Swear It To Me, a rurouni kenshin fanfic

Title: Swear It To Me

Type: Slightly AU, Two-shot.

Warnings: Implicated cheating, and some mildcussing.

Rating: PG 13; T

Couples: 4ever A&M!

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Rurouni Kenshin, nor the song by Rihanna, so lawyers... i'm really tired... and i'd apreciate it if you not bother me to sue me... good-night!

LK:As you all know, the new song by Rihanna Unfaithful has been off the charts. Well when I finally sat down and really listened to it I was surprised to say I got inspired. This was clearly off the top of my head, and the second chapter is inspired by a much different song. I hope you all enoy this as I know the world is not perfect and that is exactly what this portrays. But I will assure you Aoshi and Misao DO end up together in the end.

Story of my life
Searching for the right
But it keeps avoiding me
Sorrow in my soul
Cause it seems that wrong
Really loves my company

Misao sat in front of Aoshi, her bright eyes watching the fireworks above them. She laughed and jumped up and down, pulling on him to get closer to the food stables. "I want's some candy!" She cried, her eyes full of plea as she pouted. He nodded paying the man and walking off with a bag of chocolates.

She popped one of the small round chocalate pieces into her mouth, sighing in happiness as she looked over at her fifteen yr. old best friend. He sat next to her, looking up at the firworks as they seemed to climax. "Aoshi-sama?" She asked, her eyes lowering to stare at her feet.

"Yes?" He asked looking at the small girl beside him, once more he remembered just how tiny she really was, her body not nearly one fifth of his.

"Will you marry me?" She asked, a small blush covering her cheeks as she looked up at him. Her words seemed to break him out of his trance and he stammered for a proper comeback.

"Perhaps when your older Misao." He had answered, his bangs covering his amused eyes.

"You promise?" She asked bouncing once more as he nodded his head, returning to the fireworks as she sat down in his lap. Sighing contededly at being so close to the one she loved.

eleven yrs. later

He's more than a man
And this is more than love
The reason that the sky is blue
The clouds are rolling in
Because I'm gone again
To him I just can't be true

I stood frozen on the steps of our mansion, watching as he looked up at me, his ice blue eyes boring into my soul. "Where are you headed?" He asked and I smiled as I desended to stand before him.

"Just over to see Kaoru and Megumi, i'll be back soon." My voice was sure of itself, even though we both knew I was lieing through my teeth. I grabbed my cloak, sighing as he grabbed my arm. Aoshi certainly was a persistant fellow.

"Will you be out long?" He asked his eyes softening as I nodded my head. He leaned in, kissing my forehead, walking away as I closed the door behind me, leaning my back against the dark wood.

"Sorry..." I whispered as I turned and made my way down the streets of Tokyo. I was young, at the age of sixteen I was a newlywed, fored into a marraige he never wanted. I sighed as I stood once more before the house of Seto Sojiro, my best friend.

I knocked on the door, my smile fading as he came to the door, looking me up and down. "Ohayou, Miss Misao." He said his smile wide as he stepped back from the door, allowing me in.

I sat on the floor, looking up at the only one to know all my secrets. He smiled sown at me, his hand holding firmly on the paper he had clutched in his hand. "Why have you come this time?" He asked looking down at me, in my state of dispair.

"Do I need a reason?" I asked but my frown only grew deeper. I was cheating, not in the bedroom, but it was still cheating, and I knew this. "I can't do this to him." I said my eyes growing cold as I looked up at Seto asking an unspoken qeustion neither of us wanted to ask.

"Are you sure you don't want to come to Kyoto with me? You'd be back home with your family, and I could have the wedding anulled... I have the power." He said, his eyes searching mine as I shook my head, my tears flowing down my face as I stood, jumping into his awaiting embrace.

"I can't! It's already wrong what i've been doing... he's my husband..." My eyes were filled with tears, my voice shaking as I spoke. How I knew that one day this day would come. It was impossible to think it wouldn't come. "I'm sorry... I love you!" I said, my heart breaking as he nodded, his word's softer than usual.

"I'll wait forever for you, if you ever want to leave him, i'll be here you know." He said smiling kindly down at me, his voice reasuring. I looked away, my eyes closing as tears escaped my eyes once more.

"I won't... I'm sorry, I can't love you anymore... I have to stop this!" My voice was unsure, and my heart was gashed wide open, but I souldn't let this go on any longer. I had seen the look of helplesness run through Aoshi's eyes. That saddened smile as he took me out to dinner or to the playhouse. He deserved more than this... he had been good to me after all.

