Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or most of the characters in this
story. Shinta is mine though. I created him.
"Miss Kaoru, may I ask why you wanted to go so far away from the dojo?" Kenshin asked, staring nervously up at the dark clouds.
"It's a surprise, Kenshin," Kaoru answered, smiling at him.
Kenshin smiled back and returned his gaze to the sky when she turned back to the street.
A few minutes later, Kaoru stopped as she felt a drop of rain on her cheek. "Kenshin, it's starting to rain," she said, looking up at him when he stopped beside her.
"Yes," Kenshin agreed, staring up into the sky. "It's going to get much worse too, that it is. We should start heading back to the dojo."
Kaoru nodded and followed him back the way they'd come. I hope they're ready for us when we get there, she thought.
Halfway back to Tokyo, the light rain had turned into a full-blown thunderstorm.
By now, both Kaoru and Kenshin were soaked through to the skin and shivering from the cold. Kenshin had an arm around Kaoru's shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm.
"Miss Kaoru, we should find shelter from this rain," he tried, pushing some hair out of his face. "You'll catch a cold if we stay out here much longer, that you will."
Kaoru didn't have time to argue as Kenshin spotted a small house in the distance and dragged her to it.
The house was on the top of a hill in the woods surrounded by several cherry trees. It was dark inside and very quiet. It had an ominous feel to it that she didn't like.
Kenshin led her onto the porch and to the door. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for an answer. When none came, he knocked again and called, "Hello?!"
No answer.
He slid the door open and motioned for Kaoru to wait for him. He reached for his sword and went inside. He quickly scanned the room for any danger and found none. He sighed in relief and smiled at Kaoru, relaxing.
Kaoru stepped into the dark room and went directly to Kenshin's side, nervously. She hesitantly took his hand and inched closer to him, her eyes wide with fear.
Kenshin smiled at her over his shoulder and moved his hand so that their fingers were entwined, squeezing her hand reassuringly. He pulled her along behind him and went to the back wall. He felt around for a cabinet, found one, and began opening drawers. Eventually, he found a lantern and a book of matches and took them out, closing the drawers he'd opened. He lit a match, then the lantern, and shook out the match.
Thunder crashed outside.
Kaoru jumped and clutched Kenshin tighter, burying her face in his shoulder.
"It's all right, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin soothed, smiling gently. "It's only thunder, that it is."
Kaoru saw a glint of amusement in his eyes and blushed but didn't let go of him. "Kenshin, what're you doing?" she asked, peeking over his shoulder.
"I'm looking for some blankets, that I am," Kenshin answered, not stopping his search. He motioned for her to follow him and went into the next room. He smiled when he saw a made-up futon and a fireplace in the room. "Miss Kaoru, would you please go get the matchbook so I can start a fire?"
Kaoru didn't move.
"It'll be all right, Miss Kaoru. You can take the lantern with you, that you can." He smiled at her and pressed the lantern into her hands.
Kaoru nodded and slowly walked back into the first room. She hurriedly found the matchbook and rushed back to Kenshin.
"Thank you, Miss Kaoru." He took the book from her and pulled out a match. He lit it and started a fire in the fireplace. "You should get out of those wet clothes, Miss Kaoru, that you should."
"But I don't have anything else to wear," Kaoru protested, blushing.
"We might be able to find you something dry to wear," Kenshin pointed out, abandoning the fire to go to the closet. He slid the door open and peered inside. Folded neatly on a shelf he found a light blue sleeping yukata and gave it to Kaoru, which she quickly changed in to while his back was turned. "Miss Kaoru, will you bring me the lantern?"
"Sure," Kaoru agreed, giving the lantern to him. She screamed and closed her eyes tightly as the light from the lantern landed on what Kenshin had seen.
Kenshin stood up abruptly, putting the lantern on the floor, and turned to her immediately. He grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her gently. "Miss Kaoru!" he called. "Miss Kaoru, it's all right! Miss Kaoru! Kaoru!" Without thinking, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her shaking frame. He began to rub her back and whispered soothing words into her ear.
