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Two Down, One to Go

The director of Tragic Marker was waiting in a conference room in LME, just behind the solid oak doors facing Kuon.

Lory, dressed rather simply as an Indian chief with moccasins and a feathered headdress, clapped a hand on Kuon's shoulder. "It'll be fine, Ren. I'm completely behind you on this one. The incident with Fuwa, not so much, but in this case, your actions were justified. Over the top perhaps, but justified." Yashiro echoed the president's sentiments.

Kuon was grateful for their support and entered the room without another word.

"Takarada-san, Tsuruga-kun, Yashiro-kun," the director said, standing in greeting. Yashiro nodded politely while Lory thanked him for coming to LME.

Kuon walked around the table to him and bowed. "Kantoku, I apologize for the trouble I've caused."

The director inclined his his head in acknowledgment. "I think we can both agree that it's not entirely your fault." With that, the four men pulled out their chairs and sat down to business. "What I need to know now is if the shooting can go forward. This late in the game, it's impossible to recast Murasame's character without starting from scratch. BJ would be an easier replacement but -"

"- but Ren is, quite frankly, perfect for the role of the villain. He has exceeded your expectations," Lory supplied.

"Indeed," the director nodded. "I could never have as good an effect with another actor. For the sake of the movie, I want to continue with both Murasame and Tsuruga-kun as the leads, but -" He turned a hard gaze to Kuon. "- Can you two work together without further incident?"

Kuon worded his response carefully. "I cannot pretend to forgive or forget what he did to Kyoko, but as Cain Heel, I don't have to. It will be all too easy to maintain Heel's antagonism toward him and the entire cast."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"My answer depends on Murasame."

The director hesitated. "I have spoken at length with him. He has expressed regret for his actions."

"Of course he has," said Kuon scathingly.

"I believe him to be sincere, and...he's quite disgusted with himself." The director pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. "I called his high school to confirm some things. It seems he truly was in a gang and was involved in many horrific fights. They called him Akazame for 'red rain' and 'red shark.' He was always the last man standing." His voice became warmer. "Coming from such a violent background, I find it rather inspiring that he chose to make something of himself instead of continuing down a self-destructive path."

Lory nodded. "It does show initiative and even strength of character."

"Yes," agreed the director. "And on further thought, I believe that Cain Heel's fighting prowess and killer intent offends Murasame-kun's pride as a former gang leader, but even more, Heel's blatant disregard for the camaraderie among the cast must seem to Murasame-kun as a direct attack on the principles that he has been living by since middle school. In a gang and in a cast, your comrades are your family - you work together or you lose. Heel's refusal to work with the cast was like a declaration of war to him. So like a true gangster boss, Murasame saw a weakness in his enemy and exploited it." The director raised his hands in front of him, as though to ward off any objections. "I'm not offering excuses for him, quite the contrary. He won't be let off the hook, and his records will permanently state that he assaulted a female on set but that both parties chose not to involve the police further. But from telling you of his past, I hope that you will be able to understand where he's coming from."

Kuon had been listening closely and now was forced to take stock.

Could he really pass judgment on Murasame? Kuon knew all too well the overpowering feeling of bloodlust. Of anger, of resentment, of a powerful past warring with one's good sense. Kuon had sought out his enemy and intentionally provoked him while Murasame had seen a chance for a little revenge and had taken it. In many ways, he and Murasame were very much alike.

The thought made him shiver.

No, he could never forgive someone for hurting Kyoko, but could he put that aside for the sake of the movie?

"Murasame said that he was going to stop," added the director. "He said that he just wanted to scare Setsu a bit."

In his fight with Sho, Kuon didn't stop. He was out for blood, but Kyoko had still forgiven him.

Clearing his throat, the director concluded, "Murasame doesn't want an apology from you for beating him up. He says that he deserved it, but he has expressed a wish to apologize to Kyoko - well, Setsu, I guess - if she will see him."

