Author's note: and now things start taking a definitely different swing for Hiko and Sako: the plot thickens and the proverbial chickens come home to roost. Oh, and I totally realized yesterday that I made a mistake in the first sentence of the first chapter. When Hiko found Sako, it had been a lot longer than 11 years since he had rescued Kenshin. It actually was 16 years; blame me, I majored in English, not math. I am going back and fixing that number.
"Pretty, Daddy!" eighteen month old Kazue prattled brightly, toddling towards Hiko with her chubby hands reaching outward.
"Yes, pretty," he responded absentmindedly, carefully stroking paint on a cup. With the growing needs of a family, he was spending what seemed like an inordinate amount of time in his work area every day to provide for all their needs. Not that he minded. Seeing his little daughter flash him a bright smile as she careened into his leg, peering intently at what he was doing, Hiko smiled broadly. Nope, not at all.
With the three second attention span of a toddler, Kazue quickly turned her focus elsewhere as Hiko pulled his eyes back to the cup. Thankfully, it had been a good year for crops and business was brisk. In fact, it was getting downright annoying how many people had been parading around on his property as of late. Hiko was hard-pressed to remember the last time he'd had more than an hour or so to call his own that wasn't devoted to taking care of his family or practicing; with a family and an endless line of customers, it had been blasted noisy on the Seijuro estate as of lately and there had been constant demands on his time. It had been one hell of a change for someone who had spent the total of almost two decades living essentially as a hermit without a whole heck of a lot to do with himself.
Glancing across the yard, Hiko spotted several of Kazue's toys scattered in the grass as laundry flapped in the breeze, baby clothes and sheets waving under the sun. Smoke rose over the tops of trees on the adjourning hill, courtesy of their new neighbors less than a mile away; the small village was growing and was slowly inching forward to intersect with his land. Sako had formed a friendship with the new neighbors and occasionally the whole damned tribe showed up on his doorstep for a visit: dad, mom, and three young kids. But to tell the truth, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. At least the family was polite and respectable, and Hiko was quick to see that Sako appreciated the presence of another woman, someone she could talk with about female things. Hiko tried to be supporting and understanding of his wife, but it was vastly out of his area of expertise to sympathize with issues such as breastfeeding and childbirth. He was quite happy to let the women have their girl talk; more than once he had walked in on a conversation that he really, really didn't need to hear.
Pushing one of Kazue's toys out of the way and absentmindedly brushing off the booger she had just left on his pants, Hiko thought that this decidedly wasn't how he had pictured his life turning out. Fact was, he had spent six years figuring the brat would finish him off courtesy of the ogi before Hiko reached his thirties, and he had resigned himself to a fairly short life. When the idiot had up and run off on him, Hiko had been more than a little at a loss of what to do. Well, he hadn't exactly relished the idea of dying, so he wouldn't pretend that it wasn't a relief to know he had been spared fatally teaching the kid the succession technique. Still, the boy's leaving had plunged Hiko into a void of uncertainty and lack of purpose. In all honesty, he had really just been going through the motions of life, letting the years pass without any sort of greater goal until Sako had shown up. At first, he had figured she wouldn't last, in a few weeks or months she'd give up and go find some easier life, but she'd stuck with it and it wasn't long at all before he realized that the girl had steel and guts and nerve and was actually a pretty damned good fighter. Then it had been a relatively simple matter to switch focus and determine to make her his successor, figuring Sako would been the one to bury him after she nailed the ogi.
However, Hiko frowned in remembrance, if he was strictly honest with himself, there had always been a deeply buried conviction in him that Sako just didn't have it in her to be the 14th master of Hiten Mitsurugi. But the girl worked damned hard and had excellent skills and he'd believed in her. Still did, come to think of it. She had been so dedicated and careful a student that he had gotten deeply caught up in her training, determined to push her to the limit and believing that she could do it. Plus, it wasn't more than a couple months had passed when he realized he was growing attached to her and the feelings only grew stronger despite his efforts to strangle them back. As his emotions increased, so did the uncomfortable feeling that she wasn't going to make it as his successor.
