~Sorry, it's been so long since I updated. I've been totally focusing on my
other story, Silent Hearts, which I've been really into lately. Plus I got
about ten million ideas for all these different stories. I know I should
really wrap this story up, but I kind of don't want it to be over because
it was my first really successful story. So I don't how much longer this
one is gonna be. It will probably end in a couple chapters or so. ~
Yahiko ran down the streets, pushing through the crowds to get to the Akabeko. He opened the door and looked around for Tsubame. His eyes scanned through the numerous customers who had come to eat the delicious beef pots. Finally he spotted Tsubame in her frilly apron serving a customer something to drink. He quickly made his way over to her, and touched her elbow lightly to gain her attention. She turned around and her smile brightened as she saw him.
"Yahiko, what are you doing here today?" she said in her usual quiet voice.
Yahiko smiled softly looking into her face. "I need to talk to you about something."
Tsubame nodded. "Ok. Step out back for a while. I'll finish up in a few minutes and met you back there."
Yahiko made his way to the back of the restaurant and stepped out the door. He looked around the small yard and slowly walked over to the edge of the well and sat on it. He could still remembered the first time he had met Tsubame, when he had been training by himself, and he had slipped and kicked his sandal towards her. He pulled a piece of old worn ribbon out from a small pocket of his clothes and rubbed it gently between his fingers. The ribbon that she had used to fix his sandal, he still had it even after all this time. He sighed and closed his eyes.
"Yahiko? Are you awake?"
Yahiko opened his eyes to see Tsubame right in his face. He jumped back, startled, and managed to fall headfirst backwards into the well. He landed with a splash and a thud into the water. He surfaced, splashing water everywhere.
Tsubame gasped and leaned down to the edge of the well. "Little Yahiko! Are you ok?!"
Yahiko stared up at her for a second a scowl on his face, but then he began to climb up out of the well. With Tsubame's help he managed to get out with a minor amount of scratches and scrapes.
"Oh just look at you, all sopping wet!" Tsubame exclaimed eyeing his soaking yellow gi and hakama. "Wait here. I'll get you a towel."
She ran into the restaurant, and then emerged a few minutes later with a couple towels. She quickly wrapped them around Yahiko making sure that he wouldn't get too cold.
When the chaos from the well seemed to be over, they both sat down on the back step. Tsubame glanced over at Yahiko. "So what did you want to talk about?"
Yahiko sighed again and rubbed his damp spiky black hair. "It's nothing."
She frowned and studied his face carefully. She knew that something was wrong. "No really, you can tell me anything. You know that, don't you Yahiko?"
A faint smile covered Yahiko's face. "Yeah I know that." He said.
There was a moment or two of silence and then Yahiko began to speak.
"I just feel kind of left out at the dojo. Kenshin and Kaoru are always busy with Kenji, and I feel like they don't care about me anymore. I feel like no one cares about me anymore."
Tsubame took hold of one of his free hands. "Don't feel that way. I'm sure that they both care a lot for you. It's hard having to share the people you love with other people. I know what that feels like.. I also know that people do care about you a lot... I care about you a lot."
Yahiko blushed and looked down at her hands that held his, but instead of pulling them away he squeezed her hand lightly. "Thanks.for everything. I care about you too."
Yahiko stood up and let go of her hand. "Well, I should probably get back to the dojo now." He said as he began to walk quickly away, his blush growing deeper with each step.
Tsubame stared after him for a long time, even after he had turned the corner and passed out of her sight. She sighed lightly and hugged her hand to her chest, the warmth of Yahiko's palm still lingering on her skin.
Yahiko ran down the streets, pushing through the crowds to get to the Akabeko. He opened the door and looked around for Tsubame. His eyes scanned through the numerous customers who had come to eat the delicious beef pots. Finally he spotted Tsubame in her frilly apron serving a customer something to drink. He quickly made his way over to her, and touched her elbow lightly to gain her attention. She turned around and her smile brightened as she saw him.
"Yahiko, what are you doing here today?" she said in her usual quiet voice.
Yahiko smiled softly looking into her face. "I need to talk to you about something."
Tsubame nodded. "Ok. Step out back for a while. I'll finish up in a few minutes and met you back there."
Yahiko made his way to the back of the restaurant and stepped out the door. He looked around the small yard and slowly walked over to the edge of the well and sat on it. He could still remembered the first time he had met Tsubame, when he had been training by himself, and he had slipped and kicked his sandal towards her. He pulled a piece of old worn ribbon out from a small pocket of his clothes and rubbed it gently between his fingers. The ribbon that she had used to fix his sandal, he still had it even after all this time. He sighed and closed his eyes.
"Yahiko? Are you awake?"
Yahiko opened his eyes to see Tsubame right in his face. He jumped back, startled, and managed to fall headfirst backwards into the well. He landed with a splash and a thud into the water. He surfaced, splashing water everywhere.
Tsubame gasped and leaned down to the edge of the well. "Little Yahiko! Are you ok?!"
Yahiko stared up at her for a second a scowl on his face, but then he began to climb up out of the well. With Tsubame's help he managed to get out with a minor amount of scratches and scrapes.
"Oh just look at you, all sopping wet!" Tsubame exclaimed eyeing his soaking yellow gi and hakama. "Wait here. I'll get you a towel."
She ran into the restaurant, and then emerged a few minutes later with a couple towels. She quickly wrapped them around Yahiko making sure that he wouldn't get too cold.
When the chaos from the well seemed to be over, they both sat down on the back step. Tsubame glanced over at Yahiko. "So what did you want to talk about?"
Yahiko sighed again and rubbed his damp spiky black hair. "It's nothing."
She frowned and studied his face carefully. She knew that something was wrong. "No really, you can tell me anything. You know that, don't you Yahiko?"
A faint smile covered Yahiko's face. "Yeah I know that." He said.
There was a moment or two of silence and then Yahiko began to speak.
"I just feel kind of left out at the dojo. Kenshin and Kaoru are always busy with Kenji, and I feel like they don't care about me anymore. I feel like no one cares about me anymore."
Tsubame took hold of one of his free hands. "Don't feel that way. I'm sure that they both care a lot for you. It's hard having to share the people you love with other people. I know what that feels like.. I also know that people do care about you a lot... I care about you a lot."
Yahiko blushed and looked down at her hands that held his, but instead of pulling them away he squeezed her hand lightly. "Thanks.for everything. I care about you too."
Yahiko stood up and let go of her hand. "Well, I should probably get back to the dojo now." He said as he began to walk quickly away, his blush growing deeper with each step.
Tsubame stared after him for a long time, even after he had turned the corner and passed out of her sight. She sighed lightly and hugged her hand to her chest, the warmth of Yahiko's palm still lingering on her skin.