By Fujifunmum
Chapter 19: Homecoming
Kaoru and Kenji walked the short distance from the Kamiya dojo to the Crane hand in hand. First, they walked down by the river, Kaoru loved to walk by the water and it gave Kenji a chance to run around freely and to explore the flowers and trees on the bank. When they headed back to the street to complete their journey, Kenji obediently came back to Kaoru's side and held her hand. Kaoru might not be much of a strict disciplinarian, but she insisted that Kenji had to stay right next to her, holding her hand whenever they walked on the streets of Tokyo.
Once at the Crane, they waited in the front entrance for Akoto to go get Misao. Kaoru picked up Kenji to be sure he didn't run or knock over the expensive and very breakable vases filled with fresh flowers that greeted the guests. They reminded her of Okon, the Omitsu in Kyoto who had tended to the flower arrangements at the Aoiya. She pointed out some of the sprigs of blossoms to Kenji and asked him to identify the colors for her. In return she told him the names of the flowers that she recognized.
They didn't wait long. Misao joined them very shortly, coming out from the family dining room and welcoming both Kaoru and Kenji with a bright smile. She was very glad to see them; it would keep her from worrying about Sanosuke. Had it only been three days? She and Kaoru had agreed that if they weren't back soon, they would go to Aizu in person to help. Misao didn't want to have to go there, she had promised Sano to wait patiently in Tokyo for him to return. Misao smiled. Yes, it was true she had promised, but it had definitely been under duress, just the kind of duress she had been missing while he was away.
She was about to take Kaoru and Kenji out to the back porch where she and Kaoru could visit in peace and where Kenji could run around to his heart's content. She would ask Makiko if her kids could play, too. Just as she turned to speak to Kaoru, Kaoru's gaze lifted to the stairs behind her.
Kaoru's mouth dropped open as she watched a female Oniwabanshuu ninja in full uniform descending the stairs. She looked a great deal like Okon – with the same very revealing splits in her ninja uniform, the same headband, the same great legs, but something was off. It wasn't Okon. As she came down a couple more steps, Kaoru realized that it was a ninja dressed like Okon with Megumi's face. She smiled in welcome and was about to speak when the noise of some guests behind her in the entryway attracted her attention and she turned to see who was entering the Inn.
Megumi froze near the top of the stairway, hesitant to be seen by anyone except the KenshinGumi. Her eyes, too, turned to the entryway to see who was entering the Inn.
Misao felt as if she was moving in slow motion. She had turned toward the stairway, following the path of Kaoru's gaze. Then the welcoming smile of Megumi for Kaoru had turned to one of worry as she turned careful eyes on the doorway and retreated a step or two up the stairs. Misao, following her lead, turned fully around in time to see three very familiar men come through the doors of the Crane.
Kenshin, in typical Kenshin fashion, came in first and took in the full scene with a glance. He smiled briefly at both Misao and Megumi before joining his wife and Kenji. Sanosuke was right behind him, sauntering in with that lopsided smile she loved most, his eyes searching the entryway for her and his smile lighting her entire world as he held her eyes with hers. Then his gaze took in the rest of the entryway, including Megumi on the stairs.
She watched with growing unease as Sano's eyes traveled up the stairs and up Megumi's scantily clad form. He had probably never seen the legs his eyes were appreciating right now, she hoped. He was stopped in his tracks at the sight of her. He wasn't the only one, either.
Right behind him came Aoshi, his eyes, like Kenshin's, taking in the entirety of the entryway with a glance. He gave her the briefest of nods in acknowledgment and then his eyes, like Sano's, became fixated at the top of the stairs.
She felt, rather than saw, Megumi beginning to descend the stairs. She didn't need to turn in her direction, she merely needed to follow the captive eyes of both Shinomori and Sagara, the man she loved and the man she used to love, as they watched another woman come down the stairs behind her. With every step Megumi was descending, Misao's heart was ascending in her chest. By the time Megumi stood at the bottom, a few feet away, Misao's heart was in her throat and she felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. She was forced to gulp in some air, realizing that she had been holding her breath for too long.
Kenshin, Kaoru, Kenji and Misao all watched as both Sano and Aoshi moved to Megumi's side to check on her. Misao felt incredibly awkward. She felt even worse when she saw Kaoru noticing the triangular tableau and then looking over to her with concern.
Years of training as the Okashira came immediately into play, even amongst such close friends as the KenshinGumi. She broke the moment by hurriedly insisting that they take Megumi and the reunion into the family dining room and closing the door on any possible prying eyes.
