Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic
Summary: A father's promise to his newborn son.
- G - English - General – Song-Fic - Status: Complete –
Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version ©N. Watsuki/Shueisha Fuji-TV SME Visual Works Inc. Sony Pictures Entertainment
All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.
Come With Me
Fanfic By: Chiruken
Kaoru looked down at the tightly wrapped bundle held securely in her arms with shining sapphire eyes. A dazzling smile of pure joy spread across her tired features as she slowly looked up and met the gentle violet gaze of her husband before she held the small burden out to him. Hesitating for only a moment, eyes filled with a depth of emotion that was nearly impossible to describe with mere words, Kenshin reached down and accepted the offering. Gazing down at the tiny face of the infant wrapped securely in clean blankets, a tender smile curved his lips upwards as he studied the features of his newborn son.
Kenshin stepped outside through the shouji and stood on the engawa, gaze never lifting from that of his son. In the streaming sunlight, his violet eyes shimmered with unshed tears of intense joy. While he looked into the innocent eyes of the child, the memories of his past receded, his sorrow lifting, if even only for the moment. A tiny fist broke free of the confines of the tightly wrapped blanket, fingers tangling in his father's hair and tugging, a soft mewling sound emerging from his small mouth. Chucking softly under his breath he gently disentangled the baby's tight grip from his hair.
Stepping off the engawa, he began to slowly pace around the doujou's yard, humming a soft tune under his breath as he gave his son his first tour of his home. Holding the baby close to his chest, he paused and tilted his face up to the bright blue sky high above. Somehow, holding his son in his arms, he felt that all was right in his world and that he now felt complete. Looking down again, he smiled and made a solemn vow to the newborn, a promise that he intended to keep, no matter what hardships he may have to endure or how many sacrifices he would have to make.
Returning to the house, he smiled when he saw that his wife was now sleeping peacefully. Kneeling beside her futon, he looked from her to their son and back again. He knew he didn't deserve the happiness he now felt, but he would do everyting in his power to protect it...and those that he loved as well.
Not wishing to disturb Kaoru from her slumber, he leaned back against the wall, cradling their son against his chest, close to his heart. Humming the same tune from outside, he began to slowly put words to the feelings welling up within his heart and soul. Lifting his hand, he traced his forefinger over the smooth perfection of his son's cheek. Gazing down into eyes so close to the same colour as his own, he made his promise once again...
When it came to those he held dear to his heart, it didn't matter how impossible the task may seem, he would do anything for them just so they would never feel the same sorrow he'd felt for most of his life. He never wanted his son to experience the same pain of regret that he'd felt so often over the years.
He looked up and gazed at his sleeping wife with tenderness and love shining in his eyes. He never wanted to see her with tears in her beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to see her smile and would do anything he could to ensure that her expressive features would never be clouded by doubt or sorrow ever again.
They'd endured many hardships, weathered so many tragedies together. But somehow, through the trials theyd faced, she'd always managed to smile. Even through tears of grief and sorrow, she would somehow manage to smile, a gesture that never failed to give him strength to carry on when all hope would seem to be lost.
He looked from his wife to his son and back again, knowing that no matter what the cost may be, he would do anything for them. He would sacrifice everything to ensure their happiness.
The baby began fussing, tiny hands closing into fists and pumping up and down as he opened his mouth to cry, small features scrunching up and turning red to match the shock of hair atop his head. Gently rocking his son, Kenshin smiled and held his index finger out for him to latch onto with his small hand.
As the baby grasped his father's finger and held on tight, he began to settle again, the angry flush leaving his features as his eyes opened and half focused as he listened to Kenshin's soft voice. Kenshin smiled and bowed his head closer, lowering his voice so as not to disturb Kaoru from her much needed peaceful slumber.
He wanted his son to live his life peacefully in the new era he had helped to bring into being. He wanted him to be able to enjoy the small things that he had taken for granted so often during his impetuous youth. The brightness of the stars shining in the sky, the magnificence of a sunset, the purity of the first snowfall of winter.
Kenshin wanted to watch his son grow and be by his side as he took his first steps. He wanted to guide him through his discovery of the world surrounding him. There were so many things he wanted for his son, so many things that he hadn't been able to experience because of the tumultous times during his youth.
