Chapter 23. Little house in Otsu

After their meeting with Katsura-san, they found Katagai-san who then provided them with a little more information about the house. The bodyguard had been running errands, trying to find out who had survived and where people had gone in the aftermath.

According to Katagai-san, the house was a secluded farm in the countryside, near the village of Otsu, a little more than a ten mile walk from Kyoto, through the mountain pass that separated the city from Lake Biwa. Otsu had a small fishing community that provided the capital with freshwater fish, and on the highland there were quite a few farms. Their place was one of those.

It seemed altogether reasonable to Kenshin. It was a secluded location, but close enough that if the rebels needed his help, he could quickly return to the Capital.

When it came to the house itself, well… by Kenshin's standards, it was huge. After all, the houses he had lived in before coming to Kyoto had been the poorest and tiniest of countryside huts. Half of this house's floor was elevated and covered in wooden floorboards, instead of more common packed mud. There was a proper fire pit and even some furniture: a couple chests, a cupboard, and a table. Household necessities were already stocked. They had bedding, towels and some stored foodstuff, like rice and dried fish.

Clearly, Katsura-san had planned ahead.

Nodding in satisfaction, Kenshin smiled, turning to look at the woman by his side, hoping against all hope that she would be as happy with the house as he was. While this was a good house, it couldn't quite compete with the standards of true samurai.

Tomoe stared mutely at the bare interior, the spots where the floorboards were leak-stained. She looked up and frowned. The roof was letting through sunlight in places.

…Uh oh. Kenshin cringed. A leaky roof wasn't a big deal for him. He had replaced roofing straws before, back at 12th master's cabin, but for her…

Then she nodded in determination. "It's small and in bad shape, but we can make this a home."

Err, that's a better reaction than I feared, but… small? Kenshin blinked. Of course, compared to large city estates and Okami's inn, sure, this was smaller, but for just the two of them? This was a lot of space. Where did she live before, if this is small?

"Do we have money?" Tomoe asked, walking to the cupboards to see what was there.

"Yes."

"Then we need to go to the village. We will need to buy fresh food, soap, and more clothing. All we have are these rags."

Oh… okay, that makes sense. Kenshin nodded, somewhat surprised by her cool efficiency and practicality. There was truth in her words, no doubt about it. The Great Kyoto fire had robbed them of everything they hadn't carried there with them.

Fortunately, the loss wasn't a large problem for either of them. After all, the most important possessions Kenshin owned, his swords, Kasumi's top, and his savings, he tended to carry with him everywhere he went. Tomoe was the same. She carried her shawl and her diary with her all the time. The rest, like his spare clothes, traveling gear, sword cleaning kit… those were all replaceable.

Money wasn't an issue. He had enough savings from his stipend that they could live here for a while with no worries. Though with the rebel's situation being what it was, it wouldn't be a bad idea to save where they could.

Frowning in thought, Kenshin glanced at the hills all around them. During autumn with Master, they had saved money by hunting and gathering mushroom and berries from the forest. Here, the forest was higher in the mountains and it would be harder to track through it, more cumbersome to actually forage things. However, there was that proper field next to the house…

"We better go now, if we want to get back before sunset." Tomoe called to him softly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Kenshin nodded and followed her out.

The walk to the village wasn't long, just a couple of miles. However, Kenshin couldn't quite keep from worrying. The walk from Kyoto had been long and arduous. With her kimono and those wooden clogs, it couldn't have been easy for Tomoe to walk that far, and yet, never once had she complained.

Was she in pain? Did she have blisters on her feet? She seemed tired to be sure, but that was only expected after yesterday's catastrophe and having gone the night with little sleep. But maybe she felt she couldn't say it, because for a samurai woman it wasn't proper to complain?

Kenshin swallowed in growing unease. He hadn't even thought about that earlier! He was just so used to traveling for long periods of time, but she was a… well, a lady. She couldn't be used to enduring such hardship. Hesitating for a moment, Kenshin managed to gather his nerve to ask, "Do you need to take a break? It was a long walk…"

Tomoe glanced at him. "It wasn't that long. I am used to walking."

Huh?

Maybe his flummoxed expression was question enough, because her eyes softened a bit and she explained, "I traveled for several weeks before I got to Kyoto."

Weeks of travel?

