Kinnosuke: Since Yukiko was getting Makoto-chan?EUR(TM)s things ready for tomorrow and I know she?EUR(TM)ll be making sure her niece takes a bath and put her to bed, I decided to cook for all of us. I find some leftover rice and I didn?EUR(TM)t want it to go bad so I decide we can probably have a nice soup dish today. It was marginally nice after Makoto got out of school but as the night wore on, the cold air has returned.
I take some chicken and start on the dashi stock. Now let?EUR(TM)s see what else can I put in here? Ah I don?EUR(TM)t want the tofu to go bad and perfect there is miso as well. I think I?EUR(TM)ll make extras just in case the girls would want some in the morning as I have to leave. Soup is also good in the mornings!
Being the youngest male child and no sisters, mother has taught me a few things in the kitchen. Though to be honest I never looked forward to the lessons. I had figured it was her way to keep me close by, but now I do thank her for the slight skill she imparted. After all I know one young woman who thinks I?EUR(TM)m a good cook!
It doesn?EUR(TM)t take long for me to prepare everything. I open the kitchen door just to stand outside to smoke a pipe. As soon as Yamaguchi-san is back I am sure I will be sent back to Akashi. There is simply no space here. I could rent a space, but the longer Yukiko stays in Tokyo, the longer she will stay in Kyoto and all the longer for her to get back in Akashi. I puff slowly. But that aside, I should speak to Yamaguchi-san about his brother?EUR(TM)s estate.
?EURoeKinosuke? I?EUR(TM)ll prepare the table?EUR??EUR?
I peer back towards the door, ?EURoePlease do.?EUR?
We eat the simple dinner and as I thought there will be plenty of leftovers. I tell Yukiko that I will go ahead and clean up after us and to put Makoto to bed. That girl, doesn?EUR(TM)t seem to like me much it seems, I guess it?EUR(TM)s not surprising she is his daughter. It?EUR(TM)s only natural as it took a while for him to warm up to me, the ?EURoetag-along?EUR?. After cleaning up I ended up outside again smoking a pipe.
?EURoeYou?EUR(TM)ve been smoking that pipe a lot tonight.?EUR?
?EURoeI?EUR(TM)m sorry Yukiko. I know you don?EUR(TM)t like me smoking.?EUR?
She comes over, ?EURoeWell the reason I don?EUR(TM)t like to see you smoking?EUR??EUR? She removes the pipe from my hand and places it down upright in between us on the bench. ?EURoeIt usually means there?EUR(TM)s something bothering you.?EUR?
I can only smile at that but then had this incredible urge to kiss her and so I kiss her softly on the lips. I don?EUR(TM)t know when they?EUR(TM)ll be coming back so I linger a little longer than usual. After we kiss she blushes and looks away. I guess they are all right, she is still young?EUR? To always react like that?EUR?
?EURoeWell I guess that?EUR(TM)s my ?EURoetell?EUR???EUR? I place the pipe back in my mouth. ?EURoeDid anyone tell you when you?EUR(TM)ll be sent to Kyoto??EUR?
?EURoeNo but I would think it should be soon. Uncle is just tying a few loose ends. Will you miss me??EUR?
Suddenly I laugh softly. ?EURoeYou don?EUR(TM)t think I?EUR(TM)ll miss you? I mean those sweet and sour kisses??EUR?
Her mouth falls open and I can see she is just about to give me a good lashing but I know she won?EUR(TM)t and she ends up in a sigh. ?EURoeI hope they were mostly sweet at least.?EUR?
I nod and took a good look at her. For a moment I think I should just run away with this young woman, marry her and consummate the relationship. This is one of those times. But I won?EUR(TM)t do that, not for my friend?EUR(TM)s sake, his sake, the family?EUR(TM)s or anything like that. I take her hand and look up. ?EURoeI talked to Yamaguchi-san before we left Akashi. I told him, I wanted to marry you.?EUR?
She seems surprised as those eyes turned into saucers before replying under her breath. ?EURoeAnd he told you no??EUR?
?EURoeIt was more like a maybe under so and so conditions.?EUR? She was about to say something but I stop her, ?EURoeI don?EUR(TM)t mind the conditions. So if you come back to Akashi, we ?EURwill- get married.?EUR?
