Dreams I Dreamt Instead
By Fujifunmum
Chapter 23: Just Dessert
Sanosuke was nuzzling a very warm ninja in his arms when his eyes caught the sheaf of small folded papers partially hidden to the side of Misao's futon. Taking advantage of her closed eyes, he lurched over her, extending his reach to nab the papers before he unceremoniously dropped her onto the futon and sat up to read the small cryptic documents.
"What have we here, Okashira? Trying to keep secrets from your Chief of Security? Not likely, you know. Especially while we're sharing a room." He briefly leafed through the documents, noticing the finely wrought kanji and the similar pattern of words as well as their placement on the pages. There was no doubt in his mind that these were the haiku the birders had used to communicate the news of their Okashira's relationship with him to the other Oniwabanshuu.
"I told you I was collecting those, Sano. If you hadn't been so interested in flirting with a certain scantily clad doctor when you returned from Aizu, I would have shown them to you right after you came home." Misao stuck out her tongue at Sanosuke and "harrumphed" her way deeper into the futon, covering her head with the blanket.
"Don't get your yukata in a twist, Misao. I think you should get your cute little ninja butt out here and read these 'love letters' to me. Don't you?"
"Dream on, bad boy. You should be declaring your undying love to me for putting up with you."
"I thought I just did. You know actions speak louder than words where we strong silent fighter type guys are concerned."
Sano moved to sit down next to the futon, pulling the folded papers out of Misao's obi folds and giving her a broad smirk.
"So you did have them in your obi! I knew we should have played hide and seek."
"We've played enough games. Maybe next time. Read me the messages, Sano and I'll tell you which birder wrote them, since you've not met all of them yet."
Sano unfolded the first paper carefully, the small scrap dwarfed by the size of his large hands.
"It's finally done Our weasel plucked the chicken He's done in for sure."
"No kidding. Misao, is this from Amon? I met him in Yokohama the first day I was back in Japan."
"No, that's from the Aoiya. I haven't found out which one of them wrote it yet, but when I do they are so dead."
"Aw, don't be so hard on 'em, I think it's cute." Sano paused and opened the next small message. He had to be extra careful not to tear the delicate paper.
"Night falls on Kyoto, Icy cold breeze flirts with grace, Gone in the morning.
"I don't get this one, Misao. You must be the cold breeze and I'm the grace - but nobody's going anywhere in the morning. Who's this one from?"
"Don't be dense, Sano. I think that one's from Hokkaido and they're talking about Shinomori. They've probably been spending too much time with Saitou. Which one is next?"
"Enlightenment is the path to tranquility, pure hearts see its truth
"Wow. That's deep. Who's that one from?"
"That's the one from Amon. He's got the soul of a poet, that one." Misao sighed and stuck her head out of the covers. She liked being here with Sano like this, having him read her haiku about them from her clan members. It just seemed so natural, so right.
Sano continued, "Our Okashira makes music with Sagara that is sweet, if loud.
"That one's great Misao! Who sent it?"
"You don't know him yet, Sano. He's in Osaka. I'll introduce you to him the next time we are in Kyoto. Speaking of which, aren't we overdue to go back to Kyoto? The Crane is fully operational and a great success. I'm sure we could leave it in Akoto and Makiko's capable hands."
"Let's stay in Tokyo for now, you don't mind do you?"
"No, I think I could live here or in Kyoto."
Sano gave her a broad smile, delighted that she understood that he really wanted to live in Tokyo, not Kyoto. Then he remembered that he was supposed to be reading haiku. "Don't distract me, woman! " Sano pointedly scowled at her, his eyes still smiling, and carefully unfolded the last of the messages.
"Two birds in the bed, The Rooster crows not alone. The Crane does not sleep.
"That is so funny, Misao! I love it! It's got to be Akoto, right?"
"Right, Sano. And forget what I just said about him being competent. I'm gonna demote him to dishwasher for writing that about me! Give it here!" Misao reached out to try to grab the last message out of Sano's hand, but Sano was too quick for her. He scattered the papers behind him as he grabbed for her hand and dragged her out of her hiding place and into his lap. When he had her completely trapped and surrounded, he gave her a quick kiss and spoke again.
