Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Points of Authority - Time Stands Still ❯ Points of Authority - Time stands still ( One-Shot )

Italics= song text

~*~

> Encases flashbacks

~*~

Points Of Authority - Time Stands Still

The atmosphere in the dojo was tangible. Swords drawn the men looked at each other, cold calculating eyes reflecting memories no one but them knew. Circling each other, the spectators in the room had become a backdrop; they were nothing… of no consequence.

Saito truly looked like the wolf for which he was named: his hair falling over his eyes as he watched his red haired enemy. He only had eyes for him; only had time for him.

"I hate everything you stand for"

Barely noticeably, Kenshin flinched before his face hardened, becoming colder and detached, eyes narrowing finally giving him that look that so many people feared.

"Come at me, Battosai!"

Stance almost careless Kenshin blew a stray hair out of his eyesight. "You are the one challenging me"

"You are right" stance ready, the wolf pounced on his pray.

And the flashbacks stopped till they were left standing in a world of time gone by; in a world that hadn't existed for years - before the revolution, before Tomoe, before Saito had had to change his name.

Forfeit the game / Before somebody else
Takes you out of the frame / Puts your name to shame
Cover up your face / You can't run the race
The pace is too fast / You just won't last

Fight!

`So easy to defeat you, you pathetic excuse for your name. You no longer deserve it; you have not kept the pace. I will obliterate you' the words dripped like poison from Saito's lips.

Attacking his long time enemy, Saito prepared for his Gatotsu; trying hard to forget that time… trying hard to forget those feelings he had long ago done away with.

~*~

Those white legs, so pliant; that hair, cascading like a waterfall of blood; the young face marred by such a fresh scar, only lending to his beauty; that trim and taut body writhing beneath his ministrations.

~*~

Saito shook his head to clear his thoughts; he mustn't be distracted, he mustn't!

Attacking his prey, he expected to draw blood quickly and put an end to his torment. Wanting something he could no longer have, could no longer dream about, was just not his style.

But he moved, so quickly so that what would have been a deadly hit turned into a blow glancing off Kenshin's chest and causing nothing more than a brief look of intense pain to flit across his face. Those eyes…those fiery, passionate violet eyes, looked up to meet impassive ones as the wolf attempted to finish off his prey.

Kenshin watched his own blood drip off that sword and looked up at the man bearing down on him, trying to hear what he was saying; he was explaining something about the sword technique he was using.

"A missed hit can be turned into a useful side swipe; a technique perfected by the shinzengumi called `hirzuki'. It is perfect!" The stance changed, readying again. "And my Gatotsu is even more so"

And all Kenshin could think about was those thoughts, those memories from so long ago

You love the way I look at you
While taking pleasure in the awful things you put me through
You take away if I give in
My life
My pride is broken

~*~

Kenshin had looked at him with that same look and Saito had laughed. He had pulled the younger fighter against him roughly, harshly holding him captive with one arm while drawing dagger between both of their chests, causing the rich red liquid to drip down their bodies in a thick line.

Laid back on the bed Saito licked the wound, causing the younger man to gasp in pain as the sensations caused by the tongue meeting the wound heightened by the firm grasp the wolf had on his erection.

And no matter how Kenshin had tried to withstand…that touch, his touch always undid him.

~*~

"You aren't worthy of the name battosai"

And he came again at him - fast, sure, and deadly. And somehow the red haired man managed yet again to move out of the way to save his life. He hadn't realized how much value he placed on his own life; he hadn't realized how much he really wanted to live. But the pain in his body was getting to him. And, as he looked up, he felt his hard won humanity slipping - he felt that ice cold fist clenching around his heart again, and he barely heard the girl as she tried to reach him; that strength that had never failed him before in times gone by, that strength that he had tried so hard to hide, came surging back and he stood.

His voice was steely, his eyes hard, his thoughts dark. He had gone back to that time when he had killed without a thought. "You're wrong Saito" the words were soft, hardly audible.