Eventually, she stopped trembling and relaxed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Kenshin slid the closet door closed and scooped Kaoru up in his arms. He sat down by the fire with his back resting against the wall and settled Kaoru in his lap.
Kaoru leaned against his chest and felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. She didn't even try to hold them back and started sobbing into Kenshin's shoulder. Relief washed over her when she felt Kenshin hold her closer and rest his cheek in her hair. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled closer to him, nuzzling his neck.
Kenshin smiled at her and kissed her hair lightly, stroking her ponytail with one hand. He watched her raise her head to stare into his eyes, and he tenderly wiped the tears from her face with his thumb.
Suddenly, he sensed another life in the house and jerked his head up to scan for it, unconsciously pulling Kaoru closer.
"Kenshin, what is it?" Kaoru asked, looking up at his face. "Is something wrong?"
Kenshin wordlessly set her down beside him on the floor and stood up, picking up his sword. He went to the closet and grabbed the lantern from where he'd left it. Opening the door, he knelt down and held the lantern up so her could see the left side of the closet. His eyes widened, and he looked closer to make sure he'd seen correctly.
Kaoru watched Kenshin from her spot on the floor, her sapphire eyes wide. She saw him set his sword down and go into the closet, and then she heard the creak of a door opening. Afraid, she closed her eyes tightly and curled up into a ball. She didn't open her eyes again until she felt Kenshin hesitantly touch her shoulder. She looked up at him and felt him press something soft and warm into her arms.
"It would appear that my fears were groundless, that it does," Kenshin told her, opening the blankets of the bundle in her arms to reveal a tiny baby.
"A baby?!" Kaoru exclaimed, stunned. "But..."
"It seems that his mother managed to hide him in a secret room in the closet before she was slain, that it does," Kenshin explained, smiling. He sat down beside her and ruffled the baby's black hair affectionately.
"The poor thing," Kaoru commented, stroking the infant's rounded cheek sympathetically. "That means he's an orphan."
"Not necessarily," Kenshin countered. "His father could still be alive somewhere, that he could."
Kaoru nodded solemnly and looked back down at the little child in her arms.
The baby chose that moment to open his eyes. He stared up into their faces with his wide, gently, aqua colored eyes.
"They're beautiful," Kaoru breathed.
"Huh?"
"His eyes. They're so pretty and exotic... like your eyes, Kenshin." She smiled coyly at him, and he blushed. He is so cute when he does that, she thought. "Kenshin, let's keep him."
"Huh? But, Miss Kaoru, we don't know if he's really an orphan. We can't just take him if his father's still alive, that we can't."
"But Kenshin, look at him. He's just an innocent little baby." She wiggled a finger in the baby's face, eliciting laughter from him, and smiled when he grabbed her finger. "He's helpless, Kenshin. He could die if we just leave him here. And I refuse to leave an innocent baby alone to die just because you think his father might still be alive!"
"Miss Kaoru, I-"
"No, Kenshin. I'm going to take care of him, and you're not going to stop me." She huffed and turned away from him.
"Miss Kaoru, I wasn't going to try to stop you, that I wasn't." He smiled at her when she turned to stare at him, confused. "I agree with you, Miss Kaoru. We can't just leave him, but we should take his father into consideration, that we should."
"But-"
"Let me finish, please." He continued when Kaoru stayed silent. "We can leave him a note explaining what happened and where we took him, that we can. That way, he can come get his son if he's actually alive." He smiled smugly with his idea.
"Okay, Kenshin," Kaoru agreed, smiling back. "That sounds fine to me." She lifted the baby to her shoulder and began to rub his back when she saw his lower lip quivering. She looked up again and found Kenshin gone. "Kenshin," she called, nervously.
"It's all right, Miss Kaoru," he replied, smoothly. "I'm right here."