"I know." Were his simple words as he sat down on the small futon in the corner, holding me safely to his chest. Just then the door swung open, showing to me the most horrifying scene I could ever see. Aoshi stood frozen in the doorway, his gaze cold, and a frown permanately etched on his features.

"Misao." He said his eyes looking into mine as he shook his head, not wanting to believe what he saw. "I... Don't know what to say... You lied... again." He said his voice dropping as he bowed his head, his hand clenching into a fist.

"No, Aoshi-sama it's not what it looks like! I was just coming to say that it's over... that's all!" I screamed but he didn't listen, his eyes bore into Seto, causing him to flinch as he stood, leaving me to watch in horror as the two men I loved most in my life fought over me.

"Please don't! Aoshi please! For me!" He didn't even look me in the eye as I cried out for him to stop, to back down from a fight that would bring with it no good. I had drawn the plot for this, my own actions setting the scene for this awful outcome. "Look at me dammit!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face as I watched Aoshi unsheath two kodachi.

"Prepare your weapon!" Aoshi said and Seto smirked, turning with his hand right over the hilt of his sword. I gasped as the two started fighting, like a deadly dance they twisted and turned, swinging forward and back, striking anything they could. I couldn't watch as I heard a cry, and horror struck me as I looked up.

Blood. That's what I saw as I looked up at my husband, and my best friend. It was all over, the redness all there was to see. I looked at them saddened at what they had managed to do. I saw Aoshi clapse, his hand coming to a wound near his chest. "NO!" I screamed out, my heart skipping a beat as I thought of all the times we would miss.

I crawled over to him, tears streaming down my face as I tried to touch his wound, to see the damage that had been done. "Don't touch me." He said and I froze, my eyes widening and my heart pounding in my ears. Surely he did not just say... but he never.

My world seemed to come crashing down around me as he slung me over his shoulder, walking out of Seto's house and down the uneven road of Tokyo. No word's were said as he lay me on my futon, closing the shoji qietly behind him.

I sobbed into my pillow, for I now knew the extent of anguish I had caused on him. When he had come to my grandfather asking for my hand, I was more surprised than any. But when I had heard that he had to be married to become Okashira it had crushed everthing in my body, my heart drowning as I watched my long past crush steal me away, just for the hopes of power.

I was wed in a fitting ceramony, with candles and sake, but not once did I look at him as my husband. He was merely a comrad, merely a partner. I shook with sobs as I thought upon the day Okina had stopped by. He had offered Aoshi the position as okashira... and he had refused.

This one incident had set my whole life haywire, my mind spiraling in a flurry of qeustions. Like why did he marry me in the first place? Was it out of pity? Or perhaps he just wanted ties to Okina? It's all too confusing... I just... Do I even love him? Yes. I do. I loved him since the first day I laid eyes on him... but can I trust him?

I stood, looking out the small window, watching as a bird flew by, it's small wings moving as fast as they could. Did I really want to be away from him that bad? I don't think I really do. It's been so hard trying to figure out why he had called upon me, and taken me as his wife. It had been three months ago, and still I was reluctant to believe he had good intentions.What should I do?

And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful
And it kills him inside
To know that I am happy with some other guy
I can see him dyin'

OoO

(Two Weeks Later)

I don't wanna do this anymore
I don't wanna be the reason why
Everytime I walk out the door
I see him die a little more inside
I don't wanna hurt him anymore
I don't wanna take away his life
I don't wanna be... a murderer

Aoshi sat before the fire, not looking at me as he stared at the papers before him, occasionally sighning on the dotted line, or crossing out a sentence or two. "Aoshi-sama?" I asked and he didn't look up, his eyes drawn to the paper, and his face creased into a frown.

"What is it Misao?" He asked, his voice low, his hands once more turning the page on the stack of papers. I sighed looking up at him, two weeks it had been and that was the most he had said. He had been on bed rest for six day's, not even leaving to come down for dinner. I hadn't seen him in those six days.

My heart was dieing, knowing that I had hurt him this much. "Can you not reconsider?" I asked him, and he shook his head, nver letting the suffering breath out of his strained lungs.

"A divorce is the only answer, you don't seem to even want to be with me anyway." He said, his voice pained as he looked at me. "Do you remember when you were five Misao, when I took you to the carnaval?" I shook my head, my eyebrows knitting together.

"You had asked me if I would marry you one day... That's when I promised you, and I kept to you that promise, I never thought... that you would..." He sighed, but she heard the shaking breath as he fought back a sob. "I used to take you with me everywhere, before I moved to Tokyo I used to be like a gardian to you.

