31_days | [Jan 14] [Rurouni Kenshin] Hydromancy By Firelight

Title: Hydromancy By Firelight
Day/Theme: January 14: Me plus one
Series: Rurouni Kenshin
Character/Pairing: Aoshi/Misao
Rating: PG-13ish

Summary: Teapots and tealeaves.

There was nothing I could do at night. Of course if I was the dutiful wife-type, I could wait by the door my every waking second like I had watched my mother do when I was young, as she pinned away for father. But pining wasn't really my thing. I liked action instead of waiting. However Jiya had taken it to mind that I was not to be let out of the house without being under his close observation since Aoshi-sama had left. When Jiya first found out my little secret, he did everything in his power to prevent the rest of the world from knowing. But now that it might as well been public knowledge, Jiya just did his best to keep me close.

I turned over, facing the other wall. It was getting harder for me to sleep at night. The cold area beside me, where my husband was supposed to be, didn't help my insomnia either. He hadn't written once, and there weren't even rumors of his whereabouts. It had been three months, almost four, since he had left, and I had no idea whether he was alive or dead. But of course he was alive, he was the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu for eleven years (officially) and as one of his clan, I was well aware that he could take care of himself, and had witnessed it on several occasions. But it was the way in which he left that worried me.

He never actually said goodbye.

The few days before he left, he saw me less and less, like he was trying to avoid me. When I made my daily trek to the temple with his tea, he was already gone for the day. When I came home, he wouldn't be there, and wouldn't return for several hours after I came home. Jiya said it was my imagination, but I knew it wasn't. And then one morning when I woke up he was just gone. No one knew where he went, or if they did, they weren't telling me. I suppose that was why Jiya kept an eye on me. If anyone knew Aoshi-sama's whereabouts, I knew it had to have been Jiya.

I opened my eyes and let them adjust to the darkness. There was no use in fighting my body when it simply didn't want to sleep. I slowly got up from the futon and adjusted the belt on my yukata. Careful not to wake the others, I snuck downstairs into the kitchen and started a fire in order to boil some water. It was funny how I developed a craving for green tea after Aoshi-sama left. I had always been partial to oolong tea, but that had since changed. I still didn't really like the taste of the tea, but it was relaxing enough. I was hoping that after a cup I would be able to get some sleep.

As I placed the tealeaves into the teapot, I thought I heard a door slide shut somewhere else downstairs.

Peering over my shoulder, I called, "Jiya?" because he would be the only one who would also be up. But there was no answer. Now I was worried. With the teapot in my hand, I silently left the kitchen and headed in the direction that I heard the door. Any person who was stupid enough to break into a ninja clan's home base was about to get what he or she deserved.

There was the echoing of footsteps down the front hallway. I was getting close. Finally seeing a shadow, I swung up with the teapot as hard as I possibly could as I gave a loud yell. It made contact with the perpetrator, just as planned. What I hadn't planned on was for the perpetrator being-

"Aoshi-sama!" I called as I tried to steady him as he recoiled from my attack.

"Attack by teapot. Very original, Misao. I cannot say that I have ever experienced that-" he said, with his hand over his face. "If I was a burglar, do you really think that I would have come through the front door?"

"I- well no, but-"

"Misao!" Jiya came thumping down the stairs, with Shiro-san and Kuro-san in tow. "What happened?"

"Ah, well-" I said, still trying to help Aoshi-sama stay standing. "Aoshi-sama's back!" I tried to sound excited instead of suffering from the incredible embarrassment that I was. I don't think it worked.

"I can see that," Jiya replied scratching at the back of his head. "Kuro, help Aoshi before Misao hurts herself."

"Jiya!"

Before I could protest further, Kuro-san took Aoshi-sama from my arms. "Kami-sama, Misao-chan! What did you do to him?!" Kuro-san asked as Aoshi-sama's footing slipped slightly.

Laughing nervously, I explained, "I kind of hit him with the teapot."

Kuro-san's eyes widened at this. "What! Did you think he was a burglar or something?"

"Well, yeah." I shrugged. "What else was I suppose to think when-"

"We aren't doing much good here jabbering. Kuro, help Aoshi to the kitchen." Jiya nodded to the glowing light from the fire in the kitchen. "At least there's some decent light there and we can see how bad Misao really got him."

"I'll get the broom," I said as Kuro-san carried Aoshi-sama away. Since I left the teapot lid in the kitchen, tealeaves had spilled all of the floor when I hit Aoshi-sama.

"No," Jiya said, grabbing my shoulder. "You won't. You'll go to the kitchen and help Kuro."

"I'm not crippled, Jiya!" I stomped on the ground. "I can clean this up!"

"No. You take care of your of your husband." His eyes narrowed as he took on his parental attitude. "It's been three months since the boy has seen you, Misao. And the first thing you do is hit him with a teapot."

