Chapter Fifty-Two

Leaving the others in the main room, Kenshin waited for the door to grind closed behind him before he worked the panel to open the smaller door that led into the training chamber. Inside, Kaoru was already making her way over to him, with a smile and wave in greeting. The salamander perched on her shoulders huffed at the sight of him, though, and then released its form to once more hook around her ponytail in one long, red braid. Glancing up and around to judge the camera angles, Kenshin stepped purposefully to his right so that he was just inside the chamber but to one side of the door.

"'Morning!"

Her giggly voice practically shouted that she was in a good mood, and he smiled in turn as he caught her limping dash into his chest.

"Good morning, Miss Kaoru."

Taking quick advantage of her unbalanced and trusting form, he smoothly pulled her tight against him for a brief hug. The song she had sang, he undoubtedly believed just for him, still warmed his heart with gratitude and relief. Such feelings demanded an outlet, and this was the best he could do for now.

"Thank you." The word was a quiet whisper of emotion.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry, there's a blind spot right here." Emotion successfully expressed, his voice transitioned into teasing without missing a beat.

Kaoru's shoulders relaxed to know they weren't being watched, but her eyebrow lifted when he finally let her free. Smiling down at her with his best harmless expression, he took her by the hand and pulled her into the small cell.

"And what are you thanking me for?"

"For being Miss Kaoru." He sounded completely reasonable, and she snorted with laughter.

"Ok. You're being weird."

Grinning, Kenshin released her, stepped to one side, and bowed her subserviently into the room.

"I brought breakfast for you this morning."

More giggles, and she clapped her hands gleefully.

"Yay! Homemade?"

"Of course. Only the best for the lady."

Red flushed her checks and glowing features, and it was her turn to grab him by the hand to pull him over to the small table they had brought in for dining.

"Well come on! I'm starving!"

The meal disappeared in quick, greedy bites, and Kenshin watched in content satisfaction. When all was done and the dishes put away for later cleaning, he helped her regain her feet.

"Would the lady like to rest after her meal, or jump right into training?"

Belly full and still feeling playful, Kaoru slanted a look at him through her lashes.

"What's this? Is Kenshin tired? Do you need to take a nap?" She grinned at him like an ornery kid, and he mock glared with narrowed eyes. It was confusing, because he couldn't tell if she was calling him old, or treating him like a child. Either way was likely, and just as playfully taunting.

Lifting his chin to look down his nose at her, he folded his arms across his chest in unwilling imitation of Hiko.

"I see my student is asking for twice the amount of training this morning, since she appears to have as much energy to spare."

"Bring it on."

Flipping her ponytail over one shoulder, she waltzed through the door and turned just within the large chamber to stick her tongue out at him.

"I'll see your 'twice as much' and double it."

Flicking her nose with a laugh, he collected her hand in his and forced her to walk slowly out into the middle of the chamber. Her limping gait was still a bit of a hindrance for her, and he had no intention of making it worse.

"Calm down, you overachiever. Let's just stick with two flames for now."

"Oh, are we really doing two?" Her free hand came across the front of her body to clasp his hand in both of her own. "Do… do you think I can handle two?"

The switch to sudden nervousness revealed her continued underlying trepidation, and his smile softened.

"I do. You've learned decent control in a surprisingly short amount of time. Adding another flame will help solidify that control. Our goal will be… let's say twenty at one time."

"T-that many? It… it feels pretty hard with just one. I don't know…"

"Trust me, Miss Kaoru. Once you get the hang of two, twenty isn't really that much different."

"If you say so." She was skeptical, but that was to be expected.

"Don't worry. I'll be here the entire time. Ah, but…" The hair charm was plucked from her ponytail, and he hooked it to his own over his shoulder. "I'll hold onto this for now."

A sad pout was aimed at him, but she didn't argue since the salamander would be safer with him. Blue eyes suddenly glanced upwards, and she childishly snatched the beanie from his head as a consolation.

