Hello everyone! First, thank you so much to all of my reviewers! You guys inspire me to keep writing and it makes my day when I get to read new reviews! Second, I did change the rating of this story. I'm still not 100% sure how more mature themes are going to be handled, but I want to be safe with the rating and make sure that people aren't surprised by more mature content. I doubt there will be anything explicit, but there will be a warning if that happens. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
The First Time They Were Ambushed
Kyoko couldn't stop blushing, her face buried in her pillow as she tried not to scream. It was barely five in the morning, and since Kanae hadn't arrived yet, it wouldn't have disturbed her, but if one of her neighbors heard, it might bother them. So she screamed into the pillow instead, face on fire, her body in the fetal position. How could she have been so shameless? How could she have let herself do something like this? She was trying to let go of her Pure Japanese Maiden title. She knew that kissen Kuon was something she enjoyed...and that he enjoyed too. And she knew that kissing him didn't mean she was a deplorable, shameless woman...and so she'd invited him to come inside the night before.
Kuon had carried the groceries, following almost too closely behind her as the two of them had made their way into her apartment. And then he'd helped her put everything away, the silence between them so heavy and so...so full of something she couldn't, or maybe wouldn't, name. Her face had been red the entire time, her heart beating so quickly that she'd been able to hear it in her ears. Hands shaking a little, she'd placed the produce in the refrigerator, or on the counter, but eventually, there had been nothing left to unpack. And so she'd carefully folded the cloth bags, Kuon leaning against the counter across from her, his lips quirked into a tiny smirk.
"Do you want me to make something for dinner?" she'd asked, all of her previous courage deserting her. His smile had widened a fraction, and he'd shaken his head.
"Maybe in a little while," he'd allowed, taking a step forward. Kyoko's heart had sped up somehow, watching him approach and feeling like a tiny animal once more...like he was going to gobble her up like the big bad wolf. Only...she hadn't been afraid. But she also hadn't not been afraid. Her breath had caught in her throat as he'd come to stand so close he'd almost been touching her, his hands coming to land on either side of her on the countertop, and she'd tilted her face up to look at his face, silhouetted in the light.
All of her exhaustion and jet lag had seemed to drop away and she'd surprised herself by lifting a hand, pressing it to his chest and trailing it down to his stomach. It had been his turn to catch his breath, his jaw tightening as his whole body had tensed. Kuon had lifted a hand from the countertop to brush the back of his fingers over her cheek, then down to her lips.
"You are so beautiful," he'd whispered, leaning down to press his forehead to hers. "My beautiful Kyoko."
She'd blinked at the sincere awe in his voice, tears springing to her eyes. "Kuon…"
And then he'd been kissing her, one hand framing her face, the other off exploring. Kyoko had no idea how they'd ended up on the sofa, him sitting with his back against the side of it until he was nearly laying down, her on his lap, practically laying on top of him, his hands running up and down her back, kneading into her hips and thighs until she'd groaned, barely having time to be embarrassed. She'd felt like she was drowning in the best possible way, and all she'd known was his body on hers, and his hands and his tongue and his mouth, moving from her lips to her neck, just like when they'd been in his bedroom back in LA.
The next thing she'd known, Kuon's hands had been under her shirt and then unhooking her bra and then they'd pulled down her shirt and she'd been so lost in the feeling of him that she hadn't minded. No...it wasn't that she hadn't minded, she told herself sternly. She'd liked it! She'd wanted more! She hadn't seemed capable of rational thought...just...more. All she'd wanted was more. Kuon had been kissing down her collarbone, the nails of her right hand digging into his back, her eyes shut as she'd panted for air.
It had only been when he'd started to lift her shirt, having moved it as far down as he could without ripping it, that she'd snapped back to reality, and only then because she'd been lifted her arms to let him pull it off, a sharp pain jolting through her shoulder and forced a cry from her lips, stopping him in his tracks. He'd frozen, blinking as if disoriented for a moment, and then he'd lowered her shirt, sitting up enough to place a gentle hand on her arm. "I'm sorry," he'd whispered, his thumb carefully brushing over the place where the stitches had been. "I'm sorry...are you okay?"
