Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Curl ❯ Chapter 1

'Makimachi,' Aoshi slowly cupped his forehead. He'd totally forgotten. (Gee, no kidding?) Spending all of his time reveling in the past, and teetering between remorse and rage… he had totally forgotten that she was coming, too. The only woman he's ever lived with was his own mother. 'And that was a *hell* of a long time ago.' How old was she supposed to be again? Sixteen? Seventeen? 'Note to self: Not a woman yet.'

The passengers flooded out of the train, and he suspected that Sano would wait until people freed up some space so that he could take his bags… and Misao's no doubt. Aoshi, as stoic as ever, glanced at his watch. Looking to his left, and then right, he noticed the platform clearing… Couples greeting each other with kisses and hugs… Fathers who gleefully scooped up their sons and daughters… Aoshi snorted slightly, as he went on searching with his eyes for his half-brother and the girl.

*-*-*-*

Aoshi looked at his grandfather with scrutiny as the old man bounced a content little girl in his lap.

"Well don't just stand there, keep an old man some company…" whispered Jiya, or as he was known to Aoshi and his other grandson - 'Half grandson.' … half grandson. He shifted the child in his arms, and smiled as little chubby hands began to reach up to him, with tiny gurgling giggles.

Aoshi complied, and simply stared. Apparently some friend of his grandfather's or something had passed away and left him this … girl … to take care of. The young man, at age twelve now, was not big on "babies." The only one he'd ever had to have been in close interaction with was Sano - and that was reluctant, at that.

"Aoshi-kun… this is Misao-chan… oh look, she's saying 'hi,'" and low and behold, the little blue-eyed darling motioned her arm up and down towards Aoshi. She was a small little thing, only two years old. "Say hello, Aoshi." The last word was bitten out, and Aoshi knew there was no room to argue.

With a deep sigh, most of it inwardly concealed, Aoshi leaned closer to the babe, and evenly said, "Hello Misao… chan." He felt weird, all squirmy. It was a baby after all, as far as he was concerned… and it was a *girl*. What was more surprising was the little girl's reaction to his calculated nature.

"… Aoshi-kun, I think she likes you," as though the chubby hands patting Aoshi's cheeks didn't already tell him that. Those clear blues gazed up at him as though he were the first and last thing on this earth.

'I like her,' he closed his blue-green eyes slowly, locking that small memory into his consciousness, as he felt Misao crawl into his lap and curl up into his chest and promptly decide it was naptime, or rather nap-on-Aoshi time.

*-*-*-*

Aoshi couldn't recall much else about her. Just that one memory held true… staring into those clear blues… as though nothing else in the world mattered but him. He couldn't remember feeling that way before, not since before the divorce. That was when his feelings still mattered. And before he was shipped off to boarding school in Europe.

But all else aside, he was shaken by the sudden yelling coming from inside one of the train cars. One of the voices sounded suspiciously like Sano's. Several of the workers on the platform were climbing into the car, as though to settle the disturbance… while the last remaining occupants of the train seemed to scatter out in a panicked state. He shook his head slowly, stalking over to the car, neatly cutting in front of one of the platform workers, and walking up the steel staircase.

If he remembered how to, he would've laughed. There was his kid brother, Sano. The one and only. As much as he hated to admit it… he was the only brother he had.

The aisle was small, and Sano was obviously arguing with someone… a female. They seemed to be wrestling over - luggage? '…oy, what happened to all your charm Sano?' A smirk played on the corner of Aoshi's lips, but flickered - and was gone as soon as it came.

"Sanosuke."

"Look weasel-girl, you're still a girl, and *I* should carry the bags!"

"I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own luggage, I'm not helpless! Rooster!"

"Yeah?! Then why do you cry your way out of parking tickets then?!!" Sano slipped into impersonation mode, as he sucked in his testosterone and began to talk in a squeaky chick voice, " 'Oh officer! I had no idea! Oh nooooo!!!' " To add to the drama, Sano began wiping his cheeks with a handkerchief he produced out of his pocket.

"I did that ONCE!"

"TWICE!"

"FINE! TWICE!" Their yelling was beginning to get to the point of shrill screeching. They had to be stopped.

"Sanosuke." Aoshi's patience was being stretched, regardless of how entertaining this all was. He had yet to catch a glimpse of the woman his brother was arguing with, but planted his hand on Sano's shoulder, to make his presence more obvious to the oblivious pair.

Sano near jumped out of his skin, and his head hit the ceiling of the train. "GEEZ! Aoshi don't bloody scare me like that!"

"Aoshi…?" Sano turned, so that his two companions could get a better look at one another. There was silence, and Sano took this opportunity to get the bags together.

"Makimachi." He was being a little over formal, but fact being that he hadn't seen this girl since she was knee-high. Quickly looking her over, "Are you two ready *now*?" He put some emphasis on the last syllable, bordering on annoyance.

"Yup," Sano said simply, as he trotted towards the opposite side of the car to the exit, looking terribly overloaded. Though he seemed to have no trouble with the backpack, two duffel bags, three suitcases… but no, there was no partridge, or pear tree. Misao stomped her foot once indignantly as her attention was drawn back to Sano. When Sano couldn't get through the door, then she nearly dropped to the floor laughing.

"'Don't need help,' he says. 'I'm a *real* man', he says…!" She braced herself on what she thought was a chair, to prevent her from falling. And when her hand clenched, as though to make a fist, she froze. She nearly trembled as she slowly turned her head to look up at the shadow towering over her.

"Are you quite done?" Aoshi said, while he plucked Misao off of his shirt. 'Those eyes…' He gently twirled her forward, as Sano had thrown some of the bags onto the platform, so he could get through the exit.

He had let go of her hand a couple of seconds ago, but her hand still lingered in the air. Gesturing to the exit, Misao - when her ship landed back on earth - directed herself through it. She walked past Sano quickly, patting at her cheeks a bit… Aoshi assumed because it was a bit colder outside than it was inside the train.

'If Sano catches me blushing, I won't hear the end of it,' Misao ground her teeth, and stomped her foot again, with new reverie. Spinning around on a heel, she fashioned a smile, "So, this is Tokyo, huh?"

"Unh," Aoshi took a duffel bag and a suitcase in hand, and Sano held no protest. Misao glared at the spikey-haired brunette with daggers in her eyes.

'Oh so if a GUY helps it's okay… GRR…' her hands fisted and then went undone… and fisted again. Then she turned, and found that Aoshi was already ten paces ahead of them. She stood there stunned, and simply blinked.

"I guess you wouldn't remember, but he's always like that," Sano smiled, and nudged his surrogate little sister off the platform.

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Author's Note:

I love Sano. But don't think I'm pairing him up with Megumi - everybody usually does that, but frankly, I can't stand the woman. I haven't honestly even *thought* of bringing her into the story, and I will avoid the notion like the plague. u.u;;;…