Author's note: Sorry about the delay on this chapter, I had intended to have it out like a week ago but I couldn't quite get it posted before I moved. However, I'm all moved now so until this ridiculous rent sends me broke, hopefully you won't have to wait quite so long for the last couple of chapters. To be honest, I'm not terribly happy with how this chapter turned out, and feel as though I'm letting you all down somehow. Seems like I've gone past the climax and we're just anti-climaxing or something. (Shrugs). Oh well, I've never claimed to be a perfect writer. I hope you all like it anyhow. There's probably about two more chapters after this one, then voila! El Fini! (I have no idea if that means anything in any language, but give me a break here.) Sorry again, and I thank you for your patience.
Response to Reviewers! (We broke the 100 reviews barrier! Party!):
MsJadey: Welcome to the land of the dead. I'm impressed you didn't run out of reviewing juices sooner, some of the introspective dialogue kept me awake at night it was so deep! Hope you revive before you start to decompose and smell and scare off the neighbours. Thanks for the review, as always!
Mint: You are new! Welcome! Thanks for taking the time to review, as well as the kind words. I have this big thing about turnabout is fair play in my fics often, particularly so in this fic, so I guess it was kind of intentional. I'm impressed you noticed. And thanks for reading Servitude, too!
Chiruken: Hope you're all better now after your scary car spill. Thanks very much for your review as always!
Unseen Watcher: Haven't seen you around in a while, g'day! No, I do not yet have a non-ouch Hiko fic, but I'll look into it. And yes, I did like the end of 'Ties of Loyalty', go read it everyone, it's great!
TPQ: Because I am at heart an evil, evil person. I just pretend to be nice to fool everyone.
Roushi: LOL. Thanks for your review.
Vesca: I would answer your questions, but that would just give everything away. (I think. At least, that's my excuse for getting out of them today.) Thank for your review, glad to see you are still reading!
NightRain: Woo, another new reviewer! Cool, this fic was recommended! That has to be among one of the highest honours for a fanfic author, I thank you Kyanos! Thanks for explaining things to all the other reviewers for me, jeez, where were you about ten chapters ago? It was a long review, but all very good points, I agree with you whole-heartedly (I would, it defends all of the plot points!) ta muchly.
Alandrem: Thanks very much. (Must keep this responses as short as possible, there are so many!)
Hiko-and-Kenshin: What's a junior-high student doing reading an R-rated fic? Oh well, so long as you don't get me into trouble.... Thanks for not flaming me (?), and for the review.
Eanide: Yes. Yes he does.
Halo: Sorry about the delays in updates, I used to be quite good with updating (IMO, anyway) but when one does not have access to a computer one does not have access to a computer. Thanks for reading anyway, and for your patience.
Kyanos: A very good in-depth review. Many odd thoughts, indeed, and I already said I'm sorry about not updating! Thank you also for recommending this fic to NightRain, despite your uncertainty about it (I understand - I wasn't so certain I even wanted to post it to begin with.)
Emz: The mighty Emz! Ack, boxing! Ouch. I am glad if this chapter was timed perfectly, speaking of perfect timing, you once again caught the chapter within mere minutes of its posting. (Shakes head in wonder.) You continue to amaze me. Thanks for the review.
That's everyone! Sorry about the huge response to reviewers section, I thank you all! Enough from me, already, on with the chapter!
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Routine
Chapter 17 - Overriding Habits of Adversity
By Sinnatious
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Hiko didn't return for five days this time.
After his Shishou had fled - something that still jarred him, even after he'd seen it for the second time - Kenshin had remained standing there at the cliff for some time, in something of shock himself. In a way, it had been as though an incredibly heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but on the other hand.....
He'd really done it this time.
Hiko had obviously taken some time alone to sort things out in his head before coming back, trying to work things out, then get on with life. Then Kenshin hadn't even given his master a full hour before dropping a whole new dilemma on his lap. He was becoming whole-heartedly convinced that he really was an idiot.
