Everything Purple
violetjewelz

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Rurouni Kenshin in any way, shape, or form. Not even octagonal. Maybe hexagonal .. -sees lawyers running towards me- Okay, nevermind. Scratch that. No hexagonal. -lawyers run back to where they came from- That was close. -relieved sigh-

Chapter 9: Everything Purple

After Kaoru's thought of trying to make the Battousai feel for once in his life, Kaoru grabbed a quick bite to eat for dinner. Once finished with it and throwing away the remains, she decided to sit at the table instead of going back to her room and sleeping. This was a bad idea, though, because soon after, she found herself nodding off into sleep.

A fist slamming down onto the table woke Kaoru up and she was standing at attention in less than two seconds. "Sir, yes, sir!"

But, it took two minutes for her to finally be awake and able to register who and what woke her up. Seeing Battousai's raised eyebrow, she cleared her throat. "I mean, yes! I'm awake!"

The manslayer just shook his head. 'This girl never ceases to surprise me,' he thought to himself. "Anyways, I need to go out to buy some food and stuff ... " Battousai trailed off, not really wanting to continue and ask what he was going to ask.

Kaoru noticed that he was going to say something more. "Uh-huh. Yes. Is there anything else?" she prodded, trying to be nice and polite as best she could. She was really going to work hard to crack this man's cold exterior and she knew that she would have to be nice no matter what to be able to accomplish that.

"Yes, actually there is ..." He trailed off again, but after a hand motion from Kaoru, he finished with, "I have to go out and get some food and thought you might need a few things, so what do you need?" After seeing Kaoru with a wide smile, he quickly added, "Not that I'm doing it for you. It's just that I'm going out anyways."

"Suuure," Kaoru said, but didn't say anything further.

"So, is there anything you need?" he asked her again.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Feminine stuff or something?" Battousai couldn't believe he was asking her this. Why did he care if she needed anything. She was just some lowly female whose wishes and needs didn't really matter.

"Umm .. well, I guess there is some stuff I need, but I can't think of anything right off the top of my head," Kaoru finally answered.

"Okay," Battousai replied as he strode over to the door. He turned around to her and warned, "Oh, and don't even think of escaping. This whole building is owned by my boss and everyone who lives here works for him, so don't think you'll even be able to try and escape."

Kaoru winked at him, her purple eyes sparkling a little. "Your wish is my command," she told him, bowing.

Battousai gazed at her eyes. Did he see a ... sparkle in them? They really were gorgeous eyes .. Battousai mentally slapped himself. He shouldn't be thinking such stupid thoughts. Without another word, he slid the door open and then closed it, leaving the building.

"Hmm .. now what to do?" Kaoru wondered aloud. Battousai's pad wasn't exactly a shopping mall or a movie theater. Not that there were any shopping malls or movie theaters in olden time Japan, but still, it was much more boring than ... any place that she could imagine. If she knew where her duffel bag was, she could grab a book and read or get her laptop and surf the 'net, but she had no idea where it was; Battousai had hidden it when he brought her back to his place.

Then, Kaoru's face brightened. She could always just sing. She didn't need any background music to sing! So, for the time being, Kaoru passed her time singing her favorite songs, waiting for the Battousai to return.

At the current time, Battousai was walking down the path in between market stalls. In his left hand he had several types of food. Fruits, vegetables and many others. However, he still wasn't finished with his shopping. As he passed a certain stall, a deep, royal purple caught his eyes. Backing up a little, he turned to see a stall that had many kimono, some made of silk, but most were cotton or other materials.

"Hello there, sir! Is there a certain kimono that you are looking for?" a plump, old lady asked him, waving her hand over the various kimono.

"Yes. How much is that one over there?" the assassin asked, pointing to the purple one that had caught his attention.

The lady followed his gaze and her smile widened. "Oh, that one? That one is made of pure silk, as you can tell. It's very expensive, but it's definitely worth the cost if you have that kind of money.

