Chapter XI: Taking Responsibility
The four boys puffed and panted as they followed their guide down the forested slope.
"Are we there yet?" one of the older boys gasped.
"Just about." said Kenshin, continuing through the forest without slowing down. He alone in the group remained energetic, not showing a single hint of fatigue. A downhill climb like this was nothing compared to the exercise he went through every day. Besides, he had been down this route many times.
Finally the forest cleared and they came to an outcropping of rock. Beyond it, a little further down the slope, they saw their intended goal; a small pond surrounded by the wooded foothills. Steam rose from the water at places.
"Wow. There really is a hot spring here! Just as you said!" marvelled Shino.
"But I don't see anyone else." said Toshida. "You weren't making it up, were you?"
"No, I wasn't!" said Kenshin, annoyed. "I told you they don't come here every day. You're the ones who forced me to bring you here."
"Aww, man. It'd suck if we came all this way for nothing." moaned Tetsu.
Kenshin sighed.
It had all started when Toshida was whining, as he often did, about how the world wasn't anywhere near as pleasant as it ought to be. The latest subject of his complaints was the cold weather. Despite winter still being a few weeks away there was already a perceptible nip in the air and people found themselves needing an extra layer of clothing whenever they were outside their homes in the mornings and evenings.
As a solution, Kenshin had suggested a dip in the natural hot spring that lay nestled low in the mountainside beside the village. He and his master travelled there from time to time; Hiko believed that it was an excellent way to soothe the muscles after an exceptionally harsh day of training.
Of course, they weren't the only visitors. Many of the village girls believed that the waters held mystical properties that enhanced the beauty of anyone who bathed in them, and on milder days they came here to relax and chat. Sometimes their visits coincided with Kenshin's, and then he would find himself hiding behind the rock and observing things that were not meant to be seen by a boy his age.
Naturally, the temptation (and the jealousy) was too hard for the other boys to resist, and they persuaded(read: strong-armed) Kenshin to take them along on his next trip to the hot springs, so that they, too, could enjoy an invigorating dip. Yeah, right.
And here they were, on a fine autumn morning, without the slightest sign of any member of the opposite gender.
As the others argued among themselves Kenshin considered going ahead with his original plan and shedding his gi and hakama for a dip in the spring. Then he felt the approach of ki in the distance. "Someone's coming."
Immediately, the boys went silent and huddled behind the rock. Peering at the clearing on the other side of the spring, Kenshin's keen eyes spotted several women emerging from the trees. Despite the morning chill they were dressed only in yukatas and shawls. He could hear them chatting and giggling as they set down their bath apparel on the shore. Then they began to undress.
"We hit the jerkpot!" exclaimed Ryuu, who had never been too bright. Or tactful.
"Quiet, you idiot!" whispered Toshida. "And it's jackpot."
"Look at those bods." Shino gave a perverted grin. "How old are they?"
"Let's see." Kenshin peered more closely. "Three of them look like they're in their twenties, and the other three are teenagers like us." He widened his eyes. "Tetsu, isn't that your older sister coming?"
The fifth member of the group leaned forward to look at the latest arrival. "Hey, you're right." He turned to the others. "Close your eyes!"
"No way." Toshida leered. "We can't be partial. We came here to peep at the girls, and I say they all get equal treatment!"
"Since when did you ever care about 'equal treatment'? You keep acting all high-and-mighty just 'cause you're the headman's son."
"Watch it! And I don't talk like that anymore. Ah, she's undressing. Nice hooters!"
Kenshin sighed at his companions' perverted antics. He felt uncomfortable watching them ogling the unsuspecting girls in such an exposed and vulnerable state. Of course, he had done it too, but it was mostly out of curiosity about the opposite gender. Not that he didn't enjoy the strange sensation in groin that acted up whenever he satisfied his curiosity...
"Ah, isn't that Tetsu's fiancée?"
"I'm too young to have a fiance, you idiot! That's Toshida's fiancée."
"What's a fiancée?" Kenshin interrupted.
"Matsuri! Stop ogling her, you jerks! She's mine! I'm going to marry her next year, for kami-sama's sake."
