Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Findings of Earth ❯ How Deep is the Hole ( Chapter 15 )

A/N: Well hello there. This is the new chapter Beta read by JP (thanks so much). I hope you like it, it's a little longger since it's my birth day tomorrow so I thought I'll give you a "Happy Birthday to me" gift.

Warnings: Some angst, extreme WAFF and some lime… (well you asked for it)

Chapter XV

How Deep is the Hole?

'I'm really starting to hate these things' Thought Kenshin as he drove and looked at his wrists encircled by the steel manacles.

"Where are we going?" asked Kaoru

"As far from here as we can, we have to keep moving for a while if we want to get away. Anyway, tell me what happened at the bank."

"I don't know. The first boss had a key but it didn't work, so he started asking me about it but I really don't know"

"The only possible explanation is that your father gave them a false key. The real one must be hidden somewhere. I wonder what is inside that box that is so important to Yan Moshido" He knew he had made a mistake the moment the words left his mouth. He didn't understand exactly what Kaoru's connection to this mystery man was but he knew that whatever it was, it was painful to her. He gave her a quick look before turning his gaze again to the road. She looked fine but in deep thought.

Yan Mashido. He had never heard the name before and he was quite familiar with the underground world. His years in a gang had taught him a lot about its workings and he could recognize the important names of the clients the first boss had business with. Yan Mashido didn't ring any bell and that could only mean two things. One, he was new to the business, probably a rich business man or someone who got into trouble and needed the first boss's help. He hoped that was it but something told him that it wasn't.

The first boss seemed really concerned about this deal, he wanted it to be perfect and it could even be said that he was afraid. So that leads to the only other possibility: The guy was really 'big'.

The underworld was a really complex society. Everyone had a specific rank and could either climb the ladder or descend it, depending on the other factors in the game, meaning the other people. Everyone could recognize a simple crook but nobody really bothered with them. They had no protection and weren't even in the game. Then there were the gangs. The gangs were differentiated by the power they held. Smaller gangs were usually used by the bigger ones and the members of each gang were categorized not only by their positions within the gang but also by the place of the gang in the underworld. For example the boss of a small gang was considered less than a minion of a big one.

Gang wars erupted all the time and the struggles for power decide the ranking of a gang and its members. The first boss was the leader of one of the major gangs, and so, even if Kenshin was nothing but his slave, in the underworld he held a high position.

But even the underworld had to have some kind of order so there were the Gang lords and that was why they existed. No one but the bosses of the biggest and most important gangs knew who they were and everyone worked for them. They had legitimate lives and normally held very powerful positions in society. They literally controlled the underworld from behind the shadows.

Kenshin had the suspicion that this Yan Mashido was part of this exclusive group of people and that was very bad.

This thing was bigger than it first appeared. If he was right, the first boss would be found in no time and then every gang and every delinquent in town would be looking for them. That was no good. Besides, by now, he was really worried about Kaoru. How did she know a guy like that? How could a sweet girl be related to someone so dangerous? Of course he realized that she was involved in something when he first saw her in the safe house. No one got involved with his gang if he wasn't involved with delinquents somehow. Sometimes they targeted an innocent bystander who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were innocents but they were connected to delinquents even if they didn't want to be.

When he first met Kaoru he thought that she was someone like that, but now he knew that she, or at least her father, was involved in something big. Kenshin was in the middle of it all and he wasn't about to move. He would protect Kaoru no matter what.

"Don't you think we should leave the city or something like that? Kaoru asked after a while.

"No, they would be expecting us to, the safest thing we can do is to stay in the city."

"But where can we go?"

"I know a place. I haven't been there in a long time and it should only be safe for a short time… we probably have to get rid of the car anyway"

"So where is this place?"

Kenshin gave her a proud smile before finally saying "It's a surprise" He smiled again "You'll like it"

Kaoru nodded and then smiled at him some more. When did her life change so much? Now that she looked back at the way she had lived before, it all seemed so empty. Despite all the bad things that had happened, she wouldn't change it if she could. Now she had proof that fate existed. She was supposed to meet Kenshin in this life and no matter what she did every path would end the same way.

