Hi guys! Before I go into my standard babbling, I need to say something (or write something, whatever).
Neewayz, I did something really, really embarrassing and I have to correct myself before anyone else thinks I've gone brain-dead (thanks Kaoru-chan21 for pointing it out, although I already noticed that mistake.)
You see, I've been writing Okiya instead of the Aoyia in the last chapters, and I really didn't mean to because I do know that Misao and gang live at the Aoyia and not the Okiya…demo, there is a very good explanation for the mishap…see I've been writing something for school which involved the mysterious and exciting (and sometimes tragic) life of geishas. It so happens that geishas live in Okiyas (that's what they call their houses) and since I've been typing that word for I don't know how many times in my paper, I guess my fingers just took over…and it really was done unconsciously because I know that Misao and gang live at the Aoyia…but since Gion is in Kyoto and I've been under a lot of stress lately, you do the math…So, I hope you can forgive me…because I'm really, really embarrassed and sorry for having done that…by the time you're reading this, I may already have reposted the corrected previous chapters…
And now, please go on reading my story, which is set at the AOYIA…
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. In a perfect world I would, but I live in the real world…and sadly I ain't got no money…so, it's utterly useless to sue me…but for good measure: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, but Nobuhiro Watsuki and a bunch of other people do…
And on to stranger things…
Promises from the PastThen to Kenshin and Sano's greater surprise, Aoshi said, "Why don't you come into the house? It looks like you all could use a nice meal and some rest."
He graciously waited for the women to precede him. Waiting for the men to make a move, he stoically turned to them.
Sano was the one who voiced the question, "Tell me Shinomori, what has Misao being putting in your tea?"
Ninjas and ConversationAstonishingly, Aoshi did not reply. Instead, he looked at them expressionlessly, turned and walked inside.
Granted, this reaction was more like the Aoshi they knew…but considering what just happened a moment ago, it wasn't what they expected.
Before they followed him inside, Sano asked Kenshin, "Do you think he has some imbalance?"
Kenshin looked at Sano and countered the question with, "Don't we all?"
Sano considered that for a moment, shrugged and walked inside the house. Kenshin sighed and followed him.
***
Misao led the two women to the dining room. When they got there, she saw that there was already an occupant. Misao sighed, steeling herself for the moment the occupant met Sayuri. That was going to be embarrassing!
Okina looked up as he noticed people coming into the room. And without conscious thought, his eyes darted directly to Sayuri. He gave the woman the once over and liked what he saw.
Goodie! Goodie! Goodie! Okina was mentally rubbing his hands with glee The gods are truly smiling upon this old ninja! Arrigatou gozaimasu, Kami-sama!
Outward, he was playing the cool and dignified old ninja that he thought he was. After all, he didn't want to scare the lovely young woman away. Finesse is what the situation needed.
Okina stood up and glanced at Misao, indicating with his eyes that introductions should be made.
Misao, knowing that it could not be avoided, sighed and said, "Okina, this is the friend Kaoru has been talking about. Kenshin, Sano and Sayuri have just arrived a few minutes ago…"
Before she could continue, Okina bowed respectfully towards Sayuri and said in a deep, baritone voice, "Welcome to Kyoto, beautiful flower. I am Kashiwazaki Nenji. This humble servant is honored to make acquaintance with you…" he looked at Sayuri, guilelessness and sincerity on his face.
He saw that she was smiling at him and mentally patted himself on his back for making such a wonderful impression.
I think I'm going to like this woman…
Sayuri couldn't stop herself from smiling. From the stories that she had been told about him, she deduced that Okina thought himself to be sort of a ladies' man. Looking at him now, she knew that he thought of her as his new conquest. That didn't alarm her as much as it flattered her. After all, she knew how to deal with the old charmer.
Smiling even brighter, she delicately bowed towards Okina and said in her huskiest voice, "I am Mikage Sayuri…and the honor is mine for making the acquaintance of you…ojii-san."
Hearing Sayuri's husky voice, Okina's smile became even wider…until he heard her last word. He looked at her with astonishment and disbelief
Had he heard her right? Looking at the two other women, he deduced that he did.
