Mismatched

Chapter 14 – Deadly Dinner

Author's Note: Hey everyone, thanks for the feedback and points go to lebleuphenix for guessing whose POV it was! Good job! Now we get to see the boy's POV... hope you all like this bit. Their time frame is slightly different from the girls. I mean, gah, how do I explain this… just read it… Aoshi gave me a bloody headache with this chapter, if it took me weeks to finish this, blame him. Damn Iceberg. Sorry if characters are so OOC! Couldn't help it… Please leave a review. I appreciate them all. They all help in the shaping of the fic. Thanks!

Mismatched

Chapter 14 – Deadly Dinner

AOSHI

When he first agreed with this plan, he had not expected it to go this far. And oh, how wrong he was, because it had already gone far enough. So far that right now, Aoshi was starting to curse the day Sagara Sanosuke was born.

The plan had seemed innocent at first. No harm done. At least not in a life-shattering sort of way. Until he realized that should Misao fall for the smooth-talking ways of Sagara, well, either he'd be forced to take that painful step back and away from her, or murder Sanosuke. And at the moment at least he was very wary of taking any of the two options. 

There were several things he had considered preparing of this. He had spent a great deal of his time trying to think of the possible results of Sagara and Takani's combined plans. He thought that despite the general absurdness of the whole scheme, there was a strange likelihood that it could actually work.

And so for that reason alone, he had decided to show Kamiya-san a side of him that he had always been reluctant to show in hopes that in doing so, he would be able to learn how to be more open with his feelings.

Aoshi made a face.

Gah. That sounded horrible. Why do girls expect men to be sensitive all the time? Was it such a turn on for them to see a man wearing his heart on his sleeves? He could not understand this concept. To blatantly show your weakness, so that anyone can take aim and hurt and kill and destroy. Aoshi shook his head. As far as he was concerned, it seemed liked a better idea to keep ones guard up, all the time, strong and impenetrable.

But on the other hand, he did owe it to Misao. She had always been honest with him. Honesty that transcended mere words. Her honesty was something that he was scared of. The intensity of it was enough to melt any and all of his icy defenses. She loved him with fierceness that refused to be silenced and veiled, despite the fact that he had not been receptive in any way. And at times, had even hurt her feelings, although not deliberately.

He never meant for it to cause her any form of pain. If she only knew how he truly felt about her. He could not think of a time when he had not thought of her, even in brief passing. She was the one thing that was constant in his life.

Truth be told, Aoshi had always desperately needed her. He may not show it, but he definitely felt that way.

Desperation was something unfamiliar to him, he never had to deal with it before. Until now. Now that he was faced with the prospect of either letting her go or keeping her forever, with all the risks and dangers constantly following them around. He was the one who had led the life that sought and received constant peril… death even, and for Misao to be dragged into that kind of life because of him was something that he could not live with.

But living without Misao was… there was not enough words to describe how painfully miserable his life would be without her.

And this was something that he shared with Battousai. The fear, the guilt, the humongous confusion that would never leave them alone – for once, Aoshi understood Battousai. And actually shared his pain.

He glanced at her. This other girl who was so much like Misao and so different at the same time: Battousai's woman.

Kamiya Kaoru.

The one person he did not seriously considered as a major factor in this grand mother of all idiotic schemes ever thought of in the history of Japan. Congratulations Sagara, another title for you to carry proudly around, Aoshi thought grimly trying to distract himself. It didn't worked.

Because walking beside her and noticing that they were all wrong – she was graceful, with really light soft steps that made her look like she was dancing so daintily quiet – something crossed his mind that made his heart stop for a whole second.

If I do fall in love with her, would I be willing to put her in danger?

"Aoshi-sama?"

He blinked down at her and realized that he had also stopped walking. It wasn't just his heart that he shocked into immobility with that single thought.

Would I be willing to put her in danger?

This wide-eyed girl that was looking up at him right now; eyes filled with questions and that glint of silent understanding always present in their bluest depths.

If I do fall in love her.

Aoshi shook his head and extended his left arm, showing the way. "Here," He mumbled quietly, walking towards the clearance partly hidden by thick bushes and trees trunks that have gnarled, old brown skins and green vines that looked like they were strangling the trees to death and embracing them affectionately at the same time.

How does one see the difference any way? How does one know when the vines are strangling, seeping the lives from these trees? How can one be so sure that an embrace wasn't just as deadly?

He heard her gasp and he understood her reaction. This place was something he had discovered long ago. Up a nameless hill just at the northern end of the their town. This little patch of green land surrounded by trees and rocks and wildflowers that grows on anything. Even the hardest, driest rock had flowers blooming from their gaps. And if you walked further, you can see the whole town at the middle, flaked between the glittering sometimes blue, sometimes green and gold and gray sea (depending on what time and the weather you're looking at it from – right now it mirrored the pewter gray sky) and the impressive mountains on the other. It was like being on the edge of the earth. And seeing everything in this perspective, it always made Aoshi felt as though he could conquer it all.