The old lady was exactly right. It was a very beautiful kimono. It was a dark shade of purple. A mixture between a plum color and a royal purple color. All over the kimono, there were very pale pink sakura petals and plum blossoms that were light pink, but almost too light so that it looked white. 'This would look absolutely resplendent on Kaoru.' Battousai pictured in his mind. "What the fuck?!" he yelled aloud. After seeing a confused and almost afraid look on the vendor, he kept his voice to himself. 'Why the hell did I think of her in this. Why not some alluring geisha that I've had before?'

"You said this was expensive, but you never gave me an exact price. So how much?"

Not knowing that the man in front of her was an assassin (and a well-paid one at that), she didn't think that he would have enough, but she told him the price anyways. "It's 350 yen, sir."

That was a rather large amount, but his last paycheck was even larger than that since his latest victim was another assassin. One who had great skill himself, and so harder to kill than most of his victims. So, not giving it much more thought, he counted out the exact amount of yen and handed it to the old lady. "I'll take it."

Ecstatic with such a large purchase, the lady beamed, nodding her head up and down with much vigor. "Yes, sir! Right away!" Folding it up, she tried to make conversation. "So, is this for a special someone in your life?"

"Well, she's definitely special, that's for sure." Then, he added, without really thinking, "I just thought that she might look good in it. It goes with her eyes."

"Ahh, I see." The lady smiled knowingly. "Does she have purple eyes? That's rather strange, though."

"It's strange, but they're very beautiful. She says they aren't her real eyes, just contact ... somethings. But still, they are the deepest purple that you can imagine. And though I haven't had much of a look at them, they seem to have an unfathomable depth. And just today, she smiled and it was almost as if I saw her eyes sparkling," the Battousai described to her.

"You must really love this girl. You seem to be a love-sick puppy describing her eyes just now." The old lady chuckled after hearing him speak.

Her words finally brought him out of whatever spell he was in. When he at once realized what he had said, his eyes narrowed in anger and annoyance at himself. He was a cold-blooded killer. Why the fuck had he been speaking like a weak, overemotional lover? This was unbelievable. "'Love this girl?' you say? Hell, no! She's a stubborn and exasperating bitch! Who the fuck would love her?" He then growled at the vendor. "Who? Huh? Tell me. Tell me who, you prodding wench!"

Even though she was beginning to tremble in fear, the old woman managed to say, "Maybe someone who is just as unrelenting and determined as that young woman. Someone who thinks they'll never fall in love, but will wind up loving said woman. Opposites might attract sometimes, but if you're both evenly-matched, you might be drawn together and become closer than you ever thought possible. Trust me. You think about her more than you believe you do." Her muscles and nerves now under control, she stood as tall as she was able to and looked Battousai right in the eyes. "I'll tell you who can love her, young man." Her eyes then bore into his own as she gave her answer. "You can!!"

Battousai's eyes widened an unnoticeable fraction of a centimeter, but they widened nonetheless. Could this woman be right? Shaking his head, he cast the thought aside. She was wrong, not even close to the truth. He'd never love anyone, especially not the wench back at his place.

"You know nothing, old hag," he gritted through his teeth, swiping the kimono out of her hands. "Nothing at all," he said as he walked away.

Kaoru had been singing quite a few songs, but none of them were all that romantic. "I'll guess I'll sing some songs about love now!" She decided aloud. "I'll sing some of Celine's!"

Not a few seconds later, Kaoru broke into song.

When I give my heart
I give it completely
Or I'll never give my heart

And the moment
I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you

When I fall in love
It will be forever
Or I'll never fall in love

In a restless world
Like this is
Love is ended before it's begun

And too many
Moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun

When I give my heart
I give it completely
Or I'll never give my heart

And the moment
I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you

"Oh, I just love Celine Dion songs!" Kaoru exclaimed as she finished singing. "They're just so romantic and everything!" Then, Kaoru had an idea. "Maybe, I can sing Battousai a song when he gets back and then he'll know that love is so great! I have the perfect song for him!"

"You can try, but I don't think it'll work," a voice came from the door of Battousai's place.