"No way. I like it, besides it's good for our clan to have something fun to talk about once in a while, don't you think?"
"Our clan?"
"I thought I'd keep on wearing your colors, Okashira, is that all right with you?"
"Oh, Sano!" Misao was overcome with happiness at the thought that Sano would become Oniwabanshuu. She was instantly kissing him and crying all at the same time - not a pretty picture.
When her tears had subsided and she had calmed a little, Sano took a brief moment between kisses to ask her a simple question.
"Well, that was fun, woman. What do you suppose they'll say about our wedding night?"
The ceremony in Aizu had been well planned, but brief. Aoshi had arranged for an exceedingly small group of Oniwabanshuu members and a couple of Megumi's friends to attend. The front parlor of the Koi was used for the simple, traditional, yet formal occasion. Megumi looked stunning in her white bridal kimono, if a bit tense. The handsome face of the tall Omitsu was as unreadable as ever. Yet they each played their part in the ceremony with grace and care. They understood the commitment they were making to each other and what it had cost each of them to reach this happy day.
The Koi provided a small but elegant dinner for the couple and their guests in the Oniwabanshuu dinning room. It was decorated for the occasion with the end of summer's most beautiful blossoms artfully arranged by the bride. The groom's customary austere manner lent a rather somber note to what might have been a more festive meal. As the bridegroom did not indulge, there was a shocking lack of sake. If the distracted bride noticed, she did not seem to object. Megumi was uncharacteristically quiet on this sobering occasion.
After an excellent meal, Goro and the other Oniwabanshuu retired, leaving the dinning room to the newlyweds. They would be spending their wedding night in their new quarters at the Koi. The ante building at the rear of the property had been refurbished for their use as a home. It gave Megumi the autonomy she desperately desired, as well as a place to call her own. Aoshi, glancing briefly at his new bride, felt astonished at his good fortune. He had no doubt that he was extremely lucky to find the love of this very good woman. His fondest wish was only to make her happy.
Aoshi smiled at his new wife, thinking a bit about another swordsman who had also found a younger, beautiful bride to brighten his life. At this moment he was very thankful that Kenshin had met his Kaoru and not fallen for the other woman who had loved him.
Gently, he took her chin in his hand and raised it to look into her eyes. He could feel her nerves and anxiety. It had been clear to him all day, but that was to be expected, especially of a woman who had suffered at the hands of men in the past. He was determined that she would not regret her reluctant decision to marry him. He had coaxed her relentlessly in his own, quiet but insistent way and she had seemed to agree, finally, if only to find a way to make living with him easier.
He'd also pushed her to wed as soon as possible, wishing to silence any remaining gossip in the community about her abuse by Kunisawa. As his spouse and the resident local physician, coupled with her own family's excellent reputation as healers, he believed her place in the small town's society would be secure. His position as the apparent owner of the Koi should assure it.
Megumi followed her new husband to their new quarters. She was a complete bundle of nerves, wondering what in the world she had been thinking to agree to a wedding so soon. She had been disappointed that Kaoru and Kenshin could not attend. She wasn't surprised, however. Kaoru was pregnant and they were not willing to travel during her confinement.
Her thoughts traveled back to the matters at hand as she watched her new husband walk before her through her own transplanted garden. He moved with remarkable grace and elegance. It perfectly matched his outrageous looks. Megumi was not at all lacking in confidence about her own beauty, but sometimes when she looked at Aoshi she found herself wondering if he was more beautiful than she was. Their children would be magnificent.
She nearly tripped and fell on the walkway. Where had that thought come from? Was she so anxious to conceive with a man she hadn't even slept with yet? Safe from her spouse's scrutiny, Takani Megumi allowed herself a contented smile as her nervousness eased and she realized with pleasure that the beautiful man in front of her was now her husband.