She looks down and smiles but doesn?EUR(TM)t say anything else.
(OOC: after a while Kinnosuke and Yukiko will retire. This can serve as the re-entry point for the late travelers coming back home.)
Later that Night in Tokyo
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Hajime has me off the train and onto a carriage in the blink of an eye, leaving Eiji and Tsutomu to follow behind. Poor Tsutomu seems absolutely tired – thankfully tonight is Friday so he’ll have until Monday to recover.
The carriage stops in front of our house. It’s late, but there’s still a light on. I go to the gate and knock, hopefully they’ve locked up like I asked them to.
Kinnosuke: I wasn’t getting any sleep and I hear sounds downstairs. I peer through the window and see a carriage. Ah… They’ve returned. I get up, thankfully I have a bad habit of not changing to my sleeping yukata. Walking past the girl’s door, I decide it’s best not to wake them. It’s late after all. It takes me a little while to light a lamp and then to unlock the door, finally to fiddle with the gates for it to open.
“Welcome back Yagi-san.” I say with a smile as I hold a lantern up. I see they brought somebody with them. “Yamaguchi-san, here let me get those from you.”
The boy stares at me as if I did something wrong. I smile at him. He must be tired.
“Come in everyone. It’s cold out here.” I usher them inside, “The girls are sound asleep but there’s some leftovers from dinner if you’re hungry.”
Yamaguchi-san mumbles his thanks as he takes the lamp from me and leads Yagi-san by the hand, taking care not to let her stumble in the dark. The boys follow and I close the gates behind me.
I squeeze Hajime’s hand as we enter the house. I had hoped that just maybe Makoto would still be awake, but it is late…
I greet Kinnosuke-san and thank him, and go back to the kitchen. I don’t feel great, but I’m sure the others could do with a light meal before going to bed.
“Eiji-kun slept in the tatami room the night before we left, so we should put Tsutomu-kun in there as well?” For tonight that would be fine, but I want to get Tsutomu-kun upstairs and settled into a room of his own, at least until we build on. And for tonight I should have enough blankets to make a good pallet, if not a proper futon. Tomorrow I can see to setting it up correctly.
I look through the “leftovers” and do what I can with them. For the moment it’s just us in the kitchen, and I lean back against the man I love. It feels like it’s been too long…
The kids ended up settling in the living room. I spy Tsutomu starting to nod off in the red sofa while Eiji is helping Kinosuke bring our luggage inside.
?EURoeEiji-kun slept in the tatami room the night before we left, so we should put Tsutomu-kun in there as well??EUR?
“They could. Having all three of them upstairs is probably tight.” We’ve already turned the study into a “bedroom” to accommodate Kinosuke, not the best of situations but I think that room will be a good nursery. Hide leans in to me and I wrap an arm around her waist. I’m glad we’re back to Tokyo, back in our home. Knowing no one was looking I kiss her cheek. “Where are all the futons? I’ll get those ready while you finish up here.”
I find happiness in this brief moment together, my cheek warming at his kiss. I lean back and nuzzle his neck.
“All of the extra futons are already in use for the others – but there’s enough blankets in the cabinet in the tatami room to make a comfortable pallet.” I grin up at him. “I keep a lot of blankets around, since sleeping sometimes happens in the strangest places in this house.”
I reluctantly leave his side and go back to dinner – it’s best if the young people get to bed soon. Poor Tsutomu-kun was drooping…
After a light dinner, more like breakfast really, I asked Eiji to get Tsutomu to bed. The boys went upstairs without much prodding, guess they were tired. I watch Hide clean up the kitchen with Kinnosuke. He seems to know his way in the kitchen, not bad for a person who grew up with ?EURoehelp?EUR? all his life. Standing up I join them in the kitchen and prepare some coffee and ask him to join me in the tatami room.
?EURoeHide I?EUR(TM)ll see you upstairs in a few. Get some rest and we?EUR(TM)ll take care of the cleaning up later?EUR? I kiss her cheek and leave with Kinnosuke. Oh I know she probably will finish up but I am hoping she won?EUR(TM)t and just get to bed already.
?EURoeHere.?EUR? I hand him his cup, ?EURoeSomething to keep you awake.?EUR?
?EURoeThank you Fujita-san. Shouldn?EUR(TM)t you be sleeping? If you have something to discuss there is always tomorrow.?EUR?
