Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Honeysuckles and Moonlight Shreds ❯ Patchwork Bread and Detention ( Chapter 1 )

Author's note: First of all, I want to apologies for taking so damn long. I really did not meant for it to come out this late. But really, I could not help it AND I have very good excuses. Excuse number one: I'm jiggling with three stories on ff.net and it's very hard to remember which one is over due… Excuse number two: I, like many of my fellow authors, have fallen into what I affectingly call the black hole, you would call it writer's block. It's hell, it's frustrating and you feel as if you'll never got over it. Excuse number three (and this one is really the main reason): I recently moved to my new apartment. Meaning, I spent three whole days packing before July 1rst and also three days unpacking when I moved my stuff in. And I'm not talking about cleaning up and the constant shopping I had to do (I hate shopping… I know, I'm not a normal girl). Excuse number four: I only got my phone line three days ago ( I know it's not a good excuse, but I had some catching up to do with my online friends and with some good fics I was reading before I moved… and I'm still not done!!!) Now, I hope you guys understand. But the length of this chapter might compensate… at least I hope it does… Damn.. I didn't realized how long it was before I actually saw the bar… it's long… Ok. I'll stop my ranting here. Oh… don't look for a the thanks to the reviewers… this chapter's already long enough. I'll simply list the name at the end and try and make up for it in the next chapter. Thank for your patience, you can now proceed to your reading. ^-^

Warnings: Forget the thing I said about drugs. There will be none here (but I did had planed something but… well, it just didn't fit with the story). So instance, you will get some violence, some profanity and lemons latter on.

Disclaimers: I don't own anything and I have tones of bills to pay now so please don't sue me. My savings are wiring thin… sniff, sniff.

Honeysuckles and Moonlight Shreds

By Evil Karyta

Chapter one: Patchwork Bread and Detention

The day had been unusually dreadful. As predicted, the episode of her coming into class drenched from head to toes had feed the campus gossips, but she could not envisage it would last so long. They had rant about the event all week, using every given chance to remind her just how weird she was. At least they had yet to come up with a name to her strange fascination toward rainy days, if it had not already been done, that is. Kaoru's aunts had forgotten to get her a lunch bag, as preoccupied with the restaurant as they were, she could understand. However, forced to eat her own cooking at noon break had been quite a torture, leaving her stomach feeling like a bag of stone, needless to say that what she had prepared had tasted as much as cement.

Kaoru was brooding over her current situation, playing absent-mindedly with the yellow paper she held, sitting on the kitchen stool beside the island looking table. Had it not been a bad enough week, she was convene to a Saturday detention, to her great demise. Her aunts would not be please by this in the slightest way. Not that she did not try to speak her way out of it, but it seemed that her teacher would not hear whatever reason she had for such violent attitude. Proof that adults really saw and heard what the wanted to, like most of the people she knew including her family.

All of this to prevent that poor little girl from being rubbed at the school gates. Of course, the bully got out with it, playing the victim when he really was the one to injure in the first place. Damned be her chivalrous mind when it only got her into more trouble than anything else would. However, Kamiya Kaoru was not the kind of girl to simply look over innocent people being hurt or threaten. Her father's teaching played a great part in this, and for the sake of his beloved memory, she had to stand up for the weak, even though it meant getting into detention on a Saturday morning.

The girl sighed as she recalled the after noon's events, her angry scowl deepening if such thing was even possible. She had yet again passed a very annoying day trying to play deaf to her classmate's constant teasing over her strange behavior of her first day, not that she cared much after hearing about everything their un-creative minds could come up with. The raven-haired had all intentions on going back to the apartment as soon as she got out of school. However, fate has that wicked way to reduce the best-laid plans to smithereens with its sick contradictive mind. She happened to stumbled over a first year girl being push over by some over grown brainless ape. And of course, Kaoru could not let such a pathetic display of brute force left unpunished.

"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?" she had yelp at the boy, startling him.

"None of you're business, Miss Puddle," retorted the said ape with one of the campus' favorite gibe.

"Leave her alone and take on someone your size for a change. Though I believe with your weigh, no one would be large enough for the challenge!"

The boy was actually a very fat one, chubby cheek, round body and large plump hands. Small eyes had stared at her, blazed in anger. He snort, something that sounded more like a grunting pig than anything else which suddenly had changed her mental image of the boy causing her to chuckle inwardly as she pictured him with a twisting pink tail and a pig nose-- which seemed to already be one of his physical attribute. Seeing this, the previous ape turned boar let go of his victim to face the girl, cracking his knuckles in a lame attempt to intimidate her but only caused further mockery from her part.

"I'll warp that smile off your face!" sworn the round boy before rushing toward her.