She'd nodded, too embarrassed for words, and, unable to meet his eyes, she'd hidden her face in his shoulder. Kuon had held her close, and she'd felt him turn his head just enough to kiss her arm, making her smile despite her embarrassment, and her fingers had clutched his shirt.
"I didn't mean to get carried away…" He'd sounded almost as embarrassed as she'd felt, and she'd shaken her head.
"I'm okay."
He'd been silent for a moment, rubbing a hand lazily up and down her back, and she'd relaxed, bit by bit, her eyes growing heavier and heavier. Then he'd chuckled, turning to kiss her cheek. "We can't go to sleep."
Kyoko had signed, her breath coming out in a puff of air against his ear, and she'd felt his whole body shiver. She'd been about to apologize, but he'd moved just enough so that he could kiss her again, their height difference no longer an issue. But this time he'd kept the kiss mostly chaste, his hands moulded to her waist.
"I love you," he'd whispered when he'd finally pulled back, their noses nearly touching.
"I love you too."
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
She'd blushed, shaking her head. "You...you didn't," Kyoko had muttered, more embarrassed by her admission than by anything they'd done.
He'd smiled then, his whole face going angelically soft, and he'd kissed the tip of her nose. "Are you sure your arm's okay?"
She'd nodded. "I just lifted it too fast. It's okay now." She'd wanted to apologize, although she hadn't been able to figure out what exactly she should apologize for. So, hoping to keep herself from falling asleep on top of him, she'd sat up a little more, practically sitting on his stomach, and he'd smiled up at her, looking so at home in her apartment that it had made her chest ache. "What do you want to eat?"
Kuon's smirk had returned just for a second, but then he'd sat up, his hands bracing her so that she wouldn't fall, and together they'd gone into the kitchen to make dinner.
That wasn't why Kyoko was so embarrassed this morning though. After dinner, Kuon had helped her clean up, insisting when she'd half-heartedly tried to assure him that he didn't need to. Then he'd kissed her goodnight before heading home...and she'd finally gone to bed, falling asleep nearly before she'd hit her pillow. But then...then she'd had a dream.
Kyoko had had plenty of dreams about Tsuruga Ren. She'd dreamed about him once or twice soon after they'd met again at LME...anxiety dreams full of fighting and anger. Later, she'd had dreams that he was angry with her, or dreams where they worked together. Dreams where she forgot all of her lines, or disappointed him in some way. And then, when she'd realized her feelings for him, she'd had what she'd thought of at the time as shameful dreams...dreams of him holding her in his arms. But this...this had been different, and she had no idea how she could ever face him again after dreaming those things about him! He'd been in her bedroom! In her bed! And she didn't even have a bed! Placing her fingers on her hot cheeks, she rolled over and stared at the ceiling.
The dream had started just like last night, with the two of them on her sofa.
But then they'd been in her nonexistent bed.
And he'd succeeded in getting her shirt off...and her bra...and she'd tugged his shirt over his head and…
Kyoko rolled over, screaming into the pillow again.
By the time Kuon arrived later that morning, coming up to her apartment and knocking on the front door, she'd managed to calm down a little...or at least enough to face him with only a hint of a blush on her cheeks. He looked her over as he stepped into the apartment, eyes raking over her face and down to her purse, which she had slung over her right shoulder. He lifted his hand, brushing a thumb under her eye where she'd tried to hide her dark circles with makeup. "Did you get enough sleep?"
Just the word sleep made her think of dreams and she felt her cheeks heat up under his touch. "Yes...um...I think so. I mean, I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep but I think I got enough sleep." Kyoko ended her rambling explanation with an even deeper blush when he smiled a little, looking almost pleased with himself as he leaned down and gave her a long, gentle kiss.
"Are you ready to go?"
Nodding, she took the hand he held out, locking the door behind her and following him down to his car. "Did...um...did you sleep well?"
"I did, thank you." Just his voice sent shivers down her spine as her mind wandered, against her will, back to her dream...to the words he'd murmured into her ear...to the phantom feeling of his body on hers.
