WOOOOOOOO!!! My oh my!! It's been a little while. You'll have to excuse the absence of updates...I have been ridiculously busy. BLAME IT ON THE TEACHERS!! He he... I think I've had a little too much sugar this evening.

Anyway, I am sooo excited!! Want to know why?! GOOD, I'LL TELL YOU!! I'm going to the ZOO!! I CAN'T WAIT!!! I'm going to walk with the animals, talk with the animals...If you haven't figured it out yet, Dr. Doolittle is my uncle.

Riiiight...(Chibi-Nikoru has recently been suffering from a series of brain farts...poor thing)

MOVING ON, all usual disclaimers apply.

".." Denotes Speech '..' Denotes Thoughts

I apologize if this chapter is a little OOC. So am I this week.

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Running to You

By Chibi-Nikoru

Chapter 10: Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

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Ocean-blue met ice. And held.

And all was lost...

Their lips met fiercely, as if they were trying to physically consume each other.

Misao's hands fisted in Aoshi's soft strands, and he groaned with impatience.

Pulling away abruptly, he gazed down at her, panting heavily. With unrestrained strength, Aoshi ripped Misao's tank top off, and things began to get really heated.

BUT NOT AS HEATED AS MISAO HAD HOPED...

Ocean-blue met ice. And held.

And all was lost...

Thanks to Okon, anyway. A click and burst of light brought their attention to the door, where the devious wretch was turning to run, camera in hand. Misao let out an ear-splitting shriek, shoving a confused Aoshi off of her. She jumped up and shot out of the room like a bullet.

Unfortunately, the older girl was tackled to the ground a few short seconds later, but she wasn't about to go down without a fight. Okon twisted her body at the last moment, causing Misao to be crushed into the carpet, her sister straddling her stomach. "Maa, maa , Misao-chan. You wouldn't want me to take any more embarrassing pictures, would you?" The squashed attacker flailed her moveable limbs, shouting profanities that Okon wasn't even familiar with.

Luckily for Okon, Okina chose that exact moment to climb the stairs.

"Girls! What is going on?" He bellowed, trying to be heard over the shrieking.

"I got that picture you wanted!" Okon answered, unaware of what was playing out on Misao's face.

Silence. Confusion. Realization. Confusion. Rage. Oh yes, RAGE.

With strength she didn't even realize she possessed, Misao bucked Okon off, sending the poor girl flying through the air.

She then turned to Okina, eyes blazing. The old man sweatdropped, giggled nervously, then bounded down the steps, truly in fear for his life. "OH NO YOU DON'T!! GET BACK HERE YOU PERVERT!!"

He saw it coming too late. A big, black shadow aimed for his head. With great despair, Okina realized the choice of weapon to be Okon's hair dryer. Contact came shortly after, and he rolled down the rest of the steps, eyes swirling when he hit the floor.

"YOSH!!" Misao exclaimed, throwing her fist in the air. She then erupted into a fit of giggles. Both Okon and Okina were in funny looking positions.



It was then she remembered something important. 'Aoshi...'

Misao raced back to her room, but found it to be empty. Her line of vision moved to the open window, curtains flapping in the breeze. She heard the screech of tires on asphalt, and immediately put two and two together.

"Aoshi-sama..." she mumbled, her voice lost in the breeze.

Oh, what a beautiful morning it had turned out to be.

* * *

Aoshi had rushed home, feeling more than a little uncomfortable about the events that had taken place that morning.

It was mid-afternoon now, and his parents' scolding still rang clear in his ears.

A few hours earlier...

"How many times have we told you to tell us where you are going?! You obviously have no respect if you repeat the same actions over and over."

Mr. Shinomori ran a hand through his graying hair. "If you show no respect for your own parents, then you don't deserve any either."

Aoshi sighed, knowing full well where the conversation was going. His father always went over the deep end in regards to him.

"Do you remember what happened when you 'forgot' to tell us where Nikoru went?! SHE WAS ALMOST KILLED!!"

End flashback

Aoshi shuddered. He hated remembering that day. His family had taken a little trip to visit their relatives. Nikoru, Aoshi's younger cousin, had gone out with him for a short walk.

On the way back to the house, she told him she was going to go visit a friend. He had just shrugged, figuring she was okay to handle herself alone.

Boy, was he ever wrong.

Not only had he forgotten to mention to the rest of his family where she had gone, a group of thugs had caught up with her a few blocks away. He had become concerned a few hours later, and went out to look for her.

There she was, beaten and bloody, a few minutes away from the house.

He would never forget the guilt that had shadowed him long after.

That was why he had always been slightly withdrawn, quiet, cautious.



But then...there was Misao. She was so bright, happy, bursting with warmth and love. What he liked most was her eyes. He could get lost in their ocean- blue depths for days on end.

Maybe, just maybe he could begin to trust himself with her.

Their recent interactions proved to be working, Misao slowly working herself further and further under his skin.

He had almost lost it this morning, the only thing holding him back being Okon's interference.

Aoshi couldn't help but chuckle at her temper tantrums. They were just too cute.

He sighed, glancing at the digital clock on his nightstand. 4:22 PM. Time for martial arts classes.

Grabbing his kodachi, Aoshi strode out of his room, closing the door behind him.

There was still a lot on his mind to be sorted out.

TBC...

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Well? How was that? Did y'all enjoy it? I hope so...

What did you think of the dip into Aoshi's past and inner thoughts?

Let me know!! I want to hear what you think!! (^_^)

Until next time!! Toodles!!

Chibi-Nikoru (O.O)