Disclaimer: Since I know no one reads the author's note, i'm skipping rite
to the disclaimer. Simply put, I own nada.
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chap. 3 ~ forgotten
The sun was no friend today. Kenshin knew that for sure. Any regular passerby would regard the day as exceptionally warm, but Kenshin had been working for quite awhile, cleaning, dusting, and mopping the shack endlessly, and the scorching rays had caused beads of persperation to dot his forehead. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and stepped back a stride to note how much he had left to do, and if you want to have optimism, how much he had finished. (Is the glass half empty or half full?)
Kenshin decided he had done enough to earn himself a break, so he granted himself one and stepped into the shadows of a tree in the nearby forest. A smile crept onto his face as he thought of the last few days. He felt strangely happy, fulfilled in some way. There had been hardly anything to worry about, and daily life had taken a steady beat, repeating itself but never really similar enough to be boring. It was satisfying.
He leaned against the wooden trunk of the tree, and thoughtlessly gazed at the dense forest beyond the dojo, enjoying the serenity of the moment. Time passed slowly, and as Kenshin stepped forward to return to his work, he thought he heard the faint thud of footsteps, gradually making its way towards him. And as he listened more closely, he knew the footsteps were of a child, for they were light and frequent, barely making imprints in the loose dirt.
Kenshin also knew the child was alone, and decided to find out what child would be running in the woods...alone. Kenshin stepped away from the cool shade in order to gain a better view. He waited a bit, and soon the shadowy outline of the child formed. Kenshin's face formed into a questioning gaze as he saw the blonde color of his hair and the azul blue shimmer of his eyes. The boy's eyes took Kenshin's attention, for in them, pools of fear, anxiety, and determination swum around, mingling with the shadows and gleaming patches of sunlight of the forest. Every other stride, the boy would spin his head, nervously glancing behind him, as if running away from someone...or something. There was a limp to his run and didn't seem to see Kenshin as he stumbled on a jutting root, straight into Kenshin's outstretched arms. Kenshin caught the boy in one swift motion, attempting to calm the shocked boy. The boy's eyes grew wide in fear as he squirmed, trying to struggle his way out of some strange man's grasp.
Kenshin gazed down at the ghostly white face of the boy, "Shhhh...it's okay..." His words proved to no avail as the boy continued to pout and whine, not wanting to be held back, he had to get away...he had to keep moving...but it was very tempting to stop for the night. The boy's breathing was heavy and in huffs, he was so tired...so...exhausted...
He stopped squirming for a moment and lifted his head, facing Kenshin. His eyes darted back and forth frantically in its sockets, as if searching for something, as if judging Kenshin, trying to decide if he should trust this man or not.
The boy's exhaustion won him over and his hoarse whisper barely reached Kenshin's ears, "Don't....don't let them....get...me......" And with that, his body went limp as his eyes closed, lashes brimmed with unshed tears.
Kenshin had no idea who the boy was talking about, but he smoothed the boy's dirt-streaked hair, whispering soothingly in reply, "I won't. I promise I won't let them get you."
He exhaled tiredly, and shuffled back to the dojo, the child in his arms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin looked down at the face of the young boy. His face, legs, and arms were covered in soil, and his barefeet were sore and splintered. He whimpered quietly and started to struggle, but Kenshin only shook his head and tightened his grip.
Keshin shifted his weight to his left foot, feet making vague thumps against the wooden surface of the dojo's entrance, carefully balancing the boy's body against his own, so as his right hand would be free. The fusuma slid noisily as Kenshin pushed it, and Kenshin, expecting only Kaoru, Sanoske, or Yahiko, spotted Megumi and Kaoru. How convenient. He must have not heard her enter.
Both women gave Kenshin a second glance before noticing the boy in his arms. Megumi scrambled to her feet, so as she could examine the boy's condition, "Kenshin! This boy is in a terrible state! Don't just stand there! Boil some water! Kaoru, set up a futon with extra blankets, hurry!"
Kenshin and Kaoru exchanged amused glances as they set out to do as Megumi instructed. Megumi-san always went into full-fledged doctor mode if you put someone injured in front of her. Although the boy did seem to be in bad condition...
After more yelling, more scrambling, and more tested tempers, Megumi had the boy exactly how she wanted him, lying comfortably on his back, with blankets piled high atop him. The tension gradually dimmed, and Kaoru asked in a quavering voice, "Is he going to be alright?"
