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""Characters Talking

Characters thoughts and Flashbacks.

Chapter 9: Until dead.

After Aoshi left, Misao's bedroom she was able to fall sleep into a slumber, it seem to her like something heavy was lifted from her shoulders, because Aoshi seemed to understand her reason for not wanting to have children without love and she was relieved that he agreed with her. The next morning Misao tossed in bed for a while. She decided to get up after getting ready, she went down to the kitchen to find something to eat. She was eating her late breakfast when Aoshi walked into the kitchen, they looked each other for a instant, then he sat beside her.

"Did you had any trouble falling sleep after I left you Misao?" he asked her with a grin.

"Why do you ask?" she asked him sipping her hot chocolate.

"You didn't came down for breakfast and I thought I must it kept you up....

"Aoshi, you may stir my thoughts......but not enough to keep me awake" she said sipping at the steaming liquid, pretending fascination with her hot coco, but Aoshi knew she was trying to avoid looking at him. Misao was aware of the long legs stretched out beside her, and his large hands curled around his cup. She sensed him watching her and slowly lifted her gaze, she could see that his expression was warm.

"Is that so?" he said and he chuckled softly. "You got chocolate on you" Aoshi murmured reaching out and skimming a fingertip over the curve of her lip. Misao tried to lick the chocolate off with the tip of her tongue but she failed.

"Here, let me" Aoshi said huskily. His hands gently cradled her cheeks, and his mouth came down on her gently. Misao caught her breath as his tongue and lips removed all traces of the chocolate.

And just before pulling away Misao looped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His arms closed around her with fierce possessiveness, making her aware of his hard body. Opening her mouth to his tongue she forgot everything but the wonders of tasting and touching him.

Aoshi could taste the fainted sweetness of chocolate on her tongue, and he wonder how did she guess how much he'd like to taste her soft and sweet lips again. He had lied about having chocolate on her face all he wanted was an excuse to invited her to kissed him, and it worked. Aoshi was lost between sanity and pleasure, rationality and temptation.

"Misao" he said huskily, trailing his finger over her flushed cheek. "Anyone might discover us here. Is there somewhere we could go to be alone"

Dazed from his kiss, she gathered her spinning senses. She looked at him for a second, mortification flooded her. Aoshi wanted more than a kiss! she thought. She pulled away from his arms. "A..a..lone?" she finally said with a flushed face.

"Yes," he said pulling her once more into his arms. Then he smiled at her when he realized why she was blushing. "Misao get your head out of the gutter, I only want to speak to you about were are we going to live once we get back to Kyoto." he said kissing her softly.

Gutter?she thought annoyed "is that it,?" she said and to her surprise she sounded disappointed.

Aoshi grinned "it that it? He repeat her question. "Is it me or do you sound disappointed?" He said teasing.

"Is just you" she said annoyed. She pulled away and took her cup to the sink. "Meet me in my room in one hour."

"Are you sure is a good idea if we go to your room.?" he asked

"Now who has his head in the gutter?" Misao asked him

Aoshi laughed softly "Touche"

"I'll see you later, I need to find your Mother." she said as she walked out of the kitchen.

Misao found Lin talking to a women, little older then her in the garden. Lin turned around as she heard someone called her name.

"Misao darling your up, Aoshi said he kept you awake late last night." said Lin mischievously

I can't believe he said that Misao thought "Yes, we had things to talk about." she said

"Is that so?" Lin asked

"Yes, but apparently we didn't say everything we had to, because he wants to talk to melater." said Misao

"No, no, no." said the other women standing next to Lin. "The groom mustn't never see his bride before the wedding, is bad luck"

"Oh! Misao this is Mrs. Sauza, the wedding planner." said Lin

"Is nice to meet you ma'am" said Misao taking the other women hand.

"No, no, the pleasure is my," she said shaking Misao's hand. "To tell you the true I'm very happy."

"Why is that?" Misao asked

"Because I never thought I would be the one to plan Aoshi Shinomori's wedding and Misao Makimachi's I was surprise when Mrs. Shinomori called me a week ago and asked me to plan her son' wedding, I dropped everything at once." Mrs. Sauza said with a grin.

"Well, thank you." said Misao.

"You were right Mrs. Shinomori she really is a doll." she said looking at Lin. "Well ladies if you excuse me, I have work to do." said Mrs. Sauza and left Misao and Lin.

"So Misao, what on your mind?" Lin asked

"I wanted to ask you what time should I get ready?" she asked

"The wedding is not until six, o'clock and is only noon so, you'll have plenty of time to get ready." Lin said taking Misao's arm. "Walk with me darling I want something to ask you."

