Chosha's notes:
Sessha is Soooooooooooooo sorry it took so long to update! Usually I update every other day or so, but with mounding collage work, I'm stuck for time, so updates may be slower from now on – about every week or so. Still, it's much faster than some people. (Heh!) Anyway, welcome back to fading futures and my tenth chapter (Woah, my tenth? It seems like only yesterday when I was writing my first!). Thank you everyone who's stuck with it so far. It's making me really happy to know my first ever story is getting on so well! Also, thanks to my beloved reviewers, especially Beth-kun, the only one to review my last chapter. I'm not sure whether to take it as a good or bad sign…
Hey, I was thinking of doing a bloopers of fading futures, either as a second fic, or as an add-on to the end of my story. So its up to you guys to think of some cool bloopers for Shinya and the Kenshin-Gumi. I promise that I will read through all ideas and use the best ones I can. You could even dedicate them to someone! Of course, if this is a bad idea, you could also say so. You'll make Chosha-chan very happy with any ideas!
I hope you like this chapter! Please, please, PLEASE REVIEW!
Disclaimer: I would not be able to own Rurouni Kenshin even if it were on a day of a blue moon and its raining blood… Sigh. However, I can happily say that Shinya and any other character that does not appear in the anime or manga is mine.
Last time on fading futures:
Things get a little out of hand for Kenshin and Kaoru when Sanosuke acts on a joke made by Shinya, which results in the rurouni and tanooki being locked in the dojo. However, things seem to be going on between the two now…
Tanoshimimas! (Enjoy!)
Chapter Ten
Hidden gift
Kaoru did not want to get up. She felt so warm, relaxed, so comfortable in the oblivion of sleep. She snuggled deeper into the covers, trying to recapture that wonderful dream she had been having, but it was no use. Outside she could hear the tweeting of birds and could feel the sun's rays shinning on her face. She could feel something soft, yet hard against her side. Slowly, she let her eyes flutter open and bit back a gasp. She was in an empty dojo, the remnants of a candle sat in its holder, having burned down to the last of its wick. She wasn't lying in her futon, but lent against something warm. Around her shoulders was a blanket.
What the…?
Kaoru felt something stir against her and she looked down. Her heart skipped a beat. There, leaning against the wall, was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Kenshin was lying asleep, head tilted to one side. Kaoru couldn't help but stare, drinking in the sight of him. She had never really had time to study his face before – except that one time when he had been unconscious after he had returned from fighting from Shishio. However, that time she was too busy worrying about whether he would pull through, scared that he wouldn't, frightened he would remain unconscious forever and leave her… alone… Now, however, she was locked in the dojo with him and Kenshin was merely asleep, not hurt. Now she had the chance, she was fully intending to use it.
She'd always sort of seen that he was handsome… okay so he was beautiful, but up close like this with his face serene and devoid of all expression save peace, he was breathtaking. Light golden skin, probably from wandering, his eyelashes were so long that they were casting shadows on his elegantly moulded cheekbones. His nose was straight and his lips had a sulky, mischievous cant to them that couldn't be seen often because he was always smiling his famous rurouni grin. His hair, long, full and silky, trailed over his shoulder, mingling with the raven darkness of her own. Even his scar was saddeningly beautiful in its own way, hiding its secret behind its still-red cross. Yet it didn't ruin his perfection one bit. It was like another part of his face, like his nose or his mouth, and seemed, almost, to enhance his beauty rather than ruin it.
Darn it all, he was altogether prettier than she was!
She smiled as she watched him, her heart pounding as she watched. She had never seen him so…relaxed before. Even when he was at ease, there was always a tension around his shoulders. To see him now so off guard like this, it sent her heart fluttering. Her smile softened as she watched his soft breathing, wondering if he would get a crick in his neck from lying in such a position. Her eyes moved to his scar again and once more she had to wonder how it had come to marry his face. Without a second thought – or even a first, for that matter – Kaoru reached up to touch the mark. Gently, they ran over the first line, starting from his chin, towards where it crossed, to where it ended near his temple. With the same tenderness, she brushed her fingers across the second part, which started under his left eye and ran to his jaw. Kenshin stirred and tensed as they reached the crossing and Kaoru quickly drew back. Kaoru no Baka! She berated herself.
