Chapter Fourteen
Tokio sipped at the coffee gingerly and made a face. She would have to go to the store and get some things. No one should have to live off of black coffee. She wasn't a sugar fanatic and her sweet tooth was moderate, but this was just nasty.
She glanced across the kitchen table at the man seated there. His head was bent as his golden eyes surveyed the pages. Every so often he would make a small grunt of disapproval or would frown deeply. Did he ever give it a rest? Sano had always complained that the man was a hard worker, to tone down the young man's language, but this was bordering on ridicules. What kind of paperwork did an assassin do exactly?
There was a hesitant knock at the door and Tokio could hear Meg scampering up to the door. The house was fairly small, homely she guessed, and so she could hear her daughter's latest torment for the poor man.
"Who is it?"
"It's Kenshin."
"How do I know you're Kenny? You could be a mean man trying to trick me?"
The faint oro that resulted was verification enough. Tokio didn't know anyone else who used that stupid word so liberally. She didn't know anyone else who used it at all actually.
"Megumi let Kenshin in."
There was a brief scuffle as the girl scrabbled at the high lock. Then there were the squeals. Tokio watched in silent amusement as Saitoh's eyebrow twitched. For some reason he really didn't like that dog.
Kenshin wandered in dripping slightly. He had tried to wring the excess water out of his long mane of hair, but all he managed to do was make it scraggly and damp. He paused at the doorframe unsure of the ice he was treading. Saitoh refused to acknowledge him.
"I met Kamatari." Kenshin said finally earning what sounded like the word moron from Saitoh and a delighted giggle from Megumi. She and the dog were on the kitchen floor beside Kenshin's feet. "He was a very interesting person, that he was."
"So, was he nosy?" Megumi asked straightening the dog's bandages. "He and Sano are always nosy. I think it's a contest."
"Oro? He wanted to know how you were fairing, that he did."
"So what did you tell him Battousai?" Saitoh growled lowly. Tokio raised an eyebrow. Apparently Kamatari wasn't one of the man's favorite people. Then again, who was?
"Not much." The smaller man answered edgily.
Tokio scooted a chair out and offered it. He shook his head looking uncomfortable. She looked between Kenshin and Saitoh unsure what to do. Although Saitoh graciously, coldly really, accepted the man's intrusion, he wasn't particularly willing to make things easier. And Kenshin was hardly doing any better keeping himself in check. At least the two men had some discipline.
"What, precisely, did you tell that moron?" Saitoh asked with his golden eyes keenly watching the smaller man. He had a cigarette clutched between his thin lips, but keeping with the house rules, left it unlit. Thankfully the monstrous sword he insisted on carry on occasion was safely tucked in his room and away from Megumi's curious reach. It didn't, however, mean that the lean Shinsengumi was unarmed.
"I… uh, told him about the dog?" Kenshin offered weakly and gave a silly smile for good measures. Both Saitoh and Tokio eyed him stonily.
"And that's it? How well do you trust him?" Tokio said hiding a smug smile. She had no doubt that poor Kenshin had now become a pawn in the war against the pair of nosy Shinsengumi.
"This unworthy one assumed since you spoke so highly of him that he could be trusted!" Kenshin said, fearful that he had made a dangerous mistake. Megumi and the dog looked up at him in bemusement.
"Foolish." Saitoh snorted and continued to look at his papers.
"'Tari can be trusted." Megumi piped up indignantly and gave Tokio a slight glare. "Mommy just wants to know what you told him."
Kenshin didn't look relieved at that statement and he started to edge toward the doorway. Tokio fixed him with a look. He paused, defeated.
"This unworthy one said that all was well and that you two had come to an agreement." There was a tangible pause before Kenshin meekly added, "Kamatari found it funny that Saitoh is called Daddy, that he did."
Oh boy, this could get ugly. She noticed Saitoh's shoulders stiffen with what she could only hope was indignation and not anger. He had only shown her his anger once, but it wasn't something she was looking forward to experiencing again. And they were fighting over, what now seemed like, such a little detail.