Kaoru had easily dodged the few punches that had been threw her way and retorted with a kick that she only knew the secret of, sending poor piggy to the stoned wall behind him, eyes spinning within their shrink orbs. As she watched with deep satisfaction, a smirk adorning her face, someone took hold of her shoulder, making her freeze.

"You are in deep trouble, young lady," uttered her capturer.

Turning her head, she saw her history teacher, a tall woman with thick glasses that made her eyes look as if they were those of a fish instead of a human. Her tight bunt seemed to pull her face into a perpetual scowl, which gave her more affinities to a dictator. In all, that woman was the most feared teacher among the school personnel. To that day, Kaoru had a brief encounter with her in class. The educator was just as hard as she looked, and the girl suspected a profound hatred toward youth in general in her severe fishy gaze.

"You'll be attending Saturday school tomorrow for your violent behavior, Miss Kamiya," declared the tyrannical teacher, handing her student the yellow paper.

"But"

"No buts, Miss Kamiya. Know that school grounds are no dojo, nor are they a fighting field. If you wish for some violent intercourse, do where such things are permitted."

"But Mrs. Hirazawa, he…" but of course, the teacher would not hear any of her excuses, good or not.

"If you fail to be present tomorrow, you'll be in more trouble than you already are in. Make you parent sing this notice."

"What a crappy week…" cursed Kaoru staring out the kitchen window.

Now, she was forced to detention, had to make her aunts sing the note and had nothing better to do until they came back but to wonder what else could possibly turn wrong. The pale blue curtains danced with the spring breeze that breathed through the opened glass, the sun's ray giving a golden hew to the counter. Sitting on her stool, she noticed the small rumbling of her stomach, telling her quite loudly that a meal would be highly appreciated. Sighing, Kaoru still clad in her red skirt and white blouse jumped off her perch and padded toward the old, yellowish refrigerator.

Yanking the door open, she shoved her head inside, feeling the cool air hit her flesh instantly as her gaze roamed for possible eatables; preferably, something that did not required any cooking abilities. She drummed her fingers on the door ledge while shoving aside diver jars, pots and containers, trying to find something that would suit her starve. Finally, Kaoru spotted a brick of cheese that seemed to scream for attention beside the butter container. Wagging her head, she tried to find any sort of possible collation that could be created out of the cheese and while doing so, her gaze fell upon the bread and an idea popped out making her smile widely, almost devilishly.

Retrieving the needed food -- namely cheese, bread and butter -- and settling the whole on the kitchen island, she hummed to herself, almost forgetting the yellow paper that promised her of a boring Saturday morning. She was opening the bread bag when the phone rang loud and clearly, that annoying ring that tugged at her nerves, how she hated phones even though there were a very useful devise for communication, if only their tonality would not sound so much like cat being tortured. Grumbling some wisely chosen curses, she picked up the receiver muttering an irritated hello.

"Maa, aren't we a bit frustrated today, Kaoru," mocked a cheerful voice from the other side of the line.

"Misao!?" exclaimed the once angry girl.

"The one and only! How're doing?"

"I've seen better days…" sighed Kaoru while returning her attention to her food preparation.

"Really? How was your first week in school? Did you make some new friends? Any good looking guy in sight?" Misao constant questioning leaving no room to answering made the azure-eyed girl giggle.

"Well, beside the fact of coming to my first class drenched and getting a detention today… I guess it was ok."

"Drenched? How did you manage to come to class dripping wet?"

"It was raining, and windy, and my umbrella, you know that old black thing I used to smack Sou-chan's head with, it broke."

"No wonder, just how many times did you hit the poor guy with that thing?" asked the hyperactive girl a smile in her voice.

"I don't know… Enough times to traumatize him of umbrellas for life. He can't look at one without trembling like a scared cat…" humored Kaoru while spreading coated butter on the fresh bread.

"Yeah…" agreed her interlocutor.

"So, anyway, I earned myself quite a reputation with the whole soaked episode."

"I can imagine that," laughed Misao. "How's the teachers?"

"Well, my history teacher must have been a fish dictator in one of her previous lives, but the rest look just fine. My Writing teacher's already gave us an assignment, some kind of self-explaining composition, and I've got some homework for Physics, Chemistry and History. I'd say it's a typical school just like every school you've seen," she explained all the while slicing the brick of cheese. "How about you? Anything knew?"

"Same teachers, same people, nothing interesting… um. Oh yeah, Soujirou got into the Kendo club. I can't believe the smiling freak only realized now that there was such thing in school…"

"That's typically Seta-kun to me, 'TCHLACK'"

"What was that!?"

"Nothing, just the knife hitting the counter. I'm making patchwork bread."

"Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry…" Kaoru sheepishly apologized.

"You still haven't talk about your new friends!"

"Misao, I went into my first class dripping and you still assume I got myself some friends to hang with?"

