Author's note: K people, I actually managed to write chapter five even with my exams! It was the perfect distraction tool and I reveled in the use of it! So anyway, this chapter is a lot darker than the others and contains some stuff that made me feel upset writing it so be careful those who are squeamish about violence or mature scenes in the bad way. For those who want to read without the violent first flashback, you can because the basic gist of what happened can be picked up from the rest of the chapter. There is also a little light relief later on which I hope you will appreciate. Thank you to Bakasarupublishers for the thoughtful reviews. Also thanks to my two loyal reviewers who have reviewed almost all my chapters and make me want to keep writing, doggywuppy and inuyashaswifeforlifeonly.
Chapter Five
Kaoru let the stream of water wash everything away. Her fears, her worries, the egg that caked her skin and hair, all slipped down the drain as the heat cleansed her body.
She closed her eyes, breathing in the steam as she let the tension flow from her limbs. Her shower was a ritual, a form of therapy for her, the only commonality between the safe house after safe house she'd been moved to. Sometimes she could stay in for hours at a time without feeling the need to get out.
She had come up to her room, her thoughts so in turmoil with all that had happened that ideas of escape were impossible, and had immediately gone in search of the bathroom that Battousai had pointed out to her. It was a work of art, all white marble counters and pressurized water. She had let herself go, sliding down the tiled wall to sit and cry for long moments before getting up to wash herself, letting the tears mingle with the water until she hadn't been able to tell which was which. It was as close to heaven as she was going to get and she reveled in it.
Finally, only when her skin had pruned, she dragged herself from the shower's warm embrace, climbing out of the glassed in box to grab a towel. She looked at herself in the mirror, touching her reflection and hardly recognising the woman staring back at her. The pale skin and the dark circles that ringed her eyes scared her.
She tore her gaze away to pull on her clothes and grimaced at them. They were slimy with the congealed remains of the food fight, but even before that they had been disgusting and beginning to smell. They were the only set of clothes she had though. It wasn't like Battousai had stopped to pack a suitcase for her when he'd abducted her.
She sighed, picking up her outfit between pinched fingers, but she couldn't bring herself to slide her nice clean body back into it. Maybe she could leave it all here to soak in the sink and just slip back to her room in a towel until they were clean. Decision made, she wrapped the cloth more securely round her body and opened the bathroom door a crack to make sure no one was coming. When she couldn't see anyone, she swung it wide and stepped out.
'I brought you some clothes, Koneko. Though you do look very fetching in what you're wearing.'
She whipped round to face Battousai, resting against the wall beside the door. The unnerving thought crossed her mind that he'd purposely situated himself there, just where her blind spot would have been when she leaned out to check the corridor. Holding out a bundle of material, he smiled warmly at her. Suddenly, and ridiculously, self-conscious, she clutched the towel to her, reaching out to snatch the clothes, not really in a position to be picky about her attire, and without another word went back into the bathroom to change.
They turned out to be men's clothing, which was unsurprising since she hadn't seen any women aside from Megumi since she'd arrived. The dark blue button down shirt smelled of ginger and pine as she slipped it on, informing her that they were Battousai's clothes, and she couldn't help inhaling what used to be such a familiar and comforting scent. The sweat pants were way too baggy with a drawstring which she tightened as far as possible. They still hung dangerously low on her hips, but at least they didn't fall right off.
She felt like she was swimming in fabric as she rolled up the sleeves of the shirt to use her hands, opening the door. Battousai had turned so his back was pressed against the wall, one foot casually crossed in front of the other, and he straightened to watch her as she came out. Sparks seemed to fly between them as the silent seconds ticked by and, heart leaping, Kaoru couldn't help noticing the way the amber deepened as he gazed at her in his clothes.
'They're too big,' she grouched to distract him, uncomfortable with the way his look made her stomach flip flop.
'We will get you some clothes of your own at some point, Koneko,' he replied, dragging his eyes over her body shamelessly before coming to a stop at her own. 'At some point.'
She should have been worried by his words, but she couldn't think why. The lazy patterns of swirling gold in his gaze made her heady, drawing her in. She felt like a snake's prey, hypnotised into submission.
'Why don't we go get some fresh air?' he asked slightly huskily.
The question surprised her, knocking her off balance so that she nodded mutely. Was he going to show her the outside of the fortress? If so, this was her chance to do some recon for her escape. But instead of leading her down the corridor towards the main stairs, he headed the other way.