"Battousai, while you look like a woman I would trust you could retrain from gossiping like one." Saitoh ground out not getting up. "Where is the other moron?"
"He means Sano." Megumi clarified without looking up.
"Sano wasn't there. Kamatari was taking a run, that he was."
Tokio, still slightly peeved from the gender insult, raised an eyebrow, "You saw Kamatari in non-gender specific clothing."
"Sweats?" Kenshin replied in confusion.
Tokio shook her head trying to imagine it while simultaneously entertaining thoughts of how to teach Saitoh to be a bit more respectful of women. She wondered what kind of experiences he had in the past to make him so cynical and jaded.
The dog, tired of Megumi's ministrations, trotted hopefully up to the chair beside Saitoh and sat down. Her stumpy tails waved madly, but the rest of her body was uncannily still. The man edged to the other side of his chair hanging his long legs off to the side. The dog blinked patiently waiting to be acknowledged.
"Why don't you pet her?" Megumi queried sweetly for once seeming completely genuine. Saitoh looked at the child then looked at the dog, unconvinced, "She doesn't bite."
Tokio felt a smile grace her lips. So that's the way it was huh? Well, she would keep that in mind for later if she needed an ace up her sleeve. Right now she wanted to see him pass this off.
Megumi crawled over on her hands and knees, as children are apt to do. She settled by the dog and tried to tug Saitoh's hand down towards the poor creature's shaggy head. Tokio had to shake her head to keep from laughing as it turned into a tug of war.
Finally Saitoh retrieved his hand and tucked it out of reach.
"Here girl." Kenshin clucked squatting down. If he was hoping to curry favors with his enemy that wasn't going to cut it. Tokio wondered if it would piss Saitoh off even more.
The dog looked at Kenshin, but refused to move.
"I think we should call her Princess." Megumi announced breaking the heavy silence.
Tokio's first impression was how mundane. She bet every other dog was named after royalty. Princess, Queenie, King, Prince, Duke, Duchess… But it wasn't her dog.
She tittered softly as a thought hit her. It was so utterly irrational and completely unfounded that, even for her mind, it was just too much. She wasn't sure what Saitoh slept in because he always retired after her and was up before the sun in the mornings. So she mentally dressed him in loose, causal pjs, standing outside shifting from bare foot to foot urging, 'Hurry up Princess. Potty for Hajime!'
Of course that harmless image soon had him missing a shirt and having goose bumps from the slightly chilly morning air. Before she could get too far on that particular track a voice broke into her daydream.
"What do you find so amusing?" Saitoh growled. If Tokio didn't know better she'd think that he had a sixth sense for knowing when he was being made fun of. Then again, considering his people skills maybe it was just habit.
"Nothing at all, not a thing." Tokio lied and managed to keep a straight face. The dog most defiantly could not walk out of this labeled Princess. That would be far too much. "Megumi, honey, Princess is a very popular name. Don't you want your dog to be special?"
"But I thought everyone was special!" Megumi protested oozing innocence. "That's what they told us in school. Are you saying Ms. Hogan is wrong Mommy?"
"You should call it a name that befits it." Saitoh advised and Tokio knew she didn't like the sound of that. "What about Pansy or Sissy."
"Sissy." Megumi echoed softly looking at the wheaten colored mutt. A grin broke out and she nodded in agreement. "Perfect."
"Oro? You can't call a dog…"
"She can call her cur anything she desires." Saitoh said heading him off. With an amber glare he added, "Don't you have a Master of your own? I wonder what he calls you, stupid student."
Kenshin, to his credit, managed to keep his angry flush barely visible. If she hadn't known him, she would have passed it off for embarrassment. And it could have been, if his eyes hadn't changed to a startling intensity for a moment before regaining a dark cobalt color.
"Miss Tokio I am leaving now."
"Sissy and I will see you to the door." Megumi said in perfect imitation of Saitoh's voice and demeanor. Tokio wanted to clap her hands over the child's mouth. They needed to have a talk about appropriate teasing. She knew in her heart that Kenshin would never, ever intentionally hurt a child, let alone Hiko's offspring, but that did little to ease her unfounded fears as a mother.
