Prompt: Game Console (s)
It is my understanding that swordsmen of the Edo era were expected to be, by and large, well educated. In a cliched fan-girl move, I have completely over-analyzed Manga!Kenshin's shockingly bad handwriting (calligraphy was important at that time!) and extrapolated a personal head-canon in which Hiko neglected large swaths of Kenshin's education. Kaoru being who she is, I think that she would desire to right a perceived wrong. And Kenshin is an adult, and her love interest,so that could get sticky...
Although it's never shown, I have always assumed that in addition to swordsmanship, Kaoru is seeing to Yahiko's more traditional education, as well.
Set post-Kyoto, pre-Jinchuu.
Hiko had a lot to answer for, and the next time they met Kaoru was going to give him a sizable dressing-down. She'd always desired to teach whoever had raised Kenshin the finer points of their short-comings with the business end of a boken, but having met Hiko, that wouldn't work out so well for the petite woman. So, a humiliating tongue-lashing would have to do. Although, maybe she could just drop an inkstone into his sake jug... She smiled dreamily into space as she sat on the porch, teacup warm in her hands, her expression unconsciously vicious.
"Oro!" She looked over to Kenshin, who had approached her from behind. He now stood, eyes wide and hands raised defensively, sweating visibly. She made an effort to force her mind away from scenarios of vengeance.
"Yes, Kenshin?" His eyes darted to the house. He seemed to be mapping exits. She attempted to smooth her features further. Based on the how nervous the ruruoni appeared, she was having limited success.
"Um...dinner is ready, so it is."
She smiled. "Thank you!" She rose and proceeded him inside. "It smells great!" She, Kenshin, and Yahiko all settled, the blessing was said, and dinner really was delicious. Kenshin seemed to relax after a few minutes, although he did keep giving her sidelong glances. After the meal was cleared away and the dishes washed, she dismissed Yahiko to his writing homework, and turned her smiling face to Kenshin.
"Would you like to play tonight?" He blushed, his naturally pale skin concealing so very little, and scratched the back of his head.
"If Kaoru-dono does not mind..."
"Of course not! Would you like to play in here or on the porch?" He chose the porch, as he usually did, his preference for the outdoors undiminished in light of the cool autumn air. She carefully removed her grandfather's Go board from its case and settled opposite her redhead. She waited while he placed the pieces for his handicap, then began to stake her chosen territory. They had only begun playing shortly before he left for Kyoto and he was surprisingly good for someone so inexperienced. His natural shrewdness and ability to read an opponent offset his complete lack of instruction-! He flinched and she forcibly settled, directing her mind away from his neglect and on to the game.
She won, as she always had, but he was getting better; the game had lasted two and a half hours.
"That was really good, Kenshin. You really almost had that top area." She packed away the pieces and the ornate board. "I'm off to bed, I think. You?" He smiled gently, and it was really unfair how attractive he looked, sitting propped against the porch pillar, his face half shadowed and his beautiful eyes dark.
"This one will stay up a while longer, so I will." She hummed an acknowledgment.
"Would you like for me to bring you your book? Some tea?" His smile widened into something more genuine.
"You do not have to, Kaoru-dono." She smiled back.
"I want to." And she rose and set the water to boil, fetching Kenshin's book of poetry. She heard Yahiko snoring as she passed his room, and peeked inside to insure that he had finished his homework and properly packed away his writing implements. She'd been initially dismayed by Kenshin's complete ignorance of poetry, and basically anything other than the last five hundred years of Japanese politics. He seemed to really enjoy reading, though, and had been delighted when Kaoru had shown him her small library of heirloom volumes. He read quite slowly, but what he read, he remembered. Basho's imagery was magnificent, and Kaoru had been pleased to be able to offer this little book.
She'd had to be so careful with all of this, not wanting Kenshin to feel that she found him lacking because of his poor education. No, it was Hiko who was at fault. To adopt a child and teach him the sword, and only the sword, and then be critical when that child was vulnerable to exploitation-! Kaoru took a deep breath in the quiet kitchen. The next time we're in Kyoto, she promised herself, that man is going to regret being a cretin.