The Inevitable
Disclaimer! Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me, but to Nobuhiro Watsuki. Darn, maybe some day x
'......' signals thoughts
I am SO sorry for the wait. I said that the wait woudl be shorter, but it was even longer! I'm so so sorry. Summer's here, so maybe I'll get out a new chapter every month, eh? Anyway, enjoy
Chapter 8: Rewinding
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It had been a few days since Aoshi and Misao had talked to each other much less seen each other. Naturally, Aoshi had takent his avoidence as a 'no' to his question. After all, it seemed quite logical to him that if it was a 'yes', the answer would have been immediate or even later that night. She would have let him know in some way that she wanted to be married to him. If she wasn't sure, then asking for some time would have been a sufficient answer as well. But her answer....or rather lack of...did not satisfy him. He wanted a straightforward answer, no games.
Misao, on the other hand, was still flustered. How could he just brush off her questions about his feelings and then propose to her?! Well, it was just beyond her level of comprehension-and that was just for starters.
She was very confused on what she really felt. She grew up firmly believing that she was in love with Aoshi. That was the thing that kept her going for many years. If she was sad or upset, just the thought of seeing him again someday was enough to lift her spirits. During the whole Juppongatana incident, as she liked to call it, the thought of Aoshi's homecoming kept her going, leading the Oniwabanshuu. Then it was decided, she didn't really love Aoshi, just some silly little girl belief and the thought of not needing anybody kept her going for a few years. Until she came home, at least. Suddenly they were subtly flirting with each other. Then, they had reached a nice nuetral point, something Misao adored; Aoshi, not as much, to say the least.
Everything was very confusing and Misao had decided that the best solution was to avoid him, think things out.
Meanwhile, the Himuras were feeling rather uncomfortable, that was a given. Kenshin decided that it had been awhile since he saw his shishou and wanted to give him a visit. Kaoru, being Kaoru, followed him, refusing to let Hiko get the best of her poor husband
Although, Okon, Omasu, Shiro, and Kuro did not seem to notice, Okina noticed the minute the couple stepped into the Aoshi on Tanabata. He tried to cover it with weak jokes and fake laughter, but the attempt was futile. Aoshi and Misao were acting the same as when Misao first came home from her journey.
"We should do something," Kaoru commented.
"Hai, of course, koishii," Kenshin responded.
"I'll talk to Misao-chan and you'll talk to Aoshi-san"
"Sounds good." Kenshin yawned. "Tomorrow, koishii, it's late"
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Aoshi sat in a room near the temple, meditating. He had returned after a long four-year absense. The monks there wondered why he had left and why he came back, however, the dared not ask.
A red-haired man quietly walked up to one of the monks and murmured, "Do you know where this one could find a man named Shinomori Aoshi? I was told he would be here." The monk answered his question, pointing and motions the directions. He nodded his thanks and headed off in the said direction.
Kenshin slid open the shoji door, stepped in, and bowed lightly. He sat before Aoshi and quietly greeted him. "Konnichiwa Aoshi."
Aoshi acknowledged Kenshin's presense with a slgiht nod of his head.
"How was Tanabata with Misao-dono?" Kenshin started out.
"...fine..." Aoshi answered after a pause.
"Did you know, Aoshi, Misao-dono," Kenshin said, skipping to the point, "cares very much for you?" No point in beating around the bush, eh?
Aoshi stiffened slightly. "She does not," he replied shortly.
"How do you know?"
"It is evident," he started, "in the way she acts."
"Is it really?" Kenshin asked. He was pretty sure Misao still felt the same way as she did before.
"Aa..."
"Well, how do you feel about Misao-dono?" he asked insterad, opting to go in a slightly different direction.
"How do you feel about Kamiya-san?" OAshi countered.
"Kenshin smiled a knowing smile. "This one cares deeply for Kaoru. There is a need in this one's heart to protect her." He sighed. "Is that similar to the way you feel about Misao-dono?"
"...Aa...somewhat," he replied, partially lying.
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"Misao-chan!" Kamiy aKaoru ran over to where Misao was sitting under a tree. "How was Tanabata?"
"Fine, Kaoru-cahn, why do you ask?"
"Nothing special happened?"
Misao looked at Kaoru with a wary eye. "Maybe..."
"Oh, come on, Misao-chan! I got you along with Aoshi-san, something special must have happened!"
"..."
"Misao!!" Kaoru pouted slighty, a giant smile spreading across her face.
"He asked me to marry him!" she said so fast that Kaoru almost missed it.
"Wow! Misao! I'm so happy for you!"
"But that's not the end of it..." Misao sighed. "I was so shocked that I didn't say anything and then Omasu came, told us Jiya wanted to see us. And then I didn't talk to...well, ok, I avoided him...and now he probably thinks I don't want to get married!" she finished with a heave.
"Well, do you want to get married?"
"I...."
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"Before this one married Kaoru, this one felt that he was unworthy of her. But by the time that phase was over, this one was sure that she no longer wanted to be be with this one anymore. Sound familiar?"
"..."
"I know you love her, Aoshi. You deserve to be happy, Misao-dono will be happy with you, too. Just give her some time. She will come to you."
"My relationship with Misao is none of your concern."
Kenshin bowed his head. "This one is truly sorry for prying."
He turned to leave. He slid back open the shoji and pause. "Give her time," he repeated quietly. "She will come back to you."
Aoshi heard the shoji close with a quiet bump, and then he sighed.
He would wait for her as always
No matter how long
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"Well?" Kaoru prompted. "do you or do you not want to be married to Aoshi-san?"
"Kaoru-chan!" Misao admonished, "it's not as simple as that, you know. It's...complicated."
"Make it simple then."
"I can't."
"Sure you can, Misao-chan," Kaoru said. "If you want to be married to him, just go and tell him that!"
"I already told you. It's not as simple as that!"
"That's what you think, but is really is that simple!"
Misao couldn't take it anymore. She knew, to Kaoru, it was that simple, but Kaoru also didn't know the whole story.
"Kaoru, really, it's not as simple as that. I already messed it up....a long itime ago."
"Oh, Misao..."
"I don't really want to talk about it, okay?" She managed a weak smile."
Kaoru slowly nodded her head. "O..okay. Sure..."
"Let's have some fun! How much longer are you staying?"
"Until tomorrow morning..."
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"Where are you taking me, Misao?"
"I told you already. It's this shop with all these Western items. You'll love it!" Misao plastered a cheerful happy-go-lucky smile on her face. She wasn't really that happy, but it was Kaoru's last day in Kyoto. She needed a good vacation in Kyoto before she went back to the dojo.
"Misao-chan..what's this?" She poinetd to a box wtith a picture of a square of...something
"I don't know...it looks kind of like a...um..."
"That's chocolate-it's a new Western delicacy." The old man behind teh counter smiled at them. "Would you like to try a piece?"
Misao picked a piece up and stared at it. This couldn't possibly be edible, could it? She hesitantly nibbled at a corner and a small smile came about. "Yummy! Try some, Kaoru."
She did and was as pleased with the results as Misao was.
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"Sayonara, Kaoru-chan! Himura! Come see me again soon!" Misao waved at them until she could no longer see the boat bring them back to Tokyo. It was nice to see them again.
She turned and walked back to the Aoiya. There were things she had to think long and hard about.
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A/N: Like I said before, I am very very sorry for the long wait. I wrote a page and a half and then it just sat there for a couple of months and then around when finals were starting I wrote a couple of more pages and then I finally finished it today. I hope you're satisfied.
PLEASE REVIEW!!