"Thank you."
"Hm. For what?" Saitoh asked eyeing his lukewarm coffee with distain.
She pulled up a chair beside him and sat down. He ignored her. Well, nothing new there. Everything time she made an overture he slammed a wall in her face. It was damn annoying.
"Oh, I don't know." Tokio replied offhand, "For not starting a fight to the death in my kitchen for one. I know you and Kenshin don't get along so great."
"Battousai and I have a score to settle."
"And for another you're nice to Megumi. And Heavens knows she needs a father figure at the moment."
Saitoh looked up with an unreadable face, "What about your boyfriend then."
"He wouldn't know what to do with a child if you hand fed it to him." Tokio snorted, but she couldn't help feel a bit bad about the terms she had left on. Okay, she felt horrible, and the only consolation was that Kenshin could give reports.
She wasn't eager to go back and sort this out, but she couldn't be with someone who didn't accept her, no their, child. It wasn't possible. They were a packaged deal now. Apparently the dog was too.
She was doomed to be single at this rate.
A/N: And I'm doing this on Tuesday and updating Wed. morning because I start my job bright 'n' early on Thursday! Yay? So my update schedule may shift again (so sorry!) and I may drop it back to just every sunday. It will take longer, but I might actually edit?
Reviewers:
MissBehavin: Poor dog? What about Shishio being compared to a mutt? Ah well, if you look closely everyone gets referred to a dog in my stories. I like dogs ^__^ Kamatari is act now think later socially. Aoshi is a bit blind and obsessive, but you know *shrug* and what is the boy up to? He's not a plotter (a seriously flaw in my eyes ^^). -__-' I meant the ending. 15 was great. SOUJI!!! I've read/looked at some of both SIPM and PMK which is like @__@ because its in a diff. order, but it helps. Suzu is scary now @__@ The poor kid has to turn into a scary bad-ss for me to notice him ^^; *sigh* OAVs would be nice. But mostly it was like, WTH is up with the black cat? And I never understood who "Maro" *doesn't know real name* was or who he lost to flip him off the deep end (he made a great human torch ^__^), and nothing was cleared up with Akesato (sp?). Of course, I know what happens to all the historical characters -__-' so I'm happy they ended it before they start dying off. [Transgender]: Saitoh-san, you should be far more careful about which readers you insult and charge with boogus crimes :) I have dangerous animals in my possession! HH: Yes, if I remember this right they worked together in the Jinchuu thingy *still hasn't read it*. Plus that chat when Kenshin is fighting Shishio. Saitoh, grateful? NEVER. Besides, Aoshi's cracked, but he wouldn't let Misao actually drowned the Wolf. I kinda petered out on the end (it happens when you write at 3 am) because the spell actually wore off. Aoshi was whinning about nothing.
Wistful-Eyes: Kamatari is great fun ^^ Especially to write. That's okay, Kenshin was busy *snickers*
Fyyrrose: There's your Princess bit. You think? My manga one is at 91% LMAO, its only taken a week! My other three are 45%, 62%, and 14% respectively because I'm too lazy to download the eppies individually. You know the scary thing? When you were saying such-in-such character I still knew who they were X__X I haven't watched SM for at least 6 years. You really want them :) Because you'd have a buttload of catch up! You know me too well. Should I do the trio first? =3 *chokes* Okay, Heisuke will be so much fun. Chou played catch with a baby. Unforgivable. Hiko *evil laugh* Well, you'll get your face off because its too fun to pit those two against each other. [Transgender]: Someone has to have them and its certainly not the guys! :- And you did, didn't you? You dug up all of our rp. I need to work on that too. *starts laughing* You can kill anyone you want and you can bring back anyone (except for CHB). *twitch* Hopefully not me? *laughs* Never me. I'm sure Misao has had many comments, but this is the woman who tried to steal her kimono off the rack and started a food fight!
