Sho Business

Synopsis: What if Sho had had to make an honest woman of Kyoko in order to get her to agree to come to Tokyo with him?

Disclaimer: Skip Beat! and its characters are the sole property of the legal copyright holders. This story borrows the characters and is not for profit or professional gain. To support the original artist and enhance enjoyment of this story, it is recommended that readers purchase copies of the manga at their nearest bookstore if at all possible.

Notes: Obviously, from the description, I am taking some liberties with the circumstances surrounding Kyoko and Sho's move to Tokyo. That aside, I intend to make every effort to mold the story to fit manga events as much as possible, though some modification will be necessary.

Special thanks to past and future reviewers!

Chapter Ten: What They Did Instead of Sleeping - Part One

Maybe it would've been better if Kyoko had snored. Then he would have been able to wake her up and demand that she stop. But the apartment was completely silent as Sho lay staring at the ceiling, and he had no outlet for the frustration that was making a vein stand out in the center of his forehead.

It was eight o'clock in Tokyo and he was lying on a futon in a tiny apartment while his wife slept like the dead three feet away. This was no way for a future legend to begin his career.

A bicycle bell chirped from the street outside and he heard two children chatter about what their mother would be cooking for dinner. Sho sat straight up in indignation. That was it. He refused to go to sleep like an old man while little kids were still out roaming around!

He got up, throwing his blanket violently to the side. It landed partially over Kyoko's arm, waking her. She opened her eyes reluctantly, blinking several times to force the lids to stay parted.

"Sho-chan?" she murmured.

Sho whirled around defensively to glare down at her, hands on his hips. "I can't sleep!" he growled.

A bit more awake, Kyoko pushed herself up with one arm. She could feel every muscle in her body begging for a break after the strain of moving and unpacking, but she determinedly ignored her own exhaustion when she saw Sho's unhappy face. This had been a stressful day for him, after all. Not only was this the first night he'd ever spent away from his family who loved him, but he had to spend it with her. Not just with her either – but married to her! Her heart ached as she imagined the disappointment he must feel. He had sacrificed so much just for this chance to start his career.

"Of course. So much has happened that you must feel very wound up," she sympathized, gazing at him with tender concern. "Why don't I prepare us some warm milk?"

Sho crossed his arms and watched with satisfaction as Kyoko got up and turned on the overhead light, padding over to the small kitchen alcove to dig out a saucepan.

He stretched his arms over his head, arching his back like a cat, then settled down in front of the kotatsu, tapping his fingers against the surface as he waited for his milk.

A few minutes later, Kyoko presented him with a mug and kneeled across from him, holding her own with two unsteady hands as she waited politely for him to drink first. He threw back the entire contents of his mug in just two gulps and wiped his hand across his mouth to erase the white mustache he didn't doubt had accumulated.

When he looked up, he saw Kyoko raising her full glass. For the first time in his memory, Kyoko actually committed a breach in table manners. Still only half-awake, she'd missed her mouth, causing the warm milk to splash onto her cheek. He found himself unable to look away from the translucent white liquid as it dripped down her face and over her neck.

After a second, it dawned on Kyoko that she had made a mess. She blushed and immediately jumped to her feet to run for a towel to mop up the spill, apologizing profusely all the while.

Sho blinked hard, shaking his head to clear it. What was the matter with him today? Obviously, he was going crazy from spending too much time with Kyoko. By the time she finished cleaning, Sho was rifling through the few remaining boxes that had yet to be unpacked – all of them contained shoes and clothing.

"I'm going out," he announced, his head in the box he was currently searching. "You go back to bed."

Kyoko hung her head in shame. Of course he wouldn't want to be around her any longer than he had to; who knew what mess she'd make next? She walked over to the pile of boxes contritely and asked which outfit he was searching for.

"Never mind. This is it," Sho grunted, grabbing whatever was at hand without looking at it. He sped to the bathroom to change, locking the door behind him and breathing a sigh of relief at having escaped the uncomfortable proximity to Kyoko.

He really needed to get out and do something before he completely lost his mind. Only a lunatic would have ever even considered.... That uncute, boring woman! He forced himself to focus on buckling his belt and resolutely abandoned that train of thought.

