Disclaimer: *singing painfully out of tune* Do a little dance! Make a little love! Get down tonight!… What?
Notes: Wellllll, some serious issues with this chapter. I'm still poking at it, so please forgive this one. A lot of comments will not makes sense. Some things will seem rather serious, but it is better to let them drift off into the haze with other things marked as unimportant. If I want it to be serious, trust me, you will know. (That is, it will be mentioned/addressed in later chapters.)
Warnings: A multitude of names from other anime. Slight shonen ai. Drugs. A little alcohol. Drugs. Yeah.
Life's a Dance
The chauffeur dropped them off in front of a house a few blocks away from the school. Cars lined the street and driveway, the lights shining in the windows and faint pounding of a heavy bass indicating that the party was still on.
"Who's house is this?" Aoshi asked cautiously, even as Misao dragged him up the front walk.
"It's Tasuki's place!" Misao replied brightly(4). "He told us we could come, remember?"
"Told Sanosuke, he could come, if I recall correctly," Aoshi sighed.
The front door flew open, startling them with the sudden banging of music that flooded into the yard. A tall boy with short, flaming orange hair stood in the entrance, a sarcastic smirk on his face.
"It's about time you got here!" he laughed, showing off a set of fangs that seemed too sharp to be natural. "Sano! My pal! What took you so long?"
Sano grinned and met the boy halfway in a brief, friendly hug.
"Long time no see, Tasuki!" he shot back. "You know my friends."
"Right," Tasuki ran a critical eye over the group. "The beautiful girls over there would be Kaoru, Misao, and Sae. The jackass with Misao is Aoshi, and everyone in Central knows who Kenshin is. I'll still never forget the way you flipped that teacher. Got me out of three days of history!"
"Uh..." Kenshin stammered unprofitably.
"Are you guys gonna stand in the yard all night or are you here to stay?" Tasuki laughed, stepping out of the way for them to enter. "You'll know most of the people here. The party spread from the living room to the kitchen and TV room. No touching the equipment. Pop will have my head."
"Tasuki! We have more people?" a pretty girl in casual jeans and a baggy tee shirt appeared next to the fanged boy. She was much shorter than Tasuki, but not so short as Kenshin or Kaoru. Her violet eyes lit up at the sight of familiar people, and she flipped her thick, purple braid over her shoulder. "Kenshin! It looks like you found a date after all! And Sano! Dating your cousin again? For shame."
"You dying your hair again, Nuriko?" Sano snorted at the deep purple of Nuriko's hair.
They laughed good-naturedly and moved into the next room, greeting people and getting drawn into conversations as they went. By midnight, the music had been turned down, and people were starting to drift out. Kenshin watched Nuriko leave with a tall, handsome boy with long brown hair and pretty golden-brown eyes(5).
On the sofa, Kenshin sat next to Sano, who was busy flirting with a girl he did not recognize. All he knew was that the boy across the room wearing sunglasses was looking in their direction with an unhappy expression on his face. Kenshin recognized a jealous boyfriend when he saw one, and he suspected this gray-eyed girl with the short blond hair was just toying with his friend.
"Sano," Kenshin interrupted Sano's flirt session, much to the tall boy's annoyance. "I think I'm going to head out."
"By yourself?" Sano turned away from the girl abruptly, forgetting her entirely.
"Kaoru's house in on the way," Kenshin gestured to the girl who had fallen asleep in an armchair in the corner. "She'll walk with me."
"I'll come with--" Sano seemed overly worried, in Kenshin's opinion.
"Don't be silly," Kenshin rebuked. "You can't drag Sae away. She's having fun." The girl was on the short sofa next to a tall, slender boy with hair as startlingly long and red as Kenshin's--if not more so--smiling and laughing with him. Kenshin had spoken with the boy earlier--Shuuichi was his name--and he found the boy to be sarcastic but pleasant(6). "Maybe she'll get a date out of tonight. And you have to find someone who isn't already tied down." He motioned to the gray-eyed girl, now kissing the boy with the sunglasses.
"Damn," Sano groaned. "Yui had some potential, too!"(7)
Kenshin just smiled and slipped away while his friend was distracted. He nudged Kaoru awake and led her out of the house and into the quiet streets. She leaned against him tiredly as they walked down the sidewalk toward her house. Kenshin sighed as he caught faint traces of alcohol on her breath.
"I think you got some of that punch after Chou spiked it," he observed.
"Hummmmmm," was the only response he got from the girl. Kaoru just snuggled her head into the curve of his neck. Under normal circumstances, he thought it would be very uncomfortable, what with how she was almost the same height as he. But he was carrying a great deal of her weight, Kaoru slumping against him in exhaustion.
"Kaoru, can't you walk on your own a bit?" Kenshin asked finally.
