Consequences

Summery: Sho was more of a bastard than anyone ever realized. This has consequences, both bad and, in the end, good for Kyoko. She must face a whole new set of problems as well as the old ones. Can she find happiness? Eventual Ren/Kyoko

A/N: This idea has been bugging me for a while now so I really felt the need to write it. Considering the dark mindedness parts of the fanfiction community I am really kind of surprised I haven't seen a story like this yet. If know of one that goes in this direction, please let me know because I want to read it.

Questions? Read this First! This story starts about three months after Kyoko and Shotaro show up in Tokyo. They left Kyoto right after finishing middle school and typical Japanese school year runs from April to March. In a practical time line that would make it June. Sho just had his sixteenth birthday (May 29th) and Kyoko is still fifteen. For those that don't know, high school is not a requirement in Japan. That means it is fairly common to see a fifteen-year-old working and not attending school.

Also, for anyone who has read my long delayed HP/FF7 story... um, I will update it eventually.

Warnings: Non-graphic non-con in this chapter only with mentions later, other non-graphic underage sexual situations, language, Japanese name order and suffixes, and some other stuff that I will warn you about later.

Sorry for the long notes.

Chapter One

The End is Just a New Beginning

Stepping off the train that first day in Tokyo had been like stepping onto the soil of a new world compared to the Ryokan where she and Sho had grown up. It had been more than a little frightening, but Sho had been with her so she had endured. The first two weeks they had lived in an inexpensive hotel. The very first day Sho had vanished to parts unknown and Kyoko had begun looking for a job.

It was completely by accident that she found the Darumaya. She'd been wandering in and out of small shops and restaurants all morning when she had encountered the wonderful smell of traditional Japanese food wafting out into the street. Her stomach had angrily reminded her that she'd missed breakfast in her rush that morning. So she had wandered in and sat down. The menu at the Darumaya was a long list of foods that she was very familiar with, as they had served most of the same items at the Fuwa Ryokan.

It seemed as though the lunch crowd had simply followed her in, because as she finished her meal she looked up to see the couple who apparently owned the restaurant trying to keep up with the rush. She didn't even think it over as she picked up her own dishes and headed toward the back. No one stopped her and she mindlessly started to wash the accumulating mess in the sink. The Okami had only paused for a few seconds to watch her the first time she came in to deposit more dishes. After that she simply kept working. A couple of hours later had seen the back of the lunch rush and Kyoko finally looked up, satisfied that the kitchen was acceptably clean (read spotless).

It was only after that she came to realize what she had done. She had apologized profusely but was quickly waved off. And so she found her first job in Tokyo. The Taisho and Okami were kind people. She would have gladly worked for them full time, but they didn't need that much help. They would put her to work during their busiest hours and then inevitably send her off with more food than she could possibly eat in one day. Of course the food came in handy in the weeks before she and Sho saved up enough for an apartment. Well, Kyoko saved and Sho auditioned.

Eventually, even though the pay was good, Kyoko had to look for second and then third job to pay for Sho's expensive tastes. She simply could not make enough working the hours the Darumaya couple were able to give her. When they found out she was working additional jobs to pay for a rather expensive apartment they offered her their spare room above the restaurant. No matter how many times she refused they kept offering any time she let it slip just how tired she was getting. They didn't understand why it was so important for her to keep the apartment. They didn't understand because she didn't tell them despite the fact that they were her favorite people in Tokyo.

Well, besides Sho. No one was better than Sho.

She had always believed in Sho's talent despite that niggling voice in the back of her head that told her if all it took was looks and talent then a lot more people would be famous. Apparently he'd done well in his auditions though, because he had been signed by the Akatoki agency. They had fast tracked him. His album had come out after only a few weeks and sold faster than anyone could have expected. Things were moving so quickly, but Kyoko could only feel pride for her friend. She didn't let the spark of worry show. Sho was changing and not all of those changes were good.

She shook her thoughts away, she was just tired. She was no stranger to the feeling, but it wore on her anyway. It seemed like she was never home, and when she was Sho was gone. Still, anything was worth it as long as Sho was happy. Everything she did was for his sake.

She exited the elevator trying to reach her key while still keeping a firm hold on her grocery bags. It was one of those rare days when she was home early enough to cook. It had become normal to make sure that there was food that was easy to reheat available for Sho when he came home. Everything was cooked and portioned out in the fridge with neat little labels. It was sometimes one of the only ways she would know if he had been home at all.

She called a cheerful Tadaima as she kicked off her shoes and went to the kitchen. It was no surprise to her that he wasn't home. He hadn't been home for at least three days now. She was starting to get a little concerned, but an additional phone simply wasn't in her strict budget yet, so there was little she could do but wait.

