Cursed Fate

He stayed with her because what he was didn't seem to affect her. But perhaps it did, just not in the way either of them intended. AU.

The text message read "SOS," but it was followed by a smiling emoticon and an address, thus indicating it was less of a dire emergency and more of a selfish demand for help. Well, that's what it usually was when she sent him messages like those. It wasn't the first time he'd received such a message from his housemate since they'd moved in together a year prior and it probably wouldn't be the last. Because, in all honesty, he knew she often relied on him to help her out. Mostly because he was always available as he never left the apartment save for the rare errand that absolutely required his physical presence.

And, because there was one thing that only he could do.

He found her in a trendy upscale bar not far from their place, sitting awkwardly in a corner while the man sitting beside her drew ever closer while speaking. The covert squirming he noticed gave away her unease. It was low on his list of favorite things to do, but he knew he had to act. Drawing in a deep breath, he reached up and removed the completely-inappropriate-for-nighttime sunglasses he wore and pushed back the hood of the sweatshirt he hastily threw on before leaving the apartment.

It took less than a second for it to work. And, to think, he hadn't even spared a moment to look at—much less touch—his wayward hair, nor could he recall if he'd washed his face that day.

First it was the whispers of admiration, they were always the same; who was that unfairly handsome man with the intriguing dark eyes and even darker hair? Then came the subtle movements to get closer, which were then proceeded by blatant following behind him as he walked towards the table in the corner. By the time he made it there, he was surrounded by a small crowd of at least twenty people—comprised of both patrons and staff—who ardently eyed him up and down while trying desperately to get his attention. Despite the obvious discomfort they were clearly causing him, he held out his hand to the woman who was still sitting, but who looked up at him with all the gratitude her eyes could muster.

"How about we get out of here and go back to my place?" He said it with a straight face and a low voice.

It was a corny line, he knew that well enough. However, she'd asked him to come get her despite his preference to stay away from people in general. He was doing her a favor at his expense and, thus, she would just have to put up with the corniness. Her fight to refrain from rolling her eyes did not escape him and he grinned. Still, she reached out and placed her hand in his, getting up from her seat and completely disregarding the man who was stunned into silence beside her and the shocked (but mostly envious) gasps of the men and women who had gathered around the table. Squeezing quickly past a number of people, they walked out of the bar, each still holding the other's hand.

"I thought you were just supposed to be getting a drink with Kanae," he said, once they were a block away. "What happened?"

She sighed.

"She got an emergency call from work and had to leave and I wanted to finish my drink before I came home."

"And you couldn't have just, I don't know, told that guy you weren't interested and asked him to leave you alone?" He suggested. "You could've moved from the table to sit at the bar and asked the bartender to look out for you. It's not an uncommon request."

"I know," she relented. "I know, I just… panicked, I guess."

"You also know how much I hate doing this."

"I do, I swear!" she defended, sighing again in resignation. "I'm sorry, maybe I do rely on you too much."

"Like that time you were in the mall?"

"I went to buy one bottle of perfume and they were almost militant about trying to sell me an entire cosmetics set."

"And that time at the passport office?"

"That lady was being unnecessarily difficult about processing my paperwork," she huffed. "Not to mention the extreme rudeness and the waste of my lunch hour. Not all of us are lucky enough to work from home like you, you know."

"What about the time when you—"

"Alright, I get it," she cut him off, lifting her hands in surrender. "You just make it so easy sometimes."

"Kyoko."

"Ren," she matched his half whiny, half scolding tone.

She leaned against his arm, by way of a silent apology. Her shoulders were hunched up around her ears and her eyes looking intently at her feet. She bobbed her head slightly from side to side twice before looking off into the distance.

"Besides, it's kind of nice to get rescued every once in a while."

All of his indignant resolve melted into a puddle at his feet with those words. They walked along in silence for a few more blocks.

"You know how uncomfortable this curse makes me," he said finally in a quieter, softer voice. "I just don't like it when I feel like you're taking advantage of it. Particularly because the of the whole reason I was cursed in the first place."