"You've got a good point but… Com'on! I'm sure soon everyone would have forgotten about it and you'll get tones of new friends to hang with and boys ready to die for your beautiful eyes!" cheered the girl on the other side of the phone line.

"Sure, Misao," sarcastically agreed her friend.

"Say what you want, I'm sure… no, I know that's what's gonna happen. Kaoru, you can't avoid people for the rest of your life," Misao heard Kaoru sigh and add with an exasperated voice. "I know it's not as it was here and lots of things have change but you just can't run away from everyone hoping that things would return as they used to be. You gotta accept the changes and get of your knees so you can ram into life the way you used to!"

"Thank you Misao I'll try my best," the sound of a keys being shoved into the whole of the door lock made Kaoru turn her head in that direction, dread in her indigo irises. "Look, my aunts are back. I've gotta go now. I'll call you tomorrow ok?"

"Sure, but don't forget what I said!"

"Yeah, bye."

Kaoru's blue eyes took an anxious look, apprehending whatever would come from her aunts when they would take notice of the yellow paper that rested almost too innocently on the counter. Of course, they had heard of her first day catastrophe by the intermediate of the principal, a nice man but a little too centered on dressing ethic issues. She had earned herself quite an intense argument with her tutors on the matter, being informed vehemently of the proper way of entering class and the importance of following rules. Brief, the usual parent talk that she was just not in the mood to hear for the moment, if she would ever be.

The door was thrown open and a heavily charged woman entered her face a mask of cheerfulness, a perpetual smile that hardly ever left her features. It seemed to exasperate the girl who had long before forgotten that life should be smiled at and not the other way around. Not that Kaoru was constantly scowling, just that her lips rarely curved upward for the time being. The fact that she was forced to live far from her hometown and friends a persistent, ever present cause of her un-happiness.

"Hello dear," greeted to woman when she noticed her niece standing by the kitchen, a very large knife in hand. "What are you doing?"

"Um... patchwork bread," said the girl drooping the cutting tool in the sink as if caught red handed.

The woman disposed of her many bags on the corner, barely missing squashing Kaoru's attempt to the said meal. The hard butter had destroyed half the fresh bread when she had tried to spread it over the soft texture. Her aunt eyed the slice of cheese through her the slit the served that purpose, arching an eyebrow questionably and then noticed the yellow paper that stick out of the loads of grocery brown paper bags. Yanking at it, she started reading all the while talking.

"Never head of such meal..."

"Oh, it's just bread and cheese, Misao named it that way, said it looked like patchwork and the name stayed," she explained lamely, dreading the woman's reaction that would soon come.

"Detention? What's this all about Kaoru? Did you come in class drenched again?"

"... No," it was not going to be easy, at least her other aunt was not there, whether it was a good or a bad thing was still to be proven, though.

"What happened?" she asked, what served her as eyes locked on her young protégé's features.

"Well..." started Kaoru, nervously shifting her weigh from one foot to the other. "There was this girl being bullied and I kinda knocked the pig out..."

"In clear words, you got caught in a fight..." the woman said one hand resting on her waist to accentuate her reprimanding speech. "Kaoru, how many times has we told you not to solves problems through violence?"

"But, Tae. I tried but..."

"Kaoru, I don't want to know how it happened. You see where those things lead you too? It was the same when you were at Tokyo. I don't understand why your father..."

"Leave my father out of this!" she exclaimed furious. "You just don't understand. I just wanted to help."

And with that she stormed out of the kitchen, slamming forcefully her bedroom's door to emphasis her anger. Tae only watched her, a sad look on a face that otherwise would only show cheerfulness. Sighing, the woman turned to her grocery, wondering how to handle such situation. She and her sister were just not used to children. When her younger sister had married that martial artist from Tokyo, she had been delighted. Koshijirou was a wonderful man, idealistic and full of energy. They all loved him very much and it broke their hart when, three years after his wife's death, he too left this world. Poor Kaoru was really close to her father due to her mother's constant illness, they were used to it and although it wad hard to let her go, they knew it was inevitable. But Kamiya's death had been a chock, and Kaoru was deeply affected by it.

Tae and her twin sister Sae, both loved the girl dearly, being their only niece, she was a princess to them. Seeing her growing up, they had a close relationship with her. She had always been a very energetic girl, cheerful and lively, a cute kid. She was brilliant too. A real genius when it came to poetry. She was gifted, talented and a very sweet girl. But everything changed when the accident came. The blue-eyed whirlwind was slowly changing, no longer as vibrant as she used to be. Kaoru had lost that fire that would make her eyes so bright, her attitude more defying, and reacted like a volcano ready to burst at every moment. The twins were worried about her, and they had good reason too. They simply had no ideas as to how to help their beloved niece.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once again, he came home to an empty house. Leaving his keys on the table, the metal clinking like tiny bells, their sounds rebounding on the walls, no one to welcome him. Everything was neatly place where it belonged, where he had carefully placed it. Taking his shoes off, sitting on a chair, he studied his surrounding. The walls painted in light colors, the furniture that filled an otherwise devoid space, the shelves crawling under the mass of books that they supported. He shoved his hand through his thick red locks, trying to clear his thought, his briefcase resting peacefully beside him.