Kenshin's eyes flickered open at the loss of warmth from his cheek, feeling a strange, yet familiar ache deep in his heart. It was as if he had lost something else when the warmth had gone. Slowly, he touched the scar with a hand. It had felt so real, the brush of tender fingers across the marks that seemed to elevate a pain deep inside, but it had come back when they flinched away, like they had never been there at all. Suddenly, Kenshin felt another presence beside him and he glanced round. Violet met sapphire and widened in surprise. Kaoru…?
It all came back – the embarrassing falls during the week, Kaoru being stuck in the sakura tree, surrounded by newly blooming blossoms, Kaoru teaching him how to call a bird to his hands, Sanosuke telling him Kaoru wanted to speak with him and locking them in the dojo. Kami, was he really so distracted that he didn't feel the suspiciousness in the ex-fighter-for-hire's ki?
Suddenly, he realised he was staring into those blue eyes and he quickly blinked and smiled his famous rurouni smile. "Ohayo, Kaoru-dono" he said cheerfully. Kami, if he wasn't careful, he would just lose himself in those innocent sapphire pools.
Kaoru sighed mentally. She had thought Kenshin was going to say something to her about touching his scar while he was vulnerable. She had seen the confusion written clearly across his face as he woke; saw the pain in his eyes as his own fingers followed the path of hers. Saw the surprise flash across his features before the mask fell into place. Quickly she returned the smile. "Ohayo Kenshin"
Kaoru stood up to let Kenshin get up from their position and stretched. She had never realised just how stiff one could get lying in such a way. She wondered just how Kenshin could deal with it on the few times she had seen him do it. "Do you think we're still locked in?" She asked as Kenshin folded up the blanket.
Kenshin looked up and smiled sheepishly. "Ano… probably."
Kaoru fumed. "Oooo, they are so dead!"
Kenshin busied himself with sliding the sheathed sakabato into his hakama, trying to hide a small smile. Though others may think otherwise, Kenshin thought she looked adorable when she was angry. "Maa, maa. Sessha is sure they will let us out soon, that they will" if they don't want to have Kaoru beat them into next week, he added silently, picturing Kaoru chasing after Sano, Yahiko and Shinya with a fire in her eyes and a bokken raised over her head. He almost felt sorry for them…
…Almost…
Meanwhile, outside the dojo, Shinya, Yahiko and Sanosuke stood hesitantly in front of the boarded shoji. Despite the cheerful tweeting of birds and the warm march sun on their backs, they all had a look of impending doom on their faces. Little wonder when they all had a picture of a curtain raging tanooki beating them down with every bokken in the dojo. Shooting glares at each other, they did what they did best.
They bickered. Sort of…
"You open it, Yahiko-chan" mumbled Sanosuke
"Me? Why me?" yelped Yahiko. Even he wasn't stupid enough to let a raging tanooki out of its cage. "It was your fault, Ondori-atama. And don't call me CHAN"
"Well, it was Shinya's idea-"
"Don't blame this on me, baka-ondori" Shinya said defensively - he didn't find having his body rearranged into something most commonly found in orange juice a very desirable option. "I was only joking. It's not my fault that you were stupid enough to actually take it seriously!"
Sanosuke was doing a marvellous impression of a landed fish as he desperately tried to find a way out. He couldn't help but wonder what Katsu would think, being scared of a young shihondai girl. Still, he had to admit, he never thought of the consequences. Nothing new, ne?
"Well, we 'ave to get them out, or Jou-chan'll be hunting us down for our hides."
All three of them froze at the thought of running from a relentless, thousand-bokken-wielding, insane tanooki.
"Fine. Okay. I'll go." Squeaked Shinya and jerkily approached the dojo door as if it were the mouth of hell itself. With a loud gulp, Shinya lifted the bar blocking the door and immediately dashed behind Sanosuke at lightning speed. However, no-one appeared at the door. Waiting, but still no-one. "Let's go before they come out, ne?" Shinya laughed nervously.
As one, the three conspirers began to creep away on tip-toe-
"Where do you think you guys are going?"
"Eep!" The boys froze, hair standing on end. They turned around to find Kaoru standing in the doorway. A bokken was in her hand, which she tapped in the other. Her eyes blazed and it was almost as if she were wreathed in flames. "We… we… ano… help…" Yahiko squeaked. They bolted.
Faster than Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Kaoru was upon them. In a blinding crack of multicolour, she cracked the bokken on their heads several times with deadly accuracy, before she just walked off with a rather manic grin on her face. She stepped over the mangled, swirly-eyed heap and walked off without another word. Behind her, Kenshin also came out of the dojo, but merely walked away, his violet eye sparkling mischievously and a small grin gracing his face.
