Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin
The morning that I was supposed to meet Kenshin at the Sakura Bridge, I was up early and nervously pacing around the dance room of my masters home. Megumi was out shopping today with her danna, I had been surprised to learn that a rich danna would shower their geisha with gifts, treasures such as perfume, expensive kimono's and jewellery were bought when the danna was pleased with either entertainment, escort or performance from their geisha.
I looked out at the garden where the sun was nestling high in the sky and knew it wouldn't be long until I had to go and meet Kenshin. I had huge butterflies in my stomach; every time I thought of my friend I would shiver lightly and clench my fists in excitement. I had tried to dress as I would on any other day, but today I couldn't help in wearing one of my masters beautiful kimono's that she had given to me.
I took a deep breath as I felt my nerves fly off the chart; I couldn't get to grips just how much he had changed. He was a man now, and a very handsome man at that.
I couldn't wait any longer, and so I quickly stood and sneaked out of my masters home, taking a cream umbrella to match my kimono. I walked with my eyes looking to the floor watching where I was going, and every now and then I would lift my eyes and glance at some passing stranger. I loved wandering the streets and devouring the lone men with my eyes, watching how they stopped in whatever they were doing and just stared at me in awe.
"Your a tease" I heard his voice whisper in my ear and I jumped spinning round to face him.
"Kenshin" I smiled holding my hand to my chest as he had scared me.
"You look very beautiful today" he smirked at me and I blushed.
"What happened to meeting at the Sakura bride?" I asked as we were still far from it.
"I found you" he leant in and whispered in to me, for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me and I help me breathe, but he pulled back and smiled at me.
"You smell gorgeous" he spoke and I couldn't believe how inappropriate I was acting, my face must have been on fire I was blushing so much.
"My danna is out with your older sister" he said and I looked at him in surprise, not many people knew of the ways of geisha. Megumi was indeed my older sister, not only my master but my guardian. The moment I changed my name for Megumi, she changed her life to become my older sister. Someone who would care for me, teach me everything she knew, and watch me in everything I did.
"Sano informed me of geisha, told me quite a bit" he spoke as we started walking.
"Sano?" I asked.
"My employer, your older sisters danna" I noticed while he spoke he kept his focus on his surroundings, taking in strangers profiles.
"Megumi thinks I am rehearsing now, I haven't got long" I told him and he stopped and looked at me.
"Rehearsing, for what?"
"I am performing at the Theatre tonight" I smiled shyly and I grinned at me.
"I will make sure I am there to see you perform then" he smiled at me and before I had a chance to smile back he had his head turned and was looking out at the crowds of people that had gathered heading towards the market.
"Would you like some tea?" he asked and I looked to were he was pointing to.
"I would" I nodded and he entered with me following closely behind.
We entered the public teahouse and found a small room that was cosy and delightfully cool. A woman opened the shoji door and placed a pot of tea and two cups at the entrance of the room and quickly left us. I reached for the pot and smiled lightly to myself as I didn't even realise I was doing it, but I was pulling back my sleeve and showing off my wrist. Once I had poured his tea I looked up to find him staring at me.
"Is everything alright?" I asked and he frowned.
"You are not working now Kaoru" he all but growled and I was shocked at how deep his voice sounded.
"I am used to doing things in such a way now" I was quite proud of myself for automatically pouring tea the way a geisha would, especially when I wasn't required to entertain.
"What made you want to become a geisha?" he asked and once I had poured myself a cup of tea I sat back and let the tea warm my hands.
"I was a tramp living on the streets, I had no money, no where to stay. I couldn't afford to keep my father's dojo, so I sold it, for a pitiful price and the money only lasted me a few months. I was then captured and sold as a slave to an Okiya, that's when I wanted to become geisha" I closed my eyes as I spoke and softly sipped my tea. I only opened my eyes when I had finished and looked at him.
"I should never have left you" he spoke quietly, but I knew the words were forced out, as though it brought him great pain to utter the words.
"What have you become of yourself?" I asked innocently, asking of his career.
"I am what I want to be, but for now I am assigned as a bodyguard for Sano" I noticed how he emphasised the words 'I am what I want to be' as though he didn't like the idea of being controlled.
"Is he in danger?" I asked, wondering why he wasn't watching Sano right now.
"No, he just as money he can throw away" I watched as slowly, Kenshin became very distant towards me. I was confused as to why he was acting this way, when only last night he had been intimate with me.
"Why do you answer to the name Battousai?" I asked and his eyes suddenly widened and he looked at me.
"I have disgraced myself with that name, please, call me by how you once knew me" I was taken aback by his eyes, they were pleading with me.
"I didn't think I would ever see you again" I admitted to him averting my eyes to the floor.
