Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me but to Nobouhiro Watsuki. I am merely borrowing it for entertainment purposes. I am not getting any money or any other profit from this.

Chapter 2

Placing your bet

"What the hell are you doing in my room?"

The young boy simply raised from the futon and carefully made his way to the window. His gaze switching from the sun, which smiled back at him with a sort of hypocritical visage, to the cyan-eyed girl "You will see, Makimachi-san, that is your name, isn't it?"

"It is Shinomori-san for you" she shot back dryly.

"Anyway" he continued venomously smiling "I have no interest in speaking to you but to Shinomori Aoshi."

"What do you want from him?"

"That is none of your business, little missy..."

"Well, as a matter of fact it is." the young girl stated proudly "… And since you seem to know pretty well how things work around here, you should know that you are talking to his wife."

The Tenken simply let out a slight chuckle. He seemed terribly amused at the idea of having the Okashira of the Onniwabanshuu married to a spoiled child that had been wandering across Japan along with Himura Kenshin. The kid was wicked and he was really getting to her nerves. 'How dare you laugh?' She thought biting her lips.

The young ninja took a few steps closer and, without thinking properly what she was doing, she allowed her right hand the delight of trying to smack the unpleasant 'guest' if he could be called like that. Her eyes opened surprised at the sudden grip on that very hand. Her interlocutor wasn't famous for his speed for nothing: he had stopped the hit before she could have even had the chance to touch his face.

"Well, well, well…" he grinned devilishly tightening the grip on her hand "Someone seems to be looking higher than the last time we met. I wonder how you caught a man like Shinomori-san being such an immature little brat." He pulled her closer just enough so that their noses could touch. The girl started sweating and for a moment cursed herself for being so impulsive; now he would most probably kill her. Fair enough. What the hell had she been thinking when she tried to smack him? He was a fucking former murderer after all!

The young omnitsu saw her entire life being displayed in front of her eyes in mere seconds as she foresaw her death, but instead of that Soujiro merely bent his head and blew a few words into her ear that made her blood boil "I bet it is because you are great in bed… Makimachi-san."

Shinomori Aoshi sighed for a moment and entered the Onniwabanshuu's state with slow pace. It had been a hard day with those foreign politicians and dealing with people was the last thing on his list of 'Things-I'd-love-to- do-right-now', specially when he had done nothing but speaking short kind greetings to half of the entire Kyoto population since his marriage the day before. Being the Okashira of the Onniwabanshuu was a hard job, especially for Shinomori Aoshi, who just was not exactly a crowds-lover.

He slowed down a little as he carefully climbed the few steps that led to the common room to find an untouched and neatly arranged tray of tea. "Misao" he thought chuckling slightly. He had never perceived his blue-eyed- girl as a traditional devoted housewife but fate was apparently determined to prove him wrong.

The Okashira bent his perfectly built body in order to reach for the white teapot lying in the centre of the tray but remained hesitant whether to pour the green liquid in one of the porcelain cups or wait for his wife to do it for him. They had shared tea every day since his return and it seemed like a tradition that she wouldn't like to be broken, especially after their marriage. 'Besides, I don't want her kunai on me... or at least not just yet…'. A wry smiled appeared on his face as he corrected himself 'Thinking about such things so early in the morning Shinomori... you really are hopeless.'

He stood up carefully and made his way to the room he now shared with Misao. His pace was slow and calmed as he passed the different doors across the hallway and the smell o tea faded in the air. He sighed. Maybe Misao would have already returned from her own affairs and he would be able to share more than simply a cup of tea with his wife.

His thoughts where abruptly cut by the image he saw through the semi-slid shoji door: His wife with her visage amazingly pallid and her eyes red from crying, sobbing in a corner of the room, and a darker figure that he recognized instantly: Soujiro Seta: the boy of the eternal smile.

End of chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So what do you think? I know this chapter is a little short and it isn't most likely what you guys would have expected, but things will grow more and more interesting. I PROMISE! I know Soujiro is a little bit OCC in here but it's just for the story's sake, okay? (Besides, what girl hasn't ever dreamed about Sou-chan saying something like 'I bet you're great in bed' with a husky, sexy voice? ). Anyway, Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Comments welcome at or just push the review button and tell me what you think!

I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to update but I've been in the middle of this writer's block and I'm going crazy with school and all. Yeah... they're called finals... uuU

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME FOR REVIEWING. YOU ROCK!

KimmieI hadn't realized I had use the F word twice during this fic, I don't mean to be insulting, but sometimes, with the heat of the thoughts, strong words reinforce the nature of the characters. Sorry if you were offended before and I will try to mind my words in further occasions.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to my friends who are members of the generation 2000-2003 (Ana, Cris, Claudia, Miriam, Myriam, Ceci, Victor, Fredy, Nora, Rosa, Javier, Yolanda, Susy, Manuel, Angélica, Liz, Maria José, Emmanuel "el compa", Edgar, Silvia-chan... you guys know who you are!)

Special dedication to:

Myriam: He seguido con las historias que te prometí, pero simplemente no pude alejarme de esta así que te la dedico con mucho cariño por apoyarme siempre en esta que es mi gran pasión: Escribir.

Edgar: Te prometí que te iba a dedicar un fic, así que aquí está: El segundo capítulo de "Tears and Blood" te lo mando con mucho amor y gracias por ayudarme con mi bloqueo con tus bromas (trataré de incluir alguna en el fic ).