A/N I'm sorry for those of you reading this, but someone pointed something out and I'm going to say this now, Kenshin's stripper character is LOOSELY based on a book character by Laurell K. Hamilton, but he DOES change later on in the story. And the title of the club is the same as the one in the books, but because of something that happens later on in the story. I'm sorry for all the Laurell K. Hamilton fans who saw Nathaniel within Kenshin, but Nathaniel is my FAVORITE LKH character and I really didn't mean for this to happen. heh I guess he's become a part of my subconscious mind. THANK YOU QUEEN MAB OF THE CELTS FOR POINTING IT OUT!
A/N2 WARNING! THERE ARE FLASHBACKS CONTAINING CHILD ABUSE AND MENTIONS OF RAPE!
Chapter Two – Past revealed
Kaoru smiled as they were seated at a private table at the restaurant that Tae owned. The reason that she had come here was so that she could enjoy the food without having to explain to her friend why she was eating with a professional stripper. The waitress --a young high school student --brought them water to sip at while they ordered their drinks. Kaoru ordered a Coke, and was surprised when Kenshin ordered a small bottle of sake.
"Are you old enough to do that?" She asked with a smile — he didn't look to be much older than she was, so she assumed he wasn't.
He held out his ID card for her to look at. The birth date read 13 June 1986. He was indeed twenty, but just barely a few months over it — it was earlyOctober. "Of course," a sadness and sense of bitterness filled those violet and amber-rimmed eyes, "now that I have a choice, I don't want to do anything illegal."
Kaoru looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry, Kenshin-san. You don't look any older than I do, and I'm only nineteen, so I just assumed that you weren't of age to drink sake."
Kenshin smiled faintly. "Well, I am, I guess I just look younger because I'm smaller than most other men.
She smiled as the waitress brought their drinks around, and took their orders. Kaoru suggested various dishes for Kenshin to try. "I guess so. You are only a few inches taller than I am."
He took a brief sip of the sake. "So, Miss Kaoru, do you own that dojo? I know that you must be able to wield a sword, because it looked like you knew how to use a shinai at least, that you did."
She smiled again. "Yes, I do. When my father was murdered a few months ago, it was left to me because I was the only child that he had. My mother died when I was young, and since I was his only child, he started teaching me the style of swordsmanship that has been passed down for nearly a century and a half — the Kamiya-Kasshin-Ryu. He just had enough time to teach me the final moves before robbers took his life. I was at Misao's house overnight because of a storm that night, so I didn't find out until the next morning.
"Ever since then, I've taken over teaching it. I finished high school a year ago and take lessons at Tokyo University at night, teaching lessons during the daytime – tonight was one of my few nights without classes. It's actually interesting, I'm not the first woman to take over and teach the style, the second successor to ever take it was another woman, also named Kaoru. My father said that he named me after her because he wanted me to be as strong as she was. I think it's actually kind of cool to be named after a legend.
"Well, the dojo makes more than enough money — I even have one live-in student. Kamiya-Kasshin-Ryu is a style that is based on Katsujin-ken, or, Swords that give Life, not Satsujin-ken, or, Swords that give Death." A wistful smile came across her face as she stirred the ice in her drink. "In fact, my father promoted it all his life, and followed those values strongly."
As she spoke, Kenshin listened intently, sipping at the rice wine that he had ordered. He had been curious about the dojo, since most from that dated back from the Meiji Era had failed and gone out of business, but, apparently, this one hadn't. He was amazed at some of the details that she spoke of.
As their food came, she went quiet. As the plates of various foods came, she noticed that Kenshin had ordered everything that she had suggested – which was a lot of food. "Are you sure that you want to pay for all of this?" She asked. "I can pay for at least a part of it. You don't have to treat me."
He smiled serenely. "Yes I do, Miss Kaoru. I owe you a lot for the kindness that you showed me that night. You could have taken advantage of me, but you didn't. You could've taken me to the police, but you didn't. Instead you gave me a place to sleep, a place to clean up, and something to eat." He paused to order another bottle of sake. "I want to pay you back, so please, allow me to pay for this." He voice softened as he stirred his chopsticks through his rice. "Your gift of kindness changed my life, Miss Kaoru, that it did."
