1Chapter: 1

Parental guidance is ignored

The thick mahogany red door slammed shut into the frame causing the thin walls to rattle slightly. The shaking left the lamps quivering making the shadows dance playfully on the walls. A thin girl standing 5'3 with dark black hair that shined blue in the light balanced herself on the edge of her bed her face slightly pink. She was mumbling quietly to herself as she walked up and down the thick surface of her wooden trunk that held many childhood memories. Her thick dark brown chest was worn slightly on the top from her constant pacing on top of it. She paced when she was angry and now more than ever she always seemed to be angry. Her once blue chest became a sort of calming device to her.

She loved the color blue, it was calming like the sky and it reminded her of the sea and the color of her fathers eyes. She had loved her father very much as a child, especially since her mother died during her birth. She had paced on her trunk and opened and closed it so many times the light blue paint had chipped and cracked off. She had worn it down to wood and her father was the only one who would have thought to re paint it. Her aunt thought the wooden chest made her room look "rustic" but she thought it made it look cheap.

However she never painted it for fear it would lose its memory of him. If she painted over the old faded paint that was still present near the bottom she may forget the day she painted it with him and she may forget him all together. So the cheap looking wooden trunk stayed a light blue, faded paint still clinging to it as it creaked under her furious weight. Kaoru paced it like a wild tiger pacing its cage awaiting its meat. Her blue eyes that shined an almost clear dark blue had a piercingly angry light running through them. Pacing back and fourth just as she did.

"I can't believe them." She said to herself quietly her brow furrowed in angry contemplation. She kept replaying the last fight in her head. It was a meaningless topic, something only siblings would fight over, but it wasn't a sibling. They weren't even cousins! She was her Aunt Zoe and he was her Uncle Kio. She was an old woman who tried to look young. She wore tight thin clothing that accented all the wrong curves. Her skin seemed to never end as it hung loosely off her limbs. She wasn't the skinniest woman and in the clothes she wore you could tell.

She wore thick bold make up but for having such a revolting wardrobe it made her face look beautiful. The brilliant blues and pinks brought out her natural colors and made the only beauty she had shine. Her lipstick was a work of god. Not once did the thick red goo that she spread across her distinct lips ever smear onto her perfectly strait white teeth. She was a bazaar woman with strikingly few charming qualities about her. Her appearance alone was enough to draw you into her to find out why she became such an enchantingly hideous woman but her personality was enough to drive you out.

She was big headed and loved to eat. She never paid any attention to what you said unless you complimented her and she was always in fear for her life. If you even made a sharp action that she could some how translate into violence she would break out into a fit of screams. She was continually stuck in her teenage years and she grew up in America. The cultures were so diverse that she seemed so weird and different from every one else. Uncle Kio however, was very different. He is a kind man who knows his age and himself. He is actually a remarkably handsome man. Kaoru could never figure out why he choose such a repulsing woman for his bride but he did. His sharp brown eyes saw everything but his kind personality rarely ever punished you. He is an experienced man but acts innocent around his wife to make her feel important, like she knows what she clearly doesn't. Kio is a thin man who looks to be muscular but isn't any stronger than his wife.

He is a quiet guy and bows down to his already big headed wife. He never argues and takes any order she can dish out. He is Kaoru's only hope for any sanity if he would speak up since he is extremely intelligent. But his love for aunt Zoe is bigger than his love for Kaoru so he never undermines Zoe. Zoe is law, Zoe is life, Zoe is god.

As she paced angrily she could hear the old hinges creaking beneath her and for fear of breaking it she jumped nimbly off of the trunk. The disturbance in altitude didn't bother her mood and she continued to brood. "Clean the house Kaoru," She said mimicking her Aunt. "Clean the dishes Kaoru, Vacuum the carpet Kaoru, Make dinner Kaoru." She said to herself irritated. "I do everything in this fucking house!" Kaoru yelled on the top of her lungs towards her door hoping her Aunt and Uncle would hear her all the way down stairs.

"Watch your language!" Came a small female mumble from the bottom of the house. Kaoru just laughed knowing Aunt Zoe couldn't hear her. Zoe probably didn't hear Kaoru's words she probably just heard 'fucking'. She swore on her fathers grave that Aunt Zoe had selective hearing but didn't want to fix it because it bothered Kaoru. "I can't believe her." Kaoru muttered as she shook her head staring at her white carpet.

"Kaoru honey." Uncle Kio muttered slowly through her door as he knocked lightly three times with his knuckles. He always called her honey even if she never acknowledged him as her father and never would. It seemed to make him feel better, not Kaoru so she accepted it and embraced it as the only sign of affection she could get.

