Disclaimer: RK is still not mine. Don't sue me.

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"Aoshi-sama?"

He stopped, his anger mounting at his inability to simply ignore the soft voice calling his name hesitantly from behind him, at her ability to manipulate his actions and stop him from heading back to the Aoiya for the night. It was late, he'd been here for hours, the promised time for them to meet had come and gone, yet he had continued to wait, to run through his routine again and again, making excuses for her as each minute ticked by and she did not come. The fact that she had met him each night without fail for the last five did nothing to exonerate her ability to not do so tonight. None of his subordinates had ever dared to fail delivering on a promise to him and he had certainly never allowed it, no matter what the excuse and she was no exception.

Why then was he standing here, looking foolish, waiting to hear the excuse of some underling, slip of a girl? A girl who should mean no more to him than how skilled a warrior she was. A girl who should not even matter… yet, she did matter. To him. Aoshi's silent dialogue only served to make him angrier as the possibilities in investigating the source of these feelings further were far more frightening than any enemy the Bakamatsu could produce. He didn't care; about her excuses, about the vulnerability in her voice as she spoke just now or about her. He did not care!

"Won't you please stay?" She pleaded with him, her voice sounding small and fragile. "Only for a moment?"

Resolve filling him Aoshi straightened his shoulders and made to depart, refusing to give in to the temptation he felt to turn around and look at her. She deserved no such attention in the eyes of her Okashira and he refused to acknowledge those feelings that told him he did not always see her with the eyes of the Okashira.

"You are Oniwabanshu, Mirai!" He reminded her, his voice cold, his manner detached as he spoke. "First and foremost! You would do well to remember that the next time your duty as one of my soldiers conflicts with personal matters."

She remained silent behind him and wisely made no attempt to come up with an excuse for failing to do as she should have. He could sense her feelings of inadequacy at his harsh words but he refused to put her at ease. He wanted her to feel inadequate, to feel foolish; just as he had felt foolish waiting for her while she did who only knew what. He wanted her to know that just as she could manipulate his actions so he had the power to manipulate hers

"Do I make myself clear?" He asked quietly, the chill in his voice unmistakably warning her that she would not be allowed to fail again.

"Hai, Okashira." She whispered after a few moments silence.

Satisfied that he'd made his point Aoshi nodded his dismissal and walked away. He did not get far however, when he felt a fluttering, a weakening in her chi that in his anger he had not been able to sense before. Turning back he looked to where he'd left her in the clearing his eyes widening in shocked surprise as he took in her appearance. She was kneeling, head down, her uniform disheveled and the dark blue and lavender was splattered with what could only be blood. He could see the beginnings of what was sure to be a nasty bruise just above her knee and the handful of accompanying scrapes and scratches in varying degrees of severity located on her arms and legs. She was supporting her arm against her chest, holding it still with her hand and he could only guess that it must be broken.

Why didn't she say something? He wondered but he knew very well why she didn't. How could she when he would not allow her to do so? He'd been so angry, so determined to make her pay for making him appear weak that he'd failed to consider the reason for her delay, failed to consider the danger she placed herself in while doing her job. He had not even so much as spared her a glance and therefore failed to see… that she was hurt.

She struggled to get up and finally, upon gaining her footing beneath her she turned to walk in the opposite direction. Aoshi silently retraced his steps back to the clearing and called her name. Immediately he noticed the stiffening in her shoulders, the way her back grew rigid as she prepared for what she believed would be further berating from him.

"Yes, Okashira?" She asked without turning around and for the first time since earning that title it held no charm for him. It was suddenly bitter and caustic as the sound of it, spoken in her voice, echoed around him and settled on the forest floor.

"Turn around Mirai." He commanded quietly stepping closer to her as he did so. When she failed to move after several moments he placed a hand on her shoulder and with the lightest pressure urged her to turn toward him. If he'd been shocked at the sight of her injuries from a distance, he was aghast at seeing them up close. One small item of relief, her arm was not broken after all; it was merely sporting a deep gash that was several inches long and still bleeding. When he forced her chin up he grimaced at the bruise growing on her cheek, the dried blood that had trickled down her chin from her lip where it had been split.

