Disclaimer: I own nothing. Someone else owns the characters, and it looks like the plot owns me.

Dedications: This is dedicated to Silver Miko and Shin Sankai. Without them, I wouldn't be half the AM fangirl I am now. This story is my

humble thanks.

Note: :denotes thoughts:

denotes writing

--…--…--…-- — change in scene and maybe character POV

Of Weasels and Chocolates : Chapter 3

Misao walked out of the school gates dejectedly, mind less on the streets ahead and more on the two presents still in her bag. One of the recipients had clearly stated he didn't want chocolate, and the other… Lost in her own thoughts, she automatically took a left into a side street, setting her feet on the long way home. This was the route that took her through quiet lanes and a few sedate housing estates. She often walked this way when she had things to think about, the peaceful surroundings and added walking giving her the time and focus to clear her head. It was a good choice in times like this when she was troubled.

It was not such a good choice when you'd been warned a psycho intended to go medieval on your ass.

She was walking down a deserted back lane when she heard a cold voice call out to her.

"Makimachi."

Her head snapped up so fast she was surprised she didn't give herself whiplash. He stood far down the lane in front of her, white hair dishevelled and eyes blazing. Enishi Yukishiro was not a happy camper.

"Makimachi, do you always travel with bodyguards? Not that they're going to do you any good…"

:Bodyguards:

The soft sounds of footsteps behind her sent her whirling, and her eyes widened when she saw Aoshi, Hannya, and Shikijo walking down the lane to her.

"Aoshi-sama!"

He hadn't made a sound, but the weeks of training finally paid off, and she sensed Enishi darting for her. Milliseconds before he caught her she'd dashed for the trio, almost falling into Aoshi's arms. They tightened about her briefly in a light embrace, before he gently pushed her to stand behind him, flanked by Hannya and Shikijo. When he spoke, his voice was hard and cold.

"She hasn't done anything to you Yukishiro. If anything, you should be on your knees apologising to her for hurting her."

"If the stupid girl hadn't been there, Kamiya and I would have been long gone before Himura showed up!"

"Gone to do what Yukishiro? What the hell do you have against Kamiya anyway!"

"It isn't her you idiots…It's Himura. Your precious little Kenshin isn't as perfect as you think he is! Because of him my sister died! I've seen the way he looks at Kamiya. He shouldn't have any happiness in his life! Not when he took away all of mine!"

Aoshi opened his mouth to answer, knowing Kenshin still carried a huge burden of guilt on his shoulders. He hadn't known Enishi was the brother of the girl who'd died protecting Kenshin, but it explained a lot. Before he could say anything though, a soft voice from behind stopped him.

"Enishi."

His fiery gaze bore into hers, almost making her flinch with the force of his hatred. "Don't call me that! Only she has the right to call me that! Not any of you bastards!"

Misao stepped forward to stand beside Aoshi, clutching her bag like it was a lifeline. She could feel the twinges of pain at her temples that signalled the coming of another headache, but resolutely she ignored it. This was more important. She knew he was unstable, but she owed it to Tomoe to speak.

She owed it to Enishi.

"I knew your sister. I knew Tomoe."

His head moved back like he'd been struck. Whatever he'd expected her to say, it hadn't been that.

" A pen-pal program was started in my elementary school. 'Troublemaking' students were matched with junior high schoolers from schools in other towns, under a sort of guidance scheme. The idea was that the distance and the anonymity would make it easier for us to confide our troubles. As you might have guessed, I was a troublemaker."

Her three club seniors smirked at that, remembering the fights she'd pick with anyone and everyone. And the fact she was the only one who had ever driven Hiko to duct-tape a person's mouth shut. Namely, her mouth. A troublemaker? No, really?

"I was matched with your sister. We exchanged letters from the time I was 10, up until the week she was killed."

He could see recognition dawn in his eyes. Tomoe and her had written at least two letters a week for over four years. It wasn't something her younger brother wouldn't notice.

"So you're that Misao."

"Mm-hmm… Last names weren't allowed, so I didn't know you were that Enishi. If I'd known, I'd have spoken to you sooner. She spoke of you often."

His gaze, which had been softening, hardened once more, and his angry ki radiated out in waves. "Who told you? That fucker Himura must have been the one. What did he say? That he wasn't at fault! When I get my hands on him I'll—"

"He asked me to forgive you."

That halted the flood of angry words.

"He visited me in the infirmary. He said you were distraught, and put the blame solely on himself. He—"

"He fucking should be guilty! The bastard—"

"Tomoe told me otherwise."