"Fine, but I get to keep this." She grinned as she pulled it down over her ears, and he chuckled with a shake of his head. The twin horns sprouting from his hairline glowed softly red and orange, and they swirled in strangely gas-like patterns.

"I don't understand the obsession, Miss Kaoru."

A shrug of her shoulders dismissed his confusion.

"I like looking at them."

Under Kenshin's instruction, Kaoru seated herself cross-legged on the floor. Standing added just one more thing for her to think about, and at that point in time in her training, it wasn't strictly necessary. Training while seated also added a secondary level of stability. Kenshin remained standing and off to one side of her so that he would be out of the way. Even knowing he could undoubtedly handle himself, she still glanced at him to internally measure the distance. When she was certain everything was safe to proceed, she focused on conjuring a single ball of blue flames between her palms.

"Good." Kenshin's mellow voice was tinged with praise, but he kept his tone low to avoid upsetting her concentration. "Now, you don't have to focus on conjuring a second flame for this. Instead, I want you to split the first flame into two."

"Split it? How?"

"Think of it like… a head of lettuce. Try to imagine you are pulling it carefully apart between your hands. If you have to, you can imitate the motion until you get used to how it feels."

"L-like this?"

Kaoru's first attempt ended with the ball of onibi flame sputtering out with a pop. Which meant she had to start all over from the beginning. Each time she tried widening the gap between her hands, the flame either disappeared, flew off to one side, or came apart in a swirl of blue fire. When necessary, Kenshin stopped the flame with one of his own. Focused and stubborn, she started over again and again. Not once did she stop breathing as Kenshin had first instructed her to, and he was impressed by her ability to maintain the foundation of her control.

It was nearly twenty minutes later when he was forced to intervene.

Small white crystals were beginning to form on her fingers, and they crept down her hands and wrists as they slowly hardened. Kneeling carefully behind her, Kenshin gently hooked his arms up under her own. At first, Kaoru did not move to react to his partial embrace, and he was again impressed by her concentration. It wasn't until his hands slid gently up the backside of her forearms, from her elbows to her wrists, that she jumped in realization.

"W-what are you…?"

The current ball of flame she was working on flickered, and he hushed her gently.

"Your hands are turning blue. Too much longer, and I'm afraid you might suffer from frostbite."

Sapphire irises finally focused upon her own hands, and blinked in shock at the formation of ice. Under his warm touch, however, the cold receded quickly, and her skin flushed with life-giving heat. Suddenly, she could feel the tips of her fingers again, and a gasp of pain rushed into her mouth.

"O-oh."

Automatically shifting himself closer against her to balance his weight on his spread knees, he calmly urged her to continue.

"I'll stave off the cold. Keep concentrating."

The chill seeping from her skin was worrisome, so he increased his own output of heat to warm her. A gasping inhale briefly upset her stable breathing, and he heard her swallow as she stared in almost desperate intensity at the blue ball of flame. As he watched closely, to provide direction and safety, he noticed offhand how the skin of her neck and shoulder rippled with goosebumps each time he breathed out. After a brief few seconds, her attention became fully distracted, and he frowned as her eyes dropped to the floor, lifted to his hands, and then darted a glance at him over her shoulder in quick succession.

Between his arms, her body had tensed, and a nervous noise squeaked up the back of her throat. Concerned, Kenshin turned his chin towards her completely, but the movement and brush of his hair caused a bewildering reaction. A full body shiver raced up her spine, an eep escaped her lips, and without warning, two additional flames popped into existence next to the one already in her hands.

It was silent for a few moments as Kenshin blinked in surprise.

"That was… unexpected."

Dark lashes squeezed shut, and Kaoru bit her lip hard enough to scrunch her entire face. Oblivious, Kenshin assumed her reaction meant reluctance or disappointment, and he hurried to reassure her.

"That was good. Why don't we try that again to see if you can replicate it?"