Kuon finally sighed, "If that is true then I am willing to pretend it never happened."

The director smiled in relief. "We are fortunate in that the bulk of Murasame's fight scenes have already been filmed. If we work on your scenes with other characters for the next few weeks, then Murasame can be back in shape for the remainder."

"And as for Mogami-kun," said Lory with a glance at Kuon, "she said that she would be willing to see him if we thought it was a good idea. If Murasame is truly repentant, then I believe Mogami-kun will want to reconcile, particularly since she and Murasame have been cast in the same drama. They'll be working together starting next month."

Kuon clenched his fist under the table.

"Oh dear," said the director unhappily. "Will she be up to it?"

"She is determined to see it through. Mogami-kun refuses to allow personal matters to interfere with work. She is a true professional." Strangely, Lory sounded rather displeased. Perhaps he, too, wished that she would abandon her role.

Kuon's nails dug into his palm. 'When you don't expose yourself, even in death, then you can be called the finest,' he had told her long ago. Why in god's name hadn't he clarified that with 'Unless you're in danger - then it's okay to abandon a role and run like hell!' Damn his lack of foresight!

He might be willing to work with Murasame again, but allowing him to be around Kyoko without Kuon nearby was simply -

Lory interrupted his thoughts. "Plus, I'll be assigning Mogami-kun a manager within the next month or so. He will see to it that she is protected."

Kuon would be sure this new manager was trustworthy and could take a few punches from him before he allowed the man to protect Kyoko in his stead.

"Very good then," said the director, standing up.

The LME trio stood with him and headed toward the door.

"I'll send you a new filming schedule tomorrow, Yashiro-kun."

"Thank you, Kantoku."

Just outside the door, the director cast a final glance at Kuon. "If I'm not mistaken...your feelings for Kyoko-chan are quite strong, aren't they, Tsuruga-kun?"

Kuon nodded, seeing no point in denying the obvious. 'Strong' barely touched the tip of the iceberg.

"I thought so. I mean, when Kyoko walked in on you in the shower -"

Lory who had been steps ahead of them reeled back, the feathers of his headdress bobbing at the motion, and Yashiro's eyes bugged in astonishment.

"- I wondered if there was something between you two. That certainly puts things in perspective. Under the circumstances, I really can't blame you for sending Murasame to the hospital. I don't like it, but I can't blame you."

"Thank you again, Kantoku. I truly regret the problems I caused for filming."

After Lory and the director left - with Lory in a suddenly jovial mood - Kuon glanced at Yashiro who was making cat eyes at him. "What's with that look on your face?" he asked warily.

"..."

"...?"

"So," Yashiro said finally, wearing an maniacal grin, "she joined you in the shower, did she?"

... ... ...

Three hours later, Kuon and Kyoko dressed only partially in the guise of the Heel siblings were in the hospital lobby, waiting for the director of Tragic Marker to arrive. Kuon, wearing his dark trench coat and exuding killer intent, looked more the part while Kyoko's adherence to Setsu's dress code was limited to the wig, because Kyoko was not comfortable wearing such revealing clothing in front of Murasame. Kuon hadn't argued when she had appeared in jeans and a casual top - far from it, he was happy that Murasame wouldn't get to see more of her than was necessary - but he had used her discomfort to bring up the issue of the drama. Again.

Kyoko tapped her foot on tiled floor in irritation. "I've explained this twice to Takarada-taichou, once to Moko-san, five times to -" She abruptly cut herself off and cleared her throat to cover the lapse. "Excuse me, four times to you. I'd really rather not have to go through this again, Tsur - ahem, Cain onii-san."

What Kyoko purposefully neglected to mention to Kuon was that Sho in particular was concerned about her latest role. She had visited him in his hospital room again that morning, and he had quickly picked up on her distracted and even discomfited state. Sho assumed it had something to do with either him or the rat bastard and demanded to know what had put her panties in a twist. It had taken harsh words and a shouting match before Kyoko admitted to having an altercation with a man on set who she was lined up to costar with in her next drama. Sho didn't know the full story - and he raged incessantly and pouted unreservedly when she refused to tell him - but his message was clear: Drop the role.