She remembered the voice that spoke to her so long ago in the desert land.

"You have chosen your fate," said the light as it disappeared slowly. "But I can guarantee you that it won't be an easy journey" [1]

This life, just like her journey to hell, was all a test. It was supposed to be hard because the main goal was to redeem Kenshin for his sins as Battousai.

It seemed really weird to suddenly have all this knowledge about her past life. To know from experience things that months before she only read in history books. The way instincts took over when they needed to escape still had her thinking. At some point she remembered she knew Kamiya Kashin Ryu, rational thinking concluded she should be able to use it in this life as Kenshin used Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.

But knowing something doesn't always mean understanding it.

She was glad that she could still defend herself and that she didn't need to be saved by Kenshin all the time.

Thinking of the redheaded swordsman beside her filled her heart with joy and also with sadness. She had suffered when her father was killed but her time of grief was very short ever since Kenshin came into her life. She had a happy childhood and even if she had to grow up without a mother, his father gave her everything she ever wanted. Kenshin on the other hand… It wasn't fair! He had suffered so much in his past life and now this one was no better. He had grown up without knowing love or even kindness. He had been beaten so many times. He was punished for everything he did, he was locked in cells, he was starved and he was taught that he was nothing but a possession. She knew him and she knew he was strong. He could handle all that, but they did something to him she didn't think she could ever forgive or that Kenshin could ever forget. They forced him to kill. He didn't talk about it but she could tell it still pained him to remember. Kenshin had killed so much and seen so much death. He didn't deserve that kind of life all over again.

The car suddenly came to a stop.

"We should leave the car here and continue on foot"

Kaoru nodded and they gathered their belongings before leaving the car. Kaoru checked the glove compartment and found some money there. She took them. It would be useful in the future.

She closed the door of the car and when she turned around she was face to face with Kenshin. She smiled. His soft lips were so close to her that she could even feel his steady breathing. For a moment she let go and her instincts took over again. Before she knew it the space between them disappeared and her lips were on top of his. She closed her eyes as she slowly parted her lips. She could feel Kenshin doing the same thing. For a moment his lips played with hers before the tip of his tongue slowly licked her lower lip. She moaned in pleasure as his tongue finally entered her mouth slowly exploring every corner of it. She returned the favor and couldn't resist the urge to softly bite his lower lip before joining their lips again in a melting kiss.

Finally their lips parted but that took a few moments. When his lips left hers she finally opened her eyes. The sight that met her eyes was very rewarding. There stood Kenshin. His violet eyes looking right at her, his lips curved in a sweet smile. She ignored his bruised face or dirty clothes and focused on the happiness that he showed.

The wind blew her hair onto her face but before she had time to so something about it, she felt his hand softly brushing her hair back and touching her face. His hands were rough and cover in scars from his sword training, but his touch was the most gentle she ever felt. Before she knew it, her hand was on top of his and she grabbed it without ever wanting to let go. It was silent communication again and they walked away from the car with their hands joined, like two people who had only love to worry about.

* * *

It was late at night when they finally arrived to that secret place. They had stopped to buy something to eat and some medical supplies. The money Kaoru had found was almost gone but at the moment they had all they needed.

"It's just the way I remember it"

Kaoru was looking at the place with wide eyes. Kenshin had led her into the park in the middle of town. It was really big like having a forest in the middle of the city. [2] She wanted to ask Kenshin what was that secret place as soon as they arrived at the park but he kept saying it was a secret and that she had to wait to find out. Now that they were finally there she had nothing to say. It was perfect.

They were in a hidden part of the park. It had many tall trees surrounding a small house that was the size of a room. The trees kept it hidden and it was only possible to find it if you knew where it was.

"This is actually where they keep the gardening equipment but it would work for the night"

"How do you know this place?" asked Kaoru when she finally found her voice.

"I found it some time ago. I haven't been here in ages"

He then reached into his long hair and retrieved a small lock pin.

Kaoru laughed out loud after seeing him do that.

"What?" He asked innocently "This is actually very useful"

She took a moment to calm down and then finally explained.

