Guilty Pleasures Chapter One New and Familiar Faces, a rurouni kenshin fanfic

Chapter One – New and Familiar Faces

Himura Kenshin looked in the mirror, staring at his appearance and double checking that his clothing was fashioned the way that it was supposed to. It had been nearly a month since he had gotten a job at the strip club, and he was thankful for it.

When he had received his first paycheck, he had founda steady income and was shocked tosee that he made more money than most college graduates at the rate thathis bosspaid. It was actually the owner's wife who ran things in this particular club, and she ran things cleanly and smoothly. The owner was Hajime Saito and the manager was his wife, Tokio. Most of the bouncers were effeminate looking, or cross-dressers, like Kamatari, making it easier for them to blend in with the crowd. Only women were allowed to come in and watch the shows – since most of the men were uncomfortable being watched by men – and all the dancers had stage names to keep things from happening outside the club. She didn't pimp any of them out, and forbid them to sell themselves for money. She allowed lap dances, but there was no allowed intercourse.

The other guys who worked here were one hell of a crazy bunch, but he enjoyed working with them.

First, there was Sagara Sanosuke, call me Sano. He had been working here for a few years and was twenty-four years old. He had dark spiky hair and grinning dark eyes. He had a slender, yet muscular build, and was very tall. He was a great friend, even if he did enjoy his sake a little too much sometimes – but he always made sure that his daughter Ayamewasn't around whenever he was drinking – she was only six years old and attended a local elementary school. Until he found a place of his own, Kenshin was staying with him and his daughter. The girl's mother had left when she was only a few weeks old, forcing Sano to find a better job than the one he had as the Fight Merchant 'Zanza' – that was how he had found this place. There were some nights when he couldn't find a babysitter, however, and on those nights Tokio hadher daughter, Tsubame, run over andbabysit.

He was particularly fond of doing lap dances in the back – an option that was offered with certain rules attached – and seeing the reactions of the women that he did it on.

Then, there was Shinomori Aoshi. This man was the last person that anyone would expect to be stripping in a night club. He was tall, slender, with longish dark hair that always fell into his slim, emerald green eyes in a way that made them stand out more in a pale face. Most of his acts included some kind of weapon. Women who attended the club seemed to enjoy his acts the best, and though many tried to get a lap dance, he refused nearly all of them. He was quiet most of the time, but spoke whenever he felt like his opinion was needed. Kenshin wished he knew how he had ended up in a place like this, but that was something that Aoshi flat-out refused to talk about, spending most of his free time meditating in one of the many Shinto temples of Tokyo.

There were a few others, of course, but he hadn't really gotten to know them as well as the two who had their stations on either side of his. Leaning over to look into the mirror more intently, he carefully put the eyeliner around his eyes – Tokio's suggestion – to make them stand out more against skin that was still pale, but no longer sickly-looking. A fake, but well-done, cross-shaped scar had already been applied to his left cheek by Tokio herself, since she seemed to be the only one able to know what the person he was imitating looked like from the artwork of the Meiji Era.

"Himura-san, Sano-san is almost done with his set, so you have a few more minutes until you're on stage."

Kenshin smiled at the soft voice and turned to look at Tokio's daughter, Tsubame, who was standing in the door with a clipboard and wearing a traditional kimono made of a pale pink fabric with darker pink sakura blossoms across the lower hem and sleeves with a violet obi and her dark hair barely reaching her shoulders. Her mother allowed her to run things backstage when she wasn't watching Ayame – not allowing her to watch the dancers until she was at least sixteen – and she was the one who informed the men when they were due on stage.

"Thank you Tsubame-dono." He smiled as he put the eyeliner down on the dresser. "I'll be out in a moment, no more than that."

She smiled back as she watched him put the katana and wakizashi on the left side of his waist. "Alright, Haha-ue will be announcing you tonight, and she says that there's a group of girls in the front that are there for a birthday, and she wants you to direct your act more towards them."

"Alright then, Tsubame-dono, please tell Tokio-dono that I'll be out in a moment."

Kamiya Kaoru sighed as they sat down at the table closest to the stage. The name of the club had given her chills with its name. "Guilty Pleasures" just didn't sound like the name of a nice place to eat and watch a decent show.

And seeing that tall man on the floor, giving a lap dance to a woman – wearing nothing but acrimson-coloredg-string – only did further to confirm that.

"And just what kind of club did you say this was?" She looked at her friend as the drinks were brought around to the table by a waiter wearing no shirt and tight leather pants that left precious little to the imagination – especially with the line strips of flesh on the sides of the pant-legs. "I thought that we were coming here to just watch a show."

Tae giggled into her hand. "It's a strip club Kaoru-chan." She looked at Misao's surprised face – this party was celebrating her eighteenth birthday – and Megumi's ultimately pleased one – the woman had been watching the man giving the lap dance as he walked back stage. "And besides, their newest dancer is performing tonight. You'll like him Kaoru-chan, I know it."

