Summary: Drabble. The most mundane moments can bring us the greatest joy.
A/N: A ficlet in which absolutely nothing happens. Except some much-seen imagery. Details. Delight can be found in the familiar, yes?
A Sunny AfternoonBy: gure
Water and bubbles churned and swirled around his hands as Kenshin scrubbed a gi. It had been white. One of Kaoru's or perhaps Yahiko's -- he wasn't really paying attention. Just scrubbing it clean. The sun was warm on his back; its comforting heat helping him ignore the cramp in his leg as he crouched next to the washtub. He shifted his position a little and looked up briefly from his work, casting a glance around the yard.
Tsubame was visiting today, and Yahiko was showing off for her. Although he'd never admit to that. He'd call it "giving her a few pointers" with regard to her safety. When she had arrived, smiling shyly and offering a soft greeting to everyone, Yahiko had grunted a hello and shoved a shinai into her hand. He was currently taking her through some of the more basic moves of Kaoru's style. Kenshin noted his form was close to perfect, and despite his gruff demeanor, he was awfully patient with Tsubame, who gamely fumbled through the moves. He smiled. Yahiko would make an excellent instructor someday. Their voices drifted on the breeze, floating over the walls of the dojo to entertain the neighbors.
Both Sanosuke and Kaoru occupied the porch. Sano sprawled across the porch, leaning against a support, legs stretched out, eyes closed, fish bone clamped between his teeth. Occasionally, he'd crack open an eye and throw out some comment to the pair swishing and whacking away at each other in the yard, or offer a mocking word of encouragement to Kenshin for his endeavors.
Kaoru sat quietly on the steps, dangerously close, in Kenshin's opinion, to Sano's feet. Next to her on the step below was a pile of tattered clothing. She leaned in close over his spare gi, making tiny stitches, neatly closing up a tear. That particular gi was almost ready for the rag pile, but Kaoru had insisted that she could make it last a little longer. Kenshin trusted her sewing skills. She kept them all, Yahiko, himself, even Sano from time to time, looking relatively tidy and well-kempt. Kaoru was a genius when it came to saving money and stretching what they had.
Kenshin caught Kaoru's eye, and she smiled at him, bright and sunny. He reciprocated with a small smile of his own, and squeezed the last of the rinse water out of the gi and tossed it into the basket of wet, clean clothes. Sloshing the wash water a bit, he felt around the bottom of the tub and realized that the gi was the last of the laundry. He stretched his back and slowly stood, shaking the cramp out of his leg and wiping his hands dry on his hakama. A giggle floated across the yard, followed by a guffaw. Kenshin looked up to find Kaoru with a hand over her mouth, covering a smile, and Sano was outright laughing at him. "Hey, Kenshin! You look like a wet dog!"
This brought confused stares from Yahiko and Tsubame, who both shrugged and retreated back into their own little world of shinai and blushes.
With a goofy half-smile, Kenshin picked through the clean laundry and began hanging it up. At Kaoru's prodding, Sano joined him to help place the poles on their holders. Kenshin's lack of height always made this job more trouble than it was worth, but he could put up with a few jabs about his shortness from Sano if it meant he didn't have to stand on tip-toes like a little boy. Besides, Megumi was joining them for dinner that evening, and he could enjoy Sano's awkwardness around the foxy doctor.
Dinner. Plans for what to prepare for his family swirled in his mind as he watched Sano hang the last pole. He needed to go to the market. Maybe he could get Sano to go instead while he started on the rest of the meal.
His family. Here they all were, just living life, and to Kenshin, it was the most marvelous thing in the world. Perhaps he'd go all-out tonight, as a sort of celebration. The others didn't need to know why. He smiled again, couldn't seem to stop today. Sano caught his expression and raised an eyebrow. Kenshin shrugged.
He really did need to get started on dinner if he wanted to do something a little special. "Sano. This one has a job for you..."