Kaoru was nearly speechless as she dug into the food and watched him order another slightly larger bottle of sake. They ate in an uncomfortable silence. She mulled his words over in her head. She waited until the waitress had taken the empty bowls and clean plates,bringing another glass of Coke and bottle of sake until she spoke.
"How exactly did I change your life?" Her question widened his eyes a little bit. "I didn't give you any money or anything, just a place to stay."
Kenshin bowed his head a little, long crimson bangs hiding his eyes before his soft voice — carefully void of emotions with a soft, barely audible slur — spoke. "That is a long story Miss Kaoru, that it is." He took a long drink from the bottle before speaking again. "I think that it would be a start to say that that name I received when I was born was not Himura Kenshin, it was Seijuro Shinta. My mother died shortly after I was born, leaving only my elder brother Hiko, my three elder sisters -- Sakura-san, Akane-san, and Kasumi-san --and my father. My father was abusive, mostly to me sincemy sisters were used for 'business'-- he used them as prostitutes-- except when Hiko was home. But my brother was always gone, off studying a form of ancient swordsmanship from the Sengoku Jedai, called Hiten Misturugi-Ryu, a style that pits one against many. He mastered it at a young age and started teaching it to me during the periods of time that he was home.
"Hiko was always the one that my father was angry at—Hiko had been trained in the swordstyle instead of him, since my grandfather had never trusted my father, knowing that he would never be able to pass the style on to the next generation and that he had a lot of mental problems. After he died, Hiko came to live with us, if only for a short while. Hiko would never scream when my father hit him, he would only remain impassive, watching me and making sure that I wasn't targeted."
Kenshin's Flashback
The soft smell of musk and old funguses invaded his nostrils as the tiny, red-haired boy inhaled the scent of thelaz-e-boy he was hiding behind. Wide, tear-filled violet andamber-rimmedeyes watched the vision before him with horror and revulsion. Long, unkempt strands of crimson hair fell into the tiny face of the four-year-old.
The soft light of the lightning from the storm outside illuminated the near-unconscious figure as he was beaten and whipped with the long leather belt and the sheathed katana. The fourteen-year-old was incredibly tall for his age, with broad shoulders and the start of a muscular physique. Long dark hair fanned out around him as the beating continued, the belt cracking on bruised, broken, bare flesh and the sheath making bones crack.
"Scream for me you little bastard! Scream for me!" The older man's dark eyes were bulging out of his face as he continued.
The little boy's golden-oranged-rimmed eyes widened further as the crimson warmth started to spread dangerously across the dirty tatami floors and started so soak into the rice paper that lined the shoji door.
"Scream for me you fucking bastard! Unless you scream like your worthless mother did I won't stop! I'll fucking kill you! SCREAM!"
Afraid for his elder brother, the tiny boy stuck his fist in his mouth, tears pouring down his little face. Hiko would never cry out or give any sign of pain, and if he did it for him, father would only take his anger out on the four-year-old, something that Hiko had forbidden last time it had happened since he had almost died.
"If you can't scream in pain," the man above the fourteen-year old whispered dangerously, "I'll find another way."
The small child watched in horror as his father began unbuttoning his pants, but his screams were muffled by the fist that he had stuck in his mouth so he couldn't cry out for the help that his brother needed.
That was when his brother started screaming.
End Flashback
"Then, one night, father started beating me for no reason that I could find. I remember knowing that I was going to die, but Hiko fought him. I'd never seen him that angry since the time he forbid me to scream instead of him."
Flashback
The small child cried out as the rough leather against bit into his back, followed closely by that metal pipe. It hurt.
It hurt.
It hurt.
It hurt.
Shinta screamed again, trying to be brave — just like Hiko, just like his big brother — but failing horribly. He could feel the blood rising in his throat and started choking on it, watching it go onto the tatami floors.
Without warning, he couldn't feel anything but the pain — the beating had stopped.
At the cry above him, his small eyes widened.
Hiko stood in front of their father, teeth gritted, long silver katana with a wooden handle with something written in an ancient kanji blocking that metal pipe. Muscles straining against the older man's strength, he turned to the small boy.
"Shinta run, I can't hold him off much longer!" He started to sit up, but he remained frozen where he was—afraid for his brother's life and what would happen if their father survived this. Hiko turned to him again, anger and desperation evident on his young face and clouding his black, gold-rimmed eyes.
