Constellation
MysticShadowWanderer
Disclaimer: The Rasmus is an awesome band. They don't own Kenshin. They also didn't write this story. But sort of they did, because I was listening to their music while writing, and music always inspires me to write. Check them out, they have much better rock than a lot of American bands I've heard, they have extremely artistic stylings. (Yes... they're from Finland. Yes... they rock hard.)
*****
Chapter Three: More Than Slightly Swayed
Shoving his way down the crowded sidewalks, Battousai made his way without completely focusing on his destination. His thoughts were centered on Kaoru, and just what he would have to do to get her to trust him and to coax her to open up to him, if only slightly. It seemed as though it was a lost cause, but he wasn't one to give up quite so easily. A grin stretched across his face; the internet truly was a marvelously powerful tool in this day and age. Before his fingertips, with just a few simplistic codes that allowed him to skirt the edges of the systems he desired access to, had been displayed a very thorough background on the Kamiya family. Apparently she knew less of her father than she thought, because his business, the façade of which involved selling some sort of children's toy that he'd invented, had a commendable amount of ties to several mafia and gang-type organizations. It was glaringly obvious to Battousai that Kaoru had been Tetsuro's only connection to the rest of the family, who suspected but never brought into public view his less-than-savory dealings, and had been spoiled as only the daughter of a rich man could be. Fantastically expensive homes, outrageous wardrobes that would have cost any middle-class family enough to cause them to go bankrupt, high performance sports cars, fine pedigreed show horses, education at the top establishments in Japan; it was a wonder that Kaoru had any sense of reality at all, though just how much she understood of the world remained to be seen.
Battousai stopped to glance in the window of a women's clothing store before pushing the door open and stepping inside. If Kaoru had been spoiled before, then he had no qualms about lulling her into security around him by buying her valuable and pretty things to present a sense of normalcy. It wasn't as if he didn't have the funds to do so; assassination was not one of the lower paying endeavors in society. With a smug smile, Battousai decided that he was quite well-off enough to treat Kaoru like royalty. Part of his mind told him that getting her to feel safe around him was not the only reason that he wanted to care for her in such a manner, but he ignored the thought.
"Can I help you, sir?" The woman standing in front of him was staring at him, she looked as if she were resisting the urge to wave a hand in front of his eyes.
"I need to buy clothes for someone," he replied offhandedly, his gaze dating around him at the different racks of apparel.
"Might I ask whom these clothes are for and what the occasion is? It would be a great help in deciding what you'd like to purchase."
"They're for my... younger sister." He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was lying. "She's staying with me for a while, but she didn't pack anything." An amused glint flickered in his eyes at the young sales clerk's expression; it was always entertaining to embarrass the people in these types of places. As a rule, Battousai abhorred shopping, and was brief about buying his own clothing.
'Here's a picture, then. Hitokiri Battousai, quite possibly one of the most notorious men in Japan, buying clothes for a woman,' he thought, regarding what the now flustered woman at his side was saying with only half attention until she mentioned size. He hadn't thought about that, he mused. It didn't seem like a difficult task to simply guess, he decided. Besides, with only the short time he'd spent touching her, he fairly well had her body memorized. 'Though I'll have to know her more thoroughly...'
***
Kaoru tucked herself into the corner of the couch and wrapped the blanket over her legs. This day hadn't started well, but she supposed that for the moment it was alright. At least Battousai had left, even if only for a while. With a sigh, she clicked on the television and started flipping through the channels. Quickly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stations that there were to chose from, she stared down at the remote, studying all the buttons until she found the one that took her to the channel guide. Picking a movie channel, she settled back into the couch cushions and pulled the blanket up to her chin.
Breathing in, she couldn't help but take in the warm scent that she recognized as Battousai's. Part of her was disgusted, because of the hatred she held for the man, but she couldn't deny the fact that he smelled wonderful.
'No.' She shook her head and pushed the blanket away. 'I hate him, I hate him, I hate him.' She knew she was acting childishly, but she also knew that, under the circumstances, she had a right to. Curling up in a ball, she tucked her knees to her chest and focused her attention on her movie. Interview With A Vampire; no matter how many times she saw it, it just continued to get better. Having seen the movie countless times, enough to have it mostly memorized, when Kaoru's eyes began to grow heavy from lack of sleep the night before, she had no reason to keep them open. With a yawn, she let go of any remaining tension in her body and slipped away into slumber.
