Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Sway of Smoke ❯ Racing Heartbeat ( Chapter 3 )

Title: The Sway of Smoke

Author: Hoshiko

Chapter3: Racing Heartbeat

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Soujirou winced in pain in the pitch black room, unable to see his wounds but all to aware of their existance. Something was bothering him, and for once he spoke up, suprising Usui.

"Usui-san, why didn't you ever kiss me?" he asked, shifting the chains that bound his wrists above his head. He bleeding, spread legs tensed against the cold stone floor as he waited for a responce.

"Kiss you?" the blind swordsman laughed, grabbing the boy's face roughly in one hand before delivering a hard smack across his right cheek. "Don't ask such foolish questions. Who would ever want to kiss some filthy whore like you?"

Filthy.....whore...? No one ever spoke during Soujirou's usual encounters, nor did they ever speak OF them. Was that really what he was? A whore? They called Yumi a whore, but she asked for money in return. Soujirou was just doing what he was ordered to do. That made it different, right?

"But if you want me to so bad, I will kiss you," Usui offered, fisting his hands in Souirou's hair and pulling tightly as he always did. Soujirou's head was thrown against the stone wall behind it, a light trickle of blood appearing in a thin stream on his neck. Since it didn't produce the desired result, Usui repeated the action, finally suceeding in makig Soujirou scream in agony. Oh...how he loved that sound.

Taking advantage of the boy's position his forced his tongue into the his mouth, biting down hard on Soujirou's bottom lip until it bled profusely. This ripped another scream from the boy's throat, making Usui's blood boil with sadistic passion. He quickly flipped the boy over, tangling him into an uncomfortable knot, he arms crossed and chained above him and his naked body trapped between intense heat and chilling cold. He closed his eyes and silently bore the pain, feeling, for the first time, sickened by the intrusion into his body.

***

"I want the boy," I stated plainly, trying to keep anything pertaining to my reasoning hidden in my voice. If he knew what power getting that boy away from him had over me, Shishio would go mad with it.

"Soujirou? What do you want with him?" he questioned, obviously shocked by my request. In my own mind I wondered who was more surprised by it.

"Yes. You can easily replace him, can't you?" I answered, sounding forcefully disinterested. Internally I winced; he was going to catch on.

"In his services to the Jupon Gatana, yes. However, he's too vital to me to be given up."

"You don't mean to say you-" I'd kill him if what I was getting at was right.

"Shinomori, I never knew you had such a filthy mind," Shishio laughed, leaning back on the couch were he was sitting. It was then that I noticed Yumi wasn't in her usual place at his side. "No, you misunderstood me. Soujirou is the best fighter the Jupon Gatana has to offer. His swordsmanship skills are second only to my own. As you stand by and wait for your opportunity to avenge your defeat at the hand of the Battousai, Soujirou already has you beat. Not too long ago, in a small town called Shingetsu villiage , they actually faced off. He broke the Battousai's sakabattou clean in half."

I refused to believe it. "Why didn't he kill him?"

"Soujirou's blade shattered on impact, but that's of little importance. If they fight again he'll slaughter him."

I sat back and thought this over for a moment. Something in this was clicking that I couldn't figure out until it hit me rather suddenly. "Okubo-kyo."

"One of Soujirou's finer, more famous assassinations at my command. But as I said, only one."

"You've gotten off topic," I told him, bringing the conversation back in the direction I wanted. "I won't aid you and your operation if you don't hand over the boy and the information on the Battousai."

"The information on the Battousai I have no problem with. If you do somehow kill him then it's one less obstruction on my path to ultimate victory. However, handing Soujirou over cannot be done." Finally he asked the very question I'd been failing to find an answer to myself. "What is it you want with him anyway?"

I was forced to be evasive. "Does it matter?"

"Well, if you join us then you'll continue staying here and act as a temporary member of the Jupon Gatana. That means you can request-"

I knew exactly where his statement was headed and cut him off before he could finish. "Out of the question. Under those circumstances not only will he be gone most of the time, but he'll be used by the other filthy members of your degenerate sindicate. I don't want that."

Shishio eyed me angrily. I don't think anyone had ever given him this much of a hard time before. "I'll compromise," he finally relented, not moving as he spoke. "Soujirou will stay in your room and be off limits to anyone but yourself. However, the moment I need him for ANYTHING he WILL drop whatever he is doing, understood?"

It was a perfect arrangement, but I hesitated before answering, making it seem like I was contemplating my answer and weighing the pros and cons in my mind. Every second ticked by like an hour as I secretly feared that my hesitation would make him take it back. Finally, "I suppose that will do."

He smirked at his little victory, placing his arms up so his elbows rested on the top of the couch. "Well then, welcome to the team."

I wasn't in the mood for an induction speech. "When do I collect my payment?"

"We'll keep you up to date on any and all information on the Battousai that comes in. As of now we have nothing of importance to you. As for Soujirou, you may go get him. I think he's with Usui now."

I didn't care whether or not Shishio was let on to my true intentions. In a flash I was out the door, not caring that I was clueless as to the location of Usui's room. As I dashed down the hallways I caught a glimpse of the putrid man himself, leaving a room further down the hallway. Stopping my frenzied search I slowed to a normal pace before he sensed my presence.

"Shinomori," he recognized when I passed by him in his walk to the opposite end of the long, underground hallway. "What's the rush? Your hearts racing like mad."

"I have to get something," I answered vaguely, relinquishing the urge to stab him in the heart for what I knew he'd just done. I continued walking and, taking my silence as a refusal to answer, he did as well. When I was certain he was gone I slid into his room, surprised he'd left it unlocked. When I entered I found it pitch black, lit only by the faint light from the hallway. A soft moan and the rattle of chains brought my attention to the far corner of the room, forcing me to slide the door until it was completely open.

I began regretting that I didn't stab the bastard when I had the chance.

Delta-Reader's Column of Dementia!!!: Nope. Never liked that Usui mofo. He be scary, yo. And then the rapage. Yay.... (sarcasm) Sado-masochism ain't my cup o' green tea. >chain rattle< Oh, Soujirou, be patient my love. >she mews< Anyway..... Hm. Besides the whole, you know...."stuff", I was, you know, mildly entertained. Mildy, of course. Mildly. Midly, mind you.