With a huff, I crossed my arms against my chest. "Well he deserves it for not saying goodbye to me when he left. Come to think of it, you do too, since you wouldn't tell me where he went-" I said, readying the teapot for another attack.

Jiya laughed loudly, putting his hands on my arms in an effort to calm me. "Now's not the time for that worn out arguement. Go see Aoshi, Misao. I know you've missed him."

"But Jiya-"

"Don't worry, child." He ran a hand through my hair. Jiya knew exactly what I was worried about. "All will be well," he said with a warm smile.

With a nod, I did what I was told. It was useless to agrue with Jiya. I was going to have to see Aoshi-sama sooner or later, so why not sooner?

When I came into the kitchen, Kuro-san was just leaving. "I'm going to see if I can fetch some ice. You really knocked him hard, Misao-chan."

"I didn't mean to!" I whined.

Kuro-san let out a hardy laugh. "I know that! You're just too fun to tease!"

I shook the teapot in Kuro-san's face. "I'll show you how fun I am to tease. Maybe this time I'll break it when I hit your face-"

"Easy now!" With another laugh, Kuro-san set off in his search for ice. Inside the kitchen, Aoshi-sama had been quelled by the kotatsu. His head was lying on the side, his eyes closed. At first glance, I might have said he had fallen asleep like that. But seeing as I knew Aoshi-sama had problems with sleeping in unusual positions (don't ask), I knew he wasn't.

"Would it be rude of me to offer you some tea after I hit you with the it, Aoshi-sama?" I asked, walking back over to the stove and filling my precious weapon with water left over in a bucket from earlier in the evening.

"No, although it would be rude not to offer," he replied, staying put on the kotatsu and his eyes still closed. "I could even tolerate that disgusting flavor tea you like so much at this point."

I chuckled. "Hate to disappoint you, but I'm making just normal green tea."

"I thought you did not enjoy green tea," Aoshi-sama blandly observed in his ever-so-bland way.

I shrugged. "I've developed a taste for it since you left. I guess it reminded me of you." That came out lonelier than I planned. Shaking it off, I got out two cups for tea, my back to Aoshi-sama.

Aoshi-sama sighed loudly. "I am sorry that I left without saying goodbye, Misao."

"I'm sure you had a good reason. I figured it was an assignment, but Jiya refused to tell me what it was. He wouldn't even tell me where you were."

"It was a dangerous mission," Aoshi-sama explained. "I am sure if Okina made the decision not to tell you any details, it was for your best interest."

"Was that why you didn't tell me you were leaving? My best interests?" I asked quietly as I placed the teapot over the flames.

There was a long silence between the two of us, so I considered it a strong yes to that question. I let out a loud sigh as I placed the cups on a serving tray.

"Turn around, Misao. It has been far too long since I have seen your face."

I flinched. "Ah, Aoshi-sama you just saw my face out in the hallway. How can you say-"

"But not in the proper light," he interrupted. I could hear him walking over to me. "I need to see your beautiful eyes shinning," he said as he cupped his large hand under my chin. My entire body followed suit. Aoshi-sama's other hand traced down my shoulder as I turned towards him.

But the longing look in his eyes quickly changed into wide-eyed pure shock. "Misao when did this...?" his voice trailed off.

"Oh Aoshi-sama," I said. I bit my lip hard to stop myself from crying. "I found out only a few days after you left."

Hesitantly, he placed his hand on the developing roundness of our child inside of me. Only recently had it begun to be impossible to hide. I wasn't as large as Omasu-san and Okon-san continued to tease me I would get, but my body had changed enough that I was already very uncomfortable with it. "Why did not you inform me-"

"What was I supposed to tell you after hitting you with a teapot? 'Sorry about your face! Oh yeah and by the way, you're going to be a father soon?'"

"I see your point. But Misao-" he said, kneeling on the floor. He placed his ear on the place where our child slept and closed his eyes. "You should not have gone through this alone. I should have remained here. I could sense something about your aura before I left, but I could not have fathomed-"

"Don't get upset! I didn't know either, Aoshi-sama. Jiya was the one who had to tell me. Do you know how embarrassing it was that the perverted old man knew about the baby before I did?"

"I recall there are signs that a woman should be aware of." I blushed as I struggled to come up with an explaination. "Am I wrong?" he asked, looking up towards my face.

I shook my head as my cheeks flushed in further embarrassment. "I-uh-don't get those notices regularly. I'm too active with my ninja training, or something. Megumi-san explained it to me once, but it was mostly really gross, so I didn't really pay that much attention."

It took Aoshi-sama a few seconds to realize what I meant, and when he finally did, he cleared his throat pretty loudly. I smiled widely, trying very hard not to laugh at him. "Let me go Aoshi-sama," I said pulling away from his hold. "The water is hot. I need to finish making the tea."

