A/N: Okay, here's more and more AoshixMisao Lemony fluff! I hope it makes you all happy especially since it's been awhile since we've seen an intense 'passionate' moment between them! There will be more of these to come but first, prepare yourselves because after this, you will be set upon by some suspenseful, angsty dramaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Enjoy. XOXo
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It was amazing how the mood had changed that night at the dinner table.
The moment Misao and Aoshi had walked in-hand in hand-everyone's eyes were on them and many surprised-and pleased faces exchanged knowing looks as the two settled down at the table, seated side by side.
However, the warning glance they received from Jiya put out any and all burning intentions to bager the young people with questions-which of course left most of the group gathered, much deflated and grumbling discontentedly.
Aoshi and Misao didn't appear to notice this however-whether they were sincere in their ignorance or not, is a mystery but regardless, they were off in their own little world as they sat together, conversing with the rest of the family-but especially with each other-throughout the entire course of the meal.
Jiya was astonished to say the least. He had never in his life seen Aoshi so talkative. Granted, the young man still said very little in comparisson to the rest of the chatty bunch but from his usual stoicism and typical one-word answers, tonight he was quite the conversationalist.
Of course it had everything to do with Misao.
Jiya shook his head in wonderment at his beautiful granddaughter who was presently regailing Aoshi with an animated story of an incident when her and Omasu had gone shopping at the market earlier.
She was saying something about a man who had attempted to steal a few melons from one of the produce booths and how her and Omasu had ''flirted'' with the man in an attempt to foyle his escape plan.
It ended with the theif landing face-first in a pile of cow maneuer fertalizer and at this comical conclusion of her tale, Misao promptly burst into laughter.
But there was someone else at the table who did not find her story at all amusing.
"Honestly, I don't understand you sometimes, Misao-san."
Kagerou uttered in demure voice dripping with sickening sweetness. "It seems to me that you almost enjoy these moments of-rambunctious frivolity as if you were a mere child of ten! My, but to be so...carefree and reckless as you are, it must be quite...refreshing to have little to no responsibilities." She let out an overly-jovial giggle but Misao could clearly sense the intended insult veiled behind Kagerou's psuedo compliment.
Her instincts screamed to shoot a biting rebuttle back at the woman but her head was dominating at this point and it told her to keep calm for the sake of Aoshi and Jiya.
So, taking a deep calming breath, she settled a complacent smile on her lips and looked directly at Kagerou. "I don't allow my 'feminine sensibilities' as a woman to overshadow my duties as a ninja, if that is what you mean, Kagerou-sama." She kept her voice light and casual but her eyes pierced pointedly into Kagerou's as she spoke, sending a silent message to the older woman of 'don't underestimate me just because you view yourself as a woman first and foremost, and I do not.'
"I've always seen myself as an Iga ninja first and a woman second. Which is quite strange I am sure since most women reverse the two." She offered a light smile to the others as they all nodded in approval.
"That is one of the many aspects that makes Misao special amongst my ninjas." Aoshi offered, his expression serene, not giving anything away as he spoke. "She has always taken her role as ninja, quite seriously-more so than a lot of men I've known-and she doesn't allow anything to stand in the way of it. It is something she's always believed whole-heartedly in and also something that Okina and I have looked on with great pride."
His eyes locked on Misao's, giving her a meaningful look that had her blushing and staring down at her plate.
"Indeed! I've always been quite proud of my little Misao, she is a fine member of the Oniwaban and she has become quite and excellent Iga ninja!" It was Jiya's interjected praise that brought on a conversation between the rest of the Oniwaban members, of stories from Misao's childhood.
For the next several hours, they regailed their guests-and mortified Misao-with tales of what she had been as a child and how she had first come to live with them and be a part of their family.
Poor Misao spent most of the time blushing profusely and pleading with Aoshi to 'order' the others to cease the embarrassing storytelling. But to her surprise-and utter horror-Aoshi himself offered up his own tale of how he and Misao had first met.
