Chapter 4
Kenshin struggled with some difficulty to carry the three sacks of heavy groceries home, carefully turning the next corner so not to lose his balance. Fortunately, he recognized the small wooden house that was his and he quickened his step, trying to hurry back home. But he proved to be a bit too zealous when he tripped suddenly over an unseen object, sending him and the bags flying to the dirt road.
"Oroooooo!!" he moaned painfully, shaking off the swirly-eyed effect that had took place. Someone above him laughed loudly and a dark shadow covered him.
"Baka deshi, I knew you lost your marbles when you got married. Who knew that your senses had become so obtuse," they sneered. Kenshin stumbled back to his feet, only to be overtowered by the person he least expected to meet.
"Shishou??" he stammered, his fingers fumbling to pick up the bags he had dropped. "What are you doing here in Tokyo?"
"What I do is none of your business. Besides, I was just dropping by to check up on things." He bent down and picked up one of the grocery bags.
"Oh," he voiced, taking the bag from Hiko.
"Oh?" Hiko repeated. "Is that all you can say after I came by just for you and Kaoru-san? I didn't teach you to not show respect, you know."
"Gomenasai. I've just been a little depressed, is all." Kenshin began walking again, Hiko by his side.
"Tell me what she did," Hiko said.
"Who?"
"Who else? What did Kaoru-san do to you?" Kenshin sighed, shifting the bags in his hand. He really wasn't planning on speaking about this, especially with his Shishou.
"It's more of what I did to her, or rather what I didn't do." He winced as he remembered everything that had happened, Kaoru being so passionate, her hands on his clothes, then her disappointment for his lack of...talent.
"There's nothing that you can tell me that I won't understand. I'm older than you."
"But I've lived the longest." Kenshin felt like swallowing his words when Hiko gave him a piercing look. He sighed and told him in the least amount of words what had happened. Shortly afterward, Hiko nodded understandingly.
"I knew you wouldn't last long," he replied, laughing a bit. However, Kenshin didn't find it very funny.
"What do you mean by that?" Hiko chuckled under his breath, putting on his trademark smile that would make any girl swoon in a 30 mile radius.
"I knew that Kaoru-san had a fighting spirit, but I didn't think that you could ever be overcome by a woman. But I guess that's easy for a man that looks like one." The short samurai narrowed his eyes and walked faster, a bit irritated. He rounded the next corner and came upon the place he called home. He tried not to think about the upcoming consequences that Kaoru might give him. Hiko followed him inside the gate, not caring if he was welcome or not. Sanosuke was sitting on the porch, looking a bit strange. He wasn't drinking sake or chewing on a twig as usual.
"Konnichiwa, Sanosuke," Kenshin greeted, setting the groceries on the wooden steps. Sano looked at him, then at Hiko, but didn't answer.
"What's wrong?" Sano shook his head and stared at the ground, still not answering. Kenshin tried again.
"Are you hurt? Did Megumi say something to you? Did you lose something? Was it--" he asked, trying to rule out any and all problems that might have occurred, but he cut him off.
"You should have seen her, Kenshin," he mumbled, staring off into space.
"Who?" he asked quietly. Sano focused on Kenshin, his thoughts now clear.
"She was absolutely beautiful. I can't believe I didn't see it before. You're so lucky to have her..."
"Are you talking about Kaoru?" Kenshin demanded, suddenly realizing what he was hearing. Sanosuke sounded like he had just fallen in love...with his wife! How dare he think of her as someone he had a chance with! She was his and only his!! Sanosuke noticed the angry glare that Kenshin was giving him and waved his hands in front of his face.
"No no no, I didn't mean it like that. I was just saying that you're, well, kinda missing out. She's really fixed herself up for you," he explained quickly. Kenshin relaxed at his apology, nodding to show his forgiveness.
"You hear that, baka deshi? She's gone and dressed up just for you and you haven't even noticed it yet?" Hiko asked interrogatively, starting up the stairs to the inside. Kenshin jumped up from the floor in front of him.
"Where are you going, Shishou?"
"Where's it look like I'm going? To greet this goddess of yours."
"B-but she's my wife!" Kenshin argued, trying to stop him in the doorway.