"Huh?" Kaoru whirled around and saw a man with black eyes and black hair pulled up in a high ponytail that ended at the nape of his neck. "Who are you?!" she demanded from the stranger.

"Kogoro Katsura," he simply replied, as if his name would explain everything.

"Okay ... and what're you doing at my--" she started and then corrected herself. "I mean, Battousai's place?"

Katsura stepped farther into the room and quirked an eyebrow. "I'm Himura's boss. Did he refrain from telling you that?"

At first, Kaoru had to think of who Himura was, but remembered that Hiko had said that Himura Kenshin was Battousai's real name. "It would appear that way, wouldn't it," she said. "Now would you mind telling me why you are here? I have already asked once."

Katsura was now only a few feet away from Kaoru. "Well, I was passing by and I heard a lovely voice singing a beautiful song and so I decided to stop and listen." He then looked at her, seeing if she wanted him to continue.

"Go on." Kaoru knew that he wasn't finished with whatever he wanted to say.

"And I was thinking, in a few days I'm having a dinner with all my employees-"

"You mean like a corporate picnic type of thing?" Kaoru asked him.

Not really knowing what she meant by that he nodded his head barely. "Maybe. Anyways, I hire a few geishas to entertain my men and was wondering if you would like to sing for them."

Kaoru was shocked. At first this man had seemed polite enough, but now he was wanting to hire her as a geisha? "I'm sorry, sir, but I am not interested! I'm not a slut and so therefore I am not willing to participate in sluttish activities!"

Understanding what she meant, Katsura explained further. "Allow me to elaborate. I do not want to hire you as a geisha, but a singer. I only want you to sing a few songs for the men. Nothing more is needed."

"Oh." Kaoru now comprehended what the man wanted. "I guess I could do that. Yeah, sure."

"Okay, great." Katsura smiled. "The dinner is on Monday. That's four days off. So, try and decide what songs you want to sing. Four to six songs would be a good number."

"I will do that. Thank you, Kogoro-san."

Katsura nodded in response and then was gone as abruptly as he had came.

After buying the expensive kimono, Battousai now found himself at a sandal and sock booth. He easily decided on white odori tabi socks. On the other side, he had to choose between geta, zori and tatami sandals. Purchasing a pair of zori sandals that were purple and had white straps, he moved on.

Hearing a shout from behind, he turned to see a stall across the path selling hair and kimono accessories. "I see that you have a kimono, sandals and socks, but there's more needed for kimono wearing, you know."

Battousai wasn't exactly a kimono shopper, so he didn't have a very clear idea of what was needed. "What else do I need?"

The vendor smiled, happy that he had a perspective customer. "Well you need a slip for underneath the kimono." Holding up some white material that consisted of a white cotton top and skirt, he handed it to the assassin. "This juban will do nicely. Now, come over here to this side." The man ushered Battousai to the wide variety of obi belts. "You'll need to choose one from each group. For the complete obi, you will need a koshi-himo sash, a date-jime belt and an obi-jime." Seeing Battousai's lost expression, he went to the end of the table. "Or, you can get a pre-tied butterfly obi belt that already comes with the other three accessories."

"That might be best," Battousai reasoned. He didn't really think that an American (if she was indeed telling the truth) would know how to tie an obi very well.

"Okay, that's a wise decision. It's much easier to put on and arrange. Now, you'll need to choose your colors and patterns. If you want a pattern, that is."

Battousai pointed to a pink and purple butterfly obi that had a blue koshi-himo sash and the same blue shade for a date-jime belt. The obi-jime was a light pink that matched with the flowers and blossoms on the kimono pattern.

Wrapping everything up, the man asked, "One question if I may: is the young woman that you're buying this kimono for unmarried?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Because you bought a furisode kimono and if she was married, then that would've been the wrong choice," the vendor clarified.

'Never knew that kimono shopping would be so complicated,' Battousai inwardly thought. Moving over to the hair ribbons, a deep purple ribbon that matched perfectly with the kimono caught his attention. "That would be great for Kaoru," he rationalized, only seconds later catching what he said.

