Disclaimer: Once again, I'll say this so the feds don't get me. >> I own the plot. All else belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki.

AN/ Now it's back to Misao!

Misao Kamiya's POV

Misao was very pissed. That Saitou was a jerk. She knew she was throwing a tantrum, but she really didn't care. She was careful not to jolt Yahiko awake with her stomping though. Although since he had barely stirred while she was kicking that drunken freak's ass, she doubted her stomping would affect him. But even so, she calmed herself down.

As she was stomping she had come into the main foyer -such as it was- and now that she was somewhat calmer she felt it was safe to go up to her room. She walked pass the main desk, and noticed that the man who usually worked there was gone. But it didn't really matter since Yahiko had their keys.

With a sigh Misao shrugged Yahiko up higher on her back to make things easier and started climbing the steep, narrow stairs. She always felt a twinge of nervousness whenever she went up or down the stairs, because the stairwell itself was only dimly lit, and a majority of the stairs creaked in a foreboding manner. She could never convince herself that they wouldn't break under her and send her tumbling down.

Grimacing she stared resolutely ahead of her and climbed them quickly. She had hardly gone up more then the first flight before she heard quickly pattering footfalls behind her. Turning at the landing to gaze down the flight of stairs she smiled when she saw Kaoru running lightly up after her.

"Hey Kaoru…" She said with a smile. Kaoru smiled in return and reached the landing.

"Feeling better Misao?" Kaoru asked her with a small smile.

"…I guess." Misao answered with an exasperated sigh. "I mean, I guess I can forgive Aoshi-san…and…Kenshin and Rooster-head seem nice…but that damn Saitou is a complete ass…" She said with a roll of her eyes, glowering when she mentioned Saitou. Kaoru snickered slightly. So Misao glared at her, but her sister merely chuckled louder.

"Yes…Aoshi did not mean to have left us on our own, he could not have known father died. And his friends seem…nice." Kaoru said with a shrug. Misao simply sighed and turned again to climb the next flight of stairs. Their apartment was on the third floor.

Stopping at the their door, Misao paused to stare at the keyhole blankly. She heard Kaoru chuckle behind her and tilted her head to the side to look over Yahiko's fuzzy hair and glare at Kaoru.

"What's so funny?" She growled lightly. Kaoru smiled and pulled the keys out of Yahiko's coat. She then unlocked the door and went in.

The door led from the main hall directly into the main room. The floor was simple paneled wood, which had a few threadbare rugs. The first half of the room was the living room, furnished with a single, somewhat tatty and beat up couch, covered in a stitched dark brown fabric. The only other furnishings were two simple chairs and a small table betwixt them. The back half of the room was separated by a line on the floor, simply made by the floor turning from wood to tiled stone, covered in more rugs.

They had a small refrigerator, a simple stove and several small cabinets. They also had some a simple larger table, which they dined at and was surrounded by three simple wooden chairs.

The room was roughly rectangular, and at the point where the room turned into their dinning and cooking center was an open door which led to a very short hall. On one side was their bathroom and Yahiko's room, and the other was Kaoru and Misao's shared room.

Their bedroom was simple, but comfortable. The door was at the left most part of the front wall. The wall was basically a rectangle, spanning from the 'kitchen' to the end of the hall. Across from the door was a small square window, and the wall on the left, being shared on the side by the kitchen was bare. The wall across from that was covered in some simple artwork of their own doings, and Yahiko's. Their beds were both small, nothing more then twin size, and the headboards were against the wall. Between their beds was a small table, a lamp atop that. The wall was simple whitewash, and the floor was wood like the main room. They both had a small soft but threadbare rug on the floor next to their beds but that was the only carpeting they had. Above each of their beds were two other small, square windows. In the corner under the first window was a medium sized bureau, made of a dark wood and covered with a simple black cloth.

Misao followed and walked past the living room portion to the short, darkened hall. She walked into Yahiko's room and dumped him lightly on his bed before gently pulling off his coat, shirt, and shoes before tucking him in. Kissing his forehead lightly and leaving the room, she closed his door behind her.

She walked back into the living room with a heavy sigh, dropping her coat onto the couch and following after it with an ungraceful flop, landing on her back, bringing her left arm up to cover her eyes.

"Ugh…" She moaned exasperatingly while bringing her other hand to clutch her head. She was tired of this whole predicament.

"It's ok Misao…" Kaoru told her gently, sitting down on the couch next to Misao's head and stroking her hair in a comforting manner.

Misao sighed and moved both her hands to her side before sitting up slowly. She sighed and tilted her head to either side to crack her neck and loosen her muscles. She felt Kaoru wrapped an arm around her neck and before she could do more then twitch she was pulled into a headlock and Kaoru was mussing her hair.

"Neh! Kao!" Misao yelled, flailing her arms wildly. Kaoru smiled at her affectionately before letting her go and starting to undoing her braid. Misao just shot her a lighthearted glare and turned to sit cross-legged on the couch, her back facing her sister. After several moments Kaoru had the braid unclipped from her head, and was quickly and gently undoing it. She soon had it done, and she slipped away for a few moments, coming back with their brush where upon she started brushing her hair. Misao sighed happily and closed her eyes in contentment, leaning into the brush strokes.

"Heh, you act like a cat when I brush your hair Mia." Kaoru said with a soft smile. Misao opened an eye and glanced over her shoulder at Kaoru.

"Is that a problem?" She asked simply. Kaoru smiled at her and shook her head slightly before putting the brush down and patting Misao's head.

