Chapter 8
By Crystal
*Screw the disclaimers ^^;;*
We walked to where our destination with the usual gap between it, it was getting annoying sometimes. I mean, we are couples... Couples do not walk with a huge gap that's about two meters separating each other. I sighed a little, perhaps having a normal husband was too much to hope for. My husband was far from normal...
As we reached there, Kenshin sat down with the basket of medicine while I stood up and held the flag in my hands. A while later, a lot of people came to buy medicine and even kids came.
It was around four and the sky was red, Kenshin decided to close and play with the little kids that had been bugging him for the past hour. I couldn't help but smile slightly at the scene. Battousai playing with children from a village... He looked up at me suddenly, I knew he didn't see my smile, it was too small. For a second there, I felt safe, I felt safe. Really safe. Safer than I've been in a while.
About half an hour later, we were on our way home. Our way to a house on the mountains... Kenshin was in front of me, with the usual distance between us, his medicine basket on his back and his ponytail sweeping it softly. "He was right." I looked up, shocked that he would talk, "Merchants aren't looked at suspiciously."
I see... So Iizuka-san... "And the medicine sold better than we expected." A pause for me, "I'm glad." Another few minutes later, Kenshin spoke up again.
"You left that dagger." My eyes widen once again, how did he know? How did he know?! Far in the distance, I heard a swam cry, or whatever bird that was, I was never good with bird names...
"Hai... I left it." I didn't know what else to say... But I know I did want to continue the conversation... "Right now..." I said uncertainly, "I'm the wife of a medicine seller..." That was certainly not what I intended to say...
I felt my smile widen when he turned back to look at me, "It's getting cold. Let's hurry." Pfft... I was hoping you would say something to continue on the conversation, but I guess that was too hard for you. You just had to kill the most decent conversation we had. Great.
It's night right now, and I've served some sake, beats doing nothing. "Tastes good..." I heard him say, I smile inwardly.
"Does it?" I asked, and winced inwardly at the cold tone of my voice.
"I haven't tasted this in a while..." He said.
I took a sip from my sake cup and looked up at him. I felt a tiny smile form on my lips, "That's true." I look at the sake cup as I remembered memories. Memories of Kiyosato again, memories of us meeting, memories of us drinking during the Gion Festival. It felt so long ago, but truthfully, it's only been less than half an year.
I must've looked sadder than I really was, because the next second, I heard him ask, "What's wrong?"
I looked up at him, "Nothing." I saw concern in his eyes, his eyes that were no longer amber, but kind of violet and amethyst, I took up the bottle of said, "Please." He held up his cup and I refilled it. The rest of the night passed by quietly.
I see you always sleeping with your sword on your shoulder. Does it ever hurt, how you sleep? Don't you get sick of being alert, even when sleeping? Aren't you ever cold, sleeping like that without a single blanket covering you? I guess... Since I am your wife, it is my duty to make sure you're warm when you're sleeping. I dragged the blanket to over where he was sleeping and put it over him. Next, I took off my uwagi and put it on his back, this way, he would certainly not catch a cold. "Oyasumi nasai... anata." I whispered quietly, even I had trouble hearing it.
'July 20, 1864
The medicine today sold better than I thought. I guess... We're getting closer and closer, I hope we are anyhow. You're so peaceful when you're not killing, I must have said that at least a thousand times... Right now, I see someone that hates to kill... Someone that would like a normal life... Would I be able to kill you when the time comes? I think I know the answer to that already, and I think I've asked myself that plenty of times.'
* * * * *
It's been a week since we sold medicine, and Iizuka-san came today again. Once again, I find myself outside on the fields, hiding away from his evil smile again. I heard most of the conversation anyhow, it wasn't hard, the way they was talking. They were pretty loud.
"Is that so?" I heard my husband ask.
"Well, take it easy... Or have you grown tired of the boring life of a medicine seller?" Iizuka-san asked Kenshin. I unconsciously leaned closer to the house, wanting to hear my husband's answer. Does he miss the life as Battousai, or does he like the peaceful life in Otsu?
"Not at all. I didn't enjoy killing people. Life here isn't boring." I sighed mentally. I couldn't help but be relieved. If he had said that he enjoyed his past life, I wouldn't have known what to do. I would probably be thinking something along the lines 'Was I really such a horrible wife?'. Fortunately, I wasn't that bad... I hope. "It has opened my eyes to various things." I heard him say again. Well, that's good, I guess.
"That's good, but be careful not to let your skills slip." There was a bit of noise inside, which I assumed was my husband nodding. Then Iizuka-san started talking about things going on in Kyoto and I left. I wanted to shut that life out, I just wanted to be a wife who lives a normal wife with her husband on a mountain. It never seemed possible... It was never possible.
A little while later, Iizuka-san came out and waved at me, which I ignored and acted as though I had been working hard on the fields. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him leave and see his him slowly disappear. "I'm sorry... I'm not comfortable with him." I told my husband, "I didn't even see him off."
