: Shutterbug :
by Shadow of Illusion
Summary: She loved watching the smiles and laughter from behind the lens. Loved the way a press of a button could forever seal that moment – steal it from time and they'd be forever happy. She simply never imagined it would happen to her eventually. MisaoxAoshi
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Wouldn't be worth your trouble, anyway - I assure you.
WARNING!: Um, time-skipping involved. But that hardly seems to necessitate a warning label.
Brief A/N: The Army simply hasn't allotted me enough time to write. Or the will to write, as the case may be. But here's another fluffy AoshixMisao story! Please do enjoy!
:: xoxoxo ::
(2 Months Ago)
Click. She danced around, capturing moments of life to be forever frozen on a glossy sheet of paper. She loved watching the smiles and laughter from behind the lens. Loved the way a press of a button could forever seal that moment – steal it from time and they'd be forever happy. She shifted, rocking back on her heels and swaying just a hair to get the perfect angle.
Click.
There was nothing more rewarding to her job, Misao mused as she located the bride's parents and snapped a few shots, then to see the happy, and often tearful, expressions of the photographs' recipients. Having them praise her work only served as a perk. A nice little ego boost.
She grinned as she spotted the best man do an impression of the besotted groom. Captured his antics. Oh yeah, life was good.
"Misao!"
She turned, beaming at the voice. "Hey, rooster-head! How's it going?"
The man grinned, toothpick dangling from his lips as he reached forward to ruffle her hair. Misao squawked in protest, hurriedly fixing the errant strands. "Pretty good, pretty good. Didn't realize you'd be the wedding photographer."
She shrugged. "It was a last minute deal."
"I heard you were booked this entire month." His chocolate eyes narrowed thoughtfully, scanning hers.
"They're good friends, couldn't let 'em down, you know?" Misao grinned widely as a waiter came by, loaded with champagne glasses. "Besides, I'd be missing out on free champagne and cake!"
"Good point." He snagged a glass too as the man passed.
She angled the lens at the groom's grandparents, who were currently laughing over something amusing. "How about you, Sano? Thought you'd still be out of town."
"Eh," he shrugged. "Got stuff taken care of sooner than I'd thought."
"Cool, good for you."
Sano followed her, winding in and out of the flood of guests. Watched as she busily captured more moments with her camera. "Speaking of business stuff..."
She glanced over her shoulder, brow quirking upwards. "Yeah?"
"I dragged my new partner out here with me. The bastard doesn't get out much, figured it'd do him some good."
Misao was only half-listening as she zoomed in on the ring-bearer, an adorable boy of seven, stuffing a fistful of cookies in his mouth. That was a good shot. She hummed a noise of agreement.
"But he's acting like a damn wallflower." Sano groaned and shoved a hand through his long, spiky chestnut hair. "Doesn't want to talk to anyone."
She hummed again, and snapped a few more shots before turning to him. "Smile!" Click.
He frowned at her. "I'm not the one who needs to smile here." At her upraised brow, he pointed across the room. "He does."
Misao pivoted to follow his finger. She narrowed her eyes speculatively. Sano was right. The man he was pointing at looked like he'd rather swallow poison than be here. Her camera rose automatically, zoomed, and captured.
He was absolutely gorgeous, she noted, and pleasantly photogenic. Too bad he looked like a sourpuss. She grinned, reading Sano's expression. Yeah, she'd help him fix that. No problem.
"No worries, Sano. I'll take care of your Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Brooding."
"'Preciate it." He saluted her with his nearly empty glass of champagne before wandering off. Misao watched him go with narrowed eyes. If he dared to flirt with all the attendants again... She shrugged, and figured she'd hear about it later from Megumi, in any case.
"Alrighty, Mr. McBroody, Misao Makimachi's gonna work her magic." Ducking an oncoming tray of finger-food, she wove her way through the party. He was taller than Sano, she realized as she neared him. She was going to start a donation one of these days: Inches to Short Persons. Namely her.
"Hiya!" She beamed up at him, and held up her camera for his inspection. He inclined his head to look down at her, dark bangs swinging forward to nearly hide narrow ice-blue orbs. Her fingers itched to photograph him. "I'm the wedding photographer!"