He would come here, badly beaten, bone-tired from his training, hungry for adventure, for his own identity and power and just to have his whole life at the palm of his hand and he would feel as though everything was possible. But he was over that dream now. He knew now what he wanted. What was important. He can say them all out loud, although he was afraid that if he did so, someone would hear him and steal it away from him even before he was able to touch and hold it. It was childish in a way. It was the only thing he never really out grew: the fear of losing what could be most precious in his life.

"This was my childhood dream." He told her without looking at her, keeping his voice low and quiet.

He heard her sigh, "All of these?" She asked in a whisper. Almost as though she was afraid they'd disturb some sleeping god if they spoke any louder.

"Didn't you want the whole world when you were younger?" Aoshi asked, and then shook his head mentally chiding himself for such a silly question. Maybe little girls dreamt of something entirely different. They'd never understand what the lure of adventure and exploration do to young boys.

There was this infinite silence that Aoshi thought was filled with unspoken sadness. He was about to ask her yet again when he heard her answer, and somehow, hearing it, Aoshi knew without a doubt that he was in deeper trouble than he thought.

"I only wanted my mother, Aoshi-sama."

He braced himself and looked at her.

She was standing beside him. If she had been any taller they'd be shoulder to shoulder. She was a lot smaller than he was though but it didn't seem to matter or make any difference at all. He could distinctly feel the warmth that was coming off from her. He could smell her too; the faint scent of something clean and flowery wafted around him. They were that close. And yet he felt this distance growing between them. He wondered if they could or would ever want to cross that distance. And if that distance was called Kenshin or Misao – perhaps both, maybe even neither, Aoshi wasn't so sure anymore.

Looking at her face, he realized that she had her eyes closed. She wasn't looking at what he had once foolishly dreamt of conquering. His boyhood dream. She wasn't seeing it. And somehow she looked different, with that barely-there smile on her lips and the wind lifting her hair in every direction.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, suddenly picturing the way she looked when he had traced the rush of blood that flooded her cheeks a few hours ago. Hours ago. It felt like it happened lifetimes ago. He had been surprised at her reaction; he hadn't thought that he would have that sort of effect on her. More than that, he had realized that she was beautiful in a different kind of way. Not much more than Misao, not much less either. Just sort of beautiful in her own Kamiya Kaoru way – and until now, he didn't have anything to compare her with. There was no point in saying that she was as beautiful as the stellar sky, because she wasn't that unreachable. She was just beautiful.

And Aoshi suddenly thought that beautiful, was in a way, such an inadequate word. It wasn't enough for Misao either. Both girls were something much more than just that mere word. He glanced back at her and wanted to tell her this. You're beautiful, Kamiya-san. But he figured that she did not want to hear this from him, so he kept his mouth shut and just watched her for a full minute.

She slowly opened her eyes; the shade so very much like his own – sky blue with very dark irises – and regarded him for a moment. "Don't be, Aoshi-sama." She mumbled, looking away. "I don't want you to be sorry for me. I'm tired of it. Of people being sorry… and…"

"No," He said shaking his head, "I meant I'm sorry that I had such foolish dreams when I was younger."

Aoshi watched her frown at this. Perhaps she had realized that his obsession for power was something that she should detest.

He grimaced a little and looked away.

"They weren't foolish at all!"

This got his attention and he wanted to hear her reason for believing in his long-ago dreams. He heard her laugh quietly, "Next to my mother, I wanted blue elephants as pets and then the whole sky and all the little stars."

Aoshi blinked and raised his eyebrows. "Elephants?"

Kaoru giggled and her eyes twinkled playfully, "I saw them once in one of my father's book. They looked really small in the drawings. I haven't seen one yet, but Genzai-sensei said that there aren't any blue elephants, and that they're really huge creatures," at this she made a face, "not at all cute and cuddly."

Aoshi smirked and then smiled at her, he reached out and for the second time in the week and clutched at her soft hands. "You have such wonderful thoughts, Kamiya-san." He said without thinking.

Kaoru tilted her head and asked softly, "Would you tell me yours?"

Aoshi stared at her for a full minute. When I look at you, I always see her, but not today. Today, it was only you. I think maybe, I'm a little jealous that Battousai could have you. I think that if you really tried, you can have any man that you want, but you only want one, right? And maybe, he does deserve you. I think I can be happy for Misao if she ever walk away from me, but I don't know how to.

Aoshi couldn't voice these thoughts out. He let go of her hand and made a strange strangling noise from his throat. He took a deep breath and then surprising himself, he started speaking. "When I'm here, I always feel like everything is possible." He made a show of reaching out and opening his hands, so that the small boats floating on the sea seemed to rest in his open palms, "I could reach out and touch them." He thought of Misao and how it would be like to finally touch her.

It was a painful thought. One that he was already used to. One that was particular essential in his life… his thoughts of Misao… his dreams for her… his hopes for her. For both of them. Him and her. Aoshi and Misao. Shinamori Misao. It sounded nice. But was it possible? Will it ever be just that someday?

