Disclaimer: RK is property of Watsuki Nobuhiro. Also, there are a couple lines in here that were inspired by and echo lines in the film Sweet HomeAlabama. If you’ve seen the movie, you will most likely recognize the scenes that they’re in. In any event, they will be marked, and mentioned in my final author’s notes.

Rating: PG

A/N: The idea for this fic was inspired by Susan, my Senpai. Many thanks go out to her for helping me to brain storm and create the plotline for this one-shot after days of being blocked. A/U, OOC.

~~denotes shifts in time/character perspective, ‘(and italics) denotes thoughts.

~*Dedication: This fic goes out to Vicki, who was the 5,000th visitor to my site, Wandering Samurai. Sorry about the delay, and I hope you enjoy! ^_^

~*Promise in a Kiss*~

By: Midori Natari Himura

Lightning flashed white in the distant sky, like a skeletal hand clawing futilely at the darkness overhead. As the light faded, an echoing thunderclap sounded abruptly, and below, the small figure of Makimachi Misao jumped slightly, a startled shriek escaping her lips. Narrowing her eyes, she attempted to see through the heavy onslaught of rain droplets, searching for her playmate and constant companion, who had vanished somewhere amidst the thick tree trunks ahead. “’Nishi-chan, where are you?! Wait for me!”

Suddenly, tanned fingers curled around her slender wrist and her jade gaze snapped up a few inches to peer at the dark-haired boy who had materialized beside her. “Mi-chan, you’re too slow!”

Balling her chubby hands into fists, Misao gave her friend the fiercest glare she could muster. “Mou! I am not!”

Smirking lightly, Enishi resisted the urge to chuckle, instead choosing to playfully muss the girl’s ebony bangs. Misao was adorable when she was angry. “Come on! Let’s go home before the storm gets worse.”

As a roar of thunder jarred the ground beneath their feet, Misao clutched at Enishi’s hand, pulling him to a stop beside a towering tree. “Let’s wait a couple of minutes, ‘Nishi-chan…I’m afraid…”

“Don’t worry, Mi-chan. I’ll protect you!”

Misao smiled shakily, winding her small arms around Enishi’s waist and burying her face in the damp material of his shirt. “Do you promise?”

Dark brown fingers came up to awkwardly stroke at the girl’s braid of thick black hair as Enishi pulled her trembling form tighter against his chest. “Of course!”

“’Nishi-chan?”

“Nani?”

“Will…Will you marry me one day?” Misao asked hesitantly, eyes downcast, feeling warmth spring into her cheeks.

Enishi’s snort and sudden burst of laughter caused her head to jerk up, timidity forgotten as her eyebrows drew together in irritation. “What’s so funny?”

“Marry you?” Enishi repeated, shaking his head slightly. “We’re too young to get married!”

“I didn’t mean right now!” Misao said hotly, dropping her arms away from his waist and propping her hands on her hips. “I meant later…you know, once we’ve grown up!”

Still chuckling, Enishi grinned down at her. “I’ll think about it.”

“Enishi no baka!”

“I’m joking, I’m joking!” the dark-haired boy proclaimed, skirting beyond her reach as she stepped forward with a dangerous gleam in her deep green eyes. Stilling, he allowed his grin to fade, holding out a hand as an offering of peace.

Grumbling softly, Misao took his hand and permitted him to pull her close, settling neatly against his side as the rain pelted down with increasing ferocity.

“What would you want to marry me for, anyway?” Enishi questioned seriously, peering down into the girl’s jeweled gaze, which was shaded slightly by jagged bangs.

“Because I love you,” Misao stated quietly, tilting her head back to look up at him as a brilliant smile transformed her features from elfin cuteness to womanly beauty. “And so I can kiss you whenever I want.” *

Feeling as if he was entranced, Enishi lifted thin fingers to tuck a stray lock of ebony hair behind the girl’s ear. “Promise?”

Instead of giving her reply in words, Misao balanced her weight on the tips of her toes and leaned forward, giving the boy a quick peck on the lips. “I promise! I’m going to love you forever!”

“Going to love who forever?”

Makimachi Misao jerked awake with a start at the sound of her roommate’s voice. Blinking groggily, she sat up in her chair. The sun, which had been high overhead when she settled at her desk to write her most recent article, was now sinking slowly beneath the horizon and the sky, visible beyond the window to her right, was awash in shades of orange, red, and violet.

