You Are My Sunshine
Chapter 2- Getting to Know You
Kaoru was bored.
Kenshin had left 'On Business', and being the stubborn girl that she was, she had insisted on going with him. He told her 'No'. She figured she'd go anyway. But somehow, Sano and Kenshin had managed to talk her out of it. She couldn't believe she let them talk her out of it.
Now Yahiko was off with a friend, Sano was who-knows-where, and Kenshin was gone for at least a week. All the chores were done, there were no lessons today, and she had nothing whatsoever to do.
She stood in the doorway of the dojo, looking out on to the garden. For the past few days, she couldn't stop thinking about Soujiro, and it was really beginning to bother her. She didn't know why, but it did. Currently, she began to remember her encounter with him at the fish stand, and how he said he worked at a horse ranch.
She had nothing better to do. There was no one here to stop her. She was completely bored. And she was completely fascinated by this man.
She'd go pay him a visit.
She wasn't sure where he'd be, so she decided to check the fish stand first.
"No." Said the vendor. "Today is his day off."
Darn! "Well, do you know where he might be?"
The vendor shrugged and shook his head.
Well, next to the horse ranch. 'The Area's Finest.' He had said. She really didn't know anything about horses, so she could only guess at which one he was talking about. It wasn't that far away from the market; a sprawling compound covering several acres. Large open fields held a number of horses, all with their heads down, grazing. She walked toward what she figured was the barn, where she saw some people milling around.
As she walked closer to the barn, one of the young men approached her.
"May I help you, miss?"
"Um...I, uh, I'm looking for Seta Soujiro."
The young man chuckled. "I guess now's not a very good time, but if you really want to see him, he's over there." He gestured to where the people were at the barn.
Kaoru nodded and headed toward the barn. "Arigato."
"The kids' a psycho." Said the young man with a grin as he followed her. "He just got bit by that nasty stud they brought in a few weeks ago, and he's sitting there trying to tell us he'll be just fine."
Kaoru looked at him questioningly.
"You take a look at that wound! He's not going to be 'Just fine'. He's lost an awful lot of blood already." The young man continued. By then they had reached the barn, and Kaoru realized that the people she saw were all standing around, hovering over Soujiro, who was sitting an overturned barrel, pressing something to his shoulder.
She approached him, and some of the people moved aside to let her though.
Soujiro looked at her in surprise. "Miss Kaoru!"
She smiled and nodded to his shoulder. "What happened?"
"Uh, bit by a horse."
"Yeah, you should see that nasty bite! It's horrible!" Said the man next to her. "We've been trying to talk him in to going to a doctor, but he refuses. Maybe you would have more luck."
Kaoru pried Soujiro's fingers off, and lifted the materiel. It was, indeed, horrible; it looked like someone had used a melon bowler to take a scoop out of his shoulder. She knew he must be in excruciating pain.
(A/N I actually know someone with this wound, which is what I'm basing this on. He's over 6 feet tall and must be over 250 pounds, yet the horse still managed to pick him up off of the ground and throw him 3 feet away. Can you imagine what that horse could have done to someone as small as Soujiro??)
"I know a good doctor. You really should let her look at it."
Soujiro made a face.
"Please?" She asked.
Soujiro looked up at her, obviously thinking about it. The men around him began to chuckle.
"The charm of a woman!" They heard one mutter.
Soujiro began to crack a bit of a smile. "I guess it wouldn't hurt..."
"Why don't you take a few days off? You deserve it." Said one man who Kaoru figured was the owner, judging by his fine clothes and the authority with which he spoke.
"Arigato." Said Soujiro.
The owner smiled and nodded. "Come on, boys. Lets get back to work!" He said to the rest and patted Soujiro on his back as the crowd dispersed.
Kaoru smiled. "Come on, I'll take you to her."
Megumi stared at the bite. "How did you say you got this?"
"A horse bit me."
Megumi shook her head and stared at Soujiro, then began gathering her supplies. "There's not much I can do for it. There's not enough skin to suture back together, so the best thing I can do is pack it."
"I could have done that." Quipped Soujiro. Megumi glared at him.
"If you would like to do it yourself..."
"No, no, I'm here now." He smiled, somewhat smugly. Megumi shot him a death glare but kept silent.
Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle at this display.
Megumi said nothing as she finished bandaging his wound and turned away. Kaoru stepped forward.
"Um...are...are you hungry?"
"A little."
Kaoru smiled. She still had leftovers from Kenshin's cooking last night. She might not be able to cook but Soujiro need not know that. "H-How would you like to come over to the dojo and, um, have dinner with me?"
Soujiro looked surprised. "Hai...domo arigato Miss Kaoru!"
Kaoru smiled and began to wonder how Sano and Yahiko would react when they returned. Soujiro stood and began to follow Kaoru out.
"Miss Kaoru...forgive me, but I'm curious. You said dojo..."
She nodded. "Hai. I'm the Assistant Master of the Kamiya Kasshin Style."
"Oh wow! How wonderful!" He studied her. Beautiful -AND- strong. How wonderful, indeed!
