So it's 3 o'clock in the morning and I get up to write this story you get the best ideas at night XD and this is the product...please read and tell me what you think...

Summary: Poor Misao had to suffer growing pains and now it's marriage pains. Marriage is a rollercoaster ride, and it definitely is, especially for Misao and Aoshi. Will their bond survive through...duh duh duuuuh...pregnancy?

ahhh, see this is why you don't get up in the middle of the night to write something...I forgot that statement thing...I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters, cross my heart, hope to die, stick a kodachi in my eye...

Marriage Pains

When I was a kid, I loved my Okashira. I still love him to death, but jeez, now I "love responsibly."

Childhood is a wonderful thing; you can do whatever you want without worrying about serious consequences. Then there's "teenage-hood," when the consequences for your actions affect the rest of your adulthood. Sometimes I wonder how our relationship worked out in the end, but then again that's why there's Kami-sama.

Of course, our relationship had never gotten a smooth start.

Until I was about seventeen I had this wild infatuation for Aoshi. Being the icicle, however, he never made a comment about it. After my trip to Kenshin and Kaoru's place, and after I had spent a good year away from him—this time by my own decision—I stopped dreaming.

On our way back to the Aoiya, I told Aoshi that I loved him. He didn't answer.

A year later, the Oniwabanshu ran into some trouble with bandits. Nothing we couldn't handle, but me being the rash teenager, I got myself stabbed.

I got out of comma two weeks later, and opened my eyes to see Aoshi sitting beside my on the bed meditating. His face looked haunted.

His skin was pale without spirit, or I should say, looked like a spirit. There were wet streaks on the sides of his face and his cheeks. I thought it was sweat.

I was wrong.

His back shook with controlled sobs. It was scary—he made no sound. My poor Okashira was crying.

"You're crying," I whispered, kicking myself for speaking out loud. It was devilish, but I was curious to see how much he really cared. Aoshi's body went dead still.

Our eyes locked, and I felt awful for my curiosity. They weren't ice chips; they weren't smoldering blue; they were dead as if all the feelings were leeched out of them. Dark circles edged his eyes.

And I thought, 'Damn, maybe he's a ghost. Maybe I am dead.'

It felt like we had been staring at each other for hours, until he suddenly crushed me with a hug. Yep, I had to be dead. At least I was in heaven.

Then I felt an excruciating pain—it had to be from Hell—radiate from the wound in my abdomen. Great...one moment I think I'm on Earth, and then it's Heaven, and then (well, wad'ya know) it was Hell.

My thoughts jerked to a halt as he murmured into my ear the three words I had been hoping, no, dying (how ironic) to hear.

"I love you."

My body went numb. Wow, what a way to kill pain. Aoshi the pain-killer. I could get rich of that. Then again, that would mean sharing Aoshi with Other People. Yeah, that'll happen.

I smirked. Memories flooded back to me. Pay back.

I didn't answer.

Well, not verbally at least.

It was maybe a couple seconds later, I swear, and we rushed off to get married. Okina was bouncing off his little, old feet. Wonderful! We didn't have to elope.

Like most married people, I don't remember my wedding, except the fact that I blew up at Saitou (as usual) and Aoshi, for once, lost his cool.

I still laugh till my scar hurts thinking about Saitou's eye, swollen and red. He had glanced at Tokio for help, and she simply snorted.

She went over and patted Aoshi on his back and thanked him, "One less thing to do on my list."

And then there was the exchange of vows, and for once Aoshi didn't have to be prodded to speak.

Traditional Japanese weddings don't include flashy shows of love between couples. So we saved any kisses for later (hint...hint...)

And that was when I conceived our first child, and that's when we became truly husband and wife with happiness, love...and problems...

So what ya think? Well, I'm not sure whether to continue this, seeing that I still have those two damn months for summer vacation...I swear teachers love to take their students dip them in oil and fry them alive...

I'll pray for a quick death.