Summary: Darkfic. Kaoru feels an inexplicable dread and nervousness whenever she meets her best friend's fiancée. She warns Tomoe about him only to get caught in his sinister game of lust and desire. The stage is set and the game begins. BK.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the creation of Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Rating: M. Rated for adult situations

Warning: MATURE. This is a MATURE story; it has adult themes running through the course of it. If your parents would not approve of you reading something like this, don't read it.

Special Thanks to all my reviewers!!

A Game of Chess

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Chapter 5: Question

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Recap

"Yeah well, your brother's a hottie." Kaoru winked. She hugged Tomoe and studiously avoided Kenshin's eye. Smiling once more at her friend, she turned to find Enishi. Locating Enishi was easy; he drove a very small, very racy sports car that one could spot a mile off. Kaoru nimbly got into the car and in Enishi's arms. She snuggled against him as he swerved the car out onto the main road, taking the road leading to her house.

Fifteen minutes later, they were parked in front of her house, yet neither seemed in a hurry to get out. Enishi pulled her towards him and crushed her mouth with his. She didn't protest. He tugged at the zipper of her dress, plying it open, allowing his hands easier access to her breasts. Hooking one arm under her leg, he hoisted her up into his lap.

His lips were soon everywhere, kissing her neck, her lips, her face and her eyes. His kisses were frenzied, and haphazard, like the movement of a man who has been tied up too long.

Kaoru held her neck up, allowing him to kiss her freely, without impediment. There was no trace of the hesitation he had shown at the club. She guided his hands to the clasp of her bra, and looking out of the window, found what she was looking for.

A pair of amethyst eyes staring at her accusingly from the car parked across the street.

End of Recap

Kaoru looked straight into them. She flung her hair back and brazenly arched her body against Enishi, surprising him and turning Kenshin's fury even darker. She closed her eyes as though in pleasure and purred softly. She grazed her lips over the curve of Enishi's ear and blew gently. He tingled and felt goose bumps erupt all over his body. He gripped her even more tightly. Confusion and arousal was engulfing his senses. He didn't know where to stop kissing her and where to begin. Kaoru's body was wrapped around his own so intimately, he was actually at a loss of what to do next. Kaoru could feel his hands roaming across her body haphazardly; the touch was hot, feverish and lacked direction.

She tossed her head back and stared at the convertible roof of the car. It was lined with a slate grey fabric. She reached out to touch it with her fingers. Enishi kissed the hollow of her neck softly and gently linked his hand with her own. He rested his head against her shoulder and shut his eyes.

Kaoru had been the star of his wet dreams since he had first met her. She was the unattainable, uninterested girl who kept telling him to get lost. She had never once responded to his flirtations earlier, when all he used to do was follow her around where he could. He would stalk her from class to the library and back again. He followed her when she bought art supplies, or when she met Tomoe for a quick cup of coffee. When she went to the movies, he would spend twice the money to buy the ticket of the guy sitting behind her, he would secretly pick up the other line when she called Tomoe, and he would walk behind her at rallies. He would park his car nearby and stand under her dorm window, chain-smoking while he stared at her silhouette in the window. When the lights of her room would go out, he would sigh and slowly walk back to his car, get inside, sigh once more before turning the key in the ignition and drive back home.

It wasn't as though he'd never tried to tell her that he was interested in her. She never believed him, or she laughed it off. Kaoru enjoyed the attention even though she would never acknowledge him. She just took him for granted. It was no cause for concern that he was stalking her, eavesdropping on her conversations with Tomoe or even that he had been standing outside her dorm for days. Kaoru simply wasn't bothered. He was helpless in the face of her apathetic response to his feelings. She didn't care, and what was worse, she let him know it.

Sometimes, the desperation he felt would erupt in bouts of rage so severe that he would resort to violently flinging things against the wall in his room or get into fights. He had once cut himself while he tried to gouge her name onto his arm, he had only gotten as far as the first letter of her name when the blade slipped and he cut too deep and blood began to spill like water. He remembered the floor rising up to hit his face and then a hospital room, where a somber doctor in a white coat spoke in muted tones to his roommate, who kept shaking his head and staring at the floor. It had been a long drive home. He tried every trick in the book to keep Kai from blurting out everything in front of Tomoe.

