Mismatched
Chapter 10 - How to Play Fair
KENSHIN
It was near dawn. The wind was a lot fiercer than yesterday and he wondered if winter would come earlier this year. Autumn had barely started but he could feel the cold depressing air surrounding him. It was probably because the sight of snow always brought painful memories.
Blood and snow. The two were so universally different it was wrong that whenever he thought of winter, the smell of blood would fill his nose. And then the ache would follow. It would thrum in his body until he could no longer bear it. And only the cold seemed to get the pain to recede. Or it could be that the cold only made him numb.
Kenshin didn't want to think of these. He didn't want the same memory haunting him over and over again. He had to learn how to let go and breathe in the scent of winter without tasting blood and regret and pain and hate at the back of his throat. Perhaps Kaoru would be willing to help him move on. She seemed to be the only one who had the patience to hold him without ever asking why. And she was always warm. She melted the coldness in him.
It had been so long since he had last seen her - had been close enough to catch a glimpse of that secret smile that could stop his heart; catch a whiff of her jasmine-scent. She had been so far from him these last two days. He missed her so much. Missed her in ways that he never thought was possible. He had thought of telling her everything - especially about Tomoe. Because if he did, he felt that it would allow him to really love her. Because as long as he had that secret hovering between them, he had no right to claim her as his. Even though it was the one thing he desperately longed for.
Hiko's dead lover - she had no smile, no name, no face, but she haunted him so - was now always at the back of his mind. He would never allow that to happen to Kaoru. To be a lonely ghost. If that happened, he'd be so empty. So damn empty. And cold. And bitter. And in no way of capable of feeling, of loving and being saved. He was tired of being all those things.
And this was his last chance to be saved. Kaoru would save him, and maybe, if he fought hard enough, if he willed himself to be stronger, he can save her too. He can save both of them just as she had saved Yahiko and Sano and Megumi and everyone else that had come to live inside her dojo - her home... her heart.
Kenshin trudged back to the Aoiya. His shishou's depressing life seemed a lot more miserable now. And he certainly didn't want to end up living in a hut a top a lonely hill at Kyoto drinking himself to death (and yes, he heard that from Megumi). Besides, Kenshin thought that would be too redundant for the Masters of the Hiten Mitsuruugi. And Hiko would certainly accuse him of being a copycat.
Later, as soon as Kaoru wakes up, he would speak to her. He would tell her. And then he'd asked for forgiveness and then he'd hold her hand and he would not let her go - he'll kiss her. Kenshin reconsidered this. Maybe, he'd kiss her first. That seemed like a better option. If she kissed him back, he'd just have to fight the urge to happily die at that very instant. After all, after a kiss, there are other stuff bound to happen, right?
Argh, Kenshin! Shame on you! You're starting to think like an over-sexed Megumi. Well, perhaps under-sexed is a more suitable term for him, after all...
His rurounin-self mentally kicked him in the head, effectively cutting his line of thoughts. You will not go there. You will not.
Kenshin sighed. He was a still a man dammit! He wasn't Buddha for crying out loud! Still, he relented. After all, it would be inappropriate for him to let his thoughts wander to that area when he still wasn't sure if Kaoru would take him back. Considering that that damn Iceberg (he had started calling Shinamori that) had now squeezed himself in the picture.
He wondered for the millionth angry time what was wrong with Shinamori. Of course, he still had that memory of Kaoru asking him where Aoshi was. The image of Kaoru, beautiful in her kimono and smiling brightly in the morning, asking for Aoshi was forever burned in his head. It would take, say, Aoshi's death for it to be erased. Kenshin took in deep breaths. Calm down. Some rational part of his brain ordered. It wasn't like Aoshi sought her out. She did.
Kenshin sighed. The dilemma was just so damn profound. He loved Kaoru. Loved her too much that he was willing to stay away from her just so that he can shield her from any harm. But in the end, it was his heart that did get to decide. And he's going to have to stick to that decision - especially since Hiko had threatened him that should he back out, he wasn't going to get out of Kyoto alive. Aside from that glaring fact, Kenshin didn't want to start re-thinking about it, agonizing all over again the fact that he cannot change his past. Regretfully, whatever his future might be, it would be marred by that past. His greatest fear was that she would be marred by his past. A past that has got nothing to do with her, all the more making it unfair and more painful for him to bear.
Kenshin closed his eyes. He imagined Kaoru's warm smile, her tender heart, the silent strength that she possessed... They could do it together. Him and Kaoru. He would make sure of that. For once, in his life, he would to follow his heart with both faith and hope. And maybe, he can dream and live again. Getting his strength from Kaoru, he hardened his resolve and resumed his walk back to the Aoiya.
No sooner had he stepped inside the gates of their temporary resident when he promptly stopped dead on his track. Standing right in front of the porch, arms crossed and looking like an Iceberg was Aoshi.
Well, good morning Kenshin! He greeted himself sarcastically. First person you see today just had to be him. "Isn't it too early to meditate Aoshi?" he asked neutrally, stepping inside the porch.
Aoshi looked at him with slitted eyes. "I was waiting for you." He said in his cold monotonous voice that filled the empty lawn.
Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "Naze?" He asked calmly.
"First, we wait for Sagara." Aoshi said, his tone not changing in the least bit. And as if on cue, Sano emerged from the door, his clothes rumpled and to Kenshin's surprise, Sano was sporting a new but already fading black eye.
This is going to be an even weirder day than yesterday, Kenshin realized with a heavy sigh.
SANO
Sano stumbled out of the door. His groggy brain managed to register the fact that he was outside the porch, wind whipping his hair. For the hundredth time since he had woken up, he cursed the day Kaoru *invited* him to join in this all-too-wonderful autumn vacation which frankly, wasn't so wonderful at all. His lazy brown eyes flicked first to the horizon, gritting his teeth as the dark blue-black sky seemed to beam and smile at him "hello." This was the first and last time he was going to catch a glimpse of the sky this early. Still damn dark and bluish.
Sano then turned to face Kenshin who was standing almost side by side with the fucking Ice Prick who had woken him up. Sano grimaced. "This better be fucking good Shinamori," he growled, trying to keep his damn eyes and ears open.
Aoshi remained stoic as ever and that only served to infuriate him more. He turned to Kenshin who seemed as clueless as he was. He rolled his eyes. Well, Kenshin was always clueless wasn't he? Sano wasn't in the mood for male bonding especially with these two. Well, maybe if there were sake and gambling involved he wouldn't be so damn grumpy. Maybe if it wasn't scheduled at 4 in the morning he would've even offered them at least a decent greeting. Sano fought the urge to snore. Yawn. He meant yawn. And yawn he did.
"First time to see daylight, Sagara?" Aoshi asked a smirk tugging at his lips.
Sano chose to ignore that snide remark. He yawned once more as if to prove a point. I don't care Shinamori. I fucking don't care.
"What happened to your eyes?" Kenshin asked, his tone speaking of half-concern, half-amusement.
Sano gingerly touched the sore spot and winced. The fact that Megumi hadn't even bothered to offer to heal it (or in most cases, add damage to it) last night had weirdly added it's painful throbbing. It had been Misao who had patiently placed healing herbs on his face. "Fucking Weasel got a temper problem." He muttered darkly.
This got some reaction of sort from Aoshi who growled menacingly. "Ah! You can react after all!" Sano said with much sarcasm as he can muster. "Jou-chan been teaching you how to feel?" He added raising his chin in mock defiance.
"You don't know what you're talking about Sagara," Shinamori said in his cold voice.
"No, not really. But I've been waiting to ask for a bit of an explanation."
"Why haven't you?" Aoshi challenged him.
At the back of Sano's mind he was quick to notice Kenshin's choice of not participating and not trying to break up what seemed to him as a very promising verbal exchange of, quite possibly, the third degree. He wondered why. But he was too pre-occupied with giving Shinamori a piece of his mind. "Can't stand annoying people." He quipped, adding a smirk.