Misao and Kaoru tried very hard to suppress their laughter. But even with their best efforts, they could not quite hold back a snicker. They had observed how Okina had been putting on the charm like snake oil. But Sayuri had handled him perfectly. Calling him 'grandfather' must have felt like a bucket of ice-cold river water!
Before anybody could say anything further, the men arrived. Okina was able to focus his attention on Kenshin and Sano, and not on the sad fact that a beautiful woman just called him 'grandfather'. Oh, the pain, the anguish, the humiliation…
"Himura! It's so nice to see you again!" the old ninja stepped towards Kenshin and bowed.
Kenshin reciprocated the bow, "And it is so nice to see you again, Okina-dono!"
The old man beamed at Kenshin then turned to Sano, "Sanosuke-kun, I see you're still in great form…"
Sano grinned at the man, "So are you, old man, so are you." The old man beamed at Sano as well.
The sound of someone running could be heard. Everybody turned towards the door when somebody yelled, "You're back! You're finally back!"
Yahiko had been in the training hall, practicing Kamiya Kasshin to while the hours away. When somebody informed him that Kenshin and the others were back, he ran out of the hall and straight to the dining room to see them for himself.
Kenshin, Sano and Sayuri were smiling at him and Sano drawled, "We sure are, brat!"
Yahiko was too glad to object to Sano's name calling, instead he asked, "So how did you find Sayuri?"
It was Sano again who spoke, "Later brat! Let us get some grub first…"
So everybody settled down, and food was brought in. Since Aoshi, Misao, Okina, Yahiko and Kaoru hadn't eaten as well, they joined in the supper.
When the dishes were empty and brought back to the kitchen to be cleaned, the occupants of the room settled themselves with a cup of tea each.
After taking a sip, Kaoru asked, "So tell me, Sayuri, who kidnapped you?"
Sayuri took a sip from the cup, then told them the story of Hentai Hotaka and how he sent somebody to kidnap her.
After she finished the story, Yahiko turned to Kenshin, "You beat the guy up real good, ne Kenshin?"
When Sano, Sayuri and Kenshin just looked at each other, Yahiko asked again, "You must have given him some introduction to your sakkabatou, right Kenshin? After all, the guy wouldn't give Sayuri up just like that without a fight…"
When Kenshin remained silent, Yahiko looked at Sano, "Oh you mean to say, Sano did all the fighting?"
Sano didn't reply, so Yahiko went on, "I hope you gave him some of your Futae no Kwami…I just hope you broke something that hurt…"
But the other people in the room noticed that the three had gone quiet, especially Kenshin and Sano.
Misao said, "Come on, you guys, no need to be modest here…you can brag a little about how you rescued Sayuri-san here…"
Sayuri interjected, "Um, Misao-san, call me Sayuri please…"
Misao glanced at the woman, "Okay, only if you call me Misao."
Sayuri smiled and nodded. Kaoru was studying Kenshin and Sano, and she found that they were acting a bit strange. Why were they so reluctant to talk about Sayuri's rescue? Well, Kenshin she could understand. The rurouni wasn't the sort who bragged about stuff like that… but Sano? That Sano was reluctant to talk about what seemed to have been a grand adventure was mighty peculiar.
So she asked them in a suspicious tone, "How did you rescue Sayuri?"
Kenshin and Sano looked at each other, then at Kaoru. The woman was looking at them with tanuki-menace so Kenshin hastily mumbled something.
Kaoru leaned towards him, "What? I did not hear you…"
Kenshin repeated himself, still mumbling.
Kaoru shook her head, "I still didn't get that…What did you say?"
The rurouni mumbled again, so Kaoru yelled, "I can't heeeeeeear you…"
"'fer crying out loud Jou-chan, Kenshin's saying that we weren't the ones who rescued Sayuri!" Sano yelled in exasperation.
Kaoru looked at the two in astonishment and asked, "Then… who did?"
Sano and Kenshin exchanged a look, then growled in unison, "Saitou Hajime!"
"WHAT?" Everybody's head turned towards Aoshi, who had exclaimed that word.
Seeing everybody was looking at him as if he had sprouted another head, he shrugged and asked, "What? I'm as surprised as you are…"
Somehow, the others doubted that.
Aoshi's uncharacteristic behavior was a lot more surprising than finding out that Saitou Hajime rescued Sayuri.
