~Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Rurouni Kenshin
characters. This story was not written for sale or profit. Don't forget
to review.
A/N-Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.
A Reason for Love
Chapter 8: A Dream of Love
~Soujiro waited outside the door watching Aoshi as he received final instructions from Mokuami. The way he was quiet around other people always amazed him, for Aoshi would talk to him when they were alone together. The two rarely spoke of anything other than weapons, training and other subjects that the older man felt safe talking about. But using small comments, Soujiro could draw Aoshi into lengthy discussions.
"If you keep daydreaming, you will be left behind," Aoshi stated, standing next to Soujiro.
Startled back into reality, Soujiro turned and walked after Aoshi.
"Are we going to walk all the way to the Shingetsu Village?" he asked, not looking forward to the long journey. His ribs had started to mend, no longer needing to be taped, and the soreness that had plagued his body was leaving but the thought of walking for several days was not comforting.
"No, Mokuami-sama has made arrangements for us to get a ride on a merchant wagon most of the way," Aoshi stated, slowing down their pace at Soujiro's question.
"Oh, that's wonderful," Soujiro beamed, readjusting his travel bag to a more comfortable position.
Leading the way to the merchant, Aoshi suddenly felt something out of place. He causally turned to check on Soujiro, who was now directly behind him, looking around as if he had not a care in the world.
The early morning sun shone on the younger mans angelic features, giving him a calm and serene expression. But Aoshi never relied only on what his eyes could see. Finding that he missed being active in the world outside the temple, he walked at an even slower pace, continually scanning the area.
Their destination was a newer building, showing signs of the future of Japan. The inside of the store had many shelves of small items varying from household items, to tools and even some toys for the children.
Once inside the store, Aoshi looked around for the owner. Spotting him haggling with a customer over a larger piece of merchandise, he waited for him to finish. Waiting was something that Aoshi knew all to well, but that nagging feeling of danger persisted.
Ice blue eyes cast their glare around the room, resting on Soujiro, who was standing just inside the door with his eyes wide open, glaring off into the other side of the room.
Before he could follow the young man's sight, he heard a voice whisper to him alone, "I will allow you to keep him for now, but once the Takara is found, I will return to reclaim what belongs to me."
Looking around for the voice, all he was able to see was the back of a man walking away. The man stopped and quietly said something to Soujiro before quickly leaving the store.
Aoshi watched as Soujiro walked toward him. "Who..." Aoshi started to ask.
"Would you please buy this for me? I've always wanted one but....." Soujiro asked, picking up a small top that fit inside the palm of his hand. Looking up into Aoshi's face his eyes begged the older man not to ask any more questions.
Aoshi's face softened when he realized what Soujiro had asked for. Nodding his head, he walked over to the merchant who was now finished with the other customer.
"Aoshi, it certainly has been a long time. I have everything ready for your trip as Mokuami instructed. Was there anything else that you wanted?" the merchant asked, looking at Soujiro.
"Yes, a toy," Aoshi said, absentmindedly while watching the door, trying to see if the man would return.
"Consider it paid for. You have helped me in the past and it's the least I can do. Mokuami said that you might be interested in this also," the merchant said, handing a long slightly curved wooden staff to him.
Taking the short staff with both hands, Aoshi looked at it quizzically, "What..." he asked.
"I think you know what it is. When Aki made your other one, he also made this one but you left the area and he wasn't able to give it to you. See the scrolling on the side? It has all four names on it. He was very good friends with your men and misses them very much. He will be very disappointed that he was not here to see you," the merchant said, walking towards the back room. "Come this way."
Aoshi followed the merchant out into the back yard of the building. Holding the staff, he couldn't remember when a weapon had felt so natural in his hand. The craftsmanship of the weapon he was now holding was exquisite. The wood had been carved with intricate care and precision. The knives on either end snapped as instinct took over and he slid both kodachi out enough to see the shine on the blades.
"Aoshi," Soujiro's voice whispered from behind him, as the blades softly whistled back into their resting place.
Without a word the two followed the owner out back to start their trip to find the Takara.
~The wagon was only half full of supplies that needed to go to Kyoto thus leaving enough room for the two travelers to sit comfortably inside. Two ninjas joined the wagon each would take turns scouting the surrounding area and staying close to the wagon, protecting the merchandise.
