Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
A Little Hard to Get
Chapter Five
"We're home!" Misao yelled out in her usual cheerful self when they arrived back at the Aoiya.
As soon as Okon and Omasu heard the sound of her voice, they came rushing frantically up to her.
"Misao! Where have you been! Kai is already here." Okon spoke quickly as Omasu guided her elbow in the direction of the stairs.
"Who…?" Misao asked, feeling disorientated from the sudden onslaught of unexpected attention upon her. After a moment's thought, she mumbled. "Oh, Kai."
"Come on, you need to get changed."
"Give me a minute, I still need to return my kunai to the weapons room."
"You can do that later." The girls said in unison as they got behind her and started pushing her up the stairs.
"All right, all right. Stop shoving! If you're so enthusiastic, why don't you marry him?" Misao said irritably.
"Goodnight Misao." Aoshi said in a faint voice, almost inaudible. With all the excitement, she almost forgot he was standing there.
"Goodnight? You're not having dinner with us?" Misao asked.
"No, not tonight." He told her. "Here, I'll take your Kunai back for you."
Misao frowned, her grip on her weapons becoming tighter as though she wouldn't give them up to him unless he could give her a reasonable explanation to her question.
"But why?"
"Misao-chan! Quickly!" Okon and Omasu shouted. They had already made their way to the top of the stairs and were urging her to join them. She knitted her brows together in frustration. How hard was it to just get one minute?
She glanced at Aoshi, and he nodded for her to go along with them. She looked uncertain, but it seemed she wasn't left with much of a choice. In a hesitant moment, she walked over to him and opened her hand so he could take her kunai.
As he reached for the weapons, his fingers swept against her palm and the impression of their contact seemed to linger for a bit. She looked up to find him staring into her eyes. Her face flushed crimson, and she quickly turned and tried to catch up with the other girls.
Aoshi stayed in his position for another minute and watched as the girls hurried off. As he was about to leave, he repeated under his breath.
"Not tonight."
The night was warm, as it had been in the day, and Aoshi could feel the stickiness of the wooden floorboards beneath his feet as he made his way to his room. He enjoyed the walk back because he had to pass by the courtyard to get there. There was something soothing about the sound of leaves rustling whenever there was a breeze. Tonight, however, there wasn't even a gust.
He stared at the enclosed area and wondered when it would be cool again. He detested the feeling of his clothing sticking to his skin because of his sweat. He decided to do something he hadn't done in a very long time.
He started to untie his obi. It unwound itself when it was untied, and fell to the ground. As soon as the obi was gone, his shirt fell open to expose his scarred upper body.
He sometimes felt awkward about the way his body appeared. No matter what he did, no matter how many times he could be forgiven, or forgive himself, the scars would never go away. They were a harsh reminder to him; of all the people he had hurt along the way, and those who had given their lives to protect him.
Looking around, he made sure no one was there. Satisfied with the knowledge that everyone was busy preparing for dinner, he removed his shirt and placed it neatly in a corner.
He walked into the courtyard with his sheath in one hand and his obi in another. He stopped in the middle and allowed his body to be immersed in moonlight. The whiteness of the light bold the contours of his chest, highlighting the way his muscles protruded from his lean frame.
The training that he had conducted with Misao that afternoon had not exhausted him enough. He needed his energy to dissipate before he could sleep that night. With one hand, he bound his obi over his eyes so that he had to use his other senses instead. It was something he had practiced as a child, because he knew there would be opportunities of fights that occurred in the darkness of night. He felt his body move on impulse, drawing both his swords. He paused in his Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren stance, getting ready to fight.
In a sudden motion, he moved in a rapid attack towards an intangible opponent. The blows were destined to kill instantly, and he felt a tingling sensation in his hands as he completed the sequence. In a final move, he made a strong leap into the air and his arms raised to strike. But a series of unexpected images started clouding his mind. A pair of clear bright eyes, and her innocent smile…
It caused a fracture in his concentration and he fell ungracefully, feet skidding across the dirt in an unsteady landing.
Why, he asked himself.
Why is it that I can only see that one face?
Misao stared in shock as Aoshi's fight sequence ended unsuccessfully. He had always been flawless to her, and watching as he failed to finish off an opponent that didn't even exist disappointed her.
She had stumbled across him training after she had finished getting dressed and was on her way to the dining room. At first she wanted to leave quickly because she realized that he was having a private moment.
But when she discovered that he hadn't noticed her. She found herself staying on to observe him. She was surprised that he didn't know she was there. He was usually alert, and despite being blindfolded; he should still have been aware of her presence. Something must have been preoccupying his mind, or he wouldn't be so careless.
When he pulled himself together and stood up to begin his second attempt, she saw a look on his face that she had never seen before. An expression that he would never intentionally allow anyone to witness. She could not even begin to decipher what it was. His lips parted in repugnance, in a strong distaste for something that she could not comprehend. She could not understand because he always made certain to keep his pain to himself.
There seemed to be an endless barrier between her and Aoshi. She could be standing next to him and feel like he was miles and miles away, somewhere in his own world. And for some reason, every time she tried to get close, his silence never permitted her to do so. At the end of the day, she would find herself standing on the other side wondering what it was that she was doing wrong.
His reticence was clear to her as she observed him that night. He had so much pain within him, so much that he wouldn't and couldn't share with anyone. And it filled his heart to the fullest, so she that had no place in it. No matter how hard she prodded, he would never let her in. There was nothing she could do that would make him right again, it was something he had to do on his own.
She looked away and closed her eyes. A great sadness hovered over her as she took a step forward.
Was it time?
She bit her lip, and a tired tear ran down the side of her cheek.
Was it time?
Time to leave him behind?
She took another step forward in a heartrending reluctance.
Yes.
No.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
She opened her eyes, and continued down the corridor. She would not turn around, or even look back. No, no more.
When Misao entered the dining room, she could feel her anxiety ready to set her off like an alarm and she wondered if she would just topple over and have multiple spasms. She had just made one of the biggest decisions in her life, and was about to embark on something she had no desire for.
However, as soon as she saw the mesmerized look on Kai's handsome face when he first laid eyes on her, she felt a sudden stillness embrace her. He stood up quickly. His feet seemed to glue themselves to the floor as he remained in his position, not even walking over to greet her. All he could do was blink in utter fascination.
Then he finally managed to say quietly, and most sincerely.
"You are perfect."
Aoshi removed the cloth from his face and looked around.
Had he heard footsteps?
Misao.
Misao.
But there was no one.
She was gone.
End of Chapter Five
Plasmolysed Cell Membrane: Greetings! I think I'm being pretty consistent here with the fics considering I have 3 political science essays in due 2 weeks time, which sucks. So I hope you will all be very tolerating of my updates. Right, good people! I hope you had fun with this chapter and you know, tell me what y'all think.