Jasmine: YAY!! Chappie three!! WHOO!!
Misao: ::Sigh:: Here we go again…I hope it's romantic!!
Jasmine: ::Wolf grin:: You won't have to worry about that!!
Aoshi: …Is this one going to be worse than the last two you did?
Jasmine: Eh…might be…heh heh…
Aoshi: ::Glare::
Jasmine: ::Sigh:: Must I do the disclaimer? ::Looks at a glaring Aoshi:: Fine! But that doesn't mean I can't embellish a bit…Let this pain of not owning Rurouni Kenshin tear the flesh from my body until I am left a mere carcass and the rats are—
Aoshi: ENOUGH!! Now, say your other disclaimer like a good girl…
Jasmine: ::Tears:: I…don't own…Saito… ::Falls to the ground sobbing hysterically:: NO!! WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO?!?
Saito: ::Sweat drops::
Aoshi: ::Rolls eyes:: That isn't the disclaimer I was talking about…
Jasmine: Oh! Right…I don't own "She Loves You" by the Beatles, or any of their other songs…heh heh…
Misao: Here we go again!
To Gaby (hyatt: Tee hee!! Thanks! Sometimes an authoress just needs someone to encourage her! ::Grin:: I really needed that, thank you!
To Samuraiduck27: YAY!! Another reviewer!! YOU ROCK SO HARD!! Okay…lemme see…I was thinking of doing a Kenshin-Kaoru one next, but I really want to do Saito's. I promise you that I'll do a Kenshin-Kaoru one right afterwards! I'll even use the song "In My Life." WHOO!! Let me say this in the most un-awkward way I can…I LOVE YOU!! THANKS FOR REVIEWING!!
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She Loves You
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
"Come on, Aoshi-sama, hurry! It's right over here!" Makimachi Misao yelled over her shoulder to the former Okashira. Aoshi kept his strolling gait and ignored her.
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
Misao smiled and stopped running, patiently waiting for her Aoshi-sama to catch up.
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…::
Shinomori Aoshi sighed. Earlier that morning, Misao had told him that she wanted to show him something. Now, hours later, they still hadn't reached their destination.
::You think you've lost your love? Well, I saw her yesterday::
Aoshi looked ahead and saw the young ninja bouncing up and down in excitement. What is so great that it would take this long to reach? Does she really want to show me this bad?
::It's you she thinking of, and she told me what to say::
When the former Okashira finally reached where she was waiting, Misao tugged on the arm of his duster and happily pulled him along. "We're almost there, Aoshi-sama! Wait until you see!" The young ninja grinned up at him.
::She says she loves you, and you know that can't be bad::
Aoshi sighed under his breath. How does Misao keep all this energy? Does she bottle it?
::Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad::
"Just up this hill! Come on!"
::She said you hurt her so…she almost lost her mind::
Misao's breath came in short gasps as she struggled to run up the hill while simultaneously dragging Aoshi along with her. I just know he'll like this, She thought with certainty.
::But now she says she knows…you're not the hurting kind::
When the two finally reached the top, Aoshi nearly gasped out loud.
::She says she loves you, and you know that can't be bad::
"Do you like it? I knew you would!" Misao beamed at the former Okashira and resumed her merry bouncing.
::Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad. Oooooo!::
It was a lake.
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
But it wasn't just a lake.
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
The sun was setting in the distance, causing everything to shimmer with soft light. Are those…fireflies? Aoshi asked himself, blinking in awe at the beauty around him.
::And with a love like that, you know you should be glad::
Misao ran over to the edge of the water and started dancing. The light played over her body and made her seem like a glowing fairy, blessing the lake to be a sparkling wonder.
::She knows it's up to you::
Aoshi watched on, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. I've…never seen Misao look…so beautiful…
::I think it's only fair::
Then again, I've never really looked at Misao before…
::Pride can hurt you too::
The young ninja felt like she was floating on Cloud 9. She was in her place, the place she had found on her own, and her Aoshi-sama was with her.
::Apologize to her::
Misao put on a sudden burst of speed and clapped her hands over a small blade of grass. She triumphantly ran back over to Aoshi.
::Because she loves you, and you know that can't be bad::
"Aoshi-sama, look what I caught!!" The young ninja opened up her hands, and, there on her palm, was a firefly.
::Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad. Oooooo! ::
Aoshi looked down at the radiant little bug, and then looked back up at Misao's equally radiant face.