Kyoko neatly folded the clothes that Sho had tossed around during his search for something to wear. She couldn't believed how silly she'd been. Selfishly making Sho feel guilty for waking her up. He must've noticed how tired she was when she spilled the milk. That must be why he wouldn't look at her. Poor Sho was always so caring and now she'd made him feel bad.

There had to be something she could do to make him feel better. She leaned against the cabinet-lined wall and pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose, trying to squeeze the sleepiness out of her head.

That was it! She had to show Shotaro that she wasn't tired so he wouldn't feel guilty about waking her up. Stifling a yawn, she returned to the boxes, pulling out the dress she'd worn earlier. Knowing how long it took Sho to do his hair, she didn't think twice about getting changed in the main room. By the time Sho emerged from the bathroom, she was fully dressed and brushing out her long hair.

Sho stopped two steps into the room, confused. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I'm too excited!" Kyoko exclaimed, looking up at him with shining eyes. It took all of her strength, but she would be perky until it killed her before she'd let Sho feel bad because of her. She hopped up to her feet and pointed to the bathroom. "Are you done in there? I want to wash my face before we go."

He grabbed her arm as she tried to trot past him. "Aren't you tired? And what do you mean 'before we go?'"

Kyoko turned to him enthusiastically. "Of course I'm not tired! This is our first night in Tokyo! I can't wait to see the city! Where do you want to go?"

"I was going to go to Shibuya to see a live house," he said, slowly panicking. He was trying to get away from Kyoko. Besides, he couldn't take her where he was going. Shibuya had the best punk music but it was also.... Shibuya. He felt warmth creeping up his neck as he remembered what else the district was famous for... Love Hotel Hill. The streets were teeming with prostitutes, players and middle aged men on the prowl for young girls. "You can't go to Shibuya." He said firmly.

"But why not?" Kyoko asked, her face falling. Sho stared into her innocent eyes and grasped around for a reason he could give her... one that would not lead to him having to answer any questions about embarrassing topics. "You'll be bored?" It didn't even sound convincing to himself.

Kyoko forced a brilliant smile and shook her head. "No, I promise I won't Sho! Thank you for worrying about me, but it will be great! I swear I won't be bored at all!"

Sho opened his mouth to protest, but she was already in the bathroom turning on the faucets of the sink to wash her face.

He paced back and forth, raising a hand to run through his hair before he remembered how long it took to get the spikes symmetrical. He closed his fingers into a loose fist and brought his hand down, trying to think of what to do. The white lace dress Kyoko was wearing made her look like a little doll. She wouldn't be able to go five steps from the train station before all the perverted old salary men swarmed her.

He kicked a stack of boxes and one fell to the ground, clothes spilling out across the floor. He caught sight of the sleeve of his leather jacket and had an idea.

He walked over to the bathroom and leaned against the door frame, frowning. Kyoko saw him in the mirror and turned to him nervously. "How do I look?" She asked, twisting her hands together.

Sho quickly scanned her and shook his head, giving her a thumbs-down. "You look way too young, they'll never let you in anywhere."

Kyoko surveyed her dress, pinching the lace in dismay. "But this is the nicest outfit I have."

Sho sighed and clucked his tongue. "There's nothing for it then, you'll just have to stay home."

Kyoko sagged in relief, until she realized that Sho must not have believed her when she said she wasn't tired. Oh, Sho was so thoughtful. He wanted to give her a way out of coming so she could go back to sleep. She clenched her fists resolutely. "I'll find something else! Something that makes me look older!"

Sho watched her rifling through her clothing, confident that she wouldn't have anything mature in her entire wardrobe. She was Kyoko, after all.

He was baffled when she suddenly exclaimed "I know!" And pulled out a Daimaru department store bag from one of the closets.

"I wasn't sure about this when I bought it, but the saleslady said if I was moving to Tokyo I had to have some trendy clothes or I'd look like a country bumpkin."

She pulled out a black miniskirt and a silver top that seemed to have more straps than actual shirt. Sho's jaw dropped and he grabbed the clothes from her hands, shoving scraps of fabric back into the bag.

"No way! Absolutely not!" He huffed, stuffing the bag into an overhead cabinet – where Kyoko would never be able to reach it again.

"But she said it's what all the girls in Tokyo wear," Kyoko protested.

"That's probably why all the doctors in Tokyo are so rich, then, because if all the girls here dress like that they must walk around with pneumonia all year long." Sho insisted, looking around to reassure himself that there was no furniture tall enough for Kyoko to stand on to access the cabinet in the future.

