Authors Chat: This was a rather hard chapter to write -- which is why it took me a few extra days. I had to really think and analyze how Reino thinks and mentally works as well as think on how Mio thinks in situations outside of Tsukigomori. Hopefully I've done them justice. That being said, italics text are direct thoughts of characters, text is in quotes, noises are done with astricks. Additionally, flashes of memory are done in {}.

Constructive criticism is always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: Skip Beat! and it's characters are not my original creation, they are owned and created by Nakamura Yoshiki.

Story Timeline: This fanfic takes place on Valentine's day. All history taken place in the actual Manga is relavent to this fanfic up until Valentine's day (end of manga chapter 143).

Valentine's Disaster Chapter 4

Crouching in the middle of the circle like a bird ready to take flight, Kyoko looked about fearfully for a way to get away. The stones lined the entire circle of lights, and the floor had been cleared so nothing remained within the fall of light except for Kyoko and her captor.

Reino circled closer like a tiger on the prowl. First circling one way toward it's pray, then the other as it's pray fled to the farther corners of it's confinement.

Reino let out a laugh. "You can't get away little dove. I've built my cage well." Reino came to stand in front of Kyoko while she had been looking around.

Too Close!… but if I back up, I loose strength! I must endure! In truth, she was scared. Very scared, and it took all of her efforts to not crumple into a little mass of tears at Reino's feet.

"W-why are you doing this?" she pleaded the unsaid 'let me go' with her eyes.

"I've tried tell you twice already. You don't listen very well."

"… I'm listening then! Why?!"

Reino sighed harshly. "I shall spell it out for you. Listen well little dove." Reino pointed at her matter of fact-ly. "I am doing this for your own good." I really don't know why I bother. "You are something special, and you belong to Fuwa." A look of protest crossed her face, "No, don't speak. Now is the time for listening. I'm not inclined to long… speeches… so listen properly. You are not his property, but he sees it that way. As long as you only see him in your heart, you are his. Vengeance, Justice, whatever. It is still the attention you give to him." Reino reached out and lifted Kyoko's chin toward his face as he stepped in to close that final distance.

He spoke softly, "If you want to win over Fuwa, you must forget about him." Kyoko blanched and stepped back a half step, removing her chin from his fingers as she did so.

"I can't! I can't forget about him!"

"Can't? or Won't?"

"CAN'T! He took me here and threw me away! If it wasn't for him, I would never even be doing all of this! I will make him look at me and say 'I was wrong, Kyoko please forgive me! Take me back!' and I won't! I'll look down at him from the top and say 'see what you could have had? Does it bother you? Oh-ho-ho-ho!" She let loose a fake laugh.

Reino just watched her enactment waiting for her to come back to earth.

"Do you think you don't love him anymore?"

"I don't think, I DON'T love Shou anymore! I threw that away on the sleeve of my old uniform!"

"… your old uniform?" Reino raised an eyebrow.

"It was for a fast food restaurant" Kyoko mumbled "...but I don't even know what love is anymore! It's a four letter word no longer in my vocabulary!"

He looked at her flat. "You're deluding yourself Kyoko." She looked appalled and betrayed. Such a complex display of emotions displayed on her face. It was like staring in a mirror, being forced to see yourself when you only want to close your eyes and live in a dream.

That's right… I can just close my eyes… and she did.

Reino watched her close her eyes. There was a finality to that small motion, and when she opened her eyes again, Reino knew she had gotten away from him the only way possible. Inside herself. The personality now looking out at him through those cold eyes was no longer Kyoko.

Damn it! Damn this actress! When their world doesn't go how they want it, they just turn the page and play another part! You just huddle inside your character there and watch, little dove!!

Reino leaned down toward Kyoko so his face was inches from hers.

"Oh? What's this? So chilling." Though her gaze was ice, he could see a harsh fire within their depths. His hand cut smoothly through those last few inches to where he was almost touching her. He could feel her warmth radiating out toward his fingers and just barely brushed the softness of her cheek.

She pierced his heart with a gaze and he froze. "Do not touch me with your filthy hands." She took another step back and raised her head to look down at the lowly person attempting to defile her countenance. The pressure of the stone and light circle pressing hard on her lungs.

What IS this? I'm much taller than her and yet she looks down on ME?!

To defy her command to not touch her, Reino reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her in close and looked her in the eyes.

Pulling her like that was meant to be a punishment. A show of his dominance over her. His control. It was NOT meant to show him images of her own dark past.

