Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic
Rurouni Kenshin &
Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual
Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment
All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me)
were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for
publication or sale.
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by Chiruken
Chapter 12
Tabidzukare
Kaoru smiled at her husband and held her hands out in greeting. “Welcome home, anata!” Her joy at seeing him again after so long couldn’t be contained.
Kenshin smiled and took his wife’s
hands, his weariness lifting away with the sight of her beloved features. “I’m home…” He whispered softly, leaning
forward before remembering himself and pulling away abruptly. He pretended that he didn’t see the hurt
confusion dull her sparkling sapphire eyes.
“Where is Kenji?”
Kaoru sighed and shook her head. “Gone…again.”
“I…” He paused and drew in a shallow
breath before continuing. “I see.” His disappointment was clear. He’d wanted to see his son. He turned his gaze back to his wife. “Kaoru…I missed you, that I did.”
“And I you.” She murmured, unable to hide her concern over his
appearance. He’s lost weight…and he
looks so tired… Oh Kenshin, when will you stop wandering? “Come inside, Kenshin.” He smiled gently and slowly followed her,
his eyes resting on the way the light shone on her dark hair, the delicate
curve of her neck, the grace with which she moved. He closed his eyes briefly and committed it all to memory. He paused before stepping up onto the engawa
and surveyed the front of the doujou for a moment, remembering his first
glimpse of the Kamiya Doujou. He
sighed, thinking that it had been an eternity since then. His sad reverie was interrupted when she
cleared her throat to gain his attention.
“How long are you home for?”
“I…” He paused and slowly lowered
himself to the smoothly polished boards of the engawa, finding his exhaustion
catching up with him. “I’m home to
stay, Kaoru, that I am.”
Kaoru dropped beside him, expression
full of concern warring with happiness.
“Has something happened, Kenshin?”
He bowed his head and nodded
slowly. He couldn’t hide it from
her…not now…and especially not when the attacks were coming with increasing
frequency. Now that the time had come,
he found himself at a loss for words.
He didn’t know how to tell her.
He closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. “Kaoru…” Leaning forward, she placed her
arms around him and felt tears fill her eyes when he stiffened and tried to
pull away. Kenshin gently but firmly
pushed her away. “Koishii…you
mustn’t.” He lifted his head and met
her hurt gaze directly. “Megumi-dono
said that this illness could be transferred.
We must take care, that we must.
I-I don’t wish for you to fall…”
She didn’t allow him time to
finish. A single tear slipped down her
cheek as she threw her arms around him and held him close. “I don’t care! Kenshin…I need to feel your arms around me again, even if it’s
for a short while…until you leave again…”
Hesitating for a moment, Kenshin slowly
placed his arms around her, unable to keep himself from doing so. “Kaoru…” He whispered against her fragrant
hair. “I’m home to stay, that I
am. I can’t continue traveling, that I
cannot.” Sensing a familiar ki
approaching the front gate, he gently slowly pulled away and turned to watch
for the arrival of his son. “Kenji is
coming, that he is.”
Kenji stepped through the gate and
froze, a scowl marring his young features as he sensed a familiar and unwelcome
ki within the doujou. He turned slowly
and surveyed the yard, searching for the one person he never wanted to see
again. His eyes narrowed when he caught
sight of him sitting beside his mother. Eyes narrowing his anger and his hostility rolled off of him in
waves of negative ki. “What are you
doing here?” He closed his hands into
fists at his sides and glared at his father refusing to feel anything but
hatred for the man who abandoned his mother and himself so many years before.
Kenshin flinched at the hostility
bombarding his senses and abruptly closed off his ability to sense ki. It hurt too much when he could feel his
son’s intense dislike and anger so strongly.
“Kenji…” He murmured moving to stand slowly, mindful of the rising pain
radiating outwards from his chest.
Resting his hand against the support post of the engawa to steady
himself he faced his son directly and bowed slowly in greeting.
Kenji rolled his eyes and turned to face
his mother. “’Ka-san. What is he doing here?”
Kaoru frowned in disapproval. “Kenji, that is enough. You will treat your father with
respect. Now come here and greet him
properly as a dutiful son should.”
Resentment clear in his expressive blue
eyes, Kenji crossed the yard, back held ramrod stiff. He stopped before his father and his scowl deepened. He didn’t want to feel anything for him. He didn’t want to feel concern for the
weariness reflected in his sad expression.
