Chapter 9 * * *Disclaimer... I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
PLEAE READ*** The following material below may be a little racy in nature. RATED between PG13-and R. * * * * * *

* **Hard To Get***

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Misao yawned and stretched her limbs with the grace of a female lioness as she woke up to the smell of something delicious that wafted through the crisp clean spring air. She had done a lot of soul searching last night. The more time she spent with Yutarou she realized just how much she was in love with Aoshi. She liked Yutarou but he could never replace what she felt for Aoshi. She had decided that she had given him enough time to figure out what he wanted and since he had made the wrong decision, she would make the right one for him.

She knew he still felt guilty about their friends' deaths and that he carried around this huge burden on his shoulders, but enough was enough. He had suffered far more than anyone should. He had suffered enough and it was now up to her to make him see that. He deserved to be happy and she was going to make him happy even if it killed him. Figuratively speaking of course.

She quickly cleaned up for the day and donned her favorite blue and white kimono and left her room. It was a beautiful day. The sun was the brightest she had ever seen it and the sky was a stunning light blue. She knew today was going to be special. She felt it deep down within every fiber of her being.

"Good morning Misao. I hope that you had a good night's rest," said Kenshin as he greeted her.

"Good Morning Himura!!" Exclaimed Misao. "I had a very good night!"

"Oh? I take it that your new friend was the cause of this?" Asked Kenshin.

"No. But he did make me serious think about something."

"Oh?

"Yes. He made me realize that no matter how much you may try to deny your heart, it has a funny way of siding with your other organs to get you to listen."

"That is very wise Misao. You are becoming more and more grown up each passing day. Aoshi is very lucky to have you, that he is."

"Yes, he is," agreed Misao.

Kenshin was always easy to talk to. Every since the day that they first met she had found it so easy to confide in him. She never hid her feelings about Aoshi from anyone, including Aoshi. Now she was going to truly make it known to him and to every that she loved him and that she was not giving him up without a fight.

"Misao, truth be told and though I feel apologetic towards Aoshi I think I should give the two of you a slight push by telling you that he too has strong feelings for you as well. That Aoshi can be as stubborn as a mule and has difficulty expressing his true feelings at times. While not impossible but nevertheless difficult, you'll have to be patient and take some time on your part to restore him to the man he used to be," said Kenshin. Misao's eyes shined brightly when she heard him say he knew that Aoshi had strong feelings for her as well.

"I know that he has Himura, but what can I do? I have tried everything and nothing seems to work."

"Just leave that up to me and Kaoru," he said with a bit of mischief in his eyes.

"What are you two up to?"

"Nothing," Kenshin said feigning innocence.

"Oh Really?" Asked Misao smiling a little.

"Kaoru invited Aoshi over for dinner tonight. It is going to be a couple's dinner so she invited Sano, Megumi, Yahiko, and Tsumbame as well. Kenji is going to stay with Dr. Kinsu tonight so everything should be fine."

Misao squealed in delight. "Thank you Himura! Thank you, thank you!" Misao grabbed the red headed man and squeezed him senseless and then went in search of Kaoru to do the same. Once she had left, Kenshin let out a deep sigh. 'I hope that everything goes according to plan,' he thought as he turned on his heel to go to the market to get some ingredients for tonight's dinner.

He had sent invitation to Aoshi's hotel early this morning that stated that Kaoru would be terribly upset and heart broken if Aoshi did not attend. Of course Aoshi did not know that the dinner would be a couples' only dinner but that did not matter. As long as he got the man here then their plan had to work. Misao and Aoshi would be together again in no time. The man just needed a little push.

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Aoshi had read the invitation and sighed heavily. No doubt Kenshin and his wife had something up their sleeve. They had been trying to play match maker for him for years now. No doubt that Misao would be there as well.

"Misao."

