I don't know what's come over me guys, I just keep wanting to write more chapters for this. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far :) In this chapter there is a dream so I will be writing that part in all italics so it's easier to tell that it is a dream. By the way guys, Aki in this story is 18 years old. Any ideas? Comments? Thoughts? Just review and let me know. Hope you all are having a wonderful day~
Finally Giving In: Chapter 9
"Good night, Aki-chan!" Heisuke called to her. He was rather amazed at her skill, wanting to test it for himself. He watched her form as it went down the porch. He looked over to the courtyard to notice a not so happy Okita glaring him down. "Good night to you too, Okita!" Heisuke said, nervously waving and took off running inside.
After Heisuke left, Okita changed to watch Aki turn the corner.
'Now where did a little girl like you learn to fight like that, Aki-chan? You've made me quite curious.' He thought, a smirk growing on his face.
When Aki entered the room she quickly took off her sword and went onto the futon. She was still a little excited from the match with Okita but it faded quickly as the softness of the futon got to her. It's been so many years since she saw or was included in matches that were that intense, she loved them. She had to admit, as much as she didn't want to, that Okita was a better fighter than she thought. Her thoughts drained from her head as sleep overcame her and her eyes slowly drifted close.
"Hey, Aki-chan, wanna spar?" said a tall man with short, dark blue, almost black hair. This man was Kimura Rokuro, a man that treated Aki like she was his own daughter. After the fire that left Aki all alone he found her wondering the streets and felt he had to help her. It wasn't an easy task, she never opened up to people easily. But as time passed since she stayed with him, they grew on each other, forming a strong father-daughter bond.
"Sure thing Kimura-san!" Aki said, her little eyes lighting up. It's been six years since the fire took her family from her, six years since Rokuro brought her into his. Aki was now thirteen and quite well trained with the sword. Rokuro started instructing her as soon as she would let him telling her that if something ever happened, she should be ready for it. Since she started training with the sword, Aki never regretted it. Sure, people would look at her funny for a young girl carrying around a sword, but it didn't bother her. It was her father's sword, something she would never be ashamed of.
Aki ran over and grabbed a wooden sword from the wall for practice. She walked to her place across from Rokuro, assuming position.
"Alright Aki-chan, let's see how good you've gotten." Rokuro said and smiled as his 'daughter' smiled back and went at him. For her age, she improved greatly compared to other students that dropped by. Rokuro couldn't have been prouder of her as he watched her grow and her skills develop.
'She'll definitely be ready.' He thought and focused on the practice.
After practice Aki laid on the floor, tired. She trained with everything she had, it was a good way for her to relax and it was also too much fun to stop.
"Someone's going to step on you.." Rokuro said, picking up the wooden sword from next to Aki on the floor to put them away.
"Let them, I'll trip em' if they do." She said stretching out. The coldness of the wood felt nice against her heated body from moving around so much.
"As nice as ever, Aki-chan." Rokuro said with a smile walking away. "I want you to get to bed early today, ok?" He said giving her a sad smile."
"Um.. sure, Kimura-san." Aki said slowly, eying him strangely. 'What was that look for?' she thought as she watched him leave the room. As they day went on and night came, Aki did what was instructed of her earlier. Right after they finished up dinner she headed for her room to sleep. She wasn't very tired, almost wide awake, but if Rokuro asked her to do it, there's no way she would refuse, not after everything he has done for her.
As the night went on, Aki just laid there waiting to become tired. She closed her eyes to listen to see what she could hear. Little noises of bugs outside and gusts of wind going against the door rang through her ears. Suddenly the sound of metal against metal rang out, followed by the yelling of many men.
'What's going on?' Aki thought scared, and grabbed her sword to go check the noise. She crept through the halls cautiously, not knowing what could be behind every corner. The sound of fighting never stopped, it only got louder as she slowly made her way to the front of the house. 'Please be okay, Kimura-san, please.' She prayed. She wouldn't know what to do without the man who had taken her in and became like a father to her.
"Where's the girl?" A rough voice yelled from around the corner. Aki stopped and put a hand over her mouth to not let any noises escape.
"I don't know what you're talking about. It's only me here." Another voice answered.
'Kimura-san!' Aki thought, eyes widening in fear.