How far away is she from? Kenshin blinked, startled by her words. Sure, he had noticed that she spoke somewhat differently than him. But in Kyoto's melting pot, her speech was almost tame compared to the rest of the accents. He had assumed the strangeness was because of her education, her better upbringing… and because he was from so far south.

He hadn't even thought that she could be from far away, too. A part of him wanted to question her more, to find out anything and everything he could about her.

But she always got so sad whenever they talked about the past. He didn't want her to be sad. Not anymore. And did it matter, really? They were who they were and they were here, together. The past was over and done with. It was far better to focus on the future.

Lake Biwa was far larger than he had assumed. It spread as far as the eye could see, glimmering brightly with the colors of the setting sun. It was quite beautiful. The village was fairly large as well, a few dozen houses and an equal number of fishermen's boats on the shore. There would definitely be some vendors there, selling whatever they would need.

Shopping for their necessities turned out to be a learning experience. Not in haggling or making purchases, but in a far subtler sense. It was like, in some strange way they were trying to settle into their roles as a man and a woman.

While Tomoe was older and knew exactly what she wanted to purchase, she tended to grow very reserved in public, behaving like a proper lady ought to. And now that they had agreed to be married, well…

It was the husband's role to be the speaker.

If she had been alone, household purchases would have fallen under her responsibility, but now that they were together, she expected him to buy the things she discreetly pointed out to him. In a way, it was logical. It was his money, and out of the two of them, he knew how to survive with little and had absolutely no compunctions about haggling.

He wasn't very good at it, true. He had no practical experience, but he knew how it was done. It was a game. And in order to play, he would have to be bold and decisive… so Kenshin did his best to master his hesitation and dislike of talking with strangers.

Tomoe's presence by his side made it easier, somehow. He knew that he would have her support and that the better price he got, the longer he could stretch their money. Also, a small part of him, well, quite a large part actually, wanted to impress her, to show her that he was a man, not a child.

So they managed to buy some fish and fresh greens to last them a couple of days, the soap she had been adamant about, a few miscellaneous household items she said they needed, and spare kimono for the both of them.

The elderly seamstress was all too eager to help them, tutting about how terrible their clothing looked due to the fire. Apparently, they weren't the only refugees that had passed through her shop that day. However, while she took their measurements to adjust the clothing for a better fit, she kept asking questions about them. Personal questions.

Most likely she was the village gossip, the way she delighted in wheedling out details… but the thing was, she was only asking Tomoe.

It wasn't that Kenshin thought it bad that someone wanted to talk to Tomoe, especially because she didn't seem like she was overly bothered by the seamstress's curiosity, but at the same time, he didn't want anything to do with gossip. He had had enough bad experiences with people like that, with the rumors of Hitokiri Battousai, and even earlier.

Somewhat annoyed, Kenshin weighed his options for a brief moment before discreetly slipping his coin purse into Tomoe's hand.

She glanced at him in question, before her eyes widened in understanding and she made a fleeting, tiny signal with her hand, like she was saying, 'Go, I can handle this.'

Relief coursing through his body, Kenshin headed outside.

It was a really nice evening. The sun was setting steadily on the horizon, and the weather was warm but not hot. A slight breeze tingled pleasantly against his skin. It was almost enough to convince him that the horrors and disaster in Kyoto hadn't happened at all. Yet, exhaustion and numb hurt pressed on him, rearing their ugly heads as he settled himself, leaning against the wall just outside the shop.

In the pleasant warmth, it would have been easy to find a nice dark corner and sleep for a day. Kenshin sighed, rubbing his face. Hopefully after this, they could head back to the house and rest.

Through the thin wall, Tomoe and the seamstress's voices moved closer, changing from a barely audible mumble to quiet words.

"...escaped from Kyoto. We lost everything in the fire."

"Oh you poor girl, that's terrible indeed. And that young man, is he your brother? Those swords he has with him…"

"Oh no, Kenshin is my husband."

For some reason, it felt really good to hear her say it. Kenshin smiled tiredly.

They might not be married on paper, but they were both old enough and they had agreed to it, and it wasn't like marriage required fancy ceremonies. Those were just for the higher classes, for wealthy people showing off for their families. Neither of them had a family, so really, it was just an agreement between the two of them. It was as official as it needed to be. Among the lower classes, nothing more was needed.

