PRETTY BOYS Story by QueenYokozuna Disclaimer: All names appearing on this piece, save for Ozeki and Kotonishiki, are characters from "Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X." They are owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro. Please note: This story is set in a modern-day Alternate Universe, and told in script, not the conventional prose, form. OS - Off-Screen CU - Close-Up VO - Voice-Over BG - BackGround FG - ForeGround (1) INT. CAFE -- LATE AFTERNOON, AROUND 5 The place is about two-thirds full. Crowd is a pretty curious mix of in-style teenagers, disheveled struggling writers with bad skin, and old friends chatting away on old times. We see two men at a corner table, taking sips from their coffee cups. Seated against the wall is HIMURA KENSHIN, 28. He has bright purple eyes, long flame-red hair gathered in a low ponytail, and a stark, cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. His frame is lean and small, almost flimsy. He is more cute than handsome, more cute than sexy. Seated on the adjacent side, by the window, is SAITOU HAJIME, 35. He is a tall, lean man with broad shoulders and narrow eyes, and jet- black, slicked-back hair with four long errant strands hanging down his face. His eyes, golden in color, gleam with both coolness and coldness. He drags on his cigarettes like he draws his oxygen from them. Both men are dressed pretty much alike -- pale-colored button-down, dark suit, dull tie -- except that Kenshin's outfit is topped with a navy blue flannel jacket, and Saitou's, a midnight blue trench coat. They are both staring, albeit not too conspicuously, at something to their right from across their table. (OS) GIRLS giggling. Saitou turns his gaze to the direction of the giggles. He scowls. At a couple tables away sit three young women, all of whom look a little out of high school, have glossy pink lips, and blurt out statements in the form of a question ("So I had my nails done the other day?" "My boyfriend's taking me to the beach this weekend?" "I think I'm on the tad chubby side again?" etc.). They are huddled on one side of their table, giggling none too discreetly and staring all together at something just across from them. Saitou brings his cup down to its saucer, and reverts his eyes to what he's been staring at. Which is the bar. At one end of the bar sit two young, lean men, sipping their tall, slim glasses of cold cappuccino. Once every few seconds, they throw back flirty glances at the giggling trio. Seated on the stool to the right is the perpetually-smiling SETA SOUJIRO, 18. He is turned halfway towards the girls, and halfway towards his companion, and from this angle it's easy to make out his looks. He has playful blue eyes, pale skin, and raven bob-like hair with short random strands falling softly down the sides of his face. He is wearing a baby-blue, sleeveless turtle-neck that looks a size smaller than his own, tight white jeans, laced patent leather boots, and a dangling silver earring on his left lobe. He is lovely in a boyish kind of way. Sometimes when he smiles, we can catch a glimpse of his silvery braces. Seated on the stool to the left is SAGARA SANOSUKE, 19. He is likewise halfway facing the girls, and halfway facing Soujiro, but with his back turned to Kenshin and Saitou. He has an unruly mop of dark brown hair, with shaggy spikes going in all directions. He is dressed in a black tank top (that also looks very suspiciously a size smaller than his own) underneath a dark red denim jacket, tight black jeans that hang dangerously low from his hips, and buckled boots. He's got a thin crimson band tied around his forehead. The band's long, twin strips fall loosely down his back, its ends grazing the exposed flaxen base of his spine. Incidentally, we can see a small red kanji tattooed on this particular patch of skin, and it's the kanji for 'aku.' Bad. Wicked. Evil. From that angle, unfortunately, it's hard for either Kenshin or Saitou to make out Sano's looks. While the girls continue to giggle, Saitou takes another drag on his stick, and Kenshin takes another sip of his coffee, both not once taking their eyes off the bar. Soujiro and Sano whisper to each other momentarily, then turn back to the girls. Another round of giggles. Soujiro gives them his brightest smile yet, braces glittering. Then, without warning, he pulls Sano closer to himself by the waist and gives him a French kiss. Which Sano readily returns. The giggling comes to an abrupt, painful halt. The now-paling girls -- slack-jawed in apparent shock -- watch the two boys kiss deeply right before their wide, mascara-heavy eyes. Kenshin and Saitou watch the scene, apparently, with no readable expression on their faces. After a half -minute or so, Soujiro pulls away from Sano, then turns and smiles once again at the horrified girls, who grab their dainty bags to themselves as they abandon their seats and scurry out of the cafe. Soujiro and Sano chortle heartily to themselves as they watch their fleeing admirers. Their laughter, however, is cut short as the displeased-looking bartender approaches rapping his knuckles against the counter top, and gives them a piece of his mind. Some of the other customers look on, casting frowns at the two boys. Within