A/N: Well, here is another exciting episode of Riffs and Canvas! I'm really starting to like this story. Block-breakers are fun, so fun that I was actually able to write a lot this weekend! I updated two stories that I haven't touched in forever, and I'm still ready for more! Wish me luck my beloved readers!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Rurouni Kenshin cast. If I did, I'd make the men dress in French maid costumes and serve me malted beverages while the girls, dressed like pirates, would swordfight for my amusement! *laughs manically*
Riffs and Canvas
Chapter 5: Life is Like a Song
Whoever invented the day of the week called Thursday should be shot, in cold blood. Then disemboweled with a cooking spoon and left bleeding in the moonlight. At least, that was what Aoshi Shinomori thought as he walked into school that morning.
The sky was gray, complimenting his mood, with a chance of snow in the weather. Most likely it would be rain. Aoshi hated rain. He hated Thursdays. He hated school. Naturally, when one hates everything around him, he is in a less than cheery mood. That of course, is when the school welcome wagon caught up with him again.
"Good morning Aoshi," Kenshin greeted him. He and Kaoru had been sitting on the steps of the school, watching Megumi chase Sano around with a pointy object he could only assume to be a sharpened pencil. Now they had fallen into step beside him.
"What's so good about it?" Aoshi grumbled in response.
"Ah, I think someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Kaoru said with a shy smile. Aoshi scowled in her general direction.
"I hate Thursdays," he grumbled. The comment was not really directed to them, he was just talking out loud to keep himself sane. "They're too far from the weekend to relax, but close enough to taunt you." Once more he fantasized about murdering the creator of such a thing as Thursday.
"I…kinda like Thursdays," Kenshin muttered in a low, defensive voice. Aoshi looked at him with a single eyebrow raised, but decided not to push it. He didn't want them hanging around him longer than necessary. Not that they weren't nice…they just weren't his kind of people.
Last night Hannya had called him again, and they had been up late discussing what the Oniwaban group should do with their current predicament. So far, they came to now immediate solutions, and that left Aoshi in a grayer mood than usual. Aoshi half-listened as Kaoru and Kenshin chatted about all the school happenings, the latest news regarding everyone and everything. He held no torch for gossip and quickly withdrew into his own thoughts.
When the three teens came upon Aoshi's locker, they noticed that a folded piece of notebook paper had been taped to the front. Aoshi grabbed it off the metal door and unfolded the paper. Kenshin and Kaoru read over his shoulder. Neat printed writing covered the plain page. He didn't recognize the writing, but the first lines gave away the author.
"Dear ice-man, Lorraine is closing the library early today due to a personal matter. I need you to stay behind with me in English class instead of our usual rendezvous. Misao."
Aoshi snorted and crumpled the paper in his hands while rolling his eyes. She had such a flare for the dramatic. It was equally annoying and amusing. He tended to put the annoyed foot forward.
"What's this about?" Kenshin asked after a moment.
"Nothing," Aoshi denied, opening his locker and rummaging a few books out.
"That note was signed by Misao. Don't tell me it was Misao Makimachi!" Kaoru exclaimed, looking excited for the news and fearful at the same time.
"So what if it was?" Aoshi asked while slamming his locker. "It's not like she's a leper." Both Kenshin and Kaoru's eyes widened twice their normal size. It was then the Aoshi realized the conclusion they must have jumped to and he inwardly groaned.
"Do you mean to tell us," Kenshin said quietly, leaning in closer so no one around them could hear. "That you two are….dating?"
"She's my tutor," Aoshi said with less interest than before.
"Is that what they're calling it now?" Kaoru said with a giggle. Aoshi really wanted an escape now. The bell had just rung, calling him to his homeroom, but the two gossips had him pinned to his locker.
"Yeah, you caught me," he said with a sigh born of annoyance at the ignorance of teenagers. "Misao and I are secretly meeting in the library every day after school because, who can resist a girl as violent and frustrating as she is." With that, he pushed past the two stunned teens and headed toward his class.
