One Condition

A/N: Once Upon a Time ago, I asked people to help me to get to 90 reviews and I would write a drabble of their choice. JasmineDancer requested this fic back when I hit 90 reviews! I didn't fully fulfill it but I hope you like it regardless, friend! Unfortunately, I always forget to actually write the requests. ^^; But while we're trying to hide from all the angst, have a little bit of something soft?

. . .

When the director called for a break to set the next scene, Ren pointedly ignored the invitations of cast members to huddle inside. He, instead, gravitated toward the managers skirting outside the scenes and set his sights on one person in particular: Kyoko Mogami.

Things had quieted down again and they were on better terms. Not great...but nothing worse than what he could handle. He was officially demoted back to "esteemed senpai" but Ren counted his blessings. He could have been forced down to the role of a cockroach. It was luck he guessed because otherwise there was no way they would have been able to share Yashiro if they weren't on speaking terms.

Their schedules often left room for conflict and there were still many days where their paths wouldn't cross...even with the shared manager. Tonight was a lucky one. Kyoko filmed at the same studio and joined him and Yashiro when her filming wrapped. Unfortunately, his luck ended there when she decided that she didn't want to make Yashiro drive home, just to drive back. She would watch and "learn from the master," Kyoko decided. And now...in the chilly winter...she watched the outside scenes alongside the few managers that also braved the temperature.

"Mogami-san, you should be inside." He furrowed his eyebrows together as he assessed the trembling girl. She really shouldn't be out here. "It's too cold."

"Do-Don't worry!" Kyoko chirped, saluting. Her teeth clattered despite her best efforts. Watching the filming was probably the least stressful thing she's done in a long time. There's less time to study acting now that she's fully in the middle of Lotus filming. This reminds her that she only has a lot more left to learn. "I can't possibly stay in the common area while you're out here braving the cold."

"There's a difference, I'm wearing a half a dozen layers. You're wearing your Love Me! Uniform. That can't be warm." But she wasn't swayed by the argument. In fact, it simply made her stare at him with an even more determined glare. He pivoted tactics. "Even Yashiro is waiting safely inside."

She blinked innocently. There wasn't any way he was going to convince her to give up this opportunity. Even if she had to argue until her face went blue. "So I'm acting as your manager while I'm out here," She rationalized. Please don't make me go back, she pleaded with her eyes.

He was less interested in her pleading and more interested in her well-being. "Mogami-san," he warned.

"Please. I want to watch. Please," She jutted out her lower lip and attempted one of his signature Cain Heel pouts. If she couldn't say 'no' to them...perhaps there would be a chance that he...

Not that look. He'd constantly weaponized the look against her; he never expected to be on the receiving end of it. He took a deep breath and pulled his hand over his face. "Fine," he said finally. But before she could celebrate, he held up a finger. "On one condition."

"Condition?"

Ren didn't hesitate or give her time to protest. He started pulling off his overcoat and Kyoko's face turned white. He wasn't going to? She barely managed a sigh of relief when he didn't immediately hand over his coat. Instead, she watched in horror as he took off his next jacket and the next one. It was the last one he held out to her. "You need to wear this."

Kyoko stared at the coat and scrunched her nose. It felt too similar to the situation where she was forced to accept his sweater when she nearly froze outside his apartment building before Natsu's training. She didn't like the offer then, either. "I-I can't take that."

He shrugged but continued holding the jacket out as if he had all the time in the world. Ren pretended that it wasn't devastatingly cold in the single jacket he had left on. He would refuse to put the overcoats back on until she either relented and took his coat or she returned into the heated waiting room. "If you don't, you have to wait with Yashiro-san."

Her eyes widened. "Tsuruga-san!"

"It's the condition."

They stared at each other for almost a minute before she sighed and took the coat from Ren's outstretched hand. Before she could think too hard about the situation, she slipped into it. She was immediately wrapped in the warmth lingering from his own body heat and sighed contentedly. Much better than before.

"Thank you," Ren spoke first.

She flinched, holding up her hands. There he was! Stealing her moment for gratitude! Why should he be thanking her when he is the one that needed to be thanked? "No! I should be thanking you!"

"Mmmm, perhaps." He smiled, reaching out to tousle her bangs without a second thought. His happiness shrouded his better judgment; he couldn't help reaching out to her. Even though he did this solely for her own sake, he had to admit that she looked really good in his jacket. "But I am thankful. If you stayed cold for too long, you would have ended up with a cold." Ren laughed, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "As great as a nurse you were, I could never compare. I'm afraid under my care you would end up sicker than when you started out."

"You wouldn't-" She stopped herself short, picturing the scenario. Not only can he not cook but he's completely inexperienced in the world of colds. Instead of cold medicine, he would probably bring her allergy medicine. Then what kind of mess would she be in? Kyoko shuddered and bowed deeply. "You're right. I'm grateful for your attention to my health."

"Set for next scene!"

Ren hesitated at the call and looked briefly toward the director and his cast members meandering back out. They shot him curious looks when he didn't immediately move. Tsuruga Ren was normally the first one back from break. Except, right now, he wanted to just be Kuon Hizuri and stay with Kyoko.

He didn't have that luxury tonight. Not until he fixed things between them. "Are you warm enough, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko blinked, unsure of the attention. Did this qualify as special attention? Shouldn't he be getting back to work? Things had been awfully awkward since then and this was the first time in a while that things felt back to normal. Her heart swelled and she very stupidly grinned back at him. She wrapped his jacket tighter around her waist. "Perfect!"

Tsuruga was in a daze looking at her smile. Somewhere behind him, he could hear the director calling after him again. But it didn't matter. All he could focus on was Kyoko's brilliant smile and the fact he hadn't seen it in what felt like forever.

It was moments like this that he wanted to repeat until the end of time.

Perhaps next time without the freezing weather.

~FIN~

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