Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin
A Persistent Hope
Chapter 2 – Sleigh Ride
They had arrived at Aoshi's country estate only two hours ago, but Misao was already anxious to see him. He had been out riding with other guests who had come the day before, so he hadn't been available to welcome her family.
Misao and Kaoru had been given a room to share, and as Kaoru rested on her bed, exhausted from the journey, Misao paced in front of the window. There wasn't much time, but there was so much to do. Misao felt a pressing urgency in her chest that she couldn't get rid of. It was almost as if her heart was telling her it was now or never. If she could get nothing to come from this gathering, she was afraid that this tenuous relationship she was trying to form would crumple and nothing would remain.
It was imperative that she get this right.
Her skirts twisted about her ankles as she turned once reaching the end of the long window. She walked along it, the sunlight glinting on her figure, and once reaching the other end, she turned back around.
She had heard the housekeeper mention something about an outing planned for the following day that involved a sleigh ride to search for a Yule log. A large pile of mistletoe had been stacked on a table in the entrance hall, waiting for a servant to place it strategically in some of the many doorways of the manor. It wasn't a tradition she would have expected the stern Aoshi to adhere to, and she was surprised he allowed such a custom in his home. A small smile warmed her mouth as she thought out the possibilities that would enable her to capture him underneath one of the festive bunches.
But, maybe he expected such a thing of her. It might be a better idea to do something he didn't expect of her at all, and leave the mistletoe to one of the less imaginative couples. Misao chewed her bottom lip in thought.
A flash of movement from outside caught her attention, and she turned her gaze out the window in time to see Aoshi and several other gentlemen emerge from the forest on horseback and head toward the stables. Aoshi rode atop a large bay stallion, his control of the animal superb. His black hair was tousled by the brisk wind, and his gloved hands gripped the reins with ease. If such an occupation existed that gave her permission to stare at him all day, she would take it and be more than happy. Her warm breath clouded the windowpane and Misao pressed her forehead against the cool glass.
It was ridiculous how much she longed for his affection.
Disgusted with her mooning over him, Misao turned from the window and walked over to Kaoru's bed where she sat down on the edge next to her friend's slumbering figure.
Misao nudged her gently on the shoulder. "Wake up, sleepyhead. It'll be time to get ready for supper soon."
Kaoru moaned softly against the feather pillow and turned away from Misao. "I wish I could stay in bed forever. I'd forgotten what a horrible carriage ride it is to this part of the country."
Misao smiled at her fondly, "Such a city girl. You've had plenty of time to recover from the journey."
She huffed into the pillow and then raised her gaze to Misao's. "Speak to me tomorrow and I think I'll be recovered."
There was a soft knock on the door.
"Enter," Misao called.
Cozette opened the door and stepped swiftly into the room. "It's time for the two of you to prepare for supper. Baths have been prepared for you both in the adjoining room and I've already taken the liberty of pressing and setting out your dinner gowns."
"Thank you, Cozette. We'll be along shortly."
Cozette nodded and left.
Misao stood and took a hold of Kaoru's hand. Tugging, she pulled Kaoru up as her friend muttered darkly under breath about sleep, sore muscles, and beef.
Misao quirked a brow. "Beef?"
"I may be tired, but I am famished as well. I can assure you that if food had not been promised as a reward for all this infernal primping, I would stay abed for the rest of the evening. If there is no beef tonight at supper, I feel that I may revolt."
Misao grinned. "Oh, I do hope they serve duck just so I can witness this revolt of yours."
Kaoru sent her a muted smile. "We shall see."
Beef was in fact served at supper in the third course, much to Kaoru's delight and Misao's disappointment. As Kaoru dug in with unladylike zeal, Misao pushed her food about on her plate before the footman came to take it away and replace it with the next course. While she did manage to eat a little, she might as well have been eating dirt for all she tasted. Her attention remained solely on the man at the head of the table. Unfortunately, she was seated halfway down the long table, sandwiched between two men whose conversation could have put a goat to sleep. She could hear nothing of what Aoshi said.
Mouth in a downcast slant, Misao speared the vegetable on her plate forcefully as the pretty young daughter of an earl, a Lady Petunia, laughed loudly at something Aoshi had said and placed her hand on his forearm. Aoshi didn't seem to be affected by Lady Petunia's affections, but Misao couldn't help the ugly jealousy that rose in her chest. She gripped her wine glass tightly in her hand, and took a tentative sip, almost choking when Lady Petunia leaned too close for propriety's sake to whisper some indelicacy in Aoshi's ear.
