ONLY TIME CAN TELL

A Fanfic by Flori-dono

Disclaimer: This is a Rurouni Kenshin-inspired fan fiction. The
author is not making any money out of this. The characters of
Rurouni Kenshin belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shounen Jump, and
Sony and others that should be mentioned but were not.

III

Yutarou walked home all by himself. Tsubame pleaded a headache and asked for 
some time alone.

He was really curious about what had just happened. All the while they were 
walking back to the Akabeko, Tsubame had been silent. When he attempted to talk 
about what happened, she withdrew. 

Why did Yahiko have that effect on Tsubame? There was something going on, he 
just couldn't point it out. Unless... unless there was something that went on 
between the two. It wasn't impossible. Yahiko and Tsubame had known each other 
longer than he had known
her. Was that it?

It was plausible, but if it was true, then Tsubame should've told him a long 
time ago. Damn, but he was confused!

Yahiko... it had been ages since he had last seen him. They were practically 
kids back then. He hated him and Yahiko seemed to hate him too. But deep inside, 
Yutarou knew that he envied the other. He was everything he wasn't. He was great 
with the sword,
and he had lots of friends. People who really cared for him neither because he 
was rich nor because they were paid to. And it turned out in the end that Yahiko 
became one of his few true friends.

But that was a long time ago. It was good to see him now.

Yutarou's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as he saw a familiar figure coming 
his way. 

It was Ayame.

He smiled as he watched the young girl struggle to walk with a heavy basket in 
her hands. He still couldn't believe that it was the same Ayame who played with 
him when he was a kid. Who could tell that the cute six-year old would grow up 
into a winsome young woman.

"Konnichiwa Ayame-chan, let me carry that for you," he said, rescuing her from 
her weighty load. 

"Yutarou-kun!" she said with a gasp. 

"To the clinic?" he asked.

Ayame nodded.

"Arigatou," she said softly.

Yutaoru was surprised. It looked like Ayame wasn't glad to see him. He had been 
puzzled by her behavior for a long time. It seemed like she was avoiding him for 
weeks now. She wasn't the same exuberant Ayame he had known. This one was more 
restrained and quiet. Perhaps growing up had something to do with it, but 
somehow, he felt sad that she had changed. He must admit that he missed the old 
Ayame.

"So, Old Takashi paid in kind again huh?" Yutaoru asked.

Ayame did not look at him, instead, she focused her eyes on the ground as they 
walked. 

"Hai," she said then allowed herself to smile a little. "I guess we won't have 
to worry about food for a week."

Yutarou stared at Ayame. Did he really see her smile? The small movement totally
transformed her face. If he had described her as winsome, she now practically 
looked ethereal. 

"You know," he said. "You should smile more often."

Ayame blushed, which Yutarou thought was certainly becoming.

They continued to walk in silence until they reached their destination. Yutarou 
didn't attempt to make anymore conversation, having decided that the silence 
they shared was companionable enough, even if Ayame looked a little tense.

"Where?" he asked when they were inside.

"There please," Ayame pointed to the table. 

"By the way, would you like some tea?" she said as soon as Yutarou lay the 
basket.

Yutarou shook his head. "No, it's okay. I just had lunch, but I wouldn't mind if 
you do." 

Ayame shook her head.

"By the way, where are the Sagaras?"

"Oh, they're probably inside the house with Megumi-neesan's driving Sano-niisan 
insane," she said. 

"So, do you have a boyfriend who you drive insane?" he asked, teasing her. 

"Er, no!"

"Come on, I'm sure there's a guy lurking around," he said enjoying seeing Ayame 
squirm. She looked so cute! 

"I'm sure" she said quietly. "And besides, I... I'm not interested in anyone."

"Too bad," he said jokingly. "If I hadn't met Tsubame, then I would've courted 
you." 

Ayame's head shot up. She stared at Yutarou in hurt and anger. Yutarou was 
shocked when he realized this. Why, did he say something wrong? Well, of course 
he was flirting a little, but he was sure it was harmless. 

"I'm not sure you shouldv'e said that," she said. "If Tsubame heard that she'd 
bop you, you know."

"That is why I love her!" he said. "She's both endearing and exasparating."

"Oh... Yutarou-kun, don't you dare get mushy on me!"

This was more like it, the old Ayame! 

"Er," she said as he was about to say something. "Look at the time! I'm sorry 
but I need to prepare lunch. Sano-san's not capable of preparing anything aside 
from fish..."

