She turned one of the flowers in her hands.
Smiling and with a light in her eyes, she turned to him.
"Look! They're blooming!"
He smiled back and pointed to the plant next to it.
"Look this plant has already begun growing them, that it has."
Kaoru gasped, and kneeled down in front of it. And she carefully turned the cherry tomato in her hands.
"It's so tiny and cute!"
"If you want," he crouched down next to her, "We can start plucking them now."
Her brows creased, "But it's still not ripe yet."
He palmed another tomato. "Well no, but they've reached the perfect size. It'll make room for more to grow. And we can always keep them in the kitchen until they fully ripen, that we can."
Not to mention, he had already had to scare a few birds off trying to mooch off the small garden. Reminded him of a certain rooster head…
"I suppose that's a good idea," she said shrugging, "when it comes to gardening, I trust your judgement better than mine."
She crawled over to the strawberry bush.
"What about these? Should we pluck these as well."
He shook his head. "We can probably wait on those to grow a bit more."
She sat back on her feet and sighed.
He sneaked a glance at her. She held a content smile on her face.
"You've done a great job on this garden Kenshin,"
He distracted himself with pulling the tomatoes.
"You give me too much credit Kaoru-dono,"
She snorted.
"Please, Yahiko pulled like two weeds before giving up, and I've really done nothing other than admire your work. You've done all the work Kenshin. Your hands…" she paused, almost contemplatively, "Those hands nurtured the small life in these plants, and now look at them!" she exclaimed. "They flourish in your care. Kenshin, your hands… they can give life. These plants are clear proof of that."
He paused, looking down at his hands. The callouses on his palms spoke of his many sins in the past. How could they achieve anything other than harm others? How many people did he have to save in order to atone for the murder of the many lives he took? How many for even just one poor soul who had dared cross his sword path?
Her gentle hands fell into his. And her cool eyes met his own.
How much did he have to atone, for causing so much harm to her? Countless memories of the past battles resurfaced in his mind. His breath hitched, and he looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
Kaoru turned his hands, so now she held them in hers.
He glanced back, a soft smile on her face as her thumb ran circles on his skin.
She met his eyes again.
"Trust me Kenshin," she said.
He looked back down at them. This time he saw the dirt that covered his hands, it was caked deep into his fingernails from working the dirt.
And his hands, had they always been so dark? Surely they hadn't. He supposed being out in the sun did that to you.
There were small nicks around his hand. From the thorn bush he had wrestled with the other day.
Instinctively, he looked where it had once stood. Now a row of radishes lay nestled in the dirt.
He looked back Karou, and he saw what could be.
He saw himself cooking and washing laundry as he always did. Loud sets of kata from the dojo. No one came after them. They could walk in peace to the market and back. He didn't fear every bump in the night, that always had him running to her room. Just to make sure she was alright.
Then he saw, Kaoru in his arms, a swollen belly in her. At a distance they watched as a child laughed. Perhaps he had his bright red hair, or his mother's ocean eyes. But he knew he possessed a firey spirit. Just like his mother. Her child. His child.
His heart clenched and his stomach rolled in knots.
He risked another glance at Kaoru.
She looked up at the sky, her hands still holding his, following the trail of a hawk in the distance.
Somewhere thunder roared, dark clouds made a slow passage towards them. A storm was brewing.
He craved it. He yearned for that life more than he had ever wished for anything else. A life full of peace. A life next to her. And dare he say, happiness? Did he even deserve such a thing?
He squeezed her hand and received a squeeze back.
Yes, this is what he wanted.
So why hadn't he…
She gasped and stood up, sliding her hand from his.
"Kaoru…dono?"
"I forgot I have to go to Maekawa's today!" She ran inside, only to run back shortly backout, bokken in hand.
He stood up as well. "I'll wal–"
"Don't worry, Balthasar said he'll walk with me today."
Just like that his stomach sank. There was the reason.
Ever since the last week at the festival, the two had only grown closer.
He was grateful, and sure he was a kind man yes, especially after what Kaoru told him had happened at the festival in his absence.
But he still wasn't quite sure of what Kaoru's feelings were toward this man.
He knew what her feelings were towards him. At least he thought he did. It was quite obvious what his intentions were.
But she didn't seem to reciprocate his feelings. Did she?
But what if she held some sort of affection towards Balthasar, so much so, that it caused her to reject him?
