A/N: My apologies for the late update. I'm actually suffering from writer's block with the mission. Again, some stuff isn't accurate, ESPECIALLY Aoshi's place of birth, but in his line of work, I'm guessing it's vewy, vewy important that he was born an American citizen. ^_^ In this chapter, there's a lil fanservice for you A/Meg fans...
Chapter 6
Theresa adjusted her sunglasses as the island of Kauai came into view. Eddie was at the helm, singing loudly to some...was it...Nelly? song. She didn't really keep up with American R&B/Hip Hop.
She sighed, knowing that she was anxious to get this undercover mission over with. The sooner, the better. Then she'd be able to get away. She kept asking herself why women found Eddie attractive. He was just so...revolting.
Hawaii was a really beautiful place. When she wasn't so busy with work, she took some time to really enjoy the things around her. Hawaii was the dream location for many Navy personnel.
She had learned a lot about her commanding officer the previous night. And she had learned a lot about herself as well...
She and Eddie had spent all day at the plantation. Keali'i Palaka, the owner, had given them a very informative tour. Theresa actually felt bad for the man. He wouldn't be happy to know that his nephew was storing illegal substances on his plantation. Eddie never left her side except during the lunch their host provided.
By the end of the day, Theresa tried not to appear frustrated. Nothing yet. She sighed as the small boat approached Oahu.
"Did you have a good time?" Eddie asked her.
Theresa nodded as she leaned against the railing, the wind whipping her hair around. She turned to go to the restroom. She was exhausted. And worse, they haven't discovered anything.
Inside the restroom, she took a deep breath.
"Nothing yet?"
Theresa smiled slightly. "No, sir. Haven't really had a chance to look around. But this ship is so small. All the places to store things hold sailing equipment."
"Something tells me we're not looking where we should be..."
"I think he's responsible for it just like you do, sir." Theresa's eyes focused on the ceiling as she relaxed against the wall. Then her eyes narrowed.
"What is it?" He had apparently seen her reflection in the mirror through the camera.
"Just a guess on something, sir..." Theresa placed the toilet seat down so she could climb on it.
Reaching up, she slid one of the cabinets open to reveal toilet paper and towels. She went through all three. The cabinets had nothing incriminating in them, but of all the places, that would be a good place to hide. Although...one of the back of the cabinet walls seemed to be just a shade lighter than the previous two. Carefully, Theresa took the items out, remembering where they were arranged. She tried to move the back panel, surprised that it came off so easily.
Bingo. About six packages of the same material her senior officer had photographed several days ago were inside.
KNOCK KNOCK!
"You okay in there? We're at the dock now!" Eddie called out.
Theresa squatted down so that when she spoke, her voice wouldn't sound as if she was standing above his head. "I'll be right out!"
She quickly and quietly put everything away.
"I hope you got a good look at that, sir," she whispered.
"I did. Thank you."
**
At NIS headquarters, Aoshi was finishing up his report while his crew were each typing up their own statements.
The phone rang. Frowning at the interruption, Aoshi picked up the phone, cradling it between his shoulder and ear as he finished his sentence.
"Lt. Commander Shinomori speaking."
"I'm glad you're back, Commander," came a feminine voice.
He'd recognize that voice anywhere. Aoshi frowned then pushed his keyboard away. "Dr. Takani. How did you get this number?"
She laughed. "It's only listed in your medical file."
"I see." Aoshi pulled his keyboard back towards him and began to type again.
"Anyway, I'm calling because I think we need to talk strategy."
"Is that so?"
"The ball is only two and a half weeks away," she reminded.
"I'm well aware of that," he replied.
She blew out a breath. "All right. I don't work weekends because the family clinic is closed."
He finished typing his sentence before replying. "I'm off this weekend..."
"Okay. Lunch at twelve-thirty."
"Where?"
"Do you like seafood? The Hawaiian Hyatt has a good restaurant."
"It's your decision," he responded.
"Okay. Why don't you give me directions to your house..."
He frowned. "I wasn't aware you were picking me up..."
"It's only logical. Why bother paying for two parking spaces at the hotel?"
"All right..."
***
"Commander, I am paying for your meal, so try to look grateful instead of bored," Megumi's wry voice cut through the air.
Aoshi turned his eyes away from the waves lapping onto the shore to the young physician sitting across from him. She was watching him carefully.
"Can I ask you something?" She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the edge of the table.
"Depends..." Aoshi took a sip from his water.
"How long have you been taking care of Misao?"
"All her life," he said after a moment's pause.
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
He nodded.
"When I went to your house to pick you up, she let me in. She mentioned the house belonged to her grandfather..."
