A/n: Hi! Here is a little something to tide everyone over while I finish up Vaster Than Empires, and before I get started on the sequel to Invictus. Is very short, but sweet. Like tasty candy. There will be more of it.

"Head!"

Kaoru called out the strike as she paced around the edge of the Maekawa dojo. The students snapped their bamboo blades down in unison, one young man just a beat behind the others. She called out again, watching carefully. He was slow on this one, too. And the third.

She drifted a little closer, looking for the flaw. Ah – there it was. He was holding his wrist too stiffly, forcing his arm to fight the movement of the sword rather than flow with it. She delivered the correction quietly, so as not to shame him. He'd been struggling, and she knew that some of the older students were occasionally unkind about it. Come to think of it, she should probably spar with a few of them this time out, just to keep their heads from getting too inflated.

"Master Kamiya?"

Kaoru looked up. Mr. Maekawa was calling to her. He always called her 'Master Kamiya' in front of the students, although she was still 'little Kaoru' to him everywhere else. The courtesy warmed her: there weren't many swordsmen in Edo who extended it without a reminder, occasionally a firm one. And she could hardly be angry that he only used it in front of the students; after all, he'd known her since she was a little girl. He'd been one of the first people she'd ever sparred with, once her father deemed her skilled enough.

And he'd never failed to take her seriously, not once. After her father's death, that had meant more to her than any of the bland kindnesses her neighbors had offered.

"Fifty more strokes!" she instructed, before leaving the floor.

Mr. Maekawa was standing near the door, resting on his cane. Technically he'd retired from teaching after the incident with Raijuta and handed the school down to his assistant master. That didn't mean he hadn't stayed interested, and it wasn't unusual for him to sit in on the lessons, giving stern advice from the sidelines. His mind was still sharp, he'd insisted more than once; he'd injured his shoulder, not his brain.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked, shoving a sweaty bang away from her forehead.

"Would you mind staying a little while after the lesson is over?" His eyes were bright and secretive. "A matter's come up – it's to do with the responsibilities your father entrusted to me in his will. It's not something that should be discussed here in the dojo, but it should be dealt with sooner rather than later."

Kaoru furrowed her brown, unease clenching in her gut. Mr. Maekawa was her formal guardian, but he rarely did anything with that position – really, it was only a legal fiction, a line filled in on paperwork because doing so was easier than arguing that she shouldn't have to. She owned the dojo outright, since the new government had granted women the right to property, and that was all that she cared about. Having a formal guardian soothed her more conservative neighbors, and Mr. Maekawa could be trusted not to interfere in her life.

"It's nothing serious," he said mildly, then seemed to change his mind. "Well, no. It's quite serious, actually, but I think you'll be pleased. Very pleased indeed."

He gave a mischievous chuckle.

"Mr. Maekawa…" she started to say, and was cut short. He waved his hand back towards the class.

"There's no need to worry, little Kaoru. You'll see. Finish up the lesson, and we'll talk."

Message apparently delivered, he walked away, his cane striking in time with his footsteps. Kaoru glared after him, annoyed; Mr. Maekawa was a good sort, but he did have a prankish streak. But he wouldn't be treating whatever this was so lightly if it was anything to worry about.

There was no helping it, then.

Kaoru sighed and went back to the lesson.

"Well," Mr. Maekawa said, finally putting his cup aside. "Let's see. How to put this…?"

Kaoru listened intently, glad that he was finally getting down to business. The teacup was only faintly warm in her hands.

They'd begun talking quite some time ago, polite nonsense about the class and her school and the progress of her students, because there were forms to be observed. And – well, she had been out of touch. It wasn't that she'd been neglectful of her duties to him as her father's oldest friend. She'd visited and expressed condolences during his recuperation, and brought the appropriate gift. But between the unexpected trip to Kyoto and that horrible business at the end of the summer she had been quite busy, and what with one thing and another she hadn't really spoken to him for months.

"As you know, Kaoru, your father entrusted me with your well-being." Mr. Maekawa shifted, his leg clearly paining him. Guilt pricked at Kaoru. "I know you and him well enough to know that this meant mainly leaving you alone to live your life as you choose. And I've been glad to do so. Happy, even. However…"

He coughed, as though he found what he planned to say extraordinarily difficult. Kaoru swallowed, unease building in her stomach. Her life had been – unusual, lately, that was true, but all that was over now. Surely he couldn't…?

"However," he continued. "There is one issue in which I feel it is quite necessary to, hm, intervene. It really wouldn't be proper to do otherwise. And the gentleman in question quite agrees, to his credit. I encourage you think of this gesture as a sign of his deepest respect."

"What – what do you mean?" Kaoru put down her tea, very slowly, so as not to throw it at something.

