Disclaimers: RK is Watsuki's.

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Misao lay her head back and closed her eyes. The spring's naturally hot water turning her skin pink, she sighed as the early morning breeze carried the steam away and cooled her exposed skin. Later in the day it would be too warm to sit in the hot water and as the events of last night had prevented her and Megumi from coming here as they had planned, Misao was determined to come in this morning.

She wondered how Megumi was doing. She had left shortly after they had returned from their walk, Misao doubted she had reached Aizu yet. She had fully intended to return to Aizu with Megumi but the other woman had insisted that she remain in Hokkaido and enjoy the rest of her holiday.

'There is no reason for you to go.' Megumi had told her when Misao continued to insist that she return as well. 'It is a family matter after all and not an emergency.' Although Megumi had not intended her words to be taken in such a manner, to Misao they were like a slap in the face. She had continued to help Megumi pack but made no further mention of accompanying her back home. She was right after all, they were not her family; her family was in Kyoto.

"Kyoto." She whispered whimsically. Since reestablishing herself in Aizu letters had been sent back and forth to those she'd left in Kyoto, but correspondence was slow and it could not possibly replace being near them. She wondered if Okina had succeeded in getting his Persimmon tree to produce fruit again. He had nearly lost it the first winter after she had moved away. Did anything ever come of Shiro and Omasu's big date to the theater that Okon had mentioned in her last letter? And what of Okon and her chance meeting with Hiko Seijuro, she sounded as if she had plans to meet him again, although she did not say that directly, Misao got that impression. And what of… him?

Misao always carefully avoided the subject of Aoshi in her letters and those who answered them did likewise, addressing her vague inquiries after his well being with equally vague replies. She lifted a hand from below the surface of the warm water and wiped it over her face, as if trying to wipe away her thoughts of what was, or more appropriately, what was not. She had allowed her thoughts to drift back to the past more in the last two days than she had in the last two years…

"Che… who am I kidding." She slammed her fisted hand against the water, sending it splashing over her face and hair. Self-delusion aside, there was not a single day that had passed since she left Kyoto that she had not spent some part of it thinking about Aoshi. How she missed him. She wondered if he ever thought of her and secretly hoped that she would come back to Kyoto. Come back to him. She gave a small self-derisive laugh and shook her head at her own fanciful notion. Well, she hoped at the very least, that in her absence he had rediscovered the man she knew was behind the wall of silence, the man she had loved, the man that she still loved.

At the onset of the deeply buried heartache welling to the surface, Misao nearly growled, angry at allowing her feelings to get the better of her. She inhaled deeply, closed her eyes tight and dropped quickly below the surface of the water. She needed to think of something else, actually she needed to clear her head and think of nothing other than enjoying the remaining five days of her vacation in Hokkaido, there were plenty of things she could do to occupy her time and her thoughts. She lifted her head slowly from beneath the water, expelling her held breath and drawing deeply to fill her lungs with fresh air.

----

"You two are friends of Megumi?" Takani Saburo questioned as he set a cup of tea in front of Aoshi who whispered a quiet thank you and another in front of Sanosuke, who, without a word took a loud slurping gulp. Aoshi ground his teeth; the rooster head was impossible, where did he think he was, some soba stand out front of the ruffian row houses in Tokyo? Megumi's brother paid it little mind and continued speaking with barely a pause. "From Tokyo?"

No. Is what Aoshi had planned to say when Sagara nearly shouted 'yes' to the man's question.

He really needs to learn to keep his mouth shut. Aoshi thought as he looked at his loathsome traveling companion sharply, not missing the slight lift of his index finger signaling Aoshi that he should be quiet and allow Sagara to handle the lies. That suited him fine, Aoshi was not fond of lying, or liars… his eyes narrowed on Sagara further.

"Which of you is Himura-san?" Came the excited voice of Megumi's brother as he looked back and forth between the two men. Aoshi noticed Sagara's small flinch at the other man's innocently spoken question. Although Aoshi thought this was fitting retribution for having to listen to him all the way from Tokyo, he simply could not keep the sympathy from coming to life inside him at how much that simple question must have hurt.

"Neither of us." Aoshi offered. "Himura was too busy with his family at present to come. I am Shinomori Aoshi."

"Shinomori?" He spoke his name slowly, testing it out against all that his sister had told him about Tokyo, which Aoshi hoped, had not been everything she had experienced. "I don't recall her ever mentioning you before."

"No. She wouldn't have." Aoshi answered quietly. "I hardly knew Megumi and we were never what you would call friends."

"Well then…" Megumi's brother continued with something akin to caution in his voice. "Why have you come to Aizu to see my sister?"

"I am not here to see your sister." The other man's confusion grew and Sagara was shaking his head, rolling his eyes and smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand. Aoshi thought that perhaps the last act was an attempt to rattle his brain into functioning, although he had little hope of it working. "I have come to inquire after my ward, Makimachi Misao."

"Your ward?" He whispered in surprise. "Misao never mentioned any of this."

Aoshi noted the familiarity with which he spoke her name and his casual mention of knowing, or having the right to know everything about her. He had stated earlier that both she and Megumi lived in this house with him, could he be…? Aoshi stopped himself, he did not want to know; he would prefer to wait until he saw her; he wanted to hear it from Misao, he wanted to see her happiness without him, then maybe, he could be happy for her.