Kyoko's answer had been long in coming. Not because she wasn't fixed in her decision but because the unselfish concern he'd expressed surprised her to the core. She thought his admission of worry the previous day was a lapse, a one-time phenomenon caused by the blow to his head. After all, Sho Fuwa hadn't cared about her in years. Sho Fuwa saw her as little more than a maid whom he occasionally liked to torture. But with the shocking recurrence of the phenomenon, some long-dormant part of Kyoko had awakened long enough for her to realize that it was...nice to have Sho worried about her.

Just give me the bastard's name, he had said fiercely, and I'll have him blacklisted from showbiz. Permanently.

Though she had reminded Sho that he himself had once assaulted her on set and thus was a hypocrite, in that moment, she had seen him not as the bastard who had broken her heart but as the close friend he once had been. Of course, he had then proceeded to behave childishly, and the spell was broken. But as Kyoko defended her role with vigor, she had grudgingly acknowledged that Sho -

Kuon burst into her thoughts. "But are you sure you can still act with him? You don't have be brave. There's still plenty of time to find a replacement." Sho's thoughts had run along the same vein, though they were worded decidedly less politely.

Kyoko's tongue clicked in annoyance as she reiterated for the nth time. "If it were a romance or a role where I had to be friends with him, then I would have more reservations, but in this drama, I am a sadistic ghost who haunts him until he goes mad and jumps off a bridge." Her lips turned to form a sly grin. "I must say I've never looked forward to a villain role so much before."

Then Kyoko raised her eyebrows and tilted her head ever so slightly, wordlessly daring him to challenge her decision. At that point, Kuon backed off. She had made up her mind, and no one could change it for her.

Nodding in satisfaction at his retreat, Kyoko walked towards the hospital doors to meet the director who was striding through them. Part of Kuon was annoyed that Kyoko wouldn't heed his warning, but a larger part of him was rejoicing. He knew how little she thought of herself, but by disagreeing with him about this drama and arguing her point decisively, she was asserting authority. Sure, she had argued with him before, but that was mostly about silly stuff like food - things that got Kyoko's maternal side in a tizzy. Kyoko still treated him respectfully, still bowing a tad too deeply, still calling him by that formal, infernal name. However, she saw herself, even if only subconsciously, as Kuon's equal.

And that made Kuon very, very happy.

What did not make Kuon happy were the men in the lobby whose heads turned to follow Kyoko as she progressed to the doors. She had the confident, ever-so-slightly sultry walk of Setsu, but everything else minus the wig was pure Kyoko. And clearly, every male in the nearby vicinity liked the combination. Even the threat that Cain presented did not deter their wandering eyes. They were in a hospital for crying out loud! Surely the males had other, more important things to worry about!

Kuon hated how they watched her. He could almost see the indecent thoughts flitting through their minds. Then, with her back to the lobby Kyoko bowed to the director.

Damn it all, thought Kuon, grinding his teeth. Form-fitting jeans on Kyoko were definitely a bad idea. They were an improvement over Setsu's leather but were clearly still too dangerous for any eyes other than his. Maybe he could suggest a wardrobe change to her. Baggy, definitely baggy. And long-sleeved. Ankle-length skirts? Yes. She could bring ponchos back in style!

Of course, the simplest method to keep the wandering eyes from her was to claim her for himself. A public declaration, a veiled threat to the male masses, a glittering ring on her left -

No, no. Not yet, Kuon, he cautioned himself, as his gut clenched with impatience. Kyoko still wasn't ready to hear his confession, and he still wasn't worthy to give it. He refused to draw her into a scandal; he refused to sully her name alongside his own. But oh -

Patience.