"What?" She snapped in a softer more gentle tone. She wasn't mad at him and she knew getting angry at him would only boil back down to Aunt Zoe and Kaoru would be in more trouble.

"We are leaving for a cocktail party at The Himura's, we'll be back late." He said wearily. Having an alcoholic wife must have been exhausting, Kaoru concluded, by the way he looked and acted. Just hearing that last name made Kaoru's blood boil under her skin and her heart beat angrily in her rib cage.

"Fine!" Kaoru shouted vitriolically through the door her face turning redder by the minute. She could almost see him recoil by her loud actions then straiten up as if to remember the man he was...or used to be.

"Don't wait up." He said trying once more to be cheerily amiable. That failed miserably when Kaoru grumbled and pounded her fist hard on the dresser next to her.

"I wont!" She yelled forcing herself to bring a smile to her face and yelling in the nicest way possible. That was the best good-bye she could manage herself to mutter out as she grumbled about gladly having them gone. She could hear his retreating foot steps down the fuzzy carpeted stairs and soon the slam of the front door signaling it was ok for her to leave the sanctuary that was her room. She walked down her hall way the pictures of her father and mother watching over her putting her in a better mood. She smiled to herself feeling free once more.

For that one moment when her Aunt and Uncle were both out of the house and her parents were the only ones there Kaoru felt at peace, she felt warm inside and comforted. She also momentarily forgot the fact that her Aunt and Uncle were best friends With the Himura's and always raved about their magnificent house, their obedient son, and their over all perfect lives. Kaoru knew for a fact none of that was true and had once tried to convince the town of it in hopes they would kick them out but to no avail. The Himura's managed to get the better of her and to top that off they began to take interest in her.

Instead of getting angry or brushing her off they completely ignored the fact that she hated them down to the last fiber of her being and they actually began to like her. If she were poor they would have invested in her, they went to all of her concerts and recitals even if they were not invited and they made sure to bring along their son. They pushed their kindness upon Kaoru and forced her to be strangely comfortable around them. They acted especially real around her as if to tell her that they were normal and to get Kaoru's approval. They even considered Kaoru marrying Kenshin, their only son.

Of course Kaoru has tried everything to shake these people but it only made them cling to her more like a lost daughter they just found. Like that same lost daughter was living a happy life so they wanted to rip her away from it just because she had originally belonged to their group. Though Kaoru's life was anything but happy she still felt like these people were trying to adopt her.

So the closer they got the more she hated them and every waking minute with them. So they began to befriend her Aunt and Uncle and found them to be much more interesting. Though the Himura's still go to Kaoru's recitals and concerts more than her own family does they have backed off and decided to get at Kaoru from a different angle, her relatives.

She ran down the stairs feeling somewhat out of control but she liked it. She picked up her cell phone when she walked past the small front table and dialed Enishi's phone number. The silver haired man was her boyfriend who she "loved" very much.

"Hey. The roaches are gone come on over." She said casually. She listen for a while then smiled at his answer she hung up the phone and walked into her living room. She turned on the TV and dimmed the lights slightly. Her relatives were gone for the night and she was still a bit angry so she thought she would get her frustration out. She sat on her cough watching her TV but not paying any attention to it. She hopped up and placed the notebook into the DVD player and waited patiently for him to arrive.

He didn't live very far from her house so the door bell rang within minutes. She ran towards the door energetically a grin spreading across her white face. She opened the large heavy door and saw the familiar head of silver hair and sparkling green eyes. "Hey babe." He said quickly before Kaoru lunged at him grabbing him around the neck and attacking his lips with hers. His hands held her butt supporting her weight against him. He tried to separate from her but once he was successful she wrapped her arms firmly around his neck in a tight hug.

"They want you to clean everything?" He asked realizing the problem without having to ask her, he knew by her actions. She acted differently for each way they made her angry. The lunging smooch hug as Enishi called it, was always what she did after they wanted her to clean everything and do every chore they could think of.

"Which sappy chick flick are we watching tonight?" Enishi asked knowing Kaoru all to well. Both Kaoru and Enishi loved the consistent schedule they seemed to have. They could predict each others moves so well and left them feeling content and stable. No matter how much Kaoru loved wild and crazy things, the feeling of being out of control she liked coming back down to the ground and having someone who will always be the same. He soon rang the door bell and she opened the door smiling happily. Enishi was her only constant in life and at this moment she couldn't help but run towards his back and jump up demanding a piggy back ride.

