Hey, it's me again… standard disclaimers apply!
Now on with the fic!
Previously:
Clamping his eyes shut with anger, he remembered the felt shock, stupor, the maddening rage that had consumed him all too much and had prevented him from finishing the party. He recalled the betrayal he felt and how quickly she avoided and dodged the smoldering gazes he sent in her way. Animosity had been quick to build inside his heart, as it was now and as palms balled into fists, he cursed himself, inwardly and loudly for letting go of something that truly belonged to him.
"CURSE YOU HIMURA FOR LETTING GO OF HER! GODDAMNNIT YUKISHIRO FOR SNATCHING WHAT IS MINE! I SWEAR! I'M GOING TO GET HER BACK! I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL! SHE'S MINE AND I'LL GET WHATEVER BELONGS TO ME!"
Chapter 2: A Chance Meeting
"Even in the dark, my garden seems so beautiful..." She thought as she silently stood outside the house, watching her flowers bloom on its own with her keen practiced eye. Gardening had been long since it had become a favorite hobby of hers. Strolling deliberately to touch the blooming honeysuckles, somewhat akin to a bittersweet smile spread on her face.
"Married life has changed me... changed me so much..." she remembered eyes filling with invisible tears as regret and sadness flashed on to her lovely face.
"What had happened? What had happened to me? To Kamiya Kaoru?"
Trailing off from her thoughts, she came upon the small pond Enishi had constructed for her. Peering at her own silvery reflection rippling gently on the cool water, her thoughts turned dark as a pale hand crept to touch the now bruised face of hers.
"What happened? Kaoru... What happened to Kamiya Kaoru? All I see now is a mere soul enclosed in a body... there is no longer a soul inside... no more fire burning... What happened?
She skimmed her fingers gently against her skin; eyes fluttering close with every single remembered slap, pinch, bruise and beating she took. His hands seemed to beat her again, making tears stream down her cheeks. Never in her whole life did Kamiya Kaoru ever think of having her life ending this way. Never did she think that she would only be reduced to a mere weak woman... never...
For the truth remains that Kamiya Kaoru was a battered wife...
It almost seemed so surreal to her... the magic fading even after only two weeks. The marriage bliss Enishi had dived into was now waning, and the man was now resurfacing into his old persona. She was more than shocked to say when he laid his hand on her face the first time she took a beating. She was numbed, shocked and then enraged. Never in her whole life had anyone hurt her more than how he battered her. He was such a hard man to please. In fact, he never seemed pleased with anything other than her body as she would like to think so.
His hold against the cuff of her yukata was deathly tight even as she struggled desperately to get out of his grasp. Even now, her husband reeked still of sake and she knew that whenever Enishi gets drunk, he could do a hell lot of things to her.
His lips were hard and course against her flesh and she cried to get away. Still rough hands pushed itself, fondling against her chest as Kaoru tried to shy away, not wanting to permit him to touch her. But he was stronger than her. Much much stronger and she couldn't get him off. He was slurring words in her ears, yet she understood none of those. It seemed that both of them had turned deaf. She to Enishi's praising, and he, to her pleas.
His fingers shot out to touch her, His gentleness and tenderness far gone and replaced only by animalistic lust and need as he pushed himself inside her, heedless of her sudden cries and writhing in pain. Her energy was fast drowning as she struggled to get away from his grasp and pull her own body back. Kami-sama! This wasn't love, this was rape! Oh for crying out loud!
He didn't stop--never stopped until his need had been fulfilled and he lay on the bed, drunk and snoring, unaware of his nudity or hers. Her strength had deserted her, as well as sleep and she only found herself curling miserably in a tight ball, her back against him, with angry tears slipping past her face.
She suddenly shuddered at the memory, her action reflected by the gentle sway of movement across the watery surface. How many times has it happened? How many times still? She wasn't used to this kind of treatment--and never will she be used to it. She hated him, hated him towards the ends of her guts. It was only for propriety and for honor that she still stayed.
BLAG!
Her head snapped at once when the loud banging of their door reverberated into her ears. Fear had again started to settle on her nerves, panic gripping the edge of her heart.
