Under The Circumstances

an r.k fanfic.

 

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

"Speechless"

 

 

"Maybe I'm thinking myself in a hole

Wondering, who I am when I ought to know

Straighten up now time to go

Fool somebody else, fool somebody else"

 

Ben Folds Five.

 

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"Man, that was great!" Yahiko happily exclaimed as he plunked down beside Sano on the porch. For the third day in a row Soujiro had worked his magic in the kitchen turning out a meal that Tae herself would envy.

 

"You said it." Sano said patting his swollen stomach, "I don't know about you, but I can never go back to Jou-chan's cooking after this."

 

"For once, I agree with you Sano."

 

THWACK!!! THWACK!!!

 

Unfortunately Jou-chan heard every word and promptly knocked both boys upside the head with a shinai for their rudeness.

 

"Don't insult the hand that feeds you, morons!" she retorted.

 

"Ow!!! Jou-chaaann!!!!"

 

"For that you can BOTH go wash the dishes!"

 

"Hey busu, you can't punish us for telling the truth!"

 

Kaoru growled while waving the shinai menacingly.

 

"Alright, alright we're going already!!!"

 

Muttering and cursing under their breaths, both boys reluctantly trudged their way into the kitchen to start on their assignment. Soujiro smiled as they passed him with hangdog looks on their faces. He'd long since gotten used to the goings on of the Kamiya dojo and now the Ken-gumi's antics failed to faze him in the slightest.

 

"Mou!" Kaoru exclaimed plopping herself down on the porch. She had the shinai propped against her shoulder the way most samurai slept with their swords close  at hand. Soujiro admired her mixture of motherly gentleness and fierce strength, so perfect for Mejii. He'd never met another woman like her.

 

"Do you mind if I join you Kamiya san?" Soujiro asked softly as he settled down next to her. Kaoru jumped a little at the sudden closeness of his voice, but then she smiled warmly as she realized who was doing the talking.

 

"Oh, Soujiro-kun, it's you." she said cheerfully, "Thanks for taking over at lunch today, you really saved my life, and everyone else's appetite." she added sheepishly.

 

"It was nothing," Soujiro replied modestly, "It's nice to do it for a…a real family."

 

Kaoru's brows knitted slightly at the hint of remorse in Soujiro's voice, "Oh?" she asked softly.

 

"I, eeto…grew up as a servant."

 

There, "servant", sounds a lot better than "slave" don't you think?

 

"I'm sorry to hear that." Kaoru said with real concern in her voice.

 

"It's ok," Soujiro said, his assassin's smile sneaking up onto his face, "The past is the past, ne?"

 

Liar! Liar! Gi on fire!

 

Kaoru knew he was covering up his true feelings, but she respected his wish to let it be. "I guess you're right," she agreed with an understanding smile.

 

"Sou-kun, Sou-kun!!!" two little voices chorused from the yard. Before long, Ayame and Suzume had each grabbed one of Soujiro's hands and proceeded to pull him unceremoniously from the porch.

 

"Kenshin's taking us fishing!" Suzume announced.

 

"And we want you to come with us too! Will you come  Sou-kun?" Ayame asked persistently.

 

Soujiro swept both girls into his arms easily and beamed at them.

 

"Well how could I say no to the two prettiest girls in Tokyo?" he asked with a grin.

 

"Wai!!!!" the two little girls squealed.

 

Kaoru smiled at the cute picture the three of them made. The two girls had warmed to Soujiro from their first meeting, he proved to be just as good a playmate as Kenshin ever was. Kenshin then came up behind her carrying two fishing poles.

 

"We'll be back in no time," he promised, planting a firm kiss to her forehead.

 

Ayame and Suzume giggled at the kiss, "Yeah, no time!!!" they chorused over Soujiro's shoulder as the two swordsmen turned to leave.

 

"See you soon." she replied, waving to the odd group leaving the yard. Soujiro, unable to wave with his hands full, settled for flashing her a smile as he let the girls wave for him. She reflected on what he had told her moments before as she watched their backs disappear down the road.

 

"They're two of a kind." she thought to herself with a bittersweet smile.

 

*****************************************************

 

Yahiko and Sanosuke sat at the table with pained looks on their faces. It was Kaoru's turn to cook dinner and no one was particularly excited about the fact. Soujiro had offered to help her but they feared that even with his expert help she was doomed to fail…again.

 

"You guys could look a little less condemned." Kenshin murmured satirically from his corner.

 

"We are condemned." Yahiko said miserably.

 

Kenshin sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "Look, I know Kaoru's cooking isn't always…edible," he began carefully, "but it's just dinner, not a death sentence."

