Hello my sweeties,
Just a warning I am Dyslexic so my stories will not be perfect and the stories on the A-Z game I will be trying to beta myself... yeah its probably a bad idea I know :P
This is the letter C for the A-Z story game One shots:
I gift to all of thee: Fire
1 a (1) : the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat
(2) : one of the four elements of the alchemists
1 b (1) : burning passion : ardor
(2) : liveliness of imagination : inspiration
2 a : fuel in a state of combustion (as on a hearth) b British : a small gas or electric space heater 3 a : a destructive burning (as of a building) b
(1) : death or torture by fire
(2) : severe trial or ordeal 4 : brilliancy, luminosity the fire of a gem 5 a : the firing of weapons (as firearms, artillery, or missiles) b : intense verbal attack or criticism c : a rapidly delivered series (as of remarks)
The Story is: The way the sparks danced in the night, one would think they were almost fairies... were they?
The Genre is: Romance/Fantasy (if you can; friendship and humor are other options)
The Characters are: Kyoko (of course) and whomever you like.
MUST: Include taisho and okami-san (either the Fuwas or the Darumaya ones, your choice!)
Look's like I will begin :)
If you wish to join in the A-Z story game please see the A-Z Story game forum on the skip beat forums :)
Enjoy.
Neh xxx
I do not own Skip Beat!
Fire.
Why the hell did I do this again? Ren thought as he tried to smile politely at the gaggle of ladies each one trying to pull him in a different direction.
Oh yeah... the boss... Ren sighed internally as yet again he tried to tell the women gathered around him that he was already expected by someone, even if this was a small white lie. Why the hell he had even been talked into coming to Lory's family fun day was beyond him!
Again Ren sighed internally. Well the reason wasn't beyond him, the reason rested on those two beautiful golden eyes which had sparked with such delight at the idea of a fun family day out after Lory had told her that she should invite the restaurant owners she lived with, after her first depressed state at the thought of what family Lory expected.
Those golden eyes had shone with such love and excitement that how could Ren say no when Kyoko had looked up at him and asked if he would be coming with his family too. He of course had said he would not be able to come with his family, but he may pop over as he had the day off anyway and Yashiro would be going with his divorced sister and her two children so at least he could maybe tag along with him.
Yet it was not to be, Yashiro's sister had picked him up leaving Ren to arrive alone, which to cut a long story short had landed him in his current situation.
"Now, Now. Ladies please! My friends will be waiting for me." He tried once more with his gentlemanly smile fully in place as he tried for what felt like the twentieth time to escape.
"Boy! there you are we've been waiting." said a gruff voice which Ren new, but could not place. he turned and watched as the crowd of excited woman parted to let through the slightly scowling man, none tried to stop the man who took Ren's elbow and propelled him through the pathway made by the women as the stoic man bowed his head in thanks.
It was only when they were at least five meters from the gaggle of woman who just stood silently watching Ren escape when Ren, finally turn to his saviour.
"Thank you, Taisho-san. I don't know what I would have done back there." Ren said with feeling as he glanced again at the man, whilst checking out of the corner of his eye to see if they were being followed. The Taisho grunted and nodded.
"Seems you forgot your babysitter. She always tells us how he has to make sure you eat, even sends her proof sometimes too." Ren was shocked by his word's.
Babysitter? proof? sends who proof? It was just as they rounded the side of the Takarada mansion where the fun day was being held that Ren's thoughts suddenly hit upon an answer, there sitting looking like a fallen angel in a white sundress was none of the than the love of his life... even if she didn't know it yet.
"She's been worried as you said you had no family to come with." The Taisho added, he secretly liked the way the man's arm he was still holding eye's softened at the sight of the young lady he thought of as a daughter. He also liked the fact that though Ren liked Kyoko in a romantic sense he never pushed or pressured the young lady, he was for all the Taisho had seen when Ren would drop Kyoko off most evenings a proper gentleman.
"She has?" Ren asked wondering why the normally stoic man was being so talkative? he had hardly ever heard more than a few words from the man, to be getting full sentences was almost as shocking as it would have been if Kyoko had come out openly and told him she loved him.
The Taisho just nodded as Kyoko took that moment to look over and even though she smiled beautifully, no one would have denied the shock in her eyes at watching the Taisho drag around Japan's number one actor.
"Tsuruga-san!?" Kyoko cried as she stood instantly and bowed beautifully in her simple white dress which hugged her curves beautifully, the Taisho simply released his arm and continued onwards until he sat beside his wife with a grunt which sounded to her something like "Lovesick fools." she couldn't help smiling though as she looked at him with eyes that said simply 'well you like the lovesick fools.'
