Strange Affliction

Chapter 16 – Stepping Stone

Misao relaxed in her chair at the wedding reception with very little care. Weddings were always so much fun when you knew pretty much everyone. The dancing, the speeches, the outfits, everything was interesting and she loved it all. She only wished at some point that she would have one of her own.

"Mi Chan" Misao shifted to her right and found Kaoru handing her a piece of the wedding cake – double chocolate fudge flourless. Misao took a bite and barely refrained from drooling – so heavenly. With cake in hand Misao rounded the dance floor heading for the garden hoping the air outside would be less constricting. Watching the love in Akira's eyes as he danced with his wife, Misao felt a pang pf envy and immediately felt terrible. Tomoe was a lovely person and she deserved to be loved like that, she just wished she had the same luck. Or maybe it didn't have anything to do with luck? She couldn't help that with Aoshi she tried too hard. It was like silence at a table full of people; she felt compelled to fill it.

Licking the chocolate icing off her thumb, she inhaled the fresh smell of the garden. Slowly she made her way down to the siren fountain, her reflection rippled with distortion in the shimmering water. She knew what she had been doing. She had been avoiding Aoshi in an attempt to forget which, in hindsight hadn't been the most mature plan.

Aoshi followed Misao out of the ballroom and into the garden. Now the wedding was over she couldn't possibly have other things to do.

"Misao." He called her name tentatively.

He saw her shift towards the sound his voice but her back was still facing him. He moved towards her until they were standing side by side facing the fountain.

"I'm-" he began carefully.

"No. I'm sorry Aoshi." Misao inserted quietly. "I was so childish wasn't I? Expecting too much, never asking just expecting. I guess my only excuse is that I felt so much that I thought it was okay for me to try harder." She sighed "And you're quite solitude made me want to try harder. But I should have realised: that's just the way you are. And if you had wanted to tell me how you felt then you would have…I just didn't understand. But I do now." He watched as she turned toward him with a look of sadness on her face. In that moment he felt as if there was no air in his lungs. She was done with him, done.

"Will you forgive me?" she asked sweetly.

"No."

Misao tightened her lips but waited for him to continue.

"I can't. I won't" he said stiltedly, the usually precise man struggled to find the words. Clearing his throat he started again. "What I mean to say is, I do like you." When Misao said nothing he tried again, "I-"

"I heard you." she said quietly but he could hear the underlying anger in her voice. "You like me." She repeated in a low toneless voice before pivoting on her heel and striding back to the ballroom.

"Misao?" Aoshi called after her, but she didn't look back. Aoshi refused to let her go this time. Following her carefully as she expertly wove her way through the throngs of people, he caught Kenshin's eye as he swung past with Kaoru in his arms. There was a sympathetic curiosity in his eyes which stung a little.

"Aoshi just rushed by following Misao." Whispered Kenshin in Kaoru's ear. She tilted her head and watched as Aoshi's broad back disappeared through the darkened doorway of the hallway entrance.

"Should we go?" she asked.

"Kaoru, Queen of relationship High, is asking me for my humble advice?" he chuckled earning himself a glare from Kaoru who was biting her lip in apprehension. "It will be fine love." He pulled her closer "and if they don't come back in 10 minutes we'll go and find them." Kaoru lay her cheek against his and let him guide her through the slow moving couples on the dance floor.

Megumi had seen the exchange and knew they had been talking about Aoshi and Misao. Those two, it seemed, were always having trouble getting their act together.

"Hey Fox, are you going to eat that cake?" Sano asked taking the plate before she had even responded. Rolling her eyes she leaned back against his shoulder, revelling in the warmth she could feel through his jacket. Despite some small things he did to annoy her, Sano had a heart of gold. Not many people understood why she was with him, but she didn't have the time to explain why if they couldn't see it for themselves.

"Meg?" Sano asked quietly.

"Mmm." Megumi murmured.