"You're getting married?" asked Kenshin, bewildered.
"Well, of course. I'm fifteen now. People get married around this age. Hey, what are you looking at?"
"Pipe down, Toshida." said, Shino, who was clearly enjoying the view. "As your new buddies, we need to make sure the girl you'll be spending the rest of your life with matches up to our high standards." He grinned with pleasure. "And from the looks of those curves, she passes with flying colours. Congratulations, pal."
As Toshida and Shino wrestled in the dirt, Tetsu noticed the thoughtful expression on Kenshin's face. "What's the matter, Kenshin? You don't look like you're very interested in the view. Been here so many times that you've already seen it all, eh?"
"Actually," said Shino, who had pinned Toshida to the ground, "he's probably just waiting to see Himiko."
The mention of her name brought a flush to Kenshin's cheeks. "That's not true!" As a matter of fact, he had never seen her bathing before. Hmm...
"There's no use denying it." Shino said bemusedly. "We all know you've had a thing for her for ages-mmf!" At this point, Ryu's large hand shoved his face into the ground as he came to help his friend.
"Himiko, eh? That figures." said Toshida, dusting off his expensive clothes. "I always wondered why you barely looked at any of the girls twice. For a while, I had you figured for a queer."
At this the other boys suppressed a snigger; they couldn't risk being heard. "A what?" asked Kenshin indignantly. He had the feeling he was being made fun of.
"Then again," suggested Tetsu, "maybe he's the type that swings both ways."
"What do you mean 'both ways'"?
"It's possible." said Toshida thoughtfully. "I've always wondered what kind of kind of master-apprentice relationship he has with that hermit. That man isn't married, is he? Mighty unusual for someone his age..."
"Yeah. Pop said he's still in his twenties." said Shino, who had just picked himself up off the ground and was nursing a bruised cheek. "And he keeps turning down the village women who show interest in him, from what I heard. He must have...unusual tastes." he glanced wryly at Kenshin, who finally began to understand the implications. They think I'm...they're saying me and Shishou are..."Maybe when he gets drunk he-"
"That's enough." Kenshin said coldly, his face reddening. "Take that back." There wasn't the slightest trace of humour in his voice. His eyes held an amber glint and his sword hand twitched uncomfortably. The other boys backed away when they noticed the sudden change in his mood.
"Hey, hey, we were just kidding, that's all." said Shino, holding out his hands in a peace gesture.
"Like he says, Kenshin." said Toshida, casting a nervous glance at his twitching hand. "You're a regular, healthy male just like us, even if your master's a little-"
"Actually," said a deep voice behind them, "I just prefer women with a perfect figure, if you know what I mean."
All five boys turned around to see the tall, cloaked figure of Hiko Seijuro XIII, seated on a rock with a cup of sake in his hand.
"None of the women around here meet my high standards, sadly." he added, casually glancing at the oblivious bathers in the spring. The he glared at Kenshin's companions. "But that is hardly an excuse for me to be labelled a queer." Immediately, all four boys cowered under his glance and began sputtering apologies and excuses.
Kenshin remained still, frozen with fear and shock. How had Hiko discovered them? And how on earth did he sneak up on them? Kenshin should have felt his sword-ki approaching. Maybe his master did know how to mask his ki after all. I'll have to get him to teach me later. Not that it would benefit him in his current situation.
"So, Kenshin," Hiko said lazily, taking a swig of sake. "This is what you meant when you said you'd be training on your own today." He nodded to the hot spring. "Spying on naked women and debating your master's sexual preferences with half-wit tramps. Very productive." He gave Kenshin a patronising glare.
Kenshin fidgeted nervously, his face reddening at the second part. Desperately, he ruffled through his mind for a convincing excuse. He decided that (partial) honesty would be the best policy.
Trying to keep a sincere face, he stared at Hiko in (feigned) wide-eyed innocence. "That wasn't my intention, Shishou. I just came here for a bath. Because my muscles felt sore from the exercise-"
"Then why didn't you bring any bath towels?"
"-and I met them along the along the way. They happened to be going to the same place-"
"From the downward path? We're the only ones who regularly use that route."
