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Misao woke to hear birds chirping and glanced down at her watch to read it was 8 in the morning. It took her a couple minutes to realise where she was and she stretched her arms above her head and let off a loud yawn. Under all these wintry blankets and the type of material the shirt was made from, it had made her sweat terribly, so she'd ridden herself of the shirt during the night and dove deeply back into slumber. Misao laid back against the pillows, taking in a deep breath of the intoxicating scent of the author who was currently making quite the racket downstairs.
That instantly made Misao rise from the bed and she dressed into the green shirt once more. She made sure all buttons were done up, unable to help the way it gapped in the front since it was a man's shirt. She padded quietly down the stairs and headed for the kitchenette. Peering around the entranceway Misao grinned at finding Aoshi standing over the hot plate with hands on hips, still wearing his plain black attire he had slept in. She fought the blush down as she'd accidentally caught him changing last night. She had been ready to say something, but watching him pull the shirt from his body, the firelight dancing over his well toned and muscled body instantly made her throat close up. She completely forgot what she was going to say, her eyes watching the way his hands placed his clothing on and then he murmured goodnight and she was out of there, back upstairs and thinking very naughty thoughts for quite some time.
"Ohayoo gozaimasu…" Misao voiced softly, grabbing his attention as his head turned to look over his broad shoulder. All he did was nod in kind and turned his eyes back to the frying pan. Misao padded inside, standing next to him to see what he was making and saw he was frying some eggs. "Are you making me breakfast?" It came out as a slight surprise as Misao peered up into those deep green mysterious eyes.
"I'm making us breakfast." Aoshi corrected as he pulled the pan off the hot plate and scooped out the four eggs onto buttered toast. That response got the glow back in Misao's cheeks as she moved around the preparation bench and sat on one of the stools. It was almost like they were a couple holidaying up here.
"Eat before it gets cold." Aoshi muttered as he turned to place the pan into the sink to do later. He sat on the other side of the bench and ate his own breakfast.
"You're up awfully early."
"You might not believe it, thanks to yesterday, but I am usually a morning person. I haven't been as I'm…dealing with some issues at the moment." Aoshi had been waiting for Misao to curiously ask him what kind of issues he was going through but she said nothing and bit into a second slice of toast.
"I've been wondering…" Misao began, but quickly finished her mouthful before saying more. "…how can a sporadic author afford a place like this?"
"I'm not just an author Misao, but this place doesn't belong to me either. It belongs to my Uncle Hiko."
"Hiko? Hmm, Hiko… Where have I heard that name from?" Aoshi listened to Misao mutter to herself, her face slightly scrunched and he was certain the wheels were turning in that head of hers as she began to think over his Uncle's name.
"Hiko Seijuro. He's a famous potter."
"Ah, now I know him! He's the guy that randomly shows up at the Onsen on occasions. Okon is madly in love with him!" Misao grinned cheekily. "I just love to tease her when he shows up at the Aoi-ya for sake."
"The Aoi-ya?"
"Oh, it's the restaurant I own alongside Jiya, down at the Onsen. You should come down sometime and eat there. Shiro and Kuro are awesome cooks."
"I have no doubt about that."
"Eh?"
"They taught you correct?"
"They did."
"Then they are, because you are as well." Aoshi witnessed a soft look flash through Misao's eyes as she lightly smiled her thanks at him. They ate in silence once more and just as Misao stared over at Aoshi, he having picked up his green tea to sip at it, the words flew from her lips before her brain caught up with them.
"Do you want to go out with me?" Intense green had her full attention as Aoshi stared over at her. "Um, well, what I mean is… for a walk. These…err…issues you speak of, maybe some walking and…err…fresh air will help you a bit." When he didn't speak, Misao waved her hand and let off a small laugh. "Oh, don't listen to anything I say, I'm just rambling. I do that a lot, so if you catch me doing so, just tell me to shut up."
"I will…"
"Eh?"
"Go walking with you. However…"
"However?" Misao repeated quietly.
"You do not have proper attire." Aoshi observed the familiar pink hue brush across Misao's cheeks.
"Well I realise that!" She fumed on the stool, arms crossed under her plump breasts. "Our walk doesn't have to be right this second. If you give me an hour to clean up the mess I made last night and then a couple more so I can get to the Onsen and back we can go then. While I'm gone you can bathe and stuff."