Face remaining impassive, he nodded once to acknowledge her words. She stared at him, curiosity demanding information. She stuck her hand out, pasting a million-watt smile on her face. "Misao Makimachi. You?"
His frosty gaze slipped from her face to her hand, and she nearly withdrew it. Seconds passed before he grasped her hand in his larger one and shook once, firmly. At least he had that going for him, she mused. She hated limp, jellyfish handshakes.
"Aoshi Shinomori."
She cocked her head, almost missing the quiet words due to the surrounding noise. Maybe he was just shy? No, she mused as she studied his aristocratic face. Definitely not shy. Just didn't want to bother with the masses.
Well, that was perfectly fine with her. Misao Makimachi was only one person after all, not to be included in said masses. She grinned again. "Nice to meet you."
He inclined his head once more.
Misao opened her mouth, determined to pull the man out of his shell when the bride rushed up in a mass of sparkling satin and tulle. "Oh, Ms. Makimachi! We're ready for the couple shots now! I know I told you we'd only be five minutes, but we just got talking and lost track of time."
Misao nodded and smiled, the woman's chatter slipping in one ear and out the other as she allowed the bride to lead her away. She glanced back, just once. And locked eyes with Aoshi Shinomori. She grinned and waved before she looked forward, readying her camera for the next hour's work.
:: xoxoxo ::
(1 Month and 2 Weeks Ago)
Misao groaned as her alarm clock and cell rang shrilly, within seconds of the other. She reached blindly for the clock and groaned again to discover it was just out of arm's reach. Blearily, she opened her eyes. Neon green numbers reading off a god-forsaken hour glowed against the small, black backdrop.
She slid sideways, batted at the clock and missed. Grumbling, she shifted more and swiped harder. Yelping as the momentum tipped her off the bed, Misao landed on the hardwood floor in a tangle of sheets and her comforter.
Just Dance continued to blare from her phone. And the alarm continued to shrill her wake-up call. A steady stream of curses directed towards ignorant people and the stupidity of alarm clocks rolled off her tongue. The bright pink rabbit sitting on an orange and white polka-dot carrot smiled winningly down at her from the bedside table, black plastic eyes winking merrily in the light pouring through her open window.
She sat up and finally clicked off the alarm. A chirping sound now issued from her cell, signaling voice mail. Misao rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Dragging herself upwards, using the bed for assistance, she sleepily staggered towards her phone. It lay innocently on the dresser, the slim pink surface cheerful against the dark wood.
Misao picked it up, flipping it open to reveal the caller. She groaned and slapped a palm to her face. What did her grandfather want at this hour? Much as she loved him, she wasn't quite up to his early morning hours anymore. She pressed a few buttons and clicked speakerphone. Setting it down, she selected her outfit and began dressing.
"Misao?"
"Hey, Gramps! What's up?"
A clicking sound emitted from the other line, like teacups being rattled. She smiled, imagining the Aoi-Ya being set up for customers. She almost missed working in the family restaurant. Almost.
"Ah, nothing much, m'dear. Just getting ready for the weekend. You know how that goes." They shared a chuckle. The weekends were most definitely the busiest time of the week. It seemed everyone loved to stop by then.
"Speaking of the weekend, you planning on visiting anytime soon? I'm not getting any younger, I'll have you know."
Misao blew a raspberry. "Not getting any older either, the way you carry on."
A long, indignant sniff sounded over the speaker. "No respect these days. Shame, really. You used to be such a cute kid."
She laughed. "That before or after I was a terror?"
Jiya chuckled. "Didn't say how you acted, now did I?"
"It was implied, Gramps. Cute's usually used for both deals."
He snorted. "Keep telling yourself that. But actually, we've been renovating the place, and were hoping you'd come down and take some shots for the site your aunt's got up."
Misao tugged her loose hair into three orderly plaits and began weaving. "Sure! I'd love to do that! It'll cost ya though."
Again, Jiya snorted. "We'll make sure you're fed while you're down here, missy."
"Better!" She chirped, winding an elastic around the end of her waist-length braid.
"Got an opening any time soon?"