But that had been a long time ago. He had matured and changed his tactics somewhat. Kaoru would never take him seriously if he kept pining away for her. He had to give her some space to breath without being forever present at her feet. So he distanced himself from her. It was the hardest thing to do, because he could stand for hours waiting for her to show up, but he couldn't stand not seeing her. So he stopped following her around, stopped acting like a slave, stopped volunteering to drive her and her reactionary friends around town to demonstrate, stopped hanging on her every word, and started pretending that she was no longer the sun of his universe.

He threw all his passion into the study of medicine. Kaoru was the unattainable sun who would burn him, if he got too close. He knew that and accepted it. Tomoe had been surprised to see his interest in Kaoru fade away but she said nothing. In all honesty, she was delighted to find that his obsession for Kaoru was a thing of the past. He didn't know what had hurt him more, Tomoe's silence and sense of relief that he'd gotten over his infatuation with Kaoru or the fact that Kaoru didn't even seem to notice that he was no longer following her around like a lovesick fool.

It seemed to have worked.

Enishi drew back and held her face with his hands. Kaoru frowned. She looked at him quizzically. He tilted his head to a side and smiled at her. She smiled back hesitantly. As she tried to move out of his arms, he pulled her back. Laughing softly, he moved closer once more. As he nestled his head in the curve of her neck, Kaoru peeked over his shoulder. Across the street, Kenshin was still sitting at the wheel of his car, visibly seething in rage and jealousy.

"I can't believe this is us. I can't believe this is you and me. You and me, Kaoru, sitting in my car without a care in the world, kissing as though we were born to do so." Enishi's gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.

Kaoru blinked. She tore her eyes away from Kenshin and looked at Enishi. He smiled warmly and stroked her cheek with his fingers. His light, feather soft touch left her cold. His body felt strange. Her arms around his neck felt wrong. She squirmed and pulled away. Gently lifting her legs over the gearbox, she returned to her seat and sat back. Enishi shifted as well, tucking one foot under his leg so he could sit facing her comfortably. He curled his finger around a lock of her hair and tugged at it. Kaoru lifted the corners of her mouth faintly and felt a twinge of guilt as she saw the adoring look in his eyes.

"Do you know how long I have dreamt of this?" Enishi asked softly.

Kaoru laughed. "Come on Enishi. Don't be melodramatic."

He laughed as well. "I'm not being melodramatic. This is all I have wanted ever since I met you."

"I can't believe that."

"You never did. I kept telling how much I liked you, how much you meant to me but somehow, you were always on some other planet."

Kaoru bent her head, pretending to brush away some lint from her dress. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've been running after you since I can remember, and now, all this, all of a sudden. You used to act as though you weren't even aware that I was alive, let alone see how much in love I was."

"What a silly thing to say! Of course I knew you were alive! You were Tomoe's brother, for crying out loud! How could I not know you?"

"Yeah, yeah. I was Tomoe's little brother, and that's it."

"Well, you still are Tomoe's little brother."

"Are you saying you never even thought about me any other way?" Enishi asked even though he knew the answer.

Kaoru took a deep breath before answering. "You were so young Enishi. And I was preoccupied with other things, and above all, you were Tomoe's darling brother and I guess I never saw you in any other way."

"How do you see me now?"

Kaoru froze. Something had changed in Enishi's voice. He had changed. "I, well, you're different now I guess."

"Yes, I am different."

The lips that touched her now said it all. There was none of the initial hesitation, the confusion and desperation that had accompanied their first kiss. That kiss had been given to her by the old Enishi who had none of the confidence and finesse perfected by the new one. It was like being kissed by an entirely different man altogether. This kiss left her breathless, and completely surprised. This kiss made her knees melt and her head swim. Kaoru pushed against him and backed away in nervousness. Enishi grinned and went back to playing with her hair. His eyes remained focused on her as she silently processed this new realization.

She cautiously looked out of the window again but there was nobody there to smirk at. Kenshin had gone! His car was no longer parked on the opposite curb. He had left. A cold knife twisted in her heart. He had gone back to Tomoe, and she was left alone with Enishi.

She turned to him now. With Kenshin no longer serving as a spectator, it was time to go. Casually picking up her purse, she lifted her fingers to the door latch.

