Constellation
MysticShadowWanderer
Disclaimer: Will the killing veil love, should the heroes play dumb? But killing's no fun when the heroes are none.
*****
Chapter Two: Silence Of Blame
"Good morning."
Kaoru was awakened at what felt like an ungodly hour of the morning when she felt an oppressive weight smothering her and heard Battousai's dark, baritone voice rumble right next to her ear. Her eyes snapped open to meet with his; he was lying with her, partially on her body and partially on the mattress. One of his arms was snugly holding her to him, while the other was left free so that he might stroke her hair.
Kaoru desperately tried to shove him away, but she was so tangled in blankets and his limbs that it was impossible. Sinking down in defeat, she turned her face away from him and closed her eyes, a single tear, which she refused to acknowledge, running down her cheek. Battousai simply laid still, watching her with an expression of lazy fascination.
As a teenager and young adult, Kaoru had heard the stories, over and over; he was, after all, ten years her senior. Hitokiri Battousai, since the time he was fourteen, she'd heard, loved women. And he had plenty of them, he was an extremely attractive man, she had to give him at least that. Though just using and discarding women seemed quite bad enough to Kaoru, the tales grew steadily worse. According to everyone, and it really was everyone, many of the women mysteriously disappeared after Battousai decided that he'd had his fill of them and moved on. It was presumed by the vast majority of Japan's citizens, at least the ones that cared enough for gossip and urban legends to listen to the story, that Battousai killed the women, though what was done with the bodies was a matter that was never addressed clearly enough for Kaoru's satisfaction. This was most certainly one of the most uncomfortable and least desirable situations she could have gotten herself into. She groaned quietly; why did life hate her?
Looking up, she saw Battousai smirking above her, and instantly wished she could take that groan back; she hated the way mens' minds worked. Giving him a defiant glare, she moved her hands to push at his chest, but he was much stronger than her and she couldn't make him move. If this was any sign, she was most definitely not going to have a good day.
"Sleep well?" Battousai asked in a low whisper, his breath spraying warmly across her neck.
In spite of herself, Kaoru shuddered, it was hard not to when put in such a compromising situation. She shook her head negatively, in truth, she'd barely slept at all. The conditions weren't exactly what she considered highly conducive to a good night's sleep, what with being the home of a stranger who had the ability to murder her and being locked in an unfamiliar room. What did he expect her to say, "Oh yes, I had a lovely rest, and my dreams were wonderful. And you?"? She didn't think so.
"You really are going to have to speak more," he added after a moment's pause. "I don't like my woman to be so unresponsive."
That statement was enough to draw a reaction from Kaoru. Her eyes narrowed with fury, and her eyebrows knitted together in anger. She opened her mouth to berate him, momentarily forgetting that he reminded her of a slumbering dragon that at any instant could devour her, but he never gave her the chance. Before she could utter a single syllable, he covered her mouth with his and took full advantage of the half-opened state of her lips. Kaoru struggled against him, and he moved his hands to firmly hold her cheeks. She expected him to crush her with his grasp, but was surprised to find his touch strong yet tender. He was being careful with her. Forcing herself not to respond to his kiss out of habit, she let tears flow down her face in despair; she hated being kissed like this, to be driven to do what she didn't want to do, and to be dominated so easily. Willful submission was one thing, but this was modern Japan, and she would be no one's slave to command if she had her way.
Battousai felt Kaoru's tears slide over his fingers and under his palms and he stopped. This was different; he thought. Here was a woman that refused to come to him, to let herself be used and thrown away as was his usual wont. And she showed real emotion, not like so many of the women he'd had contact with. That was something he'd always detested, the way females reacted only in a way meant to entice, never with their real feelings. But this one was unlike the others, and perhaps she was worth the time spent in seducing her. He knew undoubtedly that she was attracted to him, at least on a physical level, she couldn't hide that from him, but he found himself curious as to what went on in her mind. Being so long desensitized and alienated to the world and human emotion that he scarcely remembered it, he'd found someone to intrigue him.
After laying a few soft kisses on her face, cleaning her tears away with his tongue, Battousai pulled away, and stood up. Kaoru remained on the bed, eyes closed and body trembling as fresh tears spilled down her skin. He had to admit to himself, it was difficult not to simply rip off her, or rather his, clothes right then, but he hated rape, and always had, so he would do no such thing. Something about the idea was so wrong and so disgusting that he almost frowned.
'I'm rushing her, pushing her too fast,' he thought. 'I can afford to take my time with this one.'
"Come," he said aloud. "Put some clothes on and then join me in the kitchen. I made you breakfast."