"-and before we got to the spring the girls had already arrived. We decided to be polite and wait for our turn."
"And entertained yourself while you waited, no doubt." Hiko finished sardonically.
Kenshin found himself sweating nervously. So much for honesty. "I didn't take a single peek, Shishou. I swear." He crossed his fingers behind him. "And besides, coming here wasn't my idea. They're the ones who suggested it. And they didn't even know the girls came here." he pointed to his friends. "Back me up, guys."
The four boys fidgeted even more. Finally, Shino spoke up. "He's telling the truth, ojii-san-"
A vein popped on Hiko's forehead.
"-I mean hermit-san," Shino corrected himself hastily.
Another vein popped.
"-I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I meant no insult, Haiko-sama." Now 'Haiko' had a murderous look on his face.
Immediately, Toshida fell to his knees. "It's only a misunderstanding, kind, young, handsome swordsman-sama." seeing Hiko slightly mollified, he continued, "Kenshin wanted us to come along on a 'hot springs adventure'. We had no idea what he'd planned for us, but he said we'd enjoy it. So you see," he said matter-of-factly. "it's not our fault. More like Kenshin's."
Kenshin couldn't believe his ears. He turned to his other friends for support.
"Yeah, it's like he says, sir."
"Kenshin's fault!"
"He did it!"
He scowled. That's just what I needed. Friends.
Hiko sighed. "Well, whatever happened, I'm not the one you should be apologising and making excuses to." In the blink of an eye, he moved behind Kenshin's companions and lifted them by the collars of their gis, two in each hand. "You should be asking the ladies." Then he tossed all four culprits over the like ragdolls. Kenshin heard loud splashes, followed by cries of "Pervert!" and the sound of beatings. He gulped. "Shishou, you're not going to do that to me, are you?" That would drastically affect his popularity with the girls. And Himiko.
Hiko gazed at him with an expression that conveyed annoyance and disapproval and...pride? He laid a hand reassuringly on Kenshin's shoulder.
"You've changed, baka deshi. Make sure you get home by sunset. You and I have a lot to talk about." Then the hand that lay on Kenshin's shoulder lifted him up by the gi and unceremoniously tossed him over the rock. Frantically, he stuck out a hand to break his fall.
SPLASH!
When Kenshin opened his eyes, he was relieved to know that he had landed in the shallow water on the shore, narrowly avoiding broken bones. He was not so relieved on finding that his right hand was clutching an obi.
He looked up to find that the obi belonged to none other than Himiko, who was looking down at him in surprise. The very next moment, bereft of its obi, her yukata fluttered open, exposing...well, everything that could possibly be exposed to Kenshin's eyes. Immediately, her face turned crimson.
"Himiko-chan, I can explain..." Kenshin started, conscious of the fact that he was bleeding from both nostrils. His plea may have been more effective if he had been staring at her face.
She quickly covered up and glared at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "Kenshin, you..you..PERVERT!"
XXXXXXXX
"And what do you peeping Toms have to say for yourselves?" Demanded a tall, dark-haired girl.
The five boys merely shuffled their feet guiltily, unable to meet the eyes of the girls. They were each tied to a tree, surrounded by the angry visages of the now-clothed women.
"Wait till we tell your families." one of the younger girls added sternly. "Especially you, Toshida. Your father won't be pleased, I expect."
Toshida let out a faint whimper, but continued gazing at the ground.
Kenshin, for his part, was trying hard to catch Himiko's attention. She hadn't so much as looked at him since they were caught. As the girls walked away, he saw her passing him by. "Himiko-"
She paused briefly. "I didn't think you'd be like this, Kenshin. I thought you were a decent boy..." She turned to look at him, and he saw dry tear marks across her cheeks. "You do this pretty often, don't you?"
Kenshin was gazed at her pleadingly. "No, I-I-I.." Then his gaze moved downwards to the bulge in her chest, and he found himself unable to speak as his mind spontaneously recreated the image he had seen(and memorised) earlier.
"HENTAI NO BAKA!" She left in a huff, making him feel ten times as miserable.