Well, he realized with a grin, overall it was a damned good thing she couldn't. He'd gotten a fine wife and family out of the bargain and instead of being dead and buried, he was on the receiving end of more happiness he had ever known in his life. If Sako had been able to master the ogi, would he have...? Knowing how he felt about her but also seeing how determined she was to succeed, would he...?
A slight movement and sense of alarm tore Hiko's attention away from his internal musing. He whipped his head around to see that Kazue was standing directly in front of his blazing kiln and to his horror, his daughter wobbled, her little hands flailing to keep her balance. In a heartbeat, he had caught her up and rolled them both out of the way, his precious child cradled in one arm as he landed effortlesly on his feet, the other hand wrapped around his katana in preparation to destroy whatever it was that threatened his firstborn.
A soft laugh broke through his battle-ready glare and pulled his attention towards the sound. Sako was standing on the porch, six month old Kenichi in her arms. "I hardly think that the kiln intends grievous harm on our daughter, Hiko," she chided gently as she glided down the stairs towards where her husband stood, crouched and glowering and holding his daughter tightly.
"Wee! Go! Go, Daddy!" Kazue squealed in delight, obviously thrilled with the whirling tumble her father had spun her up in and clearly wanting him to repeat it.
Instantly, Hiko felt a trifle foolish. Setting his daughter back on the ground, he rumbled out, "Well, I didn't want her to hurt herself."
"She wouldn't have," Sako smiled up at him. "She was with you." Love and admiration were gilding her eyes as she gazed at him fondly and said warmly, "I trust you to protect us." Looking at his wife and the soft devotion beaming from her face, Hiko smiled back and his heart melted in a warm, gooey puddle.
"Da! Da da!" little Kenichi babbled, reached his plump hands towards his father, and Hiko's heart melted again. Reaching out, he plucked his son from his wife's arms, and Kenichi began beating his fists against his father's chest. The baby's hands were slightly sticky and drooly, but Hiko didn't mind.
Sako bent down to attend to Kazue and Hiko gazed at her, noting how his wife's kimono gaped open slightly which gave him a clear view of her ample breasts. Grinning to himself, he peered in, his mind instantly alert and thrumming with possibilities. Two pregnancies and motherhood had given his wife's body lush curves and although she complained that she had gotten fat, Hiko relished every contour. As she had with Kazue, Sako had been back at sword practice within a month of giving birth to Kenichi, determined to resharpen her sword skills and lose the weight she had gained in pregnancy. Hiko was in hearty support of the first goal and dead set on sabotaging the last one by whatever means possible, whether that was buying Sako the sweets she loved from the village or bullying her into eating more at meals. He'd even knock her up again if he had to. Speaking of which...
"And just what are you smiling at, Husband?" Sako voice interrupted his salacious musings as she turned her head up to see him grinning intently while staring directly at her cleavage.
Hiko's grinned deepened. "Just thinking what a skinny little thing you were when I married you. What made me take such a scrawny runt as a wife, eh?" He swatted her playfully on the behind, happy in the knowledge that it was much rounder and softer than it had been in the past.
Sako gave him one of those looks, but a hint of a smile played on her lips. "I don't recall you complaining when you undressed me on our wedding night."
"Gods no, woman, not when you were a wildcat in bed," Hiko rumbled. A tug at his clothing made him realize that Kazue was wrapping herself around his leg and he hoped that his daughter was not picking up on any age-inappropriate words, but he was currently too preoccupied with trying to talk his wife into a mid-afternoon romp on the futon to be over-bothered with his toddler's budding linguistic development.
Stepping into Sako, he dropped his mouth to her ear and rumbled into it, "Say, don't you think it's time for the kids to have a nap?" Kenichi grabbed a fistful of his father's hair and yanked hard, but Hiko ignored it, intent on the scent of his wife's skin.
"Yes, what a good idea," Sako responded, looking pleased and relieved. "Then I can finally get the rest of the laundry done, plus I never got the lunch dishes finished."
Hiko's grin vanished, "That's not quite what I meant..." but another glance at his wife told him that she did indeed know what he was hinting at and was playing ignorant just to taunt him. Oh, woman, you won't slither out of this so easily, he promised her silently as he carefully put little Kenichi on the grass and turned his intent, blazing eyes on Sako, practically tasting her skin on his lips. But as he zeroed in on his woman, a flash of chi shimmered in the air and grabbed his attention. Instantly, Hiko snapped around, hand on his katana, every fiber alert and pulsing.