With those words, he turned and left, shutting the door with a soft click. He immediately strode off down the hall to his own bedroom, where he could have a few minutes to think and to calm the raging fire in his veins. Locking his own door behind him, he threw himself down in a chair and massaged his temples with his fingertips, trying to think of anything and everything but her and the way she'd looked, the way she'd felt. But everything he tried to force his thoughts from his head, he'd see her again, clearly picture her sleeping. When he'd walked into her room, she'd been deep asleep, obviously tired from the previous night's events. She'd had her limbs tangled in the sheets, and was wearing nothing but one of his oversized old shirts; he'd been given a generous view of her body, and the image alone was enough to stir a growing desire for her.
"Shit," he muttered. It was like he was losing control of himself, and, if nothing else, he liked to be in complete and total command of everything around him and, most especially, himself.
Clenching his fists and gritting his jaw, he willed himself to take things more slowly, and to keep himself from ruminating on her for so long. Besides, he had other things he had to get done, it wasn't as if he had enough free time to spend any of it in such a derelict manner. There was no time to think, there were papers to organize, and sword skills to be practiced, and killing methods to be perfected, and...
Damn. None of that seemed to be of high priority at the moment, his body was telling him. With a resigned sigh, he let his eyes drop closed and his hand roam. He was utterly disgusted with himself, but in the face of the situation, what else could he do? If he weren't there in the kitchen when she made her tentative way there, how would she react? Although he liked to pretend that he was a hardened, heartless man, he would hate to see the fear on her face when she found herself alone. Who knows what she might think he was plotting when out of her sight?
***
Kaoru decided that, before anything else, she at least needed to shower. She detested feeling like she wasn't clean, and she knew it was all Battousai's fault. He'd touched her, kissed her, even licked her; she shuddered at the thought. She needed to wash herself clean of him.
The water was scalding hot when she stepped into the shower, but Kaoru paid it no heed. The burning of her skin only served to help incinerate the feeling of his lips and hands on her body. She couldn't stand the man, she told herself over and over as she scrubbed her flesh raw. Staring down at her hands, she tried to tell if they were that red because of the extreme heat of the water and the friction created by rubbing her arms so furiously or if she'd caused herself to bleed. It didn't really seem to matter, though she did fleetingly notice that when she sank to the floor of the shower and buried her head in her hands that a stream of diluted crimson trailed from her body to the drain. Soon enough, though, her tears blurred her eyes and the whole scene was displaced by her racking sobs.
When her tears subsided and the water had gone cold, Kaoru stepped out of the shower and, shivering, wrapped a towel around herself. At least the bathroom was well-stocked, she thought with a withering glance at all the medications in the cabinet. She wondered, did he use this room himself? If not, to whom did all the pills and bottles belong? Her hand strayed over a few labels; most were generic painkillers, antacids, and the like. Or at least she assumed they were, who knew what the Battousai could have hidden in any one of the various containers. She chose not to risk it and take an aspirin for her pounding head and aching muscles, on the chance that he might keep drugs slightly more powerful than what she needed to alleviate the thrumming pain in her temples.
Kaoru padded out into the bedroom to find something to wear. After going through Battousai's clothes in the closet and finding nothing that looked like it would fit and be decent, she slipped back into the same clothes she'd worn the night before. Drawing her still-wet hair into a tight ponytail on the top of her head, she stopped in front of the door and simply stared at it. Could she do this? Could she go out and eat breakfast with the hitokiri Battousai, her captor? She nodded resolutely; she would have to. Taking a firm grasp of the doorknob, she opened the door without hesitation and, with her head held high, walked down the hall to where she remembered the kitchen to be.
***
Battousai watched her from under his crimson bangs as she cautiously pushed the kitchen door open and stepped in, her bare feet making little sound as she crossed the linoleum floor to sit at a chair at the table. He set a plate down before her, and she eyed the omelette he offered her with some apprehension. Would he be the type to slip some sort of drug into? Kaoru didn't think that was the case with this man. Yes, he was dangerous, but he was also bound to his own twisted code of honor. She picked up a fork and began to take small bites of the food.
Part of her was wondering whether this man actually was Japanese as all the stories said. He certainly didn't look it, neither did he act like it. Nothing in his home was oriental in the slightest bit, at least, nothing that she had seen thus far. Then again, why should it matter where he was from? She hated him either way, there was nothing that could sway her opinion.
"I didn't kill your father." She paused mid-bite and then let the fork drop to the plate with a clatter.
"I don't see why I should believe you," she said quietly, he eyes focused on her plate.
"Because I do not lie," he replied firmly. "I did not kill your father that night in that warehouse."
Kaoru lifted her gaze to glare at him. "If you didn't kill him, how do you know such details?"
