Chapter 3:

1 year later

Aoshi stood in front of the church waiting for Karou to pull up. After a year and a half of planning , it was finally the day of Kenshin and Karou's wedding. Naturally Aoshi was Kenshin's best man, but honestly, he would be happy when the whole thing was over. Besides the fact that one of the groomsmen was Sano, Megumi and Karou were still furious at him for his actions a year ago which made the whole planning experience very chilly. When Sano and him had an all out brawl with each other last month at a bridal part get together at their house, Kenshin finally had to lay down the law and demand everyone gert together for one day. When Kenshin spoke everyone listened.

However, besides the chilly bridal party, the whole ordeal of going through the wedding planning and the wedding itself just made Aoshi depressed. It made him think of Misao.

After she had left for California, Aoshi took inventory on his life and through meditation, getting a steady job at a dojo teaching kendo and being alone all the time, he had come to the conclusion that he was an ass. He was incredibly selfish and knew he should have married Misao years ago. She would have been here with him. He had been so afraid of what? He wasn't sure and now he was alone, without any clue as to where Misao was. He had remembered celibate the past year as he never wanted to lay with anyone other than Misao. Misao invaded his thoughts 24/7 and he didn't want it to stop, but he wanted her here.

The limo pulling up distracted him from his thoughts. When the doors opened, Karou stepped out of the limo looking stunning in her traditional Japanese wedding kimono, which she said was a nod to both her and Kenshin's Japanese heritage. The bridesmaids followed suit in a simpler flower along dress with straps in two colors half in blue and half in purple.{AN: for anyone who didn't get those references, those are the colors of Karou and Kenshin's eyes. I'm cheesy I know J } When Aoshi thought all of the bridesmaids were out he turned to report to Kenshin when he noticed one more body stepping out of the limo that he hadn't accounted for. When he turned around and saw who it was he nearly dropped from the shock. Misao! There she stood, but she didn't look like his Misao, she looked more mature and shapely. She was tan, obviously from her time in the California sun and he hair now had bright blue and pink streaks in her hair that gave her an edge. She was glowing. Her hair was half up and half down. She had on a lot of eye makeup and smiled more radiantly than the summer.

"Oh hi Aoshi," he heard Karou say. She was looking at him with a smile like the cat who ate the canary, she purposely hadn't told him about Misao. "Karou, you look beautiful," he said not taking his eyes off Misao who was staring at him with wide eyes and a slight gasp. "I'll inform Kenshin you have arrived." And like that he was gone.

All through the wedding, Misao and Aoshi just stared at each other. He couldn't believe she was here. Between the ceremony and pictures they didn't get the chance to talk very much. Now at the reception, he refused to leave tonight without talking to her and telling her. She was an ellusive little minx, but he was craftier. After everyone had settled into dinner, Aoshi saw her leave the main ballroom. He got up to follow her. In a private room set up for the bride and groom, Aoshi found her sitting at the baby grand piano with her back to him. She was paying a random song he didn't know, but he just stood in the door frame amazed at how more beautiful she had gotten in a year. He wanted to reach out and grab her, touch her, kiss her, everything he'd been longing to do in a year, but he dare not move.

"Ya know if you take a picture it would last longer Aoshi," Aoshi was snapped out of his daydream by Misao shooting him a look over her shower as she spoke.

"Yes but I cannot hold a picture like the way I like to hold you. Trust me all I've had this past year was pictures," he came and sat down on the piano bench with her.

Neither one spoke for a while and just listened to Misao play. Aoshi decided to break the silence and cleared his throat, "I've missed you Misao." When said nothing he continued, "This past year was hell. Every night I went to bed missing your warmth and every morning I prayed this was all just a bad dream and I'd wake up to find you here with me. I was a selfish ass Misao. I should have married you a long time ago. I was a foolish coward to let my fear get in the way." Misao stopped playing but still didn't look at him. "I need you Misao! I need you in my life. I know I hurt you beyond measure and trust me every day without you has been my own personal hell. I want you to in my life not as my girlfriend, but my wife. I will be faithful to only you for the rest of my life please Misao."

Aoshi just stared at her, desperate to hold her. Here was the woman who he has longed for for over a year. He had hurt her, he knew that, but he hoped his plea would be enough.

"I hated you, you know that right?" she said finally, turning to him on the bench. Aoshi dared not move and just let her speak. "I knew things were tense because I wanted to get married, but I never in a million thought my 'Aoshi-sama' would do that to me no matter how much I pissed him off. Then finding you with that woman who was more feminine, more curvy and obviously much more experienced than me. It hurt me so much. I thoguht about killing myself. I didn't think I could live without your love." Aoshi's eyes widened at the confession, thanking God she didn't follow through on the threat. "I relived it every single day I was here and I thought going to California would help me forget, but all it did was make me miss you more than ever before. I tried to move on. I went out with Soujiro just to forget, but every time he kissed me I only saw your face, which is why I could never sleep with him. It really pissed my off that I couldn't forget you or that song you wrote last time I saw you. You hurt me to my core and yet I was still madly in love with you and pining for you. California was great for me in many ways, made great connections, got in better shape, met some great friends, and had a makeover as you can tell, but in one very important way it changed me. It made me realize that my heart will always be yours no matter what."

She was looking at him now with tears in her eyes. "I am still very angry and hurt by you Aoshi, but I still love you more than any other on this earth, so help me decide what to do with that."

Aoshi studied her. In many ways she was a mature grown woman who had blossomed from that geeky girl in high school to a smoking hot rock goddess, but looking at her now, Aoshi could only see a lost little girl reaching out to him for comfort. Aoshi carefully reached forward and held her in a tight hug, like she might fall apart if he didn't. "Misao, I swore to you I would do whatever I had to, to have you back in my life. You name it I'll do it. I love you Misao and I will never forgive myself for being so foolish. Please forgive me. "

Misao looked up at him from his embraced and stared into his eyes. Her eyes were so beautiful. Her lips were so pink and plump. Please, he thought to himself. Misao responded by cautiously pressing her lips to his. Each of them hesitant and surprised at the action and then suddenly the flood gates opened and Aoshi responded by inserting his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. She responded with gusto. Aoshi had been waiting forever for this moment, he never wanted to let go, but eventually they needed air, so reluctantly they pulled apart.

Aoshi touched his forever to hers and just held her. "I love you Aoshi-sama." His nickname. He hadn't heard that since she left him. He used to hate it so, reminding her that he was her boyfriend, not her master, but now, he couldn't hear a better sound.

"I love you so much Misao-mine," he paused, tilting her eyes to meet his. In a low heated voice he pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it. Her eyes widened. In the box was a light blue diamond ring in an oval cut surrounded by dark blue emeralds on a white gold band. "Marry me?"

Misao held the box in her shaky hands as Aoshi held his breath. She looked up at him and gently told him, "no."

Aoshi was horrified. Had she not forgiven him? Would she leave him? Baka, baka! Misao placed her hand on his cheek gently calming him. "No to right now," Aoshi was confused, so Misao continued. "We just reunited and our feelings are raw and still brittle and our trust is non-existent at the moment. We need to build a stronger foundation to build our future upon. I want to be your wife someday Aoshi-sama, but not now."

Aoshi kissed her. "What a mature woman you have become Misao. I will take this ring and put it away for now." She smiled. "Like I told you last time, "I'll be waiting!"

They kissed, getting totally lost in themselves before returning to the party.

He would wait for her. He would prove himself to her. In the end, he knew she would be his wife.

Thankfully he didn't have to wait forever. A year and a half later, he asked her again and she said yes. The End.