Disclaimer: I don't own RK

AN: Hey sorry for taking so long to update. I won't keep you waiting anymore…

'Thoughts'

"talking"

XXXXXX-time/scene change


Last chapter:

"We'll get Megumi to clean it up properly in the morning," said Kaoru as she gently wrapped the bandage slowly. Kaoru smiled as she finished and began to put her supplies away. "Thank you," said Kenshin in a soft voice yet again. She turned to him and gave him a great big smile that reached all the way to her eyes. "No problem! I'm just happy that I can help in some way," she said cheerfully. "Besides, you got that cut because you were saving me from that kunai."

Just then, Yahiko came in. "Hey you guys, what's going on?" he asked totally oblivious of what had happened until he saw Kenshin's bandaged hand. It was already beginning to be soaked in blood again. "What happened?" he asked.

"We had a guest earlier, but he already left. Don't worry about it," said Kenshin as he got up and headed toward the door. "Good night," he said as he left the confused boy with Kaoru and headed to his room.


Chapter 4:

Kenshin quietly slid the shoji door open as the afternoon sun rose above the dojo the day after the threat occurred. He was able to get a few hours of sleep without being startled awake by a tiny noise that nobody else would have heard or by his usual nightmares. He moved through the halls with a silence and grace only achieved with years of discipline and practice and slipped into the storage shed where the bandages were kept. He easily unwrapped his hand from the bloody bandages that had become crusty on his hands and brought the new bandages out with him to the well.

He drew some water and carefully rinsed his cut hand and rewrapped it with new bandages. He put the remaining bandages back into the storage shed and headed to the front of the dojo to where he could see the entire compound from the roof. He jumped onto the roof with lithe and settled himself into a comfortable position to keep watch over the place that he had come to know as home.

Kenshin had diligently stayed alert even in his sleep that night knowing that he would rather die of exhaustion then see one of his friends hurt because of him. Kenshin briefly wondered who the man that had threatened him was. 'His voice didn't seem familiar,' though Kenshin. 'But then again, most of the people that I had met had died,' Kenshin smiled grimly. Kenshin's muses were suddenly interrupted by yelling coming from the main house. His right hand immediately landed on his sword before he could stop himself. It was Kaoru and Yahiko arguing again. Even from here, Kenshin could here their argument clearly.

"Hey Busu! Train me!" yelled Yahiko.

"Sorry Yahiko-chan, but I have to go teach at the other dojos today," said Kaoru.

"What? What about me! How am I supposed to get stronger Busu!"

"What did you call me Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru yelled back.

"Busu!"

"That's it! Just for that comment, you are going to clean the whole house by yourself for a week!" an irate Kaoru roared.

"NO WAY! I'm not going to listen to an ugly old hag like you!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"You better clean this house before I get back home today, or else, be prepared to go without food for the rest of this week!" said Kaoru as she stepped out the door.

As the front gate closed, Kenshin saw Yahiko come storming out of the house. Kenshin watched as he walked out to the front porch and dropped harshly down while grumbling under his breath. He began grabbing rocks under him and hurling them at the tree trunk across the yard. An amused half smile broke out on Kenshin's face as he remembered doing the same thing when Hiko had harassed him. Kenshin gracefully jumped off the roof and made his way to the angry boy venting his anger on the tree.

As Kenshin reached Yahiko's side, the boy ignored Kenshin. "May I sit here?" asked Kenshin quietly.

Yahiko merely grunted and shrugged his shoulders and Kenshin sat beside the boy. A few minutes of silence passed as Kenshin studied the young samurai sitting beside him. The boy had a lot of pride, but it was understandable considering the fact that he came from a family of samurai. Even Kenshin didn't come from a family of samurais, but understood what it felt like to have the pride of one. He was still a swordsman after all.

"You know Yahiko, if you want something, you should try to ask for it more politely," said Kenshin thoughtfully.

"Well even if I asked politely, Busu would still say no! How am I supposed to get stronger if she always puts the training of other people above mine!" complained Yahiko.

"Well, we don't exactly have a constant income around here, and teaching at other dojos is the only way to get food on the table," said Kenshin.

"Yeah but still! She is always taking of advantage of us. She makes us do all the chores while she goes out and practices kendo," argued Yahiko.

"Well, we do live here for free. We should be earning our stay here somehow."

"Yeah, but Kenshin! She makes me do all the chores! I mean you are so lucky! Ever since you got younger, Kaoru hasn't made you do any chores."

"You're right, I haven't been doing anything to help out around here. How about a compromise? I'll cook the meals and help you with the chores Kaoru gives you if you try to be more…polite and respectful to her," said Kenshin.

"Okay," said Yahiko seeing this as an escape from Kaoru's deadly cooking.

Yahiko continued to throw rocks towards the tree and Kenshin eventually picked one up too. He looked at the tree across the yard and sent the rock sailing towards it. The rock smashed into the trunk of the tree chipping off an area of bark and falling to the ground with a thud.

"It's not fair," murmured Yahiko.

"What is?"

