Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Blood, Death, and Love ❯ Waking ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
As saying sorry for my comp messing up, here's the next chapter as well as the other two.

Yahiko slowly opened his eyes. He sat up, yawning.
'I can't believe this.' he thought, looking around. 'I actually have a place to stay- a place where I'm welcome.'
"Good morning, Yahiko!" Kaoru said, peeking in the door. "It's almost noon- everyone else is awake. Lunch is ready- we want to know if you want some." Yahiko nodded, then stood up.
"I'll be there in a minute, busu." he said, walking over to where his clothes were folded.
"What did you just call me?!" Kaoru demanded, suddenly glaring at the boy.
"Busu." Yahiko said, sticking his tongue out at her in a very juvenile manner.
"Brat!" she retorted, then sighed. "Okay, I'll be the responsible one. Everyone's waiting for you at the lunch table- we're discussing what's to be done about the rooms situation. Hurry up." she said, then closed the door and turned, silently steaming over the 'busu' comment.
'Maybe she's not so bad after all.' Yahiko thought, quickly changing into his clothes.

"Is this the little brat?" Sanosuke asked, sizing the kid up.
"What's it to you, rooster-head?" Yahiko asked, folding his arms and glaring at the man.
"Can you two just not fight?" Kaoru asked, already exasperated with the two. They shut up.
"We're here to discuss Yahiko's living situation." Kenshin reminded them all gentley. "We've run out of room and we can't just leave him on the streets."
"Well, since it's our house, we obviously stay." Megumi said. "That leaves Kenshin, Aoshi, or Sanosuke." She turned to teh silent ninja, who was joining them for lunch- a change from his usual routine of meditating, drinking tea, and then training. "Are you going to say anything?"
"Leave him alone, Megumi! Aoshi-sama doesn't have to say anything if he doesn't want to." Misao said from her place beside Aoshi.
"Why? Can you read his mind?" Megumi asked sarcastically.
"I could move into the Aoi-ya in Kyoto." Aoshi said. "That would leave one room availible."
"Aoshi-sama!" Misao said, staring at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Do you really want to move all the way to Kyoto?" Aoshi just stared at her, not effected in the least.
"Or I could move out into an apartment." Sanosuke said. "As long as jou-chan pays for it."
"Sagara Sanosuke, if you think that I am going to-" Kaoru started, but Megumi interrupted.
"Baka tori atama, if you move out you pay for it!" she said.
"Then I ain't moving."
"So it's settled, then?" Kenshin asked. "Aoshi-san will be moving to the Aoi-ya?" Aoshi nodded.
"It's quiet there." he said, then took a sip of his tea.
"There you go. Yahiko, you can have Aoshi's room." Kaoru said, ruffling the boy's hair. Yahiko shook her off and futilely attempted to staighten his hair out.
"Can I have some food now, busu? I'm starving!" Yahiko whined.
"Don't call me that, Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru said, hitting the top of his head with her fist.
"Don't call me -CHAN!" Yahiko exploded, glaring full force at Kaoru. She just smiled evily.
"So, you don't like being called Yahiko-chan, eh Yahiko-CHAN?" she asked, putting an emphasis on the last -chan.
"Just as much as you like being called 'busu', busu." Yahiko growled, swinging ineffectually at Kaoru. It didn't reach. She bopped him on the head for his attempt.
"So I'm assuming neither of you two want lunch?" Megumi said. The two looked at her, forgetting their small battle. Reaching what seemed to be a temporary peace agreement, they sat down on either side of Kenshin.
"Aoshi-samaaaa......" Misao whined again.

