Diamond Rings, a rurouni kenshin fanfic

Title: Diamond Rings

Author: Mandella-sama

Summary: AxM. AU. One-shot. Aoshi is a rich business man whose priorities are skewed. What can straighten them out? What about one night late after work? Please read this I worked so hard on it.

A/N: I simply felt like writing a one shot. To Aoshi and Misao…this one's for you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I also don't own Alicia Keys' song "If I Ain't Got You".

Kyoto International……

Aoshi ruffled his hair with his hand before he signed an important looking document. Aoshi sighed and glanced at the clock. It was already ten' o'clock. He was going to be late.

"Mr. Shinomori I have some papers for you too look over. Oh and Mr. Himura is on line four and he said it was urgent." Aoshi's secretary Okon said while she filed some papers near his desk. Aoshi looked at the clock again and put al thoughts of time in the back of his mind.

"I will get on it Okon." Aoshi growled out before he threw himself headlong into his work. Okon looked around Mr. Shinomori's bleak office before she made a b-line for her desk. It was time for her to go home.

"I'll see you tomorrow Mr. Shinomori. It is getting late and I have a date." This caught Aoshi's attention.

"With?"

"Don't worry it isn't with that bastard Kuro again. Nope I managed to wrangle a date out of Mr. Seijuro. You know from accounting. Anyway have a nice night and don't forget Miss Misao left you a message on line one." With that Okon left the office with determination in her stride. Aoshi waved his hand at her retreating body and then answered line four.

"Himura."

"AH Aoshi. How are you this fine night?"

The Dark Room a club…….

Misao stared at her reflection in her large vanity mirror. She was putting her normally braided hair into a beautiful arrangement on the top of her head.

"Oh Misao you look wonderful!" Misao smiled at Nao who was busy running around backstage putting props up where they were supposed to be. Nao was also in charge of making sure the band was ready.

"Don't I always, Nao?"

"I know but tonight you seem to be shinning. Is HE coming?"

"No I don't think so. I told him not to." Misao sighed and then stared on her eyes with make-up. No he wasn't coming. He would never come.

Kyoto International……

"I am fine Kenshin. Why did you call?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you got my latest specs on the Oniwban building in downtown Kyoto." Aoshi searched through his straight papers and found the specs.

"They seem to be in order." He could hear Kenshin's retarded smile even through the phone as the red head spoke once more.

"Are you going to go see-"

"I shall speak to you later Himura." With that said Aoshi hung up the phone and went back to work. He worked steadily till about eleven at night. Aoshi signed his last piece of important paper and began to pack up to go home. It was only then that he noticed a blinking light on his phone. Aoshi pressed a few buttons and got to his voice mail.

"Don't forget. BEEP." Aoshi hung up the phone and put his head into his hands. He had forgotten. Groaning he picked up his beeper and his cell phone. After he secured them on his belt and picked up his briefcase did he even consider leaving.

Wild Flower Café…….

"Why are you late Okon?" Hiko asked while he sipped his warm sake. He stared across the table at his beautiful girlfriend. Well maybe not as beautiful as himself. The small café was just his style. It was small dark and tucked out of the way, he was a sucker for the pottery it sold also. Yes the most amazing Accountant of Kyoto International made and sold pottery at a small café known as Wild Flower. If anyone found out he was dead. But fortunately he had found one woman who understood him. His dear Okon Makimachi.

"Aoshi was working late as usual. I wonder how ANYONE puts up with him. Let alone me!"

"You love him as your boss because he is fair. And you know he is good at heart. Though it pains me to say it. He isn't a bad guy… I am better of course." Hiko stretched his built arms for Okon to ogle and he watched her get a vacant look on her face. It seemed Shinomori really worried her…well Shinomori and her sister.

The Streets of Kyoto…..

Aoshi buried his hands into his trench coat pockets and headed home. He thought about an argument he had had with one of his close friends. Her words still echoed painfully in his head.

"AOSHI! WHAT do you care for more? Life or money. You are killing yourself with your work habits. We miss you!"