Thankfully, Kuon changed the topic to work, and they discussed their schedule for the upcoming week, and Kyoko's schoolwork, and before she knew it, she and Kuon had reached the LME building. Apparently the doctor that Takarada-san had his clients go to for work-related injuries worked out of a basement office which looked a lot nicer than Kyoko had been expecting. When Kuon had told her that they were headed for the basement, she'd envisioned cobwebs and darkness for some reason. Instead, the office was warm and light, and the assistant checked her in, gesturing for them to take a seat. They did, Kuon wrapping an arm around her and kissing her hair when the woman wasn't looking.
She blushed, her brain stubbornly reminding her of the dream she was determined not to think about, and he smiled as he sat up, probably assuming that it was the public display of affection making her blush. "Sorry," he murmured, not sounding sorry at all. "Can I take you to lunch after this?"
"Aren't you busy this afternoon?"
"Not until 2."
Kyoko nodded, blushing again even though he'd taken her to eat what felt like a hundred times now. They'd gone out all the time in LA, and several times here at home too. Just being near him was making her blush now, and she needed to stop or he was going to get suspicious, and then he would ask what was wrong and then she'd have to try not to blurt out the things she'd done in her dream and then…
Well, she didn't think he'd be angry...but she didn't know if she'd ever be able to face him again. So, taking a deep breath, she shoved the dream to the very back of her mind to be considered later and focused instead on the upcoming appointment, surprised to find that she was a little nervous. When the doctor appeared and ushered her back, Kuon tagged along, not holding her hand but staying close. The doctor didn't seem to have any issues with Tsuruga Ren joining them, and he sat in a chair beside the examination table, staying out of the way but paying close attention.
Once she'd described all of the exercises the American doctor had given her, showing him the paper, her new doctor examined for himself, making her wince when he lifted her arm and manipulated her shoulder. In the end, he did think that physical therapy would be her best bet, and although he warned her that he couldn't promise that she'd get her full range of motion back for a while, he did think that she'd improve a lot faster if she continued the exercises and came back for physical therapy twice a week.
He also signed off on her to be Bo once more as long as they made accomodations for her, which she would discuss with Yashiro-san and the producer. She was glad she had Yashiro-san now, since the producer still wasn't her biggest fan, and she had no idea how to bring such things up. Then, once he gave her a schedule and more exercises to do, in moderation, at home, they were free to go to lunch.
As they walked through the halls of LME, Kyoko couldn't help but notice all of the eyes on them. Kuon, or Ren, she reminded herself, wasn't touching her. He wasn't even walking closer than would be appropriate. Still, once they entered the main floor, everyone seemed to be staring at them. Kyoko would make eye contact with a few of them, giving a shy smile, and most of them returned it, but others just looked between the two of them as if not sure what to make of the picture in front of them.
They were almost to the employee entrance when Kyoko spotted a familiar child racing toward them, and she placed a hand on Ren's arm, making him pause and turn to see what she was looking at.
"Onee-sama! Ren-sama!"
They both smiled, and Ren opened his arms, leaning down to scoop her up, hugging her tightly as she flung her arms around his neck. "Hi. Long time no see," he murmured, his face hidden by her fluffy curls, and Kyoko's heart clenched.
Is this what Kuon would be with his own children?
And why was she thinking about him having children?
"It's been so long!" Maria gave him one last squeeze, then turned to Kyoko, squirming a little to be let down. Ren obliged, but as he sat her down, he knelt beside her, leaning in close.
"Be careful with your onee-san."
Kyoko crouched down, holding her right arm out, and Maria gingerly stepped into her partially open arms, wrapping her arms around Kyoko.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly, and Kyoko nodded, rubbing her back.
"I'm okay," she assured her.
"Grandpa said you got hurt filming with a sword."
"I did, but it was an accident."
"And he said you had to go to the doctor today."
"I just finished with my appointment. I have to go back a few times for physical therapy, but I'll be okay."
She nodded, pulling away and smiling. "Thank you for my postcards."
"Of course. I'm glad you liked them!"