"She left our home two years ago." Aoshi explained. "I am sure you are aware that correspondence can, in no way, fill the emptiness felt by those that have been left behind."

His voice might come across as emotionless through long years of practice, however Aoshi could not keep the true meaning of his words from blazing within the depths of his eyes. The doctor understood him perfectly.

"Oi Oi Okashira-san." Sagara having recovered from the blow to his self-esteem was once again the crass street fighter, smirk and all. Aoshi rolled his eyes at Sagara's sarcastic tone. Megumi's brother missing nothing watched the two men, who he could not decide whether they were mortal enemies or the best of friends, waiting to see what would happen between them next. "Those are pretty words, but a woman would never believe you're in love if you speak so hesitantly with her."

"Is that so?" The calmness of Aoshi's voice was deceptive; he had reached his limit with that stupid ape… rooster… whatever. He looked directly into Sagara's eyes, warning him of what was to come once Aoshi started to speak again. "Well, Sagara Sanosuke, if you have even the least bit of trouble convincing Megumi how much you love her, Takani-san can attest to the way you nearly cried like an infant at the mention of Himura Kenshin's name. Better yet, send her to me, I can let her in on all the times, in between the bouts of your snoring, you called out her name."

The room grew so silent you could hear a leaf dropping from a tree.

"I don't snore." Came Sagara's indignant reply and Aoshi was nearly floored at the response.

"You most certainly do." Aoshi answered after taking another sip of his tea. "Loud enough to wake the dead and frighten away all the children on the locomotive."

"Humph." Was all the further protest Sagara offered.

"Did you just say…" They turned toward Megumi's brother whom both men forgot was even in the room. "His name is Sagara Sanosuke?"

Aoshi and Sanosuke exchanged curious glances then turned back to the other man.

"Hai." Aoshi answered.

"Naze?" Sagara replied and met Aoshi's sharp gaze as they had answered in unison.

"My sister has mentioned you many times." The other man jumped up and poured all three men another cup of tea. "I had always hoped I would get to meet you. How is your hand? Did you ever stop fighting enough to let it heal?"

"A. Aah." Sagara stuttered.

He sets himself up for the worst of everything. Aoshi thought watching, over the rim of his teacup, as Sagara's ego continued to grow at the boosting of his new fan. Just wait, he'll mention Himura again or something else and then…

"She complained about you endlessly when she first came back from Tokyo." The thought of laughter entered Aoshi's mind as Takani Megumi's brother delivered his prophecy and Sagara's chest lost some of its air and his shoulders slumped slightly forward. "Although she doesn't mention your name nearly as often now, my wife and I never tire of hearing about you. Misao knew you as well didn't she?"

Aoshi flinched inwardly at the use of the words 'my wife' and 'Misao' used in such close context. He gulped his tea to hide his discomfort. He had liked what he'd seen of Takani Saburo and knew that if what was being hinted at were true he would like him no longer. It wasn't fair really but fair did not have a place in this situation; Aoshi could have nothing but ill feelings toward any man who called Misao 'his wife'. He hated being rude but could not help that either and climbed to his feet, bringing to an end the continued torture of Sagara as every idiotic thing, of which there were many, the man had done in the presence of Takani's sister was retold, in all its detailed absurdity.

"Sumimasen Takani-san." Aoshi interrupted. "If you could tell me where I might find Misao."

----

"Hokkaido?" Aoshi whispered as he closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. He would be there this evening and with each mile that he traveled that brought him closer to Misao his anxiety over seeing her again grew. Due in large part to the conversation he'd had with Takani Saburo, who had walked Aoshi to the station when he insisted on leaving immediately upon learning of Misao's whereabouts. He would be on a locomotive headed for Hokkaido before nightfall. Takani had offered up his carriage for Aoshi, then sent it along after his sister when Aoshi had politely refused. He supposed it was rather childish of him but recalling their conversation at the station, Aoshi felt he'd made the right decision.

'Do not expect to find the same woman who left Kyoto two years ago Shinomori-san.' Takani had warned him. 'She has changed a great deal since she first came to Aizu.'

Aoshi merely nodded, not wanting to discuss the changes in Misao any further with this man. He turned and made to climb aboard the carriage only to be stopped by the light pressure of a hand on his shoulder.

'Your true feelings show in your eyes when you speak of her.' Takani spoke quietly. 'This is the only reason I am helping you.'

Aoshi nodded then in a voice he was unable to keep the chill entirely out of, he asked. 'Is there anything else Takani-san?'

'Yes.' Takani had smiled at him. 'Sagara Sanosuke is right, do not speak so hesitantly when it comes to love.'

Sagara Sanosuke right? Was it possible that Takani-san had escaped from a mental infirmary? He knew, from personal experience, that it was possible Sagara had. Still there was enough merit to what he said to make him uncertain.

"Hesitant to love? Aoshi whispered so softly that it was lost in the noises of the jostling locomotive. "Am I?" It made no sense for a man, who was not afraid of risking his life and had often done so, to be afraid of risking his heart. It might make little sense but that made it no less real to Aoshi.

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Japanese terms:

Hai - yes

Naze - Why

Sumimasen - excuse me, sorry

Oi - Hey!

Aah - yes.