They remained there for a while, tied to the tree trunks. "Anybody have a guess when they're gonna come and cut us loose?" asked Shino.
"I don't know. I'm not looking forward to it either." muttered Toshida. "My dad's pretty strict on me when it comes to stuff like this. He's the village headman so he's got to set an example in discipline."
Shino glared at him. "Serves you right then. This all started because of your whining."
Toshida glared back. "Don't try to saddle me with all the blame. Weren't you the one who made Kenshin bring us here?"
"Don't pretend you didn't have any part in it. And it's because of that fight you started that the drunk hermit found us!"
"What?! You're the one who started that fight, you roughneck!"
As his companions argued back and forth, Kenshin was busy trying to push his sheathed sword up through a gap in his bindings. Finally, he grabbed on the hilt with his teeth and pulled the sheath down with his left hand. Then releasing the drawn sword from his jaws, he caught it with his right hand and spun it around, slicing through the ropes.
His friends gaped at his improbable escape. "How'd you do that?" asked Tetsu.
"With my sword." Kenshin replied coldly, not paying attention to him. He had to find Himiko and make her understand. He took off along the path the girls had taken.
"Hey! Cut us loose!"
"Later!" Kenshin yelled back. He was still sore over having to take all the blame in front of Hiko.
XXXXXXXX
Kenshin peered cautiously from the bushes outside Himiko's house. It was close to noon. At this time, her parents were normally still working at the tavern-cum-eating house they ran, but he couldn't be sure. If they were home, they would likely have heard about the incident at the hot spring, and then Kenshin wouldn't find himself very welcome there.
"...and look after yourself. We'll be back by dusk." The shoji opened, and Himiko's older sister Aiko emerged from the house. She walked away in the direction of the tavern. Kenshin recalled that she worked as a waitress there in the mornings and afternoons.
Then Himiko must be alone.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kenshin noiselessly made his way to the porch, slid open the shoji and slipped inside. He had always been good at stealth. It had served him well in keeping himself out of Hiko's way when his master was in his occasional drunken rages. Or simply in a bad mood.
He perked up his ears. When he was sure he couldn't hear any noises from the hall or kitchen, he made his way to where he knew Himiko's room was. Then he wondered how he should enter. Simply sliding open the shoji would be rude and would give her a nasty shock. On the other hand, knocking on the door when she thought she was the only person in the house wouldn't exactky calm her nerves either. Ultimately, Kenshin decided on the first option and slid open the shoji with a creak.
Just in time to receive a generous rear view of Himiko's body as her yukata dropped to the ground.
Surprised by the noise, she turned around and saw Kenshin standing in the doorway, wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open and his nose bleeding. He had not been expecting to enter at the exact moment when she was changing. Why was fate treating him like this? It was almost as if the kami-sama who was writing his life's story was feeling a perverse sense of pleasure making him go through all this...
Himiko's face turned even redder than before. She closed her eyes, which had started to fill up with tears, and opened her mouth for a loud scream.
In a split second, Kenshin closed the distance between them with the Hiten Mitsurugi Godspeed and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Please, Himiko-chan. This isn't what it looks like." he pleaded, as she stared at him wide-eyed in horror. "Please listen to me."
She calmed down slightly and Kenshin removed his hand. Then he became conscious of the fact that she was in her birthday suit and turned around in embarrassment, allowing her to cover up.
"You did it again!" she exclaimed angrily behind him as she slipped on her kimono. "Didn't you get enough at the hot spring?"
"It's not like that!" protested Kenshin, unwilling to turn his gaze around. "It was an accident, I swear! I didn't know you were changing, Himiko-chan."
"What were you doing here then? It's a crime to break into people's houses, you know. And peeping ought to be a crime too."
Kenshin winced. "I wanted to see you alone. Your folks wouldn't have let me see you after what happened this morning. About that, I'm really sorry, Himiko."
Himiko did not reply. "You can turn around now." Kenshin turned to face her. He suppressed a twinge of disappointment at seeing her fully dressed.
Himiko's face held a mixture of embarrassment and anger, mostly the former. "Sorry won't fix it. You..you...practically stripped me naked!"