Kyoko had spent some of her free time in LA combing the city for fun postcards to send to Maria, and she had tried to send one a week, although she'd missed a week or two when they'd been too busy with filming. She'd always received an email thanking her, and giving her all the news from LME and Maria's life in return.
"Do you want to come to lunch with us, Maria-chan?" Ren offered. "We were going to get something to eat before I take Kyoko back to her apartment."
The little girl's eyes lit up, and she nodded. "Do I have time to ask Grandpa first?"
"Of course. Do you want me to call him?"
Once Ren had called and asked their boss if it was okay for Maria to join them for lunch and received permission, they headed back for the employee entrance, slipping out of the building and climbing into his car, all the while she regaled them with stories of school and LME and her grandfather. Kyoko was laughing at one of her stories about Takarada-san's many costume changes when she glanced over at Ren, only to find him watching her as they sat at a light, his eyes so soft that it took her aback.
He loved her.
Kyoko knew this. She knew that he loved her because he'd told her and he showed her all the time...but sometimes he would look at her and she could just see it in his eyes...in his whole face as he smiled at her. And in those moments, Kyoko's eyes would fill as she wondered how she had ever gotten so lucky.
They let Maria choose the restaurant, and Ren pulled a baseball cap over his head, giving another one to Kyoko, and together they walked inside with Maria between them. She sat beside Kyoko, Ren sitting across from them. It had been so long since Kyoko had sat in a restaurant surrounded by people speaking her language, serving food she'd grown up eating and cooking, that she sank into the seat and closed her eyes, just listening for a moment.
Maria, used to being around celebrities, kept her voice down and tried not to refer to them by name as she asked them a million questions about LA. They answered with the best stories they had, even answering a few questions about the movie they'd been working on. Finally, after they'd ordered their food and received their drinks, the little girl's face darkened.
"What about the man that hurt you, Onee-san?"
"Um...he didn't mean to, Maria-chan. It was an accident. He tripped on a rug in the middle of the scene," Kyoko told her with a little smile, trying not to wince at the memory.
"His name is Cedric Bennett, right?"
"Yes…"
"Do you know where he lives?"
Kyoko's eyes widened. "No…I don't…" She glanced at Ren who had cocked an eyebrow, obviously wondering where she was going with that.
"Oh well. I can always look that up online."
Ren opened his mouth, probably to ask why exactly she'd want to know that, but Kyoko broke in before he could ask.
"You don't need to make a voodoo doll of him. He didn't do it on purpose."
This time, Ren turned his face away, but Kyoko could see his shoulders shaking as he tried to stifle his laughter.
"You're right! Your power is a lot stronger than mine! You can make one! Oh, we can make one together! Please! If we work together, we can get him even if he is in America!"
Kyoko shot Ren a look when he continued to laugh. "I think that's a great idea, Maria-chan," he offered.
Maria gestured toward Ren, as if to say 'see! He gets it!' and Kyoko pressed a hand over her mouth, giggling softly.
The waitress came by with their food then, and Maria continued to list possible ideas to punish Cedric for his accidental crimes against her Onee-san. Ren was obviously on board, and Kyoko wondered if he was taking notes. He'd probably buy Maria anything she needed to make her curse doll of his cousin, and maybe he'd even take a stab at it. Literally. Kyoko dug into her lunch enthusiastically as Maria talked, nudging Ren's shin with her toe when he didn't start eating and giving his plate a pointed look. With an exaggerated sigh, he took another bite with his chopsticks, lifting his eyebrows at her as if to ask if she was happy. She smiled, nodding and taking another bite.
"Ren-sama?"
Maria had taken a break from planning to start eating, but now her soft voice was suddenly worried, and they both turned to her, their silent conversation forgotten. She sounded almost afraid, and Ren leaned in. "What's wrong?" he asked gently. She'd placed her chopsticks down beside her plate and was scooting a little closer to Kyoko.
The little girl glanced to her left at the restaurant, then leaned closer over the table, lowering her voice even more. "I think that woman just took our picture."
He narrowed his eyes in confusion, turning and stiffening a little, and Kyoko followed his eyes to find a girl around her age with her cellphone pointing at them.
