AN: Hi, everyone. I guess I decided to write yet another Skip Beat fic to go with the twenty-six that I'm already working on. My hours are going to go down soon at work because someone new got hired and somebody else has returned from their leave of absence so my aim is to update ten to fifteen fics every Saturday. Now, I call this my aim but sometimes things go wrong so thank you so much for your patience.

This is something that I've wanted to write for a while though so I hope you enjoy it.

Also, I do keep note of the more popular of my fics and I'll try to update these a little more often than some of the others: It's Just Like Magic, Parenting Firsts, Q and A, Study of Life, The Lake in the Park, and The Little Prince.

Thank you for your patience with that long author note, I hope you enjoy the story 😊

In Your Eyes

Chapter One – Without Sight

I'm such a coward. I don't know what happened or how it happened but the lead actor for A Lotus in the Mud couldn't perform the part and so they reoffered me the role. I accepted of course. I mean, Mogami-san is appearing in this drama and maybe I'm being a little too protective but I wanted to star opposite her. However, I'm such a coward for not being able to tell her how I feel about her. How I love her.

Yashiro comes to sit beside me as we watch the scene, "She's really good," he says and he doesn't need to repeat that for me. I know how skilled she is as an actress. I know how talented she is and how she can bring the character to life. I love watching her. "So, how's the lighting for you?" he asks me and I look at him confused.

"I'm fine," I tell him before seeing that Mogami-san is actually sweating. Not only has she been performing stunts and with weapons as well but they tried to create the feeling of daylight using a large number of lights.

I hear the scene being called but then notice that Mogami-san is taking a while to get up, she's panting hard. I have to applaud her for putting her whole self into this scene. I stand up wanting to talk to her and feel a sudden shock around me. An earthquake. Well, earthquakes are common in Japan and they are also common in California. However, the lighting really worries me.

I hear something like the rip of cables and see that the one above Mogami-san is becoming looser. How can nobody else see it? She's too exhausted to get up but it would devastate me were she to get hurt. I hear another rip and I run forwards. I feel a slight pain as I grab her and roll with her to get her out of the light but as I do so, I hear screams and the studio light has broken off. I shove her away but it's too late for me and I feel those shards of glass all over my body.

My whole entire body starts to feel hot as if I'm on fire and I can hear muffled screaming. My face feels hot but I'm losing consciousness. The last thing I feel is a damp cloth being placed over my face. That's when it all goes black.

…..

…..

I must be getting more skilled at my acting because I feel like I'm losing my grip on the world around me through my exhaustion. Still, if that exhaustion brings about a good scene for Momiji then I've done my work as an actor. I feel the ground start to shake under me. No, it's probably my imagination. If I close my eyes I can calm myself down and get ready for the next scene.

From above me I hear something strange, something ripping like cord or rope or something? Is this part of the scenery? Well if I could just keep my eyes closed for a couple mor-

Something large and warm wraps around me and I feel myself rolling to the side. I open my eyes and I feel confused. I got really excited, though a bit nervous, when I heard that the roles had been changed and Tsuruga-san had been reoffered the role. I also felt excited when he had accepted it. I get to work with him again but working next to him means that I have to work harder at concealing my feelings.

Still, I don't understand why he's shoving me but I back up and then I see it. The large light from above where I was positioned has come loose and I scream as I see the glass shatter, cutting into his body. Then the electricity from the light, that bright light which has caused me to sweat, starts to burn his skin and he's not getting up.

I can't stop it. This is a nightmare, right? He has to get up. I can't be witnessing the death of Ren Tsuruga. I wanted him to tell me his real name but does anyone know it? His family. Does his family know where he is? Why isn't he moving?

I see a few crew members try to stop the flames but he's not moving. He's not moving. I can't even see the rise and fall of his chest. Is he alive? Oh god, what if he isn't alive any longer? I crawl forwards and see that there is so much blood, so much burned skin. I can even smell the burned skin and I look up at Yashiro-san who is phoning the ambulance.

"Tsuruga-san?" I ask with tears clouding my vision. I lift up his wrist, I can feel his pulse.

I don't know if these wounds will heal but I'm scared that this might be the last time I can see him alive. I nervously let my hand brush through his hair. I never even got the chance to tell him how much I love him and how much he means to me.

He saved my life. What if he sacrificed his life to save mine? I caused this. I just don't want to be responsible for the death of Tsuruga Ren.

…

…..

It's dark when I find myself gain consciousness. I hear the beeping of the machines that I'm hooked up to but I can't see them. Do I have something covering my eyes? I move my hand but my arm really hurts, the other I can't move at all. There's nothing over my eyes so it must just be incredibly dark in this room. Strange. Hospital rooms aren't usually this dark.

I feel my face, heavy bandages. Did I get hurt? Did that actually happen, the light? Did the light…no, maybe I just was too exhausted but then why am I hearing a heart monitor. I hear the door open and turn towards the sound hoping that there will be some light so I can actually know what's going on.

"Hi, Ren," I hear the president say and I turn to face him. I can't see him. "I told them that you might not have anyone else. I told them that I was your last legal guardian," he tells me and I nod. Why can't I make out anything in the darkness? I have always had better night vision than most. "How are you feeling?"