"Kyoko-san." Ren said bowing a little back to the young woman who in his eyes could have outshone Aphrodite herself in moments like this and with the small blush that lit her delicate cheek's, Ren had to fully reign himself back from simply ravishing the girl there and then. It had been after the Heel siblings that Ren had finally started calling Kyoko by her first name and when she had not complained he had simply continued and enjoyed the cute blushes it seemed to produce, he still hoped that maybe one day Kyoko would call him by his first name also, but hell it had taken him enough courage to call her Kyoko! one giant leap at a time! he had thought, while Lory and Yashiro simply shook their heads in sympathy for the stupid man.
"Erm... did you come alone, Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko asked as she tried to slow down her suddenly rapid beating heart at the sound of her name from Ren's lips, whilst looking at the ground and wringing her hands slightly.
"Yes, I had just arrived when the Taisho was nice enough to save me." Ren answered with his own blush as the Taisho grunted again which Ren was sure was covering up a laugh.
"Saved you?" Kyoko asked looking down at the people she loved dearly then back to Ren who if possible blushed more.
"Well lets just say, Anika-san from accounting and a few others wouldn't take no for an answer." Ren couldn't look at her as he said this preferring to look anywhere but at her, wondering if these was going to be another of these heart wrenching moments when she would call him a stupid playboy? Yet as he looked anywhere at Kyoko a very unexpected sound reached his ears which suddenly drew all his attention back on the girl instantly.
The Okami watched as Kyoko covered her mouth at the very embarrassed young mans words, she watched as Kyoko's shoulders started shaking trying to hold in the mirth the young girl honestly found in the situation. It was too much though as small giggles made there way past her hand as she tried yet failed to hold her laughter in, it was like a dam breaking.
As soon as Ren's eyes locked with her's, Kyoko was a gonner. Okami watched as the girl almost bent double with laughing as Japan's number one actor first looked startled and then shocked her completely by pouting.
"It's not nice to laugh Kyoko!" Ren admonished as again his cheeks flared, but Kyoko couldn't help it as she continued laughing. This was something there extended Heel relationship had brought to the young woman, it wasn't so much confidence... more of comfort with the slightly older man. For who could really live with another person day in day out in characters or not and not get to know them to the intimacy level where a comfortable feeling can not be reached?
"I'm sorry Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko finally managed to stutter out as she slowly regained some composure.
"It's just... you baka! what did you expected." and yet again Kyoko was laughing, although Ren did feel his cheeks heat up, he couldn't help but enjoy Kyoko's laughter. The way her eye's danced and shone, even if she was laughing at him. Ren crossed his arms pretending to be annoyed, yet Kyoko could see the smile in his eyes so didn't even flinch like she would have done once.
"YOu do realise Anika-san has a shrine to you in the top draw of her desk don't you?" Kyoko said again as she calmed her laughter, the shock on Ren's face showed clearly that he didn't. Though this time Kyoko only chuckled.
"Chiori saw it once when she was sent to collect some papers Anika-san had forgotten for a meeting." Kyoko answered his unasked question of how she knew this.
"Come on you two, there is no point standing on ceremony." The Okami said with a wide smile as she gestured to the large picnic blanket Kyoko had been seated on, Ren was shocked yet immensely happy.
"Is it OK?" he asked feeling a little nervous of being asked to join them, it was Kyoko that answered for him though.
"Please come sit with us Tsuruga-san, no one should be alone on days like today." the warmth in her eyes and her smile, brought out his own true smile and as Kyoko's grudges slowly started shrivelling up Ren bowed slightly again to them all.
"I would be delighted."
Ren could hardly remember when he had been so happy, the Okami and even the Taisho that had returned to his I don't speak yet listen demeanour treated him nicely and he even had the Okami and Kyoko laughing with a funny story that had happened at work, and was that a little hint of a smile on the Taisho's face he had seem?
The chatter was wide and varied in topic, Ren found himself simply enjoying not only Kyoko's company but the people he knew Kyoko thought of as family. The Okami asked lots of questions and seemed to have the same happy demeanour as the young lady he loved and she would of happily called her daughter.
It wasn't until around thirty minutes into the conversation that she asked a question that stopped both Kyoko and Ren in their tracks.
"Ano Kyoko-chan, why is it you still call Tsuruga-san by his family name, when he calls you Kyoko?" the Okami asked she knew the pair of them were close and it didn't take a blind man to see they cared about each other dearly, if she had to put a name to their feelings she would even say they loved each other.
