Blanket Scenario: Aoshi and Misao
by: Miss Led

Aoshi picked Misao up from the snowdrift. They had been traveling since dawn and the blizzard had been waging for hours already. In an attempt to try and stay warm Aoshi had ordered Misao to keep moving after him. She was wrapped in a short coat but her legs were covered by only a tall pair of woolen socks. For the most part she was as bare as always. The snow reached his thighs, which meant that it was damn near waist high for the smaller girl behind him. Her breathing had been labored and he knew she would not make it much further, yet she had made no complaints, even though he could hear her teeth chattering in the cold and heard her fall time and time again only to rise, continuing her struggle.

Once more she had tumbled down into the snow, but this time she had not made it to her feet. Misao’s strength had finally given out. Aoshi had turned to have a look at her and found himself retracing his steps to lift her smaller frame into his arms. Her legs would carry her no further, so now his would work for the both of them. He hefted her up and snuggled her freezing body high against his chest, trying to give her some of his warmth, but Aoshi knew that he was as vulnerable to the cold as she was. It was only a matter of time before he too
succumbed to its clutches. He had to find shelter.

He trudged on through the snow, for how long he wasn’t sure, but he could feel his legs getting more and more numb. Misao’s body was  turning a startling shade of blue and Aoshi was at his wit’s end. Were they going to die here in the middle of this godforsaken forest? Surely, with this much snow, no one would be able to find them until the spring thaw. He lifted heavy feet again to move but he tripped on a buried log. Misao went flying from his arms to land on the powdery snow before him. Fighting his way through the ever deepening white blanket over the ground, he finally reached her. Misao appeared unhurt, but they had gone off the path when he had fallen.

Aoshi collected the unconscious Misao from the snow once again and was about to move back to the trail they had been following, when he saw a snow covered hut under the trees to his left. It was so well hidden that he would never have been able to see it from the path they had been traveling, had he not tripped. Looking up to the sky in surprise, Aoshi thought that maybe the gods had heard his prayers after all. He didn’t dwell on the point, opting rather, to hurry for the shelter.

He leaned against the low door of the cabin and it opened without protest. Bending over, he walked into the room, shifting Misao to accommodate the action. Gazing around he saw that it was slightly larger than it had first appeared from the outside. There were no windows, but he could easily discern several objects in the cabin by the light filtering in from the open doorway. In a far corner, there appeared to be some sort of bedding, there also appeared to be a small fireplace built into the back wall, but little else.

He laid Misao down on the floor gently and moved towards the pile of bedding. There was a rough, dusty, straw-filled futon and an old, woolen blanket. Bending down to get a closer look, he picked up the cushioned mat and shook it to displace some of the dust. As he did so a great cloud of fine particles rose to engulf the room; Aoshi coughed hard as breathed in a good portion of the powdery dust which swirled around him. Standing as he held the mat in his arms, he walked to the fireplace and spread the lumpy bed piece on the floor in front of the hearth, hoping that there was enough kindling to build a fire. The former omnitsu Okashira walked over to Misao and picked her up, he then placed the unconscious girl on the futon and turned to close the door. He was worried about her health; Misao had been frighteningly cold when he touched her.

Turning back to Misao, he began to assess the situation. They were out in the middle of nowhere, with no one around for miles. Misao was going to freeze to death if he didn’t do something soon. He needed to warm her up, quick. Aoshi rummaged through his coat and clothes looking for matches, all he came up with were a few soggy ones at the bottom of a jacket pocket that was full of snow. He was sure that if Misao had any on her they would be in the same condition. Fire was no longer an option. He wandered up to the side of the mat, kneeling down next to it to get a closer look at Misao.

The thigh-high socks she wore were frozen stiff. They would have to be taken care of first. He slipped his hands into the tuck of her obi and withdrew one of her kunai. He unlaced her boots and tugged them off her feet; they made a dull thunking noise as each landed on the floor behind him. Then he placed the tip of her kunai underneath the top edge of the sock closest to him. Drawing the knife down, he carefully separated the two halves of the frozen fabric and uncovered her leg. It was a dull shade of purple. Aoshi froze in horror for an instant, before he went on to make quick work of baring her other leg.

He flipped Misao over carefully and lifted her jacket to untie her obi, pulling the strip of cloth from her body, he then proceeded to collect the multiple kunai that had been comfortably nestled between it and her middle. Running his hands over the back of her calves, he rubbed briskly in a vain effort to generate some circulation in them. Seeing that his efforts were of no avail he turned her onto her back once again. He pushed her short coat and shirt from her shoulders; her breasts were bound underneath. He noted with an almost clinical thought that her breasts had grown over the past few months. Pushing the thought aside, he continued with his ministrations. After removing her coat and gi he got up and grabbed the blanket from it’s resting place on the ground, it was old and musty but it would serve his purpose well. He shook it out carefully so as to not disturb any more dust and settled it over Misao. After doing so, he reached underneath the blanket from his spot next to the futon and carefully removed the rest of her clothes. Soon afterward, he walked to a corner and settled in to wait out the storm.

Misao woke up a short time later to the delicious feel of warmth around her. She felt strange though, as if something was missing. Her eyes popped open in shock at the same time the realization that she was naked except for the binding on her breasts finally hit home. Rolling onto her side, she surveyed the room. It was very dark and the air around her was still frightfully cold. She heard a soft noise and peered into a dark corner where it had originated. As she stood, she carefully arranged the blanket around her body and reached out a foot to walk over to the noise. She pulled it back instantly after the first fleeting contact with the ground; the floor was freezing! Looking around for her socks, she found the remnants lying soggily next to the futon. Misao bit her lip and stepped onto the floor. She made a tiny sound at the first contact but then hesitated no more.

She rushed over to the corner to confirm her suspicion. There, just as she had thought, huddled a shivering Aoshi up against the wall. Leaning down to grab his hand, she was shocked to find that it was icy cold. He moved then, awakening from a cold induced trance to look up at her. His eyes were blank as if he no longer knew who she was. Misao slapped his cheek softly and his eyes came back into focus. Aoshi pulled back, huddling closer against the wall, as if to ward her off.

“Misao get back on that futon before you freeze to death!” His tone was harsh. For the first time in her life Misao decided that it was time he listened to her. She squared her shoulders for the battle of wills she was sure would follow her next statement.

She looked him evenly in the eyes as she spoke,  “No.” His widened slightly in shock as he realized she was defying him. He stood up quickly, fully intending to carry her back to the futon himself. Misao made him pause as she gave him a look he could only think of as cold; almost, he mused, what his eyes must seem like at times. She spoke again, this time with an authority he had not been anticipating. “You’re freezing cold and fully planning to die up against that wall, I’m not going back to that futon unless you come with me.”

Once again she had shocked him. He looked down at her with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Before his was a beautiful little contradiction in terms, the authoritative voice had come from a girl who was presently clad only in a musty, oversized antiquity of a blanket with one foot crossed over the other and her chin in the air. She looked more like a defiant kitten to him. Aoshi reached down and scooped her up into his arms. Walking the short distance to the futon, he deposited her squirming body back down where he thought she belonged. Ignoring her protests, he turned to walk back to his piece of wall when he felt a hard tug on his pant leg. He looked back to see a very angry Misao clutching onto it for all her life.

“Aoshi-sama, your clothes are soaking wet! I’m sure you’ve already noticed that fact, you’re going to freeze to death or get really sick! If you go back to that corner, don’t think that I won’t get up and try to make you move again. You would be much better off if you saved me the effort.” She blushed deeply and looked at her toes, which peeped out the far edge of the blanket. “You have to take your clothes off Aoshi-sama, I don’t want to lose you over something as trivial as this.” It was only then that the force of her worries hit him. Kneeling down next to her, Aoshi lifted her chin to make her look at him.

“Misao, if it were just me here I’d already have done that. But where do you want me to go if I have no clothes on? You’re the one with the blanket, remember? I don’t exactly think it would be proper if we shared. I can take care of myself, stay there.” With that he pried her fist loose from his pants and was turning to walk to the wall again when he felt a surprisingly vicious yank from behind. He looked back this time to see Misao on her feet with a death grip on the tail edge of his coat.

“Aoshi-sama, I’ll share the blanket if it means you won’t get sick. If it’s my honor you are worrying about it would mean nothing if I lost you. Get out of those wet clothes and come lay down under the blanket.” He watched as her eyes misted over. Time seemed to stop as he stared at the now flowing tears that caressed her cheeks. He gathered her close to his chest and wiped the silver lines of cooling moisture from her cheeks.