When he glanced back at Kaoru, he found her imitating his outstretched hand. Only this time, she was staring up, her small hands trying to capture one lone gray cloud floating heavily in the sky.

"Hey," she said softly in a voice filled with wonder. She closed her palms, making it seems as though she was holding the cloud inside her hands. "It does sort of work."

He looked down at her and Aoshi let his lips move in a half grimace, half smile.

Everything was possible.

Everything.

KENSHIN

The whole sucking-on-her-finger thing obviously hadn't been such a resounding success because now Megumi was avoiding him like the plague. From the time the bucket had hit his nose, Kenshin had been trying to at least get Megumi to talk to him. Seeing that whenever he tried to take care of her, she seemed to want to chop off his head, place it inside her trunk and lock it until eternity. He didn't know why exactly she would react that way to a little extra caring and attention but he had accepted the sorry fact that he was born to suffer.

Sano looked like he was having more success with Misao than winning in any high-stake games at the Ruffian Gambling House. The look on Megumi's face as she stormed right into the kitchen spoke volumes. The way she mutilated the vegetables had been a dead give away to what sort of success Sano was having with Misao. As for Aoshi… Kenshin gritted his teeth as he pictured Kaoru walking around town with Mr. Iceberg. She probably looked so beautiful today. She'd be the only bright thing on this murky gray sad day.

Kenshin swallowed hard and hoped that Aoshi had decided against a walk around town and opted for a quieter environment inside the temple. The horrible possibilities of what Kaoru and Aoshi were doing right at the moment would be greatly lessened if they had gone off to meditate for today. Besides, after finding out about Aoshi's plan for a nice walk Kenshin had been fervently praying that Hiko would not chance upon the two.

He had immediately started vividly visualizing his shishio, Shinamori and Kaoru meeting at the middle of the market:

Hiko would probably say, "Oho! Look what we have here! Let me guess, today is your schedule to create public scandal and uproar. Trying to get back at my baka deshi, ne? You two at it ne? First it was my baka deshi begging for sex, what now? Are you going to ask him for sex too, all with the same people as your witnesses?"

Or start shouting, "Tomboy Girl, do you know what sort of perverted philandering bastard my baka-deshi is?"

Maybe Hiko would even demonstrate the whole scene from yesterday and that would certainly ruin whatever and any chance he might still have with Kaoru.

Thinking of these had been enough to distract him that he had ended up right smack into Megumi while they were trying to decide on what to do with the minced and diced and minced some more vegetables. Megumi positively shrieked in fear (although Kenshin could detect a hint of frustration there) as soon as he had innocently asked her, "Daijoubu, Megumi?"

And when he reached out to steady her, Megumi was quick to jump a good 20 meters away from him as though afraid that he'd grab her and do something nasty. He had tried to explain to Megumi that he was only worried about her safety when Megumi started screeching at him to leave her alone, she was fine, more than fine, she was ok, and she was just absolutely wonderful!

Frankly, it was starting to get a little creepy the way she was starting to act and sound like Kaoru. Not that sounding or acting like Kaoru was a bad thing… it was just with Megumi… it was… scary to say the least.

He had resigned to admitting the fact that he could never ever play this sort of game. How Sano and Aoshi managed to get their plan going with Misao and Kaoru respectively was beyond him.

Kenshin sighed. He wasn't sure whether to feel bad that it had been Aoshi or thankful that it hadn't been Sano.

Ok, now you're getting jealous of Sano! Of all your ridiculous highly paranoid theories, Sano trying to steal Kaoru from you just tops the list… No, wait, remember the time you thought Saitou was looking at Kaoru way too much?

Kenshin rolled his eyes. Jealousy was something so childish and incredibly immature. It was low of them to resort to this sort of thing. He smacked himself for realizing this just now. And he was not jealous of Saitou! He corrected the voice inside his head. And shut up! He heard a distinct snickering sound.

Well there's no way to back out now, is there? You've already sucked Megumi's fingers!

Apparently, said voice was not too keen on listening to him as it continued with its tirade. Kenshin grimaced. At first, it had seemed like a pure stroke of genius for him to think of something so incredibly bold and direct… if only he didn't get scared being that way with Kaoru. But with her, it was always like, his knees would suddenly became boneless and if he tried to touch Kaoru, he'd just lose himself in it and there was just no turning back…

And with Megumi, you absolutely felt nothing? Oh yeah. He did felt something. If he remembered it correctly, it had been first, foolishness and then guilt. And now maybe even regret, because he was starting to get the impression that Megumi thought of him as a psychotic pervert who goes around sucking fingers and trying to barge in inside occupied bathhouses.   Ha! So, you admit it, you're a pervert when it comes to Megumi!

I am not! I never said anything like that at all!

Whatever you say, you silly ruruoni you.

Kenshin cursed underneath his breath. Battousai was sometimes annoying, but this new voice… this had gone beyond annoying. It was Sarcasm personified. "Shut up." He muttered darkly.