"It did."
Megumi sat back, apparently not wishing to talk anymore. The whole idea of this outing was to get to know each other so they wouldn't seem so awkward at the ball. Aoshi didn't really know what to say to her, in all honesty. It had been a long time since he had been in a woman's company. The last time he had been on a date was when Misao was fourteen. Two and a half years ago.
He gazed out at the ocean again. When he first came to Hawaii to work at NIS, he had been looking forward to it. He was born in Hawaii and he had lived on Pearl Harbor for the first twelve years of his life until he and Okina had moved to Yokosuka. That seemed so long ago...
"Admiral Makimachi asked me to look after her," he admitted.
"And you have been ever since," Megumi finished.
He nodded.
Silence.
"My father's going to be giving a speech at the ball, which you already knew," she said suddenly. "He's very excited about it..."
"I see."
Megumi let out a sigh. "This is getting frustrating..."
"What?"
"This." She gestured to herself then him. "We are not going to be sitting at the Navy ball like a bunch of robots. Tell me something about you and I'll tell you something about me."
"What's there to say?"
"Okay, I asked you about Misao. Now you ask me a question."
He frowned in thought. "I don't like to question people."
"Then try to think of something you wouldn't mind learning about me."
"I already know a lot about you," he commented mildly.
"But you don't KNOW me," she pointed out.
He grimaced slightly. This was extremely awkward. Even on dates, the environment wasn't this tense. Of course, those women actually had no other reason to go out with him except because they wanted to. They never used him as a way to impress their fathers.
"Why aren't you in the Medical Corps?" he asked, humoring her.
The wince that crossed her features indicated he hadn't asked the right question. It didn't matter. Things hadn't really been easy between them to begin with.
Just when he didn't think she'd answer..."I don't think I'd be a very good naval officer," Megumi said quietly.
He remained silent.
"That sounds strange, considering I grew up in a Navy family," she joked. "And you're just the opposite...you grew up in a Navy family and you turned out to be a good officer."
"It's not for everyone," he said finally.
Their server came, placing their order in front of them.
"Oh...when I was at your house earlier, Misao expressed interest in my aunt's halau..."
"No," Aoshi replied.
Megumi's eyes widened. "Not even to just watch?"
"Misao has enough to deal with right now," Aoshi commented.
"Are you referring to her grades?" Megumi asked.
He frowned. "How do you know about that?"
"I saw her about two weeks ago. She needed a tetanus shot."
"Misao's primary focus should be school."
"I'm not saying it shouldn't be," Megumi argued. "I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong with her finding extracurricular activities."
"I'll make that decision, Doctor, not you..."
She sighed. "But-"
"You've said enough already," Aoshi cut in.
"All right, fine. We won't talk about Misao."
"Good idea."
They ate in silence.
"Is it hard being a single father?" she asked suddenly.
He set his fork down. "I thought-"
"I was just asking, you don't need to panic," Megumi chided. "If-"
"Are you always this difficult, Doctor?" he interrupted.
She stopped, staring at him in surprise. Just when he thought she'd feel insulted, she laughed instead. "I've been called a lot of things, but never difficult..."
Lunch was over fairly quickly. This definitely had to be one of the most interesting afternoons she had. No false pretenses, no expectations, just lunch. As they headed towards the parking lot, Megumi froze in her tracks as she spotted a figure walking in their direction, chatting with another man. That man who worked at her aunt's hotel...who had been after her for months. And refused to give up.
"Doctor?" the officer beside her prompted quietly as if sensing her distress.
Thinking quickly, Megumi shoved Aoshi into the tropical shrubbery lining the hotel. A grunt and a soft curse echoed in her ears and she checked to make sure she hadn't been spotted. Then she dove in after him, ending up sprawled in his lap. Megumi quickly turned on her back, facing the path they had been on earlier, her elbow digging into the muscles of his thigh.
He grunted at the slight pain.
"Shhh!" she hissed, her left hand flying up to clamp over his mouth.
"And yeah, I was so surprised, I was like 'Whoa! I won fifty dollars in a scratch.' How cool is that!" a voice came within hearing range.
Megumi tensed. Go away, go away, go away...she chanted.
As the voice kept talking and droning on and on.
Her heartbeat thud loudly in her ears. She could hear and feel the slight rise and fall of his chest against her shoulder. She was also going to have to explain what she was doing sitting between his thighs, but since she had her hand over his mouth, he wasn't going to ask for an explanation.
Then the voice moved away and grew fainter. Megumi breathed a sigh of relief. Aoshi tugged at her wrist to drop her hand.
