Kendo no Go
In the Language of Kendo:
A Fanfic in 100 Chapters
by Akai Kitsune
62: Catfish
~*~
Kaoru hated
catfish. Kenshin discovered this fact the hard way, in his attempt to make a
gift of his impressive catch one day - her birthday, he assumed, thanks to
Tae-san's interference - but was received by her horrified expression and
disappointed anger.
It was a constant, frustrating
affliction, his inability to make her happy. She seemed cheerful enough, day by
day, but whenever he tried, made even the slightest effort to please her, it was
thrown back in his face because he never knew precisely how his intention was to
be done.
It was no one's fault, really;
he simply did not know what to do.
'It had never been
this difficult with Tomoe,' he thought miserably one day, slumping against
the laundry tub after Kaoru's unexpected response to his latest endeavour.
'Tomoe gave the same response to everything, never left me guessing. How did
things become so complex?'
How was he to know that
snapdragons gave her a rash? She had never told him, after all.
It was then that the
realization came to him: he had never asked.
And it was true, of course; so
true that he remained there, blinking in surprise, for a long time. He didn't
really ask her much at all, about her past, her likes and dislikes. It was as
if, the moment she told him she did not care about his past, he had
automatically assumed the same for himself.
'How could I have
been so shallow?'
'The past does not
make the person, after all.'
'... and wouldn't
Kaoru laugh to hear me - me - say that.'
'Would she laugh...?'
After that,
he began to place less effort into doing things to please her, and more into
finding out what would please her. He learned that she loved to have a piping
hot bath after training at the dojos across town, and so, at her return, there
was always a fire and steaming water waiting for her. He learned that she
enjoyed his ohaji - not Megumi's, at least not as much - especially when
he added just the right amount of flavour, or the perfect fruit in the center.
He learned that she melted in his arms when he rubbed her shoulders, her tension
dissolving in his ministering care.
He learned that he took great
pleasure in making her happy.
"But - what
makes you happy?"
She caught him off guard with
her question, as he was tossing logs onto a prepared fire beneath the bathtub.
He was honestly surprised, but he merely smiled in response, turning back to his
work.
"When you
are happy," he said softly, "Then I'll always be happy, Kaoru-dono."
"Promise
me?"
So much like a child. "Aa."
She hugged him, then; wrapped
her arms so tightly around his shoulders that when his breath caught in his
throat, he wasn't sure if it was a reaction to emotion or lack of air. He didn't
speak, and she remained silent until she pulled away, murmuring her thanks as
she headed for the bath.
He had no clue, no idea
whatsoever, what he could have said at that moment.
He was never to know that his
silence had been more than enough.
~*~
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