Disclaimer: No, I don't own them.
Notes: Ah, you ask me to update sooner, you silly person. My, but shall I flood the place with little bitty chapters? Seriously, I make certain all my stories are finished before I start posting. Otherwise I post chapters I don't like, and then if I remove them entirely people get confused, and it all just goes haywire. Well, that and I do have a bad habit of leaving works unfinished. *Gazes mournfully at her modern Slayers fic that was really coming along nicely over a year ago* Ho hum. So as not to upset readers, or frustrate myself, I will not do that. And here we are, oh impatient ones. ^_~. Chapter four.
The Path of the Sword
4. First trimester
Kenshin stood in front of the looking glass that night, studying his new body for the first time since they had discovered the change. For the most part, he looked the same--at least, while he was dressed. His hair was braided for sleep, much like Kaoru usually wore, and he was tempted to pull it into the low ponytail. That hair, unruly and thick, just was not meant to be braided.
Moving slowly, almost cautiously, he untied the hakama and stepped out of the loose cloth when it fell to the floor. He could not contain his blush as that allowed the gi to hang open, revealing bound breasts. That was something he did not think he would ever get used to. Kenshin was still blushing as he carefully untied the wrappings and let them fall to the floor.
Had he been a man, looking on at a woman, he would have thought the woman in the mirror was breathtakingly beautiful. As it was, he could only stare uncomfortably at himself, the goddess in the mirror.
"Admiring yourself, Anata?"
Kaoru approached him from behind, holding up a yukata. Kenshin sighed and slipped his arms into the sleeves of the garment. Kaoru let it fall over his shoulders and watched as he tied it at the waist.
"I have a hard time believing that person in the looking glass is me," he admitted.
"You and me, both," Kaoru chuckled, wrapping her arms around Kenshin. She loved how much smaller he was, allowing her to envelop him in a warm embrace. "You're still you."
"With breasts," Kenshin grumbled, resting his head on Kaoru's shoulder.
"And such nice breasts they are," she replied.
"Kaoru!"
"Sorry," Kaoru snickered. "It must be these male hormones getting to me."
"I was never like that."
"I always did wonder."
"Kaoru!"
"Sorry!"
^_^
Now, Yahiko had always known he lived with strange people. Kaoru was a tomboy raccoon girl who acted more like a man than a proper lady. Of course, Kenshin was a former hitokiri from the revolution--the best--and that alone made him odd. Since they had discovered Kaoru was pregnant, although now it was Kenshin who was pregnant, everything before seemed perfectly normal in comparison.
Kaoru was a man. That he could live with. After all, she always acted like one, so why not? She was, he had to admit to himself (never aloud), pretty for a man. It was like looking at Kenshin with blue eyes and black hair, and a little taller.
Kenshin was the person Yahiko had a difficult time reconciling himself with. It was bad enough that he was such a domestic, but now he had the figure to match. Even now, the man... woman... was out in the yard, hair pulled up in a strange-looking, high ponytail, washing the laundry.
It was obvious that the former hitokiri was very uncomfortable with himself, which made Yahiko feel a little better. At least he wasn't the only person who thought that this whole situation was weird. Yahiko also found it very amusing when Kenshin would drop whatever he was washing very suddenly and dash across the yard to the backhouse. Kaoru had explained morning sickness to him, so Yahiko knew that Kenshin was not going to the latrine for its traditional use.
"Yahiko!"
Flinching, he quickly resumed sweeping the walkway. But, for once, Kaoru was not there to scold him for drifting off during his chores. She appeared from around the corner and stopped, looking around.
"Have you seen Kenshin?"
Yahiko waved at the abandoned wash bucket.
"He's doing the laundry," he replied carelessly. "In between trips to the bathroom."
Kaoru sighed.
"I was hoping he would help make some lunch."
"Ugh," Yahiko grimaced, glaring at Kaoru as if the girl-turned-man had gone insane. "I'd rather risk your cooking than having Kenshin throw up in my lunch."
Kaoru looked a little ill at the thought herself. Yahiko was surprised that she did not immediately jump him for insulting her cooking.
"You have a point," she grumbled. "And my cooking isn't that bad."
Well, he almost made it without getting rebuked. But he did not get thwacked. That was a bonus. Kaoru's punch had gotten much stronger since she had become a man.
"Well, you can help me cook then," she said abruptly.
"What?!"
"Come on, Yahiko," Kaoru grabbed his arm and dragged him along to the kitchen.
They passed Kenshin, emerging from the backhouse. He blinked at them blearily.
"Oro? Kaoru, what are you doing to Yahiko?"
Kaoru stopped and smiled warmly at her sick husband.
"He's going to help me make lunch," she replied brightly. "We're going to have onigiri and miso."
Kenshin nodded absently, then turned on his heel and went back into the backhouse. A few seconds later, they heard his retching through the door.
"Way to go, Kaoru," Yahiko snickered. "Just the thought of your cooking makes Kenshin sick."
"Oh, shut up!"
^_^
It had been a good day.