From across the table, Kaoru kicked Misao shin and sent her a speaking glance. Misao lowered her head, noticing how tightly she clutched the delicate wine glass. She quickly released her grip and set the glass down before she could break it. An embarrassed blush crept up her neck as she avoided Kaoru's curious gaze.
It was a relief when supper ended and the men adjourned to the library. Misao felt the need to regroup and was more than happy to accompany Kaoru back to their room for an early retirement. She had much to think over and plan if this party was going to be a success for her future.
Misao was usually a late riser in the morning but anticipation had her anxious and she woke early. Kaoru was always awake several hours before her, but as Misao quietly slipped from their room, Kaoru was still fast asleep, presumably still recovering from the previous day. The heavenly scent of coffee drew her into the breakfast room. She closed her eyes as she inhaled the wonderful aroma and smiled contentedly as she poured herself a healthy amount.
"Coffee always seems to taste better in the country," a deep voice remarked from behind her.
Misao jerked with surprise and a splash of the hot liquid burned her fingers. With a soft exclamation, she quickly set down her coffee cup and reached for a nearby napkin. Raising her gaze to Aoshi's, she noticed he didn't seem at all contrite that he had startled her.
The man was too quiet by far.
"You should make a noise when you walk up to someone," she chastised.
"My apologies."
"Yes, you do seem dearly sorry," she replied dryly, quirking a brow and she reached over to reclaim her coffee.
He shifted his gaze from her to the steaming eggs in the silver serving platter on the sideboard, but not before she caught a glimpse of smugness. That hint of emotion warmed her more than the scalding coffee as it chased its way down her throat when she took a sip.
Misao stepped over to the dining table to set her coffee down, and then returned to the small buffet of breakfast food. She grabbed a plate and began to fill it with the warm food. Aoshi had already done so and was pulling a chair back from the table across from where she had placed her coffee. With a content smile, Misao settled down with her food and began to eat.
"I trust you are looking forward to the day's festivities," he asked, his blue gaze turning to her.
With a quick smile, she replied, "I've always loved the snow, therefore, a sleigh ride is something I definitely look forward to. In fact, I firmly believe that a Christmas without one is a very solemn one, indeed."
"I personally see no difference between taking a carriage into town and taking a sleigh ride. You have a horse or two, a carriage, and it's bloody cold outside." He frowned slightly. "Excuse my language."
Misao waved her hand in pardon, "No need to apologize. I guess you've never been on a real sleigh ride, otherwise, you wouldn't be so cynical about the whole thing. It's not the fact that you're trudging around in an open conveyance in the middle of winter - it the whole experience." She smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Perhaps I can help you to realize what you've been missing."
He grunted in response and turned his gaze back to plate. "I doubt that."
"That sounded an awful lot like a dare to me."
He glanced at her warily. "It wasn't."
"Hmm," she replied as she sipped her coffee. "We shall see."
A motion at the doorway caught her attention and she watched as Kaoru entered the room, clad in an emerald green morning gown, her dark hair pulled back in a fashionable chignon.
"You look well-rested," Misao remarked.
Kaoru sent her a small smile as she picked up a plate from the sideboard. "I feel it." She glanced over to Aoshi. "Good morning, my lord."
"Good morning, Miss Kamiya."
Once her plate was full, she settled down at the table text to Misao. Glancing at Aoshi, she said, "You have a very comfortable country home."
"Thank you. I keep it staffed year round. I prefer to spend my time out here in the country instead of the city, if I can. Much quieter."
"Yes, I have a particular fondness of the country as well. I don't favor the long journey, but once here, it's quite charming."
"I was just telling Aoshi the joys of a sleigh ride," Misao told Kaoru.
Kaoru's eyes lit with excitement, "Oh, I've never been on one in the country. Through the park, of course, but never out here away from the buildings and congestion. To be surrounded by trees and white snow and wildlife! Oh, I think I might need to paint it just so I can capture the essence of my time here."
Misao turned to Aoshi. "The three of us should ride together and see the sights. Kaoru with her artist's eye, you with your skepticism, and me with my enthusiasm. It shall be great fun."
Kaoru sent her friend a knowing smile. She sighed as she took a bite of her toast.
"It would be my honor, Lady Misao and Miss Kamiya." Aoshi set his napkin aside and pushed his chair away from the table. "If you would excuse me, I have much to do before the day's activities begin."
"I'm sure we shall have splendid time" Misao remarked.
He gave a slight bow and walked from the room.
Kaoru leaned her elbow against the table and quirked a brow. "What are you up to now?"
"I don't believe I have any idea what you're talking about."
"Of course not," she murmured.