She frowned, mentally going over her calendar of activities. "Actually, I have some free time later today. I'll just hop the shuttle after I finish this morning's consultation."
"Excellent! I'll tell everybody you're coming."
She grinned. "Awesome, catch you later then!"
:: xoxoxo ::
The morning hours flew by. Fortunately, the new couple-to-be already had a general idea of what package they wanted, and thus made the consultation a speedy process. She grinned as she recalled the two. Definitely a cute couple. Their's would be a fun wedding to do.
She hailed a taxi and arrived at the Aoi-Ya by late that afternoon. Still enough good light for the shots they wanted done. As the cabby parked, she handed him a couple of bills and told him to keep the change. Stepping out, she took the protective cover off her lens and lifted. The outside had changed a little bit. It was fresher, newer, but still kept that welcoming aura that she had grown up with.
She clicked once, twice. Happy faces coming out, eager faces going in. That one would be a winner, unless she missed her mark. She slipped inside, the scent making her mouth water and stomach growl plaintively from the entrance. Okon spotted her first, and rushed over, dark eyes full of smiles to see her.
"Misao! Glad you could come by!"
She grinned and held up her camera. "I'm gonna wander around, take some shots."
"We expanded the dining space mostly. And the kitchen area." She beamed as she studied the restaurant with pride. "It turned out great."
"Totally did." She caught a customer with his mouth full and laughed. "Miss this place."
"We miss you too," Okon assured her. "I've gotta get back, but let someone know when you're done and ready to eat."
"Will do!" Misao saluted with her camera before winding her way through the packed space. There was always a comfortable atmosphere here. She paused every now and again to angle herself and snap more shots. She wanted to convey that warmth, the hospitality that Aoi-Ya was known for.
Which, she granted, was fairly easy to do.
She stopped by the kitchen for a moment, to meet, greet, and take some more pictures before her stomach decided that enough was enough. One of the new girls shyly led her to a table and handed her a menu before darting off to check on her other tables.
Misao studied the menu, even though she had it basically memorized. She decided to stick with her usual. Folding up the menu, she placed it back on the table and glanced around the room. People were packed, smiling, laughing, and joking over their meals. She grinned at it all, and rested her chin on her fists.
Definitely a great atmosphere.
"Hey, m'girl!"
"Gramps!" She beamed as the old man tackled her in a fierce hug. "The place looks awesome! I got some great shots."
"That's good, very good." He beamed equally as he slid into the seat opposite her. "Oh, I have another favor to ask."
"What?"
"Got a reporter here. Your friends Sano and Kenshin talked up the place, I hear, so he's writing a piece on us to include in his column on the local color. Mind if I set him here? Place is packed, and you've got the only available table. Maybe you could talk him up about the place too, while you're at it." He winked.
"Why not?" The waitress came by, and Misao ordered. "Don't mind at all."
"Good." He grinned and stood up, tugging at the tips of his long white mustache. "I'll talk to you later, when it's not so busy."
"Gotcha!" She waved as the elderly man disappeared back into the kitchens. She stared daggers at his back, wondering what the old goat was up to.
Moments later, the waitress came by with her sake and a man trailing in her wake. Misao stared for a moment, blue eyes wide before she smiled widely. "Hey, we meet again!"
Aoshi Shinomori nodded, removing his dark trench coat before sliding into the seat Jiya had recently vacated. "Indeed."
"You're a reporter?"
He picked up the menu, flipped it open, then looked at her over it. "Journalist."
She grinned, the old man was most decidedly forgiven, "Very nice." As were his velvety dulcet tones. She wanted to coax a sentence out of him, just to hear him talk. "You like it?"
He nodded briefly, ice-blue eyes scanning the menu.
"You're friends with Sanosuke, right?"
He looked at her and placed the menu down, folding his hands together. She admired his long fingers for a second before locking her gaze back on his face. Misao grinned as his brow quirked faintly upwards. "Guess that's stretching it a bit, huh?"
She passed the next fifteen minutes cajoling one-word responses out of him, coaxing a flash of humor or appreciation of her wit every so often. The man made her work, but it felt worth it.
