Author's Notes: Maybe'll we see this through if we get it together...and maybe I'll get to you...if we get it together'...

Midtown

'If I could fall into your arms tonight...' Over It

Enough of that. As you noticed, updates are coming sporadically and...well..interesting.

Hm.

Anywho...

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Chapter 2: Lock, Stock, and Barrels

The truce between Misao and Aoshi lasted for approximately forty-eight hours. For the next two days she managed to drag herself out of bed at five am. Two days was enough early rising for Misao. Aoshi should of been suspicious when she asked to go to the hardware store in town. He had left her to her business as he stopped into the bookstore for an almanac and she had returned shortly with a bag, mumbling it was just stuff she needed.

And so the next morning as it was eight-thirty and Misao was still not up and about, he marched up to her room prepared to storm in....but he couldn't get the door open.

"Misao!" he called out, knocking on the door.

"Go away, Aoshi-san! I'm not getting up! And since I padlocked the door, I doubt you're going to drag me out of bed this time!" she called out smugly as she flopped back down and pulled the covers over her head.

A loud crash startled her as she went tumbling off the bed, trapped in her sheets and comforter, as Aoshi walked towards her quickly and picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. Blankets and all.

"Did you kick my door down?!" she yelled into his ear as she slapped at him to put her down.

"Aa. You are to rise at five am. Not eight-thirty. Understood?"

"You're such a jerk! To hell with peaceful relations! That's it pal, I'm going to make your life miserable! You'll wish you never messed with Makimachi Misao!!"

He didn't reply, but merely took hold of her blankets and flung her into the pond. He was still holding her blankets as she came sputtering to the surface flailing around like an angry wet cat.

"JIYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Aoshi, I realize it's frustrating for you to keep an eye on her...but you cannot just pick up my grand-daughter and toss her in a pond." Okina said softly, talking to Aoshi in the stables while Misao showered and changed.

"Okina, I mean no disrespect but I tried to make peace with the girl but she is quite insubordinate."

Okina laughed.

"She's a teenager, Aoshi! Of course she's not going to listen to us. Aside from that, this is not her place, her way of life. She's not accustomed to this farm living. You must be patient with her."

"I will try."

"It's quite something, that my pretty Misao is trying your patience."

"What are you implying?" Aoshi asked suspiciously.

"Oh, well she is a pretty young lady and you Aoshi are a single young man. I don't think it's too shabby of a match! It would do my old heart good to see her with someone I respect."

"I am not going to marry your grand-daughter."

"Marry? Did I say anything about marriage? Try to get to know her. She's not had it easy lately and it would do her good to have something stable in her life."

"She's only here for the summer. I do not plan on getting attached."

Okina sighed and watched as Misao approached from across the yard and then he looked back at Aoshi.

"Perhaps it's just an old man's foolish notion. Don't listen to me, Aoshi. Now, I want you to teach her how to use the tractor properly."

Aoshi nodded and looked over at Misao who glared at him. Walking up to him she kicked him hard in the shin.

He hissed in pain, raising narrowed eyes at her.

"THAT was for throwing me into the pond and kicking my door down."

"Now Misao, there was no need for..."

Okina silenced when Misao shot him a deadly glare.

"Well, I'll leave you two be." he said, quickly scampering away from the potential war-zone.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXX

Misao's teeth rattled from the shaking of the large tractor as she steered it around the field. She had managed to get a hang of how to operate it with Aoshi's attempt at patient training. He sat next to her on the tractor, observing her movements.

She was keeping herself in check, he could tell, and for what he had done it was surprising the amount of control she was using. They were really like oil and water, repellant to each other. She thought it quite comical to chew on a straw of wheat and wear a John Deere hat as she worked.

As they finished, she parked the tractor in it's spot and Aoshi hopped down and looked around. She had done okay.

"Well, I think I did a pretty good job for being a city kid, eh? Did I surprise you?" she asked, moving around the top of the tractor.

"I suppose. Be careful not to fall." he said absent-mindedly as he thought of what had to be done next.

"Oh I bet you would just love that!" she huffed, flinging her braid over her shoulder but lost her footing in the process and...fell off the tractor.

Aoshi heard her squeal and dove just in time to catch her as they fell to the ground, with Misao atop of Aoshi.

She groaned and fluttered her eyes as she raised herself up on her elbows and looked down startled at him.

"A..Aoshi-san? Are you okay?"

He made no movement and Misao started to feel panicked. Sitting up on him, she studied him and furrowed her brow.

"Aoshi-san?" she asked, slapping him lightly.

When he didn't respond she full-on panicked.

"Aoshi-san! Please wake-up! Oh no!! Come on! I'll be nicer and more cooperative and I'll get up at five just please be okay!!"

"Done." he murmured, opening one eye as Misao blinked down at him.

"You...were just kidding?" she asked softly.

"Aa. My shin hurts quite badly though."

"You..you...BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKA!!!" she yelled grabbing him by the collar and shaking him and fuming.

"Misao..it was my poor attempt at a joke.."

