As pleasant a memory that was, Yahiko saw no
relevance to his current situation. 'I can't give her THAT...'the bridge of his
nose reddened,'at least not NOW... heh...heheh...heh...'
Tae watched what seemed to be a battle of facial expressions. 'Perhaps I didn't
need to give Tsubame that chat afterall...' It seemed as though there was no
reason to be concerned. Unfortunately, Tae wasn't exactly comforted by this.
She didn't want to watch another dragged on angst filled romance...
"Anno... aren't you hungry?" Yahiko asked sheepishly as he screatched the back of his head, trying to plot a way to get out. He was afraid to mention her birthday without having anything to offer. 'What real man doesn't get a gift for his... uhm, for his...' Yahiko shook his head furiously as he grew bright red. 'Anyway, it's not like I have any money or anything... and I can't expect her to like getting flowers on EVERY occassion, right?...'
"I just... wanted to spend time with... you, Yahiko-kun."
Tae smacked her forehead. Hardly
an exchange of syllables and the young 'couple' were eyes-to-the-floor crimson.
***
Elsewhere in the present, Kenshin went back to the grueling daily task of menial labor hand-in-hand with emotional conflict. He hadn't seen the two so much as kiss, and he was already imagining what Sano and Kaoru's children would turn out to look like... the answer to the age old question, "What do you get when you cross a chicken with a racoon?" ... Not the prettiest picture, is it?
'Violent, foul-mouthed, too cute for their own good, trouble making trouble finding, anti-gravitation haired rugrats,' the rurouni couldn't help but smile... "Cute."
"What is, Kenshin?"
"OROROROROOOOO..." the redhead blurted as he fumbled the plate he was scrubbing... and with a little dance about in front the sink, he finally caught it and let out a deep sigh. How is it Kaoru was always getting kidnapped and snuck up on when she had such unimaginable stealth at times??... "Ahaha... Kaoru-dono! It was a bird outside the window." And with that, Kaoru leaned over his shoulder to take a look, and blinked.
"I don't see any
birds," and truthfully so, there wasn't even the trace of a feather
outside. Kenshin watched as Kaoru looked outside for the phantom bird, and
mentally shook his head. This couldn't go on for much longer.
***
"Hold still."
"B-but."
"I said, 'Hold still.'"
"Well if you would just be more gentle like a lady, and less sneaky like a fox, maybe you'd get yourself a man... ARGH DAMMIT WOMAN!!"
"... that's DOCTOR woman to you, chickenhead," Megumi then roughly tightened the bandage around Sano's brow, and the scream of agony brought a smile to her lips. "There... all done. What'd you do this time anyway? Some bar brawl again or something?"
"Well, y'see, Jo-chan--"
"Yes, this does look like her handiwork," the doctor nodded knowingly, as she stroked her chin. "I'd waste my breath if I tried to tell you that you shouldn't cross her... if you like living, that is."
"OY! I can handle that little girl!"
"Wanna say that to her face?"
"..."
"...only if a jerk like you could learn manners and tact..."
"Oy."
"...or perhaps even proper grammar..."
"Oy."
"...or just plainly got a real job..."
"OY. Fox-lady. Enough already."
"...now Ken-san on the other hand... well, there's simply no comparison."
"You say it like you ever
had Ken--" Uh-oh. It was one of those odd moments where you knew you were
about to say too much, and hoped the words you thought hadn't been spoken
aloud. Sano's angel and devil appeared on his shoulders for counsel...
*On top of Sano's shoulders*
"You remember that 'line' we talked about?" piped up Sano's angel.
"Y'mean 'no cuts'?"
"NO stupid. I mean the line you shouldn't cross!"
"... oh yeah, that one... yeah - yeah! I remember now..."
"Too late, my friend," and then the angel's counter part... chibi-devil-Sagara chimed in...
"You're so dead."
***
Death seemed imminent. Or at least some pain was about to come... sure. But this, no this was just not kosher. Sano couldn't deal with this. THIS. This was too much.
"H-hey... Megumi.. don't cry..." Sano's eyes rolled up to the ceiling, as he offered a bandaged hand to pat her on the shoulder as his common adversary had lowered her gaze and turned away from him. "Hey! You know jerks like me don't know when to quit!!"... he choked out, his other hand crossing its fingers behind his back, "Look I'm sorry... hey, we're in the clinic already, so if ya hit me RIGHT NOW... c'mon. You know you want to..."
Yes, yes she did. Particularly
since he punctuated that statement with a seductive and alluring eyebrow
wiggle... But for some odd reason, she'd just lost function in her joints, that
she couldn't explain. And the swelling in her cheeks, and the tightness of her
chest... a pain far beneath skin deep. And all of this, converging all at once
inside of her... 'Stupid chickenhead.'
