Himura Designs & Co Vs Shishio Enterprises
Chapter 27 – It Can't End... (Part 2)
Author's Notes: And now, for the conclusion.
The sound of soft beeping was slowly getting louder as heavy eyelids peeled open. For several moments the man lying in the hospital bed looked worriedly around, wondering just what the hell had happened and where the hell he was.
"Aoshi?" The said man shifted his head, finally taking notice of a relieved face looking down at him.
"Kenshin," He tried to smile behind the oxygen mask, fighting to stubbornly sit up, not being able to do so as the redhead shook his head, pressing his aching shoulders back onto the mattress.
"Its alright, just relax and take it easy. You must slowly get your strength back."
"What happened?"
"You stopped breathing and your heart went into cardiac arrest." Aoshi was clearly puzzled. Why did he not remember any of this? "The paramedics worked on you all the way to hospital. You've been unconscious for quite some time now."
"Seiji, where is he?"
"He's fine, he's been admitted to the children's ward, for observation. His oxygen levels are good and the doctor believes he should be able to go home tomorrow."
"Yokatta..."
"Aoshi!" The relieved faces of Kaoru and Megumi loomed over him, each woman grabbing hold of his hands, tears in their eyes. Green-grey eyes found the elusive figure of Sano standing in the doorway. He nodded silently to the man, who in turn did the same.
"He's awake Fox, now can we go home?" Aoshi cracked a slight smile as Megumi turned around to glare at him.
"I've been meaning to ask for awhile now, how do you two know each other?" Kaoru was clearly puzzled by all this.
"Sagara-san and Megumi are husband and wife Kaoru, please, try to catch up would you?" Aoshi croaked out, trying to clear his throat in order to get his usual deep voice back and not this crackling sound which was much like his voice was when he was a young teenager.
"Married! You got married and you didn't even tell me?"
"Oh, did I forget to mention I'm pregnant as well?"
"What?"
"Now, now Kaoru-san, perhaps we could save this for later." Kenshin softly interjected, his hand pressing softly on Kaoru's shoulder, his sweet smile on his face made her fuming face turn into a pouting one.
"I can't believe you got married...and you didn't even invite me."
As Aoshi looked around the room, eyes focused on the bickering women, it was then he felt his breath catch. "Where is Jin? What happened to him?" The room fell silent.
"Aoshi, listen," Kenshin began, violet eyes growing wide as Aoshi kicked the sheets off of his body, the oxygen mask being ripped from his face as he stood to his full height, swaying instantly as he became light-headed. "You need to rest." Kenshin was struggling to get Aoshi back on the bed, Sano sighing in exasperation as he came to Kenshin's aide. He really didn't want this shit since he hadn't slept in days. All he wanted was to curl up in bed with his wife.
"He ran back into the building, after that, my mind goes blank..." Aoshi starred around the eerily silent room. "Where is he?" He shouted.
"There's a party in here and no one invited me?" All eyes darted to the doorway to see Jin walking in, wheeling a peeping machine beside his limping body as it was attached to him by several drip lines. The tall slender man was dressed in hospital attire, much like Aoshi was, but he was worse off then the tall dark haired businessman. A large bandage covered half his face, both his hands and most of his forearms. Due to the top being far to baggy for the slender man, everyone could make out the large bandage wrapped around his chest and there was probably some around his legs but his pants covered those from view.
"Jin..." Aoshi slid off the bed, pushing away Kenshin's helping hands as he slowly walked towards his dear friend, eyes moving up and down his bandaged body.
"I know, I know, my modelling career has pretty much gone up in flames, if you pardon the- Oi! Aoshi!" The older model couldn't help but gasp as Aoshi literally thrust his arms around him. Slowly he raised his bandaged hands and returned the hug. His multiple wounds didn't hurt that much, with the tight hold that Aoshi had on him, but it also helped he was pretty drugged up, though not enough to knock him out which he was thankful for. He had to make sure he was okay. "Come on now, you're embarrassing me." Jin mumbled softly, cracking half a smile as Aoshi finally pulled away.
"Sorry, I'm just so glad you're alive. What the hell were you thinking? You just ran into the building without any regard to your own life."
"I told you she was the one." Aoshi locked green-grey eyes onto Jin. "There was no way in hell I was going to let her die without you overcoming your cowardice to finally confess to Mi-chan."
"You mean she's..." Aoshi looked around the room, everyone was beaming.