"Erm... well... Tsuruga-san is my senior and senpai... it would not be polite of me to call him so casually." Kyoko said after a few minutes of stuttering and avoiding Ren's eyes. If she had of looked she would have seen the hint of sadness the Okami saw, in which prompted her next question.
"But your friends are you not Kyoko-chan, I'm sure Tsuruga-san would be happy for you to call him by his name! after all friends come before work after all!" Ren watched as the Okami smiled at him with a twinkle in her eyes as Kyoko was still trying to look anywhere but at any of them now.
"I have to agree Kyoko-san, we are friend's and I would not at all dislike you calling me by my given name. To be honest it would be nice if you did." Kyoko whose head had shot up at his words just gapped at him for a few moments as Ren wondered if the last few words had been a few too far so he continued with his spade and his hole.
"It's just so many people put me on this pedestal because they call me Japan's number one actor... I think at times they also fail to realise I'm human at all." Kyoko heard the slight catch in Ren's voice, as did both the Taisho and the Okami who both looked over at Kyoko with eyes that simply said 'Go on' taking a deep breath Kyoko contained herself, it was only a name after all and he really was her friend and simply the pain in his words hurt.
"I don't know Ren-san, sometimes even I wonder if you're human." it wasn't a nasty comment, Ren knew that from the teasing lilt in her tone, yet the way her name simply rolled off her tongue was like music to his aching heart. He had expected her to stutter or maybe to have to take a few attempts, but the pure fun in her eyes as they danced teasing him as much or if more so than hers words did. Ren didn't know how it was even possible with how much Kyoko already owned his heart, but if it was possible he would swear that he had just fallen in love all over again with the girl before him.
"huh! I'll have you know there's only 1/8th Martian in me!" Ren said almost proudly as again their cosy little group dissolved into laughter and this time Ren was certain he had seen the Taisho smile.
Ren watched still seated with the Taisho and Okami as Kanae and her 'overly large family' as she had called it when she had tried to argue with Lory that they did not need to invite them at all! arrived and Kyoko like usual sprung on her friend with a loud shout of
"Moko-san!" and even though he saw Kanae eyes flicker to him, he was shocked when she didn't say anything.
Neither did Chiori when she too arrived with her mother and her manager, her father being away on business. The Okami welcomed everyone with open arms the true hostess Ren thought as he smiled and although the Taisho spoke only a few word's he still did not seem unwelcoming to anyone.
It was the final arrivals that made all of Kanae's cousins, nephews and nieces squeal with delight though as a large chain of animals coming in pairs, two by two around the corner of the mansion that made the four people used to the president sigh as they shook their heads at the Noah dressed man.
The blond bullet which detached herself from the men's side with a loud cry of
"Onee-sama!" did make him smile though as Kyoko opened her arms out wide for Maria to jump into her open arm's.
"Ahh I see you did come then Ren, I had been worried that I might of had to punish you." the president said as Ren really sis sigh out loud this time.
"Ren-Sama! you should not sigh you are letting out your happiness!" Maria cried as she hugged Ren across the small gap between her two most favourite people, it was only then the Lory realised just how close his favourite soon-to-be-he-hope-couple were sitting. Yes with the arrival of Kanae's family they had simply added more blankets to the same patch and yes Kyoko had moved closer to Ren so the children could sit on her blanket.
"I'm sorry Maria-chan, but I think I have enough happiness today being here with everyone to spare some." the smile he gave the young girl seated in her honorary Onee-sama's lap stilled instantly stunned at the smile which was so pure.
"Baka!" Kyoko quite annoyed slightly as she cover Maria's eyes for a few moments allowing the young girl release from the grudge killing death rays.
"That smile really should come with a warning label." Kyoko muttered as she allowed Maria to shake her head righting her thoughts as Kyoko asked if she was ok, it wasn't just the people who knew Kyoko all of Kanae's and Chiori's guests smiled at Kyoko and her words, then looking to Ren's shocked expression the other people sitting on the Takarada grounds that day might have thought Lory had dropped a canister of laughing gas again.
He had done so once when cosplaying as a dentist, the third floor had to be cleared for 3 hours to be aired out while the laughing employee's had to be taken down to one of the studio's to calm down with tea and some sandwiches Lory put on as an apology.
Ren and Kyoko both looked around shocked as Maria started giggling too, the shocked expressions only adding more to the laughter of the seated and standing people around them, it was catchable of course as Kyoko and Ren turned towards each other and slowly but surely they too began laughing, even if they had no idea why. It felt good for them all to laugh together.
