Ever since that morning, Misao and Aoshi continued the early morning training. Misao had not been able to land one hit in any of the sparring sessions since that first morning. And several weeks later, Misao woke up a little late, as the previous night she had fallen asleep, doing paperwork. There had been an unusual occurrence in Osaka, a minor drug-related crime syndicate run by a corrupt official had tried to go outside their boundaries and fight the local Yakuza. Another unusual occurrence was the fact that there was a new and promising member in the Yokohama branch. Although several more people had left, a new member filled Misao with some hope for the future of the Oniwabanshu.

She had sent several pigeon messages and compiled a file on the new member. Then she had continued with the rest of the work, until she fell asleep, her face on the papers, and the pen still in her hand. When she woke up, with a start, she realized that someone had draped a blanket over her, moved the inkwell away from the edge of the table and put the candle out, as Misao knew that it had been burning.

Misao swore and ran downstairs to the training hall, not even bothering to get changed into her ninja uniform. It was early, but Misao ran fast, but silently, like a cat. In her tabi, she slid down the engawa and threw open the door, breathing hard. "S-sorry I'm late, Aoshi-sama!"

He was leaning against a wall in his shozoku, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. When she opened the door, they opened and focused on her. "You should have continued sleeping. You really haven't been, recently."

"Eh? What?" Misao laughed. "I'm not even tired!" she swallowed down a yawn that said otherwise. "You know me, Aoshi-sama, I'm the most energetic person ever!" then she smiled, a genuine smile, and shook her head. "Besides, I wouldn't miss these for anything."

"…"

Misao grinned and stretched her arms and legs. "What's on the agenda for today?" she asked. "We trying something new?"

Aoshi nodded. He pulled two shinai from the rack. "This?" he asked.

"Cool!" she caught one and threw it from hand to hand, judging its weight. "Yeah, I've never really trained with these much, mostly back when I was a little kid. I remember sparring with Yahiko last time we visited though." She grinned. "I kicked his ass."

As they sparred, the clacking of the bamboo gave a rhythm. "You are more of a martial artist than a swordswoman." Said Aoshi, as he effortlessly parried a blow. "Try to think of the sword as an extension of your arms."

"Okay!" They clashed several more times and Misao became more accustomed to the sword, drawing on her previous experience and the advice Aoshi gave her, every time he parried a hit. Then suddenly he pressed forward, instead of just parrying.

Misao's limbs wouldn't move as fast as they should have. Her eyes widened as he wove a pattern in the air with his sword that she could barely parry. With a flick of his wrist he disarmed her. Misao lost her balance and fell back onto the cool wooden boards of the dojo floor. In a moment, Aoshi was over top of her, tapping the middle of her chest with the point of his shinai. "Lost your balance. Stay on guard."

Misao was a little annoyed with the ease with which he had disarmed her. Don't lose your balance, huh? "Again, please." She panted, getting up.

Aoshi shook his head. "The reason I overwhelmed you so quickly was because you are tired. Don't try to train when you are not in top form."

You're pretty overwhelming even when I'm feeling my best, y'know. "Oh…" suddenly it seemed as if the world twisted. For a few seconds, or maybe a year, everything went black. But she was enveloped in some warmth. Aoshi had caught her.

"You really have been overworking, Misao." He muttered. "…Okashira…" her eyelashes fluttered. Hearing him call her by her title and the look of pain in his eyes were enough to have Misao try to raise her head.

"It's fine… I'm fine…" she winced. "Don't worry Aoshi-sama…" she tried to smile. "We have a new member in Yokohama… Isn't that…" she trailed off, being pressed to his chest in an embrace.

"You worry me so much, Misao."

After that he had carried her to her room, even though she had insisted she could walk. When he lay her down on her futon she had fallen asleep immediately. She had only woken up halfway through the next day.