I had tears streaming down my cheeks as I got flashes of a childhood I had never known I had. "I remember sakura trees... The buds, you had said somthing about them blooming just as I would." He nodded, his head bowed as he sighned yet another paper.

"The smallest beauty can become the most beautiful aset." He said, nostalgia over taking him. "I had taken you to the riverbank, you had fell asleep in my arms, and I had told you that, I didn't think you had heard me." He said his head coming up, looking down at me with the most hurt I had seen in my life.

"I used to pretend to sleep, just to listen to your heartbeat... your breathing. I used to say that when we married I'd do it forever." I stood, kneeling before him in silence. "Is it not to late? Please say it is not! Aoshi-sama i'm sorry! I didn't ever mean to hurt you! I only thought... I was afraid of loving you, afraid you'd leave me, or you wouldn't love me back." I said falling into his arms. My tears broke free then, I cried into the chest of someone I had loved longer than any man, and yet he was a stranger.

"Misao... it's too late... We can't..." He sighed and I held to him all the tighter. "I'm sorry." He said as he stood, patting me on the head as he sat the papers down on the table, preparing to leave once more. "I'm sure Seto would like to see you soon... so i'll just get these to the office." He said and put on his trench coat, I felt so helpless watching him grab those papers, watching him walk down that street.

"Please! Don't!" I screamed, but he never looked back, I fell onto the cold ground, my tears falling once more. "I never wanted to hurt you... but... I never wanted to lose you either." I whispered my voice soft as I sat there, my eyes closing and my ears drowning out all the sound.

OoO

(Aoshi, outside office)

I feel it in the air
As I'm doin my hair
Preparing for another day
A kiss upon my cheek
As he reluctantly
Asks if I'm gonna be out late
I say I won't be long
Just hangin' with the girls
A lie I didn't have to tell
Because we both know
Where I'm about to go
And we know it very well

What else could he do? She wasn't happy with him, he could never give her enough to make her truly happy. He sighed s he stepped forward, but he was stopped whne he saw a young girl crying, and an older boy trying to comfort her. "Please, tell me what's wrong... i'm sorry." He said and held her close, her cries slowly ceased and she held him tighter.

"I thought I lost you." The little girl said and Aoshi's eyes grew wide. Misao... He thought his eyes bluring as he remembered her saying those eact words, she was six years old and it was her birthday party, he had been gone for almost a month and she had cried in his arms swearing she had lost him, and that she had thought he would never come back. He had begged her to stop crying, asking her to forgive him for leaving her.

"You'll never lose me." The boy said and a tear fell down Aoshi's cheek. Aoshi hadn't cried in 20 years... and one sentence made him start! He sighed as he sat down on the steps of the large office building. He didn't know what to do anymore.

He held the papers in front of his face, looking at the title. No! He didn't want this... but did she? She had tried to stop him... but did that mean she loved him? He put his hands to his face, sobbing into them as he thought of all the times he had held her, cared for her, taken her out, and made her laugh in the past four months. He had thought they had a strong relationship, but he knew... he knew from the start that she was seeing Seto, he had just hoped it would stop.

"Shinomori Aoshi" Aoshi looked up to see Seto smiling up at him, his eyes boring into him. "I see your wounds have healed... it's a shame." He said his eyes growing suspicously darker.

"Yours too." Aoshi said growling. "Why are you here?" He asked and Seto smirked.

"Can't old friends just have a chat?" He said and Aoshi growled once more. His hand fisted, and he had to hold himself back from punching the guy.

"We never were, and never will be friends... and i'd prefer if you keep away from my wife." Aoshi said walking away, his eyes closed as he made his way through the streets of Tokyo, he knew the route all too well, he had travled it every day.

He walked up to his house, surprised to see Misao hunched into a ball at the side of the house, her head bowed, her knees brought up almost in a fetal position. It must have been thirty degrees out and it was already past eight, she shouldn't have been out here. Unless... Had she truly been out here that long? He sighed to himself picking her up as she moaned in her sleep.

"I'm... sorry." She murmered as he looked down at her pale blue lips. She looked so frail. He sighed lieing her down on the futon, grabbing a few blankets from the spare room. He rushed out of the house, searching fro Dr. Takani.

He came to her house in a matter of minutes pounding on the door. Sano came to the door, his eyebrows drawn up as he stared at Aoshi. "What brings you here?" He asked and Aoshi looked frantically behind him.

"It's an emergency! I need Megumi!" He said and Sano once more raised an eyebrow. But he didn't qeustion as he called for his wife.

