Part III ~ Splendid Bloom
Chapter 1 ~ Beautiful Day
Once upon a time, on a certain day in April, a boy and a girl woke up to a world of sunshine and bloom. It was their special day, and everything in the universe seemed to sparkle for them. Unable to contain their excitement, they rushed out of bed, dressed hurriedly, and sped from their separate rooms to meet at the appointed place. Joy manifested itself differently in each ~ bubbling forth from the smiles and laughter of the girl, shining quietly yet fiercely from the eyes of the boy. Words were unnecessary ~ their hands linked, their eyes met, and they knew. With pure, unburdened hearts, they set off happily to enjoy the day.
Fifteen years later, the sun dawned on another day in April, and a man and a woman woke up to an even more dazzling world. They were no longer children, and no longer lived within fifteen feet of each other. Their eyes were no longer free of shadows; their souls no longer untouched by sadness or loneliness. Yet after so long, on this day, the old joy sprang up once more ~ unbidden, but still as exhilarating. The smile that had been hidden for much too long blossomed on the woman's countenance; a long-hidden brilliance reappeared in the man's eyes. And this time, there was something new ~ a quickening of the pulse, an unexplainable leap of the heart ~ that colored every surface expectation and secret hope.
Yet words were still unnecessary. And they still knew.
He met her, bright and ready, in Okina's garden. She was sitting under the weeping cherry, watching the petals swirling gently in the wind, and leapt up lightly when she saw him approach. He caught only a fleeting glimpse of her previously pensive expression, as she turned excited eyes and friendly smile upon him as soon as he came near. A slight flush had burned into her cheeks, making her look even daintier amidst the softly falling petals.
"Misao," he greeted her with a smile, which turned into a slight frown as he caught sight of the bandages still wrapped tightly around her ankle. "Are you sure you're okay for the Festival? There will be a lot of walking today."
She dismissed his worries with a nonchalant wave. "Daijoubu, daijoubu, Aoshi!" She hopped lightly for emphasis. "See? I'm good as new ~ it's not like I haven't been hurt before! And," she grinned gamely, "I've never missed a Cherry Blossom Festival yet."
Which, her lawyer's mind immediately reminded her, was not exactly true. The year after he had left…she shook her head firmly. Carpe diem, Misao. It's time to leave the past behind.
Aoshi had not missed the slight darkening of her features. His own eyes deepened with similar memories, both happy and bittersweet. Determined as he was to make a fresh beginning with Misao, he somehow could never manage to evade those ashes from the past. Deep down, however, he knew that those same persistent ashes also nurtured the embers of his future ~ their future. Together, they would have to walk the fine line between past and present, careful not to fall into misunderstanding and despair, seeking strength in each other and in every memory they shared. His love for her had never been extinguished ~ it had merely lain buried in the deepest corners of his heart, warming his soul in its coldest moments of loneliness and hopelessness, patiently biding its time. And now…he looked admiringly at Misao's stubborn expression ~ now, it seemed as if she was ready for the future, too. They would welcome it together.
He felt a surge of confidence as a great burden seemed to be lifted from his shoulders. He was no longer alone. There was nothing they could not do, together.
A gentle pressure on his arm, and Misao's inquiring gaze, woke Aoshi from his thoughts. She did not ~ and felt no need to ~ probe him for any answers.
"Are you ready to go?"
I've been ready my whole life, Misao-mine. But only his eyes said that.
It was a perfect day for the Festival, Washington's annual commemoration of that first gift of cherry trees from the Japanese government decades ago. Over the years, the young saplings had aged gracefully, and the city's collection had increased as well, so that every spring now it seemed to be swathed in misty clouds of palest pink. Ever since Okina had taken him in as a young boy, Aoshi had attended the Festival with the rest of the students at the martial arts school ~ part of the old man's efforts to pass onto his young charges his own deep and profound respect for Japanese culture. It had been Aoshi's favorite day of the year, and Misao's too, though for different reasons. Misao had loved the festivity and liveliness of the different stalls and performances ~ she was always the first to sample every food, dance or knickknack the vendors had to offer. Aoshi, in his own quiet manner, had enjoyed the feeling of reconnecting with his heritage and traditions ~ prompting Okina to remark, with a despairing glance at the gleeful Misao, that Aoshi was the only one who liked the Festival for the right reasons…
He paused in his reverie, lips quirking into a small smile, as the memory of the young Misao scampering amongst the crowds was replaced by a very real, very now vision of an older Misao doing much the same. Flitting from one fascinating exhibit to another, she fairly glowed with excited interest and enthusiasm, unchanged even in the absolutely charming way she brought smiles to the faces of all the flattered stallholders. One minute she was sharing laughs with the mochi lady, the next, artfully coaxing the old ikebana master to teach her the finer points of flower-arranging. Watching her, Aoshi could not help but feel suffused with the same kind of vitality, could not help but be drawn forth from the inner crystalline stronghold which had held him prisoner for so long.