Aoshi was frustrated. Misao was working so hard and he was doing nothing. She had tired herself out so much. Now that it is Meiji, he thought, there's more paperwork and less fighting. She s not in as much danger but there are more things that make her tired. Misao is more used to fighting than this. There are dark circles under her eyes and I cannot do anything about it. I thought I was helping her with the training, but that made her more tired. And to top it all off… Somehow there are these annoying feelings… Thoughts… Am I leading her on? She deserves someone better. Yet I would never be able to accept anyone as worthy for her because I want her all to myself.

I should do something useful to distract myself, he thought. Chop some wood. Yes. How about that. As the hatchet rose and fell he tried to somehow meditate. But everything was distracting, frustrating, confusing. And Misao was always in the front of his mind. I think I love Misao. But other thoughts pushed to the front, I can't think like that. Then, I want to help her. Then, I should tell her. Then again, I cannot. Like a cycle. With every chop.

"Yo, Aoshi-sama?" a disbelieving voice behind him made him pause.

"Kuro."

"Are…" the man tried to phrase it correctly then gave up. "You feeling okay?"

"Very well." Aoshi answered curtly.

Kuro began to laugh. He looked around at the piles of chopped firewood, at the hatchet in Aoshi's hand and the carefully blank expression on Aoshi's face. "That's enough firewood to last until the winter!"

"Is it really." Aoshi said tonelessly and put the hatchet down, sitting on the engawa. "…May I speak theoretically?" he finally said.

"Yeah, what's happening? Theoretically." Kuro smiled encouragingly.

"If there is a person who one has feelings for but is unsure of how to approach them because of one's past and other circumstances – and believe that the person deserves better than oneself, yet would never accept it if such a person came along, what should one do? If that person is taking on something because they feel responsible and is having a hard time with it – and one has made it worse, what should one do? But if one begins to take on some of the workload for the person, that person – they would feel inadequate – which is why they had been secretly seriously pushing themselves in the first place, what should one do?" Aoshi looked at the sky which was reddening with sunset.

Kuro sat down next to Aoshi and crossed his arms. "You should just tell Misao-cha- I mean, one should tell that person, since it's pretty much just common knowledge anyway. And she's usually pretty chill with the paperwork. She was just super excited, then battled you, of all people with a shinai. Look, Mi- that person is totally in love with you. If 'someone better' came along, she wouldn't even see them. And she's pretty determined to do things herself, so why not let her?"

"This is purely theoretical."

Kuro laughed then stopped at a look from Aoshi. "Don't worry I won't tell her. You can do it yourself. You should do it yourself, Aoshi-sama." Kuro looked up at the sky also. "Whops, it's getting late. Dinner rush hour at the Aoiya!" he got up and grabbed a bit of firewood. "That perso- I mean, Misao-chan'll be in the kitchen!" he yelled over his shoulder. "Just saying!"

After dinner, Misao washed the dishes with Omasu (Okon busy with the Aoiya customers' dinner). Scrubbing at a pot, Misao brushed the hair back from her face with her forearm. "Hey…" she asked. "Omasu-san?"

Omasu wiped down a stack of plates one by one. She looked over at Misao. "Yes?"

"Do you think Aoshi-sama has a… Long-term fever? Or like, maybe all that tea is having strange effects on him?"

Blinking, Omasu smiled in a puzzled way. "Why would you think that, Misao-chan?"

Misao continued cleaning the pot. "I dunno, really. He's just been acting real weird lately, that's all." She stopped scouring the pot and looked up to the ceiling to think. "I honestly have no idea." Starting to scrub at the pot again, Misao shook her head. "He's just being really confusing. Almost like he-" she cut herself off. Blushing furiously, she began scouring it with renewed vigor.