"How did this happen?" He asked taking her elbow and leading her to an old tree stump to sit on. He knelt in front of her to further inspect her wounds. "Wasn't anyone there to back you up?"

"Only Saitoh-san." She sighed heavily, almost absently then seemed to start in surprise as his eyes narrowed sharply.

Saitoh-san? He wondered at the familiarity of the name, mulling it over, searching the banks of his memory and could not help the surprised gasp when he spoke his findings. "Mibu's wolf?"

She made no comment, merely nodded, her eyes wide and apprehensive. He knew of all the Oniwabanshu's dealings with the Shinsengumi at present and not one included such close involvement with the wolves of Mibu. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he considered the possibility that he did not know everything after all, that even the Okashira was sometimes left in the dark about things and it did not sit well with him. Just as it did not sit well with him that she had been sent on such an assignment. The Oniwabanshu was not in the habit of discarding soldiers in this manner and although she displayed skills that were useful, she was not in the same league as the wolves of Mibu.

"Who assigned you this duty?" He demanded.

"No one." She spoke quietly almost guiltily it seemed to Aoshi. "I volunteered."

"You… volunteered?" He had not expected to hear that, she had to know this assignment was clearly out of her league, he saw no need to ask her why. He could see plainly in her blue eyes that she had done it to prove something, that she needed to show her strength, for whatever reason.

He told himself silently that as her Okashira he had to acknowledge her right to such tests of strength and ability but as he grudgingly admitted earlier, he did not always look at her with the eyes of the Okashira.

"I will speak to Okina about this." He informed her knowing that it had to be him, Okina was the only one allowed to make such decisions in his place.

"No! You can't!" She cried frantically as she tried to stand up but failed as Aoshi's hold on her shoulders kept her seated. "Please… just leave it, I've revealed too much already."

What the hell does that mean? He wondered watching as she chewed her lower lip nervously and her hands fisted in her lap tensely. He contemplated the secrecy and obscurity surrounding her and despite all that he had been taught, all the doubt warning him to be cautious, to be suspicious; he could not help but trust her. As always her emotions were bared before him, before anyone who dared look at her and as always there was nothing to fear. He would leave speaking to Okina for another time, right now he needed to get her wounds cleaned up.

"Very well." He conceded and climbed to his feet pulling her up with him. "I will leave it for now."

He was rewarded with the return of her bright smile and he was thankful that she had forgiven his earlier mistreatment of her. Taking her elbow again he began to lead her across the clearing to the edge of the trees.

"Let's get you home… " The rest of his sentence was cut off as she halted mid step and he turned to check on her. "What is it?

"I can't." Her voice sounded oddly regretful; there was a long pause before she continued. "I… it's dangerous… I shouldn't be seen at the Aoiya right now."

"Your assignment is finished for the night." He told her in the commanding voice of the Okashira, making certain that she realized there was no arguing this point any further. "If you don't get those wounds taken care of you'll be no good to anyone."

He could clearly sense in her the willpower she was using to keep silent, her brows were drawn together in a revealing frown and the fist of the injured arm she clutched to her chest clenched, holding tight the urge to take a swing at him. He almost wanted to laugh; it seemed as though he had seen this display a hundred times, intentionally provoked it even but he often felt this sense of deja vue in her company and dismissed it.

"Come." He urged her with a slight pull on her elbow, she thankfully obeyed and the rest of their journey through the woods was made in silence.

She followed him through the silent halls of the Aoiya, her feet moving without sound, just as he did. He noticed immediately that she was no longer moving behind him. He turned to find her facing a set of closed shoji, a strange look on her face.

"Misao's room." She whispered matter-of-factly.

"Ah." He agreed. "She's away."

"I remember." Her voice barely audible even in the silence.

He wondered what she meant by that and even more, the way she said it, it was showing something akin to regret maybe… no it was more like melancholy and it reflected in her eyes. Her eyes were always so overly expressive it was as if every thought and feeling could be seen in their azure depths, it made him wonder, what did she see in his eyes. He'd often been told they were cold and fierce but was that how she saw them? She, who looked at the world in a way that he had never considered.

