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Irresistible	By : kamorgana Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 5018 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
Disclaimer: standard disclaimers apply. RK belongs to Watsuki, but the ideas, text and OCs are mine.

Irresistible

Chapter 21: Sneak out
June 20th, 1865.
Grey low sky, rain pouring, enhancing the scents of the vegetation and ground, and smell of death lingering in the room of the small house, near the Kamo river.
Saitoh knew as soon as he passed the entrance, there was an unfinished quality to the place, as if it had been frozen in time. He opened the shoji of the main room and frowned, the smell of old blood reaching his nose. Cockroaches slid more than ran on the wooden floor, away from their center of interest: the telltale, splattered stain, still red and soaking to the wood because of humidity.
Behind him, Okita stilled. �Where is the body?�
After several days of search, they had been able to trace Michiko to that place. Their first clue had been her horse found 2 miles down the river. They soon learnt that feminine and masculine clothes as well as body parts had been found in the village nearby. They had identified the couple. One old geezer of the neighborhood had remembered seeing a woman on a horse going into the direction of the house where they were employed, on the day when their prey had escaped.
So here they were and their work, obviously, had been already done.
�You�d better come here.�
Saitoh opened the shoji giving on the backyard, from where Nagakura�s voice had come.
They stepped outside, their straw hats barely protecting them from the heavy waters falling. Their companion was standing near the opened well. The lid abandoned on the grass next to it was dirty, covered in mud, clue that the well had been uncovered for days.
�Look,� Nagakura said simply.
Peeping over the opening, they could discern a mass of black hair and the back of a kimono floating at the surface.
***
It was just after noon that day when Saitoh went back to the barn of the residence, after he and Nagakura finished reporting to their superiors about the discovery of Michiko�s body. She was in an advanced state of decomposition, but the frail constitution and the kimono had allowed her identification.
Nagakura had excused himself earlier, probably to go and visit his little lady, he snorted inwardly, preparing his horse for the way back. Saitoh wasn�t that idiotic.
Since his total loss of control with Tokio at the compound, he had been prudent... And anyway his wedding was planned for tonight. He was supposed to escort the Takagis and Matsudaira to Osaka but in fact, they would stop in the house that the Daimyo had given them as a reward for uncovering the traitors. Tokio would stay three days with him, while the others finalized the agreement with the Osaka merchant, before she joined them at the port and they would take the maritime road. The Kojimas would go by the country road, as the official wanted to visit relatives, making halts to spare his daughter�s still weak state. All was planned, and there were just a few hours of patience left.
Hence, he had paid attention not to find himself alone with Tokio, as least as long as he...
No way. She dared, again.
�What are you doing here?� he groaned, not looking at her.
�How do you know it�s me?�
�Your perfume.�
�You like it,� she asserted.
He turned towards her, slowly. She had her teasing smile and her eyes were bright with excitation.
�You said it, last time,� she pointed, very self-content.
He had, unfortunately. In spite of his efforts and of the research taking most of his time, she had managed to join him in this very barn three days ago, when he had reported about the dead couple.
�What I said, last time,� he nevertheless mocked, �is that I forbade you to sneak out of your room. Can�t you learn to stay out of trouble? Or do you miss me so much already?�
He alternated menace and irony, but she wasn�t rattled the least. She took another step towards him. She was wearing a simple, red yukata and the rain had wet the shoulders and a few strands of her hair�He had to get her out of there, and fast. But before he could talk, she asked, her voice pouring with exultation:
�Is it true? Is she dead?�
She must have had spied around again. He nodded, waiting for more questions as he knew that she couldn�t have listened to Matsudaira�s study door.
�You killed her?�
�No, Tani did, or so we think. She floated in the well of her hiding, near the Kamo river�No, nowhere near yours. Her house was outside of Kyoto,� he added, as worry had filled the gray eyes.
�She�s dead,� Tokio said finally with gloating satisfaction, after a moment of silence. She had been very clear, though more determined than vocal, about her will to see Michiko�s preferably painful end. More than Kana, she held the woman responsible for the death of her friends.
Saitoh decided not to tell her now that Michiko had rented the house under the name of Tokio�s mother. Then his future wife would probably make all a fuss to see the body and spit on it.