“Daijoubu, Misao. Lay down and turn around.” Misao nodded against his chest and did as she was told. Aoshi was a bit confused about how to go on with the next stage in this charade but that last thing he wanted on his hands right now was an upset Misao. He was glad for a few things, however; he was cold beyond reason so the warmth would be welcome and at least Misao was awake now, ne? He peeled off the heavy trench coat and it dropped to the floor with a wet plop. Next came his shirt and under-shirt, shoes, socks and finally pants. He shivered lightly as the cold air caressed his naked skin. From where he stood Misao’s face could not be seen.

He eased down onto the futon next to her and picked up a corner of the blanket, pausing for just a moment in the cold air before scooting underneath it. He abruptly turned his back from Misao. Two things were instantly discerned in that second after successfully wrapping himself in the blanket. First, the blanket wasn’t big enough to cover the both of them this way. Secondly, Misao’s naked back against his own was the sweetest feeling he had ever known. Aoshi took a deep breath to brace himself and rolled over. He fixed an arm underneath Misao’s bound breasts and pulled her body up higher on the futon. He then fitted himself against her spoon fashion. Placing his arm under her head, he threw her braid over one creamy shoulder with his free hand.

Misao lay on her side, facing away from Aoshi self-consciously. She could hear his clothes falling to the ground behind her. With each sound, it seemed that it got harder and harder for her to breathe. When he had come underneath the blanket with her, Misao was almost certain she wouldn’t have a problem with the cold, she was blushing warmly all the way to the tips of her toes! Then, Aoshi had turned his back to her; she had been just about to give a sigh of relief when the blanket was jerked out of her hands. The cold hit her like a brick wall and she tugged on the blanket to move it back over her. She felt Aoshi take a deep breath against her back, he had rolled over quite suddenly then. Misao didn’t even have time to react he was so quick, and now her head rested on his upper arm and his body was wrapped around hers in a fetal position. It was the most she’d ever felt of any man’s body and she was unable to comprehend it all at once.

He had casually tossed her long braid over her shoulder and she grabbed for it instinctively. Aoshi had taken the movement as an opportunity to settle his arm beneath her breasts again. He held her tightly against him. Misao panicked for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then she felt his head rest against hers, his breathing tickling her ear. She took a deep breath of her own and wriggled back into the heat of his body, molding herself to him. Aoshi breathed in sharply
behind her and froze.

“Aoshi-sama?” The worried squeak was the only sound Misao could muster at that point in time. The feel of his body pressed so firmly against her own was doing funny things to her thought processes.

Aoshi’s voice was somewhat pained as he replied, “Hai?” The sound came out as a rough exhale above her ear. She felt him tremble the slightest bit as he held her. Worry overtook her abruptly; she turned her face up to see if she could get a better look at him. His was pressed into her hair and his cheeks were flushed. From what she could discern, Aoshi’s eyes were shut tightly and his faced looked pained. Misao pulled away and turned over in circle of his arms so she could look him in the face; their bodies were scant inches apart under the
covers.

Aoshi groaned as she moved. He didn’t want to have to look at her, if she was going to torture him all night with her closeness, he would rather she do it with her back to him. He buried his face in his arm so he would not have to confront her. The less she knew the better. The affect her nearness was having on him was almost unbearable.  Now she was facing him and it would only make it worse. He tried his hardest to forget she was there.

“Aoshi-sama?” It was a hesitant question to accompany the soft, cool hand that had just reached up to brush the hair from his face. Aoshi caught her wrist and forced it back to her side.

“Stop.” The word was a shaky order. Misao didn’t understand why Aoshi would tell her to stop when he looked so sick. Thinking he was still cold, she went to move closer towards him when his hand dropped onto her shoulder, holding her back. Misao was VERY confused. Worriedly, she raised a hand to test his furrowed brow only to found it pinned down in the space between their bodies. “Misao, I’m fine. Just turn around and go to sleep.” Misao refused to believe those words, how could he be fine? His face was beginning to shine with a thin film of sweat and he was shaking. Brushing his arm aside, she moved closer.

Misao stopped when she felt something warm against her leg and reached down to find out what it was. Aoshi gasped as first her thighs then her fingers made intimate contact with his newly hardened flesh. Clenching his teeth to keep from moaning, he sat up abruptly, his back to her. Holding her hand out in front of her, Misao stared at her palm. She had grasped something hard but smooth, long and wonderfully warm in her hand. That something, she knew, had been a part of Aoshi’s body. She blushed down to the roots of her hair.

“Sumimasen, Aoshi-sama! I didn’t mean to hurt you! I was just worried!” Misao moved forward to place her head on his back, wrapping her arms and the blanket around him. Aoshi reached up to lay one unsteady hand over her smaller ones. He was still stunned from her touch. It was exquisite madness to remain in her embrace for a moment more, but he couldn’t bear to push her away this time.

“Misao, you didn’t hurt me. I’m sorry I scared you.” He caressed her arm lightly as he said the words. After a few moments he came to a decision. Working her arms loose, he turned to face her.  She could see all of him now, in glorious detail, before her. Aoshi waited on his knees before her with his hands on his thighs, his swollen flesh jutting out boldly from his body. He was strong and muscled, cords of it rippling over his body. His skin was smooth, its texture broken only by the slightly puckered marks of random scars. Misao pulled back from him, she’d seen naked men before, in her lifestyle as a Ninja it was inevitable, but none were her Aoshi-sama. Now here he was, baring everything to her and she was pulling away. Ashamed of herself, Misao bit her lip and looked up at Aoshi’s face shyly.

He was watching her with guarded eyes. She would never begin to fathom how completely vulnerable he was at that moment. Aoshi viewed Misao’s struggle with her emotions in silence. He saw her pull away, then the quick flash of embarrassment on her face before she had resolved to look at him. Deathly afraid that she would reject him, he looked away as her wide eyes found his. Silently he berated himself, ‘It was too forward an action; she’ll never want me now that’s she’s seen what she’s getting.’ Aoshi made a move to withdraw from her once more when he felt Misao’s hands clasp his own, the blanket around her had fallen back and the only thing blocking his view of her body was the cloth binding on her chest.

Aoshi thought he was in heaven for a moment and his redemption was Misao. He’d watched her grow, had cared for and protected her, and now she was to be his reward. His head bowed with some unexplained emotion came over him. Turning his palms up under her hands, he claimed her fingers tightly within his own grasp. Drawing her forward at what, to Misao, seemed to be an agonizing pace, she was wrapped in Aoshi’s arms again, her head being gently held to his chest. His skin was soft and warm, the muscles firm beneath her cheek. She rested there happily, but her curiosity got the better of her at last.

Misao was finally getting the one thing she wanted most in life and she didn’t quite know what to do with him. She was determined, however, to find out. Pulling back, she placed one of Aoshi’s hands to the side of her cheek. His eyes smoldered, their depths as dark as the stormy seas. She’d never seen his eyes like this before, and now she was caught in his gaze, a moth drawn to the flame. Aoshi leaned down; he pressed his lips to hers in an intense kiss, easing up at once when he felt her stiffen. She was innocent; this was most likely her first kiss. Aoshi wanted her to remember it well.

Sweeping his lips back and forth across hers, he teased her occasionally with the tip of his tongue. Misao was slowly forgetting her inhibitions as she leaned into the pressure of his lips, her body begging him to stop playing with her. Aoshi paused in his kisses, only a hair’s breadth away from her. Her small pants mingled with his sigh as he watched her eyes flutter open to greet his. The side of his mouth quirked as he read the emotions there. Running his fingers up her arm and across her shoulder blade, he reached around her back until they found the satin rope of her braid. He trailed the tip of it over the crook of her neck, down across the small width of her collarbones. Misao shivered at the sensation, her eyes growing wider at the sensuous feeling.

Aoshi carefully removed the golden casing from the end of her braid and untied the strip of leather lacing holding her tresses captive. He carefully separated the stands and let them fan out around her. She was even more beautiful with her hair down. Grasping a long stand framing her face, he slid his fingers down its glossy length. They brushed teasingly over the tip of her bound breast, the hollow of her stomach, then across the soft skin of her lower belly to finally rest in the nest of down between her thighs. Turning his hand over, he cupped her in his palm, slowly rotating it against her. Misao moaned deep in the back of her throat, her body arching into the luscious feeling.

She reached out almost instinctively to brace herself on his upper arms. Her legs spread at the gentle persistence of his questing fingers. Misao could take no more when his fingers parted her damp flesh to ease their way high up inside of her. She collapsed against his chest with an impassioned whimper as waves of pleasure rolled through her. “Aoshi-sama, stop!!! What are you doing to me??”

At Misao’s tormented cry, Aoshi tipped her head back and claimed her lips completely, deftly parting them with his tongue. Gently, he forced them to open wider as he tasted her, rotating his fingers inside her as he did so, causing Misao to grind her pelvis into his palm moaning at the intense feeling. “Aoshi-sa-ma! Ohhh!” Taking advantage of her soft cry, he bit her bottom lip and sucked on it, running his tongue over the tiny wound to ease the hurt.