"Huh? What's that Kenshin?" Megumi asked, still holding what seemed to Kenshin as a dangerously large knife.

"Ugh… Nothing. Let's get started with our dinner, I think we should cook vegetable soup and steamed vegetable and some fried vegetable and maybe even boiled vegetables." He said slowly eyeing the plate and plates of semi-microscopic vegetables.

Megumi narrowed her eyes at him. Kenshin winced and tried to hide it with a smile. "I can teach you my recipes," he offered suddenly out of nowhere. Kenshin grimaced. Megumi looked at him suspiciously. "Why?" Why? What does she mean by why? "Ugh because…" "I'm fine Kenshin. I don't need a dietician. I'm eating well balanced and healthy meals, thank you very much." She said huffily. "You don't need to look after what I eat." Okaaaay. "Of course, I know you can take care of yourself, Megumi, you're very intelligent and all…" Kenshin said his sheepish smile slowly fading as Megumi gave him an evil pointed look. No? She doesn't want compliments? Ugh… Women! "I mean… I'll… I'll just stir this pot now, better get started with all these…" he faltered as Megumi scowled at him. "I mean, this is a very complex recipe, I better start with it." Can anyone say lame? Kenshin looked away and started busying himself with stirring a pot of boiling water. He slowly added what looked like minced carrots… or pumpkin? He shook his head. Well, there goes something Kaoru and Megumi have in common. Kitchen Disasters. He wondered if Sano knew about this little fact about Megumi. Food was a most essential part of Sano's life… Ok, that's it. Stop thinking about them for a while will you? Concentrate Kenshin. Huh? Concentrate on what? This is a simple steamed vegetable cooked in soy sauce and I've done this a hundred times… Oh just shut the fuck up, will you! You want to know what? I'll tell you what. Lemme ask you something: What if? Kenshin swallowed a choke. What if what? You damn well know what I'm taking about! Don't play dumb with me! I'm still you and I know you know what I mean! That's very confusing. Kenshin thought with disdain. Quit being such a smart ass. Since when have you become one? Listening to you all day? The voice inside his head, Kenshin didn't know why, but he was certain of this, the voice glared at him. Dangerously glared at him as though he was capable of inflicting physical pain. Kenshin didn't want to try and find out. He gave up. "Fine." Kenshin said through his clenched teeth. Let me have it, if it will shut you up. Been asking yourself that question lately, haven't you?

So there was something he and his inner voice can agree upon. What if… that question had been banging inside his head all throughout the day. It was the one constant phrase that kept reverberating in every corner of his brain. What if Kaoru like Aoshi? What if he just told Kaoru this whole scheme, apologize and ask for another chance? What if she doesn't want to give him that chance? What if he just lock Megumi and Sano up inside one room, stripping it first with any possible murderous weapon and then letting them deal with their sexual tension in their own way and not letting other people suffer from their love problem? What if Aoshi liked Kaoru and pursued her? What if he did end up ripping Aoshi's throat? Would he thoroughly enjoy it?

The list just goes on and on and there was no straight sure answer. His mind had went into endless circle all day trying to figure out everything. Why are relationships are so filled with complex complexities?

Oh, how very rhetorical! The voice inside his head sneered. Kenshin ignored it.

And even if Kaoru didn't want Aoshi as more than a friend to her, there would be other men who'd want her. And what if one of these days, Kaoru realized that she had been wasting her time on him and finally decided to marry someone else? What if she someday tell him that it would be better that they remain friends, that he could still live in her dojo, but that would be just it? Kenshin felt his insides turning into ice. He'd have to stay around and watch Kaoru be with somebody else… it was a possibility that he had imagined everyday. It had been one of his many weapons against falling in love with Kaoru. It proved futile, just like the rest of his other defenses that quickly vanished one by one. He was already in love with Kaoru. It was that simple and was that final. He grimaced, utterly disgusted with himself for coming into this realization inside the kitchen of the Aoiya with Megumi happily chopping away everything she can get her hand with… and Kaoru was with Aoshi. The possibilities he had once imagined were slowly turning into reality. His once unshakable stubborn belief that no matter what, in the end, it would only be him and Kaoru – no one else, just the two of them – had been shattered into a painful reality wake-up call. Now things have definitely changed. For one thing, Kaoru had never really been aware of other men eyeing her and trying to catch her attention – this was something that he had taken for granted. Now that Kaoru was made aware of this fact – that other men existed and it just wasn't him that could and would love her – she would now see the possibilities that he had imagined almost everyday of his life ever since he came to live at the dojo. And therein lay the fear that he had lost her. To an Iceberg. Kenshin winced. No need to mentally kick himself, he was already feeling the pain. It was imbedded deep into his very core - way past his bones and flesh.

Alright, let's cut to the melodramatic stuff and be honest here Kenshin, what exactly is wrong with Megumi?

Kenshin glanced at Megumi who looked at back at him with wide I'm-watching-you creepy look. Aside from her acting like a crazed paranoid Fox? Well nothing really. But she isn't Kaoru.

