| The Talk |
[Jul. 22nd, 2007|08:52 pm] |
September, 1891
Tokyo, Kamiya Dojo
"Kenshin. I think it's time you gave our son 'the talk'," said Kaoru as she and Kenshin polished bokkens one sunny afternoon.
"Talk?" asked Kenshin, looking even more clueless than usual.
"Yes, the talk about men, women, babies..." said Kaoru.
"Oroooroooorooooooooooo," Kenshin turned beet red, his eyes turning to swirls. "B-but, K-Kaoru..."
"No 'buts'. He's becoming a young man and needs to learn about this stuff from his father," said Kaoru, giving Kenshin a firm gaze.
"B-but I don't know h-," stammered Kenshin.
"Well, what did Hiko-san do?" Kaoru inquired.
A horrific memory arose in Kenshin's mind. There were flashes of his master and a courtesan from one of the Kyoto tea houses, both naked and sweaty as they ground into each other before the innocent violet eyes of a 12-year-old. Kenshin shuddered and tamped the memory back into the recesses of his mind.
"Nothing I would care to subject Kenji to," he said firmly.
"You'll just have to think of something. You're not 'oro-ing' your way out of your fatherly obligations," said Kaoru, thereby closing the subject.
"Orooooooooooo," went Kenshin
WHACK!
"What did I just get finished saying?" said Kaoru, holding the bokken over the lump rising from Kenshin's scalp.
"Forgive me, koishi," said Kenshin, continuing to polish, all the gusto gone from his movements.
---
After they finished with the bokkens, Kaoru took Murasaki with her to go visit Megumi at the clinic, leaving Kenshin to face the dreadful task alone.
He had to stop being such a wuss. After all, it was just sex.
Kenshin shuddered. Had he actually thought that filthy word aloud?
When had he gotten so prudish? Well, being a prude had kept him faithful to Tomoe's memory for 15 years. He had no regrets.
"Oroooo... I'm getting a headache," Kenshin muttered to himself, rubbing his temples. Schooling his features and squaring his shoulders, the redhead prepared to approach his son's room, feeling as though he were walking into a lion's den.
---
Kenji looked up from his homework at the sound of the light tapping on his door.
"Come in Dad," he called.
The door slid open and Kenshin ventured into the room, looking even paler than usual.
"Everything OK?" said Kenji, seeing the hesitant expression on his sire's face.
"Everything's fine, mostly," said Kenshin. "May I sit down?"
Kenji nodded. Kenshin sat down next to his son. Now, how to start this conversation? Perhaps a segue instead of just jumping right in.
"So what are you working on?" he said lamely.
"Math," said Kenji, wrinkling his nose.
"Yes, math is hard," said Kenshin.
'Great way to start the talk, idiot,' Kenshin chided himself.
"Sure is," said Kenji, not really getting the point of the conversation.
"Um, that's not why I came here," said Kenshin, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Why is this so awkward?'
'Because you're such a prude,' he thought to himself.
"What did you want to talk about?" said Kenji.
"Well, son. There comes a time in every boy's life when he needs to learn the facts," said Kenshin.
'I am not cut out for this,' Kenshin cried out in his head.
"Facts? About what?" asked Kenji. 'I learn enough facts in school.'
"About... life," said Kenshin lamely.
'Idiot, you just lost him...'
"You are now at an age where you're starting to grow into a man," he continued.
"Yeah, I'll have my genpuku in three more years," said Kenji.
"There is much more to being a man than the genpuku," said Kenshin.
"Like what?" asked Kenji.
"Well, there's love," said Kenshin.
"I already have love. I love you, Mom and Mura-Mura," said Kenji.
"That is not the kind of love of which I speak," said Kenshin. Was it getting hot in there?
"True. I also love sushi and takoyaki. I guess that's not the same kind of love one would have for a mother and sister," said Kenji, waxing philosophical.
"True, but there's yet ANOTHER kind of love," said Kenshin.
"What kind?" said Kenji, getting annoyed.
"The love between a man and a woman," said Kensin.
'Ah! Now I'm getting somewhere!'
"Oh... you mean the love that makes babies," said Kenji.
"Oro? You already know?" asked Kenshin with an inquizitive tilt of his head.
"Sure," said Kenji. "Mom told me about it when she was carrying Mura-Mura. She said that your love put me and her inside her stomach."
"That's... exactly right! Well, Kenji. I'm glad we had this talk," said Kenshin, giving his son a quick pat on the shoulder and hastening from the room with a momentary return of his former godspeed.
"What the hell was that all about?" said Kenji to himself before returning to his homework.
It would be several years before Kenji learned the mechanics of where babies come from.
~~Owari~~ |
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bitchy
amused
discontent
sick
