Chapter 172: Angel Wings

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Skip Beat, for if I did, the Fairy Queen would have a chance to spoil Kyoko and Tina.

Tina and Kyoko dropped the shopping bags they acquired from the first five stores they hit and slumped into the plush cushions of the settee in the sixth boutique. Like Kyoko, Tina wasn't one to marathon shop since her career change and never in her life at only luxury brand stores, but Julie Hizuri was a force to be reckoned with. Tina learned the hard way that there was no telling this woman no when she burst into tears in the middle of their first store. As Tina tried to console her, she gazed over Julie's head to look at Kyoko.

"I told you," Kyoko mouthed to her. Tina's newfound friend nodded her head toward the tear-stricken woman urging her to make her stop.

"What do I do," she panicky mouthed back to Kyoko. She had no idea how to stop the beautiful woman from crying.

Kyoko held up the studded crossover purse that Tina had admired and politely refused when Julie offered to buy it for her. Tina shook her head. There was no way she could take advantage of her friend's mom.

"I-I've always w-wanted daughters to spoil," Julie wailed to anyone who would listen. Thank goodness the store was devoid of other patrons due to its exclusivity, but the two sales associates. "W-what's good about hic having mo- hic -ney if I can't spend it on those hic I care about," she sniveled dramatically. Oh God, I made Julie Hizuri cry. If her fans saw me, they would claw me to death.

She glanced at the salesman and woman that continued to work, hoping they could help since her friend all but abandoned her. Whatever they were doing, they seemed unbothered by the actress having a meltdown in their store.

Tina sighed. She had no choice since Julie's sobs didn't appear to be letting up; if anything, they seemed to only be getting worse. "I'm very grateful you think so highly of me. If it would make you happy, I would gladly accept your gift."

"You mean it?" Julie quieted down and pulled away from Tina's shoulder to gaze at her with those large gemstone eyes marred red from her tears. Tina smiled and nodded.

"Yay," Julie cheered, clapping her hands. She straightened up and swiped at her eyes, removing the tears. Of course, this beautiful woman wasn't wearing any mascara.

"David," she called clearly in a voice that didn't have a hint of hoarseness akin to someone that just balled her eyes out.

"I'm on it, Mrs. Hizuri." The man dashed to do her bidding at the mere mention of his name.

"If I can just take that from you, Ms. Kyoko," David asked politely holding his hands out. Kyoko handed the purse over with a tight smile.

"Oh dear, I seem to have soaked your sweater. Let's see if we can find a suitable replacement shall we?"

"We have some lovely cashmere wool cardigans over here, Mrs. Hizuri," the female sales associate gestured to a rack against the far wall.

Before Julie could whirl away to the other side of the store Tina tried to stop her.

"It's okay, it would dry in…" Tina gulped at the puppy dog eyes Julie flashed her way. Not fair!

"I could always use a new sweater," Tina smiled gratefully. Julie beamed and her eyes sparkled once again.

As Julie followed the assistant, Tina moved closer to Kyoko and held her arm.

"Oh, she's good. I can't believe I was just bamboozled."

"I warned you when you first arrived."

"I thought you were joking. Did she do that to you too?" Tina whispered, panic thick in her voice.

"Twice," Kyoko confessed. Tina let out a little yelp.

"And this is seriously the first store."

Kyoko nodded and sarcastically responded with a "yup!"

Tina snorted at her friend's response; it was so unlike her. "How long were you in the store before I arrived?" she asked curiously. If she hadn't hung back after the Hizuri men left to say goodbye to Damian, she would have arrived sooner.

"About fifteen minutes."

"Oh, God," Tina exclaimed. She was grateful Damian was such a good kisser; otherwise, the clerk would probably be ringing up more than the purse and this new sweater.

"Yup," Kyoko swiftly replied in resignation, making Tina giggle.

"Tina, come try this one on," Julie beckoned her over to her side of the store.

"We need to figure out a way to pace her. There're so many shops on this street," Tina hissed as they began to walk toward Julie.