Kaoru sighed and took a sip of the Coke that she had ordered, wishing she was only a few months older so that she could put some rum in it - Tae could be incredibly frustrating sometimes. While she was watching, a woman in her mid-thirties walked to the edge of the stage with a microphone in her hand. She wore a traditional kimono of a rich, dark red the a design of a soaring phoenix in shades of dark blue with a gold obi. She smiled at the crowd before speaking in a soft voice.

"That's our Rooster!" She laughed, eying the woman who had received the lap dance. "And now, here's our newest dancer! He's only been with us for a few weeks, but he's become quite the celebrity amongst the lovers of Tsukioka Tsunan's artwork. And let's welcome to the stage, our very own, Hitokiri Battousai!"

The lights to the stage turned on to reveal a person wearing a midnight-colored gi and black hikama pants tucked into those nearly-knee-high socks that hitokiri were fond of using. On his hands and forearms, he wore traditional guards, and carried a katana and wakizashiat his waist. His very long, crimson hair – a spill of blood across the dark color of his outfit – was tied in the high-tail with long bangs framing a pale face complete with cross-shaped scar. Violet eyes rimmed with moltenamber were lined with black, striking against paleskin. Kaoru was shocked that she hadn't noticed that band of color. A white wrap was visible beneath his garments.

Kaoru's jaw dropped – she knew him!

It was Kenshin!

She justknew it!

Kaoru moved forward in her seat, watching him with curiosity lighting her blue eyes. When she had met him that night he had tried to rob her house, she had assumed that he had been a street whore, but now, this likely confirmed it – and he had tried to better his life by doing this.

She watched him intently, intrigued by his fluid movements to the beat of the music.

I close my eyes
Close the door
I won't worry anymore
I've been waiting for you
Everyday and every night
Cut the light
Let it fade
I don't wanna be afraid
I've been waiting for you

He had drawn the sword at his belt, a gleaming, silver thing – a katana that she judged to be one-hundred percent the real thing. He moved fluidly to the fast-beat music, his body moving in an elegant kata. His movements were sensual as well, showing off his slender, but strong musculature with the gaping of the fabric of his gi and the tightness of his wrap.

Tonight is right
Stars shine bright
I just really wanna be with you
I celebrate pray for the day
When all my wishes will be coming true

Moments passed at the music slowed. She watched in amazement as he sheathed the katana and threw both of the weapons to a violet-haired, flat-chested woman in the crowd – all in a single movement of his wrists. The woman grinned and winked coyly at him. The beat quickened.

My heart beats like a drum like a drum
Dum dum dum – dum dum dum
And my feet step the beat like a drum
Dum dum dum – dum dum dum

With a small, seductive smile, he moved one of his arms in a way that normal human arms shouldn't be moved, and the left arm of his gi fell to his side. He repeated the movement with his right and spun around to reveal the tattoo at the tip of his spine – the one reading 'truth.'

His slender hips swayed to the beat, moved side to side as he strutted across the stage loosening his hikama and letting the gi fall to the ground, movements swaying and hypnotic. With swift movements, he began unwrapping the bandages around his slender torso, rolling them into a neat bundle. Kaoru felt her cheeks burning.

I think of you everyday
I've been waiting for a call
Just the sound of your voice
Anytime and anyway
Dream of you since that day
When I saw you the first time
At the hard rock café

Throwing the roll of wrap behind him, he fell to his knees, starting to crawl across the stage. As he did so, the sandals and socks fell from his lower legs, exposing sinewy, yet muscular calves. As he moved, the long locks of blood-colored hair fell around him, framing his face as he moved with a fluidity that normal humans couldn't manage. His eyes looked directly at their table as he mouthed the next verse.

Tonight it is right
Stars shine bright
I just really wanna be with you
I celebrate pray for the day
When all my wishes will be coming true

Reaching the front of the stage, he again moved to kneel, knees spread apart, torso a moved backwards.

He knelt directly in front of her table.

With a mischievous smile he slowly untied the hikama pants before removing them and throwing them to a man – wearing lipstick with long hair – who was dressed as a body guard. Women across the room hooted as he stood in the middle of the stage…

…Wearing nothing but a flesh colored g-string that left that 'destiny' tattoo in the hollowof his hipvery visible.

Not to mention, leaving precious little to the imagination.

My heart beats like a drum like a drum
Dum dum dum - dum dum dum
And my feet step the beat like a drum
Dum dum dum - dum dum dum

He moved.

He strutted.

He danced.

And always moving seductively to the lively music beat, long locks of his crimson hair swirling like a bloody wet dreamaround his slender, pale body.

Kaoru found herself short of breath as she watched him move across the stage, money coming from all directions.

The katana was thrown back at him and he continued moving, once again forming that beautiful kata, this time more accentuated than before. Muscles moved beneath sheen of sweat on his skin.

He threw the katana back and fell to his knees.

I close my eyes
Close the door
I won't worry anymore
I've been waiting for you

He crawled across the stage, head lowering to the ground while his hair pooled along the stage. Reaching the edge of the stage, he flung all those crimson locks in a arch, causing it to fall across his back and shoulders, long enough to hide the g-string from view and give the illusion of total nudity.

