Disclaimer (Is this really necessary?) I don't own Ruroken, I just borrowKenshin-kun on weekends.
Prologue – On the Streets
The pair of teenage-looking boys ran down the alley, leaving two unconscious men in their wake. They had just barely escaped from them with their payment and their lives.
As young male prostitutes, it wasn't uncommon for them to be attacked by clients that couldn't stand what they were, and tonight was worse than most.
Neither of them wore more than a faded and ragged pair of jeans with fishnet shirts. They were both small and skinny, appearing at no more than eighteen years of age. The slightly taller one, no more than five-foot-six had long crimson hair tied back in a high tail with locks framing his face. Pale lavender eyes were lined thickly with eyeliner to make them stand out more starkly against skin that never saw the light. He was effeminate looking, with the long hair only adding to the illusion the most of the clients looked for. He appeared to have once been somewhat muscular and better defined, but years on the streets had changed that. The other was two inches shorter, with shorter hair that was a plain brown, but fell in his silver eyes and a face that was constantly smiling. He had a similar appearance to that of his companion, once well-fed, but now starved with nowhere else to go.
"I think we should be leaving them here, Himura-kun. The police will find them, but we won't get turned in – they won't want to admit that they were after young boys for sex, will they? Won't want to admit they are freaks." The shorter one whispered as they got back on the streets. "We also have to find a place to get more cash; we didn't get enough to pay the rent."
The red-head sighed. "Alright, Soujiro-san." His voice was soft as they headed down the street, looking at each of the straggling cars and hoping for another client to add to their nightly income. "You know that this one does not like stealing, but it's the only way."
The pair of them began walking down the streets, throwing secretive smiles at the coming cars. As they left the run down neighborhood that they 'worked' in, Soujiro noticed a large, ancient styled building. Brows creasing, he grabbed the fishnet sleeve his companion's shirt.
"Himura-kun, it's a dojo, and it looks ancient." He smiled as he pointed to the sign that read "Kamiya Dojo – Kamiya-Kasshin-Ryu." "It must have a good income if it's been around for as long as I think it has, and there's probably some food inside. We haven't had anything to eat."
Kenshin looked up at the doors, curiosity lighting in his pale eyes. "Soujiro-san, I don't think that we'd be able to pull it off. There are swordsmen in there, and we aren't exactly armed, that we are not."
Soujiro looked at him. "Himura-kun, it's the closest place to our apartment, and you're the only one who's quiet enough to get in there and get any money or valuables."
He sighed and began to walk up to the gates. He turned to see Soujiro already walking down the street to an apartment complex. "I'll meet you back at the apartment later on tonight."
Soujiro only waved with his usual smile before continuing his way.
§
Kenshin climbed quickly over the stone wall that surrounded the ancient dojo, landing in a neat crouch in the shrubbery that lined the inside of the practice fields. He allowed his black-lined eyes too look around the place, searching for some place to get into the home.
The place was indeed old or, at least, made to look like a traditional Japanese dojo and not at all Western. The shoji doors had newly replaced screens and one or two holes in them. The roofs were all clay tile, the supports made of a solid wood. The place came complete with an ancient bathing room.
Shaking his head, the boy made his way to the house, making very little noise as he opened the screen door. As he wandered into the room, he realized that he was in the kitchen. For such an old home, the kitchen was very modern. There was a refrigerator in one corner and a microwave in another, while the stove was situated next to counters on the opposite side of the room.
Taking a quick look around to make sure that no one else was there, Kenshin moved over to the refrigerator, opening it and looking inside to see if there was anything that he could eat. Quickly, he saw a white box – likely leftovers of some kind. He took the container out of the cool air and picked up a pair of chopsticks from the table. Ravished with hunger, the street worker quickly began eating the leftover food, thinking of nothing more than eating for the first time in almost a week.
§
In the room next to the kitchen, Kamiya Kaoru sleepily awoke from the pleasant dream she was having. Soft noises from the kitchen made her smile – her father usually woke up in the middle of the night and ate something.
Then she remembered that her father had died six months ago.
