Author's Notes: Well Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii am a girl of constant sorrooooooooooooow...
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Wipeout
by Silver Miko (my fandom...is READY STEADY GO!)
Misao stared out the Aoiya window, watching as delicate flurries of snow danced down from the sky and watched as her breath came out in puffs of air, fogging the window.
"Misao-chan! Stop spacing out! Table 3 needs more tea!"
Misao stiffened at Omasu's scolding tone and quickly rolled the sleeves her serving kimono back up as she hurried to the kitchen to get the tea. Many people had been coming in and out of the Aoiya all day in the pursuit of hot tea and food to warm them up because of the steady flurrying of snow all day. It was dinner time now, and as the weather got colder the crowd was thinning.
It would have made Misao glad if not for the fact that Okina had so cheerfully announced to all at the crack of dawn that as of closing for the evening they would begin the end of year cleaning for New Year's.
It was the time of year Misao loathed and dreaded. It was one thing to have to clean your room or a normal house...cleaning then ENTIRE Aoiya was another matter alltogether.
Maybe it was one of the many reasons she went on the road to find Aoshi, well Aoshi was her major and primary reason, maybe it was why she kept trying to feign illness every December...
Either way. She could not escape it. Not even Aoshi could escape it.
The cleaning would be done, oh yes it would.
Pouting, Misao kept on waiting tables and tried to think desperately of any excuses, even though they were pretty much useless.
As the night wound down, Misao's dread increased.
And then the last customer filed out, and that evil gleam appeared in Okina's eyes.
"Well everyone, grab the brooms and buckets! Get the mops and wash cloths! It's time to clean!" he said cheerfully, and everyone groaned and went to get the cleaning items while Okina sat at a table and sipped tea.
"Jiya, what are you doing?" Misao asked, as she went to fetch the mop.
"Supervising, my dear, supervising. A daunting task indeed."
Misao's eyebrows furrowed.
"Lazy old lech." she groaned, walking away.
An hour later, everyone was knee deep in cleaning. Omasu and Okon were cleaning the kitchen, Misao was sweeping, and Shiro and Kuro had mopped and were waxing the floors. Aoshi was upstairs arranging files in his office, and Misao couldn't help but envy how Aoshi had wormed his way out of actual cleaning. She'd much rather be cleaning with him than banal, annoying sweeping.
The sweeping was causing dust to stir up in the air, which in turn was making her sneeze terribly, while Okina still sat drinking his damn tea and eating cake.
'Damn you, Jiya, not even helping. I should sweep you and see how you like it.'
A delightful mental picture of attacking Okina with a broom played out in her head, as the creaking of the stairs resounded loudly.
"Aoshi-sama?" Misao called out.
He appeared in the doorway, his pants and shirt showing no sign of any dust or dirt, whereas Misao could tell dust and dirty water clung to her kimono.
Aoshi's head had turned to her as she called out to him, and as he went to walk into the room he heard Shiro's warning a bit too late and Misao and the others watched in horror as Aoshi's foot slid out from under him and he skidded slightly forward and fell...fell back hard onto his bottom and lay sprawled on his back on the floor.
Everyone blinked.
"Aoshi-sama!"
Misao ran to his side as everyone followed and gathered around him. They weren't sure whether to laugh or to be horrified, for it was not everyday that Aoshi fell flat on his butt.
Aoshi was dazed momentarily as to what occured, but the smell of oil and wax had him making the mental connections neccessary to guess what happened.
The floor was waxed, he slipped, fell...
Fell. He. Shinomori Aoshi. Fell.
He couldn't help the reddening in his face, and couldn't remember the last time he felt truly embarrassed.
"Give the boy some room now!" Okina chirped, having everyone move aside as Aoshi tried to stand up, only to feel a pain in his lower back.
"Jiya, I think he needs a doctor." Misao said worried, springing back to Aoshi's side and helping to support him.
"That is not needed, Misao." Aoshi muttered, then winced when she put a hand on his back.
"Sorry Aoshi, but it looks like she's right. Kuro, help Aoshi upstairs. Shiro, get a doctor."
"Come on Aoshi-sama, I'll take care of you." Misao said, following after Kuro and Aoshi.
"Hold it, my pretty! You're not using this as an excuse to get out of cleaning."
Misao groaned.
"But...but..."
"Misao, do as Okina asks." Aoshi murmured.
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A doctor visit, much drama, and more cleaning later, it was confirmed that Aoshi had sustained, aside from a bruised ego, a bruised tailbone and was ordered to remain in bed for the next few days and to take it easy. Which for the tall, stoic man was a tall order indeed. Aside from Shiro feeling a bit guilty for not warning him on time, Omasu and Okon debating on what type of things would help him, Kuro just looking confused, Okina looking like he was trying not to laugh, and Misao's worried doting upon him, Aoshi wasn't sure if he'd ever been so embarassed.
After everyone finally left his room, he thought he would get some peace and quiet for the next few days, for surely nothing short of physical restraint would stop Okina's annual cleaning regime.
But he was wrong. So wrong.
Like a moth to a flame, she was constantly fluttering about and doting on him whether he liked it or not. Be it for tea, or water, or food, or more pillows...even if he didn't ask for it he didn't dare refuse her at this point.
It was futile, he was stuck with a Misao on a mission- unfortunately he was her mission.
Not too different from any other day, except this time he felt like an invalid and couldn't escape the constant attention. Only to sleep was he left alone or when Okina tried giving Misao a cleaning chore.
It wasn't that she was annoying...he just didn't like to appear...weak. Vulnerable.
Not to anyone, not to her. His former ward, his student...
