Catching Hold of You

Can you believe it ??!! This story exceeded 100 reviews !!! I'm just daydreaming right ?  ^^

Soooo BIG thanks to Yen, Cleao, lebleuphenix, CardMistress Sakura, Darkfairy, me, Kartos, Serena, The Mysterious Reviewer (whom I still don't know the name), iceangel, JadeGoddess, nekonomiko, Haruka, Chibi-Nikoru, The big guy, Noa, M-A, Luli451, celste, DiaBlo, pratz, M2D, Himura Kaoru-dono, Other Mysterious Reviewer, Lorik, Mica-chan and redroseprincess678 for your kind reviews !!! It really helped me A LOT  ^^ and it means so much to know that people are enjoying what you do  ^^ !! Please keep reviewing  ^^ !!!

I'm REALLY SORRY for taking such a looooooong time to write this part. Independently of some things I couldn't do a thing about (such as my computer breaking down for a while, my homework increasing as though I didn't already get enough and so), I just didn't have a lot of inspiration. And besides, it's all of Noa's fault, because I fell in a serious period of Under-The-Cherry-Tree-dependency which kept me busy for almost a month. So curse Noa, not me  ( kidding minna !!! Don't curse her !! She's a wonderful authoress, that's all  ^^ ). Anywa, here's the chapter so I hope it was worth waiting  ^^ .

Note : a kunoichi is a female ninja. Just for the ones who wouldn't know  ^^ .

WARNING : Slight lime at the end of the chapter. Please don't read if you're under thirteen. Anyway, this story's rated PG-13 so....

___________

Chapter 11: Mishearing

___________

What had just happened, Misao didn't even want to know, didn't even want to think about it. It felt like the terrible betrayal, the failure of the loved one. This wasn't love. Fallen on the floor, her knees drawn to her chin, she kept crying, helpless, motionless. This wasn't love.

Slowly, she managed to get up while leaning on the wall. Her knees felt weak, and she had to cling to the furniture to keep standing. She felt numb, cold, and empty. The salty taste of tears wouldn't leave her lips, but it was still unable to conceal the taste of Aoshi's. It remained, both sweet and bitter, invading her senses, persistent and maddening, as did the sound of her own cry, still rolling through her mind. True, she had craved for him to kiss her. But not that way. This wasn't a kiss. The harshness, the violence had hurt her to no point.

Sadly, Misao wiped the tears from her face and swallowed a last sob. The hole, deep in her chest, threatened to snatch her towards its abyss, but she ripped herself out of the moist drowsiness of her sadness. She was strong, wasn't she? She could stand it. She wouldn't let him destroy her.

Bit by bit, the distress was slowly replaced with anger, the despair with blind rage. She was sick with his lies, sick, sick! That wasn't fair! She had given him everything she had, how did he dare claim more? Her hands shaking with fury, Misao opened a drawer and started rummaging in it, as she knew only one way to clear her mind. Practice, practice until she fell with exhaustion, since now her art of fighting was all she had left. Finally, her fingers touched the expected coldness of her kunai, and a bitter smile found its way on her wet lips.

She grabbed her kunai and threw them on the desk, then she frantically removed her yukata and slipped in her training suit. Her breathing was wheezy, and sometimes a coughing fit reminded her how ill she was, leaving her weak and helpless, but right now she didn't care. The fire burning in her lungs would not keep her from letting out the steam, and all the tears she could cry wouldn't be enough. Screaming aloud how bad she felt wouldn't be enough. Fighting until she couldn't cry or scream anymore would, or at least she thought so.

Dizzy and hesitant, Misao stepped out of her room and left the building soundlessly. She felt like her heart was overturning at each step, and three times she had to stop and lean against the wall for a few seconds, fearing she might faint. Was she really that ill? The doctor had spoken about a pneumonia or something like that, but she had hardly been ill more than four or five times since her childhood, so this couldn't be that bad, could it? Why did she feel like passing out each time she bent her head? Gathering her courage, Misao breathed in firmly and resolutely walked towards the training hall bathed in silky moonlight.

Once in the training hall, she closed the door behind her and, casting aside her dizzy spells, she ensured her grip on the soft hilt of her kunai. Under her feet, the floor was slowly regaining its usual hardness, not pitching anymore – or at least it was bearable. Shaking, she brushed away her long bangs, falling over her feverish eyes. The target she used to hit so easily a few days ago, seemed suddenly so far away... Misao breathed in painfully; each puff of air was scratching inside her lungs. Anyway, she had to regain her self-control: how could she so easily admit her own defeat?