Patience.

Thrice-be-cursed patience.

What idiot said that patience is a virtue? Was it virtuous to have your insides tearing you apart, screaming to do the one thing that patience forbids?

He wanted to kiss her senseless until she was moaning his name, until her fingers twined through his hair and pulled him closer and closer, so lost in their feelings that the world melted away. He would trace her pink lips as she gasped and - no, no, no. Very bad images, Kuon, he reprimanded himself. He had a job to do first. Several jobs. He had to make things right before he was worthy to even imagine -

"Onii-san?" Kyoko blinked up at him, looking particularly fetching in a light pink top that brought out the color of her rosy and wonderfully kissable -

All right. So he couldn't put the brakes on his imagination, but by sheer force of will he could contain his love until he was worthy to speak of it. Patience might not be a virtue, but it was necessary.

"Are you ready?"

God, his patience was wearing thin. "Yes, Kyoko."

... ... ...

Murasame was heavily bandaged. A thick wad of gauze covered his forehead where a cut had been stitched together, and a greenish purple bruise darkened his left eye. His right arm was in a splint.

Beforehand, Kyoko wasn't sure how she would feel when she saw the man who had pinned her under him with such ease, who had used and threatened her in retaliation against Cain. To her right, Kuon was tense and alert, and his presence along with the memory of Sho's righteous indignation gave her comfort and courage to face Murasame. Maybe that was why, instead of the anxiety or fear she had expected, she felt pity.

"You look like shit," remarked Setsu dryly.

"I feel like it, too." Gritting his teeth against the pain emanating from his ribs, Murasame pushed himself upright on the bed then bent forward in a crippled, but no less sincere, imitation of a bow. "Heel-san," he said to Setsu, "I apologize for my horrendous behavior. It was uncalled for. I was completely out of line. I was angry and frustrated. I -" He lifted his head to meet her gaze. "I promise I was going to stop."

Kyoko remembered that brief moment before Kuon had come bursting through the door, how their eyes had met and she had seen regret flash in them, how Murasame had pulled away from her. Afterwards, she thought she had imagined it, but his dark eyes now met hers steadily, asking for forgiveness. "I believe you," she replied as herself and not as Setsu.

Stark relief was painted on Murasame's face and mirrored in the director's eyes. For a long moment, there was silence in the room as each person feared to break the fragile peace among them.

Finally glancing half-warily, half-hopefully at the hulking Cain Heel, Murasame cleared his throat. "Kantoku tells me that we will be able to continue the shoot, Heel-san?" he probed tentatively.

Cain nodded without speaking, and Murasame allowed himself to relax for the first time in days, consoled with the knowledge that the incident would only delay and not altogether stop the filming.

"There's one other thing, Murasame-kun," said the director. "But before I tell you, I must swear you to secrecy."

Murasame looked mystified, but he nodded his head.

"I'm serious now. One word of this to the press, and I'll make sure that no director in Japan hires you ever again."

Now the young actor's eyes widened with a hint of fear. "I swear."

"Very well." The director took a deep breath. "The Heel siblings are characters of my own creation. They are not from England. They are not even brother and sister. The young man and woman before you are Japanese actors that I hired to play Cain and Setsuka Heel. My reasoning for this subterfuge was simple. I wanted a villain who would inspire true terror in the cast that could make their fear of BJ all the more real in the movie, and though there have been some...unintended side effects with Heel's role, in terms of filming it has been a stunning success."

Throughout the explanation, Murasame had turned a sickly shade of green. They gave him a moment. It was a lot to take in.

"T-then," he finally choked, pointing an unbroken finger at Kuon, "he's not actually a cold-blooded, arrogant, uncooperative asshole?"

"Indeed not," said the director, quite enjoying the look on the young actor's face. "He is a fine actor who played both of his roles remarkably well."

"And the fights we got into?"

