Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin
"I played it for you on the night of our blessing"
I felt my body shiver as I sat drying my hair in my bedroom.
"You used to love me playing this song for you"
My mind screamed to remember.
"I was playing this the first time we met"
"Ive never met you before" I whispered staring back into my reflection in the mirror on my dressing table.
"Oh but you have" his voice rang through my mind and I jumped up dropping the hair dryer, I spun around but no one was there.
"Kaoru is everything alright?" My eyes darted to my bedroom door hearing Kenshins voice come from the living room, he must have let himself in.
I`d invited Kenshin over to share Christmas day with me, after witnessing his wonderful piano skills and the familiarity of his melodic tunes which felt personal and intimate to me, and the kindness of his card he had sent me, he didn't seem all that frightening anymore.
"Yes....I wont be long" I shouted out retrieving the hair dryer from the floor. I quickly threw on a pair of old jeans and a tank top.
"Kenshin?" I asked the empty living room when I walked in, my eyes wandered over to my front door wondering if he had nipped back to his flat.
"I`m in here" he shouted from the kitchen and I wandered over, he was sure making himself at home.
"Do you have a bottle opener?" he asked pulling out draw after draw.
"Yeah sure" I pulled the nearest draw to me open and handed him the bottle opener, he waved the bottle of red at me with a smile on his face.
"You like red wine?" I smiled and he twisted the cork out of the bottle.
"Delicious" he moaned as he took a sip from his glass handing me one, he held out his glass and I smirked as we clinked glasses.
"Merry Christmas" he grinned, I shook my head in disbelief whilst giggling.
We made our way over to the sofa in the living room, bringing with us of course the bottle of red. I hadn't imagined my Christmas to be like this, so relaxed and laughing with my new mysterious neighbour.
I tucked my legs underneath me and lent my head against the palm of my hand leaning against the sofa as I watched and listened to him. My eyes kept wandering to his mouth, his fine teeth. I knew what I was looking out for but thankfully nothing obvious screamed out at me. He caught my eye several occasions but I prayed he just thought I was taking in every word he was saying.
My eyes washed over his perfect figure, his soft looking skin tempted me to touch it. His eyes teased me as he laughed with me. The more I drank the wine the more my body seemed to forget my minds demands on keeping it cool and collected. I was incredibly fascinated and drawn to the man I was sitting next to.
I listened to his gentle voice as he told me of things I found very uninteresting, the current weather, the latest news and even about the mayhem the Christmas season had brought in town.
"Can I ask a question?" I hesitated and he frowned at me.
"Of course, you don't need to ask Kaoru"
"I`m not sure if i`m being too personal, but" I glanced at his face to see if he already knew what my question was but he was looking at me expectantly "Why aren't you spending Christmas with your family?"
I watched first as his face froze, his eyes widened ever so slightly and I witnessed the shock cross his face before he cleared his throat and pulled himself together.
"They don't live in London unfortunately" was all he said.
"Were do they live?" I pushed on hoping to finally push our conversations in the directions of more interesting subjects, I wanted to know more about Kenshin.
"Romania" he muttered, I knew he didnt want to talk about him, I knew it made him uncomfortable.
"Where in Romania?" I quizzed sensing something more meaning to his answer.
He looked up at me and I saw his eyes squint in wonder, as though he was trying to force my curiosity from my mind and understand it himself. His eyes searched mine and I saw his lips tighten and his hands grip his glass.
"My family live in the Pannonian Plains, in the historical regions of Dacia" he all but growled at me and I knew I had forced information from him that he would rather have kept to himself.
I beamed at him and he sighed seeing how thrilled I was by knowing something about him.
"Can I ask another question?" I smiled sheepishly and his nostrils flared silencing me from questioning him any further. I kept the smile on my face as I giggled silently to myself.
"Why did you move to London?" I asked searching for more tempered emotions to flare from him, it was obvious he didn't like talking about himself but I was surprised to see a slight smirk curve his smooth lips.
"I just found myself here" he smirked and I sighed.
"Who taught you to play the piano?" I wasn't going to stop with my questions, I was beginning to feel fed up with his games.
"I did"
"Whats your last name?" I quizzed further watching him closely as he refilled our glasses.
"Himura"
"How many are there in your family?" I kept my eyes on his face not wanting to miss expression.
"Including myself, 5" he answered quickly, too quickly for my liking.
"What are there names?" I asked leaning toward him.
"Maybe I will introduce you some day" he played with his answer and turned towards me keeping our eyes locked. "Anymore questions?" he glared at me playfully.
"I have plenty more" I felt my confidence flare as I dared myself to push him for more answers.
"Be careful what you ask Kaoru" he whispered quietly and I knew he was holding back for my own benefit.
"I want to know more Kenshin" I urged not feeling at all frightened, as long as he didn't flash fangs, any claws or slitty eyes that targeted me I was sure I could handle any shocking information.
