My God this chapter was a beast to get through! But before you start can I just say, the response to the last chapter was absolutely phenomenal. It blew me away. All of you are so kind with your praise, you seriously rock! It's inspired me to keep writing and do my absolute best- for myself, for you guys and for the characters too!

On with the chapter, it's a long one, so grab some popcorn! Haha :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat, or any of the characters, I just own the plot bunnies XD


Chapter 9

Kyoko fought with all of her might to keep the façade of Titania. There was no denying it now, the thing she was most scared of being true, was indeed true. He did know it was her, of that she was certain; he had flirted only with her. She looked so completely different to her usual self that even Maria had a hard time recognising her. Yet he alone had seen through her in a second. She didn't want to think of what that could mean, she didn't want to hope-

No! She thought with desperation. No I can't hope for something so far out of my reach, I can't allow myself to think there is any special meaning behind this. It's just impossible.

It was getting harder to deny what she saw with her own eyes, Kanae was completely right about that, but she would fight it until her last breath. It simply couldn't be true. And all of this, all of the flirting lessons (and especially the moments she was unsure what exactly they were to each other) put her in danger of wishing for more than she could ever allow herself to. She knew Kanae was right about one more matter- that the point of LoveMe was to regain that important emotion. Kyoko knew she would eventually have to accept romantic love back into her life in order to grow and develop as an actress. Her mind knew all of this, but her heart was still more than a little apprehensive, and she could never let herself believe she could achieve this with Ren Tsuruga.

It didn't matter that she would have to graduate LoveMe eventually, that wasn't what this was about. On the contrary it was about her falling so completely, utterly and hopelessly in love with the man standing in front of her- a man whom she could never have. If she didn't suppress those feelings they would spiral out of control to the point where she would never be able to recover.

It needed to stop. She needed to stop. These flirting lessons needed- to- stop.

But for now the best she could do was stay in character- which was increasingly difficult due to the way Ren was standing over her, now out of the shadows so the light finally struck his face. The atmosphere surrounding them was thick, full of many layers of emotions, and Kyoko fought hard not to look away. Her head was slightly dizzy; her insides seemed to be competing for a gymnastics trophy. Everything he did sent shivers up and down her body, made the hairs on her arms stand on end. The way he talked in that seductive voice, the way he loomed over her like she was the prey and he the hunter, the way he looked at her with those smouldering deep green eyes-

Wait...what?

"Ts- Tsuruga-san." Kyoko stood back from him a little bit, tilting her head in confusion. The spirit of Titania floated away the moment she got a closer look at those eyes. They seemed oddly familiar somehow, but it didn't make any sense. Her instant connection to those eyes was so far removed from the man standing before her, it almost made her laugh at her own ridiculousness- and she endeavoured to rationalise those thoughts out of existence. "Are you wearing coloured contacts?"

The effect that question had on Ren's countenance made Kyoko's chest constrict anxiously, her insides quaked with trepidation. The thoughts she could so easily dismiss as foolish mere moments ago were now growing roots in her mind and she didn't like that one bit. In fact the whole situation seemed to be growing more dangerous by the second. She felt the urge to run, run fast and run far- yet her legs were frozen. Ren stood up and away from her, the Emperor completely gone from his expression. For a brief moment Kyoko found it strange, how one second they had been two different people, but they could change so instantly and react so quickly to each other.

However the thought was soon gone from her mind. Her much respected Sempai, normally so calm and collected, seemed so ill at ease. Even though the Phantom mask covered his expression she could tell, he couldn't hide it from her. The tiny movements and gestures were unobservable to the untrained eye, but Kyoko knew them well. She told herself it was because of the amount of time she'd spent studying his behaviours as an actor, and pushed all other reasons out of her mind.

"No." Ren breathed out in a hushed whisper and Kyoko was further alarmed to note the slightest hint of a quiver in his voice. "No I'm not wearing coloured contacts."