Kyoko stopped walking and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm a terrible person," her voice was full of the tears her eyes hinted at. "I'm sorry if I ever caused you to feel that way and I promise I'll never call on you again. Maybe Kanae or Chiori can help me if I need something next time. Or I can be a big girl and handle it myself."

Ren shook his head

"No, I should apologize too," he admitted. "I'm not the easiest person to befriend or live with and I really appreciate you trying to be considerate of my situation when you don't have to be. Being immune to the effects of my curse doesn't obligate you at all, but I'm glad that you're understanding anyway."

She smiled up at him and it did dangerous things to his insides, but he could only smile back. They started walking again and their apartment building came into view once they rounded the corner. Kyoko was always nice enough to take the stairs up to their fifth floor residence when they were together, knowing his dislike of being around others in the elevator. It wasn't until they reached the bottom of the stairwell that they noticed they'd held hands the entire way home.

Both faces bore an intense flush as they slowly pulled away from each other to begin their ascent. A nervous silence created a barrier between them all the way to their front door and into the entryway. They bid each other good night, each fumbling over their words before retreating to the sanctuary of their own rooms.

True to her word, Kyoko did not call or text him for over two months unless it was to let him know she was heading back to the apartment or to ask if he needed anything at the grocery store. He found himself checking his messages much quicker than usual on the off chance that she did have an emergency. Still, he got nothing but her usual friendly reminders or the occasional quick questions.

Her behavior around him in person hadn't really changed much either. They still had their movie nights and he would still cook the only pasta dish he was capable of making without burning down the kitchen. She still yelled at him through his bedroom door to get up every morning before she left for work. However, the fact that her eyes would linger on him a bit longer than they normally would didn't escape him, neither did the fact that her expression would turn to one of pensive sadness as soon as she looked away. This was mostly because he had been doing the exact same thing.

It was late in the afternoon when his phone rang that day. The name on the screen told him it was Kyoko's best friend calling. He stared at the name for a moment with a frown and the feeling of a lead weight settled in his stomach. Kanae never called him. Chiori didn't either; Kyoko had warned both of them from trying to contact him, lest they be affected by his curse.

He answered the call, hesitant to speak. Thankfully, Kanae stopped him before he could start.

"Shut up and listen. Do you know about that guy that Kyoko kinda-sorta-but-not-really dated before he left her for someone else? Well he's been coming to her office lately and I thought you should know because I'm sure she hasn't told you. If you have questions, you can text me," her words were urgent and fast and she hung up as soon as she was done with no farewell.

Ren immediately pulled her number back up on his phone and sent her a message.

"You said 'lately.' How long has this been going on?"

"Almost two weeks from what I've heard."

"She didn't tell you either?"

"Nope, I only just heard about it from one of her coworkers today."

"What about Chiori?"

"She was just as clueless as the rest of us."

Ren scratched behind his ear while he pondered how to reply. Kyoko seemed to be keeping it a secret from everyone for some reason. But, what could that reason be?

"Is it because they're getting back together? Is she embarrassed?"

That must be it. She had a bit of a complicated past with that person and she was probably feeling self-conscious about wanting to reconcile with them. Though, the fact that she hadn't even talked to Kanae about it bothered him more than the thought of Kyoko being in a relationship.

"I don't think that's the case. From the way her coworker described it, it sounded like he was harassing her. Coming by when she arrives in the morning or when she leaves for the day. That sort of thing. But it seems like she's not anticipating or encouraging his visits."

Well, that was even stranger. And about as infuriating as it was relieving. A groan escaped his lips that sounded almost like a growl.

"Why do you think she hasn't told any of us about this?"

"Well, you know Kyoko. She has always tried to solve her problems on her own."

"Always? Up until two months ago, she was getting me to help solve them for her."

"I don't know what to say, pretty boy, other than you're a special case."

A special case? What exactly did she mean by that? Against his better judgement, he ignored the issue of Kyoko's unwanted visitor in favor of seeking answers.

"Care to explain?"

"Sorry, I don't have the time or the desire to get into that with you. I wanted you to be aware of the situation since you're probably the best person to deal with it. Good luck!"

"Wait, what?!"

