Ch 1
The lights twinkled over head, giving the room a soft warm glow. The music a light ensemble of violins and cellos, the perfect setting for romance…
Laughter could be heard rising and falling continuously from the same table. Faint brisk laughter making itself present every once in awhile over the various baritone tenors that surrounded it.
'I'm surrounded by men- good looking men, along with one other woman, I should be in heaven…gods there's something the matter with me,' thought Kaoru smoothing out invisible wrinkles on her gown. A habit whenever she was trying to conceal her anger, nervousness, or boredom.
Another echo of laughter.
"It seems Misao-san has wit to go with her beauty, Tao-san, a deadly combination if your not careful," said one of the many men clad in black and white. "Your husband must be a great man or incredibly foolish."
Gazing at the man attentively, a delicate blush noticeable to only a few under the dim lighting, could be seen appearing on the apples of Misao's cheeks.
"You flatter me, Touya-kun, but I am not married."
The air around the table seemed to change with this new revelation. What was once an amicable atmosphere had turned into one of testosterone. Seduction and something akin to love permeated the air. A raw primal hunger calling to them, a craving, a desire…a thirst. Lust.
The predators were out and their prey selected. The hunters had become the hunted and the game was a foot….
The change was subtle. If it were anyone else it would have gone by unnoticed, but not to them. Snapping them out of their separate reveries, they could not help but quirk an eyebrow at each other.
The sudden crackle of ki told them that they were not the only ones who had felt it.
Eyes scanning the room, they soon spotted the man cluttered table.
Desolate, austere, and cynical they might be, but oblivious to what aroused men they were not.
Isolating the sudden spark of ki to the center of the clustered table, they discerned it as feminine.
A low rumble of syllables almost inaudible had issued forth from his lips before he was gone. Calm collected strides caring him to his destination, to her.
Interest peaked, Kenshin could not help but fallow his stoic friend.
Who was this Misao?
"I told you no one would notice we were gone," he breathed into her ear, as his long slender arm came to encircle itself around her waist.
"Humph. Speak for yourself," stated Megumi hotly, flipping her hair over he shoulder as she walked out of Sano's warm embrace.
"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you," shaking his head roguishly, he plunged his hands into his pockets and continued with his trade mark saunter into the room.
An indignant snort was the only indictor that she had fallowed suit.
"I didn't know that Jou-chan was in the market looking for a boyfriend. Hmm…I should introduce her to a few buddies of mine," said Sano pausing in his stride.
"What are you talking about, Tori-atama, Kaoru definitely would not go after a cop, her one rule. Not to mention she swore off men remember," pushing Sano, she could not help but pause and crane her neck for a better view. 'And if she is, she better have some explaining to do.'
The incapacity of her friend to ever stay quiet and subtle was something she could not fathom, nor was it something that she ever thought she would get over. Lucky for her, she never left the house without her mother's old ring. A simple silver band that she wore on her right hand, one that she could idly slip on her wedding finger without notice. Something that she was prone to do whenever the situation called for it.
Making sure that the ring caught the light, she brushed a few strands away from her face.
'Come on boys, take the bait.'
"Kamiya-san, I assume by the ring on your finger, that the same cannot be said for you," the respectable tone did nothing to belay the look of lust in his eyes.
"Gotcha."
" Not married at the moment, but I am engaged," said Kaoru, ducking her head to hide her triumphant smile.
"My eyes must be playing tricks on me, I could have sworn that that ring was on the other hand not five minutes ago," said the one named Touya.
Catching Misao's expression, she could not help but smile openly, giving the appearance of a glowing bride-to-be. " My fingers must have been laced together."
" Well, isn't that a quaint little surprise," stated Misao, her eyes relaying a different message. " I had the impression that you were out looking for a new beau."
" So that's your little game. I knew you couldn't be as dim-witted as you let on…well two can play at that game," thought Kaoru, her eyes flashing with smug awareness. " Of course not, Misao, I only said that because I have wedding jitters. You said so yourself."
"Aa, of course. I must have had a bit too much wine to drink tonight. My mistake," said Misao, a somewhat sour look gracing her pretty features.
Before anymore questions could be asked, a rich sultry voice cut through the air parting the sea of tuxedo clad men like a wave, to reveal two men amidst it all.
"Excuse me, but are you not the one who arrived with Koshijiro Kamiya?"
Silence fallowed his question, as the two men made their way to the center of the man cluttered table.
"Am I safe to assume that," asked that same sultry voice, belonging to the shorter of the two men.
His hair falling like a curtain along his back, held back by a simple band at the nape of his neck. The glowing color of his hair a deep contrast against the black of his tuxedo and face, a blood red that only the gods could hope to have. With eyes an amethyst as sharp and beautiful as the gemstone it was used for, his eyes spoke of a commanding knowingness born within him. A face so well defined that it looked feminine, and yet an aura that screamed purely male.
Nodding her head, Kaoru had little room to reply.
"Sanosuke Sagara, if you step on my foot one more time, I swear I'll make it so you can't walk properly for the next week," said Megumi, once again giving him a death glare.