Kyoko didn't know what to think, her mind completely shut down due to the surge of questions that one statement had brought forth. How could that be his eye colour? Had he been wearing coloured contacts the entire time? What was the purpose? What did it mean? What was happening?

Ren looked down at the beauty before him, noticing her tense up, and sighed. His hand went up to touch his face but instead his fingers met the cool, blank smoothness of his mask. His arm went limp at his side and he looked almost helplessly at Kyoko, wanting to say so much to her and not having the faintest idea where to start.

And then there was the matter of how she would react. What if she never looked at him the same way again?

He needed to tell her the truth; he wanted to tell her the truth. But he also wanted one last moment, just one last moment, of her looking at him with complete trust- before things changed for good.

"Dance with me."

Kyoko frowned at him from behind her mask and glanced over to the dance floor, biting her lip worriedly. Ren felt a crushing sense of guilt, ripping and twisting in his gut. He made her feel this way and he hated that. He thought that revealing his true eye colour first would be safe, something not many people would notice and easily explainable if they did. And it would also ease her into the idea that he was-

...But all it seemed to have done was make the situation more complicated.

"I don't- I don't understand what's happening." She said honestly and locked eyes with him for a moment, before looking away. Those eyes seemed so strange, so different and yet so similar to-

It's not possible Kyoko. Stop it. Stop dreaming. She thought desperately, taking a sharp breath through the nose to calm herself.

Ren noticed it was his hesitancy that was frightening her and all he wanted was for her to feel safe with him, for her to be happy. So he turned to her with a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood, and said "I know you're confused, and I promise you that I'll explain everything. But not here. Besides, it's a nice night, it would be a shame if we came to a ball- especially when you're dressed like that- and didn't take the opportunity to dance."

Kyoko knew he was trying to distract her, distract her from the fear of what would happen after the dance ended. She couldn't deny she was afraid of what he would say, why he was so nervous to say it, and why he needed to say it to her (after all what made her so special?). And yet another emotion was taking hold, its voice was growing louder with each passing moment. She looked at his hand, outstretched for her to accept. She had to wonder- how many times had he held out his hand to her? How many times had her trust in him taken her to places she could never dreamed of in her purest fantasies? If it wasn't for him reaching out to her, she would never have accepted the role of Mio in Dark Moon, never found her perfect Natsu, never found Queen Rosa's crystal. She was a small rose, growing and learning as she ventured forth into the world of acting. He was the vase, strong and sturdy and always there lending his support- even when she didn't realise it.

Did she really need to be so scared?

"I've never danced with someone before." She said as she put her hand in his, not for the first time a she was sure not the last. "So I'm truly sorry if step on your toes. I will do my best to be careful."

In that moment it didn't matter what happened before, or what happened after. The look he was giving her now, that pure and wonderful smile of his, made her fears melt away as they walked arm in arm to the dance floor. The music was soft and gentle, and he guided her like a mountain guiding a stream. She matched his movements seamlessly every step of the way, not once did she step on his toes.

That night, in the Akebono room of the Hotel Okura, hundreds of guests watched in awe of the pair that danced in perfect harmony, synchronising their movements to the music and to each other in such a magical, almost fairy-tale like fashion. There was something special in the way the two glided, as if they were floating on air, which made it seem as if they'd been preparing for this dance for a whole lifetime. The President peered over at them as he danced with his granddaughter and listened to the whispers of who they mysterious beauty dancing with Tsuruga-san could be. He grinned knowingly before turning away, hoping to distract Maria from Ren a little while longer.

But none of this existed to the pair, the world was their own. The dance hall might as well have been empty for all they noticed outside of each other. And Kyoko couldn't help but think it really didn't matter what colour Tsuruga-san's eyes were- as long as they kept looking at her with such joy in them.


The hours blended into each other, every second seemed to go by faster than its predecessor and, before Kyoko had time to pause, the clock struck midnight and the ball ended. The curious thing was nobody seemed to recognise her even after the ceremonial removing of the masks- even her former colleagues. She discussed this with Ren, unsure whether to feel flattered or explain it away as a mark of being relatively unknown still (she was more inclined to the latter perspective).