It was thankfully less of an awkward tale but it still left Misao squirming and hiding her face in her hands for being the unwanted center of attention.
At one point, Misao moved from the table in an attempt to flee but she felt a gentle tug and squeeze on her hand.
She caught her breath, looked down and discovered that it was Aoshi's hand which was still wrapped around her slender fingers.
She snapped her eyes to his face but her Okashira was looking straight ahead as Jiya spoke to him and didn't appear to even notice.
Her cheeks warmed as her eyes trailed once again to their joined hands beneath the table and she thought pondered on how curious it was that since first entering the dining room with her hand in his, Aoshi hadn't let go the entire course of the meal and even now, he seemed perfectly content to keep holding her hand in his for as long as she allowed him.
However with her mounting excitement and curiosity, Misao wanted to test her theory.
So settling herself in her seat, she waited a few moments and then as casually as possible began to withdraw her hand from Aoshi's.
He allowed her to get most of her hand free until it was just her fingers that remained, and then in a quick fluid movement, he tugged on her fingers and then turning his hand so it was palm up, he slid the pads of his fingertips along the full length of her palm, almost to her wrist before he once again, wrapped her hand fully in his and pulled it into his lap.
Misao kept her eyes trained on her rice bowl but her breath hitched and her heart was pounding.
She felt Aoshi's fingers slip along her palm and then snuggly wrap around her entire hand. Then she jumped in her seat when he pulled her hand into his lap and settled it against his thigh, still keeping it wrapped in his.
He then, loosened his grip slightly and let his other hand drift across his lap and now took her hand in both of his as he began caressing the back of her hand with the pads of his thumbs in a circular motion. He started at her knuckles and slowly worked his way to her wrist in a consistent circular motion. Then he would drag his thumbs back up to her knuckles in a straight line and once again, work his way to her wrist as he massaged her hand with his thumbs.
The action was deliberate and Aoshi repeated it over and over again, sometimes letting his other fingers massage gently into her palm as he worked his way back and forth across the back of her hand.
But he never met Misao's eyes. Nor even once gave any indication that he was aware of what he was doing; he kept his azure orbs fixed straight ahead, his face impassive and never spoke a word unless it was in response to a question or statement directed at him from one of the others.
Misao couldn't quell the incessant quivering of her heart at his movements nor could she bring herself to look at him as he continued to caress her.
It was a small gesture and in and of itself, quite innocent.
But for Misao, coming from Aoshi, it was anything but and she felt that forgotten-yet-all-too-familiar heat welling up in the pit of her stomach and spreading outwards to the rest of her body.
Not only that, but throbbing ache started to rear itself from deep in her core and it radiated from between her thighs, causing her to shift and squirm uncomfortably in her chair.
Kami's sake what in the hell...? Damn it, why now?!
Misao groaned inwardly; of course any sort of physical contact from Aoshi-no matter how innocent-would ignite this sort of reaction in her. It was like a moth to the flame; you lit a lantern and instantly, the moth flew head-long into the heat with no thought on the irrevertable consequnce of being instantaneously consumed.
She shook her head, taking in a gulp of air and letting it out slowly to calm herself.
She had to keep herself pulled together no matter what!
Just then, Omasu said something about tea and Misao nearly leapt for joy as the rest of the guests stood to their feet and shuffled towards the shoji that opened out onto the engawa.
She hid a smile, thinking how tea had more times than not, been her saving grace in situations like this.
"Misao, be a dear and fetch the cups will you? The tea is already brewed, it just needs to be poured and the brought." Omasu called over her shoulder and for a moment, Misao forgot she was being held partially captive and scrambled to her feet.
However a sharp tug on her left hand had her tipping and losing her balance before another large hand shot out and took hold of her free arm to steady her.
"Oh comen, Aoshi-sama I-"
He tugged her back down to her seat and she landed with an awkward plop on her knees-and her upper body partially in Aoshi's lap.