On second thought… may be not. Maybe it was just as surprising as Saitou Hajime rescuing Sayuri.
Misao felt the need to clarify things, so she asked, "You mean to say that Saitou Hajime, the tall police guy who has a fetish for cigarettes, helped you rescue Sayuri?"
"He didn't help in rescuing her," Sano said. Kenshin nodded grimly.
Misao frowned, "Then how did he rescue her?" When no answer was coming from the two men, she looked at Sayuri inquiringly.
Sayuri was frowning at Kenshin and Sano, shaking her head she said to them, "I can't believe that you're still miffed at that!"
Sano turned to her and said, "We're not miffed! We're pissed!"
Kenshin piped in, "Sessha prefers to use the word angry…"
Kaoru and Misao asked curiously, "Miffed about what?"
Sayuri turned to the others, "About the fact that Officer Fujita was the one who rescued me and these two happen to find me later when I was already rescued…"
Yahiko leaned towards Kaoru and whispered, "Officer Fujita sounds weird, doesn't it?"
Kaoru nodded her head, but she was more interest in the fact that Saitou had been the one who rescued Sayuri. How did the wolf know that Sayuri had been kidnapped?
She voiced the question to Sayuri, and the woman answered, "Oh, apparently he followed me…"
When Kaoru just frowned in confusion, Sayuri elaborated, "He was following us on the train to Kyoto…"
"How did you meet?" This was asked by Misao.
"He returned my purse," Sayuri answered.
"The one that got stolen?" Sano asked. Although they had been in each other's company for the past two days, the fact of how Sayuri and Saitou met never ever actually came up.
"Uh, yes, that one," Sayuri answered. When the other people still looked at her expectantly, she told the whole tale of her first meeting with Saitou. The second meeting, she conveniently left out.
Sayuri saw Kenshin studying her intently, and she felt like he could see right through her. She gave him a tentative smile. Kenshin continued studying her.
I guess he really doesn't like Saitou…then again, I can certainly understand that… she thought.
Kenshin was worried that Saitou had shown such interest in Sayuri. The wolf could not be trusted…
***
Later that night, when most of the Aoyia's occupants had retired to their respective bedrooms, Kaoru was lying on her futon, unable to fall asleep.
She was staring up at the ceiling, willing herself to grow tired and fall asleep, but too many thoughts were going through her head.
Maybe some fresh air will help me clear my thoughts
She rose from her futon, got out of her room and went towards the porch.
The moon was still bright in the sky, although not as full as when she and Kenshin had been walking home from the Akabeko. Choosing a spot where she could gaze up at the sky and enjoy the moonlight, she sat down and looked up at the sky.
She studied the scarred surface of the moon and wondered how many people since had looked at this luminous globe and felt enchanted by the mystery of what the moon really was.
Then her thoughts drifted to what had been troubling her…Kenshin and the fact that she had hugged him…and he had hugged her back. And how good it had felt.
Not that she'd never hugged him before. She had. A couple of times in fact. It was just that today, her reaction had been a bit …well, too much.
After all, they had been in scrapes far worse than what had happened to Sayuri. Many of them, real life and death situations. Where reactions of exuberant joy if they survived was appropriate, if not, even to be expected.
But hugging him like that today, that was a bit too much. She hoped that Kenshin didn't think herself too forward.
Then Kaoru frowned, when a thought occurred to her. If Kenshin never made a move on her, how will they ever get to where she wanted them to be? Maybe she had to be a little more forward. Kami-sama knew that being timid hadn't gotten her anywhere in the past three years. And she wasn't the timid sort anyway.
Could you call a girl attacking a virtual stranger whom she thought to be the Hitokiri Battousai (who later did turn out to be exactly him) with a bokken and threat in her words, then locking up said stranger in the shack and then asking him to stay as long as he liked?
Nuh-ah. You couldn't call that girl timid.
Hadn't it gotten Kenshin into her life? Yes.
So maybe all she needed to do was be bolder and more daring, start becoming proactive. Maybe she truly had to take matters in her own hands…and maybe she will… as soon as she knew that she could handle Kenshin's rejection, if it ever came to that.