A startled look was tossed at him, and it was only then, as he stared into the flame blue depths of her irises, that he realized the intimacy that could be misunderstood by the situation he had created. All too suddenly, he was aware of her back pressed into his chest, her hips between his thighs, her waist between his arms, and her lips so close to his own. The red already flushing her cheeks reflected onto his face, and he lifted his chin straight up to stare at the ceiling.

"D-don't mind me…"

X

Tomoe turned a smile into her shoulder as Enishi continued to glower darkly. Her little brother was currently escorting her through the crowded streets and to the meeting place Akira and herself had agreed to. Once Enishi had learned that the daitengu planned to take her out, he had badgered her constantly with demands. If something happened, she was to call him. If Akira said something wrong, she was to call him. If he became too pushy, she was to call him. If he wussed out and was a bad escort, she was to call him.

It was a very amusing side to her little brother, at first. After two days of his incessant overprotectiveness, she had quietly reminded him that she was more than capable of handling herself. One might think she had never dated before.

With a soft sigh, Tomoe realized that it had been a very long time.

Truthfully, she wasn't unhappy about her little brother's concern, but she did worry that he might scare Akira away. The daitengu had a nervous disposition, and was clearly uncomfortable interacting with other people. Especially people he did not know. However, he was also very sweet and intelligent. Whenever he started talking about something he enjoyed or was passionate about, he became an entirely different person, so naïve and innocently enthusiastic. She didn't know much about him personally, but her decision to give him a chance had been an easy one. Spending more time together would help them both decide if they were compatible.

Tomoe did worry, on an anxious level tucked deep next to her heart, that she was too easily attracted to others who appeared weakened or in need of care. Akira's tendency towards clumsiness and timidity made him a prime candidate for her compassionate nature. Of course, she understood that taking care of one another in a relationship was not only natural but necessary. However, she did not want to be in a relationship that was based solely upon her desire to shelter and take care of her partner. It was not so much that she believed he would take advantage of her, but that she would taint the relationship by unconsciously pushing her overbearing need to care for others upon him. That was a quick way to turn affection into bitterness. Not only in him, but her as well.

She wanted a mutual relationship, with mutual love, mutual care, and mutual trust. She wanted something secure, something unbreakable, but also yielding with room for growth. Tomoe knew what she wanted, but at the same time, it was frightening to know it. Too much of her time had been wasted waiting for a man that she had believed she loved. A man she had tricked herself into believing loved her. She wasn't bitter about it now, because it had helped her realize all the things she did want in her life and in a relationship. But knowing also meant that she could not settle or allow herself to overlook the red flags she had set for herself. Thinking about what she might have to do if those red flags were uncovered was already a little sad.

Nervous now herself, Tomoe clasped her folded hands tighter around the loops of her purse handle and inhaled shakily through her parted teeth. Next to her, Enishi glanced over, looked down at his feet, then shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You sure you don't want me to chaperone?"

A half-smile twitched onto her lips.

"I'm very sure, Enishi."

He cleared his throat, and then looked out over the street.

"You uh… look nicer than usual. If he tries to touch you…"

"I know. Call you, right?" Tomoe giggled and touched a hand on his arm. "Really, little brother, I'm not a child…" But after she said it, her smile softened, and the hand on his arm squeezed. "Thank you, for looking out for me."

Then, because she couldn't help but tease him, she fluffed the hair she had spent a good thirty minutes styling and curling.

"Did I overdo it?"

"Yes. Geeze." The gruff response was immediate, and she giggled at his expected answer.

"This is where we agreed to meet." Tomoe glanced at her watch. "Oh good, we're early. Now shoo. I only let you walk me here because I didn't want my little brother to feel left out."

Enishi's frown took on an indignant lift, and she covered her mouth with the back of one hand to hide the widening of her smile.

"Alright, but call me when you get back home."

"If I must."