But you think Megumi is beautiful right?

Of course. And maybe, if he were prodded even more, he'd be reluctant to admit that perhaps Megumi was in some ways more beautiful than Kaoru. Megumi was womanlier; she had more curves on all the right places… Kenshin shook and head and tried not to think that he had just thought of Megumi and her curves. It was just wrong. Besides, it wasn't really about just being beautiful. Despite of his traumatic Girl Lessons from Hiko, Kenshin had also known so many other beautiful girls – including one whose sad melancholic unsmiling face haunted him in his sleep…

Getting out of melodramatic, remember?

Kenshin heaved another long suffering sigh and wondered if he was the only one who had annoying inner voices inside his head. But still, he could not see Megumi as he could see Kaoru. He thought of Kaoru's inner warmth shining through her blue eyes, her smile that touched his heart and made him ache just looking at it... As unfair at it may sound, Megumi could never be like Kaoru.

Ugh. You're hopeless.

There really wasn't any point of comparison between Megumi and Kaoru. He did not think one was better than the other. It was simply because he loved Kaoru more than he could ever love Megumi. And the love that he did felt for Megumi was nowhere near the kind of love he felt for Kaoru.

Blah, blah, blah. Yes, I think I've hear this all before…

Kenshin cast a fast side way glance at Megumi who was lightly touching the blade of the knife that she apparently had gotten attached to it. Ok, now that's scary. "Ugh, Megumi…" he barely said anything when Megumi looked up at him and narrowed her eyes even more.

"I AM FINE KENSHIN!" She positively thundered at him. "If you ask me if I am fine, I swear, I am going to throw this knife at you."

Kenshin gulped. So much for Megumi supposedly liking him. He wondered again for the billionth time why Megumi ever thought that she liked him instead of Sano. If it had been all because she wanted to annoy Kaoru, well it certainly seemed like such annoying task for her as well… to keep on snaking her arms around him and cuddling up to him. Of course, seeing now that it had been done more to the effect of annoying Sano – which Kenshin thought had rather been unproductive at all as Sano only ended up thinking that Megumi would never like him – Kenshin couldn't help but think that, somehow, both Sano and Megumi's needless suffering caused by this twisted schemes of theirs was something that they both deserved.

Kenshin smiled, might as well get the most of it, he thought with half a grimace. "Iya, Megumi… I just wanted to tell you how pretty you look today." He said adding a playful wink he had seen from Sano.

The effect of the wink was… well, he was at lost for word as he concentrated hard on trying to dodge the knife thrown at him. Now, more than ever, Kenshin understood exactly why Sano feared Megumi so.

  

SANO

He was not going to think of Megumi.

At least not until this whole week was over. Or he'd go insane and just drop down on his knees and beg her to marry him. Or slung her over his shoulder and just run off. Away from all of these madness that some wretched idiot had created.

Sano blinked. Ooops. That would be him.

Oh screw it. This was a brilliant plan. Everyone should just wait and see. He should know it. He thought of this. This won't fail. Never. It was working now. Pretty well too if he may add. When someone says Fantastic Plan, they all automatically think of one word: Sagara.

Yeah. Sure. Of course.

Sano nodded vigorously. Don't think of Megumi. Think of Misao. Concentrate. Inhale. Exhale. Yeah, that's it. Misao and not Megumi. Sweet Little Weasel and not Sly Sexy Fox…

Megumi is off with Kenshin right now, at the kitchen and he should not be focusing his thoughts on her or on what the two were doing right now at the moment (although he would suspect that they were both innocently exchanging fish recipes – he hoped).

He should instead focus on what he was doing right now: Getting this stupid plan over and done with.

You're here, in front of her room. The possibilities are just endless…

Damn pervert of a voice inside his head. Sano swore that this voice – this was the root of all evil. He tried to shut it out by mentally singing. "Oho—ho-hoh---hoh---…"

"Are you singing?" A voice from inside asked sounding very much amused.

Sano shut his mouth. "No. I was cursing the day women discovered clothes." He answered back. "Are you trying on every damn oni uniform? Because trust me Misao, we've all seen it."

There was a thunk sound from the other side of the door and Sano suspect that it was one of Misao's many sharp-edged weapons. He winced as he jumped slightly away from it.

First of all, you do not tease her that way. You're supposed to sound really sweetly sick and supportive.

And second, he needed to talk to Okina about letting Misao have full access on sharp pointy very deadly weapons. He wondered briefly what the mortality rate of the dojo would be if Misao, Kaoru and Megumi all lived together. He thought that by the end of the week, with the girls running amok around the house – well, he really did not want to think of the gruesome image in his head.

He shoved his hands deep into the pocket of his white pants. (Yes, he owned a lot of white pants but does that make him a freak? No. He didn't think so.) "I take it back. You're pretty, whatever you chose to wear."

There was no reaction from her. Very predictable. It seemed as though Misao was capable of handling insults fairly well, but once you compliment her, she would suddenly be silent and unresponsive.

