A/N: Hey everyone! As promised, here is Chapter 6 of Riffs and Canvas. Before getting to the good stuff (sorry for the delay!) I was told by a few people that they didn't like how I rushed Aoshi and Misao together so fast. My reason behind it is simple--this story has only four to five chapters left. I have to rush them along a little bit, sorry if that's annoying to some of you guys, I just love using divine intervention to make them do what I want. Muhahahahah! I play God…old habit you know. They did get together a little fast, I feel I should have waited on it a little, but if I am to follow the plot line in my head, I held it off as long as I could, but I had to do it. Anyway, here's the chapter, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Blindside, but I like to make them do things, he-hehe-hehehe!

Riffs and Canvas

Chapter 6: Snow God Deliverance

From dusk on Thursday until dawn on Friday, it snowed. Snowed fiercely with no sign of letting up and no chance at getting out the next day. Schools were closed, stores were closed, even roads were closed against the sudden onslaught of weather.

Normally, Aoshi would have welcomed the extra day of rest--he did enjoy his sleep--but Friday he had no patience for it. He prowled the Aoyia--which was closed due to the weather--like a caged animal. Okina was the only other person there, and he knew enough to stay out of his grandson's way when he was so deep into his brooding mode. He happily went about the day in his office, doing paperwork and counting his money. Okina was just a weird guy like that.

Aoshi tried to concentrate on his guitar, hoping that music would let out some of the frustration and foreign emotions that were wedged in his chest. Music, his outlet of emotion for as long as he could remember, did nothing for him that day. After a while of tuneless strumming, he had to distance himself from it. There was nothing there. No inspiration or even eagerness to play. He felt strangely guilty, like a child touching something he knew he shouldn't be touching. But that was wrong! The guitar was his, he was supposed to touch it. Still, he couldn't bring himself to do it, to take that step.

For some reason, he centered upon the hardcover play Misao had lent him, sitting forlornly on his desk like a beaten animal. It was calling to be read, to be known. He was sure that Misao had probably kept it, loved and often read, on a shelf by her bed. Or perhaps that was one of the books he had seen squirreled away in her studio, near the tank and her snake.

Without knowing why, he took up the copy of the play and retreated downstairs to the empty restaurant. He hit one of the light switches, grabbing a soda from the kitchen, and settled in one of the comfortable booths in the back. Aoshi, feet propped on the table and a long straw leading from the coke on the table to his mouth, read the Shakespearian play for the first time without being told.

As expected, he didn't understand a lot of what was going on. A bunch of faeries and bumpkins and runaway lovers assaulted him with lyrical words and professions of love. After a while, Aoshi surprised himself by finding an internal rhythm to the play itself. The lines seemed to hold a kind of beat, almost like the hidden melody of a song. Misao had told him about that once before, about how all of Shakespeare's works were just long poems, and poems were just songs without music.

He hadn't believed her at the time, of course, but now he was starting to see what she meant. He also began to understand why she was so taken by the character of Helena. She was a sad girl, trying to find a way to make her true love love her back. It made him wonder.

Aoshi was suddenly feeling angry with himself. He had no reason to feel angry about what happened the day before between him and Misao. One minute they were fighting…and the next…? It was just in the heat of the moment. And he hadn't taken advantage of her or anything. She was a willing participant! Then she had just bolted out of there like she was afraid he was going to do it again, or worse.

Honestly, it was the look in her eyes that made him feel as wretched as he did. She had looked for horrified. Not of him, more of herself. And there was something else that haunted her green eyes, eyes he noticed up close had a little blue in them. It was the look of a nameless fear, and it made something in him want to protect her.

This was such a strange feeling to him. All his life, Aoshi had looked after himself. He had the Oniwaban gang, but the other guys could look after themselves. They joined together because it was safer that way. They were friends because they trusted each other, but if one got down to it, they didn't need each other's protection. They confided, sure. They fought, definitely. The fact was, all of them had grown up in a place where you learned to look after yourself, and your family, or you could end up dead. Aoshi had looked after his mother, but he despised him for it. So after a while, he stopped. So he had lived for himself alone.

