Kaoru's Regrets

Disclaimer! Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me, but to Nobuhiro Watsuki. Darn, maybe some day ^_^x

Sorry for the long wait, here's chapter 8: A Date with Aoshi

Note: ~~~~~~ = change of point of view, toggles from Misao to Aoshi

It starts out as Misao talking

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Kaoru's Regrets, Chapter Eight: A Date with Aoshi

I sat by my window, waiting, just waiting for my Aoshi to come. What if this was all a hoax? Maybe, he'll stand me up. He probably tok a bet from someone. I can just see it in my head. 'Hey Icicle! Pay you twenty bucks to take out that weasal girl and break her heart. Thirty and it's a deal.'

I shook my head angrily. No! Aoshi would never do that to me! I felt like I was on the verge of tears. Just as one lone tear slipped down my face, I saw him walking up to my door. My prince had come for me! I quickly wiped the tear away from my eye, carefully as to not ruin my friends' 'masterpiece'. If you ask me, they were more excited for my than I was!

I fought down the urge to run down and waited for Okina to call me. Sure enough, I heard Gramps call, "My pretty Misao! Aoshi has come for you!"

Forcing away another urge to run downstairs, I walked as calmly and as gracefully as I could. "Aoshi-sama!" I greeted him with my usual cheerful self.

~~~~~~

"Kon . . kon . . . konbanwa." I managed to stammer. Kami-sama, she looked beautiful. Regaining my composure as quickly as I could, I offered her my arm. "Shall we go?"

She took it and I led her out the door. Misao is really more beautiful than I though. We walked in silence, until I mustered up the courage to say, "You look so beautiful tonight."

"Arigato." She turned her head in the other direction, but my guess is that she was blushing. I still can't get over how gorgeous she looked.

We walked into the Akabeko and I told the hostess of my reservations

~~~~~~

Aoshi is such a gentleman! He opened doors for me and pulled my chair out and pushed it in for me! I opened my menu and snuck a peek at Aoshi. He looks so handsome in his gi and hakama! I kinda miss his trenchcoat though, he looks hot in it! When I looked at him, I swear I saw him looking at me! I can already feel my cheeks burning.

"So, what are you going to get? Eel sounds good, but maybe tempura or Ramen noodles!" Why am I babbling like this? I'm never nervous around Aoshi!

"The eel sounds good to me." Finally! A word comes out. People think he's just quiet, but I know better. I mean you get to know a person pretty well after nine or ten years, ne? Aoshi just doesn't like to talk; he only likes to talk when he thinks it's worth it and he's not a cold person either! He has a big heart, he's just saving it for a special person. Kami-sama, I hope it's me.

"Then I'll get the tempura." I finally decide. I don't want to seem like a pig, but I don't want to come off like I starve myself. Plus, i do'nt want to spend all his money. So, I settles for tempura. I like it, it's not too expensive, and it's not a gigantic platter.

"So . . . what are you planning to do this summer?" I ask him, he'll answer that question, afterall, we are on a date, ne?

"I'm not sure yet. I was thinking of going to the Aoiya for a month to train."

"Yeah," I agree, "I might do that too. My aim with the kunai needs a little work." Maybe I shouldn't have said that. I don'y want him to think of me as vicious. Oh wait, scratch that, I already kicked him in the head. "Gomen!" I blurt out.

"Nani?" Ah, confused already. Did he already forget?

