Disclaimer: if I owned Skip Beat, Kyoko wouldn't be so thick when people are telling her they love her all the time.

Just a fic I thought of that built up on itself somehow... =/ hope you like!

A Little Kuon

The first time President Lory saw Hizuri Kuon, he was a baby being doted on and proudly presented to the world by his parents. Already he was charming every woman in the room, bound to break a lot of hearts in the future like his father had. He looked forward eagerly to the day he was full grown and starting a ruckus in the realms of romance. Watching his parents at that time would be a riot too.

Over the next five years, he had weekly messages sent to him with at least one picture of the boy growing up thanks to his loving parents. Often Lory would chuckle and put the pictures aside. Kuon was a very happy child with his parents, and like them loved nature. Children and animals were said to be every actor's nightmare. For his old friends, they were the light of their lives. Kuon's parents were forever proud.

Pictures came less frequently when the tyke entered school, which was pretty normal all things considered, but around then was when tapes started being sent to him. Kuon had chosen the path of acting just like his father. The tapes featured the boy's mini performances and auditions. Watching them, he knew the kid had talent. He shined on the screen, getting into the role quickly and enjoying every second of it.

The thought of this shining lad becoming a child actor in LA though worried the entertainment president. That was a rough place to be in, even with the full support of his parents. He prayed Kuon could survive this world.

When the boy was seven, he came over to the states for a visit. Though he was clearly taken back by the president's outlandish appearance, Kuon put his acting abilities to good use, greeting him like anyone else. He only stopped acting when he got used to the get up. 'Smart kid,' was all Lory could think at that moment before talking late into the night with Kuu and Juliella. Kuon for some reason stayed with them instead of running off and playing with his many pets, eventually passing out against his dad.

"Cute kid," he murmured to Kuu as he gingerly picked up his son to take him to bed. He really was sweet and mature for his age, not complaining about anything while desperately trying to monopolize his time with his busy parents.

"The cutest." After tucking him in and leaving the boy to rest, his old friend watched on in worry. Lory knew that look, having seen it on many parents' faces over the years.

"What happened?"

Kuu was quiet for a minute, then sighed, lingering outside his boy's door. "He was fired from a job last month."

"Oh..." It was the tone of his voice which worried him more than the statement, but it was still troublesome. "How is he taking it?"

"I... I don't know... Is it normal for kids to keep things from their parents when they're seven?" A little fear appeared on his face as he thought it over. "When I came back from Germany and found out from Jared, I was surprised he didn't call me up immediately. He hasn't cried a tear and doesn't talk about it at all. Usually Kuon runs right up to me and starts telling me everything he's done when I get back from location. He smiled and greeted me, sure, but he didn't say a word about his part."

"What kind of part was it?" Maybe Kuon didn't like the part and decided to quit, but judging by the pitying look on the man's face, that couldn't be the case.

"A commercial for cereal. He was going to be the central character and be part of the product line, a real debut unlike all his extra bits. He'd been practicing the lines for ages..." Kuu shook his head, confused and worried. He hadn't acted like this since being stuck on his Kenshin role a decade ago at LME. "I don't get it. When I was fired from my first job, I was so angry you had your assistants deprive me of food for an entire day to get me to stop yelling."

"Then you cried up a storm, apologizing like mad as I recall." That was quite a scene to see. The first time anyone is fired really hurts their pride. A child's pride was very fragile at this stage of life, so it had to have hurt Kuon deeply. "He probably did something-"

"But he talks to me about everything!" Desperation flew across the man's face, unable to hide his worry. "He hasn't talked to Juliella either! We know what happened and want to help him, but how can we just bring it up?"

"Maybe he thinks you'll think less of him if he tells you." Children had very strange logic sometimes, not understanding a parent's unconditional love. And these two had more of that for their boy to fill more than half of Japan.

"I'd never think that! Neither of us would!" He couldn't contain his voice or emotions any longer. "We've been fired plenty of times! It's part of the job! Sure we don't like it, but it doesn't make us any less of a person. No matter what my son does, we will always love him!"

"Really?"

Kuon's timid voice surprised them, jerking their attention back to his door. A scared little boy with pleading eyes held onto the doorframe, staring right at them. He really was scared his parents wouldn't love him anymore for getting fired. His voice shook in earnest as he begged his father for the answers he wanted. "You... you're really not... not mad... at... at me? For g...getting fired?"

"Of course not!" Instantly Kuu knelt before his son, taking his small hands in his and gazing into his eyes lovingly. "I can't be mad at you about that."

"I'm..." Tears welled in the boy's eyes, shaking before the man. "I'm not... a stupid... talentless... loser? You're not... ashamed of me?"

"Who told you that?!" The man slid his arms around the boy, holding him close. The wisp of a boy shook in his arms, weeks of stress finally appearing in his countenance. "You're the most amazing and wonderful boy I have ever known. I'm the proudest father in the world because of you. I love you more than my job. More than eating. Nothing will ever change that. I will always love you Kuon."