"What was that about?"
Megumi's eyes widened as she half-turned to face him. "Oh...Someone I don't want to see right now. Or ever." Judging by the way he was looking at her, he didn't believe her. Shadows of leaves cast over his features. She never had such a hard time interacting with anyone. All afternoon, he gave brief answers to her questions. Maybe he wasn't the type of man to talk. Completely unresponsive. As an idea formed in her head, her eyes glinted with mischief in the partial sunlight. "What do you think I was trying to do, Commander?"
He arched a brow. "You tell me."
"How about I just show you..." she whispered, fully turning around, lightly running her hands up the wall of his chest to lace her fingers behind his neck.
His eyes rounded with awareness, but he didn't resist when she pulled him closer. From beneath her lashes, she saw his head tilt slightly. When their lips were an inch apart, she let the sly smile she had been holding in come out.
"Interesting..." she murmured.
Aoshi's eyes narrowed, and he firmly shoved her off and away from him so he could stand up.
She laughed softly, looking up at him from her sitting position on the mossy grass. She'd almost swear that frustration simmered inside of him. This was a man who didn't like to be caught off-guard. And it delighted her to know that she had just done that. "What's wrong, Commander?"
He crossed his arms as he stood on the pavement. "That was inappropriate."
She bit her lip to keep from laughing further since he just seemed to glare at her from his position. "Well-"
SWISH!
Aoshi watched in shock as the sprinkler system activated, completely drenching her with water. Megumi shrieked in surprise and struggled to get up and away from the water. A smug smirk crossed his lips as she stood beside him on the pavement, soaking wet. While he was still perfectly dry.
He watched as she gingerly gathered her long, dark hair to wring the moisture out of it. Several droplets rained down from her head and her dark pink, soft cotton dress stuck to every curve of her slender frame. He hated to admit it, but she was a striking woman. Intelligent, too, to top it off. Any man would love to be in her company. Except him, of course. Based on what he learned about her months ago, Dr. Megumi Takani enjoyed brief affairs. The longest relationship he could find that she had was Sanosuke Sagara, a good friend of the Himuras. After that, her relationships had yet to reach the one-month mark. The woman probably carried an electronic organizer full of men's names and numbers. He didn't like being used in such a basic manner, and he didn't like being toyed with, either.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't even say anything..."
"I wasn't planning on it," he responded in his best neutral voice.
She shot him a look again, her eyes catching sight of someone she apparently did not wish to see. The young man earlier? Aoshi turned his head to see an elder gentleman come up to them both.
"Megumi?" He looked at her first, then him, confusion clearly written all over his face.
She smiled weakly. "Hello, Father. What...What are you doing here?"
He eyed her critically. "I could ask you the same..."
"I...was walking and got hit by the sprinklers?" she responded cheekily.
The older man frowned.
Clearing her throat, Megumi gestured to Aoshi. "Father...this is my...friend-"
"Ryuusei Takani," her father initiated the introduction, not letting his daughter finish.
"Honor to meet you, Captain," Aoshi responded politely. He could detect the curiosity, challenge, and possessiveness in his eyes. Very typical of a father.
Those same eyes suddenly appeared shocked. "Likewise...Mr...?"
"Lt. Commander Aoshi Shinomori."
The captain nodded. "Are you attending this year's Navy ball, Commander?"
"Yes, sir."
As if sensing what her father was going to say, Megumi interjected, "I've already asked the commander to accompany me, Father."
The man smiled slightly. "I see. Well, I look forward to seeing you both there. Megumi, I suggest you change into something dry..."
"I will," Megumi promised. "Royal Hawaiian Hotel is just across the street, I'll find something there..."
Her father nodded. "The lobster lunch here is delicious...I'd ask you to join me, but I'm assuming you two just finished your...lunch?" he asked, apparently unsure of what to call their outing together.
"Yes, sir," Aoshi responded. Megumi was starting to look uncomfortable to his trained eyes. Either because of her state of appearance, her father's presence, or her state of appearance in her father's presence.
"Then I will see you both in the future." He turned and began to walk away.
"Your father isn't as intimidating as you say he is," Aoshi spoke up as she began to walk towards her aunt's hotel.
When he fell in step beside her, she cast him a glance that clearly said he had said the wrong thing. Her next words confirmed it. "That's his civilian side. Wait until you see his military side..."
"I see."
"You don't seem the type to get scared easily, though..."
"Why should I be scared?"
"Oh, nothing..." Megumi flipped her hair back over her shoulder.