Aoshi raised his eyebrows. And that was that. What? His retort wasn't too sharp for the Temple Trotter? Sano was little disappointed. Obviously, Shinamori didn't get the point. "I meant you as the annoying person." He added hastily.
Same blank expression. He turned to Kenshin, "He reacted a couple of minutes ago. Didn't he?" He asked solemnly. He regarded Aoshi once more, giving him a look from head to toe. "Think there's a switch that we need to turn on first? Maybe some sort of secret word... like, maybe, Misao Weasel Girl."
And again, that low growl. Aha! Password acquired! Sano thought smirking.
"What is this about Aoshi?" Kenshin finally asked, cutting off whatever remark that Aoshi might have said. There was something in Kenshin's tone that made Sano look at his friend. The seriousness of his voice was like hot water splashed on a pile of ice (whatever that meant, Sano thought frowning). Kenshin was standing quietly, shadows hiding his face and eyes. He looked a little... well, for a change, he didn't look like the quiet ever patient stupidly-smiling rurouni.
There was a tense silence between the two. Actually, there was a tense heavy silence between all of them. Sano looked from Kenshin and then at Aoshi, and if he was able to look at himself without looking like an idiot, he would have done so. They all seemed so strung out. Of course this could be accounted to the fact that...
"It's about Kamiya-san..."
Before Aoshi was able to finish his sentence, Sano's jaw dropped and he practically cried out in surprise. The wheels of his brain suddenly becoming alive at the mention of Jou-chan's name, in that tone, in front and addressed to Kenshin no less. He turned to glare at Aoshi, "You're not going to ask *us* for permission to *date* Jou-chan are you?" He asked aghast. And even though Kenshin was a good few feet away from him, he could practically feel the ex-hitokiri tensing up.
Shinamori had just showed his stupid side. Glory to Kami! The guy was capable of being stupid too. His celebration was short lived. As the obvious tension shifted to something more akin to hostility. Aw, crap, he won't be able to diffuse the situation now, since he really would do something equally stupid if Aoshi was going to ask for Jou-chan's hand.
Aoshi opened his mouth once again. Sure that he was going to say something that can cause something short of a world war, Sano beat him to it. "I've got two words for you, No fucking way!" Sano abruptly paused, tilting his head, as though listening to the echoes of his words. He grimaced. "Actually, those were three, but you've got a lot of nerve to..."
"Perhaps you would like me to finish before you both gang up on me?" Aoshi asked calmly, his voice flat and unconcerned.
The guy is so fucking irritating. Lemme me at him! He woke me up! He's a complete jerk to Misao. Now he's stealing Jou-chan from you. Lemme at him. Sano tried to make lunging motions, waiting for Kenshin to stop him when he realized he was stuck in his place and had barely even said a word. Frowning, he wondered why his body wasn't cooperating. Oh. That's right. It was still numb from sleep. He fought the urge to yawn, thinking that it would be quite ridiculous to start yawning all over the place, especially with matters like these being discussed.
He yawned.
"Go on." Kenshin said quietly, sounding as though he was trying to spit the words out.
For a few seconds, Sano wasn't sure if Kenshin meant that he go on and do something about Shinamori. Before Sano can order his fingers to move, Aoshi had already spoken up.
"It's about Kamiya-san and Takani-san and Misao." Aoshi finished quietly. The three names seemed to have diffused a bomb as there was a sudden silence around them, with nothing but the slight hissing of the wind filling their surrounding. And then Sano spoke, shattering the stillness that had threatened to lull him back to sleep...
"We're going to talk about the girls?!" He roared incredulously. Aoshi had woken him up so that they can start comparing who has the nicest eyes (that would be Kaoru) and the cutest butt (that would definitely be Misao, though he dread actually voicing that one out loud). The world as he once knew it had just come to its end. Sano rolled his eyes, missing the confused looks that passed on the faces of Kenshin and Aoshi. "Couldn't we talk about them, oh, I don't know, around say lunch? Over tea or sake? When were all wide awake so we can decide who's sexiest (Megumi - all the way!) among them?" Sano grumbled, yawning at the irrelevance of their supposed 'meeting'. Really, he could be doing more important things than these. Like dreaming and drooling in his sleep. Sano yawned again. Wasn't yawning supposed to be contagious? Kenshin and Aoshi just looked at him strangely, no signs of sleepiness. What was wrong with these people? "What?" he asked defensively.
"You don't notice anything Sagara, I'm not surprised." Aoshi said, his higher-than-thou- tone of voice finally snapping Sano from his half-asleep state.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked angrily. Sano gave Aoshi a cold look. "Oh, I notice a lot of things, Zen Master Girlfriend Stealer."
And to the utter shock and annoyance of Sano, Aoshi actually smiled at him. A humorless all knowing smile, "Of course that's how you would see it."
Sano blinked. Okay, now was the good time to say, "huh?"
"When did you noticed?" Kenshin asked from out of nowhere.
Sano whipped his head, almost surprised to see Kenshin there. "Noticed what?" Sano couldn't help but ask. "What the fuck is going on here?"
"From the first day. Of course I wasn't sure then, but yesterday had been very insightful." Aoshi answered calmly.
"First day of what?" Sano asked trying to keep up with the conversation.
"Pretty clever wouldn't you say Battousai?" Aoshi said talking to Kenshin, pointedly ignoring Sano.
"I can assure that it wasn't Kaoru's idea. This is not like her. She isn't this underhanded." Kenshin said in an even tone.
"I didn't say it was her idea." Aoshi returned quite evenly.
Sano sucked in angry breaths. "Hey! I'm still here!"
Both men turned to look at him. Kenshin frowned and Aoshi looked so smug Sano had to fight off the urge to jump on him and wring the answer out of his neck.
"The girls' conspiracy." Kenshin said as though it explained everything.
Sano snapped his fingers, grinning madly. "Oh! Yeah! That's right." He glared at Kenshin and then at Aoshi. His face darkened, "Conspiracy to what?"
"To confuse us." Aoshi said, "to get their answers."
There was a rather long pause and then, "Well, Shinamori, thank you. Could you get any more vague than that?" Sano asked crossing his arms against his chest, his clenched fist painfully tight.
"Surely you've noticed the way they, uhm... suddenly turned their attention to... uhm... Sano, why do you think Misao was always hanging out with you?" Kenshin asked, scratching his head, looking uncomfortable.
"Well, I'd say there are several reasons, but I'm going to state the most obvious: because she enjoys my company?" Sano said huffily, watching Shinamori for any reaction.
Sano's whole concept of the world was forever changed when Aoshi, totally unprovoked, chuckled loudly. Sano took a step back, "You! You can actually laugh?" He asked, obviously shaken.
Aoshi abruptly stopped and glared at him. "They are playing with us. They are trying to find out if we would act like a bunch of jealous immature sixteen year old brats if they start spending time with someone else."
Something in Sano's head clicked. But he refused to believe it. Because that would mean that... well, it would change a lot of things, including his theory that he and Megumi were only verbal sparring partners and to actually harbor any real feeling for her was futile. It would mean that he had been so blind for so long and had wasted so much time being a coward. So naturally, Sano's first reaction was to argue with them and be indignant. And for some reason, he found the whole idea ridiculous. "Hehehe... that's really funny coming from you two. You've both gone insane and paranoid and I'm going back to bed." He made a move to return inside when Aoshi spoke up.
"I'm sure you think that the girls aren't capable of this," and at Aoshi's next words his voice actually lowered, "and I admire your belief in their innocence, but this is exactly what I would expect from Takani-san."
Something in the way Aoshi said that unleashed some long-ago anger in Sano that he thought he had forgotten and buried deep along with other not-so-pleasant emotions and memories that haunted him. He whirled angrily "Oh, and you know her so well right? After all you've spent *so* much time with her. Keeping her captive all those years so that you can force her to make those stupid drugs!"
