Author's note: I am so sorry that it took me soo long to update. I always write the chapters in separate peaces of paper and I lost this chapter, I am sorry. I intended this story to turn into something much bigger than just a yakuza problem bringing people from the past forward, but it will turn cheesy if I do so, so I guess I will let it stay a yakuza problem with a lot of interference. Let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin
Quite an interesting night
Omasu return with the food not long after Misao returned to the room. She went to the recovery room immediately. She knocked on the door a couple of times before entering.
"Misao, here is the food you asked for. This package is the soba and black tea you asked for" said putting on the table the first package "and these two are the tempura, rice and fish along with the sweet green tea"
"Thank you a lot Omasu-dono, we are now a burden to you" said Kenshin
"You cannot possibly mean that Himura-san, you are and will never be a burden, and neither will be the rest" said Omasu
"Thank you Omasu-san" said Tokio politely
"No problem Tokio-san. Enjoy your dinner" she said turning to leave "oh, but the way. Yahiko and the girl, Tsubame?, are with Tae safe. When they heard about what happen they wanted to come but I insisted on him staying there over the night and come here in the morning. I hope you agree with my decision"
"Thank you a lot Omasu, I appreciate that" said Kaoru getting up to pick Kenshin's food.
The guys were feeling pretty bad, none of them could move more than a little bit. Saito tried to sit after Tokio went to pick up his soba and tea, but found out he could not.
'Not even during the worst of battles during the Bakumatsu I have felt this way, I am beyond tire, I am exhausted and hungry. My muscle hurt. Am I getting old?'
Kenshin by the other hand was enjoying Kaoru's attention, but was equally annoyed by the tiredness he felt. Aoshi was in pain. The bullet did not touch anything important, but it hurt his muscles quite a bit.
"Hajime, would you like black or green tea?" asked Tokio
"I would like the black tea that weasel so kindly ask Omasu to bring me" said Saito
"Anata, what about you?" asked Kaoru turning around and finding Kenshin staring at her with amethyst tinted gold eyes
"What ever you like koishii" answer Kenshin. Kaoru blushed at the statement
"You are quite lucky Battousai that tanuki likes you" said Saito
"And you are quite lucky that any woman can stand you wolf" said Kenshin turning around "especially one that is as especial as Tokio-dono" Tokio blushed after the statement
"Yeah wolf, I am quite impress that someone as Tokio-san stands you" said Aoshi "I am really shock"
"Icicle, the thing that shocks me is that you have such a sweet, lively and pure woman that loves you with her soul and more and you don't even pay attention to her. Do you really expect her to wait for you forever?" said Saito. Misao stopped working on the food and listened to the conversation
"That is none of your business wolf" said Aoshi bitterly
"Actually it is. I like weasel a lot, and I think that she deserves better" said Saito
"Really? Why, because I am tainted with the blood of so many?" asked Aoshi in a dangerous low tone
"That is what YOU and no one else thinks" said Kenshin practically in a growl "Do you think that you are the only human being or demon that has killed? Do you think that only you know pain? Do you think that you are the only one that is way to taint to deserve someone as pure as the women in this room? You think you are the only unworthy one? I never thought you soooooo selfish as to want to dye in sorrow and as to not realize that they don't care how many we have killed in the past. They love us for who we are, not what we once were" Kaoru was about to answer when Tokio touch her hand in order for her to don't say a word
"I thought you of all people understood me better" said Aoshi in a low whisper
"Ahou! I thought you were smarter than this" said Saito "Cant you see the difference between past and present? Stop living in the past and confront your future, or else, before long, get ready to lose what you treasure the most"
"Is that a threat?" said Aoshi turning to face Saito despite the pain
"Is simple reality Aoshi. Who more unworthy of anything than me? I have killed hundred, no let me rephrase that, thousands, and you know why I am able to smile despite that truth? What allows me to still fight and control my inner demons?" asked Kenshin
"You already told me that once when we fought on Mt. Hiei" said Aoshi
"That was not near to the truth Aoshi, it took me to almost loose my life and my reason to live to realize what keeps me going everyday. What keeps me from just leaving and never return again is the smile that makes the day brightened with its purity. The reason why I can keep my sanity and why my demons don't hunt me any longer is in this room in front of you." Kenshin said his speech while he sat in the border of the bed
"Icicle, realize the truth before is too late you ahou…" said Saito
"We are just trying to help Aoshi." Said Kenshin
"Help? Do you really feel that way? Look at weasel in this instant Battousai, she is crying" Saito was growling in anger now
"Wolf is not that simple, I never meant to hurt her" said Aoshi
"But you keep doing it" said Saito
"You don't understand, what if I lose control again?" said Aoshi, his face emotionless but his eyes were in turmoil. The men apparently forgot that the women were in front of them listening to this
"So this is what is all about, when you almost killed Okina in your almost insane quest to kill me before?" said Kenshin "when you said to Misao the words that still haunt her dreams? 'I never want to see your face ever again!' when she refuse to tell you where I was?"