And that was the root of the problem, wasn't it? She loved him and she was afraid to lose him. Ah, what a spineless creature love made of oneself!
Was she ready to let go of Kenshin, if he ever found out she loved him and he couldn't handle it? For she knew that it would become awkward around the dojo if that ever happened, and she was one hundred percent sure that Kenshin would be the one to leave.
And she'd rather have Kenshin in her life than out of it. Oh, what a mess this all was! It would just be so much easier if Kenshin made the first move!
But if she waited for him to do so, then they'll probably never ever get anywhere, so she had to become forward, but if she did, Kenshin might be put off and he might leave…Wait! She'd already gone that road before! What a vicious, vicious cycle it all was!
What was she going to do? She looked up at the moon You've already granted my first wish, Kami-sama, maybe now you could give me a sign to tell me what I should do about this…
Kaoru sighed and stared into the darkness. Then suddenly, something moved to her right and she shrieked, "Eeep!"
The figure said in a soothing, although anxious voice, "Maa, maa, Kaoru-dono, it's only me…"
Kaoru turned into that direction and now she could see the outlines of Kenshin in the gloom. Had he been sitting there, all the while she had been staring up at the moon, thinking about him?
Kenshin said sheepishly, "I didn't mean to startle, you, that I didn't. Sessha was sitting on the porch when you came out. Since you didn't see me and you were looking so serious, sessha didn't want to disturb your thoughts…I'm sorry Kaoru-dono, but if you'd like me to go inside…"
Kaoru studied him for a second, then softly said, "No…I'd like for you to sit with me for a while…"
Kaoru had been speaking so softly, that at first Kenshin wasn't sure he had heard her right, but when he saw Kaoru shift and indicate a place beside her, he knew he hadn't heard wrong. She actually wanted to sit with him on the porch!
Earlier, when she had come out, he had been sitting where he was right now, thinking about things…things that involved Kaoru. What prompted his thoughts was a strange conversation he had with Sayuri, when they had been in the coach on their way to Kyoto, earlier this morning…
***
***
Saitou had gone up to the driver's seat to sit with Sano. But everybody knew that he did that to make sure that they didn't get lost again.
Kenshin and Sayuri were in the coach alone. Kenshin had been looking out the window, when Sayuri asked something.
"Isn't it strange, how, when you're asked to say what was the happiest moment of your life, so many moments go through your head that in the end it's difficult to say what exactly was your happiest moment?"
Kenshin looked at her, wondering what had prompted her to ask that question.
Sayuri smiled at him apologetically, "Forget it, it was just a random thought. I guess this trip is getting to me…"
She turned her head and looked out the window. Kenshin looked at her for a second longer, then did the same.
As he noted the passing landscape, his mind wandered back to her question. Happiest moment…in truth, he never gave much thought about happiness. It wasn't something that he felt he deserved to think about. Not with his past…and what he did in it.
Surprisingly, he heard himself saying, "You know, I don't think I remember anyone ever asking me what my happiest moment was…"
Sayuri looked at him, studying him a second before asking, "Tell me Kenshin, what was the happiest moment in your whole life?"
Having been asked that question, Kenshin sought for an answer…and realized that he didn't have one…at least not a prefect one.
For Sayuri's observation had been right. It was hard to say exactly what had been the happiest moment. Not because he did not have many of them but because after thinking about it, he realized he did have many happy moments. He just never took the time to think about them.
Sure, he had been happy at some time or other, or he wouldn't be human…but it never occurred to him that it had happened so many times…even during the Bakumatsu, before he became the rurouni.
Sayuri smiled at him wisely, "Now do you understand what I mean?"
Kenshin nodded slowly, "Hai…it is very hard to pick out a moment…it is like if you do, you diminish the power of the other happy moments…like they are only second rate…"
Sayuri nodded thoughtfully, "Exactly. You know what I think about that? There isn't just one happiest moment…each happy moment in itself is the happiest…does that sound crazy?"