 

"Wanna bet?" Sanosuke mumbled quirking his eyebrow.

 

"Bet what?" Kaoru asked, appearing at the door with a full tray in her hands.

 

It was Kenshin's turn to quirk an eyebrow at Sano as he faltered under Kaoru wide eyed stare. "Ahaha… nothing Jou-chan, we were just, you know, fooling around."

 

Kaoru eyed him suspiciously for a moment but allowed the matter to drop. "Whatever." she said making her way to the table. She and Soujiro, who came in right behind her, set down their trays as the rooster head and the Tokyo samurai squirmed visibly in their seats. Kaoru grinned widely at them, especially Sanosuke. She reached out and started to serve the meal. "I cooked this especially for you two, " she purred in Sano and Yahiko's direction, "Without Soujiro's help." Still grinning like the Cheshire cat, she handed the first bowl to Sanosuke and the second to Yahiko who bit his bottom lip as it was passed to him. After she finished serving the food she propped her chin up with one hand and looked pointedly at the two boys.

 

"Aren't you two going to eat anything?" she purred wickedly raising an eyebrow.

 

"Evil little tanuki." Sanosuke thought as he picked up his chopsticks, reluctantly Yahiko did the same. Simultaneously, each of them took a bite of what was offered. Kaoru looked satisfied and Soujiro had dropped his gaze so that his face was hidden by his bangs.

 

"What the hell?!"

 

"No way!"

 

"Oro?"

 

"YOU cooked this?" Yahiko squealed in disbelief.

 

"She did." Soujiro said quietly, raising his head to reveal a smile that was decidedly wider than usual.

 

"What did you do," Sano asked satirically, "Exchange your soul for cooking skills?"

 

"WHY YOU!!!"

 

"Sanosuke!"

 

"What?!"

 

Kaoru tossed her head haughtily and cut her eyes at Sano, "For your information, Soujiro's been tutoring me."

 

"Aa," Soujiro interjected, "Kaoru-san's been playing by ear, so to speak. She asked me to help her out, she's actually a very good student."

 

"So Busu can finally cook," Yahiko mused around a full mouth, "Thank Kami-sama."

 

Kaoru looked as if she was just about to pound into him when a wistful voice at the door interrupted them…

 

 

 

"Well minna, how do I look?"

 

 

***********************************************

 

 

"Yes it's uncanny to see

You'd really think it was me

The best imitation of myself."

 

Ben Folds Five.

 

 

************************************

 

 

"How do I look?" Misao asked as she spun in place.

 

The four men at the table dropped their chopsticks. In the sudden silence of the room, the clatter they caused seemed louder than it should have been.

 

"Whoa…" Sanosuke managed to say.

 

"Ditto." Yahiko mumbled.

 

"..." Kenshin's eyebrows disappeared under his bright red bangs.

 

"Wow Misao, you look great!" Kaoru said enthusiastically, "You must really like this Kaede guy a lot."

 

Misao blushed behind her open fan. She was wearing a formal kimono, deep indigo silk with a silvery weeping willow pattern woven throughout the fabric. The fan held the same pattern as the kimono, and a single silver tassel hung from the handle. Her hair was prettily styled with two tiny deep blue combs to match the rest of the outfit. She might have been a tomboy most of the time, but that didn't mean she didn't know how to get all dressed up when she needed to.

 

"You really think so?" Misao asked hopefully her wide eyes shiny with delight.

 

"Definitely," Kenshin agreed, "You look lovely Misao."

 

Soujiro quickly dropped his gaze back into his lap. He couldn't look at her, he was afraid that… that.

 

You might actually show that you have feelings for this girl?

 

"Shut up!" Soujiro yelled mentally at his little oni, "I don't have any feelings remember?! I do NOT have feelings for this girl!"

 

Truth offends…

 

"Soujiro?" a concerned voice called him back to reality, "Dajoubu?"

 

Soujiro quickly slipped on his regular smile and looked up into Kenshin's worried face. "Aa," he said cheerfully, "I'm fine Himura-san." He then turned his attention to Misao, "Your carriage just arrived Makamachi-san, I can walk you out if you wish." he offered politely.

 

Her smile was absolutely radiant, "Thank-you Soujiro."

 

"Show off." Yahiko muttered into his bowl. Unfortunately, Sanosuke heard.

 

The ex-gangster quirked an eyebrow at his spiky-haired friend, "Jealousy does not become you, Yahiko-chan." he mumbled.

 

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"What's the matter Misao? You've barely touched your food."

 

"Eh?" Misao looked up from her meal, eyes widening innocently, "Oh, I'm sorry Kaede-san." she quickly apologized, "I was just thinking…"

 

"Nani?" Shinatama Kaede asked, locking her blue green eyes with his.

