Good gods – has it really been that long? Be happy you guys haven't been living my life. It's been pretty much hell since February. Yay for almost dying! Alas, let us get on with it

Warning: This story is yaoi, meaning it contains relationships between two dudes. Don't like it? Don't read.

Notes: I always know I've been bad when I get those e-mails that beg me to update. I'm sorry. I really am. I'm a jerk. But it's okay now. Here's chapter five.

Chapter Five

Reflecting

"We didn't do anything, Hiru! I swear!"

"I don't believe you! You're not old enough to even be skirting the edges of sexual exploration!"

"Oh for the love of- I'm TWENTY-SIX!" Bobby hated it when people thought he was under twenty.

Hiru stopped his torture of Chou and looked up at Bobby. His mind processed the words slowly as he did the math and soon realization kicked in.

"Oh my god… you are! You're twenty-six!"

Bobby whined, "Yes! You're such a bully."

Chou was face down on the carpet, one arm firmly twisted behind his back and forced upward. He decided it hurt quite badly but attempted to hide the true degree of his discomfort.

Hiru twisted Chou's wrist, making him squirm and yelp, "Then what were you doing?"

Promptly, Bobby held up a small bottle, "Massage therapy and then he was showing me his photography while we were having good conversation. And just so you know, you're undoing everything I've done today to get him to relax."

Several lengthy moments of silence passed.

"Oh…"

Bobby put palm to face and shook his head.

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"Why did you decide to run this museum?" Kenshin rolled over on the bed, looking up at Sanosuke who was playing with the deck of cards from earlier. Sanosuke hummed as he gathered his thoughts, shuffling the deck almost hypnotically. Kenshin felt spoiled; not only was Sanosuke allowing him free reign of the bed it was also far more comfortable than his twin bed back home.

"To tell you the truth, it was in my family." Sanosuke smoothed the cards out to form a line and gestured for Kenshin to proceed.

Kenshin considered for a moment before he pushed a random card from the herd. The card he had selected was held up, revealing the King of clubs to Kenshin. It disappeared and was shuffled into the deck.

"This museum belonged to a relative of mine. Originally it was small, no bigger than a one story house, but as you can tell it has expanded."

Kenshin's curiosity rose, "What happened?"

"My relative was also my guardian. I lived with him but he passed away over ten years ago. Instead of being put up for adoption to some random family or foster care, an aunt and uncle of mine decided to take me in. I didn't stay for long and went to college for two years after graduating less-than-elegantly from high school. After that I came here and started the place up again. I'm no genius, but I had friends with talent."

"Like Katsu?"

"Yeah, especially Katsu. Without him I don't think this museum would have happened. He's an amazing artist and I had several of his pieces displayed for the Sagara Museum's premier showing. It made him quite a bit of money."

"So he's a popular artist?"

"Fairly, yes. He's had many commission works since then but he's picky and only takes on the ones that interest him."

Kenshin felt a small pang of honor in his chest, and decided it best to change the subject, lest he let information slip about his portrait, "What about the museum itself? How did it become so large?"

"Now there's an interesting story. You notice all the rooms in here? They were originally part of a small hotel that was next to this museum. To save on construction I decided it best to combine the two buildings so I bought the hotel. Also, since this museum is partly government funded half the cost for reconstruction was free for my wallet. Mind you, I'm still paying off loans." Sanosuke finally stopped shuffling and presented the deck to his guest.

Smiling, Kenshin took the top card and held it up, "King of clubs. Bingo. Where did you learn these tricks?"

"Believe it or not, Jake taught me. He had a job in a casino years ago and used to work tables and doubled as a magician. They were damn good paying jobs from the sounds of it."

Kenshin smiled, "And you hired him?"

"Yup. He's expert material as far as I'm concerned. He went to college to learn to be a chef. I happened upon him completely by chance in a subway one day and we got to talking. He told me his real passion was cooking and catering. You can imagine where the conversation went from there."

"What about the others? Bobby, Hiru, Kel, and of course Saitou – how'd you gather them?"

Sanosuke snorted, "Saitou. That was a package deal there so I didn't have much choice. Katsu has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I didn't even have to ask for his help. He simply decided he wanted to be a part of this. Saitou just tagged along and now takes whatever job that presents itself. He is, I'll have to mention, a reserve police officer. As for Bobby - he came to me. I didn't need any help at the time but I couldn't turn him away. His experience was remarkable and he is, despite his age and playfulness, the best care-taker I've ever had."

"And Hiru? He's quite the character."

