Title: Defending Him
Category: Anime/Manga ยป Rurouni Kenshin
Author: Ashitaka99
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M
Genre: Adventure/Romance

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I make any profit from this story. The owner of these characters is solely Nobuhiro Watsuki. This story is AU so as such, I have taken several liberties with the timeline of the original story which is parallel to my story, just like an alternate universe. With my own original characters added in as well.

Warnings: violence, abuse, non-con., yoai, adult themes, swearing

This is a re-write and edited version of Defending Him. Please enjoy!

This is a Sanosuke x Kenshin centric written mainly from the first-person point of view of Sanosuke. It's the first time I have written a story like this, so please forgive any errors on my part. Italics indicate a character thinking to themselves.

Reviewers:

Dragon77: Thank you for both of your reviews! I have been a LONG time coming with this chapter, but I honestly could not figure out how the debt should get paid! I had several ideas, and none of them worked out for me, so it was taking me forever, and I got SERIOUS writers block. So please forgive me this long time updating, and I hope that you enjoy the chapter! Now I feel the creative juices flowing, I should be able to update much more often! :3 Please keep reading!

Ashitaka

"This one can only thank you for your assistance. You are a great fighter. This one is in your debit. I owe you a debt of gratitude. How can this one return the help you have given?"

Sano made his way through the gathered crowd beside the small red head who looked up at him shyly, blushing slightly. He quickly averted his glaze to look over the busy street until he felt a small hand slip into his own, fingers interlocking with his own as he was gently pulled into a nearby alley.

"Whoa...wh... what?" Was all that that he could he could stammer out before the smaller man stood up on his tip toes and pressed his lips to Sanos. His eyes widened as he looked down, but didn't break away from the soft lips pressing against his own as he used his own tongue to beg entry into the man's mouth. The smaller man pressed his body into his even further as he fisted his hands into the front of Sano's coat.

Moaning, Sano wrapped his arms around the small man pulling him tighter against his body, gaining entry to the others mouth as his tongue explored the new territory. His normally loose pants were beginning to feel constricting as his hands began to lower to grope the other man's bottom. Startled, the red head pulled his mouth away blushing, but was unable to pull out of Sano's arms.

"N... noo... no. This one can't do that! Please! Please let this one go!" The smaller man cried out and squirmed and wiggled to get out of his grasp. Sano looked down at him with surprise, concern spreading across his face.

"Why? What's wrong little one?" Confusion evident in his voice.

"I... I thought I thought I could do it, but I can't! I'm sorry! Please...forgive me!" Finally breaking free from Sano's grasp, the red head turned and bolted back to the street.

Well what the hell? Sano pushed himself off the wall to chase after the other man following as best as he could through the busy streets. He followed him until he came back up to the side entry of the same dojo that he had observed the man at earlier. Well...while I'm here...I may as well go back to my post.

Sneaking back around to where he had hidden himself previously, he had an excellent view into the dojos courtyard where he could see the red head kneeling in the dirt in front of a very angry looking black-haired girl in a gi and hikama pants. In her hands, she held a bokken which she was applying across the red heads back who appeared to be clutching his hands into fists in a way to perhaps to stop from crying out. Sano couldn't make out what she was saying to him, but whatever it was, it wasn't kind. What on earth have you ever done to deserve that kind of treatment?

Clenching his own hands into fists to prevent himself from charging out of his hiding spot to stop the cruel dark-haired girl, Sano glared at the sight before him in the dojo's courtyard. The beating had finally ended, and the girl gave a final kick to the petite red-heads side causing him to collapse to the ground before taking off inside. The small red-head had yet to move to get up as Sano's anger was over ruling him and taking over all his senses both bodily and emotionally.

Sano left his zanbato back in his hiding spot to free his hands up as he crept closer to the courtyards rear gate. He waited impatiently for a while to ensure that the black-haired girl wouldn't return nor would anyone else wander into the courtyard before he picked up a branch from the surrounding forested area and wiggled it around under the gates latch to open it. It creaked quietly as he pushed it open and let himself through, leaving it open as a means of escape once he was finished what he had come here to do.

Sano rushed quietly over to the crumpled red-head's small body where he seen that he had fallen unconscious, breathing unevenly from his beating. That koshiunke ijiwaru! Gritting his teeth, Sano bent down and gathered the man into his arms, getting back to the gate where he left the courtyard. After slinging the zanbato across his back, he set off towards his home with the petite red head in his arms bridal style, where he could tend to the man's wounds.

After entering his house, Sano laid the petite man out on his futon before working to untie his obi and remove his old gi from his torso and turning the red head onto his stomach to take a look at the wounds on his back. On seeing the whip marks on the man's slim muscled back, laid out over what appeared to be old scars, Sano inhaled harshly and grimaced. Shaking his head, he gently covered the man with his kimono once again and ensured he was safe and comfortable before heading out to the community well to fetch some fresh water to boil to begin the arduous task of cleaning the wounds.

As the water was set to boil, Sano set about gaining up clean linens and bandages to begin his first aid. Once boiling, he ladled some out into a bowl and soaked up a cloth before removing the kimono once again and starting to gently wash the dirt and grime out of the wounds.

Sano worked silently, no noise was made in the small house other than the splash of the water and the small moans coming from the unconscious man. But after a few hours, Sano had succeeded at cleaning the many wounds from the cruel dark-haired girls beating and after bandaging them up, he re-covered the man up to protect him from the evenings chill and set about starting a soup for their supper.

Presently, the man started to stir, moaning softly in pain as he moved in his attempts to sit up as Sano rushed to his side, helping him to a comfortable sitting position before retreating. He couldn't tell what the man was thinking as he appeared to be looking around the room from under the protection of his red fringe that fell in front of his eyes. After what seemed like eternity, those violet eyes made their way over to where Sano sat beside the fire, with a questioning look in their gaze.

"You're the man from earlier today." The man's soft voice broke the silence of the house.

Looking from the fire to where his guest was sitting at, Sano scratched his cheek thinking of where to start. There was just too many things he wanted to get out but he got the feeling they may just have to wait for now, that he may not welcome any questioning right now.

"Yeah well, you did need my help back there. What was a little guy like you going to do against a gang like that?" Sano grinned at the man.

"Oro?" The small man's grew wide, and his face grew curiously adorable for Sano. Sano felt a blush spread like a wild fire across his face, forcing him to look away from him.

"Yup. Well, I doubt you feel up to moving around much right now. But I do have some food ready if you feel hungry. Just some soup, as I don't think you should have anything too heavy after just waking up with an injury like that." Sano began to ladle up a bowl of soup for the small man. After it was full, he moved to hand it to the man. "Will you be okay eating it on your own? Or would you like me to help feed you?"

Blushing, the small red head flashed his eyes the steaming bowl in his hands and shook his head as he began to eat the soup slowly and painfully on his own. Sano sighed resignedly. His life just took an interesting turn.

Sano watched the small man eat the soup slowly as he fought to keep his eyes open only to have his chin drop to his chest and the bowl rest in a precarious position ready to spill on his knee. A small smile rose the corner of his mouth as he set his own meal aside and moved to the other man's side as he set the bowl aside and gently shifted him to rest against him as he worked to loosen the man's clothing so he'd be comfortable while he rested. Once done, he laid him down on stomach so as not to disturb his wounds and moved back to his meal to finish eating

Definitions of Japanese terms:

Gi = A shortened kimono style shirt

Hakama pants = Pants worn by samurai

Bokken = a wooden practice sword

Koshiunke - coward

ijiwaru - malicious, spiteful, or bitchy. Take your pick! :3