"Not going to spy on me this time?" Misao had caught the twitch of his lips and poked her tongue out at him giving him her own reply before leaving the room altogether.
"I wasn't spying you big meanie."
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With the floorboards clean from dried mud stains, Misao had slipped back into her previous attire, which was still soggy and wet from the rain. She let off a small wave to the tall author who stood on the porch watching her leave and once out of his sight Misao ran down the road, a new spring in her step.
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Aoshi worked away on his painting, now dressed in baggy faded blue jeans and a red shirt with the first two buttons undone as well as the very bottom one. His hair was still lightly damp from his bath, but he'd felt more refreshed then ever and began to debate on whether it was the cold bath or his current company. Misao seemed like a beacon of light these couple of days, helping him, but not knowing this as he finally rose from a small amount of darkness just to be up and making something to eat. Usually he'd stick to his green tea and that was it. He'd washed the dishes for her, much to Misao's surprise and he'd dryly commented that he wasn't completely useless and she had left him be to mop the floorboards.
Just as Aoshi brushed some more orange into the sky of his painting, he listened to the screen door creak open and looked down at his watch. Time sure had passed quickly when he got stuck into his work. He placed down his paintbrush and headed for the door, opening it just to find Misao at the entrance with a medium sized backpack on her shoulders and this time appropriately dressed in black cargo pants, hiking boots and an olive green tank top. She grinned over at him, he catching her eyes doing a quick scale of his body before they rose to his once more.
"Ready to go?"
"Aa…" Aoshi murmured, he too doing a quick glance over her body, but Misao missing it as she'd turned away from him. Her cargo pants sat loosing against her hips and her tank top rested against her slender but firm abdomen area, showing off pale milky skin when she twisted and moved her arms up. Aoshi shook his head and bent to place on a pair of black sneakers, picking up a flat black bag to place it over his head to rest the strap on one shoulder and then once again rose to his feet. The screen door clacked behind them as they silently made their way down the stairs and Aoshi followed Misao as she turned to the right, not even following the driveway to the dirt road. He kept his mouth shut, deciding to trust Misao, as he was certain she knew what she was doing.
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They had walked for a full hour, Misao having started her rants on how long she'd been hiking for and where she'd been all over this mountain range. He'd watched her awkwardly blush as she told him to tell her to shut up if he didn't want to listen to her rambles, but Aoshi wouldn't have any of it. He had decided that he liked listening to Misao and her rambles and he'd nod every now and then as she kept talking, pointing out different wildlife species to him. It was completely different from what he knew.
"Are you sure it is safe Misao?" Aoshi voiced as he looked up a steep rock face in their pathway, as Misao had wanted to take him somewhere special.
"Well, I'm certain there are a few loose rocks, but we'll go slowly and where I've climbed is where you place your hands and feet alright?" He nodded once and was certain that backpack looked like it was ready to topple her over, but she strapped it tighter to her lithe frame and began climbing, the weight of it not being a problem for her. His observing eyes caught all the nocks and crannies Misao placed her hands and feet against and slowly climbed after her. He was certain that she was testing his fitness level.
"Are you alright Aoshi-san?" Misao murmured, one foot sleeping slightly as rocks chipped away. He coughed lightly, not being fast enough to close his right eye as some dust was caught in it now.
"I'm sorry! We aren't too far from the top now. Just a little more." Aoshi kept climbing, one eye closed and once his hands hit the surface, he pulled himself half up, hooked his right leg over the edge and then flipped so he rolled onto the rocky surface. He was looking up at the blue sky, the sun currently hiding behind several passing clouds. His vision was taken up with Misao at his side, her frowning eyes looking down at him. "Don't open your eye." He watched her turn from him as she rummaged through that backpack of hers. She pulled out a small kit and popped the lid. It was a first aid kit. Misao pulled out the small clear bottle used for flushing out your eyes, in case of foreign objects being stuck in them, and came back over to Aoshi.
"Its alright, I can do it myself." He sat up, resting heavily on his elbows as they dug into the rocks beneath him, but he was pleasantly surprised when Misao stood over his form, her feet against his hips as she bent over him. Her soft voice told him to tilt his head back, Aoshi feeling one of Misao's delicate hands press at the back of his neck while the other held the eye washer.