Chapter 2- Getting to Know You
Kaoru was bored.
Kenshin had left 'On Business', and being the stubborn girl that she was, she had insisted on going with him. He told her 'No'. She figured she'd go anyway. But somehow, Sano and Kenshin had managed to talk her out of it. She couldn't believe she let them talk her out of it.
Now Yahiko was off with a friend, Sano was who-knows-where, and Kenshin was gone for at least a week. All the chores were done, there were no lessons today, and she had nothing whatsoever to do.
She stood in the doorway of the dojo, looking out on to the garden. For the past few days, she couldn't stop thinking about Soujiro, and it was really beginning to bother her. She didn't know why, but it did. Currently, she began to remember her encounter with him at the fish stand, and how he said he worked at a horse ranch.
She had nothing better to do. There was no one here to stop her. She was completely bored. And she was completely fascinated by this man.
She'd go pay him a visit.
She wasn't sure where he'd be, so she decided to check the fish stand first.
"No." Said the vendor. "Today is his day off."
Darn! "Well, do you know where he might be?"
The vendor shrugged and shook his head.
Well, next to the horse ranch. 'The Area's Finest.' He had said. She really didn't know anything about horses, so she could only guess at which one he was talking about. It wasn't that far away from the market; a sprawling compound covering several acres. Large open fields held a number of horses, all with their heads down, grazing. She walked toward what she figured was the barn, where she saw some people milling around.
As she walked closer to the barn, one of the young men approached her.
"May I help you, miss?"
"Um...I, uh, I'm looking for Seta Soujiro."
The young man chuckled. "I guess now's not a very good time, but if you really want to see him, he's over there." He gestured to where the people were at the barn.
Kaoru nodded and headed toward the barn. "Arigato."
"The kids' a psycho." Said the young man with a grin as he followed her. "He just got bit by that nasty stud they brought in a few weeks ago, and he's sitting there trying to tell us he'll be just fine."
Kaoru looked at him questioningly.
"You take a look at that wound! He's not going to be 'Just fine'. He's lost an awful lot of blood already." The young man continued. By then they had reached the barn, and Kaoru realized that the people she saw were all standing around, hovering over Soujiro, who was sitting an overturned barrel, pressing something to his shoulder.
She approached him, and some of the people moved aside to let her though.
Soujiro looked at her in surprise. "Miss Kaoru!"
She smiled and nodded to his shoulder. "What happened?"
"Uh, bit by a horse."
"Yeah, you should see that nasty bite! It's horrible!" Said the man next to her. "We've been trying to talk him in to going to a doctor, but he refuses. Maybe you would have more luck."
Kaoru pried Soujiro's fingers off, and lifted the materiel. It was, indeed, horrible; it looked like someone had used a melon bowler to take a scoop out of his shoulder. She knew he must be in excruciating pain.
(A/N I actually know someone with this wound, which is what I'm basing this on. He's over 6 feet tall and must be over 250 pounds, yet the horse still managed to pick him up off of the ground and throw him 3 feet away. Can you imagine what that horse could have done to someone as small as Soujiro??)
"I know a good doctor. You really should let her look at it."
Soujiro made a face.
"Please?" She asked.
Soujiro looked up at her, obviously thinking about it. The men around him began to chuckle.
"The charm of a woman!" They heard one mutter.
Soujiro began to crack a bit of a smile. "I guess it wouldn't hurt..."
"Why don't you take a few days off? You deserve it." Said one man who Kaoru figured was the owner, judging by his fine clothes and the authority with which he spoke.
"Arigato." Said Soujiro.
The owner smiled and nodded. "Come on, boys. Lets get back to work!" He said to the rest and patted Soujiro on his back as the crowd dispersed.
Kaoru smiled. "Come on, I'll take you to her."
Megumi stared at the bite. "How did you say you got this?"
"A horse bit me."
Megumi shook her head and stared at Soujiro, then began gathering her supplies. "There's not much I can do for it. There's not enough skin to suture back together, so the best thing I can do is pack it."
"I could have done that." Quipped Soujiro. Megumi glared at him.
"If you would like to do it yourself..."
"No, no, I'm here now." He smiled, somewhat smugly. Megumi shot him a death glare but kept silent.
Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle at this display.
Megumi said nothing as she finished bandaging his wound and turned away. Kaoru stepped forward.
"Um...are...are you hungry?"
"A little."
Kaoru smiled. She still had leftovers from Kenshin's cooking last night. She might not be able to cook but Soujiro need not know that. "H-How would you like to come over to the dojo and, um, have dinner with me?"
Soujiro looked surprised. "Hai...domo arigato Miss Kaoru!"
Kaoru smiled and began to wonder how Sano and Yahiko would react when they returned. Soujiro stood and began to follow Kaoru out.
"Miss Kaoru...forgive me, but I'm curious. You said dojo..."
She nodded. "Hai. I'm the Assistant Master of the Kamiya Kasshin Style."
"Oh wow! How wonderful!" He studied her. Beautiful -AND- strong. How wonderful, indeed!