Swordman. Not bothering to mask his energy.
Coming this way, towards Hiko's family, intent and purposeful.
In a heartbeat, Sako had sensed it too, and she positioned herself quickly at his side. "This one is strong," she said evenly, her voice hard but still calm. Two pregnancies and motherhood had not dulled her senses or reflexes, and her body bunched and coiled next to him, preparing for battle.
"Get the kids inside the house," Hiko ordered levelly, eyes intent on the road. Sako nodded and gathered the children up in her arms, disappearing inside the hut as he waited outside for whoever it was to show his ugly face. Okay you, he grunted to himself. Who are you and what do you want? You've better have a damned good reason for showing up or you're going to find your guts decorating my front lawn. Hiko waited, poised and watchful as the energy grew closer. Frowning, his brows drew into a furrow. The chi shimmering through the air towards him seemed strangely familiar, he could have sworn he...
No.
No.
It can't be.
It was. As Hiko stood in dumfounded shock, gripping his katana, an uncomfortably familiar figure appeared at the end of his walkway and began making his way smoothly towards the house while Hiko eyeballed him intently. Same brilliant red hair pulled in a heavy ponytail with thick bangs falling over his eyes. Same damned small, scrawny frame, belying the power and strength it contained. Same blasted violet eyes that were now rimmed with gold, determined and watchful and firmly fixed on him. Admittedly, the kid was a little taller and broader and there was that weird cross-shaped scar on his cheek Hiko noticed as his former apprentice got closer, but the years had barely aged him.
What in the blazes are you doing here? Hiko thought to himself darkly, feeling a maelstrom of emotions swirl up inside him. He was half-tempted to simply run the idiot through and leave him to bleed out or maybe thunder down the path and tell him to get the hell back the way he had come or maybe, just maybe, sweep the bastard up in a crushing hug and then beat him senseless for being gone so long.
Dammit! Hiko swore silently. Ever since Sako had wormed her way into his life, he'd been forced to deal with a lot more emotion-related stuff that he liked and now with the idiot striding boldly up his front walkway, he had a looming premonition that more was forthcoming. Well, I can always tell him to get his damned girly face out of here, Hiko thought irately, hand fingering his katana as he forced himself to stand firm and show an impassive face to the brat, willing himself to mask the raging storm of emotions that was swirling up inside him.
The fool's eyes did not leave Hiko's face as his former pupil moved smoothly towards his once-master. Hmph, I'm still the idiot's master, Hiko thought with a sniff, glaring at the boy. Well, maybe not boy anymore; shuffling through his memory for a brief moment, Hiko realized that the moron was probably 28 right now. You'd never know it from looking at him, he snorted. Kenshin hadn't grown out of that delicate, pretty-boy face and it was only those damned serious eyes and the quiet power that was reeking from every pore of his body that marked him out as a fighter.
When the idiot got close enough to be within decent shouting distance, Hiko rapped out sarcastically, "Well, look at what the cat dragged in," letting scorn drip pointedly from every syllable.
The fool's face didn't change, merely looked at him calmly. "Master," he replied quietly. His voice had gained some deepness but it was still uncomfortably familiar, each note dancing down Hiko's spine and bringing a horde of memories clamoring to the surface.
"And to what do I owe the honor of your appearance?" Hiko thundered out, bringing both arms to cross firmly in front of him.
"Master, I..." Suddenly Kenshin stopped, his eyes distracted by something and Hiko followed the gaze, seeing that the idiot was sweeping his eyes over Kazue's discarded toys, the baby clothes and diapers flapping on the clothesline, and the other clear signs that Hiko was not the only person living at the house.
"Yes, I have a wife and two kids now," he responded shortly to his former apprentice's unspoken question. Kenshin's eyes grew wider and that irritated him to no end. "What? I can get married if I want to, can't I? No law against that."
"No, Master, I..." but Hiko cut him off.
