Dislcaimer: Watsuki-sama owns Rurouni Kenshin. Not Gochan-sama.
Note: This contains slight spoilers for the end of the Jinchuu Arc. Um, nothing really extreme to plot give-aways I don't think, but, well... You've been warned.
Three words.
"What a dump!" Kaoru declared.
And that's all that really needed to be said about Sano's apartment.
Nomally, I would be avidly agreeing by now. Normally, I'd be waving my hand in front of my nose in an overreaction to some nonexistent odor (boy, I wish the odor was nonexistent). Normally, I'd be comparing the room's cleanliness to the gutters (gutters winning, of course). Normally, I'd be laughing by now.
…Too bad nothing was normal anymore.
Kaoru turned towards me, one hand placed firmly on her hip as she stated, "You can't honestly be thinking of actually living here, can you?" It almost wasn't a question the way she said it.
I glared at her from the corner of my eye. If I looked at her full on I could lose my resolve. After all…
I was gonna miss her too.
"Of course I am, Ugly!" I retorted smartly, stepping past her to enter further into the complex. …Further into my new home.
"It's a complete mess," she noted rather obviously.
This was definitely true. Looking around it was quite apparent that someone had left the place in an awful hurry. A few clothes were strewn about, having been ripped from their place and thrown aside carelessly. Drawers and closets were still open and their contents messily handled as though having been searched through in an awful hurry, their owner looking only for what was most vital to him.
Sanosuke must've really been in a rush.
My eyes steeled along with my determination. "I've already made my decision, Kaoru. Sano left his place to me and I'm going to take it. It's my duty as a man!"
I am a man! …I have to be.
She snorted angrily behind me. "Duty as a man," she mocked. "You're still only 10 years old, Yahiko! You're not old enough to be anything!"
I clenched my fists. Not because I was mad but because I was… hurt. It hurt to hear her say that. Especially now, because right now I needed her support the most.
Maybe I was only 10, but I was at the crossroads of my life! Ten years old and already at a crossroads! I wanted to yell at her to not think that I didn't realize this. To not think that I didn't know how important this was! To not think that I…wasn't just a little bit scared.
But I didn't yell. Because I was gonna miss her too.
"…Yahiko…" Kaoru's voice drifted toward me like a soft, whimpering sigh of the wind. I didn't look at her. "…Yahiko, why don't you just take care of this place during the day and stay at the dojo with us?"
The 'us' was her and Kenshin. Only her and Kenshin. …Personally I thought she'd be jumping a little more eagerly at this chance, but strangely… The idea almost seemed to scare her.
Oh man, Sano was right. Those two were going at such a slow pace that they needed something like this to kick them into gear. If I stayed I really would get in the way. I'd… distract them too much, I think. They would just start using me as a scapegoat to get them out of awkward situations and then they'd never get anywhere!
…And as to why I've spent so much time thinking about that, I'll never know. Yech, that's their business and I don't really wanna know about it!
Maybe that's another reason I'm leaving.
Huh. Funny how there seem to be more reasons for me to leave than to stay. …Funny how I say it's funny when it's not.
"Forget it, Kaoru," I scoffed, openly laughing at her and hoping to change the mood. "Besides, if I stayed, I'd be subject to your horrible cooking!"
(*Whack*)
That did the trick.
"You little ingrate!" she bellowed. "I'll have you know that I worked hard to buy the food you ate and to make it!"
I had to hide my grin behind a wince, rubbing the spot where she had socked me. It didn't hurt, but it was all for effect right now. "The buying part I appreciate," I retorted, "but the making part should've just been left up to Kenshin. With you cooking, you only have yourself to blame for wasting your money!"
With a huff she crossed her arms. "Well if you feel that way, you can forget about coming over for meals then!"
"I ate out more at the Akabeko even when I was staying there!"
"I feel sorry for Tae-san. She'll have to put up with a little brat like you more often now that you'll be working for a living." Was it my imagination…. or was she enjoying this banter as much as I was?
"Heh. I feel sorry for Kenshin. He'll have to eat all of your lousy meals by himself!"
"At least he'll be eating. See what happens when you find out the true responsibilities that come with taking care of yourself! Why, you'll come crying and begging to be let back in the dojo! Ohohoho!" The laugh wasn't nearly as good as Megumi's, but entertaining to say the least. "See if I let an ingrate like you back in!"
"Ha! Who'd wanna come back to an ugly, violent instructor like you anyway?!"
"And who'd want a selfish, know-nothing kid like you for an apprentice?!"
"Old hag!"
"Little brat!"
It was the more unusual typical argument we had ever had. I mean, we'd never been smiling at each other throughout one of our lung-contests before. Smiling and yet…
Kaoru left after that, no longer insisting that I come back with her. However, before she departed, she let me know in a passing word that whether she liked it or not, she couldn't stop me from bothering her every now and then.
She was gonna miss me.
I sneered as I told her that she couldn't get rid of me so easily. Because I was gonna miss her too.
But at least it didn't feel like forever anymore.
I think I caught her smile at my words, but I can't be sure because she turned her head away the next moment and mentioned how she would send Kenshin to check up on me later in the afternoon.
And that was all.
It was a fitting parting for us, I think. I had been afraid we'd get into something that felt too "final," and that might've been mushy. This had felt right. It felt like… us.
I was nice to know that even with the world turning upside-down, some thing would never change.
I'm gonna miss you too, Kaoru.
I turned to look at my new home.
…
I really had my work cut out for me.
A WORD FROM THE AUTHORESS:
This was a fic I had started a few months ago, and just recently I'd suddenly been inspired to finish it. Dunno why. Just did.
I love Yahiko and Kaoru's relationship. The brother-sister bond can be so touching and heartfelt, but it often gets lost behind the Kenshin & Kaoru relationship. Heck, Yahiko himself tends to get lost behind all of the relationships! So here's a tribute to you, Yahiko-chan! *gets whacked by shinai for using "chan"*
Just needed a little break from my other fics. Don't worry minna, I'm still writing them, but every once in a while, when a little idea strikes you, ya have to flow with it.
Hope you enjoyed it! Ja ne!