AN: I'm godawful. I have a ton of other stories I should be working on, and yet I find myself either returning to this or Remnants. Sortiarius is sulking in a corner, because every time I get a paragraph in, I get stuck. Stupid Yahiko.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of interest this little one-shot garnered. I was not expecting it, and had only half-way formulated ideas past that. That said, this probably doesn't go in the direction many of you expect it to, but if you've been following my stuff for any amount of time you should know by now I am really bad about doing things in weird ways. Summary was also updated to better reflect the continuation. You've been warned. :)

Bargains

Chapter 1 – A Date with...

XX

Kenshin Himura awoke to the sensation that things were not as they should be. The room was his, the bed was his, but everything else was horribly off. It was a sensation that should have bothered him deep down to the very core of his being. Repetition had dulled that.

He sighed. This was the third time this week. With much effort did he pull himself up into a seated position, staring down at his clothes. The wrinkled button-down shirt and jeans were not what he wore to bed last night, of course, but he was past the point of being surprised by this fact.

Rubbing his face with his hands, he tried to pull himself into a better state of consciousness. Nights like these always felt as if he never got any sleep at all.

Pushing himself to the edge of his bed, he pulled his shirt off over his head, not even bothering with the buttons. Throwing the fabric on the floor, he slumped his shoulders and lifted his gaze up to the large mirror over his dresser across the room.

His own reflection stared back, pale and with bags under his eyes indicating he looked as awful as he felt. Reddish-brown hair stuck out in odd directions, a testament of his restless night. A few locks curled over his shoulders, and despite the fact he looked like crap otherwise, he could take some pride in that his physique had not much suffered from these last few months of...well, chaos.

The thought made his lips press into a thin line, and like clockwork, the edges of the mirror darkened. Kenshin gritted his teeth, closing his eyes, and when he opened them, two faces were staring back at him.

The second one grinned with all teeth, his hair taking up a large portion of the reflection, moving like tentacles on an octopus. It looked like him, from the angle of his jaw down to the curve of his cheekbones, but with shark's teeth and eyes like embers of a fire. Never mind the otherworldly features... there was simply something just not right with the way his gaze settled on things. On him.

"Have fun?" Kenshin asked wryly, leaning forward and resting his arms on his legs. The creature tilted its head at him, then glanced down at his reflection in the mirror. It pondered the reflection, before reaching out and rearranging a piece of Kenshin's hair. Kenshin could feel the ghostly fingers tug at the strands.

"I always have fun," It replied, patting his reflection on the head. Kenshin pressed his lips into a flat line, tolerating the strange gesture of affection.

"Yes, at my expense." Kenshin sighed. What he would not give to just crawl back into bed and sleep the rest of the day.

"Symbiotic relationship," The apparition replied. "The bargain."

"I'm aware," Kenshin interrupted, not letting the creature continue his thoughts. "You don't need to remind me."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to think about it." He sounded like a man defeated, shoulders slumping. "You are tiring. Literally."

The entity pouted in response, and Kenshin made a face. He did not like to see himself pouting, even if it was not him. It looked ridiculous. "Stop that," He muttered.

It huffed, crossing its arms over its chest. "And to think I went out and did you a favor last night."

Oh no.

Kenshin paused in the middle of running a hand over his face, peeking up at his mirror through his fingers. "Oh dear. What did you do?"

The entity smiled brightly, which made dread churn deep in the redhead's belly. "I got you a date!"

"You did what?"

"A date, a date!" It echoed, utterly delighted with itself and teleported to hang from the reflection of the ceiling. "You need a social life."

"I want no social life you could offer me," Kenshin said through gritted teeth. Just what had this creature done? Summon some other demonic entity to make his life even more of a hell?

"You need it," The entity repeated, somberness coloring its tone. It was enough to make Kenshin pause, glancing back up at the hanging creature in his mirror. It tilted its head to regard him, most of its hair hanging down and swaying back and forth like a pendulum. "It is a return for what I take from you."