"Perhaps, or perhaps it's the truth," Kenshin conceded, "But the lesson there is that happiness is so easily taken for granted. That a happy moment loses its poignancy when we know that there will be another happy moment…"
Sayuri nodded enthusiastically, "When in fact, there will be no other moment where we will be exactly as happy as we are in that moment! So that is why, when we find happiness, we have to embrace it and never let it go…"
Kenshin smiled at Sayuri's last words, "You know, Ran-dono said something of the like to me once. In fact, she asked me to promise to her that when I find it, I'd embrace it and never let it go…"
"Have you?" Sayuri asked gently, although there was a hint of challenge in her voice.
Kenshin looked at Sayuri, sensing that the woman saw much more than was seen, "Have I what?"
"Embraced it…" came the soft reply from Sayuri.
***
***
Kenshin glanced at the woman sitting beside him and pondered Sayuri's question. Had he embraced happiness? He looked up at the moon.
The honest answer was that he was afraid to do so. He, who wasn't afraid to face fearsome opponents, was scared to embrace happiness.
Why? Several reasons, really. But all leading to the fact that every time he had felt happy in his life, something bad had happened. Could you blame a guy for being wary?
Kaoru was looking at the moon again, wondering what Kenshin was thinking about that made him look so brooding. When she realized that Kenshin had been sitting out here all this time she had been thinking, she had felt a little disconcerted. Had he been watching her from the shadows? And what was with that serious look on his face? Was he thinking of earlier, when she hugged him?
Kenshin was thinking of earlier when she had hugged him, and he had hugged her back. At that moment, he had been happy…and it had felt good and right.
Glancing again at Kaoru, he saw her looking at him with what seemed worry and apprehension in her eyes.
Kenshin frowned slightly, and asked in a concerned voice, "What is wrong, Kaoru-dono?"
"Nothing!" Kaoru hastily said, then looked back up at the moon.
Kenshin looked at her profile, knowing that something had to be wrong.
Kaoru felt his eyes on her, so she sighed and said softly, "I want to apologize for earlier…I might have been a bit too forward…I'm sorry…" then she glanced at him.
She saw Kenshin looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face, and her spirits sank.
Kenshin knew that Kaoru was talking about 'The Hug' and he couldn't believe she was apologizing for that! Not when it had felt wonderful…when it had felt right!
Then a little voice in his head that sounded eerily like a combination of Saitou and Hiko and Sano asked, "Are you going to apologize for that as well?"
The rurouni in him would. After all, it would be so much like the rurouni to apologize for that act of familiarity…
Then memory of Sayuri's almost challenging "Have you?" went through his head, and he made up his mind.
Face your fears he chanted as he said, "Sessha isn't sorry for what happened…"
Kaoru turned to him in an instant, studying his face to see whether she had heard right.
With a smile on his lips, Kenshin repeated himself, "I'm not sorry for what happened…and neither should you be…"
Kenshin wasn't put-off or disgusted by her? Kaoru couldn't believe her ears! She studied him harder, making sure that she really was sitting beside the rurouni she knew…the rurouni who would get all flustered at show of physical affection…
Although Kaoru was looking at him as if he'd gone crazy, Kenshin felt good about admitting that he liked her hugging him…maybe this embracing happiness stuff wasn't that hard.
"Actually, sessha is really glad that Kaoru-dono hugged him…" Kenshin held his breath, hoping that he hadn't taken it too far…
As hard as she studied him, she couldn't find any proof that this wasn't the Kenshin she knew. He's glad that she hugged him?
Kaoru inclined her head a bit, looking at the smiling Kenshin. Maybe being a bit forward did actually get results!
Kaoru smiled at him, "I'm glad that you're glad…"
Kenshin's smile became even brighter. Wow! This actually feels pretty darn good, that it does he thought as he gazed upon the loveliness that was Kaoru Maybe I can take this a bit further…
Not sure exactly what to say, he spoke what was in his mind right at that moment, "You look beautiful in the moonlight…"
Kaoru blushed, What happened to Kenshin all of a sudden? she wondered.
Kenshin saw the flush that came to Kaoru's cheeks at his words, and he felt mighty proud that he could get her to blush like that. Maybe he could take this even more further…
"Kaoru-dono, I want to say something to you…" Kenshin started.
Kenshin was looking at her quite seriously and her heart doubled its pace…Is he going to… she wondered as she waited for him to continue.
Kenshin saw Kaoru look at him with half expectant, half anxious eyes. Oh boy, this might actually be harder than I thought a minute ago…
"Sessha wanted to say that ah…um…ah," Kenshin continued.
