So sorry for taking so damn long with the chap! I was just so busy these
last days, so stinkin' busy! But now, hopefully I get more open spaces in
my schedule and this story will get done quick as Soujiro! (yea rite!)
Thanx to those who always review n to those who read and don't! It would be
nice if u did review like the others, cuz that way, I DON'T GIVE UP ON THIS
=p Im running on reviews guys, that's the gas that goes through this car
called writing. But enough chitchat, enjoy! More problems for our Sou, and
hey! Guess who wakes up!
*~*~*~*
Days had past since that night which Soujiro kept to himself; he didn't think it was ok to tell the others about a stranger's dreams, though she seemed awake for that one moment. Each day, after that night, snow would engulf Tokyo, piling higher and higher it seemed. Soujiro had always hated the snow, especially winter. The nights he had spent sleeping in the cold when he was just a little boy caused that. With just a thin, raggedy blanket and his own warmth, he kept himself heated a bit during those long cold freezing nights. Every day, someone would proxy someone else, a rotation in keeping Ayame company and making sure she would not have other mental collision or something. After three days of deep slumber, Megumi's patient finally woke up.And met once again with Soujiro.
FLASH BACK
6 in the morning precisely, he noted. The day was dark as night, ironic yet true. He was outside, getting fresh air, as he did every morning since he was with Mr. Shishio. Bad habits die hard, you can say. But what's so bad about waking up at 6 to inhale the new air? Exactly. Soujiro, taking a look around, smiled softly at the nature before his eyes. The snow was still there, white and soft as ever, creating a field of its own all around the city and elsewhere. Sakura trees swayed in dance to the rhythm of the wind, cold yet childish. Childish as in, playful, twirling children's clothes as they ran in fun, playing on the wind chimes nailed on every house and store, making the leaves on the ground get up and dance in mid air to its wonderful music. Just that scene of wind passing through the dojo, ruffling his hair, moving the trees, that was enough to make him smile. He sensed out, out of habit and with no thought, Kenshin's ki coming out of his room and go straight down the halls, in his mind seeing him check each room to make sure everything was alright. ~I better go back. ~ He thought and did. He went down a different hall and ended up at the room he barely closed his eyes in and met with frightened green eyes.
Soujiro stood frozen, not actually prepared for this, what could he say to her? Her eyes darted to the sword on his waist and they grew bigger. ~Great, now she's gonna think I'm going to kill her. ~ He sighed inwardly. But Soujiro smiled at her and bowed to her, noticing the way her fear turned to confusion. "Good morning, miss. You should be sleeping." He whispered, not wanting to wake the others. Ayame stared at him with a blank expression, silence in the air for a looong time. Soujiro spoke again, somewhat nervous, "Miss, I'm not here to hurt you. I brought you here because you fainted and you needed help. You're in a dojo, if you want to know." Cautiously, still looking at her, he removed his sword from the waist and crouched down to place it on the floor and got up slowly. She opened her mouth to say something and coughed instead. Soujiro moved towards her but stopped when she squeaked in alarm. Once again, they stared at each other, both analyzing one another. Unfortunately for Ayame, her head hurt so much she decided to leave the thinking alone. "Miss.Don't you remember me?" Ayame looked at him, sitting up on her elbows, which hurt like hell, and stared deadly in his eyes.
The navy blue eyes, the vastness of his eyes, and the emotions in them, where had she seen them before? A memory flashed back at her and made her blink in astonishment. The laughter still rang in her ears from that one memory and slowly fainted away. She looked back at him and noticed the puzzlement he had. She shook her head in a negative to answer his question. Soujiro nodded sadly and sat down next to her, getting her to scoot away.
"Miss, I'm not gonna hurt you. I brought you here so you can heal. You're hurt badly miss. I'm surprised you can even lift yourself up on your elbows." He commented with a smile, trying to ease some tension. ~Boy, is she shaken. ~
Ayame sighed and opened her mouth ONCE AGAIN and let out a small hoarse whisper. "Ayame."