"But, I... You..." Kaoru sighed heavily and scooted closer to him to peer over his shoulder, shrugging the blanket off her shoulder. "What are you doing, Kenshin?"
"I was just warming some milk for the baby, I was," he answered, smiling at her. He took the bottle from the ashes and stretched something over the top of it. He set it down for a moment and unsheathed his sword.
Kaoru watched, curiously, as he used the sharp tip to poke a small hole in the top and then tested the warmth on his arm before holding it out to her. She slowly took it from him and stared at it in confusion. "What is this?" she wondered.
"It's to help him drink, that it is," he answered, absently. He tossed a few more logs onto the fire and moved back to the wall to sit down. "I saw Miss Megumi show a new father how to use one before, and it worked very well, that it did." He smiled at her as she sat down beside him and settled the baby in her arms.
Kaoru gave the baby the bottle and smiled at him as he suckled happily. "So Kenshin, what are we gonna name him?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"Well, he has to have a name, doesn't he?" She shook her head as he nodded sheepishly. "What do you think we should call him?"
"Whatever you decide is fine. I'm not very good at thinking up names anyway, that I'm not." He smiled innocently and put a nervous hand behind his head.
"All right." She thought about it for a minute before smiling at the baby. "I think I like Shinta. How does that sound to you, Kenshin?"
No response.
"Kenshin?" She looked up at him and fixed him with a worried gaze. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no. It's just that Shinta was my name before I met Hiko. He said it was too gentle a name for a swordsman and changed it to Kenshin, that he did." He laughed slightly at the memory.
"Well, I think it's perfect for him, as long as it's all right with you."
"I agree, Miss Kaoru, that I do." He smiled at her sweetly and scooted a little closer so he could see the boy's face. He ruffled the child's hair and gently kissed his cheek as Kaoru brought him back to her shoulder, smiling inwardly at the jealous glare she gave him.
Kaoru looked away from him angrily and turned to Shinta. She calmed him down and began to hum a lullaby to him, rubbing his back tenderly.
Kenshin stared, wide-eyed, at her as she sang the baby to sleep. She would make a good mother, indeed she would, he thought, smiling slightly. What?! No! You shouldn't think of Miss Kaoru like that, that you shouldn't... Besides, she deserves better than you. You are stained, tainted with blood. She is innocent, pure. Yes, she deserves much better than me, that she does. He hung his head in shame and scooted back to his seat further away from her.
A few minutes later, Kaoru looked up from Shinta and smiled at Kenshin. "Kenshin, he's asleep," she whispered, crawling over to her favorite red-haired wanderer. She stared at him for a moment before resting her hand on his cheek. His skin is like ice! her mind raged, worriedly. Grabbing the blanket from the floor, she bit her lower lip nervously and climbed into his lap, settling Shinta in her own. She wrapped the blanket around all three of them and wrapped her arms around Kenshin's waist, cuddling as close to him as she could.
Kenshin opened his eyes and looked down at her, blushing slightly. "Miss Kaoru, what are you doing?"
"I'm warming you up, Kenshin. And don't you even think about arguing with me. You're freezing, and you know it. I'm staying right here, and you can't stop me." She cut him off as he opened his mouth to speak. "Besides, it'll keep me and Shinta warmer if we sleep together like this, right?" She finally dared to look up into his face.
Kenshin nodded and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, shifting slightly to get comfortable. With that accomplished, he closed his eyes and feigned sleep.
Kaoru stared at him for a moment in confusion before she pecked his cheek lightly and snuggled into his arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
Kenshin smiled happily and rested his head in her hair before falling asleep himself.
Morning...
"Miss Kaoru," Kenshin called, softly, shaking her gently. "Miss Kaoru, wake up. Miss Kaoru."
"Mmmm... Kenshin," Kaoru moaned, kissing his neck lightly.
Kenshin tensed as he felt her soft lips brush against his skin. "M- Miss Kaoru," he repeated, blushing nervously. "Kaoru?" He hesitantly cupped her cheeks in his hands and lifted them to stare into her sleeping face. "Kaoru."