He received no further messages from Kanae after that, though he wasn't surprised. Checking the time, he exited that conversation and opened the most recent messages from Kyoko. Judging by her texts from the past couple of days, if he was lucky, he probably had about another half hour before she was finished with work. Before he could think about it any harder or try to talk himself out of it, he grabbed his keys and ran out the door. He made it all the way to the train station before he noticed he'd left the apartment wearing only an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

It was an agonizing fifteen minute train ride.

He managed to shake off the majority of his impromptu fan club with a few roundabout twists and turns and arrived at Kyoko's office building at the same time he received her message letting him know she was on her way back. After his harrowing subway experience, he was less than enthusiastic about waltzing into what was likely to be a busy lobby only to be mobbed once more. Instead, he found a secluded bench beside a few tiny, artfully arranged trees that were probably put there by some landscaper who thought it would make the mostly steel and glass building look more 'organic'. There he remained, on the lookout for the familiar head of short copper hair.

She appeared shortly after he'd settled into his hiding space, followed closely by a man he'd only seen in mangled pictures discarded in the trash bin in their kitchen. Kyoko seemed to be focused on not paying him any attention. For the most part, it was working and he watched her take purposeful strides in the direction of the train station. He decided that, if she kept it up and he backed off before she made it to the end of the block, he wouldn't interfere. This was her personal issue, after all.

Of course, that was right about when the man must have said something. Something that made Kyoko stop and sharply turn around and glare at him with a hatred he'd never seen on her face before. The man's name escaped her lips with a furious hiss and she marched over to where he stood before jabbing a finger in his face. That face, Ren noted, was now smiling in triumph and his stomach turned with disgust. He was baiting her just to get her attention.

Well, it was now or never.

He walked across the paved courtyard in front of the building to where the now-arguing pair stood. As he got closer, he could hear snippets of their conversation until he was able to make out a full sentence.

"I told you I don't have time to waste on you today. I have to get home," she insisted before her voice got much quieter. "Someone's expecting me."

"Actually, I decided to surprise you today."

Ren appeared beside them with a dazzling grin, looking intently at Kyoko and seemingly unaware of the suddenly entranced group of people gathered around him (though, if one looked closely enough, they could spot the tension in his shoulders). She gasped and nearly jumped out of her own skin at the sight of him. His smile only widened and he reached out to wrap his hand around hers and began to lead her away from the man still gaping in muted awe, his attention dragged from the woman he'd set on antagonizing to the person who interrupted him.

The entire journey back to their apartment was quiet save for the loud stares and even louder murmurs from the overly-excited—and overly-amorous—onlookers who surrounded them.

"I didn't ask for your help," she said once they were together in their kitchen.

Her voice held no malice or attitude, it was a soft-spoken statement of fact.

"You are correct," he agreed. "Your best friend did."

Kyoko groaned, shrinking in on herself. "I should've known she'd find out sooner or later. But, I don't get why she went to you about it."

"According to her, I'm a 'special case' when it comes to helping you since you never let anyone else do it," he frowned at her. "Kyoko, if you needed my help that much, why didn't you just tell me?"

She shrunk further, trying to make herself as small as possible.

"Because I wasn't going to guilt you into something that clearly made you uncomfortable."

"But you didn't have to lie to me about it," he insisted. "We could've figured something out and gotten Kanae and Chiori involved too."

She shook her head, but refused to look at him. "I only wanted you."

He didn't know what to say to that.

"I first started it to see if I could coax you out of leaving the apartment. You were always cooped up in there, afraid go anywhere because you were afraid of yourself," she sighed, her shoulders sloping downward. "Then I kept doing it because I liked having you there. Whenever things got stressful, I could call on you and I felt comforted… safe. Soon, I just couldn't stop myself."

"Kyoko…" Ren hesitated, licking his lips to buy a scant extra second of time. "What are you saying?"

He watched her suck in a shaky breath and clasp her hands together. She finally met her eyes with his, but only for the briefest moment.

"I'm saying that I really like being around you. A lot. And I didn't know how to tell you without you thinking that it was because I was no longer immune to your curse, but it's not," she maintained in a determined voice. "I know it's not. I'm not like them."

