Chapter 21: Broken

The loud sound of raindrops against the window awoke the singer early. Scrunching his brows with slight frustration, he forced his heavy lids back. As his brown eyes settled into focus, his heart stopped momentarily. Lying beside him, mirroring his position as she slumbered peacefully on her side was the woman had loved so dearly. Her long black bangs hung loosely over her eyes. Her soft naturally tinted lips were parted lightly as she breathed steadily. Her hands lay entwined beneath her head.

Sho ran his gaze over the soft lines of her face. A smile broke his lips as his heart skipped two beats. Reaching out with lightly shaky fingers, he brushed her hair from her face and ran his fingertips down the curve of her cheek. "So it wasn't a dream," he whispered to himself. He ran his fingers down her neck and then glided them over the curve of her shoulder, finally resting at the dip of her waist. "Thank god."

Kyoko stirred every so lightly and then snuggled a bit closer to the warmth emanating from the man before her. Unbroken by the attention she held, she continued to sleep in the most peaceful rest she has had in the past five years.

Light from the dreary morning filled the spacious bedroom, creating a low glow around them. As he enjoyed the sweet sounds of the season's moisture splashing against the glass and the vision of the beauty beside him, the idol felt a deep sense of satisfaction within him. In the past few years, during his long search of her, he had believed that he would be faced with the worst. If he was told that one day Kyoko would by lying in his bed like this, he would have laughed it off as an unattainable dream. Yet… here she was…

Licking his lips, he curled his fingers into the covers draping her form. Sliding towards her, he closed the cold chasm between them and then gently pressed his lips to her forehead. Her legs slipped in between his underneath the blankets. Pulling away he saw a subtle curve of a smile upon her features. Grinning, Sho slowly moved lower and pressed another kiss upon her cheek. "Wake up beautiful," he whispered against her.

"Mmm, soooo comfy," Kyoko whined. Moving her hands from beneath her head, she pressed them against his hard chest and snuggled against him. With her ear pressed to him, she could hear the sounds of his beating heart as it sped up in rhythm. Deliberately, her lids moved back as she listened intently. "It's so fast," she uttered quietly.

Swallowing, Sho tried to take a deep breath to calm his nerves, but instead found that it was having the opposite effect. When she pulled back and looked up at him, she took his breath away. Her large ochre eyes were filled with such emotion that his was left speechless as well. A small hand snaked up and carefully pushed aside long blonde strands. He admired her face as the pallor of her face quickly darkened with a blush. Sho moved his hand down to her back and pulled her against him. Her face darkened further as their naked, heated bodies touched.

Kyoko closed her eyes and pressed her head to him, feeling embarrassed from the intimacy. Delicately, she pressed her lips to him and then took a quiet, deep breath. "It really happened, didn't it?" She asked shyly.

Suddenly the singer felt fear beginning to fog his mind. What if she regrets what happened? He thought. An image of the man who was her husband flashed before him. What if she goes back to him? The singer could feel his throat constrict as his nervous notions began to flare. Feeling her stir, he shook his head and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I love you, Sho." Kyoko said. Hooking her arm around his neck, she pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

Relaxing with her show of affection, Sho pushed her down gently and deepened the affectionate gesture. When he finally pulled back, he touched his forehead to hers and smiled handsomely. "Does that mean you don't regret it?"

Matching his smile, Kyoko shook her head. "It was perfect." And they kissed again. Kyoko felt him slip in between her legs, his desire for her quite blatantly obvious. A fluttering filled her lower abdomen as she arched her back and fingered his long locks. After a few more moments of their heated make-out, she hesitantly broke the kiss and tried to push him back.

Grazing his lips against her ear, he whispered to her hoarsely. "Do you really want me to stop…this?" Sho ran his hand down her body, settling it upon her moist gem, his fingers teasing her. "Because it really doesn't feel like you do," he teased.

Opening her mouth to protest, Kyoko elicited a hushed moan. Biting her lower lip softly, she sunk her nails into his shoulder and forced them apart. "As much as I want you to continue, if we don't stop here I'll be late for my date." She answered her hesitation evident in her voice.

Sighing, Sho returned to his side of the bed, lying on his back. He draped his arm across his forehead and closed his eyes. "Fine, I give in." Turning his head to her, he cocked an eye open and smirked. "But only today."

Blushing beautifully, Kyoko leaned over and rested her arms atop his chest. "How about I owe you one?" Her voice was low, expression playful.

Sho wrapped his arms around her and grinned erotically. "I love the sound of that." Lifting his head, he met her lips in an innocent peck. "You better leave before I lose my senses."

Giggling, Kyoko crawled out of bed and headed towards the showers, leaving the idol in an extremely blissful state.

Dressed handsomely in a charcoal turtleneck sweater and flat front black slacks, Miroku crossed his arms over his chest and admired the girl he adored as she spun about gleefully. She wore a light pink dress with a black belt around her waist that had a small black bow at the center. Matching black boots completed the outfit. Her long straight hair was loose around her face. A smile broke his expression. "I take it that you like the place?"