"It's the mark of the ability of an actor, how well you can blend into a role. You do it in such a way that makes people forget you and believe entirely in the character you create." Ren said as they made their way to his car, the valet having already given him his keys. "You're good at doing that because you don't just create the character, you become the character."

Kyoko was glad it was semi-dark in the parking lot, considering she seemed to be blushing from head to toe at his praise. She was also glad Jelly had given her clothes to change into at the end of the party, those wings were quite uncomfortable and she wasn't sure she would be able to fit into the car with them. An odd image of a fairy chauffeur driving her around crossed her mind (why would they drive? Surely they could use fairy dust to transport them anywhere they wanted to go?) before she shook her head, trying to avoid getting lost in fantasies whilst in a conversation.

"Really Tsuruga-san, I think you're too liberal with your praise, I still have a long way to go before I'm so deserving of it." She mumbled, almost in a chiding voice, and Ren couldn't help but chuckle quietly. He remembered the days back in Kyoto, when she would tell off Corn for commending her when she got a high (but not perfect) score on her tests.

'You should only praise me when I get a perfect score!' She would say once she had stopped crying, and her usual fighting spirit came back to her. 'An eighty-eight percent isn't good enough, mummy says so. If I get praise for grades that aren't good, I won't get better!"

Ren tried to distract himself from the fear that rose in his chest when he thought of Corn, and what would happen when he told her the truth.

"Don't you think it's rude to contest your Sempai's opinion, especially when he's giving you praise? It's like you're saying you know more than your teacher." He teased, feigning shock as he looked at her, only revealing his amusement when his back was turned and he opened the car door for her. Ren fully expected Kyoko's expression to be horrified she'd offended her sempai and for a second he looked like his expectations were to be met.

But then Kyoko looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a playful little smile, as she slid past him into the front seat.

"Stop teasing me Sem-pai, you know what I mean." She said slowly, with a wink as a final flourish. She placed such a seductive and playful emphasis on the word Sempai that it made Ren grip the open car door almost painfully. Where on Earth did she learn to talk like that?!

Without saying a word he slammed her car door shut and hurried over to the other side, aware of how foolish he seemed to be acting and wanting very much to hit his head on something repeatedly in frustration.

"Did I say something wrong?" Kyoko asked and Ren froze, remaining silent. "I've been practicing intonation and expression by watching romantic comedies and dramas. I think I'm getting a good handle on my character- Yui- now. I have a much better idea of who she is. Do you think I did well just then? That was Yui just then."

So she's flirting with me in character, why am I not surprised? Why was I such an idiot as to believe she'd be flirting with me as herself? She will never see me that way. Ren wished he'd been able to drink at the party. He should have hired a taxi. He didn't want to rely on liquid courage to tell her the truth about himself though. Nor was he sure alcohol was the best solution.

Ren tried to hide his disappointment, and replied in a smooth and measured voice "It was very good. I'm glad you're getting your character. When do you start shooting?"

"In about two months." Kyoko said quietly and there was something in her tone that made Ren glance over at her, she was staring intensely at her lap and fidgeting with her hands nervously.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Ren reassured gently, taking a measured guess as to the source of her worries, and placed the key into the ignition- taking a deep breath as he did so. The second the engine roared to life there would be no turning back from what he was about to do. He suppressed a shudder.

"Hmm? Oh no, it's not that. I'm not worried about that." Kyoko stammered, tripping over her words and still refusing to look at him. "Well I- I am worried about that, but-"

Her head snapped up instinctively as she heard the engine stutter and die.

Ren frowned and turned the key again. Again the engine stuttered and died.

This could not be happening. Did the universe really hate him that much?

"Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko questioned, watching his expression turn to both thunder and exasperation at the same time as he tried to start the car to no avail. The car remained as lifeless as their masquerade masks. "I think we should go get help."