He let go immediately and stood up straight. Returning to making the tea, I took the teapot off of the stove. I could feel Aoshi-sama watching my every move and I could also tell he was still very anxious. "Why don't you sit down, Aoshi-sama? I'll bring the tea over."

"I can carry-"

"Oh please don't start acting like that too! Ever since that doctor came over here, the others-"

"What doctor?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"It's nothing." I shook my head. "Nothing." Which it really was. It was just a case of Jiya being the annoying old man that he was.

Aoshi-sama took the serving tray and placed the teapot on it before I could stop him. "If Okina is worried, then there would be a good reason for it, Misao," he said bringing the tea over to the table.

I followed behind him. "The doctor was just worried about me, that's all," I explained, slowly kneeling down beside the kotatsu.

"How so?" Aoshi-sama asked, sitting down as well.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, I still have the body of a twelve year old- you of all people should know that- ah!" I slapped Aoshi-sama's hand as he was reaching out for the teapot. "I'll at least pour the tea, Aoshi-sama. It's not too heavy for me to pick up. You're not going to take all of my duties as your wife away from me."

He raised an eyebrow at me, looking quite amused. Finally he removed his hand from the teapot. "As you were saying..."

I poured tea into Aoshi-sama's cup first. "He just said that in the later months may be a problem with support if the baby gets too big for my body." Without realizing it, I became absorbed in watching the steam rise from my own cup as I poured myself some tea, thinking about what the future months would bring. Crying. Footsteps. A new life.

"So you truly are worried then."

I blinked. "What? Are you kidding? You think I'd be worried over what some crack-pot doctor told me? After we waited so long for this?"

Aoshi-sama stared at me for a moment and then looked down into his tea. "You should not take the doctor's advice too lightly, Misao."

I waved my hand. "Don't worry about me, Aoshi-sama. I already wrote to Kaoru-san. She and Megumi-san will be coming to Kyoto in a few weeks and will stay until our child is born."

"Our..." Aoshi-sama mumbled as he continued to stare at his tea.

"Yes, our. And don't think you're going to be going out on anymore dangerous secret missions either, Aoshi-sama! You're going to be a father now and I-" Pursing my lips together, I tried to hold back the flood of emotions coming out of me. I didn't want the baby to have to suffer like I did from the loss of a parent like both Aoshi-sama and myself had. I looked into Aoshi-sama's eyes. "I don't want to-"

He cupped his large hand over mine. "I understand." Moving my arm up, he led me over to sit in his lap. The same arms that I had held me when I was a young child now wrapped around me as he cradled me close to his body. As like so many other times in our past, there was no need for any more words. We had gone through so many battles together, suffered so much together, that we just simply understood one another. He feared for my well-being in the months ahead, and I, of course, constantly feared for his. And now there was a third person to be worried about- our unborn child.

We sat there for a while as our tea cooled. "I hope he has your eyes, Aoshi-sama."

"You want a boy, then?"

I laughed. "Don't you? I'm not sure if you could survive the wrath of two weasel-girls."

"Oh yes, and get hit in the face twice as a welcome home? I suppose you are right then. A boy would have more sense about him."

I snuggled my head against his chest and smiled up at him. "Welcome home, Aoshi-sama."

Bringing me in close, he kissed me on the forehead. He then reached out and took his teacup in hand. After taking a sip, he lowered the cup from his mouth and looked at me. "You know, you are supposed to put the tealeaves in after heating the water."

"Hmmmm...?" I said, cuddling up against Aoshi-sama's chest.

"There are burnt tealeaves in it, Misao."

I shrugged. "To be honest, I never actually have paid attention to the taste of the stuff. The smell of the tea just reminded me of you. That's why I've been making it since you left."

Aoshi-sama stared at me for a few seconds, a funny sort of smile on his lips. And then he drank deeply from the teacup, emptying it.

"Are burnt tealeaves bad?"

"No," he replied, putting the cup back down on the table. He brought me in closer to him, burying his face in my hair. "No, it is not bad. It is perfect."

Fin

Notes:
AHA. HA. HA. Yeah, I don't know where that came from. I'm experimenting with some ideas I have about some subject situations, and this is the result. Where did Aoshi go? Maybe to help start the Sino-Japanese war? I wanted to address that, but researching Japan's side of that war is kind of hard to do on the net-- you know, on sites that aren't wikipedia.

Would burnt tealeaves taste bad? I’d assume they’d taste like burt… toast. Yes, burnt toast. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t make this fic 100% melodramatic, okay? I had to have it end on a somewhat quirky point. And no, there was no hydromancy in the fic. But there was tea, and ergo tealeaves. I thought it sounded fancy! Stop judging me!

Next up, S&S 21. It just needs to be edited. Wahoo.

Disclaimer:
This fiction was written for entertainment purposes only. The characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Watsuki-san. Standard disclaimers apply.