To be honest with himself, though, what the aspiring swordsman expected his esteemed master to do with this latest revelation was uncertain even to himself. It wasn't like Hiko Seijuuro would come back to proclaim his love for him - unless, of course, the man became blantantly drunk once again, but given he'd just destroyed all of his sake supplies there wasn't much chance of that in the near future. Kenshin shuddered at the memory. There was no way he'd be able to sleep in the hut that night - the entire place had to stink of sake. He'd have to drag his futon outside and sleep under the stars. With the missing door, the hut was drafty anyway. He'd be fine so long as any predators stayed clear and winter didn't strike early. Still, cleaning that mess was one chore he wasn't sure he had the strength or will for yet, even if he was becoming stronger quickly.
It was painfully silent, even the gushing of the waterfall seeming muted to his ears.
"Well then," Kenshin said to himself, "I suppose I'd better go start dinner." Silence was his only response. Sighing, he began to trudge back towards the hut.
So the days passed like they had before, Kenshin forcing himself through the daily routine, waiting patiently in the hope that his master might yet return. Elsewhere, in a secluded part of the forest, far enough away from the hut on the mountain to escape detection but to close enough to watch undetected, Hiko Seijuuro the 13th pondered this latest revelation, like he had been for four days already. Pondering for four days with neglible rest, minus the times he took out going to the village for food, still being unable to bring himself to return to the hut.
It wasn't that he was afraid - a master of the Hiten Mitsuryugi Ryu such as himself would never admit to fear out loud - but more of a question of what he would do when he returned to the hut. It had been hard enough to envision continuing training the youth after knowing of the acts of violence he had unwittedly committed - this was something else entirely.
Hiko reigned in his anger once again, even as he felt the urge to punch to tree trunk against which he was resting. He was a damn fool. In retrospect, he felt he should have guessed what was happening, but he hadn't, and things had gone too far. Had his mind grown dull?
Wrapped up in his thoughts, Hiko Seijuuro did not even notice the sun set, giving way to the moon. He was a man who prided himself on being in control of his emotions, not giving into wanton urges - whether it be violence or intimacy, particularly when it came to his apprentice. He was the flawless master, Kenshin was the stupid student. That was how it was. In a couple of years, if not months, the boy would have reached the climax of his training and the Amakakeryu Ryu no Hirameki would have to passed on, even with how he had struggled through it recently, the reasons for which the swordmaster was now painfully aware of. Any emotional attachments would just make the whole affair too difficult, too painful for both himself and his student. No one could train, especially not the type of training required for the final technique, under such conditions.
Yet, despite all of his efforts, all of his denials, somewhere along the line the swordmaster had fallen in love with his beautiful little baka deshi.
He'd taken advantage of that. That thought alone kept him occupied for hours. Even if he could get over the fact that he had taken advantage of the youth in one of his drunken episodes, having something like that out in the open would make training Kenshin very difficult indeed. It went completely beyond the proper boundaries of a relationship of master and apprentice.
Yet neither of them had anything else other than that relationship then. As much as Hiko denied it, being a recluse wasn't much fun. Even anti- social people rarely become entirely reclusive on whim alone. With his skills, and the path of life he chose, though, that was simply the way it had to be in his mind. He didn't mind being a hermit, in his opinion it made life more simple not having to worry about any annoying social obligations, but even a man who believed in controlling his emotions such as him couldn't deny how much he'd come to enjoy the young swordsman's presence.
There was that other side, though, that for every time he had given into intimacy with his student, he had physically hurt him as well. He had allowed for one weakness, one flaw in himself, and that was his enjoyment of drinking sake. It allowed him to escape from the emotions of either frustration or lust that daunted him. Yet, unwittingly, his one weakness had apparently given way to his other, much greater weakness - not only his own temper, but his own baka deshi.
This had to be playing havoc on the youth's emotions, too. Hiko, as unsympathetic as he usually was, knew the his baka deshi had far from a kind life thus far, and this whole affair probably wouldn't be a memory either of them would look on with any fondness either. He had a lot of things to blame himself for now; it was something new and something he wasn't terribly enjoying.
Hiko tugged at his hair in annoyance. It would be sunrise, soon. Days of thinking had got him nowhere. It was uncomfortable situations like this that made him remember just why he preferred the life of a hermit. What could he do, though? Return and pretend as though nothing had changed? That was impossible. For one, he couldn't ever trust himself to drink in the boy's presence ever again.
Aside from that, though......
The swordmaster sighed to himself. He couldn't just stay away from the hut forever - he had a duty to complete the boy's training, or at least if nothing else, apologise. Kami-sama, he hated apologising. He didn't have much practice at it, after all.