He didn’t want to see the ravages of time and illness reflected in his
gentle violet eyes. And he most
certainly didn’t want to feel the urge to throw his arms around him and hug him
tight, begging him to stay, just this once…to stay home with them, his
family. “Otousan.” He muttered sulkily, striving to keep his
conflicting thoughts from his expression.
He didn’t take into account just how astute his father was…nor how
skilled he truly was at reading people through their body language and ki.
“Aisoku.” Kenshin murmured softly, feeling infinitely weary. He slowly raised a shaking hand and pressed
his palm against the ache in his chest, feeling his breath catching. He refused to fall to another attack so soon
after arriving home.
Kenji’s eyes widened slightly at the
pain that filled his father’s expression.
Aisoku…he called me…his beloved son… He bit his lip and slowly
reached out, placing his hand on Kenshin’s shoulder, expression revealing his
shock. “’Tou-san?” He whispered softly, alarmed at how thin his
father had become since his last visit.
Could it be true? Is
he…dying? He glanced towards his
mother and saw the concern in her eyes as well.
Kenshin forced a cheerful smile and
reached up to cover Kenji’s hand with his own briefly before gently but firmly
removing his hand from his shoulder.
Turning towards the kitchen, he slowly stepped up onto the engawa,
missing his son’s look of horror.
“Tea…” He murmured softly to Kaoru.
“You go on ahead, anata. I’ll be there in a moment.” She waited until he was out of sight before
turning to her son with a disapproving scowl.
“Kenji…” She began only to break off when he turned his gaze to her.
“’Ka-san…what’s wrong with him?” He asked softly, moving closer to her.
Kaoru bit her lip and hesitated for only
a moment before placing her hand on Kenji’s arm. “He’s very ill, Kenji…” She paused and shook her head. “Please, try to be kind to your
‘Tou-san…just this once…” Her eyes pleaded with him to do as she asked.
“He’s dying, isn’t he?” It wasn’t really a question and was
confirmed when tears filled her eyes.
“Is that why he’s back?” He felt
his anger stirring again. How dare
he? How dare he do this to them? Did he truly think that all would be
forgiven just because he was… Kenji swallowed with difficulty and turned
away to stare out across the yard. “I’m
going to stay with Yahiko-san.” He
pulled away from Kaoru and began to cross the yard.
“Kenji!” Kaoru hurried after him.
“You can’t leave, not now. You
must try to mend things with your father.
Please…for me?”
He stopped and glared straight
ahead. “’Ka-san…why? Why must I?
What has he ever done for me?”
Eyes narrowing in growing anger, Kaoru
raised her hand and pointed back towards the doujou’s main house. “That man is your father and as such deserves
respect. He is also Japan’s greatest
hero, and for that he deserves respect.
But he is also my husband, and I will not tolerate any insults directed
towards him…not even from you, my son.
You ask what he has ever done for you?
He held you when you were an infant and kissed your cheeks when you were
a toddler and stayed up with you when you had nightmares…and told you stories
until it was well past your bedtime when you were a child. And still you ask what he has done for
you?” She drew in a sharp breath and
shook her head sadly. “I think the
question is, what have you ever done for him?”
She lowered her voice to a pained whispered. “You’ve insulted him and caused him much grief. You turn your back on him when he stretches
his hand out to you and ignore his attempts to be the father you claim you
want. What more can you do to him,
Kenji? How much more can you hurt
him? Go. Go and stay with Yahiko…if he’ll have you. But don’t hurt your father any more than you
already have…please…” She turned and slowly approached the house, ignoring
Kenji’s stunned expression.
“’Ka-san…” He whispered softly, turning
his gaze towards the house again and blinking in surprise when he saw his
father gazing at him with sorrowful violet eyes. “’Tou-san…” He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. What do I do? He didn’t want to disappoint his mother…but
could he forgive his father’s inattentiveness so easily? He opened his eyes and set his jaw in
determination before crossing the yard with purposeful strides to stand before
the man he barely knew. “Are you really
home to stay? Or is this just another
brief visit before you continue wandering?”
Kenshin regarded his son solemnly. “I will travel no more, that I will
not.” He stated simply before turning
to enter the kitchen again. He paused
in the doorway. “Would you like tea,
Kenji?”
Eyes sliding to his mother Kenji
hesitated just a moment before replying.
“Yeah. I’ll help you.” He stepped up onto the engawa and followed
his father inside.
***
Definitions:
Mamorigami: Guardian (Deity)
Tabidzukare: weary from traveling