"We should call it a night now. I better go."

Enishi didn't stop twirling her hair with his fingers. He simply fixed her with a look. A look that said he wasn't happy.

"So soon? We haven't even finished reminiscing."

Kaoru smiled. "There's plenty of time to do that later."

"When will that be? When I leave for Shanghai?"

"You're not leaving right away, are you? I'll see you tomorrow." She pulled the latch but the door refused to budge. Enishi had the car controls on his side. Unless he was in a mood to let her out, she was staying where she was.

"Tomorrow seems so far away."

Kaoru groaned. "Enishi! You're beginning to sound like a bad love song."

"Bad love songs are underrated. Don't go."

"I have to."

"No you don't." He persisted.

"Yes I do."

"You really don't."

She sighed in exasperation. "This isn't a game Enishi. I'll get late for class."

"Take me with you then. I'll drop you off in five minutes."

"What?"

"What? I'm trying to help you here. Come on. You say yes, we go upstairs, talk, exchange notes on tv stars, talk about movies, and go to sleep. Then, in the morning I'll drop you off to class….on time."

"Nice try Enishi. But, I'm not taking you upstairs."

"Not even if I tell you that my intentions are completely honorable? Not even if I insist that there will be no carnal pleasures taken?"

"Certainly not. No."

"Not even for a cup of coffee?" Enishi flashed his most charming smile but it had no affect on Kaoru.

"Not even for a cup of coffee."

"That's downright cheap Kaoru. I would never have been you to be such a miser. How much coffee could I possibly drink anyway?"

Kaoru replied cheekily. "I don't know Enishi. With the mood you're in, it's just too dangerous. I'd rather not take the risk."

"You don't really mean that?"

"Yes, I do, I really do. Goodnight Enishi." She pecked him lightly on the cheek and stealthily pushed a button near the gearbox that released her door. Stepping out lightly, she fished the keys to her apartment out of her purse. Enishi stepped out and came stood next to her.

"Thank you."

Kaoru looked at him bemusedly. She leaned against the hood of the car and regarded Enishi carefully. He stood with his back turned to the light, his face appeared dark but his eyes were shining.

"What for?"

"For dancing with me."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to her forehead. Cupping her cheek with his fingers, he dropped feathery kisses on her eyes and nose before stopping at her lips. He straightened, and stepped aside. Kaoru pulled herself off the car and walked towards her apartment, trying not to look at him. When she reached the gate to the building, she turned. Enishi was waiting. She waved, he smiled. She turned the key and pushed the door open. Enishi waited till the door slammed shut. He grinned and strode back to his car. Sliding into the driver's seat, he watched as the lights to the corridor leading to Kaoru's apartment lit up one by one.

He was still watching when his cell phone rang shrilly. Enishi winced. Patting his hands over the pockets of his pants and coat, he found the phone and fished it out. Flipping it open with one deft flick of his finger, he spoke, "Yeah."

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The sound of wheels screeching against the dark tarmac echoed through the street. Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief. For a while it had seemed as though getting rid of Enishi was going to be a problem. But he was a sweet guy; nothing she couldn't handle. Unbidden, a feeling of guilt swelled up in her breast. She was using him so cruelly. But…..there was nothing else she could have done. Kenshin was being so stubborn. He was refusing to let her go. There was no other way but to show him that she didn't need him, and Enishi had always been interested in her. It was wrong but inevitable. Besides, she liked Enishi. He was charming, sweet and madly in love with her. It wasn't as though he didn't want to be with her.

Suddenly, she stopped and swore gently under her breath. The corridor was dark. The lights on the floor were fluctuating again. It had been a problem that had persisted for weeks. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd called the maintenance guy contracted by the landlord to fix the lights. But there was always some lapse, or something they forgot to fix the first time round. In all fairness, the building maintenance firm couldn't be held responsible for every fiasco that wreaked the floor. It was an old building. The plumbing and fixtures were ridiculously outdated. She'd gotten used to contractors snickering when she mentioned her address. The wiring was in shambles, and there wasn't a single electrician in the vicinity who didn't know the details of every case in the building by heart. The running joke was that they kept files on every apartment in the building. These 'case histories' were studied and kept carefully for instruction for junior electricians; lessons on how not to mess up a wiring job.