Soujiro leaned in a bit, not quiet hearing her, for an expert in catching even the lightest and smallest of sounds, he couldn't grab hold of her words. She said it once again and he smiled at her, understanding what her word meant.
"Miss Ayame. Lovely name." Ayame painted her cheeks in pink by his words, getting him to raise an eyebrow but accompanied by a smile. "Arigato." She whispered, this time her voice a bit clearer. "What's yours?" She asked, scooting back to her normal position. "Soujiro. But everybody here calls me Sou." Ayame nodded and coughed again, wincing at the pain in her throat. "Are you ok?" Soujiro asked, not knowing what to do ONCE AGAIN. ~Of course she's not all right, baka! She's practically wrapped in bandages like Mr. Shishio! Kami-sama, you're dense. ~
She finished her coughing and laughed quietly at herself. "I like your name too, Soujiro-san." Soujiro cringed inwardly at the name but laughed at it outwardly. "Miss Ayame, I'm no one important. I like Soujiro plain." Ayame shrugged but went with him. "Soujiro.How did you find me?" She asked, leaning in a bit. Soujiro was about to start when 'he' came through the door, his usual smirk of confidence on.
"Get ready to eat dirt, Tenken!" Yahiko yawned and then looked at Ayame who giggled at his appearance. His hair looked like Chou's, standing up straight as a broom's brushes. His clothes were only his gray gi that he used to sleep with, leaving out two feet covered in socks to show. He looked a bit stoned, his eyes fluttering. Yahiko turned red as a beet but then burst into anger, a girl who he didn't even know was laughing at him. At HIM, Myoujin Yahiko!
"Oi, what's so funny!" He yelled at her, shocking Ayame and irritating Soujiro EXTREMELY. Didn't Kaoru teach the kid some manners? Soujiro, setting his jaw but keeping his smile, opened his mouth to say something but Ayame won him to it.
"Anything that looks funny to me, and unfortunately for you, Yahiko, you're funny to me. Now be a good baka deshi and go to your sensei."
Both brunettes looked at her, surprised. Soujiro because of hearing her speak for the first time so gruesome and Yahiko because of hearing his name come out of a stranger's lips.
"D-Do I know you?" Yahiko stuttered, coming towards her. Ayame rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "You were the kid that got mad at me for telling some girls that I would cut off their hair." Yahiko made an 'O' with his lips and nodded, then looked at her with a weird face.
"You don't look the same. You had mud and dirt all over you. Megumi did nice cleaning you up." Ayame just looked at him. Yahiko feeling a bit uneasy with Ayame's eyes that were greener than Misao's staring at him, turned to Soujiro who was looking at Ayame. Yahiko grew an impish grin, mischief taking over him.
"Tenken stop staring at her. It's rude, you should know better. Don't make it so obvious." Yahiko said getting Soujiro to shoot his attention to Yahiko, his eyes wide with surprise, a surprise look that tried very hard to not show his embarrassment. Ayame looked at Soujiro and then to Yahiko, confused.
"Make wh-what obvious, Yahiko?" Soujiro asked, clearly a bit behind. Yahiko chuckled with such malevolence it seemed very Saitoh-like.
"Tenken, Tenken, Tenken. It's so clear to see that you like her. Just don't make it so obvious like I said." Soujiro and Ayame grew red as red could ever be, stunned by his words.
"What! What are you talking about? I don't like miss Ayame! I just met her! You must be crazy, Yahiko. Sano must've given you a lot of sake! Silly, silly, boy! Ha ha ha!" Soujiro panicked, shaking his hands and his head in company with his words, sweat drops animatedly hanging around his head as his face flushed with humiliation as he laughed uneasily. Ayame kept quiet, feeling a bit embarrassed with the sensation of sweet surprise, even with all her bruises that settled on her, he liked her. But his words killed the sensation, he didn't.
"Yeah, right. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Tenken." Yahiko taunted, holding his laughter in. Soujiro's face and actions were priceless! To hell with bringing out the assassin, making the perfect guy imperfect like that was a better reward! He strolled out with an air of victory in him, feeling very, very majestic.
