Disclaimer: No matter how many chickens I behead, how many candles I light, how many spirits I envoke, Skip Beat will never be mine.

Ren had just lost it. Literally.

He sucked in deep breaths, his eyes wild and his face twisted into a contortion that Kyoko had been once or twice familiar with. Ren now found himself on top of her, after he subconsciously pulled her from the floor on to the nearest bed. He held her gaze as his four strong limbs imprisoned her slender feminine frame. He didn't know he'd do something like that for real but for a while now he knew that their current situation, being alone in a hotel with her dressed in a skimpy outfit, had it coming one way or another. He felt his heart race, his hands shaking at the sides of her head, as if warning the rest of his consciousness that their humdrum role of touching would soon serve a purpose that was far from humdrum, far from appropriate even.

Beneath him, Kyoko lay motionless, her eyes wide with question and surprise. Obviously, she did not expect to find herself in this very awkward and improper position again. This had happened twice before and neither situation left a very pleasant memory that she had enjoyed remembering. Moreover, she had believed that what happened before were products of inevitable and fortuitous circumstances so there was no need to second guess. This time, however, Tsuruga-sempai in the character of her brother Cain, had pinned her down beneath him intentionally and was now staring at her with that King of the Night look, his face intense, his dark eyes burning and his mouth twisted into a curve that somehow hung between hurt, furious and... hungry.

Ren eased down a bit after seeing a different expression on Kyoko's face. She first looked shocked, looking all frozen and just lying there without movement. Then, fear registered in her eyes. He had never liked seeing her scared, so slowly, his senses came floating back. When he was about to move aside, her face displayed a different expression. The fear in her eyes was gone, replaced by something that made her look like she was sorry. It was when he felt slender arms wrap around his head, the lovely fragrance of her neck bared for him to consume.

"I'm sorry, Cain-niisan" he heard her say gently, her fingers stroking his disheveled hair.

It was Ren's turn to be surprised. What in the world could she possibly be sorry for? Wasn't he the big offender here? Sometimes, he really couldn't figure out what went on inside her head. She was the strangest girl he had ever met. And maybe that was what made her so endearing to him. She had a way of taming him every time he found himself losing it. And now that he had lost it, she still found a way of bringing him back.

She really was perfect for him.

He collected a significant amount of air and freed a giant sigh. He was still crouched in his pinning position while Kyoko was now sitting up, burying his head in her hair. When she pulled away, he moved to a sitting position so they were now sitting across each other. What Ren saw after could not have prepared the cold-blooded heart of his character.

She was crying and he immediately melted into Tsuruga Ren.

"Moga—"

"I'm so sorry, Nii-san!" she cried, instinctively wiping her tears with her gloved hands. "I was too selfish worrying about little things like sleeping, I didn't realize you were hungry!"

Ren's jaw hung low as he debated with himself exactly what reaction he should give her. But one thing was for sure at that moment, he was losing control again. This time, from a giant laughing fit that was threatening to break loose any moment now. His face started to become disfigured and the clench from his stomach was becoming too strong to hold in. He glanced at Kyoko and saw her looking back, her glare vicious and seemed to be radiating bad and dangerous energy waves.

"Mou, niisan!" she stomped, hopping from the bed. She now stood with her back against him, her hands crossed, obviously annoyed that he was about to laugh at her again.

He stopped himself, not with little difficulty, from laughing and instead closed his mouth and allowed strips of air to escape. He needed a full minute to relieve himself of the urge to burst to laughter and revert back to the cold and dark persona of Cain Heel. Kyoko had not moved and he stood, his shadow enveloping the whole of her.

Kyoko was very much annoyed. First of all, she did not appreciate being pinned down on the bed just so her brother could communicate his hunger. Couldn't he just had told her simply and done away with the unnecessary awkwardness? She was genuinely scared for a moment there. She had seen that Demon Lord look and the implications it brought were not very nice to think about. But then she discovered a different side to the expression. While this one seemed as intense as the other King of the Night looks she had seen before, it was also painful and hungry. The only conclusion she could draw from all this was that Cain was angry because he was in pain from hunger. In other words, he was painfully starving! He could have just simply told her, though. But then, analyzing Cain's personality, she realized he was not the type to just go about declaring that he wanted to eat. He was distant and proud. But still, the thought of "that" situation ever happening again was simply too uncomfortable.

Secondly, when she had told her she was sorry for overlooking his needs, he looked liked he was about to start laughing!

"Nii—"

Kyoko froze as little chills snaked through her 's hands were on her shoulders and she felt him lean close to her ear to whisper.

"Then feed me now, Setsu"

Hair from all over her skin rose as she was made to turn around to face his strong, powerful gaze. "I've been starving since we got here"

Kyoko nodded immediately, muttering an almost inaudible "yes". Quickly she added, pointing to the items that she had dropped on the floor, "But first, let me pick up those things first, Niisan"

That was when Cain stood to his full height, glanced down at her once more and then sat back quietly on the bed, heaving another sigh.

Ren watched as Kyoko turned around and walked towards the things she had dropped on the floor. He was thankful she had a strange way of interpreting things. If she did not have a simple personality, she would have felt offended, cried, ran away and hated him forever. His mouth twitched into a minute smile, amazed how wrong yet right she had been.

"I didn't realize you were hungry!"

Her words replayed in his head, teasing him, urging him to laugh. But he couldn't laugh, he knew it would somehow offend her. She was much too pure to realize that the hunger she had probably seen in his eyes was not hunger for food. He was hungry for something entirely different, for something which he couldn't have…yet. He was not confident that there would be no repeats of what just happened but he did have confidence that whatever tricks the gods might enjoy pulling on him, with this girl and her unadulterated professionalism and oddity, he might just come through it all alive.

He felt his heart tighten, thinking that he might just be failling more in love with her. He wanted to crush her into an embrace but he fought the urge back and consoled himself by thinking that while they were tasked to live together for a time, he might as well enjoy her company.

He stood up and moved towards her, thinking of asking her where she wanted to eat. She was still picking up the complimentary items the hotel had given them earlier as compensation for their mistake. She was in kneeling position, her back towards him, apparently examining something.

He stopped short, his eyes widening in horror as he caught glimpse of what she was holding. A transparent wrapper casing a bright green condom.

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