The wagon lumbered down the streets of Tokyo bumping and bouncing on the well-traveled path taking them to the outskirts of town. Once past the city streets the roads evened out making the ride almost enjoyable.
Sitting next to Aoshi, Soujiro leaned against him succumbing to the gentle sway as the wagon rolled down the lane, shifting he tried to get into a comfortable position.
Aoshi felt the young man's weight against him. Moving over slightly, he allowed Soujiro to lay with his head resting comfortable on his lap. Brushing a leaf off his angelic face, Aoshi couldn't resist the urge to run his fingers through the young mans silky hair.
Leaning back, sleep was starting to overtake him when a bump in the road jousted the wagon just enough keep him awake, waiting for the next bump.
"Aoshi?" Soujiro asked eyes still closed.
"Nn."
"Have you ever loved anyone?" the young man shifted his position enough to be able to see Aoshi's face.
The starkness of the question made Aoshi stiffen for a moment before asking, "Why do you ask?"
"I was in love once. I know, it was the most wonderful feeling but he..." the young man stopped, contemplating what to say. "It hurt when he married the girl that his father arranged for him."
"Did you ever kiss him?" Aoshi asked, looking straight ahead. He didn't know he asked the question until he heard the words being spoken.
"Yes. He would come to the mountain with his father. We would talk and he would always make sure to tell me what a great fighter I was and that my body was the best he had ever seen. I never had someone to take an interest in me, other than my fighting skills. I would look forward to his visits and enjoyed his company.
Then one day when we thought that no one was around, he kissed me. Shishio- sama saw us but he didn't say anything to us. When Wagashi's father got really mad when he found out, he got really mad and they never came to the mountain again. He did send me a letter saying that he never wanted to see me again. That man in the store..." Soujiro couldn't go on, his voice cracking, breaking with the last word.
"Aa," Aoshi said, his response the only comfort he knew would help.
"Aoshi, did we do something wrong?"
"Did it feel wrong?"
"No," Soujiro said quickly.
"Then is wasn't wrong."
"But..." Soujiro started, sitting up to look into Aoshi's face.
"Do you still love him?" Aoshi asked, looking down eyes half closed.
"No, but he still wants me," the young man sighed, looking at Aoshi.
"I know," Aoshi said, looking up into the intense gaze that was directed at him.
The wagon took this opportunity to bounce into the air. Instead of landing back where it was suppose to, it hit the ground throwing the two passengers backwards.
Somehow Aoshi managed to land on the bottom with Soujiro looking into his ice blue eyes. Searching for an answer to an unasked question, Soujiro probed inside unable to glean any information that could let him know how the man felt about him.
The driver gave out a yell as the wagon ground to a halt. Jumping down from the seat, he walked back to where the wheel had come off the wagon.
"Kuso," the driver yelled again, kneeling down to assess the damage. Standing up, he cussed again. Hoisting the wheel up, he started rolling it back to the wagon, a cuss word spoken with each step.
"I will have to roll this wheel to the next town just down the road. You can walk with me or spend the night here until I get back," the driver stated, deleting the cuss words while informing the two passengers.
Climbing out of the wagon, Aoshi looked over at Soujiro and said, "We'll camp out here tonight."
~The two guards made their camp next to the wagon they were entrusted to protect. They had offered Aoshi and Soujiro the protection of their camp but Aoshi wanted to find a place where they could sleep and he could practice with his kodachi.
Aoshi chose to make camp next to a large tree in a secluded spot that was far enough from the wagon to give them complete privacy. Laying out the blankets, he could tell by the way Soujiro was moving that the trip was tiring him out.
Aoshi had worried about the young man when the wheel of the wagon had fallen off and as Soujiro wasn't one to complain, he would have to keep a close watch on him. So he made a quick dinner allowing Soujiro to just sit and watch.
"Try and get some rest," Aoshi told him, finishing his cup of tea.
"I'm all right. Just a little tired," Soujiro replied, popping a few candies into his mouth before drinking the last dregs of his tea. Making a face, he quickly chewed the candy hoping to get rid of the taste of the tea.
"You know that tea is good for you," Aoshi stated, remembering a time when he was forced to drink it.