"Mm-mm." It sounded like a negative. Sort of. Kenshin sighed again and continued to prod her forward. In the end, he just carried her. Kaoru seemed perfectly content riding piggyback, snoring into his neck. Smiling with mixed fondness and frustration, Kenshin made his way down the street where Kaoru lived. When they arrived, he woke her again, and they said good night.
"I'm glad you came tonight, Kenshin," Kaoru said before they parted for the night.
Kenshin smiled and nodded.
"So am I," he agreed. She closed the door in his face. "Eh?"
Kenshin blinked at the door, inches away from his nose. He shrugged and walked back down the steps. The trip to his house was not a long one. It would take him fifteen minutes at a steady pace. However, after a day filled with noise and the presence of his friends, the silence of the night felt hollow and lonely. He considered running the rest of the way home, but even a light jog would be awkward in the hard-soled dress shoes he wore, not to mention he did not need to risk tearing his rental tux. The cost of having one altered to his needs was enough.
So, Kenshin slipped into an easy stride, his short legs covering less ground than he would have preferred, but he was not slow. The glowing dial of his watch told him it was yet only twelve-thirty. The curfew Hiko had set was one, giving him more than enough time to reach home. The sky was clear, stars sparkling in the moonless night. Kenshin decided to take his time.
The bench near the bus stop was set just under the decorative street lamp. Kenshin sat down, slouching until his head could rest comfortably on the back rest. The street lamp was a bit annoying, the light it shed making it difficult to make out the stars. He closed his eyes and prayed that no police were patrolling the area. Under eighteen, he would be driven home in a squad car. That might not go over well with Hiko.
Headlights illuminated the sidewalk, and he opened his eyes, lifting his head to watch the car drive past. He groaned softly as the car slowed and pulled toward the curb. Standing, Kenshin waited for the vehicle to stop, wondering when he did not see the lights usually mounted atop the squad car. Perhaps an unmarked vehicle? What a way to scare the heck out of a kid walking alone in the dark.
"Hey there, Red," the soft voice had Kenshin's eyes wide with shock. "It's a little late to be walking the abandoned streets, isn't it? Who knows when some weirdo will pull over to harass you."
Heart pounding from the surprise, Kenshin chuckled a bit breathlessly, and two quick steps had him by the passenger side window. The window was rolled down all the way, and he braced his hands on the door, leaning down to look into the car.
"Aoshi said you had to work tonight," Kenshin murmured.
"And I did," came the smart reply. "Until nine-thirty. Then I just sat on the couch, feeling sorry for myself."
"And how'd you know I'd be out here now?" Kenshin asked, a knowing quirk to his smile.
"Good luck?"
"Good luck had you driving through a residential area at twelve-thirty at night?" Kenshin teased.
"All right, so Misao called me," Okita's white teeth shone in the shadows of his face. "I was waiting outside your place for awhile. When you didn't show, I got worried and headed out to find you. Lo and behold, here you are! Napping on the bench. That's not allowed, you know. Loitering and all that."
"I only just sat down," Kenshin grinned. "I had to carry Kaoru most of the way back. She was drunk and dead tired."
"Someone gave her liquor?"
"Chou spiked the punch," Kenshin replied distractedly, glancing down at his watch. Twelve-forty-three. Still plenty of time, and Okita would give him a ride, which would be faster. "What are you doing out here?"
"That depends," Okita punched a button on his door, and Kenshin heard the ka-chunk of the doors unlocking. Taking the invitation, he opened the door and climbed in.
"On what?" he wondered as he dragged the seatbelt over his chest.
"On whether or not you feel up to staying up a little longer."
"I have to be home by one."
"I already cleared it with Hiko," Okita put the car into gear and glanced at Kenshin, expecting. "It's up to you. If you're too tired, I'll just drive you home now."
Kenshin smiled.
"Where are we going?"
Okita replied with a broad grin and a soft revving of the engine.
^_^
Through some creative maneuvering, Kenshin managed to change out of his tux and into a pair of clothes Okita had brought for him. As the boy had not wanted to bother Hiko, he had brought some of his own clothes. Fortunately, the two were close to the same height. The jeans were almost perfect, if a little tighter than what Kenshin usually wore, and the tee shirt was just huge anyway. Kenshin tossed his dress shoes onto the floor behind his seat and doubled over to adjust the straps of the sandals on his feet.
"What is it that you're showering all over my car?" Okita wondered as he watched Kenshin out of the corner of his eye. "If I didn't know better, I would say you had a nasty case of dandruff."
"That's disgusting," Kenshin shook his head and watched the little mist he created. "Oh. That's glitter."
"Glitter?" Okita asked curiously.