�Yes, and I regret only one thing in this: that you have nobody to discipline you here.�
�You�re supposed to be the one disciplining me,� she smiled. �That�s why they want us to marry, to start with.�
�Meaning that you�re supposed to obey,� he retorted.
�I haven�t seen you in three days�I mean, not alone,� she explained.
He smirked, preparing an answer about her learning patience.
��and I had no occasion to thank you yet,� she finished, her attitude definitely �softening�, as Okita would put.
�Thank me?� He was lost, his eyes narrowing in expectation of another trick.
�For helping convincing my father to send Tami back to Aizu. As soon as she is well enough, she will go. Thank you. It means a lot to me.�
�I simply pointed the truth. She will be safer than here. And considering your attitude, I don�t want to lose my time running after my wife in all Kyoto,� he shrugged. �I have to go, and you have your confirmation, so go back to your room. I�ll see you later today.�
She had arched a brow, her lips lifting teasingly at his hurry of getting rid of her. �You know�I missed you, you were right�or rather, I missed what you did��
�Tokio. Go. Back. Now.�
He was deadly serious. He could not let her manipulate him. Last time, he had ended up kissing her, which had been exactly why she had disobeyed, and he wouldn�t indulge her this time.
�But��
He said nothing, just staring coldly at her. She finally understood and with a grimace of disappointment she turned on her heels.
He watched her leaving, and getting her umbrella at the entrance, and looking a last time at him. He wanted to make those three strides separating her from him, and to kiss the rivulets of rain on her neck, after all, she had obeyed and could be rewarded�
He was very satisfied with himself that he didn�t, though the less brainy part of him called him a moron.
***
Miyu bolted as she felt a presence behind the shoji of her room. She contained a scream of terror. She did her best, but she hadn�t wanted to come back to the residence. She couldn�t forget how she had been afraid, hearing the screams that she had thought being a product of her nightmares, and then having the blurred vision of Kana and her mad smile, her red-splattered face entering her room. Kana had been massive, but she had tiptoed in, frighteningly gracious, as if she was dancing, delight and cruelty written on her face. Let me play with you. The hand muffling her, crushing her face, the dagger digging into her flesh, it had hurt so much�
�Miyu-san?�
She heaved a sigh of relief after recognizing Nagakura�s voice, yet her heart was still pounding.
�Yes�Come in��
She was so happy to see him. She could remember seeing Tokio, being cradled into her arms, but the urge to tell her about Kana retreating into the other room, and the frustration of not being able to, had failed to let her be reassured. It was only when she had felt the strong arms holding her, his voice telling her that she was safe, that she had been sure of being out of danger.
She smiled as she saw that he had brought her some sweets. Hatsue-san�s. She had told him how much she had liked them, during her brief stay at the compound. The old woman had been doting on her. It had been so nice; and sad at the same time. Miyu�s mother was so distant and demanding, and Hatsue-san had behaved with her the way she had thought a mother should. She would never have recovered so fast, if not for her.
�Thank you,� she murmured, nevertheless unable to repress a feeling of loss. Sweets and Reiko. She would love those.
�Are you still in much pain?� he asked, kneeling next to her and gently taking her hand away from her collarbone. �You said that it was getting better, but��
She had instinctively put her hand on her wound, under a reflex of fear.
�Oh, no�I�m fine. I�m just hardly Yamato Nadeshiko anymore�Not that I was in the first place,� she tried to joke.
�Don�t say such things.�
He had answered so fast, so peremptorily. She widened her eyes. A warm feeling spread over her, a mix of happiness and pride.
Nagakura was gazing at the girl in front of him. In her white sleeping yukata, the rich coppers of her long hair spread on her shoulders, her face free of make-up, she looked so innocent. She was innocent. His rage when he had found her, discarded bleeding doll, had faded but didn�t die and it bit him again.
She had been brave. She had demanded explanations as soon as she had awoken, and when her father had told her that he would oppose the declaration, to ensure her safety, she had been outraged. She had pleaded so that he would not allow the culprits to earn anything from them. The words that Takagi had used, and that had convinced her father. She was young, yet she had her heart clearly settled already.
He had wanted to do so much more than the few that he had been able to. Visiting her everyday at the compound, and now at the residence, talking with her, trying to help her to get over her shock and fears was not enough.
Yet, it had been a mistake. Her eyes had melted, her features softening. She was too inexperienced and expressive for him to mistake on what he saw in them. That wasn�t sensible. Not sensible at all.