"Feigning disinterest in something seemed to be working for me before you arrived. I feel bad since I sound overly critical when in reality I find everything in this store so beautiful, including the hangers. She's like a great white shark. She can smell blood from three miles away," Kyoko joked, making Tina giggle again.

"I like your blouse by the way," Tina complimented touching the soft material on her sleeve.

"Thanks, it's new," Kyoko nodded toward a rack with similar shirts. Her original shirt must have fallen victim to her tears as well.

"Oh my goodness! You're not kidding," Tina replied awestruck by the beautiful woman discussing the weaving process used on the sweater she held in her hands with the saleswoman. They were probably falling victim to her superpower.

"She's formidable!" Kyoko admitted her voice laced with admiration for her boyfriend's mother.

That was Tina's introduction to shopping with Julie Hizuri. In the second store, she applied Kyoko's tactic and managed to immerge doing minimal damage to Julie's black card. When she was told that a room was reserved for her at the hotel, Tina nearly had a heart attack. She hadn't prepared to spend the night away from her place which led to an opportunity for Julie to spend more money on her so she wouldn't have to go back home.

"I think we're going to get lucky in here," Julie smiled and plopped down in the space between them. Tina smiled back, not wanting to deny her the pleasure of dressing her up. She had made the mistake of asking Kyoko what kind of gown she was wearing tonight. After the young actress bubbled with excitement about the layered blue gown that Julie had gifted her, Kyoko being the polite one promptly asked Tina about her outfit. Tina should have expected the question to have a better answer on hand than "one of the gowns I have in my closet." She had a few in there that would be suitable for the occasion without embarrassing herself and her friends. There weren't many events for her to wear them to these days.

Since she wasn't going home, the shopping experience had focused solely on finding Tina that perfect dress, especially when Julie heard that she would be meeting up with Damian afterward.

"Some champagne, ladies?" A poshly dressed saleswoman asked, holding a tray of flutes filled with the bubbly liquid tinted pink by the floating raspberries. "Or if you prefer, I can get some sparkling water."

"Yes, please," Julie smiled and took a glass. She nodded encouragingly to Tina and Kyoko to take a glass. Kyoko took one then stared at Tina intently biting on her lower lip wondering if it was her place to interfere.

Tina smiled at her friend's concern and attention to detail. She didn't feel compelled to remember what it was like to have those fruity bubbles slide down her throat.

"I would appreciate some sparkling water, please," Tina informed the woman and winked at Kyoko.

"Oh, I'm horrible. Please forgive me, Tina," Julie exclaimed, mortified that she just tried to encourage her to break her sobriety.

"No worries, Julie. It's up to me to choose."

"I'm so proud of you dear! You're so strong." Julie hugged her fiercely. Kyoko smiled and took a small sip from her glass.

"Just one for you, young lady," Julie glanced at Kyoko, taking another sip of her drink. "I'm trying to help her build up her tolerance. She can get a little handsy or in her case footsie when she's tipsy. Poor Kuon."

Kyoko sprayed the follow-up sip she had just taken all over the floor. All the heat in her body traveled upward, concentrating on her face, and turning it a deep shade of red that Tina has never seen before on a living being. Julie covered her giggles, amused by her daughter-in-law. Tina was in hysterics over what Julie just divulged. She would feel sorry for Kuon, but the pervert no doubt enjoyed the attention from his cute girlfriend. No wonder last night turned out the way it did for them. Good for her! If she had her own glass of champagne she would have raised it in cheers to her seemingly innocent friend for being so ballsy.

"Oh, my goodness! I'm so sorry." Kyoko panicked, placing her glass down on the floor and whipping out another cute handkerchief to sop up the mess she made.

"It's okay," Julie tried to assure her.

The two female employees were already rushing to her rescue with wipes in hand. "If you could show me the cleaning supplies," she said desperately when they got close. "I'll be sure to make this floor shine again."

"Oh, Ms. Kyoko, we can't ask you to do that. It's not much," the older woman of the pair that had introduced herself as Liz when they entered told her. Tina assumed she was the shop manager.