"Joke?!! Do you have any idea how worried I was over such an ass like you?!!! I seriously thought I may have killed you!!!!"

"Misao, you aren't that heavy. It didn't really hurt."

"I would take that as a compliment if I wasn't so pissed."

Aoshi sighed and place his hands over hers.

"Misao, I am truly sorry to make you worry."

She took a deep breath.

"I suppose I accept your apology."

"Uhhhhh...did we walk in on a bad time?"

Aoshi and Misao blinked and paled upon hearing Shiro's voice and looked over to see Shiro and Omasu looked at them wide-eyed.

It was then they realized the compromising position they were in. Her cheeks flushing she quickly hopped off of Aoshi and stood up moving far away from him.

"It's so not what you think! I fell off the tractor and he caught me and I was mad and...oh...nevermind!"

She huffed and stalked back towards the house.

Omasu snickered slightly.

"Ne, Aoshi-san, be careful. She might melt you."

He shot Omasu a deadpan look and walked away.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"I'm telling you Kaoru-chan, this totally sucks. I mean I love Jiya and my cousins, but this farming thing...I dunno. It was great when I was a kid. And anyways I miss you, my crazy boken baka!!!" Misao said into her phone.

"Boken baka? At least I have boobs."

"Hm, so does your boyfriend."

"Kenshin is NOT a girl!!!"

"Sureeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Whatever gets you through the night."

"Misao-chan, you're such a jerk."

"Yes well..."

"So, any cute farmboys?"

Misao blinked, frowning as Aoshi appeared in her mind.

"Uh...well...."

"There is! Oooh! Spill!"

"Well there is this guy who works for Jiya. He's really tall and tan with black hair and these...amazing blue eyes....."

"Mmm.."

"But he's a real jerk!"

"Uh huh..."

"He threw me into a pond."

"He what?"

"Threw me..into a pond."

"Wow. Did you kill him?"

"Sadly, homicide is still illegal."

"Oh."

"He's just...arg!"

"Oh, those are the best ones. Lots of tension!"

"Kaoru-chan, I did not come out here to get screwed by a farmhand. Or have sex at all. Jeez, I think I need to become a born again virgin. Soujiro was utterly not worth it."

"Yessum, born again to be deflowered by Farmboy."

"His name is Aoshi."

"Correction, deflowered by Aoshi."

"Who says 'deflowered' these days?! Kaoru-chan, you're a moron."

"You love me!"

"Yea, I love you like an STD."

"Well with Soujiro you never know."

"Che, he wishes he was THAT lucky."

"Well Misao my dear, I must be off."

"Ah, gotta meet your girly man?"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

And with that Misao clicked off her phone, laughing.

She loved messing with Kaoru.

"Ah little Misao, all grown up."

Misao sweatdropped as Okon walked into her room and sat down on the bed.

"Okon-chan, what's up?"

"Oh nothing much..." the brunette murmured.

Misao put her hands on her hips.

"Okon, cut the crap."

"Ah! Well I was just curious...do you like Aoshi-san?"

"I think the better question is do I like him enough to not kill him?"

Okon laughed.

"Yes, he's quite a hardass. But he's had a tough life, so don't let him get you too down. And anyways, I think he's talked more to you since you've been here than he's really ever talked to most people."

"Does he?"

"Yes. Look, I know all that business that happened with you was rough, but you need to just move on. That little twerp who messed around on you, he's a boy."

"Okon, I'm so sick of the male species."

"Oh lord, don't say that. You just need to find a good one."

"But Aoshi-san's so...surly. And brooding."

"Yes well, brooding, surly men are supposed to be quite passionate so don't lose hope yet."

Misao scoffed, plopping down onto her carpeted floor.

"I'm not going to sleep with Aoshi-san! Geez, just because I'm not a virgin doesn't mean I'm going to screw every man that walks by."

Okon laughed.

"I know. I'm saying for you to become a slut or anything...just that...you got a bum deal. My wittle baby cousin deserves to have the best."

Misao wasn't sure wether to be disgusted or flattered.

"You know, you and Omasu get more perverted year by year."

"Oh come on Misao. Look me in the eye and SWEAR you've never had naughty, hentai thoughts about Aoshi-san."

Misao sighed.

"I've never had...naughty, hentai thoughts about Aoshi-san."

Okon smirked.

"You still suck at lying."

Misao rubbed her eyes.

"Okon, go away! I'm too tired for this."

"Just give it thought. I think beneath the surly demeanor and his he-bitching he does like you. And don't let the age thing be an excuse because that's the stuff in the stables."

"Hay?"

"Well, there is hay. I was thinking more along of the lines of horse shi.."

"Go away Okon!" Misao yelled, pushing the older woman out of her room.

Misao shut her door, which was now a brand new white one, and flopped back onto her bed.

So life thus far...

Getting up at an hour too early for sane people..

Getting thrown into a pond...

Driving a tractor..

Having your deranged, hentai cousin promote you to have sex...

And things were supposed to be more simple in the country?

"Yeah right." she murmured.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Oh yes, I know you all wanted Duct Tape and Wait & See and stuff updated. They will be. Fear not.