"We know you have her here. Just hand her over, and we'll be on our merry way." A different voice told Rokuro. Aki peered around the corner to see what was happening. There stood Rokuro with 3 other men surrounding him. But, she recognized these men. They were there that night the fire happened. She remembered them, right in the front, smiles on their faces. Rokuro was against the wall, blood all over him, facing Aki. When he saw her, his eyes widened in a moment of panic.
"You'll never get her!" He breathed through clenched teeth. He may know how to wield a sword but, it was still tough against three.
"Fine then. Die!" the rough voice yelled as he stabbed Rokuro and the other two men followed and stabbed him as well, one reaching his heart.
"Kimura-san!" Aki yelled, coming from the corner. She rushed to his side as the others became a little shocked she as there.
"Y-you have to run, Aki-chan. Run to a safe p-place, and don't look b-back." Rokuro said, his breathing became rough and his head fell against the floor.
"Kimura-san! Kimura-san!" Aki called, tears streaming down her face. "You can't leave me all alone, please, not again." She said quietly holding one of his hands tightly in her smaller ones, to her face. The grip of his hand loosened and his breathing stopped.
"Oi, boss. Looks like she's already her for us." One man said to the bigger one.
"Good, bring her. Don't let her get away again." He ordered. They began to move closer to Aki.
"You bastards. I'll never forgive you!" Aki yelled as loud as she could, unsheathing her sword. Anger enveloped her with each step they took closer to her. One man went quicker and went to grab her.
"Now, now little girl. Just come with u-" He started, reaching for her, only to be sliced across the chest by Aki. The man fell over from pain, unable to get back up.
"Don't you dare touch me with those filthy hands." She said, glaring at his body on the ground.
"Ok, that's it, little girl!" The other yelled, charging at her. He swung a few times with Aki barely managing to block. He was a full grown man so his swings were much more powerful than hers.
'This isn't good. I have to leave, please forgive me Kimura-san, no… father.' She thought to herself, as she took one last look at Rokuro's body on the floor. She quickly turned around and ran through the house to her room. At least it was her house they were in, she was able to move faster than then men. She got in her room and retrieved a bag to hold some items. She quickly threw in some cloth, bandages, and a hairpin she received from Rokuro and fled the room. She made it to the garden, hearing the men yelling in the house looking for her. She ran over to the fence and threw her bag over and began to climb it. She turned back one final time to watch the house, that had become her home after a very nice man had let her in when no one else would.
"Good bye." She said and climbed over the fence, picked up her bag, and ran away. Never looking back, just like Rokuro wished.
"Hey, Aki-chan." Okita said shaking her sleeping form. She was sleeping peacefully when he entered the room. After he changed into his sleeping yukata and crawled in bed, he just watched her. She started making noises, almost like whimpering, and tears flew down her cheeks. 'What the hell?' He thought, growing concerned. As he shook her she wouldn't wake up.
"You're not gonna like this Aki-chan, but you've given me no choicee~" He mused as he quietly got on top of her and moved his head down to her neck. 'This is gonna be so much fun~' Okita thought, smiling.
He slowed moved his mouth to her neck and opened up. Quickly he forcefully bit down, hard, causing Aki to jerk awake.
"What the fuck!" Aki yelled, pushing her hands up to meet with something hard that wouldn't move. She looked and noticed brown hair out of the corner of her eyes. The form on her got up and looked down at her, green eyes staring right into her's, with a smirk on his face.
"Hmmm? You seem to respond well to pain, Aki-chan~" Okita teased. Aki went to punch him but her hands were pulled against her chest and stuck there by Okita's grip.
"I'm going to kill you! Get off of me!" Aki yelled at him, squirming around.
"Nope. Not until you tell me what that was about.." He said to her and took one of his hands off of one of hers and pointed to her cheeks. Aki raised the released hand to feel her cheeks wet from tears.
'What? Must have been that dream.' She thought, wiping away the water on her cheeks. "It's nothing." She said taking advantage of the grip he took off and pushed him off of her so she could get up. She quickly walked to the door, a hand over her neck where he bit.
"And that hurt you ass! Don't think I'm just letting you off the hook for it!" Aki yelled at him and slid the door close behind her and went to go wash her face.
'Yeah. "It's nothing" my ass.' Okita thought, his face going dark. A simple dream would make you cry in your sleep and whimper, little girl.
