"Goodnight Megumi" the young Miss Harris and Mrs. Harris waved as they
disappeared down the hall of the hotel.
"Goodnight."
As she reached her own door, she sighed. It had been a long two days in Tokyo, shuttling around the daughters and wives of the American doctors. They had more than enthusiastically adopted her as part of their party and were constantly plying her for more of her time.
To some, it would be annoying - the constant attention. However, shopping and sightseeing with these new friends of hers was a welcome diversion from the reality of dealing with problems, feelings, and things that wanted to complicate her life. She was feeling somewhat unsettled.
Plus, the truth, it was nice for once to feel so wanted.
In the five years since she left Tokyo, when had she felt that?
She stepped into the darkened room and then turned to slide the door shut.
A cough from behind her told her she wasn't alone.
She whirled around, ready to scream, but the intruder had already struck a match against the sill of the open window.
She squinted slightly. A man was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, with the lit match aloft in his hand -- a tall lean man, with hair that fell onto his face. "Aoshi-san?"
With another fluid motion, the match just as quickly managed to light the lamp next to him. For a moment she was mesmerized by the simple act, but suddenly remembered that it was well past 11. She frowned and took a step forward. "What brings you here now and like this? Is there something wrong-"
"My apologies." It was his version of a greeting. "I do not mean to just break in rudely like this. You are a hard person to find alone."
"It's the doctors," she answered lamely. "I haven't had much time."
"I know," his eyes finally opened and looked intently into her own. "I came to see the letters Okina sent."
For a moment she thought to protest, but he was never a man to simply waste time with. She raised her chin and stared back at him while withdrawing the letters from underneath her obi. "Pointless drivel," she held them out. "Okina has far too much time on his hands and a poor memory on top of that. These six letters are basically the same verses over and over. Nothing worth taking earlier or fighting Sanosuke over."
He took them. "Okina has instructed me nevertheless to make sure that you and I read them very carefully." He ignored her incredulous look and squatted down to spread them along the floor. "These may be more useful than you or Sagara realized."
She was too sharp to not notice the slight, brief wince on his face as he kneeled down. "Aoshi-san," she instinctively crouched down next to him and placed her hand on his face where the bruises had been a few days ago. "Sano did tell me he managed to hit you." She turned his face carefully towards hers and looked at him closely. "The bruises on your face are gone, but I'd like to see why it seems to hurt you to sit."
"Is this necessary?" he again turned his gaze upon her, causing her to immediately drop her hands.
"Don't be as foolish as that roosterhead," she snapped.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "Very well."
"Good," she bit her lip before managing to get out the next set of words. "Take off your shirt, then."
She found herself averting her eyes while he stiffly unbuttoned his western dress shirt. Exactly why she was doing so was beyond her, considering that if anyone ought to be feeling modest at the moment, it should not be her. But something about the way he simply was commanded that small measure of respect. She scolded herself and turned back. She tried not to look surprised to see the tape he had wound around his lower torso. "So he did hit you after all."
He shook his head, "He managed to land a blow on my face, but he missed my chest and hit a wall behind me."
She began to gently palpate the bandaged area, "Then how did this happen?"
"The force of his punch I underestimated and did not think to move away from," he stiffened as she touched several tender spots. "Even though he did not land a direct blow, the force from the impact with the wall was enough to bruise my ribs."
Her eyes widened. "So Sano really manage to learn something on his journeying after all."
Aoshi's eyes closed. "Perhaps. I will not allow him to make that same move the next time."
"The next time?" She paused in her exam.
"-The next time he interferes with our affairs." Aoshi's eyes were open again, gazing upon her not with anger, but with his usual seriousness. "If he had not interfered, perhaps we'd be two days closer to finding your brother."
"My brother," she breathed suddenly, understanding his intent. "You think that these letters are Okina's means of sending a message?"
"Okina is too used to prying eyes. It would be a creative means of doing so, yes."