Now, there was this girl. This frustrating, temperamental, haunting, beautiful girl who made him do, say, and feel things he had never done, said, or felt before. It was new and a little scary, but the most frightening thing of all was that Aoshi didn't want it to go away. He liked the feeling he got when Misao was near him, when she was reading Shakespeare, or explaining poetry to him, or yelling at him.

All he had to do was close his eyes, and he could see her glaring at him. Surprisingly, she was at her prettiest when she was angry at him.

He growled at himself in frustration, snapping the book closed and loudly dropping it on the table top. Roughly, Aoshi got to his feet and stormed into the kitchen for another coke. Halfway back to the table, his hand began to twitch with the sudden urge to get his guitar. Never one to deny impulse, he put his soda down and fetched his prized instrument from his room. The Aoyia was absent, no one would be the wiser if he just strummed a little. Okina was upstairs, as long as he was relatively quiet, the old man would never no the difference.

So he took up his position on the counter like he had the other day. Tuning, strumming to get it just right, Aoshi racked his brain for a favorable song. A few filtered through, but one lodged itself in his mind. He ran his fingers quickly over the strings, playing out the beginning riffs by heart. It was, oddly enough, a song that reminded him of the very girl he was trying to keep out of him mind. Oh well, why fight it if it helps with musician's block?

"As I recall with my stomach turning, I was hiding away from myself, away from you." Aoshi keep his voice low and even. He did, after all, have a fairly awesome singing voice, but he didn't want to disrupt his grandfather from his aspirations of make the world's longest paper clip chain. "Like nothing, though something was terribly wrong. And I admit that I was only waiting for the right time, night time, the right moment for you to look away, though you never did. I pretended for a while, so I could walk where I don't belong. And I remember every word you said, come back in time, come back. And I remember I would soon be dead, now so pitiful, so pitiful."

Music is harder than most people realize. It's a lifetime of writing what you feel and what you know, but knowing how to express it without truly giving in to the feelings. If Aoshi let go of his control, his voice would most likely crack, or go off key. Singing from the heart was one thing, but getting so lost in the song could ruin it before it has even begun.

"But I know as I hammered those nails into your beautiful hands, your eyes still try to search for mine, but I look away. Now your eyes are the only thing that can save me, I'm still so afraid of them piercing. You're breaking into my prison. Just pretended for a while, my soul is dying. I won't look away. And I remember every word you said, come back in time, come back. And I remember I would soon be dead, now so pitiful, so pitiful." He left off to continue into the solo, long fingers flying deftly over cords long memorized for a melody engrained into his mind for a lifetime of playing. "And I remember every word you said...I'll remember every word you said. This time I won't look away. And I remember every word you said, come back in time, come back. And I remember I would soon be dead, now so pitiful, so pitiful."

He ended on the low note, letting it echo through the empty room with a haunting lit. For a moment, at the high of the song, it took him away from these confusing and conflicting thoughts. But it was not nearly long enough.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Misao sat in her studio, Seraphim resting comfortably around her neck. His presence was a loving veil to keep out the world. As long as she was in this place, all that was there was her memories and her pet. This was a place where her father didn't exist. Where Aoshi didn't exist. Where none of the strange and scary things bubbling inside of her could have any effect. This was her haven, her place of refuge. Out of pure stubbornness, she would allow nothing to pass through the invisible barrier that kept her hidden in this, her own little world.

Her father had seen. He hadn't noticed the way she shook last night at dinner, or now the blush on her cheeks just wouldn't fade, no matter how many times she washed her face and stopped thinking about what happened in the empty English classroom. He hadn't any clue. Something was happening at the office and his attentions were far from Misao. She was thankful for it.

He also informed her that he was going away the following weekend, and that she had to remain home. Jineh would be accompanying his employer, so there was no one to watch her. Misao had contested that she was old enough to look after herself, and he had surprisingly agreed. Misao guessed that he was too tired to hit her, so she took solace in her bravery.

The fact that she had Friday off because of the snow gave her a sort of inner joy. She couldn't have bared facing Aoshi just yet. He was an entire different story. Misao might have been brave enough to face her father over a weekend at home, but the rest of her thoughts were seeped in self doubt and childish fears.