***
Several hours later, Kaoru woke with a groan and sat up. She was startled to realize that the blanket she'd tossed aside earlier fell about her waist as she straightened her body out, stretching the muscles that had stiffened while she was asleep. By the delicious smell of food cooking in the kitchen, she knew that Battousai was home; he must have pulled the blanket over her while she was sleeping. The acknowledgment brought a puzzled look to Kaoru's face; it seemed uncharacteristic of an assassin to care whether an individual was cold or not while they were sleeping.
'Maybe I'm special.' That particular thought came unbidden, and she did her best to shove it away to the recesses of her mind. There was nothing worse than having confusing, yet warming, thoughts about someone that one hated. At least she thought she hated him; she wasn't so sure anymore. 'The only thing he's really done that's wrong is keep me here, and he's only doing that because I tried to kill him...' Her mind was traitorous.
"Kaoru," he called softly. "Dinner is ready."
'Dinner? I slept through lunch?' The rumbling of her empty stomach quickly answered that question, and she pushed herself up from the couch to join Battousai in the kitchen.
As she stepped toward the chair she had used during what little she'd had of breakfast, Battousai pulled it out for her. Blinking once in surprise, she primly took her seat, aware that all the while his eyes were fixated on her. Her gaze was kept firmly on her plate, which contained dainty portions of rice, pork, and some sort of vegetable mix that she wasn't sure that she would enjoy. Did Battousai already know her well enough that he knew she didn't eat very much at meals because she ruined her appetite by snacking in between? The difference in servings on her plate than those on his certainly made it appear that way. How could he know that, though? Noticing the chopsticks by her meal, she looked up at him, meaning to express her thanks for his silent display of kindness in knowing that she would like the familiarity of the utensils. But when she met his gaze, she stopped before she could form the words to give tongue to her feelings.
Battousai gave her a heated stare, desire rampantly obvious in his eyes. Kaoru found herself nervously licking her lips, and instantly regretting the action as his hungry eyes followed the motion almost leisurely. But he didn't lean down to kiss her as she expected he would with half dread and half anticipation; they both were still, neither one moving but to breathe. After a moment, Battousai shifted his weight to close the gap between their faces, his mouth mere inches from hers. Kaoru could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips; he was doing it on purpose, as she knew very well. It was strangely erotic, almost more so than kissing, and she unwittingly found herself wishing that he would tilt his head a little bit closer and meet her mouth with just the slightest brushing of lips. Battousai watched her as her eyelids dropped slightly; he smirked. She wanted him, even if she wouldn't admit it to him.
"I hope you enjoy your meal," he said in a low, soft voice as he pulled away and took his seat.
Kaoru sighed quietly as she picked up her chopsticks and slowly began to eat. What was wrong with her? This was the man she hated, and she had wanted him to kiss her? Was that all she wanted? Sometimes she couldn't understand the way her own mind worked, or, in this case, didn't work. Battousai eyed her as she carefully lifted her food to her mouth and chewed carefully, her expression lightening when she decidedly that the taste was more than palatable. She nodded her thanks to Battousai, who gave her half a smile and raised his glass in a mock toast. Setting her chopsticks down, she somewhat warily lifted her own glass, mimicking Battousai's expression, and then drank. The wine tingled in her throat and left her feeling warm and more contented. She wondered briefly exactly how potent the drink was, but the thought was deliberately ignored.
Battousai watched her closely as she finished her meal, all the while sipping from her wine glass, which he had been keeping filled to the rim. He lifted one eyebrow as she started swaying a very little; Kamiya Kaoru obviously didn't drink often, though he supposed that was a good thing. She started to speak, presumably to thank him for the meal, but he hushed her and then rushed to her side as she attempted to stand. Taking her by the elbow, he led her out of the kitchen and sat her down on the couch, sinking into the position next to her. Kaoru relaxed completely, slumping spinelessly against the back of the couch.
"I bought you some things while I was out," Battousai said, leaning over to whisper in her ear.
"Hm, what?" she mumbled, ignoring the shivers that chased each other down her spine.