"Shut up. You'll wake the kids." Turning abruptly on his heel with a dramatic flare of his cloak, Hiko snapped out, "Well? You coming, idiot? I'll humor you for a few minutes if you think you have something decent to say." Not bothering to wait, he stomped irritably to the training ground – it was far enough from the house that he could yell at the moron without disturbing Sako and the babies. She was probably worried enough as it was, and he wanted to spare her any more distress. Kenshin was silent behind him but his chi was bright and clear as he followed obediently.
Stroking Kazue's hair gently, Sako watched as both children slipped quietly into sleep, peaceful and happy, Kazue on her little futon and Kenichi in the cradle Hiko had built originally for Kazue. She tried to quell the raging fire of concern and dread swirling in her stomach as she watched over the children. While she had stayed inside the house and did not know who the visitor was, Sako had a looming premonition of who had just come to meet with them and the thought filled her to the core with fear. As she rose to her feet and looked about anxiously for something to occupy herself with, a soft knock at the door summoned her attention.
Stepping lightly, Sako quickly picked up her katana which was in its hanger by the door. She could tell that Hiko was no longer in the general vicinity and whenever he wasn't around, he expected her to be armed and prepared to defend their family if need be. But he hadn't needed to tell her this – she knew instinctively, plus there was something in the air that told her that her visitors were not customers. The door opened to reveal a young girl in her teens and a boy, maybe twelve at her side. The girl was arrayed in a kimono but the boy was wearing hakama and gi with a shinai slung on his back, his eyes intent with purpose while the girl's were bright and eager.
At the sight of Sako, the girl startled a bit and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I think we came to the wrong house!"
"May I help you?" Sako questioned politely.
"Um, we were looking for Seijuro Hiko's house," the girl responded.
"You have found it," Sako said. "I am his wife, Seijuro Sako."
"Whoa!" the boy burst out, looking surprised. "From what Kenshin's told us of his master, I'd didn't think a grouchy, overbearing guy like that would ever talk someone into marrying him."
"Hey, be polite, you idiot!" the girl screamed, smacking the boy on the head with her fist.
"Hey, watch it, Ugly!" the boy howled, "That hurt!"
Sako interrupted the burgeoning squabble by putting a finger to her lips. "Excuse me, but my children are sleeping."
"Whoops!" the boy clapped a hand over his mouth, then his eyes rounded. "Kids too? Man, doesn't that beat all," but he said it in a whisper.
"I'm sorry, you must think we're really rude," the girl said quietly. "We're just trying to find Himura Kenshin. Has he happened to come by this way?"
Kenshin. The name punched Sako straight in the gut as she felt the breath slip from her lungs, but she willed herself not to flinch. Looking at her two visitors, she said quietly. "Perhaps you'd better come in the house." The two did, removing their geta and stepping silently across the floor after a quick glance at the corner showed Kazue and Kenichi fast asleep. Sitting down carefully, the visitors looked at Sako and the girl gave a little bow. "I'm Kamiya Kaoru and this is Myōjin Yahiko. We're friends of Kenshin."
"Yeah, and we've come to take him back home," the boy added, his eyes fierce and determined.
"Back home?" Sako questioned as she moved to prepare tea for the three.
"Yeah, the Meiji goverment's trying to use Kenshin to do their dirty work, like always," Yahiko grumbled but Kaoru punched him again, drawing a dark look from the boy.
"You see, a very powerful man, Makoto Shishio, has risen up and is determined to overthrow Japan," the girl continued, looking serious. "Kenshin was asked by the government, by Toshimichi Okubo himself, to defeat Shishio."
"But Kenshin knows he can't do it and keep his vow never to kill again," Yahiko interrupted. "So he wanted to find his old master to learn the succession technique so that he could defeat Shishio without killing him."
No. Blood froze in Sako's veins at the boy's words. No. The ogi. No. Gritting her teeth together, she felt the present fall away in a dull roar as a memory rose to the surface, sucking her down in its depths.
"Good, gods, woman," Hiko gasped out, great chest heaving with exertion as Sako lay against him, breathing heavily herself as her arm draped tiredly over his torso. Tucking his arm around her exhausted frame and tracing a lazy finger up her spine, her husband rumbled in her ear, "If you were as good with a sword as you are in bed, you would have made the 14th master of Hiten Mitsurugi by now."