As she watched her brother walk away, she realized just how much sturdier he appeared compared to most of the other demons walking the street. Pride filled her at how much he had grown, both physically and mentally. He was such a fine man now, and a handsome combination of their father and mother.

Tomoe glanced a second time at her watch, and realized that even if Akira arrived earlier than they had agreed, he probably wouldn't be there for another ten to fifteen minutes. Glad that she had decided to wear her coat, she braced herself against the chill circulating in the air and stood in a patch of sunshine to soak in some heat while she waited.

"Maaya-chan!"

The enthusiastic call was masculine, and without looking, Tomoe partially smiled at the thought of other couples meeting up for the day.

"Maaya-chan! Over here!"

The voice was closer, and a bit more insistent. Briefly, Tomoe wondered if the crowd was making it difficult for him to get his companion's attention.

"Hey! What's up? You mad, or something?" A hand grabbed her arm, and she jumped. Startled black eyes swung to her left, and she blinked up at a large serpent demon. "Come on, Maaya-chan, don't ya recognize me?"

From the waist up was the body of a rather beautiful young man. His dark hair was styled and lightened, his eyes were flecked with green and yellow, and he was dressed neatly as if out on a date. The lower half of his body was that of a huge snake, and it coiled underneath him twice to avoid tripping those around them.

Realizing there was a misunderstanding, Tomoe's gentle features smiled.

"I'm sorry. You must have mistaken me for someone else."

"Don't be silly, Maaya-chan. How could I ever mistake you for someone else?"

The man was smiling sweetly, but it was difficult to tell whether his expression was genuine or not. Remaining calm and composed, Tomoe's smile melted until her features were the perfect example of ladylike disinterest.

"But you are mistaken, sir. We are not acquainted, and my name is not Maaya."

Despite her continued correction, he was not fazed at all. Instead, a slight crease of perfectly believable pain and grief formed on his forehead.

"Are you really that angry with me? Sweetheart, I promised I'd make it up to you." They were starting to earn looks from passersby. "Don't be mad anymore, sugarplum. We're going to be late for our reservation."

Again, his hand wrapped around her upper arm, but she smoothly side-stepped out of his grasp.

"Please do not touch me, sir."

"Now you're starting to upset me, Maaya-chan. You shouldn't act so cold toward me." His voice was pitiful, as if he were the victim, and a seed of anxiety was starting to bud in her stomach. It was slowly becoming clear that he had no intention of accepting her assertions that she was not who he said she was. For what purpose, Tomoe did not know, but her instincts were getting nervous.

If she tried to call Enishi, the serpent demon would probably either take her phone or find another way to stop her. If she left, he would no doubt follow, but that might only play into whatever plan he had for her. Right then, they were out in the open, on a crowded street with hundreds of witnesses. Staying put was her best choice. Tomoe was not a fighter, and even if she had some way to protect herself, using her powers had become difficult and painful since Kenshin's meltdown the year before. Hopefully, simply seeing that she had a date would deter the man from pestering her any further.

"Wow, you're so beautiful today." His hand slid over her hair before she could stop him. "I knew you couldn't be that mad at me. Look at how much effort you put into dressing up for me. You're so sweet, Maaya-chan. Even when you're angry, you think only of making me happy."

"Please stop. I am not Maaya-chan, and I do not know you." Her voice remained calm and reasonable. Escalating the situation would undoubtedly make it more difficult to de-escalate.

"Maaya-chan. Why do you keep saying that?" His eyes glanced around them in hurt and embarrassment. "You're making a scene. Come on, let's talk somewhere else."

This time he refused to let her go, and she had no choice but to struggle in vain. The serpent portion of his body was strong and sturdy, and would not be overbalanced by her attempts to be free.

"Yukishiro-san?"

The confused question of her actual name had never felt so welcome, and Tomoe turned, even as she stumbled, to find Akira standing behind them. The red, daitengu mask was covering his features, so she could not see his expression, but one of his hands had half-lifted as if to reach for her.