Ren hit his head on the steering wheel in frustration. The result of this caused Kyoko to shriek with surprise, leap up in her seat and hit her head on the roof of the car. Ren jumped upright at the sound of her cry and turned to the sight of her leaning over, cradling her head and cringing.

"Kyoko! Are you alright?!" He panicked, leaning over as far as he could and placed a hand on her shoulder and one hand under her chin, gently tilting her head up. "Look at me, you hit your head. Are you ok?"

Kyoko groaned in pain but looked up to meet his gaze and nod, her eyes were watery but otherwise she seemed coherent. Ren breathed a sigh of relief.

"At least the car horn is working." Kyoko said as she rubbed her head weakly.


"The staff said to keep the ice pack on the head for about five minutes more." Ren said as he held the icepack on the spot where her head made contact with the roof of his car.

"You know I can hold it there myself, I'm alright you know. I didn't hit it that hard and it doesn't even hurt anymore. I didn't even pass out." Kyoko grumbled, trying to control her heartbeat. What she said was partly true, there was only a light dull ache now and she was sure she would get a little bump but it was nothing to be worried about. More than anything though she just wanted Ren to stop cradling her head as they sat in waiting in the Hotel Okura welcome hall. All the guests had gone home and, as it was past midnight, very few people were around- yet she was worried about what people would think. They were in what Kyoko considered to be a very compromising position, however innocent it looked to outsiders.

Well it certainly felt like a compromising position.

You've been in a far more compromising situation with him before. Her memories reminded her; she hated her mind at times and shook her head, earning a chiding from Ren. Honestly that was a completely different situation! She'd been acting as Setsu then, she hadn't been herself!

"There's still a chance of concussion." Ren argued.

"You worry too much, there's no chance of concussion." She bickered back, crossing her arms and sulking.

"Hold still. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Kyoko's embarrassment and irritation rose every second. He could be SO ANNOYING when he wanted to be! And stubborn! And just...just so very annoying! She was so flustered she was having trouble accessing her full lexicon, so she decided to stick with annoying. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE WAS!

She was about to snap back at him when the receptionist- a small brunette with large violet eyes and a warm aura- walked over to them both and Kyoko practically pounced onto the other side of the sofa. She didn't want to give the wrong impression, but was completely unaware of the hurt expression that briefly crossed Ren's face. Her plan slightly failed, as the receptionist attempted to hide her surprise at the sudden gesture.

"The water from the icepack trickled onto my neck, it made me jump." Kyoko explained lamely, her cheeks flaring. Ren looked up at the receptionist with a gentlemanly smile and Kyoko could tell he was annoyed. Apparently this was good enough for the receptionist, however, as she returned the smile and nodded.

"I hope your head is feeling better miss." She stated and Kyoko agreed shortly, trying not to be rude despite how irritated she was. The receptionist turned back to Ren and a more regretful expression crossed her face. "I'm sorry Tsuruga-san; we were unable to find a car service so late. However one of our valets is also an apprentice mechanic and when he tried to fix your car, he noticed that it has been vandalised."

Ren and Kyoko both looked at each other in confusion for a moment. "What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"It appears as if someone has siphoned the fuel from your car."

"Why would somebody do that?!" Kyoko cried outraged and for the first time in a long time, she felt a few of her demons floating around her prepared to hunt down and punish the thief. "That is utterly ridiculous! Not to mention against the law!"

"We are investigating now." The receptionist dipped her little head, and took a step back, feeling the demonic presence despite not being able to see it. "I am truly sorry we allowed this to happen, and I assure you we will do everything to make sure the thief is found. In the mean time, as an apology, we'd like to offer you one complimentary night's stay and free access to the spa tomorrow. Umm...I don't mean to pry, but...will you be requiring one room or two? Either way we will be completely discreet." She stammered the last part awkwardly, shuffling from one foot to another.

"We'll be requiring two rooms. Thank you." Ren said composedly, looking to Kyoko "Are you happy with this? I can find a way to get you home tomorrow morning."