Cheeks flamed with embarassment as she gingerly pushed herself up and off of him with her free hand.
"Uh-umm okay that was-a-awkward I'm sorry."
"Awkard?" He asked, tilting his head to the side in an inquiring manner as he looked down at her curiously.
"Er well, 'clumsy' I meant, sorry I shouldn't have stood up so quickly." She shook her head, trying to clear her muddled thoughts as she completely righted herself.
"I didn't realize you still had my...hand." She said the last part in an almost whisper and she avoided his eyes at this point which were still fixated on her face.
"I hope you do not mind." It sounded much more like a statement but that was Aoshi; he rarely asked when he spoke.
Her eyes darted to meet his and then away again. "Not at all." she answered and a shy smile touched the corners of her lips just then and she pressed them together in an attempt to hold it back.
"Misao."
At the firmness in his town, her head snapped up and she looked him right in the eyes. "Hai?"
He waited for a long moment before spoke further.
Then he took a deep breath and set his jaw. "Will you take your tea with me and then a walk afterwards?"
Misao's eyes widened and her lips formed a small 'o'.
But something in Aoshi's eyes didn't match his stoic expression-Misao would describe it as hopeful and her own spray-green eyes fixated on that emotion when she responded.
"Of course Aoshi-sama; I would be more than happy to." She let a soft smile light up her features as she looked up at him and the handsome Okashira visibly relaxed as he let out a breath and nodded.
Once they had all taken their tea, the Oniwaban along with Kagerou and Tenma, were scattered about on the engawa, lounging or sprawled on cushioned matts as they talked contentedly amongst themselves.
Misao watched the faces of her family from her place next to Aoshi and a warm nostalgic sort of smile graced her lips as she took the last sip of green tea and set down her empty cup.
She loved evenings like this where they were all together and could just talk and laugh about anything and nothing. It was so calm and carefree, she wished they could spend the rest of their lives just like this-she would be perfectly happy, she thought.
Her attention was pulled to her right where Aoshi was settled on his matt in a semi-reclining possition, one leg outstretched before him and the other bend with his arm resting on his knee while his other hand supported most of his weight as he tilted his head back to look up at the stars.
Misao let her eyes travel over the lenght of his profile, down the length of his arm to his hand and then back up to his face where she noticed a small pale crescent-shaped scar on his cheek bone.
She vaguely remembered a training incident in which he'd caught the edge of one Beshimi's Shuriken blades, in his attempt to avoid a straight-on attack; he'd made a slight mis-calculation in dodging the flying shuriken blades and thus, the crescen-shaped scar had been born.
Misao smiled a little at the memory. Beshimi had been so petrified that he'd caught his master on the cheek and had begged Aoshi to punish him severely as penance.
But Aoshi-in one of his rare boisterous moments-had only chuckled at Beshimi and clapped him on the shoulder, declaring that scars were nothing more than badges of honor that a ninja should wear proudly as it signified his strength of will and spirit.
"You are staring, Misao."
"Eh?" Misao blinked several times, coming back to the present from her drifting thoughts and she found Aoshi's dark eyes staring at her intensely.
"O-oh I'm sorry I was just-I just noticed the scar on your face-the one just below your eye that's shaped like a crescent? I was remembering how you got it."
"Hmm. Beshimi's Shuriken blade." He commented softly.
"Yes; I guess I'd forgotten all about that memory until just now. Poor Beshimi, he was so terrified when the blade struck you, I remember he fell flat on his face and begged you to punish him as penance!"
She was laughing now and Aoshi let his eyes drink in the way her smile lit up her beautiful eyes and the way they sparkled in the moonlight as she recalled the humerous memory.
He could sit here and watch her laugh for the rest of his life and nothing would have made him happier; the way she looked when she laughed, it was always a breath-taking sight to him and he wanted it burned into his memory.
