...As a Question

A/N: Kiss-prompt reaction to Jan's skip Beat chapter for Shellsan.

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Ren's throat clenched as the memory of Kyoko's hurt expression from the other morning cycled through his head. If that's how she felt then... thinking he was with Morizumi-san. That could only mean-- He swallowed hard, trying to remember how to speak. How to put words together. The right words. But he couldn't force them off his tongue.

Kyoko still hadn't moved an inch, frozen in some thought that flushed her face, and he was afraid speaking would only compulse her to run. Again.

The only thing going for him now was that nobody had called the elevator. They were grounded in the parking garage, at the liberty of the next person to call for a lift. He had until the doors opened again before she bolted. Except he couldn't bring himself to break the silence

There was an option worse than running. And it involved her ripping his heart from his chest and leaving it in bloody tatters on the elevator floor.

Unable to bear the unknowns that pulsated in his head or the hopes that beat into his ribcage, Ren's body reacted on impulse. He leaned over, scooping her face between his hands. Their faces were inches apart. She gasped, her glazed-over eyes coming back to life. Ren held his breath. That was a good sign: she didn't rip herself away.

His brows furrowed, trying to read Kyoko's wide eyes. Eyes couldn't talk and neither could he. Instead, he held his breath and closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth.He pulled away after half a second, looking back to her face. Once again, her expression was something he was unfamiliar with. Tears sparkled in her eyes but a sort of smile twisted her lips up. Ren quirked his head, waiting. Hoping. Praying.

Was he right?

She nodded, a small laugh escaping her lips. The dam was broken and suddenly he had all the words. All the questions. But he didn't want to use any of them.

Ren let out a sigh of relief and dipped back to her lips. Slowly, so achingly slow, her arms snaked up his chest and wrapped around his neck. He smiled into the kiss and encircled her waist.

He could finally breathe.

~FIN~

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