. Kaoru gently touched the scar on the side of her lips and a small choke of sadness echoed from within her throat. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath as she recited to herself to be strong. Afterwards, she walked out and went back to class. She stood behind Kenshin throughout the rest of the day and by the time classes were done, Kaoru felt like she was going to faint. But she grit her teeth and bore with it.
At the end of the day, Soujiro came by to see Kenshin.
"Himura-san," he started in a flat voice without saying hello. "I hope you didn't forget that Sagara-san is coming tonight at nine."
"Yeah."
"I won't be able to go meet him because I have to go see Okita-san. What about you?"
"I'll have to go."
"All right. Tell Sagara-san that I'm sorry for not going." Soujiro turned around without a word of good-bye. It was unusual that Soujiro's anger towards Kenshin did not dissipate by the end of the day for usually the boy could forgive his friend. However, the way that he and those other two treated Kaoru really grated on his nerves.
After Soujiro left, Kenshin walked out of the classroom with Kaoru behind him carrying his bag. When they got inside the limo, the man noticed the shopping bag full of clothes. He raised one of his eyebrows.
"What is that?"
Kaoru, who just got in the automobile, looked at him in confusion.
"I asked what that was," he said while pointing to the bag on the seat.
"Oh, I went to the mall today and . ."
"Mall?"
"Ye . ."
Kenshin cut her sentence short and shouted towards the chauffeur in the front. "Didn't I tell you to take her to Armani?"
The driver looked up at the man through his rearview mirror and slunk back further in his seat. "Uh . . yes sir . . that . ."
"The driver took me to Armani, but I asked him to take me to the mall instead. It wasn't his . . ." Kaoru began to explain to Kenshin as she looked at him. But Kenshin paid no heed to her and continued to yell at the driver.
"I told you to take her to Armani. How dare you disobey my orders! I think it'll be good if you get ready to hand in your resignation!"
"No! It's my fault. He doesn't have . ."
"Shut up! I'm talking to the chauffeur, not you!" Kenshin yelled as he glanced at Kaoru angrily. He then looked over at the driver again. "My orders were first, but you go to the mall just because she wanted to? Stop the car now!!"
The limo came to a screeching halt.
"Get out!" Kenshin yelled at the chauffeur.
The driver's eyes widened in disbelief. "E-excuse me, sir?"
Kenshin got out of the car with a huff. Kaoru quickly followed him, not understanding what was going on. Then the man shut the door and walked over to the driver's seat. The girl watched him stupefied. The chauffeur quickly got out of the car also after seeing the young master walk towards him.
"You're fired!!" he dismissed as he pointed to the man and then looked back at the woman. "Get back in the car! Hurry up!"
Kaoru looked at the other man in shock when she heard the word 'fired'. The driver didn't know what to do as he stood there unmoving.
"I told you to get in!"
She looked over at the driver with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry .. I'm really sorry." Her face turned red as she realized that her words wouldn't change Kenshin's decision. She bowed to the chauffeur and apologized again. Then she got into the car. As they drove off, Kaoru looked back and saw that the driver was still staring into space, numbed by what had just happened. She felt as though she couldn't take her eyes off the back for she felt that it was all her fault.
Kenshin drove the car skillfully without a word and then stopped in front of the Armani clothes store. He turned off the engine and went to the backseat to grab the shopping bags that Kaoru had bought that morning. He then walked towards the garbage cans on the streets and threw the bags inside. The girl watched all of this in shock.
"Follow me!" he said as he walked inside the Armani store. He had acted as if nothing had happened.
Kaoru took one last look at the garbage cans before going inside. Of course those things would be worthless to him, she thought in irony.
The interior of the small store was very elegant. As Kenshin walked in, a man smiled brightly and greeted him warmly. He had dark-bluish hair and brown eyes. Kaoru thought that the man could even pass for a woman if he had wished.
"Oh my, if it isn't Himura-san! You haven't been here as often. I have some wonderful new things for you to try on." The man then looked and noticed Kaoru behind him. "Oh! Who's this? I see you brought a beautiful lady with you."
"I want you to choose a few outfits that will suit her, Kamatari."
The man clapped his hands together in excitement. "Oh! Yes, come here!"
Kenshin sat down on one of the posh sofas as he waited for Kaoru to try on different clothes.