"RUN SHINTA! DON'T LOOK BACK!"
Tears coursing down a pale face, the little boy ran, as fast and as far as he could with those injuries.
He heard someone cry out behind him and he longed to look back, but he couldn't.
If Hiko had told him to run and not look back, he would do just that.
His desperate pace slowed as he approached the willow tree. Little Shinta collapsed at the base, surrounded by the soft leaves. He curled up around the pain through his body. He was cold, so cold. He hacked softly into his hand. Soft violet eyes rimmed with amber widened at the warmth on his small palm.
He saw blood.
The world started to fade around him and he didn't remember anything except thinking that he was going to die and he would never see his brother again.
End Flashback
Kaoru's eyes widened as she saw tears coming down Kenshin's face. "My father died that night — Hiko killed him. The police declared self-defense because he was defending me, and trying to defend himself from the abuse as well. After that, we were carted from foster family to foster family.I never saw my sisters again -- something about it being to hard tokeep us all together in the system.Sometime during those years among foster families, Hiko finished teaching me swordsmanship and ran off. I haven't seen him since he ran away that night — after he taught me the final move. From then on I was alone among those foster families."
Another bottle of sake was brought to him as he finished the previous one. When Kaoru didn't interrupt, Kenshin continued in that same soft, emotionless voice. "I was young when the abuse began. Hiko had just left, so he couldn't protect me. My sisters were amongst otherfoster familes, so they couldn't stop any of it.I can't remember how old I was when the sexual abuses began, but I was fourteen when I was finally placed with a family that didn't have any of those things going on within them. The Yukishiros were kind and welcomed me with open arms. They were the ones who let me change my name to Himura Kenshin instead of Seijuro Shinta."
A bittersweet smile crossed his face. "While I was with them, I fell in love with their daughter, Tomoe. She was sixteen at the time. Her younger brother, Enishi, couldn't stand it. I was fifteen when she died, so she was seventeen." At Kaoru's shocked look, he explained."She had terminal cancer. Enishi blamed me for her death, and clung to that through everything his parents tried to tell him. His hair turned white in his grief. I ran away soon after she died. I learned later that Enishi's parents had died in a car crash and he was taken in by a wealthy aunt and uncle…"
Kenshin's voice trailed off as he finished the sake in his hand and ordered yet another bottle. "I was on the streets for a month, and nearly starved to death. That was when I was found by SetaSoujiro. He explained that there were men and women who loved young boys and would pay to be with one at night. As long as you didn't tell the police they would give you a huge chunk of money. Of course, there was always the chance that you could be caught by night patrols." He chuckled wryly. "I think I was arrested a few times before both Soujiro and I learned how not to get caught. But with no other choice, there really wasn't anywhere we could go.
"It was always hard — clients could become too rough, or forget the safety-word." At her confused look, he explained. "When the client wants to give someone pain, the one receiving pain has a word that keeps them from going too far. Sometimes they would take you right in the alley without payment and leave you there naked." Tears came unbidden to his eyes as his mind flew through the memories and his next words were almost inaudible. "We could report it, but who would believe that a whore was raped?"
His cheeks reddened more than they had with the sake. "There were even times when we would steal to supplement our income.
"That was why I had broken into the dojo." The stripper smiled ruefully. "We didn't have enough money to pay for the rent and we were already behind. We hadn't had enough money for food or hot water. But, that night, when you showed me such kindness, I thought that I could change my life."
Kenshin smiled suddenly — small, but definitely there. "The bouncer that you sent to find me, Kamatari, had seen me on the street one night and given me information about Guilty Pleasures, saying that I had a great physique, and that I could make a lot more money without having to cater myself to men and women. When I got home after that night, I called the owner, Tokio-dono, and she gave me the job immediately."
Kaoru watched as he hung his head again, cheeks flaming nearly as dark as his hair with the sake he had consumed. "But after I got the job, Soujiro kicked me out of our apartment. Sano gave me a place to stay until I found a place of my own." He chuckled, laying his head on the table and looking at her with a drunken grin. She blushed. With his head on his crossed arms with his blood-colored hair spread like a dream around his face, violet, gold-rimmed eyes and the faint remnants of eyeliner around those eyes, he looked winsome, with a small smile that hinted to things better left in private. "I just hope he thinks I didn't get killed. I told him before he left to go give your friend a lap dance that I would probably quickly get something to eat and meet him at home."
