Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not even myself...
"A day in the sanctuary."
Kenshin opened his eyes after blinking a few times. He was surprised that the bed he was resting on was comfortable and warm, contrary to his hard bed in his master's hut. Upon thinking this, the memories of the day before emptied into his mind.
"That explains the roof change." He thought to himself.
In addition to the height, the structure felt much more resistant. Considering that the roof had to support the second story, that made sense to himself.
Beside him, behind the screen, Kaoru, the miko's apprentice, was still asleep.
The redhead could feel the faint vibration of the girl's ki. Every time he felt it, the color blue came to mind.
Each and every one of the young woman's phrases that had touched a sensitive vein in his center reverberated in his head.
"Red. Shinta."
"But you're Shinta, aren't you?"
"Why do you fight?"
Kenshin sighed. The young miko apprentice was an enigma to him. One he couldn't seem to walk away from. But he had to. That was not his path, he told himself.
"Where should I really go?" He questioned.
"Go back to sleep, Kenshin."
The aforementioned was startled when he heard Kaoru's voice, he clearly noticed the irritation in her, although he was even more surprised that he didn't realize when she had woken up.
Glancing out the window, he realized it was only the wee hours of the morning, but old habits are hard to forget.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" he asked, realizing only then the absurdity of his question.
There was a brief silence before Kaoru answered.
"Only half of my brain."
"What?"
"And I don't want you to wake up the other half, so go back to sleep!" She ordered him.
Silence.
Perhaps it had been the screen -after all it was a kind of wall that made this conversation somewhat impersonal despite sharing the same room- that made it easy to let go of his emotions, the same ones he always tried to keep at bay.
"You know what? I understood that the people of the sanctuary got up early" He refuted with some annoyance, returning to huddle on the futon.
The girl's ki vibrated again.
Kenshin suppressed the desire to laugh, he could almost imagine that the screen itself had grown an angry vein.
"There is a difference between getting up early and getting up early at forsaken hours."
The samurai felt a tic in his eye.
"Oh really? Forsaken hours? -he mocked. -Better admit that you are a sleepyhead." He smirked. "I can understand perfectly; you don't have to excuse yourself. It sure is one of the benefits of being Kamisama's chosen one, ne?"
There was a tense silence then.
At least that was the last thing Kenshin remembered before falling unconscious, after which mysteriously, both the screen and his futon -and him inside it- would roll and "fly" until they collided with the wall.
"Good morning, Himura-kun. Did you sleep well?" He was greeted by Kago, one of the chokkai he had met the day before.
Kenshin then appreciated the length of his mane. When combing his low ponytail, the tremendous bump that had been made in the early morning was not noticeable.
"Most of it," he answered, taking his place at the table, right next to the chokkai; his smile looked irritated.
"Oh no," Kago exclaimed realizing the boy's condition. "You don't have common sense, do you?" The dark-haired man observed, in a gesture between serious and amused. "Getting to know Kaoru dono's right hook on the first day."
"A warning would have come in handy," he complained.
Kago ended up laughing.
"You'll learn on the road I suppose."
"I guess..." he conceded with a sigh.
He took his plate and began to eat. Glancing in the direction of Kaoru, who was eating in the other room next door, all his previous doubts seemed to be dispelled in the bright smile of the blue-eyed apprentice.
"I guess I can stay for a while." He said to himself with a smile.
After this, the samurai only tried to get up after the apprentice miko said good morning.
He would find something else to bother her with...
A/N: If you liked this story, please read my other kenkao ruroken stories, please.