He gently whispered her name and it seemed to give him some sort of peace. How often had he dreamed of running his fingers through her silken strands and staring into those deep bluest green eyes while he confessed and showed his love to her over and over again.

He had to go to see her again, but should he? He was after all on a mission. What if someone would be following him? Did he dare bring danger to Himura's home? He mentally played a picture in his mind of Kaoru's anger if he did not accept her invitation. Aoshi cringed at the mental picture of Kaoru turning into a grizzly bear. Himura had to be a strong man to have married her. Not wishing to incur Kaoru's wrath he decided to attend.

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Everything was literally perfect. Kenshin had shyly convinced Kaoru to let the Akubeiko cater the dinner that night and Japanese lanterns lined the grounds of the dojo to create a romantic evening. A table was set up outside underneath the stars with sitting pillows. Kenshin had placed Sano, Megumi Kaoru and himself on the same side and placed Misao and Aoshi on the other side by themselves. This had to work. This better work.

Megumi and Sano had arrived first. Misao sat at the table with them laughing and talking. She was wearing a beautiful foreign dress she had purchased earlier when she had learned that Aoshi had been invited to dinner. Her dress was of turquoise colored silk, bright and soft as the evening sky. It belled out full from her hips, and all the skirt was embroidered with thin silver threads and seed pearls and tiny crumbs of crystal, so that it glittered softly, like rain in April. Kenshin had sent Kaoru to the table to join everyone while he waited for Aoshi to arrive. There was a light tapping on the door and when Kenshin opened the door Aoshi stood there as stoic as ever.

"Himura."

"Aoshi."

"I hope that I am not late."

Kenshin smiled, "no you are not. Actually you are quite early. I did not think that you would come until the late minute."

Aoshi raised an eyebrow at Kenshin.

"It was a joke my friend. Please come in."

Kenshin stood back to let Aoshi enter inside the dojo. He quickly closed the door and lead Aoshi towards the others.

Aoshi stopped walking midway and just stood staring the table.

Kenshin looked over to see what had caught his eye.

Misao had stood up when she saw Aoshi approaching. A spring night breeze had captured her hair started to play with the unbound long strands. The blue in the dress picked up the slight blue in her eyes and made her seem ethereal.

She smiled at Aoshi and extended her hand for him to join her at the table.

Aoshi seemed to be frozen. When it appeared that he would not move, Kenshin pushed him forward and pretended to not have done so.

Aoshi took Misao's hand and allowed her to help him sit at the table.

He was entranced by her beauty. Was this his Misao? She looked so seductive. He did not trust himself with her.

"Good evening Aoshi," she said with a baritone in her voice that he had never heard before.

He could not reply. He was literally speechless.

"Misao's not a little girl anymore, huh Aoshi?" Sano said jokingly.

Aoshi was jerked from the spell that Misao had placed upon him as he realized that Megumi, Sano, Kaoru and Kenshin were all sitting the table. When did they get here? He thought to himself.

He immediately stood and bowed respectively to Kaoru and Megumi.

"I sincerely apologize ladies; I did not know that you were here."

"Obviously," said Megumi with a hint of amusement in her voice and eyes.

Aoshi blushed if that was possible. He immediately sat down next to Misao again and tensed.

"Let me help you out of your coat Aoshi," said Misao as she stood on her knees and grabbed the lapels of Aoshi's trench coat and pulled it off of his shoulders. She let her fingers absently rung down his shoulders and the effect gained her what she wanted when she felt Aoshi shake a little at the contact.

He was wearing a silk purple shirt and silk purple pants. She wanted to desperately remove them as well, but calmed herself. She did not know what had possessed her. She had never been so bold, but she was determined.

She placed his coat to the side of her so that there would be no barriers between them. When she sat back down she pulled her dress so that the split on the side could be seen visible to him. The split came up halfway to reveal a large portion of her thigh and shapely legs.

She caught Aoshi staring and leaned closed to him so only that he would be able to hear her. "Do you like what you see?"