Sanosuke chuckled, "He's moody, if that's what you mean, but we like him. I needed someone who could get a job done at any cost and he was the one. Bobby recommended him, saying his lazy cousin could use a job. So, three weeks after that conversation I had Hiru on the team. Hiru also takes care of any trouble-makers. He's an expert at cowing people, though Saitou seems to be immune."

Kenshin smiled, genuinely amused, "I find it amazing how different they all are."

"You've missed all the arguments that have broken out between Hiru, Kel, and Saitou. Sometimes, even Katsu gets involve. I haven't told them, but Bobby, Jake and I find it better than a movie."

"Kel argues, too?"

"Yeah, and he's feisty if someone gets him going." Kenshin thought back to the man he'd watched earlier who was groaning in misery and cowering behind him during the shelving incident.

"What's his story?"

"Kel? Well, he was completely home-taught. He never went to college and learned everything he knows from his grandmother. He's the guy in charge of the kitchen because his grandmother was a master chef and though Jake is also a master, Kel can still out-cook him. He just has some issues with stress, but he still gets the job done."

Kenshin smiled, "I'm jealous."

"What?" Sanosuke returned the smile, though unsure what the model was talking about.

"It's like you have a family here. My job is completely the opposite. Several of my peers and I feel like nothing more than objects. We're not respected in the same manner as others in the industry. It's very disheartening."

"That must drag."

"You have no idea."

"Well then, Kenshin, feel free to visit any time. Your admission is free so welcome to the family."

"I haven't even known you for a week and I'm already part of the family?"

"Yeah. The boys like you. If they didn't I would have heard half a million complaints already. They also think the fact you're a model is the most amazing thing since sliced bread."

"Oh," Kenshin's eyes drifted, "well, from the looks of it I'm probably fired after my contract is up. My boss was pretty steamed when I called him."

"Ouch. That's my fault."

"Please, don't stress over it. I wasn't happy with the job anyway. As far as I'm concerned you saved me from another who-knows-how-many years of job dissatisfaction."

"Still, considering the circumstances, don't be shy around here. If you need something, any one of us would be glad to help. Saitou and Hiru may be a bit rough on the outside but in truth they're big softies."

"I'll remember that." Kenshin rolled back onto his stomach.

"And what are your plans now, Kenshin?"

"Now? Well… All I'm focused on at the moment is calling my photographer. He's about the only one I work with that I can trust. I can just imagine the look in his eyes when he sees me." Kenshin laughed softly.

"Oh?"

"He's like an older brother to me. You might have heard of him. His name's Aoshi Shinomori."

Sanosuke's eyes brightened, "Aoshi! I know Aoshi!"

Kenshin reeled a bit, "Really?"

"Yeah! We attended the same high school. Ha! Stone-faced Shinomori. We used to argue all the time, saying we'd outdo the other in our respective careers. Now he's known throughout the modeling world as having the best team of models and pictures to prove it. No wonder. It's quite an interesting coincidence that he's your photographer."

"That's not just interesting – that's hilarious! I can't believe he was just as cold-faced in high school as he is now!" Kenshin sat up, flooded with life and energy.

Sanosuke laughed at the display, "He's been like that ever since I met him. We fought often but it was all in good fun, really. We worked together on group projects for class all the time, but that was due to our teacher always putting us together. She said it would teach us valuable lessons since we had different work ethics."

"Oh, hell – she probably did it just to amuse herself!" Kenshin began shuffling the abandoned cards, "Watching Aoshi banter was probably the only way anyone ever saw him with emotion in his eyes."

"That was over half the student bodies' theory."

"Now I'm really jealous. Aoshi never banters with anyone at work. That's something I would love to see."

"Maybe we should get together some time. I'd like to see stone-face again. Maybe have a nice bout of bantering for old times' sake."

Kenshin smiled a sly and mischievous smile that told Sanosuke there was more to the man than what sat on the surface, "I can arrange that."

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The blaring of a telephone shattered his sleep in a matter of moments. Despite the rude awakening, he attempted to ignore it. Sadly, after the fourth ring began he realized his efforts were in vain and he snatched the annoying device off its charger. He clicked a button after clearing his throat, eyes a bit blurry and mind still groggy, and put the device to his ear.

"Aoshi Shinomori." The voice that responded to his greeting moved his mind into full alertness.

Regardless of his surprise and joy at hearing his voice, Aoshi's tone was as bland as always, "Himura, where are you?"

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Kenshin was a little upset at Aoshi's lack of enthusiasm, but not surprised. He supposed the fact Aoshi cut to the chase as quickly as he did was a good sign, though.

"Mh-hmm. I know… Yes."

Sanosuke laughed silently when Kenshin sighed.

"Yes, dear." The conversation continued, Sanosuke noticing Kenshin didn't mention him.

All the better. It will make for an interesting surprise.

