By Fujifunmum
Chapter 21: Tending Gardens
Misao was awake long before Sanosuke this bright and sunny morning. She had carefully eased herself from his arms and gone to help Makiko in the kitchen. The Crane was still a bit short handed and she was determined to see to the welfare and whims of their customers. Now that the early risers had been catered to, she stole silently into Sano's room and knelt beside him, surprised at how very much she enjoyed watching him sleep.
Her fisted hands rested on her thighs as she sat quietly, watching the rhythmic breathing beside her. Misao felt content. She felt happy. She felt loved and at peace with herself. She cocked her head to the side, considering the differences between Sanosuke and Shinomori. She had spent so much of her young life enamored of the handsome ninja, yet she couldn't think of one action of his that had ever encouraged her in feelings deeper than friendship. When had her childhood idolization turned into love? Why had she fallen so desperately in love with a man she had not even seen for many years?
How did those feelings differ from what she felt for Sano? It was interesting, she thought, as she smiled to herself. Her feelings for Shinomori had faded along with her pain and now she felt so strongly for Sanosuke, that she could only conclude that her feelings for him ran deeper. Was that possible? She shook her head, trying to clear out the memories of the rapidly receding past. She didn't really want to even think about her years spent loving and longing for a man who did not return her feelings. What good was that? Misao had a gift for living in the present. There was no reason to live in the past now.
Sanosuke stirred, bringing her attention back to his reclining form beside her. She reached out her hand to touch him, glancing her palm off his shoulder as he reached out towards the space she usually occupied. Feeling her light touch, he muttered her name under his breath, patting the futon to see where she was. Finding no one there, his eyes cracked open about a quarter of an inch, focusing gradually on the futon beside him.
Misao watched him take in the line of the futon where she had slept, moving steadily down until his vision hit her bare knees. Taking his forefinger, he ran one finger around the rings of her kneecaps, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Come back to bed, Misao. It's too early to be up."
"Not when you're in the Inn keeping business. It's late for an Innkeeper to be getting up. That's probably why I'm up and you're still sleeping. How was the security job last night? You got in so late."
Sano yawned and stretched as he wrapped his long fingers around her leg, gently stroking as far as he could reach on the back of her thigh. "It was boring. Late and boring. I didn't get home until almost dawn."
Misao's eyes lit up and she leaned over to stroke his scratchy cheek with the back of her hand. "Home. Is that how you think of the Crane? Or is it Tokyo that makes you feel that way?"
Sano's eyes closed but one hand took her wrist and the other wrapped around her back as he reached out to pull her into an impromptu embrace. "Neither. I must have said that in my sleep. Can't imagine why I'd think this place felt like 'home', can you?"
It was pretty easy for Misao to see he was teasing her. If his quirky smile didn't give it away, the way he was rubbing his body against hers suggested he was feeling very much like making himself even more "at home" in the very near future. She smiled as she snuggled closer to him, rubbing her cheek against his collarbone and running her fingertips down along his sides. "Nope. No reason for you to get too comfortable here." Just then, she popped him gently but purposefully in the solar plexus, escaping his hold when he jumped with a surprise "Oomph" at her action.
She leaped away, ninja skills at the ready, just barely getting her ankles out of his reach.
"Get back here, woman. We have unfinished business." Sano sat up and tried to scowl at her, but his lips kept twitching into a lop-sided grin as she flitted just out of his reach and laughed at him.
"Yes, you need to give me a full report on last night's assignment. What good is a Security Chief who doesn't remember to report in to his Okashira? Speaking of which, you still haven't reported to me on your Aizu trip. Maybe I need to get some more new recruits here so you'll have enough time to fill me in."
That did it. Sano moved even faster than Misao had, demonstrating just how fast a man with a mission could take the situation in hand.
Makiko was taking her kids downstairs to play in the yard at the back of the Crane. She hurried them along, briefly smiling, as she heard her Okashira unmistakably squeal in a loud voice. "Sano! What are you doing?" Her giggles and squeaks subsided and Makiko heard Sano reply, "Just following your orders, Okashira ma'am."