"Oh Mom," Misao sighed, looking to the painting with troubled eyes. "I wish you were here." Seraphim's cool skin slide across her bare neck as his head slithered back toward his home. Misao got to her feet, nearly fell off balance due to the weight of snake bulk on her body, but caught herself in time. She returned him to his home and walked to her wall of drawings.

Misao ran her fingers over the face of her mother's portrait. Instead of warmth, there was only the rough feeling of canvas and dried paint. How she longed to hear her mother's voice. Her true voice, and not just the conscience she heard deep within her own mind to comfort her when she was scared. She wished to hear her mother's laugh again. In all her life, Misao had never loved anyone as much as she loved her mother, Sae Makimachi. Only to have her mother robbed from her life when Misao was eleven.

That was when her father had began to hit her. For a while, Misao had thought it was because of her mother's death, that he blamed her for it every bit as much as Misao blamed herself. That was until she realized that he had beat her mother as well. Maybe Misao was only meant as a replacement for her dead mother, just something to have around to control and beat and break. She never knew. (A/N: But we will know--not until chapter 9--but we will know!)

"If you were here," Misao whispered in the silent room. "You'd tell me what to do, wouldn't you? You'd know what I could do to make things better." Misao laughed bitterly, shaking her head as her hand fell away from the canvas. "But you're not here, are you Mom?"

If she listened close, Misao almost heard a heavy sigh. It was probably her imagination. That was when the phone rang. There was only one person who always seemed to call when she was feeling particularly low--she suspected him of psychic powers.

"Hi Sou," Misao said into the phone, a smile coming to her face.

"How do you always know it's me?" he whined, and sounded like he was eating something.

"You always call when I'm depressed," Misao said matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah," he laughed. "I forgot." Misao rolled her eyes and looked at the clock on her drawing table. It was near dinner time. Her father had gone out--against the winter snow warnings--and should be back in about an hour. It gave her a good amount of time to talk with her friend. Her only friend.

"So tell me 'Sao," Soujiro said into the phone. "What were you brooding over now?"

"I'm glad I amuse you," Misao said sourly when she heard the humor in his voice.

"Aw, Misao! You slay me with your unkind words. I am simply asking about the health and well being of my very best friend!"

"You're such a brat Soujiro," Misao laughed, sinking to the floor against the wall. "I'm better now that I have you as a distraction."

"Really, are you ok? You're dad being an asshole again?" Soujiro was a smart guy, one of the only people who had ever been smart enough to figure out that Misao's father wasn't right, though he didn't know about the abuse. Misao had never told anyone about it, but a few guessed. She never confirmed or denied.

"Surprisingly no," she said. "He's busy at work and letting me out on a longer leash. He's also going away next weekend and I have the house to myself."

"Kick ass! Party at Makimachi's!"

"Go to hell," Misao laughed.

"So what are you brooding over if your Dad is being good?"

"If I tell you something Sou," Misao said in a serious whisper. "You have to swear you'll never tell anyone. Under pain of death!"

"I promise," he said sincerely, but eagerly.

"You swear on the snow gods? Under pain of sacrifice?"

"If I ever break this promise, may the snow gods smite me with their powdery white goodness," Soujiro said and she was positive he was holding up his right hand.

"Yesterday, after you left for practice, Aoshi and I had our normal Shakespeare session, right?"

"Ok, I follow," Soujiro said, leaning forward as if she was in front of him rather than across town.

"Well, we got into this huge argument afterwards, usual for us."

"Yeah," he agreed with a snicker.

"Listen dick, you gonna let me finish?" There was no further interruption, but she heard him stifling his laughter. "I don't know what happened really. One second we were swearing eternal hatred upon each other, and the next thing I know…"

"What?" Soujiro prompted.

"We were kissing, right there, in the middle of the English room!" Misao cried suddenly, falling forward and covering her face as if the entire school was watching her. Soujiro didn't reply for the longest of times and Misao was scared he had hung up on her. "Sou, say something."

It was the pleading note in her voice that brought him out of his stupor. "Wow," was all he could say. "I mean…wow!"

"Don't mock me Soujiro."

"I'm not, but Misao…You're first kiss was in the English room! That's amazing!" Suddenly he laughed. Not a ridiculing laugh, just a happy laugh like one gives when they caught a friend doing something wrong. "With the new kid," he taunted lightly in a sing-song voice.

