This is exactly what I did not want to happen. There I was blissfully believing that I was safe, when that giant, unfairly attractive man walked around the corner. It's too much for me to bear, I slam my head against the wall begging for a concussion. I would run but he's already spotted me.
"At least I've found a familiar face." Tsuruga-san says once he is close enough for us to hear. I look over at the man beside me, suddenly remembering that we had been about to go get a snack for my three co-workers.
"Tsuruga Ren!" Hikaru-san bows politely, if not a little stiffly. "Wow, I see celebrities so often, I'm surprised I can be this star struck. It's a little embarrassing to be honest."
Tsuruga-san bows back only paying partial attention to Hikaru-san. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting but I was looking for my girlfriend. Could I borrow the chicken to help me?"
No. I glare at him not wanting to go anywhere alone with him. Why hadn't I ditched the costume before agreeing to go get the food? Stupid! Stupid!
"Are you alright?" Large hands grasp the head of my chicken suit, stopping me from hitting it into the wall. Even with the thick padding of the head, the heat from his skin causes me to tremble.
"Don't worry about Bo, she's always like that." My breath hitches in my throat hearing Hikaru-san label me a girl. The only reason I am not already killing him is because he had the sense to not call me by my real name. That and Tsuruga-san doesn't seem to notice the slip. "Oh, but I guess you would already know that. Since she appeared in daffmmn…" With my wing over his mouth he cannot finish his sentence.
"Hikaru-san, you should go get that snack before Shinichi-san and Yuusei-san, come to find out what's taking so long." I shove him a little too roughly then I grasp onto Tsuruga-san and drag him over to a bench nearby. "So, you lost your girlfriend. Come sit over here and I'll go find her for you." I'm being rude, but I don't care, this is his fault for stressing me out. Or my fault for not telling him the truth, but I'm going to blame him because I'm annoyed.
"Well she's technically not my girlfriend. Not yet anyway." He admits refusing to budge when I try to push him down on the bench. Damn him and his muscles. Firm, strong muscles that feel so good beneath my fingers. "I owe you. If it wasn't for you, I would have never gained the courage to ask her out. I wouldn't have even realized that I'm in love with her without your help."
"Hey, are you listening to me?" His hands are on me again, shaking my shoulders. My thoughts had been preoccupied with thoughts of his broad shoulders. "You're not overheating in there, are you?" His fingers slip under the head and begin to pull up. "Filming is over, right. You don't have to keep the costume on to talk to me."
"No!" Flapping my wings, I jump away from him and shove my head back down.
Hands raised in a gesture of peace, he backs down. "Alright, keep it on." He pulls out his phone checking the time. "You must really like this job, I've never seen you without the costume. Not even the head."
"Yeah, I guess I do." I laugh patting my head to make sure it's secure. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course." He shows me a genuine smile, and I can't help the pang of jealousy that courses through me. That's my smile, stop showing it to some unknown girl in a chicken suit, Tsuruga-san. I shake the thought out of my head, realizing how stupid it is.
"You said that she isn't your girlfriend yet. Is that because you're waiting for someone else? Is she not the girl you truly love?"
"I love, Kyouko." He says too easily and my throat tightens. This fool goes around telling people that with that warm smile on his face, he is such a playboy. "She isn't my girlfriend yet, because I don't want her to feel pressured. Her ex treated her like a maid and I don't want her to think that's what I want. I don't want her to stop everything she's doing to take care of me and make me lunch or clean my house while I work."
"I wouldn't think that." I slip earning a confused look from him. "I mean, I'm sure she wouldn't think that someone of your status who could hire a maid, would want her to quit her job to take care of you. On a side note I thought you said you liked her cooking."
"I do, but there's nothing I can do to return the favor. She's so good to me, but she won't let me buy her things, and money is all I really have. It's like I won the jackpot, and got this amazing girl while she's stuck with me." I struggle not to laugh. This isn't funny. My boyfriend is acting insecure in front of me, who he thinks is some random girl in a chicken suit, worried that he isn't enough for me. Doesn't he know he's Tsuruga Ren, the most wanted man in Japan? He should be more worried about what will happen if someone catches him with such a plain and boring girl like me.