{A young girl stood in front of a music stand happily playing the violin.}

{That same girl laid in a hospital bed looking at the ceiling up through one eye. Her parents stood in the hall crying as the doctor spread his hands and shook his head.}

{The girl, a few years older now, stood in front of a small TV, wide eyed at the news report being shown there. She turned her head away from the TV and saw a girl about the same age as her. Pretty. Crying and holding onto an overnight bag.}

{The girl stood beside a creek, looking down at the rocks at her feet. The cold water washed over the rocks, smoothing as it rushed over. Her eyes followed the creek upstream and settled on a large rather jagged rock, jutting up out of the water. It cut through the water, forcing the current to bend around the rock, upsetting the waters where the rock stood unmoving. She looked up to the point of the jagged rock and saw a small way in the distance her own happy family. Two parents, an older sister, and the crying girl all laughing happily at some unheard joke. There was no place for this girl in that family, and they looked content without her. The only thing filling the place where she should stand, was that harsh jagged unpleasant and unmovable rock looming before the family…}

{The girl sat in front of a mahogany vanity dabbing a powder puff into a small tub of powder. She brought the puff to her face and started on the right side of her face, gently patting the powder on. She hesitated, then looked into the mirror at her own reflection. She turned her face to the right to see the harsh scar down the left side of her face and looked at her scar in the mirror. Slowly, she set down the powder puff and turned her face forward. Something passed unseen before her eyes, and she shut her eyes. When she opened them again, her eyes no longer held sorrow, pain, or warmth. In place was that same cold, empty stare which she now viewed the world with. The same stare she now looked at Reino with.}

Reino released the girl suddenly and took his own step back.

This girl… that was not her past. This character she is now… could her past be that strong in Kyoko's mind? Could she be that real to her?

"You… Those are not your memories…"

The girl now staring back at him tilted her chin a little. "Yes, indeed they are. You should not pry into another's memories without their consent. Did you like what you saw?' she asked mocking.

Reino straightened a bit. "That was nothing. Your visage is good, but your emotions are paper thin. I much prefer the Kyoko who has such a strong depth of emotion. You… are like a feast not yet cooked. I can smell you and see you, but not yet taste you."

The lance from her eyes made Reino to tilt is head back – not quite a wince, but visibly moved.

Reino lowered his head and reminded himself she was the dove he caught. HE caught. Not the other way around.

He let that show in his eyes as he snaked around behind her and slowly slid his hand up the side of her leg and across her skirt's waistline, just brushing her bare skin underneath her sweater.

She did not give but stood her ground; back straight as the fine lady she portrayed.

…nothing!? She was like this before… but she moved with my will then…I WILL make you move!

He slid his thumb over the top edge of her skirt an ran the back of his thumb gently across her hipbone as his hand inched closer to the zipper on her side. Her composure did not fail.

Reino growled mentally and pressed himself up against her back, pulling her tightly to him. She still remained stiff against his body.

If I'm to make her look like THAT, I must get Kyoko back the way she was…This character… how can I get rid of it…She's so stiff… holds herself so old fashioned! Yes… that's the key.

Reino leaned down and breathed in her scent, the silken strands brushing his cheeks as he buried his face in her hair. Though she was stiff to his movements, she was forced to lower her head forward by his action.

He moved slowly toward her ear and as his hand finally reached her skirt's zipper, he whispered, "Come back to me Kyoko." Then all at once, he unzipped her skirt, his other arm wrapped around her waist and up her shirt to caress her skin just below her breasts, and he began kissing her ear.

"G-G-GYEAAAAAAAH!" Kyoko screamed and struggled to get free. She brought her head back, smacking Reino hard in the mouth and jumped away. Mio had fled from her as quickly as she came. The weight of Reino's actions were too much for her to take; this was a situation to which Mio could not fight back.

"Ah. Kyoko." He rubbed his lower jaw and grinned. "Was it too much?"

She didn't respond, her breaths coming in harsh gasps, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.

Reino chuckled and circled again near her.

"There is no where to run Kyoko. Give up this fight and come to me." He smirked and held out his hands as if to welcome her into his arms.

"N-never!" Kyoko was now genuinely frightened. She crouched low and held her skirt closed as he came nearer, again with nowhere to run.

She's afraid. I can't make her angry when she's afraid… I'll leave for now.

He stopped moving, then turned on his heel and walked out of the circle and out a door.

Kyoko's eyes nervously followed Reino out the door into a hallway, then the door closed and the extra light was gone. She fell to her knees and hugged her arms to her chest and bowed over huddling in to herself and fought to not cry.