He stood and shifted his white mantle on his shoulders, checking that his katana was at his side, for reassurance if nothing else. The sun was just beginning to rise, signaling the beginning of a new day.
Hiko slowly made his way back towards the hut, trying to enjoy the quiet of early morning. His lips quirked into a somewhat bitter smile when he saw his pupil sleeping peacefully in his futon outside of the hut, right hand curled feebly around his katana, no doubt in case any bold predators dared venture too close. The smell of the sake obviously was still too strong for the boy to stay inside.
He kept a careful control on his ki so as his presence wouldn't wake his sleeping baka deshi. Positioning himself beside the red-head, he took a deep breath.....
"Oi, baka deshi, are you going to sleep all day?! Get up already!"
"RYU-SHON-SEN!"
Hiko was well clear of the attack, Kenshin blinking for a moment in surprise and somewhat shock, having reacted on pure instinct. "Shishou?"
"Why so surprised? You didn't think I'd really leave you here at my hut forever, did you?"
The hedgy look in the youth's eyes suggested that perhaps the thought had crossed his mind. "Of course not."
"Hrm." They stood there for a moment in stalement, Kenshin still trying to blink back the sleep from his eyes. The silence quickly became uncomfortable. Finally, the teacher broke it.
"Listen up," the swordmaster grunted. "I'm only going to say this once and you're going to pretend you never heard it, okay?" The red-head nodded solemnly.
"Your Ryu-Shon-Sen is getting rusty."
Kenshin stared at his master somewhat incredulously. "Shishou.... I..... I have a hole in my shoulder!" Somehow that wasn't what the red-head had expected to hear, though the familiarity was refreshing. Any other time it would have been EXACTLY what he'd expect his Shishou to say.
"That's not healed up yet? Well then, never mind."
"Shishou!"
"Okay, okay, I know, listen carefully, Kenshin," Hiko said, taking a deep breath. Kami-sama he hated this.... he was Hiko Seijuuro the 13th, he wasn't supposed to be like this! Admitting any sort of weakness, especially this kind of thing.... it would be best to get it over with and pretend it never happened.
"First of all, I would like to apologise for everything that's gone wrong. You deserve something of an explanation. Somewhere along the line, I realised that there was something I couldn't have, Kenshin. It would have made things too complicated. Apparently when I was drunk, I displayed a rare case of poor judgement and made things difficult anyway, by taking it anyhow. I assume you're keeping up with all the metaphors?"
"Yes, Shishou," Kenshin said, standing perfectly still as if to move would perhaps send his master running off again.
"Anyhow, the point is my offer to train you still stands, and despite everything that's gone on, if we can maintain our hard-earned balance of master and student you might actually become a half-decent swordsman yet. What do you say?"
Kenshin was stunned into temporary speechlessness. Was it true that his master actually.....? But he....? The teen struggled to order his thoughts back into coherence, finally realising that his master was waiting for an answer. "My answer is still the same, Shishou."
The swordsman nodded - was that relief he saw in his eyes? "It will probably be difficult for a while, you know."
"I know, Shishou."
"Right, then. Since you can't train, you can go collect some firewood. I can see you've let supplies run low. I'll get to work on fixing that door."
"Right away, Shishou!" Kenshin said, squaring his shoulders.
"Hey, put your futon away first!" Hiko ordered him.
"Oh, right." Flustered, Kenshin dragged his futon back inside. Hiko watched him go - was the boy actually smiling? A real smile? It had been a while since he'd seen one of those. And it had to be the first time in history he'd ever seen his stupid apprentice so happy to do chores.
"Baka deshi," he sighed. There was probably no food left in the hut either. He'd have to go to town later to get supplies.
Just as he was turning away, though, Kenshin's soft voice stopped him. "Shishou?"
The swordmaster turned, hoping another bombshell wasn't about to be dropped. "What is it?"
"Perhaps.... perhaps one day.... I will give myself to you freely."
Hiko was left speechless. Kenshin smiled slightly at him, then disappeared with his futon back into the hut.
Hiko half-chuckled to himself after a moment, walking away to get some tools to fix the door from his pottery kiln at the base of the mountain. Yes, his pupil certainly was a special one, that was for certain.
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Please don't forget to review. Lookie, no cliffhanger this time.