* * * * *
It's been a week since the last time Iizuka-san came and it's been raining. Raining a lot, actually. Non-stop since he left. Right now, I'm crouching on the field with Kenshin holding an umbrella while standing. I see some dead daikons... "No way..." I heard myself say sadly. I touched the leaves, "After all that work..." Poor daikons... And we... we put so much effort to grow them. The reason why I felt sad was not because it was a shame. Perhaps, to me, it felt that Kenshin was creating life for the first time, instead of destroying it. I felt that all we worked for over the past few weeks had gone to waste...
"It's the continuous rain." He touched my shoulder, concerned. "It's okay." He was trying to reassure me, I know, but I couldn't help but feel sad. I felt a tiny tear roll off my cheek. "Half of them are all right. This is a common thing." I know it was... Yet... I couldn't help the tears that were rolling down my cheeks.
"But... But... But..." I whispered softly. I was becoming soft, most of my walls had already been destroyed. A lot of them. I couldn't help but cry in front of him. Why... Why was it so hard for me to be happy? I don't get it. Kiyosato... I could have been happy with him, but he had to join the night patrol and get killed. Kenshin... If I got close to him, it would hurt him more later... When I got my revenge. But I didn't want my revenge...
I jerked out of my thoughts as I felt his hand shaking me softly, "Tomoe?" He whispered. I looked up, forgetting the tears on my face. "Tomoe, daijoubu?" Concern... Love... That was all in his eyes. Without a single thought, I flung myself and cried on his chest. It was not only the daikons... It was all the things I had locked away in my heart. It was finally being unlocked... By the most dangerous man alive. Despite the fact he was Battousai, I loved him. And I still do.
I felt him tense up and drop the umbrella in shock. I was afraid... Afraid he would push me away from the embrace, instead, he returned it. Even the if the heavens was crying, even if the rain was freezing cold, I felt warm. So... The most dangerous man in Japan was the key to my heart. The key to my locked heart, filled with secrets and regrets.
Night had arrived again and we were once again sitting silently, drinking sake. After coming back home from the fields, both of us soaked, I got in the shower quietly and when I came out, it was his turn. We still haven't talked since then. Home? Did I just call this my home? I guess I did... Kenshin... Why doesn't he ever ask my past? Never once did he ask about it, never once did he suspect me of being a spy... I don't get it, how it is that he can trust me so much? He knows nothing about me and in return, I don't know much about him... I gathered my courage, "You don't ask, do you?"
"Eh?"
"About my personal circumstances." I said calmly.
"I feel bad towards your father. Even if we are doing it to cover our tracks, hiding like this is not different than being a fugitive..." That made sense... But I don't exactly think that answers my question... "So I don't think it's my place to ask about your past."
His answer shocked me, of course. Not his place to ask? I guess the thought of me being a spy probably never crossed his mind. Makes sense, who would think a defenceless woman that didn't know anything but cooking and arranging flowers would be a spy? I must say, it was clever of Iizuka-san to do that. Nobody did ever suspect me, not even Katsura-san, but I've regretted that. It would probably be better for Kenshin to suspect me... Perhaps... I should just tell him. "You are..." I paused. "No, it's nothing."
He's once again sleeping in his usual position. I opened my journal and I remember everything clearly. How could I forget that easily? Even though I have been trying to forget about that whole incident... And tried to live my life normally, being unsuccessful, of course. Who would have a normal life, living under the same roof as Battousai?
Tomoe-chan, at least take this. It's from their parents.
Thank you for taking the trouble...
Of course a second son of a middle class couldn't have taken care of Tomoe-chan, so he had to go to Kyoto.
At least he showed a lot of caring, this only happened because he joined that patrol group.
Don't say things like that. Think of Tomoe-chan's feelings.
Nee-chan, what's wrong? Answer me! Nee-chan, what's happened?
God, it's those horrible memories again, the ones when I find out Kiyosato's news. Come to think of it, once I got to know Kenshin, I never tried to find out whether Kiyosato was really killed by him or not... I look at Kenshin, "You're too nice when you're not killing people..." I whispered softly, a single tear once again rolling down my cheek. I opened my journal.
'August 4, 1864
You're too nice when you're not killing people...'
I think... That was the shortest journal entry I've written.
Uwagi – A jacket... I think
DiaBLo – Arigatou for correcting me. Worst than Aoshi? Tomoe? You must be kidding me! Lol... A female Aoshi ^^
XenoMark – He does seem kind of like a jerk, eh?
Tomoe Ayanami – I've repeated a few comments on purpose cause I, myself think of a lot of things more than once, but it might be just me ^^. Anyhow, that little scene about the rain was a little romantic... Hope it satisfies you... a bit ^^ I'll try to fit as much romantic scenes as possible.
Kalus – Thanks for the great compliment ^^ I hope you enjoy the next chapter than. Arigatou!
Heaven's Child – Thanks for the review!
Author's Notes: The next updated should be 'The Difference Between the Rain and Tears'. I have a good idea for a new story... though it's used often. Either a Soujiro/Misao fic or Aoshi/Misao. Ja ne!