If Only You Smile 5

****

Makoto took in all the features of the tall dark-haired figure standing by the entrance to the main temple. Aoshi-Sempai hadn't changed at all. He was still just as handsome as the last time she met him four months ago. The power of those piercing blue eyes hadn't lessened one bit and made the auburn female's muscles stiff as though they were a part of a recently made statue. She was caught in the mesmerizing power of Aoshi's cold stare and the rest of his façade. Everything around her became a blur and the only things that appeared to be clear were herself and Aoshi. The white trench coat wasn't on him right now and instead a simple white gi was what he was wearing as his chosen garment.

She couldn't believe he remembered her name after all these months of separation. Was it possible that the memory of her was in there somewhere and hadn't been released yet? For Makoto she nearly forgot who Shinomori Aoshi was until the young girl by the name of Makimachi Misao shouted it in front of her startled face. Only then did her earlier memories of the Oniwabanshu Okashira come back to life and her feelings towards the man returned to her mind. Makoto's eyes were mainly focused on Aoshi's physique rather than anything else, which hindered her ability to communicate verbally with him.

Thankfully Aoshi was the one to break her dreamy trance and opened a conversation up. Although when he spoke he turned his gaze away from her, staring to his right. "You haven't changed."

Makoto smiled softly. "Neither have you." She knew Aoshi was a man of few words and respected him for this kind of behaviour. If he wanted to speak laconically then she'd make an effort on doing the same to keep things smooth between them. They could stay in this position for as long as they wanted to until someone said something. She spotted the tray of food on the table and the present situation flooded back into her brain. Oh yes how could she forget? This was supposed to be for him. "Uh, Aoshi-Sempai there's some…"

"How did you know I was here?" He suddenly asked. The ice blue eyes shot back into her direction. Makoto prevented a gasp from being released. A horrible thought devoured her insides' happiness of seeing this person. Was he angry because she was here in Kyoto? She expected him to ask her what she was doing here but the answer to that would have been pretty obvious, which was possibly why he didn't bother giving out that question verbally. The main concern for him was how this girl knew where he lived.

Makoto swallowed the brief sense of amazement from being jumped by an abrupt question in order to answer Aoshi's query. "Someone took me to Kyoto." She couldn't help developing a happy smile around her lips when she said this. Indeed someone did take her here and that person deserved a lot of thanks for bringing her to see Sempai, right? She was about to go on when Aoshi moved away from the door. He didn't seem to avert his gaze from her as he approached the table and sat very near to Makoto, unaware of the delights sitting nearby.

Makoto gulped inappropriately. It was becoming such a habit these days. Whenever someone she admired was more than just close to her she couldn't help but push the apprehension down her throat. It was an automatic gesture from her body. She was so used to looking up to observe Aoshi's face since he towered over her that it felt rather strange to have him at almost the same eye level as her right this minute. She swore she could look into his eyes much deeper than before. However, she was aware she had to cut her desire to ogle him for a longer hour after noticing a look of waiting on Aoshi's features. He obviously wanted to know who brought her here, didn't he?

"A girl called Misao came to see me in Osaka," Makoto stated.She saw his face straighten after she said that. It was as though he had awoken from a short daydream.

"Misao?" He echoed, his deep voice definitely sounding a little stunned. She nodded to prove she was telling the truth. So that's how the brunette haired woman ended up here. Of course she wouldn't have a clue where he lived as he never told her himself during their previous encounter. Aoshi rubbed his forehead slowly; even though there didn't appear to be any sweat forming on his skin. It was most likely to be a motion to shrug off his surprise or whatever emotion he was experiencing in his mind.

"Misao-chan told me you weren't doing so well these days ever since Shishio Makoto and the Juppongatana were taken down," Makoto went on. "She wanted me to come here and see you."

"Really?" was all he could say in return. What else did Misao tell this girl?

"I couldn't believe she already knew who I was. And it was all down to one thing." Her hand dug through the inside of her sleeve and revealed a folded piece of paper. Aoshi took the paper away before she could show its main contents. He wanted to be the one to expose the content, it seemed. But who could blame him? After all this was his property and many people respected whatever belonged to Aoshi. He unfolded the paper till the familiar colours of paint came into view. Ah yes this was definitely his all right.

