Note: This is after the Kyoto arc and before the Jinchuu arc
Chapter 4: Bubbles and Thoughts
As soon as he returned to the dojo, he began to cook dinner. From the dojo, Kaoru could be heard training Yahiko.
Hmm… not bad form. His grip is solid, his swing is straight, but his feet…
"Fix your feet, Yahiko!" She yelled. Yahiko yelped and hurried to correct his footwork. Kaoru called a halt.
"Your feet are your base. No matter how fine your sword work, if your footwork is sloppy, you will lose!" Yahiko looked down, obviously unrepentant.
"Yes, busu." Kaoru growled deep in her throat.
"Yahiko-CHAN, you are going to PAY for that!" And she proceeded to chase him around the training room. Kenshin winced in sympathy and decided he could use another pair of hands in the kitchen.
"Kaoru-dono?" He called.
Ooh, Kenshin's calling me. Maybe he needs me. He'll probably have me gut a fish or something. I'm hot, I'm sweaty, it's my birthday and NOBODY KNOWS IT! I don't want to say anything because that would be begging for attention, but still…
Uh,oh, thought Kenshin, who had indeed been planning to have her gut the fish (one of the few things Kaoru could do in the kitchen). He changed tactics, fast, as Kaoru walked in. He smiled the most genuine smile he could, then walked up and hugged her.
Kaoru's mind went blank.
Good! Now if you just-
No, Battousai.
Darn it… Battousai grumbled in the back of his mind.
"Happy Birthday, Kaoru-dono." He released her and took a step back. "Dinner won't be ready for a while yet, so how about sessha starts a bath for you? You're probably hot from the training session, right?" Kaoru blinked a few times as if she hadn't heard him right. Then she beamed, which sent Kenshin's heart fluttering again.
Oh, Kenshin's so nice. I really shouldn't have thought such negative thoughts about him. A bath sounds so nice…
Ah, the fickleness of women…
"Thank you, Kenshin." Kenshin blushed.
"Uh, n- no problem, Kaoru-dono."
Gah! There he goes with the "dono" again!
She doesn't like the 'dono'? He thought, Why not?
"Sessha will start that right now, that I will." Checking to make sure the food wouldn't burn; he hurried off for some serious thinking.
…………………………………………….
As Kaoru bathed, Kenshin kept an ear to her thoughts.
Wow, what is with Kenshin today? I liked the hug, but it's still a little odd. He's probably getting ready to leave again. Kenshin heard her sigh. I couldn't do anything during the whole Kyoto thing. When he left I was so sad, then I was so MAD I could have POUNDED him! Kenshin could definitely believe that. As beautiful as she was to him, the temper was still making some problems. But, oh, I don't ever want to be that sad again. Another sigh. But if Kenshin's going to leave again, it'll be worse this time. I won't be able to find him at all. At least last time I knew what city he was in.
Kenshin couldn't bear any more.
"How's the water, Kaoru-dono?" He called.
"Just fine, Kenshin." It'd be good for both of us if we could talk about what happened in Kyoto, but that is, after all, hot water! She giggled. Ooh, I have dirt between my toes!
………………………
After dinner, Kenshin started on the laundry. Nothing like a bucket of bubbles and some dirty clothes to make things right in the world.
I still think no sane man could ever enjoy doing the laundry…
…Are we sane?
…Good point…
Aoshi has his meditation, I have my laundry. Deal with it.
As he washed, Kaoru lazed around in her yukata. It was the blue one, he noticed, and it always accented her eyes. As he washed, he was aware of her eyes on him.
There sits the Great Battousai, doing my laundry. How ironic. From the stories he's ten feet tall and drinks blood, while here he sits…
In my dojo…
Doing the laundry. Sometimes I wonder if all that soap has affected his brain. I mean, talk about dense. Kenshin sighed. That was a description he had been hearing about himself all too often that evening.
Hello, Mr. Fabulous-with-a-sword, there's someone over here who thinks you're hot stuff! Kenshin choked and nearly fell into the laundry bucket. Kaoru looked at him oddly for a moment, and then went back to her monologueing.
