Standard disclaimers apply. Summary title by Earlimart.
Dedications: Hikaru a, Ms Western Ink, Silver Miko, Shin Sankai, and all you AxM writers out there!
Note: This is my very first Aoshi/Misao story. There has been no edits since I posted this on my LiveJournal almost 5 years ago.
"That's Shinomori Misao? I pictured her at least two-third of Shinomori-san's height." A gossiping female whispered to her two friends as a petite woman with long braided black hair passed by them.
"Yes, that's her, can you believe such a handsome, strong, and oh so delicious male is married to someone like her? It is such a tragedy!" Another one said as she tried to keep her voice hushed, and low so that the woman walking by wouldn't overhear.
"She's just so undeserving for someone like Shinomori-san. He shouldn't have tied himself into marriage when he deserves any and all females at his beck-and-call. She'll only suffocate him." The last of the trio whined, not knowing that the subject of their little conversation could hear through the pointless whispers and hushed voices.
Misao Shinomori fought the urge to roll her eyes, stick her tongue out at them, and possibly blow a raspberry to each of those girls for extra measure. Alas, she wouldn't and couldn't do that, oh no! To do such a childish thing like taunting petty girls, and out right laughing at their face would subject her husband to mockery. There will be more talk in the streets and in their restaurant, the Aoiya, of how "Shinomori Aoshi married someone so unladylike" or how "Shinomori Aoshi's wife is a baby at her prime."
In her hard effort to get away from the girls before she exploded in their disgustingly painted faces she quicken her pace towards the temple.
Despite the fact that she would rather be with her husband, inside their bedroom where they would be doing unspeakable things to one another, she also understood how important it is for Aoshi to visit the temple every morning.
In the past, before their courting, Aoshi would spend hours upon hours at the very same temple trying to repent for his past sins. It had caused Misao distress to no end to watch her beloved like that. However, in the present he spends minutes upon minutes at the temple thanking the higher power, which made all the difference in the world. He still prayed and meditate, but she was sure it was nothing to worry about. As long as Aoshi isn't suffering from his past,, and is look toward their future together, she had no qualms of her husband running away to his second love-the temple.
Misao made her way up the many steps to the temple. Neared the second-to-last step when the doors slid open to revealing a tall male with beautiful indigo hair. She walked up the last steps before looking up. She smiled a sweet smile when her huge sparkling eyes found his, and whispered his name in a form of a greeting.
She was sorely disappointed when his mouth didn't curve a slight smile nor did his eyes give off that twinkle that he was happy to see her. Instead, the picture that graced Misao was of an unhappy husband.
"What? What'd I do now?" She asked, as she prejudge the look on his face to the regular 'Misao, you've done it now' look.
If someone, such as a stranger, would stare at Aoshi Shinomori's face right now they would not be able to tell if he was happy, sad or even constipated. However being his wife and having to live with him for almost all her life, there are subtle hints she was bound to figure out.
"Misao," He started, his voice as hauntingly deep as ever, "I told you to stay put."
The gossiping girls entered her mind as she remember what one of them said, "She'll only suffocate him."
Misao's smile turned into a cute little pout as she quibbled her lips to make her look even more adorable.
"Am I suffocating you Aoshi? Is that why you wished me not to come with you?" One of his eyebrow raised slightly.
"What brought this behavior on, Misao?"
"Why are you answering a question with a question?" She replied smartly, avoiding the fact that those frilly, chatty village girls got to her.
"Misao, we do not have time for your immature games." He said in finality as his hand gently took hers and made their way back down the steps she had recently had climbed.
"Immature?" She muttered under her breath like a curse.
Aoshi, with his acute hearing had heard his wife's disheartening mumble and instantly regret using such a phrase.
'Perhaps the phrase 'mind games' would have been better suited. 'Mind games' is for mature personals that has the brains and smarts to trick people into such things like making a husband feel bad when he shouldn't be. Yes, 'mind games' would have been better by a long shot.'
While they walked hand in hand in a rare, uncomfortable silence they made their way back to the street where Misao overheard those three girl's conversation. Misao, being too busy with her own thoughts and worries blocked out anything the towns people had to say. Aoshi, however, somehow caught a conversation of a trio of girls, just standing there, gossiping away.
"That's him, that's Shinomori Aoshi!" One of the females whispered excitedly to two of her other friends as she tried hard not to ogle at him like eye candy on a stick.
"Eek, that is him! He's so utterly handsome I could faint here and now. I am still wearing black over the fact he married to someone like her." Another one spoke, as she tried to keep her voice more hushed than her friend.
"You know not to worry ladies. Like I said when that little girl passed by, she'll only suffocate him in the end. Before long he'll have all the females at his beck-and-call while her reign on Shinomori-san shall be over." The last of the three said, self-assuringly.