The old woman selling flowers watched with growing wonder as the young man's smile finally reached his eyes.
"Sumimasen, sir." He turned at the slight touch to look down at the old lady, whose face, though wrinkled with age, shone with a knowing kind of wisdom. Her eyes twinkled merrily up at him as she gestured at the basket next to her feet, seemingly filled to the brim with cherry blossoms and emanating an irresistible fragrance. "I think the princess deserves a crown."
For a moment, he was taken completely off-guard, until he realized that the basket did not contain merely sakura blossoms, but wreaths of them, delicately twined together and tied off with pale organza ribbon. His gaze flew back to the old woman, who only smiled enigmatically and handed him a wreath. She shook her head even before he could ask for the price.
"A gift…for those who deserve to be happy."
His eyes widened in surprise, again, but he instinctively knew that it would be useless to argue. "Thank you," he murmured, returning the woman's smile ~ and because he knew that she would understand ~ "for more than just the flowers."
"Think of it as a friendly reminder." She looked like the magical godmother in those fairytales Misao used to love. "Now go," looking towards the girl, now peering intently into another display case. "Don't keep her waiting."
He did not answer her, but what she saw in his eyes was enough.
She was so engrossed in the display before her that his approach came unnoticed, and she started at the gentle touch of his hands upon her hair. His familiar scent surrounded her, filling her senses with an overwhelming awareness of his presence. He was so close…she fought hard to control the trembling that would give away her nervousness. He lingered for a moment more in her personal space, then drew himself away.
Suddenly bereft, Misao let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. It was only then that she noticed the lighter, softer scent of the sakura. The sweet fragrance was all around her, perfuming the very air she breathed. When she turned puzzled eyes towards him, he merely smiled and reached out once more to touch her hair.
He motioned behind her. "Look in the mirror."
She had let her hair down that day, so that it fell smoothly to her shoulders and blew gently in the wind. A delighted smile sprang to her lips when she saw the crown of flowers.
"Kirei…" When she looked up at him, his eyes were shining with an inexplicable intensity. She blushed self-consciously, reaching up to brush the delicate petals, but couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. The thought that he cared ~ that look on his face ~ his smile, meant just for her ~ made her insides sing for joy, a joy that could not be contained and just had to announce itself to the rest of the world.
Without any warning, she rose up onto her toes and lightly, swiftly, kissed him on the cheek.
Aoshi's expression was priceless, an immensely entertaining mix of confusion, pleasure and pure shock. She carefully watched the interplay of emotions on his face, for once unguarded and oddly vulnerable, unable to stop her grin from widening further when she saw the color creeping into his cheeks. He hadn't changed one bit…he still looks adorable when he's embarrassed.
Yet when she met his eyes once more and suddenly found it hard to breathe, Misao was reminded that indeed, Aoshi was no longer a boy from childhood memories. And when she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from that anything-but-boyish gaze, when she realized that she would never be able to bear the thought of that look being meant for anyone else, when she felt herself helplessly, irresistibly drawn by the magnetic force of the man standing mere inches away ~ and wanting nothing else in the world but to close that gap ~ she knew that she was no child, either. She felt the answering heat rising in her own face, unable and unwilling at the moment to fully dissect its meaning. All that mattered now was that Aoshi was here, and his eyes held nothing but her reflection. She wished the moment would never end.
Once again, a little bird broke into their world with a brilliant trill. As one, they shifted their eyes away, unconsciously moving apart, acknowledging the ending of their brief interlude yet committing every detail to memory. The sudden tension ~ almost unbearable in its beauty and intensity ~ relaxed into easy friendliness. Without another word they set off once more along the lake path, accompanied by the sights and sounds of happy lives. Overhead, the sakura formed a long canopy of snowy fragrant bloom. Below the boughs the scented air hung around them like a delicate veil, illuminated by shafts of late-afternoon sunshine. The waters of the lake shimmered in ever-changing hues, the white marble of the Jefferson Memorial tinted amber and rose in that magical transformation from afternoon to twilight.
They strolled in companionable silence, each reveling in the warmth of the other's presence. The beauty of their surroundings hovered over them like an invisible benediction, intent on preserving the peace and contentment of a perfect day.
And the scent of cherry blossoms lingered on in memory, too sweet to describe in words.
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A thousand apologies for the delay ~ a thousand thank-you's for your loyalty. Background music for this chapter was Gackt's "Leeca," an absolutely gorgeous song by an absolutely talented artist. It seemed to be the perfect choice to describe, or depict in musical composition, Aoshi and Misao's beautiful day together.
For those concerned about the…um, lack of plot ~ rest assured, the story is *not* over yet! I haven't forgotten about the other characters. ^_~ It's just that I've had this picture of the two of them together like this, surrounded by sakura, ever since the beginning of the story, and just had to "write it out." If any fan-artists could show me *their* depiction of the scene, I would be eternally grateful. :)
Feedback is, simply, *loved.*