The Best of Intentions: Chapter 11
It's funny how something as beautiful as the Yellow Sea that separates Eastern China from Japan can become degraded as nothing more than a hindrance. Yahiko was never known for his patience, and with the uneasy feeling tingling in the back of his mind, the land and sea between Germany and Japan became nothing more than a bother.
"I'm sure that Miss Kaoru will still be in Kyoto if we get there tomorrow morning instead of at the midnight hour," Yutaro commented dryly as he brushed back the chestnut colored hair that flew into his face. It was hard to appreciate the calm sea breeze with Japan's Western shore a few nautical miles away with Yahiko emitting so much anxiety.
Yahiko ran his fingers impatiently through his own hair as he shoved it, impatiently, out of his eyes. He squinted, trying to gage the distance between their current location and the shoreline. "I just really feel the need to see her," he glanced over at Yutaro. "It's nothing personal against you, but Kaoru should be with family now. And I'm her family," Yahiko explained with steel in his dark coal colored eyes.
After a glance at his watch Yutaro sighed. "Perhaps if we take a train and then rent a carriage we can reach the Aoiya a little after nightfall."
Several hours later, a pair of irritated teenagers arrived in Kyoto with a couple of verbal fights under their belts. The Aoiya was oddly dark. The lack of evidence to those in residence sent a cold feeling snaking through Yahiko's belly. As the horse carriage drew closer, he could make out a few signs of life.
"They probably went to bed; it is late," Yutaro pointed out, as calmly as he could. However, from his experiences during the afternoon he wouldn't have been too surprised to have experienced a fist in his face from his ever increasingly impatient companion.
Yutaro sent off the horse and driver. The two teenaged boys carried their bags to the front porch and looked at each other. "I think you should be the one to knock," Yahiko suggested. Yutaro's response was to raise a brow. After uttering a curse under his breath Yahiko pounded his fist forcefully upon the door.
The sound of running footsteps could be heard, along with a slide of some sort, followed by an ungraceful slam against the front door. Misao opened the door and stared past the young men with wide searching eyes. Not seeing whatever it was she was hoping to see, she glanced up at the young men with a frown. "What are you doing here?"
"Nice greeting weasel," Yahiko retorted, pushing his bag against her chest and stepping into the front room. Yutaro followed hesitantly. Yahiko walked straight up the stairs and towards the room Kaoru described to him in her last letter.
Misao stood fuming, face red as a fire engine, glaring at the stairs. Yutaro shifted uncomfortably. Yahiko raced down the stairs after another curse. "Where is she?"
"Well, hello and welcome, do come in and make yourself at home," Misao growled out through clenched teeth.
"Where is Kaoru?" Yahiko demanded, his voice becoming more and more gruff as he tried to contain his temper that was growing with his anxiety.
"Obviously she's not here." Misao answered as she whirled around and slammed shut the door. "I'm the only one here. Everyone else went into town to celebrate some of the festivities."
Yahiko visibly relaxed. "So she's in town for the weekend," he assumed.
"No, she and Lord Aoshi decided to travel across Japan a little over a week ago and have yet to return," Misao barked out as she yanked Yahiko's ear with a sharp tug.
Yahiko flicked her wrist away and rubbed his abused ear. "There is no need for you to be such a girl about it. You remember Yutaro," he introduced.
After offering a somewhat hesitant smile, Yutaro extended his hand and was relieved when Misao shook it and didn't glare at it with a withering stare. "I'll show the two of you to your rooms. It would have been nice for some notice."
Once Misao left the pair in the hallway outside their rooms, the two boys shared a slightly bewildered look. "Well, this is certainly an odd turn of events," Yutaro remarked.
"Undoubtedly," Yahiko agreed. "Not only is Misao the only one here, but Kaoru went off with Shinomori. I never would have thought those two would take off together, but then she does seem to attract men with checkered pasts like flies to honey."
Because Yutaro knew his friend well, he could see that he was nervous about Kaoru's absence. He laid a hand upon the gangly youth's shoulder. "I'm sure Kaoru will be back soon and that she's perfectly fine. Mr. Shinomori seems like a responsible man."