"Come and see for yourself." He stood and offered a hand to Kaoru, who took it tentatively and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
Once more grasping her elbow to steady her, Battousai walked Kaoru the few feet from the couch to the door of his room, and, momentarily groping in his pocket for the keys, unlocked the door and let it swing open. It was a fleeting curiosity to Kaoru that he always kept the door locked; she wondered what he could possibly have that would be of such value or secrecy to merit the habit. Perhaps it was just that: A habit. Battousai let go of her arm and instructed her to sit on the bed and wait; she obeyed distrustfully, sitting in the darkness and watching as he opened the door to his closet and bathed the room in a dim, soft light. He returned with four shopping bags and dropped them unceremoniously at her feet, moving to flip on the bedside lamp. Prodding one of the bags with her foot, she couldn't help but be interested. When he mentioned that he'd bought "some things," she hadn't expected four bags of said things.
"Go ahead, see what's in them," he said as he sat at her side.
As she bent to open a bag, she felt his fingers resting on her shoulder ever so lightly. She decided to, for the moment at least, ignore it. What she pulled out of the bag made her gasp in shock and delight, and completely forget about his now-strengthening grip on her shoulder. He'd bought her clothes, and with her well trained eye, she could tell that they were very expensive clothes. With renewed enthusiasm, she took everything out of the bags; he'd been very busy that afternoon. Battousai smiled at the almost childlike pleasure that radiated from her as she stood and held the clothes against her; he'd made sure to buy her everything she possibly need.
"Do you like them?" he asked.
She nodded and gave him a smile. "Very much... thank you."
"Good," he replied. "But there's one more thing."
"What?"
He went back into the closet, this time carrying out a long bag that Kaoru immediately recognized as the type used at drycleaners'. Handing it to her, he watched, fascinated, as her eyes lit up while she carefully unwrapped it. Kaoru stared for a moment; she'd never had anything quite this nice, even though she had always been the first to admit that her father had spoiled her. The long black dress she held was something she wouldn't have ever dreamed of owning. It was silky, low-cut in both the front and back, with slits in both sides of the skirt that had to go well up to her thighs. Looking closer, she saw that the halter style neck was indeed held by a strand of diamonds that lined the entire top of the dress, and she highly doubted the fact that they were fake. Another line of diamonds circled the waist of the dress; she was simply amazed. She looked at Battousai and simply gaped.
"I... I..." she struggled for words. "I don't know... what to say..."
"Then don't say anything, but 'yes.'"
"To what?"
"There is a dance of sorts that the company I work for is hosting, and it is required that I go," he explained, but didn't actually divulge any details. Kaoru was discovering that he was quite skilled at the art. "I want you to accompany me."
Kaoru stared for a minute before answering slowly. "Yes."
"I have your word, then. You will not back out on it." It wasn't a question but, rather, a statement.
Kaoru nodded as he eased the hanger from her hands and hung the dress on a hook on the closet door. When he returned to her side, he drew her into his arms, holding her loosely and fully expecting her to shrug out of his embrace and make for the relative safety of her own room. As he realized that she was, for the moment, going to remain in his arms, he brought an arm up and threaded his fingers through her hair, bringing her head to his for a gentle, chaste kiss. For a few seconds the kiss remained innocent, but even Battousai's restraint wasn't so great that he could resist her, which greatly irked him but he shoved the thought away as he crushed her body to his and bit at her lips.
Before Kaoru realized what was happening, Battousai had her laid on the bed and was kissing his way down her neck. She shuddered and buried her fingers in his strange crimson hair, enjoying it's tangled, rough silky feel under her sensitive skin. Unable to help herself, she bit not-so-gently at his ear and heard his sharp intake of breath, felt his hips grind against hers. The sensation hit her like heavy blow to the head; suddenly she comprehended exactly what she was doing. With a cry, she shoved fiercely at Battousai in an attempt to get him off her.
"Shit." The curse was brief and angry as Battousai gave her once final, sharp bite on the neck and moved away from her, hands fisting as he strode to the other side of the room.
Kaoru fled without another glance at the raging man she was leaving behind. Stopping only when she'd reached her room and slammed the door behind her, she fell to the bed in tears. Now she realized what he'd done. He'd gotten her drunk, treated her kindly, bought her costly items, all in an attempt to get her into his bed. Now she remembered why it was that she hated him so much.
