If I owned Skip Beat!, Kyoko and Ren would be married and have 3 kids about ten volumes ago.
He was kneeling in front of her, trying to explain something she had been agonizing over for the last hour. It was painful to watch her struggle alone with these issues, so when he'd seen her sitting by herself in a corner of the set with a dark look on her face, his feet had moved on their own.
He enjoyed these moments, though he would never admit it. He loved the way she looked at him, so innocent and trusting, as if there was no one else in the world but him.
At such times, he could barely hold himself back. They were so close. If he reached out, just slightly, he could take one of her small hands in his own.
But he couldn't do that. Not when she trusted him so much. Not when one wrong move would stop her looking at him forever.
That was what he thought as he spoke to her, as gently and as carefully as possible. He strugged to keep his face neutral as they talked. She might have noticed his trouble; there was a tiny flicker of concern in her eyes.
Suddenly, she blurted something out, shocking them both. He sat speechless.
How was he supposed to respond to that? Really, this girl...it was all he could do not to laugh!
Thinking she'd done something wrong, she looked away, and a blush crept over her face. His heart gave a stutter.
It was too much. The look on her face, so shy and sweet...
He had to do something, anything. But what? Definitely not the thing that was weighing on the back of his mind. But there had to be something...
Then he saw it. Her hands were folded in her lap, one resting lightly over the other. It would be so easy to reach out and take hold of those small white fingers.
His hand moved of its own accord. He almost cried out to stop himself. But he couldn't prevent this one thing, this single advance.
"Kyoko," he said softly.
She glanced at him, just in time to see him scoop up her left hand with his right. The color rushed back to her cheeks, more intense than ever. Her face went blank.
"Eh...!" she cried, flustered and bewildered.
He smiled. It was a real smile, full of his feelings. Maybe she didn't recognize all that that smile conveyed, but he was glad to know he could make her respond like this.
"Don't worry," he said softly. He leaned forward and closed his eyes, ignoring her startled expression. He wrapped his fingers around hers. Before she could say anything, he brushed his lips against the back of her hand. He lingered there for only a moment to savor the warmth of her skin.
Never before had he felt the heat of a woman so acutely as this.
But it couldn't last forever. Unwillingly, he pulled away to look at her.
She was staring at him, wide-eyed, as if he was some sort of predator and she was a little animal.
"I'm sure you'll do just fine," he reassured her, smiling wanly.
A strange look came over her face - a vague, unfocused expression. In her lap, he still held one of her hands, and he could feel her pulse slacken.
"Um...Kyoko?" he asked, worried.
"L-like a..." she stammered, speaking as if in a delusion. "L-like a p-prince..."
Her eyes fluttered closed, and her head fell sideways onto her shoulder.
He was alarmed now. He sprang forward and took her by the arms to steady her.
"Kyoko? Kyoko!" he cried.
She didn't respond. There was a trace of a smile on her face. He held her upright for a moment, confused, until realization dawned.
I can't believe it...
He pulled one hand away from her to cover his face, where a faint blush was rising over his features.
She actually fainted...
How would he explain this to the others?
That's all! What do you think? Would Ren really blush in this situation? I hope so.
My main reason for writing this was to see what Ren might do if he lost his cool in front of Kyoko, and how she might respond. They are such a fun pair to play with! Hehehe.
Thanks for reading!