In her reverie, she had forgotten that her husband could feel her. The vibrancy of her ki was enhanced when her nervousness eased. It was the first time that Megumi had felt a measure of comfort within his sphere since she had fled to Tokyo months ago. Aoshi delighted at the feel of her ki, anticipating the matching feel of her beautiful skin.
Aoshi surprised Megumi by escorting her to their new home and then leaving her briefly to check on some matters back at the Inn. It was clearly a ruse to allow her to change out of her elaborate and constricting bridal kimono into her white sleeping yukata. Aoshi had not allowed her into the new space, so she investigated her new rooms with great pleasure. His taste was exquisite and a match for hers. He had brought many of her treasured possessions to use in their quarters, foregoing his usual severe lack of ornamentation. Only his kodachi's prominently placed on their stand reminded her of his past, his talents, his experience, and his failures.
She approved of her new surroundings. It felt like a place of her own, not a temporary room at a commercial establishment. She could do her own cooking if she wished, or they could eat at the family dining room across the garden. She had ample space for her few cherished belongings, and it was very convenient to her new clinic. With the addition of her garden out front, it was nearly perfect.
It wouldn't feel like home until she had lived there for a while, she thought absently. Her nervousness began to return as she went into her bedroom and saw that two new white sleeping yukatas were laid out beside new matching futons in the sleeping quarters. She struggled to untie her elaborate obi in the very constricting white kimono. Once the obi was removed and carefully wound for storage, she removed the elaborate wedding kimono and folded it. Next she stripped off the bindings, padding, and ties that led to her under kimono. Then she removed the under kimono and her chemise and underskirt. She shrugged into the smaller of the two yukatas, cinching it tightly at her waist. She removed her tabi and the traditional white makeup with bright touches of red at her lips and murky blue at her eyes. Then she began to undo her long black hair. It had been elaborately piled and stacked on top of her head, bound with hidden pins and decorative needles. Once these were all removed she began to brush out her hair with long smooth strokes.
She did not remove her jewelry. She was not a wealthy woman, but she had managed to save one of her mother's rings. She wore this only on very special occasions, leaving it on now. In addition, she used her hand mirror to admire her wedding gift from Aoshi.
Early that morning, before she had begun the long and elaborate preparations for the wedding. He had come to see her in her room after she had returned her breakfast tray. She had eaten little and he could only imagine her nervousness. As he had wished for her to wear his gift at their wedding, he was forced to confront her with his presence. He hoped that seeing her early in the day, as was their habit, might settle her nerves a bit.
That proved to be a false hope. He knocked quietly on her door, awaiting her response. When she saw just who was calling, the panic in her eyes was disconcerting. He wondered if she would bolt rather than keep her promise to marry him this day.
Still, he requested a brief private audience, and she invited him into her room. She had just begun to assemble her bathing articles. She clearly intended to attempt to soak her nerves away. She was too disconcerted to even ask him to be comfortable. When she quietly knelt beside her futon, he walked up close to her and knelt next to her, almost but not quite touching her knees with his.
"I have a gift for my bride," he said, extending a small elaborately wrapped box. "It would please me if you would wear these to our wedding."
Megumi tentatively reached out to take the box with her right hand, jumping slightly at the electricity that jolted between them when her fingers brushed up against his.
She took the box in her hands and looked to Aoshi for some indication that she should open it in his presence. He nodded almost imperceptively.
She silently admired the outer cloth wrapping. It had a lovely blue background with embroidered Koi as the pattern. She turned it over in her hands to take in the full beauty of the knotting, the carefully arranged and folded edges. Aoshi had taken a great deal of care to prepare whatever was inside.
Untying the wrapping, she in turn admired the smooth finish of the uncarved mahogany wood. The box containing her gift would have made quite a gift by itself, yet she had no doubt that the contents were even more valuable.
Slowly, she raised the lid of the small box, rubbing her fingertips along the smoothed edge of the wood in a motion that was almost a caress. Within was a small velvet purse. It was tied closed with a silken cord. The cord itself could be worn as a decoration. The silk and golden threads intertwining within it to make an elaborate and glittering pattern of red, white and gold were exquisite.
