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

Disclaimer: The Standard Disclaim applies...


AN: Just to clarify, this story will be ending soon, but not quite yet.

Thanks to those who generously left me reviews. I hope you will hang on with me for a little while longer as I take you into inevitable troubled waters. We're spared from that in this chapter, though, so don't hold your breath. Another short, coming your way. Enjoy.


Chapter 28

- Reminiscence -

The wood wasn't allowed the time to make anything more than a creaking sound in protest as Kenshin cleaved the stump in two. In seconds, its three neighboring brothers met the same fate, the practice dummies falling in succession.

The boy was a blur as he whirled in place, bringing down the next target. Without blinking an eye, he met Hiko's surprise attack with his blade, face impassive.

Hiko felt his stomach flutter in anticipation, the heady rush one got right before a battle making him grin. As small and lean as Kenshin was, he was surprisingly strong. The boy did not falter when it came to twisting in his spot, executing his next attack with a grace that was almost eerie.

The Master flicked his wrist and his sword obeyed, slicing upward and causing his student to stagger back a step. He expected Kenshin to fall onto his backside, but he skipped lithely to the side, putting a slight distance between them before pressing into a new attack pattern.

There were only a few things that Hiko could safely say he admired.

Seeing Kenshin's stability in his footing became one of them and fairly took his breath away.

Where was his stumbling, unsteady boy, now? The one that would grab his hand to keep his balance?

And now that he thought about it, just when did Kenshin gain some more inches to his height? Even his face had lost its childish roundness, mellowing his cheeks out and making his nose more prominent.

While Kenshin hated his features, Hiko was fond of them, unable to picture his student looking any other way. The kid had once told him, in his ignorance, that he was waiting for the day his hair would turn dark like everyone else's. Unfortunately for him, it stayed as bright as a flame in the night.

Alas…gone was that innocent, wide-eyed Apprentice. Gone was the little child that would cry in frustration at not being able to grasp a principle. Gone were the nightmares that would keep him up for days – even weeks.

And now, gone was the clumsiness that accompanied Kenshin's childhood.

"Master?"

Hiko grimaced at the tug of his heartstrings when he heard the voice that was his boy's and yet, was so very different, call his attention. It had gotten deeper, not a rich baritone exactly, leaning more toward a husky sound. It cracked now and again due to his change from boyhood to adolescence – something Hiko often liked to poke fun at.

The Master took a moment to gaze at the stranger in front of him, eyes filtering away all the differences. Kenshin's fingers were longer, his hands calloused from long hours of practice. He held himself with more confidence, back straighter, chin held high. There was a serious set to his eyes now, and Hiko knew:

He was close.

Closer than ever to learning the final technique.

It would only be a few years more and the Master was torn between feeling guilty and proud.

As Kenshin cocked his head slightly in question, Hiko decided to settle on the latter.

"You're still too slow," he scolded, twisting his face into a scowl. "But that's enough for today, I suppose."

Kenshin sighed, and whether it was in relief or in dismay at being reprimanded yet again, the Master wasn't sure. He bowed deeply in acknowledgement of the end of the lesson, his long red hair flopping over his shoulders. When he straightened he shot his mentor a grin – the same brilliant smile that Hiko had always loved being party to – and announced, "I'm starving! Last one home has to wash the dishes!"

Hiko resisted rolling his eyes but he couldn't help his chuckle as he hurried after his student.

There were some things that would never change.


Word Count: 634

Moving Forward…


AN: Another undertone of an ominous note is just ringing in the background, here. I hope that people have been able to see Kenshin's transitions up until this stage. I tried my best to show it in the small snippets of time I've been writing. Let me know how I did/am doing! Your thoughts would be great

As always, thanks for reading,

-P.P.V.V.

Edited: August 26, 2016