Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Off to School ❯ Kenji's Ponytail ( Chapter 2 )

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After they came in from lunch, Kenji sat stiffly in his seat, facing forward. Takuma spent the rest of the day tormenting Kenji by throwing little wads of paper at him and flicking the back of his head. Kenji, not wanting to get in trouble twice in one day, endured it silently, seething all the while.

Mercifully, dismissal time rolled around. Kenji waited in hiding till he saw Takuma head toward his house. He also watched Touru skip off in the direction of her house. Kenji trudged home slowly. All he wanted to do was get into the house and try to get the ink out of his hair. He hoped that Dad and Mom wouldn't ask him how his day went. As he approached the dojo, Kenji reached back and tucked his dyed ponytail under his kimono.

Kenji opened the front gate just a crack and peaked around. The frontyard was deserted. Good! Kenji stepped through, closing the gate behind him. He moved quickly and quietly, always keeping his senses attuned to his surroundings.

Kenji stepped in the front door and slipped off his sandals before stepping up from the genkan. He started to walk to his room when the front door slid open behind him, startling him. Kenji whirled around to see Mom with Dad standing behind her.

"Okerinasai, Kenji-chan. How was school?" asked Mom.

"It was alright Mom," said Kenji quietly. "I'm gonna go play in my room now."

"Oh, alright," said Kaoru, who had been expecting Kenji to be excited about his first day at school.

Kenshin said nothing.

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Kenji went out to the well with an empty pitcher. He needed water to try and wash the ink out of his hair. Kenji walked carefully to avoid spilling any water. So intent was he on this that as he was coming back in, he almost ran headfirst into Kenshin.

"Oro?" said Kenshin, looking at the pitcher of water.

"I need it for something in my room," said Kenji, without looking up.

Kenshin reached down and pulled Kenji's ponytail out from under his kimono, revealing the ink-stained hair. Kenji looked down at the floor, shame creeping into every iota of his tiny being.

"Might this be the something?" asked Dad evenly.

Kenji nodded.

"What happened?" asked Kenshin.

"I leaned my head back too far and my hair dipped into the inkwell behind me," lied Kenji.

Kenshin shook his head. He could read his six-year-old's ki like an open book and knew when the boy was lying, which almost never happened.

"A boy at school," said Kenji softly.

"Someone did this to your hair on purpose?" asked Kenshin, feeling white hot anger surge up in him, but quickly controlling it.

Kenji nodded. Kenshin sighed. It was as he'd feared. Kenji's exotic looks and temperament set him too far apart from the other children.

"Let me help you wash the ink out," said Kenshin.

Father and son went to work, getting water for the furo and stoking the fire, which didn't take too long with the two of them doing it. After everything was ready, they stepped into the furo and undressed together. Kenshin had Kenji sit down on the stool and went to work on his son's hair.

Kenshin worked on Kenji's hair for a good 20 minutes, scrubbing vigorously, soaping, rinsing, resoaping and rerinsing. But no matter how hard he scrubbed or how much he washed, that ink was fast. There was only one way to get it: the stained ends of Kenji's hair would have to be cut off.

Kenji's lip quivered when Dad broke the news to him. He loved his long hair because it made him look just like his sire. Kenji brought his emotions under control and nodded rigidly.

"Please do it fast, Dad and get it done," he said sadly.

"As soon as we're done with the bath," promised Kenshin.

Kenshin and Kenji soaked together in silence, Kenji lying limply in his dad's arms, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat. Usually bath time was fun for them, with Kenji sailing his little toy boat around the tub and playing all kinds of silly games with his dad. But not today. The little guy's spirit was definitely hurting, and Kenshin hurt for his son.

After they were out of the bath and dressed, Kenshin got the sheers and cut off no more hair than he had to. Kenji still had enough hair to reach just between his shoulder blades. Kenji heard the blades again, turned and saw that Dad had cut off a length of his own ponytail. His was now just to between his shoulder blades too.

"Dad?" he asked.

Kenshin smiled and patted his son on the head. "Now we can grow our hair back out together," he said happily.

"Thanks Dad," said Kenji with a small smile.

"You're welcome, koshishi. C'mon. Time to start dinner," said Kenshin, offering his son a hand.