Soujiro, still blushing, scratched the back of his head in pure nervousness. ~When I get you alone Myoujin! ~ He yelled inwardly.
"Soujiro.it's ok." Ayame whispered noting his uneasiness. Soujiro reluctantly looked at her and blushed a bit more; even though she was physically shattered, pounded with black blues, she seemed almost.innocent. An innocence that somehow caught his attention, more than what.What Misao had done to him whenever she was near. Even when the weasel had met that Tenken, she hadn't seduced him subconsciously until weeks later. What was it that she had?
"Miss Ayame, I will be back later with your food. I have to make it, so, just relax and try to go back to sleep. It'll be a while." Soujiro spoke, wishing that he could just disappear from sight to cool down his face and take off the embarrassment. Ayame nodded silently, and slowly went back to her primary posture. She closed her eyes for a moment and decided to tell him once again that it was ok if he didn't like her, she didn't know him either. But still.. few guys have the guts to smile and respect a battered woman. And just knowing that made her feel.good. At least he was a guy without a katana chasing after her. She opened her eyes to look at him and found no one. No one in the room. ~What the? ~
She sighed, thinking that she must've scared him away. She tried relaxing her tensed muscles and slowly but surely went to sleep.
Soujiro had run lightly on his feet, as always out of the room, it definitely resembled his fighting room, the room with no space. He dashed to the kitchen, anxiously tied his apron with trembling hands and ripped open a new bag of potatoes, grabbing a couple and began to peel one. That was not a moment he would like to remember. Damn that Yahiko, that teasing was uncalled for! How would he show his face to her? How could he go back into that room and face her! How, how, HOW! Soujiro got a little carried away and the knife slipped, cutting his finger. He stopped and looked down, noticing that small drop of blood that appeared.
"SOUJIROOOO!!!!" A loud and obnoxious voice called out, shaking down the whole house all except Soujiro. He knew that voice very well. And he loved it. But now, it was not the time for it to pop out. But he still loved it. Or at least liked it a lot, who was he to know what love was?
He smiled and turned to face the one person that he admired as much as Kenshin, but with more heart ;)
"Hello, miss Misao nice seeing you again."
*~*~*~*
Days had past since that night which Soujiro kept to himself; he didn't think it was ok to tell the others about a stranger's dreams, though she seemed awake for that one moment. Each day, after that night, snow would engulf Tokyo, piling higher and higher it seemed. Soujiro had always hated the snow, especially winter. The nights he had spent sleeping in the cold when he was just a little boy caused that. With just a thin, raggedy blanket and his own warmth, he kept himself heated a bit during those long cold freezing nights. Every day, someone would proxy someone else, a rotation in keeping Ayame company and making sure she would not have other mental collision or something. After three days of deep slumber, Megumi's patient finally woke up.And met once again with Soujiro.
FLASH BACK
6 in the morning precisely, he noted. The day was dark as night, ironic yet true. He was outside, getting fresh air, as he did every morning since he was with Mr. Shishio. Bad habits die hard, you can say. But what's so bad about waking up at 6 to inhale the new air? Exactly. Soujiro, taking a look around, smiled softly at the nature before his eyes. The snow was still there, white and soft as ever, creating a field of its own all around the city and elsewhere. Sakura trees swayed in dance to the rhythm of the wind, cold yet childish. Childish as in, playful, twirling children's clothes as they ran in fun, playing on the wind chimes nailed on every house and store, making the leaves on the ground get up and dance in mid air to its wonderful music. Just that scene of wind passing through the dojo, ruffling his hair, moving the trees, that was enough to make him smile. He sensed out, out of habit and with no thought, Kenshin's ki coming out of his room and go straight down the halls, in his mind seeing him check each room to make sure everything was alright. ~I better go back. ~ He thought and did. He went down a different hall and ended up at the room he barely closed his eyes in and met with frightened green eyes.