"Should we go?" Kyoko asked, turning to him. She hadn't had to deal with Ren's fan's very often up to this point. They were usually careful to only eat at places with good security, or to go late in the evening or during odd hours. Then they'd been in the US for so long that she'd almost forgotten how seriously some people took being his fan. She was vaguely aware that the entertainment shows still talked about them occasionally, mostly because Yashiro-san kept her updated on what the press was saying about her, but she'd almost started to think that they were no longer newsworthy. It seemed that wasn't true, because the girl was tapping rapidly at her phone, and Kyoko could only assume she was sending their photo to someone.
Ren sighed, lips pressed together in thought. "It's okay. We'll just take our food to go. We can eat in the Love Me room at LME. What do you think, Maria?"
The little girl nodded. "Okay."
He waved down the waitress, asking for to-go boxes, but Kyoko could tell that the waitress had figured out who they were. She brought them three containers with an almost supernatural speed, fluttering around Ren for a moment and asing if there was anything else she could bring them, and Kyoko watched his face transform into his gentlemanly smile. She reached down, gripping Maria's hand and shaking her head a little. Maria huffed, but she dropped the death glare she'd been giving the girl.
"I'm so sorry to bother you but...could I please have your autograph?" the waitress cried, thrusting her notebook at him, and Ren glanced at the window where a few people were already crowding around, their phones pointed at their booth, looking more tense by the second. Kyoko wondered if the girl had posted their photo on social media, and if Yashiro-san already knew what was happening.
"Of course," he told her, and to anyone else, he might have sounded gracious, but to Kyoko, he just sounded irritated.
Maria opened her mouth while he signed her paper, and Kyoko could just tell that whatever she was going to say, it was going to be something insulting, so she squeezed her hand again. "Let's pack our food," she urged softly, already scooping her own food into the container. The little girl huffed, but did as she suggested as the waitress gushed her thanks to Ren. Maria did mutter a few things, but they were all under her breath so Kyoko let it go.
The voices outside got louder and louder, and Kyoko watched as people surrounded the restaurant, a few of them loitering by the door. She swallowed, placing their containers in the plastic bag they'd been given to carry them, and looked to Ren who was firmly but politely smiling at the waitress, trying to get a word in edgewise and failing.
Kyoko admired his calm...she had no idea how he could look at a mob of screaming fans and seem so at ease. But she made herself smile...forced herself to seem just as calm as he was. She was his girlfriend, she reminded himself. And all of Japan had seemed to accept them. No...all of Japan would accept them.
Across from them, Ren was still trying to extract himself, and Kyoko glanced at the window once more before standing, projecting just as much calm as he was as she smiled down at Maria. "Are you ready?"
The little girl nodded. She had been raised in the show business world, but Kyoko didn't blame her for being nervous...not when there was a growing number of fangirls gathering outside. And Kyoko remembered all too well what it had been like when she'd been his substitute manager. "Don't worry." She squeezed Maria's hand, looking over to Ren who was trying to politely extract himself from the conversation with the waitress. His jaw was tight, his bright, sparkling smile almost too bright, and Kyoko stepped forward, channeling her inner nakai.
"I'm so sorry to interrupt," she murmured, stepping in and bowing her head a little in apology. The waitress turned to her, eyes widening as if suddenly noticing that she was in the presence of two celebrities instead of just one.
"Oh...Kyoko-san!"
"Hi. Suzuki-san, right?" she asked, grateful that she'd taken note of the girl's name during her introduction. People were always more willing to help if you remembered their names.
The girl blushed, nodding, as she glanced between Kyoko and Ren.
"Thank you for the containers. We really do have to get her home." She gestured toward Maria. People were also more willing to help children. "Would it be possible for us to leave out the back?"
"Of course! Um...yes. Follow me!"
Kyoko nodded, smiling serenely up at Ren whose jaw relaxed a fraction, his lips twitching into an almost smile.
"That was impressive," he murmured as they followed the waitress through the kitchen, the busy chef barely sparing them a glance.