"I know but it taste awful. Maybe you should try some," Soujiro replied, making a face as he settled himself into the blankets Aoshi had laid out.
"I am not the one who was half dead when they were found," Aoshi said, getting the camp ready for the night. Opting for a quick moment of meditation, he sat down where he would be close to the blankets. Concern for his traveling companion making him take precautions that usually weren't necessary.
"Goodnight, Sou-chan," Aoshi softly whispered.
"Goodnight," Soujiro said, watching as Aoshi readied himself to meditate before going to bed. He was enjoying the sensation of just laying on the blanket, watching the gentle breeze whisper through Aoshi's hair, the noises of nature in the background lending credence to the moment. He fell asleep, watching Aoshi's gentle face surrounded in the golden glow of the evening sun.
Aoshi finished meditating as the same golden rays shown on Soujiro's face before dipping underneath the edge of their world. Satisfied that the young man was resting, Aoshi retrieved his kodachi.
Stepping into the clearing behind the tree they were camped under, Aoshi stood for a moment. Making sure that everything was as it should be, he started his kata.
After not practicing for a year, he felt the muscles return that he needed to execute the moves necessary for his attacks.
He spent the better part of the night working on the familiar patterns of his attacks, remembering long unused swings, twists, and turns. Stiff and sore but satisfied that he could defend against who ever attacked, he returned to the campsite.
Being tired from his workout, Aoshi went to sleep as soon as he lay down. But he woke when he felt something wrong, his first thought was an intruder come to rob the wagon but looking over in that direction, he could see the one guard quietly scanning the area.
He next checked on Soujiro. The young man was lying next to him completely uncovered, shivering with the cool breeze blowing over him.
Reaching over, Aoshi pulled Soujiro over toward him until the young man was lying next to him. Aoshi reached down and touched his face to check for fever, finding none he rearranged the blankets so that they were both covered completely.
Aoshi's body heat was like a magnet to Soujiro. Drawing him to get as close to Aoshi as he possibly could. To get more heat, he raised one of his leg's putting it on top of Aoshi's thighs while his arm draped over his chest and his head rested on his shoulder. Snuggling as close to Aoshi as he could get, Soujiro moaned softly.
~*~*~*~
Aoshi reached down with the arm that was under Soujiro's head and gently rubbed his back putting the young man to sleep. Relaxing himself, he drifted back to sleep.
Softly sleeping next to Aoshi, Soujiro dreamed. Of his wrists being held above his head while Aoshi kissed his lips, neck, chest. Tiny needles, shooting from his breast throughout his body penetrating into his lower stomach where a soft wet phalange entered his navel causing the needles to explode into tiny sparkling stars, making his body immobile. A soft moan escaped from his lips. Followed by rays of multi-colored light flowing and ebbing retracing the pattern that the needles had started. Ending with the warmth of brilliant fire bathed in the softness of a candle's glow. Two strong arms encircled his body, keeping him warm and safe.
~*~*~*~
Soujiro woke up feeling warm and at peace, something he hadn't felt since Aoshi had shared a room with him at Shishio's hideout. Opening his baby blue eyes he was looking directly into ice blue ones, bringing a smile to his face.
"Good morning," Soujiro whispered.
"Good morning," Aoshi replied, "did you sleep well?"
"Wonderfully so," he answered. Closing his eyes, a dreamy look on his face.
~The driver returned to the wagon at mid-morning and with the help of the two ninjas the wheel was quickly put back on the wagon. With a few minor adjustments by the driver and the wagon started slowly moving towards their destination.
His eyes closed, Aoshi sat in the back of the wagon listening to the sounds around him trying to decipher each sound, honing his rusty ninja skills. After living the last year with meditation as his only companion, he was a bit unnerved at the prospect of being unable to win a fight if it became necessary.
Soujiro chose to use the blankets and lay down for the rest of the trip.
As the wagon rolled along the gentle slopes of the terrain, Aoshi's thoughts kept returning to his young traveling companion instead of concentrating on the surrounding noises. But when he heard a soft snorting sound and couldn't begin to identify it, he conceded and opened his eyes.
His eyes opened to see Soujiro splayed out on the bottom of the wagon. The young man was asleep with his head tilted back with a smile on his face, and his wrists crossed above his head.