"And that's why I'm letting you go first," he answered coolly. Not taking anymore time to argue, Kenshin leapt past him, kicking off his sandals. Now to find Kaoru--
"Oh, Ken-san! Why are you back so soon?" Megumi implored from the hallway, peeking her head out of the door. The redhead jumped at being yelled at so suddenly.
"Megumi-dono, where is Kaoru?" The lady doctor blanched at the question, backing up a bit.
"Oh, um...just a moment," she replied quickly, shutting the paper door behind her. Kenshin came to the conclusion that Kaoru was in that room. Hiko dropped his hand on his student's head, grinning.
"She must have something special prepared for you." Kenshin shook him off, frowning. Megumi came back out again, looking extremely satisfied with herself. She spotted Hiko at once and smiled.
"We'll be right back, Ken-san. Come on, Hiko-sama, we need a man's opinion," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to Kaoru's room. They disappeared and Kenshin crossed him arms.
"I'm a man. Why can't you have my opinion?" he complained. He was left alone in the foreroom, waiting for them to come back. Wait a minute. Kaoru was his wife, so he should be able to see her when he wanted to. With this in mind, he marched down the hallway, pausing at the shoji door. His hand went to slide it open, when he heard his master's voice.
"Very nice. Although you'll hardly be appreciated by that idiot you married." Kenshin frowned with indignation at his words. But he learned not to take his master too seriously, except when it came to training. He then heard a soft giggle, unmistakably Kaoru's. What was she doing, laughing at Hiko when her husband was right outside the door. He knocked on the wooden panel.
"Megumi-dono, I'm coming in," he warned, about to push the door aside. There was a sudden crash and a loud thump, then Megumi stuck her head out.
"No, Ken-san. You must wait for dinner. That's when you'll see Kaoru."
"Demo--"
"No buts Ken-san," she chided.
"Yare, I'll just prepare dinner right now then," he replied. Megumi practically panicked and shot back in the room, hastily slamming the door shut, right in the samurai's face. He gave an exasperated sigh, then trudged back outside to where Sanosuke was still sitting. He dropped down beside him, propping his chin on his hands.
"I'll never understand women," he mumbled dejectedly.
"I hear ya on that one, buddy," Sano agreed.
Kenshin struggled with some difficulty to carry the three sacks of heavy groceries home, carefully turning the next corner so not to lose his balance. Fortunately, he recognized the small wooden house that was his and he quickened his step, trying to hurry back home. But he proved to be a bit too zealous when he tripped suddenly over an unseen object, sending him and the bags flying to the dirt road.
"Oroooooo!!" he moaned painfully, shaking off the swirly-eyed effect that had took place. Someone above him laughed loudly and a dark shadow covered him.
"Baka deshi, I knew you lost your marbles when you got married. Who knew that your senses had become so obtuse," they sneered. Kenshin stumbled back to his feet, only to be overtowered by the person he least expected to meet.
"Shishou??" he stammered, his fingers fumbling to pick up the bags he had dropped. "What are you doing here in Tokyo?"
"What I do is none of your business. Besides, I was just dropping by to check up on things." He bent down and picked up one of the grocery bags.
"Oh," he voiced, taking the bag from Hiko.
"Oh?" Hiko repeated. "Is that all you can say after I came by just for you and Kaoru-san? I didn't teach you to not show respect, you know."
"Gomenasai. I've just been a little depressed, is all." Kenshin began walking again, Hiko by his side.
"Tell me what she did," Hiko said.
"Who?"
"Who else? What did Kaoru-san do to you?" Kenshin sighed, shifting the bags in his hand. He really wasn't planning on speaking about this, especially with his Shishou.
"It's more of what I did to her, or rather what I didn't do." He winced as he remembered everything that had happened, Kaoru being so passionate, her hands on his clothes, then her disappointment for his lack of...talent.
"There's nothing that you can tell me that I won't understand. I'm older than you."
"But I've lived the longest." Kenshin felt like swallowing his words when Hiko gave him a piercing look. He sighed and told him in the least amount of words what had happened. Shortly afterward, Hiko nodded understandingly.
"I knew you wouldn't last long," he replied, laughing a bit. However, Kenshin didn't find it very funny.
"What do you mean by that?" Hiko chuckled under his breath, putting on his trademark smile that would make any girl swoon in a 30 mile radius.