She laughed under her breath, glancing down at Maria to make sure she was okay, only to find the little girl staring up at her in awe.
"How did you do that, Onee-san?"
Kyoko started to answer that she'd been raised working at an inn, but they'd reached the back door and she felt her calm facade drop for a moment when she saw the screaming group of fans, all of them jostling for a glimpse of Ren. She remembered again how, even with security, all Ren had been able to do was wrap an arm around her and pull her to the car...and they didn't have security right now. Or Yashiro-san.
Beside her, Ren narrowed his eyes, jaw tight, and he didn't even try to hide his irritation anymore as he held out a hand to Maria.
"Ren-sama…"
"It's okay. Here," he murmured, scooping her up. She put her arms around his neck, glaring at all of the people that swarmed the restaurant, screaming his name. "Don't worry. We're going to get to the car and get back to LME."
She nodded, her head resting on his shoulder, and Ren reached out his hand to Kyoko. "Ready?" he asked.
Kyoko hummed her agreement, trying to squash her nervousness and taking his hand. "Of course."
As soon as he opened the door, the sound of screaming was overwhelming, and it took everything in her to stop from flinching back and slamming the door. Her hand was secure in his, and he gave the assembled fans a quick, distant smile before taking the first step into the crowd. Most of them backed away to let him move, screaming his name and calling out for autographs or confessing their undying love. A few of them were calling out for her too, and she was glad that no one seemed to be upset that she was with him. Maria tucked her face into his shoulder and Kyoko squeezed his hand, thinking that maybe this might be okay.
But then a couple of fans were grabbing at them, screaming and yanking on their clothes. She winced and tried to keep moving, wishing they had Yashiro-san to help them clear a path. Still, she made herself smile at the handful of insane people trying to rip them apart, her fingers aching from how tightly she was squeezing Ren's hand. They were almost to the car...they were almost safe. Cameras were flashing, and she thought she saw a professional camera, making her wonder if the press had shown up somehow. More voices joined in, calling their names, while a couple of the fans seemed to be backing off, looking concerned when they caught sight of the little girl hiding in Ren's arms. Ren murmured 'excuse us' a few times, obviously doing his best to keep up a polite front, guiding Kyoko through as best he could.
Kyoko was just starting to feel like they were going to make it when a hand caught ahold of her left wrist, yanking her backwards and ripping her hand out of Ren's, their bag of food dropping to the ground unnoticed. She couldn't help the cry of pain as it spiked through her shoulder for a moment, gasping and biting her lip as she came face to face with a girl around her own age that caught sight of her expression and paled, seeming to snap out of her mania. Kyoko put a hand over her left shoulder, trying to smile as the pain faded.
"I'm so sorry Kyoko-san…" the girl whispered, and Kyoko was about to answer when Ren's voice boomed through the crowd.
"Enough!"
Kyoko turned with the others to see the demon lord, his eyes reminding her of that night...of Cain Heel...of BJ. They were narrowed to slits, his whole face dark and furious as he closed the distance between them, and the girl who had grabbed her scuttled backwards, as did several more of the closest fans. Tsuruga Ren the gentleman was gone, and angry, frustrated Kuon had taken his place as he wrapped a protective arm around her.
"I'm okay," she whispered. "She didn't mean to."
He swallowed, meeting her eyes for a long moment in the sudden silence before nodding and tucking her against him and, without a word, he led her safely through the parting crowd and back to her car. As soon as they'd reached it, he opened the passenger side door for her, blocking her with his body until he could close the door, then he opened the back door and placed Maria inside the car as well.
Kyoko turned back to her as Ren walked around the back of the car to check on her, hoping they hadn't inadvertently traumatised the little girl, but she quickly realized she was worrying for nothing. Maria was stewing, glaring out the window, arms crossed. "I'm going to make a doll of her too," she muttered, arms crossed, and Kyoko smiled to herself. Maria was fine.
"She apologized, Maria-chan. It's okay."
Kuon was silent as he climbed back into the car, his eyes dark and still angry. Kyoko held out a hand between them, and he glanced at her, softening just a little as he took it, thumb rubbing back and forth over her knuckles. The car was silent until they were back on the road to LME, and Kyoko realized something.