The women screamed and more money hit the stage.

And my feet steps the beat baby...

More screams echoed in the building as his body moved in this strange wiggle, looking as if he was trying to press into the floor. Women were reaching up and trying to touch him.

And he let them, if only briefly.

My heart beats like a drum like a drum
Dum dum dum - dum dum dum
And my feet step the beat like a drum
Dum dum dum - dum dum dum

After turning over, he ended the set with his head hanging off the stage and practically in her lap, a strange and seductive smile on his lips. The women were screaming. Getting a funny little idea she smiled and leaned forward to look into his face.

"Hello Kenshin."

His gold-ringed eyes widened as he recognized her, shock lighting behind their depths.

"K-Kaoru-dono?"

Kenshinheard a knock on the door as he washed the make-up off his face. He had finished his set and Tokio had said that he could go home. Aoshi had one of the last acts that night, and then there was someone else after that. He had another set tomorrow, but it would be different from this one.

"You can come in."

He had already gotten dressed in street clothes – the outfit carefully placed in the costume wardrobe. He wore new jeans that were black with red Chinese characters, and a blood-red muscle-tank. He had loosened his hair from the high ponytail and let it fall down around his shoulders to the backs of his thighs nearly to his knees.

Kamatari walked in the door with a smile on his face. He carried the two swords in his hands, having been in the crowd to catch them, so that they wouldn't be carried off by one of the customers. His chin-length violet hair and feminine facial features, not to mention his high-pitched voice made him an easy person to put in the crowd as a bouncer.

"Hey cute one," his smiled widened as he used the nickname he had for him --he had one for all the dancers at the club. "A little lady named Kaoru wanted to know if you would meet her when you were done. Says she wants to talk about something that happened a month ago."

Kenshin'seyes widened in surprise as he picked up his leather jacket off the back of his chair. He then smiled. "Thank you, Kamatari-san. Can you have her meet me at the performers' exit?"

He smiled again as he took the swords and started putting them away, making a mock salute with his hands. "Will do cute one, and have a good night. I'll see ya tomorrow!"

"Goodnight Kamatari-san." He threw his jacket over his shoulder and started walking to the back door, hoping for some autumn night air to cool him off.

It would be interesting to actually sit down and talk to the woman who had changed his life.

Kaoru leaned against the wall, just outside of the door that the bouncer had told her to wait at. She had already put on her jacket, and was hoping that he would come out soon – she was freezing.

She didn't know what had possessed her into asking him to meet with her. Her friends were still inside – Megumi had paid that 'Rooster' person for a private lap dance and Misao had been really into the stripper that had started performing after Kenshin was done. He had been using a pair of kodachis and dressed as a ninja. She could see why the barely legal college student would enjoy it – Misao was really into everything remotely 'ninja' and if there was a hot stripper in there that dressed and acted like one, she would stay. Tae was there because she enjoyed watching all the dancers. Really not wanting to stick around, Kaoru had left, and had been possessed to talk to the man that had broken into her house nearly a month ago.

"Hello there, Kaoru-dono." She turned at the soft voice. Kenshin was standing in the doorway with a wide smile on his face. He wore a crimson shirt and a studded leather jacket that made his unbound hair seem like a spill of blood against the dark color. The characters down his left leg were Chinese, but she didn't know what they meant. "It seems like a long time."

Kaoru smiled. "Well, Kenshin-san, it has. I was wondering if you would like to go with me to grab a bite to eat."

Kenshin frowned. "But, what about your friends? Don't you want to stay here with them? I'm sure that they would be worried about you if you left without a word."

She laughed, getting off the wall and unconsciously smoothing her short black skirt. "They already know. I'm not exactly comfortable being in there, and they're enjoying it more than I am, and besides, I'm hungry, and they're not."

The stripper chuckled lightly. "Well, I just hope you at least enjoyed mine. From where I was, it seemed like it, but I guess you didn't?" He made it a question.

She blushed deeply, averting her eyes. Kenshin laughed. "I guess you did. Alright then, as long as you let me pay for the food, Kaoru-dono – I owe you that I do."

Kaoru smiled. "That's fine with me Kenshin-san. And, I know of a place that we can go that has great food. Let's go to the Akabeko!"

Kenshin smiled as he followed her to her car.

To be continued. . . . . .

A/N
Thank you every one that reviewed! Pocky for everyone! I'm just amazed, nearly 200 hits... tear Well, I hope that you enjoyed this people! I just had to get Hitokiri Battousai in there somewhere. And Sano, of course. The images running through my head, just IMAGINING all of that ... wipes mouth, looks at new drool, wipes at it again. The song, BTW, is 'My Heart Beat Like A Drum," by ATC. If you listen to it, you can see where I'm coming from. Oh, And for all those who menthioned it, yes, it is a Kenshin/Kaoru fic. PLEASE REVIEW! Anything that you people can give me is great and really encouraging. Thanx, and please review!
Poll: What kind of outfit should Kenshin strip out of next? And what song should I use?I don't have a lot.
--Mistress-Neko