seconds, Sano and Soujiro get up from their seats, bowing apologetically to the bartender. Holding hands, the tall Sano and the short Soujiro amble together out of the cafe. Kenshin and Saitou remain immobile, their eyes glued to the departing pair. Just before they step out the door, Sano glances back at the bar one last time, uttering something to the bartender, and giving both Kenshin and Saitou a good view of his face finally in the process. CU of Saitou's eyes narrowing even further. CU of Sano. He has a sparkling pair of chocolate eyes, and an even more sparkling grin. He is, to any casual onlooker, an undeniably attractive boy. The young pair exit the place. KENSHIN: What do you think, Saitou? SAITOU: (tapping ash off his cigarette) I think we're on tonight. Himura. KENSHIN: (nods) Good. I'll take -- SAITOU: I'll take -- KENSHIN: -- Seta. SAITOU: -- Sagara. The two men glance at each other with nary a word. Kenshin breaks into a meaningful smile, and Saitou, a meaningful smirk. They lift their cups back to their lips, and quietly resume drinking their coffee. (OS) Sano and Soujiro moaning. Loud. CUT TO: (2) INT. HOTEL SUITE -- NIGHT CU of Saitou and Kenshin, their gazes nothing short of intent. (OS) Sanosuke and Soujiro still moaning loud. CUT TO: Outside the closed door of the hotel suite. Full shot of the empty, quiet, and seemingly endless hallway. CU of the sign dangling from the doorknob: PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB. CUT TO: Back inside the suite. Kenshin and Saitou stand side-by-side behind a gold, see-through silk screen divider. Kenshin's hands are tucked in his jacket's pockets. Saitou's arms are crossed loosely before him. The room is sparsely lit with somber orange light. Beyond the divider, further into the room, we see a group of men in suits, seated clustered together in a semi-circle down the floor. Their backs are all turned to Kenshin and Saitou. There are about 10, 11 of them. All are hushed and glued to the scene in front of them: (their right side facing the audience) Soujiro, down on his hands and knees, and Sano, on his knees behind him, ramming his hips against the smaller boy. They are both unclothed, except for these white, knee-high cotton tube socks. Clear-sky-brilliant light shines down on them, illuminating their joined slick bodies. While the two boys rock and moan together with devil-may-care abandon, several of the men take still and moving pictures of them. Snap ! roll snap ! roll they go. On one light-deprived side of the room sit four silhouetted men. By the shut door is the dorky-looking bellboy, bathed in perspiration and looking quite a mess altogether as he views the scene. Medium shot of the deep-in-thought Kenshin and the slightly-frowning Saitou. The moans continue to assault our ears. We gradually focus on Saitou alone, until we get a CU of his searing golden eyes. Sano moans louder; rams harder into Soujiro. Soujiro sets loose a wild, breathless cry. The rocking intensifies. We now focus on Sano, with his head slung back, eyes shut, mouth slackly open. The ends of the long, twin strips of his crimson headband are brushing kissing flirting against the cleft of his smooth- as-infant-skin buttocks. CU of Saitou playing the role of spectator much too keenly. CU of the sweat tracks along Sano's throat. Of the cords of sinew in his thighs. Of the red 'aku' tattoo on the base of his spine. Of the dampened shag of hair by his ear. Of his parted pink, saliva-glossed lips. All through this seamless inlay of images, we lend our ears to Sano's loud moaning and heavy breathing, detached from every bit of extraneous sound inside the room. CU of the thin, dry line that is Saitou's mouth. The tip of his tongue slips out, drawing his lips apart to slowly, secretly, taste them. SLOW-MO of Saitou's lids collapsing over his eyes. Then: SANO: (in a gravely scream, OS) SAIIITOOOUUU!!! Golden eyes dart open. We see Sano now limply bent over Soujiro. Sano's scream echoes in Saitou's ears, only to be cut off by: KENSHIN: (softly, OS) Saitou? Hey, Saitou. SAITOU: (turning calmly to Kenshin) Yeah. KENSHIN: I believe it's over. SAITOU: (catching, from the corner of his eye, the bellboy creeping out of the room) Aa. Back to the two boys. Sano is now sliding himself out of Soujiro. Two tall men in dark, pin-stripe suits walk up to the boys, each one holding a black silken robe. SENKAKU, the taller, muscular heavy-set one with the bald cone head, helps Soujiro put on his robe. The other man, CHO, lends Sano a hand with his own robe meanwhile. Cho is a thin, pale man in his mid-20s, with stiff blond hair that shoot up into the heavens like a broom head. The men in the audience heave themselves up from the floor. Then, their voices faint, heads slightly bowed (that we barely make out their faces), and clutching their precious little cameras, they gab and compare notes as they make a beeline out of the suite. KENSHIN: Shall we go talk to them? SAITOU: (uncrossing his arms) Yes. With casual strides Saitou and Kenshin make their way over to Sano and Soujiro. Kenshin heads for Soujiro. Saitou stops before Sano, who is yet to notice his presence. Sano's used condom is discarded to a shadowy spot on the floor. In the BG, Kenshin and Soujiro are already