A/N: Just a small oneshot I thought that wouldn't leave my mind. It doesn't just focus on KnK's romance, but also on Yahiko's thoughts as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own RK. I've been writing fics for years already and I still don't own the series! *Goes and angsts on the Suoh Tamaki corner*
Summary: Kenshin and Kaoru are sick. Yahiko plays doctor, and he just might have come up with the most practical solution after all.
KNK
The soft pounds of hurried footfalls quietly reverberates across the wooden corridors as Yahiko, as silently as his panicked self could, dashes towards the kitchen and back to Kaoru's room, cup of steaming tea in one hand and a bucket of cold water, along with a rag in the other.
Gee. Of all the times Megumi and Doctor Genzai picked to do volunteer work out of town, it had to be this week. Great.
Victimized by a sudden virus which had spread across Tokyo, the two had fallen ill, —Kaoru, and in some weird mystical reason, even Kenshin. Couldn't the absence of the others be more perfect?
At least it is a sign that Kenshin is human, and not actually a demigod merely mingling with mere mortals like him, he rationalizes
It is a weird afterthought, but a comforting afterthought nevertheless.
"Ken…shin…"
Beside him, Kaoru groans in her sleep, tossing and sweating as a pale hand balls to fists.
Gosh. How peachy, the young Tokyo Samurai thinks. The two are pathetic really, tiptoeing on their feelings, hiding behind the truth when in fact, their feelings are everything but hidden. Those touches aren't accidental, those 'brushes' of the elbows during dinner time aren't either, tsk, if actions spoke louder than words, then he is damned sure theirs arent just in speaking tones—screaming, that's what it is.
As Kaoru groggily sinks back to bed after drinking the tea he made and after he has made sure the warm rag actually stayed still on her forehead, the boy casts a worried glance on the room beside Kaoru's.
Upon the sight of strewn pillows, tangled blankets and a shivering red head curled in a foetal ball, the young teen frowns.
Kneeling beside the man and awkwardly placing another wet rag to cool the other's forehead, interestingly, it feels strange for Yahiko to be nursing a man who he knows can be so powerful and even deadly at times. It's simply weird to even digest the idea that his idol, the one true hero he looks up to-- is as sick as sick could be.
Really, the sight of the once famous Hitokiri Battousai running a high fever, sweating profusely and tossing around makes him feel a bit queasy himself.
And it isn't helping that the swordsman is shivering and murmuring incoherent words in his sleep.
What could he be saying? Is Kenshin dreaming of the men he killed? Or his wife—Err, Tomoe was her name right? Or maybe he's dreaming of Shishio. Tsk, I'm still irritated that I never got to know how Shishio even looked like.
"Ka..oru…do..no… Kao..ru…"
Oh.
Busu.
The boy is almost surprised—almost. Kaoru has been the last option in his mind (truth speaking, he hasn't even actually thought of her). Sure he knows Kenshin likes Kaoru, but how far the man's feelings went for his instructor, he couldn't even start to understand. How could he, when the man's almost impossible to read? Smiling and cheerful one moment, angsting and brooding the next?
The older man's thrashing becomes wilder, enough to cause panic bells to alarm in Yahiko's mind. Just what on earth could Kaoru be doing in his dream for him to react like that? Probably chasing him with her magical bokken. Yep, anyone would be scared of that, even Battousai. Kaoru could be very scary at times—very scary.
He sighs. Honestly, if there is something he can do to fix those two, he will. But his helplessness all the more makes him feel bad. Plus the fact that he hasn't a clue when it comes to pairing people up.
"Kao..ru… Ka..oru…."
And then it suddenly hits him.
The idea is so sudden, so unexpected, no make that brilliant! That he really has to smile and congratulate himself. He doesn't call himself genius for nothing you know. Now I can gloat my way to Sano's dinner! Let's see how he reacts to my plan!
Granted that executing said 'plan' takes more effort and strength than Yahiko can ever imagine. Carefully lifting the sick man on his shoulders, he prays silently to whomever god is watching with amused eyes, that Kenshin's Hitokiri instincts don't kick in and he doesn't end up killing me. (Granted that said hitokiri's sword was a good four feet away, Yahiko rationalizes that Kenshin still knows how to attack even without a weapon and said attack could still be very painful if he ever deals him with one.)
Hoisting a very sick Kenshin on his young shoulders—success. But supporting a man's weight, while dragging him across the room and the corridor, is another thing; and Yahiko almost groans aloud and curses Sano for picking this time of the month to go 'chick-hunting' in Gion for that matter alone.
Gee Kenshin, when did you become so heavy? One would think he's a light man, after all, doesn't Sano tease him too much for being to petite and girly? But Yahiko tosses the thought out of the proverbial window as he braces himself of the man's weight and ploughs on to the other room.
Several minutes of huffing and puffing later, as he carefully lowers the man into the futon, his goal is almost at hand.
He silently watches as the flame haired man relaxes on the futon, and upon finding Kaoru next to him, spoons her to his side, his arms automatically encircling her waist, and pulls her form closer to his in a protective embrace.
The sight is almost too peachy for him—scratch that, it is too peachy.
Still, he notices the gentle way Kaoru's breathing has become, or the sudden peaceful look passing on the rurouni's face as he buries his head in the crook of her shoulder and releases a contented sigh, his nightmares long gone, probably chased by Kaoru's presence.
It is too peachy for him, but he doesn't forget to consider that what they both need, more importantly than real medicine-- is each other, and for the moment, the fact that they're sleeping next to the person they really need and want to be with, is better and more effective than any other herbal drug Megumi can give. (Which was at the moment, still something he can't supply but that isn't his fault either.)
Gathering the cup, the bucket and the cooling rag, he makes a move to leave the couple alone and is about to exit the room when a warm hand tugs gently on the hem of his hakama.
It is Kenshin, and although his eyes are clouded with sleep, his body still groggy and heavy, he manages a faint smile at the boy before sinking back to his position and surrounding himself once more with Kaoru's warmth.
"Arigatou…Yahiko."
And the boy simply nods to the man before gently pulling the shouji close.
OWARI
A/N: I was thinking of adding another small scene towards the end where Yahiko is the one who ends up sick, but err—I really didn't have the time to think about how to play it out (school starts tomorrow! ,) Plus, I think I was trying to go for the light comedy approach here, but it geared towards a little drama in the end so I thought it would be best to leave the ending as it is.
I tried not to make it too mushy since the story's told in a semi Yahiko POV and you just can't expect too much cheesiness from the kid right? But still, I think the slight waffy romance in the end was okay—err was it? Whaddya think? Kindly leave a review and tell me your opinion.
¬Ena