JINCHUU
by GRACEY, written in 2002
Author's Notes: Ohh, so much for promising not to write anymore until
my exams.
And to think I conceived the idea of writing my first lemon while reading
The
Return of Sherlock Holmes. It's the stress, I swear! My exams are a month
away...I have essays and tests in five days' time...what the hell am I doing
in
front of this laptop???
Anyways, just to let you know, I've taken some (actually a lot, really)
liberties here and as well as tampered with the time period. (I have no idea
how
long Kaoru was stuck on the island.) K&K fans, gomen nasai. Please don't
read
this if you hate Enishi/Kaoru pairings. E&K fans, please don't kill me
if you
feel I haven't done any justice to them. I am sorta a prude and I don't do
the
lovemaking stuff well. Do r&r but be gentle. I'm fragile ...I am! Saitou-sama
stop sniggering! Grrrrr...
Update: Kyyaa! I'm so happy that this fic is well received. Thank you all
for
your comments*bows* Anyways, I was listening to the song 'Shakespeare in
Love'
and I just felt some of the lyrics were appropriate, so I added them. Mmm
...
Disclaimers: All standard disclaimers apply. The characters of Rurouni Kenshin
do not belong to me, they belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro-sensei. I'm only borrowing.
Nothing is mine except the plot. The song 'Shakespeare in Love' is by Layla
Kayliff and some other guy...(where the hell is my CD cover!) The song is
NOT
MINE and I acknowledge all their rights and the rights of the companies
associated with them and their song. I'm only borrowing.
JINCHUU
Chapter One:
He's fought and he's fallen
He's on his knees before he's on his feet
A sinister romantic
Well he's about to be and she's about to see...
She had been stuck on the island for so long that Kaoru had lost count of
the
days. There was no one else around in the huge mansion, save for Enishi and
her.
The man, with the mask and shrunken skulking figure, had been gone a while
back.
Somehow or other, she wished that he had remained. She would have felt a
lot
better if there had been some other company aside from the white-haired man
who
had kidnapped her and turned Kenshin's existence into hell on earth.
Her arm halted and Kaoru rested the knife on the chopping board. "I wonder
how
he is," she whispered, eyes softening with tenderness and sorrow. She wished
she
could share the pain he must be experiencing now. Surely he mourned her 'death'.
But how was he mourning her? As a friend or as the lover that he had never
been
to her?
"Talking to yourself again?"
Kaoru jerked and almost cut herself as she whirled around to see Yukishiro
Enishi behind her. "Next time please let me know that you are there," she
hissed, stepping back to put more distance between them. The small of her
back
bumped into the table and she could move no further. Enishi eyed her without
any
particular expression, blue eyes visible from behind his modern tinted glasses.
"What do you want?" Kaoru asked uncertainly.
"I thought I'd like to watch you make dinner." That was true. He had been
outside on the balcony, seen the setting sun and realised that Kaoru would
be
preparing dinner now, as she had for the past three weeks. As a small boy
some
of his fondest memories consisted of watching his onee-san making dinner
for
him. It wasn't just food; it was her way of showing she loved him. 'Not that
this woman loves me,' Enishi thought wryly as he settled against the wall,
hooking one ankle around the other. It had occurred to him that Kamiya Kaoru
might poison his food but knowing what he did of her and the philosophy of
her
kenjutsu, he had dismissed the suspicion almost at once. Part of the reason
why
he had come was also to find out just how she went about cooking his food.
Perhaps then he would discover why it tasted as awful as it did. But he still
ate it and strangely, Enishi realised on some level that he subconsciously
appreciated her efforts.
She intrigued him as well, this woman. She was cooperative to an extent,
she was
afraid of him but she didn't shun his physical presence. No hatred burned
in her
gaze as it might have another woman's, which would have been perfectly
understandable. She occupied a portion of his thoughts. When he thought of
his
nee-san he invariably thought of Kamiya Kaoru. Both of them had been beloved
by
Battousai, both had cooked for him.