"Please" I all but begged when he continued to stare ahead of him. It seemed to soften him, he sighed and turned his anguished eyes towards me. The pain that flashed in his soft violet eyes caught me off guard and I felt the need to reach out to him once again and comfort him.
"I have searched for you for so long, for two decades I have fought against the darkness that threatened to consume me" he paused breaking eye contact and staring into his glass of wine.
"When I lost you, surrendering myself to the sun seemed to be the only option. I couldn't feel anymore, I`ve battled many in my time but never have I felt pain the same as I did the day I lost you" his words became whispers, a true reflection of the agony he was still going through.
"But you haven't lost me, I`m here" I knew these were the words he needed to hear, the only words capable of soothing him from his heartbreak. He looked at me and I knew that if he was capable of shedding tears, they would be falling at this moment. He looked at me as though I was a rare diamond, my words only just sinking in. I hadn't realised we had both been leaning towards one another, closing the gap between us. Like magnets we were drawn to one another and I felt an ache in my own heart I didn't understand.
"You dont know how long I have waited to see your angel face again, to hear your voice and feel your touch" his hand came out to cup my face and I leaned into his palm not taking my eyes from his face, I knew he was struggling with his words.
"I wish I understood more, about my previous life with you" my eyes pleaded with him, wanting him to tell me more. His face was inches from my face, his eyes never leaving mine, but my eyes quickly darting to his pale lips.
"We were very happy" was all he gave and I sighed in defeat, his face closing in on mine.
But before our lips could embrace the shrill noise of the telephone erupted into the living room and I jumped darting off the sofa in shock, Kenshin just sat there as though he had expected the call. Damn Damn Damn! I raged silently but I got a hold of myself before making my way to the phone.
"Hello?" I asked praying it wasnt a cold call.
......
I knew there was someone there I could hear them breathing.
"Hello?" I demanded more impatient.
"Kaoru" the sob ran straight down the phone line and stabbed my heart, I caught my breath.
"Misao" I gasped.
"Kaoru I`m so sorry" her upset tone stung me and I felt my chest ache.
"Misao-" I sighed her name not wanting this conversation.
"Please Kaoru, Aoshi doesn't know I`m ringing you he`s at work but I really needed to apologise for our behaviour, for leaving you with such a monster" she had obviously been stressing over the thought.
"He`s nothing like that Misao, in fact he`s sat on my sofa enjoying a bottle of red with me" I glanced behind me knowing Kenshin was listening in to our conversation, as I thought he was sat there staring at me.
"He is?" she was clearing her throat now and snivelling.
"He`s very fascinating" as I spoke the words I let a smile tease my lips as I stared back at him, he leered back playfully.
"Kaoru do you have any idea who you are complimenting?" she whispered down the phone and I chuckled at her antics.
"Yes Misao"
"He told you?" she seemed shocked, all trace of upset gone.
"Yep" I smiled keeping my eyes locked on Kenshin.
"And your fine with it?"
"Like I said, hes fascinating" I smirked.
"What exactly did he tell you?" she seemed intrigued.
"We`ll meet soon, over lunch preferably and I`ll tell you all about it, how about Saturday?" I asked rushing the conversation to its end. Misao agreed and I quickly said my goodbyes.
"Fascinating huh?" he still had the smirk on his face as I made my way back over to the sofa.
"Incredibly" I smiled sitting down "More wine?" I asked noticing the empty bottle.
We settled with another bottle and this time I decided a little background music would help stir things in a more relaxed fashion. Kenshin laughed when 'red red wine' drifted through my apartment, I was surprised at how mellow his laugh was.
"Are you really going to tell Misao everything?" he asked as I sat back down, only this time a little closer to him.
"Not everything" I shrugged.
"What will you tell her?" he seemed amused, his violet eyes crinkled in the corners and I had to tear my gaze away so I didn't look a fool staring.
"I haven't thought it through yet" I laughed and shook my head "I think i`ll just end up going with 'my temper got the better of me and I demanded answers not leaving you alone, constantly stalking you until you gave them'" We both laughed at that but it seemed an easy way to avoid further questions from Misao.
"I used to love your temper, constantly winding you up, and it was so easy to do" he smiled at me and I felt my heart flutter.
"Do I make you nervous?" his voice echoed in my head and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, wide eyed I searched his face, his lips had most definitely not moved. I was hearing things.
"I fancy a hot benni" I muttered as I jumped off the sofa and made my way to the kitchen "Would you like one?" I called out as I turned the kettle on and got the benedictine from a rack.
"No thank you" his voice made me jump and I yelped out when his voice was suddenly behind me.
"Don't do that" I clutched my chest in attempt at calming myself, he was fast and he knew it, he was playing with me and his face said it all.
"I apologise, I didn't mean to scare you" he flashed me his most alluring smile and I knew right then he was instantly forgiven.
