True Gifts
By Miss_Led
Misao stirred on her soft futon, grasping the last vestiges of sleep. The covers were a warm cocoon and she was unwilling to leave their embrace. She pulled a stray corner higher as the light outside began to penetrate her blissful haze. Sighing happily she settled in for a few more good hours of rest.

Five minutes later Misao sat bolt upright in her bed as it dawned upon her what day it was. She looked up to the calendar on the wall, raised a hand to her face as she groaned in self-contempt. “Misao no baka!”  She shook her head and managed to ward off a yawn. “I can’t believe it! Have I been so wrapped up in Aoshi-sama since he came home that I forgot the most important day of all!!!” Misao stretched and sleepily got out of bed to stand in front of the accusing calendar. “Only one week ‘til his birthday and I have nothing for him!” She ripped offending reminder off the wall and threw it into a corner, turning to dress.

“What will I get for him?” She pondered that thought as she began to brush her hair. As the silky tangles fell loose she walked to a small chest of drawers. She opened the top drawer and reached far into it. She snagged her goal and drew forth a worn cloth pouch. Misao undid the drawstring tie and dumped the contents into her palm. She sweatdropped as she counted the entirety of her meager savings. “Nothing, not even enough to buy a Twinkie! What will I do?!?” A devious look came across her face, and she snickered to herself. ‘I know what I can do to get the money! I can just find someone that was careless enough to leave it where I can take it!’ At that thought, she shook her head roughly as she remembered her run in with the local Yakuza. It was the last time she would attempt THAT particular form of acquisition.

She opened the door to her room and deposited the money back in the pouch. Tucking it into her sash, she walked down the hall to go get breakfast. The sun was just barely in the sky and she could see a bank of mist over the Aoiya as she looked out a passing window. Her eyes were trained to the ground; her feet dragged across the floor as a mild depression, liberally graced with panic, overtook her. ‘Shimatta! The most important day of the year for a loved one and I can’t think of a single thing to give him!!! Even if I could, how would I buy it!’ She voiced the aggravation, “Mou!!!!!!!! Misao no baka!!!!!” She raised her hand to pound it to her forehead briefly. Because of this action, she failed to see the pair of shoes that had just taken up her former line of sight. Misao ran straight into Aoshi.

“Aoshi-sa-m-ma!!!!” The exclamation was muffled against his chest as his hand grasped her shoulders to keep her from falling. The effect on Misao was tangible as she was enveloped by his warmth for a second; the smell of him and sweat from his morning exercise mingled, she took a deep breath and leaned her head on his chest. He moved back, letting her stand on her own. He paused waiting for her to explain her angst but she refused to meet his gaze. “Misao, what could be wrong at this hour of the morning? It’s a new day.”

With that comment Misao’s shoulders slumped even more. “Please! Aoshi-sama, don’t remind me!! The slower time passes the better!” She brushed past him with stiff limbs and went around the corner. On the other side she stopped and took a deep breath as she collapsed against the wall. ‘Oh my, I never knew a man could smell so good! It was almost as if he was holding me!!!!’ Misao forgot about her present dilemma as daydreams over took her; for the rest of the way to the kitchen she wore a Cheshire cat grin and her steps were as light as air.

Aoshi, knowing there was something wrong, followed Misao around the corner. He got there just in time to hear a trilling giggle and see Misao prance off to the kitchen, her bad mood having vanished. His eyebrow twitched at the sight and he shook his head. ‘Women! I swear that girl is insane sometimes, but she always manages to prove me wrong.’ Aoshi watched as the end of her ponytail disappeared through a doorway and continued the trip to his room.
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Later that day, Misao wandered the markets in search of an idea for a gift. She was unaware of the eyes that follow her every move from the other side of the market. The man took a slow drag on a cigarette and dropped it to the ground. His eyes narrowed and he smiled wryly. He crushed the cigarette out under his western style shoe and began to walk in her direction.

Misao browsed every vender’s goods in the market twice before she gave up. She was so frustrated that she was ready to maim the first person who crossed her path the wrong way. “Shimatta!!! Why doesn’t anyone bring anything good! Something my Aoshi-sama will like!!!!” She stated this loudly in the marketplace. Several patrons and shop owners stopped to glare at her. She harumphed rudely and stalked out of the market. As she walked, she became aware that the hairs on the back of her neck had begun to stand up. She was overcome with a feeling of familiarity and dread.

She looked to the side to see Saitou Hajime smiling at her pleasantly. “Misao-san, so nice to see you!” Saitou put his hand to his forehead in mock salute. Misao cringed and turned to walk in the other direction. “Oi! Where are you going! I wanted to talk with you for a minute!”

