She looked down at him, stepping back.
"Oh my–You have a…"
"Sword," he finished somberly for her.
"And you're covered in blood." She said, taking another step back.
"It's not mine," he said, and groaned; as if to realize that was not the right thing to say.
"Right…" she continued stepping back.
A gunshot behind her made her freeze midstep.
"Sano," He whispered.
"What?"
"Battousaii!" A man yelled, running out from the same place he had.
"Battousaii?!" She yelled, looking at him.
"Get back!" He yelled, whipping around.
He raised his sword towards the man.
"Battousaii!" The man yelled again. "You dare not only not take me seriously, but now you distract yourself? And with a woman no least!" The man raised his gun.
She saw as the redhe–Battousaii, prepared to strike.
Her feet remained frozen in her spot, as another gunshot sounded behind them, this time closer. There was absolutely no way her day could get any worse than this.
"Hey, I'm not sure you've ever heard, but you really shouldn't bring a knife to a gun fight!" she whispered.
"I would listen to her," the man laughed, and aimed his gun at Battousaii.
He ignored them adopting a stance.
She squinted, it seemed familiar somehow…
The man shot.
She screamed.
Battousaii disappeared in thin air.
No! She uncovered her eyes. He was right above the man!
He didn't even get time to react, as he crumpled to the ground.
She put a hand to her mouth. "You killed him!" She squeaked.
"He's not dead," he growled.
Grabbing her hand, he pulled them out of the alley.
He ran through the streets, pulling her with him.
He stopped abruptly and slammed her against a wall.
She groaned, about to complain, but he covered her mouth.
Motioning for her to stay quiet, he nodded towards the street.
A car slowly drove by, clearly looking for something, or someone.
They remained hidden in the shadows for a while longer before he pushed off her.
He groaned, momentarily holding his side, and he wobbled as he walked forward.
"You are hurt!" she yelled.
He stiffened and removed his hand.
"It was just a punch," he groaned, "I'll be fine."
He wiped some sweat from his face. "Where do you live, I'll walk you home."
"Uhm, no you are not," she said. "I, am walking my own self home."
"You want to walk home alone, during this." He raised his eyebrows, and some shots sounded in the distance, as if to prove his point.
"You have a sword, not to mention you're the actual Battousaii. So yes, I think I'll take my chances at walking home alone. Mr. I'm just a regular attractive customer at a restaurant, and definitely not a killer hidden in the shadows. Good day." She said and turned around.
"That's not the viewpoint you seemed to have of me the other day," he said, walking in step with you.
"Yes, well that was when I didn't know I had served him tea for a year. And before I'd seen him kill someone."
"I told you he's not dead."
"And I'm supposed to just trust your word?"
He sighed, and unsheathed his sword.
"Woah, I'm sorry," she backed up, "I swear I won't tell anyone what I saw, just don't–"
"Here," he shoved his sword in her face.
"What?" She asked, "Wait…"
She took it from his hands and held it up to the moonlight. Even in the pale darkness, she was able to make out its form.
"A reverse blade?" she whispered.
"Sakabatou," he said with a tense face, taking it gently from her hands, "you said so yourself. I haven't killed anyone in the past two years. I've made a vow to not take the life of another ever again."
He met her eyes, an immense sadness held within them. "Now do you trust me?"
"Momentarily," she said.
He gave her a tight smile and motioned for her to lead the way.
X
"So," she said, finally at her apartment. "Is Battousaii your real name? Or is that just a pseudonym, like a writer?"
He mumbled something, and she looked back at him. His face was pale, and he sway on his feet.
"Battousaii?" she whispered, poking his shoulder.
She looked down at the dark stain on his shirt and gasped.
"Is that blood?"
He tucked his jacket closer. The subtle movement was all she needed to confirm.
"You're bleeding,"
"No, I'm not," he said, in gasps. "I'm sweaty."
Ignoring his wince, she touched his shirt, and showed him her fingers.
"Sweat isn't red,"
She pulled at his jacket, and he winced again.
