Under the Cherry Tree

*Knock, Knock*

"Enter…" Saitou spoke as he sifted through all the files on his desk as he sat in the chair in his office. A cigarette hung from his mouth, the evident smell of stale smoke clinging to every bit of furniture and paperwork. Saitou was unaffected by it, having started smoking since he was about 15 yeas old. A dark figure entered the dully-lit room, the lamp on the desk the only light source in the room and sat down in the spare chair across from Saitou.

"Its been awhile Saitou. You must be busy?" Aoshi spoke looking over at his older brother. He watched as he placed one file down, picking up another and spoke, the cigarette still clinging to the corner of his mouth.

"No, I just love living in my office." Saitou spoke dryly. He placed the file down; leaning back in his chair, arms folded and crossed his legs waiting for what his brother was here for.

"We haven't spoken much since you came back from Kyoto, how was things?" Aoshi spoke getting up and moving towards the window, opening the blinds and reefing the window up to let in some fresh air. He and Saitou were the only ones to ever be able to open up the stiff window. Aoshi sat on the edge waiting for Saitou to answer. He watched Saitou finish off his smoke and then instantly light up another one.

"Its what I expected." Saitou spoke getting up and placing files back in the cabinets, closing and then locking them as well.

"Do I seriously have to beat it out of you?" Aoshi spoke and watched a small smirk cross over Saitou's lips. He sat on his desk facing Aoshi and replied instantly to his question.

"You could try, but you will fail miserably."

"Years have passed brother and I have improved dramatically, where as you have not trained since you left Kyoto. Am I right?" Aoshi replied without even blinking. Now a smirk crossed his lips watching Saitou's jaw tighten as his brother has outdone him once more. There was an audible sigh escaping Saitou's throat and he finally spoke.

"I got the usual speech from Tokio's father saying I would never be good enough for his daughter but since she seems so happy with someone like me he'll just have to get used to seeing me around more often. That's if I ever think about travelling back to Kyoto in the near future, which is highly doubtful. Now why are you here again?"

"No reason really, just to hear that." Aoshi spoke with a small smile on his lips. He got off the window seal and headed for the office door. He stepped back however when it burst open revealing an officer.

"Detective Shinomori, we have a lead on the robbery that occurred last week." Spoke the officer. Aoshi watched Saitou get off his desk, grabbing his guns and coat and headed for the door.

"Do let yourself out Aoshi." Saitou spoke walking past him and headed for the main entrance in a hurry. Aoshi followed close behind and noticed a small squad of cars waiting for Saitou. Aoshi watched him place one of his guns in the holster while the other was placed into the back of his trousers, his long coat covering it up. Aoshi had seen this a couple of times before, watching his brother race off to go solve some case, risking his life like he did. He had been shot twice already, one narrowly missing his heart while the other was in his left shoulder blade. Aoshi never said anything to their parents knowing they'd die of heart attacks even though Saitou was perfectly fine and accepted the bullet and pain as though it were a mere scratch.

"Saitou?" Aoshi spoke quietly, but his brother turned to face him, his serious and determined expression displayed over his facial features.

"Spare me one of those mushie lines Aoshi, I'll see you later."

"We need to talk about Tokio…" Aoshi spoke abruptly towards his brother, watching his golden eyes flicker ever so slightly hearing her name. He hopped in the car speaking once more and then waving his hand obviously telling the small squad to head off.

"I'll call you when I'm finished…" Aoshi watched the four cars speed off, sirens flashing, but no sound, Saitou liking it that way better. More tactful at not having to race after the culprits, a surprise attack. Aoshi placed his hands in his pockets and turned around walking down the street.

* * * *

(Fugishita Studio Warehouse)

Aoshi had packed up the paintings from his apartment spare room and left for the warehouse where he needed to get his mind off of things. He only brought the ones he though he could finish today.

He'd been up on the roof for a few hours now staring at the painting he drew when he arrived. The painting was finished and dried quickly in the afternoon sun, but Aoshi had stood in the same spot just looking at the scene. It had to be the most dramatic and sort of gory painting he'd ever done in his life! He had gotten the image as he watched Saitou rush off to go 'save Tokyo' again and the image stuck in his mind and would not leave until it had been drawn and then painted.

