April 2012 - Monday - Living Again - "Eyes on Fire"
Title: Eyes On Fire
Author: Violetcarson
Rating: T
Summary: Kaoru's kind of a creeper. But hey, if you can't ogle attractive men in wet T-shirts, then where's the fun in life?
Characters/Pairings: KenKao
A/N: Sorry I abandoned fanfiction for a while. Have a drabble to make up for it? Also, I'm totally digging this month's prompts. Got my storyline all figured out. Gonna make a mini-series out of it. XD Also, I hope it's okay that I'm posting the Monday prompt on a Wednesday?
Kaoru walked out of her dorm into a drizzling rain. She glared at the sky. Just perfect. Depressing weather, to go with her depressing mood. The universe just had to mock her, didn’t it? The first day of the new semester’s classes, and her 7th day free of The Bastard, and the world just had to rain some more on her already sodden parade.
She pulled her hoodie tighter around her body and was starting the slow trudge to the closest weight room for her early morning workout when she saw him.
He was out on the grass of the quad, and if she hadn’t seen the practice sword in his hand, she would have thought he was dancing. Every move was precise, well-directed, and perfectly aligned. He never paused, each motion sliding into the next as he battled a veritable army of invisible opponents. His red hair was plastered to the skin of his neck, with rain and sweat. Lean muscles rippled and flexed along his arms with each thrust and parry of the blade, and underneath the sheer white tank that stuck to him like a second skin.
Kaoru knew she was staring, but couldn’t manage to draw her eyes away. She didn’t want to stop looking at this man, with his pretty hair and his pretty sword, and his very, very pretty body. She wanted to feel his damp skin, and drag her fingers through his gorgeous hair and along his neck. She wanted to taste him. She felt alternately more alive than she had in weeks, and terrified that he’d catch her staring. Who is he? The thought wandered idly across her otherwise occupied mind. He wasn’t in the fencing club with her (she would have remembered that). Maybe he was in Aikido, or one of the other martial arts groups?
His dance came to an end with a final thrust through the heart of an opponent, and he held the pose for several seconds before lowering his blade. Then he turned his head, and violet eyes flashed at her with amusement. Oh God! He knew I was watching! She lingered for a moment, caught in his stare, until he started walking lazily toward her. Then she bolted, walking as fast as she could in the opposite direction, her heart still pounding.
It was early still, and there were few students about. She kept moving, refusing to look behind her, until she reached an alcove in the entrance of one of the buildings. She ducked in and slid against a wall, trying to calm her pulse. She closed her eyes, and the image of his slow grin and twinkling stare caught against the back of her eyelids.
“Well, running away wasn’t quite what I expected from the pretty girl who was watching me practice, but I suppose I can forgive you if you tell me your name,” said a low voice directly in front of her.
She jumped, eyes flying open. He leaned against the opposite side of the alcove, still grinning.
She gulped. “Um, Kaoru.”
His smile widened. “It’s nice to meet you Kaoru. I’m Kenshin.”