Battousai placed both palms on the small table and braced his weight on his arms, leaning over until he was nearly nose to nose with Kaoru. The way he glowered at her sent shivers of fear and some other nameless emotion tripping down her spine. She summoned up her courage and forced herself to hold his gaze with her own eyes. It felt like a stand-off to Kaoru, and she knew that she was destined to lose, if that was the case.
"Just because I didn't kill your father doesn't mean I wasn't there. Quite the contrary, in fact. You see..." He paused, eyeing Kaoru's reactions deliberately. She remained expressionless, and he bit back the urge to snap at her. "I was there, though you never saw me. You might remember me, however, as the force that stopped a fat, ugly, lumbering fool from beating you senseless. You might also recall the binds on your wrists falling free. Though you never saw me, I was there."
Kaoru stared at him incredulously, her fingers, as if by their own will, tracing the still-fresh scars on her wrists that had been left by the cords when he mentioned them. Was it really possible that this man set her free, saved her life even? By rumor, he had enough talent to have done so without her own knowledge of his presence, but she couldn't allow herself to be that trusting. Not after what happened to her father.
"A likely story," Kaoru said, gathering her strength of voice. "But it lacks one thing."
"And what, pray tell, is that?" Battousai asked, gritting his teeth.
"Truth."
Battousai's eyes flashed dangerously and he raised his hand as if to strike her. But when Kaoru flinched away from him and he saw the look on her face, he let his hand drop and sunk down in a chair heavily. Clenching his fists tightly and occasionally pounding one on the table, they both sat in silence as he slowly brought his anger back into his control. Most people couldn't get under his skin the way she did, he considered them worthless and useless and therefore disregarded much of what they said and did, but this woman had something about her that gave her the power to infuriate him. Kaoru simply sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, watching Battousai with listless interest.
"I swear to you, woman..." he growled after a few minutes. "If you impugn my honor like that one more time, I will not be pleased."
Kaoru's eyes widened. Would not be pleased? He seemed irate enough as it was. She wondered if he was really being honest with her. Perhaps if she further questioned him, she would be able to decide.
"Why where you there?" she asked softly, at least leading him to believe that she took his story as the truth.
"I was ordered to kill the man that was questioning you," he replied, still somewhat tense. "He was a 'businessman' from a Northern European country, and he'd been giving my superiors hell, meddling in everyone else's affairs and doing everything he could to dominate the Japanese-American trade on the black market. I don't know what gave him the idea that he wanted to take over here, but he certainly paid for his way of thinking. I only set you free as a favor to myself, I don't like the way these businessmen run their operations. Women and children should be left out of these sort of matters."
Kaoru bit her tongue at the last comment; she would have desperately loved to tell him off for being the typical male chauvinist, but she thought it best to leave the topic alone, at least for the moment. The proverbial wheels were turning in her head, and she was beginning to see at least a bit of truth in his story. Either he was playing it straight with her, or he was the most accomplished liar that she had ever met. The way he reacted when she tried to infer that he was lying to her led her to believe that it was the former.
"But then... why would they tell me that... Unless she..." she mused aloud. Battousai raised an eyebrow at her, but she ignored him. So the woman who had collected her wasn't actual a government official, and had only wanted to use her to kill Battousai, or even worse, wanted Kaoru herself dead. The thought wasn't very reassuring, but some of the strange things that the woman had said and done now made perfect sense. A crestfallen look crossed Kaoru's face as she realized that she had been twice betrayed.
"Listen, I'm sorry about your father," Battousai said suddenly. "But what's done is done, I can't go back, and I'm not a savior. I might have saved his life if I had gotten there in time, but it's not in my job description. I kill who I'm told to, and I save who I feel I need to. But in your case, I'm sorry. I know how it feels to lose a parent, and I do truly feel pity for you, Kaoru."
It was difficult to tell exactly what he'd said, it was cruel and kind at the same time. And Kaoru was fascinated by the way he'd said her name; he'd never said it before. She liked the way it sounded with his vocal tones and inflection. Still, that didn't begin to take away the pain she was feeling, although she had to admit that it was nice to know, in somewhat of a deranged way, that he knew how she felt because he'd also lost a parent. Somehow she could almost accept him now, because, deep at the heart of the matter, she believed him.
"So, you quite possibly saved my life?"
"I suppose that could be the case," Battousai responded with a shrug. "It wasn't as if I was going out of my way."
Kaoru could have hugged him for the indifferent way he was handling things, if she actually wanted to touch him. The last thing she needed at the moment was some dramatic production about how he'd saved her; she was sick and tired of people putting on shows for her, as if she were too naive to know they were acting. Battousai was refreshingly real, for as little emotion as he displayed.