Tomoe… my wife. Kenshin smiled wistfully. "Himura Tomoe," he mouthed out loud, tasting the syllables. It sounded good. And while his name wasn't as real as hers, well, in a way he had made it his own and it sounded right. It was who he was these days.

"Your husband? My goodness! He seems so young, and that hair and those swords… they are quite frightening, really. With the city being so close, all those samurai and the talk of war…"

And just like that, the bubble of happiness he had drawn around himself burst, and Kenshin's eyes shot open in alarm. The seamstress sounded downright wary. And now that he noticed, the few people passing by on the street kept giving him covert looks… not just staring at his hair, but looking lower.

Kenshin tensed, and glanced down at his paired swords. He had gotten so used to carrying weapons with him that he hadn't even thought it would be strange, but these people were fishermen and village folk, not samurai. Swords weren't everyday things for them and worse, the whole point of coming to Otsu had been to hide!

Oh shit…. Kenshin gulped.

He should have known to leave the swords at the house. He really, really should have! They couldn't afford to attract attention, not when they knew that rebels were being hunted as enemies of the state!

Tomoe's low voice came through the wall with the slightest hint of apprehension, "Kenshin is not here to cause trouble. He just carries his swords to protect us. The times are difficult…"

"Oh, I see…"

Their voices faded back to a murmur.

Kenshin closed his eyes and exhaled, trying to keep from rushing inside. Thank god for Tomoe's quick mind! She should be able to calm the seamstress a little – well, enough that the swords wouldn't be the main focus of her gossip. Yet, while the damage was done and there was no use crying over spilled milk, it wouldn't be good to stay here any longer.

Tomoe came out of the shop sometime later, carrying bundles of clothing in her arms. She looked as exhausted as he felt, but she nodded at him seriously and said, "Let's go home."


Living with Tomoe in a secluded farmhouse wasn't all that different from living with her in the inn.

He enjoyed her company, truly. She was kind and soft-spoken and it was nice to be with her, because no matter what happened, she was unflappable.

However, what came as somewhat of a surprise to him was the scary efficiency with which she took over the household chores. There was a comfortable expertise to her motions, like she wasn't new to taking over a household, but rather she had done it long enough to develop her own way of doing things. It was like, for her, there was no question as to which one of them would cook, clean, wash laundry, and do other such simple duties.

In a way he could understand it, because she was a woman and all… but the thing was, Kenshin had always been responsible for those chores. They were familiar and easy and he had even come to take a small bit of pride in his skills. After all, between him and Master Hiko, it had been all around more convenient for Master to hunt, chop wood, and do the heavy lifting.

But now, with Tomoe… he was the husband.

So in the last few days of frantic cleaning and repairing the house, Kenshin had been thrust badly out of his comfort zone and been forced to tackle duties he wasn't all that good at. Not that he would ever dare mention it to Tomoe, but it was… err, somewhat strange, that was all.

There seemed to be a lot of menial tasks and heavy lifting for him to do. Anything from cutting down trees, chopping them down into firewood, and piling the logs next to house to dry, to carrying buckets full of water from the stream just behind the house, and so on.

And of course, there was the leaky roof.

Actually, that chore had been almost fun. Not only had he done it before, but it had been a good, productive way of using ki. Especially because the only ladder he had found in the farm had rotted to the point that it was only useful as firewood.

Thankfully Tomoe hadn't seen him jump to the roof, though. If she found out about ki, she would definitely think him ever weirder and scarier… maybe even unnatural.

Kenshin frowned.

When he had used the ki, Kenta had been there, but it had felt somewhat unresponsive. Was it because of how much he had been forced to rely on it during the fire? Or was it something worse? Come to think of it, they hadn't actually talked in ages. Maybe he had been a terrible friend, but Kenta hadn't seemed angry or disappointed with him, no... it almost felt like it was sleeping?

Should he take time and try to figure it out?

"Food is ready."

The soft melodic voice pulled him out of his musings and Kenshin spun around. She was waiting at the doorway wearing her new simple summer yukata and an apron tied around her waist.

She was beautiful. So calm and relaxed, looking like she was at home…

My wife.

The thought still hadn't lost its novelty. Warmth bloomed in his chest, shoving aside all his worries and concerns, and smiling shyly, Kenshin headed inside.

As with everything else she had claimed as her responsibility, Tomoe excelled in cooking. Every dish she had scrambled together from their meager supplies had been very good. Definitely better than most of the fare he could have come up with.