Frowning, she followed him down corridor after corridor and up several flights before they finally stopped at an inconspicuous little door on the top floor. Battousai unlocked it with the key from the chain round his neck, the one he'd used on her restraints when she'd first arrived. Noticing her curious gaze, he informed her that it was a master key, it could unlock pretty much anything, but that on the rare occasions it failed him, he had a trusty lock picking kit. He patted his pocket as he said this, looking for all the world like a naughty schoolboy.
The door swung open to reveal a small, functional wooden staircase that disappeared up into the darkness. Battousai flicked a light switch and, once the way was illuminated, began to ascend. Kaoru hesitated before following. Would this lead to some kind of torture chamber in the attic? She rolled her eyes, telling herself to stop being so melodramatic. This was not Bluebeard. Battousai may be many things, but she was fairly certain a sexual sadist wasn't one of them.
All the same it still took her a few moments to work up her courage before she managed to go after him. When she reached a trap door, a hand came down to help her through. Fumbling her way up, the scene before her was breathtaking. A softly swaying forest surrounded the fortress as far as the eye could see and the night sky, so hard to perceive in pollution filled Tokyo, was filled with millions of twinkling stars.
When she finally looked away from the stunning view, she realised they were standing on a widow's walk, black wrought iron railings running all round the edge. A mass of cushions and pillows took up most of the ground and small tables surrounded it coated in flickering candles that provided just enough gilded light. It was amazing.
Battousai dropped down onto the cushions, turning to look up at her hopefully. Somehow feeling the intense need not to disappoint him after all the effort he had gone to, she tugged awkwardly at her overlarge clothes, gingerly sinking down onto a pillow a short distance away. To her surprise, he didn't try to close the gap, merely passing her a blanket to stave off the late autumn cold before looking up at the sky.
What was happening? Had Battousai done such a thoughtful thing as an apology for last night's possessive antics? The bewilderment she had managed to keep at bay while basking in the warmth of her shower came flooding back. Why couldn't he just fit the role she had laid out for him? Why did he have to keep doing things that made her wonder? This latest development, combined with all the small, normally insignificant things that had happened since she had been abducted, were driving her insane. Had she been wrong to finally trust Uncle Takeda's words? A memory she had long since dismissed and forgotten was dragged to the surface.
She stood at her father's office door. There had been no one at the reception desk to guide her, which was not unusual. It was lunchtime and her father often let his secretary go early, so she'd simply passed on through. She had been about to knock on the door when the sound of shouting had caused her to pause. Her father nearly never shouted and when he did you're safest bet was to run for cover. She decided to wait outside.
'How dare you go behind my back and take this contract, Takeda! I told you that I was not interested in filling orders for men like him! He informed us himself of his intentions to blow up a school full of children, for Kami's sake! All to quash one, stupid revolt!'
'He has made a very generous offer, Koshijiro. It is in our best interest to fill his order,' came Uncle Takeda's ever droning response.
'I don't give a flying fuck how much the guy is offering us! You should have followed my instructions! You are skating on very thin ice, Takeda.'
Kaoru jumped as her father's voice became even more irate. He never swore, not even on the occasion she'd broken his toe with a crate of sake. This must be very bad. She wondered whether she should leave, her father had always told her eavesdropping was wrong. But before she could come to a decision, her father continued talking in a calmer voice.
'And don't think I don't know about your debts or the fact you've been taking money from the company to pay them,' her father said wearily. 'You are a dear friend, but I will no longer turn a blind eye to your actions. You have been warned.'
There had been a long silence before a reply came.
'I understand perfectly. Forgive me, it will not happen again.'
There was a loud sigh.
'If you are in trouble, Takeda, please come to me. I got quite a shock when I did my check of the accounts.'
Kaoru thought it best to leave at this point, since it sounded like the meeting was coming to an end and she didn't relish the idea of being caught with her ear to the door.
She had heard nothing more about the incident and had assumed it to be cleared up, letting it go as an unfortunate, one-time mistake on Uncle Takeda's part. But now that the memory had been stirred up she couldn't help but have everything thrown into a new light. Could she really trust his words? The recollection, taken with the interrupted conversation with Sano, terrified her. Could she have been wrong? What he had done had been to save her…
Then Battousai proceeded to do something that tipped her over the edge into complete turmoil. He handed her a bokken with a large red ribbon attached to it.