"Why don't you try this on? Go over there and change," Kamatari said as he motioned towards the back.
The girl went into the dressing room to change into the clothes that the man had picked. After changing, she opened the door and walked out. She was wearing a brown two piece suit on.
"Oh my! This looks wonderful on you!" A smile spread on his face as he looked her up and down. Then he motioned for her to go show Kenshin.
"Isn't it beautiful on her? Actually, I think anything would look beautiful on her," he said as he twirled her around.
But Kenshin shook his head from side to side. He didn't like it much. Kamatari then went through the clothes to find another outfit for her. While Kaoru waited, she couldn't help but look down at the price tag that hung in the sleeve of the suit. Her eyes widened when she saw the price.
Two thousand?! How can one suit cost this much?!, she thought in alarm.
Kenshin, who had been watching her from afar, grinned when he saw her reaction. He knew what she was thinking. Then he got up from the couch and started to sift through the clothes that were on display. In the end he picked out a black suit, a gray suit, and a dark blue suit. He handed them to Kaoru and she went to change into them.
Each of the three suits looked magnificent on her, especially the dark blue dress top and skirt that matched her eyes. In the mean time, Kamatari had also chosen two more pieces that he thought would look good on her. When Kenshin was about to pay for the clothes, Kaoru tried to refuse by saying that she couldn't accept such an expensive gift. But because of Kenshin's obstinacy, she had to accept it in the end. The total came to be over ten thousand dollars. He didn't even blink as he paid the entire amount with his credit card.
"Good bye Himura-san! Hope to see you again sometime soon!" Kamatari said as he waved good-bye.
As Kenshin and Kaoru walked out, Kamatari followed them with a loathsome smile on his face. The girl couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted.
This was a world where everything and anything could be done with money.
And Kaoru . . she was nothing but one of the victims to that filthy money.
By the time they had gotten out of the clothing store, it was already 8:15 pm. His friend's plane was to arrive at 9:00. Kenshin and Kaoru quickly got into the car and he drove to the airport. The person that they were going to see was Sagara Sanosuke, Kenshin's childhood friend. He was coming to Kyoto to see him. After they arrived, Kenshin parked the car and looked at his watch.
8:45 pm
"If we hurry up, we'll get there on time."
They got out of the car and made their way to the waiting area and watched as people swarmed in and out of the terminals. It seemed like Sagara had not come out because Kenshin continued to search for him amongst the crowd of people. He looked at his watch once more and lifted his head, this time seeing a familiar face come before him.
"Sano!" Kenshin called out while waving his hand in the air. The person that got called looked at Kenshin and rushed towards him with a look of joy.
"Kenshin!"
Kaoru watched as the other man came into view. He was very tall, had cinnamon brown eyes, and had brown spiky hair with a red bandanna tied around it. He looked at Kenshin with an impish smile on his face as he approached. He was quite handsome in the loose white T-shirt and jeans and Kaoru noticed many young women giving him second glances.
"You're still the same as ever, Kenshin! Still a midget!" Sanosuke said with a laugh as he came within a few foot's distance.
The girl widened her eyes when she heard him insult the other man. She was surprised to see that Kenshin only laughed it off in response.
"Well, where's Soujiro?" Sano asked as he looked around.
"He couldn't come because he had to visit Okita. He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry."
"Really?" he said with an overly dramatized tone of disappointment. "I really wanted to see the guy. Anyway, how's he doing? Is he still the same?"
"He's doing fine and he's still the same as always."
"Always smiling, huh?" Sano asked.
"Of course."
"Well, let's go," the spiky-haired man said as he began motioning for Kenshin to go. "I'm kind of tired from the flight. Huh?" The man stopped when his eyes fell on the girl wearing a business suit who stood behind his friend. It was hard to see the contours of her face because she had her head down. "Who's this, Kenshin?"
"My doll."
"D – doll?"
"Forget it. Let's just go," he said as he grabbed onto Sanosuke's arm and started walking out. Kaoru's face darkened sadly when she heard Kenshin introduce her as a doll. She then reached out her hand for Sano's bag. When he didn't let go of it, Kaoru looked up at him. He smiled at her warmly.
"It's okay. I'll carry it, jou-chan"
"No, sir." She rejected Sano's kindness and reached for his bag again. A look of sadness rose in his face.
"Hurry up," Kenshin said.
