Battles of the Heart
Chapter 5: A Disaster For Misao!
Misao leaned back against the tree. Soujirou was so much more fun than Aoshi-sama. Maybe because he was closer to her age, or at least he acted like it, anyway. She spotted Aoshi over on her left and resisted the urge to smile. His ice blue eyes were colder than she'd seen them for a while. It's working! she thought happily. Suddenly, before she could stop herself, she had walked over to one of the large trees and swung herself into its branches. Soujirou quickly followed. He jumped into the branches and sat down next to Misao, whose legs were dangling. Aoshi, being the professional ninja he was, quietly slipped into the tree and sat down two branches above them.
"Soujirou-chan, could you do me a favor?" She stopped for Soujirou had jumped out of the tree and beckoned her to follow. She and Aoshi followed him until they reached a clearing in a forest. Soujirou jumped into the lower branches of a nearby tree. Misao, puzzled though she was, followed him without question. Aoshi proceeded to jump into the higher branches, where he could see without being seen, and hear without being heard. Soujirou felt his presence and put his plan into action.
Soujirou signaled for Misao to continue with her question.
"Soujirou, could you…could you…" But she got no further, for Soujirou had leaned in and placed his soft lips upon hers in an inviting kiss. Misao's eyes widened, and closed. Realizing what he was doing, she played along and deepened it.
Up above, Aoshi growled in his throat. Resisting the urge to jump down and slice Soujirou to pieces, he clutched his kodachis. A bad move. Soujirou heard him and coiled his arms around her waist after wrapping hers around his neck. He pulled her close. That was the last straw. That, and seeing Misao's glowing face, infuriated Aoshi more than anything else had ever done. He leaped down, ready to seize Soujirou. But just in the nick of time, Soujirou pulled out of the kiss, lifted Misao up, bridal style, and jumped onto the ground with a soft 'thump'. Placing her, a little shaken, onto the ground, he turned around and, in a split second, had unsheathed his sword and parried Aoshi's blow.
The two fought blow for blow, neither managing to reach the other. Aoshi knew Soujirou was holding back. But what he didn't know was that he did it so as not to kill Misao's beloved.
All of a sudden, Aoshi faltered, and before he could stop himself, Soujirou has sliced his side. Aoshi fell, clutching his shoulder, as Misao's cries echoed throughout the quiet glade. He closed his eyes, but the pain didn't leave him, and as he opened them, he spotted Misao, frozen and afraid. Her eyes were wide and tears were beginning to leak from her frightened eyes. Her body was trembling. She seemed to be torn between running to her beloved Aoshi's side and staying put. Her legs gave way and, burying her face in her hands, she cried. Her wracked sobs scared Aoshi and with his last bit of energy, he dragged himself over to her side and gathered her into his arms.
Soujirou took his cue and left Misao and Aoshi alone together.
Misao's tears soaked his shirt and mingled with his blood. Cuddling into his chest, her sobs became sniffles, until they finally subsided. She had fallen asleep. Aoshi winced as her sleeping form brushed his side. Blood dripped and pooled beside him. The top of his shoulder and his side were slashed fairly deeply. He shifted her weight and tried to stand. His futile attempts stirred her and she lifted her head immediately. Realizing where she was, Misao's cheeks colored and she jumped up and back. "G-gomen, Aoshi-sama…Don't know what h-happened…" She stuttered nervously, but Aoshi said nothing, and her obsessive eyes noticed a slight smile upon his emotionless features.