Resisting the urge to lean over and ravish the young man, Aoshi closed his eyes letting the gentle rocking of the wagon lull him to a sleep state where he could rest but still be ready.
Having become use to conversation when he was alone with Soujiro, Aoshi was perplexed when the young man remained silent throughout the day.
The travelers soon came to the town where they would spend the night and walk the rest of the way to Shingetsu Village.
Aoshi made arrangement for a room at the inn for them as Soujiro stared blankly at nothing at all.
Walking to the restaurant Aoshi had to stop several times to wait for Soujiro.
During the entire meal, Soujiro would eat a bite then take forever to chew it, distracting Aoshi from his normal eating pattern. The young man who usually would take any opportunity to start a conversation was lost in a world of his own.
When they entered their room, Soujiro quickly laid out his futon while Aoshi stood just inside the door.
"Soujiro?" Aoshi quietly asked, walking further into the room.
Startled, Soujiro looked over at his roommate. He smiled, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.
"Are you all right?" Aoshi asked, moving out of the way when Soujiro continued laying out their bedding.
"Oh yes. I was just..."
"Yes."
"I was trying..."
Aoshi waited watching the young man intently.
"I had a wonderful dream last night..." Soujiro stuttered unable to complete a sentence, his cheeks blushing a deep pink.
"Ah," Aoshi nodded a bit surprised when Soujiro laid the second futon snug against the first one.
"I'm going to take a walk," Aoshi said unable to look away as Soujiro changed his clothes for the night.
Soujiro just smiled and nodded his head before laying on his futon, covering himself with a blanket.
With an uneasy feeling, Aoshi walked out of the inn and into the night. It didn't take him long to find a spot where he could practice in complete privacy. Repeating the regiment that he did the night before, he felt better when his muscles responded to the rigorous workout allowing him to complete the same amount of moves in less time.
Walking down the hall to their room, Aoshi stopped when he noticed the door slightly ajar. Gripping the handle of the kodachi, he entered the room, only to find no one there.
Both futons were empty, with the blanket that Soujiro had used crumpled at the end of his bed. The contents of the young man's traveling sack had been scattered across the floor.
Who... why...? Aoshi thought.
Light footsteps catching his attention, he waited.
TBC.
Don't forget to review.
A/N-Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.
A Reason for Love
Chapter 8: A Dream of Love
~Soujiro waited outside the door watching Aoshi as he received final instructions from Mokuami. The way he was quiet around other people always amazed him, for Aoshi would talk to him when they were alone together. The two rarely spoke of anything other than weapons, training and other subjects that the older man felt safe talking about. But using small comments, Soujiro could draw Aoshi into lengthy discussions.
"If you keep daydreaming, you will be left behind," Aoshi stated, standing next to Soujiro.
Startled back into reality, Soujiro turned and walked after Aoshi.
"Are we going to walk all the way to the Shingetsu Village?" he asked, not looking forward to the long journey. His ribs had started to mend, no longer needing to be taped, and the soreness that had plagued his body was leaving but the thought of walking for several days was not comforting.
"No, Mokuami-sama has made arrangements for us to get a ride on a merchant wagon most of the way," Aoshi stated, slowing down their pace at Soujiro's question.
"Oh, that's wonderful," Soujiro beamed, readjusting his travel bag to a more comfortable position.
Leading the way to the merchant, Aoshi suddenly felt something out of place. He causally turned to check on Soujiro, who was now directly behind him, looking around as if he had not a care in the world.
The early morning sun shone on the younger mans angelic features, giving him a calm and serene expression. But Aoshi never relied only on what his eyes could see. Finding that he missed being active in the world outside the temple, he walked at an even slower pace, continually scanning the area.
Their destination was a newer building, showing signs of the future of Japan. The inside of the store had many shelves of small items varying from household items, to tools and even some toys for the children.
Once inside the store, Aoshi looked around for the owner. Spotting him haggling with a customer over a larger piece of merchandise, he waited for him to finish. Waiting was something that Aoshi knew all to well, but that nagging feeling of danger persisted.
Ice blue eyes cast their glare around the room, resting on Soujiro, who was standing just inside the door with his eyes wide open, glaring off into the other side of the room.
Before he could follow the young man's sight, he heard a voice whisper to him alone, "I will allow you to keep him for now, but once the Takara is found, I will return to reclaim what belongs to me."