Ren sat down at the nearby bar stool they'd set up along one of the higher counters in the kitchen. He exhaled a long breath and scraped his fingers through his hair before letting the hand fall to his lap with a plop.

"I became like this because I habitually used my charm and my looks to get whatever I wanted," he looked down at his hands as he spoke. "I just happened to upset a man who had the means to make a curse possible."

"And he told you that, because you could only love yourself superficially, you would be forced to live a life where everyone became entranced by you for the way you looked, whether you wanted it or not," Kyoko finished the story for him. "I already know this, Ren. Why are you telling me again?"

"Because there's another part to the story I never told you," he looked up at her, his eyes searching hers. "He said the curse would only end when I fell for the one who saw me for who I was and loved me anyway. I'm sure you can figure out why I couldn't tell you about that."

Kyoko laced her fingers together and pulled them apart over and over again. She looked up at the ceiling, blinking several times before looking back at him.

"I think it's my turn to ask now. What are you saying?"

Her words came out only just above a whisper and he smiled in spite of himself.

"I'm saying that I also really like being around you. A lot."


EPILOGUE? BONUS SCENE?

I don't know what it is but you can have it. Enjoy:

They really needed to stop, the edge of the countertop was digging into her back and she knew it was going to result in at least a few hours of soreness afterwards. Still, she really couldn't bring herself to say anything. Luckily, or not, Ren must have had the same idea and pulled back just enough to look at her properly. Her resulting sigh was more content than it was disappointed.

"Should we stop?" he asked and his eyes darted to the time displayed on the microwave. "It's been almost five minutes already. You can't be comfortable like that."

Kyoko's eyelids were heavy and she felt, overall, quite sluggish. Still, she turned to look over her shoulder, confirming that he was correct.

"Huh, so it has," she sounded neither bothered nor shocked by that information.

"I wonder if the curse has lifted."

She looked back at him, tilting her head in curiosity.

"You think hugging in a kitchen for five minutes was all it took?"

"We confessed our feelings too," he added, trying to sound affronted but failing. "Also that was a solid five minutes of some pretty intense hugging, you know. Words were spoken, backs were rubbed. Don't cheapen this."

A laugh she was helpless to stop bubbled out of her and she indulged it.

"Do you want to go out and check?

He appeared to think seriously about his answer for a bit, his brow wrinkled and his bottom lip was pushed out. Rather than speak, the arms he already had wrapped around her waist tightened just enough to pull her a little closer.

"I've spent so many years refusing to go out in public. Why start now?"

She laughed again. "Baby steps?"

"Something like that," he shrugged. "I have time. No need to do everything all at once."

"Oh absolutely," she patronized him, reaching one hand up to pat the top of his head. "We'll take it as slowly as you need to. Maybe in a month we'll have moved on to cuddling or, if I may be so brash, even kissing."

Kyoko made it sound so scandalous that they both dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"Actually, I don't mind if we accelerate that particular part of my rehabilitation."

She hummed in thought and a smirk played on her lips. "I had a feeling you'd say that. I also have the feeling of this counter giving me a backache. Care to do something about that?"

He pulled her even closer and curled forward to rest his head on her shoulder. His breath was warm against her ear.

"It would be my pleasure."

Kyoko clicked her tongue in mock exasperation, "Such a charmer."

His resulting laugh shook them both from head to toe.

"Guilty as charged."

- END -


DO I LIKE CURSING POOR REN OR SOMETHING (see also: that time I turned him into a sphinx)? Yes, yes I do. Mostly unique curses since I don't have the confidence to turn him into a werewolf or vampire in a way that won't seem completely contrived and cliche.

You know how some people will put the back of their hand to their forehead and sarcastically declare "Why was I curse with such beauty?" Well, guess what, it's an actual curse now. I feel like there's probably some myth or legend about this exact situation somewhere and, subconsciously, I've both remembered and forgotten it. If you happen to know a myth/legend this story could be based on, let me know in a review!

Well, I guess that's it for Ren x Kyoko Week. I hope you've had as much fun as I have and, hopefully, I'll see you for this again next year!

AUTHOR OUT!