Their food came, and she dug in with a vengeance. And blushed as she caught a flicker of surprise in his gaze. "Haven't really eaten all day," she explained. His brow remained just the slightest fraction upwards. "I just lose track of time, and forget about eating." She smiled. "That's okay though, I have friends who bring me food, 'cause they know I'm bad about it."
Aoshi sat back in his chair and studied her intently. She wondered what he was thinking, and hoped she hadn't scared him off with all her chatter.
"You're a wedding photographer, correct?"
"Hm? Yeah, that's right. But I dabble with other stuff too. It's more fun to not have to stick to just one thing, you know?"
He studied her for a moment longer. "Do you have any openings for next month?"
Misao stared at him, felt her heart drop a little. Uh-oh. Swallowing a shot of her sake, she let the warmth pool in her stomach for a moment. "Yeah, actually. Why, you getting married then?" She tried to smile normally.
His eyes flickered with the barest ghost of humor. "No. My cousin is. Her photographer canceled, and she is attempting to find a replacement."
She couldn't help with wide smile that threatened to stretch from ear-to-ear. Her heart did flip-flops excitedly. Still single! "Oh wow, that sucks. But I might have something open! Lemme check..." She grabbed her bright yellow purse and rifled through it, found her Blackberry. A couple of clicks later showed she had two weeks straight of nothing to do. Forget the fact one of the weeks was her planned vacation.
Misao beamed at him. "So, when's the wedding?"
:: xoxoxo ::
(3 Weeks Ago)
Between his schedule and hers, Misao couldn't seem to find time to accidentally bump into Aoshi beyond the original consultation she'd had with him and the couple. But, she reasoned, that was okay because tomorrow was his cousin's wedding, and she'd have ample opportunity there. She hummed happily to herself, and danced around her bedroom.
Tomorrow she'd see Mr. McBroody and apply the old Makimachi charm. That was bound to make him open up. She pumped a fist in the air, excited at the thought.
:: xoxoxo ::
She was up before her alarm that next morning, eager to get on with the day. An off-key rendition of Don't Cha echoed through her room as she dressed. Yep, today was definitely going to be a good day. Misao grinned as she swiped on mascara. Her coffee, three teaspoons of sugar and a lot of creamer, only served to further amplify her energy levels.
Collecting her gear, she hauled the heavier bag out to her car first, then followed it with the lighter ones containing her props. Wiping her hands on her dark dress slacks, she tugged at the crisp white mandarin collar of her blouse to straighten it.
Feeling ready to take on the world, she plugged in her Garmin and took off
A half-hour later had her arriving on time to the pre-wedding setup. She parked, turned off the ignition, and hopped out to have a look around. She loved showing up super-early. That's when a lot of the best, most candid, shots were to be had.
Her shutter clicked busily as she made her way around.
"Misao."
She glanced up, and beamed widely. Aoshi looked striking as always, but he had gone out of his way to dress it up for the wedding. She noted the way the dark suit and crisp white shirt clung to his lean outline. Then snapped herself out of it. She could drool later.
"Smile!" Click.
He stared down at her, and Misao swore she could see a faint trace of amusement lurking in the twin icy depths. "You look great," she grinned and lifted the camera again.
Aoshi cleared his throat. She paused and cocked her head. "What's up?"
"The bride." He gestured behind her.
"Where? Oh, hi! You look amazing!" She angled the camera and caught a look of surprised delight. Awesome.
"I'm not even in my dress yet," the woman fiddled with the hem of her rose-colored shirt.
"Doesn't matter." Misao linked her arm with hers. "You look gorgeous anyway. Right, Aoshi?"
He nodded in acquiescence to her declaration. The bride smiled, delight on her face. "I'm going to follow you to the dressing room, get some pictures there too."
"Sound wonderful."
Misao turned and waved. "See you later!" She turned to his cousin as they entered the building, "It was Kara, right?"
Kara nodded, turning a corner to her room. "That's right. You have a good memory, Ms. Makimachi."
"Just Misao works." She gasped as she saw the dress. "Wow! What a stunner!" She turned to grin at Kara. "He's gonna be knocked out by that!"
She smiled shyly. "That was the idea."
As the mother of the bride and other female relatives and friends entered, Misao made herself busy, catching all the memories she could. She slipped from the room to let them have a moment, and searched for the groom.