"All right," he said as he finally let go of his bag. Kaoru watched Sanosuke walk away. She liked her first impression of him. His friendliness and the playfulness in his eyes made a person feel comfortable. She watched as Kenshin and Sano talk animatedly to each other and couldn't help but feel a bit surprised. She had never seen Kenshin so talkative, so friendly. The woman came back to her senses and then started to carry the baggage to the parking lot. His bags were put in the trunk and the three of them began to head towards the Himura household.
"Uh? What the . . are you driving?" Sanosuke asked a bit befuddled when he saw Kenshin sit in the driver's seat.
"Yeah . . . something happened," Kenshin replied stiffly as he turned on the engine.
"W. wait," Sanosuke stopped him and quickly put on his seatbelt before the man could back out of the parking lot. Then he smiled at Kenshin feel reassured once more.
"Okay, let's go." The red-haired man grinned at his friend's actions and started driving. When they were on the road, Kenshin spoke again. "You should've come in time for my birthday."
"Oh yeah, that's right. It was your birthday yesterday. Nineteen, huh . . "
"So you do know. How long are you staying this time?"
Sanosuke looked thoughtful for a moment and then replied, "Let's see . . I think I'll just stay here from now on."
"I don't believe that. You're always traveling around places, Sano. I thought you liked China anyway."
"I'm serious this time."
"Really?"
"Yeah, my father didn't say anything about it. Plus I feel much more comfortable here than back there in China."
As Kenshin and Sanosuke continued to have their conversation up front, Kaoru couldn't help but feel that Kenshin treated the other man differently than his other friends. The boy's rough and cold personality was softened in front of Sano. She looked at the brown-haired guy through the front mirror. At that moment, Sano had looked into the mirror and his eyes met with hers. Kaoru became flustered, but he only smiled. When Kenshin looked in the mirror at his friend's smile and Kaoru's red face, he grit his teeth slightly. Sano, who had been looking at her through the mirror, turned around and looked at her.
"What's your name, jou-chan?"
"I . . I'm Kamiya Kaoru, sir."
"Sir?" the guy asked with a surprised look on his face. "You don't look any younger than me. How old are you?"
"I'm eighteen, sir."
"Sir again! Stop saying that. I'm only nineteen, you know," he said while making a slight pout with his lips.
"Leave her alone! She's doing it because she feels comfortable with it," Kenshin said while keeping his eyes on the road.
"Yeah right, Kenshin. Speaking like that is more comfortable than talking informally . ."
"No, this is more comfortable for me, sir," Kaoru lifted her head and spoke with a serious look.
Sano looked at her and stuttered, "Well . . I guess if you want to . . but I really hate it."
"That's enough talking. Do you want to go to my house or do you want to go grab a drink somewhere?"
"Let's just go home. I want to take a shower and get to bed."
Kenshin looked over at his friend. "You don't want to drink? Are you really Sagara Sanosuke?"
Sano crossed his arms and gave him a disgruntled look. Kenshin laughed. "All right, let's go home then."
Sanosuke stretched his body and soon fell asleep in the front seat. Kaoru found herself thinking about him. Even though she had just met him, she thought that he was the type of person that made a person feel comfortable. With him around, she felt more relaxed. As she thought of that, she smiled a ghost of a smile and turned her head towards the window. Kenshin noticed it and scowled.
Forty Minutes Later
"Sano. Sano! Get up. We're home."
"Huh? What?" Sano asked sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. "We're here already?"
"Yeah, let's go in," Kenshin said as he got out of the car.
The brown-haired man stretched his arms again and opened the side door. He was about to follow Kenshin inside, but then saw the girl getting out the bags from the trunk. Sanosuke walked towards her and began helping her to move them out from the trunk. Right then, Kenshin called out to him again.
"Sano! Hurry up! My father's waiting to see you."
"Uh. All right, wait," Sanosuke said as he tried to take the bag from Kaoru's hands, but she didn't let him.
"It's okay. I can carry these. Why don't you go in, sir?"
"Hurry up!" Kenshin yelled from afar.
Sano stared into Kaoru's eyes and then went inside as his friend had urged. "All right, all right. Keep your pants on, I'm coming!" He then looked back at the girl and said softly, "I'm sorry to make you go through all this trouble, jou-chan."
"It's okay, sir."