“What time is it?” she asked sleepily, smoothing flat the pile of papers that had become somewhat wrinkled after hours of being used as her makeshift pillow.

“Six-thirty,” Kaoru replied, setting a cup of steaming tea on the desk in front of her. “And don’t think you can avoid answering the question. I heard you talking in your sleep.”

Laughing lightly, Misao lifted slender fingers to massage a sore spot at her nape. “I wasn’t trying to avoid it, Kaoru.”

“Then who is it? You couldn’t possibly be seeing someone without having told your best friend, could you?”

“Of course not,” Misao murmured, dropping her eyes from her roommate’s probing sapphire gaze. “You know I haven’t been on a date in years.”

“And whose fault is that?” Kaoru asked, tossing her raven ponytail over one shoulder. “I’ve tried to hook you up countless times!”

Rolling her eyes, Misao shook her head quickly. “Kaoru, please spare me your match-making attempts! I remember that blind date you sent me on when we were twenty…”

Kaoru choked back a giggle as she recalled the fiasco that had ensued from her attempt to pair up her best friend and her favorite cousin, Sanosuke. “Misao, forget about that! Spill, spill, I want all the seedy details.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Misao murmured, lifting the cup of tea to her lips as she waved vaguely with her left hand. “It’s ancient history.”

“What is ancient history?”

Setting her mug down abruptly, Misao sighed softly. “You don’t give up, do you?”

“Have I ever?”

“No.”

“Well, then! Come on, it’s me you’re talking to here…”

“Okay, okay…” Trailing off, Misao smiled distantly. “It happened when I was nine…”

Kaoru settled into a chair on the opposite side of the desk and leaned forward, anticipation making her sapphire eyes shine brightly.

“There was this little boy I used to play with almost every day,” Misao continued, the memories giving her expression a hint of nostalgia. “His name was Enishi, and for the time that I knew him, we were inseparable. I had the fiercest crush on him, and eventually I asked him if he would marry me when we got older, as little kids often do…”

“What did he say?” Kaoru questioned as Misao grew silent.

“He joked around with me at first, but he did agree, and we sealed our promise with a kiss…”

As Misao trailed off again, Kaoru sat back, blinking in puzzlement. “And?”

“And what?”

“What happened after that, silly!?”

“A few weeks later, he told me his father was being transferred to China. They moved within a month, and I haven’t seen him since.”

“Not once?”

“No,” Misao replied with a regretful shake of her head. “I don’t even remember his last name…”

“Haven’t you ever wanted to find him?” Kaoru asked, toying idly with a lock of raven hair. “What if he’s still single? And what if he remembers? And what if—“

“Kaoru, please,” Misao interrupted, laughing softly. “That was fifteen years ago! I doubt he would remember such a thing.”

“Did you love him?”

“I…I suppose I did…”

“Did you truly love him?”

“…Yes…”

“Then what do you have to lose?!” Kaoru exclaimed, reaching across the desk to grasp her friend’s hand in her excitement. “The worst possible case scenario is that he won’t remember the promise, right?”

“Or the fact that he might have a wife and children by now…”

Waving a hand dismissively, Kaoru went on, “But even if that is the case, you won’t be losing anything, right? You can’t lose what you don’t already have! I think you should find him!”

“And say what?”

“Just say what you feel, of course,” Kaoru answered with a shrug. “Misao, this man could be your true love. If you found him and fell in love again, it would be the most romantic thing ever!”

Smiling crookedly, Misao shook her head, trying to force down the wave of excitement growing in her belly. “That sort of thing only happens in movies…”

“You’ve never been a quitter, Misao! It’s unlike you to give up on this without at least seeing him one more time. Imagine how great it would be if he had been thinking about you all these years!”

“But—“

“But nothing!” Kaoru interjected, cutting off her friend’s protestation. “Your vacation is coming up soon, right? You will have two weeks of free time with nothing to do but laze around the apartment.”

“I might actually get some work done,” Misao murmured thoughtfully. “And besides that, I don’t remember his last name.”

“Well, who would?”

“I don’t know…my grandfather might, but he’s incoherent most of the time…”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to ask him.”