"So then, since this has been resolved," she said. "I assume I can go home."
Battousai snorted derisively. "There is not the slightest chance that I'd let you leave. I cannot forget that you attempted to kill me in my own home. You will not be turned loose, I can't afford for you to talk. Besides, where would you go, really? Your father is dead, and you have no other family that would take you in."
"How..." Battousai interrupted her.
"I did some research last night. I don't make it a practice to have house guests of whom I don't know details of."
Kaoru fumed silently. He was the most arrogant, self-centered, and cruel man she'd ever met, and, though he may have saved her life, she certainly would not enjoy staying in his home, as comfortable as it was. She was on the verge of throwing her plate at his head, her hands already gripping the porcelain tightly, when he reached over and placed his own hands over hers, gently easing them off the dish. He berated her with his eyes as he took the plate and dumped its long-forgotten contents onto his own plate, from which he'd been slowly eating during their entire conversation.
"You didn't seem to be planning on eating this," he said by way of explanation. " And I'd rather it not go to waste by being thrown at me as you seemed so willing to have happen. Do you mind?"
"I... no..." Kaoru said, rubbing her hands where he'd touched them as if to cleanse herself of him. She'd quickly lost her appetite, anyhow; all she really wanted to do was lie down somewhere and try to think through everything that had happened to her.
Battousai kept his gaze on Kaoru as he ate, watching as she glanced around at her surroundings, and as her touch kept returning to the scars on her wrists. Quickly he decided that something about them bothered her in the extreme, perhaps it was the memory of the night that they had been obtained. Not saying a word until he had finished his food and placed the dishes in the sink, he moved to kneel at her side. Kaoru looked up at him with curiosity shining brightly in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, pushing up her sleeves and taking her hands in both of his. His glance darted over the scars swiftly before he bent his head to lay warm, wet kisses to each wrist.
Kaoru jerked her hands away and wiped her arms on her slacks; Battousai had to stop himself from wincing. He wondered if this was who she really was, or if she'd just been so mistreated in this whole messy situation that she was afraid. He hoped it was the second option, because he knew he could remedy that. For now, though, he imagined that she'd had enough. Taking her by the hand, he pulled her out of her seat and led her out into the bigger room of the apartment.
Motioning for her to have a seat, he handed her the remote to his large-screen television, and tossed a thick blanket over her in an almost too careless manner; Kaoru could tell he was forcing this casualness. Was the infamously criminal Battousai actually that nurturing? Perhaps that wasn't quite the word for it, but she could think of none better.
"Watch whatever you want," he said. "The fire is gas-powered, I'm sure you're perfectly capable of working it if you get too cold, and you can eat whatever you want out of the kitchen. My room is locked, so don't bother trying to go in there. And if I find that you've picked the lock, gods help you. I have to go out for a few hours, and I expect to hear that you've not tried to leave the building. You won't be able to, of course, because the doormen and other staff would rather betray their own mothers than disobey my orders, and I will see to it that they keep you from getting past the lobby doors. I would highly suggest staying in this room, the people in this building are far from friendly."
With those words, Battousai grabbed a black leather coat from a hook by the door, and exited the apartment, leaving Kaoru in a state of shock. She wasn't sure exactly what had gone on. He'd been nice enough when he was attending to her possible needs, but going so far as to instruct the staff to keep her caged here with him? She couldn't tell whether she should be insulted or, in a twisted way, complimented. He thought she was enough of a threat to keep locked up. But she could also tell that he was interested not only in keeping himself safe, but taking her to bed as well. There was no question about the Battousai. He was a dangerous man.
*****
A/N: Wow. Well this is getting interesting. Even I didn't expect half that stuff to happen. Well shit... I guess this is going to be a tad more sexual than I'd planned. Damn. Still, I'm hoping to withhold any lemons (although the way this is going, I can't really be sure...). And guess what guys!! I have the ENTIRE plot laid out. :waves the "go self" flag: That means I can write more faster (I... hope... O_o) because I already know exactly what's going to happen! Yatta! Here's a secret... I usually start a story and have no clue whatsoever where I'm going to take it, so it takes longer to write, and sometimes sort of just... fizzles out in the middle. But I'm extreeeemely optimistic about this one, which is a big thing for me, since I'm a cynic and a pessimist. Anyhow... hope this is enjoyable, hope I didn't offend anyone with content (haha, just kidding, if you don't like it, don't read it... I couldn't care less about offending anyone), and I hope to have the next chapter out soon! Please bear with me, though, as I'm working on three fics at once and, contrary to popular opinion, I DO have a life (just... not much of one...). Ok, ok, so I lied. I don't have a life. I have school and a horse. That's my life. Yeah... Ja ne!