Enishi wasn't expecting this and almost toppled over from the sudden extra weight but quickly balanced himself grabbing her legs to keep her up. He began to laugh so hard he could barely walk so he just stood still as he felt her chest moving back and fourth quickly with her own bout of laughter.

"The notebook." Koaru said plainly after she was done laughing and hugging his head tightly her head laying on top of his.

"What notebook?" Enishi asked plopping down on the couch and leaning back onto her. She squirmed desperately to get free a smile plastered on her face and laughter bubbling up from her squished tummy.

"THE notebook. You know...the movie." She replied emphasizing the word 'the'. "Oh." He said looking up at her. She still was attempting an escape from his back and the back of the couch. She pushed his shoulder as she tried to wedge her small body out from between him. All she managed to do was flip her body sideways so she was laying on her side in-between him and the couch.

She blew a piece of her hair out of her face and rested her head on her hand in defeat. Enishi laughed as he leaned forward giving her enough room to scramble out from behind him.

"I didn't know you were back there." Enishi said laughing at her angered look. She laughed as well.

"Right." She said picking up the remote and starting the movie. They sat in silence as it started and he grabbed her hand from her lap and squeezed it. After some time she moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder and he draped his arm around hers. Their movie nights usually ended up like this. Kaoru always ended up crying a little during the sad parts or times when she related with the characters and Enishi would comfort her in some way or another. Once the screen turned black and the credits and slow sad music began to play on the large screen Kaoru was crying. This movie was particularly touching but only seemed to affect Kaoru. Enishi looked down at her and she looked up at him with her red puffy eyes and her sniffling nose and her tear stained face and smiled.

"That was good." Kaoru said grinning. Enishi tenderly wiped the newly forming tears from her already salty cheeks with his thumb and leaned down to kiss her. The taste of her kiss mixed with the salt in the tears forming a rather bad taste but Enishi didn't mind.

"Thanks for watching it." She said pressing the stop button on the remote. "No problem." Came his sultry voice. Kaoru stood up and held her hand out to him. He took it and stood up watching her try to hide her face. Even after going out with him for over a year Kaoru still didn't like to cry in front of him and especially didn't like how she looked after she had cried.

She ran up the stairs and into her bathroom; Enishi followed. He waited in the thresh hold of the door watching her splash her face with water and try to rid her face of the puffy appearance. "You look fine." Enishi said a bit impatiently after a while as he stood bored.

"Really?" She asked not really wanting to hear the answer. Either way she was going to keep doing what she was doing. "Ye-" Enishi began before Kaoru cut him off. "Go entertain yourself I'll be there in a sec." She said not bothering to look up. Enishi walked to her room and began to look at all of her awards.

Kaoru walked in slowly standing at the door watching him not bothering to announce her presence. She watched as he looked across all of her accomplishment and he stopped at the last one. The latest one. The one he couldn't be there for. Enishi had been her friend since she could remember and her boyfriend for over a year and through all that time he was able to go to every one of her concerts or recitals. He was her family, the one who always cheered the loudest for her when they announced her first place and the one who would threaten Kenshin when he attempted a boo.

But this last recital he couldn't come to no matter how much he begged or threatened, he couldn't get out of it. One of his distant relatives had died and by the time Enishi got to the concert hall the award had been announced and all that was left was the happy drive home. As Kaoru watched him he fingered the golden dancing figurine on top of the large first place trophy. Kaoru was very proud of this one for it had been a singing and dancing combination which won her this beautifully large prize.

"Don't feel bad." She said watching his melancholy gaze lift up to her and turn to surprise. "I'll love you even if you don't come to them all." She said happily bounding quickly over to him trying to lighten the mood. She knew how much he wanted to be there.

"Good." He said sounding almost relieved. "I thought you only liked me for my cheering skills and an extra seat in the audience filled with another of your adoring fans." He whispered sarcastically into her hair. She smiled and giggled a bit at his tickling hot breath on her neck. His hand cradled the nape of her neck as he dug his head into the corner of her neck gently leaving a trail of kisses up to her chin. She pulled away and watched his reaction seeing him sitting still, lips poised, hands in the air how they were positioned on her head.

He opened his eyes a bit irritated and dropped his hands dramatically. She walked towards her bed and jumped face first into the covers. She snuggled into her pillow and climbed under the blankets her eyes twinkling. He followed her a dangerous sparkle in his smile and he climbed in as well.

"So, what were you planning?"Enishi asked her smiling a perverted grin. She playfully raised her hand to his check and stroked his stubble covered chin in an alluring way.

"Nothing." She stated flatly in a seductive way then she burst into giggles. She snuggled up against his chest and after a few minuets of talking they both fell asleep curled together in her bed.