He wondered when the last time she had greet him home was. Everything had happened so fast. Soon after marring her, it all collapsed as suddenly as everything was build up. It was strange sometimes how life could be. One moment ready to spend the rest of your life with the same person and the second thinking you're trapped, caged in some kind of hand made hell, felling lost, your heart full of loathing, wishing to turn back times. They knew, they warned them, but lost in their own elusive world, they kept running, blind in passion, not a care in the world. If only he had listened, he would not feel so miserable now. Of course, they had done it on some kind of defiance, thinking they were stronger, bigger than anything else, they were fouls.

Not a year after the marriage, it was clear that they had nothing in common. Him, the ever smiling young teacher, she, the glacial stewardess, they were from completely opposite worlds. He stole a glance toward the clock ticking on the wall, counting the hours, whispering the second with the ever present sound of the long red needle running its circular course, just as he was. She would be home soon, might as well make some use of his spare time to prepare something to eat.

Stepping into the kitchen, he open the refrigerator, observing the possibilities and deciding to make something fast. Rice and fried fish, add to the dish some frozen vegetables and he would get an easy and fast meal, eatable enough for her maybe, she would have to go with it. He opened a cupboard and retrieved a casserole, pouring some water in and placing the cooking utensil on the stove, waiting for the liquid to boil. It felt worn, he did this too many times before. Watching the bubbles form and pop as they reached the air, the life of a bubble was so short. After adding some butter and salt to the heating water, he turned to the line of frying pans that lay suspended above the counter that stood in the middle of the kitchen.

It seemed that those simple house works, cooking, cleaning and such, were the only thing keeping his mind from the pitiful musing of lost time, that and work. However, as he placed the fish on the pan, he realized that even those little things that brought him some kind of comfort no longer kept him away from his reflections. Everything he did reminded him that life was pathetically proving him wrong. The hopes of a young mind, which was ready to take the world on no longer subsisted, confined within something that was so cliché, everyone could tell. It occurred to him how much he despised the way his life had turned. How it all did happen? When everything seemed so bright, when did the clouds came to cover the sun that bathed his future?

Kenshin had just finished the meal when the door was open. He recognized her footsteps. It was precise, calculated, slow and so very depressing. Her face appeared in the doorframe of the kitchen. Her long dark hairs framing her cold face, her eyes as emotionless as ever when they noticed him. Nodding her head, she acknowledged his presence.

"I'll be home for only a couple of days," she said stoically.

Mustering enough courage to smile he turned to say. "The food's ready, just serve yourself, the vegetables are in the microwave."

She nodded. Their conversation had turned to simple words phrases, saying only what needed to be said. Arguing would be so much pleasurable than this, he thought eyeing his wife. They eat in silence, the clinking of their utensil their only companion, their eyes never meeting. How long will they be avoiding each other before the inevitable crumple of their carefully laid play? Had it not last long enough? The phone rang, the woman's black eyes lift off her plate to stare at the red head. He sighed and got up, taking the receiver, slightly annoyed.

"Kenshin!" said a gruff, worried voice.

"Yes?"

"Kenshin, please come over. The brat's been missing again!" the voice was not only apprehensive; it was toward the verge of panic.

"Calm down Sano. I'm on my way," assured the teacher before hanging up.

"Yahiko did it again?" but her tone was more akin to an affirmation than a question as she spoke, her voice low and tired.

"I don't know when I'll be back," if I'll be back at all he mutely add. "Tomoe, would you mind washing the dishes?"

She answered with a shack of her head and Kenshin was gone swiftly, keys in hand and ready for yet another long night. Was there anything normal in his life? Where the good time had gone?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sight to which Kenshin was greeted as he crossed the doorframe of he's best friend's disheveled apartment was a sad one not to say the least. The tall, brown-eyed young man was pacing the living room that served as well as a dinning room, a worried frown on his otherwise boyish face. Seeing the red head enter, he leaped at him sising his shirt in tight large fist, shaking him even, panic overtaking him, not able to further suppress his dread. His words came out of his mouth faster than a normal human could understand.

"That damn brat. I swear if I get my hands on him!!! Kenshin you got to help me!" the glint in his eyes was so close to insanity, it almost scared the helpless teacher.

"Sano, calm down. Yahiko can't be too far. We'll find him soon enough," he tried to sooth his friend, his voice as calm as can possibly get through the shaking of the tall brunette.