Kenshin held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "No, that was an accident! I didn't meant to grab your obi."
"You seem to be having an awful lot of accidents around me, Kenshin." she said wryly.
Kenshin shuffled his feet nervously. "Well, I admit I did go there to spy on women, even though it was the other guys who forced me. And well..." he reached into the folds of his gi and pulled out a cluster of white blossoms. "I brought you some wildflowers to make up for it. Here." He offered the bunch to the surprised Himiko. "They're not exactly rare, but they're good flowers."
She accepted the flowers and sniffed them gently. "White plum blossoms." she said calmly. "They're nice." Her lips curved slightly. "At least you're a polite pervert."
Kenshin's spirits rose immediately at her near-smile. "Then you'll forgive me?"
Himiko sighed. "All right. But," she looked sad, "I was seen naked by a boy. Grandmother says that if something like that happened, then I can't get married!"
Kenshin had no idea what nudity had to do with marriage. "Is there anything I can do to make up for that?"
For a little while, Himiko was thoughtful. "Grandma said that if the boy takes responsibility for what he did, it'll be fine."
Kenshin wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. What did she mean by 'taking responsibility'? He'd already admitted his mistake, hadn't he? On the other hand, he had always been considered a responsible boy, and he had to live up to that reputation. "Okay," he sighed, "I'll...take responsibility."
Himiko was elated. "Thank you, Kenshin." she squealed, giving him a tight hug. "You're a really nice guy." Then realising what what they were doing, she broke the embrace awkwardly. "You know, Kenshin," she started, a slight twinge in her cheeks.
"Yes?" asked Kenshin, who was similarly flustered.
Himiko twiddled her thumbs, an odd sight. "I've always liked-"
"Himiko-chan, we're home!"
Immediately, both of them turned their attention towards the door. "That's my mother." said Himiko. "my family must be back."
"What are they doing here?" whispered Kenshin. "I though they were at the tavern at this time."
"They must have closed up early." Himiko whispered back. "More importantly, you have to get out of here. If they find you you'll be in big trouble."
Then they heard the shoji sliding open and Kenshin hurriedly dove among the clothes inside the open cupboard.
"There you are, Himiko." said her mother. "Aiko told me everything. You poor dear. Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine, mother." said Himiko, trying to put up a smiling face as she shot a nervous glance at the cupboard. "It was just a harmless prank, that's all."
"But those boys threatened your chastity!" her mother replied indignantly. "Especially that swordsman kid. We're going to complain to his master."
Inside the cupboard, Kenshin listened nervously. Hiko normally didn't care what Kenshin did in his spare time, but if it brought him trouble with the villagers...
"No! No! No!" Himiko exclaimed vehemently. "It wasn't Kenshin's fault, I'm sure. He's not that kind of guy. Toshida must have forced him to come along. Please, mother."
Himiko's mother looked at her doubtfully. "All right. The headman's son does have a...reputation for those kinds of things. But if it happens again..."
"..choo!"
Immediately, she turned her head in the direction of the noise. "What was that noise?"
Kenshin mentally cursed himself. He held a finger under his nose, holding back any further sneezes. Dash it. This cupboard is too stuffy.
Himiko tried to look indifferent. "What noise? I didn't hear anything. You must have imagined it, mother."
Her mother still looked doubtful. "I suppose so. Well, I'll talk to your father."
Kenshin heard the shoji closing, and he crept out from inside the cupboard. "Thank you, Himiko-chan." he looked at her gratefully.
"You don't have to thank me." Quickly, Himiko went over to the window and pushed it open. "Now get out of here before they return."
Kenshin quickly clambered out of the window. Before leaving, he looked at Himiko one last time. "You know something, Himiko-chan?"
She peered at him questioningly. "What?"
"I think you're...really...cute." he said, unable to look at her directly.
Immediately, her face turned crimson. "Kenshin-"
Before she could reply, Kenshin turned around and hurried back, berating himself for his audacity. I can't believe I said that! Nevertheless, as he walked back up the mountain, he couldn't help feeling exalted. He had made up with Himiko, received a hug from her and - here the part of his mind that he was normally ashamed of acted up - he had seen her naked; twice; in a single day.