MysticShadowWanderer
Disclaimer: Will the killing veil love, should the heroes play dumb? But killing's no fun when the heroes are none.
*****
Chapter Two: Silence Of Blame
"Good morning."
Kaoru was awakened at what felt like an ungodly hour of the morning when she felt an oppressive weight smothering her and heard Battousai's dark, baritone voice rumble right next to her ear. Her eyes snapped open to meet with his; he was lying with her, partially on her body and partially on the mattress. One of his arms was snugly holding her to him, while the other was left free so that he might stroke her hair.
Kaoru desperately tried to shove him away, but she was so tangled in blankets and his limbs that it was impossible. Sinking down in defeat, she turned her face away from him and closed her eyes, a single tear, which she refused to acknowledge, running down her cheek. Battousai simply laid still, watching her with an expression of lazy fascination.
As a teenager and young adult, Kaoru had heard the stories, over and over; he was, after all, ten years her senior. Hitokiri Battousai, since the time he was fourteen, she'd heard, loved women. And he had plenty of them, he was an extremely attractive man, she had to give him at least that. Though just using and discarding women seemed quite bad enough to Kaoru, the tales grew steadily worse. According to everyone, and it really was everyone, many of the women mysteriously disappeared after Battousai decided that he'd had his fill of them and moved on. It was presumed by the vast majority of Japan's citizens, at least the ones that cared enough for gossip and urban legends to listen to the story, that Battousai killed the women, though what was done with the bodies was a matter that was never addressed clearly enough for Kaoru's satisfaction. This was most certainly one of the most uncomfortable and least desirable situations she could have gotten herself into. She groaned quietly; why did life hate her?
Looking up, she saw Battousai smirking above her, and instantly wished she could take that groan back; she hated the way mens' minds worked. Giving him a defiant glare, she moved her hands to push at his chest, but he was much stronger than her and she couldn't make him move. If this was any sign, she was most definitely not going to have a good day.
"Sleep well?" Battousai asked in a low whisper, his breath spraying warmly across her neck.
In spite of herself, Kaoru shuddered, it was hard not to when put in such a compromising situation. She shook her head negatively, in truth, she'd barely slept at all. The conditions weren't exactly what she considered highly conducive to a good night's sleep, what with being the home of a stranger who had the ability to murder her and being locked in an unfamiliar room. What did he expect her to say, "Oh yes, I had a lovely rest, and my dreams were wonderful. And you?"? She didn't think so.
"You really are going to have to speak more," he added after a moment's pause. "I don't like my woman to be so unresponsive."
That statement was enough to draw a reaction from Kaoru. Her eyes narrowed with fury, and her eyebrows knitted together in anger. She opened her mouth to berate him, momentarily forgetting that he reminded her of a slumbering dragon that at any instant could devour her, but he never gave her the chance. Before she could utter a single syllable, he covered her mouth with his and took full advantage of the half-opened state of her lips. Kaoru struggled against him, and he moved his hands to firmly hold her cheeks. She expected him to crush her with his grasp, but was surprised to find his touch strong yet tender. He was being careful with her. Forcing herself not to respond to his kiss out of habit, she let tears flow down her face in despair; she hated being kissed like this, to be driven to do what she didn't want to do, and to be dominated so easily. Willful submission was one thing, but this was modern Japan, and she would be no one's slave to command if she had her way.
Battousai felt Kaoru's tears slide over his fingers and under his palms and he stopped. This was different; he thought. Here was a woman that refused to come to him, to let herself be used and thrown away as was his usual wont. And she showed real emotion, not like so many of the women he'd had contact with. That was something he'd always detested, the way females reacted only in a way meant to entice, never with their real feelings. But this one was unlike the others, and perhaps she was worth the time spent in seducing her. He knew undoubtedly that she was attracted to him, at least on a physical level, she couldn't hide that from him, but he found himself curious as to what went on in her mind. Being so long desensitized and alienated to the world and human emotion that he scarcely remembered it, he'd found someone to intrigue him.
After laying a few soft kisses on her face, cleaning her tears away with his tongue, Battousai pulled away, and stood up. Kaoru remained on the bed, eyes closed and body trembling as fresh tears spilled down her skin. He had to admit to himself, it was difficult not to simply rip off her, or rather his, clothes right then, but he hated rape, and always had, so he would do no such thing. Something about the idea was so wrong and so disgusting that he almost frowned.
'I'm rushing her, pushing her too fast,' he thought. 'I can afford to take my time with this one.'
"Come," he said aloud. "Put some clothes on and then join me in the kitchen. I made you breakfast."