Sako froze, deeply stung by the comment. She knew it probably hadn't come out exactly as he had meant, but the words still cut her sharply. Hiko could tease and provoke her to distraction but he wasn't a cruel man and the words were harsh, even by his standards. Giving her husband a wounded look, Sako rolled firmly out of his embrace towards the other side of the futon, taking most of the blankets with her and turning her back tersely towards him.
"What? Oh, come on, girl, I didn't mean it like that," Hiko rumbled, half-coaxingly, half-irritably. "Sako," he wheedled, and she felt him move towards her. A chin rested on her shoulder but she curled away from him, nursing her wounds and feeling them fester inside her as a small tear began to form in the corner of her eyes.
"Oh, come on, Sako," Hiko breathed against her bare skin, trying to nuzzle up to her and not getting very far. A bit gruffly he said, "That was a stupid thing to say and I didn't mean it." Sako remained frozen and stiff, not quite ready to forgive him and intent on avoiding her husband's attempts at an apology, especially since she had a nasty suspicion he would start dropping none-too-subtle hints about make-up sex, his default measure on those rare occasions he got on her bad side. Icily she ignored him as he began stroking his fingers up her back. He'd get the message eventually that further nooky was not going to happen that night and retreat in a huff to his side of the futon, leaving her alone.
But Hiko's next words surprised her. Sighing against her, his voice dropped into seriousness. "Fact is, girl, I'm damned glad you weren't able to attempt the ogi, let alone master it."
"And why, pray tell?" Sako responded, tersely, slightly intrigued but still hurt and upset.
"Because," Hiko dropped a kiss on her shoulder as his voice softened. "Because there's a very good chance I wouldn't be here."
"What?" Slowly, she turned around to face him in confusion, still upset but wanting clarification.
Reaching out, Hiko wrapped a strand of her silky hair around his fingers as his face looked troubled and serious. "The ogi, Sako. Well, it...properly learned, it usually means the master dies if the apprentice gets it right. That's how my master died, under my sword. That's..." he reached out and stroked her cheek gently. "That's probably how I would have gone if you had been able to learn it. So," he struggled to put on a smile but it was more of a grimace. "I'm more than grateful you weren't able to attempt it."
"Oh! Hiko!" Sako's hand flew to her mouth, their argument forgotten as she scooted back into his arms, welcoming them as they wrapped around her. She stroked his chest as she processed the information, wracked with emotion at what he had just told her. Finally she questioned timidly, "Would Kenshin have...?"
"Yes," Hiko responded without hesitation. "Fact was, I was counting on him finishing me off at the end of his training. Never thought I would see my forties." Sako's arms wrapped around him tighter as if she was afraid someone would take him from her. Long moments passed before she finally, carefully asked a question she didn't know if she really wanted the answer.
"Would you...would you have taught me if...if I could have learned?"
Hiko sighed and did not respond. Finally he said, "I don't know." His hands stroked up and down her back in soothing circles. "Fact is, little one, about the time I began to realize you weren't going to be able to master everything in Hiten Mitsurugi was round about the time I started falling in love with you. I didn't relish the thought of having to leave you, much less putting you through the horror of having to kill me without realizing what you were doing. I found myself wanting to live more than I ever had before. Plus," his arms tightned against her as his voice grew sorrowful, "There's a chance, a small chance I could have hurt you badly, maybe even," he growled as if in pain, "maybe even killed you trying to teach you. The Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki is damned hard to learn and risky as hell, both for the master and the student."
Sako said nothing, letting him talk. He continued, stroking her hair, "But I knew how badly you wanted it. Gods, it tore me up having to tell you that you weren't going to make it as my successor. I won't pretend I wasn't relieved, but still, seeing your face, especially after how hard you had worked..."
Silence fell over them for a few moments, then Hiko spoke slowly. "I honestly don't know what choice I would have made, Sako. I think...I think I would have refused to teach you but I don't...I just don't know. Although," a murmur of humor rose up in his voice. "If you had turned down my offer of marriage, I probably would have insisted you learn the ogi just to spare me the humiliation of being shot down."
"Really?" Sako replied, her cheeks turning pink.
"Nah," Hiko teased, rumbling against her skin. "Just kidding. If you had refused me, I would have dragged you off to the priest anyway and damned your stubbornness."
