Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the
creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump
Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. FF is non-profit, meant for
entertainment only. FF can be archived anywhere, just let me know where. Please
send no flames, I'm sensitive. For all other comments 0_o you may contact me at
kaoru_koishii@yahoo.com
Chapter Twelve
*************
His body reacted before he was even aware. Kaoru sat in his leather chair her legs propped up on his desk. The sight of bare legs and high heels threw him off for a second. She'd been waiting for him.
She smiled coyly at him. "It's Wednesday Kenshin, I do hope you haven't forgotten." Her voice was soft today, whimsical and flirtatious.
"How did you get in here?" He asked her as he closed the door and came in the rest of the way.
"Not too hard to get past your security." She said smiling.
Kenshin gritted his teeth in agitation. Damn idiots. He would have to fire the whole lot of them.
She rose from his chair slowly almost deliberately. "We have a date later today. I just stopped by to remind you."
Since they'd started going out they'd been going out every Wednesday and Saturday. Naturally she would assume they had a date. Today being Wednesday and all. Still he wasn't sure if he would go out with her today. He might not just to spite her.
Kaoru walked around from behind his desk, showing off her dress. It was bluish-purple; a silk embroidered peony dress. Cut in the traditional Chinese style with slits on the sides. Long slits that ran all the way to the beginnings of her thighs exposing a leg each time she took a step.
Her legs seemed to go for miles in the dress and she was very aware of that fact. It's why she'd bought it. She smiled amusedly at him. His reaction was very familiar. He seemed to have a thing for silk and she'd played off that. "It reminded me of you." She said touching the dress, running her hands over it softly as she walked closer to him.
Kenshin found himself feeling strangely out of place and at a loss for words. He blinked slowly trying to focus but it was like he was just waking up from a long deep sleep.
"It's the color of your eyes." She murmured, now standing close enough to touch him if she so wished.
He watched her small mouth forming words and it took a moment to understand what she was saying to him. She reached for his right hand, extending it from the fist he'd been making. She placed his splayed out palm over her hip so he could touch the smooth fabric of her dress.
He couldn't help but feel the material. He caressed her hip over the dress feeling the velvety softness. He felt a dark hunger fighting against rational thought. He was falling again, victim to her wants. The satiny feel made him think lewd thoughts and something in him struggled to break free, take control. "What are you doing to me?" He asked enthralled by the lure.
She smiled. "Nothing you don't want me to."
Purple eyes glinting with a hint of gold pierced hers searchingly. "Kaoru?" He questioned huskily.
Her heart seemed to catch in her throat. Battoussai was not supposed to come out. It was that idiotic rurouni she'd been after or at least that part of him that was easier to control.
Suddenly he smiled lasciviously at the expression on her face. Both his hands now held her firmly by the waist, pressing her closer. He regarded her with half lidded eyes. A look that spoke volumes.
She was mesmerized by his gaze. Lost in a familiar feeling. He exuded sensuality, subtle eroticism, beauty and force. She found herself melting, helpless against him. Why was she here again?
"So you came all this way to remind me?" His voice was low and husky when he spoke. She shivered and drew back. She seemed to struggle, trying to clear her thoughts. A voracious feeling overcame him wanting him to rob her of all reasoning. All sense of thought.
They were so close; all he had to do was lean in. Unable to help himself he did, kissing her almost savagely. He held her tightly and she responded with abandonment, clutching him to her with all her strength. He groaned at her responsiveness. Her reckless empowered him. Seduced and enticed him to try something more. He could feel his eyes melting into gold. His hands roved over her back out of their own accord, feeling all the curves, burning her skin. She whimpered in response and leaned more of her weight on him.
Reluctantly he released her lips. She sagged against him gasping for breath feeling dazed and faint, too overwhelmed for words.
His eyes were rapt by her flushed look and shallow breaths. He had to struggle against the urge to possess her. He burned with barely restrained desire, fighting the uproar as best he could. He didn't like the loss of control and he felt how easily she could consume him. "What are you doing to me?" His voice shook when he spoke.
Kaoru for her part seemed to see nothing but his lips, moving as they were. She couldn't hear anything over the pounding of her own heart. All she knew is that she was where she wanted to be. She pulled his face back down pleading without words. Just one more kiss.
*************
What was she doing?
