Standard Disclaimers apply:
Forgive and Forget:
Chapter 5:
The Next Morning:
Aoshi woke up at dawn, from hearing the sound of the birds chirping.
He noticed that he had fallen asleep against the wall, along with Misao, who was currently sleeping on Aoshi's lap. He glanced down at Misao, who was still sleeping peacefully. He slowly moved her so she would be sleeping on the futon, allowing him to be able get up.
Aoshi placed the blankets over Misao and moved away from her. He sat down, looking out the window. The sun was still rising. Aoshi closed his eyes and began to meditate once again, since he had nothing better to do until Misao wakes up. He didn't want to disturb her, knowing that she might start kicking and yelling.
Two hours later:
Misao opened her eyes to see the sunlight beam into the dim room. She turned her head and spotted a figure facing the window. Misao slowly got up and changed her clothes, quickly throwing on another one of her yukata before Aoshi notices.
Misao walked towards Aoshi and sad down behind him. She leaned her head forward, and rested it on his back. Aoshi opened his eyes and turned his head a little, enough to see Misao sitting in back of him, at the corners of his eyes.
"Misao" Aoshi softly called, not wanting to break the silence.
Misao sat up at pulled herself away from him. "Ohayo, Aoshi-sama" She greeted.
Aoshi nodded. "Aa," was the only response that he could come up with.
"Ano, gomen nasai" Misao apologized, for being so close to him without permission.
"Iie," Aoshi responded pulling Misao closer to him.
Misao blushed, even thought she had tried to keep it to a limit, since Aoshi's actions had caught Misao off guard.
Misao took a few seconds to relax and leaned back on Aoshi's chest, as he slowly drifted back to his meditation. Misao closed her eyes and sensed a great deal of warmth coming from him. A small smile was displayed on her lips, as she slowly noticed that Aoshi finally wanted her, just like she wanted him. 'My long hopes and dreams have finally arrived and the time wasted for waiting for Aoshi is over.' Misao thought, feeling quite comfortable in his embrace.
The two stayed in that position until they heard a knock on the door.
"I'll get it." Misao called, pulling away from Aoshi. 'Must someone disturb me when I'm actually enjoying the peace?' Misao pouted as she slid open the door.
"Ohayo," Kumiko greeted politely. "Is there something wrong?" She asked looking worried at Misao's expression.
Aoshi got up from his meditation position. "Misao's always like that in the morning." He replied with a smirk.
Misao glared back at Aoshi. "Ohayo Kumiko." She finally managed to greet back.
"Did I disturb you two or something." Kumiko asked again, hoping that she didn't bother her customers.
"Iie..." Misao responded. "We were already awake."
Kumiko looked up with a bit of relief. "Did you sleep comfortably?" She asked yet again.
"We slept fine." Misao answered with a slight blush. She had fallen asleep on Aoshi without realizing.
"May I come in?" Kumiko asked Misao.
"Hai!" Misao exclaimed, stepping out of the way to let her come in.
Kumiko placed a tray with tea on the table. "I'll bring your breakfast up in a few minutes; that is unless you prefer to go to our dining room?" She asked, walking out of the door.
"In here's fine." Misao answered glancing at Aoshi, thinking about how to get revenge on him.
"Wakkateru," Kumiko spoke. "I'll bring it up here then." She smiled cheerfully.
Misao closed the shoji doors and turned to Aoshi, who was already seated by the table.
"Let me guess... You want me to pour you the tea." Misao spoke sheepishly, taking a seat in front of him.
"Iie, You don't have to," Aoshi spoke. Misao looked up from shock. She had not expected Aoshi to act so coldly in a matter of seconds.
A few minutes later, Kumiko came back with their breakfast. "Enjoy," she said taking her exit. "I'll be back in an hour or so to pick up the trays." She spoke closing the shoji doors.
After breakfast, Aoshi gather all this belongings.
Misao watched as he got dressed. "Is it really interesting to watch me naked?" He asked to Misao, knowing that she was staring his way, even though he wasn't facing her.
Misao blushed bright red at his comment. "Chi-gou!" Misao screamed turning the other way.
Misao laid down on the futon and closed her eyes.