You like to think you're never wrong
(You live what you've learned)
You have to act like you're someone
(You live what you've learned)
You want someone to hurt like you
(You live what you've learned)
You want to share what you've been through
(You live what you've learned)

`He moved in time…' Saito masked the surprise on his face very well. His thoughts were dark, ` his speed is increasing, how can he…' And he looked at the younger mans eyes, saw the narrow slits, looked at the strength in those arms, in his posture, the pride that had always given way for him returned in full. `Ahhh' he thought `my little hitokiri battosai, but this time I have you'

His stance ready, he rushed at the smaller man again only to find him gone all of a sudden; he couldn't see him, couldn't register, the man shouldn't have had enough energy… hell enough blood in his body to make a move that fast. `Shit, underneath!' And the wolf managed to twist just enough to avoid the full blow.

The younger mans chest was heaving with great gasps and deep breathes, when all of a sudden it calmed and those eyes… that look…

"No." Saito murmured. `Is he really… is he really back…?'

"Only one way to find out" The wolf prepared himself, "the REAL gatotsu, without mercy"

And as Saito bore down the battosai dodged it. `As if he forgot the side swipe' Saito was disappointed, `he is only angry; he isn't back at all.'

But the smaller man had moved, faster than a normal person should be able to move, deadlier had his sword not been a reverse blade, and he turned and he struck - hit the wolf hard and elicited a cry of pain and a look that could have killed the younger man if that were possible.

"After the fourth time any idiot can figure out a solution ,Saito; you cant honestly tell me that this is all you have to show me after such a fucking long time?" The scorn in the red heads voice was palatable. "Get up!"

And Saito remembered that time, that time he had hurt himself so badly just to piss the red head off.

You love the things I say I'll do
The way I'll hurt myself again just to get back at you
You take away when I give in / my life
My pride is broken

~*~

"Fight me"

The younger man just smiled, that empty smile, that sad smile … `Man' thought Saito `he is barely more than a boy.'

"Or you'll do what Saito?" He didn't laugh, He never laughed "Kill yourself?" he stepped closer to the man, his eyes looking up into the taller mans face, he whispered "this isn't a tragedy; don't be so melodramatic"

Angry, the wolf jumped from behind, and through inbred reaction Kenshin turned, sword in hand, almost flinching as it bit into the flesh of the man throwing himself at him.

Catching him he sighed

"You idiot, Saito… you don't want me to fight you, you want me to fuck you. Stop goading me into it, you should have more pride in yourself than that, my wolf"

And he kissed him - roughly deeply, completely taking and giving nothing. And he liked it, the pain in his wound the sensations in his mouth… Saito had always liked it.

~*~

As he got up, a cruel laugh emerged from his throat "I was supposed to test you - to measure you - but now I've had time to think… I think I'll just kill you"

Almost barking a harsh laugh, Kenshin's eyes narrowed even more. "You always were a dreamer Saito. But you are wrong again. It is I that will kill you"

Neither of them heard the now inconsequential girl in the background, dropping to her knees and begging them to stop; neither of them would have listened if they had heard her, they didn't care -t his was their world again. Just the two of them as it always should have been. Two peas from the same pod; both stubborn and strong, both so alike but never admitting to it.

You like to think you're never wrong
(You live what you've learned)
You want to act like you're someone
(You live what you've learned)
You want someone to hurt like you
(You live what you've learned)
You want to share what you've been through
(You live what you've learned)

And they both ran at each other - making contact in the middle - the sound a clash and a shattering. `He used the sharp side of his sword…' the surprise on Saito's face was momentarily unmasked.

The wolf's sword fell to the ground - or at least a part of it.