Sanosuke watched from the shadow of the building's overhang as Kenshin did laundry.
'Something just seems off about that guy.' Sanosuke thought. He had tried to read Kenshin, but the man's mind was tightly closed. That just wasn't normal for humans.
'Just what the hell is he?' Sanosuke grumped. He may just be an eccentric human, but not everything clicked. Sanosuke had always been pretty sure of himself, but Kenshin seemed off somehow.
'If he decides to hurt jou-chan, then at least I'm here. He won't be able to get to her that easily.' Suddenly, Kenshin looked up at him.
"Oh, Sanosuke. Was there something you wanted to ask?" Kenshin said, a smile on his face as he pulled a piece of- now clean- laundry from the wash basin. He hung it up before turning back to Sanosuke.
"Nah. Not really." Sanosuke said. Kenshin smiled again.
"You've been staring at me for the past few minutes. I thought you had something to say." Kenshin said, grabbing another piece of laundry.
"Why are you visiting Tokyo?" Sanosuke asked, slightly unnerved. He hadn't made any sound or done anything to indicate that he was there. How, then, did Kenshin know that he had been watching him?
"I came for my own reasons." Kenshin replied evasively.
"I just want to know why you came here and what the hell you are. Humans don't know about vampires, and you told us yourself that you're not a vampire hunter. Besides, if you were a vampire hunter then we would have been told that you were coming." Sanosuke narrowed his eyes at the calm man. "So what the hell are you?"
"What do you think I am? Also, what do Kaoru-dono, Megumi-dono, and Misao-dono think you are?" Sanosuke's eyes widened at the last question. A sinking feeling hit the pit of his stomach as Kenshin regarded him with cool eyes.
'He couldn't mean...'
"I didn't think they knew. Vampires are never welcome in a vampire hunters house. Do they not know about Aoshi either? Or about the trace amounts of blood in Misao-dono and Megumi-dono?" Sanosuke stomped right over to Kenshin and glared down at him, unwilling and unable to do much more.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Sanosuke demanded. 'And what about Megumi having vampire blood? She's no vampire, and she's no half-vampire either! I would know.'
Kenshin just looked at him, unimpressed.
"Vampires aren't welcome in many places, least of all a place like this." He gestured around to indicate the dojo. "I want to know why you and Aoshi stayed here since it's so dangerous for you. And, if Kaoru-dono knew about the blood of everyone in the dojo. I am not sure that even Megumi-dono and Misao-dono know about their blood, but surely you and Aoshi know about yours? Does Kaoru-dono know?" Sanosuke grabbed the front of Kenshin's gi, drgging him up to eye level.
"What do you want?" he growled, knowing full well that he couldn't bring himself to hurt jou-chan or any of the others if they found out his secret and tried to kill him.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it. I haven't and will not tell anyone about you. I won't tell anyone about Aoshi either."
"How did you know?" Sanosuke asked, growling in Kenshin's face. He had been extremely careful since coming to live with Missy- he had been even more careful since this 'Kenshin' had arrived. He had only left the dojo once to feed and hadn't left any human victims. He had known about Aoshi as well, but only since he had stumbled across Aoshi one night when they were both feeding. This guy seemed to have known for ages.
"That is my secret." Kenshin said. "Put me down." Sanosuke grudgingly did as he was told, but he still glared at Kenshin.
"If you tell anyone, I swear I'll kill you." he said.
"I wouldn't dream of telling anyone. Just try not to get caught when you go out at night." Kenshin said before sitting calmly back down to do the rest of the laundry. Extremely unnerved, Sanosuke went back to his room.
'He didn't seem disgusted by the feeding thing. He warned me to be careful, even.' Giving one last glance over his shoulder, he pondered again.
'What is Kenshin? And does Megumi actually have some vampire blood?'

