Challenge #3:

Light

"Look, Daddy, look! So many clothes!"

The man whom referred as daddy tilted his head. A big smile was shown on his happy face as a little red-headed boy tugged his shirt sleeve, pulling him closer to the entrance. A pair of automatic doors opened, giving a sensation of cool air provided from the air conditioner which made some red streaks flip.

"Now, now, be careful, Kenji-kun," he called his son ever so lovingly, thus earned a beautiful smile on his wife's face.

"This is Kenji's first shopping time…" his wife muttered softly.

The red-haired man nodded, affirming his wife's statement. "We have been busy this week. To think about it I really feel bad about Kenji, you know…"

"He understood," his black-haired wife answered. He smiled, gazing deeply into his wife's fine blue eyes. That pair of orbs was as calm as a lake right now, giving him a peaceful feeling that he would long so bad whenever his job became so frustrating to handle. Oh, how he loved to gaze at her! His younger-than-him wife seemed able to read his mind and treat him right without saying much. There was acceptance in those blue eyes when he let her see his weakness. There was burning rage in those blue eyes when she felt he pushed himself too hard for the sake of other people, but at the same time he could see light in her eyes—her own way to comfort him, to ask him to share his burden together. Light of hope, light of love, and light of happiness when Kenji brought his first drawing he made at school…

He knew his wife did her best to 'defend their fortress' when he was 'out to the battlefield'.

He brought his mouth behind her ear and whispered gently, "Thank you for making our son to understand," he finished his attack with a mild kiss on her ear.

"C-can't it wait? Kenshin—" as usual her face went red, followed by a quick move to hide the blush. Oh, his dear wife, forever young, forever to make his heart throbbed!

"Mommy's eyes are gleaming," said Kenji while trying to hold a shirt. "Dad has super power!"

"Look at what you have done," Kaoru chided her husband. However her blue eyes spoke otherwise and Kenshin couldn't help but smile.

"Light things never hurt, my dear."

"Mommy, can I have this?" asked Kenji, fascinated by colorful shirts that were being displayed on a rack full of hangers. "It's blue! Blue! Reminds me of Daddy's blue gi!"

"Now let me see," Kenshin lifted a shirt his son was holding to observe it, but Kaoru quickly snatched the shirt away from him.

"We are going to spend our summer in Aoiya," she explained before Kenshin had the chance to mutter his legendary catchphrase, "oro?". "You have worked so hard this week, Kenshin… I am thinking of… buying you… something colorful. Something… relaxing and refreshing! Besides you always wear a dark blue gi at home…"

"Ah, I understand. This one is yours to command, Ma'am."

"Dad's dark gi reminds me of Uncle Saitou's police uniform. Kenji hates Uncle Saitou! Uncle Saitou is scary!" chirped Kenji enthusiastically. The red head grabbed the outer side of the rack and started to climb it up. His eyes were filled with amusement seeing a pile of shirts arranged neatly on the highest board of the rack. "Wow…"

"What do you think of that vermilion shirt, Kenshin? I think it looks good on Kenji!" Kaoru tapped her husband's right shoulder and point the aforementioned shirt with her chin.

"You mean that red shirt?" her husband confirmed.

"No, it's vermilion!" his wife objected with that well-known fierce tone of hers—a tone of voice that would undoubtedly scare the brats away. Who would have thought that the petite wife of the famous five-star hotel chef Kenshin Himura taught physical education at a local junior high school?

"I guess what people said about men and women's difference in recognizing and naming colors are true then…" Kenshin laughed sheepishly.

"Light things do not hurt," Kaoru countered. "Why don't you surrender to me and ask one of those shop assistants to get us that vermilion shirt? Besides…"

"Yes?"

"I… thought you would like the light blue shirt over there," she tilted her head again to hide her face. "I was… going to get you that shirt the other day… then foolishly cancelled my plan because I was afraid that you would not like it. Then when you said we were going shopping with Kenji I was… thinking of something to…"

"I am listening," Kenshin's amethyst eyes were beaming with amusement.

"… to compensate your… hard work. You bought me that yukata on Wednesday," she continued, only dared enough to look at him under her lashes. "You have been so gloomy since we received the letter from Aoshi. A simple present might lighten up the mood, so that is why… that is why I want to buy you something… light. Something that is so comfortable to wear, something that is able to… radiate the happiness!"

The look of amusement in his eyes turned to admiration. "You did too much, Dear," his husky voice heard raspy. A touchy feeling crept on his chest and he had to put his testosterone pride under control to not grab his wife in a public place like this mall and showered her with wild kisses.