"Two hours into the night, all the glitter on Tae's dress was mysteriously transferred from the dress to me," Kenshin sat up and tugged at the short sleeves of the tee shirt. Not so short, they hung to below his elbows. "At least, that's what it seems."
"That would explain the strange flashes of light I see whenever you move," Okita snickered. "Open the glove compartment, would you?"
"What am I looking for?" Kenshin replied, fumbling in the dark for the latch in front of him. The door dropped open quite suddenly, dumping half the contents of the glove compartment onto his lap. "Uh... Okita?"
"My wallet should be in that heap on your lap," Okita giggled quietly. "Everything else can go back where it came from."
"How did you stuff all of this in there?" Kenshin complained, trying to shove the papers and miscellaneous junk back into the small compartment. He paused, staring at a small package held delicately between his fingers. The silence dragged on, and Okita glanced at him, wondering at Kenshin's sudden stillness. Finally, Kenshin spoke cautiously. "Okita, are you always in the habit of keeping condoms in your car?"
Okita praised the night for the dark that hid his very sudden, mortified blush. He pasted on a goofy smile, even as he knew that Kenshin would not be fooled for an instant.
"Hoping to get lucky?" he fired back boldly. He hoped Kenshin was blushing too.
"Not while I'm here, you're not," Kenshin tossed the little packet over his shoulder, and Okita groaned as he heard it land, somewhere in the labyrinth of books, papers, and clothes in the back seat.
"I'm going to have to find that before anyone else sees it," Okita whined.
"Embarrassed, Okita?" Kenshin replied coolly.
"Of course I'm embarrassed!" the dark-haired boy shouted, then quickly lowered his voice. "Mom's boyfriend caught me trying to leave tonight. He thought I was going to pick up a girl and made me sit through a really short talk about safe sex and gave me that."
"How thoughtful of him."
"He's an
ass," Okita replied bluntly. "Izuka fights with Mom all the time, then tries to
be my buddy just to spite her."
"Sounds like a real winner,"
Kenshin muttered, then glanced around at their surroundings. "Okita, tell me
we're just driving through this area."
"Actually, we're driving through most of it," Okita turned down a street. The corner light was broken, leaving the street plunged into near perfect darkness.
"I've been to places like this," Kenshin grumbled. "It's a perfect opportunity to get mugged."
"They know my car," Okita said easily, maneuvering the compact vehicle around another curve and into an alley. "They wouldn't dare."
"You have a lot of weight to throw around in these parts?" Kenshin sank a bit lower into his seat, suddenly wondering if he should have taken Okita up on the offer to go home.
"A bit."
"Okita..."
"Lighten up, Himura," Okita chuckled. "I promise I'm not taking you anyplace bad."
"Bad by what definition?" Kenshin's voice had gone painfully cold.
"No drugs, alcohol, weapons, or anything else illegal," Okita said semi-confidently. He was wary of Kenshin's sudden hostility. "Relax, okay? Nothing here is going to hurt you."
Kenshin stared out the side window without expression, not responding to Okita's assurances. Crouched low in his seat, Kenshin looked less like a frightened boy than a dangerous predator, waiting to pounce. He was still, but for the slight movements of the car, so that if he was not looking at him, Okita might have forgotten there was someone else in the vehicle.
Okita nearly missed his turn in the dark. He jerked the wheel to the side, leaning against the sudden shift. Beside him, Kenshin gripped the door handle tightly, as if preparing to throw himself from the car. The doors were locked, but it was not difficult for a passenger to unlock them.
He stopped, put the car into park, and doused his headlights. Glancing at Kenshin, he decided to back off a bit.
"Got my wallet?" he asked quietly.
"Yes." Spoken whisper soft.
"A bit of a warning before we go inside," Okita removed his seat belt and cautiously nudged at Kenshin to get the boy to do the same. "The man inside is a bit... eccentric."
Kenshin climbed out of the car and slammed the door without responding to Okita's forewarning. A bit concerned, Okita scrambled out into the night, checking to be sure he had his keys before he locked up the car. He looked up to see Kenshin a few steps away from the car, hands clenched by his sides as his eyes probed the darkness at the end of the driveway.
"Let's go," Okita suggested mildly, motioning toward the house. A bug zapper buzzed over the front door, illuminating the step in dim fluorescent light.
"Are you afraid?" Kenshin asked quietly.
"Just cautious," Okita returned, gripping his friend's arm to pull him to the house. Kenshin stayed him with a delicate-looking hand lifted before his face.
"One thing," still, Kenshin stared out at the alley. "Before we go inside."
"What's that?" Okita was getting impatient.
"What have you not told me?" Kenshin fixed a dark look on his friend.
Okita blinked, visibly startled. Kenshin's gaze just hardened, unrelenting. The dark-haired boy sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"I was in a gang for awhile," he admitted. "It's how I met Sano--through him, everyone else."
