DISCLAMER:

Everything Skip Beat! related belongs to Yoshiki Nakamura.

~~~ TUE.17.05.16-17:45 ~~~

The journey was pretty much as she remembered it. She felt herself fall and in an instant, she was standing and it felt like he just caught her. She concentrated on getting a grip on her nerves. His grasp on her arms was the first thing she registered when she came to herself. I'm there.

"Can you hear me?"

That familiar voice... Her pulse was fast... She had been expecting this for years.

"Setsu?"

I'm Setsu... Oh the nostalgia that overwhelmed her... That's right. She had to grab on to something, which happened to be his arm. She was ready.

"Setsu?" his voice sounded tense.

She opened her eyes.

"I'm good, Ni-san, I just... I was just overwhelmed by this precious moment." she looked down meaningfully for a second "You know..." she said with a cute blush "It was beautiful, right?" Easy, she thought. She had prepared her line years ago.

He brushed her long bangs and his hand on her waist tightened.

"It was." he said with a forlorn look as his fingers lingered behind her ear.

So cute! She thought, confronted as she was to this genuine, full power, closet Kuon disguised in Cain's puppy face. She brushed her thumb on his jaw. Ah, it all came back to her.

But now was not the time to get lost in her memories. She knew what he meant to do, and she had to get control of this situation. This Kuon, or this Ren, or this Cain, or whatever mixture of his-selves he was at the time, he was a lose canon. He was ready to reveal his true identity in the most unconventional way, a way that would endanger not only his career, but mostly his grasp on his own self. The man was coming out as Tsuruga Ren, for god's sake, he didn't need to add the whole Hizuri Kuon to the deal. He still despised his own identity and he needed her before he… She was determined to get him through the transition. She knew she would, she had done it before. She had come to the conclusion that she had somehow stopped him.

"You know you don't have to announce anything more, like... okay?" she put both her hands on the sides of his face. "You know that, right?"

"What?" He was looking at her, frozen as in a spell.

"Tell me, Cain, tell me you know that… You don't have to-"

"I'm ok Setsu." He tilted his head questioningly "I know what I'm doing." She descended her hands to lay them on his shoulders, and pushed herself against him, bringing her face closer. He was trying to do this for her. He didn't need to. She had to let him know.

"You don't understand, you big dummy." she said in his hear "I'm telling you, Tsuruga Ren is enough." She squeezed him lightly "And I'll always be with you."

He stood frozen for a second, and hugged her suddenly.

"If you're the one asking..." He said after a while. He tightened his hold.

"Don't do it ni-san." she begged.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid," he breathed "don't worry."

She sighed, and stroke his back lovingly.

"Next up is Cain Heel!" a voice called.

They pulled back and looked deeply in each other's eyes. You can do it! She thought strongly, and she tried to convey her feelings when she took his hand and walked on to the stage, reuniting with the rest of the cast and the crew.

The flashes of dozens of photographs greeted them and they sat down. She was still holding his hand.

The excitement slowly subsided, and the host started addressing Cain.

"Heel san, we are all really excited to have you here with us." he said. The room was silent. Six months after the movie's premiere, it was Cain Heel's first public apparition. "You're a very private person, so I thank you for being here." the tension was high, and he paused as Setsuka finished translating to her brother. "As a first question, I'm almost afraid to ask" the whole crowd seemed to hold their breath, as the reaper was being addressed to directly. "How did you connect to the role of BJ" the host looked reasonably pale when he finished his question.

Cain Heel spared a glance at his companion, who was looking elsewhere. He ground his teeth and grinned.

