I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
Tanabata Madness: EpilogueAoshi sat in tranquil silence that enveloped him completely, only the sound of soft cricket chirps sounding throughout the night. He couldn't remember when he had last felt at such peace. His soul felt at rest and he felt complete…
Misao had dozed off long ago, resting herself quite comfortably in Aoshi's arms. Occasionally, she would stir, slightly lifting her heavy eyelids to gaze adoringly at Aoshi, almost trying to confirm the fact that he was still there beside her. Every time, Aoshi would pull her closer to him in his gentle embrace as he whispered sweet words softly in her ear.
Soon, however wonderful the moment felt, the night was growing old and it was past midnight, and Aoshi found himself still sitting in the small garden, reviewing the events of the day thoughtfully.
Aoshi stood up, gently setting Misao to the side so she was sitting upright in her sleep. He stretched his taut muscles, easing away the stiffness, then bent over, picking Misao up slowly and carefully, so as not to wake her. He cradled her in his arms as if she were glass, stepping inside the Aoiya from the humid summer air.
He silently padded on the wooden floor, lightly walking up the stairs, and headed towards Misao's room. Somehow, he managed to open her shoji door while balancing her in his arms, and then stepped into her room.
Misao's room was meticulously clean, though Aoshi suspected it was only due to Okon and Omasu's incessant nagging rather than Misao's own desire for neatness and order.
He gently laid her down on her futon, which she had left out this morning, apparently due to her… excitement… of Tanabata? Aoshi pondered this thought for a moment, wondering if that truly was the reason, and also, if it was, why was she so excited…?
Kneeling down, he laid her on her futon, and studied her angelic features in the dim light filtering through a small window. Her skin was pale like fine marble, her bluish black hair a shimmering waterfall, and her figure… Well, she certainly was no longer the child he had forced himself to think of… She was definitely a woman, Aoshi decided, still gazing at her sleeping form.
Suddenly, she moaned softly in her sleep, searching for the source of warmth that had been next to her, and slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the drowsiness. She looked at Aoshi's knees, trailing her eyes slowly up to his face. His eyes seemed to glow in the dark, watching her carefully.
"Aoshi…?" she said hesitantly, wondering if she was truly awake or still dreaming.
"Hai, Misao-mine," he said in a deep voice.
"Are you really here?"
Aoshi smiled at her innocent question, and nodded his head. "Hai."
"Honto ne?"
This time, Aoshi let out a small chuckle and scooped Misao up in his arms. "Of course, Misao-mine, I wouldn't ever leave you…" He pressed his lips to her forehead lovingly, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of her in his arms.
"Aoshi…" Misao mumbled tiredly.
"Hmm?"
"You smell good," she said, burying her head in his yukata, snuggling closer. Aoshi smiled unusually, kissing her softly on the cheek as he set her back down on her futon.
"Misao-mine, you need to go to sleep…" He said softly, brushing some hairs from her face, his hand lingering a little longer on her warm cheek.
"Hai, Aoshi-sama," she replied, making Aoshi laugh a little as he stood up, preparing to find Okon or Omasu, if they were still awake, so they could help Misao change into her sleeping yukata.
As he was exiting her room, he saw the little package that he thought he had lost that morning. 'I wonder why Misao-mine has it…' he mused, picking it up as he left her sleeping deeply.
~*~
The next morning, Misao woke up groggily, wondering if she had dreamed the entire Tanabata incident. 'I hope it was real… Or else I don't think I can bear this anymore…' she thought, almost fearful of the harsh reality. She remembered the gift that she had found in the garden. Surely it could be proof of her day yesterday… She looked where she had left it, in the corner of her room, and it was nowhere to be found.
She sighed despondently, angry at how cruel dreams could be, yet almost inconsolably depressed at how what she wanted could never be. As she opened her closet to find something to wear, her eyes caught green and gold, and she hastily pulled open the closet door hurriedly, examining the emerald green and bright gold kimono that she now definitely remembered Aoshi giving her.
Her mood suddenly shifted to one of ecstasy in a matter of seconds, and she couldn't wait to see Aoshi. She slipped on a pink kimono with purple flowers peppered on one side to the hem, her only thoughts turning towards Aoshi. Every time she thought of him, her stomach fluttered and she felt a certain lightness and happiness, just thinking about his eyes and his stoic expression… She quickly donned the kimono, one that had once belonged to her mother, and struggled to tie the obi herself. Soon, she gave up, sneaking down to Omasu's room, hoping silently that she was still there to help her.
~*~
Everyone sat at the breakfast table, waiting for Misao to come down—Omasu had gone upstairs to wake her, and had returned very quickly, without Misao.
Aoshi was curious as to where Misao had disappeared to, but he knew that whatever she was plotting, it would definitely be interesting…
Suddenly, the shoji door slid open, and in stepped Misao, dressed to kill. She flashed a smile at everyone, her eyes dancing from the faces of her "family" to lingering on Aoshi's own, the sparkle in her eyes shining.
