Misao looked to the skies as a soft wind blew over the hilltop. The rain had been gradually lessening over the last hour and the rolling thunderheads were beginning to move on, apparently satisfied that they had inflicted enough damage for one week. Misao was drenched, her hair plastered to her head and shivering with cold. Her cheeks, however, were dry. She had cried herself completely out of tears and now there was just - nothing. Nothing at all left in her heart, she was drained in every way. 'So is this what it feels like?' she thought dully. 'Is this what Aoshi feels every day? Hmph, no wonder.'
Leaning against the great tree that stood on the crest of the hill, Misao watched as the winds blew the last of the storm clouds away revealing a million stars and a waning moon. It had been four years since she came here with Aoshi. She had been so energetic that day, determined to get the homebody Aoshi out of the Aoiya and for once NOT go to the temple. He had finally agreed to take his lunch outside with Misao, more to quiet the girl than for the reasons she was insisting upon. They had come here, to this hill. The sun had been shining and a soft wind blowing; it was the perfect day, a day she would never forget. It was the day that Aoshi kissed her. This was the place where their lips had met for the first and the last time, that kiss forever seared into her memory and burned into her heart. Misao's downcast eyes clouded once more as she remembered for the thousandth time that day that Aoshi seemed to have forgotten.
They had been eating their lunches in peace, Misao chatting away as usual about something or another and Aoshi silently listening to her. Then, in a moment of true serendipity, they had both turned to each other at the same time, each reaching for something different. Time froze. They had simply stared into each others eyes, Misao's words dying in her mouth. And then...he had leaned forward and kissed her. She still remembered his lips; so soft and gentle, just like she had always thought they would be. She could still remember the sensation of being kissed by him, the electricity that had coursed through her body as his hand reached up and caressed her cheek, moving back until he held the back of her neck loosely in one hand. And then they had parted, he had looked at her with a strange expression on his face...and then... it all went to hell. It had been so confusing at the time. He had kissed her, yet afterwards he wouldn't look at her. He barely spoke to her and acted like he was almost afraid to be anywhere where she was. Three days later he had left on his journey. Little did she know at the time just what that journey would mean.
A wry smile twisted her face as she felt that familiar tightness in her heart and a single tear coursed down her cheek. 'Well I guess I'm not completely done then,' she thought, wiping away the unwanted wetness with her finger. Sinking to the ground, her back against the tree, Misao wondered if she would ever be done. Was this what she would feel forever? This thought had just flashed through her numb mind, causing her to cringe internally at the prospect, when a sound reached her ears. At first she didn't believe what she heard. She couldn't, it was just too impractical. But then it repeated.
"Misao."
A softly spoken word, spoken in a voice that she had not heard in real life for almost two years. A voice, however, that she still remembered. Her shoulders began to tremble as her eyes widened in shock. Was he here? Was she going crazy? What if walking in all this rain had given her a fever and she was hallucinating, hearing things? She had almost convinced herself that this must be the truth; that there was no way Aoshi would be here now, on this hill, on this particularly horrible night when all of her emotions were tearing loose. What were the chances of that?! She had almost convinced herself when she heard his footsteps next to her and felt his presence there in the night. She closed her eyes as a renegade tear broke free and spilled down her porcelain cheek. She knew his presence, she could never forget or mistake it for anyone else. He was here. 'Oh Gods, what do I do now?'
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the yummy characters.
I know this chapter was really short, but the next one will be extra long to make up for it! I actually didn't intend for this to be it's own chapter, but the chapter I was writing got really long and I needed to break it up somehow. I'm almost done with the rest of it so chapter 5 will be up in the next day or so.
I would also like to thank those of you who have reviewed, I really appreciate it! Thanks again and enjoy!