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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The Blanket Scenario

Hiko & Kaoru

by Chiruken

Chapter 4

Hiko glanced at his younger companion from the corner of his eye. She looked tired. And wet. And very, very cold. He rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. “That was exceptionally stupid of you, Kaoru-chan.”

Kaoru bristled at the condescension in the older man’s tone. “And what would that be, Hiko-san?” She asked through gritted teeth.

“Falling into the stream without even a change of clothes on hand, of course.” He smirked down at her, noting that her colour was returning rapidly.

“Well EXCUSE me for not thinking of everything.” She scowled and increased her pace, stomping off down the path. She was cold, wet and extremely embarrassed. She wasn’t in the mood to deal nicely with Hko Seijurou’s twisted sense of humor.

Hiko rolled his eyes and lengthened his strides to keep up to the indignant young woman marching several paces ahead of him, her back ramrod stiff. A sudden thought occurred to him. “Say, Kaoru-chan, how is it that you were able to hold onto your boken when you lost nearly everything else?”

She looked over her shoulder and sent him a scathing glare of derision. “I stuck it through my obi, of course. How do YOU hold your katana, Hiko-san?”

Hiko smirked, but refrained from answering. Kenshin’s letters had also spoken eloquently of her problems with her obi, though never once mentioning anything about it holding her boken. Suddenly, Hiko frowned at her retreating back. “Hey! Kaoru-chan.” She turned, expression furious. “What’s the matter with your obi?” He pointed towards her back.

Kaoru followed his gesture with a scowl, and then gasped. “Oh no! My buttons!”

Hiko quirked an eyebrow as some VERY unladylike words began to emerge from his baka deshi’s supposedly innocent jouchan. “Buttons?” He repeated skeptically.

Kaoru nodded miserably. “Yes. Buttons. They’re a western invention. I’ve been…er…having a few problems recently with my obi knotting, so I asked Kenshin to sew these on for me. They hold my obi in place, but don’t get knotted. Wonderful invention…when they stay where they belong!” Kaoru sighed and gathered up the ends of her trailing obi. “They were such nice little buttons, too.”

“Buttons.” Hiko repeated, lips twitching with wicked humor. “I doubt silly western creations could adequately compensate for good old fashioned Japanese made…“

“What would you know about it, Hiko-san?” Kaoru whirled and poked a finger into his chest. “Have you ever gotten your obi into a knot?”

Hiko almost choked in his effort to keep his laughter held in. “Can’t say that I have had that particular problem, no.”

“Then how could you possibly know whether or not buttons are useful or not?”

“Kaoru-chan, you allow yourself to get worked up over the simplest of things.” He shook his head and gestured across the clearing they had finally reached. “Stop worrying about your buttons and hurry up. It’s damned cold out here.” He strode towards his cottage, pausing by the drying racks to check his clean laundry. He scowled irritably. It was still quite damp. He glanced over his shoulder towards Kaoru. “This could be a problem.” He muttered under his breath.

**To Be Continued…**

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Definitions:

Obi: kimono sash

Boken: Wooden sword

Jouchan: little missy