Misao groaned. "I know, I know."

"Do you like him?"

The question caught her off guard. She had been asking herself that all day and the answer, like it had before, came strong and immediately. "Yeah, I do." It was a whispered confession never before said aloud.

Soujiro smiled to himself. "I'm happy for you, 'Sao."

"I wish I could be," she grumbled.

"Why aren't you?" he countered. "You like him. I bet of he kissed you, he likes you too. Why aren't you stoked like any other girl would be. Especially since," he rose his voice to a high, girly sound. "He's so cute and junk."

Misao laughed, the weight on her shoulders leaving her form. If there was one person in the world who could take away her doubt and fear, it was Soujiro. The only boy in the world who could always make her laugh. "I am happy, but I'm just a little freaked out."

"Aw well, that's understandable. Just remembered to use protection, because you're sleeping with everyone he's ever slept with."

"Soujiro!" Misao yelped in astonishment. He cackled. "Asshole. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She didn't give him a chance to mutter a response before she hung up on him. Her face was red and her arms were crossed over her chest. She wouldn't let it get to her. The only problem was, it did.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday, the most hated day of the student's week. Everyone, still wearing off the high of a three-day-weekend, seems more subdued than usually to be walking the halls at 7:30 in the morning. Aoshi is no acceptation. After an almost sleepless weekend, he's more tired than ever. Only the thought of a snowstorm blowing in on Thursday lifted his spirits.

There are times in life when time more undeniably fast, and other times when it moves decidedly slow. How it works it that when you want time to race by, it will crawl. And when you want it to last forever, it will come before you want it. That is what Aoshi's day was. He was dreading his tutoring session that afternoon, dreaded facing Misao again, but time seemed to slip from him and before he noticed, the 12th period bell was ringing and they were once more left in the room alone. Soujiro had skipped out moments before, praying a basketball practice, but the wink he gave Misao that caused her to pale made him suspicious.

"Well," Misao said slowly. "I doubt you read anything over the weekend, so we have to rush a little if we want to be ready for Friday's test."

"Actually," Aoshi commented as they walked to the library together. "I did read over the weekend. I actually finished the play. But it's a good idea to cram extra for the test."

Misao looked up at him, her eyes wide in surprise. She read truth in the depths of his dark blue eyes and a delighted smile bloomed on her face. Aoshi had been struggling for meaning all weekend behind why he kissed Misao. His evidence was right there.

Misao's smile diminished under his stare and she had to look away. They walked in silence to the library, quietly greeted Lorraine who was deep into a new romance novel, and made their way to their usual room. Misao taught, Aoshi listened and answered, same as they always did. This time was different because of the tension that hung in the air around them like a thick cloud.

By the time the lesson was finished, Misao's hands were shaking so bad she had to hide them in her pockets and Aoshi couldn't seem to take his eyes of that very interesting tile on the floor. It was awkward and worst of all, hindering their work. That's what pissed Misao off the most.

Finally, out of pure frustration, she snapped as they were getting ready to leave. "This is ridiculous!"

"What is?" Aoshi asked, still not able to look at her.

"This!" Misao raged. "You, me…this entire situation has been blown so out of proportion we can't even concentrate! This is obviously some form of…sexual tension," she stated despite the blush that crept up her neck. "When two people work together, they get feelings that aren't really there due to a tension of project and stress."

Aoshi was finally able to lift his eyes to her and Misao shivered a little when she noticed they held a sort of smoky, far away look. "What do you propose?"

She blurted the first thing that came into her head. "Kiss me again." Stunned at her own words, but determined not to run away like a scared little girl this time, she met his eyes in spite of the heat radiating from her face. "It'll lessen this stupid tension and them we can get over it, continue our work, and then be done with it."

Aoshi narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you asking to be kissed.

"Are you afraid to comply?" she countered. Bold words for a nervous wreck.

His smile was quick as lightning, and just as dangerous. "If the lady asks," he said, placing his guitar on the table and taking a step closer to her.

Misao stepped back. "You aren't going to fight me on this?"

He halted. "Are you regretting your our suggestion?"

