Soon As Forever is Through.

Soon As Forever is Through......

by:Kristeta

"Okina,please hold on for us. You're going to get through this one I know." Omasu said as she placed another pillow under Okina's head to help him breathe easier.

"Mi---sao..... Whe--re is Mi--saooo..."Okina wheezed.

"She will be here in a while Okina,please don't talk anymore." Kuro reprimanded him.

"Dam--mit boy! What if I'm already dead by the time Misao arrives from Tokyo?"Okina wheezed loudly.

"Bring Ao---s--hi to me-ee!"he ordered.

Omasu turned and immediately left to look for Aoshi in the temple where he's always meditating. Fortunately,she didn't have to go far because Aoshi was just going through the gates of the Aoiya.

"Aoshi-sama!"

Aoshi regarded Omasu coolly.

"Aoshi-sama,Okina's asking for you. His condition is very bad!He can barely breathe! Please go to his room now." Omasu said.

Aoshi nodded wordlessly and allowed Omasu to lead the way down the wooden floors of the Aoiya. They arrived at the door of Okina's room.

Omasu paused outside the door.

"Okina, Aoshi is here." Omasu said in a low voice.

"Good . Now,leave us alone!" Okina said, his sentence ending in a hacking cough.

"Aoshi...."

"Yes, Okina?"

"I want you to do a favor for me. Grant a dying man his last wish......"

"It depends on the favor Okina."

"What I'm going to say won't take long."Okina wheezed some more.

"Well,what is it then?"

"I want you to marry Misao-chan two months after I die."

A pregnant pause. And then Aoshi's eyes widened slightly

"I beg your pardon?!" he asked, taken aback at the gravity of what Okina was asking him.

"Aoshi,I know deep inside you loved that girl even if she still acts childishly. You see Aoshi, she's almost 25 now. She's a grown woman. Please Aoshi, marry her.... I just want to make sure that Misao will be well-taken care of when I'm gone." Okina ended up in a hacking cough again.

Aoshi thought long about Okina's last wish.

"Alright Okina . I'll do it."

"Atta boy! That's the way to go... *wheeze*" Okina said breathlessly.

"Jiya!!! Jiya!!!!!" Misao yelled loudly as she entered the gates of Aoiya,ten minutes later.

"Misao-chan! Hurry up!Thank goodness you're here already!" Kuro said taking the bag Misao carried.

"Where's Jiya? Is he...." she asked with her voice trailing away, concern evident on her face.

"No he isn't. He's in his room with Aoshi. Now go!"Kuro replied.

Misao ran through the corridors of the Aoiya and paused in front of her grandfather's door. She took a deep breath before opening it.

What she saw made her jaw drop in surprise. Okina looked like a dried-up prune due to his asthma and Aoshi was kneeling next to his futon.

Aoshi can't help but stare back at Misao. She sure has matured a lot in the last two years he have not seen her. She was wearing a stunning purple kimono with a silver obi cinched at her narrow waist. Misao seems more subdued now than the bratty kid he knew before.

"Jiya!!!!" Misao cried as she dropped next to his futon.

"Misao. You're home...."Okina raised his hand to touch her face.

"No Jiya,please don't talk anymore. Save your strength and tonight I'll take you out to dinner, my treat! Just please regain your strength." Misao pleaded, holding her grandfather's hand.

"Gomen nasai Misao. I don't think I could join you for dinner tonight....." Okina said as his head lolled over to the side.

"JIYA!!!! NO!!!!!"

"Misao, I'm not yet dead."

Misao slightly sweatdropped.

"Misao, I want you to grant your Jiya one last request before he dies." Okina spoke to Misao as if she were a child again.

"Anything, Jiya!"

"Marry Aoshi two months after I'm buried."

"Jiya! Don't talk like that! You're not going to die! I'm going to take care of you, I'll take you to the temple festivals and you can go get meet girls. JIYA! YOU...... ARE...... NOT.........GOING .....TO.... DIE!"Misao said fervently .

"Misao,I want to hear you say yes,please?" Okina's wheezing was really getting bad.

Misao couldn't look at Aoshi.

"He already agreed." Okina countered.

"Alright Jiya."

"Misao, thank you. I really thank Kami-sama for giving me a granddaughter like you. You've always been my only joy. Misao, always remember I love you....." Okina said as he closed his eyes and stopped breathing altogether.

"Jiya?"

Misao shook her grandfather's shoulder.

No answer.

"Come on Jiya,stop playing jokes on 's not funny."

"It's all over Misao. Call the others."Aoshi told her calmly.

"NO!!!! HE'S NOT DEAD! Maybe his medication has just kicked in and he's just sleeping?" Misao said disbelievingly.

Aoshi left the room to go get the others to start preparing for Okina's wake and funeral.

Misao sobbed onto her grandfather's body as soon as she heard the door shut behind Aoshi.

FIVE HOURS LATER

Okon knocked on Misao's door. "Misao,I'm leaving your dinner outside your door. Please eat some dinner so that you can regain your strength. Misao? Do you hear me?"

Misao was sprawled all over her futon and was staring at the starlit night sky outside her window.

Jiya's gone. I'm all alone in the world.

Lonely. Cold .

Those words ran through Misao's head .

Weakly,she started for the door and got the tray Okon left with her dinner.

Misao lighted her lantern and nibbled on her food without tasting it.

Then she left the tray outside her door again.

Misao retreated to a corner of her room and brought her knees up to her chin and started humming to herself a song Okina taught her when she was still a kid.

It was when her tears started to flow again.

She looked up when she heard the wooden door slide.

That's strange,she thought. They are all at Okina's wake. Nobody's in here except for me. Maybe that's Jiya's ghost.......

"Jiya?"she called out weakly through her tear-soaked eyes.

"No Misao,it's just me."

Misao saw Aoshi move through her room in his silent way . He sat down beside her and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"When will you pay your respects to your grandfather?" Aoshi whispered to her.

"Tomorrow morning.I can't show up there with my eyes all red and my nose running." Misao said in a feeble attempt in smiling.

"Don't Misao. Don't be a hypocrite to yourself." Aoshi reprimanded her.

"Aoshi about what Jiya said,you don't have to do it if you don't want to."Misao said,not looking at him.

"Misao, I am a man of honor. I know what things I get myself into. I fully intend to marry you in two months. I can accept it if you don't want to go through this. I just want you to know that I'm definitely not forced into this." Aoshi said in a low voice.

Well this is just part one!!!!!

PUH-LEEZE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!

I'll be working on chapter 2 after a few days because of this curse called FINAL EXAMINATIONS.

And I need suggestions for the lemon part!!!