I fiddled with a glass filling it half with benedictine and half with hot water.
"What does it taste like?" he asked.
"I cant describe it, why don't you taste it?" I asked offering the hot glass out to him but he shrivelled his nose up in disgust.
"It really does smell ghastly" he moved back to the living room and I followed laughing.
"You know one question does baffle me, your a sort of vampire that drinks blood correct?" I asked being careful with my words, he became his solid tense self again "But if you drink blood, how are you able to eat normal food?" I asked thinking of the first meal we all had when I witnessed Kenshin troffing down his spaghetti.
"Normal?" he cocked an eyebrow at me and I rolled my eyes impatiently.
"Alright human food" It felt odd saying the word human.
"Your reading too much into your book, well don't, because I don't like being identified as a vampire because you think all sorts of hideous things" he turned to give me a pitying look "and I don't think there is an answer to your question, I can eat food because its edible, it would be like me asking you why your able to stomach human food?" it sounded as though he had been prepared for this answer.
"And all those blood bags?" I remembered the incident were the contents of Kenshins box he carried spilled to my feet revealing apart of him he would have rather kept secret, and I knew this is were Aoshi came into the picture.
"The governments of the world provide us with the blood" he informed not looking at me as he spoke, I was sure it was because he was afraid of my reaction, but I was more shocked than anything else.
"Our government?" I asked baffled, surprised and horrified nearly spilling my drink.
"Every government that rules a country, as far as I know" he seemed bored with this conversation.
"What?" I asked letting this sink in. "You mean our government know of your kind?" I sank to my knees sitting in front of the fire.
"Of course, we have a treaty with them" he eyed my movements.
"Explain" I felt my mind working overtime, it was all fogged.
"A deal, an arrangement, a pact" he rolled the words off as though he was speaking to a child.
"What sort of arrangment?" I demanded.
"Well, we drink blood as you know" he began "And animal is all nice but it isn't half as tempting as human blood, and with all your poachers and our hunters taking out animals left right an centre the animal kingdom would be extinct within no time at all. So soon enough human blood seemed the only other option, but we had to kill to do so, and eventually your governments came forward and offered an arrangement, strictly secret of course"
"Why secret?" I asked.
"Simple, world wide pandemonium would arise. I doubt you would take too kindly with the knowledge that you were prey" it wasn't a question, it was a fact.
"And the arrangment?" I asked.
"Also simple, if we didn't kill any humans, they would provide the blood for us" I could tell by his posture that he was glad to have this subject dealt with but I knew he was wary about it.
"Were do they get it from?" it felt uncomfortable knowing the man sitting on my sofa could quiet easily kill me right now and get great satisfaction from drinking my blood. As soon as I thought this his head snapped in my direction and his expression was thunderous.
"Don't even think such a thing!" his voice was calm yet the authority behind his words was so commanding I could only comply. The thought was instantly lost to me.
I stared at his furious face watching how he forced himself to relax.
"So I haven't been hearing things" I hissed at him, his expression was now that of guilt.
"You`ve been hearing things alright" he smirked and I was surprised to find myself wanting to growl at him, but I held it back.
"How do you do it?" I demanded, furious with him now, for his intrusion in my thoughts, my privacy, all my secrets and desires, he had seen it all.
"That's not correct I only see things you think of" he was doing it again, reading whatever I was thinking.
"How?" I all but spat in frustration.
"Its natural for our kind, there is no need for an explanation, but if you so wish it you could call it a talent of the Dacians" he replied smugly.
"Your mind readers now?"
"No, we don't read minds, we read thoughts that occur at the time" he tried to explain.
"So you can only see what I think when I`ve thought of it, but you cant see anything I don't think about?" and he nodded, now it just seemed a struggle to not think about the things I didnt want him to see. I knew as soon as his eyes widened that I`d thought of something i`d rather have kept hidden from him.
"Oh my Kaoru" his expression was that of pure shock.
"Get out of my head" I felt defenceless.
"Stop thinking such thoughts then!" he snapped back, I felt a smirk twitch my lips, he had obviously seen me thinking in pure thoughts. I was happy to know I had an advantage over his intrusion, I would just think something impure or so disgraceful he wouldn't want to see such a thought.
Silence enveloped the room and I was happy for it, letting my mind wander over the information I had soaked in, the disturbing news that I was trying to make sense of. The unanswered question of how the government was able to provide blood for Kenshins kind still stood to my attention.
"You humans are easily fooled and very guilable, all the blood donations you give which is approximatly 2.1 million for the United Kingdom alone go straight to the charity NBS, which of course is government funded" he was at it again, reading my thoughts and replying to my unanswered question.
"I guess its to be expected that our government would lie to protect us" everything he said seemed justifiable, I couldn't see anyone thinking up such a lie.
