Yahiko was pacing his room. It was early morning; the sun hadn't even come
up yet. But something was playing with his mind. Something he had never
expected to bother him, yet it was. He tried to think it through in his
mind, but it just got confused with everything else. He tried writing it
out, talking it out with himself, but nothing seemed to work.
He had to talk with somebody. Kaoru? She would only make fun of him, and that would make him feel stupid. Kenshin would only treat him like a young child and say "Little Yahiko! You really do?" and he'd laugh. Sano? He'd be good if he wasn't the competition. Megumi? She was what it was all about.
Yes, Takini Megumi was what everything was all about in this little mess of his. Kaoru didn't like her much, Kenshin didn't care, and Sanosuke was his biggest competition. The more he'd try to break those two apart, the closer they'd become. It was a love-hate relationship, he knew that, but it was becoming more love everyday. He'd like to get a moment alone with her, but he was so much younger than she was.
But, there was a good point to her being older. She was much more beautiful, and kinder to him, than Kaoru ever would be. Kaoru was still an annoying girl, but Megumi was a woman, a beauty.
And now that he thought about it, he decided he hated Sano now. He wanted Megumi, but Sano was in his way. He needed to tell somebody what he was thinking, but it would be all laughs and 'little Yahiko is too young' or 'that's so cute'. He was sick of it. He decided to tell her. He put his clothes on and looked outside. The sun was rising and he could feel the warmth of it on his face already.
He stretched and yawned and walked out into the yard, heading towards the gate. Just as he was about to leave the grounds, a sharp yell hit his ears.
"Where do you think you're going? You have a lesson today!" Kaoru said harshly.
"I'm skipping it for today," he said coolly, and went on his way.
"Something's weird about that kid," Kaoru said sitting down at the table next to Kenshin.
"There's something on his mind, and he doesn't feel like talking about it, this one thinks," Kenshin said, holding a cup of tea with both hands.
"He's just a kid, what would he think about?" Sano said, putting a mysterious something into his unsuspecting mouth.
"Is it any good, Sano?" Kaoru asked.
"Terrible," he replied.
"I'm going to walk in and ask to talk to her privately," Yahiko was mumbling to himself. People were just coming out of their houses; the streets were becoming slightly crowded. He came closer to the clinic. He stood outside of it, took a deep breath, and walked inside. Nobody seemed to be awake. He walked around but couldn't find her anywhere.
"Are you looking for Megumi-san?" a man asked.
"Yes. Where is she?"
"She's in her room. I don't know if she's awake yet, she worked hard last night, many wounded police to tend to," he said.
"Thank you," he said, and he dashed off towards her room.
He stood in the doorway, looking at a figure sleeping on a mat on the ground. It was her, but he could barely move towards her. He knelt by her side and looked down upon her. She looked so peaceful laying there while the rest of the world around her was up and rushing to wherever they were needed. He reached his hand out to stroke her hair, but one of her eyes opened.
"Morning already. What a busy night," she yawned. "Hello, Yahiko-Chan," she said pleasantly. She sat up, holding a blanket around her. "What are you doing here? Are you sick?"
"No. I needed to talk to you," he stared. He checked if she was listening. She was. "About something. Something important."
"Can I get dressed first, and then I'll hear you out. The clinic is closed except for emergencies today," she said. "Go wait out there," she told him, pointing to the hall.
He walked out into the hallway and closed the door. Now that he was in, he couldn't back out. He had a small amount of time to think of what he was going to say, and how he would say it. Everything he said in his head sounded stupid, nothing was coming out right. The door opened and he was ushered in. He swallowed hard and tried to stop shaking.
"Could you shut the door?" he asked.
"Of course," she said, and shut it. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
Outside the door, Kaoru stood with her ear up to the door, hoping she could find out what was wrong with her student.
"Well, it's hard for me to say. But I've decided that I should tell you, and that you deserve to know. But it's going to be hard for me to say," he said, his voice trailing off into nothing.
"Here, drink some," she said, pushing a cup of tea towards him.
"Thank you," he took a sip and started. "I know this will sound strange, coming from somebody of my age, but Megumi-"He stopped and turned, on the verge of tears. He was so nervous and scared, and worst of all he was trapped in the middle of a sentence that he had to finish. He wiped the tears and turned back around to her. He couldn't stop the tears now, and he didn't care. He pushed back all emotions, nothing mattered now, only her. What could she say to him? Nothing. Nothing bad that could hurt him, he was sure of it. Through the tears he managed to choke out, "I love you,"
He fell into her arms crying, her holding him tight up against her, filled with sympathy and confusion. A boy of his age crying in her arms, just admitting his feelings to her. It was enough to think about later.
He felt secure, being held up against her chest, able to cry as long and as hard as he wanted. He had somebody who'd listen, and who wouldn't laugh or criticize. He knew she couldn't say anything to hurt him. He felt warm and comfortable, and slowly fell asleep, cradled in Megumi's arms.
Kaoru had heard the whole thing, and decided to see what had happened. She opened the door and walked inside. "I've come to take back my student," she said half-heartedly.
"He's asleep," Megumi said with an airy tone, looking down on him, stroking his hair and wiping away his tears. Kaoru sat down near her.
"He's a boy," she said.
"And you're a girl. Sir Ken is at least thirty or more. He is much older than you,"
"You feel the same way about Yahiko?"
