A/N

Whoa! I really didn't expect this to be liked this much! I thought that – well, never mind what I thought. Thanks for all the reviews! They did help me decide on continuing this! Oh, by the way, I have a question and I really don't know the answer for it, and I was wondering whether someone can answer it for me. See, Aoshi became the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu when he was 15, right? Then how old was he when he took off to Tokyo, working for Takada Kanryu? Was he 20? Or 24?

It.soniablade: Heh … thanks! I honestly didn't expect this to be any good … (by the way … are you updating your fic anytime soon?)

PRoyalAngel2004: Gosh … the best fic you've ever read? I dunno… is it? I know that Aoshi's character may be different from the one we're all used to now (i.e.; his character when he's 26) but … well, he can't have been exactly the same when he was 15, right? (Or that's what I was thinking). Oh yeah, he's definitely hot and sexy! He rules! And there should be more of him in the anime … Don't say that you can't write. Nothing is impossible you know? How can you not be creative when you draw? (heh heh … sorry if this sounds like a lecture!) Thanks for the review!

Kennii nii chan: Thank-you! I'm glad that you thought this was good! (and I wish that I did have a huge flair for writing so that I can become an author one day …) Thanks for the review and I hope you like this too!

Komae: I know! Those two are my favourite characters and my favourite pairing too! Well … I was planning on making this a one-shot thing … but I really can't get this whole idea out of my head … so I thought I might as well continue it. Make it different from the anime? Well, yeah … I am planning on making the two run into each other a lot, and get closer, so I guess that it will be a bit different from the anime, in that the anime doesn't have much on Aoshi and Misao at that point in time. Thanks a lot for the review!

Kobayashi: Ooops … heh, believe it or not, 'Kobayashi Ryoken' was a character that I created for a separate, original story along with one of my friends. I really was planning on ending it there, as a one-shot, but for some reason, I couldn't get the idea out of my head … and I thought that I might as well continue it. Thanks a lot for the review!

Windforce: Thanks! The sequel's here! Hope you like this too!

Starlight-Dagger: Thank-you! I hope this update was soon enough! And hope you like this chapter too!

No one: Well … yeah, he does leave … but he has at-least five years left, with her (or maybe it's less or more than that?) Well, I purposely made Shikijou not know who she was, since, from what I gathered, Aoshi defeated Shikijou in battle when he was 13, and that was when the man joined the Oniwabanshuu. Based on that, I was thinking that Shikijou, although he had been there for two years, would not know much about the Oniwabanshuu. Plus, I was thinking of Shikijou staying in a different place (i.e.; a different city or town), training as a member of the Oniwabanshuu, and then coming to Kyoto when Misao's grandfather was killed. I don't know whether I should have done that now, though … Heh, yeah, Kurogawa needs to be dealt with doesn't he? (and hopefully Aoshi will do it!) Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this one too!

Well, here's the second chapter! Hope you all enjoy this too!


Chapter Two: Humane

Aoshi's senses were on their 'alert-mode' as he made his usual night-round around the premises of the Aoiya, ensuring that there were no trespassers on the property. Given their problems at that moment in the time, intruders and trespassers were all that they needed to make things more complicated.

"Aoshi-sama." Aoshi stopped walking for a second, before he looked up, staring at the large tree that he had been walking under. Sure enough, he spotted the familiar, rather short and skinny figure, seated comfortably on one of the tree's thick branches, hidden by dense foliage.

"Beshimi," he said, acknowledging the ninja's presence. "Nothing suspicious?" Beshimi shook his head.

"No," he said. "But I guess it wouldn't do to let our guard down …" Aoshi shook his head.

"No, it wouldn't," he said. "Keep watching."

"Aoshi-sama, there's really no need for you to continue walking around, wasting your energy," said Beshimi. "Why don't you go and get some sleep?"

" … I can't do that Beshimi," said Aoshi, shaking his head, and sending his pony-tail of long black hair flying around his head. "It's my duty …"

"Yeah, but it's also your duty to be awake during our morning meetings," said Beshimi, not hiding the fact that he and many others had noticed the fifteen-year old boy stifling yawns during committee meetings, as a result of his lack of sleep at night.