'I don't want you destroying your hands anymore just so that you can practice,' he told her quietly, before turning back to the sky, thoughtfully giving her time to regain her composure.
She looked down at the sleek wood in her hands and nearly burst into tears. It was her old bokken, the one she had left behind when Misao had hidden her away. She hadn't stopped crying for days when she'd realized she didn't have it with her. Her father had bought it for her as a congratulations present when she had opened her dojo. She could still see the proud look on his face every time she held the wood in her hands.
It was all too much, the ups and downs, the rollercoaster of emotions. She wanted to go back to the way it used to be. Today, when she had been playing around with Sano, it had reminded her of how she used to be with Yahiko, bantering and throwing teasing insults at one another. She craved it with a longing that jerked her heart excruciatingly. She wanted to feel safe again. She wanted her Kenshin back.
Kaoru grasped Battousai by the arm and, when he turned questioningly towards her, she pressed her lips against his.
At first it was a chaste kiss, a simple touch of lips to lips. It was all Kaoru needed, some small physical contact to reassure her, to drown the onslaught of raging emotions and thoughts threatening to overwhelm her. But when she made to pull away, Battousai, who had remained passive up until this point, seemed to come to life. Letting out an almost pained noise, he chased her lips with his, leaning forwards so that his arms rested on either side of her bent knees.
This kiss was nothing like hers. It was passionate and desperate like he feared it was an illusion he didn't want to let go of. He lifted one of his arms to snake around her waist, drawing her body against his, his other coming up to cup her cheek gently. He tipped his head just a little, dominating the kiss and coaxing her into opening for his exploration.
Sparks danced through her veins, heating her body and making her head spin. She whimpered softly as his tongue slid against her teeth, his groan of approval vibrating through his chest and into the palms resting there. The hand that held her face slid along her neck to lightly stroke her body. It was a slow, languid movement and he didn't seem to feel the need to eroticise it. He didn't even pause at her breasts, preferring to find the hem of the shirt she wore, sliding beneath and simply stopping there to brush the pads of his fingers against her sensitive skin.
Time seemed to freeze and narrow in on the way his tongue skimmed against her own, the way his hands seemed to burn her flesh everywhere they touched. This was more than she had anticipated but everything that she had longed for. He moved away from her lips, but couldn't seem to release them entirely, placing light butterfly kisses on the corners of her mouth to ease the loss. Skating his mouth along her jaw and down to her throat, he nipped and sucked at the skin there, laving it with his tongue, the roughness making her jump and gasp softly.
'Kenshin,' she panted, her breath steaming in the cold air, such a contrast to the heat between them.
It was the first time since their estrangement that she had said his real name and, although it didn't register in her mind, it definitely seemed to catch his attention, only serving to fuel his desire. He wanted to hear her say it again.
Slowly lowering them backwards, his mouth continued its journey to her collarbone. She raised her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair and tugging to draw his face back up to hers. Battousai was not giving up his control, however, and gently removed her grip on his locks, pinning her arms on either side of her head. Looking down at her with heated eyes, he once again dropped his face to the crook of her neck.
Kaoru's eyes flew open wide at the feeling of his body pressing into hers, the dancing light catching the flash of blood red hair that blew across her face on the chilly evening breeze.
She crawled backwards on her hands and knees, a desperate whimper escaping her throat.
The shadowy man moved forwards at a languorous pace, taking his time to reach her, enjoying her fear. His face caught in a pool of light thrown by the one lit lamp. Licking his thick lips, his dark eyes glittered with an evil that made her stomach churn.
'Very nice,' he chuckled.
Her back connected hard with the wall and she had nowhere left to go. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think beyond the mind numbing fear.
She shouldn't have let him in. Kenshin had told her over and over to be careful, to always check the peephole in the door, but tonight she'd just opened it without thinking, expecting it to be him home early from his late meeting. She'd tried to fix her mistake, slamming it shut as soon as she realised it wasn't him, but the man had been faster, sticking a heavy boot in the gap and forcing it open. After that she hadn't stood a chance.
'I'm sure he won't mind too much if I play with you a little first,' he crooned, slinging the empty syringe carelessly away. 'No one said I couldn't.'
She darted her eyes around, searching for a weapon, anything to keep him away from her. There was nothing and he was upon her, the acrid smell of sweat lingering in the air around him.
'Please, no,' she whispered, clawing at his face hard enough to draw blood.