When Aoshi was done, he went to Misao and found that she was already sleep. Aoshi went to his bag and took out his kodachi. He unwrapped it from a blue cloth and unsheathed it. Placing the blade on his futon, he took the sheath and walked over to Misao.
"Wake up, Misao." Aoshi called pulling off her bed covers, "I'll leave you here."
Misao aimed a kick off the futon and instead of hitting Aoshi, he had used his sheath to block it.
"It-tai" Misao screamed, jolting awake.
Aoshi walked back to his corner of the room, where he had placed all his things. He placed his sheath back to where it belonged and packed all this things.
Misao sat on the futon and started packing her things.
Just before lunchtime, Aoshi went to the reception desk and paid the bill. He also bought some lunch to go.
"Arigatou for staying." Akane thanked with a slight bow, handing Aoshi the packaged lunch.
'Where did Aoshi-sama get all that money from?' Misao thought taking her bags and walking out of the inn.
"Ne... Aoshi-sama where are we going?" Misao asked for the millionth time on their trip.
"I told you last night." Aoshi replied. "I want to show you something."
"I know that already." Misao pouted, wanting a straight answer from him yet not getting one.
"You'll see." Aoshi paced ahead of Misao.
"Mou... not this again." She mumbled, jogging to catch up to Aoshi.
After walking for about two hours, Aoshi ended up in a forest. "We'll rest here for a few minutes," he spoke, taking out the lunch that was already prepared.
Misao sunk down to her knees, as her legs were worn out from all the jogging.
"Misao, you'll be in bad shape when you get older." Aoshi teased, giving her half the package of lunch.
"I will be perfectly fine." Misao spoke back at him with one of her death glares.
"You can't even keep up with me...like you had a few weeks ago." Aoshi teased again, taking a bite.
"Humph" Misao mumbled, having no comments.
At about four in the afternoon, Aoshi reached his destination.
"Where exactly are we?" Misao asked, realizing that they were heading away from town.
"Aizu." Aoshi gave another one word response.
Misao looked to the back of her. "The town is that way." She commented cluelessly pointing to her right.
"I know," Aoshi commented, and continued to walk along the path until he came to a mansion.
"Sugoi!" Misao exclaimed, having never to have seen one like that.
"Who does this belong to?" She asked holding on the bars of the gate.
Aoshi hesitated before answering, "Takada Kanryuu." he slowly replied, as some of his memories had just came back to him in a flash.
Misao stopped in that moment she heard that name. "T-That man... He killed our friends." Misao stumbled.
Misao watched Aoshi give a slight nod.
"Why are we here?" Misao asked.
"You've always wanted to know, didn't you?" Aoshi spoke with some sadness inside.
"I know, ...but... I didn't think it would be in a place like this." Misao stated.
"Well... this is it." Aoshi said pointing inside the gates.
"Does anyone live here now?" Misao slowly questioned, who was still amazed at the size of the house.
"According to Saitou, no one has lived here ever since Kanryuu's been taken captive." Aoshi replied.
"So you've met him again?" Misao asked, knowing the only way to get that kind of information was to confronting Saitou.
Aoshi nodded. "The times I kept going into town was to meet him, and for other things as well." Aoshi confessed, taking a breath.
"Can we go in?" She asked, knowing now that no one has lived there in a long time. The grass on the front lawn was all yellow and most was dead.
"If you want to." Aoshi said, looking down at Misao.
"I do, but how do we get in?" Misao asked, yanking on the metal gates. "It's locked."
"We're shinobi" Aoshi reminded her, grabbing onto Misao's waist and jumped over the gates.
'Aoshi-sama... sugoi,' Misao thought, thinking back to when she was a little kid. 'His skills still haven't become rusty.' Misao thought cheerfully, continuing her little mental ramble and staring at him, even though they have already landed on the other side of the walls.
Misao thought, thinking back to when she was a little kid. Misao thought cheerfully, continuing her little mental ramble and staring at him, even though they have already landed on the other side of the walls."What's wrong?" Aoshi asked softly, watching Misao's expressions.
Misao ended her trail of thoughts. "Iie...nothing" Misao replied, shaking her head.
"Let's go," Aoshi stated, holding onto Misao as they walked towards the entrance to get inside.
To Be Continue...
Author's Notes: This chapter completed. More will be coming up on one of these days, in the near future. --!. Please read and review. Thanks! Ja na!