There, it was out. His long hidden anger at Aoshi for hurting Megumi that way. Something that he had not been able to forgive and to forget. He never addressed this anger, because it would be another proof of how much he had fallen for Megumi. How much her pain, even those of long ago when he was not yet even present in her life, affected him so deeply.
Aoshi looked him in the eye and there was something in them that reduced his anger, perhaps it was the look of admission in Aoshi's eyes that he had done harm and that he was actually paying for it.
Sano clenched his jaws.
"I understand if you cannot forgive me for that." Aoshi said quietly. His tone serious, almost respectful.
Sano took a deep breath. "No. I won't forgive you for it. Megumi probably has, but that's because she's a better person than I am."
Aoshi turned to look at him. Suddenly understanding Sano's anger. His need to have that anger. Aoshi nodded silently, bowing his head for a moment, as though to receive Sano's anger full force, and then straightening his back, an odd expression lighting up his face.
Sano relaxed. He let out a long sigh, feeling better. Maybe releasing this anger had expunged most of the hate that he felt. He could and would hate and be angry for Megumi - to take that burden off her chest. He'd go that far for her. And Aoshi knew why. Maybe he and Shinamori can finally be civil towards each other. Forget friends though, there was no way he'd be friends with someone who meditates all day! Where was the fun in that!
"Sano..." Kenshin began.
Sano waved his wands in the air, as though he was shooing a bug, (very manly, he thought). "I'm fine, Kenshin." He said ignoring the red-haired and speaking only to Aoshi. "Megumi's underhandedness, especially when well thought of, is a legend. I should know, I've been a victim of it for some time now." Sano smiled slowly, "It's actually nice to know it's not always directed solely at me."
Kenshin and Aoshi wordlessly nodded in complete agreement. "I just wonder how she had managed to convince Kaoru and Misao-dono."
"Are you kidding me? We're talking about Megumi here Kenshin. She was able to convince you to walk around town, drag you to the market and weep for falling autumn leaves by that stupid park for two straight days!"
Kenshin turned red. "I had been... distracted then." He explained lamely.
"Wondering what Jou-chan and Shinamori were meditating about? What position they were in?" Sano asked snickering, not able to help himself.
"Orroooo!"
Aoshi angrily hissed.
"Wait!" Sano suddenly exclaimed, sounding both alarmed and upset. "Does this mean that Misao doesn't really like me?" He asked no one in particular. But before anyone can answer, Sano's whole face brightened, "You mean Megumi doesn't really like you?" he said, directing the question at Kenshin.
"Er, Sano, you mean you were actually jealous?" Kenshin asked slyly smiling at Sano.
"Of course I -" Sano stopped and bit his lips and then, smiled smugly, "Right and don't tell me you weren't." He shot back. Kenshin's smile turned sheepish as he looked guiltily at Aoshi.
Aoshi shrugged. "Well I wasn't" Aoshi declared not looking at any of them.
"Sure." Sano drawled. "I guess you just wanted to meet us and make sure that we know so that the girls can go about their silly plan." He said smiling at Aoshi who didn't look amused.
"Well, that is the plan Sagara." Aoshi said his voice loosing that calmness to be replaced by... was that a hint of mischievous tone in Shinamori's voice?
"What?" Kenshin asked, sounding alarmed.
Sano smiled slowly, the idea suddenly sinking in. "I like that." He said nodding thoughtfully. "Give the girls a dose of their own medicine." He said his head already spinning with dozens of ideas.
Aoshi seeming to read his mind, snapped back to attention, all business-like and formal once again, "That is not what I meant."
"Wait... you mean, we will let them... continue?" Kenshin's purple eyes were huge and unbelieving.
"Ne Kenshin, I know you've seen Jou-chan on mad jealous rampages, but I'd like to give those girls a lesson they won't forget." Sano said looking eerily excited.
"Lesson on?" Kenshin said sounding unsure.
"Not messing up with us!" Sano declared cracking his knuckles. "We'll give them their answers alright! It's time for them to learn the real ways of seduction!" He was really getting into this idea. He rubbed his hands enthusiastically. "We'll see who's going to start acting like jealous immature sixteen year old brats."
"Seduction?" Aoshi asked, his voice sounding cold and ice encrusted.
Sano rolled his eyes. "I didn't say you sleep with Jou-chan, Shinamori!" He said happily ignoring Kenshin's endless sputtering of "oro's" and "Sano's".
"We're just going to teach them how to play fair." He said out loud, totally convinced that Aoshi's plan was so fucking brilliant it was almost painful. Really.
Finally! Things are looking up in what moments ago seemed to be a doomed vacation. This was going to be so much fun!
AOSHI
Sagara has gone mad. He should've never told him of his plan. He should've never.
"C'mmon!" Sano argued trying to persuade them. "Would you look at my point?!"
"Point? You have a point?" Aoshi asked gritting his teeth. "My plan did not consist of making it easy for them. I was going to suggest that we effectively ignore them and not have any reaction to whatever it is that they are currently doing. Proving to them that their plan did not and would never work and that there are better, more rational and honest ways in dealing with matters of the heart."
Both Kenshin and Sano stared at him, their eyes speaking of surprise that actually robbed them of speech. "What?" He asked annoyed.
Kenshin was the first to shake the shock off, "Er, it's just that..."
"That was the longest sentence that I have ever heard from you since this whole freaky autumn vacation started." Sano said in a mock-surprise voice.
Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "My plan is perfect." He said and that was that.
"I didn't say it wasn't." Sano said, "In fact I think it was something so brilliant *I* should've thought of it!"
Aoshi used all his energy not to roll his eyes and keep that blank look on his face. He had no intentions or whatsoever of working with Sagara and Battousai. Nor was he interested in Sano's twisted plans.
"It would be a lot more confusing for the girls if we actually react and return the attention they are giving us." Sano pointed out.
"No." Aoshi said. Back to his monosyllable. They had been more effective.
"Just look at it this way, do you really think that Megumi would fall for Kenshin as soon as he starts to actually listen to what she's telling him?" Sano asked, his eyes over bright. Clearly, with what little time that he had, Sano had already thought of all these quite thoroughly. Or, he hadn't thought of it at all, Aoshi half grimaced, half smirked.
"Sano, I do listen to Megumi-dono!" Kenshin said sounding guilty.
Sano snorted, "Right. Kenshin, shut-up. Let me do the talking here. You have no problem with Jou-chan, she's head over heels in love with you." Sano dismissed Battousai with another wave of his hands.
Kenshin opened his mouth but Sano shot him a look. Aoshi wondered how could Battousai ever stand this loud-mouthed, trash-talking punk. "I do not care what Takani-san do with Battousai." Aoshi answered crossly.
Sano's brown eyes glittered. "Oh, so you're scared that Misao might actually fall for *my* charms." Sano taunted.
"That is not it!" Aoshi cried, wincing at the pain spreading from his temples. He was really going to wring Sano's neck... "You seem awfully confident that Megumi is loyal to you." he returned evenly.
"Oh, so now you're saying that if you were Megumi, you'd actually like Kenshin instead of me." Sano said looking like a mad man.
"What kind of a question is that!?" Aoshi practically screamed. "No, if I were Megumi, I would choose neither of you two!"
"I know! You're afraid that Jou-chan would not fall for you, considering your lack of charms!" And again, Sano seemed to be deaf to Battousai's "oro's" and "Sano's".
Aoshi glared at Kenshin to shut him up. His "oro's" were far more irritating than Sagara himself. He stared at Sano coldly. "I can assure you, Sagara, that that is not true."
This time, there were no "oro's" from Battousai. "What is that supposed to mean, Shinamori?" he asked quietly.
Aoshi raised his eyebrows. "It means that..." Sano was quick to cut him off.
"Kenshin don't mind him. Do you honestly think that Jou-chan would like him?" Aoshi watched as Sano flippantly waved his hands in the air, "Jou-chan would have the top of her head blown off from his monosyllabic answers." Sano then turned towards him again, "I know what your problem is."