He's here…
His stench was more than enough to let her know that her husband was once again drunk. The knowledge of having her body ravaged and used by that animal made her blood run cold and her instinct to run strengthen.
No … not tonight or anytime else… I won't allow this… NO…. NEVER! Never again!
Keeping fear from eating her whole, she started towards the back door where she knew there was a mean of escape.
"God no… I won't allow this anymore Enishi… goddamn you… I'm leaving you now and never to return…."
Clutching the hems of her kimono to keep her from stumbling to the ground, she had started to make a run from him when her body caught into something.
CRASH!
Horrid realization dawned on her when she felt, rather than saw the broken shards of glass scattered around her. In her haste to escape, she didn't notice the large jar that had blocked her path and had eventually staggered on it.
"What the HELL was that!Kisama!"
Sapphire eyes widening, she began to collect herself fully intending to run before her husband could catch up. But that was not so for in the corner of her eye, she saw his lanky built stumble just underneath the door beam of the kitchen.
"You BITCH! You're trying to escape now aren't you!"
His voice was slurred yet his tone had made fear run cold in her blood. She could feel it, with every press of her pulse, with every beat of her heart. Fear and trepidation had her trapped. Yet, she knew if she did not escape now, she will never can. It was now or never.
Run Kaoru! Run!
And she did. Trying to ignore the fact that he had also took off behind her.
"Hey! Hey! Where you going Kenshin?"
The hooded cloaked figure seemed to fall on his feet while his mouth had started of with a string of 'oros'. After regaining his composure, the emperor looked up with guilt-filled eyes on Sanosuke, one of his most faithful fighters.
"Escaping again now, aren't yah?"
He almost winced. Though he was now the emperor, Sagara Sanosuke certainly didn't treat him as one. He could have had the man's head off with that, but he couldn't, he wouldn't. For Sano was his best friend. He knew all about the emperor and the fact that Kenshin left almost every night didn't escape the notice of the fighter.
He nodded, scratching the back of his head when a victorious look had been plastered on Sanosuke's face.
"HAH! I knew it! I just knew it! You've been thinkin' 'bout her again aren't ya'? Hah! I knew it!"
Now he winced. Hell, even Sanosuke knew about Kaoru and about his anger directed towards the man she had decided to marry. But the facts stopped at that. Not a single soul knew of any of these except for the fighter.
"Oh well…Good luck…T'nite's be'n easy for yah…." The man muttered as he chugged down the bottle of sake he held in his hand. Nodding in acknowledgement, the red head slipped into the shadows of the night. Form swallowed by the darkness.
RUN KAORU! RUN! RUN! AND NEVER DARE LOOK BACK!
A hand desperately clutched the fabric at her chest as her breast panted in heavy breaths. She had managed to dodge away from him in the nick of time and had been able to hide in one of the dark alleys of a street. Trying hard to catch her breathe, she had done only a few more so when she felt fear instilled in her senses. Her own instinct was to run, and run she did. Though she never looked back to see if Enishi was coming for her or not. Her feet just kept running, her hair flying in the wind and her face stamped with trepidation.
I must do this! I must run for my life! If Enishi catches me, I'm so well as dead1 Kami-sama! Save me! SAVE ME ONEGAISHIMASU!
OOMMPHHF!
So distracted was she with the thought of being caught that she didn't see another person coming towards her direction or the fact that he was really near her speeding form. Though flabbergasted as she was, she couldn't help herself from clutching the man's thick cloak that had concealed his face.
"Onegai! Tasukete! Tasukete Onegai! Please…Please help me! Someone is after me! I beg of you… please help me!"
The fear, the alarm, the dexterity and even the relief she felt to find someone was all too much for Kaoru that no sooner had she asked the person for help did she collapse in a heap in the ground, breath erratic and face troubled.
To say that Himura Kenshin was shocked would be a total understatement. He was surprised, astonished and yes, very enraged. Who was her attacker? Who had wanted to hurt her? They will pay… He thought, eyes turning into a deadly shade of amber as he scooped her frail form and deposited her in his arms.
End of chapter 2
There… they've met! Dun dun dun… hehehe… I feel so evil… anyways.. please don't forget to review before moving onto the next chapter!
JA!