"I'm sorry… it's just that," Sanosuke sighed, letting his friend go, hand shaking.

"Let's think this through. Where was the place he ran to last time?"

"He went… back to the house… but I don't think he'll be there this time."

The two stayed silent, the atmosphere heavy around them and not from the unusually hot weather, but the weigh of anxiety. Yahiko had that unnerving habit to run away at least once a mouth, quite unsettling for his short-tempered tutor who, although he pretended not to care, was very conscious of his charge. Although boy would never be too far and most of the time could be find quite easily, the fright the two man would get each time was enough to shorten their life span a few years, if not, at least be the cause premature white hair. Lost in thought, Kenshin's soft lavender gaze fell upon a framed picture that rested peacefully on the television's shelve. In the prettily decorated frame was the photograph of a young, black haired woman whose smile shown brightly on the frosted image, her brown eyes, much alike those of Sanosuke, lively and intelligent. Observing her, long silken black hair done in a long braid, an idea stroked his mind.

"Sano, I think I might know where he is."

Saying so, he took hold of the wrist of the giant of a man, compared to his petit frame that is, and literally dragged his confused friend down the hall to his awaiting car. Without so much as a word of explanation, Kenshin got to the driver side, shoved his key into the ignition and drove of in a speed that caused even the daring Sanosuke to take hold of the door, a fearful expression on his paling face. Gripping his seat belt, he glared at the driver who rolled madly, face set in determination, his destination still unknown to his alarmed companion.

"Where're you goin'?" he finally managed to ask, his previous shock over.

"The cemetery," was the red head only enlightenment.

It took some time for the passenger to fully register the words but as soon as it downed to his mind, a grin appeared on his face. Why had he not thought of it? Of course, the boy would be there. And than the smile was warped off his face as suddenly as it came, thinking that Yahiko could have, at least, told him of his whereabouts instead of leaving him to his brooding and worry.

"Faster Kenshin, I want to get there before he changes his mind and try to run where we won't be able to find him."

The rest of the ride to the graveyard was spend in perfect silence, punctuated by the purring of the engine, the humming of the radio and the low muttering of Sanosuke's cursing. Kenshin, purple eyes trained on the dark road, would time to time steal a glance at his long time friend, face contorted in anger, eyes ablaze as if the chocolate colored iris would suddenly find a way to produce fire, ready to burn the infuriating child. However, it was not the first time Yahiko would run like this. Once or twice a month, he would simply disappear without notice, simply not coming back from school or running out of the house after a fight with his tutor. While Kenshin would agree with the fact that living with Sano was not a very easy task - having experienced it first hand - it was not a reason good enough, to his point of view, the flee from the only home the boy had.

It had been five years now that the 11 years old lived with the carefree - and free loader at his time - box instructor. Ever since his mother past away in the fire that consumed his childhood house, along with everything that a child his age could hold dear. Yahiko took it hard. Wild in nature, he could not and would never accept the fact that she died. Over the first months, he turned into a living portrait of what devils could be. Unsubordinated, his mind elsewhere most of the time, always a insult ready on his sharp tongue, unruly and exasperating, the spiky headed youth was more trouble than one would think him worth. In a strange way, he reminded the duo of his mother. However, whether it was a good thing or not was still to be figured out. Right now, he was much of a pain to take care of. But none could say that they disliked him.

Sighing, Kenshin pulled the car by the cemetery gates. Most people feared the grave, unsure of death and what it held, the one and only thing human technology could not yet comprehend and deep down, although we all pretend not to really care, we dread the day the ripper would come and clam our souls. Sanosuke was one of those who could simply not see a cemetery without getting that cold sweat of pure fear down his spine, making him shiver inwardly as well as internally. The red head, though, was very much at ease, feeling some kind of sick comfort to the gloomy surrounding of a graveyard, finding it, in a strange way, quite the relaxing place. Maybe it was because of his disintegrating love life, that feeling of lost and helplessness that ripped at his heart, or maybe it was simply because, unlike most of us, he just did not fear death in the same way we do. Whatever the reason was, he did not dislike the fields of the dead.

Kenshin marched ahead of that tall, fright taken man, stepping in between the gravestones, not looking at them while the terrified Sano glared at those stone with wide brown eyes. Their walk was not long and they soon found just what they were here to get. In between the dreadful gray stones, reminders of those who had been loved and left for the eternal sleep, knees on the soft green grass, his small back turned to them, was Yahiko. Hearing their foretelling footsteps, he turned his young head to their direction, eyes very much glazed, red lined and traces of tears adorning his rosy cheeks. The fire that would naturally be encage in those deep and intelligent orbs of mahogany was gone, leaving no hint of his forceful spirit that made him the jumpy and lively child they knew. Only sorrow and loneliness transpired, killing the anger that had whelmed within the pair. Slowly, as if not willing to, Yahiko stood up, staring at them with his grieving eyes, knowing perfectly well what awaited him for his misdeed and somehow already accepting it. His face, partly hidden by the shadow that loomed, left only a half of it to their viewing.