"That's not really necessary, Misao," Kenshin assured her as they settled around the room.
"Your trip was successful?"
"Aizu is definitely ready to have their Dr. Takani back. In fact, recently more than a few locals with tattoos had need of a good doctor, but they can wait." Sanosuke was smiling as he said this, his head turning to Misao. He started, looked around and seemed to realize for the first time that he was in the Crane family dining room, sitting next to Megumi, and Misao was on the other side of the room. He knew that wasn't right, but he wasn't really sure why.
Misao watched his expression change, wondering how long it would take him to figure out that Kenshin, Kaoru and Kenji made a very pretty family picture, seated together as they were, and that he and Aoshi flanking Megumi had left her just exactly where she was right now, alone with her fear. She smiled to no one in particular and said, "I'll get us some tea and sandwiches. You must be hungry after your trip from Aizu." She turned on her heel, just a little too quickly to carry off the calm exterior she was trying to maintain, and sped into the kitchen.
Sano rose and said, "I'll help you, Misao," and used his long stride to follow her in only a few steps.
"Is Kunisawa alive?" Megumi asked Aoshi, looking into his eyes without flinching.
"Of course, Himura was with us. As it turned out, Kunisawa has decided to turn over the local Yakuza organization, what's left of it, to his younger brother. He was last seen in the company of Fujita Gorou. I believe he was trying to explain the unexpected death of his father."
Sano came up behind Misao as she was pouring the water into the teapot for their tea. There was no one else in the kitchen at this time of day, so he put both arms around her and whispered, "Did you miss me, woman? I missed you. Are you surprised? I surprised myself."
Misao hesitated before responding. She continued to make the tea and moved away from him to reach for the sandwiches. She gathered everything on a tray and turned to him, giving him a small smile. "Yes, I can honestly say I was very surprised. Could you get the door for me, please?"
If Sagara Sanosuke had learned to sense ki during his long and close friendship with Kenshin, he would have known just how upset Misao was. Instead, he heard her words and saw her smile, with only the barest notion that something was amiss. He gave her a warm smile in return as he opened the door for her. They went back into the dining room just in time to hear Megumi asking, "Are my house and clinic still standing?"
"Of course, Miss Megumi!" Kenshin told her as he took Kenji from Kaoru and led her towards the door to leave. "Miss Misao, Kaoru and I will go back to the dojo now, that we will." Kaoru looked as though he was taking her home against her will, which he was. She wanted to stay and hear all about Aizu. Of course, she also wanted to stay and watch Misao, but Kenshin probably knew that, too, as he took her by the hand and led her away.
"We will see you soon. Shall we have dinner later at the Akebeko? For now, it's time we went home." Both Kenji and Kaoru looked at him with identical expressions. Both knew that there was no reason to leave, and both knew that they were leaving anyway. Kenji turned his startled face to his Mom. He could tell from looking at her that she didn't want to go home right now, but his Dad was holding her hand just like she held his when they went for a walk outside of the dojo. It was the same firm grasp he was using to hold Kenji with his other hand. Instead of trying to pull his Dad's hair, Kenji just gaped at him.
Misao set the tea and sandwiches down between Megumi and Aoshi and went to sit across from them. It left Sano with plenty of room to sit either next to Megumi or beside her. As she looked across the table, waiting with a pleasant smile plastered on her face to see what he would do, she realized that this was the first time she had seen Shinomori in over a year, since their return from Tokyo the previous spring. What she had then thought was the most dreadful day of her life. She wondered briefly if this day was fast replacing it.
She shook her head to fend off such disturbing thoughts. It was only then; when her eyes returned to Megumi and Aoshi without the overlay of her pain and fears about Sanosuke, that she realized she was seeing a very familiar look on Shinomori's face. He was looking at Megumi with the same admiration and appreciation that she had seen in Sanosuke's face, admiring her in their room upstairs. Her countenance fell as she realized that this was a look she had never seen on Aoshi-sama's face when he looked in her direction. Her mind connected the combination of seeing his look of appreciation for another woman and her former, worshiping name. It was too much.
Misao startled at least the two of them without ki sensing abilities by standing up suddenly and excusing herself. She thought she had managed a brief smile as she welcomed Aoshi and Sano back to Tokyo and then muttered some fable about something she had promised to get for Makiko.