Aoshi's eyes widened slightly and then he quickly gained his composure and looked away. Misao smiled and turned her attention to what ever the others were discussing. She knew that they were pretending to be immersed in chitchat. She silently thanked them for that.

Dinner was perfect. Misao constantly teased Aoshi and watched his resolve slip inch by inch. By the end of dinner she planned to have him in her hands. Completely.

Towards the end of dinner, Megumi, Sano, Kenshin and Kaoru excused themselves and left the table. Misao did not miss the silent plea for help look that Aoshi had given Kenshin as the man left the table with a hint of a smile upon his features.

The sake that Misao had poured Aoshi was still within his cup. She picked her his cup and took a slip, licking her lips seductively. "Hmmmm, this is good. Do you want some Aoshi?" She asked innocently as she offered the cup to him.

Aoshi was staring at her lips and not the cup. "You know that I have no tolerance for sake, Misao," he replied breathlessly.

"But it is so good. Sano purchased this from a man known to make the best sake in all of Japan. C'mon, just a slip. I'm sure that a slip will not get you intoxicated," she said.

She turned facing him fully and lifted the cup to his lips. Their eyes met and held and Misao felt her heart quicken. Aoshi had never looked at her like this before. There was a fire in her eyes that threatened to consume her. She almost lost her nerve.

"Don't you trust me Aoshi?"

"It is myself that I do not trust Misao," he said.

"I trust you," she said.

He allowed her then to place the cup to his lips and he took a slip while still keeping eye contact with her. He swallowed as his hand reached up gently to take her hand that was holding the cup. He licked his lips drawing her attention to his lips this time.

"Your right, it is delicious."

Misao swallowed a nervous and excited lump in her throat. Had Aoshi turned this around on her?

Aoshi knew what Misao was doing. She was trying to seduce him. What she did not know was that she had already succeeded even before he had arrived here tonight. He drank more of the sake as he watched her. She was tempting him beyond measure. She was a banquet set before a starving man who had not eaten in days.

He wanted to literally devour here. If she knew how dangerous he was to her at this very moment then she would have left with Himura.

"Do you need more sake, Aoshi?"

He gave her his cup for more, knowing that he should not, but he needed something to steady his nerves. He felt as if he were losing control of his emotions. He did not know how many cups he had consumed before he felt as if he were on fire. She refilled the cup again and then took a drink herself first causing a little of the sake to spill down her chin to her neck. Before she could wipe it away, he stilled her hand and leaned in and placed his tongue on her neck. Misao took in a shocked breathe and froze. Aoshi then trailed the path the sake had took upwards from her neck to her chin and then to her lips. He kissed her softly at first and then with more intensity. Misao had never been kissed before and she was completely shocked when Aoshi had started to do so.

Was she dreaming? Surly this could not be happening? She had dreamed of this for so long. She felt his hand in her hair titling her head to the side so that he could have better access at her mouth. She gasped when she felt his hand on her thigh which caused her to open her mouth to which he took advantage and slipped in his tongue. Misao felt as if she were going to explode. She could not breathe. Aoshi pulled back to allow them both air as he rested his forehead on her head. He had to gain control of himself or he would go too far.

He took in quick breathes to calm himself as he closed his eyes.

Misao was still entwined in Aoshi's embrace when his breathing went back to normal.

"Aoshi?"

Nothing.

"Aoshi?"

Again nothing.

She became concerned. She pulled away causing Aoshi's head to fall onto her chest. She blushed red.

"Aoshi?" She asked again.

She looked down to realize that he had fallen asleep.

She sighed inwardly and then smiled to herself.

She had gotten what she wanted.

****I hope you all liked it.

***** A special super duper thanks to my EXCELLENT beta reader NuMBeR 9!! He helped me out a lot with this chapter. THANKS!!!

**** As always a BiG thanks to everyone for their reviews!!!!

SHaDy!!