She'd been asking herself that for the last couple of hours. She'd wondered for sometime but now she walked with purpose. Walking down the familiar streets, perpetually the same since the Edo era. Seeing without seeing, her thoughts had been occupied with him. Like any creature, she could sense danger. She was fearful of him. He who had loved her so passionately once. He how'd made her forget her name with a touch. He who would have killed for her. Battoussai, his presence alone made her weak. She felt a cold shiver down her spine, gripping her throat and squeezing her heart.
Kaoru sighed and walked into the shop, spotting Wei right away. She greeted the old woman and followed her to the back.
"You know that potion to make people fall in love with you?" Kaoru said taking a seat on the familiar cushion.
Wei nodded.
"Can you make one, to make you hate people?" Her cobalt eyes were apprehensive. Worried over something she had yet to voice.
The older woman looked at her curiously before she responded. "No."
At Kaoru 's frown. The old woman elaborated. "My family stopped making those potions sometime ago. They are too strong and there's no way to dilute them."
She was running out of options. Kaoru bit her lip thinking of what else she could do. "Can you do anything to repress feelings then? Love in specific."
The old woman could see the distress on Kaoru face. Hear it in her voice. "I can repress feelings though only for sometime eventually they will break free. No matter how strong I make the potion or reinforce it with a spell, as time goes on, your feelings will increase and break past the spell."
Kaoru acceded, anything to rid herself of what she was feeling. Even if it was a temporary fix. "That's fine."
The woman nodded and began gathering supplies for the spell she would cast.
*************
Kaoru sat on her bed thinking. Now that her troublesome emotions were out of the way she could focus on the task. She could see through her actions and discern where her problem lay.
Originally she'd thought about him as just Kenshin. It was easier that way since that's whom she hated anyways. Her dreams and past memories had told her that his personality had once been split into two. These last six weeks had shown her that he retained none of the rurouni's idiosyncrasies. All mannerism suggested he was battoussai. What with the cool facade, detached tone and cold exterior. Yet he'd never really displayed passion. The kind he'd used once to defeat his enemies. The way he'd spoken when something was really important or the way he'd loved her once upon a time. So with out that trait she'd never really believed him to be battoussai. It was easier to see him as just Kenshin.
That had all ended abruptly earlier today though. The sight of battoussai had overcome all her senses. She'd wanted to melt into his arms like ice cream in the sun. For him to burn her with his touch, to devour her whole. She'd loved him once, intensely so. But that was in the past. Where he should have stayed.
Kaoru's scowl darkened. She knew he'd remembered something on Saturday, the expression he'd held that day had made her suspicious. "Bastard."
Of course this complicated things. His personality was not easily controlled or manipulated. His darker side had a tendency of eclipsing her reasoning. But as long as the spell worked she'd be ok.
This thing between them had just become all the more difficult. And she was unwilling to let him have his way. No matter what, she'd complete what she'd set out to do. She'd crush his spirit until he felt like dying. Not until he was broken. Only then would she have her peace. Only then . . . . .
. . . . . would she flee Japan.
*************
Kaoru held Kenshin's hand as they walked down the street. She strove for her normal demeanor smiling when she needed to and nodding her head. She had avoided talking about what had happened earlier in the day. She tugged his arm, pulling him into an ice cream shop.
They sat in a booth huddled together not really saying much. Waiting for their ice cream to be served. She leaned her head into the crook of his neck. Feeling his warmth. His arm came around her waist, holding her close.
She avoided putting her hands on the table since they were bandaged again. She kept looking too far into the past, which is why Wei took so much blood for the spell. But she'd wanted to see how the empress and her slave had . . . . . consummated their relationship. What her past self had done specifically.
She was inexperienced in that way and she'd never be able to learn what she needed out of a book. So she'd dug into her past. Learnt what she'd needed to. With her feelings bound, she would be able to move onto the next phase of her plan. At least that was her theory. There was always the chance the spell would shatter in the middle of it all.
She was so lost in thought she failed to realize when the ice cream had been placed in front of them. He'd given her a small squeeze causing her to look at him. His eyes were dark purple pools, well guarded as they looked at her. He gave her a searching look. Looking for something she didn't understand. She tried to soften her eyes as she smiled at him. She pecked his lips softly and turned her attention to the ice cream. She ate hers slowly, feeding him some of hers as they ate quietly.
*************
Kenshin lay in bed, alone. And he was more confused now then he ever was before. At the office she'd been so . . . . . passionate. His eyes had burned, melting to gold when his restraints had fallen away. It'd surprised him to say the least. His eyes only changed color in the middle of a fight, never outside. Only when he killed whether it was purposely or not. Only then.
