Wanderers: Homecoming
Yeah, I did another Wanderers short! *For those of you who don't remember, that's my "Takagi raised by Kenshin" universe*
Title: Homecoming
Author: Ellen Brand
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Gosho, Watsuki, not me, yadda.
Disclaimer- Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki. This basic setup for Kenshin and company is taken from Vathara. I own nothing but the execution. This short is rated G by the Motion Picture Association of America. Yes, it's another "Wanderers" short! Takes place after the events of the Mah Jong serial killer case in the manga.
Homecoming
His chest still hurt, and the seat belt wasn't helping. He had two bruised ribs and a significant amount of deep tissue damage making a beautiful mottled purple pattern on the left side of his torso. But given that said bruising resulted from having been saved by a single Mah Jong tile, Takagi Wataru was feeling pretty lucky.
Technically, he wasn't supposed to be driving yet. He'd had a fairly impressive concussion when they'd brought him into the hospital, and the doctors hadn't cleared him to operate a car for at least a week. But he had two weeks worth of medical leave, which presented rather a problem. He'd spent twelve years soaking in youki and ken-ki, learning to control and manipulate his own energies and how to sense the flow of others. Kenshin-ojisan had been careful-- Wataru was still more human than not, never having been fully "adopted" into the family. But even though his lifespan and durability were still mostly human... he healed entirely too fast.
If he stayed in Tokyo, he'd have to spend the entire two weeks hiding in his apartment and faking a slow recovery. He knew he'd go insane if he tried, so instead, he'd told the department that "a friend" would be driving him up to spend the two weeks with his family. He'd report back in for his physical to be cleared for return to duty after that. He'd likely still be in better shape than expected, but it wouldn't be freakishly so.
Turning off the road onto the long drive, he smiled as the compound came into view. Set back among the pines, the small collection of buildings looked like something transplanted from the Meiji era... if one ignored the satellite dish nestled on one roof and the security cameras here and there.
Parking the car, he stretched and headed up to the engawa, kicking off his shoes and pulling on a pair of house slippers as he did so. For a moment, he simply stood, taking in the quiet, the smell of the pine trees, and how good it was to be home.
The front door had a security pad to unlock the door and disable the alarm-- the Kamiya Dojo'd had far too many unwelcome visitors over the years, and Kaoru-obasan said she was tired of having to replace the floorboards every time somebody came looking for her husband. Keying in the security code, Wataru pushed open the door, taking a step inside.
"Tadaima!"
"TARU-NIICHAN!" Almost instantly, something small and red barrelled into his legs, glomping on with the kind of force that'd take a crowbar to remove.
God-like speed in seven-year-olds. Bad idea, Wataru thought wryly, looking down. "Hello, Ryuu-kun. Did you miss me?"
Himura Ryuu beamed up at him, a miniature image of his father, save for the scar. "Hai, Taru-niichan! Did you bring me anything?"
"Oi, don't be greedy, you little brat." A dark-haired girl of about twelve glared at the smaller boy as she entered, the rest of the family behind her.
Wataru sweatdropped. Sagara Sumire took after her father in most ways... except in stubbornness, where she took after both parents equally.
Pulling away, Ryuu stuck his tongue out at the older girl. "Bossy."
"At least I never Gatotsued the cat."
Stifling a snicker, Wataru shot his uncle a wry glance. "And this is why you don't let the kids watch you spar, Kenshin-ojisan."
"Oro..."
Kaoru rolled her eyes, threading her way through the crowd to reach Wataru's side. "Never mind that. Are you all right? When they told us you'd been shot..."
"I'm all right, Kaoru-obasan." He smiled, taking her hand. "The concussion cleared up in a day or so, I don't even have headaches any more. The bruising looks pretty bad, but it's just sore. I don't think I even cracked a rib. It really did look worse than it was."
She smiled at that- "It looked worse than it was" was the family excuse for any time anybody noticed the tendency to accelerated healing. It usually worked, as long as the person you were talking to hadn't gotten a good look at the wound.
"So, I hear you've got a girlfriend now?" Sano said, coming up to stand behind his daughter. In jeans, t-shirt, and a bomber jacket, he looked thoroughly modern, but still like the street fighter he'd always been.
Wataru blushed. "I... um... sort of?" He shot a quick glance at Kenshin, who shrugged-- who knew where Sano got his information from sometimes?
The dark-haired man's grin widened and became even more evil, if that were possible. "I heard you two were talking about a trip to an onsen... So when do we get to meet her?"
Breathe, Wataru ordered himself. He was not going to kill Sano.