“Kaoru…”

“Come on, Misao! I am tired of watching you stay home every weekend. You never go out with us anymore. All you do is work! Ever since Aoshi—“

“Let’s not talk about that.”

“But—“

“Please…”

Sighing softly, Kaoru nodded. “Fine. But I think you should do this, Misao. Seriously.”

“Kaoru…it would be like chasing a dream…”

“But some dreams do come true, Misao,” Kaoru whispered, giving her roommate’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “There are some people who actually live the fairytale…”

“I…I don’t…”

“You have nothing to lose. At least promise me you will ask your grandfather.”

“I—“

“Promise!”

“Fine, fine, I promise!” Misao said in exasperation, pulling her hand away from Kaoru’s to rake thin fingers through jagged, ebony bangs. “But if he can’t remember the last name, I want you to promise me that you’ll drop the subject…”

Grinning broadly, Kaoru nodded her assent. “You’ve got a deal!”

“How’s he doing?”

At Misao’s softly spoken question, the nurse outside her grandfather’s room looked up from her clipboard, smiling kindly, “Konnichiwa, Makimachi-san! Your grandfather is doing well. Today has been one of his better days.”

“Is he aware of his surroundings?”

“Somewhat. You know how it is. His memories of the past are so clear, but he easily forgets more recent events.”

“Is it getting worse?”

“He has his good days, but…”

“But?” Misao urged as the nurse trailed off.

Shaking her head, the nurse patted her shoulder in a comforting manner. “I’m afraid that his condition is steadily deteriorating. Soon, he may even begin to forget his clearest memories…”

“Arigatou gozaimasu,” Misao murmured as the nurse politely excused herself. Bracing her shoulders, she stepped into her grandfather’s dimly lit private room.

Her grandfather, Kashiwazaki Nenji, fondly referred to as Okina, had once been a strong man with a humorous personality, but years of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease had reduced him to a mere shadow of his former self. His memories of his youth were vivid, but events as recent as five minutes before would be quickly forgotten. It saddened her to see him thus, but no amount of medication could reverse the debilitating effects of the disease.

“Jiya?” she called quietly as she approached the still figure in the bed. “Jiya, it’s me, Misao…”

Brown eyes fluttered open tiredly and appraised her in confusion. “Misao? My granddaughter, Misao, is dead…”

“No, no,” Misao said gently, shaking her head. “I’m right here.”

“My granddaughter died.”

“Yes, Jiya, one of your granddaughters did die, but her name was Okon, not Misao…”

“Okon?”

“Hai, Jiya. Remember? She died in a car accident…”

“A car accident?”

“Yes…”

“And who are you?”

Misao felt her smile waver, but plowed ahead, keeping her voice soft, “I am Misao, Jiya. Remember me? I’m your little Misao-chan…”

“Misao-chan?” Okina repeated, blinking slowly as a fraction of clarity returned to his clouded gaze. “My Misao-chan!”

“Hai, Jiya,” Misao said happily, her smile returning to its former brilliance. “Do you remember now?”

“Of course! But why are you here, Misao-chan? Shouldn’t you be with your mother?”

“My mother died when I was eight, Jiya. She had cancer…”

“She died? But when?”

“It’s been sixteen years…”

“Sixteen years? That many?”

Nodding slowly, Misao perched on the edge of the hospital bed, reaching out to take her grandfather’s wrinkled hand in her own. “Jiya, do you remember the little boy I used to play with? His name was Enishi…”

“Enishi?”

“Hai. Remember? He lived next door.”

“That Yukishiro boy!?” Okina exclaimed abruptly, brows drawing together in a frown. “I don’t like that boy. He bit my hand the other day.”

Had the situation not been so depressing, Misao might have laughed at this. Instead, she squeezed Okina’s weathered hand, and forced a smile to her lips. “I remember that. He was only five or six…”

“He’s a brat!” Okina declared hotly. “But his sister, now she is a looker!”

This time, Misao could not prevent a giggle from escaping. Her grandfather had always been somewhat of a lech with a definite fascination with younger females. His constant flirtations had often embarrassed her throughout her teenage years.