Kyoko sighed. He was right. She would look silly in an outfit like that anyway. She wasn't beautiful and she didn't have enough style to pull it off.

Satisfied that Kyoko would never see her "trendy" clothes again, Sho grabbed his leather jacket from its place on the floor and threw it at her. "Put this on," he ordered.

Kyoko looked at the jacket – his favorite – black leather with patches of different British and American bands all over it. "Really?" She breathed. Sho rarely let anyone even touch this coat.

"Just do it," he muttered, stalking into the bathroom. He rested his forehead against the cold mirror, trying to cool down the different emotions that were bubbling around in his brain – anger, frustration, annoyance and.... and annoyance!

The jacket actually went well with the lace dress. The contrast seemed intentional, like something Madonna might have worn in the 80s. Her long black hair didn't really look right hanging loose, however, since it was too close to the color of the jacket. So Kyoko grabbed the decorative chopsticks she'd taken out when she went to bed and pinned her hair up again.

Finished, she sought out Sho for his opinion on the finished outfit. She was surprised to see him applying eyeliner. "I didn't know you knew how to do that!" She cooed in admiration.

She'd always loved makeup but never learned how to apply it, since she had no female friends and Mrs. Fuwa had not thought that young women should wear cosmetics.

Sho smirked proudly. "Of course, image is everything for a rock star," he explained straightening up to survey his work. He used his pinky to smudge the lines in the corners, so they seemed to fade mysteriously into shadows by his eyes.

Kyoko clasped her hands together in wonder. "You're even more beautiful than usual!"

Sho leaned his head back and laughed, rubbing a fist against his chest in an arrogant pose. "What do you expect? I'm Fuwa Sho!"

Kyoko nodded, stars in her eyes. "There's nothing you can't do!" She agreed.

Coming down from his self-satisfied euphoria, he looked Kyoko over and noticed that her hair was back the way she'd had it during the move, wisps clinging to her neck and all. Noticing his stare, Kyoko nervously asked what was wrong.

"You still look too young!" Sho snapped. He walked towards her, seeming to tower above her. Kyoko cowered, preparing to apologize for still failing to look old enough to get into a club.

Sho saw her flinch and it annoyed him even more than her stupid sexy hairdo did.

But as much as Kyoko irritated him, it still made him uncomfortable to think of her being afraid of him. So with a long-suffering sigh, he ordered her to open her eyes. She did so hesitantly, looking up at him like a puppy that had peed on the floor.

"Now keep them open," he commanded.

Confused but obedient, she did so, but she blinked and jumped back reflexively when Sho approached her with the eyeliner. Scowling, he told her to stand still, grabbing her chin with one hand to hold her head steady. "Now look up."

After a few more tries, he managed to apply the thinnest trace of eyeliner to each eye, giving her a face a cleaner, more alert look that went well with the leather jacket and lace dress.

Satisfied, he turned away to apply his own finishing touches - a long black cord that he wrapped several times around his throat and the clunky obsidian "wedding ring." He smirked at himself in the mirror, licking his thumb and running it across one of his eyebrows, admiring his own perfection.

"Okay, let's go!"

Kyoko snapped to attention just like she used to when they played army as children. He half expected her to say "yes, commander!" as she picked up her purse and shoes and headed for the sunken apartment entrance.

He picked out a pair of brown suede boots that matched his corduroy jacket – he'd decided they'd look stupid if they both wore leather, like a couple or something. Stepping into the small entranceway, he leaned against the opposite wall as they put their shoes on.

Author's notes:

Daimaru is a department store in Kyoto.

Yes, the "stupid, sexy Flanders" reference is intentional.

This is barely half of what I wanted to put into this chapter. The rest is already drafted, it's just too late to type it out without ruining my chances of getting up for work in the morning. I have a promise to myself to get a chapter a week out minimum, so I've decided to split chapter ten into chapters ten and eleven (and possibly twelve).

For the record: while you can't avoid influence from anything you read, this story has been outlined for quite a few months and both the sibling cover story and clothing scenes were decided upon before the Cain sibling arc came out. There is no intention to parallel Ren's dealings with Setsu. I have to say that as much as I love the whole Cain sibling plot, I was a bit annoyed by the timing of it!

Thank you everyone who reviewed! I read every single one. Often!