Standard Disclaimers apply:

Forgive and Forget

Chapter: 4

Arrival at the Tokyo Train Station

It was now late afternoon when the whistles blew as the train had slowed down. It had finally reached it's destination. Tokyo.

Misao groaned tiredly as her sleep was disrupted by some unwanted noises.

"Misao... we're here." Aoshi stated coldly, feeling kind of sad not to be able to see kawaii Misao in her sleeping form.

Misao jumped up from leaning on Aoshi. "Really, I guess it was about time." she complained. 'I can't believe I slept on him.' Misao thought, getting up from her seat and following the crowd to exit the train. Aoshi held onto Misao so they wouldn't be separated. "Ano... where exactly are we??" Misao questioned confusedly. Misao hadn't taken the train from Kyoto before so she didn't recognize the area.

"Tokyo..." Aoshi finally gave Misao the answer she had been seeking out of him.

"Really?" Misao looked up at Aoshi. "Was it that hard to give up that one word answer?" Misao muttered softly and pouted.

"Aa.." Aoshi replied with a smirk, hearing every word that came from Misao.

"I didn't need that answer," Misao mumbled. 'But then again, getting a word out of Aoshi is quite troubling.' Misao thought with a grin on her face.

"Nani?" Aoshi questioned, knowing Misao was thinking about something.

"Hehehe...nothing." Misao blushed. "Are we going to visit the Himura's now that we're here?" Misao asked cheerfully.

"Well...that depends." Aoshi began. "Do you want to?" He asked walking away from the train station with Misao beside him.

"Of course I want to, Aoshi-sama. I haven't seen him in quite a while. And I want to see the others as well."

"I have a bit of things to do, but we can visit them later.." Aoshi explained.

Misao stared at Aoshi. 'So that's why Aoshi wanted to come here in the first place... demo, why is he bringing me along?' Misao wondered.

"Misao," Aoshi called to get her attention.

"Nani?" Misao asked. Her eyes was floating all over looking at the scenery.

"There's a couple of things I want to show you." Aoshi replied.

"Phwee..." Misao muttered quickly and dazed back into her thoughts.

"Misao... I'm going to leave you behind, if you don't move it." Aoshi continued walking quickly ahead.

Misao finally snapped herself out of her thoughts and ran to catch up with Aoshi. 'Aoshi-sama really have changed a lot.' She thought happily to herself.

Misao followed behind Aoshi as they walked a pretty long way. They both walked along quietly as they didn't know what to say.

After an hour of walking, the sun was stating to set.

"Ne... Aoshi-sama, are we there yet?" Misao complained as she was dead tired. "Mou... I don't think I can take another step further."

"No, but we can stop in that town for the night." Aoshi spoke softly, pointing to a town straight ahead of them.

"Sure..." Misao tiredly replied, feeling that the town was so close yet so far.

Finally the two reached the small village. They would still have to walk a bit more to find a hotel.

While they were walking down the main streets of that village, there were many people walking on the streets.

Two ladies came out of a restaurant and spotted some travelers. "Would you like to stay here for the night?" the older lady asked Aoshi and Misao. She wore a yellow and red kimono with a pink obi. Her hair was tied up in a pony tail with a pink ribbon. She looked like she was in the twenties. The other lady wore a lavender kimono with a blue obi and had short hair. "Please come in..." She spoke shyly.

Aoshi held onto Misao's shoulders and pushed her towards the restaurant. "We'll stay here." He spoke to the ladies.

"Welcome." They greeted together, and slightly bowing formally. "My name is Akane and this is my younger sister, Kumiko."

"Nice to meet you." Misao greeted back. Aoshi gave a small gesture back to them.

"Now...how about a room for the two of you?" Akane asked.

"Aa..." Aoshi replied.

'Nani?!?!' Misao screamed in her head. '..a room for the two...' She thought over and over. "Ne... Aoshi-sama... are we going to be sleeping in the same room?" Misao questioned, looking up at him.

"Aa..." Aoshi replied waiting for Akane to find them a empty room for two people.

Misao blushed. 'I can't believe I will be sleeping with Aoshi-sama tonight.' Misao thought smiling hugging onto her bag. 'Or maybe, we don't have enough money' She thought with a grin, snapping out of her dreamy mood.

"Misao, is something wrong?" Aoshi asked.

Misao snapped herself from her train of devilish thoughts. She was still standing in front of the counter while Aoshi and the others were walking up the staircase. "Mou...Chotto matte." Misao replied in annoyance.

Misao finally caught up to Aoshi's side. "You were so kawaii earlier, so I didn't want to bother you." Aoshi teased.

Misao's face grew pinkish even though she tried suppressing it.

Akane slid open the shoji. "Well, here we are." she spoke pointing into a room that they will be spending the night in. She opened the lights and places two candles on the table.

The room had two futons set up and a window that directs to the backyard of restaurant. It was quite plain, reminding Misao of Aoshi's new bedroom, that he's been staying at since he came back from Shishio's battle.

"Arigato." Aoshi thanked them while Misao went back her dream world.

"Oh, and by the way, your dinner will be bought up to your room in a couple minutes." She added before shutting the shoji behind her.

"Well.. I'll take that side of the room," Misao claimed pointing to a futon set up away from the window.

"Sure..." Aoshi agreed and took the side of the room where a futon was set up closest to the window.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on their room door.

"Come in." Misao answered getting up from where she sat.

Kumiko slid open the shoji and entered. She placed down two food trays on the table along with some tea. "Sorry for having you wait so long." She apologized.

"Iie, it's ok." Misao responded politely.

After dinner, Kumiko arrived to their room and picked up their trays. "Oyasumi nesai" She said leaving their room and closing the shoji behind her.

Misao got changed into something comfortable to sleep in under her bed covers while Aoshi was busy staring out the window. When she was done, she grew restless and walked over to sit next to Aoshi.

"Aoshi-sama..." Misao called.

Aoshi looked up at her walking towards his way. "Nani?" he asked.

"What is the meaning of this??" Misao questioned, curiously.

"Is there a problem?" Aoshi questioned her with a question of his own.

"Iie, nondemonai." Misao replied shaking her head. "I just want to know why the sudden change, Aoshi-sa-"

Misao was cut off when Aoshi placed his finger on Misao's lips. He leaned forward and kissed her gracefully. "Isn't this what you've been waiting for, Misao?"

Misao nodded. "...but why so sudden?" She asked again.

"I think you have waited long enough for me and I am only wasting time lingering about my past." Aoshi began.

Misao was about to cut in when Aoshi stopped her again. "Please, let me finish." He said, and continued. "I am still confused about my feelings, but I know one thing is for sure. I want you to be happy and I want you for myself."

Misao's eyes gleamed with happiness after hearing some non-icy words coming from her Aoshi.

Misao leaned on Aoshi who was leaning against the wall. She closed her eyes and spoke once more. "Tell me, where are you taking me tomorrow?"

Aoshi looked down at Misao. He brushed the hair that was covering her face and answered, "...to visit my past." Aoshi whispered before Misao fell soundly asleep.

To Be Continued...

Author's notes: Thanks for your support to those who had reviewed. . Sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. Not only was I having a bit of writer's block, I was busy working on my new ideas and started new stories. Thanks for reading, please review. It helps me gain more ideas. Ja na!