"All done." Kaoru said gently. Misao sighed and opened both her eyes, shifting to unbind Kaoru's hair. Kaoru turned to sit similarly to the way Misao had previously, facing away from her. Misao started humming a simple tune under her breath, a song she, Kaoru and their mother had sang when they were little and she was still alive. Misao still sang it at times when she was at peace, and both the song and them both brushing each other's hair brought them a time of complete peace. Kaoru's hair was easier to undo, and she was done after only a minute. Afterwards she spent a great deal of time brushing Kaoru'' hair, continuing with her humming all the way. She felt Kaoru relaxing further and further, and smirked when she heard the steady breathing signifying her sister's'sleep. Loath as she was to do so, she gently shook her sister awake.

"Kao, Kao. We need to change and get to bed." She said gently. Kaoru sighed and got to her feet, reaching a hand out while she did so to pull Misao to her feet as well. Misao smiled sleepily and took Kaoru's proffered hand and got to her feet as well. They both went into their room and closed the door behind them before they pulled their uniforms off and folded them, putting them on top of their shared bureau.

Misao changed into a long black shirt, which came to her thighs, and Kaoru pulling on a thin, kimono like night robe. The robe was a pale purple, with very dark purple petals strewn though out the material.

Misao pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and sat on her bed, leaning to turn the lamp on. Kaoru on the other hand left her hair down, but grabbed a black satin ribbon to pull it into a loose, low, ponytail. Kaoru then joined her on her bed and leaned against the headboard, suddenly looking rather awake.

"So…Misao…did what Megumi say have any truth to it?" Kaoru asked her, looking at her with a smirk. Misao drew herself up indignantly.

"Of course not!" She denied fiercely. "Are you insane? Why would I have any feelings or anything for a creepy, snarky jerk like him!" Kaoru's smirk didn't falter, she simply leant forward and tilted her head to the side.

"Truly? I think doth protest too much!" Kaoru said with a laugh, her eyes twinkling gleefully. Misao felt her cheeks getting hot and knew she was blushing. And she knew nothing she could do would hide the blush. But even so she turned her head away and stared at their door resolutely.

She refused to turn around, and crossed her arms over her chest with a sharp huff. She heard Kaoru laughing lightly behind her and pouted. Suddenly a thought occurred to her, and she whipped around to smile widely at Kaoru. She enjoyed Kaoru's startled and nervous expression.

"Well, what about you, and Kenshin?" She asked sweetly. She saw Kaoru's face turn bright red as she waved her hands frantically in front of her face while shaking her head from either side wildly.

"No, no, no! Nothing between us! I don't even know him!" She said very quickly in a strained voice. It was Misao turn to laugh and she did so.

"So? Just because you don't know him doesn't mean you can't be attracted to him! I saw you stealing glances at him several times." Misao said, feeling a very wide smile split her face. Kaoru's face got –although it seemed impossible- redder.

"What?" She said, looking quite embarrassed. Misao smirked but to her shock, Kaoru's face froze, and she smirked as well. "Well, I could say the same to you! Can you honestly say that you did not find Saitou-san in the least attractive?" She asked slyly before raising a hand up and closing her eyes. "I admit that Kenshin-san is…rather attractive I suppose, and kind looking, and…seems sweet…" Kaoru cut herself off, blushing again. Misao snicker slightly before sighing and turning curious.

"Well…Fine. The truth. I suppose…yes." Misao started nervously, twiddling her pointer fingers together. When she saw Kaoru smirk at her she sighed and continued. "Yes, I find him…very attractive I guess…" Misao said nervously. Kaoru started playing with the end of her hair, looking sly.

"Is that so? I wouldn't think you would? After all I wouldn't think he would be your type." Kaoru told her offhandedly. Misao huffed and turned to glare at her sister.

"And what makes you say that Kao! I mean, he may not be handsome in the classical sense, but he does have strong features…and his eyes…" She started, feeling her face get hot again until she caught Kaoru's catty expression and got flustered. "HEY!" She said indignantly. Kaoru snickered behind her hand. "Oooh." She hissed with a glower. Kaoru smiled sweetly.

"Sorry Mia." She said just as sweetly. Misao narrowed her eyes and thought quickly to find a way to fluster Kaoru in return. Her eyes darted wildly around the room as she thought, and when an idea came to her she grinned gleefully. She saw Kaoru sink back against the headboard slightly and grinned wider.

"Yeah? Well, it figures that you would go after so effeminate a man such as Kenshin." She spoke matter-of-factly, her hand by her face as she examined her fingers calmly, watching Kaoru out of the corner of her eye. Kaoru looked very pissed, and she was leaning forward on her fists.

"You take that back Misao! Just because he's short and has long hair does not make him effeminate! He has a very handsome face, and his eyes are distinctly masculine, and he looks built! And just what do you mean by that comment? I'm not a lesbian!" Kaoru hissed at her seriously. Misao smirked in accomplishment and was pleased to see Kaoru's eyes widen in understanding then narrow in pique.

"Oooh…you're good." She muttered lifting her hands in defeat. Misao smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek lightly.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, we both know that we have…crushes…on two certain men in that group." Misao said slowly, staring at the ceiling blankly. Kaoru nodded slowly.

"Yes…so…what is to come of this?" Kaoru asked gently. Misao shrugged.

"Eh. I don't know. I'm tired. Let's go to sleep." Misao said with a careless shrug. Kaoru sighed in an exasperated manner, but she got lightly to her feet, pausing to kiss the top of Misao's head before sliding underneath the covers of her own bed and turning onto her side and falling asleep.

Misao waved sleepily and turned out the light before sliding under her covers and falling asleep just as her head hit her pillow.

AN/Like it? Hate it? R&R!