She moved to stand right before the stunned young man, but Aoshi's hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked up into the set face of her senior, reading the concern in his green eyes as clear as day. Placing her hand over his, she smiled.

"It's alright Aoshi-sama. Tomoe told me her brother would never harm a girl."

His hand slipped from her shoulder, but she could sense his ready stance. She didn't have to turn to see that the other two were also prepared to move quickly if necessary. Their concern warmed her, and gave her strength. Standing before Enishi, she spoke once more.

"She told me everything that was happening in her life Enishi, things that she couldn't tell her beloved younger brother. She didn't want you involved in the slightest with the gang. I probably know more than you do about what actually happened." She reached into her bag and took out a large envelope, which had his name written across the front.

"Here are copies of our letters for that last six months. I think…I think you'll understand much more after you read them."

Hesitantly he took the envelope, still stunned by the sudden turn of events. Of all people, he hadn't expected the loud, hyperactive girl before him to have been the confidante his sister had relied upon so much. Her earnestness convinced him she was speaking the truth. She swayed slightly, and his gaze sharpened. Why was she suddenly so pale?

"Enishi, you can't be so angry at Himura. Please read the letters… Whenever she spoke of you, it was with love. She said you were at your best with a smile… ow..."

They all looked sharp at that. Her voice had weakened considerably at the last words, and that sudden gasp of pain was jarring. She had a hand up, weakly massaging her temples.

"Oi, Makimachi." "Misao."

She waved them off, valiantly reaching into her bag to bring out a small box, this one simply wrapped in light blue paper.

"Tomoe said you loved unsweetened milk chocolate, and that this was your favourite colour. Shit, that hurts…"

At the last word she stumbled, and Enishi caught her, holding her limp body up.

"Oh God, my head…" Suddenly Aoshi was there, swinging her up into his arms and barking out orders. "My place is closest, I'll take her there. Hannya, go and get Genzai-sensei. Shikijo, get Hiko to the apartment, and swing by the Aoiya on your way there. Yukishiro, grab her bag and come with me."

With that the group split, Hannya and Shikijo running off, while Aoshi and Enishi set off at a brisk pace, he being careful not to jar the limp girl in his arms. Darting a quick glance at the ashen-faced girl, Enishi asked, "Shinomori, what happened? Shouldn't we take her to the hospital?"

"I'll let Genzai-sensei decide. All I know is that she'd get worse if she woke up in a hospital, unprepared. She's hated them ever since her parents died. She's been getting these headaches since the day you slammed her into a wall, and the tests they ran then and a week later turned up negative. I think she's been running herself ragged, and she still hasn't gotten over not being able to stop you from grabbing Kaoru."

Enishi fell silent at that, and Misao stirred weakly, burrowing closer to the warmth of Aoshi's body. He adjusted her so that her head was comfortably nestled into the crook of his shoulder, and kept talking. "Don't pull the guilt line on me now Yukishiro. Misao would be upset, and then you'd have a whole lot of people on your back."

"I can see that. You'd be leading the pack, wouldn't you Shinomori?"

"Don't push it…I'm this close."

--…--…--…--

Aoshi stopped in front of an elegant apartment building, nodding at the startled doorman before making his way over to the elevator.

"Shall I call a doctor Shinomori-san?"

"Genzai-sensei is on his way already. Thank you."

They stepped into the lift, Aoshi telling Enishi to hit the button for the fifth floor. Throughout the journey Misao had been quiet, hovering on the edges of unconsciousness, but she began to rouse. Wincing slightly, she glanced around. "Aoshi-sama? The hospital? No, I…" "Shh… Not the hospital. We're at my apartment. How's the pain? Any better?"

She started to nod, but thought better of it and answered verbally instead, before closing her eyes. The elevator stopped, and they stepped out into a long corridor lit with soft mellow light. Enishi looked about at the tastefully decorated surroundings with interest, never having been in the building before. Somehow he'd had the impression Shinomori lived with Misao.

"Nice place Shinomori. How many in the apartment?"

"I live alone. The keys are in the front compartment of my bag."

All that was written on the nameplate of the door was Shinomori. Enishi deftly unlocked the door and stepped in, holding it wide open for Aoshi to come through. The apartment was as elegant as the rest of the building, decorated in strong, cool tones. Before he could look around further, Aoshi headed straight for his room, nudging the door open with his foot.

He laid Misao down on the huge double bed, moving to its foot to take off her shoes. She must have been jarred by the change in position, as she opened her eyes wearily. Aoshi sat on the bed beside her, checking her forehead for fever. There wasn't any, but he didn't move to take his hand from her face, cupping her cheek and stroking her soft skin with his thumb.