"This will feel a little strange, but please bare with it." Aoshi quirked his lips slightly as the first bit of coolness rushed to his eye. The way she spoke was as if the world had caved in and it was her fault. Aoshi cracked his eye open slightly, so the rush of water could get to whatever the hell was disrupting his vision. Misao's hand had left the back of his neck, her slender fingers brushing against his eyelid as she lifted it up. Instinctively Aoshi wanted to close his right eye, the water was giving off a slight burning sensation but he endured it all until the bottle was completely empty. Misao packed away the empty bottle and brought out a damp cloth and handed it to Aoshi.
"Thanks…" He murmured as he brushed it over his face, wiping away the loose earth that had fallen on him. Once he was finished he handed it back to Misao and sat up properly. He slowly opened his right eye and blinked several times. His vision was fine.
"Ready?" Green met blue and then glanced to the hand that was placed out for him to take to get up off the ground.
"Aa…"
"Close your eyes though."
"What?"
"Close your eyes." Aoshi let off a slight sigh and decided to humour Misao as he obeyed her request. She pulled him up, with much effort and then slowly guided his cautious steps towards…somewhere. He felt his arm brush some bushes and was determined to take a peak when Misao stopped, moved behind him and pushed him a little forward. "Okay, open!" She voiced with much enthusiasm and Aoshi did as she ordered of him.
The view literally made him speechless. To see the endless mountain range, covered with nature's beauty, the sun beaming down upon patches of it, while the clouds kept several areas in the dark…it just blew the mind. Birds flew above the forest canopy, sailing through the sky thanks to the cool breeze that drifted by. It was awe inspiring and instantly made Aoshi want to pull out a chair and sit on this very spot, lost in endless pleasant thoughts for the remainder of the day.
"Misao?"
"Mm?"
"Do you mind…leaving me be for a moment?"
"Not at all. I'll be just through the brush when you're done." Misao turned away, moving back through the foliage and to where she left her backpack. She bent down and began rummaging through it, pulling out this and that from within.
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Aoshi sat back down on the ground and dangled his legs over the cliff edge. He opened his bag and pulled out his sketchbook and a pencil. He also brought out his sharpener and sharpened the pencil as he gazed around. He didn't want to draw scenery, as he'd done that many times over, but just being here, in the open air, feeling refreshed and free, Aoshi placed pencil to paper and began drawing the foliage around him. He took in the different shapes of the leaves, the way the sun placed shadows over their strange texture. Several bushes around him were blooming with different wild flowers and he quickly sketched them out, flipping over the pages once he'd filled them up enough. It was as though he couldn't stop. Fluttering amongst the bushes to his right, made Aoshi turn away from the cliff-side and crawl quietly over. He pulled several bushes away and came upon a nesting Kingfisher. Its beady eyes darted over at him, but did not move from its cosy nest. Once again Aoshi was kneeling, sketchbook on his legs and right hand fluttering over the page as he sketched out the slightly annoyed Kingfisher before him. Once he was done he quietly left, placing the branches back over so the bird could have some privacy.
Aoshi was once again standing at the cliff edge, eyes looking down into the endless trees below. Resting his book on the ground Aoshi stretched his arms above his head, eyes glancing up at his hand and at the piece of jewellery glinting in the afternoon sunlight. He took in a deep breath and pulled off the gold wedding band from his left ring finger. In the beginning he didn't want to remove it, as it would close off a chapter within his life that he was not ready to let go of. Walking backwards, away from the edge, Aoshi looked down at the band Tomoe had given him. His eyes set and he began running towards the edge.
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Misao had been setting up their lunch when she dropped the water bottle at hearing a yell come from behind her and through the foliage of where she had left Aoshi. She got up at top speed, scratching skin on her forearms as she ploughed through the bushes and into the small clearing, breathing hard and wide eyes set on cliff edge. Her hand was at her heart; Misao sighing in relief as Aoshi was still standing there, his hand now lowering towards his side.