Kyoko was torn, a part of her just wanted to go home and forget the majority of this evening, forget the way dancing in his arms had made her feel, forget the way they'd teased, flirted and bickered and fought as if they'd known each other for a lifetime. But another knew she'd only wake up tomorrow and remember. She wasn't sure she could forget even if she tried.

And then there was the matter of Ren's true eye colour, which still made her chest constrict whenever his gaze met hers. Though before she knew it she was agreeing (what choice did she have, really?) and being led to her room- right across the hall from Ren's own room.

The attendant placed her bags on the chair and wished her a goodnight before leaving her on her own to examine the surroundings. Her breath was lost to her surprise, for the room was so luxurious. According to the signs, they were in the Garden Wing, and there were views of the lit-up fountain and trees outside. The room was bathed in gold and green- giving the impression that she was in a palace in the middle of a European forest. The bed was silky smooth and she disappeared into its softness. For the first time all day, she relaxed and sighed deeply.

There was a knock at her door and she sighed again, wanting to stay on the comfy bed forever. She begrudgingly slipped off the bed and slumped over to the door, unsurprised to see Ren standing before her.

"I just wanted to check everything was alright." He said, but Kyoko was sure there was more. He seemed too unsettled, despite his cool-like countenance. At first she thought of simply affirming she was alright and going to bed. But sympathy won out, he clearly needed someone to talk to and, in the absence of Bo the Chicken, she was probably just impartial enough to hear what he had to say. She did wonder whether or not this was about his past. It was clearly serious enough that it rattled him a great deal and the only thing she'd ever seen him so worked up about was either to do with Katsuki- when he confessed to Bo that he wouldn't allow himself to fall in love- and when he was trying to deal with his inner demons as Cain Heel. Truth is she had no clue what to feel, what to think, and that greatly unsettled her.

Hoping to mask her own nervousness, she smiled reassuringly and invited him in for some tea- as she'd noticed a kettle and some packets of instant tea on the desk by the window.

Ren tried not to let his hands shake as he accepted the warm cup from her hands, and sat in one of the oddly regal armchairs. This wasn't exactly how he pictured this going, but if he didn't do this now he wasn't sure he'd gain the courage to do it again. He felt like such a coward.

"Did you enjoy the evening?" Ren asked after a minute of awkward silence. He glanced over at Kyoko, who seemed to have just been jerked out of her own thoughts.

"Oh, yes." She stammered. "I liked your costume by the way; I thought that was very clever."

"Thank you. I can't take credit for it though, it was Jelly's idea; I just went along with it so I wouldn't feel her wrath." Ren stated as he took a sip of the green tea. He was fully aware he was prolonging the situation but couldn't help it.

"Oh, she helped you too? She did the same with me, she insisted I was a fairy queen although I wasn't about to say no!" Kyoko cheered up instantly and the wires connected in Ren's brain. So that was who Jelly had been with earlier...suddenly this whole scenario was starting to feel like one giant conspiracy set up by the President. He would be making a very inquisitive phone call tomorrow. "Did you see my wings? Oh they were so pretty! If only I had those for real..."

"Then you could be with Corn." Ren said quietly but Kyoko heard it. Her heart skipped.

"It would be lovely to see him again. I wonder if it would have made him smile, to see me that way." She replied and looked at Ren's eyes again. Ren breathed out a shudder, he was sure he saw the tiniest hint at understanding behind her look and was unsure if that made this easier or harder. He was probably imagining it though.

"Do you miss him?" He asked, even though he knew the answer.

Kyoko smiled warmly, looking at her lap and her gaze seemed distant. Ren felt a pang of longing, he so wished she would look like that when she thought of him as he was now. But he supposed his actions between his time as Corn and the time he came to Japan made him undeserving of such a wonderful thing.