The early afternoon light faded as the hours passed. She was perfectly content as she cleaned out and restocked the fridge with a fresh batch of Sho's favorite foods. Cooking soon turned to cleaning the small apartment. She was almost an obsessively clean housekeeper. It was partly due to her perfectionist upbringing, both with her mother and at the Ryokan, and partly due to her own personality quirks. By the time she was done she'd returned the whole apartment to it's normal state of spotlessness. The futons were aired out and all the dirty clothes were freshly washed.

She knew it was starting to get late just by looking out the window. The sky was stained the red of another dying day. She made one last slow tour of the apartment making sure there was nothing else for her to do. At last satisfied she sat down in the living room. The TV blinked on a moment later and she flipped through the stations until she came to an entertainment news program. The show was nearing its halfway mark. Kyoko was tired enough that she only gave the show a minimum of attention as she listened for news about the only famous person she cared about. The reporter droned on for a while before saying anything that caught Kyoko's attention.

"... there are rumors that Momose Itsumi will sign on to a second season as well." The reporter paused briefly to check her notes. "In other news, newcomer, Fuwa Sho, is quickly rising up the charts with his single, A New Girl. The sixteen-year-old has only been on the scene for a couple of months, and already he has girls all over Japan swooning. We will have to keep our eyes on this rising star." There was another brief pause. "It has just been announced that Tsuruga Ren will be appearing in..."

She turned the TV off again, not wanting news of that wanna-be actor ruining the good news about Sho. "He must be so excited! No wonder he hasn't had time to come home!" She squealed happily. She allowed herself to flop down onto the comfortable couch as she daydreamed about Sho's success. She had, of course, bought his album as soon as it had come out. He'd brought her a copy home, but she had wanted to do her part to help sales. She also frequently visited the payphone near the Darumaya to call in to several radio stations and request his songs.

She must have dosed off because she found herself waking to the sound of the front door opening. A quick glance at the clock told her it was after eleven and she couldn't have been asleep for more than two hours. She was groggy but hurried into the front hall. Sho was sitting taking off his shoes. "Sho-chan, okaeri!" she greeted happily. She came to a stop next to him and froze at the cold look he met her with.

He didn't say anything as he got up and pushed passed her. She followed behind him slowly as he entered the kitchen. She hesitated as she watched him rummage in the fridge. This was one of those changes that concerned her. Her once kind and, at times, slightly awkward friend had been becoming increasingly cold toward her. She would shrug it off as nerves, fatigue, and stress, but it wasn't getting better. She didn't know how he acted around others because she only ever saw him at home, but it did make her wonder if perhaps he acted like this around her because she knew him best. On very bad days she told herself he only acted that way because he trusted her to be able to take it. "What's wrong Sho?"

He growled low in his throat and slammed the refrigerator door causing her to jump. All he had in his hand was a cup of his favorite pudding. He leaned against the counter and pulled a spoon from the drawer beside him. "What's wrong?" This was not good. He snatched the lid off and licked it before throwing it in the sink. "What's wrong?" He laughed cruelly this time and Kyoko took a reflexive step backwards. He was drunk. She didn't know how she had missed it. The smell was rather pungent and he was supporting himself with the counter.

"I have been working hard every day trying to get out into the public. I finally have a single on the charts and ONE program talks about me for a measly twenty seconds. Twenty SECONDS! Then, they go on to talk about that no talent, platform wearing idiot for five minutes. No one will even remember that they mentioned me at all."

She should have known. Sho had taken to ranting about Tsuruga Ren and blaming him for various problems that he had encountered. He stuffed another spoonful of the dessert into his mouth. "Then, to top it off, Shoko makes me come home, to you." He took several more bites in quick succession finishing off the small pudding. He tossed the whole thing into the sink, not caring about the mess he'd just made. He ignored the hurt look that Kyoko had been unable to hide and walked back past her into the living room.

Kyoko watched him go before she cleaned up his mess. She waited several moments before she slowly walked into the living room. He was watching a variety show, but he wasn't smiling or laughing like he normally would. She walked up behind him and wrinkled her nose at the awful smell. Alcohol and smoke. It wasn't the first time he'd gone out drinking. It wasn't even that hard to find places that would serve minors in a big city like Tokyo. Especially minors who weren't afraid to name drop.

It was probably the thing that bothered her the most. He was a truly mean drunk. He always seemed to come home angry when he was drunk too. The last time he'd come home drunk he'd been downright cruel before getting sick and passing out. She'd covered him up where he lay and cleaned up his mess. He'd apologized the next morning and, like always, she'd forgiven him.

She shook her head and mentally justified his dark attitude. It wasn't his fault.

"What can I do to help?" She asked quietly.

He snorted derisively. "Grow a pair of tits and then come suck my dick."

She gasped at his crude suggestion. He'd always been a playboy. He was handsome and girls simply couldn't help loving him. But he had always kept it clean in front of her, even when he was at his worst. "Sho!" she cried out in surprise.