"You're nearly seventeen, aren't you? It's time that you gave some real thought to your future, Kaoru: to still be unbetrothed and unmarried at your age is hardly practical. You should start thinking seriously about settling down."

"It's not that I don't want to." Kaoru folded her hands in her lap, studying them: the callouses and the bruises, and her too-short fingernails. "It's just that – well, you know I won't give up father's school, and – and you know as well as I do that most men wouldn't want to marry a sword-teacher. They'd make me stop teaching, stop practicing, and I won't do that for anything."

Most men, yes. Except for one. She could think of one man who wouldn't care even the smallest bit, but Kenshin had been so strange since he'd recovered from his injuries that she'd almost given up what little hope she'd had of one day marrying him. In some ways they'd never been closer: he was always nearby, nowadays, and she never had to do more than call out and he would be at her side. At the same time, though, he'd been distant. Somewhere else. Like he was struggling with something, coming to some terrible decision.

And then there'd been that afternoon, just the other day, when she'd come home to find him sitting on the porch and staring into nothing with a letter clutched in his hand, every one of his chores quite unfinished.

Kaoru took in a quick breath.

"Hmm, yes, I'm aware of that issue." Mr. Maekawa cracked his neck idly. "However, I have assurances that the gentleman in question is not opposed to your continuing practice of the sword-arts."

"You've – someone's already approached you?" Her heart sank. She wouldn't accept the suit. Couldn't. Didn't want to.

Though she should marry someone, eventually: if she didn't, the Kamiya name would die and her school would pass to Yahiko, not her own children, and that wasn't a bad thing, exactly, but Yahiko wasn't a Kamiya and didn't want to be. And she'd never ask that of him. He was so proud of his name.

One day, perhaps, he'd want to establish his own Myojin branch of the Kasshin ryu, and that would be fine. But there had to be a Kamiya Kasshin or… it wasn't fair that her father's legacy might be lost after only two generations.

Even if there was only one man whom she really wanted to marry.

"Indeed." He smiled genially at her. "Quite a suitable match, in my opinion. He's a pensioned veteran, so you'll have a steady income. Some sword training of his own, as I understand. He seems to be quite skilled. And he's older than you, which is to your advantage; more life experience to lean on. As for his personality, he's the respectful sort, very polite, if a bit quiet. A good balance for your liveliness, I think."

She didn't want to marry anyone except Kenshin. But Kenshin – hadn't asked yet.

It wasn't that she doubted that he felt strongly for her. She couldn't, not after everything they'd been through. But… he hadn't asked, and she didn't know why. Maybe he felt unworthy. Or maybe simply didn't want to ask at all, because his feelings for her, strong as they were, weren't the same kind of feelings that she had for him…

"And his family?" Kaoru asked, prevaricating. If nothing else, this proposal did give her an excuse to talk to Kenshin about marriage and family, and maybe she could use that to finally suss out his feelings on the matter.

"All dead, from what I understand. They were never large to begin with, and the Revolution took its toll. He's the last."

"Then he'd be joining my family?" That wasn't so bad. If her suitor wanted to join her family, it would at least put them on reasonably equal footing.

"That's between the two of you, I'd think." The laughing glint was back in Mr. Maekawa's eyes, as though there was a joke here that she wasn't in on. Kaoru frowned.

"Where's he from? Have I met him before?"

"He's not local. Just moved into town a few months ago, in spring. He's been staying at a local dojo, but his circumstances will be changing soon, which is why he's approaching you now. And you've met him quite a few times."

Kaoru narrowed her eyes, suspicion beginning to dawn.

"You haven't told me his name, yet." She said it very slowly. "Who exactly is it that asked for my hand, Mr. Maekawa?"

Mr. Maekawa's smile broke into a full grin, full of the same mischief that lit his eyes.

"Why, your Mr. Himura, of course," he said, entirely too pleased with himself. "And about time, too; if he'd waited a month longer, Dr. Oguni would have won the pool."

Kaoru stalked home in a state of high dudgeon, kicking the occasional innocent rock out of her way as hard as she could. Most of them went flying off into the bushes; one hit a poor fisherman on the bank in the back of the head. He would have objected, but her expression was enough to warn him off trying.

"Those two – " she fumed, unable to formulate anything more. "Those two – those two – those two jerks!"

The most important moment of her life and they'd turned it into a prank! Stupid, insensitive, conspiring males – oh, Kenshin was going to get it when she got home –

When she got home…

Kaoru came to a sudden stop just a few feet away from her gate, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth as her heart skipped suddenly in her chest. She'd have to give Kenshin an answer when she got home, wouldn't she? She hadn't given one at the Maekawa's – just shrieked and thrown on her coat, giving Mr. Maekawa a piece of her mind as she got ready to go home and give Kenshin what-for, because there was no way that those two hadn't been in cahoots over this. Getting her all worked up and worried like that –

"Kenshin, you jerk!" she cried, storming through the gate as she did so.