Omasu saw the pain in the young woman's eyes as she realized that she was heading into taboo territory. The older woman remembered something that Misao had once said. "I can crush on him, like a little kid – nobody minds that. But… I can't actually say outright that I love him. That would cause problems, and Aoshi-sama would get a bit annoyed or something like that. It's not like he ever did or ever will see me as a woman." Omasu could still recall Misao's bitter laugh. "So for now, I can call him 'Aoshi-sama' and chase after him with tea. And I guess I'm fine with that. Because this is the best it's gonna get – and plus – it's not even bad, y'know? As long as I get to stay by Aoshi-sama's side - it's okay, even if he doesn't look at me. Maybe he'll even find a woman that's tall, like him – and then I'll be invited to the wedding! And I'll at least be able to bring him tea still." and then she had laughed again, attempting to sound carefree but unable to hide the undercurrent of pain.

I don't like it like this. He has to realize what he's doing to her. Even though he thinks what he's doing is best for her. Aoshi-sama might think she deserves someone better but… No. Sorry, but for now, I'm going to tell her. "Misao-chan…" Omasu began. "Actually-"

The door to the kitchen opened and Kuro walked in with a huge pot and some wood under his arm for the stove. "More stuff for you guys to clean. The customers are really eatin' everything up!" He said cheerfully. Just before leaving, he turned around. "Oh… And, sorry, I overheard what you were talking about before."

Misao looked up sharply.

Kuro shrugged. "I don't know the exact words for this… But… He might be the awesome, all-powerful Aoshi-sama… He might have less expressions than a brick wall and never say what he's thinking… But…" he smiled gently. "You gotta remember he's just a guy, too. He's a pretty normal guy too, under all that…" Kuro waggled his fingers and pulled a solemn face. "He worries, he tries to do the best he can." He snorted, about to laugh. "It's actually pretty funny, just now, he-" then he stopped. "Whoops, forget I said anything." He winked. "That was all 'theoretical'. Well, anyways, I gotta go." He quickly left.

"As I was saying, Misao-chan, actually it's-"

"Misao!" the door flew open, rattling as its frame hit the wooden paneling. Aoshi stood in the doorway.

"A-Aoshi-sama?" Misao looked away from the pot she was scrubbing, her cheeks reddening at the urgent way he had said her name. "W-what is it?"

"I need to talk to you-" he noticed Omasu. "Later. Excuse me." His face carefully blank, he stepped back into the doorway and slid the door shut.

Misao looked at Omasu. "Like that. He does such things. Does tea do that?"

"You do that."

"You mean I've been making the tea wrong all this time and poisoning him?!" Misao looked horrified.

Omasu laughed. "No, no! That's not it at all." I guess he can do it. Tell Misao, that is. I'll let him do it. "I'm sure he'll explain at the nearest convenience. You can go now. You've been doing enough here. I'll deal with it from here."

Misao looked at her. "Are you sure?"

Omasu smiled. "Just go." She said. She waved her hands at Misao. "Shoo."

Misao threw off her apron and hurried out. "Uh, w-wait a sec, Aoshi-sama!"

He turned. "Misao."

"You uh, wanted to talk to me just now?"

"Ah. Yes. That."

Misao waited.

Aoshi cleared his throat. "Hm. That is. Indeed. I- I mean." He cleared his throat and Misao stood on tiptoe to see more clearly what was going on. He turned his face away from her. "The thing I wanted to say- That is, if you don't have any problems with it is…"

Misao tilted her head to the side, looking concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"Don't overwork like that again because I'm worried about you!" Aoshi blurted.

She waved her hands. "Honestly! I'm fine, I'm fine!" Misao smiled. "If that's it, I'm gonna go back to the kitche-"

He caught her wrist before she could leave. "That wasn't quite what I wanted to say." He said urgently, the words spilling from his mouth quickly and breathlessly. "How about we share the work. Half and half. Not just the affairs of the Oniwabanshu, but everything else as well. If you would allow me to stay by your side and share everything with you… If I could be allowed to always try and make you happy then-"

He was cut off with a squeal and a pair of slender arms around his middle in a vice-like grip. "Aoshi-sama!" Misao squealed into his solar plexus. "Holy shit!"

Aoshi winced. "Here I am, trying to be romantic." He muttered. "…And you go and try to break my ribs." Despite himself, he smiled a little. "I'll take that as a yes."