"Yeah, and Kenshin's just a short man who likes to do laundry," Yahiko mumbled.
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While the sun was still low in the Eastern sky, two travel-weary friends approached the steps of the Aoiya. Aoshi glanced down at the woman at his side, whose arm was hooked through the crook of his elbow. Kaoru looked up and offered a smile that sent a flutter through the ninja's belly that was growing more and more familiar.
"Aoshi," Kaoru began when they stood before the door. Aoshi met her gaze once more. "I really am grateful," she offered a shy smile.
Two icy blue eyes narrowed at her comment. "There is no need to thank a friend for doing what he wanted to do. I enjoyed it." Aoshi softened his words with the smallest hint of a grin before easing Kaoru's arm from his and opening the door to his home.
A tornado swept through the front room, and Aoshi discovered Misao was clinging to his body with her arms tight around his waist. Her weight caused him to stumble back slightly, but he quickly regained his footing. Awkwardly, Aoshi patted the forehead of the girl he helped raise before extracting her from his person.
He cast Kaoru an annoyed look for the amusement twinkling in her sapphire orbs. He was pleased that she didn't have the opportunity to tease but was worried for the cause of that.
Yahiko had rushed closely behind Misao and lunged for Kaoru, sending the two of them tumbling to the ground. Yahiko hugged his instructor so tightly that when the air whooshed out of her lungs on impact she was completely breathless.
Standing back a little from the overzealous reunion, Yutaro waved. "Welcome back, Miss Kaoru."
Kaoru took in a deep breath before finding her voice, "Yahiko-chan?"
"Don't call me chan, ugly!" Yahiko interrupted giving Kaoru one last squeeze before scampering to his feet and offering a hand to help Kaoru regain her footing.
"What are you doing here?" Kaoru finished her question.
In response, Yahiko crossed his arms, slightly offended by her tone. "I just thought you might miss me is all," he muttered deliberately looking towards Aoshi with a scowl upon his face.
Kaoru's features softened when she realized that he missed her. "Oh Yahiko, I did miss you," she confessed because seeing him made her realize it was true. Yahiko brightened considerably at the reply.
The two teenaged boys began to bombard Kaoru with endless questions, and she started to take on a dazed look. "Let's go inside, our feet are tired from our travels," Aoshi suggested, taking pity upon his shell-shocked companion. His left hand naturally rested against the small of Kaoru's back as he led her inside of his home.
Misao noticed the action while the two teenaged boys were too distracted to see and was none too happy. She shut the door behind her and followed the others, watching like a hawk, and noting Aoshi's odd behavior. Unlike his usual behavior of heading straight to his temple to meditate after a journey, he continued to guide Kaoru and the boys into a sitting room.
Yahiko and Yutaro shared with Kaoru and Aoshi the wonders of Germany. Yahiko grinned as inspiration struck him. "You'd love it Kaoru! The mountains are amazing and," he looked over at Yutaro who suddenly got a suspicious gleam in his eye. "What if Kaoru were to come back with us?" Yahiko asked Yutaro.
The suspicious gleam left Yutaro's eye as he considered what he already had a feeling Yahiko would request. On the voyage over to Japan Yahiko dropped enough hints about wanting to distract Kaoru from Kenshin, and a stay in Europe would most certainly do that. "We're leaving in two days for the return trip. I think it would be fine if you came along," Yutaro agreed, hiding his enthusiasm with the calm dignity his adoptive father ingrained in him with all his private schooling.
Kaoru shifted in her seat and sought Aoshi's eyes as if in question about the situation. Misao didn't miss this action and began to fume inside. Her teeth were grinding so hard together it was a wonder they were anything but dust. "I think I'll just stay here, I'm pretty tired from all my traveling lately," Kaoru answered carefully, looking back at Yahiko when Aoshi gave her a bland look and shut off the emotions that she had grown accustomed to reading in his eyes.
"Are you sure?" Yahiko asked, obviously disappointed. Kaoru rose to stand before her student and smiled while ruffling his already unruly hair, "I don't want to dampen your style. What pretty girl would want to hang around you and your charming personality with a buso like me around?"