She fled the room as if chased by demons. She was desperate to keep herself together until she put some distance between herself and the dining room. She couldn't allow them to hear her. What was left of her self-esteem wouldn't permit it. She took the stairs two at a time, choking as the memory of the last time she had gone up these back stairs in such a rush suddenly invaded her brain. She slammed her fists into her head as if she could beat back the pain from that memory with physical force. She dashed into her room, a room she hadn't been in since that last fateful day, and slammed the door behind her.
Then she collapsed on her bed in tears. It was a genuine surprise to her when she heard a try at the door. He must have followed her. Or not. She didn't even try to hold back the tears as she heard Makiko softly calling to her from the other side of the door.
"Are you all right Misao? Is everything OK?"
She choked down enough of her tears and pain to answer that she was fine, she just had a headache and needed to take a few minutes to let it subside.
After a brief interlude of giving in to her tears, Misao took hold of herself. This was ridiculous. She had recovered from Shinomori. The pain she was feeling now was clear proof of that, and she would recover from Sano, too, if need be. She was the Okashira and a grown up woman. What was she doing up here crying? She should be getting a report from one of her clan that had been involved in a dangerous situation, and also from her Chief of Security.
She took a lot of deep breaths, calmed herself and made her way downstairs again. She stopped for a moment in the kitchen to put cool water on her eyes. It wouldn't do for anyone to know she had been crying. That wouldn't do at all. Again, she plastered her most pleasant smile on her face and went back into the dining room. "Now serving fresh heart of Misao," she muttered as she went into the room and resumed her seat.
In her absence, Sano had taken the seat on the other side of Megumi. Even Misao realized that didn't mean anything since they'd been the only three people in the room, although she had to remind herself that it meant nothing. Shinomori gave her his usual unsmiling stare; the fire she had seen in his eyes earlier was gone, or at least not present when he looked at her. She did see something else there. It was concern. Aoshi was genuinely concerned for her. Her fake smile turned lopsided. Of course he was concerned. He could feel her ki. He no doubt knew just how upset she was. And why.
The last thing she wanted right now was pity from the first man who had rejected her because she had been rejected again. It appeared to be due to the same woman, too. Misao watched as the three of them talked, not hearing their words, just watching them. Aoshi was intent on Megumi; she could tell that it was only due to his renowned self-control that he kept from touching her. She could almost feel his fingers itching to reach out to her.
Megumi, for her part, was quite reserved. She had made a few of her signature 'remarks', but for the most part she had been quietly listening to Sano and Aoshi telling her about the events of Aizu.
And finally there was Sano, lounged and sprawling on the chair to the other side of Megumi. He was relaxed, comfortable and enjoying himself. Her gaze returned to Megumi. She really was beautiful. How much older was she? If Sano had just turned 24 in February, then Megumi would be 26 until her next birthday in December. That was not as big of a gap as she had thought. She was going to be 21 in November. Megumi must have been 21 or 22 when she had first met Sano.
While Misao had been musing over their ages, Sanosuke had gotten up to come sit next to her. He nonchalantly reached under the table to put his hand on her bare thigh, unbeknownst to anyone else. When she gave him a startled look, he gave her a quick wink and a lopsided smile. His eyes were the warmest brown she had ever seen, with a very deep spark that made her frozen exterior smile melt just a little. Had she been wrong about his reaction to Megumi?
Before she had the chance to pick up on any of the conversation and actually find out what had happened in Aizu, Sano abruptly stood up and excused them.
"We'll see you guys later. Misao and I have some catching up to do. You know, Okashira business," Sano said with a very broad smile as he started off without her. When she didn't immediately get up, he reached down, took her hand and nearly yanked her out of her chair. She tripped to keep up with him as he led her back up the rear stairs to their quarters. She hesitated at his door, but he just pulled her inside, oblivious to her furrowed forehead and narrowing eyes. Once inside his room he scooped her up into a devouring kiss.
"Wait, Sano." Misao was breathless and trying to push him away as she broke their kiss.
"Huh?"
"Wait a minute. I'm confused. I thought…" Misao was having a hard time keeping her train of thought as Sano kept on kissing her face and neck as she tried to speak.
"Thought what, woman?"
"When you looked at Megumi, I thought…." Now Misao's face had Sano's complete attention. He looked at her intently, watching her blush as she failed to complete her sentence.
"I like your eyes better without that touch of green, Misao." Sano held her back from him so he could look at her face. He wasn't at all happy with her troubled features. He released her and sat down in front of the door, lounging as he tried and failed to get comfortable. Finally he held her eyes with his and demanded. "Out with it, Misao."