He sighed in frustration and propped his head on his arms. She had looked so nice in the morning. It was like the dress had been made just for her. Hugging her in all the right places. He smiled despite himself. She was quick to notice his like of silk. He wondered how far they could have gone if they hadn't been interrupted. He decided to stop his thoughts right there before they aggravated him.
His date with her tonight had been odd. She'd smiled and she laughed. She'd hugged him and she'd kissed him but it was all different. There'd been a veil of detachment over her eyes. Her smiles had never reached her eyes and she would space out at times.
Maybe he'd scared her off with the way he'd acted at the office. Though he didn't see how that could be when she'd been a willing participant. He didn't understand and whenever he tried he only ended up getting mad.
He sighed and closed his eyes. It was almost four and he needed to sleep. It would be two more days before he saw her again. Until then he could only suspect about her sudden pulling away. He did know this though; he wouldn't allow her to distance herself from him. He wanted her too much.
*************
Kenshin rubbed his eyes furiously. He hadn't been able to get a goodnights rest since last Friday night. First his argument with Kaoru on Saturday, that of course that had carried on till Tuesday. Which is when he'd found out about the unidentifiable man looking for him at his work place. Though that didn't seem to pose such a problem, not like Kaoru anyways. She seemed to be taking up his attention again, filling his thoughts. He groaned and rubbed his temples.
His phone rang, interrupting him out of his thoughts. "What?"
"He's here and on his way up."
Kenshin felt his heart picking up it's pace at the sound of those words. Adrenaline pumped in his veins. "Thanks." He said tossing the phone back on the receiver. He pulled his gun out of his holster and took the safety off. He put it back and felt around for the extra clip. He was set. He sat behind his desk, smoothing out papers in front of him. Better yet he turned them over.
The door snapped open then, slamming against the wall. A tall man with golden yellow eyes strode into the room. He was dressed in a black suit the same shade as his hair. His eyes were glinting with something close to delight.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Kenshin couldn't help the words that spilled from his mouth at the sight of the other man.
The other man grinned. "They want to see you."
"What the fuck is the phone for?"
"You sound agitated, odd for a man with a girlfriend."
Kenshin's eyes narrowed dangerously at the comment. "You've been watching me." He accused.
"Come now, Toorima why would I waste my time with you." There was mockery in that tone.
"Tell them, I am not interested." Kenshin bit out.
The man's eyes flashed. "I didn't come here to ask." His odd bangs were not covering his eyes today.
Kenshin stood, his chair being pushed back as he rose. "Are you going to make me Ookami?"
The black haired man smirked. "If that's how you want to see it."
Kenshin's hands itched to pull out his gun. "You've delivered your message now get out."
"Always the barking dog, aren't you?"
Kenshin moved away from his desk at the taunting. "If you want me to put a bullet in your head then why don't you come to me after work." Kenshin offered.
The tall man scoffed. "You couldn't hit me at point blank."
Kenshin drew his gun out. "I don't need a gun to kill you." He said placing it on the table. He took his suit coat off and tossed it onto his chair.
The other man's smirk slipped off. His eyes were flashing dangerously while his mouth formed into a thin line. He'd hated the redhead since first setting eyes on him. They'd gotten into a fight or two before and had come close to killing each other during training. He took his coat off and put it to the side, putting his gun right over the coat. "Neither do I."
Kenshin's eyes were liquid metal brimming with deep seeded hate. "Let's go."
I'm happy with this chapter. The opening scene alone. You all know I'm a big Battoussai fan so you can imagine what's like when I finally get to see him. I'm very excited. The scene was actually longer but I decided I shouldn't get too carried away. Too lemony.
Small Notes: Battoussai, his presence alone made her weak. She was too overcome when she first saw him in his office and she was afraid of what he could do to her if he should decided to come out. His intensity had a way of eclipsing her judgment and because of that she had her feelings bound. So she could stand a chance. So she could resist him.
Crumbs, clues that aren't big enough to understand but if you gather enough of them, eventually they will form something.
Kenshin has begun to see, small patterns not enough to know what it is or why she does what she does but enough to notice. He's a suspicious individual, not trusting anyone. Though when it comes to Kaoru he does seem to have a blind spot.
Does Ookami sound familiar to you? He should he's always been a nuisance to Kenshin. Both as Battoussai or Toorima.
Minbu no Ookami
I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.
