Prompt: Heartstrings: flashfiction 365 . tumblr prompts
*A note on Kenshin's temper: Yeah, I really believe the man has a temper. I have a temper myself, and people always acted surprised when I say that, and say that they've never seen me angry, and I always reply: Of course you haven't!
Part of having a hellaceous temper is learning to control it.
Kenshin's temperament has always reeked of a person having excellent control of a fierce temper. I've always thought that Kenshin joined the revolution because of a belly full of fire at the injustice of things, and of course in the Manga there are several examples of him having been pushed past that excellent control of his.
Kaoru paused mid-stretch. The usual sounds of her husband working and her son playing were suspiciously absent. Her post-lessons fatigue forgotten in favor of curiosity, she finished her bows and leave taking, seeing her students out the gate. Then she turned and began a search.
Oh. She pressed a hand to her mouth, standing in the yard and watching her boys as they sat on the porch. It must have been an exciting day.
Kenshin sat propped against a pillar, eyes closed and breathing even, his now-short hair rustling in the light breeze . Four year old Kenji was cuddled in his father's lap, fast asleep, his still chubby hands gripping his favorite toy horse and one sandal hanging crazily off of his little foot.
Kaoru's heart warmed with affection; they looked so very much alike. Kenji's hair had darkened as he became a toddler, turning from his fire-bright baby tuft to a more sedate mahogany and, of course, he had always had her eyes. In every other way, however, he was a physical miniature of his father, from his narrow chin to his sharp nose. She'd initially been surprised by his brash and stubborn attitude, but Kenshin had laughingly asked her exactly what she thought he himself had been like as a child.
She'd been shocked; her mild-mannered, nurturing husband a moody, demanding child? She'd always peripherally understood that Kenshin had a temper. His anger had once helped to change the face of an entire country, after all. And his rage when she had been threatened in the past had been staggering.
"It will be fine, Kaoru-dono, that it will. We will be patient, and provide him with focus and discipline and love. He will learn to control his temper. Better and sooner than this one did, one is certain." And her husband was true to his word, his plan, ever patient and affectionate and firm with their son.
Through it all, Kenshin smiled his real smile. From very early in their relationship, Kaoru had noticed that Kenshin closed his eyes when his smiles were false. His true smiles crinkled the skin at the edges of his eyes and they stayed open, warm and content and focused on the thing that had made him happy. He'd given her that smile since their courting days. He'd smiled like that at simply everything during her pregnancy. He smiled like that at their son even when Kenji was at his most trying.
Kenshin adored children, really loved them, loved them as little people with their own opinions and flaws and challenges. He rarely seemed to mind that Kenji was often difficult, just smiled and gently, firmly, redirected the little boy into more appropriate behavior, patiently guiding him on his path. And Kenji, dear, beloved child that he was, pushed back and fought and argued and pulled hair and misbehaved.
And then her beloved boys would turn around and do things like this.
They would sleep curled around each other in a sunbeam. Or Kenji would catch a toad or some such thing, and they would name the thing and lay side by side on their bellies and admire what a very fine toad it really was. Or Kenshin would bring home some small toy or a trinket from the market and spend hours teaching Kenji to play with it or use it. It was during these times, these moments when Kenji was calm and receptive and affectionate, that Kaoru could see her husband's spirit shining through her son's face.
And now, even asleep, Kenshin was smiling as he cuddled their son on the porch. Kaoru's greatest wish for her husband was that one day he would have crow's feet wrinkles next to his eyes, evidence that he had spent many happy years smiling that real smile. It was exhausting, but surely one of her life's greatest accomplishments was having given this man a child.
Kaoru absently stroked her belly. It's going to be even more tiring, soon. I hope we're ready for this. She quietly stepped passed them, into the house, to make dinner while they napped. I'll tell him tonight.