Tokio sipped at the coffee gingerly and made a face. She would have to go to the store and get some things. No one should have to live off of black coffee. She wasn't a sugar fanatic and her sweet tooth was moderate, but this was just nasty.
She glanced across the kitchen table at the man seated there. His head was bent as his golden eyes surveyed the pages. Every so often he would make a small grunt of disapproval or would frown deeply. Did he ever give it a rest? Sano had always complained that the man was a hard worker, to tone down the young man's language, but this was bordering on ridicules. What kind of paperwork did an assassin do exactly?
There was a hesitant knock at the door and Tokio could hear Meg scampering up to the door. The house was fairly small, homely she guessed, and so she could hear her daughter's latest torment for the poor man.
"Who is it?"
"It's Kenshin."
"How do I know you're Kenny? You could be a mean man trying to trick me?"
The faint oro that resulted was verification enough. Tokio didn't know anyone else who used that stupid word so liberally. She didn't know anyone else who used it at all actually.
"Megumi let Kenshin in."
There was a brief scuffle as the girl scrabbled at the high lock. Then there were the squeals. Tokio watched in silent amusement as Saitoh's eyebrow twitched. For some reason he really didn't like that dog.
Kenshin wandered in dripping slightly. He had tried to wring the excess water out of his long mane of hair, but all he managed to do was make it scraggly and damp. He paused at the doorframe unsure of the ice he was treading. Saitoh refused to acknowledge him.
"I met Kamatari." Kenshin said finally earning what sounded like the word moron from Saitoh and a delighted giggle from Megumi. She and the dog were on the kitchen floor beside Kenshin's feet. "He was a very interesting person, that he was."
"So, was he nosy?" Megumi asked straightening the dog's bandages. "He and Sano are always nosy. I think it's a contest."
"Oro? He wanted to know how you were fairing, that he did."
"So what did you tell him Battousai?" Saitoh growled lowly. Tokio raised an eyebrow. Apparently Kamatari wasn't one of the man's favorite people. Then again, who was?
"Not much." The smaller man answered edgily.
Tokio scooted a chair out and offered it. He shook his head looking uncomfortable. She looked between Kenshin and Saitoh unsure what to do. Although Saitoh graciously, coldly really, accepted the man's intrusion, he wasn't particularly willing to make things easier. And Kenshin was hardly doing any better keeping himself in check. At least the two men had some discipline.
"What, precisely, did you tell that moron?" Saitoh asked with his golden eyes keenly watching the smaller man. He had a cigarette clutched between his thin lips, but keeping with the house rules, left it unlit. Thankfully the monstrous sword he insisted on carry on occasion was safely tucked in his room and away from Megumi's curious reach. It didn't, however, mean that the lean Shinsengumi was unarmed.
"I… uh, told him about the dog?" Kenshin offered weakly and gave a silly smile for good measures. Both Saitoh and Tokio eyed him stonily.
"And that's it? How well do you trust him?" Tokio said hiding a smug smile. She had no doubt that poor Kenshin had now become a pawn in the war against the pair of nosy Shinsengumi.
"This unworthy one assumed since you spoke so highly of him that he could be trusted!" Kenshin said, fearful that he had made a dangerous mistake. Megumi and the dog looked up at him in bemusement.
"Foolish." Saitoh snorted and continued to look at his papers.
"'Tari can be trusted." Megumi piped up indignantly and gave Tokio a slight glare. "Mommy just wants to know what you told him."
Kenshin didn't look relieved at that statement and he started to edge toward the doorway. Tokio fixed him with a look. He paused, defeated.
"This unworthy one said that all was well and that you two had come to an agreement." There was a tangible pause before Kenshin meekly added, "Kamatari found it funny that Saitoh is called Daddy, that he did."
Oh boy, this could get ugly. She noticed Saitoh's shoulders stiffen with what she could only hope was indignation and not anger. He had only shown her his anger once, but it wasn't something she was looking forward to experiencing again. And they were fighting over, what now seemed like, such a little detail.