"And they have done a very good job" he winked at me and I sighed in defeat.
"I think I've had enough of your shocking input for one day, I`m feeling rather tired" and I confirmed this with a long stretched yawn.
"Would you like me to leave?" his question caught me off guard and I stared into my empty glass.
I didnt know how to reply to this. It felt cheeky and wrong to ask him to stay, yet right to want him near me. I looked at him to find him looking back, awaiting my answer.
"I`m sure you can read my thoughts and find out for yourself" I begrudged his so called talent.
"Your thoughts are conflicting between stay and go, so i`m waiting for you to make your mind up" he laughed, and I found this rather amusing myself.
I thought of everything I had been told, and what I already knew about Kenshin. And what I thought of him now. He didn't seem to want to hurt me.
"And I never will!" he glared at me.
"I`d like you to stay" the words came out as soon as Kenshins words registered in my mind.
"And so I will" he smiled at me.
Now I felt uncomfortable, the same feeling you get when you have just expressed your feelings towards your major crush and he accepts them with a smile.
"Come here" his command stopped my train of thought and I looked up, Kenshin`s call reached out to me and once again I felt the need to cooperate. So I stood and sat beside him, but before I touched the soft cushions of the sofa Kenshins hands reached out and turned me so my back was facing him.
"You need to relax, your thoughts are giving me a headache" he whispered in my ear and I felt my body shiver. And when his hands climbed up my back and rubbed my shoulders in massaging motions I leaned into him.
I didnt say anything as he manipulated my strained muscles, releasing any tension and aches. I felt my mind at ease as my body relaxed to his soothing touch. The gentle music still drifting around the room and the only words visible being 'I cant help falling in love with you' UB40 definitely knew how to create an atmosphere.
"Wise men say only fools rush in" his voice instantly interrupted my thoughts and I laughed at his attempt at singing.
"Some things are meant to be" he whispered now and I calmed my giggling.
"Your singing isn't one of them" I replied back in thought, letting the music have control of the room.
"Don't ruin the mood" he was not impressed by my act on lightening the atmosphere but Kenshins fingers were creating havoc with thoughts I knew would embarrass us both if he saw them.
And so I let myself enjoy the moment but desperately trying to keep my thoughts pure. I was mortified to find myself letting out little moans of pleasure when Kenshins fingers knead into areas of my back in desperate need of attention, but he didn't say anything so I hoped he couldn't hear them. I was so at ease that I let my body fall back further into his until only his hands could gently squeeze my shoulders as my back pressed into his hard chest.
"What was I to you when I was one of your kind?" I whispered on a serious note, unable to keep my thoughts from wandering.
"Everything, you were my whole life. My lifte-mate, my partner, my wife, my soul-mate, you were my reason to live" he whispered back and I sighed in acceptance when his arms wrapped themselves around me.
"Did we have many moments like this?" I asked pointing out our current intimate position.
"All the time" he breathed in my ear sending more tingling waves of passion through my body and a rush of impure thoughts enter my mind.
"I think I should leave" his words fell heavy on my heart and I pulled myself up into a sitting position.
"I`d like you to stay" I turned to look at him hoping he understood the meaning of my words, I didn't just want his company.
"As much as I`d like to, I dont have the self control to prevent myself from regretting anything I may do" he spoke his words softly and quietly, no rejection or bitterness in his voice.
And with that I nodded feeling the instant loss of his presence a burden, a strain on my fragile frame. Even with the knowledge that he was only a few paces from my front door, knowing he couldn't be with me due to the thought of hurting me mentally and physically did nothing to ease my heartache. I had never craved affection or love in my life before. I had never needed the presence of a man to fill my empty love life. But apart of me recognised the affection Kenshin had just showered me with, and it ached for more.
To be continued ......
Thank you for the reviews they are once again greatly appreciated, I always say the more reviews the quickly the more motivated I am to writing more. Its always nice to know ones work is appreciated. So thank you for the lovely comments and a special thanks go to -
Kikyo 10 - I could listen to 'river flows in you' over and over and never get fed up with it, I agree its very beautiful. Hope you like the new chapter, let me know what you think.
poems2songs- Hope this chapter answered alot of fogged questions, I like to think the answers have moved the story along rather well. Let me know what you think.
bluewolfeyes - I hope the interest is still there in this chapter.
miniwoo- Dacian is a real word I`m glad you asked but its hard to explain I haven't really looked into what it means because its so complicated to understand and too historical to actually take seriously when all I need is the word for a fictional race. I would pronounce the word 'day - c - ian'. I was going to include a few unmarked dacians at the ceremony but then I thought you cant capture the true meaning of Kenshins thirst and lust for Koaru being unmarked if there are others just as accessible, but I understand were your coming from. Ive honestly never read any K/K vamp fics, Christine Feehan has inspired me to write this story, and I can assure you I will finish it.