He sighed quietly, and instead conformed himself with just walking her to the entrance gate, where Balthasar stood on its other side.
"Kaoru-dono," he whispered, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Se looked at him in confusion.
He nodded towards her outfit. She was still in a kimono.
She slapped her hand to her face and ran back inside.
He greeted Balthasar with a silent nod. Balthasar only met him with cold calculating eyes.
While he remained thankful to him, for keeping Kaoru safe, there was still something that rubbed him the wrong way.
Balthasar's gaze moved behind him, and he smiled.
"Ready?" was the only word he spoke.
Kaoru ran past him, now donning her familiar training gi.
He held out his arm, and she linked hers with his.
He looked back at him, and his kind smile, morphed into a smugger, and more knowing one.
Kaoru looked back at him and waved. "Thanks, Kenshin! I'll be back by lunchtime!"
He smiled and gave a small wave back.
She turned back around, and he watched as Balthasar offered to carry her bokken. To which she promptly refused, her warrior pride clear in the way she tightened her hold on it.
Somehow, that small act made him feel better.
He watched them walk away, until they turned the corner, and he could no more.
He breathed out, and went back inside, shutting the gate behind him.
He still had laundry to do, and other chores.
X
They made it to Maekawa's dojo just as the first drops of rain started falling.
"Sensei!" Several of the students greeted her.
Staying in their formation, they all turned to her and bowed.
She smiled, bowing to them as well.
"I wasn't quite sure if you were coming Kamiya-san, word has it, we're in for a pretty strong storm."
She bowed to him in greeting. "Well I couldn't disappoint your students, or you Sensei."
He smiled fondly and patted her head.
"Your father would be proud Kamiya-san."
He looked behind her.
"And who is this young man? Normally Himura-san is the one to accompany you."
"Oh, this is Balthasar," she said, introducing him. "He's… a friend," she continued, ignoring Maekawa's second question.
"Oh and will he be accompanying us today?" Maekawa raised a brow.
Balthasar shook his head, "Oh, no I should be headed on my way actually."
Maekawa looked up and back at him.
"I don't think anyone wants to walk outside in that torrent right now boy. Why don't you stay for a bit until the rain calms down?"
Not giving him a chance to answer, Maekawa pointed to one of his students. "Jiyo, get this man a cushion please."
Nodding, Jiyo promptly disappeared into a back room.
"Oh! Did you know," Kaoru said, "He is also trained in the martial arts." She turned to him. "What did you call it?"
Balthasar smiled, tight lips. "Fencing, I studied under the tutelage of my father some years ago."
"Really?" Maekawa responded. "I've never heard of it, but I'd love to spar with you sometime."
"Not too soon though," she interrupted, "He just recently got out of a sling, and I think you've still got that dagger injury don't you?"
"Dagger injury?" Maekawa said, "You're not one of those street fighters, are you?"
He shook his head, waving his head. "Oh no, I'm a textile merchant."
"We just got attacked by some drunkards at the festivals last week." Kaoru said. "That's how I found out, he's not too bad at fighting."
"Not too bad?" Balthasar laughed, "I'd like to think, I was a bit better than 'not too bad'."
She laughed with him. "Oh please, I did all the work, and you know it."
"Really?" he crossed his arms, and lowered down to her height, "Because that's not how I remember it."
She chuckled and smacked him on his uninjured shoulder.
Maekawa cleared his throat, "Well, best we get started then."
A small heat threatened to rise up her cheeks, as she nodded her head.
X
"Hito-san?" The nurse called.
The man in the bed perked up.
"Is it time for my medicine? I could have sworn I just ate breakfast," he mumble to himself.
The nurse laughed and tidied his bedside table. "You have a visitor."
Saito didn't wait to be let in, he pushed his way past other nurses, stopping at the man's bed.
"Hito Azamuku,"
"Hajime Saito," Azamuku growled.
"Good, we both know each other," He pulled out a stool, and sat down. "It'll spare us the introductions."
He reached in his coat and pulled out a cigarette and some matches.
"Hey!" the nurse said, "You can't…"
All protests were silenced from a glare on his side.
Lighting his cigarette, he tucked the matches away.
"Leave us be woman, this is a matter of the Tokyo Police."
The nurse took her chance and scurried off, lest he do something worse than throw a mere glare at her.
