A/N: I can't believe the terrific response to Gohei!! I thought people would get mad at me or something – but y'all love it! Lol!
Kenshin: They just like watching me beatin' the crap outta someone.
Sano: Isn't it usually ME who beats the crap outta people?
Dove: Yo! I'm not done yet!!
Kenshin&Sano: Sorry..
Sano: She is still in mourning for having to return the laptop. Hence the testiness.
Dove: *WHACK* You're the one who tried to STEAL IT!
Kenshin: Now, now..
Dove: SHADDAP!
Sano: Yeah, pacifist!
Dove: WHO ASKED YOU?!
**Cartoon fighting cloud**
Kenshin: Oro.. *winces* Well, on with the story. *Ducks, catches flying thing* Um, Dove.. would you like your shirt back? *Blinking*
Dark
Chapter Eighteen
Battousai's cold eyes took in the room with a calculating sweep. Everyone had backed away – Gohei was not going to find any help among the cowards he thought were his friends.
Kaoru was shivering on the floor. From the looks of things, had he been a second later she might have wanted in on the fight.
How dare Gohei try to rape her.
How dare that PIG try to lay his hands on her!
Gohei was holding nothing more than.. a wooden tray? Ah. He thought to use it as a shield.
What a fool.
"You made the biggest mistake of your life, Gohei." Battousai launched himself into the air. "Ryu Tsui Sen!" Gohei gave a yelp and threw himself to the side, getting away with only a clip to his shoulder.
That didn't cut.
"Huh?" Gohei stared as Battousai smirked. The blade was not flipped, and the attack had been a mock-attempt to throw him off-guard.
In the instant that Gohei realized that, Battousai was already upon him.
Flipping the blade mid-attack,
((Mmm.. it smells like rain in my room…))
Battousai slashed for Gohei's stomach. The frantic drunkard brought the tray between them. Battousai smirked and didn't stop.
His face barely registered surprise when Gohei drew a hidden Semi-Automatic from behind the tray and fired.
The bullet hit him point-blank in the chest.
Battousai fell.
His sword clattered away.
Gohei put the gun away, and drew a short-sword hidden underneath his coat.
"Heh. I bet ye weren't expectin' that, huh Battousai?" His name came out as a curse.
"Blast.." He swore, stars dancing in front of his vision. Gohei was smirking, as he lifted the sword above his head, and swung down at Battousai's neck.
There was a clash of steel.
Moving like a demon, Kaoru had snatched up the sword and come between Battousai and Gohei.
But it wasn't Kaoru.
Nor was it Rain, Akuma, or Rumor.
It was all four of them. At once.
"I don't think so." The sentence came out as a mix of all of their different voices. It literally sounded like four people speaking at the same time.
"Get away, you little brat!" Gohei snarled, furious that his moment to kill Battousai had been taken away.
"You will not get to him." Gohei launched back from their crossed-sword limbo. And then he swung again, Kaoru/Rain/Rumor/Akuma his target now. Smoothly, they blocked him.
He couldn't understand it. Just a few minutes ago, she had been giving up. And now she was as strong as him.
And then he could.
She loved Battousai, and the will to protect the one she loved was infinitly more powerful than the will to protect herself.
"So, you love him, hmm?" Gohei kicked out swiftly, catching her legs and sweeping them out from underneath her. She hit the ground hard, not loosing her grip on the sword.
She offered him a few various, colorful places to stick his words.
"Harsh." He swung his sword down, and was mildly surprised when she blocked with one hand on the hilt and one hand cradling the blade. A classic Battousai move. How strange.
"Your fight is with me, Gohei."
"Huh?" He turned to see Battousai standing, blood pouring from his wound.
But his eyes were just as furious. And even more deadly, if possible.
"Never take your eyes off of us." Kaoru/Rain/Rumor/Akuma informed him, as they drove the blade through his left shoulder, his right arm was already useless, she'd seen it in his one-handed attacks.
He screamed in pain, causing her to wince before she removed the blade. And then she threw the bloodied Sakabatou to Battousai.
But Gohei did not turn to meet the opponent with the blade.
With a feral scream, he leapt at Kaoru. She side-stepped, but he reached out and caught her throat, taking her with him to the ground.
Her eyes crossed for a moment, before her vision cleared.
Gohei yanked her up with him, his sword miraculously still in his hand and now at her throat.
"What now?" He taunted Battousai, his voice strained somewhat with pain. And then he twisted Kaoru, who had returned to herself after stabbing him, and kissed her hard on the mouth.
Her eyes widened, and she scratched at his face. But he didn't let go.