"She misses you terribly Aoshi-sama." Mirai's softly spoken words jolted him out of his reverie. After several moments he could form no reply and so he nodded briefly and ordered her to stay where she was while he went to retrieve the items needed to clean and bandage her wounds, returning after only a few minutes.

"Follow me." He instructed as he walked past her, leading her to his room at the end of the hall he slid back the shoji door, allowing her to enter before he followed her in and closed the doors behind them. He led her to a window where the moonlight beamed in through the narrow opening; he set the tray holding a bowl of water and strips of cloth between them where they sat on the floor.

"I'll start with your arm first since it seems to be the worst." He told her as he took her hand and pulled her arm into the light, gently wiping from the inside of her elbow back to her wrist. The dark russet was soon erased from her pale skin and he was glad to see that the cut that had bled so much, although deep, was not a gaping wound but a slice, most likely from a knife or sword. Still it was a clean, narrow line and would hardly be noticeable once it healed. He wrapped it carefully with the bandages he brought and after cleaning the few remaining small scrapes he turned her arm over and began wiping at the small wounds on the topside of her arm and the back of her hand. Finished with one, he grabbed her other hand and lifted it to the light; there were no deep cuts like the other one but many scrapes that needed to be cleaned. Rinsing the cloth he ran it up her arm and back down, removing all the blood and grime from her fight, turning it over and cleaning the other side he spied one scrape on the back of her hand that was bad enough to warrant a bandage. Her small hand, resting in his while he bandaged it looked so fragile, she was fragile; however, she was not weak and those that dismissed her because of her appearance fell victim to her greatest asset. Fragile as fine porcelain she may be but she was also strong, fast and tenacious; he had no doubt that she dished out plenty of punishment to whomever wounded her earlier this evening… he had no doubt what so ever.

After quickly cleaning the remaining minor scrapes and bruises and wrapping a bandage around her leg to cover the deep cut above her knee Aoshi retrieved a fresh cloth and poured clean water over it. He climbed to his knees to get a better angle before he started with the wounds on her face.

He dabbed lightly with the damp cloth on her bruised cheek, trying carefully to avoid pressing too hard and hurting her only to cringe at the sound of air hissing sharply through her clenched teeth. He sighed heavily in exasperation then looked down into her upturned face; her eyes were wide, the apprehension could be seen clearly through the brave front she was trying to put forward. He couldn't do this with her looking at him that way.

"Try thinking of something else." He told her lifting his hand away from her face.

"Something else?" She questioned him quietly.

"Ah. Something other than the pain. Think of your favorite things." He explained watching as a small smile appeared on her mouth and lit up her eyes.

"Mmm…my favorite things…" She whispered whimsically her eyes closing as her imagination took over. "Misao's game."

"Ah." He agreed and began to once again dab at her wound. Once the bruise was gone it wouldn't be too bad, it was really no more than a scratch, the bruise making it appear far worse than it was. He continued wiping, cleaning dirt and blood from her forehead, her temple and her other cheek. She didn't seem to be aware of any discomfort as she was so relaxed and lost in her game. He noticed her flinch when he lightly touched her bruised lip while inspecting it. He was almost done and wanted to make certain she remained distracted while he finished and so he continued talking, keeping his voice calm and quiet. "How do you know Misao's game?"

"I know all of Misao's secrets." If he didn't know better he'd think she was actually teasing him but with her eyes closed it was hard for him to be certain.

"Is that so?" He asked lightly, dipping one corner of the cloth into the water and tipping her head back further to wipe her chin. There was nothing beneath the blood, which meant it all came from her mouth. He dabbed gently as he could, cleaning the blood from her bottom lip. "And what are Misao's favorite things?"

Her eyes opened slowly and met his, immediately pulling him into their deep blue depths. He'd been safe before when they were closed, but now… now he was held captive and he could see plainly that she was just as much a prisoner within his.

"The same as mine." She whispered and he could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin.

She was so close… so close and so very lovely and although his head screamed at him to get away from her he could not seem to stop himself and lowered his lips to capture hers. Her mouth was soft and sweet under his, just as he imagined, not knowing he imagined it at all until that very moment.

