Of Wine and Water By: P.P.V.V.

Disclaimer: The Standard Disclaim applies…


AN: Thank you for your responses and encouragement in the form of reviews. I greatly appreciate it. And now, it's time to show a little bit of the Master's soft side. I hope you enjoy.


Chapter 3

- Calming Reassurance -

Damn them.

Damn them all to hell!

He wished he knew who they were - where they were - so that he could hunt and kill and give them punishment for the evil they'd committed.

He was just a boy.

Hiko had to take several deep breaths to calm himself down.

Getting angry would get him nowhere. Revenge was a useless thought right now and was impossible. But he vowed that if he ever came across those who hurt Kenshin, he wouldn't think twice about doling out the appropriate retribution.

It hadn't even been a full day since he'd known the boy yet he had already been lured in by those sweet, innocent eyes that looked to him as a lost puppy would.

He put down his disk of sake and turned his eyes again to his newfound pupil. The boy was rolled tightly under the blankets of his futon, the only thing visible from the small bundle was his hair, the strands still drying from his vigorous dunk in the river. There hadn't been time to heat a bath but Hiko had wanted the child in bed right away because he could tell that the boy had been dead on his feet.

That Kenshin had never uttered a single word of complaint surprised the young swordsman. Even with all those injuries, he had kept up fairly well. Yes, Hiko admitted it to himself: he was proud of the boy.

There hadn't been any sign of branding, nor any broken bones from the mild stretches Hiko had asked Kenshin to do. Of course, he couldn't be too sure – not wanting the boy to bolt, he'd kept his hands to himself so he hadn't had the chance to do a further inspection.

Abruptly, he remembered the frightened expression that had stolen the innocent look away from the boy's eyes. Again, he had to force away the need to avenge the child. There were more important things to be done, now.

While the kid had been cleaning himself, Hiko had added valerian root into the tea which he'd instructed Kenshin to drink.

Now, the boy was asleep, and would hopefully remain that way while the Master did a more thorough examination. He checked to see that the boy's teeth were all intact, that he had no fractures or broken bones. There were some wounds and multiple bruises but those would heal over just fine. The most grievous problem was the fact that he was extremely malnourished.

No wonder the child was as small as he was.

Other than that, he seemed perfectly healthy.

Hiko pulled the covers back up to the boy's chin and went to sit by the window once again.

It was obvious in the boy's reaction that he'd been more than just physically abused. Still, Hiko knew that he would get over that because the light of his spirit burned brightly from the few times he had gotten a glimpse of it. With a will as strong as his, such a traumatic experience had no hope to prevail.

It wouldn't happen right away, though. It would be slow and trying for the both of them, and Hiko mentally steeled himself for the challenge.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a low moan come from the child in front of him. The change in the atmosphere in the room was almost palpable. He could practically taste the fear and anxiety that seemed to radiate from Kenshin's body. Before long, Kenshin began to writhe in his sleep.

He was having a nightmare.

Well, it was only natural.

Uncertain what to do, Hiko watched. If he came too close he would scare the boy. But when Kenshin started crying, he could not hold himself back any longer. Kneeling next to him, Hiko pressed a hand to the child's forehead, soothingly. "No one will hurt you," he murmured. Gently, he stroked his hair back with his thumb. The boy's eyes fluttered open, blearily at the sound of his voice and the touch.

"Wh…who…?"

"It's just me."

The child's eyes clouded over as sleep fought to claim him again. His mouth moved, maybe in an attempt to say something more, but a whimper escaped instead. His small body curled in on itself, turning over so that his cheek pressed up against Hiko's knee. He could feel the child shivering and he moved his hand to the boy's back, rubbing in small circles. "I'm right here. You have nothing to fear."

That seemed to set the child at ease because his body slowly relaxed as he fell back into slumber.

Oh boy.

There was a long way to go.

Damn them.

Damn them all to hell…


Word Count: 785

Moving forward…


AN: I don't imagine Hiko to be the type who is always cold. Nor do I imagine him to be the type that is sugary sweet. I imagine him to be a no-nonsense, strict but caring, individual. If he wasn't, I don't suppose Kenshin would have turned out the way he did. It's hard to find the balance in his character, so let me know how I did!

Thanks for reading,

-P.P.V.V.

Edited: August 25, 2016