"Really?" Aoshi said in the coldest voice that he could muster.
Sano didn't seem in the least affected. In fact, he seemed to have made this discussion into some challenge that he was hell bent on winning. Fat chance of that, Aoshi thought grimly, knowing that it might actually take years for Sagara to accept defeat. A theory that Sano was now successfully proving to be true.
"Yes. You are afraid to know how strong Misao's love for you is. After all, you've been pushing her away for far too long." Sano answered, his brown eyes glittering with certainty.
"I think that applies to me too." Himura interrupted out of nowhere. It was high time for Battousai to be ignored, Aoshi thought, not even giving Himura a glance. After all the red-haired wasn't saying something actually new here. Himura's pushing-the-girl-away-skills was slowly but surely becoming more legendary than his sword skills.
But something in Aoshi's chest stirred in protest as soon as Sano's accusations were let out, the satisfied smirk etched on the Chicken Head's face added up to his already rising anger. Had Misao actually told Sagara that? Aoshi's cold blue eyes darkened. He had not meant to push her too far away from him. How could he? He could not even imagine himself living without her constant bubbling laughter and the quietness of her smiles. He had every reason to distance himself from Misao. What kind of a man was he if he claimed Misao without having all of his demons expunged? His Misao deserved him without the guilt and self-hate that up until now, he could not let go.
"What? You actually thought she'd wait for you?" Sagara asked in an incredulous, reprimanding voice.
"I never..." Aoshi began, not completely understanding why he had to explain himself to these people. He stopped and smirked at Sano, "Are you talking more about Takani-san than Misao?" he asked with surprising smugness.
Silence. Good. That shut him up, Aoshi thought satisfied with Sagara's sudden loss for words. He hoped it would last until the group's last day at Kyoto, but as many wise men would say, 'you can't have everything that you wish for in life.'
"Ok. Fine. We're all major assholes." Sano declared. "This is the time to change that." Sano said impossibly sounding more all-too-knowing and bossy than ever.
Aoshi this time was not able to help but roll his eyes in utter disbelief. "Right, by making it seem that we've lost our interests in them." He said, giving a short nod, "Good thinking Sagara." He said challenging Sano. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Himura take a step in the direction between him and Sano. There was no reason for Battousai to keep them in line. Aoshi wasn't even interested in picking up a fight. Misao would most probably not approve. Nor would Kamiya-san and the rest of the Aoiya. As for Takani-san, well, Sano in physical pain seemed to be Takani-san's most favorite moments. Aoshi didn't need to wonder why.
Sagara didn't seem insulted in the least bit. Perhaps, he didn't get it that he meant 'good thinking' as being translated to "you dumb ass." Said dumb ass continued on with his loss cause. "I'd say so too myself, but then that would be bragging, and I just don't do that." He answered, in clear response to Aoshi's 'compliment.' "We're going to make them realize that they do love us despite our ass-hole-ness."
Aoshi let the foul language pass. After all, it pretty much summed up Sagara. "That doesn't make sense." He argued instead, praying that logic would be something Sano was familiar with. Since out-right deliberate insults were ignored as well as the thinly veiled and not so thinly veiled sarcastic put-downs. There seemed to be nothing that can penetrate Sagara's thick skull.
"I highly doubt that their plan made sense either. But it worked fairly well."
"Fairly well? We just discovered their 'plan' in a span of two days! How can it have worked 'well'?"
"Because, Shinamori, let me remind you how jealous you look right exactly on the first day of the girl's plan-"
"For the last time," Aoshi began, erasing the memory of Sano lying on top of a laughing, happy Misao.
"You looked like you were going to go get your kodachi, put me on a chopping board, mince and cut and dice me into oblivion. And that's just the light version buddy."
"Don't call me buddy." Aoshi said in his coldest voice.
"You got jealous. Kenshin got jealous. I'd say their plan worked outstandingly well!" Sano was just unshakeable.
Faulty logic! Very faulty, but he'd have to give Sano that. Aoshi still could not believe what kind of food poisoning the girls were suffering from to concoct of something so positively, infinitely ridiculous. There were so many things wrong with the plan that he was surprised to found out that it actually worked on Sagara and Himura. He was never jealous of Sano and Misao. Never. Not ever. Never ever. Not even once. It didn't even crossed his mind. Not at all. He had been totally calm about it. Never worried. Never disturbed. Or Hurt. Or pained. Just, never.
"Finished convincing yourself?" Sano suddenly asked, shaking Aoshi out of his stupor.
"I wasn't... what?" He asked, not wanting to believe that he had been so obvious... that he had been so open at that particular moment that Sagara had read his mind, his emotions. Thoughts of Misao rendered him vulnerable. Wasn't that enough of a reason already why he should not allow her to strip him off of the protective wall he had built around him ever since he was a child?
"Geesh, Aoshi, get the fuck out of your head and face the real world, dammit! You're just as bad as Kenshin having split personality!"
"Sano..." Kenshin said in a warning voice.
"Whatever we do, in the end they would be the one to decide. Because we aren't allowed to decide anyway. We've lost that after we've selfishly tried to push them away because of our own personal fears... Whatever we do would reflect on their decision."
"Che. That made sense." He heard Himura mutter in a surprised voice.
"But don't we want to see how they would react once they find out that other men could love them? Isn't it what we want? Isn't that the point of their whole plan aside from making us realize what assholes we are?" Sano asked, eyeing him and Himura.
"We want them to love someone else?" Aoshi asked, the words seemed so foreign in his ears. Misao and someone else. But it was possible. Why hadn't he seen that before?
"Hell no! But if they do, what else can we do? Think about it Kenshin, beside you, who else had Jou-chan had the chance to fall in love with? What if she loves you only out of habit. Same goes for Misao and Megumi."
"Love out of habit..." Kenshin echoed thoughtfully, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"I say it's only fair that we give the girls what they are looking for. A sign that they are in love with us because they are, and not because of some other reason."
"Like out of habit..." Aoshi said, his voice sounding wistful, tinged with fear.
"Yes." Sano answered evenly.
"I'm going to regret this." Aoshi wondered who said that, looking from Kenshin to Sagara, who had their eyebrows raised. With an oath of surprise he realized that it was him who said it. Fuck.
Sano grinned. "Ha! I knew you'd see the light, Shinamori. Kenshin?"
Himura muttered a muffled answer. It sounded like, "Regret is an understatement."
"I'll take that as a yes." Sano said triumphantly, "Then we start this tomorrow."
"What is she falls in love with you." Kenshin asked quietly.
"Then at least you'd know that once, she loved you, but you threw it away." As Aoshi said this, his thoughts were suddenly filled with Misao's happy laugh.
"Wait!" Sano asked, shattering the silence.
"What is it Sagara?" Aoshi asked irritated to have been roped into this blasted plan.
"Do we, like, get to kiss them?" Sagara asked this in what sounded to Aoshi as over eager.
"You fucking pervert!" He exclaimed, surprising everyone with his choice of words.
"I didn't say we shove our tongues up their tonsils!" Sano said throwing up his hands in exasperation.
"Sano..." Himura said in a warning voice.
"Chaste, close mouthed kiss..." Sano asked in a hopeful voice.
Aoshi thought about this for a whole minute. He looked at Sano and then at Himura. Something in Aoshi, he didn't know what, made him speak, "Fine." he said curtly.
There was a brief moment of surprised silence and then Kenshin muttered his agreement, "Fine."
"But if they open their mouths?"
Aoshi was going to hit him. "I'll rip your tonsils out." He said instead.
"Same goes to you." Kenshin said turning to look at him in the eye.
"Did we just agree to rip each other's tonsils?" Sano asked frowning.
"Yes." Aoshi said
"Ok." Sano said with a shrug.
And that was that. Their plan was now official.
End Chapter 10. Review Please. Notes on the next chapter...