"I … I am awake at meetings," said Aoshi, bending his head to hide the flush that spread across his face. I didn't know that these people were that observant. Or rather, I didn't know that I was making my fatigue obvious. Beshimi grinned. He knew that although the boy was young, he was an extremely good leader, caring a lot about the welfare of everyone, not just the members of the Oniwabanshuu, but the innocent neighbours as well. Yet, despite all his good qualities, he was still a fifteen year old boy. He was still growing up, and yet, he was trying to hide his little weaknesses, to be strong for the rest of the Oniwabanshuu. He understood that Shinomori Aoshi wanted to be a good leader – but risking his health for it?

"Go to sleep, Aoshi-sama," he said, snapping out of his thoughts. "We can handle things here …"

"No, I'll just finish my round," said Aoshi, looking up at him again.

"Aoshi-sama, there's no point," said Beshimi. "We're all here. Leave it to us, and just go and get some rest."

"I think – " Aoshi stopped, sighing. Beshimi was right. He looked at the ninja again. " … Don't let your guard down …" he said, a trace of weariness present in his voice for a moment, before he nodded at him and walked away. Beshimi stared after him, shaking his head.

"Are all Okashira's this stubborn, or is it just this one?" he mumbled, before turning around and repositioning himself on the branch.


Aoshi walked quietly up the stairs of the residential area of the Aoiya, not wanting to wake anybody up. The problem with having many experienced ninjas around at the Aoiya was that the slightest sound that was made, was heard, and resulted in almost everyone getting up, thinking that it was an intruder.

It was even worse when the other members of the Oniwabanshuu were still at the Aoiya. Even though he and Okina had decided that they should send the rest of the Oniwabanshuu back, to their respective homes, there were still a few who wanted to wait … to help out with the problems that Kyoto was facing at the time. Makimachi-sama had been wise, when he had sent Okina to Kyoto, in 1954, to set up an Oniwabanshuu base there, feeling that something would happen in the city. Now, fifteen years later, it turned out that Makimachi-sama had been right. The Ishin-Shishi and the Shinsengumi were fighting almost regularly on the streets of Kyoto … and many innocent people were being killed, being caught in between. So far, though, the Shinsengumi had left the Oniwabanshuu alone, and Aoshi fervently hoped that they would continue to do so. It wasn't that he didn't agree with most of the Shinsengumi's principles … he just didn't want to be involved with a group as ruthless as the Shinsengumi.

As he reached the floor where most of the higher ranking members of the Oniwabanshuu had their rooms, he walked down the corridor, heading towards his room, which was at the corner of it. As he passed the third room, however, he was forced to stop when he heard a small whimper coming from behind its closed doors. He glanced to his right, his body slightly tensed, when he realized that it was Misao's room he was standing outside. He frowned as he heard the whimper again, wondering what was wrong. Should he go inside? A third whimper made him make up his mind quickly. Gripping his Kodachi tightly, he walked forward, opening the bamboo-papered door quietly. He had to blink a little to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room.

He spotted the futon on which a little form was moving around restlessly, whimpering. He walked forward, slightly worried, and stopped when he was kneeling down beside the futon. The five year old little girl whimpered again, murmuring something softly to herself. He had to lean right forward to make out what it was that she was mumbling.

" … Hnnn … Kachan …" Aoshi leaned away from Misao, his somewhat saddened facial expression hidden by the darkness in the room. He cursed Kurogawa again, for being the sole reason for the little girl's problems. Ever-since she had found out, a week ago, about her mother, the little girl had been having problems with sleeping. Nothing that anyone said to the girl helped her, and thus, she continued having restless nights. Aoshi frowned as Misao whimpered again; sounding as though she was torn between crying, and between staying strong.

" … Misao …" he whispered, into the dark night, placing his palm on the girl's forehead and finding it cold. Gently brushing his fingers against the girl's face – or rather, against what he thought was the girl's face he found it freezing cold as well. Reaching out he grasped the small, thick blanket that was lying around the girl's waist, and pulled it up, tucking it under her chin. Once he was sure that she was warm, he stood up, feeling his weariness demanding that he go to his room and just lie down and rest for a few hours. Besides … there's nothing much that I can do for Misao now …

With a last look at the little girl's figure, he picked up his Kodachi and walked outside, closing the room door quietly behind him. Finally reaching his room, he managed to slide the door closed behind him and managed to keep his Kodachi next to his futon, in case he needed to use it, before he collapsed on the futon and closed his eyes, allowing the fatigue to take control of him, and send him to sleep.


A few weeks later:

"Ahh … Omasu, how many more bottles of sake do we need?" asked a long-haired lady, poking her head into the kitchen, where people were busy cooking.

" … I think we'll need about 10 more," said Omasu, not looking up from the counter, on which she was marinating some fish.