"You must let me place that one in the store!" Anika spoke behind Aoshi and watched him turn abruptly around to stare at her. Her brown eyes were wide open in surprise as she stared at a distraught Aoshi looking back at her. She moved closer, her arm wrapping around his waist as they both looked at the painting once more.

"Saitou went to go save Tokyo again…" Aoshi spoke sarcastically to Anika, his eyes trying to pierce holes into the painting. Anika looked up at him and then towards the painting once more.

"The scene in this painting is what you fear. It's him isn't it? To you it is what you think will happen to Saitou, whereas to others it's just a male figure and nothing else." Anika responded softly. Aoshi's hand reached up, his fingers moving over the bloody corpse lying on the pavement. He was face down so you couldn't identify him, but he wore a blue uniform just like Saitou's. Dead leaves lay around the body his left hand lying flat and bloody on the pavement above the corpse. One section of his finger however was not covered in blood. It shone brightly like the sun; his ring finger donned a gold wedding band. The small area around the man was in complete darkness, but in the background pale light from a street post shone down upon a small dark figure looking over at the man. She was undistinctive, Aoshi wanting it that way, but she stood on her side, her head slightly turned looking over at the scene, her stomach huge with child. The only thing distinctive about her dark figure was her ring finger glowed brightly too, a gold band encasing it. They were husband and wife.

"You really should speak with him Aoshi. This is not healthy for you." Anika spoke, her hand stroking his back comfortingly. She watched Aoshi close his eyes for a brief moment and then open them again and nodding his head in agreement.

"Come on, that's enough for you today…" Anika spoke softly, taking the painting off the easel and placing it in his carry bag. She noticed Aoshi had finished another painting, this one dark as well. Half a woman's face could be seen while the other half and the surrounding area around her was complete blackness. She was young and beautiful, her brown yes glistening as tears of…blood…cascaded down her pale cheek onto her chin and then dripped off into the blackness. Anika swallowed, her worried eyes glancing over at Aoshi who still stood in the same position looking far off into the distance. She knew it was a continuation of the other painting he'd done but placed it into his bag in another sleeve next to the other one. Anika cleared her throat, knocking Aoshi out of his thoughts when she finally spoke.

"Your ass is ringing." Aoshi turned to look at her as she gave him a bright smile pointing at his butt. Aoshi gave her a small chuckle; Anika's shoulders relaxing slightly at hearing it and watched Aoshi bring out the mobile phone, flipping it open to speak into it. He was moving around grabbing his other unfinished pieces and placing them in the bag while listening to the person on the other end.

"I'll meet you there." Aoshi spoke softly and then hung up. Anika watched as he grabbed his bag and the easel going to place it back downstairs where it belonged.

"I'm going to meet Saitou now. I guess now is a good time to tell him a couple of things." Aoshi spoke walking down the stairs with Anika following close behind.

"Perhaps you should tell him what you do besides teaching martial arts?" To Anika's utter surprise she watched Aoshi nod his head in agreement.

"It's probably for the best and once he's out of the way I think it'll make things easier when telling Misao." Anika blinked a few times in astonishment. Something was definitely wrong with him. She hoped he'd get it out of his system when he spoke to Saitou or else it was going to eat him up on the inside.

"See you later…" Aoshi mumbled softly, his thoughts turning back to the images rolling around in his head.

* * * *

Aoshi walked into the alley the café his brother always went to. He claimed they made very good coffee, but it was probably one of the only places you could smoke inside. It was dark, dingy and very isolated from the city. To Aoshi it was just so…Saitou. Aoshi entered the café, the bell dinging softly and watched a couple people turn to look at him and then continue on with their conversations. Aoshi made his way to the back to find Saitou already there and smoking a cigarette.

"I have work to do Aoshi, so make this quick." Saitou spoke drinking some coffee and then taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"Perhaps it should wait for another day when you aren't so busy then. Shall I make an appointment say in three years? No wait, you could be dead by then." Aoshi spoke dryly getting up from his seat intending on leaving the café.