"I knew Sano was in a gang," Kenshin agreed. "But he left."
"I left," Okita said defensively.
"Yet you still keep in contact with some of your old friends?" Kenshin challenged.
"Let's get inside, Himura," Okita murmured anxiously.
"Are you worried about them?" Kenshin gestured broadly toward the darkness beyond the driveway.
"What?" Okita asked blankly. Kenshin sighed in frustration and pointed.
"By the tree," he said calmly, then moved his hand to point some distance to the side. "By the car across the street." His hand moved again. "Two under the awning over there, and another just standing in that shadow at the end of the driveway. They're not very well hidden."
"Most people wouldn't see them," Okita's fingers dug into Kenshin's biceps in warning. "Kenshin. The house."
This time, Kenshin went easily, following Okita to the front step. The other boy did not wait for anyone to answer the door. He just rapped three times on the door and pushed it open, pulling Kenshin inside and shutting the door behind them. He leaned against the door, obviously relieved to be inside. Glancing over his shoulder, he pinned a halfhearted glare on Kenshin.
"Do you know what they would have done if you weren't with me?" he snapped.
"Something stupid, no doubt," Kenshin smiled a bit coldly. "I don't appreciate it when you lie to me, Okita."
"I promise never to do it again!" Okita threw his hands up in exasperation. "You're impossible! Geez, you're touchy tonight. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Kenshin frowned, lower lip pushing out slightly to give the appearance of pouting.
"Oh, don't be mad," Okita shoved away from the door and slung his arm over Kenshin's shoulders. "I'm sorry I scared you. You okay?"
Kenshin opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again, head turning to stare to the side. Okita looked up, following the redhead's gaze. He smirked.
Leaning against the door frame, smiling a broad, self-satisfied grin, was a tall man of about twenty-two. He obviously worked out, well-muscled shoulders and arms displayed against a fitted black tank top. His blue jeans were frayed and torn, and he wore no shoes or socks. He had a towel thrown over his head, and it was obvious that he had just emerged from the shower. Perhaps the most startling thing about the man, though, was the thick, wild white hair on his head.
"Himura," Okita gestured to the man. "Meet Enishi."
^_^
Enishi worked in sales. That was all he would say about his job. When Kenshin cautiously asked what kind of sales, the man just smiled and offered him a beer. Okita accepted the offer of a soda, sprawling back on a couch so old that the springs did nothing to keep him from sinking several inches into the soft cushions. Kenshin sat beside him, hands clasped tightly between his knees. He declined all offers of food or drink.
Enishi walked around the room--the game room, he called it--and flipped a switch on the wall. A neon, red light that read 'Ladies' in joined, curving letters lit up on the wall. One could only imagine what the entire sign had once been. Kenshin wondered where Enishi had managed to procure such an odd item but kept his mouth shut.
Under the neon sign was a bar. Enishi reached into a small refrigerated cupboard under the counter and pulled out a beer bottle and tossed a can of Coca Cola across the room. Okita deftly caught the can and set it on the table beside him. Throwing back a swallow of his drink, Enishi walked to the middle of the room, reached up, and caught hold of a small, dangling chain. He tugged on it, and a shaded lamp filled the room with a soft, orange-yellow glow. One more lamp, hanging from the ceiling beside the first, and they could easily see the pool table beneath them.
"You up for a match?" Enishi asked in smooth, lightly accented English. Kenshin sought to place the accent, then let it fade to a question in the back of his mind to be brought up at a later time.
"Always," Okita grinned and heaved himself up from the sofa.
"What about your friend?" Enishi reached for another cue after having give one to Okita.
"What do you say, Himura?" Okita grinned in challenge. "Think you can take us?"
Still a bit uncomfortable with the new company, Kenshin was slow to respond. He nodded and smiled faintly.
"Sure," he murmured, rising just as slowly. Enishi's grin was almost malevolent as he tossed the spare cue to Kenshin. The petite redhead plucked the stick right out of the air, letting the end drop to the floor while he twirled it lightly on its tip. "Who'll break?"
"You think you can, boy?" Enishi leaned on his cue, smiling broadly.
Arching an eyebrow at the challenge, Kenshin shrugged and gestured to the pool table. Laughing outright, Enishi set up the game, put the white cue ball on the table, and stepped back. Kenshin stepped right up to the table. Leaning forward, he set up and expertly struck the cue ball. He sunk two stripes on the break, one in either corner pocket. Okita whistled softly.
"Never knew you could play pool, Himura," he murmured.