Yahiko's mouth dropped open, it sounded like Kaoru actually took stock in his name for her. "You're not a buso," he began but was cut off with a slow smile from Kaoru.
"It means a lot that you asked, Yahiko," Kaoru began, and was relieved that some of the disappointment was fading from Yahiko's dark eyes. She was about say something else, but was cut off by a question.
"Kaoru, would you like to spar with me?" Misao interrupted the sappy reunion. She wasn't too happy about being ignored inside her own home. She didn't care about Germany or why exactly Kaoru and Aoshi were returning after so many days away without a word about what they did. She was most especially unhappy about the change in dynamics between the two. Aoshi was HERS!
The others in the room looked at Misao confused. "Sure," Kaoru answered.
Yutaro grinned widely, "Great! I can see the Kamiya Kassin Ryuu in action against a ninja!"
While they set out for the dojo, after Kaoru changed clothing and grabbed her shinai, Aoshi went to seek the others in the household. He wasn't happy with Misao's unspoken animosity. He wanted to find out if she had been in a foul mood for much of his and Kaoru's absence. Unfortunately, it didn't appear that anyone else was home at the moment.
"So, Kaoru, let's see if you got rusty during your little vacation," Misao began as she and Kaoru were circling one another with Yahiko and Yutaro observing on the sidelines. Kaoru lunged out of the way when Misao fired some ninja stars. She frowned when she noticed them embedded into the wooden walls.
"Are you trying to impale me with those?" Kaoru accused quietly and calmly, careful to use some of Aoshi's tricks of controlling one's temper and not make foolish mistakes in the heat of anger.
"Oh, and you'd love to be made the martyr wouldn't you?" Misao bit off sharply as she threw another wave of ninja stars at her 'friend.' There was an odd sense of satisfaction when one of the stars ripped through the sleeve of Kaoru's shirt and left a red stain from slicing into her arm.
"I don't understand what you mean by that comment, but don't think I'm intimidated by your aggression," Kaoru spoke through clenched teeth, trying to avoid a cry from the sharp, burning sensation in her upper arm. She swung her shinai and was rewarded by landing a sharp blow across Misao's shoulder that sent the smaller girl flying, though she quickly regained her footing with a back-flip.
Yahiko and Yutaro watched speechless. Yutaro itched to run towards Kaoru and treat her wounds immediately. Yahiko was growing angry at seeing Kaoru allowing herself to be taken advantage of and at an obvious disadvantage. He stood by on the side-lines though, his faith in his teachings and in Kaoru prevented him from seeing the sword that protects life fail.
Misao was beginning to see red and threw another volley of stars straight at Kaoru's chest. Kaoru narrowly escaped the attack by using her shinai to catch the stars. She looked at her wooden sword in disbelief as four stars were now imbedded within it in a straight line.
Misao came lunging after Kaoru, who bent low and swiped Misao's feet from under her by kicking out her left foot. Misao quickly regained her balance and pulled a small knife from her belt and sliced into Kaoru's forearm.
Aoshi entered the dojo at this time and stopped the fight quickly by stepping between the two women. He held Kaoru lightly by the waist and positioned himself to intercept any more moves by Misao as he looked the younger ninja directly in the eye. "What's wrong with you? This isn't what I would call a friendly spar." He picked up Kaoru and began to head towards the house.
"Aoshi put me down. I can walk just fine. I just got a few scratches on my arm. It's not a big deal. Misao was just a little more serious than I expected her to be," Kaoru assured him as she tried to get out Aoshi's arms. She wanted nothing more than to curl up against his warm, strong, reassuring chest inside the safety of his arms. Because she wanted that, she thought it best to avoid it. The feelings she was having for Aoshi were beginning to rival those she felt for her beloved rurouni.
The look in Aoshi's eyes spoke a million words without one being uttered aloud. The frozen heat Kaoru sensed within caused all other protest to freeze at the level of her lips. Resigned, she closed her eyes and leaned her temple against Aoshi's shoulder and tried to ignore the burning in her arm.
