The Sound of the Ocean

Author's NoteInspired by many good Enishi/Kaoru fics in this community. I know Kenshin and Kaoru are meant to be no matter how much I love the gorgeous villain. But a little romance for our beloved psycho wouldn't hurt. So here comes a story depicting one fine day on the island. Dedicated to all E/K fans out there. Hope you enjoy.

FYI, I also did illustration on this fic. Pls view profile

Disclaimer RK is © by Nobuhiro Watsuki.

It's been almost two weeks since her abduction to this remote island perfectly hidden amongst the abundant isles of Kyushuu and still no sign of Kenshin and his comrades showing up. Kamiya Kaoru sat gloomily staring out of her bedroom window towards the vast picturesque of the cerulean blue horizon.

I wonder what happened to Kenshin. Why hasn't he come to rescue me?

She mentally sighed and leaned against the windowsill. It's getting more and more on her nerve to just sit there and wait on day after day. She was in desperate need to have something to occupy her anxious mind or else she wouldn't stop imagining endless list of mischief occurred to her beloved rurouni. But being held captive here did not allow her much access to explore the area or spare her a proper activity to do save for cooking her own meal. She sighed again when she picked up a conversation from the corridor below.

"The relay ship has reached the harbour and you are much needed to supervise the transaction, Boss." The cracked voice of Wu Heishin was heard informing the Chinese Syndicate superior.

"Tell them I'll be right there." was the baritone answer from none otherthan the white-haired mafia.

Kaoru learned from her unintentional eavesdropping that her captor Yukishiro Enishi would go to the harbour which was located at the opposite side of the island to perform his supposed duty to the Syndicate. A due opportunity to occupy her throbbing mind since of these two weeks of her staying hostage here she had never left a foot from the mansion.

Maybe a little walk at the said harbour is nice. She thought and swiftly spun down the stairways. The young girl believed she had "befriended" with the haughty mafia to a certain degree. At least they were sharing meals and some minor conversations at the dining table every day during her staying. He didn't seem to mind her presence. This time she hoped that he also wouldn't mind her company.

She impatiently shuffled her feet as she waited for the icy-cold man at the entrance hall. When he showed up, she timidly asked to accompany him to the harbour. Enishi looked at her with his usual cold eyes. His mind rapidly reasoned her plea. This island was a natural fortress engulfed by shark-full sea. There's no way she could escape anyway. He sighed and took off his jacket then nonchalantly landed it on her head.

"Put this on."

"What? No thank you. It's not windy outside and I think I don't need your …" She nervously waved her hand in refusal.

"I said put it on." He gave her a cold glare before he went off. The girl reluctantly put the jacket on. Her hands disappeared into its long sleeves and the hem of the jacket almost reached her knee. It was obviously oversized and made her look like a 7-year-old in her father's stolen wardrobe.

"This is ridiculous, jackass." She muttered a series of non-ladylike rants under her breath while making her way after him.

The walk to the harbour took around 20 minutes from their mansion. The mafia strolled steadily onward without looking back. He was sure that the girl was following him by listening to her footsteps and by the faint complaints she constantly made. The corner of his lips curled up into a ghost of smile when he thought of how easily she was provoked. He expected the expedition to the harbour was uneventful except for some low rank sailors eyeing curiously at the unknown girl. That's why he made her put his jacket on. He didn't like those filths to look her up and down in her scantily clad bathrobe. The girl herself seemed not to notice the fact that she was the sole female on this secluded island and thus never aware of her awkward situation. But it's not his business to explain to her anyway.

When they reached the harbour where the relay ship was anchored, Wu Heishin was already there with his four solemn bodyguards along with a number of sailors. The small Chinese strategist eyed the foreign girl with contempt. He hated the idea of having an outsider around their secret business activity. But he couldn't go against Yukishiro Enishi, not until he got complete hold of the Syndicate. So he kept his scornful remarks to himself before he diverted his attention to the mafia boss. They were exchanging some confidential info in Chinese which was totally alien to Kaoru's ears. Obviously it must concern their infamous weaponry trades but at this moment she was not in the position to interfere. Therefore she took liberty to trot over to the beach and watched the ivory foams pooled around her bare feet.

The white-haired mafia was conversing on the business at hand. His ears listened to Heishin's report while his eyes scanned the documents. But he constantly watched over to the sole girl on the beach from the corner of his eyes. He saw those sailors leering at her slender form from behind. Just as he had thought. He sent them a cold glare and they knew right away it's not wise to meddle with boss' girl. It's too evident in whose trademark garb she was.

Half an hour later he noticed the girl walked to the faraway area out of his sight. He concluded the conversation with Heishin and rushed to her direction.

Is she trying to escape from him?

Enishi found her kneeling before a big seashell. She noticed his arrival behind her by the long silhouette shadow he made on the white sand.

"It's said that you can hear the sound of the ocean from seashells." She mused lifting the marble white shell to her ear and closed her eyes.

"Oh it truly does!" She exclaimed jovially.

