Mismatched
Chapter 4 - And it Starts with Silence
Yuki

Notes:
Minna, I hope you're still with me here. I promise this fic has a plot...it does... and, ugh so sorry for the confusion, I understand if there are some people who are confused with the pairings, but not to worry this is basically a CC fic. Thanks so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. Please feel free to leave a note after reading this. Any comment, positive or negative are appreciated. Hope you enjoy this bit.



Chapter 4 - And it Starts with Silence


SANO

There was no familiar crowing of the rooster, no heavy footstep thudding on the floor, no illicit, annoying banging on his wall...he was surrounded by the calm silence and for a second Sano wasn't sure if he was still alive.

Where was he?

He stared at the ceiling and then recalled the previous night of heavy partying. He sat up in a snap and regarded his surrounding. Had he over slept?

No. It still looked like dawn to him. Dark, blue gray clouds hung across the sky and just a little to the left was the red sun dipping into the horizon.

Dipping?

"Oh hell..."

"Oh hell..." Someone echoed from behind him. It was Megumi, tapping her foot at the tatami mat. "You woke up and I thought you're already dead." She sighed and pouted.

Sano didn't miss the teasing note in her voice. He regarded he cooly, appreciatively if you may and stood up, staggering towards her so that he when he reached her, he was looming down at her. He smiled and said, "There you are Kitsune, the fox of my dreams." And it was one of those moments when this little slip of his heart would sound so insincere and condenscending. Damn.

Megumi's slanted eyes indicated that she wasn't amused by all these. "You have no shame do you?"

"I over slept. So bite me." He said, rather liking the undertone it held.

"Sano! Hey, you're finally awake!" Misao bounded across the room, interrupting a very crucial part in Sano's life. She smiled up at Sano, not noticing the glimmer in his eyes, the way he gritted his teeth. "Okina's still asleep you know." There was a hint of pride in Misao's voice.

And this amused Sano. The woman-child in front of him begged for attention, except of course, in reality, he wasn't the one she needed attention from. But since she had picked him and not the usual Rurouni choice, he gave in. "So, the old man couldn't deal with the sake, huh?" He took a step away from Megumi, immediately noticing the slight change in the air, it seemed warmer somehow when he was invading Megumi's personal space.

Misao's blue eyes smiled up at him. Sano leaned in closer, noticing that while Megumi reminded him of roses, medicine and sake, all three combined to give the most mind-mending aphrodisiac, Misao had this particular scent... he couldn't quite name it, but suddenly he was transported back to a time when he hadn't yet made a fist, hadn't known what violence was.

He hadn't noticed Megumi's miffed reaction at his sudden shift of attention. He did however caught her jerked movement as she hastily left him and Misao alone in the room. He smirked at the possibility...the reason behind her abrupt exit.

Misao slyly smiled up at him, "You better pay more attention to Megumi-san this dinner Sano, or else, you're gonna get the cold treatment too..."

Ah, yes, the strongest bond of all. Sano thought. He winked at Misao, "Well then I should probably head to the bath house first and then..." He could feel the sudden iciness behind his back. Shinomori. He turned and regarded Aoshi with a half smile.

"You woke up."

It was a statement. Always a statement from the ice-king.

Kaoru had made him promise that he would behave and be a nice normal guest. Whatever that meant. To be safe, he decided for a non-committal response. He suppressed a grin and nodded curtly instead. He wasn't sure if he should stay and talk some more with Misao. Instinct told him that it was best that he move out of Shinamori's way, he was still trying to decide what he should do when he realized with a start that he was in a middle of a maelstrom.

Misao was sending off heat waves from his side and on another was well, it was north pole on a very bad winter night. He coughed, effectively hiding a chuckle. He took a step towards Misao, messed up her hair before he walked away and he could swear that his right side had suddenly turned so damn chilly...



AOSHI

He didn't like it all. Not one bit. He had let his guard down so much that every man inside this house had in some way connected with his Misao. They could all touch her...they could smile at her and touch her.

The way Sano's hand reached for her raven hair...the way it lingered... He watched Sano as he staggered towards the bathhouse and from the corner of his eyes he watched as Misao fidgeted beside him. Her smile was both secretive and warm. And it didn't touch him the way it used to. He realized, bitterly, that not all of her smiles were meant for him.

"Aoshi-sama?"

The way she said his name. It stirred something deep and fragile inside him, but to acknowledge this weakness...

Icewall, he reminded himself. Was there even such a thing? Never mind. It didn't matter. He could invent all the defense mechanism that he wants. He turned to her, blue eyes cold as the ocean on winter nights. "What is it Misao?" He asked, his voice layered with coldness not new to either of them. But it still pricks at his skin.

Misao was silent for a moment, she seemed taken aback by his coldness. Why? He had been treating her like this ever since he had returned, why the sudden pain in her eyes? He waited for a moment, wondering what she has to stay. But whatever it was, he wouldn't know. Misao shook her head and looked down at the floor. He stared silently for a moment and decided that if was going to be the coward that he was, he might as well be sure to act as one. He turned and headed towards the opposite direction.