She would have done more, but the drug injected into her neck was having its effect, making her sluggish and weak.
The man laughed sickeningly, taking pleasure from her terror. Stroking his hand across the injury, he looked at the red that coating his hand, before grasping a handful of hair and dragging her forwards. She stifled a sob, unable to scramble fast enough to keep some of it from being torn out.
Throwing her hard against the ground, her head hit home with a thwack that had her seeing stars. He turned her over and straddled her hips, pinning her legs down even as she writhed fruitlessly. Her limbs felt weighted as though they were made of lead. She felt pathetic, useless, and it made her want to scream, but she didn't. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. His mouth came down on hers, bruising and relentless. She could taste the nicotine. It disgusted her, nausea making her stomach roil. He forced his tongue between her lips and she bit down viciously, worrying it before he could pry her loose. She might not win but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to make him hurt before he did.
Crying out and pulling back, he spit a mouthful of blood onto her clothes.
'Feisty, I like that.'
Only the words came out a slur, his tongue already swelling from her brutal ministrations. He ripped her button down shirt open, palming her breasts roughly through her bra. She finally found the energy to lift her arm, slashing her nails across his face again, deepening the long, shallow gashes down his cheek. He swore savagely, grasping her wrists and trapping them down over her head.
'I like it, but that's enough,' he hissed beside her ear. 'Daddy's going to teach you some manners.'
Lowering one of his hands to run down her stomach, she knew where he was headed and she couldn't let him get there. She screamed, high and desperate, using her last vestiges of strength to twist and kick against his hold. He reached the waistband of her sweats, fingers slipping effortlessly beneath. No one was going to save her and she no longer had the strength to save herself.
Then, abruptly, his touch was gone, along with his body weighing her down.
She curled into a ball, sobs wracking her frame. She could hear shouting, covering her ears to make it all go away. Suddenly, it turned into screaming. Something warm and wet sprayed across her and she forced herself to look up. Kenshin stood over the bleeding form of the man, casually and clinically slicing into his flesh as he thrashed and begged. There was a dispassion to him that she had never seen before, a detachment that spoke of familiarity with this act, this careful slaughter.
'How dare you touch her with your filthy hands.'
Kenshin's face was a blank mask, but his voice rasped with a deep, furious growl. He brought his sword down on the man's wrist and he squealed in agony, lifting away a gory stump, the remains left awkwardly on the floor. He did the same with the other and Kaoru couldn't tear her eyes away as the blade flicked, splattering her white walls red. She didn't register the way it painted her face and body, frozen to her spot on the ground.
'But worse you tried much more and for this you will pay with your life,' Kenshin snarled and his words seemed to drag her from her stupor.
She didn't want to see this, didn't want to deal with what was happening. She fought the languor stealing over her body and struggled to her feet, slipping in the blood on the floor and crashing back down to her knees. Her hands were coated as though she were about to make finger paintings.
Managing to heave herself up, she stumbled away from the scene.
She didn't know how she made it to the street or all the way to Misao's apartment. All she knew was that she needed to get away, far away. A harsh noise echoed off the buildings around her and it took her long moments to realise it was the sound of her own screams.
Her screams had Battousai jumping into a low crouch a short distance away, body tensed for battle and eyes confused.
Kaoru coiled herself up tight, queasiness eating her insides as parts of the scene burst through her mind like flashbulbs. Blood was nothing new to her, Kami only knew she had seen enough of it during her years of kendo training. Broken bones and bleeding were an everyday occurrence then. But there had been so much. It had covered the floor, the walls, her body, and then the things that had been done to her, that had almost been done before the man had pretty much been dismembered before her eyes.
'Kaoru?'
She had been so absorbed in her own harrowing memories that she had forgotten that one of her nightmares was alive, kicking and had been kissing her senseless moments ago.
He placed a hand on her trembling shoulder and she shot back away from him, crashing into one of the carefully set up tables of glittering candles she had loved so much. They fell around her, mercifully missing her hair and clothes, but catching the material around her and lighting it instantly.
Kaoru cried out, trying to struggle out of the way and catching her feet on already blazing cushions before strong arms could lift her aside, gently setting her down a small distance from the fire. It was too late though, she was already burned, her feet twinging with the pressure she put on them.
Battousai cursed violently as he threw himself at the blaze, grabbing one of the blankets to beat at the flames. Kaoru watched in fascination as he moved with incredible speed, maneuvering gracefully around the fire in a mesmerising dance. The light from the flames slid across his hair, shifting the colour from dark red to almost orange and back.