"It's sweet though when you think about it; they all adored you so much that even the thought of you being accidentally injured, was too much for them to bare...I remember one thing that H'annya always told me, growing up and that was, no matter what, you always protect your master. Even in moments when it could very well cost you your life, you never thought twice about it, it was your duty and honor as a ninja."
"I never knew H'annya spoke to you of such serious things. You were so young then, I found myself holding back in many ways because subconsciously, I couldn't bare the thought of you knowing the harshness of our reality when you were still...so innocent."
Misao couldn't help but laugh a little at Aoshi's rose-colored glasses approach when it came to her. He always wanted to keep her completely locked away-as if in a glass bowl-so that there would never be anything in this world that could harm her. It both touched her and saddened her because he'd worked so hard to keep her safe that he had unwittingly caused her the most heartache and pain by doing so.
"You were always protecting me. To the point where I felt like I was suffocating at times, to be honest." She hummed ruefully as she turned and looked out across the courtyard and out to the grassy field where the fireflies danced among the tall grass and trees.
Just then, Aoshi stood to his feet.
Misao turned to find him standing infront of her now with his hand held out to her.
"Walk with me?"
Her breath hitched at the richness in his tone and the way his eyes intensified yet softened as he looked down at her.
"Yes, thank you." She smiled up at him, taking his offered hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.
They moved down the steps and once they'd reached the ground, Aoshi gently let go of her hand and clasped his hands behind his back as they began their easy stroll along the edge of the back courtyard, making their way towards the small, grassy field secluded near a grove of sakura trees.
Companionable silence drifted between them at first until they were nearly half-way around the perimeter.
"I see you have been enjoying the company of our guests from Kouga." Aoshi spoke at length.
"I-yes, it seems that they have a lot of the same views on life and values that we do; I think that Tenma-sama and Lady Kagerou have a genuine desire to strengthen our alliance through friendship."
"Aa. And perhaps-this is especially true of Yorihisa-sama?" Aoshi ventured.
Misao gave him a side-long glance. "Aoshi-sama?"
"It appears that you have made particular progress with him; I have-noticed that you two seem to have an easy friendship and-it appears that you know him better and perhaps-trust him implicitly."
Misao felt a little unsettled at Aoshi's peculiar line of questioning and she sensed there was something deeper behind it.
She chose her next words carefully. "I think that Tenma-sama has a kindred spirit with many of the Iga ninja and he seems even more desireous and understand of our situation then perhaps many of his Kouga counterparts. Yes, I consider him to be an honorable friend-but as for implicit trust, that I cannot say for certain, no."
Her response surprised Aoshi in that it was carefully thought out, mature and also not quite what he was expecting.
"Then you do not trust him."
Misao paused in her footsteps and contemplated his question as she looked out across the field. "I trust his intentions. I trust that he is genuine in wishing to see this alliance through-but I do not know enough of his character to fully trust him."
Aoshi nodded after a moment and the two fell instep with one another once more. "A wise observation, Misao. So you feel that we ought to continue to continue to be mindful and watchful."
"Yes, and I believe that goes for all of our Kouga emissaries; we want to be cordial and hospitable-but we do not want to be rash and foolish in our assumptions of them."
"You said 'all of our Kouga emissaries' do you then have reservations regarding his companion."
Misao paused for a long moment. This is where it was tricky. Aoshi was asking her honest opinion regarding Kagerou but that didn't mean Misao was at liberty to sully the woman's reputation, even if she had many misgivings regarding her character. She had to be just as cautious in her deliberations over Kagerou as she was regarding Tenma.
"I don't really know Kagerou; in fact I've had little to no interaction with her since they've arrived-but I have seen some-indications that she has more difficulty with letting go of old grudges than perhaps Tenma; she has a very narrowed view and I don't imagine that it's easy for her to deviate from it."
"The feud."
Misao nodded. "She seems to have a harder time with grasping onto the present and the fact that we're all working towards a common goal. My only concern is that this could cloud her judgement if she doesn't deal with her conflicting feelings. But-hopefully, she'll come around."