“Yes, she certainly was beautiful,” Misao murmured in agreement, recalling Enishi’s solemn elder sister. The girl’s long, sleek hair and perfect features had often been a thing of envy for her older cousins. “She died that year…the year Enishi bit you…he was so upset about her death that he started lashing out at everyone…”

“You should really go help your mother, Misao-chan,” Okina whispered, heavy lids beginning to drift shut. “Tell her I’ll be at the restaurant in a few hours. I just need to take a short nap.”

Biting her lower lip, Misao nodded jerkily. The restaurant of which her grandfather spoke had been closed since the year of her sixteenth birthday. “Of course, Jiya. I’ll tell her. Oyasumi.”

“Oyasumi…Misao-chan…”

“All packed, Enishi?”

His hands stilling in the process of loosening his immaculate, silver necktie, Yukishiro Enishi arched an eyebrow at the voluptuous woman leaning casually in his doorway. “How did you get in here, Lei-Lin?”

Smirking sexily, his neighbor lifted a set of keys and jangled them lightly.

“Those keys are only to be used to look in on my apartment while I am away,” Enishi murmured, turning away from the woman and striding gracefully to the elegant bar in the corner of his living room. “Why are you using them now?”

“I thought you might be hungry,” Lei-Lin replied silkily, sashaying up behind him and laying a manicured hand against the small of his back. “I thought I should come over…make you dinner…help you…relax…before your trip.”

Enishi stepped away from the woman’s touch, lifting a crystal tumbler of brandy to his lips. “I’ve already eaten, thank you.”

“How about dessert, then?”

“I’m not interested in anything you have to offer,” Enishi murmured in response, running tanned fingers through his wild, frost-colored hair. “I asked you for a favor, Lei-Lin, but I did not give you permission to enter my apartment whenever you see fit. I could easily ask Han to keep an eye on my apartment instead.”

“Enishi, must you be so cold?” Lei-Lin whispered, moving closer to him and fingering the pearl buttons of his dress shirt. “I don’t like this style on you. I prefer Chinese clothing. It is much more flattering.”

“Lei-Lin…”

“Why won’t you give into your desire? We could have fun together…”

“I have no desire for you, Lei-Lin. I prefer my women to have some sense of decency.”

Frowning prettily, the dark-haired woman dropped her hand and backed away. “You can be such a bastard sometimes, Enishi!”

“It’s part of my charm,” Enishi murmured smoothly, giving the woman an arrogant smirk before tossing back the rest of his drink. “Good night, Lei-Lin.”

“Good night.” Ruby lips curled downward into a pout, Lei-Lin pocketed her set of keys and made her way out the door. “Have a nice trip.”

Waving a hand in dismissal, Enishi lifted his cordless phone and quickly dialed his co-worker’s number. “Han? You’ll be here at five in the morning, correct? Yes, yes, I’ll only be gone for a week. Once I secure the deal with Shinomori, I’ll be on the next plane back to Hong Kong.” Pulling the stopper from the crystal decanter of brandy, the frost-haired man poured himself another drink. “Hmm? What was that? No, this trip is not strictly business. I have plans on looking up an old friend while I am in Kyoto. I was able to find her grandfather in a nursing home, and I’m sure he can give me her new address. I doubt she will even remember me, though.” Shaking his head at his friend’s comment, Enishi laughed shortly. “Very funny. I would have found it myself, but I can’t seem to remember her last name. I am certain of her grandfather’s name, though. Yes. All right, I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.”

Smiling softly to himself, Enishi disconnected the call and re-placed the phone in its cradle. ‘Misao…I wonder if you still remember your promise…’

“Wish me luck.”

“Good luck!” Kaoru said happily, pulling her shorter friend close for a quick hug.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t call him first? I don’t want to impose…”

“That would totally ruin the surprise!” Kaoru proclaimed with a shake of her head. “Just go over and see him! There’s nothing wrong with looking up an old friend, right? Besides, you need a vacation. Just go and relax and have some fun. In my opinion, you should stay there for the full two weeks.”

“One week is enough,” Misao murmured, adjusting the straps of her backpack. “I have several articles with impending deadlines. I’m going to use the remaining time to catch up on my work.”

“You work too much, Misao. Promise me you won’t lock yourself in your hotel room with your laptop while you’re there.”

“I’d better go.” Leaning down, the ebony-haired woman gathered her belongings and straightened. “The plane should start boarding soon. See you next week!”