He wasn't home.

The laundry was hanging out to dry, but the house and grounds were empty. Kaoru stood framed by the gateway, her hands on her hips, and swallowed with a suddenly-dry throat.

A quick glance in the kitchen revealed that the tofu bucket was missing. He'd gone to market, then. So he'd be back by dinner time. And until then…

Until then, she just had to wait.

Or she could go after him – meet up with him at the market and – but then she'd have to tell him in front of everyone, and she couldn't bear the thought of all those strangers watching. Unless she didn't tell him, which was an option, and actually sounding more and more like a good one. Let him stew for a while, and worry, and think the worst of the situation –

Kaoru was halfway out the gate again when she stopped, again, and turned back towards the house.

Before doing any of that, she needed to take a bath. Dried sweat from the class stuck her uniform to her skin, and her hair was a mess, all disheveled and probably smelly and – and wouldn't that be just perfect, accepting his proposal at her sweatiest and most tomboy? A bath was called for, definitely, and a change of clothes, and maybe even some of the cosmetics she'd brought a few months ago in a spate of optimism – or maybe that was too vulgar – and she wasn't entirely sure how to apply any of it –

She went through the motions of preparing a bath with numb fingers, fumbling slightly as she struck flint against tinder to fire the wood under the bathhouse. Immediately after it caught, she reconsidered: wouldn't this just take more time, when she wanted to meet him coming home? Maybe she should just clean off and rinse, and skip the soak – oh, but maybe she should keep the fire lit anyway, maybe he'd want a bath but – no, no, that was dangerous, the house could burn down.

The fire had caught while she was dithering and was roaring away quite merrily. It would be a waste to put it out now.

She'd just have a very quick soak.

Kaoru rinsed and scrubbed fast enough that the water was barely tepid when she finally climbed in, and she shivered a little at the unexpected coolness. Her skin pricked as she sank up to her neck, then a little lower, letting the water cover her mouth and chin. The surface bubbled as she blew out a stubborn breath, trying for calm. She shouldn't be so work up about this. She needed to be mature, and dignified, the kind of woman who was ready to be a wife and a mother…

A mother…

Her hand crept anxiously over her abdomen, resting lightly across her taut skin. She thought of it swelling, of a child growing there, of her hard muscles softening and stretching to make room for her baby. Her child. Kenshin's child. Hers and Kenshin's – he'd want children. She was sure of that. And it wasn't that she didn't want children, because she did want children. Wanted his children; wanted him, now and always, waking and sleeping, every moment of every day that the gods saw fit to send them.

It was just that it was all so… large, suddenly. It was one thing to sigh and dream to herself when it had all seemed like a distant goal. And now it wasn't. Now it was there, waiting for her to take it; he had offered her the only thing he had, the strongest promise he could make. He wanted to marry her. To stay. Forever.

Kaoru flushed, or maybe it was just the water finally heating. Her tense shoulders began to relax and she eased herself deeper into the tub, until the water was nearly touching her nose. Then she giggled, feeling suddenly foolish.

Kenshin had asked her to marry him. Kenshin wanted to marry her. And she was going to say yes, and they were going to be husband and wife, and – and do all the things husbands and wives did, and he was going to stay by her side for always.

He was going to stay.

And that thought was bright enough to calm her fluttering nerves, at least for as long as it took to soak the worst of her exhaustion away. Her fingers only shook a little when she dressed.

She came out of the house just inside to see Kenshin step through the gate. For a moment she froze, unable to think of anything – and then she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a hug so tight and hard that he dropped the tofu, startled.

"You jerk!" Her voice broke, wavering, and she didn't care. "You jerk, how dare you, of course I'll marry you and that was a horrible trick and I'll never forgive you ever."

"Oro?" Kenshin arms wavered at his sides, half-extended and flailing for balance. She grabbed the bangs framing his face and pulled herself up on her toes, the better to glare at him.

"Didn't you hear me?" she demanded. "I said I'll marry you, you horrible – you jerk – even though you don't deserve it."

"Ororo?" But his eyes cleared into understanding even as he stuttered, and then his arms wrapped tight around her waist. He pressed his face to her neck, all lean hardness warm against her, and she felt him smile.

Kaoru's heart beat faster, pounding against her ribs.

"I'm home," he whispered, the words barely more than a grateful sigh against her ear. She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing him in.

"Welcome back," she said, and didn't need to say anything more.

Later, over dinner, she told him what had happened and he had the nerve to laugh as he claimed not to have known what Mr. Maekawa was going to do. Kaoru glared at him until he stopped, pulling his face into a solemn mien, and apologized very sincerely for her hurt feelings. She almost forgave him, after that.

That night he walked her to her room before bed, pressing his forehead to hers when he bid her goodnight, and she forgave him completely.