Sudden recognition dawned on the manslayer. Everything purple had caught his eye and everything purple reminded him of Kaoru. Enraged with what he was thinking he shouted, "What's so great about purple?!" he yelled to no one in particular. "Why the hell does everything purple make me think of that girl?!" But, it was actually pretty obvious as to why. All of Kaoru's outifts had at least some purple on them. Most of her makeup was purple. And also, her eyes were purple. Everything was purple.

The kimono vendor's words came back to him. 'You think about her more than you believe you do.' She was right. That was completely true. So did that mean that everything else she had said had some accuracy? Maybe he was ... in love with her. In rage at that thought, Battousai drew his katana out of it's sheath and sliced the stand of a nearby stall, some tofu falling in front of his incensed body. Drawing back his foot, he kicked the offending object out of sight. "The fuck I love her. The Battousai loves no one!" But, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but belive the old woman.

Author's Note: Finally you all now know why this fanfiction is titled, 'Everything Purple.' Well, at least hopefully you know why. Just read the second to last paragraph if you didn't catch it. Does it make sense? Anyways, at least I didn't take more than a month to update, now did I? As promised, I will now move on to review responses!

For this chapter, I had to do some research on kimono stuff and the like. The first thing that I found out was that the plural form of 'kimono' is actually 'kimono' as well. I didn't know that (obviously) and it still sounds weird without that 's' on the end, but that's the proper way, so I decided to have it that way. I hope that I was pretty close to what was needed for a kimono and everything. I'm not Japanese and I've never been there and I haven't really read a Japanese history or culture book, so I might be way off, but I tried, right?

- violetjewelz

Review Responses-

Brittanie Love: Thanks for reviewing! :) It means mucho much!!

Blonde Goth: Oh, no! I don't mind at all! Go ahead and learn 'em! Next time some jackass (pardon my french) insults you, spit 'em right at him! I totally agree with you: I love making up new words! It's fun saying them and having people look at you, totally confused! It's priceless! And I know I'm definitely late, but: Happy Belated Birthday!

KenKao4Eva: Yes, Battousai is pretty mean, but sooner or later, Kaoru will show him that love conquers all! Woo-hoo! GO LOVE!!

SukiYumi: Don't worry, I'm not going to go on hiatus again (hopefully)! Oh, and you don't sound like an infomercial to me! I hate those things. They're so long and boooring!

LADY HIEI: Thanks! At first in the summary I had him as the 'emotionless manslayer.' Can't really say he's emotionless now that he's met Kaoru, though! I was hoping nobody would think him as out of character, so I'm ecstatic to hear someone say that I did a good job portraying him!

Darkygurl11: Thank you, but I'm sorry to disappoint you; I can't update every second! :-(

Raeyn-chan: You're not alone - B/K are my fave fics as well! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

The evil witch: Thank you very much for reading and then reviewing!

Bloody Akiko Nagi the Insane: Yup, I'm back! Hopefully for good, huh? That was my favorite part as well! Go Kaoru! GIRL POWER FOREVER! -giggles- Thankies!

Anime-fangirl1: Lol! Thanks! Not only complementing me on my writing skills, but my vocabulary as well! Thanks very much!! -smiles-

scythe195: Don't worry about if you review early or late. I'm just so happy that you reviewed!

The Man Slayer: Really?! You were close to crying? You thought it was moving! That review and compliment really means a lot to me! That's one of the best compliments that I've ever received on my writing! Thanks soooo much! -huggles-

Katherat: Thanks!! I hope I updated soon enough ... ? Probably not. -laughs- Oh well!

demomisao: Thanks for the compliment and review!

KaoruGal: I know what you mean! I don't think anything can make Battousai not sexy and drop-dead gorgeous, but you never know. I'd love a long review!! :-) Did I update soon enough to receive one?

FANG SISTER 1 aka:RAY: Thanks for the review! I promise to continue!