"Everyone sees me as a little kid that can't do anything. Kaoru always says that I am strong for my age, but that only means that compared to all the adults, I am weak. I'm always the one that gets left behind because I'm still a kid. I hate being weak, I hate being underestimated and looked down upon. I want to be respected like you are. I want people to take what I say seriously like they do you. It's just so…unfair."

"I know the feeling," murmured Kenshin.

"Psh, yeah right," scoffed Yahiko.

"Believe me; I understand how you feel more than you know. Come to think of it, when I was a boy, I was a lot like you," said Kenshin with an amused smile on his lips.

"Really? How? What were you like as a kid?" said Yahiko with excitement shining in his eyes.

"Well…like you, I had a hard childhood and had a desperate desire to get stronger. I was…arrogant," said Kenshin with a faraway look in his eyes. "I hated it when people underestimated me or made fun of me because of my size, but of course I eventually got used to it seeing as I still am small for my age," said Kenshin.

"What else did we have in common?" asked Yahiko with eyes filled with curiosity.

"Well, I also used to constantly argue and fight with my teacher like you do with Kaoru, but on a whole different level," said Kenshin amusedly.

"What do you mean?"

"Compared to Shishou and my fights, your fights are like babies fighting," chuckled Kenshin as he remembered his days with his arrogant teacher. "Shishou was always hard on me. He saw me as a source of entertainment. He would constantly torment me with his smart-ass cracks about …well, anything he could think of. We would get into these horrible arguments where we eventually got physical. He would sometimes throw me off the waterfall or beat me till I pass out. We would play horrible pranks on each other and I am the one that usually falls for them. Seijiro Hiko is a very smart man. He would somehow find out what I am planning and make me fall for my own pranks," said Kenshin.

"Wow," said Yahiko. "I wish I could see that!"

"Anyway, why don't you get started on the chores and I'll help you out in a little while," said Kenshin as he got up.

"Okay," said Yahiko feeling much better.

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Kaoru came home surprised to find Kenshin in the kitchen cooking again. If not for the slight differences in his appearance, she would have thought that he was her rurouni again.

"Kaoru-san," greeted Kenshin without turning around. "I believe Yahiko has prepared a bath for you. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Alright," responded Kaoru with a raised eyebrow. Kenshin had called her Kaoru-san, not Kaoru-dono. She made her way to the bath house and sure enough Yahiko was there throwing fire wood into the fire.

"Hey Kaoru," said Yahiko as he got up and dusted his hakama.

"Hi…" she said amazed that the boy wasn't still angry with her.

She watched as he made his way into the dining room. Finally, she shrugged it off and took a relaxing bath. After her bath, she went into the dining room and found Kenshin and Yahiko already seated waiting for her. "Sorry to make you wait," she said.

"Yeah yeah. Let's just eat! I'm starving!" exclaimed Yahiko as he began stuffing his face. Kaoru smiled in amusement at the boy and turned her attention to Kenshin. He had picked up his bowl, but hadn't started eating yet. Slowly, he lifted the food into his mouth and a look of disgust briefly flashed across his face before it became blank again. He raised his eyes to her and said, "Is something wrong?"

"N-no," she stuttered feeling slightly embarrassed for being caught staring at him. Curiously, Kaoru took a mouthful of her food. 'Why would he be disgusted at this? I mean it tastes a little different from his usual cooking, but it's still very good. Maybe he's tired of his cooking? No,…that can't be it. It must be something else…but what?' wondered Kaoru.

As the evening wore on, Kaoru found herself feeling more and more confused. After dinner had ended, Yahiko had offered to help Kenshin with the dishes. And even more astonishing was when Kaoru had gone to check on them, she found that Yahiko was talking about something and Kenshin had a small smile on his face! She hadn't even seen a small rurouni smile that he normally gives to keep them from worrying, but now he had a smile on his face.

What had happened? Kaoru sighed as she walked into her bedroom. She was so confused. Something must have happened while she was gone to make Kenshin seem a bit more open with his feelings and Yahiko to be so cheerful after their fight. Kaoru felt a twinge of jealousy. She wanted to be the one to help Kenshin. She knew that she was being selfish. She should be happy that Kenshin was feeling better today, but she didn't feel as satisfied. Kaoru quickly shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind as she thought of how ridiculously she was acting.

Slowly, she started to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kenshin smiled faintly as he sat on the roof with his sword over his shoulder. He felt a lot better after talking to Yahiko. He didn't even understand why he had opened up so much to the boy. It must have been because Yahiko had reminded Kenshin of how he was as a boy. He just needed someone to talk to and Yahiko was right there. He needed a distraction from all of his dark thoughts he had been having.

He missed his days with his Shishou. They were as close to a childhood that he had ever gotten and he was what caused it to be cut short. If only he had listened to his Shishou….


AN: Sorry for the long wait….My relatives came from somewhere in Asia and we've been going all over the place. I'm not sure when I will next update, but the more reviews I get the more inspired I am.

As for Kenshin opening up to Yahiko, I thought I would make a change from what normally happens. I feel sorry for Yahiko, he never seems to help Kenshin out. It's always Kaoru. Of course, I have nothing against that, but I thought I would give him a chance to help Kenshin while Kenshin helped him.

Let me know what you think and feel free to give me suggestions on what you want to happen next.