She snapped from her daze when the sound of shouting and pounding feet drew her attention to the trapdoor they had come out of earlier. She needed to get away. She couldn't take the questions her actions would surely prompt. The thought of explaining, of going through it all again, was sickening. Battousai should remember anyway, he was the one who shredded the man. The mayhem that was happening around her made the perfect cover for her escape.
Dashing for the stairs, she dodged several panicking uniformed men who were waving extinguishers at the fire with less effect than Battousai and his blanket. She reached the hatch and began to scramble through it, both her legs on the stairs below before the voice shouted after her.
'Kaoru!'
She ignored it and continued down at a faster pace. She was not going to get away with running, she was sure of it, but she needed time to rebuild her shattered self-control. She trembled from head to foot and her eyes stung with more than the flames' ash. She wasn't going to cry over this again, she wouldn't, and yet traitorous tears began to slip down her cheeks. Kami, what was wrong with her? It was like she never stopped crying any more. It made her feel feeble and she hated it.
Reaching the bottom, she paused to catch her breath. She couldn't go back to her room, that would be the first place Battousai would check, so where could she go?
Without a second thought she headed for the ballroom. It was the room she felt safest in, reminding her of her dojo and she needed that right now.
It was dark and quiet and for once it was a relief. Turning on the lights she made her way immediately to the bar. She would have preferred to take her frustrations out on thin air with her bokken, but she had left it behind on the roof in her hurry to escape, so a stiff drink would have to take its place. Her stomach turned at the thought that her precious wooden sword might have burned up with the cushions. She was definitely going to need more than a drink now.
She rounded the bar, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and a glass, and plonked down on one of Sano's famous stools. They were indeed far more comfortable than the traditional wood stools she was used to. They didn't make your backside numb after five minutes like the old style ones did.
She poured a shot of the alcohol, the bottling clinking against the glass with her gently trembling fingers. Lifting it to her lips, she reveled in the way it burned as it slid down her throat, warming her queasy stomach. She set the glass down and refilled it, watching the swirling amber liquor for long moments before throwing it back in one go.
Again she refilled, again she downed. The liquid was the same intense, orangey gold as Battousai's eyes and a flash of his face contorted in vicious fury, splattered in another life's blood, slipped across her mind. She shuddered. The gory scene was burned into her memory and she chucked back yet another swig, hoping to kill it.
The thing that scared her most of all was that, although the violence with which he had attacked disgusted her, she couldn't help the small part of her which was satisfied with Battousai's actions, relieved that the monster would never be able to come after her again. He had hurt her, made her feel a vulnerability and powerlessness no woman, or person for that matter, should have to feel, and that same dark part that had enjoyed Battousai's possessive words and touches rejoiced in the man's murder. Oh Kami, she was a hypocrite, preaching justice without death and yet forgiving the murder of a man because he had made her suffer.
She felt suddenly dizzy, slumping forwards against the bar and resting her head against her hands. At first she struggled to fathom how this innocent interlude, started by her, had been the one occasion to bring it back and it was a long time until realisation struck. None of Battousai's earlier invasions of her space had broken the thick wall she had constructed between her and the memory because she hadn't ever felt threatened or caged. She had had full control over her body, had the ability to defend herself if it came to it, although she knew deep down it never would. No, it had taken the way he had pinned her down and the sight of his blood red hair falling over her face to drive forth the hideous recollection she had strived so hard to forget. He hadn't even held her that firmly. It had been just a gentle warning, a demonstration of his wishes. If she'd struggled or told him to let go, she knew by some innate sense that he would have released her instantly. It had simply been the sensory overload that had dragged her back to that dark place, the one she had managed by sheer force of will to bury during her time with the Oniwabanshu. She had fought her way out of that fear and she'd be damned if she let herself be pulled back in.
With this new sense of understanding, Kaoru sat up and, feeling calmer than she had in a long time, snatched the bottle again, foregoing the glass this time in favour of downing a gulp. Tomorrow she would continue the battle with her demons, but right now she was going to remove the gruesome scene from her mind by any means necessary.
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Sano slouched down the corridor towards the roof. He had avoided the mad dash when the fire alarm had gone off, waiting until he was sure it was all over before heading upstairs to see if everyone was all right. Why bother fussing and running round trying to extinguish things when other people seemed more than willing to do the work for him.