�You�ll be leaving tomorrow, and once you�re back in Aizu, you�ll forget all that happened here,� he said with a warm smile, but his eyes distant.
She looked genuinely disappointed, confirming his impression. She had a crush on him because she was grateful for his attention.
�Yes,� she murmured, half-heartedly. She observed him for a while, saying nothing, her expression changing slowly, and he began to feel ill-at-ease. He stood up, ready to leave.
�I like you,� she blurted out.
He doubted briefly of his hearing, but the rapid fluster crossing her face confirmed that it was functional. He had realized that she could be blunt, but he would never have expected that she would be so much.
�I like you,� she repeated, not avoiding his stare, and not letting him the opportunity of dismissing the real meaning of her words.
�Miyu-san, you�re very young, and I�m flattered but��
She seemed offended at first, but then she sighed and to his deeper bewilderment, she smiled.
�I just wanted you to know. You don�t have to say anything. Just, I like you, and when you come to Aizu, I�d like to meet you again. Unless I�m a burden for you, or you acted nice to me just out of pity��
She got so blatantly self-conscious that he couldn�t help to reassure her.
�I didn�t, but��
�I know. I�ve thought about you a lot these last days, and I know what you�re going to say. I don�t ask you anything, either, except seeing you again.�
It was all but sensible, yet at that moment it didn�t seem such a bad idea to accept. Anyway, considering that a grateful Kojima had offered him hospitality whenever he would be the one reporting to Matsudaira in Aizu, it was likely.
�Yes, I will see you again,� he nodded, at the moment when Tokio-san entered the room, bringing a tea-pot, which gave him the occasion to retire before he got more of a besotted fool.
He had thought about Miyu a lot these past days, too, and it was not a good idea. She was younger than him, and the daughter of a notability. Never Matsudaira or her family, for all their gratitude, would accept an alliance between him and her. Shinsengumi men were fighters with little money and not enough prestige yet, ex-ronin at that, and would certainly not be given the apple of the eyes of a high-ranked official.
He was grim when he arrived to the barn and tried to compose himself realizing that Saitoh was still there. The man was sharp and had already made several allusions. Too late: the third Captain stared at him, an ominous smirk painting on his features.
But he didn�t mock him.
It wouldn�t be the last odd behavior that Nagakura would witness that day.
***
Tokio sat next to her friends� futon and poured the tea.
�Nagakura-san brought me some sweets from Hatsue-san, let�s have them,� Miyu said, before she shook her head and let out a long sigh.
Tokio glanced at her, containing a smile, and began detachedly: �What is that matter that you wanted to discuss, Miyu-chan? You said that you needed some advice?�
Miyu snorted. �I don�t need it anymore�I talked before thinking, as usual.�
�Oh. So, what you need now is practical help. Nagakura-san seemed very off balance,� Tokio let out, deadpan.
�Tokio-chan, sometimes, I think that you�re a witch of something�oh, sorry, I didn�t mean to offend you,� Miyu added, as her friend�s face showed swift signs of trouble.
�No offense,� she laughed. �What did you tell him?�
�That I liked him and wanted to see him again. I could have rolled at his feet all the same. I don�t know, suddenly I realized that I wouldn�t meet him anymore, since we�re leaving today, and�I wasted everything.�
�Of course not. He cares for you��
�You don�t understand. I want to marry him,� Miyu asserted. �You can call me crazy now.�
�Crazy.�
�Tokio-chan!�
�Have a sweet and calm down. You didn�t waste anything. You gave him matter to think, and now all that you need is a plan.�
Miyu had a disabused smile. �It�s too bad that you and your father take another road back home. That could have given us matter to think and to talk for days. How to make him reciprocate, how to make my family and especially my mother accept��
�There is more important��
�I know. After all that happened, I can�t believe that all I find myself thinking about is this. I�m a monster of selfishness, or foolishness, or both.�
Tokio looked outside, at the rain falling in the garden, her expression turning serious. �Remember our talk with Aiko in the bathhouse?�
Miyu took her hand and Tokio pressed it, turning to her and smiling again. �That�s what you do, and that�s what we do. Live, because we�re alive. They would want us to.�
The younger girl nodded.