His own words also rang in his head. As he headed home.

"My life is my life. I want to be the best and I want to be the richest. Without being the best or richest what would I have?"

"THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU!" he could still hear the door slamming after her. He closed his eyes and inwardly fought with himself before he turned and headed the other way. He would see. He would see if he could really live with out money.

Even a few hundred yards away he could hear the music pulsing. He flashed his ID to the bouncer and stepped into the dark night club. It was a fancy little place with midnight blue walls and soft blue lights. The moment he stepped into the main room a beautiful voice floated into his ears. He was so deep in the crowd he couldn't see the singer.

Some people live for the fortune
Some people live just for the fame
Some people live for the power yeah

Aoshi pushed through the crowd and searched for the main stage. The club was so big and he was getting swamped with women's bodies. All the women in the club seemed to have swarmed around Aoshi. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. The music was hypnotic and he started to sway. After a moment he started his trek again.

Some people live just to play the game
Some people think that the physical things
Define what's within
I've been there before
But that life's a bore
So full of the superficial

Aoshi finally reached near the stage. There she was. She was dressed in an elegant long black dress. The dress seductively clung to all her curves, but was not indecent. Her long midnight hair was in an elaborative twist above her head. She sang with her eyes closed but she walked around the stage deftly and without falling. It was as if she could see without eyes. Her voice rang clear and true.

Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you baby
If I ain't got you baby

Then as if she knew that he was there the entire time Misao opened her eyes and stared directly into Aoshi's blue ones. She sang right to him and extended a hand to him.

Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you

Aoshi watched her body sway as she flowed to the other side of the stage and sang to the pianist. He narrowed his eyes at Soujiro whose fingers flew across his baby grand. Misao sat next to him on the piano bench and swayed in time with Soujiro's shoulders. Misao's eyes however never left Aoshi's face. Her soul was singing. Singing only to Aoshi.

Some people search for a fountain
Promises forever young
Some people need three dozen roses
And that's the only way to prove you love them

Aoshi felt his beeper vibrate on his belt. He looked down and saw, SHISHIO, written on the screen. He glanced back at Misao whose sorrow flowed through her eyes like a river. Aoshi made up his mind and began to back out of the crowd to go call Shishio on his cell.

Hand me the world on a silver platter
And what good would it be
with no one to share,
with no one who truly cares for me

Misao felt like crying as she watched him back away from her. His god dam work again. Always money over her, over them. She felt like stopping her song, the last song of the night, and running after him. She felt like asking him what he loved more. Money or her? But she could do none of this. All she could do was watch him make his own decision. So she sang with more force….with more love.

Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you baby
If I ain't got you baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything
But everything means nothing
If I ain't got you

He was nearly out of the club when he heard her voice raise in volume. He could feel the music wrap its warm arms around his frozen shoulders. He could feel the need to sway and listen to its calm race through him. He turned and saw a flash of black and blue and smiles. Aoshi Shinomori smiled at the feeling of peace filling him.

His cell suddenly started to ring like fury. Two choices laid them selves out before him like the papers he had seen laid out before him on his desk. Both were final. Both were very important. He stared down at his ringing phone and beeping beeper. Then he tuned in the slow beat and soft piano. That sweet Voice.

If I ain't got you with me baby
Nothing in this whole wide world don't mean a thing
If I ain't got you with me baby

The crowed room exploded with applause as Misao finished singing. The crowd seemed to push towards the stage and she lost her final view of Aoshi's trench coat covered back. For once and for all.

Back Stage…..

"MISAO YOU WERE THE BEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN!" Nao yelled at the petite lounge singer. Misao weakly smiled, but with a fugitive gaze searched back stage for him. But he was not to be seen. Misao sighed and walked into the bathroom to change and take her make-up off. She looked into the brightly lit mirror and saw her pale face and big blue eyes. Time to go home she thought as she turned away from the mirror and picked up her bag. She neatly folded her dress and stored it in the front pocket of the bag.

