A/N: So I came up with this oneshot after reading .net/s/5468023/1/Kiss# It's my take on Skip Beat chapter 148 :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of the characters hereto mentioned in this fanfic, Nakamura Yoshiki does. If I DID, Kyoko and Ren would get together faster XD
Tsuruga Ren was trying his best not to become annoyed with Kyoko's repeated lapse into Sho Hatred Land, but it was putting a strain on his perfectly calm Tsuruga Ren persona. If she had been looking at his face, instead of avoiding his eyes, which was what she had been doing since she gave him the wine jello, she would have noticed sooner. She would have been more prepared for what happened next.
Kyoko was nervously babbling while Tsuruga-san ate the wine jelly she made for him. She wasn't sure why she felt she had to justify her actions. It was normal for a kouhai to be sensitive to her sempai's needs, right? It was perfectly normal to give your respected sempai something for Valentine's Day too. Logically she knew this, but for some reason the situation she found herself in seemed a lot more intimate than she first thought. In the midst of explaining the trials she went through to find the perfect delicacy that Tsuruga-san would enjoy most, she shared about tasting one of the test trials, stumbled over the word, trailed off, and finally froze.
It was like the word "taste" was poison seeping under her skin and spreading throughout her whole body. Spewed out of her in waves of horror, despair, and hatred. How dare Shoutaro come into her workplace, steal a kiss from her, in front of Tsuruga-san no less, then waltz out of here like it was nothing! What made it even worse was that he took back that delicious piece of chocolate. What a selfish JERK! He knew she loved chocolate! The way it very nearly melted on her tongue. The creaminess of it all! and all she got was a taste! She'd never eaten anything like it. It must have been new. She didn't know what it was called, or how to find it again. She knew Shoutaro had taken it back just to spite her. Shoutaro hated chocolate. In her anger Kyoko had forgotten momentarily all about what she was talking or doing. The great Tsuruga Ren was temporarily overtaken by a "harmless" piece of chocolate.
While Kyoko was lost in her own world mourning the loss of her chocolate, Ren had finally snapped. He was not going to sit by while she daydreamed about kissing Fuwa. He had thought the problem was taken care of. Hadn't he criticized her in her lack of acting professionalism for the sole purpose of bringing out her fighting spirit? Hadn't he told her to look at it as acting practice?? Didn't she agree wholeheartedly that he was right?! That what happened with Fuwa didn't count as a real kiss?!?!?! Hadn't she spent all that time making up the wine jely just for him?!?!?!?! So why the heck was she still thinking about that loathsome %$O)%(#$!##!%!!!!!!
Without really thinking it through Ren leaned over Kyoko and brought his face really close to hers. Kyoko of course took no notice of his movements, being off in another dimension all together, until she heard him call her name. With her name "Mogami-san" falling from his lips Kyoko came back into herself, into an even more awkward situation than when she had left.
For a split second Tsuruga-san's face was a mix of anger, resentment, and sadness before his face smoothed out into a sun-worthy shining smile. Her mini anger!Kyokos were out basking in the heat of his anger. Kyoko cowered before such magnificence. More than that, inside her heart crumpled just a little. The only reason why he could be this angry, when all she had done was offered him her gift, was that he didn't like it. It was presumptuous of her to think to know what he would or would not like. How could she have forgotten that he was the Tsuruga Ren and she was nobody. She had practically forced him to come with her, and try the crap she made. Of course Tsuruga-san was too polite to turn her down right away, but it must have been too much even for him. She must have made it wrong. It was too sweet. She was positive she had copied the recipe exactly the same as the one she had tried. Then again maybe it was all wrong? She had never had much experience with wine, or anything alcoholic before. Perhaps what she thought was delicious was actually revolting?? All this went through her mind at the speed of a million mini-Kyoko's fleeing from the Beagle's grasp, when what Tsuruga-san was saying penetrated her brain.
"Mogami-san, I believe it's proper etiquette to look at someone when you are talking to them, and finish one's sentences. Not to mention it is incredibly rude to be thinking of someone else when you are the one who requested I be here. Did we not already discuss the ridiculousness of the concept of a First Kiss?" At this he lifted an eyebrow and waited for her to reply.
Slowly she processed the meaning of what he was implying. Kyoko gasped, and with her arms out ready to do a dogeza and the words "It's not what you think", she crashed into Tsuruga-san, face first, having forgotten all about him being in front of her in her hurry to apologize.
Eyes open wide, Kyoko froze with her lips pressed against Tsuruga-san's. They're soft was her first thought. Tentatively, she pulled slightly away and rubbed her lips across his mouth, testing the firmness yet softness of them, before she realized what she was doing. It was a surprise to her when her open eyes encountered Tsuruga-san's eyes swirling with a unknown meaning. Tsuruga-san pull back slowly until he was sitting back on the couch again, his eyes and face going neutral, hiding whatever was lurking there just seconds before. "Like I said before, a kiss only means something if it's full of your feelings, Mogami-san." Kyoko sat in silence for a moment then said quietly, "Yes, I think I understand now."
Tsuruga-san let out a quiet sigh of relief. For a minute there he was afraid she had gone into shock, and all their careful building of trust had evaporated in an accidental meeting of lips. It was so like Kyoko to not respond the way he anticipated. In his mind he imagined her reaction to range anything from her wiping her mouth in disgust, or cowering in fear that he was going to attack her, or smirking and telling him Fuwa was better, or even her realizing she was madly in love with him too and jumping him, of course the last was wishful thinking, but with her anything was possible.