Looking around for the voice, all he was able to see was the back of a man walking away. The man stopped and quietly said something to Soujiro before quickly leaving the store.
Aoshi watched as Soujiro walked toward him. "Who..." Aoshi started to ask.
"Would you please buy this for me? I've always wanted one but....." Soujiro asked, picking up a small top that fit inside the palm of his hand. Looking up into Aoshi's face his eyes begged the older man not to ask any more questions.
Aoshi's face softened when he realized what Soujiro had asked for. Nodding his head, he walked over to the merchant who was now finished with the other customer.
"Aoshi, it certainly has been a long time. I have everything ready for your trip as Mokuami instructed. Was there anything else that you wanted?" the merchant asked, looking at Soujiro.
"Yes, a toy," Aoshi said, absentmindedly while watching the door, trying to see if the man would return.
"Consider it paid for. You have helped me in the past and it's the least I can do. Mokuami said that you might be interested in this also," the merchant said, handing a long slightly curved wooden staff to him.
Taking the short staff with both hands, Aoshi looked at it quizzically, "What..." he asked.
"I think you know what it is. When Aki made your other one, he also made this one but you left the area and he wasn't able to give it to you. See the scrolling on the side? It has all four names on it. He was very good friends with your men and misses them very much. He will be very disappointed that he was not here to see you," the merchant said, walking towards the back room. "Come this way."
Aoshi followed the merchant out into the back yard of the building. Holding the staff, he couldn't remember when a weapon had felt so natural in his hand. The craftsmanship of the weapon he was now holding was exquisite. The wood had been carved with intricate care and precision. The knives on either end snapped as instinct took over and he slid both kodachi out enough to see the shine on the blades.
"Aoshi," Soujiro's voice whispered from behind him, as the blades softly whistled back into their resting place.
Without a word the two followed the owner out back to start their trip to find the Takara.
~The wagon was only half full of supplies that needed to go to Kyoto thus leaving enough room for the two travelers to sit comfortably inside. Two ninjas joined the wagon each would take turns scouting the surrounding area and staying close to the wagon, protecting the merchandise.
The wagon lumbered down the streets of Tokyo bumping and bouncing on the well-traveled path taking them to the outskirts of town. Once past the city streets the roads evened out making the ride almost enjoyable.
Sitting next to Aoshi, Soujiro leaned against him succumbing to the gentle sway as the wagon rolled down the lane, shifting he tried to get into a comfortable position.
Aoshi felt the young man's weight against him. Moving over slightly, he allowed Soujiro to lay with his head resting comfortable on his lap. Brushing a leaf off his angelic face, Aoshi couldn't resist the urge to run his fingers through the young mans silky hair.
Leaning back, sleep was starting to overtake him when a bump in the road jousted the wagon just enough keep him awake, waiting for the next bump.
"Aoshi?" Soujiro asked eyes still closed.
"Nn."
"Have you ever loved anyone?" the young man shifted his position enough to be able to see Aoshi's face.
The starkness of the question made Aoshi stiffen for a moment before asking, "Why do you ask?"
"I was in love once. I know, it was the most wonderful feeling but he..." the young man stopped, contemplating what to say. "It hurt when he married the girl that his father arranged for him."
"Did you ever kiss him?" Aoshi asked, looking straight ahead. He didn't know he asked the question until he heard the words being spoken.
"Yes. He would come to the mountain with his father. We would talk and he would always make sure to tell me what a great fighter I was and that my body was the best he had ever seen. I never had someone to take an interest in me, other than my fighting skills. I would look forward to his visits and enjoyed his company.
Then one day when we thought that no one was around, he kissed me. Shishio- sama saw us but he didn't say anything to us. When Wagashi's father got really mad when he found out, he got really mad and they never came to the mountain again. He did send me a letter saying that he never wanted to see me again. That man in the store..." Soujiro couldn't go on, his voice cracking, breaking with the last word.
"Aa," Aoshi said, his response the only comfort he knew would help.
"Aoshi, did we do something wrong?"
"Did it feel wrong?"
"No," Soujiro said quickly.
"Then is wasn't wrong."
"But..." Soujiro started, sitting up to look into Aoshi's face.
"Do you still love him?" Aoshi asked, looking down eyes half closed.