“Misao!” Kaoru called threateningly before her friend had taken more than a couple steps.

“I promise, I promise,” Misao replied without turning back. “’Bye, Kaoru!”

“’Bye! Have a good time. Call me when you get there!”

Waving distractedly at her friend, Misao stepped through the metal detectors and smiled to herself. It would be good to see Enishi after all these years. The days had flown by, but she remembered their time together like it was yesterday. If nothing else, renewing their friendship would be well worth the money she would be spending on the trip.

“Who did you say you were again?” the nurse asked, glancing up at the handsome, white-haired man at her side.

Enishi gave the young woman his most dashing smile. “I am an old friend of Kashiwazaki-san’s granddaughter.”

A rosy blush spread quickly over the nurse’s features. “Well, we don’t normally allow anyone but family members in this wing, but I suppose I can make the exception…”

“I would be very appreciative,” Enishi murmured silkily. “You say only family members are allowed to visit this wing, correct? Are you familiar with Kashiwazaki-san’s granddaughter, Misao?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” the young woman answered with a shake of her head. “I usually work on the lower level. I am covering the shift of someone who called off sick today.”

“I see.”

“Well, here is his room,” the nurse murmured, gesturing to a partially shut door. “I have heard that Kashiwazaki-san has both good days and bad. He may not recognize you at all. I apologize, but I must leave you now. The other nurse is on break, so I am the only one watching the front desk.”

“Thank you,” Enishi responded with a partial bow of his head. “I am very grateful.”

Giggling nervously, the young woman backed away, leaving the frost-haired man to contemplate the doorway before him in silence. His meeting with Shinomori had gone well. The dealings had taken less than four hours, and he had found himself with the rest of the afternoon free. His original intention had been to pay the old man a visit in the morning, but he found the desire to see Misao increasing with every passing moment, so he had opted on stopping by the nursing home for a few minutes before visiting hours were finished. Now that he was there, he could not name what was making him hesitate. He supposed it was a number of things—the possibility of Misao being married, or engaged, or living in some far off country. The most daunting possibility, however, was the fact that she may have completely forgotten him in the fifteen years since their separation.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Enishi mumbled under his breath, repeating the phrase often used by his employers, and stepped quietly into the room. “Okina?” he inquired, moving closer to the thin figure lying prone on the hospital bed. “Okina?”

Lids made nearly translucent with age fluttered open and he suddenly found himself under the intense scrutiny of light brown eyes. “Who are you?”

Bowing politely, Enishi greeted the old man in flawless Japanese. “I am Yukishiro Enishi. You may not remember me, but I lived next door to—“

“Of course I remember you, you little brat!” Okina interrupted in irritation. “You bit me the other day!”

Brought up short, the frost-haired man could only blink in confusion. His experience with Alzheimer’s patients had been limited to one encounter with his ailing great-grandfather during his youth, and he had not the vaguest idea about how he was supposed to act around someone whose memory was being slowly consumed. “Pardon?”

“What are you doing here?” Okina asked suspiciously.

“I…I am looking for Misao,” Enishi stated cautiously, eyeing the older man in alarm. “I couldn’t remember her last name, so I decided to stop by and ask if you would be so kind as to—“

“My Misao-chan is dead,” Okina interjected flatly. “She died in a car accident.”

“She…She died?” Enishi shook his head in unconscious denial, feeling his heart leap into his throat. “But—“

“It was years ago,” the old man continued. “My granddaughter died.”

“I-I see.” Stepping away from the bed, Enishi raked long fingers through his hair to prevent them from trembling. “Thank you.”

“You should get home, boy,” Okina called as he blindly reached for the door. “Your mother will be worried about you!”

The white-haired man ignored the old man’s comment and moved into the brightly lit hallway, allowing the door to swing shut behind him. ‘All these years…I’ve waited all these years…’ Pulling his suit jacket closer around him, he strode quickly over the glossy linoleum tile, oblivious to the glance of the nurse at the front desk. Before he was even aware of what he was doing, he was half a block away from the nursing home, breathing roughly, as if he had just run a marathon. ‘Misao…’

“I’m sorry, but Enishi is out of town for a week.”

“Oh,” Misao murmured, glancing away from the lovely woman who was standing in the doorway of Enishi’s apartment.

