sorry it took me so long to update, i have alot going on with school, family, and friends, so i'll be updating much more soon now, perhaps once a week now. Enjoy :)

The air turned cold and Misao had officially made her way to the attic to withdraw the Oniwabannshu winter kimonos. Activity had calmed down within the market and even the Aoiya for that matter due to the blowing winds, many people had come down with a suspicious flu and preferred to stay at home. But, that did not stop the arising activity in the air, though the arising activity was the exact reason Misao had volunteered to retrieve the winter kimonos rather than overhear talking between Okon and Omasu about how Misao's wedding kimono was to be designed.

The wedding was set to take place at the beginning of spring, when the cherry blossoms first bloomed, everything would appear as an abstract painting. The flowing, white kimono and the mismatched colors made a shiver go down Misao's spine everytime she thought about it. Which is why she often cleared her mind with thinking schemes about getting Kenshin to teach her the Ana-Kakeru-Ryo-No-Hirameki, though it was of the Hiten Mitsurugi style, it couldn't hurt to learn more.

Aoshi, on the other hand, it seemed to her was avoiding her much more than usual since their talk with Okina at the dinner table that night. Or was he seeing her more, she couldn't tell. The times he had seen her weren't exactly recorded. They were blended together so every moment seemed like the next until she couldn't remember the difference, it all danced together, so mixed, so confused.

Getting back to the task at hand, Misao pulled herself from her in depth thoughts enough to remember how to unhinge the attic lock. Unlocking it, she opened it and pulled down the ladder, carefully climbing as it wobbled beneath her. She made it and searched around for the kimonos.

She searched box after box, finding older things like an old rusted sword that had a named carved in, Hikaru Makimachi, was written clearly across kanji. She groaned as she remembered that he was the one that had started the tradition of arranged marriage in her family. She set the sword aside, and bundled the kimonos in her arms as she walked back to the ladder.

Her mind was filled with thoughts as she slowly descended, the stairs creaking. Why were people forced into things when they should be allowed to flow with the time as a brush flows against a abstract painting? Why were people forced to follow strict straight lines like a pen drawn harshly against a slab of paper, piercing it?

With all of these thoughts in mind, she forgot the trick step and slipped, she screamed and she came down, but immediately felt arms embrace her. She looked up and came face to face with Soujiro. He laughed as the kimono flowed gently to the grown, the blues, oranges, pinks, reds, and yellows all askew into eachothers paths. Abstract...

"Well, well, well, Misao-chan, looks like your clumsiness hasn't improve," He joked. Misao growled in rage and tried to punch him but he quickly dodged it with a maneuver Shishio had taught him, which made him go into more fits of laughter.

"I see your fighting needs to be worked on as well." He laughed between breaths," Perhaps, Aoshi-sama, could work with you on those things." His words stopped her and she felt it coming, just the mention of his name brought reality crashing into her, and it was enough to cripple her. She fell to the floor crying.

Soujiro was shocked and confused. This was NOT what he had expected from the great, boastful Misao Makimachi, but he supposed everyone had things that bothered them. So, instead of making fun of her as he normally would have, he carefully picked up a stark black kimono, placed it over the girls shoulders, let her to the back porch and sat her down.

"Now what is this all about, honestly?" He asked. Misao hiccuped.

"I-I'm scared, this is not how I imagined it would happen, and I can't help but have a sense of dread." Misao was amazed with how she opened up to him.

"Well, if we think about it logically, he left you right, maybe you're thinking he might leave you again, and you don't want to take that risk." He pointed out. She thought for a moment.

"Yeah, maybe, but why should you care?" She demanded. Soujiro sighed and decided it was time for Misao to know what the teasing meant. He lifted her head slowly and ran his fingers across her lips, getting an amazed look as he placed his over hers lightly.

"Because, I love you," He whispered before turning the light brush into a deep, passionate kiss which Misao immediately pulled away from. Soujiro was confunded, he stood up almost at once.

"I'm so sorry, Misao-chan." She ran off and Misao cried some more. What was that? Did Soujiro mean it or was it another thing to mess with her mind? Her life was so confusing, like a swirl of colors all blended in, in random patterns, crisscrossing, unbeknownst is their destination. She decided this life was flowing in all directions, and not making any sense. Like an abstract painting.

there you have it, hoped you liked, please review, my goal is ten reviews total before I write the next chapter, thanks again.

Marcina