Ohayou!
As I'm currently re-watching the Rurouni Kenshin series, I decided that I'd write a small Aoshi x Misao fan fiction as well. After all, the tall dark handsome stranger is not to be forgotten, ne?
I was inspired by Episode 42, 67 and 89 in the Kenshin Series, due to the emotional scenes between them. The time line is definitely messed with, characters may be ooc, and I'm adding and re-writing the story a bit too! *Smiles smugly*
So... anywhoooo! =^_^=
(Oh and by the way, Mood Music: 'Starless' from Rurouni Kenshin OST 2!)
Domo arigato gozaimasu for finding your way in here! And now for the disclaimer.
Disclaimer!
I do not own a single character from Rurouni Kenshin, Except the ones I make up, and in which case, I'll write about here!
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~*To earn her forgiveness.*~
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Misao looked out over Tokyo as she settled on the roof of the Kamiya Dojo. The stars sparkled like diamonds each and every one of them. A soft breeze caught the strands of her hair and she sighed deeply.
She had needed a break from it all. From him. Aoshi Shinomori. Everybody had welcomed him back, after Himuras brush with death. She was happy to see that he was alive, as they walked up to the Aoiya that night. Beaten to a pulp each and every one of them...
But still she couldn't quite feel the same joy as the others could, Since she couldn't forget his words.
"Get lost. Never show your face in front of me again."
She lowered her gaze and closed her eyes. To this very day her heart ached at his words, still echoing in her mind. He hadn't even taken the time to apologize to her. He had actually hardly shared one look with her ever since coming back.
Coming back to the Aoiya, Aoshi had mostly spent his time meditating. She had brought him tea every day, trying to cheer him up. Useless. Just as he saw her. She understood that he needed time to grieve, but his face...The sadness it held... It was just too much.
So she wrote a letter one night, telling the Okina that she had traveled to Tokyo to visit Himura and Kaoru-san. She had been there nearly a month and a half now, and still she hadn't heard from anyone, not a message, nothing.
'I'm sure they're fine. And Aoshi-sama is...Aoshi-sama is...' She whimpered and let a small tear slid down her cheek. She raised her hand and slowly wiped it away.
'They're all fine. Mou..I should really get some sleep.'
She stretched her legs and stood up. In a swift jump she landed on the ground beneath her and began slowly walking back in to the dojo. She walked up the small stairs and in to her room. Even as she settled in her futon, she knew just by staring at the ceiling, that tonight would be another one of the endless ones where she'd end up thinking about him until she fell asleep from exhaustion. As she slowly began to succumb to sleep she clenched her covers and whispered:
"Aoshi-sama..." With tears in her eyes as she finally closed them.
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She thought she heard someone distantly. Then the voice of Yahiko woke her up.
"Oi! Drag your ass out of bed! Kaoru promised me that you'd be my sparring partner today!"
Misao yawned and sat up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Clearly she hadn't gotten anywhere near enough sleep last night.
"Mou...! It's too early...!"
He opened the shoji and busted in on her as she rose to her feet.
"Then you should..."
She screamed from the top of her lungs:
"Gyaaaaaaah! Yahiko no hentai!"
He looked at her quickly. Uh-oh. She wasn't dressed properly. Misao grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. Then her covers... And then a shoe, that hit him in the back of his head.
"O-o-oi! Misao...!"
"Get back here you...!"
"Su-su-sumimaseeeeeen!" he yelled as he ran through the hallway and out to the courtyard.
She sighed heavily and adjusted her clothing. Then she jumped a little, startled by Kenshins voice behind her.
"Ano, Misao-dono, If you stopped spending your nights on the roof, this one thinks you probably could get some sleep, that he does." He smiled at her softly.
She sighed and looked at him with a sheepish smile.
"I had a feeling you knew about that."
"Sessha is a light sleeper."
"Mm." She nodded.
"Get dressed and come out for breakfast."
"Hai Himura!" She smirked and closed the shoji again.
As she entered the kitchen, Yahiko and Sano fought for breakfast as usual.
"Yahiko, stop it!" Kaoru said.
"There's enough for Sanosuke as well!".