"You know you're gorgeous, right?"
"Yeah, and rich, and famous, and really good at my job." I don't quite understand the look on his face. There's a sadness to it that is bitter and hopeless. "She really admires me. I'm her senpai, she doesn't question my twisted illogical explanations and she believes my lies so easily."
"Lies?" Now it really isn't funny.
"She's a little naive and gullible. I feel bad for lying because that's something he seems to have done often, but I tell myself it's different. I don't lie about where I'll be or how I feel about her. I mostly tell her stories to make her happy, and of course there are things that I can't tell anybody." He sits up straighter suddenly and looks at me. "I shouldn't be saying any of this to you. I'm going to try calling, Kyouko again. If you'll excuse me."
"Kyouko-chan? Why are you looking for her when she's right…" Releasing a deafening squawk, I leap into the air and slam Hikaru to the floor.
There really is no reason to be going this far. It would be better to just tell Tsuruga-san the truth, but then what if he hates me for sneaking around like this. I've listened to some of his deepest secrets without him knowing. I've mocked him and told him I hated him and I am the one who convinced him that what he feels for me is love. He could conclude that I had lied to him about what love is, just so I could have him for myself. He could decide that he doesn't love me. I'm not planning to continue to pretend to be someone else so I can pry more into his mind and find out what he's lying to me about. If we happen to meet again like this, though, I might ask him to elaborate on it. So that I can help him with his girl troubles, even if that's a little messed up.
"Is your Kyouko-chan a short girl with chestnut hair and light brown eyes?" I ask quickly jumping off Hikaru-san and turning a bright beaming face towards Tsuruga-san.
"Yeah she's kind of tiny and cute, and her eyes are like honey. I could look in them all day." I roll my eyes. How am I supposed to believe anything he says now?
"You're dating Kyouko-chan?" Hikaru-san asks recovering from my body slam attack. His snacks are smashed but still edible, so I don't feel too bad when he fixes me with an annoyed if not slightly confused look.
Tsuruga-san places a finger to his lips. "If you could keep that a secret I'd appreciate it. Since she's so young and new, it might not be good for her image." My image or you're reputation? I'm so irritated now, other than his real name what don't I know? What has he told me that wasn't true. Was anything the truth? Tsuruga-san!
"Don't worry I can keep a secret, if I'm asked." Hikaru-san's pointed glare shoots through me. "If you wait here, Bo and I can go get her for you. She sometimes runs errands for our show."
"Really? Take me to her please." The eager eyes of a child momentarily renders us speechless. Tsuruga-san needs to stop showing that face to people other than me. I sulk forgetting that I'm angry at him.
Hikaru-san motions for Tsuruga-san to sit back down. "She often runs around to different places and can be very difficult to track down. It would be easier for us if you wait here. So we don't end up having to hunt down both of you."
"Leave it to us. We'll go find your girl." I enthusiastically agree, pushing Tsuruga-san down on the bench and rushing off with Hikaru-san to retrieve myself.
"Tsuruga Ren?" Hikaru-san asks after I have finished putting the Bo costume away. "He's your," he doesn't seem physically able to finish his sentence.
"I guess it really was your height." Yuusei-san comments petting Hikaru-san on the head.
"Isn't he a little too glamorous for our little Kyouko-chan?" Shinichi-san asks. "Don't you think Hikaru is more suited to you, Kyouko-chan?" Hikaru-san blushes and I shake my head at their antics.
"You don't want him to know about Bo?" Hikaru-san asks.
I shake my head more vigorously. "It would be too embarrassing. You guys won't tell him, will you?" I fold my hands together and pout up at them. "Please."
Grinning wickedly Yuusei-san nods his head. "Of course, we'll keep your secret. So long as you go on a date with one of us. We'll keep that from your friend Tsuruga too."
"Ignore him." Hikaru-san brushes Yuusei-san off and begins to walk away. "We should get you to your boyfriend before he comes looking for you."