It didn't take long for Yutaro to catch up with Aoshi and Kaoru. "I brought my medical equipment with me. I'll look at your injury and treat you." He assured the kendo teacher as he rushed towards his own room.
"We'll be in my room," Aoshi called after the boy before taking Kaoru there.
Yahiko glared at Misao with a venomous loathing. "Why would you hurt Kaoru? I've never seen you act this way."
"You don't know anything!" Misao roared as she took off towards the forest to lick her own wounds; though they were mostly emotional. The bitter rage she felt towards Kaoru was eating her up inside. She couldn't accept the visions of Aoshi treating Kaoru with such care and obvious affection. "I know he loves me, but he's never treated me with a fraction of what he was showing for Kaoru," she muttered to herself.
Yahiko paced in Kaoru's room, after he found a shirt to replace her bloody one. He couldn't look at her at the moment. He was too angered at Misao. He was also angry at Kaoru. Why would she want to stay in Kyoto? She looked so tired. Why did she agree to a sparring match after traveling across the whole of Japan?
"Stupid buso, always trying to make everyone else happy," he mumbled. Yahiko stopped pacing when he noticed a letter sitting on Kaoru's bed. He walked towards it and recognized the chicken scratch handwriting of Sano. Taking the letter, he went back into Shinomori's room. He offered a forced smile now that he saw Kaoru was bandaged and dressed comfortably. She was still too pale for his liking.
"Hey, Yahiko," Kaoru greeted with false-brightness as she tentatively stretched her newly bandaged arm. Yutaro was mixing a solution for her to drink, and Aoshi stood with his back against the wall, arms crossed in a sentinel fashion. His eyes were observing while his body was still as a statue.
Yahiko waved the letter in the air. "I noticed this on your bed. It seems to have come here during your absence from Kyoto," he explained. "I'll open it for you as long as I can read it too," he offered, sitting beside Kaoru on the futon.
"Sounds like a plan, perhaps between the two of us we can decipher Sano's poor excuse for the written word," Kaoru smiled invitingly. Yahiko felt some of his tension drain away at the sight of that all-familiar, slightly motherly smile.
The tension was soon back at ten-fold the intensity after reading Sanosuke's letter.
Jou-chan
Hey, little lady, I miss you something dreadful. I'd even eat one of your attempts at dinner without complaint or starting a fight with the munchkin. I can't wait to leave this hellhole. The pay is good, but I can't even gamble or drink. Who'd have thought Sanosuke Sagara, ex-fighter-for-hire, could say he went this long without drink or dice?
I'm writing because I'm thinking of pulling another two months here. I might actually be able to pay off all my debts this way. Imagine that, Sanosuke Sagara, the reformed leech. I wanted to get your say on this. Because I know that if I stay Kenshin will be staying as well.
Write me back, little missy. My heart will go pitter patter when I receive that much anticipated letter from my favorite person.
Sano
Kaoru read the letter a second time before letting Yahiko hold it. He stared at Sano's messy script and could feel himself growing angry with what wasn't said in the letter and by Kaoru's silence. "And Kenshin couldn't bother to write you to tell you this," Yahiko growled.
Aoshi was watching Kaoru's face grow in pallor. Yutaro handed her the medicine he finished mixing. While she was drinking it, Aoshi walked over and took the letter from Yahiko and read it himself.
He looked at Kaoru again and noticed her eyes had tears in them, but that she would be too stubborn to let them fall. He then glanced over towards the doorway where he heard Misao. She had an unreadable expression in her eyes.
"Leave," he told everyone as he placed his palm upon Kaoru's shoulder of the uninjured arm to stay her. After Yahiko slid shut the door, Aoshi kneeled in front of Kaoru and took her hands gently into his own. "Go to Germany."
Kaoru blinked at him before finding her voice. "What?"
"I said, go to Germany. There is no need for you to sit around, wasting your life away, always waiting for Battousai to return. He couldn't even bother to write you a letter, Kaoru." Aoshi spoke gently, but inside he was a raging volcano.
