Steal You Away
A/N: I've written this with inspiration from the Randy Rogers Band song Steal You Away. I don't own Skip Beat! Or any characters or original storyline.
Ch. 1
Kyoko enters the dark apartment complex bone tired and too exhausted to even make it to her room. Before she even lands on the couch sleep envelops her and she surrenders to her dreams.
Kyoko finds herself back at hamburger hill by that little stream in Kyoto and the feeling of nostalgia nits her in waves. Kyoko follows the sound of laughter and clapping and finds her younger self looking on in awe as Corn flies. He lands safely on his feet and young Kyoko cheers.
"Again, again! Go higher!"
The older fairy prince shakes his head sadly and lifts his hand up to the sky looking at it through his spread fingers.
"I wish I could but my father's wings are too big, every time I try to fly higher I get knocked down." Young Kyoko begins to cry and Corn pats her head in comfort, through her tears and hiccups she replies.
"Maybe not now but when you grow up you'll not only pass your father but fly much, much higher! I just know you will!"
The prince's face changes to determination and he gives Kyoko a soft look and ruffles her hair fondly.
"Your right Kyoko-chan."
Young Kyoko looks up at the darkening sky and turns to Corn sadly.
"I have to head home now, I'll see you tomorrow won't I?"
The boy nods his head in confirmation. Kyoko beams and waves goodbye as she runs off into the forest. Dreaming Kyoko watches the boy watch young Kyoko long after she's disappeared. He reaches his hand up to the sky again and spreads his fingers out looking at the yellows and pinks the setting sun has created through his fingers. Then smiles confidently as he clenches his fingers into a fist.
"Thank you, Kyoko-chan." When he's done surprisingly he looks over to the dreaming Kyoko and she swears he looks up at her and sees her. He gives her a beaming smile then speaks.
"You're gonna be late."
The shock jolts her out of her dream to memory lane and she jumps into a sit up position. Her long black hair a scary mess she dreads tackling and she feels gross. Looking at the Darumaya uniform she passed out in, wrinkled from tossing and turning in her sleep and smelling of sake a customer had spilled on her. Kyoko glanced at the modern wall clock and read the time.
'4:25 am... I'm going to be late!'
She quickly discards her Darumaya uniform and takes a two minute shower then dons her 7/11 uniform, her first job everyday. She looks at herself in the mirror and makes a face. Her eyes have dark circles under them from the three to four hours of sleep she's been getting trying to juggle the multiple jobs she keeps to keep the expensive apartment Shoutaro picked out. Lately he hadn't been around, she knew when he came by because his favorite foods would be gone from the kitchen and in front of the TV. They always seemed to miss each other but his fame was growing as a hit singer and she understood. Today when she had a chance she would try to bring him take out from her second job which happened to be one of his favorite places. She makes it to her job in record time and misses being late by a hair. The day drags on but after her second job she has an hour before she has to go to Darumaya so she rushes to the industry studio Shoutaro would be at today. The crowd in front filled with fan girls shouting and cheering for Sho has grown she notices and it takes her some time to push through. The guard allows her through, and she leaves the disapproving cries outside. She finds Shoutaro with his manager in his dressing room. They look like they were having an important discussion but it gets dropped when she knocks. His manager, Shoko as she recalls her name regards her with a sort of sorry, remorseful look but she ignores her and focuses on Sho. He gives her a bored look until he notices the bag of food. She beams at him and sets the bag on the table which he generously rips into.
"I brought you something as well, Shoko-san." Kyoko hands her a medium sized container and Shoko takes it and thanks her then leaves to give them some privacy.
"I watched your new music video the other day, it was so well done and your acting was so believable!" Sho raises his head from the food long enough to breath and reply.
"I'm number two on the Best Entertainer of Japan Board now, only under that Tsu-baka actor guy. But it won't be long now and I'll knock him off that pedestal."
Kyoko smiles at his never ending confidence and charisma. Time to stroke his ego.
"Your so right, I bet he's not even that tall, he probably has hidden platforms in his shoes to make him look that tall." Sho laughs at that and looks at her pleased to hear such things about his rival.
Shoko knocks and peaks in.
"Sorry Mogami-chan but Sho has to be in a recording in fifteen minutes." Kyoko nods her understanding and stands.
"When will you come back to the apartment so I can stock back up on your favorites?" Sho shrugs his shoulders and replies.
"I don't know maybe next week, I'm gonna be busy with my new LP." Kyoko raises her hands.
"No worries, come by when you can it'll all be waiting." He gives her a curt nod and she leaves making her way to Darumaya. Shoko returns to his side and heaves a heavy sigh.
"She is such a good girl, won't you cut her some slack and tell her she can get her own place and get rid of that ritzy place, she looks exhausted. Does she even know you've been staying with me." Sho looks up at her with a not again expression plastered on his face.
"Like I said a minute ago, that apartments my secret getaway. I'm keeping it. And Kyoko followed me freely if she doesn't like something she can just go back home." He puts on his headphones dropping the topic from going any further. Shoko shakes her head disapprovingly but corals him to his next recording test.
Kyoko patiently waits for the elevator to take her back down to the ground floor. She smiles to herself so happy that she got to spend some time with Shoutaro no matter how short. She begins to hum one of his latest hits, a love song she's really grown to love. The bell chimes as the elevator opens, Kyoko steps aside as a few blushing and giggling business women brush past out of the elevator. Kyoko goes to step inside but stops mid-step at the threshold. There before her stands Japan's charted number one entertainer, Tsuruga Ren. The doors closing chime goes off and his arm reaches out holding the impatient door back. He looks at her with a gentlemanly smile.
"Are you getting on?" His silky voice asks with a hint of amusement Kyoko picks up on and she recovers.
"Yes, thank you." She steps forward and the doors close behind her, the elevator begins it's decent.
"No problem." Ren replies.
'Definitely no platforms.' Kyoko thinks measuring the guy up.
"I think I've seen you around here a few times, you kind of stick out around here. Who are you always delivering to?" Kyoko thinks about his words and looks down at her second jobs uniform. Bright yellow with red trim, quiet an eye catcher in a crowd of business people and high class celebrities.
Kyoko stands tall and looks into his dark brown eyes confidently.
"Sho Fuwa."
"...Fuwa?" He looks at her with slight confusion, after another few seconds he pulls out his phone and Google searches.
Somewhere Sho sneezes and mutters about not catching a cold.
Kyoko barely keeps her jaw from dropping.
"Oh okay, he's under me in the charts right now. We're in different agencies and talent sections so I don't hear much about him, plus I don't care much for the charts." He gives her an American-like shrug which confuses her momentarily. The elevator stops and she walks off at a loss. Ren gets off behind her and clears his throat grabbing her attention once more. She looks up at him her golden eyes searching his brown orbs and he smirks an uncharacteristic boyish grin.
"Till next time Mogami-san." Then he walks in the opposite direction. Kyoko looks after him then something clicks.
'How'd he know my name?' She looks down at her uniform her name tag still attached above her pocket. A slight blush plays across her cheeks. Her name coming from his lips running over and over in her mind. She shakes her head of such thoughts and chides herself. Shoutaro is the only man she should focus on. But an idea creeps in, maybe some research and reference materials on the enemy wouldn't be such a bad idea.
Ren smiles a genuine smile oblivious to the women around him swooning and blushing madly. He had been surprised by her clear golden eyes and though she did stand out in the crowd around him he would have noticed her anyway. She reminded him so much of his first love long ago.
A/N: I'm really working on my chapters being longer this time around, unlike Black Water I have no idea where this story is headed it's just sort of writing itself. Please R&R comments are very helpful and encouraging.