With those words, he turned and left, shutting the door with a soft click. He immediately strode off down the hall to his own bedroom, where he could have a few minutes to think and to calm the raging fire in his veins. Locking his own door behind him, he threw himself down in a chair and massaged his temples with his fingertips, trying to think of anything and everything but her and the way she'd looked, the way she'd felt. But everything he tried to force his thoughts from his head, he'd see her again, clearly picture her sleeping. When he'd walked into her room, she'd been deep asleep, obviously tired from the previous night's events. She'd had her limbs tangled in the sheets, and was wearing nothing but one of his oversized old shirts; he'd been given a generous view of her body, and the image alone was enough to stir a growing desire for her.
"Shit," he muttered. It was like he was losing control of himself, and, if nothing else, he liked to be in complete and total command of everything around him and, most especially, himself.
Clenching his fists and gritting his jaw, he willed himself to take things more slowly, and to keep himself from ruminating on her for so long. Besides, he had other things he had to get done, it wasn't as if he had enough free time to spend any of it in such a derelict manner. There was no time to think, there were papers to organize, and sword skills to be practiced, and killing methods to be perfected, and...
Damn. None of that seemed to be of high priority at the moment, his body was telling him. With a resigned sigh, he let his eyes drop closed and his hand roam. He was utterly disgusted with himself, but in the face of the situation, what else could he do? If he weren't there in the kitchen when she made her tentative way there, how would she react? Although he liked to pretend that he was a hardened, heartless man, he would hate to see the fear on her face when she found herself alone. Who knows what she might think he was plotting when out of her sight?
***
Kaoru decided that, before anything else, she at least needed to shower. She detested feeling like she wasn't clean, and she knew it was all Battousai's fault. He'd touched her, kissed her, even licked her; she shuddered at the thought. She needed to wash herself clean of him.
The water was scalding hot when she stepped into the shower, but Kaoru paid it no heed. The burning of her skin only served to help incinerate the feeling of his lips and hands on her body. She couldn't stand the man, she told herself over and over as she scrubbed her flesh raw. Staring down at her hands, she tried to tell if they were that red because of the extreme heat of the water and the friction created by rubbing her arms so furiously or if she'd caused herself to bleed. It didn't really seem to matter, though she did fleetingly notice that when she sank to the floor of the shower and buried her head in her hands that a stream of diluted crimson trailed from her body to the drain. Soon enough, though, her tears blurred her eyes and the whole scene was displaced by her racking sobs.
When her tears subsided and the water had gone cold, Kaoru stepped out of the shower and, shivering, wrapped a towel around herself. At least the bathroom was well-stocked, she thought with a withering glance at all the medications in the cabinet. She wondered, did he use this room himself? If not, to whom did all the pills and bottles belong? Her hand strayed over a few labels; most were generic painkillers, antacids, and the like. Or at least she assumed they were, who knew what the Battousai could have hidden in any one of the various containers. She chose not to risk it and take an aspirin for her pounding head and aching muscles, on the chance that he might keep drugs slightly more powerful than what she needed to alleviate the thrumming pain in her temples.
Kaoru padded out into the bedroom to find something to wear. After going through Battousai's clothes in the closet and finding nothing that looked like it would fit and be decent, she slipped back into the same clothes she'd worn the night before. Drawing her still-wet hair into a tight ponytail on the top of her head, she stopped in front of the door and simply stared at it. Could she do this? Could she go out and eat breakfast with the hitokiri Battousai, her captor? She nodded resolutely; she would have to. Taking a firm grasp of the doorknob, she opened the door without hesitation and, with her head held high, walked down the hall to where she remembered the kitchen to be.
***
Battousai watched her from under his crimson bangs as she cautiously pushed the kitchen door open and stepped in, her bare feet making little sound as she crossed the linoleum floor to sit at a chair at the table. He set a plate down before her, and she eyed the omelette he offered her with some apprehension. Would he be the type to slip some sort of drug into? Kaoru didn't think that was the case with this man. Yes, he was dangerous, but he was also bound to his own twisted code of honor. She picked up a fork and began to take small bites of the food.
Part of her was wondering whether this man actually was Japanese as all the stories said. He certainly didn't look it, neither did he act like it. Nothing in his home was oriental in the slightest bit, at least, nothing that she had seen thus far. Then again, why should it matter where he was from? She hated him either way, there was nothing that could sway her opinion.
"I didn't kill your father." She paused mid-bite and then let the fork drop to the plate with a clatter.
"I don't see why I should believe you," she said quietly, he eyes focused on her plate.
"Because I do not lie," he replied firmly. "I did not kill your father that night in that warehouse."
Kaoru lifted her gaze to glare at him. "If you didn't kill him, how do you know such details?"
