Authors Notes: For those that are complaining about the lack of communication between Aoshi and Misao, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter when it comes out. As for why they speak different languages, I did it for a little comical relief for myself. Besides, Aoshi does speak Japanese; he just doesn't want to talk is all. And those that said its like Love Actually with regards to Colin Firth's character, congratulations, its where the inspiration came from! How I love Colin Firth to pieces and felt Aoshi would be perfect for that type of character…with extra character of course. Enjoy the chapter!
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It had been several hours, boarding on sunset as Aoshi cracked his neck, rising from his stool as he sat near the easel. The canvas was blank. All he could think about was his sketch of Misao and she twirling like some sort of wet angel brought upon him thanks to his nosy yet always caring sister. Her presence sent a shocking feeling into his gut and crept its way straight to his heart, building a home there. His mind became jumbled with mixed thoughts, unsure of what to do as she'd only been in his presence for several hours…and not even that since he mainly kept to himself.
Leaving the room, Aoshi padded down the short corridor in slippers and made his way back to the kitchenette. His eyes fell upon the fire, a boiling pot sitting on the hot plate situated over the logs and Misao sat in a cane-cushioned chair beside it. She was propped in it, her legs placed against her chest, the split in her sarong falling away to reveal a slender creamy white thigh to his eyes. Her head was tilted towards his general direction, but her eyes were closed and her nimble fingers were gliding through her damp hair, the dark strands drying thanks to the flames of the fire. His fingers twitched, itching for his pencil and sketchbook again. He was about to leave when her eyes blinked open and locked on his tall frame.
'Dinner shouldn't be too long.' She lifted her head, drawing her legs to the ground and got up to stir the pot. Her long hair cascaded in a wavy mass down her petite frame, coming to rest over her pert bottom. Several wisps curled against her flushed cheeks as she leaned over the pot, adding herbs and spices and taking quick taste tests of her work. It had smelt really good to Aoshi and he padded quietly over, standing impossibly close to Misao and looked into the bubbling pot. 'Its vegetable stew. Did you know there is a very unloved and overgrown garden out the back? I found heaps of vegetables to use!' Aoshi remained quiet. He hadn't known. 'Oh, here?' He blinked as Misao poured a small portion of the broth onto a ladle and lifted it to his closed lips. Without much effort Aoshi's lips parted as he felt the steamy liquid fuse against his tastebuds. He could taste the pepper instantly. 'Does it taste okay?' For a moment his lips twitched as once again Misao became animated, trying to make him understand her question. He quietly nodded in kind and gulped down a lump in his throat that had suddenly lodged there thanks to a bright smile breaking over her face, it rushing instantly to sparkle within her orbs.
"I'll…take my food in my room." He left then, not once looking back at what was certain to be a puzzled look on her face. He moved back to his hideaway, leaving the door ajar so if she wandered down she knew she could come in. It was probably only half an hour before he heard a light tap on the door. He'd been pencilling another image of Misao, the one of her sitting in front of the open fireplace in the kitchenette and quickly hid it beneath loose papers that he'd scribbled some ideas for a new book on and watched her shyly head towards the desk. She placed a tray on the edge, lifting off a huge portion of vegetable stew, which made his mouth water slightly at its aromas. Beside it was a plate of freshly made bread, she obviously making it using hot coals from earlier on and beside that was a clean teapot and a single teacup with his green tea swirling within it.
'Eat all of it up as I guarantee it'll boost your energy levels for sure!' Even though he had yelled at her several hours ago, it didn't appear to him that she held a grudge against him. He finally took notice that she was dressed back in her raincoat and her gloves were once more covering her slender hands from view. Was she…leaving? 'Well, I better get going. Its been…um…an interesting day.' Aoshi blinked astounded as she bowed to him and left the room. Before he could think straight he was out of his chair and at the door, it thrusting open as he stared at Misao who was at the screen front door, her large eyes peering back at him.
"You shouldn't be going home at this time of the evening. It might not be safe." The words popped out before Aoshi could stop them as he headed towards Misao. Once again her head tilted as she gazed over at him.
'Are you worried about me?' Misao questioned as she peered up at the handsome stranger. She hefted her backpack onto her shoulders, clasping the belt of her bag around her waist and another over her collarbones. Aoshi blinked in the pale light of the lantern she'd lit in the hallway for him as she flashed on a bright spotlight torch. That is when he realised her jacket and her backpack had reflective material sewn into it in case there were any cars on the dirt road, even if it was highly unlikely. 'I'll be fine; I've walked in the dark plenty of times.' Misao had done a little walk on the spot wondering if he understood what she meant. She sighed lightly and placed her gloved hand out and lightly grasped one of his that were currently at his side. She watched his eyes widen slightly and she smiled once more up at him. 'You go eat your dinner before it goes cold. I'll be back tomorrow.' She turned and left, the screen door making its familiar clacking sound against the frame.
As Aoshi watched her trudge through the mud, not once slipping over like many girls surely would have, he began to close the main door and instantly froze when the torchlight was shone back against the porch and Misao's voice echoed through the trees,
'Good night handsome stranger!' And then she was gone.