Better than a fist on your mouth.

Sano nodded his head in agreement. He could not, however, understand the need for another change of wardrobe, since she had already gotten rid of her mud-splattered kimono from their earlier mud-wrestling match.

Oh, how incredibly turn-on-ish that sounded. Mud Wrestling. If only Megumi had been his opponent. He would probably have enjoyed it more. He sighed; it wasn't like he hadn't had any fun being around Misao. He liked her. Sure. And no longer in the sisterly kind of way too, although he still hadn't effectively crossed the line of actually lusting over her as he more often than not lusted after Megumi. There was still a slight, euw-factor in looking at Misao that way. Maybe because she was younger than him and he had always looked at her as being slightly un-sexy.

Except now, especially right after that near kiss and a whole lot of other things – knowing the feel of her lean body underneath him and seeing her wearing a wet, clingy kimono – what used to be un-sexy was starting to be replaced by… possibilities. Not at all veering towards that direction, but still, Sano had mentally kicked himself in the head for missing the fact that Misao was indeed a girl. And not just a playful Weasel out to get an Iceberg's attention… he stared blankly at the wall and tried to quickly erase the mental image. Very disturbing. Sano shook his head and tried to clear it off many unwanted thoughts.

Apparently, there was more to Weasel-chan that he had originally thought of and he was thoroughly ashamed that he had failed to see past her flat-chestedness and Amazon-woman-like-screaming. The many layers of Misao were slowly being stripped down. And to his utter dismay and shock, he found out how incredibly insecure she had been about being a little tomboy-ish. And that was what had prompted him in asking her to engage in a most ungirlish activity he could think of: Mud Wrestling.

The many ways that Okina and Shinamori would kill him if and when they found out what sort of activities he had been engaging Misao with had somewhat dampened the mood and lessened the joy of throwing expertly meshed and molded mud balls at Misao, but Sano thought he had been quite successful in making her feel a little better and not at all pressured to become so womanly so soon.

And why not? She was still this little girl. There was plenty of time for her to mature. She should have all the time to discover the wonders and confusion of the whole Growing Up Process. Why ask her to be someone she clearly wasn't or did not want to become in the first place? If he ever found out that Shinamori had tried changing Misao in anyway, he would brave death by Icy Glare and smack Shinamori real good. As in like Kaoru smacking Kenshin – not at all effective, but rewarding nonetheless.

Sano was busy thinking of other stratagems when he heard the door suddenly sliding open. He turned his head and was about to give Misao a piece of his mind about dressing up being so overly-rated and a bunch of other complaints when he saw her. Actually, really saw her. Sano felt his jaw slightly drop as Misao emerged, not wearing her usual boring uniform, but a kimono in the color of faded sakuras. Pink and white. And really very girly.

Ok, so maybe, she should start acting more like a woman. Because looking like one right now actually suited her.

"Who are you? You look really pretty by the way, but that's not point. What is this? Where is she?" He joked, pushing Misao away from the door and peeking inside her room, he looked back at her and squinted his eyes, "Where's Misao? What have you done with her?" he demanded comically.

Misao arched an eyebrow, "Thank you for that very thinly veiled insult."

"Misao?!" Sano asked, making his eyes bulged out. "Is that you?"

"Yes." She answered lifting her chin up.

Sano grinned at her, happy to see her in her fighting mood. "In a kimono? But I thought you hated wearing that?" He let his finger grasp at the material of the pink-satin material and slowly trace it up to her arms, until he found her chin and chucked it up higher, bringing her eye level with him.

"I thought you said I'd look pretty in anything I'd wear." Misao retorted, crossing her arms, almost protectively against her chest.

"Yeah. But I didn't think you'd take me seriously." He looked at her again, up and down, staring first at her still arched eyebrow and down to her toes and back up again at her eyes. "Misao in pink..."

Misao narrowed her eyes. "Don't start with me Sano." She said in a warning voice, although there was a ghost of smile on her lips and the slightest tinge of red in her cheeks.

Sano leaned towards her, putting one hand leveled at the side of her head, "Let me finish please." He murmured. He started again, "Misao in pink… I like. I definitely like…"

He saw Misao gulped down and Sano couldn't help but do just the same. Is she thinking of that near kiss? Because he was very much thinking of it right now. Are they ever going to actually admit that it actually happened and not pretend that it did not? But thinking about that kiss made him think of Megumi and the way she looked when she saw them together.

Her face had paled so much that she looked like she had been dipped in Ice. And just because she wasn't near him, didn't mean that Sano hadn't seen her lower lips quivering. He had spent so many secret hours and precious seconds staring at her and memorizing her features. The little dent she got right in the middle of her forehead whenever she concentrated in her medical tasks, her barely-there cleft chin, the color of roses always present on her lips and cheeks. But earlier… they all seemed to have disappeared and was replaced by the prominent blank face and slumped shoulders that he had never seen in Megumi. Not once, expect for that one single moment when she had stared at him for the longest possible time, her eyes empty and unseeing.

