SUMMARY: Renge/Kyouya. She was living in a different reality, one that she really wished for. And in spite of how much she was living in luxury, she wanted to live a life beyond the meaning of wealth.

A/N: Renge/Kyouya story. Romance (kinda). Requested by Hime-Hikari. Expect OOCness.

Disclaimer: Renge and Kyouya are not mine.

Story One: Cinderella's Search for Reality

She was a modern-day Cinderella--trapped in her own world, hopeless, and trying to find true love. She was one rich girl, confined inside the dark corners of her room, wishing for her prince to come save her when she would feel so alone, to come stay by her side to keep her company.

No, it was definitely apart from reality. She wasn't the Cinderella people used to know--dressed in rags and running errands, suffering from the hands of her evil step-sisters. She lived in a world where anything nearly impossible could be within reach. She was living in a world of luxury, but trapped in world where she couldn't move--where she had no freedom. She was a slave of her own little world.

"Renge-hime, we have arrived."

He chauffer stopped in front of a large castle-like mansion--the Ootori mansion and stepped out of the car to open her door. A ball was headed by the Ootori Empire as a celebration for the company's Golden Anniversary and his father, one of their greatest associate for business was invited and Renge was forced to come along. It wasn't that she didn't want to go out and have some fun, but she had some other plans for the night. The only problem was: she couldn't refuse her father when it comes to businesses like this. It was a regular drill for every heir of a large company to be dragged along and associate themselves to other businessmen to create particular connections. In their world, it was necessary.

The door opened, and her driver helped her out, as she made her way up to the grand oak doors that led to the main hall.

---

Housakuji Renge walked out of the veranda, out of the large crowd that gathered around the hall, with a flute of champagne on hand. It was suffocating. And no matter how much she wanted to tell herself that she was enjoying the rest of the evening, she couldn't.

All she ever wanted to have, all she ever wished for, is to have a meaning to life. Not all of these social gatherings, not one of these elegant million-dollar dresses she wore every time, not all of these fake smiles she had to endure. But instead, she wanted a life. In their hierarchy, she was at the top. But no matter how high she was and how close her hand could reach up to the sky, everything else was out of her grasp. Even true love was out of her reach.

---

The sky was darker than it has been earlier when she reached the empty train station. She wanted to get away from her reality, to run away from the suffocating walls of the whole house.

Pulling her scarf closer for more warmth, her footsteps echoed against the walls as she made her way to settle on the bench that sat quietly in front of the vending machine.

She didn't know where to go, not even an idea where she was. She walked on where her feet dragged her and as soon as she thought she was out of the city, she came here to run further away.

It was surprisingly empty and she was alone once more. Her loneliness growing as each second ticked by. Was she ever destined to ever have a life? Was she ever fated to explore the world with her own feet and find her own happiness? Did she not deserve all of these things? She's also human after all.

Her thoughts were disturbed when a cackling of stones against feet broke the silence that enveloped the train station. She looked up to see the stranger's face.

It was a familiar guy with ink-black hair, neatly combed to one side. His glasses were clouded with the slight wind and his cheeks were tinted pink against the cold.

"You also ran away from home?" It was a question she found quite hard to answer. Because she didn't run way from home. She was running away from reality.

A smile came visible up to his lips as he sat down beside her in silence.

"Why did you come here?" she asked, her voice rising with a tone of suspicion as she realized his familiar face. It was Ootori Kyouya after all.

"Looking for you," he muttered under his breath as Renge perked one eyebrow to his direction. "Trying to get you back to your father for profit."

She looked away and landed her gaze on her hands. Of course. She was still moving on her reality. She pursed he lips and remained silent as Kyouya took his toll.

"But when I saw you looking so lonely and quite melodramatic, I wanted to hold you hand."

She looked up, tying to meet his eyes. And then, Kyouya reached out to place his large hand on top of hers. "We'll run away together."

And with that, Renge was sure that all of the things she wanted to see, all of the things she wanted to explore...were the ones taking part of another reality they would make together.

As they stood up together, their fingers intertwined with each other's, a rumbling sound they came to hear and the sky clear up ahead. The train was coming up to greet them.

---

A/N: How did it go? Bet not so well, I know so forgive me if it was crappy. See, told you they were OOC. But then again, please don't forget to click on the review button below and leave me a message to see if I could go on with this nonsense. Me wanna know if it was worth wasting yer time! Next time pips!