Aoshi slowly packed his things. He would leave that night.
"Aoshi-sama?" a small voice asked him from his doorway.
"Yes, Misao?" he said, continuing to pack.
"Why did you offer to go? I mean, I know I can be loud and stuff, but..."
"It doesn't concern you."
"Yes it does! I mean, you're leaving and I won't see you cause you'll never visit..." Aoshi glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, Misao had grown into a beautiful young woman. He- even though he would admit this only under the worst torture- was attracted to her. He had not wanted to go, but he had been the only logical choice. Sanosuke was a stubborn idiot and would protect the women in the dojo until he died- which would not be for a very long time if he was careful. He had yet to ascertain who and what Kenshin was. It would have been best if he himself could stay, but Sanosuke would not have left even if asked. He had offered, but had known that he wouldn't have to go. The boy they would not turn away, and the girl's had lived here their whole lives. It would not have been proper to force one of them out to make room for one boy.
'Besides,' Aoshi reminded himself. '-there is much to be done at the Aoi-ya. I've been gone too long, and as their Okashira I can't abandon them.'
"If you must, then write to me." Aoshi said, not quite giving in to the urge to sigh.
"Really? I can?" Misao said, brightening consideraby. Aoshi hunted for a scrap of paper, getting a pen out of his duffel bag. Finding one, he quickly wrote the address to send letters to. He handed the scrap of paper to Misao, who looked at it as if it were the Holy Grail.
"Write letters there. They'll see that I get them."
"Thank you so much Aoshi-sama! I'll write everything that's happening here and I can tell you all about the festivals when you're in Kyoto and tell you about what's going on here-" Aoshi held up a hand, signaling her to stop. She did, going back to staring at the paper.
"Thank you." she said again.

Aoshi looked at the dojo one last time. He had done everything that had needed doing- said the necessary goodbye's, given Misao his address, and then had also given Sanosuke his address.
He was very interested about Kenshin, and wanted to know what exactly he was and what his motive's were the moment Sanosuke found out. Sanosuke had promised to write, but had also muttered something about 'stone-hearted vampire okashira's with no respect for anyone's spare time' which Aoshi chose to ignore. He tucked his swords- both in one sheath- under his arm before turning away from the dojo.
"Goodbye." he said emotionlessly one last time as he strode away from the dojo, breaking into a run- he had to get to the Aoi-ya before morning. They were expecting him.

Omasu sat by the door, listening for the footsteps of their Okashira. It had been awfully dull without him.
Soft footsteps were heard one the path just outside the door. Omasu quickly stood, getting ready to open the door.
The footsteps stopped and a single knock was heard. She unbolted the door and stepped to the side, bowing slightly as Aoshi entered the hall.
"Welcome back, Aoshi-sama." she said, closing the door behind him as he removed his shoes.
"Any problems while I was away?"
"We've lost a few to raids by the vampire hunters, but they don't suspect Aoi-ya yet. All that are left are Okon, Kurojo, Shirojo, Okina, and myself." Omasu reported.
"Everyone has been keeping up on their skills?"
"We've practiced every day. Kyoto is very peaceful- only a few vampires come here now."
"Aoshi. Good to see you again." a male voice rang out from the shadows further down the hall.
"Okina." Aoshi said evenly, nodding in acknowledgement.
"It's been a while- we almost thought that you weren't coming back." Okina said, walking towards Aoshi so that he could be seen better. "You look the same as always."
"And you will always look the same." Aoshi replied. "Where might I sleep? I used up too much energy running here and I haven't managed to feed in two weeks."
"Two weeks?" Omasu asked, surprised. Aoshi nodded.
"What prevented you? The hunter?" Okina asked, eyes narrowing.
"We still have the best spy network, correct?" Aoshi asked instead of answering. Okina nodded proudly. "I need you to find out as much as you can about Himura Kenshin."
"Who's this person?" Omasu asked. Aoshi just looked at her steadily before replying.
"A very suspicious man."
"I'll look into it. In the meantime-" Okina indicated a room further down the hall. "-rest here."
Aoshi nodded before entering the room and closing the door behind him.
"Omasu." Okina said.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Get our spies on this Himura person tomorrow morning. I think I know that name from somewhere."
"Yes Okina."

Again, sorry sorry! I seem to mess up a lot with this- I'll try to be more awake in the future! (And not try posting two fanfics with similar names at 3 in the morning...)