Kaoru watched Sanosuke walk in and carried the bags into the house. Mr. and Mrs. Hiko welcomed the boy as he came inside and started to have a lively conversation. When Kaoru came inside, Kenshin instantly moved to look at her without him even realizing it. The girl went up to the third floor and placed the bags in the room across from Kenshin's. Afterwards, she walked into her own room and fell onto the bed. It had only been two days since she started living like this but she was already so exhausted. Not only physically, but also mentally. She felt her nerves were always on edge when Kenshin was around. While Kaoru had let her thoughts wander, she fell asleep before she realized it.
[BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP]
Kaoru woke up shocked and looked at the clock. It was 12:15 am. She rapidly picked up the receiver.
[Come to my room now!]
Kenshin's angry voice dug into her ears. After she got up and fixed her clothes, she walked out of her room and into his.
SLAP
Kaoru stood there aghast as she moved her hand to cover the spot on her cheek that the boy had slapped. It was turning red.
"I told you I hated anything slow! You better not be rebelling against me!" he said as his eyes flared in anger.
"No, sir . . I . ." Before Kaoru could finish her sentence, the man slapped her again. Blood started to flow from her lips.
"Here! Take this key and get my coat from the car!"
"Yes, sir . ."
Kenshin threw the keys onto the floor and Kaoru picked them up and left the room. He glared at the door as she walked out of the room. For some reason, anger rose inside of him whenever he looked at her, whenever he thought about the way she acted towards him. He didn't like the way she did everything she was told to do with an expressionless face. And whenever he saw her with another person, it was like that person was fanning his heart that was already on fire.
As Kaoru walked out, she wiped the blood from off of her lips with the back of her hand. Unwanted tears started to flow from her eyes. While she stood in front of Kenshin's door, the door across from the room opened and Sanosuke walked out. Kaoru looked at him surprised and the other looked at her shocked when he saw the thick red liquid flowing from her lips and the wetness on her cheeks.
"What's wrong? What the hell happened, jou-chan?"
"I'm . .okay," she said as she looked down and tried to hide the redness.
Sano quickly walked towards her and tilted her head up, trying to get a better look at her wound, but Kaoru pushed his hand away. She slightly bowed and walked passed him. As she began to walk down the stairs, her stomach started to churn in nausea and embarrassment filled inside of her.
I didn't want him to see me like that. I didn't want him to know that what Himura does upsets me. I have to be strong.
She didn't want to show a person that she was weak. Meanwhile, Sanosuke watched her as he opened the door to Kenshin's room.
"Are you asleep?"
"No, come in Sano."
"I can't seem to fall asleep even though I'm tired. Maybe it's because I slept in the car . ."
"Come here and sit."
"Well, Kenshin . . I have a question . ." he said as he scratched the back of her head. The image of the girl was still in his mind. Could Kenshin have done that to her?
"What is it?" Kenshin said as he narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling about what Sanosuke was about to ask.
"That girl . .what is she . . really?"
"Who . . Kamiya Kaoru?"
"Yeah."
"I told you already. She's my present," Kenshin said with a sardonic laugh.
"Don't joke around. I'm being serious here," Sano said as he crossed his arms in front of him.
"It's the truth. She sold herself to my father and he gave her to me as a present. That's why she can't retaliate against me and she does whatever I tell her to. It's like a kind of contract," Kenshin said as he looked up at his friend.
Sano remained silent as he looked at him with a dumbfound expression. Just at that moment, there was a knock at the door and when Kenshin said to come in, Kaoru walked in. She gave Kenshin his coat and placed the keys on the table. Sano watched her and all signs of her being sad were wiped away. It seemed as if nothing had happened.
"You want to have a drink?" Kenshin asked Sanosuke as he threw the coat onto the bed.
Sano continued to absent-mindedly stare at Kenshin after he told him what had happened. He found himself at a loss for words.
"Go downstairs and get some liquor." When Sano didn't answer, the red-haired man turned towards Kaoru and ordered her to do so.
"Yes, sir," she answered shortly and walked out of the room. The spiky-haired man's eyes followed her as she left.
Soon afterwards, Sano looked at Kenshin again. "Ha! What are you talking about, Kenshin? Did she really sell her life to you? Do you think I'm that stupid that I'd believe that?" he questioned in an agitated and disbelieving voice.