Kaoru started to stand and grimaced as she strained a sore muscle in the process. Aoshi pushed her back down firmly by tugging on her hands. "You don't want me here anymore?" She asked softly as the suspicious brightness returned to her eyes. Aoshi squeezed her hands before releasing them and standing.
He shook his head as he headed towards the door. "I need to talk to Misao."
"Oh," Kaoru replied, crestfallen, as she shifted her gaze away from his retreating figure and starred out the window of his room. Aoshi stood watching Kaoru from his position near the doorway and couldn't prevent a small smile from curling the corners of his lips.
"Kaoru," he called and waited until she looked at him before continuing. "I'm coming with you to Germany."
"What?" Kaoru jumped to her feet and grimaced again at her own actions.
Aoshi shook his head as he forced her to sit down once more. "Stop all that jumping around, or you'll reopen those wounds. They aren't too deep and will heal faster if you stop pulling at them." He started back towards the door again. "I'll send Yahiko and Yutaro back in here. You can tell them you've changed your mind."
Kaoru nodded, "Aoshi, why?"
Aoshi stood in front of his door and kept his back towards her. "Because, you and I are both just sitting back and letting life pass us by." He then left to send up the two teenaged boys and find Misao. He felt light of heart, though he knew he was about to deal with a temperamental Misao. He had probably spoken more words to Kaoru in the past few days than he had in all the days of his adult life combined. It was a good feeling to find someone he could relate to.
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Hajime Saitou took great pleasure in causing others pain, be it emotional or physical. When he discovered he was requested to consult in China for the same government official that employed Himura and Sagara he couldn't pass up the offer.
Tokio made him promise not to stir up trouble, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Besides, it wasn't like he would be telling lies. It was only natural that he should mention sharing a dinner with Shinomori and Kamiya. If he happened to let it slip that they made such a remarkable pair and that he wasn't aware they were an item, then, it was only human nature.
A sadistic grin spread across Saitou's lips as he spotted Battousai. The fighter-for-hire wouldn't be too far away. "Himura," Saitou greeted.
"Saitou," Kenshin answered in turn. He was well aware that his former rival would be seeking him. He was unsure of what he would be taunting him with this day, but because he knew Saitou so well, he knew it would be something.
"Where's your shadow?" Saitou asked companionably as he took out a cigarette and lit it.
Kenshin raised a brow at the action and didn't answer the question. He asked one of his own instead. "You realize smoking is prohibited here?"
Saitou shrugged.
"Hey Kenshin, that wolf……" Sanosuke trailed off as he skidded to a halt beside his red haired friend and glared at the amber eyes of Saitou. "What are you doing here?"
Saitou calmly blew out a cloud of smoke into the eyes of the man in white. "Thought I'd share some of the recent happenings of Tokyo with you, seeing as the two of you have been away for a while."
"We have only been here for a few weeks," Kenshin disagreed, amethyst eyes showing swirling hints of amber in them.
"I happened to have Kamiya over for dinner a few nights ago," Saitou remarked cryptically. Kenshin frowned at Saitou's comment. Sano was more vocal in his opinion.
"What would you be doing in Kyoto?" Sanosuke demanded. For some reason there was the tug at the back of his mind. He remembered in a letter from Megumi that Kaoru was in Tokyo recently with Shinomori. He didn't mention this to Kenshin.
"Why would I be in Kyoto?" Saitou returned. He threw his cigarette to the floor and crushed out its flame. He sniffed before continuing. "My wife really enjoyed the company of Kamiya and Shinomori. She's already planning what we'll get them for their wedding present."
"What are you talking about?" Kenshin demanded quietly, causing the smirk to disappear from Saitou's mouth. Perhaps he underestimated the weight such a comment would make to Battousai.
"I always thought that Kamiya was your woman. It seems that isn't the case anymore. I was just curious about when this happened." Saitou answered innocently.
Sanosuke was speechless for a moment. If what Saitou said was true, then there really did seem to be something between Kaoru and Aoshi going on. He looked down at his best friend. He couldn't exactly feel bad for Kenshin. He dug his own grave. He hadn't even bothered to write to Kaoru.