Misao wanted to run away, but he had effectively blocked her only way out unless she bolted and went out the window. She could easily do it, and was eyeing it like that route was preferable to facing him.
"You're giving me a headache, woman. This is why women drive men nuts. So tell me. Now."
"When you came back. Downstairs. I was so happy to see you, and I know you were happy to see me, too. And then you saw Megumi and …"
"And? Out with it, Misao. Just say it. If we get it out in the open maybe we can get this settled."
Misao answered in a rush. "You seemed even more happy to see her. You couldn't take your eyes off her. Neither could Aoshi-sama, and you told me she was your favorite person, so if you'd rather be with her you should go ahead. Although from the way Shinomori was looking at her you're going to have some trouble there, but I can't feel sad for you, I'm too busy feeling sad for me. I told you I loved you Sano, and that was really hard for me to do. I thought you loved me, too." Misao crumpled to the floor on her knees and let the tears drip down her face. She felt really miserable.
Sano didn't make a move. He looked like his headache was getting worse, which it was. "OK. What's this crap about Megumi being my favorite person? I don't remember saying that, but it's pretty clear that you do, so spit it out."
Misao just kept dripping tears and she fell forward, supporting herself with her arms. She felt so humiliated; she just wanted this to end. "In Kyoto. You asked me how I got that damned Weasel-girl name. I told you your favorite person gave it to me, meaning Saitou, and you guessed it was Megumi."
Sano was rubbing his temple and shaking his head. He wanted to look into Misao's eyes, but all he could see was the top of her head. "Look at me, Misao." She tentatively raised her head, and reluctantly looked at him. He was starting to look really irritated. Compared to how she felt, that was nothing.
"OK, just so I understand this. I assume this happened while we were talking after my head injury, right?" She shook her head in agreement. "Not that I remember it very clearly, but it sounds like you were being sarcastic since you meant Saitou when you said my favorite person had given you that name. Right?" She nodded her head again.
"So when I answered Megumi in my dazed condition you jump to the conclusion that she is my favorite person? Let me tell you that makes no sense at all. Like I said, this is why women drive men nuts. So based on a wrong guess I made when I was out of my head and the fact that I looked at Megumi, who was almost dressed in an Omitsu outfit even more revealing than yours, you've decided what? That I want to be with her?"
Misao watched as Sano's irritation began to grow into downright anger. His attitude made it pretty clear to her that she had jumped to some very abrupt conclusions. Her voice was as small as she felt when she responded, "It sounds stupid when you put it like that."
"That's 'cause it is stupid." He paused as he kept his anger in check, just barely. "Right now I'm trying to remember why I was so anxious to get back to Tokyo to see you."
Misao snapped. She crept over to kneel just in front of Sano as she tried to figure out what she could do to make things better. Finally she shrugged and asked, "What should I have done, Sano? I felt so bad when I thought you wanted Megumi, not me." Misao turned her watery eyes up at Sano, looking piteous and forlorn, still not convinced that she had been entirely wrong.
Sano's anger eased a bit, she really did look pitiful. He leaned forward to look directly into her eyes, resting his forehead on hers.
"You can trust me when I tell you that I love you, and trust in us. If you don't, we don't have a chance. You know how Megumi is, you saw her torture Kaoru enough."
Misao dissolved in tears, grasping Sano's arm and muttering her apologies as she tried in vain to stop crying. She really felt, looking into Sano's eyes when he asked her to trust him and them that she had been foolish to attach so much importance to his attention to Megumi. Megumi had, after all, told her there had been nothing between them.
Sano reached out to gather her up. "Hey," he took her chin and turned her face up to look at him, "maybe I should let the two of you fight over me. I've always liked watching women fight over me."
Misao laughed a little through her tears, trying to calm herself and enjoy being where she wanted to be, in Sano's arms. "No way! She may look like a ninja but I might hurt her without even trying."
"Well, good then. That will make sure that the woman I want wins. Are you sure you don't want to hurt her just a little?"
Misao put her arms around Sano's neck and said, "Maybe just a little."
"Do we understand each other, Missy?"
"We do."
At the moment, downstairs, another man was trying to make himself understood.
Aoshi's eyes followed Sano and Misao as they left the dining room, but he didn't turn his head at all and his expression remained his usual passive countenance that was at once unreadable and infuriating.
Megumi cast a sidelong glance in his direction. Her eyes narrowed, and she didn't try to hide behind her hair as she watched his impassive face. Instead, she flipped it behind her, as she tried to assume her usual mask of disdain and sophistication. It fell short of her usual practiced performance as his unwavering stare eroded her confidence in her ability to control the situation.