But in her deep grief and sorrow, she managed to gather strength unknown even to her. Anger burning in the pits of her reddened eyes, she let out her battle cry and started throwing her kunai at the targets arranged all over the hall. Most of the small, sharp blades missed their aim, but Misao didn't care. She went on throwing, as she tried to channel all her frustration in that mere action. Fast, she was short of weapons, and she began to link jumps and strikes, bursting from a side of the room to another and catching some blades in the process. How did it happen that she felt both so strong and so vulnerable? So powerful yet so weak?

The intoxicating feeling almost succeeded in erasing the pain. Oh God, how good it felt to forget about the whole damn world... Not thinking... Just drowning in the smoothness of oblivion...

Yet the hardness of life snatched her again and Misao shrieked helplessly when her weak legs gave up under her weight, and she crashed down heavily on the ground. Her teeth knocked together violently as her chin hit the tatami head on, and the bitter taste of blood filled her mouth. The blinding, comforting feeling of forgetting faded and left her alone, surrounded by the threatening darkness of the training hall. Misao stayed limply on the floor, as her old, manhandled wounds were reviving. Again, her ribs were sending needles of fire all along her body, and her swollen ankle hurt like hell. How stupid. She was alone.

"Why?!", she cried aloud to no one.

Her fist banged against the floor with a muffled sound. Sobbing, suffocating with helplessness, she forced her body to kneel, but her shoulders remained stooped, as though wanting to preserve what remained of her lost strength. Again, she fisted her hand and was about to punch the ground again and again, anger and frustration rushing out of her, when a soft, but so hurtful voice spoke behind her.

"Misao...?"

__________

Aoshi had gotten out of the room in a haze. His mind just seemed as if it couldn't make out what he just did. When had he become so mad?! What pushed him through all of this?! And more, how had he been able to do such a thing to Misao, of all people?!

Misao, so helpless and fragile and untouched.

And yet evoking in him the strongest desires ever.

Without him even noticing, his feet brought him to the garden, towards the healing scent of the pine needles, heavy with snow. Wild, lost in his thoughts, Aoshi leaned against the black bark of the pine tree, which made a light shower of snow, fall from the lower branches. His legs, weakened with despair, couldn't take his weight anymore and he heavily fell on the white coat covering the ground between the dark roots. A sparkling mist of white flakes surrounded him for a while, then faded, leaving him alone in the surrealist landscape, made of bright brushes of blue and white under the silver moonlight, colors of coldness; colors of death.

Aoshi's head remained hidden between his hands, his elbows resting on his up drawn knees. His blood banged in his temples, creating a stifling, stupefying row inside his head, when he desperately needed some calm to put his thoughts in order.

"KUSO!!!" he yelled out while punching angrily a bump of snow nearby.

His self-control was being drained out of him, and he had to restrain himself from going out and blindly killing anyone getting across his path, just to let all his rage out. As he realised it, his own thoughts surprised him. When had he gotten so uncontrolled?! Where was gone the cool, emotionless Okashira?!

He was becoming dangerous. Aoshi knew it. Right now, he could have killed anyone, just to soothe his exacerbated nerves.

He knew he was having a relapse. Again, when he had thought that the nightmare was over, he was drowning in the shaking state of fury in which he was after the death of his men. The blinding mix of pain and anger, which had already pushed him once into the darkest aspects of his personality, threatened him. The guilt overwhelmed him once again.

Think, think, Aoshi!

A little voice inside his head woke him from his awaken nightmare. Yes, think, try to think reasonably. You're losing your hold over yourself. Have a rest, Aoshi. You're going to regret whatever you could ever do right now, as you're already regretting what you did two years ago. Think about it, Aoshi, and think about her. Do you want to impose this on her?

Aoshi shook his head helplessly. If he did anything inconsiderate, he knew Misao would be sad. He didn't want her to be sad. He had to regain his self-control, and try to make out his problems reasonably, assume his responsibilities. But his mind was such turmoil; he just couldn't line up two coherent thoughts. He had to vent his anger out before he could take stock of the situation. And he knew the best way to chase away his superfluous musings and feelings, was training until he was exhausted. Then, his thoughts usually became amazingly clear and orderly.

His decision made, everything seemed easier. His steps still slightly hesitant, Aoshi got up and headed towards the training hall bathed in the cold blue-black moonlight. Slowly his breath was quieted, deadly steady as he was mentally preparing to train with all his might. He stretched his hand out to open the wooden door when the ragged sound of a heavy breathing caught his attention.