"10?" asked the long-haired lady, surprised. "Ano … are you sure that we will drink that much?"

"Yes," said Omasu. "Seeing as how no one appears to be leaving that Aoiya and returning to their respective homes."

"Okay … and is their anything else that you need?" asked the long-haired lady. Omasu paused her work, and stared at the fish, thoughtfully.

"Hmm – oh yes, we will need some vegetables…you know the usual…" she said.

"Okay, so that's 10 bottles of sake and some vegetables," said the long-haired lady. "Got it. I'll be back in a while."

"Ochika!" called Omasu, stopping the lady as she started to walk away. "While you're shopping … do you think that you could get something for Misao-chan?" Ochika glanced sharply at her friend, a small frown appearing on her face.

"Omasu … I … I don't think that we are supposed to do things like that …" she said. "It's not that I don't want to, but you know as well as I do that Kurogawa-san is currently in charge of the money that we spend …" Omasu nodded.

"Yes, but it is also Kurogawa-san that has made Misao-chan change into … what she's changed into," she said. "Ochika when has Misao-chan been so quiet?" Ochika didn't say anything for a while, knowing that her friend was correct. She had noticed the difference in the usually cheerful girl's behaviour as well.

"Okay …" she said, sighing. "I'll see you around."

"No, I still think that there in no immediate danger to us, over here," said Aoshi, his voice calm and quiet, despite the fact that they were having a rather heated argument at the meeting.

"That's what you think," said a rather young ninja. "I have family back at home too, but what honour is there in leaving this place? I will disgrace my whole family if I return, without staying here and fighting till the end." Okina sighed inwardly as he listened to the ninja speak. So far, half the 'outsiders' that they had spoken to had refused to return home because of their honour, and of the thought of ruining their name and disgracing their families if they left Kyoto without helping the Kyoto Oniwabanshuu fight against whatever it was that they had to fight against. A quarter of the other half of the 'outsiders' had said that they didn't want to go just because Kurogawa thought so, and the last quarter was the only group that felt that returning to their respective homes was best.

"I agree with him," said another ninja. "I wouldn't want to make my family ashamed of me, at any cost. Honour is what counts here, Aoshi-sama." Aoshi shook his head. Why couldn't they understand?

"The longer everyone stays here at the Aoiya, the more chance there is of us getting attacked," he said, calmly. "The greater number of people that stay here increases the risk of people getting suspicious … we don't really want the Ishin-Shishi – or rather, the government on our trail."

"Listen, Okashira," said Kurogawa, a small smile on his face. "Why don't you just stick to looking after other people's children, whilst we grown-ups make the decisions around here?" Okina took in a sharp breath as he glared at the middle-aged man.

"Why don't you listen up, Kurogawa," he said, in Aoshi's defence. "Why don't you let our Okashira do his job, instead of trying to get involved?"

"I can't do that. The Osaka Oniwabanshuu consists of a rather large number of ninjas, Okina-san …" said Kurogawa. "You should know that we can be extremely helpful at times, with our large numbers … and that at times, we can also be a rather dangerous number to reckon with. Do you get my drift?"

"Are you – "

"Kurogawa-san, I think that you are aiming for a lost cause, by aiming to threaten Aoshi," said Kobayashi Ryoken, looking and sounding amused. "While I agree that the Osaka Oniwabanshuu consists of a large number of out ninjas … you should realize that your force is virtually nothing compared to the rest of the Oniwabanshuu, should you decide to revolt."

"Ryoken, I was talking to Aoshi – not to you," snapped Kurogawa, narrowing his eyes at the young ninja.

"Everyone be quiet," snapped an elderly figure, seated opposite Okina. Being one of the oldest ninjas around gave him an advantage – in that people did listen to what he said. "Aoshi, what is your final word on the matter?"

"I stick to my original thoughts," said Aoshi, ignoring the snort that came from Kurogawa. "It will be best for everyone if we just sent the respective ninjas back to their own homes." Aoshi sat still, waiting patiently for Okina and the other elderly ninja to come to a decision. Being the Okashira didn't give him the right to make decisions and carry out plans whenever he wanted to. He had to have support within the Oniwabanshuu, and then, at last, the two elders – Okina and the other man – had to make a decision about whether what he was doing was right or wrong, before he was actually able to do anything.

"Very well then," said the other elderly man. "I am afraid that we will have to postpone the discussion of this proposal for a later date, as it seems that – "

"Aoshi-sama!" Everyone turned silent as the door to the conference room was opened hurriedly, revealing a panting Beshimi.