From the corner of her eye Kaoru watched as Enishi shook his head a little,
rubbing his temples with his right hand. His bones were slender and long,
graceful even. But no one could call the lean muscle and flesh that covered
them
feminine. Even in that simple movement the sinews of his arm flexed and she
saw
the power in them. That arm that could lift a sword nearly the height of
a
man...that could hurt even Kenshin- Blue eyes looked up and locked gazes
with
her. He had caught her staring! She had been staring, Kaoru realised. Whipping
her head down, she concentrated on chopping the vegetables as though her
life
depended on it. Her face and ears felt hot and to Kaoru's embarrassed horror,
she knew she was blushing.
The girl's face was positively pink. 'She looks so sweet.' The thought popped
into Enishi's head before he banished it. Kamiya Kaoru was Battousai's woman
and
she was not here to be admired. One did not admire captive bait. Captive
bait
had a purpose, it was meant to draw the enemy. And he had no doubt that some
day, either Battousai or Saitou Hajime was going to see through his ploy
and
come after him. Well, at least Battousai would come for the girl and the
policeman for him. Either way, Kamiya Kaoru had served her purpose and he
would
see if he could use her in any other way in the future.
"Why don't you go out? Dinner will be ready very soon," she muttered.
In the fading sunlight she looked rosy and fresh, untainted. Now he caught
himself staring and abruptly, Enishi straightened up and walked out without
a
second glance. He could feel her eyes on his back the moment he turned. She
was
very curious about him, that much he could discern. The silly creature actually
thought he wouldn't sense her gaze, the intensity of it. Like a child who
hid
and watched from a distance, he decided. Except this was no child, the thought
insinuated itself into his mind as he watched her carry the tray to him moments
later. The sway of her hips, the curve of her waist beneath that bathrobe,
the
coral lips he was willing to bet that Battousai had never kissed before ...
Kaoru flushed hotly as she felt Enishi's unwavering gaze. It seemed to pierce
her skin and her heart started beating faster, harder. She didn't understand
why, was too naïve and inexperienced. But what she did know was that
Enishi
would not hurt her, he could not. She had Tomoe to thank for that. But in
other
ways he was still dangerous and she didn't doubt that he had means to hurt
her
without taking her life. 'But not if you behave sensibly like an older sister
and not hand him any ammunition by acting like an idiot,' she chastised herself,
laying out the table. When the meal was finally over, he got up as usual
and
said a curt word of thanks before disappearing beyond the glass doors. With
a
sigh of relief, Kaoru gathered the dishes, the tight feeling in her chest
dissolving. Of all the days she had spent here so far, this was the first
time
she had been so glad to see him go.
......................
Things continued on in a similar fashion for the next four days. Staring,
blushes and a tension that fairly vibrated in the air between them as they
passed each other along the hallways, during meal times ...all the time they
met.
With a frustrated sigh, Kaoru flopped back down into the tub, letting the
warm
water relax her. Closing her eyes, she scrubbed her skin thoroughly, wishing
she
could stay in the bathroom with its secluded privacy until Kenshin arrived
to
take her home. Things with Enishi were rapidly going downhill, so much for
cultivating a tolerable relatio- "Existence," she corrected herself aloud.
"Not
relationship, existence." She hadn't so much as seen his shadow today, no
matter
how many times she looked around for him. He wasn't spying on her as well;
it
was simply not the man's style. He was lucid, bold and calculating. If he
wanted
something, he simply took it, regardless of the opposition. Kaoru shivered
and
sunk deeper into the water. She had spent so much time worrying about her
problem with Enishi that she had barely thought about Kenshin and her friends.
Somehow with each day that she spent here on the island, her past seemed
to
recede a little more from her. She hoped that they were on their way soon,
she
was afraid she might forget the world outside or that it had already forgotten
her.
