3
It took her the better part of two days to find her way back to his mountain home.
Although he did not show any hints of being surprised, Hiko still was. He considered the meandering route he purposefully took to get to the Aoiya and realized that the girl must have followed that route back, which was certainly a considerable feat because of her blindness.
He watched silently as Mae slowly felt her way forward with a crude stick. Her head came up, and looking much like how a wild animal would test the wind, she turned slightly and started walking straight towards him with a surer step. Then when she was but a few yards away, she stopped.
"I can't see you," she said, her glassy eyes focused at the spot where he stood, "but I do know you're there."
Hiko considered torturing her with silence but then what good would that do? So he answered. ""So what? I've every right to be here since this is my home. You on the other hand-"
"Why did you leave me there?!" she yelled, interrupting him.
Hiko was taken aback at the vehemence in her voice. "You got anything against the people at the Aoiya?"
"Chigau!" she yelled angrily. "That's not it at all!"
"Then what is it?"
"Why did you leave me there?" she asked again.
"Why shouldn't I?" For some reason she looked hurt when he said that, nonetheless, he continued, "I saved you. Isn't that enough? Do you really expect me to take care of you for the rest of your life?" When she didn't answer to that, he said, "I'm not your guardian. I'd have returned you to whoever was responsible for you if you'd told me who you are in the first place. But since you didn't, I left you at the one place I knew you'd be relatively safe, where they'd treat you fairly, and where you'd most likely be found by your people."
"Why couldn't you let me stay here?" Mae pleaded sulkily. "I could work here."
"I don't need a servant."
"But I owe you my life."
"Like I said, I don't need any rewards. I did what I did for my own reasons. You thanked me for helping you. That's enough. Now you need to get on with your life. Go back to your home. Your parents must be worried sick by now with you missing."
"I don't have any place to go back to."
Hiko was silent for a moment. "Why is that? Did you run away?"
"No. I didn't." She paused, looking pained at what she was about to say.
"Then why?"
"My parents are both dead, " she explained quietly. "My father's peers sold off all of his remaining property and divided it amongst themselves when he died. I've no home to go back to. All of our relatives have vanished, hidden, or died during the war. My father's two closets friends are dead as well so I don't have anyone to turn to."
"Then why do you want to stay here? You could have stayed at the Aoiya or somewhere else in the city, and worked there."
"I already tried that before, and it doesn't really work."
"Oh?"
"No one wants to hire me because I'm blind, alright?!" When he remained quiet, she sighed and said, "I don't like cities."
"You don't like people," Hiko corrected.
She acted as though struck with that idea. "Maybe. I don't know. I've never been used to being surrounded by so many people. I grew up in a remote village just outside of Tokyo. So I'm used to quiet places like this. Besides, I find cities too noisy. I. I can't 'see' when I'm in the middle of so many people. They're too noisy. It confuses me. That's why, that's why I liked it here. It reminded me of the place I grew up in."
"I see."
"Please. Please allow me to stay with you? Onegai desu, Hiko-sama?"
"Where'd you hear that name?" He distinctly remembered supplying her only with his alias.
"From one of the women at the Aoiya. She was literally euphoric about your visit. Are you really as great as she said you were?"
"Ah. Okun." Hiko smirked. "I'm better, kid."
"You're not exactly humble, are you?"
"You did ask."
"So. can I stay here then?"
Knowing that she couldn't see the expression on his face, Hiko openly studied her. Mae wore one of Misao's old clothing; her hair was tied back revealing her large eyes. Glassy eyes that still managed to somewhat openly show the emotions that she was currently feeling. After a few minutes of silence, he finally answered her question with a resounding, "No."
"Why not?!" her very demeanor echoed her frustration at his answer.
Hiko smiled, openly amused, knowing she couldn't see his face, he explained, "I don't need a blind bratty teenaged girl running around my home."
* * *
to be continued.
AN: took even longer to finish this chapter. Gomen. Actually wrote three versions of this and the first two seemed just wrong so I had to rewrite it. Now it's more or less alright for my standards. Chapter 4's on the works. Give me a week or so to finish it. I promise I will. This story's turning out longer than I planned actually. In truth, I got a sequel planned already. But I wouldn't write that until I get this done. Thanks to those who reviewed the story. Glad you liked it ^_^
* * *
Warnings and Disclaimer:
First of, all Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X characters are not mine. Repeat: they are not mine. Mae's the only character I added and would lay claim to so far. All the names and characters mentioned are Watsuki-sensei's creations.
This story is not in any way yaoi or shounen ai so if you're thinking it would have any of those characteristics in the latter chapters, well you're wrong. I'm making it PG 13 for the language and some rather graphic descriptions of violence.