It reminded him of Osumi-san's words, how she had said that while most people could cook, only a few had any artistry in it. His cooking definitely didn't have that flair, but Tomoe… she wasn't up to Osumi-san's level yet, but she wasn't far off. With time, a wider range of ingredients and seasonings, maybe she could find her calling in cooking, too? It would be wonderful if she could find something that brought her joy.

It seemed justified to give her money to buy fresh fish and ingredients from the village as often as she wanted. She accepted his offering with a certain delight and took it upon herself to visit the village almost daily. It was perfectly fine with Kenshin. After all, the village was close and their money wasn't stretched that thin. Besides, if the villagers didn't see him all the time, maybe they would forget about his swords?

So they settled into a routine quite easily, living in the peace and quiet of the countryside.

However, after they got most of the mess cleaned up and repaired, there was only so much Kenshin could find to do in the little house. It wouldn't have been a problem, if he hadn't grown used to always doing something or going somewhere. Just sitting around and doing nothing… it was making him restless, like he had a little itch that he couldn't quite reach.

He didn't miss fighting or killing. No, he was perfectly happy to put aside his swords. It wasn't like he could even help the rebels in Kyoto, the situation being as it was, but…

He simply had too much energy and not enough to do.

Tomoe noticed his restlessness and took to helping him in her own quiet way, brushing his hair every single evening.

It was almost a guilty pleasure for Kenshin.

But as good as it felt, he couldn't help but feel ashamed. Tomoe already did so much for him, and she was always so patient with his failures, that it felt wrong to depend on her like this.

The field next to their house was covered in weeds. It had been farmed once upon a time, but had been unused for years, and it kept drawing Kenshin's eye. He didn't really know all that much about farming and it was rather late in season to even try, but how hard could it be? He could remember a little from his childhood, from the time before the sword… and his father had been a farmer. He had a vague sense that he had helped in the field as a boy.

Maybe, he could figure it out?

It took a few days for his resolve to strengthen, before Kenshin finally dared to bring up the subject. They were finishing dinner. The food was wonderful as always, but for some reason Tomoe's eyes had a spark of displeasure as she ate methodically.

"The next time you visit the village," he started hesitantly, "could you buy some seeds?"

She glanced up, raising her brow in surprise. "Why?"

"Err… I'd like to try growing something. In the field, I mean. I could use some work." Kenshin explained and looked aside, feeling heat rise on his cheeks. He wasn't exactly sure why he felt embarrassed about this. Maybe it was because he couldn't stand the restlessness he felt but didn't know how to get rid of it, other than working himself to exhaustion?

"Oh," she murmured, her eyes softening. She had seen his troubles, too. "What kind of seeds do you want?"

"I don't know," Kenshin hedged, "but maybe you could ask around about what would be good to grow late in the season?"

"I will do so tomorrow." Tomoe nodded in acceptance.

And that was how Kenshin got the means to try out his farming experiment. Tomoe brought him seeds for radishes, cabbages, carrots, and beets. Apparently, the villager who had sold them to her had said they were suitable for this late in the season because they could handle both rain and frost.

Given the size of their field and the sheer amount of work it would take to weed it, upturn the soil, and plant the seeds, Tomoe had asked if she could help. However, as kind as her offer was, Kenshin had declined. It didn't matter how long it would take, how stupid it was to even try… he just wanted a way to waste some of his energy in a somewhat productive way.

Tomoe accepted his reasoning fairly easily, but after her own chores were done, she would lay a blanket on the grass near the field and spend time embroidering her shawl or simply watching him work until the sun set.

It felt good to fall asleep after a hard day's work, Kenshin found out. Though, admittedly, weeding and hoeing the ground made his arms and back ache hideously.

Another issue was his clothing. His formal hakama were really impractical for field work. The wide hem of his pants would get in the way all the damn time and the thick cotton was too warm in the sun. He would sweat like a pig, not just from exertion but from sheer heat. Because of that, he had taken to wearing only his frayed kimono with the sleeves tied up. It was long enough to fall below his knees, but it didn't exactly keep the sun off his pale legs. But a little sunburn was nothing, and his clothing alterations worked well enough.

He was almost finished hoeing the field, when they got a visitor.