"Right!" I skip along beside him, suddenly happy to see Tsuruga-san, now that I'm out of danger of being discovered as Bo. Yuusei-san and Shinichi-san follow us closely, sulking that their attempt to tease me was thwarted by their leader.
"You know," Hikaru-san starts before we make it to my handsome actor. "If he really cares about you, it shouldn't matter what your role is here. If you can't trust him to not judge you for this then maybe you shouldn't be dating him." He grasps my wrist stopping me in my tracks. "I wouldn't mind dating you, even in the chicken costume."
"Yeah, Kyouko-chan, you and Hikaru would make the cutest couple." Shinichi says excitedly.
A dark shadow is suddenly cast over us and Hikaru-san's hand is pushed away. "You don't touch." Cold and dark, his voice sends shivers up my spine as he places his hands on my waist and lifts me up to his level. "Where have you been? I missed you." He doesn't hesitate or give me time to react before crushing his mouth to mine. I moan into the kiss, suddenly made aware of every inch of my own heated body.
"Tsuruga-san, we're in public." It takes all my inner strength as a pure hearted maiden to push his face away. "Put me down." He obeys my command, setting me down slowly with our bodies pressed together. The heat in me pools in the pit of my stomach, despite my internal attempts to make it go away. "I swear sometimes I don't know what I'm going to do with you. You should know better than to act this way in public." I scold him to distract myself from the bizarre sensations my body is forcing on me.
"Stay the night at my place, and I'll show you exactly what you can do with me. Ow!" I shove his face away to keep him from whispering in my ear.
"Quiet, what if they heard you?" I ask, reminding myself of our present company.
"Maybe I wanted them to hear me." Tsuruga-san shrugs. The murderous glint is his eyes as he looks over my head at the Ishibashi brothers is more than enough to shock the carnal thoughts out of my body.
"I'm hungry." I announce, counting on his need to take care of me being stronger than his need to murder whichever one of them offended him. I suspect it was Hikaru-san for touching me.
"I bet. Kyouko-chan hasn't eaten anything all night." Yuusei sneers. "I hope she's not trying to lose weight just to please somebody."
Why are you trying to pick a fight? Don't you know he's scary when mad? I want to scream at them to not provoke him.
"I should take you out for a feast then." Tsuruga-san squeezes me tight and rubs his face against my hair. "I can't let my princess starve." He's angry, but instead of attacking them he seems determined to make me as uncomfortable as possible.
"Don't be ridiculous, I'll make us dinner." I say glad that he isn't throwing any punches at least.
"I can't let you cook after you've worked all day." He turns his false smile to the Ishibashi brothers. "What kind of boyfriend would that make me?"
"But I like cooking for you." I say touching his cheek to bring his attention back to me. "Because you're good to me and I want to return the favor." I bite my lip hoping he doesn't realize that my words are similar to what he had said to Bo.
A genuine smile brings the blush back to my face. "That's good, because I like your cooking." Before we go he turns and bows to them. "Thank you for helping me find my girl." I roll my eyes as he puts too much emphases on the words, my girl.
I bow to my co-workers as well. "I'll be going now." I bring a finger to my mouth. "Please keep this a secret."
It isn't until we get to the car that I remember I'm supposed to be mad at him. But the anger doesn't come. When I think of him hiding something from me, it makes me sad. How can he claim to love me but admit to lying to me? I think of asking Kanae but I know she'll just bring up my own lie. Is hiding my identity as Bo really any different from whatever he's hiding?
"You're quiet tonight." He mentions as I am busy preparing our meal. "Are you tired. It's not too late for me to order something."
money is all I really have. His eyes scream that he honestly believes that and were he not a liar I'd feel bad for ignoring him. Strong arms surround my shoulders and my body betrays me by leaning back into him. His warmth is addictive. It soothes me and makes me want to believe in him. Maybe I could wait to learn what he's hiding before I decide whether to be mad about it or not.
"I'm not tired." I say leaning up and kissing his chin. Shocked he looks down at me and smiles. "If you want to help me, though, I'd appreciate it. You can set the table." He kisses my forehead before obeying my request.
I love Kyouko. That wasn't a lie as least.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews and favorites and follows. I really hope you liked this chapter.