"You know my name?" Kyoko gasped, her golden doe eyes widened in shock. Tina wanted to roll her eyes. This girl! Has she forgotten that she's been in the tabloids since the moment she practically arrived here?

"We like to know our clientele and a beautiful face like yours is hard to forget," Liz replied warmly. "Here let me help you up, sweetie. We'll take care of the mess. Can I get you a new glass?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you," Kyoko mumbled leaving her handkerchief on the floor. If she wasn't already so red, Tina would have seen her blush again from the woman's compliment.

"Was it something I said?" Julie teased innocently while Tina tried to suppress a new wave of giggles that were threatening to bubble up.

"Don't we need to find Tina a dress," Kyoko huffed, quickly changing to subject to remove the attention from her. A hint of a smile ghosted her lips letting them know she wasn't upset as she rushed away to browse the clothing racks.

"She's adorable and right," Julie stood and glanced at her watch. "We don't have much time before our appointment, so let's get to work."

"Thank you, Liz. I'm sorry for the inconvenience," Julie apologized to the manager before leaving as they swiftly cleaned up the champagne residue.

"Happens all the time, Mrs. Hizuri," Liz assured her with a genuine smile.

Tina wanted to protest the dress, but having Julie focus on this one item significantly reduced her spending in the last few stores. It did cross her mind that this one dress could probably put her over the top. She sighed and stood to join the fray. Maybe she could find something that wouldn't break the bank.

The trio divided and conquered, coming together with a dress each draped over their arm for Tina to try on.

The first dress Tina donned was her pick. It was a long silk charmeuse plum-colored dress with wide straps and a plunging v- neckline that stopped at her sternum. It was long-sleeved with cutouts at the front from the shoulder to her underarm. She smoothed down the fabric at her waist admiring the way the silk hugged her curves in all the right places. The dress was elegant, mature, and the price wasn't overwhelmingly shocking.

"What do you guys think?" She asked, stepping out of the dressing room to stand on the platform in front of the wrap-around mirror.

"You look gorgeous, Tina," Kyoko squealed, clapping her hands, "like a Queen!"

"Very lovely. The purple in your dress deepens the color of your blue eyes and makes them pop. Give us a slow twirl," Julie told her, drawing a circle in the air with her finger. Tina understood her command and turned to the side, slowly. She had to admit the dress felt amazing despite the large amounts of fabric covering her skin.

"Definitely one to think about," Julie nodded with approval. "Now let's see another one."

"Okay," Tina lifted her skirt so she wouldn't trip over the fabric and went to change into the next dress. She came out wearing Julie's pick which made her feel sexy and self-conscious all at once.

Kyoko clapped initially then gasped when Tina turned to step on the platform again. She's so cute. From the front, the gown appeared plain with an ancient Grecian design as the material draped loosely over her figure with a modest v-neckline barely showing any cleavage. The fabric color itself was also plain in black with orange petal-shapes dotting the entire gown. What had shocked Kyoko was the lack of fabric down the sides of her torso. The front and back of the dress were held together by two thick gold chains on each side. A generous amount of side boob and hips were in full display for all to ogle. Tina had to admit, she looked damn good with the new weight she put on since her retirement from modeling.

"I think Damian would like this one," Julie snickered and winked at her. Tina could only laugh and shake her head at the brazenness of her friend's mom. Julie was the wicked big sister that she never had that encouraged her to make bold choices.

"Um...you look very...um…sexy!" Kyoko's face bloomed red. "Please forgive me if I've insulted you."

Tina laughed. "Thank you for the compliment, Kyoko. It is rather risque."

"I guarantee someone would show up with far less," Julie commented like a wise sage. She wasn't lying either, celebrities and designers loved to take fashion risks when they know they have a captive audience. The Hizuris hosting a charity ball was no small affair.

After posing and twirling while her friends (just Julie) whistled and cat-called at her, Tina headed back into the dressing room to try on Kyoko's pick. Tina had no idea if it would suit her since it reeked of classic endearing Kyoko. This would look cuter on her than me.

