Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin characters (at least most of them) are all fictional characters created by one Watsuki Nobuhiro. ROCK ON KENSHIN!

Chapter 6:

Geisha

Takahashi Akiko was only fifteen years of age, a year younger then Kenshin. The orphaned daughter of a samurai and court lady, she was a well mannered and kind young lady. She lived by herself in a tiny farm house on the edge of the city of Nara, earning a living as a waitress at a restaurant in the center of the city, far away form the little farm house. She worked everyday, from early morning into the late afternoon hours and never returned until late at night.

During the time that Akiko was away, Kenshin found himself cleaning the house, washing laundry, or making a walking cane from a thick tree branch for himself to pass the time away. Had he wanted to, he could have left the house at any moment to never return. However, his ankle was still in pain and he was barely able to walk a few steps before having to sit down again. He disliked the idea of having to be "locked" up all day long, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it. Slowly and painfully he was getting used to walking again. A few weeks after he had awoken, he began to take long strolls around the mountain side behind the house or wander the neighborhood to kill time when Akiko wasn't home.

Akiko's little house was an odd sight for just about anyone who passed by it. The small home laid on the far edge of the city of Nara. The house, when first built, was a farmer's home which laid a good distance from the city of Nara. As the years progressed, the city grew, tiptoeing its way closer to the tiny home. Before long, the farmlands around it were eventually sold and new homes began to spring around it. As the area around the farm house changed, the tiny home had failed to change in any way. When Akiko moved in only a year ago, she had added two rooms at the back, one of them being her room and the other now being Kenshin's.

The days in July have always been known to be hot. Summer was in full heat and the city of Nara couldn't escape the sun's wrath. The trees at the beginning of the forest behind Akiko's home provided a great amount of shade most of the day, keeping the house cooler than other homes in the area. It was on one of these blazing hot days that Akiko had stayed home. All morning long she had been in her room cleaning and fixing it while Kenshin had taken the liberty to try and cook something for lunch. Of course, Kenshin had never once cooked before in his life, even while growing up he had only watched his master, never once helping.

As the lazy afternoon dragged on, Akiko sat on the tiny veranda at the back the house looking out into the small walled off garden. Her stomach growled. Kenshin had burned almost everything he tried to cook. She was forced to go down into the city to bring back two lunches, the long walk had made her even hungrier, but there was nothing more to eat and she would have to wait until dinner to satisfy her hunger.

A small breeze gently blew through the yard. The sound of rustling leaves filled the air. After a moment of listening to nature, Akiko took up to practicing her shamisen again. Plucking its three strings with precision the melody echoed through the tiny walled off yard and house. Kenshin sat on the other end of the engawa, watching Akiko as she played the guitar-like instrument. The melody seemed very familiar to him, but he was unable to recall from were. He continued to listen as the afternoon wore on.

"Akiko-san!" some one yelled from the street. The two turned to look in the direction of the front door. "Open the door! It's important!"

Akiko put down the shamisen as she got up quickly. "What could she want now?" she muttered to herself.

Kenshin watched from his place as Akiko made her way to the front door. Sliding it open, a young woman stepped into the small dirt pit corridor that made the entry way. Her hair was combed up in a lavishly complicated momoware style and her white face boldly highlighted her thin red lips. Her blue-green kimono was magnificently embroided at the helm in the design of a river bank with gold, blue, green, and silver threads. The large dark blue obi tied to her back was lavishly embroidered with gold threads. It didn't take him long to figure out that the women was a geisha.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" she asked almost in a panic.

"Now what happened, Kuniko-san?" Akiko asked almost annoyed.

The women named Kuniko closed the door behind her, slipping her lacquered zori off she stepped on to the tatami matt that covered the floor. She stopped abruptly as she walked to the same table in the center of the room. The two sliding doors next to Akiko's room were wide open. She glared at a red-haired young man who sat outside on the narrow veranda, surprised at the sight she stood motionless. The man never took his eyes off her, making the women just a little more nervous then she already was.

Akiko sat down at the small table. She turned over to look at Kenshin and smiled. "He's a guest of mine," she informed.

Kuniko looked at the man a while longer before giving a small bow in his direction. "Good afternoon." Kenshin nodded in acknowledgement to the woman's gesture. Kuniko turned to face Akiko once again. She sat down slowly, tucking in her kimono carefully as her knees rested on a tiny cushion. Her dark brown eyes returned to look at the man outside every now and then. "Umm..." she glanced back at Kenshin before turning to Akiko again, "anyways, we need a musician tonight at the teahouse and I thought that maybe..."

"I really wouldn't want to," Akiko interrupted, "especially not in this heat."

"But Akiko-san!" the women protested, "you are the only person anyone knows who can play anything that's worthy of being listened to! You have to come!"

Akiko took in a deep breath. She turned to look in Kenshin's direction. The heat outside was unbearable. Just the thought of having to wear a kimono was enough to giver her heatstroke.