"We need to get you to the hospital."
He moaned and shook his head. Sweat quickly gathering at his forehead. "No hospitals, he gasped out,"
"Well what do you suggest we do?"
He paled and clenched his eyes.
"Hey, Battousaii!" she clapped his cheeks, a bit harder than she should have "Hey, don't die!"
"Kenshin," he groaned.
She paused. "What?"
"Call–" His eyes rolled back, and he was falling forward.
She cursed and ran to catch him.
"Hey! Wake up!" She yelled, shaking him. "No no no, don't tell me you're dead!"
He groaned, shifting in her arms.
"Good, at least you're not dead yet."
She took a few deep breaths and looked around.
The lot was vacant, save for the guard in his booth, but even he was zonked out.
"Now what?" she looked up, and back down at him.
It was only four floors. She could do it right? Right?
X
She most certainly could not do it. She let out several more curses, that would have her father disappointed, and her brother dying of laughter. She looked down at Battousaii in her arms.
Long since trying to carry him, she had switched to holding him under his arms and dragging him up the stairs.
"You know, for a man just a bit bigger than me, you're insanely heavy." She groaned, dragging him up the final step.
Finally at the top, she leaned back, taking a well-deserved break.
For once, she was happy to be the only one on this floor. She could not imagine having to face a neighbor right now, in the position they were in right now.
Battousaii groaned and shifted in her arms.
"Alright alright," she said, "Sheesh, I'm helping you, and you have the nerve of hurrying me."
Taking a few more deep breaths, she stood back up, dragging him with her.
"Honestly, you should thank me for having such a kind heart," she snarled, fighting with they keys, to unlock on the place.
"If I cared any less, I would've left you down there, and let that Kenshin friend of yours find you himself."
She stumbled inside, and shoved, him best he could on the couch.
She stepped back, admiring her handiwork. Sure, he was all twisted, and his left leg wasn't on the couch, but it would be good enough until help arrived.
After, locking the door, she went through his pockets, searching for his phone. Only to find it locked, and not even his fingerprint would unlock it.
"Fantastic!" she threw her hands up. "Now what am I supposed to do with a half dead man bleeding on my couch?!"
She looked down at him.
"Alright, fine. I'll do it myself." She rolled up her sleeves.
She pulled on his shirt and tried to rip it like in the action movies. Unfortunately real life disappointed her, and the only thing she did was stretch it out.
She scoffed and went to find scissors instead.
Once the shirt was cut open, she set to cleaning the blood. Cursing when she found the source. The wound kept gushing out blood, just above his hip.
She pulled at her hair.
"What do I do!"
She paced around, trying to channel her inner doctor.
"Okay, Clean the wound first." She said.
Running to her room, she found an old t-shirt. She ran back over to him and wiped at it.
The bleeding refused to stop, she just opted for applying pressure to it instead.
Battousaii winced but remained unconscious.
"Great, what now?" she said. "Megumi!"
One handed, she reached for her phone on the coffee table and dialed her best friend's number. She picked up on the second ring.
"What."
"Okay, so hypothetically–"
"Oh no,"
"Shut up, let's say hypothetically, someone is bleeding out from their lower torso, and you don't know what to do."
"What did you do,"
"I didn't do anything!"
"Are you okay? How did it happen? I'm on my way. Call an ambulance, no wait I'll call one"
"Wait wait wait! I'm not hurt, this is all hypothetical, remember?"
"Karou," Megumi warned.
"I swear, I'm okay. I can't explain right now, I just need you to tell me what to do. There's not enough time."
There was a sigh on the other end.
She chewed her lip, and she crossed her fingers.
"What caused it."
"Yes! Thank you Meg!"
She slowly lifted the t-shirt and looked at the wound.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think it was a knife," The wound squelched, and yellow oozed out of it. she gagged. "Oh, that's disgusting. I think I'm going to puke."
"Kaoru?"
She suppressed another gag, and applied pressure again.
