Fish
Kohaku pried his eyes open. It felt like he had sandbags over his eyes. His shoulder hurt terribly. What happened? Where was he? He looked over and it took him a minute for his mind to process what he was seeing. A beautiful woman was lying next to him. He pulled away startled, and he forgot how to breathe the pain in his shoulder was so intense. The pain resided after a moment, and his mind cleared enough to wonder why Rin was sleeping next to him.
Rin opened her eyes and stared at the injured man. "Kohaku-kun, how are you feeling?"
"I think I've died." He croaked out.
She smiled radiantly. "Well, no, I hopefully prevented that." She said, sitting up. The blanket slipped from her frame, and Kohaku could see that her juban had opened as she slept. He quickly turned away and hissed in pain from the sudden movement.
Rin's face turned red, and she pulled her juban closed. She jumped up and disappeared for a moment.
A water skein was put up to his lips. His mouth was so dry he could have cried with happiness as the water touched his lips.
Cool, refreshing water poured into his mouth, and he never thought water could taste so good. He drank so eagerly water dribbled down his chin.
"Slow down, or you'll make yourself sick." She chided him. He stopped and took a deep breathe, looking around him. The sun was shining and he could hear birds singing in the trees.
"What happened?" He asked bewildered.
Rin moved about the camp site, stirring the fire back to life. "You were poisoned by a snake. You're lucky to be alive."
He had a hazy recollection. He remembered the forked tongue against his neck and not much else.
"Then how am I alive?"
"I gave you the anti-venom. I'll be honest, I didn't know if it would work."
"You knew they were poisonous and you didn't tell me?" He glared at her.
Rin stopped mid motion of what she was doing to stare at him. "Oh, you didn't know that? I thought you knew everything!" She said bitterly. "You wouldn't have listened to me anyway. You completely disregarded my help."
He couldn't bear to look at her, shame gnawed at his gut. He knew she was right. It was his own damn fault he got injured.
Using his left hand, he carefully pushed himself up. He stared at the vice-like bandage on shoulder.
"Who killed the demon that bit me?" He asked while peeling the bandages back to look at the damage.
"I did." Rin answered as she put a pot on the fire to boil.
"What? How?" He asked incredulous.
Rin gave him an irritated glare. "I am not defenseless. You have not been listening to me. I have experience killing these demons. Why is this shocking to you?"
He eyed her sword lying near them. It was clear that this woman was not the same girl he knew from before.
"Who taught you?" He asked.
"Sango-san."
"Ehhh?! But, she has children and..."
"Your sister is a mother, not an invalid. She works hard to maintain her fighting ability." Rin said dryly.
Kohaku shut his mouth. He assumed that since she had married and settled down, that she would also quit the taijiya lifestyle. It was clear that he had lost touch with everyone. When had he retreated so far away from life in general?
He stared down at the the neat, even stitches across his shoulder.
"Oh...who stitched me up? I have to thank them for the fine job they did."
Rin shuffled about the camp, shaking out blankets and folding them up.
"I did." she answered quietly.
His eyes widened. "You did all this by yourself?"
Her attention snapped back to him. "Of course not! Kirara and Ah-Un helped me."
Both youkai turned their attention to him, as if to agree with her. Seeing their expressions made him laugh, which turned into a groan of pain. He hunched over clutching his shoulder.
Rin appeared at his side, concern in her eyes. "Are you alright?"
Kohaku swallowed dryly, seeing her so close to him. "Ah, yeah. I shouldn't have pulled my shoulder too much."
Rin narrowed her eyes at him. "Be careful you don't open your stitches. You were fortunate to be unconscious when I worked on your shoulder. It was pretty bad." She stood and began rummaging through her bags. "I can give you some pain medicine."
She knelt next to him and began rubbing a salve on his shoulder. He grit his teeth against the pain. "I'll make up a drought for you that will help the pain, but will probably put you to sleep."
He grabbed her hand, stopping her. "No! I mean, that's not necessary." Kohaku insisted.
She paused in her ministrations to look him in eye. "Is it because of the nightmares?"
He jerked away from her. How did she know? Did he have a fit while he was passed out?
Kohaku snapped. "It's none of your business!"
Rin scowled and stood. "Whenever you care to talk about it, I will listen."
She turned around and began tying back her sleeves.
He watched her confused. What was she doing?
"Ah...uh...wh...where did your clothes go?" He asked. Why was she just wearing her juban that only came down to her mid-thigh?
She walked the short distance to the creek and quietly slid into the cool waters.
Kohaku took an agonizingly moment to stand himself up so that he could see what she was doing.
She stood very still in the middle of the water.
With a sudden flash of movement, her hand darted in and grabbed a fish by the tail. She threw it on the bank, and locked eyes at Kohaku. The fish floundered on the bank between them.
"My clothes were covered in blood, so I washed them." She said simply.
He stood only in his pants, his top had been pulled down to expose his chest. Kohaku had certainly changed from the small awkward boy who visited every once in a while. Rin couldn't help notice he looked like a man now. When had he become so muscular? She supposed that what happens when you wield such an enormous weapon as he did. Her cheeks flushed and she looked away from him.
Kohaku was pretty amazed that she could catch fish this way. He couldn't help but admire her toned arms and legs, and wondering what her thin white juban hid from his view.
She threw another fish onto the bank.
When had she become so strong and independent?
Kohaku wished he could have taken back all that he had said to her.
"I..."He closed his eyes. "Thank you for saving my life. I'm sorry I was such..."
"An asshole?" Rin finished for him.
He scratched the back of his sheepishly. "Yeah."
"I'm tired of people questioning my worth. So if you still want to talk down to me like a child, then I have better things to do than to stay here and nurse you back to health."
Kohaku pointed a finger at her, "Hey, I don't need help!" He immediately regretted it as he had thrown up his bad shoulder to point at her. He winced holding his arm.
Rin stood in the thigh deep water and gave him a blank stare.
"Okay! You are completely right. I need help. Happy now?"
Rin began wading through the water to reach him. "No, my services come with a price. You owe me."
Kohaku gawked at her. "I owe you?!"
"Yes." She said simply.
He raised an eyebrow at the woman who had changed so much he didn't recognize her anymore.
"As payment, you will talk to me."
He barked out a laugh. "That's it?"
"You will tell me about your nightmares." She said looking at him coolly.
"No. Something else."
"That is what I want."
She reached the bank, and Kohaku held out his good arm to help her up.
Rin stared at his out stretched hand for a moment before pulling herself out of the water.
Despite her avoidance of his help, he still tried to steady her on the slippery bank. She glared and pulled herself away from him.
"Idiot! I don't want you to pull out your stitches!" She barked.
How could he ever make it up to her? He supposed he should try to stop acting like an asshole around her.
"I have questions too." He added looking at her back.
Rin looked behind her and gave him an appraising look. "If you are honest with me, then I will be honest with you."
Could he tell her everything? Could he tell her the horrors he experienced and the nightmares that haunted him? He never even spoke to his sister about these things. He had locked them away a long time ago to keep his sanity. His face reddened at the thought of speaking so intimately with her.
He stood there and stared at her as she picked up the two fish and carried them closer to the camp fire. Her long, wet, bare legs held his attention.
His gaze traveled up her body to her beautiful, blushing face colored with irritation.
"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to gut these fish for me?" She snapped at him.
She swiped up her hakama and shook it out. He could vaguely hear her grumbling as she hastily pulled it on and tied it.
Kohaku smiled and sat down to begin descaling the fish.
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Author's note:
Juban: It's an undergarment that goes under a kimono or Gi like top.