Tokio�s smile switched back to ironic. �And when I said that there was more important, I meant that your mother isn�t even an obstacle. I happen to know that Matsudaira-sama is quite in favor of alliances between Aizu and the Shinsengumi�actually, he was mentioning it to your father less than an hour ago.�
***
Misao loved rain. She loved it so much, the sound of the water splashing when she jumped into it, and the feeling of the rivulets on her face, and the tickling on her tongue when she tried to drink some.
Jiya didn�t let her go out when it rained, he said that it was dangerous near the river, but she had gone anyway, sneaking out of the house. If it had been Hannya or Beshimi guarding it, she wouldn�t have been able to, but Shiro and Kuro weren�t that good.
She had wanted to leave, because she was mad, and she needed to do something funny. Aoshi-sama had gone. Without her. Oh, Jiya had explained, and Aoshi-sama had explained, but she still didn�t understand. Aoshi-sama and the others had begun to train her: she could go. She had thrown the biggest tantrum ever, actually she wasn�t very proud of herself now.
So she had gone out, and run, and played in the rain of the deserted streets�there was nobody out except kids here and there, who played outside like her. It was only when she was thrown away by one of them, running and not looking where he went, that she stopped her own rush. She stood up, massaging her bruised knee, with the brat�s face in mind: older than her, spiky black hair and strange blue eyes. If she saw him again, she would kick his ass. And then, maybe she�d report him to Aoshi-sama and he would kick his ass, too.
Looking around after a last curse towards the direction where the rude kid had gone, she realized that she didn�t know where she was. The streets were unfamiliar, and nobody seemed to live here.
She felt her throat constricting and she shook her head, not to cry like a baby again. The only place that she didn�t know well was the Maiko-san�s place, and it was near the river. The river was near home, so she had to find it and she wouldn�t be lost anymore. She could hear the flows, concentrating as Aoshi-sama had taught her. She wasn�t far and had to follow that direction.
She ran and slid between the houses, and finally she exited on the large riversides, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. She froze when she suddenly heard someone behind her.
It was another girl. She was wearing a yukata of very beautiful fabric even though all soaked, and she had green, almost transparent eyes. Misao blinked and since the girl was watching her without moving, she thought that the other might be shy.
�Hi! You came to play in the rain?� she smiled as nicely as she could.
The girl said nothing.
�You don�t want to play? Are you lost?� she asked finally, because the girl didn�t seem to be from around. She was surely rich.
Still nothing.
�You know where your parents are?�
The girl winced, and she seemed about to cry.
�They�re gone,� she murmured finally. She was talking very slowly, as if it asked an effort.
Misao clasped her hand on her forehead. What an idiot she had been. She took the girl�s right hand and the other winced again, looking frightened. Misao wasn�t sure that she herself felt comfortable, that kid was strange�
�My parents are gone too,� she nevertheless said, compassionate.
The pale green gaze darted into Misao�s, and there was something�nice, about her, suddenly. The girl placed her left hand in hers, with hesitation.
�I�ll help you to find your home, though. Who is taking care of you?� Misao asked gently.
�Nee-san,� her strange new friend murmured in a teary voice, before bursting into sobs.
Misao couldn�t really understand what she said, especially as the girl had a very strange accent. But she got that her sister was going on a trip and that she wouldn�t see her in a long time. Just like me and Aoshi-sama, she realized. She tried to soothe her, the best she could.
�Mariko-san, I found her! Ta�Oh, Misao-chan,� Okita-san exclaimed, from the garden of the house just behind them.
***
�How is she?� Okita asked, as Mariko finally went downstairs. She sat on the chair next to his, taking her cup of tea with a thankful nod.
�She�s dry and she�s sleeping. Walking outside the garden has exhausted her. I hope that her state isn�t going to get worse.�
�That would be a pity. With Tokio-san coming to see her before leaving�For once, I was bringing good news,� he joked.
�It was very nice of Kondo-sama to send you here to tell her. I hope that she will be well enough to travel in September. If she starts to sneak out��
Okita noticed the self-reproach in her voice. �You couldn�t know that she would try. Kikue-san didn�t expect this either. Is Misao-chan having seen Tami going to be a problem?�
Mariko smiled. �She didn�t hear anything, and right now, Kikue is surely telling her the made up story that we had ready. Anyway, considering her escapade of today, she will be very seriously looked after.�
�By the young cook, who isn�t a cook.�
He wasn�t expecting any answer, just stating a fact, and she didn�t feel pressured. Mariko was relieved. She didn�t like to lie to him, and he was merely confirming that there were no more pretenses. They were staring at each other, appreciating the calm moment. They had had the occasion to speak a little the night when Saitoh had found the house, but not since then. Okita was puzzling her, she felt good with him at some point, yet she failed to understand many sides of his personality. He was like an interesting potion, many contradicting elements mixing into a surprisingly good combination.