He turned off the TV and angrily threw the remote down. He stood and stalked around the couch toward her. "What? Don't act like you don't want me? A flat chested, plain and boring girl like you should be honored that I would even look twice. Shoko made me come home before I could find company and I'm horny. You're here and I happen to know you're in love with me. So if you want to do something to make me feel better, lift your skirt, and be grateful!"

She was taking a step back for every one he took toward her. For the first time she was truly scared of the anger on his face. Her back hit the wall. "Please Sho, don't act like this. It's not you, it's the alcohol."

He growled and smacked her hard across the face. "Don't tell me what to do you clingy little bitch!" He grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head back against the wall. "I'll drink if I want to!" He used his grip on her hair to sling her down and straddled her legs. "You're going to get exactly what you've been wanting from me. You're just like all those other sluts back in Kyoto. You whine and beg for my attention and then pretend to be sweet and innocent when I finally ask you to spread your legs. That's why I like the girls here. There are always those more than happy to find a dark corner for a quick fuck."

Kyoko's ears were ringing and she couldn't seem to focus on his words. He'd never, ever hurt her before. Not physically at least. She tried to push him off of her.

"Oh no you don't."

She struggled harder when she heard and felt fabric rip, but he punched several times until the shock and pain of it caused her to go limp under him. The black spots dancing in front of her eyes distracted her completely and she no longer knew what he was saying or understood what he was doing. He was manhandling her and she felt pain in new ways.

She didn't know how long it had gone on, but when he moved off of her she was mostly naked and hurting all over. She curled in on herself, crying. "Don't cry, you little slut. You finally got what you wanted. You've been panting after me like a bitch in heat for years!" She flinched when she heard him stomp down the hall. The front door slammed a moment later.

She lay there until she manged to get herself somewhat under control. She forced herself to sit up. The clock over the TV swam in and out of focus, obliviously declaring it to be after two in the morning. She took stock of herself. Other than her socks and the remains of her shirt she was naked. She looked down and saw blood and other fluids on the floor between her legs. She felt sharp pains and deep aches in places and ways she had never known possible. She stood up dizzily and stumbled to the bathroom. She was violently sick. The shock and horror of what had happened was trying to overwhelm her. She sobbed for a few moments sitting against the bathtub. She didn't allow herself long before climbing up and into the shower.

She cleaned up as quickly as her body would let her, scrubbing hard enough to leave her skin an angry red. She couldn't look at her self in the mirror when she got out. She dressed again and then cleaned up all evidence of what had happened in the living room. She bagged her ruined clothes in the trash, put on her shoes, and walked out the door. At first she'd had no goal beyond getting out. She didn't have a phone, nor anyone to call, but she couldn't stay there. She was afraid of him coming back. It was an alien feeling for her. She had never feared Shotaro before, not really. Even when he was angry it had never once crossed her mind that he would hurt her. Tonight he had been a complete stranger in familiar skin.

She found her feet carrying her to the Darumaya and it really wasn't a long walk. She always felt safe there. She was no longer sure of the time when she got to the restaurant and she hesitated knocking. She didn't want to be rude and wake them up, but the pain in her head was starting to make it hard to keep her eyes open. She was actually a little worried that she might be hurt worse than she thought.

A twinge of pain at her left temple forced her to give in and she knocked softly. She didn't have to wait long before the door opened. Taisho stood there cautiously, already dressed for the morning. The wary look on his face quickly turned to one of surprise then concern.

"Kyoko!"

All she got out was a quiet, "Can I stay here?" before she passed out into his arms.

XXX

She slowly started to come back to. She could hear several voices speaking quietly near her, but it took her a few moments before she understood anything that was being said.

"... however she or someone else cleaned her up rather thoroughly. We, of course, ran the rape kit anyway, but I'm not sure if we will be able to get any viable DNA from it. We will have to wait for her to wake up. Hopefully she will be willing to talk about what happened." This voice was kind, but she didn't know it.

She heard them moving around and pretended to be asleep. It was obvious that she had been brought to a hospital. She wasn't happy about it, but considering the circumstances she couldn't blame the Taisho and Okami for their actions. Still, she had no intentions of telling them who hurt her. Sho had been drunk. It wasn't his fault. He didn't mean it. She suddenly found herself being hugged and she tensed. She didn't realized that she'd started crying again.

"Shh. You're safe now." Okami was rocking her gently as she spoke in a soothing voice.

Kyoko let the sound of it wash over her. In her head the same thoughts kept repeating themselves like a mantra. He was drunk. It wasn't his fault. He didn't mean it. He couldn't have.

TBC

Coming up next time:

"We need to contact your guardians."

Kyoko tensed under the scrutinizing gaze of the doctor, but didn't say anything. How did she explain that her father was dead, she hadn't seen or heard from her mother since she was seven, and that her legal guardians were her "rapist's" parents?