"Yukishiro, could you bring her some cold water? The kitchen is just down the hall."

"Got it."

Misao looked up at him silently, wondering what he was thinking. Ever since he'd moved out of the Aoiya 2 years ago, he'd been slightly distant, always there but somehow unapproachable. She'd asked Hannya and Okina about it, not understanding the reasons behind his attitude or the move, but they'd reassured her it wasn't her fault in any way. In fact, they'd almost seemed amused. She still didn't understand why they'd been following her back from school. His hand on her cheek was blessedly cool, and she turned her face into it, liking the sensation. Unwillingly one corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile. She looked like a kitten with huge eyes and a fondness for petting.

"Aoshi-sama, could you call Jiya? He must be worried because I'm not back yet."

He nodded reassuringly, telling her Shikijo would have already reached there, but he'd call anyway. As he reached for the bedside phone and dialled the number from memory, he asked her how she was feeling.

"The pain's gone down a lot, but I'm really tired…I don't understand. I've never had a headache as bad as this one."

"You overstrained yourself. Didn't Shishou…Hello, Okina? Yes she's fine. You're on your way?—"

He got up and moved out of the room, preventing her from hearing the rest of the conversation. Enishi took his place, setting the glass of water down on the table and carefully helping Misao sit up. He could see she was still in pain, but she wasn't the ghastly pallor she had been ten minutes ago. While she was drinking he looked around the large bedroom, curious about his aloof senior. His sharp eyes saw the photos scattered about the room, some with people he didn't know in them, but most with Misao present one way or another. He saw the two pictures placed on the table right beside the bed, which Misao hadn't noticed yet. One was of a much younger Misao and Aoshi, sitting together under a cherry tree. She was hugging him tightly, and surprisingly he was returning the embrace, a small smile on his face that Enishi had never seen before.

Tellingly the next photo was also of both of them. It was a recent picture, at what he recognised had been this year's school ball. She was dressed up in a white sheath dress that fell about her nicely, making her look much more grown up, and Aoshi was dignified in a sober black suit. It was definitely a candid shot, as both of them seemed unaware that they had been captured on film. The picture had been taken during the one dance they had shared, Aoshi not being one for dancing in public. She was speaking to him earnestly, looking up at him with an endearingly serious face. He in return was listening intently, the same small smile that only appeared around her on his face.

By this time she had finished drinking, and handed the glass back to him. Leaning back against the pillows, she sighed. She'd never felt this tired in her life.

"Did he really ask you to forgive me?"

"It's the truth… He said she was both a mother and a sister to you, and that losing her must have been devastating."

He shut his eyes at that, still able to see Tomoe take the bullet meant for Kenshin, the blood that had been on his hands as he frantically tried to stop up the wounds. Strangely enough, now he was also able to remember the absolute horror on Kenshin's face, the blind rage Kenshin had been in as he defeated the remaining gang members. He opened his eyes in surprise when Misao flicked his nose lightly.

"She was losing faith in the gang Enishi. She no longer believed that Kenshin was the traitor they had made him out to be, and she hated the fact that she was the one who'd been assigned to lure him into a trap. When push came to shove, she couldn't sit back and let him be killed…I know her well enough to know that her only regret would be that she had to leave you to save him…"

"Why? Why'd she have to leave me?"

Misao bit her lip at that, able to hear the pain and anguish in his voice that his sister had chosen another's life over being with him. He would only have been fifteen when it happened, too young to deal with being left alone. But... it hadn't been a choice.

"She was not the type of person who would have let an innocent man die. If it had been any other person there, who did not deserve to die, she would have done exactly the same thing. She didn't choose Kenshin over you Enishi. She merely did what she thought was right. I don't think anything else was going through her head, certainly not that she would die."

When he turned his head away she caught his face gently, pulling him back to look at her.

"Read the letters Enishi. Tell me what you think then. And also…I know that Kenshin still hasn't forgiven himself for not being able to push her out of harms way. He has to live with that guilt every day."

There was really nothing he could say to that, so he remained silent. First he'd read the letters…then he'd see about Kenshin. Aoshi came back in the room and looked pointedly at Enishi. "Kenshin, Sano and the rest are on their way, so you'd better leave now Yukishiro. I'll have no fights in front of Misao."

Nodding, Enishi rose. At the doorway he stopped for a second, seeming to be weighing something in his mind. Without turning he spoke softly, "Thank you…for the chocolate." Then he left.