"If you're that curious, why don't you ask her yourself? She should be thankful to me," he said arrogantly.
"What . .?" As Sanosuke continued to question Kenshin, he found out more and more about what had happened that fateful day when Kaoru had all but barged into those doors of Hiten Mitsurugi Incorporated. The boy had elaborated on the parts where she was even to the point of begging her father to take her in. Different feelings started to flash through Sanosuke's eyes as he heard what his friend was saying. He was shocked that the girl could have done such a thing.
"How . .how could. ." he stumbled as he searched for an explanation. But she had lost her father .. maybe her mother also .. and had no money. She must have not had anywhere else to go or else she wouldn't have put herself in this situation.
At that moment, Kaoru knocked on the door and came in with a bottle of vodka. Sano looked at her speechless. When she passed him a shot glass full of the hard liquor, the man started drinking and continuously poured it into his throat. He had been upset by what Kenshin had told him. Meanwhile, Kenshin accompanied his friend and also unceasingly drank. The young woman watched them for awhile before getting up to go back to her own room.
"Where are you going? Come here and sit down!" Kenshin ordered as he pointed to an empty chair.
Kaoru turned around, a bit confused as to why she should stay there. She hesitated for a moment longer before going to sit in the large red leather chair next to the young man. Kenshin then refilled his glass with alcohol and pushed it towards Kaoru. She looked at him slightly shocked.
"Drink up!"
Kaoru held back for awhile at Kenshin's stern words, but she slowly picked up the glass and closed both her eyes and emptied the glass in one draft. A hot, stinging feeling flowed down her throat as she felt the liquid go down. She wrinkled her brows in reaction to the pungent taste. A warm energy rose from her stomach to her face and her cheeks and neck instantly turned a red hue. She set down the glass on the table again while Kenshin refilled it.
"Drink!"
Kenshin watched as Kaoru as she took a deep breath and emptied the glass yet again. When she put down her cup, liquor was poured back into it. Her face had now turned a light red hue. She reached for the glass once more and closed her eyes and drank the liquor again. When she had emptied the third glass she started to feel dizzy.
"Stop it! It doesn't seem like she can drink that much," Sanosuke said as he stopped Kenshin from refilling her glass. Sano took the shot glass and turned it over.
"Didn't I tell you, Sano? She drank a whole bottle of whiskey and still danced and did all the errands. How can she not drink. Right?" he said as he looked over at the girl with a boastful smile while waiting for her to agree with him.
"That's enough. Just go back to your room, jou-chan," Sano had said with a tight frown as he looked at the girl who looked like she was about to faint.
"Go where? She's going to stay here," Kenshin said in a low, strong tone of voice.
"Hurry up and go," the other man had all but shouted. But even at Sanosuke's urgent words, Kaoru did not seem like she was about to get up.
"You see. . .what did I tell you? She listens to whatever I say. Haha . ."
Sanosuke wrinkled his forehead in sheer frustration. Nothing he was saying or doing was helping the situation. The girl continued to just look down at the ground. How could she sell her life because of some money? Having enough of it, he growled, "Aargh! I don't know. You guys settle it on your own. I'm going to my room." He shook his head not wanting to think about it anymore as he got out of his seat and went back to his room.
"Sleep well!" Kenshin said as Sano slammed the door. After he left, Kenshin turned over the glass and filled it up with liquor once again. Kaoru lifted her head and looked at the glass that he had in his hand.
"Drink."
Kaoru started to drink from the glass per his order. After seven glasses, she couldn't take it anymore. She quickly got up and ran to the bathroom with a hand covering her mouth.
COUGH, COUGH
The girl bent over and vomited and coughed into the toilet. The influence of the alcohol had made her dizzy and nauseous. She felt so weary that it seemed as if she was drained of all energy. Then she felt a warm hand pat her back.
It was Kenshin.
When Kenshin had seen her rush to the bathroom, he had followed her. He went towards the girl and lightly patted her on the back. After vomiting, Kaoru weakly fell against the toilet with her eyes lidded shut and mouth still half open from exhaustion. The vodka had started to show its effect and she was so worn out that she couldn't move a finger. Kenshin squat down on the tiled bathroom floor to look at her and couldn't help but chuckle at her expression. It was just so . . for lack of words . . . unlady-like.
