Authors Chat: Not much to say. Started working on Valentine's Disaster from where I was stuck again tonight. Maybe I'll get past my mental block to finish it! Woot!

I would greatly appreciate your comments and constructive criticism!

That being said, italics text are direct thoughts of characters, text is in quotes, noises are done with asterisks.

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

Story Timeline: This fanfic is outside the timeline Nakamura-sensei has set forth. This would take place past the present storyline, but a not-so-distant future. Character development applies as I will attempt to keep the characters as Nakamura-sensei has made them. (Otherwise it just isn't a fanfiction but rather a fiction merely using the same names!) Just don't forget that some things may seem a bit out of character since they (characters) are in situations that Nakamura-sensei has not yet put them into or developed the emotional necessity for.

Playing With Fire

Act 4

Ren looked down at Kyoko. Her wide eyes glistened with unshed tears of fear. That was exactly the look she needed to avoid giving the cameras on shoot. If she had reacted that way as Natsu when Katsuki kisses her, or rather, she kisses Katsuki, the filming would never get past that scene.

Try not to think on it! You'll just wind up wanting more! You'll scare her off this way… She's already scared as it is. Have to think of something… an excuse…

"I'm sorry Mogami-san. I should have talked with you about it first." Ren's cool was back.

He wasn't bothered at all! Kyoko was so flustered, she could only stammer.

"It's nothing to get so worked up over Mogami-san. Everyone needs to experience these things to learn. Would you rather not practice and perform badly on camera on Monday?"

"N-n-no… but h-how d-did you know I…"

"How did I know you have no practice in kissing? Remember when you were helping me find my Katsuki? When you fell. I asked if you had any practice in kissing. " Ren laughed a little at the memory, "You admitted you hadn't."

Kyoko blushed. "How did you know I was serious?! I was playing Mizuki!"

"You didn't stumble over your words as Mizuki. That's something Mogami-san does. You stumbled back then." Ren smiled. She bought it.

Being this close to him, she had to turn her head away or risk being burned to a crisp from the dazzle.

Finally Ren let go of her other hand and sat back. He stood and extended his hand to help her up from the floor. As she accepted his hand, she raised her leg to give herself a force to push from, but that was a mistake. As soon as she bent her knee, Ren's shorts slid up her leg revealing her bruised knee.

Ren dropped her hand.

"Mogami-san…" He stared at her leg. She noticed only then and frantically tried to pull the shorts leg over her knee, wishing he hadn't noticed.

Ren reached down and picked Kyoko up. Not expecting to be lifted up, Kyoko let out a cry and began to struggle.

"Stop moving!" Ren snapped at her, and she relaxed in his arms. She would only make him angrier if she struggled.

Ren walked her back to the couch and laid her down then kneeled down beside her and gently slid the shorts up on her leg to reveal her swollen knee.

The knee was very swollen, and discoloration was starting to show around her kneecap. He gently prodded her knee, feeling for any damaged tissue and watching her face for reaction. Her face contorted in pain and sweat droplets formed on her forehead.

"I don't think anything's torn… Mogami-san, why didn't you say you were in pain?"

"If I said I was in pain we would have to stop practicing! I can't let Tsuruga-san down like that." She looked as if she was about to cry, and not from the pain.

"Mogami-san" He said it for emphasis. "I would rather you say you were in pain and have it taken care of than wind up having to cancel the upcoming shoot because of an injury left unattended. It was irresponsible of you. As an actress, you have to take better care of your body. Aren't you always telling me that?" His face softened a little seeing the pain she was in as she fought back tears.

"I'm sorry," She said softly. "Of course, you're right. So what do I do now?"

"You don't do anything. Just stay there. I'll get some ice. With any luck, we can get the swelling down and the bruising may fade away before it gets really bad. Stay." He pointed a finger at her, giving her the instruction he expected to be followed.

Ren went into his gym and fetched the first aid kit off of the shelf. Setting the kit down on the kitchen counter, he fished out the ice bag Kyoko had used when he had the fever and filled it with ice. He picked out a few pain killers, filled a glass with water, picked up a kitchen towel and carried all four into the living room where Kyoko lie waiting.

"Here." He handed her the painkillers and glass of water then gently laid the towel across her knee and placed the bag of ice on top. "Keep the ice on top of the towel and don't move the ice for at least fifteen minutes."

"Tsuruga-san… I can't take these." She attempted to hand the painkillers back to him but he would not accept.

"You need to Mogami-san. They will help with the swelling and the pain."

"No, I can't take these. I can't swallow pills… I just can't do it! I always have to grind them up and dissolve them in water or take liquid medicine."

Ren looked at her for a moment then extended his hand for the pills. She deposited them into his palm and handed him the glass of water, then he turned and left the room.

A gentle *thump thump thump thump* sound came from somewhere in the apartment. Kyoko looked over the back of the couch and could see Ren's shadow at the entrance to the kitchen. A few moments later, he stepped out of the kitchen, glass in hand.

He handed the murky water back to Kyoko. "Here."

Ren had crushed the pills and put them in the water for her. She felt somewhat warm inside at the care he was showing her, but no. It was just a Sempai taking care of his Kohai. He had already scolded her even.

Ren turned on the television and handed her the remote then left the room. He came back as Kyoko was flipping through channels and sat down leaning against the couch by her feet.

He took a sip from a glass of golden liquid then set the glass tumbler beside him on the carpet. Kyoko could smell the lightly sweet scent of alcohol.

Ren followed her gaze to his glass. "Scotch. I have some every now and then to help me relax."

Kyoko felt even worse. She had failed to perform correctly at the shoot, made them quit early because she was hungry, was scolded by Tsuruga-san for not taking care of her body, and now she was making him tense? Kyoko's face flushed, penitent.

Ren studied her face a moment. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Mogami-san… would you like a sip? You look like you could use a little as well." He offered her the tumbler.

"Uh-n-no thank you." She knew Ren didn't mean anything by sharing a glass, he was just being practical. No need to use a second glass if she was only going to have a few sips, but she had refused anyway. Hadn't she just taken painkillers? It's never good to mix drugs and alcohol.

They picked a talk show on the television and watched in silence, marred by the occasional *clink* of ice shifting in Ren's scotch glass.

"…Tsuruga-san… We should continue now. My knee is feeling much better now, and I still can not do the scene right."

Ren turned around and removed the ice and towel from her knee. The swelling had gone down to almost nothing, and now that he could see her knee better, there was not much actual bruising. It should fully heal by the time for shooting started again on Monday.

"I don't think that is such a good idea Mogami-san. Your knee doesn't look bad now that the swelling is gone, but it isn't healed just from that." He poked her knee in a few places again watching her face for signs of pain. She didn't feel pain or she was controlling her facial expressions.

"Please Tsuruga-san! I really need to get it right! You've explained things to me properly so now I understand! I'll get it quickly this time! I know I will!"

Ren thought for a moment as he searched her face for any will to back-down, but could not find any.

"…Fine. But you can not keep falling on the hard floor on your knee. It will only hurt you worse."

"But then…?"

Ren picked her up gently, denying her few protests, and walked her down the hall, entered a room, threw off the blankets and gently laid her on his bed.

"If you wish to keep practicing, we'll do it on a soft surface so you won't hurt your knee." He reached down and removed her slippers, then removed his own and pulled the blankets all the way off the bed before climbing on and standing on his sheeted mattress.

Kyoko blushed, but forced herself up to meet Ren's stance. This scene was important! She had demanded to keep practicing. She could not back down now!