Two hours later, Misao stood outside in front of the Manor's main staircase clad in her fur-lined bonnet and muff along with her heavy velvet cloak which shielded her from the biting wind. Next to her, Kaoru shuddered against the cold. Ten sleighs had been readied with two-horse teams, heavy wool blankets and warming coals to keep feet toasty. A footman stepped over to the two friends and directed them to the sleigh in the front. As they passed, Lady Petunia shot Misao a glare of pure dislike, clearly affronted that Misao had managed to monopolize the viscount.
A few snowflakes drifted down and Misao lifted her head to stare upward at the overcast sky. A smile curved her lips as she felt the cool touch of snow against her cheeks. With a happy sigh, she lowered her face and opened her eyes in time to see Aoshi on his way over towards her.
There was something about the way he carried himself that made her stomach do an odd, nervous flip - his broad shoulders were held straight, and his mouth was a flat line, conveying neither anger nor happiness. However, as he neared, she noticed a tightness to him, as if great anticipation gripped him, yet he sought to dampen it and keep it under control and hidden. Even his eyes seemed to be a brighter blue.
"Ladies, if I may," he said as he came to a stop next to them, holding out his hand to help them into the sleigh.
Kaoru smiled politely, stepped up into the sleigh, and slid across the long leather seat.
When he held out his hand to Misao, she placed her palm in his and held her breath as her heard pounded in her chest. It was ridiculous what such little contact with him did to her. With an unsteady breath, she sat down next to Kaoru and waited for Aoshi to join them.
The seat was long, but not spacious enough for contact between the passengers to be avoided. His thigh brushed hers, and his upper arm rested against her. He reached down near their feet and pulled up the large wool blanket, covering their laps. She slipped both her hands into the fur-lined muff to ward off the chill and relaxed against the back cushion.
As the sleigh pulled forward, the bells on the horses' harnesses rang in the air, causing Misao to sigh with contentment.
"I assumed you would appreciate the bells."
She turned her gaze to him in surprise.
"You did that for me?"
"I didn't wish to hear complaints on how this wasn't a real sleigh ride."
Misao laughed. "Without bells it isn't."
"They do sound quite lovely," Kaoru remarked.
Misao turned to watch the horses as they trotted through the snow, each movement accentuated by the festive sound of the bells chiming. Snow covered trees lined the path and a light breeze played against her face. The presence of the company on either side of her – her best friend and the man that she had loved forever – warmed her heart.
Kaoru seemed to be as taken with the ride as much as Misao, her attention diverted to every little detail in the landscape, her eyes memorizing each rise and fall of the snow on the land. She appeared to be composing a painting in her mind, her eyes sparkling with uncontained imagination.
Aoshi, however, kept his gaze forward on the road. He remained in that pose until the sleigh slowed to a stop near a particular dense area of forest. A narrow footpath wound its way through the trees.
"Is this where we shall hunt for the Yule log?" Misao inquired.
"Quite right. This is the best area to find one."
Aoshi stepped down from the sleigh and helped Misao and Kaoru.
"We'll find one this afternoon, and in two days on Christmas Eve, I'll place it in the hearth."
Kaoru shook her head. "I've never understood the purpose of burning a giant log in the fire."
"It's for luck, prosperity and protection," Misao argued with a grin. "Tradition if nothing else!"
"Tradition is a very important aspect," Aoshi murmured.
"Yes, yes. My apologies for questioning the unquestionable," she retorted playfully. "If you shall excuse me, I will look over in that wonderful patch of forest for one."
Misao watched her friend walk carefully through the snow, taking the narrow path and disappearing behind the large trees.
High pitched laughter drew her attention away and she noticed Lady Petunia several sleighs away, her head thrown back as she laughed overly loud with the stout man next to her. Misao couldn't help but notice the predatory way in which her eyes drifted and held onto Aoshi's form. It wasn't right. It was sickening. It was –
Oh, shoot, she was heading towards them.
Misao quickly turned to Aoshi whose attention was focused on the forest in front of them. "I'm going in!" she exclaimed, before stomping off into the trees. Aoshi frowned at her, but followed nonetheless. She quickly hurried around the bend of the path, hoping Aoshi would keep pace with her and Lady Irritating would give up. She continued in a brisk walk for a minute or so, and then slowed down, convinced she had lost the woman.
"Is there a particular reason you seem to be in such rush? I thought this was an occasion you wished to savor."
"Oh, it is. I just felt the need to, uh, well…I was feeling a bit cramped and needed to walk it off," she replied with a flourish of the hand. "So sorry for inconveniencing you."
"Not at all," he responded softly.
Misao looked around her, and with a frown said, "I don't see anything worthy of a Yule log. Shall we continue?"
