A/N: I'm not even certain I'll post this, but I thought maybe writing about a different anime would get a wider response, also, I've been waiting for a new Aoshi/Misao story to come out, but since there haven't been any, I'll just take things into my own hands. Oh yes and this is AU, so if you're not a fan, just keep on walking.
Disclaimer: Ha if I owned Rurouni Kenshin it wouldn't have made it off my computer.
Benefits of Green Tea
By: blackartemis
Sighing expressively Makimachi Misao turned and locked the door to her small, but comfortable, corner restaurant, the Rain Flower, ignoring the pounding rain and frequent lightning, exhausted and melancholy after a long day at work. Everything had started out normal when she had opened up with the help of her partner Kaoru, and it seemed then that the day would be excellent, of course that was before Shinomori Aoshi arrived. Now Misao had gone to grade school, junior high school, high school and college with said person, and had harbored a long-lived crush, that evolved over time, on him for most of that time, though he was 3 years her senior, however, said emotions had been viciously crushed right after they graduated college 4 years ago, by some well placed hits by his girlfriend at the time, destroying Misao's hopes, and making the girl determined to move on, unsuccessfully, even after she found out the words were all lies. Therefore, it is obvious why his unexpected presence after 4 years of no contact would put a damper on her day, by bringing about feeling Misao would have much preferred stayed buried, and everything just went downhill from there, even though she managed to avoid speaking to Aoshi, his presence brought about feeling Misao would have much preferred stayed buried.
Shaking her head, trying to take her mind off the events of the day Misao hunched her shoulders, trying to keep as much of the rain off her body as possible, not noticing the black shadow trailing her, and quickened her steps, her warm, cozy, low-rent, apartment was now in sight, and she was eager to get inside out of rain, into a warm soothing bath, with an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's to sooth her frazzled emotions.
Daydreaming slightly she pushed any further thoughts about the day even farther from her mind, ignoring the tell-tale footsteps that were rapidly getting closer, and would surely overtake her before she got into the safe confines of her apartment. And overtake her they did, a hand came and wrapped itself around the tail end of Misao's long plait, abruptly dragging her backwards and keeping her attacker out of her limited range. Shouting, in a manner that quickly went from shock to anger, Misao tried to incapacitate her attacker, with limited success, all the while mentally cursing herself for stopping to carry her kunai she had trained with throughout school. Trying a new strategy, not aware of the other set of footsteps rapidly approaching, Misao made her body limp, as if she had lost consciousness from the exertion and waited for her attacker to come within her striking distance, something he was about to do when he was abruptly and violently lifted off his feet, left dangling in the air, and Misao's plait was forcibly taken from his grasp by, as Misao was shocked to find out once she righted herself, a furious looking Shinomori Aoshi. Growling low in his throat Aoshi shook the street-scum in his grasp and whispered in a deadly voice
"You, or any of your kind, ever touch a hair on her head again I will be forced to kill you, do you understand?" When the completely cowed man hanging in the air nodded submissively Aoshi shook him once more before tossing him off onto the street by the sidewalk, and watching him avidly until he disappeared into the dark, cold night. Then he turned his green gaze on one of the closest people in his life, taking in all of her fidgety movements and incomprehensible sounds, determined, now that she was safe to get to the bottom of her abrupt disappearance that was after all the reason he had been following her, just waiting for the opportune moment. Softening and mellowing his voice he spoke to her, much like he would speak to one of the injured animals he treated,
"Misao, are you alright?" After her reluctant, slightly suspicious nod he continued, into the questions he had been waiting four years to ask, focused entirely on her hunched, nervous form, paying no attention to the pouring rain or the cold, determined to find out what he could say to right Suzuka's words that had turned his closest friend, and secret love against him at the end of college, "Misao, what happened?" Looking up rather puzzled Misao spoke to him for the first time in four years,
"Shinomori-san, I thought that would be obvious, the crook came at me from behind and grabbed…" but that was as far as she got, because her words were cut off by the devastated look on Aoshi's face, after the shock had worn off, and she was well aware of why it was there, she had called him Shinomori-san, something she hadn't called him since the first day of school they had together all those many years ago, she always called him Aoshi-sama, her very own nickname for him. Shutting her eyes she mentally hit herself for such a low blow, she was well aware that Suzuka's words all those years ago had been lies made up to push them apart, and she shouldn't take it out on Aoshi, but to Misao they had a ring of truth to them.
"He'll never want such a tomboy as you Makimachi, he needs a real woman like myself. Besides, what can you offer him, you don't have any family to speak of, you live in a orphanage and often have to work through school just to assure you have enough money to keep that roof over your head, there's no way someone sophisticated as my Aoshi would have anything to do with street-trash like you except out of pity." Shaking her head to rid herself of the phantom voice of the past Misao raised her eyes to Aoshi's, her blue eyes filled with self-contempt, and whimpered out
"I'm sorry Aoshi-sama, I didn't mean it, it's just..." Aoshi's eyes softened a little, the hurt dissipating, and he walked the last few steps toward Misao, bringing her into a tight embrace, something very out of character for Aoshi and telling Misao to how much he wanted to comfort her, to make things like they used to be, and whispered comfortingly into her ear,
"It's alright Misao, Himura overheard what Sazuka said and told me as soon as he could, but before I could come convince you otherwise you had already disappeared and I hadn't found a trace of you until I saw you today in that restaurant, although I should have figured, you were always fascinated by my love of green tea, and only you would make a restaurant with only green tea on the beverage list. But Misao, everything Sazuka said is untrue, I didn't become friends with you, nor did I grow to love you, because of pity, you genuinely complimented me, we're the perfect match." Sighing softly Misao burrowed farther into her Aoshi-sama's embrace, her fears finally being laid to rest just by hearing him say the words she needed to hear,
"Thank you Aoshi-sama. I needed to hear that." And somewhat mischievously that was all she said, purposefully ignoring his subtle declaration of love, waiting expectantly for him to push her away slightly and look down at her with an expectant, miffed look, which he did, before giggling a little, her spirited, cheerful self finally being revived by her Aoshi-sama's presence, and whispering out
"Oh right, I love you too Aoshi-sama." And she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips, pleased to find that he still tasted like the green tea she had prepared for him a little over an hour earlier, and even more pleased to find that Aoshi eagerly responded to her advances, obviously fully intent on making up for the past four years as quickly as possible.
Apparently green tea is not only good for your body; it is good for your soul as well.
A/N: Well…I'm not really sure that makes any sense to anyone but me, I'm not even sure it makes sense to me, but at least I finished it…and it was at least good practice to write about someone else, maybe I'll do it more often if I get positive reviews on this. Anyway, y'all know the drill, REVIEW, suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism are loved!