"Oi now, Kitsune, its not my fault. You're the one who keeps wanting to get closer to Jou-chan and the weasel, while being as sneaky as you can," said Sano, unable to suppress his laughter at the look of outrage on her face.
Oh shut up, Tori-atama, and just spin me."
Stepping on his lover's foot and emitting a few choice words from her mouth, Sano could not help but laugh once again. "Meg, if you would just let me lead instead of trying to do whatever the hell you trying to do, it would flow a lot easier. Not to mention, that it would look a little less obvious."
"Oh, and what the hell do you know?"
"Captain, Lieutenant, how nice of you to join us," said Officer Yoshi, his dislike at the interruption almost unnoticeable.
At 5'11'', he was good-looking, tall with a slight build, hair the color of midnight, and eyes a green that seemed to be jaded within themselves; yes he was good-looking, and yet the grace he presented was lost as soon as his superiors appeared.
"Yoshi-san, it's always a pleasure," said the Lieutenant, his voice a smooth pace that gave nothing away.
"Eyes the color of the Mediterranean-yet notas warm- hair the most sinful shade of black, with a body and a pair of shoulders that would make any women weep…and a personality that'd make a monk the life of a party. Lieutenant Shinimori," thought Kaoru. Openly rolling her eyes at her friends clear infatuation with the man.
"Lieutenant Shinimori, is it not? Would you be so kind as to accompany Misao here out onto the dance floor? She's been wanting to all night, but none of these men have been quick to pick up on it," said Kaoru, trying desperately to keep the lilt of laughter out of her voice.
"Megumi! I never thought that you would have two left feet, but then again not all of us can be gifted with rhythm."
"Ohhoho!" exclaimed Megumi, fuming at being caught acting ridiculous, "This coming from you, Misao…Was- was that Misao with-"
"The Lieutenant. Yeah, it was," finished Sano dumbstruck at seeing his superior on the dance floor with the department's resident firecracker.
"...Oh that little weasel is going to pay for making that comment. Just wait till I get my hands on her, I'll-"
"Well seeing as that," said Sano motioning to the now dancing couple, " got the table down to just those two, how bout we show the weasel girl just who has two left feet."
"Well that took care of my problem, but who knew that he would actually listen to me," thought Kaoru a small smile touching her lips
"How is your father, Kamiya-san?" asked Kenshin, a small smile appearing at being able to startle her.
Quirking an eyebrow, she gazed at him impassively. The ring on her finger glistening with the reflection of the light.
"The ring on your finger would suggest you are wed, but to my knowledge the Assistant Chief never remarried," stated Kenshin his eyes flickering on Kaoru momentarily before traveling once again around the room.
"Very perceptive, Captain," stated Kaoru returning her gaze to the dance floor. She had never met someone quite as sharp as this Captain, it unnerved her. Yet she couldn't help but be a little attracted to his demeanor. "Although I never claimed to be married to the Assistant Chief."
"Touché."
Silence once again before, "Surprised that he listened?"
Kaoru turned to look at the man next to her. A quick once over from the corner of her eye had helped her analyze the redhead, and she had come to three conclusions:
1. He was one of the best, due to the fact that he did not seem to be that much older than her, and yet he had already made it to Captain.
2. He carried himself like someone who is ready to enter battle at any given moment.
3. That hair just had to be dyed. There was no way someone could have hair that color or that beautiful and still be drop-dead gorgeous.
A moments silence before Kaoru answered. "I suppose."
"You know it was very brave of you to try that little trick of yours."
" And what would that trick be, Captain?" asked Kaoru, taken aback by his forwardness.
"Using the Lieutenant as your escape goat, and sacrificing your friend like that. You knew from the get go that if the Lieutenant were to decline your request for him to dance with your friend, that those men would have fallen on your friend like a pack of rabid wolves. You took quite a gamble, in believing that the Lieutenant would say yes."
Surprise showed on Kaoru's face, before she replied, " And how do you know that is what I planned to do?"
"Your right. Your plan could have been that you wanted all those men to fall all over your poor defenseless friend, and it could have simply just backfired," said Kenshin, interested in the first sparks of anger that she showed, and how far he could push it. "Although, I think I'm safe to assume that my first guess was right."
"Well, Captain, do you have a name to go along with the title, or has the ego far succeeded your stature," said Kaoru snidely. The last part clearly in reference to his physique.
Laughter fallowed her words, only furthering her irritation with the man, known as the Captain.
"Yes, but if I may be so bold as to ask yours before giving mine, I would very much like to know whom I'm speaking with, that they feel so secure as to criticize my stature, when we have known each other a little less than five minutes," said Kenshin, his amusement at being able to ruffle the young woman evident.
Anger flashed through her eyes, and for a moment it seemed as if she would answer with the age old I-asked-you-first response. So it was a bit of a surprise when the woman he had come to know as a spitfire, answered without much of a fight.
"It's Kaoru."
"Well, Miss Kaoru, it was a pleasure meeting you. I'm Kenshin, Kenshin Himura."
TBC...
AN: Hey look I updated in like a few days of my other update! Hurrah! Anyways thanks to all of you who have reviewed for this story!
R&R please!