Another Chance: Dinner at the Aoiya pt 2
A fanfic set in the Rurouni Kenshin universe
standard disclaimers apply
After tending to Okina and putting the man to sleep, Aoshi found himself walking the periphery of the Aoiya compound. Even though Kyoto was fairly quiet these days and there would be certainly no attacks, he found that some habits were hard to break.
That and he needed the quiet to recover from this evening. There were things about the place that was the home to the Kyoto Oniwaban that differed so much from what he had known from his days in Tokyo.
Certain that there was no danger, he walked back to the main rooms. He stopped as he spotted someone under the tree. An intruder?
Then as he recognized the red clothing and the woman who wore it, he frowned. How long had she been sitting out here?
"Megumi-san?" he spoke quietly, uncertain if she was simply resting or had fallen asleep.
When she did not answer, he debated for a moment whether to risk disturbing her or not. Sense prevailed, and he picked her up lightly and carried her into the house. He paused though as he neared the women's quarters. With a sleeping woman in his arms and the time of night, his sense of propriety would not allow him to enter until one of the other women came back up.
"There she is," Okon sighed as she hurried up the stairs and opened the door that separated the hallway from the room she and Omasu shared. Aoshi quietly followed her inside and set Megumi on the blankets that had been laid out.
Okon smiled down at the woman. "Poor thing. Okina-san should have given her a whole trunk of kimonos to make up for all the things she had to put up with today."
When Aoshi neither disagreed or agreed, she apologized. "Not this isn't a wonderful apology gift in itself. It's beautiful, isn't it? It's one he had set aside for a special occasion or present."
Aoshi turned towards the door. "It's late, Okon-san. I leave her to you."
Okon covered her mouth. "I didn't mean to babble Aoshi-sama." She bowed meekly, "I will do as you ask."
"Good night, Okon." He nodded and quickly exited shutting the door behind her.
There had been no need to comment on the kimono. She knew that he was well aware of the origins of that kimono. Then, perhaps it was her gentle way of ensuring that he had noticed it. That he wouldn't notice it was absurd. It was his way to notice all things.
As for the kimono -- while he was young, Okina's box of treasures had been a running joke amongst some of the older clan folks. It had been well known that Okina had been saving those things at first for a prospective wife and daughters. But the constant wars had deprived him of that – for who honestly would want to marry into a dangerous group like the Oniwaban?
Nonetheless, what honor did Okina mean to bestow upon Megumi?
He reflected for a moment. When the three women had entered the room earlier this evening, he had been engaged in a conversation with Okina and immediately noticed Okina's attention shift in their direction. He noticed the slight change in expression took place on Okina's face, before he too looked in their direction.
He considered now, that if he were to describe Okina's expression - it would have been one of delight. There was no other way to explain the way Okina placed his hand on arm for support as he quickly stood up and ran over to the very embarrassed doctor. Beyond the silly comments Okina had made, there was a genuine pleasure on Okina's part on Megumi's appearance. And somewhere beneath that, he also saw the fleeting look of regret, perhaps for the things he himself never had. Okina masked all those things well -- by launching into a record fourth marriage proposal for the day which Aoshi tactfully had cut off before the doctor could react.
While Megumi and Okina were distracted by sake, Aoshi had taken the time to look at Megumi more critically. Long ago, before the Meiji era, with that kimono, and her beauty and poise she could have easily passed for a daughter of royalty or married into considerable power. But from what had he had been learning about her, he knew she would have languished in that era. She was no mere ornament.
It struck him that the timid woman he had met in the garden so long ago, the one who he had to ignore after that to prevent further trouble, had somehow evolved into a headstrong creature whose defiance kept Okina fascinated. Somehow she had grown into a strength that she did not know she had until she had met Kenshin Himura. It was there that night when she tried to kill Kanryuu -- a strength that he mistook for desperation. And somewhat coldly, he had given her that knife back so she could escape through death. He had underestimated her strength of will that day she had found him in the dojo and he thought he could threaten Kenshin's location out of her or again bring the Battousai to him. It was there when she came to Kyoto to tend her friends and despite everything that happened, helped tend the Oniwaban, even a fallen one such as himself.
With each encounter after that, he had learned how to read her and more importantly, how to reason with her. Thankfully he, like Kenshin, was spared her temper and afforded some civility in their interactions. Neither one tried to master the other – there was no need to since their relationship had evolved into one of mutual respect. But if he supposed that if he ever tried to gain the upper hand, it could rapidly change.
While it might amuse some others to try to in fact break her of her sly and fiery nature, after watching her interactions with Okina, he concluded that any ordinary man who tried to do so would not be happier or wiser for it.
~
She left the next morning early, as if to avoid drawn out farewells. Only Misao had seen her off, much to Okina's annoyance.
"Someone should have woken me," he grumbled to Aoshi later. "It's not like I wouldn't have woken."
"You were too hung over to respond to Misao's calls." Aoshi answered.
Okina sighed, "I shouldn't have drunk that much, should I?"
"No," Aoshi didn't even blink. "Megumi-san left you a note stating that as such."
Okina took the note which was handed to him.
Okina-san.
You should not repeatedly drink as much as you did yesterday.
Old men should drink as children, and live quietly.
Takani-sensei.
"The nerve of that woman," Okina stomped on the letter. "Calling me an old man!"
Aoshi's mouth twitched as the man continued to passionately stomp on the little piece of paper."That you are, Okina-san."
"Oh, I know," he sighed gloomily. After a moment, he picked up the letter and folded it carefully before tucking it into one of his pockets. "It just hurts more when a woman like her says it."
Aoshi raised his eyebrow.
Okina clenched his fist excitedly. "If I were thirty or twenty years younger -- I'd be running after her carriage right now and drag her back here and make her eat those words!!"
"I don't think she'd like that very much," Aoshi observed dryly. "In fact, I think you'd have a few black eyes to add to that hangover as well as the police after you for harassment."
"Oh you're no fun, Aoshi," Okina made a sour face. "Can't you even acknowledge that I have good taste and that maybe if you weren't such a cold fish that you do exactly as I want to at this very moment? Megumi-san is not some ordinary woman to just get over like one of my usual crushes."
Aoshi suddenly remembered the last time Okina had developed a strong attachment to a flower lady down the street. "You are not to follow her, Okina."
"But you can?" Okina drew up close to Aoshi and glared at him. "Is that it?"
"You are hung over." Aoshi reached out and dragged the man over to the trench at the foot of the water pump and unceremoniously dumped him into the pool of water. "And making no sense. Do as the doctor said and drink your water."
Aoshi turned and went into the house, ignoring Okina's furious splashes.
"Making no sense, am I!??" He yelled at Aoshi as he walked away calmly. "You're the one making no sense, you cold fish."
As the door shut noisily, Okina stared thoughtfully at it.
And then he smiled.
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Imaginary reviewer: Is this a Megumi story or an Okina story? Geez. And where the heck is Sano?
Author: I told you that Okina is outta control. It took a few sections to rein him in. Now that Aoshi's dealt with him, I think we're safe. Or is it the other way around? Heh.
Besides, all the action moves now to Tokyo J. Sanosuke next!!