Kaoru moaned his name again and moved to wrap her arms around his neck.
In doing so, she accidentally stirred Shinta, eliciting a short cry from him. He quickly settled down again and snuggled back into her yukata.
Unfortunately though, Kaoru had heard his slight cry and woken up. She jerked her head up from Kenshin's hands, and her eyes flew open. She looked around frantically for Shinta, and she calmed down immediately when she found him, sound asleep, in her lap.
"Miss Kaoru, look," Kenshin spoke up, pointing out the window. "It seems the rain has stopped, that it has." He smiled at her as she turned her bright eyes on him. He wrapped his arms around her, noting her blush, and carried her to the front door. He set her down there and opened the door, letting in the fresh air and sunshine.
"Kenshin, I'm ready to go home," she said, turning to him. "Can we go back to the dojo now?"
"Of course, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin agreed, gently taking Shinta from her. "But you should go change first, that you should. Your clothes should be dry by now."
Kaoru blushed slightly and went into the other room to change back into her gi and hakama. She came back out to find Kenshin sitting on the porch steps with Shinta cuddled against his chest, a handful of his fuchsia gi wrapped in the boy's tiny fist. She shook her head wistfully and sat down beside him, scooting close enough to rest her chin on his shoulder.
Kenshin turned to look at her and smiled gently. "Are you all ready to go now, Miss Kaoru?" he asked.
Kaoru nodded and stood up.
Kenshin got to his feet as well and handed Shinta to her, wrenching his gi free.
Kaoru took the sleeping infant from him and rested him against her shoulder. She smiled as Kenshin hesitantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her back to the road. Once there, she snuggled into him and followed him back to the dojo.
*****
Yahiko and Sanosuke stood outside the dojo walls, keeping an eye out for Kenshin and Kaoru.
Yahiko looked off into the distance as he heard faint laughter and spotted a familiar patch of red hair down the road. "Kenshin!" he called, jumping down from his perch on the wall. "Sano, it's Kenshin and Kaoru!" He took off running toward the pair down the street, Sano following closely.
Kaoru smiled down at Shinta and dropped him in Kenshin's arms as the tiny boy reached for him. She watched the wanderer struggle with the infant and finally settle him against his shoulder.
They both laughed as Shinta grabbed a fistful of Kenshin's red hair and pulled hard on it, and they looked up from the baby as Yahiko and Sano appeared before them.
Kaoru hurriedly took Shinta from Kenshin and glared at Yahiko.
"Geez Kaoru," Yahiko sneered. "When we told you to get rid of Kenshin, we didn't mean spend the night with him and show up with a baby the next morning." He began to laugh and point at her.
Kenshin took a nervous step back when he saw Kaoru's fists clench in Shinta's clothes in anger. He caught the infant when Kaoru dropped him in his arms again and shook his head as she attacked Yahiko.
"So Kenshin, what happened last night?" Sano asked, appearing behind him.
"Huh?" Kenshin wondered, looking over his shoulder at the taller man.
"Seriously," Sano said, sarcastically. "You two disappear for a whole night and come back with a baby that looks a lot like the Missy. I don't remember her getting any bigger either. So, what happened?"
"We go caught in the rain on the way home and spent the night in an abandoned house, that we did," Kenshin answered, not quite getting what his friend meant.
"Okay, but that still doesn't explain the baby."
"We found him at the house, that we did. His mother had been killed. She was dead when we got there, she was."
"All right, pal. Whatever you say." He shrugged and caught Yahiko by the collar of his gi as he ran by. "Hey punk, you better start bein' nice to the little Missy or Kenshin'll get after you."
Kaoru blushed furiously and looked up at Kenshin, who was blushing just as deeply.
Yahiko smirked at the flushed pair and snickered arrogantly. "Oooh," he mocked. "Kaoru loves Kenshin."
Kaoru clonked him on the head, angrily.
Kenshin smiled sweetly at her, Shinta mirroring the look.