 

Misao gave him her most innocent smile. The truth was, she'd been thinking about the gentlemanly manner Soujiro displayed as he helped into her carriage. Also, she thought of how it had felt to be in his arms as he carried her home. The whole world a blur of colors, the warmth of his skin contrasting with the wind blowing against her cheek. Was it her imagination, or did his heartbeat accelerate as she burrowed deeper into his protective embrace?

 

"I was thinking about how we'd first met," she said with a smile, "it's odd that we were both at the same place at the same time like that."

 

Kaede's gorgeous green eyes twinkled at the comment. Taking Misao's hand in his he pressed his lips against her fingertips, "Makamachi Misao," he practically breathed into her skin, "Do you believe in fate?"

 

Misao's heart raced as his breath tingled her skin, "I…" she faltered, "Don't know. Do…do you?"

 

"Aa." he breathed, still looking out at her from behind their joined hands. Slowly, he reached out and caressed her left cheek, Misao's breath stopped as he lowered the hand that still held hers and leaned into her.

 

"Oh no, I think he's going to…"

 

And he did. Before she could react, Kaede's lips had captured her own, pressing to them gently but firmly, coaxing her to respond, but…

 

"This isn't right."

 

She pulled away and looked down, there were tears in her eyes as she fought with herself for control of her emotions. Fear. Embarrassment. Disappointment. Regret. She wanted to run away, to discard the fancy dress and run out the door, jump up to the rooftops and get as far away as she possibly could.

 

"I'm sorry..." she apologized, her voice thick with emotion, "I'm sorry."

 

Kaede reached out again and tilted Misao's chin up so she could face him. Reluctantly, she raised her eyes to meet his, they were glimmering with moisture. Kaede cursed himself for his forwardness as he ran a thumb over her petal-soft skin. She was so beautiful, so pure, he'd had no idea.

 

"I'm the one who should be sorry Misao," he apologized, "And I am. I never, never meant to upset you… ever."

 

Misao quirked a crooked little smile at his boyish earnestness, she was sorry too, that she'd disappointed him. "Dajoubu," she said brightly, "Like you said. Nobody's perfect."

 

That teased a small smile out of him. "True." he agreed, "But I still want to make it up to you."

 

Misao's smile widened slightly, she was relieved that he wasn't angry or as disappointed as she'd feared. "Well," she said, eyes twinkling, "You could take me home. This kimono might be pretty, but it's choking me to death!"

 

Kaede laughed in the musical way Misao had grown fond of over the past few weeks, "Deal," he said, "But only if we walk for a little way, the moonlight's way too beautiful to miss."

 

"Deal." Misao agreed with a smile.

 

*******************************************************

 

Kaede strode up the steps lightly, his sandaled feet making no noise on the polished surface as he made his way to the door. Carefully, he opened it and stepped inside, quietly shutting it behind him. He made a few steps in the direction of his room, then he stopped.

 

"What is it?" he asked quietly without turning around.

 

Behind him, a figure emerged from the shadows, making no more noise than he had in coming in. His eyes were averted, but his expression was grim and disapproval could be seen written across his features. He walked with a slow, deliberate movement until he was mere feet away from Kaede's turned back. After a few moments of silence he finally spoke.

 

"It been four weeks," he said calmly, "I would think you would have destroyed her by now."

 

Kaede's pupils narrowed slightly, but other than that, he showed no outward emotion at the observation. He turned around and gave his accuser a satirical smile.

 

"As I recall," he said dryly, "He's the one we are after, not the little ninja."

 

The older man was not stirred by Kaede's dry manner in the least. "I'm aware of that," he said, "but as I recall, we were supposed to use the girl to weaken him."

 

"I know that."

 

"Then why aren't you doing anything about it?"

 

"I will, in my own time." Kaede snapped, his voice like ice.

 

The older man held up his hands in a gesture that was more dismissal than placation. "Alright." he said, "Do what you think is best."

 

"I will." Kaede bit out.

 

The older man turned away and melted back into the shadows of the large room. After a while, Kaede could no longer feel his presence anywhere nearby. He walked down the hall and opened the door to his bedroom. "So this is it, no more mind games," he thought as he shut the door behind him. The room was dark, except for the moonlight that filtered it's way in through the open window and illuminated the object lying on the desk there. Unwrapping the bindings, he ran his thumb along the edge of the bright metal revealed to him from under the dark cloth. He thought of her then, her wide eyed innocence and honest humor, if she only knew…

 

"I'm so sorry Misao." he whispered into the darkness.

 

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