"Can you turn the light on?" I ask, my voice sounds scratchy and different, not that smooth one that has audiences wanting more. I hear a hesitancy in the president's voice. He must be hearing my voice as well.

"Ren, I want you to try to stay calm," the president says and I have a sinking feeling in my stomach. What is he going to tell me? "I think your parents might need to be contacted. I think that at least your mother should be with you right now."

"I don't need them to come," I argue. What is he talking about? Why is he telling me to stay calm? I just need for him to turn the stupid light on. "Can you just turn the li-"

"It's mid-morning and there's a window to your left," the president tells me. He doesn't sound his overly excited and expressive self right now. He sounds very severe and very straightforward. I don't recognize this part of the president.

"That's not possible," I argue with him. "There's no light, I can't see…."

No. No way. I can't admit that this is possible. It's not possible. I can see. There's no way that I can't see. I don't want to hear anything more which isn't true. This is a joke. It has to be a joke.

"Ren, I need you to be calm. You can't see because…you've lost your vision, you're blind."

You're blind.

No. He's lying to me. There's no way that I'm blind. I'll be able to see soon. He just doesn't want to turn the light on but I don't know his reasons for that. Still, I'm not blind.

"The light that fell on you had many effects on your physical body but the fact that you were wearing contacts caused damage to your eyes when the smoke and fire hit the contacts they burned into your eyes. I'm sorry," he tells me and I don't want to hear this. What is he talking about?

"I'm not blind," I argue and he sighs.

"I'm going to put my hand on your shoulder," he tells me slowly before doing so. "I'll do whatever I can to help you through this but I think that your parents would be much more capable than I am. You know that if your father doesn't know about this now then -"

"If I am blind and I'm not willing to admit to that," I state. "You can call my parents but if I'm not then please allow me to continue being Ren Tsuruga."

I hear hesitancy before the president continues to ask me, "Is there anything else that I can help you with for right now?"

…

…

I love making dinner with my wife. It's one of the most exciting times for me when we get to do it together and now I remember when we used to cook for Kuon. I think about him every day but it gives me confidence that I was able to see him in Japan even if it was just Tsuruga Ren that I truly saw. I hope he can come home soon.

I hear my phone ring and pause, I know that ring tone but I'm not sure why he would be calling me now. I look at Julie with a weak smile, "That's Boss –" I begin and she frowns.

"The kidnapper?" she asks and I nod with a weak smile.

"Yeah, but it might be important so I'm going to be right back," I tell her and grab my phone at the very last ring. Usually he contacts me about work. He sometimes gives me little bits of information on Kuon but it's rare. That makes it sadder for me. My son is so far away and I don't know that much about him.

"Hello, Boss" I say as I answer the phone but hear labored breathing from his side. Is something wrong? Did something happen?

"Shuuhei," he says, using my former stage name, "Are you sitting down?"

"We were just about to ea-" I begin but hear the hesitancy in his voice. Something is wrong here. Something happened. "Boss, what's going on?"

"Shuuhei, I need you to remain calm. Are you sitting down?" he asks and I look back to the dining room and pull out a chair, sitting down in it.

"I am now, Boss. Is everything okay? Is…he okay?" I ask. Something in my stomach doesn't feel right and

this time it's not the craving for food. The somber tone and the vagueness is making me nervous.

"There was a tragic accident on set," Boss says and I feel for a moment that I can't breathe. Tragic!? Meaning, dead? Kuon is dead? My mind is starting to spin. I couldn't protect him. It's my fault that he's over there. I let my hand run through my hair. "There were certain resul-"

"Tell me," I beg as I feel my back slump and I hold to the phone with both hands. "Just tell me. He's my son. Is he dea—dea?" the word sound so unnatural and Julie has dropped the plate of food that she's holding and stares at me desperately.

"He's not dead. He's badly hurt with burns and lacerations over his body and a stab wound. He's going to live but Shuuhei," Boss continues and though this does sound horrible, it is a relief that he's going to live through this. At least the worst hasn't happened. "He's permanently blind."

I feel my body turn cold and I feel tears in my eyes. It's not something that you want to hear. Your own son losing his vision.

"He's….blind?" I ask before hearing Julie gasp and start sobbing with one arm wrapped around her chest. "Are you sure?"

"The doctors are positive," Boss says and I feel stabs of pain over my skin.

"Are we allowed to come see him?" I ask, hating that I have to ask permission for this. "Please, Boss. He's my son. I don't know how I can cope if I can't see him. He needs someone to look after him and I know that you could do it but he's…he's my kid. Please let us be his parents."

"Yes," Boss says and I nod to Julie who immediately gets onto her phone to get us plane tickets for the next flight. "He won't be returning to acting. I think it's best for everyone if you come. He needs someone to take care of him whether he'll admit it or not."

"I understand," I whisper as I feel so much sadness for what I've heard. Once I've ended the call, Julie runs into my arms and I don't know what to say as I wrap my arms around her. I just hope he'll be able to pull through and find something to bring him joy again.

End of Chapter One

Thank you so much for reading, it would really mean a lot to me if you could review

Note: This is mainly going to be in Ren's/Kuon's perspective but I'm going to add at least one other character for every chapter. Hope you enjoy