"I think it's infected."
"Okay I'm calling an ambulance where are you."
"No no, Megumi please."
"If you don't tell me this instant what is going on right now I'm calling emergency services."
"Megumi,"
"3"
"Megumi," she whined.
"2"
"Please I can't!"
"1"
"Okay okay!" she said. "It's Battousaii."
The phone was silent. And she had to look at her phone to make sure Megumi hadn't hung up.
"Megumi?"
"Battousaii?" Megumi shrieked. "The Battousaii!"
"Is lying unconscious on my living room couch right now, and if you don't hurry up, and tell me what to do, he will probably bleed out an die."
There was a sigh at the other end. "Okay. If there is pus coming out, it's likely an old, reopened wound. I need you to clean it as best you can. Can you do it without puking or passing out on me?"
"Yeah yeah," she said standing up, "what do I do?"
"First you need to get some water. And cotton shirts."
X
She lay kneeling in front of him. Her head rested on the couch, next to his legs.
His groan woke her up.
"Where…" he whispered.
"Shh," she said, standing up.
His eyes widened, and he tried getting up. But was stopped by her arms.
"Stop," she whispered, when she saw his panic. "It's me Kaoru, you know, from the Akabeko?"
His eyes registered her appearance, and he glance down at himself.
"Why is my shirt ripped?"
He lifted the blanket that lay on him.
"You're welcome," she said getting off his shoulders. "I just saved your life."
She handed him his phone.
"Can you unlock it? So we can call Kenshin and get you some help."
"Kenshin?" He frowned and tried sitting up.
"Stop! You'll undo all my work!" she ran to his side again.
"I'm Kenshin," he said.
"What?" she paused.
"Battousaii's…not… my name," he gasped out. "Call me Kenshin."
"Are you serious." She muttered, resisting the urge to hit him.
Here she was making sure he wouldn't die, and he was worried about her calling him by his name.
"Battousaii,"
"Kenshin," he corrected.
"Kenshin, whatever! We need to get you help!"
He shook his head.
"I'll be fine," he groaned, covering his face.
She groaned, and flopped on the chair across from him.
"Wait! Where are you going!" she said, standing back up.
"I'll get out of your hair now. Thank you for your help." He frowned and looked around the room.
"It's over there," she pointed to his sword, that leaned next to her coat rack. "You're welcome again. It was a hassle dragging both you and that thing up for flight of stairs."
"Why not the elevator?"
"It's been broken for ages." She pushed his shoulder back into the couch. "Now sleep."
"What?"
"You refuse to get help or go to the hospital. So rest as much as you can until morning and then you can go back out their fighting gangsters with your reverse sword or whatever it is you do."
"but–"
"No buts. Here," she passed him some painkillers and a water. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to catch the rest of my three hours of sleep in my bed. And I better not hear that door open until after sunrise you hear?" She said, pointing to her apartment door.
"Yes ma'am," he said, taking the medicine.
"And don't call me ma'am, that makes me sound old."
X
She woke with a loud pounding on her door. And she rolled awake, sure that Battousaii's, or well Kenshin's enemies had traced them to her apartment, and were tearing down the door ready to kill them.
"Megumi?" she said, upon opening the door.
"Put that bokken down you paranoid tanuki," she greeted.
"You're the one testing the durability of my door here, of course I'm going to be worried."
"Yeah, tell me that when you call me at three in the morning to task me about a stab wound, and later say you have Battousaii is rooming with you, then we'll see who's worried."
Her eyes scanned the room behind her, and she pushed past her, carrying a bag of groceries.
"I'm sorry, I didn't wake you did I?"
"Wake me? Oh no, I was only about to go to sleep, after studying for six hours! And I have to go to a stupid seminar after this!" Megumi said, heading to her kitchen. "Where is he by the way?" she asked, opening the fridge.
"Also do you have any coffee left?" she opened the cupboard. "No of course, you don't, honestly how do you stay alive without me tanuki?"