XXXXXXXX
When he got home, he found Hiko waiting for him over his usual jug of sake.
"So you're finally back." said the swordmaster, who was seated comfortably next to the hearth. "It's taken you an amazingly long time to get here. Been enjoying yourself, eh?" he smirked at Kenshin.
Kenshin gulped, dreading whatever punishment his master had in store for him. He tried his best to put on a guilty face.
"Stop the charade. It doesn't look convincing in the slightest." said Hiko. He sighed. "Sit down. You and I are going to have a little talk."
Anxiously, Kenshin took a seat. If Hiko wanted him to sit down that could mean he was in for a long scolding. Then again, his master would usually keep him standing to add to his discomfort.
"Kenshin, you're thirteen years old now. And you've started becoming a pervert." Hiko stated bluntly. "All in all, you've probably been feeling somewhat...different in the past few weeks." he stared at Kenshin pointedly. "In short, you're nearing puberty."
"What?" Kenshin had no idea what Hiko was talking about. Pubu..puba..well, whatever his master had just said, it only sounded like nonsense to him. Had Hiko drunk too much sake again?
A vein popped in Hiko's forehead. He seemed to have guessed his pupil's thoughts. "It means, baka deshi, that you've started maturing. Growing from a boy to a man." he gave Kenshin's scrawny frame a once over, "Well, at least mentally."
Kenshin averted a scowl. Now was not the time to argue with his master. "And so," said Hiko, "it's time I explained to you about the birds and bees."
Kenshin tilted his head in confusion. "Uh...Shishou, I already know about birds and bees." He guessed that Hiko really was drunk. Maybe he would be able to escape punishment then...
Hiko had an overwhelming desire to slap his baka deshi silly. Was Kenshin mocking him intentionally? No. He really is this dumb. "It's a figure of speech, baka deshi! What I'm going to teach you is something far more important. Pay a little more attention, will you?"
Kenshin perked up at the word 'teach'. He was going to learn something new.
"Kenshin, do you have any idea how babies are born?"
At this Kenshin looked down, disappointed. That's all? He already knew the answer. He had asked his mother that very question many years ago. "Of course. Storks bring them home in a bundle in their beaks, right?"
Hiko's eye twitched. "That's what you've believed till now?"
Kenshin looked up in surprise. "It isn't true?"
Hiko suppressed the desire to slap his palm against his face. No need to damage my good looks because of my baka deshi's idiocy. "There are facts and there are fairy tales." he said calmly. "It's time for you to learn the facts." He took a long draught of sake, then began. "It all starts with women."
"Women?"
"Don't interrupt me. Now women are lying, cheating, sneaky, underhanded, stuck-up, wily and bossy little creatures," he started, ignoring the shock on his pupil's face, "but they have their good points. Most of us end up falling for them at some point, and many live to regret it afterwards. You're no exception; sooner or later you'll be head over heals for some girl. You're an idiot, so more than likely she'll leave you heartbroken. But there's no avoiding it."
Kenshin listened intently, ignoring the insults. Was his master talking about his relationship with Himiko? How it would end up?
"Now listen closely. Here comes the juicy part. When a man and a woman like, well, love each other very much they..."
The lecture went on for nearly an hour. This narrator will say no more out of concern for the little ones(as well as the fic's rating; he's already had to raise it from K to T), but let's just say Hiko was always thorough with his teachings.
"...and that's how it's done."
Kenshin's face was as pale as the full moon. "So I-I have to do...all that?" he asked, sounding mortified. I have to do that to Himiko..? His legs felt wobbly. If he had been standing now they would not have supported his weight.
"Only if you both want to." Hiko shrugged. "I personally can't see why any girl would want to do it with such a scrawny-"
"Enough of that!" yelled Kenshin, annoyed. "But," he added in a lower voice, "it sounds...messy."