Kenshin had sensed the new presence nearing them from far away, but hadn't been too worried. Given how wavering and weak it felt, no matter who it was, they couldn't be a threat.

However, to his utter surprise, he knew their visitor.

It was Iizuka-san.

The realization left Kenshin reeling. While ki presences were more of an impression than anything solid, he didn't quite know why it would change to the point that it was nearly unrecognizable. Sure, Iizuka's ki had hardly been the nicest before, but now its wavering weakness was almost off-putting.

But then again, it had been about a month since he had seen the man. The Great fire and the rebellion at the Imperial palace's Hamaguri gate had brought hard times for Choshuu. Maybe, that had been enough to bring such a change to the man?

The time since then had felt a lot longer than one month, truly.

"Hey! You are pretty good at that!" Iizuka-san greeted him jovially. Like him, Iizuka-san wasn't carrying swords nor was he dressed like a samurai. Instead, he had a large wooden chest on his back? The rebels were still laying low, then

Kenshin nodded his greetings and invited his superior inside.

Tomoe's eyes widened at the sight of them, but as if she had drawn a mask over her face, she mastered her confusion and went to prepare tea. She was really good at proper hosting, behaving with the best of manners no matter the situation, Kenshin noted proudly.

Iizuka-san frowned, following their quiet exchange.

It was distinct enough that Kenshin had to ask, "What is it?"

"I think the two of you could really pass for an actual married couple."

Tomoe tensed slightly, but kept calm and poured tea for them without a word, only tilting her head in silent question and sparing a minute glance at their guest.

Oh, she is leaving it to me? Kenshin paused in consideration. He still didn't care much for Iizuka-san and his terrible humor. However, no matter the chaos of the summer, he was still his closest superior and he trusted the man. Iizuka-san had been with him from the start and maybe, this was the sort of thing was that the Ishin Shishi should be aware of.

"Actually, we are getting married for real."

Iizuka-san spurted out his tea and coughed madly, staring at them like they had claimed that pigs could fly and fishes could walk on water. It was far too hilarious an expression to overlook, but if he laughed out loud, the man would never believe he had been serious...

"You got to be joking!" Iizuka-san finally sputtered.

"No." Kenshin shook his head, struggling to keep his face as calm and nonplussed as possible.

Tomoe was far better at it, he noted. She reached to wipe the table dry, and pour Iizuka-san more tea as she said serenely, "We have not yet had a ceremony, but for all intents and purposes we are married already."

She was looking at him with a soft gaze, her ki feeling all warm and safe. She was so beautiful, his wife – and she had said it, herself. How could he help answering that look?

Kenshin smiled wistfully.

Then she bowed slightly and rose to her feet gracefully. "I will leave you to your conversation. Please, excuse me."

It was the polite thing to do, to leave them alone to discuss business. After all, it wasn't like Iizuka-san would tell him anything relevant with her there, yet, it left him feeling a bit disappointed. He had grown used to having her company all the time, and besides, it has been quite fun to double team Iizuka-san, to pay the man back for his infernal humor, for once.

"I don't blame you for falling in love, but are you sure it's the proper time for it?" Iizuka-san's question pulled him out of his musings.

Kenshin sighed, and forced himself to focus on the matter at hand. "No," he replied tersely, because it was a relevant question with an all too obvious answer. They both knew how precarious the situation was. "Do you have any news?"

Like a switch had been turned on, Iizuka's gaze sharpened and dropped all manner of teasing.

A bad sign.

"Yes. Our situation is looking bleak. Because of the disaster in Kyoto, our compatriots are being purged in Hagi and the Capital."

"…Purged?"

Iizuka-san dug his pipe out of his sleeve pocket and lit it, explaining softly, like it was as obvious as the changing weather, "The conservatives in Choshuu are trying to save face with the Tokugawa. They are forcing the clan elders who supported us to perform seppuku as a sign of good faith. Ritual suicide is a daily occurrence. It's horrible news, all around."

Rising to his feet, Iizuka-san made his way to the window, smoking silently.

Forced to commit suicide? By their own clan, just to save the clan's reputation? Kenshin tensed, disgust turning his stomach. He had known the attack on the Imperial palace and the resulting fire had been an inexcusable mistake, yet this seemed beyond the pale. How could the rebels ever succeed if things had gotten this bad?

Does it even make sense to try anymore?