It bothered him more than it probably should, but then Aoshi was too worn out from the whole experience to dwell on it.
"Aoshi-sama, I'm coming in."
He looked over to the door, scooting his blanket further up his chest, as he was only wearing loose pants, he watched Misao enter with a rag and some polish.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Jiya asked me to polish for you since you're indisposed."
"Aa...it could wait until I'm on my feet."
"Pssh...try telling Jiya."
Aoshi sighed, closing his eyes.
It would be a futile plight, he and she knew it.
He watched her as she polished and ran her fingers over his dresser.
"You don't keep many things, do you?"
"What?" he asked.
"Things. Like keepsakes. Things that hold memory that you just can't get rid of."
"No. I...do not have many things like such."
"I see...I have too much stuff I guess. Jiya is always complaining I have too much stuff, but everything has some sort of memory. I guess I just can't throw anything away."
She looked over the dresser top and noticed an ornate gold compass sitting there. Picking it up, she admired the delicate needle pointing to the directions, recognizing the Western letters for the directions elaborately displayed.
"What about this compass?" she asked, showing it to him.
Aoshi blinked, and looked up to the cieling.
"It was something Makimachi-sama, your grandfather, gave me when I was boy. It was when he was training to me, he said for me to keep it so that even if lost my way, I'd be able to find direction and get back on track."
Misao smiled.
"That was good advice, sounds like something he would say from what everyone says of him."
"He was a great leader and a great man. It is unfortunate you never knew him."
"Hmmm, but I had you to take care of me."
She put the compass back down and sat next to him.
"Are you done?" he asked.
"No...I just...Aoshi-sama...when you left...years ago...was it kind of like that? You weren't really attached to anything here, like why you don't have many keepsakes? That there was nothing here to hold onto?"
"That was a different circumstance, Misao. I had an obligation to fulfill at that time, and the nation was changing. We...needed to find places for ourselves as soldiers of the Bakumatsu. So we left. It wasn't because we were not attached to this place, but then a ninja has few attachments in life."
"I see. When I traveled all over...looking for you, I saw really amazing things all over Japan. A lot of places and people. It was a learning experience really, a lot of things I kept as a memento. I have a bamboo kasa hat I got in Osaka, a watercolor I got in Sendai, a wood carving from Yokohama...lots of stuff."
"Misao..." he began, knowing the next words would be difficult, "I'm sorry."
"For what?" she asked, blinking at him.
"For making you walk miles for me. I truly was not worthy of such loyalty."
She made a half laugh and snort, flipping her braid over her shoulder.
"Don't be silly, Aoshi-sama! Surely you must know how much you meant to and still mean to me. If you ever left again like that, I'd probably end up going after you, but then I also ask you kindly not do that again. Or at least...say goodbye next time." she said, looking down at the floorboards.
Aoshi could tell from the sudden solemness of her tone, that his leaving her as a child without a goodbye still upset her.
"It would have been too difficult."
Her head snapped up and she looked at him.
"What?"
"Saying goodbye to you, looking at your large eyes and telling you I would be leaving you for an unknown amount of time..I could not. It would have been...too much. I looked in on you as you slept, so small and innocent, and thought it best to leave without goodbye. I trusted Jiya with you, and I was correct in that decision. Life...with me and the others on the road was not the life for you."
"Did you...know what you were getting into with Kanryuu?" she asked.
Aoshi swallowed, feeling as if his throat had thickened.
"Somewhat. Before I truly realized it, we were in too deep and wrapped up in Kanryuu's evil. Another reason I'm glad I left you here, if you were to grow up there...I could never forgive myself. It was corruption, Misao."
"I thought about that. Let's stop talking about this, it's in the past. All of it."
"Misao...why didn't you turn your back on me. When I betrayed you."
"We almost did...but Himura convinced us he would bring you back."
"No...you, Misao. When I betrayed you."
She pursed her lips, her eyes lowering in thought and then a small smile formed on her lips.
"Himura told me, before he left about your fight and how you paused at mention of my name. You had told him you threw away all you cared for. When I thought it all out, I figured the reason you fought Jiya and threatened the Aoiya was to sever ties with us...and when you told me to never show my face to you...to sever ties with me. Himura said it was because I was something precious to you that you needed to cut yourself off from in order to go through with your plans. But even before that talk, before he brought you back I believed you would come back. I had to."
"Himura...talks too much."
"Yes, he's very annoying at getting into your head and putting all your troubles out there. He also runs really fast which is really irritating when you need answers from him. It's the only time he'll shut up."
"Then...that is why you did not cast me out?"
Misao smiled down at him.
"Well, perhaps it's because I just can't throw anything away that hold memory for me. Like a keepsake. If I can't throw away a kasa, a watercolor, or a carved fish...how could I throw you away?"
Aoshi closed his eyes, a small trace of a smile on his lips.
"Thank you."
Misao's smile grew.
"You're welcome."
"Ahemmmmm..."
The two looked up and noticed Okina in the doorway.
"J..Jiya!"
"As touching as that was Misao-chan...CLEAN! Clean, child, cleaaaaaaaaan!"
"But...but..."
"No buts! Rag. Polish. Furniture. Go! Wipe!"
Misao hung her head and groaned.
"That's a girl. I think my tea is ready..."
As Okina left, Misao glared daggers at his back.
"I'll give you a wipe! Wipe that stupid grin off your face, old man."
"Misao?"
She glanced at Aoshi.
"Yes?"
"Clean."
"But.."
"Clean."
She pouted.
"Fine."
And with that, another year of cleaning at the Aoiya resumed.
The End
Ugh. Lame. I blame Malice Mizer and they're odd music. Yep. All thems fault.