Once in the hotel, she walked down several hallways until reaching a service elevator. His eyes had caught the lush, tropical theme of the hotel, from the parrots, the palm trees and rich earthy tones that decorated the walls. Dr. Megumi Takani's family was well-off.
She led him to a suite on the top floor, opening the door with a key. At his blank look, she answered, "When I was a teenager and my father went overseas, I stayed here with my aunt. I had my own suite..."
"I see."
The suite contained simple, yet elegant decor. It fit the theme of the hotel, with the brown sofa and natural wood furnishings.
"I'll stay out here," he said as she headed towards what he assumed to be the bedroom to retrieve some dry clothes.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
He frowned. "What?"
"Staying out here," she echoed, then tossing a teasing smile over her shoulder. "You might find something interesting in the bedroom..."
"I'm fine, thank you," he responded coolly.
When she left, he shook his head. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was trying to get a reaction out of him...
Misao looked up from her trigonometry homework as the front door opened. She turned slightly in her stool to look at the clock. It's not even four and he's back already? she wondered.
"Did you have a good time?" she asked as Aoshi entered the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water.
"Good time doing what?" he asked before taking a long swallow.
"Going on your date?" Misao prompted.
Aoshi remained quiet, staring outside the large window that lined the dining area. Misao glanced at him again.
"What's wrong?"
With a weary sigh, Aoshi turned away and washed his glass in the sink. He seemed to be bothered by something. She wasn't sure what. Like he'd ever tell her...
Misao wrote down her homework answer on her binder paper.
"I'm beginning to wonder if this is a good idea," Aoshi finally said, surprising her.
Wow. He spoke. She looked at him. "What is?"
"Going to the ball with her..."
He was actually confiding in her? "Why not? You two weren't able to have a decent conversation?"
"No..." Aoshi hedged.
"What then?"
"She's...too much."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Misao's head shot up. "You are totally not making sense."
"I'm making perfect sense," Aoshi countered.
Misao narrowed her eyes as she observed him. He actually looked uncomfortable. But why would he seem on edge? Every time she saw he and Dr. Takani together, they were either arguing, insulting each other, or acting like predators ready to pounce on their prey.
"No, you aren't," she insisted.
He blew out a breath. "Dr. Takani is very...blatant..."
"Blatant?" Misao frowned. Then realization hit her. "Did she proposition you or something?"
Aoshi turned away to retrieve a towel so he could wipe the counter clean. Not that it needed cleaning. Misao giggled and placed her pencil in the binding of her book, pushing it aside.
"This I gotta hear..." Misao didn't really have a problem with Dr. Takani. And she had the sneaking suspicion that her guardian didn't either...no matter what he said or what he was going to say about her. The young doctor was a bit blunt, but she cared a lot about people. And if Dr. Takani got Aoshi's attention on something else besides her education, more power to her.
"She...comes on very strong," Aoshi said after a moment.
Misao started laughing, the sound echoing in the kitchen.
"I don't think that's funny," Aoshi said dryly.
"So what exactly did she do...?"
He frowned. "It doesn't matter. Are you having problems with homework?"
"No." It'd be a cold day in Hawaii when he tried to divert the attention away from himself.
"Let me see what you've done so far..."
"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. "This totally sucks! Why can't we talk about you and your life instead of mine?"
"Because your homework is more important."
To which she retorted, "Boo. Friggin...boo."
"That's enough, Misao."
"Just because you're a cold fish, don't take it out on me," she responded.
"A what?" he blinked.
"Look, Aoshi, don't you think it's a little weird what's going on? You haven't been on a date since I started high school. If Dr. Takani made the moves on you and you didn't do anything, something's got to be wrong." Misao began to gesture with her hand, her index finger pointing to the ceiling. "See, most men wouldn't even think about that. They'd just follow her lead."
"What does this have to-?"
"So you're a cold fish," Misao concluded.
"Why are we even having this conversation?" Aoshi muttered.
"I mean, you had no reaction whatsoever? That's-"
"Misao."
"-freaky. I mean, what man does that these days?" she continued.
"Misao."
"Are you even human? I mean-"
"Misao!"
"What?!"
"Stop." He pushed her book in front of her. "Get back to work."
She grumbled something about guardians and weather changing in Hawaii as he headed towards his bedroom.
A/N: This drama sure has a lot of comic relief, I realized. I've been lagging on the Misao/Aoshi interaction, so I ended up adding the last scene the last minute. I'm beginning to notice that 21st-century Aoshi seems a bit warmer than the 19th-century one we're all familiar with. Either that, or we're just used to him and his famous '...' dialogue. I always believed Aoshi is very selective of his words (except when he's out of his element), and I tried to convey that here.
