I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

""Character Talking

**Characters Thoughts

Chapter 4: He's the one?

Misao straightened her dress and walked to the study, where she expected to find her Jiya drinking his usual tea before retiring. She hoped he would be up to discussing Aoshi Shinomori with her. *and if he doesn't I'll make him* she thought and clutched her fists.

When she entered the room, she walked directly to the wide desk in the center, she didn't see the tall figure reclining in a chair before the fireplace. Okina looked from his desk, and his lips tightened. He had hoped to delay the inevitable a bit longer, but Aoshi had told him, that Misao was already aware of his intention.

"Shut the door Misao. I don't want Yahiko to hear our conversation, you know he likes to eavesdropping" Okina watched Misoa retrace her steps and closed the study door. He saw her narrowed her eyes when she discovers Aoshi and then stubbornly refuse to acknowledge his presence.

"Jiya I want to know what is going on" she took a chair and stiffly sat on its edge. Okina glanced at Aoshi receiving a nod to proceed, he turned back to Misao.

"As you know, Pretty Misao you have reached an age when proper young Ladies are usually married" said Okina.

"You right, proper young Ladies are usually married" she stood up rigid with anger. "But I'm not a lady and according to you I'm a tomboy." And she gripped the edge of the desk, glaring at her Jiya.

"Excuse me, Okina." Aoshi interrupted and came to stand beside Misao, he leaned indolently back against the desk and caught Misao's eyes with his brilliant green gaze. "Little one, your grandfather has neglected to explain that you have little choice in the matter." Pulling out a document from his jacket and opening the folded paper he continued. " Unfortunately, your grandfather lost the Kamiya estate to my father some years ago."

"Jiya how could you?" Misao interrupted, and she looked at Okina. Okina's eyebrow was twitching.

"Not him" said Aoshi annoyed.

"His the only grandfather I have" said Misao pointing her finger at Okina.

"Your real grandfather, our previous Leader." Okina shouted.

"Oh!" Misao exclaimed.

"Like I was saying" Aoshi said and he looked at Misoa. "You can't refuse to marry me. Unless" he stopped for a moment.

"Unless?" Misao asked narrowing her eyes at him.

"You want to leave you r sister and brother without a roof over their heads, and I doubt you would like explaining to your sister and brother, that it was you who allowed them to loss what their father left for them." He watched the warring emotions on her face. Disbelief, rage, shock and finally, horrified understanding. He remained silent following her train of thought as she reaches the only possible conclusion. "It's rather late to question your grandfather.....

"Of course is rather late, his been death for the past five years" she shouted, she took a deep breath and said. "Fine I'll marry Mr. Shinomori I been chained to you against my will."

Aoshi almost winced at the accusing look on her face. He saw her walked out of the room with dignity that impressed him greatly, and felt a rising admiration for her. *from this point on, she belongs to him.* he though.

"You're a fool Aoshi" said Okina "Misao is just like you, she doesn't like to be told what to do, and if you try, she would do the opposite, she does what she feels. If you want to know something, ask her, don't assume" Okina ground out from between his teeth before stalking out of the room and going upstairs.

The next morning Misao remained in her bedroom the entire day. She walked endless miles back and forth across her room. She couldn't thing a way to avoid her arranged marriage, if only she could get her hands on the deeds.

^Promise me that you will marry him, I gave him my word, Misao^ said a voice inside her head

"Aah!" she shouted "even if I steal the deeds from him, I still have to keep my promise to my grandfather, there is no way out this, man this suck." She said and sat on the edge of her bed. Later Misao decides to take a bath.

She dropped her rope and eased her self into the steaming water. Her muscles began to relax and in a moment she was resting her head against the bath tub with her eyes closed. She was worry about Aoshi Shinomori who confused and worried her, she opened her eyes and splashed water, she shook her head and she tried to dismiss him with a sigh, but fail. She told her self he was nothing but a handsome insensitive and arrogant idiot.

"I don't want to think about him while Im trying to relax." She groaned and sank lower in the tub. She was able to dismiss him for a few moments, but she remembered his daring kiss the evening before, she promptly stepped out of the tub, dried off, and pulled on her rope, and when back into her bedroom. And there he was, Aoshi Shinomori, stretched out on her bed, with his shoes on and his legs crossed, grinning at Misao as she slammed the bathroom door behind her.

"Get out of here" she said, her body rigid.

"Relax, I could have barged in on your bath, but instead I waited out here." He laughs when Misao paled. "There you see. I'm not that insensitive after all. Now come over here. I want to talk to you.

But Misao remained in from of the bathroom door. "I would like you to leave, Mr. Shinomori."

"I miss you at breakfast and lunch, and I wanted to know if you were alright".

Misao kept her tone steady. "As you see Im alright."

He walked over to her, not smiling, not speaking, he removed the towel from her head and ran his fingers through her black hair, then held her head with both his hands and tilted her face up to his.

"Tell me you don't want me to kiss you" he said and before she could answer, his mouth covered her, briefly, gently. He looked at her and smile. "Well?"

"Misao put both hands on his wrist. "Aoshi please" she whispered, acutely aware of his strong body against hers.

He smiled and whispered on her ear.. "I believe this is the first time you use my name" his hands moved to her waist and drew her close. He covered her mouth with his in a hard kiss. Misao didn't respond, but he pulled her tightly against him. His lips softened then parted as his tongue found hers. Misao kept telling herself to pull away, but the strength of his arms, the taste of his lips, his passion, all were new to her, instead she found her lips responding to his. And then he released her and said with a soft voice.