Chapter 10 - How to Play Fair
KENSHIN
It was near dawn. The wind was a lot fiercer than yesterday and he wondered if winter would come earlier this year. Autumn had barely started but he could feel the cold depressing air surrounding him. It was probably because the sight of snow always brought painful memories.
Blood and snow. The two were so universally different it was wrong that whenever he thought of winter, the smell of blood would fill his nose. And then the ache would follow. It would thrum in his body until he could no longer bear it. And only the cold seemed to get the pain to recede. Or it could be that the cold only made him numb.
Kenshin didn't want to think of these. He didn't want the same memory haunting him over and over again. He had to learn how to let go and breathe in the scent of winter without tasting blood and regret and pain and hate at the back of his throat. Perhaps Kaoru would be willing to help him move on. She seemed to be the only one who had the patience to hold him without ever asking why. And she was always warm. She melted the coldness in him.
It had been so long since he had last seen her - had been close enough to catch a glimpse of that secret smile that could stop his heart; catch a whiff of her jasmine-scent. She had been so far from him these last two days. He missed her so much. Missed her in ways that he never thought was possible. He had thought of telling her everything - especially about Tomoe. Because if he did, he felt that it would allow him to really love her. Because as long as he had that secret hovering between them, he had no right to claim her as his. Even though it was the one thing he desperately longed for.
Hiko's dead lover - she had no smile, no name, no face, but she haunted him so - was now always at the back of his mind. He would never allow that to happen to Kaoru. To be a lonely ghost. If that happened, he'd be so empty. So damn empty. And cold. And bitter. And in no way of capable of feeling, of loving and being saved. He was tired of being all those things.
And this was his last chance to be saved. Kaoru would save him, and maybe, if he fought hard enough, if he willed himself to be stronger, he can save her too. He can save both of them just as she had saved Yahiko and Sano and Megumi and everyone else that had come to live inside her dojo - her home... her heart.
Kenshin trudged back to the Aoiya. His shishou's depressing life seemed a lot more miserable now. And he certainly didn't want to end up living in a hut a top a lonely hill at Kyoto drinking himself to death (and yes, he heard that from Megumi). Besides, Kenshin thought that would be too redundant for the Masters of the Hiten Mitsuruugi. And Hiko would certainly accuse him of being a copycat.
Later, as soon as Kaoru wakes up, he would speak to her. He would tell her. And then he'd asked for forgiveness and then he'd hold her hand and he would not let her go - he'll kiss her. Kenshin reconsidered this. Maybe, he'd kiss her first. That seemed like a better option. If she kissed him back, he'd just have to fight the urge to happily die at that very instant. After all, after a kiss, there are other stuff bound to happen, right?
Argh, Kenshin! Shame on you! You're starting to think like an over-sexed Megumi. Well, perhaps under-sexed is a more suitable term for him, after all...
His rurounin-self mentally kicked him in the head, effectively cutting his line of thoughts. You will not go there. You will not.
Kenshin sighed. He was a still a man dammit! He wasn't Buddha for crying out loud! Still, he relented. After all, it would be inappropriate for him to let his thoughts wander to that area when he still wasn't sure if Kaoru would take him back. Considering that that damn Iceberg (he had started calling Shinamori that) had now squeezed himself in the picture.
He wondered for the millionth angry time what was wrong with Shinamori. Of course, he still had that memory of Kaoru asking him where Aoshi was. The image of Kaoru, beautiful in her kimono and smiling brightly in the morning, asking for Aoshi was forever burned in his head. It would take, say, Aoshi's death for it to be erased. Kenshin took in deep breaths. Calm down. Some rational part of his brain ordered. It wasn't like Aoshi sought her out. She did.
Kenshin sighed. The dilemma was just so damn profound. He loved Kaoru. Loved her too much that he was willing to stay away from her just so that he can shield her from any harm. But in the end, it was his heart that did get to decide. And he's going to have to stick to that decision - especially since Hiko had threatened him that should he back out, he wasn't going to get out of Kyoto alive. Aside from that glaring fact, Kenshin didn't want to start re-thinking about it, agonizing all over again the fact that he cannot change his past. Regretfully, whatever his future might be, it would be marred by that past. His greatest fear was that she would be marred by his past. A past that has got nothing to do with her, all the more making it unfair and more painful for him to bear.
Kenshin closed his eyes. He imagined Kaoru's warm smile, her tender heart, the silent strength that she possessed... They could do it together. Him and Kaoru. He would make sure of that. For once, in his life, he would to follow his heart with both faith and hope. And maybe, he can dream and live again. Getting his strength from Kaoru, he hardened his resolve and resumed his walk back to the Aoiya.
No sooner had he stepped inside the gates of their temporary resident when he promptly stopped dead on his track. Standing right in front of the porch, arms crossed and looking like an Iceberg was Aoshi.
Well, good morning Kenshin! He greeted himself sarcastically. First person you see today just had to be him. "Isn't it too early to meditate Aoshi?" he asked neutrally, stepping inside the porch.
Aoshi looked at him with slitted eyes. "I was waiting for you." He said in his cold monotonous voice that filled the empty lawn.
Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "Naze?" He asked calmly.
"First, we wait for Sagara." Aoshi said, his tone not changing in the least bit. And as if on cue, Sano emerged from the door, his clothes rumpled and to Kenshin's surprise, Sano was sporting a new but already fading black eye.
This is going to be an even weirder day than yesterday, Kenshin realized with a heavy sigh.
SANO
Sano stumbled out of the door. His groggy brain managed to register the fact that he was outside the porch, wind whipping his hair. For the hundredth time since he had woken up, he cursed the day Kaoru *invited* him to join in this all-too-wonderful autumn vacation which frankly, wasn't so wonderful at all. His lazy brown eyes flicked first to the horizon, gritting his teeth as the dark blue-black sky seemed to beam and smile at him "hello." This was the first and last time he was going to catch a glimpse of the sky this early. Still damn dark and bluish.
Sano then turned to face Kenshin who was standing almost side by side with the fucking Ice Prick who had woken him up. Sano grimaced. "This better be fucking good Shinamori," he growled, trying to keep his damn eyes and ears open.
Aoshi remained stoic as ever and that only served to infuriate him more. He turned to Kenshin who seemed as clueless as he was. He rolled his eyes. Well, Kenshin was always clueless wasn't he? Sano wasn't in the mood for male bonding especially with these two. Well, maybe if there were sake and gambling involved he wouldn't be so damn grumpy. Maybe if it wasn't scheduled at 4 in the morning he would've even offered them at least a decent greeting. Sano fought the urge to snore. Yawn. He meant yawn. And yawn he did.
"First time to see daylight, Sagara?" Aoshi asked a smirk tugging at his lips.
Sano chose to ignore that snide remark. He yawned once more as if to prove a point. I don't care Shinamori. I fucking don't care.
"What happened to your eyes?" Kenshin asked, his tone speaking of half-concern, half-amusement.
Sano gingerly touched the sore spot and winced. The fact that Megumi hadn't even bothered to offer to heal it (or in most cases, add damage to it) last night had weirdly added it's painful throbbing. It had been Misao who had patiently placed healing herbs on his face. "Fucking Weasel got a temper problem." He muttered darkly.
This got some reaction of sort from Aoshi who growled menacingly. "Ah! You can react after all!" Sano said with much sarcasm as he can muster. "Jou-chan been teaching you how to feel?" He added raising his chin in mock defiance.
"You don't know what you're talking about Sagara," Shinamori said in his cold voice.
"No, not really. But I've been waiting to ask for a bit of an explanation."
"Why haven't you?" Aoshi challenged him.
At the back of Sano's mind he was quick to notice Kenshin's choice of not participating and not trying to break up what seemed to him as a very promising verbal exchange of, quite possibly, the third degree. He wondered why. But he was too pre-occupied with giving Shinamori a piece of his mind. "Can't stand annoying people." He quipped, adding a smirk.