If it was possible, Misao had somehow grown more beautiful during the night, a change that could only have been brought about by one thing…
~*~
Misao released a breath that she had been holding, pleased at her idea to dress up, again, and surprise everyone. She could not believe the look she received from Aoshi—the intensity of his gaze was almost an astonishing change from his normal, impassive façade.
She knelt down slowly, careful of her kimono, as she sat down to the left of her Aoshi. She looked calm and composed on the outside, but she was nervous and anxious on the inside, and a slight tremble in her hand while she poured tea was almost unnoticeable.
~*~
Aoshi could feel the nervousness in her aura, wondering what the cause could be. For an ephemeral moment, he wished that it was because of him, but what would she have to be nervous about after last night? They seemed closer than ever, and the reason why he couldn't sleep was because he was thinking about Misao…
He slowly ate, ever thoughtful and mindful of his surroundings, watching Misao from his peripheral vision, sensing her jumpiness underlying every action.
He stood up, setting his rice bowl and chopsticks down abruptly. Voices died around the table as they all looked at him questioningly.
He walked from the room, looking at Misao once, briefly, before he left. She gave everyone else a strange look, setting down her bowl as well, but much less obvious. Talk resumed as they both left the room, leaving the others only to guess what had occurred between the two.
~*~
Aoshi was walking through the garden, the sun shining down, warming him with its golden rays. He could hear Misao's geta sandals clacking loudly as she walked quickly to catch up with him.
In his hands, he held the gift that he had intended to give her from the beginning of Tanabata; the gift that he had been wanting to give for a very long time.
"Aoshi…sama!" Misao shouted, hoping that the rest of the Oniwaban had not heard her slip as she called Aoshi.
He stopped, turning his head slightly so she could only see his profile. His troubled gaze unnerved her—she was afraid, hoping that whatever he had to say would not be the worst possible. Her pace lessened considerably as fear beset her, and she slowly approached Aoshi.
"Aoshi?" she whispered, her eyes drawn to his. He turned around fully, looking at her carefully.
"Misao… You are no longer a child… You haven't been one for a very long time… And I…" he trailed off.
"…" Misao was at a loss of words. She continued to look into his eyes, until he broke contact, looking away. Without a word, Aoshi handed her the small package that she recognized from her room.
"You took it… Was it yours…?" Came the hesitant question that had been plaguing her for the majority of yesterday.
"…Open it…" Misao slowly pulled the string tied around the small box, letting it fall from her limp hand. The paper that the small box was wrapped in fell away as well. She pulled the top off of the box, reluctant to look inside.
As she removed the cover, sunlight peeked in, and she absently dropped the lid, letting it fall to the ground hollowly.
"K-Kunai?" she said, stupefied.
"Hai, Misao, a new set of kunai…"
"Arigato…" Misao didn't know what to say. This was farthest from anything she thought he would have given her.
All of a sudden, Misao's attention was drawn to Aoshi, who was holding something else. Another gift? But before Misao could say anything, Aoshi opened the tiny box slowly, turning it in his hands so she could see what was inside…
"Misao, will you… will you marry me…?" Misao gasped as Aoshi's eyes filled with worry and he prepared himself to accept the rejection that had yet to come.
The tiny ring was engulfed in the black box, and it glinted dazzlingly in the sun, the rays of light catching the emerald's many facets, sending out miniature slivers of deep green. Misao was quiet, contemplating Aoshi's sudden action. There was no doubt in her mind of what she would do…
"Hai… Aoshi, hai…" Her face broke into a smile as she nodded, her laughter sounding like bells.
Aoshi pulled the ring from the box and slipped it slowly…gently…tenderly onto Misao's slim finger, holding her hand in his own. His face was serious in his joy, and Misao's face reflected his. The gravity of the simple act was enhanced by the sudden stillness of Okina's garden, when Misao hugged Aoshi tightly, never wanting to let him go.
She laughed again, the seriousness of the situation lost in their euphoric joy. Aoshi hugged her back, tightening his arms as their "family" came running, leaping from their hiding places.
"Aoshi… Aishiteru…" Misao breathed into Aoshi's ear.
"Aa, Misao-mine, aishiteru itsumo…"
Hai – yes
-mine – my princess
Honto ne? – really?
Arigato – thank you
Aishiteru itsumo – I love you forever
Aa - yes
A/N: Well, this fic is finally over… Haha, I really hope everyone enjoyed it! The last part was sorta rushed, I think… But, I'm glad that people actually wanted an epilogue. Sorry if it wasn't very "epilogue-ish" and was kinda long, but I think it wrapped up the story well enough. ^_^ Thank you to all of the wonderful reviewers: Jaded Ayumi, a, Sweet Chaos, Misao Mei Mei, Kitsune-Blue, indigochipmunk, yume no naka, Mia1218 (haha, I'm glad you like my style…^_^), purpo kitee katx (I wasn't really sure about how far I should stage it, but a year seemed good ^_^), Kitten Kisses, sango461, Airen2, Crystal Renee, DarkHorse, WolvenHeart, onyx, and Tokie.
I hope to see you all in my next fic!
Finished February 21, 2004.