"Hiko used to take me to the bars with him," Kenshin murmured, lining up for his next shot. The sharp crack of the billiard balls striking each other covered Enishi's soft snickering, and Kenshin straightened to watch another stripe plunk down into a side pocket. He smiled lightly. "There is not much for a minor to do in those places, so I tried my hand at pool. The men who taught me told me I was a real natural." Kenshin aimed, struck the cue ball, and missed. He stood back, reexamined his shot, and shrugged. "That was years ago."
"Don't let him fool you, Enishi," Okita picked up his soda and opened it, setting it on the bar when he was done. He turned to face the pool table again, watching as Enishi lined up a shot on a solid. "He could probably send you into a coma with his cue just as easily as he could sink the eight ball."
A solid dropped into a corner pocket, and Enishi stepped back for Okita to take his turn. He smirked at Kenshin, who just stared back with his best artless gaze.
"Know how to handle yourself, do you?" Enishi chuckled. "Just like you saw my boys outside?"
"Your boys?" Kenshin echoed blandly.
"The local gang watches this house like you wouldn't believe," Okita cursed softly as he missed. "Your shot, Kenshin. Some of Enishi's dealings..."
"No need to go into the boring details," Enishi interrupted. "Those guys just like to make sure I'm not doing anything behind their backs. Himura... that sounds familiar. Have I seen you before, kid?"
Kenshin sank another stripe and lifted his head to meet the man's dark-eyed stare. He offered a careless smirk.
"How should I know?" he returned. "Turn the question around and I'll give you a straight answer."
"Have you seen me before?" Enishi asked slowly.
"No," Kenshin looked at the pool table, working out his next move. "Although your features remind me of someone I once knew."
"Anyone I'd know?"
"I hope not," Kenshin frowned at the table. "This shot is impossible."
"Come on, Himura," Okita grinned across the table at his friend. "Scratch it so we can jump in and kick your scrawny ass."
"Who's winning?" Kenshin retorted, bending down and lining up his shot. A moment later, a stripe clunked down into the corner pocket. He stood and looked at the table. He smiled triumphantly.
"Hm," Enishi absently gulped down another swallow of his drink. "You're friend is making a killing and cleaning up the mess with our hides, Okita."
"He likes to surprise me," Okita murmured fondly.
"I have no doubt," Enishi returned to the fridge and started rummaging around in it. "Himura, I can't believe you don't want something. What'll it be? Soda? Milk? It's in a carton, granted..."
"He gets his milk from the same people who supply the school," Okita informed Kenshin dryly.
Kenshin's soft chuckling ruined his shot, and the cue followed his ball into the side pocket. He groaned and leaned back.
"Scratch," he protested. "Okita, that was all your fault."
"You didn't have to listen," Okita grinned.
"I'll take that milk," Kenshin reached for the pint-sized milk carton as Enishi opened it, nodding his thanks.
"Unlike some people, who are lactose intolerant," Enishi smirked.
"Only mildly," Okita grumbled. "Besides, you like to stock skim. White water, you stingy bastard."
"Unlike that curdy shit you like," Enishi laughed, stepping up to take his turn. "No, Himura, I've seen you before. Give me time. I'll figure it out."
Kenshin just smiled and finished the milk, dropping the carton into a trash can before rejoining the game.
^_^
The pool game ended rather abruptly when Kenshin sat down on the couch and did not get up again. Okita had been in the middle of his turn when he glanced over and saw Kenshin, slouched against the high arm rest of the old sofa. His eyes were closed, chest rising and falling regularly, and it looked like he would not be waking anytime soon. Smiling broadly, Okita stood up and pulled away from the shot he was about to take.
"I guess the game is ours by default," he observed quietly.
"He would have won," Enishi glanced at the billiards table. There were only solids left, and the notorious eight ball. "You shacking here tonight?"
"That okay with you?" Okita shrugged. He forgot to keep his voice down that time, but Kenshin did not stir. The boy was out for the night.
"You can't drag him out of here at..." Enishi looked to the clock on the wall. It was Marilyn Monroe, the hands of the clock on her billowing skirt while her legs swung back and forth to the beat of a second. "Two-thirty in the morning. It'll be three, three-thirty by the time you get back. You can take the guest bed."
"I don't want him to wake up alone in a strange place," Okita murmured, reaching to shake Kenshin awake.
"I'm not going to sleep until noon tomorrow anyway," Enishi guided Okita away from the slumbering boy on the sofa. "I'll make sure he's not confused."
Minutes later, Okita was snoring softly, sleeping in the guest room upstairs. Downstairs, wiping down the bar, Enishi hummed quietly to himself. Across the room, Kenshin slept soundly. He was as Okita had left him, sprawled out awkwardly--half on his side, half on his back, arm dangling over the edge of the cushion for his fingertips to brush the floor. His hair was barely in its braid, wisping out around him crazily, one lock curling against his cheek, into the corner of his mouth.