"Beshimi, what is it?" asked Aoshi, not liking the aura the male was emitting.

"S – Shin – Shinsengumi!" panted Beshimi, looking wide-eyed. Aoshi stayed calm while everyone else in the room started whispering, gripping their weapons in their hands.

"Please, everyone, remain calm," he said, in his calmest voice. "Beshimi, what do you mean?"

"They – they've stopped by at the restaurant," said Beshimi, slowly. "I don't know whether it's to check up on us and the layout of the place, or whether they just stopped by for a meal."

"Very well," said Aoshi, making up his mind in a split-second. "Beshimi, I want you to return to your work, but before that, tell the other people on your watch-team to stay out of sight, in-case questions are asked." Beshimi nodded at Aoshi, before turning around and running swiftly down the corridor. "Okina, the team working in the restaurant … will they accidentally leak information?" Okina shook his head.

"No, they won't. Omasu, Ochika, Shiro and Kuro know what they have to do," he said. "I've trained them well." Aoshi nodded, relieved.

"Good," he said. "Everyone should stay here – or at least up stairs, out of sight." He frowned. "Okina … you might have to go down though … since you are the 'owner' of the restaurant." Okina nodded, standing up.

"Yes," he said. "Aoshi – where are you going?" Aoshi paused.

"I just need to see how many men are here … and how many are surrounding the restaurant," he said, nodding at Okina and everyone else, before walking out, only to stop and turn around to face them again. "Just … be prepared. We never know what might happen." Everyone nodded, not needing to have him tell them that. They knew what it meant to have the Shinsengumi at the Aoiya. It meant having to be on their guard, and having to be very careful.


He smiled at the waitress as she brought their food over, shaking his head to indicate that they wouldn't need her to serve them anymore. Bowing at them, the waitress walked away – back to the kitchen, presumably.

"Hmm … I've heard of the fame of this restaurant," said one of his companions, shaking the several bangs of hair out of his amber eyes. "Let's see whether it lives up to it …"

"Okita-kun, aren't you eating?" asked the other brown-haired man, seeing him staring at the food with a rather peculiar expression on his face. Okita Soushi shook his head, smiling.

"Iie, Harada-kun," he said. "I don't feel very hungry."

"Tsk, tsk … we are not idiots, Okita-kun," said the amber-eyed man, looking up from his food. "What is the matter?" He watched as the 25 year old lowered his brown eyes, the smile disappearing from his face.

"Hijikata-san has arranged … for me to go to Edo, Saito-san, Harada-kun," he said, quietly, wincing as Harada Sanosuke exclaimed.

"What! Why!" he spluttered, almost choking on his sake.

" … Is it because … of your illness, Okita-kun?" asked Saito Hajime, shrewdly observing the boy's reaction.

"You – knew?" asked Okita, surprised. Saito gave him a feral grin.

"I told you before, Okita-kun, that I am extremely familiar with the smell of blood …" he said. Okita sighed.

"I should have known …" he mumbled. "But Hijikata-san, Kondo-san and I thought that it would be best for no-one to find out about it … in-case the morale went down or anything."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" cried out Harada Sanosuke, frowning. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Harada-kun – "

"Okita-kun has tuberculosis," interrupted Saito. "There is a good hospital in Edo … so I guess that that's why Hijikata-san wants him to go there."

"WHAT!" exclaimed Harada Sanosuke. "Tu – tuberculosis? You … you're joking … right?" Okita shook his head, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Gomen, Harada-kun, I should have told you all … but I felt that it wouldn't be right," he said. "In any case … I fear that this will probably be the last time that we will all see each other. I'm going to Edo … what are you two planning on doing?"

"I don't know … I'll probably wander around …" said Saito, pushing his food aside. "Ah, this place does live up to its name."

"Harada-kun?"

"I have no idea …" said Harada Sanosuke, feeling uneasy. "I don't think I will be able to get rid of our ideals or anything soon … so I might help out any groups that oppose the Meiji government …"

"I had a feeling that you would say that," said Okita, shaking his head. "I wonder what Kondo-san and Hijikata-san's fate will be …"

"I wouldn't worry about them if I were you," said Saito. "Those two can take care of themselves better than we can." Okita nodded.

"Yes … that's true – ara, you're going?" Saito nodded, standing up.

"Yes … I have a 'new' life to begin," he said, lightly.