Instantly awake, she picked up the shinai next to her and silently slid the door open. Picking her way quietly down the hall, she peeked into her kitchen. Her eyes widened when she realized that she didn't recognize the person who was in her kitchen.
He was small, maybe a few inches taller than she was, with long crimson hair tied in a high ponytail that looked in desperate need of a washing that fell to the backs of his thighs. He wore a pair of faded jeans that hung low on his slender hips, displaying the ring through his belly-button. The fishnet shirt extended over his slender hands but showed the thick leather collar around his neck. Pale lavender eyes were lined with kohl to make them stand out more against a pale, sickly face and disguise a bruise around his left eye. There were cuts and bruises all over his slender body that made her feel sympathy towards the man robbing her house.
With a soft snort, she walked into the room, shinai extended as she took an offensive stance.
"And just what do you think you're doing in my home?"
§
He jumped, startled, dropping the container of fried rice that he had been eating, looking at the source of the voice.
She was small, only a few inches shorter than he was and wearing a traditional sleeping robe. Her dark hair was nearly as long as his was, and she was holding a shinai like she knew how to use it. There was anger clearly written in her sapphire-blue eyes.
Kenshin held his arms out, eyes wide as he looked at the shinai. She saw genuine fear behind those eyes and the trembling of his limbs.
"I'm sorry, miss, I'm really, really sorry." He started walking towards the door, the only one of which was behind her. "This one was just, hungry, and, I'm sorry. Please, please, don't call the police! You can do whatever you want to me, just don't call the police, and let me go when you're done. Please?"
"Why were you eating out of the fridge?" She asked softly, lowering the shinai. His words ran through her head. 'You can do whatever you want to me, just don't tell the police and let me go when you're done.' "Why didn't you just take something of value and run?"
He stopped, watching her with wide eyes. A soft rumble answered her question and she watched his face go red. "I guess I was hungry." He lowered his head enough that his red bangs hid his face. "I can't remember the last time I ate."
She laughed softly and gestured to the container of fried rice that he had dropped. "I guess not. Please, finish eating. You can stay here for the night if you wish. I can even get a shower—"
"No!" He said, almost angrily. "I don't need that much of your pity! I simply asked you to let me go and leave you!"
She glared at him. "I am letting you, and its so obvious that you can take care of yourself, but nonetheless, I'm offering to let you get cleaned up and get a decent night's sleep for the first time in what I'm going to assume is the longest time. Take it, or maybe I will call the police."
His eyes widened and he looked at her in resignation, but also curiosity. Never before had someone offered to let him stay the night unless they had just finished with him while they were at the person's home, and they didn't want to get caught with a young prostitute in their car. He nodded almost imperceptibly and bent to pick up the food off the floor.
"Thank you Miss…"
Kaoru smiled. "Kaoru."
He blushed and watched what he was doing with the food. "Thank you Kaoru-dono."
She turned and walked to the door. "I will get a sleep robe that you can use and set out a futon in the spare bedroom. Please finish eating then I'll show you where the shower is. And, by the way, can I ask you're name?"
He blushed again, picking up the dropped set of chopsticks. His voice was soft, almost inaudible. "Himura Kenshin."
She smiled at him before walking out of the room. "I'll go set out the futon. You can finish eating that, and then I'll show you to the bathroom."
He could only nod sheepishly as he leaned against the counter and began eating the fried rice.
§
With a soft sigh, he turned off the shower that was falling in hot water – something that was very, very rarely available in their cheap apartment – on his back. He was sure that he had probably taken too long in the shower, but it had been so long since he had taken a hot one that he just hadn't been able to turn off the water any time sooner.
His long hair fell in a thick fall of crimson down his back as he wrung it out and stepped out of the shower with a towel around his waist. When he looked around the tiny bathroom, he realized that his clothes were missing. Immediately, panic began setting in, until the door opened and Kaoru stepped in with a sleeping robe in her hands.
She smiled slightly at his distress. She noticed that there was a tattoo low on the inside of his left hip – the Chinese character for 'destiny' done in black and red. And also, at the base of his neck, just under his hair line, there was another done in the same colors that was yet another Chinese character meaning 'courage.' She realized that without the eyeliner, he looked older, and it made her at another year onto his age – nineteen, maybe?
