Just a warning I am Dyslexic so my stories will not be perfect but I now have one Beta reader to help me along the way :D

Thank you so much to rsrdiall for offering to work with me :D

Hello my sweeties,

So who has been waiting for this?

I just hope it lives up to expectations.

Enjoy.

Neh xxx

I do not own Skip Beat!

Of course Kuon would never get away with it, he had known that from the start. As soon as he and Kyoko reappeared Julie was the first to pounce on the new piece of jewellery.

"Ren...Kyoko. Do you have something to tell us?" Julie asked her eyes sparkling as she raised Kyoko's hand to look at the beautiful piece of jewellery.

Kyoko blushed beautifully as Kuon cleared his throat before replying.

"Is a man not allowed to buy his girlfriend a ring for her birthday?" Kuon asked as both Kuu and Lory looked at him.

"You did not ask for permission young man so I hope that is not an engagement ring." Lory said showing off his most serious face, while inside he was cheering.

Kuon just looked between his and Kyoko's father who just happened to be his godfather. It was now or never he supposed.

"No Lory it is not and engagement ring, but that does not mean that one day I do not wish to replace it with such. The ring is my promise to Kyoko, that one day when I am worthy I will ask her to marry me. I will come knocking on not only your door but also the Taisho's door asking for Kyoko's hand in marriage, but until that time arrives I wanted to show Kyoko just how much I loved her and that she holds me bound to her for now and forever."

The whole little group that had been at breakfast that morning had been present for his little speech and now Kuon knew how it felt to be embarrassed. Why could he speak before a camera or as of last night before hundreds of friends, colleagues and acquaintances and not break into a sweat.

Yet before the people he thought of as family, he turned into a blushing school boy.

"Today, Tomorrow & Always." Julie whispered as she read the inscription.

"Well I think it is beautiful and good for you, Kyoko. You already have him well trained." Julie said with a cheeky smirk on her face as their friends and family laughed and chuckled in good humour and the girls all gathered around to look at Kyoko's ring.

Of course the rest of the world were not so easily informed. As soon as Kyoko hit the set of Box-R two days later and the ring was seen for the first time in public the news went viral. Tsuruga Ren and his newly named girlfriend Kyoko are engaged! If the news of the pair getting together formally and announcing it had not already hit Japan's female population hard. Then the news that the number one actor would be off the market for good, did a wonderful job.

What shocked Kyoko most though as the cast and crew of Box-R gathered around to congratulate the girl who was trying to tell them that their engagement was not the case, was the fact that everyone was so supportive. Kyoko had not expected everyone to take the news so easily. Of course there were malcontent's and some rather harsh comments left on Kyoko's website at LME, but Kuon was getting the same treatment. Yet there was no big commotion about Kyoko being with Ren. There was no big wall of people telling her she was not good enough, that Ren could do better.

There was simply acceptance that the two young Thespians had fallen in love and were happy enough to share that news with the world. Kijima had even been happy enough to joke that Ren had really fallen in love with Toru and Kyoko was simply an added bonus, when he and Ren had been questioned by reporters outside one of their modelling shoots.

Which Ren had simply laughed off asking who could not love both Kyoko and Toru, leading Kijima to call him a lucky man and Kyoko to blush profusely when the front page of next day's paper spoke of how they expected a big family from the two children loving people. Kanae had taken great pleasure in asking Kyoko if she would still be waiting for her wedding night or if maybe they were going to start practicing early?

"Mo, Kyoko I was joking," Kanae said as Kyoko just turned away from her best friend ignoring her completely.

She was starting to wonder if coming out about their relationship had been the right thing to do and that was not something Kyoko wanted to feel right now.

She loved Kuon, more than anyone other than Toru. Could she really tell Kanae she had thought about herself and Kuon having children? Would Kanae hate her if she told her that she truly did want children with Kuon? Not yet of course, she was still young and just starting out on her career, but maybe.. Maybe there was something in Kanae's words that she was curious about. Something her head was telling her she should not be.

"Kyoko... Earth to Kyoko?" Kanae said as she stood before Kyoko.

Toru, now rested in her arms eating a biscuit as they both watched the woman before them drift off in her own thoughts. Those thoughts showed clearly on Kyoko's face and in her eyes as Kyoko started sporting a telling blush.

"My, my. So even Kyoko is having those kind of thoughts," Kanae said grinning as Kyoko snapped out of her daze and started at her best friend with a mixture of acceptance and horror.

"Moko-san!" Kyoko cried as she covered Toru's ears with both hands making Kanae laugh as Toru pushed her hands away.

"Mo don't be a prude, Kyoko. You're a young woman he's a very good looking young man. No one is going to think any worse of you for thinking about it." Kanae said whilst smiling mischievously.

"Especially now we know he wants to marry you after all, you're going to be doing it eventually." As Kyoko's blush reached a new level, Kanae knew she had hit the nail on the head.

"But Ren does not expect to jump into bed with you, Kyoko. It's not something you have to do just because people are saying things like this."

Even if Kanae enjoyed teasing her best friend, she knew Kyoko needed the reassurance that she was offering.

"You take your time and go at your own pace. Ren loves you for just being you. So just go with whatever feels right when it feels right. OK?"

Kyoko couldn't help but smile at the woman before her. Only minutes ago she had been a little angry. Leaning forwards Kyoko hugged her best friend around her son and smiled.

"Thanks, Moko-san."

Kanae smiled back at her best friend as she grabbed the script of the table they had been sitting at in the in the Love Me locket room.