He looked up when Kaoru shifted in her sleep. Smiling, he acknowledged that his world revolved around her and the son she had given him. He now had something that he'd been yearning for deep within his heart for most of his life...a family. He had so much to be thankful for...so much more to protect now, but he didn't mind. He would gladly fight to protect this second chance at happiness that he'd been granted.
Kaoru threw her arm out to the side and Kenshin reached over and took her hand into his own with a gentle smile softening his features. Her gentle and giving nature had healed his wounded heart and soul, giving him the chance to learn to love again. He was greateful that fate had guided him to the deserted streets of early morning Tokyo.
He looked down at his son again, finding his eyes on him. He never wanted those eyes to lose their innocence and curiosity. Though he knew he couldn't protect him from every hardship in life, he wanted to keep him safe and sheltered as much as he could for as long as possible.
Glancing to the side, his gaze fell on his sheathed sakabatou. He didn't want his son to learn of his father's violent and bloody past, though he knew that it couldn't be hidden forever. He hoped that his son would never have to make choices as he had in the past. To that end, he would never teach him swordsmanship. He had no intention of ever passing on the sorrows associated with the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu.
He hoped that in time his son would understand why he made the choices he did during his lifetime and not repeat the same mistakes he had made. He knew that at first it would be nearly impossible for Kenji to understand his father's feelings, but he had hope that as he grew and matured that it would all become clear.
He wanted his son to be strong, but not to rely on a sword to prove that strength. He wanted him to discover what true strength was. He hoped that Kenji would become a better man than he had ever been. Though he knew it was impossible, he didn't want his son to ever learn the horrible truth about his father...that he hadn't always been a peaceful rurouni, that he had in fact once been a hitokiri bathed in the blood of the revolution.
He wanted his son to learn the joys of loving another, but to never feel the grief of losing that special person as he had with his first love. He had so many hopes for the future of his son, that he would grow to be confident and assured, that he would never have to spend his days or nights frightened and hungry. He wanted to erase all doubts and fears from the boy's heart before they had a chance to form.
A lifetime was so fleeting, yet infinitely long. He wanted his son to experience all the joys of the world surrounding him. Hope was so fragile, as fleeting as the day and as endless as the night. He wanted Kenji to learn to cherish each fleeting moment of life that he'd been gifted with, to never take for granted the peace that surrounded him. Kenshin looked towards his sleeping wife and hoped that their son would inherit her kind heart and gentle nature, while preserving the fiery spirit that drove her onward.
No matter what the situation, through any trial, he would always fight to protect his son from the heartache he had endured through the years from not knowing the safety and love of a family. He would always strive to be a constant in his life, a steadying influence to guide him from day to day. He wanted to shield Kenji from the ugliness of the world that existed in the shadows beyond the gates of the doujou. He would never allow the shadows of his past to touch his son, protect him from the uncertainties that had plagued his own life for so many years. He would do anything for his son.
He shifted closer to the futon Kaoru rested upon and lifted her hand to hold against his cheek, violet eyes closing with a contented smile lighting up his features. He would keep his family safe, protect them from all the shadows that seemed to continue to cling to him. He wanted his family to be safe and happy in the peace of the new era. Someday soon he would give up the sword and embrace a peaceful existence, forever burying his past as a hitokiri. The dangers of an unsettled land were at an end. The Meiji Era had ushered in a new age...one of peace and growth. Kenji had his whole future ahead of him, so many paths that he could take. Kenshin had hope that his son would make the right choices in life and not follow in his footsteps.
Kenshin bowed his head, eyes slowly closing as he settled against the wall, his newborn son held securely against his chest, his free hand holding Kaoru's hand. Everything his did from now on would be for the future happiness of his son and the continued happiness of his wife. Everything he had fought for, all the grief he'd endured, had finally turned to joy...all thanks to Kaoru's forgiving nature and gentle smile. And now she had given him the most precious gift of all...a son.
Author's Notes
A Song-Fic with no Lyrics doesn't really make sense and is rather silly. Due to FFn's policy, this has become a Song-Fic with no lyrics.