Rainy Days
by
Chibijem
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein and am making no financial gain from this piece of fiction.
A/N: In answer to the June SLML Challenge: Rainy Days. I hope you enjoy it.
Misao quietly slid closed the shoji to the room she shared with Aoshi; she smiled at the figure he made amongst the futon and it's light summer covering. She moved to him and set the tea service next to her. "Aoshi...Anata time to wake up." When he made no move, she gently shook his shoulder. "Aoshi?" His only response was to roll over on to his side and pull the covers over his head. Misao laughed softly. I guess he's entitled, coming home so late from a mission, she thought. She stood and moved to the closed window, she opened the shutters to see rain. It had been raining off and on for days. She turned back to Aoshi and saw his sleep tussled hair peeking out from the blanket.
She sat at the low table in a corner of the room and starting reading the unending stream of reports coming from Oniwabanshu runners. She thought back to last night...
Misao was reading her fourth, or was it fifth, report of the night; it was very late and the others had already retired for the evening. She had hoped Aoshi would return before darkness fell but was sorely disappointed; he had been away for almost a week doing some research and reconnaissance for that damned Wolf.
He had explained to her the reason for doing another favor for Saitou, "Times have changed Misao and the Oniwabanshu has to change along with them. Our goal was peace and security and it remains so. If that means assisting the Wolf, so be it." He had told her when preparing for the trip.
"Why does he have to be right all the time!" She mused lighting another candle. It was then she had heard it, the extremely quiet sound of the back door opening. She moved out into the hallway and met Shiro and Okina, "You heard it to?" When they nodded, she pulled out a kunai from her belt and motioned for them to follow. They went to the kitchen and saw a figure moving quietly in the dark. Misao sighed as she felt the familiar ki. She nodded to Shiro and Okina. "Aoshi," She whispered. She saw the figure jerk his head up and could almost see the emerald of his gaze. "You don't need to sneak."
"I wasn't sneaking. I thought everyone had gone to bed. I was trying not to disturb anyone." He replied, lighting a candle.
Misao gasped and turned to Shiro, "I know it's late; could you please heat water for a bath?" Shiro nodded and left for the bath house. "Okina, could you see if Okon or Omasu..."
"We're here, Misao" They said together. "Welcome home Aoshi-sama." They turned to prepare something hot for him.
Misao turned back to her husband. He was soaked to the bone: clothes hanging from his long frame, hair plastered to his head, water dripping everywhere. He was dirty and looked like a drowned rat. Misao had never seen anything so wonderful in her life. "Daijobu?" She asked, so wanting to take him in her arms.
"Hai, koiishi." Aoshi accepted a yukata and towel from Okon and stepping into a corner managed to get out of his heavy, wet clothing and into the dry garment. He dropped his sodden clothes into a basket and toweled his hair. While doing this, Misao had run up to their room and got a change of clothes for him and returned. When she entered the kitchen, she found him sipping a cup of tea and nibbling on a rice ball.
A few minutes later, Shiro came in and announced the bath was ready. Misao thanked him and the others and bid them goodnight. "Why didn't you wait until tomorrow?" She asked the love of her life.
"It would have been raining then too." Aoshi mused picking another rice ball. When he looked at her face he sighed, "I'd had enough of being away from you." He told her truthfully.
Misao's smile lit the room and she moved to sit next to him, "I'm glad you're home." She replied, kissing the underside of his strong jaw.
Aoshi returned her smile and bent his head and pressed a kiss to her soft lips; a promise for later...
Misao looked up when she heard Aoshi moving; she saw him stretch and settle on his back. He had not awoken and she smiled; I guess he deserves to sleep in once in a while, she thought, enjoying the play of his muscles. She knew there was nothing between his skin and the blanket. There was a loud thunder clap and she turned to see the sky darkening and the rainfall becoming another down pour.
"Mmmmmm, it's raining again." Aoshi's sleepy voice wafted across the room to her.
"Still. I think it'll never stop." She mused. She turned back to him and saw he was still laying in their futon. "Are you ever going to get up?" She moved to take the hand he held out to her and settled next to him. She relished the feel of his strong arms coming around her and placed her hands on them, hugging them to her. "You really should have waited for daylight to come home. We've been reading reports about marauders on the roads you were traveling."
"You don't trust your Okashira to take care of himself?" Aoshi pulled his head away from it's resting place on her shoulder, a hurt look on his face.
She loved this lighter side of Aoshi, the teasing and the laughter that was more a part of him. It was still only mainly between them but the others could see it too and commented on his dry sense of humor. "I trust you, Okashira. But as your wife, I'm allowed to worry." She turned her head to press a kiss to the corner of his sensuous mouth, loving the response of his soft lips.
He pulled back from the kiss, desire and something else in his eyes. "Hmmmm, just for that acerbic remark about my abilities, you need to be punished." He ran his fingers over all her ticklish spots. He smiled as she laughed and tried to wiggle out of reach.
"Ohhh, Aoshi, stop." She gasped, her laughter making it hard for her to catch her breath. "Aoshi," She begged.
"What will you give me to stop?" He asked, his hands spanning her waist and pulling her closer.
"A kiss for now...More later." She promised.
Aoshi fell back into the futon with a sigh as Misao leaned over him and gave him a kiss full of promises for later.
"You should get up and get something done." Misao suggested, getting up and moving to the stack of reports.
"Why? It's not like I want to train in this downpour. I just came back after all." He reminded her. During his bath last night, she had discovered several scratches and bruises that were new. She had promised him and herself she would have words with Saitou about his definition of 'research and reconnaissance'. "Can't I have a day off?" This request was almost a whine.
Misao smiled at the image that popped into her head of Aoshi as a little boy, whining about something. She was sure that had never happened but it was a nice image. She looked at him again and saw he had burrowed under the light cover again. She set the report in her hand down and moved back to him; she pulled the blanket off his face, "Are you going to be like this every time the rainy season comes?"
"If I have to do Saitou a favor, then yes." He replied, opening one green eye.
"Oh you..." Misao laughed and pulling one of the zabutons, began hitting him with it.
They were both breathing heavily when Aoshi pulled her into the futon, "Is it later yet?" He asked softly against her lips. When she returned his caress, he pulled the covers over them and drowned out the sound of the falling rain.
FIN