He chewed of a large chunk of his breakfast and replied her with a mouthful:
"But not if you're eating too, Ne Kaoru? You could really loose a few pounds..!"
A nerve in Kaorus forehead began ticking.
"YaHiKo...!" Kaoru seethed with rage.
"Buuuuusu!" he said and grinned. Kenshin raised his hands in an attempt to stop them, but it was futile.
"Maa maa, Yahiko!" Kenshin said and sweat dropped.
"Bakaaaa!" she screamed and hit him over the head. Yahiko plunged to the floor, hitting his face in the table on the way down. Kenshin was about to speak, but suddenly he felt another ki outside the dojo. He stood up and grabbed the sakabatô. Misao looked up at him and followed his gaze.
*Knock Knock*
Kaoru got on her feet and opened the door. Two women were standing outside, she recognized them as part of the Aoiya in Kyoto.
"Hai? Oh you are from Kyoto! Welcome!" She smiled.
"Hai! Ohayou! Uhm...Is Misao-chan here?"
That voice! Misao brushed past Kaoru in a rush.
"Omasu! Ochika-san!" She grinned.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"We came to bring you back! Okina sent us!" They smiled.
"Oh the two of you came to pick her up?" Kaoru said surprised.
"No, we're not alone!" Omasu smiled smugly and took a step back.
Misaos eyes widened in surprise. In front of her stood the very one and only, Aoshi.
"Oh, You came to pick Misao up, that you did Aoshi?" Kenshin asked him.
"Okina is worried." He said plainly and gave her a letter. She read it and crumpled it up as she was done.
"That old geezer!" She couldn't believe him!
"Let me see!" Yahiko said taking the letter from her hand.
"My darling angel Misao..." He started laughing.
Misao didn't. She couldn't. She looked at him, still frozen in shock. Then her face was struck with sadness. Everyone around her faded out as she looked down.
"Iie." She suddenly said.
"Nani?"
"Iie! I'm not going back!" She yelled as she turned and ran, leaving him behind her.
'Damn...! Damn...! Damn him!' She thought and jumped on to the roof and in to the forest.
"Misao!"
"Misao-chan!"
Aoshi sighed heavily and looked at the smiling Kenshin.
"This one thinks that we probably should drink some tea Aoshi, that he does..."
He nodded and quietly followed him in to the dojo.
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Misao ran until her legs couldn't carry her any more, then she sat down in the grass beneath her.
'Why was he there? Was he only there because Okina told him to? Surely he wouldn't go such lengths for me.' she thought
She fidgeted with the seam of her uniform. Exhausted and irritated she let out a frustrated growl and threw herself backwards and quietly looked up at the endless blue sky.
'It won't matter why he's here. I know how he feels. Sure I can accompany them to Kyoto. But after that things would just be the same!'
Misao closed her eyes.
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Aoshi stared at his cup of tea. His emotions was stirring inside of him.
"Aoshi, so you really came for Misao?" Kenshin asked and took a sip.
"Hai."
"I...I volunteered."
Kenshin laughed.
"You should tell her, that you should."
He didn't respond. Then he closed his eyes and said low:
"She ran away."
"From you..?"
"From the Aoiya."
"Iie, from you Aoshi."
His eyes widened at his words.
"Only you know why. Misao-dono won't tell me, but I can tell that she is quite upset. She is far away from the girl I met in the outskirts of Kyoto, that she is."
Aoshi put his cup down. He did know why...
-*Flashback*-
Aoshi straightened himself up and saw her come in, a relieved look on her face. Then Okina collapsed to the ground, clearly beaten. Misao stiffened in horror.
"Nan de, Aoshi-sama...?" She whispered.
He turned to her and took a step and brushed pasted her frozen features. As he walked through the door, he felt her watching him.
"Get lost."
"Aosh...Aoshi-sama!" she cried out.
"Never show your face in front of me again."
He could hear her heart break as he walked away, but at the time he couldn't care about that. Or her.
-*End*-
"I...I have to talk to her."
"Then you should find her."
He nodded and rose to his feet. He wouldn't know where to go, but he had always been good at finding her. They used to play hide and seek a lot when they where younger, and he could always read her like an open book. He turned to Kenshin before he left.