His eyebrows creased and Aoshi cautiously half opened the door. Who could be there? An intruder? Who would train at such an hour? The heavy door slid in its rail and, as his eyes were getting used to the dim twilight spread all over the shadowy hall, Aoshi's mind filled with perplexity and half-incomprehension showing through his blurred eyes. Insensitive to the whole world surrounding her, Misao was fighting against ghosts taking shape in her own imagination, and her innocent face still wore the wet traces of hot tears. She didn't seem to realize that he was standing in the doorframe, gazing at her with such intensity, and she kept whirling, desperately running out of strength.

Yet suddenly the fascinating, breathtaking display of everything he wished for, was torn apart and he watched her fall limply on the floor. How sad and broken she looked. He craved so much to hold her. But he stayed there, watching silently, not daring utter a word. With discouraged slowness, Misao tried to get up and miserably failed, helpless. Her fist raised and banged against the tatami in a gesture of defeat and Aoshi could help but wince at the painful, betrayed expression etched on her features.

"Why?!", she cried aloud to no one.

A smothered sob was heard, squeaking oddly as she tried to swallow it. Aoshi couldn't stand it anymore. He had to do something to end her suffering. He took a hesitant step towards her and called softly, trying not to scare her by making his presence known.

"Misao...?"

Her head jerked up and she faced him wildly, anger, uncertainty, and disbelief running freely on her tear-streaked face.

"Wh-what are y-you...", she choked out as her small frame started to shake. Her blurry, sparkling blue eyes flashed with hatred as she wrapped her arms around her petite form protectively.

Do you hate me, Misao? Have you grown to hate me?

Aoshi crossed half the distance between them in a few, slow steps. But as he honestly tried to come and comfort her, Misao grabbed her kunai with lightening speed and shouted.

"Don't come closer!!"

He blinked sadly.

"Misao..." he tried to explain, but his words were fleeing away again, leaving him frustratingly alone in front of her. Softly, he stepped closer, trying to capture her trembling gaze with his, but a wheezing sound pierced through the darkness and a smarting pain flashed in his cheek. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his fingers brushed absent-mindedly against his cheek, covering with deep red prints. Behind him, the kunai had got deeply hammered in the wall after his deadly accurate flight. Aoshi stared at Misao, whose hand was still raised in her firing stance.

Aoshi's eyes enlightened with both anger and sadness, and in front of him, Misao's hurt ones blurred with repressed tears. However she looked determined, and quickly recovering her senses after the shock of what she had just done, she grabbed every kunai at hand. Then, mobilizing all her will, she forced her tired body to get up and faced him, fiery and wild, with handfuls of kunai gathered in her small fists.

She isn't going to...

Aoshi just managed to catch a boken carelessly left on the floor near the door before Misao's battle cry resounded in the training hall.

"KANTATSU TOBIKUNAI!!!"

The tens of flying, silver blades tore the eerie light, but most of them brushed against Aoshi's skin without scratching it. The last ones were easily diverted with a mere move of his boken by the well-trained ninja, and none managed to take him by surprise as the first had. Helplessly, he gazed at Misao charging towards him, her ki increased tenfold by rage and pain.

Is that what you want, Misao? To fight me?

Without even thinking, he dodged her punches, her kicks, and listened to her hurt cries, as she couldn't even touch him. Already out of strength and yet drawing her possibilities in her distress, Misao increased her speed, and her rain of strikes was becoming heavier and heavier.

But I don't want to fight you!

Aoshi went on blocking the blows. When had she become so alert? He wouldn't be able to take it for long without striking back... Her fist brushed against his jaw, and he took a step back while grabbing her wrist and pushing her back roughly. With a shriek, Misao crashed against the floor and moaned in pain. Her shaking hands felt the floor and came upon a forgotten kunai. Firmly, her hand clenched on the hilt and she got up again even though she knew that she wouldn't next time. Gathering all her might, she ran, out of breath, towards the cool man in front of her. Why wouldn't he strike back?! Was she such a burden that he didn't even bother?

Pain flashed through her eyes, and she raised the small knife. Sure, she was no match for him, and she couldn't fight with half her abilities right now, but for a while she thought she would hit him. Yet as always, Aoshi slipped away just before the gleaming blade met his skin, and Misao only mixed the void beneath her weapon. This was too much. Her uncontrolled run sent her crashing against the wall, and her sore body hit the wooden panel, a burning pain radiating through her whole body. She couldn't take more. The tears burst out and she bit her lower lip harshly, trying to retain the sobbing.