It took her the better part of two days to find her way back to his mountain home.
Although he did not show any hints of being surprised, Hiko still was. He considered the meandering route he purposefully took to get to the Aoiya and realized that the girl must have followed that route back, which was certainly a considerable feat because of her blindness.
He watched silently as Mae slowly felt her way forward with a crude stick. Her head came up, and looking much like how a wild animal would test the wind, she turned slightly and started walking straight towards him with a surer step. Then when she was but a few yards away, she stopped.
"I can't see you," she said, her glassy eyes focused at the spot where he stood, "but I do know you're there."
Hiko considered torturing her with silence but then what good would that do? So he answered. ""So what? I've every right to be here since this is my home. You on the other hand-"
"Why did you leave me there?!" she yelled, interrupting him.
Hiko was taken aback at the vehemence in her voice. "You got anything against the people at the Aoiya?"
"Chigau!" she yelled angrily. "That's not it at all!"
"Then what is it?"
"Why did you leave me there?" she asked again.
"Why shouldn't I?" For some reason she looked hurt when he said that, nonetheless, he continued, "I saved you. Isn't that enough? Do you really expect me to take care of you for the rest of your life?" When she didn't answer to that, he said, "I'm not your guardian. I'd have returned you to whoever was responsible for you if you'd told me who you are in the first place. But since you didn't, I left you at the one place I knew you'd be relatively safe, where they'd treat you fairly, and where you'd most likely be found by your people."
"Why couldn't you let me stay here?" Mae pleaded sulkily. "I could work here."
"I don't need a servant."
"But I owe you my life."
"Like I said, I don't need any rewards. I did what I did for my own reasons. You thanked me for helping you. That's enough. Now you need to get on with your life. Go back to your home. Your parents must be worried sick by now with you missing."
"I don't have any place to go back to."
Hiko was silent for a moment. "Why is that? Did you run away?"
"No. I didn't." She paused, looking pained at what she was about to say.
"Then why?"
"My parents are both dead, " she explained quietly. "My father's peers sold off all of his remaining property and divided it amongst themselves when he died. I've no home to go back to. All of our relatives have vanished, hidden, or died during the war. My father's two closets friends are dead as well so I don't have anyone to turn to."
"Then why do you want to stay here? You could have stayed at the Aoiya or somewhere else in the city, and worked there."
"I already tried that before, and it doesn't really work."
"Oh?"
"No one wants to hire me because I'm blind, alright?!" When he remained quiet, she sighed and said, "I don't like cities."
"You don't like people," Hiko corrected.
She acted as though struck with that idea. "Maybe. I don't know. I've never been used to being surrounded by so many people. I grew up in a remote village just outside of Tokyo. So I'm used to quiet places like this. Besides, I find cities too noisy. I. I can't 'see' when I'm in the middle of so many people. They're too noisy. It confuses me. That's why, that's why I liked it here. It reminded me of the place I grew up in."
"I see."
"Please. Please allow me to stay with you? Onegai desu, Hiko-sama?"
"Where'd you hear that name?" He distinctly remembered supplying her only with his alias.
"From one of the women at the Aoiya. She was literally euphoric about your visit. Are you really as great as she said you were?"
"Ah. Okun." Hiko smirked. "I'm better, kid."
"You're not exactly humble, are you?"
"You did ask."
"So. can I stay here then?"
Knowing that she couldn't see the expression on his face, Hiko openly studied her. Mae wore one of Misao's old clothing; her hair was tied back revealing her large eyes. Glassy eyes that still managed to somewhat openly show the emotions that she was currently feeling. After a few minutes of silence, he finally answered her question with a resounding, "No."
"Why not?!" her very demeanor echoed her frustration at his answer.
Hiko smiled, openly amused, knowing she couldn't see his face, he explained, "I don't need a blind bratty teenaged girl running around my home."
* * *
to be continued.
AN: took even longer to finish this chapter. Gomen. Actually wrote three versions of this and the first two seemed just wrong so I had to rewrite it. Now it's more or less alright for my standards. Chapter 4's on the works. Give me a week or so to finish it. I promise I will. This story's turning out longer than I planned actually. In truth, I got a sequel planned already. But I wouldn't write that until I get this done. Thanks to those who reviewed the story. Glad you liked it ^_^
* * *
Warnings and Disclaimer:
First of, all Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X characters are not mine. Repeat: they are not mine. Mae's the only character I added and would lay claim to so far. All the names and characters mentioned are Watsuki-sensei's creations.
This story is not in any way yaoi or shounen ai so if you're thinking it would have any of those characteristics in the latter chapters, well you're wrong. I'm making it PG 13 for the language and some rather graphic descriptions of violence.