Megumi sat straight, hands on her knees as she tiredly sighed. "He'll be alright after a good meal, and a good place to stay." Kaoru was not one to be oblivious to a hint. Kaoru nodded understandingly and hovered closer to the boy, as did Kenshin. Megumi's mouth slowly formed a fine line, obviously irrated with the company she had to work with while dealing with a patient. "Kaoru, Kenshin?" Both turned to face her in unison. "I need to do a couple more checks, so if you don't mind..."
Kenshin smiled nervously and grabbed Kaoru's hand as they made their way out of the room. The afternoon had slowly ebbed away without Kenshin knowing, and he thought it would be nice to stop the hustle and bustle and watch the sun set in the sky.
He sat down slowly, and looked up expectantly at Kaoru, who had a faraway look to her eyes as she snapped back to reality and smiled warmly as she sat beside her husband. Leaning her head against his shoulder he took her hand, interlocking their fingers together. The sun melted into the multicolored sky, colors dancing in wide circles, surrounding the world with its beauty. Each color molded perfectly with the next, clashing and crashing together.
"Kenshin..."
"Hmmm...?"
"I...I have to tell you something..." The tone of Kaoru's voice had Kenshin alert, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he slowly turned his head to face Kaoru's.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong...but..."
Kenshin tilted his head slightly, "Nan dai...?"
"Kenshin...I'm....I'm going to be a mother....and you're going to be a father.....oh my god Kenshin, you'll be a wonderful father....Kenshin...I'm pregnant." Kaoru's eyes met Kenshin's and he sat in shock for a second before her statement sunk in. When it did sink in, Kenshin lept to his feet, dragging Kaoru with him. So that was why Miss Megumi was at the dojo today. How had he not noticed? Kaoru had been getting up lately with throbbing headaches and weird eating habits...but that didn't matter now. His arms encircled Kaoru as he held her close, savoring the moment and the beauty of life. Tears of happiness welled up in his eyes and spilled over, pearly drops streaming gently down his cheeks. Kaoru smiled happily in Kenshin's arms, she could not remember Kenshin ever being this happy.
They pulled away from the embrace, and Kenshin gently kissed Kaoru's lips, the sun barely a hairline in the glowing horizon.
But as fate intends, there is always the calm breath before the storm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Nice twist huh? hehe... ^.^
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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chap. 3 ~ forgotten
The sun was no friend today. Kenshin knew that for sure. Any regular passerby would regard the day as exceptionally warm, but Kenshin had been working for quite awhile, cleaning, dusting, and mopping the shack endlessly, and the scorching rays had caused beads of persperation to dot his forehead. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and stepped back a stride to note how much he had left to do, and if you want to have optimism, how much he had finished. (Is the glass half empty or half full?)
Kenshin decided he had done enough to earn himself a break, so he granted himself one and stepped into the shadows of a tree in the nearby forest. A smile crept onto his face as he thought of the last few days. He felt strangely happy, fulfilled in some way. There had been hardly anything to worry about, and daily life had taken a steady beat, repeating itself but never really similar enough to be boring. It was satisfying.
He leaned against the wooden trunk of the tree, and thoughtlessly gazed at the dense forest beyond the dojo, enjoying the serenity of the moment. Time passed slowly, and as Kenshin stepped forward to return to his work, he thought he heard the faint thud of footsteps, gradually making its way towards him. And as he listened more closely, he knew the footsteps were of a child, for they were light and frequent, barely making imprints in the loose dirt.
Kenshin also knew the child was alone, and decided to find out what child would be running in the woods...alone. Kenshin stepped away from the cool shade in order to gain a better view. He waited a bit, and soon the shadowy outline of the child formed. Kenshin's face formed into a questioning gaze as he saw the blonde color of his hair and the azul blue shimmer of his eyes. The boy's eyes took Kenshin's attention, for in them, pools of fear, anxiety, and determination swum around, mingling with the shadows and gleaming patches of sunlight of the forest. Every other stride, the boy would spin his head, nervously glancing behind him, as if running away from someone...or something. There was a limp to his run and didn't seem to see Kenshin as he stumbled on a jutting root, straight into Kenshin's outstretched arms. Kenshin caught the boy in one swift motion, attempting to calm the shocked boy. The boy's eyes grew wide in fear as he squirmed, trying to struggle his way out of some strange man's grasp.