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
Misao grinned. "Isn't he cute?" She blew out, causing the firefly to fly away again, but…
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
"Aoshi-sama!!" The young ninja clutched her sides and fell giggling to the ground.
::And with a love like that, you know you should be glad::
The firefly had landed right on the end of Aoshi's nose.
::With a love like that, you know you should be glad::
The former Okashira stared down at it, surprised. This caused his eyes to cross, and that caused Misao to laugh even harder.
::With a love like that, you know you should……::
Finally, the firefly decided that it'd had enough, and took flight. Misao, through her tears of laughter, watched as it flew through the blades of grass, a small beacon of light that showed the way for lost travelers.
::Be glad!!::
"Misao, I don't see what is so funny." Aoshi crossed his arms, smiling slightly despite himself.
::Yeah, yeah, yeah::
"Oh nothing, Aoshi-sama!" Misao grinned and pushed herself off of the ground. She resumed dancing along the sandy bank, oblivious the former Okashira watching intently behind her.
::Yeah, yeah, yeah::
Aoshi closed his eyes and let the smells and sounds of the lake wash over him. He heard a frog croak a few feet away, and a sparrow chirped in the background. The former Okashira inhaled deeply, and the scent of wildflowers invaded his senses.
::Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!::
That's when he heard the scream.
"AOSHI-SAMA!!"
And the splash that cut through the air.
The former Okashira opened his eyes in alarm, only to see something that made him totally lose his composure.
No Misao.
"Misao?! Misao, where are you?!" Aoshi ran over to the edge of the water, and saw the bubbles that had formed on the surface.
And Misao was nowhere to be found.
The former Okashira stared down at the serene, blue depths of the lake. Oh, kuso…
Another splash tore through the air.
Aoshi swam for all he was worth, ignoring the weight of his overcoat as it threatened to drag him down. Thankfully, the water was clear, and the former Okashira could see the bottom of the lake. He looked down and distinguished a splash of darker blue, floating helplessly with the currents. Aoshi held his breath and dove under.
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All Misao could see was darkness. The last thing she remembered was screaming for help, and now…there was nothing…absolutely…nothing. Am…I dying? Is this what it feels like? Kami…I never got my first kiss…Aoshi-sama…
Misao!
What was that? Was that a…voice? But…I'm under water…how can I hear anything?
Misao!
There it is again…stupid brain…stop making me hear…AOSHI?!? The former Okashira's face loomed out of the darkness.
Don't you give up on me, Misao! I'm going to rescue you, don't give up!
Aoshi had finally reached the young ninja, and he grabbed a sleeve of her outfit and proceeded to drag her prone form to the top of the water. He was running out of air himself, and only with a last effort did he manage to break the surface.
Misao gasped and coughed in his arms. She was holding on to him for all she was worth, and she had buried her face into his chest.
Aoshi struggled to tread water, it being harder due to the fact that he had to hold Misao up.
"Oh Kami, oh Kami, oh Kami…" The young ninja sputtered. "Oh Kami…"
"It's all right, Misao, it's okay…shhhh." Aoshi, in a desperate attempt to calm the floundering ninja, held her closer to him.
"Aoshi…oh Kami…I…can't believe…I almost…" Misao sobbed, cutting off her choppy sentence.
"It's okay, it's okay, you're fine now, Misao. I'll never let anything like that happen again, I swear." The former Okashira rubbed soothing circles down Misao's back.
Well, I bet you can guess what happened next.
Misao, finally noticing their close proximity, blushed pure, undiluted crimson.
Aoshi was actually starting to get comfortable, and sighed when the young ninja hastily pulled away.
Which was a bad thing, as Misao couldn't swim.
"Eeeeeeeeeeep!!"
Aoshi threw an arm around the ninja's waist and held her up.
Misao blushed again, but didn't move.
"Misao, let's get back to the shore. Hold onto me, and I can swim us there."
"O-okay…"
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Aoshi flopped down on the sandy shore with a sigh. I am completely beat…ugh…
The young ninja fell down next to him, but remained in a sitting position. "Thank you for saving me, Aoshi-sama. I don't…I have no idea how to repay you…"
"There's no need, Misao."
The young ninja wasn't so sure. When he held me…I felt…so warm. He was holding me so tenderly. Does this mean? Can I…Okay, Misao, you're about to take a huge risk. Don't regret what you are about to do, and don't think. Just do it.
The former Okashira closed his eyes. I'm soaking wet, but for some reason, I…want to stay here. The sun is going down, though, so maybe I should tell Misao---
The feel of Misao's lips on his own cut off his thoughts.