Battousai heard her muffled scream, and snapped. He launched himself through the air, and used the Ama-Kakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki.
His speed blurred to an impossible level. One moment, there was the glint of steel, and then nothing. He was moving to a speed just shy of breaking the sound barrier.
In an instant, half of Gohei went one way, while half of Gohei went the other way.
Kaoru screamed. Such an odd sound, he didn't remember ever hearing her scream like that. Terror. Surprise.
He flicked the thick blood off of the blade and knelt before Kaoru, pulling her shaking body close to his own.
"It's okay, Pet." He soothed. She buried her head in his chest. He gathered her up and stood. "Tell Watsuki that the meeting will be moved to a later date."
His voice left no room for discussion. He carried her out to the car, and broke at least six laws getting them home. He got her halfway up the stairs before the dam broke. She sank to her knees on the stairs, sobbing hysterically. He sat next to her, and was surprised when she turned to him and buried her face in his chest.
"It's alright, Kaoru. It's over. He's gone."
"He took my first kiss.." She whimpered. He cupped her chin gently, and turned her face up to his.
"Well, forget that one. Pretend that THIS is your first kiss." He whispered. And captured her lips in a gentle kiss, one she was free to pull away from.
It felt so completely right to her. Kaoru melted into the kiss, her eyes closing as she leaned into him. He wrapped his arms gently around her back and deepened the kiss.
A/N: There, more romance. Actually, quite a lot. Lol. ^-^ Be sure to brush your teeth after reading this chapter, wouldn't want cavities! Sorry it's so short. Trying to pack the threads of a plot back into an actual plot-line.
Kenshin: Dove-chan! 400 reviews!
Sano: Pah. Chiki has 2000.
Kenshin: *WHACK* Shh!
Dove: F… four HUNDRED?? WAAHHHH!!!
Soujiro: She's.. very emotional.
Kenshin: *Grins. Shoves the somewhat stale marshmellow sedative's down Dove's throat*
Dove: Zzzzz..
No, I'm not replying to reviews here. I'll probably make a special chapter for it. I'm to lazy. Lol.. If you have an important question, put a ^_- at the end. ^-^
And thanks, for all of the heart-warming reviews telling me how good of a writer I am. Sure do love those.. make me write faster, that they do..
Still calling for Fanart.. thanks to those of you that have offered yours, send it to crescentheart@aol.com! *Rushes to check email* ^_-
Kenshin: They just like watching me beatin' the crap outta someone.
Sano: Isn't it usually ME who beats the crap outta people?
Dove: Yo! I'm not done yet!!
Kenshin&Sano: Sorry..
Sano: She is still in mourning for having to return the laptop. Hence the testiness.
Dove: *WHACK* You're the one who tried to STEAL IT!
Kenshin: Now, now..
Dove: SHADDAP!
Sano: Yeah, pacifist!
Dove: WHO ASKED YOU?!
**Cartoon fighting cloud**
Kenshin: Oro.. *winces* Well, on with the story. *Ducks, catches flying thing* Um, Dove.. would you like your shirt back? *Blinking*
Dark
Chapter Eighteen
Battousai's cold eyes took in the room with a calculating sweep. Everyone had backed away – Gohei was not going to find any help among the cowards he thought were his friends.
Kaoru was shivering on the floor. From the looks of things, had he been a second later she might have wanted in on the fight.
How dare Gohei try to rape her.
How dare that PIG try to lay his hands on her!
Gohei was holding nothing more than.. a wooden tray? Ah. He thought to use it as a shield.
What a fool.
"You made the biggest mistake of your life, Gohei." Battousai launched himself into the air. "Ryu Tsui Sen!" Gohei gave a yelp and threw himself to the side, getting away with only a clip to his shoulder.
That didn't cut.
"Huh?" Gohei stared as Battousai smirked. The blade was not flipped, and the attack had been a mock-attempt to throw him off-guard.
In the instant that Gohei realized that, Battousai was already upon him.
Flipping the blade mid-attack,
((Mmm.. it smells like rain in my room…))
Battousai slashed for Gohei's stomach. The frantic drunkard brought the tray between them. Battousai smirked and didn't stop.
His face barely registered surprise when Gohei drew a hidden Semi-Automatic from behind the tray and fired.
The bullet hit him point-blank in the chest.
Battousai fell.
His sword clattered away.
Gohei put the gun away, and drew a short-sword hidden underneath his coat.
"Heh. I bet ye weren't expectin' that, huh Battousai?" His name came out as a curse.
"Blast.." He swore, stars dancing in front of his vision. Gohei was smirking, as he lifted the sword above his head, and swung down at Battousai's neck.