"Aa …" said Okita, feeling awkward. So this is it … we will never see each other again, the three of us …

"I should get going too," said Harada Sanosuke, standing up as well. He grinned at Okita, who was still seated. "I'll see ya around, Okita-kun?" he fought to keep the unknown emotion from entering his voice, as he realized that there was a strong possibility of their friend not surviving his dreaded disease.

"I certainly hope that we will all see each other again," said Okita, smiling. Saito offered the boy his hand, which he shook heartily. "Good-luck with your new life Saito-san … hopefully things will go well for you." Saito nodded.

"And be careful … make sure that no-one finds out about your past with the Shinsengumi while you're in Edo. You never know what they might do if they find out," he said. Okita nodded.

"I will do my best …" he said.

"Well … I'm just going to wish you luck …" said Harada, not knowing what else to say, as Okita shook his hand too. Okita smiled mischievously at him.

"Same goes for you," he said. "And give my regards to that wife of yours …" He smiled as Harada Sanosuke blushed.

"Will do," he said, taking one last look at the leader of the Shinsengumi's 1st Division, before turning around and following Saito outside. Okita sat where he was, watching his two friends until they walked out of the restaurant, and until he couldn't see them anymore. He sighed and leaned back in his seat.

So the once-famous Shinsengumi … is no more …


Ochika peered through the door that led to the kitchen, in time to see two of the men walking away from the table. Breathing a sigh of relief, she waited until she was sure that they left, before turning to Omasu, Kuro and Shiro.

"Two of them have gone," she informed them, the relief evident in her voice. Shiro nodded.

"I thought so … the one with the rather strong life-force left didn't he?" he asked. Ochika nodded – he was talking about the tall man with amber eyes.

"Thank-god," said Omasu, sighing. "I was beginning to get really worried."

"There's still one guy left, isn't there?" asked Kuro. Ochika nodded.

"Yeah … but he looks harmless," she said.

"Then again, you never know," said Shiro. "Looks are deceiving you know." Ochika nodded.

"That's true," she said, turning back to the door and peering out to see what the other man was up to. "But I – ack!"

"What!"

"What is it!"

"What happened!"

"Omasu – is … is Misao-chan supposed to be in there?" asked Ochika, her voice wavering.

"Misao-chan? No, why?" asked Omasu.

"She – she's talking to him!" spluttered Ochika, causing everyone to run to the door, leaving their respective tasks.


Okita was still seated, staring at the food – or what was left of it – that was on the table, when he got the impression that he was being spied on. Making sure that he kept a neutral expression on his face, he looked casually around the restaurant, trying to figure out who it was that was looking at him. From what he saw, none of the people around him were looking at him. Then who – He was snapped out of his thoughts when something hit the corner of the table, catching his attention.

Looking down, he saw that it was an inflatable balloon, decorated in yellow and green. Surprised, he picked it up, staring at it. One of the few things that he remembered about his childhood was that he had used to play with an inflatable balloon like this one. He smiled wistfully. He guessed that he would never be able to go back to that time again.

" … Ano …" He looked up as he heard the somewhat hesitant voice, and was caught by a pair of deep-blue eyes.

"Hai?" he asked, smiling at the rather cute little girl, who was looking shyly at him.

"Can … can I have my balloon back?" asked the little girl, doing her best to look polite. Okita smiled at her.

"This is yours?" he asked. "Of course …" he handed the balloon to her. She bowed gratefully to him.

"Arigato," she said, smiling.

"Ano … were you playing alone?" asked Okita, not seeing any other children around. The girl nodded eagerly.

"Hai … no-one else has any time to play with me …" she said. "So I was just playing on my own …" Okita smiled. That sounded a bit like what he had used to do when he was a kid.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Misao," said the girl.

"Well Misao-chan … have you asked anyone to play with you, so that you don't need to play alone?" asked Okita.

"Not really …" said Misao. "I … I don't want to trouble anyone that much … so …"

"You're a good girl then, Misao-chan," said Okita, patting her on the head, earning a smile from her. "But … sometimes, it's not … wrong to ask someone to play with you, whether or not it troubles them. It beats being all alone …" Misao looked at him, a slightly confused expression on her face. Okita chuckled. "It's okay … you'll understand what I mean later on …"


Aoshi stopped short as he entered the restaurant, after receiving information from Beshimi about one more Shinsengumi member still being inside the restaurant. What made him stop short was the fact that Misao was standing in the other end of the restaurant – close to the kitchens – talking to someone. That someone seemed to fit the description of the last person inside that Beshimi had given him. He watched as the man handed something to Misao. What was that? Shaking his head, he moved forward hurriedly. He had no time to worry about what he had given Misao – he had to get to them before Misao accidentally blurted something out. And before anything happens to Misao.