Okay, do you get it now?! I can't cope with all of this. I'm no match for you. I don't have anything left. You took everything. Do you get it?!

Sniffling, she turned around in defeat, her sobs caught in her throat with what remained of her breath. Her burning tears blurred her sight and ran painfully on her dirty cheeks. She looked so young. Trembling slightly, her shoulders shaking convulsively with her weeping, Misao walked slowly towards Aoshi, her head bent, her eyes hidden behind her long bangs.

"I don't need your pity, do you get it?!", she weakly cried. Furious hurt showing through the tears, she raised her kunai for the last time and...

Aoshi didn't move. Misao's eyes widened as she helplessly saw her own knife getting driven into Aoshi's flesh, the blade piercing through the thin material of his shirt and cutting into his skin, sliding against the collarbone and ripping a long, bleeding mark.

A-Aoshi-sama... Wh-Why didn't you move...?

Misao stared in horror at her own weapon stuck in Aoshi's upper chest, and she was about to shriek when her wild thoughts were cut short when two soft, warm arms engulfed her, wrapping around her shoulders. Her mind totally blank, speechless and shocked, Misao felt a strong hand cupping her head and another sneaking against her back, bringing her close to Aoshi's chest.

Her hands still clenched around the hilt of her kunai, Misao was huddled up tightly between Aoshi's arms. Slowly, her shaking fingers released the small weapon, which fell on the ground with a cold ringing. Aoshi was hugging her as if there was no tomorrow.

"I'm sorry ", he whispered almost soundlessly against her hair as he brought her head against his shoulder, stroking the soft skin of her nape. Unsure, Misao remained motionless in his embrace, transfixed, as if rooted on the spot, and then after a moment of uncertainty, she frantically clenched her fists in the fabric against his back, pressing her body to his desperately. Wildly, she snuggled closer and he greeted her with a relieved sigh, holding her tight, almost painfully, drowning in her warmth, his face buried in her silky hair, his nose brushing softly against her temple. Both of them were trembling, hugging each other furiously, as if fearing the other might leave.

"I'll tell you everything, Misao..." Aoshi promised in a ragged murmur, and he felt her nod shakily against his shoulder. He breathed in deeply and started his explanation, his voice slightly hesitant.

"It all began when you were three..." his warm breath trickled on her shivering skin, and Misao tightened her embrace around his chest. "Then, Mizukaze-sama was my instructor while Okina was helping your grandfather, during the troubled period of the Bakumatsu. He was a strong man and one for honor and moderation, and I thought highly of him. Yet once a girl I had never seen before came into the training hall with our training group, and declared she was a new recruit. No one really cared, after all, there were so many men killed in those times that the teams were changing quickly, and many men from provincial clans had been sent for helping in Edo. Even though kunoichi were rare, and this one really young, no one really noticed her."

Misao was listening steadily, and Aoshi went on, his voice low.

"But when Mizukaze came to have a look at our training and noticed this girl, he became raving mad. I never thought that I would ever see one of my superiors loose his self-control like that. He gave her a thrashing, and if someone hadn't stopped him, I think he would have killed her. After that incident, the atmosphere got more tensed than it had ever been, and most of the ninjas of our team avoided the young girl and feared Mizukaze-sama. The hatred between them was more than palpable. The girl acted stubbornly and aggressively towards everyone. It was only months later that I understood she was Mizukaze's daughter. She was called Yukiko."

Misao nodded slightly. More or less, it was what Omasu had told her.

"As for me, I wasn't really the friendly type, kind of cold and not talkative, as she was. I think it was what brought us together."

Aoshi paused, adjusting his hold around Misao's shoulders.

"But behind the provocative mask, she was hurting a lot. She had no one she could rely on. So I suggested to her to rely on me. I didn't think all of this would lead to love. It just happened. When she was sixteen and I, almost eighteen, she came and told me she was in love with me. She was not one for compromises, and I was the Okashira, and I had to care after you... Her very presence in the Oniwabanshuu had already perturbed our work, what would happen if I allowed myself to love her? I knew everyone would feel betrayed, especially you, and I was not sure about my own feelings... So I decided to turn her request down. But... today I know that I did love her."

Misao was staring wide-eyed at nothingness, lost in her thoughts and dismayed by Aoshi's revelations. So...

I know that I did love her.

