Thank you for your prompts and suggestions Angle1 (I will tackle your prompts in the next one), and thank you ScarredSwordHeart, policis, kaoruyukishiro, skenshingumi, caseyedith, and kokoronagomu for your encouragement. You all rock!
Here's the next one, inspired by Kenshin's favourite activity. It's not very humorous because well...it's still early in their relationship (they don't have one at this stage) and they're just getting to know each other so..yeah)
Laundry
Kaoru yawned. She dropped her head down on her chest and revelled in the feeling of muscles being stretched and pulled in the back of her neck. Since that trouble with Gohei, she'd had a niggling pain in the back of her neck and shoulders. In all likelihood, it was the result of being whipped around out of the way while everyone else got to fight as much as they wanted. Kaoru stuck her lower lip out. Despite having the most iron-clad, justifiable reason to fight, she found herself sitting out and gawking like an imbecile as Kenshin had flitted in and about Gohei and his goons, a snick here and cut there, and the whole evil-guy-structure had fallen to pieces.
How unfair.
Sighing, she stood in one fluid motion and made her way to the well. Chores had to be done. They wouldn't disappear just by wishing them away. As she heaved the bucket on the ledge of the well, a bird chirruped from the trees. Kaoru carefully set the bucket down the ground and stopped. She blinked. A pair of tattered sandals with socked feet in them was sitting beside the laundry tub. She let her eyes move up to see what other surprises were in store for her. The feet belonged to a certain red-headed swordsman she had offered shelter to last night. Kaoru felt her eyebrows shoot up her forehead as she watched him now, sitting comfortably at the laundry tub, scrubbing her bed linen for all it was worth. Well technically, it was his bed linen.
He looked up suddenly. Kaoru looked away immediately.
"Miss Kaoru…good morning."
Kaoru smiled, hoping that her jaw had remembered to close earlier. "Good morning Kenshin." She smiled. "It's a beautiful day!'
"That it is, Miss Kaoru." He continued to scrub as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
She bent to lift the bucket only to find it gliding into his hands comfortably. "You don't have to do that, you know. I can manage."
Kenshin looked at her with a strange expression in his eyes. "I know. But you shouldn't have to." He sat down. Thinking of something, he turned to her, "Miss Kaoru, let me take care of things to be done around the dojo, for as long as I stay here. That way, you can concentrate on training your students full time."
Kaoru blinked. "Oh Kenshin, that's so generous and kind of you, but I couldn't take advantage of you like that."
"Miss Kaoru, trust me, if there's anyone taking advantage it is me. This is the least I can do, helping you out in my small way. It's not much I know, but…"
"But Kenshin, I…it wouldn't feel right."
"Why not?"
"Well…."
"Yes?"
"I couldn't ask you to do any of these things. I mean, you're a legend and I…"
His hands stilled on the scrub board. He stared into the soapy water. Kaoru watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye. "Kenshin? What happened?"
He was silent. After a few moments, he shook his head. A sad smile graced his features and he turned to look at her, "Please don't deny me this, Miss Kaoru." He stared into the water once more. "This is the only place where my hands feel clean." He stood, picked up the bucket full of water and began scrubbing with renewed energy. Kaoru could only sit and stare.
A/N
Many thanks everyone who reviewed the first drabble. I must tell you that I feel a surge of confidence regarding canon writing and hopefully, I will not let you down.
Thoughts on this one please?
And in case anybody is interested, I am starting a DeiSaku fic called Accidental Love very soon. New fandom, same old jitters.