Aoshi, My Love

Misao sat in the window sill of her room, sporting her favorite blue ninja suit. The sun was high, blazing down on her face - not that she minded. She loved the feeling of the rays wrapping around her, the light breeze caressing her as she soaked it all in. "Basking like a cat" is what she called it. Misao chuckled, remembering all the times people had walked into her room, only to find her curled up in a ball, much like a cat - or a weasel - on the sunny spot of her floor. They'd always make a big deal out of it – especially the girls; they all said it was unladylike. There was only one person who understood why she did it.

"Aoshi-sama," Misao swooningly answered her statement aloud. Just saying his name made her lips tingle; hearing it made her feel incredible. As if just saying his name would summon him, and he would keep her safely by his side. She knocked her head back against the window frame. "I wonder what he's doing…" she said, as she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on her eyelids too.

At first, everything was black, with light slowly pouring in so that she could make out a forest. Misao started to shade her eyes, but quickly realized that there was a dark figure blocking her from the sun's blinding light. She waited.

A rock? No… maybe a tree sapling? She thought. "Argh! Stupid eyes- hurry it up with the seeing business!"

Misao lost her patience quickly, and started vigorously rubbing and pounding her eyes. When she realized that was only making things worse, her frustration got the best of her - and she started punching the mysterious sun-block. Only after her second hit did she realize it was soft and yielding.

Clothes? she wondered. Great, what the hell did I just get myself into?

Misao left her hand on the man - woman? She wasn't sure. So, she started raising her hand up the body, waiting until she hit either boobs or broad shoulders. Her arm was almost completely extended when she finally hit shoulders.

No boobs, super tall? Gotta be a dude...

"It isn't smart to run your hand along a body you don't know." That voice. "Not only could it be some pervert, but-" Misao looked up, wide-eyed, as he talked. "- you're also left completely defenseless..."
She was so overcome with joy that all she could do was stand and stare as her eyes seemed to adjust more with each word he spoke. Every phrase brought a feature into clearer view. "Honestly," he started. Her eyes caught sight of his broad shoulders and giant collared white coat… "Haven't you," Now his clothes, and his partially covered neck…"Learned anything," The sheathed sword around his waist, fingerless gloves… "From the Oniwabanshu?" His angular face - terrifying, hard, but the softest eyes in the world when he spoke to her.

"Aoshi-sama!" was all Misao could let out in her joyous sigh.

Before she could register the man she adored standing there, in front of her, in a mysterious forest she had randomly appeared in, and he was mocking her; he grabbed her hand and whispered, "It's time to run!"

Misao followed him without question as he guided her by the wrist. It was amazing to feel the nature rushing past her as they ran. They may have been running from a dangerous something - or someone - she didn't know. She didn't even care. All Misao knew, and cared about, was that she was chasing after him. And not like she had done for so long, eventually leading to bumping into Kenshin. No - this time he wanted her by his side. Misao smiled, but it soon faded.

He's got more stamina than me, what if he's just wearing me out? He'll lead me somewhere safe, I'll be exhausted, and he'll keep running...! Or, he'll stay with me! …until I'm asleep and vanish into the night! AGAIN! After so long, he still didn't want her. She couldn't believe it...

Bile began to collect in her throat, her heart starting to pound even more furiously than before. Misao could feel her panic through every inch of her body. It grew, collected, and festered as they ran on. She tried to hold it in, she really did, but the forest was growing dark, she was losing sight of him. Still, she chased, persisted. Misao would always chase Aoshi - follow him where ever he went. Unless he truly didn't want her?

"No!" Misao screamed. As she did, she grabbed the arm that held her by the wrist, and stopped dead in her tracks. Aoshi didn't realize at first, so caught up in the run that he pulled Misao down to her knees before he managed to stop. "You're gonna leave me again!" Misao looked at him as she was on the brink of tears. "You - You'll tire me out, and let me sleep, and WALK AWAY - JUST like last time. Well, you may have been planning on it-" Her grip on his arm tightened- "but I won't let you! I don't want to be left alone again, Aoshi!" After all her shouting, Misao sobbed, slowly losing her voice. "It's not fair..." was all she could whimper.

