Okay so this my third Rurouni Kenshin Story. I have two others involving Saito and Shishio, so I will be going back and forth between the 3 so I won't get to bored with any of them and that way new ideas can keep flowing (hopefully.)
I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters. I write for entertainment and enjoyment. All rights reversed for the creators.
There he was walking down the cornerstone path, in the early hours of the morning, when the sun was barely peaking through the clouds and over the tops of the trees. The birds had just started there morning songs and the wind was tossing the autumn leaves across the cornerstones. And there she was sitting on the ledge of her window sill watching him walk off, like he did every morning, rain or shine. She would always sit there and watching with a small amount of hope he would turn around and acknowledge her. But, she knew Aoshi better than anyone, and she knew he would never turn around to give her any sort of look.
Misao rose from the window ledge and made her way downstairs, quietly, into the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast for everyone in the Oniwaban group. It had become a morning ritual ever since she returned to her dear Oniwaban group in Kyoto. She just never expected Aoshi to be in the state he was in. This also become part of her morning ritual, to reflect on Aoshi and the Oniwaban group that was no longer with them. Aoshi and Misao had taken it the hardest, but yet neither could confine in others or even each other to get past the pain they felt. They were both to proud and stubborn to do any such thing.
Okina, and the others came down to eat there morning breakfast as usual. Misao, though, was in her own world on that particular day, and as Okina was about to ask her what the problem may have been, she walked out of the kitchen with the tray of tea. Okina sighed deeply and look to the others, they shrugged and kept eating. He was worried about his little Misao, he knew that lately she had been thinking a lot more than usual. Especially because Aoshi's birthday was just a few days away and they both have never celebrated that day without the original Oniwaban group.
Misao walked carelessly down the cornerstone path as others were dodging her and yelling at her to pay attention, she took no notice of them and walked up to the temple of her Aoshi. The tray with tea was still in harmony, nothing had spilled even with her being careless. When she passed the red flowers with black centers, she thought of Hannya, the man who taught her Kenpo. Which also made her start thinking of the others Shikijou, Hyottoko and Beshimi. Misao kept walking up the stone stairs to the temple, her thoughts on the fallen Oniwaban. When she reached the temple door, she placed the tray down and wiped her eyes, she didn't realize the moisture that had brewed on the rims of her eyes until they ran down her red cheeks. Once she was finished cleaning her face, she picked up the tray and put on the biggest happy face she could, walking into the temple.
Aoshi didn't move, that was usual for him and Misao placed the tea on side of him and poured the tea into the two cups with that fake smile on her face. Aoshi didn't open his eyes and picked up the cup of tea and sipped in carefully, not to burn himself. He placed it back down after he finished it and opened his eyes slowly, to readjust to the mid-morning light. Slowly he turned to Misao who still had the fake smile on her face. She placed her cup and his back on the tray, got up with the tray in hand and bowed making her way out of the temple.
Aoshi knew there was something deeply wrong with Misao, the fake smile of hers didn't fool him a bit, after all he was the one who raised her all those years. He would ask her, but it felt weird to pry into her life, if she wanted to talk she would. He sighed deeply, retook in a deep cool breath from the air and began to meditate again. Even through his meditation, her fake smile haunted him and would address the issue later at dinner if he could figure out what to say to her.