Despite the fact that it was getting late, she went into the bathroom and turned the shower on rather violently. Dropping her clothes where she stood, she stepped into the water, only to immediately step back out. This time it was far too hot, she thought as she turned the temperature to a more reasonable level. She scrubbed furiously, painfully, until the bar of soap she held was nearly gone, and the scars on her wrists were so agitated that they began to bleed again. She cried to herself as she turned her face up into the burning water, paying no attention to the protesting of her soft skin. It didn't matter anymore; nothing mattered.
When she felt both tired and clean, Kaoru turned the shower off and grabbed for a towel, which she held firmly around herself as she went out into the room to look for something to wear to bed. Settling for a button-down shirt that was made of a soft, dark material, she let her towel fall carelessly to the floor, slipped into the shirt with no thought to put anything on underneath it, and fell wearily onto the mattress. Pulling the sheets and blankets snugly over herself, she yawned and closed her eyes, falling into an uneasy sleep.
***
"Goddamn it," Battousai hissed as he paced the long wall of his room. She had been so willing, so ready, and then she just... snapped. Much like he had, he thought darkly, but with the opposite effect.
'I will have that woman for my own if it's the last thing I do.'
Tonight, though, he would have to make do with a cold shower, or perhaps two, and the thought of how happy she had seemed when she was looking at the clothes he'd bought for her. He didn't dare remember the look on her face when she'd seen the dress, that was simply too much for him to bear.
After his shower, which was only minimally effective, he slipped into a pair of loose sweat pants and flopped down on his bed, hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. It was going to take more than just a day to get through Kaoru's defenses, which was a different experience for someone who was used to having women fling themselves at him. Battousai smiled into the darkness; Kaoru was a challenge that he was more than willing to overcome.
*****
A/N: Ooo... tense. This chapter was a little shorter than the others, but I ran out of creativity towards the end there. Oh well, it was pretty decent despite that. As my choir director would say: "There were some good moments." Of course... there were some moments that completely sucked, which he always fails to mention, but oh well. We'll ignore that part. My arm hurts from holding myself up at this weird angle and I'm starting to lose feeling in my hand... Ja...
MysticShadowWanderer
Disclaimer: The Rasmus is an awesome band. They don't own Kenshin. They also didn't write this story. But sort of they did, because I was listening to their music while writing, and music always inspires me to write. Check them out, they have much better rock than a lot of American bands I've heard, they have extremely artistic stylings. (Yes... they're from Finland. Yes... they rock hard.)
*****
Chapter Three: More Than Slightly Swayed
Shoving his way down the crowded sidewalks, Battousai made his way without completely focusing on his destination. His thoughts were centered on Kaoru, and just what he would have to do to get her to trust him and to coax her to open up to him, if only slightly. It seemed as though it was a lost cause, but he wasn't one to give up quite so easily. A grin stretched across his face; the internet truly was a marvelously powerful tool in this day and age. Before his fingertips, with just a few simplistic codes that allowed him to skirt the edges of the systems he desired access to, had been displayed a very thorough background on the Kamiya family. Apparently she knew less of her father than she thought, because his business, the façade of which involved selling some sort of children's toy that he'd invented, had a commendable amount of ties to several mafia and gang-type organizations. It was glaringly obvious to Battousai that Kaoru had been Tetsuro's only connection to the rest of the family, who suspected but never brought into public view his less-than-savory dealings, and had been spoiled as only the daughter of a rich man could be. Fantastically expensive homes, outrageous wardrobes that would have cost any middle-class family enough to cause them to go bankrupt, high performance sports cars, fine pedigreed show horses, education at the top establishments in Japan; it was a wonder that Kaoru had any sense of reality at all, though just how much she understood of the world remained to be seen.
Battousai stopped to glance in the window of a women's clothing store before pushing the door open and stepping inside. If Kaoru had been spoiled before, then he had no qualms about lulling her into security around him by buying her valuable and pretty things to present a sense of normalcy. It wasn't as if he didn't have the funds to do so; assassination was not one of the lower paying endeavors in society. With a smug smile, Battousai decided that he was quite well-off enough to treat Kaoru like royalty. Part of his mind told him that getting her to feel safe around him was not the only reason that he wanted to care for her in such a manner, but he ignored the thought.