Aoshi felt a light push against his chest and loosened his embrace around Misao's frail shoulders to stare in foggy, dizzy eyes blurred with concealed tears. His eyes widened slightly and he was about to ask her what was going on, but a small, reassuring smile curved her red lips and her soft fingers brushed against his mouth, closing it kindly with their luring touch. He gazed at her in disbelief when she stepped away, hardly holding back her tears but that fake smile still trying to fool him. No words were breathed and Aoshi's eyes fixed her petite figure as she walked towards the door in silence. At the doorframe, Misao paused and turned around to face him, that bloody smile plastered on her face and yet it was betrayed by the shaking in her voice.

"You know, Aoshi... You still can catch up with her if you're fast enough; she's only been gone for a few hours. I wish you a happy life, Aoshi and... I won't forget about you."

His heart clenched painfully in his chest as he stared at her retreating back, and his cold mask broke ever so slightly. She had got it all wrong! She couldn't go like that! He still had so much to explain... so much to tell her, and so many feelings that needed to get poured out...

__________

Trying not to think about the tall, bewildered man standing behind her, Misao resolutely stepped out of the training hall. She had done it finally. She had traded her happiness for his. Actually it felt good, despite the ache tearing her heart, as she felt at peace with herself.

Her limbs were weak. She couldn't remember ever feeling this worn out. Her feet pressed heavy prints in the thick snow, and her insides were twisting uneasily. She raised her hand to her mouth, trying to swallow a hiccough. Oh Kami-sama, not the dizzy spells again... It had stopped when she was training, would those bloody symptoms leave her be for a while? It seemed that the ground was pitching and tossing under her feet. Her head was spinning... when did the sky come in front of her eyes?

__________

"MISAO!!"

Aoshi's voice echoed is the training hall when he saw Misao's small frame reel weirdly, lurch and collapse limply on the snow-covered ground. In no time he was by her side, worried like hell, and he gathered her petite form between his arms, trying to shelter her from the icy wind. Her eyes were closed and although she was unconscious, she looked really uncomfortable and moaned slightly. Clenching his jaw, Aoshi felt her forehead and his eyes widened in anguish; Misao was burning hot with fever. His eyebrows creased in worry, Aoshi wrapped the small kunoichi in a strong embrace and hurried towards the Aoiya.

Everything was sound asleep in the wide building, and Aoshi climbed the stairs silently so as not to wake anyone. He was there when the doctor had given his prescription concerning Misao's disease, and as no nurse would come at such an hour, it could as well be him who would care for her. Omasu and Okon wouldn't know better what to do – and an odd feeling told him that he wanted to care about his beloved himself, but he preferred to ignore that side of the matter.

Soundlessly, Aoshi pushed the shoji closing Misao's room open and headed for the futon folded in a corner. He gently leaned Misao against the wall while he spread the thick mattress on the floor, then lifted her limp body and laid her on her makeshift bed. She was tossing slightly and he brushed his fingers against her cheeks, hoping that it would calm her down – but he couldn't help but grit his teeth when a loud moan escaped her lips, although he knew it was one of pain.

Leaving Misao alone, Aoshi ran down the stairs, hurrying for the kitchen to look for Misao's medicines; the doctor had pointed out a certain drug in case she would have high fevers, and right now it seemed more than suited to the situation. He quickly grabbed the bottle and was back to kneeling at Misao's sides, eyeing worriedly at her sweating body. Poor Misao... How fragile she looked when she was ill and in need of help... Softly, Aoshi lifted her head and laid it on his knee, then cupped her chin and poured the sticky medicine into Misao's mouth. The young women groaned and kicked her sheets at the bitter taste of the liquid and tried to spit it out, but Aoshi cupped her chin to keep her from doing it. Frowning in her semi-conscious state, Misao gulped the drug and moaned.

As she was starting to relax, Aoshi lay her down on the bed; he was about to spread the blankets on her restless body when he noticed the dirtiness of her thin sleeping yukata. Of course, he smacked himself inwardly – she had been training in that outfit, walking outside and then falling in the snow. No wonder it was now soiled with mud spots, melted snow and sweat. Aoshi faltered slightly. This meant he had to change her yukata?! No, wait – he couldn't violate her privacy like this... He shot a quick glance to the soft bundle lying near him and sighed. Reluctantly, he got up and grabbed a clean yukata on the shelves, then knelt back by Misao's side. Aoshi tried to gather his self-control and shrugged his shoulders. After all, he had already changed her hundreds of times, hadn't he? But then, she still was a young, genki child, not a lovely and really attractive young woman with luring shap...