"Miss Kaoru, may I ask why you wanted to go so far away from the dojo?" Kenshin asked, staring nervously up at the dark clouds.
"It's a surprise, Kenshin," Kaoru answered, smiling at him.
Kenshin smiled back and returned his gaze to the sky when she turned back to the street.
A few minutes later, Kaoru stopped as she felt a drop of rain on her cheek. "Kenshin, it's starting to rain," she said, looking up at him when he stopped beside her.
"Yes," Kenshin agreed, staring up into the sky. "It's going to get much worse too, that it is. We should start heading back to the dojo."
Kaoru nodded and followed him back the way they'd come. I hope they're ready for us when we get there, she thought.
Halfway back to Tokyo, the light rain had turned into a full-blown thunderstorm.
By now, both Kaoru and Kenshin were soaked through to the skin and shivering from the cold. Kenshin had an arm around Kaoru's shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm.
"Miss Kaoru, we should find shelter from this rain," he tried, pushing some hair out of his face. "You'll catch a cold if we stay out here much longer, that you will."
Kaoru didn't have time to argue as Kenshin spotted a small house in the distance and dragged her to it.
The house was on the top of a hill in the woods surrounded by several cherry trees. It was dark inside and very quiet. It had an ominous feel to it that she didn't like.
Kenshin led her onto the porch and to the door. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for an answer. When none came, he knocked again and called, "Hello?!"
No answer.
He slid the door open and motioned for Kaoru to wait for him. He reached for his sword and went inside. He quickly scanned the room for any danger and found none. He sighed in relief and smiled at Kaoru, relaxing.
Kaoru stepped into the dark room and went directly to Kenshin's side, nervously. She hesitantly took his hand and inched closer to him, her eyes wide with fear.
Kenshin smiled at her over his shoulder and moved his hand so that their fingers were entwined, squeezing her hand reassuringly. He pulled her along behind him and went to the back wall. He felt around for a cabinet, found one, and began opening drawers. Eventually, he found a lantern and a book of matches and took them out, closing the drawers he'd opened. He lit a match, then the lantern, and shook out the match.
Thunder crashed outside.
Kaoru jumped and clutched Kenshin tighter, burying her face in his shoulder.
"It's all right, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin soothed, smiling gently. "It's only thunder, that it is."
Kaoru saw a glint of amusement in his eyes and blushed but didn't let go of him. "Kenshin, what're you doing?" she asked, peeking over his shoulder.
"I'm looking for some blankets, that I am," Kenshin answered, not stopping his search. He motioned for her to follow him and went into the next room. He smiled when he saw a made-up futon and a fireplace in the room. "Miss Kaoru, would you please go get the matchbook so I can start a fire?"
Kaoru didn't move.
"It'll be all right, Miss Kaoru. You can take the lantern with you, that you can." He smiled at her and pressed the lantern into her hands.
Kaoru nodded and slowly walked back into the first room. She hurriedly found the matchbook and rushed back to Kenshin.
"Thank you, Miss Kaoru." He took the book from her and pulled out a match. He lit it and started a fire in the fireplace. "You should get out of those wet clothes, Miss Kaoru, that you should."
"But I don't have anything else to wear," Kaoru protested, blushing.
"We might be able to find you something dry to wear," Kenshin pointed out, abandoning the fire to go to the closet. He slid the door open and peered inside. Folded neatly on a shelf he found a light blue sleeping yukata and gave it to Kaoru, which she quickly changed in to while his back was turned. "Miss Kaoru, will you bring me the lantern?"
"Sure," Kaoru agreed, giving the lantern to him. She screamed and closed her eyes tightly as the light from the lantern landed on what Kenshin had seen.
Kenshin stood up abruptly, putting the lantern on the floor, and turned to her immediately. He grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her gently. "Miss Kaoru!" he called. "Miss Kaoru, it's all right! Miss Kaoru! Kaoru!" Without thinking, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her shaking frame. He began to rub her back and whispered soothing words into her ear.