"Misao stole this from my room," He murmured to himself. Maybe he should have kept this in a much more secretive place. Sometimes he could tell that the young braided girl could go too far with her curious antics and her sneaky demeanour. Makoto couldn't understand why the atmosphere between her and Aoshi was somehow beginning to grow warm and comfortable. Just a minute ago, she thought he seemed irritated that she was here from out of the blue but now…she felt something nice being emitted from Sempai while she watched him. Was he admiring the portrait that the artist drew for him? She couldn't help the small fluster appear on her cheeks since this was a very accurate portrait of herself.

In secret, Aoshi was comparing Makoto and the portrait sitting between his fingers. He was glad that he spent some money on something worthwhile. The artist didn't have a high level of popularity for nothing. Everything he remembered about Makoto was spot on and the colours were almost as real and bright as the woman herself. His azure orbs looked up from the paper to see the guest sitting and watching him in awe. Despite her flushed face, Aoshi knew she was going to sit there and wait for as long as she wanted until either one of them said something. Makoto respected him as a person and never questioned him so much, which was what he found fascinating about her.

"Did Misao say anything else about me?" Aoshi asked.

"We didn't exactly talk much on other things. She was mainly concerned about getting me here," Makoto replied, becoming timid when she heard her words repeat in thought. Although it sounded silly when heard aloud, what she said was true though. Their conversation was solely on helping Aoshi and nothing else. There were no questions on what their favourite food was or what their hobbies were. The Oniwabanshu no Okashira was the key topic. "I don't think Misao-chan wanted to tell me everything in one go." Makoto's emerald eyes suddenly became more concerned and caring when she looked at Aoshi. "Perhaps it might be better if you tell me some things yourself."

The ebony haired swordsman didn't have to think twice on what she wanted to talk about. She wanted to know what went on since he departed from Osaka four months ago. What went on during this period? Many things of course. Makoto had no idea what she would discover from him. If she wasn't careful enough she might even collapse in shock.

"How long can you stay?" He questioned, flinching for a split second when Makoto's fingers touched his hand as it rested on his left lap.

"I'll stay for as long as I need to." A gentle smile was all he needed as his answer.

****

"Man, I sure wish I could go see what they're doing." Misao whispered to herself. "But I'd be such a nosy girl and it isn't nice to invade people's privacy." The sixteen-year old strolled down the street of Kyoto to observe every single moving object. Everything seemed normal today. People were greeting their friends as they went in different directions. Children were running around, weaving past adults. And the ninja herself was just taking her own sweet time while she walked. She wasn't exactly in a running mood, considering on how much energy she had given off from running to Osaka and back here.

Jiya had advised her to get some rest but of course she wasn't going to do that. She still felt great. Well it was her body's system that felt all right. However, her mind was in all kinds of places. She wanted to know what Aoshi-sama and Mako-chan were talking about in the temple. Would they even be talking at all and doing something else?

Dammit, don't think such things, Misao! She scolded herself It's not polite.Imagining such actions was really unnecessary. Especially if she admired two people both from the bottom of her heart. OK so maybe Misao didn't know Makoto well enough as a real friend but there was something about her that the ninja couldn't help liking as a person.

Did Makimachi Misao envy Kino Makoto? Was it bad to think in this way? What would Jiya say if she asked him this question? Or even Omasu-san? Everyone was busy at the Aoiya it was hard to get them to answer her bizarre questions on people and their characteristics. Perhaps she was jealous that Aoshi could notice an older girl like Makoto and not someone like Misao. But each time she saw or spoke to her in the little time that they had known each other, the ninja ended up enjoying her company, even though she was aware that Makoto was most likely the best person to get Aoshi-sama to be more open.

Makoto was someone who trained in martial arts like Misao yet was capable of keeping her feminine features in view by being able to wear a Kimono and cook food like ordinary women did. Misao could easily tell the brunette was a tomboy like herself, which was one thing that the ninja could relate to. That was what made her admire the other female so much. Essentially her thoughts were reminding her that she thought highly of Makoto and wanted to be like her. Obviously this meant Misao didn't loathe her at all, unlike the local people in Osaka. How the hell did Mako-chan cope with living in a place like that?