"She's unconscious and being monitored closely in ICU. Kenshin got a hold of her family, they'll be here tomorrow."
"Take me to her."
"Thought you'd never ask." Everyone made it into the hallway, watching the two limping men head towards the elevators which would then take them to ICU where Misao was currently sedated.
"Can we go home now?" Kenshin couldn't help but laugh at the tired whine in the Sano's voice.
"Sagara-san, how can we ever thank you?"
"Paying me would be a great start. Ouch!" The PI was whacked significantly hard by his wife, the scowl on her face clearly visible. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding, its on the house."
Megumi dragged her husband out of the room, leaving Kenshin and Kaoru alone as the short businessman slumped heavily into the cushioned chair in the far corner of the room, head leaning back as he closed his eyes for a brief moment. It wouldn't be long until Yukishiro Enishi was caught and arrested, his family's case would be reopened, their murderer would be found guilty and sentenced accordingly and then finally he could be at peace.
"Kenshin," He snapped open his eyes, feeling slightly guilty that he'd forgotten about Kaoru, the pretty young woman he'd been in love with for quite some time now, but with all his excess baggage he just didn't want to get her involved in his complicated life. He raised his head, only to have his violet eyes widen as she was leaning so very close to him that her lips brushed against his, making his face turn ten shades of red. He just wasn't used to such public displays of affection.
"I'm glad you're okay." She was about to move away, to break the small amount of intimacy they shared, which in itself was quite rare, but without any thoughts to where they were, granted they were alone, Kenshin's hands shot out, pulling the blushing woman onto his lap, holding her close.
"Ke-Kenshin...?" Kaoru squeaked out as her first instinct was to fight him, to get out of this embrace since anyone would be able to see them if they walked passed the room, but it wasn't long before a beaming smile graced the models face, her head buried against Kenshin's chest as she closed her eyes and listened to the beating of his strong heart.
"I thought you wanted to go to ICU?" Jin questioned Aoshi as they had stopped at a different floor in the hospital.
"You know I do, but there is another I really need to hug right now."
When the two men limped towards the nurses station, an elderly woman behind the counter silently stared at them.
"Shinomori Seiji's room please, I'm his father."
"Room 203." Aoshi nodded in kind as the two men made there way down the brightly coloured hallway. They were quite the sight, nurses, doctors and patients turning to look at them as they hobbled there way towards Seiji's room. Jin slid the door open, the both of them looking inside to see all the beds were empty. For a moment Aoshi's heart constricted in his chest and fear seeped through him. Had he been taken again?
"Aoshi-chan," There was no time to fume over the nickname from Jin as he turned to look over at the model who was pointing into the room adjacent to the one his son had been assigned to. He looked through the glass panel, relief flooding his tired and sore body instantly as he was inside another child's room, about 7 kids, 8 if he counted Seiji, were sitting on the floor, bums on their pillows and each one of them were hooked up to a different machine. The handsome businessman glided the door across.
"And then there was this big BOOM!" Seiji shouted, arms raised in the air to emphasise his actions, he being the only child that wasn't hooked up to a machine. The other youngsters in the room, some around Seiji's age, but others which were older and possibly around 10 years old were oohing and aahing in fascination as his boy was telling him about what had happened merely hours ago.
"Hey there young Shinomori, don't you think you should be resting?" His little boy froze instantly, ever so slowly turning around, wide sparkling purple orbs locking onto his green-grey ones.
"TOCHAN!" And he ran over, Aoshi crouching just in time to catch the teary four year old.
"You're not hurt are you?"
Seiji shook his head negatively, a big smile on his face at seeing his father. "What about Tochan?"
"I'm fine."
Aoshi found he was being dragged into the room, his beaming four year old pointing rudely at him. "This is my Tochan, he's been trying to find me for days." Aoshi did nothing but silently blink over at his son who was now slowly dragging in the limping Jin, his tiny hand tugging on his pant leg. "And this is Uncle Jin, he ran into the burning building like a superhero and rescued Misao-san." The oohing and aahing began, Aoshi raising an eyebrow as Seiji went on and on about Jin and how cool he was, even though he wasn't even there to see any of it.
"Like a superhero huh?" Aoshi folded his arms over his chest as he gave his older friend a sideways glance.
"What?" Jin innocently questioned. "I had to sound good in front of your boy in order to become the 'cool' Uncle." Aoshi lightly chuckled as he stepped forward, hand dropping on Seiji's shiny black hair, he stopping his storytelling to gaze up at him.
