Author's Note: I'm back! And rearing to go! I thank you all that reviewed me! You are my one and only inspiration! Not even my best friend reads my work! (And that's sad… for real.)
The Winter of My Assassin Lover
-Previous Chapter
Soujiro saw her, the one that he sought on finding this whole time. He motioned to greet her… that is, until he saw someone beat him to it and grabbed his Kaoru to kiss her deeply. His eyes widened and his heart wrenched. He walked away, not seeing the desperate look Kaoru was giving him.
-Chapter 6
Kaoru laughed. She was happy now that she had found someone to talk to. Sano was quite the chatterbox, but his topics of conversation were most interesting. There was this one time when he and his friends went fishing and a giant Koi fish leaped out of the water and ate half of their small boat.
Sure, she didn't believe one word of it, but it was better than listening to arrogant heirs talk about how handsome they think they are and how rich their family is.
After their conversation about Megumi, the maid he liked, and Soujiro, the man Kaoru liked, Sano agreed to help Kaoru with him in exchange for Kaoru helping him with Megumi.
In only one night, the two had grown accustomed to the other's presence that they considered themselves so close that they were practically siblings.
Sano was the only one that noticed the heated glares he had received from the other males in the room and the shady looks Kaoru received from other women. He decided against telling Kaoru, who was oblivious to the whole thing. She wouldn't mind other women get jealous of her, but Sano suspected that Kaoru would feel at least guilty knowing that she was the cause for the men to glare at him.
Then, there he was, the one person that Kaoru waited for. Sano recognized him. He met him during a council meeting in Matsue and they instantly became best buds.
But his joy was merely brief when one man had decided that now was the perfect time to grab Kaoru by her wrist and kiss her deeply in front of everyone. Now they'll all think that they're together now!
He saw the shock and hurt in his friend's eyes as he walked away. Sano glanced at Kaoru to see her trying to wrench out of the man's grasp, but he was holding her head tightly. As soon as she was free, she looked after Soujiro with a desperate, regretful look in her face.
Sano knew what he had to do. He walked over to catch up to Soujiro.
"Sano-kun!" Kaoru cried out. Sano heard the distress in her voice and curtly turned to nod at her with a comforting smile on his face before going back to get Soujiro.
---
Soujiro couldn't believe it. Kaoru-his Kaoru- did that to him! He didn't know what to think anymore so he walked outside (more like dashed outside) to get little 'air'. Thank goodness that the guards weren't present. They were dismissed from their post after the ballroom has been secured.
"Soujiro!" someone called after him.
He ignored the voice and continued 'walking'. It wasn't until said person grabbed his arm and twisted him around that he paid attention to them.
"What do you want!" he managed to croak out.
Sano was a bit taken back by his friend's flustered state, but he did not lose face. "I just wanted to let you know, it's not what it seems. Kaoru loves you! And only you!"
Soujiro 'tsk'ed and retorted," Why would she love someone like me when she has someone like him!" Seeing that Sano didn't have a reply in the next 3 seconds, he used his Shukuchi and escaped from the masquerade.
Sano, for once out of his whole life, was speechless. Never has he seen Soujiro look so… so… hurt. Hell, he's never seen Soujiro become angry, sad, or even irritated! He always had that eerie smile on his face. The same scene that made him flabbergasted was the one that hurt him the most.
Soujiro retorted," Why would she love someone like me when she has someone like him!"
He knew what Soujiro was talking about. He knew what Soujiro did for a living. And, for once, he wished that Soujiro didn't have that job.
---
The party was over. The servants were cleaning up after Kaoru's guests.
Kaoru was up in her room, sobbing over what happened. Well… more like plotting her revenge on that man. "Ooh! That man! He makes me so mad! One day, I'll smack that portentous smirk off his damn face!"
"Now, now, Kaoru-sama… Take it easy," Misao comforted, serving her mistress with comfort food such as imported chocolate from Germany and tofu fried with light oyster sauce.
