A/N: And as the title suggests…this chapter is dedicated to Aoshi & Megumi.
Part 4: The Vixen and Iceman Play
February 7, 2003
I didn't think it'd be this awful. ALL of Aoshi's dates ended in disaster. Am I THAT bad in judging people? I could have sworn that these women would be fine! I guess it goes to show how you can't ever really know someone on the net. I figured that some of them wouldn't work out, but I didn't think all of them would be bad!
Aoshi's been pretty good...he's been frustrated, I can tell, but he isn't really mad. I mean, he went out with some man-eater, a gold digger...I'm surprised he hasn't killed anybody. I probably would have. =P
I only have one week left to set him up with someone. And he's been going out every night since the last day of January. And no luck whatsoever. Doesn't he know that every day is critical?? He told me a couple nights ago that he didn't want to go out on a date tonight. He has plans to take Megs surfing. Maybe he needs some time off. Getting into the dating season must be hard if you're not used to it...
~ Misao
"Any luck finding Miss Right?" Megumi asked.
"I don't want to talk about it," Aoshi replied swiftly, setting two surfboards down onto the sand.
"That bad?" she asked sympathetically.
He glanced at her and looked away. "Let's say I'm glad to be out with a woman who isn't materialistic or driven by hormones," he muttered.
"Was that a compliment, Commander?" she teased. "I should cherish that…words of flattery from you are so rare…"
He shot her a look. "You know what I meant."
Megumi lifted her brows before adjusting the straps of her two-piece purple swimsuit. "Well, I'm definitely not materialistic..." She grinned when he rolled his eyes. Then she began to gather her hair in a ponytail braid. "Who's giving Misao a ride home from hula lessons tonight?"
"Danielle," Aoshi answered. "Misao is going to be with friends tonight..." He tossed her a circular package of wax, which she caught.
Megumi hadn't been surfing in a long time. Close to ten years. A long time ago she used to practice the sport with her two brothers. A lot had changed the more involved she got into her college studies. She was thankful Aoshi had chosen a beach on the eastern shore, away from crowds. As she rubbed the wax over portions of the board, she glanced out at the waves.
It was nice to live on an island.
She listened as Aoshi gave her a quick refresher course on how to catch waves and stand up on the board. Then she asked a couple questions about wiping out, which he answered. Both of their boards were eight feet in length, longboards easier to control that could handle larger waves. After attaching the leash to her ankle, Megumi began to wade into the ocean. Once waist-high in the water, Megumi looked over the water again.
"Are you nervous?" a voice came up to her right side.
"Me? Hardly," she replied.
A small knowing smile crossed his face. "Ladies first."
Megumi quickly sat on her longboard and began paddling out.
"Balance and speed are the key..." he reminded, his voice fading as she moved away.
All right, already, Megumi used her arms one by one to go further from shore. The sound of surf entered her ears, the smell of sea and salt surrounded her. A wave with a white foaming crest began traveling to shore. Working quickly as she could, she paddled to catch the wave, then jumped to her feet to ride it out.
It was an exhilarating experience, as if flying. But something felt wrong…
She let out a startled cry as the board slipped out from under her and flew into the air. Megumi did a flip in midair, her surfboard slapping against her rear end, before she landed in a belly flop. Megumi barely had time to take a breath before hitting the water. When she resurfaced, she came up coughing, pushing her bangs away from her eyes.
"Are you all right?"
She grabbed her board and nodded at Aoshi, who had paddled next to her.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Megumi responded, glancing over her shoulder at him. He sat in a kneeling position on top of his white surfboard with a blue stripe down the middle. The blue board shorts he wore were tied just below his navel, the bottom hem reaching the top of his knees.
"That looked like it stung," he said.
She caught the glint in his eyes. He must have seen the board smack against her. "I don't know what you're talking about…"
"You must recover quickly, then," he commented, his eyes smiling now.
"You enjoyed that," she accused, her cheeks burning. It took a lot to get to her. But one couldn't control things like…gravity.
"Remember what I said about balance?" he prompted, a slight smirk on his face.
With one arm draped over her board for support, she pushed against his shoulder, causing him to fall into the water. "Balance this…"
She turned back to her board, gasping as she felt something…someone…latch onto her ankle. Megumi kicked with her other leg, her eyes widening as Aoshi seized her other ankle and pulled her down. The sound of waves magnified under water. Megumi quickly swam to the surface, where a blurred version of the sun hovered.
"What was that for?" she demanded. She was about ready to shake him.
"Gauging your reaction time. You need to react quickly in order to surf," he declared as he settled on his board.