Anyway, a small part of him hoped just a tiny bit that someone would be hurt enough to call in the beautiful doctor, preferably Jou-chan since that would make her arrival all the quicker. He grinned widely. He'd get her to forgive him for his past and the mess up on the roof even if it took all his substantial charm. After all, who could stay mad at a face like his? Stroking his chin, he patted his cheek happily. He'd forgotten his bruises, however, and winced at the twinge his touch caused. Hopefully, his Kitsune liked her men a little rough looking.
Reaching the stairs to the roof, he stood aside and nodded at a couple of men coming down carrying extinguishers and covered in soot. Perhaps the blaze had been worse than he'd thought.
He took the steps two at a time, a little worried now. There was no one up there, but the ground was charred black and dirty scraps of material flapped in the now icy gusts of wind. He swore softly. It had been bad and now his favourite romantic spot was ruined until they could get the roof redone. Scowling, he turned to go back down. That would teach him to give away his trade secrets to amateurs. Battousai was going to get a piece of his mind whether he ended up dying for it or not. The man was a serious menace to his playbook and he needed to be stopped. Sano was going to have to actually do some work to get action now. He ignored the little voice that reminded him that that was the case anyway.
He found the red head coming out of Kaoru's room looking agitated and immediately changed facial expressions and tactics. It was one thing to have a go at a calm Battousai, but it was an unwise man who took him on when he was already angry.
'What's up?'
Sano leaned against the opposite wall, catching a glimpse of debris littered carpet as Battousai slammed the door.
'I cannot find her,' Battousai bit out gruffly.
He was obviously not amused by the fact.
'You lost her again?' Sano grinned cheekily. 'Man, you really need to get a leash for that woman.'
Battousai turned to look at him, furious amber eyes shaded by his bangs, and Sano instantly sobered. Clearly not the right thing to say.
'What happened?'
The red head raised his hands helplessly, bemusement replacing anger as he seemed to crumple inwards.
'We went up to the roof as you advised. Everything was going well. I had laid out candles and comforts and I returned her bokken to her.' Battousai ran a hand through his bangs, pushing them away from his face. 'Then she kissed me.'
Sano, who had been nodding along pretending any of this was interesting to him, nearly choked on his own air.
'She did what?'
He struggled to regain normal breathing function as he coughed.
'Yes, she suddenly pulled me to her and kissed me.'
Sano let the largest grin yet spread across his face, spanning from ear to ear. So his advice had worked, just wait until he told Megumi. She'd think the apocalypse had hit.
'That's great, man.' He slapped Battousai on the back. 'So then you guys got a little too excited and knocked over the candles I leant you, right?'
He gave Battousai a teasing push.
'No, she…something happened to her and she knocked the candles over. Then, while I was busy putting the fire out, she ran off and now I can't find her,' Battousai growled in frustration. 'That woman is so damn confusing.'
Sano laughed, smacking his friend on the shoulder.
'Welcome to the real world, man. Women don't make sense.'
Battousai shook his head feverishly.
'She was so scared though, Sano, she was screaming and she wouldn't even let me touch her.' Battousai's voice was a pained whisper. 'I don't know what I did and now I can't find her.'
Sano turned solemn with his friend's distress, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. Thinking hard, he drew his eyebrows together as though in pain.
'You know where I'd be if I needed to chill?' He said, scratching the back of his head. 'The bar.'
Battousai snorted, pushing him away.
'No, really, I'd put even money on her being in the ballroom,' Sano said in all seriousness. 'It's where I found her before. She seems to like it in there.'
Sano was right. When they reached the ballroom, Kaoru was drooped forwards in a barstool, an empty bottle of whiskey in hand and her head resting gracelessly against the counter. As they approached her, they could hear her humming tunelessly to herself. With the amount she seemd to have drunk, Sano was impressed she wasn't out like a light. Jou-chan could hold her liquor.
Standing back, Sano held in a laugh as he watched Battousai go to her side, whispering something to her before wrestling the bottle from her grip and making to lift her from her seat. She beat ineffectually at him, cursing colourfully in a way that put Sano's vocabulary to shame and grasped a strand of Battousai's hair, yanking as she slurred at him to let her go. He ignored her, loosening her fingers gently and picking her up bridal style. Seeming to give up the battle, she grumbled something about stupid red heads always having to be in control, dropping her heavy head to his shoulder, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck and, for all intents and purposes, passing out.