"Oh my God," Kaoru whispered to Kenshin under her breath. "This is big."
"Totally."
"Normal spread?"
"Let's start with the Science hall and work our way out."
"Right!" Then they spilt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Misao stood before her mural, a paintbrush caught between her lips and an open jar of black paint in her hands as she studied the wall. The background designs of musical notes, instruments stands and pages of music had already been outlined with the paint and left ready to fill with color. All Misao now had to do was the three figures, the center of her piece.
She had designed it as a band scene, three musicians occupying one stage. With grim determination she began the task of outlining the farthest figure. He was the smallest, the hardest to detail, but her hand was steady and she was following an internal pattern that never required her to take her eyes from the wall. The outline of the instrument--a violin--was almost complete when she received her first interruption. The second period bell to be exact. At the risk of utter destruction, she waited patiently--against her nature I might add--to continue her work once all the pedestrians were gone.
She continued on the figure. His body was easy to structure, the facial features and the hair were the hardest part. When she was finished, she was pleasantly surprised by just how much the violinist resembled Soujiro. With a smile, Misao added a few finishing touches and began the second figure.
This was a female figure, a harpist. She sat, bent delicately over the instrument in her lap. Her long fingers gently plucked at the keys, making the figure look almost alive. On some whim, Misao decided to make the harpist herself, adding the long plait, the upturned nose, and the large eyes which would eventually become green. It was a self portrait she was proud of.
It was the center figure that she was becoming nervous about. How was she to design it? She didn't know what instrument to bestow upon it. A cello perhaps? Or maybe a woodwind this time? Should it be a male or female figure? The rest of the period was taken up in reflection as she stared up at the figure, rigid in her silence and concentration. This was when her patience came into play, during the creative process.
Misao was so caught up in her work that she failed to hear the third period bell ring, signaling it was time for her to get back to Tae and leave for her next class. People brushed past her without a word, but Misao was too deep in thought that she barely noticed.
She did notice, however, when a tall figure suddenly stood next to her, looking up at the wall. "You know," he commented lightly. "If you look at this long enough, you can almost see a sailboat."
Misao couldn't help but laugh. Sure, it broke her concentration, but her eyes had become unfocused anyway. "You cut me with your words," she said with a hand over her heart.
Aoshi shrugged, but noticed the open jar of paint in her hand and backed up a step. For a second, Misao was confused, but she followed his eyes and then laughed. Deftly, she covered the jar and gathered the rest of her things. "Second period over already?" she asked.
"Third started about five minutes ago."
"Shit!" she said suddenly. "I have a new painting to hand in." In her haste, she dropped a few of her things. Aoshi, thinking it only polite, gathered them up and followed her. Misao nodded her gratitude because never would she be caught thanking the fool. Aoshi wouldn't expect it. They walked in silence until they reached Tae's class.
Upon entering the classroom, Tae smiled at Misao and accepted the supplies back. "Sidetracked?" she asked with a sly smile, looking at Aoshi, who was waiting in the hallway. Misao flushed at the insinuation and shook her head slowly. Then she grabbed her backpack and left without a word.
"I hate High School," she muttered, walking slowly down the hall.
"You aren't alone," Aoshi replied. "So tell me something," he demanded.
"Shoot."
"What is Lorraine doing that we can't use the library today?"
Misao smirked. "She has a date." Aoshi stopped and watched her continue on. Half of him believed it a joke, but she didn't have the gait of a liar, that triumphant edge that one got whether they noticed it or not when they lied or won. She simply walked. It had to be true.
"Who is she dating?" he asked, catching up. Sure, he really didn't care about gossip or rumors, but the snobby library who only seemed to like Misao was something he wanted to know about.
"That's a secret," she said with another smirk. "But in the sake of secrey, I asked Mrs. Heike if we could use the room after class and she agreed. So we'll be in there today."
"For joy," Aoshi mumbled. Misao smiled quite suddenly.