"Arigato Himura."
Kenshin nodded happily and started to clean up after the two of them as Aoshi walked away. Surely Aoshi had to see that Misao was no longer a child?
She was a woman. And she had feelings for him that only a grown woman could have... He smiled. Love was a funny thing.
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Misao sat up and decided to go back. She had blown off enough steam to be able to be in the same room as him.
As she turned around he stood before her. His green eyes daring hers to look him in the eyes.
"Aoshi-sa... Aoshi, what are you doing here?"
He groaned inwardly as she purposely dropped the '-sama.' Then he simply said:
"I came for you"
She simply shook her head.
"No you were sent here for me."
He smiled. She hadn't expected that at all.
"Misao. Sit down and talk to me."
She sighed and did as told.
"Arigato...for taking care of me in Kyoto. I... didn't deserve that."
She didn't honor him with a reply, or a look. Keeping a sturdy stare into the ground she as she bit her tongue.
"It's long overdue, Misao, ano... Sumimasen. For everything." He said hesitantly.
She jerked her head up.
"Honto ni Aoshi? Do you even know the damage you caused..?"
Tears gathered in those beautiful eyes of hers.
"You...you broke my heart...!" she whispered painfully slow.
"You left me alone. You took everyone in the Oniwabanshuu, and left me. I... trained to be strong enough for you to one day want me by your side, fighting the enemy. When I ran into Himura and he recognized your name, I was ecstatic! Ano... when I found you and Jii-san..." She shook her head.
"You completely destroyed each and everyone of my dreams. You can say you're sorry, but forgiveness is something you earn! And from where I'm standing Aoshi-sama You haven't even tried."
"Misao..."
"Iie. I'll go with you to Kyoto, Since Jii-san misses me. But if you truly want to be my friend, you'll have to do better than this!" She turned to leave. Aoshi walked behind her in silence.
She was right. What he had done... He could understand her. Ever since that day they had left her with Okina, he had missed her. Her laughter, The sound of her voice...everything. The day he saw her again, he had realized a love for her he didn't know he had. He ignored it during his time of battle with and against Shishio, but upon their return to the aoiya, He quickly realized that he couldn't do that any more. Misao had claimed his heart from the moment they met, and somehow he had to tell her, before he lost her.
He looked at her, walking infront of him. She had her fists clenched. He sighed and walked into the dojo.
"Misao-chan!" Omasu ran to her side.
"Omasu, I'll go pack my things and we can all leave tomorrow."
"Ano... H-hai..." She answered as Misao shot her a glare and disappeared down the hallway.
"Omasu." Aoshi gave her a stern look.
"You and Ochika-san leave tonight. I'll take her to Kyoto on my own."
They simply nodded.
"We were booked on the train back anyway Aoshi, take care of Misao-chan."
"Hai."
They said their farewells and left. Aoshi took a seat on the porch, hands in his knees and closed his eyes. Kenshin smiled and followed Misao and paused outside her door.
"Misao-dono..?"
"Nani?"
"You should give him a chance, that you should."
She opened the shoji, tears streaming down her face.
"I know that already, but I need some time."
He nodded.
"Ano... This one can tell you now, that the Aoshi Shinomori who came here for you, came on his own, and isn't the man you saw in battle that day."
"Mm." She lowered her gaze. He left her alone, and she debated with herself whether she should talk to him or not. She threw a quick glance at Aoshi and slowly retired to her room, to pack the last of her belongings.
Aoshi saw her slid the shoji shut behind her. He had to talk to her later, preferably when they where alone, and everyone was asleep. He sighed and looked at Himura who had emerged with laundry, who he'd begun to hang.
He needed to find his own peace, and find atonement for what he had done.
For that to even happen, Misao had to forgive him. But he couldn't even begin to figure out how that was suppose to happen. For the second time in his life he was lost in his search for answers...
But he knew that if he didn't earn her forgiveness, then nothing else mattered.
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I originally intended for this to also be a one-shot, but I'm starting to wonder if I even know how to write those!
So I decided on a two-shot.
Hope it wasn't to disappointing! ^_^
Until next time, Minna!
/Menomaru-sama.
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