Not a very long chapter… a prelude to the deeper, darker parts of the story, if you will. And sorry to anyone who's reading this for the late posting. I haven't been working on this much because, frankly, not many people appear to be reading it and people are reading the Blade of the Immortal fics I've been writing, soooo… motivation is understandable, yes? I've only got so much time on my hands to write (damn finals) and I'm naturally going to concentrate on what people really want. Heh. However, my pride forces me to point out that I won't be updating this story contingent on reviews -_- cause frankly I think if you're going to write a story you should just write a story… how fast I get it out is another matter entirely… Anyway, onto chapter two…
To Protect: A Different Kind of Girl
Kenshin poked a rumpled looking head out of his room, gazing up and down the hall as he stifled a yawn. He was up early, as usual. A small grin tugged at the sides of his mouth as he realized no one else was awake yet. Now was his chance to prove to himself and the others that he wouldn't be a burden to them.
With a satisfied nod he turned down the hall and headed for the kitchen. What could be better than waking up to a hot breakfast?
"Kenshin, is that you?" Saya's voice froze his hand just as it grasped the kitchen door.
"Ms. Saya?" he opened the door and found her beaming at him. She was already halfway through preparing breakfast.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked, turning back to her work, humming a little tune under her breath. Kenshin stood paralyzed at the door, a disbelieving smile plastered on his face. Finding someone who woke up before him was a slightly disturbing thing. A glance out the window confirmed that it was still another half hour until true sunrise.
"Kenshin?" Saya regarded him over a shoulder, concern plain on her face.
"Ah," he started back into reality and grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, it just surprised me to see you up before me. I thought I was an early riser."
Saya winked, "We're a bunch of early birds, this family," she informed him, her voice taking on a conspiratorial cadence. Kenshin chuckled and joined her at the counter, asking if he could help her with anything. Saya promptly put him to work chopping vegetables and they worked side by side for awhile in comfortable silence.
"Ms. Saya," Kenshin asked as a sudden realization hit him, "Is this enough food?" he eyed their work which was obviously only enough for two people.
"Of course," she blinked at him roundly before her brows furrowed, "Unless you're an especially big eater. I could make more if you'd like."
Kenshin put up his hands in protest, "No, no, I'm just worried there won't be enough for your uncle."
"My uncle?" she echoed blankly for a moment before she burst into laughter.
"Ah…" Kenshin watched his hostess with a bemused smile, waiting for her to let him in on the joke.
"Sorry," she chuckled, her mirth fading to a mischievous grin, "It's just that my uncle has already left for the day."
"Oro," the rurouni caught himself against the counter as his legs tried to give way in disbelief. She wasn't kidding. They really were early risers.
"Hey, Kenshin," Saya called out, skipping across the yard to where he was busy doing laundry. Kenshin looked over his shoulder just as he snapped open a damp sheet. Saya laughed and put up an arm to ward the droplets from her face. For being a deadly former assassin he was fairly clumsy she noted as she waved away his fumbling apology. Once again she was tempted to ask about his past, but let the urge slide away. She could 'feel' enough to understand his situation, but anything more would have to come from his own mouth and she was willing to be patient.
"I start work again today," she announced, helping him pin the offending sheet onto the line to dry.
Kenshin blinked at her in surprise before smiling, "That's wonderful, Miss Saya."
"I hope you don't mind, but could you look after the house while I'm gone?" she queried, glancing at him from the corner of her eye as she hung up another sheet.
"I would be happy to," he replied dutifully. Saya suppressed a small sigh at his politeness. She knew just how boring staying at home could be. It was why she'd started working after all. However, her rurouni was far too polite to say anything that might make his presence noticed. That was what her next statement was for.
"It might be troublesome, though," she admitted sadly, "the neighborhood children like to play in our yard since it's so big. If they see that you're here they might try to bully you into letting them in, but you shouldn't let them if you don't want to," she fought to keep her face straight. That Kenshin loved children had been painfully obvious since first time he'd accompanied her to the market, even without her intuitive nature. Hopefully he would take the bait.
"I wouldn't mind letting them play in the yard if it is alright with you," his normally guarded smile was just a bit lighter. Saya did a mental dance of victory while outwardly giving an indifferent shrug.
"As long as they don't bother you," she allowed. Kenshin bowed his thanks, a slightly silly grin plastered on his face. Saya gave up trying to be nonchalant about the situation and gleefully launched into a description of each of the children, detailing their favorite games and snacks.
"You must play with them often," Kenshin observed as they returned to the house with the empty basket of laundry.