"I still feel bad for kicking you." I cringed as I slid over the words 'kicking you'. Something tells me that kicking the guy you like does not help at all.

~~~~~~

She still feels bad about kicking me? I, for one, was glad she kicked me! No, no, I'm not crazy. If she didn't kick me, then I wouldn't have asked her out. I mean, would you really stop someone you know in the streets and say, 'Hey, come to dinner with me tomorrow night' No? i didn't think so.

I decided to change the subject. "So, how long have you been training with kunai?"

She figeted in her seat, "About seven years." she answered quietly. Quietly?!?! That is NOT the Misao I know and love. Does she really think that training with kunai makes her less irresistable? I like a girl that can take care of herself.

"You must be pretty good then. I'm still improving with my kodachi."

"Oh yeah, your kodachi. Kaoru-chan is really great with her bokken." Ah yes, Kaoru and her bokken. I think that why Kenshin like her so much. Only that rooster-head like women with no martial arts skill.

"Himura likes that about her." Oops. I can't believe I just dragged Kenshin into my date. Oh well, I've wanted Misao's opinion on Kenshin and Kaoru anyway.

"They looks so cute together." So she agrees with me. But 'cute' isn't the word that I would have used. They just look so . . . right. I remember that Tomoe girl. Oh, I have nothing against her. She's a nice quiet girl, but just not the nice quiet girl for Kenshin. She always liked Akira better anyway.

"Yeah, they do." I decided to reply. Misao was probably getting worried that I wasn't going to answer her.

"Kaoru-chan doens't even know that Kenshin likes her." So she didn't tell her, huh? I would have that girls tells each other these things. Would Kaoru get mad if I told Misao? I don't think so . . . but if she didn't tell her, then maybe I shoukdn't.

It's a shame." I respond. Wait a minute! How did Misao find out that Kenshin likes Koaru anyway? "How'd you find out?"

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"I bugged him until he told me." I stated simply. Did Aoshi really think that I, of all people, wouldn't find out? Wait a second! Does he know something I don't?

"Your food is here!" I turned my head and saw our waitress put our food in front of us. I picked up a piece of tempura and chewed thoughtfully. I just had to know. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"Nani?" Trying to play the innocent act on me, huh? Well, Makimachi Misao does NOT let anyone, especially Aoshi, get away with that!

"Don't you 'nani' me!! I know you know something about Kaoru-chan and Kenshin that I don't, so spill!!"

"Oi, this eel needs some soy sauce . . . "

I'm about to pounce on him. I do'nt care what happens as long as he tells me. Breathe, Misao, breathe. (A/N: Misao is trying to calm herself down)

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I see Misao beathing hard. I know I made her mad. I just don't think I'm supposed to tell her. But then again, maybe I should.

"Why do you want to know?" Ha! This'll get her good. Whenever anyone asks her 'why' she can never give a better answer than 'because'

"why?! why?!? Well, becuase Kaoru-chan needs to know! She thinks he doesn't even like her!!" oookay, I guess I was wrong about her answer

"You're wrong" Simple, yet effective.

"What do you mean I'm wrong?!?! Kaoru-chan doesn't know, therefore, I'm right!"

"No, you're wrong becuase Kaoru does know"

"She know!?!? How? Who told her?"

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I can't believe kaoru knows. AND she didn't even tell me! Well, maybe she was afriad that I was going to do something. And to tell the truth I probably was going to tell Kenshin to ask her out and if he gace me any of that 'sessha' crap then, he'd really get it.

Finally Aoshi answered me, "I told her"

?!!?!?!?!?! The infamous Icicle told her? "You told her? When?"

"Today"

"When!?!?"

"When I bumped into her at the marketplace."

Wow. So Kaoru does know, I wonder why she didn't make a move. She's just shy, I guess. I decided that maybe I should bring up Kaoru and kenshin anymore, so I asked him, "So, when are you planning on going to the Aoiya for training?"

The rest of the evening went this way. I asked him a question and he answered it, but once we had a conversation where, I didn't have to ask him questions to get an answer out of him

Soon, I found myself in front of my doorstep with Aoshi to my right. I put my hand to his cheek and gave him a little kiss on his other cheek, "I had a great time. You'll call me again, ne?"

"Hai."

I walked into the house and we parted ways. Okinda greeted me inside, "My pretty Misao! Did you have a good time?"

"It was wonderful." I said blissfully. I walked up the stairs to my room. Tonight was undoubtably the best night of my life.

~~~~~~

I walked away from Misao's house, mulling over our eveing. Yes, indeed, is was a nice date, but for Misao, she might have found it boring, no matter how much she likes me. Yes, I do know, I mean I've have to be more dense as Kenshin not to know. I'll probably call her in a day or two. Maybe next time, i'll make things more interesting for her.

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A/N: I know in the beginning it was really angsty, but I really like writing angst. one of my favorite parts was when Misao was grilling Aoshi about knowing something she didn't and he said, "Oi, this eel needs some soy sauce . . ." I loved that part! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I'm not exactly sure that they were in thier character, but no one really knows what goes on in their heads, so I gave it a shot. I think it gives a little more insight as to who they really are. Did anyone think this was better than third person? The only thing that I didn't like was not being able to express other people's point of view.