Those unique eyes started to drop — he had probably had too much to drink and the alcohol was starting to take affect. It was with a jolt that she realized that she had no idea where he lived, and there was no way he was going to be able to get home like this — she didn't even know if he had a car. The way he described things, he probably didn't.
Almost hesitantly, Kaoru reached over and nudged him gently on the shoulder, calling softly.
"Kenshin — where does Sano live?"
She listened closely as he mumbled an address. She frowned as she realized that she had no idea where that was. Kaoru was interrupted from her thought of figuring out how to get him home when the waitress spoke softly to her.
"Ma'am, I'm here to collect the money."
She frowned, looking around for her wallet until she realized that beneath his hand, Kenshin had already gotten the money out — in exact change, nonetheless.
With a slight smile she reached out and took the money, handing it to the waitress. The young woman smiled and accepted it.
"Thank you and please, come again."
Kaoru smiled back at her, then looked at the sleeping stripper in front of her. Now that she knew where he was staying, she only had to figure out how to get there. With a soft sigh, she stood and quiet put his coat back on him. She silently placed one arm around his waist and laid his arm across her shoulders. As she was lifting him, a small cell phone fell out of his pocket. His head resting against her shoulder, she reached down and picked it up, placing it in her pocket.
Thanking Kami-sama that he was light and she was stronger than she looked from continuous training, she carried him like this out to her car. Sighing, she set him carefully in the passenger seat and buckled the seatbelt around him. Closing the door she walked around and got in the car, starting it with a turn of the keys.
Cursing the fact that she knew where Kenshin lived but she didn't know how to get there, Kaoru set her forehead on the steering wheel. Then, with a sudden thought, she took his cell phone out of her pocket and looked through his contacts. A brilliant smile lit her face as she dialed Sano's number, hoping that maybe he was still awake and could tell her how to get to his apartment. She mentally cheered as a deep, obviously masculine voice answered the phone.
"Yo, Ken, whuddya want?"
"No, this is Kamiya Kaoru."
Sanosuke's scrunched up in confusion as he listened to the voice on the other line. "And who the hell are you?" His eyes widened slightly. "Where's Kenshin?"
She laughed softly. "He's passed out next to me in my car. We went out to the Akabeko after he got done with work and while we were talking he drank a little too much sake, and well, you get the idea."
Sano chewed a little on the fish bone in his mouth. "Lemme guess, you need directions to get to my house so you called me?"
Kaoru sighed. "Yea, his cell phone fell out of his pocket so I used it to get your number, since he said that he was staying with you."
Sano laughed as he listened to her. In the month that he had known him, Kenshin had never once touched alcohol of any kind. "Well, get a pen Jou-chan, cuz you're gunna need them." With that he gave her directions from the Akabeko – he was a frequent customer there so it wasn't like he didn't know. Afterwards she thanked him.
Then, before hanging up, she mentally slapped her forehead. "And would you mind looking out for us? I barely managed to get him out to my car and I don't think I'll be able to get him inside by myself."
At her question, Sano chuckled. "Of course, Jou-chan. He grinned and walked out onto the balcony. "Kitsune just left, so I'll just sit out here and wait."
"Thank you Sano." Kaoru smiled and hung up the phone, carefully putting it back in Kenshin's pocket. Allowing his head to rest on her shoulder, she put the car in drive and followed Sanosuke's directions.
§
Kaoru parked her car in front of a large apartment complex in the moderate-income neighborhood. It bordered on a Shinto shrine and there was hot springs just on the other side of the building – no doubt for the inhabitants to use. Knowing Sanosuke's profession, she was surprised by the accommodations—she hadn't known that they were paid this much.
§
Sagara Sanosuke watched as the women got out of the silver car. She was wearing a black mini-skirt and dark blue tank top with a waist length leather jacket. Her dark hair was pulled in a high ponytail and there was a determined look on her face as she carefully took an unconscious Himura Kenshin out of her car.
A smirk on his face he walked down the stairs and went down to her car. He grinned at her as he lifted Kenshin easily into his arms.
