Child's Play: Part 2

By Pinay Tiger

"Hey, bird head!" Knock. Knock. "I said, bird head! Wake up!"

Sanosuke groaned at Yahiko's incessant pounding, and threw whatever was nearest his futon in the door's general direction. It shattered to pieces-Fuck it all...I just want sleep after that kind of night. He was too far gone in his own hang over, praying Yahiko would go away; maybe disappear in the same fashion his sake did...

"I am not in the mood, kid. Come back in a few hours!"

Sanosuke could feel the tension boiling on the other side of the wall, but tossed his blankets overhead, banishing the unwelcome rays of sunlight. "It has been two days now, and you have not even made an attempt to get Kenshin and Kaoru together!"

Sano knew this was going to be a losing battle, and groaned as he plopped on his back. He gave Yahiko a muffled yell-sounded more like a disgruntled oink than anything-and told the kid to wait a few moments for him to get decent. He grabbed a dirty shirt, cursing for not being able to have a handy rurouni around the way the Kamiya dojo did, and swung his door open only to be greeted by a scowling preteen. "Is that for me," he half-yawned-half-greeted the boy. "That's real sweet of you bringing me some food; could ya do me a favor next time? Get me something different. A man can only take so much of the same-"

Yahiko was now mocking the taller man. "Yeah, yeah! A man can only take so much of the same food. It's called," he was now flailing his arms around animatedly causing Sano to laugh, "variety! It's called variety!"

"Guess once is enough. Good. Kaoru's right: you're a quick study."

"Here," the boy almost tossed the hot contents of soup to the ground. "It's the same old house special. So why in the hell have you been avoiding me-other than accepting your food the last two days?"

Sanosuke took his free hand to rub his temples-it was more a habit out of frustration, but probably easier to explain to a dumb child that his slight alcoholism was getting the best of him. Plus, it didn't help that the child was literally barking up the wrong tree. And how Sano wished he could hang the child on whatever tree that was.

"I wasn't trying to avoid you." He lied. He meandered to the communal bench, and patted the seat next to him. Yahiko followed suit; he grabbed a pair of chopsticks from his pocket and handed it to Sano. "So, anything you want me to know about?"

"Like what?"

"How is Kaoru doing?" Sano began eating the noodles, his attention partially fixed on Yahiko.

"She's still giddy, and she still makes the weirdest noises. I haven't gotten more than ten hours of sleep the last two days. Plus it does not help that someone who said would help me is nowhere to be seen or heard of unless he comes running for some dinner."

A smile graced Sano's lips. "I figured it was best for you to do your homework. It makes perfect sense to me," he cast a quick glance at Yahiko; the boy still glowered. "You go home and observe what's going on, then I in turn diagnose the problem and work out a plan. Besides, you know I am useless unless I have food in me. So what's Kenshin's agenda for the day?"

"It's Sunday. He usually does laundry and wipes down the whole dojo while Kaoru does some grocery shopping. But funds have been tight lately, and I have not gotten my pay from the Akabeko. So I honestly don't know what's going on." Yahiko's gaze was fixed on the table, his eyes tracing the nicks and cracks that the relic adorned. "Kaoru has been complaining of back pain lately...and some parts of her body hurting..." he trailed nearly silently. Sano didn't chew his last mouthful of beef, and nearly choked as he swallowed whole. He could feel his cheeks get red. What on earth is she doing to hurt that bad? "I thought I heard Kenshin slide the door to his room open and closed several times the last couple of nights too," Yahiko sighed. "Probably worried sick about Kaoru..."

Sanosuke jumped up at that last statement, pouring the hot broth all over his pants. "Fack! What in the hell?"

Yahiko jumped up, surprised. "What, are you not fully functioning after a night out?"

Sano took a hand to rake his hair sloppily. "Something like that..." He ran back to his house to change, and look less like a hobo and more like the street brawler he was known as. He noticed in his mirror that his cheeks were still red, and cursed for being the perverted bachelor he was. More than anything, suspicion was clouding his better judgment, and his thoughts were racing in a multitude of directions trying to figure out why in the hell was Kenshin creeping around at odd hours. Especially with Kaoru's latest ordeals.

Yahiko hollered from behind an alley, and motioned for Sano to follow. Sano took off in a sprint, nearly tackling Yahiko to the ground. "So what's the plan, Sano?" Yahiko had the largest, most sinfully oblivious eyes the older man ever witnessed.

"Time for us to play spies. Let's head straight to the dojo and find out what the is going on between the two of them."

"Nothing..."

"What do you mean, "nothing"?" Sano was heaving, trying to match his speed with Yahiko's sprinting legs.

"I told you, they need to just get together and talk about how they feel. They are totally oblivious to each other's feelings!"

Sano let out a gasp, and Yahiko took it as acknowledgment and acceptance that nothing was going on between the two at the Kamiya household. They rushed down the dirt road, swimming wildly in desperation's pool. They were about to cross the bridge that led to the dojo, hoping to solve the group's mini crisis. But even then, Sanosuke's interest and curiousty piqued.

"Ohhhh, Kenshinnnnn!" Kaoru chirped melodiously. "I think I am just about done with today's workout!" She threw a devious smile over her shoulder, and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "I'd like that bath now!" Her gaze never left the ever-so-happy wanderer as he hummed a happy, harmonious tune of his own. His lavender eyes met with hers, as he graciously prepared the bath-house.

"I take it that you're feeling better, Miss. Kaoru?"

Kaoru danced toward the bath-house, undoing her ponytail. "I sure am! I feel like a newborn child-it is as if I have never had as much energy as of late!"

"I'm glad I could be of service to you!"

"You always are, and thank Kami for your blessed presence in my life."

The two went on about their business, enjoying eachother's company. But the eyes peeping through various holes on the outer wooden walls grew when they witnessed Kaoru give Kenshin a hug.

"I thought you said there was nothing going on between them, ya' idiot."

"Come on, Sano! Do you really think that one pathetic hug like that would justify a relationship between the two?"

"Keep it lower, or else I will make that pip squeak voice of yours die to a hush."

"You're not a very good thinker too, are you bird head? How do you suppose we get passed a guy who used to be an Ishin Shishi? And what's worse, he was Battousai the Man-slayer. He's got better ears than that one stupid dog you brought here months ago."

Sano stood, walking toward the entrance of the dojo. "I've got an idea. You need to go running in there; find something to do with Kenshin. I'll try to sneak up on Kaoru and listen in on her while she bathes. Give me about half an hour."

"Are you nuts?" the child seethed, clenching his fists. "Ugly's not gonna let you spy on her while she's naked!"

"Chill out-I'm only gonna listen in on her, and see if she makes any...noises."

Yahiko glanced Sano up and down, contemplating before running off for Kenshin. "You have an hour at most... I really don't know what to do to keep Kenshin busy for very long!"