But he's probably planning where to spend the winter, all prepared to leave me again. Oh, well, might as well enjoy him while I have him… Eek! Kaoru! Bad thoughts! Kenshin smothered a chuckle, glad his back was to her. Blushing furiously, he returned to the laundry again.
He did tell me, after all, when he first came that he could decide to wander again, but me, I had to ignore that and lose my heart to him…
Uh oh, no, bad timing, LEG CRAMP! Kenshin stifled a yelp as he stretched the offending limb. Kaoru looked at him, puzzled.
"Anything wrong, Kenshin?" Is he hurt, does he need help-
"Just stretching, Kaoru-dono."
Heck of a stretch, Himura. She thought wryly.
"Oy, Jou-shan!" Sano staggered though the gate, already mostly drunk. "Whoo hoo! Shano won big! I got booze fer all!" He threw his arms up, and sure enough, there were jugs in each.
"Oh, no…" Kaoru said, almost involuntarily. Kenshin leaned toward her, guessing what was troubling her.
"Sessha will help clean up after, promise." Kaoru sighed with relief, and plastered a fake smile on her face.
"Great, Sanosuke, come on in!"
Megumi passed by the dojo a moment later and joined in their festivities.
"Hey, what's the occasion?" She asked, cracking open another jug.
"Uh, Tanabata?" Sano slurred. Megumi looked at him like he was crazy.
"That's not for another week, Rooster-head!" Sano laughed and threw his head back.
"Cock a doodle dooooooo! Who cares?" Megumi laughed and took a big swig.
"Fine by me!"
Pretty soon they were have a grand time. Yahiko was bickering with Kaoru, Megumi was tugging on Kenshin's sleeve, and Kenshin and Sano were having a drinking contest.
"NO Yahiko-CHAN, you're not old enough"
"UGLY women shouldn't drink either!"
"Why… you… BRAT!" She tackled him to the ground.
"Hee… hee… Ken-shan, I really should do that exshaminashun again…"
Gulp, gulp, and gulp.
Gulp, gulp, gu... CHOKE!
"Okey, Kenshin, yousa winna…" And Sano passed out.
"You'll never beat me, Sano. You need to train with Hiko first." Kenshin slumped back against the wall as Kaoru punched Yahiko through the door. He noticed a slight fuzziness in the back of his mind, and his reflexes were a little dull, but overall he was fine.
Comes from living with a drunken master for my developing years, I guess. He looked over at Kaoru as she lapsed into the 'weepy' stage. Tears filled her eyes.
"Kenshin!" Megumi looked over, still at Kenshin's elbow.
"Oro?" Her tears spilled.
"W- w- why do you let 'Gumi throw hershelf at ya?" Megumi stiffened with anger.
"Lishen, Raccoon-girl, you-"
"W- Why (hic) don't you like me, Kenshin?"
"Uh, Kaoru-dono-" She peered closer at him.
"W- Why do you think I'm fat?"
"ORO?" She blinked blearily at him.
"And ugly?"
"Ka-"
"And ushelessh?"
"Uh-"
"And-" Sanosuke, having just woken up, clamped his hand around her mouth.
"Shaddup, Jou-shan" He advised.
"(Hic) …" Her mouth shut, but her mind wailed on.
Why doesn't he take me to see the STARS or something! Kenshin blinked bemusedly.
I could do that…
…He could hold me tight, we could kiss, we could marry, we could have kids, and they would definitely be cute…
Overactive imagination… Kenshin thought. He looked out the window as rain started to fall. Something wasn't right. Something about it raining… He struggled to think past a haze of alcohol. And something he did earlier…
All sake left his system.
"MY LAUNDRY!"
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By popular request, I will start making the chapters longer, but that means I won't be able to update as often. I'm hoping for once a week, sooner if at all possible. Thanks for helping me through my first fic here; I never thought I'd be such a success! Anyway, Next chapter: Mission Impossible? Later, dudes and dudettes!
Busu: Ugly
Chan: Little
Dono: Roughly translated as "Miss" or "Milady"
Sessha: This unworthy one
Yukata: Summer robe
Jou-shan: Jou-chan when he's not drunk, it's Sano's affectionate term for Kaoru. Along the lines of "Little missy"