Snapping off the neon light, Enishi moved to stand over the couch, staring down at Kenshin. As if in a dream, his hand moved down, fingers tugging that hair away from the boy's mouth. Kenshin murmured softly in his sleep before settling down into a deeper state of unconsciousness. Enishi merely lifted his eyebrows in distant amusement before sitting down on the couch next to the short young man.
"Little Himura," Enishi casually picked up the end of Kenshin's braid and snapped the binding. He unraveled the hair, just as calmly, and brushed his fingers through the soft tresses until it was spread about Kenshin's face loosely. Kenshin never once roused, his breathing not changing as Enishi tousled the hair about, making it tangled and stringy. Enishi smiled, yet there was little good humor in that expression.
"Little Himura," the man repeated. "My blood-soaked little friend. There you are."
^_^
Ten A.M. arrived to find Okita stretching, languidly finding his way out of bed and down the stairs. Enishi was in the kitchen, frying up something rather unrecognizable over the stove.
"The kid is still sleeping in the next room," Enishi remarked as Okita walked by.
Into the game room he went, eyeing the pool table and thinking they might finish that game before they left. Then, he rounded the sofa and smirked down at Kenshin. Sometime during the night, he noted, the boy had taken his hair out of that awful French braid. Not that he did not look good with the braid, but Okita could not help but admire the long, red hair, free of any binding.
"Hey, Himura," Okita nudged him lightly. "Rise and shine. It's time to wake up."
He frowned when Kenshin did not immediately startle awake. Usually, the slightest touch had his eyes snapping open, and Okita assumed he was just a very light sleeper.
"If you're going to be that way," Okita muttered, gripping Kenshin's shoulders and shaking him gently. "Hey! Wake up!"
Kenshin's head lolled on the couch cushion, but he did not open his eyes. His breathing remained steady and even. Okita's stomach took an icy plunge downward while his heart leapt into his throat. Fingers digging into Kenshin's shoulders, he began to shake the boy in earnest. Much harder, and the unconscious boy would be in danger of getting whiplash.
"Himura? Himura!" Okita stopped shaking his friend, pushing his fingers up to find the pulse in the boy's neck. There it was, but Okita did not know if it was strong or weak, fast or too slow. "Damn it, I'm not a doctor," he gasped breathlessly, not certain what to make of this development. He barked out a sharp, "Kenshin!" but there was still no response.
Now in full panic mode, Okita looked around wildly for someone who would know what to do. Of course, no one was in the room other than himself and this comatose version of his friend. Some distant part of his mind told him they were not the only people in the house.
"Enishi!" he shouted desperately. "Enishi!"
No one came. He ran out to the kitchen. The frying pan was smoking on the stovetop, but no one was standing over it. Swearing loudly, Okita ran back to the game room. Without a second thought, he grabbed the front of Kenshin's shirt and hauled the boy off the sofa and into his arms. The boy was pitifully light, and Okita had no problems holding his meager weight. Dragging Kenshin's arm over his shoulders, he managed to get his arm beneath Kenshin's back and behind his knees.
"Kenshin!" Okita shook his friend again, cradling the boy against his chest. Kenshin's arm slid down his back awkwardly to drape toward the floor, his head dropping back with the movement. He was not going to wake up anytime soon. Okita tried to call for help again. "Enishi!" Of course, there was no response. Even with Okita shouting almost in his ear, Kenshin never stirred.
Cursing Enishi, and cursing himself, Okita took Kenshin out to his car. Some creative maneuvering got Kenshin into the passenger side seat. He buckled the boy in, just to be certain he would not fall out of the chair, and cautiously shut the door. He went for the clothes Kenshin had thrown into the back seat and dug through them. His efforts produced a small cellular phone.
"Thank God for small favors," Okita breathed. He fumbled with the phone, first trying to turn it on, then trying to figure out the standard features. He remembered Kenshin's lighthearted berating, back when he had once asked to borrow it. "Only for emergencies." "Hell, this is an emergency!"
Down the list of phone numbers in the little cell's memory he went, his panicked brain struggling to make sense of the numbers.
"Schneider, Anon, suicide hotline?!" Okita glanced to the front seat, but Kenshin, of course, was unaware of his incredulity. Back to the phone, "Hiko!" He pushed the 'send' button and put the phone to his ear.
Two rings came and went, leaving Okita more edgy than he already was. Paranoia kicked in, and he wondered if Hiko had not already called the police and sent out a search party for the boys who were so late in returning home. On the third ring, he was a hair's breadth away from shouting his frustration and fear into the dead air of the phone. He even went so far as to jump out of the car and slam the back door. He was making his way to the driver's side when he heard a gruff, "What?" snapped over the other end of the line.