I grin slightly at that. I don?EUR(TM)t have the luxury of sitting around waiting for tomorrow but I don?EUR(TM)t tell him this. ?EURoeAlready wanting to bail on me??EUR?
?EURoeOf course not!?EUR? He laughs softly, careful not to be too loud. ?EURoeI was just thinking Yagi-san would probably not go to sleep with you staying up.?EUR?
I nod. I know this and I don?EUR(TM)t intend to stay up long myself. ?EURoeI just wanted to know how things went when we were gone.?EUR?
?EURoeJust fine. Yuki did a good job of taking Makoto to school and I did go with them once at her request.?EUR?
?EURoeIndeed??EUR? That?EUR(TM)s ?EURodd-. My niece is not shy and she is rather independent to some degree. ?EURoeAny reason why??EUR?
?EURoeAh she has a tendency to be cautious. It seems to be a trait of the Yamaguchi?EUR(TM)s. There was this man with red hair that she thought was a little suspicious.?EUR?
I raise an eyebrow.
?EURoeOh but he turned out to be quite harmless. He was quite pleasant actually and not intrusive. He?EUR(TM)s just one of the parents who fetches their boy from school. No need to worry.?EUR? He pauses as if trying to recall something, ?EURoeHe said his name was Himura. Himura Kenshin.?EUR?
I stifle a groan. Him? Of course why am I not surprised? ?EURoeYou didn?EUR(TM)t tell him anything about Makoto correct? About me??EUR?
Kinnosuke has the look of a puzzled man, ?EURoeWell Makoto was there. He did think that I was you?EUR? He called me ?EURoeYagi-san?EUR?.
?EURoeAh that?EUR(TM)s good enough. Next time you see him, if ?EURever- you see him again. Do not mention me by name. Not Fujita. Not Saitou.?EUR?
I could see he was about to ask why, but he seems to understand especially since he is one of the few people who knew I was part of the Shinsengumi.
?EURoeWell I am probably not going back there anytime soon.?EUR?
?EURoeActually you are.?EUR? I light up a cigarette, ?EURoeI need to get back to work and it may require me to be away for quite some time or at least several days away on end. I want a man to look after the people in this house.?EUR?
?EURoeFujita-san? But didn?EUR(TM)t you want me to leave immediately and send Yukiko away to Kyoto??EUR?
?EURoeI?EUR(TM)m sure you heard me.?EUR? I drag on my cigarette looking down on the floor. I don?EUR(TM)t have to explain my reasons. The simple fact that he knows my line of work, as a police officer should be a good enough reason.
?EURoeIs there a problem Fujita-san? Is anybody here in danger? That man Himura is he?EUR??EUR?
?EURoeNo Himura is harmless?EUR? I can feel my eyes narrow. It is true that he?EUR(TM)s changed in the new era, ?EURoebut he is not without enemies.?EUR? And neither am I.
?EURoeI?EUR(TM)ll stay as long as you need me Fujita-san. I can even retrieve my gun if you like.?EUR? Kinnosuke this time looked determined and serious.
?EURoeThat?EUR(TM)s not a bad idea but make sure it?EUR(TM)s hidden. I don?EUR(TM)t want the children or Yuki especially Hide to worry.?EUR? Nothing is going to happen to this house. Nothing like in Ito. Never.
?EURoeYou can count on me. I?EUR(TM)ll be here however long you need me Fujita-san.?EUR?
?EURoeI know. It?EUR(TM)s tight with the three of you sharing one room but get some sleep.?EUR? Idiot?EUR? Why else would I ask him. And for a moment I am surprised even at myself, wasn?EUR(TM)t this the same man who I felt was not deserving of my niece. But there are very few I can trust and certainly I can?EUR(TM)t trust that no-killing but sword wielding wanderer. I?EUR(TM)d place my bets on Kinnosuke first.
After he leaves, I finish the last of my cigarette. At least it is Sunday the boys can rest and get settled in. I should get a couple hours of sleep in before heading to the office. I need to sniff around and see what Shindou has been up to.
(OOC: Saitou retires to Hide?EUR(TM)s room. You can reply here if you like or not. Saitou will promptly leave in the morning before the household wakes up. He is itching to go back to work.)