Asylum Diaries
MysticShadowWanderer

Disclaimer: The radio is brainwashing me, filling my head with these self-conspiracies...

Chapter Two: Hunted
At the shrill insistence of her alarm clock, Kaoru awoke feeling cold, missing the heat of a body next to hers. She hated sleeping alone. Stretching her arms and smacking the "off" button on her alarm violently, she smiled cheerlessly when she found that she was clenching a fistful of feathers. This always happened; her lips turned downward in a pout.

It's going to be one of those days. She hated those days almost with the same passion that she loved them. Groaning as the light filtered dully through the thick fabric of the curtains which were still drawn closed (she remembered that being another one of his actions), she reached for the phone that sat near her bed. With a few well-fashioned excuses, she called in sick to work and rolled over to go back to sleep.

After a few moments of restless movement in an attempt to seek out seemingly unattainable comfort, she realized that her music no longer suited her mood. The CD player that was sitting more comfortably than she on her bed was crooning Savage Garden, and while she would admit readily that Darren's voice was nearly orgasmic, she could no longer connect with the lyrics and the up-tempo beats. Frowning when she realized she must have switched CDs half-consciously during the night, she flipped through her collection of discs and selected something more fitting. She felt like depressing herself today, as if she hadn't done a worthy job of that already.

"She was only seventeen, and forced to blame it on herself as she hides away to tame the pain she feels..."

Kaoru sighed in contentment; this was more like it. If she wasn't in tears by the end of the day, she would be terribly upset with herself. To further aid her grim mission, she pulled out a book, forgoing sleep in favor of one of her darlings, Faulkner. There was little better light reading than As I Lay Dying, save perhaps Mishima's Confessions of a Mask, but she had just finished that one again and she had lost track of how many times that totaled. She mused on her intelligence for a moment; she knew she was far more advanced than many people. After all, she thought with a derisive snort, most people consider light reading to be one of those ridiculously formulated romance stories.

Her thoughts betrayed her hypocrisy, however, because she was no virgin to those smutty paperback novels. Shrugging to herself, she recognized that character flaw and dismissed it. Whatever gets you off, she smirked. That train of thought led her to think about her beautiful, fiery killer. A dreamy smile lingered on her lips and she drew the fingertips of one hand over them in a preoccupied fashion. He was magnificent, and he belonged to her. That green angel of an assassin was her possession and toy, even if he thought he owned her. He would learn soon enough.

Unnoticed, Kenshin watched from the corner as Kaoru immersed herself in her music and her literature. He had seen the look that crossed her face and he had heard those racy words running through her mind, and it pleased him immensely, so much so that he wanted to rip the book from her hands and pin those delicate wrists to the bed as he drowned himself in her. But he exercised some self-control, waiting for the moment to be right; for the time she didn't even see him, and that suited him well. After all, how much longer could it be before she denied herself her drugstore-shelf romance novels? He knew what was on her mind from the way she shifted and her concentration wavered. The wait would be well worth the reward, and he did love to watch.

And she thought he was hers; his smirk flourished into a full grin that displayed almost feline teeth, the type that were perfect in an erotic scrape or could easily draw blood. Who was to say, though, that those two things were not one and the same? He intended not only to prove that true but to establish his own dominance over her. Himura Kenshin was no woman's plaything, although he would admit that the idea was more than slightly arousing. What would she do if given full reign?

Several hours later, Kaoru was startled awake by the sound of shattering glass. On the floor stark naked was not how she remembered falling asleep, but she disregarded the fact as she slowly stretched every muscle in her body. She frowned; her wings hurt, and that made her feel raped. It didn't disturb her in the least that part of her liked the feeling. Unconsciously, her slender fingers went to rub at the skin between and over her shoulder blades, but it was, of course, to no avail.

The sound, she reminded herself, needed to be investigated. If any of her things were broken, there would be Hell to pay, and she would unleash it herself. It wouldn't take much provocation. With silent footsteps she padded down the hall to the kitchen, and in the midst of spotlessly gleaming pots and pans, there stood Kenshin, a food-filled plate in one extended hand and leaning genially against the counter. His apparent laxity did nothing to fool her as she accepted the plate and sat at the table. What was he after?

"How did you get in?" she asked lightly around a mouthful of a breakfast that was so late it may as well have been lunch.

"You should lock your door," he said in a low, rumbling voice that sent chills up her spine.

"I see," was all she replied.

"You seem to say that often." His comment was met by a noncommital shrug, which he accepted as an agreement. "Most women would scream and at least attempt to phone the police if they found a strange man in their kitchen."

"But you're not a strange man," she said, glancing up from her meal to show him just how her blue eyes flashed with the statement. "You've forgotten how long I've known you. Longer than the human mind can comprehend, at least."

Kenshin let out a short, self-satisfied laugh at her words. Firmly coercing her to stand, he pulled her tightly up against him, the heat between them almost searing. With his lips just a hair's breadth from hers and his body straining toward her, he breathed his words into her trembling mouth.

"So, my little angel, you still want me."

A/N: So yes, I expect that at this point you are thoroughly confused. Which means that my job for this chapter is done. Bwaha! You know those anime that are really strange and seem like the creators and writers and whatnot had to have been really fucking high when they wrote them? That's kind of what this is like. Just nod and smile and read on, because eventually it will make sense. I'm planning for a massive plot twist. I mean, seriously, you guys have no idea what's going to hit you. As a side note, I don't think this fic will be overly long, because I don't want to break anyone's mind, including my own, which can come under considerable strain while writing this. Take one guess who Kaoru is modeled after in this story. :grin: Love and key lime pie to all of my readers! And especially Bando-chan, whom I totally heart and who cooked up something that is absolutely awesome because she rocks my already kickass socks. :wink: Much love, dear! (By the way everyone... DON'T EAT THE FISH! anyone who has the new System of a Down CD knows what I'm talking about!)