Aoshi sat in his usual meditative pose in his room at the Koi. His eyes were closed and his mind was at peace. He had taken to meditating early each morning before the start of the busy day at the Koi. New Oniwabanshuu recruits from both Kyoto and Yokohama had arrived the day before, giving Aoshi and Goro the ability to leave their guests in capable hands for most of the day.
This solitary moment gave him time to reflect on the radical changes wrought in his life during the past couple of weeks. He and Goro had only made a few updates in the decoration of the Koi before re-opening the Inn as an Oniwabanshuu establishment. The Inn had been a prime property in Aizu with an established clientele. They wished to make the new ownership as seamless as possible for their new customers. The challenge had been to get enough staff to relieve them of all but the most fundamental of managerial duties. Now that other clansmen who were more adept at running the Inn were in residence, Aoshi and Goro would be able to begin more interesting work.
He steadied his breathing and tried to empty his mind, relaxing for a few extra moments before starting his day. His centering meditation was disturbed by the sounds of Megumi stirring in the room next door. He was carefully attuned to the rhythms of her life by now, and delighted to be in the range of her waking ki. She was a vibrant challenging woman who entertained and mystified him with her actions and mood swings. Previously, he had thought her a remarkably calm person, especially with her medical talents and absolute clarity no matter what the crisis.
Now her knew her carefully contained inner turmoil. She exuded the calm of the knowledgeable physician she was, but underneath her emotions roiled. Her unease seemed to increase with her proximity to him. That pleased him immensely. She was quite adept at covering her emotional responses, but he could practically hear her heart race and sense her stomach flutter as she approached him. He always walked her to her new clinic, conveniently located next door to the Koi, and surreptitiously kept an eye on her throughout the day. Now that his Innkeeper tasks had been delegated to more capable hands, he could concentrate on recruiting the talent he needed for his security services, including a clansman to watch over Megumi, without her knowledge.
Aoshi mused, maybe it should be a clanswoman to assist her at the clinic. That might be the best way to keep from arousing her intelligent but suspicious nature. He was determined to provide her with a non-threatening environment to the best of his ability, and his abilities in this area were considerable. She would be safe, she would be close, and she would eventually be his.
Leaving his meditations behind, he dressed casually and timed his exit from his room to coincide with Megumi's footsteps in the hallway. He accompanied her to the family dining room at the back of the Inn and signaled for their breakfast. He'd left standing orders to his staff to provide Megumi with whatever she desired. Aoshi habitually enjoyed a light meal of miso, rice and pickles. He was finishing up his soup, pointedly ignoring the feel of her rising temper. He had been expecting this reaction for the last few days, feeling Megumi's growing discomfort with the staff's acquiescence and preferential treatment.
"What did you tell them, Aoshi? That I was a complete invalid incapable of doing anything for myself?"
"Excellent."
"What's excellent? You're being obtuse again. This is probably why that weasel girl became demented enough to find Sanosuke attractive." She leaned her elbow on the table, resting her forehead in her delicate fingers.
"You called me Aoshi. I like it." Aoshi rose from the traditional low table where he'd been kneeling. He adjusted his casual kimono and turned slightly in her direction. "Shall we go? Or do you not have any patients this morning?"
Frustrated, Megumi's eyes flashed with ire, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead she smiled faintly, nodded her agreement and rose from the table with the fluidity and grace of a very well trained geisha. The only indication she gave of her irritation was to briefly flick her hair as she glided towards the door, following the tall inscrutable figure in front of her.
From behind, she noticed how very stately Aoshi looked wearing a kimono. She'd seen him in a kimono many times before, but not recently. Usually he wore his western attire and his signature flowing overcoat whenever they left the Inn. Before she could stop herself, she inquired, "Where are your western clothes? Are you feeling all right?"
