Chapter Five: I Never Would Have Guessed (Or Would I?)
Okay, Mamoru. Just breathe. You'll be fine. He took a deep breath and checked his appearance once again. His heart started to race and he fought to control the hyperventilation that threatened his person. Or rather her person. He bent his head once again.
This cannot be happening. He clenched his teeth as another shot of pain coursed through his system. Not happening to me. He could feel beads of sweat coming down the side of his face and he bit his lip to stop himself from moaning in agony. Pain stabbed at him once again, this time more intense than the last and he struggled to keep his breathing even. Finally, it subsided after a few agonizing seconds and Mamoru could taste the blood oozing from his rapidly swelling lip. Willing himself to straighten up, he lifted his head and eyed the other occupants in the room.
From all appearances, the room seemed normal enough and his companions were oblivious to his pain. At least, that's how it seemed to him. Two women sat side by side, each appearing to be in sharp contrast to the other. One was dressed in a simple kimono, hands folded demurely on her lap, as her hair gathered in a small bun at the nape of her neck. The other woman wore a uniform, faintly reminiscent of his attire, black hair flowing down from the woman's back. Mamoru winced slightly as another stab of pain nagged at his mid-section. Ugh, he wrapped his arm around his stomach as he bent his head close to the tatami mat and smothered the sudden urge to cry.
Okon turned to Misao and frowned slightly. She had never seen Misao feel so horrible during her monthly period. The young woman appeared to be in profound agony over the stomach cramps she was experiencing and that thought elicited sympathy from her. "Misao-chan?" Okon called out to her. "Why don't you go back to your room? I'll fix you some soup to soothe your muscles. How does that sound?"
Mamoru closed his eyes and felt his stomach muscles spasm. He had tried to ignore the cramps but his head felt warm and he wondered if he was going to pass out from the pain. Okon frowned slightly when Misao did not respond and she gently reached out to touch her shoulder. Surprised, Mamoru straightened up and caught her hand, staring at Okon warily. Okon deftly freed herself from Misao's grip before speaking again in a gentler voice. "Daijoubu, Misao-chan?" Realizing that the woman was addressing him, he dropped his gaze and nodded meekly. He could feel his cheeks burn in embarrassment at the realization of what exactly is wrong with him but he stayed silent during the seconds that followed. The other woman turned to her companion with a questioning look that was easily understood but neither one spoke.
Their silent exchange was interrupted when the shoji screen slid open and two men walked into the room - an older gentleman walked in and was followed closely behind by another presence. Although the young man's gait was decidedly less confident, his appearance in the room changed the atmosphere of the other occupants, nonetheless. The change, Mamoru noted, was a sign of respect for the man and he could not help but feel awed by his presence. Perhaps it was the newly polished floors or the inattention of the young man to his present surroundings but Mamoru suddenly found himself watching in horror as the newcomer teetered towards disaster. Mamoru shot up from his seat and caught the young man without a second thought. As he grabbed onto his arm, a feeling of familiarity washed over him and he stared at the young man's surprised blue eyes.
Just then, pain shot through Mamoru's body once again and he winced slightly. "Are you okay?" the young man asked him in a soft voice, perhaps too soft for a man of his appearance. Hiding another grimace, Mamoru nodded slowly as they both straightened up his arm still holding on to the other man. Was it a faint clearing of someone's throat or the soft giggle that floated in the air? Whichever it was, it broke through the entranced couple consciousness and Mamoru let his hand fall away as Aoshi took a step back.
Aoshi's eyes went back to the young woman that had caught his fall. She's not too bad looking, Usagi thought to herself. In fact, she's awfully cute when she gets flustered. She even has a nice body and … stop right there, Usagi! She could feel her cheeks burn in embarrassment at the turn her thoughts were taking. It must be being in a male body, she reasoned. I'm just beginning to think like this man. I wonder if this is the way all men think including my Mamo-chan. Feeling her thoughts stray once again, she schooled her features and moved to sit at the empty spot beside the old man, Okina.
Okina cleared his throat once again and everyone in the room looked towards him expectantly. He frowned as he noticed Misao visibly clench her teeth. "Misao-chan? Are you okay?" A faint "hai" came from the young woman's lips as she straightened her posture once again. "Perhaps you should go back to your room and rest." Okina mused as he noticed the unusual paleness of the young woman's complexion. This caused a frown to cross the older gentleman's face. "Go on," he gently shooed her out of the room and motioned for Okon to help her up. As soon as the shoji doors closed behind the pair, Okina turned to his left where Aoshi's attention was still focused on the door.
Authors Note: I know that I haven't been updating any of my stories and this isn't really an update. But I wanted to put them together to make the rest of the story flow. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin nor Sailor Moon but this story was created for fun.