Tina slipped on the dress anyway and was pleasantly surprised by the results. In fact, she loved the way the white and silvery material made her skin look healthy and golden against it. The cut of the dress wouldn't have been something she would normally pick out for herself, but the tight bodice and puffy skirt that stopped mid-shin flattered her tall frame. Best of all, the voluminous skirt had pockets.

Tina came out smiling broadly and took her place on the podium.

"Ooh Tina, you look like an angel," Kyoko gushed, making Tina smile. "I just knew you would look perfect in it."

"I love the silhouette on you. I think this might be the one," Julie added just as excitedly.

The more she stood at the mirror, gazing at herself, the more she began to love the dress. And it has pockets.

"Are you sure you don't want this for yourself, Kyoko? I think it would look gorgeous on you, too."

The young Japanese actress shook her head vehemently in denial.

"Would you like to see it finished?" Liz the sales manager asked, interrupting their assessment of the dress.

"Yes, please," Tina smiled.

Liz nodded her head and the younger saleswoman brought over a vintage gold hairclip and a pair of chandelier earrings without a word.

Remembering the drill during her modeling days, Tina held still while Liz did her thing. The woman came up behind her and swept up her hair, securing it in a loose chignon at her nape and leaving a few wavy tendrils at her temples to frame her face.

"May I ask your shoe size, Ms. Tina," Liz asked as she worked on her hair then secured the clip.

"I'm a size eight."

"Thank you, Ms. Tina." Her focus turned to the younger saleswoman standing close by waiting for direction. "Gold, please Erika," Liz instructed. Erika scurried off with determination, knowing full well what she needed to do.

"Would you care to put these on?" Liz smiled and held up the velvet tray housing the chandelier earrings. By the time Tina replaced her earrings with the sparkling pair Liz presented, Erika returned holding two shoe boxes. She opened them immediately, revealing two pairs of gold heels. One pair was plain with a metallic sheen to it while the other was decorated with crystals. Liz, to Tina's delight, chose the plain metallic pair. The sales manager stood back to assess her handy work once the heels were on.

"What do you think?" She asked Tina.

Tina exhaled slowly and admired the overall look that Liz pulled together: simple and elegant. Julie and Kyoko flanked her, meeting her eyes in the mirror. The way their eyes were shining, one would think she was trying on wedding gowns or something.

"It's beautiful as is, but I think it could use a little more for tonight," Julie commented while her eyes roamed over Tina in contemplation from head to toe.

"Angel wings," Kyoko whispered, unsure with the suggestion.

"Angel wings!" Julie echoed louder.

"Angel wings?" Tina asked bewildered.

"Angel wings!" Kyoko and Julie confirmed in unison, nodding in synch to her surprised reflection in the mirror.

Oh boy! Tina gulped. Technically, the invitation did encourage costumes so she wouldn't look out of place tonight if she wore wings.

"I know just who to call. What are we thinking Kyoko? Seraphim or Cherubim?"

"Cherubim would be less cumbersome on her and would still work perfectly with the dress."

"Practical, I like how you think. Let me call my friend." Julie snatched her phone from her purse to make the call.

"Kyoko, please explain what you meant by Cherubim," Tina asked as she began to remove the jewelry Liz gave her so the woman could ring it up.

"Oh, you know, the baby angels like Cupid, their wings are short and fluffy while Seraphims have large wingspans that would drag on the floor when folded in."

"I get it." Years of watching Victoria's Secret runway shows came to mind of models wearing lingerie and angel wings.

"That's settled," Julie came back smiling. "My friend will be dropping off her collection of wings to the hotel by this evening. I think today's shopping trip was a success."

Tina and Kyoko nodded in agreement. It had been years since Tina shopped like this with "girlfriends." They didn't have to, but it was nice of them to include her. Although exhausting, she had a lot of fun bonding with these wonderful women.

"Tina, do you have everything you need to stay the night?"

"Yes!" She had bought what was necessary to get through the night including lingerie and planned to use the hotel-provided toiletries.

"Great, let's wrap this up and head back. I'll call us a car so we don't have to lug all this on foot."

Tina and Kyoko sighed with relief.

"Don't worry girls, it's nothing but pampering from here on out. Thank you for indulging this old lady." Julie beamed happily at them.