"It is messy." Hiko replied, looking nostalgic, "And it can be awkward at first. And likely a little painful as well. But you'll get used to it. Once you do, there's hardly a better source of pleasure." he gave a satisfied grin, putting an unnecessary emphasis on the word pleasure.
Seeing the unease on Kenshin's face, his mood soured. "Get over it, you baka. You won't have to worry about it for several years anyway." He sighed. "You know, in principle it's pretty similar to a battojutsu."
"Battojutsu?" Kenshin looked up hopefully. It couldn't be so difficult if it was a battojutsu, could it?
Hiko inwardly smirked. He had found the ideal way to hammer the facts into his kenjutsu loving pupil.
"That's right. Your...member," he gestured to Kenshin's crotch, "is like a sword and the girl's is like a sheath. You've seen them, haven't you?" Kenshin blushed. He remembered quite well. He had wondered why the bathing women didn't have...'swords' like he and Hiko did. "Basically, you hold her firmly like you hold your sheath, then you whip out your sword, thrust it at her and slip it into her sheath, slowly and carefully. It's as simple as that."
To Kenshin, this seemed much simpler to understand. Then he imagined himself using such a 'battojutsu' on a girl and immediately quailed at the image. Wait...maybe he'll demonstrate it like everything else he's taught...but there aren't any girls around so... A look of horror spread across his face. What if his friends were right about Hiko?
"Normally, they should fit perfectly, like nature intended." continued Hiko, oblivious to Kenshin's expression. "But I can't be sure your sword will fit into any sheath. It's so short." Hiko looked down disapprovingly at the spot between Kenshin's legs. "More a tantō than a katana." he chuckled.
"Hey!"
Hiko smirked widely. "I'm saying it like it is, baka deshi. But don't lose hope. Maybe you'll indeed grow...bigger in the coming years, like you say."
Kenshin groaned at the double meaning. His master was enjoying this too much. Then Hiko's face turned serious. "You can have all the fun you want, Kenshin, but as a man, don't forget to take responsibility for your actions."
'Responsibility' again. Himiko had said the same thing. Now Kenshin regretted making her such a promise. He hadn't even known what he was agreeing to. "Shishou, what does 'taking responsibility' mean?"
Hiko was thoughtful. "Well, if it's one of those shallow relationships where you're only attracted by her body, then it doesn't matter so much. But you're serious, if your feelings run deeper, then traditionally, it involves courting her-"
"What's that?" Kenshin interrupted. Taking her to a court?
Hiko stared at him curiously. "Why are you so interested?" He narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me you've-"
"NO!" Kenshin all but shouted out, shaking his head vehemently. "I was just...I just wanted to know, that's all."
Hiko sighed. The boy had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Certain kinds of knowledge, anyway. "Courting," he said, "is when a boy and girl let each other know that they're in love and make it public. Cuddle up, exchange kisses, go on dates together-"
Kenshin shuddered. Himiko was asking for all that?
"-and eventually marriage."
"WHAT?"
"Pipe down. I said traditionally. These days it's not a given unless you get her pregnant. Though the female may insist on it anyway. That's how women are. Always wanting men to be tied down to them..." Hiko trailed off with a frown. It almost seemed as though he was pouting.
Finally, he shook his head. "Well, I've told you everything you need to know. When the time comes you should be ready." He got up. "I'll make dinner tonight. You look too shaken up to be any useful. Go out and take a walk. It should help you calm down."
As Hiko gathered up the ingredients, Kenshin quietly made his way out the door. He had some thinking to do.
He seated himself on a rock under the clear sky. He peered up at the full moon. He vaguely remembered Hiko saying some nonsense about the harvest moon adding flavour to sake. Well, what he's drinking still has my piss in it. Maybe that's it. Then he forced himself back to the matter that was troubling him.
Had Himiko known what she was asking of him? He doubted it; she wasn't the type to trick him like that. But did he want to have a relationship like his master had described with her? She was a nice girl...and Kenshin remembered, with some embarrassment, that she had an excellent body for a fourteen year old girl. Is she really fourteen like she says? But did he...love her?