"Join me for dinner Misao, I need to talk to you."

She swallowed hard, and her blue eyes met his. Misao's heart was beating rapidly and her body was rigid with tension. With a grin, kissed her in the forehead, and he turned to leave.

"I'll wait for you Misao."

It took Misao a couple of minutes to move from where she was standing, she took a deep breath and said. "Well, that was an interesting experience." She looked at the closed door and sighed heavily.

Outside Misao's room, Aoshi had a victory smile on his face, to make Misao falls in love with him was going to be easy, but he had to be careful not fall on his own trap.

Misao was also thinking the same thing. * I could make Aoshi Shinomori fall madly in love with me,*. "Yeah right" she said out loud and laughs.

At dinner that evening, Misao set out to find out what Aoshi needed to talk to her about. Upon entering the dinning she'd smiled at him and he had greeted her with a smile also. She sat down and waited to be served, Aoshi's glanced at Misao from time to time as he wanted to say something but couldn't.

*So much for talking* she thought. Finally she finishes eating her dinner. Misao hopped out of her chair, and she heard Aoshi say something.

"Would you walk with me on the terrace" he said mildly. Misaa was about to refuse, but she changes her mind, she still wanted to find out what he wanted to talk to her about.

"Alright" she said as they walked through the doors and onto the terrace. Once outside they each sat on down on a chair.

"This morning you skipped breakfast and lunch, I was beginning to wonder if you had changed your mind about marrying me.....

"If I remember correctly, you made it clear that I don't have any choice but to marry you." She interrupted him suddenly.

"I don't have a choice either" he blurted out.

"I knew it" she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You must think I'm an idiot, I thought about it all day," Misao began calmly "What would be your reason to want this marriage.? I mean it has to be something in it for you.?"

"What makes you think there is something in it for me.?" he asked.

"C'mon don't play games with me," she stopped for a moment to see his expression. "If you marry me you would loss the Kamiya estate, there's got to be something more important to you." She said. She looked at him, it was obvious she wasn't going to get any answers from him. She stood up to leave and Aoshi pulled her by the elbow.

"You are a little minx" said Aoshi tightened his grip on her arm. "Alright I'll tell you what in it for me, if set down and hear me out." His grip loosened.

With his elbow on his knee, Aoshi leaned over her in a casual pose. His scent drifted to her. *curse him why does he has to smell so good.* she thought.

Aoshi took a deep breath and began talking. "My father has promised me the company if I marry you, and I would do anything to get it, even when I'm no the marrying type Misao. Like I said, I would do anything to get the company." He could see something flickered in Misao's eyes, but she lower her lashes to hide her thoughts.. "So, you see we both got something to loss.....

"Your wrong" she interrupted him. "You got something to loss, I don't."

"What?" he asked

"I can always buy a the estate from you, and if you don't sell it to me I'll buy them a different estate." She said firmly.

"You don't have that kind of money" he said.

"That's what you think" she said. And they both stood up. Misao sighs. "But don't worry even when I can buy the estate from you, I still have to keep my word to my grandfather." She said more calmly.

"What word.?" he asked.

"When I was fourteen years old, my grandfather made me promise him, that I would marry you and I would not break my promise to him. We both have different reason, but yours is money mine is just to keep my word to someone a love." She said, and walked back to the house. *Why what she so angry at him?, Could it be because his reason for marrying her was money?* she thought. When she was about to close her door Aoshi stopped her from doing so. He pushed the door open and got in.

"Get out Shinomori" she shouted at him.

His first reaction was to pull her to his chest and said."Is Aoshi dammit," she could see his furious features. "Perhaps I should help you remember it."

"It that so? And how do you intent to help me remember it?" she asked angrily

"Like a did early today." he said lowering his head, and he trapped her mouth beneath his. Misao stiffened, then she tried to break free. His hand cupped her face so that she couldn't turn away. She fought against her own weakening but instead of pushing him away she gripped the fabric of his shirt. The moment her lips parted, he pressed dipper into her mouth. She can only cling to him, forgetting all the reason to despise him. Then his mouth moves to her throat, and she let her head fall back to grant him easy easier access. She never though or suspected that a man could make her feel so alive, and not just any man but Aoshi.

Then Aoshi released her and said indifferently. "From now on, if you call me Shinomori, I'll kiss you."

Misao caught her breath and stifled a flush, she was aware of amusement in his eyes and her own embarrassment. She smiles coolly, raising her chin she said to him, "Is that a dare." His silent grin was his only answer. "Then I accept,".

"One more thing, if you call me Shinomori in front of anybody I will kiss you like I just did" he said and turns to leave. "Good night Misao"

Before Aoshi could close the door behind him Misao yelled at him "You jerk Shino.....she stopped when she saw the door opening again. Aoshi flashed her a wide grin and he said to her.

"Ha! Coward" he said with teasing voice. Misao reached for a vase to throw at him. But he close the door before she could throw it.

*I think I falling for that arrogant idiot.* she thought. "This is bad, very badly." She shouted.


Hi everyone sorry it took me so long to update.

Thank you for your reviews. I hope you like this

Chapter. And I'm already working on the next Chap.

Please review.