"However, we managed to prevent the Tokugawa from declaring an all out war on Choshuu. Both sides have suffered great losses, and the battle is far from over. Anyway, we are currently trying to get Takasugi out of prison. Hopefully he will be able to revive the Kiheitai. If so, we will be able to turn Hagi into a battlefield."

So it's not over… yet. Kenshin exhaled slowly, not quite sure why he felt so unsettled, like someone had shaken the ground under his feet. His fingers tingled with the need to hold something, so he grabbed his teacup as a poor substitute for his sword.

The plan Iizuka-san had outlined sounded fairly logical, yes.

Knowing Takasugi-san, the man would be sure to get things moving in Hagi. However, he couldn't help but notice that one very obvious bit of news was lacking. Wetting his lips, Kenshin asked, "How is Katsura-san?"

"We don't know where he is. I am sorry to say that we believe that he has turned coward and run away."

"That's impossible," Kenshin gasped, eyes wide as saucers.

"The world is a sad and surprising place. All we can do now is wait." Iizuka-san said, turning to look at him with grim eyes.

But, but… Katsura-san turning coward?

True, his leader had looked defeated when he had last seen him... but no, it simply wasn't possible. Katsura-san wasn't the sort of man to give up. No matter what happened, his leader wouldn't abandon their dream for the new era. Kenshin exhaled slowly, gripping the teacup tighter in his hands, trying to regain composure.

"I have some money for you from Katagai. That package is for you, also. It's full of medicines to sell," Iizuka-san said, pointing at the wooden chest he had left by the doorway.

"...You want me to sell medicines?" Kenshin blinked at it with incomprehension.

"You need a visible source of income so you won't arouse suspicion," Iizuka-san explained, like it was obvious.

And perhaps it was, but, but… he didn't know anything about medicines! And going to villages, visiting strangers and talking to them, trying to sell them things – how on earth did they think he could do it? He hated talking to strangers. This was quite possibly the worst job in the world for him! Sputtering, Kenshin tried to rack his mind for excuses. "But there is no one around here for miles! How would they know where we get our money?"

Iizuka-san gave him a look. "You may find it necessary to travel someday. This will provide you with a good cover to do so."

Then without another word, Iizuka-san upturned his pipe into his teacup, and turned to leave. "Don't even think of returning to Kyoto yet. Conservatives and Shinsengumi are hunting for all rebels. They have killed more men than even you were able to dispatch."

The orders weren't necessary, but Kenshin nodded, appreciating the warning as he followed Iizuka outside. The fact was, he had no intention whatsoever of returning to Kyoto before he was recalled, or seeking out unnecessary fights. He had seen war and hated it, far worse than he had ever hated killing.

"I'll be back to check on you and to take you back when it's time. Farewell," Iizuka-san said quietly, before smirking a bit and raising his voice. "Tomoe, I hope you enjoy being a druggist's wife."


A couple days after Iizuka-san's visit, Kenshin finally finished his project. Well, it was their project at this point, truly, because Tomoe had wanted to help him with planting the seeds. He hadn't turned down her help again, because the project had already fulfilled its purpose, abating most of his restless energy, and at that point he had just wanted to get it over and done with.

Now, they were sitting on a blanket, watching the sun set over their field. The had eaten dinner there, and now they had cracked open a small jar of sake Tomoe had bought to celebrate the event.

It tasted good.

'Or perhaps it is the company, and seeing the results of all our hard work?' Kenshin mused, glancing at the woman by his side. She, too, looked pleased, as close to happy as he had ever seen her, staring at their field and the rows upon rows of plowed earth.

Perhaps it was a fool's hope that anything would come out of it. After all, it wasn't like either of them knew anything about farming. His knowledge was scarce at best and as for her, well, she hadn't ever done anything even remotely related to farming or gardening before. She had admitted that to him, mentioning briefly that she had lived her whole youth in a city.

"It's late in the season and it might not work," Kenshin murmured thoughtfully, glancing at her, "but it was really nice to work like that."

"It doesn't matter whether it's going to work." She tilted her head, considering, "You didn't do it to grow something, you just wanted to do something with your own two hands."

"That's true," Kenshin admitted. "But, if something does come out of it, no matter how small the vegetables turn out to be… they will save us money."

"About money… are you going to try to sell those medicines?" Tomoe asked curiously, but there was a glint to her eye, like she knew exactly why he had avoided even looking at the damn box.