"No," she said stubbornly. "I just didn't think you'd take me up on it." There, it was said, and she felt like a little fool. Aoshi suddenly smiled and the shock of it shuddered down to her toes. Dammit! It wasn't fair that he looked that good. There should really be a law or something. When a guy has eyes that blue and black hair and bangs that fall into his eyes in such an annoyingly sexy way…it's so not fair!

And yet, he wouldn't be half as interesting if he wasn't so damn gorgeous--especially while brooding. Misao tingled down to her toes when he took another step closer. When she didn't back away, he took another and another until he was standing in front of her. Misao lifted her face, offering an invitation that Aoshi would never have denied. In doing so, they were lost to the world around them.

There was a moment when Misao internally panicked. The voice in her mind swirled in her ears. Misao, this is wrong. You defy too much Misao. But she silenced it. There are times in a girl's life when she defies the rules she has lived by all her life, just for a little excitement, and for the chance at the 'forbidden guy.'

Aoshi had an initial moment of hesitation as well. He thought of what his grandfather had said, about not getting involved with Misao. He tried to be strong, to resist the pull of her eyes, but when she invited him to kiss her, there were no powers on earth that could have stopped him.

A/N: Okay, chapter 6 is done. What will happen next you wonder? Wait and see, haha! Chapter 7 will be out in a few days, Friday most likely. Thanks for you patience! And now, time for reviewer responses!

Allin656: I'm very happy that you liked Chapter 5 and I hope 6 was good too. (I really enjoyed writing the Misao-Soujiro conversation, heh) I love Kenshin and Kaoru too, but I can totally see them being the gossipers. It's not like they're mean or anything. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it!

Silver Hanyou1: Thanks! I too like how Misao has come out. I always hate it when people make her out to be a brainless bubble. Misao's character maybe a little immature, but she has real depth and strength! She's the kind of girl that anyone would want to know!

Tiian: Hehe, arguments are just smashing fun. Yes well, I had to make Aoshi prickish for a while, he does get better! I swear to the snow gods! As for the Kenshin-gossip factor, I can totally see Kenshin, master of all that is good a pure, having a weakness with the spreading of gossip. He's always made out to be Saint Kenshin, and although he's not a bad guy, I wanted to make him that annoyingly friendly guy you want to hug and kick at the same time. Thanks for reviewing!

Nekonomiko: I'm so happy that you like my story. I hope this chapter keep you as interested as the ones before it. Oh, there are surprises to come, that there are! Thanks for the offer and I hope my e-mail got to you!

Susan: Lol, I'm glad you liked it. I was scared everyone would be outraged with me since I was feeling a bit rushed and my romance isn't that great--I'm an action writer who took a trip down drama lane, eck! It's my personal favorite Shakespeare play so I thought it was only proper.

Silver Miko: I'm so happy you approve! I'm not that good with the romantic stuff, so I was a little leery because everyone knows Aoshi/Misao fans are sticklers for excellence. I hope I did you proud! Also, I think it's the funniest thing in the world when the guys fall in love first. Usually it's the girl and they're all sad about it, I just love how guys are always brooding and beating themselves up over it, haha!

Tamakia'gss: I'm happy you liked the kiss. Oh, that's not really Misao's mother talking to her, lol. It's Misao's conscience. I just say it sounds like her mother for dramatic and sentimental purposes. (Such as, whenever I do anything bad, I hear my grandmother's voice in my head calling me a 'dang fool' if I don't put that Cadbury egg back, lol)

Darkmoon0829: I'm happy that you liked this chapter. So many people were pleased, gives me the fuzzies once more. I'm really, really happy that everyone was so happy with my kiss scene. You have no idea how nervous I was to write it at first. Aoshi/Misao fans are top choice and I had to have the best writing for them.

SeaBreeze: Lol, I'm happy that you approve. I'm always looking for new people to worship me, lol. I'm gld you like my stories--I'll be sure to check out yours--thanks for reviewing!

Weasel1029: I'm glad you like my story weasel! And let me say you're pen name is choice! I aim only to please my readers because it is a well known fact that Aoshi/Misao fans are especially picky when it comes to excellence.

Naivety: Don't die, here's more. Hope you liked it as much as the rest of the story so far! Thanks for reading!