Aoshi made his way down the corridor back to the room he had been previously residing in and sat back at the desk, spoon digging into the vegetable stew as he began to eat it, along with the freshly made bread. She was an excellent cook he decided.
After eating his entire meal, having drunk the complete pot of tea and had 4 slices of bread, Aoshi leaned back in the chair and gazed up at the support beams. He could hear the insects chirping outside. There was no soft humming in the air, no vanilla scent wafting about the place and no swishing of a certain plait. It was just…too quiet. Aoshi had never noticed before how quiet the lake house could get until Misao had noisily swept her way inside. He liked quiet very much, liked being alone a lot too, but for some strange reason, now that she'd come and bounced all around the place, sung her little songs, talked to him, he'd become oddly attached to the sound she created. Sighing Aoshi rose from his seat and headed upstairs to his perfectly clean bedroom and fell onto the bed face first. He'd shower in the morning…or afternoon…whenever he decided to rise from his bed. The last thing he could remember before he gave into the darkness was Misao's smiling face. She was truly an interesting character indeed.
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'Hello? Are you home?' Aoshi groaned at the loud voice and the thudding of boots coming up the stairs to his room. He'd woken in the middle of the night with the image of Tomoe and her new man in a cold sweat. She still haunted him and that Aoshi hated very much. How could one single woman plague him so much? He'd shifted in his sheets, removing his damp clothing from his body and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as the image of Misao dancing in the rain eased him into sleep once more.
However his slumber was once again being interrupted. The door to his bedroom swung open and Aoshi snapped his blurry eyes open, rising from the pillow as the quilt and winter blanket fell down his firm naked body to pool against his lap. He took in the wide eyed young woman standing in the doorway trying to grab the handle to reef it shut and wasn't succeeding as she was still starring fully at his half-asleep and very naked form.
'I…I…I'M SO SORRY!' Misao yelled, heart pounding a mile a minute at the ruffled man in bed. It was coming on midday and she thought he would have been truly up and doing whatever it was he did in that room near the kitchenette, but it appeared she was wrong. Misao darted into the room, to finally grab firm hold of the doorknob and quickly darted out, slamming it behind her. She leaned against it for a moment, that image of the handsome stranger now permanently etched within her brain. Her sharp ears heard the bed creak within and quickly got her feet moving as she pounded hurriedly down the stairs and into the kitchenette.
From within the bedroom Aoshi pulled on his discarded clothing and headed downstairs; a small pile of clean clothes tucked under one arm. He poked his head around the doorway of the kitchenette and found Misao making an almighty amount of noise, pots and pans clanging here and there. He didn't stay for long and instead went out the front door and around the side of the house to fill the open-aired bathtub from the rainwater tank. He hadn't bothered to light the logs beneath, to get the water warm and instead stripped off and poured a bucket of water over his head. The coldness would wake him up for sure. Since Misao was inside this was his chance to bathe. Of course nothing went according to plan as Aoshi had just finished lathering up his body with coconut-scented soap and listened to something drop to the ground just behind him. He flicked his head quickly over his shoulder, wet bangs swishing across his forehead as he once again found Misao looking over at him, those sapphire eyes wider then previously and a blush painted across her cheeks. The large hamper containing his left over clothing and sheets from yesterday had dropped and spilled over the ground at her feet.
'I…I…I…' Aoshi lifted an eyebrow; this time noting Misao couldn't get an apology out and instead watched her run away and back inside as the door let off its usual clacking noise. For a moment Aoshi had thought his own heart had sped up as her eyes locked onto his soapy physique but shook the absurd thought aside and dumped another bucket of water over his head and hopped into the cold bath.
Aoshi was in and out of the tub in ten minutes, drying himself off with a fluffy towel and placed on the only clean pair of briefs he had left in his bedroom and a pair of navy blue jeans. He buttoned a black shirt over his chest and padded barefoot back to where the discarded hamper had been left. He lifted it up, throwing everything back inside and carried it easily to the basin and dumped everything in. After doing that he swiftly picked up the bucket and did as Misao had done yesterday, walking back and forth from the lake to fill the basin with water.
'AH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' He listened to Misao screech and he stopped just in time before he poured a generous amount of soapsuds into the mixed clothing. She was over in a flash, dressed in tight purple jeans and a black top, her small feet bare of shoes. 'You're mixing the colours! You can't do that!' Aoshi watched as Misao reefed the mixed and dark colours from the whites and plopped them soggily onto the small wooden stool. He listened to her huff as she'd practically dived into the basin, drenching her purple jeans just below the knees. She stepped back out; her laughing eyes looking over at him. 'I'm sorry, working at an Onsen and having heavy training in domestic duties like this makes me go insane if done incorrectly.' Misao went over to him and pulled him away from the basin and back into the house. With her hand in his, Misao directed him back into the room downstairs and over to his chair. He sat quietly in it, droplets of water from his hair dripping onto his black top and wondering why he allowed Misao to touch him. She was back in a flash and carrying a tray with miso soup, toast with fried eggs and a small salad. He watched her quietly leave and found her out the side of the house scrubbing away at his clothing. Aoshi tore his eyes away, went back to eating and decided that he would draw, write or paint even if it killed him. He would not wallow in self-pity any longer!
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(To be continued…)