A/N: Wow, look who updated this fic! *grins sheepishly* Ah, well. Better late than never, ne? On a different note, I've decided to shorten the length of this story..it was originally going to be very long, I estimated about 20 some chapters...now due to the lack of inspiration I have for this fic and due to the other fics I have started/will start, I've shortened this to probably 10 chapters. Things may seemed rushed in this but I promised I wouldn't discontinue this fic and I'm not going to, it'll just be shorter than originally planned. Gomen ne to all.

Disclaimer: I own a friggin' gateway computer, a pet cactus and an empty stomach. You do the math.

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In Your Eyes

Chapter 5 :: A Date for Misao

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"He's...nice."

Kaoru face faulted. "Just nice?"

"Well what do you want me to say? I'm not starry-eyed over him like you are with Himura!"

"I am not!"

"Uh huh." Misao turned on heel and walked back to the council room to clean up. As she did... her mind drifted to think about two smiling faces.

-

Upon returning home that night, Kenshin gleefully ran his master plan through his head one more time. 'Naho picks me up from school and then I say that I'm thinking of going into her line of work and would like to watch her in action! Then she takes me to Kaoru's house!'

Okay, so maybe it wasn't a real COMPLICATED plan, but when you're lovestruck, you find your brain doesn't function as well as you'd like it to.

Grinning like an idiot, Kenshin ran upstairs to do his homework.

-

The next few days of school were rather uneventful. The highlight of the day usually was either kendo/kempo practice or why Souji had not shown up half the time for school. He shrugged it off, claiming that he was sleeping in a lot and just grabbing the homework from Tokio-san and making it up. Most people left it that since he was the principal's son. His friends, however, weren't so gullible.

"Ne, so what do you think is up with Okita-kun?" Kaoru asked Misao during lunch as the boys went to get the food. Megumi paused the book she was reading as Misao pondered the question. "It's obvious he's hiding something, but what I can't be sure. I'm not going to flat out ask him until I'm certain there is something seriously wrong. That would be an invasion of his privacy."

"When you're worried about someone, Mi-chan, you're allowed to ask them what's wrong." Megumi suggested, returning to her book. "I think that he's got a drug problem or something."

"Megumi!" Kaoru and Misao exasperated in hushed tones. "How could you say that?"

Megumi shrugged. "It's the signs. He doesnt look as lively as he used to. His eyes are pretty bloodshot today and he's been coughing more than usual but other than that, he doesn't look sick or something."

"And you're studying to become a doctor?" Kaoru deadpanned. Before Megumi could reply, the boys returned, Sano included, with the food. "Oi, Kitsune, scoot."

Megumi rolled her eyes, but nevertheless, complied and moved over so that the Rooster Head could sit beside her. Kenshin sat next to him, which was across from Kaoru and Soujiro handed everyone their requested items. "So, what are you ladies talking about?" Soujiro inquired while teasing Okita to not give him his food.

"Nothing much, just girl talk." Megumi answered, swatting Sano's hands from her fries. "Hands off, Tori Atama."

Okita grabbed his burger away from Soujiro who gave up and sat down to eat his own meal. "What are you all planning for this weekend?" Okita inquired, indulging in his meal.

Kenshin was the first to speak, surprisingly, since his mouth was full of fries. "Going with my sister to work."

Kaoru arched a delicate brow. "You? Work? She must have blackmailed you into it."

Kenshin just grinned. "I have my own agenda for that day."

Kaoru chuckled before turning her attention to Megumi and Sano. "I know what you two are going to be doing..."

Megumi shot a half-hearted glare when Sano replied, "Finally got the Fox to go out with me."

Misao snorted and muttered, "You must've paid her off."

Sano feigned hurt but let it go, more absorbed in the food set before him. "And what about you, Itachi Musume? Sitting at home and playing Video games?"

Before Misao could snap back, Okita interrupted. "Actually, I was going to as Misao if she'd like to go out with me, Saturday."

The entire table stopped and looked at Okita who smiled brightly and turned his attention to Misao, whose face turned to a shade of pink. "Ano..."

Soujiro bristled and glared at Okita who ignored his friend while waiting for a reply. 'How dare he ask her on a date!'

"Sure, I guess."

Everyone redirected their attention to Misao who answered. "Yes, Okita-kun. I'll go out with you Saturday." Shooting Sanosuke a glare, she smiled sweetly at him.

Soujiro thought he was going to be sick. 'Sleep with one eye open, Okita-san,' he thought.

-

Before Misao knew it, Saturday had come and she was prepping for Souji to come and pick her up. He was taking her to the park for a picnic and so she dressed casually but stylishly, as she always did for something of that nature. Smoothing out her khaki slacks, Misao looked in the mirror. Her sky blue shirt clung nicely to her body and matched the blue beads in her belt that hung loosely to her waist. Her hair was pulled up into pigtails, slightly toussled to give her a bedhead look. She smiled wryly as she thought to herself, "I'm the only girl in Japan who'd probably wear her hair like this."