Aoshi studied their surroundings and nodded in assent. "Yes, I agree." He motioned with his hand for her to carry on.
"No, no. These are your woods. I insist on following. You know the area much better than I do," she responded with a half-smile.
His eyes narrowed the slightest amount, but ever the gentleman, he didn't question her request and continued along the path in front of her. He was going rather slow, and she wasn't sure if that was because he thought she might be tired from her mad dash into the forest, or if he knew better than to give her an excuse to lag behind and create mischief.
Whoever said that she needed an excuse, though?
When he seemed distracted enough, Misao quickly knelt down beside a tree and scooped up the largest amount of snow that she could manage. Straightening quickly as to avoid early detection, she hurried along after him. Her hands molded the cold, wet mound into a neat ball. Catching her lower lip in-between her teeth, she studied her handiwork and felt excited anticipation fill her.
She transferred the ball into one hand, sucked in a breath and lobbed it at him as hard as she could. It landed with a wet smack on the skin of his neck right above his collar. Two huge lumps slid down his neck and under his shirt.
Slapping a hand to her mouth to stifle her sudden laughter, Misao darted behind the broad trunk of a tree. Her shoulders shook with amusement. While she hadn't been able to see the reaction on his face, she had been able to tell he was startled by the way every muscle had frozen.
It was close to a minute later when her laughter began to subside. Everything remained quiet. Too quiet. The longer she stood hidden behind the tree, the more her curiosity rose. She would have expected him to retaliate by now, but the silence was making her nervous. Maybe she had miscalculated, and instead of responding to her challenge, he had left her in the forest to find her own way back to sleighs.
Heart pounding in her chest, Misao gripped the edge of the tree and slowly peeked around the tree.
And a snowball the size of a man's fist hurtled right into the middle of her face. She yelped in surprise, and quickly wiped the moisture from her eyes and nose, blinking rapidly. By the time she was able to focus on anything, the first thing she saw was him, a mere hand's breadth from her. With startled gasp, Misao took a step back and bumped into the tree behind her.
She couldn't tell whether he was angry or amused – his face remained impassive. He leaned down, closer and closer until his face an inch from hers. His eyes had darkened from the typical ice blue into a swirling cerulean. He reached up a hand and softly swept the pad of his thumb across her cheek, removing a stray bit of ice that clung to her skin.
"You have horrible aim," he said, his rich baritone sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.
Lips parting in protest, she forgot his proximity and said defensively, "I hit you precisely where I wanted!"
The corner of his mouth tilted up the barest amount, but even that slight movement seemed to transform his features. His taciturn façade had been swept away. His brow softened, amusement clouded his eyes, and there was something hypnotizing about his lips. She couldn't drag her eyes from them.
A flush began at her neck and slowly climbed its way up to her cheeks, staining them a cherry red. She stopped breathing as his head began descending even lower towards hers. His thumb brushed the underside of her lower lip, and Misao began to see black spots dancing in front of her eyes.
His gaze lowered from her eyes to her lips. "Breathe."
Even at his insistence, she couldn't. She couldn't ruin the moment.
She could stay here all day. Staring at him. Feeling his warm breath on her cheek, his hand cradling her face. It was heaven. It was everything she had wanted since the day she had met him. She felt the urge to close her eyes and just feel, but she couldn't bring herself to stop looking at him. Her whole body tingled with awareness.
A loud crack to their left caused Aoshi to snap upright and drop his hand from her face. Misao watched with growing outrage as Lady Petunia stumbled onto the path roughly fifteen feet from them, her hair slightly disheveled as if she had been fumbling through the woods searching for them.
Misao sucked in an unsteady breath as Aoshi stepped away from her and walked over to Lady Petunia as she brushed snow from her cloak and dress. It was even more surprising when Kaoru stumbled onto the path directly behind her. Kaoru looked annoyed, however, and her gaze immediately went to Misao's.
"I'm sorry," she mouthed.
Misao gave a curse nod, knowing her friend had tried to help. Her ire increased tenfold when that woman put her hands on Aoshi's chest and started breathing heavily as if she was about to pass out.
"Pardon us," Aoshi murmured as he led the ridiculous woman down the path back toward the sleighs.
Kaoru walked slowly up to her friend and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I have never disliked anyone as much as I dislike her," Misao bit out, her brows drawn together in annoyance.
"Yes, I know, dear." She slipped her arm through Misao's and tugged her gently. "Let's head back. They found a Yule log not far from here and the sleighs will be leaving imminently."
With a sigh, Misao stepped away from the tree and walked with her friend back along the path.