�So, Tokio-san marries your friend tonight,� she said, just because silence, which she usually found companionable, was suddenly all but that.
That seemed to awake very amusing memories in him, for he laughed. She liked when he laughed, he was quite charming then. Not really a word that she would have associated with a Shinsengumi Captain, before.
�Another secret that we share,� Okita added, and his hilarity stopped suddenly.
He felt his cheeks getting *pink*. Was he 12 again, or what?
�Yes, indeed,� she answered, for once avoiding his gaze.
�You know, that made me think about our conversation. About family, and about my disease.�
He paused a moment. Her black eyes were unreadable again.
�You were right. I�m not afraid to die, but I was so focused on accepting death that I was already, in my mind. I was, shamefully, afraid to live. More exactly, I didn�t even consider it.�
�And you aren�t anymore?�
He nodded. �You see, a good friend of mine�he died, because or for me, in a way, depending on your point of view. When I learnt that I was sick, I thought about those who were going to stay�as I have been the one to stay until now. This is what I wanted to explain you last time, without finding the words. Nobody at the Shinsengumi needs me or will be in deep distress because of my death, whatever links we have. It wouldn�t be the same for a family. But I changed my mind, and will enjoy life until the end� I just don�t want to tell anyone, because I will go on with my duty�for as long as I can. The longer, the better.�
In other words, he accepted the treatment. He didn�t need to know that she got it from the barbarians...not today. She nodded, relieved.
�I thought about it, too, and I understand your reasons,� she conceded. �You can count on my discretion, and also��
She hesitated. She knew that people suffering from this condition also needed moral support, and for some reasons she wanted to be that for him. And he had to change his perspective on one point, still. But she didn�t know how to tell him.
�Also?�
�I saw death in your eyes, the first time we met. Yet, the more I know you, the more I see life into them.�
�The battle is lost in advance,� he pointed, but he was smiling. That was exactly what was unsettling and attracting about him, this way he had to make contradictions natural.
�If your fight for the Bakufu was lost in advance, would you think about losing during your battles?�
�I see.� His smile widened. �I would fight to win, anyway. The Bakufu can count on my support until the end, whatever small it is, and whatever the outcome.�
�You can count on me, in the same way,� she said simply.
Okita almost let his cup fall. His incredulousness might have shown, because she repeated:
�Until the end, whatever the issue. But I fight to win.�
He realized what she offered him: more than a companion in his secret battle, she gave him the hope he had lost. He wasn�t sure to find the words to thank her for that, and couldn�t start to think of why she did.
There were no words, so he extended his hand, and she put hers in it in a simple acknowledgment of their new alliance.
***
Rain was still pouring by the end of the afternoon. Saitoh and Nagakura were installed on the engawa in front of the dining room, since they were back from the residence, and Okita had joined them later on. They were playing dices while drinking some sake that Hatsue had graciously provided. The old woman had just brought them some light snacks.
�Full stomachs aren�t recommended,� she said enigmatically, before retiring into her kitchen.
Okita contained a nervous laughter.
Saitoh scowled.
Nagakura blinked. Today was weird. First of all, after not making fun of him Saitoh accepted to play dices, when he usually considered it as a loss of time. Second, Okita giggled all the time. Hatsue was positively gloating, whereas her pupil was going home. She was even more smug than usual, like laughing at a joke known only to her.
�Is there something that I miss here?� he asked. �Why is everybody so strange?�
�4-5,� Saitoh announced. �I don�t know what you mean. Maybe you�re the one in a strange state? You look like you lost a kitten.�
Well, that was more of Saitoh, Nagakura sighed inwardly, philosophical. Maybe he was indeed�out there, today. The Kojimas had left Kyoto an hour ago and that depressed him.
�Oho. Isn�t that Hatsue�s best sake? Somebody is getting married or what?�
Okita coughed loudly at Harada�s intervention.