"How the hell is a date supposed to be a favor to me? How does it make up for what you do?"

His words were annoyed, almost angry, and Kenshin glared up at the creature that stared back at him quietly. Suddenly, he was pulled toward the mirror by an invisible force, making him crash against the dresser. His hands braced himself against the top of the lacquered wood, and his nose was inches away from the glass. He could see his wide eyed expression, could see the hair holding his reflection to the glass. Hopping down from the ceiling, the creature stepped forward, lowering his face down beside Kenshin's. Glowing gold stared into wide-eyed violet, and Kenshin was close enough to make out details that had not been there before, like how large this thing's mouth actually was, or that the whites of its eyes were, in fact, black.

"Silly human," It rasped, voice dropping the lilt of Kenshin's own voice for a gravelly tone that sounded wrong on his ears. "Do not question me, for I know more than you could ever hope to. You will take this gesture as it is part of our bargain. I do not break deals, especially not one like ours." It reached around, fingers now shaped like claws gently caressing Kenshin's cheek in the mirror. He could feel the sharp prick of the nails and a texture too rough to be human skin brush down his cheek.

The ghastly touch pulled away once it neared his chin, and he was left holding his breath and staring at the thin cut going down the side of his face. Blood fell, drawing down into heavy drops gathering at his chin. He watched as the creature reached out, capturing the drop on a clawed finger, bringing it to its lips. "A present for you. Mind yourself, human." It took on his voice again, and seemed to look less demonic than it had moments before. He felt the hold on him release, and he quickly pushed himself away from the dresser, stumbling back onto his bed.

The creature with his face watched him passively, hair zigzagging and weaving about him in a manner not unlike one of the default screen savers on a computer. Kenshin stared back, chest heaving slightly. It took him a minute or two to finally find his voice. "All right." He cringed at the way his words cracked, but the creature did not seem to care. "What are the details of this... date?"

Immediately, the smile was back on its face like nothing strange had happened, and likely it its mind, nothing strange had happened. It turned around, putting its hands on its hips. "Saturday, six o'clock. You're to pick her up at her house."

There was much about that sentence that seemed to make Kenshin pause, considering the words. "Her...house?"

"Yes, yes," The entity replied, sounding annoyed. "I wanted something less cliché, but since I cannot yet fully manifest, and your body resists my attempts at possession, I have to obey the order of things in this primitive society."

"...You mean she's not..." Kenshin struggled for words, his brain trying to wrap around the idea of this date, and also ignoring the fact that the creature had tried to fully possess him before. He did not really want to be reminded of that right now. "She's not one of your kind?"

It blinked rapidly, taking on a look that Kenshin knew had gotten himself out of trouble a few times—that sort of innocent, dumb look that he sometimes hid behind in emergency situations. On this creature, though, it looked somewhat... strange. "My kind? No, I don't share. You are mine, and none other will partake in what you have for me. She, too... I do not wish to give up very easily. Such a fascinating creature. So surrounded by death energy, and yet... she is still so bright." It plucked at its bottom lip in thought. "So brilliant, too, solving puzzles like that. Shame she is mortal."

Kenshin stared, not quite sure what it was babbling on about. As much as he did not like being claimed by this creature, he really had no say in it right now. But what of this girl he was talking about? What kind of person was surrounded by death energy but still bright? His first thought was a serial killer who enjoyed killing.

Oh, hell. That really was not too far-fetched of an idea for this thing, either. Most serial killers were really smart, right? Kenshin swallowed down his unease, when the sound of footsteps came up from outside of his room. "Master Himura!" The voice accompanied a heavy pounding on the door, and Kenshin sighed. "Yes?"

The door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman in a modern maid's uniform, her hair piled neatly into a bun. She frowned, tapping her wrist. "Your meeting is in two hours, Sir—oh your face!"

Kenshin blinked, realizing he had forgotten the present his cohabitant had gifted him. Reaching up, he touched the sticky cut as she hurried over to him. "What in the world happened?"

"Um," Kenshin struggled to come up with an excuse, before his expression melted into the one the creature had mimicked not five minutes ago. "I fell."