Soujiro stood frozen, not actually prepared for this, what could he say to her? Her eyes darted to the sword on his waist and they grew bigger. ~Great, now she's gonna think I'm going to kill her. ~ He sighed inwardly. But Soujiro smiled at her and bowed to her, noticing the way her fear turned to confusion. "Good morning, miss. You should be sleeping." He whispered, not wanting to wake the others. Ayame stared at him with a blank expression, silence in the air for a looong time. Soujiro spoke again, somewhat nervous, "Miss, I'm not here to hurt you. I brought you here because you fainted and you needed help. You're in a dojo, if you want to know." Cautiously, still looking at her, he removed his sword from the waist and crouched down to place it on the floor and got up slowly. She opened her mouth to say something and coughed instead. Soujiro moved towards her but stopped when she squeaked in alarm. Once again, they stared at each other, both analyzing one another. Unfortunately for Ayame, her head hurt so much she decided to leave the thinking alone. "Miss.Don't you remember me?" Ayame looked at him, sitting up on her elbows, which hurt like hell, and stared deadly in his eyes.
The navy blue eyes, the vastness of his eyes, and the emotions in them, where had she seen them before? A memory flashed back at her and made her blink in astonishment. The laughter still rang in her ears from that one memory and slowly fainted away. She looked back at him and noticed the puzzlement he had. She shook her head in a negative to answer his question. Soujiro nodded sadly and sat down next to her, getting her to scoot away.
"Miss, I'm not gonna hurt you. I brought you here so you can heal. You're hurt badly miss. I'm surprised you can even lift yourself up on your elbows." He commented with a smile, trying to ease some tension. ~Boy, is she shaken. ~
Ayame sighed and opened her mouth ONCE AGAIN and let out a small hoarse whisper. "Ayame."
Soujiro leaned in a bit, not quiet hearing her, for an expert in catching even the lightest and smallest of sounds, he couldn't grab hold of her words. She said it once again and he smiled at her, understanding what her word meant.
"Miss Ayame. Lovely name." Ayame painted her cheeks in pink by his words, getting him to raise an eyebrow but accompanied by a smile. "Arigato." She whispered, this time her voice a bit clearer. "What's yours?" She asked, scooting back to her normal position. "Soujiro. But everybody here calls me Sou." Ayame nodded and coughed again, wincing at the pain in her throat. "Are you ok?" Soujiro asked, not knowing what to do ONCE AGAIN. ~Of course she's not all right, baka! She's practically wrapped in bandages like Mr. Shishio! Kami-sama, you're dense. ~
She finished her coughing and laughed quietly at herself. "I like your name too, Soujiro-san." Soujiro cringed inwardly at the name but laughed at it outwardly. "Miss Ayame, I'm no one important. I like Soujiro plain." Ayame shrugged but went with him. "Soujiro.How did you find me?" She asked, leaning in a bit. Soujiro was about to start when 'he' came through the door, his usual smirk of confidence on.
"Get ready to eat dirt, Tenken!" Yahiko yawned and then looked at Ayame who giggled at his appearance. His hair looked like Chou's, standing up straight as a broom's brushes. His clothes were only his gray gi that he used to sleep with, leaving out two feet covered in socks to show. He looked a bit stoned, his eyes fluttering. Yahiko turned red as a beet but then burst into anger, a girl who he didn't even know was laughing at him. At HIM, Myoujin Yahiko!
"Oi, what's so funny!" He yelled at her, shocking Ayame and irritating Soujiro EXTREMELY. Didn't Kaoru teach the kid some manners? Soujiro, setting his jaw but keeping his smile, opened his mouth to say something but Ayame won him to it.
"Anything that looks funny to me, and unfortunately for you, Yahiko, you're funny to me. Now be a good baka deshi and go to your sensei."
Both brunettes looked at her, surprised. Soujiro because of hearing her speak for the first time so gruesome and Yahiko because of hearing his name come out of a stranger's lips.
