A/N: Sorry that it took more than 2 weeks for me to update, I just haven't been feeling up to writing. I don't know why that is. But nevertheless, here is the next chapter for your viewing pleasure! I'll try my absolute hardest to get the chapter out sometime within one week or two, but not exceeding that. We'll see how things turn out. In the meantime, enjoy!
Kenji turned his head away, a snort following suit, "So… you're home again. What brings you? A quick goodbye kiss from mother again? You know, every time you come here, you leave within a matter of days, and sometimes hours…" His eyes ablaze, Kenji clenched a fist and stared Kenshin down, as though he should be feeling quite guilty. "…and," he began quietly, eyes suddenly transfixed on the floor, "how do you think that's made mother feel for all this time?"
Kenshin gasped, "Kenj--"
"And…me too…" There was a brief moment of silence in which Kenji closed his eyelids up to the point where he felt as though it hurt. "You can't expect me to just somehow forget about how you were never there in the first place to witness the trials of my life! …How do you think I felt…knowing that my father would never come home? Never see me practice swordsmanship for the first time in my life. Never see me even hold a blade for the first time…" Kenji pursed his lips slightly, the clenching of his fist causing his knuckles to go white. "HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MADE ME FE--"
"Kenji!" Chizuru cried. "Stop, Kenji please!" She took hold of his gi and gently shook him. Kenji averted his eyes, his sour expression still remained on his childlike face. "No matter what you say…" her voice died down gradually to a faint whisper, "that can't change the past, Kenji. And you know it…"
"Please let go of me, Chizuru-san," Kenji said forcibly in the most polite tone he could offer at the moment. It was difficult enough knowing that Kenshin had returned and to that effect, he surely intended on speaking his mind toward the man who spent months and months away from home at a time. "I may be stepping out of line…but this is not your argument to interfere in. You have no business, or the right to involve yourself in something like this …" he trailed off. Chizuru's eyes widened slowly and she involuntarily took a step backward.
"K-Kenji…" she whispered as she looked into his eyes. She noticed something. Something unusual that struck her as odd. It wasn't Kenji. The person who she was staring at had cold eyes. Cold, lifeless eyes.
"I'm taking a walk," he muttered under his breath, dismissing himself as he abruptly walked past Chizuru and Kenshin. Chizuru stared down at her hands as she heard the training hall shoji slam when Kenji walked out.
"I'm so sorry for what he said to you," Kenshin said as he bowed deeply. "This is all my fault, that it is."
"Don't blame yourself, Himura-san," Chizuru said meekly. "I don't know why he said those things to me… I always thought he liked opening himself up to me. That, or just talking to me about whatever was on his mind. And he would bring up this topic too…" She twiddled her thumbs and took a deep breath before looking up at Kenshin, "I always thought it was his way of sharing his pain. That he wanted me to know what things were running through his mind…
"We'd always find time to talk. I thought it was really nice. Because before we started talking, he didn't speak at all. He isolated himself day after day. Never communicated. He'd just nod and proceed to train with his sword…" Kenshin nodded in understanding. "But after that… we became friends. He wanted me to know how he felt, like he wanted it to become my business, too. I didn't mind listening, I liked listening. But now I'm not sure how to look at the whole situation if he sees that I'm not a part of it."
"Chizuru-dono," Kenshin whispered quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure he didn't mean for it to come out that way. I can tell he cares for you deeply…." Chizuru hung her head, eyes boring holes into the floor. "I'm sorry I can't be of any help," he added.
"No, no, it's okay. You just got back and are already involving yourself. Himura-san, please don't worry about this…"
Kenshin nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for being so abrupt, Chizuru-dono," he paused before staring down the hallway that led to his bedroom, "but do you know where Kaoru is? As well as Kenji, I would like to see her. It's been quite a long time for me…"
"Ah, she went out to the market!"
"…This late at night? How long has she been out?"
"Well, I'd fallen asleep about fifteen minutes after she announced that she left. So I'm not all that certain. One thing's for sure though, I know it doesn't take such a long time to get tofu and other things for dinner. Especially the amount of time it took even when Kenji and I were sleeping." Kenshin studied the floor somberly. "But I'm sure she'll be here soon. After all, it'd take someone quite strong to do her in. You even said it yourself before. She's much stronger than the average male."
"True enough. Though I can't help but worry… maybe I should take a trip to the market myself…"
Kaoru winced. Her hand quivered as she lightly cupped onto her left shoulder. "He's a lot better than I thought he'd be. Though I've told myself time and time again not to underestimate the enemy during a battle… I just…didn't know he'd be this good…" Kaoru's thoughts buzzed angrily in her head. Her blue eyes narrowed gradually as she noticed he happened to drop his guard. "You're easing up?" she inquired, a hint of malice emphasizing her sentence. The way in which he even loosened grip on his bokken was rather odd as well.
"Not at all, Kaoru," he responded sweetly. Too sweetly in fact, as Kaoru felt her stomach churn uneasily. "Though with the way you're fighting right now, I'd have to say that I can beat you without even breaking a sweat."
She knew that to be true. She was well aware of the fact that he was merely toying with her, yanking her strings, as a puppeteer would do to a marionette. But her swordsman spirit would not allow her to admit defeat. That, and her conscience. It was as if a thought screamed with such tremendous passion, telling her to give it her all. Her mind, body, and soul were to always be devoted to her matches. This duel was no exception. "Even if that were to be the case," Kaoru whispered to herself, glancing down at her pale hands, which grasped her weapon, "I'm going to fight you regardless!"