Oh Kami, I can't believe I'm doing this!
I…can't believe she's doing this…
But, I like it!
But…I like it…
Misao, not feeling Aoshi push her away, deepened the kiss.
His lips are so warm! I never knew…that a kiss could feel like this!
Her lips are so warm…is this what…a kiss feels like?
I wonder…should I…
I wonder…can I…
Aoshi opened his lips, and Misao, surprised, let her tongue shoot in.
He's not…rejecting me!
She isn't…rejecting me…
Aoshi!
Misao…
They remained this way for another minute, until the young ninja pulled away, gasping. She swallowed hard and blushed crimson.
Aoshi looked up at her. "Misao…that was…I've never…"
"Aoshi-sama…that was…my first kiss…"
The two stared at each other.
Misao gazed into Aoshi's deep pools of icy blue. It's like…you could get lost in them…forever… The worst part was…she wanted to.
Aoshi gazed into Misao's bright, shining light blue eyes. They are…like windows to the sky…the exact same color…
The young ninja was the first to look away. "Aoshi-sama…the sun has gone down…we should head back to the Aoiya…"
But the former Okashira was still staring intently at her. "Misao…we don't have to leave yet…I just…want to stay here…and…" Aoshi pushed himself up and wrapped his arms around Misao's shoulders. "I want to stay here…with you…just for a little while longer…"
Misao's heart skipped a beat. "O-okay…" She leaned forward into the hug and enveloped her arms around the former Okashira's torso. "I…like this, Aoshi. I want to be with you, here…just like this…" The young ninja grinned and closed her eyes.
Aoshi smiled and leaned his chin on the top of her head. This is so nice…I never knew how good…Misao…could smell.He sighed and shut his own eyes.
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A few inches away, on a blade of grass, two fireflies sat and watched the pair as they fell asleep in each other's arms.
Aww…you can tell that that girl loves him…
Yeah, but that guy…so easy to read!
They'll make a good couple.
I agree.
And, with that, the fireflies took to the air and disappeared. They were nothing but two glowing specks in the distance when Shinomori Aoshi opened one eye to see what the small noise had been. He shrugged, not seeing anything, and fell back into the world of sleep.
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…::
::You think you've lost your love? Well, I saw her yesterday::
::It's you she thinking of, and she told me what to say::
::She says she loves you, and you know that can't be bad::
::Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad::
::She said you hurt her so…she almost lost her mind::
::But now she says she knows…you're not the hurting kind::
::She says she loves you, and you know that can't be bad::
::Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad. Oooooo!::
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
::And with a love like that, you know you should be glad::
::She knows it's up to you::
::I think it's only fair::
::Pride can hurt you too::
::Apologize to her::
::Because she loves you, and you know that can't be bad::
::Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad. Oooooo!::
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
::She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah::
::And with a love like that, you know you should be glad::
::With a love like that, you know you should be glad::
::With a love like that, you know you should……::
::Be glad!!::
::Yeah, yeah, yeah::
::Yeah, yeah, yeah::
::Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!::
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Jasmine: Whew…that is one long song!
Aoshi: ::Twitch:: Oh…Kami…
Misao: YAY!! My first kiss! ::Glomps Aoshi::
Aoshi: ::Coughs and blushes::
Jasmine: Okay…I'm gonna leave these two alone for now…oh Saito!
Saito: …What?!
Jasmine: You're next! ::Wolf grins::
Saito: NO WAY!! You people didn't review her enough! Aku. Soku. Zan! ::Takes out katana::
Jasmine: ::Sob:: Well…at least I got three reviews…
Saito: ::Sighs:: Don't cry, Jasmine-kun, it'll be okay…
Jasmine: YAY!! ::Glomps::
Saito: Ugh…just review her, people, please?
Jasmine: Anyways…so…this one's gonna do Saito's next with the song "Yesterday". And, as a request, I'm gonna do a Kenshin-Kaoru one with the song "In My Life". What do I do next? Maybe I'll take a break from fluff and do a little bit of humor…like, give each character a theme…
Saito: ::Glares:: No way!
Jasmine: YAY!! Themes it is! Hmm…a good one for Aoshi is "Nowhere Man" …
Saito: ::Sighs:: Why does my life always have to be so horrible?
Jasmine: 'Till next time, loyal reviewers, this is Jasmine Reinier, signing off!
-People only have hope because they cannot see Death standing behind them-
R&R!!