The scent of cigarettes led her to the groom's area. She knocked loudly on the closed door. A younger male opened it, surprise on his face to see her. "Who're you?"
"Wedding photographer," she chirped. "Mind letting me in?"
"Go ahead," he stepped aside to let her enter.
She busily snapped a few shots of the groom and his best man, then a few group shots of everyone. She let them think she was done, let them ease themselves back into a comfortable, relaxed status before taking a few more shots. One of them grinned, winked at her. She smiled and waved before leaving.
So far, so good.
She turned down another hallway that she knew led to the outside. In twenty minutes, the bride would walk down the aisle. She had some time to kill before then. Humming a random snatch of a song, she admired the flowers and various displays of food arrangements.
She stole a pastry and sneaked off to the nearby gardens, feeling for all the world like a naughty child. Grinning as she bit into it, she nearly spat it out again as she missed her footing on an uneven knoll. Misao wobbled for one heart-stopping moment before landing backwards firmly on her rear. A muffled yelp escaped her as she landed.
Taking a deep breath, she looked around. Thank goodness she was wearing black pants. No grass stains could tell on her. Hair prickled on the back of her neck. Tilting her head back, she groaned inwardly.
Of course he would see her awkward display.
The tiniest of smirks curled at his thin lips. Her own tugged upwards in a crooked smile. "Hi."
He walked over to where she sat, and took a seat by her, long legs stretching out on the lawn.
"So, you never saw that. Got it? Totally never happened."
"...Saw what?"
"Exactly!" She beamed at him, pleased by his response. The music began and she checked her watch. "Uh-oh, five minute warning. I'll see you later!" She hopped up and made her way over to the seating area, taking care to not trip over anything. Especially since she knew he was following.
She watched as he took a seat before she circled around the area. Finding the best spot to capture the bride's entrance, she lifted her camera.
:: xoxoxo ::
(Last Week)
After the incident at Kara's wedding, Misao felt that they had bonded a little more. A few nights out per week since then only escalated that. She grinned and looked at her office calendar. Tonight was one of those nights. A thick, bold circle of red highlighted it. As with all the other days Aoshi had invited her out, or she had planned something for them.
She sighed and kicked back in her chair. Life was going good.
Tonight they were going to that new little bistro that had opened up near his work. Her cell rang loudly, disturbing her moment of blissful thinking. She sighed, swung her pump-clad feet to the floor and reached for it.
"What, rooster-head?"
"Just checking up on you, weasel-girl."
"Uh-huh." She drawled out the sounds, unconvinced.
"All right, busted. Got it. I heard you and Shinomori were together?"
She couldn't help the grin that stretched her lips. "Yep!" Then worry tugged naggingly at her. "Why, something up?"
"No, nothing. Just wondering."
"No dice, rooster-head. You can't just call me to ask something like that, then expect to skate free." She tapped her nails in a staccato on her desktop.
"Well..."
"Well?"
"I just wanted to know why he dragged me to a jewelry shop, that's all."
"Oh. Oh! Oh...!"
"Hey, don't get all upset there, weasel-girl!"
"I'm not! I'm totally excited! That's awesome, thanks for telling me, Sano!"
"Wait a sec... Misao?"
She leaned back in her chair and beamed at the brightly colored painting gracing the opposite side of the room. "Thanks again, Sano! I totally owe you one!"
"Wait a second, Misao, I think we're not talking the same thing here."
Misao fiddled with papers on her desk, shuffling them into various folders. "So, that would totally explain this bistro and the flowers and, oh, wow!"
"Misao!"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, Sano. Got a little carried away there, huh? Hey, I gotta run and get ready, I'll call you later!"
"Wait!"
She snapped the phone closed, stuffed the folders into reasonably proper spots, and darted out the door, only pausing long enough to lock it behind her. Her heart beat wildly. Her Aoshi was going to propose tonight!
Taking extra care with her hair, clothes, and makeup set her back a few minutes. Misao studied her watch and shrugged. She'd still be on time. She'd just floor it.
