Chapter 35

He did not want to go to work today. He had made such a complete jackass of himself yesterday and the one girl he wanted to impress... Well, it seemed as though she would definitely not have a problem hating him. You just don't go insulting the family of the girl that you're interested in. Taira Murasame rolled over in his bed and groaned.

He closed his eyes and thought of the new, beautiful, perfect, interesting girl... Her interesting sense of fashion. The glimpse he had caught of her tattoo and her pale skin flashed into his memory and he blushed as his mind completed the image for him. His eyes flew open and he groaned again. "How am I supposed to face her and Heel-san today if I can't get that out of my brain. He glanced down and rolled his eyes. "Cold shower... I definitely need a cold shower." Jumped out of his bed, made it and left for the shower. After finishing with his morning routine, he entered his kitchen and put water on for his morning tea and pulled out the ingredients for his breakfast. "Can't forget breakfast. The most important meal of the day." He sang out as he began chopping and sautéing.

After breakfast was eaten and dishes were washed, he still had a couple of hours before he needed to be in the studio for filming. He looked at his watch and smiled. "Just enough time to get in last night's episode of BoxR." He grinned. That girl Kyouko was amazing. He often wondered after seeing her in Dark Moon if she was actually that way. He had heard from somewhere that she was just the opposite. If she was, she had an incredible amount of talent to create Mio and Natsu so convincingly. He wondered if he would ever get to meet or, work with her. It was quite possible if she decided to break away from dramas and started making movies. Hmm... isn't she with LME? He would have to look into that when he got a break today.

She was exhausted. She really hadn't expected Corn to wait for her to return from the store last night in the hotel room hall. What had happened to him? Why did he look so broken and lost? She remembered him holding onto her as he slept, as though she were the one thing in the world that could save him. Like he was lost at sea and she was the only thing keeping him afloat. She remembered that feeling and how he as Cain had been her only respite in her time of darkness. How he had been her candle in the dark as they sped down the highway to her father's house. She was determined to be at least that for him, in turn.

"You should go get some rest..." He whispered to her. "You didn't sleep last night, did you?" He caressed her cheek. "I can tell... You're eyes are so red."

Kyoko really didn't want to leave him like this. Not after last night. She had a horrible feeling that something was going to go wrong. "I..."

"It's okay. I'll be fine. Go rest." He smiled at her lovingly.

Against her better judgment and her instinct she left him to do as he asked, but first she needed to make a call. She first decided to call Yashiro. Perhaps he would know about Corn's past trauma; however, the call only lasted 10 seconds. What was up with that? She then decided to use her last resort and call her father.

The call to her father was perplexing at best. What the hell did he mean? Just be there for him? That's not doing anything... She was hoping for a little advice on being a bit more proactive, this is not what she expected. She sighed. Set the alarm on her phone and dozed off into dreamland.

When he walked out from the dressing room he was certain he could do this without being hovered over and babysat like Lory had wanted. Not that he felt that Kyoko was his babysitter, but this was something he wanted to do on his own. He had to do it on his own and he was pretty sure that he could. He didn't really have conflicting thoughts on the matter until he noticed in irritation, that Murasame was looking for Kyoko. His Kyoko. The little punk had the nerve to be so damned obvious about it. It disgusted him and pissed him off. He felt the irritation and anger start to creep up and down his spine. The fact that the little punk couldn't keep his filthy little racist mouth to himself. He had really hit a nerve when he implied that Kuon was a murderer. Each word was like a strategically placed, lit firecracker in a storehouse filled with dynamite and gasoline. When the others sided with the ass, because saying violence wasn't the answer, it pissed him off even more. How the hell did they expect him to react? Like a meek little cuddly kitten? Well guess what?! This lion has claws! And that's what he showed them. He didn't intend to get so angry, but all he saw was red. He didn't mean to black it out of his mind. He didn't realize that he had blacked out until he heard the voice of his angel. His guardian angel. She saved him once again. He was stunned as he knelt before her. How did he allow that to happen... again? Was she going to be afraid of him? Leave him after today? Run away and never speak to him again, thinking he was like the criminals that had abused her? NO!

"Are you okay?" She asked, trying not to reveal how worried she was for him after he came down safely with Murasame.

Too ashamed of himself to look into her eyes at the moment, he just sat staring at her feet. I can't look at her right now. I don't want to see that fear, that disappointment in her eyes. He thought as he began to closely examine the little ridges that the stitching of the thread on her boots caused in the leather.

She lifted his hood to reveal his face and smiled when their eyes met, shocking him. "Oh! Terrific... cool..." She then began examining the effects artist's workmanship as she knelt before him. She steered the subject to the quality and the realism of it to take his mind off of what had happened.

He was speechless and his mind was completely blank. If she had asked him anything, at the moment, he wouldn't have had a clue how to respond anyway. He stared at his perfect angel as he sat before her, just taking in her beauty and serenity. Her voice calmed him. Her touch warmed him. Had there been no one there, he would have wrapped her in his arms and never let go. She was truly his saving grace and a gift from above.

She would not ask and she would not judge. She would be there for him like her father had told her. If he wanted to volunteer the information, she would listen. If he didn't, she would wait until he was ready to. Everyone has their secrets and she would not try and pull them from him. They were not her business; although, it would help to know so that she could help him work it out or, at least lend a sympathetic and unbiased ear.

He tried to run things over in his mind as he sat soaking in the bathtub, scolding himself and adding bubble bath to keep his hands and mind busy with the tiny bubbles. She never asked... She acted like it was no big deal, like he provoked me. Well, technically he did, but still... it really was no excuse for me to do that. He sighed. I really need to apologize to Director Konoe when I get the chance. I hope no one tells the President about this, he'll force me off the project for sure. He began to scold himself again as he added more of the soapy distraction and frothed it up more, creating little mounds that resembled people.

He was inwardly shocked when she came in to give him the message that the director had come to see him. She didn't even blush. He sighed and looked at himself before finally rinsing off. Well, she did keep her eyes on my face. He smirked a little at the revelation and prepared for his dressing down by the director, which unexpectedly didn't happen. The strangest day ever.