At the mention of chocolate, Aoshi frowned fleetingly. He helped her lie back down, noting that her colour was back and it looked like the pain was completely gone. He covered her with a blanket and sat back down, making her look up at him curiously.

"As I was saying, you overstrained yourself. You've been building up stress for the past three weeks, probably about giving Yukishiro the letters. Am I right?" Wincing inwardly, she nodded. She had been worrying about getting them to him and how he'd react. Thankfully that was over. Aoshi wasn't finished yet though. "So much for Kenshin feeling guilty, you're still feeling guilty over Kaoru aren't you?"

"But if I'd…"

The look he gave her silenced her protest quite effectively. "You've been picking up kempo as fast as Shishou can teach you. No one blames you, least of all Kaoru. And speaking of chocolates, you've probably been up for the past two nights making them. Then Yukishiro showed up and only made things worse."

She flushed, not wanting to admit that much of the first night had been spent agonising over his chocolate… then most of the second spent crying over his remarks. But it did explain why today's headache had been much more sudden and vicious than any of the others. She looked at him and almost gasped. There was a very slight tinge of colour over his cheekbones, one that became more pronounced when he noticed her staring. It was gone in a second, but she was sure she'd seen it.

"Misao, everyone got chocolates. Hell, even Yukishiro got some… But…"

Her eyes widened and she quickly looked down at her hands, unable to believe what she was hearing. It sounded like Aoshi Shinomori, the boy nicknamed the 'icicle'for his emotionless behaviour, was asking her why he hadn't gotten any chocolate. When she looked up, his gaze was firmly fixed on hers, awaiting her reply.

"A-Aoshi-sama… I—"

"Misao-chan!"

Aoshi bit back a curse as Kaoru dashed into the room, stopping Misao from answering. Shortly behind her came Kenshin, Megumi. Hannya and Dr. Genzai. He'd been so focused on Misao he hadn't even heard them enter the apartment. He stood up, his usual dispassionate mask on, but he knew he'd been caught out when Hannya openly smirked and Kenshin arched an eyebrow. Only the two of them could sense that his ki was chaotic. The look which had been so effective on Misao only served to make them more amused, and not for the first time he wondered how he'd ended up with them as friends.

Megumi hustled all the boys out as Dr Genzai bent to begin his check-up. They had just seated themselves in the hall when the door opened and the rest came in. The only ones missing were Shikijo and Okina, who Beshimi said were on their way.

"Where's that bastard Yukishiro?"

"Cool it Sano, and sit down. He's left already, and he did help me get her here."

Hiko ignored him, usual scowl on his face while he did a quick scan of the room. Aoshi caught him at it and smirked. Hiko would never admit it, but everyone in the room knew he'd been worried about the 'damn brat' for the past three weeks.

"She's in the bedroom Shishou. Dr Genzai, Megumi and Kaoru are with her."

"Hmph. She alright?"

Surprisingly this question had come from Saitou. When they all stared, he simply shrugged. "Tokio will want to know."

:Yeah…And the Nile is a river in Egypt:

Aoshi filled them in on what had happened, from Enishi confronting her to Misao collapsing in front of him. Hiko was about to speak when the door opened and Shikijo and Okina walked in. Okina was almost frantic with worry, remembering how frail Misao's mother had been before her. It took a further 10 minutes to calm him down, and soon they were all discussing what was to be done with Enishi. What Beshimi proposed turned out to be the best plan in the end. He'd have to go for more intensive counselling, and attend the dojo regularly. They hoped the professional help and enforced contact with Kenshin would have some effect. There was also the added benefit of being able to keep a close eye on him.

Just as they finished, the bedroom door opened and Dr Genzai came out. It went a long way to reassuring them that they heard Misao giggling from behind the half-open door. He agreed with what Aoshi said, but wanted her to go to a specialist just to be sure. He'd set up an appointment for the following day. They grilled him for a short while more, and he answered them calmly. Once he'd reassured them, he left to go back to his clinic.

They filed into the bedroom where they found a tired, but happy Misao. Her exuberant greetings showed she was quite fine, but her fatigue was plain to see. The boys were soon ribbing her about collapsing into Enishi's arms, while Aoshi ignored all the pointed looks everyone gave him upon seeing Misao's pictures by his bed. They stayed inside for a few minutes before Hiko ordered them out, noticing she was beginning to wear.