"No, but he still wants me," the young man sighed, looking at Aoshi.
"I know," Aoshi said, looking up into the intense gaze that was directed at him.
The wagon took this opportunity to bounce into the air. Instead of landing back where it was suppose to, it hit the ground throwing the two passengers backwards.
Somehow Aoshi managed to land on the bottom with Soujiro looking into his ice blue eyes. Searching for an answer to an unasked question, Soujiro probed inside unable to glean any information that could let him know how the man felt about him.
The driver gave out a yell as the wagon ground to a halt. Jumping down from the seat, he walked back to where the wheel had come off the wagon.
"Kuso," the driver yelled again, kneeling down to assess the damage. Standing up, he cussed again. Hoisting the wheel up, he started rolling it back to the wagon, a cuss word spoken with each step.
"I will have to roll this wheel to the next town just down the road. You can walk with me or spend the night here until I get back," the driver stated, deleting the cuss words while informing the two passengers.
Climbing out of the wagon, Aoshi looked over at Soujiro and said, "We'll camp out here tonight."
~The two guards made their camp next to the wagon they were entrusted to protect. They had offered Aoshi and Soujiro the protection of their camp but Aoshi wanted to find a place where they could sleep and he could practice with his kodachi.
Aoshi chose to make camp next to a large tree in a secluded spot that was far enough from the wagon to give them complete privacy. Laying out the blankets, he could tell by the way Soujiro was moving that the trip was tiring him out.
Aoshi had worried about the young man when the wheel of the wagon had fallen off and as Soujiro wasn't one to complain, he would have to keep a close watch on him. So he made a quick dinner allowing Soujiro to just sit and watch.
"Try and get some rest," Aoshi told him, finishing his cup of tea.
"I'm all right. Just a little tired," Soujiro replied, popping a few candies into his mouth before drinking the last dregs of his tea. Making a face, he quickly chewed the candy hoping to get rid of the taste of the tea.
"You know that tea is good for you," Aoshi stated, remembering a time when he was forced to drink it.
"I know but it taste awful. Maybe you should try some," Soujiro replied, making a face as he settled himself into the blankets Aoshi had laid out.
"I am not the one who was half dead when they were found," Aoshi said, getting the camp ready for the night. Opting for a quick moment of meditation, he sat down where he would be close to the blankets. Concern for his traveling companion making him take precautions that usually weren't necessary.
"Goodnight, Sou-chan," Aoshi softly whispered.
"Goodnight," Soujiro said, watching as Aoshi readied himself to meditate before going to bed. He was enjoying the sensation of just laying on the blanket, watching the gentle breeze whisper through Aoshi's hair, the noises of nature in the background lending credence to the moment. He fell asleep, watching Aoshi's gentle face surrounded in the golden glow of the evening sun.
Aoshi finished meditating as the same golden rays shown on Soujiro's face before dipping underneath the edge of their world. Satisfied that the young man was resting, Aoshi retrieved his kodachi.
Stepping into the clearing behind the tree they were camped under, Aoshi stood for a moment. Making sure that everything was as it should be, he started his kata.
After not practicing for a year, he felt the muscles return that he needed to execute the moves necessary for his attacks.
He spent the better part of the night working on the familiar patterns of his attacks, remembering long unused swings, twists, and turns. Stiff and sore but satisfied that he could defend against who ever attacked, he returned to the campsite.
Being tired from his workout, Aoshi went to sleep as soon as he lay down. But he woke when he felt something wrong, his first thought was an intruder come to rob the wagon but looking over in that direction, he could see the one guard quietly scanning the area.
He next checked on Soujiro. The young man was lying next to him completely uncovered, shivering with the cool breeze blowing over him.
Reaching over, Aoshi pulled Soujiro over toward him until the young man was lying next to him. Aoshi reached down and touched his face to check for fever, finding none he rearranged the blankets so that they were both covered completely.
Aoshi's body heat was like a magnet to Soujiro. Drawing him to get as close to Aoshi as he possibly could. To get more heat, he raised one of his leg's putting it on top of Aoshi's thighs while his arm draped over his chest and his head rested on his shoulder. Snuggling as close to Aoshi as he could get, Soujiro moaned softly.