"Chin up, Icy," she said with mischief in her eyes. "It won't be dull today." She held up two fingers crossed and held them over her chest as she walked backwards in front of him. "Scouts Honor."
"Like you're a scout?" he countered.
"Trust me," she said.
Aoshi watched her levelly for a moment. She seemed…almost playful this morning. Again he wondered just how she changed personalities so fast, and therefore wondered what she'd be like for their session later. That's when he stopped thinking about it because Misao's beauty was in motion again and he didn't have a reply for that. All he could do to salvage himself was a signature, "Whatever."
Misao grinned. Then she turned and ran down the hall to her class.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The class filed out of the English room the second the bell rang. The teacher right behind the rest. Only three students lingered. Aoshi moved to the front, Misao to the chalkboard, and Soujiro following Misao, chattering about something in a low voice that Aoshi couldn't make out.
"I swear, if I hear those rumors again I'm going to kill someone!" Misao threatened in a low whisper. "Who the hell said that I was going out with him?"
"I don't know," Soujiro replied, hefting his backpack on his shoulder and shaking his head. "It's all over school. Every class I've been too has been whispering about how the Mayor's daughter is slumming with the new kid, city trash."
Misao went from a blush of embarrassment, to one of anger. "What right so they have to call him that?" she said fiercely. "So he didn't grow up here, but Gramps has been here forever! I hate this damn town."
"Careful Misao," Soujiro teased, his brown eyes alight with affection and amusement. "Someone might think you're defending him."
"Go to hell you little bitch," Misao laughed, pushing him away from her.
"You know you love me," Soujiro laughed. Suddenly, he looked up at the clock. "Eep! I have to get to practice or Coach is going to fillet me." He leaned over and kissed Misao on the cheek.
"Stay strong 'Sao."
"Call me later. Bye Sou."
"Of course!" he said with a grin and a wink.
Once Soujiro was gone, Misao hopped up on the teacher's desk and sat with her legs hanging off. "Shall we begin?" she asked Aoshi, who was lounging on a desk, the open book on his chest and his hands behind his head.
"If you're finally done flirting," he said with disinterest, his blue eyes still closed.
Misao bristled. Soujiro was a sensitive subject with her. "I told you, Soujiro is my friend, nothing else."
"So touchy," he said, smirking. "I just made a simple comment."
"Well you should watch it," she said, apparently less amused than he. "There are many people in this school who think we're dating."
That made him scowl and look up at her. "Yes, I've heard that."
"Can we just get this over with then?" she asked again. He only shrugged, but sat up and ready.
"Ok, so we've covered the townsmen actor's guild, their practice, the potion, and the first of the forest capers. Where we pick up today is after the love potion was placed on Lysander and Demetrius."
"Whatever," was Aoshi's overwhelming response.
"Remember," Misao said, ignoring him completely. "The potion makes it so that the person infected with fall madly in love with the first thing they see. Oberon, the king of Faeries, had his henchman Puck fetch it. Why?"
"What?" Aoshi said, startled out of his daydream.
"Why did Oberon want the potion?" she asked again, a lingering smile on her lips.
"Because…her wanted to put it on Titania…the Queen?"
And why was that?" she questioned further.
"He wanted her to give him something, but she wouldn't do it. So, he got Puck to get him this stuff to put on her and voila, he'll take the boy while she's none the wiser."
Misao smiled. "Good. It can be taught!"
Aoshi rolled his eyes, but was semi proud of himself. He was finally beginning to understand some of this stuff and it was making English class a hell of a lot easier on him. Plus, Misao was a good teacher. She was patient for the most part, and new the story front and back. She would give in-depth answers to any question.
"Shall we continue?"
"Lets."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
An hour later, Misao was packing up her book with a pensive expression. He did so well in the beginning, but perhaps that had been a fluke. Now that they were getting into the very meat of the story, his attention span was slipping from the material faster than she could hold him there. It was frustrating.
"We'll, uh, pick up tomorrow," Misao said, clearing her throat.