"Go ahead and say whatever you want, Sanosuke. I don't care," his voice was devoid of conviction and life as he fully turned to them, the part of his face that has been hidden catching light.

The duo caught their breath upon the sight of the nasty and very much stinging black, blue and purple eye. His lower lip was stained with coated blood that had flood out of a split which had a very uncomfortable consequence-- make it swell and redder than should be. The reprimanding words that had formed in Sano's mind were lost, long forgotten by the disturbing discover of his pupil's beaten face. Crouching down, the man gently lift the boy's chin as to further investigate the expend of the injuries. Those who did not knew him would have thought the sight disturbing. An oversized, spiky black-headed man with his ever present bandana, kneeling in front of a boy with so much care, love and gentleness in his usually mischievous chocolate eyes.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically warm.

"It doesn't matter…" whispered the child, eyes staring at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"To me it does, kid."

"It won't change anything if you know."

"Maybe, but at least you won't be keeping it for yourself," explained Kenshin who had been silent to that moment.

But Yahiko staid stubbornly quiet, still avoiding any eye contact and kept staring at his red and black running shoes. That would have been the moment when Sanosuke's impatience would have kicked in, but he stayed amazingly calm. Only getting back to his feet and put his large hand to the back of his protégé, silently showing him that it was time to leave. Obediently, to Kenshin's great surprise, Yahiko started to walk, only taking a moment to steal a glace at the grave behind them and strolled to the waiting car. They drove back to the disordered apartment in heavy silence. The kid on the back seat staring absent-mindedly at the fast passing scenery, watching the electric wires stretched like long, black snakes up the poles. Funny how such things could be so interesting when otherwise one would believe it deprived of any interest. The moon shown in a small crescent, only a shards of what it really was. Once home, Yahiko went directly to his room without saying a word, closed the door and leaving the adults to their wondering, many questions in their worried minds and no answer to clear the unease.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Much to Kaoru's demise, the day was sickeningly bright and beautiful. The birds chirping their joy to the rising sun while she unwillingly prepared herself for, as she had labeled it, the unfair torture of Saturday detention. Sitting on the kitchen table, a spoon in hand wiggling it like a child would, playing with her cereals that started to look more of dissolved food than anything else, the raven-haired girl tried to accept her fate. Feeling like a jailer condemned to death about to be lead to the execution, she glanced at the rooster clock that hang on the wall opposite from her and sighed deeply. It was early, too early for a Saturday morning, and it caused her already brooding mood to become even more awful. Should she get angrier, the walls would be trembling from the loads of negative energy that surrounded her. At least, that was what her aunt Sae told her moments ago, smiling so annoyingly brightly that Kaoru thought she was mocking her.

"Come one, Kaoru. You'll have to go if you don't want to be late," announced Tae while flipping a pancake.

"That's precisely what I want…" mumbled the girl under her breath so the two women would not hear.

But of course, one glace from the hardening gaze of her aunts pushed her into motion, sliding off her chair, her blue eyes dark and moody, her smile long since gone along with the hope of a morning of sleep. Her stomping foot echoed through the small apartment making the twins wince, fearing that their niece had not waken the whole building with her violent walking. She slammed to door forcefully, earning herself an angry reprimanding from the Tae. Her words, thought, fell into deaf ears when the girl stormed down the stairs of the hall to the warm morning air and the cause of her irritation.

Her walk to school was uneventful. The same landscape, the hateful blue sky that seemed to laugh at her demise, the same smiling passersby and shops. All that cheerfulness made her sick, although she would be the first one to grin like an idiot on days such as this, only shadow to the picture that condemnation to jail that she simply could not avoid or maybe she could… Kaoru was passing over any possible way out of this as she crossed the gates not really realizing she did and entering the school that only promised boredom and further annoyance to the infuriated teenager.

When she finally reached the detention class she noticed, much to her surprise, that no one was there. No other students, not even a teacher, only empty room and chairs greeting her. Rising an eyebrow, she studied the place, wondering if she simply miss read the class number, or maybe they were hiding or her eyes were playing tricks on her. But no. She was at the right place, a glance at her Muggle watch told her that she was at the right time, and as far as she could remember, it was Saturday. Unless their was some kind of decree that had been passed over the night that switched Saturday with Sunday.

"What's with that damn school?" she mumbled heatedly stomping her foot on the hard floor.

"Excuse my tardiness but… Miss Kamiya?"