"Come on, let's go visit Misao-san."
"Mm!" Aoshi picked him up, the three of them waving farewell to the children who now seemed to be idolising Seiji and his tall tales. Of course they were slightly true, but thanks to Jin they seemed to be a little far fetched, but they were kids and who was he to deny this storytelling process as perhaps it was a way for Seiji to deal with all of it in his own way.
"I'll ask if we can go in and sit with her." Aoshi quietly nodded as Jin enquired back at the nurses station. Aoshi, with Seiji against his hip, stood at the large glass windows and door which looked into the room that Misao was in.
"Is she going to be alright?" Seiji frowned as he questioned his father. Aoshi pressed his lips against his forehead, eyes not once leaving Misao's unconscious body on the hospital bed, all sorts of machines hooked up to her as she was resting on her right side.
"She's a fighter." Aoshi mumbled as Jin came back over.
"We can visit for a couple of minutes." The glass door slid across and the three of them slowly headed inside, Jin hanging back as Aoshi took a seat, Seiji resting in his lap, his tiny hands patting Misao's sheet covered knee. Jin's observant eye caught the slight shaking of Aoshi's right hand as he softly rested it over Misao's bandaged one.
"Hey kiddo, how about we go find ourselves some jelly or pudding to eat, leave your dad here to look after Misao for us, ne?"
"Will Tochan be okay by himself?"
Aoshi smiled gratefully at Jin before turning his gaze down to his son's. "I'll be fine. How about you go with Uncle Jin and find some jelly or pudding for myself and Misao-san?"
"Okay!" Seiji was about to hop off his father's lap when instead he crawled onto the bed.
"Seiji..." Aoshi began, but watched as he carefully made his way closer to the unconscious Misao, pressing his lips against her bruised cheek.
"Thank you for rescuing me."
"Good boy." Aoshi whispered as he lifted Seiji off the bed and handed him over to Jin, his large hand holding his tiny one as they slowly exited the room.
When Aoshi listened to it slide across, all that was left was the beeping of machines and he pulled the chair closer, leaning over as he placed his head on the bed, grabbing Misao's limp hand as he pressed it against his cheek.
"I'm so sorry Misao."
"For what?" Aoshi sprung up from his slouched position, staring disbelievingly into half opened blue eyes.
"I-I'll get the doctor." He was up on his feet, but unable to go anywhere as Misao's fingers clasped a couple of his.
"I've been in and out for a couple hours now." Slowly he sat back down. "Why are you apologising to me?"
"This shouldn't have happened to you."
"I couldn't allow you to loose the one most important to you." Misao mumbled into the pillow.
"Shit..." Aoshi mumbled, as he leaned forward, his right hand raising as he softly caressed Misao's bruised cheek. "I really want to kiss you right now." He was pleased when a soft giggle escaped her lips, those beautiful blue eyes of hers closing as the drugs she was probably on were once again kicking in and sending her back to sleep.
"I'll have to take a rain check."
"I'll hold you to that then." Aoshi was rewarded with a fleeting smile, Misao raising her bandaged hand to hold his cool one against her warm face. It wasn't long before her hand slipped away, growing limp once more as she was again sleeping. "Stupid, I wouldn't be happy with loosing you either." Aoshi softly confessed as he stood from his seated position, fussing quietly over her as he placed her hand under the crisp white bedsheets and then pulled it up to rest just below her chin. He couldn't help but half glide his hand through her hair, of course her head was bandaged, pausing he finally realised the once long silky mass was no longer present. Sometime during the blaze it appeared Misao's hair had caught fire and her now burnt smelling hair was singed and rested above her shoulders. "I'll make this up to you." Aoshi pressed his lips to her bandaged forehead before picking up her chart to read over her extensive injuries, eyes misting over at the long list of complications she had to endure alone. "I promise."
"You know," Misao began as she was slowly helped out of the hospital bed. "Your fussing over me is starting to piss me off, I feel like an invalid."
"You are a patient." Aoshi tried to reason with her. It had been two weeks since the day he'd woken in hospital to find three very important people to him were going to be alright.