Battousai placed both palms on the small table and braced his weight on his arms, leaning over until he was nearly nose to nose with Kaoru. The way he glowered at her sent shivers of fear and some other nameless emotion tripping down her spine. She summoned up her courage and forced herself to hold his gaze with her own eyes. It felt like a stand-off to Kaoru, and she knew that she was destined to lose, if that was the case.
"Just because I didn't kill your father doesn't mean I wasn't there. Quite the contrary, in fact. You see..." He paused, eyeing Kaoru's reactions deliberately. She remained expressionless, and he bit back the urge to snap at her. "I was there, though you never saw me. You might remember me, however, as the force that stopped a fat, ugly, lumbering fool from beating you senseless. You might also recall the binds on your wrists falling free. Though you never saw me, I was there."
Kaoru stared at him incredulously, her fingers, as if by their own will, tracing the still-fresh scars on her wrists that had been left by the cords when he mentioned them. Was it really possible that this man set her free, saved her life even? By rumor, he had enough talent to have done so without her own knowledge of his presence, but she couldn't allow herself to be that trusting. Not after what happened to her father.
"A likely story," Kaoru said, gathering her strength of voice. "But it lacks one thing."
"And what, pray tell, is that?" Battousai asked, gritting his teeth.
"Truth."
Battousai's eyes flashed dangerously and he raised his hand as if to strike her. But when Kaoru flinched away from him and he saw the look on her face, he let his hand drop and sunk down in a chair heavily. Clenching his fists tightly and occasionally pounding one on the table, they both sat in silence as he slowly brought his anger back into his control. Most people couldn't get under his skin the way she did, he considered them worthless and useless and therefore disregarded much of what they said and did, but this woman had something about her that gave her the power to infuriate him. Kaoru simply sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, watching Battousai with listless interest.
"I swear to you, woman..." he growled after a few minutes. "If you impugn my honor like that one more time, I will not be pleased."
Kaoru's eyes widened. Would not be pleased? He seemed irate enough as it was. She wondered if he was really being honest with her. Perhaps if she further questioned him, she would be able to decide.
"Why where you there?" she asked softly, at least leading him to believe that she took his story as the truth.
"I was ordered to kill the man that was questioning you," he replied, still somewhat tense. "He was a 'businessman' from a Northern European country, and he'd been giving my superiors hell, meddling in everyone else's affairs and doing everything he could to dominate the Japanese-American trade on the black market. I don't know what gave him the idea that he wanted to take over here, but he certainly paid for his way of thinking. I only set you free as a favor to myself, I don't like the way these businessmen run their operations. Women and children should be left out of these sort of matters."
Kaoru bit her tongue at the last comment; she would have desperately loved to tell him off for being the typical male chauvinist, but she thought it best to leave the topic alone, at least for the moment. The proverbial wheels were turning in her head, and she was beginning to see at least a bit of truth in his story. Either he was playing it straight with her, or he was the most accomplished liar that she had ever met. The way he reacted when she tried to infer that he was lying to her led her to believe that it was the former.
"But then... why would they tell me that... Unless she..." she mused aloud. Battousai raised an eyebrow at her, but she ignored him. So the woman who had collected her wasn't actual a government official, and had only wanted to use her to kill Battousai, or even worse, wanted Kaoru herself dead. The thought wasn't very reassuring, but some of the strange things that the woman had said and done now made perfect sense. A crestfallen look crossed Kaoru's face as she realized that she had been twice betrayed.
"Listen, I'm sorry about your father," Battousai said suddenly. "But what's done is done, I can't go back, and I'm not a savior. I might have saved his life if I had gotten there in time, but it's not in my job description. I kill who I'm told to, and I save who I feel I need to. But in your case, I'm sorry. I know how it feels to lose a parent, and I do truly feel pity for you, Kaoru."
It was difficult to tell exactly what he'd said, it was cruel and kind at the same time. And Kaoru was fascinated by the way he'd said her name; he'd never said it before. She liked the way it sounded with his vocal tones and inflection. Still, that didn't begin to take away the pain she was feeling, although she had to admit that it was nice to know, in somewhat of a deranged way, that he knew how she felt because he'd also lost a parent. Somehow she could almost accept him now, because, deep at the heart of the matter, she believed him.
"So, you quite possibly saved my life?"
"I suppose that could be the case," Battousai responded with a shrug. "It wasn't as if I was going out of my way."
Kaoru could have hugged him for the indifferent way he was handling things, if she actually wanted to touch him. The last thing she needed at the moment was some dramatic production about how he'd saved her; she was sick and tired of people putting on shows for her, as if she were too naive to know they were acting. Battousai was refreshingly real, for as little emotion as he displayed.