Sako scoffed, "You swordmasters. Always so demanding and possessive and pushy."
"Woman, you'd better believe it," Hiko rumbled and there was a light in his eye that told her that he was going to start gunning for makeup-sex any minute now. Well, maybe she wasn't quite so adamantly committed to freezing him out now...
He'd shown her the ogi the next morning, walking through the technique as she watched in amazement. She didn't even attempt it. It was enough to know it was beyond her skills and that Hiko alone possessed that raw talent and masterful ability.
"Sako-san?" a voice interrupted her reverie as she shook herself back to the present.
"Please forgive me, my mind must be wandering," Sako responded smoothly, moving her hands back to the tea preparation. Within a minute or two, she had put tea in front of the three of them, trying to cover up her concern with activity.
"So you see, Kenshin's here for his training, but it's...it's not right that he always has to be the one dealing with this issues," Kaoru said, a fierce light flashing in her eyes. "We've come to bring him back home with us."
Despite her concerns, Sako could not help the barest of smiles cross her face. Ah, I see your secrets, pretty one, she thought wryly. The girl was obviously in love with Kenshin. So young and trusting, she thought to herself with a sigh. So determined to protect her man. As... Sako's hand froze on her cup. As I am...no...I will...I will support him. Whatever his decisions...oh gods, please no, not that.
Silence settled over the three again before Yahiko finally questioned, a little hesitantly. "So, um, Sako-san, how, um, how long have you been married?"
"For two years now," Sako responded and forced herself to smile. "Yahiko-chan, while it is true my husband was a bit of a grouch when I first met him, he has mellowed considerably and..."
"You blasted idiot!" Hiko's roar cut through the air, rushing inside the house and clearly heard by its current occupants.
"Most of the time," Sako amended her statement smoothly as the door ripped back and Hiko stomped inside the house. She cut him a quick look, darting her eyes to the children, and he stopped, a frown crossing his face as he spotted Kaoru and Yahiko.
"Oh great, more unwanted company," Hiko grumbled quietly and Sako was relieved to see that the children didn't wake up. They were both fairly heavy sleepers and still remained peacefully asleep as she watched anxiously.
"Kenshin!" the girl gasped out as a glow rose to her cheeks.
"Dono...Kaoru-dono?" stated a small, slender young man with a brilliant mane of flaming hair who was trailing in her husband's wake. Sako's eyes skimmed over him, taking him in as her heart sunk. The lad looked barely older than the girl and had delicate, fair features but gods, the set of his shoulders and the hand resting lightly on his katana but overall those eyes, those powerful swordsman eyes. Taking him in, Sako knew instantly why Hiko had chosen Kenshin, pinned all his hopes on him, had been distraught when the boy left.
This is a true swordsman.
And in his footsteps closely follow death and destruction.
Heaven help us.
Kenshin and Kaoru were staring at each other as if no one else was in the house, and Sako did not miss the twin emotions of delight and anger spreading across his face. "What...what are you doing here, Kaoru-dono?" he questioned, a certain tightness in his voice.
Shyness spread across the girl's face but she held her chin up. "To see you. I...I just wanted to...to see you." The glow increased in her face as the two looked at each other, mesmerized and rolling with emotion.
"Well isn't this sweet?" Hiko rapped out sarcastically. Pointed a hard finger at the redhead, he ordered, "You. Go get some water. And the woodpile needs chopping. Snap to it."
"Me?" Kenshin looked surprised. "But why...?"
"Because, idiot, I'm still your master, that's why," Hiko rumbled sardonically. "Besides, I want to talk to these two and you're in the way. Scram."