Misao found herself smirking happily again and discovered that the so-called jealousy she felt towards Makoto was meaningless - hence it vanished in an instant. Her happy mood was making her skip down the street and caused her awareness to lower dramatically. It also made her not expect something hard to crash into her. Uh-oh! That was Misao's first thought as she landed on the ground, her backside landing first. If it was those three guys again then she was in serious trouble because she wasn't looking where she was going. With the previous guys they just didn't want to let her pass. However this time, it was different. She had to take the blame so there was no point in arguing at all, right? Misao had to do what was right and immediately apologised, bowing quickly at the same time.

"Oh it's all right, Ojou-san. It's my fault. I was the one who wasn't looking," A friendly voice said to her, giggling nervously soon after.Huh? Misao thought when she heard the youthful tone. So it wasn't either one of those three guys. Thank goodness. Well it was highly unlikely that they would speak in such a formal tone, wasn't it? Lifting her head in relief, she caught a clear glimpse of the person, and spotted him sitting on the ground, his right hand scratching the back of his head and his face smiling simultaneously. It looked like he was carrying something heavy, which would explain what hit Misao hard on the left shoulder. But how could a guy that young and skinny carry such a heavy load of food?

That suspicious thought dissolved instantly when she looked at the boy again. He looked so familiar. It was the smile that got her memories thinking. Well didn't cheerful people smile a lot? Everyone could smile, right? Even Aoshi-sama if he was willing enough. But this boy's smile was different. It seemed…unreal. And it was giving Misao small tickles on her back. Her mind clicked immediately when she realised something. Could it be him? Could it be that boy who broke Himura's first sword? Only one person smiled weirdly like that and that was this guy sitting right in front of her.

"Impossible!" Misao cried. Her jade eyes widened in horror. Fear started to spread from the top of her spine. This was not good. She thought all of the Juppongatana were long gone in separate places. What the hell was this guy doing here? Was he here to take out the Oniwabanshu to seek revenge for Shishio Makoto? Her fighting instincts were telling her to make a move quickly. The short, brown haired boy stopped laughing and looked up to see Misao after hearing her speak in exclamation. His indigo eyes staring at her with wonder. He seemed to recognise her as well.

"Oh. You're that girl who was with Himura-san," He smiled kindly, observing the ninja's physical features. "Misao-san, isn't it?" The boy pulled back in alarm when he saw weapons sticking out of the girl's fingers.

"The name's Makimachi Misao, buddy," She corrected him. "I know who YOU are. Seta Soujiro. The one known as the Ten Ken!" A look of fury was seen on her face, as well her evident determination to attack him. He wasn't certain whether to say anything and remained still.

****

Makoto found it hard to take in everything that he had said to her. Her emerald irises had remained wide open since the beginning of this conversation. The warm feeling between them was in some way not present any more. And it felt like four months ago. When Aoshi explained to her about what happened to his men. The painful sensations had come back. However the pain she was feeling wasn't down to loss. It was down to shock and slight horror. Makoto couldn't believe what Aoshi had been up to in Kyoto, what he had been experiencing during battle. He almost killed Okina in a fight and had lost his mind for so many days and nights because of his absolute determination to fight Himura Battousai and ending up forming a temporary alliance with Shishio Makoto.

"I…I can't believe this is what went on," Mako-chan said and swallowed a full cup of green tea in one go. "I could have helped in the war but was forced to stay behind to assist Ayane when she was injured."

"You wouldn't stand a chance against any of them. Even *I* couldn't defeat Shishio myself," Aoshi replied. He frowned before taking his cup of tea to his lips to sip the hot liquid lightly. Seeing that quick expression indicated to Makoto that he was indeed disappointed from being defeated. He thought he could give the title of 'Strongest' to his men but didn't fulfil his goal in the end. Although his defeat did give him something in return. Himura Kenshin managed to make the Oniwabanshu Okashira open his eyes, see the truth and bring him back to sanity.

"Sempai, sometimes when we fix our minds on one goal, which ends up being hard, we do go over the top and lose a part of our sanity," Makoto said. "So you shouldn't be so down for what happened. People can't help themselves when they go insane. It just happens."

"I've needed time to reflect on what I did," He stated. "You were lucky to not be in Kyoto at that time. Otherwise I could have killed you if I wanted to." Makoto bit her lip to ease off the tension. Now that she thought about it, he did have a point. She could picture a bloodstained Kodachi wielder standing right in front of her. Looking to kill someone without any compassion. That sight frightened her and it would haunt her forever if she really did see Aoshi in this kind of state.

