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

Disclaimer: The Standard Disclaim applies...


AN: Thank you to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes! I'm also glad people enjoyed the switch up in the last chapter. This time around, we hit familiar ground. This is my take.

Enjoy.


Chapter 19

- The Little Things -

Scrape.

Plunge.

Twist.

Lift.

Repeat.

His fingers were already wrinkling and his back was hurting from crouching down next to the wash tub for the last hour. The washboard shuddered under his palms as he dragged a piece of clothing over it for what felt like the millionth time.

He let out an irritated growl when it caught on something.

"Careful, Apprentice," his Master called, jerking him from his dark thoughts, "lest you wish to mend the clothes as well as wash them."

Kenshin glared across the grounds at the man. Hiko was standing next to the training poles he'd set up as practice targets. His white cloak billowed around him impressively and a few tendrils of the man's hair were trying to imitate the motion. It almost looked like he was gloating.

The stupid, perfectionist jerk.

"Do I detect attitude?"

Blinking dolefully, Kenshin turned his eyes back to the laundry. "No, sir."

"Good. If you had done your job properly to begin with, then I would have had no qualms about letting you amuse yourself somehow else. Because I can't stand a botched job you're to do it correctly this time around."

"They're stains, though," Kenshin couldn't keep his complaints quiet. "They won't come out."

"And I suppose you think you're entitled to brand new clothing, then?"

"Well…no…but…"

"Or do you really think I am going to let you traipse around town looking like a vagabond?" The boy knew better than to answer the rhetorical question and so, stayed silent, continuing to scrub at one of his soiled shirts.

Hiko came closer and it did not take him long considering his strides covered a lot of ground with every step. "One day, you'll come to appreciate being able to do something for yourself. And I'm sure that in time, others will come to appreciate it, too."

Scrape.

Plunge.

Twist.

Lift.

Pause.

Kenshin hated doing laundry. It was a mundane, repetitive task that took hours. He would much rather be off wandering the forest that had become his personal playground. Every time he was allowed to explore, he went further beyond his last expedition. He had even begun memorizing the different trails and types of trees and plants.

"Well, if you've got all day to daydream, you might as well do my laundry, too." Hiko's words brought the young man out of his reverie and he jerked his head around to glance at his mentor, trying to gage just how serious that statement had been. His hands automatically began the process again, as if to show that he was paying attention.

He pleaded, "Please, sir. I was just thinking…"

"Thinking what?"

Kenshin hesitated before saying truthfully, "I don't see the point in making sure my things are spotless if I'm just going to soil them again."

"Keeping oneself clean on the outside is just as important as clearing your mind, you know," Hiko told him.

Again, the boy made his frustrations known: he lifted the shirt and let it plop back into the water rather roughly. "It was a small spot. No one would have noticed," he said, petulantly.

He half expected the Master to scold him. Instead, Hiko reached behind him and tugged at his ponytail, once, sharply.

"Attention to detail, Kenshin. You cannot be a true swordsman, or even a man, doing things half-heartedly. A job well done is one that needs not be repeated. Remember that the next time you think to shirk your duties."

Pensively, Kenshin murmured, "Yes, sir…"

Hiko sighed and tugged at his hair again, causing the boy to elicit a whine of protest. "You want to be the best? Then give the best you've got." He met Kenshin's scowl with one of his own. "One must take pride in everything one does, even a task as simple as doing the laundry. Take pleasure in the knowledge that you did something with your own hands to the best of your ability."

This time, Kenshin tilted his head to the side, mulling over the words of wisdom before reaching back into the washbasin.

He still resented the chore. He didn't think he'd ever come to enjoy it. But as he stepped away from the clothesline a few hours later to watch his things flap in the summer breeze, he thought maybe…

…Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.


Word Count: 723

Moving Forward…


AN: Chores are chores and I doubt Kenshin liked doing them when he was a boy. In the manga/anime we see him doing the task for Kaoru (to do his part/to pay her back/to put his mind at ease - take what you want), but I wanted to show his thoughts on it when he was younger. Also, there's a lesson to be learned no matter what activity is being done! Please let me know your thoughts on this instalment.

Thanks for reading,

-P.P.V.V.

Edited: August 25, 2016