The games and fun that had been planned by Lory, turned out to be a big success, Yashiro and his sister with there children had found them all not long after the laughing fit and joining the larger crowd they all shouted and cheered like one large group as all different members took part in the games such as the fancy dress race, the three legged race and Ren's personal favourite the piggy back race which a grinning Kanae entered him and Kyoko in.
All in all as the night slowly started to fall on one of the most enjoyable days he had, had since he was younger. Ren could not help think that Lory had been right about events like this.
"You may not be able to be there with your real family Ren, but you have family here all the same." Ren looked around at the big group of people around him, the bonfire's had been lit offering warmth and light in the softly cooling evening air, the Okami and Taisho leaned together watching the flame's Kanae's family was sprawled around everywhere, some children sleeping other playing quiet games as the adults chatted and laughed with Chiori's mom and manager.
Yashiro and his sister were included in this group, yet Shouna was lying on her brothers lap as they chatted together while her children slept beside them. Ren had been amazed when Yashiro had begged two weeks of work to help his sister and her children move into his home after the breakdown of her marriage. Ren of course had said it was fine and even offered assistance, he was glad to see Yuki and Shouna seemed happy it had only been Shouna's ex husband that had kept the loving pair apart.
Yashiro had often told Ren before her marriage he and his sister had always been close friend's, in those times Ren had seen how much he missed his sister and his niece and nephew, he was glad his best friend now had some happiness in his life... if only because it kept him out of his own snail paced love life.
Ren looked around again, Kyoko had excused herself not long ago to use the restroom, placing Maria gently on the blanket before him, Ren stood and stretched out his aching legs he couldn't remember the last time he had sat for so long and simply relaxed. a cough from behind him drew his attention, looking back at the Taisho he was curious when the man nodded towards the right of him. Ren looked in the direction the Taisho was indicating and smiled before picking his way through the sleeping figures to Kyoko's side as she stood beside the fire.
"Can you see them dancing Ren-san?" Kyoko whispered as he stood beside her, Ren looked into the fire which had claimed Kyoko's undivided attention.
"The light fairies love the fire." Kyoko said as Ren looked down at the beautiful woman beside him, his heart almost stopped at the astounding look on her face. She. Was. Beautiful. There were no other words that he could have used in that moment to describe her.
Ren could hardly draw his eyes away from her, but knew Kyoko deserved an answer looking back at the fire using all his willpower he watched the way the sparks danced in the night, one would think they were almost fairies... were they? Kyoko seemed to think so and the way her eyes shone with the brilliance of a wonderful thing Ren wanted to believe her.
"Sadly no Kyoko-san, I can't see them though I would love to be able too." he answered simply honestly.
"Thats a shame Ren-san, they really are beautiful." Kyoko commented still gazing at the fire.
"I've seen lots of beautiful things today though." Ren commented and for the first time Kyoko dragged her eyes away from the dancing fairies.
"Such as?" Kyoko asked her heart beating a little quicker, Ren smiled down at her and before he could swoop in a kiss the woman he loved so much he looked back to the fire.
"I saw the wonderful food you the Okami and Taisho prepared for today, I saw everyone having fun and laughing. I saw Maria-chan try and scare Anika off with her bug box, I really do wonder where she hides that thing." Kyoko chuckled and Ren wondered if she knew.
"I saw my friends around me enjoying themselves, no discrimination, no untolerated behaviour, no matter how different we all are we all had fun together." Kyoko nodded, she would have to agree with Ren that these were all beautiful things as she quoted a line the Okami had taught her,
"They say friends are the family we chose for ourselves." her eyes roamed over all the people not far from them, the small bodies of the already sleeping children, the adults and people she loved were all their and those words the Okami had said were engraved deep on her heart.
"I like that." Ren said with a soft chuckle as his eyes too swept over their friends.
"But I also saw the most beautiful thing of all today and I think even the fairies would agree with me for this one." Ren said as he smiled over at Kyoko who looked up at him curiously.
"Oh and what would that be?" Kyoko asked as her legs turned to jelly from the look in Ren's eyes.
"You Kyoko, simply you." was Ren's soft reply as he lent over and captured Kyoko's lips in a soft kiss.
HEHE!
so what do you think?
Do I get extra points for actually using the prompted line :D?
As I say if you're interested in playing the A-Z game pop onto the forums and take a look :D
Thanks for reading!
xxx Neh xxx