Swirls of Yellow and Red
Disclaimer: All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and all affiliates.
Kenshin was up early this morning as usual. He dressed slowly, rolled up his futon and laid his sakaba sword on top before he finally exited his room to head for the dojo yard. As he made his way along the walkways he passed the practice room and heard Yahiko hard at work in his training. He heard Kaoru as well barking out instructions to her pupil, and a small smile came to his lips. He knew that Kaoru's hard training was the best thing for the young samurai. He was definitely glad that he convinced the boy to take on Kaoru's kendo training instead of his own.
A dark shadow crept over the rurouni's face as he thought of when Yahiko had begged him to train him in Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. The boy had no idea what in fact he asked for, and Kenshin remembered he had brushed him off and suggested Kaoru's training instead. Kaoru 's training was the best thing for a child who had experienced what Yahiko had gone through. With Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, Yahiko would learn how to protect those around him. With Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu he would only learn how to kill, and Kenshin wanted to make sure that he never had to face that kind of decision. Yes, Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was best for him, and Kenshin decided it was time to continue on before teacher and student noticed his lingering presence outside.
When he reached the yard he spotted the hamper beside the tub and immediately readied himself by rolling up his sleeves and squatting before the tub to begin. It was already filled with soapy water, which Yahiko must have prepared for him. He stuck his hand into the warm water and swirled it around to mix the soap so that the tub began to fill with suds. He wanted lots of suds in the water because he wanted to get the clothes nice and clean for Kaoru. It was the least he could do for her for letting him stay in her home. It still baffled him that she let a complete stranger like him stay in her house, but he also thought he should just be thankful that she was such a sweet, kind person.
His hand stopped swirling and he stared into the bubbles. He was very lucky to have met her, but he knew he didn't deserve her hospitality. Someone with his background deserved nothing but contempt. Perhaps it wouldn't last long. She might just come to her senses one day and ask him to leave. So until that day came he would do all he could to make his presence in her house as comfortable for her as possible. He didn't want to make her feel uneasy. She was too good a person for such bothersome feelings.
Kenshin let the thoughts drift away and decided he had better concentrate on the chore he had come outside to do. He had no business wasting time on his musings, so he stuck his hand into the hamper and pulled out one of the items he was to wash today. Without looking at it he dumped it into the water and watched as the suds turned into swirls of yellow and red. This was a very colorful piece he was washing. He pulled it out curious to see what had such a pretty pattern to it, and realized that he had one of Kaoru's kimonos in his hands- one of Kaoru's soft, silky, beautiful kimonos in contact with the flesh of his very fingers. He felt his heart make one hard thump against his chest.
It had to be one of the loveliest garments he had ever seen. He remembered when she had worn it and remembered how hard he suddenly found it to breathe and speak around her. She never noticed his bumblings that day, and he was glad she wasn't around today to see him pull the garment to his face and sniff its soapy wetness. But then he thrust the garment away from him disappointed, for her essence was gone from it. Just one dunk into the water washed away every trace that the woman teaching kendo inside had worn this kimono. He sighed and let it fall back into the water his hands bringing the sponge over it now so that he could begin scrubbing. As he worked over the fabric he began to imagine how her skin must have brushed against the inside of the kimono as she wore it, how it must have shaped itself against her with each movement she made.
His let go of the sponge and just laid his hands on the garment that floated in the water, letting his fingers trace over the wet fabric. It felt as if he was passing his hands over her, feeling her skin through her clothing and he soon found that he wanted to do just that. He wanted to touch this kimono as she wore it, and he wanted to slip his hands inside and feel what was underneath it. But all he could do at that moment was pick up the sponge again and proceeded to scrub.
When the kimono was clean he found it hard to pull his hands away from it. It being clean meant he had to hang it up and move on to another piece of clothing, which is exactly what he did as he snapped the excess water from it and then went over to put it on the clothesline so that it could dry. He had an entire load of laundry to do after all, and no business wasting time on his musings. He crouched before the tub once again and went to work on the next piece of clothing. As he scrubbed and hung one item after another he reassured himself with the thought that this wouldn't be the end. There would certainly be more days for him to do laundry and he would patiently await them, for he looked forward to the day where he could squat in front of the tub once again and wash another kimono.