The girl startled by the sound of her name whirled around, a hand over her rapidly racing heart, her breathing uneven as she stared into a captivating set of soft lavender eyes that watched her incredulously. Indigo blue widened, realizing how close she was to the yet to be named face, taking a few steps backward so she could visualize the whole. Scarlet bangs, a surprised expression on a tired face, Kaoru recognized her writing teacher Himura Kenshin. Still clutching her chest, she tried to recover from her momentary fright when her eyes blazed in anger and she burst.

"What's with sneaking on your students?" she demanded quite heatedly.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Miss Kamiya. But I was just as surprised as you were to find you here," explained the teacher.

Kaoru shook her head and turned her back to the small man and made her way to a seat by the window. Kenshin did so as well, claiming his desk and taking a poetry book out of his old brown briefcase.

"Why are you here?" he asked once settled.

"Got punished for protecting someone…" she grumbled.

"Protecting?" now he was confused.

"Yeah, well. It seems that Mrs. Hirazawa is deaf to any explanation when she catch someone fighting, even if it's for a good reason."

"Ah… That woman is a bit too strict. But, you must understand that fighting is not the best way out of a conflict," explained the red head.

"So I've been told," was the girl's flat reply.

Silence filled the room as the occupant turned to their work. Kaoru had brought some of her work thinking that if she was force to spend the morning in school, she might as well use that time to her advantage. At least, she would get rid of her homework and have the rest of her weekend to do nothing as most teenagers did. Time passed and with it, the sound of pages been flip and scratching pencil until both grew restless. Being locked indoors by such a beautiful day was not something they were used to, both teacher and student being the active persons they were, sitting around was more of a torture than they would let show.

Bored, Kaoru started to tap her foot, starting a beat, wishing time to pass faster. Why must seconds feel like eternity when one was bored and, on the contrary, flow so fast when one would have fun? Kenshin looked up, having heard the girl's impatient tapping, and found her gazing wishfully out the window. Up the sky, white cottoned clouds took shape that only imagination could discern. Birds flying freely, singing and playing carelessly in the branches of the trees that were planted near the window. He took a quick glance at the clock above the black board and realized that, at this rate, the two of them would most likely die of boredom.

"Um… Miss Kamiya…" he uttered getting the girl's attention. "I believe that, just like me, you are getting a bit uncomfortable sitting here and I was wondering… Maybe we could take this detention elsewhere…" he suggested once she had turned her head his direction.

"What do you mean?" she inquired, wrinkling one perfect black eyebrow.

"Well," he said collecting his book and papers, "detention means that a teacher has to supervise the punished student but it is not said clearly that it must be held indoors, that it is not," he explained with a bright smile on his lips.

It seemed that the teacher's sudden happy mood was quite contagious because soon, Kaoru was returning the smile and picking up her stuff, shoving it into her bag, ready to head wherever Kenshin mind was thinking of. The two left the room and she followed the crimson head out of the school. They walked leisurely, the breeze playing with black and red tendrils of soft hair, incredibly warm for such early spring days. The sun bathing the clean green grass in golden light, acting like a spot light for the dancing vegetation. He lead her to a small field near the basketball court where they could see in the distance the small assembly of trees, the new and fresh leafs swaying along with the wind.

Kenshin purple gaze followed two playful birds as they waltz in the clear blue sky and smiled softly at the marvels of nature. His young companion took a deep breath, enjoying the fragrance of wild flowers that grew freely around them. A small giggle escaped her lips as she propped herself to the ground, crossing her legs and staring up at the white puffy clouds, trying to discern a face or a shape of any kind to amuse her mind with. Following her lead, the long-haired teacher sat down, his hand caressing the soft blades of new grass. He remembered when he and his wife enjoyed such outing, both uncaring and so scandalously carefree when most disapproved of their relationship. The momentary memory caused a frown to pass over his face and when he turn to Kaoru, she had a worried expression on her lovely face.

"What's wrong M. Himura?" she asked genuinely concerned.

"As… It's nothing Miss. Kamiya… really," he said pushing a smile to his feature no wanting to worry the girl.

It was her turn to scowl but she simply looked away, feeling that peering into her teacher's mind was not something proper. But she could not shove the nagging feeling of concern away from her as she gathered her legs and rest her chin on her knees, fingers playing absent mindedly with her white socks. Her indigo iris scanned their peaceful surrounding in awe. She had not suspected such a beautiful field to be hidden right behind her school. Kiyoto was very different from Tokyo she decided; it was a lovely town with temples and shrines each street corner lending the ancient Japanese capital a lovely mix of modern and historical architecture that she could not help and find attractive.