"Well" he answered in English "I've been considered a mutant, at some point in my life." he let it sink in as Setsu translated. "You know, I never hurt a soul, but sometimes, I've wanted to." He wrinkled his eyes "I could, if I really wanted to." The whole room was thrown in silence, hanging on his words. "I think this is one of the perks of being an actor, once in a while, you'll get paid to unleash your most profound and uneasy emotions."

Cain Heel backed away in his chair, and everybody understood he was done talking. The host commented on his words but never looked him in the eyes. As if scared to press him more, he turned to the director and interrogated him about the actor's performance as BJ.

The Heel siblings looked at each other knowingly, their hands still tightly locked.

"I really wanted to convey this aura of mystery in the film" the director was saying "the casting choice for BJ was essential for that".

She looked at her soul-mate thoughtfully as the director went on. None of what was going on was a surprise to her, since she had watched the recording of this press conference so many times. She knew every word that was going to be spoken. Still, being here with Kuon at this moment… It was surprising, but she felt his need of her with an intensity she had never experienced. She had never realized how much she too, needed to be there for him.

He was staring at her. Both of them knew his time would come soon. She tilted her head and smiled to him confidently, then she started to caress his fingers, while she turned her gaze away from him.

"We knew it just had to be him." The director looked lost in thoughts, "This would not have been possible without him, and I want to say, the actor who played BJ, regardless of his background, was able to convey real anguish. No other actor that I know of could have achieved this, and, well, I just… hah, I can't say too much, so… keep it coming!" the director awkwardly winked to the host. He was obviously measuring his words, the big reveal was coming and he looked stressed out. He obviously waited for the go from the siblings. The two of them had been able to keep the masquerade up for months! He would have never hoped, even in his wildest dreams, that the charade come this far…

This moment was the culminating point of the Heel siblings. She knew it. He Knew it. Their hands had not separated for a second. Setsuka was deliberately stroking her brother's hand to soothe him.

The rest of the press conference went uneventfully until the audience was allowed to ask questions.

"I have a question for Heel san." A timid woman stated at one point. "How come a performer of your caliber has never stared in any famous production before? You seem fairly handsome too..." at which a part of the audience obviously swooned "I don't understand that you were kept from us for this long." she gave back the microphone and hurriedly sat back.

Director Konoe hardly held back his smile. The time had come, they all knew it.

He looked at her. She looked at him.

"Please, Heel san..." the host trailed.

He took the microphone and got up, which got the immediate attention of the room.

"I understand the audience was moved by my performance." He spoke in Japanese now "I'd like to remind you all that this would not have happened if it weren't for the script that allowed me to create this unnatural character" he paused for a second, and he looked at his pretend sister, as he gathered his strength. "The character that I acted was not BJ" he continued "well, not only BJ. Ladies and gentlemen, there is something I must confess." A loud whisper crossed the audience. His hand reached for Setsu "The director and I have played a trick on you, I am not who I said I was." He waited for her nod before he spoke again "Cain Heel" he said "is nothing but a character." He looked at her intently, before he released her hand. "Cain Heel doesn't exist. Cain Heel is just an invention, one that allowed us to give depth to the real character, BJ. Had you known who I was, none of you would have seen BJ." He had spoken these words with none of the ill intent that was Cain Heel's trademark, and as he finished talking, he gestured to the director.

"Most of you might probably be reluctant to come to terms with this revelation," director Konoe finally said "but I must insist once again, on this is the extent of this man's talent." he paused and the crowd was hung to his words for a second "BJ is actually Tsuruga Ren!"