Next chapter! Misao's Homecoming Day and the annual Navy ball. What are Misao's plans and how do Aoshi & Megumi plan to entertain themselves at one of the most boring and long-winded military events?
Chapter 6
Theresa adjusted her sunglasses as the island of Kauai came into view. Eddie was at the helm, singing loudly to some...was it...Nelly? song. She didn't really keep up with American R&B/Hip Hop.
She sighed, knowing that she was anxious to get this undercover mission over with. The sooner, the better. Then she'd be able to get away. She kept asking herself why women found Eddie attractive. He was just so...revolting.
Hawaii was a really beautiful place. When she wasn't so busy with work, she took some time to really enjoy the things around her. Hawaii was the dream location for many Navy personnel.
She had learned a lot about her commanding officer the previous night. And she had learned a lot about herself as well...
She and Eddie had spent all day at the plantation. Keali'i Palaka, the owner, had given them a very informative tour. Theresa actually felt bad for the man. He wouldn't be happy to know that his nephew was storing illegal substances on his plantation. Eddie never left her side except during the lunch their host provided.
By the end of the day, Theresa tried not to appear frustrated. Nothing yet. She sighed as the small boat approached Oahu.
"Did you have a good time?" Eddie asked her.
Theresa nodded as she leaned against the railing, the wind whipping her hair around. She turned to go to the restroom. She was exhausted. And worse, they haven't discovered anything.
Inside the restroom, she took a deep breath.
"Nothing yet?"
Theresa smiled slightly. "No, sir. Haven't really had a chance to look around. But this ship is so small. All the places to store things hold sailing equipment."
"Something tells me we're not looking where we should be..."
"I think he's responsible for it just like you do, sir." Theresa's eyes focused on the ceiling as she relaxed against the wall. Then her eyes narrowed.
"What is it?" He had apparently seen her reflection in the mirror through the camera.
"Just a guess on something, sir..." Theresa placed the toilet seat down so she could climb on it.
Reaching up, she slid one of the cabinets open to reveal toilet paper and towels. She went through all three. The cabinets had nothing incriminating in them, but of all the places, that would be a good place to hide. Although...one of the back of the cabinet walls seemed to be just a shade lighter than the previous two. Carefully, Theresa took the items out, remembering where they were arranged. She tried to move the back panel, surprised that it came off so easily.
Bingo. About six packages of the same material her senior officer had photographed several days ago were inside.
KNOCK KNOCK!
"You okay in there? We're at the dock now!" Eddie called out.
Theresa squatted down so that when she spoke, her voice wouldn't sound as if she was standing above his head. "I'll be right out!"
She quickly and quietly put everything away.
"I hope you got a good look at that, sir," she whispered.
"I did. Thank you."
**
At NIS headquarters, Aoshi was finishing up his report while his crew were each typing up their own statements.
The phone rang. Frowning at the interruption, Aoshi picked up the phone, cradling it between his shoulder and ear as he finished his sentence.
"Lt. Commander Shinomori speaking."
"I'm glad you're back, Commander," came a feminine voice.
He'd recognize that voice anywhere. Aoshi frowned then pushed his keyboard away. "Dr. Takani. How did you get this number?"
She laughed. "It's only listed in your medical file."
"I see." Aoshi pulled his keyboard back towards him and began to type again.
"Anyway, I'm calling because I think we need to talk strategy."
"Is that so?"
"The ball is only two and a half weeks away," she reminded.
"I'm well aware of that," he replied.
She blew out a breath. "All right. I don't work weekends because the family clinic is closed."
He finished typing his sentence before replying. "I'm off this weekend..."
"Okay. Lunch at twelve-thirty."
"Where?"
"Do you like seafood? The Hawaiian Hyatt has a good restaurant."
"It's your decision," he responded.
"Okay. Why don't you give me directions to your house..."
He frowned. "I wasn't aware you were picking me up..."
"It's only logical. Why bother paying for two parking spaces at the hotel?"
"All right..."
***
"Commander, I am paying for your meal, so try to look grateful instead of bored," Megumi's wry voice cut through the air.
Aoshi turned his eyes away from the waves lapping onto the shore to the young physician sitting across from him. She was watching him carefully.
"Can I ask you something?" She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the edge of the table.
"Depends..." Aoshi took a sip from his water.
"How long have you been taking care of Misao?"
"All her life," he said after a moment's pause.
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
He nodded.
"When I went to your house to pick you up, she let me in. She mentioned the house belonged to her grandfather..."
"It did."