Kuniko placed her hands together before her. "Please," she pleaded. After a moment of silence she added, "Besides, no one ever notices you're not a real maiko. And you're such a beautiful girl!" Akiko remained silent. Kuniko's face frowned as she began to think. "Might I add, the money you can earn in just this one night would be enough for you to live off for more then two months or so." A smile crossed the women's face as Akiko turned her head slightly in her direction.

"Fine," Akiko finally agreed.

The women smiled delightfully, thanking Akiko before leaving. "My maid will come with a kimono for you in a short while," she reached behind into her obi. Pulling out a small silk purse she took Akiko's hand placing a few coins into it. "And this is so you can go get your hair done, you needn't pay me back for it. I'll be back in the evening to help tie the obi and bring your zori." She smiled again. "Thank you child, you're an angel!"

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As evening approached, Kenshin sat inside waiting for Akiko to return. She had left almost immediately after her visitor to go get her hair done. Kuniko's maid had arrived with a package nearly two hours ago. Kenshin sat at the small table with the package. How he wished he was able to walk. He was bored out of his mind and there was absolutely nothing he could do.

The door soon slide open. Kenshin gazed over ideally as Akiko closed the door behind her. He watched as she went straight to her room without saying a word to him. After a while of searching for something she came back out.

"Your kimono is here", he informed her. She smiled at him as she walked over to the table. She knelt down to open the package. Her small hands carefully unwrapped the brown package. Carefully folded, a silk kimono lay inside. It was colored in different powdery shades of greens, giving it a soft tone, and embroided beautifully with a design of vines around the helm dotted with crimson and red leaves. Carefully she put it to one side. Underneath laid another robe woven in silk. Unlike the kimono, the lime green robe was much thinner, void of any design to it. Akiko picked it up carefully in her arms and made her way back to her room.

An hour later or so, there was a knock at the door. Taking the cane he had fashioned out of a tree branch, Kenshin slowly made his way to the door. The moment he opened it two women on the other side jumped back. Kuniko stared at him, as did her maid. He took a step back allowing them to enter.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier," Kuniko began, "my name is Nitta Kuniko." She took a small bow. Likewise, Kenshin did the same. Before he could introduce himself, Kuniko raced pass him to the table, picking up the kimono as she darted to Akiko's room. To Kenshin, it almost seemed as if she had glided across the room to Akiko's door. "May I?" she asked as she slid the door open just a crack. She smiled before entering the room.

Kenshin took his place at the table again as the woman entered Akiko's room. He looked up at the maid, holding a large package in her arms. She was probably no older then fifteen years of age. Her long black hair was braided back neatly, tied off with a dark blue ribbon that matched her simple kimono. Her honey brown eyes wandered around the small house before coming upon the young man at her side. An uneasy smile crept across her lips as she nodded to him.

"You may sit down if you please," he offered her a small cushion. The girl looked down at him uneasy, forcing a friendly smile she knelt down beside the cushion, placing the package before her. The young man mental frowned.

A few minutes later, the fusama of Akiko's room slid open again. The young maid stood up instantly. Kuniko hurried Akiko out to the center of the room. Kenshin's jaw hung open as he looked at the waitress. The difference from her everyday appearance to that of a geisha was striking. Her face was painted a powdery white tone. Her lips a blood red color and her checks a pale rosy shade. He watched in awe as the maid unwrapped the package she had been carrying and with her mistress, the two wrapped a dark green obi around Akiko's waist.

After everything was done, Akiko looked down at the red haired young man. He had been staring at her the entire time with his jaw slightly opened. She frowned at the expression on his face. Even under the white make up, Kenshin could tell that her cheek had flushed a little.

"See..." Kuniko taunted as she paused from tying the obi, "even he thinks you look beautiful."

Kenshin instantly looked down at the tatami mat as he felt his face burn red. With his head still hung down, his eyes glanced up at Akiko through his bangs. From beneath the array of red hair that flowed freely over his violet blue eyes he caught a glimpse of her smiling down at him. Judging from the expression on her face, he was sure that she wasn't able to see his blushed face. Before leaving, Akiko took a small bag, used to hold the unbuilt shamisen, and her fue, a Japanese flute. She looked over at her guest one last time. Their eyes meet for a moment.

"Don't worry too much about her," Kuniko began to tease placing her hands on the girl's shoulders, "I will take good care of her." With that, the three women disappeared from sight as the front door slid close.

Kenshin sat a moment longer at the table. His heart was still racing from just looking at Akiko dressed up. He let out a long, heavy sigh before finally getting up and slowly making his way to his room. There was no point in staying up any longer. He knew full well that he'd be alone for the rest of the night, at least until Akiko returned early the next morning.

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A/N: Well, that took me long to fix then I had preciously anticipated... hopefully I can get through the next chapter faster. Keep enjoying!