�Moron.�
�Be nice, Saitoh. I was going to do you guys a favor: we are all invited to O-Fuku�s house, for a party, tonight�Hey, you could look enthusiastic.�
His generous invitation had been received by a silence that he would qualify as embarrassed. Saitoh behaved as if he hadn�t heard and the two others had stilled and gave furtive glances at each other, yeah, definitely embarrassed.
Then, Nagakura spoke slowly. �Well, that�s very nice of you, Harada-kun, but after these weeks on the edge what I need is some sleep. To be honest, I�m not far from passing out already.�
�I�m not that well either,� Okita added, earnestly. �I�m getting old. Another day, maybe��
�I�m despaired now�Saitoh?�
�Yes, but no. I�m on duty. Three days in Osaka with Matsudaira-sama. Moron.�
�Poor Saitoh-kun, I really feel for you�� Okita remarked with a bizarre smile.
�For us, you mean,� Harada snorted. �Hopefully, Matsudaira will invite you to a place there, because you need to get some. You must cure your foul mood; all of us are victims of it. You were plainly insufferable those last days.�
�I�m sure that Matsudaira-sama will provide.� The first Captain was hiccupping with laughter now.
�Okita-kun, this permanent giggling begins to worry me. Maybe you developed some�affection?� Saitoh insinuated, on his suavely ironic tone. �I�m not sure that a potion could help you�another kind of treatment, though, seems must needed.�
Nagakura contained a bemused smile. Soushi had stopped laughing and though he had cast his head down, watching his cup of sake, Shinpachi could see that he had blushed. The exchange between the two others had been full of double entendre and he was quite sure that it was about women. He didn�t bother to try deducing anything. Gossip didn�t interest him. He�d know what he was supposed to in time, and in the meanwhile, it was more pleasant than talking by insinuation because of spies and moles. The moment he made the inward reflection, Harada showed that if he was oblivious of many things, he had big antennas to register them.
�I can�t invite Sanjuuro�Takeda is around him like a worried mother hen, lately, but he would reverse into his shrewish self in no time. Well, I�ll ask Shimada and Todo.�
�Thank you for the invitation anyway,� Okita smiled to the departing Sano, having gotten over his dismay.
Saitoh�s eyes had taken that particular glimmer, and Nagakura knew what it meant. Hijikata and Kondo had charged him to find proof of Tani�s treason.
�I regret that we have to leave him out,� Shinpachi murmured. �He�s going to feel betrayed.�
�You know how he is�He�s too direct and incapable of dissimulation,� Soushi answered with a sigh. Sano and Tani were rather good friends, and he was feeling sorry for Harada. He knew too well the situation in which he would find himself, once the truth about Tani revealed. �I hope that we won�t have to deceive him for too long.�
�I doubt that it will be so easy. The Satsuma cell which had hired the couple of servants for Michiko�s house has left Kyoto,� Nagakura reminded him.
�Still no name for their leader?�
�No, Saitoh-kun, I have only the lieutenant�s, a Shibumi.�
�Their little friends here have stopped their propaganda. I think that they will stay discreet for a while,� Saitoh let out.
�They�re still trying to get close to the new recruits. They must be waiting for their moment�� Okita said, losing his pleasant demeanor.
Saitoh smirked. �Not knowing that I will be waiting for mine.�
His satisfied stance made Soushi smile brightly. �Indeed, Saitoh-kun. Morons, ne?�
Nagakura cracked a smile. �The irony is surely to your taste.�
�Yes, but more than waiting for his moment, Saitoh-kun certainly prefers when it has come. Oh, by the way, I think that it�s time for you to join *Takagi-sama* and the others, isn�t it, Saitoh-kun?�
Whatever the private joke between Okita and Saitoh was, it was sure enough to have kept the former entertained for days. Nagakura thought that he might try to find out, after all.
***
It was past ten and the rain stopped, eventually. The heavy clouds and the mist seemed to disperse slowly, the sky clearer yet paradoxically blacker at once.
Tokio had let Saitoh accompany their guests outside the house, where the guards were waiting, and she tried to find her way in the unfamiliar place. It had been already dark when she had arrived with her father and Kondo, and she didn�t know what the surroundings looked like.