***
Kenshin was acting strange. His more-often-than-not-damsel-in-distress (horray for hyphens!) was concerned. The sun was setting and Kaoru sat watching the object of her enigma... sweep.
"Ne, Kenshin?"
"Hai, Kaoru-dono?" There was a brief pause of silence, as they gazed at one another.. Kaoru's blue eyes questioning, matched with Kenshin's violet stare.
"... n-nothing." She didn't exactly know what to ask. He seemed okay now... but that sudden fainting spell had worried her. Perhaps she was letting him do too much around the dojo. Honestly, Megumi had warned her that Kenshin's only human... and all those fights and injuries are going to be his undoing. Adding house chores to the mix, couldn't help, really. Her shoulders sank, as she rested her elbows on her knees, and watched him... trying to carry herself as normally as possible.
What was that about? What did
Kaoru want to ask?
*scenario number 1*
"Kenshin... do you think...
Sano could ever... settle down?"
*scenario number 2*
"Kenshin? Are you almost
done with the sweeping? We need some tofu."
*scenario number 3*
"Kenshin...? Do you think...
you could ever... settle down... here at the dojo? For good? Because I..."
***
"MOU KENSHIN! Wake up! Are you okay?!"
And his vision faded to black.
***
"Anno, Tsubame... chan. (blush) Would you excuse me... just for a sec-- while?..."
Yahiko sputtered out, scratching at the corner of his lips.
"Of course," 'I guess'... Not exactly the response she'd been hoping for. She watched an apologetic spikey head nod out of sight. Her shoulders dropped and now she saw it fit to pick at her food. With a sigh, she cast her glance in Yahiko's wake.
However, her male companion was
now trekking in the back alley behind the Akabeko and sneaking away to hunt
down a present for his... for Tsubame. Yahiko's mind was in overdrive, as he
went as fast as his feet could carry him. He began to inspect everything within
a three-block radius. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
***
A walk. To clear her head. And she sighed... Sano had rambled on for about fifteen more minutes before hightailing it out of the lcinic. He had been so right, which is why she felt so bad. So, she couldn't have Kenshin. Okay, right. She could accept that, right? She was still young... (Or at least that's what she told everyone else... it's customary to lie about one's age when you're female.) THere would be others... right--? But not like Ken—
"ITE!!!"
"Sumanu, ma-am--!" Yahiko had crashed into this poor old woman and tried to help her up and ... it turned out to be... "Megumi-sensei?" For health reasons, he brushed her off and bowed for forgiveness.
"What in the name of?! Yahiko! Watch where you 're going! Where's the fire?! Is it Ken-san?! Is something wrong?! Did something happen!??!"
"NononoNONONO! Lemme talk already!" Yahiko had been wildly waving his hands and signaling for Megumi to stop panicking. And finally the notion that nothing was wrong - with Ken-san 0 ... she calmed down.
"So what ARE you in such a hurry for? Isn't the Akabeko the OTHER way?"
"SHHHH!! Of course I know that!!" Yahiko looked one way... and then the other. Okay it didn't look like there was anyone else there. But the walls have ears in this town... he talked in a hushed manner, "But that's where SHE is... and she's a she, and I'm a he, and we're supposed to - but it's her birthday, and I can't give her THAT and no gift but I could give her that because I'm able and all 'cause I'm a man! And Sano said men are supposed to... But she's all - and I'm all - and it's all ---!"
"ALRIGHT ALREADY." And
birds shook out of the trees, "Slow down... We're talking about
Tsubame-chan right? What are you supposed to do and what can't you give her?
And what does Sano have to do with any of this?"
***
'What?...'
"Kenshin! You passed out again... should I go get Megumi or Gensai-sensei...?..."
"--M-maa, maa..." Kenshin coughed out... "Daijobou de gozaru..." And with that Kenshin fashioned a smile that usually but Kaoru at ease, but not this time. Kaoru rested her hand on his forehead taking his temperature, with the other hand at his wrist taking his pulse... "You don't have to worry Kaor-"
"Everytime you say that, it makes me worry."
"...eh-heh. Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono..." Kenshin shrank down and let Kaoru tend to him, out of the sheer guilt of the faintest IDEA that he was causing her any inconvenience. He'll have to quit this fainting thing soon or both of them will go gray. The easy way would be to sort this whole thing out... With himself... and her. And Sano. Because it seemed as though, now... there was something there... that... needed to be sorted. He could just tell her what was really going through his head, and perhaps she could tell him what's really going on and maybe the truth of her feelings would be loud and clear - but that would make far too much sense. It was turning out to be a very... very long day.