Using the resources at the magazine she worked for, she had located his address and phone number, but now she found herself wishing she had called before coming, instead of going along with Kaoru’s suggestion to make it a surprise. She felt like a complete fool.

“And who are you?” the woman asked as Misao stood there in silence.

“Just an old friend,” Misao replied, forcing a smile. “And you are?”

“His fiancée,” the woman answered with a toss of her gleaming black hair.

“I see.” Straightening her shoulders, Misao took a step back. “Will you please tell him I stopped by? My name is Makimachi Misao. We grew up together in Kyoto.”

“Certainly,” the woman murmured, giving Misao a sultry smile. “Good day.”

Before Misao could summon a response, the woman slammed the door shut in her face. “Good day,” Misao said belatedly, before turning on her heel and disappearing in the direction from which she had come.

“The flight has been delayed for how long?” Misao exclaimed incredulously, eyeing the girl behind the counter in shock.

“It has been delayed until the storm dies down,” the girl replied calmly. “The airport will be allowing incoming flights to land, but no flights will be taking off while the wind and rain are this heavy. Please just take a seat, ma’am. An announcement will be made when your flight begins boarding.”

Sighing in frustration, Misao turned away from the counter, and considered the crowded waiting area before her. ‘Well, if I am forced to wait here, I might as well go have a drink and get some work done.’ Hefting up her heavy backpack, she started down the corridor towards a small café she had seen on the walk to the gate. ‘Isn’t this the perfect end to a horrible trip?’

Once she found a tiny round table in a dark corner of the café, she plopped down onto the hard wooden seat and withdrew her laptop from her bag. In the days since her meeting with Enishi’s beautiful fiancée, she had spent most of the time in her hotel room, working on her various articles or lounging beside the pool. Her disappointment was nearly stifling, but perhaps it was all for the best. There had been no guarantee that he would have remembered her or her promise, anyway.

Accepting her drink from a handsome young waiter, she leaned back in her seat, eyeing her laptop in disinterest. She was truly in no mood to write. ‘Perhaps I’ll just watch a movie…’

Rummaging in her book-bag, she located her headphones and plugged them into the side of her laptop, quickly opening her files and selecting a random film from the many she had downloaded before leaving on her trip. As the opening credits scrolled across the screen, she stirred her drink distractedly. ‘What a vacation this has been…’

As the last scene of the movie faded, Misao flexed her shoulders tiredly, pulling off the headphones and tucking a lock of ebony hair behind her ear. The movie had been rather predictable, but at least it had kept her interest for a couple of hours.

“I should go check on the flight,” she mumbled to herself as she began to pack up her belongings.

“Last call for flight 1450 to Tokyo. All remaining ticket holders for flight 1450 to Tokyo, please come to the gate for immediate boarding.”

“Oh, my God!” Misao shrieked, nearly spilling her forgotten drink in her haste. “I can’t believe I totally spaced out. I should have been listening!”

Shoving her laptop and headphones into her bag, she jumped up, tossing some money on the table. “Please don’t leave without me!”

Hoisting her backpack onto one shoulder, she started down the corridor, practically running as she attempted to zip her purse shut. In her distraction, she collided full force with a warm, solid object, and stumbled back a few steps, the small bag falling from her fingers.

“I’m sorry!” she exclaimed as she straightened from retrieving her purse. “I wasn’t paying attention. Please forgive—“ Looking up, the words died on her lips as she found herself face-to-face with the last person she was expecting. “Enishi?”

It was him; years older and a thousand times more handsome. His dark hair was now the color of pure snow, but his face was the same, simply more mature and chiseled into the flawless features of a gorgeous man.

He stared down at her for a moment, disbelief and shocked delight warring for prominence in his expression. “Misao?”

“Hai!”

“Mi-chan, it is you!” he exclaimed with a laugh. “He…He told me you were dead. What are you doing here?”

“Who told you I was dead?” Misao asked, brow creasing in surprise.

“Your grandfather.”

“Oh! Jiya can be incoherent at times. My cousin, Okon, died several years ago, but he always seems to confuse us in his mind. He barely recognized me the last time I went to visit.”

Shaking his head, Enishi allowed a smile to come to his lips. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I should have taken something like that into consideration. I was so shocked by the news that I didn’t take into account the fact that his illness might have caused him to mix up past events.”