Her grin soon return when Kaoru cast her gaze upward and caught site of a lovely cloud shape like sea turtle. It seemed to swim smoothly on it's airy, illusionary water, slowly changing form and turning into a giant bowl of ice cream. Kenshin, curious at her childish smile, followed her gaze and found the imaginary icy treat, but did not see quite the same thing as her. In his mind, the mold of white was a mountain from which a cascade fell to the immensity of the heavens.

"What do you see up there?" he inquired.

"Um…" she narrowed her eyes as the shape stretched into something new. "There," she said tilting her head to her right and pointing to the once ice cream bowl, "I see a bird ready to take off…" she uttered dreamingly.

"Aah?" he angled his head the way she had, trying to see that white cloudy bird and smiled when the silhouette turned into exactly what she had described it like. " You see that cloud over there, it looks like a whale…"

"Umn…" was her sound of acknowledgement while she nodded her head, hugging her legs to herself.

She sighed, a light exhale of a breath, not weary but appreciative. How long has it been since she last feel so peaceful? The gentle wind caressing her slightly colored cheeks as her sparkling blue eyes stared at the not so wide nature but welcomed to her heart non the less. Kenshin did not failed to notice the contentment on her face. Such a beautiful, graceful and lively face. Pool shining, full of life with barely a trace a bitterness lingering in their profound ocean night blue. The same girl who had came to his first class soaking wet, who's face had shown no concern to her obviously uncomfortable state. Her posture showing determination and ears deaf to the constant mockery of her classmate. He was now sitting next to her, watching her face set into a peaceful expression of ease, her long midnight strands, bond by a lovely indigo ribbon, flying along with the gust of gentle wind, caressing her face. Unsuspected, as if coming out of nowhere, he felt jealous of those inky tendrils, wishing it would be his fingers touching her face instead.

The teacher violently shook his head, willing that sinful thought to be out with the shock of his shaking. No, he could not even suggest such a thing, not even if it was to himself. The simple idea of trailing his fingertips upon the delicate peach colored skin of Kaoru's face was just not right. He was an educator, she was his student, and thinking of her in any other way was just too wrong. And worst, he was a married man. Yes… a man, married to a ice cold woman who, with no doubt, despised him as one would hate the annoying fly that would keep them from much needed sleep. A woman with cold beauty, never smiling, un-talkative… Was there no way out of this? Stealing a glace to the young and energetic girl next to him, so happy to sit on freshly grew grass, he knew that his chaotic marriage would soon be no more his priory concern.

Ignorant of the turmoil in which her smiling teacher resided, Kaoru reached for her school bag, retrieving her beloved yellow note pad and a random pencil. The place and the mood was perfect for poetry, she had thought. Placing her writing tools over her newly folded legs, she stared a moment at the sky and not so far away forest and her pink lips curled upward with the rise of inspiration. The muses of nature were with her at that moment, breathing life to her boiling imagination and her pencil soon was scribing wildly on the sun colored paper. Curious, Kenshin tried to steal a peek over her shoulder, wondering with much interest just what the girl was doing. He soon found out as the words talked for themselves, so very beautifully flowing that he didn't even felt like he was reading at all.

Whispering wind,

Speaking words into my soul

Something beautifully bold

Feeling of elation as I breathe in

Unusually ecstatic

As I lay on green grass

Joy is now for me to grasp

Now longer surrounded in gray

Seeing the carefree fairy play

Making the nature dance

Losing me in deep trance

Forgetting my dismay

She then stopped, feeling an intense gaze over her shoulder. She froze, feeling dread icily flow through her veins and slowly turned her eyes to the direction of her teacher who was so caught up in his reading that he did not even noticed she had ceased to write.

"It's very good…" he whispered, not really realizing he spoke the words out loud.

"You… You think so?"

Blinking, Kenshin looked up from her laps where the sheet had been set and stared into her bright blue eyes, "No, it's beautiful," he finally confessed.

The smile that spread over her face was exquisite, as if she had never heard any sort of compliment to her writing, and she uttered with a shy voice, "thank you, M. Himura."

"Kenshin," at her confused expression he added. "Please, call me Kenshin when we are not in class…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

To be continued… … …

a/n: Thank you so much guys for the large amount of reviews you gave me! I never thought I would get so many for only one chapter…. How can I ever thank you enough! Here are those who reviewed and now have a special place in my heart. Thanks to: nemo, ranma1517730129(where did you get that name?), kiesmoon (I'll never thank you enough), Aelinwen Elentari, tigerlily, Kaye, Vampira Roja, RK-128, La-nonymous, may storm, Alley Mack, Miyomi Saihi, Aya the White Dragon, emsdesire (you really do read anything that my mind would come up with, don't you?) alexis. Your reviews were very inspiring, a proof that I got your interest and that you like what I write, even though I have trouble with grammer and many seems to love to point that to me… Please, forgive me… I do my best, I really do, but I can't help not being a native English speaker… ^-^ See you around!