Harada Sanosuke x Ono Manami (OC)

Every eye was turned toward her; mainly brown; dark or light; never leaving the delicate woman for a second as she moved to the rhythm of the traditional music. She could perceive different kind of gazes; fascination, curiosity, kindness, lust; all of these directed to her body and her –now made up face. Pure white skin contrasting with her black eyes; orange and red eyes shadow on her eyelid; mature red lipstick on her closed lips; a serious face never changing despite the seductive look she had to show from time to time. Her arms and legs were slowly moving, following a precise pace and goal at each musical note, forgetting the terrible weight of her clothes on her muscles.

The young woman had forgotten how hard walking and dancing with this beautiful kimono was; she appreciated that no one knew what kind of moves she exactly needed to do; of course she would try her best even if she wasn't judge by an expert. The geisha on mission was used to intense stare; she ignored them as she delicately move her hands and fingers, playing rigorously with her decorated fan; moving forward and feeling the hardness of the cold wood on her foot soles; letting a discreet smile forming on her burning red lips to satisfy her clients. She looked unfazed while her mind kept repeating her disgust toward the opposite sex at every eye contact.

As the other geisha stopped singing and playing the koto, the young woman sat down graciously and bowed to her spectator; her forehead almost touching the ground, her complex big bun putting all its weight on her strong head. Closing her eyes for some seconds, the brown-haired woman could hear praises and claps destined to her magnificent show; her supposed beauty making them look like unredeemable fools for her black eyes now opened. Her head still down, she thanked her host with an appropriate voice, finally rising her face as she got up again; leaving the room to take more sake for the happy looking group enjoying their night. Well, they weren't going to be happy for so long.

The woman let a small sight now that she was in the corridor, knowing that no one was around her. Spying at Shimabara was her task; she asked for it and knew she was perfect for this kind of dirty job. Yet, it kept reminding her how dreadful she actually was; this place repeating her at every seconds what a horrible and ugly person she did become. Such a beautiful and outstanding woman couldn't have a bad soul right? Dumb men; they didn't know anything about a woman's heart; surely not about an ice covered heart like hers.

As the geiko was preparing white bottles of alcohol by heating them up, a sweet and innocent maïko came by saying that someone asked to see the black-eyed woman. Manami smiled to the young girl and let the tray to her, showing a mature and professional face while thinking of who would want to meet her, already preparing herself to kill in her mind. She wasn't an official geisha of Shimabara; no one should know her name expect the Shinsengumi. Before going to the unknown client room, she quickly and discreetly went to her personal place, taking a small knife and hiding it like a usual movement. Maybe it was a member of the militia of Kyoto but if so, why coming? Hiding her intent to fight and her tensed muscles with elegant bows was what she did the best.

Manami slowly opened the sliding door to see a muscular man comfortably sitting on the ground, drinking a cup of hot sake with his amber eyes lost in his thought. For some reason she wasn't surprise to see him as she closed the room and felt his gaze on her. With her being dressed as a woman and he drinking like this, this silent moment reminded her the first time she met the ronin. Both of them were staring at each other eyes, trying to guess their thoughts but still being unable to see through the mysterious wall separating them. She walked slowly toward him, sitting next to him and silently pouring the alcohol in his cup; the whole atmosphere making every move harder. The two of them alone in a room was a bad idea; a really bad idea.

"You look stunning." The auburn-haired man said, never leaving his eyes from her as she finished pouring his cup.

Manami didn't need to hear more as she drew her small knife with her distinguish pliability and swiftness in front of the tall man's throat. He didn't move, knowing that she could cut him at any moment, still amused by their unusual interaction. She, on the other hand, didn't know why she acted that way. Maybe she was angry; hearing all these fake compliments, knowing how much her external beauty was a lie to use for her own interest but hating it. Or maybe she just wanted to play with Harada Sanosuke as they always did.

"Do I still look stunning now?" The fake geisha softly said, not expecting him to smile with such a seductive face.

"Actually you look more stunning now. A badass and dangerous woman is not that bad compared to all these calm and refined geishas here." Sanosuke replied, somehow surprised by how quickly their face got closer before they could even understand it.

"You're too sweet. I could kill you here and no one would know how the famous captain of the 10th division of the Shinsengumi disappeared." Manami continued, a smile forming on her red lips despite her delicate hand being really ready to kill.

"You can't kill me Manami." The ronin affirmed without any hesitation, feeling the knife brushing against his throat and somehow wanting to feel her lips instead.

The concerned one let out a sight as she withdrew her professional hand and delicately put her small weapon on the ground. He was right; she couldn't kill him; she had no reason to do so in the first place. It would only bring issues to her. And without any warning, she took the man's cup of alcohol and drank it in front of his surprised face. She shouldn't do such a bold thing; geisha weren't allowed to drink with their client but her heart was at ease with this man; it was Harada Sanosuke after all. Letting a satisfying sound, Manami genuinely smiled at the warrior, a smile that took him out of his guard. It was a rare view even for him.

"So, why did you come here?" The brown-haired woman asked, finally forgetting her polite speech despite her clothes and status; trying to put aside the teases that happened some seconds ago.

"I didn't come here for a professional reason Manami. I just wanted to spend some time at Shimabara." He answered, knowing that she wouldn't believe his lie.

"That is for sure not professional Harada. I am no different from the others geisha here so why asking me. You know why I'm dressed like this tonight." She continued, pouring his cup again.

The black-eyed woman didn't know how to react when she felt his warm and big hand on her cheek, his hand making her lost her landmark every time he touched her, even in the most purer way. It was like a shock, a fire burning in her body instantly, dangerous, melting her icy equilibrium.

"If I admitted that I just wanted to see you, would you mock me?" The man asked with a low voice.

Manami gently put her hands on his hot cheeks, a heat certainly due to the alcohol but she was pretty used to it. Once again, they felt drowned by each other's eyes; once again, they knew they had to swallow their pride to understand what they really wanted and once again, they sole solution was to touch each other so they didn't need to talk. It was so dumb but none of them knew how to express themselves otherwise. So the woman just decided to close the gap between them, kissing him while her heart was exploding because of different feelings showing up at the same moment. Her made-up eyelids closed, she could just feel his lips on hers, a sensation that she would never get bored of.

They kissed like it was the first time; discovering and enjoying their moments. They kissed like it could be the last time, feeling every little seconds flying away and hoping the time would stop for them to never be drawn apart. They knew it; people like them don't get happy ending; enjoying the present was their best solution despite their conflicts and unbreakable pride. It was such a strange mix of emotions; happiness for being nears each other, sadness because they would separate after some time. And when they did, it always lasted some seconds so they could breathe and kiss again. It was lustful, their need to be close overpowering their morals; it was melancholic, their old memories coming back, reminding them why they did even met in the first place.

"I wonder what kind of simpletons we are." Manami tried to say, her loud breath stopping every words, mixing with the man's one in their unstoppable cadence.

"Just a woman and a man who live in a hellish world I guess." Sanosuke answered; his forehead now on hers.

"You really are sweet, Sanosuke." The woman said, her words being genuine, opposing with her previous statements when she had a knife on her hand. Ah, she couldn't even think of having a knife now.

It's a drabble written thanks to a prompt that a friend sent me on tumblr :)