Gingerly, she loosened the cord to open the black velvet purse. She could feel two heavier objects within, so she extended her hand, palm up, and emptied the contents of the small purse onto it.
Two earrings fell into her hand, of such a weight that she thought they could not be made of precious jewels, the cost would be too dear. She turned them over in her hand with her fingernail, examining the finely wrought golden fastener that would hold the dangling diamonds to her earlobes. They were western styled, with a backing that turned and twisted to press a small metal disk as tightly as she wished to hold them fast to her ears.
Upon closer examination, she saw that once in place, the front of the earring covering her earlobe was a small round diamond. It was only small, however, when compared to the teardrop shaped dangling diamond that hung beneath it. This larger diamond was a fine gemstone indeed, larger than most of the jewelry Megumi had ever seen.
There were, of course, two earrings. She was stymied to consider what the four diamonds she held in her hand must have cost. She looked up at her husband-to-be in total shock. She wanted to ask him if the stones were real, but she was too tongue-tied to do so and couldn't imagine that Shinomori Aoshi was even capable of presenting his bride with glass earrings to wear at their wedding.
Aoshi saw her confusion, and attempted to diffuse it immediately.
"Are they not to your taste?"
Quickly, the foxy doctor recovered her voice enough to assure him that they were exactly to her taste.
"Of course. They are quite beautiful and most unusual in their.." Her sentence trailed off as she searched her paralyzed brain for a way to refer to their size without sounding both crass and disbelieving. Finally she settled for being magnanimous. ".brilliance."
She paused and then continued. "If it pleases my new husband, I will be pleased to wear them this afternoon. Holding one up to the side of her head, she said, "They will look lovely on my ears, won't they?"
Aoshi did not respond right away. His eyes wandered over her face, resting on the side where she held the earring placed next to her hair and cheek. Tilting his head slightly, he responded. "Yes, to start with."
Megumi inhaled sharply, the implications of his remark dawning on her gradually as she slowly lowered both hands into her lap. She was amazed to realize she was blushing. Before she could come up with a suitably sophisticated retort, Aoshi was on his feet and out of her room. He stopped only to murmur his pleasure at the thought of meeting her later that day for their wedding.
Now, as the familiar strokes of her brush and comb against her scalp and shoulders were bringing her some comfort in her new surroundings, she was careful not to brush over the precious dangling ornaments. Brushing her hair was a nightly ritual that helped her to tame her beautiful mane and gave her a calm moment of reflection before retiring for the day. Unfortunately, on this night the ritual brought her no calm. Instead the weight of her earrings matched the press of the anxiety rising in her chest.
Unbeknownst to her, her bridegroom was watching her brush out her hair from the porch closest to their sleeping room. He had a glimpse of her through the slightly open window and stopped to admire her from afar. He appreciated her beauty and her bright spirit, but was concerned that the nervousness he'd hoped had vanished had now returned.
Aoshi moved to the front door, entering their house through the front door, just as he had left it to keep from startling her. He came to the door of their bedroom and paused in the doorway. Megumi had just finished brushing her hair. She then knelt, serenely, at the foot of her futon awaiting his arrival.
She noticed his imposing entrance at once, schooling her features into a slightly forced smile of welcome. Then she began to execute an extremely formal bow. It was customary, and also her wifely duty.
She was greatly surprised when she felt Aoshi's hands rest on her shoulders, stopping her movements before she could complete her obeisance.
Her questioning gaze rose to meet his intense eyes. The fire behind the icy blue color ignited a light into her soul.
"We will always have respect and honor in our home, Megumi, but this chamber is solely for my wife's pleasure."
Author's Note: Haiku credits: The first haiku is from Eternitys End. The second is from Kyris. The third is from Lizzie. The fourth and fifth ones are from Gochan. Daiji graciously shared a haiku written for school, it was excellent! Many thanks to everyone who sent me haiku! It was lots of fun to get them and I hope you enjoyed writing them, too. (I know I did!)
Thanks for reading my alternative pairing ficcy. Now go on and read the Epilogue - you know you want to.