Meanwhile, the mangled mass began to stir. Yahiko, attempting to rub the pile of bumps on his head, glared at the prone ex-gangster. "Sano"
Unmoving, he mumbled "Yeah?"
"I'm. Going. To. Kill. You." He said as calmly as possible.
"I thought that was against the teachings of the Kasshin-ryu"
Yahiko glared daggers at him. "I'll make an exception for you"
Swirly-eyed, Shinya laughed helplessly.
o0o
By afternoon, things had quietened down in the dojo grounds. Kaoru no longer attempted to beat the boys senseless at every opportunity. Finally, she had grown calm enough to act normally again. Well, normal for her anyway. However, if the word 'dojo' was mentioned, she got that look in her eyes that made you want to run off screaming to high heaven. But if the uneasy truce was to be maintained, someone would have to play peacemaker. As usual, it was up to Shinya.
So when dinnertime arrived and Kenshin got up to start cooking, Shinya restrained him. "Hey, let me cook dinner tonight"
At this, the entire Kenshin-gumi fell flat on their faces out of complete and utter shock. "You can cook!" they gasped. Shinya sweat-dropped.
"Well, yeah." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Just because I never offered before doesn't mean I can't. Besides, I couldn't get by living with my Grandma without her teaching me something, after all!" he laughed. "Anyway, I still gotta make it up to you with that… you know…" now he was on dangerous ground. Kaoru's eyes were ready to shoot fire. Time to change subject now. "So, you guys just wait and I'll call you when its done, 'kay?"
Suddenly, they found themselves looking at the shoji door.
Shinya began cooking in the kitchen, refusing any help and literally pushing anyone who entered out the door. He was surprisingly strong for his age and soon Yahiko and Sanosuke gave up, having being kicked out the door for the one-hundredth time in a heap.
Finally a delicious small floated into the room as Shinya emerged, his blue sleeves tied back and he was bearing bowls of rice, soup and fish on a large tray. He grinned as he set them on the table. Not only did it smell delicious, but it looked delicious as well. The fish was large and tender-looking, the rice and soup literally begged to be eaten. It wasn't long before the whole table dived to eat it. Literally.
"Oh, Wow!" Kaoru gasped as she finished her first bite. "Shinya, I didn't realise you could cook so good!"
"'Eh, ish even be'er 'an 'Enshin" Yahiko said through a mouth full of food as he and Sanosuke demolished the table before Kaoru and Kenshin could get more that a serving. Shinya laughed once he interpreted it.
"Yeah, well, when you lived with my mom and Grandma, you had to learn something. Gran was a brilliant cook and mom takes after her. Shame Grandpa always thought it wasn't too manly, or I would've learned how to do more. But I can only cook that, miso, Ohagi and Sakura Moche – speaking of which" Shinya produced another tray, loaded with cakes. "Dessert anyone?"
Once more, the table was demolished and plates were scraped clean – whiter than they were before-hand. Shinya, Kenshin and Kaoru kept their food as close to their bodies as possible, away from the risk of his hands being bitten off by the pack-dogs.
"Wow, Shinya! Do you think you could teach me how to make Sakura Moche?" Kaoru asked happily.
"Don't, Ugly'd kill us!"
BAM! Yahiko found himself in a bloody heap on the floor, a broken bokken lading on his head from a manically smiling Kaoru. Shinya grinned.
"Sessha would like to learn to, that he would" Kenshin agreed with a smile.
No one noticed as the bulb lit up, nor as the little devil-horns appeared under unruly hair. Everyone missed the impish look glistening in his eyes. Shinya grinned. "Sure, I'll teach you."
Everyone missed the double meaning behind those words.
To be continued…
Chosha's notes:
Hmm, a shorter chapter, but… he, he, he… I got BIG plans for the next chapter. I hope you like romance, there will be some. Not saying no more!
Not much to say about this chapter. It was more of a bridge to get to the next chapter, but I tried a little humour… too bad I never worked it out before hand for this chapter…
Next time on Fading Futures
Shinya begins to teach Kenshin and Kaoru and things are heating up… and it isn't Sakura Moche! Things get exiting in the next episode: The Kitchen Incident.
Mata Aimasho, Minna-san! See you next time…
Chosha Kurenai xXx