Megumi sat back, apparently not wishing to talk anymore. The whole idea of this outing was to get to know each other so they wouldn't seem so awkward at the ball. Aoshi didn't really know what to say to her, in all honesty. It had been a long time since he had been in a woman's company. The last time he had been on a date was when Misao was fourteen. Two and a half years ago.
He gazed out at the ocean again. When he first came to Hawaii to work at NIS, he had been looking forward to it. He was born in Hawaii and he had lived on Pearl Harbor for the first twelve years of his life until he and Okina had moved to Yokosuka. That seemed so long ago...
"Admiral Makimachi asked me to look after her," he admitted.
"And you have been ever since," Megumi finished.
He nodded.
Silence.
"My father's going to be giving a speech at the ball, which you already knew," she said suddenly. "He's very excited about it..."
"I see."
Megumi let out a sigh. "This is getting frustrating..."
"What?"
"This." She gestured to herself then him. "We are not going to be sitting at the Navy ball like a bunch of robots. Tell me something about you and I'll tell you something about me."
"What's there to say?"
"Okay, I asked you about Misao. Now you ask me a question."
He frowned in thought. "I don't like to question people."
"Then try to think of something you wouldn't mind learning about me."
"I already know a lot about you," he commented mildly.
"But you don't KNOW me," she pointed out.
He grimaced slightly. This was extremely awkward. Even on dates, the environment wasn't this tense. Of course, those women actually had no other reason to go out with him except because they wanted to. They never used him as a way to impress their fathers.
"Why aren't you in the Medical Corps?" he asked, humoring her.
The wince that crossed her features indicated he hadn't asked the right question. It didn't matter. Things hadn't really been easy between them to begin with.
Just when he didn't think she'd answer..."I don't think I'd be a very good naval officer," Megumi said quietly.
He remained silent.
"That sounds strange, considering I grew up in a Navy family," she joked. "And you're just the opposite...you grew up in a Navy family and you turned out to be a good officer."
"It's not for everyone," he said finally.
Their server came, placing their order in front of them.
"Oh...when I was at your house earlier, Misao expressed interest in my aunt's halau..."
"No," Aoshi replied.
Megumi's eyes widened. "Not even to just watch?"
"Misao has enough to deal with right now," Aoshi commented.
"Are you referring to her grades?" Megumi asked.
He frowned. "How do you know about that?"
"I saw her about two weeks ago. She needed a tetanus shot."
"Misao's primary focus should be school."
"I'm not saying it shouldn't be," Megumi argued. "I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong with her finding extracurricular activities."
"I'll make that decision, Doctor, not you..."
She sighed. "But-"
"You've said enough already," Aoshi cut in.
"All right, fine. We won't talk about Misao."
"Good idea."
They ate in silence.
"Is it hard being a single father?" she asked suddenly.
He set his fork down. "I thought-"
"I was just asking, you don't need to panic," Megumi chided. "If-"
"Are you always this difficult, Doctor?" he interrupted.
She stopped, staring at him in surprise. Just when he thought she'd feel insulted, she laughed instead. "I've been called a lot of things, but never difficult..."
Lunch was over fairly quickly. This definitely had to be one of the most interesting afternoons she had. No false pretenses, no expectations, just lunch. As they headed towards the parking lot, Megumi froze in her tracks as she spotted a figure walking in their direction, chatting with another man. That man who worked at her aunt's hotel...who had been after her for months. And refused to give up.
"Doctor?" the officer beside her prompted quietly as if sensing her distress.
Thinking quickly, Megumi shoved Aoshi into the tropical shrubbery lining the hotel. A grunt and a soft curse echoed in her ears and she checked to make sure she hadn't been spotted. Then she dove in after him, ending up sprawled in his lap. Megumi quickly turned on her back, facing the path they had been on earlier, her elbow digging into the muscles of his thigh.
He grunted at the slight pain.
"Shhh!" she hissed, her left hand flying up to clamp over his mouth.
"And yeah, I was so surprised, I was like 'Whoa! I won fifty dollars in a scratch.' How cool is that!" a voice came within hearing range.
Megumi tensed. Go away, go away, go away...she chanted.
As the voice kept talking and droning on and on.
Her heartbeat thud loudly in her ears. She could hear and feel the slight rise and fall of his chest against her shoulder. She was also going to have to explain what she was doing sitting between his thighs, but since she had her hand over his mouth, he wasn't going to ask for an explanation.
Then the voice moved away and grew fainter. Megumi breathed a sigh of relief. Aoshi tugged at her wrist to drop her hand.
"What was that about?"