Sano turned away embarrassed to intrude on the peaceful moment as Battousai turned his nose into Kaoru's hair, sighing deeply as he curled her little body closer to his and began to carry her from the room. It always astounded him how tender Battousai was with his woman. She didn't realise it, but it was she alone who could get away with swearing and beating at the red haired man without losing anything vital in the process, drunk or not. His mind flashed back to a memory that mingled his amusement with sadness.
'Sessha can't do it,' Kenshin moaned desperately as he fell back onto the black leather sofa beside his friend. 'Every time he tries, his mind goes blank and he just sits there looking like an idiot.'
Sano laughed, flicking the television off now that his first source of entertainment had returned home from his date.
'Didn't go well, huh?'
The other man dropped his head back against the cushions with a thump.
'Sessha had it all planned this time, Sanosuke, the flowers, the carriage ride in the park under the stars, the dinner on Katsura's yacht.' Kenshin ran a hand through his hair. 'Then he opened his mouth and the words just wouldn't come out.'
Sano looked over at the forlorn, little guy beside him and grinned wickedly, an evil thought crossing his mind. How far would the red head go to make the perfect proposal to his girlfriend?
'Well, there is one thing you haven't tried,' Sano offered slyly, watching for the reaction to his next words.
'What? Sessha will do anything!' Kenshin promised, sitting up to stare at him with hopeful violet eyes.
Sano snorted, trying frantically to hold in his laughter.
'You could always pretend I'm the lovely Kaoru and practice on me.'
The expression on Kenshin's face was priceless. Sano nearly fell off the sofa he was chortling so hard. He stopped abruptly though, when his friend nodded firmly and got up from his seat.
'Very well, Sanosuke, if you think it will help.'
The spikey haired fighter nearly choked on his own horror as Kenshin got down on one knee and looked solemnly into his eyes.
'Wait, man, I was kidding!'
The red head ignored him as he began to speak.
'Kaoru-dono, will you marry Sessha?'
There was a moment of silence, Sano trying to think of a nice way to break the news to his friend. Finally, he just rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.
'That was pathetic.'
A defeated look spread across Kenshin's face and he slumped down into a sitting position on the floor.
'Sessha knows,' he whispered.
Sano couldn't help but take pity on his dejected looking friend, standing up and rolling his shoulders.
'All right, I'll show you how it's done, buddy, no worries.'
He gave Kenshin a nudge with his foot, indicating that he should take his place on the sofa. Then he got down on one knee as Kenshin had done. Grasping the other man gently by the hand, he grinned at the awkwardness this caused and laughingly began to mimic the red head's odd speech.
'Kaoru-dono, every moment you are apart it makes Sessha's heart ache with loss. The thought of his life without you is impossible, that it is. He knows that you have only been together for a short time but to him heaven without you would be like hell. Kaoru-dono, would you marry Sessha?'
Kenshin stared openly at the slick-talking charmer, who slouched back on the floor smirking.
'And that is how you make a woman melt, my friend.'
The red head nodded thoughtfully and shooed Sano off the ground. As he kneeled once again, Sano started to get into the swing of things, covering his mouth with one large hand in mock shock as Kenshin took the other.
'Oh my, Kenny, what are you doing?' he said in a high-pitched voice.
Kenshin snorted. If that was meant to be Kaoru-dono then Sano was failing miserably. Shaking his head, he calmed his mind and, taking a deep breath, began to talk.
'Kaoru-dono, Sessha knows he does not deserve you and that you have only been seeing each other for half a year, but life without your sweetness would be as hell to him. Sessha will have to be selfish, Kaoru-dono, and ask for what he craves, that he will. Will you marry Sessha?'
He then pulled a velvet-covered box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a pure white diamond inside surrounded by tiny sapphires the colour of the sky on a clear day. It must have cost him a fortune. Sano let out what was meant to be a girly shriek and threw his arms around Kenshin's shoulders, nearly knocking the other man over.
'Oh Kenny, of course I'll marry you.' He slapped his friend on the back as he pulled away. 'Seriously though, man, if you do it like that, your Kaoru-dono will be melting at your feet. Not that words matter when you have a ring the size of China to give her.'
Kenshin looked so happy it made Sano wonder what it would be like to want someone that badly.