"Don't give me that crap!" Kenshin's mother yelled loudly slapping him hard with the back of her hand enjoying the smacking sound that rang through her ears. Within seconds her hand mark appeared streaked across his puffy red face. Her hand print matched all the other numerous prints covering his face and limbs. He had several scratch marks across his arms and face as well. Kenshin stood still his head following the motion of her hand. His head just bounced back into place his lips stinging but the wound beginning to feel numb like the rest of his body.

His father decided to sit out this round but stood up after his mothers last blow and balled his hand into a fist. The stoic facial features and still body along with sluggish movements of Kenshin infuriated his father. He wanted pain, disgust, anger. He wanted emotion, raw untamed emotion, retaliation, vengeful planning, anything to come out of his sons eyes.

But even at his balled fists and gritting teeth Kenshin refused to flinch. He knew it would be over soon, they had a party to host. His fathers eyes filled with rage and his mouth seemed to water at the thought of his next move. He shoved his fist upward into Kenshin's stomach lifting his son off of the floor then removing his arm from under him, removing his support beam. Kenshin's limp body fell to the floor.

He lifted his right arm in a futile attempt to stand then pulled his left arm out from under him. He coughed a few times the last tasting the metallic flavor of blood. His lungs didn't seem to remember how to fill with air and he just gasped for a moment or two. Finally his lungs began to work and they filled with sweet air bringing oxygen to his heart and brain allowing him to continue to live in consciousness. Kenshin lifted his head to see his parents retreating from his crumpled body.

They had their fun before their party and were able to get their anger out so they wouldn't be rude to their guests. Kenshin shut his eyes tightly, no matter how many beatings you get they still hurt. Kenshin tried everything to make the pain go away, he has ignored it, gritted through it, accepted it, felt it, tried to prevent it, no matter what he tried nothing worked. He even once believed he would just go numb one day. One day the punches and slaps and scratching and anything else they came up with wouldn't hurt anymore.

But it always hurt, he just learned to hold it all in until his screams couldn't be heard. Then he let them out. Kenshin opened his eyes his face still scrunched in pain and rolled onto his side gripping his stomach. He was positive his father had broken a rib that time. Kenshin was out in the pool house were he kept all of his weapons he trained with. No one could hear him from inside so now was the time to yell.

Kenshin gave out his loudest most bone chilling shriek that seemed to rumble into the distance like thunder. The yell had taken quite a breath and left him gasping once more breathing heavily causing the broken bone to generate more pain. He closed his eyes tight once more and held his breath feeling the sting in his lungs and the throb of his brain working on low air supply. He released his breath and began to breathe low and labored.

He was sweating and a small tear somehow escaped the ridge of his eyes and fell down his cheek onto his cross shaped scar leaving a stinging feeling. The tear quickly fell onto the ground and the trail it left caused his skin to tingle and it soon dried leaving a salty streak. He released a small cry once more but it didn't travel as far.

After some time he rolled onto his back and pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket hitting the first button then listened to the dial tone. He heard her sweet voice pick up and he released a deep breath he didn't know he was holding when she said hello. She kept questioning who was there but Kenshin could hardly breath. So he just moaned lightly and she realized who it was.

A few minutes later he heard a knock on the door and he moaned loudly to let her know to come in. When she opened the door to find Kenshin lying in his training Gi on the ground his face red with gashes from his mothers long manicured nails. He was clutching his stomach and wincing every breath he took. She gasped at the sight and ran to him beginning to wrap his wounds and help him into a sitting position.

About an hour later the brown haired girl smiled at him and kissed his forehead. "Feel better?" She asked rubbing his back soothingly. Her brown eyes looked at him, peering into his soul forcing him to tell her the truth.

"Better than before. I didn't mean to scare you, It's just, I couldn't wrap this one by myself." He said pointing to his wrapped chest. She had lovingly taken off the top of his Gi and helped him wrap up his wounded abdomen. She had even put on a large square bandage over his cheek that had been scratched badly.

"I worry about you Kenshin. You can get out, we can fix this and forget it all happened...Why wont you?" She asked sadly her eyes roaming to the floor.

"My parents are to powerful and cunningly ruthless. They hold these 'parties' so they can become good friends with the community to turn them against me. They especially make themselves available to the police. The police are their best friends and visit often. I can never leave, they have made a trap." Kenshin said having already accepted this fact. He rarely let anyone know what went on at his house but she knew everything and they met this way often. Him lying beaten on the floor and her there to act as his mother should be.

