Premonition
Was it strange? She supposed so. It wasn't exactly normal, you know. One doesn't often watch others in there sleep. Still, she found it difficult to look away. His chest rose and fell almost imperceptibly, and his burnished copper bangs were carelessly brushed across his head. He was a picture of untouchable frozen beauty. She bit her lip. She wanted to touch his ethereal beauty, but she wouldn't. Not him.
Silently, she closed the fragile paper door to the room, a sorrowful sight lingering on her lips. And then, in an instant, she was gone, and amber eyes opened to stare at an empty room bathed in gentle moonlight.
Funny, he could have sworn someone else had been there with him.
She awoke to bars of sweet sunlight on her face. She savored the morning for a moment, and then carefully sat up. It had been a long night full of uncomfortable sleep full of intangible nightmares, and it left her feeling lost and confused. She sat up and began to take off her yukata, changing into her favorite azure kimono. She nimbly cinched it with an obi, and then gathered up the rest of her belongings, ready to face a new day and an intriguing stranger.
He was waiting for her by the gate of the dojo, dressed simply in navy and gray, with both wakizashi and katana tucked into his belt with practiced ease as she finally made her way out of the house. He didn't say anything to her, he merely glanced in her direction, raising supercilious eyebrows.
"What?" she asked.
He glanced at the sun in such a matter that it drew her attention to it as well. It's position in the sky informed her that it was well past midday. She blushed furiously. What had she said? Sunrise? "I'm sorry," she muttered under her breath.
With a shrug he began to walk off. "It doesn't really matter."
Kaoru followed him, still ashamed.
He walked several feet ahead of her, leading the way through the streets of Tokyo, which were crowded with the both the poor and the middle class, the former of which were bemoaning their losses off to the sides of the streets; the latter of which scurried about their business like industrious mice. So this was his childhood dream of peace and equality manifest in today's society? It was a disgrace to ever life he had ever taken, and he had taken some rather admirable lives in his time.
A thin should connected with his waist, and a hand grappled frantically at a purse he kept at his side. Without any hesitation, Kenshin hauled the young offender up by the neck of his haori to look into eyes which spitted defiance. Ah, here was one of the most disgusting products of humanity; the pickpocket.
"What the hell are you doing?" The boy squealed, writhing this way and that in a feeble and utterly impotent attempt to break free of Kenshin's grip. Kenshin noticed with mild detached amusement how the boy's short legs kicked back and forth above the ground. Meanwhile, the vast sea of people flowed around them, refusing to acknowledge the scene taking place in their midst.
"I'd like to know the same thing." Kaoru asked, coming up behind him. "He's an innocent boy, Himura-san!"
Kenshin gave her a strange look. "Said innocent boy just tried to steal my money, Kamiya-san" He gave the boy a mild shake, which made the boy jingle with the sound of coins. "Sounds like I'm not the only one who he robbed either."
Kaoru stepped back from Kenshin, allowing him to have room to maneuver. She was mildly annoyed at herself for showing how absolutely naive she was in front of the man she wanted most to impress.
Wait.
She?
Impress?
Him?
It was a novel idea, one that hadn't occurred to her until this moment, but she knew it was true. Somehow, inexplicably, and in the single day she had known him, he had become one of those people she wanted to impress.
Why? Because he could see right through her, and she couldn't stand it, she couldn't stand herself, in fact, but just the same, she wanted to impress him, because, perhaps one time when he saw completely through her, he wouldn't see something despicable.
Kenshin continued to hold the struggling child, and Kaoru continued to watch with some strange fascination. "Who are you?"
The boy spit in his face. "I don't have to answer that!"
Kenshin's response was a sickly grin. "What I thought, you're dirt, you don't even have a name." With a casual twist of his wrist he dropted the boy on the ground in an unceremonious and resumed his pace through the city. With a single backwards glace, Kaoru followed him.
It was about ten minutes before the boy shoved in front of them. Kaoru noted his messy hair and tan, slightly elfish face, which was covered in smudges of dirt. He glared at both of them for a moment, and then muttered through clenched teeth the name "Yahiko Myougin" before disappearing into the crowd once again. Kenshin's sickly grin appeared again. "What's this, dirt with a name?"
Kaoru was mildly shocked at the emotion in Kenshin's voice. He turned to look at her expectantly. "You said something about groceries?"
All thoughts of the boy forgotten, Kaoru nodded as she dug around in her sleeve, finally managing to pull out a crumpled piece of paper with several items sprawled on it in sloppy handwriting. It was half of her grocery list. Kenshin's half. She shoved it into his hand. She nodded in the direction of the kimono shop down the street. "Meet me back there, Himura-san."
Kenshin glanced at the kimono stand and nodded as his eyes quickly scanned the grocery list.
They met back in front of the kimono shop as the sun became a dim shadow on the horizon, Kenshin laden with heavy bulk goods while Kaoru carried only a small load. She had been wise when making out her grocery list. She mentally noted with pleasure that he was coated with an almost imperceptible sheet of sweat.
They began to walk side by side, taking a leisurely pace until they reached the Kamiya dojo. True, there was silence between the two, but it was such a silence that neither of them much minded it. Hurriedly Kenshin placed the groceries inside the house and then left. Kaoru called out questioningly after him, but he merely grunted in reply.
There was unfinished business afoot, and for a moment Kaoru had a premonition that would set of a chain of utterly destructive events.
Author Notes It's very late, of that I am aware, it's also rather rushed, however, I've rediscovered my love for this fic, and I shall soon be writing more where things actually happen. I hope this was enjoyable enough though, I know the writing style is a bit different, and I apologize for that, but I tried my best.
A roaring thank you to Nekotsuki, Imi-nashi, Lilmatchgirl007, Electronicgamer,Mini-Oro-Kenji-Himura, Inu's Keeper, Nim, Alerna, Ooga booga, Swan, Nanakilover/Brukaoru, Reignashii, Ichigo Drops, Sandy, Goldmund, lilsakli, Seikkyokuka, Kawaii Thief Kitsune, Stefanie2, HakkeKage, and Jenny.
I'm trying to keep review responses to a minimum, so e-mail me, or IM me if you'd like to talk. I"m mostly harmless, don't worry.