~~~ SAT.24.05.11-8:30 ~~~

A dark light engulfed her and there was nothing. And everything. She flew, or fell how would she know? Time seemed to stretch and to slow down. It was like every cell of herself was forming around her soul. Then she could feel herself again. Such a light feeling, how could this be described? Like everything was right, what was that? Happiness... Warmth... Soft and hard, tense and sweet... She felt complete, as relaxed as she had ever felt. Maybe it had something to do with the things she felt. Around her, inside her, under her fingers and on the rest of her skin, there was this amazing... Ah, what was it? It was moving and mixing with her. She realized her body which she was becoming more and more aware of, by the minute, was moving on its own... Touching, gripping, grazing... Sensations carried her and she followed along. And it felt amazing!

Slowly it seemed like time started to get back in place, and she started to try to gather herself. She was surrounded by an incredibly soothing contact. There was fabric, there was skin. Hot and soft skin in the shape of a shoulder. She let her fingers linger on the shoulder blade and let one hand slowly descend down the muscular back while the other traveled up to meet a strong neck. She felt hands on her flesh, that seemed to burn everywhere they went with a glorious satisfaction. Small butterfly touches on her neck. Expert fingers down her thighs... A mesmerizing, musky smell. Was there someone there?

She let out a mmmmmm... Her surroundings were a mystery to her, but who was she to reject such bliss? She smiled and abandoned her whole self to the drowning sensations.

"Am I dreaming?" Her right hand found a forest of silk "So soft..." was that her voice? It sounded a bit different. If this was a dream, then she never wanted to wake up... There was a breath right next to her and she was drawn to it. Paradise happened in her mouth. Huh ? A kiss...

He was kissing her! Yes, she realized, that was it, she was holding on to him and he was elevating her... to...

She felt him back away. She slowly opened her eyes and looked. She smiled at the heavenly beauty.

"Kuon…" she said and he kissed her again. This golden hair, these green eyes, that Tsuruga san's beautiful face... She deepened the kiss. That was Kuon alright, and he was all hers. The boy from her memories, the man she had come to love, they were one and the same and he loved her. She tightened her hold on him. It was too good to be true and she didn't want to let go. She felt him everywhere, his hands traveled to her sides, her breasts, her arms, her ass... And there was this indescribable part of him that she felt on her thigh... Wait, what? How could she be imagining that? She'd tried - lord she'd tried she never could imagine that specific part of him.

He pulled back again and she looked at him. He smiled to her, looking intrigued.

"Hey?" he slightly leaned his head to the side "You seem awfully sensitive suddenly, still up for round two?" as he said that, his hand slipped between her legs and all she could do was mmm again "Don't tell me you've had enough...". His fingers found a special place of her that only her own hand had ever explored.

Wait? This dream was getting awfully realistic, bringing her sensations she didn't even know existed!

Wait... wait... wait wait wait!

"Wait!" she almost screamed into his kiss. He stopped and looked at her from above, resting on his forearms.

"What is it honey?" He had the cutest genuinely puzzled look on his face and she had to gather her courage to gently push him off.

"I'm not waking up." she said.

He chuckled.

"Well I hope you're not falling asleep either, that would be vexing." He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and spoke again, his brows slightly furrowing. "Tell me, what is it?"

"Usually, at this point, I wake up!"

"Is it a weird way to tell me you are not satisfied?"

"What? No, I'm very satisfied with this dream, but…"

"Dream?"

"But I was at the press conference and…"

"Press conference?"

"... and you kissed me, and..." Her face became bright red "... You're naked."

"You're naked too." he teased and he went to kiss her again but she pushed him back, and, shutting her eyes close, she jumped out of the bed, clinging on to the sheet, and stepping back until her back met a cold surface.

"Oh my god, I'm naked!"

"Ooww... rude..." The tone in his voice was not mad, nor disappointed nor reproachful. "You weren't kidding when you said I'd need to be patient." He sounded rather curious.

"Me, naked in a man's bed, oh my god oh my god oh my goooood!"

He remained silent for a few seconds before he spoke her name. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks, hearing her name so informally spoken by his voice. She opened her eyes to see him still on the bed, sitting nonchalantly as if his whole package was not gloriously showing.

"Kyaaa!" she screamed again and fell on the ground hiding her face in her hands.

"Ok, ok." she heard him say "Let's take a deep breath and calm down."

"But you don't understand!" she wept "I was just wishing for it, I didn't think... and now! It looks so real! I didn't mean it, I didn't mean to..." she paused "Oh my god..." she hung her head dejectedly "I soooo meant it..." she realized "I'm so going to hell for that!"

"Kyouko..." he had spoken from much closer this time, and when she opened her eyes, he was facing her on the floor resting against the bed. He was so close. She was relieved to see boxers on him. "I..." he extended his hand in her direction but stopped. He looked away from her into the vagueness and she felt a prick of guilt for making this man worry about her.

He got up and went to a door behind the bed. He stopped and turned to her "Just a minute ok?" She nodded and he passed the door. She heard noises of drawers and sliding doors being open.

