AN: So, I feel that in this chapter, this fic is hitting its best bits again but that might just be my opinion. I do feel as if some of the previous chapters have been a bit weak or a bit lacking so I really hope the people reading this fic enjoy this chapter. I've been asked a lot if Kuon is going to die. If you want to know the answer, then read the second author note at the end.

Chapter Twenty-Four – Those That are Close to Us

As Kyoko walked with Shou down the hallway which she remembered walking so many times as a child, she shot a look at Shou. "They can't possibly believe this," she whispered to him, "The wedding was televised," she said as Shou was glad that his mother had walked away from them so that they wouldn't be able to hear her.

Shou shrugged, "I told them that you were coming down here and I also said that I was coming down here. I said that you were sharing a house with your husband," Shou said as if the word itself left a bad taste in his mouth. "She was overjoyed by that, I'm glad she knows me well enough that I…"

"Have such a big ego that you're talking about yourself," Kyoko said as she raised an eyebrow.

The two of them stopped as they got to the place where Kyoko would sleep as a child. She tried to bow as well as she could with her daughter in her belly and the older woman placed a hand on her shoulder. "Shouldn't you be helping your wife with things that are difficult to her," Shou's mother told him in a no-nonsense tone. "Anyway, there are things that I need to discuss with Kyoko."

Kyoko took a nervous breath in and looked around. What on earth was so important that it needed to be discussed alone, though maybe not having Shoutaro around her would be good for as long as she was able to. Kyoko nodded and stepped into the room, "My husband" she said, emphasizing the word with respect and importance, "takes care of me and cares about my comfort and safety greatly."

With that she followed Shou's mother into the room.

As she entered, Kyoko felt the memories wash over her. Some of them were happy and a lot of them annoyed her since it reminded her of how she was being groomed to be Shou's bride. Her mother might have been a lawyer, but these people owned multiple inns. They were rich. Maybe even richer than Kuu and Julie…or maybe not. Didn't blonde hair mean people were from wealthier blood lines or something or was that the story that she had told herself.

"Kyoko, please sit down and let me apologize for whatever my idiot son has done to you in the past," the woman said as Kyoko blinked and then sat. "I was hoping that you'd appear here with your husband," she said with a thoughtful expression. "With what my son has done to him though, I can understand him not being here."

Kyoko blinked, "So…you know that…"

"I knew that when you were growing up you had passion and dedication, I would not have expected that you would return to a man who had treated you with only his own happiness in mind. That is not the type of son that would hurt both a girl who loved him and his own family." The woman sighed and looked away. "My son wanted his own freedom, but I am disgraced that he ran off and took you with him. I still don't know how to apologize for that."

Kyoko blinked with a weak smile, "So you…are just going along with him? Why?" she asked before thinking about her real husband. She never wanted him to hear of how she had pretended to be Shou's wife. It might cut him deeply and she was scared of how he might react…or overreact with the news.

"My husband is dying," the woman said as Kyoko's eyes widened. "I have no intention of remarrying and although the property will be under Shotaro's name after my death, we have entrusted the upkeep to a couple of our nephews and one family friend who has studied under us with his wife. Part of my reason for pretending to believe his lies were that I wanted my husband to see his own son in a happy relationship. Secondly, I suppose we wanted to see him again and if I go along with his story then we would."

Kyoko looked down, a tear slipping down her face at the idea of Shou's father dying and how she had to live with the fear of Kuon dying every day.

"I do apologize that I am asking a lot of you," Shou's mother said. "I also fear that I am asking too much of your husband."

Kyoko paused, she looked down with a nervous breath, "How do you know about my husband?" she asked as Shou's mother laughed and shook her head.

"Kyoko, if you had married a minor celebrity and it had only been reported in a small half page of a magazine, I might not have seen it, but even out here we have many guests who talk at length about how much they love the former Ren Tsuruga and now Kuon Hizuri. My husband and I are also fans of the work of Kuu Hizuri. You don't entertain guests without picking up on some things." Shou's mother chuckled softly to herself as Kyoko bowed her head with a grin.

"I guess you're right. If I had chosen someone less popular you might not have known, but I didn't fall in love with Kuon because he was popular. Yes, it was his advice and commitment to his acting that helped us create a stronger bond and relationship. It was his kindness, his support, his creative mind that always allowed me to feel special that made me fall in love with. My husband has given me something that I'm afraid your son never did, unconditional love."

Kyoko placed a hand on her heart as she thought about that and closed her eyes. She could remember so many times when she had felt scared or in pain and then she could remember how his arms felt, how she would be blinded by his smile, how he made her comfortably fall in love with him day after day. When she had opened her eyes, she saw a small bag in front of her and looked at it curiously. She also saw a folder containing multiple pieces of paper.