After a few minutes, he poked her in the shoulder lightly. "Hey, get up." But the girl didn't respond. Her face had an abnormally tomato red hue to it and feeling a bit worried, Kenshin placed a hand on her forehead. His eyes widened when he found that she was burning hot.
Thinking quickly, he picked her up with his two arms and moved her into the bathtub and turned on the shower. The cold water that was coming out of the showerhead smoothly fell onto Kaoru's body and clothes. She flinched at the sudden coldness, but didn't have the strength to open her eyes and her entire body felt too weary to move.
Kenshin watched her steadily as the water came down and his vision became hazy. The water began to soak into her clothes and it clung to her curves. Her face was now a light red color and her eyes were still closed. There was a small scar on the side of her lip from that time that Kenshin had hit her. The young man felt as if he couldn't take his eyes off of her. As he stared at her lying in the bathtub, he felt a strange feeling overcome him. He began to feel a little lightheaded and the inside of his mouth felt parched. While he watched her ,it seemed as if time had stopped.
Kenshin slowly moved his body towards Kaoru and before he realized what he was doing, he had placed his lips on hers. The water from the shower dropped onto his body and soaked both his hair and clothes, but he didn't notice it at all. He only felt Kaoru's soft lips and her scent that intoxicated him. He then felt a small shiver that traveled from her lips to his own. Kenshin came back to his senses abruptly and pushed himself away from her in shock. His eyes widened at his own actions.
W – what . . what are you doing?, he thought as he touched his lips with his fingers and turned his head away from the girl. The feeling of Kaoru's gentle and cold lips remained. His heart started to hammer against his chest deafeningly and his whole face was aglow as he thought about what he had just done. The feeling that he had when he kissed her this time was completely different from yesterday's kiss at the club.
"C-cold. . c-cold," Kaoru murmured as she turned in discomfort. Kenshin quickly looked back at her and noticed that the water had filled up half of the tub. Her entire body was shivering. The man quickly turned off the water and lifted the girl from out of the bathtub. He laid her next to the wall and the girl started trembling more from being exposed to the cold air. He then got a warm towel from off of the racks and started to dry her hair, face, and body as much as possible.
Afterwards, he carried her out to his room and put her gently on the bed while placing the blankets and comforters over her. As he did so, he couldn't help but continue to watch her. There was still some hair covering her face and Kenshin brushed the few strands back as gently as possible with his fingers, hoping not to wake her. Kaoru had for that moment took over Kenshin's entire senses. He listened to her quiet breathing and smelled her bodily scent. His fingers still tingled from that moment he had briefly touched her cheek and the taste of his lips on hers still lingered. The way the moonlight had cast a soft shadow on her face, her long eyelashes, and her pink petal-like lips mesmerized his eyes. He did not know it, but he smiled for that brief moment as he gazed at her. The girl was deep asleep, but Kenshin felt like she would open her eyes at any second. He began to feel strange again as he continued to look down on her sleeping form. As he felt that, his face flushed red and he quickly looked away. He then walked to the table and picked up the bottle and started gulping it down.
What is it? Why . .w-why do I feel like this? . . Why?
As he sat down on the carpeted floor, he could feel Kaoru tossing and turning about in his bed. He brought the bottle of liquor back towards his mouth and shut his eyes as he tried to banish her from his thoughts.
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- To be continued
Author's Notes :
Whew .. that was a really long chapter. Please read and review! Thanks much! Okay, very important note about Kenshin in this fic:
Many of you have been wondering why he's been acting so terribly mean to Kaoru or to be blunt, acting like an asshole. Well, so far in this story I haven't delved into his character or past. Nor have I given much mention to his feelings or thoughts (at least until this chapter). You'll see his character mature throughout the story, just don't expect it to happen so quickly.
And finally about the pairing: I'm sure you can tell by the end of this chapter which pairing I'm going for.
Special thanks to azulene, nobody, Pia Bartolini, rkfan246, Ryoga, Mimi, super, Raeyn-chan, Battousai-lover, cyjj, Jen, Tenshi-no-Hana-chan, Oni Tokage, Himura-chan, Piper, cattleaya, kik-ting, Ochanoko, Chibi Kiki, Lendra-chan, Mz. Amber Eyez, gaby(hyatt, Kairi7, Reignashii, kenshin's-angel, S3R3nity, xia xue, and Erica for reviewing!