Aoshi's fringes concealed his amazing blue eyes when his head descended to avoid looking at Makoto. "My mind was so lost. Whenever Samurai challenged me I just killed them in one turn. I…I gave myself into evil." Makoto watched his fingers fiddle with the folds of his gi and she felt her cheeks burn much more than ever when he exposed the pale skin of his chest. Yes she had to admit that to see more of his flesh for the first time was amazing…but that was where the embarrassing thoughts halted.

"Oh my…" Makoto was lost for words as she took in the appearance of the injuries. Long yet faded scars spread all over his torso. How on earth did he get these? Why did he even get them in the first place? Those were the thoughts that ran through Makoto's mind as she stared at his upper body. Without thinking first, her hands automatically moved itself towards the long scar on her left. Her fingers shook in uncertainty when it was less than an inch away from Aoshi. He didn't seem to react whatsoever to stop her and Makoto guessed that it was okay for her to touch his scar. So she did, although gently with her fingertips.

As expected, the scar was thin and had sunk deep into the skin. Hardly anyone would be able to spot it at this rate. But Makoto could still see both remains of the scars that embedded into Aoshi's body like permanent marks. It must have hurt like hell for him when he first got those injuries. Then again maybe it didn't, as he said he had given into evil. Therefore his thoughts and senses just blanked out during his fight so pain was nothing to him. Makoto found both her hands moving from the two scars to the rest of his chest.

The bright red blush was becoming warmer as she did this and nothing was stopping her. Something inside of her was making her do this constantly. Aoshi's skin was as warm as her cheeks and Makoto didn't know who was hotter here. Both her hands lost its movement after something large gripped all ten fingers, clearly showing the difference in size. She could tell that it was Aoshi's hands.

"S-Sempai, I uh…" Makoto couldn't even get the words out as Aoshi's piercing blue eyes sank deep into a pair of confused emerald pools. This staring game was becoming more and more familiar by the minute. She could get used to this kind of moment with Sempai.

The young auburn girl didn't notice that her seating position had changed and she was *much* closer to Aoshi (whose back was near a statue of Buddha) rather than the tiny table with the food tray. Somehow when she moved her hands to touch Aoshi's scars her entire body had travelled along as well. The detection of movement occurred again, only this time she could see what was making her body shift. Aoshi's hands had pulled her *more* adjacently towards him and he could clearly see the flush of nervousness surface on her cheeks.

Makoto was stunned to find that the tips of their noses touched each other lightly.How did we get THIS close? She thought in amazement as she continued to stare into his cold gaze. Their hands were still clinging onto one another like tight knots against Aoshi's bare chest and sweat was guaranteed to pop up from beneath their fingers at any time.

Makoto tried to speak what was on her mind. "Aoshi-Sempai?"

"What is it?" He answered back in a similar whisper. Their lips were a mere fraction away from each other.

"I almost forgot about you after all these months," She confessed, unsure on whether a small teardrop was forming in her right eye or if that was her imagination playing around. "I'm sorry."

"Makoto," He simply said in reply. This was the second time he had said her name today…and it made her insides erupt to life like a small volcanic crater. Hearing Sempai speak was exciting her so much. She wanted to hear him say her name again. It sounded so nice. So heart-warming. The next minute came without any words between the two when their lips delicately met each other. However the kiss didn't last for even a whole minute because each person could sense a hint of hesitation kicking in. Undoubtedly the main question that Makoto and Aoshi were asking one another was 'Is this the right thing to do?'

After staring at each other with uncertainty, Makoto freed her hands from Sempai's powerful grip and rose to her feet, leaving a stunned black haired man kneeling on the floor. Maybe things were going too fast. The kiss would come at a more appropriate time. Her leftover ache from missing Aoshi's strong body next to her just acted on its own accord a minute ago in the form of a small lip contact. There could be a chance that he'd be happy to see her again so she shouldn't have to worry about anything else since she knew where he lived, right? All she had to do was come to Kyoto and find him here or at the Aoiya. It would be easier now.

And what she was more concerned was what Aoshi was feeling. He didn't seem to mind talking to her after all. It looked like a new bridge of trust had been built between them. His ice blue orbs carefully watched the unsteady brunette grab the tray, which held empty dishes and cups, and pulled it against her chest before heading towards the door.