Aoshi bent down to his knees so he was almost at eye-level with her. "Misao," he spoke softly, more so than she'd ever heard anyone speak. "I won't leave you." He sat down, and gently took his arm from her grip, and placed each of her hands in his own. "When you were a child - I couldn't stand to see you cry. If anyone gave you trouble, I had to work hard not to slice off their various body parts. I hated to leave you, but knew I had to, so you'd be safe. When they died," there was no need to mention their names; Misao held them as close to her heart as he did. "I was, yes, overcome with rage and desperately wanted to avenge them. But things happened, you know that story. And you pulled me out of my insanity. When Kenshin told me you shed tears at the thought of me returning, knowing that you needed me saved me. Misao, you've grown up - and as you've grown and matured, so has my love for you. I've realized...my life would be horrible without you. You-"

Misao burst out; "Then why leave me?"

He grasped her hands tighter. "Let me finish, please." She could only nod, too preoccupied with how warm his hands were. Aoshi continued, "You are the reason I can sleep peacefully; the reason I don't feel my pains. Your smile is my safety, my source of happiness. You are the reason my heart beats, the one who leaves me gasping for breath. You, Misao, my love, have opened my eyes and taught me to see the world in colors I didn't know existed; made me speak things that have no words, and give me reason to sing songs, some of which I never knew had melodies." Aoshi smirked at his last remark, a small attempt at humor, and Misao let out a humored sigh, slightly relieved to have a joke within all of the serious and amazing things he was telling her. It didn't take long for the comedic relief to wear off, though. "I'm running though this forest aimlessly, Misao. But I don't care! Because you're running with me. I don't care where life takes me - because I know you'll be right there, by my side...and in my arms."

And before she had time to react, Aoshi pulled her to him with all his might; wrapping one arm around her waist and the other pressing her head to his chest. Misao could hear his heartbeat pounding in his chest, yet it wasn't anywhere near as fast as hers. She closed her eyes, reveling in his warmth.

He's so warm...it feels like the sun is wrapped around me... she thought.

Aoshi kissed the top of her head, and stopped to smell her hair right before he said, "Misao, I will always, and forever, lo- SQUAWK!"

"Whu-WHA-?" Misao practically jumped out of her own skin when the bird perched on her knee, waking her from her catnap in the window sill. At least, she was in the window. Instead of jumping out of her own flesh, she fell out of the window, headfirst, onto her bedroom floor. "STUPID BIRD!" She yelled furiously, running back to the window and shaking her fist at the bird, already far away in the sky. "Now my arm hurts from trying to hurt you! Get. BACK. HEEEERE!"

"You shouldn't yell at an animal for waking you up when I was about to do the same thing."

Misao stopped her spazzing, and spun around to see Aoshi in her doorway. Immediately, she blushed and stubbornly stated, "Yeah, well...SHADDAP!" If he'd known the dream, he would have known that her real frustration was knowing that he would never say those things to her - not that obviously at least. I'll just have to listen more closely.

Aoshi only gave a hint of a smile and replied, "You're going to Tokyo with me. Get ready - we leave in ten." then walked away.

Misao, shocked at first by his abrupt order, smiled, still blushing, and whispered to herself, "I love you too, Aoshi-sama."

****A/N- so! dyou like it? I hope you liked it ! This was originally going to be a oneshot.. but.. I have lots of ideas for more and i've gotten a request to do more.. so.. if i get some reviews- id be more than happy to! (if i dont, i'll probably work on another chapter anyway, but less happily. dont you want me to be happy ? :D?) right.. well.. anywho! please review and comment and critique and all that nice stuff~! itd mean a lot to me so.. thanks! :)