Author's Notes:
Hiya! I had more inspiration and so here this is!! This had nothing to do with the other fic of mine, as you will probably see if you read this. This would kind of take place a long time after the beginning of the anime, but way before the end of it. So, yeah! *laughs* I hope you enjoy this.
A Birthday Present
A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction
It was drawing unmistakably near. One could not simply ignore the significance of the day that would soon be the present. And he still had absolutely no idea what to get her. Women were the hardest people to shop for. With men, as long as it didn't require a whole lot of thought to use the gift, they were as content as babies. Women were picky and extremely difficult to please. Everything was about sensitivity and feelings...
He shuddered. He would rather keep those to himself...
Ahh, but here he was, in a shop with no clue what he was doing. Why couldn't this be like grocery shopping? He was lost in thought as he wandered further into the unknown...
"Hah!" She exclaimed after her student's bokken crashed to the floor of the dojo, a good five feet away.
"No fair! You cheated!" Yahiko accusingly yelled, stomping the floor with his right foot. Clearly, this triggered anger in his Sensei. Fumes were visibly coming out her nose and ears, while she fought to control her ever growing want to pummel him.
"Cheated?! Mou! You weren't even focused! Had you been listening to my instructions earlier instead of drifting off into la-la land where all the Yahiko's mosey around, you wouldn't have become weaponless!" At a loss for words, Yahiko clamped his mouth shut. He couldn't believe she was so upset. True, he hadn't really been paying attention. True, he didn't like being stuck with her for many excrutiating hours out of the day--inside a hot muggy dojo while sitting still and doing boring breathing exercises. And true, when she actually did show him some moves, he had instead watched a few squirrels fight over a walnut outside. He dejectedly retrieved his battered bokken and gripped it hard. Suddenly he turned around, catching Kaoru off guard.
"At least I'm not a lovesick dolt pining after someone who doesn't return my feelings, BUSU!" With that he threw down his bokken at her feet much like a child throwing a temper-tantrum would and raced out of the dojo with a unknown speed.
Kaoru stood there staring at where he'd been standing only seconds ago, letting his words echo in her mind. She then kneeled down in front of his bokken... took it reverently in both of her hands like a sword maker would in a ceremony to give it to a samurai. She stepped carefully over to the shrine in the dojo and kneeled before it, holding the bokken out as if she were offering it to the Gods. And then she set it on the rack.
The bokken had been the one her father had held while training her when she was little. She never used it herself because of that and she'd never let anyone else use it before either. But Yahiko was an exception. She had hoped that with her father's bokken in his grasp that some of her father's strength and patience would flow into the reckless boy's spirit and calm him down.
She sighed as she once again kneeled before the shrine. He was right... While her affection for Kenshin was clear to everyone else, he was the only one who didn't seem to notice. And if he did, he was deliberately ignoring it. Why did things have to be so complicated?
"I miss you ... Father," she whisper as she bowed her forehead to the floor.
Kenshin backed away from the dojo, having witnessed everything from the beginning. Unable to read her thoughts, Kenshin had read her ki and was shocked to feel feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and sorrow. He had never felt those feelings radiate off her before. It was almost a foreign thing to him.
In that aspect, Kaoru was much like him, hiding the sadness deep inside so that no one else would know or worry. 'One day the burden of the past will catch up with you and you will be all alone with no protection but a rusted sword and an empty heart.' He recalled an old lady he had never met before, shouting that to him in the slow, more lonely days of his Rurouni life. She had been blind and yet it seemed for all he was worth that she had been staring directly at him. Or maybe into his blackened soul.
Burying the burden just made things worse, a fact he had lived with his entire life. But if that's what it would mean to protect those around him, so be it. But it didn't mean she had to. She shouldn't have to...
Kenshin was startled out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his left shoulder.
"Kenshin? The tofu..." She barely got out the words when Kenshin ran off, balancing the tofu on the way.
"Oro!!!!"
Dinner was a phenomenon. Sano was indifferently quiet; Yahiko refused to look at Kaoru or utter a word for that matter; Kaoru was making herself aloof and sadly smiling in a demeaning manner; and Kenshin was speechless because he could hear food being chewed Kenshin resolved that he was just grateful that Sano hadn't made matters worse.
"All riiight... this is creeping me out," Sano finally stated. He stood up, popping one more rice cake in his mouth before saluting to the three and quickly informing them that he was visiting a more entertaining group of people, mainly Misao, at the Akabeko. At the mention of the restaurant, Yahiko perked up, but Karou interjected before he could dismiss himself as well.