Eventually, she stopped trembling and relaxed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Kenshin slid the closet door closed and scooped Kaoru up in his arms. He sat down by the fire with his back resting against the wall and settled Kaoru in his lap.
Kaoru leaned against his chest and felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. She didn't even try to hold them back and started sobbing into Kenshin's shoulder. Relief washed over her when she felt Kenshin hold her closer and rest his cheek in her hair. She wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled closer to him, nuzzling his neck.
Kenshin smiled at her and kissed her hair lightly, stroking her ponytail with one hand. He watched her raise her head to stare into his eyes, and he tenderly wiped the tears from her face with his thumb.
Suddenly, he sensed another life in the house and jerked his head up to scan for it, unconsciously pulling Kaoru closer.
"Kenshin, what is it?" Kaoru asked, looking up at his face. "Is something wrong?"
Kenshin wordlessly set her down beside him on the floor and stood up, picking up his sword. He went to the closet and grabbed the lantern from where he'd left it. Opening the door, he knelt down and held the lantern up so her could see the left side of the closet. His eyes widened, and he looked closer to make sure he'd seen correctly.
Kaoru watched Kenshin from her spot on the floor, her sapphire eyes wide. She saw him set his sword down and go into the closet, and then she heard the creak of a door opening. Afraid, she closed her eyes tightly and curled up into a ball. She didn't open her eyes again until she felt Kenshin hesitantly touch her shoulder. She looked up at him and felt him press something soft and warm into her arms.
"It would appear that my fears were groundless, that it does," Kenshin told her, opening the blankets of the bundle in her arms to reveal a tiny baby.
"A baby?!" Kaoru exclaimed, stunned. "But..."
"It seems that his mother managed to hide him in a secret room in the closet before she was slain, that it does," Kenshin explained, smiling. He sat down beside her and ruffled the baby's black hair affectionately.
"The poor thing," Kaoru commented, stroking the infant's rounded cheek sympathetically. "That means he's an orphan."
"Not necessarily," Kenshin countered. "His father could still be alive somewhere, that he could."
Kaoru nodded solemnly and looked back down at the little child in her arms.
The baby chose that moment to open his eyes. He stared up into their faces with his wide, gently, aqua colored eyes.
"They're beautiful," Kaoru breathed.
"Huh?"
"His eyes. They're so pretty and exotic... like your eyes, Kenshin." She smiled coyly at him, and he blushed. He is so cute when he does that, she thought. "Kenshin, let's keep him."
"Huh? But, Miss Kaoru, we don't know if he's really an orphan. We can't just take him if his father's still alive, that we can't."
"But Kenshin, look at him. He's just an innocent little baby." She wiggled a finger in the baby's face, eliciting laughter from him, and smiled when he grabbed her finger. "He's helpless, Kenshin. He could die if we just leave him here. And I refuse to leave an innocent baby alone to die just because you think his father might still be alive!"
"Miss Kaoru, I-"
"No, Kenshin. I'm going to take care of him, and you're not going to stop me." She huffed and turned away from him.
"Miss Kaoru, I wasn't going to try to stop you, that I wasn't." He smiled at her when she turned to stare at him, confused. "I agree with you, Miss Kaoru. We can't just leave him, but we should take his father into consideration, that we should."
"But-"
"Let me finish, please." He continued when Kaoru stayed silent. "We can leave him a note explaining what happened and where we took him, that we can. That way, he can come get his son if he's actually alive." He smiled smugly with his idea.
"Okay, Kenshin," Kaoru agreed, smiling back. "That sounds fine to me." She lifted the baby to her shoulder and began to rub his back when she saw his lower lip quivering. She looked up again and found Kenshin gone. "Kenshin," she called, nervously.
"It's all right, Miss Kaoru," he replied, smoothly. "I'm right here."
"But, I... You..." Kaoru sighed heavily and scooted closer to him to peer over his shoulder, shrugging the blanket off her shoulder. "What are you doing, Kenshin?"