By Fujifunmum
Chapter 23: Just Dessert
Sanosuke was nuzzling a very warm ninja in his arms when his eyes caught the sheaf of small folded papers partially hidden to the side of Misao's futon. Taking advantage of her closed eyes, he lurched over her, extending his reach to nab the papers before he unceremoniously dropped her onto the futon and sat up to read the small cryptic documents.
"What have we here, Okashira? Trying to keep secrets from your Chief of Security? Not likely, you know. Especially while we're sharing a room." He briefly leafed through the documents, noticing the finely wrought kanji and the similar pattern of words as well as their placement on the pages. There was no doubt in his mind that these were the haiku the birders had used to communicate the news of their Okashira's relationship with him to the other Oniwabanshuu.
"I told you I was collecting those, Sano. If you hadn't been so interested in flirting with a certain scantily clad doctor when you returned from Aizu, I would have shown them to you right after you came home." Misao stuck out her tongue at Sanosuke and "harrumphed" her way deeper into the futon, covering her head with the blanket.
"Don't get your yukata in a twist, Misao. I think you should get your cute little ninja butt out here and read these 'love letters' to me. Don't you?"
"Dream on, bad boy. You should be declaring your undying love to me for putting up with you."
"I thought I just did. You know actions speak louder than words where we strong silent fighter type guys are concerned."
Sano moved to sit down next to the futon, pulling the folded papers out of Misao's obi folds and giving her a broad smirk.
"So you did have them in your obi! I knew we should have played hide and seek."
"We've played enough games. Maybe next time. Read me the messages, Sano and I'll tell you which birder wrote them, since you've not met all of them yet."
Sano unfolded the first paper carefully, the small scrap dwarfed by the size of his large hands.
"It's finally done Our weasel plucked the chicken He's done in for sure."
"No kidding. Misao, is this from Amon? I met him in Yokohama the first day I was back in Japan."
"No, that's from the Aoiya. I haven't found out which one of them wrote it yet, but when I do they are so dead."
"Aw, don't be so hard on 'em, I think it's cute." Sano paused and opened the next small message. He had to be extra careful not to tear the delicate paper.
"Night falls on Kyoto, Icy cold breeze flirts with grace, Gone in the morning.
"I don't get this one, Misao. You must be the cold breeze and I'm the grace - but nobody's going anywhere in the morning. Who's this one from?"
"Don't be dense, Sano. I think that one's from Hokkaido and they're talking about Shinomori. They've probably been spending too much time with Saitou. Which one is next?"
"Enlightenment is the path to tranquility, pure hearts see its truth
"Wow. That's deep. Who's that one from?"
"That's the one from Amon. He's got the soul of a poet, that one." Misao sighed and stuck her head out of the covers. She liked being here with Sano like this, having him read her haiku about them from her clan members. It just seemed so natural, so right.
Sano continued, "Our Okashira makes music with Sagara that is sweet, if loud.
"That one's great Misao! Who sent it?"
"You don't know him yet, Sano. He's in Osaka. I'll introduce you to him the next time we are in Kyoto. Speaking of which, aren't we overdue to go back to Kyoto? The Crane is fully operational and a great success. I'm sure we could leave it in Akoto and Makiko's capable hands."
"Let's stay in Tokyo for now, you don't mind do you?"
"No, I think I could live here or in Kyoto."
Sano gave her a broad smile, delighted that she understood that he really wanted to live in Tokyo, not Kyoto. Then he remembered that he was supposed to be reading haiku. "Don't distract me, woman! " Sano pointedly scowled at her, his eyes still smiling, and carefully unfolded the last of the messages.
"Two birds in the bed, The Rooster crows not alone. The Crane does not sleep.
"That is so funny, Misao! I love it! It's got to be Akoto, right?"
"Right, Sano. And forget what I just said about him being competent. I'm gonna demote him to dishwasher for writing that about me! Give it here!" Misao reached out to try to grab the last message out of Sano's hand, but Sano was too quick for her. He scattered the papers behind him as he grabbed for her hand and dragged her out of her hiding place and into his lap. When he had her completely trapped and surrounded, he gave her a quick kiss and spoke again.