He didn't want to rely on her to keep him safe and well but if not for her he would surely have been much worse by the time someone friendly found him. "Tomoe.." Kenshin said lying down next to her reaching his hand up and softly pressing his hand to her cheek.

"Don't worry. So long as I have some one who will keep me safe in my times of need. I'll be fine." He said referring to her. He really needed her. She kept him safe, she kept him alive, she kept him well. Kenshin pulled her into a hug and she cried softly onto his shoulder making his bandages wet.

"I don't want to see you hurt. It isn't right. I don't think I can keep living like this, randomly getting calls from you saying that they have hurt you again. I can't lose you." She wept into his shoulder and he patted her back. It was his time to reassure her and he always knew just how to.

"I'll be out of high school soon, I'll be out of this town quicker than you can imagine and I'll take you with me. It will all be over before you can realize how much you love spending time with me, even if its when im all beat up." Kenshin said trying to keep her calm. If she just cried he would be fine but if she really thought about it she would begin to sob. They might not see each other after high school, he was going into business and she was going to culinary school. Happily she didn't think of that just yet and she soon had cried herself to sleep. Kenshin continued to pat her back and smooth out her hair until he himself fell asleep.

She shut the door quietly then turned around to see he was right in front of her. She smiled and handed him one of her pop-tarts and grabbed his other hand. They walked hand in hand away from her house quietly whispering hoping to get away safely. He had slept over by accident but her Aunt forgot to come in and check on her, so Enishi wasn't yelled out of the house for once.

Kaoru had safely gotten out of her house without waking her hung over "parents"with Enishi. They walked happily munching on their breakfast and walking to school. Kaoru savored these few mornings she got to leave her house without a fight or yelling and this time it was with Enishi. They came upon the school and parted their ways with a kiss.

Kenshin woke up groggily to a newly changed bandage and a note written in pink pen taped on his face. He opened the note after painfully tearing it off of his face and read as follows:

Kenshin,

Went home so my parents don't yell. Keep your bandages clean and don't forget school!

Love,

Tomoe

It was just a sweet note, nothing hugely important. Kenshin stood up and rubbed his stomach feeling the dull pain of the broken rib. He hoped this one didn't fuck anything else up or he would have another beating for going to the hospital. He brought some bandages with him in his backpack and headed off for school not bothering to go into the kitchen. He just slipped on some pants and a tee shirt.

He walked to school and found Tomoe and he waved and kissed her. "Feeling better today?" She asked poking his unbroken side. He sucked in air as if it hurt and she gasped saying im sorry about five times until he broke into strained laughter. He couldn't laugh to hard or it hurt but he could still scare her. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. She turned around to walk away and he put his hands on her hips not letting her move.

"Were do you think your going?" He asked into her ear but quickly let go when he saw a dean glaring harshly at him. She turned around and kissed him quickly making it look like she had whispered something in his ear and left for her class promptly. Kenshin shrugged at the dean and began to walk into the school.

As he walked down the hall towards the nurse to inform her about his recent "Kendo" accident he felt a sharp jabbing pain in his right side, were his broken rib was. He spun around quickly to see Kaoru smiling evilly a wicked glare searching his face.

"What did you do?" She asked tugging on a stray piece of bandage hanging lazily out under his shirt. It pulled loose a bit and she let go quickly as if she was about to see something she didn't want to.

"I...Kendo, broke a rib." He said in a strained voice. He turned and kept walking.

"Are you sure it was Kendo? Not your father?" She asked standing in the same spot her eyes closed knowingly. He turned around a spark of fear flashing in his eyes and looked at her sternly. Once he looked at her, her eyes snapped open in a determined look and a smirk graced her face.

"Shut up Kaoru." He snapped angrily.

"I can't help it your parents beat you." She said trying to start a verbal spar but not to get to much attention. This was a personal subject and she didn't want others to know just yet.

"At least I have parents." He shot back at her. She looked surprised and a bit hurt but that's how these matches always went. They were infamous for revealing each others most darkest and hurtful secrets.

"That's not my fault, your parents beat you for your flaws and for fun." Kaoru said not exactly sure what to say.

"Your mother died because of you..." He said feeling particularly nasty that day. He turned to walk away not wanting to listen to her mumble about something stupid. He felt the sharp pain once more and turned his head to see her poking his side once more to get his attention.

"My mother died to save my life. Just because yours doesn't love you doesn't mean that's every ones case." She whispered threateningly into his ear. She turned sharply and walked away her long pony tail swaying back and fourth with her motions.

A/N: Like it? Im trying for the enemies into lovers deal, even though everyone is doing it, its fun to write. Drop a line, later!