Aoshi smacked himself inwardly for the second time. This was really not good. If he went on like this, sure he couldn't change her yukata without going mad. He shook his head, trying to get rid off slightly perverted thoughts, and breathed in deeply. Gently, he gathered Misao's body in his lap and started un-knotting the belt holding it close. The bow gave way easily, and the white fabric of the yukata parted slowly, giving Aoshi an insight of Misao's pearly skin.

Okina's going to kill me when he'll know I've done this, he thought with a sigh.

Casting aside Okina's anger that would certainly follow, Aoshi brushed away the light material from Misao's shoulders, trying not to stare at her creamy breasts – didn't she use to wear bandages to crush them?! He turned his eyes away and his hand snuck around Misao's waist to support her weight while he was lifting her slightly in order to throw the dirty yukata away. Concentrating badly, Aoshi forced himself not to notice the soft warmth of her skin under his palm, and gulped harshly when her head fell on his shoulder as her body slouched forwards. He sighed.

Please, Misao, don't make this more difficult than it already is...

Aoshi was about to unfold the clean yukata lying by his side when he noticed the sweatdrops rolling on Misao's nape and upper back. Worrying, he frowned and slid his hands under her armpits to straighten her and glance at her. His eyes widened – she was all sweaty because of the fever, and her face, palms, upper back and chest were wet with sweat. Aoshi was starting to curse the gods; did they really enjoy seeing him in such a delicate position?

Cautiously, he lifted her and crawled towards a pile of clean towels that Okon had left in a corner, probably intending to use them when Misao would wake up. He caught one of them, then came back near the futon and laid Misao in his arms once more. Aoshi gritted his teeth, trying to avoid looking at her, then began to wipe her with infinite softness. Holding her tight with one hand, his other hand travelled on her body while he was making huge efforts not to think about whatever could be related with her. He dried her face, then her nape and neck, and... he just didn't want to know – but knew extremely well – what that soft hill was.

Finally, he let her go with a sigh, having finished wiping her, and slipped her into the clean yukata, both relieved and disappointed of doing so. Misao was starting to toss and turn again, and Aoshi hugged her gently before throwing the sheets away and laying her in her bed. As if disappointed too, Misao frowned and grabbed his hand, and Aoshi smiled slightly as he covered her with her blankets and brushed away a few ebony tresses from her forehead. She looked adorable.

Aoshi had been sitting near a sleeping Misao for maybe half an hour, lightly stroking her forehead and just staring at her endlessly, her not even knowing. When he noticed she had started shivering. His eyebrows creased, betraying his perplexity; he felt her forehead and came to the conclusion that her fever had slightly lowered, but still stayed rather high. Were those shivers meant to be an outward sign of the action of the medicine? Or was she getting worse? Misao was moaning restlessly again, and the shivers were deepening as though she was freezing.

Having no clue about what to do in such a case, Aoshi hesitated during a while, just glancing at Misao, but he just couldn't stay here doing nothing when she looked as though she were in pain. Softly but resolutely, he pushed the blankets away from Misao's body, seeing her huddle up and hug her knees to warm herself up. Aoshi couldn't keep away a small smile, and kindly lifted her between his arms. Very slowly so as not to shake her too much, he crawled backwards and leaned against the wall, Misao coiled up in his embrace. Soon, she relaxed with a contented sigh, leaning against Aoshi's muscular chest, and Aoshi pressed a light kiss on her tousled hair while spreading the thick, warm blanket over them.

"I love you, Misao-mine", he whispered, and though she couldn't hear, a bright smile spread on her lips.

A minute later, the exhausting wear and tear of the day had gotten the better of the two of them, and both had fallen asleep, drowning in a blissful slumber.

__________

Author's notes :  OK !!! Finally it's over !!!!!!! I didn't think it would take so long. Actually, the fighting scene was a pain in the ass. But the sweet scene coming next was a real pleasure to write  ^^ . I think I love writing sweet scenes, but I can't help imagining dark scenes  ^^o . That the rub  ^^o .

Anyway, the story's not over yet. I have planned to write a lemon after this chapter, but if you don't wish to read it it's okay, it won't be needed to understand the ending  ^^ . I hope you still like this story even though I'm so slow at upadting. Please forgive me, everyone !!!  ^^

Next chapter (after the lemon) should be the ending, and should be sweet  ^^ . End of the angst... or at least I think so  ^^o . You never know with evil writers like me  ^^ .