"As I you" he muttered quietly and I sighed at how lame our conversation was. I was disgracing myself; it was a known fact that a geisha was the source of good conversation. And I didn't help matters further when I leant over and gently placed my hand over his, but as soon as my skin touched his he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him in one quick movement.
"Don't tease me Kaoru" he warned and I could feel his breath on my face.
"I..I wasn't" I spoke of the truth but when I looked in his eyes I saw his beautiful violet eyes slowly begin to fade, as amber took over.
"You don't realise it, but you are" his voice grew deep and I pulled away slightly.
"I apologize" I whispered as I felt myself drown in his arms that held me tightly. And for a moment we just locked our eye together and stayed silent, his beautiful eyes looked alight as though on fire.
"You have beautiful eyes" he whispered hoarsely and I wondered what had happened to his soft soothing voice.
"I must go Kenshin" I spoke as I heard the distant sound of the town bell being rung signalling it was afternoon, I was unsure of what time my master would be back from her outing with her danna, and I still needed to get a few hours practice in.
"I will take you home" and my eyes wiped back to his to find them once again them violet. I looked in confusion and opened my mouth to ask but he stood quickly and pulled me out of the room.
The streets had emptied since midday, and now only a few people littered the streets, everyone was at home getting dinner ready. The hours had flown by but the sun was still shining high, there was still plenty of time.
"I will see you tonight" Kenshin smiled at me as he squeezed my hand gently when he stopped at the gates of my masters home. Kenshin turned to leave but I called out to me making him halt and turn to me.
"I will dance for you tonight" I smiled.
Please Review!
Okay yes I have confirmed it; Kenshin will be schizophrenic in this story and have his alter ego at hand, the one and only Battousai working his magic. Battousai is going to be the mean dude, while Kenshin will be the typical gentlemen. All will be explained, and yes Battousai did occur in this chapter. Battousai will always appear and take over when Kenshins eyes change to amber, but I know a lot of you know that already, I'm just informing those that don't.
Thank you:
Winterblossom – Thank you; hope you like the new chapter.
Free Hero – Thank you, I'm hoping to keep it as intriguing as possible. Let me know what you think of this chapter. For some reason when I upload my work, almost all of the apostrophes that are there disappear, I don't know why, and I cant even create a line to change to a different scene because the line disappears and makes it look like the story continues onto a next section which even confuses me when reading so I don't really know what to do about it all.
Lil' Nozomi – I hope mines better too, but I'm not in it for competing. Let me know what you think of this chapter.
Sulou – That's very true, it was very hard to write like a man, because I'm not one, it's the same as if a man was to write in a woman's POV. I didn't even think of it like that. Also I've found out that when I write in Kenshins POV, it gives his emotions away, and although its good to explain characters emotions, its not with Kenshin, because he's so mysterious you don't want to let them slip. It's the same with the anime; it doesn't explain his feelings well there either.
Elune – Yep I'm back, hehe, and you'll just have to wait and see, it's going to be a nice surprise when you all find out the winning bidder. And no Kenshin won't be possessive, but Battousai will!
Thealchemists daughter – It will only follow it every now and then, as I have my own plot for this story and I don't want to hang onto the film too much. Maybe….Maybe not….we'll see hehe.
Miniwoo – I wonder too…. Thanks for the review.
Alwyzme – Kenshin doesn't full understand the role of a geisha, so when he does he will react in the typical way and protest against it all. But that will come later, and I plan to use Battousai as a means of expressing Kenshin, as Battousai is a lot more expressive in his actions. And Kenshin doesn't know about the bidding war…yet. Megumi is confident because she has to be, she has been a successful geisha for many years and has a rich danna, so she knows other men that are interested in geisha and wants to show Kaoru off to perk there interests so that Kaoru can be free of her debt and hopefully be the successor of her last masters Okiya, as her last Master is looking for a heir to carry on the work of the Okiya. I'm a little confused about some of your questions. Tomoe is still a slave to her masters Okiya, she may have rid her debt, but she has no stable home set for her future. For Kaoru to become independent she needs a rich danna. Megumi was brought up to be a geisha by her mother geisha, its common that geisha bring there daughters up to become geisha and carry on there work as its successful business. Megumi could marry anyone without objection but then she would have to find other means of support and income and retire from her profession. There will be other performers, but Kaoru is the main highlight for the evening. The Baron has already been revealed, and I hope his identity is approved. Misao will be an important character in this story; I plan to involve her feelings in this story… with the help of Aoshi. Thank you for your questions, hope I answered them well.
Jasmine blossom625 – Thank you, I hope it continues to progress well.
Sestrilla – That does sound wrong haha.
Happyloveygirl – Selling themselves sounds almost prostitute like, but its not, it's a sort of celebration, to transform maiko into geisha, and to celebrate coming of age. In the film they portray it as a financial arrangement.