"YOU ROOSTER-HEADED IDIOT!"
... That was Megumi's job.
Owari
Title: Homecoming
Author: Ellen Brand
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Gosho, Watsuki, not me, yadda.
Disclaimer- Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki. This basic setup for Kenshin and company is taken from Vathara. I own nothing but the execution. This short is rated G by the Motion Picture Association of America. Yes, it's another "Wanderers" short! Takes place after the events of the Mah Jong serial killer case in the manga.
Homecoming
His chest still hurt, and the seat belt wasn't helping. He had two bruised ribs and a significant amount of deep tissue damage making a beautiful mottled purple pattern on the left side of his torso. But given that said bruising resulted from having been saved by a single Mah Jong tile, Takagi Wataru was feeling pretty lucky.
Technically, he wasn't supposed to be driving yet. He'd had a fairly impressive concussion when they'd brought him into the hospital, and the doctors hadn't cleared him to operate a car for at least a week. But he had two weeks worth of medical leave, which presented rather a problem. He'd spent twelve years soaking in youki and ken-ki, learning to control and manipulate his own energies and how to sense the flow of others. Kenshin-ojisan had been careful-- Wataru was still more human than not, never having been fully "adopted" into the family. But even though his lifespan and durability were still mostly human... he healed entirely too fast.
If he stayed in Tokyo, he'd have to spend the entire two weeks hiding in his apartment and faking a slow recovery. He knew he'd go insane if he tried, so instead, he'd told the department that "a friend" would be driving him up to spend the two weeks with his family. He'd report back in for his physical to be cleared for return to duty after that. He'd likely still be in better shape than expected, but it wouldn't be freakishly so.
Turning off the road onto the long drive, he smiled as the compound came into view. Set back among the pines, the small collection of buildings looked like something transplanted from the Meiji era... if one ignored the satellite dish nestled on one roof and the security cameras here and there.
Parking the car, he stretched and headed up to the engawa, kicking off his shoes and pulling on a pair of house slippers as he did so. For a moment, he simply stood, taking in the quiet, the smell of the pine trees, and how good it was to be home.
The front door had a security pad to unlock the door and disable the alarm-- the Kamiya Dojo'd had far too many unwelcome visitors over the years, and Kaoru-obasan said she was tired of having to replace the floorboards every time somebody came looking for her husband. Keying in the security code, Wataru pushed open the door, taking a step inside.
"Tadaima!"
"TARU-NIICHAN!" Almost instantly, something small and red barrelled into his legs, glomping on with the kind of force that'd take a crowbar to remove.
God-like speed in seven-year-olds. Bad idea, Wataru thought wryly, looking down. "Hello, Ryuu-kun. Did you miss me?"
Himura Ryuu beamed up at him, a miniature image of his father, save for the scar. "Hai, Taru-niichan! Did you bring me anything?"
"Oi, don't be greedy, you little brat." A dark-haired girl of about twelve glared at the smaller boy as she entered, the rest of the family behind her.
Wataru sweatdropped. Sagara Sumire took after her father in most ways... except in stubbornness, where she took after both parents equally.
Pulling away, Ryuu stuck his tongue out at the older girl. "Bossy."
"At least I never Gatotsued the cat."
Stifling a snicker, Wataru shot his uncle a wry glance. "And this is why you don't let the kids watch you spar, Kenshin-ojisan."
"Oro..."
Kaoru rolled her eyes, threading her way through the crowd to reach Wataru's side. "Never mind that. Are you all right? When they told us you'd been shot..."
"I'm all right, Kaoru-obasan." He smiled, taking her hand. "The concussion cleared up in a day or so, I don't even have headaches any more. The bruising looks pretty bad, but it's just sore. I don't think I even cracked a rib. It really did look worse than it was."
She smiled at that- "It looked worse than it was" was the family excuse for any time anybody noticed the tendency to accelerated healing. It usually worked, as long as the person you were talking to hadn't gotten a good look at the wound.
"So, I hear you've got a girlfriend now?" Sano said, coming up to stand behind his daughter. In jeans, t-shirt, and a bomber jacket, he looked thoroughly modern, but still like the street fighter he'd always been.
Wataru blushed. "I... um... sort of?" He shot a quick glance at Kenshin, who shrugged-- who knew where Sano got his information from sometimes?
The dark-haired man's grin widened and became even more evil, if that were possible. "I heard you two were talking about a trip to an onsen... So when do we get to meet her?"
Breathe, Wataru ordered himself. He was not going to kill Sano.
"YOU ROOSTER-HEADED IDIOT!"
... That was Megumi's job.
Owari