Saito took a deep drag, staring back at Azamuku.
He glanced down at his injuries. His left arm was in a sling, and his right leg in a cast. Not to mention there were several bandages wrapped around different places on his body.
He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his throat. As annoying and impulsive he found the rooster head, he did do a pretty good job of roughing him up.
"You delight yourself in my suffering?" Azamuku smoothed his sheets with one hand.
Despite the interrogative tone, he knew it had been a statement more than a question. They both did
He chuckled again, just for the pleasure of seeing his mouth twist around again.
He flicked his hair back and tossed him the bloodied paper.
"Look familiar?"
Azamuku looked at him in disgust.
"Is it supposed to?"
"Last week, a man by the name of Eichi Hiroki was found in the streets murdered. This exact note lay on his corpse. Name sound familiar? Two days ago, another man, was discovered in the streets, same cause of death, same bloody handprint. And he just so happened to work for you as well."
He tossed him that paper as well.
"I'm not respo–"
He raised his hand, "I'm not done yet, so be quiet. A week ago on the night of the festival. A late shipment arrived under your name. along with the cargo, several crates arrived that were not your usual shipment. Two masked men were present at scene, and upon discovery of their ploy, proceeded to not only blast your ship and your men away, but half of the harbor as well."
Azamuku' s eyes widened, as he shook his head fervently. "I never…"
"And even a week before that, on the very same night of your…" he looked down at his injuries, "run-in, I happened to witness quite the interesting drug deal occur. When confronted about it, one of those men was too eager to escape. And in the process killed two young boys and their mother." He sighed, and stood up, pacing with his hands behind his back.
"I of course took matters into my own hands and took vengeance for the poor souls of those innocent, as for the other man, well," He chuckled and leaned forward. "I find it interesting, how eager men are to betray the second a blade comes in contact with their neck."
Azamuku leaned as far back as he could, and he stood back up.
"They didn't give me your name of course, but they did lead me down the trail of breadcrumbs you carelessly left behind. However small. I must admit, you did a pretty good job of covering your footprints, nonetheless. Of course not that well, since it only took me three weeks to find you."
He glared at him, daring Azamuku to meet his eyes.
"Hito Azamuku, you are under arrest for the possession and distribution of an illegal substance, causing not only the death of twenty-seven people, but the murder of two men, as well as the murder of the woman and her sons. That sound about right?" he tapped his chin, "hmm, I feel like somethings missing… oh that's right. Attempting to blackmail and coerce a civilian to join a drug industry." He clicked his tongue. "Yeah, that's going to be a bit of a hard pit to dig yourself out of."
He leaned forward, whispering in his ear.
"You are blessed to be under the protection of the new government, because if it were up to me, you would already be dead."
He slowly walked off,
"Wait that's not true! I didn't kill them! Yes I may have sold some drugs here and there, but I never ordered any of them killed! Someone framed me I swear!"
He stopped. Grabbing a rolled of bandages off a table, he turned around and chucked it at him.
Azamuku caught it with ease.
He turned back around.
"I will send an officer up later today. From now on you will be under vigilance of an officer until your injuries recover. Where you will then be transferred to the state jail in Hokkaido."
He stopped at the door and glanced at him.
"If you want you may try to flee, I myself would look forward to chase you. Although I can't guarantee your life next time." He shrugged, "your choice."
Walking out, he let the door shut quietly behind him.
Next Update: 12-22-21
A/N: Hey there... hehe yeah I'm going to be taking a small hiatus from this story. Now before anyonw freeks out. Im not abandoning it! Now way could I ever orphan a story, much less one I've been woring on for almost a year now! I'll be honest I had originally planned for about three or four more chapter, but somehow I staryed reeeally far from my plot notes, and I'll be honest I have no cloue where this story is headed right now. Which is why I thought it would be a good idea o pull the brakes on it for now. I want to give myself sometime to breathe, and replot everything. Not to mention I've also got another fic coming out in August and I'm going back to my university a week before that, so the stress is really piling up. Latly I want to thank you guys, for beiing so supportive, and patient with... everything. Because wooh! it's been a crazy year. And I hope and pray you guys and be just a bit more patient, because I really really don't want to sloppily throw a conjubulated mess of word together last minute. I promise I will be back. I hope you guys stay safe, and enjoyed reading the chapter!
Much love! 3
Ess V