"Hiko!" Okita blurted reflexively.
"Who is this?" Hiko growled, not immediately recognizing Okita's voice in its raised, panicked state.
"It's Okita," the boy replied quickly. "I need help."
"Where's Kenshin?" Of course, the man was immediately concerned for his charge.
"That's the problem," Okita slid into his seat and shut the car door. He leaned over to check on Kenshin, but the boy's condition had not changed. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest, and he fought to keep calm. "I can't wake him up."
"Another personality?" Hiko asked cautiously.
"No, he's out cold!" Okita was nearing a shout, but he could not help it. "Hiko, I've tried everything! He won't open his eyes. What do I do?!"
"Calm down," Hiko ordered. "Are you near a hospital?"
"We're not far from St. John's," Okita said after a moment's thought. "Should I take him there?"
"He's still breathing? No seizures or anything?" Hiko's voice was deep and calm, almost soothing. Okita latched onto that anchor and let it draw his frenzied emotions down to something more steady.
"Nary a peep," Okita groaned. "Should I call 911?"
"If you're close, just get to the hospital," Hiko ordered. "Don't worry about getting pulled over. Just get there in one piece. I'll meet you there."
"Right," Okita hung up. He glanced at Kenshin before setting his phone on the boy's lap. "Stay with me, Himura. You're going to be okay."
Throwing the car into gear, he tore out of the residential area and onto the freeway like there was no tomorrow. He glanced at the boy in the seat beside him, slumped against the door. Okita winced as Kenshin's head cracked against the window when the car hit a particularly nasty pothole. Quickly, he grabbed the boy's shirt and yanked him over so that he slouched the other way. He turned his attention back to the road and raced onward, praying that, for Kenshin, there would be another tomorrow.
^_^
The eggs were burning. Enishi stared at them, watching the whites cloud, go solid, and finally blacken. The edges curled, grease splattering crazily. It would start on fire soon if he was not careful.
He reached forward with a spatula and flipped the eggs into the sink. They hissed as the hot food met cool water.
Enishi started to smile.
^_^
A drug overdose. That was what the doctors had told them. All those doctors and nurses had shared knowing looks before going to talk to them. Not uncommon in cases like Kenshin. Stress, depression, compulsive behavioral patterns--so many possibilities could lead him to mix one extra drug into the smorgasbord of medication already in his blood stream. The lab was still trying to pinpoint the exact drug that had reacted so poorly in Kenshin's body, but the doctors had a good idea.
"It's called Rohypnol," the man with the name Mitsukake(8) on his badge told them. "More commonly identified as the date rape drug." Not pausing at the sight of Hiko's and Okita's shocked expressions, Mitsukake continued, "With that particular drug, we don't think your son took it voluntarily."
"He's not my son," Hiko said quietly, eyes glittering with a building fury.
"The usual route is for someone to slip it into the victim's drink," Mitsukake continued, apparently oblivious to Hiko's comment or his anger. "You may want to call the police to report the incident. For now, we need the legal guardian's permission to run certain blood tests."
"For what?" Hiko asked distractedly. His eyes were not on the doctor, but rather, on the short boy standing beside him. Okita had an expression of horrified realization on his face.
"AIDS, other common STDs--"
"Do I need to sign a form for this?" Hiko interrupted, looking back to the doctor.
"Yes, sir--"
"Bring it to me."
"I'll send a nurse," Mitsukake walked away, to return to Kenshin's charts, take a coffee break, or go out for a smoke for all anyone knew. Hiko did not care. He was glaring down at Okita dangerously.
"Get out."
"Wh-what?" Okita looked up dazedly, stepping back automatically at the immense man looming over him with that deadly glaze to his eyes. "H-Hiko?"
"I don't care if it was you who gave him that drug or not," Hiko turned to face the boy fully. Okita shrank back, terrified of what Hiko would do. But Hiko did not touch him. "If I ever hear of you going near Kenshin again, I will drag your pathetic ass through the court systems until I'm sure you won't see the outside of a jail cell for years to come. And that is if I'm feeling kind."
Okita's mouth opened to speak some protest, then closed again. He turned and ran down the hall, ignoring the annoyed shouts of the nurses as he went.
^_^
(4) Tasuki's the cool redhead from Fushigi Yugi.
(5) Can anyone guess who this is? Hm? If you don't know, and want to. Ask. I'll tell you.
(6) This is a reference to the pretty redhead from YuYu Hakusho. A thing for redheads? Me? Nah.
(7) Yui is also from Fushigi Yugi--can we see a trend?--and that guy in the sunglasses is Tetsuya. Like him. Don't like her.
(8) Yet another person from Fushigi Yugi. Mitsukake is that big man without a personality in the show. Some people like him a lot. I'm indifferent. He's okay. But he was a doctor-type person, so here he makes an appearance.