She came out in a huff, her eyes following her husbands gaze. "Shinomori-san? What are you doing here?" She asked and he shook his head in shame.

"Misao... it seems she was outside all day in the cold... I didn't know what to do." He said as his head bowed, his eyes sheltered by his long bangs.

"Let's hurry then!" She said grabbing a coat as she headed down the stone path, and for a moment Aoshi was awed at Sano's ability to watch his wife leave without worry, or doubt. He was jealous of that, and he had to hold back the tears as he followed the docter.

OoO

Cause I know that he knows I'm unfaithful
And it kills him inside
To know that I'm happy with some other guy
I can see him dyin'

Misao shivered as she lay under the soft blanket's, her head pounding. She smelled alcohal, and a faint hint of green tea. She groaned, her body aching as she tried to move her arm.

"Don't move" Said a deep voice from somewhere within the room. She coughed and shivered again, but her body stiffened as a hand was placed on her forehead. "Your fevers down." Said the same voice from before. She could only imagine it was her husband... but wait... didn't he hate her? She frowned, her eyes stinging with tears yet to be shed.

"Shhh" The voice cooed into her ear. This could not be her husband! That was all she thought as she tried desperately to open her burning eyes. But alas the eyes she met were of a blue-gray.

"A-Aoshi-sama?" She asked and he smiled, tears filling his eyes as he nodded. This was definitely not her husband! In what universe did Aoshi Shinomori cry! Her head hurt from thinking so much, but she was assured this was her husband when he gave her a stern look.

"Now rest! I'm not going to have you dieing on me!" He said his eyes boring into hers as she nodded, laying back down on the futon. She slowly drifted into a deep slumber as her husband hald her hand, as if reasuring her that he was going nowhere, and as she slept a smile could be seen on her face as she clutched to that hand in her sleep.

OoO

(one week later)

Our love... his trust
I might as well take a gun
And put it to his head
Get it over with
I don't wanna do this... anymore

Oooohhh... anymore

"How long will you be gone?" She asked, her voice qiet as she stood before her husband, her braid falling down her back as she leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

"I'll be back in an hour, I expect you to be home. I'll bring back some food from the Akebeko so don't worry about cooking." She smiled as he gathered her into an embrace, lifting her up for a mere second as he then lowered her to the ground.

She laughed, grabbing a feather duster from the counter. "I have plenty of time to clean then!" She sqeuled as she ran into the kitchen, leaving him smiling at the door. He walked out the door, feeling the cool breeze as he walked toward the Himura's.

He knocked on the door, sighing as it was opened by little Kenji. "Where's your daddy?" He asked and Kenji smiled up at him, his eyes bright as he pointed behind Aoshi.

Aoshi turned, smiling as he saw the red-headed rurouni behind him. "Hello Aoshi-san, what brings you here?" Asked Kenshin as he picked up Kenji, smiling as his son pulled his mouth up into a smile.

"Well, I wanted you to help me with a little somthing." He said and Kenshin nodded at the serious look on his friends face, sending Kenji back inside with his mother. "It has to do with Misao." He said and Kenshin once more nodded, gesturing him to walk with him.

OoO

I don't wanna do this anymore
I don't wanna be the reason why
And everytime I walk out the door
I see him die a little more inside
And I don't wanna hurt him anymore
I don't wanna take away his life
I don't wanna be... a murderer

Aoshi stood outside his house, he sighed as he brought the door open, looking in to see his wife sleeping soundly on the small mat on the floor, her hands still holding the duster, and a rag.

"Hey." Aoshi said qietly into her ear and she moaned in annoyance. He smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead, watching as she bolted up, right into his head. An audable 'Ouch' could be heard from the two parties.

"When did you get home?" She asked, her voice qiet as if she didn't want to wake someone. She smiled as he gave her a small bunch of flowers.

"Just now." He said, and her brows furrowed as she looked up at him.

"Your late." She said and he smiled even more, knowing she would forgive him in a matter of moments. "Whatever... wheres the food?" She asked and he brought two bags from behind his back, setting them on the small table.

"Now you remember what I said... it's taken care of... but this is your last chance." He said and she looked down in shame. Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded, her voice was filled with regret as she spoke to him.

"Ashiteru, Aoshi-sama." She said and his eyes widened at thos word's. That was the first time she had ever said that to him... and he hoped to god it would not be the last.

"Ashiteru, Misao." He said and pulled her into a warm embrace.

...a murderer
No no no
yeah yeah yeah

'It takes one moment to break a man, one phrase to bring him to tears, one word to stun him, one lifetime to heal his wounds, and one woman to complete the mold.'