"Kiyosato-san." Relieved, Tomoe looked up at the large serpent demon when he finally paused. His green-flecked irises were wide with surprise, but she straightened herself in order to continue her attempts at reasoning with him. "Like I told you, sir, I am not Maaya, nor do I know who you are. I was waiting to meet this man when…"

"Who is he, Maaya-chan?" His words walked over her own, and completely ignored her clear explanation. "Were you… meeting this man here behind my back?"

"Stop this." There came a time when a ladylike demeanor and soft-spoken words were not enough. The sharp quality of her tone marked the coming of that time. "I will not play this game with you."

"Game? Our love isn't a game, Maaya-chan."

A slightly trembling hand slipped around her own.

"I-I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding." Akira had caught on quickly to the situation, and though his voice shook and was muffled by the mask, he showed no hesitation about stepping in to diffuse the tension. "Please let Yukishiro-san go. She said she does not know you."

"What are you doing?" Slitted eyes glanced at the hand Akira had placed on Tomoe, and they widened in shocked indignation. "How dare you touch Maaya-chan!"

Without any warning, the large tail flicked out and slammed into Akira. The weight and force threw him into the block tiles of the plaza, and his body immediately went limp. Unsuspecting pedestrians jumped out of the way with gasps or shrieks, but Tomoe could only stare in horror.

"No, no, no, no. Maaya-chan, no." The despondent and grief-stricken voice slowly pulled her eyes back to the unnaturally beautiful serpent demon next to her, and his expression matched his tone perfectly. "It can't be true. You know I don't share. You know that. So, tell me why. Why do you look so upset over this lowly crow?"

Like a dangerous and powerful python, his tail coiled itself around her body until she was covered from knees to shoulders. Slowly it began to tighten against her, but when she opened her mouth to speak, the still unknown serpent demon talked over her.

"You've been cheating on me, haven't you?" A sad pout pushed out his bottom lip. "You know I'll have to punish you again. It's only fair."

Tomoe's pained cry was cut short by the abrupt constriction of the snake tail at her ribs, but her mouth remained open in silent agony as her lungs jerked and twitched futilely.

Perched high above on the ledge of a nearby building, a lone crow cawed as it watched. Around the plaza, the voices of many others rose up in answer.

X

A/N: I'm going to preface this with… last week kind of sucked. BUT, I still powered through with that chapter, even though I'm not really that happy with it. I didn't hate it, per se, but it wasn't as fun to write, I guess. I also wasn't in a very good mood last week, so that might have had something to do with it, lol. Anyway, some chapters just won't be as exciting, even though I'd like them all to be! Ah well, it is what it is.

SO, 52 chapters! Yippee! We are officially at one year! (I'm not counting that week I took off.) How exciting! Looking at some of my other stories, this is actually kind of an accomplishment for me. I've always worked on my stories whenever I felt like it, but this was my first time trying to give myself a schedule to stick to. I didn't want to commit to it in the beginning, because I was a little afraid I might not be able to keep it up, but I'm feeling a lot more confident about keeping myself on track now. It has some drawbacks, but I feel like it also has a lot of benefits. Here's to another year! (Maybe, lol. Not sure how many chapters this is actually going to end up being. -yikes-)

I liked this chapter a lot more than the last one. Probably because I got to work in some flirting. I'm such a sucker for them flirting. I'm also pretty excited and happy about Tomoe and Akira. I didn't want Tomoe to be a typical damsel in distress, because that's kind of boring. I hope I pulled off her cool demeanor well. I'm used to writing strong female characters that are a little mouthy, so writing her is refreshing and different. I really have to dust off my mature attitude for her (and believe me, it's drowning in dust, because I'm so mouthy myself). I'd like to be more like her, to be honest, but also still be able to kick some ass, lol. Anyway, let's wait and see how this situation gets handled. Coming up next, Kaoru improves by leaps and bounds, Tsubame starts to really worry about Yahiko, and a murder? Much love!