Chapter 1: Strangers in the dojo
"Kenshin... what's wrong?" Kaoru asked softly as she set a small cup of tea in front of him. He had been acting strange lately, not his usual bubbly self.
"Nothing is wrong at all Kaoru." he smiled brightly and sipped his tea, but his smile did not extend to his eyes which remained sorrowful, and cold.
Kaoru shivered, and without thinking about it put her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder, "Kenshin, you can tell me anything."
"I know." he kissed her softly, before moving out of her hug and standing up, "I am going to go catch breakfast." he said suddenly.
"But... we don't need any fish Kenshin..." Kaoru started, but he had already gathered his fishing equipment and was heading to the door.
"I'll be back soon." he walked over to her, and kissed her again, before vanishing out the door.
Kaoru sat down, pouring herself a glass of tea, "Kenshin.... why won't you tell me what's wrong?"
Kenshin walked quickly to the river, and sat down casting his line into the cool water. He sighed, and silently apologized to Kaoru for making her worry.
"Tomoe... who was that guy you were looking at the other day?" Namie asked as she brought a load of dirty clothes to be washed.
"...He was...just a man." Tomoe replied after a long pause; she took a dirty shirt in hands and started washing.
Namie frowned, and crossed her arms, "Now look, I am not stupid. You knew that guy."
"You are imagining things." Tomoe said as she stood up, and hung the shirt to dry, "He was only a man."
************************
It was nearly noon, and Kenshin had yet to head home, he had caught many fish, but always set them free, he still wasn't ready to return home.
He blinked as he heard a loud splash further up river, and then heard screaming and yelling. He stood up, and saw where the noise had come from. A little boy was in the river, struggling to remain above water. Kenshin didn't even hesitate before he jumped in, and swam to the boy. He reached him and started for shore, reaching it only to be greeted with...
"Pervert!!" came Namie's voice as she hit Kenshin over the head repeatedly, "Pervert!Pervert!Pervert!Pervert!"
The little boy sat blinking, "Why you hit nice man, Miss Namie?" he asked.
"Because he's a pervert!" she answered and hit him again.
As she raised her hand to hit him again, she felt someone grab her wrist, "That's enough Namie..." Tomoe said firmly, then let go of Namie.
Namie turned to her friend, "But he- I was just- You saw him- I mean..." she trailed off, Tomoe wasn't even looking at her, she was at Kenshin's side.
Namie grumbled, "Well, let's just get home.. Ryu's okay, so let's get..."
"We have to return him to his home..." Tomoe said quietly, and looked at Namie, "His...wife... can take care of him then."
Namie threw up her hands, "What's wrong with you today!?" but she walked over to Kenshin, and with some trouble managed to pick him up, "He lives at that dojo right?"
Tomoe nodded, and picked up the little boy, Ryu, and led the way for Namie.
Kaoru was pacing, "Kenshin should've been home by now...." she heard a knock on the door, and ran to open it.
"Kenshin, why are you." she stopped mid-question when she saw Namie at the door, with Kenshin flung over her shoulder, "Kenshin!! What happened!!"
Namie started, "Well he's a little perv-"
"He had an accident... but he should be fine." Tomoe spoke up before Namie could finish. She gave a small bow.
Kaoru nodded, and opened the door wider for them, she showed Namie where to set Kenshin down at and immediatly begin to ask what had happened.
Namie begrudingly told her that Kenshin had been hit over the head, but she failed to mention WHO had hit him.
"Oh...." Kaoru looked at Kenshin, and sat down by him, "Thank you for returning him to me..."
Namie nodded, "Hey, how about me and my friend here take care of this place so you can stay with him?"
Kaoru blinked, 'Total strangers in the dojo?' she thought, then looked at Kenshin, and sighed, "...Alright but only for a short time..." she remembered the days when Kenshin and his friends had showed at the dojo whenever they pleased.
Namie nodded, and left the room, and after speaking with Tomoe, the two women started to clean and cook dinner.
Kenji had found Ryu and soon the two were playing together in the yard; Kaoru sat worriedly by Kenshin's side, only rising once to see how the girls were doing, she was shocked when she saw the progress they had made, and asked them to stay for dinner, and so it was settled, the strangers in the dojo were staying.