"Bite me," she retorted.
"Maybe later," he replied. Then he paddled away, fully intent on enjoying the waves before the sun dipped below the horizon.
He's getting better with his comebacks. Megumi couldn't help but smile, watching as he easily moved over the water.
At the sound of the door opening, Misao looked up from her computer. Aoshi entered the house, wearing a white and blue Hawaiian shirt, his shorts wrinkled from all the wear in the water. His uniform hung on a hanger which he crooked over his finger. She glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten.
"Did you have fun?" Misao asked.
Aoshi placed his wallet and keys in their usual spots. "Yes, I did…"
"Did you eat?" she pressed. "I made chicken salad…" She pointed to the kitchen. "It's in the fridge."
"I had dinner over an hour ago, but thank you."
"With Megs?" she prompted.
"Yes." Aoshi settled on the plush leather recliner in the family room.
Misao perched on the arm rest of the sofa. "You know…with all the times that you and Megs have lunch during work…"
"We've only met for lunch twice since I started work," he corrected, leaning back in his chair.
"Right…Anyway…I'm surprised you two never really got together. I mean, you two get along pretty well…especially now that you've gotten used to her playette ways." Misao shrugged. When the phone rang, she dashed to her room, calling over her shoulder, "I'll get it!"
Interesting comment his daughter just made. Not that Aoshi had anything against the lady doctor. She was beautiful, intelligent, caring…assertive, argumentative, unpredictable…She was…Megumi.
A faint smile came to his features.
February 8, 2003
Aoshi went out with Megs. Again. Doesn't he know that time is important? What if he spends all day surfing with her and gets tired? He won't be awake for his date tonight! What is wrong with him? This is no time to be fooling around! I have two dates set up for him tomorrow…one at lunch, one at dinner. Even if he's had bad luck with previous women. I only have 6 days left! Aaaahhh! What am I going to do?
~ Misao
"You can't go out like this!" Misao exclaimed, walking out of the house holding an ice chest. "What about your date tonight?"
Aoshi adjusted his surfboard on the rack of the pickup truck he had bought at a used car lot for the sole purpose of carrying a surfboard. "I'll be back in the afternoon." He took the chest from her and placed it in the back bed, securing it with nylon rope.
"It's…" Misao practically jerked her wrist to her chin. "Ten-thirty. By the time you two get to the beach, it'll be almost noon. Your date is at six. If you had your way, you'd surf till the sun sets."
"True."
Ignoring the smug look on his face, Misao turned her features into disapproval. "What time are you going to be home?" she queried, hands on her hips.
Aoshi regarded her with an amused smile. "I thought I was the parent around here…"
"I'm being serious, Aoshi…"
"I'll be home by four-thirty," he promised.
"Are you sure?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It reminded him of the times he used to give her a present he just bought out of the blue…she'd always thought something was going to jump out of the box.
"Does an officer ever break his word?"
"Depends…"
"Misao…"
"Hey, I think it's cool that you're chillin with Megs and all…I mean…you so need a social life-"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," he interrupted flatly.
"I mean, I thought once you got back to work, goodbye to everyone who knew you!" Misao waved her hand. She frowned in thought. "Then again…Megs is the expert on dating. I'm sure she can help you out…give you some hints or something…so…maybe you going out with her isn't so bad." She gasped suddenly. "Or maybe you'll just attract more women when you're at the beach!!"
He stared at her, dumbfounded. "What…I don't…?"
"Megs told me once that a taken man is so attractive. Maybe the beach girls will think she's with you and 'innocently' go up and talk to you."
Aoshi grasped her shoulders. "Misao…I'm only going to surf. No women. No dating. Not for this part of the day."
But she wasn't listening. "Then again…this is Megs…I mean…she looks good in a bikini, has brains, so I wouldn't be surprised if no woman comes up to you-"
"I never noticed," Aoshi cut in, wondering where the conversation was going.
"And you're supposed to be in Intelligence," Misao replied.
Aoshi glanced at his watch.
"How come Misao didn't want to go with you this time?" Megumi asked, spreading sunblock over her arms.
"She was going to spend the day watching TV," Aoshi responded as he tried to rub the old wax off his board with a rubber spatula.
"Do you have any more dates planned?"
"One tonight and two tomorrow," Aoshi answered.
"Two?" Megumi inquired.
"Lunch and dinner."
"You're a very busy person…" she commented. "She's really set on finding this girlfriend for you by Valentine's Day…"
"It's not going to happen," Aoshi answered.
"Why's that?" Megumi sat on the sand beside him.