It was a pity that his friend had never got a chance to make his long stressed over proposal. The next day they had heard the rumours of danger to Kenshin's precious little female and it had taken less than a second for the Battousai hidden beneath the demure façade to be reborn.
Sighing, Sano watched as the red haired man carried his woman towards the door, feeling a flood of anger at the unfairness of the world.
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Misao sat on the large tree branch she now called her uncomfortable home, swinging her legs and watching through her binoculars as the men put the blaze out on the roof. She counted at least twelve and there were undoubtedly more crawling around somewhere in the woodwork.
Stretching her arms above her head, she played the earlier scene over in her mind, a frown turning her usually smiling lips down. What the hell was Kaoru playing at? She had felt both outraged and a little perverted watching her friend make out passionately with the man who had stalked and kidnapped her. She couldn't help wondering what had happened in that house in barely a day to turn things so rapidly around. All she did know was it was becoming pretty clear that Kaoru was losing the plot, especially when she'd proceeded to nearly burn herself alive, for what reason Misao couldn't gather. Some kind of sick penance for her actions, perhaps? Kami only knew the woman was capable of punishing herself for the most ridiculous things. The petite woman still remembered the time Kaoru had clumsily dropped and broken one of the poison tipped combs Aoshi-sama had bought her as a present. She'd been distraught, of course, but had realised perfectly well it had been an accident. Kaoru had spent weeks refusing to be fed anything but what she made herself in atonement.
Misao shook her head and began nervously spinning a kunai around her fingers. She had to get in there, no more waiting around for the perfect opportunity. Kaoru needed her now. Yet for that she would require help. There was no way she was getting into what she had dubbed the Devil's lair on her own. She couldn't go to Aoshi-sama though, that would be admitting defeat, that he was right and she couldn't manage alone.
She had been surprised when her Okashira hadn't followed her. A part of her had expected him to track her down and drag her back after her blatant disregard for his orders, another almost a little disappointed when he hadn't. She was not naïve enough to think he wouldn't be able to find her if he wanted though or even that he or another of their organisation wasn't watching her right now. She couldn't sense anyone but that didn't mean there was no one there, despite what Hannya had promised.
She thought back to her first day after leaving the compound. She'd done everything her training had instructed her to do, abandoning any and all electronics, including her precious mobile phone, her mp3 and her watch. Then, when she was certain of Kaoru's fixed location, she'd returned to the city by train at the busiest commuting hour and carefully shoplifted a few necessary items from mass-produced selections in jam-packed department stores, knowing that they wouldn't be missed. She had avoided every cctv camera along the way.
All the same, it hadn't been enough. On her way back with the evening rush, a payphone had rung just as she'd walked passed. Ignoring it, she'd continued her progress down the street only to have another phone ring seconds after she'd rounded the corner towards it. A little spooked, she'd forced herself not to break step, joining the people around her in looking at it quizzically. Then, lastly, a couple of blocks later, having finally relaxed, an inoffensive-looking man, who had moments earlier been about to step into a cab at the kerb across from her, came rushing over, dodging blaring horns as he did so and brandishing his handset. Shoving it into her hand with an expression of pure terror on his face, he'd escaped into the crowd before she'd had time to even open her mouth.
More than a little shaken now, Misao had tentatively raised the cell to her ear, unable to chase after him without drawing even more attention to herself. She'd almost dropped it, however, when the flat tones of her leader's second had reached her.
'Misao, no one will be following you,' Hannya had informed her, getting straight to the point. 'Good luck.'
With that, he had hung up, leaving her standing in the middle of a hectic pavement, annoyed people jostling her on all sides.
She pondered briefly what the masked man could have said to make someone simply give their phone to a complete stranger on the street. In this technological age when no one could live without their communication devices it would have had to be a serious threat to make them do it.
Shrugging it off as yet another mystery to add to the many enigmas surrounding him, she turned back to the business at hand. She had just loaded another heap of pressure onto her shoulders. Hannya had helped her and trusted her to cope alone. She would not let him down and she would prove her worth to Aoshi-sama even if it took everything she had. But for that, she was going to have to find back up outside the Oniwabanshu. The question was who?
Author's note: So there you go! Let me know what you thought. Was it too dark? I'm going to try and avoid putting too much in, but there is going to be some. Tell me if it pisses you off. Are you getting bored of the unanswered questions? I will answer them all so bear with me.
Japanese terms:
Dono- very polite honorific
Kami- God
Sama- very polite honorific
Sessha- unworthy one