"So are you ready?" Kanae asked as she shifted Toru to a more comfortable position on her hip.

Kyoko's smile grew broader as she too picked up her very dog-eared script book. Today was to be the first cast meeting and read-through for Kyoko's debut movie and she couldn't wait.

"Yeah, let's go."

Ren smiled politely at the reporters shouting questions at him as he and Yashiro entered LME. He didn't even bother to answer the questions any more. LME had released an official statement denying an engagement between himself and Kyoko, but still the press seemed to think it was all a ruse to throw them off the trail.

Yashiro walked along beside his charge and best friend. Since his and Kyoko's relationship had come out in public Yashiro had noticed subtle changes in the man beside him. It wasn't only the happiness he seemed to radiate like sun rays, but also his personality seemed to have shifted ever so slightly.

He was almost more human and it was something Yashiro was enjoying as Ren's friend.

"So why are we having a meeting before the actual reading?" Yashiro asked as he stepped into the lobby beside Ren and away from the crowds

He watched as Ren pressed the lift call button before turning to him. There is something I need to discuss with people before we move forward with the film," Ren answered cryptically.

Yashiro nodded before asking another question he couldn't contain.

"Am I one of those people?"

Ren smiled at the man before him. It wasn't his gentleman smile which would have made Yashiro scared for his life, it was one of Ren's new smiles. The smile Yashiro knew was something between him and Ren. It was a smile of being friends and more than just colleagues.

"You were at the top of the list, Yukihito."

Yashiro smiled. He didn't need to ask any more. Before, Ren's entire attitude had always screamed mysterious to him. But now it was simple. Ren was going to tell him when he was ready. And if he was correct that would be as soon as everyone was gathered in the meeting room.

Maybe that was the change? Yashiro thought to himself as they silently entered the lift. Ren doesn't ever seem to hide anything any more. Or was that just because he now had nothing to question his friend about? Ren was always happy enough to talk about Kyoko now with him. Even if he did fangirl a little, Ren would just chuckle and let him get on with it.

Neither spoke as they approached the meeting room. No one could miss Ren's smile as he and Yashiro entered and Toru screamed.

"DADDY!" before running and being engulfed by the large man.

"Hello my little monster, have you been a good boy for mommy and auntie Kanae?" Ren asked as Toru hugged him tightly and nodded. Kyoko smiled at the pair as she watched them. Her first thoughts were of Kanae's words, the second were of that day in the hospital room where simple kisses had escalated into something more. Kyoko's cheeks reddened as she wondered how far they might have gone if Toru hadn't stirred? She and Ren slept in the same bed a few times since then, yet nothing had happened either time more than sleep.

Ren didn't notice Kyoko's blush as he bent over and kissed her head lightly, but Kanae did. And even though she felt a little cruel she still enjoyed Kyoko's myriad of thoughts that passed over her face.

"You had a good day princess?" Ren asked as Kyoko simply nodded and smiled at him. The slight blush still adorning her cheeks which made Ren's pants tighten slightly at how beautiful. It made Kyoko blush sitting in the seat beside Toru on his lap.

"I love you Kyoko."

Kanae could only scoff slightly a small smile on Kyoko's face as she said.

"Love you too, Ren."

Before Yashiro squealed loudly scaring not only the adults in the room but Toru also who all looked at him with shocked eyes before Ren sighed and sat Toru on the table before him.

"You have to ignore Uncle Yashiro he's crazy," he told the small boy before him with a completely serious face as Kanae and Kyoko laughed at Yashiro's look of hurt.

"I hope you will know I'm not crazy! It's just you two are too cute!"

They all watched him as Yashiro smiled widely and all Kanae and Kyoko could think was perhaps he had been spending too much time with the President.

It didn't take long for the room to fill with the people Ren had asked to join them today. Kyoko was surprised when Lory shut the door after admitting Ogata as the last person. Looking around the room Kyoko was confused. There were all the Love Me girls including Mimori. Kuu and Julie were seated opposite her Toru on Julie's lap. Yashiro, Lory, Ogata, Kijima were all seated around the table as Ren spoke.

"Thank you all for coming a little early. But there is something I would like to speak to you all about. The people in this room are who I would like to count as friends. But not only that you are the people I know I can trust above everything else."

Lory watched the surrounding people. Yashiro and Kijima looked interested as did, Kanae and Chiori, yet Mimori had grimaced slightly still feeling the guilt he supposed of her actions towards Kyoko and even though that wasn't a bad thing Lory hopped it would pass with time.

"Kyoko. Today I wish to start fulfilling my promise."

And with those words Kuon told the people present everything. As his parents and Lory watched on amazed, Ogata, who had already heard the story, sat fascinated as the young man bared his soul and more before the people he had chosen. He left no detail unturned including his and Kyoko's first true meeting and him being Kyoko's Corn.

It was silent when Kuon finally finished. He had politely asked that no one speak during the tale fearing he would lose his nerve. With their hands joined, she had realised just what Kuon was doing. It was more than he could have ever needed or wished for as the story unfolded itself revealing the true man behind the mask.

Kuon finally sat there before them awaiting judgement.

Well I know its probably been so long you have all forgotten this story,

to be honest I have had to read it myself twice and am re-reading it again just so I don't forget the small details, but here we are and finally taking the ON HIATUS sticker off

Kyoko's Baby Bother.

thanks for reading

Love

Neh xxx

Comments and reviews please, I will happily reply to PM's and questions