"I just find it funny seeing the man who was once the mighty Hitokiri Battousai hiding things in his hair."

"It's a new habit" He said with a grin, "Back then I didn't bother with locks, breaking the door in two with my sword was much more efficient"

Kaoru smiled and was about to let the subject drop when she thought of something.

"If you had that on you all the time why didn't you use it before? It would have been useful one of the many times you were cuffed"

Kenshin put one hand under his chin and looked up to the sky as he tried to remember everything.

"Well, when they had me in solitary I couldn't reach it, when they put me in the trunk I tried but the first boss was right when he said that these," he said raising his arms so she could see the metal circles around his wrists "were special cuffs so I couldn't open them."

"You need to take those off soon"

He nodded and before she could continue he had his sword out and with two swift movements the annoying cuffs were off.

"But what about before, when I first met you and they cuffed you to the bars?"

Kenshin sheathed his sword and then looked at her with soft eyes before smiling sadly to himself.

"Back then I wasn't the same person. Once when I was younger I used a lock pin to take off the handcuffs that were put on me as punishment. I don't even remember what I did but the first boss decided I had to spend a week with my hands cuffed in front of me. It was on the third day when I finally decided that I've had enough of that so I took them off. The first boss found out and instead of the original punishment he put me in the solitary cell for the rest of the week and then he had my hands and feet shackled for another week. After that I decided it wasn't worth it. When I met you I was like that, but when they attacked you I was not myself, and like I said before, Battousai didn't bother with locks."

Kaoru hugged Kenshin the moment he stopped speaking. A single tear made its way down her cheek. Just a single one for the lost childhood of the soul she loved more than herself.

Kenshin returned the hug feeling comfort in the arms of this strong woman who had the heart of a lion and more love to give than water in the ocean.

"Come on" He finally said as he took her hand. "Let's go in before it gets colder"

The door was quickly opened and Kaoru had a look inside. It was a small room with a closet in the back. There was even a small bathroom on the side and a couple of chairs.

"As far as I know this was the guard hut a long time ago but now they just keep the gardening equipment in that closet. Since he comes every Friday and is the only one with a key, we should be fine for a couple of days."

"Does the bathroom work?"

"I don't know," said Kenshin and then walked in there to check. It worked.

"We should clean up your wounds," she said and she did just that. She tore a part of her top and soaked it in water. She slowly began to clean the blood and dirt off Kenshin's wounds. Soon she was done with the face and Kenshin looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude. She smiled and took a moment to look at him before speaking again.

"I need you to take off your shirt…" she said, and after seeing the look on Kenshin's face she added "I need to check for wounds"

Kenshin remained with his eyes wider that usual and she swore she could hear a small "oro" escaped his lips when she wasn't looking. Then he broke from the spell and looked at Kaoru as if he was seeing her for the first time in ages.… and then he smiled. Not the sweet and innocent smiled she was used to, this was a wicked smile filled with love and desire. He complied, never taking his eyes away from her, and soon his shirt was off.

Kaoru took a few moments to drool at the sight before her. There stood Kenshin looking at her with unbelievable violet eyes and that new look she just couldn't resist. His strong muscles exposed for her, and only for her to see. His long hair falling loose over his shoulders and chest making the beautiful contrast between white and red.

She had to take a couple of breaths before she managed to get herself back to the task at hand.

As she cleaned the wounds, she let her hands dance on top of his skin. She used the tip of her fingers to caress him and gently teased him. Kenshin kept his eyes on hers and let her play with him for as long as she wanted as he lost himself in the pleasure.

All they needed was a touch for those feelings to wake. Their instincts took over once more and soon their souls and bodies were rejoined after so much time. They connected and shared everything they were. In each others' arms nothing mattered, not the past, not the first boss, not Yan Mashido, not even the future. They were there for each other and no one else. Two lovers reunited.

* * *

This chapter ends here because:

a) this is PG13

b) You pretty much know what happened

c) I can't write lemons

Notes:

[1] See "Heavenly Lost" or the Prologue

[2] I don't know a thing about Tokyo geography, I just assumed there was a park because it fit with the story.