Still a little baffled, Kenshin took up the water bucket and disappeared, then Hiko turned his eyes to the young visitors. Yahiko was glowering at him darkly, but Kaoru was still dreamy and flushed from her encounter with Kenshin. "All right, sit down, you two," Hiko ordered gruffly. "I want to hear what my idiot apprentice has been up to. And keep it down. The kids are still sleeping." With much interruption and a few squabbles that Hiko had to roughly mediate, Kaoru and Yahiko spilled out a long and colorful tale to Hiko's ears. Setting fresh tea in front of them, Sako heard every word. The manslayer Battousai that Kenshin had been, Hiko realizing that his deep-seated suspicions all those years ago had been tragically right. The vow never to kill again. The sakabatou. The battles to protect the innocent in some efforts to amend for the deaths he had caused. The home he had found at Kaoru's dojo. Battle and blood, death and agony, remorse and guilt, redemption and restitution. Makoto Shishio. Sako heard everything and her eyes kept moving to her husband, judging how he was taking the news. From the dark scowl on his face and the agitated curls of chi that rose from him, she knew he was battling fiercely inside to process everything.
The sound of wood-chopping outside told Sako what the object of their discussion was doing as the conversation continued inside. Well, it was more of an interrogation, but Hiko didn't say much, merely barked out questions or cut someone off if they were rambling too much. When Kaoru and Yahiko had run out of words to say, Hiko merely sat silent, his brow crossed in a furrow. Finally he rose quickly to his feet. "Well, let's see what the idiot's been doing outside." He strode quickly out of the house with the boy and girl at his heels, not bothering to close the door, and Sako could hear the outside conversation clearly. Even with the door shut, it would have been hard to overlook Hiko's strong bellow. "You! Idiot! Get your ass back here tomorrow morning. I'll have an answer for you then. You, boy. Make sure this girl gets back home safely." A few murmurs of farewells sounded through the open door as Sako tried firmly to turn her mind towards dinner, but her stomach was a churning vat of acid and the thought of food made her want to vomit.
"Mommy?" a sleepy voice caught her attention as Sako looked to see that Kazue was crawling out of bed, rubbing her eyes and dragging her blankie with her. "Where Daddy?" she questioned, looking tousled and a little ill at ease.
Scooping up her daughter, Sako held her close. "Daddy is outside," she said soothingly. "He'll be back soon." She occupied Kazue with one of the wooden rattles Sako had carved for her, and the child was soon banging it happily against the floor, waking Kenichi who began babbling for her. Welcoming the distraction of her children, Sako juggled a baby on her hip as she put a pot over the fire, trying to will herself to stay calm.
The tramp of feet and Kazue's delighted squeal of "Daddy!" caught Sako's attention. Their daughter shot to her feet and galloped towards her father who picked her up absentmindedly and pressed his cheek to her face. Sako said nothing, letting him decide how to act in the face of this overwhelming news. For several minutes, Hiko didn't make a peep, simply dawdled Kazue against his chest until she squirmed to be put down. He complied, then looked at Sako, announcing, "I'm going to go practice," before disappearing out the door again.
Sako sighed heavily. It was near dinner, but she knew she wouldn't see him again for hours. Once their meal was ready, she went ahead and fed Kazue although she couldn't force herself to even taste anything. Unlike Kazue whom she'd had to forcibly wean, Kenichi was already showing an interest in solid foods at just six months and eagerly gummed down the rice paste Sako mushed together. When the children were finished, Sako left everything on the hearth, hoping Hiko would eventually eat it. He didn't return for almost three hours but when he finally walked back into the house, he sat down in front of the fire and mechanically ate what she put in front of him.
Finished, Hiko absentmindedly pulled Kazue on his lap as Sako put Kenichi in his arms, hoping the children could bring him some comfort. Both children scampered over him, tugging at his hair and babbling happily, but the vague scowl did not leave his face. Sako cleaned up dinner while her husband entertained the children, preoccupied and obviously miles away from them all. When the children began to yawn a bit, Hiko put them to bed without being asked, a job he usually left to Sako and once they fell asleep, he sat by their sides for long minutes, staring intently at the small, peaceful bodies curled up happily in sleep as he rested one hand on each of their heads.
While her husband was occupied with putting the children to bed, Sako tried desperately to keep herself busy, willing herself not to make a fuss, cry, or disturb Hiko who was clearly preoccupied with a very heavy decision on his shoulders. She would be a support. She would not cry. She wouldn't.
"Sako," his voice broke through her thoughts as she turned to see that her husband was on his feet, reaching a hand out to her, wordless need in his voice. Silently she stepped forward to him and as he wrapped her in his arms, they fell onto their futon together, speechlessly removing each other's clothing, need and grief and life goading them forward.