"A-Are you okay?" Misao breathlessly voiced, her heart returning to its usual beat as Aoshi turned to look back at her. There was just something about him, like something had changed in the hour or so she had left him be. Aoshi closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in another deep breath before scooping up his book and heading towards Misao.
"I'm fine." He murmured and once he was in step with Misao, he glanced down at her scrutinising gaze and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Actually, I feel great." He watched her grin at him as they once again made their way through the foliage and Aoshi stopped as he looked at what Misao had done. She'd set up a picnic blanket on the ground and had laid out lunch for them. Two large bentos were out and within them were various foods to eat. There was bottled water that currently lay on its side and what also seemed like freshly squeezed juice in another bottle. There were a couple of apples and oranges and also some homemade baked biscuits in a tin.
"Here is your bowl and chopsticks" Misao spoke as she placed it on a side of the blanket Aoshi could sit on. Misao was already grabbing some sushi rolls and popping them into her bowl before filling it up with other morsels. "Come on, don't just stand there. Eat with me. Compliments from the Aoi-ya and the best damn chefs ever!" Aoshi sat down, sketchbook at his side and began to fill up his own bowl. He stole the last 3 sushi rolls before Misao could devour them and little by little tried everything within the bentos until his stomach was screaming for him to stop. Misao was right. The food was excellent.
"Phew, I'm stuffed!" She was leaning back against her backpack, a baseball cap on her head and shielding her from the rays of the sun. She brought out some wipes and handed him one before placing it across her mouth and then over her hands. "Was it good?"
"Very much so." Misao nodded in agreement again and then sighed contently, her eyes lost within the sky as clouds drifted by.
"You'd make an excellent tour guide." Blue met green as Aoshi had unsuspectingly voiced his thoughts aloud. Misao sat up at his words and offered him another glass of juice, which Aoshi nodded in kind. He began to scrape some leftovers from their bowls back into the bentos and closed the lids on them.
"Why do you say that?" Misao questioned back as she took the bentos, bowls and cutlery from Aoshi and placed them into plastic bags before going back into her backpack.
"You are very relaxing to be around. And your knowledge of the surroundings in the Yamanashi Prefecture is quite extensive. For someone like me, its very interesting."
"Wow, praised by a famous author, this I have got to gloat about."
"I'm serious." Aoshi listened to Misao laugh and wave her hand at him, but he had caught her happy and slightly embarrassed blush as well.
"Okay, okay, I understand." Misao divided up the fruit and the biscuits and placed the tin back into her bag. Aoshi finished off his juice and she placed the glasses into a protective padded bag before squishing it into her sack as well. "I was going to be one you know."
"Hmm?"
"A tour guide." Misao began peeling an orange, eyes trained on what she was doing (since she was doing it with a knife) as she continued to talk. "I was born in Kyoto and staying with one of Jiya's old friends there. He was already up at the Onsen with Okon and Omasu running the place. It had been left to Okon and Omasu from a distant relative that had passed away. I was happy in Kyoto, doing what I wanted to do, getting the degree I so desperately wanted, but things don't exactly work out as you hope."
"Oh?"
"Mm, Jiya got sick, so I quit going to University and left Kyoto and came here to look after him. While he was in hospital in Kofu and sometimes transferred to Tokyo, I helped run the Aoi-ya. And here I am."
"You do not miss your old life?"
"At first I did, but then I remember those around me, those that truly cared and took care of me when I was little and that's when I think 'yeah, its okay, this is where I'm meant to be. It's my turn to look after him now' and just got on with it. Jiya always told me to go back, to do what I wanted, but in the end, what I wanted was right in front of me." Misao's eyes met Aoshi's as she smiled over at him. "Having my family around me is what I wanted most. If Jiya was not there then it would feel very empty."
"Is he alright now?"
"He's not a hundred percent healthy and Omasu always takes him to Tokyo every couple of months to have check ups, but he's doing a lot better then what he used to be like. Though I'm always reassured that he's getting back to his usual self when I catch him trying to chat up young ladies who are young enough to be his granddaughters." Aoshi let off a slight chuckle as Misao giggled before placing a slice of orange into her mouth.
"He sounds like quite a character." Aoshi responded and took the offered slice of orange from Misao and popped it into his mouth.