"I think about him a lot, how much he helped me in such a short space of time, and I carry his wisdom and his presence with me wherever I go. He was my first friend outside of Sho. So yes I miss him, of course I do." Kyoko laughed warmly, though there was a hint of sadness in her voice which made Ren's need to tell her grew exponentially. He wanted her to understand he'd been here all along. "In a way I suppose dressing as a fairy made me feel closer to him tonight- although that almost didn't happen. Jelly was a last minute saviour. I wasn't able to find anything to wear and she saved me last second. I drove Kanae-san crazy with my worrying, she stomped off in anger a lot and she even suggested I steal my Bo costume from Bridge Rock because any costume would be worth shutting me up. Even a ridiculous chicken...one..."

Kyoko trailed off at the last second, realising her gigantic error mid sentence and staring horror struck at the shell shocked expression on Ren's face.

Oh God, what have I done?! I was so caught up remembering Corn that I didn't think before I spoke! Nonononononono! This is BAD! So very bad!

At first Ren was unsure he'd heard right, but from the way she looked at him now he could tell he wasn't mistaken.

"Excuse me." He questioned lowly, his expression darkening with every passing moment. "But did you just say...chicken costume?"

Kyoko gripped the edge of the bed tightly, unsure of what to do, her first reaction seemed to be to hyperventilate but she was sure that would not improve the situation.

"Ah- well- you see- I mean- that is- umm."

"Mogami-san." He stated and Kyoko realised how much she'd gotten used to him calling her by her first name now that he called her otherwise. Her danger-metre was rising rapidly. He was definitely angry. "Do you mean to say that you play the Chicken at Bridge Rock?"

The cat was out of the proverbial bag, and if she tried to deny it now she would only make him angrier.

She admitted defeat, and nodded her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

Ren stood up quickly, putting his cup on the stand beside him, and pacing several feet away from her. He tried desperately to control his anger, feeling like a hypocrite, yet he couldn't help but feel deeply hurt.

"So all this time you've known, and yet pretended as if you didn't? Do you think I'm a fool? Did you think it was funny?" Do I really mean so little to you? He turned back to her and noted the tears welling up in her eyes.

Now it was Kyoko's turn to stand up furiously, her expression desperate.

"No!" She cried. "It's not like that at all; it wasn't my place to discuss it with you. You trusted Bo, not me, and I promise I kept your secrets! I didn't tell anybody a word of what you spoke!"

Ren knew what she was saying was true, but he felt wounded that she'd known of his feelings all this time and yet said or done nothing. He'd already confessed to the girl he loved, and she still treated him as nothing more than a Sempai.

He needed to leave.

"I'm going to bed." He said quietly, moving away from her and towards the door. The sight of his back turned made Kyoko panic and she ran after him.

"Wait!" She called out, hoping to make him believe her, wanting him to look at her with trust once more. She didn't want to lose him and if she couldn't make him see she was telling the truth, how sorry she was, she feared she would lose him forever. She couldn't let that happen. Not now. "Tsuruga-san, please hear me out!"

Her foot collided with the leg of coffee table and she went spiralling forwards clumsily, colliding straight into Ren's legs and sending the both of them tumbling to the ground.

Kyoko lay there for a moment, dazed and confused as to what exactly had just transpired. Her heart beat fast and she sat up panicked once more.

"I am so sorry! I'm sorry Tsuruga-san I didn't mean to be so clumsy, I just-"

She stopped speaking mid sentence when she noticed the sight before her.

Ren lay beside her, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His white shirt crumpled up to reveal a portion of his toned chest and his green eyes were wide and looking at her in confusion.

But there was something different, something that changed everything. Something her mind couldn't comprehend, so she stared at him blankly.

What Kyoko now understood to be a black wig rested beside Ren's head, having been knocked off him as they'd crashed to the ground. And underneath where that dark hair had been, was a mop of soft, blonde hair.

As blonde as a fairy's.


Ok, I know that was an evil cliffhanger, but I promise this story is GOING places! And I'm working hard on the next chapter. So I hope you guys aren't too mad. Besides you were all spoiled by that epic long chapter XD and so much fluff! So much feels! You know you love the drama really haha.

Until the next time!