All these characters belong to the uber-talented Watsuki Nobuhiro. I'm just playing in his world.
Some vocab:
Zabuton – cushions used to kneel or sit on when one is on the floor.
Yukata – summer kimono
Tokyo in the summer was stifling. Heat surrounded you like a blanket, or maybe a pool of warm water. The air, thick with heat and moisture, stuck to your skin and brought the sweat to the surface.
Kaoru blinked as she looked out on to the court yard. Beyond the open shoji doors of the house, the garden lay calm and still. The heat was too much for even the insects to bother with expending the energy to move. Looking around the main room, she checked to see if anyone was about. With a sigh, she pulled open her yukata a bit, seeking the hint of breeze that teased her face. Even the tinkle of the wind chime was half-hearted.
The summer seemed even more terrible than usual. Perhaps because Kenshin was away getting food. Maybe….
But Kaoru loved the quiet. For a golden moment, there were no students grappling to get her attention. There were no friends yelling, eating, or making nuisances of themselves by nosing in with unwanted advice.
She rubbed her belly, feeling the slight kick from the baby within her. Maybe the heir of Kamiya Kasshin was just as unhappy as her mother with the heat.
"Shaved ice. That would be perfect," Kaoru mumbled to herself as she fanned frantically, anything for a breeze. "Maybe it will rain. Maybe winter will come. Maybe… I hate the heat."
Maybe the baby will come right away. Maybe Kenshin will be home soon. Maybe Yahiko will bring some shaved ice. Maybe I could stop whining.
But she was pregnant! That gave her some leeway with whining. Megumi NEVER told her it would be so uncomfortable or that there would be so many changes to her body.
She listened to the tranquility of the day, The bustling of Tokyo seemed faraway beyond the walls of the dojo. No students calling out their formations. Nothing. Just quiet. And she loved it. Knelling in front of the low table, her legs were cushioned on zabuton. One can not sit too long in this position when one is pregnant. She moved slowly to a more comfortable position, her legs tucked to the side.
Her eyes grew heavy from the heat, the lids drooping closed. She sighed. Kaoru did not have the energy to get up and go to their bedroom to sleep. She just wanted to close her eyes and let the heat blanket her into slumber.
Aka-chan… If I lay down, I don't think I can get up without help.
If I don't lie down, I don't think I can get up anyway.
With a sigh of resignation, she sat back on her zabuton, the cushion against the reeds of the tatami. Soon summer will be over. Soon our aka-chan, our baby will be here. Soon…. Kenshin will be home. Yahiko will be home. Megumi and Sanosuke will come to visit… the quiet will be over.
"Maybe your daddy will bring you something good to eat, aka-chan. He wants you to grow up big and strong. And smart, of course. Like him. Or maybe like me," she laughed as she felt the baby kick harder. Best get the kicking done in the day instead of at night when she wanted nothing but sleep.
"There isn't a maybe about that, Kaoru-dono," a familiar voice responded with a laugh. "Here, let me take care of that so you can concentrate on keeping cool." Kenshin snatched the hand fan from her and worked up a slight breeze.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. "I love you," she sighed gratefully. She opened her summer kimono a bit more to enjoy the air that flitted across her skin. "The quiet is nice and sometimes being alone is wonderful, but…"
"But?" he asked.
"This. Being here with you. This is perfect. No amount of fighting, teaching, or money would compete," she said softly. She reached up to stop the fanning motion of his hand. Blinking up at him, she smiled and leaned forward to kiss her favorite swordsman softly.
"I love the summer," she whispered against his lips. "It's perfect."
More Vocab:
Aka-chan – Baby in Japanese.