Disclaimer: don't own RK.
Pretty senseless chappie...Okay, I admit it, you could probably give me an award for latest to update author/ess and I'd definitely think I deserve it! but I won't wallow in self-pity because I think I have a reason (Or maybe I'm just in denial but who gives a hoot right?)
Fact is, it's not easy to update on things outside school if you're at my school. It's one hell of a place but it's cool. (at least I think it is). I'm like in only one school org. (the school paper) but my saturdays and sundays are all lined up for some meeting of some sort. Plus, I recently got a promotion. Isn't that cool? only I didn't realize it was a good thing until like, a few days later.
My friends were all like, "Wow bleep! You're the News Editor!" and I was like, "Duh? Is that important" so they were all, "Yes it is, you idiot!" (oh the bleeping my name thing? Let's just say I exact extreme discretion when it comes to myself or maybe I just watched KILL BILL too much).
Anyway, enjoy this one readers! I have replies by the end, you might wanna read since I almost always don't put them.
17 A Night of Searching
In the outskirts of town, in an alleyway an event happens with only the moss and dirt of the street bearing as the only witnesses to a chase.
Amidst the pounding rain, Kaoru rushed through with stealth as she went across a certain alleyway. Every now and then, glancing behind her for any sign of a redheaded man.
Finally her pursuer emerged, looking soaked… and angry, very angry. She quickly turned right to a corner before the Battousai saw her. But as she turned, she bumped into a big, burly, stinky and not to mention drunk guy.
The thug yelped in surprise and abomination started pouring down his mouth. This action called the attention of Kenshin who conveniently enough was lurking, a few steps away. Kaoru could only run for it as she sensed Kenshin's presence approach slowly at first then getting faster every second.
She found a pile of boxes and quickly hid herself behind it in the hopes that the bully was too drunk to remember her face or anything that might point where she was.
-KENSHIN-
Kenshin heard a shout and the moment he did, he rushed to its source. He didn't find Kaoru in there instead , he saw a wound up bully. (by the looks of it.)
He was about to leave when he heard the large man curse. It was not the fact that he had cursed but rather what he was cursing about that caught Kenshin's attention.
"Stupid Bitch!" he had heard the man say. Immediately, the screws inside Kenshin's head begun working and he shot the man a look that would have caused any man to run the opposite direction.
"Did you see a woman pass by?" he asked demandingly. Politeness be damned, he had his chance of finding Kaoru and he's not wasting it on gobbledygook. A/N: I LOVE that word!
He, however had the misfortune of asking one of Japan's biggest drunkards. He was answered by a mere grunt and he realized that the man was already asleep. Kenshin was deeply infuriated by this but decided to give it a rest.
'Whether that idiot answered me or not, I know Kaoru can't be too far now.' He thought, almost with vehemence so uncommon to him.
-KAORU-
She repressed a sigh as she didn't hear the bully make any sort of indication that he had answered Kenshin. She, however weren't wasn't able to stop herself from gasping as she heard the rurouni curse. It was just surprising. She tried to take a peek but saw that Kenshin was about to look her way. She quickly went back to her hiding spot behind the boxes.
"Whew! That was close!" she said as she leaned against the boxes.
-KENSHIN-
Kenshin thought he heard a sound coming from the pile of boxes just beyond the alley.he sharpened his senses to hear more but there was none. He did see something though, a foot. He smiled then pretended to move away from the alley.
-KAORU-
When Kaoru saw that Kenshin was about to leave, she looked at the direction of the bully and thought that it would be too risky to go there now. She looked to her left and a smile lit her features.
"Hopping on the roof sounds good." She whispered to herself.
She made a run for it, hoping she wouldn't be noticed.
-KENSHIN-
Kenshin saw Kaoru leave her hiding place and making sure his presence would not be felt,he followed her at such an amazing speed only a blur of red could be seen.
As Kaoru leaped from the roof to roof, she looked behind her every now and then to make sure she wasn't being followed. She saw a blur and thought she recognized exactly what it was. She squinted her eyes and gasped as she saw Kenshin leaping on the roofs as well, grinning in a triumphant way.
"We'll see about that!"
In one moment, she jumped off the roof and was gone. Kenshin was surprised when a long bamboo stick emerged from below and hit him. He could only hold on to it and as he looked down, he saw Kaoru, grinning while holding the stick with a malevolent gleam in her eyes.
She moved the stick with a thrust and hit the adjacent roof with him dangling on it like a helpless animal. His body crushed against the roof and he fell down to the ground among more bamboo sticks. Kaoru held on to her stick as she examined the pile. She had the surprise of her life when she saw that Kenshin was not there. Looking around frantically, she bit her lip so hard that it bled.