"I'll introduce you to him one day. You can share tea with him since he likes green tea like you do. Though he's quite the lover of sake as well, even though he's not meant to drink it."
"No sake, but I'll take the offer of tea…one day." The two of them split the orange as Misao kept breaking off a piece for herself and then handing slices to Aoshi. Blue eyes finally fell onto the book beside Aoshi's crossed legs.
"What's that?" Aoshi followed the waving of Misao's hand as they fell upon his book.
"It's a sketchbook." He responded blandly and observed Misao make a face at him.
"I realise that smart ass, but what's it for?" He grinned lightly at the 'smart ass' comment and dryly commented once more.
"For sketching." He received a thump on the arm for that one and Misao's scowl. It was nice to just be able to chat like this with someone. "I'm not just a 'sporadic author' as you put it Misao. I also draw, paint and sculpt using clay."
"Cool." Was her one word answer before thunder rumbled through the darkening sky. "Hmm, we better call it a day before we get rained on." Aoshi stood up and folded the picnic blanket for Misao. She rolled it up and stuffed it into her bag and pulled it onto her shoulders, clipping it back in place. "Lets be off."
"Aren't we going back that way?" Aoshi pointed to where they came up.
"Are you crazy? It's like a death trap going down. There's always another way so it won't take long to find it."
"If there is another way, then why did we go up that steep section?"
"To test your fitness of course." Misao grinned cheekily back at the frowning Aoshi. He knew it. Misao was gaily swinging her arms wider then usual for walking pace and he strode forward, catching one of her hands in his.
"Bitch…" Aoshi murmured, green catching laughing blue as Misao gave him a toothy smile.
"Bastard…" Her hand gripped his a little tighter and they made there way back towards the lake house.
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The two of them sat on the stairs on the porch, Misao on the top one on the porch leaning against the right post and Aoshi on the second step, leaning against the stair railing. They were watching the light shower before them. Aoshi sipped green tea and Misao was munching on one of the butter biscuits Okon had made. They'd gotten back to the house before it fell and were sitting amongst the sereneness and basking in their company. Misao's eyes were watching Aoshi now, the way his shoulders were slumped, his eyes half lidded.
"You look a lot better."
"What?" Those intense orbs had caught her gaze and she was stuck within them, unable to break away from his stare.
"This person right here, this has got to be the real you. When I first arrived you looked like the walking dead."
"That's probably because I was."
"I'm certain that your issues are being lifted and taken care of now."
"And you say this because?" Misao had shifted forward, eyes not leaving Aoshi's, but her hand lifted up, fingers brushing over the ones that rested against his abdomen. Misao picked up Aoshi's left hand, very much the way a gentleman would to a lady and lightly brushed her thumb over the dent and paler skin on his ring finger.
"The ring you wore here…is no longer present." Aoshi pulled his hand away from Misao's smooth skin and folded his arms over his chest, hiding his fingers from view. "I'm sorry for intruding." Misao mumbled and shifted away, resting her back against the post once more. She trained her eyes back on the falling rain.
"I'm currently going through a divorce."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"There is no need for you to apologise."
"Maybe there is a chance for reconciliation?"
"I'd never take that lying bitch back! Ever!" Misao's eyes grew wide, just as Aoshi's had, his hand having fisted and he smashed it into the weak wooden steps, splintering the last step slightly…and probably bruising his skin too. "I apologise…for my outburst."
"No, you are entitled to do it, since she has hurt you this much."
"That doesn't mean I should direct this anger onto you."
"I thought you were venting, not directing it at me." Misao gave Aoshi a small smile as she shifted in her sitting position on the porch and this time placed her back against the left post, her left side against Aoshi's right side. "Venting is always good I say. It helps get it out of your system, especially if its been brewing there for a long time. You could vent right now, if you wished to."
"You would…let me do so?" It was very adorable the way his voice softened, becoming almost hesitant, as though opening up to someone could cost him quite a lot.
"I'm all ears." Misao replied softly. She had wondered when was the last time someone had comforted him through his divorce process and decided that because she was sitting on the top step, it making her taller then him in their current position, she had the right to place her arm over his shoulders in a friendly manner. She was glad he hadn't tensed at all and in fact slouched in his posture, growing comfortable with her at his side.
"Alright…"
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(To be continued)