"No. I don't. But I've decided to be here for him," she said. She kissed him on his forehead and laid him in her bed and covered him up.
He had to talk with somebody. Kaoru? She would only make fun of him, and that would make him feel stupid. Kenshin would only treat him like a young child and say "Little Yahiko! You really do?" and he'd laugh. Sano? He'd be good if he wasn't the competition. Megumi? She was what it was all about.
Yes, Takini Megumi was what everything was all about in this little mess of his. Kaoru didn't like her much, Kenshin didn't care, and Sanosuke was his biggest competition. The more he'd try to break those two apart, the closer they'd become. It was a love-hate relationship, he knew that, but it was becoming more love everyday. He'd like to get a moment alone with her, but he was so much younger than she was.
But, there was a good point to her being older. She was much more beautiful, and kinder to him, than Kaoru ever would be. Kaoru was still an annoying girl, but Megumi was a woman, a beauty.
And now that he thought about it, he decided he hated Sano now. He wanted Megumi, but Sano was in his way. He needed to tell somebody what he was thinking, but it would be all laughs and 'little Yahiko is too young' or 'that's so cute'. He was sick of it. He decided to tell her. He put his clothes on and looked outside. The sun was rising and he could feel the warmth of it on his face already.
He stretched and yawned and walked out into the yard, heading towards the gate. Just as he was about to leave the grounds, a sharp yell hit his ears.
"Where do you think you're going? You have a lesson today!" Kaoru said harshly.
"I'm skipping it for today," he said coolly, and went on his way.
"Something's weird about that kid," Kaoru said sitting down at the table next to Kenshin.
"There's something on his mind, and he doesn't feel like talking about it, this one thinks," Kenshin said, holding a cup of tea with both hands.
"He's just a kid, what would he think about?" Sano said, putting a mysterious something into his unsuspecting mouth.
"Is it any good, Sano?" Kaoru asked.
"Terrible," he replied.
"I'm going to walk in and ask to talk to her privately," Yahiko was mumbling to himself. People were just coming out of their houses; the streets were becoming slightly crowded. He came closer to the clinic. He stood outside of it, took a deep breath, and walked inside. Nobody seemed to be awake. He walked around but couldn't find her anywhere.
"Are you looking for Megumi-san?" a man asked.
"Yes. Where is she?"
"She's in her room. I don't know if she's awake yet, she worked hard last night, many wounded police to tend to," he said.
"Thank you," he said, and he dashed off towards her room.
He stood in the doorway, looking at a figure sleeping on a mat on the ground. It was her, but he could barely move towards her. He knelt by her side and looked down upon her. She looked so peaceful laying there while the rest of the world around her was up and rushing to wherever they were needed. He reached his hand out to stroke her hair, but one of her eyes opened.
"Morning already. What a busy night," she yawned. "Hello, Yahiko-Chan," she said pleasantly. She sat up, holding a blanket around her. "What are you doing here? Are you sick?"
"No. I needed to talk to you," he stared. He checked if she was listening. She was. "About something. Something important."
"Can I get dressed first, and then I'll hear you out. The clinic is closed except for emergencies today," she said. "Go wait out there," she told him, pointing to the hall.
He walked out into the hallway and closed the door. Now that he was in, he couldn't back out. He had a small amount of time to think of what he was going to say, and how he would say it. Everything he said in his head sounded stupid, nothing was coming out right. The door opened and he was ushered in. He swallowed hard and tried to stop shaking.
"Could you shut the door?" he asked.
"Of course," she said, and shut it. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
Outside the door, Kaoru stood with her ear up to the door, hoping she could find out what was wrong with her student.
"Well, it's hard for me to say. But I've decided that I should tell you, and that you deserve to know. But it's going to be hard for me to say," he said, his voice trailing off into nothing.
"Here, drink some," she said, pushing a cup of tea towards him.
"Thank you," he took a sip and started. "I know this will sound strange, coming from somebody of my age, but Megumi-"He stopped and turned, on the verge of tears. He was so nervous and scared, and worst of all he was trapped in the middle of a sentence that he had to finish. He wiped the tears and turned back around to her. He couldn't stop the tears now, and he didn't care. He pushed back all emotions, nothing mattered now, only her. What could she say to him? Nothing. Nothing bad that could hurt him, he was sure of it. Through the tears he managed to choke out, "I love you,"
He fell into her arms crying, her holding him tight up against her, filled with sympathy and confusion. A boy of his age crying in her arms, just admitting his feelings to her. It was enough to think about later.
He felt secure, being held up against her chest, able to cry as long and as hard as he wanted. He had somebody who'd listen, and who wouldn't laugh or criticize. He knew she couldn't say anything to hurt him. He felt warm and comfortable, and slowly fell asleep, cradled in Megumi's arms.
Kaoru had heard the whole thing, and decided to see what had happened. She opened the door and walked inside. "I've come to take back my student," she said half-heartedly.
"He's asleep," Megumi said with an airy tone, looking down on him, stroking his hair and wiping away his tears. Kaoru sat down near her.
"He's a boy," she said.
"And you're a girl. Sir Ken is at least thirty or more. He is much older than you,"
"You feel the same way about Yahiko?"
"No. I don't. But I've decided to be here for him," she said. She kissed him on his forehead and laid him in her bed and covered him up.
