Author's Note: This has got to be lighter-hearted fic I've ever and will ever write.

Though it can be read independently from it, this is a continuation of my Hold on to your truth fanfic. You can read it if you want to know why Soujirou is now living with Kenshingumi at Kamiya Dojo.

Written at candle light as usual and I've changed the scents to help me with the different mood of the story compared to my usual.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin / Samurai X or any of its characters they belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro and rightfully so, thanks to that sir.

Kamiya Dojo woke up with a new guest, and despite half of the residents being happy with the visitor, the other half was anything but excited. Curiously, it were the younger ones. Yahiko expressed his mistrust the second he stepped inside and found out they'd be harbouring a former enemy, but the real obstacle was turning out to be a very different one from what Soujirou had ever faced.

If the little red haired baby didn't look so silly and round, he might actually be threatening with that frown and serious eyes. Instead, he just looked like an adorable angry baby and Soujirou smiled at him from the other side of the kitchen.

"You really don't like me, do you?"

Kenji didn't like his smile most of all apparently, since his nearly non-existent eyebrows frowned even deeper whenever he caught Soujirou smiling. Which was still frequent.

"Well, Himura-san already told me you're not very fond of him, but you barely know me yet, did I do something wrong?"

It didn't even register to him that he was talking to a not-even one year old baby. During his travels over the past five years he had met many children, and found out he had a striking ease to talk with them, regardless they were too young to understand him yet or not.

He found out he really liked children. They were the embodiment of what weak was supposed to mean, but he understood by himself that letting those weak die would be wrong. The strong were meant to protect the weak, like children.

"I mean no harm, mighty daimyo," he said playfully, laying down the potatoes he had been peeling and raising his hands to the tiny houselord. He was meant to be helping out with lunch while Kaoru had to leave momentarily, but he got distracted. "I pledge my life to you and your family, my lord, so don't kick me out, please?"

Soujirou smiled from his own silliness. "Is that what samurai say? I have no idea, I never had a daimyo. Do you want to play with me, Kenji?"

Kenji blinked and raised his little hand, signaling him to approach. Soujirou obeyed accordingly and kneeled down to match the baby's height. Kenji was strikingly similar to his father and it was funny to see how much so. At Soujirou's new smile, Kenji raised his hand a little higher and slowly touched Soujirou's hair. His fingers locked into a fist and he pulled.

"Areh? Ow." He should have guessed Kenji inherited his father's strength because, ow. Ow. "You tricked me, mighty daimyo! You -ow- are really stronger than you look, aren't -ow."

"Kenji, what are you doing?" Kaoru returned and rushed to them. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"I'm sorry, Kaoru -ow. I mean, Kaoru-san, er Himura... Kamiya-san!" he tried correcting himself hastely. His scalp was burning ever so slightly (or maybe a bit more...) and in no time he'd be touching the floor with his forehead, or so seemed to be Kenji's desire.

"I told you, just call me Kaoru. Kenji, let him go now!"

Obviously, Soujirou could easily release himself from the baby's fist (or maybe not so easily as he thought, since Kaoru did have to struggle a bit more than expected to ease his fingers) but he didn't move and kept smiling as Kenji attempted to resist his mother's strength. Kenji never complained like a baby would, just relentlessly... didn't let go.

"He's very focused, isn't he?" Soujirou managed to say when he felt a break from the pulling, but Kenji soon regained his grip again.

"Silly Kenji, Soujirou isn't daddy, you can't pull his hair!"

"Maybe he'll let go if we offer him my hair," Neither of them had realized Kenshin had joined them too. Kaoru took advantage of Kenji's distraction and finally opened his fist and Soujirou was free.

"What an adventure already, and it's just morning!"

"He must think I'm stupid, me and my smile," Soujirou said, brushing his head. Kenji was now looking to the black hairs stuck between his fingers, probably wondering they were a lot darker than the ones he usually pulled.

However, when Kenshin took Soujirou's place in peeling potatoes, Kenji's silent gaze shot up and his hand raised again.

Ah, so that's it!

"He doesn't like us cooking, that's why!"

The parents turned to him in confusion and then to Kenji.

"Well, he is fiercely protective of his mother, that he is. Specially her cooking."

"What if the two of us stay here and Kaoru tells us what to do? That way we help but aren't replacing her cooking." Again Soujirou was talking directly to Kenji, not minding if the baby's parents might think his hair had been pulled too much.

Kenji lowered his hand and Soujirou smiled and clapped like a happy child.

"I love your son, he's amazing!"

Behind him, Kenshin and Kaoru exchanged looks and smiled.

Lunch was as such made by Kaoru with the assistance of Kenshin and Soujirou and under Kenji's tight supervision. Though Kenshin and Yahiko still cringed slightly while eating, Soujirou didn't find it bad at all. Kenji still pulled Kenshin's hair when he got near and shot Soujirou a frowned look, so somethings will always remain the same.

~おわり~

Author's Note: Ok, about Kaoru-san/Kamiya-san/Himura-san. Kaoru being married would turn her Himura but it becomes confusing. Kaoru-san seemed right for someone like me, but I've learned that it would actually sound awkward - too personal mixed with formality and kind of blowing it up. (Thanks Kamisama no Iutoori's translators!) Kamiya-san would therefore be the most correct term.

Daimyo were the feudal lords who hired samurai.

Thank you for reading and I hope you can review because I've never written something this light hearted.