"Sure." said Misao

"My son, have he ask you what you think about having children.?" Lin asked.

"Yes, we talked about last night." Misao said.

"And?" Lin said.

"We agree to wait," she said, (sigh) "Lin you know this wedding is nothing but a lie, and I don't want my child or children to be part of a lie" said Misao

Lin smiled sweetly at Misao and said to her. "Darling, are you saying you want to be in love with my son before you have his children.?"

"Is that a bad thing, to fall in love with your son?" Misao asked her.

"No, no, Darling I think is great and I know my son would fall in love with you too, if you are patient" she said.

"I'm a very patient, don't forget who's my grandfather." said Misao

"Yes, it would take a very patient granddaughter to know how to deal with Okina" Lin said. Both women laughed.

Later that day Misao was taking a bath, Lin had told her to relax, to enjoy the last hours of her freedom, to leave everything to her and to Mrs. Sauza. Rather then nervous, she was bored. Then a soft pounding on the door interrupted her train of thought.

"Who is it?" said Misao setting up with a correspondent slosh of water.

"Aoshi, may I come in?"

"No!" she sank down again, until her chin and ears where halfway between the water. "No" she squeaked. "I'm almost finish.....the door opened, and then it closed with an ominous thud. And then there was a silent. Her back was to the door and she knew he was inside her bathroom. He was inside and she was naked and she had no idea what do about it.

Then she shifted to one side, fixed him with her most lethal glare, and said out loud. "Get out. Now!"

"Shhhh. and no we need to talk." he said grinning.

"I refuse to speak to you under such unseemly circumstances." she said

Aoshi only deflected her glare with a smug grin and advanced farther into the bathroom. He was such an arrogant male gesture, that Misoa wanted to throw her soap at him. And yet the same arrogance sent a shiver of both fear and awareness through her.

She sank deeper into the water, crossing her arms over her chest and said. "Wait for me out side I'm almost done."

Aoshi said nothing, he only stared at her. The water began to cool down, but some how it felt warm again. She look at Aoshi he was enjoying himself entirely too much. Misao waited her option, she could talk to him while sitting in the bathtub, or she could refuse to speak to him at all, or she could get out of the bathtub.

Get out of the tub, allowing him to see me naked even if only for a moment? I don't think I dare! I' m not excessively modest person, aah! she thought. Then ego won out over modesty. She sank completely under the water, rising the last of the soap and she gather her courage, then, no giving a second thought to reconsider, she surged to her feet, stepped out of the tub and snatched the towel laying on top of the chair. She was cover in seconds, at least half of her body was. Her arms and legs remained bare, but she could deal with that later. Then she gather her courage again and turned to face him.

"Now, what was it that you wanted to talk about.?"

Aoshi closed his gapping mouth with a snap. Had she just done what I think she did? he thought watching Misao sat on the chair. He image of her smooth ivory skin narrow, and derriere were burned into his brain. He had bullied her, but she turned the tables and bullied him right back. He had to admired her ability to outbluff him.

"Aoshi?" said Misao

Aoshi blinked, only to come back to awareness. He watched Misao walked to the bedroom, she grabbed a wrapper from the bed and slipped her arms into it. With her back to him, she did a little jiggle and from beneath her wrapper, the towel fell to the floor. She tided the wrapper into place and then she turned back to face him.

She placed her hands on her hips. "Now, what was it so important that you interrupted my bath.?"

Indeed, what had been so important? he couldn't remember. "I have to admit, you have taking me quite by surprise, Misao, unfortunately I was so stunned, that I did not entirely appreciate your little display. Would you consider repeating it?" Aoshi could see the blush rose on her cheeks. So, she wasn't so blase in behavoir as she pretended he thought. "You see, I wanted to discuss the matter of where we going to live once we are married, but if you have another sort.....discussion in mind, I'd be more than happy to join you on the bed."

She popped out from the bed like a fox who'd just stumbled into a hound dog. For all her bravado, Aoshi was sure some how that she was still innocent, he had to admit she had a boldness to her and courage of a sort seldom seen in a women. could it be that her ivory skin had not yet known th touch of a man? he asked him self, finding it hard to believed.

"You arrogant idiot!" Said Misao.

Aoshi walked to Misao, and before she could do more then gasp with alarm, he pulled her into his arms.

"What..what are you doing?" she asked him

"You're a smart women Misao figure it out." he kissed her and he realized only then how much he'd wanted to do just that. Misao gasped when Aoshi pressed her fully to him, she arched nearer, intensifying their embrace. Misao's arms circled his neck, her lips parted to grant him entrance. His hands roamed freely down her back circling her waist, learning the curve of her derriere. She gasped against his mouth and he groaned softly.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" he asked her.