A smile on his part followed suit. "Which is why I'm beginning to fall for you. You have strength and intelligence to match your beauty, don't you?"
"That's not for you to analyze!" She charged once more, becoming accustomed to the force applied when her bokken came into contact with his. It was the raw swordsmanship that Kaoru was used to. Sweating bodies, glistening faces, flushed cheeks, Kaoru knew. The weapons collided with each other again, creating a hollow sound that echoed throughout the spacious room in which they were fighting. Kaoru hadn't wanted to repeat the same techniques over and over, as that would only cause extraneous strain on her body later onward in the fight. To end the match now was ideal.
"I'm sorry, my dear," Hikojirou said softly, as he usually had, "but I think it's time for me to end this."
"Then you're thinking on the same level as I am," Kaoru replied firmly.
"All right…but if you lose, I won't just release you. I have plans for the two of us…"
"And I DON'T!" Kaoru blindly rushed in again, making mental side-notes of where his bokken was and where he was going to move next. Although she knew she wasn't skilled in making such predictions, she jumped to the left in hopes of catching him off guard. A direct hit was needed desperately but much to her chagrin, he smiled that same vulpine smile and casually motioned out of the way.
What Kaoru felt next was excruciating pain. He had discarded his bokken and instead took hold of her wrist. Never had she believed he would grab onto her wrist up to the point where his own knuckles were turning white. "What's he trying to accomplish here?" Kaoru winced. It was seemingly apparent that she couldn't take much more of his bind.
"I'll stop only if you say you give up… do we have a deal?"
"Never!" Kaoru replied strongly, biting down on her lip in order to distract herself from the pain in her wrist. Hikojirou easily tightened his grip on her frail arm and his lips slowly curled upward into a smile once he listened to her scream in pain.
"I know it to be difficult for you, having to endure this right now. Though who would have thought that I would resort to such a method to get you to give up? No, you see, the only way for the obstinate Kaoru-dono to relinquish her strength and succumb to me is for the pain to become so extreme that you wish you were dead rather than experiencing something like this." Kaoru gnawed on her bottom lip in hysterics. Hikojirou lightly traveled up her arm and began to twist her arm up to the point where she could no longer feel the circulation in her arms.
"You coward! Let me go so we can have a fair fight! It's what you suggested isn--"
Kaoru gasped in pain, her large blue eyes daring to water as he used his left hand to clasp onto the nape of her neck. She could do nothing; her arms were shaking violently at that point. "See, look, watch this…" he whispered as he released her. Kaoru fell to the floor with an unpleasant thud. Her body instinctly curled into a ball, trying with everything she was to protect herself. Her wrist was going to be useless, as its dull pain was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
"Now you may have a few bruises after this is over… but take note that now, you cannot fight back. I've hit your pressure point on the right side of your neck and in addition, one of your arms will shortly be completely immobile. Any resistance will just drain you of the small amount of energy that you possess right now." Kaoru grit her teeth. She knew Hikojirou's analysis to be complete. What she wasn't sure of was what he was planning on doing with her now that she knew she was completely and utterly vulnerable to a man of such adept skill.
He seized her lips hungrily, ignoring any and all moans of protest coming from his partner. It was the trembling of her lips that caused him to continue. "Now," he thought, wrapping his arms around her waist, hands at the ready to discard of her obi, "I'll see how long it takes for her to get accustomed to me. Five minutes at most, I predict."
It was the way in which he kissed her, planting his open mouth over her own that made Kaoru weary. His tongue slid into her mouth, slowly but surely seeping his way past her teeth. The heat radiated from his mouth caused Kaoru's eyes to clamp shut in frustration. She was frustrated that pleasurable moans escaped from his throat. Frustrated that she had to lie there while he took advantage of her. Frustrated that she couldn't do anything about it. He was crushing her physically and emotionally.
His open-mouthed, fervent kisses proceeded within a matter of seconds, the speed increasing as he lay forcefully on top of her motionless body. He no longer cared about her needs or wants. And as far as he was concerned, Kaoru was his prisoner who had lost under his terms in which she agreed to. His hands responded to such logic, ripping her obi off of her and casting it away to the side. However, he hesitated to continue and instead looked into her intimidated eyes. "Before I continue, I just want to let you know… that you must come back to me… at least once every two days. If you don't…well, I'll leave it up to your colorful imagination as to what might happen to your precious son."
"No please!" Kaoru pleaded.
Hikojirou merely kissed her gently to stop her from complaining. And just as he suspected, she froze once he came into contact with her. "You're probably aware that even a swordsman of your husband's caliber doesn't even rival my own. That and, he hasn't taken up swordsmanship in years. So I'm warning you…my sweet Kaoru-dono…do not even consider a permanent departure. We are bound as one from now on…"
Kaoru struggled to get free, his weight continuing to crush her. "Is there any way I can leave without you even trying to lay a finger on my son?"
"Yes," he responded in a calm tone of voice. "Defeat me in combat."
A/N: I'm sure all of you hate Hikojirou at this point, ne? Well, that's to be expected. Anyway, in the next chapter, I may focus on some Kenji love interest-ness... don't worry, K/K fans, I usually come through, right? There will definitely be some Kenshin/Kaoru in this story! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and have a great day! Ja ne!
Son Christine