"Sure," Aoshi commented, tossing the book in his bag and running his hands dejectedly through his hair with a sigh. What was Shakespeare smoking when he wrote this crap? He knew that Louis Carroll, the guy responsible for Alice in Wonderland was tripped up on Opium, but William had no excuse other than a lame idea for a joke.
"Also," Misao continued, "Where do you want to study this weekend?"
"Weekend?" Aoshi parroted, looking up in surprise. "I never agreed to give up my weekend on this stuff!"
"We have a test a week from tomorrow," Misao reminded, her voice level but tempered with impatience. "We need to work all the time we have."
"I've got things to do," Aoshi said in a low and threatening voice. "Things that don't include all of this crap."
Misao met him head on, her green eyes narrowed in annoyance. "With an attitude like that, it's no wonder you need me."
Aoshi stood in front of her now, drawing his full height in an attempt to make her back down. Misao, who had been small her entire life, and quite used to intimidation tactics, was not in the least put out. "I don't need anyone," Aoshi said fervently. He drew strength upon the years he had spent supporting another life, of living his own. He was sufficient on his own, able to function well in a real world.
"Maybe not back in your city," Misao said scathingly, adding salt to a wound. "But here you're up to your neck in foreign people with things doing a complete one-eighty from all you know. Face it Aoshi, you are absolutely and utterly lost."
He flinched internally, not giving her the pleasure of knowing she was right. Instead, he bit back like a cornered animal. "Listen up, princess. You are the most irritating, spoiled, miserable female I have ever had the displeasure of laying my eyes on!"
"And you are the most impossibly frustrating, ignorant, brooding creature I have ever laid eyes on!" Misao yelled back.
"You're such a bitch!"
"Idiot!"
"Weasel!"
"I hate you!"
"I hate you!"
They paused, the words and misplaced anger and frustration hanging about them in the air, thick as smoke. They could never begin to explain how all those words were hollow, just the growth of emotions too longer repressed that came surging up whenever they were near one another. An electricity seemed to dance around both forms, some sort of internal magnetism that brought out the worst in each of them, the truth to the surface. No barriers, no shields to protect, no walls to keep others out. Unintentionally, they were bared for each other to see, and they hated themselves for it. Fear drove them to defensive anger and anger drove them to something else entirely.
Neither could say who moved first, or perhaps it was that they moved together. Either way, one moment they were staring each other down, seething, wishing unpleasant things on the one before them. And the next moment, they closed the gap.
Their lips met in a torrent of heat, of broken tension, and near desperation. A desperation to feel something, anything, then what seeped into their souls from all corners. They were trapped, trapped by this town, by these people, by each other.
One of Aoshi's arms was around Misao's small waist, pressing her against him as close as he could get. His other hand pulled the hat from her head, freeing the long fall of her soft hair, then threaded his fingers through it. He wasn't even thinking about what he was doing, it was as if his body was doing it for him, without request or consent. Just this once, he didn't think about the ten paces in front of him, he was utterly content with the one he was currently occupying.
Misao closed her eyes, arms snaking around his neck in an attempt to bring him closer to her. Her hands shook, suddenly overcome with that reckless abandon once more. This time she welcomed it, let herself drown in it, the same way she let herself drown in the taste of Aoshi, the feel of his frame against her own. For a girl who had never been kissed before--not really kissed anyway--this was a perfect first. She had never known a girl could be kissed in such a way, with mouth and teeth and tongue.
As suddenly as it had begun, it ended. As if only just realizing what they were doing, Misao and Aoshi sprang apart as if they had been shocked. Both panted, breathless and dizzy and frightened. Misao brought a shaking hand up to her mouth, as if not believing it was her own, her eyes wide. Aoshi swallowed, trying to think of something to say. Anything really, but nothing came. She had wiped his mind clean of all thoughts other than thoughts of her.