A very smug voice replied, "I am fine, Dr. Takani. I have no need of my western clothes today. Will you be returning for lunch, or should I ask the kitchen to prepare you a box lunch?"
He heard a small sigh behind him and hesitated so he could see Megumi's face as she moved up beside him. He said nothing, simply waiting for her to respond.
"As soon as I have any kind of break at the clinic, I really should go to my house today and close it up. I have been hesitant to sell it, but perhaps it is time. I still have no wish to return there."
"I have taken care of it. If you are ready to part with the property, I will arrange it."
Megumi was aghast. She was not a person given to speechlessness, but Aoshi's actions were continually astounding her, irritating her when he was really only doing thoughtful things for her welfare. She took a couple of deep breaths; enough to be sure her voice was steady when she spoke.
"I appreciate your assistance, Aoshi, but I am unused to anyone exerting this much effort on my behalf. I would not wish to trouble you with additional responsibilities." Her brittle smile broke just a bit as she finished this statement, showing just a hint of clenched teeth under her stilted smile.
"You are only unused to someone exerting effort without an expectation of favors in return. In fact, I do have such 'expectations', but unlike others, my expectations are entirely dependent on your own wishes."
Now she really was speechless. This was hardly a declaration that even she could find a way to misinterpret. She kept her eyes on his, allowing the words to sink in without responding in any way, allowing him the opportunity to retract or retreat from his statement with her silence. He merely returned her rapt attention, revealing nothing more.
"I must get to my patients. I am, of course, very grateful for your kindness."
"We shall discuss this at a later time, when your patients do not await your care." Aoshi turned and continued walking her to the clinic without further comment. He left her at her door with only a brief reminder that he would have some lunch brought over later. Then he returned to the Koi without a backward glance.
Megumi had to force herself to go into her clinic and turn her mind to her waiting patients. Aoshi's declaration was the closest thing she had ever received to an invitation for a respectable relationship. It was disconcerting to say the least. Seeing more than several patients waiting for her, Megumi realized she needed to find some help in running her clinic. She sighed again as she turned her full attention to her first patient.
It was a warm night in the late spring in Aizu so Megumi took her time as she walked the short distance back to the Koi from her new clinic. She defiantly refused to wait for Aoshi to escort her. She wasn't a child or an invalid, nor could she imagine that she was in any danger in Aizu now that Kunisawa was out of her life for good.
She returned to her room at the Koi to change into another kimono before going down to dinner. Her day had been more gruesome than usual, the result of a nasty accident in a nearby rice paddy. Her customary blue haori usually kept her kimono pristine, but occasionally she wore the bloodstains of her calling. She usually kept a clean kimono in her clinic, but had not yet stored one in her new office.
Deftly, her hands wrapped the dark eggplant colored silk around her pale pink under kimono. She tied the contrasting dark blue obi with pleasure as she reflected on the events of the morning. Aoshi had made his position quite clear to her in a way she could neither dismiss nor ignore. She had been avoiding the implications of the tea he had served to her, telling herself it was just the comfort of an old and sympathetic acquaintance. Hadn't he apologized for threatening her so long ago? That's all it was, the expression of friendship.
She had been telling herself this comforting fable since her flight to Tokyo with Goro. After his surprising statement this morning, she couldn't convince herself of his indifference any longer. She had realized that she had feelings for him in Tokyo, but had suppressed that knowledge, preferring to pretend that she was too focused on her practice and her patients to attend to her own life. That suppression would no longer hold. She was nearly giddy as she smoothed the folds of her kimono and brushed her long unbound hair to complete her composed appearance.
It was a composure she longed for but did not feel. She felt anxious. Her anxiety grew in proportion to the closeness of one tall breathtakingly handsome ninja whose presence she could feel in the room next to hers. She knew he felt her presence as well, cursing his "ki" abilities. He could probably feel the full extent of her unease from the next room.