"How do you know that?" said Aoshi surprise. Saito grunted his teethes with enough force to almost break them
"I am not stupid or dense as you think I am, I just let people believe what they want. Remember who I am Aoshi; I am Hitokiri Battousai after all. Is true that that is the past, but… still I am who I am thanks to my past decisions. If you did not attack Okina, maybe I would of have to kill you in Mt. Hiei, maybe not. Maybe I would not of fought against you back then because I did not have any reason to… Misao here asked me to bring you back with me when I went to fight that day and that is what I did. Did you know that Okina asked me to kill you?" said Battousai. Kenshin was beyond piss so he let Battousai handle the ice block thick skull that was the former Okashira of the Oniwabanshu
Aoshi was stunned. Okina… had sent Battousai to kill him? "No I did not know that"
"You know why I refuse? It was not only my vow to never kill again, it were Misao's tears that gave me the strength to bring sense to Okina's clouded reasoning. I met Misao during my trip to Kyoto and she kept me sane while I was away from Kaoru. She kept me going and gave me one more reason to fight against Shishio. I knew that she loved you deeply so I waited to see her reaction to Okina's words. You know what she did? She only cried in disbelieve of what she was hearing. Despite what you did to Okina, she saw trough you and saw how desperate you were and the only thing she did was ask me to bring you back to her, despite her own pain and confusion" said Battousai in a pained voice "that day you almost killed her Aoshi"
Aoshi mouth opened in disbelieve "I would never do such a thing" Now he was offended by Battousai's implication
"Yes you did. All of us have almost killed someone we love in a point or another. I killed the person that matter to me the most a long time ago and I almost killed my reason for living now when I left for Kyoto, but I fixed that quite a long time ago, I hope. But you are still killing her" said Kenshin
"Is worst than if you actually pierce her heart with a sword. She is dying slowly… Soon all that will be left will be a ghost of the lively and slightly annoying weasel, and all because you don't want to admit your mistake, eat your pride, ask her forgiveness and accept what she is freely offering you, her love. You are truly an idiot, moron and stupid selfish bastard. I am no longer hungry. Good night Battousai." Saito let himself slid down the blanket and said "Koishii, after you eat will you lay down with me? I will be waiting for you. Good night tanuki. Weasel…"
Tokio looked at her husband quite surprise but said nothing. She went to his side and said "Please, at least drink the tea" Saito sat down again and began drinking the tea. Tokio took the tray and place it in front of her in the small table. She began giving the soba to her husband, little by little, feeding him. After a while, between the two of then left no soba and went to sleep, Tokio using Saito's chest as a pillow.
Meanwhile Kaoru went to Kenshin's side and began giving him the tea. He could not move freely and she knew it, so she began feeding him. After a few seconds, before she gave him the fish, she bent down and places a soft kiss to his lips, pouring all the emotions that she was feeling onto that single kiss and said "I love you with all my heart and soul. Thanks you for giving me the chance to love you and care for you"
"It is me who is thankful for the chance koishii. Let's sleep, I am no longer hungry. You?" she shocked her head so he said "leave the tray there and lay down at my side koishii"
He lay down under the cover and she quickly went to lay over the covers when he said "is cold and you will freeze if you don't cover yourself. Don't worry I don't normally bite"
Saito heard that and chuckle "I don't want to know about your love life Battousai! You are disgusting"
"You don't normally bite either" said Tokio with mischief in her eyes "but when you do… oh my god" Kenshin laughed at this hard. Kaoru giggle when she saw Saito's blush
"You will pay for that commend later on woman, you own me quite a bit now"
"I am soooooo scare husband. Himura-san would you save me from the wolf?" said Tokio
"Of course Tokio-dono, after all is no more than a dog that barks but does not bite" said Kenshin laughing. Saito took his cup of tea and threw it at Kenshin who took it before it hit him "Your own wife's words, right Tokio-dono?"
"Yes true, but you are suppose to help me not give him more reasons to kill me" said Tokio giggle madly
"Let's sleep" said Saito
"Good night minna" said Tokio
"Good night" everyone answer
Misao was still preparing Aoshi's tea. Kenshin and Saito's words were echoing in her mind as nothing else had in a long time
"Icicle, the thing that shocks me is that you have such a sweet, lively and pure woman that loves you with her soul and more and you don't even pay attention to her. Do you really expect her to wait for you forever?"
"You know why I refuse to kill you Aoshi? It was not only my vow to never kill again, it were Misao's tears that gave me the strength to bring sense to Okina's clouded reasoning… I knew that she loved you deeply so I waited to see her reaction to Okina's words. You know what she did? She only cried in disbelieve of what she was hearing. Despite what you did to Okina, she saw trough you and saw how desperate you were and the only thing she did was ask me to bring you back to her, despite her own pain and confusion"
"All of us have almost killed someone we love in a point or another."
'Can you actually dye of heartache? Is it true that I will wait forever for the only man that I and will love because he does not love me or does not want to return my feelings?'
Misao took the tray and went to Aoshi's side. There was an awkward silence now. She did not know how to act in front of him anymore, so she just put the tray on the night table and said with an all business voice
"Can you eat by yourself?" said Misao
"Ie"
"Let me help you then"
"Don't boder"
"Is not a problem. Here drink some tea" she feed him until he was full and then made him lay down. She took the blanket and covers him with them before saying "Good night Aoshi-sama" and retreating to a corner to try to sleep. He knew that the next day she would be in a great pain and discomfort but he was too trouble to do anything else but say "Good night Misao"
'Saito might be actually right. I cannot wait for him to make up his mind, what If he never does? I want a family of my own and now I am Okashira… the Oniwabanshu expects me to marry and soon to give them an heir… can I marry another man besides Aoshi-sama and be happy?'
'Think about it tomorrow, now you need to rest' said a voice inside Misao's head that sounded so much like Hanya's. 'Rest now and confront him tomorrow and make your decision. We will be always with you no matter what your decision is. Follow your heart no matter what'
With that she fell sleep