When she entered the main backstage again she watched Nao run around again, this time she was cleaning up.

"Bye Sou-chan." Misao called to the solitary pianist. He gave her his trademark smile as his answer and when back to playing a soft lullaby. Misao put her bag down long enough for her to put on her grey peat jacket. With a sigh she picked up her bag and opened the back door.

The icy wind hit her like knives. She shivered and pulled her mittens on and crunched through the freshly fallen snow. Home wasn't too far so she decided to walk. Suddenly she stepped on something that didn't feel like snow. Misao lifted her foot and looked at a cell phone that was laying in the snow in a million pieces. Misao was sure that she had not stepped down that hard.

Her eyes flew ahead of her . On the ground not five feet away was a crushed beeper. Who would do this? She thought. At that moment she heard some one clear their throat. She looked up and was caught in ice blue.

"Aoshi." She mumbled. The wreckage of the beeper lead up to him. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched him open his arms. Not needing words Misao flew into his warm embrace. He crushed her to his chest and kissed the top of her head and then buried his face into her loose hair. God he had missed her.

"Lets go home Aoshi." Aoshi looked down at her and nodded. They walked hand in hand all the way to a huge apartment building and Misao greeted Gensai the night guard happily. When Aoshi opened the door to their apartment he watched as Misao flew to a small room just off the main room. He followed at a slower pace and his heart stopped at the sight he beheld when he entered the room.

Misao was hugging their sleepily little Mi-Chan. The young boy was rubbing his eyes with one pudgy arm and the other was wrapped around his mother to the best of his ability. The little boy looked past his Mother and yelled,

"DADDY!" Aoshi smiled and walked swiftly over to his wife and son. He wrapped his arms around both and sat on the bed.

"Where you good for Auntie Omasu?" Aoshi asked his son sternly.

"Hai! She is sleeping on the couch." Aoshi smiled at his son, and watched as Misao pulled out of the hug to go wake up Omasu to tell her that she could go home. Aoshi tucked his son in bed and whispered an "I love you," into his ear.

"It is time to go to bed Mi-Chan." Misao called from the door. Mi-Chan smiled and mumbled "Night mommy. Night daddy," and fell asleep. Aoshi stood up and stared down at his son. After some time of staring at his little angel, Aoshi walked out of Mi-Chan's room into the main room of the apartment.

Aoshi looked around the apartment and could not find Misao. Finally before he could give up hope Misao opened the balcony door and told him to come outside.

"So did you think about it?" Misao asked as she stared down at the city. Aoshi pulled her to his chest and they both looked out into the city.

"I realized that if it came down to my family or my money….." Misao held her breath. "I would choose you in a heartbeat."

"Good because you nearly lost us." Misao said with a small smirk, "Wait…in a heartbeat means you would have hesitated!" Misao hissed, she could not be loud for fear of waking Mi-Chan.

"Well yes of course. I would have to think about living the rest of my life with a weasel!" Aoshi said with a rare smile. He didn't give Misao time to react before he leaned down and plundered her mouth with his own. They kissed passionately before he started to pull her back into the warm and safe house. Just before the balcony door was closed you could hear Misao say,

"So you've had lunch with Saito again."

Wild Flower Café…….

"So do you think It worked out?" Hiko asked as he paid the waiter.

"I know it did. Misao isn't a Makimachi for nothing. There is no way she let that kind of a catch go!"

"She isn't a Makimachi anymore."

"I know she is Misao Shinomori now, but she will always be a Makimachi." Hiko smiled at Okon and handed her, her jacket.

"Am I a catch?" He asked condescendingly.

"We'll see."

-The End

A/N:Ok there it is. How do you like it? I worked my arse off to write it and it took me about 4 hours. I also post this in mourning of the concert in New Orleans today. It is a Panic! at the Disco, Hellogoodbye, Acceptance, and THE ACADEMY IS... concert. I am mad that I missed The Academy Is... the most. :( Oh well there is always warped tour...Oh and

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