He with drew his fingers from her tight center and pushed her back onto the futon softly. She was shaking beneath him, the passion having taken complete control. Aoshi grabbed one of her kunai from the floor behind him and maneuvered himself between her trembling legs. She had resisted only for a moment when he had slipped his hands amongst her sweet flesh to part them. He sat on his heels now taking in her innocent abandon and fiery, passion-flushed body.  He brought the kunai to the fore so she could she it. Misao’s eyes widened with a bit of apprehension as he saw her weapon in his hand.

Aoshi placed a finger to her lips as he spoke to still her questions, “Hold still.” His voice was firm and warm, like brandy. He tucked the edge of the kunai under the topmost strip of the cloth binding over her breasts. With a motion so quick she could not see it his hand was gone. Aoshi half-smirked as she looked up at him in wonder. A couple of seconds later the binding over her breasts burst open forcefully like elastic retracting.

Misao gasped as the cold air flooded over her chest making a small noise of surprise as she did so. Aoshi casually threw the kunai to the side and reached down to capture her wrists.

He drew them away from her chest to hold them high above her head with one hand. Misao was too astonished to protest the action. His hold was loose, she could break it at any moment, but seeing the way his eyes roamed heatedly over her exposed body, she wasn’t sure she wanted to just yet. Aoshi squeezed the soft flesh of her inner thigh with his free hand. She wiggled before him, her body asking for more then a mere touch.

Aoshi willingly obliged, slipping his fingers deep within her core again to tease her smoldering passion into a raging fire. Misao’s back arched from the incredible flood of sensation that crashed through her body. She moaned his name as her head rolled back, her hips coming off the floor. “Aoshi-sama!!!” Aoshi was enraptured by her passionate reaction. Leaning over to kiss the now exposed arch of her neck, he proceeded to nip a light trail down to her collarbone. Misao growled fiercely as he did so, her wrists pulling out of his grasp to rest on his shoulders, little nails scoring his flesh as her hands clenched.
Aoshi reveled in the sweet pain of the action, bringing her head up he kissed her again; this time it was slow and savoring, inviting her to kiss him back. Misao responded with all the feeling in her body and heart. Moving a hand up to cup the back of his head, she thrust her tongue into his mouth and claimed it as her own. Aoshi gave himself over to her, unable to hold back from the onslaught of her emotion.

Finally, he broke the fevered kiss to catch his breath. He was panting from the exertion, glad that their time together in this cabin was not going to be a battle of wills, for had it been so he would never have stood against the force of the desire burning inside her.

Misao sat up when he pulled away. He removed his digits gently as she did so, but not before giving the nub of her passion a quick pinch. Misao’s body spasmed as the feeling coursed through her nerves. She hit him over the head in response, “Aoshi-sama!!!! What are you doing to me?!?!?” She heaved great breaths as the delicious throbbing he had caused within her body began to abate. Aoshi held up his hand in supplication as he rubbed the knot on his head.

“Misao, do you think I would ever hurt you physically?” She glanced at him dubiously. He shrugged and looked at her with laughter in is eyes as she scowled at him. Then her face changed to a smooth mask.

“Aoshi-sama.” Misao’s voice was firm and unwavering, an unreadable expression having replaced the scowl. He could not guess what she was thinking. It was a new feeling for him, to not be able to read her emotions; he was slightly on edge at the sense of helplessness the knowledge had caused.

“Hai?” His face mirrored her own: it was the same cold facade as always but this time his eyes gave him away. They were wary of her. Misao danced with glee on the inside to see that her Aoshi-sama was unable to guess her next move. She’d always known he’d been able to read her like a book, what she never knew until this night, however, was that when she used his own tricks on him, he was powerless against her.  She laughed evilly inside and watched him.

“Aoshi-sama…….” He nodded; his eyes told her he was worried. “I want you to do something for me.” They narrowed instantly, he nodded cautiously this time.  “I want you to lie on your back.” She reached for his wrist and pulled him towards the futon next to her. Aoshi did as he was asked but his eyes were still narrowed warily.

“Misao? What are you planning?” Her face was still unreadable, but there was a small, tight smile on her mouth. She shook her head, she’s wasn’t going to let him know anything, if she did, he’d never give her a chance to do as she wanted. Misao reached down to the foot of the futon, she picked up both of her damp socks and made quick work of tying the feet together. She wadded them up behind her as she captured his wrists with her hand. Aoshi let her do so only because he was not yet sure what she wanted of him.

He wasn’t expecting her to move so fast, but in the space of a few seconds she had his hands tied together and thrown over his head. Aoshi was dazed for a couple of moments as his newfound state of freedom, or lack thereof, sunk in. He struggled against the cold, wet bonds. “Misao!!! What did you do? Let me loose!” His muscles strained against the thick cloth as he moved to sit up and free himself. Misao forcefully pushed him to the ground and pinned him with a well-placed elbow to the ribs.

“Aoshi-sama, you haven’t even let me put a hand on you since this started other then to hold myself up. Its about time I got a chance to explore. So you’re going to lay there, tied up so you can’t stop me, and take it like a man!” Aoshi gulped as he saw the determination in her eyes. He ceased to struggle immediately, instead he opted for words to try and get him out of this predicament.

“Ne, Misao…” He crooned softly, “Let me up, onegai? You can do anything you want to me but I don’t like being tied.” Misao gave him an even look then proceeded to gag him with her obi. His eyes beseached her pleadingly, but this time he did not fight. ‘Let’s see what she has planned….’ He lay back and waited silently. Misao smiled in triumph, feasting her eyes on the length of his body. Aoshi tensed under her probing gaze.

Finally, Misao reached a hand out to touch him, tracing the scars across his chest reverently with her fingers. Aoshi writhed at her caress, his shoulders twisting as if he was trying to get away from her fingers. She gave him a quick look to confirm the fact and saw his eyes were closed and his face was strained. She pulled the gag away from his mouth and was surprised by the flow of laughter from Aoshi’s lips.

“Yamate!!!! That tickles!” She looked at him as if he’d gone mad. Instead of explaining he threw his tied arms around her neck and pulled her down for a kiss. Misao still couldn’t believe she’d heard him laugh. The kiss she gave him was almost absentminded as her mind processed the sound for a later memory. When he finally let her up she was a bit out of breath but still as determined as ever, before he could protest she slipped the gag back into place.

Her captive groaned loudly in objection but stayed where he was, obediently placing his hands over his head once again. Misao was amused at how docile he was being. She really hadn’t been expecting Aoshi to let her take control, she thought she'd have to fight him for the chance. But here he was, laid out before her like an offering…..She ran her hands over his solid chest, feeling his muscles
twitch underneath them. Aoshi drew in a ragged breath. Misao’s palms paused as they encountered the twin protrusions of Aoshi’s hardened nipples.

Fingers toyed with his nipples absently; Misao rolling them between her finger tips in a gentle caress. Aoshi moaned softly. In a moment of sheer impulsiveness, Misao leaned down to taste him. First with the tip of her tongue, which darted out quickly over his skin, then with her whole mouth as she drew in his nipple, flickering her tongue over it in circles. Aoshi made a sharp sound then sucked in a shaky breath. His body went taunt as she traced a path in kisses across his chest to it’s twin.

He tasted like salt to her, but there was something else, the essence of the man. It wasn’t sweet or bad, but Aoshi, she couldn’t explain it, but it was wonderful. Like home, surrounding her senses, engulfing her being. As her fingers traced the cords of his abdomen, her mouth slowly followed suit. Aoshi was writhing beneath her, she knew he wouldn’t stand for much more. She circled his navel with her tongue then graced his lower belly with a trail of butterfly kisses.

Aoshi was almost at the breaking point. His back was arched like a bow and his teeth clenched the fabric of his makeshift gag. He had long since broken into a sweat and his eyes, when he could bear to open them, were glazed over with passion. He was patient though, he could hold out for a while longer, Misao was right, he’d been a fool to not let her have her way with him.

Misao pulled back nervously to look at his sex. Her face was prettily flushed. She glanced at her bound lover only to find him staring at her, eyes burning her with their intensity. Turning away, she looked shyly back to his maleness as she stretched a tentative hand out to touch him. Her fingers stroked down his throbbing length in a feather light caress. Aoshi’s whole body shuddered and his shoulders arched off the futon. Misao became bolder and she closed her hand around him, circling her thumb over the crest eliciting a groan in response. She
felt a drop of slick wetness under her finger and removed her hand to rub her fingers together. Raising her them to her mouth, she tasted this trace of dewy wetness. Aoshi saw her do so and teetered on the edge of his control.