Kyoko stopped her twirling and then met her best friend's gaze. Her lips parted in an exuberant grin as she bobbed her head up and down excitedly. She walked over to him with beautifully bright eyes. "This is such a lovely house! Are you buying it?"

Tilting his head, he could feel his heart beating faster at her joyfulness. He nodded slowly. "I am thinking about it." Unfolding his left hand, he reached out and lightly brushed his thumb over her cheek. "I just wanted to make sure that you approved before making any final decisions." Seeing her brows furrow slightly, he stepped around her and looked around casually. Hearing her voice, Miroku interjected. "I wanted to make sure that you'd like living here, that you felt comfortable here."

Kyoko slowly turned to face her friend and eyed his back questioningly. "I don't understand." Entwining her hands before her, she dropped her head. "Is there anything wrong with where I am staying right now?"

Swallowing the lump that took place in his throat, Miroku stepped back and faced her. "Yes," he replied matter-of-factly. Her confusion became apparent. He knew this conversation would arise, yet he found that he still wasn't as prepared for it as he thought he would be. The drummer sighed. "Like it or not, you're still Reino's wife, which means you're a Ryusaki. Can you imagine the scandal that would arise if news spread not only of your separation from Reino, but the fact that you are now living with a celebrity like Fuwa Sho?"

Kyoko completely understood the situation, now that is was laid out before her. She knew that this sort of thing would arise soon, but she had hoped that it would stay at bay just a little longer. The beauty finally found some semblance of happiness and was terrified that it would elude her just as quickly as it found her. Her heart saddened.

Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Miroku's own heart ached. Gently he placed his hands upon her shoulders and forced a smile on his lips. "I know that this is not something that you want to think about. It's unfair and complicated, but Kyoko, I don't want to give anyone the opportunity to malign you. I'm not doing this to protect my family, but to protect you. Surely you understand this?"

Kyoko nodded and also forced a smile of her own. She grabbed his wrist and gave it a little squeeze. "I do understand, Miroku. I really appreciate everything that you have done for me so far and continue to do. It's just…" Tears burned behind her eyes, threatening release. Taking a deep breath, she pulled his hands from her and then turned towards the open doors. "After last night, I think I finally know what it means to be happy." Kyoko twirled on her heels and met Miroku's concerned eyes. "It was the most beautiful night I have ever experienced. I'm scared that it will all fade away like a dream."

His heart stopped at the glimmer in her moistened eyes. Her words filtered through to his ears, but he wasn't entirely sure that he understood the situation in its entirety. Shaking his head, he closed the space between them and with scrunched brows, spoke up. "I don't think I understand you, babe. What do you mean 'after last night'?" He saw her nib her bottom lip and had to force air down his lungs. "I thought that last night was a horrible night for you. Did something change?"

Kyoko nodded. Her cheeks reddened with slight embarrassment. Reaching out, she took his hands in hers and smiled radiantly. "You're my best friend so I can confide in you, but…" Her cheeks felt hot as her embarrassment doubled. "I finally accepted my feelings for Shotaro. Last night we… um, we made it official." Feeling immensely sheepish about her confession, she walked around him, clutching the fabric of her dress that covered her heart.

Meanwhile, Miroku stood stunned. His jaw dropped slightly and his eyes widened with shock. Beautiful grey eyes stared out at the rain as it drenched the pebbled walkway as the implication of her admission sunk deeply into him. Unable to breathe, unable to feel his immobilized heart beating within him, all he could do was close his mouth and clench his teeth painfully. After a couple of minutes, the ghostly caress of a tear drop rolling down his cheek snapped him from his frozen state. Lightly gliding his fingertips across his face, he stared at the moisture like it was a pest that needed to be exterminated quickly.

"Miroku…?" Kyoko uttered his name quietly, afraid. "You're very quiet."

Miroku forced air into his lungs with a deep breath and then licked his lips. After taking another few seconds to ensure that his eyes were dry, he faced Kyoko with a smile that was entirely for her benefit. "I apologize, my dear." He licked his lips nervously again. With his heart now thawed, it would not stop its incessant rampage inside its cage, making him feel restless with a desperate urge to punch something. "I'll admit that I'm a bit surprised. When I first tried to get you to accept your feelings, you were quite hesitant." Chuckling at how unbelievably unlucky he was, he walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders, giving her a squeeze. "I guess that explains why you looked to be glowing today." Her blush only made the cracks in his heart grow. "I'm…I'm very happy for you, Kyoko."

Kyoko smiled with relaxation and then slipped her arms around him, hugging him affectionately. When he returned her embrace tightly, little did she realize that he did so with a broken heart. "Thank you for everything, Miroku. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."

He rested his head atop hers and swallowed again to hold onto his resolve. "Just promise me that you'll always stay happy. I just want to see you happy, my dear." He felt her nod against him. The Ghoul tightened his arms around her and closed his eyes as more tears dampened his long lashes.