"Okashira." The quiet call from outside the door made them both start in surprise and jump apart. Their eyes wide as they stared at each other, unable to utter a word. "A message just came in for you."

"Sumimasen." Aoshi excused himself, feeling completely awkward and not at all wanting to leave her just then, although she knew, as well as he, that his duty demanded that he do so.

In what had become a routine over the past week, Misao made her way through the woods back to the Aoiya where she sat on the steps and contemplated her evening. She actually had thought she was going to miss her chance to go this evening. Her work with Saitoh-san had taken longer than expected and although she could have avoided all the injuries she had received and been on time to meet Aoshi, Misao was not one to turn down those who needed help. It had taken even longer to escape Omasu's nursing attempts once she'd gotten a glimpse of Misao's injuries and although her time with him would be shortened and she would have some explaining to do she made her way into the forest, determined to see him.

"Misao." She jumped at the sound of Aoshi's voice turning slowly to face him, wondering how he had managed to follow her back to this time then realized that he'd called her Misao. This wasn't the same man from the other time, he was but, he was different; this was Aoshi-sama, the one she had always known. "May I join you?"

"Of course." She invited him to sit down and was surprised when he took the empty space on the step next to her. She could not help but stare at him, she always did but now it was different, now it was almost like she was taking inventory. Comparing the Aoshi of today with the one she met in the past, the differences in how they wore their hair, the way her Aoshi-sama's eyes were often narrowed and sharp was completely different from his younger self. There was one thing that had not changed, however and she could not help but stare at his mouth, the same soft lips his younger self had kissed her with; she could still recall the feel of his mouth, pressing lightly against hers. He had kissed her and she had not wanted him to stop, even now she wanted him kissing her, touching her and it took all of her will power to tear her eyes away.

"I see you've had your injuries taken care of." His soft voice broke into her thoughts, she nodded unable to offer any other reply and he continued. "Omasu was worried about you but it looks like someone did a good job of bandaging you up."

"Hai." She agreed quietly stealing a glimpse at him, blushing as her eyes were drawn immediately to his mouth and wondering how it would feel on hers. No, she did not have to wonder, she knew.

"Is something wrong Misao?" He asked and she lifted her eyes to meet his then hurriedly looked away. That kiss had changed everything and she could not look at Aoshi, even this one, without wanting him to kiss her again.

"Aren't the stars pretty Aoshi-sama?" She looked upward, trying to cover her discomfort with idle chat.

"Ah." She turned to look at him once again; his face turned up to the sky admiring the stars she spoke of. He really was beautiful and she wished that she could do something to erase the shadows from his eyes, to return some measure of that boy she had met, that other Aoshi who still possessed the ability to smile from his heart. Maybe there was… maybe she could do or say something to that other Aoshi that would help make things different for the one who now sat beside her.

"Aoshi-sama?" Misao hesitated.

"Yes. What is it?" Aoshi replied still looking at the sky.

"I… If you could… If it were possible… " Grrrr. This is harder than I thought, she grumbled silently trying to form the words in her head. "If you could change one thing, before it happened, what would it be?"

She watched him in silence as he continued to look at the stars; she was afraid that he wasn't going to answer her when at last he spoke.

"You cannot change the past Misao." His quiet voice filled the silence. "No matter how much you may wish to; what is, is."

"I know that Aoshi-sama." She agreed quietly accepting fate as she knew it to be. "But if I could just say something, anything that would provide even the slightest comfort to someone I know will need it… what could I say Aoshi-sama?"

"I don't know but I'm sure you will think of something." He climbed to his feet beside her his face still turned up, looking at the sky. Aoshi was silent for several moments before he spoke again, looking at her as he did so. "I'm glad you came back Misao."

With that he turned and left, disappearing into the darkened doorway that led inside the Aoiya. Misao was dumbfounded as she contemplated the last words he had said to her. Did he mean he was glad she came back in time? Did he somehow know everything? She shook her head, denying the possibility. He probably meant he was glad she came back from her job with Saitoh-san or he was glad she came back after her dash from Omasu's mothering.

Laughing at herself Misao climbed her feet and made her way to her room. There she lay awake half the night thinking about how Aoshi had kissed her and how much she hoped he would do it again.