"I think it would be best if you left," Sano told Saitou, surprising them both with the level of authority in his tone. Saitou merely nodded his head at the two and continued on his way.
Sanosuke watched as Kenshin turned in the opposite direction towards their quarters and followed behind him. "Kenshin," Sano began. The red head glanced up and the cold look in his eyes stole the words from Sano's throat.
"Sano, I appreciate your concern. Kaoru is a grown woman and can make her own decisions." Kenshin answered calmly and unemotionally.
"But Kenshin, I thought," Sano began, but once again, Kenshin sent him a look that silenced him.
"I don't want to talk about this."
Sanosuke left the room, deciding to give his friend some space to deal with the situation in his own way, which no doubt would be the wrong way.
Kenshin listened as Sano's footsteps became faint in the hallway. Saitou's words taunted him. He couldn't get the picture of Kaoru and Aoshi together out of his mind. He could feel the vast emptiness in his chest where his heart once was. He only wanted Kaoru to be happy.
Kaoru had given him the happiness he had sought his entire life. If something were to develop between her and Shinomori he couldn't claim to have not pushed her in that direction. Of course, it was probably innocent. Kaoru was in love with him.
"Kaoru, I only wish I were worthy of taking the happiness you have offered so many times," he spoke softly to himself. A fierce light came into his eyes and he clenched his fists tightly. "But Shinomori is no more worthy of happiness than I am."
Perhaps it was time he sent Kaoru a letter.
oooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOooooo
It wasn't hard for Aoshi to track down Misao. She was sitting in the lower boughs of a tree in the backyard. He stood below the tree silently. "How long has this been going on?" Misao asked, breaking the silence and keeping her voice barren of the emotions racing inside.
"Nothing is going on, Misao."
Tears began to well in Misao's eyes. One escaped her control as she looked down at him with anger and betrayal keen in her expression. "How could you do this to me?"
"I have done nothing to you." Aoshi answered simply, not allowing himself to be moved by seeing the child he helped raise so miserable. She was a woman now, and he couldn't simply make her an origami creation to sooth her pain.
"But I love you!" Misao shouted as she jumped down from the tree and stood in front of him.
Aoshi met her accusing gaze. "I know," he answered sadly.
Misao stuttered a bit before finding her voice again. "What do you mean you know!" She poked him hard in the chest. Aoshi brushed her finger aside.
"I'm sorry Misao, but I cannot return these feelings."
"What? But you can love Kaoru?"
Aoshi shook his head at her. "Kaoru is my friend. I don't have many alive whom I can bestow the title of friend. Misao, you know this."
"Aren't I your friend?" Misao asked as more tears streamed out.
"Of course, you are my friend. But Kaoru needs me more, and honestly, I think I need her just as much." Aoshi ignored the still un-named feelings he felt for Kaoru. He cared for her as a friend and often more so than that. Misao didn't need to know about his jealous, possessiveness towards the young woman from Tokyo.
Misao's hands balled up at her side as her eyes dried up in anger. "How can you say that? She can't need you more than I do."
Calmly now, Aoshi took Misao's hands within his own gently and unclenched the tight fists that formed there. He released the hands when he realized he would only make things more difficult for Misao by acting kindly. The only way to kill a crush was to be completely honest.
"Misao, you have Okita and a family here. Kaoru has no one. You have the Oniwabanshi. Kaoru has friends whom leave her alone for months at a time." He paused and looked towards his bedroom in the Aoiya. "Perhaps it is because she and I have more in common than thought. I'm sorry, Misao, but I'm leaving with her."
Misao watched him walk away from her towards Kaoru. It hurt. Aoshi had been hers since she was three. He wasn't supposed to find someone to connect with that wasn't her. She ignored the fact that she loved Kaoru and was quite fond of their friendship. She refused to share Aoshi with anyone else.
"Perhaps I should take a trip up to China, myself, and find Himura. I won't have Kaoru stealing my Aoshi-sama."
A/N: Special thanks to CharmedReality for editing!