She had always so much better in hiding whatever she was feeling and for that reason, Sano worried more about her. Everything that she had gone through in life had made her so very jaded and protected by her wall of sarcasm and her seemingly natural nastiness. But beneath that bitchy-façade was a better person. Someone who knew how to fight back, who was exceptionally level-headed. Cold in the outside but warm and maybe even sweet in the inside.

Well, maybe sweet would be taking it a little too far.

When will Megumi every allow him to strip her off – not clothes, at least not right away – the many facades that she was hiding in?

With what she just saw earlier, how about never?

Sano grimaced. For a brief moment he suddenly wished that he hadn't thought of this plan. He wished he could go inside the kitchen whisk Megumi away from Kenshin and just tell her. It didn't sound like the most solid of plans, but at least he wasn't hurting her so much. He suddenly felt so… so… oh Kami, he felt… guilty. It was the worst feeling in the world, possibly next to losing a few precious yen that he had borrowed from Jou-chan – speaking of which…

"Sano?"

He looked down at Misao and the guilt intensified. Did he just said worst? Because obviously double-guilt was something much, much worse.

Her blue eyes searched his face and he knew that she was thinking of that kiss.

Would he have given her a real kiss if she allowed him too? He knew the answer to that one. And his heart squeezed painfully at the knowledge that he was capable of hurting Megumi in the worst way. And that he would have also hurt Misao along the way.

Captain Sagara always told him to be a man of his word and learn from his mistakes. Face all the consequences like a real man – with dignity and humility. Well, this whole plan was starting to look like a huge mistake and it seemed like he was about to reap huge painful consequences too. He stared at Misao's clear ocean-blue eyes. Dignity, Sagara, dignity, he repeated mentally.

You owe her an apology… heck, you owe everyone an apology…well except maybe Shinamori.

Sano shook his head again, trying to shut the voice up. Suddenly, Mr. Conscience showed up?! Why wasn't he present when there was a need to be morally uptight?

"I'm sorry." He said softly.

"What for?" Misao asked in the same soft voice.

Inappropriately, Sano found himself smiling, wanting to tease her. What a lovely sweet voice you've got Misao. If only you don't screech so much. But he bit his tongue and shook his head.

"About the kiss." He started and he saw Misao's face color. She shivered slightly as she nodded her head. Sano took a deep breath and was about to apologize and explain when an unexpected voice seemed to have come out from his own mouth, shocking him into silence, his apology buried deep into his throat.

"What kiss?" It was a shrill very familiar voice. Jou-chan's voice.

He whipped his head and stared at Jou-chan's wide blue eyes. It took Sano a couple of blank confused moments to realize that beside Kaoru, standing and looking like a giant Iceberg right about to violently wreck a small innocent ship, was Shinamori Aoshi.

Ooops fucking oooops.

"Kiss?" Sano said in almost the shrill same voice as Kaoru. He cocked his head innocently to the side, "What kiss? What are you talking about Jou-chan? You must've misheard, I meant, hiss." He gave Misao a pleading look, "Wasn't I talking about snake hiss?"

Misao frowned and Sano mentally kicked himself.

Oh good one, you start to apologize and managed to add insult to the already growing list of injuries…

Well, technically speaking, he was the one who ought to write his own list of physical injuries, but heck, this was worse that a bruised shin and not-so-forgotten-black eye from the other day.

"Snake hiss?"

Sano would have laughed at the baffled expression on Kaoru's face, but he was too busy watching Aoshi's reaction.

Cold, stormy, I'm about to kill you in three seconds flat look.

"Are you alright Aoshi-sama?" He heard Misao squeak from beside him.

And in a span of less than three seconds, the murderous look that seemed to be permanently etched on Aoshi's face was suddenly erased to be replaced by a calm, collected I'm cool, I'm ok, I'm fine, look. Sano blinked. Did he just saw that? Or was he imaging things? Shinamori having a reaction of some sort? He cleared his throat again, "There are lots of snakes at the backyard Shinamori. One almost bit me. I heard it hissing while me and Misao were… anyway, the next thing I know, it was about to attack me. Isn't that right Misao?" He turned to look at Misao, winking and edging closer to her. Misao gave him a barely masked questioning look. He glanced back at the odd couple standing just a few feet away from them.

"Snakes?" Kaoru asked; her eyes still fixed at him, obviously avoiding any eye contact with Misao.

Okay. Something very fishy was going on here. There was a sort of guilty presence around them. It didn't help of course that he was lying about the near-kiss, but more than that the tension was in a way felt – doubled… Sano narrowed his eyes and he felt Misao clutch at him. The guilty feel was coming off from Kaoru and Shinamori as well.

Oh, boy. Kenshin would hit the roof once he sees these two. And he had the feeling that the reason why Misao was clutching at him, was because she was trying not to hit the roof herself.