Kenshin, turning the phone off, bit his lower lip and smiled, "Three days. That's when he'll be here."

"Oh?"

"He's in Tokyo now and won't be home for another two days. When he gets back he's flying to Albany and driving here."

"That sounds spendy."

"The company covers all travel charges for us."

"Lucky."

Kenshin stopped to ponder the word 'lucky'. Person after person he met seemed to be jealous of his job, whereas he would gladly give up all his benefits in exchange for an occupation that would make him happy. He absently rubbed his ankle, finding the pain had dulled significantly and he was walking much easier.

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Jake groaned as he struggled with the covers of his bed. He was not necessarily drunk, but he was more buzzed than he had ever been before. Hiru bringing him one beer after another had not been a good idea. He had made his way to one of the rooms and promptly tripped over the threshold of the door. After he managed to drag himself to his feet he showered and pulled on a clean pair of boxers and plopped onto the bed. He fought a tiresome battle with the covers until he was finally resting on his back beneath the comforter. He heaved a sigh, head tingling, and relaxed into the sinfully comfortable mattress.

Then the door opened, letting a piercing ray of light spill into the room. He squinted and shielded his eyes, looking toward the entrance to see his guest.

"Hiru?"

"I finished with Chou."

"O…kay?"

"Don't give me that – you know why I'm here. I won the round so I'm not letting you escape without giving me my request."

"Tonight?"

"Not just tonight – right now." Hiru threw the door back and let it slam shut, coating the room in darkness. Jake bit back a groan of misery at being disturbed as he felt the covers drawn away. He was surprised when Hiru straddled him.

"You're not seriously going to do what you told me earlier, are you?"

"Nonsense – that was for shock value only."

"Oh thank god."

Hiru began unbuttoning Jake's shirt, "I'm not going to screw you senseless… you're going to screw me senseless."

"Huh?"

"Mmm-hmmm." Hiru pushed the shirt open and began rubbing Jake's chest, "You're damned good looking for a man your age, and in amazing shape. You do martial arts, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ever had sex with a man before?"

"Er… what does martial arts have to do with…"

"Just answer the question." Hiru moved on, down to Jake's belt.

"A couple times..."

"Good, then I don't have to guide this excursion. Now let's…" Hiru froze and began listening. Jake's ears zeroed in on what he was listening to. The sound grew louder, more pronounced, and a rhythm had already formed.

Despite the darkness, Jake could see the evil grin on Hiru's face.

"I don't know about you, Jake, but Katsu has a very sexy voice when Saitou is pounding him." They could clearly hear the headboard slamming against the wall now, and Katsu's moans and begging were all too enticing.

"Hopefully all that beer doesn't cause you not to perform, because those noises he's making are turning me on."

"I'm fine in the performance area, thank you." Jake mentally cursed himself for admitting to that – now he didn't have a good excuse to refuse.

"Good, because I've been wondering what you're like."

"Hiru, you can't be serious about doing this."

"Oh, I am. I'm so serious about it, I even got condoms and lubricant from Katsu earlier."

"Condoms? As in… more than one?"

"You didn't think you'd be getting away with just one go, did you? If necessary we can rest after the first round and then start round two in the morning."

Jake propped himself up on his elbows, "Why me?"

"Why not? You're fun, you're sexy, you're a nice guy, and you're a teddy bear that needs to be cuddled."

Chou began yelling from another room for Katsu and Saitou to shut up. This naturally interrupted Hiru – and his temper flared.

"CHOU, SHUT THE HELL UP I'M TRYING TO GET LAID HERE!"

Jake cringed against the volume but it ended soon enough and he opened his eyes at the feel of hands against his face. Hiru was staring at him with a new smile – one of fondness. There was just enough light outlining the young man's face that Jake could see the contours of his features.

"You really sure about this?"

"Never been so sure in my life." Hiru leaned down and kissed Jake. It was firm and heated in an inviting way, but still sudden and jarring. Jake felt a little awkward at first, but when his hands came up to support the body against his and he found warm skin where Hiru's shirt lifted the tone began to change. Hiru became an instant addiction, sharing dominance in their kiss, and encouraging him to explore.

Pulling back long enough to remove his shirt and repress their chests together, Hiru's voice was slightly breathy as he asked, "Still wanting to stop? I'm not going to force you, after all."

Jake swallowed and drew a breath, "How do you want it?"

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"Go, go, go." Katsu shoved Chou forward, his voice hushed but urgent. Kenshin hung back, waiting until he was needed. Chou swatted the air in front of Katsu as though to fend off further shoving and headed into the darkness of the living room. He looked around, careful to avoid stepping beneath beams of moonlight filtering through the windows. He shuffled around checking on and under chairs, couches, and tables, behind pillows, and even searched the drapery. Nothing.