Of this Enishi eyed her suspiciously. He had been to this island for countless times and never before did he found the sound of the ocean so entertaining as she did. Indeed it helped lulled him to sleep sometimes but it never ever distracted him from the agony caused by the painful memory of his sister's savage murder. It always resurfaced every time he closed his eyes and haunted him every single nightfall. The streaming blood, the wretched pain, and the ultimate suffering repeatedly carved into his mind.

"Enishi are you ok?" Her voice pulled him out of his nightmare. She was now standing by his shoulder looking up at him with those deer brown eyes of hers.

He blinked before he abruptly replied. "I'll have the chef make dinner tonight. You don't have to bother cooking."

With that he retreated to the men. Much to Kaoru's displeasure, he always avoided her question and kept his answer short as usual.

"Feh… like I'd love to cook for you every day." She stuck her tongue at his back.

At that evening dinner was spread elegantly on the dining table. Just as he said she didn't have to bother cooking since it was Western dishes. No doubt Yukishiro Enishi was a man of exquisite taste. The decoration of the mansion was a solid proof and the culinary was no exception. The juicy steak was served with red wine in tall glasses. Kaoru almost watered her mouth just by the mere sight of the divine dish. But when it was time to savour the roasted meat, she found her new founded problem.

CLANK. A vibrant clash of metal on metal echoed the hall.

Damn it. Why do these things are so hard to use?

She was getting a hard time with the unfamiliar table utensils called knife and fork. All her life she knew that knife was for the cooking not eating and eating was meant for chopsticks.

Why on earth didn't they just cut the meat up in small pieces so that I could use chopsticks?

Her patience was wearing thin as time passed by without a single piece of meat touched her wanting mouth. The man in the opposite seat sat leisurely savouring his feast. He seemed to care none about her discomfiture but inwardly he immensely enjoyed the sight before him. How funny her face a display of changing emotions. He imagined she could throw the blasted knife and fork off the window in any minute and eat the meat by hand. He almost slipped a snicker at the thought. He slowed his steps so that she could mimic him and get the right way to use the knife and fork.

After countless attempts, Kaoru finally and decently controlled the tools at hand. She smiled triumphantly at her small victory. When she looked up from her conquered dish, she found a pair of deep green eyes had fixed on her. She gasped when realized she had never noticed before that his eyes behind the customary shades were of the deepest shade of ocean green.

Enishi's hand slowly stretched forward and softly touched the corner of her mouth. At that moment time seemed to stop. The whole world frozen. The ticking clock mute. The rhythmic waves unheard. The only sound that reached her ears was her own sped up heartbeats. She was locked in trance as she looked right into his beautiful emerald eyes. Outside the French windows, the blue moon palely illuminated the velvety night sky accompanied by the sea of million twinkling stars. His calloused fingers still lingered at her coral lips. His eyes locked on hers. It felt like an eternity when he slowly pulled his hand away.

"Messy" he said.

"Wha.. a.. Thank you." She couldn't find her tongue for a moment and quickly grabbed the napkin to wipe away any traces of extra sauce on her lips. The young girl didn't have to look into the mirror she well knew her face was burning bright red. Maybe the most burnt spot was her lips that was brushed by his fingers.

The white-haired mafia leaned back against his chair sipping his wine. His lips curled up into a playful smirk. He was sure he knew exactly what she was thinking. Throughout the meal, Kaoru avoided eye contact with him. She felt hot in her stomach and face of which she wondered was it because of the wine she drank or something else? Before they departed to their night chambers, Kaoru timidly murmured thankful words on the wonderful meal and a swift "Goodnight" to her host and rushed to her room hiding her rosy face under her thick ebony bang.

Before she went to bed, she noticed the borrowed jacket hung loosely on the chair. She ran her fingers over its sleeves feeling its smooth fine silk from her fingertips as she recalled today's incidents. She guessed she knew his hidden motif for lending her the jacket and she couldn't help a small smile lighting up her features.

Baka. It wasn't windy at all.

Sometimes she doubted what was the true face of this man. He was cruel yet he was caring. He might be twisted, blamed on his traumatic childhood, but he was not totally unpleasant save his arrogant smartass comments on her cooking skill. If they had met in a different situation, she was sure they would have been good friends. She let out a sigh before folding the jacket in place and placed it on the night table. She blushed as she recounted the small incident at the dining table before the sound of the ocean slowly lulled her to sleep.

Several weeks after his defeat to the former hitokiri. Yukishiro Enishi managed to break away from his cell and wandered the countryside of Tokyo. He came to a seaside village where he spent a night in a remote shack away from curious eyes of the villagers. Worn out and low-spirited, he lounged lifelessly on the grayish beach under the shade of a lanky pine tree. He noticed a hand-sized seashell half-hidden in the sand. He stared at it for a long time before fishing it up and lifted it to his only good ear. Memories of the long gone days flooded in his severe head. Now he too could hear the sound of the ocean.

The End

Post script Phewww. It's done. I've always thought of writing a decentE/K fic. Thank you for reading.