Misao turned around and fingered the knife tucked in her gi. “Saitou, the less I have to do with you the better. In fact, never would suit me just fine! Now is not a good time, I suggest that you go back to harassing the public!” With that Misao turned and stomped off, intent on ignoring him. Saitou’s smile widened and he laughed at the young girl’s spite. ‘How Shinomori deals with her I’ll never know. If she were my woman, I would have made sure those little “bad habits” of her’s were curbed instantly.’ Saitou followed at a short distance behind her.

Misao did not need to turn around to know he was following her. She could feel it. “That man could make a monk feel uneasy!” She said this aloud as she browsed some of the finer shops in Kyoto. They were all very expensive, but she could not help herself, she had to find him the perfect gift. Then she spotted it: a rich, brown, leather clad tome. The pages were of perfect white paper and the inside cover contained a small plaque. Misao smiled with joy and hugged the volume to her chest. ‘He’ll be so happy when he sees this! I know he won’t smile but he will use it. He keeps a journal and I’m sure he would love this and keep it for his most personal thoughts! Oh Aoshi-sama,” She sighs, her eyes starry, “ I found it!”

Outside Saitou snickered to himself. ‘Well looks like the little weasel girl has found what she was looking for at last.’ He watched as Misao walked over to the shop owner and showed him the book. He must have named a high sum, for Misao’s face fell instantly. She placed the volume back, running a hand over it lovingly as she turned to leave the store.

She was so distraught over the price, she forgot that Saitou had been following her. She paused long enough to swipe at a lone tear, which had managed to escape from the corner of her eye. Saitou felt a tiny stab of pity for the girl and what he was going to make her do, but it lasted only a second. He entered the shop and picked up the book. Going to the shop owner he asked how much it cost.

Outside a mother had paused to browse a street vendor’s goods. Her son watched Saitou through the window, whose face had tightened terribly and looked ready to draw blood. The shop owner pulled back in fear as Saitou spoke with him. “Look Mommy! That man in there is making funny faces!!” the child pointed to the window.

The mother looked up to see a very agitated man in a police uniform reach into his pocket and plunk a fair amount of coins onto the counter in front of the shop owner. The latter man wrapped the book the man had been holding as fast as his shaking hands would allow. The man in uniform snatched the wrapped book from his hands and stormed out of the building. As he passed he sneered at her and the boy, out of a reflex to protect she pushed her son behind her until he had gone.
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Misao went home and dazedly went about her chores. Her lackluster was apparent to everyone, especially Aoshi. After that event this morning, he began to wonder if she was feeling well. The girl was having severe mood swings and seemed troubled. Aoshi had her excused from her chores with strict orders to eat and go to bed early. She gladly accepted the break, suddenly drained. Her day had been an emotional trail and then some!

Misao strolled to the kitchen, and began to prepare a tray to take with her to her room. She would rather be alone tonight, that way maybe she could think of a way to get the needed money. ‘That baka shop owner! He calls himself a businessman and yet he sells things at such a price! A rich man would become a pauper from one shopping trip there!’ The knife she was holding made a dangerously loud thwap as it hit the counter, the two halves of the cabbage she had been chopping, perfectly cleaved.

Half way across town, the shop owner sneezed forcefully as he reached up to rub his suddenly aching neck.
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End Part 1
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Hi all!

    I know this seems strange but I got this idea into my head for the working girl challenge and it grew!!!! I couldn’t stop the words they seemed to be “guiding me”. Hee, hee….betcha everyone’s wondering what Saitou has planned for Misao! Well you might not have to wait long, this fic is going to be three or four parts long.

    It was not pre-read and I’m great at typos so feedback is appreciated. This is probably rife with them, typos that is! If the scene with the shopkeeper reeks of the familiar, blame it on Tae-san! I just couldn’t get that Saitou/Aoshi –lemon face thing out of my head. But thank you for the inspiration, I tried not to mirror it too much! If this being over a certain amount of words disqualifies me from the challenge, it’s all right. I wasn’t expecting it to be so large myself! And I think a good fic will come out of it anyway. Working on Hiding In Plain Sight as well, but it might take longer than expected due to some changes on the homefront. Please bare with me. I don’t think I will be starting anything else till I finish this challenge and HIPS is going to go on for a while, 10 chaps at least, haven’t mapped it all out yet.

Looking forward to everyone’s opinions!

Miss
PS- don’t ask me about the twinkie, I just used it so that everyone would know that was the space waiting to be filled by my info request.