"What is this?" she asked as she opened the bag to find different items that all had some relation to health and wellness. She looked up at the woman who had raised her more than her own mother had.

"My husband doesn't pay attention to the media which is why he believes that you and our idiotic son are married. He feels that our son is ungrateful and refuses to support his singing career. I don't share that sentiment. However, I did hear that your husband is suffering badly from cancer and you do remember how I had taken those medical classes just in case something happened to one of our guests."

"Yes," Kyoko smiled as she remembered the secret items that she had prepared for Ren when she had been his temporary manager the first time.

"Well, I found that all of these are good for those with cancer. You don't have to use them, but I would appreciate you taking them. I also put some items in there that are good for pregnancy. I really hope you have a beautiful child, Kyoko. I only regret that I was so controlling of you in the past. Knowing your mother I should have tried to support you more, but…"

"It's okay," Kyoko said with gratitude and appreciation of her past in her voice. "I forgive you. I know that you were only doing what you needed to as a parent."

Shou's mother reached out for her hand and Kyoko took it willingly. "Please contact me if you have any questions or need any type of help, Kyoko," she said with a smile. "Now, I have to ask you to please entertain my husband by pretending to be married to our son."

Kyoko nodded and didn't know whether it was from confronting her past, the words of the woman who had brought her up, or the pregnancy controlling her emotions but the tears slid down her cheeks unchecked.

….

….

"So," Kuon said as he looked around for something to offer his guest. He felt a little bad, he had nothing other than what Kyoko had gone out and bought thinking that Yashiro would like something. He felt as if he should be providing something of his own rather than relying on his pregnant wife. He should have been helping her and he would have been doing a lot more if he wasn't so weak. "Is what is on the table alright?"

"More than alright," Yashiro commented. "Don't worry so much, you look good by the way."

He saw Kuon's firm look of disbelief and shook his head with a soft laugh.

"Okay," Yashiro rephrased, "Compared to how you could look with your illness, you look healthier than most. I know you're going to say that you were modeling only a short time ago, but we've all been scared of losing you to this illness."

"I'm doing alright," Kuon said as Yashiro paused and nodded.

"With all the stress of being a new father as well, I'm glad that you decided to move down here for a while. The air feels a bit fresher here than it does in Tokyo, I'll admit that." Yashiro stood only to walk over to Kuon and close the cupboard. "I also know that you'll be returning to acting sooner than you think."

"Is that why I haven't heard anything about you even being a stand in manager for anyone despite how much talent you have for being a manager. You're called the best in the business, you know. Doesn't it mean that you'd want to go out and represent someone -" Kuon tried to argue as Yashiro rolled his eyes.

"Maybe I'm just happy waiting for my friend to get better. Besides, now that I've started looking over the PR paperwork for other less experienced managers, I'm constantly reminded of my skill. When you say best in the business, you know they are thinking about you and how I managed to keep your stubborn attitude out of the papers for so long," Yashiro winked.

"So," Yashiro said as he tried to gesture for the two of them to sit back to the table. "Last time Kyoko contacted me, she said that the prognosis was good and that though you're still at stage three, the doctors think you're closer to stage two than stage four, that's a good thing, right?"

Kuon nodded before sighing, "I loathe being sick especially when Kyoko's pregnant. I want to help her but my body is too weak. I know she's not going to leave me alone, she's too worried about…"

"You suddenly having a cardiac arrest?" Yashiro asked as Kuon looked down sadly. "I'm glad that you're getting better, concentrate on that part of it. I'm sure that in a year or maybe even less you'll be acting again. For now concentrate on your daughter. I'm sure she'll be as feisty as you and Kyoko put together and don't get me started on how many suitors she's going to have. You're going to have to learn a lot more about love to protect her."

Kuon laughed and looked down. "Did I ever tell you how much I appreciate you?" he asked his friend who smiled.

"A number of times, yes, only this time I definitely know you aren't referring to my work as your manager. You do know that if I wasn't so stubborn myself and so serious about the industry, the president would have never put me with someone so unruly as you." Yashiro picked up one of the rice crackers from the table. "I am beyond proud to say that you are one of my closest friends, Kuon Hizuri."

"Same to you," Kuon nodded, "Yashiro Yukihito," he said as he wondered if Kyoko was doing alright. It wasn't easy to have so many memories of your past flood back to you, he had learned that himself when he had been in Los Angeles.

AN:

Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this fic in the past and those who might do so in the future. A special shout out this time to Tabbykatroses for their review of the previous chapter. As for if Kuon is going to die from his sickness: no, Kuon will not die, his sickness is going to be with him for a while but he is not going to die. It will just become something that the three of them will have to deal with.