Kaoru ignored her last questions and went back into the living room. Where he had once lied, was now a neatly folded pile of blankets, and a paper on top. Not to mention all the bloody rags she had been to tired to pick, were gone.
She picked up the note. It read:
Miss Kaoru,
I apologize for not leaving whilst you were awake, but I had some pending matters that needed taking care of. Although I stayed true to my word and did not leave until 6:00, precisely 5 minutes after sunrise.
I do have a favor to ask of you, please keep my identity a secret. For both my safety, and your safety as well. I would hate to see harm befall on you on my fault.
Once again, I am incredibly grateful, for your actions last night. And will find a way to repay you soon.
Regards,
H.K.
"What do you have there?" Megumi said, snatching up the note.
"Hey!" She said, trying to yank it back.
"My, he certainly has a way with words. Although the way he wrote it made it seem like you two did other things last night." She said, wiggling her eyebrows.
She gaped at her. "What is wrong with you! I have a boyfriend!"
Megumi laughed at her distress.
There was another knock on the door. She went to open it, as Megumi slunk back into the kitchen.
"Enishi?"
He greeted her with a smile.
"You're here earlier than usual."
He smiled and wrapped her in a hug.
"What, can't I surprise my girlfriend because I love her?"
She laughed and wrapped her arms around him.
"Sure you can babe."
He looked past her, his eyes landing on the neatly folded blankets.
And he let go of her stiffly.
"Who else do you have here Kaoru?" He glared down at her. "Did you sleep with a man?"
"What?" she gaped, stepping back. "That, is your first conclusion?"
She scoffed and turned away. "Leave Enishi. I have no patience for your jealous streak right now."
There was a loud pot clang, and a door slam.
His nostrils flared and he pushed past her. "No, I don't think I will."
"Enishi," she warned, trailing past him.
"Who's here!" He yelled in a deep voice.
Megumi walked out of the kitchen, quirked eyebrow, holding a knife.
"Woman," he spat.
Megumi stepped forward. "man-child," she grit.
"Guys," she sighed, coming between them, they ignored her and continued their stare off.
"Why are you at Kaoru's house so early?"
"Could be said the same thing about you."
"I'm her boyfriend."
"I'm her best friend"
"Guys!" She yelled. "Can you both just be civil to each other for at least one day?"
"No."
"I am civil."
They both said.
Her phone rang, and both toned down their animosity as she answered it.
"Hello?"
"Kaoru," Tae's voice said, high pitched.
"Yes?"
"Did you know we're missing… a few windows?"
"Oh shi–oot! I'll be right there I swear!"
She hung up, and then let out a string of curse words, running to her bedroom.
She ran back out, work uniform on. Her messy plait, now flowing loosely.
"Both of you, out." She said, grabbing a granola bar.
"What?" Megumi said, putting away the knife.
"I gotta go, a situation came up at work." She said, trying up her hair.
"I'll take you." Enishi said.
"No, I'll take her," Megumi said.
"Guys please!" she said, looking for her purse.
"Now, where is it?" she muttered, running to her room.
"It's on the coat hanger!" Megumi called out.
"Where it always is." Enishi mumbled.
"Thanks!" she said, running back out.
"Okay, let's go." Megumi tugged her arm.
"Meg, don't you have a seminar to go to?"
"I can be late," she glared at Enishi.
"No go, I'll be fine." She said, pushing her towards the door.
"Kaoru," Megumi warned.
"I'll be fine, I promise," she whispered. "Eight years, and he hasn't hurt me."
"Not yet no," Megumi whispered.
"I'll be fine, just go." She said.
Megumi shot Enishi one last glare and strutted off.
She pointed to Enishi. "You, I'm still mad at you, and we're gonna have a long talk after this. But right now you're my only ride to work. So let's go go go." She tugged him out, locking the door, and bolted to his car.
Next Update: 11-27-2021
In which Kaoru and Tae attempt to solve the broken window situation, Kenshin runs late, and two familiar faces show up on her doorstep. Until next time :)