"No way. I like it, besides it's good for our clan to have something fun to talk about once in a while, don't you think?"
"Our clan?"
"I thought I'd keep on wearing your colors, Okashira, is that all right with you?"
"Oh, Sano!" Misao was overcome with happiness at the thought that Sano would become Oniwabanshuu. She was instantly kissing him and crying all at the same time - not a pretty picture.
When her tears had subsided and she had calmed a little, Sano took a brief moment between kisses to ask her a simple question.
"Well, that was fun, woman. What do you suppose they'll say about our wedding night?"
The ceremony in Aizu had been well planned, but brief. Aoshi had arranged for an exceedingly small group of Oniwabanshuu members and a couple of Megumi's friends to attend. The front parlor of the Koi was used for the simple, traditional, yet formal occasion. Megumi looked stunning in her white bridal kimono, if a bit tense. The handsome face of the tall Omitsu was as unreadable as ever. Yet they each played their part in the ceremony with grace and care. They understood the commitment they were making to each other and what it had cost each of them to reach this happy day.
The Koi provided a small but elegant dinner for the couple and their guests in the Oniwabanshuu dinning room. It was decorated for the occasion with the end of summer's most beautiful blossoms artfully arranged by the bride. The groom's customary austere manner lent a rather somber note to what might have been a more festive meal. As the bridegroom did not indulge, there was a shocking lack of sake. If the distracted bride noticed, she did not seem to object. Megumi was uncharacteristically quiet on this sobering occasion.
After an excellent meal, Goro and the other Oniwabanshuu retired, leaving the dinning room to the newlyweds. They would be spending their wedding night in their new quarters at the Koi. The ante building at the rear of the property had been refurbished for their use as a home. It gave Megumi the autonomy she desperately desired, as well as a place to call her own. Aoshi, glancing briefly at his new bride, felt astonished at his good fortune. He had no doubt that he was extremely lucky to find the love of this very good woman. His fondest wish was only to make her happy.
Aoshi smiled at his new wife, thinking a bit about another swordsman who had also found a younger, beautiful bride to brighten his life. At this moment he was very thankful that Kenshin had met his Kaoru and not fallen for the other woman who had loved him.
Gently, he took her chin in his hand and raised it to look into her eyes. He could feel her nerves and anxiety. It had been clear to him all day, but that was to be expected, especially of a woman who had suffered at the hands of men in the past. He was determined that she would not regret her reluctant decision to marry him. He had coaxed her relentlessly in his own, quiet but insistent way and she had seemed to agree, finally, if only to find a way to make living with him easier.
He'd also pushed her to wed as soon as possible, wishing to silence any remaining gossip in the community about her abuse by Kunisawa. As his spouse and the resident local physician, coupled with her own family's excellent reputation as healers, he believed her place in the small town's society would be secure. His position as the apparent owner of the Koi should assure it.
Megumi followed her new husband to their new quarters. She was a complete bundle of nerves, wondering what in the world she had been thinking to agree to a wedding so soon. She had been disappointed that Kaoru and Kenshin could not attend. She wasn't surprised, however. Kaoru was pregnant and they were not willing to travel during her confinement.
Her thoughts traveled back to the matters at hand as she watched her new husband walk before her through her own transplanted garden. He moved with remarkable grace and elegance. It perfectly matched his outrageous looks. Megumi was not at all lacking in confidence about her own beauty, but sometimes when she looked at Aoshi she found herself wondering if he was more beautiful than she was. Their children would be magnificent.
She nearly tripped and fell on the walkway. Where had that thought come from? Was she so anxious to conceive with a man she hadn't even slept with yet? Safe from her spouse's scrutiny, Takani Megumi allowed herself a contented smile as her nervousness eased and she realized with pleasure that the beautiful man in front of her was now her husband.