Forfeit the game / Before somebody else
Takes you out of the frame / Puts your name to shame
Cover up your face / You can't run the race
The pace is too fast / You just won't last

"Next time it will be your head, wolf." Kenshin's eyes glared at the man opposite him. "Give it up, Saito, you can never defeat me"

"Never" And once again the wolf prepared for his gatotsu

Kenshin muttered, "Shinzengumi never knew when to stop. Your sword is broken"

"Shinzengumi never give up the fighting spirit." The answer was almost growled at him. "A fighter does not flee from his enemy."

Pushing the sword aimed at him out of the way easily, Kenshin spoke softly but sternly. "The pride of the Shinzengumi is more important to you than your own life?" The question was barely finished when Saito surprised the younger man, swinging his sheath so that it hit the sword from Kenshins hands.

"Now I have you Battosai" and again he remembered.

You like to think you're never wrong
(You live what you've learned)
You want to act like you're someone
(You live what you've learned)
You want someone to hurt like you
(You live what you've learned
You want to share what you've been through
(You live what you've learned)

~*~

Slamming into him, feeling that tight space constrict around him, watching the man beneath him grip the sheets in ecstasy, and those eyes soften momentarily with something… perhaps not love, but lust and need at any rate, and that was honestly all that the older man needed. He had always watched the assassin from a distance; always been in awe of that perfect body and face, and somehow that fresh scar just made him even more perfect.

Their rhythm was always amazing and, as he climaxed inside his prize, feeling the walls encasing him constrict, he aided his lover to the same and watched the sweet white liquid pump over that alabaster chest.

Spent, he would look down at him, red hair fanned around him, making him look s if he was lying in a pool of blood, he would speak "now I have you Battosai"

And the red head would just smile that smile of his that held no warmth.

A life of killing was their common ground; the ability beyond that of the rest in their "trade" to kill without remorse, to kill without parallel. You live what you've learned.

~*~

And all that frustration of all those years after she had taken him away. All of those years of wanting, hating and waiting boiled to the surface and he punched into the smaller man relentlessly - hitting wherever he could find a tender spot; making blood pour out of his mouth, mingling with the red hair, and he slowed, pulling his jacket off "And with this," he swung the jacket around his neck, holding on and pulling tight to strangle the smaller man, "you are finished"

Kenshin's eyes caught sight of Saito's bared arms as he removed his jacket and, for a moment, he remembered the feel of that torso - for a moment he wanted to rip the shirt off and cover that torso in bites. But that moment of reflection was all Saito needed to get his quarry where he wanted him, and Kenshin would have kicked himself if he could have.

"Give it up Battosai!" As he pulled tighter, he continued. "Its pointless; don't waste your energy."

But Kenshin was just as stubborn as Saito and he did use his energy, reaching his sheath and using all the power he could spare to ram it up into the other man, causing him to lose his hold and drop Kenshin to the ground.

Gasping for breath, Saito felt blood drip from his mouth. Both men looked across the space at each other, huffing, puffing… like they had years before in different circumstances; in circumstances where clothing had been discarded, where flesh had met flesh, and insatiable appetites had been fulfilled.

Saito spoke first "Time to put an end to this torment!"

Kenshin simply said, "Yes"

And once again they ran at each other, neither hearing the girl scream Kenshin's name, and neither noticed the officer who walked in and tried to break up their fight, because as they met in the middle their hands reaching for each other, catching themselves in an embrace and a fierce kiss that had been so long in the waiting.

Tasting each other again after so long, feeling the beating of each other's hearts against the other…only they could properly understand what each other had been through and how each other had survived. That kiss promised everything.

You like to think you're never wrong / forfeit the game
(You live what you've learned)
You want to act like you're someone / forfeit the game
(You live what you've learned)
You want someone to hurt like you / forfeit the game
(You live what you've learned)
You want to share what you've been through / forfeit the game
(You live what you've learned)

They surrendered themselves to it.

They forget everyone else; they forgot the world around them and the people in it - there was only time for each other.

As they kissed, time stood still.

~Ende~