But it did her justice. She looked cute and sexy at the same time. If one could pull off attractive by doing something different, Misao was it. Grabbing her purse, she ran downstairs as the doorbell rang. Before the maids had a chance to get the door, Misao flung it open and smiled brightly. "Okita-kun!"

Okita greeted her smile with one of his own, admiring her appearance. "Ne, Misao...you look beautiful. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were looking forward to this."

Misao couldn't help but smile as she slid on her sandals. Taking a quick glance at Souji, she noted his hair was pulled back in the typical samurai ponytail and he wore a pair of Khaki slacks and a black button-down shirt. "You look nice as well, Okita-kun."

"Please, call me Souji. Shall we be going?"

Misao nodded and stepped up, taking his arm and letting him escort her to his car. Opening the door for her, she got in and buckled up while Soujiro walked to the other side and did the same. "To the park, Harada."

The man, Harada, nodded and drove out of the driveway, turning onto the main road. Misao grinned to herself. 'Looks like I won the bet, Ao-nii. I got a date before you did.'

-

Kenshin sighed once again as Soujiro continued to mumble about Okita and Misao and what they were most likely doing right about now. He had to give the boy credit for not following them, but really! He was about to fall asleep listening to Soujiro's jealous tyrrade.

"Soujiro-kun, calm down! It's probably a friendly date. I doubt Misao-san has interests in Okita-kun."

This only made Soujiro mumble more, grunting something about best friends who steal potential girlfriends.

Kenshin sweatdropped. 'At least he is admitting he likes her...' "Ne, Sou-kun, has Okita-kun told you why he's been out of school so much?"

Kenshin frowned when Soujiro didn't respond. "Soujiro?"

"I think..." Kenshin waited for him to continue. "I think that he's in some sort of trouble. Something that he won't tell us about to save us from worrying about him. I've tried not to think about it, Himura-san, but, I can't help but wonder what it is he could be hiding."

Kenshin frowned and silently agreed with Soujiro.

-

A few hours later, Misao and Okita sat under a shaded tree, having finished off their lunch. Both smiled and watched the children play around them. Okita spoke up.

"Saa, Misao..."

"Hm?"

"Why did you come to move in with Kaoru-san?"

Misao sighed before turning to face him. "Aoshi, my older brother, decided that it would be better if I lived with Kaoru instead of moving all the time."

Okita tilted his head, "What about your parents?"

"They're dead. They died when I was young."

Okita bowed his head in apology. Misao shrugged it off. "It was a long time ago. Don't worry about it."

"It must have been hard growing up without your parents." Okita mused, casting a sideways glance at the girl next to him.

Misao frowned. "Yeah, I guess so. I sorta shut myself off to the world. After I put my parents' deaths behind me, I slowly gained back some of my enthusiastic nature, but it was something that emotionally scarred me for life."

"I could imagine. Well, enough of that depressing subject, I don't need you upset or down on me..." Okita flashed a toothy grin. "So, what do you think of Soujiro?"

Misao blinked and looked up at Okita. "Eh? Soujiro? Why do you ask?"

Okita grinned, "He's crazy about you, you know."

Misao blushed. "Hontoi?"

"Mm-hmm. Part of the reason I'm taking you out today. To get him jealous."

Misao's left eyebrow twitched. "So you're doing this to get to Soujiro?"

Okita looked over at the expression on the girls face and laughed outloud. "Oh, no, no! I'm enjoying spending time with you, you're a lovely lady, Misao. However, if I don't do something, Soujiro will never make a move."

Okita watched the array of emotions run across Misao's face. "I like him, yes...but I like you, too."

Okita gave a small smile. "And we both like you. However, I can't be with you. Demo, Soujiro will make you very happy."

"Whoa! Wait!" Misao yelled, turning to look at Okita in the eyes. "First of all, what makes you think you can't be with me. Do you think you're not good enough for me? Or that Soujiro is better than you? Well, you're wrong-!"

Okita pressed a finger to Misao's lips, hushing her. She didn't like the sad smile that graced his features. "It's not like that, Misao."

He removed his hand from her face and looked out at the reflection of the sun setting on the lake.

"I can't be with you, because I am dying."

Misao's eyes widened with realization as all the strange occurances around Okita were starting to make sense. "Oh, my God..."

Okita tore his eyes away from the lake and looked at Misao. For the first time, she could see the emptiness that filled those dark brown orbs.

"It's true. You're not kidding..."

He shook his head. "No, I'm not. I doubt I have but a few weeks to live."

Tsuzukeru...

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A/N: Ohh! Sadness, I know! Don't hurt me! And again, I say this is going to be rushed and shortened. Like..a uhh...condensed fic. Yeah. That. Thanks for all your reviews and emails! :D

**ignore the grammar, I do**

Phoe-chan