To be honest, Misao had little hopes of Kagerou's behavior making any improvement especially in regards to her but still, she didn't want Aoshi to worry about any more than he had to and Kagerou's obvious aversion to her was something she felt she could handle alone at this point.
"I appreciate your opinion, Misao. Arigatou." Aoshi's face lit up in a small grateful smile as they continued walking.
"If I knew that all I had to do was give you my honest opinion in order to get you to smile, then I would've been blunt with you years ago." She laughed mirthfully to herself, brushing back a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Hm?"
She looked over at him. "Your smile. I think that's the-third one I've seen so far. It's small and no one else has probably noticed but for me, It's quite the view."
She smiled a little then herself, turned her eyes back to looking ahead of them as they came to the grove of Sakura trees.
"I haven't-even noticed that I was." Aoshi answered awkwardly.
"Well good! The best smiles are the unintended ones." She reached up a hand and plucked one of the blossoms, holding it up to her nose and breathing in deeply.
Aoshi watched her from where he stood, entranced by the way the moonlight caught the subtle blue highlights in her hair as it was picked up and blown in furrows behind her, by the evening breeze.
Her fingers were nimble yet gentle as they plucked the Sakura blossom, being careful to avoid crushing any of the delicate petals as she held under her nose and inhaled deeply.
Her long lashes brushed over her porcelain cheeks when her eyes fluttered closed as she inhaled the intoxicating aroma.
Her full pink lips spread into a sweet, wistful kind of smile and a soft hum escaped her slightly parted lips when she took in one last breath of the blossom's perfume before letting it slip from her fingers and flutter gracefully to the ground.
"You always did love the Sakura blossoms." Aoshi observed softly, watching her eyes flutter open and blink a few times before they were locked onto his.
"I would find you out in the garden near the Aoiya...making...daisy chains I think it was. Only yours were with Sakura blossoms. You would wear them like a crown all day long and you even tried to sleep with them once or twice-but Omasu wouldn't have it."
His sharp features softened even further as a warmer smile touched his lips and Misao went breathless at how beautiful he was.
"I-I only remember making the chains but-I don't really remember what I did with them afterwards." She breathed out softly, her eyes never once leaving the handsome contours of his face.
Aoshi stepped towards her and standing just infront of her, he reached up and broke off a small branch of Sakura blossoms, gingerly twisting it inbetween his fingers.
"You would bring branches of them inside as well-to decorate the house as well as the dojo. H'annya had a birthday and you'd picked an entire mound of blossoms and dragged them into the house in an old sack that you promptly dumped on the floor of his room!"
At this Aoshi's eyes met hers again and she was floored at the laughter dancing in the azure depths.
"Aoshi-sama..."
"I will never forget the look on Omasu and Okon's faces." He shook his head, the wistful flow in his eyes dimming only slightly as he held out the branch to Misao.
"It always amazed me how you were gravitated to something so simple, pure and innocent in its beauty. I didn't realize until later that the reason it astounded me was because you were very much like those Sakura blossoms."
His voice had transformed into a gentle lull that had Misao feeling light-headed.
"How-how was I like the Sakura blossoms?" It was the first thought that came to her mind so she'd let it fall from her lips.
Aoshi looked down at her intently and then moving even closer to her, he reached up a careful hand and lightly cupped her cheek which was flushed with color.
"Because-you were also so simple in your manner, so pure in spirit...and so innocent in your heart. And that brought a beauty to you that has always been so unassuming because you have always sought to share that beauty with the world, unselfishly. Just like the Sakura blossoms, you never held anything back when it came to shining beauty and happiness into the dark worlds of others."
Misao could feel her heart racing and the gentle caress of Aoshi's fingers against her cheek, drew out a quickening breath from her lips.
"A-Aoshi-s-sama." Her voice came out whisper-soft and trembling.
"Misao-you are trembling." His face drew closer to hers and his fingertips could feel the heat burning in her cheeks when her eyes were drawn impossibly to his.