I will not cry. But she could not help it, salty wetness sprung up in her eyes, coursing down her cheeks and falling on his arms under her head which were cradling her gently.
I must not cry. But looking up in her husband's eyes, Sako was astonished to see a glassy gleam of something wet and shining. Is he...? His lips descended on hers, making her close them in troubled bliss as raw need and grief blazed deep in her, wiping away all thought and leaving only emotion behind. Hiko had never been more tender nor more urgent, and she clung to him desperately, willing herself never to let go as her gasping cries sounded softly against his neck. Husband and wife were deeply, painfully aware that...
This may...
This may be the last time...
Hiko, my husband, my love...
Sako, my bride, my wife...
Forgive me...
Forgive me...
When their bodies had at last stilled to quiet, he seemed loath to break contact even slightly, arms tightly wrapped around her, legs intertwined, taking in all of her skin and her scent. Finally, with a voice ragged with emotion, he spoke, genuine indecision in his words, "What do you think I should do?"
Sako startled. Hiko had never asked her opinion on a course of action before, certainly nothing this serious. She fought herself to scream out a thousand curses directed at Kenshin, beg Hiko to consider their children, burst into a storm of tears. Only when she trusted her voice to speak evenly did she respond slowly, fighting for control, "I think you need to do what you feel is right."
Hiko sighed deeply. Moving, he pulled them up to a sitting position so that his back was against the wall and she was cradled between his legs, a blanket wrapped around them both. The room was darkening, but the banked fire cast a rosy light, softly illuminating their children. Their children. Such peaceful faces, innocent and trusting.
"I don't..." Hiko started, then paused, pressing his lips against her hair. "I don't want to leave you and the kids," he said gruffly, his arms tightening around her.
Sako bit back the words screaming to escape. No! Don't leave me! Your children need you! I need you! Don't do this! Forcing herself to respond calmly, she said, "You have taught me the sword and pottery. Do you think that I am not able to protect and provide for your children and myself?"
"I know, girl," he said tiredly, running a hand through her hair. "But dammit, Sako, that's a rough life for a woman, all alone with two children to care for. I swore to protect and provide for you when I married you."
"And you have," Sako said, a sob rising to her throat and tears welling up in her eyes.
Hiko kept stroking her as if he wanted to memorize the feel of her skin. She did not need to turn around to see that he was staring at their children, and her eyes moved in that direction. Sighing, Hiko said with that same unfamiliar sound of uncertaintly, "I wonder...I wonder at times if Hiten Mitsurugi is still relevant in this world we live in today. Japan's changing, Sako. Swords are outlawed. The west is flowing into our land. We're leaving behind our old ideas, our old ways. Who's to say that there will be room for a master of Hiten Mitsurugi in the upcoming decades?" She knew he was scowling for heaviness lay thick in his voice.
Lacing her fingers through his, Sako spoke soothingly, "There will always be a need for those who will fight for justice and freedom, those to protect the weak. Those who are true to the old ways. Like you," she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it tenderly. "And," the words clung in her voice but she got them out anyway. "Like Kenshin."
Hiko sighed again as she lay against him and for long minutes, neither one said anything. Gradually, Sako became aware that a calming heaviness was spreading through her limbs, enticing her towards sleep. Dammit, she thought angrily, recognizing the sensation: Hiko was tapping into her chi, feeding her soothing calm, lulling her to sleep. But she didn't want to sleep, didn't want to miss a second of what very well may be her last night with her husband, fighting against the encroaching fatigue slipping over her body.
Rest, little one, Hiko thought calmly as he felt Sako's chi struggling furiously with his. She needed her strength tomorrow, but he knew his woman's stubbornness; she'd stay up all night and be staggering in the morning if he didn't do something. Feeling her intimately familiar energy pushing against his, battling violently to keep awake, he responded soothingly, stroking his chi against hers, breathing peace into her troubled mind and body. She warred against him for several long moments before he finally won and she slumped tiredly in his arms; cradling her tenderly, he watched over his family. Watched and thought and warred and finally made his decision.
Author's note: I tapped out this entire chapter in a day. Well, granted, I have been sick and hacking my lungs up, so I had nothing better to do. NANOWRIMO, here I come!