There was a clash of steel.
Moving like a demon, Kaoru had snatched up the sword and come between Battousai and Gohei.
But it wasn't Kaoru.
Nor was it Rain, Akuma, or Rumor.
It was all four of them. At once.
"I don't think so." The sentence came out as a mix of all of their different voices. It literally sounded like four people speaking at the same time.
"Get away, you little brat!" Gohei snarled, furious that his moment to kill Battousai had been taken away.
"You will not get to him." Gohei launched back from their crossed-sword limbo. And then he swung again, Kaoru/Rain/Rumor/Akuma his target now. Smoothly, they blocked him.
He couldn't understand it. Just a few minutes ago, she had been giving up. And now she was as strong as him.
And then he could.
She loved Battousai, and the will to protect the one she loved was infinitly more powerful than the will to protect herself.
"So, you love him, hmm?" Gohei kicked out swiftly, catching her legs and sweeping them out from underneath her. She hit the ground hard, not loosing her grip on the sword.
She offered him a few various, colorful places to stick his words.
"Harsh." He swung his sword down, and was mildly surprised when she blocked with one hand on the hilt and one hand cradling the blade. A classic Battousai move. How strange.
"Your fight is with me, Gohei."
"Huh?" He turned to see Battousai standing, blood pouring from his wound.
But his eyes were just as furious. And even more deadly, if possible.
"Never take your eyes off of us." Kaoru/Rain/Rumor/Akuma informed him, as they drove the blade through his left shoulder, his right arm was already useless, she'd seen it in his one-handed attacks.
He screamed in pain, causing her to wince before she removed the blade. And then she threw the bloodied Sakabatou to Battousai.
But Gohei did not turn to meet the opponent with the blade.
With a feral scream, he leapt at Kaoru. She side-stepped, but he reached out and caught her throat, taking her with him to the ground.
Her eyes crossed for a moment, before her vision cleared.
Gohei yanked her up with him, his sword miraculously still in his hand and now at her throat.
"What now?" He taunted Battousai, his voice strained somewhat with pain. And then he twisted Kaoru, who had returned to herself after stabbing him, and kissed her hard on the mouth.
Her eyes widened, and she scratched at his face. But he didn't let go.
Battousai heard her muffled scream, and snapped. He launched himself through the air, and used the Ama-Kakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki.
His speed blurred to an impossible level. One moment, there was the glint of steel, and then nothing. He was moving to a speed just shy of breaking the sound barrier.
In an instant, half of Gohei went one way, while half of Gohei went the other way.
Kaoru screamed. Such an odd sound, he didn't remember ever hearing her scream like that. Terror. Surprise.
He flicked the thick blood off of the blade and knelt before Kaoru, pulling her shaking body close to his own.
"It's okay, Pet." He soothed. She buried her head in his chest. He gathered her up and stood. "Tell Watsuki that the meeting will be moved to a later date."
His voice left no room for discussion. He carried her out to the car, and broke at least six laws getting them home. He got her halfway up the stairs before the dam broke. She sank to her knees on the stairs, sobbing hysterically. He sat next to her, and was surprised when she turned to him and buried her face in his chest.
"It's alright, Kaoru. It's over. He's gone."
"He took my first kiss.." She whimpered. He cupped her chin gently, and turned her face up to his.
"Well, forget that one. Pretend that THIS is your first kiss." He whispered. And captured her lips in a gentle kiss, one she was free to pull away from.
It felt so completely right to her. Kaoru melted into the kiss, her eyes closing as she leaned into him. He wrapped his arms gently around her back and deepened the kiss.
A/N: There, more romance. Actually, quite a lot. Lol. ^-^ Be sure to brush your teeth after reading this chapter, wouldn't want cavities! Sorry it's so short. Trying to pack the threads of a plot back into an actual plot-line.
Kenshin: Dove-chan! 400 reviews!
Sano: Pah. Chiki has 2000.
Kenshin: *WHACK* Shh!
Dove: F… four HUNDRED?? WAAHHHH!!!
Soujiro: She's.. very emotional.
Kenshin: *Grins. Shoves the somewhat stale marshmellow sedative's down Dove's throat*
Dove: Zzzzz..
No, I'm not replying to reviews here. I'll probably make a special chapter for it. I'm to lazy. Lol.. If you have an important question, put a ^_- at the end. ^-^
And thanks, for all of the heart-warming reviews telling me how good of a writer I am. Sure do love those.. make me write faster, that they do..
Still calling for Fanart.. thanks to those of you that have offered yours, send it to crescentheart@aol.com! *Rushes to check email* ^_-