~*~*~*~
Aoshi reached down with the arm that was under Soujiro's head and gently rubbed his back putting the young man to sleep. Relaxing himself, he drifted back to sleep.
Softly sleeping next to Aoshi, Soujiro dreamed. Of his wrists being held above his head while Aoshi kissed his lips, neck, chest. Tiny needles, shooting from his breast throughout his body penetrating into his lower stomach where a soft wet phalange entered his navel causing the needles to explode into tiny sparkling stars, making his body immobile. A soft moan escaped from his lips. Followed by rays of multi-colored light flowing and ebbing retracing the pattern that the needles had started. Ending with the warmth of brilliant fire bathed in the softness of a candle's glow. Two strong arms encircled his body, keeping him warm and safe.
~*~*~*~
Soujiro woke up feeling warm and at peace, something he hadn't felt since Aoshi had shared a room with him at Shishio's hideout. Opening his baby blue eyes he was looking directly into ice blue ones, bringing a smile to his face.
"Good morning," Soujiro whispered.
"Good morning," Aoshi replied, "did you sleep well?"
"Wonderfully so," he answered. Closing his eyes, a dreamy look on his face.
~The driver returned to the wagon at mid-morning and with the help of the two ninjas the wheel was quickly put back on the wagon. With a few minor adjustments by the driver and the wagon started slowly moving towards their destination.
His eyes closed, Aoshi sat in the back of the wagon listening to the sounds around him trying to decipher each sound, honing his rusty ninja skills. After living the last year with meditation as his only companion, he was a bit unnerved at the prospect of being unable to win a fight if it became necessary.
Soujiro chose to use the blankets and lay down for the rest of the trip.
As the wagon rolled along the gentle slopes of the terrain, Aoshi's thoughts kept returning to his young traveling companion instead of concentrating on the surrounding noises. But when he heard a soft snorting sound and couldn't begin to identify it, he conceded and opened his eyes.
His eyes opened to see Soujiro splayed out on the bottom of the wagon. The young man was asleep with his head tilted back with a smile on his face, and his wrists crossed above his head.
Resisting the urge to lean over and ravish the young man, Aoshi closed his eyes letting the gentle rocking of the wagon lull him to a sleep state where he could rest but still be ready.
Having become use to conversation when he was alone with Soujiro, Aoshi was perplexed when the young man remained silent throughout the day.
The travelers soon came to the town where they would spend the night and walk the rest of the way to Shingetsu Village.
Aoshi made arrangement for a room at the inn for them as Soujiro stared blankly at nothing at all.
Walking to the restaurant Aoshi had to stop several times to wait for Soujiro.
During the entire meal, Soujiro would eat a bite then take forever to chew it, distracting Aoshi from his normal eating pattern. The young man who usually would take any opportunity to start a conversation was lost in a world of his own.
When they entered their room, Soujiro quickly laid out his futon while Aoshi stood just inside the door.
"Soujiro?" Aoshi quietly asked, walking further into the room.
Startled, Soujiro looked over at his roommate. He smiled, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.
"Are you all right?" Aoshi asked, moving out of the way when Soujiro continued laying out their bedding.
"Oh yes. I was just..."
"Yes."
"I was trying..."
Aoshi waited watching the young man intently.
"I had a wonderful dream last night..." Soujiro stuttered unable to complete a sentence, his cheeks blushing a deep pink.
"Ah," Aoshi nodded a bit surprised when Soujiro laid the second futon snug against the first one.
"I'm going to take a walk," Aoshi said unable to look away as Soujiro changed his clothes for the night.
Soujiro just smiled and nodded his head before laying on his futon, covering himself with a blanket.
With an uneasy feeling, Aoshi walked out of the inn and into the night. It didn't take him long to find a spot where he could practice in complete privacy. Repeating the regiment that he did the night before, he felt better when his muscles responded to the rigorous workout allowing him to complete the same amount of moves in less time.
Walking down the hall to their room, Aoshi stopped when he noticed the door slightly ajar. Gripping the handle of the kodachi, he entered the room, only to find no one there.
Both futons were empty, with the blanket that Soujiro had used crumpled at the end of his bed. The contents of the young man's traveling sack had been scattered across the floor.
Who... why...? Aoshi thought.
Light footsteps catching his attention, he waited.
TBC.
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