"Yes" she breathed. "It get better every time you kiss me"

Aoshi deepened the kiss, for he was heady with desire and drunk with passion. His hands explored her sweet body while his mouth demanded she submit. Then he broke the kiss abruptly when he heard a knock on the door.

"Misao, can I come in?"

"Danm! My mother!" said Aoshi making Misao laugh. He put his finger on her lips. "If she ask, I'm not here."

"One moment Lin." she said trying hard not laugh.

"I'm looking for my son, his not with you is he?" she asked.

"No," she said.

"If you see him tell him I'm looking for him." she said.

"Alright" said Misao. "Coward"

"I' am not, it just that we haven't finish talking." he said

"Alright what do you want to talk about.?" she said

"I told you, we need to discuss where are we going to live once we are marry, because I just find out you don't live with Okina."

"I been living on my own for a while now." she said

"Well , I think we should live in my place."

"Why your place and not my?" she asked

"Because a wife, should live where her husband tell her to" he said. "And because is close to my office."

"Well, my place it close to my office." she said.

"Misao you don't have a office." he said crossing his arms over her chest.

"And how do you know that?" she asked

"I just know," he said looking at her.

"If you already decided where are we going to live, why do you ask me? She said.

"I just wanted to let you know that's all" he said grinning.

"Fine, but I'm not going to sell my apartment either." she said.

"Why not?" he asked

"I need a place to run off too" she said

"Run off from who?" he asked

"From you of course" she said with a devilish smile.

He chuckled. "Alright Misao you can keep you apartment" he said as he walked to the door. "I wont take more of you time you need to get ready and so do I. I'll see in two hours Misao." he said.

"Well Thank you very much Aoshi" he heard her said just before he closed the door.

Two hours later Misao walked down the stairs, where Okina waited for her. The first sight of her made Okina sighed, she look wonderful, like a princes to meet her prince, but in her case she was going to meet the devil himself. Okina had notice the attraction between Aoshi and Misao and he hoped that on time would turn into love for both of their sake. Aoshi was a good man and Misao what can he say about her, she was his granddaughter he practically raised her. But he also knew Misao could be stubborn, just like her mother and father, and he also knew Aoshi through his father, and he was also stubborn like Misao, always used to get their own way no matter what.

"Jiya, I'm ready." said Misao and took Okina's arm. "Any advised Jiya?"

"You look stunning and yes, try not to be so stubborn Pretty Misao, give in when you think is needed." he said and both walked to the hall where their families and guests were waiting for them to make their entrance.

On her grandfather's arm Misao entered the hall. Slim and radiant in a white gown, she look like a angel, on her head she wore a circled of tiny daisies and few curls falling down her face.

Then a collective sigh swept from the guests, as Misao walked toward Aoshi. At the same very moment Aoshi could see no one but Misao. As always, the sight of her rendered him a thunderstruck. How was possible for someone to have such incredible aurora, to point to make any man to lose his senses.?

"If you chance you mind Aoshi I'll marry her for you." Aoshi heard Enishi whisper.

"Not a chance." he said back at him. Okina winked as he passed his granddaughter to Aoshi. Aware of the sense of a feeling of respect mixed with fear. Aoshi took Misao's hand and brought her next to him.

Beshimi's voice intoned the familiar words of the marriage service. Aoshi listened to Misao speaking her vows without hesitation, then it was his turn. As his voice rang out, Misao tightened her fingers around his. Then it was time to seal their vows on a piece of paper. Aoshi gazed down at Misoa and she looked at him. If he could read her thoughts he said.

"Don't even think about" .

"What.?" she said innocently.

"You want to run away." he said. She smiled at him and shook her head negatively. "Good then you go first." he said a gave her the pen.

"Why me and not you" she whispered taking the pen from him.

"Ladies first." he said and before she could say something in return he added. " And I know your not a lady." she laughed softly. Then she gave the pen to him. When he was done he look at Misao before turning to Beshimi. Her blue eyes shine as brightly as stars, her soft mouth curved into a smile. Then it was time to seal their vows with kiss. Then music begin and they turned to face their guest. Misao clung to his arm and whispered.

"There is no turning back Aoshi you should have let me run when I had the chance."

He choke back and laugh. "So you were thinking to run away?" she only nodded.

Thank you for your reviews

Paola sorry it took me so long.

Hope you like this Chapter.

Next Chapter. An expected guests.