"Kenshin... what's wrong?" Kaoru asked softly as she set a small cup of tea in front of him. He had been acting strange lately, not his usual bubbly self.
"Nothing is wrong at all Kaoru." he smiled brightly and sipped his tea, but his smile did not extend to his eyes which remained sorrowful, and cold.
Kaoru shivered, and without thinking about it put her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder, "Kenshin, you can tell me anything."
"I know." he kissed her softly, before moving out of her hug and standing up, "I am going to go catch breakfast." he said suddenly.
"But... we don't need any fish Kenshin..." Kaoru started, but he had already gathered his fishing equipment and was heading to the door.
"I'll be back soon." he walked over to her, and kissed her again, before vanishing out the door.
Kaoru sat down, pouring herself a glass of tea, "Kenshin.... why won't you tell me what's wrong?"
Kenshin walked quickly to the river, and sat down casting his line into the cool water. He sighed, and silently apologized to Kaoru for making her worry.
"Tomoe... who was that guy you were looking at the other day?" Namie asked as she brought a load of dirty clothes to be washed.
"...He was...just a man." Tomoe replied after a long pause; she took a dirty shirt in hands and started washing.
Namie frowned, and crossed her arms, "Now look, I am not stupid. You knew that guy."
"You are imagining things." Tomoe said as she stood up, and hung the shirt to dry, "He was only a man."
************************
It was nearly noon, and Kenshin had yet to head home, he had caught many fish, but always set them free, he still wasn't ready to return home.
He blinked as he heard a loud splash further up river, and then heard screaming and yelling. He stood up, and saw where the noise had come from. A little boy was in the river, struggling to remain above water. Kenshin didn't even hesitate before he jumped in, and swam to the boy. He reached him and started for shore, reaching it only to be greeted with...
"Pervert!!" came Namie's voice as she hit Kenshin over the head repeatedly, "Pervert!Pervert!Pervert!Pervert!"
The little boy sat blinking, "Why you hit nice man, Miss Namie?" he asked.
"Because he's a pervert!" she answered and hit him again.
As she raised her hand to hit him again, she felt someone grab her wrist, "That's enough Namie..." Tomoe said firmly, then let go of Namie.
Namie turned to her friend, "But he- I was just- You saw him- I mean..." she trailed off, Tomoe wasn't even looking at her, she was at Kenshin's side.
Namie grumbled, "Well, let's just get home.. Ryu's okay, so let's get..."
"We have to return him to his home..." Tomoe said quietly, and looked at Namie, "His...wife... can take care of him then."
Namie threw up her hands, "What's wrong with you today!?" but she walked over to Kenshin, and with some trouble managed to pick him up, "He lives at that dojo right?"
Tomoe nodded, and picked up the little boy, Ryu, and led the way for Namie.
Kaoru was pacing, "Kenshin should've been home by now...." she heard a knock on the door, and ran to open it.
"Kenshin, why are you." she stopped mid-question when she saw Namie at the door, with Kenshin flung over her shoulder, "Kenshin!! What happened!!"
Namie started, "Well he's a little perv-"
"He had an accident... but he should be fine." Tomoe spoke up before Namie could finish. She gave a small bow.
Kaoru nodded, and opened the door wider for them, she showed Namie where to set Kenshin down at and immediatly begin to ask what had happened.
Namie begrudingly told her that Kenshin had been hit over the head, but she failed to mention WHO had hit him.
"Oh...." Kaoru looked at Kenshin, and sat down by him, "Thank you for returning him to me..."
Namie nodded, "Hey, how about me and my friend here take care of this place so you can stay with him?"
Kaoru blinked, 'Total strangers in the dojo?' she thought, then looked at Kenshin, and sighed, "...Alright but only for a short time..." she remembered the days when Kenshin and his friends had showed at the dojo whenever they pleased.
Namie nodded, and left the room, and after speaking with Tomoe, the two women started to clean and cook dinner.
Kenji had found Ryu and soon the two were playing together in the yard; Kaoru sat worriedly by Kenshin's side, only rising once to see how the girls were doing, she was shocked when she saw the progress they had made, and asked them to stay for dinner, and so it was settled, the strangers in the dojo were staying.