It's becoming more than a habit to him lately, and that scared him. How easily he can walk away from her, knowing all too well how this pained her.


MISAO

Dammit! She could feel the goosebumps on her cheeks. It was as if his coldness had touched her on that very spot. It if hadn't felt so cold, she would've thought that it was some sort of kiss...

Oh yeah, delusional, Misao, that's the word you're looking for. She brushed her cheeks and then smiled sadly. It was in a way a kiss, wasn't it? After all no one had ever looked at her so coldly and then make her feel so warm at the same time. Aoshi was always like that. When you look into his eyes, you could see the struggle it held, ice blue eyes melting. When will she ever melt him?

Oh that's right, when she gets the chance to actually get close enough, skin to skin, her warmth and his...and that would happen in a million years or so, positively thinking that is. She sighed again and tilted her head. Aoshi had disappeared through the shoji door, but she could still feel his presence. She smiled as she tenderly brought her hands on the same spot of her cheeks.

Skin to skin and lips to lips.

That would surely burn Aoshi-sama. It burned her alright.


KAORU

She didn't know whether Kenshin was just too much of a gentleman or he was just an idiot. Either way, both these characteristic endeared him to her and she was willing to see past these annoying flaws. After all, Kenshin had always made it a point to tolerate her cooking skills, or rather the lack of it. And while she was at least trying to make some progress with her one and only flaw, Kenshin seemed to be doing the exact opposite, acting all weird and silly whenever she was around. Especially whenever they were in a situation where she knew that the only other option aside from his usual "oro" was actually...well kissing. Her cheeks burned with this thought and she immediately ducked her head. But it was true. Just this morning, when he held her, before he dropped her to the floor that is, she had seen the look in his eyes. She couldn't quite describe it, but somehow it made her skin feel warm and prickly. And it was as if the small space between them, the little air that surrounded them had suddenly turned oh so warm.

Warm enough to actually darken the purple depths of Kenshin's eyes. And she was quite sure that if Okon and Omasu had not been present, he would have leaned over and tasted her lips.

Or she would. Either way, a kiss or rather the look of "near kiss" was far better than nothing at all. Although, she had expected that Kenshin would be keeping to himself today, because that was the last time she saw him, it still bothered and annoyed her. And to be honest, it made her want to actually look for the baka-red head, shake him senseless, shake him senseless some more for added emphasis and then kiss him. Yeah, that would be a good plan. Shut him up with a kiss. Better than hearing his spews of "Oro's" and "Dono's". And oh, after that kiss...if he dare push her away and apologize, she would have to get really physical...whatever that means. And that just goes to show how deep her feelings had become. Because before, if this had happened then she would have pouted all day long and screeched at Yahiko.

And, if Kenshin was going to avoid her like the plague, then she would definitely do what was expected of her. She would hunt him down.

And Kaoru let out a sly evil grin.


MEGUMI

She replayed the scene presented before her a few minutes ago. It was of Misao and Sano flirting incessantly and in front of her no less.

She figured that Sano's drinking had taken quite a toll on him mental capacity. The Rooster Head is heading straight into trouble should he decide to pursue this new found interest on the ninja girl. Well, hell, she wasn't going to warn him. He would have to face the wrath of Aoshi soon enough.

Besides, she shouldn't really care. In fact she should be celebrating. This would mean that Sano's unrequited attention and flirtation towards her has now been officially put to a stop. She was a free woman. No longer holding the center of rooster head's attention.

She smiled placidly for a moment and thankfully no one saw her, because anyone who had witnessed her complacent smile would have thought that Takani Megumi had gone into the deep end and had succumbed to insanity. And their opinion wouldn't have changed since after a few moments of blank smiling, she raged on. She Gritted her teeth and screeched that Sanosuke was the greatest curse ever placed upon her miserable lonely life.

And she truly truly wished that Aoshi do some serious damage to Sano.

Let's see who's gonna go to who, begging for attention and care!


KENSHIN

He had left the Aoiya a few hours after lunch and had returned just in time as dinner was about to be served. For a brief moment, he felt awfully guilty that he hadn't been able to help but then he remembered that had he stayed he wouldn't have also been able to help. Well, he could probably do something useful, if and only if Kaoru stayed a good distance away from him.

He winced as he thought of what his Shishou had told him when he had asked for his advice. Not that his sensei had been of great help either and more importantly, he hadn't even sought for his advice. Well, he was forced to anyway, since Hiko was practically telling him that *he* needed *his* help. Of course his sensei's exact words were: "Baka deshi, spill it out or I would personally drag your woman here!"

And Kenshin knew that he better confess and he better confess fast. He sighed, it was just his luck that he run straight into his deranged master the second day of his stay here at Kyoto. He was hoping to avoid Hiko The Great, as he insist on calling himself, hopefully until the day they have to leave Kyoto.