The taste was not bad; she could not describe it other then to say it was the essence of the man once again yet again, something that was uniquely his own. She wanted to know more of it.  Time stopped as Aoshi silently watched Misao’s head dip towards him, opening the sweet circle of her lips to engulf his member. The pleasure was near unbearable as she took more and more of him into her mouth. Her tongue played against his hardened length and was almost his undoing.

Aoshi's arms flexed, the cloth binding his wrists ripped instantly and, with his hands now free, he tore the gag from his mouth. Sitting up abruptly, Aoshi reached down to pull Misao’s mouth to his own. He rolled them over and pinned her beneath his body. When he raised his head is eyes were dark and almost feral.  His chest heaved with the force it took for him to breathe. Misao was bewildered by the change that had come over him.

“Misao, you’re going to pay for that little trick, but all in due time….” The corner of his mouth quirked up as he said the words and there was a warm glow in his eyes. Misao shifted under him nervously. Maybe she had gone too far?? She didn’t have time to ponder that thought before he kissed her again. Aoshi’s hands had free roam over all of her body and they left no place undiscovered. They always returned to her breasts though, to pluck at her nipples or to cup
their weight. Aoshi pushed away to have another look at Misao’s glowing body.

He breasts had grown, much more then he’d realized. The binding over them had hidden much. They were perfectly formed with rosy peaks. Unable to resist, his head dipped to take one of them in his mouth while his fingers played with the other. It was Misao’s turn to moan as a wave of unbridled pleasure spread through her, making every never tingle with warm anticipation. Aoshi raised his head to watch her reaction and was very pleased by what he saw.

“Now you know firsthand what you were doing to me. There’s just one problem. You forget that as your former Okashira, I can do almost everything much better then you.” Misao’s anger prickled her spine as Aoshi winked at her, but she had no time to react before he moved to prove his point. All she could do was ride the wave of bliss his mouth was causing. Warm lips moved down her chest, foraging a path to her stomach with wet kisses. His mouth paused, as her’s had before, to pay homage to her bellybutton causing her to giggle as his tongue tickled the small hollow. She was not giggling however, when Aoshi’s fingers parted her flesh and his mouth took possession of the seed of her
passion.

Misao’s back arched off the bed and her fingers tangled in his hair as she tried to pull his mouth away. She was so sensorial that a flick of his tongue caused her body to tremble uncontrollably. Aoshi decided it was only fair to make her squirm. He inserted the fingers of his right hand into her tight crevice as his mouth played havoc with most sensitive flesh. Misao half sat off the futon as a lightning bolt of pleasure ripped through her. Aoshi eased her back down with his arm and gently held her to the mat as he continued his onslaught of her body. Misao couldn’t stop herself from rising to the careful thrusts of his fingers within her. His mouth was causing so much of a reaction that she was no longer coherent.

Still, Aoshi continued to stoke the fire within her. Misao was moaning and  grinding against him, unable to control her actions, unaware of her own state of abandon. Aoshi watched her body as it twisted and bucked beneath his ministrations. He felt the wall of tension build in her body, growing stronger and stronger with each thrust of his hand, each flick of his tongue. He closed his eyes and sucked on her deeply one last time, burying his fingers deep within her as he felt her sheath contract sporadically around them. Misao felt like she was a shooting star, burning brightly in the heavens. She’d never felt such complete gratification before, had never known such pleasure could exist on earth. ‘But that’s right,’ she thought blankly, ‘I’m in heaven now.……’

Misao’s eyes took a while to come back into focus. She had been staring up at the ceiling absently as though she was no longer there with him in the cabin. Aoshi rested on his side next to her, watching the residual shudders of her climax wrack her body. He had a pleasant look on his face as he watched her, his own need forgotten for the moment as he took pleasure in her release. Misao looked at him then with awe. She said nothing, but only continued to stare at him as if
she didn’t know whether he was real or not.

Sighing deeply, Aoshi reached out and flicked her nipple with aimless abandon. Misao gasped, abruptly coming back down to reality, and sat up, covering her breasts. “Aoshi…….” He raised an eyebrow as he observed her lack of formality with his name. It wasn’t an unpleasant sound to his ears, but it proved how much of an effect her release had effected her. Aoshi pulled Misao down into his arms and stroked her hair absently, she was still shivering and confused but he could feel the turmoil depart from her.

“What happened to me? I thought I had died and gone to heaven.” Aoshi nearly choked when he heard her words. ‘Died and gone to heaven?’ Only his Misao could say something as ridiculous as that. He squeezed her ardently.
 
“Misao, don’t say that because we’re not through yet.” Aoshi told her this in a warm tone with a mischievous fleck in his voice. Misao looked up at his with wide, puzzled eyes. He kissed her soundly before spinning the both of them over until he rested on top of her, within the cradle of her thighs.

“Do you know why a man is hard and a woman soft?” Misao shook her head at Aoshi’s enigmatic question; her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what he was talking about. “Well, Misao. This is so they fit together like two halves of a coin. Kami-sama made sure that they fit in more then just this way though.” He placed a hand between them, slipping him fingers inside of her again to demonstrate. “I’ll be the sword if you’ll be the saya….” The words weren’t meant to scare her but Misao instantly felt an emotion closely akin to panic. Her eyes dilated as the true meaning of his words dawned upon her. She looked down at his hardened sex and shook her head.

 "Aoshi-s-sama…..I-I don’t think that’s going to work.” The corners of his mouth curved upward at her show of innocence, his eyes twinkling with warmth and laughter. He gave her a quick hard kiss on the mouth and removed his fingers to settle himself at her opening. He smiled at her reassuringly as he pressed forward lightly in to her molten heat. Misao’s body tensed in reaction to the stretching of her flesh caused by the persistence of his air-chilled member.

That part of him was much bigger than his fingers had been. “Misao? Do you trust me?” She looked at Aoshi with watery eyes and nodded softly, his lips kissed her eyelids and caressed her cheeks, finally settling over her mouth possessively. He ended the kiss to speak again, this time the words were quiet while his eyes asked for understanding, “Misao, this will hurt you, but only for a minute. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have to, but want you to know more then just a puddle of pleasure. I want to show you an ocean of it. In order for me to do
that, I have to hurt you for a moment. There’s no other way. If you're not ready for this we can stop, daijoubu?”

Misao fully comprehended his words, she looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded her consent. Though she wasn't looking forward to any sort of pain, she trusted Aoshi with her life and even more importantly, her heart. When she nodded Aoshi held breath seeped out in a soft hiss. Taking possession of her mouth again, he continued to claim her innocence. Aoshi wanted to be slow, but Misao pulled her mouth from his and cried out as if she were in agony. Knowing it would be worse for her if he continued at his present pace, Aoshi wrapped
his arms around Misao tightly, to keep her from moving, and thrust into her, knowing that the short, sharp pain would go away faster then any a drawn out entrance would have caused. Misao cried out as the piercing pain cut through her body. Aoshi clenched his teeth as he held her, his eyes watering over as Misao sobbed into his shoulder.

He loosened his hold and pushed himself onto his elbows to look at her. She had caught her bottom lip between her teeth and bitten it roughly. Her hands were fisted and her body shook from her sobs. He kissed the spot of blood from her lip and whispered to her softly. “Sumimasen, Misao. Sumimasen.” Aoshi’s stormy blue eyes were clouded over with the pain reflected in her own; Misao saw herself reflected in their shimmering pools of moisture, caused by having to hurt her for even one short moment. She nodded, sniffling one last time before
wrapping her arms around his neck holding him close, content to know how much he cared.

“Daijoubu, Aoshi-sama. The pain is going away like you said. It was only bad for a moment.” He was glad to hear her words and kissing her pulse point lightly, he nestled his head into her neck until she was ready to go on.

Aoshi moved after only a few seconds. It seemed that he couldn’t keep his hips from shifting the slightest bit in to sink further into her warmth depths. Misao gasped in his ear, moaning at the added pressure. Aoshi tired his hardest not to move until she was ready but he shifted again unconsciously, seeking to lose himself in the molten fire within her. Misao’s nails scored his shoulders again as her muscles contracted around him, cutting off any further motion and escape.

Aoshi bit her shoulder gently to keep from moaning out loud as a shudder swept his body. Gently freeing her sweet skin, he growled quietly in her ear, “Misao, DON’T do that again! At least, not yet.” Misao giggled underneath him at the tough guy attitude he was putting
on, when she knew he wouldn’t move for the world at that moment. Aoshi growled again as Misao’s body rocked against his in time with her laughter. Aoshi groaned and nibbled on her ear, in a half-hearted effort to distract her. He only proceeded to elicit more giggles from her and gave up the effort. She was trying his control, in a minute she’d be learning a whole lot more then she could ever have expected.