"Did you like my sushi?" Makoto asked and looked over her shoulder to observe the handsome man. He nodded firmly and to make up for his politeness she smiled at him to show her thanks. "What about the green tea? I hope it wasn't too strong."

"The tea was fine," He answered. Makoto's smile grew larger. Thank goodness her cooking lessons with Ayane finally paid off. She was able to impress someone she liked with this skill.

"Listen, I have to go back home," She then said. "I think Ayane needs me to help out at the inn and teahouse. I'll come visit you again tomorrow with some more food…if that's okay." The recognisable look of impassiveness was always on Aoshi's face and the temple's surroundings were telling her that Sempai was okay with her proposition even if he wouldn't confirm his answer by simply saying yes or no to her. Nodding appreciatively to him, she made her way to the door to leave.

"Makoto."

Her left hand pulled back from reaching towards the door and a pair of curious jade irises tilted back to see why Aoshi beckoned to the nineteen-year old female (not that she minded hearing him saying her name in that deep tone of his). What could he want now? She wondered. As her head looked over her left shoulder, a warm hand cupped her right cheek and the next minute came remarkably fast for her to catch. Her mouth was clasped by something so powerful that it disabled an opportunity for her to speak normally. Strands of ebony were tickling her eyes and her senses caught up with reality to see what was happening. Aoshi-Sempai was kissing her! But so soon! So unexpected! Makoto turned her body round so she was facing Aoshi in an erect posture. The one thing that was preventing them from moving even closer to each other was the tray in her hands.

But like any of them cared about the obstacle in-between. Their lips were too busy devouring one another with burning need and desire. Who gave a damn about waiting to get a decent kiss later on? Wasn't this a good time right now? Aoshi-Sempai couldn't seem to wait until the next day. He looked like he wanted Makoto right this minute. Why else was this happening? What made this moment more delightful was the fact that Aoshi's warm fingers were caressing her cheeks to ease her discomfort. She loved his touch so much and wanted to feel *more* of his electrical current.

The Oniwabanshu Okashira drove his lips away from her to say something more enticing. "Would you stay here with me for a little longer?" She wasn't able to reply openly when his fingers caressed the sides of her neck. The need in his voice could be heard as clear as crystal. How could Makoto decline his offer? Besides, didn't she need him as well? Aoshi's ice blue eyes seemed to be hiding a sort of hunger behind that cold stare of his and it was calling to Makoto with desperation.

"O-Okay," was the only thing she could say as she gave in to the crazy mood that was developing between the two of them. Dropping the tray to the floor, she embraced Aoshi without anymore words. Their arms wrapped around one another like two snakes coiling their bodies.Yes Aoshi-Sempai. Hold me like this! Please! Makoto thought satisfyingly before her lips sought Aoshi's, resuming their kisses from before. She didn't care how long she was enveloped in her Sempai's arms. Just as long as she was close to him and was able to feel his mighty physique that was capable of protecting her from everything.

TBC

Oh sorry if the last scene was a little odd. I didn't want it to sound too fluffy XD. As for the arrival of Soujiro…well he's a last minute idea I decided to bring in to this story. You'll see why he's in Kyoto in the epilogue…which should be the next chapter. It's just a small thing really. Of course this story focuses on Aoshi and Makoto but Soujiro and Misao are something else; a hint of a future tale that would have a predictable storyline is what I am saying here. I wanted to even some things out for the characters.

Also if you get the chance to re-read this last scene, find MP3s on the following tunes from the Rurouni Kenshin third OST: Oniwabanshu – Kyoto Tansakugata and Warriors Blue – a theme of Shinomori Aoshi. I was listening to the RK OSTs and when these two tracks popped up I was right in the middle of writing the fluff. It's quite nice and makes the atmosphere for the romance scenes very fitting XD, in particular Aoshi's theme, which I have to say is so wonderful and sticks into your head if you listen to it a lot. Makes you want to hug him ^_^.

Nanashi- In reality I think Misao would be faster than Makoto as she is younger and *very* energetic whilst Makoto would be stronger than her. Thanks for understanding this concept ^_^. Running in a tight Kimono and a pair of Geta does make things hard as well ^^;; And I did get the *snogging* in just like you requested Mako-chan to do in your review ^_^;;.