Disclaimer: Sadly, we do know own the Kenshin-gumi...We might dream about it, however. Now if only we can convince Crystal Renee that she does not own Kenshin...sigh this will be a hard one....love you too crystal! FLUFFY FLUFFY FLUFFY!
Crystal Renee: No...... FUZZY FUZZY FUZZY!! Sorry, I had to.
A/N: Thank you so much to the gorgeous, intelligent, most wonderful reviewers that make my day complete. Thanks for being patient with our updates, we are a little dysfunctional with that part...but we are learning!!!! And summer is here, no more school to interfere!!! ON WITH THE STORY!
COLORS OF LOVE: CRIMSON AND EBONY TRAILS
Chapter 3
"Ken-san!" Megumi cried as she ran over to inspect Kenshin. However, she did more flaunting over him than inspecting. She draped over his arm, rubbing his arms and head with her free hand as she pushed herself as close to Kenshin as possible.
Kenshin froze as soon as he felt a warm body wrap around him. 'Oh, no.' he thought, as he removed his hand from his forehead. Turning his head slightly, he was met with cinnamon eyes that he knew belonged to a particular fox doctor. 'What is she doing? Doesn't she know that my future wife is right there? Get her off of me; she's scary, that she is. Scarier than my beard after I fall into a mudpuddle and roll through a prickly bush.'
The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled Kenshin out of his troubled thoughts.
"Excuse me, Megumi-san," began Chief Kamiya, "I do not think that Kenshin is comfortable with your form of ...uhh...medical examination. Not to mention that my daughter should be more than capable of helping him."
Megumi gave Kamiya a sharp glare before straightening herself. Pushing her raven hair behind her shoulder with a flick of the wrists, she moved a respectable distance from Kenshin. "I was merely worried about our guest's well being, Kaymia-sama. It is strictly procedure."
Kenshin moved his gaze away from the sly woman to glance over at Kaoru. Her eyes were narrowed slightly in annoyance. Seeing her like this made him incredibly nervous, not wanting to upset the spirited woman. 'What did I do? Don't let her hit me...maybe she will just cut off my beard. That would be wonderful, that it would. Oh, what have I gotten myself into again?'
However, increasing laughter broke his train of thoughts. He tore his gaze away from his bride; he looked over to the direction of the sound. Yahiko was clutching his stomach fiercely, as if he were in pain. The young boy had tears streaming down his face from his laughing. It was obvious that Kenshin was missing out on something very humorous.
"Busu...hahaha...knowing how...hahaha...to....help...hahha," the boy cried out in between his joyous laugh. "I'll bet...hahah...she's...as good at that...hahaha...as she is !"
'Oro!' Kenshin thought to himself. 'She cannot cook? So I have a wife that is violent and cannot cook. Well, at least she is rather pretty...ORO! Where did that come from?! It's all the beard's fault! Stupid beard, keep your thoughts to yourself!'
Kaoru clenched her fist at her side, the other hand clutching her bokken fiercely.
"Yahiko..." she growled at her brother, warning him not to push her any further.
The young boy, however, took no heed to her warning. He continued to laugh vigorously at his sister, gasping for air as he continued. A mischievous smile appeared on Kaoru's face, as she crept closer to her brother.
Raising her bokken in the one hand, she said through clenched teeth, "I suggest you start running, Yahiko-CHAN."
With that Yahiko raised his head to look at Kaoru. The initial anger that showed in his eyes was quickly replaced with panic as he saw her bokken poised over his head.
"Yikes!" he cried out, immediately taking off at a dead run. Kaoru followed in suit, the pair running laps in the spacious wigwam. Kenshin watched the two circle him, beginning to feel dizzy as they pushed on. He could hear Megumi and Chief Kamiya sigh at the action. This led him to believe that this was not uncommon between the siblings, and if anything, more routine.
Finally, Kenshin decided he could take it no more. His head was spinning already, and the feuding did not help his predicament at all. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yahiko run by in a flash. Seconds later dancing black hair entered his sight. This was his chance. Reaching out with his hands, a soft body became caught between his arms. Hauling it back against him, he looked down to see what he had caught.
The raven haired beauty that was to be his wife rested flush against his side. A small amount of crimson tinted her cheeks, and her vivid blue eyes were wide with shock. His gaze continued further down, taking in the way her sculpted body was molded against his. A blush came across his own face as he realized that his own hands were wrapped tightly around her slim waist, preventing her from moving anywhere. He could not take his eyes off of her, nor could he register anything else at the moment, not even his headache or dreaded beard (and that in itself should say a lot).
"Ahh, it seems that this will be a wonderful marriage, don't you think, Megumi? It looks as though they already have a bond forming."
"I think the tanuki bewitched him." Megumi responded. "There is no way someone such as Ken-san could fall for the likes of her."
Kenshin and Kaoru's head whipped around to look at Chief Kamiya and Megumi. Their cheeks stained an even deeper shade of crimson as Kenshin let out a nervous laugh. The feel of Kaoru moving brought his attention back to the woman. She wrenched herself out of Kenshin's grasp, moving away to fold her arms over her chest and give a deep glare to Megumi. Kenshin gulped hard, having a hunch that his headache was going to do nothing but progress.
"Father, just because he saved Yahiko... "Kaoru began, only to be cut off by her father.
"Nonsense! I have a feeling that this will be a wonderful opportunity! Come now, Megumi, Yahiko. I think that these two need some time to get acquainted with each other."
The three filed out of the wigwam, each giving Kenshin and Kaoru a knowing smile as they left. Yahiko paused at the flap of the tent, flashing Kenshin a thumbs up before saying, "Good luck, mountain man."
And now they were alone. Kenshin looked over at Kaoru nervously, not knowing what to do next. Kaoru was still standing firmly in place, the look of annoyance still present in her expressive orbs. She was watching Kenshin carefully out of the corner of her eye, waiting for him to make the first move.
Shifting anxiously, Kenshin lowered his eyes to the floor.
"I'm sorry if I seemed to forward, Miss Kamiya, that I am..."
"Kaoru," she interrupted, dropping her hands from her chest.
"Excuse me?" Kenshin asked. 'She isn't going to yell at me? Oh, thank Kami!'
"My name is Kaoru. Since we are to be...married...I think that it would be right if you called me by my name," she replied calmly, turning to fully face Kenshin.
Kenshin chuckled lightly before responding, "Of course, Miss Kaoru."
He smiled lightly at her, hoping it would take away the awkwardness of the situation. Folding his legs underneath himself, he sat down on the floor gracefully, still keeping his gaze on the young woman.
"Is there anything that you would like to know about me, Miss Kaoru?" He asked politely. 'Maybe I can get her to talk some. She seems rather quiet. My beard is itchy. Don't scratch it! Don't scratch it! I can't help it!"
Moving his hand up, it once again became lost in the coarse red tangles that were his beard. He looked up at Kaoru apologetically, waiting for her response as he scratched himself.
She watched him curiously for a minute, before suddenly asking, "How old are you?"
Kenshin stopped his scratching immediately from shock, however, his hand still remained lost in the red mess.
"I am 28, that I am."
"28!" she cried out, her eyes growing as wide as plates. "But that...you are so OLD!"
Kenshin blinked slowly, processing what she had just said. 'Did she just call me...'
"ORO!"
Author's Note: HAHAHAHHAHAHA!! We have an MO now!! 5000 Fuzzy-sama and Pelvis Elvis plushies to whoever can guess what it is. - Those would be supplied by me, Crystal Renee. But only if RurouniNikkitch13 pays.
TBC....