But it seemed that everything in this universe was working against him. Kenshin had specifically stayed clear off the sake section of the market, knowing well that his sake-driven sensei could be walking there, basking in the afternoon glow, looking for the best jug of sake. Kenshin didn't particularly enjoy walking through rows and rows of silk, linen, and other type of cloth in every color imaginable but he had felt safe there. Until he ran into Hiko. And when he saw his master he froze on the spot and thought that the whole world - no, make that the whole universe was acting out some twisted conspiracy against him.

Hiko had to be in that section of the market, looking for a new type of dark leathery clothing... perhaps to make another ridiculous cloak of his, but Kesnhin hadn't dared asked, nor share this particular thought. Instead he had watched as the flash of recognition brighten up Hiko's eyes. And not in the "what a nice surprise this is" look but more like the glint a cat's eyes would have upon seeing a lone, clueless shivering little mouse squirming from underneath its claws. Kenshin didn't even have the time to disappear into the crowd, Hiko had already made his way to him.

His shishou had growled at him in greeting, as though he had trespassed on his property. "What the hell are you doing here baka deshi?"

Kenshin managed a half grimace hoping that Hiko would lay off on the name calling. He felt as though everyone had turned when his shishou called him baka. The grimace was soon replaced by a wince as Hiko slapped him by the shoulder, hard enough to actually knock him down on the street. Evidently, Hiko was not at all interested on why he was here.

Keshin said his pleasantries as he stood up: Hi, Hello and Goodbye. He turned, but not swift enough because he felt Hiko clutching at his gi and then dumping on him the groceries his master had acquired for today's morning shopping. Hiko had growled something which sounded like: Got myself a basket now. And then without another word proceeded in dragging him from the market all the way to his cabin.

There, he forced Kenshin to cook their lunch, sit, no wait, fetch me some sake first and could he sweep the yard, now! After that and a whole slew of chores he was finally allowed to have a sit. And as soon as his butt had adjusted itself on the hard cold wood, Hiko had asked him about the "feisty little tomboy that had no manners." No sense on beating around the bush, his shishou said and Kenshin suddenly wished there were more tasks for him to do.

He had told Hiko then that the girl's name was Kaoru and in between his stammering he had somehow made it clear that his shishou should never ever call her a little tomboy or else suffer the consequences.

Hiko had howled with laughter at that and told him that the great assassin of long ago had turned into a love sick puppy. "You are a disgrace!" Hiko declared and then ordered him once again to get him sore more sake. It was time, Hiko had said in all seriousness, to have their man to man talk.

Kenshin shuddered at the memory. He wandered over to the dining room and found all inhabitants and guests of the house seated on their respective seats. They had been waiting for him. He cleared his throat and then started off with an apology. Normally, by his fourth gomen nasai, sesha wa spiel, people would be groaning and begging him to stop. Sano in particular would be telling him to shut up, for the love of Kami and sit his ass so that they can all eat, but now, as he trailed off with his fifth gomen he realized that no one was paying attention to him. Not even Kaoru! He mumbled his last apology, totally stumped by this sudden change.

Had Aoshi finally laughed so hard that tears rolled off his face? Was that the reason for the contemplative silence? No that couldn't be it. They all looked too... angry for that to be the reason.

He frowned. Had there been an attack? Had a new enemy had emerged? Had some tragic accident occurred while he sat listening to his shishou drone on and on about how sake and women do not mix. He cleared his throat as he picked up his chopsticks. "Daijoubu?" He asked solemnly.

"Hai." Was the curt answer from Misao and then everyone dove into their food, as if stuffing their mouths would prevent them from saying anything unpleasant.

Oro!

What had he missed?

The women were acting quite strangely today. Oh, but that's quite normal, he chided himself. Their women... well, they were always acting weird he thought as he stuffed a few more daikon's in his mouth making furtive glances around him. He tilted his head a little, wondering again at the possibilities. Had Sano insulted Kaoru's cooking again? He thought about it then quickly dismissed the theory, that would be the most logical scene had they been at the dojo.

But maybe, the heavens had opened up and decided to give them all a nice peaceful quiet dinner. He should try to enjoy this and not think of it as a prologue to the end of mankind as he knew it. Sano was right, he always such a negative kind of guy. He needed to loosen up a bit.

But the silence felt... different somehow. The raucous laughter and teasing from last night was replaced by the measured silence and the slightest tension. He didn't know whether he should look forward to whatever would happen tomorrow. One thing he was sure though, he would never look at Kaoru, Megumi and Misao the same way again, especially now that he had seen them all so... silent and calm.

There was a saying wasn't there, about having calmness before the storm?

Kenshin thought about this long and hard and then he wished he hadn't. He prayed to the almighty Kami-sama, to Buddha, to any god or deity listening to him. He prayed that no one would actually get hurt after this vacation is over.


End note:
What a waste! I promise next chapter - more action! I do...I swear...I just need to get it all together...Thanks for the feedback. I apologize for the wrong spelled words and grammar errors that I have over looked. Please feel free to tell me what you think. Next chapter the girls finally decide that it's time for them to do something really, really drastic. And oh, I would totally understand any flames that I'd receive. Totally...