The longer Aoshi remained calm, silent and intent on her, the more uncomfortable she felt in his presence. It was a shocking realization to her that he could even have such an effect on her after all this time. She felt a fluttering in her stomach that had nothing at all to do with hunger, at least not a hunger for food.
Aoshi didn't move a muscle, but a flash of something in his eyes held her rapt attention. She wanted to leave, to escape his scrutiny, but something intangible held her in place and held her eyes fixed to his. Bracing herself, she wanted to make a light and flippant remark, her trademark for diffusing difficult situations, and creating them. Instead, she heard her own voice saying, "I told her there was nothing between us."
Startled, she barely covered her surprise at her unintended admission, and retreated behind the curtain of her own hair. Belatedly realizing that lowering her head was even more self-incriminating, she defiantly raised her head, glaring at Shinomori with fury in her eyes.
Aoshi again captured her attention with his unwavering stare, the fire Misao had noticed earlier returned in force and he kept her waiting until he deigned to reply. Megumi shivered as he started to speak.
"I see."
"Do you? Then I wish you'd explain it to me, Shinomori. This matter seems to have left me unsettled. I believe I shall retire to my room and retrieve my usual attire. There does not appear to be any need for this Oniwabanshuu disguise anymore." She tore her eyes from his and rose to leave. She stopped briefly when she heard him speaking behind her.
"Do you wish to remain in Tokyo?"
"No," she replied without turning, "I want to return to my patients as soon as possible."
"Very well. Tomorrow then."
"Yes, tomorrow."
Megumi fled to her room, unsettled to the point that she didn't trust her own voice to respond without wavering. She had goose bumps on her arms, and her legs seemed too unsteady to support her. The flutters in her abdomen increased and she wrapped her arms around her middle to support herself. As soon as she reached her room she quickly closed the door behind her and leaned against it, welcoming the solid support.
"What is wrong with me?" She scowled as she leaned against the door, struggling to understand her own agitation.
"Am I ill?" She laid the back of her hand on her own forehead, searching for an unnatural heat to explain her symptoms, but her answer did not lie in illness. She scowled as she crossed to the futon and picked up her kimono, freshly cleaned and mended by Makiko. Returning it to its place beside her under kimono, obi and the rest of her clothing, she rapidly shed the blue of the Oniwabanshuu and quickly dressed in her own, more familiar clothing. If she had brought an haori with her such as she wore at the clinic to protect her clothing, she would feel as if she had just come from the clinic in Tokyo, not sequestered in the Crane for her own safety.
Comforted by the feel of her own silks against her body, she felt her nervous stomach calm and the tense muscles in her limbs relax. Her mind, however, was a different matter entirely. Her mind was completely unsettled and wandering continuously to the family dining room on the lower floor. She looked out of her window, which overlooked the back of the Crane, but she had no view of the family quarters from her vantage point.
Seeking to turn her mind to other things, she tried to focus on the patients she had left so abruptly. Were there any who might have become severely ill in her brief absence? None that she could think of, yet her thoughts wandered. No matter where she sought to turn them, they kept returning to someone who had not occupied her thoughts at all until recently. It was Shinomori who had held her attention and concern since the night of her flight. It was Shinomori who defeated her concentration now; her mind would not be turned from him.
She sat next to the window, holding her chin in one hand, staring blindly out of the window at the darkening shadows of the evening as she gave in to the demands of her mind and heart. What was she to Shinomori that he would risk all to defend her, standing in front of the men she knew she could count on to defend her? And what was Aoshi to her?
Sighing, she let the fluttering of her innards at the thought of his actions since their very private tea service lead her to a better understanding of her feelings.
"Not again! Not another unrequited love!" She hung her head in her hands as the sun crept behind the trees at the back of the Crane.
Aoshi had followed Megumi as she fled the dining room, halting at the top of the stairs as she retreated into her room. He approached, intending to assure himself of her safety. The feel of her ki had fluctuated with the flow of her panic. He had almost knocked to gain admittance when he heard the sounds of her movements within. The agitation that he sensed from her stayed his hand and he stood frozen at her doorway.
At last, using the enhanced hearing of the Oniwabanshuu, he heard her pained whisper. He turned then, and returned to the stairs. Thus it was that there was no one there to see it when the master spy and genius of the Oniwabanshuu, the iceman of Kyoto, allowed the barest of smiles to grace his lips.