"Oh no you don't! Don't think that for one moment because I'm a woman I'll be all mushy and emotional and you can get away with what happened earlier during your lesson," she said in a reprimanding tone.
"I know, I know... One thousand strokes..." he muttered in defeat as he got up and left towards the dojo in a sulking trudge. Kaoru sat back down and finished eating.
"Daijobu-ka, Kaoru-dono?"
"Hai. I'm fine Kenshin. Don't worry about me," she answered, setting her chopsticks down and gathering up the dirty dishes. Kenshin jumped up so quickly to stop her that he startled her and she dropped a bowl.
"Aaaiieee!" She yelped in embarrassment.
"Oro.. Sessha only meant to protest Kaoru-dono's help. He will take care of it though, de gozaru," he said to her. She smiled and shook her head.
"I want to help, Kenshin. Please let me help once in awhile. I am a woman after all..." Insinuating about certain roles. She knelt down and began picking up the broken pieces. But then she flinched and brought her finger up to her mouth. Kenshin motioned to her hand and she showed him her injured finger with reluctance. He took her by her other hand and led her to the kitchen sink. When they got there, he tested the water. As soon as it was lukewarm, he rinsed her finger off and then applied pressure to the cut to stop the bleeding with a towel.
Kaoru's heartbeat began to quicken when all movement stopped and the throbbing in her finger dulled to a point of nonexistence. Kenshin was so close... her breathing became labored. He was holding her hand between them, close to his chest. Their hands was the only boundary between their bodies which were only a few inches apart. Her eyes felt so heavy as she looked from their hands up to his eyes, searching for something she knew couldn't be there. But his eyes were so deep and so alluring... She slowly closed her own as if in a trance and leaned forward, her arms finding their way around his lean form, hugging him to her for a reason she could not voice.
It took Kenshin a moment to react, but when he did, several warm feelings rushed to his brain when his arms enveloped the girl. He smiled and breathed in her hair, then rested his chin on her head, hoping whatever it was that made her do this it was because she.. loved him...
"Kenshin...." she asked, looking up. He openly gazed at her with love and concern in his eyes.
"Arigatou..." And then she was gone from his embrace. He felt cold all of a sudden; his arms empty. He picked up the long discarded towel and discovered that the shattered bowl had been taken care of upon returning to the table. He must have been standing there too long after she had left the circle of his arms.
The next day everything was back to normal. Shouts of adopted family irritation frequented the air and equal responses of frustration were muttered back.
Kenshin only laughed while in the midst of his daytime passion. Laundry. Though, he wouldn't admit to anyone but the Battousai within him, watching and talking and being with Kaoru was by far his favorite part of any day. Laundry happened to be the second, though chores and Kaoru could never compare.
He remembered what day it was and that the special day was tomorrow. Strange it was that everyone else was acting normal. Didn't they remember-or was he the only one?
He shook his head, it didn't matter. He was planning something anyway. All that shopping had taken too much effort when he should have meditated on it first to come up with a plan. Then everything would have become clearer at a more beneficial time. But it was set and he was a little bit excited to see the reaction she might have.
All of a sudden, two dark pleading eyes appeared before him, startling him to no end. He stumbled into the washing bin and swirly eyes preceded an 'oro?!'
Yahiko stood there grinning, a towel draped across his shoulders.
"Me and Kaoru are going swimming!" He shouted in delight.
"No, we're not! We're training in the river today," Kaoru shouted nonchalantly before disappearing out of the gates.
"Well, it will turn into swimming when I steal her bathing suit and swim away with it!" He slapped his hands and rubbed them together with a menacing grin. But Kenshin was too lost in imagining Kaoru in a bathing suit, even though the more decent humble part of his conscience was literally trying to put out the fire in his mind.
"Oui, Kenshin!" Yahiko nudged him. "We'll back in a while, probably around dinner, ne?" Kenshin nodded dumbly. "Ja ne!" Yahiko shouted as he ran to catch up to his sensei.
"Oro...." The fiery redhead slumped as he looked at the now dirtied clothing all scattered about on the ground around the water bin. He had to start all over...
Kenshin was startled when he heard wet feet carelessly stumble into the house. He had just about started dinner when Yahiko's pained expression came into view.
"Kenshin, Kaoru--You gotta save her!" He cried. In a flash they were running out of the Kamiya grounds and in the direction of the river. Yahiko got out between sobs and his exhaustion from running that he wasn't strong enough and that he didn't have anything better than a bokken, so he couldn't free her.