Her heart raced as she pulled up to the bistro. Wiping her palms off on her baby blue dress, she opened the door and walked in, five minutes early. Aoshi rose from his seat near the front desk. She smiled up at him, appreciating the way his eyes glinted at her outfit. She spun happily, a quick twirl for his approval. "What d'ya think?"
His eyes roved her form. She had bought a clingy but fun short dress, the kind with a short enough skirt to show off toned legs but stay cute at the same time. "You look nice."
Misao beamed at his praise. "Thanks! So do you!" She loved the way his dark sweater clung to his muscles, and the slate-gray dress slacks suited his tall, lean form.
As they were shown to a table in the back, she admired the tall white candle on their table, and the tiny little containers filled with water and rose petals. "This place is so cool!"
Aoshi nodded in silent agreement.
She fidgeted while the waiter brought them water and menus. It was so hard to wait. She hadn't realized that it would be this hard to wait being proposed to. After they ordered, Misao amused herself by playing with the rose petals, watching them bob up and down in the little dish.
"Misao...?"
She looked up, eyes wide, pulse throbbing.
"Your birthday is tomorrow." A statement that almost made it to a question. She swallowed and nodded.
"I won't be here then."
Misao nodded again. "Okay, no worries. You're here tonight, aren't you?"
His eyes warmed slightly, the candlelight danced entrancingly across the twin depths. "Which is why I wish to give this to you now."
Oh, wow. Here it comes. She felt slightly light-headed. But she was ready, so ready!
He took a small velvet case out of his pocket and handed it to her. She eagerly took it, and opened the case. Her heart nearly stopped. She swallowed heavily, as her heart suddenly turned to lead and sank to her stomach.
Nestled on the velvet insert were a pair of gorgeous sapphire earrings. Earrings. Her smile was wobbly as she looked at him. "These are gorgeous, Aoshi! Thanks so much!"
Worry tinted his eyes. "You don't like it."
She swallowed, shook herself inwardly, and laughed more naturally. "That's not it at all! Don't be stupid." She wiped at her swimming eyes and sniffed. "I just can't believe you remembered, that's all. And doing something like this." She gestured grandly at their surroundings. "It's just really nice, and I'm being a crazy female."
He relaxed outwardly, taking that as a plausible reason for her odd reaction.
She grinned at him, heart breaking a little as she twined her tiny fingers with his. "Thank you, Aoshi. I mean it."
:: xoxoxo ::
(Present)
Misao rubbed at her aching head. At least she had her prints done. It was time to find something sugary to eat and refuel before she tried working on anything else.
A knock sounded on her door. "Come in!" She fished a few files out of one folder, studied them, and pushed them into another.
"Sanosuke informed me of your misconception."
She blushed heavily and couldn't meet Aoshi's gaze. "Yeah, pretty stupid of me, right?" Her hands twisted in the thin fabric of her sweater, the pale cream stretching under the pressure.
Aoshi moved around her desk and took her hands, gently pried the fabric out of their grasp, and engulfed them in his as he knelt down to be level with her. "I hadn't thought about such a thing until then."
Misao swallowed the hard lump in her throat and fought back tears. "Kinda figured after that." She grinned, the smile lopsided.
He frowned at her. "You misunderstand me, Misao. I had thought that you would need more time before I could consider proposing."
"What?" She stared at him, confusion plastered across her face.
"Your business." His eyes bored into hers. "You are a successful young woman. I was not sure if you would want to trade your free time for me. For a family, eventually."
Her mouth dropped open. She felt like a goldfish gasping for air as she tried to get her mouth to work. "What?" she repeated again dumbly.
"I want you in my life." His words were quiet, a velvet balm that made all the hurt from the past week disappear into thin air. "I want a family with you."
"Seriously?" Misao's eyes widened before they narrowed with tears. "Seriously...?"
His hands tightened around hers as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Seriously."
She sniffled loudly and threw herself into his arms. A quiet chuckle reverberated in his chest. Misao glared up at him. "Not funny!"
His brow quirked upwards faintly, amusement glittering in his eyes.
"Okay, maybe it is. Just a little."
:: xoxoxo ::
A/N: Finally finished something! But anyway, as always, comments and critiques are very much loved and appreciated! Please review and let me know what you think!