"I knew that Kaoru-san had a fighting spirit, but I didn't think that you could ever be overcome by a woman. But I guess that's easy for a man that looks like one." The short samurai narrowed his eyes and walked faster, a bit irritated. He rounded the next corner and came upon the place he called home. He tried not to think about the upcoming consequences that Kaoru might give him. Hiko followed him inside the gate, not caring if he was welcome or not. Sanosuke was sitting on the porch, looking a bit strange. He wasn't drinking sake or chewing on a twig as usual.
"Konnichiwa, Sanosuke," Kenshin greeted, setting the groceries on the wooden steps. Sano looked at him, then at Hiko, but didn't answer.
"What's wrong?" Sano shook his head and stared at the ground, still not answering. Kenshin tried again.
"Are you hurt? Did Megumi say something to you? Did you lose something? Was it--" he asked, trying to rule out any and all problems that might have occurred, but he cut him off.
"You should have seen her, Kenshin," he mumbled, staring off into space.
"Who?" he asked quietly. Sano focused on Kenshin, his thoughts now clear.
"She was absolutely beautiful. I can't believe I didn't see it before. You're so lucky to have her..."
"Are you talking about Kaoru?" Kenshin demanded, suddenly realizing what he was hearing. Sanosuke sounded like he had just fallen in love...with his wife! How dare he think of her as someone he had a chance with! She was his and only his!! Sanosuke noticed the angry glare that Kenshin was giving him and waved his hands in front of his face.
"No no no, I didn't mean it like that. I was just saying that you're, well, kinda missing out. She's really fixed herself up for you," he explained quickly. Kenshin relaxed at his apology, nodding to show his forgiveness.
"You hear that, baka deshi? She's gone and dressed up just for you and you haven't even noticed it yet?" Hiko asked interrogatively, starting up the stairs to the inside. Kenshin jumped up from the floor in front of him.
"Where are you going, Shishou?"
"Where's it look like I'm going? To greet this goddess of yours."
"B-but she's my wife!" Kenshin argued, trying to stop him in the doorway.
"And that's why I'm letting you go first," he answered coolly. Not taking anymore time to argue, Kenshin leapt past him, kicking off his sandals. Now to find Kaoru--
"Oh, Ken-san! Why are you back so soon?" Megumi implored from the hallway, peeking her head out of the door. The redhead jumped at being yelled at so suddenly.
"Megumi-dono, where is Kaoru?" The lady doctor blanched at the question, backing up a bit.
"Oh, um...just a moment," she replied quickly, shutting the paper door behind her. Kenshin came to the conclusion that Kaoru was in that room. Hiko dropped his hand on his student's head, grinning.
"She must have something special prepared for you." Kenshin shook him off, frowning. Megumi came back out again, looking extremely satisfied with herself. She spotted Hiko at once and smiled.
"We'll be right back, Ken-san. Come on, Hiko-sama, we need a man's opinion," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to Kaoru's room. They disappeared and Kenshin crossed him arms.
"I'm a man. Why can't you have my opinion?" he complained. He was left alone in the foreroom, waiting for them to come back. Wait a minute. Kaoru was his wife, so he should be able to see her when he wanted to. With this in mind, he marched down the hallway, pausing at the shoji door. His hand went to slide it open, when he heard his master's voice.
"Very nice. Although you'll hardly be appreciated by that idiot you married." Kenshin frowned with indignation at his words. But he learned not to take his master too seriously, except when it came to training. He then heard a soft giggle, unmistakably Kaoru's. What was she doing, laughing at Hiko when her husband was right outside the door. He knocked on the wooden panel.
"Megumi-dono, I'm coming in," he warned, about to push the door aside. There was a sudden crash and a loud thump, then Megumi stuck her head out.
"No, Ken-san. You must wait for dinner. That's when you'll see Kaoru."
"Demo--"
"No buts Ken-san," she chided.
"Yare, I'll just prepare dinner right now then," he replied. Megumi practically panicked and shot back in the room, hastily slamming the door shut, right in the samurai's face. He gave an exasperated sigh, then trudged back outside to where Sanosuke was still sitting. He dropped down beside him, propping his chin on his hands.
"I'll never understand women," he mumbled dejectedly.
"I hear ya on that one, buddy," Sano agreed.