She got into the main bedroom and she sighed. She didn�t know why the Daimyo had insisted into having a small ceremony. Her marriage, in spite of her early protests, had to stay a secret and she wouldn�t be allowed to change her name yet. She didn�t care about being a target, and she had felt offended at the idea that they might think of her as a coward. Saitoh had convinced her, explaining that his undercover mission and his possible pretense to betray the Shinsengumi could be politically embarrassing for Matsudaira and her father, in case the alliance was known.
She glanced around the room, the futon was installed already, and she grew even more self-conscious. She had no last minute doubts, and Saitoh explaining his reasons for secrecy had reinforced her hope that he would indeed respect and confide in her. She couldn�t explain why she was in that state of mind.
She had changed clothes in the Gyon house, and her father had met Tami for the first time since her sister had been in Kyoto. Kikue and Hatsue had helped her with her formal kimono, and Mariko had waited for her arrival to leave the house, time to congratulate her. For once, she had been able to say goodbye to Tami while feeling optimistic, and she had managed to convince her sister that they would be reunited soon, and definitely.
Yet, she had begun to feel nervous during the short travel and even more while waiting for Matsudaira and Saitoh, who had come a while later in company of the Shinto priest. She had felt out of place, the ceremony and the short dinner had been quite surreal. Only men, and weirdly during the whole dinner Saitoh had oriented the conversation on his mission and politics. If only�
Mother hadn�t been there.
She sat on the futon, realizing how she had missed her. She tried not to think of her otherwise than for recalling good memories. Yet, she had felt the void tonight, and the three older men had been also experiencing it. The memories lingering and the regrets had spread a kind of nostalgic sadness over her, especially during the ceremony. She had almost cried when her father had given a toast to Ryoko, and in a way the topic of the discussion had helped her. She had been containing a nervous laugh when Saitoh had continued by talking about�
She shook her head, incredulous. Did he realize? Did he behave like this to spare her? He knew how she felt about her mother, and that was of him to react like this�he had, at the compound, when she had confessed her fears. Or maybe he never thought about anything else than duty, which was as likely, she remarked inwardly.
She was quite thankful to him, whether he had done this purposefully or not. She laid back, her kimono was so heavy and with the humid heat of the rainy season it was burdening her; then she took a deep breath, letting the tension exiting her.
She was an idiot, she decided. Yesterday she had been unable to sleep, thinking only of the moment when she would be alone with Saitoh and when he would continue what he had started the other day. Her frustration had grown after seeing him at the barn, he didn�t even kiss her, and she had been waiting for this during three long days. And now, all that she did was whining�stupid, stupid. She had no real idea on what to expect, but surely, it would be interesting�and thrilling.
She felt her lips twisting, her mood restored. She should prepare herself. The white yukata traditionally worn for wedding nights was in a corner of the room�in a second, time to gather her strength, she decided. She was very tired now that she wasn�t so tense. She would close her eyes for a second, and then she would go.
She heard vaguely some paces outside, he was coming back. In a second, she thought again.
To be continued�
Author�s notes:
Yamato Nadeshiko: canon of traditional Japanese beauty, one of the requirements being not to have any body mark or scar. But black rotten teeth were OK�at least it was part of the canon during the Nara period -8th century, 710-794 if I recall well (I always confuse the dates, so don�t take my word on it)- anyway no wonder that French kissing isn�t a Japanese tradition, LOL.
Nagakura and Miyu *shakes head* Argh. They�re sweet, and I can�t even deplore it completely. *sobs*
Okita and Mariko, I couldn�t have a teenage like romance, they are both older than the others and his situation didn�t call for something too innocently sappy. I like the balance between my three couples here, since there is not one model of relationship after all.
And about Harada, yes, I know that he was a family man, but he got married in 1866. I can have him as a careless womanizer here, since he officially didn�t meet his match yet (^-^).
Yep, this was Enishi. Hey, he was in Kyoto at the time, looking for Nee-san, the poor dear. Considering her age, of course Misao won�t remember it. So well, I could have this little wink (since it�s a RK fic to start with) without consequences for the manga timeline. It�s also a little wink to Firuze, Enishi fan number one and Enishi author number one.
Wedding night are very upsetting, it seems. But as you see Tokio has her feisty side back too, and she�ll need it for �
Next chapter: Hot summer night for a wedding night. Enjoy the ride�they will (I know, I wrote it :D). Warning: the chapter is entirely a lemon.
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Irresistible