A lot had happened over the past couple of weeks. The spring show was officially postponed, Megumi retired peacefully and quietly from modelling much to the annoyance of Kaoru who wanted to throw her a big party. And officials were still combing through the rubble of Shishio Enterprises. The deceased man's underground businesses were slowly surfacing, more and more people were being arrested. Alarmingly though, only one body had been found and so far it had yet to be identified. Aoshi felt fear for them once again, but with everything that was going on and the amount of people that were being arrested, there was no way Shishio would be able to do anything. Sano was keeping him well informed on the progress of locating any burnt remains and told him not to worry. They would be safe for a long time coming.
During the past couple of weeks, Yukishiro Enishi had been located and arrested, the trial well under way as he was being charged for the murders of Kenshin's wife and son and Aoshi's father. The redhead was working tirelessly to ensure Himura Designs would not fold under pressure do to everything that had been going on and while doing so he was also attending the trial. He was there everyday, so Yukishiro Enishi had no choice but to look at his face, but thankfully he was not alone for Kaoru was right at his side, her hand firmly held in his.
The recuperation process for Jin was frustratingly slow for the ex-model. Due to his extensive injuries he'd decided his modelling career was finally at its end. Of course this didn't help the guilt that Aoshi was already feeling for what had happened. Jin's shaggy light coloured hair which was usually bound was now constantly down, almost shielding his scars on his face from onlookers. Slowly he would gain back his confidence, but for now, his hair was his shield. He'd also been through two eye surgeries in the past couple of weeks, eye specialists were not convinced that he would ever regain full sight to his damaged eye. This news was hard for Jin, but every step he took in his recovery, Aoshi was beside him whenever he could be, much like a nagging wife, as Jin liked to call it. The guilt Aoshi felt was now tenfold but Jin snapped him out of it, convincing him that everything was going to be okay and that he was just thankful to be alive. The handsome ex-model soon mentioned that there were other ways Aoshi could make it up to him and Jin couldn't help but bark out loud laughter at the apprehensive look on the businessman's face as he decided not to elaborate on just how he could make it up to him.
Aoshi himself was busy getting back into a routine with Seiji, getting him ready for school. He and Koya-chan caused him much stress as he moved back into his family's home trying to chase them around the house with the help of Hiroshi-san. In the background his mother would sit in her chair, a photo of his father nearby as she smiled at her once again lively household.
"You know what I mean." Misao whined as she tried to slap his helping hands away. "And I'm not a patient anymore, I'm out of here as of today."
"This is true, but you will still need some help."
"I can take care of myself."
"After everything we've been through, you still don't like the idea of me taking care of you?"
"I didn't mean it like that!" The feisty young recuperating model snapped. "We are not going to argue on this happy day of me finally being able to leave the hospital. I'll finally be able to eat some decent food."
"Mm, my mother is looking forward to cooking you hearty meals."
"Why?"
"Oh, did I forget to mention all your stuff is at my family home now? I moved Seiji and I back in and naturally you were coming with us."
"Do I even get a say in any of this?" Misao was trying to be angry, but her heart was pounding in her ears as her face was cupped by large warm hands, those deep green-grey eyes staring intently into her blue ones. "Come live with us?"
"I..." She really didn't get any further as Aoshi bent down, lips softly grazing over hers.
"I'll take that rain check now." And she was in heaven as his lips moulded over hers, her knees going weak at the onslaught and she could do nothing but pathetically clutch at him.
"Damn you..." Misao mumbled as she broke away for much needed oxygen. She watched that sexy half smile grace his addictive lips.
"I forgot to tell you, some time ago, Seiji asked me if you were going to be his new mother." Misao stumbled on weak legs, shock settling in at this turn of events. She fell into Aoshi's broad muscular body, his arm going around her as he directed her to the wheelchair.
"W-Why are you telling me this now?" Misao tilted her head back as Aoshi pushed her out of the recovery room she'd been transferred to after she left ICU, her bag in her lap, as he made his way towards the nursing station to sign her out.
"Because you deserve to know just how he thinks of you." Aoshi quietly voiced as he signed the paperwork, thanking the woman behind the counter and then headed towards the elevator pressing the down arrow so he and Misao could head for the ground floor. "Plus, I'm curious about what you think of him."
"You already know..."
"And whether you'd be up for the challenge." Aoshi interrupted her.
"Shouldn't the real question be, do you want me to be his new mother?" Misao wisely voiced as she was wheeled into the elevator and Aoshi hit the ground floor button. There was a short moment of silence between them, he taking note of how Misao fidgeted. She was anxiously waiting for him to answer her previous question. He crouched down so they were eye level and she didn't have to crane her neck back to look up at him.