Kenshin gazed down at the ghostly white face of the boy, "Shhhh...it's okay..." His words proved to no avail as the boy continued to pout and whine, not wanting to be held back, he had to get away...he had to keep moving...but it was very tempting to stop for the night. The boy's breathing was heavy and in huffs, he was so tired...so...exhausted...
He stopped squirming for a moment and lifted his head, facing Kenshin. His eyes darted back and forth frantically in its sockets, as if searching for something, as if judging Kenshin, trying to decide if he should trust this man or not.
The boy's exhaustion won him over and his hoarse whisper barely reached Kenshin's ears, "Don't....don't let them....get...me......" And with that, his body went limp as his eyes closed, lashes brimmed with unshed tears.
Kenshin had no idea who the boy was talking about, but he smoothed the boy's dirt-streaked hair, whispering soothingly in reply, "I won't. I promise I won't let them get you."
He exhaled tiredly, and shuffled back to the dojo, the child in his arms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin looked down at the face of the young boy. His face, legs, and arms were covered in soil, and his barefeet were sore and splintered. He whimpered quietly and started to struggle, but Kenshin only shook his head and tightened his grip.
Keshin shifted his weight to his left foot, feet making vague thumps against the wooden surface of the dojo's entrance, carefully balancing the boy's body against his own, so as his right hand would be free. The fusuma slid noisily as Kenshin pushed it, and Kenshin, expecting only Kaoru, Sanoske, or Yahiko, spotted Megumi and Kaoru. How convenient. He must have not heard her enter.
Both women gave Kenshin a second glance before noticing the boy in his arms. Megumi scrambled to her feet, so as she could examine the boy's condition, "Kenshin! This boy is in a terrible state! Don't just stand there! Boil some water! Kaoru, set up a futon with extra blankets, hurry!"
Kenshin and Kaoru exchanged amused glances as they set out to do as Megumi instructed. Megumi-san always went into full-fledged doctor mode if you put someone injured in front of her. Although the boy did seem to be in bad condition...
After more yelling, more scrambling, and more tested tempers, Megumi had the boy exactly how she wanted him, lying comfortably on his back, with blankets piled high atop him. The tension gradually dimmed, and Kaoru asked in a quavering voice, "Is he going to be alright?"
Megumi sat straight, hands on her knees as she tiredly sighed. "He'll be alright after a good meal, and a good place to stay." Kaoru was not one to be oblivious to a hint. Kaoru nodded understandingly and hovered closer to the boy, as did Kenshin. Megumi's mouth slowly formed a fine line, obviously irrated with the company she had to work with while dealing with a patient. "Kaoru, Kenshin?" Both turned to face her in unison. "I need to do a couple more checks, so if you don't mind..."
Kenshin smiled nervously and grabbed Kaoru's hand as they made their way out of the room. The afternoon had slowly ebbed away without Kenshin knowing, and he thought it would be nice to stop the hustle and bustle and watch the sun set in the sky.
He sat down slowly, and looked up expectantly at Kaoru, who had a faraway look to her eyes as she snapped back to reality and smiled warmly as she sat beside her husband. Leaning her head against his shoulder he took her hand, interlocking their fingers together. The sun melted into the multicolored sky, colors dancing in wide circles, surrounding the world with its beauty. Each color molded perfectly with the next, clashing and crashing together.
"Kenshin..."
"Hmmm...?"
"I...I have to tell you something..." The tone of Kaoru's voice had Kenshin alert, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he slowly turned his head to face Kaoru's.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong...but..."
Kenshin tilted his head slightly, "Nan dai...?"
"Kenshin...I'm....I'm going to be a mother....and you're going to be a father.....oh my god Kenshin, you'll be a wonderful father....Kenshin...I'm pregnant." Kaoru's eyes met Kenshin's and he sat in shock for a second before her statement sunk in. When it did sink in, Kenshin lept to his feet, dragging Kaoru with him. So that was why Miss Megumi was at the dojo today. How had he not noticed? Kaoru had been getting up lately with throbbing headaches and weird eating habits...but that didn't matter now. His arms encircled Kaoru as he held her close, savoring the moment and the beauty of life. Tears of happiness welled up in his eyes and spilled over, pearly drops streaming gently down his cheeks. Kaoru smiled happily in Kenshin's arms, she could not remember Kenshin ever being this happy.
They pulled away from the embrace, and Kenshin gently kissed Kaoru's lips, the sun barely a hairline in the glowing horizon.
But as fate intends, there is always the calm breath before the storm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Nice twist huh? hehe... ^.^
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