Megumi's eyes widened as she half-turned to face him. "Oh...Someone I don't want to see right now. Or ever." Judging by the way he was looking at her, he didn't believe her. Shadows of leaves cast over his features. She never had such a hard time interacting with anyone. All afternoon, he gave brief answers to her questions. Maybe he wasn't the type of man to talk. Completely unresponsive. As an idea formed in her head, her eyes glinted with mischief in the partial sunlight. "What do you think I was trying to do, Commander?"
He arched a brow. "You tell me."
"How about I just show you..." she whispered, fully turning around, lightly running her hands up the wall of his chest to lace her fingers behind his neck.
His eyes rounded with awareness, but he didn't resist when she pulled him closer. From beneath her lashes, she saw his head tilt slightly. When their lips were an inch apart, she let the sly smile she had been holding in come out.
"Interesting..." she murmured.
Aoshi's eyes narrowed, and he firmly shoved her off and away from him so he could stand up.
She laughed softly, looking up at him from her sitting position on the mossy grass. She'd almost swear that frustration simmered inside of him. This was a man who didn't like to be caught off-guard. And it delighted her to know that she had just done that. "What's wrong, Commander?"
He crossed his arms as he stood on the pavement. "That was inappropriate."
She bit her lip to keep from laughing further since he just seemed to glare at her from his position. "Well-"
SWISH!
Aoshi watched in shock as the sprinkler system activated, completely drenching her with water. Megumi shrieked in surprise and struggled to get up and away from the water. A smug smirk crossed his lips as she stood beside him on the pavement, soaking wet. While he was still perfectly dry.
He watched as she gingerly gathered her long, dark hair to wring the moisture out of it. Several droplets rained down from her head and her dark pink, soft cotton dress stuck to every curve of her slender frame. He hated to admit it, but she was a striking woman. Intelligent, too, to top it off. Any man would love to be in her company. Except him, of course. Based on what he learned about her months ago, Dr. Megumi Takani enjoyed brief affairs. The longest relationship he could find that she had was Sanosuke Sagara, a good friend of the Himuras. After that, her relationships had yet to reach the one-month mark. The woman probably carried an electronic organizer full of men's names and numbers. He didn't like being used in such a basic manner, and he didn't like being toyed with, either.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't even say anything..."
"I wasn't planning on it," he responded in his best neutral voice.
She shot him a look again, her eyes catching sight of someone she apparently did not wish to see. The young man earlier? Aoshi turned his head to see an elder gentleman come up to them both.
"Megumi?" He looked at her first, then him, confusion clearly written all over his face.
She smiled weakly. "Hello, Father. What...What are you doing here?"
He eyed her critically. "I could ask you the same..."
"I...was walking and got hit by the sprinklers?" she responded cheekily.
The older man frowned.
Clearing her throat, Megumi gestured to Aoshi. "Father...this is my...friend-"
"Ryuusei Takani," her father initiated the introduction, not letting his daughter finish.
"Honor to meet you, Captain," Aoshi responded politely. He could detect the curiosity, challenge, and possessiveness in his eyes. Very typical of a father.
Those same eyes suddenly appeared shocked. "Likewise...Mr...?"
"Lt. Commander Aoshi Shinomori."
The captain nodded. "Are you attending this year's Navy ball, Commander?"
"Yes, sir."
As if sensing what her father was going to say, Megumi interjected, "I've already asked the commander to accompany me, Father."
The man smiled slightly. "I see. Well, I look forward to seeing you both there. Megumi, I suggest you change into something dry..."
"I will," Megumi promised. "Royal Hawaiian Hotel is just across the street, I'll find something there..."
Her father nodded. "The lobster lunch here is delicious...I'd ask you to join me, but I'm assuming you two just finished your...lunch?" he asked, apparently unsure of what to call their outing together.
"Yes, sir," Aoshi responded. Megumi was starting to look uncomfortable to his trained eyes. Either because of her state of appearance, her father's presence, or her state of appearance in her father's presence.
"Then I will see you both in the future." He turned and began to walk away.
"Your father isn't as intimidating as you say he is," Aoshi spoke up as she began to walk towards her aunt's hotel.
When he fell in step beside her, she cast him a glance that clearly said he had said the wrong thing. Her next words confirmed it. "That's his civilian side. Wait until you see his military side..."
"I see."
"You don't seem the type to get scared easily, though..."
"Why should I be scared?"
"Oh, nothing..." Megumi flipped her hair back over her shoulder.
Once in the hotel, she walked down several hallways until reaching a service elevator. His eyes had caught the lush, tropical theme of the hotel, from the parrots, the palm trees and rich earthy tones that decorated the walls. Dr. Megumi Takani's family was well-off.