"Sit down Aoshi." Saitou spoke firmly his gold eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Aoshi sit back down once more. Saitou watched Aoshi silently as he declined anything from the waitress and observed as his younger brother turned his blue-green eyes on him.

"Have you told Tokio what you really do?" Aoshi spoke in his usual non-emotional tone of voice. Saitou blinked once not answering his question.

"She has not seen you for three days Saitou. She knows now you don't just work behind a desk, but she still isn't clear on what it is you actually do at the police headquarters. Are you ever going to tell her?"

"I don't see how my work concerns Tokio. I work a tough job to get good results and if that means not being around for a number of days then so be it. Tokio knows I'm a cop and so she should understand what that means." Saitou replied without batting an eyelid.

"That's where you are wrong Saitou. Tokio-chan doesn't understand at all. She doesn't know of the consequences or sadness that could face her in being with a cop. She doesn't know the dangers either. You need to tell her and then she will make up her final decision to be with you or not. Do you understand now?" Aoshi spoke back glaring at his brother.

"She is debating whether or not to go back to Kyoto for good?" Saitou spoke with no emotion in his voice but his heart clenched in his chest as thoughts of not seeing Tokio ever again raced through his mind. He watched as Aoshi nodded his head affirmatively. So this is what it was all about. Tell her what he does, what it entails to be a cop and why some days she would need to have faith in him and to be patient and wait for him to come home. Saitou wasn't one to back down from a case and he now knew Tokio needed to hear this from him.

"If something happened to you, she would not be able to cope." Aoshi replied softly grabbing Saitou's cup of coffee and having a drink. His face cringed slightly…way too much sugar…

"You mean YOU wouldn't be able to cope." Saitou replied, reading precisely into that statement. Aoshi lifted his head looking over at a smirking Saitou and matched the smirk with his own as he spoke again.

"You're a pain in the ass, but you are my ONLY brother." Saitou shook his head at this and stood up, Aoshi following and they left the café walking down the alleyway.

"Someone get me a tissue. I think I just read into that statement once more and found out my brother loves me." Saitou watched as Aoshi tensed beside him and knew he was going to say something deadly serious to make up for what he said before.

"You tell anyone and I'll have the pleasure in killing you myself." A half chuckle left Saitou's throat as he lit up yet another cigarette and smoked away. It was like he had a never-ending source of smokes.

"Saitou there is something else I have to tell you as well." Aoshi spoke after a short moment of silence between them.

"Sounds interesting… You sound like your going to say you have become some rich artist who no one knows about." Aoshi faulted in his footsteps staring incredulously at his brother. Aoshi watched Saitou stop walking and turn to face him carrying his cup of coffee in his left hand.

"I'm a cop Aoshi, I know everything. Although what I would like to know is how come you haven't bought me a new car?" Aoshi shook his head mentally smacking himself from trying to hide such a thing from his brother. He was after all, the best detective in Tokyo and trying to hide something like that was really stupid of him. Aoshi began walking again, pushing on Saitou's back telling him to move on.

"Do you want a car Saitou?" Aoshi spoke looking over at his brother. He watched a grin cross Saitou's usually impassive face and Aoshi rubbed his temple speaking once more.

"How much is this going to cost me?" An evil chuckle left Saitou's lips as he slapped his younger brother on the back, then locked him in a choking position for a couple of seconds, not caring about the stares they were receiving from onlookers.

"Just think of it as compensation for screwing me around for the past four years with crap presents." Aoshi escaped out of the lock easily and crossed his arms over his chest giving his brother the silent treatment for saying that. After a moment he did finally speak.

"You keep this up brother and the only car you'll receive is a matchbox one." Aoshi glanced his narrowed eyes towards his brother seeing his hands were up in defeat, after he dumped the coffee in the nearby bin and he mumbled out his reply with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"Hai, hai, hai…"

* * * *

Aoshi and Saitou sat in a restaurant having lunch together after taking Saitou's new car for a test drive down a deserted highway testing out how fast it could really go. After a short moment Aoshi handed Saitou a couple of things and waited for him to speak.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Saitou spoke looking at Aoshi's paintings. The restaurant only contained them at the moment and so it was safe for Aoshi to bring it out. Saitou's gold eyes stared accusingly over at his brother as he stared at the 'dead cop' one as he looked over it and then to the young woman crying tears of blood.

