Hearing You, Seeing You

By: Hitokiri Musei

Rated: T

Summary: Kenji was born blind and deaf, but no one knows this. How you ask? Kenshin traded with an unknown deity at his birth to give his son back his sight and hearing. The price? Kenshin's own, slowly over time.

I don't own Rurouni Kenshin –cries- But I can still get stories out of his sexy redhead self! –grins- Read and review please!

Part 1

The Beginning

(Kenshin)

The cry of a baby was like music to my ears, and a wide smile spread across my face. Megumi cut the cord connecting the child to my wife with a smile. "Congratulations Ken-san. You have a son."

My smile grew and I squeezed Kaoru's sweaty hand as she shed tears of joy. I dropped a kiss on her lips. "You did so well koishii…"

She smiled, looking to Megumi as the woman wrapped our child in a blanket. "Our little Kenji."

I nodded. We had prepared names earlier, so we had been ready to name the child as soon as he had been born. I looked up as Megumi gasped, moving to her side. "Megumi-dono?"

She was holding Kenji with shaking hands. "Ken-san, look at his eyes."

I looked at Kenji, and then my joy simply disappeared. A white film covered Kenji's blue-violet eyes. My son was blind.

Megumi quickly began to perform a check over Kenji, and again I was rewarded with a gasp. "Oh Kami, he's deaf as well."

I took Kenji from her, tears of sorrow sliding down my cheeks. "Oh Kami, please no, don't let this be true." I held Kenji to my chest, pleading in my mind that it wasn't true, that somehow this was all just a horrible nightmare.

Why do you cry Himura Kenshin? It is not like you to shed tears.

I looked up in shock to find everything around me had frozen. Only Kenji and I moved, my son's little fists clenching in my gi. "Who are you?" I whispered, looking around.

You need not know. What is it that you want Himura Kenshin?

I looked down at Kenji. "For my son to have a normal life. Without the trials of being blind or deaf." I looked up again. "But why are you doing this for me?"

Oh, no reason. I'm just bored really. Very well. Payment with be taken over time as I see fit.

I looked down and I saw Kenji's eyes clear. "Kenji?" I murmured. He turned his eyes to my face, looking at me with big eyes. The smile returned to my face, and everything began to move again.

Megumi's sad look instantly became a smile. "Well Ken-san, are you going to let Kaoru see her baby?"

I nodded slowly. 'I'm the only one who knows…' I thought in wonder.

I went to Kaoru, and she took Kenji with a smile. "He looks so much like you Kenshin," she murmured, looking up at me.

I nodded, smiling back at her. "Hai. But he has your eyes koishii." I watched as she cuddled our infant son, joy again filling me. 'It is better this way…'

(3 years later)

I was playing with Kenji when my head began to pound. I rubbed my temples slightly, and then the pain subsided.

Kenji's tiny hands on my leg brought me back to reality. "Daddy!" he said happily.

I began to tickle him, watching as he squealed and tried to wiggle away. His limited vocabulary unfortunately included the one thing that would bring Kaoru running. "MOOOMMMMYYY!"

Kaoru came shooting out of the dojo, ready to protect her child. She spotted me, and then grinned. "I'll save you Kenji!"

I put up my hands. "Oh no!" I snatched up a madly giggling Kenji, pretending to kidnap him. "You'll never get him from me!"

Kaoru ran after me as I darted around the yard, using my speed to make the breeze blow Kenji's red hair around his face. He squealed in joy, clenching his tiny hands in my gi.

I began to slow as I always did, allowing Kaoru to gain ground on me. "Oh no! She's going to catch me!"

Kenji wiggled again. "Get me Mommy!" he cried, waving his arms. He was quite intelligent for a 3 year old, learning quickly by mimicking Kaoru and I.

Kaoru pulled out her bokken from nowhere, and then bopped me on the head lightly. I carefully fell, rolling and avoiding pain for both Kenji and I.

Kaoru lifted Kenji from my still body, hugging him close to her. "Oh my precious Kenji, I'm so glad you're okay!"

He hugged her neck. "Mommy saved me!" He suddenly wiggled in her arms. "Daddy okay?"

Kaoru set him down and he ran to me. But I was struggling to breathe as a weight pushed on my chest, forcing me into blackness.

(Kaoru)

Kenji ran to Kenshin like always, patting his face and cheeks. "Daddy, wake up! No sleeping!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Kenshin?"

He did not move, remaining still on the ground. Kenji looked up at me with large eyes. "Mommy, Daddy's all warm!"

I frowned, rushing forward to kneel beside my husband and rolling him onto his back. "Oh Kami…" Kenshin was deathly pale and sweating, cheeks flushed bright red. Each breath was a struggle for him. "Yahiko!" I screamed.

The boy came running out, and then gasped when he saw Kenshin unconscious on the ground. "I'll get Megumi!" he said instantly, running from the yard.

I pulled Kenshin's head into my lap, stroking his already damp bangs. "Oh Kenshin, what's happening to you?" I murmured.

Kenji crawled forward to sit beside Kenshin's heaving chest, a small hand patting his father's. "Why Daddy sick?"

I sighed. "I don't know Kenji. Aunt Meg will help Daddy."

He nodded. "Auntie Meg good helper."

I couldn't help smiling. "Hai."

Kenshin's breath hitched and I looked down at him. "Anata?"

He blinked at me. "Kaoru?" He blinked again, bringing up the hand not held by Kenji to rub at his eyes.

I frowned. "What's wrong Kenshin?"

He shook his head. "Nothing koshii. Just a bit disoriented."

I frowned again. "Kenshin…"

He shook his head with a smile. "I'm fine Kaoru."

I put a hand on his forehead. "You're still pretty warm Kenshin, you should lay down." He started to protest and I shook my head firmly. "Now."

Kenji started tugging him towards the dojo. "Come Daddy! Gotta go to bed!"

Kenshin blinked at him, and then nodded. "Okay Kenji."

I followed them inside, watching Kenshin closely. He showed no sign of weakness, and I started to relax. Maybe he really was alright. But I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

(Kenshin)

Oh Kami, what was going on? My sight was blurry, I had trouble seeing clearly. I followed the small red, flesh, and blue colored blur that was Kenji as he led me to the dojo.

"Daddy, got's to sleep and get better!" he said as he pulled me along, tugging on my pointer finger, which he had a hold of.

I followed him silently, still trying to clear my head. The brief moment had left, taking some of my sight with it. 'Is this my punishment?' I wondered. 'My payment?'