I awoke to some yelling coming from outside. I looked over noticing Misao was not in the room. I soon got up opening the shutters letting in the late morning sunlight and moved away as a kunai flew in and embedded into the wall. I looked outside noticing Misao and Sano stopped fighting to stare at me. I watched as Misao ran over placing her small hands over mine as they were placed on the window seal. Her eyes were wide in fear and she spoke alarmingly at me.
"Aoshi-sama are you alright? I didn't hurt you did I?" I shook my head squeezing her hands lightly and moved over grabbing the kunai and bringing it over to her. She took it and blushed in embarrassment but I turned Misao around to face a laughing Sagara and spoke quietly into her ear. She nodded her head walking back over to him and they began sparring once again.
In a matter of minutes Sano was soon pinned to the ground by Misao's kunai's. I watched as she sat on his stomach talking smugly at him and then she got up jumping around at being able to out do him for once. Misao turned to face me, a bright smile covering her lips and she waved at me full of happiness. I bowed my head slightly and waved back letting her celebrate the rest of her defeat alone. I changed into my day clothes and raced back to the window in alarm as I heard Misao scream. I noticed Sano has overpowered her as she lay on the dirty ground, her butt in the muddy water. I chuckled quietly but no one would have heard as Sano's laugh bellowed through the entire yard and household. I watched as he bent down picking Misao up and they soon laughed together and shared a hug. I fisted my hand slightly seeing this but moved away calming down knowing it was only friendship. They were like brother and sister, nothing more.
xxxxxxx
"Good Morning Aoshi." I nodded in kind at Himura and sat down on the porch with a cup of tea in my hands.
"Misao finally got one up on Sano."
"Aa, that she did." I spoke sipping my tea not saying anything more.
"They were embracing as well." He spoke again as though trying to determine if there was any feeling within me about Misao.
"That they were." I spoke back emotionless as ever. I glanced over looking at the once Hitokiri Battousai and waited for him to speak again as I knew he would.
"And you are not concerned about that?" I placed my cup down turning my head towards him and soon spoke.
"What would you have me do? Go racing out there like some physco-maniac claiming she is mine and only mine and threatening the lives of people who dare touch her like that."
"Yes." I smirked over at him as he laughed lightly and I spoke up once more.
"So that is what you do with Ka-" I stopped speaking and found a small blush covering Himura's cheeks as we watched the door open and Kaoru came out and sat down on the porch with us.
"What?" She had spoken looking over at Himura who was still looking embarrassed even though she never heard what was being said. She soon turned her gaze towards mine and smiled.
"It is nice to see you Aoshi-san. You and Misao-chan are most welcome to stay here as long as you like."
"Thank you." We both looked over at Kenshin and I watched as Kaoru smacked him over the head and spoke once more.
"Kenshin what the hell is wrong with you? Snap out of it!" He shook his head blinking his eyes back into focus and I stood up, placing my hands in my pockets and spoke walking down the steps.
"Shall we walk Himura?" He got up nodding his head and descended the steps as well. We began walking around the corner and into the backyard.
"Misao and I must leave tomorrow, but we are coming back and I'd like to bring her back here, just so she can stay with all of you longer." I watched Himura nod his head and he soon spoke with that smile on his face once more.
"Kaoru said that we should all go eat in town at the Akebeko and then move down to the park to watch the fireworks." I nod my head in agreement and soon dawn on something new.
"So its Kaoru now?" I spoke intrigued and arched my eyebrow. I watched the widening of his violet eyes and his lips moved as though trying to come up with some excuse.
"You and Misao, have many similarities." We sat down on a bench and I spoke again looking out into the yard.
"You love the Kamiya girl and yet you think she doesn't know, but she does. The way you act around her is different from the others. You stutter, blush and become meek and shy although that is not you. It is apart of you that will never change unless you finally agree with your inner most wishes."
"And what of you Aoshi? Surely you have known for sometime about Misao's feelings." Kenshin spoke back trying not to think about what I had said about him and Kaoru-san.
"Of course. I have known of her feelings ever since she was a small girl. Himura you must realise that Kaoru-san is no girl anymore, she is a very independent young woman who waits for you. Just what ever you do, don't start talking about your past to me, not wanting to stain her with your life because that is too late." I heard him gasp in surprise at hearing me say this to him and I spoke once more looking directly at him.
"She knows about you Kenshin, she knows about the other you as well, just like Misao knows about me. Do you see them running away, fearing we may attack them in anyway? No you don't because they have more courage then we both ever knew about. These two women are stubborn and tough and won't let anything get in their way of happiness, not even ourselves. They have seen our bad side and yet they remain determined to free us from that. They see more good in us then anyone else. That is why I have brought Misao with me. No matter how far I fall into my darkness, I have light to pull me out of it. And that's just like you as well. That is why you are here. If you felt nothing for Kaoru-san you would have moved on, forgotten all about this place but you can't because she is always around, always in your thoughts."
"You are right Aoshi. We are too alike in so many ways. Although I am stunned, you have spoken more then I would have imagined and so deeply as well."
"Aa, that I have. I am on this journey to discover myself after all. No more do I want to be the cold Shinomori Aoshi Misao and the others have known me as." I watch as Himura nods his head and we soon turn around noticing the back shoji door open and sweet laughing is heard. Misao and Kaoru have walked out chatting away and giggling about something. We soon stand up moving over towards them and they immediately become silent looking curiously at us.
"We are going out to dinner tonight." I glanced over at Himura as he had a small smile on his face watching Kaoru and Misao jump around in excitement. I watch amusedly as Misao is wide eyed and being dragged away by Kaoru who was now talking about kimono's. I shook my head and soon reached my hand out subconsciously as a kunai was thrown at me. I looked up noticing Misao wave and she pointed to her hair for some reason. I looked down noticing she had tied some hair to the blade of the kunai with string. I looked closely at it and smirked once more. It was mine. She had skinned me slightly from this morning, I thought I acted a little slow. We walked inside going to our respected rooms, although Himura walked off to tell Yahiko and Sagara about what was happening tonight.
xxxxxxx
I groaned awake hating the patting that someone was placing on my cheek. I was blissfully sleeping and blinked a few times focusing on… Was that Misao? I sat up on my elbows looking at her. She held a slight blush but smiled down at me. I tilted my head looking at her. She wore one of Kaoru's kimonos. It was dark blue with silver lining and small sakura and leaves etched all over it. It made her eyes glow brightly and they were more beautiful then ever. The sleeves where long hiding her small hands as they were placed on her knees. The neckline was v-shaped showing off her creamy collarbones. It fit her perfectly making sure that anyone looking close enough could tell that she was a very nicely curved young woman. Her dark hair fell loosely around her as it pooled onto the wooden floor, but some parts where clasped together behind her with a silver pin.
"Aoshi-sama stop staring and just say I look nice." Misao spoke jokingly at me. I smiled looking over at her and spoke in a small voice just above a whisper so she could hear.
"You look nice Misao…" Her face flushed in embarrassment and I watched her hands come out of hiding as she placed them against her cheeks. Now she was acting like a woman who was slightly surprised someone thought she looked nice. It was as though she had never heard that before, well not from myself anyway.
"A-Arigatoo…Aoshi…" I closed my eyes as she had finally called me Aoshi, just plain Aoshi, just me, no leader, no superior ninja, just an ordinary man.
"Aoshi-sama are you alright?" I slouched my shoulders slightly as the 'sama' was back. I cleared my throat, getting up from the futon and making my way to my pack. I grabbed it and silently indicated where I was heading.
Xx TBC xX