"Misao," he said, when he was standing behind the girl. The girl turned around, just at the brown haired man she was talking to, patted her head.

"Aoshi-sama," she said, smiling at him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Aoshi, keeping his voice calm. "You know you are not supposed to walk around the restaurant …"

"She wasn't doing anything," intervened the brown-haired man, smiling at him. "Her little balloon just came to my table, and I was giving it back to her." Aoshi fixed the man with a somewhat frosty glance.

"I see," he said, before bowing his head slightly. "I'm sorry if she interrupted your meal …" The brown-haired man shook his head, smiling.

"Oh, don't worry about that," he said, pushing some money on the table. "I've finished." Aoshi kept his surprise hidden. Had the three Shinsengumi members merely come for a meal then, instead of coming to find something out about the Oniwabanshuu? The man stood up, smiling gently at Misao. "I wouldn't let Misao-chan play on her own from this age …" he said softly, to Aoshi, before nodding and walking away. Aoshi stared after him, wondering whether he had dreamt it, or whether he had really said that. He was snapped out of his thought when he felt someone tugging on his hand.

"What?" he asked, looking down at Misao, who was holding the inflatable balloon in her hands.

" … Aoshi-sama … do you … do you want to play with me?" asked Misao, holding back, although her eyes looked a bit hopeful. Aoshi was going to shake his head and tell her that he was busy … when he remembered what he had heard Misao saying in her sleep, a few weeks ago. The little girl was lonely – yet she never said a word about it, never. He stared down at her, wondering why she was behaving in such a peculiar way. For the past couple of weeks, the real Misao, that was to say the Misao that he had known, had been hiding behind a different, rather strange Misao. And he had the feeling that he knew why.

I guess we all feel lonely at some point in our lives. Maybe that's why I actually DO care about her welfare – I mean, I've never had to care about anyone else in my entire life, but now, here I am, worrying about her and her welfare.

"Yes, Misao, I wouldn't mind," he said, taken back at how … warm he felt inside him, when he saw the sparkle in the girl's eyes, and when he saw the wide smile that formed on her face. It was then that he remembered how many times she had asked him in the past, when Makimachi-sama was still the Okashira, and when Rika-sama was still alive, to play with her … and how many times he had either said he was busy with training, or that he had other work to do. I've been neglecting her … He straightened his shoulders. That was in the past. This time, the little girl needed all the attention that she could get … and he was going to do his best to give it to her.

Taking her hand, he walked outside the restaurant with her, aware of the happy surprise that was clearly evident in the girl's face, and in her life-force. It sure felt good to be able to do something to make another person happy … or did it just feel good to have the little girl smile at him, making him feel humane?


That night, when everyone went to bed, tired after a rather tiring day, what with the false alarm concerning the Shinsengumi captains, and then with the sudden increase in customers, which had resulted in supplies running out, which in turn had resulted in people running to and from the market.

Misao, for what was probably the first time since she found herself at the Aoiya, after the death of her mother and grandfather, fell asleep with a small, childishly happy smile on her face. And why? Not only had Aoshi-sama agreed to play with her … but they had played for a rather long time, and, if that wasn't good enough, he had promised to play with her again!


Lying on a futon, a few rooms away, slept Shinomori Aoshi, his Kodachi lying on the ground close to him, just in-case, and a pillow by his side, over which he had casually draped his arm. What was unusual about him, though, was the slight lift of the corners of his mouth, resulting in something that almost looked like a smile. He had never thought that he would have … fun, playing with a five year old child and an inflatable balloon. Playing with five year old Misao who pouted and glared and who even pulled his pony-tail of hair in an attempt to get him to give the balloon to her – well, that was different. He had even promised to play with her again, and the beam of pleasant surprise that found itself on the child's face made him glad that he had promised her that.


A/N

Phew … that was rather long, wasn't it? I'm sorry about including the Shinsengumi thing in there – but I just had to! I don't know why, but I just felt that … it would be nice if I did that – or was that just my obsession's way of making me type out something about the Shinsengumi before I start a separate story on them? Oh well … I hope that this chapter was good …

Reviews – good or bad are most welcome, together with any suggestions!

See ya soon!

Siriusgirl1