Kaoru stabbed the poor tofu before flinging it in her mouth to chew the life out of it.
"Umm…. Kaoru-sama. I believe you should go easy on the poor thing…" Misao said, not liking how the food she cooked with her own hands was being treated," What would Soujiro-sama say if he sees you eating like this?"
With this comment, Kaoru swallowed the bean curd and sniffed. Tears poured out from her eyes as she bent her head down, the tears cascading down her cheeks only to pour down upon the unsuspecting tofu. "He wouldn't say anything, he-he-he hates me now!" Kaoru whimpered as she tried to will the tears away with the back of her hands.
Misao was immediately by her side. She took away the tray of food and placed them on the table next to her bed. The handmaid took a tissue from her pocket and dabbed Kaoru eyes with them. "Come now, Kaoru-sama! He doesn't hate you! He'll never hate you!" She rubbed her mistress's back motherly.
"Yes he does! He hates me now!"
"Please don't cry, Kaoru-sama! Dry your tears! You're soaking my hand-made tofu! Please don't let it soil, Kaoru-sama! Don't waste good tofu! Please stop crying!"
Kaoru abruptly stopped and sniffed to prevent her nose from running too. "Ok," she said shakily," I'll stop… for…the… (sniff) for the tofu."
"All right, that's better," Misao said, not satisfied with how she stopped crying only for the sake of tofu, but she had to make do with what she had. "Now, I want you to go to sleep! I want you better by morning. Understand? And that means no more crying." Kaoru nodded and crawled under her covers.
"Goodnight, Kaoru-sama."
"Goodnight, Misao."
"Pleasant dreams."
Even after Misao shut the door and turned off the lamp, Kaoru just couldn't sleep. Then, she thought about what she would do tomorrow. She made a small grin and closed her to drift off into her dream world.
---
It was night. No one was awake except for one person. The brunette sat at the desk of his father's study, wiping the blade of his sword with a mischievous smile on his face. There were no candles and the only thing that illuminated the room was the moon's light.
Papers were spread all over the desk. All of them were information on a certain man from the ball; where he lived, what business he owns, who his father is, etc.
"Ah, the moon is so beautiful tonight," Soujiro said to no one in particular, continuing his motion with the cloth over his sword. He looked down affectionately at his weapon. "My dear sword, we're going to have such a wonderful time tomorrow night. And do you know why? " His response was silence, but he kept on talking. His bangs hid his eyes and he smiled, a truly deranged smile. "We're going to make it rain red. Don't you think that would fun, my dear sword?"
He looked up at the moon. "I'm sure that'll teach people to refrain from touching what is ours."
----
thundersister: I'm sorry that it's so short. I truly am. (And I mean it too.). Can you believe that I did this chapter, chapter 5, and chapter 4 all in the same day? Wow. I do believe that today is the first for everything.
I decided not to make a lemon because I am so disappointed with my reviewers. I didn't even get what I asked for. So this is punishment. There won't be lemon.
Now that that's over with, now for the review replies!
: It's my birthday?
Some Slut: Unfortunately, because of the circumstances, there will be no lemon, though there might be a slight lime in my upcoming fic. I'm still a kid, huh? I'm turning 13 on the last day of August. Anyway, I learn all this from reading other lemons and health class.
"Oro" Object: Err… nice name. 200+ hits is not that much compared to so many others.
Female Hitokiri Battousai: You're graduating! How come I wasn't informed about any of this! I want this fanfic to be entered. I don't think there'll be a new one coming up soon, school is starting for me.
Anonymous Freak: looks around I'm still alive, aren't I?
Mai Nguyen Trinh Nguyen: cocks gone at your head Who told you that! By the way, nice name, Nguyen is my friend's boyfriend's last name.
FAN: You think it's good but you haven't paid much close attention? That's a first…
Mysterious Samurai: Yes, I am very naughty. (At least that's what my friends tell me.)
