"Tou-chan?"
Himura Kenshin looked up to see his daughter standing nearby on the engawa.
"Kaori? Aren't you supposed to be with Yahiko in the dojo training?"
Kaori shrugged. "He said we could have a break. …Um …Tou-san?"
"What is it, de gozaru?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
The redheaded man smiled. "Of course, de gozaru."
Kaori sat down and cocked her head slightly and with a completely straight face asked, "How did you fall in love with Kaa-san? …Well, when did you know you loved her?"
Kenshin raised his eyebrows. "Why do you want know?" he asked with a slightly suspicious tone. "There is no boy, de gozaru?"
Kaori went red. "I'm just curious, Tou-san! I'm only nine!"
Kenshin let the tension in his jaw relax. There was boy that had been giving his daughter special attention, and he didn't know exactly how to deal with it. Kaoru had found it quite adorable, but he usually found himself gritting his teeth.
"I just wanted to know, that's all," Kaori added, pulling Kenshin from his thoughts.
Finally, Kenshin smiled. "You know I met your mother one day when I visited Tokyo during the days when I was a rurouni, de gozaru. She first struck me as courageous, impulsive, and naïve for trying to take down the Hitokiri Battousai. I simply saw her as girl who needed my help, and that was that. But that changed when I saw her the next day, and she told me she didn't care about my past. No one had ever said that to me before, and I in turn gave her respect for it."
"So were you in love with Kaa-san then?" Kaori asked.
Her father shook his head. "I do not think so, de gozaru. At that time, it was simply admiration."
"Why?"
Kenshin smiled. "Love at first sight is rare, de gozaru. It happens, but most people do not experience it. Love usually sneaks up on you like the tide, and then suddenly you discover you are drowning. Attraction, though, usually does happen first, de gozaru."
Kaori's eyes lit up with understanding. "So you were attracted to Kaa-san?"
"Hai, something drew me to her. It probably was her inability hold any prejudice against my past, even when she knew who I was." Kenshin looked away. "I never had found someone in all the ten years I had been wandering who said that or felt that way."
"So then, when did you know you loved her?" Kaori pressed.
"I believe the first time I officially admitted it to myself was when your mother welcomed me back from Kyoto, but I knew I loved her before that. I had also known your mother loved me." Kenshin chuckled slightly. "Your mother can be very obvious, de gozaru."
Kaori giggled in agreement, and Kenshin continued. "But, I was in denial, trying to suppress my feelings, knowing I would put her in danger. I already had once during the incident with Jin'eh, and I didn't want something to happen like it did with Tomoe. Leaving for Kyoto was one of the outcomes of that fear."
Kaori smiled brightly. "But that's when Kaa-chan followed you, Tou-san!"
Kenshin smiled back at his daughter and gave her a light kiss on the head. "Hai, and I'm very glad she did, otherwise I would never had you or Kenji."
"Kaori-nee!" Shinya's voice rang. "We're about to start practicing again!"
"Coming!" she called back. "I gotta go, Tou-san." But before standing, she gave her father a tight hug and a kiss on his barely scarred cheek. "Thanks, Tou-san. Love you." Then, she stood and ran back to the dojo.
Kenshin watched Kaori's retreating figure until it disappeared. Suddenly, a feminine grunt sounded through the yard, and Kenshin looked to see his wife at the dojo gate, juggling a bunch of groceries. He hurried to his feet to help her.
"Kaoru-dono, you should have told me that you were going shopping, de gozaru," Kenshin admonished, taking some off her hands. "I would have gone for you, de gozaru."
Kaoru sighed as they made their way to the kitchen. "It's all right, Kenshin. I only stepped out to get a few things, but as I shopped I realized I needed other things so here I am. Even though Kenji is training with Hiko-san, we still have to feed Kaori who's growing like a weed, and we always have so many guests. And—"
Kenshin stopped her rambling by placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "You worry too much, koishii."
Kaoru's eyes widened, her surprise almost making her drop her packages. Her husband was not prone to show affection out in the open, unless he was feeling extremely happy or content or… upset. "Ken… shin?"
"I'm fine, koi. I was simply reminiscing how I fell in love with you, de gozaru." Kaoru looked slightly confused, so Kenshin added, "Kaori came to me and asked when I knew I loved you."
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "That must have surprised you."
"Hai, de gozaru." Kenshin chuckled. "I almost thought there was boy in her life."
Kaoru smiled at the underlying grimace in her husband's voice, as they both set down their parcels on the counter. "You know she eventually will find a boy to love her, anata."
"You don't have to remind me, de gozaru," Kenshin said, frowning. "With Kenji off on his own, training with Shishou… which I still have misgivings about, I don't want to think about my second child leaving home."
Kaoru patted his red hair in a half mock, half comforting way. "But you know, once Kenji and Kaori marry that means we get grandchildren to spoil." Her finger tapped the underside of Kenshin's chin. "Does that sound so bad?"
Kenshin's frown slowly turned upward into a grin. "Iie." He wrapped his arm around Kaoru's slim waist and rubbed his cheek against hers. "That means I get to live with you to a ripe old age. And that sounds wonderful, de gozaru."
Suddenly, Kenshin felt Kaoru tense and move away from him, glaring. He grimaced, knowing she took it wrong.
"Are you saying I'm getting old, Kenshin no baka!" To which, Kenshin tried to calm his irate wife, but it only got him a whack on the head.
oOo
Kaori muffled a giggle at her parents' antics. She had stumbled upon their little scene, and now, she snuck away laughing. Her parents loved each other very much, and she thanked Kami that they had found happiness together. Though, even if most of the time it meant their love came out in little squabbles.
Okay, this was kind of random. It has multiple themes/ideas all jumbled together. Though, I'm happy I finally had something that focused more with Kaori.
So yes, Kaori trains in Kamiya Kasshin, and Kenji is off training with Hiko, which Kenshin still doesn't really like, but he's letting him.
And yes, to those who don't think Kenshin is helplessly in love with Kaoru. HE IS! Manga, people, MANGA! Did you read the part when he loses his will to live because he thinks she's dead?