"They were...unplanned but perhaps unavoidable given the circumstances I placed you two in. In that regard, I must also take some of the responsibility for the event two days ago."

Murasame shook his shook. "That was entirely my fault, Kantoku."

Kuon spoke for the first time, using his own voice instead of Cain's dark utterance, "But you would not have taken out your anger on Setsu if it weren't for me intentionally riling you up."

Murasame's eyes widened comically. "Well, that proves it. Cain Heel would never say something like that."

Kuon chuckled, albeit darkly, but the tension in the room eased to the point where the director was able to fully relax. Surreally, Murasame watched the two actors and wondered just who they were to pull off such brilliant performances. They hadn't been playing a role; they had lived it. With such talent, they had to been well-known. He was certain he would recognize their names.

"Heh, um, I don't suppose I'll ever know who you actually are?" he asked lightly.

"Well," answered the director, "that's partially why we decided to tell you about the Heel siblings in the first place." He nodded to Kyoko who stepped forward. After a deep breath, she pulled off her wig and the pins that held back her hair.

Murasame's jaw dropped as the aloof fashionista transformed into a poised and delicate young woman.

"My name is Kyoko," she bowed politely, though far shallower than usual. "I will be costarring with you as Ayumu in Deep Willow Haunting. Please take care of me."

"Eh?!" His eyes were wide with shock. "K-kami-sama, you were Mio from Dark Moon! I-I-damn! I was so excited to learn that I'd be working with you! But I -" Renewed horror flushed his eyes with dreadful regret. He grimaced, "I guess I've pretty much ruined any chance of that, huh? You won't be comfortable on set with me around." He should give up his role; it was the honorable thing to do.

Kyoko smiled with false sweetness. "As I have already mentioned to a number of people multiple times, my character will be hunting you down and driving you to the edge of insanity. I don't think we'll have a problem working together."

Murasame was given a pause as her eyes took on a sadistic gleam, reminiscent of Cain Heel.

"Oh, and Murasame?" Her smile turned pure evil as a hoard of malevolent grudges burst to life to twine around him, freezing his motions and instilling a fear in him that only Heel could ever before inspire. "Last time, you caught me off guard. My defenses were down, and I was unprepared for the attack. Never again will I be so vulnerable around you. You have been warned, Bastard #3."

The director's jaw had dropped, and Murasame, to whom the killer intent was directed, was speechless. Kuon smiled in admiration.

"Well," she said lightly, the air clearing of the suffocating aura as though wiping her hands clean of the issue, "Setsu won't be appearing on Tragic Marker's set anymore, so I will see you next month at the script reading."

Recovering his faculties, the director expressed his wishes for Murasame's quick recovery and walked toward the door, Kyoko close on his heels.

Kuon hung back and clapped a hand genially on Murasame's unhurt shoulder. "Oh, Murasame-san, do you remember the first thing I said to you?"

Piece of shit, get too close, and I'll rip you to pieces!

How could he forget? His blood had run cold, and for the first time, he had known true fear. Heel-san must be apologizing for his words. But he shouldn't have to! thought the professional inside Murasame. He was playing a role! And playing it brilliantly! So what if Murasame'd had nightmares for weeks during filming. That sort of effect was what you would expect from an actor of Heel-san's caliber after all.

Kuon, with a dazzling smile that did not reach his cold eyes, leaned in close. "I. Meant. Every. Word."

Murasame froze, and the fires of hell couldn't melt him from the icy prison of fear-induced paralysis.

"Cain," said Kyoko, popping her head back into the room, "are you ready to go?"

"Coming, Kyoko," he said promptly, stepping towards her. Kuon eyed Murasame from over Kyoko's shoulder and placed his arm possessively around her.

Holy shit!

Wearing a confident smirk, Kuon exited the room. Two down, one to go before he could confess to Kyoko. Now, if only they could find that reporter.

Bit of a filler, but I wanted to resolve things with Murasame. Get psyched for the next chapter! And please review!