"I was just warming some milk for the baby, I was," he answered, smiling at her. He took the bottle from the ashes and stretched something over the top of it. He set it down for a moment and unsheathed his sword.
Kaoru watched, curiously, as he used the sharp tip to poke a small hole in the top and then tested the warmth on his arm before holding it out to her. She slowly took it from him and stared at it in confusion. "What is this?" she wondered.
"It's to help him drink, that it is," he answered, absently. He tossed a few more logs onto the fire and moved back to the wall to sit down. "I saw Miss Megumi show a new father how to use one before, and it worked very well, that it did." He smiled at her as she sat down beside him and settled the baby in her arms.
Kaoru gave the baby the bottle and smiled at him as he suckled happily. "So Kenshin, what are we gonna name him?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"Well, he has to have a name, doesn't he?" She shook her head as he nodded sheepishly. "What do you think we should call him?"
"Whatever you decide is fine. I'm not very good at thinking up names anyway, that I'm not." He smiled innocently and put a nervous hand behind his head.
"All right." She thought about it for a minute before smiling at the baby. "I think I like Shinta. How does that sound to you, Kenshin?"
No response.
"Kenshin?" She looked up at him and fixed him with a worried gaze. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no. It's just that Shinta was my name before I met Hiko. He said it was too gentle a name for a swordsman and changed it to Kenshin, that he did." He laughed slightly at the memory.
"Well, I think it's perfect for him, as long as it's all right with you."
"I agree, Miss Kaoru, that I do." He smiled at her sweetly and scooted a little closer so he could see the boy's face. He ruffled the child's hair and gently kissed his cheek as Kaoru brought him back to her shoulder, smiling inwardly at the jealous glare she gave him.
Kaoru looked away from him angrily and turned to Shinta. She calmed him down and began to hum a lullaby to him, rubbing his back tenderly.
Kenshin stared, wide-eyed, at her as she sang the baby to sleep. She would make a good mother, indeed she would, he thought, smiling slightly. What?! No! You shouldn't think of Miss Kaoru like that, that you shouldn't... Besides, she deserves better than you. You are stained, tainted with blood. She is innocent, pure. Yes, she deserves much better than me, that she does. He hung his head in shame and scooted back to his seat further away from her.
A few minutes later, Kaoru looked up from Shinta and smiled at Kenshin. "Kenshin, he's asleep," she whispered, crawling over to her favorite red-haired wanderer. She stared at him for a moment before resting her hand on his cheek. His skin is like ice! her mind raged, worriedly. Grabbing the blanket from the floor, she bit her lower lip nervously and climbed into his lap, settling Shinta in her own. She wrapped the blanket around all three of them and wrapped her arms around Kenshin's waist, cuddling as close to him as she could.
Kenshin opened his eyes and looked down at her, blushing slightly. "Miss Kaoru, what are you doing?"
"I'm warming you up, Kenshin. And don't you even think about arguing with me. You're freezing, and you know it. I'm staying right here, and you can't stop me." She cut him off as he opened his mouth to speak. "Besides, it'll keep me and Shinta warmer if we sleep together like this, right?" She finally dared to look up into his face.
Kenshin nodded and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, shifting slightly to get comfortable. With that accomplished, he closed his eyes and feigned sleep.
Kaoru stared at him for a moment in confusion before she pecked his cheek lightly and snuggled into his arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
Kenshin smiled happily and rested his head in her hair before falling asleep himself.
Morning...
"Miss Kaoru," Kenshin called, softly, shaking her gently. "Miss Kaoru, wake up. Miss Kaoru."
"Mmmm... Kenshin," Kaoru moaned, kissing his neck lightly.
Kenshin tensed as he felt her soft lips brush against his skin. "M- Miss Kaoru," he repeated, blushing nervously. "Kaoru?" He hesitantly cupped her cheeks in his hands and lifted them to stare into her sleeping face. "Kaoru."