"Then all the ridiculous language was just a pretense?" Megumi feigned disappointment, but couldn't hide her smile behind her hands. "You mean he's not really proposing marriage yet another six times?"
"Even a man Okina could not withstand that many rejections," he answered dryly.
"Well, you're more than welcome to take them then." She was glad to see that Aoshi did have a sense of humor after all. She gave a coy laugh. "You must tell Okina sometime that I was very flattered by the gesture. If he were a man of your age, I would have considered his proposals a little more seriously."
Aoshi made a sound that sounded like a cross between a cough and a snort.
She stood up and adopted a disdainful look. What amused this man so much? "Although even that age might be too old for even me." She was satisfied to see him narrow his eyes. She paused again before she added, "Which reminds me, shall I help you dress?"
He shook his head. "I think I shall be leaving. You must be tired."
"Tired?" she smiled at him sweetly, "Not as tired as you must be. Let me help you out the door."
He sighed. "And have the entirety of the hotel, staff and guests, see me leaving your room? I do not think that will go over well with them."
"Of course I didn't really mean that," she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I also want you to be more careful," he had made his way over to the window, which they both knew he would be departing from. "I do not think it is best for you to stay here unattended. It would be better for you to be closer to your friends."
"Aoshi-san," she stepped forward then. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"No," he looked down at her , "Nothing specific. Just general words of advice from a man to a woman."
"Alright," she gave him an earnest smile, one that caused him to relax his brow slightly. "I will behave, Aoshi-san."
He had one hand on the sill now. "I will come to you if I make any progress. Expect to hear from me soon"
She nodded and watched as he leaped down to another rooftop. He turned back to watch her as she closed the window and then disappeared.
Carefully, she blew out the light.
= = = = = = =
A/N: I realized that for some reason the interactions between Aoshi and Megumi seem to write themselves differently than Megumi and Sano. Hopefully with this part, you the reader are buying into the chemistry between A and M. If not, I think I'm going to have to resort to something much more drastic in the next part.
Next two parts. I think it's fair to say that Megumi gets several surprises. Who gets the first kiss? Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.
"Goodnight."
As she reached her own door, she sighed. It had been a long two days in Tokyo, shuttling around the daughters and wives of the American doctors. They had more than enthusiastically adopted her as part of their party and were constantly plying her for more of her time.
To some, it would be annoying - the constant attention. However, shopping and sightseeing with these new friends of hers was a welcome diversion from the reality of dealing with problems, feelings, and things that wanted to complicate her life. She was feeling somewhat unsettled.
Plus, the truth, it was nice for once to feel so wanted.
In the five years since she left Tokyo, when had she felt that?
She stepped into the darkened room and then turned to slide the door shut.
A cough from behind her told her she wasn't alone.
She whirled around, ready to scream, but the intruder had already struck a match against the sill of the open window.
She squinted slightly. A man was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, with the lit match aloft in his hand -- a tall lean man, with hair that fell onto his face. "Aoshi-san?"
With another fluid motion, the match just as quickly managed to light the lamp next to him. For a moment she was mesmerized by the simple act, but suddenly remembered that it was well past 11. She frowned and took a step forward. "What brings you here now and like this? Is there something wrong-"
"My apologies." It was his version of a greeting. "I do not mean to just break in rudely like this. You are a hard person to find alone."
"It's the doctors," she answered lamely. "I haven't had much time."
"I know," his eyes finally opened and looked intently into her own. "I came to see the letters Okina sent."
For a moment she thought to protest, but he was never a man to simply waste time with. She raised her chin and stared back at him while withdrawing the letters from underneath her obi. "Pointless drivel," she held them out. "Okina has far too much time on his hands and a poor memory on top of that. These six letters are basically the same verses over and over. Nothing worth taking earlier or fighting Sanosuke over."
He took them. "Okina has instructed me nevertheless to make sure that you and I read them very carefully." He ignored her incredulous look and squatted down to spread them along the floor. "These may be more useful than you or Sagara realized."