"Yeah." Sano said, now wrapping his arms around Misao, looking at Shinamori straight in the eyes. "At first there was this hissing sound. It was like: hiss hiiiiiiiiiss hissssssss." He imitated wiggling his neck and trying hard to ignore Misao's body trembling from suppressed giggles. "And the next think I knew, it almost bit me."

Aoshi narrowed his eyes into dangerous slits, "I bet." He said in cold utterly deadly voice.

That shut Sano up for a second. And bless his little Weasel, because Misao suddenly spoke up, loud and clear, "Where have you two been? You've been gone the whole day."

Aoshi's face took on a complete facial muscle exercise as it tried not to wince and redden and sputter all at the same time. Kaoru didn't have much success as she winced, reddened and sputtered about meditating at the temple and finding peace, beauty and harmony in nature.

"I bet" Sano returned in a mocking tone of voice. And again, for a brief flash of a second, Aoshi looked like he was just about ready to jump on him and punch him in the nose or something far more painful than that, but it was gone even before Sano can smirk back and was replaced by the usual stone-faced: I am not capable of reacting, I have no emotion, heart and soul look.

Sano smiled slowly, drawing Misao even closer to him and enjoying the number of muscles on Aoshi's face that was twitching - clenching and unclenching in an attempt to hide the evil glare and the sour jealous pout already half formed on his face. Kaoru on the other hand was busy counting the number of imaginary cracks at the floor.

If there was any consolation though in this muddled possibly life-ending plan, Sano thought with glee, it was seeing flickers of emotion at Aoshi's usual poker-face. And ever funnier was when Aoshi suddenly realizes that he was showing his "feelings" and would immediately try to erase it. It was like a friggin' peek-a-boo. Now you see my emotions, now you don't.

Shinamori seemed really fucked-up in the head.

Well, aren't you all? The knowing voice in his head piped up.

Shut up, he mentally snarled. Mind your own damn business.

Hate to break it up to you buddy, but this is my business as well…

"Oh… you're all here. Good." A new voice said, shattering the silence that suddenly enveloped them. Turning around, arm in arm, possibly looking like they were permanently wrapped together, Sano and Misao found themselves face to face with Megumi… and a hand that was also resting around her shoulder. Following the arms length, Sano's smile immediately vanished as soon as he realized whom the arm belonged to.

Smiling sheepishly and endlessly annoying was Kenshin. "Dinner's ready, minna." Kenshin announced cheerfully, "Megumi and I prepared it for all of you." From behind him, Sano heard a loud intake of breath followed by a very audible sound of choking.

What are the possibilities that Kenshin and Megumi had poisoned all of their foods? He glanced behind at the fidgeting Aoshi and Kaoru and then swept his eyes towards the hand of Kenshin resting at Megumi's shoulder and down at the hand of Misao wrapped around his arms. Very high.

Sano's vision of a peaceful dinner was shattered into oblivion.

Menu for tonight? Deadly dinner, coming right up. 

"Can I be excused for dinner?" He suddenly said out of pure desperation. "I'm not so very hungry." He added hastily.

"Oh, don't be stupid Sano." Megumi said, "I insist that you eat dinner with all of us." And without waiting for anyone to reply or run for their lives, Megumi happily stomped off with Kenshin hot on her heels.

Sanosuke blinked for a few minutes and uttered a silent paper that best summed up everything up: Kami, help us all.

End Notes: Well, that's chapter 14, kind of long and pointless. This is filled with transitional chapter that doesn't transist into anything resembling a real story, ne? Oh well. Next chapter, things are going to go haywire as the girls go on a confrontational rampage… hehehe… Will someone actually end up dead? Your guess is as good as mine. Please stay tuned for Chapter 15 – Confrontation 101 

P.S.: Koneko-chan, hi there! And yes, I do have a bonus chapter for A Date. And it would contain some lemon parts. It is now currently being planned and in the process of being written. Unfortunately, ff.net does not allow lemon fics and so I'm having a hard time trying to decide whether I should continue on with the lemon parts. If all goes well, I'll probably post the PG13 version of the "Epilogue/Prologue" (because a sequel might be on the works – I have too many story ideas but too lazy to start them.) at ff.net and the whole lemon version would be available at my yahoogroup. I'll be posting more information about it soon. I will provide the link for the yahoogroup on the next coming chapters of Mismatched.

For those who might be interested, mailto:purplewitch10@yahoo.com for any questions, comments and suggestions regarding, well anything that you want. From RK to anime to my fics to general weirdness. I'm always happy to hear from you guys! Thanks so much for all the reviews and comments.

Oh, I just suddenly remembered, the link for the group can be found at my profile. But I do have to warn you, it's still a very small group, with only five members (it's co-owned by the Elspeth-san, who is also a great writer and is the author of such wonderful fics as, Steps to be Taken, Sessha wa Ruruoni, A Girl Worth Fighting For and Imagine) and is still under massive construction. There are also fanarts done by Kagero-chan and all of my fics, including non-anime fics are archived at the Files Section.

I guess that's it for now. Hope to see you at the next chapter!