Finally the kid clung to his daddy, crying his heart out. Lory watched the two, smiling slightly as Kuu picked up the boy and rubbed his back soothingly in that hallway. Juliella spotted them as soon as she finished cleaning up their after dinner snacks downstairs and flew to their sides to know what was wrong with her baby. It wasn't long before Kuon wrapped himself around his mother's small form, receiving hugs and kisses greedily from those he loved most.

He wished he had a camera. The world really should have known how much the Hizuris loved each other. Watching them at that moment, his heart settled. If Kuon had his parents with him like right then, then he would be fine.

Or so he thought. Kuu kept him appraised of Kuon's many attempts to get his debut into the acting world over the next three years, only getting a speaking role twice in that timeframe. His agent Jared wasn't very good at keeping jobs for the kid, and the results were devastating.

To get his mind off of the latest failure he suffered, Hizuri Kuu took Kuon along to Kyoto as he promoted his latest movie. The president met them shortly after they got off the plain, and it was hard to see the cute little boy he saw shining in those pictures and tapes while looking at the ten year old before him. It was easier to see the child who timidly asked if he was a loser though. His father could see it too. Just what happened in three years to make the boy so quiet?

"There's a lot to see in Kyoto," Kuu promised his son excitedly. "There are so many temples and castles and gardens and-"

"Maybe later," Kuon mumbled in Japanese, keeping to his promise to speak it while they were there. The boy just stared out the car window, not really interested in anything. It looked like all he wanted to do was listen to his CD player and watch the world go by. He didn't seem to care about anything. "After you and Boss are done with the movie promo."

"Ah..." A pained look crossed the man's face, knowing something Lory couldn't. Maybe it was the beginning of adolescent rebellion, maybe it was the result of trying to make it in Hollywood. Either way, Kuon was not as carefree as he once was. "I see..."

The two stayed at Kuu's old family home in Kyoto during their visit, and Lory had his ear yakked off by his old friend's worries again. "Really, I think you might be overreacting Kuu."

"Overreacting?" He glared sharply at the man, trying to drive his point home. "Boss, Kuon burned the last script I gave him. I found pieces of it in a back alley a week ago."

"What were you doing in a back alley?" The man turned red, making him sigh. "Are you stalking your son now?"

"Like you're any better." Lory had to consent to that. His adult son was very secretive about his love life for some reason. He wouldn't know anything about that model he liked if he hadn't discreetly followed him a few times. Kuu sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair. "I really don't know what to do. After one of his jobs went south, I found him wrapping up his arm. I thought at first he got hurt trying to learn a new trick so I offered to help. He shouted at me to leave it alone!

"Course I didn't and you know what I saw?" Worry etched into every part of his face. "Claw like nail marks. Some cruel woman scratched up my son's arm and he won't tell me anything about it! Jared couldn't, or wouldn't, explain them either. He acted like they were a regular thing! I had to fire him."

"Good," the president stated flatly. "I never liked him."

"I did... once..." Depressed, Kuu looked to where his son was last seen, likely listening to his music and looking off into the distance. A lost soul. "He gave Kuon a worry stone years ago to help him cope with the stress of this life."

"Worry stone?" He never heard of that before, so he explained.

"It's kind of like those worry men legends. You basically have an object that you focus all your fears, anger, and problems through, and it alleviates the feelings inside of you." Kuu looked at his hands with a bitter smile. "He takes it with him just about everywhere, like a good luck charm. I don't know if it's actually working or not these days..."

His head went back into his hands. "Why won't he just talk to me?! He must know that I'm scared for him because I love who he is, no matter what. He can be anything he wants to be, and I won't be hurt by his decisions. So long as he's happy..."

Lory thought about it for a long minute, remembering his own son and the troubles he had with him. Sighing heavily, he tried to give advice. "Children need more than just their parents' love to feel adequate in this world. They can believe parents say things because that's what parents do really easily. If someone outside their parents, or those they pay, acknowledges their abilities, they feel truly special. The day Kuon meets and realizes he loves someone, he'll shine like he used to."

"Don't marry my son off just yet." The look of death came upon the man so fast it was almost funny. If Kuon was a girl, Lory was sure she'd be kept at Kuu's side at all times. Giving her away would be impossible. Sighing though, the man relented. "Though, with how often Juliella and I are home, I doubt we'd be able to stop him from falling in love with a dozen women. He's not that age yet, but damn does it scare me."

Lory had to chuckle at that point, knowing the feeling well. His thoughts went back to the boy and his actions though. With his agent gone and Kuon deliberately avoiding any chances to act, it was quite likely he was giving up. A jaded boy at such a young age... How saddening...

Two days later he returned to the Hizuri Mansion, only to be nearly plowed over by a ten year old running to get into his boots. He had way more energy that day than when he arrived. Jet lag maybe? Kuu's worries made him doubt that, but the sudden energy... where did that come from? "Headed out?"