"Oh, good heavens," His house-maid exasperated, moving past him and into his bathroom. He could hear the water running, and his eyes cut over to the mirror. The entity gave him the most innocent look it could muster.

Bastard.

With another sigh, Kenshin stood up and walked after his maid into the bathroom. "Sorry, Naomi..."

The woman made a noise, pressing a wet washcloth to his face. He let her, gaze looking out the window as she cleaned him up. It always did make him feel about half his age when she doted over him, but he had long since learned he could not deter her in the slightest once she set her mind on something. The fact that she was about an inch taller than him certainly did not help. It sucked being short sometimes.

"This really needs more than just a band-aid, Master Himura..." She stopped when Kenshin shrugged.

"As you said, the meeting is in two hours. I'll cover it up and deal with it later. It would do better than to make them wait."

She sighed. "Very well, then, Sir." She proceeded to bustle about his bathroom, knowing where everything was better than he could ever hope to. She rifled through the first aid cabinet, pulling out a large bandage. As she smoothed it onto his face, he lifted his eyes to the mirror and pursed his lips.

The entity waved at him, hair fanning out around him like a peacock. Kenshin otherwise ignored it, as he had learned to do when people were around. They could not see the creature in the reflections, nor could they hear it speak. For the most part, this thing seemed to want it that way. Sometimes, though, it got bored, and Kenshin suffered for it.

Patting his cheek, Naomi stepped back, dusting her hands off on her apron. "Well, then. I shall see to your breakfast while you get ready. I expect you down in the breakfast hall in half an hour, Master Himura."

"Yes ma'am," Kenshin replied back dutifully as she bustled by him on her way out of his room. The entity's eyes followed her movement, tracking it with unhidden amusement.

"You humans..." It murmured as the door clicked shut. Kenshin said nothing, stripping out of the rest of his clothes and tossing them over his arm. Stalking over, he grabbed up his shirt and proceeded to walk back to the bathroom, tossing his clothes in the hamper on his way by.

He made a point of brushing his teeth with his back to the mirror, but the creature was not deterred, instead playing with his reflection's hair. He could feel the tugs from ethereal fingers, but continued to brush with conviction. Finally, it grabbed all of his hair and yanked, sending him off-balance and nearly cracking his head against the sink. Kenshin made a gargled noise around his toothbrush, pulling himself up from the floor and glared at the creature in his mirror. It arched a brow, crossing its arms.

He spat out his toothpaste. "What?"

"We were not done discussing the details of your date," It replied as if it were obvious. "Your servant is quite rude to interrupt."

"You know she can't hear you," Kenshin replied, rinsing out his mouth.

"Excuses." It waved a hand, ignoring his logic and moved on. "I have only bargained for one date. It will be up to you to see to it she wants another. The females of your species are ridiculously fickle, however she seems like your type."

"My type?" Kenshin deadpanned, knowing whatever the creature was thinking, it was likely not a compliment.

It grinned, and there was a glimmer of something dark within its smile. "She willingly bargained with me. Just like you."

Kenshin froze, one hand on the door to his shower. True, he had bargained with this creature, and now was in the position he was in, but the alternative have been quite grim. What could this woman have wanted in exchange for a date at this creature's whim? What was so important that she would dare deal with this entity? Although he did not voice the thought, it heard it anyway, eyes crinkling at the corners as its smile widened.

"A bone."

What the hell?

Not even able to dignify that with a response, Kenshin stepped into his shower, angrily shutting the door behind him. Laughter echoed in the bathroom that only he could hear.

XX

AN: OK, now that you're all probably going 'what the hell'... are you still with me is the question. The ideas I had for this thing kinda throws everything up in the air, but hopefully I haven't scared you off. I'm sorry the creature/Death is not actually Kenshin, but I had the idea sitting in my head since I wrote up the prologue/one-shot. I also apologize for the length, for it is quite short.

Still interested in your thoughts, likes and dislikes, as always.

-Rainfelt