Her anticipation at seeing him again was palpable. Yet she hesitated to open the door to her room and go down to the Oniwabanshuu family dining room. She knew he would join her, probably in the hallway before she made it as far as the stairs. He seemed to anticipate her every move, need or desire. Even thinking of the word "desire" in the same breath as Aoshi made her heart race. What if she was mistaken? What if he harbored feelings for Misao? What if she was getting her hopes up only to be disappointed again? Hadn't she resigned herself to living alone?
Megumi shook off her fears and summoned her hard won determination. She was a healer and had important work to do in her community. She was not about to let another one-sided affection topple her confidence or her spirit. She finished brushing her hair, tossed it behind her to cover her elaborate obi bow, and confidently walked to her door.
Aoshi gave her a minute to pass his own door before exiting his room. He did it for the sheer pleasure of walking behind her. Her swaying hips mesmerized him and her flowing hair moved just enough to give him a glance at the obi underneath. It was reward enough for waiting.
He followed her closely into the dining room, taking his place at the head of the low table. She sat at his right, as she usually did, waiting serenely for his arrival as if it weren't the high point of her day, as if she wasn't flush with excitement at the possibility of resuming their earlier conversations. There were other Oniwabanshuu at dinner this evening, so the conversation swirled around her, focused on the Koi and it's concerns. Aoshi seemed again to be the Okashira she remembered. He was the clear leader of the group, handling questions and problems with ease, delegating nearly all of the ongoing issues to others in the group. Goro was on hand to accept the questions regarding their security services, but she could tell there were other matters in evidence by the slight hand signals she detected between them. Only her close proximity to the ninjas enabled her to even spot the clandestine movements, yet they were as clear to her now as their spoken remarks. Briefly, she wondered what they meant, but abandoned that train of thought as futile.
After dinner Aoshi urged Megumi to come out to the back of the Inn with him. He stated he wished her opinion on the various herbs that had been already planted when the Oniwabanshuu took over the Inn. Megumi agreed readily and the two made their way to the porch that extended across the back of the Inn.
Megumi's gasp at the change in the garden from the last time she had seen it was audible. The display of flowering bushes, herbs, several new trees and the welcome sound of moving water captured her attention. She recognized some of the plantings as being quite similar to her own garden. Inhaling the warm summer air, she noted some recognizable fragrances as well.
"Do you like it? I had your garden transplanted here before your house and clinic are sold. It seemed a waste to leave your specialized plantings for a new owner. I had it replaced in the more usual style of that neighborhood."
"You brought my garden here to the Koi?"
"I cannot be sure that all the plants will survive. One often loses something when a significant change occurs, but there is also much to be gained. Perhaps parts of your garden will do better here where there is more sunshine."
"It is truly beautiful, Aoshi."
Megumi and Aoshi strolled among the newly laid paths of grass, stone, sand and fragrant mosses. Megumi's bamboo fountain had been added, along with a sand garden and a larger pool feature, more appropriate to the larger back garden area of the Inn.
After they had taken in the entire garden, Megumi was recovered enough to ask a few more pointed questions.
"How did you accomplish this in such a short time, Aoshi? It must have taken a great deal of effort. Why didn't you let me help? I am well able to tend to my own plantings. Did you even consider asking me first?"
Aoshi turned to look at her in the moonlight. Her face was partly in shadow, but the feel of her ki told him she was once more confused by his actions. Her uneasiness had returned now that she had recovered from the shock of seeing her plantings at the Koi.
"My garden is yours," Aoshi stated simply with a small gesture that conveyed the whole of their surroundings.
Something about the gesture caught Megumi's practiced eye. It was stilted. It was not the fluid economy of movement she expected from the muscled ninja, it signaled something amiss. She gasped again, realizing it signaled an injury.
"You're wounded! Why didn't you tell me? Are you seriously hurt? Let me examine you!" Megumi flew to his side, reaching her hand out to move the fabric of his kimono away so she could see his shoulder. The movement was abruptly stopped by Aoshi capturing her wrists.
"I do not crave your touch as a physician." His molten eyes blazed down at her, daring her to continue to ignore his attentions.
December 18, 2003