Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ May The Sun Shine Forever ❯ Do You Want Tea? ( Chapter 6 )

.:*May The Sun Shine Forever*:.

*Author's Note: Now wat? Mesa running out of ideas. *smacksmack* Okay, mesa better now! *author stare cross -eyed at keyboard* Hmm… this is the letter e…right? *author points at Z*

Vjs[yrt Doc

Xgaorwe Auz

Chapter Six (whew…finally…)

The wind flew through the trees, shaking the great boughs and scattering leaves into the sky. Fall blew its breath apon the world, giving its chill to the air and allowing it to be carried far and wide. Leaves, pollen and the bits and ends of flowers floated hazily in the wind, then fell back to earth again. However, under the silver poplar, not a thing moved. Beneath the massive branches were Ayame, Suzame, Yahiko, Sano and Kaoru. Besides the occasional tremors from Ayame and Suzame, time seemed to stand still.

The box had a larger audience now!

Kenshin watched bewilderedly while Soujiro and Kari made breakfast. They had refused any help from Kenshin, so he decided to sit back and watch them from the comfort of his wooden chair. Both had matching waves of soft, brown hair; Soujiro's falling gently into his eyes and Kari's determinedly pushed behing each ear. Both had delicate builds and seemed younger then they already were, but in his past battles with Soujiro, Kenshin knew just how looks were deceiving.

Kari ran around amok, spilling stick syrup over the wooden floor while Soujiro calmly made eggs and toast.

"Do you want tea?"

Kenshin saw a face full with a pair of inquisitive, blue eyes pressed up so close he could hear her breathe before he tumbled out of his chair and onto the ground in shock.

With a soft giggle, Soujiro reprimanded Kari.

"Kari -kun, don't go scaring our guest."

Picking himself up again, Kenshin once again stared into those curious eyes. Curious in nature, and curious in sight. They were a deep shade of cerulean with flecks of a darker hue. When Kenshin looked closer, he saw the fleck were blood -red. They were tiny scars.

"Don't move a muscle," cautioned Kaoru.

They were standing under the poplar tense, yet frightened. Ayame was sitting on Kaoru's lap, trembling, while Suzame clutched Kaoru's hand tightly. Yahiko was poised, ready for action although his shaking hands gave away his true feelings. Sano glanced nervously at Kaoru, but she wasn't looking at him. Apparently, she was staring a bit off to the right of the box on the ground, lost deep in thought. With a look of dawning in her eyes, she smiled and turned to Sano, voice curt, but relieved.

"Sano, get me a piece of parchment and some charcoal pencils from the dojo. Do be quick about it! I think I have an idea!"

"Tea?"

Kenshin was jerked back to reality, although rather unpleasantly. Something was licking at his toes. Looking doen under the table, he saw a black shadow suddenly whisk away out through the screen door leading outside. It was too fast Kenshin to see clearly, but whatever it was, it was big. He wriggled his toes. Yep, he thought uncomfortably, definitely wet. He had the unpleasant suspicion that whatever it was, it had just been licking his toes a while ago.

"Tea?"

Kenshin realized Kari was impatiently hopping from one foot to the next, awaiting for his answer.

"No, it's alright that it is."

Kari ignored him and started playing with a tea cup.

"What kind?"

"What?"

"Tea! Teateateateatea! What kind?"

"Bbb..bbbbut..I don'-"

"Here let me help you choose one!" As Kenshin looked on, extremely confused, Kari picked up another tea cup and started playing with both.

"There's gummy ball tea *throws cup*, milk tea *throws other cup while kicking first one at Kenshin*, lime tea *juggles remaining cup*, plum tea *throws cup in air*, and grape tea *kicks cup at Kenshin, who bewilderedly tries his best to catch it while the other cup dangles from a finger*.

Taking Kenshin's strained expression as a confused one, Kari continued.

"Well, if you don't want those, I can always make more.

Having finally settled in for a rather hasty breakfast (Soujiro had told Kenshin that he needed to visit the marketplace), Soujiro watched on bemusedly as Kari insisted on serving Kenshin the opposite of what he ordered. Kenshin confusedly kept looking down under the table, while at the same time, tried to convince Kari that he wasn't hungry. Kari determinedly ignored him and continued placing large, round pieces of brown pancakes with honey in front of him.

Kenshin warily picked at his serving. "What is… this?"

Soujiro lay back into his chair and watched him eat. "They're pancakes, a western breakfast. Kari's really into western -style things, anything from food to decorating."

With this comment, Kenshin gazed around the room. He found it was true. The walls of the house were wood, but they had wallpaper decorated gaily with purple flower vines running along the walls. The house had couches, chairs, and curtains made of a soft, brown muslin fabric that swayed from the wind that was coming through the screen door. Outside the door, however, was a neat, colorful garden, truly Japanese in every aspect, from it's red akamatsu trees to it's arakashi oaks, yanagi willow to yamazakura cherries.

With a start, Kenshin felt the now familiar feeling of having one's toes licked. Looking down under the table yet again, he heard a low growl, and saw a dark mass move quickly away.

"BUFO!!!"

With a leap, Kari threw her arms around the mass, while it strained and tried to get away. Kenshin stared.

"Bufo", was the evilest -looking dog he had ever seen. He had a long scar running down his back, and other smaller ones, clearly seen by the fact that the fur had grown unevenly around them. One eye was gone, the eyelid around it was sealed shut and appeared hollow. The other eye glared out at Kenshin. Half of his mouth seemed to be frozen in place, burned as black as his fur. Brushing away from Kari, the beast sauntered to Kenshin, lifting the part of his jaw that still moved, giving a lopsided sneer to Kenshin. Even through dogs surely can't talk, Kenshin could clearly sense the thought it was giving off: If you and I were all alone in the middle of night, I wouldn't bet a used toothpick for your survival.

"Kari, take Bufo out for his walk," Soujiro said. "Kenshin and I need to talk."

Grappling with Bufo, Kari eventually was able to tow the dog away by the fur from his neck.

Kenshin sweat dropped. "Er, doesn't he have…a leash?"

"No. He's too wild for one."

Kenshin immediately began to pray for the safety of the poor passer -bys out on the streets.

Kaoru leapt up and triumphantly shouted, "DONE!"

With that sudden exclamation, birds roosting in the trees indignantly flew away and a shower of leaves fell upon the box.

"What's done," Sano asked curiously, trying to peer over her shoulder.

"Uh, -uh! You're not getting one peep at this work of art until I'm done with it!" And with that, Kaoru bounded into the dojo, arms clasped tightly around a piece of parchment.

Meanwhile, Yahiko looked on while Ayame and Suzame brushed away the leaves surrounding the box. But when all the leaves were cleared away from the tree stump, the box was no longer there.

*Author's Note: R&R PLEAZZZZEEE!!!! I'll hunt you down if you don't…Are Ayame and Suzame sisters? And how are they related to Kaoru anyway…And how do you spell that doctor's name? Gensei? @_@ Please tell me in your reviews! Hasta la Vista!*