Kyoko suddenly smiled a smile of such sweet bliss Ren's heart clenched in his heart. Ren was trapped between feeling nervous about what the smile meant and anticipatory. He knew he shouldn't get his hopes up, this was Kyoko, and really her realizing she was in love with him from an accidental kiss was just too cliche to happen to him wasn't it? Of course, that hope died a quick death with the next words from her mouth.
"You're right, Shoutaro wasn't my First Kiss."
Ren sighed and smiled, It was too good to be true. How ironic was it that kissing him made her think of Fuwa, and yet this had possibilities, if it made her discount Fuwa's kiss from before.
"I just remembered my real First Kiss was when I was in first grade too. Just like you Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said happily, while she pierced his heart a million times with a blunt object. [XD]
Ren's voice came out slightly strangled as he tried to remain calm, "Is that so?" Inside he was repeating to himself "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. She was just a kid then. At least she said it wasn't Fuwa." This would have been more effective if his own words to her, "A kiss only means something if it's full of your feelings", didn't keep popping up as well. It left the question of who was it then, and could he track him down and smash his face in?
Kyoko was too happy in being able to beat Sho at his little game, and reminiscing about her First Kiss, to notice anything strange in Tsuruga-san. HA! That kiss meant nothing to me Shotaro! You lose! That was like a grouchy bear pawing at me. It was like a leech trying to suck off my face.
Ren was still busy trying not to be furious about a stupid kiss that happened years ago. Kyoko oblivious to the pain she was causing her beloved sempai, went on "He was a prince! A fairy prince!" *_* At this Kyoko became starry-eyed. "You remember him right, Tsuruga-san? He's the one you reassured me was now able to grow his wings fully and fly free. His name was Corn!"
At the first mention of her fairy prince Ren was pulled from his dark thoughts and trying hard not to snicker. But, the exuberance with which Kyoko displayed when mispronouncing his name was too much. Ren quickly turned around away from Kyoko and shook with the force of holding in his laughter. Kyoko concerned at first, stopped talking and stood up to look at him better. "Tsuruga-san? Are you ok?" Her only reply was "Fufufufufufufu" Concern seeped out of her eyes when she stood facing Tsuruga-san, and indignation filled it. "Tsuruga-san! Are you laughing at me?" Kyoko was outraged to find that her great sempai was indeed laughing at her. Without thought she raised her hand and smacked him on one shaking shoulder. *smack*
With horror she looked back at Tsuruga-san's face. "OMGosh! What did I just do?!" Instead of getting angry though, Tsuruga-san just looked surprised for a moment, then laughed harder when he caught the look on her face. "Tsu-tsuruga-san. Really...You're being mean" Kyoko faltered. "S-s-sorry. Re-really, I'm not laughing at you" Ren replied in between his laughter. "Well maybe a little, but you got to admit, a magical vegetable was your first kiss?!"
"He was not a magical vegetable! Corn was a fairy prince, and he was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!" Kyoko defended defiantly. Ren settled down at that.
"Your right, Mogami-san. I shouldn't have poked fun at you. You shared something personal with me, and I wasn't respectful of it. I'm sorry."
"Oh no! D-don't apologize! You shouldn't have to apologize to me, I'm only your kouhai. I was way out of line! Of course you'd laugh, it does sound crazy." Kyoko frantically tried to smooth things over. Tsuruga-san apologizing to her, unheard of! "I'm the one who hit you. I should be apologizing to you!" Kyoko started to bow, when Ren caught her by the upper arms and straightened her out. "Really Mogami-san, there is no need for that. I deserved it." When Kyoko started to protest, Ren continued "Are you arguing with me Mogami-san?" at which she fell silent. "Good. Now that that is settled. Tell me how you came about this First Kiss."
Kyoko blushed and looked away from him, his face seemed too close again with the way he was holding her. "Well you see, it was the last day I was going to be able to visit Corn. He was leaving, you see. I was crying and he gave me his magical stone that could take away my sadness. I was sad to see him go, the one person who understood me, and when he turned to leave I called his name. He turned around and I threw myself at him and hugged him. He was so tall. I was trying to kiss his cheek, but standing on my tiptoes and trying to see through my tears, I missed and kissed his lips instead." When Kyoko didn't add anything else Ren looked at her and prompted "And?" "And that was my First Kiss" Kyoko replied looking at him slightly confused.
Seeing the look Ren just sighed silently. "But you didn't mean to kiss him on the lips right?" "Well, no...but it was a kiss full of my feelings, so it counts right?" Tsuruga smiled down at her She still doesn't get it, but oh well. At least now I can say I was her First Kiss, if only to myself and for my own piece of mind. Ren grinned to himself. Outwardly Ren said "Yes, yes it does." What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Take that Fuwa Sho!
Kyoko on the other hand was thinking "I would never have understood this First Kiss thing without Tsuruga-san's help. Really, I had not thought kissing Corn was such a significant moment before. These matters of the heart are complicated; it's a good thing Corn isn't around to threaten my vow to never love again."
Long after Tsuruga-san left, Kyoko sat alone in the room and thought back to the kiss. She was not wrong, wine jelly was delicious, especially when tasting them from Tsuruga-san's lips...much better than chocolate.