He sighed, the motion settling him in her to the hilt. Misao’s muscles contracted again as her tender flesh stretched to accommodate him. She moaned softly as Aoshi moved, seeking to impale herself further upon his staff. Aoshi knew she was almost ready for him. He held himself still as he began to feel her hips rising against his own asking for more of him. In a few minutes Misao was sweating, every few seconds he could feel her muscles close around him, her eyes were slightly glazed and she was biting her bottom lip.

Leaning his head down, Aoshi kissed her softly, slowly withdrawing himself from her heat only to push his way back in with agonizing slowness. Misao looked at him then, her eyes in complete focus. "A-a-oshi-sama! It’s starting again…” She braced her hands against his chest as he levered himself up on his elbows. He moved again this time drawing out even further to plunge back arduously. Misao’s body arched off the futon as she moaned with unsurpressed passion. Aoshi’s head sunk to take her nipple into his mouth, sucking on it deeply as Misao’s hands crept into his hair, trying to pull him closer.

He reached up to untangle her fingers and leaned back holding himself at arms length though he was still fully sheathed within her. Misao was grinding against him; he withdrew himself entirely so that he would have her full attention. Misao whined in frustration as the object of her fascination was taken from her. She looked up at him reproachfully and placed her hands on his hips urging him back to finish what he had begun.

Aoshi held firm until she looked at him again. The sides of his mouth turned up at the look of total consternation she wore. He gave her a long possessive kiss, looking into her bright eyes as he did so, then retreated to his former position above her to look over her flushed form. “Misao, I told you before that I was going to punish you for tying me up. I think now would be the perfect time to do so.” The side of his mouth tilted wryly. Misao’s face held a wary expression. Aoshi meant to hold her on pins and needles for a moment, it would only make
the affect of what he had planned ever better. Misao bent her arms upward from her sides to clasp his wrists as his hands rested on either side of her shoulders.

“Aoshi-sama,” She began in a tenuous tone, “punish me later but I don’t think this is the time…” His eyes twinkled mischievously once again. Misao need only look at him to know that he was enjoying her torment immensely. He shifted his weight to one arm and tweaked her nipple with his free hand, eliciting a squeak from Misao. The hand then swept over swept her body, stopping at the crook of her knee. Curling him finger around the soft flesh behind her knee, Aoshi lifted her leg over his arm to rest the crook of her leg in the inner curve of his elbow. Slowly, he shifted his weight again to do the same thing with her other leg.

Misao felt like she was being folded in half. Her lower body felt very exposed, the fact was confirmed when Aoshi’s sex took a long unguarded sweep down her unprotected regions to rest its tip within her. Her back arched at the sensation and she wrapped her ankles around his
back trying to draw him in further. She could feel every sensation in drastic relief from this position and Aoshi knew it. “Misao, I’m going to use one of the Oniwabanshu’s title  techniques to punish you, a revised form of it, of course” His sex slid deeper as he punctuated
his next words, “and in a few minutes you won’t care at all. The only thing you’ll know is what you’re feeling.” With those words he started to rock back and forth within her in long deep strokes.

The feeling was incredible. Misao’s eyes closed as she concentrated on his movements, answering him with her writhing body and inner muscles, moaning her delight. Suddenly the pleasure was everywhere, all over her body at once. Her eyes opened to see a blur of Aoshis above her. ‘The Oniwabanshu’s flowing water technique, Kaiten Kenbu!!! He’s using
the technique on me!!!!’ Misao pushed up against him as the feeling within her intensified. She wasn’t sure how he had managed to variant the technique to work in this type of situation, but the occurrence was incredible. There was a bit of panic in her but then she remembered his words, ‘Do you ever think I would hurt you physically?’ The thought comforted her and Misao gave herself over to Aoshi completely.

It seemed like he was everywhere at once; his mouth melting her on the outside while his sex burned her from within. She was powerless to stop his takeover of her senses, and like he had predicted, she no longer cared. Aoshi’s body was almost ready to collapse with the forces of his passion. He had expected to teach her a lesson, but he never knew that his lesson would turn in to a double-edged sword. His body was burning up as she took his strokes and returned them with her own impassioned fervor. Misao had given herself to him and, in doing so, had forced Aoshi to do the same with her. He couldn’t take much more.

 Misao grabbed his hips as he thrust hard into her, she moved with him taking and returning the action. The friction was almost too much to bear. This was nothing like the first time he had set her body on fire, this new feeling was beyond description. All she could do was cry out and move with him. From what her muddled mind could discern, Aoshi had lost his control as well. They were now nothing more then a blending mass of sensitive flesh, each responding to the tune of the others body.

Then it happened. Aoshi froze above her, sweat pouring off of him, only to thrust into her several times more as his body shuddered. When the final thrust hit her deeply inside, Misao lost her grip on reality as well, giving herself over to the light once more. She felt a molten
heat inside of her that  made the bliss even better. Aoshi rode wave after wave of pleasure as he felt her shudder again beneath him, around him, making him spend every drop of his passion all for her. He collapsed on top of her breathing heavily, eyes closing softly as he
sought a moment’s rest from the real world.

Misao’s arms were crossed in a loose embrace around Aoshi’s shoulders. In the cold air,  steam rose from their feverish bodies, cooling them as they lay entwined on the futon. She stirred, at last regaining some semblance of reality once again. Stroking her lover’s brow absently, Misao thought over the happenings only just past. She’d never know that it could be this way between a man and a woman. Of course she’d heard things, yes, but why would she ever believe any of the fanciful tales of being swept away by a man? She loved Aoshi, this was fact. In her reality, she didn’t exist to him, but here in this cabin Aoshi had shown her that to him, she was the only thing real.

Misao didn’t know how to handle the battering of emotions that attacked her as she lay, at last, with her loved one in her arms. He’d known just how to touch her to make her burn and yet she was so unskilled. She wondered then how many had gone before her, if he’d used his ‘punishment’ on many women before her. She knew it was ridiculous to think such things, she had him at last didn’t she?

“Aoshi-sama?” He stirred against her, his eyes blinking open then falling shut. He’d felt her tense up beneath him, but he wasn’t ready to let her pull him away from the bliss of their silent contact just yet. He snuggled his head closer to her own with what little amount of
strength he had remaining. Aoshi wasn’t sure he’d be able to move if Misao asked him to. She’d drained him of everything he had and he’d been only too happy to comply. Her hands shook him softly as if trying to wake him from slumber, he wasn’t asleep but he preferred to pretend that he was for the moment. “Ne, Aoshi-sama? You didn’t fall asleep did you???”

Aoshi brow wrinkled slightly, Misao poked him in the side and he groaned loudly.  There was a loud indrawn breath and a hastily breathed out reply, “Un-uh.” Aoshi finally managed to hold one eye open for more then a few seconds to look at her. Her brow was furrowed and she was biting her already swollen lower lip. One side of his mouth curved upwards in a lop-sided attempt to grin, he didn’t have the energy to make it a smile. He looked deeply into her eyes and knew she was troubled. Aoshi took a deep breath to gather his strength and
rolled off of her. Taking her with him as he moved, he settled her soft body against his own, resting her head against his chest then wrapped an arm around her and proceeded to reach down for the discarded blanket.

He covered them both with it and lazily caressed her back beneath the covering. Misao was thinking about something and it was upsetting her. Aoshi noted that he’d always been able to tell what she was thinking but there was something new to the feeling now, a closeness… intimacy. He smiled inside as the word warmed the dark place in his soul, but his mind still badgered him to find out what was wrong. “Misao, what are you thinking? You’re very quiet…” She started as his words penetrated her thoughts. She was ashamed to be caught dwelling on the past, mainly his.

“N-n-nothing. Nothing at all…..” She was lying and it irked him to know that she would hide something from him after what they had just shared. She felt his arm twitch against her. ‘He knows…’ Misao ducked her head so he could not see her face. She wasn’t sure if she was
ready to face the after effects of their joining. There was so much that she didn’t know about him, she knew him better them anyone on earth, but at times Aoshi was still a stranger to her.

Aoshi had enough of her withdrawal from him. He twisted onto his side facing her and turned her chin up to look her in the face. “Misao, tell me what’s wrong. Don’t tell me nothing when I know that you are troubled.” She looked at him in silence her eyes pleading for him not
to ask her, his answered her with unwavering calm. She knew she would have to tell him eventually, there was little she could hide from his probing eyes. She sighed deeply, breaking eye contact with him, and rested her forehead on his chest as she sorted her words.

