Disclaimer: The characters within this story all belong to Nakamura-san.
Warnings: Clean.
Summary: Ren watches Kyoko as she acts opposite him. It's far easier to praise her now than it once was.
Completed: January 27, 2010
AN: Short again. D: ...Would it be immature to blame midterms?
Smile
by: Kagome-reincarnation
"Don't touch me," she said bitterly, her voice low. She had yet to meet his eyes. "Don't come near me ever again… Don't bother me anymore!"
"E…Erika?" Though he was aware her words were planned, they didn't stop the ache in his chest. It hurt so much, in fact, he couldn't attribute the next set of lines to the play they were working on.
"I said not to talk to me anymore!" she turned away. Ren couldn't help but wonder if she realized how small her back looked.
"I don't understand," he said after a pause. "And so I refuse."
"Wha–?!" she turned swiftly, her hair whipping past her shoulder as her head turned, her eyes finally connecting with his.
He couldn't afford to give her an edge here. He discreetly straightened his back to empower his presence even as his facial expression became one filled with the complexity of hurt, confusion, love, and determination. "I refuse," he repeated. "I won't let you get away."
Kyoko's eyes were filled with tears. Even as he grew concerned about the tears, he couldn't help but be slightly impressed. They fit perfectly with the roles they'd slipped into and though the heroine in the script wasn't one prone to tears, Ren couldn't help but think that his junior in showbiz had really grown.
"Why?" she asked, her voice heavy with longing and pain. "Why won't you just let me go?" Her hands were before her chest – a gesture of sincerity and insecurity. Even as she spoke, she was edging away slightly, backing away in an attempt to leave before he realized her intent.
It was unfortunate for her, then, that Kazuya, the young lord he was playing, was quite perceptive.
Allowing her only a moment to further the distance between them, Ren suddenly strode forward, effectively encasing Kyoko in his arms.
"I won't let you go," he whispered into her ear as he held her against her. "Not now. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever." His expression became possessive – almost obsessive. It was a dark expression and one that he was able to pride himself on.
Kyoko – "Erika" – trembled in his arms, her hands fisting against his shirt. She remained silent.
"You belong to me," he told her firmly.
"Cut!" the director called. Ren immediately released Kyoko. He was relieved to see that the tears had left her face. She still looked a bit emotional, but Ren supposed that, as she'd grown rather attached to Erika, it would take her another moment or so. It happened to him often, too, but he was usually able to minimize the changes in his usual personality so whatever character he was acting as never strayed too far from "Tsuruga Ren."
As they left the stage, the director began to explain to them what they would do next time. "Since this is a good place to end for the episode, we'll have you do the rest later – we'll use it as a flashback scene and start the next episode somewhere else."
Once they'd all agreed on a schedule – Yashiro-san was right there, so he hadn't been forced to go hunting for his manager – they headed for the changing rooms.
"You did very well," he told his fellow LME employee.
Kyoko nodded, breathing in deeply before breathing out. Then, a smile coming to her face, she closed her eyes and responded with the ever exuberant, "Hai!"