When the water was little more than cool, she knew it was time to stop hiding
in
the bathroom. She could go hide in her room now. There was only the gauntlet
of
the corridors to run and chances were, she would not meet him. With the towel
in
one arm she dried herself hastily, the other reaching for her new, clean
robe.
She had dumped her other bathrobe on the wet floor in a heap. After a week
she
had decided it was no longer sanitary to continue wearing it. Fingers touched
wood and impatiently she fumbled around. "Mou, where is it?" she exclaimed.
Turning around, Kaoru stared at the tiny wooden table where her garment would
have been. If she had remembered to bring it inside with her.
"Oh no!" Kaoru kicked the tub and then cursed as pain shot up her leg. Great,
she had no clothes and she had maimed herself. Massaging her bruised toes,
she
unwrapped the towel, letting her wet hair tumble down. Wrapping the cloth
around
her body, Kaoru fussed with it, trying to cover up as much as possible. Too
low
and the gentle curves of her breasts showed. Too high and ...she didn't want
to
think about that.
Pushing the door open silently, she stole glances down the hallway, looking
left
and right, straining to hear any footfalls on the floor. Satisfied that the
coast was clear, she darted out, hands clutching the flimsy makeshift garment
to
her chest. One turning to the right, another to the left ... "Yoshi!" she
exclaimed. And the corridor where her room was situated was empty.
"Isn't it a little chilly to be running around half-naked?"
She screamed and jumped about a foot high. Once more Enishi had snuck up
behind
and scared the living daylights out of her. Maybe he was trying to scare
her to
death since he couldn't strangle her, Kaoru thought acidly, glaring at him.
"What the hell is your problem?" she asked through clenched teeth. "I forgot
my
clothes, alright?"
He said nothing in response but the smirk on his lips was enough to raise
her
blood pressure. "If you don't mind ..." she seethed, recalling her current
state
of undress. She was about to slip around the corner when his hand shot out,
palm
resting against the wall, trapping her.
Kaoru stifled another scream, her wild gaze automatically shooting to him.
Only
to find Enishi mere inches from her. Instinctively Kaoru flattened herself
against the wall, but he followed her, maintaining the intimate proximity
between them. "Wh-what do you--?"
He cut her off with one hard inscrutable glare. Panic, fear and other emotions
roiled with Kaoru, twisting her insides into knots. Oh Kami, he wasn't going
to
...touch her, was he? 'Please no ...' she prayed fervently.
But Enishi did nothing more than look at her. His fingers flexed at times
but
all he did was remove his glasses and let his eyes run over her. All the
way
from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. His breathing remained
steady,
rhythmic and even. No one had ever looked at her like that, not even Kenshin.
Logically she knew that he couldn't see through the towel but Kaoru felt
as
naked as though she had nothing on. The heat from his body warmed hers but
she
shivered when he looked up at her again. She turned away only to have him
catch
her chin, forcing her to keep eye contact with him. "Look at me," he ordered.
She had no choice but to obey.
Several moments of stark heavy silence followed before Enishi released her.
"You'd better go," he said casually, dropping his hand. Before Kaoru could
say
anything, he walked off. Torn between relief, anger and a queer desire to
find
out just what exactly had happened, she stood there for a while before hurrying
back to her room. She would have locked it but the key was taken. It was
with
him.
Pulling on her bathrobe, she proceeded to knot and re-knot it so tightly
that by
the time she was done, her hands were red and she had trouble breathing.
Normally she would be in the kitchen now, making dinner. Kaoru decided she
wasn't hungry. "Too bad for Enishi. He can cook his own meals," she scowled
angrily, curling up on her bed and pulling the covers up to her neck. But
she
still couldn't get rid of the sensation, the feeling of having a man see
right
through her, just watching and not touching. She hadn't known it could affect
her so deeply. Kenshin had not gazed at her even once in such a manner. To
Sanosuke and Yahiko, she was just a friend and tomboy instructor. Hell, she
had
been told that she looked like a tanuki to her face. But just now with Enishi
... 'You felt like a woman, didn't you?' Kaoru fought the rising guilt that
came
with that thought. 'Desired ...perhaps even wanted ...'