"I know Kyoto has always been your least favorite city to visit," Kaoru said regretfully. "The yakuza fight which made you quit your job as a police officer and having that wolfish cop followed you everywhere…"

"The yakuza fight that killed my first wife," Kenshin solemnly stared at the floor. "I was there but I could do nothing to prevent her from being involved with that fight. I killed Tomoe."

He felt her hands rubbed her calloused palms so dearly. "Kenshin, we have talked about this haven't we? You did not know that Tomoe was with them. She chose to side with the police and started to give some valuable information at her own will…"

"I know, Kaoru, I know," his calloused hands clasped her delicate fingers in his grip. "I would not marry you if I chose to side with my past. To tell you the truth I feel loved by your intention of buying me that shirt," his tone was serious but a light that radiated from his eyes really conquered her guilt.

"We'll just enjoy the vacation then… Kenji must be so happy," Kaoru smiled. "Kenji? Kenji, why don't you try that vermilion shirt with Daddy? I will be waiting for you here!"

"What vermilion?" asked Kenji innocently.

"That vermilion over there," Kaoru pointed.

"Nooooo, Mommy is lying. There is no vermilion! That is a red shirt!"

"I believe it is vermilion…"

"A somewhat light red shirt!" Kenji smiled triumphantly. "Daddy said it'd be better negotiating than fighting!"

"Negotiating?" Kaoru eyed her son in an unconcealed surprise. She smirked at Kenshin. "First a red shirt then this discussion about negotiating, huh… he is really your son."

"He is our son," Kenshin said mildly. "Look at those fine blue orbs. His mother must be a delicate woman who possesses such quirky beauty."

"Now Mommy's eyes are beaming!" Kenji clapped his hands happily. "Did Kenji say something wrong? Why Mommy and Daddy standing there without saying anything?"

"N-no," Kaoru quickly shook her head. Damn that Kenshin! He was so smooth, so eloquent with his words… that red-haired kendo black belt did flirt in front of a kid! "You did not do wrong, Kenji."

"Really?" Kenji's eyes widened. "I guess I can come down then—"

"Kenji!" Kenshin screamed. His son lost his grip off the rack. His feet swung wildly in the air, failed to find a place to land. Colorful shirts that were previously displayed on the top most of the rack began to fall down as well, and all that was left in Kenji's grasp was an orange shirt.

"Daddy!" Kenji shouted. Fear was clearly depicted on his face. The white floor was so close, so close to take his body when he land. The boy closed his eyes—

"My goodness. Are you alright, Son?"

The boy opened his eyes only to find himself safe in his sire's tight hug. He did not see when his father moved to grab an iron stick that was meant to reach for clothes that placed on high racks—his father had the stick in his left grip in such a way that stopped the rack from crumbling: he held the stick horizontally so that the edge met the center of the rack, providing balance and strength to keep the rack in its original position. Colorful shirts were lined up neatly along the stick, and with one strong push, Kenshin moved the rack to keep it still. He swung the stick upward and those colorful shirts were back to their place—the top most board of the rack.

"Daddy…"

"Are you hurt, Kenji?" Kenshin returned the stick and checked his son.

"I… am.. so… soooooorryyyyy…" tears were falling down the boy's cheek.

"That is alright. That is alright…" Kenshin caressed his son tenderly. "Light things won't hurt, that they won't. Kenji is light enough that Daddy's not hurt!"

"Kenji…" Kaoru kissed her son several times. Her eyes met Kenshin's and he could see that those blue orbs lost their light for a moment. "Are you alright, Kenshin? We… we've just talked about Kyoto and your past, yet you… you used kendo to save our son… you said you did not want to use that anymore if you could… but…"

"Kaoru…"

"I… I should be the one who says sorry!" tears began to fill Kaoru's eyes and she knew she almost lost her composure. "If only I paid attention to Kenji… if only I did a good job protecting him… if only I supervised him when he started to climb that rack…"

"Kaoru—"

"I was careless, Kenshin…"

Kenshin sighed. "Can you help me collect those shirts back, Kenji? You are a strong boy, next time be careful, okay? No, I am not mad. I am just dead worried about you."

The reassuring smile his father gave to him erased all his fears and sadness. With a small nod, Kenji landed his feet on the floor and started to do his father's bidding.

"Kenshin… I am sorry…" Kaoru whispered. "It's my fault…"

Before she could say more, she felt him grabbed her by her shoulders and took her into his arms. "I said light things did not hurt," he covered them with a shirt he took from the rack and landed a passionate kiss on her lips.