She led him to a suite on the top floor, opening the door with a key. At his blank look, she answered, "When I was a teenager and my father went overseas, I stayed here with my aunt. I had my own suite..."
"I see."
The suite contained simple, yet elegant decor. It fit the theme of the hotel, with the brown sofa and natural wood furnishings.
"I'll stay out here," he said as she headed towards what he assumed to be the bedroom to retrieve some dry clothes.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
He frowned. "What?"
"Staying out here," she echoed, then tossing a teasing smile over her shoulder. "You might find something interesting in the bedroom..."
"I'm fine, thank you," he responded coolly.
When she left, he shook his head. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was trying to get a reaction out of him...
Misao looked up from her trigonometry homework as the front door opened. She turned slightly in her stool to look at the clock. It's not even four and he's back already? she wondered.
"Did you have a good time?" she asked as Aoshi entered the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water.
"Good time doing what?" he asked before taking a long swallow.
"Going on your date?" Misao prompted.
Aoshi remained quiet, staring outside the large window that lined the dining area. Misao glanced at him again.
"What's wrong?"
With a weary sigh, Aoshi turned away and washed his glass in the sink. He seemed to be bothered by something. She wasn't sure what. Like he'd ever tell her...
Misao wrote down her homework answer on her binder paper.
"I'm beginning to wonder if this is a good idea," Aoshi finally said, surprising her.
Wow. He spoke. She looked at him. "What is?"
"Going to the ball with her..."
He was actually confiding in her? "Why not? You two weren't able to have a decent conversation?"
"No..." Aoshi hedged.
"What then?"
"She's...too much."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Misao's head shot up. "You are totally not making sense."
"I'm making perfect sense," Aoshi countered.
Misao narrowed her eyes as she observed him. He actually looked uncomfortable. But why would he seem on edge? Every time she saw he and Dr. Takani together, they were either arguing, insulting each other, or acting like predators ready to pounce on their prey.
"No, you aren't," she insisted.
He blew out a breath. "Dr. Takani is very...blatant..."
"Blatant?" Misao frowned. Then realization hit her. "Did she proposition you or something?"
Aoshi turned away to retrieve a towel so he could wipe the counter clean. Not that it needed cleaning. Misao giggled and placed her pencil in the binding of her book, pushing it aside.
"This I gotta hear..." Misao didn't really have a problem with Dr. Takani. And she had the sneaking suspicion that her guardian didn't either...no matter what he said or what he was going to say about her. The young doctor was a bit blunt, but she cared a lot about people. And if Dr. Takani got Aoshi's attention on something else besides her education, more power to her.
"She...comes on very strong," Aoshi said after a moment.
Misao started laughing, the sound echoing in the kitchen.
"I don't think that's funny," Aoshi said dryly.
"So what exactly did she do...?"
He frowned. "It doesn't matter. Are you having problems with homework?"
"No." It'd be a cold day in Hawaii when he tried to divert the attention away from himself.
"Let me see what you've done so far..."
"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. "This totally sucks! Why can't we talk about you and your life instead of mine?"
"Because your homework is more important."
To which she retorted, "Boo. Friggin...boo."
"That's enough, Misao."
"Just because you're a cold fish, don't take it out on me," she responded.
"A what?" he blinked.
"Look, Aoshi, don't you think it's a little weird what's going on? You haven't been on a date since I started high school. If Dr. Takani made the moves on you and you didn't do anything, something's got to be wrong." Misao began to gesture with her hand, her index finger pointing to the ceiling. "See, most men wouldn't even think about that. They'd just follow her lead."
"What does this have to-?"
"So you're a cold fish," Misao concluded.
"Why are we even having this conversation?" Aoshi muttered.
"I mean, you had no reaction whatsoever? That's-"
"Misao."
"-freaky. I mean, what man does that these days?" she continued.
"Misao."
"Are you even human? I mean-"
"Misao!"
"What?!"
"Stop." He pushed her book in front of her. "Get back to work."
She grumbled something about guardians and weather changing in Hawaii as he headed towards his bedroom.
A/N: This drama sure has a lot of comic relief, I realized. I've been lagging on the Misao/Aoshi interaction, so I ended up adding the last scene the last minute. I'm beginning to notice that 21st-century Aoshi seems a bit warmer than the 19th-century one we're all familiar with. Either that, or we're just used to him and his famous '...' dialogue. I always believed Aoshi is very selective of his words (except when he's out of his element), and I tried to convey that here.
Next chapter! Misao's Homecoming Day and the annual Navy ball. What are Misao's plans and how do Aoshi & Megumi plan to entertain themselves at one of the most boring and long-winded military events?