"So then, since this has been resolved," she said. "I assume I can go home."
Battousai snorted derisively. "There is not the slightest chance that I'd let you leave. I cannot forget that you attempted to kill me in my own home. You will not be turned loose, I can't afford for you to talk. Besides, where would you go, really? Your father is dead, and you have no other family that would take you in."
"How..." Battousai interrupted her.
"I did some research last night. I don't make it a practice to have house guests of whom I don't know details of."
Kaoru fumed silently. He was the most arrogant, self-centered, and cruel man she'd ever met, and, though he may have saved her life, she certainly would not enjoy staying in his home, as comfortable as it was. She was on the verge of throwing her plate at his head, her hands already gripping the porcelain tightly, when he reached over and placed his own hands over hers, gently easing them off the dish. He berated her with his eyes as he took the plate and dumped its long-forgotten contents onto his own plate, from which he'd been slowly eating during their entire conversation.
"You didn't seem to be planning on eating this," he said by way of explanation. " And I'd rather it not go to waste by being thrown at me as you seemed so willing to have happen. Do you mind?"
"I... no..." Kaoru said, rubbing her hands where he'd touched them as if to cleanse herself of him. She'd quickly lost her appetite, anyhow; all she really wanted to do was lie down somewhere and try to think through everything that had happened to her.
Battousai kept his gaze on Kaoru as he ate, watching as she glanced around at her surroundings, and as her touch kept returning to the scars on her wrists. Quickly he decided that something about them bothered her in the extreme, perhaps it was the memory of the night that they had been obtained. Not saying a word until he had finished his food and placed the dishes in the sink, he moved to kneel at her side. Kaoru looked up at him with curiosity shining brightly in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, pushing up her sleeves and taking her hands in both of his. His glance darted over the scars swiftly before he bent his head to lay warm, wet kisses to each wrist.
Kaoru jerked her hands away and wiped her arms on her slacks; Battousai had to stop himself from wincing. He wondered if this was who she really was, or if she'd just been so mistreated in this whole messy situation that she was afraid. He hoped it was the second option, because he knew he could remedy that. For now, though, he imagined that she'd had enough. Taking her by the hand, he pulled her out of her seat and led her out into the bigger room of the apartment.
Motioning for her to have a seat, he handed her the remote to his large-screen television, and tossed a thick blanket over her in an almost too careless manner; Kaoru could tell he was forcing this casualness. Was the infamously criminal Battousai actually that nurturing? Perhaps that wasn't quite the word for it, but she could think of none better.
"Watch whatever you want," he said. "The fire is gas-powered, I'm sure you're perfectly capable of working it if you get too cold, and you can eat whatever you want out of the kitchen. My room is locked, so don't bother trying to go in there. And if I find that you've picked the lock, gods help you. I have to go out for a few hours, and I expect to hear that you've not tried to leave the building. You won't be able to, of course, because the doormen and other staff would rather betray their own mothers than disobey my orders, and I will see to it that they keep you from getting past the lobby doors. I would highly suggest staying in this room, the people in this building are far from friendly."
With those words, Battousai grabbed a black leather coat from a hook by the door, and exited the apartment, leaving Kaoru in a state of shock. She wasn't sure exactly what had gone on. He'd been nice enough when he was attending to her possible needs, but going so far as to instruct the staff to keep her caged here with him? She couldn't tell whether she should be insulted or, in a twisted way, complimented. He thought she was enough of a threat to keep locked up. But she could also tell that he was interested not only in keeping himself safe, but taking her to bed as well. There was no question about the Battousai. He was a dangerous man.
*****
A/N: Wow. Well this is getting interesting. Even I didn't expect half that stuff to happen. Well shit... I guess this is going to be a tad more sexual than I'd planned. Damn. Still, I'm hoping to withhold any lemons (although the way this is going, I can't really be sure...). And guess what guys!! I have the ENTIRE plot laid out. :waves the "go self" flag: That means I can write more faster (I... hope... O_o) because I already know exactly what's going to happen! Yatta! Here's a secret... I usually start a story and have no clue whatsoever where I'm going to take it, so it takes longer to write, and sometimes sort of just... fizzles out in the middle. But I'm extreeeemely optimistic about this one, which is a big thing for me, since I'm a cynic and a pessimist. Anyhow... hope this is enjoyable, hope I didn't offend anyone with content (haha, just kidding, if you don't like it, don't read it... I couldn't care less about offending anyone), and I hope to have the next chapter out soon! Please bear with me, though, as I'm working on three fics at once and, contrary to popular opinion, I DO have a life (just... not much of one...). Ok, ok, so I lied. I don't have a life. I have school and a horse. That's my life. Yeah... Ja ne!