"Can I help you, sir?" The woman standing in front of him was staring at him, she looked as if she were resisting the urge to wave a hand in front of his eyes.
"I need to buy clothes for someone," he replied offhandedly, his gaze dating around him at the different racks of apparel.
"Might I ask whom these clothes are for and what the occasion is? It would be a great help in deciding what you'd like to purchase."
"They're for my... younger sister." He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was lying. "She's staying with me for a while, but she didn't pack anything." An amused glint flickered in his eyes at the young sales clerk's expression; it was always entertaining to embarrass the people in these types of places. As a rule, Battousai abhorred shopping, and was brief about buying his own clothing.
'Here's a picture, then. Hitokiri Battousai, quite possibly one of the most notorious men in Japan, buying clothes for a woman,' he thought, regarding what the now flustered woman at his side was saying with only half attention until she mentioned size. He hadn't thought about that, he mused. It didn't seem like a difficult task to simply guess, he decided. Besides, with only the short time he'd spent touching her, he fairly well had her body memorized. 'Though I'll have to know her more thoroughly...'
***
Kaoru tucked herself into the corner of the couch and wrapped the blanket over her legs. This day hadn't started well, but she supposed that for the moment it was alright. At least Battousai had left, even if only for a while. With a sigh, she clicked on the television and started flipping through the channels. Quickly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stations that there were to chose from, she stared down at the remote, studying all the buttons until she found the one that took her to the channel guide. Picking a movie channel, she settled back into the couch cushions and pulled the blanket up to her chin.
Breathing in, she couldn't help but take in the warm scent that she recognized as Battousai's. Part of her was disgusted, because of the hatred she held for the man, but she couldn't deny the fact that he smelled wonderful.
'No.' She shook her head and pushed the blanket away. 'I hate him, I hate him, I hate him.' She knew she was acting childishly, but she also knew that, under the circumstances, she had a right to. Curling up in a ball, she tucked her knees to her chest and focused her attention on her movie. Interview With A Vampire; no matter how many times she saw it, it just continued to get better. Having seen the movie countless times, enough to have it mostly memorized, when Kaoru's eyes began to grow heavy from lack of sleep the night before, she had no reason to keep them open. With a yawn, she let go of any remaining tension in her body and slipped away into slumber.
***
Several hours later, Kaoru woke with a groan and sat up. She was startled to realize that the blanket she'd tossed aside earlier fell about her waist as she straightened her body out, stretching the muscles that had stiffened while she was asleep. By the delicious smell of food cooking in the kitchen, she knew that Battousai was home; he must have pulled the blanket over her while she was sleeping. The acknowledgment brought a puzzled look to Kaoru's face; it seemed uncharacteristic of an assassin to care whether an individual was cold or not while they were sleeping.
'Maybe I'm special.' That particular thought came unbidden, and she did her best to shove it away to the recesses of her mind. There was nothing worse than having confusing, yet warming, thoughts about someone that one hated. At least she thought she hated him; she wasn't so sure anymore. 'The only thing he's really done that's wrong is keep me here, and he's only doing that because I tried to kill him...' Her mind was traitorous.
"Kaoru," he called softly. "Dinner is ready."
'Dinner? I slept through lunch?' The rumbling of her empty stomach quickly answered that question, and she pushed herself up from the couch to join Battousai in the kitchen.
As she stepped toward the chair she had used during what little she'd had of breakfast, Battousai pulled it out for her. Blinking once in surprise, she primly took her seat, aware that all the while his eyes were fixated on her. Her gaze was kept firmly on her plate, which contained dainty portions of rice, pork, and some sort of vegetable mix that she wasn't sure that she would enjoy. Did Battousai already know her well enough that he knew she didn't eat very much at meals because she ruined her appetite by snacking in between? The difference in servings on her plate than those on his certainly made it appear that way. How could he know that, though? Noticing the chopsticks by her meal, she looked up at him, meaning to express her thanks for his silent display of kindness in knowing that she would like the familiarity of the utensils. But when she met his gaze, she stopped before she could form the words to give tongue to her feelings.