Next chapter: As they say, the darkest hour is just before dawn…
Kaoru: That sounded rather symbolic.
Fitz: Yes, well. I didn't mean it literally.
Kenshin: I'm in a coma!
Okita: It's not my fault! *Sobs*
Kenshin: *in a coma*
Enishi: *evil laughter* It's so fun being a bastard.
Everyone: *Sweatdrops*
Fitz: Ack! It'll get better! It'll get better… eventually. Sorry about the cliffhanger people! Warning: The cliffhanger after the next chapter is worse.
Longer than usual notes: Whooooaaaaa. Oooookay, so this story took a sharp turn from somewhat lighthearted to dark. Let me clear some things up before anybody starts panicking:
Rohypnol (This may not be the correct spelling. It is what I found when I did some light research on the subject.): This is one of the drugs used on the streets. It is not, by any means, the only one. It is just the one I chose for my purposes. This is a brand name, not the actual drug. The drug itself has a name that is quite unpronounceable.
Date Rape: No, Enishi did not rape Kenshin. Nor did Okita. This is a very serious charge. As far as the blood tests go, those would be standard for hospitals. And actually, they recommend that you return some time in the future for more blood work, as most STDs cannot be found so soon after an attack. And as I spent some time at a large university where rape was distressingly common, I feel obligated to make people aware. Most common cases of rape are by friends or family members. Please, pleeeeease do not let a person who has raped you or someone you know continue to do this. Report them and seek help.
Finally, as some of you may have already figured out, the only way Kenshin could have been drugged that night was through his drink. Subtle though it was, I had Enishi open the milk for him. When out, never, never, never, let anyone handle your drink/food. Make sure it's sealed and you open it yourself.
Right, so now that I've finished my lectures, everyone can go back to being blissfully unaware.
Reviewers: I love you all! Please keep reviewing. I need it like I need air… well, maybe not quite that much, but you get the idea.
Crystal: Huh?? Thank you, and hope you liked this one too. In that order.
nemo: *faints from sheer length of review* Awww, it's so fun to get reviews from you! And Kenshin could have danced with Kaoru. I just didn't write it in. *wince* Sorry. I'm rather indifferent toward Kaoru, so while she makes appearances, it's not as much as she probably deserves.
Vesca: No summer activities. *sigh* This story will actually end upon completion of their school year. I'll explain more when it's completed. As for Tomoe, she will return eventually. I considered inserting her around here, but that would have been predictable, and I like to think this fic is a little more like real life—that is, completely unpredictable. I'd say Forest Gump had it right when he quoted his mom about boxes of chocolate. And I know Kenshin's reason was lame, but not everyone can think up of profound explanations on the spur of the moment. (That is, Fitz could not come up with anything less lame.) *hands Vesca a bowl of soup and a plush teddy bear* Hope you're feeling better!
Jason M. Lee: Everything was good when I pointed out to the lady that it was 2002, and that no, my card was not yet expired. *sigh* Had me panicking, though, when she kept scrutinizing it. Thought I was going to have to stay in Florida.
tenshineko: Whooooooo… you're jumping ahead now. You won't find that out until quite a bit later.
marstanuki: This is chapter 13, and there's 18 in total, so… 5 more. Wrath, huh? Well, I'm more than happy to oblige. You need not threaten me.
ColbyWolf: Oooooh! If you draw that, I wanna see it! And that sounds interesting. I walked into a Target in my anime convention costume once. Everyone thought I was strange. They thought Chibi Assassin was stranger.
Eliz: I think most of them fight in heels. Even Sailor Moon herself! The klutz. Minako is cool. You can't go wrong with the girl. And it's possible, although it seems a little wrench has been thrown into the gears of their relationship, does it not?
Koneko-chan: Well, Okita got to make an appearance on prom night. Granted, it ended rather badly, and he never danced with Kenshin. Just scared the heck out of his friend and played pool. Oh, don't worry. It'll get worse before it gets better.
Black Soul: *shrug* Nothing wrong with that. I've got a friend who can't stand Kaoru—hates the girl with a passion. I'm a little leery, having since learned my lesson on that issue. It is better to leave Kaoru alone. *wince* I don't like thinking about that. I'm glad you liked the chapter. Hope you don't mind some seriousness, 'cause that's what's going to happen in the next chapter. (Along with my usual, bizarre humor.)
Clarus: Ahhh, I may comply on some of those topics (or all of them ^_~). Thanks for reviewing. And a little question for you: Whatever happened to that Sept. 1 new page setup, hmmmm? I loved to cruise your site, and it's down! *sob* Although I do find the temporary page entertaining. Anyway, keep reading! I hope you like.