Katsu rolled his eyes and motioned for Kenshin to move in. Kenshin did so, swift and silent. Chou stood to the side, hands on his hips as he continued to scan for the object of their search. It was a couple minutes into the hunt of the living room with Kenshin checking under couch cushions when a roar sounded and Katsu loosed a loud scream followed by a whooping laugh. The noise froze Kenshin for a moment; perhaps it sounded louder due to the complete silence the room had previously been blanketed in. He spun into cover behind the arm of the couch and out of sight.

"HO-ly Shee-ight!" Chou staggered back.

The roar sounded again and was followed by Katsu yelping as he was thrown onto the couch Kenshin was hiding behind. It was now obvious to Kenshin that Saitou had found them. Chou yelled as Saitou grabbed him and pinned him on the glass coffee table with a painful sounding thud. Katsu was off the couch as soon as he was on it, tackling Saitou from behind but easily being scooped up and thrown back onto the cushions. Saitou pounced on him.

Chou groaned, cheek plastered to the glass table. He didn't feel like moving anymore.

Katsu was giggling uncontrollably.

"Where's your third little ninja?"

"K-K-K-K-Kensh-sh-shin?" The giggle-speak brought a wide grin to Saitou's face.

"That would be the one."

"H-h-h-he-he-he's…"

"He's?"

Katsu took a breath, tossed his head back and yelled, "KENSHIN! DON'T COME NEAR THE LIVING ROOM! SAITOU-" Katsu's voice pattered off into a muffled giggle, Saitou's hand covering his mouth. Kenshin remained completely still.

"Guess I'll have to keep your mouth under control until my teammate locates K-K-K-Kensh-sh-shin." Katsu snorted behind the palm. Saitou was teasing him about his giggle-speak.

Kenshin decided to quietly make his leave when he felt Katsu had Saitou thoroughly distracted. He headed through the hallway leading to the back bedrooms – a place they had not explored yet. There were several bathrooms he checked along the way but failed to find what he was searching for. He found the end of the hallway and turned into a new room he had been unaware of. There was a balcony attached to the room and on that balcony stood a single chair. Alone on that chair was the television remote he was looking for.

Knowing Sanosuke was still prowling, waiting to tag him out, Kenshin approached cautiously. He was surprised to find his heart hammering in his chest and his arm hairs standing on end. Intuition was telling him he was being watched. Despite the alarms blaring, he stepped beyond the open balcony doors. A slight breeze ruffled his hair as he approached the chair.

"Boo!"

Kenshin's entire body jumped, his heart leaping with a single beat. He crouched and began to dart away but an arm shot out and he was grabbed around the waist and twirled in circles until his back thumped against a broad chest.

A soft laugh came from above him, "There's not much to you is there?" To emphasize the point, two long arms wrapped around Kenshin's tiny frame. It made him feel even smaller than he usually did, but at the same time he discovered it didn't bother him.

Kenshin found he was smiling, "I couldn't even hear you."

"Did I mention my guardian was a martial artist? He taught me the art of shut-your-yammering-mouth-or-you'll-be-found."

Kenshin emitted what Sanosuke could only identify as a scoffing giggle, "You're funny."

"You're short."

Kenshin's head thunked against Sanosuke's chest as he tipped his head back, "True, but I have this." He held up the remote. Sanosuke stared for a moment but in the next instant his face broke into a broad grin.

"You're swift. I didn't even see you take it."

"I snatched it while I was trying to avoid being caught. When I ducked it was to retrieve this."

"Clever. Well, since I found it before you but I didn't tag you out in time that means we're tied. Guess we'll have to break it somehow."

"Any ideas?"

"Hmmm… arm wrestle you for it?"

Kenshin couldn't help it; he shook his head while laughing, "That is a completely unfair setup… you'd never stand a chance!"

Sanosuke emitted an amused noise, pulling Kenshin closer and shaking him, "I know – you're way out of my league. You're just rippling with muscles under there, aren't you?"

"Bowflex body!"

That one roused another chuckle from Sanosuke, and he hunched further over Kenshin, his cheek against that fiery red hair, "Alright, you win; we'll watch your team's movie. Now come on." Sanosuke hefted Kenshin into his arms, earning a startled yelp.

"Don't drop me!" Kenshin had meant it as a joke, but he was surprised when he heard the sincere, gentle tone of Sanosuke's reply.

"Never."

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11.17.2014

Please point out any mistakes you may find. Reviews are always appreciated. Really they are. They make my day. Honest and true. In fact, I'll give you a smile in exchange for a review (because that's all I can afford).

: )

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