“You went to Japan to see me?”

“Yes. I was in town for business, so I thought I would stop by and pay you a visit, but I am ashamed to say that the only last name I could remember was your grandfather’s,” Enishi murmured apologetically.

“Oh, I see…”

“But what about you?” Enishi inquired, failing to note the flash of disappointment that flitted over Misao’s pretty face. “What brings you here to Hong Kong?”

Misao laughed nervously at his question. “I wanted to see you again. I stopped by your apartment, but your fiancée told me you were out of town…”

“Fiancée?” Enishi questioned, arching an elegant brow. “I’m not engaged.”

“But a woman answered your door,” Misao stated in confusion. “She was tall with dark hair. She told me that you were gone for a week.”

At her words, Enishi’s smile faded as anger washed across his handsome features. “That is my neighbor, Lei-Lin. I asked her to keep an eye on my apartment while I was away. She has been chasing after me for months, and I have mostly been amused by her attempts to capture my attention, but posing as my fiancée is unforgivable.”

“I can’t believe she would do that!”

“Lei-Lin is an idiot. My trust in her was sorely misplaced.”

“Yes, very much so!”

“But, anyway, what gave you the sudden urge to visit Hong Kong and look me up? I would have thought you would have forgotten me by now.”

“Oh…” Giggling uneasily, Misao trailed off. “It’s silly really.”

“What?”

“I wanted to see if you remembered our promise,” Misao answered, smiling crookedly as a blush rose in her pale cheeks.

“Promise?” Enishi repeated, his voice toneless, but his turquoise eyes twinkling with amusement. Misao had her head bowed, and had apparently been captured by a sudden fascination with her shoes. It was adorable.

“Y-Yeah, I told you it was silly,” Misao stammered, cringing inwardly. ‘I must look like such an idiot!’

“What promise?” Enishi urged, hoping she would find the courage to voice the words. His heart could not handle a blow such as rejection after being informed of her supposed death. He did not want to make himself out to be a total fool in front of the woman he had been in love with since he had first looked into her jade eyes all those many years ago.

“It’s nothing, really,” Misao murmured with a dismissive wave. Glancing up at him, she smiled brightly. “If you ever come to Japan again, please look me up! I’m afraid I should be going. I don’t want to miss my flight.” Settling the strap of her purse on her shoulder, she stepped past Enishi, wishing the heat in her cheeks would cool. “Good-bye, Enishi!”

“Misao!” he called, halting her before she could take more than a few steps. His pulse was racing uncontrollably, but there was no way he could let her go so easily after all these years. He had to try. If one of them could not force out the words, they might lose an opportunity only fate could have so perfectly orchestrated. “Marry me!”

The ebony-haired woman turned back to him slowly. Her eyes were bright with tears and her lower lip was quivering. She took a step towards him, hesitating as she peered up into his face. “Marry you? Are you sure about that? I’m not the same little girl I used to be.”

“I loved you then,” Enishi said softly, ignoring the strange looks they were beginning to attract from passersby. “Nothing has changed. Besides, we’ll have the rest of our lives to get to know each other again.”

Smiling shakily, Misao took another step forward. “What would you want to marry me for, anyway?”

Returning her grin, Enishi closed the space between them, and drew her close, pausing when his lips were a mere hairsbreadth away from hers. “Because I love you,” he murmured, leaning closer. “And so I can kiss you whenever I want.” *

~*OWARI*~

*As I mentioned in my disclaimer, these lines were inspired by the lines in the film Sweet HomeAlabama. I used similar dialogue because I thought that part was extremely cute, but I give full credit to the writers of that screenplay for coming up with the original lines.

**Also, as I said in my dedication, this fic goes out to Vicki, the 5,000th visitor of my site, Wandering Samurai. I hope you liked it Vicki!

***For those wondering about the thing with Enishi biting Okina when he was younger, if you have read/seen the manga, you would know that Enishi had a thing for biting people when he was little, particularly Kenshin. ^_^ I thought it would be cute to use that idea in here.

Please review and let me know what you thought, minna-san! Thanks for reading.

~Midori

Please stop by my site, or my blog, /users/yaoi_bunny, and feel free to drop me a line! ^_^