It wasn't often that his girlfriend (or fiancé if you wanted to get technical) showed affection in public. He watched as she tilted her head back and smiled softly at him "Don't leave me okay?" she whispered.

"Why would I do that?" he smiled in response kissing her forehead.

Between the idea

And the reality

Between the motion

And the act

Falls the Shadow

"You were in the shadow Aoshi. What will you do now?"

"I'll fight it." He responded quietly, and wondered why he never knew that she read TS eliot.

"Why? What good is there to fight for something, someone when they no longer want you."

"Is that what you're saying? That you no longer have feelings for me?" he demanded roughly.

Misao leaned against the window sill and sighed "I'm tired Aoshi. That's what I am. Tired."

"Misao Please." He managed to insert evenly, though his courage was failing fast. He'd never been in this type of situation before.

"Please?" she scoffed. "How many times did I say Please Aoshi?" she demanded "I guess that's unfair of me to say." She shook her head in resignation "I just wanted to be at peace with my decision. And now you're saying this. I need time to think." She continued looking out the window. He guessed that was the end of the discussion.

She wasn't open to discussing anything right now, but tomorrow he would be right back here. He would make her see how much he wanted her. Needed her. Besides she said she needed time to think; she didn't say he couldn't be around while she thought about it.

Kenshin tried to turn over and stopped as he felt the weight of Kaoru's body against his own. She'd wake up if he tried to move. Her hair had spilled out over his shoulder and arm. Normally she smelt like Jasmine but this time she smelt like something fresh and clean. Citrusy, but sweet and nice. Sliding her hair through his fingers her scent wafted into his nose. Oh man he loved the way she smelt. He slowly felt her body shift, her arm slid under his and splayed over his chest, as she rubbed her cheek on his shoulder blade before kissing the bare skin there.

"Good Morning"

"It is" Kenshin smiled against his pillow before turning over to encircle her in his arms.

"I wonder if Aoshi and Misao figured out what they're doing." She murmured.

"It will be okay.' Kenshin slid his hand up and down her naked spine making her shiver.

"You're only saying that because we're okay." She responded dryly.

"It's hard to be pessimistic when I feel this way. Can you blame me?"

"No. I really can't." she said happily as his arms tightened around her.

Kamatari quietly stole into the house. Stealth, stealth stealth he chanted looking towards the kitchen where he assumed everyone would be eating breakfast. Reaching out to grasp the staircases banister he stopped when instead of feeling smooth cool wood he felt a very human and warm hand. Snatching his hand back he let out a sigh.

"Kaoru." He sagged with relief.

"Kamatari," she replied shortly raising an eyebrow at his hastily clad appearance. He smiled at her lopsidedly.

"What's shaking?"

"I'm assuming you're now going to avoid telling me where you were." She observed. "But you know what – that's fine. You're a grown man and you have your own life to live. I shouldn't be asking questions." She nodded with a serene look on her face.

Kamatari refrained from frowning and wondered what miraculous event had occurred in his absence to make Kaoru so mellow regarding his whereabouts.

"Well. Alright then." He responded "I'll be in my room." He added before languidly climbing up the stairs and greeting Kenshin on the way.

Kenshin strolled down the stairs to find Kaoru standing at the bottom with a blank look on her face before she continued down the stairs towards the kitchen with the elegant gait he had come to love.

He wondered how his life would be now had he not met her. Looking into her sparkling blue eyes, he just couldn't imagine it any other way.

Aoshi watched the sun rise slowly. He looked into the creased palm of his hand and imagined what Misaos small hand within his would feel like. Today was the beginning. He would win. Yes he would…

I haven't been able to really progress past what I've written here for this chapter, so after much deliberation I posted it anyway. I'm in the process of writing a sequel called "Veiled Cadence" which mainly features Misao and Aoshi with KK and MS as support.

Thank you all for reviewing - I really appreciate it!

Cheers,

Iuvenalis.