"I took your clothes, by the way." She held the robe out to him. "They're in the wash. I thought that it would be a good idea to wash them, since you did have blood on the jeans."
"Oh, thank you, Kaoru-dono." He gingerly took the robes from her, a slight blush running across his face.
Never before had someone offered to wash his clothing – unless they wanted to get rid of all evidence of who they were for fear of being reported to the police. And that was a rare occurrence, since it was highly unlikely that either he or Soujiro would go to the police – who would believe that a street whore was raped? It wasn't uncommon for a client to be too rough, or take you too forcefully; it just wasn't common for it to be reported. It also wasn't uncommon for a client to ignore the 'safe word.'
"You're welcome." She smiled again and pointed down the hallway. "The room that you can stay in is the one next to the bathroom. The futon is already set up. You can also stay in the morning for breakfast if you want."
He bowed slightly at the last comment. "Thank you again, Kaoru-dono."
"It's no problem." She smiled as she walked down the hall to her room. "I just think that it's probably better than turning you over to the police, and you get a couple of meals out of it."
He smiled slightly and watched her go into her room, gingerly placing the robe over the bruises and cuts from that one client earlier that night. After turning off the light, he walked into the room she had given him, sliding between the blankets and settling his head on the pillow.
He was asleep in moments.
§
The next morning Kaoru woke up later than she usually did, and walked out into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. She hoped that Kenshin would be staying for breakfast, since he looked as if he needed something to fill him up – he looked to thin.
What she found in the kitchen surprised her.
On the table there was a simple breakfast already laid out on the table. There was rice, miso soup, tofu, and a small amount a fish. There was a set of dishes already in the sink, as if he had also eaten something before leaving. There was even a note next to her chopsticks.
Kaoru-dono
Thank you for letting me stay the night. Never has anyone been so kind to me, not since I was really small. I made breakfast for you. It's been a really long time since I've cooked anything, so I hope that it tastes alright.
Thank you
Himura Kenshin
Kaoru read the letter over a few times before setting it back down on the table. She sat there, eating the simple meal and wondering about where Kenshin went. He couldn't have been much older than she was, and she wondered what had happened to him that he had never experienced any sort of kindness.
With a soft sigh, she placed the letter away in her room. Maybe some day she would find out.
§
"Where have you been Himura-kun!" Soujiro said softly, watching as Kenshin flew into the house and to the dresser on the other side of the small apartment. "I waited for you all night and you never came home! It's seven in the morning; I thought that you had been apprehended by the police!"
"I'm sorry, Soujiro-san." He smiled slightly as he continued to dig through the dresser. "Have you seen that card that Kamatari-san gave me that one night? I was thinking of giving him a call back. He said that he might have a job for me at his club."
Soujiro's eyes widened and the ever-present smile was wiped off his face. "You want to get off the streets Himura-kun?" He sounded almost furious. "You want to work there?"
Kenshin's face was sad and a little hopeful as he found the small white business card. "I don't want to be on the streets forever Soujiro-san. I would actually like to make a better life for myself. I don't always want to have to do things like this."
Soujiro's face and voice turned hard. "And you think that you can do that by stripping your clothes off in front of women?"
Kenshin turned from the door to look at him. "At least by doing that I can make a consistent income and be able to afford to feed myself." His hand touched the door knob. "Last night, the woman who owned the dojo let me stay the night and eat something out of pity. I don't want to have to live off of the pity of other people – I don't want to be used anymore! There's a chance to make my life better, and I want to take it!"
With that, he left to go to the pay phone, looking at the card to see the name of the club.
Guilty Pleasures
A/N
Hello there. To start off, I have ablsolutely no idea where this plot bunny came from -- it just came to me and before I knew it, all the chapters were outlined. I will be updating as soon as possible, but with a full-time summer job, I'm not sure how much time I'll have. Anyway, please review, anything helpful will be welcomed.
--Mistress-Neko