Battousai gave her a heated stare, desire rampantly obvious in his eyes. Kaoru found herself nervously licking her lips, and instantly regretting the action as his hungry eyes followed the motion almost leisurely. But he didn't lean down to kiss her as she expected he would with half dread and half anticipation; they both were still, neither one moving but to breathe. After a moment, Battousai shifted his weight to close the gap between their faces, his mouth mere inches from hers. Kaoru could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips; he was doing it on purpose, as she knew very well. It was strangely erotic, almost more so than kissing, and she unwittingly found herself wishing that he would tilt his head a little bit closer and meet her mouth with just the slightest brushing of lips. Battousai watched her as her eyelids dropped slightly; he smirked. She wanted him, even if she wouldn't admit it to him.
"I hope you enjoy your meal," he said in a low, soft voice as he pulled away and took his seat.
Kaoru sighed quietly as she picked up her chopsticks and slowly began to eat. What was wrong with her? This was the man she hated, and she had wanted him to kiss her? Was that all she wanted? Sometimes she couldn't understand the way her own mind worked, or, in this case, didn't work. Battousai eyed her as she carefully lifted her food to her mouth and chewed carefully, her expression lightening when she decidedly that the taste was more than palatable. She nodded her thanks to Battousai, who gave her half a smile and raised his glass in a mock toast. Setting her chopsticks down, she somewhat warily lifted her own glass, mimicking Battousai's expression, and then drank. The wine tingled in her throat and left her feeling warm and more contented. She wondered briefly exactly how potent the drink was, but the thought was deliberately ignored.
Battousai watched her closely as she finished her meal, all the while sipping from her wine glass, which he had been keeping filled to the rim. He lifted one eyebrow as she started swaying a very little; Kamiya Kaoru obviously didn't drink often, though he supposed that was a good thing. She started to speak, presumably to thank him for the meal, but he hushed her and then rushed to her side as she attempted to stand. Taking her by the elbow, he led her out of the kitchen and sat her down on the couch, sinking into the position next to her. Kaoru relaxed completely, slumping spinelessly against the back of the couch.
"I bought you some things while I was out," Battousai said, leaning over to whisper in her ear.
"Hm, what?" she mumbled, ignoring the shivers that chased each other down her spine.
"Come and see for yourself." He stood and offered a hand to Kaoru, who took it tentatively and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
Once more grasping her elbow to steady her, Battousai walked Kaoru the few feet from the couch to the door of his room, and, momentarily groping in his pocket for the keys, unlocked the door and let it swing open. It was a fleeting curiosity to Kaoru that he always kept the door locked; she wondered what he could possibly have that would be of such value or secrecy to merit the habit. Perhaps it was just that: A habit. Battousai let go of her arm and instructed her to sit on the bed and wait; she obeyed distrustfully, sitting in the darkness and watching as he opened the door to his closet and bathed the room in a dim, soft light. He returned with four shopping bags and dropped them unceremoniously at her feet, moving to flip on the bedside lamp. Prodding one of the bags with her foot, she couldn't help but be interested. When he mentioned that he'd bought "some things," she hadn't expected four bags of said things.
"Go ahead, see what's in them," he said as he sat at her side.
As she bent to open a bag, she felt his fingers resting on her shoulder ever so lightly. She decided to, for the moment at least, ignore it. What she pulled out of the bag made her gasp in shock and delight, and completely forget about his now-strengthening grip on her shoulder. He'd bought her clothes, and with her well trained eye, she could tell that they were very expensive clothes. With renewed enthusiasm, she took everything out of the bags; he'd been very busy that afternoon. Battousai smiled at the almost childlike pleasure that radiated from her as she stood and held the clothes against her; he'd made sure to buy her everything she possibly need.
"Do you like them?" he asked.
She nodded and gave him a smile. "Very much... thank you."
"Good," he replied. "But there's one more thing."
"What?"
He went back into the closet, this time carrying out a long bag that Kaoru immediately recognized as the type used at drycleaners'. Handing it to her, he watched, fascinated, as her eyes lit up while she carefully unwrapped it. Kaoru stared for a moment; she'd never had anything quite this nice, even though she had always been the first to admit that her father had spoiled her. The long black dress she held was something she wouldn't have ever dreamed of owning. It was silky, low-cut in both the front and back, with slits in both sides of the skirt that had to go well up to her thighs. Looking closer, she saw that the halter style neck was indeed held by a strand of diamonds that lined the entire top of the dress, and she highly doubted the fact that they were fake. Another line of diamonds circled the waist of the dress; she was simply amazed. She looked at Battousai and simply gaped.