“Aoshi-sama, you seemed like you knew what you were doing very well a little while ago. I don’t know anything.” Aoshi’s eyes narrowed, ‘So that’s it. She’s wondering about my experience and she thinks she isn’t good enough for me! Baka, if anything, I’m not worthy of her.’ He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and pulled her closer as she continued, “It takes years to master the Kaiten Kenbu, your, um, variation would have taken a bit of practice to perfect, ne?”

He almost passed out when she said the last sentence. Did she really think that lowly of him? Aoshi groaned and sat up for the second time that night to turn his back from Misao. This time she didn’t try to comfort him, instead she pulled the blanket more securely around herself as if it was a shield from the words she knew would come. Aoshi had some experience, that was no lie, but from what Misao had just told him, it sounded as if she thought he was the local brothel’s best customer! Aoshi wiped his palm heavily over his face wondering how to explain this to her.

“Misao, I’m not going to lie to you. I have been with other women in the past. It was a long time ago when I was a boy and you were still hiding behind your mother’s skirt. I was wild back then and I did a few stupid things, then for some godforsaken reason, Okina decided to
make me the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu after your grandfather passed on a few years later. I  had responsibilities then so I settled down to tackle them; I wasn’t living for just myself anymore, I had to become a rolemodel. I always had a strong link with my fellow omnitsu, but I was the perpetual loner within the group and they would follow me without thinking because I was the only one with a set goal in life. I think this is why Okina chose me.

“But there was also you. I’d made a promise to your grandfather to look after you, I wasn’t expecting for you to end up looking after me, which you have done faithfully for many years. I don’t know what life would be like without you beside me. The little girl whom your
grandfather left in my care grew up and now the woman that she is keeps me sane when my sorrow threatens to overwhelm me. As for my ‘technique’ I’ve never used it before the way I used it tonight. I’ve never before felt a need so overwhelming to please another as I have
with you.” He stopped then to finally turn and look at her. Misao’s fingers were fisted into the blanket her knuckles white with the strain of her hold. Her head was down and shadows hid her face from his view. “Misao…..”

Aoshi leaned down to her, wrapping his arms around her to rest his forehead under her chin, she embraced him lightly unsure of the effect of his words. What had he just told her?

The cold patter of her tears drummed against his neck as she trembled softly in his grasp. ‘I’m tired of her tears! Why must I always be the cause of her pain!’ His insides twisted as he swallowed the knot in his own throat. The gentle cage of his arms tightened around her as he clasped her, unable to hold back the tide of his emotions any longer.

When he spoke, his voice against her chest was rough from emotion, “Misao, I don’t want to ever hurt you again or cause you pain. I’ve been a fool for too many years and I’ve broken your heart so many times I’ve lost count. I don’t know how you ever forgave me. I still
can’t forgive myself for some of the things I’ve done to you. When I fought with Himura-san the last time, when I was twisted with revenge and evil for what happened to the others, he explained to me the error of my thinking.  He told me that I had lost my way, and was dishonoring the other members of the Oniwabanshu name...and that you had asked him to bring me back to you.

“I went berserk and attacked him; he didn't even defend himself.  And in the instant that he struck me with his Ama Kakeru Ryuu no Hirameki, he showed me my mistakes.  He showed me that I was not only dishonoring them, but also dishonoring you and everything you believed in, everything you lived for.  It stuck a chord so deep that I can still feel the pain of that truth even now, and it was what woke me up from the darkness...you saved my life, and I love you for that.  I think I did from the first time those big blue eyes of yours looked
into mine so many years ago. Even then you didn’t know what was good for you, as soon as you could walk you became my shadow, my redemption.” Misao’s tears has stopped, her trembling ceased as well.

Aoshi’s body was taunt next to her own, as he awaited her response. She pushed back on him lightly raising his head. Aoshi’s face was drawn and his eyes were distraught. Misao’s breath caught in her throat as she looked upon him.  ‘He just told me! After all these years could it be true? Oh, Aoshi-sama!!!’ Misao’s eyes glistened with tears of joy. Before they could spill over Aoshi slid upwards to gently kiss them away. “Aoshi-sama!” Unable to say more Misao pulled
him close and kissed him softly. He returned the caress and deepened it. He hadn’t been discouraged when she had not stated her own feelings, he knew the truth of them all too well. He could wait until she was ready to tell him herself. Until then, they had the rest of the night.

Aoshi broke the kiss and grinned. Misao’s eyes widened in shock and she gasped audibly. Tentatively reaching a hand up to his face, she traced the curve of his lips. “Aoshi……” It was more of a sigh then a word, but it made his eyes flash and dance in joy. He sucked her finger into his mouth and nibbled on the tip, she tugged gently to retrieve her digit, but his teeth closed around it, refusing to let go. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at her finger caught in his mouth and he could tell she was thinking of retaliation. He sucked hard to get her attention again. She looked up at him sharply; her body was tingling again. She didn’t know it would thirst for his touch so soon after their first encounter.

Aoshi saw her eyes change color to a darker blue. He knew what it meant and his body responded with a fierce vengeance. ‘Kami-sama, I think I’ve unearthed a monster! And I am certainly going to have the time of my life keeping her happy.’ He shifted slightly to remove his weight from her body again. Misao followed his movements and found herself straddling his hips, looking down on him from above. She blinked several times in rapid succession as she wondered what he wanted her there for. “Aoshi-sama?” She earned a flinch from him as
she spoke. They were in one of the most intimate positions known to man and she was still being formal. He swatted her hand away as she reached down to caress his face.

Misao knew she’d done something that upset him. She was almost certain it had happened when she said his name. ‘Misao no baka! Aoshi-sama, iie! Aoshi just professed his love to you and here you are being distant. He wants to be close to me, right now it means in every way
we can.’ Misao leaned forward to rest her head on his chest. Unconsciously, Aoshi reached up to thread his fingers though the silken curtain of her hair. “Sumen, Aoshi. I don’t want there to be any distance between us, if I say –sama it’s out of habit.” She felt a tug on the back of her neck and looked up to meet his glowing eyes.

“Arigatou, Misao.” And with that he kissed her with every ounce of passion hidden in his soul, his hands roaming over her body, toying with her most intimate parts as he readied her for another bout of passion. It didn’t take long until she was panting above him, her nails digging into his chest like a cat kneading his skin. Her heart was beating frantically underneath the palm which cupped her breast. He could feel her wetness against him.  Aoshi was burning to have her, but this time he would let Misao do the taking.

Misao looked down at him as he coaxed the smoldering embers of her desire back into a raging inferno. She knew he was waiting for her to do something but she wasn’t quite sure what. She got her answer when he pulled her hips down to grind her sex against his own. She knew he was ready for her the moment she had straddled him and, if anything, his member had only seemed to pulse harder every minute. She leaned forward and reached behind her to take him in her hand. With his help she fitted him inside of her then slowly sunk down his length.

She felt a curious bolt of pleasure slam though her nervous system before she even got halfway down. The pleasure only got more intense the more of him she took in. The first time had been earth shattering, but his fullness inside of her now was magnified tenfold by her
position. Misao could feel every inch of him in startling detail. Aoshi’s hands clasped her thighs, his fingers grasping her soft flesh as he fought for control again. He didn’t know why but being with Misao like this made him test the limits of his restraint, and he found himself losing the battle time and again. This time he was determined to take it slow, to let her do things at her own pace.

Misao seated herself to the hilt upon him. Her inner muscles quivered in response to the welcomed invasion of her body. Aoshi’s hands snuck up to her hips again and shifted her against him. Misao moaned as a shard of ecstasy seemed to billow outward from where they were joined. She squeezed her thighs and lifted herself against him. Dropping back down a few inches to be lovingly impaled once more. Aoshi’s hips flexed upward to meet hers before they came to rest again on the floor. Both he and Misao were breathing hard, not from exertion but from desire.

Misao rocked her body against his and found an even more pleasurable sensation as the center of her passion ground itself against his pelvic bone. Her muscles took to pulsing around his flesh and Aoshi pumped his hips upward in a swirling motion as she rode him. Misao’s head rolled back and she braced herself by reaching back to place a hand on his thigh. The other rested on his forearm as he pulled her hips back and forth in time with his motions.

Within minutes Misao was writhing against him uncontrollably, searching for more of him. Aoshi obliged and pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder. His knees came up as he braced his feet against the futon;  his arms closed like steel bands around her as he moved in
long deeps strokes within her. Misao moaned incoherently, the pleasure too intense to focus on anything but the feel of him. Worked herself free so she could rest her elbows on either side of his head to support her weight, she arched her back and began to slide herself against him in time with his strokes.

Misao could think of nothing but him and the sensations he was causing her to feel. Her eyes opened when his motions slowed. She looked down to find Aoshi’s face twisted into a  grimace. “Aoshi!! Did I hurt you?” The words were panicked as she pushed out of his strong arms to sit back, the motion sliding him all the way into her depths again. Aoshi groaned as his body was wracked by a shudder. Misao rested back from him, waiting for a response. She was more then a little scared by his reaction.

