Kiriko's Birthday

"Wake up!"

Kiriko nearly jumped out of her skin from the bombing voice that shouted in her ear. She sat up and glared at Hiko. "Why did you do that!"

"Its five minutes past dawn you should have been up thirty minutes ago and stop looking at me like that." He walked into the other room.

"Why are you waking me up so early!" Kiriko barked while she folded up the futon.

"I need you to go get me another jug of sake since you didn't bring me any."

"Huh?" Kiriko walked into the other room just as Hiko was going outside. She ran after him. "HEY! I'm not here to buy you sake! I came here to ask you a question!"

"You little brat! You kids show no respect for your elders! When you come to visit a person you're supposed to bring them a gift especially if you need information from them!"

She opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. He was absolutely right. I have some nerve demanding information from people and I don't even offer them anything in return.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I'll be happy to get your sake but don't you want something to eat with it."

"Hhhmm….that sounds good. Yes, why don't you being back something that you can cook."

"ME!" Kiriko sighed, "Okay but I don't really know my way around here that well….um…why don't you come with me?"

Hiko gave her a strange expression.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't leave this place unless I have to. I don't like to travel."

"Oh come on. You can pick out the sake you like and your favorite foods." The truth was, she really felt comfortable around him. Hiko reminded her of her father, whom she was really starting to miss.

Hiko frowned up his face and plopped down on the log. "I don't WANT to go to the market place!" He sounded just like a whiny little boy.

Kiriko rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm. She started to pull him up, "Come on! Please!"

"Let go of my arm, Kiriko before I have to hurt-"

"Plleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaassssseee!" Kiriko looked into his eyes and did the smile and eyelashes thing that got her father every time.

Hiko raised his eyebrow but didn't say anything at first. She continued to smile and bat her thick eyelashes.

"I'm sure this…" he cleared his throat, "…thing…that your doing works on my idiot apprentice but not on me little girl." He got up and walked into the house.

Kiriko was shocked. It didn't work…I can't belie-

Hiko came back out and walked past her, "Let's go."

She smiled.

They went to a different market place than the one Kiriko arrived in. It wasn't as busy as the other one probably because it was much smaller. Kiriko remained silent as she walked along side Hiko. She kept noticing how he would look over his shoulder as if he expected someone to attack him. He pointed out the store where she could get the sake. She ran in and bought two jugs. Next they went to food stand. Hiko wanted fish, beef, pork, rice and a couple of other things. Kiriko couldn't believe he wanted her to cook all this stuff today. They were heading out of the market place until….

"OOOHHH SIR HIKOOO!" Three high pitch calls came from behind them.

Hiko stopped in his tracks and grimaced. Kiriko turned around to see three rather large middle aged women bouncing down the road towards them.

"YUUU WHOOO SIR HIKO! I KNOW YOUR NOT LEAVING HERE WITHOUT SAY HELLO TO US ARE YOU!" The blonde women yelled out from down the road.

They looked like they were trying to run but their large bodies wouldn't permit them to move very fast. Kiriko looked back up at Hiko. His eye was twitching.

"Hiko I think they're talking to you. Are they friends of yours?" Kiriko asked. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

Hiko didn't answer. He was to busy trying to put a fake smile on his face. He finally managed one. It looked more like a snarl than a smile. He turned around to greet his three admirers.

They were breathing hard as they approached him.

"Hello, ladies." He spoke through grit teeth.

Then the women circled him. The brunette almost knocked Kiriko down trying to get to Hiko's side. Kiriko burst out laughing when all three of them hugged him at the same time.

"We missed you so much Sir Hiko!" they said in unison.

Hiko was struggling to get some air; "Now, now ladies. I……. can't……. breathe."

"OH!" They all let go off him.

"We're so sorry Sir Hiko. But we haven't seen you in so long." The red head blushed. She was holding Hiko's left arm.

"Yes, we thought something might have happened to you." The brunette was holding his right arm.

"Are you coming over for dinner tonight?" The blonde asked. She was holding him around the waist with her head lying on his chest.

Kiriko couldn't stop laughing.