Misao was thoroughly shaken. All of her senses seem to encompass only the boy standing in front of her. That had never before happened to her. The first thought to come into her head, one that didn't involve Aoshi, was what would happen if her father ever found out. Would he be able to look at her and tell? Could he simply see it in her face? That she had let a boy kiss her…that she had kissed him back, and that she had liked it? Before further of this train of thought could continue, her mind was swamped once more with Aoshi because he was trying to talk to her.
"Misao," he attempted, but his voice sounded raspy in his own ears. He swallowed again, then tried once more. "I didn't mean…what just happened…"
Without a word, Misao grabbed her backpack and her hat, and ran from the room as fast as her legs could carry her. She had to get away, had to let her mind clear. If she looked at him again, Misao knew she would crack. She would lose her mind, lose herself. Oh Misao, her mother's voice whispered in her ears. What have you done?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
All Aoshi could do was try and go after her. She was small, but she was fast, and he was still unsure of himself in this place. It didn't take long for her to lose him, and Aoshi knew it. When he returned to the classroom, he took his guitar in hand and walked slowly from the building. His heartbeat had steadied, and his breathing was normal, but it didn't help. He could still taste her, still feel her like an echo. He could even smell her, the scent of her clung to his trench coat as a reminder.
Maybe this was why his grandfather had tried to warn him. Misao was like a drug. She would get you high for a few moments, but then crash you against jagged rocks and leave you for dead. Did Okina know she could do that? Had she done it with others? Was that why people seemed wary of her, even when she was in one of her better moods? Had Okina known that with one kiss, Misao could change a person's life? Because Aoshi's life had been changed with that single, seemingly insignificant action. He was accustomed to hard truths in his life, but nothing could have prepared Aoshi for the fact that he had unintentionally fallen hard for Misao Makimachi.
A/N: Okay readers, we have chapter 5! This was fun to write because I love writing arguments! (If anyone has read my Inuyasha AU Tainted Blood, you'll see my love of arguments!) I'll get chapter 6 out sometime during the week, probably Tuesday. Thanks for reading! And here are reviewer responses!
Misao Mei Mei: I mentioned that it was 'A Midsummer's Night's Dream' in chapter 2 I believe. It's my favorite play to be exact. I can't write that fast, lol! But sometimes, if I get the urge, I can update once a day. There was a story that I used to update twice a day--but that was over the summer when I had no life. I usually like to update at least once a week, but this story is such fun! Thanks for reading!
Silver Miko: No need to by formal! But I thank you again to the reviews.
Mariana-chan: Aoshi is a little wrapped up in his own world, so he'll be lax to the father issues for a while. Fear not, he's not dumb and he'll soon put two and two together. The harsh thing is for fun. It's awesome to make them hate each other, but fall in love anyway, lol. What can I say? I'm a romantic. Thanks for reading, I hope you like this chapter too!
Tamakia'gss: Ah, the wonders of a love-hate relationship. *sniffles* I just love those kinds of love though, it's never dull. I'm not big in the tragedies, except for Hamlet because I loved that one. I like the comedies. It's ok, I'm just a groupie of many strange things. It's not like I'd put a mob hit on you for not being a Shakespeare freak. I'm a big enough hone of the both of us, lol.
Darkmoon0829: I'm very pleased that you enjoy this story. I have read shin-no-shibo's stories, and loved them I might add, but to be placed in the same category with those is beyond my expectations. Thank you! (Because you make me feel so fuzzy, you are now my favorite reviewer--just don't tell the others!)
Allin656: Thank you. I'm happy with how he is too. I hope this chapter is as acceptable as the last one though!
Kitiara_uth_matar: Ah, making up and breaking apart is what makes a drama story so great! Relationships are so fun to write because they have a life of their own. As for Jinei, I made him that way in my story because I think he's a freak! Here is your update, enjoy!
Susan: I'm so happy you are pleased with me and my work. Reviewer responses are my absolute favorites! I love reading what everyone says to me, so I think it's only right that I return the favor and tell you just how much I love you guys for reading my blood and sweat. *sniffles* It just means so much to me!