"D-Do I know you?" Yahiko stuttered, coming towards her. Ayame rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "You were the kid that got mad at me for telling some girls that I would cut off their hair." Yahiko made an 'O' with his lips and nodded, then looked at her with a weird face.
"You don't look the same. You had mud and dirt all over you. Megumi did nice cleaning you up." Ayame just looked at him. Yahiko feeling a bit uneasy with Ayame's eyes that were greener than Misao's staring at him, turned to Soujiro who was looking at Ayame. Yahiko grew an impish grin, mischief taking over him.
"Tenken stop staring at her. It's rude, you should know better. Don't make it so obvious." Yahiko said getting Soujiro to shoot his attention to Yahiko, his eyes wide with surprise, a surprise look that tried very hard to not show his embarrassment. Ayame looked at Soujiro and then to Yahiko, confused.
"Make wh-what obvious, Yahiko?" Soujiro asked, clearly a bit behind. Yahiko chuckled with such malevolence it seemed very Saitoh-like.
"Tenken, Tenken, Tenken. It's so clear to see that you like her. Just don't make it so obvious like I said." Soujiro and Ayame grew red as red could ever be, stunned by his words.
"What! What are you talking about? I don't like miss Ayame! I just met her! You must be crazy, Yahiko. Sano must've given you a lot of sake! Silly, silly, boy! Ha ha ha!" Soujiro panicked, shaking his hands and his head in company with his words, sweat drops animatedly hanging around his head as his face flushed with humiliation as he laughed uneasily. Ayame kept quiet, feeling a bit embarrassed with the sensation of sweet surprise, even with all her bruises that settled on her, he liked her. But his words killed the sensation, he didn't.
"Yeah, right. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Tenken." Yahiko taunted, holding his laughter in. Soujiro's face and actions were priceless! To hell with bringing out the assassin, making the perfect guy imperfect like that was a better reward! He strolled out with an air of victory in him, feeling very, very majestic.
Soujiro, still blushing, scratched the back of his head in pure nervousness. ~When I get you alone Myoujin! ~ He yelled inwardly.
"Soujiro.it's ok." Ayame whispered noting his uneasiness. Soujiro reluctantly looked at her and blushed a bit more; even though she was physically shattered, pounded with black blues, she seemed almost.innocent. An innocence that somehow caught his attention, more than what.What Misao had done to him whenever she was near. Even when the weasel had met that Tenken, she hadn't seduced him subconsciously until weeks later. What was it that she had?
"Miss Ayame, I will be back later with your food. I have to make it, so, just relax and try to go back to sleep. It'll be a while." Soujiro spoke, wishing that he could just disappear from sight to cool down his face and take off the embarrassment. Ayame nodded silently, and slowly went back to her primary posture. She closed her eyes for a moment and decided to tell him once again that it was ok if he didn't like her, she didn't know him either. But still.. few guys have the guts to smile and respect a battered woman. And just knowing that made her feel.good. At least he was a guy without a katana chasing after her. She opened her eyes to look at him and found no one. No one in the room. ~What the? ~
She sighed, thinking that she must've scared him away. She tried relaxing her tensed muscles and slowly but surely went to sleep.
Soujiro had run lightly on his feet, as always out of the room, it definitely resembled his fighting room, the room with no space. He dashed to the kitchen, anxiously tied his apron with trembling hands and ripped open a new bag of potatoes, grabbing a couple and began to peel one. That was not a moment he would like to remember. Damn that Yahiko, that teasing was uncalled for! How would he show his face to her? How could he go back into that room and face her! How, how, HOW! Soujiro got a little carried away and the knife slipped, cutting his finger. He stopped and looked down, noticing that small drop of blood that appeared.
"SOUJIROOOO!!!!" A loud and obnoxious voice called out, shaking down the whole house all except Soujiro. He knew that voice very well. And he loved it. But now, it was not the time for it to pop out. But he still loved it. Or at least liked it a lot, who was he to know what love was?
He smiled and turned to face the one person that he admired as much as Kenshin, but with more heart ;)
"Hello, miss Misao nice seeing you again."