Aoshi raised his eyebrows. And that was that. What? His retort wasn't too sharp for the Temple Trotter? Sano was little disappointed. Obviously, Shinamori didn't get the point. "I meant you as the annoying person." He added hastily.
Same blank expression. He turned to Kenshin, "He reacted a couple of minutes ago. Didn't he?" He asked solemnly. He regarded Aoshi once more, giving him a look from head to toe. "Think there's a switch that we need to turn on first? Maybe some sort of secret word... like, maybe, Misao Weasel Girl."
And again, that low growl. Aha! Password acquired! Sano thought smirking.
"What is this about Aoshi?" Kenshin finally asked, cutting off whatever remark that Aoshi might have said. There was something in Kenshin's tone that made Sano look at his friend. The seriousness of his voice was like hot water splashed on a pile of ice (whatever that meant, Sano thought frowning). Kenshin was standing quietly, shadows hiding his face and eyes. He looked a little... well, for a change, he didn't look like the quiet ever patient stupidly-smiling rurouni.
There was a tense silence between the two. Actually, there was a tense heavy silence between all of them. Sano looked from Kenshin and then at Aoshi, and if he was able to look at himself without looking like an idiot, he would have done so. They all seemed so strung out. Of course this could be accounted to the fact that...
"It's about Kamiya-san..."
Before Aoshi was able to finish his sentence, Sano's jaw dropped and he practically cried out in surprise. The wheels of his brain suddenly becoming alive at the mention of Jou-chan's name, in that tone, in front and addressed to Kenshin no less. He turned to glare at Aoshi, "You're not going to ask *us* for permission to *date* Jou-chan are you?" He asked aghast. And even though Kenshin was a good few feet away from him, he could practically feel the ex-hitokiri tensing up.
Shinamori had just showed his stupid side. Glory to Kami! The guy was capable of being stupid too. His celebration was short lived. As the obvious tension shifted to something more akin to hostility. Aw, crap, he won't be able to diffuse the situation now, since he really would do something equally stupid if Aoshi was going to ask for Jou-chan's hand.
Aoshi opened his mouth once again. Sure that he was going to say something that can cause something short of a world war, Sano beat him to it. "I've got two words for you, No fucking way!" Sano abruptly paused, tilting his head, as though listening to the echoes of his words. He grimaced. "Actually, those were three, but you've got a lot of nerve to..."
"Perhaps you would like me to finish before you both gang up on me?" Aoshi asked calmly, his voice flat and unconcerned.
The guy is so fucking irritating. Lemme me at him! He woke me up! He's a complete jerk to Misao. Now he's stealing Jou-chan from you. Lemme at him. Sano tried to make lunging motions, waiting for Kenshin to stop him when he realized he was stuck in his place and had barely even said a word. Frowning, he wondered why his body wasn't cooperating. Oh. That's right. It was still numb from sleep. He fought the urge to yawn, thinking that it would be quite ridiculous to start yawning all over the place, especially with matters like these being discussed.
He yawned.
"Go on." Kenshin said quietly, sounding as though he was trying to spit the words out.
For a few seconds, Sano wasn't sure if Kenshin meant that he go on and do something about Shinamori. Before Sano can order his fingers to move, Aoshi had already spoken up.
"It's about Kamiya-san and Takani-san and Misao." Aoshi finished quietly. The three names seemed to have diffused a bomb as there was a sudden silence around them, with nothing but the slight hissing of the wind filling their surrounding. And then Sano spoke, shattering the stillness that had threatened to lull him back to sleep...
"We're going to talk about the girls?!" He roared incredulously. Aoshi had woken him up so that they can start comparing who has the nicest eyes (that would be Kaoru) and the cutest butt (that would definitely be Misao, though he dread actually voicing that one out loud). The world as he once knew it had just come to its end. Sano rolled his eyes, missing the confused looks that passed on the faces of Kenshin and Aoshi. "Couldn't we talk about them, oh, I don't know, around say lunch? Over tea or sake? When were all wide awake so we can decide who's sexiest (Megumi - all the way!) among them?" Sano grumbled, yawning at the irrelevance of their supposed 'meeting'. Really, he could be doing more important things than these. Like dreaming and drooling in his sleep. Sano yawned again. Wasn't yawning supposed to be contagious? Kenshin and Aoshi just looked at him strangely, no signs of sleepiness. What was wrong with these people? "What?" he asked defensively.
"You don't notice anything Sagara, I'm not surprised." Aoshi said, his higher-than-thou- tone of voice finally snapping Sano from his half-asleep state.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked angrily. Sano gave Aoshi a cold look. "Oh, I notice a lot of things, Zen Master Girlfriend Stealer."
And to the utter shock and annoyance of Sano, Aoshi actually smiled at him. A humorless all knowing smile, "Of course that's how you would see it."
Sano blinked. Okay, now was the good time to say, "huh?"
"When did you noticed?" Kenshin asked from out of nowhere.
Sano whipped his head, almost surprised to see Kenshin there. "Noticed what?" Sano couldn't help but ask. "What the fuck is going on here?"
"From the first day. Of course I wasn't sure then, but yesterday had been very insightful." Aoshi answered calmly.
"First day of what?" Sano asked trying to keep up with the conversation.
"Pretty clever wouldn't you say Battousai?" Aoshi said talking to Kenshin, pointedly ignoring Sano.
"I can assure that it wasn't Kaoru's idea. This is not like her. She isn't this underhanded." Kenshin said in an even tone.
"I didn't say it was her idea." Aoshi returned quite evenly.
Sano sucked in angry breaths. "Hey! I'm still here!"
Both men turned to look at him. Kenshin frowned and Aoshi looked so smug Sano had to fight off the urge to jump on him and wring the answer out of his neck.
"The girls' conspiracy." Kenshin said as though it explained everything.
Sano snapped his fingers, grinning madly. "Oh! Yeah! That's right." He glared at Kenshin and then at Aoshi. His face darkened, "Conspiracy to what?"
"To confuse us." Aoshi said, "to get their answers."
There was a rather long pause and then, "Well, Shinamori, thank you. Could you get any more vague than that?" Sano asked crossing his arms against his chest, his clenched fist painfully tight.
"Surely you've noticed the way they, uhm... suddenly turned their attention to... uhm... Sano, why do you think Misao was always hanging out with you?" Kenshin asked, scratching his head, looking uncomfortable.
"Well, I'd say there are several reasons, but I'm going to state the most obvious: because she enjoys my company?" Sano said huffily, watching Shinamori for any reaction.
Sano's whole concept of the world was forever changed when Aoshi, totally unprovoked, chuckled loudly. Sano took a step back, "You! You can actually laugh?" He asked, obviously shaken.
Aoshi abruptly stopped and glared at him. "They are playing with us. They are trying to find out if we would act like a bunch of jealous immature sixteen year old brats if they start spending time with someone else."
Something in Sano's head clicked. But he refused to believe it. Because that would mean that... well, it would change a lot of things, including his theory that he and Megumi were only verbal sparring partners and to actually harbor any real feeling for her was futile. It would mean that he had been so blind for so long and had wasted so much time being a coward. So naturally, Sano's first reaction was to argue with them and be indignant. And for some reason, he found the whole idea ridiculous. "Hehehe... that's really funny coming from you two. You've both gone insane and paranoid and I'm going back to bed." He made a move to return inside when Aoshi spoke up.
"I'm sure you think that the girls aren't capable of this," and at Aoshi's next words his voice actually lowered, "and I admire your belief in their innocence, but this is exactly what I would expect from Takani-san."
Something in the way Aoshi said that unleashed some long-ago anger in Sano that he thought he had forgotten and buried deep along with other not-so-pleasant emotions and memories that haunted him. He whirled angrily "Oh, and you know her so well right? After all you've spent *so* much time with her. Keeping her captive all those years so that you can force her to make those stupid drugs!"