'Ah,' Aoshi thought as he realize where his wife's emotion and thoughts lie when she'd ask him that pointless and obscured question.
Not wanting one named Misao Shinomori to be fuming for seconds, minutes, hours or days to come, Aoshi, her dutiful husband, stopped walking right in the middle of the street. The hand that was linked to Misao's hand held hers' a bit more tightly, which hauled her from moving ahead.
Misao, who was aimlessly walking, not paying to anything was snapped out of her daze when she was nearly yanked back by Aoshi's strong gripping hand. Her facial expression gave off a questionable glance as she turned back to face him
"Why did we stop Aoshi?" She asked, softly, not wanting to be overly loud. Then people would judge her and him and them together.
Looking into her huge soulful green eyes he took the hand that held hers and raised to his lips, leaving a soft kiss onto the back of her hand.
"I do not deserve you, Shinomori Misao." Aoshi said in his deep, sexy voice as he used his free hand to stroke the back of Misao's head and hair in an extremely loving way.
He had made sure his voice traveled and traveled it did because his words had reached the ears of the three young ladies that were now openly gapping at the couple.
"Why would you say something as ridicules as that, Aoshi?"
"You wish to hide the fact that people from the Aoiya to the temple, gossip and talk. One of the many subjects is of us, especially about our unorthodox relationship and marriage."
"Aoshi, That doesn't make me any more or less deserving of you."
"Aa, it does. I have said nothing to discourage your recent behavior of being more ladylike, holding your emotions and impulses to yourself."
"Does that mean you do discourage my behavior?"
"I do. Your most recent behavior such as letting gossiping males and females bother you."
"Well, I suppose when you put it that way I do need to vent." Misao said as she dragged her eyes to where the three little gossipers were still standing, staring at Misao and Aoshi, shamelessly.
The three girls were shocked to say the least. Had they, the Shinomori's, ease dropped on their conversation this whole time? Was that even possible with their hushed voices and whispers so low?
Misao glared into the eyes of the first girl who so boldly made a mockery of what she tried, but could not control. She yelled to the girl, "My height against my husband's is a great advantage to him. It doesn't disable me from preforming my wifely duties."
The girl sputtered in embarrassment, being called out in such a matter and that reply! 'Did that mean she...? That Shinomori-san liked...?' She blushed beet red.
Misao rolled her eyes at the tongue-tied girl. If the little girl couldn't handle the heat, she shouldn't have gossiped about a hot-head such as Misao Shinomori.
"Girl two." Misao barked as her eyes swiftly laid her eyes onto the second girl who practically drooled at the thought of her husband. "You can whine and cry all you want, but you are correct about some things. My husband is an 'oh so sexy male' that is 'handsome, strong,' yet you failed to mention how protective he can be of his wife."
The girl's eyes shifted to see the look on Aoshi's face and even though he rarely show emotions or any kind of facial expression she could see clear as day that Shinomori Aoshi indeed is protective and caring to his wife, so much so that he is practically boring holes through her and her friends. Gulping loudly she bit back a fearful squeal.
Misao, enjoying her husband backing her up she playfully stuck her tongue out at the frighten girl before moving on the third piggy.
Giving the girl a long hard glare Misao did something neither of the girls at the receiving end was expected; Misao blew a raspberry at all of them for good measure, deciding she has made her point and mark, before wrapping her arms around one of her husband's and continued their way home.
"Aoshi?"
"Aa?"
"If I wasn't suffocating you, why did you seem so upset at the steps of the temple?"
"I had asked you to stay at the Aoiya and you had disregard my request."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I just missed you, that's all. It's hard for a new wife to be away from her new husband for so long."
Misao knew her explanation would be Aoshi's downfall to forgiving her for disobeying his orders. Aoshi simply replied with his ever infamous, 'Aa.'
Not wanting to fall back into silence, uncomfortable or not, she began once more.
"Why did you leave for the temple so early upon arrival? I had left the restaurant only a couple of minutes before you did."
"After a quick meditation and prayer I had every intention of returning to my bride."
"Oh. You prayed? What did you pray for, Aoshi?"
"Earlier on, Misao, I had said 'we do not have time' because I did not wish to waste our day talking."
"That doesn't exactly explain or tell me what it is you wished for to Kami-sama."
"It's hard for a new husband to be away from his bride for so long. Mostly one as vocal in bed as you, my wife."
Misao laughed. "I see no reason for you to leave our bed to go all the way to the temple and pray for us to have sex. I'm pretty positive we would had done so, twice, by now."
His lips curved into a smile and his eyes twinkled with something Misao can only describe as laughter in his eyes. Aoshi Shinomori cleared his throat before replying to his wife.
"It does not hurt to pray for children in the very near future."