She was too sharp to not notice the slight, brief wince on his face as he kneeled down. "Aoshi-san," she instinctively crouched down next to him and placed her hand on his face where the bruises had been a few days ago. "Sano did tell me he managed to hit you." She turned his face carefully towards hers and looked at him closely. "The bruises on your face are gone, but I'd like to see why it seems to hurt you to sit."
"Is this necessary?" he again turned his gaze upon her, causing her to immediately drop her hands.
"Don't be as foolish as that roosterhead," she snapped.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "Very well."
"Good," she bit her lip before managing to get out the next set of words. "Take off your shirt, then."
She found herself averting her eyes while he stiffly unbuttoned his western dress shirt. Exactly why she was doing so was beyond her, considering that if anyone ought to be feeling modest at the moment, it should not be her. But something about the way he simply was commanded that small measure of respect. She scolded herself and turned back. She tried not to look surprised to see the tape he had wound around his lower torso. "So he did hit you after all."
He shook his head, "He managed to land a blow on my face, but he missed my chest and hit a wall behind me."
She began to gently palpate the bandaged area, "Then how did this happen?"
"The force of his punch I underestimated and did not think to move away from," he stiffened as she touched several tender spots. "Even though he did not land a direct blow, the force from the impact with the wall was enough to bruise my ribs."
Her eyes widened. "So Sano really manage to learn something on his journeying after all."
Aoshi's eyes closed. "Perhaps. I will not allow him to make that same move the next time."
"The next time?" She paused in her exam.
"-The next time he interferes with our affairs." Aoshi's eyes were open again, gazing upon her not with anger, but with his usual seriousness. "If he had not interfered, perhaps we'd be two days closer to finding your brother."
"My brother," she breathed suddenly, understanding his intent. "You think that these letters are Okina's means of sending a message?"
"Okina is too used to prying eyes. It would be a creative means of doing so, yes."
"Then all the ridiculous language was just a pretense?" Megumi feigned disappointment, but couldn't hide her smile behind her hands. "You mean he's not really proposing marriage yet another six times?"
"Even a man Okina could not withstand that many rejections," he answered dryly.
"Well, you're more than welcome to take them then." She was glad to see that Aoshi did have a sense of humor after all. She gave a coy laugh. "You must tell Okina sometime that I was very flattered by the gesture. If he were a man of your age, I would have considered his proposals a little more seriously."
Aoshi made a sound that sounded like a cross between a cough and a snort.
She stood up and adopted a disdainful look. What amused this man so much? "Although even that age might be too old for even me." She was satisfied to see him narrow his eyes. She paused again before she added, "Which reminds me, shall I help you dress?"
He shook his head. "I think I shall be leaving. You must be tired."
"Tired?" she smiled at him sweetly, "Not as tired as you must be. Let me help you out the door."
He sighed. "And have the entirety of the hotel, staff and guests, see me leaving your room? I do not think that will go over well with them."
"Of course I didn't really mean that," she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I also want you to be more careful," he had made his way over to the window, which they both knew he would be departing from. "I do not think it is best for you to stay here unattended. It would be better for you to be closer to your friends."
"Aoshi-san," she stepped forward then. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"No," he looked down at her , "Nothing specific. Just general words of advice from a man to a woman."
"Alright," she gave him an earnest smile, one that caused him to relax his brow slightly. "I will behave, Aoshi-san."
He had one hand on the sill now. "I will come to you if I make any progress. Expect to hear from me soon"
She nodded and watched as he leaped down to another rooftop. He turned back to watch her as she closed the window and then disappeared.
Carefully, she blew out the light.
= = = = = = =
A/N: I realized that for some reason the interactions between Aoshi and Megumi seem to write themselves differently than Megumi and Sano. Hopefully with this part, you the reader are buying into the chemistry between A and M. If not, I think I'm going to have to resort to something much more drastic in the next part.
Next two parts. I think it's fair to say that Megumi gets several surprises. Who gets the first kiss? Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.