"What is that you are afraid of?" He asked in a voice so low and gentle, Misao wasn't certain if it had come from him or inside her head.
"I-I don't-K-know."
His fingers slid along her jawline to cup her chin where he tilted her face upwards to meet his.
"What are you thinking, Misao-tell me." His breath ghosted against her cheek and an involuntary sigh fell from her lips.
She could feel the warmth of his body bleeding into her own as he drew closer and closer to her and her own body began to awaken with longing.
Her eyes fluttered closed when she felt his forhead press against hers as he slipped his free hand around her waist and pulled her into his arms.
Her tiny hands rested, one splayed against his chest and the other wrapped around his muscled arm as she fought to control her shuddering breaths and racing heart.
But he made it oh so impossible for her to even maintain reality. Even the slightest touch from him, or a look would send her over the edge and she would find herself drowning in the dark ocean of his steel orbs with the heat of his every touch consuming every fiber of her being!
Her heart, mind and soul were on fire.
"Aoshi-sama I-I can't-" She shook her head dumbly, trying to focus and push him away but her limbs weren't obeying her command; his warmth, his touch and the smell of his skin filled every corner of her mind, intoxicating her senses.
"Misao-I need you."
She let out a shaky breath, feeling Aoshi's strong hand pull her to him even more as he whispered into her hair.
"I know that I have-done things-to hurt you-and that I have violated your trust but Misao-you know me. You are the only one who really knows the man I am. And even though I tried to protect you from me, it was my mistake but I can't-be without you anymore-"
"Aoshi please, I can't-think!" She gasped when his fingers left her cheek and combed slowly through her hair, as he brought his lips within a hair's breadth of hers.
"Then please, Misao-don't." And he carefully pressed his lips against hers, tasting her shuddering breaths as she inhaled sharply and then gasped.
The moment his lips were on hers, Misao's sucked in a breath
froze
and then tangled her shaky fingers into the material of his uniform as she desperately clung to him and kissed him back.
A small part of her mind tried to kick in as it mildly registered this wasn't supposed to happen.
She was giving into Aoshi again but something was different-somehow the larger part of her usually-overly-rational-mind overruled recognized some subtle change and decided that this was a time for the heart to take over.
Perhaps, it wasn't so much of her giving into Aoshi, as much as it was her realizing that she wanted this just as much as he did and fighting against herself was completely different than fighting against him.
Her tiny fists tightened their hold as she pulled herself as close to Aoshi as humanly possible in an attempt to deepen the kiss.
Aoshi felt her hands tug on his uniform and the Okashira sucked in a breath, feeling his body temperature rise and his desire for Misao, intensify.
As a result, the kiss which had been soft and subtle at first was now turning heated and desperate very fast and it was becomming harder and harder for both Aoshi and Misao to distinguish one turbulent emotion from the next.
Misao's hands clawed eagerly up the front of Aoshi until she was tangling her arms around his neck and pulling him down towards her.
An agonizing maon clawed out of Aoshi's mouth and his arms wrapped around her waist, caging her fiercely as he lifted her up off the ground.
When her feet left the ground, Misao sighed in ecstasy, pulling out of the kiss just enough to get a look at her Okashira.
His eyes were burning like molten steel and piercing her with lustful stare and his lips were red and swollen as he gasped for breath.
God, he was so hauntingly beautiful! It took her breath away.
"What-are you looking at?" He asked breathlessly.
She bit her lower lip, causing him to utter another desire-filled moan.
The pad of her thumb brushed across his lower lip as she fixated hungry eyes on him.
"I was-just looking at you."
His head tilted to the side questioningly and his brows furrowed. "-Why?"
"Because-" And bringing her lips within bare inches of his, she whispered passionately. "-You're so-beautiful."
And Misao kissed him.
With so much passion and ferver, it literally brought the Okashira to his knees and he caged her body in his arms, getting drunk on her kiss and losing himself to the feverish beat of her heart.