"Battousai, while you look like a woman I would trust you could retrain from gossiping like one." Saitoh ground out not getting up. "Where is the other moron?"
"He means Sano." Megumi clarified without looking up.
"Sano wasn't there. Kamatari was taking a run, that he was."
Tokio, still slightly peeved from the gender insult, raised an eyebrow, "You saw Kamatari in non-gender specific clothing."
"Sweats?" Kenshin replied in confusion.
Tokio shook her head trying to imagine it while simultaneously entertaining thoughts of how to teach Saitoh to be a bit more respectful of women. She wondered what kind of experiences he had in the past to make him so cynical and jaded.
The dog, tired of Megumi's ministrations, trotted hopefully up to the chair beside Saitoh and sat down. Her stumpy tails waved madly, but the rest of her body was uncannily still. The man edged to the other side of his chair hanging his long legs off to the side. The dog blinked patiently waiting to be acknowledged.
"Why don't you pet her?" Megumi queried sweetly for once seeming completely genuine. Saitoh looked at the child then looked at the dog, unconvinced, "She doesn't bite."
Tokio felt a smile grace her lips. So that's the way it was huh? Well, she would keep that in mind for later if she needed an ace up her sleeve. Right now she wanted to see him pass this off.
Megumi crawled over on her hands and knees, as children are apt to do. She settled by the dog and tried to tug Saitoh's hand down towards the poor creature's shaggy head. Tokio had to shake her head to keep from laughing as it turned into a tug of war.
Finally Saitoh retrieved his hand and tucked it out of reach.
"Here girl." Kenshin clucked squatting down. If he was hoping to curry favors with his enemy that wasn't going to cut it. Tokio wondered if it would piss Saitoh off even more.
The dog looked at Kenshin, but refused to move.
"I think we should call her Princess." Megumi announced breaking the heavy silence.
Tokio's first impression was how mundane. She bet every other dog was named after royalty. Princess, Queenie, King, Prince, Duke, Duchess… But it wasn't her dog.
She tittered softly as a thought hit her. It was so utterly irrational and completely unfounded that, even for her mind, it was just too much. She wasn't sure what Saitoh slept in because he always retired after her and was up before the sun in the mornings. So she mentally dressed him in loose, causal pjs, standing outside shifting from bare foot to foot urging, 'Hurry up Princess. Potty for Hajime!'
Of course that harmless image soon had him missing a shirt and having goose bumps from the slightly chilly morning air. Before she could get too far on that particular track a voice broke into her daydream.
"What do you find so amusing?" Saitoh growled. If Tokio didn't know better she'd think that he had a sixth sense for knowing when he was being made fun of. Then again, considering his people skills maybe it was just habit.
"Nothing at all, not a thing." Tokio lied and managed to keep a straight face. The dog most defiantly could not walk out of this labeled Princess. That would be far too much. "Megumi, honey, Princess is a very popular name. Don't you want your dog to be special?"
"But I thought everyone was special!" Megumi protested oozing innocence. "That's what they told us in school. Are you saying Ms. Hogan is wrong Mommy?"
"You should call it a name that befits it." Saitoh advised and Tokio knew she didn't like the sound of that. "What about Pansy or Sissy."
"Sissy." Megumi echoed softly looking at the wheaten colored mutt. A grin broke out and she nodded in agreement. "Perfect."
"Oro? You can't call a dog…"
"She can call her cur anything she desires." Saitoh said heading him off. With an amber glare he added, "Don't you have a Master of your own? I wonder what he calls you, stupid student."
Kenshin, to his credit, managed to keep his angry flush barely visible. If she hadn't known him, she would have passed it off for embarrassment. And it could have been, if his eyes hadn't changed to a startling intensity for a moment before regaining a dark cobalt color.
"Miss Tokio I am leaving now."
"Sissy and I will see you to the door." Megumi said in perfect imitation of Saitoh's voice and demeanor. Tokio wanted to clap her hands over the child's mouth. They needed to have a talk about appropriate teasing. She knew in her heart that Kenshin would never, ever intentionally hurt a child, let alone Hiko's offspring, but that did little to ease her unfounded fears as a mother.