“Misao……” The word came out in a raspy voice as Aoshi’s head rolled upward, his shoulders arched off the mat and rivets of sweat poured off his body. He was breathing hard, like it was difficult for him to take in air. Misao was just about to move off of him, when his hands reached up to firmly hold her in place. Her muscles tightened spasmodically around him and he gasped, “Misao I can’t hold back any longer!” Understanding finally dawned, the girl smiled and leaned forward. Pulling his head up to her own, she kissed him hard as if to punish him.

“Baka! I don’t want you to hold back, Aoshi. I love you. No matter what you do, I’ll always be there beside you. I want to always be there to hold you in my arms after the day is through. Make love to me.”  Aoshi had stopped breathing the second she had started to talk, his eyes were wide with wonder as the words she spoke finally reached him. ‘She told me!!!’ His inner child paused in awe, the more passionate man within registered the words /make love to me/ and set forth to make sure they were both blissfully happy before he was though.

His mouth placed a small kiss in the center of her forehead as they held each other for a few minutes. But the forces of desire raging through their bodies would not let them rest for long. Within a short period of time Misao was leaning back, permitting Aoshi’s hands to explore her body again as she moved upon him. This time the motion was slow and languorous, almost lazy. It only made the feeling that much sweeter to the both of them as their passion built to it’s previous blaze.

Then, with their arms around one another, the all-consuming light overtook them once again, but this time they were there together as each held the other captive with their eyes. As the tremors in their bodies subsided, Misao fell to Aoshi’s chest and into a deep slumber. They stayed like that for many minutes until Aoshi felt her shiver. The air in the cabin, though heated from their exertions, was still very chilly. He carefully eased himself out from under Misao and set her down next to him. She mumbled in her sleep, throwing her arms around his neck.

Fumbling around for the blanket, Aoshi threw it over them for the third time that evening and wove his limbs together with Misao’s wrapping them in an intimate cocoon of protective warmth. He watched her for a few moments longer as her breathing finally clamed and she
lapsed into dreams, snuggling closer. “Aishiteru, Aoshi-anata…..” The words made him smile as he too drifted off into the waiting arms of slumber.

Aoshi was awakened by a movement next to him, the motion wasn’t intrusive but it had been going on for quite a while and only seemed to be getting stronger. One eye blinked open, only to shut just as fast as a stray ray of light from the roughly-hewn door pierced into it. He shaded his face with one lazy hand and looked for the source of the movement. It was only as he looked down at the shivering Misao that the goings on of the past night came back to him.

‘She loves me, she told me so last night. And I told her how much she means to me.’ At that moment Misao was trying her best to wrap herself around Aoshi in her quest to get warm. He held her back to have a look at her as she grumbled in her sleep. Aoshi kissed the frown from her brow as Misao awoke. She was stunned into silence for a moment as if she was wondering why he had just kissed her, but he knew by the telltale blush gracing her cheeks and shoulders that her memory had been restored. “Misao, you’re beautiful.” The words were simple and
uncomplex. To Misao they were worth more they any riches.

“Ohayo, Aoshi.” She looked up at him with a shy smile and leaned forward to lay her head against his chest. Misao found herself wrapped up in a hearty embrace as his arms curled around her. The curtain of warmth that seemed to roll off of his body surrounded her. She sighed happily, cuddling in closer to the man she loved. Above her, Aoshi smiled softly as he heard her sigh. She would have no more tears caused by her love for him, save tears of joy. He loved her too much to bring her any more pain. Aoshi swore to himself in that moment, and to his fallen friends of the Oniwabanshu, to make her happy for the rest of their days together.

He spoke softly in her ear, “Ohayo, Misao. Sumanu, but I had no matches to make a fire last night. They all got wet in the snow, or else it would be warmer.”  Misao smiled against his chest as a bubble of mirth seemed to rise within her. Aoshi pulled back to look at her, his expression telling her that he thought she was mad. Upon seeing this look on Aoshi’s face, Misao’s laughter only seemed to get worse. Her slight frame shook from the force and tears snuck out from the corners of her eyes. “Misao?!? Daijoubu? What’s so funny?”

When Misao was finally able to catch her breath, she placed a finger to Aoshi’s mouth to still his questions for the time being. “Aoshi, I’m fine. I’m just thinking to myself how funny fate can be. You see, you trained me to always be prepared for anything, but there were things in your life you never anticipated. I always expected something to go wrong so I always made plans before it happened. I might be young Aoshi, but I was never stupid. Rash and impulsive, yes, but never foolish. I even managed to out-do you this time, my dear ex-Okashira.” With that Misao reached out for her discarded top which lay in a half-frozen heap next to the bed.

She worked her hand into the stiff fabric until she found the hidden pocket she was searching for, withdrawing her hand she held out a small tin box to Aoshi. He looked at it questioningly, then to her for the answer. Misao obliged and opened the box for Aoshi to take a look at the contents. He took it from her and casually glanced down only to look up, startled, at the  waiting Misao. “Matches? You had matches? And they’re all dry!!!!” Misao had to feel a bit of pity for the look of sheer audacity on Aoshi’s face, but the feeling was only allowed to
linger for a moment before she closed her hand over his around the tin matchbox.

“Aoshi, are you upset because I had matches that you didn’t find? Think about it, are you? If you had found these matches we wouldn’t be where we are right now. I, for one, am happy you didn’t. Do you regret what we did last night?” Misao’s mind continued the thought, ‘Do you regret loving me?’ Aoshi gave her a piercing look. He wasn’t about to give up what he had finally claimed, but she was right to ask. Did he feel regret? He knew he would have waited before he told her how he felt had they not been placed in the position they were, but now that
he had revealed his feelings for her, it was as if a great weight was taken from his shoulders. He didn’t have to hide from her anymore, the feeling of power and knowledge it gave him was exhilarating.

Aoshi spoke quietly, his face was set, “Misao, I can’t tell you that I didn’t want things to be different, but now that we’re here, I would not change it for the world. I love you, the words were real and true like the emotion I said them with. Nothing will alter that fact. You should have heard them months ago, but I thought you were still too young. Now you’re older and I know that your youth has nothing to do with your maturity. You’re mind has been that of an adult for quite sometime now, it just took me a while to realize it.” He ended by drawing their hands to his mouth, kissing the back of hers as it rested against his own. Misao’s eyes were bright with emotion, they closed as his lips touched her skin; she drew in a ragged breath and
leaned forward to wrap her arms around him.

Aoshi rolled on to his back taking her with him, he smiled up at a mute Misao who was looking rather put out by being halfway laid across his chest like some kind of throw rug. “Aoshi?” She took in a quick breath when she found her arms trapped behind her back by one of his hands. “Mou, Aoshi! Nani yo?”

He had a satisfied look on his face as he playfully rubbed noses with hers, “However, Misao, from the way things look right now, I would almost think that I’ve been trapped if I didn’t know better. Why didn’t you remember those matches last night?” His eyes were bright
with amusement as he regarded her bewildered expression. Misao flushed deeply and guiltily lowered her eyes.

“Um…..Suman, Aoshi, demo I forgot I had them until you mentioned it.” Aoshi let go of her arms and, lacking his support, Misao landed in an ungraceful sprawl over his chest for the second time that morning. Underneath her, Misao could have sworn Aoshi’s chest was shaking with silent laughter. She shoved against him and raised herself up into a sitting position. Retrieving the discarded matches she snatched the blanket from Aoshi’s body and smiled ruefully at his surprised yelp as the cold air hit him.

Refusing to turn around and look at him, she braved the freezing floor to collect several pieces of firewood near the door. After hefting a few pieces into her hands along with some small twigs she found stashed in a corner, she walked across the small cabin again to lay the objects on the floor next to the hearth. Squatting down, she stacked the wood into the fireplace and carefully arranged the twigs strategically around the logs.  They would act as kindling to get the fire started.  Striking the match, she placed it to the cold wood and prayed.

The kindling smoked sulkily and then obediently burst into flame, Misao blew lightly trying to spread the hot tongues of fire. She succeeded as the small fireplace filled with warmth. As soon as the fire was burning steadily, she felt a tug from behind her as Aoshi pulled her back to the futon. She fell into his arms and found her body tucked against his own as he tried to regain the small bit of heat she had stolen from him moments before. “Misao, what do you want to do when we leave here?” The words were soft almost wistful, she could hear the demand for an answer hidden carefully in them, but it didn’t matter to her. She knew what she wanted. The real question was whether or not he wanted the same thing.