Kaoru unconsciously leaned forward, anticipating the moment when Kenshin would say the words she longed to hear. She couldn't believe that he actually would say them!
Kenshin saw Kaoru leaning towards him, and something close to panic rose in him.
Swallowing hard, Kenshin resumed, "What I wanted to say was that I…I…" he swallowed again, as Kaoru leaned forward a bit more, "I…I…"
"Yes, Kenshin, 'I' what?" Kaoru encouraged.
He took a deep breath, then he said in a woosh, "IthinkaoshisactingreallystrangeneKaorudono?"
Kaoru actually fell forward into Kenshin's lap. The rurouni blushed as he helped her up again. Kaoru half glared and half looked at him in exasperation.
Kenshin sighed. So much for embracing happiness…but at least he had done something tonight…he had admitted that he liked their hug earlier and that Kaoru looked beautiful in the moonlight.
Kaoru couldn't believe that Kenshin had chickened out, for she was sure he had been about to say something of his feelings for her.
Kaoru sighed. So much for being forward…but at least it had gotten her somewhere tonight…at least he had admitted that he had liked their hug earlier and that she looked beautiful.
Kenshin was turned away from her, looking up at the moon. The rurouni she knew was back again.
Knowing that the intimate part of the evening was over, Kaoru decided to talk about different topics.
"Aoshi's really been acting a bit strange lately," she said.
Relieved that Kaoru had just let it go like that, Kenshin answered in his normal rurouni voice, "He feels different too…"
Kaoru nodded, "Exactly…I've made the same observation…it's like he's more present or something…"
Kenshin considered Kaoru's statement a moment before replying, "That's a way of describing it…It's almost like Aoshi's rejoined the rest of the world…"
"It's got Misao worrying, you know," Kaoru said to him.
He looked at her, "Why is that? I thought that was what Misao-dono wanted…"
Kaoru sighed and told him the whole Kobayakawa Hiroko story.
Kenshin frowned, "So Misao-dono's feeling jealous of that Hiroko woman?"
"Yes."
"Why?" was Kenshin's confused question.
Kaour sighed Men can really be obtuse sometimes.
Aloud she said to Kenshin, "Because Hiroko-san is a beautiful woman…"
Kenshin frowned even more, "But so is Misao-dono…"
This time Kaoru sighed in exasperation, "Look Kenshin, women are just that way sometimes, okay?"
Kenshin inclined his head and studied her, "Are you that way, Kaoru-dono?"
Flustered by his question, Kaoru looked up at the sky.
Kenshin studied her profile, and in a moment of perception he said, "Did you feel the same way when you met Sayuri-dono?"
Kaoru remained quiet, not wanting to go there. To admit that was to admit that she had feelings for Kenshin. Strong feelings. Deep feelings. Her resolve to become bolder and less timid wasn't enough to overcome her fear of becoming vulnerable. So she studied the sky, hoping that Kenshin would let the question go.
Only the sound of crickets and the tinkling of wind chimes could be heard.
Then, a soft voice said, "You don't have to feel jealous of Sayuri-dono."
Kaoru turned to look at the face of the man who said that, but he was looking up at the sky. And without conscious thought, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
That made Kenshin turned towards her in surprise. Kaoru was as surprised as him that she actually had done that. But it had felt like the right thing do.
Looking at Kenshin's astonished face, Kaoru smiled, stood up and softly said, "Oyasumi nasai, Kenshin."
Then she walked inside thinking So much for being bold…
Kenshin sat like that for a second longer, then touched the cheek, that Kaoru had kissed, with his hand.
He looked up at the moon and smiled, thinking So much for embracing happiness…
A figure in the shadows of the garden, smiled as well as she thought So much for moonlight…
On to the next chapter…
_
I'm not very good at writing fluff and such, but I hope that this chapter adequately portrayed it…If you don't like it, that's okay with me…
And if some parts may seem a bit illogical or too convenient, well, blame my cold medicine for that, coz I've been a bit sick lately…
You can either review or go on to the next chapter…
Have you read Arthur Goldman's 'Memoirs of a Geisha'? It's funny, but the main character's geisha name is Sayuri.