Saya assumed her indifferent posture again, waving a dismissing hand, "Only when I have nothing better to do." The effect was ruined, though, as a small voice outside reached them. Squealing with excitement, Saya whirled back into the yard to greet the first young playmate to arrive. Kenshin watched her explain the change in adult figures to the younger boy with a genuine smile. He still didn't understand how she seemed to know so much about him, but he couldn't deny that he was enjoying the results. He'd only been staying with her for a handful of days and already she was teasing him into relaxation. Her open and complete acceptance of his presence was a balm to his battered soul. That she understood at least vaguely what he'd once been he could sense, and the fact that she apparently didn't care was astonishing, to say the least. Still…
He shook off the sudden gloom that had pervaded his thoughts and forced a cheerful smile on his face as he moved to where Saya was greeting another young one. She didn't know everything, the thought hung depressingly in his mind. If she knew all his dark secrets, met all of his ghosts, she might not accept him so easily. The knowledge was a pall on what had started out as such a bright day.
Saya crept softly across the yard, shoes left at the gate to quiet her steps. Kenshin was asleep, slumped against the wall on the front porch. It was simply too irresistible an opportunity to pass up.
With a small smile, she noted the telltale marks in the yard of what must have been a particularly rambunctious day of play. The laundry hung damply from the lines. Since she'd helped him with those same shirts earlier in the morning, she could easily assume that the day's games had somehow caused it to need a second washing. The smudges of dirt on Kenshin's own clothing was testimony enough. She chuckled softly as the rapidly closing distance between them gave her a good view of the muddy streak a small set of fingers had left on his cheek.
"Have fun today, Kenshin?" she murmured as she knelt beside him. In sleep his face was relaxed, making his eerily young face appear even younger. At the same time, though…
Saya hesitantly brushed a fingertip against the livid scar, pronounced even with its coating of dirt. At the same time, though, it was also easier to see past the rurouni mask he showed her everyday. She wondered if in sleep he was brought closer to the one who had marked him so. To her, Kenshin felt like summer storm, dark and warm, lightening flickering someplace overhead beyond eyesight but overshadowed by the soft, sweet rain. The scar was a different story. The scar felt of blood and anger and love. It made her shiver whenever she looked at it. The mark showed her his past more completely than any words that might someday come from his mouth.
"Miss Saya…?" Kenshin's voice slammed her senses back into real time. She blinked rapidly as her vision slowly reasserted itself.
"Are you alright?" her feeling heightened senses clanged angrily at the concern that rolled off of him. Saya winced at the onslaught. Sometimes feeling was more trouble than it was worth.
"Yes," she hastily reassured him, "Just thinking." It was then that she realized her straying fingertips were still alighted against his cheek. With an apologetic smile she withdrew them and stood, brushing her kimono back into order.
"That's just my luck," she sighed dramatically, "You were just sleeping there, begging to be attacked, and I let my spacey head wander off with the breeze," she waved a hand airily and flounced into the house.
Kenshin stared after her for a moment in confusion before a grin tugged his face into softer lines. She was certainly a different girl. That only made him like her more, though. He chuckled as he stood, rubbing absently at the dirt tickling his face. The action brought his thoughts abruptly back to the moment he'd opened his eyes to find her gazing at him. There was sorrow in those eyes so intense that for a moment he'd had the half-crazed desire to demand the name of the bastard who'd put it there. Another moment had made him realize, though, that whatever caused that sorrow hadn't come from an outside source.
"What secrets do you have?" he murmured at the empty doorway, still hesitant to follow inside. Again he was brought back to the same question that had plagued him from the minute she'd first spoken to him. What was Saya's secret? What let her know so much about him, about everything?
If you want answers you must first give your own, he observed with a wry grin. No wonder she seemed so content to leave the questions he could see twitching on her lips left unsaid. She wanted to know about his past, but at the same time was loath to divulge her own demons to him.
"Kenshin!" her voice drifted from inside the house, "Are you going to go hungry or come help me with this dinner?" the demand brought an unexpected bubble of laughter to his lips. He opened his mouth in surprise, marveling at the genuine sound. How long had it been since someone could make him laugh like that. Better still, had he even known how to laugh like that before now.
His hand rubbed wearily against the back of his neck as he entered the house. She was indeed a different girl.
Mwa, fluff that isn't fluff. Heh. I enjoy the fact that Saya doesn't blush when she's caught doing something "intimate." She's just not flustered that easily, which is cool. I mean, blushing is all well and good, flufftastic and all that, but sometimes I just wanna slap people around. Give em a real reason to be red in the face. Hehe, I'm not violent, I swear. On another note, this fic isn't going to be too terribly long. I'd estimate about another three to four chapters. Anyway, I'll try and get the next part up in a more timely fashion. I'm finally starting to settle into as style, I think. Ah well. Ja!