In her reverie, she had forgotten that her husband could feel her. The vibrancy of her ki was enhanced when her nervousness eased. It was the first time that Megumi had felt a measure of comfort within his sphere since she had fled to Tokyo months ago. Aoshi delighted at the feel of her ki, anticipating the matching feel of her beautiful skin.
Aoshi surprised Megumi by escorting her to their new home and then leaving her briefly to check on some matters back at the Inn. It was clearly a ruse to allow her to change out of her elaborate and constricting bridal kimono into her white sleeping yukata. Aoshi had not allowed her into the new space, so she investigated her new rooms with great pleasure. His taste was exquisite and a match for hers. He had brought many of her treasured possessions to use in their quarters, foregoing his usual severe lack of ornamentation. Only his kodachi's prominently placed on their stand reminded her of his past, his talents, his experience, and his failures.
She approved of her new surroundings. It felt like a place of her own, not a temporary room at a commercial establishment. She could do her own cooking if she wished, or they could eat at the family dining room across the garden. She had ample space for her few cherished belongings, and it was very convenient to her new clinic. With the addition of her garden out front, it was nearly perfect.
It wouldn't feel like home until she had lived there for a while, she thought absently. Her nervousness began to return as she went into her bedroom and saw that two new white sleeping yukatas were laid out beside new matching futons in the sleeping quarters. She struggled to untie her elaborate obi in the very constricting white kimono. Once the obi was removed and carefully wound for storage, she removed the elaborate wedding kimono and folded it. Next she stripped off the bindings, padding, and ties that led to her under kimono. Then she removed the under kimono and her chemise and underskirt. She shrugged into the smaller of the two yukatas, cinching it tightly at her waist. She removed her tabi and the traditional white makeup with bright touches of red at her lips and murky blue at her eyes. Then she began to undo her long black hair. It had been elaborately piled and stacked on top of her head, bound with hidden pins and decorative needles. Once these were all removed she began to brush out her hair with long smooth strokes.
She did not remove her jewelry. She was not a wealthy woman, but she had managed to save one of her mother's rings. She wore this only on very special occasions, leaving it on now. In addition, she used her hand mirror to admire her wedding gift from Aoshi.
Early that morning, before she had begun the long and elaborate preparations for the wedding. He had come to see her in her room after she had returned her breakfast tray. She had eaten little and he could only imagine her nervousness. As he had wished for her to wear his gift at their wedding, he was forced to confront her with his presence. He hoped that seeing her early in the day, as was their habit, might settle her nerves a bit.
That proved to be a false hope. He knocked quietly on her door, awaiting her response. When she saw just who was calling, the panic in her eyes was disconcerting. He wondered if she would bolt rather than keep her promise to marry him this day.
Still, he requested a brief private audience, and she invited him into her room. She had just begun to assemble her bathing articles. She clearly intended to attempt to soak her nerves away. She was too disconcerted to even ask him to be comfortable. When she quietly knelt beside her futon, he walked up close to her and knelt next to her, almost but not quite touching her knees with his.
"I have a gift for my bride," he said, extending a small elaborately wrapped box. "It would please me if you would wear these to our wedding."
Megumi tentatively reached out to take the box with her right hand, jumping slightly at the electricity that jolted between them when her fingers brushed up against his.
She took the box in her hands and looked to Aoshi for some indication that she should open it in his presence. He nodded almost imperceptively.
She silently admired the outer cloth wrapping. It had a lovely blue background with embroidered Koi as the pattern. She turned it over in her hands to take in the full beauty of the knotting, the carefully arranged and folded edges. Aoshi had taken a great deal of care to prepare whatever was inside.
Untying the wrapping, she in turn admired the smooth finish of the uncarved mahogany wood. The box containing her gift would have made quite a gift by itself, yet she had no doubt that the contents were even more valuable.
Slowly, she raised the lid of the small box, rubbing her fingertips along the smoothed edge of the wood in a motion that was almost a caress. Within was a small velvet purse. It was tied closed with a silken cord. The cord itself could be worn as a decoration. The silk and golden threads intertwining within it to make an elaborate and glittering pattern of red, white and gold were exquisite.