"There is no other I would entrust to love Seiji as her own."
"Bastard..." Aoshi's eyes widened slightly but he melted when her lips trembled as she smiled over at him. "You're going to make me cry."
The elevator dinged and Aoshi stood up, moving around the wheelchair as he pushed Misao out of the lift and towards the main entrance of the hospital. "Let's go home." Misao closed her eyes for a moment at those words. They sounded so good, but there was still one thing she really wanted to hear from him.
"I've been thinking, that question earlier wouldn't happen to be your strange way of confessing to me would it?" Out of the corner of her eye Misao noticed a bunch of people congregating near the entrance and for now her attention was stolen as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "Minna…" Her blue eyes took in the sight of her family and friends coming to surprise her as she was finally released from hospital. Kenshin stepped forward, her red-headed boss bending over to place Seiji on his feet as the youngster came running over with a big bunch of flowers. Though she was still sore, her stubbornness took hold and she slowly got out of the wheelchair, placing her bag on the ground. Several arms went out to her but her glaring look of 'back off' made them retreat as she bent over to pick up Seiji, one of his arms securing around her neck while the other thrust the flowers into her face.
"Thank you," Misao was confessing wholeheartedly to everyone who had taken time off from their busy lives to continuously be at her side.
"I'm glad you're all better." The four year old pressed a kiss against her cheek which in turn made Misao blush slightly.
"Me too, sweetie." Loud cheers erupted as Aoshi stood back to watch everyone come over to hug Misao in happiness. She'd placed Seiji down, whether he was a little too heavy for her weak body or so she could hug her family, Aoshi assumed both and the youngster began to complain. Aoshi would have stepped forward to talk to him but the ever smiling Kenshin soon persuaded him that when Misao was truly fit and healthy once more she'd hug him over and over again until he was happy. That seemed to work for his son and so he remained, in the background, watching everyone fuss over her. At least now she couldn't just be annoyed at him for doing it. He watched as his frail mother wrapped Misao in her embrace, hand gliding through her short hair, which in turn brought about another round of complaining from his son as he decided to voice he didn't like Misao with short hair. The comment sent a round of laughter through those that had gathered and it made Aoshi ponder as to whether he was like that when he was a child.
"I told you she was a fighter." Aoshi turned to gaze over at Jin, he standing at his side, a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes. "You realise what you have to do now right?" Jin found Aoshi furrowing his eyebrows and couldn't help but smack him over the head. "Confess you idiot."
"Wha? Here...and now?" Aoshi couldn't believe how much of a teenager he felt like in front of Jin. His heart thumped in his ears as he watched a grin form over his idol's lips.
"No time like the present, ne?" Aoshi was pushed forward and he stumbled slightly. Instantly his hands became sweaty, his breath erratic, heart pounding and butterflies were wrecking havoc on his stomach. He loved Yume, he knew he did, but he'd never felt like this before. This was true love.
"Aishiteru yo…" Everything stopped, the laughter, the cheers, the talking, everything. It had spilled out so easily, his green-grey eyes locking onto Misao's rigid body as he knew everyone was staring between the both of them. Slowly she began to turn around, teeth digging into her bottom lip to stop it from quivering as she was ready to burst into tears at any moment.
Aoshi slowly walked towards her and now that the words had left him, it was so easy for him to say it again and again, watching as her face blushed bright red. She collapsed into him, almost wanting him to stop saying those sweet words to her as she wept softly into his hard chest. The handsome businessman took in a deep breath, eyes closing as he pressed his head atop of Misao's.
"Aishiteru yo…" He whispered into her ear, watching as she nodded her head.
"Promise?" A rare smile graced his lips as he pulled Misao slightly away from him, cupping her face with his hands as he nodded affirmatively. Her face scrunched up, almost looking the same way Seiji did when he cried and he couldn't help but let off a small laugh as she buried her head into his chest, arms snaking around him to clutch the material of his shirt. Aoshi raised his left arm to wrap around Misao's shoulders while his other was resting against Seiji's head, he having decided to want to be a part of their embrace as he wrapped his tiny arms around his and Misao's legs, a massive grin on his face.
"Itsumo…"
The End.
Author's Notes:This marks the end for this series, but as a surprise, I have an epilogue to finally round out and conclude this long drawn out saga. It is set 12 years later. Please look forward to it.