"It's okay. I think it was about time I went home myself," Yutarou said, hiding 
his disappointment. Just when he was enjoying himself...

"Thanks for helping me," Ayame said as she walked him to the door.

"Na, it was nothing!" he said waving his hand. "Ja!"

"Ja!" Ayame waved back.

***

"This sure is heavy" Ayame said as she struggled to walk while carrying the huge 
basket filled with vegetables. She had just came from Old Takashi. He had 
athritis and she delivered some herbs for the pain. He was poor but he kept a 
garden. He was dear to her because he would always give her and Suzume a peach 
each when they were kids. 

"Konnichiwa Ayame-chan, let me carry that for you," a voice said, then a hand 
took her weighty load from her.

She looked up and saw that it was Yutarou who came from out of nowhere.

"Yutarou-kun!" she said with a gasp. She was too deep in thought that she didn't 
see him.

"To the clinic?" he asked.

Ayame nodded.

"Arigatou," she said softly.

Now what should she do? She couldn't ignore him now. And her heart was beating 
like mad. Could he hear it? This was no good! She couldn't think of anything 
intelligible to say.  Should she comment about the weather? What about Tsubame? 
No, she thought she'd break into tears if she'd see his eyes brighten up at the 
mention of her name. No, she wouldn't risk it. Oh, what about Yahiko? Yes! That 
should do it...

"So, Old Takashi paid in kind again huh?" Yutarou asked.

Ayame mentally sighed with relief. She didn't have to worry about starting a 
conversation. He already did. 

She did not look at him, she couldn't. Instead, she focused her eyes on the 
ground as they walked. 

"Hai," she said then allowed herself to smile a little. "I guess we won't have 
to worry about food for a week."

"You know," he said. "You should smile more often."

Ayame felt herself blushed. 

They continued to walk in silence until they reached their destination. Yutarou 
became silent. Ayame was tense. Did she do something wrong? Why wasn't he 
talking? Then they reached the clinic.

"Where?" he asked when they were inside.

"There please," Ayame pointed to the table. 

"By the way, would you like some tea?" she said as soon as Yutarou lay the 
basket. 

She just wanted to be with him a little more. Later, she knew he'd be with 
Tsubame. So even for a short while, she wanted him to herself. 

Yutarou shook his head. "No, it's okay. I just had lunch, but I wouldn't mind if 
you do." 

Ayame shook her head. Stay for just a while more, please?

"By the way, where are the Sagaras?"

"Oh, they're probably inside the house with Megumi-neesan's driving Sano-niisan 
insane," she said. It was true. Megumi was craving for chocolates like hell an 
Sano was having a hard time keeping up with her demands.

"So, do you have a boyfriend who you drive insane?" he asked, teasing her. 

"Er, no!" she answered. What was he talking about?

"Come on, I'm sure there's a guy lurking around," he said.

"I'm sure" she said quietly. "And besides, I... I'm not interested in someone."

This she said with her fingers crossed behind her back. Oh, there sure was 
someone, only that he's lurking around someone else.

"Too bad," he said jokingly. "If I hadn't met Tsubame, then I would've courted 
you." 

Ayame's head shot up. Did she hear right? She stared at Yutarou in hurt and 
anger. He shouldn't say those things. He already had Tsubame! Maybe it was wrong 
to keep him there. Anymore comments like those and she'd really throw him out. 
His mild flirtation was doing bad for her. 

"I'm not sure you shouldv'e said that," she said with a fake laugh. It was 
better to cover her real feelings up. "If Tsubame heard that she'd bop you, you 
know."

"That is why I love her!" he said. "She's both endearing and exasparating."

Ouch!

"Oh... Yutarou-kun, don't you dare get mushy on me!" she said attempting to 
sound teasing, though she thought she might have sounded bitter. She sighed.

"Er," she said,pretending to remember something. "Look at the time! I'm sorry 
but I need to prepare lunch. "Sano-san's not capable of preparing anything aside 
from fish..."

"It's okay. I think it was about time I went home myself," Yutaoru said, as he 
was getting up. 

"Thanks for helping me," Ayame said as she walked him to the door.

"Na, it was nothing!" he said waving his hand. "Ja!"

"Ja!" Ayame waved back. 

When he was gone she leaned back the closed the door. It wasn't a good idea that 
one. It was a bad idea in fact. She felt depressed... again. She looked around 
for something fun to do. She looked at the basket and saw several fruits inside. 
They were peaches. 

There was nothing more fun to do than gorge when one is in the throes of 
despair. She smiled, took one and she began to eat.

On to chapter 4