Gingerly, she loosened the cord to open the black velvet purse. She could feel two heavier objects within, so she extended her hand, palm up, and emptied the contents of the small purse onto it.
Two earrings fell into her hand, of such a weight that she thought they could not be made of precious jewels, the cost would be too dear. She turned them over in her hand with her fingernail, examining the finely wrought golden fastener that would hold the dangling diamonds to her earlobes. They were western styled, with a backing that turned and twisted to press a small metal disk as tightly as she wished to hold them fast to her ears.
Upon closer examination, she saw that once in place, the front of the earring covering her earlobe was a small round diamond. It was only small, however, when compared to the teardrop shaped dangling diamond that hung beneath it. This larger diamond was a fine gemstone indeed, larger than most of the jewelry Megumi had ever seen.
There were, of course, two earrings. She was stymied to consider what the four diamonds she held in her hand must have cost. She looked up at her husband-to-be in total shock. She wanted to ask him if the stones were real, but she was too tongue-tied to do so and couldn't imagine that Shinomori Aoshi was even capable of presenting his bride with glass earrings to wear at their wedding.
Aoshi saw her confusion, and attempted to diffuse it immediately.
"Are they not to your taste?"
Quickly, the foxy doctor recovered her voice enough to assure him that they were exactly to her taste.
"Of course. They are quite beautiful and most unusual in their.." Her sentence trailed off as she searched her paralyzed brain for a way to refer to their size without sounding both crass and disbelieving. Finally she settled for being magnanimous. ".brilliance."
She paused and then continued. "If it pleases my new husband, I will be pleased to wear them this afternoon. Holding one up to the side of her head, she said, "They will look lovely on my ears, won't they?"
Aoshi did not respond right away. His eyes wandered over her face, resting on the side where she held the earring placed next to her hair and cheek. Tilting his head slightly, he responded. "Yes, to start with."
Megumi inhaled sharply, the implications of his remark dawning on her gradually as she slowly lowered both hands into her lap. She was amazed to realize she was blushing. Before she could come up with a suitably sophisticated retort, Aoshi was on his feet and out of her room. He stopped only to murmur his pleasure at the thought of meeting her later that day for their wedding.
Now, as the familiar strokes of her brush and comb against her scalp and shoulders were bringing her some comfort in her new surroundings, she was careful not to brush over the precious dangling ornaments. Brushing her hair was a nightly ritual that helped her to tame her beautiful mane and gave her a calm moment of reflection before retiring for the day. Unfortunately, on this night the ritual brought her no calm. Instead the weight of her earrings matched the press of the anxiety rising in her chest.
Unbeknownst to her, her bridegroom was watching her brush out her hair from the porch closest to their sleeping room. He had a glimpse of her through the slightly open window and stopped to admire her from afar. He appreciated her beauty and her bright spirit, but was concerned that the nervousness he'd hoped had vanished had now returned.
Aoshi moved to the front door, entering their house through the front door, just as he had left it to keep from startling her. He came to the door of their bedroom and paused in the doorway. Megumi had just finished brushing her hair. She then knelt, serenely, at the foot of her futon awaiting his arrival.
She noticed his imposing entrance at once, schooling her features into a slightly forced smile of welcome. Then she began to execute an extremely formal bow. It was customary, and also her wifely duty.
She was greatly surprised when she felt Aoshi's hands rest on her shoulders, stopping her movements before she could complete her obeisance.
Her questioning gaze rose to meet his intense eyes. The fire behind the icy blue color ignited a light into her soul.
"We will always have respect and honor in our home, Megumi, but this chamber is solely for my wife's pleasure."
Author's Note: Haiku credits: The first haiku is from Eternitys End. The second is from Kyris. The third is from Lizzie. The fourth and fifth ones are from Gochan. Daiji graciously shared a haiku written for school, it was excellent! Many thanks to everyone who sent me haiku! It was lots of fun to get them and I hope you enjoyed writing them, too. (I know I did!)
Thanks for reading my alternative pairing ficcy. Now go on and read the Epilogue - you know you want to.