There, it was out. His long hidden anger at Aoshi for hurting Megumi that way. Something that he had not been able to forgive and to forget. He never addressed this anger, because it would be another proof of how much he had fallen for Megumi. How much her pain, even those of long ago when he was not yet even present in her life, affected him so deeply.
Aoshi looked him in the eye and there was something in them that reduced his anger, perhaps it was the look of admission in Aoshi's eyes that he had done harm and that he was actually paying for it.
Sano clenched his jaws.
"I understand if you cannot forgive me for that." Aoshi said quietly. His tone serious, almost respectful.
Sano took a deep breath. "No. I won't forgive you for it. Megumi probably has, but that's because she's a better person than I am."
Aoshi turned to look at him. Suddenly understanding Sano's anger. His need to have that anger. Aoshi nodded silently, bowing his head for a moment, as though to receive Sano's anger full force, and then straightening his back, an odd expression lighting up his face.
Sano relaxed. He let out a long sigh, feeling better. Maybe releasing this anger had expunged most of the hate that he felt. He could and would hate and be angry for Megumi - to take that burden off her chest. He'd go that far for her. And Aoshi knew why. Maybe he and Shinamori can finally be civil towards each other. Forget friends though, there was no way he'd be friends with someone who meditates all day! Where was the fun in that!
"Sano..." Kenshin began.
Sano waved his wands in the air, as though he was shooing a bug, (very manly, he thought). "I'm fine, Kenshin." He said ignoring the red-haired and speaking only to Aoshi. "Megumi's underhandedness, especially when well thought of, is a legend. I should know, I've been a victim of it for some time now." Sano smiled slowly, "It's actually nice to know it's not always directed solely at me."
Kenshin and Aoshi wordlessly nodded in complete agreement. "I just wonder how she had managed to convince Kaoru and Misao-dono."
"Are you kidding me? We're talking about Megumi here Kenshin. She was able to convince you to walk around town, drag you to the market and weep for falling autumn leaves by that stupid park for two straight days!"
Kenshin turned red. "I had been... distracted then." He explained lamely.
"Wondering what Jou-chan and Shinamori were meditating about? What position they were in?" Sano asked snickering, not able to help himself.
"Orroooo!"
Aoshi angrily hissed.
"Wait!" Sano suddenly exclaimed, sounding both alarmed and upset. "Does this mean that Misao doesn't really like me?" He asked no one in particular. But before anyone can answer, Sano's whole face brightened, "You mean Megumi doesn't really like you?" he said, directing the question at Kenshin.
"Er, Sano, you mean you were actually jealous?" Kenshin asked slyly smiling at Sano.
"Of course I -" Sano stopped and bit his lips and then, smiled smugly, "Right and don't tell me you weren't." He shot back. Kenshin's smile turned sheepish as he looked guiltily at Aoshi.
Aoshi shrugged. "Well I wasn't" Aoshi declared not looking at any of them.
"Sure." Sano drawled. "I guess you just wanted to meet us and make sure that we know so that the girls can go about their silly plan." He said smiling at Aoshi who didn't look amused.
"Well, that is the plan Sagara." Aoshi said his voice loosing that calmness to be replaced by... was that a hint of mischievous tone in Shinamori's voice?
"What?" Kenshin asked, sounding alarmed.
Sano smiled slowly, the idea suddenly sinking in. "I like that." He said nodding thoughtfully. "Give the girls a dose of their own medicine." He said his head already spinning with dozens of ideas.
Aoshi seeming to read his mind, snapped back to attention, all business-like and formal once again, "That is not what I meant."
"Wait... you mean, we will let them... continue?" Kenshin's purple eyes were huge and unbelieving.
"Ne Kenshin, I know you've seen Jou-chan on mad jealous rampages, but I'd like to give those girls a lesson they won't forget." Sano said looking eerily excited.
"Lesson on?" Kenshin said sounding unsure.
"Not messing up with us!" Sano declared cracking his knuckles. "We'll give them their answers alright! It's time for them to learn the real ways of seduction!" He was really getting into this idea. He rubbed his hands enthusiastically. "We'll see who's going to start acting like jealous immature sixteen year old brats."
"Seduction?" Aoshi asked, his voice sounding cold and ice encrusted.
Sano rolled his eyes. "I didn't say you sleep with Jou-chan, Shinamori!" He said happily ignoring Kenshin's endless sputtering of "oro's" and "Sano's".
"We're just going to teach them how to play fair." He said out loud, totally convinced that Aoshi's plan was so fucking brilliant it was almost painful. Really.
Finally! Things are looking up in what moments ago seemed to be a doomed vacation. This was going to be so much fun!
AOSHI
Sagara has gone mad. He should've never told him of his plan. He should've never.
"C'mmon!" Sano argued trying to persuade them. "Would you look at my point?!"
"Point? You have a point?" Aoshi asked gritting his teeth. "My plan did not consist of making it easy for them. I was going to suggest that we effectively ignore them and not have any reaction to whatever it is that they are currently doing. Proving to them that their plan did not and would never work and that there are better, more rational and honest ways in dealing with matters of the heart."
Both Kenshin and Sano stared at him, their eyes speaking of surprise that actually robbed them of speech. "What?" He asked annoyed.
Kenshin was the first to shake the shock off, "Er, it's just that..."
"That was the longest sentence that I have ever heard from you since this whole freaky autumn vacation started." Sano said in a mock-surprise voice.
Aoshi narrowed his eyes. "My plan is perfect." He said and that was that.
"I didn't say it wasn't." Sano said, "In fact I think it was something so brilliant *I* should've thought of it!"
Aoshi used all his energy not to roll his eyes and keep that blank look on his face. He had no intentions or whatsoever of working with Sagara and Battousai. Nor was he interested in Sano's twisted plans.
"It would be a lot more confusing for the girls if we actually react and return the attention they are giving us." Sano pointed out.
"No." Aoshi said. Back to his monosyllable. They had been more effective.
"Just look at it this way, do you really think that Megumi would fall for Kenshin as soon as he starts to actually listen to what she's telling him?" Sano asked, his eyes over bright. Clearly, with what little time that he had, Sano had already thought of all these quite thoroughly. Or, he hadn't thought of it at all, Aoshi half grimaced, half smirked.
"Sano, I do listen to Megumi-dono!" Kenshin said sounding guilty.
Sano snorted, "Right. Kenshin, shut-up. Let me do the talking here. You have no problem with Jou-chan, she's head over heels in love with you." Sano dismissed Battousai with another wave of his hands.
Kenshin opened his mouth but Sano shot him a look. Aoshi wondered how could Battousai ever stand this loud-mouthed, trash-talking punk. "I do not care what Takani-san do with Battousai." Aoshi answered crossly.
Sano's brown eyes glittered. "Oh, so you're scared that Misao might actually fall for *my* charms." Sano taunted.
"That is not it!" Aoshi cried, wincing at the pain spreading from his temples. He was really going to wring Sano's neck... "You seem awfully confident that Megumi is loyal to you." he returned evenly.
"Oh, so now you're saying that if you were Megumi, you'd actually like Kenshin instead of me." Sano said looking like a mad man.
"What kind of a question is that!?" Aoshi practically screamed. "No, if I were Megumi, I would choose neither of you two!"
"I know! You're afraid that Jou-chan would not fall for you, considering your lack of charms!" And again, Sano seemed to be deaf to Battousai's "oro's" and "Sano's".
Aoshi glared at Kenshin to shut him up. His "oro's" were far more irritating than Sagara himself. He stared at Sano coldly. "I can assure you, Sagara, that that is not true."
This time, there were no "oro's" from Battousai. "What is that supposed to mean, Shinamori?" he asked quietly.
Aoshi raised his eyebrows. "It means that..." Sano was quick to cut him off.
"Kenshin don't mind him. Do you honestly think that Jou-chan would like him?" Aoshi watched as Sano flippantly waved his hands in the air, "Jou-chan would have the top of her head blown off from his monosyllabic answers." Sano then turned towards him again, "I know what your problem is."