The rent and the proximity to the university and Tomoe's house were the only things that kept her there.

She clutched her purse tightly and strode forward. The keys hanging from her middle finger clinked loudly. The click of her heels on the granite floor echoed through the corridor. She stopped in front of her door. Kenshin's angry face resurfaced in her mind. She slammed her fist into the wall. Her hand throbbed with pain. Why did he have to show up now? She had worked very hard to settle in the life she had made for herself. Her art, her classes, and her friendship with Tomoe were the only things that had kept her from keeling over entirely. Leaving Kenshin had almost killed her. But it had been the only thing she could do. Maybe things would be different this time around, but she doubted it. Tomoe once asked her what she was running from, because she never rested, never relaxed. She was always on the go. The restless activity she'd plunged herself into had all been to forget Kenshin, to leave him behind, to live without him. Her fear for Kenshin was greater than her need to be with him. Their love had been so consuming, so immense that there had been no space left in between. She fled him before she lost herself completely.

The keys dropped from her hand. She sighed.

She bent to pick the keys up but she was too slow. Before she could reach them, a hand appeared out of nowhere and scooped them up. She jerked back.

"Who's there?"

"Stupid question kitten."

Kenshin was leaning against the door, dangling the keys form his fingers like a prize. The dark fury simmering in his eyes put the night to shame. Kaoru swallowed.

"I saw you leave." She muttered.

His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?"

Author's Notes

Sorry for the long wait guys.

Thank you Reviewers!!!! And everyone else who has read and enjoyed this story

Isabella Swan – Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

EmbersOfAmber – you and share similar thoughts regarding Enishi. grins

Kaori01 – Kenshin's situation isn't enviable. He's got a great girlfriend and now the love of his life decides to drop in. Can't blame the guy for acting a little cuckoo.

Iluvchocs – Well, the realization had been building for some time before she decided to take the plunge and leave, while she was still sane (in her opinion)

Angie – Thank you. Hmmm, well I modeled Kaoru partly on an artist friend of mine. CIGARETTE SMOKING IN HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH. IT CAN KILL YOU Sorry Angie, I didn't mean to lecture you but I just thought I'd make it clear that I am NOT endorsing smoking in this fic. This is for everyone by the way.

Natlane – Yeah Kaoru has gotten involved pretty quickly with Enishi, who is serious about her but there nothing is really going to happen between them, partly because Enishi is absent mostly and also since Kaoru doesn't intend for anything to happen with him.

Lazyreader – Thank you very much!

Skyler Joanna – Thank you! Here's your update, don't know so much about "soon" but I try my best.

Nijiryuu – I hope so too.

Skenshingumi – Painful? Yes. It's a destructive relationship. The worst of it is that others get involved in the emotional wreck as well.

Kazeshinobi – An assertive Kaoru is an attractive Kaoru. I don't hold with the whole simpering, damsel-in-distress idea.

Sapphireraccoongal – No, Kenshin hasn't been idle. He's scheming as well. Wait and see.

Jisusaken, puma Padfoot, fsdfdsf, happyloveygirl, M-shizzle, - Thank you all!

Meet A.L.E.X – Thank you and I think I explained that already. anime-style sweatdrop

Sulou – Well, I'd say Kaoru is confident. She knows the effect she has on certain men, Enishi being one of them. It's a little irresistible for her to avoid exploiting that when she knows she can use it.

GogoPenguin – aah, if only they'd realize that, there would be no need for all the angst.

R.Kay – Thank you. Will do. hearts back

Lady Dark Angel – Trouble will be met with more trouble

Kono Mayatteru Hoshi – Thank you. What does that mean?

Inuyashasama1 – Thank you.

The Only love for Soujirou Sama – Thank you!!

Iuvenalis – thank you so much. I love twisted. Length is a problem with me sometimes.

P.Stowers – thank you. Mcd's McDonalds

Iron chef's lady – Thank you!

Perseverance – thank you. I like this Kaoru a lot too.

Soniya Himura – I updated!

Holy Reimaund HCK – thank you so much. I hope your questions have been answered? Yes, no, maybe, let me know!

Beautifully chaotc, jane – thank you so much!! I hope you like this chapter.