He shook his head truthfully. No. He certainly liked her in a more-than-friendly way, and he supposed that given enough time those feelings could grow into something deeper... but not yet. And he wasn't sure if he wanted that to happen. He didn't want to get married in just a few years' time(if what Toshida said was true). He still had his ambition as a swordsman. He wanted to help people. That would be problematic if he had to settle down and raise a family...
He sighed. "Women," he concluded, "are more complicated than the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū." Hopefully he wouldn't have to fall in love with more than one in his lifetime.
Then to take his mind off the matter, Kenshin decided to do the less complicated thing and began practising kenjutsu in the moonlight. He consciously avoided using any battojutsus.
XXXXXXXX
Omake:
It was a chilly night.
Slowly, Kenshin made his way through the forest, guided only by the gentle voice that was singing and giggling in the distance. Finally, he came to a clearing. There, in front of him, a raven-haired angel was bathing in a pond.
She turned her head at the noise of his footsteps and her deep brown eyes fell on him "Ken-kun," she giggled, "come here to spy on me?"
Kenshin found himself sputtering in reply and turned to leave. The beauty wagged her finger mischievously. "Ah-uh. You can't leave now. You have to take responsibility." Then she turned around, so that her bare back glowed in the pale moonlight. "Wash my back for me, will you, Ken-kun?"
Kenshin hurried forward eagerly. He picked up a bar of soap from the shore and began scrubbing down her pale back.
"Aaaaah! You have such firm hands, Ken-kun!" she moaned.
Kenshin grinned and scrubbed more vigorously. He marvelled at the smoothness of her skin. He felt a familiar pleasant sensation in his groin. When he finally finished, she turned around.
Kenshin widened his eyes at the magnificent sight. She was smiling widely, but that's not what he was staring at. "Let's make babies, Ken-kun!"
"BAKA DESHI!"
Then he heard a loud, hoarse voice and felt a massive foot ramming into his side, and woke with a start.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" He clutched his side painfully. What just happened? He was just having a great time at the hot spring...he remembered seeing Himiko, and then... When his vision became less blurry, he found that he was indoors, in the familiar environment of their little shack. And that the air was very chilly.
"It's freezing in here!" yelled Hiko, who was holding his white cloak securely wrapped around him. "Go get some firewood from the shed! The fireplace ran out in the night."
Kenshin sleepily glanced at the burnt-out hearth. That explains the chill. And why Shishou's in such a bad mood this morning...
Gingerly, he picked himself up and threw a cloak around his shoulders. As he laid a hand on the doorknob, he heard another angry yell. "Baka deshi! Look what you've done to your futon!"
Looking back, he saw Hiko holding up his futon by the edge, a look of disgust on his face. He pointed to a wet patch in the middle. "I can't believe you wet your bed again, baka deshi! I thought you were over this!"
Shocked, Kenshin looked down to see a similar patch on his hakama.
"Now I'm really getting you diap-wait," Hiko sniffed and peered at the futon suspiciously. "This doesn't smell like urine..."
Glossary:
Yukata - Light kimono worn in summer or underneath heavier clothing. Traditionally, apart from chest bindings for women no undergarments were worn underneath the yukata. Heh heh.
Queer - Rude slang for a gay guy.
Obi - Sash.
Hentai no baka - Perverted idiot.
Tantō - A Japanese curved dagger about 15 to 30 cm in length. Sometimes worn in place of the wakizashi in a daishō. Japanese women sometimes carried a small tantō called a kaiken for self-defence or suicide. Remember Tomoe's knife?
Author's note: Ah ha! Finally an update. I'll confess this chapter was born out of my own perverted fantasies of Kenshin having anime-type 'fanservice moments' with his imaginary childhood sweetheart, combined with inspiration from the pond scene in Croik's fic IttyBittyBuddinski. To these I added a scene of Hiko giving Kenshin 'the talk', which was itself loosely inspired by Sekihara Tae's fic Lessons. Well, it's the first time I've written a romance-centered chapter. I hope it didn't come off as too ecchi. For those who were put off by the nudity and innuendo, they needn't worry about this fic taking a turn for the worse. This is a one-time occurrence.
Read and review. Do let me know what you did and didn't like about this chapter.