She ran away, she had after all, a ship to catch.
As she ran, she thought of many things in her life. What she'll do, where she'll go, Okinawa sounded good. She could live alone until her memories came back, and when it does she'll know who to trust. She punish the culprit, she will make sure of that. But for now, she doesn't know who to believe, she could only trust herself.
"Just a short while and I'll be at the pier, I'll be free." She smiled as she rounded the corner but was surprised at what she saw.
"It's a bit late for a night stroll, don't you think?"
There he was, leaning casually at the wall, with his foolish grin. He ran his hand through his red locks.
"You've been neglecting your training, I was bored stiff waiting for so long."
Kaoru could only stare at Kenshin disbelievingly. It was impossible. She left him. "But he wasn't there." A voice said inside her head. She was snapped back to reality as she heard him speak again, his voice unusually velvety.
"However, play time is over and I already had my fun." He begun walking towards her. "I don't fancy hide-and-seek that much, how about a piggy back?".
Kaoru suddenly felt a pair if strong, capable hands around her waist and swung her forward. Soon, she was being carried on Kenshin's back like a sack. Still trying to recover from the shock, she felt Kenshin running towards the dojo.
She looked up and saw the pier. She felt painful tears around her eyes as she was being carried away from her goal. She punched the man's back with savage fury and let out an exasperated moan, every now and then glancing at the Kenshin's unmoving head.
She made to ball her fists and punch Kenshin's head.
"Don't even think about it she heard Kenshin's warning.".
"What? You have eyes at the back of your head or something?"
Kenshin let out a snort of laughter.
It was then that she realized that Kenshin haven't been talking the usual way. He must've been really upset. She began to laugh at the recollection of what she's done to escape.
"Battousai was beaten because he had to go pee-pee!" she taunted in a child-like voice.
She only heard Kenshin's grunt and she laughed some more.
For the rest of the time they spent getting back, Kenshin was silent. Kaoru felt her mirth subside and she became her quieter side for the remainder of their trip.
It was only at the dojo gates that Kenshin seemed to have regained his voice. In a monotonic tone, he informed her that they were there.
Kaoru immediately looked at the back of his head and stuck her tongue in an age-old childish taunt.
Finally, they were inside and when they got inside Kenshin's room, he unceremoniously dropped her to the floor. After which, he quietly turned his back, ripped off his gi and cursed loudly.
Kaoru was about hurtle vehement curses at him but stopped herself as she saw Kenshin's seemingly devastated form. Kaoru stared at his well chiseled frame as Kenshin paced the room.
"You think you're being funny do you?" Kenshin was saying but Kaoru didn't notice him, instead she found herself staring at him. Her eyes roamed his body and she saw the many scars of his small body.
Her heart clutched in pain and she felt a lump in her throat as she saw a particularly fresh cut across his chest. It was the one she gave him back in the cave, during their fight. Why wasn't it healing yet?
She covered her mouth as she saw how big it was. Did she really do that? Was she that cruel? She moved towards Kenshin's agonized figure. He caught some of the words he'd been murmuring.
"I thought everything was okay, but you continue to toy with me. I can't even trust you anymore…"
Kenshin stopped speaking as he felt Kaoru's small hands upon his chest. Examining the scar with great distaste. She looked up at him and in a suffering voice, asked him:
"Why isn't it healing?"
Kenshin let out a derisive snort and said in an ironic voice.
"What do you care? It is because of you that I'm so miserable right now."
Kaoru clenched her teeth and felt blood rush through her at the unexpected answer from Kenshin. What was that? Was she expecting him to be soft and patient with her? After all she'd done? Trying to compensate her embarrassment, she shouted back
"I was only asking! You don't have to be so grumpy!"
"I'm being grumpy? Why do you think is that?"
"Look, I know I tricked you and stuff but I was being so cooped up here, I… I-I wanted to be… free!" she said indignantly.
"Free? Back to Reiji? Is that free?"
"I didn't say that I was going to go back to ma-" she sighed "I mean, Reiji" she said with defiance.
"Really? Tell me, after everything you've done so far, why should I believe you?"
"I'm not asking you to believe me! I'm just sick and tired of all of this. Sick of all the stupid no-memory stuff, sick of being a prisoner!"
"You know very well that you're no prisoner, Kaoru."
"Really?! Then tell me, why do I feel like one? You and Reiji are no different! I was a prisoner back there in the cave and I still feel like one in here."
With that her knees buckled and she dropped on her knees, sobbing. Kenshin tried to put a hand to her shoulder but she pushed his hands away. She quickly stood up, startling Kenshin.