"What old lady?" She and Kyoko protested. There was nothing "old" about her. Tina could only hope she looked half as good as Julie Hizuri when she's her age.

Right now, her twenty-six old aching feet needed a foot rub. Note to self, if Julie Hizuri ever invites me shopping again wear sneakers.

Cedric groaned awake at the sound of his ringing cell phone. His body protested in agony from the uncomfortable way he fell asleep on the couch. The forgotten script he was reading before dozing slid off his chest and to the floor in a noisy heap as he reached for his phone sitting on the coffee table. Looking at the caller ID, had him smiling.

"Hello," he answered, his voice hoarse and husky from sleep.

"Whoa, whoa, are you trying to seduce me with that voice because it's working," Koga replied in his accented English.

Cedric chuckled, "you're such an ass. You woke me up."

"Dude isn't it like late afternoon there. Shouldn't you be working?"

"I had an interview this morning and a few hours of filming. I'm off for the remainder of the day, but I'll be going out later tonight if you must know."

"You got a hot date with your new boyfriend?"

"Huh?"

"The Prince Ceddy fan club here has been blowing up about how you're destroying their ship by traipsing around Hollywood with a man that isn't me."

"I'm not tracking at all, bro. You're not even gay. I'm not even gay."

"It's all an illusion. Women in general, Japanese and foreign, are obsessed with Yaoi. They love pairing their favorite male celebrity crushes together. For the longest time, Tsuruga and his manager dominated that circuit."

Cedric snorted not believing what he was hearing.

"I'm not joking, dude. That guy had been unobtainable until Kyoko-chan came along. The devastation was real. They needed a new ship and that was us. How could you do this to us, Ric? It hasn't even been three weeks since you left me."

"I miss you too, Koga," Cedric laughed at his jealous ex-lover rant.

"I thought I'd check up on you. The last picture I saw was of you throwing up in some bushes. Didn't I tell you to lay off the hard stuff?"

Cedric winced. So that made it across the ocean already. Fucking, internet. Jacob and his parents already gave him a thorough bashing. The official excuse the publicist put out was bad shellfish.

"In my defense, I only had one drink. My stomach was just a little queasy."

"This is why you should just move to Japan, fresh seafood all day every day."

"Who knows, maybe after tonight I might just be back there...or jail."

"What do you mean? You have to explain cause my English sucks!"

Cedric was silent a moment trying to figure out a way to explain.

"Hey don't punk out on me and treat me like all the Plebs."

"Plebs?" Cedric laughed. "Who taught you that word?"

"Why? Did I say it wrong?"

"No, you said it right. Even used it in the right context."

"Don't try to distract me, what did you mean?"

"It's nothing, I'm just being my pessimistic self."

"It sounds like you need to get laid."

"Probably."

"Hey, I have to go but don't think we're done here. I'm calling you later tonight...or morning...whatever the heck time it is over there when I get off work even I have to wake you up!"

"When has my sleeping ever stopped you!"

"Exactly! So don't do anything stupid and you better answer my call!"

"You got it, boss. Have fun at work!"

"Later, man!"

"Hey, Koga?" Cedric called out before he disconnected the line.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for calling."

"Anytime," Koga replied then hung up.

Feeling slightly better after his friend's phone call, Cedric sat up from his reclined position on the couch and stretched. Maybe if he made it through tonight he would surprise Koga and proactively call him instead. Who would have thought he would have a Japanese friend he could count on. He felt like an even bigger shit for his actions growing up. He still had several hours before he needed to get ready and decided to make himself something to eat. The last meal he had was this morning when he took Flynn out for breakfast.

AN: Filler! Filler! Thanks for sticking with me guys. I apologize for the lack of RenKuonKyo POVs in this chapter. I also missed the bromance between Koga and Cedric so I had to include their little conversation...lol. My mind just does what it wants...lol. I hope you guys still enjoyed it.

Thanks for always reading and for reviewing the last chapter. I appreciate you all!

P.S. Ren x Kijima is my Yaoi SB ship...XD.

Until next time, ja ne! ^_^