The Night Life: Round 5

She wasn't sure what was worse the fact that her neck stung a bit from the unidentified pinching feeling she'd felt, the fact she'd come away with blood on her fingers or the fact that her lousy, no good, abandoning friends had suddenly shown up and obviously wanted answers.

Argh!

Try to explain or run for it?

As Sano and Kenshin neared them on the crowded dance floor with curious eyes, she suddenly felt too constricted.

"Um... This is... "She started and trailed off when she saw Megumi casting her a semi-lecherous glance. She knew that look well. That look always preceded a snide comment about-

"So, weasel, who's your new friend?"

"Don't call me that," Misao snapped, defensively. She had to mention that damn nickname in front of him? How cruel could she be?

"Weasel?" His sweet, sweet voice purred behind her. She loved that voice! Misao couldn't bring herself to look back at him, what if he was laughing at her?

Realizing four sets of curious eyes were still staring at her she straightened.

"Shinomori Aoshi. Met him at the bar." She pointed in the general direction, even though the motion had been unnecessary.

The two men turned their gazes from her to the tall man behind her and Misao suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Curiously, her neck didn't hurt anymore, but it had been the oddest feeling... and...

Uh oh...

She saw Megumi and Kaoru exchange scheming glances and sinister smirks.

This was the beginning of something she wasn't going to like...

"Quite a match you got there, Misao." Kaoru grinned, her lips thinning into a grin.

Megumi nodded. "He looks almost like the one on your wall at home."

Misao clenched her fists, tempted to knock a few teeth loose out of both of them.

What the hell kind of friends were they anyway?

Kenshin and Sano, previously silent, had lost interest and navigated themselves toward the bar. Misao wasn't sure if she wanted to escape from the lot of them or try to see which one she could pound into the dance floor first. She was about to slip away from Aoshi and her friends when an arm, the weighted, hard flesh of a male, pressed around her waist. She breathed in deep, the scent of him flowing over her.

Aoshi pulled her back, tilting his head down as she tilted her head up to look at him. He pulled her against his body and smirked at her, she imagined his eyes glinted at her.

"You can have her back later... Tonight she's mine."

Without a word or a glance at the other females, Aoshi stepped back; disappearing with such ease into the crowds Megumi and Kaoru were left speechless as they lost sight of the couple.

"That was unusual, wasn't it?" Kaoru asked, following Megumi back to where the others were. So few meager steps toward the bar had, apparently, enabled the others to overhear. Megumi didn't reply, but Sano scoffed.

"Who the hell's gonna try to hurt Weasel? Any man who tries to take advantage of her and gets a rightful ass kicking has it coming if you ask me."

"No one asked you." Megumi replied, moving around the other side of him.

Aoshi tightened his arms around the girl, snuggling her closer to him. The reappearance of her friends was a minor inconvenience if any at all; he certainly wouldn't be bothered over such a trivial thing.

His goal was a simple one: keep her from going to the bathroom to examine her neck. It appeared he had succeeded when she returned to dancing with him, swaying to the music and singing softly to herself, merely enjoying the night.

He watched her.

How long had it been since he hadn't been on a dance floor and his partner was glued against him, batting her eyes and rubbing herself close? How long had it been since he had been virtually ignored by his partner?

He found the slight more interesting than annoying.

He was content to watch the girl until he noticed she had attracted the attention of another male close by, one with iridescent eyes he recognized. The white/silver spiked hair of the man was paired with a roguish smirk as he watched them. He sat close by, one leg crossed over another, his eyes trained directly on them.

On her.

Aoshi checked his growl and reached for her. She turned into him as he directed, and over her shoulder he glared. The unfortunate presence of a rival dimmed his good mood. Encounters with his own were rare, he certainly hadn't expected or wanted one this evening...

Or any other evening.

Holding the girl closer to him, he stepped back, farther into the crowds, hoping to lose sight of the other, but when he looked up, Enishi was gone.

Aoshi frowned.

Xxxxxx Chibijem – Your Turn xxxxxX