"Come on up, I'll fix you a cup of coffee." With a soft sigh Kaoru followed him into the building and up the stairs to the decent-sized apartment. At his direction, she walked into the kitchen as he went to place Kenshin on his futon and set out aspirin for him.
When he walked into the kitchen, he noticed that Kaoru was looking at the artwork left by his daughter. She smiled at him. "I didn't know that you had a daughter. Is she still here?"
He shook his head as he poured coffee into two mugs. Kaoru accepted hers with murmured thanks. "No, she's spending the night with my mom since she doesn't have school tomorrow." He took a sip of the coffee and leaned against the cupboards, sizing the young woman up.
"So, Jou-chan, would you care to explain to me why Kenshin — whom I've never seen touch a drop of alcohol — is sleeping away and going to awaken with a mighty powerful hangover tomorrow?"
Kaoru sighed, taking a large gulp of her coffee. "Has he told you anything about his circumstances and how he came here?" She asked him quietly, concentrating on her coffee mug—a pale pink with the name Ayame stenciled with dark pink along the side.
It was Sano's turn to sigh. "Only that he was a street whore looking for a better life." He took a sip of his coffee. "He didn't seem to want to talk about it anymore so I left it well enough alone. He never asked about my history any more than was necessary — especially with Ayame needing to be watched by the owner's daughter every other night." He sighed again. "But it looked like it was something that he needed to talk to someone about, but really didn't want to, since it seemed painful."
Kaoru looked at the young stripper. "Well," she said softly, "he told me everything."
She watched in surprise as Sano spit up the coffee he had been about to swallow. "What!" He picked up a towel and started wiping off the front of his button-down shirt. "He told you everything?" A look of pure shock lit across his face. "I didn't think that he would tell anyone, especially someone he only just met."
A hint of pink lit across her cheeks. "Actually, we met a month ago."
She didn't think that Sanosuke's face could possibly manage to look anymore shocked than it already had — but he managed before looking suspicious. "And just how did you manage to meet him a month ago when he was still on the streets?"
Kaoru refused to meet his eyes. "He broke into the dojo that I run, looking for money, but I found him eating out of my refrigerator. I asked him to spend the night and help himself to something to eat. He said that that one moment changed his life forever and that was why he went out and got the job at Guilty Pleasures."
Sano looked surprised at the revelation and looked into his coffee mug. "Is there anything else about it that you're goin' to tell me?"
Kaoru shook her head. "I think that that is up to him. For some reason, I think he told me because it sounded like he needed to get it off his chest." She smiled at the stripped. "But, I think if you're genuinely worried about him, he'll tell you when and if you ask. All I'm going to say is that he's been through hell and needs someone or something to get him onto his feet and into something that resembles a normal life." She laughed as she drank the last of her coffee. "In fact, I think I'll keep in contact because I want to help him. Tomorrow would you mind telling him that I could help him look for a new apartment?"
Surprised, and still overcoming the earlier shock, he nodded. "Sure thing Jou-chan. I think he needs someone like you. You're better than some guy he works with, and you don't seem like other people by judging him by his past occupation." He grinned as he led her to the door. "And Don't worry, I'll tell him about the apartment hunt as soon as he's human."
Kaoru laughed. "Thank you Sano, and thanks for the coffee. Sayonara!"
With that, she left the apartment, climbing into her car and driving back to the empty dojo with her thoughts occupied by a gorgeous, drunk, red-head.
A/N3
Hello people! I was shocked when I saw that I have almost 1000 hits and 18 reviews! I LOVE YOU ALL! THANK YOU! HERE'S A HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WHO VOTED!
So far, the results are:
SONG:
More ATC
'Catch me riding dirty…'
'I'm to sexy for my…'
(my suggestion -- 'Miss Murder' by AFI
and 'Willkommen im Nichts' by Eisbrecher)
OUTFIT:
Leather pants, trench coat, and fishnet shirt
But those are the only votes I have received, and I would LOVE some more input, since he's stripping in the next chapter! So WHEN YOU REVIEW, PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION!
What song should Kenshin strip to and what outfit should he strip out of?
THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!
PLEASE REVIEW AND VOTE!
--Mistress-Neko