"Its what I saw in my mind Saitou. This is what scares me. This could happen to you if you aren't careful and this woman, could...no would be Tokio if she stayed with you."

"Thank you for the graphic detail little brother, but I'm not dying any time soon. Besides you make this out to be my future with Tokio and you have it all wrong, she isn't pregnant." Saitou spoke sarcastically only angering Aoshi even further.

"Just face the facts Saitou. If you die, she'll die! People that care for you will die on the inside as well. You have family, you have friends and you have Tokio so don't be or do anything stupid okay?" Saitou sat back in the chair placing the paintings back in Aoshi's bag. They had surprised him but the way Aoshi was speaking was ridiculous.

"What is it with you? I'm not going to die okay? I'm staying right here. Look, do you remember when I was shot the first time, the bullet narrowly missing my heart and the doctor said it was a miracle I had survived." Saitou watched Aoshi nod his head and he spoke once more.

"I was holding on by a thread Aoshi, but that thread was strong and thick not weak. I have a family that loves me and I owe mum and dad for putting up with me because I wasn't an easy child and neither were you. I have my loyal friends who stuck by me through everything, as do you. I also have this pain in the ass brother who'll keep cursing me even when I'm six feet under so I might as well stay alive to hear him do it. I have people I want to protect from harm and I'm not leaving this damn place until I am satisfied that I have fulfilled that."

"But who'll protect you from the horrors of your work Saitou? Who'll keep you sa-" Aoshi stopped dead in his speech his brain finally collecting all the information together and making sense of it all.

"Now do you understand why I can't let her go?" Saitou spoke deadly serious, his eyes never leaving Aoshi's. Aoshi nodded his head and spoke once more.

"Are you ever going to tell her how you feel Saitou?" Saitou narrowed his eyes once more looking over at his brother. He had been thinking about it for a while but he knew he didn't have to say anything because Tokio would already know.

"I don't see how that concerns you little brother. Before you even say anything like that to someone like myself, you should take a long hard look in the mirror and say that again." Saitou watched Aoshi's eyebrows rise up as he stared over at him. A chuckle escaped Aoshi's lips as he held up his hands in defeat now and stood up paying for lunch. They both left the restaurant standing in front of it watching others walk by with there loved ones.

"The Shinomori brothers stand united together, both strong, independent and fearless man and yet when it comes to feelings towards two women we cower away becoming scared." Saitou spoke softly to his brother watching a man and a woman walk by, the young woman carrying their newborn child in her arms.

"That sounds really stupid." Aoshi replied back but he knew it was true, as did Saitou.

"So are you going to say anything to her?" Both Aoshi and Saitou replied asking each other the same question. They each smirked at each other for a few seconds then cast the eyes away mumbling…

"Perhaps one day…" Aoshi received a slap on the back from Saitou, hearing him speak once more then watched him walk off towards his car.

"Tokio knows in some way and she understands how difficult it is for me to say something like that, but at least she knows… You on the other hand need to get your head out of your ass and say something to Misao-chan before she runs off and finds someone better then you." Aoshi stuffed his hands in his pocket knowing he'd have to say something to Misao soon. They hadn't spent much time together in these past few days; Misao's attention was on Tokio and how miserable she looked because Saitou wasn't around. Aoshi shook his head of these thoughts knowing he needed to concentrate on painting more as Anika's store would be opening in a couple of days. He needed to finish off certain paintings to place in the store. Anika had only seen the beginning of some of his paintings and wanted to place them up. Three were not for sale but Aoshi had not told her just yet.

* * * *

Aoshi picked himself up some takeaway food knowing he'd be up all night finishing off some paintings as well as trying to finish the one he'd been doing for ages now.

"Let's go…" Aoshi mumbled to himself heading towards his apartment once more. He had a long night ahead of him, thoughts on his paintings and what Saitou said to him.

* * * *

To be continued…

* * * *