Kaoru had discovered a way of making some income while she was unable to visit other dojos. She had gotten a temporary job at the Akabeko, mostly clearing tables and being an errand boy. Yahiko was less than thrilled to work with her, but he had grudgingly admitted that it was a good idea. In addition to some extra money, Kaoru received much of the leftover food the nights she worked, to bring home to her pregnant 'wife.'
Their cover story was that Kaoru was a cousin, going by only the surname. It saved on confusion when everyone called her Kamiya-san. So Kamiya was a man from Kyoto, come to Tokyo to watch the dojo for his cousin while she and her husband went on a late honeymoon. He had brought his wife, Kamiya Kouri, with him, who was pregnant with their first child. Tae was anxious to meet his wife, of course, but Kamiya was adamant that the woman remain at the dojo until she was past the first stages of the pregnancy--namely, the morning sickness.
Kenshin was happy because he had made it through an entire day without getting sick. Megumi had explained to him that morning sickness lasted anywhere from a month to three months, and it had already been a month and a half. If he had to last another month and a half through the sickness, Kenshin was not certain what he would do. It was bad enough that he had to adapt to having female parts and the hormones that went with them, without throwing up every day.
Sanosuke, oddly enough, had been very helpful around the dojo. He had not once complained about Kaoru's cooking and had even done some repairs around the place. The leaky roof was solid once again, and he proved adept at making simple things, like tea for Kenshin. And he quickly adapted to Kenshin being a woman. No longer did he feel the urge to flirt with his best friend, and when Kaoru was not there to help, he was quick to offer to help Kenshin get dressed in the morning, heat the redhead's bath, and even help with the laundry. For some reason, despite his physiological change, Kenshin never minded if Sanosuke saw him undressed. Yahiko, he would certainly never allow in the room, and Kaoru only because they were married. There was no rational reason, but Kenshin tolerated Sanosuke's presence without complaint.
For the first time in over a month, the group got together for dinner. Megumi came to the dojo to cook a meal for them and check Kenshin's condition. Everyone else hovered around a very self-conscious Kenshin when Megumi made him lay down so she could press around his stomach to feel for the baby. Kaoru, of course, insisted on feeling for the baby as well, wanting to be part of the experience. The surprise was that Yahiko wanted to try, and soon, Kenshin found himself with several sets of hands on his belly.
"Cool!" Yahiko breathed, his eyes bright with excitement as Megumi pressed his hands down in the right places. Kenshin could not help but smile at the boy's enraptured face. He glanced to the side and saw Sanosuke, wavering on the edge of indecision. He smiled, laughing softly when Yahiko's hand brushed his side, tickling him.
"Oh!"
Yahiko blinked. "Do that again!"
Kenshin frowned.
"Do what?"
"Laugh!"
Unable to help himself, Kenshin did laugh again. Yahiko's eyes lit up excitedly, and he grinned.
"Cool!" he repeated.
Kaoru sat to the side, smiling warmly at Yahiko. She exchanged knowing glances with Kenshin. Finally, Megumi reached out and grabbed Sanosuke's hand, pulling him forward.
"Hey!" Sanosuke blurted, startled when the doctor guided his hand to Kenshin's stomach.
"Relax, you dummy," Megumi smirked, finding the proper place, low on Kenshin's abdomen, and pressed Sanosuke's fingers down. "Anyone can tell you're feeling left out."
Sanosuke forgot to protest when he felt the slight movement beneath his fingers, his jaw dropping. Kenshin grinned, thinking that being subjected to this was worth it, just to see Sanosuke like that. He settled his head back on the cushion Megumi had put there for him and felt ready to face whatever else this pregnancy had to offer.
^_^
Kenshin wanted the nine months to be done, and he wanted them to be done now. Various unhappy thoughts flashed through his mind as he threw up into a bucket, not having been able to make it as far as the backhouse. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he reached up to swipe it away, not understanding why he was crying.
"Anata," Kaoru's gentle voice came from behind him, and he leaned back against her flat, muscular chest. A man. She was a man. The thought brought more tears to his eyes.
"Kenshin, what's wrong?" Kaoru asked anxiously.
"What's wrong?!" he sniffled, dragging his sleeve across his eyes angrily. "You're a man, I'm a woman, and I'm pregnant, and you're asking what's wrong?!"
"You seemed to be okay with it before," Kaoru muttered uneasily.
"That was before I threw up everything I had for dinner!" Kenshin burst out into a fresh bout of tears. "When is this going to be over?"
Kaoru did not reply, just hugging him closer. She did not feel the urge to cry, although usually Kenshin in tears would make her eyes water. Instead, she just hugged the small, feminine body close to her chest, letting Kenshin cry on her shoulder. The mumbled words before he drifted off into slumber made her smile.
"I hate crying."
Notes: Okay, that chapter ending was supposed to be cute, not sad. Hormones and emotions leap and fall and twist around little poles during pregnancy, as I'm sure anyone who has ever watched TV will know. Next time, chapter five: Kaoru takes Kenshin to the Akabeko.