Hiko cleared his throat; "Well…I….Uumm…can't really….I already made….uumm…plans to have dinner with…." He looked at Kiriko laughing, "Will you help me out here!" He growled at her.

Kiriko finally got her laughing under control. "Hi ladies. He's having dinner with me today."

The ladies let go of him to see who had spoke. They all frowned when they saw Kiriko standing behind him smiling.

"Aren't you a little young to be have dinner with a sixty-four year old man?" The red head asked. Her voice telling Kiriko how much she disliked her.

Kiriko gasped, "Your sixty-four!"

Hiko squeezed from out of their grasp and walked over to Kiriko. "Ladies this is my…..um…….granddaughter, Kiriko." They all gasped. "It's her birthday and we were going to celebrate today. Just the two of us!" He stressed the last sentence so that they wouldn't offer to join them.

"Oh Sir Hiko we didn't know you had a grandchild." The blonde said. She was still in shock.

"Yes…well we have to get going. Goodbye ladies. Come along, Kiriko." Hiko turned to walk away.

"Coming grandfather." Kiriko teased. Hiko glared at her from the corner of his eye.

" Okay, BUT DON'T STAY AWAY SO LONG THIS TIME! GOODBYE SIR HIKOOOO!" They all yelled at the same time.

Kiriko had tears coming out of her eyes from laughing so hard.

"I…..hahaha…..I …..hahahahahaaaa……I can see why you don't…hahaha……want to go to the market place….HAHAHA!"

Kiriko lost her balance and fell on the ground. She placed the groceries to her side then held her stomach and continued to laugh.

Hiko didn't stop walking when she fell to the ground. He was trying to ignore her but she was making him very angry.

He finally stopped a few yards away from her. He turned to watch Kiriko laugh. Hiko was really getting fed up now.

"Will you stop this idiotic laughing! Now Get up! I'm hungry."He hollered at her.

She stopped. Kiriko could see he was truly pissed off. She picked herself up and gathered the groceries. Then she ran to catch up with him. There was a small root sticking out of the road, Kiriko didn't see it and she tripped. The groceries went flying. Hiko was close enough to catch both her and the groceries but he decided the groceries were more important. She landed in a large mud patch face first.

She lifted up her grim-covered face and looked at Hiko then she spit out a mouth full of mud.

Hiko knelt down in front of her, "Hmm…I guess you're hungrier than I am. I hope you left some room for desert." He said seriously.

Kiriko glared at him. Hiko got up and turned around. He started to chuckle, then laugh, and then he threw back his head and let it all come out.

She got up and tired to wipe off the mud from her face and clothes but there was too much. She was going to have to take a bath and wash her clothes.

"THAT WASN'T FUNNY!" Kiriko hollered at him. This only made Hiko laugh harder.

Kiriko kept yelling at him to shut up and Hiko kept laughing. They continued this way all the way back to his house.

As they approached the small house, Hiko was finally starting to simmer down.

He wiped his eyes, "Man!….I haven't had a good laugh like that since," Hiko thought about it for a moment, "…well since Kenshin ate those strange mushrooms."

Kiriko didn't say anything. She was steaming mad. She took the groceries into kitchen. Then went into the back of the house to wash up. Hiko still had a smile on his face as he gave her one of his gi's to wear while her clothes were drying. He almost started laughing again when she came out with his oversized gi on. After that she started to prepare lunch. All that time she still wouldn't speak to him.

"Oh, stop pouting! If you had seen the look on your face…" he started to chuckle again, " you would be laughing too…. You laughed at my embarrassment I laughed at yours. Now we're even. So stop being a brat about it." He went outside and slammed the door behind him.

Kiriko stopped cutting the potatoes, He's right. I can dish it out but I can't take it. Maybe I really am a brat. She continued with the meal.

When she was done, she went out side with a tray full of food. Hiko was sitting on the log sipping his sake.

"Here you go…..I'm sorry for laughing at you earlier." She apologized.

Hiko looked at her and drink his sake. "Humph!" Was all he said.

She placed the food in front of him then sat down on the log and they ate in silence. Kiriko was getting full so she began to pick her food. Hiko could see she there was something on her mind.