When they arrived the river looked unaffected, as if nothing happened. But Yahiko was crying.
"She's .... she's stuck!" He managed, as he pointed. Kenshin ran into the water and swam with every ounce of energy, dove under the surface, and frantically looked around. He couldn't see! He went lower and there! He hurried over to her, noticed that she wasn't moving, Her foot was caught in sea weed. How she came to be like that, he had no idea but nothing else mattered at the moment than getting her out of the water.
He carried her quickly to the dry ground and checked for a pulse. Upon discovering none, he began CPR. Yahiko watched with a morbid fascination as Kenshin determinedly pumped her chest and breathed for her.
Finally, when it seemed all was useless, Kaoru choked up water and began gasping for air. Kenshin clutched her to him, unbelievably relieved. She blinked a few times before her head lolled back and Kenshin adjusted her so he could comfortably carry her home. Yahiko followed silently.
It was afternoon when she opened her eyes to a splitting headache and the shivers. More weight was added to the blankets already covering her and she snuggled into the newly found warmth.
"What happened?" Her voice cracked and she drew back under the covers a bit to hide her embarrassment. Kenshin simply smiled and smoothed back her bangs from her face.
"It's okay now," he simply said. "Sessha will return with lunch. He imagines Kaoru-dono must be starving, de gozaru." Only when Kenshin left did she realize Yahiko had been there. He came closer.
"He saved you." Came the statement. His head was bowed so she couldn't read his eyes. She tilted her head. Maybe he felt bad for not being able to save her himself?
"Saved me..?" She asked for confirmation. He flinched, "Yes, the tree limb that fell while we were exercising bumped your head.... you almost drowned! I got Kenshin... and ... he saved you." Yahiko calmed down.
"That's why my head hurts... you were worried about me, eh?" She grinned. Yahiko pouted and then smirked.
"Eh?"
"I know something you don't." He said slyly. She cocked her head to the side much like a puppy would and asked him with her eyes to continue.
"Kenshin kissed you," he taunted. Kaoru froze. And then blushed as the subject of their one way conversation entered the room with food.
She tried not to be flustered, but she couldn't remember. Her first kiss and she couldn't remember. But, it probably wasn't really a kiss kiss... she frowned at this thought. She was silly sometimes, her mind told her. Yahiko was just messing with her.
Kenshin looked back and forth between the two's expresssions.
"Oro?!?"
"Well, ja ne, Busu and Kenshin. I must go practice my swings!" He said in an amused tone. Kenshin looked to Kaoru who wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Ano... what was that about?"
"N-Nothing..." She replied sheepishly. Kenshin put it aside and tried to help her sit up. When their fingers touched, they both retracted their hands quickly and looked anywhere but at each other. Kenshin finally offered Kaoru her lunch--still steaming.
"Arigatou Kenshin." Once she had eaten as much as her appetite would allow, Kenshin disappeared before returning with a package in his hands.
"Eh??" He presented it to her and she took it in delight. It was always great getting things all wrapped up. Suspense overtook her as she looked to him for permission. He nodded and in a split second she was holding the most beautiful comb she had ever seen.
"What's this for?" She asked softly, holding it close to her heart.
"Well, isn't it Kaoru-dono's birthday?" She froze and then broke out in the sweetest laughter his heart was ever blessed to hear.
"Kenshin... my birthday is not until another month or so... hehee."
"Oro?!" He fell backwards, swirly eyes and all. She waved it off in a dismissal and then meekly handed it to him.
"It is very beautiful... would you mind brushing my hair...?" She asked with hopeful eyes. How could he say no? She turned her back to him and closed her eyes as he hesitantly and timidly pulled the comb through her hair the first time. Not wanting to hurt her, he stopped at knots and untangled them the best he could before starting over again. He marveled at the texture of her hair, reveling in touching it's silkiness, only having been able to smell it before when she wouldn't notice. More and more he used his hands and less of the comb.
Kaoru sighed and unconsciously leaned backwards into his chest until her head was resting against his left shoulder. Kenshin's hands had stilled and he sat there as Kaoru sat dozing lightly against him
He didn't want to move. But there were chores to be done and things he had to fix since it wasn't her actual birthday. He had been looking forward to his plan too... Ah well. This more than made up for it. He stayed there a few minutes longer, telling himself just a little more...a few more minutes...
"Ano, Kenshin..." She sweetly said, stirring from her short nap.
"Hmmm?"
"Now you have to top this on my real birthday..." she purred as she snuggled closer into him. He blinked.
"ORO??!?!!!"
Owari