“Aoshi, I love you now that I’ve finally gotten hold of you I don’t want to rush into anything that neither of us is ready for. This is all so new and right now I have a great amount of emotions to sort through, but one thing is clear:  I don’t want to be apart from you. I think that it would be best if we just spent some time together for a while. There’s so much we don’t know about each other. I’ve realized that, and you and I both view life differently but we’ve never had a chance to share, to talk and to care for one another. I want that.” Behind her she felt Aoshi relax, it appeared that her assumption had been correct, he wasn’t ready to go beyond their newfound closeness either. They would work it out one day at a time.

“Misao, you have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that, but I want to request just one thing. We’re headed towards something more and both of us know it, I’m not going to run away from you this time and I know that you’re not going to run either. Misao, I want to marry you someday, not right now, but someday after we’ve gotten through all of the hurdles. For the present, before we move on to better things, will you be my fiancée?” Misao’s hands tightened over his own and she sighed.

“Hai, I would like that very much.” Aoshi’s hand stroked her body lightly and came to rest on her belly. He squeezed her gently, his thoughts intent on a newfound consideration. Misao had picked up the thread of his musings and smiled. “I want to have your children, I don’t think you have to worry about that.” She smiled as he started, his hand drawing back over the curve of her hip.

“Misao, I was thinking about children, but not somewhere down the line. You might be pregnant, what will we do then?” She was amused by the worry in his voice. Turning over, Misao brushed the hair from his eyes.

“Yes my love, what will we do then? I’m sure we’ll figure it out, but we have a few months to worry about that, right now, I just want to be with you. If I am with child then everyone will know whose it is anyway, so there are no fears. No one will look down on me, or you for that matter. It’s not like we’ve been able to hide how we feel from anyone, only from each other. They’ll just say it was about time and leave it at that.” To finish the words she winked at him and earned a scowl of the iciest sort. Then it melted into a grin as he chuckled mildly.

Aoshi got up briefly to lay their clothes by the fire and then snuggled back down next to a dozing Misao. The room was alive with warmth, it overcame him quickly as he too fell into a light sleep. For the first time in over a year Aoshi dreams were happy and peaceful. The nightmares, which had plagued him for so long, were curiously absent, replaced with the bright light of Misao’s cheerful smile. In his dreams he viewed her at all stages of her life, the baby, toddler, little girl and finally, the woman.

Misao dreamed as well, but her dreams were of a happy future shared in the warmth of love with Aoshi and the other Oniwabanshu, who would at last be a family once again. Himura had fulfilled his promise to her and finally, Misao had been able to fulfill her promise to him. Aoshi
had smiled and would smile again with the happiness she would strive to bring him.

Outside the cabin, the sun was bright in the sky. Snow was everywhere, a thick blanket that engulfed the landscape, but it was melting under the unwavering rays that pelted down until it gradually began to subside. At the bottom of the mountain, the path towards the peak was
quickly being cleared. Five anxious faces helped with the work as they made steady progress, they had a goal more precious then reaching the shrine at the top.

Aoshi awoke to the wonderful sensation of Misao stroking her body against his own, arousing his passion.  She was awake but unaware of him watching her as she rhythmically twisted her pelvis against his leg, savoring the surge of sensation the pressure caused. ‘Insatiable….’ He watched her with half lidded eyes until he was rock hard against her.  Pulling her thigh over his hip, he thrust upward into her ready body, Misao mewled with shock and pleasure as her eyes
opened wide to stare into his. Aoshi grinned and began to move inside her, the pleasure Misao felt was incomparable. “I didn’t know what I was getting into last night, but I think I’m really going to enjoy it.” She twisted beside him, digging her nails into his bicep as she moaned an incoherent response. Aoshi growled with a feral sort of pleasure and shifted until he was above her. The blanket that had covered them both now rode low on his hips as he moved over the
writhing Misao.

“Aoshi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Misao screamed his name begging him for more.

“Shiro? Did you hear that? I thought I heard a person!”

“Hai! Up ahead! Call the others Kuro!!!”

“Okon! Omasu! Okina!!! We think we’ve found them!”

“Nani!? Thank Kami-sama! Did you hear that Okon!”

“Well, well! It’s about time we found them. These old bones can’t keep up with you youngsters so well anymore!”

“We’re sorry Okina! We’re just so worried! That blizzard came out of nowhere and this path is so dangerous in a storm!”

“Let’s just hurry and get to them, we don’t know what state they’ll be in. They might be half frozen from all this snow!”

The group rushed forward en masse, finding the semi-hidden cabin easily as they panned out to search for signs of life in the woods. There were small noises coming from within, which caused the younger members of the party to pause. Okina was the last to arrive, huffing from the fast trek up the mountain. Seeing the others looking dubiously at the door, he walked right up to it, pushing it open, only to be stopped cold in his tracks by the sight before him. A naked
Aoshi and Misao stared up at the doorway with wide eyes and slack jaws as a long shadow with wings on either side of its head was cast over them.

“O-o-Okina!” Aoshi collapsed on top of Misao as the name escaped his lips.

“Jiya!!!!!” Misao was flooded with embarrassment at being caught in such a precarious position. Aoshi was trying for all the world to hide himself in the crook of her neck as he reached down to draw the blanket over them.  ‘How did they…?’ The question in Misao’s mind ground to a halt as Aoshi voiced it for her.

“How did they find us out here?” The words were said softly against her neck, she could hear the trace of wry humor in them. Aoshi and Misao would have some explaining to do as soon as they were dressed. For the moment however, they would need a bit of privacy. Aoshi  spoke so that the man at the door could hear him. “Okina, could you and the others wait outside for a few moments?” He heard a grunt from the doorway and the blinding light from outside was cut off as the door promptly was shut.

“Jiya, what’s wrong? What’s going on? Are they all right?” He was bombarded with questions on all sides by the members of the Oniwabanshu. Thankfully, they’d all been standing outside the line of sight into the doorway. He wouldn’t have to tell them the truth about what he’d just seen; however, he would make sure that Misao and Aoshi had a long talk with him when they got home.

“They’re fine! They’ll be done, ah! I mean out in a second, or rather, we might be in. Looks like they had a little fire going but it’s been snuffed. Appears to me like they kept warm just fine…” On the other side of the door Misao and Aoshi cringed as they dressed, the note of
sarcasm in Jiya’s voice had not been lost on them. Aoshi finished first and exited the cabin.

“…” Once outside he didn’t really know what to say. Okina was ignoring him and the faces of the others spoke volumes of their worry and relief. “I’m glad to see all of you.” The words, he found, were honest and true. He was very glad to see them. Though they had made it through the night unscathed, if things hadn’t turned out as they had, both he and Misao might be dead. The fact that the others were there now proved to Aoshi how much he and Misao really meant to them. He turned to the side as the door creaked behind him.

A shy Misao poked her head out the door and walked forward only to be slyly tripped by Jiya. She fell right into Aoshi arms. They blushed furiously and separated after a drawn out pause, but everyone noticed their lack of awkwardness with one another. Okon had a knowing smile
on her face, she walked forward to give Misao a hug and winked at her.

“We were all worried to death about you two, but I should have known better. You were in good hands.” Over the girl’s shoulder she watched Aoshi’s eyebrow twitch as a corner of his mouth rose.

“Humph. Actually this time I have to give the credit to Misao. If she hadn’t convinced me to stop being stubborn, I might have frozen to death.” With that he did the unthinkable. Aoshi placed a hand on Misao’s shoulder and gave the briefest of warm smiles to her as she beamed back at him. There was a collective in drawn breath from the others.

 “Ano…Omasu?” The words were whispered out the side of Shiro’s mouth.

“Hai?” She whispered back in the same fashion, still transfixed by the slight smile on Aoshi’s face.

“Do you see what I see? Or am I going crazy??”

“He’s smiling.”

“Thanks, I just needed to know my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me.”

“Hai.”

After a few minutes, everyone settled in for a rest before the long trek back to Kyoto. Aoshi and Misao never left one another’s sides. The change in Aoshi was noticed by everyone. Misao has finally gotten through to the heart of ice, melting it. They didn’t ask any questions, they didn’t need to, just knowing that the two were happy was enough. Jiya watched them with moist eyes, his children had finally grown up. He planned to see them married before the end of the year, but for now he wouldn’t push. He’d just scold them a bit and
tell them to be more discreet with their liaisons.  He sighed, feeling old.

“Jiya?”

“Hai, Misao.” The girl had sat down next to him while Aoshi spoke with Shiro.

“He loves me.” The words were a breathless whisper.

“Hai, that he does. Be happy Misao.” The words were earnest and heartfelt. Upon hearing them Misao gave into an urge and grabbed up Okina for a bear hug.

“Hai!!!” She held a super-deformed Jiya in a tight grasp as Aoshi smiled at her over a blanket of melting snow.

Owari! (at last!)