"I'm going to go to my room now!"
"Not so fast!"
Kenshin caught her arm and pulled her so hard that she almost fell over him. She looked back up at him but it was like something swept over her. Her eyes automatically traveled around his face and they settled on his lips.
She knew, somehow she knew how his lips would feel against her own. She felt she knew the taste and how they work on her. Without a word, she moved closer. The rurouni all the while was confused at the course of her actions.
She stood on tiptoe and crossed the small distance between them and caught his mouth in hers, not knowing what she was doing and why she's doing it.
Softly, carefully, she slid her mouth against his and she felt the rurouni moan causing a reverberating sound to flow through her. Kenshin's hand went to the back of her head and tilted her head to gain more access. They kissed for a moment, uncaring that Kenshin was half-naked and Kaoru might as well have been naked because her wet clothes clung to her body. But then, she felt, Kenshin's hands grip arms and pulled her away from him.
It was only right for at that moment, Sano came bursting in. He was confused at both their expressions. Kaoru was clearly confused but surprisingly, the rurouni looked so angry he might as well as reverted to being Battousai.
"I heard some shouting and thought of checking it out."
Kaoru went past the two men and made her way towards her room.
Sano was staring hard at Kenshin. "Ok, what was that about? Have you two been fighting again? You guys seemed alright this afternoon."
Kenshin only turned his back at Sano and said in his usual voice:
"Sano, could you please accompany Kaoru-dono to her room? Sessha is too tired to go."
Without a word, Sano went out of the room and followed Kaoru who was clearly walking slowly.
Kenshin was brooding over what happened.
"Should I trust her? What if she's trying to trick me again?" His hand went to his lips, "Kaoru-dono, I don't know what to do with you anymore."
Sano was staring at Kaoru all the while they were walking towards her room.
"So, jou-chan. Anything you might want to talk about?" Sano had always been like a big brother to Kaoru and she surely felt like a little sister to him at that moment.
She shook her head but couldn't stop herself crying. She stopped in front of her room and said in a soft voice.
"I'm okay now, Sano."
"You don't seem okay, jou-chan. C'mon, you can tell Sano anything!" he said smiling down on her, trying to lighten up the mood.
"Maybe I'll tell you some other time."
Sanosuke sighed and quickly blushed as he scanned Kaoru's appearance. Her clothes clung to her body and showed curves they wouldn't usually see, parts they shouldn't see.
"Uh- you should get dresses now, you'll catch a cold." He said trying to look at anywhere else but her.
Kaoru looked down at herself and realized what was happening. With a quick goodbye she went inside her room and shut the door behind her.
Sano was still outside the room and as he looked up at the moon, he gritted his thoughts.
"Damn that Reiji! If it weren't for him, we all would've been happy by now."
REVIEWS:
Lendra-chan -thank you for review and i haven't fully appreciated my reviewers, what i mean is I don't always remember to thank them so I'm thanking you guys a hundred times now.
cyberdemon ah the cliff-hanger hater, I remember you always because everytime I read your reviews you have these statements that i dunno, with emotion. (hey that's a compliment since I can't feel much).
angel of lonelyness - hey you're new here! Well then, I do hope that you keep on reading this story!
StarofFoam ah, one of the older reviewers (i meant the time you've been reviewing not your age. hehe) I do appreciate the fact that you've hang on to this story considering the many cliffhangers I had had so far...
kitsune55 - you're another one who's new! hehe... - it's good of you to drop a review and yes, I'm going to keep on writing also because of the exact same reason you told me. I don't really know how to add your email to wherever I am going to add it since I am an idiot. But i'll email you, don't worry, I'm coming to the realization as to how.
Readit's - new guy! well, first of all, what's with the name? I like it!
lily-potter2010 - you know what's weird? I'm reading Harry Potter 5 now, only that I don't want to continue reading it for now since i already know what'll happen and I'm conditioning myself for that.
Emerald genie - another beautifully named reviewer, I always seem to be an idiot during times i need to be a genious, like thinking of a name perhaps. sigh
samuraiduck27 - a new reviewer! I'm so happy already! I like your name, I was thinking of baka-onna before since it fits me so well.
misenagi - thanks for that long review! and the compliments and the stuff you said were amazing, I'm feeling weird actually, werid -happy feeling.
rain angst - yeah I agree, who would've thought Kenshin would lose because he had to pee? heehee...
horse-crazy-gurl - uh... d'you like horses?
NEXT!
more fight scenes, who fights against who and why they fought, well that's for me to know and write you to sit back and wait for.
You know what? I think we're nearing the end of second grading and are soon gonna have our sembreak. Isn't that cool? I love my school!