"Hang on Shishou. I was hoping you'd check her 'chi' flow. She doesn't seem to have been sleeping properly, and that could slow her recovery…"

Misao was quite startled at the words coming out of Aoshi's mouth, as she didn't remember mentioning to anyone about how long it took her to fall asleep each night. Hiko scowled down at her, making her laugh.

"Damn brat. Didn't I ask you at least a hundred times if you were fine? How're you going to enter the tournament now?"

"Sano came in with a broken arm and you made him train. What was I suppose to say, 'I have a headache?' "

He grunted in response and sat down, instructing her to lie flat and breathe evenly. His hands were gentle as they skated over her body, feeling the flow of her natural energy. He only frowned slightly a few times, pressing down at some points that made her gasp quietly. Finally he stood up, finished.

"Nothing much was wrong that wouldn't have evened out as your stress decreased. But you should already be feeling better."

She nodded happily, the heaviness at the base of her skull gone. When he turned to leave she called him back, motioning for him to bend down so she could whisper in his ear. "Eat lunch at the Aoiya tomorrow, okay?" His mouth quirked at that. If he guessed correctly, Misao was trying to do a little more matchmaking. He'd already heard all about Kenshin and Sanosuke.

:I wonder if it's Okon…:

With that thought in mind he nodded and left, warning her that if he heard about any more problems she'd be in more trouble than she'd been in this whole month. The only ones left in the room now were Aoshi and Okina, and they watched as the mild sedative Dr Genzai had given her took effect. Shortly she was asleep. Okina watched silently as Aoshi carefully covered the sleeping girl, gently brushing her bangs out of her face. When the younger man turned, Okina raised his eyebrows pointedly.

"You haven't been to the Aoiya in almost a month Aoshi—Okon is starting to think her cooking is bad."

Aoshi couldn't say anything to that, knowing he hadn't been able to fool anyone. They all knew he'd been feeling guilty, which wasn't surprising as they'd known him from childhood. He'd lived at the Aoiya since he was five, after the untimely death of his parents, who'd been close friends of the Makimachi's. They'd entrusted his care to them, and the Makimachi's had fulfilled their responsibilities admirably… He'd moved out to this apartment when he was sixteen, using the money his parents had left him. There was enough to let him live comfortably for a good while, as Okina had made sure their company was run well, and refused to touch so much as a penny of the money.

"I'll come after I take Misao to the graveyard tomorrow…We'll have lunch before we go to the doctor." Okina smirked and clapped him on the back, loudly proclaiming, "I knew you were a smart one Aoshi, always knew…."

--…--…--…--

In the hall, Okina sat down beside Hyottoko, having gotten well acquainted with all of those present through both Aoshi and Misao.

"You do know that the brat will insist on going to the graveyard tomorrow."

Okina nodded ruefully at Saitou's flat statement. They all knew no power on earth could stop Misao from going to visit her parents.

"I'll be going with her, so I'll miss school and club tomorrow."

Saitou and Hiko didn't protest, only nodded. It didn't come as a surprise to any of them. It was common knowledge that the only one who could melt the icicle was Misao. Now all Misao had to do was realise it. Casually Sanosuke turned to Hannya, so casually that Aoshi knew something was up.

"Say, did anyone count the pictures Iceman here has in this place? Quite a lot, ne?"

"Why yes Sano, I did notice that. Who knew he had a softer, more emotional side?"

Since Hannya, Beshimi, and Shikijo could frequently be found bumming at Aoshi's place, and knew all about the pictures, Aoshi felt that comment was quite unnecessary. Before he could do anything more than give him a hard stare, Kaoru joined in on the teasing. "Ah, yes sempai… Very true. But did anyone count how many pictures had Misao featured prominently in them?" "And did anyone notice the two simply adorable pictures he had by the bed? I thought she looked lovely there!" Aoshi turned the glower on Megumi, who was enjoying herself too much to be fazed.

Soon they were all getting in on it, with even Saitou dropping the remark that 'weasels and icicles were an odd couple'. Before they could embarrass him further, Okina took pity on him and stood up to leave, declaring that the rest of the Aoiya crew would want to know how Misao was. This was taken as a signal for the rest, and by mutual agreement, they all rose, making Aoshi promise to call if anything happened.

"I'll send Omasu over with a change of clothes for Misao. I'd rather she not be moved tonight. Is it alright with you Aoshi?"

"It's fine. I'll make sure she rests."

Hannya broke in at this point. "Tell Omasu to pack a bag and I'll come over in about an hour. There's no need for her to be walking alone." Shikijo, Beshimi, and Hyottoko grinned. It seemed that Hannya was taking Misao's slip of the tongue to heart.

--…--…--…--