Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or its characters.

Title: Baking Cakes

Status: 3/?

Again, not as funny. And less torture to Aoshi. Maybe he's matured a little haha XD But enjoy anyway…

Constructive criticism welcome.

-

It was the beginning of the Cherry Blossom viewing festival and Misao was functioning on the thought that her Aoshi-sama was going to take her tonight. In fact, that was the only reason why she was in a kimono. Okon and Omasu had adamantly told her in the morning, "If you don't wear a kimono, Aoshi-sama will think you're not pretty and won't take you tonight", and of course Misao wanted to look pretty for the one she idolized. So she hastily slipped into a pink kimono with a flower print and a darker pink obi with help from Okon, to the delight of both women.

"Aoshi! Can you go to the market and buy some food for the Aoi-ya? Shiro and Kuro are out the back and I can't seem to find Hannya and the others. They seem to disappear when I need things done for me, the good-for-nothings. Take Misao with you too. She's been talking about you all day, non-stop." With this, Omasu pushed Misao outside with a list of what to buy in one hand and a basket in the other.

"Let's go, Aoshi-sama! To the market, forward!" A small smile formed on the youth's features as he fondly watched the little girl marc down the dust road in her geta sandals, almost tripping over in the process. But Aoshi couldn't ignore the little tingling sensation at the back of his head. It was like something was going to happen, and it definitely wasn't going to benefit him. He shrugged and caught up the little girl, hoping that Misao's curiosity would be watered down by the excitement of going with him to the festival. He certainly wasn't ready to explain something to her, even though the last embarrassing question she had asked him was over two years ago.

-

The two strolled into the marked, shopping list and basket on hand, and made a beeline for the seafood stall. It was at this point that little Misao spotted two people busily engaged in a kiss that looked breathtaking, and not in a good way either. Just, literally taking the breath of the people who were openly displaying their… lust for each other.

Aoshi was cursing the daring couple for their shameless exhibition in the broad daylight in the midst of a public place when Misao's high voice piped up. "Ne, Aoshi-sama, what are those two doing?" Misao's question was just as shameless as the couple, Aoshi thought. But he brushed it aside and told the little girl not to worry, and to foget about it. Unfortunately for Aoshi, Misao's curiosity was not to be defeated by a simple "forget about it", even if it was Aoshi-sama who said it to her.

"Ne, Aoshi-sama. Why won't you tell me what they were doing?" Misao pouted and waited for Aoshi as he purchased the last item on the list.

"Now now, Misao-chan. What they do isn't your business, you know."

"I know, Aoshi-sama. But I still want to know. Can you tell me why their faces were stuck together? Was he—" Aoshi's big hand clamed over her mouth. People had paused to listen to the little girl's innocent questions and were pointing and were politely concealing smiles behind their hands.

"Excuse me," Aoshi bowed to the little crowed that had gathered around, then hurried away, taking Misao with him. When they were out of the market streets and well on their way home, Aoshi gently asked the unusually subdued girl, "Are you okay, Misao-chan?" The little girl shook her head from side to side and pouted.

"Why won't Aoshi-sama tell me what that man and woman were doing in the market?"

The youth sighed, put down the basket and squatted in front of Misao so he was eye to eye with her. "Because Misao-chan is still a little girl." He stood up, brushed some imaginary dirt off his pant legs and beckoned the girl to come. "Come on Misao-chan. Look, I'll give you a piggyback when we get home." Misao vehemently shook her head.

"I'm not little and I'm not going until Aoshi-sama tells me what they were doing." Her eyes became big as saucers and tears started rolling down her face, leaving a shiny trail. Aoshi sighed. He really needed to practice resisting that look because he knew he couldn't do anything against her if she looked up at him with eyes like that.

"Okay Misao-chan. How about this? We drop this off first before Omasu gets angry and then we can talk." The little girl sniffled and rubbed her eyes but nodded.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Ten minutes later found Aoshi and Misao sitting at the base of a tree facing the Aoi-ya.

"Those two…" Aoshi stopped. How was he going to explain this one to her? He really wasn't in the mood to make silly analogies, like the last two he'd told her. And anyway, Hannya had told her that she deserved to know the truth. Scratch that.

"Those two… Misao-can, every woman and a man have a magnet in their mouths." Inside, Aoshi was astounded at the horrifyingly bad excuse he had come up with. The job of being Okashira must have really been getting to his head if his excuses were this lame.

"Do I have one?"

"No. Only… big people do."

"Do you, Aoshi-sama? Can I see it?"

Aoshi coughed lightly. "No I don't have one, and the magnets are invisible. You can't see them, but they're there." He paused as her 8-year-old mind soaked in the information. "So when those two put their mouths together, its because the magnets pulled them together, okay Misao-chan?"

"Why doesn't all of the big people do that then?"

Aoshi sighed. He was still in his teens, yet his sigh was like one of an old man who was tired of life and was about to die. Well, that's what he was thinking might as well happen, being coerced into telling Misao about the facts of life. "Don't be silly, Misao-chan. Now let's get ready for tonight, shall we? Or Okina will change his mind." Aoshi felt somewhat bad for not telling her the truth, be he truly believed she was too young to know. At least she had accepted the explanation he half-heartedly offered.

-

Aoshi and Hannya were walking around, pausing occasionally to look at the stalls. Misao had been kidnapped by Okon and Omasu for a shirt while.

Aoshi took this as an opportunity to discuss Misao's curiosity. "Hannya—" he started, but a pundle of pink fell at his feet, huffing and puffing.

"Aoshi-sama, I saw Jiya and some other woman and their magnets pulled their faces together. But," Misao stopped to take in a much-needed breath. "Jiya's hand were also on the woman's—" she made a arc motion on her chest. "—thing. Does that mean Jiya has magnets on his hands as well?"

Her innocent question bowled Aoshi over and left Hannya bemused, thinking that it was about time Misao learnt the truth about thinks like this.

That is, until Misao just as innocently turned to Hannya and asked while motioning to the vicinity of her chest, "Why do women have these big things?"

- Owari -

OMAKE (for those who want more)

Aoshi and Hannya are pacing around in a tightly confined room

Aoshi: Hannya, when you told me to tell Misao the truth, I thought that you told me because you did too. But instead—

Hannya shakes his head and places it in his hands

Aoshi: INSTEAD YOU GO AHEAD AND TELL HER THAT WOMEN STICK WATERMELONS DOWN THEIR KIMONOS INSTEAD OF TELLING HER THAT THEY HAVE BREASTS!

Okon and Omasu enter, wide-eyed.

Aoshi: Gfl; deajgkl;da.

-

Author's Notes

I must say, the Omake was a lot more interesting. Anyway, more chapters later on. Definitely. And one about the menstrual cycle will come. Soon. I'm trying to do this in chronological order, so yeah. Just wait until Misao gets around that age XD and then you'll have a chapter.

-Duckii Mustang-