Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Washing Laundry
Sagara Sanosuke leaned over the small tub of water, scrubbing at a blood stain that marred the back of his white jacket. It wasn't his blood of course but if Kenshin saw it he's have to know what happened and he wouldn't be happy until he had extracted every tiny detail from Sano.
Sano was distracted from his work by the sound of someone laughing, "What's so funny punk?" he asked, glancing towards Myojin Yahiko who was openly laughing at him.
"You're…you're…washing your laundry! You look like…like Kenshin or something!" Yahiko gasped out between fits of amusement.
Sano looked back at his work, "I'll have you know that women are attracted to men who do housework."
Yahiko stopped laughing, "Really?"
"Yeah. Look at Kenshin, he's not that good looking but women are always throwing themselves at his feet. It's got to have something to do with the laundry."
Yahiko looked at him with narrowed eyes, "You aren't making this up are you?"
Sano finished scrubbing his jacket and wrung it out, still talking, "Have I ever lied to you before?"
Yahiko opened his mouth to argue that statement but Sano rephrased it, "I mean when it's important."
Yahiko shook his head, "No." he admitted.
"Try it on that little waitress at the Akbecko you like and I bet she'll notice you."
"I don't like any of the waitresses at the Akbecko!" Yahiko yelled as he reached for his shinia but stopped when he realized something, "Shoot! I forgot Tae and Tsubame were coming for lunch while the Akbecko gets repaired! Gotta go!" He bolted down the path towards the dojo, turning over Sano's idea in his head. Maybe it might work.
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Himura Kenshin was getting ready to wash the laundry when Yahiko ran through the dojo gates with all the force of a small hurricane. When he saw Kenshin he slowed, "Hey Kenshin I'll do that."
Kenshin opened his eyes wide, "What?"
"I've been thinking I should start doing more work around here. It's only fair after all the help you and bus-I mean Kaoru has given me." Yahiko kicked at a pebble on the path as he spoke, avoiding Kenshin's suspicious gaze.
"Really?" Kenshin asked slowly.
"Yep and besides Kaoru probably needs your help with lunch right about now." Right on cue there was a loud shout of, "KENSHIN!" from the kitchen.
Kenshin muttered an "oro" under his breath and looked back at Yahiko, "You know how to do the laundry, right?"
"Yeah."
"Good." Kenshin vanished around the corner of the dojo, heading towards the kitchen to save Kaoru from whatever culinary disaster she had gotten herself into now.
Yahiko looked dubiously at the pile of laundry and the tub of soapy water. "This is going to take me forever," Yahiko sighed but if that what it took for Tsubame to notice him he'd do it.
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Yahiko was going to kill Sano.
Not only had he missed lunch but Tsubame had noticed him. She's laughed at him.
Not outwardly of course, she was too shy for that, but Yahiko could tell she was amused in the way she covered up her mouth to hide her smile.
Yahiko looked up from the laundry in time to see Sano come walking through the gate and he threw the first thing he could find at the older man.
The shirt hit Sano in the face with a wet splat before he peeled it off and glared at Yahiko, "What was that for?" he demanded.
"I decided to wash the laundry to impress…someone like you said and she wasn't impressed! She thought it was funny!"
"So?" Sano shrugged, lobbing the shirt back at Yahiko. It landed in the tub, splashing the front of Yahiko's gi. Yahiko glared at Sano, "I don't think it's funny! I'm out here washing laundry like a girl, I skipped lunch just to make sure I'd be here if she came outside and she laughed at me!" Yahiko yelled at Sano at as he stood up, thrusting the laundry soap into Sano's hands, "You finish!"
Sano watched Yahiko storm out of the gate until a slight tug at his sleeve made him look down, "Tsubame, what's wrong?"
"Where is Yahiko-chan going?" she asked in a timid voice.
"I don't know, probably down to the river."
"Thank you Sano-san." Tsubame murmured as she walked out of the gate following Yahiko.
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Yahiko wanted to be left alone and he didn't welcome the sound of someone coming up behind him, "Sano if that's you…" he trailed off as he stood up to face the intruder, "Oh…hi Tsubame."
"Are you upset with me Yahiko?" she asked nervously.
"No. Why do you think I'm mad at you?" Yahiko asked as he sat back down on the riverbank.
Tsubame hesitated for a minute before sitting down next to him, "You just seemed very upset and I thought it was something I might have done."
"It wasn't you."
They both trailed off into silence before Yahiko turned his head to face her, "Tsubame, what do you think of guys that do housework?" he stammered out.
"I like that. I like it when they help with things like dishes and the laundry. I noticed you were helping Kenshin-san and you didn't even come in for lunch. That was very nice of you."
Yahiko blushed slightly, "You didn't think it was funny?"
"No." Tsubame frowned slightly, "Why do you think I was amused?"
"You were laughing."
Tsubame giggled, "I wasn't laughing at you, I just thought it was cute watching you try to scrub that big kimono. But there are better ways of handling things like that when you're cleaning them. I could….I mean if you wanted to learn I could show you."
"Well if you showed me I guess I wouldn't mind." Yahiko tried to maintain an indifferent attitude but he stood up quickly, pulling Tsubame up with him. Though he tried not to appear too eager, his thoughts were different, "I'd learn how to wash laundry if Tsubame showed me. I'd do anything, scrub floors, wash dishes…even eat Kaoru's cooking if Tsubame did it with me!"
They slipped in the back gate of the dojo, avoiding the adults. Tae and Sano had gotten into an argument about his tab and Kenshin and Kaoru were trying to calm their friends down.
Tsubame frowned at the tub of dirty water, "We'll need clean water and soap," she said, picking up the laundry soap from the ground where Sano had dropped it.
Yahiko nodded and quickly returned with a bucket of fresh water. Together they dumped out the old and refilled it.
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Tae glanced around her, "Have you seen Tsubame? We need to get back to the Akebecko, the workers should be almost done and I need to clean up for tomorrow."
Kenshin was about to shake his head when he heard laughter from behind the house.
Yahiko and Tsubame looked up as Tae and Kenshin came up to them, "Tsubame, are you ready to go?" Tae asked and Tsubame nodded, "Yes Tae-san. See you tomorrow Yahiko."
Yahiko nodded and watched her until she disappeared through the dojo gates, a slight smile on his face.
"Yahiko are you all right?" Kenshin asked with concern.
"Yeah. I just need to finish up." Yahiko replied, his voice sounding distant.
"I saved you some lunch. Why don't you go eat and I'll finish up?"
"I'm fine; if I started the job I should do the whole thing. That's what bus-Kaoru says."
"If you're sure," Kenshin replied as he turned around, an uncertain expression on his face.
Yahiko hummed to himself as he washed the last piece. Maybe he wouldn't kill Sano, the rooster head was right after all.
But then, wasn't he always? At least where girls were concerned?
Fin.