"I... I..." she struggled for words. "I don't know... what to say..."
"Then don't say anything, but 'yes.'"
"To what?"
"There is a dance of sorts that the company I work for is hosting, and it is required that I go," he explained, but didn't actually divulge any details. Kaoru was discovering that he was quite skilled at the art. "I want you to accompany me."
Kaoru stared for a minute before answering slowly. "Yes."
"I have your word, then. You will not back out on it." It wasn't a question but, rather, a statement.
Kaoru nodded as he eased the hanger from her hands and hung the dress on a hook on the closet door. When he returned to her side, he drew her into his arms, holding her loosely and fully expecting her to shrug out of his embrace and make for the relative safety of her own room. As he realized that she was, for the moment, going to remain in his arms, he brought an arm up and threaded his fingers through her hair, bringing her head to his for a gentle, chaste kiss. For a few seconds the kiss remained innocent, but even Battousai's restraint wasn't so great that he could resist her, which greatly irked him but he shoved the thought away as he crushed her body to his and bit at her lips.
Before Kaoru realized what was happening, Battousai had her laid on the bed and was kissing his way down her neck. She shuddered and buried her fingers in his strange crimson hair, enjoying it's tangled, rough silky feel under her sensitive skin. Unable to help herself, she bit not-so-gently at his ear and heard his sharp intake of breath, felt his hips grind against hers. The sensation hit her like heavy blow to the head; suddenly she comprehended exactly what she was doing. With a cry, she shoved fiercely at Battousai in an attempt to get him off her.
"Shit." The curse was brief and angry as Battousai gave her once final, sharp bite on the neck and moved away from her, hands fisting as he strode to the other side of the room.
Kaoru fled without another glance at the raging man she was leaving behind. Stopping only when she'd reached her room and slammed the door behind her, she fell to the bed in tears. Now she realized what he'd done. He'd gotten her drunk, treated her kindly, bought her costly items, all in an attempt to get her into his bed. Now she remembered why it was that she hated him so much.
Despite the fact that it was getting late, she went into the bathroom and turned the shower on rather violently. Dropping her clothes where she stood, she stepped into the water, only to immediately step back out. This time it was far too hot, she thought as she turned the temperature to a more reasonable level. She scrubbed furiously, painfully, until the bar of soap she held was nearly gone, and the scars on her wrists were so agitated that they began to bleed again. She cried to herself as she turned her face up into the burning water, paying no attention to the protesting of her soft skin. It didn't matter anymore; nothing mattered.
When she felt both tired and clean, Kaoru turned the shower off and grabbed for a towel, which she held firmly around herself as she went out into the room to look for something to wear to bed. Settling for a button-down shirt that was made of a soft, dark material, she let her towel fall carelessly to the floor, slipped into the shirt with no thought to put anything on underneath it, and fell wearily onto the mattress. Pulling the sheets and blankets snugly over herself, she yawned and closed her eyes, falling into an uneasy sleep.
***
"Goddamn it," Battousai hissed as he paced the long wall of his room. She had been so willing, so ready, and then she just... snapped. Much like he had, he thought darkly, but with the opposite effect.
'I will have that woman for my own if it's the last thing I do.'
Tonight, though, he would have to make do with a cold shower, or perhaps two, and the thought of how happy she had seemed when she was looking at the clothes he'd bought for her. He didn't dare remember the look on her face when she'd seen the dress, that was simply too much for him to bear.
After his shower, which was only minimally effective, he slipped into a pair of loose sweat pants and flopped down on his bed, hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. It was going to take more than just a day to get through Kaoru's defenses, which was a different experience for someone who was used to having women fling themselves at him. Battousai smiled into the darkness; Kaoru was a challenge that he was more than willing to overcome.
*****
A/N: Ooo... tense. This chapter was a little shorter than the others, but I ran out of creativity towards the end there. Oh well, it was pretty decent despite that. As my choir director would say: "There were some good moments." Of course... there were some moments that completely sucked, which he always fails to mention, but oh well. We'll ignore that part. My arm hurts from holding myself up at this weird angle and I'm starting to lose feeling in my hand... Ja...