"Oh...Ren...the food! I'm so sorry...I must have dropped it!" She closed her eyes, cursing herself silently for forgetting all about it, but he just squeezed her hand gently, shaking his head and speaking in a voice that would accept no argument.
"Don't worry about it. We'll get something at the cafe at LME."
They did find some food there, which they took to the empty Love Me room. Once they were finished eating, Kyoko and Maria carrying the conversation, Ruto-san appeared to take Maria back to her grandfather, and Kyoko was left with a silent, still-angry Kuon. She hated it when he was angry, even when it wasn't with her. She wanted to apologize, but she hadn't done anything, and she knew it wouldn't help anyway. Still, she cleared their empty containers and put them in the recycling, and was about to sit beside him on the ground at the low table once more when he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Kyoko."
Taken aback, she stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending. "You don't have to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I took you there. I thought our disguises would be enough, and I couldn't get us away in time. I was so focused on trying to be polite to that waitress...you could have been hurt! You were hurt! Not to mention Maria!"
"I was barely hurt," she told him softly, coming to stand in front of him. "She didn't mean to…"
"Just because someone doesn't mean to hurt you doesn't mean you aren't hurt!" he snapped, not quite yelling, but not calm either. "Fuwa and Cedric and now...that girl shouldn't have grabbed you in the first place! And I shouldn't have taken you there without any kind of security! I...I wasn't careful enough and…"
He cut himself off, eyes shut tight, his elbows on the table as he gripped his hair in his hands. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes as she tried to figure out what she could say...how she could possibly make this better.
But she couldn't. There was nothing she could say. They really hadn't been careful enough. They'd made a big mistake. And she had been scared. And hurt. So Kyoko did the only thing she knew...the thing she wished someone would have done for her all those times that she'd been so sad after making a mistake...when she'd been remorseful and angry with no idea how to fix it. She knelt down beside him, lifting her arm and wrapping it around his shoulders as best she could, then, praying there weren't cameras in here, she kissed his temple.
"I love you," she whispered. "I forgive you. It's okay. We'll know better for next time."
Kuon took a shuddering breath, turning and pulling her practically onto his lap, nose buried in her hair for a long moment and, to her shock and humiliation, her dream came right back to the forefront of her mind.
Kuon holding her. His lips against her skin. The two of them in her bed, which she didn't even have!
The sound of the doorknob turning didn't pull them from their intimate moment, but the sound of the door slamming shut did, and they both jumped, his arms tightening around her for a moment before they looked at each other, then the closed door.
"Hello?" Ren called, his voice almost back to normal.
"I, um...I'm sorry. Just...whenever you're ready."
Kyoko dropped her blushing face into her hands and Ren chuckled at Yashiro-san's voice from the other side of the door. She felt him kiss the top of her hair, squeezing her in one last hug. She pressed her hands to her cheeks, trying to cool her face as she sat up, giving him a sheepish smile. He seemed calmer, at least...not as angry, and she was glad. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble for not being able to be Ren at his interview.
"You can come in, Yashiro. It's okay," he called, and their red-faced manager stepped into the room, not meeting either of their eyes. Kyoko scooted away from Ren just a little, his embarrassment only making her feel worse. What kind of shameless woman was she turning into! They were at work! Still, she couldn't make herself feel bad about what she'd done, not even if there were security cameras in the Love Me room.
"We should go soon," Yashiro-san told them, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "It's nearly 1:30. Kyoko-chan, do you need a ride home?"
"Yes, I was going to drop her off on the way," Ren told him, interrupting before Kyoko could decline the offer.
"Okay. We should go." Yashiro-san still refused to meet their eyes, and they fell in behind him, thankfully without discussing what Yashiro-san had seen or what had happened earlier. As they walked through LME behind their manager, Kyoko did her absolute best to keep a respectful distance between them, Ren apparently amusing himself by brushing his fingers against hers every chance he got.
But really, she didn't mind at all.
Thank you for reading! As always, if you have ideas for more firsts you'd like to see, please let me know!