From: CheebiMoon@aol.com Konnichiwa Minna-san! ^_^ This is my 1st post. It's a song fic of Celine Dion's That's the Way it is. My writing isn't the greatest, so if anyone would like to proofread my fics, please e-mail me. Comments are appreciated. ^_^x I think I may have taken Aoshi & Misao out of character @_@ Gomenasai. Warning: There are spoilers for the end of the manga. Standard disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am not making money out of this blah blah. *°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°º°* That's the Way it is - Celine Dion {}-denotes music *-denotes thought Misao watches Aoshi walk towards the Aoiya from her window. She notices his walk reflects his personality: his steps are quiet, his posture strong and dignified; his stride calm and cool. Aoshi senses someone watching him from above, he looks up and sees Misao widen her eyes. " I was just wondering when you'd be back. " She shouted as she recomposed herself. Aoshi nodded and stepped inside. * Kami-sama! I can't believe I got caught! * She berated herself. Misao slapped her forehead and slowly slumped down to her knees. " Misao, may I come in? " Said a voice at the door. " Yeah. . . sure. " She replied languidly. " Misao, what are you doing? " " Huh? Aahhhhhh! " Misao cried out, jumping slightly and fell on her back. * Kami-sama! I must look like an idiot! * She thought. The person who just came in was Aoshi. He helped her up without saying a word, his facade emotionless as usual. " Aoshi-sama! I was um. . .I was just meditating. " She fibbed. " Meditating? I've never seen anyone meditate that way. It looks interesting, would you mind showing me how it's done? " Aoshi asked with a small, amused smile. Misao felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. " Hai! First you get on your knees and put your hands on them. Then, you close your eyes and think of nice, happy thoughts. " She demonstrated. * Neehaha like Aoshi-sama * " I see, then why did you have your hand over your eyes? " " Hmmm? " Misao flicked her eyes open. " Oh. . . well, that's because I was getting a small headache so I tried soothing it by massaging my eyes. " " Did you need me for something? " " No, why do you ask? " She said, giving him a quizzical look. " Because you said you wondered when I'd get back. " He replied, with an eyebrow raised. " Oh! That's right! I wanted to show you my new meditation technique since you meditate a lot. I thought it might be of some use to you. " " I'll be in my room meditating then. " Aoshi said as he turned to leave. * That was close * Misao thought, after Aoshi left. * It's been three months since Himura fought Enishi and won. Things aren't as hectic now, should I finally tell Aoshi-sama how I feel? He probably thinks I respect him so much that I think it's love. But it's not true, I really do feel strongly about him. * { Mmmmhmmmm Music starts playing with the strum of a guitar} Misao gets up and walks to Aoshi's room. She knocks on his door twice, then waited for a response. " Come in. " Misao opens the door timidly. She's shocked by the sight of Aoshi on his knees with his eyes closed. " Aoshi-sama? What're you doing? " She asked. " I was thinking about Beshimi, Hanya, Hyottoko, and Shikijou. The only happy thoughts I have include them. " He told her. Misao nodded and quietly knelt in front of him. " This may not be the right time to ask you this Aoshi-sama, but um. . . I wanted to ask you. . . where do we stand? I know the question is abrupt, but I know you know how I feel about you. " Aoshi and Misao stared at each other for a moment. " Misao, you're young. I don't expect you to wait for me. You're better off with someone else. I still have personal issues I need to deal with. " { I can read your mind, and I know your story. I see what you're goin' through (yeah) } " I know. . . Beshimi, Hanya, Hyottoko, and Shikijou meant a lot to me too. But you have to realize they died because they cared for you. Not because you caused their deaths. If you had to, I know you would die protecting them. " She replied, looking deeply into his eyes. Aoshi broke the gaze and looked at the ground. " Iie Misao, you are wrong. I did cause their deaths. I betrayed the Oniwabanshu by guarding a dirty business man; dragging Beshimi, Hanya, Hyottoko, and Shikijou with me. In the end, Kanyru wanted to kill all of us. I was the first target, but they shielded me from the bullets. They died because of me. I am not worthy to be with you right now. I need to find my answer first. " { It's an uphill climb, and I'm feelin' sorry. But I know it will come to you (yeah) } Misao takes one of Aoshi's hands and gives it a light, comforting sqeeze. Aoshi let's go of her and gets up. " Misao, please go and live your life. This discussion is over. " He said, looking at her with a cold gaze. { Don't surrender. 'Cause you can win in this thing called love. Chorus: When you want it the most; there's no easy way out. When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt. Don't give up on your faith, love comes to those who believe it. And that's the way it is. Chorus ends} " No, it's not over. " Misao said simply. Her tone was resolute and unwavering. " What do you want from me Misao? I already told you we can never be. " { When you question me for a simple answer, I don't know what to say (no) But it's plain to see if you stick together, you're gonna find the way (yeah) So don't surrender, 'cause you can win. In this thing called love (Chorus) } " I want you to stop condemning yourself for what happened, and live. I know it's not easy, but you're not a weak person. You're one of the strongest people I know. " She said, walking up to him. " I never said I wouldn't wait for you. Sure, waiting will eventually drive me mad, but that's ok; I need to learn patience anway. You can't make decisions for me. If I want to wait for you, I will. " Aoshi stared at her, not knowing what to say. Misao's countenace was of sheer determination and love. " Misao. . . " He murmured and took her hands in his. { When life is empty with no tomorrow and lonliness starts to call. Baby don't worry, forget your sorrow 'cause love's gonna conquer it all. } --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Get great offers on top-notch products that match your interests! Sign up for eLerts at: Click Here ------------------------------------------------------------------------