For the first time, she looked at the room she was in. It was a place she didn't know. Classy, modern chic furniture, mirrors that gave an impression of space, and a big bed... That bed... She felt herself flush.

She felt so lost. At first it was amazing, but now it was scary. If this was real, then it meant that... She shook her head. How could this be real? But then, she was so aware of everything! Dreams feel like that sometimes, you can't tell them apart from reality until you wake up. She let out a sigh and held her head between her hands. If this is real... She felt her hair falling on her shoulders.

"Huh?" She slowly brushed her hands through it to find it much longer than what she was used to. "What the …?" there was a ring on her finger.

"Here" he was back, and she looked up. He was holding a bunch of clothes in his hand, and placed some of it on the bed. He seemed hesitant to even look at her, as if he feared he'd make her disappear. "Look…" he said, looking down "I don't know what's going on, but it seems I..." it seemed to cost him to say the rest "... make you nervous right now, so I'll let you get dressed, and..." he looked at her and... Was that supposed to be a smile? "Take all the time you need, to…" he shook his head and looked back at the floor "... I don't know..." he looked up again. He was acting like a teenager; she couldn't help to inwardly squirm at the cuteness. "Just... If you don't wake up, I'll be in the kitchen." He smiled, an honest smile this time and turned to leave the room.

She couldn't help to eye him as he walked out. His overall stature was a bit different, broader. Still perfect if anyone asked her… He had put on sweatpants, but she could still see the outline of his fine ass...

Oooooooooh she held her head in her hands again and wished to wake up. I'm so lewd! This can't be, I'm sooo not ready for this, she thought over and over again. She breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm down. Whatever was happening, panicking was not going to solve anything, was it?

She got up, still holding the bed sheet she had been using to cover herself up with. First things first, get dressed. She dropped the sheet and took the clothes that … Kuon – her insides twitched at that thought for some reason – had left for her on the bed.

A pair of jeans and a black tank top with an assorted cute cardigan…. He had chosen well, something she would be comfortable wearing. Holding the clothes, her mind started wandering. She didn't know this place. Did one of them live there? The way he was able to find clean clothes for her in a minute…

She unfolded the clothes, intending to get dressed. Oh god. There was underwear there. He picked underwear for her like it was the most natural thing in the world… A pretty classy matching set, pretty sober, and, well, to her liking... She quickly put on the panties and the bra, and grabbed the rest of the outfit before she turned around.

She found herself facing her reflection, and froze. In front of her was a feminine figure. Her skin looked rosy, in contrast with the white underwear. Her overall stature was the same, maybe a little curvier. But most of all she noticed her hair. They were long, and black – her natural color. She walked to her reflection, brushing them mindlessly, blushing at the image the cold surface was showing her. This was her, this had to be. It moved symmetrically to her, that's how a mirror worked… This woman was so elegant, yet she had her face…

Is this my future? She thought, how many years...

She hung her head doubtfully and finished to get dressed.

Gathering her thoughts, and her experience from the last 10 minutes or so, Kyouko concluded she had been thrown in some kind of deluded, yet very realistic fantasy, based on her wishful – shameful – hopes of a future with the man whose real identity she secretly claimed to have uncovered and who, she somewhat believed, loved her…

Now fully dressed, she looked one last time at her face, and prepared herself for what was to come. The chances of her simply "waking up", like she had expected to, at first, were getting slimmer by the minute. Was this going to be her reality from now on? What was going to be expected of her? What was this Kyouko's life like? Her job, her family, her friends... Her love?

Her cheeks reddened at the thought.

Author's notes:

You guessed it! Yay! I'm so glad you did, I was afraid it wouldn't be clear enough, but I didn't want to spell it out either...

This chapter is one of my favorites. I have to say, the first part was hard to write (I really struggled with the setting, I have no clue about how these celebrity stuff are supposed to go), but I had so much fun writing the second half! This scene and one that's coming up in chapter 11 were my very first ideas for this story, and I guess the reason it exists. Hope you liked it.

Thank you for the comments, and thank you for reading!