Aoshi frowned. "If the past selection is all I have had so far…that says little…"
"Maybe they will be good prospects."
"You're more optimistic," he mused.
"They couldn't have been that bad…" She grinned. "Especially Cassandra."
"She was terrible..."
"You know what your problem is?" Megumi spoke up.
To which he looked heavenward. "No. But you're going to tell me..."
"You can't handle women with fire," she murmured. "They get too close and you instantly pull away..." She really enjoyed teasing him. She knew that it annoyed him from time to time, but she'd almost think he had gotten used to it. "Just because they get close doesn't mean they'll bite. Hard."
"Funny," he said dryly as she moved to sit next to the ice chest, lifting the lid.
"Why laugh when you could be doing other things?" she shot back, placing an ice cube in her mouth.
He shook his head. "I wonder how you do it…"
"Do what?" She fought the urge to crunch on ice, knowing it wasn't good for her teeth. The last thing she needed were hairline cracks on her teeth.
"See so many people at once."
"It passes the time," she said impishly. Then she shrugged. "But I've seen a lot of pigs, too…But they weren't all bad. The last man I was serious about…as you know…was Sanosuke."
"How is he?"
"He and Katherine are doing well. When I last called, Sano told me that he and Kat already picked the reception hall and talked to the priest. Wedding plans are already on their way. They're supposed to meet with caterers next month."
"Have they selected a date?"
"December. I can't remember the exact date…but I know it's in December." Megumi smiled. "He sounds so excited, but stressed at the same time. They're both hoping that he doesn't have to go on ship before or the day of the wedding."
Aoshi nodded his head in the direction of the water after he applied a new coat of wax. "Are you ready?"
"Almost…" Megumi bent slightly to wax her rental board.
Time was the least of their concerns as they spent a good portion of the afternoon out on the water. Megumi had picked up surfing rather quickly, and she didn't have any humiliating experiences that particular day. She wiped out a lot, but she managed to stay on her board a few times as well. They'd break for a late lunch and help themselves to the chicken salad sandwiches and cold soda in the ice chest he had brought with him. They talked, and Megumi discovered what Aoshi's life had been like prior to joining the Navy. And she talked about medical school, growing up with two brothers. Then they hit the water again.
"I had a really good time," Megumi commented as they headed toward the showerhead to rinse the salt water off. It was getting late in the afternoon, judging by the position of the sun in the West.
They had placed their boards by their picnic spot and grabbed their towels.
"Same here…" And he realized he did. He liked being in her company. He felt more…relaxed around her.
She kicked off her flipflops as they reached the public showerhead, a very simple showerhead attached to a stone wall. A black rubber grid-like mat was placed on the floor, allowing water to pass through to escape into a drain at the corner of the shower. She hung their towels over a metal rail beside the shower. "Hmm…" Megumi tried to turn the knob, but failed.
"Here…" Aoshi reached around her arm and after a few seconds, the knob turned and water sprayed over them. "It wasn't loosened from the last time you used it…"
Megumi reached up to remove her hair from its constricting ponytail braid while he stepped back and waited his turn.
"Do you think I can surf in Waikiki now?" she asked teasingly.
"You need a little more practice," he commented. "You might run into people." Cupping his hands together, he gathered some water before splashing his face and neck.
She smiled slightly. "What's wrong? You either don't trust your teaching or me."
"Do you really want my answer to that?" he responded. He opened his mouth in protest as she seized his wrist and pulled him forward beneath the spray.
"Will you relax?" she reasoned. With a mischievous smile, she moved so she stood behind him, releasing a sigh of appreciation as her hands glided over the powerful muscles of his upper back. He really was a good-looking man, with chiseled features and piercing blue-gray eyes. And a well-defined torso women would beg higher powers the opportunity to explore. "Now this is conserving water…"
"Megumi…" he warned.
"Did anyone ever tell you that you're adorable when you're uncomfortable?" she asked, dropping her hands. She stepped in front of him, moving so just an inch separated them. "Aoshi…"
His frown disappeared as he looked down at her, her dark eyes swimming with an emotion he couldn't name. She looked ethereal…vulnerable…her hands slowly reaching up, grasping his shoulders, as her head tilted back. A light puff of air escaped her lips, brushing against his own.
Then those dark eyes twinkled with mischief as her lips widened into a smile. "I have to go now…so I'll see you later…"
He narrowed his eyes, watching as she ducked away. He watched her move towards the parking area until her form disappeared. One day…he was going to call that woman's bluff…
A/N: Megumi's so bad, isn't she? =P