"Really?" Aoshi said in the coldest voice that he could muster.
Sano didn't seem in the least affected. In fact, he seemed to have made this discussion into some challenge that he was hell bent on winning. Fat chance of that, Aoshi thought grimly, knowing that it might actually take years for Sagara to accept defeat. A theory that Sano was now successfully proving to be true.
"Yes. You are afraid to know how strong Misao's love for you is. After all, you've been pushing her away for far too long." Sano answered, his brown eyes glittering with certainty.
"I think that applies to me too." Himura interrupted out of nowhere. It was high time for Battousai to be ignored, Aoshi thought, not even giving Himura a glance. After all the red-haired wasn't saying something actually new here. Himura's pushing-the-girl-away-skills was slowly but surely becoming more legendary than his sword skills.
But something in Aoshi's chest stirred in protest as soon as Sano's accusations were let out, the satisfied smirk etched on the Chicken Head's face added up to his already rising anger. Had Misao actually told Sagara that? Aoshi's cold blue eyes darkened. He had not meant to push her too far away from him. How could he? He could not even imagine himself living without her constant bubbling laughter and the quietness of her smiles. He had every reason to distance himself from Misao. What kind of a man was he if he claimed Misao without having all of his demons expunged? His Misao deserved him without the guilt and self-hate that up until now, he could not let go.
"What? You actually thought she'd wait for you?" Sagara asked in an incredulous, reprimanding voice.
"I never..." Aoshi began, not completely understanding why he had to explain himself to these people. He stopped and smirked at Sano, "Are you talking more about Takani-san than Misao?" he asked with surprising smugness.
Silence. Good. That shut him up, Aoshi thought satisfied with Sagara's sudden loss for words. He hoped it would last until the group's last day at Kyoto, but as many wise men would say, 'you can't have everything that you wish for in life.'
"Ok. Fine. We're all major assholes." Sano declared. "This is the time to change that." Sano said impossibly sounding more all-too-knowing and bossy than ever.
Aoshi this time was not able to help but roll his eyes in utter disbelief. "Right, by making it seem that we've lost our interests in them." He said, giving a short nod, "Good thinking Sagara." He said challenging Sano. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Himura take a step in the direction between him and Sano. There was no reason for Battousai to keep them in line. Aoshi wasn't even interested in picking up a fight. Misao would most probably not approve. Nor would Kamiya-san and the rest of the Aoiya. As for Takani-san, well, Sano in physical pain seemed to be Takani-san's most favorite moments. Aoshi didn't need to wonder why.
Sagara didn't seem insulted in the least bit. Perhaps, he didn't get it that he meant 'good thinking' as being translated to "you dumb ass." Said dumb ass continued on with his loss cause. "I'd say so too myself, but then that would be bragging, and I just don't do that." He answered, in clear response to Aoshi's 'compliment.' "We're going to make them realize that they do love us despite our ass-hole-ness."
Aoshi let the foul language pass. After all, it pretty much summed up Sagara. "That doesn't make sense." He argued instead, praying that logic would be something Sano was familiar with. Since out-right deliberate insults were ignored as well as the thinly veiled and not so thinly veiled sarcastic put-downs. There seemed to be nothing that can penetrate Sagara's thick skull.
"I highly doubt that their plan made sense either. But it worked fairly well."
"Fairly well? We just discovered their 'plan' in a span of two days! How can it have worked 'well'?"
"Because, Shinamori, let me remind you how jealous you look right exactly on the first day of the girl's plan-"
"For the last time," Aoshi began, erasing the memory of Sano lying on top of a laughing, happy Misao.
"You looked like you were going to go get your kodachi, put me on a chopping board, mince and cut and dice me into oblivion. And that's just the light version buddy."
"Don't call me buddy." Aoshi said in his coldest voice.
"You got jealous. Kenshin got jealous. I'd say their plan worked outstandingly well!" Sano was just unshakeable.
Faulty logic! Very faulty, but he'd have to give Sano that. Aoshi still could not believe what kind of food poisoning the girls were suffering from to concoct of something so positively, infinitely ridiculous. There were so many things wrong with the plan that he was surprised to found out that it actually worked on Sagara and Himura. He was never jealous of Sano and Misao. Never. Not ever. Never ever. Not even once. It didn't even crossed his mind. Not at all. He had been totally calm about it. Never worried. Never disturbed. Or Hurt. Or pained. Just, never.
"Finished convincing yourself?" Sano suddenly asked, shaking Aoshi out of his stupor.
"I wasn't... what?" He asked, not wanting to believe that he had been so obvious... that he had been so open at that particular moment that Sagara had read his mind, his emotions. Thoughts of Misao rendered him vulnerable. Wasn't that enough of a reason already why he should not allow her to strip him off of the protective wall he had built around him ever since he was a child?
"Geesh, Aoshi, get the fuck out of your head and face the real world, dammit! You're just as bad as Kenshin having split personality!"
"Sano..." Kenshin said in a warning voice.
"Whatever we do, in the end they would be the one to decide. Because we aren't allowed to decide anyway. We've lost that after we've selfishly tried to push them away because of our own personal fears... Whatever we do would reflect on their decision."
"Che. That made sense." He heard Himura mutter in a surprised voice.
"But don't we want to see how they would react once they find out that other men could love them? Isn't it what we want? Isn't that the point of their whole plan aside from making us realize what assholes we are?" Sano asked, eyeing him and Himura.
"We want them to love someone else?" Aoshi asked, the words seemed so foreign in his ears. Misao and someone else. But it was possible. Why hadn't he seen that before?
"Hell no! But if they do, what else can we do? Think about it Kenshin, beside you, who else had Jou-chan had the chance to fall in love with? What if she loves you only out of habit. Same goes for Misao and Megumi."
"Love out of habit..." Kenshin echoed thoughtfully, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"I say it's only fair that we give the girls what they are looking for. A sign that they are in love with us because they are, and not because of some other reason."
"Like out of habit..." Aoshi said, his voice sounding wistful, tinged with fear.
"Yes." Sano answered evenly.
"I'm going to regret this." Aoshi wondered who said that, looking from Kenshin to Sagara, who had their eyebrows raised. With an oath of surprise he realized that it was him who said it. Fuck.
Sano grinned. "Ha! I knew you'd see the light, Shinamori. Kenshin?"
Himura muttered a muffled answer. It sounded like, "Regret is an understatement."
"I'll take that as a yes." Sano said triumphantly, "Then we start this tomorrow."
"What is she falls in love with you." Kenshin asked quietly.
"Then at least you'd know that once, she loved you, but you threw it away." As Aoshi said this, his thoughts were suddenly filled with Misao's happy laugh.
"Wait!" Sano asked, shattering the silence.
"What is it Sagara?" Aoshi asked irritated to have been roped into this blasted plan.
"Do we, like, get to kiss them?" Sagara asked this in what sounded to Aoshi as over eager.
"You fucking pervert!" He exclaimed, surprising everyone with his choice of words.
"I didn't say we shove our tongues up their tonsils!" Sano said throwing up his hands in exasperation.
"Sano..." Himura said in a warning voice.
"Chaste, close mouthed kiss..." Sano asked in a hopeful voice.
Aoshi thought about this for a whole minute. He looked at Sano and then at Himura. Something in Aoshi, he didn't know what, made him speak, "Fine." he said curtly.
There was a brief moment of surprised silence and then Kenshin muttered his agreement, "Fine."
"But if they open their mouths?"
Aoshi was going to hit him. "I'll rip your tonsils out." He said instead.
"Same goes to you." Kenshin said turning to look at him in the eye.
"Did we just agree to rip each other's tonsils?" Sano asked frowning.
"Yes." Aoshi said
"Ok." Sano said with a shrug.
And that was that. Their plan was now official.
End Chapter 10. Review Please. Notes on the next chapter...