talking. SAITOU: Sagara Sanosuke? SANO: (tying his robe sash) Last time I checked. Finally Sano looks up. Saitou and Sano make eye-contact for the *first* time. CU of Sano's unblinking chocolate eyes. CU of Saitou's narrowed golden eyes. CU of Sano's lips parted to a quarter-inch. CU of Saitou's lips cast in a thin smirk. Cho sticks out a swinging arm between the two men, as if warding Saitou off from Sano. CHO: (glaring, to Saitou) And who are /you/? SAITOU: (breaking eye contact with Sano momentarily) Detective Saitou Hajime. Tokyo Police Department. CHO: (leering) Detective, huh? SAITOU: (to Sano) I need to ask you a few things about Takeda Kanryu. SANO: (blinks) Takeda? The dead guy? SAITOU: Yes. I believe you were one of the last few people he was with on the night he was murdered. CHO: (frowning) So what if he was? SAITOU: (to Sano, ignoring Cho) I believe what you know may be of big help to our investigation. SANO: (fingers plowing his hair) Uh, I'm not a suspect, am I? SAITOU: Not exactly. CHO: (leering once again) What's that supposed to mean? SANO: (to Cho) Look, Cho, I can handle this, 'k man? (back to Saitou) Sure, I guess. I'd be glad to help you out. HOUJI: (clapping, OS) Sanosuke! Soujiro! HOUJI steps out of the shadows. He is a gaunt-looking man with deep- set eyes and brown swept-back hair, dressed in a long, apple green fur- trimmed wool coat over a tan suit. HOUJI: You boys hurry up now, we can't keep Mr. Shishio waiting for us too long! Then he claps his hands again, urging on the boys to move it. Sano and Soujiro exchange stolen glances. As do Kenshin and Saitou. SANO: (turns back to Saitou) Look, uh, sorry but we gotta run now, see there's this real important dinner we gotta go to and we'll be in deep shit with our boss if we don't get there in time. I'm free tomorrow, though, are you? SAITOU: Tomorrow. (reluctantly nods) I suppose so. SANO: You got my address? SAITOU: Yes. SANO: I get up at around one. SAITOU: (with a hint of dissatisfaction) That late. SANO: Yeah, so I'll just see ya? SAITOU: (pauses, as if to consider) Aa. SANO: (grinning) Awrighty then, Detective. Sano is just about to extend a hand to Saitou, apparently for a shake, but Cho grabs hold of Sano's hand and pivots to escort him out. Snatching one last glance at the boy, Saitou about-faces, and draws a cigarette out of his trench coat's inside pocket. As he takes his first step away: SANO: (whispering, OS) Hey, Cho, you think I turn him on? CU of Saitou's face breaking into a miniscule smirk. CHO: (whispering in reply, OS) Naaah. Saitou lifts his stick to his smirking lips, and lights it. Kenshin approaches Saitou, and walks alongside him towards the door. Sano, Soujiro and posse have now cleared out. BESPECTACLED MAN: (OS) So what did you think of the show, gentlemen? Kenshin and Saitou turn to the short, balding, middle-aged BESPECTACLED MAN in the gray suit. A sly grin flits across his face. BESPECTACLED MAN: (winks) The boys knocked you off your feet, eh? KENSHIN and SAITOU: (dryly) Aa. The two detectives turn their backs to the blinking Bespectacled Man, and proceed to leave the suite. CU of Saitou, licking his smirking lips. Then he blows his smoke, *white and puffy*. DISSOLVE TO: (3) EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING -- AFTERNOON Full shot of the blue sky, its clouds *white and puffy*. We slide down to focus on a gray high-rise smack in the middle of a slew of taller buildings. (4) INT. APARTMENT BUILDING -- AFTERNOON Saitou stands in a long, quiet, carpeted hallway, before a door numbered 801. It is the only other door, apparently, on this entire floor of the building. He raises his knuckles for a knock, but stops halfway as the door just then swings open from the inside. KATSU, a rather attractive man with long, raven hair and looking a tad older than Sanosuke, yelps out startled as he nearly bumps into Saitou on his way out. KATSU: (catches his breath) God, you could have /knocked/! Saitou slides his hand back into his trench coat pocket, his stance stolid, unmoving, and disinterested before Katsu. SAITOU: (glancing casually over Katsu's shoulder) Is Sagara in? Katsu takes a swift, heavy grip of the door knob, and places the big art notebook he's carrying before his chest, as if shielding himself. KATSU: (eyeing Saitou with suspicion) And if he is? SAITOU: (stoically) I'm here to see him. KATSU: Does he know? SAITOU: (features hardening a tad) Of course. KATSU: What's your name. SAITOU: (darkly) Detective Saitou. Katsu sizes Saitou up for a second or two more, before: KATSU: Excuse me. Katsu shuts the door to Saitou's face. Click. CU of Saitou as his eyes burn through the door before him. KATSU: (just behind the door, OS) Sano! You know any Detective Saitou? Says he's here to see you! CUT TO: (5) INT. SANOSUKE'S BEDROOM -- AFTERNOON CU of Sanosuke, his long dark eyebrows arched -- apparently taken by surprise. He is halfway through pulling on his white pair of chinos. He glances over to the small digital clock on his computer desk. The clock flashes 1:09 p. Quickly he buttons up his pants, then snatches the white cotton t-shirt on his unmade bed. He puts on his tee, then ties his long crimson band around his forehead as he starts to stride out of his spacious, cluttered-up bedroom.