Kaoru moaned his name again and moved to wrap her arms around his neck.
In doing so, she accidentally stirred Shinta, eliciting a short cry from him. He quickly settled down again and snuggled back into her yukata.
Unfortunately though, Kaoru had heard his slight cry and woken up. She jerked her head up from Kenshin's hands, and her eyes flew open. She looked around frantically for Shinta, and she calmed down immediately when she found him, sound asleep, in her lap.
"Miss Kaoru, look," Kenshin spoke up, pointing out the window. "It seems the rain has stopped, that it has." He smiled at her as she turned her bright eyes on him. He wrapped his arms around her, noting her blush, and carried her to the front door. He set her down there and opened the door, letting in the fresh air and sunshine.
"Kenshin, I'm ready to go home," she said, turning to him. "Can we go back to the dojo now?"
"Of course, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin agreed, gently taking Shinta from her. "But you should go change first, that you should. Your clothes should be dry by now."
Kaoru blushed slightly and went into the other room to change back into her gi and hakama. She came back out to find Kenshin sitting on the porch steps with Shinta cuddled against his chest, a handful of his fuchsia gi wrapped in the boy's tiny fist. She shook her head wistfully and sat down beside him, scooting close enough to rest her chin on his shoulder.
Kenshin turned to look at her and smiled gently. "Are you all ready to go now, Miss Kaoru?" he asked.
Kaoru nodded and stood up.
Kenshin got to his feet as well and handed Shinta to her, wrenching his gi free.
Kaoru took the sleeping infant from him and rested him against her shoulder. She smiled as Kenshin hesitantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her back to the road. Once there, she snuggled into him and followed him back to the dojo.
*****
Yahiko and Sanosuke stood outside the dojo walls, keeping an eye out for Kenshin and Kaoru.
Yahiko looked off into the distance as he heard faint laughter and spotted a familiar patch of red hair down the road. "Kenshin!" he called, jumping down from his perch on the wall. "Sano, it's Kenshin and Kaoru!" He took off running toward the pair down the street, Sano following closely.
Kaoru smiled down at Shinta and dropped him in Kenshin's arms as the tiny boy reached for him. She watched the wanderer struggle with the infant and finally settle him against his shoulder.
They both laughed as Shinta grabbed a fistful of Kenshin's red hair and pulled hard on it, and they looked up from the baby as Yahiko and Sano appeared before them.
Kaoru hurriedly took Shinta from Kenshin and glared at Yahiko.
"Geez Kaoru," Yahiko sneered. "When we told you to get rid of Kenshin, we didn't mean spend the night with him and show up with a baby the next morning." He began to laugh and point at her.
Kenshin took a nervous step back when he saw Kaoru's fists clench in Shinta's clothes in anger. He caught the infant when Kaoru dropped him in his arms again and shook his head as she attacked Yahiko.
"So Kenshin, what happened last night?" Sano asked, appearing behind him.
"Huh?" Kenshin wondered, looking over his shoulder at the taller man.
"Seriously," Sano said, sarcastically. "You two disappear for a whole night and come back with a baby that looks a lot like the Missy. I don't remember her getting any bigger either. So, what happened?"
"We go caught in the rain on the way home and spent the night in an abandoned house, that we did," Kenshin answered, not quite getting what his friend meant.
"Okay, but that still doesn't explain the baby."
"We found him at the house, that we did. His mother had been killed. She was dead when we got there, she was."
"All right, pal. Whatever you say." He shrugged and caught Yahiko by the collar of his gi as he ran by. "Hey punk, you better start bein' nice to the little Missy or Kenshin'll get after you."
Kaoru blushed furiously and looked up at Kenshin, who was blushing just as deeply.
Yahiko smirked at the flushed pair and snickered arrogantly. "Oooh," he mocked. "Kaoru loves Kenshin."
Kaoru clonked him on the head, angrily.
Kenshin smiled sweetly at her, Shinta mirroring the look.