He avoided her gaze, heat rising on his cheeks. "Probably. The villagers are already wondering what my profession is. Selling medicines would help to calm their rumors."

Her ki become a shade colder, and instantly, Kenshin looked up, somewhat worried.

There was a frown on her face, before she spoke quietly. "I don't believe they think you're a rebel, and definitely not the ghastly murderer Hitokiri Battousai. However, they do think you peculiar. Your looks are…"

"I know." Kenshin hunching his shoulders, scowling, "Maybe it's good for once that I'm small and weird. There is no fear of anyone taking me seriously."

Like the sun peeking out from the clouds, her ki warmed up and she let out a small breathless cough… almost a laugh? Kenshin turned to look at her so fast that his neck creaked. She was covering her mouth with her hand and her eyes were large in her surprise, like she didn't know what was happening either.

His eyes wide in disbelief, Kenshin gasped, "You are laughing?"

The breathless coughing sound continued and she wheezed, turning to look away in embarrassment, but it was unmistakable.

She was definitely laughing!

A smile tugged at his lips at the realization. He had made her laugh. A small laugh, so tiny that it could hardly even be called proper laughter, but it was a start! And though it was at his expense, well, what did it matter?

He had made her laugh, given her this small happiness… and it was the best feeling in the world.

Basking in the moment, Kenshin smiled and leaned back on his arms, tilting his face to enjoy the last warmth of the sun, allowing her time to gather her composure. He knew how important her cool reserve was to her, and the last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable by his company.

It took her a while, but finally she said quietly, "You are not that small, not really. Sure, you are bit shorter than most men, but you can still grow height. And while your hair and eyes are strange… and somewhat startling, you are as Japanese as me or anyone else. No matter what people say, you don't look like a foreigner or a child."

Everything she said, Kenshin had realized on his own over the years. He knew it to be true and yet, it mattered to hear her say it.

All his youth, he had seen people looking at him like he was something ugly and weird. He had come to accept it. He couldn't change it, no matter how much he had occasionally wanted to. Growing up in the south, wandering the countryside around Choshuu where the hate against foreigners was the strongest, it had been very important to him that he looked Japanese. It still was, if he was perfectly honest with himself.

But to know that she could see it too, felt good.

Kenshin shook his head and poured himself another cup of sake, before offering the jar to her. She allowed him to pour some for her and sipped it gracefully.

Maybe, if she could see past his strange colors, then perhaps he wasn't entirely unpleasant for her to look at? She had said he was peculiar and startling, but neither of those things were exactly bad?

"People have always remarked on my looks," Kenshin explained quietly, "I can mostly ignore it, but I just… I don't want to be seen as a child. I am a man, not a boy."

"I wouldn't be able to marry a boy. No, you are a man," she confirmed softly.

Kenshin glanced at her thoughtfully. Again, she had mentioned marriage. Did it mean something that she kept bringing it up? When Iizuka-san had visited, she had mentioned they hadn't had a ceremony yet.

"Do you want a ceremony?" he asked curiously.

She looked aside and fiddled with her cup, before she spoke. "I know it's not practical. Neither of us have families to invite, nor do we have money for unnecessary things. As far as anyone else needs to know, we are already married in all the ways that matter. But still… I would like to have a blessing."

"A blessing? From a temple?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "My family was Buddhist. And though we weren't particularly religious… it would mean something to me."

The way she spoke, somewhat hesitant and unsure, it felt like a knife twisting in his chest. Didn't she know he would do anything for her? She had already done so much for him and she asked so little… did she fear he wouldn't approve of such a thing?

Kenshin steeled his nerves and reach across the blanked to take her hand. Her skin was cool and smooth, almost soft. There were no callouses on her fingers – hers was the hand of a lady.

She gasped at his touch, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted in surprise.

"Tomoe… anything you want. Anything at all, I will always try my best to give it to you. So if you want a Buddhist blessing, we will get one."

Her gaze softened and she inclined her head. "Thank you… Kenshin."

The way she said his name, with such familiarity… it brought heat to his cheeks like nothing else. Swallowing dryly, Kenshin turned to look at the last rays of the sun filtering through the treetops and mountains that surrounded their home.

He didn't let go of her hand until it was dark.


Betaed by Animaniacal-laughter in 25.03.2016.