"Y... yeah..." Kuon hardly realized he was there, truly rushing to get out of the building.

A curious smile appeared on the older man's face. "Oh? I didn't think you wanted to see anything in Kyoto."

"There's a lot more out there than buildings," the kid stated evenly, finishing up one boot and moving to the next. His fingers were tripping over each other. Was he afraid of being late or something?

"Oh? Like what?" Pink struggled to be seen on the boy's face as he thought of an answer. Now he was really curious.

"A magical stream," eventually came his reply. He double knotted his laces and got to his feet at the entrance. "It's a lot better than stuffy celeb parties anyway. Well see ya Boss."

"Kuon," the kid turned around quickly, eager to leave and with traces of a smile on his face. It brought one to his as well. "Be careful. And don't let the press catch you."

A genuine smile appeared on the boy's face. "They won't!

"Later Dad!" Almost gleefully, the lad ran out the door and into the warm sun. His father seemed to appear nearby, a relieved smile coming to the surface as he watched him run off.

"So..." A sneaky grin grew on Lory's face. "It looks like Kuon has a secret friend."

"And in just a day." Kuu was almost glowing as he told him what he knew. "When I was having my interviews here, Kuon slipped out and didn't come back until dinner. Proper dinner," he amended, not wanting to be reprimanded for his food intake, again. "He came running in, grinning from ear to ear, and he actually asked about my interview. He hasn't done that in a long time. When I asked him what he did yesterday, he just did that coy little smile he does and said it was a secret. I was just so glad to see him smiling I didn't bother to pester him about it."

"Sometimes it's a good thing for kids to have secrets." And judging by the rush, it was to meet someone at some place. Whoever it was, he didn't want to share this person with anyone, even his father.

"The only weird thing about it all was all the questions he had about fairies." The man chuckled at the memory. "He wanted to know everything I did and if Japan had any variations he should be aware of. I think his friend's a cute little girl in love with fairies."

"Oh hoh!" Lory chuckled at the idea. "Be careful. She's going to steal his heart and replace him with something else."

"He was reading up on changelings actually when he fell asleep last night." Kuu looked out the door with a relieved smile. "I haven't seen him like this since he got the role for Jimmy last year. He worked so hard on that role, only for Markus Dubar to steal it from under him. I swear that kid has it in for Kuon..."

Shaking his head to get rid of whatever image was in there, he looked back to his old boss. "I'm glad he came along. I think I'll take my time with promotions around here."

"Sounds like a great idea." He almost offered him to stay in Japan for good, but there were a lot of reasons why the Hizuris left before Kuon was born. Fame and talent had its price. In this business, they had to grasp on to what they could for their sanity's sake. Whatever Kuon found there was worth dragging out promotions for as long as possible.

It was the memory of a sullen Kuon brightening up in Kyoto when he was ten that made taking a nearly empty fifteen year old Kuon to Tokyo possible really. He held out longer because of that visit, but Lory could see how his professional life was tearing apart his mind and soul. LA was not a good place for him. Then came the accident...

"Do you want to break out of there?" President Takarada loomed over the frozen teen, demanding his attention. Kuu's cries still filled his ears from his call just the other day. He wanted advice. Instead he was given an ultimatum. A purpose.

"If you intend to do so, I will set the stage. Just cover up your whole background and try to become a different person, a better actor than your father, in the country where he was born and raised. Whether your anonymous self can open up the way to climb to the top, and whether you, as an actor, can once again step upon the land of your home country, depends on your own ability. I won't help you in any way with anything work related.

"How about it? Will you try it?"

Kuon only stared at him for a second, listening to every word and soaking them in. A fire sparked in his eyes, no longer frozen though still damaged. "What do I do?"

A smirk played on the man's face. "Grab you passport. We're leaving in five."

Just like a kid, he jumped onto his feet and sprinted for what he needed. Looked like there was still a bit of that cute kid he met all those years ago. And maybe, just maybe, Kuon was hoping to meet his secret friend from Kyoto again. At the very least, the possibility was there.

Either way, Kuon was going to change from that point onward. Let the show begin.

END

A/N: the last bit was straight from the manga. thought it'd be a nice touch. Initially I just wanted the president to be suspicious of Kuon's trip in Kyoto, changing from the beginning of his trip dramatically to how he was at the end. I doubt his family didn't know he met someone there who cheered him up. I like the idea though that he told someone about Kyoko, even if he didn't mention names.

Oh worry stones were something I heard about a long time ago, but I can't remember where. Some native american legend I'm sure, but I know it's a real thing. I always thought the stone was something like that for Kuon and Kyoko so I brought it up. Jared's clearly imaginary, along with Markus Dubar but he's supposed to be that nasty kid who made his life miserable. I hope he pops up later in the series so Ren can show him up properly. *evil laugh*

Hope you've liked! ^^V