"Iie!!" She shook her head in vehement protest. "Rubbish! Enishi is the enemy,
Kenshin's enemy. I will not think such ridiculous thoughts," she said firmly,
burying her face into the soft pillows. He was the enemy. It didn't matter
how
he made her feel, that the sight of his handsome features or even the shadow
of
his tall figure made her pulse race. He frightened her; that was all. That
was
all, she repeated as she slowly found her way to the comforting arms of slumber.
..........................
The sand was soft beneath his shoes, treacherous and slippery. Battousai
would
have a hard time executing his battoujutsu technique on such a surface. It
would
be a good place to fight him. Enishi kicked the sand hard, watched the wind
grab
the white grains, tossing and spinning them back into the sea. Beneath the
moon
and starlight the water gleamed blue-black, laced with silvery lashings of
foam.
And for the tenth time in the past half hour, Enishi once again found something
that recalled Kamiya Kaoru to mind.
She had been so close, so near. A breath away and still he had restrained
himself when all he could think of at that moment was to grab her and take
her.
He wanted her, Enishi admitted furiously to himself. That was why he had
fled
the house, afraid of what he might have done. He hadn't even dared look back.
What he had seen in her eyes only added to the persistent clamouring of his
mind
and body. For all her fear of him, she was still guileless enough to show
her
curiosity, her inexperience. He had hoped to see revulsion, hatred, bitterness,
anything to use against the need that was building up inside. Instead she
had
unwittingly given him an incentive to pursue the course of action that he
was
debating at that moment. She would succumb to him, he knew how to make her
give
in. But why, why this wanting? It would be a betrayal in every sense. "I
would
be betraying Nee-san and her memory." He had detested everything associated
with
Battousai Himura. Even Kaoru. But she had somehow found her way past his
defences. In an ironic sense, she had done what Battousai had not been able
to
do. She had defeated him. He had meant to kill her, but she couldn't be killed.
He meant to keep her merely as his prisoner, she had become an object that
he
coveted.
The surf pounded hard on the shore, melding with the soft wailing of the
wind.
There would be a storm tonight. He could smell the cool sharp scent of rain
on
the air. Enishi crossed his arms and stood still, watching the rise and fall
of
the water, still at war within himself, unprepared to go home. If he took
her
this night it would be final, she would really have conquered all his reasoning,
his purpose. "So much for your Jinchuu," he shouted into the night in a sudden
rage. His voice echoed back, hollow and mocking. "So much for revenge," he
murmured, burying his face in his hands. Then a thought struck him, born
out of
desperation and deceit.
Logic and lies are not as separate as some think they are; often the two
go hand
in hand. The best liars in life are those that make perfect sense, that spin
believable tales. And now Enishi spun the most fabulous lie that he had ever
fed
himself.
He proceeded to justify his wanting Kaoru in terms of Jinchuu. She was
Battousai's woman, what better revenge than to have her on the most intimate
terms? Aside from 'death', there were other ways to take her permanently
away
from his sister's killer. And knowing Kaoru, she would never tell her man
that
his archenemy had bedded her. It would be a secret, the most delicious form
of
vengeance. She would always be Enishi's in a way, permanently and unchangeably
his. It was beyond anyone and anything to alter that fact. So ultimately,
he
would emerge the winner.
Armed with those thoughts, Enishi finally calmed the tempest within. Casting
one
final long look at the grey clouds that threatened to split open and unleash
their load, he hurried back to the house, long lean legs eating up the distance
easily. Lightning flashed, a jagged bolt that lit the sky, highlighting the
lone, silver-haired man before casting him back into the darkness of night.
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