|
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki and various companies.
Please don't sue me, I'm a starving student! I'm only borrowing
the characters for a little while, I'll put them back where I found
them, I promise! ^_^
Author's note: C&C is always appreciated! Please note that flames will be cheerfully used to roast marshmallows no da! ^_^ You can reach me at miko_no_da@chichiri.com
Ribbon for a Rurouni
*Snap* *Snap* "Masshiro!" cried a husky alto voice. Two young girls giggled loudly and repeated the phrase, snapping their own pieces of laundry. "Masshiro! Masshiro!" they cried, then giggled again, joined by the deeper laughter of the red-haired figure who knelt beside them at the washing tub. On first glance, most would have assumed the figure to be that of a woman. Barely over five feet tall, with a thin, delicate-looking body, Rurouni Himura Kenshin looked harmless and unassuming. The fact that he was bent over a laundry tub, with bubbles piled in his flame red hair by the two young girls, did nothing to detract from this first impression. But a second glance would belie that unthreatening picture. The deep, cross-shaped scar on his cheek, the ever-watchful violet gaze, the lean, whipcord strength of his body, his perfectly balanced posture, and the sword at his side all spoke of a different, more dangerous man. The two young girls continued to laugh and cavort around the rurouni and his washing, occasionally splashing him with soapy water, ignoring his laughing pleas to let him finish his work in peace. Kenshin smiled at the antics of Ayame and Suzume. The cheerful little girls had latched onto him his very first day in the dojo, and never let go since. To him, they represented everything he admired most about humankind; joy, innocence, charm, friendliness. He stood to hang one of the sheets on the drying line, and tripped over Ayame, who had darted unexpectedly in front of him. Instinctively, he dropped the sheet and grabbed at her, twisting so that he would hit the ground beneath her, cushioning her fall. Ayame cried out in alarm, clutching at Kenshin. One hand tangled in his shirt, the other in his hair, catching and snapping the thong which tied it back at his neck. His thick hair sprang free from its confines, flowing about his face as he fell. They hit the ground with a dull thud, the impact jarring through Kenshin. He sat up quickly, cradling Ayame in his arms. He quickly checked her over for obvious damage. "Ayame-chan, daijobu?" She sniffed once, then looked up at him and nodded hesitantly. "H-hai, Ken-nii. Daijobu." He smiled at her, relieved. "Gomen de gozaru, Ayame-chan! I didn't see you there." She smiled back at him, her usual cheerfulness quickly restored. "Daijobu, Ken-nii!" Suddenly she gasped, and looked very upset. "Nani?" queried Kenshin, worried that she might have hurt something after all. "Your hair!" she wailed. "I broke your hair!" Startled, Kenshin raised his hand to his hair. He hadn't even registered the fact that the tie had broken, but now that his attention was off Ayame, he realized that it was falling in his face in long strands. He sighed, and his breath blew one piece out from his face. It quickly returned to its original position. "Anou," he said, running a quick hand through his hair. "I don't have another hair tie. I'll have to go and buy one." Suzume giggled at him. "You can't go out like that, Ken-nii! You look silly!" Kenshin grinned at her, knowing her statement to be true. With it hanging around his face, he DID look silly, if only because it looked like he had not taken the time to properly dress. He couldn't go into town like that. It might hurt the reputation of the dojo. He could ask Yahiko to go get one, but the boy wasn't due back for several hours. Besides, he didn't want Kaoru-dono to see him looking so disreputable. Ayame regarded him solemnly for several moments, then suddenly reached into a pocket and withdrew a bright purple ribbon. "Here, Ken-nii," she offered, grinning at him shyly. "This will fix it. It's my favorite," she added proudly. "Suzume-chan's not allowed to touch it!" Suzume gazed at him with envy that he got to touch the sacred ribbon. Kenshin looked at Ayame with startled amazement, wondering that she would be willing to give him, Himura Kenshin, former Hitokiri Battousai, a gift that was obviously so precious to her. It didn't matter to him that the ribbon was ragged, with mud and various other unidentifiable stains marring it's colour. It was Ayame's favorite, and she was giving it to HIM. Tears misted suddenly in Kenshin's violet eyes. He gathered the startled girls to him in a big hug, burying his face in their silky hair. It was moments such as these that reminded him just what it was he was fighting for, living for. The simple joys, such as sharing your favorite ribbon with a friend. After all he had been through, after all he had learned to become the Hitokiri, it had still taken him this long to understand the true meaning of life. That, in the end, it really came down to how many people would trust you with their favorite ribbon. He let the two girls go, and solemnly accepted the tattered purple ribbon from Ayame. "Arigatou, de gozaru yo!" He reach back to tie the ribbon in his hair. "Let me! Let me!" Suzume cried enthusiastically. "Hai! Hai! Let us, Ken-nii!" Ayame chimed in. With a bright smile, Kenshin conceded, handing the ribbon back to Ayame and turning around to give the girls better access to his hair. "We'll do it boo-ti-ful, Ken-nii!" Suzume assured him. She clumsily gathered his thick hair into her chubby little fists. When she had it all held together, Ayame wrapped her ribbon around it and tied it in a large, clumsy bow-tie. "There!" she pronounced with satisfaction, stepping back and dusting her hands. "It looks perfect, Ken-nii!" Kenshin cleared a space in the washbucket of bubbles, and glanced at his reflection. More hair than usual escaped the ponytail, draping about his shoulders and face. The bright purple ribbon clashed horribly with his hair. The clumsy bow-tie threatened to slip loose at any moment. He turned and smiled brightly at the girls. "Perfect," he agreed. To him, he'd never looked better than he did right at that moment, his appearance proclaiming loudly the love and affection of two sweet little girls. "Arigatou, de gozaru yo!" Thank you for being who you are, Ayame-chan, Suzume-chan, and caring for this humble rurouni. | |
|
|