"Thank you."
"Hm. For what?" Saitoh asked eyeing his lukewarm coffee with distain.
She pulled up a chair beside him and sat down. He ignored her. Well, nothing new there. Everything time she made an overture he slammed a wall in her face. It was damn annoying.
"Oh, I don't know." Tokio replied offhand, "For not starting a fight to the death in my kitchen for one. I know you and Kenshin don't get along so great."
"Battousai and I have a score to settle."
"And for another you're nice to Megumi. And Heavens knows she needs a father figure at the moment."
Saitoh looked up with an unreadable face, "What about your boyfriend then."
"He wouldn't know what to do with a child if you hand fed it to him." Tokio snorted, but she couldn't help feel a bit bad about the terms she had left on. Okay, she felt horrible, and the only consolation was that Kenshin could give reports.
She wasn't eager to go back and sort this out, but she couldn't be with someone who didn't accept her, no their, child. It wasn't possible. They were a packaged deal now. Apparently the dog was too.
She was doomed to be single at this rate.
A/N: And I'm doing this on Tuesday and updating Wed. morning because I start my job bright 'n' early on Thursday! Yay? So my update schedule may shift again (so sorry!) and I may drop it back to just every sunday. It will take longer, but I might actually edit?
Reviewers:
MissBehavin: Poor dog? What about Shishio being compared to a mutt? Ah well, if you look closely everyone gets referred to a dog in my stories. I like dogs ^__^ Kamatari is act now think later socially. Aoshi is a bit blind and obsessive, but you know *shrug* and what is the boy up to? He's not a plotter (a seriously flaw in my eyes ^^). -__-' I meant the ending. 15 was great. SOUJI!!! I've read/looked at some of both SIPM and PMK which is like @__@ because its in a diff. order, but it helps. Suzu is scary now @__@ The poor kid has to turn into a scary bad-ss for me to notice him ^^; *sigh* OAVs would be nice. But mostly it was like, WTH is up with the black cat? And I never understood who "Maro" *doesn't know real name* was or who he lost to flip him off the deep end (he made a great human torch ^__^), and nothing was cleared up with Akesato (sp?). Of course, I know what happens to all the historical characters -__-' so I'm happy they ended it before they start dying off. [Transgender]: Saitoh-san, you should be far more careful about which readers you insult and charge with boogus crimes :) I have dangerous animals in my possession! HH: Yes, if I remember this right they worked together in the Jinchuu thingy *still hasn't read it*. Plus that chat when Kenshin is fighting Shishio. Saitoh, grateful? NEVER. Besides, Aoshi's cracked, but he wouldn't let Misao actually drowned the Wolf. I kinda petered out on the end (it happens when you write at 3 am) because the spell actually wore off. Aoshi was whinning about nothing.
Wistful-Eyes: Kamatari is great fun ^^ Especially to write. That's okay, Kenshin was busy *snickers*
Fyyrrose: There's your Princess bit. You think? My manga one is at 91% LMAO, its only taken a week! My other three are 45%, 62%, and 14% respectively because I'm too lazy to download the eppies individually. You know the scary thing? When you were saying such-in-such character I still knew who they were X__X I haven't watched SM for at least 6 years. You really want them :) Because you'd have a buttload of catch up! You know me too well. Should I do the trio first? =3 *chokes* Okay, Heisuke will be so much fun. Chou played catch with a baby. Unforgivable. Hiko *evil laugh* Well, you'll get your face off because its too fun to pit those two against each other. [Transgender]: Someone has to have them and its certainly not the guys! :- And you did, didn't you? You dug up all of our rp. I need to work on that too. *starts laughing* You can kill anyone you want and you can bring back anyone (except for CHB). *twitch* Hopefully not me? *laughs* Never me. I'm sure Misao has had many comments, but this is the woman who tried to steal her kimono off the rack and started a food fight!